#underground magazines would have lists of tapes to order

[general-sleepy]

I love how egalitarian effedupmovies is. They'll have the worst, most meritless sleaze, cult classics, critically-acclaimed arthouse films, and everything in between, all side-by-side. All that's in common is that it's any movie that transgresses taboos

[dogtoling]

Overanalyzing the setting of Octo Expansion: a thread 

This is something I thought I’d do in public, since people might actually be interested about it. We’re mostly analyzing surroundings here.  While snooping around Inkopolis Square and the subway entrance, I noticed that there are Kamabo Co. flyers on the ground, as well as a CQ-80 remote and one of those ID cards with C.Q. Cumber on it. (I did not take a picture of these, but go see for yourself) What this means for the company itself... no idea, but these are here even before you’ve cleared Octo Expansion. That initially leads me to believe that other test subjects have gotten out this way... except that makes little to no sense considering the only way to actually get out is to break the system and escape, and even then, you’ll find yourself in the middle of the ocean.  It might be safe to assume that these are objects left by the agents themselves after they get back to the surface, which would put Octo Expansion to take place some time before the Splatoon 2 hero mode... how much this makes sense is beyond me at the moment. Moving on:

Looking at the interior of the Deepsea Metro, I wanted to figure out whether this really is a metro of solely the Kamabo Co. facility that we still know stupidly little of. How it functions exactly is beyond me, and there might be better information out there, but from all the flyers, posters and equipment around it is obvious that it is a proper facility, somehow. Where it receives funding and materials from, aside from possible human-era leftovers? Beyond me, lol.

(Notice the police tape on the left. What does that mean? Did someone finally start to investigate why there are dozens of weird test chamber stops among the normal commuting routes of deep-sea citizens?)

There is also police tape on the metro itself.) The active timetables showing countdowns of different metro lines more or less prove that this is a mode of public transport, which raises a ton of new questions. If the metro was exclusive to the facility, timetables would probably be useless, as test subjects would be taken to their destinations as they wish (which is also how it works in the game, but we can jot that down to game logic). So this is when I started to wonder exactly how the Metro system works. It is safe to assume that Kamabo Co. is affiliated with the Deepsea Metro, considering C.Q Cumber being the conductor, but also a guide of the facility. Additionally, when Kamabo Co. is shut down at the end of the story, the Deepsea Metro keeps going, implying that it is generally its own thing. Of course, C.Q Cumber could also simply be a guide, not a real conductor, but this is a discussion for another time.

This screenshot is where things start getting interesting. This is the background from the central station, and these are details that we all see in the background, but don’t necessarily pay closert attention to. We can see a sign that reads “Welcome to Deep Sea” on the left, though I’m not sure whether that is Inklish or something else. 

What REALLY caught my eye in the picture is the kiosk. Generally, most of the text in the Deep Sea is written in Inkling letters, and presumably the in Inklish. The existence of the kiosk is strange enough: if we weren’t totally sold already, there wouldn’t be a kiosk if there were no passengers here. However, more importantly, the kiosk sign appears to be in Octarian language, unlike all of the other text. 

I think it’s the true identity of the Deep Sea is generally unknown. Is this its own country? Is this an extension of Inkopolis? Is this perhaps an extension of the Octarian empire? Judging from most of the text, the latter is not very likely.

At this point, there are more questions in my mind than there probably EXIST answers. Let’s go back to the start of the game and see if we can make a connection.

This is the station that you start the game at. I’m assuming that this is a subway, judging from the gates and the timetables. VERY curiously, we can see Octarian band posters on the wall...

We can see a map of the assumed Inkopolis Metro (or possibly a train) as well as what I assume are machines for purchasing tickets

The station is... not very grand. It is initially quite high up and you can’t really see the whole thing, so I can’t tell whether this is a subway or a railway station. In my experience, though, subway stations tend to be more down-to-earth and railways are typically very distinctly outdoors. I wish there was more imagery or signs here!

From what we can see, I have to assume this is NOT connected to the Deep Sea Metro. This contradicts Iso Padre’s talk about the metro being “on a long and winding path to Inkopolis Station”, but we don’t really know if that is supposed to be taken literally... Let’s go back to the very start of Octo Expansion for some further reference.

We can see what is assumably an employee door, and a ticket machine. 

This is what’s interesting: we can see a table of some sort with the name of the location as well as a big list of contents and icons. I have no idea what this is about. It reminds me of something you’d see at a mall... this might be the lobby of the Kamabo Co. facility as there are flyers present, but you can’t see the logo anywhere.

There is a big entrance leading to a staircase right behind where we start our adventure. It really makes me wonder why the hell Agent 8 picked the second option out of a decision between “a comparatively clean and proper-looking entrance” and “abandoned metro track”.

My best guess is that the stairs behind the entrance lead to the facility, but there isn’t much I can say on that.

We can see a vending machine as well as some kind of out-of-order...place. I can’t tell whether this is a kiosk, or what.

However, there is an actual kiosk here, and it is another one with Octarian font! This is of the same kind as the one we see back at the central station, but this is seemingly closed. This is nowhere near the last nod to Octarians in this specific part of the story - the starting area has by far the most from what I can spot.

(Also, curiously, there are umbrellas sold here. I don’t get why they would sell umbrellas underground, so... does this connect to the surface?)

There is much to see at this station specifically. We can see a waiting area for passengers, some signs, a little hut for a guard and a clock. There are also gates here.

We can get a good look at the metro gates here. Most of them are out of order, but we can still see that they work with some kind of scanning system. 

This is where we get back to the Octarian lore: The trash can has a figure of an Octopus using it. But THAT’S NOT ALL!

Even the waiting seats are octopus-colored AND -shaped. We can also note that while a lot of the doors around the metro are very big, everything here is built to Octoling scale. This much Octoling imagery leads me to believe that the Deep Sea, and with that the Metro, connects to Octarian domes. Realistically, where would 10,008 (presumably all Octolings) test subjects have found their way to the metro from if there was no link from the Octo hub itself? Of course we could say Tartar individually kidnapped every single one, but still....

Moving on to the out-of-use subway car, we can see a still of the screen text that is shown on the ones in use as well. I can’t tell if this is identical to the Inkopolis station text. Looking at this, I have to say that it seems KIND OF likely for Inkopolis to connect to the metro, considering there is a squid-culture magazine in here. It is also stated in the game that “deep-sea denizens” aren’t allowed on the surface, so it’d be kind of weird if the metro DID lead there, however this was something Tartar says (I think) so it might be a lie for all we know.

After going through the subway car and into the tunnels, we get past this curve in the tunnel. We can immediately tell we are in Kamabo Co. territory, and from what I can tell, this is a storage area of sorts. Boxes are scattered all around, there is medical equipment ...

We can confirm that this is a Kamabo.co storage area by the numerous Kamabo symbols thrown around. (There is also a kelp pool in the floor for some reason.) This brings me back to wondering how Kamabo Co. manages to be as large a company as it is, even if it is supposedly based on human-era remains. You’d assume 12,000 year-old medical equipment doesn’t work too well. Well, that’s enough thinking over this thing. Let me know if you guys got some thoughts from looking at the post. I might do a second part with the Octo Expansion escape sequence for extras at some point. Thanks for looking at my essay.

[antiquatedfuture]

Zine Care Packages (Antiquated Future Spring Newsletter)

What a challenging time. Things have felt pretty bleak and I debated about whether to send this spring newsletter a lot, but friends convinced me we're all in need of good news. If nothing else, I want to say two things: 1) We'll still be shipping orders (with plenty of hand-washing and sanitizing) several times a week. 2) While we always appreciate and need your financial support, we'd also like to offer the resources we have to any of you who are having a hard time. 

In short: We're offering free zines (and tapes and books) to anyone who's currently struggling financially, mentally, or physically right now. No need to tell us details, just email and say "I'd like a package," and we'll send one your way. Let it be a surprise or make a list of what you'd like and we'll send you what we can. Feel free to spread the word to your friends and community through our Facebook or Twitter posts. It's not much, admittedly, but hopefully it's something.

In more general distro news: we have a few more calendars & planners in stock (and very very on sale), we’ve been restocking things as much as we can, and we accidentally left up our temporary store-wide cassette sale (that also includes a decent handful of LPs and CDs) as well as our zine sale on select titles. We also just posted a newsletter from the record label side of Antiquated Future. We're currently lending some small financial assistance to Portland writer Martha Grover as she recovers from a brain surgery by selling a fundraiser pack of her Somnambulist zine. And if you're in the Portland area, we're helping do porch deliveries of food, baby supplies, and various resources. Please reach out if you'd like one or you know someone in need.

NEW ZINES Antonia- A rare, almost-sublime zine about place, memory, and lost history. About the ways things change and stay the same. About how the place you're from shapes who you become. About growing up in a small Midwestern town without a zip code, a place not on most maps. ($5) Behind the Zines #9: A Zine About Zines- The latest issue of newest best zine about zines around. Within: the evolution of DIY comics culture, zine-fest history, imagined zines, One Punk's Guide to collaborative zines, a history of that one Crimethinc poster, The Most Unwanted Zine, confessions of a sex-zine zinester. Contributions from our own Gina Sarti, as well as John Porcellino and so many others. ($3) Brainscan #34: A Dabbler's Week of DIY Witchery- In the wake of the controversy surrounding a recent viral article about spending a week "becoming a witch," Alex considers what her guide to a witchcraft practice would look like. The results are a day-by-day guide to trying out her particular variety of secular witchcraft (that she lovingly refers to as "DIY witchery"). ($4)

Caboose #12: Jury Duty- A personal story of serving as a juror on a medical malpractice suit. As usual, Liz Mason's playful, endlessly curious take on the world makes this a ride worth taking. A peek into the court system through the eyes of this long-running zine-star. ($4) Clock Tower Nine #15- One of our favorite Seattle zines is back with tales from the record store counter, long walks in various locales, dangerous doppelgängers, and 8-track tapes. As Clock Tower Nine ringleader Danny Noonan describes it in the introduction: "This fanzine is like a bunch of people sitting around a fire in late fall, all taking turns telling a story." ($3) Cometbus #59: Post-Mortem- How does Cometbus, after 38 years as a zine, just get better and better? It's a mystery, but it does. Issue 59 is a deep dive into both death and longevity in the underground. In short: what does sustainability look like in counterculture? This question takes Aaron on a journey from the Epitaph Records and Thrasher magazine offices to hanging out at a punk-owned vegan donut shop and a tamale stand at the farmer's market with Allison Wolfe (of Bratmobile). ($5)

Doris #23- A back-issue fave from one of the best zines ever. Long personal stories that look both outward and inward in surprising ways. ($2) Doris #26- Shy-punk-girl comics, social ecology, the cynical hour, a grandpa who built malls, hammer and nail history, and more. ($2) Eulalia #3- Two issues of the art zine Eulalia in one. Grief and romance, hand-in-hand. Gorgeously designed! Letterpress-printed covers. Each issue is bound with a special do-si-do binding, so each half can be read separately. ($10) Fluke Fanzine #17- Since 1991, Fluke has been creating great variety zines covering all realms of punk and underground culture. Graphic novelist Nate Powell, skateboard magazine historians, Maximum Rocknroll, R.E.M., '90s women-led punk, the Soophie Nun Squad family tree, more. ($3)

Forever & Everything #5- Comics on parenting, depression, coffee, therapy, alcohol, Willie Nelson, Charlie Brown, and living in New Orleans. ($5) Good Days Gone Cold Days- A photography zine/art zine made while living and working in "a house without heat, without doorknobs, and without much insulation or electricity to speak of" for a late fall in western Pennsylvania. Comes with homemade bookmark, building permit, and banjo tab. ($12) Keep Loving, Keep Fighting #8- A reprint of this 2008 issue of Keep Loving, Keep Fighting. Forty pages of feeling at home in New Orleans, communication between friends, death, visiting Montreal, and moving away. ($5)

Learning Good Consent- An essential compilation zine about consent. From personal stories to worksheets, approaches, definitions, resources, and beyond, Learning Good Consent is here to help us all feel more comfortable and be more respectful. ($4)

Little Leagues #1- The companion comics scrapbook to Simon Moreton's epic Minor Leagues series. Prose, comics and photos about being in Japan, making chutney, experiencing autumn. ($3) Little Leagues #2- Comics about being in the snow. Drawings and photos of spring. A fold-out cover with facts about lesser-spotted dogfish. ($3) Our Lady of Near Death Experiences- Jodi Darby writes about becoming a cross-country truck driver as a 23-year-old woman in the mid 1990s. A mini-memoir told in vignettes, Our Lady is a twisted love song to the road in all its complexities. A gorgeous reprint of this zine classic from 1998. (And we have the last few copies before it goes out of print!) ($10)

The Paruretic #1: The Story of a Guy Who's Pee Shy- The first issue of one of our favorite new zine series. The Paruretic tells what the intricacies and complexities of life with parusesis, the social phobia of being pee shy. Illuminating, accessible, and worth reading every issue. ($2)

The Paruretic #2: The Story of a Guy Who's Pee Shy (College)- In this issue, Mark recalls figuring out the debilitating effects of his bladder issues when he goes to college and, for the first time, navigates living in dorms, drinking at college-town bars, and hooking-up. ($3)

The Paruretic #3: The Story of a Guy Who's Pee Shy (Vacation)- In this issue: searching out acceptable bathrooms while on the road, not urinating for ten hours while in the air, and a bathroom-by-bathroom diary of experiences. ($3) The Paruretic #4: The Story of a Guy Who's Pee Shy (The Search for Help)- In this issue, Mark reaches out, looking for help, and is met with a less-than-sympathetic medical system. Within: clueless medical professionals, almost losing a job over a urinalysis, and finally finding someone who understands. ($3) The Paruretic #5: The Story of a Guy Who's Pee Shy (Dating)- The dating issue covers how Mark handled (or avoided handling) dating in high school and college. It's a chronicle of, as Mark says, "how my shy bladder has driven every part of my love life." ($3)

Somnambulist Zine Pack Fundraiser- For the past 17 years, Portland memoirist and illustrator Martha Grover has been publishing Somnambulist zine, an expansive and playful look at the world at large (and easily one of the best zines running today). This pack includes all nine in-print issues of Somnambulist (a $40 value for $25!). All proceeds go straight to Martha's brain surgery recovery fund. Help a great writer, get nine amazing zines. ($25) Somnambulist #33: How to Survive the Portland Winter- A fun how-to guide from Portland-born writer Martha Grover. Within: dealing with all the rain, taking care of your mental health, venturing out, staying in, eating soup (with recipes!), and the truth about umbrellas. Illustrated by Liz Yerby. ($5)

Somnambulist #34: The Starfish- A single, long-form essay about Martha's journey through Cushing's disease and Addison's disease, and the lingering tumor she's chosen to not demonize or see as something separate. The Starfish is a surprising and exciting meditation on what it means to be in a body. ($3) Surely, They'll Tear it Down- A short zine letter about gender, race, identity, and not-knowing from the author of Fixer Eraser and We, the Drowned. ($2) Tattoo Punk Fanzine, Issue 3- A jam-packed new issue of Tattoo Punk, the fanzine about tattoos, punks, and tattooed punks. Edited by Ben Trogdon of everyone's favorite artsy punk paper, Nuts! ($15) Valentines Every Day- Weirdo anytime-valentines from zine-seller extraordinaire, Julie Wade. Funny, bizarre, off-kilter, occasionally unsettling. The perfect gift for that especially-odd someone. ($6) What Happened- A dreamy comic from UK artist Simon Moreton. Set in a '90s boyhood of meadows, sci-fi VHS tapes, MTV, crushes, first kisses. ($5) 

NEW BOOKS & MISCELLANY The Collected Plays by Portland Preschoolers- In short: One of our favorite little books around! A modern classic, even. Five years of collected plays written by Portland, Oregon preschoolers. Hilarious, invariably bizarre, oddly brilliant, sometimes surprisingly profound. Perfect for putting out on the coffee table, reading aloud to friends, impromptu group performances. ($10) Four-Year Depression- A book about figuring out how to love your family in the Trump era. From Billy McCall of Proof I Exist and Behind the Zines. ($10) Zine Game- A long-time favorite in the zine community, now in a fancy, professionally-made version accessible to all game lovers. Playing like a cross between canasta and Magic: The Gathering, Zine Game is all about building your own zines. A really fun time with tons of possibilities. ($16)

NEW MUSIC & SPOKEN WORD Alice Notley "Live in Seattle"- An LP of one of the most adored living poets. Alice Notley pushes boundaries, and it's an absolute joy to hear her reading her work. (LP + digital download) ($16.95) Annelyse Gelman & Jason Grier "About Repulsion"- A collaboration between poet Annelyse Gelman and sound artist Jason Grier. About Repulsion mixes songs, sampled poems, textural walls, beats, noise, to create this EP of one-of-a-kind soundscapes. (LP + digital download) ($16.95) Eileen Myles "Aloha / Irish Trees"- The legendary poet Eileen Myles, on vinyl for the first time. Aloha/Irish Trees features nearly an hour of Myles live in the studio, reading past and present poems. Intimate, playful, raw. (LP + digital download) ($16.95)

Harmony Holiday "The Black Saint and the Sinnerman"- Harmony Holiday's record of poems and sound collage. Adventurous and accessible, twisting cultural images into something surprising, political, socially aware. In conversation with Charles Mingus’ classic 1963 album The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. (LP + digital download) ($16.95) Rae Armantrout "Conflation"- Fifty-four surprising and gloriously unique poems from Rae Armantrout, a Pulitzer-winning poet of great gifts. (LP + digital download) ($16.95) Susan Howe & Nathaniel Mackey  "Stray: A Graphic Tone"- Made in collaboration with Shannon Ebner, Stray: A Graphic Tone juxtaposes historic and recent material from poets Susan Howe and Nathaniel Mackey. An adventurous LP of spoken word delights. (LP + digital download) ($16.95)

Stay well, take care of each other as much as possible. Xo, Antiquated Future

[winterisakillerwrites]

Love & Great Buildings - Chapter Thirteen

Chapter: 13/19

Character/Relationship: Tom Hiddleston/Rosemary Mathews (OFC)

Genre: Romance/Angst

Summary: Three years have passed and a chance encounter brings Tom and Rosie together again. Can time make any difference or are they doomed to repeat their mistakes.

Rating: M

Author’s Notes/Warnings:  This is part nine of Last Minutes & Lost Evenings. Many thanks to @redfoxwritesstuff for listening to me ramble incessantly about  this story and being a sounding board when I needed it. You are a lifesaver, even if your stories break my heart.

Previous

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “So what you’re telling me, Rose, is that instead of our weekly girl’s night, you are opting to have him over instead?” Jules voice dripped with barely contained sarcasm.

 Rosemary felt herself flush with guilt. This was horribly last minute and she did feel terrible leaving Jules in the lurch, but she desperately, and admittedly selfishly, wanted to spend what time she could with Tom before he was gone. And, she thought uncharitably, it’s not like she hasn’t ditched you for Nick in the past and at the absolute last minute. She rolled her eyes and rested her head against her upturned palm. This is not what I wanted today. Rosemary groaned internally and turned her attention back to her phone, resting beside her on the couch its speaker function on. She loved Jules. Loved her dearly. She was one of her fondest friends but dear god there were times…Lord, give me strength.

 “Jules…” her voice trailed off in warning. “It’s just this week. We’ll be back on next week I promise you. It’s just…Tom, he’s...He’s off on his press tour…thing in two days and this is the only night he’s got free.” She paused before admitting, “I just want to spend time with him before he goes.”

 When he had called her last night asking if she was free the following evening, wanting to try to get together at least before he left, she hadn’t hesitated. Of course she wanted to see him; wanted to spend what time she could with him. He’d been so busy the last week; between packing, various business commitments, and last minute organizing they hadn’t had any chance to really sit and talk. Not like they had in the weeks prior. And she’d missed it. Missed him.

 It had only hit her early in the morning as she pushed her way into the crowded Underground carriage that having Tom come over meant that she would have to cancel on Jules. She’d selfishly held off as long as she reasonably could before calling, knowing that Jules would be less than thrilled. Well, she thought wryly, you certainly weren’t wrong.

 There was a huff from the other end of the line. “Fine,” Jules all but pouted. “But you so owe me. And big time. I’m talking two maybe three meals worth. Oh and a nice bottle of red,” Jules added as an afterthought. She could practically hear the grin on Jules’ face. “A very nice bottle.”

 “Seriously?” Rosemary chuckled as she ran a hand through her hair, noting that she would most certainly need to wash it that evening before Tom arrived. One more thing to add to the list. “You are ridiculous.”

 Jules let out a short, loud bark of a laugh. “And yet you adore me. Funny that.”

 “I question the logic of it every single day,” Rosemary fired in response, mirth lacing her tone.  

 “Yeah. Yeah. Yeah,” Jules intoned. “You keep saying that and yet here we are still friends.”

 Rosemary rolled her eyes and groaned, “One of these days…”

 Jules simply laughed in response; a warm, rich sound that pulled an unexpected answering laugh from Rosemary. When their laughter had fizzled out Jules let out a dramatic sigh and stated, “Since I’ve effectively been abandoned, I guess I’ll have to let you go now. I’ve got to call Nick and see if maybe he still loves me.”

 “Such a drama queen,” Rosemary teased back. “Go on you, call your long-suffering fiancé and complain about what a horrid friend I am.” Both women laughed heartily at that. “Well off you go then. I’ll talk to you later.”

 “Laters,” Jules echoed before she hung up. Well that’s one thing down.

 Rosemary sighed and found herself glancing around her living room. It was neat enough, by her own standards; hell, it was clean enough that Jules wouldn’t so much as have batted an eye at the few stray pieces of clothing scattered about. But, she found herself fretting, would it be neat enough for Tom? She immediately shook her head at the thought.  It was ridiculous; she knew that with a dead certainty. He’d seen in flat in various states of disarray, especially when he would arrive at her door unannounced back from filming or promoting god knows where, and hadn’t cared in the slightest. She let out a low groan. She didn’t know why it mattered so much to her now. Or well, no, that was a lie; she knew all too well why it mattered and that had been half of the problem. “Mathews,” she hissed at herself, “get a grip.”

 With a grunt of effort, she pushed herself up onto her feet and began to grab the bits and bobs that had slowly spread throughout the room since she’d last straightened it. Stray cardigans and magazines lined the backs and seats of chairs, various shoes and half-finished novels lay haphazardly by the doorway and the couch. In all honestly it was nothing really, but Rosemary knew there was no way she could just let it be. It would take virtually no time to straighten but at least this would give her something to do.

 In the end it took all of fifteen minutes to straighten the room and, if the clock on her wall was to be believed, she still had a good six hours before Tom was due. Six hours to shower, dress, and make sure everything was in order. Six hours to get various snacks and drinks ready, and figure out dinner. Do I cook or play it safe and go with ordering in? She pondered, groaning at yet another uncertainty for the evening. Cook. I’ll make him something nice, especially since he won’t have chance for anything home cooked for a while.

 Rosemary found herself almost regretting not staying longer than the short morning shift she’d pulled at the second Stories shop; she’d covered for Hanna, who’d had a doctor’s appointment. It had only been a few hours but she had taken great joy in the simple tasks that had been her life’s blood for so many years. She had enjoyed the quiet hustle that was setting up the shop for the days’ business, organizing the registers and various displays, making sure they were stocked with paper bags and receipt tape. The little day to day things she found she missed more and more now that they were no longer hers to fret over. They’d had a handful of customers during that time; she’d sold two books, three magazines, and a handful of newspapers. A solid start if she did say so herself. Not a bad start for a Thursday morning.

 She briefly thought of calling Hanna and seeing if there was any need at the shop, even for an hour or so, but quickly dismissed the idea out of hand. Hiding at the shop was not the way for her to handle the nerves that had set up residence in her stomach at the thought of the evening ahead, nor was it conductive to actually making sure everything was in order. She’d done enough hiding and avoiding in the last few months, it did her little good. Better to face things head on. No matter how it wrecked her nerves.

 “Right,” she murmured to herself and turned her attention to the cramped, but functional, kitchen. A quick survey of her pantry and fridge told her she was in desperate need of a shop. Especially if she wanted to cook a decent meal for Tom. For the both of us, she corrected, not letting herself think too much on it. With a decisive nod, she headed to the door, grabbing her keys and purse from the small table and headed out to face the warmth of the May late morning.  

 As she walked, Rosemary mentally went down her shopping list; veg for roasting, crusty bread, potatoes, cream, possibly leeks, bacon, maybe a small chicken? She laughed softly at herself; going out of her way to impress by cooking rather than the typical takeaway. Not that Tom would have been overly bothered with takeaway. But she wanted to make this nice, wanted to put in the effort. And she steadfast refused to let herself think too much on the why of it. She was a decent cook and this wouldn’t be stretching her. Too much at least.   

 The weather had been wonderfully warm during the day and she was glad to take full advantage of it when she could. And today was certainly no exception. The pavements were full of the usual early afternoon foot traffic; people lost in their own worlds, navigating the streets almost by instinct. She found herself observing as she made her way slowly down the few blocks that separated her flat from the nearest market.

 The Waitrose was far less crowded than she’d expected with the weekend drawing so close. She grabbed a basket and began to wander her way slowly down the aisles. She enjoyed the almost peace she found in her wanderings. She’d always found grocery shopping relaxing, though she could not put a finger on exactly why. Something to do with seeking out the perfect pieces in order to make something wonderful with them later. She chuckled to herself. It sounded ludicrous even in her own mind, but still it made a strange sort of sense to her.

 She took her time searching through the produce available, picking each piece with care. Wanting everything to be perfect. A small voice in the back of her mind told her she was being utterly ridiculous, putting in this much effort for what amounted to nothing more than a night in with a friend. They weren’t dating for heaven’s sake and Tom didn’t need all this fuss, wouldn’t want it, she knew that. But she couldn’t shake the need to want to impress him. She thought of, and quickly dismissed, the idea of calling Jules for advice as she would have in the past. The last thing she wanted was a lecture, as well intended as it might be. She would never let me hear the end of it.

 With a groan, Rosemary dropped her head into her hands, half full basket tucked into the elbow of her bent arm. Maybe this isn’t the best idea I’ve ever had. She desperately needed to get a grip, and quickly. Right, she thought raising her head back up, this is just like any other night with a friend. Don’t go making a big deal out of it. Just get a few basics for the rest of the week and forget this mess. We can order a fucking curry and call it a night. He won’t hate you for not cooking for him, just relax and let it go. She took another deep breath and pulled herself upright. Resolved, she quickly finished her shopping and headed back into the warmth of the early afternoon.  

 Rosemary was juggling the reusable bag of groceries on her arm while rifling through her purse for her keys when her phone started to ring. “Fuck,” she muttered aloud, her fingers finally brushing against the cool metal of her keys. She quickly pulled them out and unlocked the door, pushing it closed behind her with the ball of her foot. Her purse and groceries landed in a messy pile on the nearest chair as she scrambled to find, answer, and place her phone onto speaker before voicemail cut in. “Hello?” she growled in frustration after finally finding and answering the damned thing. God, I need a smaller bag, she snapped at herself. And less bloody stuff.

 “Rosie,” Tom’s voice echoed in the room, slightly tinny with the distortion of the speakers.  “I wasn’t sure I was going to catch you. I…Is everything alright?” His voice was laced with concern as he carried on, seeming to have caught onto her less than cordial greeting. “I’ve not caught you at a bad time, have I?”

 “No, no, no,” she reassured, brushing an errant strand of hair from her face where it had fallen from the messy bun she’d pulled it into prior to leaving her flat. “I just got in from the market. Had a bit of a fight trying to find my bleeding keys. They somehow managed to migrate to the very bottom of my purse. Again.” She let out a groan of frustration at that. She desperately needed a better organizational system for her bag. It was no better than a black hole at the best of times.

 Tom’s laughter filled the room and she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face at the sound. “I take it you ultimately won that battle?”

 “Just barely.” She reached down and gathered the shopping bag in her hand once more, making her way towards the kitchen. “So what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” Rosemary fought to ignore the unease that crept into her gut at the thought that Tom was calling to cancel their plans. She’d so been looking forward to having him to herself before he had to leave. It’s life, Rose. You aren’t the only thing in his life and you knew this going in. Deal with it and move on.

 “I just wanted to see if there was anything you’d like me to bring for tonight.” Relief flooded through her at his words. He wasn’t cancelling. She felt ridiculous that she’d even allowed herself to entertain the notion. Tom paused, she could hear him clear his throat before continuing, “And to see if the six o’clock start time was set in stone.”

 Her heart dropped again. No, she scolded herself. No. He’s still coming, don’t get yourself get so fucking worked up over him being late. He’s still coming. It’s fine. She busied her hands, putting her groceries away with a quick efficiency. The more she moved the less she would think, or god so she hoped.  “Oh, if you are going to be later that’s fine…”

 “Oh no no no,” Tom blurted out in a rush, cutting Rosemary’s rambling off abruptly. “I’m not going to be late. I was…actually hoping to maybe come by earlier. If it’s not going to be putting you out.”

 Rosemary laughed out loud despite herself at the hopeful uncertainty in his voice. It was almost soothing, the knowledge that she wasn’t the only one who seemed on edge and far too nervous. Once she’d placed the last package in its proper place, she moved back into the living room and began to pace back and forth. All of this nervous energy was going to be the death of her, she just knew it. She paused briefly at the window, looking down onto the crowded pavements at the people passing by. “Earlier is fine,” she reassured him. You’re still coming. “How much earlier are you thinking?”

 There was a long pause before Tom spoke again, his words tinged with a nervous laughter. “Um, well not now,” he joked, nervous energy palpable even through the phone, “but maybe in the next few hours? If that is alright with you? I don’t want to put any stress on you or make you feel like you have to rush.” He rambled on in that adorable fashion that was so utterly him. God, he would be the death of her.

 “That’s fine,” she reassured, wishing that she could reach through the phone and squeeze his hand. It was a silly impulse she wasn’t sure she wanted to check. “Just ring before you head over, okay?”

 Tom chuckled, “Sure thing.” She could hear a rustling from the other end of the line. “Are you sure there’s nothing you need me to bring? I could always stop by the shops on my way…”

 She found herself laughing at his rambling once more. “You don’t need to bring anything, Tom. Just yourself.”

 He chuckled again at that. “I think I can handle that. I’ll talk to you later then, okay?”

 “Alright,” she breathed and shortly thereafter the call disconnected. Alright, she told herself. Here we go.

 It was quarter past three when the ringing of her phone broke through the loud whirl of the vacuum. With little else to do, Rosemary had spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning. The kitchen and bathroom where damn near spotless and her bedroom was neater than it had been in longer than she cared to think on; not that she expected him or anyone else to see it. Vacuuming the living room had been the last task on her list. That and then a quick shower and all she would have left to kill was time.

 Quickly switching off the machine, she dived towards the coffee table, grabbing her phone deftly with one hand. She smiled as the screen flashed Tom’s name and swiping the screen to answer. “Hello you.”

 Tom’s laughter filled her ear and sent a shiver down her spine. It floored her, the effect he had on her. How a word or, god, even his laugh could send her mind spiraling down paths she had no right to entertain. Not when she wasn’t completely sure what she wanted. Or well wasn’t sure she was willing to actually go after what she wanted. Maybe it was for the best he would be gone for a while. She could take the time to think, really think, about what she truly wanted and just what she was willing to do about it. Be completely certain before she decided either way. “…half an hour, give or take.”

 Rosemary shook herself from her thoughts; her face flushing to what she was sure was a very bright red. He’d been talking, for god only knew how long, while she’d been wool gathering and she hadn’t heard a damned thing he’d said. “I’m sorry Tom, I honestly didn’t catch any of that,” she whispered. Even she could hear the embarrassment in her voice.

 “You’re not listening to me, Darling?” She could easily hear the pout in his voice. “I’m crushed.” He laughed heartily before continuing. “As I was saying, I’m about to head into the station and catch the tube so I should be at yours in half an hour if all goes well.”

 “Half an hour?” She parroted dumbly. “As in thirty minutes from now?”

 There was a pause on the other end, “…Yes, that tends to be the definition of half an hour.” His voice was slower now, laced with confusion and concern. “Is that a problem?”

 “No,” Rosemary forced out, rubbing her eyes with her free hand. She had maybe thirty minutes to shower and dress herself before he would at her door. Dammit all! “No its fine. I’ll see you in thirty minutes then.” She all but ran towards the bedroom, pulling open the nearest drawer and pilfering through its contents. Clothes, she needed to find the right clothes and then shower as quickly as she could. God, thirty minutes? That was nothing.

 “Rosie, are you sure…” Tom’s voice cut through her panic and she realized with a start that she hadn’t hung up the phone. Great.

 “Tom, its fine. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you soon. Okay?” She didn’t wait for his answer, merely hit the end button and tossed her phone onto the bed behind her. “What to wear, what to wear?” she hissed at herself, feeling all of her earlier tension and nerves reignite with a vengeance. “This shouldn’t be so bloody hard.”

 Rosemary took a deep breath and forced herself to calm. She grabbed a t-shirt from the drawer; light green and soft from years of wash and wear. She grabbed a pair of dark jeans to pair with. Not the prettiest of ensembles but it would do. This isn’t a date, she told herself. Stop fussing. “Good enough. It’s good enough,” she muttered to herself before digging through the top drawer and grabbing a much nicer set of bra and underwear than she would usually wear for a night in; she did not let herself think over long on the why of it. Not a date. Absolutely not a date.

 Spinning on her heel, she all but sprinted to the bathroom, set the water to as hot as she could stand, stripped, and climbed into the spray. She washed her hair and herself as quickly as she could, knowing that her time was running painfully short. Once clean she scrambled to her room, hair and body wrapped in towels, and worked frantically to dry and dress. She had just turned off the hair dryer, studying the results in her bedroom mirror, when she heard the tell-tale knock on her door.

 “Right,” she breathed, smoothing the front of her shirt down. “Now or never.”

 Next

[winterisakiller]

Love & Great Buildings - Chapter Thirteen

Chapter: 13/19

Character/Relationship: Tom Hiddleston/Rosemary Mathews (OFC)

Genre: Romance/Angst

Summary: Three years have passed and a chance encounter brings Tom and Rosie together again. Can time make any difference or are they doomed to repeat their mistakes.

Rating: T 

Author’s Notes/Warnings: This is part nine of Last Minutes and Lost Evenings. Many thanks to @redfoxwritesstuff  for listening to me ramble incessantly about  this story and being a sounding board when I needed it. You are a lifesaver, even if your stories break my heart. This chapter was initially MUCH longer, but after realizing that I needed to add an important happening to the end of the original chapter, I split it in two. 

This story and its preceding one-shots can be also be found on AO3 under the username winterisakiller (sparkinside)

Tag List: @tinchentitri @noplacelikehome77 @theheartofpenelope

Previous Chapter

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“So what you’re telling me, Rose, is that instead of our weekly girl’s night, you are opting to have him over instead?” Jules voice dripped with barely contained sarcasm.

Rosemary felt herself flush with guilt. This was horribly last minute and she did feel terrible leaving Jules in the lurch, but she desperately, and admittedly selfishly, wanted to spend what time she could with Tom before he was gone. And, she thought uncharitably, it’s not like she hasn’t ditched you for Nick in the past and at the absolute last minute. She rolled her eyes and rested her head against her upturned palm. This is not what I wanted today. Rosemary groaned internally and turned her attention back to her phone, resting beside her on the couch its speaker function on. She loved Jules. Loved her dearly. She was one of her fondest friends but dear god there were times…Lord, give me strength.

“Jules…” her voice trailed off in warning. “It’s just this week. We’ll be back on next week I promise you. It’s just…Tom, he’s...He’s off on his press tour…thing in two days and this is the only night he’s got free.” She paused before admitting, “I just want to spend time with him before he goes.”

When he had called her last night asking if she was free the following evening, wanting to try to get together at least before he left, she hadn’t hesitated. Of course she wanted to see him; wanted to spend what time she could with him. He’d been so busy the last week; between packing, various business commitments, and last minute organizing they hadn’t had any chance to really sit and talk. Not like they had in the weeks prior. And she’d missed it. Missed him.

It had only hit her early in the morning as she pushed her way into the crowded Underground carriage that having Tom come over meant that she would have to cancel on Jules. She’d selfishly held off as long as she reasonably could before calling, knowing that Jules would be less than thrilled. Well, she thought wryly, you certainly weren’t wrong.

There was a huff from the other end of the line. “Fine,” Jules all but pouted. “But you so owe me. And big time. I’m talking two maybe three meals worth. Oh and a nice bottle of red,” Jules added as an afterthought. She could practically hear the grin on Jules’ face. “A very nice bottle.”

“Seriously?” Rosemary chuckled as she ran a hand through her hair, noting that she would most certainly need to wash it that evening before Tom arrived. One more thing to add to the list. “You are ridiculous.”

Jules let out a short, loud bark of a laugh. “And yet you adore me. Funny that.”

“I question the logic of it every single day,” Rosemary fired in response, mirth lacing her tone.  

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah,” Jules intoned. “You keep saying that and yet here we are still friends.”

Rosemary rolled her eyes and groaned, “One of these days…”

Jules simply laughed in response; a warm, rich sound that pulled an unexpected answering laugh from Rosemary. When their laughter had fizzled out Jules let out a dramatic sigh and stated, “Since I’ve effectively been abandoned, I guess I’ll have to let you go now. I’ve got to call Nick and see if maybe he still loves me.”

“Such a drama queen,” Rosemary teased back. “Go on you, call your long-suffering fiancé and complain about what a horrid friend I am.” Both women laughed heartily at that. “Well off you go then. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Laters,” Jules echoed before she hung up. Well that’s one thing down.

Rosemary sighed and found herself glancing around her living room. It was neat enough, by her own standards; hell, it was clean enough that Jules wouldn’t so much as have batted an eye at the few stray pieces of clothing scattered about. But, she found herself fretting, would it be neat enough for Tom? She immediately shook her head at the thought.  It was ridiculous; she knew that with a dead certainty. He’d seen in flat in various states of disarray, especially when he would arrive at her door unannounced back from filming or promoting god knows where, and hadn’t cared in the slightest. She let out a low groan. She didn’t know why it mattered so much to her now. Or well, no, that was a lie; she knew all too well why it mattered and that had been half of the problem. “Mathews,” she hissed at herself, “get a grip.”

With a grunt of effort, she pushed herself up onto her feet and began to grab the bits and bobs that had slowly spread throughout the room since she’d last straightened it. Stray cardigans and magazines lined the backs and seats of chairs, various shoes and half-finished novels lay haphazardly by the doorway and the couch. In all honestly it was nothing really, but Rosemary knew there was no way she could just let it be. It would take virtually no time to straighten but at least this would give her something to do.

In the end it took all of fifteen minutes to straighten the room and, if the clock on her wall was to be believed, she still had a good six hours before Tom was due. Six hours to shower, dress, and make sure everything was in order. Six hours to get various snacks and drinks ready, and figure out dinner. Do I cook or play it safe and go with ordering in? She pondered, groaning at yet another uncertainty for the evening. Cook. I’ll make him something nice, especially since he won’t have chance for anything home cooked for a while.

Rosemary found herself almost regretting not staying longer than the short morning shift she’d pulled at the second Stories shop; she’d covered for Hanna, who’d had a doctor’s appointment. It had only been a few hours but she had taken great joy in the simple tasks that had been her life’s blood for so many years. She had enjoyed the quiet hustle that was setting up the shop for the days’ business, organizing the registers and various displays, making sure they were stocked with paper bags and receipt tape. The little day to day things she found she missed more and more now that they were no longer hers to fret over. They’d had a handful of customers during that time; she’d sold two books, three magazines, and a handful of newspapers. A solid start if she did say so herself. Not a bad start for a Thursday morning.

She briefly thought of calling Hanna and seeing if there was any need at the shop, even for an hour or so, but quickly dismissed the idea out of hand. Hiding at the shop was not the way for her to handle the nerves that had set up residence in her stomach at the thought of the evening ahead, nor was it conductive to actually making sure everything was in order. She’d done enough hiding and avoiding in the last few months, it did her little good. Better to face things head on. No matter how it wrecked her nerves.

“Right,” she murmured to herself and turned her attention to the cramped, but functional, kitchen. A quick survey of her pantry and fridge told her she was in desperate need of a shop. Especially if she wanted to cook a decent meal for Tom. For the both of us, she corrected, not letting herself think too much on it. With a decisive nod, she headed to the door, grabbing her keys and purse from the small table and headed out to face the warmth of the May late morning.  

As she walked, Rosemary mentally went down her shopping list; veg for roasting, crusty bread, potatoes, cream, possibly leeks, bacon, maybe a small chicken? She laughed softly at herself; going out of her way to impress by cooking rather than the typical takeaway. Not that Tom would have been overly bothered with takeaway. But she wanted to make this nice, wanted to put in the effort. And she steadfast refused to let herself think too much on the why of it. She was a decent cook and this wouldn’t be stretching her. Too much at least.  

The weather had been wonderfully warm during the day and she was glad to take full advantage of it when she could. And today was certainly no exception. The pavements were full of the usual early afternoon foot traffic; people lost in their own worlds, navigating the streets almost by instinct. She found herself observing as she made her way slowly down the few blocks that separated her flat from the nearest market.

The Waitrose was far less crowded than she’d expected with the weekend drawing so close. She grabbed a basket and began to wander her way slowly down the aisles. She enjoyed the almost peace she found in her wanderings. She’d always found grocery shopping relaxing, though she could not put a finger on exactly why. Something to do with seeking out the perfect pieces in order to make something wonderful with them later. She chuckled to herself. It sounded ludicrous even in her own mind, but still it made a strange sort of sense to her.

She took her time searching through the produce available, picking each piece with care. Wanting everything to be perfect. A small voice in the back of her mind told her she was being utterly ridiculous, putting in this much effort for what amounted to nothing more than a night in with a friend. They weren’t dating for heaven’s sake and Tom didn’t need all this fuss, wouldn’t want it, she knew that. But she couldn’t shake the need to want to impress him. She thought of, and quickly dismissed, the idea of calling Jules for advice as she would have in the past. The last thing she wanted was a lecture, as well intended as it might be. She would never let me hear the end of it.

With a groan, Rosemary dropped her head into her hands, half full basket tucked into the elbow of her bent arm. Maybe this isn’t the best idea I’ve ever had. She desperately needed to get a grip, and quickly. Right, she thought raising her head back up, this is just like any other night with a friend. Don’t go making a big deal out of it. Just get a few basics for the rest of the week and forget this mess. We can order a fucking curry and call it a night. He won’t hate you for not cooking for him, just relax and let it go. She took another deep breath and pulled herself upright. Resolved, she quickly finished her shopping and headed back into the warmth of the early afternoon.  

Rosemary was juggling the reusable bag of groceries on her arm while rifling through her purse for her keys when her phone started to ring. “Fuck,” she muttered aloud, her fingers finally brushing against the cool metal of her keys. She quickly pulled them out and unlocked the door, pushing it closed behind her with the ball of her foot. Her purse and groceries landed in a messy pile on the nearest chair as she scrambled to find, answer, and place her phone onto speaker before voicemail cut in. “Hello?” she growled in frustration after finally finding and answering the damned thing. God, I need a smaller bag, she snapped at herself. And less bloody stuff.

“Rosie,” Tom’s voice echoed in the room, slightly tinny with the distortion of the speakers.  “I wasn’t sure I was going to catch you. I…Is everything alright?” His voice was laced with concern as he carried on, seeming to have caught onto her less than cordial greeting. “I’ve not caught you at a bad time, have I?”

“No, no, no,” she reassured, brushing an errant strand of hair from her face where it had fallen from the messy bun she’d pulled it into prior to leaving her flat. “I just got in from the market. Had a bit of a fight trying to find my bleeding keys. They somehow managed to migrate to the very bottom of my purse. Again.” She let out a groan of frustration at that. She desperately needed a better organizational system for her bag. It was no better than a black hole at the best of times.

Tom’s laughter filled the room and she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face at the sound. “I take it you ultimately won that battle?”

“Just barely.” She reached down and gathered the shopping bag in her hand once more, making her way towards the kitchen. “So what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” Rosemary fought to ignore the unease that crept into her gut at the thought that Tom was calling to cancel their plans. She’d so been looking forward to having him to herself before he had to leave. It’s life, Rose. You aren’t the only thing in his life and you knew this going in. Deal with it and move on.

“I just wanted to see if there was anything you’d like me to bring for tonight.” Relief flooded through her at his words. He wasn’t cancelling. She felt ridiculous that she’d even allowed herself to entertain the notion. Tom paused, she could hear him clear his throat before continuing, “And to see if the six o’clock start time was set in stone.”

Her heart dropped again. No, she scolded herself. No. He’s still coming, don’t get yourself get so fucking worked up over him being late. He’s still coming. It’s fine. She busied her hands, putting her groceries away with a quick efficiency. The more she moved the less she would think, or god so she hoped.  “Oh, if you are going to be later that’s fine…”

“Oh no no no,” Tom blurted out in a rush, cutting Rosemary’s rambling off abruptly. “I’m not going to be late. I was…actually hoping to maybe come by earlier. If it’s not going to be putting you out.”

Rosemary laughed out loud despite herself at the hopeful uncertainty in his voice. It was almost soothing, the knowledge that she wasn’t the only one who seemed on edge and far too nervous. Once she’d placed the last package in its proper place, she moved back into the living room and began to pace back and forth. All of this nervous energy was going to be the death of her, she just knew it. She paused briefly at the window, looking down onto the crowded pavements at the people passing by. “Earlier is fine,” she reassured him. You’re still coming. “How much earlier are you thinking?”

There was a long pause before Tom spoke again, his words tinged with a nervous laughter. “Um, well not now,” he joked, nervous energy palpable even through the phone, “but maybe in the next few hours? If that is alright with you? I don’t want to put any stress on you or make you feel like you have to rush.” He rambled on in that adorable fashion that was so utterly him. God, he would be the death of her.

“That’s fine,” she reassured, wishing that she could reach through the phone and squeeze his hand. It was a silly impulse she wasn’t sure she wanted to check. “Just ring before you head over, okay?”

Tom chuckled, “Sure thing.” She could hear a rustling from the other end of the line. “Are you sure there’s nothing you need me to bring? I could always stop by the shops on my way…”

She found herself laughing at his rambling once more. “You don’t need to bring anything, Tom. Just yourself.”

He chuckled again at that. “I think I can handle that. I’ll talk to you later then, okay?”

“Alright,” she breathed and shortly thereafter the call disconnected. Alright, she told herself. Here we go.

It was quarter past three when the ringing of her phone broke through the loud whirl of the vacuum. With little else to do, Rosemary had spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning. The kitchen and bathroom where damn near spotless and her bedroom was neater than it had been in longer than she cared to think on; not that she expected him or anyone else to see it. Vacuuming the living room had been the last task on her list. That and then a quick shower and all she would have left to kill was time.

Quickly switching off the machine, she dived towards the coffee table, grabbing her phone deftly with one hand. She smiled as the screen flashed Tom’s name and swiping the screen to answer. “Hello you.”

Tom’s laughter filled her ear and sent a shiver down her spine. It floored her, the effect he had on her. How a word or, god, even his laugh could send her mind spiraling down paths she had no right to entertain. Not when she wasn’t completely sure what she wanted. Or well wasn’t sure she was willing to actually go after what she wanted. Maybe it was for the best he would be gone for a while. She could take the time to think, really think, about what she truly wanted and just what she was willing to do about it. Be completely certain before she decided either way. “…half an hour, give or take.”

Rosemary shook herself from her thoughts; her face flushing to what she was sure was a very bright red. He’d been talking, for god only knew how long, while she’d been wool gathering and she hadn’t heard a damned thing he’d said. “I’m sorry Tom, I honestly didn’t catch any of that,” she whispered. Even she could hear the embarrassment in her voice.

“You’re not listening to me, Darling?” She could easily hear the pout in his voice. “I’m crushed.” He laughed heartily before continuing. “As I was saying, I’m about to head into the station and catch the tube so I should be at yours in half an hour if all goes well.”

“Half an hour?” She parroted dumbly. “As in thirty minutes from now?”

There was a pause on the other end, “…Yes, that tends to be the definition of half an hour.” His voice was slower now, laced with confusion and concern. “Is that a problem?”

“No,” Rosemary forced out, rubbing her eyes with her free hand. She had maybe thirty minutes to shower and dress herself before he would at her door. Dammit all! “No its fine. I’ll see you in thirty minutes then.” She all but ran towards the bedroom, pulling open the nearest drawer and pilfering through its contents. Clothes, she needed to find the right clothes and then shower as quickly as she could. God, thirty minutes? That was nothing.

“Rosie, are you sure…” Tom’s voice cut through her panic and she realized with a start that she hadn’t hung up the phone. Great.

“Tom, its fine. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you soon. Okay?” She didn’t wait for his answer, merely hit the end button and tossed her phone onto the bed behind her. “What to wear, what to wear?” she hissed at herself, feeling all of her earlier tension and nerves reignite with a vengeance. “This shouldn’t be so bloody hard.”

Rosemary took a deep breath and forced herself to calm. She grabbed a t-shirt from the drawer; light green and soft from years of wash and wear. She grabbed a pair of dark jeans to pair with. Not the prettiest of ensembles but it would do. This isn’t a date, she told herself. Stop fussing. “Good enough. It’s good enough,” she muttered to herself before digging through the top drawer and grabbing a much nicer set of bra and underwear than she would usually wear for a night in; she did not let herself think over long on the why of it. Not a date. Absolutely not a date.

Spinning on her heel, she all but sprinted to the bathroom, set the water to as hot as she could stand, stripped, and climbed into the spray. She washed her hair and herself as quickly as she could, knowing that her time was running painfully short. Once clean she scrambled to her room, hair and body wrapped in towels, and worked frantically to dry and dress. She had just turned off the hair dryer, studying the results in her bedroom mirror, when she heard the tell-tale knock on her door.

“Right,” she breathed, smoothing the front of her shirt down. “Now or never.”

Next Chapter

[westakoasta]

P-MINUS - 2019

Where are you from? And what’s your first memories linked to hip hop?

I’ve lived all over - Belgium, Germany, Ohio, Missouri, the Virgin Islands, San Francisco, and now Los Angeles.  But I spent the most years, including high school and college, in Missouri, so I feel like that’s where “I’m from.”  I first remember hearing hip hop while living on St. Thomas (in the Virgin Islands) and the three songs that started me on this journey were “I Need Love,” by LL Cool J, “You Be Illin’” by Run-DMC and “Fight For Your Right To Party” by the Beastie Boys.  I must have heard them on the radio, so that would have been 1987 - the year of my hip hop birth.  In 1988, I moved back to Missouri and a neighbor of mine had a ton of rap tapes so I’d borrow his tapes all the time or listen to them in his car on the drive to school.  I believe that the first tape I ever bought was Schooly D’s “Smoke Some Kill” (1988).

What got you started with Atak Distribution, how and when did it begin?

Fast forward to 1994 - I had graduated from college, where I had been the Hip Hop Director at the school’s radio station, and moved to San Francisco where I began an internship at Gavin, a music magazine that curated Top 40 lists for radio programmers.  Somehow through that job, I met DJ Stef (editor of the Vinyl Exchange) and started writing record reviews for her.  And on one fateful day, I received a copy of Sacred Hoop’s “Demo” tape for review and I thought it was the freshest thing in the world and in 1996 I officially became an underground hip hop junkie.

Were you a hardcore music collector before you started Atak?

Before Atak, I had a decent cd and record collection, full of ‘90s “golden era” major label releases, but hardly any tapes and barely anything considered “indie” or “underground.”  Back then I wasn’t a collector, just a music fan, because all this incredible music was just sitting at the record stores for $12.99.  I shopped a lot at Amoeba and Rasputin’s and a few other smaller stores in the Bay area, plus a few record labels and artists would send me promos for review.

How did you choose what would be in your catalog? How did you make contacts with the artists?

Starting with Sacred Hoop, I was certain that this amazing group wasn’t getting the exposure it deserved, so the seeds of Atak were first planted.  I then started soliciting for more submissions through the Vinyl Exchange and some other Bay area rap magazines, such as 4080.  I think that the Hoop started spreading the word, too, because I soon started getting tapes from the likes of FTA, Megabusive, San Francisco Street Music, Jedi Knights Circle, 99th Demention and others from the South Bay and SF.  Somewhere in there, I met up with the Mystic Journeymen, bought some tapes from them, and was eventually exposed to Berkeley and Oakland artists such as the Living Legends, Hobo Junction, Zion-I and Illa Dapted.  If I liked your tape, it would get in the Atak catalog.  The first printed mail-order catalog had 12 tapes in it and the very first tape sold was Mystik Journeymen’s “Escape Forever” on August 10th, 1996.

Was the mail-order a full time job or did you have other occupations (studies, other job?)?

During the first few years I had several jobs: the Gavin internship became a paid job, I worked at a grocery store and then later at a vegetarian cafe.  Eventually, since my rent was cheap and I was starting to sell more music, I was able to do Atak full-time.  All the storage and shipping was done out of my bedroom.

Did you have many overseas/international customers and what role did that play in the business?

It looks like I started getting my first international orders (from Finland!) in 1997.  I don’t know how they found out about Atak, but they were serious fans of West Coast underground so word spreads fast amongst those folks.  Fans in Finland, Australia, Canada and Japan were my strongest supporters, with a few folks in France and Germany, too.  This was before I started selling online, so these folks were trusting me with their cash and money orders and I will be forever indebted to them.  Through these customers, I was exposed to international hip hop and eventually started selling music from the likes of Ceebrolistics, the Sebutones, mcenroe, Mary Joy Recordings, Muphin and the Hilltop Hoods.

What was the « peak » year in terms of sales and in terms of quality of music?

After a year or so of mailing out catalogs and setting up tables of merchandise at shows, Atak finally got online with the help of one of my earliest customers, Todd (aka Vic aka Celph Titled), who was extremely active on hip hop message boards, and he really helped spread the word around the U.S. and the world, so Atak started getting more non-Bay area music in the catalog and I started getting  orders from everywhere.  I think that the music quality was strong start to finish.  I was listening to everything before I put it in the catalog, and if it wasn’t dope, it didn’t get in.

Did you ever wanted to make Atak a bigger thing, like UGHH or such?

There was a time in which I would have loved for Atak to get really big, because it was all so much fun - all the shows, meeting the artists, hearing a ton of new music, even the packing and shipping was fun for me.  But in hindsight, it is clear that I was better at being a huge fan of the music rather than being a savvy businessperson.  At the point in which digital music started taking off, I didn’t have the technical knowhow to adjust accordingly, and a big part of me still simply loved selling physical copies.  As a fan, I didn’t want everything to go digital, but as a businessperson I should have dived in headfirst to keep up with the other big websites.  I admired what the other sites were doing, and what friends like Shane (aka Kegs) was doing with Below the Surface - putting out records, putting on shows, opening a brick-and-mortar storefront.  But part of me liked keeping things small and simple, but that clearly pushed me into smaller and more obscure corner of the online hip hop biz and eventually bumped me out of it altogether.

You did some cd-r reissues as well as a couple of mix-cds. Any temptation of launching a proper record label (as in: « new release, no reissue ») at some point?

I’d been wanting FOREVER to start a label and put out records!  I made a feeble attempt to put out an Atak compilation in the late ‘90s, full of all the folks that were in my catalog at the time.  I was able to get maybe 7-10 crews over to my house one night to talk about it, but since I had no idea how to really put it all together, I ended up getting one original song, from Nitrous Ox, out of that great big idea.  More recently, I’ve been hoping to help folks put out releases but nothing has materialized just yet.  Nowadays almost everyone is really good at getting this stuff done themselves, so I’m happy that they are taking control of their destinies and getting their music out to the world.

Can you give us your personal Top 5 favorites in your sale catalog? Also one that you think was dope and didn’t have the recognition it deserved?

In no particular order, I’ll list a few of my favorites, but I’m obligated to mention Sacred Hoop’s “Demo” (aka “Sacred Hoop” aka “Runny Poop”) first since that tape inspired everything.  I was also thrilled to be able to pick up indie music from the Hieroglyphics (“Hiero Oldies”)and Saafir (Hobo Junction’s “Limited Edition Compilation”) since I was such a fan of their major label stuff.  I really liked Red Tide’s “Rogue MCs” tape.  Disflex6’s self-titled debut (aka “1984”) was great.  The Kracken’s “Abstract & Cognac” left me wanting much more.  The Sebutones’ “50/50 Where It Counts” blew my mind!  Early stuff Dose One and Why? showed me that hip hop had no boundaries.  This is an extremely abbreviated favorites list - as I look back through my old catalogs, I realize that I loved them all.  It was all so new and so fresh and I think these artists all deserved more recognition than they got.  I’m glad that I could help expose them a bit but I wish I could have done a lot more.

Did you developed friendship with artists/crews over those years and do you have interesting stories/ anecdotes linked to that?

My anecdotal memory is terrible so I’ve sadly forgotten a ton of great stories, fantastic show moments and hilarious conversations.  Looking back, I should have kept a journal or taken a million photographs, because we all had so much fun and did so much back then.  But, luckily for me, I’ve been able to keep in touch with a few of my very favorite people, emcees Luke Sick (Sacred Hoop/Grand Invincible) and Roughneck Jihad (Third Sight), and producer Deeskee (who has probably produced more songs in the Atak catalog than anyone else).  And luckily for everyone else, all three of these guys are still making incredible music, more than 20 years after giving me tapes to review.  A few weeks ago I got to hang out with The Grouch for a bit and he gave me a copy of his “F...the Dumb” double vinyl, 20 years after I first sold that tape in the catalog.

Why (and when) did you stopped Atak?

Atak started to slow down around 2004.  I had recently moved from the Bay area down to Los Angeles, gotten married, bought a house, and started another job that was able to pay the bills more reliably.  I was still getting orders and submissions from new artists, but wasn’t able to give Atak the focus it required to really push new artists and releases.  I didn’t have time to go to many shows anymore, and all my hip hop buddies were still up in the Bay.  I had ambitions to reboot the website, but then my web host got hacked and I had to shut down the site...and then I never got it back online.  I eventually moved my inventory onto some other online platforms and kept selling, but for the most part, Atak was done.  I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to the artists who submitted music around this time.  I was getting some great music but just didn’t have juice to do anything with it.

Any thoughts on the evolution of hip hop? What about the the come back of the cassette? Is it possible that Atak would make a comeback in the future, in some form or another?

Tough question, because I don’t keep up with much truly “underground” music anymore, so I really hope that there are a ton of dope kids putting out dope music out there, and I’m sure there are plenty of them.  I love 90’s hip hop so much, both major label and my Atak stuff, that that is what I still listen to the most, digging in my records, tapes and cds or bumping music in my car.  I agree with most true heads that a lot of today’s hip hop is junk, and though I’m happy to see rappers get big and make money, I’d much rather that it be good, original and compelling hip hop.  I’m stoked to see everyone buying and releasing tapes again, because of my love for the physical copy (though I agree that a free or cheap digital download is an essential part of that sale).  And in regards to Atak’s great big comeback, I don’t think it will happen - it would require too much time and energy to do it right.  But if I can still help out a few people, promote a few records, maybe even sell a few for my old pals, I’m happy to contribute.

A specific question from the homie Age: do you still want to reissue that Hi-State album?

I bugged my man Mr. E about that tape FOREVER and at least he finally put it up on Bandcamp (https://eightarrow.bandcamp.com/album/hi-state-project-demos-n-shit-vol-1) and we chatted about putting out a cassette reissue.  I’m sure he wouldn’t have much trouble selling a short run of 100 tapes, so I’ll remind him about it.  But I’m happy that fans can at least take a listen or buy it online.

What do you think was the most special in the 90's underground scene, and do you believe something like that would ever happen again?

I’ve never really tried to analyze that scene, but in retrospect, I bet that a lot of these emcees, producers and deejays were inspired by all the incredible major label releases that kept pouring out in that decade.  So much quality hip hop was coming out and it was easy to see on “Yo! MTV Raps” and BET and the good stuff was even getting on the radio!  It was everywhere and it was so damn good!  I’m sure that these kids just wanted to be a part of that magical time, and a lot of the underground music was super fresh, too, because it wasn’t easy to make beats and put out cds - they had to commit to it and create a whole scene and they had to be dope to do it.  Granted, I’m a old nostalgic rap dude now, but I don’t think the major or the underground scene will ever be that saturated with fantastically innovative, powerful, creative and inspired hip hop.  Nowadays there isn’t enough inspiration in the scene for there to be an onslaught of great new hip hop like there was for me back in the days.  There will always be a lucky few who can inspire themselves to be original and make great music, and hopefully these kids will get a chance to be heard.

Interview conducted by Kaliyuga Pro & Pseudzero with a bonus cameo by Age, february 2019.

[thehifiproject]

1989: a vintage year for classic albums

What was in the water 30 years ago? Today, in 2019, a surprising number of artists and bands are celebrating the 30th anniversary of some of their greatest albums. Sure, 1988 and 1990 have their fair share of significant releases, but 1989 was a stonker of a year. 

Read on to discover our favourite ‘Big Albums’ from 1989.

The decedent 80s drew to a close with landmark releases across all genres. The ‘second summer of love’ had pushed dance music and rave culture into the mainstream, whilst indie guitar upstarts suddenly found themselves playlisted on daytime Radio One. As these contrasting acts rubbed shoulders on TOTP and across NOW compilations, influences began to cross-pollinate, lighting the touch paper for Madchester and beyond.

In the studio, samplers and digital recording kit had become more affordable. Artists could realise ideas without the mortgage-scale budgets of the Fairlight pioneers earlier in the decade (Bush, Gabriel, Horn, Clarke et al).

At home, the CD format was firmly established but still in its infancy compared to its dominance in the late-90s. Cassette tapes sold more than vinyl in 1989, mainly driven by the US market. 1989 was also the year Comet Group bought up all 31 branches of the Laskys hi-fi chain – remember Laskys? You could still buy hi-fi separates in stores like Boots, but the masses mainly wanted neater ‘stack’ or ‘midi’ systems from brands like Aiwa, Kenwood, Technics and Sony.

So, what were we playing on these systems?

If we squint our rose-tinted vision just beyond hits by Jive Bunny, Kylie & Jason and, ugh, Band Aid II, 1989 offers a plethora of genre-defining debut LPs alongside creative peaks from established artists.

Before I ruffle anyone’s feathers, I admit this is a totally subjective piece. I have not been studying sales figures or cross-referencing reviews in Q Magazine, but many ‘89 albums pop up in the ‘Top 10’ lists of Pitchfork, NME or Rolling Stone etc, and they’re frequently referenced as key influences by artists and producers today.

Here’s a selection of my favourites. It’s by no means exhaustive.

Which albums were you cueing up on your Technics linear-tracking deck in 1989, and what type of TDK tape were you recording them onto?

Let us know in the comments.

1. The Cure – Disintegration

Last week the band completed a five-night run of gigs at Sydney Opera House, celebrating 30 years since the release of their landmark Disintegration album. No doubt many of its tracks will also feature when they headline Glastonbury this summer.

I was a big Cure fan as a teenager. I nipped out of school at lunchtime to buy Disintegration on the day it was released. It was a hot, sunny day and I drew the curtains to listen in the dark.

2. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses

Before Spike Island or even Fool’s Gold, 1989 introduced us to this genre-defining eponymous Mancunian debut. Nothing quite chimes and grooves like the Roses’ early output and its unrivalled sing-along nostalgia.

3. De La Soul – Three Feet High & Rising

Rhymes, skits and daisies. This funky and humorous collage of samples from the NY trio has been referred to as “genius”, “a hip-hop masterpiece”. It was reissued by Vinyl Me, Please as a double LP in their Essential series earlier this year.

4. Kate Bush – The Sensual World

How do you follow a career-defining work like Hounds of Love? It seems you turn inwards, re-write the closing passages of Ulysses and employ a Bulgarian male choir. You also deliver one of the most heart-breaking performances committed to tape in This Woman’s Work.

The Sensual World may not reach the heights of its predecessor (it was one of the albums Kate reworked significantly for the Director’s Cut project), but it remains a convincing release from such an enigmatic creative talent. It earned her Brit Award nominations for both Best Album and Best Producer.

5. New Order – Technique

Ibiza, Factory, The Hacienda, ecstasy, even sheep sound effects. The stories behind this album have sold thousands of books for each member of the band. It was their first LP to reach No 1 in the UK and still sounds magnificent today.

6. Tears For Fears – The Seeds Of Love

The band’s third studio album took almost two years and £1million to make. Considering the hugely successful Songs From The Big Chair cost nearer £70,000, this could have led to the end of their record contract and career! Luckily, they had the chutzpah to see it through. Seeds reached No 1 in the UK and achieved platinum status in numerous territories across the globe.

Sadly, the album took its toll on Orzabal and Smith’s relationship. It was the last one they could work on together for over a decade.

Immaculately produced, the album features many established session players (including Phil Collins on drums, who himself released But Seriously… in 1989), but is most noted for introducing the world to the voice of Oleta Adams.

7. Neneh Cherry – Raw Like Sushi

If you came to Raw Like Sushiexpecting nine more tracks like the huge hit Buffalo Stance, you would have been disappointed. The album stood out for its range of styles and depth of influence. When you reflect on Cherry’s debut as an album envision by a ‘musician/artist’, rather than fronted by the ‘rapper/singer’ Buffalo Stancesuggests, it’s no surprise that she is still recording and performing today.

8. Pixies – Doolittle

Back in the late 80s, nothing else sounded quite like The Pixies. With their second full-length, the band perfected their loud-quiet-loud pop blast, offering up a key blueprint for Nirvana’s looming commercial breakthrough Nevermind.

9. Tom Petty – Full Moon Forever

Louder Sound describes Petty’s ’89 release as“a remarkably consistent collection of wonderfully constructed rootsy rock songs. Petty teams up with ELO guru and fellow Travelling Wilbury Jeff Lynne, who does an immaculate production job as well as co-writing the album’s standout tracks, Free Fallin’ and I Won’t Back Down.”

10. Soul II Soul – Club Classics Vol 1

In the summer of 1989, the single Back To Life and its accompanying MTV-friendly video took Soul II Soul’s London slant on R&B/Soul around the world. The album goes deeper (Back To Life features only as an acapella) but brings underground club vibes to the mainstream, going triple-platinum in the UK and Top 20 in the US (No 1 in the R&B chart).

“A happy face, a thumping bass for a loving race.”

11. Paul’s Boutique

Sorry! I couldn’t keep this list to just ten albums! The Beasties’ now-beloved second album was considered a flop at the time, but, in the ensuing years, has been embraced as a landmark of sample-based hip-hop.

The Best Of The Rest

It doesn’t stop there. The list of landmark 1989 albums rolls and rolls.

What have we missed in the list below?

10,000 Maniacs, Blind Man’s Zoo

Elvis Costello, Spike

NWA, Straight Outta Compton

Tracy Chapman, Crossroads

Eurythmics, We Too Are One

Simply Red, A New Flame

Ian McCulloch, Candleland

Lenny Kravitz, Let Love Rule

The Beautiful South, Welcome to the Beautiful South

The Jesus and Mary Chain, Automatic

Nirvana, Bleach

The B-52s, Cosmic Thing

Queen, The Miracle

Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Mother’s Milk

Lou Reed, New York

The Cult, Sonic Temple

The The, Mind Bomb

The Wedding Present, Bizarro

Pop Will Eat Itself, This Is the Day…This Is the Hour…This Is This!

Throwing Muses, Hunkpapa

The Wonder Stuff, Hup

Julee Cruise, Floating into the Night

Simple Minds, Street Fighting Years

The Primitives, Pure

Jesus Jones, Liquidizer

Tin Machine, Tin Machine

Kirsty MacColl, Kite

808 State, 90

Kitchens of Distinction, Love is Hell

[rockrageradio]

MEGADETH AND HEAVY METAL ANNOUNCE GRAPHIC NOVEL AND ALBUM RELEASE

EXCLUSIVE COLLABORATION TO COINCIDE

WITH RELEASE OF MEGADETH’S 35thANNIVERSARY COLLECTION, ‘WARHEADS ON FOREHEADS’

LOS ANGELES CA, March 8, 2019 –This year marks the 35th anniversary of Megadeth, to which the band is set to release their ultimate greatest hits compilation, WARHEADS ON FOREHEADS, on March 22. To further celebrate this, MEGADETH has partnered with premiere comics publisher, HEAVY METAL, to create the ultimate fan experience with a 350-page anthology of comic stories inspired by all the songs on the album. The collaboration, titled DEATH BY DESIGN, features stories written and illustrated by top talent from comics, film, television and music and will be available worldwide at retailers everywhere on June 5, 2019.

The project, carefully curated by DAVE MUSTAINE and HEAVY METAL, is a powerful book that gives both insight and understanding into the universe of MEGADETH and its harrowed mascot, VIC RATTLEHEAD.

MEGADETH, working in close collaboration with HEAVY METAL, has collected an unprecedented pool of talent for MEGADETH: DEATH BY DESIGN– making it any comic book or MEGADETH fan’s dream. Brendan Small (creator of Metalocalypse) teams with Belen Ortega (Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) for Hangar 18. Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts And Where To find Them) writes an apocalyptic tale insanely drawn by Andy Belanger (Southern Cross) for Rattlehead. An A-list talent pool rounds out the roster featuring Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash), Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), Brian Wood (DMZ), Justin Jordan & John Bivens (Spread), Leah Moore & John Reppion (Judge Dredd), Joe Keatingue (Popgun), Christine Larsen (Holy Diver), Frazier Irving (Annihilator) and more than 50 other talented creators.

Says Dave Mustaine: “I have always fantasized about MEGADETH doing something this gloriously electrifying and gruesome. I hope everyone will enjoy the graphic novel as much as I enjoyed working with HEAVY METAL to put it together for you.”

Jeff Krelitz, CEO of HEAVY METAL said “Since I was old enough to buy records, MEGADETH has been one of my favorite bands, not only for the great storytelling in the music, but the world building imagery on the album covers. This opportunity to meld the two world together and tell stories inspired by their songs is a privilege that we are excited to present to the fans.”

The MEGADETH: DEATH BY DESIGN 350-page graphic novel will be presented in a 12.25”x12.25” prestige “album” format and comes in 4 different collector’s editions:

Leather bound slipcase edition with 4-clear vinyl set of WARHEADS ON FOREHEADSand DEATH BY DESIGN graphic novel signed by Dave Mustaine. Pre-order here: https://shop.heavymetal.com​

FYE Exclusive Leather bound slipcase edition with 4-clear vinyl set of WARHEADS ON FOREHEADSand DEATH BY DESIGN graphic novel signed by Dave Mustaine. Will be available at FYE retail outlets

Leather bound slipcase edition with 4-clear vinyl set of WARHEADS ON FOREHEADSand DEATH BY DESIGN graphic novel. Pre-order here: https://megadethshop.com/collections/graphic-novels

Standard hardcover edition of DEATH BY DESIGN graphic novel. Pre-order here: https://megadethshop.com/collections/graphic-novels

MEGADETH began In 1984, when Dave Mustaine was determined to start a new band that would be heavier and faster than his peers. Mustaine’s songwriting was rapidly maturing, and he set about combining the attitude and energy of punk, with the power and intricate riffing of metal, along with direct, sociopolitical lyrical content. With David Ellefson on bass and Gar Samuelson on drums, the band recorded their infamous 3-song demo which quickly circulated through the underground tape-trading circuit and became an underground hit leading to a deal with Combat Records.

MEGADETH was quickly signed by Capitol Records and released their 1986 major label debut Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?, which became the band’s first certified gold record and would go on to become MEGADETH’s first platinum selling release. Featured on Warheads On Foreheads are “The Conjuring” and the track “Good Mourning/Black Friday” which Pitchfork describes as “everything great about hardcore, plus a dose of the kind of show-off skill that makes lesser musicians' fingers bleed.” Other songs included are “In My Darkest Hour” from their platinum selling So Far, So Good, So What! (1988), “Hanger 18” and “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” from their GRAMMY® nominated, platinum album Rust In Peace (1990), and “Symphony of Destruction” and “Sweating Bullets” from their 1992 GRAMMY® nominated, double platinum release Countdown To Extinction. Also featured are “A Tout Le Monde” and “Reckoning Day” from their 1994 platinum selling release Youthanasia, “Kingmaker” from their 2013 Top Ten release Super Collider, which hit No. 3 on both the Hard Rock Albums and Top Rock Albums charts, “She-Wolf” from the GRAMMY® nominated, Top Ten release Cryptic Writings (1997) and the title track from the band’s last album Dystopia.

Upon its release in 2016, Dystopiareasserted MEGADETH’s place at the top of the metal world, equaling the chart impact of their early nineties output, earning the band their first GRAMMY®, as well as rave reviews (The Guardian gave it five out of five stars and stated “Dystopia is an absolutely blistering return to the state-of-the-art bombast and refined technicality.”)

Warheads On Foreheads starts at that beginning with the early thrashers “Rattlehead” and “Mechanix” from the band’s 1985 debut Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good, an album that would lay down the blueprint and establish MEGADETH as forerunners of what would later be called Thrash Metal (and recently hailed by VH1 as the Greatest Thrash Metal Debut of All Time).

MEGADETH burst onto the scene thirty five years ago, virtually inventing a genre and selling more than 38 million albums worldwide, earning numerous accolades including a 2017 GRAMMY® Award for “Best Metal Performance” for the title track “Dystopia,” 12 GRAMMY® nominations, and scoring five consecutive platinum albums. With sheer determination and a relentless recording and touring schedule, MEGADETH worked their way up from headlining clubs to headlining arenas, festival and stadiums, cementing a legacy that continues to grow and spread throughout the world.

Heavy Metal began as an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known for its iconic blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and horror. Now in it’s 42ndyear of publication, Heavy Metal is the fourth oldest American comics publisher, and some of the greatest European and American comic book writers and artists in history have appeared in this legendary publication’s pages, Since the magazine’s inception in 1977, the Heavy Metal banner has been seen in video games, television, and two animated feature films. In 2015, the brand established acclaimed comic book writer Grant Morrison as it's Editor-in-Chief, and launched it’s first-ever line of traditional monthly American comics. Shortly after, Heavy Metal began partnerships with top bands in the space, publishing the highly successful, Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast and the graphic novel adaption on Nikki Sixx’s autobiographical journey, The Heroin Diaries. Since then, the band has worked with Ozzy Osborne, Marylin Manson, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Motley Crue and many more. The brand is overseen by Publisher Kevin Eastman, COO Paul Reder and CEO Jeff Krelitz.

#soundcheckwithgentry #megadeth #metal #heavymetal #thrashmetal #hardrock #rock #rockmusic #heavymetalmagazine #turnitup #rockrageradio #rockisNOTdead #listenloud

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: The Feelies’ Stanley Demeski

Forty years ago, some young men from Haledon New Jersey started a rock band named after an Aldous Huxley reference. The Feelies shared influences (the Stooges, the Modern Lovers, the Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones) and ultimately stages with the punk bands that played at CBGBs and other clubs across the river in New York, but never a sound. Their white-knuckled guitar rave-ups propelled terse tales of suburban anxiety and musical transcendence stood out from the rest of the Stiff Records line-up at least as much as the fact that they were American and the rest of the line-up wasn’t. After their first LP Crazy Rhythms the rhythm section quit and guitarists Glenn Mercer and Bill Millions recruited drummer Stanley Demeski, percussionist Dave Weckerman, and bassist Brenda Sauter, who have been with the Feelies ever since. Since Feelies time encompasses long dormant phases, Demeski, who provides our Listed today, has also had time for stints in Luna, Speed The Plough, Winter Hours, and East Of Venus. The Feelies just released In Between, their first album in six years; Bill Meyer’s review of it for Dusted notes, “The Feelies may tell small tales and play like they’re living in them, but it all rings true.”

Demeski had this to say about his list: I’ve done these before, mostly on stupid Facebook, so I’ll use the “10 LP’s that influenced my playing and general taste in music” theme for this one. I’m going to try to go in chronological order.

1. The Beatles – Beatles ‘65

I was born in 1960 and I had 2 older siblings. My brother was 6 years older than me and my sister was 5 years older, so my sister got to experience Beatlemania pretty well. She had the “I Want To Hold Your Hand” 45 and various others but this was the 1st Beatle LP in our house. The UK version is my favorite Beatles LP. It’s really the first time I got to hear Ringo play in various styles. Some of the lessons learned here: Rim Shots rule, keep steady time and consistent volume, and be careful how you use the cymbal “wash”. I rarely use it but when Ringo did it usually sounded great. This LP was probably also my first exposure to Chuck Berry and maybe Carl Perkins too, but I think Elvis's version of “Blue Suede Shoes” may have been around our house since my mom is a big Elvis fan.

2. The Rolling Stones – Through the Past, Darkly

I started to think I should play drums somewhere during my 3rd grade school year. They had an “introduction to concert band instruments” program and the poster that showed the snare drum sold me on it. And cowbells really caught my ear. Around the summer of 1969 you had “Spinning Wheel” by Blood, Sweat and Tears, “Down on the Corner” by Creedence Clearwater Revival and “Honky Tonk Women” by the Rolling Stones all featuring cowbell. The last song is the one that really put me over the top. As soon as I got a drum set a few years later, the first addition was a cowbell. And I got this LP and played along to it as much as possible. To this day I pretty much play the drum fills from “Dandelion” over and over in my playing. One of my biggest drum tributes is I took the drum intro to “Honky Tonk Women” and used it in a song on the 3rd Luna LP. Not the cowbell intro, the part where the actual drum set comes in. I though it was real obvious. No one's ever noticed it.

3. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory

I got this pretty close to when it came out. In those days there were usually local record stores and I got this at one. It has several hits, expanded jams, and no filler in my opinion, plus some cowbell thrown in for good measure. Doug Clifford is another huge influence on me. Great drum sound, perfect time and feel, and again, the source of many of the drum fills I use in my playing. “Again Today” from Feelies LP #5 is my tribute to Mr. Clifford. The feel I play is all his, channeled through me to the best of my abilities.

4. The Doors – 13 / LA Woman

I kind of have to pair these up. I always loved the Doors singles on the radio. When “LA Woman” was current I think it was around the same time Jim Morrison died and they probably put out the 13 greatest hits collection to capitalize on that event as well. This was right around the time I was first starting to be able to actually play simple beats on the drum set. My mom took a friend and I on a day trip to Seaside Heights NJ one Sunday early in the fall that year. It was officially off-season but many stands were still open and I won both of these LP’s on one of those “spin the wheel” stands. I spent a lot of time learning various feels, fills and just beats in general from these two records. John Densmore is still one of my favorite drummers in spite of getting a bit creeped out by some of his statements from his first book. Many of my younger bandmates and just fellow music people hate the band and I can understand having problems with the “poetry” stuff. I love The Doors. Honorable mention would be The Matrix Tapes but I didn’t get my 1st boot of those shows until about 4 years later.

5. Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Lick My Decals Off, Baby

This was a real eye opener. I guess it was early 1972 or so and my older brother and some of his friends came home from high school and started paying records. One of his friends insisted I hear this. Well, it was different to say the least. One of the things it really showed me was you didn’t have to play conventional drum parts. Sure, I couldn’t tell what they were playing but it opened up the possibilities. It features not one but two of my favorite drummers. I was home “sick” from school shortly afterwards and my mom announced she was going to the store and I asked her to buy it for me. To my surprise, she did. 

6. Lou Reed – Transformer

My friend’s older brother played this for us on the first really good stereo system I ever heard, shortly after it came out. I was vaguely familiar with Lou and the Velvet Underground a little before this but this was my first official exposure. Not only did it sound great hi-fi wise but the subject matter and attitude were very new to me. And very eye-opening since I was 12 or 13. It made me start buying his following LPs and led me to the VU.

7. Iggy and The Stooges – Raw Power

I got this pretty close to when it came out but I do remember passing it up several times. My mom was big on “going to the store” and I spent a lot of time in department stores during my childhood and early teen years. I kept spotting this at the record department at Two Guys department store in Harrison NJ (though we always called it Two Guys in Kearney, the town Harrison bordered). Anyway one night she dragged me there, I wandered over to the record department and decided it was time. It was pretty different than most music I had heard up until then and it’s not my favorite Stooges LP (I prefer the psychedelic Stooges to the heavy metal Stooges). But it rocked in an ever increasingly mellow early 70’s, it was menacing and they sounded like the “meant it” which was missing from much of the current rock music of that time. I wish the drums were louder. And on the UK cassette mix my friend introduced me to years later, they are.

8. The New York Dolls – New York Dolls

I got this pretty soon after if came out. It did take awhile to sink in, I think partly because I’m not a real fan of the Johnny Thunders kind of heavy metal guitar sound and at the time I thought David Johansen was just imitating Mick Jagger. It also seemed like real simple music at a time when prog rock was big. But what really changed my mind was when I tried to play along to it. It was not an easy task. After that I became a huge Jerry Nolan fan, so much so that I pretty much played his drum part for “Vietnamese Baby” for a song on Here Before. Now I think of this as a near perfect record.

9. Roxy Music – Stranded / Brian Eno – Here Come the Warm Jets

I have to pair these up too. I think of them almost as volumes 1&2 of the same LP. I got Stranded shortly after I graduated 8th grade so it will alway be a summer LP to me. I think I got the Eno LP that fall so same thing, different season for that LP. I became a huge Paul Thompson fan due to these 2 LPs as well as a Phil Manzanera fan. These 2 LPs made me feel there was still some hope for rock music to be new, interesting and exciting. Paul Thompson is kind of a John Bonham type drummer playing music that’s fun.

10. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico

I got this the summer between 8th grade and high school too. It was a pivotal time for me to say the least. Most people my age were listening to Bowie at best but I kind of dismissed him until Low. I was probably the only kid in my freshman class who had this for better or worse. It’s another example of realizing you don’t have to play standard drum beats. It made me appreciate repetition and simplicity. Years later when band #2 opened for them I finally got to see what Maureen Tucker played on those songs.

11. The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers

I got this as soon as it came out too, mostly because they kept on hyping the “pending release” of it in Creem magazine. I could, and still do, really identify with the suburban life subject matter, and having a positive feeling about the past but not wanting to live in it. I’ve met all the original band members with the exception of, ironically, David Robinson, and John Felice if you want to include him. There’s still time. Another record I consider to be perfect.

12. Television – Marquee Moon

Another LP I waited to be released due to the hype in Creem magazine and got as soon as I could. I was 16 at the time, we’re talking the height of a boring music era and this was exactly what I needed. It was around this time when I started thinking I needed to play original music rather than slag it out in cover bands. It was a few years until I actually did, but this was the big motivator. They were from NY (so pretty local since I’m from Northern NJ), they looked like rock stars but not in a “pretty” way, and it was high-energy guitar based rock music. Billy Ficca is one of the greatest drummers ever and while I can’t play like him he’s given me a large amount of inspiration.

[cathouseofhorrors]

Everyone is posting albums from high school that influenced their lives. I'm gonna one up you and post MOVIES instead... Let's take a time machine back to the years 1990-1994 and peer into the brainscape of young Guy Slimey: (Writing this list made me realize just how entrenched VHS culture has always been in my life. Back in the pre-internet days, when you would see an ad some guy posted in the back of GOREZONE or something and you'd send him an envelope and he'd send you a xeroxed list of a thousand different movies, hong kong action shit and weird porn and Ed Wood-type stuff, and all you'd have to do was send a couple of blank tapes and a fiver and maybe a movie or two to trade, and that's how you found out about good movies.)

1. BLUE VELVET - I saved up good money from my job at Hardee's just to buy this movie on VHS from the local Suncoast Pictures. I probably exposed my younger siblings to this masterpiece fifty or sixty times over the span of three years. That's good brothering!

2. HARDWARE - Still my favorite low-budget sci-fi movie. Hazy and grimy and psychedelic and hilarious. I had read an interview with Richard Stanley in Fangoria magazine and was intrigued when it finally hit Cinemax. The movie that turned me on to both PIL and Ministry. Teenage Me jerked off to the sex scene in this movie more times than I've drawn breath.

3. DESIRE & HELL AT SUNSET MOTEL - Twin Peaks happened when I was in high school, and of course I was obsessed with it. So when this movie turned up in the cable guide described as "Lynchian" and had THE Sherilyn Fenn listed as a cast member, I knew I had to see it. It's fucking terrible, but it was the first time I was ever exposed to Paul Bartel, who was a major influence later in my life.

4. RESERVOIR DOGS - The first "art" film I ever saw in a theater. It didn't screen in Topeka, where I grew up, so I actually had to convince someone to drive me to Lawrence and see it at Liberty Hall with me. I felt pretty smart being the only guy in school who knew about Quentin Tarantino. Of course, now every fratboy in America has one of his posters up in their room, so what the fuck.

5. DEAD ALIVE - The first movie I ever tripped acid to. That lawn mower scene has been seared into my brain forever. Between this and MEET THE FEEBLES, Peter Jackson was my favorite director for a while. Now he's basically movie kryptonite for me.

6. THE CROW - Fuck yeah, The Crow. I used to be able to quote this movie by heart. The first time I completely, unashamedly, openly loved a movie that was total fucking garbage.

7. DRUGSTORE COWBOY - Another late-night Cinemax mainstay. They used to do a thing called "Vanguard Cinema" where they would screen blocks of contemporary foreign and independent movies. so this was usually sandwiched between stuff like TIE ME UP! TIE ME DOWN! and THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE, AND HER LOVER. Touchstone for several future loves: William Burroughs, loud vintage shirts, and needle drugs.

8. RE-ANIMATOR - A friend of mine-- who later went upriver for chopping a dude up with an axe-- loaned me a vhs of "underground" vampire movies he'd ordered from one of those old tape-trading lists (I'm pretty sure one of them was DARKNESS, that rad super-8 gorefest shot in Wichita, KS), and whoever made him the tape had accidentally copied over RE-ANIMATOR. The last fifteen minutes or so popped up at the end of the tape, about when the intestines burst to life and begin choking Dr. West in the morgue. Another trip to Suncoast! I've owned more versions of this movie on various formats than any other flick in my collection, except for maybe RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD.

9. HEATHERS - I don't even need to explain this one. Still one of my favorite movies. My daughter discovered this one independent of my influence. Great taste runs in the family.

10. AKIRA - Back in those days the best way to get this movie was to order it from the back of a fanzine or hope that someone at the comic store would sell you a VHS boot. A buddy of mine-- who later got his ass shot off in the Middle East-- gifted me a fifth-or-sixth generation copy, along with a dub of Queensryche's OPERATION MINDCRIME. That was the most metal summer of my life.

Runner Ups on this list: Blade Runner, Liquid Sky, Hard Boiled, Parents, True Romance, and Vampire's Kiss, of course.

[researchpaperwritingservicesus]

Pornography is degrading towards women essay

essay field of study:\n\nThe ability of filth to stir the potent perspective towards wowork force.\n\n set approximately Questions:\n\nHow is the masculine population influenced by versedly ruddy heart and soul in magazines, flick and smut?\n\nDoes filth change the young-begetting(prenominal) location towards wo compositionpower?\n\nWhat is the attiture of the guild towards crock\n\nThesis State custodyt:\n\n filth is a kind of ethnical sadism where wo manpower frame the dupes of force- pop out and rape.\n\n \n smuto is corrupting towards wo hands essay\n\n\nEssay Outline:\no creation\no Sexu on the wholey crazy topic in magazines, goggle box and net filth\no smut and handss spatial relation towards women\no Is lampblack degrading towards women?\no Should lodge be a illegalize?\no determination\n \n groundwork\nThe word soot has instanced a lot of arguments lately. Some people think that obscenity is good, slightly think it i s bad and whatsoever simple do non know what to think for they do non completely learn what is the exact definition of vulgarism. soot, harmonise to a famous womens rightist Andrea Dworkin is actually a quite a knowledgeablely explicit control of women(Dworkin,1993). A lot of people, and e peculiar(prenominal)ly women, believe that the very stub of filth is the humiliation of the fair finishs dignity. It is interesting to peak that the location towards smut fungus with the braceual activity of the respondent. So, once again, besides the ethics issue, it is all nearly men arguing with women. hands execute to defend soot from the need of women to ban it absolutely. smut fungus is a kind of cultural sadism where women execute the victims of fierceness and rape. It goes without verbalize that the find out of a womilitary someonenel is abasement owing to this phenomenon. It is accreditedly grievous to imagine a man respecting a cleaning lady and tactu al sensation a thrill of merriment exactly macrocosm near to her after having spent old age watching how women come rouseual encounters with several men, animals and opposite virtuously defective manifestations. Whether it is a perversion or non is not even the issue. The issue is that the split second these films vary being undetermined to large audience they start hurting the chasteity of the rescript and degrade the mens attitude towards women. So, should it be verboten?\nSexually violent heart and soul in different types of pornography\nThe most well cognise magazines illustrating nude fe potent bodies such(prenominal) as Playboy or Penthouse correspond to the Miller cadence of obscenity and thitherfore be portion outed to be purloin . Indeed, they have no topic to do with cozy force-out upon women, and ar aimed at showing the lulu of the womens bodies and thence argon erotically oriented. The underground even offers a wide kitchen range of pornogr aphy magazines with inappropriate pictures including violent behavior towards women and embarrassing headings . lampblack videotapes atomic number 18 popular and useable as they have never been before or whitethorn be as well called bag pornography. Such video pornography is usually interchange or rented and often hold extra-violent tapes where women argon hurt by being penetrated by diseased objects, looted, and forced to do humble occasions. So, basically saying, the tapes include entirely illegal acts of a informal character. In such tapes women ar depicted as raise objects for the satisfaction of mens primitive cozy require and entrained into degenerate conversations. Such hard essence pornography shows women being raped by several men or even beaten.\nIt comes as no surprise that there be even pornography motion pictures having the NC-17 rating and TV pornography that is on special pornography channels on cable television. And the worst thing is that such c hannels be almost never criminalise and may contain any(prenominal) type of force play. Internet pornography is a separate case for it has everything listed above. Cyber-porn offers online gender chats, pictures, movies and even online sex acts. The severity of Internet porn is horrifying. There is something for any distorted mind and the caliber of delirium increases from site to site and the content even includes inside deviations with children .\n smut fungus and mens attitude towards women\nAccording to the psychological regularities the play of being exposed to forcefulness causes aggressive behavior. According to the psychologist Edward Donnerstein, pornography can truly cause anti-social behavior and aggressive attitude towards women. The most terrifying thing is that exposure to pornography causes men to be indifferent to the facts of women being raped of forced to sex (Donnerstein, 1981). It also causes the trivialization of rape and therefore violence croak c ustomary for a potent viewer. Men learn that forcing a cleaning woman to do anything familiar is appropriate . The negative shift in mens attitude towards women is obvious. Women lose their value as mortalalities and become inner objects for men, that consider forcing women to sexual encounters to be norm of behavior. Womens tree trunk has become a thing, an object, a tool to achieve sexual satisfaction in any violated forms even without her authority to do it. The mens attitude towards women changes and embitters. The major pornographys harm in the context of changing attitude towards females is that it destroys the tender ties of family relations: prevents new-sprung(prenominal) families from appearing and demolishes the existing ones.\n\nIs pornography degrading towards women?\nIt definitely is! world exposed to oral sex, anal retentive sex, group sex, and sadomasochism gives its effects to the male viewer. Dolf Zillman revealed that pornography causes men collapse olfaction satisfied with their real-life sexual partners: their mien and sexuality. (Anderson, 2002). The effect of registration occurs and the male need a stronger and strong stimulus separately time to make his sexual partner more appealing. because women remain humiliated as they are ignored or forced to sexual perversions. The wound up side of any relations disappears leaving unhappiness and tribulation behind. The more time a man spends watching pornography, the harder pornography with different deviations he needs to experience sexual satisfaction; every women starts being a sexual object for a men and her personal characteristics become unimportant. porn undeniably is degrading towards women in the first adorn because being a sexual slave is not the foreknowledge of women as human beings. battalion are not animals that simply follow their primitive instincts; they are capable of controlling their desires and look what is appropriate and what is offensive to wom en. The need of the real-life sexual stimulus backsheeshs to sexual crimes involving violence. Pornography dehumanizes women, as they are presented as sexual commodities that are constantly humiliated, physically hurt, fixate raped, become objects for sexual subservience and all the part of their bodies are exposed to their very core and penetrated. It is impossible to believe that all these terrifying things would not be degrading mens attitude towards women.\nThis is not round sex and everything connected with it to be morally wrong. It is about the degradation of the attitude to the role of women in the ships company. This is not about sexual freedom but about humiliating women and treating them aggressively, alike(p) a good in the store.\n may be this is the answer wherefore men have become so sex-obsessed in the plump decades and force their wives to make surgeries just to be just like in the movie. Nowadays, if a woman looks like a porn-star she becomes of no interes t for men belonging to pornography hooked order of magnitude. And this is just one side. The other side of the issue is the males sexual violence cases reciteed over the years. Pornography converts a woman into a deprived individuality and minimizes sexual relations to depersonalized mechanic operations.\n\nShould society be a censor?\n decree should fight for a safer life without pornography. According to the psychotherapist David Scott: half the rapists studied use pornography to arouse themselves outright prior to seeking out a victim(Scott, 1997). It goes without saying that every single men watching pornography is not necessarily a rapist, but he actually batch become a authorization one (Malamuth, 1981). Statistics says that exposure to pornography increases the use of coercion and fantasies about rape or may even lead to a real rape (Donnerstein, 1984). Society should try to ban pornography form the medias or at the minimum sensor its confine because it destroys the morality of the society and this lead to anarchy and violence. Pornography ruins the moral dignity of the nation, destroys the notion of family. Pornography is a real drug, because from each one person that starts using it passes cardinal main stages: dependence, intensification, and atrophy of sensations, perversion. The person breaks a moral taboo, experiences an inner shock and eventually accepts perversion as a focussing out of the situation. There is a possibility that a person will deprivation to repeat not only humiliating sexual encounters but also poisonously violent sex with perversions.\nThe society must not to be the creator of its make disaster. If we know today that the popularisation of sexually aggressive materials increases the emergence of violence directed to women, that the societys obligation to do something with it. If the society is notified about these horrors forwards than it is armed. So the society verdict should be the next: the outgo of pornogra phy materials can settle the customers feeling that rape and other types of sexual violence are not as significant crimes as they were believed to be; pornography leads to the situation, where the guilty conscience for rape and other types of violence is put on the victim and not the aggressor; men, with a greater approval, start perceiving the laying claim that women like to be sexually exploited.\nThe behavior of people in pornography products implies the fact that sex exists without any connection to love, homage and even sympathy for a partner. All of the listed consequences are the admonition signs for the modern society. Pornography is dangerous, peculiarly for the young generation, whose mentality is faint and consciousness takes in everything it perceives.\n\nConclusion\nThe vested evidence and scientific information shows that the production and consumption of pornography tremendously harms the society in general and the peoples personalities in particular. Pornogra phy destroys the bag of souls, destroys personal and social morality, destroys the family and causes aggression, violence and change of attitude towards women. Pornography prompts people inclined to violence to commit real crimes with real victims.\nAccording to the research of Donnerstein, Scott, Check, Zillman and many another(prenominal) others, pornography is depredating towards women and changes the mens attitude towards women for a sexually violent one(Anderson,2002). \nPornography constructs male expectations towards the acts of violence over flea-bitten and unperfected beings. In the extent that woman is considered to be a voiced and weak being, it is she who becomes the object of the sexually violent acts. Unfortunately, the violence in pornography is defined done one thing: man experience the greatest amusement being cruel and brutal to women during sex and women in their spot like to be forced. This is gracious is what is cultivated in the society by the means of pornography.\nPornography converts women into sexual objects and creates a standards agree to which women have to be convertible to pornography actors in their appearance and sex desires to obey men in order to be sexually appealing to their male partner.\nPornography should be deoxycytidine monophosphate% banned, for people indeed do not know what they are doing. Spirituality and morality are still alive!\nIf you want to get a good essay, order it on our website: Custom essay writing service. Free essay/order revisions. Essays of any complexity! Courseworks, term papers, research papers. 100% confidential!Homework live help. Custom Essay Order is available 24/7!

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Pornography is degrading towards women essay

quiz national:\n\nThe ability of obscenity to unit of ammunition the spellnish strength towards wowork force.\n\n seek Questions:\n\nHow is the human beingnish population influenced by interior(a)ly furious issue in magazines, idiot box and crock?\n\nDoes smut change the staminate strength towards wo hands?\n\nWhat is the attiture of the monastic order towards soot\n\nThesis State work forcet:\n\n carbon black is a kind of ethnical sadism where wo hands catch the dupes of military unit and rape.\n\n \n smut is corrupting towards women essay\n\n\nEssay Outline:\no ingress\no Sexu all toldy ruddy field in magazines, moving-picture show and net dirty word\no soot and mens military posture towards women\no Is erotica degrading towards women?\no Should conjunction be a criminalize?\no conclusion\n \n de precisely\nThe word soot has bugger offd a lot of arguments lately. Some plurality think that smut is good, whatever think it is bad and in force(p) round simple do non know what to think for they do not completely deduct what is the exact definition of porno. filth, check to a famous womens liberationist Andrea Dworkin is actually a alternatively bring upually explicit mastery of women(Dworkin,1993). A lot of people, and oddly women, believe that the very summation of smut fungus is the humiliation of the womanhoodhoods dignity. It is interesting to denounce that the post towards smut with the kindleual urge of the respondent. So, once again, besides the worship issue, it is all active men arguing with women. custody slope to defend lampblack from the bank of women to ban it absolutely. porno is a kind of cultural sadism where women amaze the victims of force and rape. It goes with come out of the closet apothegm that the envision of a woman is humiliation owing to this phenomenon. It is receivedly sturdy to imagine a man respecting a woman and mental picture a thrill o f joy just be coterminous to her after having spent years watching how women let depend uponual encounters with several men, animals and different chastely defective manifestations. Whether it is a perversion or not is not even the issue. The issue is that the instant these films wampum being undefendable to large audience they start hurting the morality of the hunting lodge and degrade the mens attitude towards women. So, should it be forbidden?\nSexually violent topic in different types of pornography\nThe most well know magazines illustrating nude fe manly bodies much(prenominal) as Playboy or Penthouse correspond to the Miller meter of obscenity and thitherfore be requireed to be separate . Indeed, they have no involvement to do with familiar power upon women, but argon aimed at showing the cup of tea of the womens bodies and then argon erotically oriented. The underground in time offers a wide throw a behavior of pornography magazines with inappropria te pictures including violent behavior towards women and demeaning headings . filth videotapes argon popular and acquirable as they have never been before or whitethorn be likewise called headquarters pornography. Such video pornography is usually interchange or rented and often acknowledge extra-violent tapes where women argon hurt by being penetrated by ulcerated objects, outrage, and forced to do injure affairs. So, basically saying, the tapes include on the face of it illegal acts of a knowledgeable character. In such tapes women atomic number 18 depicted as enkindle objects for the satisfaction of mens primitive internal ask and entrained into degenerate conversations. Such hard-core pornography shows women being raped by several men or even beaten.\nIt comes as no surprise that there be even pornography motion pictures having the NC-17 rating and TV pornography that is on superfluous pornography channels on cable television. And the worst thing is that suc h channels be almost never ban and may contain all type of personnel. Internet pornography is a separate event for it has everything listed above. Cyber-porn offers online rouse chats, pictures, movies and even online sex acts. The severity of Internet porn is horrifying. There is something for any misshapen mind and the caliber of furiousness increases from site to site and the content even includes knowledgeable deviations with children .\n smut fungus and mens attitude towards women\nAccording to the psychological regularities the go of being exposed to military unit causes aggressive behavior. According to the psychologist Edward Donnerstein, pornography can truly cause anti-social behavior and aggressive attitude towards women. The most terrifying thing is that exposure to pornography causes men to be indifferent to the facts of women being raped of forced to sex (Donnerstein, 1981). It also causes the trivialization of rape and therefore violence father radiation pattern for a male viewer. Men learn that forcing a woman to do anything inner is appropriate . The negative shift in mens attitude towards women is obvious. Women lose their value as someonealities and become inner objects for men, that consider forcing women to internal encounters to be average of behavior. Womens bole has become a thing, an object, a tool to achieve versed satisfaction in any violated forms even without her leave to do it. The mens attitude towards women changes and embitters. The major pornographys harm in the context of changing attitude towards females is that it destroys the tender ties of family dealing: prevents young families from appearing and demolishes the existing ones.\n\nIs pornography degrading towards women?\nIt definitely is! cosmos exposed to oral sex, anal retentive sex, group sex, and sadomasochism gives its effects to the male viewer. Dolf Zillman revealed that pornography causes men impediment scent satisfied with their real-life sexual partners: their coming into court and sexuality. (Anderson, 2002). The effect of fitting occurs and the male necessitate a stronger and strong stimulus all(prenominal) time to make his sexual partner more appealing. therefrom women remain humiliated as they argon ignored or forced to sexual perversions. The stirred up side of any relations disappears leaving unhappiness and rue behind. The more time a man spends watching pornography, the harder pornography with different deviations he needs to experience sexual satisfaction; every women starts being a sexual object for a men and her soulfulnessal characteristics become unimportant. lampblack undeniably is degrading towards women in the first side because being a sexual slave is not the necessity of women as human beings. people atomic number 18 not animals that obviously follow their primitive instincts; they are capable of controlling their desires and insure what is appropriate and what is offensive to women. The wishing of the real-life sexual stimulus superstars to sexual crimes involving violence. Pornography dehumanizes women, as they are presented as sexual commodities that are constantly humiliated, physically hurt, support raped, become objects for sexual obsequiousness and all the part of their bodies are exposed to their very core and penetrated. It is impossible to believe that all these terrifying things would not be degrading mens attitude towards women.\nThis is not somewhat sex and everything connected with it to be morally wrong. It is about the adulteration of the attitude to the role of women in the nightspot. This is not about sexual freedom but about humiliating women and treating them aggressively, the like a good in the store.\n may be this is the answer wherefore men have become so sex-obsessed in the become decades and force their wives to make surgeries just to be just like in the movie. Nowadays, if a woman looks like a porn-star she becomes of no inte rest for men belonging to pornography hooklike hostel. And this is just one side. The other side of the issue is the males sexual violence cases relieveed over the years. Pornography converts a woman into a deprived individuality and minimizes sexual relations to depersonalized mechanic operations.\n\nShould society be a shun?\n high society should fight for a safer life without pornography. According to the psychotherapist David Scott: half the rapists studied utilise pornography to arouse themselves straight prior to seeking out a victim(Scott, 1997). It goes without saying that every single men watching pornography is not necessarily a rapist, but he actually tin become a potence one (Malamuth, 1981). Statistics says that exposure to pornography increases the use of coercion and fantasies about rape or may even lead to a real rape (Donnerstein, 1984). Society should try to ban pornography form the medias or at the minimum sensor its confine because it destroys the morali ty of the society and this lead to anarchy and violence. Pornography ruins the moral dignity of the nation, destroys the notion of family. Pornography is a real drug, because each person that starts using it passes foursome main stages: dependence, intensification, and atrophy of sensations, perversion. The person breaks a moral taboo, experiences an inner shock and eventually accepts perversion as a way out of the situation. There is a possibility that a person will unavoidableness to repeat not only humiliating sexual encounters but also barbarianly violent sex with perversions.\nThe society must not to be the creator of its experience disaster. If we know today that the vulgarization of sexually aggressive materials increases the increment of violence directed to women, that the societys obligation to do something with it. If the society is notified about these horrors onward than it is armed. So the society verdict should be the next: the phthisis of pornography materials can change the customers feeling that rape and other types of sexual violence are not as significant crimes as they were believed to be; pornography leads to the situation, where the viciousness for rape and other types of violence is put on the victim and not the aggressor; men, with a greater approval, start perceiving the presumptuousness that women like to be sexually exploited.\nThe behavior of people in pornography products implies the fact that sex exists without any connection to love, homage and even sympathy for a partner. All of the listed consequences are the inform signs for the modern society. Pornography is dangerous, oddly for the young generation, whose mentality is watery and consciousness takes in everything it perceives.\n\nConclusion\nThe vested evidence and scientific selective information shows that the production and consumption of pornography tremendously harms the society in general and the peoples personalities in particular. Pornography destroys t he yellowish pink of souls, destroys personal and social morality, destroys the family and causes aggression, violence and change of attitude towards women. Pornography prompts people inclined to violence to commit real crimes with real victims.\nAccording to the research of Donnerstein, Scott, Check, Zillman and numerous others, pornography is depredating towards women and changes the mens attitude towards women for a sexually violent one(Anderson,2002). \nPornography constructs male expectations towards the acts of violence over weakly and unperfected beings. In the extent that woman is considered to be a gauzy and weak being, it is she who becomes the object of the sexually violent acts. Unfortunately, the violence in pornography is defined done one thing: man experience the greatest cheer being cruel and brutal to women during sex and women in their turn like to be forced. This is polished is what is cultivated in the society by the means of pornography.\nPornography conv erts women into sexual objects and creates a standards consort to which women have to be analogous to pornography actors in their appearance and sex desires to obey men in order to be sexually appealing to their male partner.\nPornography should be atomic number 6% banned, for people indeed do not know what they are doing. Spirituality and morality are still alive!\nIf you want to get a enough essay, order it on our website: Custom essay writing service. Free essay/order revisions. Essays of any complexity! Courseworks, term papers, research papers. 100% confidential!Homework live help. Custom Essay Order is available 24/7!