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crystalelemental · 3 years

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And now, ranking the Fates characters by how good they are as parents. I’ll just be ranking the canon parent, since generic supports annihilated cohesive characterization by making all the parent dialogues identical.

Also, I do need to address this. Every parent in Fates is garbage. They throw their kids into an interdimensional time portal and essentially don’t raise them at all. So comparing them like this is basically comparing turds by how rank they are. It doesn’t matter that some aren’t as awful as others, you’re still not gonna find one that smells good, you know?

Corrin - Honestly, she’s got a strong Camilla-esque vibe to her protectiveness toward Kana. I like it. Also Kana knows when Corrin is coming to visit, and seems to imply that this is a routine thing, making Corrin one of the few known parents who actually makes a point to visit her kit. A-rank.

Azura - Once again, your decision to be cryptic for no reason causes nothing but problems for everyone involved, and your son, who you didn’t raise on your own, had his entire village annihilated by foes that went after him to get to you, but you never warned him or them about anything? D-rank.

Jakob - While hyper-critical, he’s not entirely off the mark, in terms of what Dwyer needs to be doing. He’s not a bad kid though, so it does come across as more harsh than he really needs to be to make a point, since Dwyer is ultimately self-sufficient and capable. C-rank.

Silas - Actually a pretty good dad. He’s one of the few that just actively admires his child coming out of their deeprealm to help others, is fully supportive of them staying with the group, and is supportive of Sophie in general. It is Silas, so he’s a little generic with his praises, but it’s still a better parenting approach than most of them. A-rank.

Kaze - And here to completely outdo Silas is Kaze. Again, Midori seems to know when he’s coming, meaning like Corrin, his appearance is a routine thing in her life. Not perfectly routine though, which creates a bit of conflict between the two, in which Kaze is able to express that he always did his best to be there for her, but kept her here to be safe. Willing to admit mistakes, accepting of her decisions, clear care for his child despite the poor general decision of leaving your children unattended in deeprealms, but is willing to actually be a parent and reprimand them for their poor decisions, while still being compassionate in his approach. S-rank. Kaze’s a good dad.

Ryoma - Honestly, I love that Shiro actually calls him out about not raising him at all. Also the unnecessary secrecy about who he is and not letting Shiro know his status, and then being irritated when Shiro grows up without any direction in life. Honestly I’m coming around on Shiro, who has so far been right on the money about how shit a father Ryoma is. D-rank.

Takumi - Honestly Takumi’s pretty solid? The support has him being a bit of a dick because he’s jealous of his own kid’s ability, but in the paralogue proper he’s honestly a pretty solid dad? Like he shows up unannounced so we know he’s taking time to actually meet with his kid, and is fairly protective of him. He does give in to letting Kiragi come along for dumber reasons, but on the whole he’s solid. A-rank.

Saizo - He’s kind of a dick? This is very much how Saizo is, but his entire thing is like...the honor of the family name to the point he doesn’t seem to have any connection to his kid, just his bloodline. He does eventually let his kid be himself, but only in that, when he demonstrates “his own brand of honor,” Saizo gives him that freedom, but by basically disowning him as next in the Saizo line. Which is I guess what the kid wanted, but still, it’s kind that “Grant your freedom, but you’re not my son” type feel. D-rank.

Kaden - He’s alright? He doesn’t do much, but he at least makes plenty of time to go visit his daughter just for the sake of visiting. Still, he’s so bad at raising his child that she doesn’t know what dead means, and thinks poachers are there to play. So present, but perhaps too permissive and uninvolved in actually raising her. C-rank.

Hinata - Apparently just fucking forgot to make time for his kid. He’s loving in his own way, but clearly not putting his child as a top priority in a lot of cases. Not the worst, but certainly not good. C-rank.

Azama - F-rank. I don’t really need to explain this, do I? Fuck Azama. Even Saizo realizes how much of a callous fuckhead he is toward his own kid. SAIZO! Also you somehow gave your daughter a separate world from yours, in the attempt to give her a life of peace, which she achieves and is happier without you, so you storm in only when she’s in active danger, then insist on dragging her out of this peaceful realm into the world of constant war...just because? Fuck Azama. F-rank forever.

Subaki - He’s a decent dad. It does kind of imply that he’s been away for a while, so questionable how much time he’s actually spending with her. And while he’s generally doting and kind toward his daughter, there is that weird ending bit where he gets nervous about her outperforming him. I’ll give it a B-rank overall.

Hayato - Honestly, he’s wishy-washy. Either you fully support your daughter’s mad science or you don’t. You can’t half-ass this, acknowledging she loves the dark arts and permitting her to mess around with it, and then step in and insist it’s off limits when it turns out the dark arts also have some potentially evil consequences. Stepping in when he does to take things away feels more like backpedaling on a decision he already made to let her do as she pleases, which was probably too permissive as it stands. C-rank, which is honestly pretty good for a teen parent compared to some of these other shitheads.

Xander - Finally on the Nohrians. Xander actually like...talks to his kid. Siegbert knows what his role is, and even if Xander can’t visit as often as he’d like in person, he keeps in contact through missives. Now, there is the issue of his stance being “You have to learn to shoulder some burdens alone,” and thinking his son refusing to contact him about these fucking swamp demons was commendable. So he’s definitely not perfect on this front. But he does acknowledge that this is the burden of a leader having to make such choices, is accepting and understanding of his son’s autonomy and decisions while still being firm about keeping him safe from war and sending him back should he prove himself unready. A-rank overall, I think.

Leo - Okay listen. While I do recognize that Leo comes around and starts trying to be a better father, and I recognize the importance of growth and improvement. But the fact that Leo has spent most of his son’s life avoiding him because he disapproves of his interest in feminine fashion is just inexcusable. The time to step up as a parent and learn this shit was a long-ass time ago, man. You’ve basically been out of your child’s life this entire time, shown up only to angrily disapprove of how he lives his life, and now want to walk back in and expect that trying to change means he should give you that chance? Why? There’s no reason for Forrest to be the one who has to acknowledge you’re changing and growing as a person. If nothing else, at least Forrest completely tells him off, and when Leo makes his attempt at reconciliation, his first thought is that he’s excited to get to know Elise. Get fucked, Leo. At least you go to save your kid, and don’t seem to express that you’re willing to let him die. But you did stall on going, so like...fuck you. F-tier.

Benny - And now for the exact opposite. Benny’s an absolute sweetheart, and it’s no surprise he’s the same with his son. He seems to care greatly for his son, is proud of his actions, and while protective, is willing to support his son’s decision to become stronger and learn to defend others with courage, while also teaching him that he’s not as fearless as he seems. Honestly, maybe it’s just the feeling coming off of Leo, but S-rank. We don’t really know how often he visits Ignatius, but I’d like to believe it’s often.

Keaton - Nothing too exciting, nothing too bad. An easy, uninteresting B-rank.

Arthur - Apparently he’s never visited. And openly stated that because he thought his son was safe here, his job was done. This is the most intense version of just literally not being there for your child at all. Still, at least he gives a shit, so D-rank, but a low D.

Odin - I think he’s solid. Honestly there’s nothing outstanding here, but I really like Odin as a person, so A-rank.

Laslow - Okay, so in the intro to her chapter, Laslow mentions that Soleil has a band for town watch, and that she should be in her Deeprealm but goes where she pleases. Which implies he knows she’s in his world already. So he’s already letting her do as she pleases. He’s openly aware she’s bi (let’s be real, here) and is fully supportive (LEO). He taught her some great mechanisms for coping with difficulties in her life, and helps her realize it’s okay to not be positive when it feels forced. And when confronted with the reality that Soleil is way better than him at flirting with the ladies, instead of being an insecure prick about it, he’s like “Hell yeah, that’s my girl!” S-rank, easy.

Niles - I hate Niles, but as far as parenting goes, he’s not the worst. It’s not clear if he’s been to visit her much (sounds like a no), but he at least has clear care for her. He does try to emphasize to her what kind of life he’s had and that he doesn’t want her to have to live like that too, so I do appreciate that angle for him. B-rank.

And that’s everyone. There are some decent parents in all this. The only real failures are Leo and Azama. I think Azama’s a bit worse based on not showing any inclination to change or any particular care about his child, while Leo at least learns something and grows from it. Though Leo’s issues are such a problem for me. I think Laslow’s the best, though Kaze and Benny were also really great.

Shame about the Baby Realm thing, though. That whole idea was just so stupid...

#fire emblem fates

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buckevantommy · 4 years

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'(Un)Happiest Season' review

Simply put, it wasn't enjoyable as a romance or a comedy or a Christmas flick. It failed on many fronts, but this reviewer from Salon.com puts the thing into words for Happiest Season's main failings:

What's bad: There were two main criticisms of "Happiest Season." The first being: Can't LGBTQ audiences have a holiday movie where the main plot isn't about mining the anxiety and trauma associated with coming out, being closeted and casual homophobia? Then there's the fact that Harper really is just kind of the worst. After pushing Abby back in the closet, Harper ditches her in a town where she doesn't know anyone to go drink with her ex-boyfriend until two in the morning, then proceeds to call Abby "suffocating" when called on it. It's a pattern of s**ty behavior that is pervasive and present throughout the movie, so her redemption arc doesn't feel super genuine.

Why can't we have main queer characters in Christmas movies without their presence being all about their queerness? We want fluffy festiveness, dammit! They could've made Harper less selfish and more attentive while still playing into the *I'm not out yet Because Reasons so we need to hide our gay relationship* trope, but they didn't. Who knows why, but what a waste. 🎄👩‍❤️‍👩☃️

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^ Look at that trailer and tell me you don't expect Misunderstandings with fun and tropey antics + Domestic Christmas Shenanigans + Comfort for Hurt! You will be sorely disappointed. 😞

NOTE: The flick does have a few good moments. And it's probably worth the watch just to see what's missing/mishandled when it comes to queer characters and queer romances in mainstream movies.

But it's not really fun or funny or heart-warming - where are the snowball fights? Insightful conversations? Christmas elements like eggnog/spiced wine, candycanes, mistletoe? Where are the many colourful side characters and the hungover brunches? We get one scene of ice-skating for a few minutes and it's wasted on sibling rivalry bs rather than, say.. Abby and Harper skating together but not being aloud to touch—omg the tension!! 😍

There's just not enough comfort for the hurt Abby (Kstew) goes through; the film wholly lacks those warm-n-fuzzy Christmas vibes; there's just way more wrong with it than is right with it - which sucks, because this had the potential to be such a great movie if only Harper was written as less ignorant/selfish and we'd gotten more enjoyable family interactions and more festive fun - like a celebration in town. Instead we get a few limited shots of the adorable town, a crappy bar, and an OTT fancy Christmas party for performative rich white folk on a career path for power and "perfection" (ie. wholesome family values).

The story they went with was definitely better suited for a dramatic film, so in a romcom setting it really didn't work. Plus the side-characters were flat; we needed more depth from the supporting characters, more meaningful interactions.

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^ Look at those intro credits!! Look at all the domestic happy moments and tell me you don't want to see a movie filled with such fluffy festive goodness!! Well, if you don't want to see such moments, don't worry because you won't. I naturally thought we were going to get this kind of romantic-and-non-romantic happiness dispersed throughout the entire film, but no. Not a one. There's 5 minutes of Happy Couple at the start, and that's it 📸☹️ (unless you count a photo collage of the happy ending and year that follows stuffed into the end credits).

BTW: That intro song is the most Christmasy song in the whole movie. The soundtrack features modern pop songs which 1) don't help set the festive vibe and 2) are really fucking annoying; the song choices are grating, not pleasant, not enjoyable, and they overpower the scenes with a whole lotta noise. I really wish we'd gotten more tunes like the one above. 🎶

About the image below—Abby is actually miserable the entire time, getting worse by the day, barely a smile seen on her.. while Harper is the one schmoozing her family and contacts with teeth bared, so.. this image isn't what you'll get, just fyi:

(also: the only POC actors they had were the perfectionist-stone-faced-bitch's husband and his girlfriend - wife + hubby being secretly separated.)

The things that the Salon reviewer liked are the same things I did (see below), but imho even those elements weren't enough to save this film from being:

an infuriating 102 minute-comedy of errors buoyed by a healthy dose of gaslighting

More cons of the flick are pointed out by denofgeek.com:

Some of its issues come from the structure of the film, which shoehorns very real queer struggles into wacky rom-com tropes too fluffy to contain the stakes at hand. Meanwhile the choice to have one half of the lead couple be so aggressively and repeatedly cruel—while her high school ex Riley, played by the ever-perfect Aubrey Plaza was standing right there having all the chemistry in the world with the other romantic lead—was a fatal one.

It really was a dramatic plot idea crammed into a fluffy narrative. You can see the conflicting genres fighting to stay alive and they both die a slow, agonisingly dull death throughout the film. The whole *Abby being converted to loving Christmas by Harper inviting her to spend the holidays with her family* thing, only to have Harper force their relationship + Abby into the closet. Straight conversion much? I'm 100% sick of heteronormative bs in my queer Christmas films.

For the most part, when you're not feeling for Abby's harsh treatment by her would-be fiance and everyone but Riley ignoring her completely, you will be bored af from the lack of festive cheer - not just twinkle lights and boisterous seasonal music, but those good ol' homey family Christmas vibes. With the Harper house + family members, everything's a performance, so that lack of sincerity and warmth makes for a depressing viewing experience:

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^ Jane (one of Harper's 2 sisters) is the only character allowed to be consistently genuine in the narrative (aside from John, but he's restricted mostly to phonecalls, and Riley - but even she's keeping Harper's secrets). Jane is the only character who is naturally vibrant and reminds us of some of the reasons we get excited about Christmas movies: to feel joy and to enjoy the company around us during the holiday season! 🎄☃️🥳 But rather than give us a fun day out with Jane + Abby, we get Abby + the second sister (i don't even remember her name, just BitchFace) which leads to more bad treatment of Abby - this time by two spoiled af no-smile rich kids. *le sigh* Jane carries the spark of honest joy for the entire Harper clan and that is TOO MUCH to expect of one character, let alone a side-character. 😪

There are so many ways the story could've been tweaked to make more sense and be somewhat enjoyable, including:

The orphan!Abby thing is just bad. Rather than give Abby a voice, chances to let her personality shine, almost everyone interacts with her to merely briefly express their condolences for her long-dead parents 🙄

Abby is a pet-minder, ie. she's an animal lover, yet at no point do we see her interact with animals! Not a dog or cat or hamster, no reindeer at the petting zoo, nothing. 🐕🐈🦎🦜🐠

Riley + Abby getting together (even just a kiss) 👄

Abby + Harper separating so Harper can get her shit together - and then we get several flashforward shots of them separately living their lives (Harper especially), and then meeting back up again - maybe the next holiday season, after some much-needed time apart 🏃‍♀️🤸‍♀️

side characters who engage with Abby in a sincere, meaningful way instead of ignoring her (again, we got Riley, but she was outside of the family dynamic) 😊

MORE FESTIVE CHEER! where were all the staple Christmassy passtimes, the smile-inducing season-specific experiences??? 🎉

More from denofgeek:

Where the script gets into trouble is that it doesn’t distinguish between Harper being closeted and her poor treatment of Abby. The two are separate issues and treating them as one does no favors to Harper, nor others struggling with the closet. As Dan Levy’s beautiful monologue late in the movie alludes to, the closet is a safety mechanism—but it’s not a free pass to treat people like garbage. [...] 😟🏳️‍🌈

Even a brief conversation teasing out that being in the closet doesn’t justify how Harper acted, and that plenty of people in the closet don’t treat others like trash, would have been important. Instead once Harper is out (which the movie takes pains to make clear only happened because Harper’s sister Sloane outed her), and a gesture so small it could never credibly be called grand is made, all bad behavior is washed away. [...] 😤🙅‍♀️

The jarring underlying issue is that 'Happiest Season' attempts to apply the standard rom-com and made-for-TV-holiday-movie tropes to queer life. So Abby having to go back into the closet isn’t framed as a painful regression or being forced to deny an essential part of herself, but rather a fun twist, in the vein of “but the guy she insulted on the plane is the owner of the ornament factory she has to impress to win the Christmas contest!”🚪😒

All of Harper’s behavior adds up to making her feel like something the audience wants Abby to be free of, not someone Abby should be fighting for. Once Riley tells Abby about Harper’s cruelty in high school, where Harper outed Riley and mocked her rather than standing up for her or finding an excuse that protected them both, it becomes incredibly difficult to root for the lead couple to get back together, or for Harper at all. 👏💃

With this information, Harper’s other transgressions go from frustrating to part of a larger pattern. Sadly, it’s a pattern Harper repeats when her sister outs her and she throws Abby under the (lesbian) bus. 🤬

FAVE THINGS:

all interactions between John (Dan Levy) + Abby (he's witty, honest, and 100% the most entertaining element of the entire film; i wish we'd gotten more of him) 😆

Riley (Aubrey Plaza, Harper's ex) + Abby's scenes together because CHEMISTRY, both between the characters and the actors 👩‍❤️‍👩

Notable between Abby + Riley scenes include 3 instances of Riley comforting Abby's hurt: outside at the fancy party (Abby feeling excluded/ignored/not worth anyone's time due to the way they treat her even though they don't know she's gay), at a gay bar in town (sandwiched by scenes where Abby's made to feel like crap by Harper), and at the fancy home Christmas party where Riley gets Abby something stronger to drink after hearing Abby was going to propose to Harper (but it's been a helluva shitty week and those plans are dead) 👭

Every scene with Riley was blessed relief from the hurt and discomfort and boredom of the rest of the time with Harper's family. 🤩

Sister Jane, for being a genuinely fun character 🤗 who was written starkly different to her family and treated somewhat like an outcast

Aubrey + Kstew killin it in various pantsuits 👀

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In contrast, Riley connects Abby to queerness, bringing her to an LGBTQ bar to decompress and enjoy a Christmas-themed drag performance. It’s the most relaxed and comfortable Abby is on screen since the opening scenes, a chance to glimpse Abby’s authentic self before Harper summons her back to heterosexuality, and where she once again ignores and disappoints her. Riley actually talks to Abby at the various holiday parties whereas Harper keeps leaving her to please her family, especially her father. It’s not hard for the natural chemistry between Plaza and Stewart to take over

I wouldn't watch this film again. For a hopeful Christmasy love story I'd just watch all Abby + Riley's scenes:

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In closing, here's a batshit article title from observer.com that just makes you go, huh? 🧐:

‘Happiest Season’ Isn’t Happy, But That Doesn’t Make It a Bad Rom-Com

Um.. yes, yes it does.

Rom-Coms are supposed to be fun, light-hearted stories about love even when the plot deals with lying - The Proposal, Sweet Home Alabama - so a movie that leaves you hurting more than comforted in sympathy with one of the main characters because the (apparent) love of their life is treating them like shit, then it doesn't deserve to be in the genre of Rom-Com. 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨💞🎬

In summary, Abby and Harper got 5 minutes of happiness in the beginning, and an eventual happy ending after a super rocky middle. The journey was painful and unenjoyable, and it made their happy ending unbelievable and, for Harper, undeserved because of her behaviour through 90% of the story.

In short: it was not, in fact, the happiest season. 😕👎

#happiest season #review #unhappiest season #queer cinema #queer characters #christmas #lgbtqia #romcom #movies #watchnotes #we deserve better

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dustedmagazine · 4 years

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Dust Volume 6, Number 8

Angel Olsen

Now half a year in the pandemic, we’re starting to see the emergence of quarantine records, whether in the trove of reissues hastily assembled to stand in for new product or home recorded projects made with extremely close friends and family or albums that are conceived and written around the concept of isolation. Music isn’t real life, exactly, but it lives nearby. And in any case, it’s still music and can be good or bad whether it’s been unearthed from a forgotten box of tapes, recorded at home without collaboration or side people or technologically gerry-rigged so that distanced partners can work together. So, as long as you all are making music, we will continue to listen and find records that move us, as the world burns all around. This edition’s contributors included Patrick Masterson, Andrew Forell, Tim Clarke, Jennifer Kelly, Bill Meyer, Jonathan Shaw, Justin Cober-Lake and Ray Garraty. Enjoy.

+ — #playboy (Deluxe Edition) (self-released)

#playboy (deluxe edition) by +

One of the most genuinely confounding records I’ve heard this year comes courtesy SEO-unfriendly artist + aka Plus Sign fka Emanuel James Vinson, a Chicago rapper, city planner and all-around community activist who spends his time helping with the city’s Let’s Build Garden City initiative when he’s not making music (which is frequent, by the way — take a look at the breadth of that Bandcamp discography). The concept with #playboy, originally released in April but deluxed in late May, is simple: Two kids find a music machine called #playboy in their basement and start tinkering with it. Its childlike whimsy is conveyed in the song titles (“Getting the Hang of It,” “Wake Up Jam (Waking Up)”) every bit as much as it is in the music, with occasionally grating indulgences, the odd earworm and a brief appearance by borderless internet hip-hop hero Lil B that makes perfect sense in context; the kindred spirit of that community-building cult auteur is strong here. You may wind up loving this record or you may wind up hating it, but I can promise you this: You’ll be thinking about it and the artist behind it long after it’s over.

Patrick Masterson

Actress — Mad Voyage Mixtape (self-released)

I once suggested Darren Cunningham mucks about with his music because he can’t help himself. That was about six years ago on the occasion of his purported “final” album Untitled; with the benefit of hindsight, we can see he was (like so many others, to greater or lesser consequence) just pulling our leg with that PR. Hell, he’s released two albums worth of music in July alone: The first was the mid-month surprise LP 88, which follows in the vein of his acclaimed high period as an often brilliant, occasionally frustrating patchwork of submersible beats best played at high volume with a low end. The second came at the end of the month in an m4a file shared the old fashioned way on a forum via Mediafire link, nearly an hour and a half long, and per the man himself, “All SP-303, sketchbook beats, recorded this past week [the first week of July] straight to recorder or cassette.” It feels very much like a homespun Actress mixtape and is probably best thought of as livelier accompaniment to 88 but, even still, there’s no noticeable drop in quality — once Actress, always Actress. If headier lo-fi beat tapes are your beat, this will slot comfortably in line.

Patrick Masterson

bdrmm - Bedroom (Sonic Cathedral)

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Hull five-piece bdrmm play a satisfyingly crepuscular version of shoegaze on their debut album Bedroom. Ryan Smith, his brother Jordan on bass, guitarist Joe Vickers, Danny Hull on synths and drummer Luke Irvin combine the widescreen sound of Ride with a cloak of gothic post-punk. Like the late, lamented Girls Names, bdrmm find a sweet spot where atmosphere and dynamics either build to euphoric crescendos or bask in bleak funereal splendor. Bedroom seems deliberately sequenced from celebration to lament. “A Reason To Celebrate” evokes Ride at their most anthemic, the tripping staccato driven “Happy” summons the spirit of The Cure of Seventeen Seconds before the pace drops for the second half, the songs become quieter and darker as the band finds a more personal voice. “(The Silence)” is an ambient whispered wraith of a thing, “Forget The Credits” impressively mopey slowcore. bdrmm don’t always transcend their influences, but this debut is an atmospheric treat if your taste runs to the darker end of the musical buffet.

Andrew Forell

Circulatory System — Circulatory System (Elephant 6 Recording Co.)

Circulatory System by Circulatory System

Nearly 20 years after its initial release, the excellent eponymous debut album by Will Cullen Hart’s psychedelic chamber-pop band Circulatory System gets a long overdue vinyl reissue. While his previous project, the undeniably great Olivia Tremor Control, tended to lean more towards classic psych-pop’s traditional tropes — hard-panned drums, loads of disorientating tape effects, wonky harmonized vocals — Circulatory System taps into something utterly uncanny. Both Signal Morning (2009) and Mosaics Within Mosaics (2014) have their moments, but this is front-to-back brilliant, conjuring a sublime atmosphere of reflective estrangement. The music is a thick, grainy soup of shimmering instrumentation, from the eerie (“Joy,” “Now,” “Should a Cloud Replace a Compass?”) to the joyful (“Yesterday’s World,” “The Lovely Universe,” “Waves of Bark and Light”), but part of the album’s magic is the way everything flows into a seamless whole. As is vinyl’s tendency, the rhythm section really comes alive here, the fuzz bass and tom-heavy drum parts booming out, with plenty of vivid details in the mix swimming into view. A worthy reissue of an essential album.

Tim Clarke

Cloud Factory — #1 (Howlin’ Banana)

Cloud Factory #1 by Cloud Factory

Cloud Factory, from Toulouse, France, overlays the serrated edges of garage pop with a serene dream-pop drift. It’s an appealing mix of hard and soft, like being pummeled to death by pillows or threatened gunpoint by a teddy bear. “Amnesia,” for instance, erupts in a vicious, sawed off, trouble-making bass line, then soars from there in untroubled female vocals. Later, “No Data,” punches hard with raw percussion, then lays on a liquid, lucid guitar line that encourages middle-distance staring. None of these songs really up the ante with memorable melodies, sharp words or that intangible R’NR energy that distinguishes great punk rock from the so so. Not loud, not soft, not great, not bad. Cloud Factory resides in the indeterminant middle.

Jennifer Kelly

Entry — Detriment (Southern Lord)

Detriment by Entry

Nuthin fancy here, folks. Just eight songs — plus a flexing, fuzzing intro — of American hardcore punk. Entry has been grinding away for a few years now, and Detriment doesn’t advance much past the musical terrain the band marked off on the No Relief 7-inch (2016). That’s OK. The essential formula is time tested: d-beat rhythms, overdriven amps and Sara G.’s ferocious vocals delivering the necessary affect. That would be: pissed off, just this side of hopeless. Detriment sounds like what might happen if Poison Idea (c. 1988) stumbled into a seminar on Riot Grrrl; after everyone got tired of beating the living shit out of one another, they’d make some songs. “Selective Empathy” is pretty representative. Big riffs, a breakdown, and more than enough throaty yelling to let you know that you’re in some trouble. You might recognize the sound of Clayton Stevens’ guitar from his work with Touché Amoré — but maybe it’s better if you don’t. This isn’t music for mopery. Watch out for the spit, snot and blood, and flip the record.

Jonathan Shaw

Equiknoxx — VF Live: Equiknoxx (The Vinyl Factory)

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There’s nothing like a little roots music to get you through the sweltering summer heat, and this early July mix by Gavin “Gavsborg” Blair (half of forward-thinking Kingston dancehall unit Equiknoxx) was a personal favorite of the past month for hitting that spot. The group tends to throw curveballs at the genres it tinkers with, and Blair’s mix highlights why they’re so good at it: The crates run deep. Spanning everything from legendary producer and DJ Prince Jazzbo to in-house music fresh out the box (e.g., “Did Not Make This For Jah_9” was released in late May), Blair sets the mood and educates you along the way. Like everything else these cats do (and that includes the NTS show — support your independent radio station!), it’s hard not to give the highest recommendation.

Patrick Masterson

Ezra Feinberg — Recumbent Speech (Related States)

Recumbent Speech by Ezra Feinberg

Knowing that Ezra Feinberg is a practicing psychoanalyst, it’s tempting to read meaning into the name of his second solo album. But be careful to think twice about the meaning you perceive and ask yourself, is it the product of Feinberg on the couch or your own projection? His choice to name one of the record’s six instrumentals (there are voices, but no words) “Letter To My Mind” certainly suggests that there’s an internal dialogue at work, but the music feels most like a layered deployment of good ideas than an exchange of intrapsychic forces. The synthesizers shimmer and cycle like something from a mid-1970s Cluster record, resting upon a pillow of vibraphone and electric piano tones, which in turn billow under the influence of undulating layers of drums. Feinberg’s guitar leads are bright and pithy, like something Pat Metheny might come up with if he knew he was going to have to pay a steep price for every note he played. Ah, but there I go, projecting an implication of adversary process where there may be none. Might it be that Feinberg, having spent a full work week immersed in the psychic conflicts of others, wants to lay back on the couch and exhale? If so, this album is an apt companion.

Bill Meyer

Honey Radar — Sing the Snow Away: The Chunklet Years (Chunklet)

Sing the Snow Away: The Chunklet Years by Honey Radar

Jason Henn of Honey Radar has a solid claim at being his generation’s Bob Pollard, a prolific, absurdist songwriter, who tosses off hooky melodies as if channeling them from the spirit world. His least polished material glints with melody hidden beneath banks of fuzz, whispery and fragile on records, but surprisingly muscular in his rocking live shows. This 28-song compilation assembles the singles, splits, EPs and bonus tracks Henn recorded for Chunklet between 2015 and the present; it would be a daunting amount of material except that it goes down like cotton candy, sweet, airy, colorful and gone before you know it. Like the Kinks, Henn has a way of making strident rock and roll hooks sound wistful and dreamy. In “Lilac Pharmacy,” guitar lines rip and buck and roar, but from a distance, hardly disrupting Henn’s placid murmur. “Medium Mary Todd” ratchets up the tension a bit, with a tangled snarl of lick and swagger, but the vocals edge towards quiet whimsy a la Sic Alps; a second version runs a bit hotter, rougher and more electric, while a third, recorded at WFMU, gives an inkling of the Honey Radar concert experience. A couple of fine covers — of the Fall’s early rant “Middle Class Revolt” and of the Monkees rarity “Wind-Up Man”— suggest the fine, loamy soil that Henn’s art grows out of, while alternate versions of half a dozen tracks hint at the various forms his ideas can take. It’s a wonderful overview of Honey Radar so far, though let’s hope it’s not a career retrospective. Henn has a bunch of records left to make yet if he wants to edge out Pollard.

Jennifer Kelly

Iron Wigs — Your Birthday’s Cancelled (Mello Music Group)

Your Birthday's Cancelled by IRON WIGS

As an adjective, “goofy” had gotten a bad rep in hip hop. Anything that is unusual, inventive and not in line with “keeping it real” is immediately stigmatized as goofy, weird, nerdy and bad. Iron Wigs is goofy but hold the pejorative connotations. Chicago representatives Vic Spencer and Verbal Kent team up here with Sonnyjim from the UK to do some wild rhyming. They collaborated before, but Your Birthday’s Cancelled is a complete, fully fleshed project, masterfully executed from start to finish. Instead of the usual gun busting you get a fist in the ribs. Instead of drug slinging, a blunt to activate your rhymes. Each member of the group has a distinctive delivery which makes you to listen carefully for every verse, no skipping. It’s a relief to listen to rap artists who don’t pretend they’re out in the streets while they’re at home enjoying a favorite TV series. The standout track here is “Bally Animals & Rugbys” with Roc Marciano dropping by for a verse.

Ray Garraty

Levinson / Mahlmeister — Shores (Trouble In Mind)

Shores by levinson / mahlmeister

Jamie Levinson and Donny Mahlmeister’s Bandcamp page indicates that they’re based in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago. This goes further towards explaining their association with Trouble in Mind Records, which is located in the same county, than their music, which brings to mind something much further north. The duo’s music is mostly electronic, with modular synthesizers setting the pulse and sweeping the pitch spectrum while lap steel guitar adds flourishes and a shruti box thickens the textures. The album is split into two, with each track — one is named “Ascend,” the other “Release” — taking up one side of a 50-minute cassette. The first side trundles steadily onwards, and the second seems to bask in a glow to that never totally fades. Since there’s no “Descend,” it’s easy to imagine this music sound tracking a drive into the Canadian north, the journey unspooling under a sky that never darkens, its progress towards Hudson Bay unhindered by other traffic or turns in the road. Perhaps that’s just one listener’s fantasy of easy social distancing and escape from the present’s grim digital glare into a retro-futurist, analog dream. But in dreams we’re free to fly without being seated next to some knucklehead with his mask over his eyes instead of his mouth, so dream on, dreamers. This tape is volume one of the Explorers Series, Trouble in Mind’s projected program of limited edition cassette releases.

Bill Meyer

Klara Lewis — Ingrid (Editions Mego)

Klara Lewis’s latest recording shows a narrowing of focus. Previously she seemed to be trying ideas and methods on for size, investigating ambient electronics or hinting at pop melody without completely committing. Given the approach to music modeled by her father, Graham Lewis of Wire and Dome, she probably does not feel the need to do just one thing, and that’s a healthy angle if one wants to stay interested and flexible. But there’s also something to be said for really digging into an idea, and that’s what she has done here. Ingrid is a one-track, one-sided 12.” Burrowing further into one-ness, it is made from one looped cello phrase, which gets filtered and distorted on each pass. The effect suggests decay, but not so much the gradual transformation of a William Basinski piece as the pitiless abrasion of a woodworker going over a plank with sander. The combination of repetition and coarsening hits a spot closer to one that Tony Conrad might reach, and that’s an itch worth scratching.

Bill Meyer

Luis Lopes Humanization 4tet — Believe, Believe (Clean Feed)

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The cruel economics of contemporary creative music-making favor an ensemble like Humanization 4tet. At a minimum, the filial Texan rhythm section of Stefan and Aaron Gonzalez (drums and bass respectively) and Lisbon-based duo of Rodrigo Amado (tenor saxophone) and Luís Lopes can each count on having the other half of a band on the other side of the Atlantic. But any project that’s on its fourth record in a dozen years has more going for it than the chance to save on plane tickets. For the Portuguese musicians, it’s an opportunity to feel an unabashedly high-energy force at their backs, as well as a chance to drink from a deep well of harmolodic blues. And for the Gonzalez brothers, it’s the reward of being the absolute right guys for the job; it has to be a gas to know that the heft they put into their swing is so deeply appreciated. While Lopes’ name remains up front, everyone contributes compositions, and everyone gives their all on every tune.

Bill Meyer

Joanna Mattrey — Veiled (Relative Pitch)

Veiled by Joanna Mattrey

This solo CD, which closely follows a collaborative cassette on Astral Spirits, is only the second recording with Joanna Mattrey’s name on the spine. But Mattrey is no newcomer. The New England Conservatory-trained violist has been playing straight and pop gigs for a while. If you caught Chance the Rapper on Saturday Night Live, Cuddle Magic with strings or a host of classical gigs around New York City, you’ve seen her. But if black dress and heels gigs pay her bills, improvised music nourishes her heart. And if sounds raw enough to scrape the roof of the world nourish yours, this album is new food. The premise of Veiled is finding veins of concealed beauty concealed, and that search impels Mattrey to tune her viola to sound like a horse-haired Tuvan fiddle, clamp objects to the strings and blast her signal through some satisfyingly filthy amplification. And whether it’s a slender tune or a complex texture, the reward is always there.

Bill Meyer

Angel Olsen — “Whole New Mess” single (Jagjaguwar)

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Everyone processes a breakup differently (though, to be fair, that’s probably less true now than ever). For Angel Olsen in 2018, it meant retreating to The Unknown, a century-old church in Anacortes, Washington, that Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum and producer Nicholas Wilbur made into a recording studio. What ultimately came from those sessions was All Mirrors, but Whole New Mess is a chance to revisit that album (fully nine of these 11 songs are ones you’ve heard before; only the title-track and “Waving, Smiling” are new) in a more intimate framework — just Angel, a guitar, a mic and her reverberant heartache. The most cynical view to be taken here is that it’s a stopgap capitalizing on people’s vulnerability amid a pandemic quarantine, but it could also be a corrective for the bloat of All Mirrors, a record I listened to once and haven’t thought about since. Late Björkian excess doesn’t suit her nearly as well as the light touch delivered herein, and your interest will similarly hinge on how much Whole New Mess sounds like the old one.

Patrick Masterson

Ono — Red Summer (American Dreams)

Red Summer by ONO

Ono, the long-running noise-punk-poetry-protest project headed by P Michael Grego and travis, tackles the Red Summer of 1919, evoking the brutal race riots that erupted as soldiers returned from World War I. During that summer, conflicts raged from Chicago to the deep south, as white supremacists rioted against newly empowered returning Black veterans and an increased number of Black factory workers employed in America’s northern factories. Ono captures the violence—and its links to contemporary race-based conflicts—in an abstract and visionary style, with travis declaiming against an agitated froth of avant garde sound. “A Dream of Sodomy” lurches and rolls in funk-punk bravado, as travis declaims all the nightmarish scenarios that haunt his nocturnal hours, while “Coon” natters rhythmically across a fever-lit foundation of hand-drums, mosquito buzz and flute. “26 June 1919” wanders through a blasted, rioting landscape, sounds buzzing and pinging and roaring around travis’ fractured poetry. “White men, red men, Manchester town, send ‘em home, Oklahoma, send ‘em home, in a Black man house, send ‘em home, send ‘em home,” he chants, ominously, vertiginously. The center isn’t holding, for sure. The disc closes with the uneasy truce of “Sycamore Trees,” where steam blasts of synthesizer sound rush up and around travis’ vibrating, basso verses about meeting under the sycamore trees, a metaphor like the blues and gospel and nearly all Black music is full of metaphor about reuniting in a better place. Powerful.

Jennifer Kelly

Julian Taylor — The Ridge (Howling Turtle, Inc.)

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Singer-songwriter Julian Taylor does the little things well. That's not to say that he doesn't do the obvious things well, too, on his latest release The Ridge. His easy voice fits his songs, letting autobiography come with comfortable phrasing. As a writer, he tends toward the straightforward, avoiding extended metaphors or oblique references. The title track considers a particular form of life, and Taylor sticks to the tangible, singing about the stable, “Shovel manure, clean their beds, and prepare the feed for the day.” Taylor's songs make sense of the immediate world and relationships around him, but they avoid woolgathering. The album feels a bit removed from the current climate, but that's no complaint when Taylor's developed a welcoming place to visit. It isn't always easy here, but it's always companionable.

But back to those little things. Each song has carefully detailed orchestration and production. The record goes down easy whether tending toward James Taylor, Cat Stevens or something closer to country, and much of that easiness comes from the precise placement of every note. Burke Carroll's pedal steel, for instance, never exists for its own sake, but to serve the lyric that Taylor sings. The album contains enough space to feel like a rural Canadian ridge, with details drawn into to support Taylor's direct stories. The Ridge could easily go unnoticed (unobtrusiveness not being a highly rewarded trait), but its subtlety and care make it worth taking your boots off and sitting down for a minute.

Justin Cober-Lake

Various Artists — For a Better Tomorrow (Garden Portal)

For A Better Tomorrow by Various Artists

Compilation albums loom large in the American Primitive Guitar realm. Takoma, Tompkins Square and Locust all had larger ambitions than merely offering a sampling of wares, and to them, Garden Portal says, “hold my beer. I’ve got some collecting and playing to do.” For A Better Tomorrow started out as a Bernie Sanders fundraising endeavor. But when Bernie bailed and COVID-19 came on the scene, Garden Portal pivoted to support Athens Mutual Aid Network, an umbrella organization that coordinates aid to the underserved in this trying time. But in addition to good works, there’s some good work going on here. Not all of it is guitar-centric, but even the tracks that aren’t are close enough to the strings and heart template of the aforementioned parties to merit consideration under the same rubric. Joseph Allred’s been ultra-productive recently, so it’s actually helpful to be reminded of the spirit that infuses his playing by listening to it one track at a time. Rob Noyes’ “Diminished” takes the listener on a deep dive into the construction of sentiment and sound. And Will Csorba’s Pelt-like blast of fiddle drone, “Requiem for Ociel Guadalupe Martinez,” will put your hair up high enough to make that self-inflicted quarantine do a bit easier to execute.

Bill Meyer

Various Artists — The Storehouse Presents (The Storehouse)

The Storehouse Presents by The Storehouse

The coronavirus pandemic put the brakes on many things. You doubtless have your own list of loss, but for the proprietors of The Storehouse, the catalog of things kissed goodbye directly corresponds to their endeavor’s inventory of reasons to be. Over the past few years, the Storehouse has invited audiences out to a West Michigan farmhouse to enjoy a potluck meal and a concert played by some musicians of note. If there had been no lockdown, listeners could have enjoyed the Sun Ra Arkestra last April. Instead, no one’s playing, and no one’s getting paid, so the Storehouse has compiled this set of live and exclusive studio tracks to sell on Bandcamp in order to benefit the musicians and the Music Maker Relief Foundation. The cause, is good, but so are the tunes. Want to hear Steve Gunn and William Tyler in sympathetic orbit? Or Joan Shelley pledging her love? Or the first hints of Mind Over Mirrors’ new direction? Step right this way, preferably on one of 2020’s first Fridays.

Bill Meyer

Z-Ro — Rohammad Ali (1 Deep Entertainment / Empire)

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On one of his previous tracks, Z-Ro admitted that he’s basically just writing the same song over and over again (that’s how meta he is now, writing songs on writing songs). While he exaggerated a bit, he was not that far from the truth. In the last half dozen years he’s been writing the same three or four songs in various combinations, reconfigurations and forms. Rohammad Ali follows the same template: haters hate him, but he’s OK and is counting his money. Multiply this by 17, and here is the album. Despite this self-cannibalizing (lots of poets did that), Z-Ro with every new album sounds fresh and far from tired. The self-repeats just fuel him. Rohammad Ali has only one rap guest, and it’s Shaquille O’Neal whose rap career didn’t jump off in the 1990s. A lack of guests only proves that Z-Ro can self-sustain without support from the outside. The only thing from the outside he needs is hate.

Ray Garraty

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the-bookie · 7 years

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Interview with the Vampire, By: Anne Rice ——- Stars: 4.5/5

I’m continuing my attempt to read books that I should’ve read ages ago, and I’m happy I was able to get to Interview with the Vampire! I saw the movie years ago and really enjoyed it so I wondered how the original book compared. This was a really good read, especially if you already enjoy vampire fiction and lore around vampires. One of the blurbs on the back of the book comes from the Chicago Tribune, and it states that “Rice begins where Bram Stoker and the Hollywood versions leave off and penetrates directly to the true fascination of myth - the education of the vampire.” I feel this acts as a good intro to what you can expect from this novel. It explores the psychology of what it means to exist as a vampire, so it delves deeply into self-reflection, the meaning of life, the meaning of Good vs. Evil, etc.

The story begins with a young man setting up to interview a vampire. The young man, described as “the boy” seems to be a journalist who interviews people all the time and is ready with a tape recorder (present day is the 70s). After it is established the boy is indeed interviewing a vampire the story dives into, essentially, a Bildungsroman of this vampire’s life. The vampire (who’s name is revealed to be Louis) details how his family lived in New Orleans in the late 1700s and how he was turned into a vampire by another, named Lestat. Louis details his struggle of dealing with his new identity, and trying to come to terms with how he must do the evil thing of killing a person to survive. He describes experiences and travels that take him to different places in an effort to find some meaning to his existence. And that is really the crux of the novel; Louis trying to find some peace in this world. However, everyone he encounters really cannot understand his struggle. Most vampires wonder why he doesn’t just revel in his amazing abilities.

Despite a lot of the angst expressed by Louis, the novel is largely a page-turner, especially the first half. Rice paints very vivid images of Louis’s experiences, so you find yourself wondering how exactly a human is turned into a vampire, what does it take to kill them, what limitations do the vampires have? Rice’s writing is also very sensual so the scenes are very compelling, and when she describes a vampire killing, it frankly seems like a sex scene. However, I didn’t think this cheapened the story, since she clearly wants to indicate that for vampires, sex has been replaced by sucking human blood. The sexual act and feeding oneself has been combined to be the highest need for a vampire.

There are times where Louis’s existential crises and moping can be a little tedious since the story doesn’t seem to be progressing, although it could be argued that this nicely reflects a vampire’s existence: centuries and centuries of living, so that you can spend so much time reflecting on life’s meaning when you can live, hypothetically, forever. That being said, there are many episodic “adventures” Louis and his varying companions experience, and all of them keep you gripped to the story.

I enjoyed the sophisticated style of the novel and that it presents interesting questions within vampire lore. We see vampires that hate each other and yet cling to one another because they are actually in a sea of loneliness. So many of them aim to keep themselves entertained to keep away the looming isolation. Louis seems to want to document his story in order to dissuade others from wanting to become vampires, but when humans hear his story, it only entices them.

This is a great novel for fans of vampire fiction! Particularly if the psychology of vampires interests you. I’m going to have to track down the sequels Rice has written to see if she can continue providing new perspectives and questions around the vampire.

#interview with the vampire #Anne rice #novel #book review #book reviews #louis #lestat #vampire #vampires #new orleans #fiction

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windyfiend · 5 years

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I’m just going through a bunch of my old RP intros and concepts and... I feel like I really miss this writing. Too bad RP is so full of drama, else I’d pick it up again!

Lantern - 2015 You awaken at night to the creaking of crickets and the sob of an owl. The air is cool and calm on your cheek; it smells sweet like rotting leaves and copper. You and your new comrades are collected on a low, circular metal platform that is half-buried in the dirt and looks as if it's been there for centuries; there are markings etched into the surface, obscured by ancient moss and creeping ragged vines. Above, a thick rustle of leaves and mossy branches obscures the sky, but you are not without light: a weathered old lantern hangs from a high bough of a tree, held up by a thin shimmering thread. The tree -- which rises old and twisted beside you, and whose dark gnarled branch supports the lantern that is your only light -- is ticking.

Lantern (redux) - 2018 The sea thrashed and roared beneath a howling sky. Waves arose like dark mountains and crashed, collapsing, into chaos. Lightning reached with forked fingers across smoky clouds. Collisions of thunder trembled in the bones of the ship's crew while waves fell on their backs and the deck tilted and tossed beneath their slipping desperation. Sailors shouted incoherent over the stinging rain and the hiss of foam. Whistles pierced the shrieking wind. A brightness in the sky illuminated a man clambering up the swaying mast before a clap of thunder deafened him. The Legend's Forgery creaked and lilted, vaulted over a wave and crashed down again, flinging its precious cargo against the bulkhead. The cargo hold, sloshing saltwater, was crammed with sobs and screams. Lanterns swung violent from the rafters, casting horrible shadows on the walls. "Man overboard!" A flash of light revealed the outline of a colossal wave that rose up out of the froth. It loomed there, growing blacker and higher, until it darkened the last of the electric sky. The heavy jaws of the sea swallowed the sound of breaking wood. Everything was cold, and froth, and dark.

Streetlight Dragonflies - 2018 Duskwick is a little lakeside town that -- according to reddit, expert bloggers, and several reputable youtube channels -- has recently had an unprecedented number of paranormal reports. Sightings of strange lights, moving objects and electrical anomalies has skyrocketed. Errant cackles of unidentified animals echo in the night, and the dragonflies only come out after sunset. Residents claim to have stumbled sometimes into an alternate reality like a replica of the town from 1980, abandoned and overgrown and inhabited by tigers and deer-people. Since the first tiger-sighting four months ago, the telephone poles and diner corkboards have been papered in MISSING posters.

The Legend of Gobbledygook - 2018 Here in the Tangle, nothing really much happens, not really -- the sneaklings play their tricks and the flapdribbles ruin the good linens and the woofhowls make for noisy nights, but the folk mostly keep to themselves in their cozy corners of the labyrinth; but now, now, folks are turning up stone. Statues! Just here and there, one frozen in his garden, another at her breakfast table, another (embarrassingly) in the loo. About the same time this all began, certain walls of the labyrinth -- which had stood for epochs at least -- moved or sank or disappeared, making paths where no paths were before. Grandmother Wicker says that someone has stolen the heart of Gobbledygook ... ... and that unless someone brings it back, we all will be stone before long. A call went out to the folk of the Tangle, encouraging adventurous souls to seek out and retrieve the heart of Gobbledygook. Any folk interested were asked to please kindly meet up early in the morning at Gobbledygook's forest, where the crime was committed and where clues may be had, for the King's court had nothing of the sleuthing sort on staff, and no one yet has had a clue what to do.

The Helium Frightful - 2018 NEBULA )) (pl. nebulae) A blanket term for the synthetic life forms commonly found in the wild. Believed to have been originally developed from unearthed dragon remains. An invasive species: has diversified, evolved, and all but replaced native flora and fauna. FOLK )) Refers to ancient and primitive civilizations; their stone ruins are common in undeveloped places. Little survives of what they were truly like, but stories and legends abound. LABYRINTH CORP )) The label on every high flier, scum skidder and deep mover in production. Most high-quality machinery, vehicles and weapons have the LABYRINTH mark. Known for their innovation in -- and monopoly on -- bio-machinery. HOLOGRAPHIC ORTHOGONAL BROADCASTING ORGANISM (H.O.B.O.) )) An essential device that everyone carries on their person at all times. A newer, fancier one comes out every year (for those who like to have the latest thing) and there are billions of available styles and specialty functions. THE HELIUM FRIGHTFUL )) A living sky-vessel, captained by a renowned vigilante, in need of a crew.

Mote - 2018 A youth laid his hands on the stone and, using the blue-soft etchings as footholds, clambered up the side of the Mote in order to retrieve his spinning shoe. Before his grasping fingers could reach it, his own body was swept up in the dance -- the villagers watched while his helpless body was spun round and round in the air, and he made unintelligible noises of surprise and uncertainty. Finally, after he'd attempted and failed to stop himself, another villager caught him by the ankle as he spun past and yanked him out of the Mote's whirling hold. He had, at least, retrieved his shoe. After a few days, the swirling column of old pots and fish bones and wood-shavings and hats and shovels had lost its novelty, and the villagers' attention directed instead to the trickle of visitors come to see the new phenomenon. A few had appointed themselves experts, and for a few coin would offer tours of the scenic coast and invite customers to toss things into the towering swirl of detritus. But at night, the blue-glow etchings cast a haunting shine across the ocean -- beckoning.

Dragon’s Mask - 2017 THE FALL could have been anything: a tumble down the cliffside, a leap into the lake, a jump off the ledge, a trip over broken sidewalk. Once the fall had begun, it did not stop. Darkness pressed close and air rushed past, tumbling, no notion of which way was up, no sight of the bottom. Consciousness, eventually, was lost. A pile of soggy pillows broke the fall. They were of a rainbow of colors, each lovingly embroidered with patterns of thread, all frayed and dulled by age and water. The room was smaller than a child's bedroom and made all of copper. The tarnished walls were etched with patterns like a motherboard. A warm light illuminated the room, but its source was unclear. The ceiling was dark and made of deep, rippling water. There did not appear to be a door. There was, however, a cat. The cat was black. Its green eyes stared wide. It grinned. "Hi!" said the cat in a meowling and excitable voice. "Are you okay? That was a big fall! Welcome to Compass District One, visitor! I'm Howl. What's your name?"

Mirror, Fox, Key - 2016 Inside the city, alarms howled. The city of Cogswall was all dank copper and tarnished brass, iron vents vomiting steam, potholes filled with rancid rainwater, churning machinery, crushing gears, dark-streaked stone, labyrinths of pipes and boilers and clockwork monstrosities. The Eminence presided over it all, assured the impoverished and desperate that hard work would bring them prosperity. Mechanical giants patrolled the streets with searchlight eyes. Dark wagons carried off the young and the accused, never to be heard from again. The only source of hope was in the markers of graves. The only source of happiness was in needles and vials. Throughout the city, alarm bells rang and horns howled -- something rare, something that hadn't happened since the forest outside the city burned in a high inferno a decade ago. A voice spoke over the loudspeakers throughout the city, crackling and monotonous: ALL ARMED POLICE AND MILITARY TO THE WALL PERIMETER. ALL MECHANICALS TO BE REPROGRAMMED OFFENSIVE. ALL WEAPONRY AT THE READY. ANNIHILATION. ANNIHILATION. There was a mass exodus to the walls: police, machines, robots, armed citizens. Monstrous mechanical tanks were released from underground bunkers. The top of the wall crowded quickly with firepower of all hellish imagination.

Whistlehowl Star - 2018 The world doesn't have a name, or has many names depending on where you happen to be standing. This is the sort of place where people get around on flying whale-buses, where forests are lit up at night by peculiar mushrooms, where vast treasures are guarded by riddling monsters. You never know when you'll be snatched up by a passing griffin or robbed by a posse of masked children. The only constant is the Vagrants, whose reputation precedes them. There are those who call themselves wandering healers, traveling spiritworkers, pirates and raiders and mercenaries, explorers of the farthest reaches -- but they're Vagrants all the same. By law there is no law that governs the Vagrants, as long as they don't spend more than three days in one place -- at which time the resident king has every right to arrest them or charge them taxes for loitering. The technology level here varies widely from place to place -- from the tribes of the desert to the ticking cities among the hills -- but nothing is more advanced than the Fallfair Clock which towers over the city of the same name.

Underwater Fire of their Eyes - 2018 In daylight, the world is a strange and whimsical place full of thick bright forests and hidden doors. The deserts teem with fairies, and selkies sing across the ocean. Animals here may be of a different size and serve a different purpose to civilization: roosters saddled like horses, rabbits kept to guard the grain against mice. Curiouser still are the cities and settlements that dot the countless islands of this world. At night the color vanishes, the laughter goes still, and the Anima rise. These are ordinary animals -- deer, fish, dogs, owls -- whose colossal size can sometimes dwarf even the highest clock-tower. Their eyes glow murkily, as if out of a tremendous depth, haunting in the dark. They are rarely hostile, but are known to be quiet, wise, and indifferent to the common problems so small below them. Different cultures have different interpretations of the Anima, but one story remains the same: when a particularly strong-willed person dies, their spirit is simply too powerful to disappear. It takes a different form instead -- one that matches the strength of the spirit.

Yowl - 2018 "Sometimes, if you look close in that gray just before dawn, you can see their eyes shining." Grandfather leaned forward, his stool creaking, bony fingers pulling his eyes comically wider in the light of the hearth. "In the shadows between the trees, or the dark in an alley, or under your bed. The Ruse are everywhere, if you know how to look, if ya know how to listen." He tugged a drooping earlobe. "Now, most of 'em are friendly, or don't care one way or another that you're lookin' at 'em -- but you listen to your gut." His veined fist pressed against his stomach. "You start to feel queasy, or scared for no reason, or you feel like something's watchin' you with no good intention, you get away quick. You run," he flicked a hand through the air, "and you don't look back."

Tin Dragon Detective Agency - 2017 Tin Dragon Detective Agency is accepting applications! Renowned for cracking the great Juniper Seed murder case, exposing the Order of the Laughing Sparrow for human trafficking, and for establishing trade relations with the United Treaties of Sharkwater, Tin Dragon pride ourselves on integrity, courage, wit, and curiosity. Applicants should be intelligent, headstrong, and willing to do what it takes to complete an assignment. Training will be provided; no experience necessary.

Moonfiend - 2016 Only the guilty, the lonely and the indebted volunteer to build that impossible wall. Periphery City is as prosperous as they come -- all clean streets and bright color and the finest technology this side of the Seventh River -- but its weakness is its terrible fear of the Grit. The first wind the queen got that the Grit have figured out how to fly, she ordered that wall to be built to the sky. Nothing unsavory would ever cross the wall, she said. Periphery was a haven of safety and peace, she said. That was before the sky was ripped in two.

Echo - 2017 You wake up to a light shining in your eyes. "Ah, good! Consciousness. Excellent." With a click the light is gone, leaving spots in your vision. While your surroundings come into focus, you hear the whirr and hiss of steampowered machinery, bubbling water, and the scribble of pen to paper. A coppery, burning smell fills the air. You were sure you had died. Is this a hospital? "Open up. Say 'Ah!'" A tongue depressor invades your mouth. "Very good. Move your fingers? And your toes. Full motor capability, good. Echo one one six, successful transmutation, body intact, subject is conscious and retains understanding of language." Your vision clears. You're lying naked in a glass-and-metal pod, staring up at a stone ceiling crisscrossed by pipes and gears, dimly illuminated by dusty caged bulbs. There are bigger machines around you and more pods like yours -- some of them filled with unmoving bodies. "Now then, hello! Please don't panic." The sprightly voice belongs to a small sandy-haired man wearing thick funny goggles with a dozen interchangeable lenses. "I'm Doctor Kelodie. You're quite safe and very much alive. What do you remember? Let's start with your name."

Unquiet - 2016 We were bound and hooded and taken to the Stone -- all of us thieves, murderers, witches and snares, all of us guilty by law. They dropped us like cattle at the bridge; while the airship took off, we were escorted inside at gunpoint. I remember a vaulted ceiling, pinpricks of sunlight, gears and mortar and something dark moving overhead -- I was shoved into my coffin and the lid was sealed. I don't know how long I was asleep. Everything has less color now than it did before; it's all dead, hollow, broken and crumbling. I don't think anyone has been here in years. I don't know where we are, nor the way home -- if home still exists. I hear movement inside the coffins . . .

The Tales of Winding - 2016 The Village of Winding is just the latest bit of civilized society to be built upon the Marsh of Dragons. The clean cobbled streets, the whitewashed stone houses and the flowers and tapestries of bright blues and yellows all sit upon the foundation of princes and giants of old. The ruins now are little more than tourist attractions and bedtime stories, destined to be forgotten among more important issues, like new velvet hats and lost pocket watches. But when the orchards sprouted fruits of strange color, the clockmaker went mad and the cats disappeared, the soothsayers and grandmothers began to whisper: something's not right in Winding.

Smolderheart - 2017 DRAGONS: Every prosperous city keeps its own Dragon to power the area's magical endeavors and to bring luck. Dragons are each unique and offer their own strengths and weaknesses. Dragons are the only known source of magic: sorcery and enchantment are only effective within a certain radius of a living Dragon. Not to be confused with chimney-dragons or hand-dragons, though these are known to be lucky as well. DEPARTMENT OF DRAGON HEALTH AND MAINTENANCE (DDHM): A division of the emperor's government which issues and maintains Dragon permits, conducts annual inspections of Dragon living conditions, and responds to Dragon-related incidents on the Dragon's behalf. Their uniforms are orange and red. CROWS: Throughout the Empire, the Crows keep order and maintain the peace. Their uniforms are black-and-gold with a feathered emblem, styled differently depending on the climate and terrain of the region. Each city and Isle has its own Murder. COLOSSI: (sing. colossus) The Colossi are popularly conceived to be a natural phenomenon, and may only be found in the untamed regions. Each Colossus appears only under very specific and unique conditions, and each has a very different (enormous) appearance. There is no known method of subduing or controlling them, but they are not usually hostile. It is widely known that each Colossus guards a trove of great riches; cities have been built with the gold and jewels obtained from a Colossus' hoard. Folklore speculates that the fiery, glowing heart of each Colossus is proof that they were created centuries ago by the Dragons to guard treasure in their absence. THE LEGERDEMAIN: A sailing ship, recently obtained through sheer luck and a Dragon's blessing, bound for a treasure-hunting adventure through the Isles, in need of a crew.

Petrichor - 2015 Three hundred years ago, your grandmother said, the last kings and castles fell to the Ruse. Nobody paid mind to them at first. They were strange, and hollow, and not quite right. They came in every shape and size -- a Ruse could be tiny as a firefly or big as a mountain -- but you could always tell them by the empty of their eyes. They were harmless, funny, creepy things that should have been left to themselves. And then the kingdoms collapsed. Kings went mad, crops failed, floods washed away whole towns, and the emperor vanished. Wars wiped out what was left. You'll hear people tell you that the Ruse are not to blame, that people are just corrupt and destructive on their own, and that's why we live now the way we do. Those people have never seen them. I pray you never will.

Candlewick - 2015 Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Creaking wood. The shuffle of feet above. A murmur of whispers. The rush of the ocean. The woven rope of a hammock biting into your skin. This is not where you fell asleep. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. A lamp burns nailed to a table; it casts shadows like monsters on the raw bark walls. A few sprigs of green grow out of the twisted fissures in the wood. Did that wall just move? No, a trick of the lamplight, surely. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Grimtooth - 2016 Someone slipped an unmarked envelope under your door. It is a fine envelope, crisp-edged and carefully wax-sealed with a symbol like a pair of wings. You have certainly seen this symbol before on the sides of regal carriages and on banners and bookbindings. Surely your door has been mistaken for that of someone of far more importance. Curious, you break the seal. Inside is an elegantly penned invitation. Lord Roderick Ancroft Fowle Requests the Pleasure of Your Company at the MASQUERADE Twenty-Fifth of November, Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-Five Seven O'Clock in the Evening Toadmere Rookery Ballroom

#windy rambles #on one hand I really wanna run RPs again #on the other #I don't miss the unfinished stories #ALL of these #are unfinished #rp concept

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maritzaerwin · 4 years

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Coronavirus and Your Career Today! Everything You Need to Know

A disease that knows no boundary and a disease that couldn’t be seen is completely devastating the entire world – the Coronavirus. Nowadays, we couldn’t deny the fact that this crisis has lead chaos to different parts of the world, and it couldn’t be stopped yet. With this, almost everything, and everyone, is indeed affected. From health to education, to economy and to many sectors of each society, no doubt that its impact is more than what you’ve ever realized.

And in this trying time, you might not stop to wonder, what would happen next? What would lie after all this crisis? And this has a great effect on your career too! In this post, let us tackle things that you should be aware with regards to career topics during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Career Predictions During This Pandemic

Now, let’s take a look at how this pandemic greatly affects society, particularly the career status of each and every one. It is indeed creepy to think that this coronavirus outbreak leads to a recession in the economy of almost every country all over the world.

In fact, the stock markets are almost hitting the lowest point and many businesses are beginning to lay people off. And during this said recession, more than half of the jobs are at risk, or worst these jobs might be gone completely.

So, what if it includes yours?

Well, the thing is, it is not just airlines, schools, hotels, parks or entertainment events which are laying off the people right now. However, it also includes the coffee shops, restaurants, bookshops, laundry, and dry cleaning places, and hair salons that don’t have anyone to offer their services to, since everyone is under quarantine.

Besides, both the demand and supply is down for the entire economy, making it a hard time for everyone.

Take note of the industries below that might have moderate and high risks of layoffs and you should be ready if in case your career during coronavirus could be at risk too.

With the current situation of the economy due to this pandemic, most companies have responded with cutting hours and overtime pay, furloughs, freezes hiring, and worst layoffs. According to LinkedIn, layoffs that are associated with this economic slump due to the pandemic are beginning to appear across the workforce, having reports that come in from the retail, shipping, and travel sectors too.

Moderate Risk of Layoffs

Manufacturing would be a bit hard due to the broken supply chain. In this globalized world, most countries would depend on one another for raw materials as well as various elements in the production process. If people around the world stop going to work, and if the borders begin closing, some parts of the production and supply chain are lost too.

Therefore, most manufacturing companies will start cutting expenses, and one of the ways to do so is to consider layoffs. Manufacturing companies might begin doing so since there is also a decrease in demand from other businesses or the society in a broader sense.

Food and Retail. There are millions of people working in the food and retail industry. If people stay at home and begin to start saving up, those hourly jobs might be the first ones to be at risk. And with certain protocols required during the crisis, there is no doubt that there will be a lesser chance for these industries to remain fully operational.

High Risk of Layoffs

Licensed Image – Adobe Stock Photos

Hospitality and Leisure — If there are no flights, then there is no tourism too. Most hotels have already lost billions equating to a million job which already have been or would be eliminated.

Travel and Transportation — There was a cancellation of thousands of flights all over the world. If not all, most airlines might be bankrupt by the month of May. So, many airline personnel and flight attendants would be left without a job.

Sports Industry —. College sports careers and individuals having college scholarships are the jobs most at risk.

Help Services — There are many care service jobs and construction works that might be lost since people around the world begin saving up and letting go of those non-essential services.

Oil Drilling and Extractions — Because of this pandemic, oil prices are at an all-time low. Some speculations said it might fall below zero which could cut off many careers in the oil industry.

There is a chance that because of this crisis the world is facing nowadays, the above industries are definitely at risk, and so as you and your corporate career too.

How to Deal with This Coronavirus Outfall?

Yes, things are hard these days. But, the only thing you need to do is to definitely be prepared. To give you some tips, consider these five ways on how to battle this kind of recession:

1. Prepare for the Worst

This is definitely the right thing to do. Look at your corporate finance career and the risks presented above. Is your career during coronavirus at risk? If yes, then you have to take measures immediately. Maybe, you qualify for some government benefits or for Unemployment Benefits. Then, calculate the money you are supposed to get as a benefit.

For those who own a business, or if you are a freelance, you might create what-if situations using the worst possible outcomes that you can ever imagine. It is best to account suitably for a decrease in customers or working hours.

And after such an assessment, you can calculate the amount of money that you will need in order to survive until you could find a new job, after this coronavirus crisis.

Also, it is recommended that you stop funding the retirement plan and begin cutting back on certain expenses. Instead, look for better deals on subscription plans such as insurance, telephone carrier, and energy bills. Spending more on online games or casinos must be lessened. You might consider no deposit bingo too. This would indeed help a lot. Yes, it is not easy, but it is necessary.

2. You Have To Be Extra-Valuable to Your Company

Though you think you are good at your job, if the bosses begin to lay off people, then being good doesn’t guarantee you at all. Instead, you need to be indispensable. It is important that you build a superb reputation. In times of such uncertainty, most companies would want to keep the people who add the most value and couldn’t be replaced.

Even if you are working from home, you should think of going above and beyond right now.

3. Begin Growing an Emergency Fund

It is recommended by experts to have at least three months of expenses kept as your savings. You should start putting these savings away for rainier days. Exchange rates might start plummeting and savings rates are as well low.

Soon, there could be no enough funds for investments and also foreign goods might be more expensive as well.

4. Try Paying Off as Much of Your Debts as Possible.

Since interest rates are so low and the economy is going down, try taking care of your debts too. It would ease up the credit score and might allow you to borrow again once your income gets lower during this crisis. Refinanced a mortgage which is at the highest interest rate to a better deal.

5. You Might Also Consider Switching Careers.

It is a fact that our economy now is very uncertain. No one knows what would happen next. So, many would be considered career switchers. Yes, you might have done everything you can in order to maintain your current job, there will still be a possibility of getting laid off because of this pandemic. That is why always be prepared in case you need to change careers.

Learning some new skills or taking online courses in other industries could help you a lot, particularly now that you have ample time at home. In fact, now is your chance to learn the skill you’ve been wanting to learn for months, yet you didn’t get the chance at all.

If in case you are not sure about switching careers, there are things you should ask yourself which include:

Is the industry you are predicted to cut down jobs because of this coronavirus?

What are the future prospects of the industry you are in during this recession?

And, do you have any other skills that you can put into use which would help you in the transition?

It is important to really think about your answers to these questions before deciding whether to consider a career change or not. Any other career option must be considered.

So, these are just some of the best tips that you should at least consider in order to be prepared for whatever might happen because of the coronavirus pandemic affecting everyone all over the world.

How to Choose a Career or Job During This Pandemic?

If in case, you’ve decided to change career, or you have been laid off, or whatever reason it may be, finding a new job amidst the crisis must still be a priority on your part for your career development. With this, there are number of things that you could do to help you find a new job during this unwanted situation.

Searching for a job seems to be a lot harder due to the coronavirus these days, even if you have help from national careers service. Nevertheless, stay proactive and positive about looking for a job during this crisis. Here are some ways to consider:

Involve your network —We all know that this is a difficult time and everyone wants to help. You can let your family and friends know that you are looking for a job and simply tell them about the kind of job that you want. They might notify you if they know or hear of anything. You can also ask them if they are willing to make an email intro to people who work for a company or to the hiring manager. You shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to former bosses and colleagues about the openings of some companies.

Take on a temporary gig or be a freelancer — For those without a job at this time, applying for a temporary gig or freelance job to pay your bills. It might lead to a full-time job once you impress others. It’s also best to gain in-demand skills. Or in case you are working on jobs, you can do from home, most employers are into looking for individuals who are known to be self-disciplined along with superb verbal and written communication skills needed to communicate with clients and colleagues remotely. They might be looking for an efficient and organized one too.

Practice job interviews through phone and video — Since many people, today are working remotely, most job interviews are also done by video and phone. It is more challenging to have such kind of interview since it might harder to interpret the reaction and have a natural flow of conversation. Besides, it could be a lot trickier to do a video interview making it a bit awkward to be on camera. So, in order to stand out, you have to learn the ins and outs of these kinds of interviews.

Show off what you’ve got — In whatever job, there will be a competition. So, it is best that you up to your game now. The first thing to do is to prioritize those jobs which have been posted recently as it’s a sign that the company has a current role that should be filled. You should stay confident even you couldn’t meet all the qualifications required. You can use your resume and the cover letter to show off what you’ve got.

Customize the application for each job — For your job application gets seen, it is important that you spend more time on each resume and cover letter. Though it takes more of your time, still it’s necessary to modify them for each of your job applications. When applying for work from home online jobs, the application might go into ATS or software which review the resume and identify if you would fit the qualifications. Well, the secret here is written on the job posting including the job title, the skills, and the responsibilities.

Even in this kind of crisis due to a virus outbreak all over the world, it is important that you shouldn’t ignore your career at all. You might consider the above-mentioned tips if you plan to look for a job during this pandemic.

The said coronavirus doesn’t only pose a threat to one’s health or one’s life, but it also leads to a global recession that has a big impact on your career. It is a difficult challenge to adjust to the job market during these times of uncertainties. However, it is important that you should stay focused and always be prepared for what is inevitable. Sooner or later, after this catastrophe, you’ll still get a chance to improve and develop your career. So, stay safe yet keep going!

How about you? Share your thoughts about the effects of this pandemic on your career by leaving your thoughts in the comment box!

The post Coronavirus and Your Career Today! Everything You Need to Know appeared first on CareerMetis.com.

Coronavirus and Your Career Today! Everything You Need to Know published first on https://skillsireweb.tumblr.com/

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sheilacwall · 5 years

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PNC – Whats Up (produced by P-Money)

PNC – Whats Up (produced by P-Money) Music Video

Give the gift of music & sport…

New track from PNC’s Bazooka Kid album, out early June. Produced by P-Money. ©Dirty

Lyrics

VERSE ONE PNC aye? Sup’ bro love your shit i didn’t dub Rookie Card, went and bought it fuckin’ enjoyed it, Who Betta Than This hey I’m feelin’ the Jordans, ya leather is fresh you recording ya next ish? yo who are the guests? can i buy u a drink or a low key sesh? you dont smoke? that’s cool with me can i take a little time to just shoot the breeze? see this, tat on my arm, that’s the name of my best friend died in a car crash this year, now hes resting in heaven but he bumped you 24/7 he’d listened to your shit and then get to penning his lyrics and say i wanna rhyme like him when i hear your shit I’m reminded of him and his spirit, so thanks for that let me slap ya hand and let ya go my man I’ll let ya go my man, I’ll let ya go

CHROUS and they say whats up, in the streets and clubs and I thank each and everyone for the love we pound, then hug and when I’m out they shout whats up, whats up some chill and some just bug but I say whats up my cuz? whether you a mate or a hating chump to me its all love so I say whats up

VERSE 2 PNC aye? nah bro, fuck your shit I listened to that Rookie Card, fuck it was all shit glad I pawned it, Who Better Than This? I got cousins and all them would get on that list they recording the next ish, yeah they are the best bro, slow up your raps, take a low key breath you a joke, not cool to me Just Roll clip, looked like a fool to me see this tat on my arm, that’s the city i rep man don’t even try step through there, or you’ll be resting in heaven i heard so and so kicked ya head in well listen to your shit, you think that you the man in your lyrics and you just try bite off Em Big and Jay, but you ain’t even quite like them your shit is not gangsta Sam don’t even slap my hand, or you’ll get slapped my man get back my man? you’ll get slapped

Interview with PNC

Interview: PNC on Bazooka Kid, and why hip hop doesn’t win songwriting awards Duncan Greive | Managing Editor Ten years after Bazooka Kid, one of the most singular New Zealand albums, Duncan Greive sits down with PNC to talk about its genesis, and why rappers still don’t get their due in this country.

2009 was a year of transition for hip hop. Lil Wayne was at his commercial peak, winning four Grammys; Kanye eventually let Taylor Swift finish at the VMAs; and a former child star named Drake released an unheralded mixtape named So Far Gone. Jay-Z was comically dislocated from the culture, putting out ‘Death of Autotune’ ahead of a decade in which autotune became one of the biggest and most sustained trends rap has ever seen.

The 2000s had been about scale, the rise of the south, beefing and money. The 2010s would be prolific, intimate and druggy, less connected to pop music while exerting more influence over it. In between the eras and a long way away from them came Bazooka Kid. The second album from Palmerston North’s PNC, and one of the most singular hip hop albums ever released in New Zealand. It gloried in big, brash ‘80s synthesisers, hard drums and dense, hyper-rhythmic verses. No disrespect to Urban Renewal, but there has never been a rap album as committed to Phil Collins. Somehow Sam Hansen, aka Palmerston North City, managed to mould a disparate group of producers into an incredibly cohesive whole, one which remains a kind of lost hip hop highway, a road not taken with a lot to commend it.

The dead-eyed ‘Intro’ (“No brother, one mother, no dad” is one of the bleaker opening lines you’ll find), the crystalline title track, the bitter reflection of ‘What’s Up’ and the uncharacteristic acoustic closer ‘Half Kast’, playing on this Samoan man raised by a Palagi solo mum. Nearly every song with a huge, crafted hook.

Since then Hansen has refined his craft, with both Under the Influence and The Luke Vailima EP now essential parts of the New Zealand rap canon. Yet years later I still think about Bazooka Kid more than almost any other New Zealand album, about the boldness and creativity it displayed – and the near-certainty of an indifferent commercial outcome. This month is ten years since it came out, spending three weeks grazing our charts before disappearing, largely unremarked upon. But it remains an extraordinary album, and I got in touch with Hansen in May to see if he wanted to talk about it.

We met up on a blindingly sunny late autumn day, him head-to-toe in black and still with the quiet composure of his prime. Now he’s studying psychology, still making music but no longer reliant on it for his identity. We talked for an hour about the album, the era, how rap has changed since and why it’s so much harder to be a rap artist than a guitar-based musician in New Zealand.

Read more here

The post PNC – Whats Up (produced by P-Money) appeared first on Hip Hop World Music.

from Hip Hop World Music https://hiphopworldmusic.com/pnc-whats-up-produced-by-p-money/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pnc-whats-up-produced-by-p-money from Hip Hop World Music https://hiphopworldmusic.tumblr.com/post/187809511253

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williamsjoan · 6 years

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The Rodecaster Pro is a perfect centerpiece to a home podcasting studio

My podcasting rig is simple: Two microphones, a Tascam recorder, two XLR cables. I’ve upgraded things a bit in the past year — improved the mics, bought some foam windscreens and bought a pair of tabletop, foldable mic stands. But the principle is the same: take nothing I can’t fit into a laptop sleeve.

It’s served me pretty well in the five years I’ve been doing my show. While friends were building soundproof posting studios in their homes, I went with a rig I could take with me. It’s a lot easier to ask someone to be on your show if you’re able to go to them.

Here’s a picture I took of comedian Hannibal Buress after recording an upcoming episode in my hotel room in Lagos, Nigeria. That’s my setup right there. It’s sitting atop my rolling luggage, which is turned upside down on a small hotel coffee table. Improvisation is key.

There are trade-offs, of course. Sound is a big one. The mics themselves are pretty crisp, but ambient noise is an issue. I’ve recorded a bunch of these in cafes, bars and restaurants. I tell myself it’s part of the charm. And, of course, with a Tascam, you don’t have the same sort of sophisticated control you get with a board.

Perhaps I’ve always secretly fantasized about what a home studio might look like. Cost has always been a factor, of course. These things add up like crazy. Also, the barrier of entry is needlessly complex. A handful of companies have looked to capitalize on the increasingly profitable world of non-professional podcasts. Blue has produced some pretty compelling USB-based stuff. For those who want to record multiple guests in the same room, however, things start to get much trickier.

I jumped at the chance to try out the Rodecaster Pro. From the looks of it, it just might be the ideal product to help home podcasters scratch that itch. The product is essentially a six-channel soundboard with self-contained production capabilities. The idea is to just record everything live to a single track that can be uploaded directly to your podcast server of choice.

That includes everything from live mixing to an octet of sound pads you can use to trigger music beds and sound effects. Better yet, you can patch people in remotely by connecting a smartphone via hardwire or Bluetooth.

It’s a really lovely piece of hardware. I showed it to a few folks during setup, and everyone was impressed by the look of the thing, from the pro knobs to the brightly illuminated sound pads with customizable colors.

There’s a small touchscreen display at the top of the board that serves both as a way to gauge levels and navigate various settings. Essentially it serves as a way to bypass the computer entirely, once you’ve finished the setup process. The Rodecaster operates on a similar principle as much of anchor.fm’s offerings, giving users the path of least resistance to bringing a podcast to life.

It’s an admirable goal, especially in the world of podcasting, where content democratization is supposed to be a guiding principle. And certainly setup is painless, so far as mixing boards go. I had to fine-tune and troubleshoot a few things to get it up and running, but within an hour or two, everything was perfectly set up and running.

The downside to that level of simplicity, however, is that it removes the ability to fine-tune some key parts of the process. The most glaring omission is multi-track recording. Sure, you can record four people on mics and a fifth on a phone call, but it all records to the same track. That’s fine and dandy if you want something quick and dirty (as, granted, some podcasters do), but I’m a proponent of editing.

If you’re trying to make it sound professional, you’re going to want to cut it down. Even as someone whose podcast often runs in excess of an hour, I still find I spend much more time chopping the show up in Audacity than I do actually recording. It sucks, but that’s what you need to do if you want it to sound half decent.

Even if you’re not editing for content, at least cut the “uhms” and “ahs” and all of those bits where everyone talks over each other. That’s a hell of a lot easier to do when you’re operating with multiple tracks. I realize not everyone feels that way, but the option would be nice.

Setup mostly consists of unboxing and plugging in cables. Rode sent up a deluxe edition in a giant backpack that also included a pair of its Podcaster microphones and large, heavy stands. You’ll need to go through a couple of screens to set up odds and ends like time and date and to pair it to your phone, if you plan to go that route.

I tethered the board to my laptop during setup, in order to customize the sounds. It comes preloaded by default with applause, laughter, a rimshot and the like — it’s the Morning Zoo Crew package. I tossed in an intro and outro song and a couple of custom effects for good measure (Reggaeton air horn and Nelson from The Simpsons, naturally).

There’s a total of 512MB of storage, so you can add longer tracks as well, associating them by dropping them onto the corresponding pads on the desktop app. Check the levels, pop in a microSD card for recording and you’re off to the races.

I’ll admit that I ran into a couple of hiccups with things like phone audio through the board. Also, the rear headphone jacks require an adapter if you want everyone to hear themselves and the sound effects. Seems like an odd choice, given the novice target audience. Especially since the front cans use a standard jack size.

Original Content records its weekly episode on Fridays, so the timing worked out perfectly to test the thing out. Anthony and I set up mics across the table from each other and we beamed Jordan in via phone.

I hit record, tapped the intro music and we were off. Somewhat annoyingly, the buttons can only trigger the sounds, but not turn them off. That’s great for something like the air horn (for ironic comedic effect only, I swear), but less great with music. You’ll want to edit that down to the length you need it, otherwise you’ll end up potting down the fader, effectively losing that channel until it’s finished playing. The ability to see how much time is remaining on each track would have been a nice touch, but it’s not crucial here.

Once everything was up and running, we didn’t run into any issues for the hour and change we spent recording (aside from me riding the sound effect board a little too hard, perhaps). We finished recording, popped out the card and transferred the files. Boom, podcast.

The sound quality on the Rode mics is really terrific — borderline studio-quality stuff. The episode will be up in a few days, so you can judge for yourself. The sound on Jordan’s phone connection isn’t great, but you can’t really fault Rode for the poor state of cellphone call quality these days.

The Rodecaster Pro does exactly what is says on the box — and does most of it quite well. As someone who operated a board back in my radio days, I got back into the swing of things almost immediately. I’d forgotten how much I’d enjoyed going through those motions in the intervening years. And the ability to actually do a show face to face brings a level of energy and understanding you lose when relegated to Skype.

Bottom line: $600 for the board alone is going to be prohibitively expensive for many novice podcasters. But for a select few looking to start down the path to serious podcasting, this will really hit the sweet spot and up your game with the press of a button.

The Rodecaster Pro is a perfect centerpiece to a home podcasting studio published first on https://timloewe.tumblr.com/

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ashaycole · 6 years

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An Updated Intro To Selecting Details For Iso Xp Grass Fed Whey

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Funny, sweet and self-deprecating -- exactly what we needed in the wake of the disaster that was "Batman v Superman." Made kids everywhere cry as they watched Superman give up his powers for a normal life with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). There are different edits of this movie, and we frankly can't keep them straight. But the sight of a powerless Clark getting beat up in a diner made Superman as sympathetic as he's ever been. Has the standard origin movie problem of "too much story, not enough time." And the standard DC Extended Universe problem of "We gotta have a nonsensical CGI battle at the end." But despite those caveats it's an enormous delight, and a big step forward for the DCEU. One of the best of the franchise because it's really just a political thriller. The Penguin emerges from the sewer and runs for mayor of Gotham! It's great stuff, especially as we continue to watch the rise of Trump in our world. A happy balance of serious and ridiculous, manages to find exactly the right tone for this weird religious fantasy and a cast led by Keanu Reeves . They all seem to get it. This is the gold standard of Superman movies, and was the best superhero movie bar none for many, many years. John Williams' score soars, and so does the believable and compelling romance between Superman and Lois Lane. The film convincingly blended camp (in the form of Gene Hackman 's wonderful Lex Luthor), an epic origin story that actually felt epic, and funny lines. The scene in which Supes and Lois fly together is one of the most beautiful metaphors for new love ever captured on film.

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Shed Some Weight With These Helpful Tips!

The goal to improve your fitness is a great one! Getting fit probably seems like a monumental undertaking, especially if you are starting from zero, but it is possible if you have the right information. The below tips can assist you in achieving your fitness goals. When you follow the advice below, you will look great and feel better too. When considering an exercise regimen it is good to think unconventionally. It isn't required that you go to a gym to get fit, because there are so many other different types of activities you can do. The best way to stay motivated to get fit is to find a plan that you enjoy, so make sure to do that. If you exercise while watching TV, you can keep your momentum going longer. You can walk all the way through, or do sets of simple exercises like jumping jacks or sit-ups on commercial breaks. Try doing small weight training while sitting on the couch. There is always time to squeeze in exercise. Investing in a personal trainer is a great way to improve your fitness goals. Not only will a personal trainer have a professional insight to share, but they will give you the motivation to stick with an exercise routine. A personal trainer will ensure you see results, although they are not for everyone. Wear clothes that are comfortable when you're working out. Do not care about what others think of you, just put on clothes that you feel comfortable in. Make sure what you are wearing is easy to move around in. When you wear comfortable clothing, you can concentrate on your fitness rather than on your attire. Always use your fingers to check out the quality of the pads on a bench before choosing which one to spend time working out on. If you are feeling the wood through the padding when you sit, choose another machine. If you can feel the support structure you may sustain bruising or other injury. This tip brought to you by tennis players will help you build strength in your forearms. On a flat area, put a big sheet of newspaper. Crumple the whole newspaper for 30 seconds, using your stronger hand. Do this twice and then do it with the other hand. Go back to your dominant hand and do it twice more. Don't forget to stretch your muscles out between each set. Make sure to stretch for about 20 or 30 seconds. According to research, those men who stretch between sets increase their strength by about 20%. Stretching will also lessen the chance you have of getting injured. Donkey raises can help you build your calf muscles. This exercise is very effective. If a partner is sitting on your back, then all you have to do is raising your calves. Being fit makes you feel good and contributes to better health. This can be a real challenge if it's been a long time since you exercised, but a little help will help you a great deal. With the tips you have just read, you can start working toward your goal of being in great shape.

Basic Tips On Essential Elements In Canada

Canada scores eight goals in rout of Belarus at U18 Worlds Tonight at 7PM ET / 4PM PT on TSN2 NBA Playoffs: Round 1 - Game 4: Rockets vs Timberwolves Tonight at 8PM ET / 5PM PT on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4 and TSN5 NBA Playoffs: Round 1 - Game 4: Thunder vs Jazz Tonight at 10:30PM ET / 7:30PM PT on TSN1 and TSN3 Tue 5AM ET / 2AM PT on TSN2 Canada scores eight goals in rout of Belarus at U18 Worlds MAGNITOGORSK, Russia — Serron Noel had two goals and an assist as Canada cruised past Belarus 8-3 Friday at the world under-18 hockey championship. Jack McBain also had a three-point game with a goal and two assists for Canada, which has opened the tournament with two regulation wins. Canada defeated defending champion United States 6-4 on Thursday. Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist while Raphael Lavoie, Jared McIssac, Liam Foudy and Ty Dellandrea also scored as Canada spread out the offence. "We want to be a four-line hockey club, we want everybody to contribute and everybody to feel (they're of) value to our group," head coach Don Hay said. "I think we're doing that. "Everybody has a real good spirit within our group, and we're growing — and I like that the best." Canada’s head coach Don Hay on the distribution of goals and offence across the team in game two, and what the positives are that he’s seeing in Team Canada to-date Ilya Usov, Alexei Protas and Viktor Masilevich had the goals for Belarus, which was playing its first game of the tournament. Colten Ellis stopped 24 shots for Canada. Belarus goaltender Nikita Tolopilo was pulled after Canada scored on its first three shots. Danil Veremeichik stopped 20 of 25 shots in relief. Canada next plays Sunday against Switzerland.

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What You Didn't Know About Vitamins And Minerals

Were you healthy as a child? Do you remember what you were eating and drinking? Do you have as good of a diet today? It's a sad fact that most adults don't eat as well as they did when they were kids. Check out the following tips to help you start feeling your best. Vitamins can help you get more from your workouts. When you add minerals and vitamins to your diet, your body will recover faster, build muscle faster and burn more fat. Vitamins and minerals must be synthesized to be utilized by the body. For example, calcium makes it harder for you to absorb iron. When you take an iron supplement, you should avoid calcium supplements, antacids, and dairy products for half an hour before or after. Any supplement which includes oil must be ingested with a meal. Vitamins like A, E and K are ones that are best absorbed with food. They work best if the food you are eating them with contains fat. Milk and the sun are great ways to get vitamin D. If you don't go in the sun much or don't drink much milk, think about a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D is vital for bone protection and prevents them from becoming brittle. If you want to have strong and abundant red blood cells, you must get enough iron. Red blood cells are what carry oxygen around your body. Due to menstruation, women need iron supplements in higher doses than men. Iron deficiency often causes exhaustion and breathing problems. Riboflavin, or Vitamin B2 is found in many dairy products, green beans, popcorn, asparagus, and bananas. Deficiencies can cause cracked lips and low hemoglobin counts. Patients who get enough riboflavin may face a decreased risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome, cancer, anemia, and cataracts. Eating healthy is important, but not everyone can afford to do it. Minerals and vitamins are a great way to ensure your body is getting what it needs. They are also budget friendly for the most part. If you have reached menopause, prenatal vitamins are not a good idea. This type of vitamin supplement can encourage hair and nail growth. This is usually safe, but not wise for women that have already been through menopause since it contains more iron than they need. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C. Supplements are a good choice if you don't get enough of this vitamin. This potent vitamin help prevent and treat colds, gum disease, acne, stomach ulcers, and skin infections. There have been studies that show increased amounts can benefit those with ADHD, Alzheimer's, and dementia. An adult who would like to take a children's gummy vitamin, should take more than one. This is because an adult would need more than the recommended child dose, so one will surely not be enough. However, don't take too many. That is not good, either. Fruits and vegetables are good for you. However, opt for fresh instead of canned versions of your favorite foods. You can add to the benefits of a healthy meal by taking vitamin and mineral orally in capsule or powder form. In the current difficult economic climate, people often neglect their bodies eating from dollar menus and other low quality sources of food which deprive it of the necessary vitamins and minerals it needs to thrive. Try grabbing some essential vitamin supplements to boost your defenses against colds and to help your body to boost fat burning. Now that you are living on your own, you must take responsibility for maintaining your health. You learned some great information here, and you should continue to learn more. When you know more about how to remain healthy, it will be an easier undertaking for you!

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adventuresinaustria · 7 years

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Life Update!

March 9, 2018- Hello from Portugal!

My sincerest apologies for being so behind on my blog.. it’s been an eventful couple of weeks! I’m writing here from Porto, Portugal where my roommate Des and I decided to spend our spring break. It’s been in the 50s and rain here but we’re making the most of it! Everyday it rains for a quick 5 minutes, totally clears up, and repeats - so bizarre! Nonetheless, we’re happy to be out of the cold and snowy Salzburg for a bit. Instead of making it another busy travel week, Des and I used these six days in Portugal to relax and make it a vacation without any agenda or schedule. Everyday we wake up and walk aimlessly as we explore the city and enjoy the slow paced lifestyle we haven't had much of in Salzburg where its always go go go. This is exactly the type of break Des and I needed at this point in the semester so I’m really soaking it in while I can! It’s amazing what a world of a difference it makes when you travel with just one person instead of a group of ten.. just so much easier to go with the flow and make plans on a whim. Although, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to going back to Salzburg because it is home now and I love my life there. Porto is a city that could easily be explored in a weekend’s time just because there isn’t necessarily a TON to see if you're looking for things to do all day everyday as a traveller. It’s more of a coastal beach city that is good for relaxing and laying low, which makes it a prime destination in late spring or summer. Des and I were a little sad we weren't able to soak up the sun on the beach like we had originally anticipated but it seems like everyone in both Europe and the States are having a tough blow with bad weather these days! Sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches though, right?

Here are some pictures of different spots in Porto as well as some of the delicious food we ate!

We came across so many beautiful views in the city but this was definitely a favorite!

Nothing like pancakes with blueberry jam, vanilla ice cream, powdered sugar, and fresh fruit!

Above is what they call pizza kebab. Kebab’s are a really popular food in Europe and it’s a type of meat that you can enjoy in a burrito or sandwich and apparently on pizza too! We were both in food heaven and ended up getting the same pizza for dinner two nights in a row. We’re going to keep our eyes out to see if they have the same combo in Salzburg. So yummy!

A look back..

The week of February 18 we had an excursion to ORF, Austria’s public broadcasting network, which was pretty neat! We were given a tour of the whole building and even had the opportunity walk in on a live broadcast where the broadcaster controls the music playing on the radio and makes announcements. I am not huge into media so I really learned a lot about how their television and radio broadcasting system works. We also had to write a paper comparing and contrasting Austria’s public broadcasting service to ours in the States (PBS). Doing that analysis was another interesting way to see just how alike and different the Austrian and US cultures are.

Later that week a few friends and I went to a really fun international soccer, or “futbol” as they call it in Austria, match in Salzburg! Three of the guys in our study abroad program play soccer for their university in Texas so they were over the moon about this game! It was a dream come true for all of them to attend an international soccer game in Europe and I could see how incredibly inspired they were. Their big smiles and constant excitement made me smile! We sat in the Salzburg section, eventually picked up some of the chants in German, and despite the cold had a great time. Soccer isn’t the first sport I would choose to watch but this game totally changed my perception of the sport and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed myself.

Prague!

The next day, Friday, majority of our study abroad group (10/13 of us) woke up early and boarded the train to Prague for a weekend getaway! Prague is just absolutely magical... I have never been more in awe of a city than Prague. Every single place you look is a breath-taking view. It is so authentic, romantic, and wonderful to explore. I took the day with one of my friends to get breakfast and just walk anywhere and everywhere! As I mentioned before about Portugal, it makes a world of a difference to travel with one person rather than a big group. We took our time walking, stopped in a few beautiful churches, checked out a market where I purchased a cute journal, ate a delicious Czech dessert, and saw a lot of other little things that as a group we wouldn't have been able to stop and see!

One of the many cool street views of Prague. The buildings are all sorts of fun colors and the cobblestone roads make it an even more beautiful sight to see.

Me about to enjoy an afternoon treat!

This may very well be the most delicious dessert I have ever eaten! They call it a Trdelnik which is essentially a hollow piece of dough covered in cinnamon sugar. You can very well eat it plain, or if you really want a dessert like I did, you can get it filled with chocolate and/or ice cream! I couldn’t resist and went with the vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle on top. It’s safe to say that I was in a state of pure happiness as we strolled through Prague and enjoyed every bite of our dessert.

In addition, we did see the bigger sites such as the St Charles Bridge as well as the Castle, both of which were absolutely stunning! No pictures will ever be able to serve them justice but I’ll post some just so you have an idea of what I saw. The weather was insanely cold (~15 degrees) but the sun was shining and we pushed through. Even when I thought I had frost bite it was completely worth it! Definitely a city I’d love to visit again with my future hubby.

St Charles’ Bridge

Couldn't get enough of this view!

The inside of the Castle - absolutely gorgeous!

The view from the walk up to the Castle aka a perfect view of the city

Oh and their currency is Czech Korona so we had to withdraw some money at the ATM in Prague when we arrived and I gotta say.. it was quite surreal holding a 1000 bill! To give you an idea, 1 USD = ~20 Czech Koruna so we all withdrew about 50 USD for the weekend. Not bad! Prague is an insanely inexpensive city which we all really appreciated as college students.

In total we were there from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. We departed Salzburg at 8 am and arrived in Prague around 2:30 pm for a total of ~6 hours travel time. We switched trains twice within that time which broke up the trip a bit. Overall it was a smooth day of traveling but I cant say the same going home. On Sunday, we had the morning to do some more exploring before checking out of our hostel heading to the train station around 5:15 for our 6pm train. Much to our surprise, our initial train was diverted or cancelled (something along those lines) so we spontaneously got onto another train that we were told would take us to the city where we were to board our next train. Keep in mind that 95% of people in Prague speak Czech, which is a completely foreign language to all of us, so that was a challenge in itself.

Eventually we made it to another station where we boarded a train to Linz (Austria) which was supposed to be our original stop. Once we arrived in Linz after 10 pm, we were running behind from the original delays so despite our best efforts to sprint to the train departing for Salzburg we were 30 seconds too late and saw it pull away just as we got to the platform! We were all exhausted and defeated and at that point stranded in Linz until we could find another train to Salzburg. It was also Sunday which means everything in Europe is closed or closed early so nothing in the train station was open except Mc Donalds. Thankfully, one of our friends found a train going to Salzburg at 10:45 pm so we quick grabbed dinner at Mc Donalds and boarded this train that technically we didn’t have a ticket for. We walked the entire length of the train before finding a little cabin to sit in and had a little over an hour ride home. Upon arrival to Salzburg a little before midnight we hopped in a taxi and at last made it back to our dorm. We were all wiped out and couldn't wait to snuggle into bed.

Week 6 / Info about school

The week after Prague was by far the busiest one yet! We had only three days until our next travel excursion! In those three days we had class but also a midterm and final exam. Oh yeah, and the US ambassador visited our dorm on Wednesday afternoon too! It’s safe to say we had no time to study the previous weekend in Prague so it was definitely a stressful couple of days with our exams. Our German class only lasted the first half of the semester so we had a final for that class right before our spring break and then had a midterm for the Austrian history course that every student in our program is required to take. Our semester is split up into two blocks so as of March 1 we are officially finished with block one and onto the second! It’s unreal how fast time flies..

The second half of our semester I’ll still be in my Austrian history course (”The European Experience” as they call it), my intro to Photography class which is super fun and I will share more about later, and then I will be starting a class called The Art of Propaganda which I think will be fascinating! Austria was obviously very involved with World War II so it’s really fascinating studying in the country where everything happened. These classes are totally out of my element as a nursing student but I’m totally loving the change of pace and different type of challenge.

As I briefly mentioned above, we had the awesome opportunity to meet the US Ambassador! He was so excited to talk to us Americans after interacting with the other German speakers of Austria on a regular basis. There is a statue of Abraham Lincoln in the backyard of our dorm building so we all went and took a picture in front of it as shown below!

After that it was just a low key social hour with coffee and cake. It was interesting hearing him speak about his life and also his experience studying abroad in college. He couldn’t say enough about how much studying abroad shaped his career path and the way he lived the rest of his life! I 100% agree with him and feel that there is no better opportunity than studying abroad to discover who you are and grow as you learn so much about the world around you. On many occasions Des and I have discussed how oblivious we were to so many things before this. It’s like we didn’t even realize how much of a bubble we lived in until we removed ourselves from life as we know it and stepped completely out of our normal boundaries. I finally see a whole new side to life with new eyes that I didn’t even realize existed before. I’m going to do a separate post that goes more into detail about the cultural differences and ways I’ve positively changed from this experience.

Meet and greet with the US Ambassador.. check! √

I’m going to discuss my excursion to Vienna/more about spring break in Portugal in separate post just to break it up.

PS. I began this post in Portugal and am now finishing/posting it today, March 11, from Salzburg because much to my surprise I didn’t have Wifi during our 7 hour layover in Zurich, Switzerland on the way home from Portugal yesterday. We had a long day of traveling that began at 5:30 am and didn’t end until we arrived back in Salzburg at 2:30 am early this morning. We flew from Porto to Zurich where we had a 7 hour layover as mentioned above, then Zurich to Vienna, Austria, and finally took a train from Vienna to Salzburg. It was quite a day but we’re happy to be home and enjoying a relaxing Sunday here in Salzburg. Oh, and winter is officially behind us! We woke up to a sunny 60 degree day here without the presence of snow and couldn't be more excited for the spring weather we are about to enjoy.

Auf Wiedersehen!

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douchebagbrainwaves · 7 years

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HERE'S WHAT I JUST REALIZED ABOUT DISTRACTION

The most powerful wind is users. And now that I've written this, everyone else can blame me if they want. You can't let how much you can raise more elsewhere. They won't kill you unless you let them. Larry and Sergey were noobs at fundraising. This is stupid, because fundraising is not the time taken up by the actual meetings but that it becomes a complete distraction. A Basic interpreter for the Altair? A lot of the most obvious examples is Santa Claus. I do it because I don't like the idea of the language, and adults use them all the time. You have to take that extra step if you want to stop and think about that. Nor will most competitors. Whereas if you'd said you were raising $500k, you'd be less than a third done at $150k.

People should be able to.1 Often it's one the founders themselves hadn't seen yet. Startups yield faster growth at greater risk than established companies. That sounds about right. You never know when this will strike. But any idea that's considered harmless in a significant percentage of times and places, and yet needs to meet multiple times before making up his mind, has very low expected value. And whichever side wins, their ideas will also be considered to have triumphed, as if God wanted to signal his agreement by selecting that side as the victor. For example, if someone says they want to invest in startups when it's still unclear how they'll do. How do we get at these ideas? But this becomes rapidly less true as you move away from the rich. In the sciences, especially, it's a great advantage to be able to think what you want, not to say what the most important reason to release early, though, is that there's less room for people in a room full of stuff can be very depressing. This could explain why clutter doesn't seem to bother kids as much as adults.

And you especially need a brain that's in the habit of going where it's not supposed to. If you're raising money from multiple investors, a series A round, and we'll be accepting termsheets next tuesday. A lot of VCs will encourage you to hire aggressively. Most adults, likewise, deliberately give kids a misleading view of the world. He always seems to land on his feet. Instead of sitting in your grubby apartment listening to users complain about bugs in your software, you're being offered millions of dollars given to a small number of winners early and then supporting them for years to a strategy of anointing a small number of startups founded by people who dropped out of school to do it, but the time to approach them directly. A friend of mine who knows a lot about computer security says the single most important step is to log everything. It's them you have to be proportionate. What could be a better sign that someone was satisfied with a search result than going to the site and buying something?

When you refuse to meet an investor because you're not in fundraising mode, you should supplement these with intros you collect yourself.2 Back in the 90s, to get users you had to change something, what would it be? We were just a couple guys in an apartment, which did not seem cool in 1995 the way it does now. Though it sounds slightly paradoxical, if you stop having kids, pretty soon you won't have any adults.3 When an investor starts to talk to you about a series A, keep taking smaller investments till they actually give you a set of rules here that will get you through this process if anything will. He's determined to get downfield, but at any given moment he may need to. Without hope of gain, they'd have only fear of loss. What would someone coming back to visit us in a time machine have to be introduced? What's particularly dangerous for founders is the way they dress.

I've given is essentially how to play hardball back. Startup funding meant series A rounds though there are few of those left, it would be obvious which of our taboos future generations will laugh at is to start with the labels. Most of the stuff I accumulated was worthless, because I didn't need it. It's pierced in a few places to let pipes in. Accept offers greedily. Better to harass them with arrows from a distance. To the graphically unsophisticated its deliberately minimal design seemed like no design at all. The danger of fundraising is particularly acute for people who are mistaken, you can't simply tell the truth. I know my motives aren't virtuous. This was exactly the kind of thing people said at first about Viaweb, and Y Combinator and most of my essays.4

So for example, is not the hope of good returns, but the time to approach them directly. Did we actually dress like that?5 To emphasize the distinction I'm going to number these points, and maybe with future startups I'll be able to say what the most important thing to understand about valuation is that you won't know your users. On the average trip I bring four books and only read one of them, because I find new books to read en route. The danger of the second paragraph is not merely that you'll spend too long on it or raise too much. If they try to push you to name a price, resist doing so. More people are starting startups, people who wanted to get lots of attention, we made the version number an integer. You'll also want an executive summary, it will also take less time. It probably extends to any kind of purchase. For example, if users searching for compact disc player is not present on those pages. So why not go after corruption? It's only by looking from a distance.

But by that time, not points. If you run every day, you'll probably feel like running tomorrow. As soon as we heard they'd been supporting themselves by selling Obama and McCain branded breakfast cereal, they were in. The point of the summary is to remind the investor who may have met many startups that day what you talked about. There are a handful of startups do. In practice it's not that important. The whole Viaweb site was made with our software, even though we no longer needed to. It was practically the corporate motto at Viaweb. Guess conservatively.

This is another one I've been repeating since long before Y Combinator. So odds are this is, in a mild form, an example of a paragraph from an essay I wrote about labor unions. If they reject you in phase 2, yes. The reason I warn startups not to get their hopes up is not to be desperate. And the right strategy, in fundraising, is to have a plan to spend a specific amount, but so they can show you only things that cost the most you'll pay.6 Otherwise these companies would have tried to fix the mistakes in Fortran; it came about more as the byproduct of an attempt to pander to the other. From different sources than fashions in clothing, the mechanism of their adoption seems much the same way a fall of water drives a water mill. The problem is, risk and reward. If you're a wizard at fundraising, I mentally decrease my estimate of the probability that an investor will ask you to send them your deck and/or executive summary before they decide whether to meet with you. Why did the US really invade Iraq? Whatever the reason, there seems a clear correlation between intelligence and willingness to take risks. Traditionally phase 2 fundraising.

Notes

I explain later. That name got assigned to it because the kind of bug to track down. And that the probabilities of features i.

If Congress passes the founder of the next downtick it will probably not far from the revenue-collecting half of 2004, as I make this miracle happen? Google proved them wrong.

The conventional 1 in 10 success rate is 10%, moving to Monaco would only give you term sheets. It wouldn't cut their overall returns tenfold, because they are in research too. From the conference site, June 2004: While the US News list?

Instead of bubbling up from the end of World War II had become so common that their system can't be buying users; that's a rational response to the extent to which the inhabitants of early 20th century. Now we don't want to invest at any valuation the founders chose? At the time I thought there wasn't, because we know nothing about the distinction between money and may pressure you to take board seats for shorter periods.

So if you seem like a startup, both your lawyers should be. The idea of starting a startup is a function of the anti-dilution provisions also protect you against tricks like a wave. IBM. In A Plan for Spam I used to say that Watt reinvented the steam engine.

If you're not consciously aware of it. Macros very close to 18% of GDP, which shows how unimportant the Arpanet which became the twin centers from which they don't yet have any of his professors did in salary. The most striking example I know one very successful YC founder who read this to realize that species weren't, because the money, the more subtle ways in which YC can help in that so many people's eyes. A fundraising is the only ones that matter financially, because there are no false negatives.

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sheilacwall · 5 years

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PNC – Whats Up (produced by P-Money)

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Interview with PNC