#2011 troika

[junkyard-gifs]

Nobody: absolutely nobody: US tour 5 Mistoffelees behind the girls' relevee:

Chaz Wolcott not only just showing off all his various spinnies with total "what, like it's hard?" aplomb...

...but also matching the girls' attitude with his leg sir this is frankly unreasonable why are your spinnies always so extra

2011–2012, the final year of US tour 5 (notice that's Tantomile to Victoria's right, and she and Coricopat only existed in that year of this production!).

Beyond Chaz I'm not sure exactly who's on in this video, but if they're first cast that would be Chris Stevens as Tugger, Hillary Porter as Rumpelteazer, and Jordan Dunlap as Victoria. Tantomile was an onstage swing role so she could be any one of several actors.

(Source)

[weed-ols]

Reviewing Every UKISS Release: By Unpopular Demand ~ Tick Tack + Forever (For KISS Me) + Forbidden Love

So releases from this point onward until around ~2014/15ish are constant and hectic, so I've had to deviate from my original plan a bit. I think grouping the JP singles + KR digital singles in 3s helps keep things a little less...unwieldy, and less constrained by image limits on posts.

Tick Tack - 1st JP Single | 2011.12.14

This was the PV that got accidentally leaked, right? Like they posted the full version of this instead of the short version, and that's why it was so easy to watch it on YouTube or whatever, and it was super easy to get the full audio because of it lol. I think it only took me a day or two to find a 320kbps download of it. Anyway, another pivotal moment of my tween years.

Tick Tack (Audio) | YouTube Music 5.3M | Spotify 1.11M

God that clock sound is so good

Love the entire vocal line stuffed into the first verse

Vocal troika taking the chorus love that for them

Also love stuffing everyone into the second verse

I like that the parallel with the first and third verses where the former is all the vocalists and the latter is all the rappers

SooHoon + Dongho bridge? An odd combo but very much goated

Honestly super impressed at how much this song is a team effort

Obviously Soohyun, Kevin, and Hoon have the most lines since they do the chorus, but Dongho gets a good amount with his little extra rap, and while AJ, Eli, and Kiseop get a couple lines each

And yeah sure it's a couple of lines, but they are attention-grabbing

Always appreciate a good bookend with the clock returning

Love the dramatic music, love the dramatic lyrics, it's such a good follow-up to NEVERLAND, and an insane first JP release

So lyrically, is this a reluctant breakup song? Like is this a toxic relationship that they're ending even though they're still in love?

That's a new breakup theme for them

10/10 "the perfect Japanese debut for a Kpop group doesn't exi-" wrong

Tick Tack (MV) | Short ver. 3.9M | Official upload 733k

Oh buckle in buckaroos I got a legit copy of this on my laptop AND of every JP MV right up until 2016 babyyy

And I can't remember if it was they learnt the choreo in 3 days (while promoting) or if they both learnt it in 3 days while their choreographer was still working on it

Iconic and lol their positions

Kiseop, AJ, and Eli are just kinda comfortably posing

Soohyun on his knees, Dongho chilling on the floor, and Kevin making modern art with his body lol

Also the dramatic grasping hands

Abandoned Warehouse Set #1 with an amazingly large clock

Abandoned Warehouse Set #2 + group sadboy shot

I love the black/white look with red accents super chic, but is Soohyun the only one without white? I mean fair he is the real MC of UKISS

Not Hoon being the only in a full pose

Ew Kiseop don't touch the dust/ash that's dirty

Oh his hair....it's kinda pompadour-esque. I remember thinking it was super cool back in the day, but it's kinda...tragic now lol

Still looks good though, hard for his face card to ever decline

Love the fanning out of this part, it's super cool on stages for such a simple step

Also these grey suits are gorgeous and it's 2011, so of course it's paired with combat boots

Surprised that this dance has only resulted in one instance of ripped pants

Could be more, but Hoon ripping his pants during their Best Of tour promos is peak comedy

This part is also very cool, very fun to look at

I could've sworn they wore gloves during the dance, but I guess not? They're wearing them for the dramatic solo shots though

Dongho with yet again the bowliest bowlcut to ever bowl

Another personal favourite choreo bit

It's a bit difficult to explain, but the force and purpose Soohyun uses when he slides his hand down Kiseop's back is so cool

The way he pops up kills me every time

These are the worst outfits in the video

I hate the white sleeves so much they make them look juvenile

Like I get black sleeves probably wouldn't have worked with this set since they'd get lost in the dark edges of the frame

But a dark colour would've worked, or heck even no sleeves

On the topic of outfits, not much to say about their hair that hasn't been said already

This was filmed during NEVERLAND promos I think, so their hair is fine

Kevin, Soohyun, and AJ have great hairstyles; Hoon, Eli, and Dongho are fine; Kiseop's pompadour is meh, but I really like his hair when they're in the grey suits

The fluffy hair looks really good on him, much better than the sleek look he wore for NEVERLAND

The dance battle is cute, really helps give everyone a bit more spotlight

This part? Seared into my brain

What's falling down from the ceiling? Ashes? Dust? Snow? Asbestos? We may never know

Anyway, no story, just a banger dance and brooding shots in The Box and some abandoned spaces

Oh and this isn't in the MV, obviously, but remember how Hoon and Kiseop nearly knocked each other out while filming this? I don't remember the exact documentary, but it must have been that one they did during NEVERLAND

They were all so enamoured with the giant clock too lol

10/10 still gives an insane dopamine rush

Coincidence | YouTube Music 113k | Spotify N/A

It's so insane that this banger is just a random b-side for a single?

I'm trying to figure out who dominates this song, and while my initial instinct is to say it's a Kevin song, Eli is also a very constant presence? Soohyun and Hoon also have parts that are more memorable. All I can say is that this is definitely not a Kiseop (RIP) song

Love the first and last choruses are SooVin while the others are HoonVin

Soohyun's little "follow me!" is so cute omg

I really like AJ's rap here he always makes it so interesting

The cute little SooSeop verse

Dongho's rap was also nice, like the little break for AJ and AJ+Eli

The little bridge part with SooHoon and Eli+Dongho is really cool

I like the darker sound of this, very fitting to be Tick Tack's b-side

Not entirely sure what the song is about? I think it's about meeting an ex again, hence all the mentions of coincidences and fate?

The colourless world mentions sure make it sound depressing though

Also looking at the lyrics, I thought the song was a lot more complex than it is? It really is just like 5 choruses, 3 post-choruses, a couple of verses and a bridge

I think the constant switching of singers/rappers help make it sound more complex

9.5/10 super catchy. I can't believe I actually forgot about this song until I got back into this hellscape

0330 -Piano & Chorus ver.- | YouTube Music N/A | Spotify N/A

There's no official upload but the fan upload of it is sitting at 16k

I think they did this in their 2012 tour? Anyway, sounds a lot like the Christmas version which I really like

Love the stripped down sound, really turns it from crying in the club to crying in the tub

What can I say, I'm a sucker for them harmonizing in the background

Vocal troika really shines in sounding like kicked puppies in this version

9.25/10 higher than the original version because I love me some pathetic-sounding men (affectionate)

Forever (For KISS Me) - 1st Digital Single | 2011.12.22

I remember this coming out!!! Got home from school and did the good ol' YT video-mp3 converter to get it on my laptop. I remember distinctly loving it, then also never playing it lol. It's got a special place in my heart now though, like special as in it makes me a bit teary lol.

Forever (For KISS Me) | YouTube Music 419k | Spotify 13k

So if I'm remembering correctly, this is a song they reworked to be fanservice. The original singers were an older NH group, I think, like before Paran

Something Eli and AJ always having to do a spoken word opening in their songs from this time is so funny to me

"Parting was so hard 'cause you are my only passion" I always thought that it was "partying was so hard" which was super funny, but I see now that I was wrong

"Come visit here it's our lovely party mansion" that always gets a chortle from me like I love them, I actually wouldn't mind drinking with them, but I do not wanna party with them they're all insane

I think it's cute they all get whole verses to themselves, really gives them all enough time to shine during encores lol

So after the Dongho and Eli raps come my favourite part of the whole song - the sex kitten vocal trio building up to Soohyun

Kiseop > Hoon > Kevin > Soohyun is sooooo good and I love building from Kiseop's soft voice to Soohyun the Powerhouse

Also once again, validates my belief that what Kevin is to Soohyun vocally, is what Kiseop is to Hoon, and is why the four of them can be matched off with each other in any way and still sound good

Honestly, the song is mostly the vocal line, sans AJ. The rap line is just there to act as hype men

Music is cute, super upbeat and poppy, and the lyrics are equally mushy

7.75/10 not something I'd listen to on my own volition, but it's always fun watching lives of this, and I love how much the vocal line is allowed to shine (read: I love how many lines Kiseop gets)

Forbidden Love - 2nd JP Single | 2012.02.29

I remember obsessively watching the short MV on YouTube because now when I listen to the song, I can still pick out exactly where it ended lol. I also remember really wanting the shirts they wore for the single cover because it was so ~*~cool~*~ and lowkey edgy, which is perfect for a wangsty tween.

Forbidden Love (Audio) | YouTube Music 1.2M | Spotify 571k

Another song, another dance beat, and I'm absolutely not complaining lol

I really like Kevin's opening line, love the "...najitte mitari-i-i" bit

Plenty of gratuitous English, a very important staple for them from this point on

Again, the entire vocal line stuffed into the first verse, yeah AJ's not singing, but he was there

Love how Hoon drags out the "...datta kedo~" part right into Soohyun's line, and the slowdown in Soohyun's line to transition to Kiseop, and AJ's rap picks up the pace again into the chorus, super fun to listen to

Even though I know the start of the chorus is "I, my, me, mine", I always forget the "mine" because it's off-beat

And okay, the first chorus always kills me because of Soohyun

The "subete kakete Egaku ai no sign", is so funny to me because I just think about him doing the ahegao face while singing it during the MC break in their anniversary tour

Like his eyes were completely rolled back and the camera, bless their heart, did a great close up

And he did it like 3 times I love him so much

Back to the song, I really like how the second verse starts with Kiseop, and how Eli bridges the gap between him to Soohyun, and they do the same thing as verse 1, this time going from Soohyun > Hoon > Kiseop

HoonVin second chorus, once again, has me begging for more duets with them, they sound insanely sweet

Vocal troika taking the last chorus is soooo good

SooHoon back-to-back high notes? They were feeding us so good

Love the constant "love, love, love" and "you make me feel this love" in the background

Like it's almost too much with the music, but it oddly works?

The song is basically exactly what the title says - a forbidden relationship that's doomed to end, but they're like "no baby I love youuuu"

There's also an implication of class difference? First verse has what google tells me translates to "this relationship began with me overreaching myself/but I finally feel like I'm equal to you"

Could just be that girl is way out of their league, idk

10/10 I go back and forth between whether I prefer Tick Tack over this, but they're both like pure dopamine being injected in to my brain

Forbidden Love (MV) | Short ver. 604k | Official upload 462k

Once again, I was so obsessed with watching the short MV

Yes I did watch the full version but I mostly watched the official short one because I couldn't afford to materially support them

There's a lot happening in this first scene

First, Kiseop, take your damn shoes off that's dirty, but I'm happy you're like kind of the protagonist for the non-dance non-solo shot parts of this

Second, why is there a life preserver on the bed? Is it supposed to symbolize that this forbidden love is a life saver?

Why are the chairs tipped over? Why is there an Arizona 51 sign? Are the sirens like directly outside the window or what? What exactly is that next to the bed?

Aww the little Kevin solo dance

I like the little circular bit they do while snapping to change formation

Soohyun bodying the hell out of this part

*Kevin voice* "Why are you so passionate during this part of the dance? Is there something you need to tell us?"

Or at least something like that god Teattari Shidai was so funny, and Kevin and Soohyun were constantly catfighting at that time

I think his explanation was about timing the body roll to it but idk he's just really good at it

I like this set by the way, a new version of The Box for them

Is...is that a tree? Why is there a tree growing in your apartment?

Ooh AJ was really hot in this era I think this is when he fully entered my crush category

Is he wearing winged liner? Goated love his eyes

Kiseop and AJ always make this part of the dance look so cool

Oh and the preceding part with the little shuffle into this

They just have that je ne sais quoi chill that makes look natural

Man I just love this dance, there's a bunch of shoulder shimmies and like at least 3 pelvic thrusts

Wait my guy why is mattress bare like that

Okay pause for a moment to talk about these costumes

Love the black-red suit combo, love the red laces on the boots

I'm a huge sucker for epaulettes so obviously AJ has my favourite suit

Love the rhinestoned lapels for Kiseop and Kevin

Like the glittery lapels for Soohyun and Dongho

Eli has epaulettes too, but because they're also black, they're practically invisible until the closeup shots

Hoon's suit is fine, just more subtle with glitter on the outside of his lapels

In terms of hair, Kiseop and AJ are on their A-game, love the fluffier hair for them

Soohyun, Hoon, and Eli all look fine, like those are pretty standard looks for them

Dongho still has his bowlcut, and while I don't hate Kevin's hair, I wish it had more texture to it?

The ironed hair with the sideswept bangs just aren't that great on him, especially not with the single-toned hair

WHY IS SOOHYUN SO GOOD AT THIS WHY IS HE SLIGHTLY CUPPING HIS HAND

Also like this set, very cool

These costumes are okay, the white-red is a nice combo, but the clothes themselves are less snazzy and more understated the other set

Most baffling choice is why Dongho has a belted coat on rather than a blazer

Also not a huge fan of the longer jackets Soohyun, Kiseop, and Kevin have on

It's not the worst, and I think I could like them in a different MV, but it's a bit too...floppy with this dance

Hairs are a downgrade from the first set of costumes, except for AJ whose hair is glorious at this time

Like I'm sorry to bring this up again but look at his winged linerrrr

He actually looks like a cat

Oooh slowmo shot during the dance break

They really love this move we'll be seeing this a lot in their JP dances

Well I mean they already did a variation of it in Shut Up!!

Also love this part it's so cool how Kiseop transitions back to the dance, very reminiscent of when he does this in NEVERLAND

I like how the choreo tones down for the double high notes so everyone's focusing on Hoon and Soohyun

Lowkey wish we got a dance version of this I would love a wide shot of this to see every bit of choreo

There's no shot of them in their casual outfits, but they all looked fine, very standard 2012 male idol fashion

So yeah, not really much of a story to this, lots of solo shots and dancing

9.5/10 I think I'd prefer a whole dance vid for this, and I really didn't like the white costumes, and they never answered why were the sirens going off at the apartment set???

Redial | YouTube Music 13k | Spotify N/A

I completely forgot about this song until recently

I do vaguely remember listening to it before, so I think I had it on my first laptop and for whatever reason either forgot to transfer it to my second one, or couldn't find another download of it

Is that...a synth harpsichord? It sounds like the harpsichord setting on electronic keyboards like I swear that's what the one at school sounded like

SooSeop sharing verses? Goated

I thought this song had a lot more Hoon and Kevin, but I guess not?

Vocal troika are kinda tied for lines, even though I think I remember Kevin's more because he does a title drop in the first chorus

Dongho gets a bulk of the raps, but Eli isn't too far behind, nor is AJ

Kiseop gets what amounts to nearly a whole verse, plus he's sharing with Soohyun so that's cool

Ooh just noticed it's a sex kitten trio leading in from the second half of the first verse to the pre-chorus and chorus

It feels like a weirdly paced song

I don't know if it's all the synth sounds and the heavy beat, or if it's the lengthier raps to a slower beat but it feels both oddly long and short at once, even though it's basically the same length as Forbidden Love

Maybe it's the shorter verses compared to the raps and choruses?

Or how the bridge comes out of the second rap chunk without really changing tempo as it goes to the last verse?

Lyrically, it's pining over an ex, very normal UKISS stuff

7.5/10 I do like it and it is in a lot of my playlists, but something about this song just makes me uneasy lol

I wish I had a fun fact for this little time, but unfortunately everything funny I know from 2012 is from after this. Anyway, crazy that this all happened within a year of 0330 and Hoon and AJ joining. Like they honestly fit in so seamlessly it's like they've always been there.

So yeah, we're fully entering what I guess we can call their 'peak' era in terms of popularity (lol, lmao even) and activities, and also approaching when I started being chronically online and had actively blogged about them on this good ol' hellsite. Yes, I did find all of my reblogs and tags from that time and dear lord, 2012-2014 for tweenies-turning-teens is very psyche-damaging in our current year.

[raffaeleitlodeo]

In quasi 70 anni di attività politica, ci sono stati molti Giorgio Napolitano. C’è stato il Napolitano filo sovietico del 1956, c’è stato il Napolitano migliorista che ha anticipato la svolta socialdemocratica, c’è stato il Napolitano contro Berlinguer sulla questione morale, c’è stato il Napolitano che tesseva legami con Washington (e Kissinger lo chiamava il mio comunista preferito), c’è stato il Napolitano al Viminale che ha inventato i primi centri per migranti, c’è stato il Napolitano presidente della Repubblica che firmava tutte le leggi ad personam di Berlusconi, comprese quelle che poi la Consulta dichiarerà anticostituzionali. Ma l’impronta politica più forte sulla storia del Paese Napolitano l’ha lasciata nel 2011, quando caduto Berlusconi lui decise, dal Quirinale, di non sciogliere le Camere e di fare Mario Monti premier. Per l’italia, quello fu un bivio: se si fosse votato con ogni probabilità avrebbe vinto il Pd di Bersani , allora alleato con vendola e Di pietro, i sondaggi erano unanimi. Invece il Presidente scelse l’uomo della Troika, il Pd fece disgraziatamente sua quell’agenda d’austerità e in un anno e mezzo di Monti milioni di voti si spostarono dal centrosinistra ai Cinque Stelle, così nel 2013 alle urne ci fu il pareggio e poi le larghe intese. Non si sa come sarebbe andata la storia, se Napolitano avesse deciso diversamente. Si sa però che il Quirinale si fece da arbitro neutrale a giocatore in campo , decidendo anche il risultato della partita. E forse partì così quella deriva presidenzialista, che oggi la destra vuole formalizzare stravolgendo la costituzione. Alessandro Gilioli, Facebook

[ikakalaka]

"Troika"

Spiral Knights, 2011

[pacosemnoticias]

Federação do sangue insiste no direito à dispensa ao trabalho no dia da dádiva

A Federação Portuguesa de Dadores Benévolos de Sangue (FEPODABES) voltou hoje a pedir que os dadores voltem a ter o direito à dispensa laboral no dia que realizam a dádiva e a regulamentação do Estatuto do Dador de Sangue.

Em comunicado, para assinalar o Dia Mundial do Dador de Sangue que se comemora na sexta-feira com o lema “Muito obrigado Dadores de Sangue”, a FEPODABES volta a reivindicar o direito à dispensa ao trabalho no dia em que realizam a dádiva, possibilidade, referem, que lhes foi retirada em 2011 durante a presença da ‘troika’ em Portugal.

O presidente da FEPODABES, Alberto Mota, citado na nota, indica que a Assembleia da República aprovou em 2012 o Estatuto do Dador de Sangue, mas “manteve essa lacuna, deixando por resolver uma das questões que tem impacto direto no número de dadores diariamente”.

Alberto Mota apelou também à “regulamentação do Estatuto do Dador de Sangue, aprovado em 2012, que não avançou.

Na nota, o presidente da FEPODABES alertou mais uma vez “para a falta de profissionais de saúde nomeadamente nos três Centros de Sangue do Instituto Português do Sangue e da Transplantação, falta essa que nos últimos tempos tem sido a causa maior dos cancelamentos de brigadas de colheitas de sangue no exterior dos três centros”.

No âmbito do Dia Mundial do Dador de Sangue, Alberto Mota agradeceu aos dadores, apelando a que mais pessoas doem sangue.

“Todos os dias são necessárias cerca de 1.000 a 1.100 unidade de sangue para fazer face ao consumo dos hospitais, lembrou Alberto Mota, realçando que o sangue é essencial para tratamentos e intervenções urgentes e pode ajudar pacientes que sofrem de condições com risco de vida, além de apoiar procedimentos médicos e cirúrgicos complexos.

“O sangue também é vital para o tratamento de feridos durante emergências de todos os tipos (desastres naturais, acidentes, conflitos armados etc.) e tem um papel essencial nos cuidados maternos e neonatais”, segundo a Federação.

[doomboogie]

Uh 2021 Games List A Whole Year+ Late

Whoops, forgot about this since time hasn't been real for the last couple of years. I rank based on enjoyment of a game, not if the story or gameplay are particularly great, and to me a 3=pretty good. But it's a vague and nebulous system, it's all fake anyway. In order from March to December 2021:

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - ?/5

Obsidian Entertainment, 2018

A more quippy and light-hearted tone than its predecessor, it feels like a tabletop game with every character trying to outwit each other and make the snarkiest comment. Some people like that, I don't so much. The true interesting story of colonialism is kneecapped by the generic main plot involving gods that already had their time to shine in the first game. Combat is more polished and fun and the AI improved and the environments are gorgeous. Companions are interesting but have underdeveloped sidequests and awkwardly implemented romances, and some companions just drive me so crazy I couldn't stand to even hear them. The PC's background and opinions never felt relevant, even in places that they really should have been. I never finished this game, as the main plot simply could not grab me enough once it was all that was left. I loved PoE 1, but despite my disappointment with Deadfire I admit it's not a bad game, just not my jam. I didn't rank it because I want to revisit later, I think I can enjoy this game just not right now.

Persona 5 Royal - 1.5/5

Atlus, 2020

Much needed gameplay improvements and social additions are undermined by a thematically inconsistent final act and questionable character writing. The new characters are clunkily forced in resulting in a love 'em or hate 'em feeling, and a lingering thought that perhaps they should've been saved for a spin-off rather than tacked onto an already complete game.

Persona 5 Strikers - 3/5

Atlus, 2020

The Persona series' strongest sequel (Eternal Punishment doesn't count) focusing on the friendship between characters and slight rehashing of original game themes with a twist. The new characters introduced far exceed Royal's new additions, and meld into the exhisting cast with more ease. Overdone tropes and a particularly bad moral lesson regarding child abuse give a mixed-postive takeaway.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective - 5/5

Capcom, 2010

Oh, to live in a world where Ghost Trick got a million sequels instead of Ace Attorney. A fun puzzler with a cute gimmick and fascinating characters with stellar music and the best animation on the DS. A few eyeroll moments in the last hour may harsh my vibe a bit, but not much. Like most wacky detective games, it's more fun playing with other people instead of alone.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - 4.5/5

Troika Games, 2004

Considered a classic for a reason, with a myriad of roleplay opportunity, tons of interesting characters, and some of the best voice acting I've ever heard in a game. The latter half of the game is much less polished and a combat slog, but the first half more than makes up for it. I didn't appreciate the very aged early 00's humor, complete with some edginess and off-colour "jokes" - Chinatown is a bit of a Yikes. Still great fun, jank and all, and deserves a modern installment. Pour one out for the almost surely dead sequel; this franchise is truly cursed. On my biannual replay list.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - 4/5

Eidos-Montréal, 2011

Adam Jensen is by far the most interesting protagonist in the Deus Ex series, and you can feel that this game's world is on the precipice of massive upheaval and change. It's the calm before the storm, and then when the storm hits it hits so hard. I love how there's no good ending in this game, I love how much it leans into media personalities influencing the minds of a populace, and I love the gold filter! Maybe I like this one more than the original Deus Ex because it takes place during the growing period between a modern world and the cyberpunk dystopia it's destined to become.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - 3/5

Eidos-Montréal, 2016

Opposite of the original Deus Ex, I expected this game to be bad due to its reputation. Perhaps that lowered expectation allowed me to be pleasantly surprised by it instead. The story isn't the best, and it desperately needs another game due to the abrupt ending, but the gameplay is a blast. Felt nice unleashing on the police once night fell. Prague is so so so fun to explore, probably one of my favorite game hubs I've ever played in. Still hoping for that third game to close out Adam's story.

Deus Ex - 2/5

Ion Storm, 2000

Maybe I'm just too much of an radical but nothing this game said felt very mindblowing or earth shattering. The gameplay was passable, stealth was fun, but I think I was just too late to the party on this one. The fandom needs to chill out on reccommending this to everyone as "the best game ever made", because it just creates expecations that won't be met. I obviously chose the "Dark Age" ending; I was surpsied, it assumes the worst of humanity and thinks we'll go back to the dark ages from losing technology that didn't exist prior to the 1910s. But again, maybe I'm just too much of an radical and can tell when the leftist ending is written to appear worse than it really would be. Honestly this feels like a game that a lot of libertarians built their entire personalities off of.

Crusader Kings II - 3.5/5

Paradox Entertainment, 2012-2018

A fun rpg hidden in a grand strategy game, and this wonderful combination has spoiled me for every other grand strategy. Base game is servicable but restrictive; DLC and mods are what make the game shine. Massive timesink game, never truly ends. The total for the many packs of DLC is quite expensive; I'm not a fan of Paradox's business model. Score lowered due to the DLC prices as well as bizarre mechanics with some inter-religious stuff. Does anybody actually take part in the Crusades in this game? I sure don't. Too busy plotting against my liege.

Bloodborne - 5/5

FromSoftware, 2015

I loved this game so much that I started a second character while still in the middle of my first playthrough. This game was the gateway to FromSoft titles for me, after years of being on the outside looking in. It's no longer my favorite Fromsoft title, but it will always have a place in my heart. Fighting the Bloody Crow is in my top 10 game moments, easily the most fun duel I've ever had. Also, the singing eyeball creatures are singing the Hunter's Dream melody! Marvelous.

A Plague Tale: Innocence - 1.5/5

Asobo Studio, 2019

If this were a tech demo that ended at the battlefield level I would have been far more entranced and liked it more. This game goes off the rails so hard in a way I can only roll my eyes at, and that's not accounting for the poor pacing and bizarre story choices. What could have been a simple story of survival and family turned into a circus of rats and murder. I don't understand how this is a darling for so many people.

Life Is Strange: True Colors - 1/5

Deck Nine, 2021

Goddammit. I wanted to like this game so much. Alex's powers are the most interesting of the LiS bunch, even if they're not explained all too well and often change the rules. Alex herself is fine enough - she's a bit of a dick, and has a personality that I enjoy seeing. But the game falls apart when it comes to story - the most interesting parts (Alex's past, her relationship with her brother and parents, the core mystery) are pushed aside in favor of larp sessions, aimless wandering, and a forced musical interlude at a festival. When the plot finally wakes back up it dives into a non-twist that was so predictable I was hoping it was a fakeout and then goes straight for completely ridiculous acts of human survivability. Alex should have died multiple times over in the last few hours of the game but miraculously walks off fatal injuries with nothing more than some aspirin and self-righteous spirit. This would be fine on its own, but the series has established what is and isn't survivable - characters in the first two games died from something that Alex shrugs off. The individual characters are some of the most interesting in the LiS series, but the story is easily the worst. I keep thinking of how good this could've been. Maybe next time Deck Nine will get it, but I'll miss Dontnod being at the helm. Also maybe I'm petty but I fucking *wish* there were small towns in the Colorado that were this diverse and inclusive where someone could get by on a meager wage. Ugh.

The Sims 4 - 2?/5

EA Games, 2015

Really only playable with mods and all the DLC. Can't believe it's still on live service in 2023.

Darkest Dungeon - 3.5/5

Red Hook Studios, 2015

Darkest Dungeon is probably my most "pick up, get bored, put down" game I've ever played. I like the conceit, I like the setting, I like the classes. I hate the grind. Even on Radiant Mode it becomes a slog after a while, but I was determined to see it through to the end. Which, as it turns out, wasn't to far off from my last "put down" spot years ago. I still think the grind is to the game's detriment, and overall I'm not a fan of vaguely Lovecraftian horror - Bloodborne is toeing that line for me - and the final four part dungeon has a brutally harsh gimmick that can blindside a player. However the final boss of this game was delightful. I kept Reynauld and Dismas in my rotation the whole game, and sent them both to the final boss. Only one returned. It was a heartbreaking moment, but a fitting one. I think the series should have ended here, to be honest.

Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (DLC) - 3/5

Mobius Digital, 2021

As I write this I'm replaying the DLC, in hopes to enjoy it more than in 2021. Unfortunately I don't. The delightful puzzles and poignant moments are undercut by the unforgiving traversal of the new major area, a long return time, and a tedious stealth mechanic. The DLC itself is the length of a full game, and I commend Mobius for their creativity in an entirely new area in an already jam packed game. All that said, less fun Outer Wilds is still Outer Wilds, and that comes with a good time regardless. I just hope next time they leave the inky black stealth sections on the cutting room floor. Bummer we can't really tell any other hearthians about our discoveries :( I know Riebeck would like to learn about it.

Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition - 3/5

Bioware (1998), Beamdog (2012)

Baldur's Gate is an odd game to me. I played through once, and found it aged and not that great; I used to have this rated as 2 stars. But I couldn't stop thinking about the game and ended up replaying a few months later and enjoying it a lot. So, I guess I like it? I don't know, maybe it's kind of like a sugary candy where you don't like it much but you keep eating because the sugar is addicting. Perhaps I merely craved a late 90s rpg. I'm fond of all the companions I took in those two save files, and that's one of the problems: too many companions, likely because the devs didn't expect players would care for them. But I do! I would die for Ajantis, nobody knows me like Khalid and Jaheira know me, and sure I guess Imoen can come along too. So long as she understands I like Xan and Coran more than her. Probably the second biggest untwist, after True Colors. Not a big fan of the chosen one narrative in any game, but it was the late 90s so I can forgive it.

Return of the Obra Dinn - 5/5

3909 LLC, 2018

This was the last game I played in 2021, on New Year's Eve. A single shot, 11 hours straight. I loved this game so much. I honestly don't have words other than I love it. I love the gimmick, I love the music, I love the various color palettes you can choose from, I love the investigation and detective work required from the player, I love learning the story in nonchronological pieces, I love how it's a tragedy and I love how there is truly nothing else like it on the market. I hope beyond hope that something will come close to the gameplay again, but I'm more than content with just this. Very thankful to have such a stellar game to end an otherwise bad year on.

[magpiejay1234]

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS?locations=Z7&most_recent_value_desc=true

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS?end=2021&locations=XC&most_recent_value_desc=true&start=1970

Looking more into World Bank’s statistics, most of the trade growth in Europe relative to GDP since 2011 has happened in Luxembourg, and Cyprus, both being tax havens.

For “regular” countries, the highest growths are in Greece, Serbia, and North Macedonia.

I suspect Greece’s trade growth will decline substantially if not subvert once Bulgaria joins Eurozone, and Schengen. Greek trade growth, besides the (mostly horrible) Troika policies, is largely likely caused by the fact of being the furthest Eastern tip point of Eurozone.

Serbia, and North Macedonia will continue, because of the long road to EU.

[refe56]

O défice comercial foi uma das razões para a chamada da troika em 2011. Não é bom repetir os erros.

[rivaltimes]

The legacy of the euro crisis: Portugal suffers the second most serious demographic bleeding since 1864

The legacy of the euro crisis: Portugal suffers the second most serious demographic bleeding since 1864

Some crises never end. Portugal suffered, along with the countries of southern Europe, a brutal blow in 2011, when it requested a rescue of 78,000 million euros from Brussels. To the sovereign debt crisis was added the austerity crisis imposed by the owners of the borrowed money (European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank). The troika He left, the country…

[nicklloydnow]

“There has been much talk in Athens of social cannibalism; that is, the social body devouring itself. Immigrant pimps selling their immigrant prostitutes to wealthy Greek men. Greek heroin dealers selling their dope to Greek junkies. The police of Athens turning against each other. The citizens attacking politicians. The anarchists attacking each other. The fascists attacking anarchists. The war of all against all. Chaos. This is the famous image of Athens being destroyed by Athena, its patron goddess.

The media and the government has a very clear interest in promoting this idea of social decomposition. Because, in the end, if things become bad enough, it will be the State that comes in and restores order. At least that is the standard script. But something different is taking place here in Greece. Society actually is falling apart, more rapidly than it normally is in every major metropolis. No one has any money, the government is poised to take out another loan from the Troika, and everyone is aware of a problem. The form that this problem takes is different depending on who you talk to. The fascists say the problem is immigrants and left-wing politicians. The politicians say the problem is the irresponsibility of the citizens who do not pay their taxes, refuse to pay the tolls, and refuse to allow garbage dumps in their villages. The anarchists say the problem is capitalism and the State. These different forces find varying resonance for their ideas in different areas of Athens.

(…)

The Conspiracy (of Cells of Fire) claims to be made of anarcho-nihilist-individualists. They have consistently criticized the population of Greece for being too cowardly, passive, and blind. They blame the population for its own misery, primarily because the population is too stupid to change its situation. The Conspiracy is also critical of the traditional anarchist scene and the limitations it imposes on itself by remaining fixed in the same ineffective forms. They advocate for the creation of small armed cells that are federated informally across Greece and the world, cells that strike the symbols and mechanisms of authoritarian power directly. Generally speaking, they do not speak firmly or with conviction about the creation of anything else. On the other hand, they are critical of everything else.

The nihilism of the Conspiracy is a reflection of the nihilism that is rampant among the youth of 2008. These youth have not only witnessed and lived within the failure of the capitalist world system, but they have witnessed and been part of the failed resistance against that world system. There are many people from the seventies who may tell the youth the correct way to struggle, but to the youth, these old men failed, just like everyone else. When these youth attempt to express their desperation and eagerness to act, they are usually silenced, shouted down, or ridiculed by anarchists who have a closer connection to older traditions of struggle. The effect of this is that the youth drop out of the conscious centers of the movement, preferring to stay on the periphery where they are free to do as they like. Some of them break away completely, as evidenced by the Conspiracy.

There are some guerillas and militants that have found general acceptance and admiration amongst the anarchist scene. The “robbers in black,” Revolutionary Struggle, and Vassilis Palaiokostas, to name a few. Palaiokostas is famous internationally as the man who escaped from prison by helicopter. These people, however daring their exploits, have always maintained their theoretical connections to the traditional anarchist or autonomous scenes. They believe in social revolution and the infinite potential of the population to rebel. Although they may share the same general goals as the nihilists (the destruction of the global order and its agents), they have publicly disassociated themselves from them on several occasions. The other guerillas and militants have a hope and confidence in the population that the nihilists do not share. The nihilists are the few who, to invoke Euripides, have asked Athena to destroy the city completely. But they are alone, having been pushed out and ignored by most other anarchists. In their isolation, the most determined of them have disconnected completely from where they came from and are being slowly picked off, one by one. As they sit in jail, the city persists.

The current nihilism amongst the youth is not arising from nothing. It is a reflection of the total failure of both resistance and capitalism. Many see no alternative and want nothing else other than the complete destruction of the beast that feeds them: the city. To espouse these views is very difficult. To people who want social change, radical transformation, or a drastic change, total destruction sounds as insane as it is. December 2008 may have been aided by conscious actors who carefully selected targets, but the destructive urges of all who participated was general in its scope. These urges may have been shaped or channeled by different ideologies once the insurrection was over, but at their core they were uncontrollable.

2008, the first explosion of the same fire that spread over North Africa, was the emergence of something new. Not anarchism, not communism, not democracy. It was the desire to get rid of everything. In Egypt, that desire was channeled into democratic parties that killed the energy, leaving the country with a military dictatorship. In Greece, that desire was channeled back into the trade unions, the parties, and the ideologies. What sustained each insurrection, what kept them at a fever pitch, was the complete absence of any guiding hand. As soon as someone took control, as soon as someone promised a better tomorrow, that tomorrow soon arrived, identical to all the other yesterdays.

There is a fear amongst anarchists, in Greece and internationally, of committing to the goals they espouse. The abyss of freedom is terrifying. Without the police, there will be civil war between different groupings and it will look worse than the struggle between anarchists, fascists, and immigrants we are seeing today. Without the city, the grid, and the infrastructure, there will be mass starvation and violence. It is utopic to imagine workers taking over the electrical plants and water system, of the population re-appropriating the resources of the city and putting them to better use. But just like the Bastille, the city of Athens will always retain the purpose it was built for. The Bastille was built to be a prison, nothing else. Athens was built to house workers and their overlords. It has retained this character for thousands of years. If capitalism vanished, the purpose of the city would vanish with it.

It is daunting to face this fact, and in fear most retreat into pre-existing forms of struggle that, in the end, amount to little more than resigned acceptance and permanent defeat. The same forms can be repeated, the same scenes and rituals can be replicated, but they will not suddenly work when they haven’t for so long. It is fear that pushes people away from the conclusion that the most important project left to us is to destroy what capitalism has created. Who wants to destroy the place where they live? Who wants to see it slip into chaos without being able to promise themselves and their friends that something better will come? There can be no promises in the future. All promises turn into lies, the deceived becomes the deceiver, and the present misery continues.

The nihilists and the youth among us must not be pushed away or driven into desperation. They are part of our anarchist worlds and reflect something that is at once new and terribly old. If we do not listen to them, they will act regardless of our approval or recognition. If we try to control them, we will appear to them as nothing more than extensions of the system they want to destroy. Perhaps there is more truth to this than any of us have ever imagined. Perhaps we are simply cowards, biding our time until the perfect heroes come to save us, to promise us a future, to act first so that we might follow. As anarchists, we know the destruction of capitalism is necessary, but now that capitalism has integrated so deeply into our lives, this knowledge is even more terrifying. We retreat back to the eighties, the nineties, the two-thousands, always clinging to the little bit of history we have held onto, becoming trapped by the form of ideas that have not changed.

I do not want to abandon anarchism. In fact, I want the ideas to spread as widely as possible. I want people to remember the methods and tactics of those who came before us, but I want people to not only use those methods against our enemies, but to do so knowing we are not building a better world, nor are we promising one. Anarchism is not about handing the perfect society over to a recently enslaved population, it is about the creating the world we want now, for ourselves. We must destroy what we have set out to destroy and not be afraid of what will happen.

To champion the destruction of capitalism in 2011 is to champion nihilism. To destroy capitalism is to destroy everything that it has created, and to honestly go about this task is to be a nihilist in the eyes of all the others who still have something invested in this world. And so I am advocating a conscious nihilism, a nihilism that is not a reaction to the anarchist-fathers of the assemblies, the demonization of the mass-media, or the indifference of the population. The nihilism I am advocating would pit itself against all those who wish to manage the potential of the present, not against the people who are managed. Our enemy is not society, our enemies are the people who maintain and create society.

This conscious nihilism starts from the single idea of being against this world. What comes next, a commitment to being against this world, a commitment that materializes in action and not in speech, is the most difficult part. To consciously organize the destruction of everything rather than haphazardly lash out against everyone: that is the task of conscious nihilism. We have to ask ourselves whether we want to linger, grow old, and exist within this world we despise, or throw ourselves into the abyss. Others have jumped into the abyss and are now falling. It is time to catch up with our young friends, to join them in their plunge and remind ourselves, not them, that we are not alone in thinking our crazy, nihilistic thoughts.”

[techniktagebuch]

2011 bis 2022

10 Jahre Taschenlampe am Schlüsselring

Seit Oktober 2011 befindet sich stets eine kleine Taschenlampe an meinem Schlüsselbund. Meine Wahl ist seinerzeit auf eine iTP Light A1 EOS gefallen, die besonders durch ein Edelstahlgehäuse überzeugt. Wenn auch manche Experten meinen, man solle diesen Werkstoff bei leistungsfähigen LED-Lampen aufgrund seiner erheblich schlechteren Wärmeleitfähigkeit gegenüber Aluminium vermeiden, steht für mich die Abriebfestigkeit in der Hosen- oder Jackentasche bei ständigem Kontakt mit Schlüsseln und Kleingeld im Vordergrund. Das Licht liefert bei der A1 EOS eine Cree XP-E R2 LED mit maximal 203 Lumen Lichtstrom (andere Quellen berichten von einer XP-E Q5 mit 190 Lumen), die Energieversorgung eine Fotobatterie vom Typ CR123 A. Betriebsfertig wiegt das gute Stück 54 g bei einer Länge von 63 mm und einem Durchmesser von gut 20 mm.

Etwas über 10 Jahre leistet mir das kleine, aber erstaunlich helle Lämpchen gute Dienste. Als etwas fummelig erweist sich stets das Einschalten durch gegenseitiges Verdrehen von Gehäusevorder- und -hinterteil. Die drei unterschiedlichen Helligkeitsstufen gilt es durch wiederholtes Hin- und Herdrehen auszuwählen. Das erledigt sich aber bisweilen auch ganz allein in der Hosentasche, so dass man plötzlich die nicht unerhebliche Hitzeentwicklung der hellen Leuchtdiode am Oberschenkel spürt – oder man einfach feststellt, dass die Batterie wieder einmal unbemerkt leergelaufen ist. Die CR123A-Batterien, die im stationären Handel normalerweise ab 5 Euro und online schon ab etwa 1,60 Euro zu finden sind, halten bei reiner Notfallanwendung des Lämpchens günstigstenfalls etwa ein Jahr.

Seit einigen Monaten macht sich eine gewisse Abnutzung des Dichtungsgummis zwischen den beiden Gehäuseteilen bemerkbar. Dies fällt insbesondere dadurch auf, dass sich das Verdrehen zum Ein- und Ausschalten mit immer weniger Widerstand bewerkstelligen lässt und damit auch immer öfter unbemerkt erfolgt. Außerdem tritt vermehrt ein Wackelkontakt auf, durch den sich die Lampe gar nicht mehr einschalten ließ. Zwar hilft es meist, das Gerät dann einmal heftig auf eine harte Oberfläche zu schlagen, zuverlässiges Licht im Notfall scheint jedoch so nicht mehr gesichert. Zeit also, sich nach einem Nachfolger für das liebgewordene Begleiterlein umzusehen.

Olight i1R 2 Pro (alt) vs. Olight i1R 2 Pro (neu). Bei den Anhängseln an den Schlüsselringen handelt es sich um die Verbinder eines Troika-Patent-Schlüsselanhänger, der hier seit gut 25 Jahren im Einsatz ist.

Nach einigen Recherchen fällt meine Wahl im Januar 2022 auf eine Olight i1R 2 Pro. Dabei handelt es sich quasi um einen legitimen Nachfolger desselben Herstellers. Auch iTP war eine Marke der chinesischen Olight Technology Co., Ltd. Erstaunlicherweise liefert die Leuchtdiode des neuen Lämpchens, über deren Hersteller sich Olight ausschweigt, nur noch einen Lichtstrom von 180 Lumen. Dies wird allerdings durch eine optische Linse im Lichtkanal mehr als wettgemacht. Wo die alte A1 EOS einen grellen Lichtpunkt liefert, produziert die Optik der i1R 2 Pro einen angenehmen, runden Lichtfleck, der im Bereich bis etwa 20 m, den ich benötige, gute Helligkeit erzeugt – was natürlich die omnipräsente LED am Smartphone nicht leisten kann.

Die neue Lampe hat nur noch zwei Schaltstufen, nämlich 5 Lumen oder die bereits erwähnte Maximalleistung von 180 Lumen. Die Auswahl der Helligkeitsstufe erfolgt nicht mehr durch Hin- und Herdrehen, sondern durch ein wesentlich intuitiveres Weiterdrehen: Die Lampe startet auf der niedrigeren Leuchtstärke, dreht man weiter, dann wird sie sehr hell. Die alten CR123A-Batterien passen nicht mehr in die i1R 2 Pro, denn sie ist mit einer Länge von gut 51 mm und einem Durchmesser von unter 16 mm nicht nur kleiner, sondern mit nur 22 g Gewicht auch wesentlich leichter. Hier hat man stattdessen einen 130-mAh-Akku verbaut, der sich zeitgemäß per USB-C aufladen lässt. Erstaunlicherweise befindet sich im Lieferumfang lediglich ein USB-A-auf-USB-C-Kabel. Aufgrund der Enge des USB-Anschlusses an dem kleinen Lämpchen erwiesen sich einige vorhandene USB-C-Kabel in diesem Fall als nicht funktionsfähig.

Mit dem bewährten Edelstahlgehäuse ist das neue Modell leider nicht mehr zu haben, lediglich in schwarz beschichteter Aluminiumlegierung, die sich sicherlich schneller abnutzen wird. Die Haltbarkeit von 10 Jahren, die die Vorgängerin schaffte, wir die i1R 2 Pro durch den fest verbauten Akku wohl ohnehin kaum erreichen können. Dafür entfallen natürlich die laufenden Kosten für Batterien, so dass sich auch ein – bislang noch nicht erlebtes – unbeabsichtigtes Einschalten leichter verkraften ließe. Angenehm zeigt sich schon nach wenigen Tagen des Gebrauchs, dass das neue Gerät weniger als die Hälfte der Vorgängerin wiegt und erheblich weniger aufträgt – bei subjektiv empfundener höherer Lichtleistung. Also doch irgendwie ein Fortschritt.

Ach ja, der Preis: Während die iTP Light A1 EOS war im Jahr 2011 für knapp 30 Euro zu haben war, werden heute für die Olight i1R 2 Pro auf den gängigen Online-Marktplätzen wie auch im deutschen Onlineshop des Herstellers knapp 27 Euro aufgerufen.

(Jens Arne Männig)

[sevenkittensinatrenchcoat]

Bootleg/Pro-shot Collection

I have the Nagoya bootleg! I actually have a bit of a project going with my collection, because if I like something, I obsessively catalog it.

Basically I have an enormous spreadsheet of things that vary between productions and I’m keeping track of which productions do what.

It looks like this:

Yeah. I’m not normal.

The spreadsheet is for replica productions only, as non-replicas differ in so many ways that I can’t keep track. So far, I’ve got:

Broadway Revival (Watched)

Buenos Aires 1993 (Watched)

The 1998 VHS (Watched)

German Tent Tour 2011 (Watched)

Hamburg 1999 Bootleg (Partially Watched)

Nagoya 2000 Bootleg (Just started on this one)

Madrid 2004 Pro-shot (Haven’t gotten far with this one yet)

Mexico Tour 1991 (Haven’t properly watched yet)

Moscow 2005 (Haven’t properly watched yet)

Paris 1990 Pro-shot (Partially Watched)

UK Tour 2013 (Watched)

2005 Troika Tour in Chicago (Watched)

I also have a bootleg from 2007 in Boston from the same tour, but from what I’ve watched of it, it’s not as good.

Vienna 1989/1990 Pro-shot (Partially Watched)

Zurich 1992 Bootleg (Partially Watched)

So, there’s the VHS plus 13 other versions.

I just thought I’d invite everyone into what’s been going on inside my brain for the past few months.

[bombateazer]

From August 1st to August 31st we are going to be appreciating different productions of Cats!. I’ve put two on each day since I want to include as many productions as possible, this includes replica and non-replica productions. You don’t have to do both of them, you can do just one or do both (it is up to you). You can do fanart, Gifs, edits et, anything you want to do to appreciate these wonderful productions. Please spread the word!.

-

August 1st - Original London production (1981 - 2002) / Budapest (1983 - present)

August 2nd - Brazil (2010) / broadway 2016 revival (2016 - 2017)

August 3rd - Mexico tour (2018 - 2019) / Mexico (2013 - 2014)

August 4th - Cats video cast (1998) / Zurich (1991 - 1993)

August 5th - Shiki cats Japan (1983 - present) / uk tour (1989 - 1990)

August 6th - Antwerp (1996) / London palladium (2014 - 2015)

August 7th - Madrid (2003 - 2005) / Tecklenburg (2015)

August 8th - German tent tour (2010 - 2013) / Oasis of the seas (2014 - present)

August 9th - Prague (2004 - 2005) / Sydney (1985 - 1987)

August 10th - Buenos Aires (1993) / Asia tour (2017 - 2018)

August 11th - Hamburg (1986 - 2001) / Oslo (1985 - 1987)

August 12th - Australasia (2007 - 2010) / China (2012 - 2014)

August 13th - Moscow (2005 - 2006) / Dutch tour (2006 - 2007)

August 14th - Operà populaire (2017) / Amsterdam (1987 - 1993)

August 15th - UK tour (2003 -2009) / Vienna revival (2019 - present)

August 16th - World tour (2001 - 2005) / Stuttgart (2001 - 2002)

August 17th - Mexico tour (1991 - 1992) / Australian Circus Tent Tour (1999 - 2001)

August 18th - Asia Tour (2014 - 2015) / South Korea (2011 - 2012)

August 19th - Toronto (1985 - 1989) / Copenhagen (2002 - 2003)

August 20th - Australia tour (1989 - 1990) / Warsaw (2004 - 2010)

August 21st - Paris (1989 - 1990) / Italian tour (2009)

August 22nd - Vienna (1983 - 1990) / South Africa (2009 - 2010)

August 23rd - South Korea (2008 - 2009) / Düsseldorf (2004 - 2005)

August 24th - German tour (2005 - 2006) / US tour 2 (1985 - 1986)

August 25th - Original broadway production (1982 - 2000) / Berlin (2002 - 2004)

August 26th - US tour 1 (1983 - 1987) / Uk tour (1993 - 1995)

August 27th - Euro tour (1994 - 1996) / US tour 6 (2019 - present)

August 28th - US tour 5 Troika (2001 - 2012) / UK/European tour (2013 - 2014)

August 29th - Paris revival (2015 - 2016) / US tour 4 (1987 - 1999)

August 30th - US tour 3 (1986 - 1988) / Australia tour (1993 - 1996)

August 31st - Australia / New Zealand Tour (2015-2016) / uk/international tour (2016 - present)

-

Here’s some prompts/questions to answer if anyone needs them

1.Favourite thing about this production?

2.Favourite actor(s)?

3.Favourite costumes/makeup?

4.Favourite song performed in that particular production?

-

Please use the #catsproductionsappreciationmonth so I can see any posts you’ve made and share them!

[abr]

Tale ‘regalo’ (il Recovery Fund, che non vale certo i 209 miliardi millantati da Conte: nemmeno un decimo) si materializzerà unicamente se l’Italia avrà già fatto ‘le riforme’ indicate da Bruxelles (...). Fra le quali, certo, asili nido, digitalizzazione, durata dei processi civili e penali ed altre facezie, delle quali si riempiono la bocca Lorsignori del governo. Ma poi v’è la ciccia, della quale, guarda caso, Lorsignori non parlano mai: attuare pienamente la Fornero, cioè cancellare quota 100 e scordarsi i ‘decreti Esodati’ cari al Pd, ridurre le agevolazioni fiscali cioè le basse aliquote Iva e le detrazioni Irpef, e reimporre Imu prima casa; alzare le rendite catastali, cioè alzare tutta l’Imu; "contrastare l’evasione fiscale" cioè rendere obbligatori i pagamenti elettronici e mettere fuori legge il contante. Dipoi, dedicare il tutto ad abbattere il deficit (in quanto, già quando il disavanzo nominale era del 2,1 per cento, era richiesta una riduzione in termini nominali della spesa pubblica primaria netta dello 0,1 per cento, figurarsi oggi che il disavanzo nominale viaggia verso l’11,9 per cento) ed al netto dei futuri contributi da versare al Recovery Fund stesso. Da aggiungere una nuova tassa europea sulla plastica, pesante perché raddoppia il costo della materia prima, come piace a Lorsignori. In altre parole, la Finanziaria Monti-Plus. Di nuovo, come nel 2011, imposta ad una economia che esce da una gravissima recessione (...). Di nuovo, come nel 2011, Bruxelles pretende che i propri comandamenti siano volti “al rafforzamento del potenziale di crescita, alla creazione di posti di lavoro”… ma già sappiamo come va a finire. Unica differenza, la neo-lingua della Von der Leyen: non si dice più ‘riforme’, bensì ‘modernizzare l’economia’, “e questo significa lottare contro i cambiamenti climatici, migliorare la digitalizzazione e aumentare la resilienza”; laddove ‘resilienza’ è il nuovo modo di dire ‘avanzo primario’; né si dice più ‘troika’, bensì “task force specifica per l’Italia”. Insomma, “il gigantesco assegno europeo” è, in realtà, un Recovery-Mes. Conte scrive che c’è da essere “orgogliosi di essere italiani”. A noi pare che, ad essere italiani, ci sia da aver paura. Molta paura.

https://www.atlanticoquotidiano.it/quotidiano/una-finanziaria-monti-plus-prima-del-regalo-ue-dal-recovery-mes-al-full-mes-ma-qualcosa-potrebbe-andare-storto/

[kevlarii]

from a foreigner, thoughts on current italian armed forces?

Huh that’s a big one, especially because of the geopolitics of Italy. The geopolitical situation of Italy is extremely challenging, fragile, and complicated. I’ll try to be as concise as possible. Italy is surrounded by unfriendly or semi-hostile countries, with few exceptions, most of which covertly but actively encroach on Italian interests in the region and have been doing so for a while. All Italy’s major NATO allies (in primis France, Turkey, Germany, the USA, and the UK) lead geopolitical actions that directly or indirectly encroach on its interests. The 1990s political and judiciary instability was instrumental in ending the First Republic, which lead to the demise of an entire political class, and Italy has never recovered since. Amongst other consequences, a slow but creeping paralysis of geostrategic vision and capability has materialised. The first instance of this was the disintegration of Yugoslavia, a country with which Italy had enjoyed extremely favourable relations. This maneuver, led by Franco-German interests, largely destroyed Italian influence in the region (with the sole exception of Albania, and residual influence in Serbia/Montenegro). The resulting new states immediately entered German orbit, especially Slovenia and Croatia, with which relations have remained tense ever since and whose Italian minorities are rapidly being slavicised. The South Tyrol question has never been solved in the aftermath of a massive NS terrorist campaign in the 1950s and 1960s, and tensions routinely re-emerge with Austria. Another key area is Lybia, with which Italy had largely mended relations in the 2000s, and had started enjoying a special relationship amid the penetration of Italian oil companies in the former colony. This relation was destroyed in 2011 by the unilateral assault on Qaddafi by France (with NATO soon following suit), while at the same time Berlusconi was pressured by the EU Troika to resign. The subsequent technocratic government inaugurated a new decade of crippling political instability which is still ongoing. Italian interests in Lybia have been in great jeopardy ever since, with Italy finding itself supporting a weak internationally-recognised government in an uncomfortable partnership with Turkey, while France (and others) support Haftar’s coalition. In the rest of MENA there could be a lot more to say, but basically Italian influence has been waning (if not actively disestablished by other powers) everywhere, but most importantly in Lebanon, Egypt, and the Horn of Africa. (Pro-NATO source) That said, Italian doctrine still provides for a massing of most troops in the North-East and North-West of the country, with some other notable concentrations of forces around Rome, Naples, and in Sardinia. In the Cold War, up to 70% of all available forces were deployed on the Yugoslav border in the event of a Communist invasion; this has been somewhat revised but not completely. The Italian Army is rather well motorized and mechanised; it can count on about 200 Ariete tanks, 300 Centauro tank destroyers, over 800 IFVs, over 1300 APCs and other lightly armoured vehicles, and about 4000 infantry transports. About 10000 heavy hauling vehicles are about right, given the size of the country and its peculiar conformation to support logistics. 54 SPHs and 120 other artillery systems can provide adequate support. It is notable that the Italian Army has at its disposal an astonishing 150 armoured recovery and engineering vehicles, which should excellently support mechanised forces on the ground. (By comparison, France only has about 50) The Italian Navy operates 2 aircraft carriers (the only EU country to do so), 3 helicopter carriers , 4 Destroyers, 12 Frigates, 10 Minehunters, and 8 Submarines, with about 12 transport/support ships of notable size. This makes the Italian Navy probably the strongest naval power operating in the Mediterranean at any one time (considering that the French and Turkish navies operate in the Atlantic and Black Sea respectively, too, this does not mean that Italy has the most powerful navy amongst Mediterranean countries overall). The Italian Air Force operates about 150 fighter jets (Eurofighters and Panavia Tornados, mostly), which is adequate but not optimal given the size of Italian air space. Air defence can count on a towering 48 SAM systems, divided equally between SAMP/T and Skyguard Aspide systems - probably one of the most extensive Air Defence systems amongst the one ones I have ever written about. We surely can’t complain. All in all, Italy’s challenges are more geostrategic and geopolitical than military per se. This does not mean that the Italian Armed forces are immaculate; while they appear to be well-equipped and quite numerous (counting the Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza, the Italian military could virtually count on over 300.000 men), they are plagued by inefficiency and corruption. Corruption and bribery schemes are uncovered all the time, while the military budget includes absurd amounts of money for “operationally unrelated expenses”, administrative expenses, and international missions. Mismanagement and disinterest for military expenses (if not outright corruption) are often documented, but political and judiciary chaos prevents adequate repression of these phenomena. A particularly tight esprit de corps, actively hampers investigations (even in the case of grave crimes, like drug trafficking from Afghanistan, inadequate protection from depleted uranium and nuclear waste disposal), while meritocracy is pretty much non-existant: all roles are redistributed semi-nepotistically amongst the officer cadre trained in the military’s academy - the only open positions/careers are technical roles, while general volunteers have to stick with grunt ranks forever (one of the reasons I never joined). Professionalization is generally low, and open entries on a contract-by-contract basis don’t exist. In addition to this, as Italian general industrial capacity shrinks year after year, so sinks the quality of military equipment produced (combined with corruption). Some vessels of the navy have been found with faulty water purification systems, the Ariete tank has always been okay but not exactly a breakthrough vehicle regarding the technology employed (and interest in the production of a 100% Italian replacement is dissipating); replacement submarines have been already ordered from Germany, thus ending a secular tradition of Italian submarine shipbuilding, while the disastrous acquisition of 60 F35s from the US seems to have stalled, for now. The inefficiency of the military policing and internal security systems, as well as secret service operations are an entirely related matter but it would be too verbose to elaborate about that here.

[corallorosso]

Il Portogallo il MES lo ha usato. Nel 2011. E non il MES annacquato di cui si discute oggi, senza pesanti condizioni da rispettare. Ma il MES degli inizi, quello pesante, quello oppressivo della Troika, delle “rigorose condizionalità”. Quello che “sì, vi prestiamo i soldi, ma in cambio dovete tagliare qua e dovete tagliare là”. Per ben 78 miliardi messi a disposizione. Secondo la narrazione di Salvini e Meloni il Portogallo oggi, avendo usato il MES, dovrebbe essere una nazione distrutta in mano alla Germania, con i disoccupati a morire per strada e i monumenti venduti alle banche tedesche. E’ andata così? Nei soli ultimi 5 anni il Portogallo è cresciuto del 16%. Tra le crescite più alte in Europa. La Germania, per dirne una, è cresciuta nello stesso periodo del 13%. L’Italia del 3-4%. Il deficit del Portogallo è crollato dall’11% allo 0,5%. Il debito pubblico dal 131% al 121%. La disoccupazione in Portogallo dopo il MES si è dimezzata, passando dal 12% al 6,5%, mentre la ricchezza pro-capite è cresciuta del 12% in 5 anni. (Strano eh? Non dovevano essere tutti morti di fame?). Pure la Spagna ha usato il MES. Lì nel 2013 la disoccupazione era al 26%. Oggi è le metà: il 13%. E nonostante continue incertezze politiche il debito pubblico si è ridotto dal 100% al 96%. Anche l’Irlanda ha usato il MES. Lì nel 2013 la disoccupazione era al 13,8%. Oggi è meno della metà: il 5,5%. E il debito pubblico? Dimezzato: dal 120% al 61%. Oggi, con un PIL pro-capite di 80mila dollari (dati 2018), i cittadini irlandesi (che per la narrazione di Salvini e Meloni, avendo usato il MES, dovrebbero morire di fame) sono al quinto posto tra i cittadini più ricchi del mondo. Dal 2009 al 2018 la “produttività per ora lavorata” in Portogallo è aumentata del 6,1%. In Spagna del 10,3%. In Irlanda del 57,5%. (Ma non dovevano morire di fame?). In Italia del 3,4%. Strano eh? Di questi paesi che hanno usato il MES non si parla mai. In Italia Salvini e Meloni ci parlano solo della Grecia. Perché? Perché bisogna sempre terrorizzare gli elettori per ottenerne il voto. Creare mostri ovunque: gli immigrati, la Germania, l’Europa, il MES. “Col MES ci fanno fare la fine della Grecia” dicono. Dimenticando di parlarci dell’altra parte della storia. Degli altri Paesi che hanno usato il MES. E dimenticando di dirci che la Grecia, alle pezze, ci si è ridotta da sola prima del MES, e cioè quando nel 2009 il premier Papandreou dovette ammettere che i governi greci truccavano i conti da anni per continuare a mantenere il consenso mandando la gente in pensione a 50 anni (che poi continuava a lavorare in nero) e lasciando che evadesse il Fisco. Tanto a prestare loro i soldi c’erano i mercati. Che però, una volta scoperta la truffa, hanno smesso di farlo. E’ così che la Grecia si è trovata senza più un euro (prima del MES). Ed è così che la Grecia ha chiesto al MES centinaia di miliardi di euro dei cittadini europei, che il MES ha concesso in cambio di durissime riforme. Quindi dovremmo essere favorevoli al MES? No, non è questo il punto. Il punto è che questo paese, per colpa di quei due, sta perdendo ogni razionalità, ogni possibilità anche solo di ragionare su qualcosa. Oggi il MES che si sta delineando per il coronavirus è vino annacquato rispetto a quel MES. Non ci saranno condizioni o richieste di riforme, i tassi di interesse saranno inferiori all’1% e la scadenza lunga. E potrebbe essere ancora più annacquato di così. Potremmo ottenere quei soldi a condizioni ancora migliori. Ma non possiamo. Perché il MES ormai, tale è il terrorismo creato da Salvini e Meloni per le loro poltrone, non può più nemmeno essere nominato. Nemmeno se ce li regalassero quei soldi. Risultato? Visto che qualcuno i soldi dovrà pur prestarceli saremo costretti a chiederli ai mercati, i soldi. Pagando interessi che presto saranno del 2 o 3 o 4%, anziché dell’1% o anche meno chiedendoli al MES. Potremmo sederci e contrattare tutto questo. Ma non possiamo. Perché se no poi Salvini e la Meloni fanno i post con la scritta grande gialle “MES” e la faccia della Merkel in bianco e nero dietro, e la scritta “traditori”. Cose che non hanno senso. Non hanno logica. Ma fanno presa sulla parte irrazionale degli elettori. E fanno consenso. L’unica cosa che a Salvini e Meloni interessi veramente. Il consenso. Per le poltrone e il potere. (Emilio Mola)