#Present & Future full book

[alternative-book-reviews]

The Hungry Man, by: First name, Last name

The Hungry man is the first in a series of short stories about people who have been cursed by different deity figures. This particular one talks about the immortal man who, along with his curse of immortality, has been made to never feel full again. We are given a brief introduction to what this man was like before these curses and then quickly thrown to the present day, as if awaking together with the man from a pleasant dream into a much more unpleasant world. The style of this short story is a little jarring to read at first, with plenty of commas and ellipses indicating the erratic and frantic thought process of the starving man. The story describes the process of the man walking through a desert, and in painful detail tells us how he “drank deep, the thorny nectar, turning to sand and dry stone, lying in the stomach”. There is always an intense sense of desperation regardless of the action the hungry man was doing, whether it was walking, crawling, crying, or something of the sort. There is always abundant hopelessness, enough to go all the way around.

The hungry man finds an oasis in the desert, but instead of being joyful he is instead stricken with more despair, as he laments that “even the sands can find their rest, but I cannot.” I think it’s here where we get to see more of the hungry man’s personality, through the way he interacts with the environment. The narrator really amps it up a notch whenever descriptions of the hungry man absolutely devouring things come up, especially as he feasts on items that are not of the usual diet for a person. Such items include tree bark, sand, leaves, and stones. The scene is described like that of a feast, where the hungry man “savours the biting bite, of the tree bark, the wet sand on his tongue, sloshing around in his mouth, the sun-scorched stones, ash in the belly.” It seems that everything the man ingests turns to nothingness, almost as if there is a void where his stomach should be. Even when he chews on the stones and his teeth break off, the narrator remarks that “they will soon be whole, but nowhere to be found, in the pit of the stomach.”

While this is a relatively short story compared to other titles this author usually writes, a series of short stories is interesting to convey a group of people that are cursed by several unnamed deities and doomed to wander Earth for the foreseeable future. The author has mentioned that there is potential for this group meeting up with one another in a later book, but for now the short stories about their pain and suffering is all we get to see. It brings up a lot of questions such as why they were cursed, what did they do to deserve all this, and especially what they could do to get about of this situation.

The ending of The Hungry man is an ending that is shared between all the short stories in the series. It involves the man arriving at a village without any people in it. It is described as “a sad and desolate place, devoid of life, of hope.” The man finds a temple and rests within it, with the last lines of the story ending on the man cursing the deity who cursed him: “Cursed fiend, wretched vermin, I hope you perish … the likes of such evil has no place, no place in this world of already many evils …”

[snarkywrites]

Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius

The New Moon Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius will grace us on December 14th, 2020. We are already in eclipse season having experienced the Gemini Full Moon earlier in the month and now with the expansive energy of Sagittarius returning to get us back on track. Although we did not feel the fun and optimistic energy that Jupiter has to offer this year, the eclipse will give us some of the optimism that we need before Saturn enters Aquarius on the 17th. Eclipses are powerful and normally represent a shift in course as we all anticipate the changes just in time for the New Year. The trine to Mars will bring out our passion and drive. This will be a time of courage and finding our own sense of power. We will feel motivated to reach for the stars. It is not a good time to manifest during this eclipse season, but it is a great time to reflect and to see our growth. We have made it to the final act of 2020 and now we can have a little fun as we feel ourselves slowly rising from the ashes.

 Aries – Lots of learning will be your focus with this transit. You can just feel how this eclipse is going to be epic for you with the expansive energy brewing in the atmosphere. This is your time to invest in your education as well as expanding your mind. The adventures could await you in the books you dive into. It does not mean you have to spend money, since you can also learn a lot of things by borrowing books and joining free webinars.

Taurus – The lessons you learned during Scorpio Season might repeat themselves now. There will be a transformation when it comes to your relationships as well as your value system. If you feel like you need to invest in more of the spiritual, the eclipse will prompt you to meditate and to tune into you. There could also be a change in investment and financial planning, learning more about finances might be another move for you during this transit.

Gemini – The eclipse will transform your relationship energy for the next several months. With the Venus Retrograde transit earlier this year in your sign, you are now ready to go for what you want and are not afraid to seek it. With the Full Moon Eclipse in your sign, you are still reeling from the influx of emotions and changes that have been headed your way. Expect some motivation from friends and family, a recipe for more successes in the future.

Cancer – The overall focus for you during this eclipse season will be on mending and healing. The Solar eclipse in Sagittarius gives you a sense of optimism and you might be very inspired to start a new healthy habit and focus more on the things that bring you calm and peace in your life. Although Mars is still in fellow Cardinal sign Aries, this eclipse will amp up the pressures at work, but it will not feel like a tough transit. You will be gliding, feeling some of the pressure wear off but with the determined energy to motivate you to succeed.

Leo – A lot of excitement will present itself with this Solar Eclipse in fellow fire sign, Sagittarius! You are in your element and this energy is just what you needed towards the end of the year. As we all brace ourselves for this upcoming Saturn transit in your sister sign, Aquarius, you will go with the flow and find your path. This eclipse will give you confidence, energy, and insight. What Saturn in Capricorn restricted, you will reclaim with this transit (even if it’s brief).

Virgo – Changes can happen at home and it will be brewing with the beginning of this Solar Eclipse. For the next six months you will see how things begin to shift and it will be welcoming since Sagittarius is expansive and optimistic energy. This eclipse will also give you a sense of empowerment to finally cut ties off with the past. You are in a phase of prosperity and movement, so keep your head up and stay strong.

Libra – One way to handle the energies of this eclipse is to immerse yourself in topics that interest you because you will have the mindset to absorb everything academic now. The Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius makes you to feel confident in your expression also and you will have the ability to impress a lot of people during this transit. If you have also contemplated writing a book or beginning a new project, this can be the greenlight you needed to get things rolling.

Scorpio – It will be an interesting transit for you with the Solar Eclipse motivating you to bring a little more care and love to yourself. You will be analyzing your own worth as this energy activates you house of routines. It can be a time where you will be more focused on creating new habits that will allow you to flourish both mentally and physically. Learning more about how you manage your finances will be a theme also during this transit. Make sure to find your balance and not to overdo things.

Sagittarius – With this Solar Eclipse in your sign, you will experience the biggest transformation. This energy is going to be powerful for many Sagittarius risings since it will be breaking down aspects of your appearance and personality and rebuilding them. This can feel like a mini-Saturn transit (remember when Saturn was in your sign in 2016) and you will feel that energy shake you up, but you will be able to navigate it with ease. A change will be like a breath of fresh air for you! How exciting!

Capricorn – As a sign that has worked hard and felt the challenges over the last few years with Saturn transiting your sign, now is the time for you to bring that treat yourself energy as we gear up for the major Saturn sign changes during the week of the 14th. Eclipse season will highlight your house of secrets, motivating you to be more contemplative and private. This can be a period of renewal for you as you give yourself that rest and care away from prying eyes.

Aquarius – How you connect with others and their impact in your life will be felt with this powerful Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius. This is your time to claim those rewards you have been expecting after all the hard work you have done. You have a great support system and if there are people that are not in it to help you, you will feel empowered to move on from certain relationships. This eclipse will make you feel sharper and more confident in your words and actions. The sky is the limit.

Pisces – A period of renovation and hard work will occur when the Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius happens. You will have a lot of eyes on you starting now and lasting for the next six months. Overall, this is not too bad even if it might feel a little overwhelming for you. Mutable signs will feel this change occur and it will help all of you in the long run as this is a period of transformation and new energy. Stay focused and work hard to get to where you want to go.

[transparenttriumphzombie]

Jordana LeSesne, formerly known as 1.8.7, is an American musician and producer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1] She now produces and performs as Jordana. She became known in the mid-1990s as a drum and bass producer.[2] Vibe magazine called her "one of the most respected Drum ‘n' Bass producers in the US."[3] In 2015, she was named as one of "20 women who shaped the history of dance music" by Mixmag.[4] She is transgender and came out in 1998.[5][2]

She has released over 50 tracks, including four albums, several EPs, and remixes under the alias 1.8.7. The 1997 album When Worlds Collide became known for its "dark pummeling assaults". She has licensed tracks for compilations as well as the Sci Fi Channel. Three of her albums charted in the Top 25 of both the CMJ (College Music Journal) and Mixmag U.S. (later Mixer Magazine, now defunct) for 1997 as well as 1998[6] and 1999. Her third album "The Cities Collection" debuted in the CMJ Top 5 climbed to the #2 position on CMJ Music Monthly's dance chart for June 2000.[7][8][9]

Her works have been reviewed by Billboard,[10] Spin, Rolling Stone, Urb, Mixer, Mixmag, Raygun,[3] as well as Knowledge – the U.K. Drum and Bass magazine. In 1999, she was listed in Raygun's Who's Who of International DJs. She was one of the headlining DJs on Knowledge Magazine's 28 city Kung Fu Knowledge tour in 1999.[11] She also made Out Magazine's OUT100 list for the year 2000.[12]

Contents

1Impact on music

2History

3Hate crime in Ohio

4Additional work in music industry

5Literary mentions

6Personal life

7Vinyl

8CD releases

9Videos

10References

11External links

Impact on music[edit]

Her work has influenced other artists such as well-known dubstep producer Bassnectar, who heavily sampled 5 A.M. Rinse (feat. MC Sphinx), the last song on her first album When Worlds Collide for his song Here We Go of his 2010 EP and single Timestretch.[13] Since the sexual allegations of Bassnectar have become known to her, Jordana has publicly condemned his actions as well as called out the fact that he never delivered contractually promised royalties for the above mentioned work.[14] Additionally, electronic rock act Celldweller sampled "Wake Up" off of her first album as well as "San Francisco" off of her third album "The Cities Collection" in their 2013 song "Uncrowned".[15]

In 1999, Drum & Bass/Hip Hop producer and label owner Hive approached Jordana to remix her song Defcon-1 also off of When Worlds Collide. Hive's remix appears on his 2001 album The Raw Uncut.[16] Jordana collaborated with Lady Sovereign on a song early in Sov's career after the two met through an internet chat room for StrikeFM.co.uk, an online radio station which Jordana had a show, and the now defunct UKGarageWorldwide.com forums. The two would later team up when Jordana under her Lady J alias, had Lady Sovereign MC for her radio show on Flex FM London.[17]

History[edit]

She first came to the attention of the music industry when she was asked to remix Blondie's "Atomic." Her remix appeared along with Armand Van Helden and Diddy’s remixes on the single.[3] A little over a year following that release, Mac McFarlane, the promoter of the well established and legendary New York City club, Konkrete Jungle, contacted her to create a themed song for a CD compilation/mix-CD. Jordana created the song "Konkrete Jungle" for that purpose. Described by CMJ as containing "menacing hardstep attacks",[18] it was released on the Ultra Records compilation, Konkrete Jungle - Maximum Drum & Bass, mixed by BBC Radio 1 Drum'n'Bass show host Jumpin Jack Frost. Following extensive touring throughout North America and abroad as a music producer, Liquid Sky Music, an indie label distributed by Caroline Distribution signed her to a three-album contract in late 1996.

Hate crime in Ohio[edit]

On the night of February 22, 2000 in Kent, Ohio, Jordana was attacked and brutally beaten in a transphobic hate crime by a group of men including Matthew Gostlin.[19] Gostlin and other assailants vaulted her in the parking lot outside of the Robin Hood nightclub where she had just performed on the Cities Collection tour. The attack took place while she was escorted from the event with the event promoter to his car. The group of men attacked suddenly and Jordana lost consciousness almost immediately after being struck in the face. She suffered nerve damage to the lower part of her face from her lower lip down as a result. She was quoted, saying in the May 2000 issue of CMJ New Music Monthly that in the seconds just prior to the attack: "I saw his face. I remember the look on his face. It was this look of utter hate, like 'I'm going to kill you.'"[20] In an interview with the Village Voice, George Meesig, a man from Cleveland, Ohio who defended her during the attack, stated that Gostlin had misgendered her, saying “this is personal”.[21] Other reports noted by the Village Voice on the message board for Breakbeat Science (a Drum'n'Bass record store) mentioned transphobic slurs being shouted during the attack. She subsequently cancelled the tour to recover.[19] Gostlin, while charged, was never arrested nor spent any time in court. Her family was told by the Portage County (Ohio) prosecutor's office that attempts had been made to serve the warrant but Gostlin's whereabouts were unknown. She felt that justice would not be served so she left the United States for England due to concerns about personal safety and well-being.

Additional work in music industry[edit]

In addition to music production, Jordana is a DJ, musician and singer. From 2001 to 2002, she worked at Flex FM in London, England as Lady J, with Lady Sovereign performing for her during her radio show.[22] In 2002, she held a club residency performing UK garage, 2-step garage and house music at the club Trinity in Vauxhall neighborhood.

After returning to the United States, Jordana returned to rock and fronted a goth metal band in Seattle. Prior to that, she was asked to play bass in another band briefly where she met and became close friends with singer/songwriter Shelita Burke. She has toured the world and played many DJ sets. She has been billed alongside Arca for Planet Zolean: Un/Tuck + Hot Mass on the Currents.FM Common Multiverse Initiative.[23] She was featured on the Dekmantel Podcast.[24] She was featured as Mix of the Day for Resident Advisor.[25]

In 2014, Jordana scored the documentary Free CeCe, produced and directed by Jacqueline Gares and Laverne Cox. The documentary details the struggles of CeCe McDonald, an African-American transwoman wrongfully incarcerated for murder for defending herself against a hate attack on her outside a Minneapolis bar.[26][27]

Literary mentions[edit]

She has been featured in several books. Her success in rising from living in a "rust belt" city to being an MTV-featured electronic music artist was mentioned in "The Rise of the Creative Class" by economist Richard Florida. She appears in two books detailing American electronic dance music scene history: Michaelangelo Matos's The Underground is Massive,[28] and Rave Culture, an Insider's Overview by Jimi Fritz and Virginia Smallfry.[29]

An interview with Jordana was featured in multiple books, including a book published in 2012 by rock journalist George Petros.[30] She has spoken on her personal life in interviews for publications such as The Festival Voice,[31] The Brooklyn Rail[32] and href zine.[33]

Personal life[edit]

She currently lives in Seattle, Washington.

Vinyl[edit]

1995 Blondie "Atomic (The Beautiful Drum and Bass Mix)" VV58320 Chrysalis Records/EMI

1996 RockStone Foundation "Dis Soun'" JS007 Jungle Sky

1997 V/A – Nirvana EP "We Are Not Alone" JS114 Jungle Sky

1997 Soul Slinger-Don't Believe "Abducted (1.8.7 Remix) JS118 Jungle Sky

1997 Soul Slinger-Don't Believe "Ethiopia/JungleSky (1.8.7 Megamix)" JS118 Jungle Sky

1997 1.8.7 – When Worlds Collide full-length album EP1 "Defcon 1"/"When Worlds Collide"/"Blueshift"/"Dragonfly" JSK121 Jungle Sky

1997 1.8.7 – When Worlds Collide full-length album EP2 "Wake Up"/"Distant Storm Approaching"/"Ghetto Style"/"Ghetto Style (West Philly Mix)" JSK122 Jungle Sky

1998 Murder 0ne (1.8.7)/T.Farmer "Annihilate"/"Memory" BOOST002 Boosted Records

1998 This is Jungle Sky Vol. 5: Rock N Roll EP Disc 2 "Break In"/"The Return of Shaft"/"Konkrete Jungle" Jungle Sky JSK131

1998 This is Jungle Sky Vol. 5: Rock N Roll EP Disc 3 "Atmosphere Remix"/"The Jam"/Beastie Boys – "Sabotage (1.8.7 JS Remix)" JSK132 Jungle Sky

1998 1.8.7 – Quality Rolls full-length album EP1 "Quality Rolls"/"Relax Your Mind"/"Phobic" JSK136 Jungle Sky

1998 1.8.7 – Quality Rolls full-length album EP2 *"Jerusalem"/"Get Amped" (215 Remix)/"Stigma" JSK 137 Jungle Sky

1998 1.8.7 – Quality Rolls full-length album EP3 "Rock The Party"/"Deep Stealth"/"Cross the Line" JSK138 Jungle Sky

1998 1.8.7 – Quality Rolls full-length album EP3 "United"/"Blue Nile"/"Reboot" JSK139 Jungle Sky

1999 Jordana – "Pure Funk"/Stardust – "Music Sounds Better".. [With Bass] (Jordana JS remix) *whitelabel* JSK149 Jungle Sky

1999 Jordana – Cities Collection 12" 1 "Hollywood (courtesy of Lucasfilm)"/"Los Angeles"/"New York" JSK157 Jungle Sky

1999 Jordana – Cities Collection 12" 2 "Pittsburgh"/"Miami"/"San Francisco" JSK158 Jungle Sky

2000 Loki and Jordana – "Murder" 12" *whitelabel*

2001 Jordana – "Tampa Tantrum"/"In Your Arms" 12" TECO008 Technorganic

2002 Lady J feat. Lady Sovereign – "The Intro Dub" (Flex FM)

2002 Jordana – Full Colour 12" 1 *whitelabel* ConceptAudio

2002 Jordana – Full Colour 12" 2 *whitelabel* ConceptAudio

CD releases[edit]

1994 V/A – Interstellar Outback "Jungleman" ROM01 RomHyperMedia

1995 V/A – Scotto Presents: Drop Beats Vol.1 "Ravestock Anthem" DROP001 Drop Entertainment

1996 V/A – This Is Jungle Sky Vol.2 "Dis Soun" JSK008 Jungle Sky

1997 V/A – This is Jungle Sky Vol.4 "We Are Not Alone" JSK116 Jungle Sky

1997 V/A – Future Groove "We Are Not Alone" ?74321 50089 2 Ariola/BMG

1997 V/A – New York Junglist "We Are Not Alone" AVCD11540 Avex Trax

1997 Soul Slinger-Don't Believe CD "Abducted (187 Remix)" JSK120 Jungle Sky

1997 Soul Slinger-Don't Believe CD "Ethiopia/JungleSky" JSK120 Jungle Sky

1997 1.8.7 – When Worlds Collide CD album JSK124 Jungle Sky

1998 V/A – This is Jungle Sky Vol.5 "The Jam" JSK130 Jungle Sky

1998 V/A – This is Jungle Sky Vol.5 "Atmosphere Remix" JSK130 Jungle Sky

1998 Soul Slinger – Upload: A Continuous Mix CD "Rock the Party" JSK142 Jungle Sky

1998 V/A – Nu Balance: Domesticated Drum & Bass CD "5am Rinse" COA70016-2 City Of Angels

1998 1.8.7 – Quality Rolls CD album JSK135 Jungle Sky

1999 V/A – Sci Fidelity: This is Sci Fi. CD "Deep Stealth" SciFi Channel/Jungle Sky

1999 V/A – This is Jungle Sky Vol.6 CD "Pure Funk" JSK150 Jungle Sky

1999 V/A – This is Jungle Sky Vol.6 CD "Unite Remix" JSK150 Jungle Sky

1999 Jordana presents 1.8.7 – The Cities Collection CD album JSK162 Jungle Sky

1999 V/A – E-Sassin Absolute Friction CD "Worlds Apart" 21C.3007 Quantum Loop

2000 V/A – Digital Empire: DJ Girl "Deep Stealth" 6454-2 Cold Front Records

2001 Hive – The Raw Uncut EP CD "Defcon-1" (Hive Remix) VTXCD-002 Vortex Recordings

2002 Jordana – Full Colour album ConceptAudio Limited Release

2003 V/A – Girls In Space CD "In Your Arms" CD-9213 Urabon Records

2005 Jordana – Jordana EP CD "In Your Arms" TECO CD001 Technorganic Recordings

2005 Jordana – Jordana EP CD "Tampa Tantrum" TECO CD001 Technorganic Recordings

2005 V/A – DJ Psycle-Back From The Future CD "In Your Arms" TECO CD-9213 Technorganic Recordings

2005 V/A – DJ Psycle-Back From The Future CD "In Your Arms" TECO CD-9213 Technorganic Recordings

2008 V/A – What the Bleep & Foi Oi Oi-Feelings For Detroit Vol.3 Yabette – "Babylon (1.8.7 Remix)" EEMIX003 Electronic Enlightenment

Videos[edit]

We Are Not Alone (1998) – directed by MSKW1 aka Michael Whartnaby

Defcon 1 (1998) – directed by MSKW1 aka Michael Whartnaby and DBIDWA aka Dan Bidwa

Worlds Apart (1998) – directed by Gerard Ryan

Atmosphere (1998) – directed by Gerard Ryan

Ring Me Back (2002) – directed by Trevor McKinley

References[edit]

^ "VH1 Biography". Vh1.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2010.

^ Jump up to:a b Riedel, Samantha. "This Trans Drum & Bass Musician Was a Pioneer in the 90s. Why Isn't She Getting Her Due?". them. Retrieved September 30, 2020.

^ Jump up to:a b c Vibe Media Group (February 1999). "Vibe". Vibe Vixen. Vibe Media Group: 38–. ISSN 1070-4701.

^ "- - Mixmag". Mixmag.net. Retrieved December 21, 2015.

^ "Roll With the Changes". citypaper.net. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2016.

^ CMJ Network, Inc. (December 1998). "CMJ New Music Monthly". CMJ New Music. CMJ Network, Inc.: 78–. ISSN 1074-6978.

^ CMJ Network, Inc. (March 2000). "CMJ New Music Monthly". CMJ New Music. CMJ Network, Inc.: 48–. ISSN 1074-6978.

^ CMJ Network, Inc. (March 13, 2000). CMJ New Music Report. CMJ Network, Inc. pp. 27–. ISSN 0890-0795.

^ CMJ Network, Inc. (June 2000). "CMJ New Music Monthly". CMJ New Music. CMJ Network, Inc.: 82–. ISSN 1074-6978.

^ CMJ Network, Inc. (June 2000). "CMJ New Music Monthly". CMJ New Music. CMJ Network, Inc.: 95. ISSN 1074-6978.

^ "Kung Fu Knowledge Tour Cities". Bmotion. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2013.

^ Out Magazine (74): 45. January 2000.

^ iphoneunclockseattle. "Bassnectar's Here We Go sample of 1.8.7 feat. MC Sphinx's 5 A.M. Rinse". WhoSampled. Retrieved November 2, 2013.

^ Avery C Kleinman for Vice News. "The Fall of the Bassnectar Empire".

^ jordana. "Celldweller samples Wake Up and San Francisco". WhoSampled. Retrieved May 9, 2014.

^ "Hive – The Raw Uncut EP". Discogs. Retrieved November 2, 2013.

^ "Hot update | Welcome to the FLEX FM NETWORK". FLEX FM Network. May 19, 2002. Archived from the original on June 1, 2002. Retrieved December 21, 2015.

^ CMJ Network, Inc. (October 1998). "CMJ New Music Monthly". CMJ New Music. CMJ Network, Inc.: 62–. ISSN 1074-6978.

^ Jump up to:a b Maximum Rocknroll. Maximum Rock 'n' Roll. 2000.

^ CMJ Network, Inc. (May 2000). "CMJ New Music Monthly". CMJ New Music. CMJ Network, Inc.: 13. ISSN 1074-6978.

^ Bill Werde (February 29, 2000). "Top Jungle Producer Attacked". Villagevoice.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2019.

^ Sovereign, Lady (May 18, 2002). "Lock in to FLex FM 2nite". ukmusic.com/. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2013.

^ "Currents.FM Common Stream Multiverse Initiative".

^ "Jordana is one of America's most widely respected drum & bass artists". Dekmantel.

^ "Drum & bass made for the biggest rooms, with plenty of soul, nuance and killer vocal hooks". Resident Advisor.

^ "FREE CeCe! Post-Production Campaign". Retrieved December 21, 2015.

^ "AFROPUNK". Afropunk.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2015.

^ Matos, Michaelangelo (April 28, 2015). The Underground Is Massive: How Electronic Dance Music Conquered America. Dey Street Books. p. 154. ISBN 978-0062271785.

^ Jimi Fritz (1999). Rave Culture: An Insider's Overview. SmallFry Press. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-9685721-0-8.

^ Petros, George (2012). Lehman, Deanna (ed.). The New Transsexuals: The Next Step In Human Evolution. Creation Books. pp. 247–274. ISBN 978-0-9855018-1-5. Retrieved December 22, 2015.

^ https://thefestivalvoice.com/black-lives-matter-tfvs-series-on-racial-injustice-jordana/

^ https://brooklynrail.org/2021/05/criticspage/Let-Us-Live/

^ https://href-zine.net/technoid-natures-zine.html

External links[edit]

Jordana discography at Discogs

1.8.7 at Rolldabeats

https://jordanaofficial.bandcamp.com/

https://www.mixcloud.com/jordana/

https://soundcloud.com/jordanaofficial

Jordana at IMDb

[these-eyebrows-are-not-even]

Christmas Gift Ideas 2020

All of the gifts below that I thought of can be altered/customized to your budget, personal style and resources. 

Face Mask’s 

If you are handy with a sewing machine then this is a great one for you, using fabric scraps you already own or thrift bedsheets/t-shirts etc you could make your loved ones some custom face masks. Bonus points if you find a silk shirt and flip that into some face masks as silk, is hypo-allergenic, breathable and causes less friction on the skin so is perfect for anyone suffering from maskne (mask-acne). However, if sewing isn’t for you then places like Etsy have a wide range of masks for everyone and purchasing from sellers on their also supports small business.  

Candle and match sticks 

Candles are all the rage with thousands of reels and tik tok’s on how to twist candles. If you are brave enough then go for it! You can gift your hand-twisted candles to your friend along with a box of nice matches. Writing empowering messages or mantra’s on the matches (maybe get extra-long ones if you have large handwriting!) will mean that every time your loved one goes to light a candle there is a message from you to brighten their day. There is no need to twist candles, you could support a small business and buy theirs or just get a standard candle. You don’t have to support every trend! Bonus points for matching your loved one’s colour palette to the candles or vice versa. For example, my favourite colour right now is green so a set of candles ranging from emerald to sage would be much appreciated. 

Seasonal Drink

It may be the British in me but Christmas is a time where having something to drink on these long winter nights is the norm. I am speaking of something alcoholic but non-alcoholic also works. I love vintage/second-hand glasses and they can be pretty cheap €1 a glass. You could get a second-hand glass of your choosing and send it to your friend along with a bottle of their favourite drink. If you want to amp it up, you could also include a cocktail/mocktail recipe book and some drink rocks. Drink rocks are reusable and do not dilute your drink. If they aren’t a spirit/liquor drinker then a stainless steel ice cube tray is also an eco-friendly and plastic-free option. I could go on with more items to include in this bundle but metal straws, coasters, fabric napkins and more are all ways you could expand this gift idea. 

Seasonings

If you know a good amateur chef or home cook then getting them some fancy salt, oil and or vinegar may be an interesting idea. You could buy; one, two or all three and either make sure they coordinate e.g. Rosemary salt, garlic oil and lemon vinegar or they could be contrasting e.g. Truffle salt, chilli oil and amaretto vinegar. The endless combinations make this a fun gift and allow for some fun experimentation when cooking. If you’re a big diy’er you could infuse the oil and make custom labels for everything. You could also add in crackers, olives and risotto to turn it into a Mediterranean hamper or harissa, dried apricots and Ras-el-hanout to make it more North-African.  

In the Bag. 

A thrifted bag from a second hand/vintage shop (if open where you are) or one bought of Depop/eBay may make a great gift for a fashion-conscious person you know. Then you could add in a lip balm and/or a lip-gloss, a packet of their favourite sweets, a cute bottle of hand-sanitiser and a travel-size bottle of hand cream. These are all optional, the bag would be more than enough but they are just extras for you to think about. You could also make any of these extras vegan, cruelty-free, plastic fee etc 

Cosy Toe’s 

 I don’t know about you but I get really cold feet in the winter. So thick socks are a must! A great idea could be to give someone a pair of fluffy socks. They could be practical or whimsical. I have been gifted thick, grey woollen pairs and a fun foxed themed pair (I love foxes). You could embroider a message or design on them if that’s your thing or pack them with some foot cream and a pedicure kit. As salons haven’t really been open this year pamper time is even more important. 

 Dried flowers

I do not mean the trendy ones, all over insta interior posts, I mean the Victorian past time. Pressed dried flowers, you could use flowers or leaves you have, buy some and then press them or that sounds too long then you could even buy pre-pressed and dried online. I saw a cute DIY on YouTube where they had been glued on to a small bowl or plate in a pretty pattern. This could be used to display jewellery, makeup etc. Furthermore, you could also arrange pressed flowers and plants into a pattern and place them on a canvas or in a frame to make a minimalistic art piece for someone. 

Body care kit

I often joke, I am secretly an old lady as I have dry skin and so am always re-applying lotion. Now, its wintertime that is an absolute necessity but it’s also an act of self-care and 2020 has been a long year so extra self-care is needed. So gifting someone a kit of body scrub, body wash and lotion is a little bit of luxury we all need right now. You could expand on this and include a dry brush to get that circulation and lymphatic drainage going as well somebody oil or a bath bomb to increase the level of pampering. Making body scrub is quite easy but I recommend sugar and not coffee grounds if you do go the DIY route and you can turn regular liquid soap into fun shapes with jelly moulds and gelatine.  

Homemade bookmark 

Before you laugh, I am not suggesting the ones you made when you were seven unless you were an expert crafter. I am suggesting more sophisticated ones but the end product is up to you so I take no responsibility, I am just the provider of ideas! Those pressed flowers we had earlier? Extra ones could be attached in a pattern and glued onto card. You could go full out an paint one using all your creativity. Or make one out of photos of you and the booklover you’re giving this too. Lastly, it could just be an inspirational quote like: you deserve another glass of wine

Or you could do one of each and give them a medley of bookmarks for all their mood and needs. 

Last but not least a Playlist 

I know this may seem a little 2012 Tumblr but bear with me. You curate a playlist for them on their preferred app; if you don’t have access or its different to your one then give them detailed instructions for how they should assemble it). The playlist could be based upon a memory you have together or something you’re planning to do with them in the future, or anything you want! Then write out an explanation behind why you chose each song, what it reminds you of and why you thought that person would get it. You could burn the playlist onto a CD if you have the tech for that. For all the artsy types you could illustrate the written out reasoning with drawings, attach photos, collage – whatever you like to get the emotion across. 

To everyone reading, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and for those who don’t celebrate then this list may come in handy for another gift-giving occasion. I don’t know about you but I cannot wait to be stuffed full of food on Christmas day, opening presents and sharing laughs. 

Happy Christmas! 

Elsa x 

[zombiescantfly]

Halo and the Burden of the Extended Universe

Halo, as in the initial trilogy of games one through three, has been about one man, known only by his rank, traveling to exotic alien superstructures hanging in deep space, traversing their surfaces on foot and in a variety of human and alien military vehicles, and mowing down literally hundreds of enemies per level. Throughout that trilogy, we’re supposed to believe that these aliens, the Covenant, pose a great risk to all of humanity. We’re told, by way of the instruction manuals and some NPC chatter, that these aliens have pushed our own species, at the time a massive space-faring empire, back to the singular planet of our birth. 

In all three games, we just barely make our way to the latest superstructure, clawing our way there against what's said to be insurmountable odds. We're constantly told that we're low on resources, low on time, we barely have a foot in the door while the Covenant have already made their bed. And yet, every single game, we win. Effortlessly. Constantly. 

And not only do we win, but we prevent the total annihilation of all life in the universe no less than once per game, sometimes more! Untold hordes of enemies fall at our controller-wielding fingertips, but somehow we're meant to accept that this one is our last chance, for real, we swear. Still, problems come and go at the whim of an inattentive scriptwriter, built up to be the most important thing we've ever seen, left perfectly resolved at the end of a 20-minute level.

In every game, the goalposts are constantly shifting, pushed further and further back by writers who realize, sweat on their brows, that they've started with the destruction of all life in the universe and have to somehow amp it up from there. For three games.

To put it mildly, they are not successful.

What do we have to be afraid of? Not the Covenant, because even the worst weapons we have available to us can tear them apart. All life on Earth, the last bastion of our species, is put at risk a full three times over the course of two games, and every single time we, as the protagonist, turn our back on the problem and are promised it will be solved when we aren't looking. If the Halo rings are fired, all life in the universe dies! Except when it was fired in Halo 2 and only sent a standby signal before being deactivated. Except when it was fired in Halo 3 using a never-before-heard-of "tactical pulse" that is at perfect odds with everything it was stated to do in all three games. 

There's no threat that sticks, no threat that matters. Everything the games have told us to be afraid of are continuously revealed to be utterly inconsequential. Even the moment-to-moment threats become routine, the moment-to-moment losses, unnoticeable. How many times have you gathered a squad of friendly Marines only to lose them all in the next gunfight? Well, don't worry, here comes a Pelican with four new ones, no questions asked. Yes, we're running low on fuel and men and supplies, but here you go Chief, you're special.

But why are we special? Who is The Master Chief? We know some things, but not a lot. We're a supersoldier, a Spartan. We have a ship's AI in our head who tells us what LZs to clear and does all the talking for us. Across three games, approximately thirty hours of gameplay, our main character has a mere sixty-eight lines of dialogue, and most of it doesn't pass the five word mark. Cortana, in comparison, has nearly six hundred spoken lines. Our hero is characterized only by lines like "boo," "green, sir," "I need a weapon," "understood," and "we'll make it."

Truly, a fascinating and deep character to go down in the annals of gaming history. A man brimming with all the personality of a cardboard box, all the empathy of a brick, and all the motives of a potted plant.

And yet, every Halo fan out there will tell you how cool he is, how haunted by his past he is, how deeply he feels the loss of his comrades, and how much he cares for his tiny blue Garmin. 

Why? We played the same games, right? With all the same plot holes and haphazardly shifting priorities, the miniscule cast of named characters that never do anything to extend past their paint-by-numbers archetype? What are they getting out this that I haven’t?

Well, they read the books.

To them, Halo has an excuse. There aren't any plot holes, none at all, because you can just read this piece of licensed fiction to plug it. Are you still uncertain, well over a decade after the fact, just how much time passed between Halo 2 and 3? There's a graphic novel to answer that for you. What about the Arbiter, why didn't he stick around to try to form a proper treaty with humanity after the end of Halo 3? Read the book to find out. Okay then, the Flood invasion of Earth, how'd that get cleaned up so fast? Don't worry, watch the animated short.

This isn't how storytelling works. 

You don't get to present a player of your game, a buyer of your product, with one third of a story and then tell them the rest exists as multiple books. You don't get to ignore key plot points that would bring your story together just so they can be sold off years later in a different medium.

External media, should your property have it, should be to expand on things the primary property has no room for. Hinted-at background events. Formative character experiences. Something tangentially related that still ties in to the main story. If it's really that important, tell your writers to make room for it in the main product. 

Halo has the room for it. Each game will probably take a first-time player around ten hours for a first playthrough, and far less time on subsequent runs. These games are short, but they attempt to tell a story many times larger than they make room for. So make more room. End the focus on getting players in and out in a single weekend sitting. Let your characters talk to each other beyond exchanging stiff one-liners in cutscenes. Stop making every level a bombastic, breakneck setpiece and give the story room to breathe, to actually be told. If it’s the end of the universe we’re dealing with, surely you can spare us more than nine measly levels? Let us actually see the larger situation rather than being told about it. Do you really think Halo fans would complain about a campaign taking fifteen to twenty hours to beat? They love Halo, they want to spend time with it. Capitalize on that, and take the opportunity to finally, actually tell a story with all the parts in it instead of just a third.

Which brings us, finally, to Halo: Reach.

Certain Halo fans, largely the same group of them that defend the poor storytelling because “it’s in the books,” have a reaction to Halo: Reach that can best be described as ‘vitriolic.’ They don’t like it. Why?

Because it’s not like the book. 

You see, while Halo: Reach came out in 2010, a book by the name of Halo: The Fall of Reach came out some months before the first Halo game in 2001. They are both about the same event, but with quite major differences. This caused quite a lot of contention at the time of Reach’s release, mainly from the part of the fanbase that believed they were going to get a one-to-one retelling of this book in videogame form. 

They didn’t get that. Halo: Reach is an original story that tells the tale of a world’s final hours and one team of elite supersoldiers as they attempt to do anything they can to help delay the inevitable end. It’s not the most compelling story ever written, or even the most compelling version of that story ever told, but it’s effective. Even though we’re dealing with the imminent destruction of an entire planet, the story manages to stay small. Reach’s ultimate destruction is a common piece of wall graffiti or NPC combat barks, so the ending is known, leaving room for smaller objectives to take the spotlight. Rescue civilians trapped behind enemy lines. Delay an invasion force to buy evacuation efforts another hour. Clear the skies so supplies and medivac can go out. 

Halo: Reach has almost no connection to the series at large, and it’s quite the breath of fresh air. As a prequel, its ending is a forgone conclusion, but it does what it can with the time it has. The messy, convoluted politics of Halo 2 and 3 are far in the series’ chronological future, letting you fight two enemy factions at once for the first time in the series, away from the plot point that sees them at war with each other. The end of the universe isn’t constantly being dangled over our heads for the third time in as many games, so the characters have a chance to sit down and swap banter, tell us who they are. They aren’t anyone too terribly compelling - Bungie still hadn’t quite figured out character writing - but they’re tested archetypes played well enough for the story’s demands. The threat is known and static, the stakes grow higher by way of the ticking clock drawing us ever closer to the planet’s inevitable end. There’s no faffing around with “trading one villain for another” because killing the first one would have ended the story too quickly, so a new one has to show up with no lead-in. 

Even at the very end of that original trilogy, Halo’s story was too big for the time Bungie gave it. Its own plot points were shoving at each other, jockeying for position, knocking parts off themselves in an effort to fit into nine half-hour levels until all that was left were fractions of what you’d need to find in the books afterward.

Reach suffers from its own short length, but not in the same way. It suffers in that you can point to the characters and they say needed more setup, more time with each other, maybe another level or two here or there to really draw the relationship out. It suffers by pushing a little too hard at the “imminent end” angle, hurrying you through and skipping over hours of in-world time that probably could have been their own level.

But surely even the superfans saw that this was preferable? That a standalone story was the best way to go about things? Surely they understood that attempting to simply recreate the book would have ended with them not seeing any of what Bungie came up with for this new game? There’s a lot to like about Halo: Reach, and a lot to do in it that you can’t do in any of the other games. Surely even the most fervent defenders of the extended canon ended up coming around and being able to separate the two for what they both were on their own.

Of course, that’s not what happened. See again, ‘vitriolic.’ And so here we are at the question this whole thing has been building up to. When a company leans as hard into external supplemental media as Bungie did for Halo, is it then obligated to play by the rules and plot points outlined in those external entities? It’s a tricky question, mostly because up until that point, Bungie had gone ahead as if every book and animated short and comic and webisode was one hundred percent canonical. The reason superfans tolerated those gaping plot holes in the games is, again, because they weren’t holes at all when paired with their companion media. So now, in the far-past year of 2010, Bungie has suddenly decided that one of those sacred tomes of external knowledge is incorrect. 

I think the easiest answer would have simply been to...tell the proper amount of story in the first place, but I guess it’s a little too late for that, especially now. 

So what, then, is the obligation put forward by such a slavish devotion to external storytelling? Were they wrong to do something different? Were they right to forge ahead with something new for the benefit of freeing players who had never read that book and any other related to it from the web of multi-author canon? 

I’d say they made the right move. Let’s talk about Star Wars.

Star Wars and Halo share many a talking point, the most obvious of which is just the sheer amount of additional stories they have stapled to them. Great news for fans who are into it, but terrible news for the actual IP holders. All they do is get in the way when the primary vehicle wants to expand. Disney felt it more than Bungie ever did, but Bungie felt it first: cut away the myriad stories clogging up the canon or you’ll never make anyone happy. Try to appease the superfans and get burned by not touching on every single node of criss-crossing plot webs that is the result of decades of overlapping stories by as many authors, while alienating newcomers by being forced to pay lip service to concepts and characters they’ve never heard of and have no attachment to. 

Disney made the right call, and so did Bungie with Reach. What came next in Disney’s case isn’t relevant, and Bungie washed their hands of Halo entirely afterwards. 

If your story cannot survive without the propping-up of half a dozen pieces of external media, you have failed to tell a good story. If your answer to questions about this story is to tell the asker to read a book, you have failed to tell a good story. I understand the appeal of that expansion, of being able to have a celebrated setting grow and reach new places, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of the setup. The world has to exist before it can be expanded upon. The story needs to be in place for its offshoots to grow. And that’s what Halo fails at, so totally and repeatedly. Bungie was too excited by the prospect of having an extended universe that they forgot to make a universe to expand upon. As a result, the actual core universe exists smeared across half a dozen mediums and dozens of individual pieces, with no true convergence point someone can present a newcomer with and say, “Start here.”

The Halo games are a patchwork mess of uninspired characters, unexplored concepts, unknown stakes, and uninteresting locales. Because they rely so heavily on their companion media to fill in those blanks, there’s nothing there to entice a first-time player to do it themselves. If a character’s inspiration comes from one book, the exploration of a concept comes from another, the weight of the stakes is told through an animatic, and the otherworldly locales are shown in all their glory only in the pages of a comic book, what is the game even for? If everything you need to know about the Master Chief, the Covenant, the war, and the Halos isn’t in the games, what’s the point of them? What do Halo 1, 2, and 3 actually stand to add to a universe seemingly defined elsewhere?

They become wastes of time. Wastes of potential. Other people - artists and authors working under contract for Bungie, not Bungie themselves - did all the heavy lifting to create these worlds and these characters. Does Bungie even know who their own characters are? Could the original writer for Halo 1 tell me everything the Master Chief has become through the works of a dozen other authors over the course of twenty years? 

The books might be good. I wouldn’t know; the games didn’t inspire me to read them.

[timeaftertime-chriscornellfanfic]

Chapter 12 - Right Place, Wrong Time

Seattle Washington, July 24 1988

(Andi is 18, Chris is 24)

ANDI: "Xana...? Have you seen my little note book? " I ask as I scour my bedroom, opening up the drawer to my nightstand, trying to find where it could be.

"What notebook?" She asks as she appears in my bedroom doorway, tying her golden curls up into a messy ponytail on top of her head.

"My little black notebook - pad thing I always carry with me," I say, flipping my curls out of my face as I close the night stand drawer.

In the 6 months since Chris and I have officially been together, we have been practically inseparable, even writing together and coming up with songs that I otherwise wouldn't have ever come up with myself. He is the only one that I've ever shown my silly poems and lyrics to - only because I don't think I'm that great at lyrics, I pretty much consider myself just a guitar player and that's it - but he encourages me which makes me feel like maybe my lyrics aren't so dumb.

I never thought in a million years that I would ever find the one that I was meant to be with so soon. He is my other half, the person that completes me. He is amazing in every single way. I can't imagine my life without him.

I haven't slipped since last September and it feels amazing. I know at some point I do slip back in time to meet Chris, but I'm just going to focus on being here with him in the present. There are times when Chris will mention something to me that has happened for him - like the time he apparently stole a guitar for me. The black Gibson Les Paul that he has is apparently really mine, and he just kept it for me for when I meet him in my time (or really the present) - and he'll go on and on about it while I look at him like he has two heads or something. Then he catches himself, realizing that then is his past but my future and well... you just gotta love Time Displacency Syndrome - I know I do.

It's such a beautiful guitar too. I can't believe he stole it. Like, what in the fuck was he thinking? I hope I gave him shit for it.

"No, I haven't seen it... why? Do you need it or something?" She asks, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well kinda... but..." I trial off as I get down on the floor and look under my bed.

"Andi, just find it later... we gotta get down to The Moore. Your man is playing tonight," She says in a sing song way, raising her eyebrow and smirking at me.

"Yea..." I smile shyly back feeling those butterflies flip around in my stomach as I flip my curls out of my face and rise from the floor. I glance down at myself adjusting my Dead Kennedy's t-shirt that I made into a tank top, then grab a bottle of my favorite perfume - then one that drives Chris crazy- and spritz a little bit on my neck.

"Damn girl, you look like you're going to a Guns N' Roses concert or something," Xana says as she glances over my ripped up black leggings with my Doc Martens.

"Oh god, I don't look like one of those girls do I?" I asked worriedly. The last this I want is to look like a groupie girl with her hair teased, though I don't tease my hair...but you know what I mean.

"No, no not at all. You look amazing. Chris's eyes are going to pop out of his head when he sees you though,"

"Good, 'cause that's what I was going for," I say and we both giggle.

*****

The Moore Theatre, Seattle Washington

ANDI: Xana and I arrive at The Moore early, with only a few people up around the bar having a few drinks. As we walk through the open floor area, I see Kim up on stage, randomly plucking a few strings on his guitar, checking out his foot pedals and making sure they are working ok.

The first time I met Kim, which was only a few days after I met Chris, we instantly hit it off. He is a metal head just like me, bonding over different guitar tones and getting the perfect amount of distortion out of our amps. Kim had heard of me before through Andy but for obvious reasons - since Soundgarden was on tour - we've never crossed paths. For Kim being 10 years my senior, he was impressed with my playing and how I don't seem like your typical 18 year old kid. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm young but if he only knew...

"Hey Kim, is Andy back stage?" Xana calls out as we approach the stage.

"Yea, go on back, he's waitin' for ya," Kim says as he plucks a few strings. Xana pats me on my arm and she heads over to the side stage door and disappears. Kim then decides everything seems to be set up and sounding ok, so he sets his guitar down on it's stand and jumps down off the stage, his long jet black hair all around him.

"C'mon back, I know you're dying to see Chris," Kim smirks and I smile shyly as I follow him backstage. I still feel awkward when meeting them here before a show. I don't know why, I guess it's just my natural shyness coming out. Kim lights up a cigarette while I follow him through the door, and as we walk down the long corridor, I see Chris standing in the hallway, his beautiful tall frame leaning against the brick wall. He looks amazing in his ripped jean shorts, his Doc Martens and a plain black T-shirt with his dark curls all around him.

Kim pats me on the shoulder and disappears into the dressing room and as I approach Chris, I see him talking to someone - someone who I haven't met before.

"Hi baby," Chris smiles as he turns to see me. He reaches out for my hand and I take it giving a shy smile.

"Um, this is Susan Silver," He says introducing us. Susan holds out her hand for me to shake as she smiles so sweetly at me. She has gorgeous dark eyes and a presence that is definitely revered. She's beautiful.

"She's our manager," Chris adds glancing back at me.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you... Chris has told me so much about you already, I feel like I already know you," She says. That's definitely not the first time I've heard that from anyone.

"Thank you," I smile back shaking her hand.

As Chris pulls me in a little closer, his hand grazing my lower back, we end up chatting with Susan a little more, though it was mostly her and Chris talking about management stuff, dates and schedules. Apparently he has another small promotional tour coming up in August with the release of their next EP for Sub Pop records as they continue to work on their full length album - which they have yet to sign a contract for. I stay quiet listening to them, feeling completely out of place, and I notice that they do have some sort of chemistry between them that I couldn't quite explain.

"Um, well I should get back so, I'll see you guys Tuesday?" She says to Chris.

"Uh huh,"

"Alright, see you then... and once again, it was good to meet you Andi," She says sweetly to me.

"Um, you too," I say, feeling self conscious and she turns and heads towards the back entrance to The Moore. Chris then brushes my curls off my shoulder and places a kiss to that spot just under my earlobe.

"You look so good baby,"

"Thank you," I say as I close my eyes for a moment, feeling his lips on my earlobe.

"Mmmm, you smell so good too," He says, his voice deep in my ear.

"You um... you never mentioned her before," I clear my throat as I place my hand on his chest and pull away from him just a little.

"Who...? Susan?" He asks and I nod as he continues to hold me in the corridor.

"It's just business babe... I didn't think it was important," He gives me that cute coy smile.

"I just thought since she knows so much about me already, you would've told me about her," I say glancing down at his necklace, reaching up and playing with the silver ring attached to it.

"Oh... well there's not really much to tell... she manages the band. She pretty much handles the business side of everything - "

"No I mean like, her as like a person or... something," I say as I look up into his eyes for a moment then back down at his necklace.

"Well... you've met her now, so that's pretty much how she is... I guess..." Chris looks down at the ring on his necklace that I keep playing with and then looks at me with that same look of confusion. I'm not sure why but I feel like he's hiding something from me.

"Hey! You two coming in here or what?" Andy leans out of the dressing room door, clad in his usual flamboyant charm as Stone and Jeff make their way passed him into the room.

"C'mon baby," Chris says sweetly placing a kiss on my forehead. I decide to just try to put my uneasiness aside for now and ask him more about her later. He takes my hand to lead me into the dressing room, but I stop him. I start to feel this strange euphoric sensation, one that I haven't felt in months. He turns back and sees the color draining from my complexion.

"Chris... I'm uh... I don't feel so great," I say as a sudden wave of dizziness begins to wash over my entire body.

No... no, please don't let me -

"Babe?" Chris asks worriedly reaching out, and the next thing I feel is my naked body on a cold tile floor in a darkened room, trying to catch my breath.

CHRIS: It's a sight that I haven't seen in a long time. It's also a feeling that I haven't felt in a long time. That feeling where you don't understand why your heart just dropped out on to the floor and though you try to pick it back up and place it where is once was, you know it won't be there until that person you love more than anything comes back.

"Holy shit! Wha- what the- the fuck just - holy shit! Did she just - did Andi just -?" Andy comes running over to me with a beer in his hand as I pick her clothes up off the floor.

"Yea, she did," I say flatly trying to keep myself together. No matter how many times I've seen her do this, I never get used to it and I probably never will.

"Chris, man what the fuck?! How the hell are you so -I mean - Holy shit!" He exclaims practically in disbelief though he saw her disappear before his eyes. He stands there staring wildly at the spot where Andi had been, realizing that it was real. She actually slipped back in time.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Kim asks as he leans against the dressing room doorway sipping his beer.

"Fuckin', Andi just disappeared," Andy says turning back to Kim.

"Why...? She go home or somethin'?" Kim asks taking a sip of his beer, having no clue what Andy meant.

"No dude, she disappeared disappeared... you know... vanished... slipped," Andy says trying to explain to Kim waving his hands frantically trying to think of the words.

"What are you talking about?" Kim laughs and Andy takes her Dead Kennedy's shirt from my hands and shows Kim, re-iterating that she had completely disappeared on the spot.

"I'm talking about Andi, she time slipped," He says to Kim.

"Did you take another one of those pills again?" Kim chuckles at Andy and raises his eyebrow at me.

"No he didn't. Andrea... she... she can travel... through time," I say quietly looking down at the rest of her clothes that I held in my hand. Kim's expression falls as he realizes that we aren't playing around at all. He takes another sip of his beer and looks at the both of us, trying to think of something to say.

"I know it's completely insane and hard to believe - "

"Yea but dude, I saw her do it, she just... poof... "Andy cuts me off and motions with his hands how she went 'poof' so to speak.

"Ok... um... Do you know where she went? Is she ok?" Kim says slowly trying to wrap his head around the whole thing.

"More like 'when' she went," Andy says and I give him a nudge with my elbow.

"I honestly... don't know, " I say after a few moments as they both look at me for answers.

Then we hear a loud noise coming from one of the bathrooms that was beside the back entrance and what sounded like a girl screaming. I look back and forth between Andy and Kim as my heart started to pound and I instantly turn and run in the direction of the sound. Andy picks up her clothes from the floor and they both run after me as I turn the corner down along the long hallway to the back entrance bathrooms and I see her at the end of the hallway, completely naked on the cold floor.

"Fucking, what the - ? "Kim starts, slowing down behind us as I run up to Andi as she continues to cough, laying on the cold tile floor of the back of The Moore theatre.

"Oh my god, baby hey... I'm here," I say as I take her in my arms and hold her on the floor, trying to cover her as best I can though I'm pretty sure that her being naked is the last thing she cares about. I just really don't want anyone to see her naked though.

"The fuck-?" Andy says as he stares at us in disbelief.

"Can you get Xana?" I ask as I hold Andi in my arms, brushing her curls from her face as she attempts to catch her breath. Andy and Kim just stand there, apparently not even noticing the question that I asked, their eyes completely full of worry and confusion.

"Guys! Can you go get Xana!?" I repeat looking up at them, and they snap out of their daze and head off to go back to the dressing room to get Xana.

"Chris?" Andi says sweetly after she catches her breath and I look at her in my arms.

"I'm here baby, I'm right here," I say not knowing what exactly to say but thankful that she came back to me, especially so quick too.

"I was with you. The first time... in your moms house, in the basement - I was with you. You were only..." She trails off.

"15?" I ask as a smile spreads across my face remembering it so vividly.

"Yea... you looked so different. Your hair was so short and... you were so young," She says looking into my eyes with her arms around my neck.

"I'm sorry I came at you with a bat," I say trying to make a joke and she giggles that cute little laugh that I love so much. She then pulls me to her, wrapping me in a hug, holding me so tightly as my hands softly stroke her back, her soft skin feeling incredible underneath my touch.

"I love you so much Chris," She whispers in my ear and I have this overwhelming feeling inside of me that I can't describe. I have never loved anyone in my life as much as I love her.

"Andi! Oh my god, Andi!" Xana exclaims as she runs up to us with Andi's clothes in her hands. She pulls away from me, wiping her eye as tears had suddenly began to fall down her cheeks.

"Holy shit, are you ok? Are you hurt? When did it happen? How long - "

"Xana, Xana... I'm ok... I'm ok," She giggles as and I reach up and wipe away a tear from her cheek. Xana sits down with us on the floor looking frantic and worried but Andi re-assures her that she's really alright, just a little embarrassed that she slipped in front of everyone.

"Damn girl, that scared me half to death... you think maybe you should tell everyone now? You know just in case something really bad happens... god forbid though," Xana says as she hands over her shirt and leggings.

"I think it's a little late for that," I say to Xana and Andi gives me a sheepish glance.

"I just don't want everyone treating me differently, and I don't want anyone to worry," She says.

"No one's going to treat you differently. We love you, and I know Chris here really loves you, so don't worry about us. We just want you to be ok... ok?" Xana smiles.

"Alright, I guess you're right," Andi says. Xana sweetly brushes a curl from Andi's face and taps her on her arm then leaves to give a few minutes to ourselves so that Andi can get dressed again.

"I guess I made quite the commotion..." She says as she glances into my eyes.

"Yea... yea you did," I exhale as I brush another curl off of her forehead and play with it between my fingers. I then touch my forehead to hers, and place a kiss on those beautiful lips of hers as I hold her on the floor in the back of The Moore theatre.

*******************************************************************************************

[earthstory]

Great Blue Hole sheds light on Maya collapse

Located off the coast of Belize in an idyllic coral reef, the blue hole is part of a karst limestone landscape that was flooded by sea level rise at the end of the last ice age (see http://on.fb.me/1KbMC2M). Made famous by one of Jacques Yves Cousteau's films (for our biopic see http://on.fb.me/1wcAeKd), it is a famous site in the diving world that he first made possible by inventing the aqualung.

The cave has already been used in research on Saharan dust transport across the Atlantic since its depths make an ideal sediment trap, and now new work has confirmed the inference from other sources that the Maya civilisation fell after a series of long droughts. They used a series of sediment samples from the epoch of their demise (around 800-1000 CE) and compared the changing ratios of aluminium and titanium, which reveal periods of heavy rainfall from tropical cyclones (the source of most of the water that kept the Mayans alive).

These indicated several long periods of drought at the time of their slow downfall that eked out over two centuries as the inter tropical convergence zone shifted north and south, taking the rain giving cyclones with it. The science is simple, in times of greater rain, more of the volcanic rocks in the area are weathered, and the water flows into the sea dumping its sediment and accompanying titanium with it. Analysing through the core allows the shifting rainfall densities to be tracked over time.

The new evidence joins other proxy data from stalagmites in caves, but the blue hole lies on the line of typical cyclone tracks and the Mayan capital of Tikal, sited in present day Guatemala, rendering its data more relevant. Despite their excellent water engineering in a resource poor karstic area (in which most of the water lies underground), the evidence (as outlined for example by Jared Diamond in his book Collapse: how societies choose to fail or survive) shows that a burst in population growth coincided with a long term decrease in rainfall, with several decades long droughts straining the culture beyond its capacities.

The civilisational collapse involved a population crash, the abandonment of the cities and a return to small scale subsistence agriculture, the entire culture nearly vanished from the record until its cities started to emerge from the jungles of Central America. The culture survived another century or so at Chichen Itza on the Yukatan peninsula, but the research shows that a second prolonged drought coincided with its abandonment.

The work also emphasises the link between ecology and climate. Some areas can take greater levels of strain and still keep going. The changes in European agriculture from the late medieval warm period, through the little ice age and intothe current warming reveals a certain integrity. The evidence revealing the Mayan demise implies that the area they lived in is much more sensitive to changing precipitation than some other areas of Earth.

The warning is clear, as the climate warms and rainfall patterns redistribute chaotically across the globe, some areas will take the strain better than others, but detailed ecological studies will be needed to quantify this (as much as we can) in order to help the most people survive the rough ride to the future (as James Lovelock's latest book puts it so well) that is already starting.

Loz

Image credit: USGS http://www.livescience.com/49255-drought-caused-maya-collapse.html http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/03/great-blue-hole-belize-clues-fall-mayan-civilisation http://io9.com/5886796/did-mild-weather-really-destroy-the-mayan-empire http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/140127/srep03876/full/srep03876.html#/results Papers, paywall access

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6108/788 www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6071/956.abstract

[astrology-with-charu]

Gemini Season & New Moon in Gemini June #Astrology #Horoscope

Bike riders are out on the roads with a devil may care attitude - you know Gemini season is here.

Socially distancing, the neighbours are celebrating birthday screaming from one balcony to another cute wishes, you know Gemini season is here.

Something inside you doesn’t let you sit - you pace, you tweet, you read, you tweet again, you have to have to tell someone that thing you might have heard & might be true or not - you are 60% sure it’s true, ok 50% sure, ok who is ever more than 30% sure of anything anymore & subtract 10% cause it was told by my aunt to my other aunt, you know Gemini season is here.

Silly antics & a bit of belly laughter - it was a joke, a bit of tall tale - but it made you laugh didn’t it - when we are able to joke a little bit even in middle of a pandemic - you know Gemini season is here.

This is one of those rare years as 2020 has decided to be on all accords, where Gemini Season is beginning with a new Moon - Sun & Moon in Gemini - oh that’s not all Mercury, Venus, North Node in Gemini !!! That’s a lot of exclamation marks & it deserves it so.

Gemini heavy energy keeps things light within even when we don’t know if this is hope or delusion - there is no way to tell right now. Gemini season brings overload of information but there is no discretion in that - we don’t know what’s false what’s true.

It’s information - unprocessed, raw - all for our quick consumption & action. But we mutate, grow mentally in Gemini season - we are able to use all of that information coming our way to create something meaningful. We always walk off wiser, learning, reading, writing, selling, creating something of real commercial value after Gemini season - our mind grows as does our knowledge. And reskilling is what I feel we must dedicate this season to.

We will have the stormy summer of eclipses which I spoke of in my Eclipse note

(https://www.facebook.com/595133057621535/posts/847026582432180/)

but we will have Sun in topical zodiac sign of Gemini till 20 June - giving us flexibility, agility to mutate to new life situations. But things aren’t going to be fixed in stone - expect speed, too much information / news coming our way, things changing quickly but trust also your capacity to respond to it.

This new moon in Gemini which will have strong influence on us for next two weeks - walks the thin line of hope & delusion. At 2° Gemini it prompts return to State of Innocence, to never loose that child like belief in marvel of life - imagination, play, possibly bringing us back to books & games we enjoyed as a kid.

This is a bit of discovery process - discovery of new & of what looks impossible. We to some extend are prompted to not poke holes in our imagination - not shoot darts of reality at the moment. Sometimes hope in current moment is more important than thinking about larger life plan - small victories are more important than waiting to win the larger scale life battle. There is a bit of self indulgent denial of uncomfortable truths in this moment.

2° Gemini in Sambian astrology is depicted as “Santa Clause furtively filling stockings hanging in front of the fireplace” - there is a deliberation in creating optimism cause this journey of discovering the impossible that we are on requires a bit of faith, just pure child like faith in life. And the new moon at this degree of innocence is trying to gently wake that back up in us - through play, through reminder of the past, even through this lovelorn nostalgia doing circles in our mind. We are being reminded that we dream, we hope & we create from a place of possibilities not from a place of lack. It’s reminding us possibly of happy times so we can start working on creating happier ones.

You and I both know there is a whole lot of misinformation & sometimes unfounded optimism which is doing rounds. But within limits is that so bad ? Neptune is a strong influence right now & will be till mid June - that breeds deception, misinformation but it also rules miracles, faith, solidarity, higher octave of Venus - selfless love & compassion for others in the common boat. But it’s not the music of sinking titanic that Neptune is blaring, though many of us would be strongly hearting the blues cause the cocktail of Venus retrograde & Neptune square usually ends up in nostalgia or worst romantic mistakes. Neptune creates the fog of hope too - helping us walk beyond our current existence & our current limitations. Helping us do things that are frightening sometimes even heroic. Beautiful things come out of loss sometimes with Neptune faith cause it dissolves what’s not real in our life.

Conjunct the fixed Star Alcyone - known for Mercury of Freud - this is opportunity to plant a new seed devoid of judgement cause there is possibility of real insight provided we don’t yet - not yet - poke holes in the possibility by making a list of all the reasons why it won’t work. Return to state of innocence requires more than just laughing with your friends again - it requires us to create hope against hope. Collectively it puts the responsibility on all of us to put our thinking caps on, leaving the wallow of the past behind to create for the future. This is the star of Leonardo da Vinci - inventive, artistic, visionary. It’s linked with blindness to what’s in front of us but it’s also linked to third eye opening - there is potential for a visionary idea, real insight provided we stay off our own rushed judgements against our own possibility of success.

But this is your vision - not of a cult leader - that’s where we need to be careful of the deception element of this season. Easy test is to know whether you are working on your imagination & idea or another man’s dream that was sold to you. This star is also linked to Jim Jones - you know the spiritual leader that led a flock of 500 followers to mass suicide on the basis of his “spiritual” vision - yes one of those we gotto stay off.

As I mentioned in North Node In Gemini & South Node In Sagittarius note -

(https://www.facebook.com/595133057621535/posts/849354288866076/)

road to success till early 2022 is to learn to see world in simpler terms & making life decisions using facts not philosophy - no cults, manipulators of information calling themselves “guru or Teachers or worst saviours”, staying in present - here & now, not a 2030 plan but a now & here plan, empty mind of old information / learning / philosophies- reskilling, staying local versus globe trotting, flexible, media savvy, staying off extreme belief systems & extreme philosophies, staying far off from people peddling those as well. Rahu will continue to manipulate & exaggerate information - think of time post 9/11 when north node was last in Gemini - think of information/ misinformation spread post that as well as impact on our belief system, faith & on mundane level how globalisation and travel was changed forever.

While you sift, sort absorb information overload, stay on a plan - don’t get distracted by theories of people peddling them for click baits & views. Your time is precious & this period is crucial for you to reskill, learn, get more involved in your local communities, become a student of life - that feeling of being a student who hasn’t yet chosen his or her specialisation - he/she is confused yet full of possibilities cause anything is possible & there are multiple options cause everything is being recreated in some ways.

Both Mercury & Venus in Gemini are out of bounds till early June - this is our mind & heart together in uncharted territory. It’s great for developing new ways of thinking, hearing those imaginary noises in our head 😉, lateral thinking, learning information on things we didn’t think possible before. Shocking talks with no way of knowing validity of the tall claims by people, our talk till atleast 9th June will have no censors, no limitations. It will lead to the diplomatic issue on global relationships in first ten days of June which we spoke of in Venus retrograde videos & notes. We would say things we haven’t said before but we would also open ourselves to possibilities we haven’t opened ourselves to - out of norm bold expression of unique. If you listen to Howard Sterns - he has Mercury out of bounds! It gives creative talent for dissolving boundaries of what is normally possible - we are able to go unorthodox and with Mercury zooming ahead of Sun it’s the time to try the untested.

This will happen in love & intimacy too with Venus out of bounds - but remember Venus is retrograde - experiment but don’t get attach to whatever quirky pleasure or relationship you are trying out. It may not fit post the retrograde so don’t overextend financially or emotionally or in fashion / dramatic change in looks - we are bound to go for the ne real tried before fashions & styles.

In this out of bound period - you would find yourself or yours taking the risk to go for a job or career or project never tried before but more to their liking.

Next week 25-27 May we would see a display of exaggeration or hyperbole unfortunately & it will escalate tensions. There is need for adjustments on these dates - need to be flexible to see things from others perspective as our compulsive side or of others we deal with can get out of control. Arguments are possible as anything that’s being created contrary to what we want can bring up fears or rule us up while our mind & heart is out of bounds. We would need to consciously stay humble in our talk but still communicate what we need.

On 28th May North Node in Gemini will meet Mercury first time in 19 years - unicorns won’t fly but we would get amped up to talk & a chance discussion or messaging or thought can give a hint like boulder to a growth opportunity. Next 6 months we are going to be growing it & perfecting over next 18 months with North Node here. If you miss it don’t worry - we can’t really miss our destiny - we would have Sun make the same aspect right before summer solstice in June. But make an effort on these days to listen to signs, to yourself, as you would be just beginning to develop awareness to what growth opportunities north node in Gemini will bring to us. 28 May, 19 June & 5 August are exact dates when our personal planets would make first contact with nodes - support required to respond to upcoming opportunities usually comes on those days so listen in.

On 29th May all the way to end of month - Saturn with Virgo moon will guide us to partition our big ideas into actionable steps. Words may not come out in the way we want - I won’t choose this time for external communication but more for a step by step plan & to create real ways to create gains from those out of bound ideas.

While eclipses will bring storms & fated changes - Gemini season always reminds us to not forget to play, connect & laugh.

https://www.facebook.com/595133057621535/posts/860613727740132/

After a bit of panic attack, I played Candy land today - we are never too old to play, never too old to learn new skills - many brilliant ideas came from play!

[snarkywrites]

Chaos at Home: New Moon in Gemini

New Moon in Gemini June 3rd, 2019

Gemini Season has amped up our mental energy. It has made us more communicative by wanting and needing to connect with others a lot more. You may have a tendency to either start multiple group chats or to be brought into them. Virgos and Geminis (Sun, Moon and Ascendants) will experience this more than others since they are both Mercury ruled. With the upsides of wanting to connect more comes the downside of wanting to disassociate and retreat from the world. This is typical with Gemini energy because what goes up will eventually crash and burn right back down. Learn to pace yourselves and take it easy, do not rush through things as much as you may feel compelled to. Slow and steady wins the race and that also applies with how you disperse that mental energy.

Aries – Aries this season will be chatty and excited or chatty and nervous. The ups and downs of Gemini season will be amplified with this New Moon. Because this is in your communication sector, you may experience trouble with technology or just connecting with others. Messages sent may or may not be received on time, creating a frustrating moment for you. Do not fret, focus on occupying your mind with other mentally stimulating hobbies and you’ll see how much fun you will continue to have.

Taurus – There will be an obsession with money and productivity. One moment you will feel abundant energy and the next you will be on the verge of debt. Pace yourself and take it easy, the ups and downs of this New Moon will be felt by all. Structure a game plan for yourself to make sure you are on track with budgeting, this will alleviate some of the worries and tensions that might present themselves in your mind.

Gemini – Lunar energy will make you feel renewed as you focus on this new chapter in your life. While everyone else is coping with the sheer chaos and madness this season has to bring, you may feel Zen. This applies to Sun, Moon and Rising folks who constantly feel the unrelenting chaos of Mercury. Things will seem balanced for you, so put plans in motion, finish any projects that may still be pending and trust yourself enough to get things done.

Cancer – Magic is one word to sum up what you will experience during this new Moon. To those who are on the creative path, utilize the messages sent through dreams to inspire your art and craft. The planet of communication, Mercury will be sending you messages that may seem invaluable now but have the power to transform yourself and your work of art. This is an enlightening moment, one that you should appreciate since it will bring more enchantments in your future.

Leo – Social Leo will feel this New Moon’s energy as you see your need to transform. There will be people in your life, new people, who will be filled with the energy of the season. You may feel inspired, annoyed and uplifted by everyone in your life now. Take this to heart as you will see social progress come your way. These people will push you to change for the better even if it may not appear so now. You might even be inspired to stand up for the underdog and help others face challenges.

Virgo – The production value that you have put throughout the year will pay off this season. The New Moon will bring that to light, so if you have hustled and suffered, now you will be rewarded. Saturn has been relentless in its domicile, Capricorn, so you as a fellow Earth Sign will understand the importance and value of hard work. You have earned the gifts and praises during this moment (assuming you have worked hard for it). To those who have slacked off, you will realize it now and will be granted another opportunity to thrive.

Libra – You will want to take control of your destiny with the New Moon in fellow Air Sign, Gemini. Your world might feel like it may be in shambles, no thanks to Capricorn causing mayhem for the Cardinal signs. Libras will have a plan now after dealing with the pain. Your eyes will open wide as you acquire an understanding of things that have been happening to you in the last couple of years. This is a moment to find your strength and to battle the pain you may feel in your heart. The chaotic energy of this moon will guide you to heal.

Scorpio – The New Moon on June 3rd will open up your eyes, heart and mind. The answers you seek will present themselves like a domino effect. This could be an interesting moment in time for you, as you may be compelled to travel or separate yourself from others. Many Scorpios might turn to books and the internet to research more. Your mind feels insatiable now, let it thrive. Absorb the lessons the world has to offer and come up with a game plan to take on the challenges.

Sagittarius – You will be meeting new people and connecting with old friends this time around. It is no surprise to see how those partnerships you may or may have already formed could help boost whatever projects you may have planned for the upcoming year. Money is in your eyes and you have a goal. Maintain that energy, keep things flowing and make sure to trust in your abilities. Gemini Season can bring abundance to you if you let the creative energy work for you.

Capricorn – Expect some peaceful energy when it comes to dealing with people this season. You will be at the top of your game, flawless in your projects and determined to take on all challenges presented your way. Capricorns may find Gemini Season excruciating but you love to work your hardest when everyone is starting to slack off during the Summer. Take the time to rest, to breathe and to center yourself because you can easily make it to the top but crash and burn due to lack of energy.

Aquarius – This burst of energy will make you socialize and the urge to party more will present itself during this lively Gemini Season. The Sun is making it an exciting moment in time for you but the moon will allow for you to tap into your creative energy. Be prepared to be inspired and expect some lively dreams. If you are connected to the artistic or creative world, you will definitely benefit from the energy this season. Use it to create a masterpiece since you will be driven to make magic.

Pisces – With Gemini Season in full flare, you will be already more focused on the matters of the heart and your space at home. You may want to be alone this moment in time, to get closer to your thoughts and to plan and focus on personal issues you may be avoiding. However, that Cancerian energy will not let you mope around since you will still embrace the fun involved with socializing. You may be more popular this period, but you still want to be centered in your own personal space.

[hennessymt13]

MY 3 CHOSEN FIELD OF EXPERTISE & INFLUENCER

Hello! As for today, I will be sharing to everyone about my thoughts in today’s generation specifically in Social Media.

So, what is Social Media? According to dictionary, it’s a websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Basically, it is a site where people can interact with each other and can be able to exchange their ideas or thoughts though they are far from each other. In present, most of us are into social media even children, adults or elderly have their own social networking site account. Well, we can’t deny the fact that social media is very important and useful to everyone…age really doesn’t matter at all by the help of social media, we can do many things, it can help to make our work much productive with the use of internet connection and other social networking sites, we can communicate to our long distance relative even to our special someone, we can even do a shopping like buying clothes, shoes, food online or any stuff that we want just by staying at home, and can even play games without going outside and spending more energy to commute or walk. So isn’t it really amazing to have social media in our life?

We have different types of social media that we should love to explore!

Personally, I’m using Facebook,_ Instagram_ and Twitter to enjoy my social life. Well, not just that because we have many social networking sites to enjoy.

Here we go, these are my top 3 Chosen fields of expertise/influencer.

ENTERTAINMENT-MUSIC

BTOB

BtoB (/ˈbiːtuːbiː/ BEE-too-bee; Korean: 비투비; acronym for  Born to Beat) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2012 by Cube Entertainment. The group consists of Seo Eun-kwang, Lee Min-hyuk, Lee Chang-sub, Im Hyun-sik, Peniel Shin, Jung Il-hoon, and Yook Sung-jae.

BtoB debuted on March 21, 2012, performing “Insane” (비밀) and “Imagine” on M Countdown.[1] The group’s debut EP, Born to Beat was released on April 3, 2012. They released their first full-length album, Complete, in June 2015. In November 2014 they made their Japanese debut with “Wow” under the Japanese agency Kiss Entertainment.

I really really love them since 2017! Yes, I’ve became a Melody (BTOB’s fandom name) almost 2 years and 7 months and still counting. Why I like them? It’s simply because I’m in love and mesmerized by their stunning voice, the first time I heard their song “It’s Okay” I was really hooked and I can’t get out of it! They’re my huge inspiration and influencer. I was touched by their perspective in life, I learned that “Patience is a Virtue” they encouraged me to pursue my desires because they say that when your still alive and kicking it’s not yet the end to push and fight for your dreams. Their words of wisdom gives me energy, they’re like my fuel that keeps my life going. Why I’m saying this because, they’ve already experienced it. It took 3 years after they got their first award in Show Champion, they also had a hard time during those days because not all people appreciates their songs and they are only recognized by few people despite of their amazing talent. BUT! They never ever gave up, they still continue their battle and now they are one of the biggest K-pop Boy group in South Korea. It only means that everything comes in a perfect timing by God’s Plan. That’s why I was inspired by them, always and forever.

They have their personal social media account, instagram.

ENTERTAINMENT-KNOWLEDGE

KOREAN DRAMA/MOVIE

I’ve watched many korean drama and movies but these dramas are my favorites. First is I really love the actress portraying the character which is Lee Ji-eun a.k.a IU. I like her drama acting skill, it’s really genuine that you would really feel the emotion she wanted to show, she’s also a singer and I also love her voice.

Lee Ji-eun (Korean: 이지은; born May 16, 1993), professionally known as IU (Korean: 아이유), is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actress. While still in middle school, IU auditioned for various talent agencies with ambitions of becoming a singer.

I love the drama because the plot of the story is very interesting for me, I believe in reincarnation that’s why it catches my attention when the story tells about the life of a person in the past, it’s like it really inspires me when they portraying that would really teaches you something, that would open up your mind to avoid doing bad practices. Reincarnation is like your Karma in life, what you are doing in the past will really reflect on your future. That’s why I am inspired to do good deeds only and be nice to other people.

Not just that, because the drama itself really gives me goosebumps, I was amazed by the animation, effects and how they focuses the camera to the actor/actress, the transition and of course the background music where in I used to know BTOB my favorite k-pop group because they sang one of the OST (Original Soundtrack) of Cinderella and the Four Knights which I also like.

BUSINESS

CHINKEE TAN

Chinkee Tan aka “Mr. Chink Positive!” BOOKS:“Till Debt Do Us Part: Practical Steps To Financial Freedom,” “For Richer and For Poorer,” and “Rich God Poor God,” which are now available at all branches of National Bookstore, Fully Booked, and Philippine Christian Bookstore nationwide.

He really inspired many people, he wrote books that could really help you to be wise in terms of money and how to be sucessful in life.

Personally, I was before a Business Management major in Financial Management student. I want to have my own business, earn money with my own blood and sweat because that will make me happy, to be stable in life, help the ones in need and travel my favorite places I want to visit someday. But as time passes by I’ve realized something that I can still push my dream in business, build my own establishment, and can even learn how to run a business despite of having different profession from business course, that’s why I pursue my second love which is BA-Communication, obviously I’m fond of entertainment where in I went to different path. But, I never leave business because it is my first love ever since.. when I finish my studies, I will still continue the thing I want which is having my own business. **

With the help of Chinkee Tan, he gave me a sense of enouragement and ideas on how to be wise in managing a business. He will open up your mind that luxury will not help you to have a sucessful life, instead it will fall you down.

See? The power of social media has a bigger factor in our life. It’s like a domino effect that will give a huge impact to the users.

But, don’t forget to use it in a better way, never use it to the things that would lead you into harm and would just ruin your life that God has given to us. Using social media is also a big responsibility to each one of us, it’s like playing a board game (chess) with just one wrong move you will lose your queen, in other way around… with just one wrong move it will ruin your life. So think, before you click.

**In the future, I would like to be a good contibutor to our country by the use of social media I can motivate people who’s hopeless and experiencing downfall in life. **

**We can use social networking sites to find ourself, like me…I haven’t realize yet what I really like not until I engage with entertainment. **

**It’s not yet the end.. Something is waiting for you. **

[songwritingtipsandtricks]

New episode of the podcast to this blog! 

Transcript: 

Hello and welcome everyone again to another episode to this podcast. My name is Kieper, and I am thrilled to talk to you today.

This podcast is dedicated to writing lyrics and overcoming writer's block. I hope the previous episodes helped you with just that. If you like the show so far, I'd love to hear your feedback on the content and really appreciate your ratings in whatever application you are listening to this show to help this show further develop. If you know anyone that might benefit from the tips we are talking about, feel free to share the program with them.

So last week, we were talking about writing lyrics with the mindset of a programmer. And we came to the conclusion that we need to write every day, see structures in the code, solve future problems and look at other people's code. And I hope these commandments helped you with just that and you have tried to use these techniques in your songwriting already. Maybe it even paid off somehow.

In the past week, I have been searching for something new to talk to you about. And then I realised that this corona shutdown itself is something we could be talking about. As it gives us as songwriters a lot of opportunities to grow, write songs and collaborate, even though we are apart from each other. So this week is dedicated to the songwriters Home Office. We will be talking about routines in your quarantine, some software to use in your writing and how you could collaborate with others while they are not physically present.

So what can you do when everything stands still, most concerts for this year got cancelled and you don't know what to do? First of all, relax, it is quite essential to lose all the tension that builds up over the months of routine and everyday life. Look at it as an extra holiday for the first couple of days. Nothing is more toxic than pressure when you are trying to be creative. It is art after all that you are trying to produce. Drink some tea, read a lot, do all the things that you wanted to do when you were too stressed from working your sideline jobs perhaps.

When boredom hits, you will get creative automatically. It might surface in lyrics that pop up in your mind. It might also be an interest in covering some songs that inspire you, and you would like to incorporate in your songs. Try out some new styles or tunings on your instrument and develop your skills. It might ignite a spark already. While we are mostly talking about writing lyrics, knowing your instrument is an essential part of your career as well. And if your instrument is your voice, well then go ahead and do regular singing exercises to increase your strength and range. Try imitating singing techniques and scales of your favourite singers. Read a lot about your instrument and about techniques to further improve your skills. Notice this time as an opportunity for you to focus on your creative path and use it wisely.

When it comes to reading, read some blogs or listen to podcasts that target your field of interest. These formats are easy to follow along and portable. So whenever you are making breakfast or shower, try listening to a podcast, read some blog posts that inspire you and see whether something pops up in your mind. For me, quite a lot of ideas pop up from podcasts and phrases that the hosts are using.

A high profile strategy for writing better lyrics is looking at other's songs. So when you are listening to music, try to follow the story, or read the words alongside the music. You might as well use a mindmap to understand the full story. After that, you can use that mindmap to write your own story based on this blueprint by altering some factors such as character traits, settings and relationships. Most popular stories in books are based on the same foundation by narrating differently. So try using this with your favourite songs. You can also try to change the perspective to tell the story from a different angle.

Okay, so much for development and finding and making up new stories, after all, there are some rules that we need to follow when writing coherent and good-sounding lyrics. So you might want to look up a webpage to find out more about literary terms, meter, syllables and basic rules to writing poems. This is a powerful tool to write lyrics that fit your music and even make your music follow the words. If you know about this, then you can translate words into music or vice versa. It is because speech has a rhythm, it has patterns, and there are so many useful devices to make our story more appealing and convincing. So look up some basic rules of writing poems.

And after that, you might want to analyse whether your favourite songs follow some of these rules, or where they break with them. As we said last time, it is essential to see patterns and schemes in songs. Repetition is quite crucial in pop music, as it gives the listener a silver lining to follow. Imagine for a second, you are listening to a song by your one of your idols which you have never heard before. Still, after the first chorus, you can follow the melodic line and sing along to, because there are a lot of repetitions in the song that vary only slightly from the one prior. So try some repetitions both lyrically and musically to give your listener something to follow along.

A significant opportunity opens up with this because you can use the rhythmical blueprint of another song for your next song. Analyse the meter of the song and how the patterns of the different parts are structured to write your song following the same blueprint.

What can you do else than writing lyrics? Well, besides your instrument, knowing how to record yourself helps to make proper demos of your newly written songs. So while you might not have an entire recording studio at hand, there are some ways to record yourself. First and maybe the most used method would be the voice memo application on your phone, which is in your pocket most of the times, I guess. So wherever you are, you can quickly record a song idea. Another tool on your phone would be GarageBand on your iPhone or WalkBand on Android. Personally, I have only used GarageBand, yet WalkBand should be able to do the same with some more limitations. In GarageBand, you can record yourself, add virtual instruments, add loops from Apple Loops to find interesting beats and samples to try something new. You could also use live loops to use it in a live setup if you want to or make a remix. So endless possibilities right in your pocket. Interestingly enough, you can even do a multitrack recording with an interface or use amps when you are busking.

But this is just for jotting down ideas. The proper software would be on your computer, I guess. So whatever digital audio workstation you are using, you should be a pro in using it to your benefit. So know everything about it. Watch as many videos and tutorials as you possibly can. It should be your second nature. With a proper interface and mic, you are able to do everything in your DAW, you don't need a recording studio. Well, not for now and not for your usual work. The most famous DAWs would be Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, ProTools, Cubase and so many more. So find the right DAW for your work. It is just like finding the right pair of shoes. Once you know about your DAW, you might as well want to watch some production videos of your favourite songs to understand how great producers make songs stand out and share their tricks and best practices.

So one thing that is really important for becoming a better writer is to not focus on writing at all. Try learning something new every day that is not work-related. Watch documentaries or join some online courses on a variety of subjects. Personally, I try to complete one course each month on FutureLearn a platform hosted by the BritishCouncil. The classes are free, and surely there is something for everyone. Take a walk outside and sketch a tree or a river, do something for fun and self-reflect on this later in your writing. Find one moment each day that could be worthy of writing about even though you have not been trying to find something. Find inspiration in your actions. In time, this will lead to an open mind that is ready to find new things to write about in every little thing you do.

So how can we write songs together in these days? Remote collaboration is possible through Skype, Zoom, FaceTime or WhatsApp Video calls. However, I found a useful tool on the web a few days ago, and it inspired me to collaborate with others and write new songs. Songcraft.io helps with writing lyrics, tabs and chord sheets with others in real-time. So you could talk via FaceTime and at the same time write lyrics, put the right chords to them and find words to rhyme or paraphrase them. So when it comes to collaborating on the same project, try giving this a shot. Maybe this sparks imagination. Accompanying this program, I use RhymeGenie and TuneSmith that have a more in-depth dictionary and functionality to adjust the search. The urban dictionary, Merriam-Webster, or MacMillan provide us with the correct definition to words we want to incorporate.

And as always, turn off that inner critic and just write, you will still get better at writing when you are doing it. So do not think you are at your peak yet. Just persevere. It is a steep and rough way to the point you want to reach, so take step by step. You will always find something to rephrase.

So that is it for today already. I hope these approaches help you with writing great lyrics and awesome songs this week. I would really appreciate your feedback and ratings on the platforms you are listening to, all the scripts will be available on my Tumblr, Facebook and Webpage. If you have an approach that helps you and you would like to share with me, simply send me a voice message via the link in the description and get in contact with me. To support the show, you could donate on Patreon and get exclusive access to exercises, reviews of songs and exclusive episodes to this show.

So much for this time, have a wonderful week and happy songwriting.

[xavinisms]

2019 Round-up | A Vintage Year

Wow... What a ride it's been.

Between trips to places I have never been before, from Copenhagen to Tasmania, Melbourne to Ahmedabad and New Delhi, I have worked with and met so many amazing artists, thinkers and activists that have shaped the way I came to understand the world this year.

I felt equally privileged, delighted, sad and unwelcome in various capacities throughout the year.

The quality and breath of work I had the pleasure to engage with this year has been incredible. Every artist, producer, curator, tech manager, designer, and overall colleague, has shown me what humanity can create: a sense of risk, ambition and most of all, humanity. For that, I am incredibly thankful.

The political and social developments in the UK continue to disturb me and at the same time meant I joined groups of activism that I consider to be of the utmost importance right now, namely Momentum and Migrants in Culture.

It is no surprise that I am quite tired with constantly being told - directly and indirectly - that I am not welcome in the UK. It's been like that for a while and if it wasnt for the people here mentioned (and many,many more) I most probably would have left by now. The fight continues though, and as the UK enters a new darker period where fascism is ever creeping up our public and private systems and life, we must never loose sight of the end goal: each others and our well being. So much is dependent on our generations to turn this around, and it all feels impossible at the moment. I don't know exactly what I can tell you about the future. What I know is that things wont be the same in the new year and beyond, personally and professionally.

Nonetheless, there is plenty to celebrate...

2019 in Chronological-ish order:

🇮🇳 Travels to Ahmedabad and New Delhi in India where I was privileged enough to work with my friend Pankaj Tiwari on a performance research and then spent time exploring, learning and adoring the culture and people I met.

The project, Coding The Currents, is set in the river Khari in the vicinity of Ahmedabad, in the Gujarati state. Led by Pankaj and Agat Sharma. You can read more about the work here and the overall project (which you should, because it is excellent). https://codingthecurrents.cargo.site/Post-Human-Dinner-Party

I will forever cherish the time I spent there, the people I met and that made me feel so welcomed. Experiencing the local cultures, the food, the history of the country and learning how to get around was a breathtaking experience - and I look forward to returning in the future.

🇦🇺 Travels to Australia, where I hang out with my friend Bek Berger and met some new wonderful friends and colleagues, swam in the ocean and the swimming pools of Melbourne, went to music festivals in Tasmania, and generally relaxed.

💃🏼 Toured POST a bit more including a run at Battersea Arts Centre and gathered some of the best feedback and reviews of my career. Some info here: https://www.xavierdesousa.co.uk/post/165981228414/post-tour

👑 Got commissions, residencies and performances booked and engaged on for new show REGNANT which I will open in 2020. A durational play, REGNANT focuses on structures of power and local government. This project will be the biggest of my solo career, and it will be a new chance to work collectively and learn new skills along the way, as well as collaborating with new and exciting artists.  

🌆 Curated and delivered a lot of New Queers on the Block across the UK:

·       Returned to the towns and cities we visited in 2018, from Folkestone to Blackpool, via Hastings and Bradford, to present small to mid-scale performances, film works, talks and events by Ira Brand, Last Yearz Interesting Negro, Harry Josephine Giles, Demi Nanhdra, Marikiscrycrycry, Harry Clayton-Wright, Rachael Young, Mandla Rae, Lucy Hutson, Samir Kennedy, Istanbul Queer Arts Collective, Benjamin Sebastian, Nando Messias and Subira Joy, amongst many others.

·       Commissioned local LGBTQ+ artists such as Sea Sharp, Subira Joy, Wandia Wahogo, Kirsty Taylor and Adam Frost to create their first theatre shows, with development and producing support from us, as well as producing teams around them.

·       Commissioned Oozing Gloop, Marikiscrycrycry and Rachael Young to create new work and upscale their practices to larger, tour-able models or to experiment with new forms.

·       Released ‘New Queers On The Road’, a documentary following our first ever tour and explores the impact the work has already had in local communities. Directed by the incredible Rosie Powell, this has been seen by over 100,000 people across the country and online, as well as local TV stations.

·       Worked more closely with our Local Ambassadors Bean, Benjamin Sebastian, Elis Johnson and Sonia Sandu across those locations, and developed new local audiences; Welcomed new members to the New Queers team, such as our General Manager Carmen D’Cruz, Marketing Manager Rasheed Rahman and Associate Producer Lee Smith, who, together with our PR Anna Smith have taken the projects to new hights of efficiency and awareness.

·       Partnered with new friends, such as SHOUT Festival and FIERCE Festival (Birmingham), Art BnB and Abingdon Studios (Blackpool), Brick Box Rooms (Bradford) and Camden People’s Theatre (London) to present new performances, a full day symposium on care practices in the queer arts scene and co-produce the development of local queer artists.

·       New Queers on The Block is a Touring and Artist Development Scheme led by Marlborough Productions in partnership with Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (Brighton), Theatre in the Mill (Bradford), Left Coast & Art BnB (Blackpool), Home Live Art (Hastings), Creative (Folkestone), FIERCE Festival & SHOUT Festival (Birmingham). Funded by Arts Council England, Jerwood Arts, Esmée Fairban & The Space.

✊🏼 Curated and delivered a LOT of performingbordersLIVE with my friend Alessandra Cianetti

·       Commissioned new performance for camera by Istanbul Queer Arts Collective and Tara Fatehi Irani

·       Live interviews with Nima Séne and Tuna Erdem (Queer Contact, Manchester), Sim Chi Yin and Annie Jael Kwan (Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Brighton) and Anti-Cool & osborn&møller (Artsadmin)

·       Commissioned All The Tea in China by Burong (曾不容) and Patrolling by Critical Interruptions

·       Curated and produced the event Curating Borderless Spaces at Live Art Development Agency, which included provocations, talks, interventions, workshops, key notes, performances and food by Season Butler, Instanbul Queer Arts Collective, Raju Rage, Bojana Janković, Dana Olărescu, Kai Syng Tan, Helena Walsh, and Lois Keidan.

·       Online interviews with Pelin Başaran and Warehouse9

📻 Did an extensive residency with Warehouse9 in Copenhagen with An* Neely that resulted in an exhibition and a series of podcasts with Lasse Lau, Jupiter Child, Sarah Lamming and Lukas Raki.

✊🏼 Co-founded Migrants in Culture and launched an investigation and the final report on the Impact of the UK Home Office's policy Hostile Environment against Migrant Culture Workers. You can read it here.

👨🏻‍🏫 Taught at Central St Martins for the first time and had a great time, although this time no-one called me Professor X. A bitter highlight.

🥖 Presented a new work in progress of a one-on-one piece, Breaking Bread, at ARC Stockton as part of Curious Festival

And more... much much more...

May 2020 be the year we turn things around politically and socially. And may it be a vintage year for you, for me, and for us.

Xavier

[littlemisssquiggles]

Pinehead Headcanons: Oscar’s Other Rose

Someone asked “ You ever notice how you can literally just take any screencap of Oscar looking at Ruby and 99% he has a soft look in his eyes and a soft smile too? I did, and I lose my mind over it all the time. “

Squiggles Answers: 

You are indeed correct about that anon-chan. It’s adorable that Oscar has grown attached to Ruby enough that he now looks to her both for inspiration and out of care for her own well-being. Be it in support or in need of motivation, Oscar has eyes only for Ruby Rose. As a matter of fact, you just helped spark a new Pinehead headcanon which I believe may be my favourite one yet, my dear anon-ninja.

To my fellow Pineheads who are curious about Oscar’s past life living in Mistral with his family, have you considered this concept:

What if…the Atlas Arc will introduce us to a second Rose who shares a history with Oscar?

For the sake of this headcanon of mine, I’m going to christen this character fittingly ‘Rosaline Fox’ or simply Rose for short and this character will share inspiration from both the Fox and the Rose from the Little Prince. 

What if…when Oscar was a young boy growing up in the farmlands of Anima, he had a childhood best friend named Rose who used to live next door to him during a timeline where Oscar still lived happily with his parents (or single mother since I’m still rolling with that theory) back in his old neighbourhood before he moved in with his Aunt and Uncle.  

Imagine…Rose Fox being part of the brighter half of Oscar’s life and the two were close friends since they were in diapers until Rose moved away to Atlas with her parents when Oscar was seven years old. Since then, he never saw her again until they surprisingly reunite with each other in the hallways of Atlas Academy.

I really, really love this concept because it could potentially be a way for the audience to learn more about Oscar’s life. As we know, the main series doesn’t highlight Oscar revealing much more about himself beyond the generic ‘he’s a fourteen year old farm hand from Mistral’. While some Pineheads are satisfied with this and believe that this is all we need to know about Oscar, as you know this squiggle meister firmly but respectfully disagrees. I understand that Oscar is only a supporting character but he’s still part of the main cast of heroes and holds as much importance to the plot as characters like Jaune, Nora and Ren. If we can get to learn that Jaune has seven sisters, even being introduced to one of them in V6 in addition to having a full episode focused on Ren and Nora’s backstory then the same could be done for Oscar, right?

I know all three of these examples were given because the plot set aside time to demand that these stories be revealed since they were relevant to the narrative. We had to learn about Jaune’s sisters since one of them housed our heroes while they were in Argus for V6 and we had to learn about Ren and Nora’s connection to Kunoyuri since the monstrous Nuckelavee that decimated that village was the final boss fight for RNJR back in V4.

Perhaps it can work the same for Oscar where the plot will demand we know a little bit more about him since it will possibly tie into the Merge and/or have some part with him reconciling with Ozpin within his mind. We will see. My point is that I really would love to learn more about Oscar’s past because it’s a good way of knowing more about who he is and what his life was like before. If Oscar is expected to, quote, unquote ‘disappear in the Merge’ as the story tries to imply then wouldn’t it make sense if it spends some time fleshing Oscar out before that time comes. I’m just saying.

This is why I like the idea of Oscar meeting an old friend from home in Atlas. Before we got to meet Saphron Cotta-Arc in V6, the series dropped a hint of her existence way back in V4 and before we saw how Ren and Nora became orphans (particularly Ren), remember we got that hint from Nora back in V3.

Oscar having a second Rose in his life (before Ruby Rose) who was his childhood friend could encourage him to reveal more to our heroes and essentially the audience of what he was like growing up in Mistral. Besides who wouldn’t want to see someone from Oscar’s past tell embarrassing stories of the little farm-bred rascal he used to be.

Plus I like the idea of Rose being part of Oscar’s childhood before he went to live with his Aunt and Uncle on the Pine Family farm.

It’d be interesting if this Rose reminds Oscar of when things were good for him but she is blissfully unaware of the truth of what became of him and his parents after she moved away.

Picture it. RWBY and JNR enjoying Rose talking about the old misadventures of Oscar and Rose of the Mistralian Farmlands and the carefree mischief they used to get themselves into; revealing a different side to Oscar that our heroes weren’t familiar with. This then leads to Rose innocently asking Oscar about his parents and how they were doing/feeling about him being all the way in Atlas since she remembered how overprotective they were of him as a kid, only for Oscar to freeze up and give a rather cutthroat response before trying to change the subject; indicating that discussing his parents was a very touchy subject for him.

Imagine if…Rose Fox is the kind of bold girl who doesn’t know when to take a hint and she brazenly tries to force Oscar to open up about his parents, even going so far as to tactlessly touch the bandages on his neck, questioning the context of those two. This results in Oscar getting testy and storming off, much to everyone’s surprise, especially Ruby’s.

Rose: …Sheesh, lighten up Munchkin! I was only joking. Oscar: *furiously* Yeah well sometimes you don’t know when to stop!”

In the end, Ruby is the rose that goes to comfort Oscar and as a parallel to how Oscar got Ruby to open up during the dojo scene from V5, Ruby encourages Oscar to talk about his family and she is the rose and possibly the first person outside of his family to know the truth of what happened to Oscar’s parents---their tragic death and the deep pain it caused him that he’s been bottling up for years since it happened.

This additionally ties into why Oscar wears the neck bandages; to cover up an old wound he sustained from the incident that claimed his parent’s life. I still wish to think Oscar was raised by only his mom but that’s another Pinehead headcanon for another time.

Oscar doesn’t show Ruby his scars and out of respect for his feelings, she doesn’t push him to. Instead she consoles him and shares her own qualms over losing her mother at a young age too. It’s a pain and an understanding she shares with Oscar and she also fully comprehends why talking about is very sensitive for him.

In the event that a moment like this occurs, I can see it being another key moment that symbolizes why Ruby is important to Oscar. While the other Rose could be the one that makes Oscar remember his home, Ruby represents the new life Oscar has with the JNR_QROWBMY.

While the other Rose is a remnant from Oscar’s past---a life he ultimately left behind, Ruby is a part of his present and will unknowingly move onto to become a meaningful part of his unforeseeable future. Or…at least that’s how this squiggle meister would love to look at it anyways.

My Pinehead headcanon is that once Oscar starts attending Atlas Academy, Ruby’s slight protective nature of Oscar will be amped up to about an eleven. I can definitely picture our veteran Silver Eyed Warrior transforming into a sort of mother hen; constantly hovering around and doting over Oscar every chance she got to ensure that the young farm boy and huntsman in training is doing alright during his first time at huntsmen academy.

I can see Ruby being like this with Oscar to some extent because she was around Oscar’s age when she first started Beacon and her first day was a mess. I’m sure Ruby remembers fully well of all the shenanigans she got up to during her first day at Beacon so she’ll probably want to do her best to ensure that Oscar doesn’t bumble and suffer the same misgivings as her. I can definitely see Ruby continue to look out for Oscar a lot more at Atlas Academy. Kind of like his version of Yang Xiao Long to help him get adjusted.

But get this; I also have this hilarious idea that ties into a response I gave to @albion-93. Imagine if…Oscar is surprisingly popular with the ladies---unintentionally being dubbed one of the heartthrobs of the first years at Atlas. Imagine…Oscar having his very own entourage of squealing fangirls who have dubbed him as the ‘Little Prince’ based off of @miki-13’s fanfiction.

By my imagination, I can picture Ruby’s possessive side as a confirmed Scorpio-born surfacing as she constantly has to shoo away hordes of gushing Atlesian first years drooling over poor Oscar.

In the beginning, Ruby figured that Oscar was blissfully ignorant of his rampant popularity with the ladies but to Ruby’s surprise, Oscar is fully aware. On the contrary, he’s kind of used to it. My Pinehead headcanon is that back in his old neighbourhood, before he went to live with his aunt and uncle, Oscar was the only boy in his age group within a 30 mile radius so Oscar became rather popular with the young girls his age along his block who all had crushes on him and used to literally compete with each other over who gets to be his main girl.

The one girl who didn’t have a crush on Oscar was Rose Fox and she instantly became his best friend since she never tried to force him to be her boyfriend and to infantile Oscar Pine, that was great in his book. Speaking of Rose having a crush on Oscar, I’ll come back to that in a sec.

So Oscar is no stranger to girls’ trying to bark up the Pine Tree’ if y’know what I mean. Fun fact: Did you know that Pine trees smell really good and are known for their distinct scent. Perhaps this can apply to our precious farm boy. Maybe he’s the type of guy that smells good like all the time and has a natural strong yet good scent about him; even when he sweats. I mean it’s a thought.

I can picture girls swarming Oscar like vultures only for the Ruby to be the one to shoo them off; similar to how Rose used to protect Oscar from the boldfaced girls in their neighbourhood trying to court him. I really dig the idea of Oscar having two protective roses in his life.

I like the idea of Oscar being lenient of Ruby’s overprotectiveness toward him, implying that it reminds him of his mother and aunt who used to coddle him the same manner. If it weren’t for Oscar’s Uncle Henry; still nurturing but more willing to challenge Oscar and teach him lessons necessary for him growing up as the father figure in Oscar’s life then he would’ve grown up too soft.

I can picture Aunt Em being protective of Oscar especially after he came to live with her. I can definitely see Oscar being appreciative of Ruby looking out for him all the time since, in a way, she reminds him of Aunt Em. The only difference is that Oscar finds Ruby’s mother hen attitude a likeable quality that he admittedly finds rather cute about her. Picture these two Rosebuds like…

Oscar: Y’know…you’re the closest thing to a close friend I have here and…in many ways, I consider you my best friend. Sorry if that sounds…weird.

Ruby: No, no it’s fine. I consider you my best friend too. *good-humouredly* Don’t tell Weiss though. I don’t want her to get too jealous.

Ruby and Oscar share a laugh.

Ruby: *sheepishly* Sorry if I’ve been overbearing lately with the…y’know hovering and stuff. I just want to make sure that you’re okay and not overwhelmed by everything like how I was my first day.

Oscar: *laughingly* I think we’re way past that actually. Besides it’s okay. I know you’re just looking out for me and I appreciate that. But I also want to look out for you too. Be someone you can depend on. That way, I can return the favour once in a while. So it’s fine if you wanna continue to be a mother hen just so long as you don’t mind me being a papa co---uh…father rooster. We’ll look out for each other. Whaddaya say?

Ruby: I’d like that.

I can definitely see the Rosebud friendship flourishing in Atlas and I’m interested in seeing where V7 may take them. Resuming talk about Rose Fox, remember when I said Rose was the only girl from Oscar’s neighbourhood who didn’t have a crush on him.

Well, turns out Rose did secretly have a crush on Oscar when they were kids and meeting him again in Atlas just brought all of those past feelings bubbling to the surface; rekindling her romantic interest in him.

The concept I had is that this Rose Fox character can play the role of an imposter rose inspired by the Little Prince but her main purpose would be more akin to the Fox.

In the Little Prince fairy tale, after the Prince befriends the Fox, it teaches him the important lesson that made the Prince realize that his rose was his true love.

My reasoning for liking the idea of a Rose Fox character is that I can see them being the reason that not only makes Oscar realize his true feelings for Ruby but Ruby as well.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m really, really liking the idea of Ruby falling in love with Oscar around the same time he’s falling in love with her. I believe in the Little Prince, the Rose acts vain towards the Prince and doesn’t realize how much he means to her until he leaves her alone on his journey, right?

Well, imagine if…it’s the same with our Rosebuds. Imagine if…at first Ruby is rather ignorant of her growing feelings for Oscar and downplays it to it simply being that he is her friend and she cares deeply about him.

However when Rose Fox makes her interest in Oscar known, Ruby uncharacteristically finds her strongly disliking Rose’s romantic advances to woo Oscar. Rose even lets it slip to Ruby that she does have a crush on Oscar; not in a manner of her trying to antagonize Ruby but purely out of Rose wanting to befriend Ruby seeing as she is the new Rose in his life and from one Rose to another, she was hoping she and Ruby could be friends as well.

And at first, Ruby didn’t mind Rose---albeit slightly jealous of her knowing more about Oscar than she did (however Oscar made up for that by telling Ruby everything about him with the two bonding from that reveal). But besides that, the two Roses got along especially since they both shared one commonality---their care for Oscar.

I love the idea of Ruby coming to realize her feelings through a character like Rose Fox. Imagine…Ruby suffering a parallel to the Rose from the Little Prince where when she’s threatened to losing Oscar, even if it’s to another Rose, she is suddenly fuelled with a sense of envy she’s never experienced before. Ruby Rose, for the most part, has always been spirited, passionate and kind to those around her.

Can you picture Ruby being selfish, vain and/or a bit manipulative in the pursuit of ensuring she keeps something or…someone she doesn’t wish to lose to another or anything else? No. Not really.

Do you think she’s void of these kinds of emotions? Not in the slightest.

As a matter of fact, if the prospect of losing Oscar to another Rose turns Ruby into an arrogant girl then this would bring her closer to Salem than she’s ever been. But we all know Ruby isn’t like that. She’s nothing like Salem. However, it could be potentially interesting to see her character temporarily fall pray to these desires only to be brought back by the people who help keep her grounded. Her friends.

If Ruby becomes like this, then I can see Oscar giving her a good scolding to bring her back to her former self. I can even picture Jaune doing that since Jaune knows what it’s like to come out the sore loser in the pursuit of one’s affections. It was the same for him with Weiss and Neptune.

But while Jaune never told Weiss the truth of his feelings, he did help Neptune with his. And I can see Jaune providing Ruby with the same advice. This can be a great example to highlight the core big brother dynamic Jaune shares with Ruby.

Maybe in seeing Jaune comforting Ruby, Oscar gets the wrong idea about their relationship. Then again, I’ll admit that I am NOT a fan of Oscar being jealous of Jaune because he believes he and Ruby are in love or something.

I dislike that fan theory just as much as I dislike the thought of Qrow and Yang having a problem with Oscar having a crush on Ruby.

For how much I’ve talked about it before, you all know how much I’d prefer if Jaune and Oscar share a big brother-little brother dynamic too and harbour a great sense respect for one another. I don’t mind if the plot demands Oscar misinterpreting the Lancaster friendship as romance but not in the sense where he reacts immaturely to it as I’ve read in one or two fanfictions on the subject.

Thus far, Oscar has been shown to possess a level of maturity beyond his years. He generally handles his problems rather casually (albeit a little too casually) and even if he is to have an outburst, it’s usually after an extended period where he surprisingly manages to keep his emotions in tact only speaking out when its reached overwhelming levels that he can’t ignore.

I cannot picture Oscar to be the jealous type to act like a petulant child, throwing tantrums just because Ruby isn’t giving him enough attention. Does that sound like Oscar Pine the RWBY character? Not to this squiggly Pinehead. If this is sadly somehow how he ends up becoming then I will only shake my head in disappointment at the mishandling of an otherwise mature young character.

If anything Oscar strikes me as the type to be silent with his jealousy; choosing to brood internally while doing his best to keep his envy contained. But as mentioned, if it reaches its peak then he’ll probably lash out in one big upsurge that will leave him embarrassed but unapologetically unabashed since these are his true feelings and he can’t run away from them especially if they get to this level.

Anyways, that being said, even if Oscar unintentionally lashes out at Jaune out of jealousy, I feel like it’ll have the same outcome where they’ll both be able to talk it out like brothers. As a matter of fact, I feel like Oscar and Jaune could have a similar talk akin to Victor Krum and Harry Potter in the Goblet of Fire after Krum accuses Harry of cavorting with Hermione who Krum is interested in. But that’s just me.

On a final note, I’m not sure if the possibility of Rose Fox for RWBY is in the cards. However I think she would have made a great character. I like the idea of another Rose helping our Rose to see the truth in her feelings about Oscar. For me, I love this headcanon just for the likelihood of hearing a Rose Fox character say something like this to Ruby Rose:

“…I tried to tame him. I thought if we spent more time together like we used to then at some point he would look at me the way he looks at you. But he never did. He always looks to you even when he’s with me. It’s my fault really for trying to gain the love of someone whose heart has already been tamed by someone else. I may be the Rose he likes but I’m not the Rose he loves…” 

It’s moments like these that really make me wish I was a CRWBY Writer just so I can chuck this line of dialogue in Miles and Kerry’s faces because it’s a sweet ass line. Makes me like my fanon Rose Fox girl even more now.

Bonus if Rose Fox is actually a Faunus. I really dig the idea of Oscar’s first friend back home being a Faunus girl. Perhaps…Rose’s family were the only Faunus in Oscar’s old neighbourhood and there were some folk back there who were rather prejudice toward the Faunus. However Oscar’s family weren’t one of those people and raised their son to be the same.

Oscar was always pleasantly nice to Rose which was part of the reason why she liked him so much. The day she started crushing on Oscar was when he complimented her ears after some of the neighbourhood children made fun of Rose for being a Faunus.

If I had to describe my vision for Rose Fox then I can picture her with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair that’s white at the tips like a fox’s tail with dark skin and blue-grey eyes to contrast with Ruby’s silver eyes. Her Faunus feature would her ears so she’ll have cute red Fox ears. I actually quite like this.

But you know, as always, these are only my Pinehead headcanons.

Anyways, if Ruby and Oscar are destined to fall in love with each other then I can only see them coming to realize their true feelings with a little help from a fox.

More Squiggles’ RWBY Content

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

[daleisgreat]

Hulk Hogan’s Unreleased Collector’s Series

In recent years on this blog my wrestling entries have been dedicated to recent releases from the past year or two. I am dipping deep into the backlog today however by covering a 2009 WWE Home Video release: Hulk Hogan’s Unreleased Collector’s Series. I purchased this upon its release just over a decade ago and finally viewed it this past week. I remember the peculiar timing of this release because a couple weeks before its scheduled release TNA announced the signing of the Hulkster for his four year run there. That did not stop the WWE from still releasing this match anthology which at the time in 2009 consisted of previously unreleased matches on home video spanning Hulk’s entire career. Since 2009 some of these matches here have appeared in other collections and many can be tracked down conveniently on the WWE Network. Throughout the 80s and well into the 90s WWE filmed major-market live events and only aired them in that market around their original recording. A lot of these old-school cards either feature c or d-list announce teams or no commentary at all. I have seen interviews and reports from and about WWE’s archivists over the years on how they take tremendous care of their video library and the result here is 27 matches and six promos/interviews comprising the collection.

Since past Hogan DVD releases featured matches dominated by PPV and supercard main events we primarily associate with Hogan’s career, Unreleased Collector’s Series specializes in the aforementioned major-market live events and long forgotten TV main events from Nitro, RAW and Smackdown. There are brief 30-to-60 second narration packages setting up the next match and quickly touching on major moments that happened in Hulk’s career such as various world championship reigns and switching promotions. I greatly appreciate these quick video packages setting the table for Hulk’s next rival and showing where he was at in his career at the time. Another nice touch is each match has a quick graphic at the beginning listing the commentators. This compilation has one of the most diverse line of announcers ever. A lot of the major-market live events that feature c and d-list announcers are names I can barely recall, and some surprise past wrestlers I had no idea who take a stab at announcing. Here is a quick list of some of the announcers present throughout – Vince McMahon, Nick Bockwinkel, Bruno Sammartino, Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, Tony Schivane, Jimmy Hart, Alfred Hayes, Mongo McMichaels, Eric Bishoff, Michael Cole, Tazz, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler. What stands out is that WWE brought in Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross to record all new commentary for three of the older matches that saw Hogan square off against Bob Backlund, Andre the Giant and Kamala. Both provide great insight on Hulk and how he evolved in those early stages in his career.

As far as highlights from the 27 matches included I will touch on several that stood out the most for me. There are four matches from Hulk’s first run in WWF in 1979 as the “Incredible” Hulk Hogan. Aside from a couple squash matches, there is that previously mentioned bout against Bob Backlund I highly suggest checking out which features all sorts of school technical prowess until Backlund winds up on the wrong end of an airplane spin. There is also a pre-Wrestlemania III encounter against Andre the Giant from 1980 that has a far-less broken down Andre and Hulk deliver a more intriguing match than their carefully paced Silverdome ‘epic.’ I was a little bummed to see only one match from Hogan’s AWA run included, and it is regrettably a dud handicap match against Bockwinkel & Heenan that sees lots of villain tomfoolery. The Hulk-a-Mania WWF era is unsurprisingly where the bulk of the content is. There is a must-see match against a fresh in his WWF run Macho Man from 1986 that marked the first time I saw a pinfall from a common ‘lift-the-leg’ counter to a top-rope move. Big Boss Man and Rick Rude also face Hogan here early in their WWF runs and have fairly good matches on the Hogan curve and mix in interesting spots with handcuffs and an impromptu arm wrestling contest, respectively. I had no recollection of seeing a Killer Kahn match before, so seeing him against Hogan was fascinating. What was not fascinating was about several of these matches have the standard formula of Hogan’s early fired up offense followed by a long villain beat down until eventually Hogan ‘Hulk’s Up’ for his comeback and hits the leg drop for the W. Some of the latter matches in this collection however found fun ways for Hulk’s opposition to counter his finishing sequence to freshen things up a bit.

I was delighted to see one of Hogan’s matches against Ric Flair towards the end of 1991 in Flair’s first WWF run. This took place during a run of several untelevised matches the two had only on live events to prepare for their expected Wrestlemania VIII battle until plans changed and opponents for both were swapped in the final weeks leading up to the event. I am still bummed those two never had a PPV clash from this moment in their careers, but was glad to finally see this match get resurrected from the archives. It is not paced like a traditional PPV headliner like one would assume, but instead as a brawl with the two frequently dueling outside the ring and exchanging more fists, chops and chokes than traditional holds. It resulted in a fired up encounter I was on board for from beginning to end. Definitely make that 1991 clash between the two one of the first to see from this collection. From there the Unreleased Collector’s Series transitions into Hogan’s WCW run. Unlike WWE, WCW did not film many of their live events/house shows from this time so the five WCW matches are from WCW PPVs and episodes of Nitro that were not released on WWE Home Video before. Highlights include the ’95 Slamboree main event I never saw before with Hogan & Savage taking on Vader & Flair with Arn Anderson and The Renegade as special ringside enforcers. There are two Nitro main events against Sting in 1995 and Bret Hart in 1998 that both feature actual good wrestling, but have screwy finishes that dominated Nitro at the time. I believe this Bret Hart match was the first time the two faced each other in the ring in singles competition and it was disheartening to see the ridiculous over-booked catastrophe it turned out to be.

From there the collection wraps up with four matches from RAW and SmackDown from Hulk’s first WWF return in 2002. For a well-aged Hogan at this point, he still managed to have watchable and borderline good matches against Ric Flair, Triple H and Kurt Angle. The match with Hunter stood out the most from his WWF return matches. Sadly, no matches from his 2003 run as Mr. America are included, or his handful of matches he did for WWE in 2005 and 2006. Also interspersed throughout the collection are six Hogan promos/interviews. A few of them are vintage backdrop solo promos from syndicated shows like Challenge where Hogan is in full on ‘Hulk’ mode which only Hulk can pull off and got me amped up reliving them again for this collection. In the bonus features are eight additional promos/interviews. Some of them are more Hogan nonsensical shouting against rivals like Sid Justice and Vader, and others have Hogan donning a creepy costume taunting the feared Dungeon of Doom. Part of me wanted more of these whacked-out solo backdrop Hogan promos, as I am obviously super nostalgic for them, and for younger fans unaware of them I highly suggest going down a YouTube hole of them immediately! Hulk Hogan’s Unreleased Collector’s Series is mostly a gratifying compilation of previously unreleased gems from Hogan’s career. There are certainly a few duds sprinkled in throughout, and it can be a bit of chore seeing several of the standard Hulk-Up comeback formula matches in a row. Other than that however I dug the variety of opponents and see Hulk evolve over the years and eventually barely hang in there for his 2002 return. I have a few more ‘Unreleased Series’ DVDs WWE released over the years I would like to cover soon that have been sitting in my backlog for a while. These are for Shawn Michaels, Randy Savage and a recently released one for Roddy Piper so be on the lookout for more entries in this series in the near future!

Past Wrestling Blogs Best of WCW Clash of Champions Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 2 Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 3 Biggest Knuckleheads Bobby The Brain Heenan Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes Yes Yes DDP: Positively Living Dusty Rhodes WWE Network Specials ECW Unreleased: Vol 1 ECW Unreleased: Vol 2 ECW Unreleased: Vol 3 Eric Bishoff: Wrestlings Most Controversial Figure Fight Owens Fight: The Kevin Owens Story For All Mankind Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection Impact Wresting Presents: Best of Hulk Hogan Its Good to Be the King: The Jerry Lawler Story The Kliq Rules Ladies and Gentlemen My Name is Paul Heyman Legends of Mid South Wrestling Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story Memphis Heat NXT: From Secret to Sensation NXT Greatest Matches Vol 1 OMG Vol 2: Top 50 Incidents in WCW History OMG Vol 3: Top 50 Incidents in ECW History Owen: Hart of Gold RoH Supercard of Honor 2010-Present ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Scott Hall: Living on a Razors Edge Sting: Into the Light Straight Outta Dudley-ville: Legacy of the Dudley Boyz Straight to the Top: Money in the Bank Anthology Superstar Collection: Zach Ryder Then Now Forever – The Evolution of WWEs Womens Division TLC 2017 TNA Lockdown 2005-2016 Top 50 Superstars of All Time Tough Enough: Million Dollar Season True Giants Ultimate Fan Pack: Roman Reigns Ultimate Warrior: Always Believe War Games: WCWs Most Notorious Matches Warrior Week on WWE Network Wrestlemania 3: Championship Edition Wrestlemania 28-Present The Wrestler (2008) Wrestling Road Diaries Too Wrestling Road Diaries Three: Funny Equals Money Wrestlings Greatest Factions WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2017