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doomandgloomfromthetomb · 1 year

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Bob Dylan - The Power & The Glory (A 2022 Touring Year Story)

Bob Dylan kicks off another leg of the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour this week in Osaka, Japan. Will he playing a totally revamped set? I'm guessing no, but who the hell knows? Meanwhile, I'm going to start spreading the rumor that Bob will almost certainly be releasing an album of new material in 2023. I have nothing, absolutely nothing, to back this up, but I'm just going to try to manifest it. Manifest with me, people!

To get psyched for more live Dylan, check out this very very nice compilation of audience recordings from last year's shows, gathering some highlights and rarities — like Bob's Jerry Lee Lewis tribute in Dublin or the very rowdy "Friend of the Devil" in San Francisco. And is that a little Twin Peaks theme I'm hearing inserted into "Key West" from March 6??? Prove me wrong!

Another way to get psyched: check out James Adams' new episode of the Pretty Good Stuff series on Aquarium Drunkard. This latest hour features some of Bob's finest performances in Japan from over the decades. I was particularly blown away by the 1994 rendition of "What Good Am I?" — a truly outrageous and amazing vocal on that one.

One more thing! Last year, I wrote a review of the Dylan show I caught in San Diego, which for one reason or another, was never published. Here it is, plus a recording of the show, as an incredibly special treat for you Doom & Gloomsters.

Bob Dylan - San Diego Civic Theatre, San Diego, California, June 17, 2022

You couldn’t count on much over the past 30+ years, but you could usually assume that Bob Dylan was somewhere out there, still on the road, perpetually headed for another joint. But the bewildering pandemic year of 2020 brought it all to a shuddering halt, causing the longest break in Dylan’s relentless live performance schedule since the mid-1980s. Bobcats across the globe had to ask themselves that tough question: Was the Never Ending Tour finally … ending?

Of course not. Or at least not yet. In late 2021, Dylan kicked off the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour, which promises to stretch into 2024 — an ambitious span of time in an increasingly unpredictable decade. What keeps him going? One can only assume that, at this point, Bob doesn’t need the cash (if he ever really did). In his own eccentric way, he must still be interested in connecting with audiences, sharing his songs, reveling in the power that this music delivers. And maybe, just like the rest of us, the various COVID-19 lockdowns made Dylan a little stir-crazy.

Whatever his reasoning may be, there was a tingling sense of anticipation in the air when the lights went down at the San Diego Civic Theatre this past June. The songwriter’s advanced age (he turned 81 in May) and the still precarious nature of live shows these days makes Dylan’s continuing presence feel all the more precious. And to be sure, when you got your first glimpse of the man — looking a little frail, a tad ghostly — your first thoughts were of his (and perhaps your own) all-too-human mortality. As he sang later: “I’ve already outlived my life by far.” But Dylan refused to let us wallow. Instead, he kicked off the show with a long, occasionally shambolic, guitar solo over a sweet, bluesy shuffle. As it rambled on — and on! — you couldn’t help but grin. Never mind mortality — this Nobel Prize winner still just loves to jam.

“What’s the matter with me? I don’t have much to say,” were the first words Dylan growled this evening — the opening lines of 1971’s “Watching The River Flow.” But they were sung with a wink. As proven by his 2020 masterpiece Rough And Rowdy Ways, Dylan still has plenty to say. The San Diego setlist (which rarely changed from night to night during this spring/summer jaunt) was dominated by numbers from the album — the only tune missing was “Murder Most Foul” (which Dylan likely thinks of as a separate piece altogether). It’s a daring move. Bob has never been of the McCartney school — you’re never guaranteed to hear the hits at a Dylan show. But he hasn’t played shows so heavily tilted towards new material since the “born again” days of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The gambit paid off. The Rough And Rowdy Ways numbers were captivating, from the hushed majesty of “I Contain Multitudes” to the deep blues crawl of “Crossing The Rubicon,” each moment filled with drama and gravitas. Dylan’s vocals sounded magnificent and clear; those Sinatra records from the last decade seem to have made him rethink his approach, with fantastic results. The sweet croon he slipped into on a ravishing “I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You” was positively breathtaking, as he held dangerously long notes, the music breaking down beautifully behind him. On the other end of the spectrum, “My Own Version Of You” was a harrowing ride, Dylan relishing the song’s increasingly grotesque imagery. And even though the new stuff is relatively fresh from his pen, Dylan typically couldn’t help toying with an arrangement or two: “Key West (Philosopher Pirate)” was reinvented entirely with a curious chord structure and bewitching vocal that traded the studio version’s apocalyptic dread for a more open-ended playfulness.

The band here (stalwart bassist Tony Garnier, guitarists Bob Britt and Doug Lancio, multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron and drummer Charley Drayton) deserves special credit. There was rarely a lead voice breaking out in the mix — save for Dylan’s nervous, Monk-ish piano solos. Instead, there was a cohesive collective synergy, instruments interlocking, rising and falling in unison. The result was a kind of richly textured minimalist blues rock, free of cliché, zero fat on the bone. Occasionally, Dylan would pick out a hypnotic riff and his musicians would circle it patiently, adding subtle colorings around the edges. Occasionally, they’d drop out entirely, as with the almost a capella intro to “Gotta Serve Somebody,” which gave Dylan plenty of space to play around in before the song kicked into a full-tilt boogie.

Bob’s chatter was limited to a brief but hearty band introduction towards the end, but he wasn’t entirely uncommunicative. Several times in-between songs, he’d step out from behind his upright piano, put a hand on his hip, cock his head and fix the crowd with a quizzical stare. Was he soaking in the applause? Trying to get a sense of who his audience is in 2022? Just letting us all get a good look at him? Maybe all of the above — but most of all, it seemed as though Dylan was silently asking, once again, after all these years: “How does it feel?”

#bob dylan #baby shark

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captainmdhridoyhossain-blog · 1 year

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[ad_1] Robot missions to Mars and advances in house tourism ruled the gap actions of 2021. However in 2022, the moon is more likely to stand out, as corporations and governments release quite a lot of moon-bound spacecraft.Maximum of the ones missions revolve round Artemis, NASA’s multibillion buck effort to go back astronauts to the moon later within the decade and behavior regimen science missions on its floor in preparation for farther treks to Mars (a much more formidable enterprise that can most likely now not occur on this decade). However sooner than astronauts make the moonshot, a chain of rocket exams and science missions with out people will wish to be finished.2022 is the yr for the ones preliminary steps towards the moon. Two new rockets central to NASA’s lunar plans will release to house for the primary time, each and every with extra energy than the Saturn 5 rocket from the Apollo program. And different international locations are anticipated to enroll in the march to the moon as neatly.NASA’s Gigantic Moon Rocket DebutAfter years of construction delays, NASA’s Area Release Machine, or S.L.S., may just make its first adventure to house — with none people — as early as March 2022.The project, known as Artemis 1, will mark the primary in a chain of flights beneath NASA’s Artemis program by way of S.L.S., NASA’s centerpiece rocket machine for purchasing moon-bound astronauts off Earth. For Artemis 1, S.L.S. will release from NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart in Florida to ship a tablet named Orion across the moon and again, rehearsing a trajectory that shall be carried out by way of Artemis 2, the next project this is scheduled to hold astronauts someday in 2024. The 3rd project, Artemis 3, will lead to a moon touchdown.Like all main house project, Artemis 1 has been not on time a number of instances. It used to be first of all deliberate for 2020, then driven to quite a lot of instances right through 2021 on account of construction demanding situations and setbacks led to by way of the pandemic. NASA blames the latest lengthen to March 2022 at the wish to examine and substitute a misguided inside laptop controlling one of the crucial rocket’s 4 major engines.SpaceX’s Subsequent Starship Take a look atCentral to NASA’s efforts to go back people to the moon is SpaceX’s Starship, which shall be used as a human lunar lander in kind of 2025. It is going to be the company’s first astronaut project to the moon’s floor since 1972. Designed as an absolutely reusable rocket machine, Starship additionally stands on the heart of Elon Musk’s final function of ferrying people to Mars and shall be the most important to SpaceX’s revenue-generating satellite tv for pc release trade.However first, Starship should achieve orbit. That check flight, additionally with out a other people on board, may just occur someday in mid-2022.Mr. Musk, SpaceX’s leader govt, had was hoping to release Starship to orbit in 2021. However a prolonged Federal Aviation Management evaluate of the environmental have an effect on of SpaceX’s release website online in Texas and construction delays with the corporate’s new Raptor engines have postponed the check flight. The F.A.A. evaluate is anticipated to complete in overdue February and resolve whether or not deeper environmental critiques shall be essential, or whether or not SpaceX can resume Starship launches.A a hit orbital check shall be a key step in NASA’s moon program. Astronauts launching atop the Area Release Machine throughout the Orion tablet will rendezvous with and switch to Starship above the moon to descend the remainder of methods to the lunar floor. Starship would later liftoff from the moon, then switch the astronauts again to Orion for the adventure house to Earth.NASA-Funded Moon Robots3 robot moon landers beneath a NASA program are scheduled to make their method to the lunar floor in 2022 — if construction is going as deliberate.Intuitive Machines, a Houston-based corporate, and Astrobotic,

founded in Pittsburgh, are each and every aiming to ship small lunar landers wearing quite a lot of clinical payloads to the moon by way of the tip of 2022. Their landers had been evolved beneath NASA’s Business Lunar Payload Products and services program — a part of the company’s effort to depend on personal corporations for sending shipment and analysis tools into house with the hopes of stimulating a industrial marketplace.Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, a six-legged cylindrical robotic, is anticipated to release on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket in early 2022 wearing a dozen payloads to the lunar floor. Probably the most tools on board will measure the plume of lunar filth kicked up throughout Nova-C’s touchdown, an experiment that might lend a hand engineers save you messy lunar landings someday. The lander may even deploy a small rover constructed by way of Spacebit, a British corporate. Within the fourth quarter of 2022, the corporate may just additionally ship a 2nd project to the moon’s floor.Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander is a boxy, four-legged lander with an onboard propulsion machine that can ease itself onto a basaltic simple at the sunlit aspect of the moon’s northeastern quadrant wearing 14 analysis payloads. The corporate says Peregrine shall be able for release aboard United Release Alliance’s new Vulcan rocket in the midst of 2022.However whether or not it launches on time depends on when the rocket shall be able to fly. Vulcan’s debut has been held up by way of the engine provider for the rocket, which is Blue Starting place, Jeff Bezos’ house corporate. Its new BE-4 engines have not begun to be delivered.Checking out a Complicated Lunar OrbitRocket Lab, which builds rockets for small launches, is poised to ship in March 2022 a microwave-size satellite tv for pc, or CubeSat, for NASA known as CAPSTONE from the corporate’s release website online in New Zealand.The satellite tv for pc will find out about an orbit across the moon that a long term house station known as Gateway, being evolved by way of NASA and different house companies, will live in someday within the subsequent decade.CAPSTONE may even check new navigation era designed to calculate a spacecraft’s place relative to different spacecraft. Historically, satellites use onboard cameras to resolve their whereabouts relative to megastar formations or the plain place of the solar. As a substitute, CAPSTONE will attempt to glean its place in house by way of speaking with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, an imaging satellite tv for pc introduced in 2009.South Korea’s First MoonshotThe Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, a box-shaped satellite tv for pc, shall be South Korea’s first foray to the moon as the rustic goals to strengthen its technical expertise for carrying out missions in house.Led by way of the Seoul’s house company, the Korea Aerospace Analysis Institute, the spacecraft wearing six major equipment is scheduled to release in August 2022 on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and arrive in lunar orbit by way of December. It is going to spend a yr surveying the moon’s geology and read about from afar the chemical composition of lunar filth.The satellite tv for pc may even lift a Lunar Terrain Imager, which can survey possible touchdown websites for a next South Korean robot lunar lander project.Even Extra World GuestsLunar robots from 3 different international locations may even attempt to make their method to the moon in 2022.The Luna-25 lander, in all probability launching in mid-2022, will mark Russia’s first moon touchdown since 1976, when the Soviet-era Luna-24 lander gathered lunar samples to go back to Earth. The lander will find out about the lunar soil and check applied sciences for long term Russian moon landings.India plans to ship the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover to the moon within the 3rd quarter of 2022, making an attempt its 3rd moon project after the lander-rover package from India’s Chandrayaan-2 project crashed in 2019.A Eastern house corporate,

ispace, intends to ship its Project 1 lander to the moon someday within the second half of 2022. If the touchdown is a hit, it is going to deploy a couple of rovers. One, a small four-wheeled robotic named Rashid, is constructed by way of the United Arab Emirates. Some other smaller robot explorer constructed by way of Japan’s house company is the scale and form of a basketball. It might probably turn into right into a rover after deployment, dividing itself in two and the usage of its halves as wheels to rove round and find out about lunar filth. [ad_2] #Whats #Launching #Moon

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socialwicked · 2 years

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Social investment platform eToro to acquire fintech startup Gatsby for $50M – TechCrunch

Multi-asset social financial investment community and Robinhood competitor eToro has signed a definitive agreement to receive Gatsby — a fintech startup which also aimed to go head to head from Robinhood — for $50 million in a money and widespread inventory offer .

Israel-based mostly eToro told TechCrunch this week that it just received acceptance from FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, to move ahead with the acquisition. The corporation to start with filed for regulatory approval in December of 2021.

Jeff Myers and Ryan Belanger-Saleh co-founded Gatsby, a fee-totally free solutions and inventory-trading application aimed at more youthful traders, in 2018. The pair had one particular prior prosperous exit in Dealtable.com, a social information area system.

TechCrunch claimed on the New York-centered startup’s $10 million Collection A increase in mid-March 2021. Backers include things like Techstars Ventures, Beta Bridge Cash, Barclays Lender, SWS Enterprise Funds, Rosecliff Ventures, a community of “super angels” put by ClearList and an oversubscribed SeedInvest campaign.

Gatsby’s focus on buyers are Gen Zers and millennials, and it advised me that it aimed to give people “a safe and sound and reasonable system to trade on devoid of buyers owning to stress about receiving in in excess of their heads or remaining shut out of names when volatility spikes.” Its application released into iOS and Android in early 2020.

The company’s full 20-man or woman workforce will be signing up for eToro.

Yoni Assia, eToro CEO and co-founder, explained to TechCrunch that the invest in would allow for his corporation to broaden the assortment of its U.S. merchandise, which these days is focused on stocks and crypto.

“The integration of Gatsby will allow us to present U.S. buyers with a risk-free and easy way to trade solutions, and give them extra versatility to use new approaches,” Assia reported. “We consider that options can give retail investors prospects to crank out returns in today’s a lot more hard marketplace atmosphere. Scaling our U.S. organization is a essential purpose and we are excited to be partnering with the Gatsby workforce.”

The exit absolutely seems to be a excellent final result for Gatsby and its traders.

Gatsby co-founder Jeff Myers instructed TechCrunch that the startup was not “ preparing to finish the Gatsby story fairly but.”

“But the solution and vision in shape among Gatsby and eToro was simple,” he claimed. “We’ve very long admired Yoni and the crew he’s created and are very fired up to carry on our journey together with eToro.”

Ryan Belanger-Saleh, Gatsby Co-CEO, echoed Myers’ sentiments.

“They’ve genuinely been the pioneers of social investing and we have often considered of them as the neat more mature sibling we’d really like to dangle with,” he explained in a composed assertion.

E Toro has grown impressively in the latest a long time. The business at this time has much more than 30 million registered consumers located in around 100 nations. That’s up from 10 million at the conclude of 2018, 12.3 million at the conclusion of 2019, 17.5 million at the close of 2020 and 26.9 million at the conclusion of 2021. Its selection of funded accounts stands at in excess of 2.7 million.

The firm generated overall commissions of $1.2 billion in 2021, growth of in excess of 400% in comparison to 2019, in accordance to Assia.

For its component, Gatsby claims it has found approximately 900% advancement in its average month in excess of month choices agreement volumes since the commencing of 2020.

The acquisition marks eToro’s fourth key just one because its 2007 inception. It previously obtained expense tracking application Delta Marq Hundreds of thousands Ltd. , a U.K.-primarily based e-cash small business which assisted it develop and start eToro Funds , its e-cash account and Firmo , a sensible contracts/blockchain enterprise that turned eToro Labs, the fintech’s in-household blockchain innovation and R&D device.

In March of 2021, eToro declared programs to go general public by using a merger with SPAC FinTech Acquisition Corp. V in a huge $10.4 billion transaction. Whilst the transaction was meant to near in the third quarter of 2021, eToro declared in July that the agreement experienced been terminated .

“Due to the latest market place problems, we’re remaining private,” Assia explained to TechCrunch. “ We go on to see turning out to be a community enterprise as aspect of eToro’s long term and will wait for the suitable option to take this future move.”

M&As in the fintech entire world have been on the decline, so the eToro/Gatsby deal is a vibrant spot in a calendar year full of ups and downs.

Meanwhile, Robinhood’s inventory has taken a beating as of late and the business has laid off about 1,000 people since the start out of the year. At the time of publication, the business was buying and selling at around $10.90 after hrs, substantially reduce than its 52-7 days higher of $52.06.

https://socialwicked.com/social-investment-platform-etoro-to-acquire-fintech-startup-gatsby-for-50m-techcrunch/

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d-criss-news · 3 years

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20 Questions With Darren Criss: How Acting Has Helped Him Make New Music

While Darren Criss has graced our TV screens with a range of characters, from high schooler Blaine Anderson on Glee to serial killer Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, he was last spotted just being himself, on our For You Page on TikTok. “I’m walking to rehearsal with a guitar on my back with a Trader Joe’s bag ... I did not bring an umbrella because I forgot that it was raining. I’m rocking that NYC musician life,” the Glee alum explained in the hilarious clip posted three days ago.

While Criss’ acting work has earned him acclaim and stardom, he leaned into making music during the pandemic. On Aug. 20, he dropped a new EP, Masquerade, featuring five new tracks that Criss says were inspired by the different characters Criss has embraced throughout his career. After Criss wrote songs for his musical comedy web series Royalties and Apple TV+’s animated sitcom Central Park before the pandemic struck the United States, he then used those experiences as a precursor to his new EP. As Criss continues to promote his new music, he answered 20 of Billboard's questions – giving us a peek into how his new EP came together, and how growing up in San Fransisco shaped him as an actor, singer and all-around artist.

1. What inspired your latest project, Masquerade?

Although I would have preferred that it come at a far less grim cost, I finally had the time. Before the pandemic, I had written 10 new songs for my show Royalties -- along with an original song for Disney and another for Apple’s Central Park. These were all assignments in which I was writing for a certain scenario and character. Go figure. It was the most music I had ever written in a calendar year. This really emboldened me to rethink how I made my own music— to start putting a focus on “character creation” in my songs, rather than personal reflection. The latter was not proving to be as productive. The alchemy of having this time and having set a new intention with my own songwriting and producing made me put on a few of my favorite masques and throw myself a Masquerade.

2. How do you think your background as an actor complements your music?

They are one and the same to me. I treat acting roles like musical pieces— dialogue is like scoring a melody; there’s pace, dynamics, cadence, tone. Physical characterization is like producing -- zeroing in on the bass line, deciding on the kick pattern. Vocal characterization is like choosing the right sonic experience, choosing the most effective snare sound, and mixing the high end or low end. It goes without saying that it works in the complete opposite direction. Making each song is taking on a different role literally and employing the use of different masques to maximize the effectiveness of the particular story being told.

3. On Instagram you wrote that “Masquerade is a small collection of the variety of musical masques that have always inspired me.” Which track do you identify with most in your real life?

Everybody absorbs songs differently. Some key into the lyrics, some into the melody, some the production, some into vocal performance. When I listen to songs, I consider all of their value on totally different scales. So it’s hard to say if there’s any track I “identify” with more than any others, since I -- by nature -- identify with all of them. I think I just identify with certain aspects more than others. If it helps for a more interesting answer, I will say I enjoy the slightly more classical, playful -- dare I say -- more Broadway-leaning wordplay of “Walk of Shame,” but that’s just talking about lyricism. I enjoy the attitude of “F*kn Around,” the batsh--t musicality of “I Can’t Dance,” the relentless grooves of “Let’s” and “For A Night Like This.” All have different ingredients I really enjoy having an excuse to dive into.

4. What’s the first piece of music that you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

Beatles audio cassettes: “Help” and “Hard Day’s Night.” I just listened on repeat on a tape-playing Walkman until my brother and I got a stereo for our room with a CD player in it, which was when I just bought the same two albums again, but this time as compact discs.

5. What was the first concert you saw?It’s hard to say, because my parents took us to a lot of classical concerts when we were small. But I guess this question usually refers to what was the first concert you went to on your own volition, and that my friend, was definitely Warped Tour ’01. My brother and I went on our own— two teenagers going to their first music festival, in the golden age of that particular genre and culture. It was f--king incredible.

6. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?

My dad was in private banking and advised really, really wealthy people on how to handle their money. My mom was, by choice, a stay-at-home mom, but in reality, she was my dad’s consigliere. They discussed absolutely everything together. They were a real team, and I saw that every single day in the house. They both had a background in finance (That’s how they met in the first place.) and were incredibly skilled at all the hardcore adulting things that I absolutely suck at. They were total finance wizards together. So of course, instead of becoming an accountant, I picked up playing the guitar and ran as far I could with it. Luckily, they were all about it.

7. What was your favorite homecooked meal growing up?

My dad was an incredible chef. For special occasions, I’d request his crab cakes. They were unreal. I’ve never had a crab cake anywhere in the world that was good as my dad’s.

8. Who made you realize you could be an artist full-time?

I don’t know if I’ve actually realized that yet.

9. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?

The specifics change every day, but the core idea at the top is to continue being consistently inconsistent with my choices, and to keep getting audiences to constantly reconsider their consideration of me. But I mean, sure, what performer doesn’t want to play Coachella? What songwriter doesn’t want to have Adele sing one of their songs? What actor doesn’t want to be in a Wes Anderson film?

10. How did your hometown/city shape who you are?

San Francisco. I mean, come on. I was really lucky. The older I get, the more grateful I am for just being born and raised there. It’s an incredibly diverse, culturally rich, colorful, inclusive, vibrant city. By the time I was born, it had served as a beacon for millions of creative, out-of-the-box thinkers to gather and thrive. I grew up around that. The combination of that with having parents, who were unbelievably supportive of the arts themselves, laid an incredibly fortunate foundation to consider the life of an artist as a legitimately viable option. It’s a foundation that I am supremely aware is not the case for millions of young artists around the world. I was absurdly lucky.

11. What’s the last song you listened to?

I mean probably one of mine, but not by choice. I know, lame. But I’m promoting a new EP, what’d you expect? But if you wanna know what I’ve been listening to, as far as new s--t is concerned: a lot of Lizzy McAlpine, Remi Wolf, and Charlie Burg.

12. If you could see any artist in concert, dead or alive, who would it be?

The Beatles is an obvious "yeah, duh." Sammy Davis, Mel Tormé, or of course, Nat King Cole. I would’ve loved to see Howard Ashman give a lecture on his creative process and his body of work.

13. What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen happen in the crowd of one of your sets?

I feel like just having a crowd at all, at any one of my sets, is pretty wild enough.

14. What’s your karaoke go-to?

The real answer to this I’ll write into a book one day, because I have a lot to say about karaoke etiquette. I have two options here: I can either name a song that I like to sing for me, for fun, or I can name a song that really gets the group going. The answer depends on what kind of karaoke night we’re dealing with here. So I will say, after I’ve selected a ton of songs that services a decent enough party vibe for everyone else, then I would do one for me, and that would be the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling.”

15. What’s one thing your most devoted fans don’t know about you?

What I have up my sleeve.

16. What TV show did you binge-watch over the past year?

Dave is a stroke of genius. There are episodes that I believe are bona fide masterpieces. Also, My Brilliant Friend is a masterclass in cinematic television.

17. What movie, or song, always makes you cry?

It’s A Wonderful Life.

18. What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

Get used to sharing everything about yourself and your life now, or more astutely, to the idea that you don’t necessarily get to control how your life is shared. I know it’s not really your thing, but you’re gonna have to get used to it, so start building up those calluses now. And don’t worry, all the stuff you love now will be cool again in your mid-thirties, so keep some of those clothes because you’ll be a full-blown fashion icon if you just keep wearing exactly what you’re wearing. Oh nd also, put money into Apple and Facebook.

19. What new hobby did you take on in the last year?

I’ve always been a linguaphile. My idea of leisure time is getting to study or review other languages. This past year, I took the time to finally dive into learning how to read, write, and speak Japanese. Other than making music, it was one of the biggest components of my 2020-2021.

20. What do you hope to accomplish or experience by the end of 2021?

I hope I get to play live shows again.

#darren criss #billboard #masquerade ep #press #sept 2021

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nctsjiho · 3 years

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King of Hearts

warnings: none

era: July 2021

❀ Lucas decides it’s time to take JiHo out for her first date

Leaned over the kitchen counter, rolling an orange from hand to hand, JiHo was deeply invested in the conversation she was having with her manager. Not Yebin, but her Esteem manager she was currently living with. The poor piece of fruit had suffered bruises from the few times the young girl had dropped it or tossed it too hard, but JiHo paid no mind as she listened to Sihyun – the manager – talk about the latest gossip in the model and acting industry. Yes, JiHo had the ‘privilege’, or whatever you wanted to call it, to get the insider-scoop about that industry before stuff got public, if it ever went public anyway.

Mid-conversation the two women heard the keypad of their front door beep, indicating that someone was trying to get inside. Usually this would concern the residents, definitely because they were the only ones living in the apartment, but Sihyun knew. She knew JiHo had practically given the password to their house to all her groupmates.

And even though Sihyun wasn’t initially comfortable with 23 men being able to walk inside her house at any given moment, she quickly came to terms with it when all the boys had been nothing but respectful of her privacy and 99% of the time would announce their arrival. The only times they did not announce it was during the early afternoon hours when they knew JiHo would be home alone, or on the occasional moment they would just forget. This time seemed like one of those moments.

“Hello princess!” A loud voice boomed through the apartment from the small corridor. Sihyun who stood on the other side of the counter had a clear visual of the surprise visitor and smiled watching his goofy stance. JiHo however didn’t need to take a look at him to know who the visitor was. “Took you long enough, how many days have you been in Korea already? And you hadn’t visited.” JiHo continued to play with the abused piece of fruit earning a scowl from Sihyun – she knew the girl wasn’t going to eat that orange afterwards and it would be headed straight for the bin.

Soon enough two long, strong arms slithered around the girl’s waist. “I’m sorry, but I’m here now.” JiHo felt her bar stool turn – it wasn’t even a swivel chair – until she was met with a bright smile. She couldn’t help herself but smile back, yet her smile quickly turned into a confused frown when she saw the bag in Lucas’ outstretched hand. “What’s this? A house warming gift? You know it’s a little late for that now.” Lucas just smiled as he shook his head. “We’re going on a date! Now go change.” He pushed the bag into JiHo’s lap.

The girl’s confused expression quickly turned into one of shock, while Sihyun just tried to contain her excited shrieks behind her hands. The 26 year old woman felt like she was watching some sort of K-drama and no one would blame her, since Lucas looked like a handsome main-lead with his hair styled back and wearing a nice pair of jeans along with a crisp looking white button up. Oh how Sihyun wished she could get him to agree to work under Esteem, but he was already successful enough getting modelling jobs without having to look for any. Every clothing brand and fashion magazine in Korea and China had their eyes on him already. Esteem had nothing more to offer to him.

“A date?” The boy – man might be a more appropriate title for him – nodded his head wildly, messing his hair up a bit in the meantime. “Why?” “Because I heard you’ve had a stressful time these past months and so I want you to relax. Plus! I missed you and I want to hang out.” JiHo’s face softened at the confession, but she couldn’t help but feel the nerves flutter in her stomach. “But we can hang out inside and just order some food or something-“ The feigned disappointed shake of Lucas’ head cut JiHo off mid-sentence. “Chenle told me you’ve been playing Valorant every day after your schedules, practise and recordings. It’s time for you to get your butt outside.” Before JiHo could protest a sigh from behind the kitchen counter caught their attention.

Sihyun’s eyes widened as she saw the two young idols look at her, but she quickly regained her composure. “I agree with Lucas. You seriously need to leave this house more.” “I have been! I literally went skateboarding all the time with Yangyang this month.” JiHo defended, yet Lucas faked a cough to grab her attention. “What?” “I’ve heard you haven’t went since that last time when you invited He-“ “Okay! I’ll get dressed, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” JiHo pushed herself of the chair and ran towards her room. Lucas and Sihyun both just smiled knowingly before engaging in a conversation together.

Dresses weren’t completely foreign territory for JiHo, she had worn a handful now for work and she was well aware that her taste in fashion had changed over the past few months. She now wasn’t completely opposed to wearing a dress casually, even though this had not yet happened so far. However, as she looked at the dress she felt her hands get a bit sweaty.

It wasn’t that the dress was ugly, or too revealing. Not at all. It was just that JiHo actually really liked it, she didn’t know how to react. Slipping the yellow fabric over her head, she noticed how the dress fit like a glove, as if it was made for her. It was a silly thought, but somehow JiHo felt like she was having her princess moment right now – which was fitting because this was all thanks to Lucas who liked to call her princess. For once JiHo felt super feminine in a comfortable way and she wouldn’t like to admit it, but she really loved the feeling.

JiHo quickly put on one of the necklaces Lucas had bought her months, maybe even years ago, did her makeup in record time – well the makeup really only consisted of mascara and a lip tint – and made sure her hair looked acceptable to go out. Once finished she walked back to Lucas who was still talking to Sihyun.

“Oh you look so cute!” Sihyun almost squealed causing JiHo to roll her eyes. “I’m ready to go.” The young girl said to catch Lucas attention. He turned his body so he could see JiHo standing beside him. It took a few seconds before Lucas could form the right words to say, taken aback by how different JiHo looked right then. “Wow~ You look even prettier right now.”

The bright smile and breathy words coming from Lucas didn’t fail to make JiHo flustered. She’d already gotten used to Lucas calling her ‘pretty’ and ‘beautiful’ a lot of times and she knew that he meant it every time, but right now the words just seemed to register differently and catch her off guard.

An open hand “harshly” made contact with Lucas’ arm to which he winced. “Let’s just go.” JiHo mumbled going to the corridor where her shoes and bags were located.

Lucas couldn’t stop himself from helping to choose a bag and a pair of shoes for JiHo which he thought would fit best with her outfit. “Where are we even going?” She asked curiously after slipping on a pair of low, cream, sandal-like heels. “It’s a surprise, but we’re definitely getting some food as well and we won’t have to walk too much. So don’t worry.” He teased, but JiHo couldn’t help but smile. “You know me too well.”

To say that JiHo needed this “date” was an understatement; with how she was beaming and laughing nonstop, Lucas could’ve sworn that if JiHo was locked up in her apartment one more day she would’ve completely lost it. He could visibly see how the tension in JiHo’s muscles melted away. The twinkle her eyes held looked so innocent and childlike, as if she was experiencing things for the first time. And as the duo now sat across each other at a table in one of the nicest rooftop restaurants in the area, Lucas couldn’t move his gaze from the everlasting smile on JiHo’s face boosting his pride.

“I didn’t know there was a butterfly garden in Seoul.” JiHo deeply exhaled, thinking back at how beautiful all the butterflies looked up close. “Did you like it?” Lucas asked, awaiting a positive answer. When JiHo’s eyes widened, Lucas started to get slightly worried, but the girl’s passionate answer quickly eased his nerves. “What do you think? I loved it! Every part. The butterfly garden, the café, and now this restaurant.” She then shoved the piece of steak that was on her fork into her mouth, not waiting until she had swallowed it she continued, “I think this is the best food I’ve ever eaten.”

A low chuckle left Lucas’ lips as he watched JiHo chew and swallow the rest of her food. “I should take you out more often then.” He smiled, mostly to himself, but JiHo perked up at his words. “Hm? Why?” Lucas looked up to meet JiHo’s eyes. “I mean, today was great, so yeah I’d definitely wouldn’t mind doing this again. But why would you want to?” “Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile this beautifully before.”

At his words JiHo couldn’t help but blush, the comment completely catching her of guard. She wondered how after those years of compliments Lucas managed to make her blush like that, but somehow, today, Lucas had found a way so that any- and everything he said or did would make her feel like a young teenage girl going on a date with her crush.

“You always try to be so professional and even if you have fun and play around sometimes, it’s like you’re always on your toes. Seeing you let go and genuinely be happy, being able to forget about your worries, it looks absolutely stunning on you JiHo.” JiHo looked down at her now empty plate before mumbling, “Did China turn you into a cheesy heartthrob or what’s up with you?” It was barely a question and definitely a coping mechanism – JiHo didn’t know how to react to Lucas sincerity – but Lucas was all for it, laughing at how adorable JiHo looked.

“What? Are you falling in love with me princess?” JiHo looked up with a gasp. “Don’t call me that in public! If someone hears you and recognises us, dating rumours are definitely going to spread and SM won’t be happy.” JiHo scolded, but Lucas could only laugh. She was clearly just trying to avoid the question because she was already very aware that Lucas rented out the whole rooftop for the two of them, no one would be able to hear them. And even if she did forget, with just one glance it would’ve been obvious it was only the two of them there, besides the 2 waiters who were enjoying their own conversation at the bar.

Once the duo had finished their dinner and after they continued talking for about 2 hours afterwards, they headed back to JiHo’s apartment. Luckily all the boys’ dorms weren’t too far away from the apartment, so Lucas wasn’t rushing to get her home or to leave after she arrived safely.

“You really didn’t have to walk all the way up here. You’re acting like we’re in some teenage chick flick.” JiHo smiled as she pushed in the code into her door’s keylock. With that Lucas leaned against the wall next to her – in the most cliché way – while sending her a smile of his own. “Do you not like it?” The keylock dinged at the correct input and JiHo began to push open the door with one hand, the other hand pushing at Lucas’ chest. “Careful or I’ll tell Yuta oppa about this and I don’t think he’d be too happy.” For a second Lucas smile faded as he felt the tiniest bit of fear arise at the though of his hyung’s possible reaction, but his smile returned just as quickly. “I’m sure he won’t after he sees all the pretty pictures I took of you today.”

Again JiHo felt her cheeks flare up just the slightest, but this time purely out of embarrassment. “Don’t show those pictures to anyone.” “But you looked pretty today. And it’s not as if the boys haven’t see you wearing a dress before.” JiHo just shook her head and sent him a warning glare. “But I don’t mind being the only one who’s allowed to see you look this pretty- Ouch! What was that for?” The boy held his arm where he just got pinched. “For being annoying.”

A pout formed on Lucas’ lips but it quickly got wiped away once JiHo pulled him into a quick hug, making sure the front door didn’t fall back into the lock with her foot keeping it open. “Thanks for today. Thanks for being my prince and taking me out on my first date.” Normally JiHo would cringe at her own words, but somehow every ounce of shame was thrown out of the window now that she was around Lucas. “It really was your first date huh?” He smirked, cocking one brow. “Yeah yeah, now don’t go ‘bragging’ about it to the others, okay?” However Lucas just smirked again as he began making his way to the elevator. “No promises princess!” JiHo hushed him, but he was already inside the elevator, doors closing behind him. “Oh God, Doyoung, Yuta and Kun are all going to kill him.” She mumbled to herself walking into her apartment.

Just as the door closed behind her she heard her phone vibrate. And then vibrate again. Until it just became one constant buzz. Looking at her phone she saw the notifications of the NCT group chat along with the words ‘Lucas and JiHo’ as well as ‘date’ and ‘princess’. Shaking her head in disbelief and deciding to ignore the messages until tomorrow, JiHo mumbled to herself again. “At least if I don’t get to him and kill him first.”

---

Side Note: The only reason that this writing is called ‘King of Hearts’ is for me to tell you that you should listen to that song. Winwin’s vocals 👌 Yangyang’s last verse 👌 Hendery during that live performance of this song in Bangkok (he’s so hot and talented, please stan him)👌 How this song was literally made for Lucas 👌 Yes I’ve listened to it 10+ times on repeat one day and I’d gladly do it again!

Also someone tell me to stop posting every other day, why am I doing this to myself also me feeling writing/creative withdrawal when I don’t post😅

Have a nice day/evening/night loves 🤍💚🤍

#jiho.writings #nct 24th member #nct addition #nct female member #nct imagines #wayv imagines #wayv fluff #nct fluff #nct extra member #nct additional member #nct female addition #kpop!addition #kpop!oc

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robespapier · 3 years

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5,6, 9, 13

Since Thermidor is upon us, I'm chosing Robespierre (and to go with your Saint-Just ;)).

5. What is the most ridiculous statement on them you have ever read?

Haha, with Robespierre it's "take your pick!", there's....everything and its opposite and what's popular at a time says more about our society than it does about Maximilien.

So I could give you the latest flavour of queer-coding, namely Claude Guillon's "Robespierre was an evil lesbian" in his Robespierre, les Femmes et la Révolution (2021), it's worth a (sad) laugh but I don't think Guillon is going to be read or taken seriously by many (at least I hope not). So instead I'll give you what to me is a very bad combo of ridiculous and pernicious: old, tired, innacurate, lazy clichés dressed as funny satire.

Here for example, this Kate Beaton comic:

I feel like it's hard to criticize it without looking like a killjoy who can't take a joke. But is it really a joke if it's relying on ideas many hold as the truth? Sure, they'll think it's exagerated for comedy effect...but based on some truth nonetheless. It's very powerful in spreading and cementing innacurate, bad takes.

Idk where the unfeeling, heartless Robespierre trope comes from? The artificial, made-up absolute opposition between him and Danton? From Robespierre depiction as aromantic and/or asexual?

And if so, it's completely disregarding platonic love? Familial love? Friendship? He was living with the Duplays at the time of the events depicted in this comic (Camille's arrest) and Elisabeth Duplay's writtings paints him as a kind, attentive brother figure. His friends spoke positively of him, in his sister's memoirs he's selfless and generous...

He wasn't in politics for personal gain. He cared about other people. He cared so much. Don't let it be say he didn't know love or empathy.

6. In your opinion, what is their biggest flaw?

He talked to much, pretty sure that why they killed him.

More seriously, I'm gonna go with something that isn't a "flaw" per se, but that I think put him the most at a disavantage...and I would even say played a role in Thermidor happening the way it did.

I was thinking back on that funny anecdote about Robespierre playing with the host dog at a party instead of talking to the guests, and the witness delivering the anecdote seeing it as a proof of arrogance. Today we easily see it as nothing more than social-awkwardness, because we have accounts of Robespierre himself talking about his shyness in public (can't find the quote at the moment), and his friends' accounts describing him as bright and jovial...and who isn't more relaxed among friends?

But I think his aloofness in public was easily seen as arrogance, and in the end, when Fouché conspired against him, it made him an easy target. It made it easier for Fouché to convince other deputies that Robespierre was an ennemy, to make them paranoid...because they didn't feel like they knew him or could trust him? And it made it more difficult for Robespierre to defend himself, to dismiss Fouché's words?

I'm speculating and not very articulate about it...but I think it's something to be weighted.

9. What is your favourite depiction of them (e.g. in painting, sculpture etc.)?

The Deseine terracotta bust, I think it's a lot of people's favorite, and for good reasons, it's wonderful! He's so lively...he looks forever stopped mid-speech, a bit surprised.

My own pics from my trip to Vizille are bad (the glass case around the bust makes it difficult to take good shots), so here's some links: here for a post discussing its merits and accuracy, here for pics from every angles, and here for an animation with the MyHeritage app.

13. If you had the chance to meet them, what is the first thing you would ask them?

*pushing the door of a bakery open* "So, what kind of tarts do you like most?"

Because he's the very definition of talkative, I'm very talkative too, and long chats are better with drinks and food :D.

Also, where's the post about Robespierre's tart poem (with English translation)? I wanted to link it, but can't find it :(.

#frev #robespierre #ask game

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phynali · 3 years

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so not to ruminate on things that vex me, but the past 2 or so months have been kinda shit, and i’m trucking along and there absolutely are high points and good things and joys that balance some of this out, but i need to vent out some of the negative emotions somewhere to get ‘em out. so i guess i’m doing that here because -

we’re in lockdown#6 where i live (state of victoria) and it’s hard, this yo-yo of restrictions and swinging in and out of one lockdown after another.

for those who understandably won’t know, what we call lockdown here means not just restaurant and commercial closures and mandatory working from home unless you’re in an industry where that’s impossible -- it also means no guests (0) inside you’re home unless you’re both living alone and single or else romantic partners, it means not leaving your home at all except for one of 4-5 necessary reasons, not being outside for more than 2hrs per day even to exercise, and not going more than 5km from your home unless required for work/medical/etc required reasons.

it’s intense. we spent (i think) 128 days in this degree of lockdown in 2020, never mind how many we spent in other forms of restrictions and working from home. and we’ve been back in it four (4) times in 2021 already. in-out-in-out-in-out -

it’s taking a toll on the mental health of every person i know. we get weekly emails with wellbeing and resilience tips from my job -- not just “be productive or else” capitalism but heartfelt ones from wellbeing officers with copies of articles like this one on languishing from the NYT, acknowledging we’re all struggling and directing us to the plethora of wellbeing resources our workplace is trying to provide, not only to us but reminding us they offer it to our families too.

i’m one of the lucky ones. i’m really not trying to wallow here or to pretend otherwise. i appreciate that i can work from home, even though i can’t focus when i do and it this interacts with my adhd to fuck my productivity. even if i’m so behind and delayed it feels like i’ve lost 12-18 months worth of work and it will have long-term ramifications on my career -- even so, i still i have a job. i still get paid. and i even kept my job, a bit by the skin of my teeth but i did, when my sector downsized last year. yes, the way my employer went about lay offs left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth (my own included), but i made it through.

and my sector, while affected, is by no means the worst of the collateral damage.

the yo-yo of lockdowns is taking a very very real toll on industries like hospitality, tourism, commerce. and the economy does have indirect effects on health and mental health as well. my friend, a waitress, was on her way to work the evening shift at a restaurant when she got the call about the latest lockdown. she had to turn around and go home because the announcement came just hours before the lockdown was imposed, and every place suddenly had to close by 8pm. bye bye evening shift. so much of the government support for these industries has dried up, has been inadequate.

lockdowns save lives. i don’t begrudge my state for imposing one except that yes -- i’m resentful we’re here again with only six cases. i can be both accepting and grateful and also pissed and tired and more all at once.

even more than the latest lockdown, i’m pissed about the yo-yo. that we went into lockdown in june, came out in july, went back in in july, came back out in july, are going back in now, in the first week of august. three lockdown/re-openings in 10 weeks, as if this rollercoaster doesn’t completely incapacitate our ability to plan or prepare for anything more than a week out, more than a day out -- in this case, more than a few hours out. 4pm the lockdown was announced, with an 8pm start time. as if that doesn’t have more insidious consequences on individuals and industries than a more clearly articulated and consistent approach. as if all the restaurants that got to open up this week didn’t purchase large food orders for this weekend that will spoil because they were given 4 hours notice to close their doors.

that’s the part i hate, right now more than the lockdowns themselves. consumer sentiment was at a high in april, optimism was everywhere. people felt good, and like we had a plan forward. now -- well, now my job is sending me emails about how normal and okay it is that i might be ‘languishing’ because aren’t we all?

and i absolutely do begrudge my federal government, and i’m angry with them, and this is part of why:

youtube

but i also accept, to some extent, that these decisions have all been made in difficult circumstances, and i’m not really about to pretend i could do any better.

at the same time, australia’s vaccine rollout is among the slowest and lowest at least within OECD countries. i know that’s partly because we’ve managed the keep cases low and therefore we are prioritized less when it comes to who needs the vaccines most (and thus who is earlier in line to be able to purchase) among other geo-political reasons i won’t get into, but it still very much sucks. our timeline and ability to move forward and ability to stop having lockdowns requires a mostly-vaccinated population, and that’s not something we’ll have anytime soon.

and i am a visa-holder here and my family is back in canada and with our current border restrictions leaving to visit is honestly is not an option because i wouldn’t be able to return, to work. i’m managing that distance okay most of the time despite my homesickness and frustration but my partner’s parents are older and his mother’s health just isn’t amazing and it’s weighing on him a lot.

a phd student i work with just had a parent die in another country while stuck here, had to drop everything to return, is devastated by not being by their parent’s side when it happened because it came on sudden, and now won’t be able to come back into australia after, will have to finish their thesis remotely from abroad. stories like that are becoming commonplace in certain circles, here. this student is not the first or only person i know who has been in that exact situation in the past year.

it’s enraging, and upsetting, and instills a sense of helplessness because -- there’s nothing that can really be done about it. there’s no good answer, but it’s scary to think of what could happen. i know it scares my husband. if his mother’s health suddenly dips -- does he drop everything and leave? how can he not? would i go with him or hold the fort here? what ramifications does that have either way?

right now, we’re in the first stages of getting permanent residency, my job is putting in the nomination, and this is one of those awesome high-points i mentioned. it’s a very much needed sense of security in my career and my future in this country. but while a PR application is pending and under review, you can’t leave the country, even in pre-covid times. it takes months to get the application fully nominated, accepted, then submitted, and months on months to process.

in january 2020 we had agreed that for xmas 2020 we’d return home to canada. obviously the world changed and we quickly determined that wouldn’t be the case. we pushed that plan back to july-aug 2021, then to october 2021, xmas 2021. my partner’s sister asked him last week if we started making plans, booking things for xmas, was calling to check that we’d had our second jabs. he had to explain the situation to her, that we aren’t even eligible for our first vaccine yet, that we aren’t holding out any real hope of visiting, not this year, not until mid-next.

anyway - i’m just. languishing, i guess, if that’s the word for it after all. i know it’s not the same as depression -- i’ve had episodes of that, been treated for it in different ways. this is and feels different, even if there are obvious similarities. whatever to call it, it sucks, and i hate it. and i hate the other lows and anxieties and crap i’ve been dealing with in the past few months as well that didn’t make it into this post about covid. crap with work, with friends, with goddamn car rentals of all stupid things. crap that’s making me anxious and crap that just needs processing. crap that is, ultimately, massively exacerbated because lockdowns turn us into little rats gnawing on the bars of our cages.

and i guess i just needed to talk about it somewhere, to organize my thoughts and free up some headspace (emotion space?) currently being used to hold these thoughts and feelings in place. i kind of hate posting personal crap like this and always get the urge to delete but i also have a hard time organising my thoughts if i don’t write them out with this intent to post. sort of want to go outside and scream at god, sort of want to phone up a friend and yell at him for an hour for being an exhausting ass, sort of want to be alone for a day to curl up under a blanket with a movie that’ll make me cry because raging at the universe is always so much easier when i’m alone and unobserved. but i guess since those aren’t especially kind or feasible i’ll post this instead.

anyway - if you read to the end of this for any reason, i’m not trying to be maudlin, and there’s really no need to respond. it’s just a feelings dump, sucking some of the poison out, not really much different than journalling but i’ve always been better at that online than on paper.

#ugh #personal post #just organising thoughts and bitching about present circumstances #because i'm tired of 2021's bullshit and needed to vent a bit #gpoy

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dustedmagazine · 3 years

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Ian Mathers’ 2020: We’re stuck inside our own machines

I’ve had a song I loved in high school and haven’t thought much about since stuck in my head. The song “Apparitions” by the Matthew Good Band is a fine example of the alt rock of the late 90s; if you grew up then but somewhere down in the states (or elsewhere) instead of my southern Ontario you may well have your regional equivalents, and like this one they may not resonate terribly strongly outside of their time and place. It popped back into my head after a long time recently and of course 2020 has changed it a little. A song that as a teen I felt keenly as about loneliness (albeit also about how technology can feed into that) of course now plays on my nerves as another small piece of art about the way that most of us (those scared and/or responsible anyway) have only that relatively narrow, technologically mediated connection to the people we love. All of us, artists and listeners alike, are trying to fit our feelings and art and selves down these little connections, with some success.

On a personal level, 2020 wound up being stressful in ways we couldn’t have predicted even after the pandemic hit. In circumstances that could have seen governments on this continent support those unable to work (and those who shouldn’t have to), support those workers who are truly essential, support workers and renters and even landlords and small businesses, instead we got a near-total abeyance of those governments using the resources we provide them with to save any of us. On a personal level my wife and I were lucky enough to be able to work from home (not that it didn’t come with its own forms of stress, and now that I’m off until January I have several work/stress-related illnesses to recover from) but still saw friends and loved ones lose good, used-to-be-sustainable livings overnight, saw family businesses succumb to a near-total absence of effective government support after months of trying to keep above water, etc.

It is probably no surprise that this is not a situation conducive to listening to music, let alone writing about it; I have deliberately and happily kept busy on behind the scenes stuff at Dusted that I could still manage but looking, at the end of the year, at the amount I managed to actually create is demoralizing if not at all shocking. I’m not sure I think next year will be ‘better’ in many important ways, although at our job there is a growing feeling among coworkers that next year has to have some work/life balance because 2020 was, maybe more than anything else, unsustainable.

That’s not to say I didn’t spend a lot of time and emotion on music this year, and if nothing else constant sleep deprivation, stress, and panic meant I was probably open to being deeply moved by all sorts of art even more than normally (it’s gotten to the point where I can’t even read a sad or moving twitter thread out loud to my wife without getting teary, which is kind of… nice?). Funnily enough the band that did the most to keep me sane didn’t really put out anything in 2020. Personal favorite, Low, instead started, in early April, getting on Instagram with something they called on whim “It’s Friday I’m in Low.” With one brief break they have now done by my count at least 35 shows (catalogued here, by the way), every Friday at about 4 my time.

Admittedly it’s easier for Low to pull this off than some bands, since the 2/3 of the trio that sing are a married couple (they’ve had a couple of socially-distanced backyard shows with bassist Steve Garrington, but he’s mostly been isolating elsewhere). These shows have seen the band’s Alan Sparhawk take a mid-set break to do follow-up phone interviews with the acts featured in the COVID-curtailed touring bands series Vansplainingthat they started on YouTube, or just to give a tour round their vegetable garden and talk tips. It’s seen Alan and Mimi Parker draw on their impressive, 25+ year body of work (averaging 4-5 songs a set, I don’t think they’ve repeated themselves yet) and talk a bit between songs about pandemics, politics, song choices, and whether Alan should grab his bike helmet this time.

They’re not the only musicians out there speaking love and sanity (and playing music) into the strange digital interzone filled with hate and disinformation where we’ve all been forced to gather while locked down, but they were and the most consistent and steady signal being emitted each week. No matter how tired I was from work or what new symptoms I’d developed or what horrific thing I read into the news, even if I had to take an emergency nap while it was actually airing, every Friday the show was there. Once things do return to something more like normal, it’s one of the few things I’ll unambiguously miss about this weird-ass year.

So if that makes an argument for Low as my band of the year (admittedly again… it’s not like Double Negative has aged poorly, either), that does a disservice to those 2020 records I did connect with; even if there are still literally dozens I have to go through, many of which I expect to love, my top picks this year (if as unrankable by me as always) hit me as hard as any top pick in recent years did. So here I present a quick and informal top 5, which the rest of my top 20 following in alphabetical order. Here’s hoping for more time and space in 2021 for music, and even more than that, for more support for those who need it from those who could have been providing it all this time. (The Matthew Good Band, incidentally, always did best with their ballads. “Strange Days” is another I’ve had in my head these days; the image of moving “backwards, into a wall of fire” has stuck with me since the 90s and it’s never felt more grimly appropriate.)

Greet Death — New Hell

New Hell by Greet Death

This one is, in some sense, cheating; it came out November 2019. But that just means it’s the latest winner of my personal Torres Prize for Ian Being Late to the Party (so named because becoming slightly obsessed with Torres’ Sprinter just after I sent in my 2015 list was the first time I noticed that one of my favorite records of each year tends to get picked up by me just after I call it quits on the year, no matter how long I try to wait). This very doom and gloom slowcore/metal/(whatever, just know it’s heavy) trio at first felt very much like my beloved Cloakroom (whose Time Well has also won a Torres Prize) but sure enough nuances revealed themselves. Back in February it felt almost a little too negative, but then the rest of 2020 happened. And the extended burns of “You’re Gonna Hate What You’ve Done” and the title track remain searing.

Holy Fuck — Deleter

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Probably the record I’ve been trying to write about the longest in 2020, and the one I’m most disappointed in myself that I just couldn’t get the requisite paragraphs together. It’s a wonderful effort from the consistently great Toronto resolutely human-created (and —mediated) dance music quartet, one that both feels like a summation of everything they do well, and with the addition of some outside voices (including strong turns from the singers of both Hot Chip and Liars) a step forward at the same time.

Spanish Love Songs — Brave Faces Everyone

Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs

As the year got worse, this roar of defiance only got more crucial for me to hear every so often; I was a big enough fan of it, even after writing it up for Dusted, that when they solicited fan footage for a subsequent music video you may just be able to get a glimpse of me in it. (I’m the one in a “No Tories” t-shirt.) My punk rock-loving twin brother was the one who introduced me to Spanish Love Songs and we were supposed to spend an evening in June screaming along to them live in a packed, sweaty room. I need that in my life again.

Julianna Barwick — Healing Is a Miracle

Healing Is A Miracle by Julianna Barwick

It’s a sign of what 2020 has been like here that even just this album title leaves bruises, and while I privately worried Barwick would have a hard time following up 2016’s sublime Will (probably my favorite record that year), it seems that continuing to take whatever downtime she needs to keep focusing and refining her particular muse has once again yielded amazing results. Anyone who thinks they know what a Barwick track sounds like should really check out, say, “Flowers”, but much of this record absolutely sounds like Barwick, just even better than before. She also boasted my wife and I's favorite streaming concert of 2020, an absolutely gorgeous rendition of this album with Mary Lattimore showing up.

Phoebe Bridgers — Punisher

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers

I joked on Twitter recently that I have far too nice a dad (and far too good a relationship with him) to be as obsessed as I am with Phoebe Bridgers’ “Kyoto”, but here we are. Like most of her generation, Bridgers’ social media presence ranges from shit-posting to inscrutable, but even though things are often just as hard to figure out in her beautiful songs (as they often are in life), there’s an emotional clarity to them that can just grab you deep down. Couple that with seriously impressive songcraft and the progress from her already astounding debut Stranger in the Alps and more than anyone else in 2020 I’m excited to see just where the hell Phoebe Bridgers is going to go, because it feels like she’s talented and hardworking enough to go just about anywhere and drag a lot of our hearts with her.

Other Favorites

Aidan Baker & Gareth Davis — Invisible Cities II

Anastasia Minster — Father

Deftones — Ohms

Hum — Inlet

Kelly Lee Owens — Inner Song

Mesarthim — The Degenerate Era

Perfume Genius — Set My Heart On Fire Immediately

Protomartyr — Ultimate Success Today

Rachel Kiel — Dream Logic

The Ridiculous Trio — The Ridiculous Trio Plays the Stooges

Sam Amidon — Sam Amidon

Shabason, Krgovich & Harris — Philadelphia

Stars Like Fleas — DWARS Session: Live on Radio VPRO

Well Yells — We Mirror the Dead

Yves Tumour — Heaven to a Tortured Mind

Five Reissues/Compilations/etc.

Aix Em Klemm — Aix Em Klemm

Bardo Pond — Adrop/Circuit VIII

Charles Curtis — Performances & Recordings 1998-2018

Coil — Musick to Play in the Dark

Hot Chip — LateNightTales

Ian Mathers

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fiveblog913 · 3 years

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Virtual Dj Pro For Mac Os

HomeMac AppsVirtualDJ 8.2.0 Pro Full Crack Mac OS X

VirtualDJ Pro 8.2.0 Mac Crack Serial (Torrent)

Virtual DJ Mac Download Crack is a great software for beginners to learn how to DJ with digital music witn ease. Mac VirtualDJ 8 Crack is the most downloaded DJ software on earth. It is used daily by millions of professional DJs all around the world. Mac VirtualDJ 8.3 Pro Infinity Full Version Features: Up to 99 independent zero-latency players. VirtualDJ PRO for Mac OS X - Freeware Download Notice. VirtualDJ for Mac is a software used by DJs to replace their turntables and CD players, and use digital music instead of vinyl and CDs. In the same way that the CD players used by DJs have more options than a regular Hi-Fi CD player, Virtual DJ for macOS has more options than a simple media. VirtualDJ 9 B6106 Crack 2021 Full Serial Number MAC/Win 64/32-Bit. VirtualDJ 2021 Pro Crack almost you have heard the name music production unit. In other words, it is the best DJ software for music creators. More than10 a billion people like to DJ pro-technology. VirtualDJ is a music creating the best tool.

VirtualDJ Pro 8 Cracked – The powerful multimedia mixing application for Windows and Mac OS X which provides you all the tools that you require to mix songs and record mixtapes using your digital music. Its performance and features will impress you. Looking like a classic DJ set-up, with a mixer and two sets, Virtual DJ will be directly accessible to DJs and novices alike.

VirtualDJ Pro Full for Mac is provided as a free download on our amazing software website. Virtual DJ for Mac is a perfect and versatile music mixing application for your Mac operating system, allowing you to dump your vinyl turntables for a laptop. It’s uttered the revolution of electronic DJing since 1996, also it has helped propel the modern superstar DJs in their first bedroom combinations into packed stadiums. With complete feature listing of most DJ applications, VirtualDJ always integrates the forefront of technology to alter and revolutionize how DJs mix.

VirtualDJ to get Mac’s sizable selection of features contain conventional controls (play, pause, stop, signal), automatic BPM and KEY calculation, a three band equalizer, pitch controller, real scratch simulation, karaoke service, CD to MP3 encoder, compatibility using iTunes playlists, recording of DJ sessions and a lot more. This Mac download was scanned by our antivirus and was rated as safe.

VirtualDJ 8.2.0 MacOS Full Version Features:

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VirtualDJ is the latest AUDIO and VIDEO blending applications, targeting DJs from the sack, cellphone, and professional superstars such as Carl Cox.

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VirtualDJ 8.3 Mac Latest Version is now available Free Download with Crack Tools such as (Serial Key, Patch, Keygen) only at 4Macsoft. Virtual DJ Mac Cracked with no doubt is the best application that DJs use when they want to use a computer to play their music instead of vinyl and CDs.

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Synchronized sampler with 12 instant record and playback slots

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Beat-aware effect plugins (included: beatgrid, flippin doubles, vocal remover, frequency filter, flanger, backspin, brake, etc…)

VST effects compatibility (PC version Only)

Video mix with windowed or FULL SCREEN TV output using 2nd video output

Karaoke CDG+MP3 and/or ZIP support

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DJ-specific video transition plugins

Song database engine with easy-to-use search feature

CoverFlow or text-only song browsing

Compatible with iTunes playlists (iTunes DRM files not supported)

MP3 ID3 Tag compatibility

User-defined automatic filter folders

Automatic Hot-Swap of external hard drives

Ready-to-burn recording of a DJs mix to CD

Broadcast on the Internet

CD to MP3 encoder

Multi-channel sound card, dual-sound card or Y-splitter output for real-time monitoring or external mixer use

ASIO soundcard compatibility

CoreAudio soundcard compatibility

Fully customizable skin engine and shortcut macro engine

VDJScript: powerful macro language used in skins, shortcuts, or controller mapping

Compatibility and customizable mapping with most external MIDI and HID controllers (more than 80 included, many more downloadable)

Optional automatic playlist mixing: VirtualDJ recognizes the style of the music (techno, hip hop, lounge) and adapts the mix accordingly

Netsearch: search and play any song from an online database of more than 8 million tracks

MusicGroup: get live recommendations based on what you play and the feedback from millions of other DJs around the world

GenuisDJ: automatically fill your folders with the latest hits depending on what you usually play

What’s New in Atomix VirtualDJ 8 Pro Infinity 8.3.4459 Mac Cracked ?

– Fix problem writing certain mp3 tags

– cdg karaoke tracks can be rendered in 16:9 aspect ratio

Virtual Dj Pro 7 For Mac Os X

– zoom letterboxing option allowed for karaoke tracks again

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– get_rotation_slip added

– slip position added to gemini waveform

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– fix skinRhythm couldn’t be on a panel that moved

– fix netSearch

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Virtual Dj 7 Pro Mac Os

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*** License is only valid for the machine you generated it on ***

System requirements:

Manufacturer :VirtualDJLanguage :Multi-languagesMac Platform :IntelOS Version :OS X 10.7CPU Type:64-bit & 32-bitSize : 45.1 MB

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sawdustandgin · 3 years

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A Year of Happiness, Joy and Sarcasm: My 2020 in Review

Absolutely nothing needs to be said about the year of our lord 2020 that hasn’t already been shouted from every social media platform like a shrieking alarm alerting us that the ship is sinking. We know. We’re all wet.

I will not remember 2020 as mask-clad because I didn’t take any photos while wearing one.

Every December, I reflect on the year through a short essay, allowing myself many opportunities to gush about the music that I didn’t include on my best-of lists but that I still loved dearly. (Though I guess I skipped last year. I found an abandoned draft the other day…) And consistently, I have regarded each year as one of transition.

I don’t have clear career aspirations outside of wanting to engage with music as deeply and personally as I can; my only concrete life plan is to profile small towns across the country through the lens of its local music scene. So, with this nebulous image of a future endeavor, I have had a tumultuous time with money since losing my job two years ago. I realized fairly quickly, after only a few months of foundering at it, that I was unable to freelance my way to a liveable income. And in all honesty, this was for the best—nothing hurts worse than realizing the activity you are most passionate about has become a chore. I stopped worrying about pitching editors and trying to rub elbows, and I got to work applying for jobs. I, incredibly luckily, secured one after a few more months. The adjustment to being unemployed was a leap for me and my deep desire for a routine, but the adjustment to being employed and trying to maintain a balance between day job and side gig was even harder.

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Then I loosened up a bit. Toward the end of last year, I tried to make a vow to be more consistent with the blog, but instead, I prioritized sleep. At the time, I didn’t realize that it was an either/or scenario and probably would have made a greater effort to avoid my television if I had. But ultimately, I had to accept that my relationship with music journalism was on my terms. And regardless of how [in]frequently I ‘discovered’ new artists (for myself), I wasn’t ‘missing out’ on anything.

And let’s be real, I wasn’t overly eager to listen to new stuff starting around April. I put so much energy into not losing myself in quarantine that I tuckered myself out before shit really hit the ceiling. When I began thinking toward my year-end lists in November, I began to worry that this would be my most deflated best-of season in recent memory.

That’s ok, Zoë, no one really cares about top ten lists, I can hear you thinking, colored by a fascination with my determination. But as a double cancer and pisces moon, I like to cling to the art that moves my soul (read: ~nostalgia~). And so I take great joy in spending all of December and most of January repeatedly listening to my favorite music until I conjure a partially arbitrary ranking system and create playlists galore. It really is the best time of the year.

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Of course, there are always a few titles that need no additional spins, whether due to automatic disqualification or simply because I listened so much that I know it intimately. The automatic disqualifications this year were particularly striking.

A few easy omissions were Chromatica, Positions, and Fetch the Bolt Cutters. Lady Gaga delivered her skip-less album around the time when it became clear that the pandemic was not even somewhat close to containment; my roommate and I cooked to Chromatica every night, singing along to every word. With each new record, Ariana Grande becomes a more graceful songwriter, and it also helps that Positions is a plain ol', boot-knockin’ good time. And the raw power Fiona Apple wields in Fetch the Bolt Cutters would be frightening were she not the perfect vessel to deliver it to us.

Then there is the category of albums that simply didn’t need my (albeit dim) spotlight: Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, græ, and KicK i are each masterpieces in their own right. They each move purposefully through diverse landscapes, each song a new adventure not bound by genre or expectation. Interestingly, Perfume Genius and Moses Sumney were never mainstays in my music rotation, while my love for Arca is unquestioned.

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That leads us to Re-Animator, I’m Your Empress Of and The Mosaic of Transformation, all of which I actively feel bad for disqualifying. I’m too much of a fan of Everything Everything to impartially write about their new album, though it was one of my most frequently played. I have been writing best-of lists for six years now and I would prefer to write about a constantly expanding, diverse group of artists. That means I can’t keep doting on Empress Of, despite her status as one of our best contemporary artists. Me and Us were truly just prelude to her 2020 record, whose title is a formal introduction. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is also the most talented analog synth musician that I personally have ever engaged with, and her latest album is everything I could have wanted.

It took some self-control (aka strict time management) to not write a few thousand words about The Ascension. Let’s recall my massive thesis on Carrie & Lowell… Yes, I am a former Catholic who thrives in the ambiguous invocation of Scripture, especially from a songwriter who quite literally shaped my taste in music. Luckily, I’m not nearly as pent up with anger and existential dread as in 2015 when I was, for the first time, processing the physical and emotional distance from my family. This elongated emotional breakdown was spurred by drama between my parents, but was also due to an irrational fear I held about my own mother’s death. Listening to Sufjan Stevens forgive his mother on her figurative deathbed has stayed with me.

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The anxiety I felt about 2020 was almost entirely external, so the gorge formed from the current of The Ascension was not nearly as deep a canyon in my heart as C&L, though it is still an affecting 80-minute journey. Stevens’ production, when coupled with his lyricism, is a breakthrough, though I do hear murmurs of folktronica from earlier in the decade. (I’m begging everyone to listen to Under Our Beds by Consilience.) And for perhaps the first time, there were songs that I occasionally skip. If I still had to commute to work, I bet they would have grown on me. In fact, this would have been a perfect driving album—one that wouldn’t cause me to weep while on the interstate. (oh Carrie. oh Lowell.)

Then there was VOL.II by my dear friend Lauren Ruth Ward. She gave me an opportunity to write a unique interview with her about the record to be printed on the inside of the gatefold, making it a permanent fixture on this most exciting of sophomore albums. I could not justify writing anything more about it, if only to preserve the sanctity of that interview, which I gave more effort and attention than any other piece of writing I had done. It was a wonderful and inspiring experience that I hope to replicate. The most heartbreaking part of the pandemic’s onset, from a social perspective, was not being able to visit Lauren after the record was released.

With all that said, 2020 was about so much more than the music I listened to. All the digital replacements for physical intimacy during lockdown made me realize that my legacy (aka all my music writing) is fragile, locked into the impermanence of the internet. So I took it upon myself to build a physical archive; in the fall, I finalized a zine template, and the first eight issues are in the can. (So far, I have 19 zines planned. Email me if you are interested in having one!)

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I’ve also been living without a front tooth since mid-March. On one hand, it’s been convenient to wear a mask to hide the hole in my mouth, but on the other hand, all I want to do is bite into an apple. (For almost two years before I even knew I had to have my tooth removed, I had been forced to slice apples before being able to eat them. The abject humiliation.) The journey with my dentists and oral surgeon has been excruciating, to say the least. Who knew three people in the same medical practice could have such mightily different styles of care? [Author’s note: I got my crown after writing this essay! :grinning-emoji:]

In sum, it was my image of myself that I was able to see a bit clearer this year. Each year I think that I’ve figured something else out about myself, which had always led me to believe that I am a most-complex, divine being. But I think a more accurate interpretation is that, put simply, I am not static. My thoughts and emotions adapt to life and life doesn’t seem to stop throwing me around like sneakers in a tumbling dryer. My pronouns are now they/them and while I don’t have many specifics as to why, I just know that this feels right.

I hope your year was at least acceptable; 2021 promises a host of new challenges, but I think we can take ‘em.

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#year in review #best of #best of 2020 #music blog #music review #Lady Gaga #Ariana Grande #Fiona Apple #Perfume Genius #Moses Sumney #Arca #Everything Everything #Empress Of #Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith #Sufjan Stevens #Consilience #Lauren Ruth Ward #2020 #year in review 2020

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noisystatesmanbakeryfriend · 4 years

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2020 Toyota 4Runner Review

2020 toyota 4runner: 5 pros and 4 cons. Toyota has actually given its 4runner a number of updates for 2020, bringing this suv's rugged appearances and off-road capability into the new decade. Related: 2020 toyota 4runner review: in your home. Find out more. Need to purchase a car during the covid-19 coronavirus outbreak? read this prior to you do. 10 biggest newspaper article of the week: 2020 chevrolet corvette trounces telluride. 2020 toyota 4runner: everything you need to understand. 2020 toyota 4runner evaluation: at home where the sidewalk ends. 10 most significant chicago auto program stories: 2021 genesis gv80 quits little ground. Within toyota's lineup, the 4runner is positioned above the rav4 compact crossover and along with the highlander midsize crossover. Cargurus has evaluated the toyota 4runner numerous times in current years, recognizing it with the following overall scores: 8. 2 (2014 ), 7. 3 (2015 ), and 7. More about the 2020 Toyota 4Runner Conditions apply. Crawl control is designed for driving on challenging terrain at low speeds. It helps the driver by managing acceleration and braking, allowing the driver to concentrate on steering. The toyota 4runner is designed to fulfill off-road driving requirements, but off-roading is naturally harmful. The original 4runner was a compact suv and bit more than a toyota pickup truck with a fiberglass shell over the bed, however the model has actually since gone through significant independent advancement into a cross between a compact and a mid-size suv. All 4runners have been integrated in japan at toyota's plant in tahara, aichi, or at the hino motors (a toyota subsidiary) plant in hamura. The 4runner was available in at number 5 in a 2019 research study by iseecars. Com ranking the longest-lasting vehicles in the us. The 4runner had 3. 9percent of vehicles over 200,000 miles (320,000 km), according to the research study. The trekker was among the first prototype walk through conversions done to toyota trucks in the early 1980s. They resembled the successive 4runner conversions done by toyota, which started production in 1984, however were designed and built by winnebago markets with the approval of toyota. The trekker was no longer viable when toyota started producing the 4runner in 1984, having in essence functioned as a marketing test vehicle for that car. Thus, the very first generation is almost mechanically similar to the toyota hilux. All very first generation 4runners had two doors and were indistinguishable from the pickups from the dashboard forward. Almost all changes were to the latter half of the body; in fact, since the rear springs were not updated to bear the additional weight from the rear seats and fiberglass top, these early models tended to experience a drooping rear suspension. Related 2020 Toyota 4Runner details All 2020 4runners receive toyota's safety sense p (tss p), an integrated suite of driver-assistance features including a pre-collision system with autonomous braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure caution, and automatic high-beams. A brand-new infotainment system increases in screen size from 6. 1 to 8. In our very first drive review of the 2020 toyota 4runner trd pro, we were impressed by its off-road capability, stating that "'although the 4runner is old, it showed to be plenty capable on the trail." we were also pleased with the enhancements made to the vehicle's driver's assistants and infotainment systems, and felt that those looking to purchase a 4runner should absolutely wait for the 2020 model, as these updates actually make a difference in the interior and safety. Read what other owners consider the 2020 Toyota 4Runner. Shoppers also think about. Toyota's old-school 4runner hasn't changed a lot for many years, but its competitors have. Vehicles such as the nissan pathfinder, when an authentic suv ready to take on gnarly terrain, have actually given that morphed into crossovers with less off-road capability. The 2020 toyota 4runner keeps its status as a tough, off-road prepared suv that uses a more civilized option to vehicles like the jeep wrangler, particularly when discovered in trd off-road or trd pro trims. It's likewise a fairly comfy daily driver that can seat up to 7 passengers throughout 3 rows, and it can tow approximately 5,000 pounds. Toyota 4Runner vs. Jeep Grand Cherokee The same can be stated, to varying degrees, of models like the ford explorer and chevrolet blazer. That leaves just 2 primary rivals: the jeep grand cherokee and jeep wrangler unlimited. Offered the shift in buyers' preferences, its shrinking segment, and its antiquated style, one would presume the 4runner's best days were in the past. Get the base 4runner in gray, beat the hell out of it and keep it for 20-plus years. That's what i suggest. Your other options are the jeep grand cherokee ($32,150), which is even more refined and outsells 4runner by a nation mile. Toyota 4Runner vs. Toyota Highlander 2020 toyota 4runner trd pro: 3 things that make it a pro in the city. 10 most significant news stories of the week: 2021 genesis gv80, gmc yukon do it. 2020 chicago auto show: everything you missed out on. 2021 toyota highlander xse and unique 4runner, tacoma tundra identify themselves. While more recent midsize trucks are much smoother on the road, the 4runner is stiff and bouncy, jouncing along the highway. If you prepare to use your brand-new suv for travelling, something like the brand-new toyota highlander or smaller rav4 are most likely a much better bet. Toyota 4Runner vs. Toyota Tacoma But, that's exactly for how long it's been considering that toyota introduced the latest version of its venerable midsize suv. The fifth-generation 4runner debuted for the 2010 model year, using rather tighter interior accommodations compared to its predecessor and sharing various bits and pieces with the tacoma pickup an fj cruiser suv. Our experts' favorite 4Runner safety features: Rear spoiler, mp3 player, privacy glass, keyless entry, child safety locks. Toyota limited with magnetic gray metallic outside and black interior features a v6 cylinder engine with 270 hp at 5600 rpm *. Choice packagesrunning boards. Serviced here, locally owned and traded here!experts conclude'the 4runner's v6 produces a healthy 270 horsepower, ideal when you need to pass slower traffic or tow heavy loads. What do individuals consider the 2020 Toyota 4Runner? The 2018 toyota 4runner is a body-on-frame sport energy, meaning it's truck-based instead of car-based as would be a crossover-suv. This indicates that the 4runner might not be for everyone, but it does fit a specific market and segment of needs. The 2018 4runner needs to be thought of as a pickup truck with more seating capable of bring a fair variety of people and pulling a fair amount of trailer and cargo. As such, the japanese maker didn't change much of anything on the 2013 toyota 4runner. Many people would neglect this midsize suv at first glance, however it does have some extremely rugged and useful features that might attract buyers searching for recognized dependability. What's an excellent price for a New 2020 Toyota 4Runner? Different package updates followed in 2018, and after that a black-accented nightshade special edition showed up for the 2019 model year. Cargurus tested the 2019 4runner, eventually recommending the sr5 premium 4wd model based on its available features and sub-$40,000 starting price. As the toyota 4runner entered the 2020 model year, it went through a host of considerable upgrades, the least of which was the introduction of a venture trim level accented by distinct wheels and a standard roofing system rack. I finally get the love for the toyota 4runner. I almost got it in the past, now that i have actually spent a week in one, i'm feeling a connection to the loud, unrefined, semi-slow, old suv. Beginning with the excellent, the 4runner's looks are simply traditional and identifiable. Should I lease or buy a 2020 Toyota 4Runner? Such has been the appeal of the toyota 4runner, a rear-wheel-drive (rwd) or 4-wheel-drive (4wd) model that has actually filled that function since it was initially introduced in the mid-1980s. Now, as one of the couple of midsize suvs still on the marketplace, the up-to-7-passenger 4runner continues to bring in buyers who want to venture far off the beaten course, or a minimum of would like to know their vehicle can do so at a moment's notice. A new, sixth-generation 4runner is stated to be in development but, at the time of this writing, no details have actually been launched. 2003-2009 toyota 4runner: 4th generation. Aside from pickup trucks and some very popular cars, couple of vehicle nameplates have been around regularly for more than thirty years. Up to $500 refund on a new toyota 4runner. Not valid on unique lease/preferred choice deals, apr programs or vehicles otherwise omitted based on the terms and conditions. Must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid driver's license.

#toyota #4runner #review

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blog-cosmosuniverse1 · 3 years

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COVID-19 and the Global Predators

Story at-a-glance We are in the middle of the biggest, most effective propaganda war in the history of the world, designed to make us helpless, obedient and docile. The end goal is to create a totalitarian world regime In psychotherapy, people who've been abused often cannot identify the abuse as evil. They can't bear to think there are people who take pleasure from injury and domination. Citizens across the world are currently being abused, and must face the fact that there are evil people intentionally trying to hurt them In 2015, a scientific paper announced they had the means to create a pandemic. The research was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and carried out at the Wuhan Institute of Virology The Communist Chinese Party has been working with SARS-CoV-type viruses since at least 2003, and there have been four different leaks of SARS viruses since then In 2016, Bill Gates created a business plan for the World Economic Forum that details everything we’re experiencing now

In this interview, Dr. Peter Breggin — known as “the conscience of psychiatry” for his instrumental role in preventing the return of lobotomy as a psychiatric treatment in the early 1970s — discusses his latest book, “COVID-19 and the Global Predators: We Are the Prey,” available on wearetheprey.com.There’s no doubt anymore that we are in the middle of the biggest, most effective propaganda war in the history of the world. Nothing even comes close. As a result, a mass psychosis has developed, where many normally rational people have completely lost their capacity to reason. You can show them reams of solid indisputable information and they’ll simply refuse to believe any of it. What’s at the heart of this mass psychosis? Breggin explains:“It's extremely important to get over this attempt to make us all helpless, obedient and docile. We have to know, who are the masters driving this? On the other hand, we have to understand the mechanisms for this [manipulation] … It's a subtle reign of terror … We're looking at a revolution against us that wants to make us feel helpless like children.In psychotherapy, we often see people who've been terribly abused by their parents, but they cannot face it. They can't identify it as evil … We can't bear to think there are people out to harm us and manipulate us. You can't bear to think there are people different from us — people who actually take pleasure from injury and domination …So, I want to identify first who these people are. Who's doing this to us? It's time to face it and to get rid of the idea that this is chance, or is this is crazy, or this is bizarre, or this makes no sense. How does it make sense that they're absolutely ignoring the fact that, in America, we now have over 14,000 reports of deaths from the [COVID] ‘vaccine’ and no one is investigating it? No one's doing anything. In the years before this, if a vaccine had more than 20 or 30 [deaths], and certainly over 100, it would be a catastrophe.Now we have a vaccine that has more deaths than all the other vaccines put together. How can we ignore that? On the other hand, we get all these huge [falsely inflated] numbers of deaths from COVID-19 … So, we're looking at this situation and [asking] is that crazy?Well, no, it makes perfect sense. If you're trying to intimidate and overwhelm a population, you exaggerate the danger. You take a flu-like illness that is safer than the flu in terms of how it spares children and young adults and attacks people my age, I'm 85. [It’s] killing people who are already past their predicted lifespan. So, you take this relatively benign epidemic and make it into a horror show by exaggerating everything.”What’s the Goal? The question that must be asked and answered is: What is the goal? We can determine the goal by looking at what we know. We know:Health leaders are ignoring COVID jab injuries and deathsThey do not want anyone to use early treatment. They’ve done everything in their power to dismiss and vilify any and all potential treatments, from vitamin D to hydroxychloroquine and ivermectinWestern countries that have been icons of freedom and liberty are being hit the hardest by the pandemic and put under the harshest countermeasuresThe risk of dying from COVID-19 is less than 0.5% for all but the very old who have multiple comorbiditiesVaccine makers have no financial liability for vaccine injuries and deathsGovernment started out enticing people to get the experimental shot using a variety of bribes, then moved on to forcing the shots using threats such as loss of employment, higher health insurance rates, loss of travel privileges, loss of right to health care in general and moreThe PCR test cannot be used to diagnose COVID-19; the FDA recalled the Innova Antigen Rapid Test in mid-June 20211 and the CDC has withdrawn the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization of the CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel, as of December 31, 2021,2 due to its inaccuracyWhat do these facts, taken together, tell us? What are

“the powers that be” getting out of this? Breggin explains:“The spike protein is the spearhead of an assault on humanity. That has nothing to do with COVID-19 whatsoever, but is planned through COVID-19 in order to vastly increase the wealth of numerous institutions and individuals … many of them unfortunately originating from America, who are working in collaboration with the communist, Chinese Communist Party, to increase this vast exploitation of the world …The Chinese have been sinking their teeth into us for a long time, because we are the seat of liberty in this world ... So, it all begins to make sense … The forces are most locked into those of us who are now free, and they're aiming to destroy us. This is terrifying, but it shouldn't make you … helpless. It should rouse you to look with reason at what is happening in the world.” The Decade of Vaccines In 2010, Bill Gates announced “the decade of vaccines.” A partner in that declaration was Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), as well as a number of other globalists, including the United Nations.A decade later, we have COVID-19. Is that a coincidence? In 2015, a scientific paper3 assured that gain-of-function researchers had the means to create a pandemic. This research was funded by the NIAID and carried out by two top Chinese researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and, according to Breggin, all scientists in China work on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).“It's called military civil fusion,” Breggin says. “They all work together … That's the nature of the totalitarian state. People don't realize that, but Fauci had to know he was funding a potential pandemic virus.In fact, in the last few days, it's come out from his emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request … that he actually gave them instructions for how to combine … several SARS-Cov-type virus systems to make an actual source code.”COVID Shot Failure Was Entirely Predictable According to Breggin, the CCP has been working with SARS-CoV-type viruses since at least 2003, and there have been four different leaks of SARS viruses since then.“So here we have China and America making what are essentially biological weapons, the excuse being, ‘We're going to make vaccines.’ But … the vaccines aren't going to work and they know it, because the coronavirus mutates all the time.So, if you make a vaccine for the Chinese virus, it’s not going to last long because it'll just help force these mutations to come out because if you're suppressing [strain] of a virus, then one of the many others that are floating around will take its place …”Bill Gates’ Pandemic Business Plan The failure of the COVID shots was predicted by many physicians and scientists well before the middle of 2020, and there’s virtually no chance the vaccine makers were unaware of the many objections brought forth, and the scientific rationale behind them.“So, Bill Gates knows, in 2015, that a pandemic virus can be made and [that] labs in China and the U.S. are collaborating and he knows Fauci, who’s been his key guy since at least 2010. So, Gates, in 2016, creates a business plan. I don't know how I found this one. I think it was God just pulling the strings of my fingers, but I pulled out of [Klaus] Schwab's website Bill Gates’ business plan for the world for the next pandemic.It's about 65 pages long. You can find it on my website. Go to the coronavirus resource center on breggin.com and then look for the background materials for the book, and you will become one of the first people in the world outside of the predators to see the business plan they made in 2016.That business plan lays out everything that's happening to us now. In particular, it lays out that Bill Gates will be working with CEPI [Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations], an organization that Gates founded in 2017 — but that he’s describing in 2016 — with Schwab, the man who will eventually announce the Great Reset in 2020

that he’s been working on his whole life.”In that document linked above, “CEPI Preliminary Business Plan 2017-2021,” it is stated that the drug industry will incur no expenses during the coming pandemic. All expenses, including indirect costs, will be covered. Yet another document describes the enormous profits expected. Gates’ business plan also describes the creation of what eventually became Operation Warp Speed.In July 2017, CEPI created a PowerPoint presentation for the World Health Organization, which you can also view on Breggin’s website. That presentation reviews Gates’ plan and explains the WHO’s role in setting the standards for pandemic science and medicine.Amazingly, the PowerPoint includes a statement that CEPI has created a Memorandum of Understanding of what the WHO is. According to Breggin, that’s “the next thing to an absolutely binding contract with the WHO.”Who Are the Predators? In his book, Breggin also details the other partners in this scheme, which include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, NIAID and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).In short, the evidence points to the COVID-19 pandemic — with all the senseless and irrational decisions made in its name — being a scheme to enrich certain individuals, companies and organizations at the expense of everyone else.“Rick Bright, [director of] BARDA, was key, a point man, [in] preventing everybody from having easy access to very effective treatments,” Breggin says. “Again, why? Because it was a decade of vaccines. It's all it was ever about. It was never about anything else. [It was always about] finding a way to get rich and powerful.”So far, then, we can list the following predators:Bill Gates and his organizationsKlaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum (WEF)Drug companiesFauci and the NIH/NIAIDThe Wellcome TrustFDACDCBARDAThe WHOWhat Are the Predators Working Toward? So, just what are they working toward? In videos dating back to 2017, Gates discusses the development of RNA vaccines. Fast-forward to 2020, and mRNA injections were the immediate choice for the fast-tracked COVID shots. And, as detailed in Gates’ business plan, Pfizer and Moderna were both given billions of dollars from the U.S. federal government through BARDA and the NIH/NIAID.Don't get scared. Get angry, but don't get demoralized. They want that. You know, there’s a whole school of public health that talks about how to intimidate and engender fear to get people to do what you want. It's called fear appeal. So, it's systematic, and public health people have always been totalitarian in nature. ~ Dr. Peter BregginThis, despite the fact that no mRNA injection has ever made it to market before this, and the fact that no coronavirus vaccine has ever made it to market in the 20 years they’ve been working on it. For some reason, coronavirus vaccines routinely cause severe illness and increased lethality when exposed to the wild virus, a phenomenon known as antibody dependent enhancement (ADE).In his book, Breggin cites a 2020 paper by independent researchers warning that all of the COVID vaccines, not just the mRNA and the DNA shots but also those using killed viruses, are too dangerous to even try on humans.“So, they know all of this,” Breggin says. “There are no surprises to them. They knew what they were doing … But don't get scared. Get angry, but don't get demoralized. They want that. You know, there’s a whole school of public health that talks about how to intimidate and engender fear to get people to do what you want. It's called fear appeal.So, it's systematic, and public health people have always been totalitarian in nature. It’s all about public health people telling the communities what they must do come the next public health threat. They don't say preserve the Bill of Rights. They don't say, ‘make sure we check this out in the courts or a body supervising us for our ethics to protect the

folks.’”Recognize the Abuse, Then Stand Up Against It So, how can we break the mass psychosis spell that so many are currently under, which makes them unable to see reality and understand that complying with the globalist predators will result in their own ruin? Breggin comments:“Human beings are born into a state of helplessness … And the reason for that, I believe, is that we are a social animal. The brain doubles in size in the first year of life, which occurs in a social environment. So, we have a social brain. We are very tied to each other. That's the whole purpose of that socialization, that slow growth, that dependency over the years …Being social allowed us as an extended family to survive and to be different than all other creatures. It's our social relationships that make us unique. They also give us our pleasure.In the grief now built into all of us is that potential for feeling very helpless. We can become in moments [like] little children again. When we start feeling guilt or shame or anxiety or overwhelmingly afraid, we can easily become helpless. And that's basically what's going on. I think it's fine to call it a psychosis, but I prefer to call it an overwhelming helplessness that overcomes the nation.Now, if in childhood you're abused, then that helplessness remains with you into adulthood. That's how powerful those early years are, and you have to work hard to overcome it … We to identify what was done to us. If you're an adult, it really helps to identify that, yes, you were sexually abused or, yes, you really were bullied by your older brother or your big sister …You look back and you see what's going on and what happened. And that helps you … We are being oppressed by evil people. Nothing is by chance. We might as well be children being tormented. We have to say to each other, ‘No more. No more helplessness, no more lamenting, no more complaining, no more saying What's happening to us? It's very clear, what's happening to us.’It's not crazy. It's intentional and purposeful and we must stand up to it. We must understand and not allow ourselves to be abused and rendered out again. We need to give each other comfort and love and inspiration. We need to support from a tactical viewpoint.We need to get involved together. [My wife] Ginger and I made the terrifying decision to take on COVID-19 … [and] join many other people fighting for America's freedom. It was a scary choice, but once we did, we started meeting tons of people.I never imagined knowing Peter McCollough, a great cardiologist who wrote an introduction to [my book], who risked his life and his whole reputation to declare that there is a good treatment … We're all re-founders of America in a critical moment in time.And instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, think to yourself, ‘God put us in a place where we can make one of the hugest differences, or we can have effects beyond anything we imagined’ … We need to know that there is a war against us … They have a stealth war against us … So be proud, be an American, be a patriot. Stand up for liberty.Look at the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights. That's your legacy. You were throwing it away. You were doing nothing to protect it, probably since the civil war. This is the biggest threat to freedom in America. And it's much bigger than the civil war. It's a war against all of Western democracy.”

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