#and they only sell in line skates in stores for adults :/

[bunnyb34r]

Yay the crabs gifts came! I really hope this food I got them is good, it had good reviews. The "color enhancer" one is just dried cherries, blueberries, and grapes lol I've been bamboozled! (Not really lol this is just cheaper than buying those ingredients individually)

Mom's package arrived too and she forgot she ordered that shit sgdgdggd like I can assure you I did not buy them myself. I'm trying to forget what it was so I'll be suprised lol

Just waiting on: skates for mom (after Christmas atm :( ), 2 of those kidney bean shaped food bowls for the crabs bc I broke one and I really like them sgsgdgdg, knee pads for mom's skates, and the cat hat for our kitty/bean (she's not gonna tolerate it much so it's "also" Bean's)

So I SHOULD be done, but I might stop at a store or two to pick up some small things

[engbergsinfinland]

Greetings and I hope everybody had a nice weekend. It is a totally clear and sunny Monday morning here in Tampere. When I use voice dictation sometimes to draft these posts, "Tampere" comes out as either "Tom Petty" or "Tampa Bay." That should give you some idea of how it's pronounced.

Anyway, the sun is gloriously shining, but it is definitely cold. This morning, Rowan told me that it was 1° C. But it's supposed to get up to 52° F. This week is going to be mostly free of rain, according to the forecast, so the kids should get to ride their bikes to school. Eric's bike is being stored in the sauna right now, as is Cece's. There was an incident about a week ago when the kids were coming home from school and Cece and Rowan concluded that Cece had broken the lock on her bike. I think this was last Monday when Eric and I were in Helsinki, so Rowan decided the safest thing to do would be to carry her bike up the three huge flights of stairs in our building and store Cece's bike in the sauna along with a Daddy's bike. I should say one of Daddy's bikes. We do need to get the bikes out of there so we can start using the sauna like Finnish people do, in a quasi-religious fashion. Well, perhaps "quasi-religious fashion" isn't the right phrase, although apparently sitting in the sauna of daily becomes for many people like a practice of meditation. I much prefer to be surrounded by hot water, as in a hot tub or a bathtub. And I am really struggling with not having a bathtub here at all! I'm going to give a regular sauna regimen a go once it's much colder outside.

We had a pretty nice weekend; did you? We have all had colds, though. Cece was the first to come down with it last week and then Rowan and then me and then Eric. Us adults seem to have been hit the hardest. It's not the worst cold in the world, but I just feel so incredibly fatigued and have a pretty horrible-sounding cough. One nice thing we did this weekend was going to walk in the forest near Hervantajärvi, which is at the end of the "3" tram line. Hervantajärvi (järvi means lake) is one of the many lakes that Eric has gone swimming in. Even though he has a wetsuit and an insulated swimming hat, I think his open-water, lake swimming days are done until next spring or summer. He has a swimming club that he has signed up for and he thought that those sessions started last night, and he went out to the uimahalli (the swimming hall) but the group actually starts tonight--at 8:30! I thought that was a bit late for a hobby group, but, as I've noted before, the Finns are very serious about their hobby groups, and time of day be damned, I suppose!

Other than our weekend forest-and-lake walk, I don't have much to report from the weekend. The kids did homework and read; they wrote letters; I wrote a letter of recommendation and worked on Rowan's Albuquerque Academy application (don't get me started on that); and I made an amazing lentil/vegetable soup last night. The kids had figure skating and Rowan had tap yesterday.

I'll offer you one more Finland observation before I sign off on this relatively short post. Getting facial tissue, or Kleenex, is something of a challenge here. We're used to buying big multi-packs of it at Costco. There is no Costco here and that poses a challenge for Kleenex-buying, and there really is no substitute for Costco. Of course, this makes sense, given all the grocery stores that abound all over the place, and people buy their needed items in smaller quantities. But with tissues, which we like to have on hand, especially when we have colds, the only place we've found decently priced tissues are at the Danish chain Normal. As they say, they sell "completely normal goods at fixed low prices." They are quite cheeky. Normal has excellent and clever branding and the first one that I ever saw was in Toulouse, France, last summer. Normal is kind of like an Ulta Beauty with more drugstore-level products, also including cleaning supplies, some school supplies, some cooking supplies, and some "American" products, like boxed mac-and-cheese and Reese's peanut butter cups. Anyway, Normal is a very popular store with young people and they do sell boxed tissue. So that is your lesson for today about where you can find a boxed tissue when you're in Finland. I've done some online research and it looks like I can also get it at Clas Olsen, which is another store that sells housewares and kind of has a World Market vibe, in terms of its furniture and dishes merchandizing.

Alrighty .... have a great start to your week! Please say a prayer that the little mice that have been spotted in our Albuquerque house get the HECK OUT OF THERE!! I am losing my mind with worrying about this and no interventions by pest control folks have helped me feel any better. Thanks to my friend Laura and her husband Drake for going over there yesterday to give me a better sense of the lay of the land.

[wcaringthin]

the bottom dropping out of a box you’re carrying. using your last five bucks to treat someone to an ice cream. plaid shirts with the sleeves ripped off. instant ramen and off-brand cereal. second, third, and hundredth chances. the clinging smell of cigarette smoke. blue jeans and yesterday’s t-shirt. dreaming of a better future. an unearned sense of self-confidence. spilling coffee down yourself. faking it ‘til you make it. skating through life with a wink and a smile. refusing to stay down. always looking for a silver lining. a pile of bills marked ‘final notice’.

statistics.

full name:  andrew colm mclaughlin nickname(s): drew, andy name meaning:  strong and manly (lol) age:  twenty-seven date of birth:  october 8th star sign:  libra place of birth: indianapolis, indiana current location: hawkins, indiana gender:  cis-male pronouns:  he/him sexual orientation:  pansexual religion:  catholic, but not really occupation:  bartender at the hideaway while it lasts family:  francis “frank” collins (father), mairead mclaughlin (mother) siobhan “shiv” mclaughlin (sibling) finn mclaughlin (brother) education level: high school sophomore (dropped out) living arrangements:  lives at the forest hills trailer park with his siblings financial status:  poor spoken languages:  english

inspirations.

nick wilde (zootopia) ferris bueller (ferris bueller’s day off) doug judy (brooklyn 99) the hustler kid (recess) lip gallagher (shameless) jason mendoza (the good place) clint barton (marvel comics)

biography. (parental neglect, abandonment)

Some people aren’t supposed to be parents. That fact would immediately become clear on meeting Frank Collins and Mairead McLaughlin; two people that barely had control over their own lives, let alone that of the newborn they now had to care for.

The family (if you could call it that) relocated to Hawkins from Indianapolis when Drew was three years old, taking up residence at the Forest Hill trailer park, since it was all they could afford. Drew’s parents were rarely home at the same time, and if they were, they were either arguing or... making up. 

When Drew’s first sibling arrived, he was beside himself. He loved having a little buddy to hang out with all the time, even if they were kind of boring at first, because they mostly just slept and pooped. He quickly developed a talent for making baby Shiv laugh, crossing his eyes and pulling funny faces until they stopped crying. He knew how to change a diaper and mix formula before he was five.

Starting school was a challenge. He didn’t like being away from Shiv, and found it difficult to get his head around learning letters and numbers, because god knows his parents didn’t give him much of a framework to go off. He compensated for this by being the loudest voice in the classroom, always ready with a joke and a smile, something to distract people or make them like him.

Frank finally split for good a few weeks after his youngest son, Finn, arrived, and Mairead was already well on her way to checking out entirely. The McLaughlin siblings could often be found wandering around town by themselves: a seven year old boy pushing a baby in a too-large pram with one hand, while a sticky three year old clung to the other. Drew was doing his best to keep his siblings together, and was already a prolific liar, fending off the concerns of other adults with a wave and a smile.

His money-making schemes started early. He took to shoplifting candy and toys from the dollar store, and selling them back to his classmates at a mark up on the playground. When he got caught, he got in a lot of trouble, but it had only been a week, and he’d already made over fifty bucks. It seemed like a fortune to a ten year old, and his path was set.

Mairead vanished the year Drew turned sixteen. He reasoned it didn’t matter all that much, since he was already basically raising his siblings, and he thought they’d probably be a lot happier without having to worry about their mom all the time. He dropped out of high school after finishing his sophomore year, deciding it was more important to dedicate his time to generating some income.

Since then, Drew has been employed at virtually every establishment in town. Each job only ever seems to work out for a few months at a time before something goes wrong and he ends up back where he started. He means well, but he’s not good at anything, and his continued attempts at side-hustles invariably end up getting him into trouble.

He doesn’t really consider himself a criminal, but he’s definitely done some things of questionable legality in the name of trying to support his family. He has been known to steal, and has been an on-and-off drug dealer since high school.

It’s kind of ironic that when the earthquake hit, the McLaughlins’ home was one of the few that survived the destruction of the trailer park. They had so little to lose, even in comparison with their neighbours, that they may have been better equipped to deal with the change in circumstances - but their trailer was miraculously untouched.

All this to say, Drew McLaughlin is a loser. He won’t give up though - one day, he’s gonna make the big time, and everything’s gonna be different. Maybe it’s not his weekend, but it’s gonna be his year!

other things.

drew idolises bruce springsteen. it’s no accident that he dresses the way he does.

he has fallen prey to at least two multi-level marketing schemes in his life. he doesn’t want to talk about it.

his favourite flavour of ice cream is cherry garcia. he goes to scoops ahoy! insisting it’s his birthday every three months or so, relying on staff turn over so he won’t get caught out.

there was a brief period where drew was selling bootleg video tapes. you may own a copy of ‘a stir is barn’, ‘saturday knight fervour’ or ‘plant of the apes’.

drew walks everywhere. never learning to drive is probably the only thing he really regrets, but it’s so expensive!

he has the words ‘never back down’ tattooed on his bicep, and a wonky stick-and-poke smiley face that he did himself on his ankle. 

this is his second time working at the hideaway. he begged the owner to take him back after the earthquake, because the grind never stops. 

he’d rather be barefoot than wear shoes. this is probably because he hasn’t had a new pair in about five years, and the old ones hurt his feet.

[peanuts-fan]

'A Charlie Brown Christmas' at 50: The Making of a Classic Soundtrack

Producer Lee Mendelson, drummer Jerry Granelli reflect on enduring seasonal favorite

By Liz Pelly December 9, 2015

“The fact that it's become such a permanent part of the holiday season is surreal," says original 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' producer Lee Mendelson. United Feature Syndicate Inc./ABC

-

The legend goes like this: In 1963, producer Lee Mendelson made a documentary about Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, for which he needed music. One night, Mendelson was driving over the Golden Gate Bridge, tuned into a San Francisco jazz station. "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" came on the air, a drifting cut where melodies appear and then disappear, and bouncing elation is matched by tiny moments of despair. The track was pianist Vince Guaraldi's mini-hit that year, and Mendelson was struck by how it sounded simultaneously adult and childlike. The next day, he called up the San Francisco Chronicle's jazz critic, Ralph J. Gleason. "Do you have any idea in the world who Vince Guaraldi is?" Mendelson asked. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I'm having lunch with him tomorrow," Gleason said. Mendelson met Guaraldi a few days later, and they agreed to work together.

The documentary ultimately didn't sell. But two years later, Coca-Cola, who had seen the doc, called up Mendelson, and asked if he'd ever thought of making a Christmas special. Mendelson said, "Absolutely!" and hung up the phone, then called Mr. Schulz. As Mendelson remembers it: "I said, 'I think I just sold A Charlie Brown Christmas.' And Schulz said, 'What in the world is that?' And I said, 'It's something you're going to write tomorrow.' There was a long pause, and he said, 'Alright. Come on up.'"

The rest, of course, is history. A Charlie Brown Christmas aired 50 years ago today, on December 9th, 1965. Over the years, the special has become a perennial classic: the 25-minute story of wistful Charlie Brown and his struggle to find the true meaning of Christmas in the face of holiday-season commercialism. "I almost wish there weren't a holiday season," he sighs, at the story's beginning. "I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?" The genius of A Charlie Brown Christmas was the way it channeled the looming sadness and anxiety that come with the holidays — and the way its timeless, best-selling soundtrack by the Vince Guaraldi Trio tapped into that narrative seamlessly, with muted, melancholic jazz.

Indeed, to create such an unabashedly anti-consumerist story with the backing of both Coca-Cola and CBS was a subtly radical accomplishment in 1965, as it would be now.  The executives at CBS were displeased with the finished product: its slow-moving animation, its religious undertone, its jazz soundtrack. They had no choice but to air it, though — they had already advertised it in TV Guide.

"They wanted something corporate, something rousing," says drummer Jerry Granelli, the lone surviving member of the Guaraldi combo. "They thought the animation was too slow. They really didn’t like that a little kid was going to come out and say what Christmas was all about, which wasn’t about shopping. And then the jazz music, which was improvised — you know, the melodies only take up maybe 30 seconds." Yet A Charlie Brown Christmas was an immediate, massive success.

The first of many specials that Schulz and Guaraldi would collaborate on with Mendelson and animator Bill Melendez, A Charlie Brown Christmas came together in just six months. "We brought Vince Guaraldi in to reprise the music he had done for the documentary, plus some Beethoven and some traditional music," Mendelson says. 

Employing his background in easygoing, West Coast jazz, and working with a local children's choir that sounded perfectly off-key at times, Guaraldi crafted future classics through original compositions and re-arrangements of holiday standards. Like the characters themselves, the songs merge bits of Schroeder's bookish sophistication, Charlie Brown's heavy heart, and Snoopy's unpredictable mischief. The songs are both smooth and snappy, with Granelli's brush and stick sounds pushing them steadily along.

"Guaraldi never wasted a note," says author Derrick Bang of the pianist. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

-

"We went in and did it in three hours," recalls Granelli, who was only 24 at the time. "That's just the way jazz records were recorded. I think we even went to work in a club that night." Some of the songs were already part of the group's repertoire. "We were improvising all the time, so each night, the song kind of evolved."

The trio's version of the 1824 German carol "O Tannenbaum" exemplifies this process. Guaraldi, Granelli and bassist Fred Marshall took the song's harmonic foundation and ran, moving the composition into more explosive, bluesy territory. In the special, the song plays as Charlie Brown and Linus look around for a Christmas tree. "This doesn't seem to fit the modern spirit," says Linus, when Charlie Brown picks out the smallest, most dilapidated one he can find. The funny sound of flat piano keys chirp as the tree's twigs fall to the ground.

"Linus and Lucy" was one of the holdovers from the Schulz-documentary days; in A Charlie Brown Christmas, it is the centerpiece of the soundtrack, capturing a moment when inner anxieties subside and the season feels fleetingly fine. "My playing is really very simple on that record, but it's exactly what captures the story," says Granelli. "It moves the music forward doing very little. Just the way the brush starts on 'Linus and Lucy,' so it doesn't conflict with the bass line, and then it goes to the Latin part, and then it goes back to the left hand, the conga drum part."

"Christmas Time Is Here" was originally an all-instrumental piece. "Guaraldi had written a very beautiful melody for the opening skating scene, but about two weeks before it was about to run on the air, I thought, 'Maybe we could get a lyricist to put some words to this,'" remembers Mendelson. "I called a few lyricist friends of mine, and everyone was busy. So I sat down at my kitchen table and I wrote out a few words, and we rushed it to the choir that Vince Guaraldi had been working with in San Francisco. And he recorded it, and we got it into the show about a week before it went on the air."

"They really didn’t like that a little kid was going to come out and say what Christmas was all about, which wasn’t about shopping." —Jerry Granelli

"It's deceptively simple, but at the same time, impressively complex, kind of the way Charles Schulz approached his newspaper strip," says Derrick Bang, author of Vince Guaraldi at the Piano and multiple books on Peanuts, of Guaraldi's soundtrack. "He never wasted a line; Guaraldi never wasted a note. Every note was important."

"We’re living in times where so much is done to manipulate us," reflects Granelli. "And things last for, what, a news cycle? A few minutes? This [album] is something that’s lasted 50 years. And not only lasted, but grown ... I think there’s just a humanness."

"The whole thing from beginning to end has been surreal," Mendelson says. "The fact that it's become such a permanent part of the holiday season is surreal. And every time I hear it on the radio, or I hear it in a store, or someone says, 'wah, wah, wah,' I realize we're very lucky to have been associated with Mr. Schulz and his characters. It all comes back to his characters, and his philosophy, and his humor."

© 2015 Rolling Stone

-

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/a-charlie-brown-christmas-at-50-the-making-of-a-classic-soundtrack-20151209?page=3

*Note: The picture at the top of the article is NOT from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, it is from another cartoon, probably “It’s christmastime again, charlie brown”.

[lustandlordsrp]

The Frost Fair  //  January 18, 1811

Somehow overnight, the Thames has erected a City on Ice. The Frost Fair is a bacchanal with the primary objective to have as much fun (boozy and not) as possible without breaking the ice. Within hours of dawn, the Thames is transformed into a frozen pleasure gardens and thousands pay the entry fee for a slice of the hedonism. Colourful streamer, banners, and flags adorn makeshift tents, stalls made of old oars and wood, and even stalls made from old blankets. 

Carriages carry families down the icy river to park steps away from the bustling crowds. From these coaches, ladies and gents jump down in their ice skates, prepared to explore fair by blade. Women walk around with baskets of hot apples covered by a cloth to warm their hands and heads. Donned in warm cloaks and leather boots, you cross the wooden ramp built connecting street to river. You step gingerly onto the ice. It is a wonder that an entire festival take place safely on ice, but the ice is matted down for walking. With the thought of slipping and falling swept from your mind, you turn your eyes to take in the numerous vendors and tents before you. 

What will you do at the Frost Fair?

Miss Fortune

Her reputation precedes her: Kezia Bidari, the famed fortune teller. They say, what she sees in the cards will always come true. Far and wide, common folk, nobles, and even royalty have flocked to her store in London, La Fortuna Sanctorium, in the hopes that she may provide certainty in their futures. Endorsed by the King and Queen many years ago, there is not a more renowned and successful cartomancer, nor female entrepeneur in the Ton. You hear whispers that she is offering readings at the Frost Fair.

Only those with burning questions, haunting unknowns, and desperate hopes will find themselves taking a seat before her, baring their souls and futures to the mysterious woman before them.

What future awaits you in the cards?

(Look forward to a secondary post for instructions on how to get your muse’s fortune read and how to interact with Miss Kezia Bidari!)

Celebratory Printing Press

Trust the media of London to take any sensational event and capture it in ink and paper. The rare occurrence of a frozen Thames is no exception, and numerous printers have moved their set ups to the river to capitalize on the enthusiasm and excitement. Each is offering their own pressings, from souvenir cards to memorabilia broadsheets. Some can make personalized printings with the purchaser's name, and one enterprising press has even produced a pamphlet with a history of the Frost Fairs!

Food Stalls and Gingerbread Carts

The highlight of the Fair is the roast ox. Cooked for over 24 hours on a fire, fairgoers line up for their share of the succulent and tender delicacy. Families of butchers that span generations compete with one another to serve the best roast mutton, mince pies, jugged hare, black pudding, and sausages. Spiced apples can be found at every corner, along with mugs of mulled cider. To appeal to the sweet-tooths, plum cakes, brandy balls, spiced buns, and pancakes abound. For the chance to eat like the common folk, fishermen have lines and lines of oysters to be eaten raw, smoked, or roasted in front of you. Most notably, strolling vendors sell squares of fresh gingerbread, spread with hot dripping treacle. 

Drink Stalls and Fuddling Tents

Tea, coffee and hot chocolate of all sorts and flavours imaginable are sold at tents and carts alike. But it is alcohol at the Frost Fair that reigns supreme. Gingerbread vendors, along with baked goods, sell cup after cup of gin. Youngsters head straight for the fuddling tents that sells Old Tom, a deceptively ardent and potent gin despite its light and sweet taste. 

The fuddling tents, temporary pubs crafted from sails, oars, and barrels, are erected throughout the fairgrounds, and are undoubtedly the most boisterous and raucous spots. Perhaps you would like a mug of Purl; a combination of gin, spices and wormwood wine served piping hot, or perhaps a spiky Brunswick Mum for those who prefer spiced winter ale, or just the finest brandy. The most popular fuddling tent, the City of Moscow tent, attracts all with its Russian fiddlers and rowdy ambience.

Trinket Shops

Tradesmen from all over the world and of all types set up booths to sell their wares. Pedlars circulate through the crowd. Everything from books to toys to sheet music, all of which bear the label, “bought on the Thames”, can be found in every direction. Cups and cutlery with the Thames printed on it are particularly popular. For upscale shopping, one row of vendors sell rare jewelry, toys and upscale trinkets.

Fair Games

Ring toss, spin the wheel, darts, shooting; all sorts of amusing games have been set up. Whether any of them are fair is a debate for another time. Yet isn’t there something thrilling about spending a shilling for the hope of a prize, even if the more logical minded know the odds (and those boxes) are stacked against you?

Puppet Shows

Portable puppet shows pop up throughout the fairgrounds. Many of the shows cater to adults,  showing parodies and satires of mature and comedic topics, including politics to current events. Punch and Judy puppet shows are all the rage and never fail to provoke shocked laughter from its slapstick humour.

Elephant Demonstration on the Ice

In the distance, shouts of excitement riddle the area. An elephant, majestic in a draped banner, is led across the ice by Blackfriars Bridge into a showing area. Once there, those brave enough may approach the enormous creature (for a fee) and even feed it fruits and bark. 

Ice Skating and Sleigh Rides on the Ice

The obvious winter entertainments are not excluded from the festivities. Metal blades are available for rent, to zip along the ice, though whether it is a more stable or secure method of travel than boots depends on the skater. Ice rinks have been constructed and blocked off for the sport. Sleighs pulled by horses, or perhaps a rowdy group of gentlemen, stand by for farther adventures up the river. All need to be wary of the watermen keeping an eye on the thickness of the ice.

Theatrical Displays

Small stages are interspersed throughout the other attractions, actors braving the cold to give the performances of their life—or at least of the day, before they return to Drury Lane for the evening performances. Scenes, monologues, excerpts from the plays of the moment, put on for free to try and tempt viewers into purchasing full tickets.

9-Pin Bowling

Set up the pins, line up your shot, and try to remember that ice will affect your throw! Is it the attention of a pretty lady on the line, or pride and honor that has been wagered? Your aim may be truer if you haven’t been indulging in some Old Tom.

@silcntpoetics @henrie-latymer @ambrosestclair @eiraeth @isabella-aldwyn @lady-ralston @stedfastasthou @rvlston @benjaminayles @peeress @theiison @sir-michaelhunter​ @sebastian-mckenzie​

[painfulhip-blog1]

We have assembled a rundown of online stores that sell just bona fide Air Jordans and Nike shoes. We as a whole have heard and seen the incalculable circumstances where you believe you're purchasing from a bona fide site, just to discover the pair of shoes you got are phony. The sites recorded beneath are affirmed to just sell credible Jordan's and Nike's. These stores will likewise have other bona fide shoes like Puma, Adidas, Reebok, New Balance and the sky is the limit from there. All the sites recorded are 100% trusted with phenomenal client support. You can purchase with certainty.

On the off chance that you might want your store to be included, if you don't mind get in touch with us.

Genuine Air Jordan + Nike Retail Stores

Eastbay.com

JimmyJazz.com

FinishLine.com

Karmaloop.com

ChampsSports.com

Footaction.com

Nike.com

Genuine Air Jordan + Nike Online Websites

A portion of these sites additionally have boutiques where you can buy face to face

FlightClub.com – The biggest and notable transfer store. They have two areas in New York and one in Los Angeles.

KicksUSA.com – Wide scope of Nike's and Jordan's. They additionally have a deal segment with some pleasant pearls.

RIFLA.com – Selling uncommon, restricted and everything in the middle of real tennis shoes. In case you're in the LA zone, you need to stop in.

PickYourShoes.com – Most of the time they will sell shoes up to 14 days ahead of schedule for beneath retail.

Kixclusive.com – Consignment store situated in New York. Now and again Kixclusive gets kicks that don't discharge for another 3 – 4 months.

Sneakerhead.com – Nice lineup of new Nike Air Force 1 and Air Jordan's.

Shoebacca.com – They don't convey the hot discharges, however they do have valid shoes.

Jumpmansneakers.com – 100% Authentic. The proprietor is a genuine authority and has some warmth.

Solesupremacy.com – Consignment shop with super extremely uncommon and unique tennis shoes. They have some decent arrangements on eBay.

AirGordons.com – Don't let the name fool you, this site sells bona fide shoes.

Atmos-Tokyo.com – Japanese site.

Wellgosh.com – Located in the UK, Well Gosh is another bona fide retailer.

Caliroots.com – Good assortment of Jordans and arbitrary Nikes, including running works of art.

Sneakersnstuff – Online store that is known to discharge some pleasant joint efforts.

Endclothing.com – European site. They boat to the U.S. what's more, they sell Nike, Jordan, adidas and that's only the tip of the iceberg. Since based abroad, you can get a discharge hours before the U.S. dispatches.

Undefeated.com – Not simply known for their own dress line, they additionally convey a wide choice of tennis shoes.

Urbanoutfitters.com – We all have known about them. Some determination of Nike's nevertheless no Jordan's.

Urbanindustry.co.uk – Sells Nike's among different brands.

Solestop.com – Older Nike SB and Basketball shoes. Among are more established Air Jordan Retro's.

Oqium.com – Adult and children Air Jordans.

Premiumlacesny.com – Wide choice of brands.

Purchaze.com – A ton of Nike coaches, yet a choice of Air Forces and Jordan's.

RMKStore.com – Early discharged Nike's and Air Jordan's.

Shiekhshoes.com – Decent online choice of Nike's, their in-store areas have more to offer.

Skateparkoftampa.com – Great spot to buy Nike SB's.

Sneakerpolitics.com – Their online store essentially conveys shoe motivated attire, while they have a couple of pair of kicks to a great extent.

CCS.com – Great spot to get Nike SB's and other skate shoes.

Flatspot.com – Has the most current Nike SB's.

Coolshoeshine.com – Started out as an eBay transfer store, presently they have framed a site and boutique.

Instyleshoes.com – A huge amount of Nike and Air Jordan's, old retro's and more current kicks.

Jackssurfboards.com Nike 6.0 record and Nike SB.

Hanon-Shop.com – Known for their exemplary Nike Sportswear models.

JDSports.co.uk – A huge amount of selective Nike's just sold at JD Sports.

Kix-Files.com – Good measure of Nike's and Jordan's, yet some are estimated above retail.

Marqueesole.com – Early discharged site, selling valid Jordan's and Nike's months prior to the official discharge.

Napsize.com – Apart of the Rif LA family.

Industrialrideshop.com – Carries Nike SB and 6.0 among other skate shoes.

MIAskateshop.com – Wide scope of Nike SB models.

Tactics.com – Skate shop that sells Nike SB's on the web. Individuals rest on this store, so you can get some as of now discharge SB's somewhat no problem at all.

[tonysopranosfeverdreams]

@glennatohowerton

42. “Why are you shaking?”

64. “Yell, scream, cry, please, just say something, anything.”

It was 3:27 am, the last time Dennis checked his watch, which meant that Mac has been out for approximately 6 hours.

 He was on a date with some  asshole named Sean, who appeared from the grindr profile that Mac had gleefully waved in his face over their shared cartons of Chinese takeout earlier that night, to be all of 25 years old, and, undeniably, a total beefcake. When Dennis  had made some snide remark about the kid probably needing to be home in time for curfew, Mac had just laughed it off in between mouthfuls of vegetable lo mein (stolen from Dennis’s plate), his eyes scrunching up at the edges. It made him look younger, somehow, vulnerable.  Dennis had stared at the table.

Mac had bounced out the door donning a dark green t-shirt, sheer and fitted so it clung to his muscles.  Mac’s hair was soft, ruffled, and he looked more confident and at ease than Dennis had seen him in  years, casting a bright  smile over his shoulder while Dennis not to wait up for him.  Dennis had nodded. Dennis had counted the beer stains on the beige living room carpet. Dennis had thrown a mug against the wall. Dennis had cut his fingers picking up the tiny pieces of china that covered the kitchen floor. Dennis had paced the length of the apartment over and over for approximately 45 minutes.

Inevitably,  Dennis finds himself awake in the middle of the goddamn night, taking generous swigs from a bottle of whiskey he had unearthed from the depths of the kitchen cabinet, and flipping aimlessly through channels featuring scantily clad women on a quest to find their soulmate while jump-starting their model careers and rich housewives whose faces were more plastic than flesh and bone- who talked too much but said nothing. He ultimately settled on some nature channel showing a series that documented different species of birds. Tonight, they were talking about blue jays, he noticed, watching as one of the stern-looking little  birds soared across his screen to settle on a tree branch next to another.

Blue jays mate for life, apparently. Dennis hadn’t known that.  The soft drone of the narrator served as adequate background noise for Dennis’s increasingly loud, alcohol-fueled thoughts.

It was fucking ridiculous, really. Dennis knew Mac had been with men in the past, so he really shouldn’t be so fixated on the happenings of Mac’s date. For all the grief Dennis gives him, he realizes that Mac is an objectively attractive man, and now that he’s happily out of the closet,  there’s no reason he shouldn’t be out playing the field, catching up on the feelings and experiences he’d pretended not to want for the past thirty years, embracing the parts of himself he’d tucked carefully away from the outside world (or only acknowledged in the dim backrooms of seedy bars, caught in the middle of glittering crowds of moving bodies on the dance floor, drunk enough for a moment that he forgot what he was so afraid of in the first place, under some spell  that inevitably broke the next morning. This thought makes Dennis’s chest constrict sharply, a dull, aching feeling he can’t quite pinpoint).

But now, Mac was healing. Mac was growing. Mac was out with a man with dimples and a six pack who was probably laughing at all of his stupid jokes, touching his arms lightly as he leaned in to whisper something in his ear, making Mac’s cheeks flush and his eyes gleam in the same way they would whenever Dennis would dole out a rare compliment or words of praise.  Mac was out with a man who presumably had a career and goals and real adult relationships, who could wake up in the morning and eat three meals a day like it was nothing, who would probably call Mac baby when he’s sober and let Mac hold his hand; someone who wouldn’t lash out at him with unnecessarily sharp words, but would make him feel good about himself,  who would give him Valentine’s presents and stay to make him breakfast in the morning. Mac would like that, Dennis thought.

Dennis pictures Mac as he always looked first thing in the morning padding quietly out of his bedroom blurry eyed and sleep-soft, expression warming when he lays eyes on Dennis. Imagines someone else seeing him like that every day. Dennis thinks of getting drunk with Mac, leaning heavily against his shoulder on countless late night walks home from the bar, peering up under his lashes to catch a glimpse of Mac’s face; his gelled hair falling messily across his forehead, mouth open in concentration on getting them both home in one piece. The smell of his old leather jacket mixing with his dollar store shampoo and cologne samples ripped from men’s magazines, his arm tightening around his waist when Dennis inevitably stumbled over an empty beer bottle or groove in the sidewalk.

He thinks of Mac as a teenager: the two of them sitting silently in his room after his father went to prison for the second time, Mac’s arms circled tight around knees, his gaze fixed vacantly on the paint peeling off his bedroom wall, sitting closely enough that the outside of their thighs just touched. He thinks of Mac as he might be when he’s older, with more specks of gray painting his dark hair, more wrinkles around his eyes, but with the same unchanging, almost childish smile.Thinks again of Mac dating, maybe even getting married, someday. Growing old with someone.

At this point, Dennis realizes he is having difficulty breathing, his breaths coming out shorter and quicker than they normally would, his heart beating so loudly  he swears it echoes in his ears. The adrenaline sets in. Dennis goes to take another swig of whiskey to calm himself down, before he notices the bottle is empty. Fuck.  He immediately senses that has to get out. He has to get out of this fucking apartment and flee to somewhere, anywhere else. He is vaguely considering going to the 7-11 down the street to pick up a 12 pack of beerbeer, and at least burn off all this weird fucking nervous energy when his thoughts are interrupted by sound of the front door opening.

Mac’s moving as quietly as possible, as if trying not to wake anyone up. Painted in the yellow light from the hallway, he kicks his shoes off and gently sets his keys on the kitchen counter, before he notices Dennis sitting on the sofa.

“Jesus Christ, Dude!  I had no idea you were awake,” he all but squawks “Fuck, man, you almost gave me a heart attack”

“Sorry,” Dennis offers, tonelessly.

Mac exhales through a tired grin, stifling a yawn with his fist as he steps closer to Dennis,  flinging himself into a chair opposite the couch and stretching his arms over his head. Dennis’s gaze lingers the curve of his upper arm, his fingers resting lightly against the back of the chair.

“Oh man, at first I was super worried I was gonna get catfished, and it was gonna turn out to be like a  gross old woman or some shit like you see on tv, you know?” Mac makes a disgusted face, lip curling up dramatically before laughing. “But then I get to the Rainbow and it turns out Sean is like. An actual personal trainer, and he sells his own line of like, protein shakes, I think?  And like, I’m pretty ripped dude, but I mean this dude is absolutely shredded, like way more bigger in person than the pictures.”

As Mac proceeds to talk more about his date (who apparently had been very interested in watching Mac’s Project Badass tapes, though Dennis expected this was mostly to get into his pants), Dennis finds his focus drifting.  Mac has a stray piece of glitter decorating the skin just above the collar of his t-shirt, Dennis notices absently, glimmering mildly in the faintly lit room, and drawing attention to the part of his body where the meat of his neck meets collarbone, surprisingly delicate.

Dennis looks down at the floor, then forces his eyes back on the tv screen, barely registering  the shapes of the tiny, brightly colored creatures collecting twigs to build their nest together. Vaguely, Dennis wonders what would happen  if something went wrong. If nature maybe fucks up now and then and one of the birds can’t figure out how to build nests properly, was born without the instinct, or just doesn’t know what to do when the time comes, and he fucks it all up? What happens to him then? Does he just fly away?

Mac must notice that something is off, because he stops talking.

“Dennis. Dennis dude, are you okay?” He looks genuinely confused, as his gaze skates across Dennis’s face. Suddenly his eyes widen, his brow creasing with worry.

“Dennis? Why are you shaking?”

Was he? Dennis hadn’t noticed.

“I’m going to get you a blanket, man. Just wait here a second.” Mac’s wringing his hands, biting his lip as he stares at him earnestly,  like he does when he realizes Dennis hasn’t eaten all day or when Dennis finally emerges from the bathroom after having locked himself inside for the better part of the night.

The softness, the sincerity of the expression makes something in Dennis snap, and all he hears is static electricity, all he sees is red.  Just as Mac  turns to go get the blanket from his room, Dennis calls out to him:

“So fucking typical isn’t it? You’re so desperate for affection you’ll open your legs for  the first decently attractive person who gives you the time of day, as if they actually give a shit about you” he punctuates the sentence with a cold, strangely strangled sounding laugh, schooling his expression into one of mock pity.

“ Anyway, this guy was probably just bored, looking for a quick lay to kill some time. Absolutely pathetic.”

Mac freezes from his position in the doorway, his back stiffening, and Dennis’s entire body goes suddenly cold with dread. But Mac just stands there, with his back to Dennis, as the seconds tick unbearably onward.

“Come on!” Dennis croaks, desperate now to evoke some kind of reaction. “Yell, scream, cry, please, just say something, anything!”

Mac turns slowly back to face Dennis, and when he does, Dennis sees an array of emotions plastered on his face; there’s pain etched into his features, and anger, but worst of all there’s this strange acceptance, like he had half expected Dennis to lash out like this, like he’s had years and years of practice. His voice is carefully controlled when he speaks next.

“Yeah, well, if I’m so pathetic, if I’m so desperate, then why the fuck did you come back in the first place? We were finally starting to get back to normal or like, I don’t know maybe an even better version of normal when you waltzed back in without any kind of explanation or apology for leaving us alone for over a year, Dennis.” Mac’s voice cracks, the way it does when he talks about his dad in prison, the way it does when he can’t but help but allow his carefully maintained facade of toughness to drop for just a moment.

Dennis sits frozen still, stunned. He wasn’t expecting this. He doesn’t know what he expected. Dennis doesn’t know if he’s imagining it, but Mac’s eyes are glossy when he continues

“There were… weeks, Dennis. When I couldn’t get out of bed, when Charlie would come to make sure I was….” he flounders  “to make sure I was okay. And even after that I was trying so hard not to think about it I did so much stupid shit just trying to forget about y-to forget about it ” He clears his throat, raises his head slightly to look Dennis in the eye. “I was in a really bad place, man.  You leaving didn’t just affect you.” He pauses, wiping the back of his hand across his eyes. Dennis swallows, suddenly, against, a growing lump forming in his throat.

“And now you’re back and you keep talking about how much you hate me, or how annoying I am, or how much you wish you didn’t live with me?” he chuckles bitterly. “So what I’m having a hard time understanding is- why? Why, Dennis? Why did you leave your kid and your cushy life with Mandy and come back to Philly, back to our home if I’m so goddamn terrible?”

Mac has these bright pink splotches  high on his cheeks, his chest heaving with barely restrained emotion.

Dennis is paralyzed. He wants to flee. He wants to reach out and touch Mac. He wants to become as small as humanly possible, so small that no other person can ever see him again. He feels wetness forming on his cheeks, has no idea how it got there.

Mac’s body visibly deflates as he takes in the scene before him. He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck for a long moment, features softening. Moving quickly, he steps closer to Dennis, reaching out to touch him, hand  hovering near his shoulder before he thinks better and it drops to its side.

“Fuck, man. It’s late.” he forces a watery laugh, hand running through his own hair. “We’re just tired, saying shit we don’t mean.” He won’t quite meet Dennis’s eyes. “I’m going to go get you that blanket.”

Mac exits the room, and swiftly returns with the soft blue flannel blanket from his own bed, wrapping it loosely around Dennis’s shoulders with gentle, careful movements. He sits next to Dennis on the couch, leaving enough space that their legs don’t touch, but Dennis can still feel some of the warmth radiating from his body.

“Did you know that blue jays mate for life?” Dennis asks, abruptly. Mac pauses in his fussing with the blanket to lean back enough to look into Dennis’s eyes, cautious and confused. His whole face shifts, like he’s on the brink of something, but can’t fully bring himself to understand exactly what’s taking place.

“What? I don’t-” he starts

“Their whole life,” Dennis manages, feebly maintaining eye contact, his nails digging into his own thigh as he forces himself onward. He chokes on his words for a minute before continuing.  “ It’s just the one.”

“Dennis,” Mac breathes, his eyes wide with confusion, and fear, and something that looks suspiciously like hope. He reaches out and this time grabs Dennis’s hand where its curled into his thigh, squeezes it tight. “You’re okay. Dennis,  it’s going to be okay.”

And for the first time,  Dennis thought, maybe it was.

[davtyanlawfirminc]

One Day Guide to Spend in Glendale, California

If you're looking for a day trip that's near Los Angeles, but without all the hustle and bustle, consider spending a day in Glendale, CA. This city boasts museums, outdoor spaces and more—all within walking distance from one another. Here are some of our favorite spots to visit on your next trip!

Glendale Galleria

Glendale Galleria is located at 100 West Broadway, Glendale, CA 91210.

The mall is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., except on Thanksgiving and Christmas when they are closed.

The cost of admission per person is $2 with your First Fridays Pass or $5 without one. If you're unsure whether you have a pass or not, ask at the gate!

There are many activities to enjoy at the Galleria: visit Santa's Workshop (free all month), see an ice sculptor in action ($5 per person), ride in a horse-drawn carriage ($15 for five minutes), shop for gifts at Macy's and other stores, dine with friends at one of several restaurants that line the walkways—and more! Here's a complete list of things you can do here!

Museum of Neon Art

Museum of Neon Art is small but mighty, with a collection of neon art from artists around the world. It’s open daily, and admission is free. Kids and adults alike will enjoy this place, with its classic signs and colorful displays that are sure to inspire plenty of photos. Located right in downtown Glendale, it’s a great stop on your way out of or into town!

Moonlight Rollerway, Inc

The Moonlight Rollerway, Inc is a roller skating rink located in the Glendale Galleria. This rink is open year-round and it's open until 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends. Prices range from $7-$13 per person.

The Moonlight Rollerway, Inc offers great deals for special events like their Thursday Night Specials! Get two hours of skate time for only $10! It's perfect for birthday parties or just a night out with friends!

Autry Museum of the American West

The Autry Museum of the American West is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to the celebration of the diverse people and cultures of the American West. It is located in Griffith Park, near the Los Angeles Zoo.

The museum was founded by Gene Autry. He originally wanted to create it as an arena for all things Western: rodeo events and concerts, horse shows and other competitions. But after he saw some artifacts from his own collection being auctioned off at Sotheby's, he decided that instead of selling them off for money he would create a permanent home where people could enjoy them for free!

Fremont Park

Fremont Park is a park located in the city of Glendale, California. It is the largest park in Glendale, covering an area of approximately 19 acres (77,000 m2). The park's boundaries are Lake Street to the west, Brand Boulevard to the south and east, and Beverly Boulevard to the north.

The park was created during the 1930s depression by James W. Mackey and his son-in-law George A. Hormel (of Hormel Foods) as part of their long-term vision for a large public space that would serve as central plaza for all residents of Glendale.[1] The land was purchased from several landowners including Caroline Atherton Smith (through her estate), who also owned much of modern day downtown Glendale.

Glendale is a great city to spend the day exploring. You can get around simply by walking, or you can go for a ride on the Red Line Metro bus. There are so many things to do in Glendale that it’s impossible to list them all here! The best way would be just go and have fun out there!"

Davtyan Law Firm, Inc. is a Los Angeles employment lawyer that provides legal services to clients throughout California. Our firm specializes in litigating cases involving employee rights, discrimination, harassment and retaliation. The firm also handles cases involving wage and hour violations, wrongful termination, and other workplace issues.

We are dedicated to helping employees who have been wronged by their employers or former employers recover the compensation they deserve. We offer free consultations so you can learn more about your legal options before deciding whether you need to hire an attorney.

Davtyan Law Firm, Inc. 880 E Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205 18552053681 https://www.davtyanlaw.com/ https://www.google.com/maps?cid=1030395778475401248

[zebra-warrior]

Five things I'm greatful for and then some.

1. My parents. I honestly couldn't ask for a better set of parents than I have. As a kid we didn't have much money. My parents wanted to purchase a nice house to raise me in so I had the best environment to grow up in possible but in choosing the home they did everyting else was very tight but they never made it feel that way. Back in the day when crafting and building things were less expensive than buying them (boy have things changed with crafting) if we didn't have someting they would make it. I remember a lot of my friends would have birthday parties at places like Chuck E. Cheese, Magic Mountain, the Zoo or a skating rink. My parants didn't really have the money to do that and what they had they would have rather spent on a nice present for me so my mom would decorate the house and my dad would go out and mow the grass really short. They would dig holes in the ground and put PVC pipe in the holes that my dad would get at work from the dumpster and turn our back yard into a put put course. They would put up a vollyball net and crochet set and we would use big workshop vice grip clamps and turn them upside down as putters. The house they bought already had a swing set and swimming pool so I would have pool parties and with magic mountain in my own back yard. It was a lot of work but not a lot of money even though to me it felt like they spent a fortune. Everyone always looked forward to my birthday parties as a kid. They were always a bit hit. Not to mentuon sidewalk chalk was someting they also would splurge on so setting up the driveway with lots of fun stuff was something my dad liked to do. He used to like drawing with chalk as much as I did. As I got older they always made things work. When I began getting bullied at school I was switched to a private home school coop. Which my great grandma who was also the best grandma ever paid for knowing my parents couldn't and she couldn't stand seeing me hurt the way I was but my mom would drive me 35 minutes to school, drive almost an hour to work then after work wound drive almost an hour to pick me up and then 35 minutes back home every day for 3 years until I got my driver's license. She was so excited for me to get my license she took me a month early for my T

temps. I told her it was too early and she said it wasn't and whan I got there they said come back next month lol. I never wanted to drive. I was always afraid but she couldn't get me to the BMV fast enough lol. My parents also taught me a lot about the value of money and work ethic and now say they taught me too well because I'm known to shop for several months for something more costly that I need like contact lenses in order to find the best price, all coupons and all rebates and sales available. I got my first job at age 11 and was able to buy my first car myself, pay for college myself without taking out one loan and buy my first home outright and as a foreclosure to remodel and fix up how I wanted it to look. My second car was the only thing I've ever taken out a loan on. When I got sick and OSU tried to put me in a nursing facility my parents offered to help me sell my house and take me back in with open arms so I could be cared for in their home instead of a long term care facility. They still help me to this day cooking for me, driving me to appointments when I can't use transportation services, cleaning and helping me bathe myself. I now pay them rent and utilities as well as half of groceries and personal needs of my dog and myself not because I think for a second they would dump me into a long term care faculty if I didnvt but because it's the right thing to do. This ties in with family but I'm so very greatful and thankful to still have my mom. She was on life support after having her liver cut into during a botched surgery which resulted in a full blown liver rupture. It was the hands down the scariest moment of my life. We weren't sure she would make it and her doctors couldnt even give us that reassurance but she did everyting ahead of schedule and all I had to hold on to was her promise that she wasn't going anywhere. She kept that promises and on the day she was released the nurse that called when she began crashing came into the room shocked she was alive and admitted that she was sure my mom wasn't going to make it and that was the end for her. She was completely amazed my mom was still here. My mom was caught in the battle of her life, a battle she should have never had to fight and now has PTSD because of the experience but she's alive. My mom is here. I know a lot of adults have already lost a parent and I can't imagine the pain. Having my parants bring really the only family members I have a close relationship with and being my caregivers, I don't know what I wouls do without them. I would probably be in some nursing home somewhere without them. With my dad has Autism, though he was able to work, my mom paid bills, did most of the shopping as my dad can't use a debit card. But my mom does most of the money, paperwork and phone call related stuff for him so I can't imagine how life would even be able to continue without her. Or my dad. They both have two totally different rolls and being disabled I need them more than ever so I couldn't be happier this is in the past but couldn't be more upset or had to happen to begin with. In Ohio doctors are protected against medical malpractice and though she almost lost her life and will have life long physical complications and likely somewhat shorter of a life due to these complications she will never get the revenge she deserves and the doctor didn't even get a slap on the hand for what he did to her body and with now having PTSD, her mind.

2. Maggie: This dog has rolled with the punches and adapted flawlessly. She's my best friend and fur daughter. She picked up cardiac alert from my last baby Sandy and took to training to be able to use that ability as a career line a champ. I have seen her blossom from the puppy from heck. (no offend Ma-mag) but she would literally rip wallpaper off the wall with her teeth, it took 8 months to housebreak her and there was no such thing as no in her dictionary. She got into everything but I've since learned that was only because she was so intelligent and always curious because once she began training she excelled and grew into the most trusting and obedient dog I've ever had. Not only that but she thrived on structure. When working she walks on the leash beside me just fine but when I put her on my lap at that point nothing can stop her. She sits up all straight, sticks her chest out and thinks her poop doesn't smell. My lap is her thrown. I don't mind because she can alert just as well up there as she can waking, if not better because she doesnt have to try as hard to get my attention in loud and busy places. Not only is she obedient but when she's not formally working, even at 8 years old she's still very playfil and silly, always doing things to make me laugh or my heart melt. She's a velcro dog so I've always got a snuggle buddy and someone to keep me warm and my face coated in a layer if dog spit lol. I got her the day before I got my first pacemaker and she was the first one to sit at my bedside when I came out if surgery for my second one. As I went from a much closer to healthy individual who would take her on long walks and when stuck in a terrible relationship I would walk she and Sandy some days for several hours a day, sitting around the pond eating snacks, going into every store in walking distance that allowed pets and exploring the neighborhood to much sicker, in a chair with her only real walks occurring when she worked outside the home and a much more stagnant lifestyle Maggie never loved me any less, if anyting she loved me more because to my surprise she fell in love with my wheelchair and head over hills for my powerchair. When I turn my power chair on it makes a chiming sound and whan she hears that sound she makes a mad dash for the room I'm in begging for a ride. In her mind these changes in my life had made me no less the mommy to her as I was before. She is one person (yes I will call her a person) who I can count on to always love me no matter what. If it wasn't for her, I don't think I woukd he here. This conditon has made me want to go to bed and not wake up more than once and she's saved me every time and I can't thank her enough for being such a good girl.

3. My neighbor Pam has been my neighbor since I was 5 years old so she's been in my life most of my life and much more than any family member outside my household has ever been. She's basically my aunt or a second mom to me. As a kid she helped in reaching me the value of money and hard work my giving me my first two jobs at age 11. She has me clean her primates cages and prepare food for them not only teaching me the values of good, hard work but further fostering my love for animals. She's always had the primates as well as dogs and cats I would take care of when she was out of town. I was the first kid I knew to have a real job even if it was part time. It wasn't much later that I began babysitting her grandson who even now that he's grown and I no longer talk to him, I think if him as a little brother to me. He was the most well behaved kid I ever babysat and boy was it an eye opener when I started babysitting a lot of other kids in the neighborhood and saw how some kids can really act lol. Pam has always been there for me and my family. She would take me on summer trips sometimes like I remeber a trip to Wyndot Lake that really was a blast and she has always treated me like family. We have a key to her house and she has one to ours. When I got to the age I could stay home alone I never woried too much about if I couldnt find my key or the screen door was locked because I always knew she was just a short walk away if I needed help. She watchs our houses and we watch hers contacting each other if we see anyone or anyting unusual. She comes over each year for Christmas dinner and will occasionally surprise my parents by bringing over a soup she made or some cookies she baked and last summer sent a Chimney Sweep to our house because she knew my mom needed a break and we like to have fires in the winter but haven't had our Chimney cleaned in a while. For my 16th birthday she took my awe dry car to her business at the airport to clear coat it with the same material used to clear coat jets and whan I got sick I didn't have to worry because she is always nearby. Before I got transportation services she was always willing to drive me to my medical appointments and with Corona, she helped with shopping. Over the summer we could pick anyone in our family to go on a trip to the zoo with us my dad's last year of work and we chose my neighbors and had a great time. We may not be family by blood but my neighbor is my family. Not many people are lucky enough to have a neighbor they get along with or even care for yet ours is closer than extended family and for that I'm thankful.

4. My home. I couldn't be more lucky when my parents bought this house. It's almost as if they knew that when I grew up I would be in a chair. We live in a one story floor plan with a kitchen. That has an island in the middle so if I have someting I hand its still easy to just grab the counter and zip around in a circle to any part of the kitchen I need to get to. Before the passing of my grandma, she used a walker and wheelchair so my dad had already installed a ramp in our garage so I went into this journey with access to my home. My home is also set up so my dad found easily set up a ramp onto the back porch. I have always had a large bedroom, bigger than most people I know. It's similar in size to a master bedroom and being in a chair, thats very much a necessity now. In a chair you need a lot more room to navigate an area efficiently. Of course my home is far from perfect. The bathrooms are much too small to be truly accessable so I have to make due with what I have and my bathroom. Needs despiratly to be remodeled. Unfortunatly the bath tub that was put into my bathroom could quite possibly be the most unexcwssable bathtub for someone in a wheelchair in existence. I don't have a pull down closet nor do I have pull down cabinets in the kitchen or appliances I can easily use. I don't have a stove that rises and lowers or countertops that are at my height it an elevating powerchair to be able to reach those areas. Even the microwave is a Hazzard but as far as manuverability we have that. I can access every too. In our home except our basement and one part of a bathroom we have. It would be easier to menuvour here if my parants didn't have so mucb stuff and such big bulky furniture it I think that's also part of living with my parents. They have more life experience and more stuff but it's doable. Not everyone is lucky enough. After becoming disabled to have a home that's usable or has porential. Many were forced to move after getting sick or disabled. I was forced to move out of my home but my parents home is usable and I can't be more happy for this home.

5. Doctor Joseph and his staff. I went 30 years of my life unable to get help for this condition slowely robbing more and more from my body. When I came across Dr Joseph they were something I had never seen in the medical community. This was all new to me. I entered into a facility of four of the most caring and compassionate individuals I've ever encountered. I finally found a doctor who specializes in my conditon and he was just over a half hour away. But only was he familliar with the disease but also the comorbidities, Misconceptions, PTSD we have all faced from others who hold some form of medical degree and how we likely have no one to advocate for us and we have been on our own literally fighting through the pain and suffering. For appropriate medical treatment to only be dealt more pain and suffering. When he took me on I was the sickest I've ever been in my life and I so much pain I frankly can't believe I hadn't taken my life much before even hearing about him not only did he take me on as a patient knowing how big of a project I would be after over 200 doctors in the past saw me and just pushed me off but he never gave up, hasn't given up and I don't see him giving up on me in the future. His staff has fought tooth and nail with insurance companies on my behalf, files formal complaints about hospital care for me, brought me in on days they were fully booked to try to help me and spent weekends and holidays on the phone with my mom and the hospital angerly fighting with them to do the right thing and provide appropriate care. They may have not listened to him, learned to hate him and failed me terribly but at least I can't say my doctor and his staff didn't try. His wife came in on her day off to fight with my insurance company and they have helped me find the right goverment officials to contact with problems. The goverment officials may not have done anything but again, at least I can say they tried and that says a lot about a doctor. I. Not on the best treatment and the battle still continues to get me into a surgeon, gst testing completed and fight for more than the fifth or sixth best medication. They treat me no different than they would treat their own family members and that is something I've never seen in a doctor. I have seen improvement. It may not be as much as they would like but every bit of improovment is because the continue to fight to me, continue to teach me to advocate for myself and refuse to give up on me just because I'm a complicated case. I couldn't thank his office more for what they have done and continue to do each day.

I know that's five but just to list a few, I'm thankful for my late dog Sandy, my late Great Grandma, nature and other non harmful animals that cross my path, my local church, my online friends and the availability of support groups, the internet, with the virus I'm thankful for the new door that has opened for those of us who are homebound with all of these vertual tours and other New online resources that open the world up to us from our beds and couches, that I still have my mind, my manual and powerchair as I would have no way to access anyting, including my own house without them, the nice days after the ground has dried up and I'm able to roll around my yard and around the garden. To re-establish a love for crafting. My cricut and sewing machine and mich more. So just because there are things I'm very upset with in this world doesn't mean there aren't things I'm thankful for.

#myEDSchallenge #myHSDchallenge

[supercultshow]

Howdy all you Supercultists out there on the interwebz! I’m Bad Movie Professor Cameron Coker (BS in “Bat Nipples” with a minor in “Ice Puns”) and I’ll be posting my hype-tacular speeches every week along with some long lost speeches from past Supercult Shows!

This week winter has come at last to Supercult in the form of one of the greatest cinematic blunders in all of history: Batman and Robin!

Batman and Robin are back in the fourth film in the Batman superhero series and the second film in the series directed by Joel Schumacher. George Clooney stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman while Chris O’Donnell and Michael Gough return as Dick Grayson/Robin and Alfred Pennyworth, respectively. The dynamic duo are back to protect Gotham City from villainy, but when the cold-hearted Mr. Freeze and the enticingly toxic Poison Ivy attack tensions rise between the two heroes. Can the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder resolve their differences and save the city from certain destruction? Strength Now. Courage Always. Family, Above All. Batman & Robin!

As of 2019, this is the first and only appearance of Batgirl in a live-action Batman feature film.

According to a makeup artist, Arnold had potentially deadly costume effects. The battery for the LED lights in his mouth would start to dissolve in his saliva and leak battery acid into his mouth.

“Curses!” -an actual line from this already silly film.

Michael Gough: one of the only person to survive all 4 original Batman films (the other being Pat Hingle who played Commissioner Gordon). What a bad ass.

Someone please tell me how all these diamonds somehow combine into a fuel source for a freeze laser.

George Clooney and his stunt doubles went through 50 rubber Batsuits.

After the film’s negative reception, plans for Tim Burton’s “Superman Lives” have been shut down. The movie would’ve been a first attempt to have a shared universe between Batman and Superman, with George Clooney reprising his role as Batman, and with Nicolas Cage as Superman.

Is this a miniature? Is this an overly indulgent set? Does the audience care?? Do the ACTORS??

You want to have plants take over the earth and I want to freeze the planet. Sounds like we should work together!

Two Words: Bat Nips.

This gang is apparently called the Golums, but we all know they’re really called the ‘We Love Neon and Blacklight Club’.

The Batman costume was a 50 lbs. (22.6 kg.) rubber body suit with a 40 lb. rubber cape attached to the headpiece. Batgirl’s and Robin’s costumes weighed 50 lbs each. Mr. Freeze’s weighed 75 lbs.

Oh Bane…it would take 15 years before films did you justice.

I mean, yeah, this movie is bad. But Arnold looks pretty snazzy in his polar bear slippers.

Did we mention that Coolio is in this film? Well…he is. It doesn’t make the film any better or worse. It’s just…a thing that is.

From the opening frames of this film you know it’s going to be a treat. The foam latex laden suit-up scene seems to linger just a bit too long on expertly modeled bird buttocks, bat nipples, and caped crusader cod pieces. The opening would fit just as well in a high-budget Batman burlesque show. Oh, how optimistic the 90s were. The original Batman directed by Tim Burton seemed like such a long shot and paid off spectacularly. Burton discarded the camp of the 1960s Adam West TV series and adapted the atmospheric gothic noir of the 1940s…which is apparently an era when Batman couldn’t turn his head and has no problem with just straight up murdering people. Tim Burton’s version of batman was so iconic that it defined the tone, color, music, and even dialogue choices for the entire character for the next 2 decades. The next three sequels, Batman Returns and Batman Forever, stuck to the formula of the 1989 original for the most part. In each the level of camp was slowly cranked up:

Batman Returns: Let’s take up half the Warner Brothers lot with expansive water-filled Gotham City sets! Let’s focus even more on the villains and really hammer home the tragedy and the childhood pain festering into megalomania! Not only that, let’s have TWO villains instead of just one! Let’s get a combination of real penguins, actors in fiberglass penguin suits, and puppets for the villain’s evil missile-toting penguin army! DID I MENTION THE PENGUIN ARMY??

Batman Forever: They liked the two-villain thing, so let’s do that again. We’ll get another two actors at the top of their game to play ridiculous, over-the-top, gothic cartoon characters! Let’s go with Tommy Lee Jones, still riding off the high of his starring role in the Fugitive, and then Jim Carrey at his comedic height just a year after the release of not one but three of his most iconic films: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber! Oh yeah and let’s swap out the director, the lead, the love interest, and paint the whole film in neon. These things aren’t meant to be dark, gritty, adult films! They’re comic book films for god’s sakes! We gotta sell toys to kids!

But here’s the thing Supercultists: If you’re going to be this campy you have to be either funny or endearing. Carrey carried Batman Forever and killed it as a genuinely funny and threatening adaptation of the Riddler. Danny DeVito, in his own gruesome way, made us feel for a Batman villain in a way that the batman animated series later sought to emulate with their reimagining of Mr. Freeze and the creation of Harley Quinn.

So, what happened? Was it overindulgence? Sure, scenes are campier and there are now not 2 but 3 villains: Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and a neutered version of Bane who serves as a glorified mook for Ivy. Perhaps the concept of pushing the art style even further strained the bounds of reality? Sure, Gotham was larger than life in 19889, but the 1997 version has gigantic futurist statues holding up the buildings as if Gotham was constructed on the corpses of a race of colossi. Perhaps the film lost some of the comedic charm of its predecessors. At last count Mr. Freeze utters something like 27 ice puns throughout the film and at times it can be difficult to discern whether or not the film is being ridiculous on purpose. The opening fight scene looks like Batman on Ice with the heroes literally clicking their heels together to activate ice skate boots.

Perhaps the problem is higher up than that… Was it the studio pressure to make the film more “toyetic”? The film’s design seems catered to the toy market with every character having a wacky light-up vehicle, set piece, or gadget that could function as an action figure. Batman’s new car features a transparent hood so that audiences can see the colorful spinning bat-engine as if hypnotizing children and adults alike into emptying their wallets at the nearest department store this Christmas. For crying out loud Poison Ivy even has a line “I’m a lover, not a fighter That’s why every Poison Ivy action figure comes complete with him!” *points to Bane* Perhaps it was simply cost? In their bid to get even more top-billed Hollywood names for the latest and greatest (read: only, unless you count things like Spawn) comic book film, Arnold Schwarzenegger was reputed to have earned $25 million for his approximate 25 minute on-screen role as Mr. Freeze, basically a million a minute. Not to mention Uma Thurman, the poster girl for Pulp Fiction, and the, at the time, up and coming George Clooney.

The whole film cost an estimated $125 million and was a modest commercial success but was a spectacular critical flop. With a 3.7 on IMDB and an 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s no surprise that the film killed the batman film series and nearly killed the entire superhero film genre. The film was voted #1 in Empire magazine’s “50 Worst Movies Ever”, #5 in Entertainment Weekly’s Top 25 Worst Sequels Ever Made, and won a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress for Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl (as well as 10 other Razzie nominations for everything from Worst Picture and Worst Director to Worst Screen Couple and Worst Original Song). Not Joel Schumacher or George Clooney defend the film anymore. When filming was over, George Clooney reportedly quipped, “I think we just killed the series.” He’s even been known to refund people who saw the film and has called the film a “waste of money” in spite of his admittance that it was the biggest break he ever had as a then TV star making the jump to Hollywood.

But we here at Supercult know it’s not the worst film (we’ve seen A LOT worse). At the very least it’s entertaining at times, hilarious at others, and always a feast for the eyes. Even now we can see the 90s superhero film influence on modern pop culture. The next few superhero films such as Sam Rami’s Spider-Man series still attempted to recreate the earnest wackiness of Tim Burton’s series while attempting to avoid the cautionary tale of Batman and Robin. Grittier remakes of batman still pay homage to Tim Burton’s Batman in their aesthetics, their music, and their tone.

Batman and Robin may be the worst batman film ever, but that makes it the best Supercult Batman film ever, bat nipples and all.

This is why Superman works alone! The Supercult show is proud to present Batman and Robin!

    Batman & Robin Howdy all you Supercultists out there on the interwebz! I’m Bad Movie Professor Cameron Coker (BS in “Bat Nipples” with a minor in “Ice Puns”) and I’ll be posting my hype-tacular speeches every week along with some long lost speeches from past Supercult Shows!

[topicprinter]

I'm starting to really hate my business. It wasn't always this way.I entered the teen-young adult streetwear hat niche 2 years ago, specializing in designing a certain type of hat. Neff, Surpreme, and other skate/hiphop culture streetwear brands are my main competitors. After making loads of money illegally, I wanted diversify to something legal, sorta like the mob. I was 16 at the time. I got the idea after spotting a kid wearing a really awesome hat in my driver's ed class. It was sorta obnoxious, sorta feminine, sorta loud, but sorta chill all at the same time. I just liked it. I ended up buying it from him for $20. I fell in love with it myself, it used to be that kid's signature hat that he wore everyday, but then it became my signature hat. I started looking online where I could buy another and even went as far as to ask the brand if they still sold it if I could get another. "Nope, sorry we discontinued that item." I looked around for other similar types of hats online and they honestly all looked terrible to me (at the time, now I sorta like them). Eager to enter any legal business with my stockpiles of cash, I decided to make and sell my own awesome hats just like the discontinued one I loved so much. They'd be aesthetically far superior to the "terrible" ones my competitors were making. Worst that could happen is that I fail and walk away with tons of entrepreneurial skills.Fast forward two years, I've learned about sourcing from China, hiring and working with freelancers, web design trends, DSLR photography, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, basic accounting, social media marketing, interpersonal skills, cold calling, cold emailing, cold knocking, and sales. I've sold 4 hats online on a haphazard ecommerce strategy and am in 2 stores as I've been cold calling as of late, trying to get into enough stores to approach chains. I'm at what seems to be a crisis point. It feels like the "make a business around you passion" bubble burst a year ago. I'm not really in love with my hats anymore, I hardly wear them, and could hardly imagine designing any more of them even if they became an overnight firebrand success. I feel like a caterpillar that has gone through a metamorphosis; who I was in 2015, in love with the idea of making my own line of awesome hats that would outcompete the bigger brands and with ton of blood money from illegal activities to spare, is not who I am in 2017. My stockpiles of blood money have run dry from spending $1050 on my first two designs (200 hats) my first year and then after realizing just two designs was too little to be taken seriously, $2500 on four more designs (1500 hats) to total six hat designs. Also, the website and design freelancers cost a lot along with rent, food, and other basic necessities. I'd say in terms of just business expenses, I'm $5k deep in the hole.I've convinced myself to move forward for two years by saying, "Just wait until you have the hats made", "just wait until you learn DSLR photography", "just wait until you learn photoshop to manipulate product photos to post on social media for sales", "just wait until you have 6 hats instead of 2", "just wait until you learn accounting", "just wait until you learn cold calling", "just wait until you move halfway across the country to sell to stores in person", "just wait until you get your first store sale". Now it's "just wait until you're in 7 stores, then you can start approaching 10-20 store chains." But the closer I get to the end of the tunnel, I just don't see much of a route to take or a ending that I feel comfortable with. The ending that was fuzzy and imprecise in 2015 of "yeah, I'll just become a famous and great selling hat brand that sells purely off aesthetics!" is now much clearer. You see, from the start, I decided that cool designs trumped brand image. I thought the idea of wearing clothing to "represent something" was the biggest load of BS ever and that awesome aesthetics should trump a dumb logo on a nondescript piece of clothing. I still strongly believe this and would still never buy a piece of clothing because with a logo that symbolizes "forever fun", "Supreme", some home/regional affinity, and the litany of inspirational or edgy messages you will find as logos plastered on clothing (just look at /r/streetwearstartup). Aesthetics trump all in my mind.But here's the catch-- I don't even like my hat aesthetics now. Hell, I don't even like my hat type all all, forget the design printed on it. So I've essentially checkmated myself because I can't even evolve my brand because I got into this to not have a fucking brand at all! Aesthetics, aesthetics, aesthetics, right? Well that really helped out when my tastes naturally evolved away from a seemingly unsaturated and uncapitalized hat niche towards liking hats of a totally different breed and saturated in the market. And I have no desire to make my clothing brand into a lifestyle brand that "means something" like Neff, Supreme, Volcom, and the other lifestyle streetwear brands out there. At this point, I'm also super detached from my main demographic I'm trying to sell to-- skaters, teenage punks, and potheads. Closest thing I ever was to those when I started the hat company at 16 was a teenage punk. Today, I'm so much more interested in making money (legally and safely), achieving financial freedom to travel the world and do whatever I want. I feel like an adult now and not a teenage punk who'd want to wear the hats I design. It feels like I hedged $5k and 2 years on a short-lived phase of my life.Here's the weird part: I only started having serious doubts about my hat business after I got my first store sales. I had one period of serious doubt after my first store sale about a few weeks ago which caused me to start a second backup venture with shopify dropshipping. After my second store sale I'm having this second period of doubt right now. It doesn't help that for each yes I inevitably get many no's which erodes my already low confidence in my products. The closer I get to the end of the tunnel, the more clearly I see the end game and the less I like. At heart, I'm an opportunist and an entrepreneur first, not a fashion designer. I'm not Shaun Neff of Neff or James Jebbia of Supreme, engrossed in the cultural intricacies surrounding their brand (skateboarding, streetwear, punk/hiphop culture). I'm a businessman, focused on money first and anything else second. I feel like I'm in an industry of cultural snobs, none of which resonates with me so I can't resonate with them. If I go forward, I feel like my attempts will be like Hillary Clinton desperately trying to appeal to young voters-- forced, ingenuine, and ultimately failing. Making money and growing a business gives me so much more of a thrill and feeling of being alive than designing hats and connecting to some "lifestyle." I can trudge forward with cold calls and getting IG influencers but all the sales material I've ever read said to be 100% convinced/in love with what you're selling. I'm at 3/10 convinced. Maybe if I become rich again and I have a lot of money, I'll be back in the same abundant mentality I was in 2015 and somehow like my hats again. A long shot.The other option is that I just throw it all away, accept defeat that this is not the business I'm meant to succeed at, store/sell my hats for $2 a piece, and throw away $5k and 2 years of work, ALBEIT keeping the skills I've obtained. I can go into doing internet marketing or social media management for clients (I already have one that pays me $300/mo, long story). But what if I just focus 100% on cold calling more, get into 7 stores, and then get into regional chains? I've read the book The Dip and it talks about when to give up. What if I'm just throwing this all away at the last moment before victory? What if I just pump myself up to 10/10 enthusiasm while selling, get into more stores, get into chains, and make an assload of money? My first priority right now is making money, and my hat business could potentially make me a lot of money if I somehow fake it til I make it. Somehow I'd have to build a brand over clothing I'm not fully in love with but can make me a lot of money because other people like it. God it's such a messed up situation. I wish I had never gotten involved in this and somehow did internet marketing instead two years ago, but here I am now and I must make a move with the position I have.I'm not necessarily giving up on my hat company yet. But what do you guys think? Rarely do I feel lost but right now I am. What would you do in my situation?EDIT (from the comments): As to demand, there's demand for the product, similar products (like the original I bought) have been designed for years. I just feel like I can't design them or do the niche anymore because I'm personally no longer interested in the product as my tastes have evolved. For example, I used to eat a ton of chili all the time last year, but now I don't eat any chili and just eat a ton of pasta with alfredo sauce because that's what I like. Doing my niche feels like becoming a world class chili chef because I can be the best, losing interest in chili and not really eating it except for taste-testing/quality purposes, and then eating alfredo sauce pasta on the downlow. People still want to eat chili whether I'm the world class chef making it or some other lesser chef is making it. The ultimate question is do I be the world class chili chef if I can't even enjoy my own chili and is it even possible for my chili quality not to suffer as a result?

[the-firebird69]

and i help my sons build New Vegas and he is shilo and is surrounded now we moved several inlast night...and have foundations being built if we have to we move. one casino by s only we surround him.  and moved several in, about ten.   and it is huge each casino dwarfs Vegas Casinos which are vast, ours are ten times the size several million square feet each, about 50 thousand rooms each...tons of space no we have it now..the raili s almost done and lots paved tons of equipment...tons. and we see it is about the future... huge Casinos  and we speak to Hooters they are wiating.....he sits adn thinks...this always goes pop in my face.   we use thier girls in ours. they can go on the outskirts.  no Hardrock they took him for a ride too, we use it now...no to Hooters nope....stole it from our boy and used it on him lots and he hurts still..nah....we f you up too. we have a few in they want to knoow which Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and it is fully operational and you wear protective gear and enter and sign an agreement noswimming touching even w your gloves and so on y ou may veiw it remotely in the store, and movecameras and all. it is amazing most see it in the store and run to the line.  huge pieces of candy that are edible for aprice you may buy a piece or the whole thing andedible decorative pieces are for sale in thelobbytons of them all different shapes....a favorite the white swan...all candy and fluffy marshmellow mainly, but the kind at easter,and he says it...tons love it...huge ones too that are about the sizeof a giantpolar bear in the shape of men women and more even ofy ou.  tons do it and bring it to tier parties they hvae off campus or in rented rooms or halls tons of halls huge ones. and he will be offered candy bars by bg. tons.  each scanned so they wont let him no want him to and be dissapointed. he doesnt want to go to iether so ou watch ok. Kid Hotel  we named it that.  and it is for you s and your kids your kids now ok.  a baby lamb or soemthing yes.  goat.  and it has the track.  they check first and entered thier cars to be in the ride only a few were selected as were collectors items.  wie hadone.  and th two with him.  we knew....and they loaded up all collectors cars.  old new and the first off the line. tons willride moslty adults at firs to the kid hotel. Auto Mile it is a big attractor he says anchor.  and it is massive.  it has tons of his dispensors and it is usually Pennywise Inc most  think it is these here.  and we hear himno wedont care it is not.  huge too and plenty of showrooms andhis ideas, a track to try them and all feed to it....it is massive, tons like it and hit has a main street you go to and from the  track on. and beep and play loud music.  nad more.....huge with ppl huge. they all go and buy tons of things. his cars too are intermingled and are like Tesla, no, same name only branded differently.  he calls them Thor but are not called that  go and see.  he is a genius with marketing with yours s.  genius.   we have our brands too that are intermingled lots buy them we know what to do with the money Apollo showed us. and it is good.  bg runs Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and he is happy doing it.  has funny costume as he does in the movie and it is geat tey all love it...says try wait thought a few days too.  then vrooooommmmmm  you will wash away iwth customers....wash away..he laughs and booze there too, tons of candy flavored....and mine yes....for those who need health..he laughs....tons of cars all big four.  all fast car makers.  all specialty, alltrucks up to six tons.  and all other means basically, Harley all japanese and all usa ktm and the trke one and the smallco he liked.  asked they sent some....are a huge hit on the strip...he likes it asked to be in the Man Cave....so he did they like seeing him...and he is like this what am i to do it is buietifiul a bueitiful ride lol. ohno fun. and he runs the Hammer the popular Carnival strength test but right in the middle of th man cave you hear the ding and he chose, the prize, a free room.    the Hammer and bell means your the man...and its yourhammer and night etc.  so not many can. bill hit it right away....and preston...have the swing and arc.  tons laughed it is them.  they won.  saw went at it..... thror tried missed came back jacked an hour or two later andwon. got a roomloved the room too had a great time...beer galore the room is setup like a mancave allof them and you can pick Patriots and so on..not just pillows,chairs and tbles lamps andash trays and much much more you can buy thingsin the room too almostany of them.  amarkenting guru but wethougt of that.  he had itfor a while we did too lots of hft so no Movie Casino and of course bob wanted more and gt it, ceo of the movie casino...a real one and ours.  a drive in or three, huge. roller skated servers.....tons of movie theatres like man caves rentable,headlinemovies in the middle, and more...and we see allare in and weheari t cfo is Enzo fromhere.  and John C Rielly is the Ceo  Death Race Casino and Bar and Raw Bar lori runs the latter saki served there too. ahuge track. she is the CEo and it is massive.  tons of space and huge tracks.  massive and weloadedit allin.  tons of it is fromcali.  huge amounts. and down the street all the refinery stuff  and we see t is like howw ilwe and we know how. massive lines to this one folks it is an alltimefav....and weheard this like Arlen Ness they can buy sign certify and race.  tons like it andneeded the break lol..... we outfit them too.  racin gear customized....and a special request for veep, crazy chicken el polloloco heagreed has sharesnow....and knwe who andwas upset allnight...youi can bo buy a car like the transporter had and outfit it using our stuff, and go and race, get up on the board your name too, tons of stars signedonright away most go for hp first and other stuff later, smart if you canarmor as wieght ruins speed and we know it s true tons of drop plates and more...huge with fans.tons see stars buy one and drive it in traffic it is only outfited the day of the race. not before entreing the pit area...you watch it fromabove andtattoed guys there...and Kat von d has a shop there in New Vegas only two shops now are yours s.  one is  a casion it is Shilo’s  but named Saul’s..and is huge.  he is rich already.  tons go there are comfortable... Bar Cafe is huge too it has so many bars you could choke a thousand small ones pubs from allover Earth are replicated he says a bunch are real lots of real memorabilia from Three Cheers and Bullfinch...and more tons of boston bar memorabelia. a realone here and theretoo.  lost fromnh the strip. huge ones there arefrom all over all clean. decon notnecessary...wekeep it allnice. and ahuge beer factory,allcan see andor tour. it is huge samples at each batch.  and are safely handed out.  no trouble pls or arrested...it is easy no thsor that simple rules.  huge vats of beer. huge. tons arrive. and wine halls thatare massive and cigars and bill is ceo. a huge jobhe says i have to count it andmore tonsof things could g wrongor right.  it is hard. like a factory ihadin lewof this beer thing.  so i am disgruntled.  weill lastonly  afewmonths nah he says it willmove...if need be. wesee it hesays. dontlike it. but im the bar restoring guy who never gavehim  abreak got a job ok.  see how itis  Superhero Bar and Casino  tons of cosplay and all workers are in costume some are s some are not real ones and cosplay all have fun and like it.  occasionally Superman shows, looks real form the last movie series Zod too and co all look real helmets and all. ons love it..huge huge conventions now...huge.  allover Earth they show tons of star wars and Darth Maul allover he is athome now it isterrible again. lol.  huge crowds ovewhealm him andhe hisses at them like the real thing would.  they are shocked he moves so fast and they call thiers security always intercepts, he is agymnist and they move on bt mark him up somehow some stick things to him athey did caa.  huge lines there too to get  in get a room or play the outragesou games wonder women is there....and he got it off the Seminoles, who want him to open a branch there a whole branch....Superhero Branch, says ask Uriel on  a seperate occasion they shall...and will. and they laugh ti will sell Vegas but it is a taste of it and they see he gets it. massive cranes get it done and we plan need land andhe sees.  we work now. tons see it more friendly or appearst o be Jurrasic Park and Casino with real dinasours setup like he said vip pay and get a real view.  others the zoo and it has relics there meaning old lions and tigers and bears no Kaiju. it is very tame but holy crap real dinasours..real. and eat large animals that areskinned anddead.  full cows trex swallows one a day. huge ones too.  fullblownsteer. and he eats allday too. snacks. on chickens andmore.  tons seehim andboast i can kill that and more. and wesee....he likes tosee it live.  it is the dinasour....andhe is the LIzard King andhe has justin as Ceo well justin says he is andi s.  and he is Jim Morrison........and he thankshim but no ok lol. movies yes and a few theatres and tons of film like museums and tons of toys and artifacts for sale and viewing real fossils galore tons...and we see. more there now ok he is tired. Thor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=094MOX6ALMc

[amusement-equipment]

High reputation Battery Powered Amusement Ride Bumper Cars For Kids

No one wants to feel like a tourist these days. Savvy travellers want to live like locals, and that means looking beyond the sights and finding the coolest neighbourhoods to stay, eat, drink and hang out in. But what gives an area that indefinable cool factor? That’s what we asked ourselves when we started to rank the areas that should be on everyone’s travel bucket list right now. And since Time Out is 50 this year, we decided to go big and find the 50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world.High reputation Battery Powered Amusement Ride Bumper Cars For Kids. To help us out, we went to the experts: local Time Out editors and writers across the world, who know the city like nobody else. We also asked more than 15,000 people around the world about the best (and most overrated) neighbourhoods in their city as part of our City Life Index survey. We wanted to know: is there a buzz about the area, with cool new venues opening? Can most people actually afford to live there? Is it a great place to stay for someone visiting the city? Most importantly, does it feel like a place that’s on the up? Then we crunched the numbers, argued the toss and came up with what we reckon is the definitive list of the planet’s cultural and culinary hotspots – the places to be in 2018. Get ready for some serious wanderlust. Visited one of our top spots? Share the love on Instagram by tagging @TimeOutEverywhere and using the hashtag #50nabes. Madrid might be the world’s most exciting capital right now, and Embajadores is its most colourful neighbourhood. This is a place where people from near and far live side by side, cooking up a bustling cultural life. To the north, Plaza Tirso de Molina is the territory of florists by day, and at night fills with young revellers queuing to get into Medias Puri, the city’s club of the moment. To the south are Tabacalera and La Casa Encendida, two huge cultural centres standing like transatlantic vessels run ashore in the middle of the city. You can dine on Indian specialities served atop a flowery oilcloth, or get a divine Moroccan lamb tagine for an absurdly low price. Nightlife and street life, street art and high culture, food and people from across the world: in Embajadores, you’ll find it all. EAT On Sundays when the Rastro market is on, you’ll find Santurce packed in with punters clambering for their share of the bar’s famous sardines. DRINK Relax with a gin and tonic in the legendary Sala Equis, a former adult cinema that’s now a drinking hole. DO Go see a play at the Art Deco theatre El Pavón-Kamikaze, leaving time to have a couple of cold beers in the theatre bar: a buzzing local hangout in its own right. STAY A couple of minutes to the north, Hotel ME Madrid Reina Victoria dominates the local skyline with its illuminated 1920s tower. The view from the rooftop bar is spectacular. —Josep Lambies The Euljiro neighbourhood of Seoul still smells like fresh ink when you walk through its industrial streets. Made up mostly of printing presses, warehouses and old-school fried chicken eateries, Euljiro has become the latest hotbed of hidden bars and cool cafés. The contrast is most noticeable at night as printers pore over tomorrow’s paper and trendy kids crawl into seemingly abandoned warehouses. Dine with ajeosshis (middle-aged Korean men) at one of Euljiro’s acclaimed eateries and head towards the neon lights for a drink afterwards to experience the best of both worlds. EAT One of the most famous fried chicken eateries in Korea, Manseon Hof specializes in garlic fried chicken and dried pollack paired with cheap beer. DRINK Bedazzled with neon signs and indie-music posters, local favourite Seendosi is located on the fifth floor of an apparently derelict warehouse. The prelude to getting here includes walking up four flights of pitch-dark stairs. DO The grittiness of the neighbourhood makes it an excellent place for photographers to capture a different side of Seoul. Take your camera and get artsy with those shadowy alleyways and neon lights. STAY Located a 15-minute walk from Euljiro, Amass Hotel is a spotless boutique hotel near Changdeokgung Palace with a stunning rooftop. —Hahna Yoon Far west of Medellín’s best known hotspots, the city’s rockers, punks and metalheads thrive in Nueva Villa de Aburrá. It’s home to La Villa, a horseshoe-shaped plaza that transforms daily from a stately promenade to a throng of music-loving youth. With a history of peaceful political protest, Nueva Villa de Aburrá has established itself as a neighbourhood of free love and sociopolitical engagement as well as a place that celebrates new traditions, like its now annual hot sauce and electronic music festivals, challenging outsider expectations of Colombian life. EAT Wander out from La Villa, across a hilly green full of picnic-perfect trees, statues and sword-training youth, to enjoy Vegarden’s vegan and vegetarian spins on local fare. DRINK If you’re not queuing at La Villa’s Seven and Eleven tiendas for on-the-spot consumption of German craft beers, guaro and rum, pop into Bar Valhalla to enjoy thunderously intimate live music with oversized steins of local brew. DO Escape the rain in Los Molinos shopping centre, where monthly staged spectacles (dinosaur amusement parks; superhero-themed gladiatorial contests; fairy-tale swan rides) add a touch of whimsy to community living. STAY Hotel Belén Plaza, along the MetroPlus line, puts you minutes from the action without cutting you off from the rest of the city’s delights. —Maggie Clark The once-grand neighbourhood of Metaxourgeio in Athens was almost abandoned for years, but now a patchwork of artists, activists and NGO volunteers are breathing fresh life into it. Its crumbling neoclassical buildings are emblazoned with emotionally-charged murals by local graffiti writers. Shabby-looking brothels and squatter spots – tragic reminders of the decade-long economic downturn – have slowly given way to bars and tavernas that hum with activity until the early hours. The Communitism Project, a huge mansion being restored by local and refugee artists, houses exhibitions, film screenings, workshops and parties; it encapsulates young Athenians’ creative energy and ability to make something from nothing. Metaxourgeio is a neighbourhood in that magical, transitional phase where it truly feels as if anything could happen next. EAT Grab an outside table at Seychelles and enjoy tasty Greek food in a gorgeous nineteenth-century building. DRINK Sip a cocktail while sitting under one of the huge trees outside the vintage-themed Blue Parrot bar. DO Head to LaTraac, an adults-only skate bowl that transforms into one of the city’s coolest hangouts come nightfall thanks to an outdoor bar and regular DJs. STAY The neighbourhood isn’t developed enough yet to house any hip hotels – try the pretty Quinta guest house in nearby Exarchia. —Jessica Bateman The name of this Lisbon neighbourhood literally means ‘Royal Prince’, and with restaurants, bars, stores, and art galleries everywhere,
 Princípe Real is clearly attempting a rise to the throne. Hang in the coolest bars, shop at the dopest stores (one of them, Vintage Department, has a stuffed polar bear to greet you), hit up its colourful club nights (Príncipe Real is Lisbon’s gayest neighbourhood) and refuel at the hottest restaurants, from tapas to ceviche. There’s even a slice of country life every Saturday, when the organic fair fills one side of the garden with little stalls and sellers serve loyal regulars. EAT It’s hard to plan a meal in the area without thinking about ZeroZero pizzeria and its smoking wood oven. DRINK A loyal clientele comes to Cinco Lounge to relax on low sofas and savour some of the 100 drinks on offer. Ask for a Madagascar bourbon with vanilla vodka and fresh pineapple. DO Go shopping at Embaixada, a department store that sells designer items and Portuguese artwork. It’s located in a nineeteenth-century palace – no biggie. STAY The Memmo Principe Real hotel sits perched on a hill, and it offers jaw-dropping views of the orange-speckled cityscape from the terrace bar and room balconies. —Ágata Xavier LOCALS SAY ‘It’s a traditional Portuguese neighbourhood which reflects Lisbon’s cosmopolitan feel, with green spaces, markets, shops and new restaurants as well as daycare centres and schools.’ The historic cradle of Paris’s Kurdish and Indian communities, Strasbourg-Saint-Denis has a unique style: a brilliantly surreal mess. Greasy spoons cafés rub shoulders with the trendiest gourmet restaurants and some of the city’s oldest establishments, like Brasserie Julien, classified as a historical monument. At La Mano club, DJs and live artists swing sounds from salsa to nu-disco, and the crowd is just as eclectic: a melting pot of guys in Supreme, girls in Céline and dressed-down thirty-somethings. Only in SSD can you tour the bars for €4 and rub shoulders with either hip hop royalty or old-school bohemians. EAT Pizza lovers, Da Graziella is your Holy of Holies: a wood-fired oven, art nouveau walls, and that great speciality of Naples: the pizza fritta! DRINK Behind a decrepit facade and an inch-thick layer of posters hides one of the best and trendiest cocktail bars in Paris: Le Syndicat. Their creative cocktails are made with 100 percent French alcohol! DO Browse the ready-to-wear accessories, books and fashion labels (Homecore, Laurence Airline, Stussy and local brand Saint-Denis) at Saint-Denis Store. STAY Hôtel Grand Amour is a trendy anti-palace designed by French graffiti artist André, with unique touches of the Parisian counterculture and Hermès products in the bathroom… plus reasonable prices! —Houssine Bouchama LOCALS SAY ‘There are bars and restaurants for everyone and every budget. The mood changes depending on whether it’s a week or weekend, and by the time of day. Popular, relaxed and trendy – it’s the ideal place to meet up with friends.’ Neukölln is the constantly-evolving anti-establishment melting pot at the heart of Berlin cool. Look past the graffiti and grime and you’ll find a neighbourhood constantly reinventing itself. What was once abandoned is made new, turned from wasteland into the latest smoke-filled bar, vegan café or unmarked gallery – all independently run. On Wesserstrasse, bars like TiER and Ä serve art, performance and booze to a cross-section of Berlin society. On Maybachufer, locals laze by the canals and wander the Turkish market. It’s a neighbourhood that revels in its originality. EAT Under-the-radar Paulinski Palme is cooking up great things in villagey enclave Rixdorf, with simple but sublime traditional Thüringen dishes and a sophisticated but fuss-free wine list. DRINK Do as the locals do and spend Sunday drinking and dancing to underground electronic beats at Griessmuehle, a former grain mill boasting dancefloors, makeshift furniture and an amazing garden overlooking the canal. DO When the urban landscape wears you down, head to Tempelhofer Feld, a vast airport reclaimed by Berlin’s citizens as a free-for-all park. STAY Step through the doors of an old factory on Hobrechtstrasse and enter Hüttenpalast, 600 square meters of open urban insanity dotted with lovingly restored vintage caravans to sleep in from just €70 a night. —Duncan Madden Tokyo's Yanaka is cool, but in an unassuming way. Visitors are often captivated by its antique atmosphere, but in recent years, a new creative energy has been breathing new life into its streets and buildings without altering its old-world architectural make-up. Artisan workshops and modern art galleries co-exist with elegant temples and shrines, and you’ll also find some of the best food in town here. Even though it’s right next to the frenetic tourist hub of Ueno, Yanaka remains tranquil. It’s an area comfortable with its introspective nature, reserving its charms only to those in the know. EAT Himitsudo is a shaved ice institution and a must-visit on your Tokyo kakigori crawl. The menu changes daily, with seasonal toppings. DRINK Sip on local craft beers in the atmospheric wooden Yanaka Beer Hall. It’s part of a larger complex which is also home to a bakery-café, bistro and event space. DO Modern art gallery Scai The Bathhouse shows cutting-edge exhibitions by local and international artists in a well-kept former bathhouse that’s over 200 years old. STAY The unique Hanare hotel encourages you to embrace the local way of life, starting with its traditional-style bedrooms fitted with tatami mat floors and cushy futons. —Time Out Tokyo Editors North-east LA’s leafy, low-key neighbourhood has shed its former dive-bar vibe. Now it’s a hub of handsome cocktail spots that have tipped Highland Park toward the distinction of being LA’s most exciting, rapidly evolving nightlife scene. While York Boulevard has been buzzing with gastropubs for a while now, the recent arrival of vegan cafés, limited-batch dumplings and a pedigreed order-by-the-ounce pizza shop have turned Figueroa Boulevard into a budding dining destination. EAT Otoño ranks among LA’s essentials thanks to chef Teresa Montaño’s fresh take on Spanish tapas, with dishes like tuna and anchovy goat butter and farmers’ market vegetable paella. DRINK Highland Park Bowl, a cultivated saloon inside LA’s oldest bowling alley, has character to spare with its sweet classic cocktails and its steampunk-esque lanes. DO Eastside buzz bands, cult-favourite singer-songwriters and surprise stand-up sets from Dave Chappelle mix at the Lodge Room, an intimate concert hall housed inside a former Masonic lodge. STAY Though Highland Park lacks traditional hotels (for now), you’ll find Airbnbs to rent in handsome Craftsman homes and cosy cottages in the hills. —Michael Juliano LOCALS SAY ‘The amazing restaurants and things to do are accessible on foot and it’s more mixed and not as stuck up as other parts of LA.’ Formerly a working-class suburb north of Melbourne’s Central Business District, Fitzroy has become the city’s artistic haven. Hip Melburnians shop for designer brands, athletic wear, vintage clothes, records and weird and quirky finds; new and interesting street art magically appears on walls throughout the suburb; and Australia’s top chefs and bartenders (plus newbies with a dream to share) open up new restaurants, cafés and bars seemingly every week, from vegan destinations Smith & Daughters and Red Sparrow Pizza to the George Costanza-themed George’s Bar. EAT Fitzroy is home to the world-famous Lune Croissanterie, which makes some of the best croissants outside France. DRINK This is the neighbourhood to hit up some of the best bars in Melbourne, including Bar Liberty: Melbourne’s Bar of the Year in the Time Out Bar Awards 2018. DO At the weekend Rose Street Artists’ Market you can browse clothing, jewellery, paintings, sculpture and designs, and meet the people who made them. STAY The achingly hip Brooklyn Arts Hotel is a rambling bohemian mansion with the kind of eclectic charm you’d expect from a share-house of local vintage enthusiasts. —Cass Knowlton LOCALS SAY ‘I love the bohemian feel of the place, the eclectic architecture, the street art and the cafés and restaurants, plus the mix of old and new. It’s great for a cheeky beer, a glass of wine, cocktails or a night of dancing.’ Over the last few years, Peckham has cemented itself as London’s preeminent cultural hotspot. Streets once associated with the sitcom ‘Only Fools and Horses’ are now lined with video arcade bars, cult nightclubs and street food pop-ups. With some of the British capital’s most reputable arts colleges just a 436 bus ride away, the area has become a breeding ground for south-east London’s burgeoning creative scene while staying true to its multicultural roots. At the cavernous Khan’s Bargains, art kids and African families shop for homewares and nick-nacks shoulder to shoulder. EAT There’s no need for pho-mo at Banh Banh, a hip-but-authentic, family-run Vietnamese street food joint located just over the road from Peckham Rye Park. DRINK Surely Peckham’s worst-kept secret, Frank’s Cafe is a concrete-tastic rooftop art bar popped above a multi-storey car park that lends itself perfectly to cocktails at sunset. DO Peckhamplex is stuck in the ’90s in a good way: as well as the retro decor, tickets at this much-loved multi-screen cinema are a ludicrously cheap £4.99 all day long. STAY Nowhere does pubs like London, and The Victoria Inn – a country-style gastropub near Peckham Rye – has a set of boutique guest rooms upstairs. —Grace Goslin LOCALS SAY ‘It’s vibrant, creative, alternative, bohemian, original, independent and fiercely proud of its roots. It’s amazing to see the way the culture brings the community together – you can meet a variety of people whenever you walk down the street and the cinema is still only a fiver!’ With a grittier landscape, industrial roots and room to move, Noord is decidedly removed from the Amsterdam 17.8 million tourists visit each year. Locals are drawn to the area because the rent is cheaper and there’s no overcrowding; instead, there’s a sense of experimentalism that draws adventurous visitors as well. Take the free ferry service across the River IJ and be greeted by head-turning landmarks like the futuristic EYE Filmmuseum and A’DAM Tower (where, on the rooftop deck, Europe’s highest swing offers the city’s best views). EAT Hangar restaurant serves up Mediterranean-influenced dishes in a stylish, tropically-tinged warehouse space. Amsterdam isn’t known for its weather, but when the sun is out, you’ll want a spot on this waterfront terrace. DRINK Grab a table at the colourfully kitted out Oedipus Brewing Taproom and get acquainted with some local favourites – and the locals themselves. DO It’s a short cycle to NDSM Wharf, a former shipyard turned art and culture hub which is home to culinary hotspot PLLEK and hosts Europe’s biggest monthly flea market, IJ-Hallen. STAY For a boutique stay with serious cool cred, it’s Sir Adam all the way. Otherwise, there’s the rather unique, deconstructed Sweets Hotel, where individual bridge houses are transformed into one-of-a-kind hotel rooms. —Laura Collins Formerly infamous for gang violence and seedy street scenes, Ancoats has emerged from the ashes of its industrial past to become the hangout of choice for Manchester’s many, many cool kids. Abandoned cotton mills are being transformed into affordable co-working spaces and river-facing apartments, while craft beers, artisanal bakeries and gin joints crop up in less time than it takes to say ‘beetroot latte’. Colourful street murals add an extra shot of hipster hotness to the cultural brew. EAT Head to Ancoats Coffee Co, housed in a massive former cotton warehouse, for painstakingly prepared caffeine fixes made from freshly roasted beans and served alongside just-baked cakes and sandwiches. DRINK Sit at the long bar of reclaimed mill-turned-watering hole, Elnecot, to sip an aptly named ‘Industrial Revolution’ cocktail and eat an old-school Manchester egg with homemade piccalilli (picked veggie relish). DO Check out Hope Mill Theatre, where local performers and writers come under the spotlight at this funky, low-key theatre housed in – you guessed it – a former mill. STAY Ancoats still has limited lodgings options, but there are some stylish canalside Airbnbs available – or check out the slick, serviced apartment-hotel offerings at the City Warehouse. —Lucy Bryson The friendly suburb of Enmore has the same laidback vibes as its incredibly popular bohemian neighbours Newtown and Stanmore, but a little more room to spread out. It’s packed with excellent places to eat, and because it’s outside Sydney’s restrictive lockout zone, the party goes on all night after crowds fall out of gigs at Enmore Theatre and into the bars next door. During the day, there are crystal shops and record stores to wander through and new street art to gawp at. It’s where the city’s hospo workers come to live, work and play, so you’ll find the best natural wines in the bottle shops and everyone’s creative and weird – just the way we like it. EAT Head behind the pink façade of the Marie-Louise Salon to find Stanbuli, with Turkish mezze cooked by the lauded Ibrahim Kasif. DRINK Jacoby’s is an Inner West Tiki bar run by diehard ‘Twin Peaks’ fans. Once you’re inside this tropical cabana, you won’t want to leave. DO See live music at the Enmore Theatre, a 1,600-seat art deco landmark that hosts sweaty live music, talks and stand-up comedy. STAY The laidback Urban Newtown hotel has graffiti-inspired art and a mini-bar stocked with beer from local craft brewery Young Henrys. —Emma Joyce LOCALS SAY ‘Enmore has a proper range of excellent food from cheap to fancy, the transport is solid, the people are like-minded and down-to-earth and it’s safe.’ Bandra West, technically a suburb of mega-metropolis Mumbai, is quickly becoming the city’s vibrant, liberal centre. Between the studios of Bollywood to the north, the financial capital of India to the south and the Arabian Sea to the west, Bandra West – with its small, leafy lanes, sea-facing vistas and crumbling bungalows jostling for space with high rises and rooftop pools – is currently the place to be. Everyone’s moving here: Bollywood’s biggest stars, struggling actors, travellers, writers, musicians, street artists and, okay, also the occasional banker (what can you do?). Join the throng and get yourself to beautiful Bandra West immediately. EAT Built into an old bungalow on a bustling corner, Pali Bhavan serves unusual cocktails and delicious Indian food. DRINK Head to Monkey Bar to see young creatives letting loose and chugging Kingfisher beer and martinis after work. DO Walk around Chimbai Village, a narrow strip by the water where coffins are made. Duck into local designer Payal Khandwala’s showroom if you have some cash to spare and want to buy yourself a fantastic new outfit. STAY The seafront Taj Lands End is the perfect place to recuperate after a hectic day in the city. —Diksha Basu Set off of Tel Aviv’s grid to the south, its ancient sister city Jaffa has been on the up for years. Its rowdy bars and alleyways filled to capacity at night, Jaffa is a gobsmacking juxtaposition of old and new. An influx of new luxury hotels has ushered in various renovations and the sky’s-the-limit residential projects, yet Jaffa’s diverse, authentic, and hospitable locals are what keep the area level-headed – from ageing sabras (born-and-bred Israelis) to Arab merchants hawking wares in the vibrant chaos of the flea market. EAT Bursting at the seams with an effervescent and energetic crowd, Onza is the place to be for a hip evening with its new, creative twists on local comfort food favourites. DRINK By day, Shafa Bar is a chic hangout; by night, it transforms with creative cocktails and live music. DO Shop Jaffa’s flea market – Shuk HaPishpeshim in Hebrew. The maze of traditional stalls is punctuated by burgeoning indie Israeli designers and eclectic design shops. STAY The freshly-minted, astoundingly beautiful Jaffa Hotel is the latest incarnation of a nineteenth-century building that once housed Jaffa’s French hospital. —Elianna Bar-El Brooklyn gets all the attention these days, but if you’re looking for the real spirit of New York, it’s alive and well and living in the West Village. Whether you’re sifting through the area’s record and vintage shops, grabbing cocktails at a Japanese-style drinking den, listening to fresh jazz at nightclubs like Village Vanguard (where legends like John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Bill Evans used to jam) or attending a showstopping drag performance, the Village is jam-packed with gems both historic and brand new. EAT Brunch like you’re in Paris at Buvette, a brick-walled spot serving French classics like croque monsieur and mouthwatering pastries. DRINK Izakayas are trending in New York right now, and Katana Kitten is one of the best, blending Japanese and American flavours together in signature cocktails like the Hinoki Martini. DO New York’s oldest cabaret club, The Duplex, still hosts an indispensable roster of drag performers, comedians, singers and pianists. STAY Penny pinchers who don’t mind resting in confined quarters should book one of the train-style bunks at luxe, 14-storey landmark The Jane, where the entrance lobby hosts late-night dance parties. —Jennifer Picht LOCALS SAY ‘The West Village, to me, is everything wonderful about New York. It’s the heart of the city, it’s LGBTQ-friendly and has some of the best restaurants and a youthful and diverse nightlife scene. It is the ideal neighborhood.’ Over the last 50 years, the West Loop has transformed from Chicago’s Skid Row to a glimmering beacon for the food-obsessed, offering a range of impeccable restaurants and bars from the city’s top chefs. The neighbourhood shows no signs of slowing down as it continues to collect shiny new apartment complexes, upscale boutiques and big names like Google (which opened an HQ here in 2015). By day, young families and their dogs stroll the sidewalks, and by night, revellers crowd the area’s many excellent cocktail bars in search of a stiff drink. EAT Roister is one of Chicago’s top-tier fine-dining establishments, but there are no white tablecloths, the music is loud and you can totally get away with wearing jeans. DRINK Sip sidecars, cosmopolitans, mojitos and martinis at Moneygun, where old-school hip-hop bumps through the speakers until 2 or 3am. DO Every month, Randolph Street Market attracts more than 100 vendors who hawk antique housewares and furniture, vintage clothing and one-of-a-kind jewellery. STAY Achieve peak cosiness at the Publishing House Bed & Breakfast, where 11 unique rooms are fitted out with cow-hide rugs, claw-foot tubs and funky furniture. —Morgan Olsen LOCALS SAY ‘West Loop has the best restaurants in the city, by a long shot. There are tons of amazing, creative options and it’s constantly changing and expanding.’ Five years ago, Tangba Jie was a quiet residential street. But as the neighbouring Taikoo Li area exploded with popularity, its fringes developed to accommodate the hungry and curious looking for a less commercial vibe. Straddling old neighbourhoods and new development, Tangba Jie and it surrounding side-streets are a perfect representation of Chengdu’s modern/traditional juxtaposition and the food-focused culture of leisure that has recently propelled the city into the spotlight. EAT Nothing says Chengdu like the bustle and buzz of a spicy Chuan Chuan joint, with meat cooked on long skewers in a broth. Mao Jiao Huo La on nearby Dongsheng Jie captures both the classic flavours of this dish and the frenetic, celebratory atmosphere in which to eat it. DRINK Tucked in a quiet corner on Qing Lian Shang Jie, Lotus is a small whisky bar serving great cocktails in a refined setting – and a popular spot in Chengdu’s vibrant creative scene. DO The best activities in Chengdu are always eating and drinking. Wander into Tangba Jie’s older small alleys for classic street eats and late-night, post-booze snacks. STAY The twelve-room Old Congde Hotel, hidden in a preserved stone alleyway from the ’50s, is one of the city’s few tasteful boutique hotels. —Jordan Porter Accra has a vibrancy and energy that never sleeps, and in Osu the pulse of the city is visceral. It’s a little seedy, but very fun – especially at night, with its renowned bars, clubs and chop houses. The main thoroughfare, colloquially known as ‘Oxford Street’, backs itself onto the coastline, where bars line Labadi beach, horses and quad bikes make for ultimate selfie backdrops and the ocean gleams (even if plastic pollution renders it less than charming to swim in). EAT Ivorian eatery Chez Clarisse is noisy, hot and the best place to pack as many friends into a table as possible. Share the marinated chicken and tilapia and mop up the sauces with spicy fried plantains and shredded cassava. DRINK Watch the colourful wooden fishing boats of the Ga people roll in to shore at Osekan, where you can down Club beers while looking out onto the Gulf of Guinea. DO The best place to start (and end) the night is Front/Back. Find the hidden entrance and discover the best that Africa has to offer in terms of contemporary art, locally-made furnishings and the freshest cocktails in the city. You may have to make friends with a local to get in, as the club is technically members-only. STAY Check out the stylish Villa Boutique or its newer sister guest houses, Olma Colonial Suites. —Anna Robertson Blessed with natural wonders such as Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill, Cape Town’s City Bowl District is also home to some of the country’s finest restaurants. But before you sate your appetite, you’ll want to check out a couple of the many new bars that line Bree, Loop and Long Streets. Everything in the CBD is within a twenty-minute walking distance, so you’ll barely need to taxi, and it’s the perfect base to visit Cape Town’s better known attractions or hit up beaches, farmers’ markets or the V&A Waterfront. EAT The Dog’s Bollocks at YARD used to be an actual auto garage, and now serves some of the best burgers in town. DRINK Outrage of Modesty is a true hidden gem, so don’t let the unassuming facade of the building that houses this upmarket cocktail bar fool you; step inside and enter a neon wonderland that will overload your senses. DO Housed inside an old grain silo, the recently launched Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art is the largest such museum in the world. STAY The Cape Heritage Hotel is within walking distance of a treasure trove of the cities finest bars, bistros, restaurants and nightclubs. —Willem Grobler and Jenny Pack Sant Antoni is a rarity worth cherishing: a fragile balance between old and new. Here you’ll find a Barcelona that’s unfortunately disappearing: one cultivated by past generations, where so much of life was lived in the city’s streets and squares and all the neighbours knew each other. But this is also the place to find the very latest trends in fashion and gastronomy. Sitting beneath Barcelona’s symbolic Montjüic hill, this gem of a barrio is full of life in all its many glorious forms. EAT Bar Calders is a spot where people meet up with their nearest and dearest and talk for hours over scrummy dishes – all of which are made for sharing. DRINK For cocktails that will have your eyes rolling back in delight, head to Bitter Cocktail Bar and give yourself over to their delicate and sensual concoctions mixed with expertise and respect. DO Wander to the recently reopened, wrought-iron Mercat de Sant Antoni on a Sunday morning, when the neighbourhood organises its used-book market. It’s an oasis of yellowed pages. STAY SOHO delivers on its promise to give you ‘design, comfort, art and modernity’, plus even its exterior rooms are quiet, despite being smack on the central Gran Vía. —Jan Fleischer Despite sitting just a short walk from the Colosseum, the former red-light district of ancient Rome is spared the heavy foot traffic of the centro storico and retains a refreshing, small-town charm with its artsy, bohemian crowd. Quaint cafés, wine bars and trendy eateries satisfy every palate; from an avocado bar and raw chocolate shop to gourmet panini and classic Roman fare, you’ll find a little bit of everything here, and it’s also a great place to shop. Each evening, the neighbourhood comes alive when locals gather at the steps of the fountain in the piazzetta to catch up with friends over a beer before heading off to an arthouse cinema or vegan eatery. EAT Grab a bite to eat at Ai Tre Scalini, a mainstay since 1895 and one of the buzziest bistros and wine bars in the Eternal City. DRINK Enjoy a craft cocktail and live music at Black Market Hall, a shabby-chic enclave with an underground vibe and a seriously cool crowd. DO Find one-of-a-kind clothes, accessories and gadgets at Mercato Monti, an urban market held each weekend. STAY The Fifteen Keys is a boutique hotel with cosy, contemporary guest rooms and a leafy courtyard where guests dig into organic breakfasts. —Livia Hengel Propelled into a dubious spotlight as the setting of Irvine Welsh’s ‘Trainspotting’, Leith has undergone a big transformation in the intervening 25 years. It’s still a little rough around the edges – certain pubs can present an intimidating prospect – but that’s balanced against a cultural scene that boasts two Michelin-starred restaurants, loads of incredible bars and a fierce sense of local identity. EAT Sure, there are two renowned, award-winning fine dining establishments just around the corner – but Harmonium, Leith’s semi-new vegan joint, gets a shout-out for serving amazing non-meat chorizo and springing from the uber-cool Mono/Stereo family in Glasgow. DRINK Named after the spot where highland visitors (pejoratively, ‘teuchters’) would get the ferry back to Aberdeen, Teuchter’s Landing offers great beer, Scottish stovies (a traditional meat-and-potatoes dish) served by the mug and an extensive garden. DO Refurbished in 2018 after a long, dormant stretch, the Leith Theatre is one of the area’s great success stories; it’s already been home to two pop-up festivals, a ‘Trainspotting’ anniversary celebration and gigs from Scotland’s hippest bands. STAY Located right on the Shore, Leith’s night-time hub, Malmaison Edinburgh offers harbour views, luxurious rooms and a theatrical cocktail bar. —Niki Boyle LOCALS SAY ‘Leith has a wide array of great restaurants (from the chippy to the Michelin-starred) and is far enough off the beaten track to be free of gimmicky tourist places. Its pub scene is rightfully legendary, featuring old Scottish classics, trendier establishments and a continuing tradition of working-class pubs with real warmth.’ This once-shabby western corner of Södermalm island is now abuzz with a growing gathering of hip cafés, LGBT+ bars and indie clubs. The south side is lined by Tantolunden beach, where young, tattooed Stockholmers barbeque and blast music, decorate one of the city centre’s few designated graffiti walls and dive into the lake’s cooling waters. In winter, locals find warmth with coffee and locally-printed literature in some of the Swedish capital’s most laid-back fika spots: the word is Swedish for a coffee break, but the tradition is more about socializing than sipping. EAT Grab a cardamom bun and people-watch at beloved Stockholm establishment ilcaffe, which opened its fourth location near Hornstull station just last year. DRINK On Hornstull’s promenade is Debaser Strand, a venue for live indie acts and DJ nights like Friday’s Klub Common People: a nostalgic mix of Britpop and ‘80s music. DO Check the schedule at Bio Rio, Hornstull’s 1940s-era arthouse theatre, which showcases Swedish indie films (often with English subtitles), live international theatre and Stockholm’s feminist and Pride film festivals. STAY Just across the bridge from Hornstull on Långholmen island, you can spend the night in the Långholmen Hotel, a former prison now boasting a museum, restaurant and theatre. —Madeleine Hyde Though Sololaki is home to many famous landmarks and tourist attractions, its cobblestone streets maintain an air of mystery. Bars, restaurants and even clubs pop up in the neighbourhood’s countless courtyards, letting the locals (often artists and musicians) add their personal touch. Locals and travellers alike frequent the many whimsical apartments-turned-cafés, which often double as live music venues. Experience Georgian polyphonic singing (it’s unlike anything else in the world) or a performance on Sololaki’s vibrant jazz scene. EAT Ezo (meaning ‘courtyard’ in Georgian) serves delicious, traditional Georgian dishes in one of Sololaki’s characteristic Italian yards. DRINK Owned by a French musician who has lived in Georgia for over a decade, Zoestan is a comfortable, no-nonsense bar famous for live music, reasonable prices and quirky decor. DO Slip into the famous sulphur baths on Meidani Square, some of which are open almost 24 hours for late-night soaking. STAY Located on top of a hill in next to the ancient Betlemi church, Envoy Hostel boasts a lively decor, very friendly staff and a variety of clean shared and private rooms that are sure to fit almost any budget. Bonus: free breakfast, which you can enjoy on the terrace overlooking the city. —Marina Kaganova Since a new tram line arrived last December, the outlying village of Phibsboro (also spelled Phibsborough) has become more bustling than ever. Dilapidated Victorian buildings are suddenly filling with modern cafés and charming shops. Like nearby hipster hub Stoneybatter before it, the additional infrastructure signals that a revival is on the horizon, with former residents like the writer James Joyce adding to the neighbourhood’s allure, and arts and community organisation Phizzfest hosting regular theatre, literature, comedy, music and film events and discussions throughout the year. EAT No trip to Phibsboro would be complete without brunch at Two Boys Brew, a minimalist Australian outpost that draws big crowds. Don’t miss the mushrooms on sourdough toast. DRINK With delicious pizza, Friday quizzes and a range of bar games, Back Page is the ideal watering hole for locals and visitors alike. DO Stroll along the Royal Canal and wander to Blessington Basin park for some peace, quiet and neighbourly bonding. STAY The cosy Charleville Lodge Hotel has simple rooms and an elegant lounge, all set in a row of restored Victorian townhouses. —Liz Smith With an innovative nightlife scene and a hip, young vibe, no region in Rio de Janeiro is setting trends at the same pace as Botafogo. Drawn to the neighbourhood’s affordable rent and prime location, young entrepreneurs are setting up new bars and restaurants centred around international cuisine, flawless cocktails, local craft beers and collaborative spaces for community and cultural events. EAT The Void/House of Food is a multifunctional venue that invites guest chefs to cook experimental street food and food-truck specials on a daily basis. DRINK The rustic decor at Cru Natural sets an intimate environment to try Rio’s latest craze: organic Brazilian wine accompanied by locally-made cheese. DO Enjoy live music, DJ sets, art exhibitions and theatre productions – all while sipping a potent caipirinha – at collaborative space Olho da Rua. STAY Yoo2 Rio’s compact rooftop, used as an outdoor lounge and bar area, affords the popular hotel a dazzling view of Botafogo beach and the iconic Sugarloaf mountain. —Sarah Brown The Former French Concession has been Shanghai’s hottest neighbourhood for as long as most people can remember, and it shows no sign of being displaced any time soon. This place has it all: charming cafés, forward-thinking restaurants, hidden cocktails dens making world-class drinks, boutiques carrying local designers and underground clubs where you can dance into the early hours. A distinctive blend of foreign and local influences creates a vibe that’s uniquely Shanghai. EAT Tucked behind a small takeaway coffee window, the intimate Oha Eatery serves up creative, modern regional Chinese cuisine and a strong roster of natural wines. DRINK Consistently ranked among Shanghai’s best cocktail bars, multi-level speakeasy Speak Low is a world unto itself. Each floor offers a different bar, vibe and menu, but the drinks are all next-level. DO Wind your way to the basement level of a nondescript apartment block and you’ll find the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre, an impressive collection of Cultural Revolution-era artworks. STAY Capella Shanghai sits in 55 renovated traditional Shanghai shikumen villas right in the heart of the FFC. It’s not cheap, but luxury with a sense of place is rare. —Cat Nelson LOCALS SAY ‘It’s smaller, cosier and greener than the more built-up areas. It has a European feel and there are endless food choices too.’ La Roma is a neighbourhood stuck between eras: its elegant art nouveau and art deco mansions are an authentic slice of vintage Mexico City, but its restaurants dabble with innovative cuisine and there’s an extraordinary concentration of galleries showing future art stars. By day you’ll find more renowned chefs and baristas than any other part of the city, and when the night comes, mixologists take their place to prepare the cocktails that have made the Distrito Federal famous around the world. EAT Chef Eduardo García is in charge of a bistro menu at Maximo Bistrot Local, a tiny restaurant that’s one of the best tables in town. DRINK Licorería Limantour has been named among the best bars in the world, and you’ll find perfection here in a drink as simple as a margarita or as complex as a Florero Atlántico served in a ceramic vase. DO Browse the used, new and rare vinyl records at La Roma Records, which also runs an electronic music label and supports Mexican visual artists. STAY La Valise Mexico City oozes classic townhouse style. Even the room service is classy: it’s overseen by Elena Reygadas, head chef at nearby gem Rosetta. —Bernardo Robredo LOCALS SAY ‘You can always find good places and people are very friendly. It’s very safe and calm enough to ride a bike in peace. The architecture of the place makes you fall in love with it.’ It may be one of the busiest neighbourhoods in Porto, but Cedofeita is the place to find the best of Portugal’s vibrant second city. Its restaurants evoke cuisines from all over of the world, its museums have unmissable collections and there’s a whole block dedicated to contemporary art galleries and murals. Meanwhile shoppers trawl boutiques stocking vintage clothing and accessories, homewares, antiques and jewellery, and enough gourmet Portuguese products to fill your pantry for a year. EAT The Zenith Brunch & Cocktails Bar is one of Porto’s most Instagrammed places, and there’s always a line at the door. Brave the queue for toasts, pancakes, smoothie bowls and signature cocktails. DRINK The Catraio Craft Beer Shop was the first craft beer bar to appear in the city, and there’s still no better warm-up to start a night out with friends. DO The Soares dos Reis National Museum is one of the most important museums in the country, with a vast collection of paintings from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. STAY The Mercador Guesthouse has seven rooms inspired by former Portuguese seaports from the colonial times plus a small garden, ideal for relaxing in the late afternoon. —Patrícia Santos LOCALS SAY ‘This central neighbourhood champions the arts and is modern, but maintains its roots, with everything in comfortable walking distance.’ There are many areas worth visiting in Indonesia’s cultural capital, but it’s Prawirotaman that’s Yogyakarta’s trendsetting neighbourhood. Originally famous for batik, the traditional textile of Indonesia, Prawirotaman is now nicknamed kampung bule or ‘foreigners’ village.’ With an ever-growing list of boutique hotels, restaurants and coffee shops, plus the street art and murals that line the streets and its popular handicraft and batik shops, Prawirotaman’s buzz attracts both tourists and locals. EAT Small, low-key Dapur El offers traditional Indonesian cuisine at an affordable price, specializing in grilled fish and chicken dishes – don’t miss out on the Taliwang-style grilled chicken. DRINK The relaxing outdoor space at Play On, equipped with swings and hammocks, is the best atmosphere to enjoy a cold Bintang beer. DO Shop for traditional, hand-waxed dyed goods at Batik Winotosastro, a fifth-generation batik maker’s store which also offers workshops for those who are interested in learning the craft. STAY Eco-friendly Greenhost Hotel offers a verdant oasis in a busy city, with an interior balcony covered in vines overlooking the swimming pool at the centre of the hotel. The rooftop garden supplies herbs and produce to the on-site restaurant and the Genetika Concept Store in the lobby carries hip goods from local artisans. —Fiona Chandra Wynwood’s evolution from a shabby warehouse district to a vibrant artists’ community spans a decade, but you wouldn’t know it by seeing its spate of colourful murals that seemingly came up overnight. It’s an electric few blocks marked by sidewalk poetry, street performers and endless graffiti. And what goes on behind those painted walls is nothing short of magic either, with the city’s brightest chefs, designers, mixologists and the like all showcasing their talents in the flourishing ’hood. EAT The Salty Donut ushered in the era of artisanal doughnuts, and Miami’s appetite for speciality desserts has only intensified. Queue up early, as their of-the-moment creations always run out. DRINK Gramps was one of the first nightlife venues in Wynwood and six years later it’s still among the neighbourhood’s top bars, with a lazy tropical vibe and a packed events schedule. DO See art! The Wynwood Walls are packed with tourists for a reason: this outdoor museum boasts dozens of murals painted by artists from around the world, which change each year during Art Basel. STAY Without any hotels of its own, the best option for lodging is the nearby ME Miami, which is well-situated and upscale. —Virginia Gil LOCALS SAY ‘There’s nowhere else like it! It’s filled with art and culture and there are lots of casual places to meet, talk and listen to music.’ Hayes Valley has undergone an epic glow-up in the last few years. On any given day, you’ll find tech workers, creatives and families (with cute dogs!) eating lunch and enjoying the sun at Patricia’s Green, the unofficial town square. Hayes Street is dotted with clothing and jewellery stores where you can shop hip global brands and local artists alike, and the ’hood is home to the city’s hottest dining scene: at night, patrons spill from dozens of chic new eateries and outdoor beer gardens before ending the night with a scoop of Smitten’s ice cream. EAT Dining at A Mano feels like joining a high-energy indoor-outdoor party. Nosh on handmade pasta as you people watch from the floor-to-ceiling windows. DRINK Sip tropical cocktails at Anina, a colourful and airy bar with an inviting, light-strung patio and chic palm decor. DO Get tickets to SF Jazz, the first standalone venue in America created specifically for jazz. All the best contemporary artists pass through here, and no one is ever more than 45 feet from the performers. STAY A buzzy, 131-room new hotel on Market Street, Proper Hotel is stylish but laidback. Don’t miss the rooftop bar, Charmaine’s, with its ’Gram-worthy views and city-inspired cocktail menu. —Sarah Medina LOCALS SAY ‘There is always lots to do and eat, it’s dog-friendly, walkable and right in the middle of the city.’ Once the seedy heart of Hong Kong, Wan Chai has shed much of its red-light baggage in recent years, reimagining itself as a buzzing and grittier alternative to neighbourhoods like Tsim Sha Tsui or Sheung Wan. Michelin-starred restaurants stand opposite cheap noodle shops and immaculate Japanese cocktail bars sit hidden above a street of rowdy British pubs. If the noise and excitement of Lockhart Road doesn’t appeal, you can escape to the relaxed surrounds of the Star Street precinct, a cluster of pedestrian streets rapidly filling up with boutique shops, chic cafés and some of Hong Kong’s most exciting new eateries. EAT Bo Innovation has won three Michelin stars with its masterful marriage of traditional and new-world Chinese cuisine. DRINK Hidden Japanese cocktail and whisky bar Mizunara serves the exquisite creations of award-winning bartender-in-chief Masahiko Endo. DO Escape the hustle and bustle of the city and hike the Wan Chai Green Trail up to Bowen Road, a favourite spot for joggers and dog walkers. STAY Hong Kong’s newest boutique hotel, The Fleming, was inspired in its design by the city’s iconic and much loved cross-harbour ferries. —Douglas Parkes LOCALS SAY ‘It’s the perfect blend of local charm and gentrification, with amazing transportation options and plenty of great restaurants, bars and cafés. From skanky to upscale, it has something to match any mood.’ Ari became Bangkok’s most happening hood a few years back. What was once a peaceful, upmarket residential area turned neighbourhood du jour nearly overnight, with the sudden appearance of all types of hip businesses: restaurants and cafés, co-working spaces, bars, galleries and shops. Soon the focus moved to other areas, leaving Ari in peace once again. But now things seem to have come full circle: the entrepreneurs have returned and new cafés, restaurants, bars and shops have, once again, turned the area into the place to be. EAT One of Bangkok’s best Thai restaurants, Baan Puengchom has long been favoured by Ari residents. Try pad sam men, a salad which mixes in smelly yet weirdly irresistible vegetables. DRINK Probably the coolest beer bar in the ’hood, Taproom serves a vast selection of beers on tap and in bottles. DO Down in the basement of the Siamese Asset building you’ll find Future Factory, a creative space and art gallery hosting unique music events and exhibitions by Thai and international artists. It’s tricky to find but well worth the hunt. STAY Josh Hotel has it all: an Insta-worthy outdoor swimming pool, two restaurants serving Samui and Japanese cuisine, a multi-label fashion store and even a 16-seat cinema. —Suthima Thongmark Vibes (and Napoletana pizzas) are consistently warm in Petite Italie, Montreal’s most laidback neighbourhood. The hum of Vespas fills the air; sidewalk patios affectionately known as ‘terrasses’ are full of life from morning espresso to late-night gelato; and generations of families, young couples and creative types enjoy la dolce vita. Parc Dante features classic Italian cinema all summer and Marché Jean Talon (one of the city’s two historical farmers markets) sits at the heart of the neighbourhood, alongside watering holes boasting bowling alleys, secret pizza kitchens and locally crafted brews. EAT Fancy a picnic? Dinette Triple Crown is a classic soul food joint where dinner can be ordered to go and eat in the park – picnic basket, red-chequered blanket and all. DRINK Wine bar hotspot Vin Mon Lapin features a 100 percent natural wine list with rustic dishes reminiscent of farm-life fantasies. DO Le Cagibi is an LGBT+ institution; the community meet-up space/event venue/vegan and vegetarian eatery features Montreal’s only storytelling event dedicated to erotica. STAY Your best bet is to find something on Airbnb and fully live the local spirit of the neighbourhood. —Sarah Di Domenico Karlín is different from the fairytale settings and tourist crowds of Prague’s centre or the gritty, industrial scene of many surrounding neighbourhoods. Revitalization efforts from flooding in 2002 have lined its streets with restaurants, wine bars and young families. And the current wave of experimental spaces – from Manifesto Market’s open-air food stalls in shipping containers to Kasarna Karlin’s summer cinemas and artsy events – are taking the area from residential paradise to destination-worthy neighbourhood. EAT Grab an open-faced sandwich (chlebíček) downstairs or a modern, multi-course meal of Czech cuisine upstairs at Eska. DRINK Veltin wine bar pours a rotating nightly selection of independent winemakers from the across the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. DO Join the local crowd sprawled across the lawn at Karlínské Náměstí in front of the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Or, if the weather is poor, enjoy some speciality coffee in the company of kitties at cat café Kavárna Kočičí. STAY Neon lights and a well-dressed crowd in the lobby bar set a modern vibe at Pentahotel. —Auburn Scallon Dufferin Grove is one of Toronto’s last affordable and centrally located neighbourhoods, hence the eclectic new restaurants and cafés regularly cropping up. Both locals and visitors appreciate the area’s unique, small-town charm while enjoying the proximity to the city’s downtown core. With inhabitants spanning avant-garde artists to young professional families, Dufferin Grove is a neighbourhood that embraces its chill, tight-knit community – and is reminiscent of Toronto before the city’s condo-crazed expansion. EAT SoSo Food Club, a culinary newcomer to Dufferin Grove, has perfectly captured the essence of why this area is so cool. The bold-coloured, Chinese-inspired restaurant is trendy without being intimidating and exciting without being too extra. DRINK Burdock Brewery is the ideal place to hang after a busy work week or a long day exploring the city. Chat with locals, enjoy live music and try the seasonal brews on tap. DO Dufferin Grove has plenty of green spaces, making it a unique destination within the concrete jungle of Toronto. Picnic and people-watch in Dufferin Grove Park or hip hangout Trinity Bellwoods Park. STAY A short walk from Dufferin Grove’s boundaries, the boutique Gladstone Hotel combines artsy vibes with first-rate hospitality, making it the perfect place to crash after a day exploring. —Sandra Osojnik Despite new restaurants opening up weekly, the Central District (childhood home of Jimi Hendrix) has retained its original Seattle charm. The high levels of development (and cost) of Capitol Hill have caused many artistically inclined natives to relocate to the Central District, where diversity, activism and community are still present. Here there are more houses than high-rises, and plenty of walkable establishments that are still family-run. It’s a much-loved oasis from some of the more dense and tech-centric corridors of the city. EAT Ezell’s, a nationally famous fried chicken restaurant that opened in 1984, is one of the oldest and most necessary stops during a visit to Seattle. DRINK If beer is your preference, Chuck’s Hop Shop is your place, with seemingly infinite options on tap as well as bottles for purchase. DO A community favourite, Central Cinemas is known for showing older flicks and hosting trivia nights, all washed down with quality cocktails. STAY Airbnb is the easiest way to stay in this neighbourhood, but the nearby boutique Hotel Sorrento in First Hill will make you feel like royalty. —Bianca Yvonne At the centre of Palermo, probably the most extensive and well-known area in Buenos Aires, is Palermo Soho: a vibrant, bohemian enclave that’s a favourite haunt of young people and local artists and designers. Palermo Soho oozes innovation and international vibes, with new businesses and fashion boutiques continuing to spring up in the old Spanish-style houses and converted warehouses along the tree-lined cobblestone streets. Post up at a café or bar – most have pavement tables – to catch some rays and watch the constant flow of colourful locals and in-the-know visitors walking along Palermo’s streets. EAT For classic steaks, traditional empanadas and an extensive wine list in an intimate ambience, try Parrilla Don Julio. DRINK Blest is the oldest beer house in the country and is famous for importing its own unique brew from Bariloche, Patagonia. DO On weekends, Porteños (locals) and visitors alike don their coolest attire and head to the open-air market on Plaza Serrano, where the bars surrounding the square open their doors for independent vendors to showcase their goods. STAY Book a room at stylish boutique hotel Own Grand Palermo Soho for good restaurants and great transport links right in the heart of the neighbourhood. —Mariel Volpe Located right between Kuala Lumpur and its neighbour city Petaling Jaya is the hip neighbourhood of Damansara Heights. Recent years have seen new hotels and shopping areas plus plenty of interesting restaurants and bars (from cheap local Chinese hawker fare to gorgeously Instagrammable brunch spots) popping up. Friendly neighbourhood watering holes and swanky bars, hosting live music and poetry-slam nights, draw students and creatives from the nearby university campus and coworking space. EAT Jalan Batai is the street to head to if you’re in the mood for food. While most of the eateries located here are worth checking out, Sitka stands out with its modern Asian menu that insists on using as many local ingredients as possible. DRINK Head to the hidden bar Skullduggery – and don’t let the decor (row upon row of skulls) spook you from trying their creative cocktail concoctions. DO If open mic sessions with musicians, poets and writers are up your alley, make your way to Gaslight Café to find creative gems every night of the week. STAY Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara, which opened in mid-2017, offers spacious rooms, a great gym and pool and a luxury hammam spa. —Michele C Located on the Marmara Sea coast on the Asian side of Istanbul, the Kadıköy district has soared in popularity over the past few years. Hundreds of new bars, cafés, restaurants, design studios and shops have opened here, making the area a must-see for those really wanting to get a feel of how the city hangs out these days, with a more relaxed vibe than the bustling European side. EAT Nestled inside Haydarpaşa Railway Station, one of Istanbul’s most treasured historical landmarks, Mythos serves up delicious meze, expertly grilled fish and free-flowing rakı in a nostalgic setting. DRINK Our favourite watering hole on Kadife Sokak, Kadıköy’s main bar street, Arkaoda has a calendar peppered with a diverse selection of underground DJs and musicians from Istanbul and abroad, with live shows on the upper floor. DO With a view of the Marmara Sea and the historical peninsula, the sweeping Moda coastal park is an unbeatable hangout spot for a picnic on the grass. STAY Occupying a renovated Greek-style house dating back to Ottoman times, Sarnıç Boutique Hotel is a charmingly quaint spot that’s both affordable and located in the very heart of the neighbourhood. —Yusuf Huysal LOCALS SAY ‘It has its own style, spirit and people. The nightlife, from concerts to nightclubs, is ace too.’ The district of Tanjong Pagar prides itself in mixing the old with the new – think traditional nineteenth-century shophouses against a backdrop of skyscrapers (including the city’s tallest building), walls decked in street art, and hawker centres thriving alongside swish bars and restaurants like Michelin-starred Nouri and luxe supper-club Ottomani. Take your nightlife alternatives further with underground clubs such as the urban Kilo Lounge, which regularly welcomes international guest DJs and musicians. EAT Amoy Street Food Centre and Maxwell Food Centre bustle every lunchtime, with hawkers selling a whole world of dishes from spicy Thai specialities and hearty congee to delicious pasta and traditional nasi padang. DRINK The neighbourhood boasts a myriad of speakeasies like the experimental Operation Dagger and NYC import Employees Only. DO For an unconventional take on your usual agenda, visit the Seng Wong Beo Temple, which sometimes hosts traditional ‘ghost weddings’ between two departed souls. STAY Call it a day at the new Sofitel Singapore City Centre hotel which features high-end amenities and a rooftop pool with a stunning view of Tanjong Pagar. —Nicole-Marie Ng LOCALS SAY ‘Tanjong Pagar has a good mix of Korean, Japanese and modern European restaurants and some great cocktail bars. There’s a buzz during a week, but the weekends are peaceful.’ Kitay-Gorod is Moscow’s most mashed-up neighbourhood: a place to enjoy all the contrasts of Russian life. Here Cold War bunkers are situated side-by-side with hip coffee shops and performance art sits next to fancy restaurants. It’s the historical and spiritual centre of the city but also the place to find club culture and craft beer. Where else can you revel in 500-year-old objets d’art and then go to a techno party? EAT Feeling the chill of the Russian winter? Hit up the Surf coffee shop on Myasnitskaya Ulitsa, which summons thoughts of blue waves and sandy beaches with its tropical interior and vegan menu. DRINK Ukuleleshnaya is the perfect place for those looking for a new experience alongside a stiff drink: as well as serving experimental cocktails, they will teach you how to play the Hawaiian guitar. DO Art lovers should make a beeline for Solyanka VPA, a gallery showing films, video art, animation, performance and even kinetic sculpture and alternative multimedia – essentially, any art that moves. STAY Pokrovka 6 is one of the neighbourhood’s main thoroughfares and attracts hip travellers with its stylish, slightly Wes Anderson-esque interior design. —Marina Likhacheva LOCALS SAY ‘It’s interesting to walk around and take in the beautiful streets and architecture. As for the bars and restaurants, they’re inexpensive and friendly.’ No other area exemplifies Zurich’s latest wining, dining and cultural trends like Langstrasse. Despite affluence creeping in, much of the area still maintains its original gritty edge, legacy of its infamous past as Zurich’s red-light district. But it’s also a mecca for local designers, with ateliers, art galleries and independent boutiques appearing on an almost weekly basis, and there’s simply nowhere else in the city when it comes to nightlife. EAT Josef is one of Zurich’s more avant-garde restaurants. Don’t come here looking for würst, cordon bleu and rosti: you’re more likely to find ceviche or grilled octopus on the menu of small plates. DRINK Highball cocktails are the feature at Cinchona Bar, overseen by creative head Jörg Meyer (of Le Lion and Boilerman Hamburg fame). DO As the name implies, Langstrasse is centred on one long street – so take a walk, enjoy the vast array of quirky shops, buzzing bars and underground club culture, and discover a rather more weird and wonderful side to Zurich. STAY Although it’s part of an international chain, 25 Hours Hotel has become a lively meeting point for visitors and locals alike thanks to its regular after-work bar events and Middle Eastern-influenced restaurant. —Celeste Neill Surrounded by leafy green Deer Park on one side and a warren of atmospheric shops and eateries on the other, it’s no wonder that Safdarjung Enclave is Delhi’s most happening – but still under-the-radar – neighbourhood. Think of it as the grown-up version of Hauz Khas Village, its rowdier neighbour across the park, with one extra bonus: it’s also home to the Indian capital’s most finger-licking north-eastern cuisine. EAT For tasty treats from Nagaland state, head to Hornbill, a laidback restaurant known for its hip clientele. Try the smoked pork and bamboo shoot. DRINK Grab a house-made craft cocktail and a perch at the mezzanine bar at Piano Man Jazz Club, where you can catch an intimate music set in an old-school setting. DO Safdarjung Enclave is one of the most walkable districts in car-crazy Delhi, so ditch the itinerary and explore the back streets on foot. STAY Oyo Townhouse, a boutique hotel catered to millennials, has spotless rooms and an on-site gym (plus a basement co-working space if deadlines are calling). —Ariel Sophia Bardi Years ago a neglected neighbourhood that locals avoided, today Boston’s South End has become the city’s artistic hub, with dozens of galleries and design shops that wouldn’t be out of place in any of the world’s culture capitals. Tap into the inclusive vibe just by strolling the idyllic streets, which are lined with historic brownstones, unique small businesses, and inviting cafés. EAT It’s worth the wait for a table at Toro, Ken Oringer’s always-packed destination for upscale tapas and eclectic wines. DRINK Subterranean pseudo-speakeasy Wink + Nod specializes in classic cocktails prepped with house-made cordials, juices and infusions. DO As the city’s premier artistic hub, SoWa Artists Guild is a veritable hive of creative activity. Many artists open their doors a few times a month – most notably on First Fridays – for open-studio events where they greet locals and visitors. STAY The modern AC by Marriott in the back of the buzzy Ink Block complex is pretty much the best option in the accommodations-starved South End. —Eric Grossman LOCALS SAY ‘South End is beautiful, historic and filled with great shops and restaurants – although it isn’t overrun with tourists. It still has a true neighbourhood feel while being close to Downtown and Back Bay.’ In a city renowned for its ancient monuments, Sanlitun is perhaps a fitting monument to the new, modern China. In the four decades since the nation’s opening up to the world, a quiet residential area has grown to become the vibrant centre of Beijing’s shopping, nightlife and dining scenes and a playground for its young, rich and stylish. It’s bustling enough by day, but it really begins to buzz when the sun goes down. EAT Queues are usually a mark of quality in the Chinese capital, and hip noodle joint Bei 27 Hao consistently draws a crowd with its modern takes on classic hand-pulled noodles. DRINK High ceilings, palm trees and marble floors give well-hidden speakeasy Scandal a tropical sort of elegance, matched by some of the city’s most innovative cocktails. DO Hit the clubs. Sanlitun is China’s hottest hub for after-hours revelry, and megaclubs One Third and Sir Teen are a study in EDM opulence worth witnessing, while the grimier Lantern is a mainstay on the alternative electronic scene. STAY Design-driven hotel The Opposite House has been at the heart of the Sanlitun buzz for the past decade, and still stands proud as the sleek elder of Beijing boutique. —Patrick Moore LOCALS SAY ‘The sheer array of both Western and Chinese restaurants and bars is overwhelming – it’s also where the party never ends!’ With a buzzing nightlife scene, a massive stretch of sandy beach and a stunning marina with cute cafés as well as a four-mile jogging track, there’s no better place in the UAE to have it all. JBR is home to casual seaside breakfast joints, cool bars, street murals and a beachside market. Then there’s the beach itself, where you can try flyboarding or just admire the view of Ain Dubai: the world’s largest ferris wheel. EAT The Dubai outpost of Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton, Marina Social is popular with foodies and brunching partygoers alike. Enjoy the Marina views and classic British grub. DRINK Think fun, think Lock, Stock & Barrel. This cavernous, casual bar is the party hotspot of JBR and is packed any given night of the week with visitors looking for live music, affordable drinks and an all-round good time. DO Who wouldn’t want to soar above the megayachts on XLine Dubai Marina: the world’s longest urban zipline? STAY The colonial-style Ritz-Carlton Dubai is one of few low-rise rise buildings in the area and has access to a private beach and a bijou beach bar that’s ideal for sundowners. —Amy Mathieson LOCALS SAY ‘There’s always something going on at JBR, and there are so many places to eat and drink out in the Marina.’ © 2019 Time Out England Limited and affiliated companies owned by Time Out Group Plc. All rights reserved. Time Out is a registered trademark of Time Out Digital Limited. Read the full article

[cynthiajayusa]

Movie Schedule: The 2019 OUTshine Film Festival – Miami

Outshine Film Festival Miami Edition takes place from Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 28. During the first week (through Wednesday, April 24) the festival is showing 31 films plus 2 Men’s Shorts compilations. Here are some of the highlights, but to see a complete list of films and parties go to: OutshineFilm.com.

Thursday April 18th

Opening Night Film – Tell it to the Bees – 7pm

The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex  

Gripped by a failing marriage and the responsibilities of having a young son, Lydia (Critic’s Choice Nominee Holliday Grainger) finds solace in her growing bond with the town’s recently returned female doctor Jean (Academy & Golden Globe Award Winner Anna Paquin). But this is the 1950s in post-WWII rural Scotland, and the women’s relationship prompts raised eyebrows in their provincial circles. Based on the novel by Fiona Shaw, Tell It To The Bees is a story of courage in the face of terrifying intolerance and a heart-wrenching portrait of a love against all odds.

From here down all films are at the Regal Cinemas South Beach.

Friday April 19th 2019

(Work-In-Progress) – Sell By – 6:45 pm

Does every relationship have an expiration date? Adam and Marklin are about to find out. Their 5-year relationship has gone from a passionate flame to a medium burn, forcing them to reconcile with each other’s shortcomings all while watching their support network crumble around them. But in this mess, hope springs eternal as they all muddle their way through to try and make life work. Featuring Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, and Academy Award Nominee Patricia Clarkson; Sell By asks the timeless questions…how do you know who’s right for you and how do you know when to let go? In attendance will be writer/director Mike Doyle.

José – 9pm

José lives with his single mom in cramped quarters in Guatemala, a tough life in one of the world’s most dangerous, religious, and impoverished countries. His mother sells sandwiches, and he delivers food at the drive-by diner. Resigned and aloof, the one bright spot in his life is the face of his mobile phone – it literally lights up his evenings and helps him find men to hook up with in pay-by-the-hour hotels. That is, until construction worker Luis enters his life and José is thrust into a dimension of passion, pain and self-reflection previously unimaginable.

Saturday April 20th

The Ice King – 2:30pm

John Curry transformed ice-skating from a dated sport into an exalted art form. Coming out on the night of his Olympic win in 1976, he became the first openly gay Olympian in a time when homosexuality was not even fully legal. Toxic yet charming; rebellious yet elitist; emotionally aloof yet spectacularly needy; ferociously ambitious yet bent on self-destruction, this is a man forever on the run from his father’s ghost, his country, and even his own self. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self – yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political.

Rainbow’s Sunset – 4:45pm

Elderly Senator Ramon, the pride of his small, provincial hometown, moves in with his terminally-ill best friend Fredo in his final days. It turns out that their connection goes beyond mere friendship, and the revelation of their relationship brings scandal to the town and conflict among his three adult children. It’s up to his saintly wife to restore harmony. Like the most polished of family melodrama, Rainbow’s Sunset bursts with generosity and heart, and yet veteran hit-maker Joel Lamagan subverts the genre, touching on old age, a subject that LGBTQ cinema has yet to explore.) In attendance will be executive producer Harlene Bautista.

Erik & Erika – 5:15pm

The true story of Erik/Erika Schinegger – the ski sensation that became a media sensation. Declared female at birth, Erika is raised as a girl until a gene test proves that she is genetically male. Athletic success turns to heartbreak as he is disqualified and accused of fraud. The National Ski Federation insists that he undergo a medical procedure to make him fully female. Erik finds himself alone, facing the most important and agonizing decision of his life. Erik & Erika follows his life as a woman, his ultimate transition to manhood and his fight for recognition in 1970’s Austria where there was no place in the social dictionary for a word like transgender.

An Almost Ordinary Summer (Croce e Delizia) – 7pm

Two very different families spend their holidays in the same seaside house: the aristocratic Castelvecchio’s – open-minded, eccentric, but quite selfish – and the working-class Petagna’s – very tight-knit and united around solid conservative values. What brought such distant worlds together? Only Tony and Carlo, the two middle-aged heads of the families, know! The unexpected announcement of their engagement will disrupt an apparently ordinary summer and turn the lives of everyone around them upside down. With the wedding already set for three weeks, even more chaos will ensue.

Ppapi Chulo – 9:15pm

Cast adrift in Los Angeles, lonely TV weatherman Sean (Golden Globe Winner Matt Bomer) drives past a middle-aged Latino migrant worker standing outside a hardware store looking for work. He decides to hire this kind-looking man – to be his friend. Sean is young, gay and white; Ernesto is portly, straight and married. Despite the language barrier and having nothing in common, they build a sort of friendship – until Sean becomes consumed with a deeper obsessive need. Papi Chulo is a black comedy about loneliness and the desire to find connection across clear racial and socio-economic lines.

Euphoria (Euforia) – 9:45pm

Matteo is a young successful entrepreneur who is open-minded, charming and dynamic. His brother Ettore, who still lives in the small provincial town where they were born, is a cautious and honest man who has always stayed out of the spotlight out of fear of making mistakes. They are two apparently very distant people. However, a difficult situation results in the two brothers being given the opportunity to get to know each other, and they soon discover that they have a surprisingly close bond in a vortex of fragility and tenderness, fear and euphoria.

Sunday April 21st

Tackling Life – 12:15pm

Adam, Nico and Su are members of Germany’s first gay rugby team. Tackling Life portrays their everyday lives and follows them into the world of the sport, showing their struggle for recognition – in competition with the hetero regional league teams – as well as their community involvement: gathering money at colorful fundraisers and visiting schools to give anti-bullying workshops. Looking beyond the surface of self-presentation and cliché, we focus on how our trio copes with the challenges of everyday life and their search for belonging. Alternating aggressive, vibrant athletics with quiet observation, the film is fragile and profound, but also spectacular and loud.   

Birds of the Borderlands – 4:45pm

Genderqueer Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon’s intense and compelling piece of guerrilla filmmaking powerfully illuminates four queer Arab stories: Jordanian teenager Hiba is transitioning in secret, fearful of being killed by her Bedouin tribe; Gay Iraqi refugee Youssef fled Baghdad and is living in limbo in Bryon’s safe house in Amman; Lesbian feminist Rasha hides her sexuality and her relationship with Bryon from her family while striving for LGBTIQ visibility; and Khalaf, a gay Imam turned activist, lives a lonely life in Beirut. As Bryon becomes more entangled in their struggles blurring the lines between lover, friend, filmmaker, and activist, tensions explode and a dangerous crisis emerges.     

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Tchelovek Kotorij Udivil Vseh) – 5:15pm

Egor is a fearless state forest guard in the Siberian Taiga. He is a good family man, respected by his fellow villagers. He and his wife Natalia are expecting a second child. But one day Egor finds out that he has cancer and only two months left to live. No traditional medicine or shamanic magic can save him. As a last resort, he chooses to take the identity of a woman so death can’t find him. He finds that his new identity is his true self and his family and the local society now have to accept the new Egor.   

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – 7:30pm

Sixteen-year-old Jamie New lives on a council estate in Sheffield and doesn’t quite fit in. He is terrified about the future, but little does he know – he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness into the drag queen spotlight. Filmed live from London’s West End, with songs that have the wow factor, this funny, fabulous, feel-good, musical sensation will sweep you away on a tide of mischief, warmth and exuberance.      

Monday April 22nd

The Harvesters (Die Stropers) – 6:45pm

A raw, atmospheric drama about masculinity in South Africa’s “Bible Belt”. The central province of Free State is a stronghold of the white Afrikaner minority. In this conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno is different – a delicate and sensitive boy. When his religious mother takes in a Pieter – a hardened street orphan – to save, she asks Janno for help. Janno is supposed to accept Pieter as a brother, but the two boys struggle for power, tradition, and parental love.     

Memories Of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) – 9:15pm

Juno is just a child when his father abandons him in their village of Center Java. Alone now, he joins a Lengger dance center where men shape their feminine appearance and movement. But the sensuality and sexuality that come from dance and bodies, mixed with the violent social and political Indonesian environment, force Juno to move from village to village. If on his journey Juno gets attention and love from his dance teachers, his weird aunty, his old uncle, a handsome boxer, and a Warok, he still has to face by himself the battlefield that his body is becoming.      

Tuesday April 23rd

Third Wedding (Troisièmes Noces) –  6:45pm

US PREMIERE – Recently widowed Martin is overcome with grief after his beloved husband dies in a car accident. When a friend asks him to marry Tamara, a 20-year-old young Congolese woman who doesn’t have any papers, the gay 50-year-old refuses at first, then agrees when he’s offered a sum of money that will allow him to keep the house he shared with his husband. Different on every level, they’ll need to make their love believable to the authorities – but if they pretend long enough, they might learn to love each other… in their own way!        

Neverland (Nevrland) – 9:15pm

17-year-old Jakob wants nothing more than to feel alive, yet uncontrollable anxiety attacks force him to escape into fictional and virtual worlds. A chance encounter in a sex-cam-chat marks the beginning of an online relationship with the gorgeous and seemingly perfect 26-year-old Kristjan. It’s not until the death of Jakob’s only true emotional attachment, his grandfather, that he is willing to meet up with Kristjan in real life. Over the course of one night, they embark on a transpersonal journey to the wounds of their soul where Jakob must face his biggest fear.

Wednesday April 24th

Centerpiece Film – Retablo – 7:00 PM

14-year-old Segundo is following in his father’s footsteps in the traditional folk art of crafting intricate, artisan story-boxes. Segundo reveres his father, and when he stumbles across a heartbreaking secret his father is harboring, Segundo will come to face the raw reality of his deeply religious and conservative landscape, as well as a more profound connection with his father than he’d ever imagined. Retablo masterfully explores the weight of heritage, the boundaries of love, and the burdens of family expectations, as well as the complexity of accepting our parents for who they really are.    

Mr. Leather – 9pm

In 2018, the second edition of the Mr. Leather Brazil competition was held. Five individuals vie to wear the sash, each with their own backstory. The winner will be crowned by Brazil’s first Mr. Leather, Dom Barbudo, the person most admired within the country’s leather community. Along with the title comes a year-long commitment to promote the culture of the leather community throughout the country. Whether part of the leather and/or fetish lifestyle or simply intrigued by it, Mr. Leather will raise the spirits and the understanding of an often-misunderstood community.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/18/movie-schedule-the-2019-outshine-film-festival-miami/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazin.blogspot.com/2019/04/movie-schedule-2019-outshine-film.html

[demitgibbs]

Movie Schedule: The 2019 OUTshine Film Festival – Miami

Outshine Film Festival Miami Edition takes place from Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 28. During the first week (through Wednesday, April 24) the festival is showing 31 films plus 2 Men’s Shorts compilations. Here are some of the highlights, but to see a complete list of films and parties go to: OutshineFilm.com.

Thursday April 18th

Opening Night Film – Tell it to the Bees – 7pm

The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex  

Gripped by a failing marriage and the responsibilities of having a young son, Lydia (Critic’s Choice Nominee Holliday Grainger) finds solace in her growing bond with the town’s recently returned female doctor Jean (Academy & Golden Globe Award Winner Anna Paquin). But this is the 1950s in post-WWII rural Scotland, and the women’s relationship prompts raised eyebrows in their provincial circles. Based on the novel by Fiona Shaw, Tell It To The Bees is a story of courage in the face of terrifying intolerance and a heart-wrenching portrait of a love against all odds.

From here down all films are at the Regal Cinemas South Beach.

Friday April 19th 2019

(Work-In-Progress) – Sell By – 6:45 pm

Does every relationship have an expiration date? Adam and Marklin are about to find out. Their 5-year relationship has gone from a passionate flame to a medium burn, forcing them to reconcile with each other’s shortcomings all while watching their support network crumble around them. But in this mess, hope springs eternal as they all muddle their way through to try and make life work. Featuring Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, and Academy Award Nominee Patricia Clarkson; Sell By asks the timeless questions…how do you know who’s right for you and how do you know when to let go? In attendance will be writer/director Mike Doyle.

José – 9pm

José lives with his single mom in cramped quarters in Guatemala, a tough life in one of the world’s most dangerous, religious, and impoverished countries. His mother sells sandwiches, and he delivers food at the drive-by diner. Resigned and aloof, the one bright spot in his life is the face of his mobile phone – it literally lights up his evenings and helps him find men to hook up with in pay-by-the-hour hotels. That is, until construction worker Luis enters his life and José is thrust into a dimension of passion, pain and self-reflection previously unimaginable.

Saturday April 20th

The Ice King – 2:30pm

John Curry transformed ice-skating from a dated sport into an exalted art form. Coming out on the night of his Olympic win in 1976, he became the first openly gay Olympian in a time when homosexuality was not even fully legal. Toxic yet charming; rebellious yet elitist; emotionally aloof yet spectacularly needy; ferociously ambitious yet bent on self-destruction, this is a man forever on the run from his father’s ghost, his country, and even his own self. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self – yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political.

Rainbow’s Sunset – 4:45pm

Elderly Senator Ramon, the pride of his small, provincial hometown, moves in with his terminally-ill best friend Fredo in his final days. It turns out that their connection goes beyond mere friendship, and the revelation of their relationship brings scandal to the town and conflict among his three adult children. It’s up to his saintly wife to restore harmony. Like the most polished of family melodrama, Rainbow’s Sunset bursts with generosity and heart, and yet veteran hit-maker Joel Lamagan subverts the genre, touching on old age, a subject that LGBTQ cinema has yet to explore.) In attendance will be executive producer Harlene Bautista.

Erik & Erika – 5:15pm

The true story of Erik/Erika Schinegger – the ski sensation that became a media sensation. Declared female at birth, Erika is raised as a girl until a gene test proves that she is genetically male. Athletic success turns to heartbreak as he is disqualified and accused of fraud. The National Ski Federation insists that he undergo a medical procedure to make him fully female. Erik finds himself alone, facing the most important and agonizing decision of his life. Erik & Erika follows his life as a woman, his ultimate transition to manhood and his fight for recognition in 1970’s Austria where there was no place in the social dictionary for a word like transgender.

An Almost Ordinary Summer (Croce e Delizia) – 7pm

Two very different families spend their holidays in the same seaside house: the aristocratic Castelvecchio’s – open-minded, eccentric, but quite selfish – and the working-class Petagna’s – very tight-knit and united around solid conservative values. What brought such distant worlds together? Only Tony and Carlo, the two middle-aged heads of the families, know! The unexpected announcement of their engagement will disrupt an apparently ordinary summer and turn the lives of everyone around them upside down. With the wedding already set for three weeks, even more chaos will ensue.

Ppapi Chulo – 9:15pm

Cast adrift in Los Angeles, lonely TV weatherman Sean (Golden Globe Winner Matt Bomer) drives past a middle-aged Latino migrant worker standing outside a hardware store looking for work. He decides to hire this kind-looking man – to be his friend. Sean is young, gay and white; Ernesto is portly, straight and married. Despite the language barrier and having nothing in common, they build a sort of friendship – until Sean becomes consumed with a deeper obsessive need. Papi Chulo is a black comedy about loneliness and the desire to find connection across clear racial and socio-economic lines.

Euphoria (Euforia) – 9:45pm

Matteo is a young successful entrepreneur who is open-minded, charming and dynamic. His brother Ettore, who still lives in the small provincial town where they were born, is a cautious and honest man who has always stayed out of the spotlight out of fear of making mistakes. They are two apparently very distant people. However, a difficult situation results in the two brothers being given the opportunity to get to know each other, and they soon discover that they have a surprisingly close bond in a vortex of fragility and tenderness, fear and euphoria.

Sunday April 21st

Tackling Life – 12:15pm

Adam, Nico and Su are members of Germany’s first gay rugby team. Tackling Life portrays their everyday lives and follows them into the world of the sport, showing their struggle for recognition – in competition with the hetero regional league teams – as well as their community involvement: gathering money at colorful fundraisers and visiting schools to give anti-bullying workshops. Looking beyond the surface of self-presentation and cliché, we focus on how our trio copes with the challenges of everyday life and their search for belonging. Alternating aggressive, vibrant athletics with quiet observation, the film is fragile and profound, but also spectacular and loud.   

Birds of the Borderlands – 4:45pm

Genderqueer Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon’s intense and compelling piece of guerrilla filmmaking powerfully illuminates four queer Arab stories: Jordanian teenager Hiba is transitioning in secret, fearful of being killed by her Bedouin tribe; Gay Iraqi refugee Youssef fled Baghdad and is living in limbo in Bryon’s safe house in Amman; Lesbian feminist Rasha hides her sexuality and her relationship with Bryon from her family while striving for LGBTIQ visibility; and Khalaf, a gay Imam turned activist, lives a lonely life in Beirut. As Bryon becomes more entangled in their struggles blurring the lines between lover, friend, filmmaker, and activist, tensions explode and a dangerous crisis emerges.     

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Tchelovek Kotorij Udivil Vseh) – 5:15pm

Egor is a fearless state forest guard in the Siberian Taiga. He is a good family man, respected by his fellow villagers. He and his wife Natalia are expecting a second child. But one day Egor finds out that he has cancer and only two months left to live. No traditional medicine or shamanic magic can save him. As a last resort, he chooses to take the identity of a woman so death can’t find him. He finds that his new identity is his true self and his family and the local society now have to accept the new Egor.   

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – 7:30pm

Sixteen-year-old Jamie New lives on a council estate in Sheffield and doesn’t quite fit in. He is terrified about the future, but little does he know – he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness into the drag queen spotlight. Filmed live from London’s West End, with songs that have the wow factor, this funny, fabulous, feel-good, musical sensation will sweep you away on a tide of mischief, warmth and exuberance.      

Monday April 22nd

The Harvesters (Die Stropers) – 6:45pm

A raw, atmospheric drama about masculinity in South Africa’s “Bible Belt”. The central province of Free State is a stronghold of the white Afrikaner minority. In this conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno is different – a delicate and sensitive boy. When his religious mother takes in a Pieter – a hardened street orphan – to save, she asks Janno for help. Janno is supposed to accept Pieter as a brother, but the two boys struggle for power, tradition, and parental love.     

Memories Of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) – 9:15pm

Juno is just a child when his father abandons him in their village of Center Java. Alone now, he joins a Lengger dance center where men shape their feminine appearance and movement. But the sensuality and sexuality that come from dance and bodies, mixed with the violent social and political Indonesian environment, force Juno to move from village to village. If on his journey Juno gets attention and love from his dance teachers, his weird aunty, his old uncle, a handsome boxer, and a Warok, he still has to face by himself the battlefield that his body is becoming.      

Tuesday April 23rd

Third Wedding (Troisièmes Noces) –  6:45pm

US PREMIERE – Recently widowed Martin is overcome with grief after his beloved husband dies in a car accident. When a friend asks him to marry Tamara, a 20-year-old young Congolese woman who doesn’t have any papers, the gay 50-year-old refuses at first, then agrees when he’s offered a sum of money that will allow him to keep the house he shared with his husband. Different on every level, they’ll need to make their love believable to the authorities – but if they pretend long enough, they might learn to love each other… in their own way!        

Neverland (Nevrland) – 9:15pm

17-year-old Jakob wants nothing more than to feel alive, yet uncontrollable anxiety attacks force him to escape into fictional and virtual worlds. A chance encounter in a sex-cam-chat marks the beginning of an online relationship with the gorgeous and seemingly perfect 26-year-old Kristjan. It’s not until the death of Jakob’s only true emotional attachment, his grandfather, that he is willing to meet up with Kristjan in real life. Over the course of one night, they embark on a transpersonal journey to the wounds of their soul where Jakob must face his biggest fear.

Wednesday April 24th

Centerpiece Film – Retablo – 7:00 PM

14-year-old Segundo is following in his father’s footsteps in the traditional folk art of crafting intricate, artisan story-boxes. Segundo reveres his father, and when he stumbles across a heartbreaking secret his father is harboring, Segundo will come to face the raw reality of his deeply religious and conservative landscape, as well as a more profound connection with his father than he’d ever imagined. Retablo masterfully explores the weight of heritage, the boundaries of love, and the burdens of family expectations, as well as the complexity of accepting our parents for who they really are.    

Mr. Leather – 9pm

In 2018, the second edition of the Mr. Leather Brazil competition was held. Five individuals vie to wear the sash, each with their own backstory. The winner will be crowned by Brazil’s first Mr. Leather, Dom Barbudo, the person most admired within the country’s leather community. Along with the title comes a year-long commitment to promote the culture of the leather community throughout the country. Whether part of the leather and/or fetish lifestyle or simply intrigued by it, Mr. Leather will raise the spirits and the understanding of an often-misunderstood community.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/18/movie-schedule-the-2019-outshine-film-festival-miami/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/184272242865

[hotspotsmagazine]

Movie Schedule: The 2019 OUTshine Film Festival – Miami

Outshine Film Festival Miami Edition takes place from Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 28. During the first week (through Wednesday, April 24) the festival is showing 31 films plus 2 Men’s Shorts compilations. Here are some of the highlights, but to see a complete list of films and parties go to: OutshineFilm.com.

Thursday April 18th

Opening Night Film – Tell it to the Bees – 7pm

The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex  

Gripped by a failing marriage and the responsibilities of having a young son, Lydia (Critic’s Choice Nominee Holliday Grainger) finds solace in her growing bond with the town’s recently returned female doctor Jean (Academy & Golden Globe Award Winner Anna Paquin). But this is the 1950s in post-WWII rural Scotland, and the women’s relationship prompts raised eyebrows in their provincial circles. Based on the novel by Fiona Shaw, Tell It To The Bees is a story of courage in the face of terrifying intolerance and a heart-wrenching portrait of a love against all odds.

From here down all films are at the Regal Cinemas South Beach.

Friday April 19th 2019

(Work-In-Progress) – Sell By – 6:45 pm

Does every relationship have an expiration date? Adam and Marklin are about to find out. Their 5-year relationship has gone from a passionate flame to a medium burn, forcing them to reconcile with each other’s shortcomings all while watching their support network crumble around them. But in this mess, hope springs eternal as they all muddle their way through to try and make life work. Featuring Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, and Academy Award Nominee Patricia Clarkson; Sell By asks the timeless questions…how do you know who’s right for you and how do you know when to let go? In attendance will be writer/director Mike Doyle.

José – 9pm

José lives with his single mom in cramped quarters in Guatemala, a tough life in one of the world’s most dangerous, religious, and impoverished countries. His mother sells sandwiches, and he delivers food at the drive-by diner. Resigned and aloof, the one bright spot in his life is the face of his mobile phone – it literally lights up his evenings and helps him find men to hook up with in pay-by-the-hour hotels. That is, until construction worker Luis enters his life and José is thrust into a dimension of passion, pain and self-reflection previously unimaginable.

Saturday April 20th

The Ice King – 2:30pm

John Curry transformed ice-skating from a dated sport into an exalted art form. Coming out on the night of his Olympic win in 1976, he became the first openly gay Olympian in a time when homosexuality was not even fully legal. Toxic yet charming; rebellious yet elitist; emotionally aloof yet spectacularly needy; ferociously ambitious yet bent on self-destruction, this is a man forever on the run from his father’s ghost, his country, and even his own self. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self – yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political.

Rainbow’s Sunset – 4:45pm

Elderly Senator Ramon, the pride of his small, provincial hometown, moves in with his terminally-ill best friend Fredo in his final days. It turns out that their connection goes beyond mere friendship, and the revelation of their relationship brings scandal to the town and conflict among his three adult children. It’s up to his saintly wife to restore harmony. Like the most polished of family melodrama, Rainbow’s Sunset bursts with generosity and heart, and yet veteran hit-maker Joel Lamagan subverts the genre, touching on old age, a subject that LGBTQ cinema has yet to explore.) In attendance will be executive producer Harlene Bautista.

Erik & Erika – 5:15pm

The true story of Erik/Erika Schinegger – the ski sensation that became a media sensation. Declared female at birth, Erika is raised as a girl until a gene test proves that she is genetically male. Athletic success turns to heartbreak as he is disqualified and accused of fraud. The National Ski Federation insists that he undergo a medical procedure to make him fully female. Erik finds himself alone, facing the most important and agonizing decision of his life. Erik & Erika follows his life as a woman, his ultimate transition to manhood and his fight for recognition in 1970’s Austria where there was no place in the social dictionary for a word like transgender.

An Almost Ordinary Summer (Croce e Delizia) – 7pm

Two very different families spend their holidays in the same seaside house: the aristocratic Castelvecchio’s – open-minded, eccentric, but quite selfish – and the working-class Petagna’s – very tight-knit and united around solid conservative values. What brought such distant worlds together? Only Tony and Carlo, the two middle-aged heads of the families, know! The unexpected announcement of their engagement will disrupt an apparently ordinary summer and turn the lives of everyone around them upside down. With the wedding already set for three weeks, even more chaos will ensue.

Ppapi Chulo – 9:15pm

Cast adrift in Los Angeles, lonely TV weatherman Sean (Golden Globe Winner Matt Bomer) drives past a middle-aged Latino migrant worker standing outside a hardware store looking for work. He decides to hire this kind-looking man – to be his friend. Sean is young, gay and white; Ernesto is portly, straight and married. Despite the language barrier and having nothing in common, they build a sort of friendship – until Sean becomes consumed with a deeper obsessive need. Papi Chulo is a black comedy about loneliness and the desire to find connection across clear racial and socio-economic lines.

Euphoria (Euforia) – 9:45pm

Matteo is a young successful entrepreneur who is open-minded, charming and dynamic. His brother Ettore, who still lives in the small provincial town where they were born, is a cautious and honest man who has always stayed out of the spotlight out of fear of making mistakes. They are two apparently very distant people. However, a difficult situation results in the two brothers being given the opportunity to get to know each other, and they soon discover that they have a surprisingly close bond in a vortex of fragility and tenderness, fear and euphoria.

Sunday April 21st

Tackling Life – 12:15pm

Adam, Nico and Su are members of Germany’s first gay rugby team. Tackling Life portrays their everyday lives and follows them into the world of the sport, showing their struggle for recognition – in competition with the hetero regional league teams – as well as their community involvement: gathering money at colorful fundraisers and visiting schools to give anti-bullying workshops. Looking beyond the surface of self-presentation and cliché, we focus on how our trio copes with the challenges of everyday life and their search for belonging. Alternating aggressive, vibrant athletics with quiet observation, the film is fragile and profound, but also spectacular and loud.   

Birds of the Borderlands – 4:45pm

Genderqueer Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon’s intense and compelling piece of guerrilla filmmaking powerfully illuminates four queer Arab stories: Jordanian teenager Hiba is transitioning in secret, fearful of being killed by her Bedouin tribe; Gay Iraqi refugee Youssef fled Baghdad and is living in limbo in Bryon’s safe house in Amman; Lesbian feminist Rasha hides her sexuality and her relationship with Bryon from her family while striving for LGBTIQ visibility; and Khalaf, a gay Imam turned activist, lives a lonely life in Beirut. As Bryon becomes more entangled in their struggles blurring the lines between lover, friend, filmmaker, and activist, tensions explode and a dangerous crisis emerges.     

The Man Who Surprised Everyone (Tchelovek Kotorij Udivil Vseh) – 5:15pm

Egor is a fearless state forest guard in the Siberian Taiga. He is a good family man, respected by his fellow villagers. He and his wife Natalia are expecting a second child. But one day Egor finds out that he has cancer and only two months left to live. No traditional medicine or shamanic magic can save him. As a last resort, he chooses to take the identity of a woman so death can’t find him. He finds that his new identity is his true self and his family and the local society now have to accept the new Egor.   

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – 7:30pm

Sixteen-year-old Jamie New lives on a council estate in Sheffield and doesn’t quite fit in. He is terrified about the future, but little does he know – he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness into the drag queen spotlight. Filmed live from London’s West End, with songs that have the wow factor, this funny, fabulous, feel-good, musical sensation will sweep you away on a tide of mischief, warmth and exuberance.      

Monday April 22nd

The Harvesters (Die Stropers) – 6:45pm

A raw, atmospheric drama about masculinity in South Africa’s “Bible Belt”. The central province of Free State is a stronghold of the white Afrikaner minority. In this conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno is different – a delicate and sensitive boy. When his religious mother takes in a Pieter – a hardened street orphan – to save, she asks Janno for help. Janno is supposed to accept Pieter as a brother, but the two boys struggle for power, tradition, and parental love.     

Memories Of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku) – 9:15pm

Juno is just a child when his father abandons him in their village of Center Java. Alone now, he joins a Lengger dance center where men shape their feminine appearance and movement. But the sensuality and sexuality that come from dance and bodies, mixed with the violent social and political Indonesian environment, force Juno to move from village to village. If on his journey Juno gets attention and love from his dance teachers, his weird aunty, his old uncle, a handsome boxer, and a Warok, he still has to face by himself the battlefield that his body is becoming.      

Tuesday April 23rd

Third Wedding (Troisièmes Noces) –  6:45pm

US PREMIERE – Recently widowed Martin is overcome with grief after his beloved husband dies in a car accident. When a friend asks him to marry Tamara, a 20-year-old young Congolese woman who doesn’t have any papers, the gay 50-year-old refuses at first, then agrees when he’s offered a sum of money that will allow him to keep the house he shared with his husband. Different on every level, they’ll need to make their love believable to the authorities – but if they pretend long enough, they might learn to love each other… in their own way!        

Neverland (Nevrland) – 9:15pm

17-year-old Jakob wants nothing more than to feel alive, yet uncontrollable anxiety attacks force him to escape into fictional and virtual worlds. A chance encounter in a sex-cam-chat marks the beginning of an online relationship with the gorgeous and seemingly perfect 26-year-old Kristjan. It’s not until the death of Jakob’s only true emotional attachment, his grandfather, that he is willing to meet up with Kristjan in real life. Over the course of one night, they embark on a transpersonal journey to the wounds of their soul where Jakob must face his biggest fear.

Wednesday April 24th

Centerpiece Film – Retablo – 7:00 PM

14-year-old Segundo is following in his father’s footsteps in the traditional folk art of crafting intricate, artisan story-boxes. Segundo reveres his father, and when he stumbles across a heartbreaking secret his father is harboring, Segundo will come to face the raw reality of his deeply religious and conservative landscape, as well as a more profound connection with his father than he’d ever imagined. Retablo masterfully explores the weight of heritage, the boundaries of love, and the burdens of family expectations, as well as the complexity of accepting our parents for who they really are.    

Mr. Leather – 9pm

In 2018, the second edition of the Mr. Leather Brazil competition was held. Five individuals vie to wear the sash, each with their own backstory. The winner will be crowned by Brazil’s first Mr. Leather, Dom Barbudo, the person most admired within the country’s leather community. Along with the title comes a year-long commitment to promote the culture of the leather community throughout the country. Whether part of the leather and/or fetish lifestyle or simply intrigued by it, Mr. Leather will raise the spirits and the understanding of an often-misunderstood community.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/04/18/movie-schedule-the-2019-outshine-film-festival-miami/