#and i was streaming bach too

[lizard-rustler]

god bless america and god bless our wet ass workers

[vixenveil]

How Does The Karmic View You vs. Your Person 18+

This is for adults only. Minors DNI. 9 piles (quick read)

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

"No one watches you as much as the man who fumbled you and the woman he ran to." – Unknown

The Karmic: 2 of swords, 2 od wands, Queen of Cups

They aren't sure what to make of you. They see you as a loving and compassionate person. They stalk your socials. They are confused. Do they need to worry about you or not? They can't make up their mind. They see you as a genuinely loving person.

The karmic is insecure as fuck and still casting witchcraft toward you or sending the evil eye. It is not working. My guides and your guides want to emphasize this person is nothing. Especially compared to you.

You're intuitive as fuck and she knows that, but you choose to be a decent person anyway. Her insecurities are driving her. Don't get too mad at her, she is with someone who does not cherish and value her. She is trying to stay with that person and holy rubbery blue balls, it's not working out well.

Your Person: 9 of wands, 5 of cups, the Devil.

They are obsessed with you. They are grieving the loss of you and watching from afar. They keep an eye on you and are seriously crying about it. They may hide this, but tears are coming out of that mf's eyeballs and streaming down their cheeks. You aren't the only who was hurt in this situation (if you were).

They know they have responsibilities with someone they chose over you. They know it was a "f*cking mistake" (they wanted me to say it like that), but understand that your person is learning the hardest lesson of their life.

They lost you.

They know your defenses are up and they miss you. They want to hold you.

They are stuck with the 3rd party.

There may be children involved?

They are grieving and crying in private.

The karmic knows about this person's obsession with you. Not because they caught your person or saw them looking into you, but because the karmic is intuitive as well. They are both on a karmic path. No matter how hard either of them try to hurt you, it will be curved by the universe.

"True love stories never have endings." – Richard Bach

The Karmic: knight of wands. 9 of cups. 10 of wands. 4 of wands.

The karmic feels burdened pile 2. They see you having your celebrations, enjoying your life and all that. They see or know about you having a good life and they see it like "Pile 2 is living their best life, enjoying the breeze, basking in the sun, frolicking in flowers and wearing cute little sundresses and is smug as f* about it!" Basically. They are jealous as fuck. They see you going out and enjoying life. You aren't down bad, you're not pathetic as fuck. You're living it up! If that isn't the case, this is what the Karmic believes. Oh well. Your life if going amazing (in the karmic's eyes anyway).

They feel like you are living your dreams with or without your person, the karmic knows they have the person but feels like "well damn, I won, why does it feel like pile 2 won instead?!"

Probably because they were having an invisible competition with you. You're the main character and no matter what they "win" from you, you still live life joyfully. They will never succeed.

They are seething from seeing you out there being beautiful and enjoying something life has to offer you. If you are trying to rub something in their face, it's working. They're BIG MAD at you for having the perfect life.

They aren't invited to live your dreams? How dare you pile 2, lmao.

Your Person: knight of cups. 8 of cups. the hierophant. 5 of pentacles.

Your person sees you going after what you want and leaving them in the cold. They see you moving on from them. They view you as married or getting married soon. Your Person is feeling left out in some way. This could be a friend who feels neglected or a family member. This doesn't have to be romantic at all. They don't feel like your giving them much energy right now. You left everything on the table with person and just left.

The hierophant is technically the Pope and the people on the 5 of pentacles are outside of a church. This tells me that your person and the karmic both have to just keep it pushing, as they aren't allowed inside the cozy warm church where you are. You and your new boo-thang or whoever else you are with right now.

I'm wondering if you invited your person and the karmic to your wedding.

For some of you, you may just be contemplating doing that or have posted on socials and they saw you there. You will know what resonates. <3

"The best relationships are the ones where you can be yourself and feel that you're still loved and valued." – Unknown

The Karmic: knight of wands. page of swords. the chariot.

The karmic can tell you're gathering information for something. Probably a new project you're working on. You've set a goal to go after and the karmic can see that you are taking charge of the direction things are going in. You selected a destination and are headed that way.

The karmic thinks you're destroying anything in your path. If they or anyone get in your way, they will get mowed down.

They karmic thinks you're dangerous.

If you want your person bad enough, you're going to pursue them. You're still in the "learning about your person" phase, most likely. Once you've made a decision, you're going after what you want. The karmic is scared. They know you could take their person if you really put your mind to it. They want to call you a homewrecker.

You aren't. Unless you are, but I won't tell.

They know the sexual tension between you and your person is palpable. They don't want you to take what they feel belongs to them, pile 3.

They are pretty upset, stressed and depressed about this. They feel bad about life due to this situation.

Your Person: page of wands. queen of wands. justice.

I think they're looking at photos of you online and … you know. They see you as the sexiest creature they've ever met in their life, if they've met you that is.

They want you to grab their "wand" so to speak. They think of this often.

They want rough sex with you. They see you as someone who can take what they have to give. You seem like you take pain well. I'm seeing your hair wrapped around their fist. This person wants to be your dom. They seem like the hyper-masculine type. They think you'd be perfect as their hyper-feminine sub, basically.

They may be a pleasure dom or a brat tamer. I haven't ever met both, but they really fantasize about you sexually. You do stand out too. If you're the masculine, reverse the roles. please daddy. c':

Are one of both of you into the whole true crime or horror movies thing? If so, you may have a knife-play kink or someone here has a mask fetish or kink. You all are the freaky pile. I love it.

Same. <3

"In the end, you shouldn't have to sacrifice who you are for the relationship you want." – Unknown

The Karmic: ace of pentacles, 5 of wands, page of wands, the lovers. The cards came out in that order. The page of wands of wands is off to herself and looking up at the angel who is on the lovers card. The page of wands isn't engaging in the competition. She is her own being, peaceful and doing her own thing, allowing the Divine to make the call. The judgement card briefly flipped over, but I didn't feel called touse it in this spread.

The karmic sees that you have left this situation up to the divine. With or without someone else, you'll be fine.

The karmic sees a financial opportunity being offered, but you aren't sweating it. While everyone else is fighting over these material goods, you are just standing by and keeping your eyes on your spiritual pursuits. You aren't fighting with others for their lover or their lover's material things.

For a very very select few of you, the karmic may have tried to offer you something to make you go away.

This karmic may have thought you were competition, but you decided it wasn't worth it. Believe it or not, this makes things clear for your person. The karmic doesn't like it that you aren't competing. This karmic is baffled by your behavior. You're not competing for your person. Even if your person seems like they're the prize. You look so confident in yourself and the karmic is not even close to feeling like that. At least, not when it comes to this person.

For some of you: The karmic likes to make themself appear to be more confident and competent than they really are. They like to look like they know best and will fight to defend their stance. You look like you are just holding on to your ideas, not sharing them with anyone and standing off to yourself. The karmic doesn't see you as a team player. They may tell others they think you're too dumb or too inexperienced to engage and compete. This isn't true.

You just see how foolish everyone else is being in the situation and are not participating in the f*ckery. The karmic doesn't realize how stupid they look. They are clearly trying too hard. You don't think it's worth it to engage. If you're considering it, don't. This karmic would be frothing to fight with you. They want to have a brawl.

No matter what happens with the competition, you are universally beautiful and don't have to engage. You are gorgeous and you seem to know that, so you don't compete. You know you don't have to.

Your Person: 2 of wands rv. 4 of wands. justice. the king of swords. They feel that you have met your divine counterpart are happy with them. They think you and your current partner are judging them in a fair way. They believe you see the truth and your partner is helping you in some way. Like your current partner might be skilled with people and see through bullshit easily.

If this isn't romantic, maybe you have a mentor who is fair with you and is helping you to see opportunities you otherwise would have missed.

Their plans to get you flopped. They may have tried to get you into some legal agreement, but you knew it was sketchy so you didn't fall for their plot. They may still be plotting to get you as a romantic partner, or potentially a business partner.

They see that you are celebrating something you deserve and however you are treating them is completely fair. You could seem like you're innocently minding your business and they are watching you from afar.

They think you're perfectly happy and fine and don't want to engage in the conflict.

You didn't take the bait because you can see clearly what was happening. Your person is impressed. They like that you can see things clearly, but might feel embarrassed that they tried to trick you. Sometimes people misdirect their feelings of humiliation and project those onto us. If your person was cruel, it was because they got upset with themself.

"The greatest relationships are the ones you never expected to be in." – Unknown

The Karmic: 8 of cups. 7 of pentacles. 5 of pentacles.

They saw you leave your person and jumped on that asap. They realize they are both left out in cold now and neither one of them are on your level in some way. This could be spiritually, maturity level, financially and so on.

They may have a hard time getting anything to grow. Any manifestations they plant, they feel, will end up withering away and dying.

They see you focused on some project or personal goal and know they can't be a part of it.

The karmic and your person may be having a hard time, but are too prideful to ask for help. They know you will flourish and won't look back. You are just in the beginning stages of something and the karmic knows they aren't allowed to touch it.

Like, yeah you got pile 5's person, but now you're stuck and unhappy. You can't satisfy this person, Karmic.

Pile 5 is on to new and better things.

This pile feels more like coworkers or classmates than romantic, but take what resonates.

Your Person: ace of swords. 9 of cups. 8 of cups.

Your person feels like you found something out. You found out through gossip or observing them. They believe you received this information and moved away from them because of whatever it is. You received some divine guidance or wisdom about this person or situation. You took your cups and left into the night.

They feel like you accomplished something or whatever you learned was enough to give you more than they could give you. You received a better offer, for some of you. You received more from the divine or you manifested it. This person saw that you left something good for something great.

Maybe you learned they were up to something that you didn't like very much? That is only for a few of you.

They know you are happy. They think you might never come back. They aren't thrilled about it.

"True love stories never have endings." – Richard Bach

The Karmic: 6 of swords. 9 of cups. 4 of wands.

The 5 of swords fell out of the deck very briefly, but spirit wanted me to put it back in the deck lol.

This tells me that whatever psychological games the karmic was playing or about to try, you noped tf out before it could even start.

You could see it coming, likely because you are gifted and protected.

You're living the dream and are enjoying your blessings every day.

Your person left the karmic for you. You and your person seem to be living it up. Living the dream together. You're enjoying each other's company.

Your Person: strength. 5 of pentacles. temperance. the world.

Your person has seen you go through tough times and come out better than before. You may have been patient with your person while they ended things with the karmic.

They could hardly wait to see you and be with you.

If you aren't together yet, your person is getting ready and making the necessary changes for this.

You both might be leaving karmic situations and moving toward each other.

Your person views you as their ride or die, their entire world, the love of their life, their angel. You are their pride and joy. You are the most important person in the world to them. They cherish and love you to the ends of the earth. Until the day they die they will love you.

They know you are there in hard times and they want to be your pillar of strength. However, you've proven to them that you are their pillar of strength. They can't help looking at you and feeling like they want to be strong for you.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." – Mahatma Gandhi

The Karmic: wheel of fortune. ace of swords. knight of cups. the chariot.

They think you are your person's destiny. They can see that this is divinely guided and your person is going to choose you over them.

The karmic knows your person is moving away from them and in your direction.

Your Person: 2 of pentacles. 7 of cups. king of pentacles. queen of wands.

They see that you balance them out. This is a well-balanced and smooth connection. The energy flows well between you two. You're both what the other wants and can learn so much from each other. Your person can tell you are highly desired and highly sought after. Others want you badly, but you have so many options that (your person thinks) you won't settle for just anyone.

The person you want has to bring their all. They think you may have wealthier suitors and wonder if they can actually offer you anything you'd want. Anything that would be useful to you or beneficial to your life in anyway.

They can offer you a little bit of several things, but not much of one thing. They are working to get their money right. Once their money is right they want to spend it on you. They are going to make an offer soon.

They may let you know they have a crush on you. They might also just offer frienship or … anything they can.

They know you're busy and don't want to waste your time. They respect you enough to stay back until they get their life and their self right.

"Sometimes it takes a break-up to realize how much you really want to be with someone." – Unknown

The Karmic: King of Wands. Knight of Pentacles. Queen of Cups. Ace of Wands. I feel like the "karmic" for this pile is a group of jealous people. They want commitment from your person, but your person isn't the "marrying type." At least, that's what he tells them. The karmics wonder why in the fuck you can get your person so hard, so fast and they can't. They can tell that your person is aroused by you. You are on your person's mind a lot. In fact, that cocky mf is probably bragging to other women/men about how you'd be perfect for them. After using said men/women to satisfy their sexual appetite.

Your person is making a futile attempt to get the karmics to look and act like you. This triggers tf out of these people.

The karmics know who you are or know of you. They have an inkling. Your person is not seriously entertaining others. They know you're the only person capable of taking it. I'm fucking blushing so hard rn. Help.

The Karmics can see you are actually loving and have compassion. They see you doing well in a "boss babe" kinda way. They know you're on your person's level and they can't compare.

Sure, your person will fuck them and your person is sexy as hell, but they won't commit. They nut then bolt with these people.

But you seem to be on a whole other level. You take your time to vet who is and isn't a good partner. Your person was perplexed by this, whether the karmics know it or not.

You are wife material and you are a sexy one as well. When you are with your person, you both give the vibe that you are meant to "rule" together. Basically the all-knowing matriarch and the high-earning patriarch of the family. President and his wife vibes.

You inspire a lot of these people. They actually like you and, if they aren't a group of jealous people, then they are coworkers or community members who just feel that you two go together.

But they can't piece things together because they are missing information. They just don't know certain details of things.

Your Person: Knight of Swords. The Devil. Ace of Wands. 4 of Wands. Thinking about you. They miss you. They have spent too much time away from you.

They are toying with the idea of just going and getting you. You are theirs. In their mind. They think you're mad at them, but this cocky mf is like "where is my pile 8?" This isn't the type of person (getting heavy masculine vibes) who will just let you walk away from whatever you had going on.

If they saw you in their future or you were close to them at one point, they aren't gonna let this situation stagnate. They want to put this in the past, but they have an overly-confident way of doing it. This is probably arousing to you.

They want to have make-up sex, after having angry sex. Y'all will make up, probably. They view you as theirs and there's nothing you can do about it. You're meant to be, in their mind, and they won't just let you go.

They want to put the bullshit in the past and not bring it up. They don't want to hash it out. They want to go back to being the sexy power-couple they saw you as, or (if it's not romantic or sexual) the dynamic business partners or besties or whatever you were before something made you take a long fuckin' break from each other. Their sexual appetite, for most of you, is unhinged. They want to experience you (again, if you've already hooked up).

They like that you are acting so stern. It is the only way to match their energy without getting bulldozed. Keep acting mad though, giving them the silent treatment. They love the mean-ass energy you bring. It tempers their energy…. tempers is not the right word. It actually makes their temper worse, but it flows well with yours.

They love getting you riled up. It's their favorite thing to watch you get mad. They can't help but smile when you lose your shit. They find it exhilarating.

This asshole is in love with you. Though they wouldn't say it that way most likely. When God humbles this motherfucker, they will realize you were a gem. This will force them to change. It might be a long break, but you'll maintain your decorum and dignity, as Dita Von Tease once said in an interview.

You will see this person's changed-self and you will reunite.

And, the asshole version of them wants to say that you are the sex toy they want to marry.

Is this person that immature??? Anyway, you're mature enough to handle their bullshit and not dumb enough to stay for the abuse.

You're the perfect sex partner to them and they want to

lock.

it.

down.

All theirs forever so you can't escape. They actually want to be romantic with you too. Hmm. How sweet and awkward.

If they saw you being happy with someone else they got hella jealous. They would never say it out loud. They want you back, dammit. They are willing to do almost anything to get you back.

If this person is in any way abusive, leave them. Never ever let tarot cards convince you to stay with an abusive ass wipe. If they hurt you without your consent and it doesn't give you pleasure, you leave. I don't ever do readings with the intention of channeling abusers, but I feel like giving a warning. A lot of abusive men do behave this way. Unless they stop being abusive and objectifying their partner, they aren't shit.

"The best relationships are the ones where you can be yourself and feel that you're still loved and valued." – Unknown

The Karmic: What karmic? Spirit didn't want you to focus on this for this reading. So … go figure lol.

Your Person: They want to write you love letters and sing you songs. They want to wake up in the morning and see you there beside them. They want you to go away somewhere with them. The also want cuddles and hand holding and snuggling together.

For a good portion of you: They love you. They are in love love with you. This is long-lasting commitment type of energy.

Their soul knew as soon as they saw you. You're the one. They want to have the wedding, hold hands, do those cute family tiktoks with you and be famous.

I heard "famous in a small town." Awe… how cute. They are probably v popular in town. You might be as well, but less aware of it. Switch roles if you need to.

You all are or will be known as that couple around town or in your local area. You're perfect for each other and are adorable.

You look good together and are so sweet. Others feel comforted in the presence of you both, especially when you're together. They get "I'm safe here" vibes.

I'm getting those vibes from your person. Your person probably helps others to heal, but you are their anchor.

You help keep them afloat. Your person may have had a hard life and want to make a difference in the lives of others. You see them over-extending themself and you can reach out to help them.

You are their support.

If this is just a crush they fantasize about all of this with you. They think you are cute as hell.

That's all for this reading. I hope you liked it. :')

[pookietv]

number one fan | george clarke

this was requested! and i couldn't resist the end lmao so !!

george had always been supportive. he liked to consider himself his friends biggest fans, always turning up to whatever may be important to them, from arthur's tours, to his home friends graduations, he always wanted to be there and be able to show his pride in the people in his life.

so when he began dating a singer, it was to no one's surprise that he became the biggest fan out there.

your music a staple of the household, to the point where an intervention was called by arthur and chris.

"geooooorge can we not put on different music now?" chris said with a slight smile on his face as he rolled his eyes jokingly.

"you know we love y/n's music but george, this is a little excessive," arthur agreed, giggling to himself a little.

"just let this song finish! its the best one," he protested whilst cooking at the kitchen island, earning a joking groan from arthur.

"i'm convinced that just by living in this house we may know her lyrics better then she knows them," chris laughed, and george just shrugged with a mockingly innocent look.

when you first got signed by a manager, changing from original songs uploaded to youtube to a real publishing plan.

"george?" you grinned to yourself as you went into his room, having been let in by arthur, seeing him sat at his desk, seeing you and pulling his headphones off his head.

"hey, you! didn't know you were coming around today," he said, standing to press a quick kiss to your hairline, and you could barely stop yourself grinning at him like the cheshire cat.

"what's that look for?" he asked as he pulled away, quirking his head slightly as a small smile approached his face too.

"i got offered to be signed! by a real label! they actually want me to be under their label!" you practically babbled out, watching george's grin grow wider before wrapping you in a hug, practically lifting you from the ground.

"no way! that's amazing, darling," he muffled into your hair, his arms around your torso only wrapping tighter, "i'm so so so proud," he beamed, pressing another kiss to your cheek.

"thank you george," you smiled back, your cheeks glazed with red, "you've been so supportive, and i appreciate it so much,"

"so, now can i convince you to write a whole album about your biggest fan?" he teased, and you playfully pushed his chest.

"well, maybe i could write a song for arthur, i mean he was so lovely letting me open for his tour, he definitely has been a loyal fan..." you teased in return, pretending to ponder, causing george to mock pout.

"hey, hello, i am your biggest fan you muppet!"

when your first album released, and it was all george could yap about for at least a month afterwards.

when he featured on his bach and arthur's podcast? practically the first thing to leave his mouth.

"yeah, so i've not been up to too much, y/n was really busy recently so we decided now she's done and the album's released, we might try and go away somewhere - the album's out now on all streaming platforms! go listen, she's brill," he says with a cheesy grin on his face.

"what was the timer on george mentioning y/n there? under five minutes?" bach laughed, george's face going slightly red as he shrugged.

"it is a good album, in his defence," arthur laughed a little.

when he's in one of chris' videos? practically every goal he scored was backdropped by the beat change of one of your songs.

"if you miss this one, we're not letting you aux the flat for a week," chris chided with a grin, and george rolled his eyes as he placed the ball down, lining it up and kicking it in.

"see? he's the biggest fan around! the second the thought of not playing y/n's new album 24/7 is unthinkable to george," arthur laughed, before continuing, "i don't even live with you guys and i think i've heard y/n's music more times then i have actually met her in person."

going to your first big concert?

you had offered him to be backstage, but he had said no - of course he wanted to be in the front, seeing you perform like he was anyone else, he wanted to see you properly, from the floor.

"you're sure you don't wanna be backstage?" you had asked him on facetime earlier that day, when you were already at the venue for sound checks but he had assured you no.

"we're all coming in the pit, we've gotta see it like a normal concert!" he grinned down the phone, and you rolled your eyes playfully.

"you at least gonna stand at the back so you guys don't get like, mobbed or squashed or something? 'cause people might ask for photos," you said, slightly concerned for him, but he just shook his head.

"we can take photos afterwards with whoever wants one - i'm not standing at the back and barely seeing anything just cause some people may try and be rude and take photos with us whilst you're performing, that's not fair to you," he hummed slightly down the phone, "plus, chris wouldn't be able to see from the back and you know that," he laughed a little at his own joke

you cracked a small smile as you shook your head, "you're so stubborn, george, you know that?"

and when he showed up to the concert, with both of the arthurs and chris, all stood as close to the front as they could be, and before you could even notice anything else, you saw george's shit eating grin at his shirt, which he wore in a teasing sort of pride, that just said 'i fucked the singer', and as he saw your eyes roll, you could hear his laugh from the crowd.

[mysticstronomy]

WHAT IS BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM??

Blog#383

Wednesday, March 13th, 2024.

Welcome back,

Earth is the sixth planet from the edge of the solar system, meaning we're none too near this cold and inhospitable frontier. But we've sent out various spacecraft over the years, so do we have any idea what the edge of the solar system looks like?

The answer is yes, but it's a work in progress. One of the latest developments, a 3D map of the solar system's edge that took 13 years to create, revealed a few more secrets about this mysterious boundary, called the outer heliosphere.

The outer heliosphere marks the region of space where the solar wind, or the stream of charged particles emitted from the sun, is "deflected and draped back" by the interstellar radiation that permeates the empty space beyond the solar system, said Dan Reisenfeld, a space science researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and head of the team that conducted the research on the 3D map. In other words, solar wind and interstellar particles meet and form a boundary at the far reaches of the solar system.

Earthlings first got a glimpse of the solar system's outer edge in 2012, when Voyager I, a NASA spacecraft that launched in 1977, crossed into interstellar space, according to NASA. Voyager 2 was not far behind, repeating the feat in 2018. Equipped with golden records full of Bach, Louis Armstrong and humpback whale songs, in addition to their scientific instruments, Voyagers 1 and 2 reported a sudden dropoff in solar particles and a substantial increase in galactic radiation when they left the solar system, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology.

The new 3D map reveals even more about the heliosphere. The inner layer — where the sun and its planets are nestled — is roughly spherical and is thought to extend roughly 90 astronomical units (AU) in all directions. (One AU is the average distance between Earth and the sun, about 93 million miles, or 150 million kilometers.) The outer layer is much less symmetrical. In one direction — that in which the ever-moving sun plows through the space in front of it, encountering cosmic radiation — the outer heliosphere extends about 110 AU, but in the opposite direction, it's much longer, at least 350 AU, according to Reisenfeld.

That lack of symmetry comes from the sun's movement through the Milky Way, as it experiences friction with the galactic radiation in front of it and clears out a space in its wake. "There's a lot of plasma [charged particles] in the interstellar medium, and… the inner heliosphere, which is pretty round, is an obstacle in this stream of plasma which is flowing past it," Reisenfeld told Live Science. "It has the same effect as water going around a rock in a stream," with a rush of water crashing into the rock in front and a sheltered calm behind it.

Measurements for the 3D map were gathered using the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), which was launched in 2008 and is "the size of a bus tire," according to NASA. It's pronounced "like the animal," Reisenfeld said, referring to the ibex mountain goats known for their gravity-defying treks up alpine cliffs. But the animal that IBEX really takes after is the bat.

Many bats hunt insects, such as mosquitoes, by emitting a pulse of sound and using the time delay of the echo to figure out the distance to their prey. Likewise, IBEX detects solar-wind particles that have bounced back from the edges of the solar system, allowing Reisenfeld and his colleagues to determine the distances involved by measuring how long their round trip took.

"The sun will send out a pulse … and then we passively wait for a return signal from the outer heliosphere, and we use that time delay to determine where the outer heliosphere must be," Reisenfeld explained.

As the sun circles the outer rim of the Milky Way, the solar wind keeps cosmic radiation at bay, forming a protective bubble. This is good for us, since "that radiation can damage spacecraft and it can be a health hazard for astronauts," Reisenfeld said.

Originally published on www.livescience.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, March 16th, 2024)

"WHAT IF WE ARE TRULY ALONE IN THIS UNIVERSE??"

[seetangus]

Aghhh i would love a reader x azula with the song "i dont smoke" by mitski inspired fic. Especially the line "So if you need to be mean, Be mean to me." PLEASEEE IF U HAVE TIME ERNKEKEJA IM BEGGIN U!! Like imagine azula snapping and being mean to her soldiers or smth

I Don’t Smoke - Azula x reader

[masterlist]

Azula x gn reader based on the song “I Don’t smoke” by Mitski. warnings: angst, verbal and physical violence, burning

534 + 282 words

Please enjoy

“Azula, don’t do this! They did their best, they don’t deserve this!” You rushed to Azula, desperate to keep her from inflicting mass punishment on her soldiers.

If you need to be mean

“The failed me. And they will suffer.” “But…” “Stop defending them! I am their princess and if they do not live up to my expectations they will have to endure the consequences!” “Azula, if you would just listen to…”

Be mean to me

“Are you trying to question my decisions, y/n?” Azula stared at you, her face distorted with anger. You had been in this situation before. Azula did love you, but in moments like this she was not herself. Still, you were determined to keep her from hurting her soldiers.

I can take it and put it inside of me

Even if it meant you would get hurt instead.

“Yes Azula, I am.” Your voice trembled. “It is not justifiable to punish all those people only because they cannot meet your unreachable standards.”

If your hands need to break

More than trinkets in your room

Azula came closer to you. “Do you realise what you just said, y/n?”

You can lean on my arm

Azula caressed your cheek. Her hand was boiling hot. “You know I love you, y/n”, Azula purred. Her touch burned. “And you are lucky that I do.” Her hand heated up even more. Tears began running over your face, evaporating when meeting her hand. “I would not hold back if it was someone else.”

As you break my heart

The pain was too much. You knocked her arm away and wiped your tears with your sleeve. But your skin wasn’t the only thing that burned; your heart felt like there was nothing but ashes left. You looked down at the floor, unable to meet Azula’s gaze.

Just don't leave me alone

“Azula, why are you doing this?” You tried to suppress your sobbing.

Wondering where you are

“I am doing this because I am right, why can’t you accept that! The soldiers failed me so they need to be punished, there is no other righteous way! And you cannot keep me from doing what I want.”

I am stronger than you give me

Credit for

You swallowed. “If you truly loved me, Azula, you wouldn’t hurt those people. You know punishing innocents is wrong. You know how much it hurts me to see you do it! I know you are better than this!”

If your hands need to break

More than trinkets in your room

You could not imagine what Azula was thinking now. You did not want to. You could practically sense her pent up anger and feel the masses of pure fire she was able to unleash now in the air.

You can lean on my arm

As you break my heart

You had done what was right. You had stood up against the unjust princess.

Against the cruel Azula.

Against the person you loved more than everything.

You knew she would make you pay. You swallowed the pieces that were left of your broken heart and closed your eyes, expecting your loved one’s rage.

< • ◇ • >

Hello. I hope you liked this! I tried my best; this was my first time writing something based on a song. I really liked this!

I couldn’t let it end like this though, so I searched up the english translation of two Bach pieces I really like and put together a somewhat happy ending, even if it’s not fully in character for Azula.

Enjoy.

< • ◇ • >

If the tears on my cheeks

can do nothing,

o then take my heart as well!

You waited but nothing happened. “Don’t hesitate, Azula. If my voice is not loud enough to reach your ears, hurt me. If it stops you from hurting the soldiers, hurt me.” Tears streamed down your face.

Yet let it be, in the flow,

as the wounds gently bleed,

the offering-bowl as well.

Your voice was nothing but a trembling whisper now. “Just please, I beg you, remember that I love you.” You kept your eyes closed, waiting for the inevitable.

But still, nothing happened. Instead, when you looked up again, Azula looked back at you with terror and guilt written all over her face.

O great love, o love beyond measure,

that brought You to this path of martyrdom!

When your eyes met hers, she rushed towards you and embraced you, her guilt becoming unbearable when she felt you flinching away at her touch. Her voice was unsteady and worried “I… I already hurt you, y/n…” You tried to escape her embrace but she clinged to you and buried her head in your neck like a child that awoke from a bad dream. “I am so sorry, y/n.”

I lived with the world in delight and joy,

and You had to suffer.

Her voice trembled with guilt: “My anger was too much. I did not see your suffering. Please forgive me. Please tell me you are alright! Please, y/n!”

You were not alright. Healing would take time, as would completely forgiving her. So you chose to speak truth:

“I love you, Azula.”

“I love you too, y/n.”

< • ◇ • >

[original text]

Können Tränen meiner Wangen // Nichts erlangen, // O so nehmt mein Herz hinein! // Aber laßt es bei den Fluten, // Wenn die Wunden milde bluten, // Auch die Opferschale sein.

[BWV 244, Part II, No. 52]

O große Lieb, o Lieb ohn alle Maße, // Die dich gebracht auf diese Marterstraße! // Ich lebte mit der Welt in Lust und Freuden, // Und du mußt leiden.

[BWV 245, Part I, No. 3]

[twilightlight-enashinonome]

omg you guys r so good!! i tried listening to vbs’s “music” and it was just awful i’m glad i found real artists lmao

WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME.

Alright, listen here, you little asswipe. I don't know who you think you're talking to but I can see why you hid your pathetic little opinions behind that fucking anon label because you KNEW this was backhanded hate and you just think I'm stupid don't you? I'll tell you what, you .5 on a good day good for nothing dick-breath shrimp-ass-posture having motherfucker, maybe you can't tell because your brain is too rotted by cheeto dust, but vbs has some of the best music I and anyone else in the history of the fucking universe will ever hear in their short, pathetic lives. Some of THE BEST. THE. REALEST. are you fucking listening? This group is not just gonna surpass RADder, they'll surpass all the fucking musicians that ever have and ever will make music. they'll surpass MOZART. BACH. BEETHOVEN. those old dead guys will be ROLLING IN THEIR GRAVES and when they emerge from the ground as zombies they're gonna go for YOU first, people who can't comprehend REAL music. people who don't know what GOOD is. and they'll find that they starve, because zombies eat brains and you HAVE NONE OF THOSE. there's nothing in your head, your skull is thicker than the length of the great wall of fucking china and when things DO get through it they go NOWHERE. Don't think that anon label is gonna save you, I'll fucking find you, and when I smack your head with a baseball bat it'll make the sound of a goddamn boomwhacker because it's HOLLOW. I'll get your address and I will hire someone to BUILD A VENUE right next to YOUR HOUSE and I'll get vbs to perform for you for 48 hours like the world's most spiteful fucking serenade. I will somehow get my lazy nocturnal ass up early to arrange a collaboration with vbs so we can weed bobbleheaded bumbling fucking idiots like you out of niigo's fanbase, YOU ARE NOT FUCKING WELCOME HERE. I hope your dysfunctional braincells shut down entirely and you walk off a cliff into an angry raccoon nest and one of them bites your dick off. I hope you get so many mosquito bites in places you can't reach and nobody cares about you enough to scratch them for you and every backscratcher you try and get is sold to you by some sleazy scammer. I hope your fucking crops wither and your livestock die and your family gets the plague and you have to eat dirt to survive but even the earthworms won't claim you because you're so disgusting. I hope you get jumped by unhinged vbs fans in a back alley and I'm among them so the last thing you see is my face. get out of my fucking inbox.

go stream kashika. i'm logging off for the night.

[stevenssticks]

that one fuckinf post about sebastian bach from a couple days ago broke me i think.

anyways been thinking about tying him up and edging him till he cries....

he’s so pretty it’s sickening. like he would be so flushed and breathless for you<3

like holding him down by sitting on his thighs while he whines for you so sweetly. wrists red from the ropes you used to tie him to your bedpost. his eyes would be squeeeezed tight as he tries to be good for you while you pump him, slowing down and speeding up over and over again until tears are streaming down his face.

he’d be letting out these little high pitched “ah! ah ah!” noises that drive you insane, making your stomach flutter and cunt clench around nothing. you’re gonna ride his face later, you think. watching his abs tighten and squeeze. breathing hard and fast with exertion. “p-plea- ohhh fuck.. please. trying so hard. wanna be good for you. i- hah- cant hold on for much longer.”

and oh he sounds so sweet. so different from his big, wild stage presence. all for you, and only for you. you smile to him. looking into those wide eyes and stopping once again, hearing him wail as he’s denied again. the tears fall harder now, he’s downright sobbing and maybe you took it too far tonight, but he hasn’t said his safe word, hasn’t tapped out. however, you know him and decide he’s done his best for tonight. you’ve worked him hard enough.

this time when you start moving your hand again you don’t stop when his abs clench, when he starts to whine and kick under you.

“you can do it, baby. c’mon, i want you to cum for me now.” at the command sebastian is shooting across his stomach, mouth wide open in a beautiful O shape, pretty lips bitten pink. you stroke him through it, other hand massaging his hip soothingly. when baz starts to curl away from you you let go of him, reaching up to untie him. he immediately comes up to meet you, pulling you down and shuddering at the feel of his skin on yours.

“you ready to get cleaned up, hon?” you coo, already working at the knots in his hair, cradling him to you.

“gimme a minute..”

you’ll do whatever he wants.

[koishua]

moments like these: park jay

requested by: @kdyism here | wc: 0.737k | fluff, idol!au

he is your jay and he hopes that he will forever remain as yours.

i hope you like this, yunn!! i finished record of youth and was in my celebrity au feels :') i forgot how in love i was with jay haha

reblogs and feedbacks are greatly appreciated!

the sun sets the room in a warm glow, casting hues of orange and gold. the glasses you’d enjoyed sipping on a cool lemonade in catch a few streams of light, colors of the rainbow refracted onto the coffee table. lounging on the sofa is a drowsy jay clad in a pair of comfortable pajamas (a white t-shirt and dark red sweatpants, really).

the scene on the screen of the laptop resting on the table is paused with you taking a quick break to fill up your bowl with some more popcorn. you had been watching one of jay’s favourite dramas again from the very beginning and even from the kitchen, you can hear him grumbling about how you’d chosen to pause at the worst possible moment in between the action.

“oh, stop pouting. i’m coming.” so used to his antics, you could almost see the way he rolls his eyes at your remark. 

pausing the timer right before the microwave hit zero, you pull out the fresh bach of popcorn. once you’d filled up the bowl, you moved merrily into the small, yet cozy, living room, plopping down next to your adorably unhappy jay. 

your jay. it still feels unreal as he smiles brightly at your return, thanking you for the snack and wrapping an arm around your frame to bring you in closer, resting his cheek on your head. this moment, and every other moment leading up to this very one, is everything you’d ever desired and more. this sense of peace and safety, warmth and comfort– you’ve never been more relaxed (never felt more loved) in your life. and it all had started with him.

your jay.

vincenzo plays on in the background as you seek for the hand he’d decided to rest around your waist, drawing small circles over his skin as you relish in his presence. you can feel his smile eventually growing wider as the clock ticks on, tightening his hold on you to pulls you impossibly closer. he flips his hand around to lace his fingers through yours, still not saying a word, his eyes trained on the show. it doesn’t last long, however, because fatigue starts catching up to him from the busy week’s activity.

you close the laptop when his hand slowly slips out of yours, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. your small adjustment stirs him instantly awake, though, so you chuckle affectionately and lay back against the soft arm of the couch, the furniture barely long enough to accommodate his height. your jay hums contently, still half-sleep while you pull the thin sheet over your shoulders.

you’re facing each other and through your awe at how calm and beautiful he looked whilst battling against sleep, trying to stay awake for a little longer fro your sake, you spot a lash on his cheek. gently brushing a finger over his skin makes him smile, leaning into your touch.

moments like these are what he cherishes the most. for jay, it’s just being next to you (so close), that makes everything worth it. the nightly escapades with pulled hoods and inconspicuous face masks as to not be recognized, the secret rendezvous at hidden locations just so you could see each other again– heading directly to your place any time he gets the chance despite his packed schedules that often times clashed with your during the day, so the only chance you could see each other were well after darkness had settled. moments like these made everything worth it.

too bad he only had this one day off for the next two weeks. he would miss having you by his side terribly. 

he sighs, lazily throwing an arm over your side. “why can’t we stay like this forever?”

you can’t give him an answer (he knows it already and he knows that you know it as well). this was something you’d both discussed about early into your relationship, building the foundation at which your strong bond and understanding of each other (for each other) stood. no words need to be said as he tilts his head to press a tender kiss on your temple.

this moment would not last long, so you do everything you can to make it worth a long while and because it’s jay (your jay), it’s easy to just be happy.

taglist no. one: @junityy @jeonqquk @iuwon @envirae @i-luvsang @rae-blogging @enhyseob @jitaros @jdyunvrs @kdyism @yourlocalhotgf @strwberrydinosaur @mark-lees-world @99outros @thekinkpopstandsforkrackheads @tyongishs @yutaalove @yangianwon @icywhatim @sunshine-skz @sooblvr @whoe-dis @thegracerammy @injanggarden @90sni-ki @wccycc @sunfics @woo-minhee02 @yyxy27 @jaeyuncult @bigsobforskz @daystiny @soobin-chois @jaysbestie @ni-kiii @jungwonerz @sunoosbestie @95sjcc @ja4hyvn @ant-ton-ya @blushlin @stealanity @pshflrts @norifilms @uhmkatt-blog

[fairyhaos]

Hi Yena! How are you?? Can I have some orchestral music recs please? I've been wanting to get listen to more classic music, but I have no idea where to start. I hope your exams (and revision!) goes well!!

hi oh my god!!!!!! id love to give you orchestral recs!!!!!! it really depends on ur music taste tbh but classical music is sooo so versatile so im gonna go thru a list of semi popular pieces and just give a few words-vibe explanation of them too

Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 - 20th cent dramatic romance movie soundtrack (specifically focused in the 3rd mvt)

Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite - exhilarating storytelling with dramatic climax

Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 - the epitome of 18th century stuffy wigs and aristocratic balls

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor - the dark theme of the anti-hero in a vigilante/dystopian movie

Beethoven Spring Sonata - if the imagery of petals floating down a fast-flowing stream was fit into a melody

Elgar Salut d'Amor - cream silk and pink ribbons in pigtails

Beethoven Romance No. 2 - swiss royalty ballroom dancing music. specifically switzerland, for reasons unknown to my brain

Monti Czardas - if spanish yearning was a violin piece

Dvorak Serenade for Strings in E Major - imagine the colour dark yellow spinning around super fast amongst the falling autumn leaves

if anyone wants more orchestral music recs then I'm always happy to provide!!!!! just send in an ask w the vibes of music that you'll want and im do my best to find something 😎

[teaandransacking]

You're in the kitchen humming (valentine's day fic)

Pairing: Lucy Carlyle x Anthony Lockwood

Content: first kiss, swears ~ Words: 1100

Things have been amiss at Portland Row for days now.

If Lockwood sends her on another fucking fact finding mission or recce by herself, because he and George are too busy - doing what, she’d like to know - she’s going to scream.

Thankfully, when she arrives at the breakfast table, her colleagues are sat around it, Lockwood reading some glossy gossip rag, and George doodling on the thinking cloth.

Lucy crosses to the kettle.

No one speaks.

Hopefully this is the end to the solo recces. She hasn’t been able to shake the feeling the two of them have been trying to get rid of her.

Lucy sits down and as she does, George and Lockwood exchange one of those speaking glances she still hasn’t quite figured out yet, and then George downs his tea and stands up.

“Right, I’m going out.”

“At this time?” Lucy asks, not even out of her pyjamas.

“Well, Flo said early morning is a great time to explore all the little crevices along the Thames, so.” He shrugs on his jacket, snags another piece of toast. “See you both later.”

“Good hunting,” Lockwood replies, in his usual unflappable Lockwood manner.

Lucy glances at George’s retreating back and then over at her other housemate. “What is going on-”

“Luce, perhaps you should take the morning off. Have a bath. Read a book. Watch some telly,” Lockwood suggests.

Lucy looks down at her tea like it might be poisoned. Perhaps there’s something in the water. “Who are you, and what have you done with Anthony Lockwood?”

A smile tugs at his usually somber mouth. “Take a morning off, Luce. You deserve it. God knows you’ve traversed half of London at my request.”

Yes, and what was that about? She almost asks, but then grabs a couple of pieces of toast. “Fine. I will. I can’t wait to have a really long bath. And perhaps a nap.”

**** 

She goes back to bed, skin bubble-bath soft, and dreams of Norrie.

When she wakes, it is to the most amazing smell, lamb and onions and roasted potato, and for a moment she thinks she’s dreaming of an alternate reality, one where her mum loved her, and would cook for her every evening, big hearty dishes served with a soft smile and a gentle hand.

But then her eyes open fully, and she remembers she’s at Portland Row.

Pulling on her favourite blue jumper and jeans, she glances at the clock - lunchtime. Her stomach protests.

Padding down the stairs on bare feet, she heads right for the kitchen. A stream of something wonderful, Bach, maybe, curls out into the hall, and when she opens the door, she has to rub a hand over her face to check she isn’t still dreaming.

Anthony Lockwood stands with his back to her, an apron tied over his crisp white shirt, muttering something. Over the music, she only catches a snatch of dialogue that sounds like, “How does George make this look so bloody easy?” And then, “Shit! This is maddening.”

She desperately wants to know what’s happening, and she opens her mouth to ask, but the unreliable kitchen floorboard creaks below her, and Lockwood turns, surprise sketched on his handsome face.

“Lucy. You’re awake.”

“What is this?”

He gestures to the mess of the kitchen table. “I was hoping that in around two hours, it would be treacle pudding.” His brow furrows. “For dessert. The, ah, hotpot is already in the oven.”

Her stomach sits up and begs. “You made hotpot? You. You cooked?”

“Yes. Or, I tried to.” He looks away, a rosy tinge creeping up his neck. “I’ve done a poor job of making it a surprise, sending you out for hours, so George could teach me to cook.”

And her heart melts.

She flies over to him, surprising him with the force of the hug, wrapping her arms around him, her words jumbled over each other. “You made hotpot! For me! And George taught you? I can’t believe it! And treacle pudding for after?!”

He settles his chin on the top of her head and she feels him smile. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Lucy Carlyle.”

She grins into his chest, stupidly touched, her insides warm and fuzzy. “I hadn’t even realised. Happy Valentine’s Day, Lockwood. Thankyou.”

He snorts. “You haven’t tasted it yet.”

“As long as it has enough gravy, I’ll be happy.”

“Well, I did consider a riff on the recipe with some horseradish-”

She jabs him. “Seeing as it’s Valentine’s Day, are you going to kiss me, or not?”

He pulls back to look at her, and his feelings are wrought large all over his face, big dark eyes soft. She sees herself reflected in them. 

“I’ve never quite known if you want me to,” he says, very quietly, and his voice is an octave lower with want and need and an edge of desperation.

She nearly makes a joke about how she might feel differently about it after she’s tasted the meal, but she can’t. He’s too precious right now - a boy who is allergic to domesticity, almost traumatised by even the memory of it, learning to cook especially for her - and she’ll treat him with all the love he deserves.

She slides her hand up to the nape of his neck, tangles her fingers in the hair there.

“I do want you to. I have for a while now.”

His gaze goes softer still, if that’s possible, and everything inside Lucy settles, still and quiet. Lockwood’s mouth touches hers as the music reaches a crescendo, partnering the turmoil of anticipation and yearning coiled tight in her stomach.

The kiss is soft and sweet, a question in it, and Lucy answers by parting her lips slightly, letting him in. He’s obviously been tasting the food as he goes, because she catches a lick of treacle, twinned with the sharp tang of bergamot from his tea, and it’s so him , and it’s perfect.

It’s much later when they finally sit down to eat, and they can’t stop grinning at each other.

When George walks into the library to find them wrapped around each other, an old re-run of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy playing on Radio 4, he grins from ear to ear.

“You should've seen him during the cooking lessons, Luce. Anthony bloody Lockwood, taking instructions from me. Should’ve recorded it.”

Lockwood’s so happy, he doesn’t even bother with a comeback.

---

A/N: I'd love to see Lockwood cooking.

[wolfkilermoved]

@dustandrot ( CLAUDIA ) sent : ❛  01 .   a  kiss  to  say  hello .

she is a fresh ray of light . an unforeseen joy , claudia is a steady balm against the trepidation that fizzles against his mind in the quieter moments ( too young trop jeune mistake mistake MISTAKE ) . and she is skilled , far quicker to take to the sudden change of her life than louis had been , and he has been told too often already that smug does not enhance the fine qualities of his features . but pride . . .

he catches her wrist as she attempts to flee with what has become her customary giggle , putting an end to the steady stream of bach that flows from his fingers . there is blood on the corner of her mouth and he can feel it against his cheek after she pressed it there . their paths had yet to cross this night , lestat having already risen and hunted long before her pretty eyes could flutter open , and she and louis had already made plans the evening before . . . he appraises her with a stern look , but there is something kind at his mouth , echoing the mischief of hers . his thumb dabs carefully at her carelessness , not caring yet to take care of his own ( trop jeune ! ) . " you've already cleaned up after yourself , i trust ? "

[boricuacherry-blog]

It's kind of selfish too. I just like it. I'm always looking for the new new shit."

Erykah has also collaborated with Italian fashion house Marni on a capsule collection which was sold in select Marni boutiques.

"Everything is vibration and sound, from the sound of the birds that I've heard since I was a child...(to) the clothes I wear - the clothes in my Marni line all have bells on them," the Dallas native said. "So, if I associate everything with music, it's very easy for me to create...there's a variety of things I listen to throughout the day, from wind chimes in the morning to Brent Faiyaz in the afternoon to Bach - I mean, there's just so many different things. I just love music and frequency. It is my therapy."

Badu describes the Marni collection as something of an audiovisual experience, what she calls "mystical instrumental wear."

A champion for Black women and free thought, she's not only in an era of reinvention, but expansion. She's entered the cannabis industry partnering with Cookies, arguably the world's most recognizable legal marijuana brand. She's worked with Cookies co-founder Berner to create a weed strain called That Badu, also working on a mushroom tea line.

Although it's been years since Badu put out an album, she has recently gone on tour, called The Unfollow Me tour. In an interview with Vibe, she revealed the inspiration for the name of the tour - cancel culture. "Whenever someone says something in the comments, they don't agree, I don't care, unfollow me, doesn't matter," she told the magazine.

"One thing I brag about all the time is that my sister is probably the only artist I know who easily sells out arenas despite not having put out an album in almost a decade," says sibling Koryan, or Koko for short. Koko once sang backup for Badu's band, but these days acts as her sister's right hand. With a trucker hat pulled over striking waist-length platinum blonde braids, Koko carries herself like a woman who means business. Badu's turning point, she explains, came when the pandemic brought touring to a halt.

The pivot was swift and effective: the launch of Badubotron, a streaming platform hosting concerts from Badu's home that could be viewed for the nominal fee of $1. These attracted more than a hundred thousand fans enamored of Badu's elaborate costumes, wild performances, and otherworldly DIY sets. In one of her shows, Badu and her band appeared to perform inside huge inflatable bubbles. The singer's popular online merch store, Badu World Market, also went live. "We just kind of came together as a family and it was like, Oh, we actually have a company right here," says Koko, whose son, Malcolm, and daughter, Diamond, also work for brand Badu. "Everyone stepped up."

The latest family member to join the team is Badu's daughter Puma. Listening to her cover her mother's songs on TikTok, you can barely tell their voices apart. She and boyfriend Sean have been serving as Badu's personal assistants for a little over a year, which means, among other things, ensuring Badu has the 15 to 20 trunks of clothing and accessories she needs on tour. "I don't know how other family workplace dynamics go," Puma says, "but it's like a real job, and I have to buckle down and do what I need to do or else word is going to get to the CEO and I'm not going to get paid. You know what I mean?"

Inside Badu's home, it's a veritable Aladdin's cave of tchotchkes and objets d'art, with Buddha statues lining the staircase, African masks hanging on the walls, and Indian marigold garlands strung in the windows. Badu, in a silk Libertine caftan printed with pictures of monkeys in space suits, leads her guests past her recording studio to the living area, where two larger-than-life Malian brass busts have glowing sticks of incense sprouting from their heads. The fireplaces casts shadows on vintage furniture, including a throne-like peacock love seat and a retro-futurist egg pod chair. In the corner, an upright piano is buttressed by a stack of vintage Louis Vuitton trunks.

[burningchandelier]

Okay, I think I am ready to write about this. I don't know if I can post it. We'll cross that bridge later.

A lot of people who know me know that the man who raised me was a murderer. I don't make a secret of this. It is just as much a part of my story as it was a part of his. When someone you love was a killer, it becomes a part of you, too. I loved him. He was, for all intents and purposes, my dad. That's what I called him. He was an incredible musician. He told amazing stories. He was a violent drunk. When I was nearly thirteen, my mom and I had to run away from our home to stay alive.

So, as a young teenager, I had a lot of dark, complex emotions rattling around in my brain and not a lot of outlets. I had inherited my love of music from the man who ripped my family apart. I clung to music because it was all I had.

The saying I had grown up with was "When you don't know what to listen to, put on Bach. If that doesn't work, put on Donovan." We were old school. We listened to sixties rock and classical and nothing else. I can sing you all of Beethoven's concertos and everything pre-electric Dylan from heart.

The stuff from my own era? Forget it. It was verboten.

For me, teenage rebellion began at the record store.

Up until that year, I quietly listened to my own records in my shitty walkman through my headphones in my bedroom.

Setting: 2004, my best friend's basement. We're sitting on her ratty sectional that often doubled as my bed. The TV is on the channel that played music videos, since MTV is all about reality shows now. I glance up and there is this band singing "I'm not okay"

I understood how baby ducklings fall in love with the first thing they see after they hatch. I was enthralled. Obsessed. My life became an alter for My Chemical Romance.

I was really, really not okay. I was going through the aches of adolescence, but dialed up to eleven. My life had been violently interrupted in the cruelest way and I had been made to confront humanity's worst truths. And here were-- well-- some dudes playing music about how I felt. More than that, it was good music! It was music that would never have been allowed in my childhood home, and therefore, I could make it my own.

The aesthetic of the band-- blood and aggression and violence, but in a comic book, cartoon kind of way, helped me to process so much stuff that I needed to work through. The concepts that they reveled in, particularly Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, made me feel like I was not insane or alone for dwelling on the reality that had been my life. It also made me feel like there was a life beyond that reality.

So, sure, did that come with some social weirdness? Well, who the fuck cared? I was already weird.

I had the freedom to examine and move through this heavy, heavy trauma through the scope of art. That meant, and continues to mean, more than I can possibly express.

This band has been a major influence for good for more than half of my life at this point. Even when they were not together, they were there for me through their solo work and in their past catalogue. Watching this tour, both live and through the incredible lens of the streams and fan reactions has shown me that, although we all come to this music on different paths, we share a bond both with the musicians and each other.

I do not know if I will ever be able to express my gratitude for what this music has given me. I do know that I will continue to love it and this band for as long as I am lucky enough to be here.

[theloniousbach]

MIDSUMMER’S MUSIC, Program F, BACH TO THE FUTURE, HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST of STURGEON BAY, 21 JULY 2024

Just as I also say my last Door County Baseball League game yesterday, this concert was the last of the series of three chamber music concerts of our six for five flex pack. Both baseball and chamber music are charming features of Door County, ones that I wanted to take full advantage of during this extended stay having had fleeting one off tastes in previous years. We head into our last week, as long as full vacations some years, and there is this autumnal tinge. But it has been wonderful.

We saw the annual piano trio concert (Schumann, Haydn, and Beethoven’s Ghost) two weeks ago and the season opener (Verne-Bredt, Mozart, and Mendelssohn).

That there was Bach in this one allowed me to sell it in the domestic home. Indeed, we had a further extrapolation of Wacht auf, ruft uns die stemme and the first two movements of the Musical Offering. But it was also a showcase for their composer in residence, Will Healy, including his duo Upstream with George Meyer. His work is certainly modern but, save some overtones from the strings in his piano quartet Root Position, not harsh. He introduced that piece by explaining his use of suspended chords, pedal points, and the IV-I a-men resolution to explore chord movement and resolution and that helped this punter.

Healy’s Brooklyn Toccatta was inspired by his grandmother’s annotations on Bach sheet music, but was his own. As it unfolded, I awaited the rhythm section to come in as it was modernist solo piano music that would not have been out of place at Mezzrow’s. I appreciated that it didn’t mash up Bach but stood on its own terms. I did think of Dan Tepfer’s Goldberg Variations Variations and his work on the Inventions with a Yamaha Disklavier’s reconfigurations. Perhaps it is the impact of being in the room, but I liked this better (and much better than Adam Birnbaum’s use of Bach Preludes for melody lines and harmonies but then given a modern jazz rhythmic treatment and subsequent improvisation). I treasure jazz and Baroque music but each on their own terms.

Upstream (Healy and Meyer) did a five tune set after intermission that, though largely through composed, felt improvised and completely in my wheelhouse. Meyer, his biographical blurb mentioned the cross genre doors opened to him through his father Edgar, gave the opener a fiddle tune (ah, but what tradition) feel and the newest tune’s music sure looked like a lead sheet with two eight bar section. The closer Squirrel had a section that got rhythmically complex and led me to think of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Not jazz, not Celtic, but modern while still accessible.

I talked to both Meyer and Healy afterward and suggested that they could do these pieces with Grateful Dead frames and have jam banders on their side. More seriously, they both knew Tepfer but not Birnbaum. Meyer was at two Shakti shows last year, including the one from the Ryman that I streamed, and said that both were among the best things he’s ever seen. Healy and Ethan Iverson have intersected too.

It really is all folk music because we never hear a horse sing. So I’m heartened that my very eclectic tastes are paralleled by folks like Healy and Meyer who are making music like this that I value. That they bring all this to the table and translate it into the integrity of their own genre impresses me even further.

[audio-luddite]

Going back in time.

It started simply enough.

I fired up Itunes to warm up the system. For Shits and Giggles I picked "best of the 80s" list. Two thing interesting happened. My wife and I got into a game of "what group is this?" Also we kept listening for about 3 hours. Forget the warm up this was the show.

The 80s had a definite sound. Lots of Synthesizers and fixed beat tempos. Heavy equalization and some annoying stuff. Itunes has several "remastered" copies, which I think means they got fresh copies with less or even no compression. The sound was very commercial. Many songs were just stupid if you listened to the lyrics. There were lots of one hit wonders, but also some multi-hit groups too.

This was just one song after another. I was amazed that given a very few notes I would recognize the song and even know some lyrics. It makes me wonder what the hell music really is. Why remember stuff like that when I have trouble remembering so many other things. Being Old sucks. Well I suppose it is better than the alternative.

The next day we repeated it with the 70s. My wife said that the 70s had much better music. Certainly it reflects our youth so take that for what it is worth. The sound is more instrumental and organic. The tempo is set by a human drummer and Bass player not a click track. Lots of Fleetwood Mac, Cat Stevens, and Elton John. Some later Beatles sneaked in there too. Many old memories. I do prefer it.

It is rather fun time traveling.

There is so much music out there.

Streaming has a place I guess. Most of this stuff I do not ever want in my physical collection.

I have to say I never heard most of this stuff on a high end system. Much was just on the radio or at friends places. My old college system was bumping up against high end. The limiting parts were the speakers. Pretty good here and there though.

You know thinking of that old system all of it has moved on. The last surviving part was my Sony Turntable. I bet all the bits are still used wherever they are.

60% of my collection is classical music like Beethoven and Mozart and Bach. Some of the recordings are exceptional, but most are just good sonically. I have them for repertoire rather than test records.