#so nowadays its one to two times a year max we make the journey

[dontwanderoff]

so like, i think my nana has definitely forgotten me now. like, mum said she couldn't remember us grandkids on a phonecall once, but also she's said that nana had later asked about us and her memory has been really inconsistent the whole year, but even knowing all that it was just weird sitting next to her at lunch today when she was so distant and just, different with me

[s-stamper]

My Beyblade Ships over the years plus some reasons (in no particular order):

Ray/Rei & Mariah/Mao: The pairing is cute, they have a history as well as chemistry, and even though the dub tried to erase a good chunk of the insinuations, we all saw it and its potential. Didn't ship them for too long (because I was 11 going on 12 at the time) but I liked them overall.

Oliver & Enrique: Even at 11, I seriously thought Oliver had a liking for dudes, especially that blonde Italian who gave off so much sass he could open his own boutique. (With Oliver helping him run it of course.)

Johnny & Kai: This was one of the rather strange pairings my pre-teen kid-mind came up with. Why? I think it had something to do with the fact that the two were both loners and came off as "angry at the world". So, common ground? But, once bratty Johnny beat Kai at Robert's castle I was livid. (Haha!) Little me hated him and was THRILLED when Kai got his revenge. That snarky, confident smirk-laced, golf line still makes me laugh to this day.

Tala & Tyson: 12 year old me saw that Tyson had won their match and changed Tala for the better. So... Feelings mayhaps? The answer, heck no. That notion only lasted a week. Haha!

Kai & Hilary/Hiromi: Now, onto V Force, I was 12 and (at first) HATED Hilary. She was bossy, bratty, and all the worst parts of a person! I KNEW girls like her. Nice or not, she was a whiny pain. When she called Kai "Cute," I was pissed. How dare she steal my man?! (Omg my kid-self was obsessed with him and that embarrasses me nowadays. So much cringe... Oof.) Anyway, I reminded myself this was both stupid and it was a cartoon so I moved on to shipping them. Yes I know, very weird... The Island is what did it. Blame the gentlemanly chivalry from Kai. 😍 Then I jumped overboard...

Kai & Ray: V Force started this one. I think it did for lots of the fanbase. Namely the Saint Shields Arc. So much tenderness and caring on Kai's part. I now see that arc as a "guys just being bros" kind of thing. Alas, like Ray & Mariah, it didn't last too long.

Onto G Revolution, I didn't really have any big pairings for this season.... Kai & Rick (because power and domination), Kai & Hiro/Hitoshi (because of that one scene at a lighthouse where Hiro told Kai how easy he was to see through and Kai didn't like being pinned down), and then there was Kai & Miguel (again, someone was overpowered by somebody so crushing). Also, Ray & Mystel (because that one scene where Mystel fell out of a tree and Ray caught him as I saw it back then, "bridal-style"... Still so cute, but it's merely a kind gesture from one stranger to another.)

What the bit beast was wrong with me at 13?! Think I unknowingly had a kink then. 🤣

8. Amidst all the oddness that was those I did have a normal one.... Max & Kai: Unlike everyone else, Kai actually did something to aid in saving Max's reputation after Barthez ran it through the mud via the media. It may have only been with a shout with a threatening undertone, but it conveyed a lot. Including SHOWING how deeply he still cared for him despite the side of the dish he was standing on. It was sweet, big brother protecting little brother at its finest, and I so wished for more of it... Still do kind of.

9. Kai & Tyson/Takao: (I didn't know what Yaoi was back then. I didn't learn that until I was 15 when I saw Gravitation for the first time.) Anyway, their match in G Revolution was what sparked that one for me. I've always loved the mythos aspect of the show but reading more about Suzaku and Seriyu's tales made me like the idea. I believe the show is meant to follow the warrior/rivals for eternity dynamic, but the (possible) lovers' tale (especially given the fantastic visuals) seems to somewhat come through. While I wasn't sure what to think at first, given what we know of the two's journey VS what we're given, it comes off that Kai's in love with Tyson and doesn't know how to process it given that he's 15-16. Kai's literal obsession with once again defeating him (remember the monolog we hear and Kai's absolute reluctance to settle for a tie) adds to it too. Even in the BEGA Arc, it came across that Kai would do ANYTHING to face Tyson, and it had to be ONLY Tyson. No one else was good enough. Even Hiro stated that it was unhealthy for Kai to obsess the way he did. Granted it was all while calling him "old news" and a weakling but it still stands. More "evidence" of Kai possibly having some feelings for Tyson is his first match with Brooklyn. We learn that Tyson's existence not only gives Kai purpose but saved him in more than one way, inside and out it seems. Ray and the others had been there too yes, but it seems that no one has impacted Kai's life more than Tyson.

My other range of "over the years" ships include but are not limited to:

Kai & Julia, Kai & Wyatt/Yuuya, Kai & MingMing, Crusher & MingMing, Ray & Crusher, Ray & Salima, Kai & Queen or King, Kai & Tala/Yurily, Kai & Spencer/Sergei, Tyson & Hilary, Kai & Robert, Max & Mariam or Emily, along with Kai & Raul, and Kai & Mariah.

Phew! I'm sure there's more buried deep somewhere that my tired brain could conjure up, (manga, crack pairings, etc,...) but it's super late. So.... Byeeeeee!! (2:32AM, wow!) 🤣

[darktypeimagines]

Could I ask for headcanons of Leon and Raihan reacting to their s/o defeating them with pure strategy? And s/o didn't use Mega Evolution or Dynamaxing. (Since s/o's from Unova, they wouldn't know how to do either of those things.)

(part 2 of ask) Oh! Sorry, I forgot to add that for the request with Unova s/o defeating Leon and Raihan without Dynamaxing or Mega Evolution, I would like it separately please. And headcanons, I’m not sure if I included that too.

Not sure how old you are, anon, but for those of us who have been around a while… we ALL know are collective child brains would’ve EXPLODED if we learned about Mega-Evolution and Dynamaxing!  Oh, the rumors that would’ve started!

This one was a little hard for me.  I am by no means a competitive player, and usually only use simple strategies myself.  I like Pokemon for the characters and the journey, myself.  Not so much the actual battles.  I also tried to keep things vague, but it’s hard to not use specific Pokemon.  So, there were a few specific Pokemon in there.  Finally, for some reason, I wrote Raihan pre-relationship and Leon present relationship. Don’t know why, that’s how it came out. Hope you like it, though.

—————————————————————————————-

Things were so much simpler in Unova.  Sure, your region had triple and rotation battles.  But Pokemon evolving temporarily mid-battle? GIANT POKEMON?!  Nope.  You were aware of the techniques, but… you made it this far without them.  Why learn now?  They seemed kinda gimmick-y, in your opinion.

As you traveled the world, you found stranger and stranger things.  Mega Evolution in Kalos, Pokemon from other worlds (dimensions?) in Alola… And then Dynamaxing in Galar.  You cleared all these challenges using the techniques and strategies you learned over the years.

 While you weren’t on the gym challenge, you decided to test yourself against many of the stronger trainers in each country.  This included Galar, which had the strangest restrictions on even entering the gym challenge.  A letter of recommendation was needed to even participate?!

A few gym leaders were confused by your request to battle.  When you made it clear that you were known worldwide as an expert, some asked why you didn’t just join the challenge.  It just wasn’t your aim.

Raihan

 You were a bit excited to finally fight Raihan.  You saved him as the last gym leader in your personal challenge; he was the eighth gym leader, after all.  But throughout your travels, you had heard about his battle style. Double battles?  Weather manipulation?  This sounded right up your alley; weather wars were all the rage in Unova, after all!

 When you introduced yourself and your request, Raihan thought it was pretty cool that you were doing this!  And not even for fame or badges; it was just to test yourself and your team.  He admired this, and gladly accepted your challenge.

The two of you met at the gym after hours.  It was a bit eerie.  The castle the gym was located in was quiet and dark; luckily, Raihan got the lights early on.

You knew a bit about his tactics from just a bit of research. Which, by research, you meant stalking his social media accounts.  He made a few viral videos (one of which became a meme) with him using sandstorm in ridiculous situations, one of which featured a popular electronic song of the same name.  So, it seems he was found of using sandstorm in battle.

With this in mind, you sent out a ground type and a steel type as leads. Raihan’s sent out Flygon and Gigalith, the latter which set up sandstorm with its ability, Sandsteam. Your Pokemon resisted it.

You always liked keeping odd moves on your Pokemon.  It kept your opponents on their toes!  For dragon types, you always kept ice beam on a couple Pokemon on your team.  This time, it was on your lead ground type, and you blasted Flygon with it.  Flygon is doubly weak to ice types, so that did quite a bit of damage!

You did quite a bit of damage with your ice-weilding ground type before it finally fainted.  At this point, you pulled out two new Pokemon.  One with levitate. And one with the move Earthquake.  A classic combination.

You didn’t know this beforehand, but most of Raihan’s team was ground and rock weak.  So, Earthquake did a number on the rest of his team, even his Gigantamaxed Duraludon.  And with that, you ended up winning.

Raihan loved your use of strategy!  It had been quite a while since he had fought such a tough opponent; only Leon gave him that much trouble nowadays.

 Asked if you could come by now and then and give him a challenge.  He thought it might be a good way to train, hopefully to make him and his team strong enough to finally defeat Leon.  You agreed, and through this, you eventually became close to him and started dating.

Yes, you battle frequently while dating.  And, you two play at changing the weather back and forth.  It’s a bit frustrating, but you eventually won each time.

Joked that while he couldn’t beat Leon, you definitely could!  Maybe you should try to find out…

 Leon

After you challenged the gym leaders, you decided to stay in Galar for a while.  It was a beautiful region, and between the history and the wild area, you could explore for years without getting bored.

Eventually, you were introduced to the current Champion of the region, Leon.  He was adorable.  And handsome. And apparently, the crush was mutual, as the two of you started dating.

However, shortly after, Leon lost his title.  It was rough on him.  He had been the unbeatable champion for so long, he didn’t know what to do with himself.

It was actually your suggestion that he form a battle facility.  When you first came to Galar, you were shocked they didn’t have one! It was a frequent stop for you in each region, so it felt odd it was missing.  With his reputation, you knew he would do wonderfully, and that people would flock there for the chance to challenge him.

And you were right.  There were CROWDS of people there, even on the first day!

You decided to challenge this new Battle Tower. You had challenged so many others before, and wanted to see what Galarian trainers had to offer!

You also wanted to challenge your boyfriend.  And apparently he had a new outfit, so you’d get to see him in that.

 So, you ascended the Battle Tower. You made quick work of the first rank trainers, eventually reaching Leon.  You needed to beat him in order to rank up, which you fully intended to do.

You knew he could have a wide variety of Pokemon on his team.  He wanted to be a little more unpredictable for challengers.  You knew him, and knew he’d always have his Charizard, but that was the only guarantee.  With all this in mind, you designed your team with coverage in mind.

You led with a Dragon Dancing-Haxorus.  While it took a tough ice type attack on the first round, you were able to get up one Dragon Dance, and took out his first Pokemon on the second turn.  

By some miracle, Haxorus was able to get up one more Dance and survive, sweeping the next Pokemon aside.

But, then came Charizard.  He Gigantamaxed (as expected) and blasted Haxorus away.

So, now you had a Gigantamaxed Charizard to deal with…

You sent out Vaporeon next.  You had it use Toxic on Charizard, and then when it survived on the next turn somehow, had it use Wish for your next Pokemon.  Charizard took out Vaporeon that turn, and reverted to its regular form.

Toxic had already done a fair bit of damage by that point.  But Charizard hit your last Pokemon hard over a couple of turns. But, with Wish set up earlier, your final Pokemon was healed, and lasted long enough to finish Charizard off.

You could tell Leon took the loss a bit hard.  And yes, you ran over to hug him.  He squeezed you hard, grinning, and told you that you weren’t done yet!  You still had to max your rank!

You laughed, and hugged him harder.  It took a while for you two to separate, and got lunch afterwards to celebrate your victory.

[cassandra-tangled]

Cassandra Appreciation Week Day 5: Happiness

Hey guys! Here’s my one-shot for Cassandra Appreciation Week day 5: happiness. So, I took a little bit of a liberty with this one, it’s a bit experimental and in first person. I’m honestly not too sure how I feel about it, but it was fun to play around with! Also, it does loosely connect to my one-shot for day 1 (here on AO3). Anyway, I hope y’all enjoy! Here’s the AO3 link 

The word count is 2,475

And a brief summary is: Cassandra makes good use of the journal that Rapunzel gave her as a birthday gift. 

The only thing of any concern is some light cursing. Enjoy!

Dear Diary, 

Dear Journal,

Wow. This is really not my speed. 

So, a journal. I don’t really know what to write, I’m not a...journal-ly person. Raps is, sure, but not me. This stupid, leather-bound book was a birthday gift from her, though, so I want to make sure I use it.

Not that Raps would ever snoop into my private life (at least not intrusively enough to read this) but if she did, I hope that last part wouldn’t hurt her feelings. I love the gift, really. It’s only stupid because it’s frusturating me that I don’t know what to write.

I guess I can start with where I got this journal. Like I said, it was a birthday gift from Raps. My birthday was a little under a week ago, now. I didn’t even know it was my birthday, but I turned twenty-eight. I feel old. Raps threw me a dinner. There was good food, cake, and alcohol. I fucking hate parties, but I love my friends, and it was only the five of us. Raps and Eugene got me this book, and a quill, and a knife, and some clothes and other fun things. It was really sweet of them, honestly. They didn’t need to get me anything, I wouldn’t have known the difference. Varian got me a bag of rocks, basically. Wait, that made me sound ungrateful. They’re beautiful rocks, and it was a cute gift. Or are they stones? Or gems?? Or crystals?? Fuck, I’m not a rock expert. But whatever they are, they’re pretty, and he found them all around the kingdom. It’ll be like having Corona with me when I leave again. Oh, and Lance got me a bag of Monty’s candy. Score.

So, I don’t really know what to use this for. I guess if I go back on the road I can...write or doodle in here like Raps did when we were younger. I mean, I’ll probably write, if anything. She’s all about doodles. I wonder how many notebooks she’s filled up by now.

When I asked her what she thought I should do with the journal yesterday, she told me to write about the things that make me happy. That’s a good place to start, I suppose. I’m not her, though. She could probably write a novel and a half on what makes her happy--but not me. Most things make me angry, and I could probably write a novel on that. Screaming children make me angry, although they’re cute when they’re quiet. Parties and social interaction make me angry. People who pronounce ‘vase’ as ‘vayhse’ make me angry (it’s ‘vahz’). Being awake makes me angry. Being asleep makes me angry. Freeloaders and thieves make me angry--reformed ones are okay, though. Most people make me angry. Especially Fitzherbert. Don’t get me wrong, I love him...sometimes. 

But I’m supposed to be talking about things that make me happy. Honestly, I’m hard pressed to think of many, but I can think of some.

My weapons make me happy. I could stare at them for hours, in all honesty--I have so many (thanks Dad), and they’re all beautiful. I love polishing them, and admiring them, and of course...using them. Not in a creepy killer way or anything. Dueling is just really, really fun, and let me just say--I’ve made good use of my Fitzherbert sparring dummy since coming home.

My favorite weapon is my halberd. I keep it well cared for, sharp, polished, and shiny. It was the first weapon Dad gave me, for my eighth birthday. At that point, it towered over me, but not anymore--I’ve had it twenty years now, and it’s rather proportionate. I mean, it’s taller than me because it’s supposed to be, but seriously...watching eight year old me trudge around with it was probably a sight to see. Anyway, he chose it as my first weapon because it’s the weapon of choice for Corona’s guard. I was eight when he started really training me with them. Before, I’d sat on the sidelines and watched, but by eight, I was a full-fledged trainee. People thought he was crazy for raising his daughter to be a guard from such a young age, but I’m glad for it. I wouldn’t be able to protect myself otherwise.

I love all my weapons, though. I couldn’t take my halberd with me on the road, so I took two of my daggers and my favorite sword instead. Oh, how I wanted to take my mace, but it was too heavy to justify. My favorite dagger, I’ve had since I was sixteen. I had a few before it, but my favorite one is absolutely beautiful. It’s probably the most valuable thing that I own. It was a gift, too, a blade carved of steel and the handle of beautiful gold. It’s badass--the handle is carved into this weird...I don’t know, dragon? Lizard? Sea serpent? Whatever it is, it looks cool, and my name is engraved on the blade. The sheath is encrusted with small gems. It’s not from my dad, but from an ‘anonymous castle staff’ or something who leaves me gifts every year. I don’t know why they bother or how they afford it, but I love it. It’s not the most practical, because of the handle, it’s more ornamental. I don’t usually use it in sparring or fights. I didn’t bring it on the road with me, as much as it pained me to leave it home, because of its obvious, glaring value. So, it was nice to see it again when I got back here.

Hmm...I’ve been talking about my weapons for a while. What else makes me happy?

Books. I love books. I grew up with them as, well, my best friends. I was privileged enough to be educated, and educated well. I was reading fluently by the time I was six or seven, and when I wasn’t training, working or otherwise helping my father, you could be sure to find my nose buried in a book. One of the biggest perks of growing up in a castle is the library. I mean, usually, servants can read the book if they please and are able, but aren’t allowed to take the books out with them, or anything like that. I guess Queen Arianna likes me, because I was allowed. My father said it was a special privilege, since I was a learning child, and she valued the concept of book-smart young girls. Anyway, since I started working, I don’t use the library as much anymore--not because I dislike reading nowadays, but because I buy my own books. 

Funny story, here. Growing up, I read a lot of fantasy books, about...you know, damsels in distress and princesses who were saved by handsome knights in shining armor. I used to think that maybe, just maybe, if I trained hard enough, I could be the one to bring the lost princess home, and maybe even…

Well, a rogue thief beat me to it. And it wasn’t even on purpose.

Anyway, back to happy--animals make me happy, too. It doesn’t matter what kind, although I am sort of biased towards a certain owl and two particular horses. I don’t know what it is about animals, but despite the fact that they don’t speak our language, they’re a lot more capable of love and empathy than most humans are. There are a lot of great Coronan horses, but two are particularly dear to me. I remember when Max and Fidella were born, actually. They’re pretty close in age, though I think Max is a tad older--he was born when I was fourteen, and she when I was fifteen. Max was fathered by my father’s previous horse, and by the time he was weaned from his mother, it was clear he’d be taking his father’s place as the Captain’s horse. Fidella was actually born to my childhood favorite horse. I learned to ride on her mother, so it seems only appropriate to me that she became the one to accompany me on my journey. Her mother was a beautiful mare named Eliza. Eliza was quite similar to Fidella in color and stature--she certainly takes after her mother, not her father. Eliza was my first equine love, if you will. For a kid without any friends, a faithful horse can fill the gap. We had a lot of fun together, but she got sick and died a year or two after birthing Fidella. It broke me, honestly. Horses can live to thirty years, and she was only twelve at the time of her death. 

Right, happy. Oh people, I guess. I mean, as I said before, a lot of people piss me off, but some of them are more than okay. Dad is pretty great, and it’s been nice to be back and see him again. I didn’t appreciate him as much as I should have in my childhood--but then, isn’t that the way it goes? Raps is amazing too, and so is the rest of the gang. I don’t know where I’d be today if it weren’t for their fighting so hard to save me and, honestly, I don’t want to imagine. I’d probably be dead. Despite my...occasional bitterness, especially before, I’ve had some of my best times by their side. Actually, I’ve had nearly all of my best times by their side. Before Rapunzel came back and, well, pretty much forced me to be her friend, I had no one. I’m glad she did. If it weren’t for her, I probably would have died without letting anyone in, without having a single friend outside my father, Owl, my weapons and my books. But Rapunzel is…Rapunzel is impossible to resist. I learned eventually that there was no use in even trying to resist her--and she ended up being the best thing that had ever happened to me. She’s the first person I let in, the reason that I know what it means to be a friend (and how to become one), and the sole reason my friendship extended to Eugene, Lance, and Varian.

I mean...I had some dark times. Some really, really dark times. Happiness was the furthest thing from my mind. Instead, I was enraged, jealous, bitter, cold, and most of all, I was hurting. At that point, if you’d asked me, Rapunzel was the worst thing that had happened to me, even though deep down inside I loved her and cared for her more than I ever would have admitted at that point. I did some bad things, some horrible things. In my greed, in my...selfishness and lust for power, I committed some fucking heinous crimes. I hurt all of the people who were most dear to me. I almost caused the downfall of Corona--and the entire world quite easily could have followed.  

Yet still, when it was all said and done, Rapunzel still saw the light in me. Eugene, Lance, Varian, my dad, they all still saw the light in me. Despite all the pain and destruction, despite all the fear and uncertainty and my horrid crimes...they forgave me. They loved me.

I hated myself, and I wanted so badly for them to hate me, too. Maybe it’s what lesser people would have done, or maybe it’s what they should have done. I’m still not quite sure. Either way, they didn’t. They chose the path of forgiveness.  

That’s what love is. 

Rapunzel likes to say that I was never a bad person, and that I just lost my way. I hope that that is true, but honestly, I have no way of knowing. When I think of that time in my life, I’m detached. The memories are vivid and yet blurred. I don’t see that woman as me. I don’t. I can’t believe what I did, that my own two hands committed such offenses. I see that version of myself as a lost, sad, broken woman, descending further and further down a dangerous, shadowy path that would have ended in nothing but pain and destruction. I’d given up on myself. But my friends? They never gave up on me. They saved me from that.

Whether I was truly bad or just horribly lost is beside the point, because that’s not me anymore. It haunts me every waking moment, but it’s in the past. It hangs permanently in the back of my head, but I try to push it away, to ignore it. I’ve changed drastically. I now realize that I have, and always have had, so much to be grateful for. I still yearn for more. It’s almost as if it’s in my nature. But if it’s destined to come to me, then it will be manifested through my hard work. If it’s not, at least I tried.  

Most of the time, for me, happiness is hard to come by. Honestly, it is--even now, even though I realize I have much to be grateful for. It’s not such a bad thing to me, though, because when I do feel happiness...it’s exhilarating. It’s life-altering, and the taste of it sticks to my tongue like Monty’s taffy. When I do feel happiness, it makes all of the pain and all of the suffering that I’ve endured worth it. 

So, what is happiness to me?

Happiness...happiness is sharpening my weapons on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Happiness is curling up by the fire, nose deep within a book, reading like my life depends on it. Happiness is  dark, windy, winding roads far from home, and the shiver that runs down your back when you realize, ‘I’m deciding my own destiny’. Happiness is a Coronan stable. Happiness is flying from town to town on horseback, meeting new people. Happiness is hunting with Owl, and sitting by the fire with Fidella. Happiness is a cup of ale, a shot of whiskey, and warm food. Happiness is laughing with friends, and melting into their arms after years apart. Happiness is the fact that you converse as if you hadn’t been away at all. Happiness is taking the horses out to the wall with Raps, and bickering with Eugene. Happiness is helping a greasy-handed Varian with one of his many ambitious projects, or screaming at Lance for eating your lunch. Happiness is having tea with Dad, and the prideful joy on his face when he pulls back from a hug. Happiness is loving, whether things, animals, or people. Happiness is being loved in return. 

Most of all, happiness is being alive. 

If it’s true that we only get one life, I’m happy that I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to spend mine the way that I have. 

That’s all for today. It’s time for this girl to get some rest.

Until next time,

Cassandra

[salmankhanholics]

★ Salman Khan claims he's confident about Bharat: My stardom will fade away but that hasn't started yet!

Jun 04, 2019  It has been 31 years and counting. Salman Khan remains on top of the Bollywood game and at the peak of his stardom. As the critics and opinion makers try to unravel the mystery of his ever increasing popularity, the actor wears it light and appears baffled himself. Excerpts from his interview:

How difficult it is for a superstar like you to maintain his stardom?

It will fade away. It's a huge task to keep it going for such a long time. After a point, every superstar’s film does not perform as well and their collection comes down to 8-10 per cent. That will toh happen with me as well but I don’t think it has started yet (smiles).

But you still give the younger brigade of actors a run for their money whenever you appear on the silver screen.

I still don’t know what fans see in me. The kind of films I do are like those I have grown up watching. I used to react to those films the same way my fans react to my films. When my film plays on screens and fans enjoy, I feel I am watching with them and that I am watching what I would want to see myself.

Recently, Akshay Kumar said that he will be able to do action films maybe till he is 56-57 years of age. What about you?

Not too long I guess, another 30-35 years max (Grins).

Bharat will hit the screens in a few days. What is your feeling about the film?

The trailer and songs are good. It has a huge canvas. It’s been shot really well. Action, thrill, comedy, romance and all that stuff is there. But the main reason why this film was done is its plot. Here, a nine-year-old boy has been given the responsibility to take care of his mother and three siblings. There is a father, who promises to return. From the age of nine till 72, he has done everything to see that everyone stays together and his siblings get married and settle down. His journey shows it all.

It is being said that the character reflects your personality. You too have always supported your family and friends.

(Smiles) Actually, it is just the opposite. They always support me. I need the support.

Is Bharat your best film ever?

Every film is my best film.

Are you nervous?

If two-three films don’t do well, I may get nervous. So far, it’s been good. It was said that Race 3 did not do well, but it did Rs 170+ crores.

Heard that you narrated the story of Bharat to Sooraj Barjatya first?

Yes, I had narrated this subject to Sooraj Barjatya, and he made an amazing suggestion for the love story. I told Ali (Abbas Zafar, director) that he (Bharat) should not get married to her (Katrina Kaif’s Kumud). It just deviates everything. If he has his own family then what about his mother and siblings? Also, what about his focus on his father?

Which is your favourite Bharat look?

The character of the older one is awesome. He has humour, anger and swag.

Do you think your fans will accept it?

I have always been told that a hero has to have long hair. Whenever an actor’s hairline recedes, his career takes a backseat. In Tere Naam, I took my hair off and that look was accepted.

Ali says that you are a versatile and phenomenal actor but people do not look at you that way because you do not talk seriously or intellectualise your acting skills like others, who say, "I isolated myself.." or "I didn’t sleep for two days to prep for the role"

(Cuts in) But as it is I don’t sleep much, I sleep for just two to three hours and it is not because I work hard on my characters in the night. I paint, I write and I watch TV. I have this habit when I watch TV — if something is already going on it, I don’t change the channel. I get upset when somebody comes and changes the channel. Even if it is the Tata Sky homepage, I keep watching it. Then somebody comes and changes it. If cricket is going on, I watch it though I don’t understand much. If some South channel is on, like Raj TV, I watch it. The most dangerous thing nowadays is web shows. I finish four-four seasons in one go.

Which one are you watching these days?

I was watching Game Of Thrones but I stopped. I watched till the fourth season. Then there was a break, so I couldn’t see the whole thing. Then I watched Vikings. It’s outstanding. I finished Taboo. Then there was a show called Arrow. I like watching period stuff. I watched Peaky Blinders. Now I want to watch Money Heist. There are three-four more web shows that I would like to watch.

Do you take suggestions from your family?

Yeah, from my sisters! The day before yesterday, I heard the climax of Game Of Thrones from my sisters. They told me who killed whom and all of that.

You are producing something for the web space, right?

Yes, there is something in the pipeline. We are also producing a lot of content for television like The Kapil Sharma Show and Nach Baliye (Season 9).

Will you feature in any of the web shows you are producing?

No. But our Indian sensibilities are different, so we need to make web content keeping that in mind. I started TV because a lot of friends — with whom we cannot work in films — are big names on television. I started TV because of that, not to make money. We started to give more and more employment to directors, producers and actors.

Have you watched the Baahubali movies?

I watched Baahubali: The Beginning but could not watch Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. So I don’t know who killed Katappa (laughs). By the way, I won’t mind if you give me spoilers. Even if you tell me the whole story, I will still watch it.

How did Katrina take your comment about her winning the National Award for her performance in Bharat?

She thinks I am joking about it. She told me, "You have been saying National Award and everybody thinks it is a joke, and that I may not get it." I told her I was serious about it. But she says the way I have been saying it, people might think I am joking. I really think she truly deserves the National Award for Bharat.

Do you think Katrina was the right choice for Bharat, and not Priyanka Chopra?

Priyanka was very keen to do this film. Initially, Ali and we thought that it was Katrina Kaif's film. But she had just done Tiger Zinda Hai with me. Straight after Tiger Zinda Hai, doing another film with me did not make sense. Moreover, Ali said it was the role of a Hindustani girl. I said, ‘It’s strange. Katrina is your friend. You have worked with her on multiple projects.' I asked him if Katrina herself did not have the confidence to pull off a Hindustani role. I mean, she has been living in India for the last 20 years. I told him, ‘Don’t be ridiculous. She has done so many films like Raajneeti, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. Just because she has recently done films like Bang Bang, she won’t be able to play an Indian?’ It was ridiculous!

But then Ali said Priyanka had called him up and wanted to do this role. Priyanka and my sister, Arpita, are good friends. After that, the 'Nick story’ happened. She chose to get married, which is a very bold, brave and amazing step to take. She did what she wanted and Katrina got what she deserved.

Your films are panned by critics but loved by audiences. What do you have to say about critics and movie reviews?

These are the negative people. What to expect from them? It does not matter to me what they will say about me and my film. At times, they will give my film five stars, the other time minus five. They don’t understand anything. Even if their reviews affect 10-15 percent of the audience and people don’t go to watch it, that 10-15 percent less income makes a lot of difference to the poor producer. Films are not cheap to make. Films are not made in Rs 1 crore today. My film, Maine Pyar Kiya, was made with the budget of Rs 1.11 and it was the highest budgeted film at that point of time. The scenario is not the same anymore. Today, even the smallest film is made with Rs 25-30 crores. So you need to recover that money. Write reviews, but don’t be irresponsible. Don’t make fun of somebody’s work. Let the audience go and watch it. It may not make any difference in my life, but there are people who get affected by it.

When are you starting Inshallah?

Inshallah, Inshallah will start soon.

[tiopsagh-blog]

Max fit keto

Max fit keto Review

 Max fit keto – When you look around yourself, you come to find out that there are so many people who have been facing the problem of obesity or overweight. The worst thing is that there is no one who will guide you that which product is effective and which solution is the best solution to reduce the body weight. You cannot believe on anyone, neither on doctors, nor on nutritionists or even not on any company manufacturing weight loss products. Therefore, people are very confused that which is the right solution to reduce the body weight and how they can get fit! When think that there is no solution then they just give up and they keep on spending the lives that they are already living. Are you one of those disappointed individuals? Do you really want to reduce your body weight and you want to get fit? Do you want to see yourself in a new body and do you wanted to wear anything that you like to wear confidently? Well, you have come at the right place because you are going to get information about one of the best weight loss supplements. The product that we are going to discuss is all about Max fit keto solution. One of the best Max fit keto products is called Max fit keto that is really valuable and that is effective.

What is Max fit keto?

Max fit keto is an amazing weight loss formula that works like a magic’s to reshape your body and to make you slim. If you are one of those individuals who have been worried because of being overweight then it is the time to take the start towards a healthy and happy life. It is the time to take a step towards achieving a perfect body. Well, this Max fit keto weight loss supplement is good for bringing your body in ketosis where you will be burning your body weight very rapidly. This Max fit keto weight loss supplement is being used by number of individuals and even it is being prepared by the celebrities over all the weight loss products and it is because of the reason that it is an 8% effective and natural. It has been composed of different useful ingredients and it has no side effect. You are going to reduce your body weight and together with that, you are going to enjoy plenty of our health benefits. It is a weight loss product that will make your body well-disciplined and it will bring your body in such a position where it was not be storing in any extra fats. Ultimately, these supplements will provide you permanent results and you will never get fat again.

 The working of Max fit keto:

We are going to discuss about the mechanism of this Max fit keto weight loss supplement. Where is the best ever product that has been formulated on the basic mechanism of keto diet. Those individuals who follow keto diet do not take any carbs but they rely on fats. It is a weight loss solution that will bring your body in ketosis because it contains some exogenous ketones. Max fit keto is a product that is good for improving your energy level because it will be producing energy by burning unnecessary fats of your body. It will not be producing energy from the carbs and this change in energy source will really be effective for you in a number of ways. Another way to both of these Max fit keto weight loss supplement is that it is effective for suppressing your appetite and you are not going to eat more than the limit. When you will eat small portion of meal, you will feel that your tummy has become full and you will not be grabbing any extra food. This will be a great change in your lifestyle and it will help you to achieve long lasting results. Therefore, you have been in search of some weight loss product then there is no need to look here and there but simply start using Max fit keto.

 The benefits of Max fit keto:

Let’s discuss that which benefits you can get from the Max fit keto weight loss supplement:

It increases your energy level

One of the best things about the Max fit keto product is that it increases the energy level in your body and it makes you very active. If you want to reduce body weight and it cannot be made possible if you don’t have enough energy. Basically, this is a product that of the producing energy from the existing fats of your body and ultimately you will be getting more and more energy.

It cleans your stomach

Another amazing benefit of this for that is that it is effective for cleaning your stomach because it removes toxic substances from your body. If you want to reduce your body weight and it is very important to have a clean and clear stomach and to improve the functioning of the stomach.

It improves your digestive system

Besides improving the functioning of your stomach, this supplement is also involved in improving your digestive system. When you will be having a good digestive system when it will be super easy for you to get slim.

Improve your cognitive health

You will also be happy to know that this supplement is also involved in improving your cognitive health. You will feel very prominent difference in your mental alertness and even in your thinking because this supplement will make your mind clear and it will remove any sort of stress and depression. It means that this product will improve your motivation and you will be able to continue your weight loss journey.

What are the risks involved while using Max fit keto?

Now we are going to have a look at the side effects of the drawbacks of the Max fit keto weight loss supplement. There is no doubt that it is effective in a number of ways but on the other side, there are some important things that you have to consider and these important things are given below:

 You are not going to use this weight loss supplement if you have already been taking and other weight loss formula. Taking two weight loss supplements at the same time can be harmful for your body.

You should not use this Saturday if you have any serious disease for example if you are a heart patient or even if you are having the issue of blood pressure then use this product after installing with the doctor or health expert.

Along with using this supplement, if you will be taking carbohydrates then your body will not stay in ketosis state and you will not get any results. Therefore, it is a must to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet.

Ingredients of Max fit keto:

Now we are going to discuss about the ingredients of this Max fit keto weight loss supplements that what are the magical companies that make it so effective! There are the following ingredients present in it:

Apple cider vinegar

Magical ingredient present in this weight loss formula is apple cider vinegar. For many years, the importance of Apple Cider Vinegar had been collected but when researchers are made research about it and they came to know that it was like a method to reduce the body weight and to lower the cholesterol level in human body, it became very common in you. Nowadays, what is being used in weight loss products as well as diabetes controlling products?

BHB

It is also called beta-hydroxybutyrate and it is nothing but it is an exogenous weight loss formula. This is the basic ingredient that brings your body in ketosis state and then your body starts reducing the weight.

Lemon extract

Everyone knows that lemon extract is very useful for improving the health of human beings. Lemon extract can detoxify your body and it can remove all sorts of toxic substances that you get healthy. It is also useful for improving the functions of your stomach because it is good for cleaning your stomach. That’s why it has been used in this Max fit keto weight loss supplement.

 Coffee extract

Coffee extract contains caffeine that is very effective for improving the functioning of your mind because it can make your mind very alert and active. This extract is very useful for improving your metabolism and also for improving your cognitive health.

 Essential nutrients

Besides above mentioned ingredients, this supplement also contains essential nutrients that can make you healthy. It means that if you have the deficiency of any essential nutrient in your body then it can be met up from Max fit keto.

 Wow, Max fit keto contains such active and organic ingredients and that’s why it is 100% effective!

 Does Max fit keto really works to make you slim?

You are going to use this Max fit keto weight loss supplement because you want to make yourself slim. Of course, you will get these desired results by the regular usage of this product because it has been manufactured for making your body slim very rapidly. You will be surprised to see yourself in a mirror at a couple of weeks.

 How to use Max fit keto?

When you are few will be interested to know that how to use this Max fit keto weight loss supplement? Let me tell you that you will get it in the form of capsules or pills. What the help of freshwater, you have to take these pills and keep it in your mind that you are not supposed to take it more than twice in a day. Some individuals over consume by thinking that over consumption can give extra results but it is not so. If you will be over consuming then it will cause some negative effects on your body and on your health. If you think that it is causing any sort of negative resource then do not continue the usage of this product anymore.

 How to buy Max fit keto?

Max fit keto cannot be purchased from any local store but it can only be purchased on the official website of the company or even from any other authentic online stores. When you are going to use this product online, it is a must to go through all the terms and conditions that will be provided to you by the company. You will be happy to know that the company will be offering you money back guarantee and according to this offer, you will be entitled to return the product to the company and to get your money back in case you are not satisfied with its results. However, it is not going to happen because the product is really useful and you will see the great difference in your body shape day by day. Therefore if you want to buy an amazing weight loss formula that really works and that can make you thin rapidly then do not think anything else but start using Max fit keto.

 What do doctors say about Max fit keto?

Research has been made about Max fit keto weight loss products and it has been found that they will work. You will be happy to know that Max fit keto is on the top of the list among all the Max fit keto weight loss products. It is a supplement that is going to make your body healthy and it can bring your body in such a state that you will never be getting fat again. Another important thing about this product is that it does not contain any Chemicals and that’s why it is much better as compared to pharmaceutical products. Max fit keto is a weight loss supplement that you can choose very confidently because it is not going to give you any problem but it can give you a lot of health benefits. For all those individuals who had become disappointed and who had been living very poor life because of being overweight, it is magical supplement that they must try out.

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[pcttrailsidereader]

A Mile is 5,280 Feet

Anymore it seems like so many people you meet on the PCT are about hiking big miles, huge miles, more and more miles. I recall meeting two fellows in 1983 along the PCT in the North Cascades who were about to finish their thru hike. They were clearly in great shape, highly motivated to finish and reported that their average mileage per day was in the neighborhood of 35 miles a day. I was in awe and also a little dismayed. I couldn’t imagine walking that far day after day. At the time a twelve mile day was my average max.  

Many years later, hiking in southern Oregon, we met another long distance thru hiker/runner. We met "Stringbean" who was in the midst of running the entire PCT. Amazingly, he took a few minutes to chat with Rees, Amy, Chisa, and I and shared some of his story. He was running/walking about 50 miles a day. He had a team of supporters who kept him going the whole way. Come to find out, Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy went on to set the speed record for men on the PCT and later went on to hold the overall speed record on the AT. His daily average time spent moving is usually between 13 and 15 hours. 

"Stringbean’s” advice to long distance hikers are broken into six basic steps that apply to anyone who is walking anywhere really. First, identify your goal. Decide what it means to "hike your own hike" and what your compromises you are willing to make. Second, really get in shape...actually do it. Hiking tends to get us in shape for hiking. Start early if you can to establish a base mileage that you can go on and maintain once you set out for real. Third, make your days as long as possible. That is, don’t rush it as that sets you up for potential injury. Essentially the more time you are moving the more miles you’ll get behind you. Next, remember to eat a lot! Caloric density is essential. You must remember to take in several thousand calories a day. He says, “If you want to cover big miles, you’re going to eat a lot of nuts.” Trail mix is part of the formula for caloric destiny.  Fifth, don’t forget to recover. Soak your feet and knees whenever you can, wherever you can. Elevate your feet before bed as that helps to manage any inflammation. Finally and most importantly, do reality checks. There will be low moments. When those come along, reconnect to your original motivation and don’t forget that the schedule you set was arbitrary. Use this goal to pump yourself  up, not beat yourself down. 

Miles are miles and they can be a great motivation or an insidious enemy that can undermine your goals and aspirations. It seems there is some wisdom in the adage of “its not about the trip (or miles) but the journey”. Whether you hike a few miles or a lot, taking into consideration both the advantages and disadvantages of many miles can really determine your overall success both emotionally and physically. Not getting pulled into thinking more is better, is a vital strategy for reaching your ultimate goal, whatever it is. Nowadays, I will walk a higher average of daily miles than I used to but I am still dismayed at times and always in awe of the people who are covering more miles in one day than I might in two. There is “hike your own hike” but a mile is a mile is a mile and the more they stack up the farther you get but the real question remains,  what did you see, hear, and smell along the way? Was it a mile to remember or a blur? A mile is 5,280 feet no matter how you walk it...in a handful or a bucket full. 5,280 times 1 or 35 remains a lot and whatever it is, it is an accomplishment toward your ultimate goal  and a celebration in the making.   

[aion-rsa]

The Other Two Season 2 Turns In a Classic Sitcom Episode

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains spoilers for the first two episodes of The Other Two season 2.

We expect a lot from our TV comedies nowadays. 

Maybe it’s because the mid-2010s saw an increasing number of talented comedians trying their hands at being auteurs. Or maybe it’s because the Emmy Awards categorized basically anything with half-hour episodes as a comedy, regardless of their Jokes Per Minute (JPM) status. But whatever the reason, many sitcoms are expected to ask us to examine the human experience while making us laugh at the same time.

Sometimes, however, you just want to laugh so hard that you’re barely able to remember you even have a corporeal form, let alone comprehend life’s many mysteries. Thank God then for shows like HBO Max’s The Other Two. The Other Two comes from former SNL writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider and stars Drew Tarver and Heléne Yorke as brother and sister Cary and Brooke Dubek, who struggle with their status as “the other two” to their younger brother Chase a.k.a. ChaseDreams (Case Walker), a burgeoning pop superstar. 

The show’s well-received first season debuted on Comedy Central all the way back in the “before times” of early 2019. After a very lengthy wait, the first two episodes of season 2 premiered Aug. 26, on HBO Max. This time around, Cary and Brooke aren’t only in the shadow of their uber famous younger brother (who has “retired” to fulfill his month-long dream of attending NYU) but also their mother, Pat Dubek (Molly Shannon) who now hosts her own wildly popular Ellen-style daytime talk show. 

“We just thought it was a nice way to one-up season one, where it’s what would happen if you’re playing second fiddle to your little brother? Now you’re playing third fiddle to your own mother. Jesus Christ,” Kelly tells Den of Geek. 

When The Other Two season 2 picks up, Cary and Brooke are both indeed occupying third fiddle status in the Dubek family but that doesn’t mean they aren’t on their grind. Cary, a longtime struggling actor, has picked up some new jobs. Unfortunately the vast majority of them are hosting gigs. In episode one alone, Cary hosts an online series called “Gay News”, which appears to be wall-to-wall Laura Dern coverage and works a red carpet for “Age, Net Worth, Feet” – the one site bold enough to ask the only three questions anyone cares about. Brook, meanwhile, is trying to find the next big young music star. This quest leads her to reach the literal end of Tik Tok and also to type “young boy hot find now” into a Google search bar. 

While season 2’s first episode is an excellent reintroduction to The Other Two’s comedic sensibilities, its second, “Pat Connects with Her Fans”, is something approaching a modern sitcom masterpiece. This installment picks up with Pat Dubek running a distinctly daytime TV gambit in which she invites closeted young gay men to publicly come out to their traditionally masculine fathers, get their begruding acceptance, and then receive a $25,000 check from the studio for their troubles. Naturally this recurring segment quickly becomes an exploitable money-making opportunity for a gay couple with a big disparity in age.

“I remember it as something maybe Ellen did a few times on her show where a sweet, young gay boy would come out to his dad and then his dad wasn’t that homophobic. And so they fly into New York and are given $10,000,” Kelly says. “We liked the idea of every gay man in town would be like ‘I want $10,000. So I’m going to pretend my husband is my dad and we’re going to go to New York and get $10,000.”

When Cary and his milquetoast new boyfriend Jess (Gideon Glick) encounter the “father and son” duo at lunch, they offer to take them around the big city (including neighborhood “secrets” like The Highline and Big Gay Ice Cream Shop) to show them that being gay isn’t so scary. All the while, the fully sexually liberated couple must continue the ruse of being a gay son and a disapproving father, lest the son of the talk show host they just defrauded realize the truth.

“I just love how clueless (Cary) is and how earnestly he tries to comfort this younger gay that he thinks needs his guidance. And that younger gay has been married for six years,” Schneider says.

“It just struck us as the perfect sitcom balance, even if there’s some deeper shit going on there,” Kelly adds. 

The “deeper shit” that Kelly refers to is what perfectly complements the sitcom-y premise and makes the episode shine. Cary Dubek is a peculiar creature. While openly gay (thanks to his brother releasing a chart-topping hit called “My Brother’s Gay and That’s Okay!”), Cary still isn’t completely comfortable in his own sexual skin. He was able to come out to his father, but his father never fully accepted him before his death. In season 1 of the show, Cary developed a crush on his straight roommate as pining after someone who is unavailable was far more preferable than taking a real risk. 

Now Cary has taken another step forward in dating a gay man but that gay man is just…fine. He’s fine. Cary has forced himself into something safe rather than really exploring his sexuality once again. 

“He is deciding he’s marrying this man, basically,” Kelly says. “You know what I mean? He’s kind of in a very safe relationship. And you can tell that he’s maybe not a hundred percent for me for this guy. I think he likes that this is a safe little picture, perfect relationship he can present to mommy and daddy. If daddy was alive, he could tell daddy, ‘Yeah, I’m gay. But, look, this is kind of… it’s harmless.’”

“Let’s organize this. It’s basically a straight relationship, but it’s gay,” Schneider adds. “All those kinds of gross things you do to try to make your mom and dad approve. (Cary) is trying to do a G-rated version. He’s not really following his instincts. He’s not really following where sexuality would truly take him.”

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Ah, so on second thought The Other Two is just like those conscientious other comedies we expect so much from after all. Come for the “Age, Net Worth, and Feet” jokes and stay for the touching exploration of one young man’s sexual journey. 

The Other Two season 2 will premiere two new episodes every Thursday on HBO Max.

The post The Other Two Season 2 Turns In a Classic Sitcom Episode appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3jhAA0L

[pluienoir]

Pluie/Noir Interscapes 02 “Interior Design”

Sound Mixed and Compiled by Rubi Visual Interpretation by David Surman

Soundcloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/pluie-noir/pluienoirinterscapes02

Welcome to the new Pluie/Noir podcast series, Interscapes. 8 years after our debut we decided to press the reboot button and return to our roots. With a new format and back to a regular monthly schedule, Pluie/Noir Interscapes will feature audio collages, mixes, live interviews and live recordings from P/N artists, friends, and other collectives we admire.

Because less is more, instead of the usual triptych format, this series will feature one single visual interpretation of the music by a graphic artist. The artwork will be available to purchase in poster format on our rebooted Bandcamp page very soon, with cassettes or CD-r of the mixes as a bonus.

World events have taken the series out of its planned monthly schedule, but priority was on the safety and functional structure of the private lives of everyone involved in the project during these unprecedented times. 

For Interscapes 02 we welcome Rubi, a versatile german artist based in Myanmar, with a visual interpretation by english painter David Surman,

— Interview: Rubi

Hi Christina, welcome to the P/N Interscapes series. How have you been?

Hi there, and thank you so much for having me on your wonderful series! <3 I’m good, I’m enjoying what I can from the comfort of my own home together with my little kitty, currently working online and otherwise painting and reading a lot or watching movies!

Why did you move to Southeast Asia? Was it mere chance or a long-term goal?

A little bit of both, but I’d say it was intentional :) I moved here initially only for a short-term gig of three months early 2017 which I found really quite randomly but was very intrigued by. And honestly, I just liked it so much that I felt like I needed to come back and spend more time! I moved back to Yangon, Myanmar in August 2018 and have been here since, and I deeply love it – there’s a different energy in the air in Southeast Asia, people are kind and positive everywhere around you and there is still so much space on an economic and artistic level that it’s a very fulfilling place to be!

Your endeavours seem pretty vast. What did you study, what do you do for a living, and how do you entangle it with music?

Ha, I’m an economist and data scientist during the day. I’ve always been listening to and surrounding myself with music, but actually got deeper into DJing when I started my PhD in Barcelona in 2013 – I just felt like at the end of a long, mentally draining day I needed to use a very different part of my brain to really relax and let go, and getting creative with the music perfectly hit the spot. I’m currently teaching at a Liberal Arts and Sciences Institute here in Myanmar, which has the goal of bringing quality education to students from different walks of life, particularly those from ethnic minorities and less privileged backgrounds. 

I finally got to combine my two worlds by teaching a class in music psychology this term, where we are exploring the role of music in everyone’s life from early childhood, how it is used as a social identifier and its connection to politics and conflict. My students are in their early 20s, and I’ve put them on the guestlist for several of the club nights I’ve organized here and they think it’s the coolest thing ever to see their professor behind the decks haha!

How is the audio-visual arts scene in Myanmar and the surrounding Nations? Are you helping activate it somehow and what are you working on nowadays?

I’d say the scene particularly in this part of Asia is at an early stage compared to Europe, but driven by a lot of passion and daring, forward-thinking people. In most of the major cities, you’ll find a beautiful venue and a small dedicated crew of people behind it - some of my favourite places I’ve played at in the area are Savage and Observatory in Vietnam, the Resonant crew at B1 in Taipei and Club Kowloon in Hong Kong. Also, the early-stage vibe brings the liberating attitude that as a DJ it’s really just about making people dance, and there’s no ego yet about the tracks you play or how you achieve this – if you can manage a dance floor, you get a stamp of approval. 

Myanmar I’d say is the youngest scene by yet another margin, particularly because of its very recent coming-out of a military dictatorship. There’s a small number of local DJs and very few venues that dare to program (non-EDM) electronic music, and I was lucky to get a residency in my favourite club in town within the first month of arriving! I started my Out Of Sight events here, a monthly series which gained a very regular following and is the only one with international bookings in the whole country. Upon coming here, I didn’t really think I’d get to start another series of my own, especially inviting over so many DJ friends to come to visit and also contribute and explore the country while they’re here. Honestly, part of my joy in doing this has purely been getting inspired myself by seeing people play, bringing together a community of friends to dance through the night and just have a really great time. 

It’s been a very gratifying journey, not least because it received appreciation from people in town – many of the local DJs became loyal followers and very excited to see artists from different countries play here in Yangon. Over the past couple of months, I’ve had Adam Collins here, Exos (twice!), TC80, Avos & Moses Mawila, Max Davis and many more. So yes, I feel like I’ve made a small contribution to the scene in one particular place – and honestly, there is still so much space here for people doing things that it’s very fun and easy to create something impactful!

Tell us more about "Interior Design": How, why, when?

I’ve recorded this podcast at home in Yangon, on a chill midweek evening when I felt a little spark of inspiration. I honestly take forever to record podcasts, as you already know from me submitting this so late :) I get deeply into overthinking mode and since I don’t publish many mixes I want them to have a specific theme and vision behind instead of just putting tracks together – which usually ends up with me procrastinating for months until it finally clicks and I know exactly what I want to do. There are quite a few tempo changes inside as I tried to create an arch from very slow ambient tracks to something I’d play in the middle of a night and then back down again. But somehow all of the tracks I put feel deeply me and representative of the style I like, so I identify with it. 

The name was a last-minute hunch, but seemed fitting with the current phase of everyone spending time inside their homes and through this discovering maybe not just their furniture but also the building blocks of their inside world :)

And music-making? Is it something you want to explore?

I’ve actually gotten into playing acoustic music here with friends in recent months, and that’s been a really fun journey! I have a bunch of instruments at my home, and hosting small jam sessions has been one of my favourite pastimes. All of them are much more talented and experienced than me but have graciously taken me in so I’m constantly learning a lot. 

On the electronic music side, I feel most compelled by making more experimental and ambient things as it feels like there is a larger range of freedom for exploration. I’ve been sampling some of the sounds in my surroundings for a while as the hustle and bustle here sounds so different from what I’m used to in Europe, so we’ll see what comes out of it!

Short, medium and long term goals?

Honestly, I’m a pretty chill person, so my overall goal in life is just to spend my time in an interesting and creative way, surround myself with people I love and somehow leave a positive trace with what I do. If I manage to keep combining all of these things I’ll consider myself a lucky and successful human!

— Interview: David Surman

Hi David, such a pleasure to have you at P/N. How are you, all things considered?

Thank you for asking, I’m very good right now. The pandemic has shifted my reality in all sorts of unexpected ways. I had coronavirus after taking a trip to Madrid, then New York. I came back to London and got sick immediately. I’m so glad to have fully recovered. I’m enjoying the empty London.

Have you lived abroad and explored different artistic fields apart from painting, or has it always been about England and canvases?

I was introduced to painting when I was a teenager by an artist Rob Fairley who my dad knew. I had always drawn a lot, but I didn’t consider being a painter until much later. I actually trained to be an animation film director, which seems so ridiculous to me now. I thought of it as a pragmatic choice -- the kind of profession which is somewhere between a reliable job and artistic freedom. Little did I know that hand-drawn animation would all but disappear. 

I absolutely loved good quality animation, films like Akira and Ghost in the Shell, and the Studio Ghibli films. I wanted to make them, and I also wanted to disappear into them. I started seriously painting again in my early 30s after a decade of working in animation and videogames in the UK and Australia. The timing has been perfect for me, as I started to paint really when I was ready. Australia changed my work, it made me think about colour and light and scale. I made films and animations and games there with my partner Ian Gouldstone before we came back to the UK and I started to paint full time around 2013.

I'd discovered your work through Sound Of Vast's "5th Anniversary Series". It featured a series of paintings from your "Paintings for the Cat Dimension" exhibition/installation. What was it about?

That was such a wonderful collaboration, and the team at Sound of Vast are brilliant. My exhibition was a series of 12 paintings of the same cat motif, a mother with two kittens, interpreted in 12 different ways. I wanted to make a statement on what it means to paint in the post-internet era, without giving in to the impulse to simply paint or reproduce imagery directly from online culture. So I created a cat motif in response to the prevalence of cats online from the beginning. The real statement though was the stylistic shifting around. I wanted to say “we are playing with identity all the time, why should an artist be an authentic singular identity?” I wanted to show that an artist can wear many masks, and they’re all authentic in representing artistic action.  

Do you consider the internet, social media and contemporary sub-cultures the biggest influences of your work?

I don’t believe you get to choose your influences so much in art. By the time you’re 8 years old or so, your plastic little brain has been shaped by certain formative things. For me, there are two fascinations, first the natural world, which nourishes the animal side of me. The second is the artificial human world of images, electronic media, videogames, movies, art. 

As much as I would like to be integrated into nature like a romantic dreamer I firmly believe humans are stuck outside of nature, so we have to make a new nature for ourselves to comfort and distract ourselves. This is art, and it takes many shapes, from youtube to painting to music. I see all these things as fundamentally the same, art is doing something with love. I see a lot of love in internet cultural activity and so it influences me. Though I have no idea how visible all this is in the work.

Your work isn't shy of colour or texture. Is this rooted in your fascination for animation?

When you learn to animate you become totally dedicated to line. It’s through moving lines that things come to life. Drawing is emphasised more than painting, and so colour and surface are less emphasised. When I came back to painting I really savoured the ability to subtly control the colour of the image and also the final quality of the paint. I go for strong colour because of various factors. You’re certainly right about animation being an influence, I think the colours of well-made cel painted animations are astounding. Particularly in good quality anime feature films of the 80s and 90s. 

My approach is also calculated, I am interested in having an impact followed by a slowly shifting understanding, and you need to push colour to achieve that. Also as I have gotten older and become more and more conscious of art history I feel a sort of obligation to have courage with colour and put out my ideas in a clear way.

Do you listen to music while painting? Does music have an impact on you while you paint?

I absolutely listen to music when I paint, and I am totally repetitive in my choices. I listen to David Bowie’s discography on repeat, and Kate Bush too. If I need to go to a particular mindset I will listen to Bach, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Glass. Bowie and Bush are just always there, timeless, every aspect of it is totally known and listening to them while painting just greases everything along nicely. I would like to be a curious listener and search for different music, but I think I’ve become extremely focused on the experiences of the eye, and perhaps not so much the other senses.  

"Raucous Bird" is your visual interpretation of Rubi's podcast. Why did you choose this particular work?

Listening to Rubi’s work I was thinking a lot about the space of music, and the way we lose a sense of direction. It becomes spatial, but there isn’t necessarily a top or bottom. This is very different from visual art, which relies a lot on a structure of top, bottom, and so on. It made me think of the paintings of cockatoos I’ve made, who I saw often in Australia, playing fun games in the trees. They appear weightless and live to enjoy the space and their own free bodily movement. For me, the music creates a wonderful association with this memory.

Short, medium and long term goals?

To make exciting paintings that have an impact, and to bring the work to new places. That’s the priority for me at any given time. Thanks so much for asking such great questions. 

— Links:

https://soundcloud.com/itsmerubi https://www.davidsurman.com

W: https://pluienoir.tumblr.com M: info (at) pluienoir.com

[wesleybates099]

Ranking The Best Passive Income Investments

After about the 30th day in a row of working 12+ hour days and eating rubber chicken dinners at our company’s free cafeteria, I decided I had enough.

There was no way I could last for more than five years working in a pressure cooker environment like Wall Street. I became obsessed with generating passive income starting in 1999, the year I graduated from college.

We’ve discussed how to get started building passive income for financial freedom before. Now I’d like to rank the various passive income streams based on risk, return, feasibility, liquidity, and activity.

The rankings are somewhat subjective, but they are born from my own real life experiences attempting to generate multiple types of passive income sources over the past 20 years.

The passive income journey is a long one. But thanks to innovation and technology, the ability to generate meaningful passive income is accelerating!

Passive Income Starts With Saving

Generally speaking, it’s much more pleasurable to spend than to save. If saving was easy, we’d never have to read another story again about a multimillionaire who ended up broke.

By far the most important reason to save is so you can have enough money to do what you want, when you want, without anybody telling you what to do. Financial freedom is the best!

Sounds nice right? If only there was a formula or a chart like the 401k by Age chart which gives people guidance on how much to save and for how long in order to reach financial freedom. Unfortunately, saving money is only the first step in building passive income. Figuring out how to properly invest your savings is even more important.

If you can max out your 401k or max out your IRA and then save an additional 20%+ of your after-tax, after-retirement contribution, good things really start to happen.

Ranking Various Passive Income Investments

Below are eight main passive income investments to consider. Each passive income stream will be ranked based on Risk, Return, Feasibility, Liquidity, and Activity. Each criteria will get a score of between 1-10. The higher the score, the better.

A Risk Score of 10 means no risk.

A Return Score of 1 means the returns are horrible compared to the risk-free rate.

A Feasibility score of 10 means everybody can do it.

A Liquidity Score of 1 means it’s very difficult to withdraw your money without a massive penalty.

An Activity Score of 10 means you can kick back and do nothing to earn income.

To make the ranking as realistic as possible, every score is relative to each other. Furthermore, the return criteria is based off trying to generate $10,000 a year in passive income.

1) Certificate of Deposit (CD) / Money Market

There was a time when CDs would produce a respectable 4%+ yield. Nowadays, you’ll be lucky to find a 5-7 year CD that provides anything above 2.5% The great thing about CDs is that there are no income or net worth minimums to invest, unlike many alternative investments, which require investors to be accredited.

Anybody can go to their local bank and open up a CD of their desired duration. Furthermore, a CD and money market account are FDIC insured for up to $250,000 per individual, and $500,000 per joint account.

Everybody needs to take advantage of higher short term rates and save more. Just several years ago, money market and CD rates were only 0.1%. Now you can get an online money market account paying 2.3% as of 2H2019.

Risk: 10 (no risk), Return: 3 (as rates have increased), Feasibility: 10. Liquidity: 6. Activity: 10. Total Score: 39

2) Fixed Income / Bonds

As interest rates have been going down over the past 30 years, bond prices have continued to go up. With the 10-year yield (risk free rate) at roughly 2.4% in 2019, it’s hard to see interest rates declining much further. That said, long term interest rates can stay low for a long time. Just look at Japanese interest rates, which are negative (inflation is higher than nominal interest rate).

Bonds provide a terrific defensive allocation to an investment portfolio, especially during times of uncertainty like we are seeing with the US-China trade wars. If you hold a government bond until maturity, you will get all your coupon payments and principal back. But just like stocks, there are plenty of different types of bond investments to choose from.

Anybody can buy a bond ETF such as IEF (7-10 Year Treasury), MUB (muni bond fund),  or a fixed income fund like PTTRX (Pimco Total Return Fund). You can also buy individual corporate or municipal bonds. Municipal bonds are especially enticing for higher income earners who face a high marginal tax rate. You can also directly buy Treasury bonds through your online brokerage platform.

The main concern is the future of interest rates. If interest rates do go higher, bonds will decline in value, all else being equal. That said, so long as you hold the bond to maturity, you should get your initial principal back along with all the coupon payments if you are buying a highly rated bond e.g. AA.

See: The Case For Buying Bonds: Living For Free And Other Benefits

Risk: 8, Return: 5, Feasibility: 10, Liquidity: 8. Activity: 9. Total Score: 40

3) Physical Real Estate

Real estate is my favorite asset class to build wealth because it’s easy to understand, provides shelter, and generates income. The only bad thing about owning physical real estate is that it ranks poorly on the passive variable due to tenants and maintenance issues.

Owning your primary residence means you are neutral the real estate market. Renting means you are short the real estate market, and only after buying two or more properties are you actually long real estate. This is why everybody should own their primary residence as soon as they know they want to stay put for 5-10 years. Inflation is too powerful a force to combat.

In order to generate $10,000 in Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT) through a rental property, you must own a $50,000 property with an unheard of 20% net rental yield, a $100,000 property with a rare 10% net rental yield, or a more realistic $200,000 property with a 5% net rental yield.

In expensive cities like San Francisco and New York City, net rental yields can fall as low as 2.5%. This is a sign that there is a lot of liquidity buying property mainly for appreciation and not so much for income generation. This is a riskier proposition than buying property based on rental income.

In inexpensive cities, such as those in the Midwest and South, net rental yields can easily be in the range of 7% – 12%, although appreciation may be slower. I’m personally bullish on the heartland of America real estate and have been actively buying commercial real estate there through real estate crowdfunding and speciality REITs, which we will discuss more below.

Risk: 5, Return: 8, Feasibility: 7. Liquidity: 3. Activity: 6. Total Score: 29

4) Peer-to-Peer Lending (P2P)

P2P lending started in San Francisco with Lending Club and Prosper in mid-2000. The idea of peer-to-peer lending is to disintermediate banks and help denied borrowers get loans at potentially lower rates compared to the rates of larger financial institutions. What was once a very nascent industry has now grown into a multi-billion dollar business with full regulation.

With a diversified portfolio of 100 or more notes, the leading P2P lenders claim investors can make an annual return between 5% – 7%. The returns used to be higher, but the increased supply of money has brought returns down.

The biggest problem I have with P2P lending is people not paying me back. There’s something that just doesn’t sit right with people breaking their contract obligations.

Risk: 5, Return: 6, Feasibility: 9. Liquidity: 6. Activity: 8. Total Score: 34

5) Dividend Investing

Investing in large cap dividend companies is one of the best ways to build passive income. The “Dividend Aristocrats” are a list of blue chip companies in the S&P 500 that have demonstrated a consistent increase in dividend payouts over the years.

Let’s say a company earns $1 a share and pays out 75 cents in the form of a dividend. That’s a 75% dividend payout ratio. Let’s say the next year the company earns $2 a share and pays out $1 in the form of dividends. Although the dividend payout ratio declines to 50%, due the company wanting to spend more CAPEX on expansion, at least the absolute dividend amount increases.

Dividend stocks tend to be more mature companies that are past their high growth stage. As a result, they are less volatile. Utilities, telecoms, and financial sectors tend to make up the majority of dividend paying companies.

Tech, Internet, and biotech, on the other hand, tend not to pay any dividends because they are reinvesting most of their retained earnings back into their company for further growth. But growth stocks can easily lose investors tremendous value over a short period of time.

To achieve $10,000 in annual passive income at the S&P 500’s ~1.8% dividend yield, you would need to invest roughly $555,000. Instead, you could invest only $154,000 into AT&T stock given its 6.5% estimated dividend yield. It all depends on your risk tolerance.

One of the easiest ways to get exposure to dividend stocks is to buy ETFs like DVY, VYM, and NOBL or index funds. You can also use a digital wealth advisor like Betterment to automatically invest your money for you at a low fee. The key is to investment consistently over time.

In the long run, it is very hard to outperform any index, therefore, the key is to pay the lowest fees possible while being mostly invested in index fund. It’s fine to take 10% – 20% of your investable assets and try to pick outperformers.

Risk: 6, Return: 7, Feasibility: 10. Liquidity: 8. Activity: 10. Total Score: 41

6) Private Equity Investing

Private equity investing can be a tremendous source of passive income with the right investments. If you find the next Uber, the returns will blow every single other passive income investment out of the water. But of course, finding the next Uber is a tough task since most private companies fail and the investment opportunities always go to the most connected investors.

The most liquid of the private investments are investing in equity or credit hedge funds, real estate funds, and private company funds. There will usually be 3-10-year lockup periods. The least liquid of the private investments is when you invest directly into a private company.

Access to private investments are restricted to accredited investors, which is why the Feasibility Score is only a 4. But the Activity Score is a 10, because you can’t do anything even if you wanted to. You’re investing for the long term. The Risk and Return score greatly depends on your investing acumen and access.

Gaining $10,000 a year in private equity investing is difficult to quantify unless you are investing in a real estate or fixed income fund. Such funds generally target 8-15% annual returns, which equates to a need for $83,000 – $125,000 in capital.

Risk: 4. Return: 7. Feasibility: 4. Liquidity: 2. Activity: 10. Total Score 27

7) Real Estate Crowdsourcing

Currently, my favorite passive income source is real estate crowdfunding, which allows individuals to buy a piece of a commercial real estate project that was once only available to ultra high net worth individuals or institutional investors.

Owning individual physical real estate is great, but it’s like going all-in on one asset in a particular location with leverage. If the market goes down, your concentrated investment could lose big time if you are forced to sell like many did during the last financial crisis.

Real estate crowdsourcing allows you to surgically invest as little as $500 into a residential or commercial real estate project for potentially 7 – 13% annual returns based off historical data. Such returns are much better than the average private equity, CD, bond market, P2P lending, and dividend investing returns.

Unlike P2P lending, with real estate crowdfunding, you at least have a physical asset as collateral.

For those of you who don’t want to come up with a $300,000 downpayment and a $1,200,000 mortgage to buy the median home in an expensive coastal city like SF or NYC, who don’t want to deal with tenants or remodeling, and who wants to sit back after an investment is made, check out Fundrise, my favorite real estate crowdsourcing company founded in 2012.

In mid-2017, I sold my San Francisco rental property for 30X annual gross rent and reinvested $500,000 of the proceeds in real estate crowdfunding to take advantage of lower valuations across the country with much higher net rental yields.

Coastal city real estate has become too expensive, and I expect people and capital to naturally flow towards lower cost areas of the country.

Risk: 7, Return: 8, Feasibility: 10, Liquidity: 7, Activity: 10. Total Score: 42

8) Creating Your Own Products

Finally, if you’re a creative person, you might be able to produce a product that’s able to generate a steady flow of passive income for years to come. At the extreme, Michael Jackson, makes more dead than alive due to the royalties his estate makes from all the songs he produced in his career. Since Michael’s death, his estate has made over $2.1 billion according to Forbes.

Of course it’s unlikely any one of us will replicate the genius of Michael Jackson, but you could produce your own eBook, e-course, award-winning photo, or song to create your own slice of passive income.

In 2012, I wrote a 180-page eBook about severance package negotiations that regularly sells about ~50 copies a month at $87 each without much ongoing maintenance. The book has since been revised and updated for 2019 to teach people how to negotiate a severance to give themselves a financial runway for their next chapter in life.

In order to generate $51,000 a year in passive income from the book as I do now, I would need to invest $1,275,000 in an asset that generates a 4% yield. To earn $10,000 a year in passive income would therefore need roughly $250,000 in capital.

Who would have thought a book about engineering your layoff could regularly generate so much revenue? We’re so busy with our jobs that our childhood creativity sadly vanishes over time.

Informational Source

[josephlrushing]

2019 Holiday Gift Guide: There’s Something for Everyone and for Every Budget!

2019 is quickly zipping by, and you know what that means — the holiday season is now upon us! If you’re now faced with trying to figure out what to get for the people on your gift-giving list, take a look at these items we’ve rounded up; we have something for everyone and for every budget!

Activ5

The Activ5 is a $129.90 (and up) portable isometric fitness device that allows you to get in a workout regardless of where you are. Paired with a smartphone and the companion training app, you can reach your personal fitness goals in as little as five minutes per session in your home, office, or even sitting in an airplane (I’ve tried it!). This would be a perfect gift for anyone who is interested in fitness but has a hard time making time for it, and it’s great for those New Years’ resolutions to start off 2020.

Google Nest Hub Max

If you’ve been looking for a great ecosystem for your home that works with an unlimited amount of third party accessories, Google’s Nest products are a fantastic start, but most specifically the $229 Google Nest Hub Max. Great for the nightstand or even your kitchen, its built-in Nest cam can recognize your face to give you personalized messages, including how long it will take you to get to work, the weather for the day, and more. And if you are one to cook in the kitchen, you can follow Youtube recipes, or just play Spotify to set the right mood.

Ninja Foodi Grill

A do-all kitchen device that’s shown its value just in a few months, the $199.99 Ninja Foodi Grill is a perfect gift for someone who has everything else. Even if they have an Air Fryer, or a Sous Vide, the Ninja Foodi Grill is a 5-in-1 device that looks incredible on your countertop all while making your food be the highlight. The Food Grill is virtually smokeless, allowing you to Grill, air crisp, bake, roast or dehydrate your foods with ease. If you or someone you know is an apartment dweller but wants that char-grilled taste to their meats, or simply want to eat a bit healthier, the Ninja Foodi Grill is the device to have in your checkout bin.

Helm Audio True Wireless 5.0 Headphones

Named the most awarded headphone brand at CTA, the Helm Audio True Wireless 5.0 are the only headphones on the market that not only feature Qualcomm APTX with AAC low latency audio, but feature noise isolation, deep bass, Bluetooth 5.0, and a secure fit that doesn’t hurt after wearing for hours (averaging 9 hours on a single charge). Did I mention that at $89.99, they are significantly cheaper than any of their competitors including Jabra and AirPods?

Gourmia GCM7000 Coffee Maker

Whether you like to use Nespresso pods, Starbucks Verismo pods, or even your own freshly ground espresso beans, the $129.99 Gourmia E-Z Espresso Machine can handle it! The E-Z Espresso has four adapters so that one machine can do it all with two cup sizes. Brighten someone’s mornings and afternoons with a properly made cup of joe!

  Philips 3200 LatteGo Super Automatic Espresso Machine

For the espresso connoisseur in your life, the Philips 3200 LatteGo may be the way to their heart.  At $799, it’s not an inexpensive gift, but it makes a damn fine espresso as well as many other espresso drinks, including lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos all with the push of a button.  Our full review is coming soon, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t recommend it for the holiday gift giving season.

Soul Ultra Wireless

An affordable over-ear pair of headphones, the Ultra Wireless by SOUL Electronics are headphones whose sound and price will knock your socks off. At only $69, the Ultra wireless headphones boast 36 hours of playtime on a single charge, dynamic sound, and Bluetooth 5.0 for superb connectivity to your devices. These would be the perfect gift for a student in your family to have waiting under the tree!

Saxx Underwear 

Perfect for the man of the house, or even the active teen in your home, Saxx Underwear has been voted the World’s best underwear and for good reason. Saxx Underwear feature a “Ballpark pouch” to separate the “meat from the potatoes,” they feel incredible, they don’t chafe, and they won’t rise up inexplicably. You can pick up singles for as low as $25 a pair, or get a multi-pack for as low as $40.

Cleer Ally

Nowadays the standard for truly wireless listening is about 4.5 hours on a single charge. But what if I told you that there’s a pair of headphones that could get you through an entire workday without needing to be charged? That’s the $149.99 Cleer Ally. With ten hours on a single charge and touch-controls, the Ally are designed for every situation. Since they’re also IPX5 water and sweat proof, you can rock them in the gym; they won’t fall out thanks to the Freebit ear wings that give a secure fit so they don’t fly out when you shake your head.

Huawei Watch GT 2

Last year I reviewed the Huawei WatchGT, and I really enjoyed the experience. The $299.99 Huawei Watch GT 2 is the successor to that watch, and I’ve been wearing one for the past month — my review is coming soon. The Watch GT 2 builds upon the features I liked (like the 2 weeks of battery life), and it adds storage capacity for up to 500 MP3 songs to listen to during workouts, Bluetooth connectivity for calls at up to 150 meters, sleep tracking and analysis, and movement tracking with analysis. The watch looks great, and it’s a good fitness tracker with extra tricks.

Cleer Enduro 100

There are a lot of over-ear headphones on the market, but how many of them can boast over 100 hours of use on a single charge? Only one, and that’s the Cleer Enduro. Great for any audiophile, at only $179.99 the Enduro comes with Google Fast Pair, and the ability to be charged quickly with Fast Charge is also a highlight; ten minutes of charging will give you up to 13 hours of listening. Cleer Enduro’s lightweight design make these headphones great for listening in the office, or on the go. Definitely consider these for that family member who wants to tune out the world but often forgets to charge their cans.

Corkcicle

This is the Poketo colorway.

Corkcicle’s long been one of my favorite ways to carry my hot and cold beverages every day. With the ability to keep items hot for six hours or cold for up to 12, the triple-insulated canteen or tumbler comes with over 25 different designs to fit you or a family member’s style; they are completely dishwasher safe and are modestly priced starting at $23.95. Personal suggestion: The Unicorn Magic colorway looks great, but if you’re feeling a bit artsy, grab yourself the Basquiat.

FIFA 20

With plenty of days off around the holidays, get your football fan the 27th installment of FIFA for virtually all platforms including PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. With lifelike gameplay, at $59.95, FIFA 20 raises the bar by offering the new VOLTA FOOTBALL mode, that allows you to customize your player and gear to express their own personal style.

Hex 4-in-1 iPhone 11 Pro Max case

Yes, you can have it all! If you want an iPhone 11 case that can operate as a protective case, a folio, and as a wallet, you’re going to love the $99.95 Hex 4-in-1 iPhone 11 Pro Max case. It has 4-in-1 Functionality; you can use it as a Hybrid Case (Hybrid Case alone), a Wallet Case (Hybrid Case + Card Wallet), a Folio (Hybrid Case + Folio), and a Wallet Folio (Hybrid Case + Folio + Card Wallet). The Hybrid case even works with most magnetic car mounts and stands. The Card Wallet has 3 card slots with RFID blocking for fraud protection, and the offset magnet design allows for wireless charging when using the Hybrid Case. Perfect!

Madden 20

Even though we are more than halfway through the NFL season, there’s going to be plenty of opportunities to play the $59.95 Madden 20 over the Christmas Break when your favorite team isn’t playing. You can become the Face of the Franchise and control their NFL superstar’s journey starting in the College Football Playoff, competing against or with friends online or side by side. Players can take the league by storm, leading their team from pre-season to the Super Bowl at the center of every play. The brand-new X-Factor features let players feel the power of NFL Superstars, unleashing unique abilities that make stars feel like stars.

Traeger Pro Series 575 Pellet Grill

The $799.95 Traeger Pro Series 575 Pellet Grill combines a high-quality smoker with state of the art technology to create an amazing product. WiFi with WiFIRE technology will connect your grill to the internet allowing temps to be monitored and changed from a device anywhere in the world. The new D2 Direct Drive includes a direct drive variable speed fan and auger to compliment the Pro D2 Controller to provide consistency and precision which are integral in making great food. 575 sq. in. of cooking space should provide plenty of area to cook for the family or small party. Dad wants this.

NHL 20

Available for PS4 and Xbox One, NHL 20 introduces cutting-edge gameplay, revealing the next major innovation in RPM Tech-powered gameplay with Signature Shots. NHL stars now look and feel truly authentic with the trademark shooting-styles. New gameplay modes, including the battle royale-inspired Eliminator Mode, provide more ways for players to become kings of the ice. The $59.95 game is now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Metomics

Metomics designer building blocks are made from precision-cut anodized aluminum; they connect together to form creations that are only limited by the number of building blocks you have and your imagination. Metomics blocks are colorful, fun to build with, and they articulate so that you can pose your creations. There are multiple sets and colors available — this $69.99 kit is for the gold T-Rex 3-in-1; the same kit will also build a Mecha (robot-looking dude) and a sparrow. T-Rex plans are included in the reusable box; you can scan the in-pack QR code to access digital instructions for the Mecha and Sparrow. Also, if you buy before December 2, you can take advantage of their Black Friday deals:

• Get 20% off everything with code BLACKFR19• Free shipping on all orders over £65 / US$85 (automatically applied after other discounts)

The Sims 4: Realm of Magic

Something magical is brewing this holiday season in The Sims 4: Realm of Magic game pack ($19.95). Sims fanatics can step into the spellbinding world of Glimmberbrook and experience the magic this supernatural pack has to offer: master the art of wizardry by learning to cast spells, summon a familiar for protection, collect and cast spells, or create various potions on platforms such as Origin for PC and Mac, and consoles like the PS4, and Xbox One.

Ooler Sleep System

Using the latest hydro-powered technology, Chili’s OOLER Sleep system ($699) is one of the best holiday gifts for couples. The mattress topper allows you and your spouse to adjust their own side of the bed to their desired temperature. So if you sleep hot, but your wife wants her side of the bed to feel like a freezer, the Ooler Sleep system can do this with a simple tap of the control unit or through the companion Ooler app.

Braven Flye Sport Rush

A truly wireless spin on their popular Flye cordless headphones, the $79.99 Braven Flye Sport Rush not only do away with the cable but boast a total of ten hours of playback time with two additional charges in the case, totaling 36 hours. Available in Black, White, or Blue, these are great wireless headphones.

Braven BRV-X/2

If you know someone in need of a Bluetooth Speaker, Braven’s BRV series is a GREAT purchase for yourself, or a gift for someone else. The $99.99 Braven BRV-X/2 is one of the few speakers on the market that floats in water thanks to its IPX7 waterproof rating. Perfect for sitting poolside or a winter tailgate, you can even pair it with another BRV-X/2 speaker for room rocking sounds for up to 18 hours.

Soundboks

  If you’re looking for a larger speaker that is fitting for any Christmas Party this year, it has to be the all-new Soundboks. At $999, it’s not the cheapest speaker on the market, but you certainly can say its the loudest. The only PERFORMANCE portable speaker on the market, the Soundboks will blow you and your party guests away. With a swappable battery, you can keep the party going even when the juice is almost gone. Soundboks is also extremely durable, with its steel honeycomb grill, ball corners, and IP65 coating, it will easily fit in your car or trunk for easily transporting to a friend’s house for a house party.

V-Moda CrossFade M-100 Master – $249.99

V-Moda has long been known as “the high-fidelity headphone brand with a dynamic soundstage”, and there’s no better way to showcase that than with the $249.99 V-Moda CrossFade M-100 Masters. Co-engineered by Roland, the V-Moda CrossFade M-100s were created via crowdsourcing and fine-tuned by audiophiles, producers and DJ’s alike and the result is headphones that feature natural and active noise isolation, guaranteed fatigue-free listening for hours, a multitude of cables for virtually every occasion including a boom microphone which is great for phone calls and podcasters alike. It’s also worth noting that the V-Moda M-100s can be personalized with your name or logo so you can fully “Endorse” you or your brand. Now, if only your job gave these away as Christmas gifts!

Nomad Slim Wallet

Dad might tell you he doesn’t need a new wallet, but don’t believe him. The $59.95 Nomad Slim Wallet is a gift that eliminates a problem most men have — a bulging wallet that carries way too many cards. With the ability to hold four cards as well as space for cash, the slim wallet also comes complete with a quick access pocket for your ID or most important card. But what’s worth mentioning is that the wallet has a pocket that’s hidden and dedicated for a Tile Bluetooth tracker; perfect for that special someone who always misplaces their wallet in their jeans, they can easily find it using the Tile app on their phone.

Zippo HeatBank 9s

With a run time of nine hours and six heat settings, you can get warmth from both sides of the $49.95 Zippo HeatBank 9s hand warmers. Not only that, there’s a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and it can charge any USB device, truly a double threat.

Zippo Fight Fire With Fire

A new windproof lighter, Zippo joins forces with WOODCHUCK USA creating 10 unique designs including a brushed chrome lighter with real wood cedar emblems. Not only will you get a great lighter, but you will contribute to the restoration and protection of forests around the world by just purchasing one. The Zippo Fight Fire with Fire Collection ranges between $45.95-$62.95.

Anker Wakey

A fantastic alarm clock for anyone in the family, the $99.99 Anker Wakey not only comes complete with a wireless charger on top for any Qi-enabled device but has additional ports for your Apple Watch or any external device. It’s also one of the few Alarm clocks I’ve seen that has a built-in FM Radio.

CLEER Halo

A wearable neck speaker, the $149.99 Cleer HALO is great for someone who is always on the phone around the house, or that teenager who tends to lose their AirPods. With a great soundstage, the Halo is great for gaming; they pair easily to that new Nintendo Switch and with 12-hour battery life, it’s designed to give you all of the immersive sound a normal pair of headphones would give you without blocking your ears.

  Logitech MX Master 3

Logitech’s latest flagship in the MX Master series offers instant precision thanks to its new MagSpeed scroll wheel that can scroll through 1000 lines in less than a second. Great for a student, or even in your study, the $99.99 MX Master 3 is the most advanced mouse yet.

Blue Yeti X

Perfect for any beginning Podcaster or Gamer, the $169.99 Blue Yeti X is a USB microphone allows you to stream all of the things. With a new four-capsule condenser, you can get broadcast sound with a crystal-clear focus with each of the four pickup patterns. You can “switch between cardioid for recording and streaming, omni for conference calls, bi-directional for podcast interviews and stereo for immersive experiences like ASMR recordings,” with Blue’s latest microphone.

Jaybird Tarah

With six hours of battery life on a single charge, the $99.99 Jaybird Tarah is a great gift for the active person in your life. Designed for fitness, the Tarah is fully waterproof and comes complete with one-touch access to Siri or Google Assistant, allowing you to manage calls in the middle of any activity.

Jaybird Vista

A truly wireless headphone, the $179.99 Jaybird Vista cuts the cord completely, allowing 16 hours of battery life in-ear, with two additional charges from the case. If you’re running late to the gym, the Vista will give you an hour of playtime with a quick five-minute charge making these sweat and waterproof headphones a MUST-have in any gym bag.

Ultimate Ears myBoom 3

Probably one of my personal favorite Bluetooth speakers, the $179.99 Ultimate Ears myBOOM 3 can be personalized with a range of cool fabrics and patterns so you can truly make the speaker your own. The myBOOM 3 is made to order, and if you order now, the order should ship right in time for Christmas.

Jackery Explorer 500

A Do-All portable power station, the $499.99 Jackery 500 can charge ALL of the things. It will be a great emergency device for the car or as a home backup power source; the 518Wh lithium power station features three USB ports, an AC outlet, and a 12V car output, which makes this an item great for ANY circumstance. In bad weather, the last thing you’d want is for the power to go out and for your loved one to be unable to stay connected; the Jackery Explorer 500 will give your loved one (and you) peace of mind.

Crossrope

If you have aspirations of getting back in shape with the new decade approaching, the $88 Crossrope might be a great way of getting things done. Possibly the quickest way to burn calories, it’s said jump roping for 15 minutes with a weighted rope can burn up to 300 calories for you, and with Crossrope’s weighted ropes, you can easily get yourself in tip-top shape with their “Get Lean” starter set.

Nokia Beacon

There’s nothing worse in a home than spotty WiFi, and the $99.99 Nokia Beacon wants to be the solution for you and your family this holiday season. A whole-home mesh router, it works in tandem with your existing router, or separately if you opt to save a few bucks. Combined with the Nokia WiFi app, you’ll get intelligent WiFi coverage for your entire home that you can monitor anywhere, as well as send the WiFi code to your Christmas guest that you plan on hosting.

TCL 6-Series 4K TV

Photo courtesy of TCL

To go with that new Disney+ subscription, don’t you think you need a nice new ultra high definition TV? The TCL 6-series 4K TVs start at $529.99 giving you a lot of bang for your buck thanks to its great picture and its incredibly easy to use smart TV features with Roku built-in.  You can quickly and easily get that Disney+ app on your TCL and start streaming.

Vizio M-Series Quantum TVs

Speaking of great 4K TVs, here’s one that we plan to review in 2020.  The Vizio M-Series Quantum offers up 80% more color than standard 4K TVs while featuring brighter LEDs, 90 local dimming zones, and deeeeep blacks.  They also feature a 120Hz refresh rate so you can play video games to your heart’s content without the picture blurring. Prices for the Vizio M-Series Quantum TVs start at $349.99.

Vizio 36″ 5.1.2 Home Theater Sound System with Dolby Atmos

If you’re gaming, you’ll want immersive, surround sound audio to help you stop someone from creeping up on you.  Vizio is here to help with their 36″ 5.1.2 Home Theater Sound System with Dolby Atmos; it retails for $499.99.  This new soundbar provides immersive new dimensions of surround sound for cinema-inspired sound from every angle so you don’t miss a thing.

Crate Club Subscription

Crate Club is the perfect gift for the outdoors person in your life, featuring curated gift boxes chock full of tactical, survival, and outdoor adventure gear.  The boxes come in three levels, including Lieutenant, Captain, and General.  Lieutenant crates come with smaller gifts for the home or auto for $49.99.  Captain crates come with great gear for outdoor adventures, including hiking and camping for $99.99.  General crates are the holy grail of subscription boxes, coming with really cool and practical custom gear like lightweight bulletproof bag inserts, travel bags with hidden pockets, tools, and much more for $399.99 per delivery.

PureCo Socks

There is NOTHING like a good pair of socks, and PureCo does good … GREAT. Regardless of whether you’re playing sports or just need a bit of warmth while in the house on a wintery day, PureCo’s socks are available in multiple styles both long or short. All of their socks are created to prevent sprains thanks to their multisport halves, with grip zones that are great for athletes or anyone who wants a bit more comfort; they start at €30.00.

APL Shoes

A great shoe option for women, men or children — Athletic Propulsion Labs has created a variety of comfortable, affordable footwear that’s sustainable build quality and stylish aesthetic. I personally suggest the $250 TechLoom Breeze.

from Joseph Rushing https://geardiary.com/2019/11/27/2019-holiday-gift-guide/

[prideguynews]

Close

In 1998, Matthew Shepard was discovered brutally crushed on the edge of Laramie, Wyoming. Now, twenty many years later, we check out the long lasting marks his murder still left. Erin Udell, erinudell@coloradoan.com

Matthew Shepard in an undated photo(Photo: The Matthew Shepard Basis)

Twenty many years ago, Matthew Shepard was kidnapped by two adult males, crushed, robbed and tied to a picket buck fence on the edge of Laramie, Wyoming. 

The openly homosexual college student was discovered 18 hours later and taken to an area healthcare facility. The blows to his skull experienced fatally damaged his brain stem, and five times later, on Oct. 12, 1998, he died.

Intercontinental media coverage following the 21-12 months-old’s death assisted spark a nationwide thrust for homosexual rights and spurred writer Moisés Kaufman and the New York-primarily based Tectonic Theater Project to journey to Laramie. There, they collected material employing court docket and media sources and interviews with more than 60 people of the city. 

That function resulted in “The Laramie Challenge,” a engage in about the reaction to Shepard’s grisly death. It premiered in Denver, Colorado, in 2000 and has given that been created and toured close to the entire world. In 2002, it was designed into a movie. 

Louisville audiences will have a prospect to see “The Laramie Challenge” beginning Thursday at Commonwealth Theatre Center, where 11 younger actors among the ages of 14 and 18 from the center’s Walden Theatre Conservatory will accomplish the roles of the sixty four people in Kaufman’s engage in.

Linked:2018 is worst for deadly assaults from transgender Americans

‘Still dealing with hiding’ and fear

While the nation has designed development on LGBTQ rights, director Mitchell Martin stated twenty many years soon after Shepard’s death, also much loathe is still aimed at the LGBTQ neighborhood.

That pervasive loathe and fear the LGBTQ neighborhood still faces is portion of the cause Martin wanted to accomplish “The Laramie Challenge” in Louisville.

“We’re still dealing with hiding and not seeking to arrive out,” Martin stated. “You can get out the phrase ‘Laramie’ and set in any city in The usa.”

It took more than a decade soon after Shepard’s death for the federal authorities to go a loathe crimes regulation guarding people today from assaults primarily based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

5 states still absence prison loathe criminal offense legal guidelines. One more 14 states are unsuccessful to address sexual orientation in their loathe criminal offense legal guidelines. And in at minimum 27 states, like Kentucky, you can still be legally fired from your position for becoming homosexual, according to The Coloradoan.

This is the very first time Commonwealth Theatre Center has set on “The Laramie Challenge,” and Martin stated the output is in the “epic theater” realm, which means the concentration is not on realism but somewhat earning the audience replicate on troubles brought up in the engage in.

“You may view the actors change garments on stage,” Martin stated. “You’re continually reminded you are watching a engage in, and one particular of the good reasons is you recall why you are watching a engage in.”

See also: Even in ‘good’ states, LGBT advocates say there is function to be done

The engage in handles homosexual rights, as well as gender roles and masculinity. The forged users stated people matters are still suitable to them nowadays. 

Young actors from Walden Theatre Conservatory in Louisville make up the forged of The Laramie Challenge, which operates Oct. 11 – Oct. twenty at Commonwealth Theatre Center in Louisville. (Photo: Mitchell Martin / Commonwealth Theatre Center)

“If (Shepard’s death) experienced took place and just sort of gotten shed in background, there never would have been this play,” stated Samantha Bliss, 17, who performs six people in the output. “I hope observing this sparks a fireplace in the audience and makes them function to result in change.”

William Ngong, 15, stated rehearsing for “The Laramie Challenge” has been “a refreshing encounter” that has designed him believe more about troubles surrounding hatred.

“This tale needs to be spread,” stated Ngong, who performs 10 people in the output. “I have felt myself getting unhappy and indignant about factors that are occurring in the demonstrate. It’s sort of gotten me away from the concept that ‘boys don’t cry.'”

Louisville usually takes on loathe

This January will mark twenty many years given that Louisville became the very first Kentucky city and one particular of the very first Southern cities to ban discrimination primarily based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Louisville also passed a loathe crimes regulation that bundled sexual orientation in 1990, eight many years before Shepard’s death.

“So much has adjusted in the two a long time given that we shed (Shepard), but the struggle is still so unbelievably actual,” stated Chris Hartman, govt director of the Fairness Campaign, a Louisville-primarily based LGBTQ advocacy organization. “We’re observing a increase in the tenor of the country that it’s Okay to discriminate and harass people today that are distinct.”

Study this: How the Kavanaugh vote may possibly send out sexual assault victims ‘back into the shadows’

Going ahead, Hartman said Kentucky really should expand its loathe crimes regulation to include protections from assaults primarily based on gender identity.

Violence from the LGBTQ neighborhood, primarily transgender people today, is still a problem in Louisville and Kentucky, Hartman stated, pointing to the 2015 death of Papi Edwards, a transgender woman who was shot exterior the Fern Valley Lodge.

“The shooter only obtained 7 many years in prison,” Hartman stated. “We know so several more victims of trans violence are murdered, but we don’t know the legitimate scope of it.”

Fight for LGBTQ rights carries on

Throughout the output of “The Laramie Challenge,” Martin also worked with younger people today to devise an authentic engage in that presents a up to date get on troubles confronted by LGBTQIA+ youth nowadays. (The IA+ stands for intersex, asexual, allies and all other sexes, sexualities and genders not bundled in the handful of letters.) 

The participants from Louisville Youth Team, which serves “LGBTQIA+ youth in Kentuckiana,” interview each other about their experiences in Louisville and then convey to the stories of their peers.

A staged looking through of the engage in will be held at five p.m. Oct. 20 before the very last performance of “The Laramie Challenge” at CTC.

Extra: Taliban. Dying. Poverty. Louisville pupils increase from tragedy in new e book

Concerning “The Laramie Challenge,” Hartman referred to as it “one particular of the seminal items of theater” for the LGBTQ neighborhood.

“I hope that as ‘The Laramie Project’ continues to be created, people today don’t see it as a background piece but as the continued battle in the thrust for LGBTQ rights,” Hartman stated. “I hope the people today who see the engage in are impressed to carry on in the battle that Shepard pursued in his quick but fantastic life.”

How to see ‘The Laramie Project’ in Louisville 

“The Laramie Challenge” will be done Oct. 11-twenty at Commonwealth Theatre Center, 1123 Payne St., in Louisville. Night performances will be held at 7:thirty p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Matinees are at two p.m. Saturdays.

Tickets for evening reveals are $15 for older people and $10 for pupils/seniors. Matinee tickets are $10 for older people and $eight for pupils/seniors.

Facts and tickets are accessible at CommonwealthTheatre.org/tickets or 502-589-0084.

Extra about the Commonwealth Theatre Center

Commonwealth Theatre Center serves 50,000 youth from 63 zip codes and more than three hundred educational institutions and neighborhood facilities during the Kentuckiana region. Commonwealth Theatre Center also serves 5,000 older people and has a mission to present excellence in comprehensive theater education and functionality.

The heart is residence to the Walden Theatre Conservatory, one particular of the foremost plans for youth theater arts in the U.S., and Blue Apple Outreach, which provides ground breaking theater education to educational institutions & neighborhood companions region-huge. 

Billy Kobin: bkobin@courierjournal.com 502-582-7030.

Max Jablow performs Rulon Stacy in The Laramie Challenge, a engage in primarily based on the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, an openly homosexual university college student in Laramie, Wyoming. The Laramie Challenge starts off Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, at Commonwealth Theatre Center in Louisville. (Photo: Mitchell Martin / Commonwealth Theatre Center)

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Cinepocalypse 2018 Preview

Dark days in the real world often call for an escape into even darker worlds in cinema. As many people are continuously startled by the world around them, from the terrifying increase in school shootings to the atrocities currently happening on the U.S. border, it makes sense that the horror genre feels more vibrant and alive than ever. Two of the most critically acclaimed films of the year—“Hereditary” and “A Quiet Place”—are undeniably horror films, no matter how many people want to claim they’re not, while other genre indies like “The Endless” have also garnered attention. This is all to say that this feels like the perfect time for a horror film festival like Cinepocalypse.

Starting at the Music Box Theatre this Thursday, June 21st, Cinepocalypse employs something of a shock and awe approach to the genre, offering fans an overwhelming amount of content for a relatively-short festival. There are world premieres, retro events, special guests, and horror hits from other festivals. It’s an ambitious slate of (mostly) indie offerings from around the world, most of which have little in common other than the horror brand. As someone who has seen a great deal of this year’s offerings, it’s the range of the programming that’s impressive. There are slasher pics, brutal dramas, relationship nightmares, sci-fi experiments, and even a movie about Nazi puppets. There’s something for everyone. Here are a few highlights, chronologically.

“The Domestics” (June 21st, 7:30pm)

Mike P. Nelson’s brutal vision of a world gone mad feels just right for the first note conducted by Cinepocalypse in 2018. Owing an undeniable debt to “The Purge” and “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Domestics” actually reminded me more of post-apocalyptic video games like “Fallout,” imagined futures in which the world is overrun with enemies and formerly safe havens are deadly. Nelson’s vision doesn’t take place in the traditional landscapes of post-apocalyptic horror, which often crib from George Miller or Ridley Scott, working with, well, domesticity as its background. It's more about average American neighborhoods and Midwestern landscapes that have become suddenly, unexpectedly violent. In other words, it's kinda perfect for 2018.

In a future dominated by rival gangs with names like The Gamblers and The Sheets, we meet a couple (Tyler Hoechlin & Kate Bosworth) on the edge of sanity. They had been communicating with loved ones via ham radio but the signal has gone dead and they have decided to now take a road trip through Wisconsin to Milwaukee to see what’s going on. The journey takes them through territories dominated by violent men, many of whom now see people as property. There’s an interesting social commentary simmering beneath “The Domestics” that feels timely (if too underdeveloped), but it’s mostly just a brutal cinematic punch to the face, anchored by genuine performances from Hoechlin, Bosworth, Lance Reddick, Sonoya Mizuno, and more. It’s rough around the edges in certain places, but it undeniably sets the tone for an event like Cinepocalypse. (Get your tickets here.)

“The Ranger” (June 22nd, 2:30pm & June 26th, 9:15pm)

Fresh off its SXSW premiere, comes this throwback from writer/director Jenn Wexler, another film that feels a bit first-draft in places but that struck a nostalgic beat for this viewer. If you’re like me and grew up watching the cheesy slasher pics of the ‘80s, you may feel similarly about this twist on the “cabin in the woods” genre. Instead of teenagers away at camp, “The Ranger” features punk rock kids running from society to a remote locale. And instead of an escaped mental patient, the killer here is an unhinged park ranger, the antithesis of the punk ethos. Some of “The Ranger” feels undercooked, but I have to admit to enjoying seeing a subgenre that doesn’t really exist like it used to and that once dominated the world of horror. Given how much of Cinepocalypse is designed to tap that nostalgic vein, those who fondly remember the slasher subgenre, should probably check this one out. (Get your tickets here.)

“What Keeps You Alive” (June 22nd, 11:59pm)

The talented Colin Minihan (“It Stains the Sand Red”) brings his latest to the Music Box for its Midwest Premiere and it should produce gasps in the Friday night midnight spot for those willing to stay up late. Performances aren’t often the hook to bring in viewers at horror festivals but Hannah Emily Anderson and Brittany Allen are great in this SXSW hit as a couple named Jackie and Jules, who go on a trip to one of their childhood haunts on their one-year anniversary to a remote cabin Jackie went to as a child. From the beginning, something feels off as Jackie seems distant and different. It’s that common point in a relationship when one person reveals something new about themselves through the lens of their past. And what Jackie reveals is shocking. I almost wish I could go down to the MB for when Minihan pulls the rug out from viewers on what they think they’re watching just to hear the gasps. You should be there. (Get your tickets here.)

“Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich” (June 23rd, 11:59pm)

Most people willing to read an article previewing horror films at something called Cinepocalypse probably have seen a “Puppet Master” movie or two (or ten). Starting in 1989, the “Puppet Master” series became a staple in the straight-to-VHS (then DVD) horror market, releasing so many (maybe intentionally) awful sequels to the movie about killer puppets. Well, the era in which nostalgia is king has finally gotten around to those maniacal puppets with a full reboot written by S. Craig Zahler of “Brawl in Cell Block 99” and “Bone Tomahawk” fame, and starring Thomas Lennon, Michael Pare, Barbara Crampton, and Udo Kier. Yes, it’s a cheesy, gorey, insane, ludicrous movie about killer puppets who were trained by the Nazis to eliminate enemies of the Third Reich first, and so that’s what they do at a remote hotel. (The hate crimes aspect of "The Littlest Reich" feels purposefully provocative in a way that horror rarely is nowadays and used to be so often in the '70s.) Lennon is surprisingly flat, playing it a bit too straight, but there’s more than enough to like here for people wondering if this may resemble the brutal insanity of the final act of “Bone Tomahawk” but with puppets as the bad guys. Spoiler: It does. (Get your tickets here.)

“Empathy, Inc.” (June 24th, 5pm)

There are a few films at Cinepocalypse this year that feel inspired more by “Black Mirror” than traditional horror and the best of those that I’ve seen is Yedidya Gorsetman’s “Empathy, Inc.” Zack Robidas plays a venture capitalist who watches his whole world fall apart when a deal goes bad. Forced to move up with his in-laws, he desperately grabs at a lifeline when an old friend (Eric Berryman) comes to him with a new project in the always-hot world of Virtual Reality. The tech is called XVR (Xtreme Virtual Reality) and is the product of a company called Empathy, Inc., which allows users to literally step into the shoes of someone who has less than them. Privileged, well-off people are always talking about the perspective gained by those are further down the social ladder, but what would they do if they could literally live the lives of the less fortunate? The concept of “Empathy, Inc.” is brilliant, and Gorsetman has a strong sense of storytelling, even if the film does kind of write itself into a corner or two in the increasingly crazy final act. Still, it’s the kind of unexpected World Premiere that genre fans hope to find at a fest like Cinepocalypse. (Get your tickets here.)

Retro Titles w/Special Guests!

Threaded through the week-long run of Cinepocalypse, you’ll find a handful of really fun retro titles, selections that reveal the quirky personality that drives this festival. You’ve seen acknowledged classics at the Music Box before at one of their many festivals, but have you seen “Howard the Duck” in 70MM? Have you seen “Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight” on the big screen? What about “Judgment Night”? And the biggest guests of Cinepocalypse 2018 have to be the great Ernest Dickerson, traveling to Chicago to present "Juice" with a Q&A, and the incredible Lana Wachowski, who will discuss the phenomenal "Bound" with Cinepocalypse fans. (Get your tickets here.)

from All Content https://ift.tt/2ytPYBG

[thejpfdude-blog]

The Upcoming Winter 2018 Shows I’ll Be Watching

HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody! What better time than now to talk about the new season’s shows in the annual pre-seasonal post where I describe the shows I’ll be watching/giving a chance from the coming Winter 2018 season! Always a fun time, and fun to look back at and see how wrong/right I was about a show.

A reminder of the usual thing I say in these posts:

I might watch some other shows that are good or drop some shows if they aren’t good, but that’s for the future.

Like always, I’m organizing these shows into three categories: Full Chance are shows I’m giving the whole season towards, Short Leash are shows I’m giving three or so episodes towards, and One Shot are shows I’m giving one episode towards. As we progress towards categories, expect less words for each anime as I lose interest in writing. Also a reminder that MAL links to the shows are on the titles for those interested.

Some words about next season: I know everybody is hyping up Spring 2018 to be THE season for anime (just look at that lineup), but I think the Winter 2018 season has some potential gems. With each passing season I’m getting more and more picky with the shows I keep, let alone give a chance. Even with that, there are 20 anime below, and that doesn’t even include a few I’m sort of interested in but decided to not watch because I already have a lot on my plate. Plus the fact that I’m pretty dang excited for a few of these shows, which might end up backfiring on me in the end because Sturgeon’s Law. Oh well, that’s life.

All right, let’s get this show on the road, starting with...

Full Chance Shows

Dagashi Kashi 2: I legit can’t believe this got a second season. The first season of this show was way back 2 years ago during the first season I started watching seasonal shows, and even then I knew this show wasn’t really that special. Basically the problem with the show was that it was a candy infomercial at its core: the characters and their stories/development were overshadowed by “lol look it’s candy”. The only great thing the show had going for it was the character design, which got nullified for this season since a whole different studio is handling it (Tezuka Productions instead of feel).

But there’s good reason to hope that this installment of the show will be better than the first season. The biggest reason for that is that this time around, Dagashi Kashi is a short anime. Not one of those 3-minute blazers, but a 15-minute half-length short. After hearing that, I had some hope for this show: the first season at times felt like it dragged on with its skits. Hopefully cutting the length will help immensely with that. Plus, there’s a new character which might potentially add more spice to the mix. So you never know, this second season might be pretty good. Or it could be bad. Either way, I have no expectations given how the first season went.

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san: A bit of (unrelated) backstory: I know this only because the anime club I’m in had the manga as one of the readings for the manga social. Otherwise known as Skilled Teaser Takagi-san, the show is basically about a middle schooler named Nishikata who gets teased by Takagi, a girl who sits next to him in class. In revenge Nishikata tries to tease Takagi himself, but it always ends up backfiring, resulting in Nishikata being teased yet again. From the little snippets I’ve seen/heard about, the show should mostly be comedic with the cute moments and max smug. I’ve seen complaints that it’s very repetitive and that there is no romantic progression, but the second point seems kinda null when you realize there’s a spinoff of the original manga, which is about something I won’t mention explicitly here (go look it up if you’re curious). With that in mind, I’m not expecting too much, just some occasional cute and funny moments that may or may not be repetitive.

Mitsuboshi Colors: Uhh... yeah. Now before you call me a lolicon, let me tell you what this show is about. Basically just three kids living their daily lives exploring the town and all that.

...Wow that doesn’t make it better does it. Well, whatever. The show’s looks to be a relaxing slice-of-life, and that’s something I’m about (as long as it has something else to it like comedy). Fun fact: the manga shares the same author as Hitoribocchi no ○○ Seikatsu, a manga I’m reading right now that I’m really enjoying. Just a random fact, but it’s a good sign that the source at least has good roots.

From the comments I read about it, Mitsuboshi Colors looks to be wholesome, with similarities to Ichigo Marshmallow. Also apparently the kids are savage af, which is both realistic (kids that age are too real) and right up my alley. Overall sounds like a good time, and though I’m trying not too expect too much, I’m wouldn’t lie if I said this was a show I’m excited for.

...So yeah. Pls don’t call the FBI. Yet.

Poputepipikku: I have nothing to say about this show. Seriously, go read the MAL description (or lack thereof) and watch the PVs, and tell me you know what this show is about.

The only basis I have is the 4-koma this is based off of, which has translations somewhere in the web as well as video adaptation things here. I guess if you want a sense of what this show is about the videos are the best way to figure that out. Basically what I get is that this show is one huge meme.

So yeah I’m super down for it. Bring it on. Absolutely no clue what it is, but sure. I like memes. The danker the better.

Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan 2: I’m probably less excited for this show than I should be, I admit. Towards the end of the first season, the show felt a bit stale since they added more and more new characters which made it feel like a “too many cooks” situation where it felt like they were running out of ideas with the old characters. I’m a tad worried about this second season because they’re adding even more new characters, as if we didn’t have enough in the first place. Though if there’s anything to be hopeful about, it’s that they’re keeping the format of 5 shorts a week. Definitely the better format than just a compilation episode at the end of the week.

At the end of the day though, this show made me laugh almost every episode, and that’s a rare thing nowadays (DAE sadbois). So yeah, I’m still pretty excited this got a second season and hopeful that the new characters add more depth to the show. Guess we’ll see.

Violet Evergarden: OOOH. It’s time. It’s time to be hyped, but then tell myself to keep that hype down. Because it’s here, ladies and gents. The one I’ve been waiting for ever since May 27, 2016, the day the CM came out (this one). Now is the animation going to be as good as in the CM? Hell no. But man, I’m not gonna lie: I’m super excited for this one. Like SUPER excited.

There’s a bunch of reasons for that: the biggest reason is the involvement of Kyoto Animation. I admit I’m a KyoAni fanboy: I’ve watched most of their shows and with the exception of Musaigen no Phantom World, I’ve liked all of them (and even Musaigen started getting good towards the end). Of course the animation in Violet Evergarden is going to be high quality (that’s a given), but the story is apparently top-notch as well, something a bit unprecedented with works adapted by KyoAni. Most of the LNs/manga that KyoAni adapt are... a bit lacking. From K-On to Chuunibyou to Free, all of them weren’t the best source material. Though most of them were good enough to win Honorable Mention in KyoAni’s annual light novel competition, none won the Grand Prize. And that was the case for the first few years the competition ran: no Grand Prize winners. Until Violet Evergarden won the Grand Prize. Sure says something about the LN’s story. Combine that with KyoAni’s ability to fit a source material to an anime format well, and you get the biggest hype train since One Punch Man.

But what about the plot itself? That was a mystery to me until now, and after doing some research into the story it looks like it’s about a robot/cyborg who formerly was fighting in the battlefield who now works as a “Auto Memories Doll” who “carries peoples’ thoughts and memories and converts them into words“. Apparently it’s similar to Kino’s Journey only with more drama/interesting characters (so most likely episodic). Which I’m down for since I enjoyed Kino’s Journey (well at least the old one). Also small side note: minimal romance until the end, which is fine since I think a romance subplot would distract from the main storyline.

So yeah, I’m on the hype train. But with this big of a hype train, anything less than a 9/10 would be disappointing. So to prevent that from happening, I’m trying to keep myself in check by thinking about the last time I got onto a hype train, which was Mahoutsukai no Yome. And look how well that turned out... “on hold” (though I may pick it up... 5% chance). AKA anything can happen, and because of that expectations are “low” -- but let’s be honest I’m hyped for this. Let’s go.

Yuru Camp△: Let me get the joke out of the way now: LOL DAE READ AS “YURI CAMP”?????

I’m sorry.

Anyway, if there’s one word to describe this, it’s COMFY. The best way I’ve seen this described is a combination of Non Non Biyori and Yama no Susume. And having seen both shows, I can see the maximum comfy this will provide. The plot is simple: cute girls doing cute camping. Slice-of-life + comfy + CGDCT = good stuff for this guy.

Though doing further research, there were some things that turned me off a bit. One is the following words: yuri undertones/subtext. Those two (three?) words have the potential to ruin the show, though it depends on how strong they are. If we’re talking Hibike Euphonium levels, we’re doomed. If we’re talking Love Live levels, we’re fine. Though I wish CGDCTs nowadays shouldn’t feel like they need yuri undertones, if it’s not too overbearing I can just brush it off.

Another thing that concerns me a bit is the studio handling this: C-Station, which doesn’t have the most inspiring list of shows made. Now they’ve done a few full-length shows, but I’ve never heard of them before, so it’s... unknown how they’ll be able to handle Yuru Camp.

A final, nitpicky thing is past experiences. Watching the PV made me feel comfy, something I didn’t feel since... Flying Witch. Which, while comfy, was also boring. Who knows, maybe Yuru Camp will actually have humor to it so I don’t fall asleep while watching it. But generally comfy = boring for me (with an exception being Non Non Biyori), so it’s something to be wary about for me personallly.

Though negatives aside, this show has great potential and it’s one of the handful of shows I’m excited for. Let’s get comfy.

Short Leash Shows

Citrus: Hoo boy... if I have to be honest, I’ll be super surprised if I end up finishing this show. This is one of the few times where I read the source material beforehand, so I can share my experiences and tell y’all what to expect. And let me tell you... expect this show to be bad. I know it’s being really hyped because it’s yuri, but holy melodrama Batman. Now I admit I’m not the biggest fan of yuri, and I haven’t read much works in the genre. But still... even I know there’s a lot of better works out there with the yuri, most of which haven’t gotten an anime adaptation.

There are two main problems with this show. The first is the characters. Specifically one character, the student council pres/stepsister. Her actions make absolutely no sense, and are the driving force of the questionable moments in the manga. Which brings me to the second problem: the drama, which stems from some of the weirdest problems that shouldn’t even be problems. I’d state an example, but that’s spoilers that I kinda want to avoid. This image sums up the manga well in my opinion (thanks to /r/animemes). Add the fact that the yuri isn’t even that good, and you got a dropped manga, one of the few I dropped (my manga list for reference). 

With that in mind, I feel kinda bad for the people really hyped for this show. Then again, most of them are hyped for the yuri, which... I don’t blame them to be honest given the lack of good yuri anime out there. Still... have some standards y’all. Expect this show to be one of the “most disappointing” shows out there.

Darling in the FranXX: Basic facts about this anime: Trigger and A-1 Pictures are collaborating on it and it’s a mecha show. In terms of actual plot, the MAL summary is a pretty good idea of what we should expect. Because otherwise, nobody knows since this is an anime original. Looks interesting enough though, so might as well give it a few episodes and see what’s up.

Gakuen Babysitters: So this looks pretty cute. Basically we got a guy and his brother who gets taken in by a chairman of a school, later becoming the school daycare’s new babysitter. Tragic backstory aside (the guy loses both his parents), the manga is apparently diabetes-level of adorable, which I’m down for. Cute things are cute.

Hakumei to Mikochi: Small girls (9 cm tall) living small lives. That’s basically it. Such a small anime deserves a small description. So I’ll say this: looks to be comfy and laid-back. I’m about that.

Koi wa Ameagari no You ni: And here’s the winner of the “Questionable Plotline of the Season”. We got high school girl who falls in love with her 45-year old manager. AKA the problem I had with Blend S taken to the next level... you would think. But I think if the show does it tastefully, it won’t be too bad. And apparently that’s what it is: a feel good slice-of-life/romance with interesting characters. Plus the fact that it’s not the older guy being all lovey-dovey this time, which helps a lot. This should be an interesting one to keep an eye on, both in terms of the anime itself and the reception towards it.

Random side note: I honestly think it’s kinda sad when the top comments of /r/anime’s thread for the PV of this all talk about Aimer and how they’ll watch the show because of her only. Seriously... that’s some weak reasoning for watching an anime, when only a minute and a half out of 23 minutes is the thing you’re watching for. You don’t see me watching Eromanga-sensei because ClariS did the OP. Just a bit of a personal gripe.

Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san: As you can kinda tell from the title, the show’s about a girl named Koizumi who really likes ramen, and goes to various places to eat their ramen. I have no idea what to expect given there isn’t much info out there about this, but I guess I’ll expect lots of ramen to be eaten. The way this is laid out, I’m hoping it’s a short, because otherwise it’ll drag on for way too long.

Sora yori mo Tooi Basho: Next to the obvious shows like Violet Evergarden, this is the one show I’m seeing /r/anime announce as a dark horse AOTS candidate. But doing further information, I’m kinda confused as to why. It doesn’t really fit the standards of the typical show that /r/anime really loves (Made in Abyss, Houseki no Kuni, etc.) considering it looks like it’s just a CGDCT about girls going to the South Pole. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a dark turn that happens given the setting of Antarctica, nobody really knows given this is another anime original. But hey, I’m not complaining. I like CGDCTs. And this season’s got a bunch of them, like...

Slow Start: This one. Plot doesn’t reveal anything special, just about a girl who started school a year late. That’s it.

Background-wise, though, this show has good potential. Same director as GochiUsa, same magazine as a lot of CGDCT anime, etc. I’m not expecting much from this show, but there are points for it to be good.

Takunomi.: Like Osake something something from this season, we have another show about adults drinking. A 15-minute short, has potential but like the shows above I’m not expecting much.

One Shot Shows

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku: Holy moly, I had the biggest case of deja vu while watching the PV for this show. Just look at the MC for this show: the most generic MC I’ve seen, so generic it literally looks like the MC for that isekai smartphone show that came out a few seasons ago. Heysus Christos, what is this baloney. Seriously, compare these two: here and here. I’m honestly more impressed than anything.

Anyway, the show looks to be your standard generic isekai. Yay. My favorite.

Märchen Mädchen: It’s kind of an isekai... I don’t know, at this point I’m tired, just read the summary. I like the eyes. That’s all I really have to say about the show.

Ryuuou no Oshigoto!: Yeah the summary says it best. A moe Sangatsu no Lion, though I’m sure the only similarities it has with the show is the theme of shogi.

Sanrio Danshi: One big commercial for Sanrio characters. At least that’s the vibe I’m getting. Also shades of shounen-ai. Eh.

And that’s all for this really long post! Thanks for reading! Quick announcement: the newest version of The Week in Anime is probably gonna be delayed a few hours since I’ve been busy being on vacation (yes I’m busy even now). Apologies for that, but it should be a short post anyway since there were only three shows to watch.

Anyways, thanks again for reading, and I’ll see you in the next post very soon!

[reviewsfeed-blog]

Happy Friday folks! I hope you are all looking forward to a fabulous weekend!!

Today I am posting another Down the TBR Hole post, in an effort to clear out my Goodreads list of unwanted books. In case anyone needs a brush up on just what this tag entails:-

This meme was started by Lia @ Lost in a Story to clear out my reading list of unwanted books. Here is how it works:

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.

Order on ascending date added.

Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books

Read the synopses of the books

Decide: keep it or should it go?

Without further ado, here are the next ten books on the TBR:-

  Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch – Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Goodreads

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist…

To be honest, this book was a no-brainer before I even re-read the synopsis. I love Pratchett’s humour, and Neil Gaiman is also an esteemed author in his own right. Whilst I wasn’t so fond of American Gods as I’d have hoped, I did enjoy Stardust. This is an easy keeper for me!

Verdict: Keep!

  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon

Goodreads

Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. Routine, order and predictability shelter him from the messy, wider world. Then, at fifteen, Christopher’s carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork, and he is initially blamed for the killing.

Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer and turns to his favorite fictional character, the impeccably logical Sherlock Holmes, for inspiration. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents’ marriage. As he tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, we are drawn into the workings of Christopher’s mind.

And herein lies the key to the brilliance of Mark Haddon’s choice of narrator: The most wrenching of emotional moments are chronicled by a boy who cannot fathom emotion. The effect is dazzling, making for a novel that is deeply funny, poignant, and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing is a mind that perceives the world literally.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is one of the freshest debuts in years: a comedy, a heartbreaker, a mystery story, a novel of exceptional literary merit that is great fun to read.

This is a book I had heard of growing up, but it wasn’t until I understood what was special about it, i.e. that the main character is autistic that I added it to the list.

One of the ladies I used to work with has an autistic nephew, and I’m curious to take a moment and see things from an autistic child’s perspective. I think we could all benefit from gaining some understanding of autism and how people think differently on the whole! It is easy for people to be labelled nowadays, “fat”, “thin”, “simple” etc. I don’t want to use any further slurs, including race and religion because frankly, I don’t condone them. I acknowledge their existence here.

This book is also a keeper!

Verdict: Keep

  Six of Crows – Leigh Bardugo

Goodreads

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he’ll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court (a military stronghold that has never been breached)

Retrieve a hostage (who could unleash magical havoc on the world)

Survive long enough to collect his reward (and spend it)

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done – and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable – if they don’t kill each other first.

This is the first book I am resigning from the list. The synopsis sounds perfectly okay and readable, but doesn’t sound WOW! It lacks the pop, so it’s going to drop…

Verdict: Go

  Sleeping Giants – Sylvain Neuvel

Goodreads

A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand.

Seventeen years later, the mystery of the bizarre artifact remains unsolved—its origins, architects, and purpose unknown. Its carbon dating defies belief; military reports are redacted; theories are floated, then rejected.

But some can never stop searching for answers.

Rose Franklin is now a highly trained physicist leading a top secret team to crack the hand’s code. And along with her colleagues, she is being interviewed by a nameless interrogator whose power and purview are as enigmatic as the provenance of the relic. What’s clear is that Rose and her compatriots are on the edge of unraveling history’s most perplexing discovery—and figuring out what it portends for humanity. But once the pieces of the puzzle are in place, will the result prove to be an instrument of lasting peace or a weapon of mass destruction?

An inventive debut in the tradition of World War Z and The Martian, told in interviews, journal entries, transcripts, and news articles, Sleeping Giants is a thriller fueled by a quest for truth—and a fight for control of earthshaking power.

I remember adding this book to my TBR – what drew me to it was how different it was to anything else out there! I also like the idea of the story being chronicled in the manner of articles etc instead of prose.

Verdict: Keep

  Join – Steve Toutonghi

Goodreads

What if you could live multiple lives simultaneously, have constant, perfect companionship, and never die? That’s the promise of Join, a revolutionary technology that allows small groups of minds to unite, forming a single consciousness that experiences the world through multiple bodies. But as two best friends discover, the light of that miracle may be blinding the world to its horrors.

Chance and Leap are jolted out of their professional routines by a terrifying stranger—a remorseless killer who freely manipulates the networks that regulate life in the post-Join world. Their quest for answers—and survival—brings them from the networks and spire communities they’ve known to the scarred heart of an environmentally ravaged North American continent and an underground community of the “ferals” left behind by the rush of technology.

In the storytelling tradition of classic speculative fiction from writers like David Mitchell and Michael Chabon, Join offers a pulse-pounding story that poses the largest possible questions: How long can human life be sustained on our planet in the face of environmental catastrophe? What does it mean to be human, and what happens when humanity takes the next step in its evolution? If the individual mind becomes obsolete, what have we lost and gained, and what is still worth fighting for?

I’m a little on the fence about this one. I’ve had to have a good long think about it.

I love the idea of the book exploring advancement in technology and individuality (or the lack of). I feel my reservations are the result of thinking the synopsis isn’t written all that well. I’m going to keep it tentatively based on potential.

Verdict: Keep

  Three Parts Dead – Max Gladstone

Goodreads

A god has died, and it’s up to Tara, first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring Him back to life before His city falls apart.

Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without Him, the metropolis’s steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot.

Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god, who’s having an understandable crisis of faith.

When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb’s courts—and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb’s slim hope of survival.

Set in a phenomenally built world in which justice is a collective force bestowed on a few, craftsmen fly on lightning bolts, and gargoyles can rule cities, Three Parts Dead introduces readers to an ethical landscape in which the line between right and wrong blurs.

Okay, so this was added to the list a year and a half ago. Looking at it now, I can say that my reading preferences have certainly changed. This doesn’t appeal to me anymore, so it’s off the list.

Verdict: Go

  Doors of Stone – Patrick Rothfuss

Goodreads

The eagerly awaited third book of The Kingkiller Chronicle.

It is absolutely eagerly awaited – I love this series so far!

Verdict: Keep

  Golden Age – James Maxwell

Goodreads

The discovery of a strange and superior warship sends Dion, youngest son of the king of Xanthos, and Chloe, a Phalesian princess, on a journey across the sea, where they are confronted by a kingdom far more powerful than they could ever have imagined.

But they also find a place in turmoil, for the ruthless sun king, Solon, is dying. In order to gain entrance to heaven, Solon is building a tomb—a pyramid clad in gold—and has scoured his own empire for gold until there’s no more to be found.

Now Solon’s gaze turns to Chloe’s homeland, Phalesia, and its famous sacred ark, made of solid gold. The legends say it must never be opened, but Solon has no fear of foreigners’ legends or even their armies. And he isn’t afraid of the eldren, an ancient race of shape-shifters, long ago driven into the Wilds.

For when he gets the gold, Solon knows he will live forever.

This book doesn’t appeal to me much at the moment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure I could read it… I may even want to in the future, but I’m not feeling the love right now.

I’ll keep it because I bought a copy, but it’s not something I am likely to pick up in the near future.

Verdict: Keep

  Children of Earth and Sky – Guy Gavriel Kay

Goodreads

From the small coastal town of Senjan, notorious for its pirates, a young woman sets out to find vengeance for her lost family. That same spring, from the wealthy city-state of Seressa, famous for its canals and lagoon, come two very different people: a young artist traveling to the dangerous east to paint the grand khalif at his request—and possibly to do more—and a fiercely intelligent, angry woman, posing as a doctor’s wife, but sent by Seressa as a spy.

The trading ship that carries them is commanded by the accomplished younger son of a merchant family, ambivalent about the life he’s been born to live. And farther east a boy trains to become a soldier in the elite infantry of the khalif—to win glory in the war everyone knows is coming.

As these lives entwine, their fates—and those of many others—will hang in the balance, when the khalif sends out his massive army to take the great fortress that is the gateway to the western world…

This synopsis really doesn’t say a whole lot about the book, in my opinion. Unless you are die-hard feminist and want to invest into special agent “doctors wife” – nothing stands out about these characters.

It’s a nope from me.

Verdict: Go

  The Psychology Book – Nigel C Benson

Goodreads

Clearly explaining more than 100 groundbreaking ideas in the field, The Psychology Book uses accessible text and easy-to-follow graphics and illustrations to explain the complex theoretical and experimental foundations of psychology.

From its philosophical roots through behaviorism, psychotherapy, and developmental psychology, The Psychology Book looks at all the greats from Pavlov and Skinner to Freud and Jung, and is an essential reference for students and anyone with an interest in how the mind works.

I definitely have a kindle copy of this – and I am fairly sure I have read at least some of it. Psychology is a subject I am interested in and like to visit periodically, so I’ll keep.

Verdict: Keep

  There you have it!

I only dropped three books of the list this time. I think now I am coming to books that I have added more recently (within the past year and a half or so) there will be less I drop off the list as my reading taste will be closer to it is now.

I’ll still benefit from reviewing, however, as you never know. Plus, doing so gets the books put on the ACTUAL reading list I work from.

Have you reviewed your TBR recently?

  Down the TBR Hole is a tag designed to help clear Goodreads lists of unwanted books #bookblog Happy Friday folks! I hope you are all looking forward to a fabulous weekend!! Today I am posting another Down the TBR Hole post, in an effort to clear out my Goodreads list of unwanted books.

[louisdwilliams]

Here are 10 electric skateboards you can afford !

A couple of years ago, electric skateboards were making their first solid steps on the market. Then, they were considered as expensive elitist gadgets that will not be future proof. People considered them a short-term trend (similar to hoverboards) so they didn’t really think much of them at the time.

Who are cheap electric skateboards best suited for?

As far as electric skateboards as a whole goes, the main speculation was that they’re only going to be bought by tech nerds who wanted to skate back in high school but never did so. Even though they were right, this scenario was only working for a short period of time and nowadays we can see everyone buying electric skateboards… Young, old, popular or nerdy; everyone loves them.

Cheap electric skateboards listed down below are best suited for beginners who would like to get their feet wet in the world of electric skateboards. Now that they have gone mainstream, electric skateboards I mean, many people are curious to try them out. More mainstream models like Boosted Board cost up to $1500. Thats too much money for a beginner to spend on something like an electric skateboard, that’s coming from me, a die hard electric skateboard fan. That’s why this list is the perfect place for beginners to start their journey in the world of electric skateboards.

Are there any sacrifices you make by not buying premium models?

Not really, no. As far as performance and specs goes, boards for around $300 are equally as good as the one that cost close to or over $1000. Not all of them of course, but brands like BLITZART, Atom and Koowheel are really pushing out some very impressive models in this low price segment. More premium models, next to better quality, also tack on extra features like replaceable batteries, regenerative braking, mobile apps, LED lights and whatnot. Even some of those premium features are slowly starting finding their place in this low price segment. So rest assured, you don’t miss out on performance or anything like that with these budget models.

Picking and choosing an electric skateboard can be tricky

This is especially true if you are not very tech savvy, like a parent buying an electric skateboard for their kid. Now that electric skateboards went outside the “short-term trend” zone and because they are not nearly as expensive as they were a couple of years ago, everyone wants one. Nowadays, you can find a solid model for well under $500, and today I’m going to show you just that.

So, with that in mind, if you are looking for an electric skateboard that won’t make you spend all your allowance money, then pay close attention as I’m going to show you 10 models that offer the best value for money!

Table : Best cheap electric skateboards :

NameImageMax SpeedRangeWeightPrice 10. Alouette Catwalk12 mph6 miles110 lbsSee price now 9. Airwheel M312 mph12 miles220 lbsSee price now 8. SwagBoard NG-112 mph10 miles176 lbsSee price now 7. Blitzart Tornado16 mph10 miles300 lbsSee price now 6. ACTON Blink Lite5 mph5 miles180 lbsSee price now 5. Blitzart Huracane15 mph17 miles300 lbsSee price now 4. Benchwheel Penny Board 1000W15 mph7 miles210 lbsSee price now 3. Maverix USA Monster6 mph6 miles110 lbsSee price now 2. Blitzart Mini Flash12 mph15 miles260 lbsSee price now 1. Swagtron Voyager15 mph15 miles330 lbsSee price now

10. Alouette Catwalk

Let’s get the ball rolling with a very interesting model, the Alouette Catwalk. This electric skateboard comes in two different versions. One with a 4400 mAh battery and another with a 2200 mAh battery. All the other specs are pretty much the same, except obviously the range and also the price. Today we’re going to be looking at the version with the 4400 mAh battery. For a very cheap $249 you get a decent 29″ electric skateboard. Better yet, Catwalk can be found on sale quite frequently, so it can be had for even cheaper. It’s currently 20% off and can be had for $199. Catwalk is very lightweight and therefore very portable.

Deck features a very minimalistic design, and has a classic look. Without peeking under the deck, I don’t think that you would know this is an electric skateboard. It is made out of 7ply maple wood, and offers a max weight load of about 110 lbs. Board has a single 350W hub motor which is capable or reaching up to 12 mph. That’s the top speed if you put the deck in the so called “high-speed mode”. There is also a “slow” mode which cuts the top speed in half, to about 6 mph. Top speed can be adjusted with the wireless remote. Next to basics like accelerate, brake, it’s also possible to use the remote to change direction and put the board in reverse.

I talked about battery sizes of the two different versions of Catwalk but I never mentioned what kind of mileage you can expect on a single charge. Well, the 4400 mAh battery gives it around 12 miles of range on a single charge, which is rather impressive for a $200 board. With such a low maximum weight load and somewhat modest specs like top speed and range, Catwalk is obviously aimed at kids and students. It’s a great choice, from a relatively reputable manufacturer, so you shouldn’t worry about after-sales support.

9. Airwheel M3

With a recent price drop, Airwheel M3 became more than a solid model that can now be considered as quite the bargain. It features a minimalistic design accompanied by something that sets it aside from the competition.

I am, of course, talking about its big all-terrain rubber wheels which are rarely seen on electric skateboards. They allow it to maintain a straight line even on the roughest of terrains and, in addition with built-in damper masses, provide an enjoyable off-road experience.

When it comes to performance, it is safe to say that Airwheel M3 is absolutely brilliant. It can achieve speeds up to 12 mph and its smart battery is capable of enduring for roughly 12 miles on a single charge. So, with those numbers out there on the table, I’m pretty sure that Airwheel M3 is a good choice to start our list off with!

8. Swagtron SwagBoard NG-1

Swagtron is a known name in the electric rideables industry. After getting their customers addicted on top quality hoverboards, the folks over at Swagtron pivoted to the electric skateboard market.

It was a huge hit for them as their first model, the SwagBoard NG-1, seems like a huge success. This affordable electric skateboard does indeed have a couple of tradeoffs, but it shines when it comes to performance. Isn’t that what matters the most?

First off, the NG-1 sports an in-wheel motor that allows it to go as fast as 11mph. That’s extraordinary for the price and I’m pretty certain you won’t get better deals than that, at least when it comes to top speed. On the other hand, the range is nothing short of awesome either. With the 24V Li-On Fe battery, this little fella can go up to 10 miles on a single charge, making it the longest reaching electric skateboard for under $200.

With all of that being said, I’d also like to point out one last thing before making a summary – the deck is nicely flexible and is made with maple wood topped off with a solid grip tape with a sleek SwagBoard logo. All in all, if you are looking for a dirt-cheap model that can be compared to some of the more expensive ones on the market, then SwagBoard NG-1 is all yours!

7. BLITZART Tornado

When picking and choosing affordable electric skateboards for this list I never planned on putting 3 different models from BLITZART. However, since they started releasing interesting electric skateboards rather aggressively as of late, I had no other choice but to include them all. BLITZART Tornado is an electric skateboard that can be purchased for as little as $299. Even though some of the other models that I mentioned here are cheaper, can be had for $200, for the $100 or so extra that Tornado costs lots of interesting goodies can be had in return.

Length of 38″ that Tornado has puts it in the category of longboards. BLITZART electric skateboards are known for their sturdy design and Tornado is no exception. Deck is made out of 8ply maple wood sandwiched between two layers of bamboo. Thick deck allows Tornado to hold up to 300 lbs of weight. Design follows the classic longboard shape, with a finger cutout on the edge of one side for holding the board while in transport. There are a total of 4 colors that Tornado can be had, black, green, orange and red.

Tornado is powered by a single 350W hub motor, which develops top speeds of about 16 mph. Obviously if you put the board to the test and load it up to its max load capacity of 300 lbs reaching the advertised top speed would be a difficult thing to do. Especially if you’re on uneven terrain. Still it’s quite impressive that the board can hold 300 lbs.

The 36V 4000 mAh battery can power the motor for about 10 miles before running out of juice. Charging the board takes about 2.5 hours when its fully empty, so we’re talking from 0 to 100%. Range could be a bit better, but you can’t have it all. Ergonomic wireless remote will make riding the board very fun. It has very basic functions like accelerate, brake and even reverse direction. Tornado offers a great mix of toughness and performance. I recommend it as a great beginner skateboard for adults that want to get into riding electric skateboards.

6. ACTON Blink Lite

Here comes the world’s lightest electric skateboard called Blink Lite. It is made by ACTON, the company that got famous (fame is a relative term FYI) with the Blink, a solid all-around model.

While Blink did not have anything special to its name, like a key selling point or something like that… Blink Lite sure does. As its name suggests (and as I’ve already mentioned above), this is the world’s lightest electric skateboard weighing in at just 7.7 pounds.

Combined with its awesome price and classical appearance, I believe this little fella doesn’t have anything else besides that to brag about. Well okay, it can go up to 10 miles per hour in ideal conditions, but that’s about it. Considering its battery is pretty bad (just 5 miles of range), I believe there is nothing to add to this one.

So, to summarize – apart from its weight and price, ACTON Blink Lite falls into the category of “meh” models. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still worth buying, but the incredibly low weight took a toll on the battery. With that being said, if you are looking for more of an all-around electric skateboard, perhaps you’ll be better off with some other one from this list.

5. Blitzart Huracane

Truth be told, I’ve just heard about Blitzart a couple of weeks ago. Prior to that, they were an unknown brand for me and as such, I did not pay much attention to their products.

That was a bad move by me since their Huracane skateboard definitely fits into the surprising category. Why? Well, let me tell you all about it! I’m going to start off by stating that this 38-inch monstrosity (a gorgeous monstrosity, I’ll dare to say) not only looks awesome but performs likewise too.

With roughly 15mph of top speed and more than 17 miles of maximum range on a single charge, it’s pretty clear that Blitzart knows how to make good electric skateboards. Likewise, the maple bamboo deck also does wonders in terms of stability and grip. That is not a surprise since the 8 inner layers of maple are closed off with bamboo on both sides, providing the deck with an extra dose of flexibility and durability (fits up to 300 pounds of weight).

With that being said, I believe there isn’t anything more I could possibly add about this one. You could see for yourself that Huracane seems more than a solid option for most people.

4. Benchwheel Penny Board 1000W

Benchwheel Penny Board might have excellent specifications and probably superior performance in comparison to all previously featured models on this list… but it’s also quite a bit pricier than them. Some would agree with me if I said this isn’t an affordable electric skateboard… but it’s still under $400 and can be found on sale pretty often.

It features a powerful 1000W brushless motor (who would’ve guessed, eh?) that’s extraordinarily thin and allows it to go as fast as 15 mph. While that might not be the biggest speed out there, needless to say – it is still praise worthy.

Even more so when combined with the 90Wh Lithium Ion battery pack which sports the ever-so-popular quick charge technology (from 0 to 100% in cca one and a half hour). It can endure roughly 7 miles.

All that makes Penny Board a great commuting electric skateboard and I am sure that a good portion of its buyers are using it exclusively for that. All in all, Benchwheel created a durable, nice looking, electric skateboard with excellent performance. If that’s something you value, then go ahead and check this one out. It’s worth it, that’s for sure!

3. Maverix USA Monster

Maverix USA Monster is the go-to electric skateboard if you are on an extremely strict budget. The cheapest one so far, this little fella actually rides surprisingly well.

We are talking about a 31-inch (not such a common size) model with a special feature that isn’t seen on more expensive models – LED lights. It incorporates wheels with shiny LED strips that make up for quite the lightshow during night skating sessions.

In addition to the lightshow this bad boy can provide you with, it’s also important to say a couple of words about its specifications. As expected, it comes with a slow charging battery pack that takes roughly 4 hours to fully charge. This might be way too long for some of you, and I completely understand you.

On the bright side, it can still reach up to 6 miles on a single charge which gives you plenty of headroom. As I’ve already mentioned above, Monster is a skateboard primarily aimed at children so it’s no surprise its recommended weight is just 100 pounds. So, if you are a parent looking for a good present for your little ones, Monster is certainly a solid choice!

2. Blitzart Mini Flash

The silver medal on my best cheap electric skateboards list goes to yet another one of Blitzart’s models. It seems to me that they’re going to become leaders on the market with 2 excellent models. They’ve already gained a ton of popularity and from all I’ve seen lately, they are not planning on stopping any time soon. Let’s start off with the design. To me, it looks absolutely brilliant with 3 color options (jus the wheels though, the grip tape stays the same color – black) and a generally sleek look that’s not ruined with any unnecessary details. Of course, the deck is made with the same maple + bamboo combination like the one we had the chance to see with Huracane.

Moving forward, I’d like to say a thing or two about its controller too. Even though you might consider it small when you first lay your eyes on it, I can assure you that you will be pleasantly surprised once you grab it into your own two hands. It feels great and is ergonomic. Combine that with lag-free controls and you got yourself a winner!

Finally, we’re going to discuss Mini Flash’s specifications. Starting off with the durable hub motor – this thing can go as fast as 12 mph. With that comes a pretty powerful Li-On battery pack (2.5 hours of charging time won’t exactly make you fall in love with it) which is capable of enduring up to 15 miles.

With everything above-mentioned taken into consideration, there is no doubt in my mind that Mini Flashby Blitzart is a wonderful mini electric skateboard that’s priced way below its actual worth.

1. Swagtron Voyager

At last, we have come to the absolute champion when it comes to cheap electric skateboards. As always, I picked the best one in terms of value for money. I’m an electric skateboards fan just like yourself, and I’ve been through the process of purchasing them many times. That’s why I always appreciate a model that incorporates above average value for money.

That’s exactly what can be said about Swagtron’s Voyager. With powerful and energy efficient dual 350W motors, Voyager can go as fast as 15 mph, providing you with a high-speed platform for all sorts of fun (and potentially dangerous) activities.

Add a long-lasting battery to the equation as well and you will begin to understand why it’s such a powerful choice. You see, Voyager’s Lithium iron phosphate battery can easily withstand up to 15 miles on a single charge. Even more so if you’re not weighing a ton… figuratively speaking, of course.

One last thing that is worth mentioning about this model is its deck. Not only does it feature cool graphics on its grip tape but it’s pretty durable as well. Made from a maple bamboo combination, this thing can endure 330 pounds of weight and still work like a charm. All in all, It is safe to say that Swagtron made a good entrance on the market with their NG-1 and confirmed their dominance with the Voyager. It’s only a matter of time before potential customers notice that.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, that’s it when it comes to affordable electric skateboards. Once again, I would like to repeat the same words I mentioned in the very beginning.

You see, there is no need to dash out close to a thousand dollars for a premium electric skateboard. If you’ve made a thorough research (and followed this list correctly), you can spend more than half of that and still end up with an enjoyable experience.

What I am basically trying to say is that high price doesn’t always mean a better-quality product. You can get an outright awesome model for as little as couple hundred bucks… It’s still going to provide you with a fun time and at the end of the day, that’s what matters the most!

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