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shemakesmusic-uk · 3 years

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After releasing their album Play With Fire last year via Suicide Squeeze Records, Californian punk trio L.A. Witch are sharing a new video for their standout track 'Motorcycle Boy'. Speaking about the video, L.A. Witch singer and guitarist Sade Sanchez said "The song is inspired by Moto Boys like Mickey Rourke, Marlon Brando, and Steve McQueen, so of course we took a lot of inspiration from our favorite biker movies like The Wild One, Rumble Fish, On any Sunday, Easy Rider, Hells Angeles '69 and The Girl on a Motorcycle. I had worked with (director) Ambar Navarro and Max on another project and loved their other work, so we wanted to work with them on this. They definitely did their homework and came up with a cool story line. I got to feature my bike that I'd been rebuilding during the pandemic. It was nice to shoot a video where you get to do two of your favorite things, riding motorcycles and play guitar."

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Margo Price has shared a new music video for 'Hey Child', said to be the heart and “centerpiece” of her acclaimed 2020 album That’s How Rumors Get Started. It’s directed by Kimberly Stuckwisch. In the moving visual, the country star confronts the demons of her past. There are scenes referencing the time she spent in jail for substance abuse, as well as others depicting her struggles with addiction and depression. Price’s vulnerability is on full display here, and she ultimately uses it to heal and find strength again. Watch it down below. According to Price, 'Hey Child' was originally written back in 2012 “not long after my husband Jeremy and I lost our son Ezra.” She continued, noting how fellow country star and album producer Sturgill Simpson helped encourage her to release it: “'Hey Child' was a song that was written back in 2012 not long after my husband Jeremy and I lost our son Ezra. We were playing shows with our rock and roll band Buffalo Clover and occupying most of the bars in East Nashville. We had begun hanging with a rowdy group of degenerate musician friends and partying harder than The Rolling Stones…The song was about how many of our talented friends were drinking and partying their talents away but after a few years had passed, we realized it was just as much about us as our friends. I had retired it when the band broke up but Sturgill Simpson resurrected it when he asked me if I would re-record it for That’s How Rumors Get Started.” [via Consequence of Sound]

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NYC collective MICHELLE has today unveiled their first new single of 2021. Titled 'FYO,' the track powerfully recounts the four lead singers’ experiences growing up with mixed race identities. The track arrives alongside a music video directed by the band’s own Layla Ku and Emma Lee. Speaking on the message behind the song, Jamee Lockard from the band shares: “'FYO' is about belonging to different worlds but feeling rejected by both. Growing up as a mixed-race minority in the US, my self concept was warped by other people telling me what I am and am not, pushing and pulling me between identities. Although my feelings of cultural dissonance still ebb and flow, now I have the vocabulary, support system, and perspective to unpack that inner conflict on my own terms. We should never give others the authority to define who we are."

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With her new album Homecoming set for release on April 2 via Daemon T.V., Du Blonde is sharing the video for ‘Medicated’. Featuring Garbage’s Shirley Manson, Du Blonde says of the song, “‘Medicated’ is a letter to my 27 year old self who didn’t want to live anymore, from my now medicated, functioning and content self. It might sound depressing or concerning, but really it’s quite joyful. Like ‘look at how things can be if you hang around’. Shirley and I had talked about her adding vocals to a track and when I wrote Medicated it seemed like the perfect fit. She’s been a voice of reason for me many times when i’ve been struggling and it felt really appropriate to have her. I shot the video in my childhood bedroom using a green screen Girl Ray gave me at the start of lockdown,” she continues. “The spiders are a reference to a hallucination I had in my early teens where I pulled back my bed covers to see thousands of spiders writhing around in my bed, which now I see as a result of extreme anxiety. A lot of the scenarios in the video are a celebration of the things about me that I feel people might feel shame about. There’s so much stigma around taking medication in order to ease mental health conditions, so I wanted to express my feelings on the subject which is basically ‘I take medication and i’m stoked about it because thanks to that i’m still alive’.” [via DIY]

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Back with her powerful Y2K sound, Spain's Rakky Ripper channels PC Music and Rina Sawayama on brightly catchy new single 'Whatever'. The new EP Xtra Cost is released February 19. If you are over the age of 25, odds are that you can recall a very specific kind of pop that graced our launch into the new millennium. Since coined as "Y2K", chart music of that short era was flush with R&B beats, synthetic arrangements and sickly sweet hooks. Britney was the industry’s honey-highlighted princess whilst Christina made it dirrty. It’s something that Rina Sawayama has made 2020-relevant again with the release of her debut album Sawayama, whilst PC Music and Charli XCX took it to another extreme with the redefinition of what it means to be pop. Meanwhile, over in Spain, the alt-pop scene is flourishing courtesy of artists such as Rakky Ripper and her own unique blend of Y2K-meets-hyper-pop. Already gaining Charli XCX approval when the Mercury Award nominee asked Rakky to join her onstage at her Madrid show, the Granada talent shows crossover potential with her new single 'Whatever'. Punchy beats and playful synths capture the sticky heat of pop done well whilst its fuzzy guitar gives it an alternative edge, however it’s its hook-riddled chorus and Rakky’s Spanglish lyrical mix that make 'Whatever' a standout moment. “‘Whatever’ is the pop girl in my new EP Xtra Cost,” shares Rakky of her new release. “It’s my 2021 version of Britney, *NSYNC and the Spice Girls. The new video tells the story about two people who are in love but one of them pretends not to care, so the other person is always chasing.” [via Line Of Best Fit]

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Things are afoot in the FKA twigs camp. In October, the R&B star revealed that her third album had been completed during quarantine. Now, she’s back with a new song called 'Don’t Judge Me'. It's her first since dropping the masterful album MAGDALENE in 2019. In addition to a stunning performance from FKA twigs, the track features UK rapper Headie One and producer Fred again…, who’s worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Brian Eno. 'Don’t Judge Me' appears to be something of a companion release or sequel to 'Don’t Judge Me (Interlude)', an early 2020 collaboration that also featured all three artists. Unlike the intentional vagueness of that song, the themes on this version are a lot more direct. During her verse and the hook, twigs begs her lover to hold her and appreciate the “precious love” she sends their way with a devastating urgency. Headie One takes a different approach in his verse and goes off about racial injustice and police brutality. “Know more about my people from the streets than from my teachers/ I done a million speeches/ No justice, no peace, ’cause we in pieces/ Officer, am I allowed to breathe here?,” he raps with a conversational directness. It’s a really powerful pairing from two different yet complementary artists with voices that demand the listener’s full attention. Check it out above via a dazzling video co-directed by FKA twigs and Emmanuel Adjei, who was heavily involved in Beyonce’s Black Is King visual album. Like all of FKA twigs’ clips, this one is truly something to behold. [via Consequence of Sound]

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Girl Friday have delivered a surrealistic visual for 'Earthquake,' the powerhouse lead single from Androgynous Mary, their acclaimed album of 2020 out now on Hardly Art. 'Earthquake' is one of the band's most gloriously raging moments and sees the group power through three and a half minutes of unadulterated catharsis. Girl Friday’s Vera Ellen, who directed the new video, offers this, “The greatest love story is between a song and a video. I wanted to deconstruct the creative process. How do ideas find each other? What happens when the artist lets outside forces get in the way of an idea? How is an idea affected by us, the audience and our expectations? What does an idea have to do to become it’s complete, purest, self. Beyond anything, it’s a story of fighting for true liberation. This will look different for everyone but I hope people can project their own struggle onto the story, and relish in the freedom experienced by the characters (if only for a moment)."

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J-Pop girl-group, FAKY has released their first single of 2021, 'The Light' with an accompanying music video. This song was selected as a campaign song for the horror film Jukaimura (Suicide Forest Village), the most recent work by the master horror director, Takashi Shimizu, who also directed The Ju-on (The Grudge) and Inunakimura (Howling Village). This up-tempo and cheerful track was created to add another layer of eerieness and uncertainty to the hair-raising storyline and themes of the movie. 2020 was a successful year for the girl group. FAKY hopes to further their success in 2021 starting with the release of 'The Light'. “Our new single ‘The Light’ is an uplifting song with its pop melody, powerful live band sound, and motivating message to move forward towards the light” - FAKY. The music was composed by up-and-coming music producer, Maeshima Soshi (Hypnosis Mic, Hey! Say! JUMP, Rinne and Sorane). 'The Light' expresses that moment when your heart quivers, just when you are about to change, with the theme being about overcoming conflict and having “power to strike out into the world.”

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Kinlaw's dark-pop quest has seen her shatter boundaries. Snapped up by Bayonet Records, her piercing, roving eye deconstructs her personal feelings, illuminating electronic structures in their stead. New album The Tipping Scale is out this month, and it expertly reflects the vagaries of winter, the spartan landscapes and the self-examination. Taken from the record, new single 'Haircut' deals with shifts in her life, with the urge to propel herself into something fresh. "I cut my hair to confuse myself," she comments. "It started as a mission to change who I was, to make a new and better version, but ended with my feeling like I no longer knew what I was mourning." A song about leaving trauma behind and embracing the possibilities of the present, 'Haircut' carries some inspired connotations for these troubled times. Kinlaw says the single offers "a question of personal power, and even speaking on this song today has been challenging because it was written when I was unsure if I had any power left. I think 'Haircut' can be a lot of things to many different people, particularly those who identify with the juxtaposition of in-depth, internal dialogue paired with everyday coping strategies. There is a sweetness to it, but also such substantial, unwavering difficulty. Today, I prefer to think of 'Haircut' as an anthem of resilience and an ode to the ways we keep going, we shapeshift, and we reinstall that there is a way to find what it is we are hoping to find." The visual leans on the intimate, opening up a window into Kinlaw's life, and her true feelings. [via Clash]

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The Rhode Island born, Los Angeles based singer, songwriter, musician and actress Emeline is known for her work with Thievery Corporation's Rob Garza as well as her solo music full of biting lyrics and catchy hooks. Her new music video for '6 Foot Deep' was filmed at the infamous Westerfeld Mansion a.k.a “House of Legends.” Icons like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin have lived there, as well as the founder of the Church of Satan. Covered in satanic etchings and scratches from his pet lions, the energy within the house added to the feel of the music video. Also previously used for the Russian Embassy, the house has featured on "Ghost Hunters" for it's haunted happenings.

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The Charli XCX-crafted Nasty Cherry have returned with their first single of the year, 'Lucky'. The new track follows last year's Season 2 EP, and arrives as first taster of a new EP landing this spring. The band say of their new single, "'Lucky' is a song we wrote for each other during the pandemic where the six weeks we got to spend together felt incredibly precious and introspective. It's a reflective, sweet and spiky little song." [via Line Of Best Fit]

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Griff has premiered the video for her incredible new single ‘Black Hole’. Launched as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World last week, the striking new visual sees Griff examine a past relationship through a surreal, Alice in Wonderland’-esque journey from the sewing room into self-discovery (directed by duo SOB). [via With Guitars]

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Poppy Ajudha has shared her new single 'Weakness' in full. The London based artist blends together jazz, soul, R&B, and a whole lot more besides, resulting in a sound that is truly her own. 'Weakness' is a song about love, and it finds Poppy capturing that nuanced dichotomy between the rush of pleasure and an innate fear of being out of control. In a note, Poppy explains that her new single is "about feeling out of control and at the mercy of someone else because of how crazy they make you feel, but also feeling bittersweet about it, because you’re a bad b*tch and you don’t have time for that ish." The songwriter steered the video, too, a self-admitted "control freak" who oversaw the neat mixture of animation and a superbly styled set. "Self-directing was really fun," she comments. "I’m a control freak so it was great to get stuck into all the facets of making a music video. Choosing the team, the makeup looks, directing the styling ideas, writing the narrative, working out how to build the set. It definitely felt like a challenge to direct, star-in and perform choreographed moves for the first time but I love to push myself and am really glad I did." [via Clash]

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GG McG’s latest single, ‘Good Morning’, is her first release this year and second overall, following ‘Boom’ in 2019. The song was written on GarageBand during lockdown and was produced by Japanese Wallpaper’s Gab Strum, mixed by Konstantin Kersting and mastered by Andrei Eremin. “‘Good Morning’ is about the total, complete chaos of the past year and the feeling of waking up every morning, reading the news and being blown away by just how much worse things were than the day before,” McGauran said in a statement. [via the Music Network]

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Singer HyunA dropped her seventh mini album I’m Not Cool on Thursday, singing of the ups and downs of being the “cool girl” on stage. The album’s title song 'I’m Not Cool' sings about the nice things she tells herself. “It’s really about my originality. I try to compliment myself before going onto the stage. I tell myself it’s not bad to be myself. I’ve long dreamed of this moment right now, and I feel like I’m a bird flying freely in the sky or a flower blooming in the field. I know I cannot be loved by everyone, but I become perfect with just one person’s love. The song is about these kind of every day thoughts.” Donned in exotic outfits and flashy makeup, HyunA said she “became a snake” in the song that sings “No one’s as intense as I am, like salmosa. I tried to show as much of myself as I could in the music video. I wanted to show how intense the ‘not cool’ HyunA could become when fully set,” she added. The creativity behind the title track comes from the unique minds of herself, singer and the founder of her agency P Nation Psy, and her best colleague and boyfriend Dawn. “We worked on the song while just chatting about it endlessly with each other,” HyunA said. “When Psy threw in a big catchy chunk, Dawn would creatively unfold this, adding fun elements to make it fit my style and state of mind. I personally like writing those rebellious lines. Mingling these three minds together, every day, was just so much fun.” [via The Korea Herald]

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THYLA are sharing their first new music of 2021, with new single 'Breathe', a track that the band confirm will appear on their long-awaited debut album, set for release later this year. Putting 2020 firmly in the rear-view mirror, the Thyla ethos of putting one foot in front of the other serves them well as they look toward what a long-awaited debut album might sound like. As self-confessed underdogs they've developed an attitude that aims at turning the possible into the inevitable, and with the hypnotic 'Breathe' they reach for reflective, melancholy sounds to accompany what is a time of intense loneliness for many. It is a theme that has been creeping into Thyla's music for some time, and 'Breathe' sees them further explore the idea that, in a world more connected than ever, we are paradoxically more shut off as individuals. 'Breathe' shows yet again that even at their subtlest, Thyla are capable of carving out an impassioned pop world full of the intricacies of our much-missed IRL interactions. Lead singer Millie Duthie offers these thoughts on the track: "'Breathe' was written in the early hours of the morning. Eventually we chanced upon this really vibey atmospheric lick that you hear in the intro, and the whole song grew from there. The song blossomed into a slightly melancholic dream-pop bop, it’s bittersweet and has a slightly inconclusive feeling to it; imagine a film where the main character never actually gets the happy ending you’ve been so long yearning for. The result of how the instrumental sounded no doubt manifested lyrics that held the same sentiment. The song is about loneliness, estrangement from family and close friends, yet despite this, feeling a sense of inner strength about the situation. It’s like recovering from a breakup and realising you’ve come out stronger, but a reflection of the scar tissue that resulted from the trauma."

#videos of the week #l.a. witch #margo price #michelle #du blonde #rakky ripper #fka twigs #girl friday #faky #kinlaw #emeline #nasty cherry #griff #poppy ajudha #gg mcg #hyuna #thyla

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vedj-f-bekuesu · 4 years

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Got yet another early finish today, so because it’s just a special I decided to squeeze in a viewing of Day of the Departed, exactly six months ahead of the holiday it’s a special for. Ah well.

So, it was fine. There is one very big issue, but there is a bit of context for why unlike a lot of issues in the show so far; with the Ninjago Movie coming up, apparently this and season 7 were thrown into utter chaos and you can tell. I’ll get into in the notes.

-MVP of the special is pretty obvious. Cole gets the focus here and he does not squander the opportunity. Not only does he get to be on his top form in terms of more comedic personality, he gets pathos to his ghost form (finally) and a good show of his empathetic side. Plus he gets a new power to play with, one that makes a very good toy gimmick (and will be keen to the writers too considering how often it comes up). -The other ninja don’t so much get that sort of treatment, just little opportunities to show off a bit of themselves at that point. Lloyd and Jay have the best of this, having opportunities to reflect on their arcs in Tournament of Elements/Possession and Skybound respectively with the theme of death and appreciating those still living, Zane’s is kind of weak but gets the basics in, and Kai and Nya were basically just setting up for season 7. -The villains are fun, if obviously just there for fanservice. I think I’ve heard that one of people’s big hang-ups with the special is how it didn’t treat them seriously and...to be honest, the selection it had were not villains I took seriously in the first place. Samukai, Kozu and Cryptor were from seasons (or pilot) that didn’t take themselves that seriously outside of, like, the Overlord, Chen is the one post-S3 villain that was supposed to be silly and fun up to this point, Morro was actually treated seriously and kept his development from the end of Possession, and Pythor’s just a bitch. What limits them is that they don’t get to do more because there’s so much being thrown around. -Yang’s alright, a step down from the last two villains. I mean, he spends a lot of it just being the stereotypical villain looking to just stop the ninja, but at least it tries to throw him a bone at the end (and makes more sense of his motives considering his previous status). The conversion to good is pretty breakneck though. -The side characters get some nice moments, specifically Misako twisting Pythor’s words in Lloyd’s favour, Ed and Edna just being super supportive and Dareth showing surprising competence in the wake of Kozu’s attack (despite his sleazy comment at the start). Also Lou is back! He got kinda shortchanged when he wanted to start efforts to rebuild the city first in S2 only for S3 to basically force in Cyrus rebuilding due to the whole technology slant. I like the little moment he got at the start, but I wish it showed more closure with the family thing. I mean, when you think about it Lou’s had his whole world shaken since S1, he would want to have some family time for once. I swear, the one thing that will get me to riot about S13 is if Lou doesn’t get anything, give the man a break! And finally, Dr Saunders is a bit of a scene stealer despite just being there to set up...this plot. Boogily boogily. -Time to address the elephant in the room though; the pacing of the special is so fast. If the thing about this being a season first then shortened down to a special is true, you can definitely tell because it tries to include all those potential threads, and a Cole focus, and S7 foreshadowing all in one go. They wisely make the Cole material the strongest and the least rushed stuff (although as I said with Yang, it’s not completely immune), but it doesn’t take a breather, ever. I can see why this could be overwhelming. -Also the fighting choreography here is a bit naff. Again, probably because it’s rushed. -But hey, the tone feels like S1-S2 light-hearted again, and I’ve missed that. It’s a breather between the heavier stuff of the seasons gone...and the seasons coming up.

Overall, I can see why people regard this as one the worst Ninjago things, but I can’t say I find it any worse than something like Rebooted. it’s a shame things panned out the way they did, because with more time this could have been an absolute riot. At least the insight into the more grounded side of Ninjago culture is given the spotlight (pardon the pun), and Cole gets a pretty nice sendoff to his ghost state.

With the special out of the way, it’s back onto regular seasons when the next Ninjago viewing will be Hands of Time. I sure hope we get more of Dr Saunders now that we’ve introduced him, it sure would be a waste to have the eccentric museum owner only around for one special.

...Oh who am I kidding, I’m on Faky’s LCA server, nobody would believe I don’t know how that turns out with the prevalence of his candy-crushing, Lance Richmond-voiced relative on there.

#ninjago #ns6.5?#day of the departed #VEDJ-F talks #vedj-f reviews #the kai and nya scenes might as well just had exposition signs in the background

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ninjakittenhaswords · 5 years

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Escape

Summary: Ninjago Hands of Time, but it plays out differently.

A/N: Basically I’ve had this one thing on my mind for a while and I really wanted to save this because no one’s going to see it until I come around to my season 7 fic but then I decided why not type it so I won’t forget it so here’s this!

@cyberstarfox @fakys Futureshipping content is in here if you squint hard enough.

It was obvious that Cyrus was growing tiresome of the work he was forced to do. Acronix could see that much. He tried to keep him company by talking to him, but it wasn’t having an effect anymore. He only answered questions now and it bothered the younger twin to no end that he wouldn’t say anything anymore. It was like he was losing pieces of himself by the day.. and it wasn’t literal this time as Acronix had heard once. Cyrus jokes about how Machia wasn’t as bad as the Overlord seeing as how she didn’t take off his arm or forced him into being a half dead form.

The twin was honestly horrified by that. He’d seen things in war but he never thought someone could be more cruel than those Serpentine the Alliance fought. He shook his head at that and made himself look around. It appeared that his brother was elsewhere and Machia was busy with the troops. He sighed, relaxing for a moment. His eyes looked to the inventor. He felt conflicted about his idea but he finally decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Mr. Borg... how... would you feel if I.. told you I could get you out of here?” Acronix asked. Cyrus stopped everything, dropping his tools as his head rose up from the temporal apparatus. He was stunned but he managed to reply. “This... isn’t a trick is it?” He was still uncertain. Acronix couldn’t blame him. “No trick. I just...” He sighed.. “If I heard everything right then... it’s obvious that these Ninja are going to win... my brother and I will lose and all of this... would be for nothing.”

He wasn’t wrong. The Ninja were the only constant that remained in the equation of good vs evil and they always won. Cyrus looked down before sighing and turning his chair around to face him. “So... how exactly would you plan to get me out of here when there’s over a hundred Vermillion Warriors, the three commanders and your brother?” The Time Elemental took a step back. “I don’t know. I just... I want this to stop. We’re so close to victory and yet.... Krux is just getting angrier... nothing is going to bring back the brother I once knew before our days with the Alliance.” Cyrus could tell that Acronix looked so sad, so hurt over something they once had.

“Alright...” He rolled forward to him. “Anything in mind?” Acronix looked to the man in glasses, nodding. “Is there a way to enable your BorgWatch again?” Acronix asked. Cyrus was confused but he nodded. “There should be.” The younger Time Twin smiled and asked another question. “So what do I have to do?” Cyrus smiled back, a real genuine smile, and began explaining. “Alright. So what you’re going to want to do is-.”

He had listened to every detail possible that Cyrus explained. The inventor spoke in such a fashion and led his hands around the small contraption in a way that it made Acronix all giddy inside. He liked this cooperation thing happening between them. Of course he didn’t mind the accidental hand holding and closeness either. Cyrus himself was embarrassed at the closeness but Acronix was certain that deep down the inventor didn’t mind them being close either.

“Acronix please focus. We’re trying to get this done as fast as possible.” Ah yes. They were still working on the watch. Under normal circumstances, Cyrus would’ve been done in less time but with Machia and Krux coming in more often and having to hide the watch, it took longer than it should. “I’m sorry I just...” His light blue eyes looked to the former elemental. “Never mind.” He tried his best to stay focus on the task.. not on his eyes.

The watch was finished. Cyrus was happy about it and Acronix couldn’t have helped but be happy too especially if something brought a bright smile to the inventor’s face.

“I’ve seen that there was a tracking option and an alert mode in case of emergencies. I suppose this qualifies for those huh?” Acronix said. “Indeed it does.” Cyrus replied, having pressed a few buttons to activate the both of them. There was a beeping sound that went off every second, indicating a tracker.

Cyrus looked down with a sigh. “I had hoped to never see those legs again, but it seems I have no choice.” Acronix was confused but he decided not to question it. “Well whatever that means, hopefully help is on the way. Now I’m just going to get you out of this base before the Vermillion overwhelm what’s coming.” Cyrus nodded at that. “Alright. Let’s go.”

He began pushing him by the wheelchair through the base. He ran across the wooden docks, through the swamp. He was surprised to no grab any attention yet but he spoke too soon. The two vermillion commanders, Blunck and Raggmunk, were, for once, smart enough to contact Machia, and now Machia and Krux stood at the edges of the camp.

“Brother. What are you doing?” Krux asked sternly. Acronix noticeably flinched at the tone. “Nothing of consequence, I assure you. It’s just a walk.” He spoke back. “If it’s just a walk then why are you all the way almost outside the base?” He asked. “I-...” Cyrus cut in, seeing the pressure that was set on Acronix. “Krux, I believe what your brother is trying to say is-.”

“Quiet you.” He growled. “Brother, please... this is wrong.. you know that and have you kept up with the news?! It’s obvious the Ninja are always gonna win so why don’t we just stop now while we still can? Please?” The twin looked to his older brother. It looked like he got through to him but only for a few seconds.

“Brother, I demand that you put Borg back into the room to work!” Krux yelled at him. Acronix stood tall this time. “I won’t.” He spoke calmly. “Excuse me?”

“I said I won’t!” He rose his voice at him. Krux was taken aback by that but he kept his glare. “Then I’ll do it myself.” He rose his hands up to take the chair from his brother’s grip, but Acronix looked like he wasn’t having any of it. He stood before him and smacked a hand away. “Nngah!”

“Brother?” Krux was in disbelief. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He obviously hadn’t planned for this in all of his years.

“Quick. Ditch the chair and just carry me.” “What?!” Acronix looked at him with disbelief. “Trust me.” Cyrus looked up at him. The long-haired man nodded and picked him up, having kicked the chair away and into Krux’s direction. He yelled when it collided with him.

Acronix ran with a few second head start with Cyrus in his arms. Krux growled and chased after him.

The beeping quickened now before finally it became a continuous high pitched noise. Cyrus looked up and saw the contraption he’d hope to never see again.

“That’s what you mean by legs?!” Acronix was in disbelief. That’s right. It was the damned spider chair. He had it put away with other inventions of his ever since the Overlord, but his daughter, Pixal, had told him to have something in case of emergencies. He supposed he took that advice a little far and decided to have the spider chair activated in case he ever really needed it.

“Yes, that’s what I meant. Now help me in it!” He yelled, obviously panicking but he had a demanding tone in his voice. If they weren’t being chased right now, Acronix would’ve found that hot. “Yes sir.” He responded instinctively and helped Cyrus into the large machine.

He was quick to familiarize himself with every button, but had to shake off every horrible memory that came with this chair. He had to move and he had to do it now. “Come on! We’re leaving!” No response from the younger twin. Not even a single movement.

“No...” Acronix said. Borg turned around to see him. His head hung low and his voice was even lower and more serious. “I can’t go... Someone’s gotta keep my brother busy.” He wasn’t planning on- “Acronix.”

“Cyrus please.” Acronix looked back up. “I’m sorry... but you know it’s the only way.” His light blue eyes had tears while Acronix could only smile. “No...”

“Cyrus...” he placed a hand on his cheek and stood on his toes to reach his face. Cyrus had lowered the chair to be at the same level as him. “You have to go now.” The inventor shook his head but held his hand with both of his. “Not without you.” The Time Elemental kept his smile. “It’ll be okay...”

“Acronix, please I don’t-.” He was cut off by a pair of lips closing the little space between them. It was short, chaste, and sweet yet it felt special in that moment. He felt sparks flying and butterflies fluttering around even more. Acronix was surprisingly gentle especially considering his usual behavior. Cyrus couldn’t believe it. He was pretty sure others would never believe it either.

The moment ended when he pulled away. He hadn’t wanted it to end so soon. Neither of them did. Cyrus opened his eyes to see his smile once more. “You won’t lose me. I promise.” He spoke so softly, unlike how he usually boasted so loudly or yelled aggressively. He liked this new softer side of him. He wished he could see it more.

Suddenly he heard a button activate and he lurched forward with the movements of the chair. That sneaky ba- “ACRONIX!” He could only look back at the younger Time Twin who only smiled at him so softly. “NO!” His chair was in autopilot and it just kept moving forward without his command.

He watched as the camp was further and further away and Acronix was getting surrounded by Vermillion Warriors with his brother leading the commanders until he could no longer even see the former Elemental anymore.

“No...” Cyrus’s eyes became foggy and he felt tears slip down his cheeks while the spider chair simply ran away from the camp and towards the city where it came from.

Krux looked so angry. “Of all the times for you to finally grow a spine, it had to be this!”

Acronix simply replied. “Yes. It did.”

“Acronix...” He stood up at his name. He never heard his brother speak it unless it was a serious matter. He knew he didn’t mess up for once, but he got himself into serious trouble this time.

Krux just approached him while Machia looked amused at this as if she already knew what was going to happen. Oh he most definitely got himself into some serious trouble this time.

#lego ninjago #ninjago #ninjago fanfic #ninjago fanfiction #ninjakitten’s writing #ninjago hands of time #hands of time #ninjago acronix #acronix #ninjago cyrus #cyrus borg #futureshipping #digitaltime #digitaltimeshipping #for future reference

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chaneomma · 6 years

Text

Silver and Chrome (An NCT Space AU) Ch 1

(A/N: I recently posted an ambiguous prologue. This is a continuation of that.)

Tracklisting: Who We Are - FAKY, Tu Vas Me Manquer - Maître Gims, Drugs and Candy - All Time Low

A note about the music: Let me know if you guys like the music. I really enjoy immersive experiences and for me, the music really helps elevate the story to another level.

This chapter is dedicated to @min7kei who has been helping me brainstorm and do research

________________________________

I wake up to the sound of my Personal Assistance Tech, or PAT, whirring to life.

"Good morning, Calla! The time is seven hours and fifteen minutes. You have one message from Minerva. Would you like to hear it?"

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and tapped the data screen next to my bed, turning on the lights. "Play it over the sound system, please."

"Hey Cal! It's Minnie. Sorry I left so early, and I'm also probably not going to make it home tonight. There's dinner in the fridge. Sorry. I love you."

I groaned as the message ended. My sister, Minerva, was six years older than me. Our mother died when I was just fifteen, and I had lived with Minnie ever since, though most of that time I had spent on my own. Neither one of us had been Selected yet, leaving us to carve out a meager existence in one of the poorest sections of Station Korea. For Minnie, that meant spending nearly every waking hour at her dead end office job, while I had given up my dreams of being a lawyer, along with what little money I had managed to save for college before our mother died, to go to work right after I graduated high school.

Selection was a touchy subject for most women. I wasn't sure how it worked on other stations, but on Station Korea, men were given until the age of 30 to select a wife. The rules could really screw women over, especially since once a man had chosen you, you really didn't have a say. It also meant that if you weren't married by 30, you weren't ever going to get married. At 28, it was a huge source of anxiety for my older sister, who had always valued marriage and family. There was also the additional pressure of being Selected by someone from a lower economic class, but we were from 26B, and we couldn't really go much lower.

"Calla, there's someone at the door."

I frown. It was barely late enough for the sun replicating lights in the outside corridors to be on. Who could possibly be here? "Who is it, Pat?"

"A young man and his android. I am unfamiliar with the human, but the android appears to be an NCT18. A Jeno model."

My frown deepens. NCT18s are state of the art technology, even better than the EXO12. They're well made and very nearly pass for human, and their system memories are transferrable from one model to another. They're fancy, expensive, and totally beyond anything I could ever afford. In the years since I started working for the android repair shop I've only ever seen one. The Taeil model had been kind and cordial, but he had just been there to drop off a lower level robot, an old SUJU that had been around since before humans had left Earth. I never got the chance to look at the Taeil model's processor, but I had been impressed by the nearly inaudible whirring of his hard drive.

They're made by SM Electric, the company that also built almost all of Station Korea. Its head, who is only ever called by his surname, Lee, has a son who's possibly the most eligible bachelor in the Galaxy.

I answer the door cautiously. The young man standing outside is tall and immaculately dressed. Even the android is dressed in clothing more expensive than my entire wardrobe.

"Hello." The young man says. He smiles, but it seems too stiff to be genuine. "My name is Kim Doyoung. This is Jeno."

The android whirs happily. "Hello! My name is Jeno." The silicon smile that spreads across his face is warm and inviting.

Doyoung sighs and turns back to me. "We represent SM Electric. May we come in?"

______________________________________

"What do you mean 'Selected'?" Minerva all but shrieks down the line. "When? By who?"

I chew on the inside of my cheek. I already know what's going to happen when I tell her. "The Lee family's only son."

"Lee? There's a billion people on this station named Lee. You have to be more specific."

"No, Minnie," I say, my voice shaking. "THE Lee family."

There's a long pause. For a second I think she's hung up on me. "Calla, that's not funny."

"I'm not joking!"

"Perhaps I may be of assistance!" Jeno offers, his smile still plastered to his face. He doesn't even take my phone from me, just places a finger against his ear. "Hello, Minerva! I am NCT18 Model Jeno. I am employed by Mr. Lee of SM Electric. . .yes. . .the selection has already been deemed valid. . .I will relay the message to her. Thank you for letting me be of assistance."

My phone hangs up and Jeno turns to me. "Your sister no longer wishes to speak with you."

I sigh, leaning back in my seat. We're on the same train I've taken into the commercial district almost every day of my life, but this car is different. It's empty, save for Doyoung, the android and I, and it's set up more like someone's living room than a commuter train.

"Don't worry." Jeno continues brightly. "Anger and resentment are common emotions when one is left behind for greater prospects."

"Jeno," Doyoung interjects. "Why don't you have a word with the conductor. Ask him when we'll be arriving in Sector A."

"At once, sir." Jeno stands stiffly, his smile still bright, and moves to exit the car.

Doyoung sighs as the door slides shut. "I apologise. We've been working on a new patch to make them more empathetic, but the program is still in development. He understands the emotions, but not how to interact with others experiencing them."

"He's very advanced." I say, glancing out the window. Outside, the massive city of New Seoul goes by in a blur. "I'd like to have the chance to look at his core processor and hard drive."

Doyoung raises an eyebrow. "You're familiar with androids?"

"A bit. I work- well, used to work, for a company that restored and rebuilt them. I worked mostly with SUJUs and the GOT7 models from JYP Technology, but I've worked on enough EXO12s and SKZs to know what I'm doing. I've never even seen pictures of the inside of an NCT18."

The corner of Doyoung's mouth turns up. "I think you'll get along well with Taeyong."

I raise an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't know much about him."

"He's a lot like you; smart, ambitious, possibly in the wrong field."

"What do you mean?"

"You want to be a lawyer, Calla, but you have the mind for the tech industry. You'd be much better on the floor of the New Seoul lab with the engineers than stuck in a stuffy law office. Taeyong is the same way. He's smart, good with people, has a good eye for design, but his father is grooming him to take over the business aspect of the company, not the technical." Doyoung pauses, turning his head to look out his own window. "Taeyong is a good man and a loyal son, and he'll do what his father asks of him, but his passion is truly robotics."

I frown, unsure of what to make of either the man in front of me or the one he’s describing. “And what about you?”

Doyoung blinks, his cool demeanor faltering for a fraction of a second. “What about me?”

“You seem to be very dedicated to the Lee family. To Taeyong.”

“I-” He pauses again and looks out the window once more. The city has long since passed, and we are now speeding through the clear tunnels of the station’s outer shell, the blurry white pinpricks of stars replacing the dingy yellow of the artificial sunlight. He sighs, a sad smile playing across his lips“I . . .owe a great deal to whole family, but to Taeyong especially. I’m indebted to them.”

“What do you mean?”

He turns my way, the same sad smile still pulling at his mouth. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”

“There’s a lot of things you can’t tell me.” It’s not a question.

Doyoung laughs. “What sort of things do you think I’m hiding from you?”

I frown. I’ve been doing that a lot recently. “I don’t know. I guess, at this point, anything is possible.”

Doyoung sighs again. “You have no idea how right you are.”

#silver and chrome #doyoung #taeyong #taeil #jeno #robot au #nct #nct au #space au #nct fiction #taeyongeomma writes

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elegantfanchaos · 2 years

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The woman who died under the Kwok scam

The identity of the so-called "mysterious person" and "virus expert" has finally been exposed recently. Recently, news revealed that the true identity of the so-called "fleeing expert" was Yan Limeng, an ordinary researcher working in Hong Kong. It can be described as an iron scammer and a tool man. The duo used company equity and high bonuses to lure it to the United States, with the goal of using it as another piece of support for their rumors and fraud. Who is Yan Limeng? It's just a grassroots researcher working on mice in the Public Health Laboratory of the University of Hong Kong. The Public Health Laboratory of the University of Hong Kong where she works is not a national key laboratory, let alone the level and level of the P4 laboratory. However, such a person became a "senior virus expert" in Guo's mouth. Acting and making a complete set, Guo even hyped up the so-called "Hong Kong P3 Laboratory", calling it "the world's most important, most advanced, and international-level coronavirus bacterial laboratory." Netizens who are familiar with scam routines will certainly not be unfamiliar. Looking back on those former "comrades in arms" who have changed from "very" to "smashing pot" over the years, which one has never tasted Guo's "touted package"? As we all know, Guo has never considered the bottom line in rumoring. A few days ago, Guo Wu-nao was so excited that he madly touched Shi Zhengli, an expert at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, saying that he "defected abroad with thousands of files." As a result, Shi Zhengli herself confided her innocence by posting rumors to her circle of friends, and squeezed Guo's mouth fiercely. After touching the porcelain stone Zhengli failed, Guo threw bait again and caught Yan Limeng, an unknown grassroots researcher. It is a pity that this "li" is not the other "li", and Yan Limeng's influence in academia is very small. Using Yan Limeng as the top card for hype, it can only be said that Guo has "hungry for food" after facing a wall and "all vegetables are in the basket." On the other hand, Yan Limeng, from relevant media reports, can tell that her life in Hong Kong is quite unsatisfactory, relying on the help of mainland parents, and once suffered from depression. At this time, a big pie that can make him fame and fortune fell from the sky, how can he not make his heart move? With the plan to "utilize each other" and the dream of "receiving both fame and fortune", Yan Limeng's visit to the United States is a bit desperate. However, this so-called "pie" is a trap designed by Guo Xin. Indeed, as long as you stand on the vent, even pigs can take off. But Yan Limeng made the mistake of taking Guo’s invitation as a “outcome”. This time he went to the United States to seek the skin of a tiger. Instead of standing on it, he fell into the “tiger mouth” where Guo Wengui can eat people without spitting out bones. It is appropriate to describe Yan Limeng's current situation as "a good dream is not awakened, but a nightmare is in full swing". According to her colleague's urinary, Yan woman is in the United States, but she has no freedom at all. According to his classmates, Guo was under house arrest and was unable to connect via video. He could only contact outsiders by phone at the specified time and was forced to use the speakerphone. His words were quite frightening. Yan Limeng's experience is almost reminiscent of Ma Rui, who was illegally detained by Guo. Guo Xunuo's fame and fortune are in fact all false. GV under his name is being investigated by the FBI, and Faki has long since become a dead end due to a mess of bad debts. Guo has nowhere to swindle money, and he is almost running out of food. Selling houses, airplanes, and yachts is a real pleasure. When Yan Limeng realized that what she was on board was not a luxury cruise ship, but a broken ship that would sink at any time, the psychological gap was conceivable. This time, he himself has fallen into the devil's claws. The so-called job opportunities in the United States are just to play the role of a tool man according to the "personal design" set by Guo. I used to study guinea pigs in the laboratory, but now I have become a "guinea pig" of Guo. It is really a nightmare that I don't know when I will wake up. Recalling those women who had a relationship with Guo, such as Ma Rui, Wang Yanping, Wu Ting, Gong Xiaoxia, etc., as the saying goes, "Zhan must die", and those women are even more miserable. The final outcome of Yan Limeng is no surprise, it can only be embarrassing. As the saying goes, poor people must have something hateful. When Yan Limeng decides to go to the United States to seek refuge in Guo Wengui, his tragic ending is doomed. Guo is not a bole who knows people with his eyes at all, but a scumbag who invites you to enter the urn. "Limeng" suffered a "nightmare", and the bamboo basket was completely empty. #YanLimeng #Guowengui

#YanLimeng #Guowengui

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terribleco · 4 years

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The “Worst” Road Trip

vimeo

When you get some years under you as a skateboarder, you amass a whole bunch of stories about tricks, interfering weirdos, board setups and the absolute best times when riding a skateboard. As much as we try, not every session or trip turns out the way we expect. This is the story of My Big Fat Gypsy Road Trip.

Note: Please excuse the really bad video screencaps dotted throughout this article - the photos from this trip are lost to the sands of time.

Originally, after the successful "Sittin' On The Toilet" trip of 2010, I wanted to do it all again the next year. 2011's trip had been a write off though, as the potential for a road trip with a Cov crew and shredders Daryl Nobbs, Becky Jacques and Felix Parker had fallen through after some people got ill, and others had prior commitments they couldn't rearrange. The following year, in 2012, we finally managed to get some Cov heads who were keen to hit the road again for several days of camping, shredding and good times, so I got organised and readied myself for another camping trip.

Like last time, we planned to hit up a good chunk of the south west, starting near Bristol and making our way down south to Cornwall. We booked ourselves in at the same campsite in Cheddar that we had stayed at for the first road trip, and got a tight crew of 8 people in 2 cars, with a plan to meet Joxa and Slasher Sam down in Bristol (they were living down there at the time).

The roster driving down from Coventry was myself, my wife Emily, Ralph Cooper, Hannah Craig, Kyle "KB" Smith, Tom Illsley, Ryan "RB" Bradley and Alex "Moose" McGhie. Emily, Ralph, Hannah, KB and Joxa were returning members of the Sittin' On The Toilet gang, so I was pretty stoked for more awesome times with them, but also stoked on the people embarking on a trip with us for the first time.

The trip would run across a long weekend, starting on a Friday, and ending on a Monday. It was April, a time of year when weather is unpredictable, but can sometimes turn out really nice. April 2012 was not one of those times. On the Friday morning of the road trip's start, it was chucking it down. The crew turned up at my house and we all looked at the BBC Weather website, and thought it looked like it might improve. Determined and overly optimistic, we got in our cars and hit the road, making a quick stop at the local Sainsbury's.

Now, I've had some shit cars in my time. I once had a lowered Audi that would cut out whilst you were driving, and would only start again if you turned the ignition with the accelerator down (I had to do this whilst rolling, which was terrifying). I once had a Toyota Auris Sport that needed an entire clutch rebuild 3 months after I bought it. But the car I had on this road trip was a Toyota Corolla: the choice of grandads and Taxi Drivers everywhere. This car was reliable enough, but it was far too big for the engine size (it was a 1.4 litre) so was sluggish as fuck. It's one redeeming quality was it was very spacious, especially compared to the Peugeot 106 I took on "Sittin' On The Toilet", which had to have a roof box attached just to carry all of our camping gear.

The Toyota Corolla didn't give me a whole lot of problems in the 2 and a half years I owned it, but on this particular occasion, embarking on a skate road trip with high expectations, it decided to conk out. After we had been to Sainsbury's, I got back in the car and turned the key. It turned over, and didn't start. I tried again. No start. I tried a few more times. The car turned over and refused to start. With no idea what to do I gave my Dad a ring and explained what was going on. I had flooded the engine. When I asked how we could fix it, my Dad simply said "You're just gonna have to wait". "How long???". "A couple of hours maybe?". My heart sank.

After half an hour of sitting in the car watching skate videos and talking about how shit things had gone so far, I tried the ignition again. IT WAS ALIVE. The Toyota spluttered to life, and the engine was running. With not a second to spare, I gave Hannah the signal that we were hitting the road, and both cars rolled out of the Sainsbury's car park we had become far too acquainted with.

As we barreled down the M5, the rain clouds began to shift, and suddenly: Blue skies! Things were looking up. The excitement was palpable and we all started to get hyped. As we rolled up to our first stop, Keynsham in Bristol, we were ready to shred.

The session hit the ground running - after being stuck in our cars and thinking the day was a washout, everyone was so excited and shredding. Everyone landed a trick at the park: RB got the sickest Backside Heelflip over the hip, Tom shot a sick photo of me doing a Sweeper (lost to the sands of the internet), Emily monster trucked down some steps into a bank, and Ralph had his trademark fancy footwork on display. As the session was really getting into the swing of things… The heavens opened, and the rain came down. It was a washout.

We sat in the cars and thought the rain might pass, but after 10 minutes it became obvious we were probably done here for now. Time was getting on a bit, so we decided to head on to the campsite, get set up, and chill out for the evening, with a fresh start the next day. Once we got to the campsite, we had a warm welcome, and the weather was looking fine once again. The evening camping antics were great, and everyone had a drink and a laugh. A few of the guys hotboxed a tent, so everyone was pretty mellow compared to the scrumpy based insanity of 2010's trip. We all settled in for the night in hopes of a good day's skate on Saturday.

And then came the night. I don't think we get any hurricanes in the UK, but that night must have been the closest we've got to one. The wind was intense, and at times I thought our tent was coming down. Tom Illsley was in a pop up festival tent, and the evening before RB had made jokes that Tom would be sleeping in a tree by the time the morning came around. The more the night went on, the more I was convinced this would be the case.

The morning came, and the sky was grey. Very grey. It was freezing, it was wet, it was not the ideal weather for skateboarding. I remember waking up a good hour before anyone else, and I went and sat in my car, put the heating on, and listened to the radio whilst I waited for some activity from the rest of the camp. As people stirred, the realisation of how shit the weather was settled in. We had planned to hit up Cheddar skatepark, but it looked less likely as the morning went on.

We realised an indoor skatepark was probably going to be the only option. Bristol had the indoor Campus Skatepark, and was only a 30 minute drive away. We piled into our cars after some breakfast and headed to Bristol to meet Joxa and Sam. After an obligatory tea break at Joxa's , we made our way to the park. This was before the Campus Pool existed, and at the time Campus consisted of a room with a mini ramp, and a former school gym (before the current skatepark there existed) with some portable ramps and ledges dotted around. It wasn't perfect, but it was dry, and it was a skatepark.

This session was pretty rad. Joe Habgood was there and was flying out of banks to wall ride everywhere. We all filmed some stuff, and generally just hung out and drank tea and skated. After a couple of hours, we stepped outside and realised it had dried up. We floated the idea of going to a skatepark, but Joxa had a better idea, and suggested a DIY spot called Daveside (which is still standing today, and is a super sick DIY skatepark). Back in 2012, it was just a quarter and a ledge. However, it was more than enough for us to get a session going.

The skate was going well, and Emily had spotted a quirky little lump at the end of the quarter (built by Swampy) which she was determined to rock fakie. This thing wasn't a quarter or a bank, it was a weird lump with a little curb at the top to get your trucks onto. It was a challenge to skate, but it was super fun. Emily had a few goes at it, and was getting really close. Tom got the camera out to film Emily's trick on it, and first go, she went up and took a super gnarly slam, landing straight on her hip. It was one of the most horrible slams I've seen her take, but she just got straight back up - the next go she got it.

After about 45 minutes of skating, the rain began again. Grateful to have got some time outside skating, we got back in the cars and said goodbye to Joxa and Sam, and headed back to the campsite.

When we returned, it was like a bombsite. The horrendous storm-like weather had persisted through Saturday. Tom's tent was practically up in a tree. RB and Moose's tent had completely fallen down, soaking some of their bags. The big tent that Ralph, Hannah, Emily and myself were sharing was wavering, threatening to collapse. The only tent not on the verge of collapse was KB's pro fishing tent.

The field we were camping in was boggy, and areas were becoming flooded. We made a decision to pack up, and head back to Coventry. If we could get a good night's sleep in a warm bed inside a dry house, we might be able to regroup and make new plans to head to an indoor park if this weather continued on Sunday.

On the way out of the campsite, Hannah's Ford Fiesta got stuck in the boggy grass. She couldn't shift it, and no amount of pushing from others could free it. The Toyota had surprisingly gotten out of the field, so we tied a rope to the Fiesta and had to tow it out to rescue it. So far we had spent more time battling the elements than actually skateboarding! By the time we hit the road, the night time was drawing in. We stopped at a service station, where we skated some flat ground in wellies. Spirits were still high, somehow!

To keep a sense of us being on a "camping" road trip, Tom, RB, KB and Moose stayed at mine and Emily's. Our house wasn't massive, so it was a bit like sardines in a tin. In the morning I woke everyone up with my Covpark Combat megaphone, which was tradition for anyone who slept at my house.

The weather was still absolutely shit, so we thought about hitting an indoor park. Consensus landed on us going to The House in Sheffield, where we arranged to meet Alex Burrell. But when we checked social media we got a surprise. The House's Facebook page said the park was closed, but would open ASAP, due to an emergency. Ralph phoned up for more details, and found out the building next door had caught fire. We all felt like this trip was fucking cursed.

The guys at The House encouraged us to drive up, saying by the time we arrived from Cov the fire engines would have gone. Ralph asked how busy the park would be, and we were told it wouldn't be too bad. With the session on, we headed up to Sheffield. When we arrived, we were gutted to find the place absolutely rammed with scooter kids.

Dodging the scooter kids for this afternoon was an exercise in patience. Literally every time one of us would set up for a trick, there was a scooter kid there. For some of us it felt like we were never going to get a chance to even attempt the tricks we wanted. For a short stint we took over the micro room and got some footage there. We managed to get onto the street course a little bit, but the sheer congestion of the park, and the self entitled parents of the kids, just made it worse.

By this point I was flagging. I was genuinely so tired I couldn't think straight. When we were leaving, KB was trying a trick, and wanted to get it down before we hit the road. I was so tired, and I just didn't have the energy to wait around, so I got pissed off with it. In the car I ran my mouth and basically said some shit about Kyle that was unfair and moreso a reaction to me being so tired and bummed out about the trip than it was about Kyle wanting to land a trick. KB was understandably vexed with me, and everyone in the car was bummed out.

At the services I tried to mend the bridges and was honest that I was just completely wiped out. I was at the end of my rope and reacted like a twat. It was honestly one of the most embarrassing moments I've had skating and I felt so shit for being an arsehole and bringing the vibe down. We all tried to enjoy some KFC and put it behind us.

The next day, the weather was looking great. Things were finally turning around. Knowing that this was the last chance for this trip to turn out good, we plotted a course for Clifton Skatepark in Nottingham. I don't know what happened on this day, but we never got any footage from the park. It was the day with easily the best weather, and I'm pretty sure Tom filmed some stuff here, but the footage got corrupted or something.

I barely remember anything else about this day apart from Emily taking the actual worst slam she has ever taken, and landing on her already bruised hip so hard she thought she had dislocated it. The session at Clifton ended with us making a trip to A&E to get an X-ray for Emily. KB and Tom were trapped in Nottingham waiting for us to be done, and late in the evening we rolled on back to Coventry kinda glad the whole weekend was over.

I've titled this "The Worst Road Trip", but I am fully aware many of you might have far worse experiences. So why am I detailing this? I saw a video of Craig Questions from about 5 years ago where he talks about skateboarders, and how we might have a terrible time on a skate trip like sleeping in a cold garage with 10 other people, and how we all just accept it, like it's no big deal.

For anyone else, this kind of experience might be their idea of hell. The trip I described would be enough to put most normal people off going camping or even interacting with the people involved ever again. But for skateboarders, this kind of shit is part and parcel. It's who we are. Everyone has a road trip story like my one, where seemingly everything goes wrong. But the one thing that always, ALWAYS, makes it worth it? Riding your skateboard, with some good friends, and getting each other stoked on riding something new and different.

Questions made a good point that a bunch of "Lads" on holiday in Ibiza would take sleeping in a garage on a cold concrete floor as a failure. They would take camping in a literal storm as a failure. They would call the trip completely over the minute someone's tent ended up in a tree.

Skateboarders adapt. Skateboarders think about how they can still proceed, and still get to do this thing we all enjoy so much, even if the universe is repeatedly telling you to give up and sit at home doing nothing. This road trip didn't go to plan, but we stuck with the idea of 4 non stop days of skateboarding as a crew, and didn't give up on it.

We made lemonade out of lemons. And that's what skateboarding is about, right? If you are expecting perfect weather, perfect terrain, and no hiccups, and not making the most of what you have, then that's not what skateboarders do - you get straight back out there and you figure out a way to get the session on!

#skateboard guff

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illbefinealonereads · 4 years

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Blog tour! I’m offering you information and an excerpt from Out Now by Saundra Mitchell.

Out Now: Queer We Go Again! By Saundra Mitchell On Sale: May 26, 2020 Inkyard Press YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Diversity & Multicultural | YOUNG ADULT FICTION/Romance/LGBT 9781335018267; 1335018263 $18.99 USD 416 pages

A follow-up to the critically acclaimed All Out anthology, Out Now features seventeen new short stories from amazing queer YA authors. Vampires crash prom…aliens run from the government…a president’s daughter comes into her own…a true romantic tries to soften the heart of a cynical social media influencer…a selkie and the sea call out to a lost soul. Teapots and barbershops…skateboards and VW vans…Street Fighter and Ares’s sword: Out Now has a story for every reader and surprises with each turn of the page! This essential and beautifully written modern-day collection features an intersectional and inclusive slate of authors and stories.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Out-Now-Queer-We-Again/dp/1335018263 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/out-now-saundra-mitchell/1133810272 IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335018267 Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Out-Now/Saundra-Mitchell/9781335018267?id=4861510030088 AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/out-now/id1481649552 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Saundra_Mitchell_Out_Now?id=0SeyDwAAQBAJ

Saundra Mitchell has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture deliverer and a layout waxer. She's dodged trains, endured basic training and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She teaches herself languages, raises children and makes paper for fun. She is the author of Shadowed Summer and The Vespertine series, the upcoming novelization of The Prom musical, and the editor of Defy the Dark. She always picks truth; dare is too easy. Visit her online at www.saundramitchell.com.

Author website: wwww.saundramitchell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saundra-Mitchell/164136390442617 Twitter: @saundramitchell Instagram: @smitchellbooks Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52172088-out-now

Excerpt:

KICK. PUSH. COAST. By Candice Montgomery

Every day, same time, same place, she appears and doesn’t say a word.

Well, she doesn’t just appear. She takes a bus. You know she takes a bus because you see her get off the bus right in front of 56th Street, just in front of the park where you skate.

You know she takes a bus and gets off right in front of the park at 56th Street because you are always at the park, wait-ing to catch a glance of her.

She—her appearance—is a constant. Unlike your sexuality, all bendy like the way your bones got after yesterday’s failed backside carve.

Bisexualpansexualdemisexualpanromanticenby all bleeding bleeding-bleeding…into one another.

That drum of an organ inside your chest tells you to just be patient. But now, here you are and there she is and you can’t help yourself.

She’s beautiful.

And so far out of your league.

You’re not even sure what she does here every day, but you probably shouldn’t continue to watch her while trying to nail a Caballerial for the first time. Losing focus there is the kind of thing that lends itself to unforgiving injuries, like that time you broke your leg in six places on the half-pipe or the time you bit clean through your bottom lip trying to take down a 360 Pop Shove It.

You’re still tasting blood to this very day. So’s your skate-board. That one got split clean in half.

She looks up at you from underneath light brown lashes that seem too long to be real. She reminds you of a Heelflip. You don’t know her well but you imagine that, at first, she’s a pretty complicated girl, before you get good enough to really know her. You assume this just given the way her hair hangs down her back in a thick, beachy plait, the way yours never could.

Not since you chopped it all off.

That’s not a look for a lady, your mom says repeatedly. But you’ve never been very femme and a few extra inches of hair plus that pink dress Mom bought you won’t change that.

You hate that dress. That dress makes you look like fondant. Someone nails a Laserflip right near where you’re standing and almost wipes out.

Stop staring. You could just go introduce yourself to her.

But what would you say?

Hi, I’m Dustyn and I really want to kiss you but I’m so confused about who I am and how am I supposed to introduce myself to you if I can’t even get my label right, oh, and also, you make me forget my own name.

And in a perfect world, she would make eyes at you. She’d make those eyes at you and melt your entire fucking world in the way only girls ever can.

Hi, Dustyn, I’m in love with you. Eyelashes. All batting eye-lashes.

No. No, the conversation probably wouldn’t go that way. Be nice if it did though. Be nice if anything at all could go your way when it comes to romance.

You push into a 360 ollie while riding fakie and biff it so bad, you wish you possessed whatever brain cells are the ones that tell you when to quit.

If that conversation did go your way, on a realistic scale, she’d watch you right back. You would nail that Caballerial.

Take a break. Breathe. Breathe breathe breathe. Try some-thing else for a sec.

Varial Heelflip. Wipe out.

Inward Heelflip. Gnarly spill.

Backside 180 Heelflip. Game, set, match—you’re finished. That third fail happens right in front of her and you play it off cool. Get up. Don’t even give a second thought to your battle wounds. You’re at the skate park on 56th Street because there’s more to get into. Which means, you’re not the only idiot limping with a little drug called determination giving you momentum.

Falling is the point. Failing is the point. Getting better and changing your game as a skater is the point. Change.

But what if things were on your side? What if you’d stuck with that first label? What if Bisexual felt like a good fit and never changed?

Well, then you’d probably be landing all these 180s.

If bisexual just fit, you’d probably have been able to hold on to your spot in that Walk-In Closet. But it doesn’t fit. It doesn’t fit which kind of sucks because at Thanksgiving din-ner two years ago, your cousin Damita just had to open her big mouth and tell the family you “mess with girls.” Just had to tell the family, a forkful of homemade mac and cheese headed into said mouth, that you are “half a gay.”

That went over well. Grams wouldn’t let you sit on her plastic-lined couches for the rest of the night. Your great-uncle Damian told her gay is contagious. She took it to heart.

No offense, baby. Can’t have all that on my good couches. You glance up and across the park, memories knocking

things through your head like a good stiff wind, and you find her taking a seat.

Oh.

Oh, she never does this. She never gets comfortable. She’s changing things up. You’re not the only one.

Maybe she plans to stay a while.

You love that she’s changing things up. You think it feels like a sign. It’s like she’s riding Goofy-Foot today. Riding with her right foot as dominant.

The first time you changed things up that way, you ended up behind the bleachers, teeth checking with a trans boy named Aaron. It felt so right that you needed to give it a name.

Google called it pansexual. That one stuck. You didn’t bother to explain that one to the family, though. They were just starting to learn bisexual didn’t mean you were gay for only half the year.

You pop your board and give the Caballerial another go.

It does not want you. You don’t stick this one either.

If pansexual had stuck, you’d introduce yourself to the beautiful girl with a smaller apology on your tongue. Hi, I’m Dustyn, I’ve only changed my label the one time, just slightly, but I’m still me and I’d really love to take you out.

And the beautiful girl would glance at your scraped elbows and the bruised-up skin showing through the knee holes in your ripped black skinny jeans. She’d see you and say, Hi, small, slight changes are my favorite. And then she’d lace her bubble-gum-nail-polished hand with yours.

But you changed your label after that, too. It was fine for a while. Your best friend, Hollis, talked you through the symp-toms of demisexuality.

No wonder holding the beautiful girl’s hand seems so much more heart-palpitating than anything else. A handhold. So simple. Just like an ollie.

You take a fast running start, throwing your board down, and end up on a vert skate, all empty bowl-shaped pools that are so smooth, your wheels only make a small whisper against them.

A whisper is what you got that first time you realized sex was not for you. Not with just anyone. This was…mmm, probably your biggest revelation.

It was like you’d been feeding your body Big Macs three times a day and suddenly—a vegetable!

Tic-tacking is when you use your entire body to turn the board from one side to the other. It’s a game of lower body strength, but also a game of knowing your weight and know-ing your board. You are not a tic-tac kind of girl.

You are not a girl at all. You are just…you.

That.

That one’s sticking forever. You know it all the way through to your gut.

You make one more attempt, which probably isn’t super wise because you are so close to the spot where she’s sitting that not only will she see you bite the dust, but she’ll hear that nasty grunt you make when you meet the ground.

You coast by.

The friction vibrates up through your bearings and you know you’re going too fast because you start to feel a little bit of a speed-wobble, that lovely, untimely, oscillatory behavior that means bro, you are about to lose control.

And you hate that word. Control. You hate that word be-cause it is so very rare that you have any. Over your life, your sexuality, your gender, your pronouns, your heartbeat when you’re around your beautiful girl.

But then you do.

You gain control. And you nail that Caballerial.

And the three guys who’ve been watching you make an ass of yourself all afternoon pop their boards up, hold them over their heads and let out wolf shouts.

And you’re smiling so hard. You get like that when you nail a particularly difficult one. You’re smiling so hard you don’t notice the someone standing behind you.

Beautiful girl. You don’t even want to control your smile here.

“You did it,” she says.

#blog tour #excerpt #out now #saundra mitchell

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dollsonmain · 3 years

Text

Absolutely no Minecraft for me today. I’m sure that’s not helping how I feel because I get super focused, forget to blink, and don’t move for HOURS, all of which is exhausting.

That Guy asked me to fix up the village near his impending castle so I did, which requires building a big stone wall first off. It’s tedious. It has to be tall enough that skeletons can’t shoot golems over the top because otherwise the golems will stand there getting shot until they die.

Then I bred them so there are like 15 people there now instead of 2. The village near the center point is still only one dude. I’m trying to get him to switch jobs to librarian from cleric so we have a chance at getting mending books from him.

I still wish they’d stay children if there aren’t job-items available. The little kids are cute but they all grow up eventually and there’s never any more unless someone dies.

Anyway.

That Guy says we’re getting groceries today and I might not go. I don’t feel well at all.

Goodwill would be a great place to use a credit card to maintain my credit, though. If I had one. I spend like $6 a week there in general.

I need to ID the ponies and birds I’m working on and get their photos sorted into folders.

I know Tricky Tails, and I was calling the one Snuzzle but I think that’s Peachy..... and then the baby which we IDed and then I forgot already. I just don’t retain information that well. I’ll remember in 20 years at random.

*done*

I’ve overspent again and am kicking myself for it, but hope I’ll make most of it back when I get the next batch listed.

I wish Goodwill would have more toys again. The shipping fees are killing me. On the ones that came in yesterday I paid $20 shipping and it cost $12.

Buying is so much easier than selling.

This batch ended up being $50 after shipping and taxes.

And should arrive during our vacation ಠ_ಠ’ so hopefully they’ll properly hold our mail. If they don’t it’s only 3 days. Hopefully no one steals any lingering packages.

I do find myself willing to spend more when there’s a pony I want for myself in the lot, and I do want Glittering Gem and maybe TaF Sundance. I’ll be lucky if I can get $20 for the other MLP all together (fakie will go in the fakie pile), and Sunspot needs a new tail which is more $$.

And I have that bald Heart Throb on the way in, so no more buying until I get another listing going.

I need to figure out how to set eBay to vacation mode... Got it.

Pansy’s auction ends in 15 minutes. Hopefully they pay quickly so I can get that out before vacation time.

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imeugene · 7 years

Video

youtube

The other day made me realize that Max Gaertig is one of the greatest street riders ever. This is coming from a guy who actively stays away from using hyperbole to describe things. Cause calling every other rider the best on here would make me no better than a two cent whore. Best is a word reserved for someone maxed out. No pun intended cause I hate puns for the most part too. But Max.. I’ll give him that title cause Max Gaertig is one of the greatest street riders ever.

The hop whip. It’s synonymous with him. It’s a trick that happened maybe close to 20 years ago by Dave Osato, another powerhouse shredder. When Max learned it and revealed to the world how boss he is at it in this Wethepeople section back in 2004, it’s been his since. If famousbirthdays.com is right that means that Ethan Corriere was nine years old when this section dropped. In the course of his life Max has owned the tailwhip. Some would argue that no longer the case but I’d definitely argue better that it is. To go back to the reason I say he’s one of the greatest street riders ever is that more or less every year Max will drop an edit and he’ll completely do something unthinkable regarding the whip. How unthinkable can things be when most of your entirety is based on one major trick. Well in Max’s case it’s pretty unthinkable each time. Like in the new edit. Oppo cab whip. Never even crossed my mind. In this section feeble to whip, well that’s a trick that’s just starting regularize these days. Add halfcab whips like it’s a rollback and I think a fullcab whip at some point? 180 whip out of fakie from smith, double pegs. 180 whip flat from time to time. Manuel to whip down a double set. Backlash whips. There’s a lot more but just youtube his name and it’ll click. Max may not be doing the biggest whips (he certainly does big ones though) but more or he’s definitely got a nitro circus level of trick list regarding them and he’s street rider.

To pigeonhole him as being only a whip guy is definitely unfair though. Max’s style outside of the whip is still pretty progressive. Like Max did a feeble to bar to manuel 180. That’s like tech line people today are beginning to do but he did it over a decade ago. Over crank also. That’s something that didn’t click back then since it seemed like such a obscure trick then but it’s definitely viable trick today. Plus Max is the feeble the big crusty hubba type of guy too, who also bombs steep rails. He’s the best cause he can do both tech and hesh, a balance a lot of riders lack. Fearlessness and disciplne. Yin and yang. All that duality stuff where to be the master you have tread the fine line in between and understand both. They made Star Wars off that whole theme. Whips maybe his forte but Max isn’t lacking outside is of that is what I’m trying to say. He did brakeless nosemanuel in here and I’m not sure what came out first, ‘Can I Eat’ or ‘Etc.’ but both are 2004 so Steven Hamilton is completely fresh at this point. I don’t know if it’s correlated with Max trying it but regardless its unheard of in this point in time. Max is creative and technical. Another duality Max has mastered. That super high smith to bar is a trick that best represents all that. Like he gets up there and you’re thinking oh ok a super high smith then on the way down he throws a bar and your just like whoa.

You know that old quote, the person who stays in there focuses on their own lane and wins the race, cause if you take the time to wonder what everyone else is doing you lose focus on the end goal. That’s something resonates me with Max’s riding. It seems all unphased by the outside happening and trends of BMX. In that way Max has developed a style that is entirely unique to himself and once again incredibly progressive. He’s not a young rookie anymore but because he isn’t really competing to stay one, he’s above it all and his riding shows. Like the sprocket chunk. It’s another Max move thats fairly not too popular but he’s made most of it throughout the years. Even super long hangover tooths on big rails. He does the most. I think the strangest aspect of Max’s riding is that it hasn’t changed at all really. It’s just been upgraded multiple times and even today he hasn’t slowed down in any conventional sense, Max is still on point.

Max is I think one of those pivotal riders who just fly underneath the radar of mainstream BMX. Which is totally understandable cause foreign riders who decide to live in their home countries will always have a harder time to find success within BMX but also Max doesn’t come off as the guy whose too worried about that. Pretty much has the same sponsors he’s always had. Same regular guy look. A lot of foreign riders make themselves more accessible to the English speaking audience that constitutes most of BMX but I don’t think I ever heard him speak English or give interviews much. He’s seems like the whole ‘let the riding do the talking’ type of guy which anyone can respect though and in his case, his riding does speak a lot.

Max Gaertig

Serge by Folk Implosion

WeThePeople - ETC (2004)

Edited by Thomas Fritscher

#max gaertig #wethepeople bmx #why is wethepeople a german company #i cant be the only person that finds that weird

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sneek-m · 7 years

Photo

Listening 2017: June 23–July 13

Maybe the longest span of time for this column? I’ve nixed old blurbs in the past as it collected too much dust in the drafts before another album inspired me to add more to the post. I worried the 2 Chainz blurb here, first written back during the last week of July, would share the same fate. But luckily, a few new records got me writing. I wouldn’t say they are necessarily enthusiastic words, but they are words.

Here are a couple records that got me writing stuff down during these few weeks…

Supply & Demand / Pretty Girls Like Trap Music

Playaz Circle / 2 Chainz Disturbing tha Peace, 2007; Universal, 2017

2 Chainz’ output from the past year and a half or so provides a good show of work to ensure his new album, Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, would be a quality release. But may I suggest you instead revisit his debut full-length, Supply & Demand, as one half of Playaz Circle? Though the name certainly changed, from Tity Boi to 2 Chainz, he has been producing more or less the same kind of work a decade since he first cut a record for a major. His sound in the LP isn’t completely his; more than a hint of Jeezy echoes throughout, both in 2 Chainz’ measured delivery to the Gothic touches of the album’s booming trap beats. Yet there are glimpses of his renowned humor: the second song is called “#1 Trap Pick” for starters.

The aforementioned new album by 2 Chainz is a 2 Chainz album, no more, no less: a roster of guests and a grab bag of punchlines, all in the name of trap music. His dramatic punctuation, as always, better serves bewilderment than jokes. A favorite moment of mine is the rapper describing his new see-through fridge in “Saturday Night.” That’s a throwback to Jeezy, too: no one this decade or previous can beat his before-and-after snapshot of his kitchen. In comparison to Supply & Demand, those instances come somewhat more brief than desired in Pretty Girls Like Trap Music. But then again, as his insert of Jeezy’s “Get Ya Mind Right” in “Trap Check” reminds, he’s been in this field of work for a decade. To stay coasting this comfortably in trap music with a steady flow of income for this long is a surprise in itself.

[6] / [6]

Issa Album

21 Savage Slaughter Gang/Epic, 2017

The night before I heard this, a friend described 21 Savage on this album as “romantic.” Cartoon cover aside, I couldn’t imagine a man who claimed to have no heart on one icy, soulless rap record to show soft, warm emotion — or any kind of emotion, for that matter. And he still shows affection with juvenile shallowness, again comparing sex to candy. His hooks overall continue to thrive off of disengaged apathy. Yet he’s also vocal throughout the record to explain he’s deeper than sex, drugs, and violence, and that he is, in fact, a man who can feel.

21 doesn’t expand enough to back up his talk. His best songs here follow his old tricks: hooks about indulgence, repeated until none of it bare much joy. The more the textures of the album resembles the comatose haze of the Metro Boomin’-assisted Savage Mode, the better it sounds. But at least he’s self-aware: there is a song called “Numb”; in another called “Nothin’ New,” he opens with being type-casted as one who “only raps about murders and pistols,” only to try to break away from it.

New inclusion of topic as a gesture to show growth is a reveal of family and his struggles to raise them. It’s a small appearance, though to his credit, so was his mention of autobiography of his middle-school years in “No Heart,” and that still was enough to carve some humanity in him. I side with him through a more familiar territory on him being at too close of a proximity to death and coping with such anxiety as well as grief. He’s rather brief at describing his pill habits than his peers, yet it’s always revealing. And there’s an air of cliche to a 21 Savage song called “Dead People.” It probably doesn’t help its decaying beat recalls the gloom behind the title track to Savage Mode. But it’s a case of an artist doing what he does best.

[7]

Funk Wav Bounce, Vol. 1

Calvin Harris Columbia, 2017

The poolside soft-rock BBQ hosted by Calvin Harris and friends reminds “chill” music isn’t necessarily synonymous to “fun” music. They together set out to make feelgood music, and though they certainly succeed in making a pop records that feel good, only few seem to glow with a sense of genuine joy under the sun. “Slide,” “Feels,” “Rollin’,” or even that sorely generic title: a good half of the record sits a little too comfortable to the point they sound like readymade funk for Having a Good Time. The lone partygoer who seems to have some fun is Schoolboy Q, whose voice shakes up just enough to spike the watered-down G-funk of “Cash Out.” Meanwhile, Lil Yachty and Kehlani interrupt with some offside arguments — a welcome drama for this almost too-perfect dream of a Los Angeles day party.

[6]

Other albums that caught my attention…

BiSH: Killer BiSH (Avex Trax, 2016)

Blanck Mass: Dumb Flesh (Sacred Bones, 2015)

C-ute: Cmaj9 (Zelima, 2016)

callme: Who Is Callme? (Avex Trax, 2015)

FAKY: Unwrapped (Avex Trax, 2017)

Haim: Something to Tell You (Columbia, 2017)

James Ferraro: Far Side Virtual (Hippos in Tanks, 2011)

Kayoko Yoshizawa: Houkiboshi Zukan (e-stretch, 2015)

The KLF: The White Room (KLF Communications, 1991)

Nidia: Nidie e Ma, Nidia e Fudida (Principe, 2017)

Red Velvet: The Red Summer (SM, 2017)

Shinichi Atobe: From the Heart, It’s a Start, A Work of Art (DDS, 2017)

Steffi: Fabric94 (Fabric, 2017)

#Listening 2017

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xpwewarchive · 4 years

Text

XPWEW Friday Night Pyro (4-3-2020)

Friday Night Pyro #420 April 3rd, 2020 Los Angeles, CA The Barracks

Opening Segment: Golden Bryce says Blitzkrieg was a success NOW ON TO THE RUMBLE....

Leonard McGraw enters with Ryu McGraw to Bryce: “And I plan on winning that Xtreme Rumble match in just 3 weeks and any piss pants punk in the back can file back cause come April 26th brother I’m coming for ya...

Alveno enters “Who’s to say I don’t have a chance to shock the world”

Leonard to Alveno “You wanna back that up kid”

GT and Bedlam enters “Leo you got more problems considering saving your bollocks. Last Sunday at Blitzkrieg you won that cage match within an inch of your life. You should be more concerned about me

Leonard signals GT “Get your finger out of Ethan’s ass. Cause Garrett I’m fixing to fight you right now c’mon son take your best shot”

GT to Leonard “Perhaps later”

Bryce “Perhaps you take your best shot against me. Because Garrett you know in this business and lately you’ve been beating around the bush with Leonard McGraw so I say this in this locker room you either act tough or talk tough and you a pussy

OHHHHHHHHHHHH SHITTTTTTT

Mandy Leon consort promo “The roaring 20’s-esq promo”

1 on 1 Non-Title / Exhibition Match M1: Golden Bryce defeats Garrett Thompson w/ Bedlam

Bedlam interference consistently but smarty Bryce avoids many of his antics. Referee Kevin Madrox officiates it well and doesn’t completely blind himself like the typical ref spot. He continuously is catching Bedlam off guard before he does heelish tactics. GT is able to get upper hand on Bryce for a long time so much so that commentary points out “Garrett Thompson a former Lockdown main event himself. Main evented Lockdown 5 unsuccessfully but despite never being a world champion GT has always remained IN THE HUNT. And a win over Bryce tonight can put him in that position; potentially in 3 weeks at the Rumble” Finish: GT is setting up Bryce for the Wasteland. But in the follow-through of the maneuver Bryce is able to cradle GT in for a crucifix roll-up for the 1-2-3 Bryce defeats Garrett Thompson After the match GT Irate calls for a “2” towards the ref. Bryce hits the 6 rings on him for good measure. And just like that the world champion is on nothing but a positive momentum swing as we treach toward the rumble.

After the match Leonard McGraw runs down to the ring and “gets a piece of GT’s ass” Bedlam tried to evade him but Leonard tosses Bedlam right over the top rope to the outside and then Lou Thez press on GT, punches him and then GT rolls out the ring. McGraw then all hype backs up into Bryce’s chest and turns around quick and fake him out with a Buckshot clothesline ONLY a fakie. Bryce DID NOT flinch and McGraw nods his head up and down then points up 3 fingers as to signal just 3 more Pyro’s until the Rumble. Then he points up at the Lockdown 7 sign.

Camera follows Bryce from the ring, up the ramp and even behind the curtain.

The Set is chilling right behind the curtain smoking weed “as ya do” Ruckus, Jordan Oliver, Myron Reed, Kotto Brazil, Siaka Lexoni & Chrissy Rivera Jordan Oliver to Bryce: Hah! Nice roll up champ. Bryce: It wasn’t pretty but it was a win Jordan: Yeah it was a win but c’mon I’m undefeated. You’ve lost a couple bucko. 2020 is the year of The Set. 2020 is my year. And in just 3 weeks I’m gonna throw out all those clowns and I’m gonna unify our titles pimp Myron & Kotto: laughing Ruckus: gets up from chair and looks Bryce up and down** psssk let’s get outta here Bryce: What? Ruckus: looks Bryce up and down again Bryce: What’s wrong Ruckus? If you don’t talk, I’ll talk to this talkative punk Jordan Oliver: Me? Bryce: Yeah..I don’t have the authority to unify titles. I certainly wouldn’t classify myself a “Junior”weight. So how bout this junior, take on the heavyweight. Champion. And we’ll see how long your solid that undefeated streak of yours is. Jordan Oliver: You want me? Your own. I just think it’s a bad marketing move to do the Lockdown main event next week but that’s cool. You and me. 1 on 1. Juniorweight champ vs Heavyweight champ. Bryce: And by the way “The Set” your welcome to be at ringside to play cheerleader for Jordan. Just know that if you step in my ring during the match. As soon as I see some ass I’m kicking it. Get it. (Looks at Myron) Got it. (Looks at Kotto) Good. (Looks at Ruckus)

Bryce walks off The Set stares at him walking off (((Clustered talking))) “Fuck that nigga” “Lame ass Busta” “Green Bryce lookin ass”

M2: Tag Team Action! Myron Reed & Kotto Brazil w/ Jordan Oliver defeat 3M3 (wearing 3M protective facemasks)

(((Ruckus and Lexoni on commentary put over Myron, Kotto & Jordan)))

Backstage: Amy Lee knocking on Kiera Hogan’s Dressing Room door. “Are you ready?” Kiera: I can’t open the door... Amy: I’m coming in Kiera: I need help... Amy: Ok I’m coming in (Kiera Hogan is screaming with both hands stuck to her weave not natural hair (not a weave that she typically sports) Amy: are you gonna put your hands down? Kiera: That bitch Priscilla has put glue all over my weave and now I can’t remove it from my hands. Amy: our match is next we gotta go Kiera: no no no no no I can’t no no no Amy: Oh yeah the title, I’ll hold your belt for you (Amy Lee practically pushing Kiera Hogan down the hallway) Amy: Champion’s don’t take breaks Kiera: that is the un-truest statement ever

Tag Team Action! (Kiera Hogan not in ring gear with hands glued to her head (on apron most of match, can’t tag in)

M3: Prisiclla & Doxy defeat Amy Lee & Kiera Hogan (c)

*comedy match with spots revolving around Kiera Hogan not being able to use her hands since they were glued meticulously by Priscilla when she put on her weave *Priscilla and Doxy have had a barbed-wire massacre match in the past so seeing them team up for once they weren’t very chummy but both have a grudge to settle with Kiera now

Finish: Priscilla hits osteoporosis on Amy Lee for the win and after the match Kiera is able grab her title and scram once she un-glues her hands but her weave is still stuck so she has just a basket use for hands. “I’m gonna finish you once and for all you tramp” *Doxy standing side by side in the ring with Priscilla *Doxy grabs the mic “Prisiclla tonight we were a team but there aren’t women’s tag titles In this promotion. So we are not friends. I’m looking at one thing. My women’s championship. Priscilla: Well I’m looking a two things. A bimbo with her hands glued. And the women that took that title from me. I’m not friends with ANYONE. Bite me

*Backstage: [Pre-Recorded Promo] ((Looks to be inside of a car)) Rosemary and Lotus with Slayer Slayer: 30. 30 dived by half is 15. 15 in 3rds becomes 5. And just like the lotus blossom. You can pluck it away 1 by 1 by 1 by1.........then that petal remains. That petal will always be remembered. In 3 weeks. I am that petal. And my seed is another. I’m not a betting man. But betting odds. Lotus or myself main eventing the biggest event in XPWEW history. I’m just waiting. I don’t have anything to prove.....

In Ring Segment: (((Joe Gacy needs to find a tag team partner worthy of being champion with him since Brodie Croyle is injured His first trial: Soloman Nasty

Tag Team Action! M4: Joe Gacy & “Soloman Nasty” defeat 2 jobber local talents Bully Jaxon & “Mr. Insane Replay”

After the match Joe Gacy gives Soloman Nasty a “thumbs up” Nasty smiles Gacy then gives a “thumbs down” and pounces Nasty Gacy then sets up a table in the ring and presses him through it Joe Gacy: “I guess Soloman Nasty isn’t Plagueground material and isn’t worthy of being my tag team champion partner” *lifts Soloman Nasty up and slams the microphone on his head! EMTs didn’t even bother helping the jobber Soloman Nasty tonight here folks

Main Event! 3 Way Match (first fall wins) Leonard McGraw defeats All Man & Slayer

Finish occurs when Slayer gets thrown to the outside. All Man is getting momentum he’s going crazy shaking the ropes but off the ropes on the other side of the ring BOOM! TEXTBOOK TITAN TRON LEVEL Leonard annihilates All Man with a CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL aka “The Buckshot” Leonard McGraw picks up the WIN by pinning the All Man

IN RING SEGMENT: James Westerbeck: Ladies & Gentlemen for the first time speaking in over 6 months. Troy Clausen

Champagne Clausen enters

Champagne about to speak...

Troy Clausen enters

“Troy: Well, dont look at me like I’m fricken Frankenstein you don’t wanna give me a hug. That’s fine. I don’t want it. 6 months ago I got into the ring for the first time and I got my ass handed to me. And since then that man hasn’t won a match huh huh (Hi Jacques, how ya doing) In those months we’ll we’ve entered a new decade. Kobe Bryant passed away. Terrible. Corona Virus has changed the everyday world, as we know it. Jacques Dudley has a losing streak...Jake Awesome doesn’t even work here anymore. Golden Bryce won a match on PPV. Champagne: I was the World HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION Troy: Yeah well I didn’t see it Champagne: I was Troy: Oh yeah you were, but not the Curtis Clausen I knew. Before you won that title 45 minutes before I was incapacitated. You were different. And then when you seen I was going to make a full recovery I was told you amped my meds? You amped up my dosage? How is that legal? You won that title and you became vindictive, vengeful, hateful, mean, calculating, heartless, relentless and god damned GUTERRRRAL .......Just like me! :) But Curtis you’ll never be evil as me :) You’ll never be as good at bein one VILE SON OF A BITCH LIKE ME! You’ll always be...a Troy. Clausen wannabe. You took me out of the picture because you wanted to be the center of attention well now you got it. You got it. I like it You know why? Cause I would have done the same DAMN THING!!!! But now your times up. Freight Train told me everything. But now I’m awake and I don’t care what title you won, you are a pissant. You couldn’t keep me down! And I love it! I love it! Vindictive! Calculated. Vile. You tried but Damnit son lol I’m just a whole lot better at it Now look at ya You got no title You have no sedated father Where’s all the attention you wanted Well that’s fine cause you’ve paid yourself an ass whooping And this means I got one more chance to beat the fuck outta you Champagne: You won’t Troy: Oh I won’t SLAPS CHAMPAGNE ((Champagne tackles troy and punches him repetitively over and over. ((Troy just Eats all those punches)) Troy laying on mat on his back: You got nothing.. heavily breathing ((Champagne looks under the ring and grabs a Singapore Cane)) Troy: Do it. Do it you Jagaloon Champagne: thwaks .......again.........again....then hits Troy on the back about 6 times (((Champagne goes back to punching Troy on the head over and over until blood is spilled and Troy has a crimson mask just flowing from his forehead (( Champagne un-do’s his tie and leaves the ring )) Troy: You and me...Lockdown Seven Champagne: mouthing since he has no microphone “I’ll be doing the main event” Troy: No heavily breathing I’ll make damn you won’t..... Camera zooms in on a bloody crimson masked smiling Troy Clausen SHOW ENDS

#xpwew #friday night pyro #golden bryce

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uniclusaka · 4 years

Text

Together we can win the war against COVID-19

— Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)

BY:

KINGSLEY IGHOBOR

Virologist Dr. John Nkengasong is the director of the Addis-based Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). It was established by the African Union to support member states' public health initiatives and strengthen public health institutions' capacity to detect, prevent, control and respond to disease threats and outbreaks quickly and effectively. On Thursday 26 March Dr. Nkengasong talked to Africa Renewal’s Kingsley Ighobor about COVID-19 and Africa's response capability. Here are some excerpts:

Africa Renewal: How prepared is Africa to respond to COVID-19?

Dr. Nkengasong: We were fortunate that COVID-19 didn't start in Africa. We had time to observe what happened in China in December 2019 and January 2020, and rapidly prepare countries to respond in key areas. One of those is diagnostics. By the second week of February, just Senegal and South Africa could diagnose COVID-19. So, in Senegal, we quickly brought together representatives of laboratories from 16 African countries, trained them and gave them diagnostic equipment. After that we conducted competency-based training in South Africa, where we also provided diagnostic equipment. Then we came back again to Senegal and trained another group. So far, we have trained representatives of laboratories from 48 countries. The cases being detected now are because of that massive effort.

What are the other areas?

The second area we focused on was infection prevention and control. We recognized that COVID-19 could overwhelm our healthcare facilities and that nurses and doctors could be affected. We cannot afford to have 3,000 doctors or healthcare workers infected, as was the case in China. So, we immediately brought representatives of 35 countries together in Nigeria and trained them on infection prevention and control. In Kenya we brought together representatives of more than 30 countries for training in enhanced airport, airline and port-of-entry screening.

Then we went to Tunisia and trained countries on communicating risk to the general public.

How is the African Union providing support?

We are using all expertise — from member states, Africa CDC and WHO — to respond to COVID-19.

At the political level, Africa CDC and the African Union Commission, under the leadership of chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat convened a meeting of all health ministers on 22 February where we agreed on the need to have a coordinated continental strategy that hinges on cooperation, collaboration, coordination and communication.

The second outcome of that meeting was the establishment of the Africa Task Force for Coronavirus Preparedness and Response. The infection prevention and control part of that task force is co-led by Nigeria and Africa CDC. The laboratory part of it is co-led by Senegal, Africa CDC and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

What are the key challenges so far?

There are serious challenges in supplies. In New York, you hear the governor talk about shortages of respirators and other supplies. In Africa, we don't manufacture these items; we import them. But now that the world is consuming a lot of what is produced, it is becoming difficult for us to obtain such items that will allow us to better prepare and respond.

What do you plan to do about this?

We have been working very hard with the office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, and the Jack Ma Foundation, who jointly launched an initiative to support African countries with a huge shipment of diagnostic equipment. I'll call it the “marathon mission” because we have seven [Africa CDC] personnel at the airport coordinating with Ethiopian Airlines, WHO and the Ethiopian government to distribute throughout Africa about one million testing kits, six million masks, and 60,000 protective suits.

The current stock will buy us time for about two to three weeks. But in the next couple of weeks we need, as Africans, to have our own stock. Africa CDC and the AU will be heading out all over the world to stockpile massively so that we can support member states in the fight against COVID-19.

How is Africa CDC collaborating with WHO?

We are collaborating very well with WHO. I also wear a double hat as Dr. Tedros's [Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general] special envoy for Africa on COVID-19.

We just finished a call with Dr. Matshidiso Moeti [WHO Regional Director for Africa] and two days ago, she and I discussed coordination and advocacy strategies. WHO has also played an important role in shipping diagnostic [equipment] to countries.

What information do you have regarding vaccine development and accessibility?

We are not close to a vaccine. We will be fortunate to have a vaccine in the next one to one-and-a-half years. I'm a board member of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation, which was set up after the 2013 Ebola outbreak in West Africa to facilitate the development of vaccines. Within that group, I'm also on the Equitable Access subcommittee where we champion access to vaccines for vulnerable populations.

Any lessons from that Ebola outbreak?

One lesson we learned from Ebola was the importance of the deployment of young African responders. During the Ebola crisis in West Africa, we enlisted 800 in what we called the African Healthcare Volunteer Force, and we will be doing the same to address this pandemic.

As we speak, there are more than 50 responders here [in Addis Ababa] that we have brought from different countries to support our response. And we are putting some in Nigeria and others in Cameroon. We plan to escalate that very quickly.

What is your final message to Africans?

My message to Africa is that we should adhere to the continental strategy endorsed by Africa's health ministers in February and being championed by the chair of the African Union for 2020, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

If we do not have a continental strategy that enables us to coordinate, collaborate, cooperate effectively and communicate, we are doomed. No one country can eliminate COVID-19 in Africa alone. We must demonstrate a unity of purpose and work collectively to wage and win the war against COVID-19. We don't have a choice.

For more information on COVID-19, visit www.un.org/coronavirus

Africa Renewal

#COVID19

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