#and it's the most vocal and highlighted members of the community saying it

[klysanderelias]

It's always funny to me when a big-name youtuber argues vociferously that souls-like games DO have a difficulty setting, it's Playing The Game Right (leveling, build, using summons, etc), and then later on in the same video will have a fifteen minute long section complaining about how certain boss fights completely invalidate certain builds or require you to drastically alter your style of play, and i'm like... I thought you were in FAVOR of this.

And of course they're not, they just don't understand what a difficulty setting IS anymore, and that's completely fair because I think that most DEVELOPERS don't either, but it means that the criticism they make is always couched in a fundamental misunderstanding of the thing they're trying to criticise (and also usually a complete misunderstanding of where the criticism comes from).

And I want to be clear, I've beaten basically every single Dark Souls game, I beat bloodborne, I played shitloads of elden ring and the reason I didn't beat it was because I got bored, and I've done speedruns and soul level 1 runs of dark souls 3. I'm pretty much the dark souls power player that everyone expects would argue AGAINST having difficulty options.

But.

I've been playing thousands of hours of battletech, and the battletech difficulty screen has been the singlehandedly biggest argument I've had change my mind.

In the game, Battletech modifies difficulty per mission by changing the total health of enemies, changing their skills and experience levels, the usual fare of difficulty curves (although damage is never affected, thank god). But having all these granular options can dramatically change the way the game is played without simply affecting health values or hit percentages.

Toggling mech destruction and lethality means that losing a mech in a mission or having a pilot be knocked unconscious removes them permanently. They're killed, destroyed, you need to go get a new one. That's a HUGE change from the base difficulty where having a mech be completely destroyed in combat just removes the weapon components and costs a ton to repair. Likewise, changing the number of parts required to buy or salvage in order to complete a mech DRAMATICALLY changes the game - the maximum amount of parts you can get from a single mech is 3, and usually you only get 1. Needing 3 parts means that if you're lucky, you could see a brand new mech in a mission, blow its head off, and get one for free. Moving that scale up both means that rare or expensive mechs take much much longer to earn, but also that replacing mechs takes much longer (meaning that losses are even more painful).

Like, every single one of these options can dramatically affect how you play the game or change the feel of it to something much more interesting to you as a player - do you want to play a rogue-like game where you have to save and scrounge to get new mechs, and each mech and pilot is a precious resource you have to protect? or do you want to powerscale fast and constantly get new mechs and rare weapons?

And like, having extremely granular options for gameplay isn't for everyone, but then again, there are the owlcat pathfinder CRPGs that do this same thing, but have a base 'easy-normal-hard' sort of slider that automatically selects certain options, and you can adjust them if you want. If you're not interested in going through each slider you can just say 'I'd like normal please' and the game automatically makes all the selections, but you can also stop and say 'hey actually let me turn on permadeath too' and you can do that.

And I think that when people think about difficulty, they think about the most basic 'health and damage adjustments' sliders, and not ANYTHING else that actually have much more of an impact. I will hit this point to my grave that dark souls would massively benefit from difficulty options like turning off instakill effects (like curse or petrification) or removing the harsh penalty of dying when you can't get back to your bloodstain because a) that's often what drive new players off the most, and b) it doesn't fuckin' matter anyway, all you're losing is souls, the only thing it does is make you have to go grind more to make up for it.

And of course, there are always EXTRA challenge runs people come up with - nuzlocke runs of pokemon, soul level 1 runs of dark souls, hell, when I do Battletech I often add additional challenges like 'no intentional destruction of civilian buildings' or 'each mech must be assigned to a pilot and if one of them is sidelined, so is the other'

But challenge runs aren't difficulty settings, and more importantly there's no way to unchallenge run a game. You can decide to make the game harder for yourself, but you can't make the game EASIER. And when people say that you can, they're lying to you. Like yeah, there builds that are very strong in dark souls, and leveling optimally will make the game easier, but if you don't know what optimal leveling looks like, it's pointless. If you have a deep and thorough understanding of the game, and you check the messageboards, and delve through the wiki, and use a couple of exploits, the game will be easy! And if it's still too hard for you after that? Well, go fuck yourself, you just spent hours of your life doing research only to give up on the game anyway.

And the truth is, most people who argue that dark souls shouldn't have a difficulty slider are doing it out of bad faith, because they have a certain amount of ego riding on 'being good at hard game' as a character trait, and making these games more accessible frightens them because what if being good at dark souls isn't actually getting them into heaven

but also because they're somehow afraid that having extra difficulty options in the game will tempt them into choosing them? And then they won't get the 'true experience'?

Gamers are some of the most fragile people in existence that the mere option of reducing difficulty sends them into hysterics.

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 24/12/2023

Stone Halation

Season 1 Featured on: GilvaSunner's Highest Quality Video Game Rips: Volume 7: Part mm2wood Also on: SiIvaGunner: Starter Kit & Essentials

Performed by The Yabba Dabba μ's Members: MegaMoeka, Akiba Koala, Popushi, adhdjerma, trufflekeys, MAX / マックス, Neko Nazuma, beckybonez, SingingSamine

Christmas Day is soon upon us, and I've been busy to the bone celebrating - but, really, today's post feels like one that speaks for itself althesame. Amidst all the celebration and festivities of Season 1's finale, it may be easy to forget one of its biggest highlights in the shuffle - in a way, Stone Halation was the culmination of a series of jokes nine months in the making.

While Season 1 of SiIvaGunner certainly had a lot of things to say at once, there's one piece of it that can be traced back as the instigator of it all - Snow Halation's introduction and frequent usage of the channel. In those early days, there was a subset of the community that vocally despised all things anime related - and dislike-bombed all rips with even a hint of halating. It was this one, sole subset of the community, that placed the first domino piece that would eventually spiral into The Reboot - and officially establish the SiIvaGunner channel as one with an ongoing story, to this day.

To that end, Stone Halation felt like the most befitting end that the Season could have - a marriage of the Funny Flintstones that came to create the channel, and the theme that cemented the channel's legendary status. The hate for Snow Halation had effectively subsided since The Reboot, which left us all to celebrate this reunion, a showcase of just how far both the channel and we as a community had gotten within just nine months time. Thanks to the team of recruited vocalists, that celebration was more than just symbolical - it was a sincere, excellent performance, that had us enamored all those years ago. Or at least, I vividly remember just how much it got me.

Yet, for as much as Stone Halation means to me...it's but a piece of SiIvaGunner's true Christmas power. And I've got something even better planned for tomorrow, just you wait... :)

[whatwouldjinkido]

my ab6ix fansign experience

they’re one of my first groups ever i’ve loved them since debut so i had to go to their fansign :)

the entire show was GREAT ! i luckily got barricade and was able to watch them closely and get good videos ! they didn’t do many interactions to my side but that wasn’t a problem at all i just talked to them and took a picture with them lol what more could i want from one of my favorite groups

all in all i would probably get a fansign with them again

woong - omg he’s so cute ! his english wasn’t bad at all we got some decent conversation :) i told him he was my bias and showed him the blind for love era photocard i had on my lanyard. he recongnized it and said it was a long time ago but he misses that era and that i had good taste lol i told him i really liked his purple hair and he agreed ! we talked about how i used to dye my hair and it would get really dry and at that point time was up and we resorted to using hand motions to communicate lol ! again he was so cute he actually looks more mature in person i think he cutes himself up in selcas :) i also got to do a heart with him in the group photo which was so fun !!

daehwi - what an experience lolol. first he’s very pretty he had a lot of highlighter on lol i started off telling him i had prepared what to say but i totally forgot and he was like oh no that’s okay try and remember ! but i told him that i hope it doesn’t make him feel old but they were my first group when i was 14 and now im 19 and he laughed and was like wow ! then i told him i heard he’s from LA and I’m from LA so i became more interested in him after that but after i was done speaking he went- “Well…. actually i’m from orange county ☝️” in a sassy lil voice funny but a lil embarrassing on my part LOL he asked me if i was going to their LA show next as i was leaving so either way our conversation ended nicely :)

donghyun - OMG he was so pretty !! he was my favorite experience in fan signs in general actually. he was just super super nice and his english was really good ! he even held my hand but it was a little awkward i used the wrong hand but he laughed it off ! he wrote my name on the poster we went letter by letter lol. told him he was my other bias and that i loved his singing and he appreciated it ! also mentioned they were my first group and he was really surprised but happy. he is literally SO handsome like i can’t stress that enough …. it made me like him even more lol like i was watching him the entire show

woojin - he was last in line and he was very nervous ! usually he’s one of the louder goofier members and we could see he was even acting that way outside of the fansign. when you sat in front of him he turned like stone cold 😭😭 i told him ab6ix is one of my favorite and first groups and that i love his vocals and i hoped he sang more. he didn’t say much just nodded a couple times and repeated a little of what i said - you most definitely had to lead the conversation which i understand ! he’s korean he does not speak english so i ofc don’t hold it against him it was just silly :) fansign by fansign i will get better at dealing w the two sided awkwardness. lil awkward but he’s handsome. he has a HUGE head might i add like biggest ive ever seen.

[shineearticles]

There comes a time in every male Korean idol’s career where the pause button has to be pressed and, as SHINee’s maknae (youngest member) announced in that April livestream, his turn is looming on the horizon. On May 31, Taemin will enlist for his mandatory military service, bringing down the curtains on an incredibly accomplished first chapter of his career – the kind most people would be happy to enjoy even a small fraction of.

The star’s reflective mood in his broadcast is unsurprising – as he himself acknowledged, he’s barely had a break since debuting at 14 years old. Heading to the military will give him his longest period of “time off” from his day job since he first became an SM Entertainment trainee. It’s only natural, then, that as he’s about to be given some space from all he’s known for the last 13 years – be that SHINee, supergroup SuperM or his solo projects – he would begin to take stock of everything that’s happened so far.

As he looks back, Taemin will find a first act to be proud of – one full of constant improvement, passion and hard work. It’s hard to imagine a time when the 27-year-old wasn’t considered an all-round talent, but back when SHINee made their debut in 2008, he was thought of more as a dancer than a singer. Infamously, his vocals weren’t even featured on the iconic debut track ‘Replay’, yet now he’s one of the most respected and beloved singers and dancers in the biz. It’s a journey that highlights just how far he’s come and how much he’s poured into his life as an idol. These days (and for a long time now), Taemin is one of K-pop’s most reliable aces, a star who can inject magic into any song or performance.

“Reliable” might not be the most exciting adjective, but Taemin certainly does live up to its definition as an authentic and dedicated idol to his craft. His consistency doesn’t cancel out his ability to thrill and he does so on a regular basis. That enthralling nature sparkles whether he’s conquering the stage with his theatrical, elegant dance style or playing with the ideas of gender and androgyny, as he did in the video for his 2017 solo song ‘Move’, blurring the lines between femininity and masculinity with the song’s now-iconic choreography.

Over the last 13 years, Taemin has also proven just how versatile a performer he is. Here is an artist who can take on an eclectic range of bold concepts, from the avant-garde to the seductive and everything in between. It’s no shock that a member of SHINee – a group renowned for their ability to constantly mix things up – is a pro at always finding some new ground to explore.

The title of his ‘Never Gonna Dance Again’ series didn’t hint at an impending retirement but a desire to break free and try something new only goes to show just how commendably committed he is to shaking things up, even when he could easily rest on his laurels. In case there’s still any doubt over that fact, Taemin has one more release before he heads off to the military – the solo mini-album ‘Advice’.

For someone who has had very little time off since he was a child, it’s impressive how much Taemin consistently gives to his work. He’s clearly an idol who’s in love with both performing and creating, his passion and energy palpable in everything he does, even down to communicating with fans during livestreams on VLive and Instagram. The joy he seems to find in his work is infectious, gilding his performances – both on stage and on record – with even more gold. His teary broadcast last month reinforced this feeling further – a change of scenery might be refreshing, but he’ll miss every aspect of his job as an idol.

“I want to say not to worry about me,” Taemin adds during that VLive, a smile breaking out on his face. “Because I’ll be back next year. This makes it sound like a short period of time, right? I think I’ll be back at the end of next year’s November.” When he does come back to us, service done, expect Taemin’s second act to be even more brilliant than his first and full of yet more risk-taking, flawless creativity.

link

[geemarsworld]

――First of all, as a self-introduction, please tell us your name, age, hometown, and special skills.

Nakamura: Tatsuhiro Nakamura, 18 years old, third year high school student. He is from Fukuoka prefecture. he is good at singing

Momota Haima, 14 years old, from Osaka Prefecture. Her specialty is being able to do a backflip.

Yamada: I'm Kodai Yamada, 17 years old and in my second year of high school. I am from Fukuoka prefecture. His specialties are dancing, vocals and rapping in terms of performance.

Sena Iwaki, 18 years old, third year high school student. She is from Osaka Prefecture. She is the leader of LIL LEAGUE and has the most beautiful handwriting in the group.

Namba: Sora Namba, 13 years old, in the second year of junior high school. I am from Kanagawa prefecture. Her specialty is being able to sleep anywhere.

Okao Matora Okao, 14 years old, 2nd year junior high school student, from Kyoto Prefecture. He is said to be in charge of dancing in LIL LEAGUE, and he is good at dancing.

――The group that won the Grand Prix out of a total of 48,000 entries, the largest group in LDH history. .

Nakamura: I think I've grown technically, but I feel that I've grown most emotionally. During the training camp, I became a strange perfectionist, trying to complete everything within myself, but now I can ask the members about various things, rely on them, and consult with them. . I feel that this is where things have changed a lot.

Momota: In terms of performance, I think I've come to the point where I don't give up, but I think the biggest thing for me is that my communication skills have grown.

Yamada: I think there was a scene where everyone was mentally cornered at the training camp, but there was a part that changed the way I dealt with myself at that time. In the past, I used to compromise myself, but during the training camp, if I compromised, I wouldn't pass (the audition), so I feel like I've become more strict with myself.

Iwaki: I had the opportunity to record during the audition, and I feel that my knowledge has increased through various experiences, such as learning from my seniors how to convey the knowledge to more people at such times. Also, while working as LIL LEAGUE, I think that I have (gradually) been able to pursue growth as LIL LEAGUE and the performance that only LIL LEAGUE can do.

Namba: I was the youngest among the audition members. Even so, within the group, we should have a firm opinion about what we think will be beneficial to the group, and output it. Don't be spoiled because you're younger, but be able to express your own opinions. That's what I was trying to do.

Okao: From the time I became known to the world through auditions, I became aware that I was being watched when I was walking or eating in my daily life. I was.

■"Hunter" is a song suitable for the debut song with the concept of sailing to the ocean.

――What kind of song is your debut song “Hunter”? Please tell us about the highlights of your singing and dancing.

Iwaki: The point I recommend is the lyrics of "C'mon LIL Friends" that I sing. This is the part where I was in charge of rap for the first time as LIL LEAGUE, but "LIL Friends" is what our fans call us. From now on, while I'm accumulating various experiences for my debut, I can't do anything unless I'm with the fans, without the power of the fans. With that in mind, I like the fact that the fans' nicknames are included in the debut single song.

Yamada: In the part I'm singing, there is a lyric that says, "Raise the sails and stand up." This time, the song "Hunter" itself is a song made with the concept of debut = sailing and sailing to the ocean. . "Raise the sails and stand up" is a lyric that depicts our determination to make our debut, and the enthusiasm and determination for the journey ahead, so please listen to it. It would be great if you could get to know LIL LEAGUE now.

Okao: Before our debut, we received a song called "Rollah Coaster", but unlike that, it's a song that shows off our current skills (in dancing and singing). The choreography for the dance part is also a new side of us... I think you'll be able to see a new side of us, such as a new expression and a new way of dancing, which we haven't seen in the past.

――Were there any choreography that you had never done before?

Okao: That's right. KAITA-san, who was in charge of the choreography for "Rollah Coaster", also choreographed for "Hunter". KAITA-san has the concept of "Rollah Coaster" being a song that everyone can enjoy, and "Hunter" being skillful.

[kicksaddictny]

Nike Basketball Welcomes A’ja Wilson as its Newest Signature Athlete

Nike Basketball proudly introduces A’ja Wilson as the newest member of its prestigious signature athlete family, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing partnership with one of basketball's brightest stars.

For over a year, Wilson has collaborated closely with Nike’s team of innovation, product, and design specialists to curate a signature collection that reflects her unique style, exceptional performance, and authentic personality. As one of the most influential figures in contemporary basketball, it was only fitting that she received her own shoe. Dive into the details at ofcourseihaveashoe.com.

Reflecting on the journey, Wilson expresses her gratitude, stating, “Working with Nike to bring my collection to life has been an incredible experience, and I’m truly honored to take this next step as a Nike signature athlete. Every aspect, from the logo to the shoe design and the pieces in the collection, has been meticulously crafted to align perfectly with my game and personal style.”

Ben Nethongkome, the lead footwear designer for Wilson’s collection, highlights her invaluable contribution throughout the design process. He emphasizes Wilson’s collaborative spirit and infectious energy, which played a pivotal role in shaping the collection according to her vision.

Nethongkome states, “Collaborating with A’ja on her collection was a true reflection of her on-court and off-court persona. She’s a natural leader, fostering an environment where everyone feels empowered to be themselves. This inclusive approach was instrumental in creating a collection that resonates with her audience.”

Wilson and the design team formed a seamless partnership, driven by their shared objective of developing a shoe that not only enhances performance on the court but also mirrors Wilson’s distinctive fashion sense.

Wilson shares her insights into the design process, remarking, “Working with Nike on the design of the shoe was incredibly rewarding. I was amazed by the level of detail involved in creating a shoe that meets both performance and style criteria. My primary focus was on ensuring the shoe is lightweight and comfortable for long hours of play, while also looking stylish enough for everyday wear. I’m thrilled to share this signature piece of me with the world.”

As Wilson joins Nike’s esteemed roster of signature athletes, she joins a league of women who have collaborated with the brand to develop collections that carry profound significance, including Serena Williams, Megan Rapinoe, Naomi Osaka, and Sabrina Ionescu. A vocal advocate for women empowerment, Wilson aims to inspire girls worldwide to pursue their dreams fearlessly.

“I hope that when girls wear my shoe, they feel empowered to chase their dreams relentlessly,” says Wilson. “I want them to lace up, feel confident, and understand that no dream is too big to achieve. Aim high, and go after what you want—that's the essence of it all.”

This ethos resonates with Wilson’s involvement in Nike’s Athlete Think Tank, where she contributes to shaping innovative products, meaningful experiences, and supportive communities for women and girls. Additionally, Wilson recently collaborated with Nike and fellow athletes to envision the future of Nike Air, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and artificial intelligence.

Wilson’s signature collection will feature pieces available in women’s, men’s, and kids’ sizes, set for a global release on nike.com, SNKRS, and select retailers in 2025.

[music-theory-blog101]

Timber and theme  

General theme 

Eminem uses the metaphor of toy soldiers to illustrate how rappers in these feuds are like pawns in a game, controlled by external forces (possibly record companies) that profit from the controversy.  

The song references several real-life feuds in the rap community, including the one between Eminem and Ja Rule. Eminem criticizes Ja Rule for crossing a line by mentioning Eminem’s daughter in a diss track. He also mentions the deaths of fellow rappers The Notorious B.I.G. ,Tupac and former D12 member Bugz, highlighting the harsh reality of these feuds. 

In essence, “Like Toy Soldiers” is a plea for peace in the hip-hop community and a commentary on the futility of violence 

verse 

Eminem’s Vocal Delivery is crucial to this song his raw, intense, and emotive voice adds authenticity to the lyrics. His timbre reflects vulnerability, anger, and regret. All of which suit the theme of the song incredibly well. 

The drums are probably my favorite feature of this song, the snare roll sounds like an army's drummer, which of course suits the idea and name of the song very well 

The minor key sets the somber tone for the song  

The piano’s timbre is melancholic and reflective. It sets the mood from the very beginning. 

All four of the previously mentioned features of the song add up to make a a verse with high emotional impact  

Sidechain Compression seems to be used subtly to make the piano and vocals work together without clashing. 

While the song maintains a relatively straightforward arrangement, subtle audio effects such as reverb and eq enhance its overall texture 

Chorus  

Strings (Sampled or synthesized): The sampled strings during the chorus contribute to the song’s emotional impact. They add warmth and depth. They seem to have been filtered to soften their attack and blend in with the piano. 

Sidechain Compression is used subtly to make the piano and vocals work together without clashing. 

The  samples from “Toy Soldiers” by Martika and its original timbre influenced the overall sound of Eminem’s track heavily, it also provides a nice contrast to the sparsely textured verses of the song.  

The chorus kicks in at very important moments in the song, just as Eminem is at his most frustrated the Pettys feuds, the second chorus kicks in right after he says ‘knowing it could pop off at any minute’ the second time it kicks in his last words are ,frankly I'm sick of talking I'm not going to let someone else's coffin rest on my conscious,(this is also the last time he talks in the song). The music video reflects this intense moment, both times the chorus kicks in, the video shows his friend in a hospital bed with what I presume is a gunshot.

[the-tropes-are-hungry]

Lipstick! From the writing ask game

Ooh, I hadn’t actually thought about this. Beauty standards and how often they’re met.

I think with the fantasy races at play, both races are big on ornamentation with gold beads, chains, and accessories for all genders. Fashion highlights embroidery and beadwork, with a balancing act between how brightly fabric is died vs how fine the material is (cost vs quality and what that says about money).

Humans prioritize height, straight hair to loosely curled, and kept long for women. The taller a woman is, the healthier and stronger she (supposedly) is. Keep in mind this is a region where the average height is hovering around 5ft, give or take nutrition. No one wants to be so short they’re mistaken for a najma.

Men should be physically strong and facial hair is a must. But the nobility is also a warrior caste, so they’re biased, and royalty are always actively recruiting new martial talent. Social mobility is easiest to achieve through war, so the ideal man is the ideal soldier.

Nonbinary humans usually shave designs into facial hair if they have it and are more likely to eschew embroidery for finer fabrics in brighter colours. They also tend to wear more make-up than cis men or cis women.

All humans also appreciate scent and delight in perfumes, so no outfit is complete without it.

For the najmi(/elves) they’re very visual and find contrast appealing. If your complexion or hair colour changes in the light, or eye colour being clear and bright. Red, white, and black eyes are unpopular. The texture of the hair doesn’t matter as much as how well it’s maintained.

Najmi also put a lot of emphasis on singing and vocal ability, so a raspy, gravelly, or weak voice is a turn off.

Najmi are more patriarchal than humans and tend to keep their women veiled, with unmarried girls covering their eyes and married women covering their whole face. This makes beadwork, embroidery, weaving, and singing even more important in their circles than with humans, who as still as judgey as normal humans.

Nonbinary najmi have a harder time than Nonbinary humans unless they leave the warren, which most won’t. Because Najmi have more clothing rules wrt their women, Nonbinary members of the community will mix and match “women’s” embroidery with their clothes.

Because the sun is a deadly laser they are nocturnal, all najmi wear some kind of eye or head covering during the day. The veiling practice takes effect indoors as well as out.

[newstfionline]

Friday, November 17, 2023

The $2 Trillion Interest Bill That’s Hitting Governments (WSJ) The world spent the past decade-plus taking advantage of rock-bottom interest rates to binge on debt. An unprecedented bill is coming due. Governments are expected to spend a net $2 trillion paying interest on their debt this year as higher interest rates make borrowing more expensive, up more than 10% from 2022, according to an analysis of International Monetary Fund data by research consulting firm Teal Insights. By 2027, it could top $3 trillion. As debt servicing takes up more revenue, politicians face unpopular decisions to raise taxes, cut spending or keep running deficits that will add to interest costs.

Shifting US attitudes on Gaza War (Guardian/Reuters) Though the U.S. government remains Israel’s closest ally, the tides of public sentiment appear to be shifting. According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, public support for Israel has fallen significantly over the past few weeks and support for a ceasefire has risen as the world watches Israel bombard and invade Gaza. 32% of respondents said that “the U.S. should support Israel” when asked what America’s role in the conflict should be, down from 41% in mid-October. 39% said the U.S. should take a neutral mediator role in the conflict, 15% said it shouldn’t be involved at all, and just 4% said it should support Palestine. Still, 68% of respondents said that “Israel should call a ceasefire and try to negotiate” an end to the conflict. The survey data highlights a growing divide between the White House’s foreign policy and voters’ beliefs. While President Biden and some Democrats appear all too happy to prop up Israel with billions in funding and military aid, a vocal portion of Americans and a few progressive members of Congress say that Israel has taken the conflict too far.

Biden-Xi Talks Lead to Little but a Promise to Keep Talking (NYT) President Biden said on Wednesday that four hours of discussion with President Xi Jinping of China had brought about two significant agreements, on curbing fentanyl production and on military-to-military communications. But both American and Chinese accounts of their first encounter in a year indicated little progress on the issues that have pushed the two nations to the edge of conflict. Emerging from the talks, and a brief walk with Mr. Xi on the grounds of a mansion south of San Francisco, Mr. Biden told reporters that the conversation had been the “most constructive and productive” between the two men since Mr. Biden had come to office. The agreements they announced were modest, however, and their most important commitments were to keep talking and to pick up the phone in times of crisis.

Heavily armed Haitian gang surrounds hospital in capital and traps people inside (AP) A heavily armed gang surrounded a hospital in Haiti on Wednesday, trapping women, children and newborns inside until police rescued them, according to the director of the medical center, who pleaded for help via social media. The Fontaine Hospital Center in the capital of Port-au-Prince is considered an oasis and a lifeline in a community overrun by gangs that have unleashed increasingly violent attacks against each other and residents. People who live in the capital’s sprawling Cite Soleil slum are routinely raped, beaten and killed. The hospital founder and director, Jose Ulysse, told The Associated Press that gangs were torching homes around the hospital and preventing people inside from leaving. Ulysse said members of Haiti’s National Police force responded to his call for help and arrived with three armored trucks to evacuate 40 children and 70 patients to a private home in a safer part of the city. Among those delicately evacuated were children on oxygen, he said. Meanwhile, Kenya’s parliament has approved the deployment of 1,000 police officers in Haiti to help quell gang violence.

Is Argentina the First A.I. Election? (NYT) Argentina’s election has become a testing ground for A.I. in campaigns, with the two candidates and their supporters employing the technology to doctor existing images and videos and create others from scratch. A.I. has made candidates say things they did not, and put them in famous movies and memes. It has created campaign posters, and triggered debates over whether real videos are actually real. A.I.’s prominent role in Argentina’s campaign and the political debate it has set off underscore the technology’s growing prevalence and show that, with its expanding power and falling cost, it is now likely to be a factor in many democratic elections around the globe. Mr. Massa’s campaign has used A.I. to portray him, Argentina’s staid center-left economy minister, as strong, fearless and charismatic, including videos that show him as a soldier in war, a Ghostbuster, and Indiana Jones. The campaign has also used the system to depict his opponent, Mr. Milei—a far-right libertarian economist and television personality known for outbursts—as unstable, putting him in films like “Clockwork Orange” and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”

Worrying Rumbles Near Reykjavik (CBS News) Iceland is literally quaking in its boots as the threat of a volcanic eruption hangs over its head. After experiencing over 700 earthquakes on Tuesday, the Nordic island nation was subject to another 800 quakes between midnight and 11:30 am local time on Wednesday. According to the country’s meteorological office, the recent spike in earthquakes combined with the detection of sulfur dioxide gas means that the likelihood of a volcanic eruption near the country’s southwest peninsula “remains high.” “The seismic activity is close to a populated area. It's close to infrastructure,” said an official from the Icelandic Meteorological Office. Magma buildup beneath the Earth’s surface has already caused cracks and holes to form in local roads, raising concerns about further volcanic activity.

U.K. top court rejects plan to deport migrants to Rwanda, in blow to Sunak (Washington Post) Britain’s top court on Wednesday unanimously ruled against the government’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda—a goal sought by successive British prime ministers and watched by other countries hoping to outsource migration issues while skirting international human rights obligations. The ruling brings some sense of relief to asylum seekers already in Britain who have received threatening letters from the government. It is also a huge embarrassment for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, leaving his flagship effort to “stop the boats” in tatters, ahead of what is expected to be a difficult election year.

‘Metal for Orcas’ (NYT) The first time orcas appeared near his catamaran, Florian Rutsch was surprised, but prepared. In May, when the crew of his catamaran, which he charters for high-end voyages and retreats, encountered an orca group while crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, he scattered sand in the water, which some sailors thought could act as a deterrent. Then he slammed the engine into full throttle, moving away from the group. The orcas left them alone. But his second encounter with the animals in November was less civil. This time, the crew tried another idea that had been passed along: booming a curated playlist of heavy metal—titled “Metal for Orcas”—through an underwater speaker. But the animals had moved quickly, targeting the rudder and disabling the boat’s steering. The crew had to call for help, and eventually Spanish rescue authorities arrived and towed the vessel to port. Since 2020, orcas—apex predators that are the largest members of the dolphin family—have been disrupting the journeys of boats along the coastlines of the Iberian Peninsula, causing enough damage to a handful to sink them. Researchers don’t know why. “It’s the talk of the town in the sailing community,” said yacht sailor Emma Gore. “Everybody is a bit on edge.”

Berlin’s renters face misery as housing crisis deepens (Reuters) On Berlin’s broad avenues, posters put up by desperate would-be tenants seeking accommodation have become a common sight. Home viewings draw long lines of hopefuls, despite rent rises that have far outstripped salaries in recent years. The German capital, where cheap and abundant apartments were a magnet for artists and young professionals as recently as a decade ago, now has a vacancy rate of less than 1%. The cost and difficulty of renting is forcing some residents to leave, even though businesses are desperate for skilled labour. In the last seven years, Berlin rents have jumped 44% while the average wage in the city has increased only 30%, federal and local data shows.

Myanmar orders civil servants, ex-military to prepare for emergencies (Reuters) Myanmar's military rulers have ordered all government staff and those with military experience to prepare to serve in case of emergency, an official said on Thursday, after the junta reported "heavy assaults" from insurgents in several places. Myanmar's military has battled ethnic minority and other insurgencies for decades but a 2021 coup has brought unprecedented coordination between anti-military forces that are mounting the biggest challenge to the army in years. Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said late on Wednesday the military was facing "heavy assaults from a significant number of armed rebel soldiers" in Shan State in the northeast, Kayah State in the east and Rakhine State in the west. He said some military positions had been evacuated and the insurgents had been using drones to drop hundreds of bombs on military posts. (Reports from the rebels said that the equivalent of an army brigade had surrendered to them.)

Their families wiped out, grieving Palestinians in Gaza ask why (AP) Entire generations of Palestinian families in the besieged Gaza Strip—from great-grandparents to infants only weeks old—have been killed in airstrikes in the Israel-Hamas war, in which the Israeli army says it aims to root out the militant group from the densely populated coastal territory. Attacks are occurring at a scale never seen in years of Israel-Hamas conflict, hitting residential areas, schools, hospitals, mosques and churches, even striking areas in southern Gaza where Israeli forces ordered civilians to flee. The al-Astal family lost 89 relatives, 18 of them children under the age of 10, including three babies not yet a year old, according to an Oct. 26 ministry report. The Hassouna family had 74 killed, including 22 children ranging in age from 1 to 10 years old, it said. The Najjars lost 65 relatives: Nine were under 10 years old and 13 were under 4. Grieving relatives, who maintain no one in their households had links to Hamas, ask: Why them? “Why would they kill children and an old man?” asked al-Naouq. “What is the military justification for bombing my house? They were all civilians.”

With 102 Workers Killed, U.N. Agency in Gaza Struggles to Provide Aid (NYT) At least 102 workers from the largest United Nations agency in Gaza have been killed in five weeks of heavy Israeli bombing. Most did not die in the line of duty but instead while at home, often in strikes that also killed members of their families, U.N. officials said. They were men and women. The largest number were teachers. Others included school principals, warehouse workers, engineers, a software developer, a gynecologist and a man in charge of staff safety. He was killed in his home along with his wife and their eight children, said Juliette Touma, the director of communications for UNRWA, the agency that cares for Palestinian refugees and their descendants across the Middle East. “It is a huge, huge loss,” Ms. Touma said. “Every day, we get more of these reports of our colleagues who were killed.” UNRWA, or the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, was created in 1949 to aid the more than 700,000 Palestinian refugees who fled or were forced from their homes during the war surrounding Israel’s founding in 1948.

[concerthopperblog]

Bringing the Heat at the Inaugural Snowblind Festival!

Thinking back to when the Snowblind Festival was first announced on social media in the beginning part of 2022, I immediately had to take a breather to stop from hyperventilating based on the stellar lineup. The inaugural lineup for the Snowblind Festival reads like a “who’s who” in the doom/sludge/stoner metal family. This year’s lineup consisted of High on Fire, Corrosion of Conformity (C.O.C.), Weedeater, Pentagram, Mothership, The Obsessed, Year of the Cobra, Cloak, Order of the Owl, Dyer Wulf, Stoneman, DayGlo Mourning, Bog Monkey, Dead Vibes Ensemble, Withered, and Realm. Unfortunately, due to some medical/personal issues, Atlanta’s Hot Ram and Savannah’s Black Tusk had to cancel their appearances at this year’s festival. All of us at Concerthopper are sending good vibes and love to both Hot Ram and Black Tusk’s camp as they need all the support they can get right now from their friends and fans! Especially to the folks in Hot Ram, we offer our condolences for your loss. (R.I.P. Kathie Pavese 07/07/1942-11/19/2022)

I will say that one of the coolest things about this festival is that it highlights several local Atlanta/Athens area doom/sludge/stoner metal bands that are fan favorites (and some of my favorites as well) in the metal community. By adding these local faves to a lineup that showcases some major metal acts like High on Fire, C.O.C., Weedeater, Pentagram, Mothership, and The Obsessed, many fans are also being introduced to them for the first time. I have often said that the Southeastern region needed a metal festival like Desert Fest (pick any of the lineups ever produced in New York, London, Ghent, Antwerp, or Camden) or Psycho Las Vegas. Snowblind Festival features one of the closest and most comparable lineups that stays true to fans of the doom/sludge/stoner metal community. Even though this lineup is stacked all in one day, they still managed to stagger each stage’s performance so there was very little overlap. Today I felt like a kid in a candy store as I was filled with excitement as so many incredible bands were lined up to make this an unforgettable first Snowblind Festival.

Kicking off the inaugural Snowblind Festival on the Purgatory stage was Dead Vibes Ensemble, a two (2) piece doom/heavy/sludge metal band from Athens, Ga. that consists of Markus Shaffer (bass) and Brian Head (drums). If you are an Athens native or possibly familiar with a local business named Shadebeast – a small business known by music aficionados all over that sells original designed tees and hoodies by some of the best artists/graphic designers, posters/prints for the shows that are organized by them, random music influenced stickers, and well you should just follow the link above to check them out. Markus and his partner Joe Eldridge are responsible for making that magic happen. But for the purposes of this performance, Markus and Brian came up first and delivered one of the most brutal sets of the day. Follow this link and head over to their Official Bandcamp page today and check them out for yourself!

Next up on the Heaven Stage was none other than Withered, a local Atlanta that was previously featured on Concerthopper when their latest release Verloren was reviewed by fellow Concerthopper- Richard Davenport. For those of you who are not familiar with Withered, forming in 2003, they are a death/doom/black/sludge metal band from Atlanta that consists of founding member Mike Thompson (guitars/vocals), Beau Brandon (drums), Dan Cayedo (guitars/vocals), and Rafay Nabeel (bass). I suggest that if you are a fan of black or heavy metal, then you need to check out their blend of ‘blackened metal’ today. Curious about Withered? Follow this link to their Official Bandcamp page today.

Atlanta’s Bog Monkey would take The Purgatory stage next to a vibrant crowd that came early in the day to bang their heads. According to Bog Monkey (per their Bandcamp bio), “3 Dudes In A Loud Noisy Rock Band Just Monkeying Around In Atlanta Georgia (sic)”. The band consists of Zachary Romero (guitar/lead vocals), Joji Castillo (bass/backing vocals), and Doug Preece (drums/backing vocals). Follow this link to check out Bog Monkey’s Official Bandcamp page today!

Taking the Heaven stage was Atlanta’s very own Cloak, a four (4) piece consisting of Scott Taysom (vocals/guitar), Max Brigham (guitar), Sean Bruneau (drums), and Billy Robinson (bass). This was my first time getting to see them live and I am kicking myself knowing how many shows I have missed of theirs. Never again! Check out Cloak by following this link to their Official Bandcamp page today!

Atlanta native Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf was next on the schedule on the Purgatory stage. A two (2) piece doom metal band consisting of Tommy Stewart (bass/vocals) and Dennis Reid (drums). Dyer Wulf recently made an appearance on Concerthopper in Richard Davenport’s review of the Tennesse Metal Devastation Festival a few weeks back. Check out Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf by following this link to their Official Bandcamp page today.

Seattle’s Year of the Cobra (heavy rock/psychedelic doom metal) took the Heaven stage next at 3:40 pm to a dedicated and energetic crowd. Year of the Cobra (YotC) is a two (2) piece that consists of Amy Tung Barrysmith (bass/vocals) and Johannes Barrysmith (drums). This was another band that I have wanted to see perform but have not had the chance to see them live. Well, that changed after the Snowblind Festival. One of the best performances of the day! Don’t miss out on YotC. Check out Year of the Cobra’s Official Bandcamp page today and get hooked!

Realm, a psychedelic doom metal band from Knoxville, TN., took the Purgatory stage next. The band consists of Kurt Bell, Jake Lonas, and Nick Leichtweis and formed as a band in 2014. The band has been described as “born of doom, blues, beer, and stoner rock” and has drawn inspiration from Frank Herbert’s Dune in their two (2) releases. Check out Realm’s music by following this link to their Official Bandcamp page today!

As mentioned previously, there are a few bands on this lineup that I have been chasing for quite some time, Mothership is another one of them. Mothership took the Heaven stage to a roaring crowd that gathered to watch this Dallas based stoner rock/metal band make its triumphant return to Atlanta. The band formed in 2010 and consists of brothers Kyle Juett (bass/vocals), Kelley Juett (guitar/vocals), and Judge Smith (drums). You can hear some of Mothership by following this link to their Official Bandcamp page today and check them out!

Atlanta based three (3) piece band, DayGlo Mourning (stoner/doom metal) was next up on the Purgatory stage. Formed in 2017, DayGlo Mourning consists of Jerimy McNeil (bass/vocals), Joe Mills (guitar/vocals), and Ray Miner (drums). This was my first time checking these guys out, and I am kicking myself again for missing out on so many shows in the past. Follow this link to check out their Official Bandcamp page today and hear them for yourself!

Next up on the Heaven stage was the legendary band, The Obsessed. The Obsessed is a heavy/doom metal and stoner rock band from Potomac, Maryland that first formed back in 1980 with founding member/lead guitarist/vocalist, Scott “Wino” Weinrich. This version of the band also consists of Jason Taylor (rhythm guitar), Chris Angleberger (bass), and Brian Costantino (drums/backing vocals). Considered by many in the metal scene as the Godfathers of doom metal, The Obsessed are always welcomed back in Atlanta. Head over to The Obsessed’s Official Bandcamp page and give them a listen!

Atlanta’s own Stoneman, a four (4) piece stoner/doom metal band founded in 2016 and consists of Mike Arfa (guitar), Todd Ciepluch (bass), Devon Cantwell (guitar), and Joseph Dingle (drums). Another great local metal band that made an impact on the crowd in attendance. You can hear Stoneman for yourself by following this link to their Official Bandcamp page today.

Next up on the Heaven stage was Pentagram, a doom/heavy metal and blues/psychedelic rock band, from Alexandria, VA. that formed back in 1971. The band currently consists of founding member Bobby Liebling (vocals), Matt Goldsborough (guitar), Greg Turley (bass), and “Minnesota” Pete Campbell (drums). Head over to Pentagram’s Official Bandcamp page today and listen to them today!

Closing out the Purgatory stage was none other than one of Atlanta’s favorite sludge/stoner metal band Order of the Owl. Founded in 2011, the band consists of Brent Anderson (bass/vocals), Casey Yarbrough (guitar/vocals), and Dwayne Jones (drums). To close the night out, OOTO treated us all to something incredible. Will Fiore (Zoroaster/Royal Thunder) came on stage to perform a Zoroaster song, “Bullwhip”. The crowd lost it as they should! You can follow Order of the Owl and listen to some of their music by following this link to their Official Bandcamp page now!

Wilmington, N.C. natives Weedeater, a stoner/sludge metal band, was next up on the Heaven stage. The band was founded in 1998 and consists of founding members Dave “Dixie” Collins (bass/vocals), Dave “Shep” Shepherd (bass), and Ramzi Ateyeh (drums) who joined the band in 2019. Another killer set from the boys from Wilmington. I love seeing Weedeater play live! Follow this link to check out a previous review for Weedeater (circa 2019) via Concerthopper if you want to read more about Weedeater. Also, you can follow this link to check out Weedeater’s Official Bandcamp page today!

Raleigh, N.C. natives Corrosion of Conformity (C.O.C.) who were co-headliners with High on Fire, are a stoner/southern rock, sludge/heavy/southern metal, and sometimes hardcore punk and crossover thrash band that formed in 1982. Currently, the band consists of Pepper Keenan (guitar/vocals), Woody Weatherman (guitar/backing vocals), Mike Dean (bass/backing vocals), and John Green (drums). You can check out a previous review featuring C.O.C. from their last performance in Atlanta on Ministry’s Industrial Strength Tour (2022). Also, follow this link to check out C.O.C.’s Official Bandcamp page today!

Finally, closing out the Heaven stage was the thunderous and vicious, Grammy award winning doom/stoner/sludge/thrash metal band High on Fire. If you know me, you would already be aware of my obsession with a certain musician named Matt Pike (Matt Pike 4 President!), who is also a founding member of the influential doom/stoner metal band Sleep. Oakland’s High on Fire was founded in 1999 and consists of Pike (guitar/vocals), Jeff Matz (bass), and Coady Willis (drums). Head over to High on Fire’s Official Bandcamp page today and listen to what you are missing!

Any festival that has High on Fire and C.O.C. as their main two headliners has my complete and full attention. So, knowing that they also took care of the local bands as well makes this an ideal festival for the Atlanta area metal community to support on an annual basis. Snowblind Festival’s promoter, Syd Howell, is also responsible for the successful run of Slaughter-Que festivals that blended metal and barbeque at The Masquerade. After promoting another successful venture, I am excited to see what bands are being sought after for next year’s Snowblind Festival! Hell, knowing that he is planning on bringing Slaughter-Que back plus keeping the momentum gained with this year’s Snowblind Festival, I see some major things happening. Who do you want to see added to next year’s Snowblind Festival? Personally, I would love to see Sleep, Spirit Adrift, Earthless, Elder, Degradations, Whores., Guillotine A.D., The Well, Yob, Baroness, Dreadnought, Acid King, and/or Bongzilla added. Regarding some of the Atlanta/Athens/Savannah flavor, bring back Withered, Cloak, Hot Ram, Black Tusk, and Order of the Owl to next year’s lineup as well. Talk about a dream line up!

Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our very own ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2022, on all music related events/festivals such as: Trinity of Terror Tour: Ice Nine Kills + Black Veil Brides + Motionless in White, Thievery Corporation with Emancipator: Live at The Tabernacle, Andy Frasco: Live at Terminal West, Counterparts: A Eulogy For Those Still Here Tour @ The Masquerade, Winter Tour 2023: Spafford live at Variety Playhouse, Jake Hill: Live at The Masquerade, A Day to Remember: Reassembled Acoustic Theater Tour (Kodak Theatre), Long Time Going Tour: Sierra Ferrell live at Georgia Theatre, Jinjer: Live at The Tabernacle and Morbid Angel: The 40th Anniversary Tour (The Masquerade) by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Also, you can follow my personal concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram for even more photos not available on Concerthopper.com.

[ledenews]

St. C. Singers Hosting Dinner and a Show Style Fundraiser

Looking for something to do Monday night? Not feeling like cooking for the family? Are you in the market for dinner and a show without having to break the bank to get it? All the while helping out a group of hard-working high schoolers? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions—and why wouldn't you given how expensive literally everything is these days—then head on down to St. Clairsville High School's cafetorium Monday evening between 4-7 p.m. It is there you can take an evening of food and musical entertainment, all for the cost of $8 per person. The St. C. Singers, the award-winning high school show choir at St. Clairsville High School, is putting on its first of two annual spaghetti dinner fundraisers. The doors open at 4 p.m. and performances from Sweet Harmony, the St. C. Singers, the high school's chamber choir, and middle school choir will begin in 30-minute intervals starting at 4:30 p.m. with Sweet Harmony. “The spaghetti dinner is the first whole-group showcase of the year for vocal students in choir, Sweet Harmony, and the St. C. Singers,” said Lauren Florence with the St. C. Singers. “It gives parents, grandparents, friends, and community members a chance to hear what the kids have been working on up until this point in the year.” In short, it's a showcase for the musical talents found inside both St. Clairsville High School and Middle School. With food. All for $8. The St. C. Singers, who close the show with a performance at 7 p.m., along with Sweet Harmony will each perform twice, with the Chamber Choir and middle school choir performing once each during the middle portion of the evening. Florence noted that while some parents have children in both the middle and high school groups, it's not uncommon for many attendees to stick around for the evening's entirety. “Many families stick around to see each of the acts and enjoy seeing what other vocal opportunities are available for St. C. students,” Florence said. “This showcases the musical talents of the students in grades 7-12. The middle and high school chamber choirs will showcase vocal pieces they have been working on in class. “Sweet Harmony, our junior and senior vocal and instrumental group, will perform as a small group and highlight talented soloists, as well as student musicians. “The St. Clairsville show choir and the St. C. Singers will give a vocal preview of their 2022-2023 show “After the Storm.” A Fun-Filled Fundraiser While attendees will certainly get their fill of food and musical entertainment, this is, after all, a fundraiser. The St. C. Singers are a performance show choir, that is set up as an extracurricular activity, and unlike year-long performance choirs, must learn, drill, master, and be ready to perform their competition show in only a few month's time. With practices beginning earlier this week, safe to say, the group, and its co-directors Florence and Kristen Rateno, are extremely busy. “In most school districts that have a show choir, it's a year-long academic class instead of an extracurricular activity,” Florence said. “At. St. Clairsville, behind-the-scenes show design and concept begins months ahead of practice. The spaghetti dinner runs Monday from 4-7 p.m. “However, show choir members do not begin learning and practicing the show until the first week of November. The group has two months to perfect the performance before hitting the road in January for competitions. “The group's talent and work ethic make up for the short practice season.” There are costumes, entry fees, transportation arrangements, musical copyrights to purchase, musical arrangement and even a choreographer comes in to help the group prepare its competition program. It's a lot of work, and a lot of cost, running in the 10s of thousands of dollars. The school isn't covering those costs, so the spaghetti dinners, along with a number of other fundraisers, help offset the costs the St. C. Singers' parents and families shell out so their children can perform each season. “The St. C. Vocal Boosters holds two spaghetti dinners throughout the performance season. They are also currently selling raffle tickets for a “Fill the Freezer” meat raffle from Jacob and Son's Meats,” Florence said. “Our biggest fundraiser is the show choir competition that we host in February. This year's competition will be held at Buckeye Local High School on February 18. “Schools from all over Ohio and West Virginia will compete against each other and the St. C. Singers will perform an exhibition. Show choir can be expensive. The fundraisers help offset costs for St. C. Singers' families.” New Era Dawns for Choir Both Rateno and Florence are involved in a number of activities in the school district. Rateno, who serves as the visual arts director for the Singers, is an art teacher in the middle and high schools. Florence too is an educator in the building, along with serving as an athletic coach and an occasional photographer you'll see snapping pictures on the sideline at sporting events.Both have been involved with Singers, but Florence role greatly expanded this year with the stepping down of longtime director Wayne Berk after the 2022 competition season. Berk is still the choir director and music educator in the school and still runs the chamber choir. But he's stepped back from the show choir and no Florence and Rateno are teaming together to run the show. Admittedly, for Florence, there are some big shoes to fill. “Kristen Rateno is definitely the visual artist in our directing duo,” Florence said. “She has an eye for what catches an audience's attention on stage and she works for months ahead of the show season, designing costumes, and perfecting the “look” of our group. “I have giant shoes to fill, as Mr. Berk has been the director for years and the group has had extreme success under his direction. It's the musical director's job to create a show concept, select music, and tell a story.” The Singers have consistently made the finals at all of their competitions and placed well within the top schools each time out according to Florence. She noted they have a history of adding a “wow factor” that really gets the judges talking and the crowd excited about the performances. She noted in the past, there's been a full pirate ship, sword fights, an acrobatic Spiderman and even an acapella group, complete with beatboxer. The group competes, wins medal, and accounts well for itself and its members. That's a string Florence and Rateno hope to continue. If you want a little preview of all that talent, energy, and excitement, stop on down Monday, enjoy some pasta and watch the show. Read the full article

[hansoulchews]

Exile ft. Bon Iver (5/11 of Exile) | Vernon Chwe x reader

Pairing: Vernon Chwe x gn! reader / past Park Seo Joon x gn! reader

Genre: fluff, angst, strangers to lovers

Sypnosis: Famous singer-songwriter, y/n, quietly released an album 2 years after ghosting the music scene suddenly. After their infamous scandal in which y/n was videoed to be in an altercation with established actor, Park Seo Joon at a restaurant, y/n ceased all their music activities and went into hiding, refusing to comment further on the issue. Lucky for all you conspiracy theorists! It seems as though all the questions left unanswered in 2019 are finally addressed (or so we think!) in this unexpected album drop.

Warnings: None for this chapter

Series Masterlist | Next

In the only collaborative track, the lead singer of Bon Iver, Justin Vernon, lends his voice to Exile, an indie-folk gospel ballad song that encapsulated a bleak discussion of two estranged lovers who are at different points of a breakup, one being the person who has yet to move on, and the other already has. The fusion of y/n’s soft vocals with Justin’s deep baritone voice highlights the juxtaposition of two former lovers, having an unarticulated conversation of their past relationship. The song was structured in a call and response format, funnily, as the artists sing about the lack of communication that lead to their dismay. It is safe to say, this song showcases the sonic beauty of y/n’s musicality.

August 2019

“That’s literally the worst way someone can pour wine,” Minghao said in a deadpanned voice. You cackled, knowing that you have successfully riled him up. In the past few months, you have been trying your best to integrate back into socializing with new people, mainly other Seventeen members as well as some other musicians. You have not dared to reach out to your friends in the acting industry, not knowing where you stand with them and what they thought of you.

Woozi and Hoshi helped you out a lot with this process. They slowly introduced you to Joshua and Minghao, knowing that their funny but calm demeanours were a good acclimation process to you befriending other (more active and talkative) members. Minghao was a friend who you never knew what to expect from. He was a silent menace who was unpredictable but hilarious. Both of you enjoyed online shopping together, roping each other to buy fashionable goods from the same sites, getting free shipping by default. (Yes, you both are millionaires, yes, free shipping is still greatly appreciated.)

With Joshua, you were able to speak more English, feeling glad that you could speak your other native language. Both of you would also exchange American pop culture references in these conversations. He was the most geeked out when you mentioned that you were working with Bon Iver for a song.

“I didn’t know you were even making records right now.” He said at your bi-weekly dinner get-togethers. “Hey, hey, no English in our presence please!” Hoshi screamed out from the kitchen.

“Y/N is making a song with this cool band, Bon Iver!” Joshua shouted back, looping Hoshi into the conversation. Hoshi came back out from the kitchen with a childish pout. “I remember when I used to be the first to get updates…” He sighed dramatically.

“I knew before Joshua.” Woozi purposely said, teasing Hoshi. Hoshi just pouted even more.

“Well, you, I understand because you were first in line as y/n’s friend, but Joshua? Unforgivable!”

Joshua just rolled his eyes teasingly as you simply smiled widely at the scene before you. Joshua turned back to you and said (in Korean for the benefit of everybody), “So, how’s the recording process like so far?”

“I’ve got the lyrics and Justin and I have been exchanging ideas on how his lyrics could go. He’s writing his and I’m making revisions on mine.”

You had been hesitant at opening the can of worms that was your relationship with Seo Joon. But penning down your thoughts and expressing them through the best way you know how — songwriting and composition, had been a cathartic experience that helped you process how you used to feel back in the relationship, how you were feeling about the break up and now, the aftermath.

It’s a bit painful to see Seo Joon on screens and billboards. It’s not that you missed him or anything, but the reminder of these grand gestures of reverence towards him made you inevitably gaslight yourself. Was it you who overreacted? Did you make the wrong decision? Were you too hard on him?

You felt isolated and in exile. It was hard to see the man who caused you so much pain, hurt, anger and frustration being loved irrevocably by basically everyone. And he’s still getting gigs. The Divine Fury, a cameo in a distinguished film, Parasite, not to mention the remnants of how good his performance in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim that is still securing him for roles in Kdramas. And here you are, having articles putting you on blast for pouring ramen on him and people reducing your craft and talent to a manipulative tactic to lure men in as your lovers only to break up with them as a source of inspiration for your next album.

“That’s really cool. Are you planning to make an album?” Minghao chimed in. You shrugged.

“It’s just one track. I don’t know if I’m brave enough to put myself out there just yet.”

Present

Hansol reached his hand out to you. You grabbed it to stabilize yourself. His other hand was holding the picnic basket, filled with sandwiches, some canned drinks, pastries and chips.

“You alright?” He checked in with you. Both of you decided to hike up another trail on a cool Saturday morning. This trail wasn’t as intense as some of the trails you frequently took with Hoshi and Woozi.

“Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve gone hiking.” Hansol hummed as he slowed his steps down to match your pace. He knew you were cooped up in the studio, finalizing the album the past 2 months. Now that it’s out, he decided that it was time to celebrate it by doing something you loved.

You finally reached an area with relatively flat ground and decided to set up your small picnic there. Hansol opened a can of coke for you and handed it to you. You smiled softly.

“How are you feeling baby?” Hansol broke the silence after giving both of you a moment to enjoy the scenery.

“I’m okay. I’m pretty nervous about the live performance though.”

“The one at Yu Huiyeol’s Sketchbook right?” He recalled the conversation you had with him about the premiere of the live performances for the songs in the album.

You nodded. You were slowly refamiliarising yourself with the schedules you used to have when you were an active musician. It was inevitably overwhelming but Hansol was there throughout the process, supporting you by being the best listener to all your rants.

“Mmm, can’t decide if it’s the interview or the live performances I’m more nervous about.”

“The questions have been screened and curated though, right?” You nodded.

Hansol then decided to change the subject, knowing that the whole purpose of this trip was to liberate you from the flurry of activities you had planned after releasing the album. “What shall we cook for Friday?”

You gave him a pointed look. “You mean, what shall I cook for Friday.” He chuckled, his infamous skills (or lack thereof) in the kitchen had you bench him from actual cooking (at least those that require the food to be decent for the consumption of others at the dinner parties).

“Hey, I’m getting better! I can help with prep.” He said in a jokingly defensive manner. You rolled your eyes, causing him to peck a quick kiss on your cheek as a result of the intense fond feeling he had while looking at your face.

“Yeah yeah, sure. Minghao suggested steak because he wants to break open a new red wine he got from China.”

“Hmm… steak sounds good… let’s do that.” Hansol replied.

You got tired of sitting up so you laid your back onto the picnic mat, propping your head up with a makeshift pillow aka your hiking bag. Hansol picked up your relaxed vibe and decided to lay his head on your belly. Your hands instinctively found his hair, massaging his scalp gently.

He hummed gently, blending into the white noise of the forest.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

In late March, before Arkansas lawmakers officially blocked minors from obtaining gender-affirming medical care, Willow Breshears, an 18-year-old trans woman in Little Rock, spoke of her fears to a local news outlet: “The people who are legislating [against] these trans kids have no grasp of what a trans experience is.”

Most in the medical community would agree with her.

As similar bills are introduced and debated across the country, transgender children and their families have gone public to explain that treatments like puberty-blocking hormones and gender-affirming hormone therapy are medically necessary and potentially lifesaving. But they’re not the only ones speaking out. Every major medical association in the United States — including the American Medical Association, the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry — has issued statements supporting gender-affirming care for youth that have met specific diagnostic criteria (the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, for example, says adolescents are only eligible for puberty blockers if they’ve demonstrated “a long-lasting and intense pattern of gender nonconformity or gender dysphoria,” have the ability to understand the benefits and risks of the medication, and have parental consent). Many of the same groups have issued explicit statements opposing the bills or testified against them in state hearings.

Yet while opposition in the medical field has been overwhelming, it has not been unanimous. A small number of highly controversial doctors and researchers have been pushing these anti-trans bills. Representing organizations with seemingly professional names like the American College of Pediatricians or the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine, they have effectively accomplished for gender dysphoria what anti-vaxxer medical professionals have sought to do for their cause: give credence to the notion that no scientific or medical consensus exists regarding the relative safety and efficacy of a given treatment, despite the clear and growing evidence to the contrary.

“The policy debates about banning gender-affirming medical care have been really hard to watch because every major medical organization is opposed to these bills,” said Jack Turban, a fellow in child and adolescent psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine who focuses on transgender youth. With no support from the mainstream medical community, conservative legislators have gone and found “this handful of people who have ‘MD’ after their name” but lack the research, experience, and evidence to back their claims, he said.

“Proponents of these bills claim that they are advocating in the interests of transgender children, which is actually ludicrous,” said Hannah Willard, the vice president of government affairs at Freedom for All Americans, a bipartisan group pushing for protections against LGTBQ discrimination nationwide. “These fringe extremists are trying to push a narrative that transgender people need saving from the medical experts.”

The last few years have brought an onslaught of anti-trans legislation; most recently, these proposed laws are attempting to ban trans children from playing in sports leagues that match their gender identity. One wave of legislation, which peaked in 2017 and 2018, aimed to limit trans kids’ ability to use the bathroom or locker room that corresponds to their gender identity. But last year, perhaps prompted by sensationalist and inaccurate right-wing media coverage of a Texas custody case involving parents who disagreed over treatments for their trans child, a new set of bills began appearing in legislatures across the country aimed at prohibiting or even criminalizing giving puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones to minors. In the 2019–2020 legislative year, at least 15 states introduced bills prohibiting healthcare for trans youth. This year, at least 13 states have introduced similar bills. Arkansas is the first state to ban gender-affirming healthcare. On Monday, a committee in the Texas Senate heard testimony on a bill that would make it a felony for parents to provide their children with puberty blockers, hormones, or other gender-affirming care.

At least on the surface, proponents of these bills have framed their need in medical terms. The Arkansas bill, for example, makes a host of pseudoscientific claims: that the majority of gender-nonconforming children “come to identify with their biological sex in adolescence or adulthood,” that puberty blockers are being prescribed “despite the lack of any long-term longitudinal studies evaluating the risks and benefits of using these drugs,” and that “the risks of gender transition procedures far outweigh any benefit.”

But these assertions are either misleading or verifiably false, according to experts in the field. Studies have consistently shown that providing gender-affirming care to gender-diverse children — which includes allowing them to socially transition and access puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones — is correlated with lower rates of suicide and mental illness. Studies have also shown that children who aren’t supported, such as those who undergo therapy with the aim of eliminating their trans identity, have worse health outcomes and are more likely to have thoughts of suicide.

Proponents of the anti-trans healthcare bills often distort the findings of these studies, experts told BuzzFeed News. Kristina Olson, a professor of psychology at Princeton University who in 2018 received a MacArthur grant to study the social and cognitive development of trans and gender-nonconforming youth, said the claim that children eventually identify with their birth gender as they enter adulthood is a misinterpretation of an outdated study, as other scientists have explained elsewhere.

More recently, critics of gender-affirming care have promoted a widely criticized and methodologically flawed study that appeared to indicate that gender dysphoria was being spread through social circles. In reality, this misconception was from parents of gender-nonconforming children.

Heron Greenesmith, a senior analyst at Political Research Associates, a progressive think tank dedicated to studying the American right, told BuzzFeed News that the widely accepted studies into best practices for trans youth have been undermined by a few physicians and mental health providers who espouse right-wing or explicitly anti-LGBTQ views. “People tend not to question folks with a medical degree,” Greenesmith said.

Brennan Suen, the LGBTQ program director at Media Matters for America who has tracked the anti-trans legislation and its media coverage, said “the anti-LGBT right” goes to great lengths to highlight the few medical professionals who agree with them because they give a “veneer of credibility” to the supposed dangers posed by gender-affirming treatment.

One organization has played an especially significant role in boosting the claims behind the bill, including by talking with lawmakers and submitting expert testimony during legislative hearings. According to Willard with Freedom for All Americans, the American College of Pediatricians has helped shape the debate in “nearly every state legislature pushing these bills,” including Georgia, where the first anti-trans healthcare bill was introduced, as well as Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Utah. ACP has also supported the federal bill that Republicans recently introduced into Congress. Quentin Van Meter, the ACP president, is the "foremost person being cited by anti-trans advocates,” Greenesmith said.

Turban, the Stanford researcher, has described ACP as a “small but clever anti-LGBT group [that] created a legit-sounding name.” He told BuzzFeed News that ACP is not the country’s leading organization for US pediatricians; that group is known as the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 2002, the AAP issued a statement in support of parents of the same sex, prompting a small number of socially conservative physicians to leave the group and found ACP. Since then, ACP has issued many controversial anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ statements. It is currently designated as an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Newer groups are also playing a role, including the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine. Last year, SEGM was cited in an Idaho bill barring trans people from changing the sex on their birth certificate. A federal court has since struck down the law. (In an email, a SEGM spokesperson said they never expressed support for the Idaho bill and that they “object to the politicization of healthcare.”) SEGM member William Malone told a Christian news site in 2019: "No child is born in the wrong body, but for a variety of reasons some children and adolescents become convinced that they were."

Media coverage has also confused matters. After initially gaining traction in the right-wing press, ACP is now routinely quoted in prominent news outlets. “We are basically being blackmailed (into providing hormone treatments) by that adolescent who’s emotionally troubled into doing something that they don’t understand,” Van Meter told Reuters last month in an article about the Arkansas law. Although the article notes that ACP belongs to a “minority of dissenters” within the medical community, it mentions neither the organization’s history of promoting anti-LGBTQ claims nor its certification by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. “It is completely irresponsible for the media to cite an extreme anti-LGBTQ group with an innocuous-sounding name like American College of Pediatricians,” said Brianna January, an LGBTQ researcher at Media Matters for America. “Placing its dangerous disinformation next to credible sources makes it falsely appear that this is a debatable topic, skewing how the public and policymakers understand the issue."

In statements to BuzzFeed News, both ACP and SEGM denied that they were promoting misinformation. Michelle Cretella, ACP’s executive director, called pediatric transition “an atrocity, not healthcare” and said that “society is being lied to and bullied by a medical establishment driven by a dangerous ideology and economic opportunity, not science and sound medical ethics.”

SEGM member Roberto D’Angelo said the group was concerned with the “low quality of evidence” in gender-affirming treatment. “The key issue under consideration is how to weigh the low-certainty findings of improvements in mental health associated with medical interventions against the many known and many more as-yet-unknown long-term health risks,” he said.

Opponents, including members of ACP and SEGM, have called for “hypothesis-driven randomized controlled clinical trials” to evaluate care models for treating gender dysphoria in children, but those techniques aren’t realistic or ethical, said Turban. Given the existing evidence for providing trans youth with gender-affirming care, and the fact that it’s already widely accepted in the medical field, no institutional review board would permit a randomized trial of puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones, he said. Moreover, the study could never remain blind, since the effects of being given the medication would be impossible to hide.

Given the statements from every major medical association in the country, there is a clear and inarguable consensus supporting gender-affirming care. But that doesn’t mean these treatments carry no risk, Turban said. Regardless of the population or the medical issue at play, physicians are trained to weigh a treatment’s potential benefits against its risks. The same is true in caring for trans youth.

Medical providers and researchers still want more data to better understand various treatments, despite an established consensus. “We all agree that we need more data and that we wish there was more research,” said Olson, the Princeton researcher. But providers should still use the existing body of data to determine the best treatment for a trans child, she said: “I think it’s an unfair bar that we’ve created for trans healthcare.”

But for now, all eyes are focused on the legislation being pushed in states across the country. And the fear in the trans community is very real.

Casey Pick, a senior fellow for advocacy and government affairs at the Trevor Project, which operates a crisis intervention and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth, said their counselors have reported trans children and their families calling to ask what these bills are and when they’ll go into effect. Callers are distressed that the legislation will prevent them from getting the care they need, Pick said.

“This should not be treated as a philosophical debate,” she said. “This is a real concrete concern to real, actual LGBT youth.”

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

MTV Unplugged presents: BTS

by Admin 1

What a time to not only be alive, but also be ARMY with BTS taking the MTV Unplugged stage on February 23rd 2021 as the first Korean artists in history to do so. It’s another marvelous achievement on the already highly impressive list BTS have to their name, another mark they’re leaving on history and another piece solidifying their place among musics greatest, at least if you ask me and everyone else who tuned in and was left extremely impressed and emotional, a mix of euphoria, emotional rawness, but also a sense of warm, soft, and gentle comfort and hope.

With this gorgeously put together setlist they’ve also proven, once more, that even when you take away all the high budget stadium stages, the dynamic and explosive choreographies and the fancy music video editing, and just focus on their craft as musicians and their most valuable instruments--their voices--BTS can stand their ground easily. Their talent and passion is unmistakable and shines brightly in all these songs, four of their own and one cover.

The performance was shown simultaneously on dozens of MTV stations across the globe, some watching on TV and others via official live streams, and yet others catching up with what they missed hours later. All the promo, hype and attention paid off and they showed that it was all worth it, that they are more than worth it, and that we as ARMY have every right to be proud of them and be proud of being ARMY.

So, let’s do what I love doing most and talk about each performance, shall we?

What an absolutely delightful, happy and funky way to open the show and introduce new listeners to just how fun BTS can be. The stage was one giant room filled with lost of little details, including a motorbike with a second passenger extension, arcade games, a football game, and a sofa. Right from the get go there’s this joyful aura around the members, smiles on their faces, little dance moves making their steps light and fun--they were having fun and subsequently we were, too.

How wonderful is it to also finally see Yoongi with them as well, even if it’s very noticeable (and understandable) that he’s keeping his shoulder steady and arm moving as little as possible? After all Telepathy was “his” song for BE and contains lots of little Yoongi signature features, most obviously his knack for playing with autotune in a way that is very audible yet never quite too much, just walking along the line in an interesting way. There’s a genius note change from Hobi in the second half of the song that’s one of the absolute highlights, just like Namjoon and Seokjin doing their little minimal movement dances in the back while grooving along to the music.

As Vminnies we get our own little treat with Jimin and Tae coming together to sing alongside each other and do their little dance as well which we’ve previously seen during the Dear Class of 2020 performance of Mikrocosmos. Then to finish off their little segment, they also do this funny little thing of pointing at each other with Tae as though acting like he (perhaps) wants to boop Jimin’s face/nose from afar. Absolutely adorable.

Speaking of which, can we talk about their cute Donald and Daisy Duck accents on their clothes and accessories which add this little sense of retro? As well as the fact that Tae is wearing the cardigan equivalent to Jimin’s Gucci sweater from his NOTES on Dis-ease video? I do very much enjoy these little details from the stylists. Also, has anyone else noticed that Tae has different in-ears? His usual ones were green yet here they’re translucent.

The way I gasped when the members turned to Tae and asked him to introduce the next song and he said it’s one that is very meaningful to him, honestly, I can’t even describe it. I was so, so happy but also getting ready to be swallowed by all the feels. I know ARMY sns had theories that we’d get Blue & Grey based on the visuals of that stage which we got in the teasers, and yet somehow I still wasn’t quite ready when the song began and we were graced with absolutely breathtaking vocals that went straight for the heart.

The visuals for this performance were perfect for the song while being interesting yet not too much that it would pull your attention away from the song itself. One by one the members sang their parts and found their places along the two main walls, the lighting cold yet on the white/grey side, none of them really interacting or looking at each other which was fitting with the atmosphere of that blue and grey feeling. Then, for the second half, the ‘stage’ switched to more of a blue lighting and we had moments where first Seokjin and JK sang together and then Jimin and Tae, their voices harmonizing so heavenly with each other yet still none of the members really looked at each other, at most looking into the camera.

I love how this performance put the focus on each member on their own but also in moments on the entire group, that feeling of being alone but never quite alone, that they have each other, and that we have them. Tae also really seemed to be highlighted during this performance, which makes sense when given the history of how the song came to be. But, really, each of them was just as visible and equally beautiful in this.

Speaking of beautiful, my jaw dropped when we got to see (and hear) Namjoon during his verse. Honestly, that mans beauty and handsomeness--it somehow keeps on increasing with each time we see him.

From anon: Omg vmin in blue and grey 😭😭😭. They coudnt even look to each other while singing “Don't say you're fine' Cause you're not Please don't leave me alone, it hurts too much” it’s my fav part by the way and their harmonization it’s heaven. I loved they choose this song to the mtv performance!

As much as this was supposed to be a surprise, MTV accidentally spoiled it hours before their performance was aired, and yet, despite knowing it was coming, I don’t think any of us were quite prepared for it right after Blue & Grey.

Fix You is a gorgeous song in its original version with a sad backstory, and it’s one of those Coldplay songs that they are extremely selective over when it comes to requests for official covers or use for commercials or movies/shows. They are about their entire discography, but I think it especially goes for this song, and yet they gave BTS the permission to do this official unplugged cover.

We also know the song means something more to the members, seeing as Jimin posted a video on their 6h anniversary showing the members during a trip they’d gone on together while the song is playing in the background. They also spoke about Coldplay during the press conference before their Wembley concerts, and Namjoon and Hobi had gone to one of their concerts a few years ago, as well as Tae on a different occasion. There certainly is a level of admiration and respect involved, a deeper connection to what they were singing, which was very clear and tangible during their performance as well.

Vocal line were truly outstanding in this, especially Seokjin (who took sns by storm as the “pink mic guy” with floods of praise and people wondering who he is, what his name is, because they’d all fallen in love with him--very relatable because same). Rap line switched between harmonizing with the vocalists in their low register and did a beautiful job of it. Namjoon harmonizing with Seokjin truly gave me goosebumps (and made my little namjin heart very happy). We also had Tae and Hobi harmonizing and sharing a brief smile with each other, as well as Namjoon harmonizing with Jungkook and Jimin, and Yoongi harmonizing with Tae and Jungkook.

The stage was also beautifully thought out, minimal yet captivating at once, all the members sitting on barstools in a line with the blinds drawn on the windows behind them, spotlights shining on them from above and others dancing behind them giving them a beautiful glow and turning something simple into something extraordinary and gorgeous. They truly didn’t need any more than that.

And like their performance wasn’t outstanding enough, we also saw Coldplay themselves not only tweet about it while calling the cover beautiful in Korean (and tagging the member’s twitter account instead of the _bighit one), but also post the same comment below the video on YouTube and share links to it on their facebook and IG stories, as well as sharing the video in their community tab on their YouTube channel. 

So, not only did BTS garner big approval from Coldplay fans and ARMY alike, but also from the original artist. A wonderful moment in music and between two legendary artists in their own right.

This acoustic version of Life Goes On is truly a masterpiece, so calm, soothing and offering that sense of comfort, togetherness, and this reassurance that life will go on, that we’re together in this, that we’ve made it through the blue & grey, that we’ve helped each other to “fix” ourselves, and that we can now slowly heal and grow from the things we’ve gone through. The electric guitar, the slow and quiet drums and on top of that the members voices, all of it coming together truly beautifully.

Their outfits kind of gave me UK private school or University secret society vibes, or as Admin 2 called it “ready to go hunting, we’re just missing our Beagles or Basset Hounds” which isn’t necessarily wrong. And yet the warm shades of brown fit the atmosphere of the song really well, complement it even.

While we’re “used” to vmin having their little moment, we only really saw Tae smiling towards Jimin, though the camera unfortunately didn’t give us a wide shot to see if Jimin returned his smile, though I’ll go ahead and say he likely did if he noticed Tae’s. Though honestly, Tae’s wide happy smile was enough to melt my heart on its own.

And then, to close out the night, we got a very funky and fun yet calm version of Dynamite during which, surprisingly enough, the members actually stay in their seats against all ARMY theories and bets (well, okay, Namjoon stood up for a moment, but sat down really quickly again and no one actually got out of their seats to dance). Who would’ve thought a day like this would come, especially looking at how they got up in previous seated performances of Dynamite.

I love the not so subtle flex of all their gold, silver and platinum records across the wall behind them, as well as their MTV moon men. With how humble they are about their awards and achievements, this felt like a good moment to highlight just how hard they’ve worked, how much they’ve achieved, before they got the chance to be on MTV Unplugged and that truly, if someone deserves to be there and showcase their talents, its them.

Looking at how many times we’ve seen and heard Dynamite, it’s fascinating how they still managed to create a version that was different from all the previous ones and felt fresh and new. Their outfits were simple and all white and thus didn’t pull too much attention onto them leaving the focus on the music and vocals. Tae’s adlibs were absolutely fantastic and they all just seemed to have so much fun with this performance, smiling and dancing in their seats, obviously having a great time. We even got Jimin smiling and scrunching up his nose happily at Tae while he sang! 

Overall this MTV Unplugged performance was a wonderful display of their talents and music merits, their vocals and rap, and just how outstanding they are as a group on this vast world stage. The setlist was perfect, though perhaps a little short. Honestly, if you ask me, they could’ve performed five or ten more songs and I would’ve remained glued to the screen through it all. And yet, still, I couldn’t have asked for more. I was left brown away and so extremely impressed despite being ARMY and knowing how good BTS are. They truly manage to find new ways to grow, evolve, and showcase their musicality with each performance. I also love how they don’t shy away from trying new things and challenges, like rap line singing and harmonizing with the vocals.

I’ll definitely come back to watching these stages many times in the future and they’re easily up there in my top ten of favorite performances of all time. Thank you, BTS, and thank you MTV Unplugged.

[orikoaurora]

What Do You Need To Know About The Stop Asian Hate Movement.

Ever since it came to light that the COVID-19 virus originated in Wuhan, China, incidents of hate against Asians in America have been steadily on the rise. According to a study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, there has been an increase of 150 percent in hate crimes against Asians in the US in 2020 — more than double of 2019. These include attacks on people of Asian origin as well as the businesses run by them. The study found that two of the cities, where Asians have been targeted the most are Los Angeles and New York.

Experts such as Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of demographic data and policy research non-profit AAPI Data, believe that part of the hatred against Asians has been fuelled by the repeated use of “China virus” and “Kung Flu” by former US President Donald Trump, conservative media outlets as well as his supporters when referring to COVID-19. Commenting on the stereotypes that Asian Americans face in the US, John C. Yang President and Executive Director of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) told CNN, “Unfortunately, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders often are invisible to the public. Or, where we are visible, it falls into a couple of different stereotypes. One stereotype is the so called ‘model minority’ — the suggestion that there are no issues that really affect the Asian American community.”

This hate, marginalisation and stereotype assumed a horrific shape on March 16, 2021, in Georgia which sent shockwaves among Asians living in America and other parts of the world.

What Happend In Georgia?

Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white American, shot dead eight people at three massage parlours in Cherokee County and Atlanta city. Six of those killed were women of Asian descent. Long has been arrested and charged with eight counts of murder — four each in Cherokee and Atlanta, besides charges related to aggravated assault, attempt to murder and use of a firearm. Though Long claimed he was not motivated by the race of the victims and hate crime is not part of the charges against him, many, including Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, believe the mass shooting was an act of hate crime.

Has There Been Any Incident Post The Georgia Spa Shooting?

Multiple attacks on people of Asian origin have been reported across the US in the week since the Georgia spa shootings. A day after the incident, a 75-year-old woman was brutally assaulted in San Francisco. In three separate incidents on March 21 in New York City, a 54-year-old was hospitalised after being attacked, a 41-year-old was attacked from behind and a 37-year-old was assaulted on her way to an anti-Asian violence protest. While a man has been charged in the San Francisco incident, two men and a woman have been charged in the three NY incidents.

What Has Been The Response To The Attacks?

People have been highlighting these hate crime incidents on social media, raising awareness and asking everyone to look out for their Asian American family, friends and neighbours. Thousands took to the streets in New York, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Washington and even Montreal in Canada in the last few days speaking out against anti-Asian hate, calling for police reforms and criticising Trump for his hateful rhetoric against China during the pandemic.

During one of the marches, San Antonio Mayor Juliàn Castro told demonstrators that “For generations, Asian Americans have been discriminated against. I don’t have to tell that to anybody in this crowd.”

Following the March 16 incident, the US House Judiciary Committee’s civil rights committee held a hearing on the anti-Asian bias — a first in over 30 years.

Are Prominent People Speaking Out On This Issue?

In the backdrop of the rise in hate crimes against the community, numerous celebrities have extended their support to rights groups and families of victims while expressing solidarity with Asians in America. Among them are actors Awkwafina, Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Olivia Munn, and Ken Jeong, designers Prabal Gurung and Yoon Ahn, models Mona Matsuoka and Soo Joo Park besides several others.

In an emotional Instagram video after the Georgia attacks, Tony Award-winning Ashley Park of Emily in Paris fame drew attention to the systemic racism that Asians face daily even “starting with children, when every Asian kid should be able to be good at math and play a classical instrument…”

“This racism starts at a very small level. It starts with things that you say. It starts when someone calls a virus that shut down the whole world the ‘Kung Flu virus.’ It also starts when you roll your eyes or make fun of Asian waiters or Chinese food delivery people and the nail artist,” she says in the post calling to stop Asian hate that has been viewed over three million times.

Min Jin Lee, the celebrated author of Pachinko, in support of the Stop Asian Hate movement, tweeted, “In less than 48 hours, we had a historic Asian Oscar moment with multiple firsts in 93 years — then a mass shooting targeting 3 Asian-owned businesses. This is how terrorism works — you’re not allowed to feel safe, accepted, or valued. We can resist. Take up space. Make noise.”

Appearing before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties on March 18, The Good Doctor producer and actor Daniel Dae Kim called for the passage of the No Hate Bill and the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act. Referring to the failure of the bill’s passage last year, he said, “I was disheartened to find that for a bill that required no money or resources, just a simple condemnation of acts of hate against people of Asian descent, 164 members of Congress, all Republican voted against it. And now here I am again, because as every witness in this hearing has pointed out, the situation has gotten worse, much worse.”

He told the committee that even though the country Asians call their home “may consider us statistically insignificant now, but one more fact that has no alternative is that we are the fastest-growing racial demographic in the country. We are 23 million strong. We are united, and we are waking up.”

Many celebrities have been raising the issue of hate incidents against members of the community for a long time. Others who have been vocal about it include tennis star and multiple Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who, in a Tweet on February 7, wrote, “The amount of hate, racism, and blame for COVID towards the Asian community is disgusting. The fact that this topic is not very widely covered makes me concerned. I only found videos and information because I was scrolling through my IG feed and by some algorithm it appeared.”

[gunterfan1992]

Episode Review: ‘Obsidian’ (Distant Lands, Ep. 2)

Airdate: November 19, 2020

Story by: Jack Pendarvis, and Kate Tsang, Adam Muto, & Hanna K. Nyström

Storyboarded by: Hanna K Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Iggy Craig, Mickey Quinn, Maya Petersen, James Campbell, & Ashlyn Anstee

Directed by: Miki Brewster (supervising), Sandra Lee (art)

Of all the many colorful characters in Adventure Time perhaps none has a more elaborate backstory than Marceline the Vampire Queen. In many ways, Marceline really was the writers’ gold goose, engendering complex story after complex story. By the time the series ended, the vampire’s life had in more ways than one been woven into the very fabric of the show’s mythology.

But because I am a Marceline fanboy—whose zeal for her majesty is rivaled perhaps only by Glassboy himself—I always felt like the show could have done even more with her backstory; I mean, when the series finale aired, there were still plenty of questions that had yet to be answered (What happened to her mom? What is Simon going to do now that he’s “cured”? How did Marcy and Bubblegum meet? Were they romantically involved before the events of the main series? How did it all go south?). Nevertheless, when "Island Song” played for the last time at the end of “Come Along with Me,” I forced myself to push aside this minor, fannish grievance and applaud the show for writing such an excellent character. I didn’t need for every last detail of her life to be explicitly shown on screen. I was happy.

But then, about a year ago, news dropped that one of the Distant Lands specials would really delve into the history of Marceline and Bubblegum’s relationship. In an instant, I tossed my stoic “I-am-satisified-with-what-I-received” mentality right out the window. We were going to get another Marceline episode, and it was going to dive back into her elaborate backstory!?! I could barely contain my excitement as I waited for the episode to drop.

Well, was my excitement worth it? Or was “Obsidian” a big ol’ let down—a tragic victim to grandiose expectations that were never meant to be fulfilled?

I’m quite happy to say that not only was “Obsidian” a remarkable special in its own right, but it is arguably one of the strongest episodes of Adventure Time, period.

The plot of this episode is fairly standard, as far as Adventure Time episodes go: Glassboy (a new character voiced by Michaela Dietz, the voice of Amethyst from Steven Universe) accidentally sets a giant fire monster named Molto Larvo loose on the Glass Kingdom, and Marceline and Bubblegum—who we learn have been living their best cottagecore life together in Marcy’s cavehouse—are forced to save the day. But the series’ writers take this otherwise quotidian adventure idea—a story which, at least on paper, could have easily fit in during any of the show’s many seasons—and employ it as something of a Trojan Horse, using it as a pretense to delve into both Marcy’s traumatic childhood and her and Bubblegum’s romantic history. And, boy, is it a ride!

With regard to the former story thread, the audience learns that sometime after the Mushroom Bomb detonated, Marceline and her mother, Elise (voiced this time not by Rebecca Sugar, but by actress Erica Luttrell, who played Sapphire in Steven Universe), roamed the wastelands in search of shelter; after Marceline’s mother came down with some sort of sickness, she sent Marceline to be on her own. Elise was hoping that this would spare Marcy the trauma of seeing her mother die before her very eyes, but due to some communication issues, Marceline never learned what became of her mother. As such, Marceline began blaming herself for “leaving” her mom to die in the wreckage of the world. This plot thread is perhaps one of the bleakest that Adventure Time has ever explored, and the show does it masterfully, balancing the darkness (e.g., Marceline’s mother coughing up blood) with bright spots of comedy (e.g., the "wazzup” dog) that never feel distasteful.

Likewise, when it comes to the story thread about Marcy and Bubblegum’s romantic history, the special does not hold back. We get to see “Bubbline” at its best and its worst. I have a feeling that the word “fan service” is going to be used by a lot of folks when talking about this episode. As the AV Club writer William Hughes notes, this word is usually hurled around like a pejorative, but it aptly describes the appeal of “Obsidian”. After all, this episode really is “fan service at its finest”—not only does it give the ravenous shippers the story tidbits that they have so long to see (e.g., the moment Marcy gave Bubblegum her rock shirt, Bubbline’s epic break-up), but—and this is very important—it does so in a way that is fundamentally meaningful. “Obsidian” does not feel self-indulgent, unnecessary, or pandering. On the contrary, it is overflowing with deep emotion that allows us to better understand how Bubblegum and Marceline really feel about one another. Sure, over the centuries that the two gals have bummed around Ooo, they have bickered and fought, but deep down, their love is passionate. In many ways, it is like the titular obsidian, which means that nothing short of an enchanted diamond pickax is strong enough to break Bubbline apart for good.

(It’s also quite nice that after seasons and seasons of tip-toeing around the question of Marceline and Bubblegum’s sexuality, “Obsidian” can explicitly focus on their life together, showing the two characters cuddling, kissing, and dancing. In terms of LGBTQ+ representation, it’s a huge leap forward, and I’m so happy that Adventure Time has had a part to play in normalizing queer relationships!)

Marceline episodes almost always featured a catchy diddy, but "Obsidian” really cranks things up to 11 by featuring a whole bevy of catchy songs, several of which are perhaps among the show’s strongest. The first right banger, “It’s Funny,” is the song that plays over the special’s credits. With a grunge-meets-riot grrrl feels, this track really sets the tone for the episode, signaling to the audience that we’re in for, as Lumpy Space Princess once put it, some “drama bombs.” The next standout is “Woke Up,” a brutally honest diss track that Marceline used both to contain Molto Larvo and break up with Princess Bubblegum centuries prior to the start of this episode. This song was written by pop rocker Zuzu, and it—as the kids say—slaps. Layers of fuzzed-out guitar and digitally processed vocals are used expertly to sell Marceline’s emotions and convey how, on the surface, she’s delighted to no longer be under Bubblegum’s romantic spell... even if her heart may not be so sure.

But arguably, the musical jewel of the entire special is “Monster,” a somber ballad that Marceline sings to Bubblegum when they find themselves trapped in the collapsing furnace and are facing what they believe is certain death. Written by indie pop artist Half Shy, this song is, in many ways, something of the inverse of “Woke Up”: soft, happy, and filled to the brim with a sort of love that few are lucky to receive and even fewer can honestly express. Not only does “Monster” finally cement Marceline’s real, visceral love for Bubblegum in song form (remember: almost every prior Bubbline song was either indirect or delivered by an angsty, heartbroken Marceline), but it also “tames” Molto Larvo, allowing him to metamorphose into a strange but harmless cat-butterfly critter. Just like “Come Along with Me,” “Obsidian” proves that the power of love and music will save us in the end—if not physically, then at least emotionally.

Regarding the production-side of things, there’s a lot of praise to doll out. First off, the look and style of “Obsidian” is gorgeous. While “BMO” opted to experiment somewhat with the classic Adventure Time art style, trading cel shading for an almost watercolor feel, “Obsidian” echoes the aesthetic of the original series. That said, there’s an undeniable animation bump—likely courtesy of that sweet, sweet HBO money—that lets Ooo and its denizens shine in all their glory. You can tell that Adam Muto, art director Sandra Lee, supervising director Miki Brewster, and all the members of the production staff really went above and beyond the call of duty. The episode's soundtrack, composed by Amanda Jones, as deserves a shout-out. Jones did an excellent job mixing the chiptune style of the original series with a bass-heavy rock sound that highlights Marceline’s starring role. Bravo!

As another production aside, I should point out that CN/HBO’s decision to make these specials each 44 minutes was the right call. The 11 minute format of the original series often left something to be desired when it came to plot development, as many an important episode was forced to end somewhat prematurely due to time constraints; conversely, the 8-episode miniseries format that the show experimented with during its latter days sometimes felt like too much time (Stakes, Islands, and Elements all had whole episodes that felt like nothing more than the show treading water). The length of “Obsidian”, however, was just right, giving us plenty of time to take in what was happening without ever feeling like it was dragging.

A final aspect of this episode that is worth mention is its many call-backs to previous episodes and characters. “BMO” was mostly a self-contained story that, due to its nature as a prequel in space, really couldn’t reference the Land of Ooo without feeling forced. “Obsidian,” however, throws in everything and the kitchen sink (Adventure Time superfan and all-around cool person Jagm has collected most of them here for those of you who want to see everything laid out nicely). Stand-outs for me include Choose Goose (someone who we really haven’t seen since season five) smuggling sketchy products into the Candy Kingdom, post-Ice King Simon trying his hand at open mic nights, Bronwyn as an adventurous hero, and Finn the (Adult!) Human complete with beard and scars! Of note, Jake does not appear in this episode, except as a tattoo on Finn’s chest. Many in the fandom are now speculating that the events of “Obsidian” take place after our beloved shapeshifting dog’s death. Oh say it ain’t so! Perhaps we’ll learn more in “Together Again.”

Mushroom War Evidence: Unlike “BMO,” which directly referenced the Mushroom War and its fallout (both literally and figuratively), this episode returned to the show’s roots by featuring gobs of explicit hints in throw-away lines or elaborate background pieces. Honestly, there is far too many to list here in a pithy paragraph, but some major references include: the reveal that the Glass Kingdom, like the Fire Kingdom, was created by ‘magic’ blaze from the heavens (almost certainly a nuke); the fact that Marceline and her mother wandered for a time in the debris-filled wastelands following the apocalypse; and the reveal that Marceline spent at least part of her childhood holed up in a bomb shelter surrounded by the bones of myriad dead humans. Honestly, while references to the Mushroom War have always been sad footnotes to an otherwise cheery show; in this episode, however, the references are very graphic, illustrating the sorrow and horror of mutagenic war.

Final Grade: As I said earlier, I’m a Marcy fanboy, so I’m horrible biased, but I don’t care. This episode rocked. Q.E.D.