#at least in 2009? probably in 2020 too

[stinkybrowndogs]

Some dog movie observations:

The 1990s to like 2010 seems to be the golden age of dog movies. We got Beethoven (1992), Homeward Bound (1993), Air Bud (1997), 101 Dalmatians (1996), Snow Dogs (2002), Because of Winn Dixie (2005), Hotel for Dogs (2009), Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008) to name a few that I enjoyed. There is also a slew of B-rate movies that while not as good, still have some charm. I will say I think it helps that cgi wasn’t heavily used in movies until the later 2000s and 2010s, and it is my humble opinion that too much cgi ruins the movies. The more tricks the dog actually does on camera, the better. Bonus points if clever camera shots and practical effects are used instead of cgi.

Anything before the 80s? Questionable animal ethics. (The Animal welfare act was passed in 1966, so really anything before then is… wild.)

Now. As we travel into the 2010s-2020s, we see an uptick in copaganda. (Max, Dog, Rescued by Ruby, and a Dogs Journey are some recent ones). We also see an uptick of Really Bad Movies (think like a dog-BAD. Lady and the tramp? WORSE.) we also see a lot of strange indie films about dogs (white god was….. weird.) this is also when the “air buddies” took off to be their own thing, which has turned into an entire studio that makes Bad Dog Movies (and also shows! Pup academy, phantom pups, and one other one on Netflix. They are Bad)

There are also several with like 100 remakes (lassie, benji, where the red fern grows, like 200 different white fangs smh) so I’m not super sure how I’m going to tackle those….

The most popular dog breeds in these movies are probably goldens, labs, German shepherds, Great Danes (! At least 3 so far; marmaduke, the ugly Dachshund, and Chestnut hero of Central Park), old English sheepdogs (! Surprising but there was a few!) and beagles (again at least a few movies). Also, terriers.

Dobermans, Rottweilers, Beaucerons, and German shepherds are top picks for the antagonist characters, or just as Menacing Dogs

There are several I haven’t watched yet because they are not on any streaming service, and I will have to check my library to see if they have any of them to loan. I am looking forward to the Tim Allen shaggy dog (horrifying poster- dog with human eyes photoshopped on), marmaduke (I remember this movie being terrible), cats & dogs (I remember liking these)

Im tempted to try and make a big long video just. Reviewing all the movies I have watched but that is a massive waste of my time and also I have the personality of a shoe so I’m not sure who would actually be interested in watching it. Much to think about.

[marukrawler]

The essay about Baron's age that nobody asked for <3

Introduction

Baron’s age has confused viewers for many years, probably ever since New Vestroia aired in 2009. When it comes to the English dub, Baron’s physique and prepubescent voice leave many baffled and scrambling for some kind of in-universe explanation as to why he looks like a young adult but sounds like a preteen. Because of this strange phenomenon, many people speculate that Vestals may develop at a faster rate than humans and being 12 is the Vestal equivalent to being in your late teens.

But what if I told you that the more likely explanation is that the English dub simply made Baron younger than originally intended, and wrote him to be more childish than how he was originally portrayed? I will go into further detail below the reasons why I believe that to be the case.

Age altering in BB.

My claim that Baron’s age has been altered can be supported by the ages given by the official Japanese website for the first season[1].

While the ages haven’t been dramatically changed, it still shows that the English version altered their ages. And considering how the English dub is known for making countless changes in the original script (Baron also had his last name changed from Rich to Leltoy), it stands to reason that Baron’s age was also among one of them.

Physical appearance and voice.

At first glance, Baron is thought to be around 16-18 years old based off his character design alone, and understandably so. Baron is the tallest and most muscular member of the Resistance, and his voice in the Japanese dub is deeper than his English counterpart. If Baron was intentionally being written as more immature and childish because he’s 12 in the English dub, naturally his voice would reflect that.  

Designated driver.

Baron is the only person shown to drive the Resistance base (with the exception of Ace who drove it one time while Baron was absent. Ace' driving skills are alright but there was an instance were he wasn't driving properly lol) If we take Japanese laws into consideration, it would mean that Baron is at least 18 years of age for him to be able to drive[2]. Mira being 16 and driving a motorcycle would also be in accordance with Japanese legislation [2], as well as Fabia being 16 and engaged to be married (the legal age of marriage for girls in Japan used to be 16 before 2022 [3].)

Baron’s plans to move out.

In S2EP28 it’s revealed that Baron intends to move out of his parents’ house. Unfortunately, you’ll get different versions of this storyline depending on which dub you're watching. In the Japanese dub, Baron doesn’t hide from his family members the fact that he’s going to move out soon, and it’s entirely his own decision (not influenced by Ace in the slightest.) His reasons are that his household is too cramped with people but also that he wishes to be independent. According to his father, Baron had announced his plans to move out before his youngest sibling had been born which means that Baron has wanted to move out for quite some time.

Baron: 気持ちはうれしいですけど、シャーマンも進化したことだし、俺も早く一人前になりたいし -> “I appreciate their concern, but you’ve [Shaman] evolved and I want to become an adult as soon as possible.”[4]

Where 一人前 means “full-fledged-person, an adult, etc.”

 

Baron: 俺もそろそろ自立する年頃っすよ! -> “I’m old enough to be independent!”[4]

Where 年頃 means “appropriate age, age of maturity, adulthood, etc.”

If Baron's words are to be taken at face value, he's essentially stating that he's either around or at the age where one is considered an adult in Vestal society. Now, since we have no reason to believe that Vestals have different ages of maturity compared to humans (because it's not stated anywhere in canon) I’ll once again look to Japanese society for when it's common for young adults to move out. There is a 2020 online survey that asked Japanese men and women from the age of 15-59 when they moved out of their parents’ house, and it seems the most popular answer was 18-19 years old [5].

Which again suggests that Baron could, at the very least, be 18 years old.

Change in dialogue between the JPN/ENG dub.

I’ve mentioned before that Baron appears more childish in the English dub compared to the original. While Baron is undoubtedly intended to be comedic relief – especially when it comes to his admiration of the Battle Brawlers – I still believe he acts even sillier in the English dub than warranted, and so I want to compare some scenes to showcase how it affects the overall reading of his character.

Baron is seen as a dependable figure by Shaman in the original dub, whereas the English dub makes it seem as if he needs a caretaker[6]. Baron is shown to have made his own decision regarding moving out where in the English dub, he is heavily influenced by Ace and Percival who tell him to grow up. Baron also seems to have an interest in girls, but that observation can no longer be made in the English dub, as the context has been replaced with a barf joke[7].

Honorifics.

In the Japanese version, Baron refers to the Brawlers as his senpais (seniors) but does not use the same honorific for Mira and Ace. That is because he looks up to the original Battle Brawlers as his heroes since they're the six new Legendary Warriors and prevented the destruction of Vestroia. Regardless of their ages, the Brawlers still outrank Baron in terms of experience because of their past feats. The fact that Baron doesn't address Mira and Ace in a similar manner implies that all three of them are on the same level in terms of their brawling skills. If his usage of that honorific was to reflect the fact that he is the youngest and most inexperienced member of the group (as Baron's English wikia description says,) he would also be calling Mira and Ace his senpais or something similar, but he doesn’t.

These screenshots are from MP100 where an older coworker calls Mob his senpai because Mob has worked at their agency for longer and has more work experience. Similarly, Baron can still be considered older despite seeking guidance from those younger than him. 

Manner of speech.

This senpai-kouhai dynamic is also reflected in Baron’s speech pattern known as “kōhai kuchō” or junior tone. It’s a way of speaking that is casual but still polite enough to use one with one’s senpai. It’s generally discouraged to use in formal settings but has grown popular among young men, especially in sports clubs. This may explain Baron’s physique considering his way of speaking is typically associated with athleticism in real life[8].

Final words.  

Baron Rich is a character whose age has been a mystery to many viewers of the show, prompting the fandom to give their own headcanons for why he looks so much older than his age.

My hypothesis is that because the English dub team saw Baron as the "Battle Brawlers fanboy," his age and dialogue needed to fit that image better. Sadly, they seemed to not have taken into account that Baron is a young adult who had plans to move out later on in the story. This wouldn't be the first time the English dub lacked foresight when it came to their writing decisions — as they also made a blunder when it came to Shiori's death and Shun’s relationship with his grandfather — and it also would not be the last (Plitheon turning against Jesse in S3 only for them to magically became friends again.)

I believe that Baron was intentionally made younger by the English dub, and the plethora of changes to the story between the JPN and ENG dub clearly speaks in favor of this assumption. Thanks for coming to my TED talk!!

Sources

[1] (BB ages) https://web.archive.org/web/20160323210158/http://ani.tv/bakugan/

[2] (Legal ages in Japan) https://blog.japanwondertravel.com/legal-ages-in-japan-33502#toc1

[3] (Legal marrying age in Japan) https://www.moj.go.jp/EN/MINJI/minji07_00218.html

[4] Bakugan New Vestroia episode 28

[5] (2020 Online survey about moving out in Japan) https://lineresearch-platform.blog.jp/archives/36123670.html

[6] Bakugan New Vestroia episode 19

[7] Bakugan New Vestroia episode 12

[8] (Junior tone) https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/2e7i3g/when_is_it_appropriate_to_use_the_%E3%81%A3%E3%81%99_form/

https://cotoacademy.com/how-to-say-use-japanese-slang-wakamonokotoba-%E8%8B%A5%E8%80%85%E8%A8%80%E8%91%89/

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%80%8C%E3%81%A3%E3%81%99%E3%80%8D%E4%BD%93

[soaps-mohawk]

I saw you mentioned that you have been playing COD since 2011?!?! Omgg!! It's always nice to hear when ppl have been into something about the same amount of time as you have. I think I might have started in like 2009? I was literally like 10,11,12. Me and my cousin would watch my uncle play and then I was like I WANT TO PLAY TOO 😡 I remember me and my cousin playing one of the extra features on the game? Sorta of like zombies now but it was something else way back then I think. We ended up getting chased down my juggernauts in some house and got stuck in a bathroom literally fighting for our lives 😂 I've come a looong way from just playing the games to now playing the games and then scavenging the internet to find fics about them lmaooo

Yes!!! I started playing when the original MW3 came out!! I got a PS4 for Christmas and the game came with it lol. Of course, me having been denied video games up to that point went insane and thought it was the greatest thing I've ever played 😂

I was already very familiar with fanfiction at that point and there was a surprising number of fanfics for the originals. I'd say that's the first time I dipped my toes into the fandom, more as a spectator than a creator.

I didn't play again until Ghosts came out. I actually enjoyed it a lot. I still think it needs a sequel I cannot believe they just left us with that ending 😭

I didn't play the games again (well I didn't play any games at all) until 2020 when I bought myself a PS4. Then the lockdown happened and I decided to get back into the games and made my roommate at the time pull out her ps3 and played the original MW trilogy again. I got back into the fandom (which was still very small) and played through Ghosts again, played Advanced and Infinite Warfare and like one and a half of the Black Ops games. (I didn't really like them and couldn't get into the story. I know I'm sorry 😭). I bought the reboot Modern Warfare but then got distracted by a different fandom and it sat in my DVD case up until about 2022 when I went through and played the original series again and then broke down and played the first MW. This was pre-MWII reboot so the fandom was still very much small and almost nonexistent (at least on the platforms I was looking at).

Then I got back into it somehow this year. Honestly I cannot remember how. Probably was a tiktok or something 😭 and here we are!! The fandom exploded (love to see it) and I now have the most popular fic I've ever written 💚

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

The discussion of Pixar and sequels tends to be a heated thing. Here's a list and some stats, showing the stark differences between last decade for the studio and this decade so far...

The 2010s:

7 sequels: TOY STORY 3, CARS 2, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (prequel), FINDING DORY, CARS 3, INCREDIBLES 2, TOY STORY 4

4 originals: BRAVE, INSIDE OUT, THE GOOD DINOSAUR, COCO

The 2020s, so far:

3 sequels: LIGHTYEAR (spin-off), INSIDE OUT 2, TOY STORY 5

7 originals: ONWARD, SOUL, LUCA, TURNING RED, ELEMENTAL, ELIO, UNTITLED 2026 FILM (presumably original)

We're not even halfway through this decade, and it looks like the amount of original films made at the post-Lasseter Pixar already equals the amount of sequels they let out in the 2010s.

Also keep in mind, Pixar at one point were supposed to make a few non-sequels in the 2010s that got canned for various reasons.

There was an adaptation of William Joyce's THE LEAF MEN AND THE BRAVE, GOOD BUGS from director Chris Wedge, who was allowed to take the picture somewhere else after his work with 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky... So he took it to Pixar... LEAF MEN could've been the studio's first-ever adaptation of pre-existing source material. That was in 2008, and the movie - if it had gotten off the ground there - probably would've been completed around 2012/13. Fox then wanted it back, so Chris took LEAF MEN back and it was greenlit as a Blue Sky movie in 2009. The movie was released as EPIC in 2013. Because Disney would later buy Fox and Blue Sky, shuttering the latter, Disney owns EPIC.

Elsewhere in development was a Henry Selick collaboration called THE SHADOW KING, a stop-motion affair that John Lasseter micromanaged to death and it went over-budget, eventually getting canned by him and a then-new head of Disney's motion picture group in mid-2012. After about 50% of the film was complete, at that. All those sets and props, destroyed.

NEWT, from director Gary Rydstrom, was meant to start a whole line of lower-budget, quirkier Pixar pictures... But we all know what happened to that one. We were also supposed to get an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's THE GRAVEYARD BOOK at one point. Also, there was an edgier picture that was to be directed by Teddy Newton... So that's... What? Five non-sequel films that got canned? If those had all happened, in addition to BRAVE, INSIDE OUT, GOOD DINOSAUR, and COCO? The 2010s would've given us *nine* not-sequel Pixar movies.

We really need a tell-all book on Lasseter's days of being Pixar's CCO. There were all these weird attempts at expanding (a line of smaller movies + possible live-action projects), but then a lot of it flat-lined and we got a ton of sequels. The whole parade of those movies was largely due to the fact that Pixar couldn't make any sequels prior to being owned by The Walt Disney Company. I always love to remind folks that Disney's original contract that Pixar signed mandated NO SEQUELS... but with TOY STORY 2 being the exception, for various circumstances, which Disney head Michael Eisner still wouldn't count as part of their picture deal, much to the chagrin of then-Pixar owner Steve Jobs. It was one of my sources of their ongoing rift in the early 2000s... Then once they were bought in 2006, the sequels all came flowing out, like someone had taken a wrecking ball to a dam.

Pete Docter, current CCO, isn't like Lasseter. He hasn't canned a ton of projects nor battled with directors til they left their projects. ELIO is probably the toughest production that's happened under his watch, but that's still being made by its original director. All it got was a nice long delay so they could figure out its perceived story issues.

So there are five years left to go. TOY STORY 5 is the only other sequel on the horizon, the rest will probably be originals with maybe one other sequel at the very least. That's pretty cool. Maybe a book adaptation, too. I still like the idea of Pixar making smaller, weirder movies too - hope they can resurrect that idea under Docter, because in this climate? Expecting $200m-costing ELEMENTAL and ELIO to pull massive box office numbers out of a hat just like that? Nah.

[freckliedan]

If you could relive any memory of your past, what would it be?

god this is a hard question. there's so many directions i could go with this????like?

firstly. my biggest interest is actually my OCs, and the story they exist in started as a dream that i had in 2009 when i was 13. i started writing the dream down as soon as i woke up, but my sister tried talking to me before i finished and i forgot how it ended. if i could re-live that memory it'd breathe new life and a lot of clarifying direction into the current version of the story even WITHOUT the pieces i never was able to hold on to, but i'd get those back too.

second option? i would relive one of my best days. some terrible things happened to me the winter of 2020-2021 and i think being able to exist in my own brain from a time before that would have an amazing positive impact on my ability to heal. which like, for that i'd be choosing between a) opening night of the musical that my husband art @cuartist and i wrote & produced at our old high school (their senior year, the year after i graduated) b) the trip me and art took to visit our best friend cam @canis-la-trans right before we dated him for a year, which is also the first time we met aries @freckliephil and rowan @asterlark in person—and that's my FAMILY that's my soulmates!!!! or c) either the day dan howell came out IMMEDIATELY before i got on an airplane to visit @freckliephil or the several days later (i had a first half of my trip elsewhere) when we got to get so stupidly fucking stoned and scream our hearts out about how right we were.

but also like in a third entirely different direction: i'd relive meeting my husband. you'd think this was a romantic answer and i guess it technically is but it's actually because neither of us knows when we met and i'd love to have an answer to that question. we went to a k-12 (public) school from when i was 7 and they were less than a month to turning 7 onwards and i already knew he existed by the time i was 9. so what fucking gives.

yes we've known eachother 20 years. but we were nemises for at least the first 8. probably closer to 9.

ummmmmmm god. i love being strategic. i think that choosing the 2017 memory would have the best overall impact on me in the present. but the one i'd most want to choose is the 2009 memory for my story. if this was actually possible for me i'd bring it to a council of my friends for their input.

[souryogurt64]

since we’re sort of on the topic: can you explain the whole hating band guys’ wives/gfs from fans and why it happens? i probably am thinking too much on this, but is it just because of teenagers’ fantasies wanting to be with their 30+ idol and that 00.1% of being with them dies with it if they have a partner and even kids? is it them trying to project their ships if they’re into rpf and them dating a girl kills their yaoi fantasies lol. not saying you have to 100% stan their partners or even like them like with what we see on the opposite end of the scales with fan accounts dedicated to wives which is uhhhh but some ladies who do nothing but exist get ruthlessly talked to shreds and their husbands put on pedestals

Yeah I think it's a lot of factors including the ones you listed. I've been a band girl stannie for over 10 years and I feel like I've seen things come full circle from vitriolic hatred to intense stanning to vitriolic hatred of all women. People do stuff like censor Lynz in photos of her and Gerard because she's "problematic," which is very 2009 Livejournal behavior and something Gerard is very strongly against.

Like twenty people are going to unfollow me and I'm going to get 200 angry anons but the line in Foundations of Decay "He gets to die a saint but she will always be a whore" is very clearly referencing gendered double standards. However, no one in the fanbase interprets it this way because acknowledging Gerard even has a wife and has opinions about women deeper than "Don't show your tits to get backstage" would shatter everyones brains and ruin their perception of Gerard as this gay trans icon that is so gay he doesn't get anywhere near icky problematic women. So their fans keep censoring their wife in photos and censoring captions acknowledging they're a couple because she's so horrible you can't even look at her.

Obviously Gerard uses they/them pronouns in addition to he/him and has spoken out about their feelings about gender identity and those intetpretations of his lyrics are important to acknowledge too but that line is pretty obviously talking about gendered double standards.

Obviously Lynz has done some things that really aren't cool, but her chief actual sins seem to be art theft, racism, and being friends with Jimmy Urine, which are all things Gerard has been at least of accused of too-- he was collaborating with Jimmy Urine as recently as 2020 and Jimmy Urine was in the Danger Days music videos but everyone just closes their eyes and points at Lynz.

But anyway, I think some of it is sexual jealousy and some of it is frustration that acknowledging they're into girls too means not every FOB song is about Mikey, maybe 1 or 2 are about his actual former wife. But I also think some of it is misplaced anger and frustration that no matter how smart you are or how good of a musician or artist you are or how successful of a career you have or whatever as a woman, male celebrities are almost always going to go for an influencer or model that's probably 10-15 years younger and wants to have six kids starting at age 22, and even if they want to make music with a girl they'll still pick a 19 year old ten years younger they can easily take advantage of or mistreat, like CS with Victoria and Black Cards with Bebe Rexha. And it can be easy to resent people who happen to be that pretty and happen to get lucky and be in the right place at the right time when they're very, very young and be born rich.

Also like sometimes band wives do really shitty things-- I believe Sarah Urie told an extremely racist joke while Brendon was on livestream. Mike Dirnt's wife is an antivaxxer and a vitriolic transphobe and BJA's wife participated in cyberbullying a teenager her son sexually abused And it sounds like Olivia Wilde prioritized her desire for Shia LaBeouf to be in Don't Worry Darling over Florence Pugh's safety and comfort. But before that ever came out people were calling Olivia Wilde an ugly pedophile because she was dating a 28 year old man-- famous guys date much younger than that all the time and no one ever blinks. But like Meagan doesn't do anything and has no online presence and people just fucking hate her because she's a lady that exists.

I don't really know where I'm going with this but people just hate women so much it is insane-- people get worked up over acknowledging Victoria existed in Cobra at all when Gabe made the same types of offensive jokes she did constantly and he was actually accused of emotional abuse by a female ex band member. Everyone just closes their eyes and points at Victoria.

It's so bad that a lot of band guys tend to be more feminist in this regard than their mostly female base as a whole even though theyre all like shitty and support Johnny Depp lol

[thisaintascenereviews]

Bring Me The Horizon - Post Human: Survival Horror

Bring Me The Horizon is one of the most popular bands in the world, and they can thank themselves for that, because they started experimenting with outside influences and styles outside of metalcore and deathcore. They started off as a deathcore band that a lot of people hated; I remember the disdain in full force, as I was a huge fan of them around 2008/2009, back when they dropped second album, Suicide Season. Even with that, they went into more of a metalcore sound with that album, but they were very heavy. During the early 2010s, when metalcore was at its most generic and derivative, Bring Me The Horizon released Sempiternal in 2013, and that record introduced alt-metal, nu-metal, and hard-rock into their sound, whereas 2015’s That’s The Spirit properly utilized those sounds and they didn’t have as many breakdowns and heavier moments. Things really changed with 2019’s Amo, in which the band doubled down their outside influences by including pop and electronic music. I really enjoyed that record, as it was the first time I enjoyed a BMTH album in years, but I wondered where they’d go from there.

Well, that’s where Post Human: Survival Horror comes into play. This was supposed to be the first of four EPs, so who knows if we’re getting the other three, but this came out around the start of the pandemic in 2020, and I remember listening to it a couple of times, but I didn’t think too much of it. Fast forward a few years later, and BMTH are not only one of the biggest bands in the world, they’ve been steadily dropping new songs, the latest of which being “Kool-Aid” just a couple of weeks ago, I thought I’d go ahead and revisit this album. It’s not quite an album, I guess, but it’s 32 minutes, so I don’t know. I figured I’d revisit this, and spend some time with it, because I didn’t have anything else to sink my teeth into. I also think it would be worth looking at in retrospect, just to see how well it’s aged, or if it hasn’t.

Thankfully, though, this record has aged quite well, but that’s kind of because Survival Horror seems to be at a crossroads for them. This album reintroduces some elements of metalcore, surprisingly. If you’re a fan of their older material, you’ll like a few tracks here, especially the opener, “Dear Diary,” which is some of the heaviest stuff they’ve done in awhile, but they’re still moving forward in their sound with songs like the Babymetal-assisted “Kingslayer,” or “1X1” with alt-metal / nu-metal duo Nova Twins. Songs like these are both heavy and catchy all at once, but you do have some softer moments, too, such as “Obey” with Yungblud, where it does have some heavier stuff in it, but the backbone of the song is very pop-focused. I’m not personally a huge fan of Yungblud, and I’d say that’s the song that probably works the least for me, but its hook is still really solid.

Closing track “One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest” not only has a song title that sounds like it would have been in the mid-00s, but Evanescence’s Amy Lee is featured on this ballad, and my god, it’s gorgeous. This song sounds beautiful. Her angelic vocals add a level of gravitas that makes it work really well, but it’s such a great closer. It’s a great ending for a half hour record, and it never feels as though it’s too long or dragging. This record has the distinction of having songs that are memorable and are distinguished from each other, but they all flow together, nonetheless. Frontman Oliver Sykes is a good reason for that, too, and I haven’t mentioned him much here so far, but wow, he’s so good. His voice has gotten better over the years, and he has a good range within his clean vocals and harsh vocals, but the addition of harsher vocals on this record is a good one, because he handles it well.

The rest of the band is good, too, and the instrumentation is a good complement to him. This record isn’t all just pop hooks and breakdowns, either, but to be fair, the hooks are really good. Sykes and company are one of the best bands in this style that utilize hooks, and Sykes has a way with writing catchy hooks, and this record is no exception. I hadn’t listened to this album in a few years, and I remembered it quite well. There are a handful of really cool riffs and solos, too, and it’s surprising coming from this band, but I perked my ears up every time I heard something interesting and that did something cool, such as a solo, a really unique breakdown, or something interesting, but I enjoy this quite a lot. If you’re like me, and you jumped ship after a certain point with these guys, or you still like them and just want to see them go back to a heavier sound, you’ll probably like this. The best thing about this record is that it doesn’t feel as though they’re trying to pander, but they’re just trying to incorporate older sounds, and it works very well. If anything, and from the new songs they’ve put out, too, I’m excited for another record from these guys.

[plothooksinc]

7, 8, and 12 for the fanfic writer ask! ✨

♥♥

7. What’s a trope you love to write?

Kidnapping, apparently Okay going by actual trope names it's gotta be a cross between Badass In Distress and Damsel Out Of Distress, because I sure do love throwing someone into a Pit of Disaster and then letting them claw their way back out with their teeth, or at the very least participating in their own rescue. But the other favourite would be when two very intelligent people on opposite sides go toe to toe and try to outwit each other. It's like, IDK, Chessmaster vs Magnificent Bastard, and while it's a lot of fun to write it's also awful because you kind of have to be smarter than both of them, lmao. And in general, people being unconventional and winning just by being so far out of the box they take everyone by surprise. Which ties into all of the above!

8. What kind of document do you use to write? Microsoft Word? Google Docs? Straight in the AO3 text box?

I have to use Word for work, so I just use it for chapters as well. But I have written in a couple of odd places in the past; there's a site called 4thewords.com which makes a roleplaying game out of writing (beat up this monster by typing 400 words!) and that's actually where I managed all writing between 2009 and 2022 (that is to say: very little of it). Once I switched straight to Word I didn't feel quite so fragmented about it and it helped, but the site is useful for people needing motivation to get going. Oh, and there was a period of time I was typing it straight into an email to myself at the back of a court room while also taking notes and voice queues and spelling details for court cases (it's not a stenography role but a court monitor role) and it's probably just as well I can (a) multitask and (b) keep a straight face. (Yes, your Honour, I'm writing fanfic in the back of your court room, you're just jealous because I'm having way more fun than you are with your divorce case--)

Just Word this year. And a little bit of LibreOffice that one evening I wrote on my laptop instead, but I prefer sitting at the PC, so Word for everything else.

12. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I do! Not gonna lie, I did go through a long period where I was too Exhausted (TM) to actually respond to people, so I think... anyone who commented on my stuff in the 2010s probably didn't get a response. But I made an effort when I hit 2020, which is also when I started actually reading fanfic again, to engage and reply to people and it's more fun to actually interact with your readers! So yeah, I put up a chapter and then will usually reply to the comments over the next week or so.

Thank you!

Fanfic Writer Ask Game here!

[musiconanironingboard]

31 March 2023: Computer World, Kraftwerk. (2020 Parlophone reissue of 2009 Mute/EMI editions of 1981 EMI Germany release)

In the spring of 2008 I saw German electronic-music giants Kraftwerk perform in Milwaukee and thereafter experienced an urgent quest to obtain the rest of their catalog that I didn’t own, which was basically everything except the fourth Kraftwerk album, 1974′s Autobahn. During this frantic phrase I wanted everything: German-language editions, English-language editions, and whatever oddities I could find. Much of the band’s catalog had fallen into disarray, including a period where the frightfully bad label Cleopatra obtained rights to some of it. An organized regrouping of Kraftwerk’s legendary works was necessary, and in 2009 this finally happened, beginning with a proper release of The Catalogue (or Der Catalogue, depending on what version you bought), a box including the eight Kraftwerk albums recognized by the band as canonical (they’ve disowned everything prior to Autobahn). Promo copies of a once-scuttled edition of the box had been available at steep premiums on the secondary market for a while, and more than once I almost sprang for it. When The Catalogue finally appeared as an official release, I bought it on CD. Separate vinyl editions of the eight albums from the box were issued, and I started collecting those piecemeal. Of course, as I often do, I approached this task in a half-assed way, and before long some of them were out of print and impossible to find. Kraftwerk’s global licensing arrangements during this period were complex, and depending on what territory you bought these 2009 vinyl reissues from, they’d be on either Mute Records (Germany) or EMI (the rest of Europe). The notion of imports changed a long time ago, and there was no guessing what version a store might have in stock; of the four that I bought during this run, three were on Mute and one, Radioactivity, was on EMI. The art design and packaging is consistent across these two territories’ versions, so while I like consistency I really didn’t care, so long as I accumulated them. Like I say, though, I took too long and the option vanished. At the very least I managed to purchase the first four in chronological order. I figured I’d try to acquire the remaining four somehow, probably on the secondary market, but I didn’t make any effort to do so.

Come 2020, the band’s licensing apparently changed once again, for there was a sudden rush of the 2009 vinyl issues reappearing in stores. The art design and packaging looked exactly like the Mute/EMI editions I’d collected a decade previous, but if you looked closely these 2020 versions had two differences: they were now on colored vinyl, something that seems obligatory in current-day record manufacturer, and they were now on the Parlophone label. It really wouldn’t be the same as completing my collection of the 2009 Kraftwerk reissues, but from a distance they look the same and these 2020 Parlophones were much cheaper than I expected them to be. When I stumbled across this copy of Computer World at Chicago’s new storefront Graveface Records earlier this year, I don’t think it was more than $22. I’d previously seen stores wanting $42 for Kraftwerk reissues that were Mute/EMI leftovers. I’m not sure why it took me the better part of three years to realize these things had been reissued, but part of it was probably I could never remember which ones I still needed and so I just skimmed over the Kraftwerk bin, to worry about it another day. I finally made a note on my phone about what titles I was lacking, and the day I visited Graveface and saw Computer World I was able to check that note for the first time, and all of the other information I share here followed that discovery.

Above are the front cover of Computer World, sticker showing this to be on coloured vinyl, and back cover.

Below are the front and back of the booklet. The front looks identical to the album cover, but looking closer you see the booklet has no words on its front.

Below are both sides of the inner sleeve.

Below is side one’s label.

Here is a shot of the translucent yellow vinyl.

Below are two other vinyl copies I own: on the left, the German original Computerwelt (EMI) and a US original Computer World (Warner Bros.). If I really wanted to go wild, I’d dig out all of my CD editions, but I’m skipping that. To illustrate just how many different labels this album has been on over the years, one of my CD copies is on Elektra.

[ancestorsalive]

“NEANDERTHALS WERE HIGH TECH AND LIKED THEIR FINERY. Recent discoveries have dramatically narrowed the formerly-perceived chasm in technological abilities and cultural accomplishments between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. For instance, Neanderthals used complex techniques to manufacture strong hafting glues from birch tar (Mazza et al. 2006). They made three-ply cord (Hardy et al. 2020). They probably used chemical accelerants to help start fires (Heyes et al. 2016). They burned coal (Dibble et al. 2009). Neanderthals had medicines that likely included naturally occurring aspirin and penicillin substances (Weyrich et al. 2017). Whether for fashion, camouflage or other reasons, they used at least seven different minerals (graphite, buserite (MnO2), hematite, goethite, limestone, chalk and pyrite for the black, red, yellow, white, and sparkling gold colors (Sykes, 2020). They also used charcoal and feathers (preferring black colors). Toolmarked and polished eagle claws found in Croatia that date to 130,000 years are the oldest evidence of jewelry in Europe (Radovcic et al. (2015). Neanderthals also wore seashells stained with hematite (Srsen et al. 2015). They made complex cave art and may have made flutes. They had burials and ceremonial sites (it's hard to explain the 174K-year-old Bruniquel site any other way). It's ever-clearer that the "chasm" has narrowed to perhaps a small stepover.”

- Neil Bockoven

A collage of Neandertal faces as imagined by artists and exhibited in museums during the genome era. Artists include Alfons and Adrie Kennis, John Gurche, Elisabeth Daynès, Tom Björklund, Oscar Nilsson, and Fabio Fogliazza.

Artwork and words by Tom Björklund

The Löwenmensch figurine – a toy or a religious treasure

Yet another version of the image, slightly different from the ones I posted on Twitter and Instagram. Inspired by the around 40k years old iconic Löwenmensch sculpture of the Hohlenstein-Stadel in Germany.

Too often the role children had in ancient societies has been unnecessarily neglected, according to a growing number of researchers. As a result many objects that could very well have been made for children, and even by children, have been interpreted to be religious objects, created to be worshipped in order to gain good luck and prosperity. Both alternatives are plausible – it can be hard to tell the diferrence. In a way it's perhaps possible that they sometimes were both.

In ancient, and not necessarily that ancient, cultures, things were not just things, they had a meaning and a function beyond their physical appearance and form. Perhaps children's toys were not just for fun but they were also portals to an unvisible world, allowing a contact with the ancestors or mythical creatures that could offer protection and guidance.

And even today, a daydreaming child acquires the unnatural powers of the precious superhero collectible, offering a moment of relief from the challenging reality.

If you wish, you can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram, for different versions of the images, news and background stories.

https://www.instagram.com/tombjorklundart/

[koschei-the-ginger]

my conscience simply can't leave a list unfinished so I had to watch all of Cary Elwes' tv appearances as well... Turns out I've already seen much more than the John Paul II movie I had originally known him from.

Seinfield (1996) - Have I ever watched Seinfeld? No. Have I ever seen this episode? Yes. How is that possible? I don't know.

The Pentagon Wars (1998) - not something I'd normally enjoy but it wasn't bad (?

From Earth to the Moon (1998) - don't care, sorry

The Outer Limits (1999) - I recognized the fiancee and the alien immediately so 1) I must have seen this when I was a kid 2) I never recognized him bc I'd have remembered that. This show looks so good I need to watch more

Race against time (2000) - another "I'm sure this was on tv in like 2005 when I was down with the flu" movie

Night Visions (2001) - I don't remember his episode but I definitely have seen A View through the Window before 😭 just like the outer limits I want to watch the whole thing tbh. And that transphobe had it coming??

The Uprising (2001) - another show I've watched before but I was probably too distracted by David Schwimmer to recognize anyone else. The fake Polish accents were a surprise, god, just why? They all spoke English anyway. Also, did they cast him bc he also has a Jewish great-grandmother?

The X-Files (2001) - I jumped from season 2 to season 9 for this post and... he's really good at playing characters you'll just hate immediately. Saved this for the last and watched it on Christmas eve.

The Riverman (2004) - ok so I watched this one in Italian bc it was on youtube and again, why do I feel like I've come across this movie before? The plot boils down to "Ted Bundy wants attention 😟" so it's terrible also the wig he wears at some point is so hilariously bad

Pope John Paul II (2005) - this movie is on tv literally every Holy Saturday, I just wish I could find it in English bc I'm sure their polish is ridiculous. Also maybe don't have a 43-year-old play a character between ages 18 and 58 🥴

Haskett's Chance (2006) - i didn't find this one

Law & Order: SVU (2007) - genuinely surprised he didn't end up being the murderer for once.

Psych (2009-2014) - I had my doubts but this was amazing, Pierre is such a legend

Leverage (2012) - the premise of this show sounds so good on paper but something about the execution just doesn't work

Perception (2012) - don't know what much to say about this one, another late afternoon crime show my sister would be obsessed with

Anna Nicole (2013) - surprisingly decent

Granite flats (2014) - I don't really care about the plot so I only watched 2 episodes

The Art of More (2015) - this show is sooo boring

Life in Pieces (2016) - it wasn't funny enough for a sitcom but he was doing his best

Workaholics (2017) - I take it back, I at least chuckled at Life in Pieces, this one was simply not funny at all

Youth & Consequence (2018) - I'm too old to care about Instagram drama

Andre the Giant (2018) - so I know nothing about wrestling but Andre's life was so fascinating and tragic 😞

Stranger Things (2019) - I will watch anything but stranger things, sorry

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2019) - Jane Lynch was shining, you'd barely notice he was there

Katy Keene (2020) - this pic is terrifying but I'm not going back to take a new one, also I'm ok with not knowing anything about Riverdale

[soulfulscriptor]

1 month update

It has roughly been a month since I decided to do online side gig and turn them into a functional, profitable business. So the plan has always been to go into business for myself, but I needed Accounting and Finance degrees plus certifications and work experience/networking.

Well you can see that hasn't happened yet. Granted I've been in the, I need to be financially free mindset for about 7 years now. And I had vision blinders on to the point I was blind to all the options out there in the world. I could have been a multimilionair if A. I continued making AMV's and stuff that I was making for fun in highschool and freshman year of college.

So that was right around when YouTube went live. I was in highschool 2004-2009, so you can imagine if I kept on being creative over the last 2 decades, what sort of money that would have brought in. Granted I didn't know until probably 2015, that one could make money off YouTube. Those video's are still live, and some have thousands of views for low quality stuff where I just got pictures off the internet and made a video, sometime putting hours of work into them, until I liked them.

And if I didn't get bored easily of gaming, my gaming channel could have been monitized 7 years ago. Granted no personal computer, so only being able to record on a PS4 at the time, and no way to edit stuff, made me just stop playing all together. Though there will always be potential for the channel to start having videos posted to it again.

But honestly, I thought the markets for everything had been tapped out. I personally don't think I can solve problems, or at least see a problem that needs a new or better solution to what's out there. To myself I'm not creative, as I have a hard time articulating what I'm trying to do, and sometimes it could take months or years for me to finally say or ask what I'm trying to do.

YouTube has away of giving me what I need before I know I need it. And it's been doing that since 2019/2020, though I wish it could have prevented my financial crisis I had that year.

So enough back story.

So 1 month into giving it my to create a better life for my kids. I've had $0 profit. My etsy shops need to be gone through for a 3rd time, and SEO optimized again. I'm struggling with titling things and descriptions and tags. And so far no amount of YouTube video's are helpful besides telling me, you need to figure this sh*t out.

My YouTube channels are Ok. My Ambience Channel is being neglected a bit, but at the same time, like Etsy, I'm struggling with SEO creative optimization to make people want to click the videos, and I don't have the ability to get the software to make the video's longer than 30 minutes at the moment.

And for me, as I've been utilizing Frequencies, Ambient noises, and such for almost 4 years now (YouTube suggested to me, when I was struggling with being able to sleep), it's something I not only want to do for myself and kids, but I want to give to others. But that channel ain't going too great right now.

My Fact channel, the one you see some blogs about, is going decent. I'm hoping I can monetize it before the school year starts up in August. I have some series ideas for the channels though so I'm hoping that will help. I'm doing decently keeping all my stuff SEO optimized for this one, as it's facts and information and education in general, it's alot easier to create things that the algorythm can get out to the public.

I'm fully aware if I had better software to make high quality content I probably would have been monitized already. But if I want to add clips that aren't from places like pixabay, I first have to record the clips from my phone, put it in my google drops box, and than download to the laptop I use for my day job. And sometimes that can take hours to get to the drop box.

But I'm not letting that stop me, and I plan to remake old conent in the future when I have better equipment, and can get an extra hand to find clips that the public would like, because what I like and what everyone finds high qulaity isn't the same.

I also generate AI art for Adobe stock, no sales there, but my subscription to the AI just renewed today, so I need to get some more art up there, and make sure these ones are more creative in the titling, descriptions and tags. I let Adobe fill it all in for me for my 1st 40 images, and I"ll be honest they weren't great.

I had just got done watching a side hustle video with this as an idea, and I just rushed through it. Lesson learned, and now I plan to take my time and find what works for me.

Then I have a good friend (whom I call Krispy) we met in a game I've been for 3y now, and that's his in game name. And he thought affiliate marketing would a good idea.

So call me crazy I'm trying it, well doing it. Had to get a business account for pintrest, which I never use pintrest. I've been very anti social media, as even though I want to be out there, I don't want to be out there. At least not out there with pictures or videos of myself.

I'm always on the fence about it with my own kids. Social Anxiety for the win, am I right?

And I've made $0 off that as of today as well. So, money made $0, expenses probably close to betwenn $500 and $1k. But I'm sticking it through. A couple of things I've gotten have 1 year subscription plan, so I don't have to worry too much about losing video software, and other things are free.

I'm working on turning my losses around, by bloggin, sharing links to my stuff and just optimizing what's already out there.

If you've made it to the end, thanks for reading. I hope you can read more of blogs and check out some of my YouTube Channels or Etsy Shops. I appreciate everyone who reads about my adventure.

[irvinenewshq]

Wealthy International locations Hold Funding Our Demise

Employees stand in entrance of stacked pipes for a pure fuel pipeline. Picture: Sean Gallup (Getty Photos) Probably the most highly effective nations on this planet maintain ratcheting up public funding for fossil gas tasks and rising emissions—even if continued funding in soiled fuels may push us past the warming targets specified by the Paris Settlement. Final yr, the G20, which consists of 19 of the world’s wealthiest nations and the European Union, ramped up funding for soiled fuels by a shocking 29%, a brand new report exhibits. In whole, members of the G20 put $190 billion of public cash towards fossil gas tasks. “An excessive amount of public finance for vitality within the G20 remains to be skewed in the direction of the fossil gas business,” Ipek Gençsü, a analysis fellow on the Abroad Growth Institute and one of many lead authors of the report, mentioned in a assertion. The Local weather Transparency report, launched final week, is authored by a bunch of worldwide companions that maintain monitor of worldwide local weather finance. This model is the eighth annual report of its form, and it illustrates the bumpy trajectory the world’s wealthiest governments are taking in persevering with to prop up soiled fuels. In 2020, public funding in fossil gas tasks from nations within the G20 dropped to $147 billion—nonetheless fairly a bit of money however a dip from the yr earlier than. Sadly, that funding rose as soon as once more final yr by a whopping $64 billion. The numbers on this report have been calculated earlier than the Russian invasion of Ukraine in March; the report’s authors say that the funding improve has virtually definitely continued into this yr, given the worldwide vitality disaster and skyrocketing price of fossil fuels. Learn extra: The Vitality Disaster, Defined And all this funding in fossil fuels comes with an accompanying rise in emissions: CO2 emissions in G20 nations bounced again practically 6% final yr, with emissions from the ability and constructing sectors reaching pre-pandemic ranges. The nations of the G20 are answerable for round three-quarters of the world’s historic emissions; the world’s 46 least developed nations, in the meantime, accounted for simply 1.1% of worldwide greenhouse fuel emissions from fossil gas combustion in 2019. All this cash being thrown round in help of soiled vitality comes with a hefty facet of hypocrisy. In 2009, the G20 pledged to part out fossil gas subsidies over the “medium time period.” Lots of the subsequent conferences revamped the previous decade-plus have resulted in guarantees to take additional local weather motion. Simply final yr, G20 members recommitted to “part out and rationalise” subsidies for fossil fuels by 2025. “I feel we are able to safely say we are actually in that ‘medium time period’ and it’s clear the G20 has did not ship, as a substitute persevering with to make use of public funds to distort the market in favour of fossil fuels,” Gençsü mentioned within the assertion. As luck would have it, investing in fossil fuels is the precise reverse of what we’d like proper now. A separate report from the Worldwide Institute for Sustainable Growth launched this week finds that there’s a “giant consensus” throughout a number of our bodies of analysis confirming that any new oil and fuel investments aren’t suitable with the world staying below 1.5 levels Celsius of warming above pre-industrial ranges, probably the most aggressive warming restrict set by the Paris Settlement. What’s extra, the deliberate $570 billion pledged to new fossil gas developments between now and 2030 may greater than totally make up for a funding hole wanted to get wind and photo voltaic growth to the place it must be to remain under that 1.5-diploma threshold. Utilizing public cash for renewable vitality relatively than fossil gas pursuits: seems like an awesome thought! Too dangerous that the world’s strongest nations appear to be firmly within the grip of soiled vitality. Originally published at Irvine News HQ

[lastchancevillagegreen]

Monday, 12 September 2022:

Chicago IX: Chicago’s Greatest Hits Chicago (Rhino) (released in 2020, original album released in 1975)

About four weeks ago my wife’s car was in the shop which meant we had to borrow my father’s work truck.  When the car was repaired, I drove her to the dealer and then drove the truck back to my father’s house.  His truck has a CD player but I never remember to bring a CD, so I either listen to the radio (and it isn’t satellite radio either, so there are a thousand commercials and one song) or I drive in silence.  Generally I opt for the silence. 

This time I had the radio on and after another commercial came the song “Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is” by Chicago.  Since I listen to my iPod or Sirius Radio Channel 33 (1st Wave) or Channel 31 (Tom Petty Radio) when I drive my wife’s car, I would never hear the likes of Chicago anywhere.  And since I never listen to FM Radio in a car, I couldn’t tell you when the last time I heard this song on the radio.  Whatever the time frame was I was super jazzed to hear this and I thought it was quite spectacular.  I immediately began planning on pulling out the record and playing it when I got home. 

But that begat the question, do I even own this song or the attendant album it is on?  I own Chicago (commonly known as Chicago II) and Chicago III.  I was all of 12 and 13 when those two albums came out and they were the end of my brief interest in Chicago.  I had that monolithic live album At Carnegie Hall but it was a Christmas gift and I don’t count the fact I owned it.  I long ago traded my Chicago albums but I did buy their second and third albums on Japanese mini LPs (which are CDs) because I used to pick up all my old albums on mini LPs if they were ever released in that format in Japan.  While I am still barely tolerant of Chicago, I do enjoy Chicago III because it sounds the least like anything of theirs I’ve ever heard on the radio and I truly enjoy Sing A Mean Tune, Kid and I Don’t Want Your Money, both of which are guitar laden songs and far from the general milquetoast sound I associate with Chicago.  (I also like the suite Hour In The Shower because once upon a time when I didn’t think about the environment and the gradual depletion of water sources, I easily could spend an hour in the shower or at least 20 minutes; today, it is less than five minutes). 

Anyhow, I came home and realized that Does Anyone Know What Time It Is is on the band’s debut album Chicago Transit Authority back when they were briefly known under that name.  Now, I’m not keen on Greatest Hits albums, obviously.  All one needs to do is look at my irrational argument that somehow 20 Linda Ronstadt albums makes more sense than two Greatest Hits albums.  But if I were to buy the first Chicago release, I’d be looking at it being expensive if I bought the 2009 pressing of it on Japanese mini LP to match my other two Chicago albums.  Used copies start at $50 and the thought of dropping $50 on Chicago for one song I’d probably play once or twice and then wonder what deluded me into thinking this made any sense, wasn’t anything I was keen on.  But did I really want a standard CD of it?  And then I discovered there is a new 50th anniversary reissue (the album came out in 1969) but it is a new mix.  I’m exhausted with new mixes of old albums and I am simply uninterested in them.  I don’t care what someone 45 years my junior thinks something should sound like today.  Just give me the real version and I’ll be fine.  But did I want an old original copy of their first album?  It would be beaten and worn and I don’t have my original vinyl copies of II and III any longer so that wasn’t an option. 

That’s when I discovered the song was on a Greatest Hits album.  And then I learned Walmart has a new 2020 edition of it on yellow vinyl.  I already have way too many Walmart albums in my collection and I am getting as exhausted with them as I am new mixes of old albums.   Above are the album cover and the back of the album.  Below, you will see the yellow vinyl and then one of my typical outside shots of the colored vinyl which more often than not reveals little surprise.

I had no idea this album was a greatest hits album.  I’ve seen it forever and I always assumed it was just another faceless, nameless Chicago album.  For that matter I thought Terry Kath, their gruff voiced guitarist died after Chicago III and I was startled to learn he was in the band for their first ten albums!  I hear everyone who loves Chicago going on about how Kath would have changed the band and their formula had he not died, but give me a break, he was in the band for almost a decade and they just grew more and more milquetoast and bland.  Anyhow, Chicago naming their hits album a numerical title (Chicago IX) just reinforces to me their ever evolving blandness. 

I did, however, once upon a time, think this album cover was rather clever.  But as I was deciding what to do about my ever growing obsession with wanting to hear Does Anyone Know What Time It Is I began pouring over their discography.  And that’s when I discovered this cover is part of a series of photoplays Chicago produced over the course of three albums.  I thought this cover was meant to evoke a certain era, you know how white people are: ‘let’s evoke that era when things were so much better, the 1950s.’  I believe, without a shred of evidence, that they are attempting to evoke a Norman Rockwell-esque sense of humor and trying to stake their own claim that they, like Rockwell’s paintings, are a quintessential American institution.  Take a look at the other two ‘staged photos’ below (both taken from discogs) the band had created and see what you think.  Below is the insert that came with Chicago VIII (obviously trying to change their image after being such a serious commodity if you take the artwork of Chicago VII as the final straw of their regal artwork and hand scripted lyrics and credits era which came on board with Chicago in 1971).                    

Then if you stay in sequence, Chicago IX’s cover is the second part of this “triptych” (note the policeman on the cover in the old woman’s window they have painted over).  The final piece of this staged sequencing is found in the gatefold that is Chicago X, you can see it below.

When I discovered this whole policeman haranguing the band artwork, I decided I would completely ignore my keen desire to hear Does Anyone Know What Time It Is and just move on.  But then of course, today I was at Walmart (my first trips to the grocery store since I contracted Covid two weeks ago) and like one of George Romeo’s zombies in Dawn of The Dead, I entered the store and my eyes glazed over and I waltzed right over to the record section and much to my dismay I discovered this album in stock.  I hurriedly moved away from the records, proceeded to buy my toiletries (Target doesn’t sell the toilet paper I prefer, I always hit up Target first in my grocery shopping expeditions) trying to decide if I should drop any money on this.  I immediately began singing one of my most reviled songs (If You Leave Me Now, the Number One most milquetoast song ever written) and I was disappointed that I would be owning that by buying this album.  But did that stop me?  Heck, no. 

Below is one side of the inner sleeve.  The other side looks exactly like the back of the album cover which you can look at in the second photo at the top of the page.

I was extremely grateful to learn that If You Leave Me Now is not on this album.  But then neither is Old Ways, a song I had hoped was because when it came out I had a very good friend who actually believed for the longest time that they were singing “Baldy” instead of “Old Ways” which still cracks me up to this day, 40 years down the road and I would have not had a problem owning “Baldy.” 

Below are the labels for Side 1 and Side 2.  Note that the labels are still calling forth that regal era of theirs that involved handwritten credits, lyrics, etc and presented the band more as serious artists, I suppose.  Someone must have thought they needed to lighten their image with the Norman Rockwell, silent film homage Cop chasing the band photos that came hot on the heels of all those more serious (that is, previous) albums. 

The only song I have ever heard on Side 2 is the opening track which I know from being on Chicago and it was endlessly played on the radio back in the day.  As for the rest of these tracks, I haven’t a clue what they are.  I know of the song Beginnings (it was on their debut) but I do not believe I have ever heard it.  I’m already wishing I would have been wiser and just bought the damn 45 of Does Anyone Know What Time It Is. 

A couple hours later: Now that I’ve heard the song I was so excited to hear on my stereo, I realize these moments where an odd song excites you cannot be repeated, reenacted or elongated.  If it catches your mood or your interest in a way it never has before it is a moment in time and you should be happy you had it.  But as far as trying to recreate it, forget it.

[sewisdelrey]

THE BEST old F1 seasons and where to watch them

[Mega post] - [Part 2]

I want to start this 2nd part of this thread by thanking everyone who liked or reblogged my previous post. I know that It's not that much, but I started this list just for fun and seeing that some notes that I wrote in my phone receiving so much love is nice. Thanks again <3.

In this second part, as I promised, I'm focusing om the dominance of one driver or team in particular.

And last but not least, I have to aknowledge the work of my bestie @whorecedes .

She translated this list from spanish to english. So if there is a mistake, It is probably my fault, not her.

Anyways

Here is the link where you can watch al the old f1 seasons:

(I used this page and I never had a problem in case you are wondering, but another useful and great resourse is F1TV PRO. The only problem is that there are some countries where this service is not available)

Well, get in the time machine because we are going back in time.

Best F1 seasons (Pt. 2):

- 1988:

The 1988 Season showed one of the most dominant performance of a team ever, With McLaren winning almost every race of that season but one. The McLaren MP4/4 Is one of the most dominant F1 cars ever made and was drove by one of the best but conflictive duos of Formula One.

The McLaren MP4/4, with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

- 1991:

Although Nigel Mansell had a great season this year too, Ayrton was a bit luckier and knew excellently how to capitalize the reliability issues that made Williams lost both championships. Ayrton won the first four races of that year, but I strongly reccomend to watch Brazil 1991. That day, he won in front of his local crowd while being stuck in sixth gear for the last laps. This video gives me the chills and just shows how passionate were brazilians about him:

- 2000 to 2004:

There are lots of explanations about how Ferrari became this dominant between 2000 to 2004. Some people blame it on the Bridgestone exclusivity with Ferrari, others in Schumachers prime. We can't forget about the excellent engineers Ferrari had those years (Ross Brawn, Mattia Binotto, James Alisson, Rory Byrne, Aldo Costa).

But IMHO, the dominance of Ferrari during this era is just a conjunction of this factors. Although in 2003 they won by a minimum margin to McLaren, watching them in 2002 and 2004 being so dominant, could explain why a lot of people of my generation love this team despite they don't win anything since 2008.

Great team and a great car = Absolute dominance.

- 2005:

This season had something similar to what I said in 1991, Fernando capitalized grear the mistakes of McLaren and the bad luck of Kimi that year. But this does'nt mean that Fernando was just lucky. He ended om the podium in 15 of 19 races

I will never stop simping this livery.

2009:

Imagine you bought an F1 for 1 dollar but you discover a loophole in the new regulations of the sport and completely dominate the first half of the season. Well, this is what happened with Brawn GP, a team that won all the championships in which they participated (they competed just for one season but shh).

At thhe beggining of the season, the didn't even had sponsors!

If you like stories of underdog teams dominating in their sport for one year, this video is a MUST watch

- 2011:

It was very difficult for me to choose just one of Seb's dominant seasons but stats speak for themselves. (Although I could have included 2013 here too)

Look at those numbers Vettel hadd in 2011. (St: Start position / Fin: Final position)

2014:

This season started the Mercedes era and the biggest dominance in the story of the sport. Just watch the first race, the epic battle of the Brocedes duo and while watching that remember this: There are rumours that say that Lewis and Nico were not pushing 100% so the FIA wont suspect that the engine was illegal (it was not).

It was a great year for Daniel too.

2020:

I know this is a relatively new season but I just wanted to add a photo of the W11 because is a beast of a car.

What a stunning car. The best F1 car ever made in my opinion.

Well, this is the end of this mega post, but stay tuned because I am going to start a new series of post that is interesting to learn about F1!

PD: If you want to share this list in another place you are free to do it, I don't have a problem. Spread the knowledge!

[april-is]

April 29, 2022: Poem to My Child, If Ever You Shall Be, Ross Gay

Poem to My Child, If Ever You Shall Be Ross Gay

                             —after Steve Scafidi

The way the universe sat waiting to become, quietly, in the nether of space and time,

you too remain some cellular snuggle dangling between my legs, curled in the warm

swim of my mostly quietest self. If you come to be— And who knows?—I wonder, little bubble

of unbudded capillaries, little one ever aswirl in my vascular galaxies, what would you think

of this world which turns itself steadily into an oblivion that hurts, and hurts bad?

Would you curse me my careless caressing you into this world or would you rise up

and, mustering all your strength into that tiny throat which one day, no doubt, would grow big and strong,

scream and scream and scream until you break the back of one injustice, or at least get to your knees to kiss back to life

some roadkill? I have so many questions for you, for you are closer to me than anyone

has ever been, tumbling, as you are, this second, through my heart’s every chamber, your teeny mouth

singing along with the half-broke workhorse’s steady boom and gasp. And since we’re talking today I should tell you,

though I know you sneak a peek sometimes through your father’s eyes, it’s a glorious day,

and there are millions of leaves collecting against the curbs, and they’re the most delicate shade of gold

we’ve ever seen and must favor the transparent wings of the angels you’re swimming with, little angel.

And as to your mother—well, I don’t know— but my guess is that lilac bursts from her throat

and she is both honeybee and wasp and some kind of moan to boot and probably she dances in the morning—

but who knows? You’ll swim beneath that bridge if it comes. For now let me tell you about the bush called honeysuckle

that the sad call a weed, and how you could push your little sun-licked face into the throngs and breathe and breathe.

Sweetness would be your name, and you would wonder why four of your teeth are so sharp, and the tiny mountain range

of your knuckles so hard. And you would throw back your head and open your mouth at the cows lowing their human songs

in the field, and the pigs swimming in shit and clover, and everything on this earth, little dreamer, little dreamer

of the new world, holy, every rain drop and sand grain and blade of grass worthy of gasp and joy and love, tiny shaman,

tiny blood thrust, tiny trillion cells trilling and trilling, little dreamer, little hard hat, little heartbeat,

little best of me.

--

Today in: 

2021: Choi Jeong Min, Franny Choi 2020: Earl, Louis Jenkins 2019: Kul, Fatimah Asghar 2018: My Life Was the Size of My Life, Jane Hirshfield 2017: I Would Ask You To Reconsider The Idea That Things Are As Bad As They’ve Ever Been, Hanif Abdurraqib 2016: Tired, Langston Hughes 2015: Democracy, Langston Hughes 2014: Postscript, Seamus Heaney 2013: The Ghost of Frank O’Hara, John Yohe 2012: All Objects Reveal Something About the Body, Catie Rosemurgy 2011: Prayer, Marie Howe 2010: The Talker, Chelsea Rathburn 2009: There Are Many Theories About What Happened, John Gallagher 2008: bon bon il est un pays, Samuel Beckett 2007: Root root root for the home team, Bob Hicok 2006: Fever 103°, Sylvia Plath 2005: King Lear Considers What He’s Wrought, Melissa Kirsch