#anz writes stuff and things

[lengthofropes]

A scene where Eddie comes to pick Buck up for whatever activity they’ve been planning to do (watch a game or what else), but the traffic was light enough for him to come over for a good 30 minutes early. so when he knocks the door, first he hears some indecipherable noises and then Buck’s face appears in a very much narrow door opening gap, so he can only see a half of it (very much flushed btw).

- heyy Eddie, you’re uh, you’re early

- hey man. yeah, the traffic was light. and I figured-

- yeah, yeah but uh- but we agreed on 7:30, and now it’s only 7

And Eddie’s eyebrows start to rise slowly, cause Buck is just… being weird?

- hey, you okay?

- yeah I’m fine, fine. It’s just you’re earl-

He’s interrupted with Tommy’s hand on his shoulder, who’s face appears silently in the doorframe behind him and just- looks at Eddie. Expression absolutely blank, like, zero emotions at all, he just looks and says nothing.

It goes for seconds before wheels in Eddie’s head finally start turning in the right direction and the clears his throat with:

- uh, yeah. I’m- i’m gonna go grab some coffee then.

and Tommy just closes the door.

[trashbinbackyard]

🍁🍂🌻🌿🌳🌲🌠 for vanessa, anze and trias

watch me start writing this and then get distracted, again

🍁 Where does your OC go when they need to have some time to themself? Would they ever have their own “comfort corner” filled with all the things they like? Do they have a favourite spot outside that feels like its theirs and theirs alone?

Vanessa pretty much lived her entire life in the temple, so her Place was her room or the garden, the garden was always in bloom, it was located in the middle of the temple  but it felt secluded enough. Her room was pretty small before she became the head priestess and it only had a bed and desk in there, she filled the bed with pillows and the desk with all things shiny

His private quarters is pretty much the only place he gets to be completely alone, even his office has clerks coming and going, he has books piled next to his bed for those rare nights he gets to rest. Outside he always feels like stepping into someone else’s place, be it the public or a specific person, to protect and serve right?

She finds herself a nice bridge to camp under or a rooftop to climb, she doesn’t have a place she would consider home or hers. She tends to have all kinds of stuff in her pockets so she’ll just toy with them when alone.

🍂 Does your OC enjoy hugs? What do they do as a show of affection for: their friends, their family, their significant other(s) or for strangers? Over all what are they like with recieving affection from others?

She does. It’s her way of greeting her friends, comforting people and saying goodbye. They range from very casual to full of emotion. She reads people well adjust the to her friends preferred methods of affection, but hugs are always part of it. Deanoh know she likes physical touch so whenever he pays a visit he’s always within arm’s reach of her if not always touching her (there’s not that many places they can be together so it’s her quarters (they only became a thing after she became a high priestess) or the garden in the dead of the night) (it’s also amusing to him bc it’s Very Mortal of her to like that)

He’s pretty indifferent, though if you’re gonna hug him always make sure he knows, otherwise he kinda freezes up and it becomes uncomfortable for both of you. He does show affection but its hard to pick up if you’re not Nics, whom he kisses an lot. He’s checking up on his men to see no one is having troubles. As for receiving, pretty much the same he shows, just check up on him, nothing too fancy

Her first reaction to a Real Hug was “Krea what the fuck are you doing”. But she quickly learned to like them. Her way of being affectionate is making sure the other is having a fun time, or pestering them. It’s very tongue in cheek with her. She’s still a little awkward at receiving affection if its not goofing off so yeah

🌻 What little things do they notice about people or the world around them that make them happy? What tiny little treasures do they find in the normal every day that makes the world seem a little brighter for them?

She’s happy people find comfort in the strangest things, a mother who lost her child holds onto a rock the kid brought to her, a widow fondly remembering their spouses jokes. How people in the towns near the temple come together to mourn someone they barely knew, the unity of it all, how people take care of other people. And knowing Deanoh is guiding the souls safely

The bond his men have always looking out for each other, sharing joys and sorrows, having sibling-like rivalries all in good nature. The fact that these people will trust their lives to their comrades any day

People just living their lives, going out to bars and clubs, having fun and making the outer rim seem like just another place to live, she’s seen some horrors but it’s comforting that not everybody has or ever will

🌳 What is your OC’s favourite way to relax after a stressful day? Do they have a favourite book to curl up with? A hobby? Or do they have a nice bubble bath and have an early night to bed?

She likes taking longs baths, just melt all that tired away and smell some nice herbs and make her skin and hair super smooth and shiny. Go to bed all clean and nice, pray to deanoh and have a chat with him before dozing off to sleep

He settles u all nice and comfy on a settee in his room and read. Alternatively: go out for drinks with the captains, unwind in good company, play games (he’s the moderator) and just catch up on his people

Hit the clubs to find the best drugs or hit up shyn and go do silly stuff. After a full day of heavy legal work and pretending to have a stick up her ass for Krea’s sake she gotta let loose

🌲 How deeply does your OC feel? Are they typically empathetic or do they have a hard time connecting with others in this way? What are they like when offering support and comfort to someone they care for?

She tends to be a very empathetic person but has to cap it out when working with dying people or people who have lost a loved one. She does genuinely feel for them but not as deeply as she would for someone she knows better. She’s a very warm and calming presence, knows what to say and offers her support

He’s a bit distant. Very straight to the point and bit helpless when he’s supposed to show support, he’ll do the pat on the shoulder “there, there” but you can sense he’s really trying, offers to buy you a drink or go on a walk with you, tends listen more than talk

For a long time she felt no empathy and she became kinda numb to suffering around her, she just didn’t care and later she just didn’t have the energy to. Now she tries, oh my god does she try, because now there are people she genuinely cares for, she’s still very awkward.

🌠 On a scale of 1 - 10 how Baby is your OC? BONUS when asking this question rate the OC yourself as see if the reply matches up!!

like, a solid 5/10, a medium baby

1/10, this man, no baby, he’s had a tough upbringing and now is all around tough guy

on the high 8/10 baby, never grew up, is kinda loud and annoying

[atmickeywhite]

2020 Favorite Albums

Hi friends,  So each year, I put together a list of 50 or so of my favorite albums on Twitter. This year, I’m shifting that to tumblr and using words, etc.. And fortunately, I took a long enough break from playing Wu-Tang in Brittany’s car to listen to new music. So a bit on music -- staying current on new music, making playlists, sharing with friends and learning the history has always had its way of cementing my memories. It’s been a great way to recall dreary bus rides and summer walks around Portage Park, the loneliness of working nights and the utter joy is was to become adults with Desirae.  2020 cranked the existential shit to 11.  In January, I had moved after a brutal 14-month situation in my last apartment. In February, my childhood friend’s little sister passed away. In March, the lockdowns happened. In April, I got fired. In May, I decided to move out of state. I spent a third of June traipsing around Chattanooga before finally moving there in mid-July. August was filled with impossibly long bike rides in the Georgia rain and summer heat. September was the heart of a frustrating job search and extensive dental work. COVID came roaring back in October. My anxiety caught up to me really hard in November and December hasn’t had the greatest start, either. That’s not to speak on what the homies went through this year, and it was a lot. But we keep it pushing.  The point is that life is constantly kicking our ass and these are fifty albums that helped me get some reprieve from all of that, whether is was listening or sharing or just going back and forth with Tyler about what’s new and relevant. To that end, this year saw the cementing of Griselda is a legacy street rap act, the rise of HAUS of ALTR as a preeminent techno label and surprise turns from artists that exist in a staid major-label milieu (Dua Lipa, Lil’ Uzi Vert). Stalwarts like Sada Baby, Shinichi Atobe, Angel Marcloid and Actress stayed on repeat. Jazz, metal and folk weirdos rear their head from time to time. Acts peaked and self-destructed. I left the individual writing of the albums to people get paid to be better than me at this stuff. History, context and a feel for what the albums sound like is more useful than me painting a picture of what riding your bike around Lookout Mountain with no breaks is like.  If you check any of these out and like what you hear, I highly encourage you to buy (directly from the artist’s Bandcamp page, if applicable). And remember, taste is built in cars, not in large public places.  25 Honorable Mentions: Anunaku - Stargate Anz - Loos In Twos (NRG) Arbor Labor Union - New Petal Instants Conway The Machine - From a King to a God Drive-By Truckers - The New OK Duval Timothy - Help Eartheater - Phoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin Eiko Ishibashi - Impulse of the Ribbon Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters Four Tet - Sixteen Oceans Gabriel Garzon-Montano - Aguita GB - 186.22 Ian William Craig - Red Sun Through Smoke Jerry Paper - Abracadabra  Kali Uchis - Sin Miedo Lucinda Williams - Good Souls, Better Angels Machinedrum - A View of You Margo Price - That’s How Rumors Get Started Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders MJ Guider - Sour Cherry Bell Park Hye-Jin - How can I Quelle Chris / Chris Keys - Innocent Country 2 Ringo Deathstarr - Ringo Deathstarr Soul Glo - Songs To Yeet At The Sun Trees Speak - Shadow Forms

50 - A Pregnant Light - You Cannot Pour From An Empty Vessel "These songs were written and recorded in 2017, and in a haze of... well, just imagine the bad sort of things that cause a haze over one's life. These songs were lost. In the process of cleaning out some tapes and recording sessions, these songs were found and completed in 2020. It's a bridge between where APL was three years ago, and now. It was so strange to hear these forgotten songs and go in and finish them. It was like collaborating with a person I used to know. It was an odd experience, but turned out fruitful." - A Pregnant Light Bandcamp Page 49 - Rian Treanor - File Under UK Metaplasm "We hardly need any convincing on the quality of Rian Treanor's productions as he's been completely unfuckwithable from day one, but "File Under UK Metaplasm" is still next damn level.Rian bashed out the initial demos on returning from a trip to Uganda in 2018 for Nyege Nyege Festival. Inspired by the producers he'd collaborated with in Kampala, he switched up his workflow and began jamming out ideas at higher tempos, harnessing the energy of singeli music without simply carbon copying the style. Initial sketches were eventually fleshed into proper tracks and tested on audiences (and on soundsystems) around the world where Rian could assess the power of each element.It was worth the hard work, the result is a fiery set of tunes that sound like everything at once and nothing at all. Opener 'Hypnic Jerks' is ragged kick-bubbling 200-bpm club on secondment to Tanzania; 'Vacuum Angle' is wobbly DMT-step that sounds like an attempt to use aging educational computer software to power the Stargate; 'Mirror Instant' is shuffling bassline house kicked up to 45rpm; 'Opponent Process' is EP7-era Autechre with the fun switch turned on; 'Debouncing' is double-speed grime that glides into parts unknown. By the time the album reaches a close on 'Orders From The Pausing', a melancholic gabber tune with an almost inverted, whisper-soft kick (?), Rian suddenly introduces reverb to the mix, just because he can.Peerless, unfathomably inventive electronic music from the North of England, via East Africa - fucking essential." - Boomkat Product Review 48 - Sex Swing - Type II “Fuck,” I thought when I first heard it. “This really, really rocks.” - Adam Lehrer, The Quietus

47 - Yves Tumor - Heaven to a Tortured Mind

"In that way, Heaven to a Tortured Mind is the most straightforward record in Tumor’s catalog. It’s an album with commercial, or at least mass, appeal in mind. And it seems to confirm something Tumor hinted at in a 2016 interview about their musical aspirations: “I only want to make hits. What else would I want to make?” The product of this ambition is a gratifying and intense record, one whose pleasures are viscerally immediate. Above all, it’s loads of fun to watch Tumor don the guise of a devilish rockstar. It’s not exactly a new archetype in our cultural imagination, but the ravishing delight Tumor brings to this character is what makes their music so affecting. Yves is a performer whose roles, played with the utmost rigor, always find a way to linger in the memory." - Kevin Lozano, Pitchfork

46 - DJ Taye - PYROT3K

"Pop music moves fast: new instructional-dance songs, new Drake songs, and new instructional-dance songs by Drake can bombard the zeitgeist one week and all but evaporate the next. Footwork, the lightning-fast Chicago-born house subgenre, is well suited to capture that frenetic pace. Young footwork master and Teklife member DJ Taye instinctively understands how to combine footwork’s adrenaline rush with the pop’s euphoric glee to build tracks with a distinctive energy. Last month he self-released Pyrot3k, the third entry in the Pyrotek mixtape series he launched in October. On the latest volume—also available in a deluxe version called Pyrot3k (SS)—he focuses on blissful melodies and antsy samples. On “Gang,” for example, he loops a snippet of JackBoys��� “Gang Gang” into a hypnotic koan at a speed that makes the original sound like it’s stuck in the mud. Several of Taye’s friends, including Teklife members DJ Earl and Heavee, join in on the fun, and I’m especially partial to his collaboration with Night Slugs label owner James Connolly, aka L-Vis 1990. On “Parade Float,” the two producers whimsically intertwine Morse code beeps and battering-ram gabber-style kick drum to manifest a cartoonish energy that seems to gather itself and balloon outward during the song’s tiny silences. - Leor Galil, Chicago Reader

45 - Hudson Mohawke - Poom Gems

"At the moment, nothing can stop Hudson Mohawke. After a hiatus from his solo work, the Scottish producer started his summer by releasing his first single under his HudMo title since 2016, “BENT” with JIMMY EDGAR. Since then, he’s only upped the ante, with his inexhaustible activity culminating in his first solo LP in four years, Big Booty Hiking Exhibition. Now, HudMo is back with his second album in a month’s time.

Poom Gems can be thought of as a companion album to Big Booty Hiking Exhibition, as both comprised previously unreleased tracks that Mohawke has been sitting on. Like Big Booty Hiking Exhibition, Poom Gems ranges from some of HudMo’s most off-the-wall beats yet to his classic, unreplicable, and bombastic sound, though as a whole, Poom Gems is more accessible than it’s predecessor. After almost no announcement before Poom Gems‘ release, only one question remains: how much more is to come amid Mohawke’s return?" - Mitchell Rose, Dancing Astronaut

44 - Shinichi Atobe - Yes

"The stately, melodic techno and deep house made by Shinichi Atobe—a resident of Saitama City, just north of Tokyo—puts me in mind of his country's devotion to orderly calm. One of two non-European artists to appear on Basic Channel's legendary Chain Reaction imprint, Atobe took 13 years off before the archival Butterfly Effect album arrived via DDS in 2014. His re-emergence into the dance music world has been one of the decade's most welcome surprises.

Yes is his fifth album for DDS. Demdike Stare states their communication with Atobe is limited to a CD that arrives in the post every so often, "no words except for the track titles." The first circulated photo of Atobe was included with the Yes CD-R, perhaps to quell rumors Shinichi Atobe is an alias of another Chain Reaction artist. He's never granted an interview.

He doesn't need to. Each Atobe album feels like the latest installment in a serial novel, a body of work mysterious in its ability to mix calm rhythms and atmospheres with achingly beautiful melodies. As usual, Yes will sate the small group of obsessives that smash the pre-order on each new Atobe album. He's nearly always in top form. The title track's hopeful mix of synth and house-y piano stand up to Atobe's other melodic classics "Heat 1" and "The Butterfly Effect." "Lake 3" contains Atobe's most boisterous synth theme to date, the '90s Carl Craig-esque figure mixing with Atobe's signature sad piano and, in a novel twist, hand drums.

The progression in Atobe's work is incremental. Beyond the title-track, Yes mostly does away with the classy, tech house-style snap prevalent on 2018's Heat. For an artist that emerged as a model of consistency, Atobe takes a surprising amount of left turns. The closing cut "Ocean 1" is Atobe's placid take on a synth-funk jam. The opener "Ocean 7" is beatless, with hectic arpeggios. In the background of that track, there's a peaceful drone that runs throughout. A similar tone runs in the background on the entirety of "Lake 3." These touches imbue Atobe's sonic world with its own concept of gaman, enveloping the listener in an eerie sense of calm." - Matt McDermott, Resident Advisor

43 - Various Artists - HOA 012

"Did you think we were done?

The story is not over, but only beginning. HOA012, We come together as a unit, to continue our story. A story that needs to be told. For those of you just joining us, welcome. For those of you returning, welcome back. Now fully on the path, we march toward a future of unabashed black electronic expression." - HAUS of ALTR bandcamp page

42 - Garcia Peoples - Nightcap At Wits' End

"New Jersey-based avant-jam band Garcia Peoples were a little slow to take shape, but after the release of their excitable 2018 album Cosmic Cash, they switched into overdrive. Constant live performances, residencies, concert documents, and prolifically recorded studio albums tracked a creative development that morphed from record to record. The group took cues from the open-ended improvisation of classic jam band acts like Phish and the Grateful Dead, but also incorporated dual-guitar wizardry on par with Television or, in their more Southern-fried moments, the Allmann Brothers. For their 2019 album One Step Behind, the band expanded to a six-piece lineup and added avant-jazz touches to the equation as they stretched out over the course of a half-hour-long title track. With Nightcap at Wits' End, Garcia Peoples shift gears yet again, with a set of neatly composed and relatively concise tunes that distill their wandering impulses into easily digestible forms. This can take the form of rowdy prog-lite tunes like album opener "Gliding Through" or the shadowy but mystical folk-rock of "Altered Place." In this more composed rock mode, the band recalls the shadowy mystique of early Bay Area psychedelic giants like Jefferson Airplane as much as they do obscure acts like Anonymous and Relatively Clean Rivers. After a lively start, the album shifts into mellower territory with the drifty "Fire of the Now." "Painting a Vision That Carries" is made up of delicate vocal harmonies and a dynamic structure that goes from controlled acoustic segments to blasting verses and back. As this song burns on into a vamping jam, the band's Dead-like tendencies come to the surface with noodling guitar leads and dazzling group interplay. The second half of Nightcap at Wits' End becomes a string of woozy and meandering pieces that blur into one another in clouds of hazy jamming. Themes resurface as the band shuffles through meditative riffing on "Crown of Thought," Krautrock-y interludes, and the blissfully droning Popol Vuh-esque "A Reckoning." Garcia Peoples' excellent psychedelia manages to recall moments from past masters while still offering a chemistry and composition unique to the band. Nightcap at Wits' End is the most complete articulation of their wide-reaching creative range, and stands as the their most focused and engaging work to date." - Fred Thomas, AllMusic

41 - Nonlocal Forecast - Holographic Universe(s)?

"Angel Marcloid's recordings as Nonlocal Forecast focus the trajectory of a vast catalog squarely in the realm of retro Weather Channel-inspired smooth jazz fusion, intricate prog, and expansive new age experiments. Trading off a measure of the typically overloaded compositional style found in other projects to favor lush atmospheres and relatively pared down arrangements, Marcloid populates Nonlocal Forecast pieces with progressive keyboard and synth harmonies, complex drum programming, and majestic leads performed on guitar, keyboards, and guests' saxophones. The project runs alongside the omni-combinatory works of the flagship project Fire-Toolz and many other monikers including the vapor-focused works of Mindspring Memories. Holographic Universe(s?)!, the second Nonlocal Forecast full-length and the first to be released on vinyl, follows Bubble Universe! with a cycle of songs that elevates Marcloid's grandiose compositions to previously undiscovered heights, while packing the music with dramatic shifts that allow it to journey off into dynamic new directions." - Fatbeats product summary

40 - Black Dresses - Peaceful As Hell

"The Canadian noise-pop duo’s music conjures a psychotic slumber party, or a Second Life rave, but remains grounded in the bittersweet beauty of lifelong friendship. " - Leah Mandel, Pitchfork

39 - Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song

"Owens’ self-titled debut album played with sounds that felt spiritual, almost new age, like the tablas on “S.O.” and sitar drone on “8.” On Inner Song, that meditative quality comes less from instrumental texture and more from the actual form of the songs. Though she drifts across tempos and dabbles with a variety of drum patterns, loops—both instrumental and lyrical—provide the record’s through line. On “Wake-Up,” life’s circular patterns are made explicit: “Wake up/Repeat again/Again.” Owens writes with clarity and simplicity, using her own voice as something like a synthesizer, processing a phrase and then repeating it as she sings subtle variations in timbre and tone. Her lyrics are, in their own quiet way, a celebration of the pleasures of solitude and self-love." - Nathan Smith, Pitchfork

38 - Pink Siifu - Negro

"The core of NEGRO is defined by its antipathy for police. “DeadMeat” was inspired by a harrowing incident in New York, where a black cop threatened his life for jumping a subway turnstile. Siifu recorded “DeadMeat” the next day, reeling from the fact that someone of his race would treat him with such unmitigated hate. It begins with Siifu repeating the police officer’s threat verbatim and ends with him drawing the distinction between police officers and “pigs.” - Max Bell, Bandcamp Daily

37 - Charli XCX - How I'm Feeling Now

"Our homes have become offices, churches, mutual aid hubs, child- and eldercare centers. Every inch of space has been claimed by a corner of life, worn from multi-purpose use, yet hopefully loved and lived in. But the home — even just one room strung with cheap lights — can also be a refuge to dance through your emotion. how i'm feeling now — an album whose title says everything, and whose music has a rave intimacy that reaches beyond quarantined walls — doesn't just capture the mood, but the modes of our survival. Charli XCX collaborated remotely with trusted producers (A. G. Cook, Danny L Harle) and new ones (BJ Burton, 100 gecs' Dylan Brady), to lean harder into the buzzing-yet-glam-blammed hyper-pop that she's explored in recent years. While the aural abrasion amplifies our collective WTF, turnt up on video chats and pining for reckless nights, the core of how i'm feeling now deepens around the loving bonds forged in close quarters." - Lars Gotrich, NPR Music

36 - Armand Hammer - Shrines

"Shrines boasts a larger roster of producers and featured artists than any of the group’s past work. Many of them were already members of the duo’s tight-knit, avant-garde circle: Curly Castro, Fielded, Kenny Segal, Messiah Muzik, R.A.P. Ferreira, Quelle Chris. A woozy instrumental (“Bitter Cassava”) and verse (“Ramses II”) by Earl Sweatshirt suggest that Armand Hammer could soon extend their reach even further. In this fraught time, the camaraderie on Shrines feels intentional. In 2018, Elucid told Pitchfork that his music is about bringing like minds together, to feel like “we’re fighting against the same evil.” Shrines is a confirmation that the more people who put those sunglasses on, the better." - Christina Lee, Bandcamp Daily

35 - Bad Bunny - Yo hago lo que me de la gana

"From the moment Bad Bunny's sophomore album begins, over a synthesized interpolation of bossa nova staple "The Girl From Ipanema," the Puerto Rican superstar leans heavily on past classics to breathe new life into Latin trap. El Conejo is, for the most part, done missing his ex jeva for now — instead he's dressing up as his female alter ego to call out creeps at the club, de-stigmatizing a particular romantic pursuit on a perreo-fueled symphony, and rocking out to his own success on an emo-trap anthem. YHLQMDLG is an homage to the reggaeton bangers that raised Bunny, complete with collabs from some of the greatest vets in the game, including Daddy Yankee, Ñengo Flow and Jowell & Randy. It's an album steeped in nostalgia for the garage-party-perreo of the early-aughts, but with a modernity that forecasts a bright future for urbano — even one that may find Bad Bunny (if you believe the album title) permanently tapping out. He does what he wants, and he gets away with it, too." - Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR

34 - Popcaan - FIXTAPE

"In its mix form, Fixtape is framed as an epic tale in which Popcaan shares moments along his route to dancehall’s most prominent torchbearers. Instead of starting with the self-produced “Chill,” the SoundCloud version begins with melodramatic piano strokes, almost reminiscent of the theme song to The Young and the Restless. Those key hits grow into a symphonic instrumental adaptation of Popcaan’s 2011 hit “Only Man She Want,” and soon after, the first two non-Poppy voices you hear are a drop from incarcerated icon Vybz Kartel and audio of Drake’s praise at the first Unruly Fest in December 2018. Though even novice Popcaan listeners already know these affiliations, starting the project in this way is like flexing for the mirror, a moment of self-affirmation before proving it to the world. So it makes sense that the first song on this version of the tape, “Killy Dem Crazy,” is Popcaan trying his hand at Nas and Diddy’s Trackmasters-produced classic “Hate Me Now”—the perfect “fuck whoever don’t like it” gesture." - Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork

33 - Drakeo The Ruler - Thank You For Using GTL

"Since the genre's inception, the voice in rap has been sped up, glitched out, chopped and screwed, slowed and reverbed, all to convey textures and feelings that language alone cannot. On Thank You For Using GTL, Drakeo The Ruler's was shrunk to fuzz, transmitted through a jail phone. The intent wasn't to create a mood, but to create something, to continue a career that was snatched away. At the time, Drakeo had spent most of the three years prior in Los Angeles' notorious Men's Central Jail, and nine of those months in solitary confinement, first battling a murder charge he'd be acquitted of, then a gang conspiracy charge that the prosecution built out of his lyrics and music videos. He was suddenly freed in November on a plea deal, days before L.A. county district attorney Jackie Lacey lost her seat to the more progressive George Gascón. His lawyer, John Hamasaki, told NPR that "if the case had been continued to January, it probably would have been dismissed by [Gascón's] office."

Even when transmitted across a scummy phone line, Drakeo's sneer cuts like a knife. Submerged in static and woven over JoogSZN's brooding instrumentals, his raps feel suspended in a constant denouement, transient and purgatorial, as he probes at the suits trying to end his life. "It might sound real, but it's fictional / I love that my imagination gets to you," he raps on the final track. What isn't fiction are the cruel and convoluted circumstances that shaped GTL, that cost its creators thousands of dollars to record while profiting a billion dollar telecom company, and that continue to take lifetimes away from Black men." —Mano Sundaresan, NPR

32 - Nathan Fake - Blizzards

"Blizzards has almost no breaks or meanders, just relentless club music adorned with beautiful melodies. In taking stock of his music and returning to his fundamentals, Blizzards highlights everything Fake is good at: the way his drums tend to dance in between established genres, melodies that sound like a warped Boards Of Canada record, the constant push-and-pull of dark and light. It's more of a reset than a reinvention, a return to the earnest simplicity that made him a wunderkind all those years ago." - Andrew Ryce, Resident Advisor

31 - Dj Diaki - Balani Fou

"The absorption of multiple streams of African electronic music into a western club milieu has been patchy. Where styles like kwaito and gqom have slotted into house and bass idioms, and kuduro has made an impact via diasporic scenes like the one in Lisbon, the harder and faster styles—like Shangaan electro and the emergent singeli sound from Dar Es Salaam—haven't easily found a foothold. When they do appear, they're often an anomalous peak in a DJ set from which it's hard to climb down. But with the current vogue for speedy techno and other hard dance sounds, along with the interest in singeli and other belting East African sounds, Diaki's Crazy Balani couldn't have smashed its way to the dance floor at a better time." - Chal Ravens, Resident Advisor

30 - Caribou - Suddenly

"Dan Snaith’s latest is as sly and layered as ever, but he finds ways to be more direct with his songwriting. There are no bum notes, no wasted motions, no corners of the audio spectrum left untouched. " - Phillip Sherburne, Pitchfork

29 - Deradoorian - Find The Sun

"The LP’s guitar-centric approach is a bit of a surprise, but Deradoorian isn’t a stranger to big riffs. She’s done stints in bands like Dirty Projectors and Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks; more recently, she’s been ripping it up as the vocalist of BSCBR (aka Black Sabbath Cover Band Rehearsals), filling Ozzy Osborne’s shoes alongside artists like Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner and drumming virtuoso Greg Fox. Find the Sun never reaches Paranoid levels of bombast, but it’s easily her brawniest solo record to date. Songs like “Saturnine Night” and closer “Sun” channel the psychedelic swagger of ’70s giants like the Doors and Led Zeppelin, while the rubbery bassline and surging guitar chords of album highlight “It Was Me” bring to mind the likes of Nirvana and Hole—or at least the times when those bands emulated indie pop groups like the Vaselines and Young Marble Giants.

But Find the Sun shouldn’t be mistaken for an exercise in rock worship. The influence of Can looms large, and Deradoorian’s music is still psychedelic, weird, and seemingly primed for a hallucinogenic trip to the outer recesses of the human psyche. With its motorik groove and dramatic talk-singing, “The Illuminator” sounds like a freaky, nine-minute-long outtake from Andy Warhol’s Factory, while the slinky “Devil’s Market” recalls the space-age lounge music once championed by bands like Stereolab. “Saturnine Night” does feature growling guitars, but they’re paired with an unkempt Krautrock rhythm that could have been pulled from Neu! 2, along with a dramatic, PJ Harvey-esque vocal turn from Deradoorian, who belts out brooding lines like “Innocence/In my death” and, simply, “I die.” - Shawn Reynolds, Pitchfork

28 - Thundercat - It Is What It Is

"Left savoring the tasty morsels of 2017's critically-acclaimed Drunk and 2018's Drank (its "chopped not slopped" remix album), it was an absolute pleasure to sink hungry ears into Thundercat's It Is What It Is this year. The bassist born Stephen Bruner blurs genre boundaries, dishing out dizzying acrobatics on "How Sway," beefy funk vibes on "Black Qualls" (featuring Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington and Childish Gambino) and cheeky R&B hilarity on "Dragonball Durag." Coproduced by longtime collaborator Flying Lotus, It Is What It Is drips with curtains of lush vocals. The album chronicles a broken heart's analysis of grief and its subsequent recovery by asking probing questions and finding joy where it can to survive pain, uncertainty, rejection and isolation. It's an enchanting tale of hope and growth in a year that served us heaping portions of gloom and melancholy" - Nikki Birch, NPR

27 - Against All Logic - 2017-19

"That Beyoncé is the first voice we hear on 2017 - 2019 is instructive of the bold new direction. Hers and Sean Paul's vocals are lifted from "Baby Boy" and layered over a crackling broken beat, an uncanny string-like instrument and inviting synth chords. A sample of Luther Ingram's 1972 soul song "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" appears on track two, a degraded house cut, thus establishing a template of sorts: 2017 - 2019 is an album of stylistic leaps, radiant melodies, difficult-to-place sounds and red herrings. Back-to-back opening tracks with instantly recognisable sample flips, for example, sets up an expectation of many more to follow. Instead, there are none. That is unless you can spot the source of the hip-hop loop on "With An Addict." Jaar casually filters it into the arrangement to create a half-time contrast with the main drums, a rolling footwork/jungle-style pattern that features percussion reminiscent of the "Apache" break. The poignant, daybreak melody caps a track that bundles the album's strongest qualities." - Ryan Keeling, Resident Advisor

26 - Adrian Younge / Ali Shaheed Mohammad - Jazz Is Dead 001

"Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad both have impressive resumes as purveyors of modern soul, jazz, and hip-hop. Younge, a bassist, keyboardist, composer, and producer, has scored films such Black Dynamite and collaborated with artists ranging from Philly soul legends the Delfonics to Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah. Meanwhile, Muhammad was a member of A Tribe Called Quest and has worked on various projects outside that group. Together, Younge and Muhammad formed the Midnight Hour, a versatile band that brought a modern edge to retro soul and jazz sounds." - Rich Wilhelm, popMatters

25 - The Soft Pink Truth - Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase

"Drew Daniel's latest LP as The Soft Pink Truth, Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase, is a stunner that revels in communitas while flirting with house music and ambient tropes" - Bernie Brooks, the Quietus

24 - Jessy Lanza - All The Time

"The early days of writing All the Time, Jessy Lanza's first album since 2016's Oh No, marked a sea change for Jessy and her creative partner Jeremy Greenspan. After Oh No, Jessy left her hometown of Hamilton to go and live in New York. Written long distance for the first time, across Jessy’s new set up in New York to Jeremy’s home studio in Hamilton, and finishing in the recording studio Jeremy had been working on during this period.

Even though the move to New York and the change in remote working was tough, 'All the Time' has turned out to be the most pure set of pop songs the duo has recorded; reflective and finessed over the time and distance they allowed it. Innovative juxtapositions sound natural, such as rigid 808’s rubbing against delicate chords in 'Anyone Around', unusual underwater rushes underpin Baby Love . Jessy’s voice is treated, re-pitched and edited on songs like Ice creamy and gestural sounds seem to respond to her lyrics in songs such as Like Fire.

A lot of these sounds came from live take experiments using semi modular/modular equipment like Mother 32 and Dfam and Moog Sirin. Jessy says ‘We got all of the machines talking to one another and would run patterns through. A lot of the little burps and quacks and squiggles heard on songs like Anyone Around, Like 'Fire', 'Face', and 'Badly' are from those experiments. That’s when I’m having the most fun, making music and improvising through takes of the song and editing together all the best gurgle sounds afterwards’.

More than previously the lyrics on All The Time were an important focus for Jessy, articulating difficult feeling into her outwardly joyful music. ’Anger is a familiar and safe feeling for me. The album became a conversation with myself about why that is. Some songs refer to real and legitimate things to be angry about; 'Lick in Heaven' takes aim at what the culture expects from women. The cynicism I felt towards the people around me kept coming up and All the Time is an exploration into those feelings and a conversation with myself about other possibilities when it comes to my outlook on life.’

As the final elements of the album were being put in place, everything changed overnight. Her European tour was cut short and she flew back to New York quickly, plans for the foreseeable future dissolved. Whatsmore her lease was up on her apartment and she couldn’t find another in New York due to quarantine restrictions, so she packed what she could into her van and drove to San Francisco to be near her family, stopping on the way in increasingly empty motels as she journeyed from coast to coast.

‘Even though All the Time was written in 2019 the themes feel even more relevant now. Like a lot of people,I’m still struggling with the reality that life is hard to predict and it’s even harder not to make the same mistakes over again, trying to control what i’m able to and leave the rest.’ The cover photo of Jessy in her van was taken before these events , but it’s taken on more importance since. ‘Through many changing situations my minivan gives me comfort. It seems like such an American thing to say.m I realise it’s symbolic of a much larger existential struggle in my own life but regardless I wanted it to be a part of the album cover. Sitting in my van made me feel so comfortable and it’s rare for me to feel that.

All the time has ended up being a triumph, channeling difficult feelings into something that has whit energy and style. " - Jessy Lanza bandcamp page

23 - AceMoMA - A New Dawn

"AceMoMA connect back to their NYC forefathers (with nods to techno dons Derrick May and Jeff Mills), while also keeping a healthy disregard for the past, pushing ahead with palpable enthusiasm and energy. As Stevens explained in that same interview, “[As] brown people making dance music… we needed to create context for what we were doing. So we did.” Like the best moments of a night out, A New Dawn feels like instant history and an instant party." - Andy Beta, Pitchfork

22 - Adrianne Lenker - songs

"As a solo artist or with her band Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker has been at or near the top of my year-end lists for the past five years, more so than any other artist. The simultaneous strength and frailty in her voice attract me to her music. Earlier this year, she told NPR's All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly, "I was really sad, and I hit a wall — I kind of hit the bottom of myself and went to a pretty dark and sad space for a while. And the music itself, and writing these songs, was a thing that was getting me through it." The songs on songs were birthed in a one-room cabin in Western Massachusetts' mountains and recorded on an old Otari 8-track. We hear acoustic guitar, her voice, the sound of the cabin and whatever bugs and birds happen to be in the background of the poetic paintings she sings. The intimacy is magnetic" - Bob Boilen, NPR

21 - Trees Speak - Ohms

"The act of driving informs the music of Trees Speak, who take cues from the Autobahn-extolling music of classic Krautrock, specifically Kraftwerk. The roads green West Germany led Krautrock pioneers like Kraftwek to produce smooth, seamless electronic rhythms—but the rugged, dusted Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona leads Trees Speak to a more rough hewn electronic sound." - d mittleman, Aquarium Drunkard

20 - 21 Savage / Metro Boomin - Savage Mode II

"Ultimately, though, ‘Savage Mode II’ feels like a throwback: one rapper and one producer focused on a single creative project. Think Eric B and Rakim; Missy Elliot and Timbaland; Method Man and RZA. Their collaborators, such as Drake and Young Thug (the latter on ‘Rich N**ga Shit’, an anthemic rap about their lavish lifestyles), ably support, stepping in occasionally to craft the project into a more well-rounded shape.

‘Savage Mode II’ allows the Atlanta-based MC the space to make his point and cast all nonsense aside, letting his talent speak for itself. Metro Boomin, meanwhile, further showcases his generational abilities. As a whole, the album is confirmation of two young artists at the top of their game, watching the landscape unfold from the throne they earned themselves four years ago." - Dhruva Balram, NME

19 - Various Artists - HOA 010

"Ahead of the dawn, there could only be us...

HAUS of ALTR presents HOA010. Our second compilation, featuring the future of Black electronic music, and as the music as it exist in its current state. In these trying times, we come together to stake claim on the roots of techno and its potential future. Too Black, Too Strong." - HAUS of ALTR bandcamp page

18 - Emma Ruth Rundle / Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full

"Stemming out of an offer from Roadburn Festival organizer Walter Hoeijmakers, mutual acquaintances, and a shared love of each other’s output, May Our Chambers Be Full is the first recorded document of collaboration between Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou. While their solo material seems on its face to be quite disparate, both groups have spent their respective careers lurking at the outer boundaries of the heavy metal scene, the artists having more in common with DIY punk and its spiritual successor, grunge.

May Our Chambers Be Full straddles a similar, very fine line both musically and thematically. While Emma Ruth Rundle’s standard fare is a blend of post-rock-infused folk music, and Thou is typically known for its downtuned, doomy sludge, the conjoining of the two artists has created a record more in the vein of the early ’90s Seattle sound and later ’90s episodes of Alternative Nation, while still retaining much of the artists’ core identities. Likewise, the lyrical content of the album is a marriage of mental trauma, existential crises, and the ecstatic tradition of the expressionist dance movement. “Excessive sorrow laughs. Excessive joy weeps.” Melodic, melancholic, heavy, visceral." - Thou Bandcamp page

17 - Mong Tong - Mystery

"For Mystery秘神, they imagined a version of ancient Asia where all of the continent’s superstitions were real, and wrote a record based on how that world would sound. Their songs usually consist of a lolloping bassline, a snakey guitar lead, and campy synths that could perfectly soundtrack both an ‘80s crime flick and a highly stylized video game. Their sound evokes the simultaneous futurism and nostalgia of vaporwave, and the duo consider it “sample-based” because of the post-production process, in which they cut up, loop, and re-pitch their jam sessions into structured songs. All of the percussion is constructed in Ableton; there are no vocals, but they do include a few soundbites from Taiwanese films and TV shows. (“Chakra,” for example, features a bit of a dialogue about the connection between aliens and Hinduism.)" - Eli Enis, Bandcamp Daily

16 - Sada Baby - Bartier Bounty 2

"His voice is at a-near constant sneer to match the furious pacing until the surprising collaboration with Dej Loaf that showcases a smoother version of the 27-year-old rapper. Street anthems like “Trap Withdrawals” approach standard topics of growing up hustling with bombastic brilliance. “Horse Play 2” even samples Linkin Park’s “In The End” and makes it work. Bartier‘s sequel takes all of Detroit’s current hip-hop momentum and propels it to Super Saiyan-level dominance thanks to Sada Baby’s need to experiment." - Patrick Johnson, Hypebeast

15 - Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi

"Even at nearly an hour in length, the album flies by, dense and vicious and evocative as a novel, as contemplative as the featureless gore of the cover art. I've had this promo for perhaps two full months now; I've listened to it nearly every day since then, often multiple times a day. I've commented before about a spate of records that were battling it out for the number one spot for me this year, and while that number has now expanded, the number then at least was three. One of them was Spectral Lore and Mare Cognitum's incredible progressive black metal split full-length. Another was Sweven's immaculate death metal debut. The third was this.

It's hard to deny that a certain strain of the listenership is right: this isn't black metal anymore. But this is for the best for Oranssi Pazuzu. The past seven years have seen them put out record after record that was better not only than the one before it but of the whole of their work. By Värähtelijä, they were scraping Hall of Fame territory. On Mestarin kynsi, they exceed it." - Langdon Hickman, Invisible Oranges

14 - Sunwatchers - Oh Yeah?

"The album’s title “Oh Yeah?” is at once an homage to Mingus, Thee Oh Sees’ album “Help” (whose Brigid Dawson hand-sewed the tapestry adorning the album’s front cover) and (naturally) the rallying cry of KoolBrave himself - the Kool-Aid Man-as-Braveheart avatar the band adopted as their symbol. The three years since the band’s second album (and TiM debut) “II” was released, has seen the band grace stages across the USA and Europe, enlisting more comrades in their mission of solidarity (sonically speaking) with every show." - Sunwatchers Bandcamp page

13 - Fire-Toolz - Rainbow Bridge

"Rainbow Bridge was made in part as a reflection on the death of Marcloid’s cat Breakfast, which explains in part the way the record swings back and forth between beauty and cacophony. Marcloid’s work as Fire-Toolz has always been about the way that these two emotional poles can coexist, but the way we deal with death is especially complicated. Even the most intense grief is braided with moments of peace and clarity, the beautiful memories of a life well-lived. Rainbow Bridge mirrors the intensity and the confusion of these experiences and shows that even in the direst times, it’s possible to find comfort." - Colin Joyce, Pitchfork

12 - Beatrice Dillon - Workaround

"Chain Reaction meets mid-20th-century minimalism with spectacular results." - Chal Ravens, Resident Advisor

11 - Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia

At 24, Lipa has been working towards this moment for almost 10 years, and her sights are set higher still. A false start in modeling impressed the importance of going where you’re wanted; in Lipa’s case, to Warner Records, who sought a female pop icon to compete with the Rihannas and Lady Gagas of the world. She leveraged her talent as a songwriter, developing an early Dua Lipa single, “Hotter Than Hell,” in the first session with her prospective management team. Her sly swagger and fashion-plate style gave her the presence of someone who’d achieved diva status already. “I’m a bit too far down the line for anyone to try and tell me something,” she said of her creative autonomy in 2017, even before the release of her first record.

But where many of pop’s most recent stars are emphatically emotionally available, Lipa radiates blithe coolness. Her brand is style, competence, taste—this is, in a way perhaps not obvious to those who actually remember the ’80s, entirely tasteful pop music—and the sultry low voice that makes her the star of even a middling Martin Garrix collab. Future Nostalgia is nonstop, no ballads; for 10 tracks, the closest it comes to feeling vulnerable or revealing is “Pretty Please,” a plea for stress-relief sex with an ultra-thick bassline. When Lipa proclaims, “You got me losing all my cool/’Cause I’m burning up on you,” on the Tove Lo cowrite “Cool,” she rhymes it with, “In control of what I do.” - Anna Gaca, Pitchfork

10 - Jasmine Infiniti - Bxtch Slap

"It’s building on that myth of being The Queen of Hell and how as a black trans woman, often just existing in this world feels hellish. The things that I have personally had to go through and that many other black trans women endure, it’s almost as if we are existing in hell already. It’s kind of like, well if I’m already here, I might as well live it up and find the best parts of this existence that I can. It’s about embracing that hell vibe. If I’m already here then I’m gonna be debaucherous and party to all hours of the morning. I want it to reflect that, but also have a little bit of sadness, a little bit resentfulness and a little bit anger, but also happiness and joy. It’s about taking hell and having fun with it." - Jasmine Infiniti, Vice

9 - Actress - Karma & Desire

"Karma & Desire bears the sonic touchstones of his landmark full-lengths like R.I.P. and AZD, but it also represents a profound shift in Cunningham's approach. For the first time, he's invited friends to help out. "I just wanted to give Actress a voice, basically, to use vocal performances from, like, a muse perspective really," he recently told Bandcamp Daily.

Despite several rave-worthy tracks voiced by the LA artist Aura T-09, this is not Actress's vocal house album, nor is it an album of pop songs. Instead, he utilizes the considerable vocal talents of artists like Zsela and Sampha in a signature Actress style, with snatches of stream-of-consciousness vocals rearranged into dreamlike sketches. The New York artist Zsela exhales "Destiny is stuck in heaven," on the burbling "Angels Pharmacy," before reprising the same theme on the very next track, "Remembrance." Just as hazy pads and white noise form motifs in Actress's catalogue, evocative phrases surface and resurface from the murk." Matt McDermott, Resident Advisor

8 - Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Atake

"Few make rapping sound as purely fun as Lil Uzi Vert. His second album, Eternal Atake, arrived on the heels of a nearly three-year label dispute, yet it still sounds unburdened. The songs traffic in abundant imagination — words and syllables are deconstructed and restacked to form breathless cadences that explode across beats as funky as they are futuristic. When he chants "Balenci" enough times to void it of any meaning on "POP" or when he spits out a multibar hook that skirts repetition altogether (or, really, any qualities that usually make up a hook) as on "Homecoming," it's the chutzpah, but it's also the musicality of it all, the way the melodies are both instrument and a vehicle for lyrics. One of rap's most precise technicians, Uzi has been perfecting this craft since he began his career ascent in 2015, but Eternal Atake prompted us to hear the extraterrestrial — a world within worlds that's all his own." - Briana Younger, NPR

7 - bbyMutha - Muthaland

"Across Muthaland, bbymutha reclaims several words used to jab at her pride: “baby mama,” “slut,” “hoodrat.” She says them with her chest and siphons the negative energy in order to lift herself above the competition. It’s exhilarating, which makes the prospect of her early retirement all the sadder. Rap could use several more voices like hers. If Muthaland really is the last album bbymutha plans on releasing to the public, she’s brought us into her twisted world at its creative peak." Dylan Green, Pitchfork

6 - Jeff Parker - Suite for Max Brown

"The album is a mixture of live improvisations backed by drum loops. This was inspired by Parker’s time as a DJ. “I used to DJ a lot when I lived in Chicago,” Parker recently said. “I was spinning records one night and for about ten minutes I was able to perfectly synch up a Nobukazu Takemura record with the first movement of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and it had this free jazz, abstract jazz thing going on with a sequenced beat underneath. It sounded so good. That’s what I’m trying to do with Suite for Max Brown. Man vs. machine.” - Nick Roseblade, The Quietus

5 - GAIKA - Seguridad

"Brixton’s GAIKA has already proven himself a heavyweight via his releases on WARP Records, where he imbues the moodier end of dancehall, R&B, and Afrobeats with the kind of apocalyptic political vision you might expect from righteous roots reggae. Here, he’s teamed up with Mexico City’s NAAFI label, and eight members of their musical family. The music ranges from a reggaetón canter (“Maria”) to an almost drum-free crawl (“Nine Lives”); GAIKA’s hoarse voice, swimming through glutenous resonant autotune, draws it all together. It draws you into a zoned-out science fiction night time world, a Black Atlantic gothic cyberpunk fever dream that will haunt you long after it’s ended." - Joe Muggs, Bandcamp Daily

4 - Nazar - Guerrilla

"The roughest rough kuduro on Guerrilla lives up to the billing. Over charging horns and erratic snare sprints, "Arms Deal"'s midrange is filled with raging, Pollocky slashes of tapehead noise. "Why"'s 8-bit Sonic synths, Terrordrome trance leads and rap fragments are also fantastic. Guerrilla can be stealthy, too. Take "Fim-92 Stinger," a carnivalesque hip swinger with shades of the slinky batida from DJ Nigga Fox's Cartas Na Magna. It's a rare gem: fun, seductive, somewhat steady. You could even call it celebratory. But when Nazar says, "The ceasefire should at least last until the duration of this song," his pessimism resurfaces. Sure enough, the next track, "Immortal," illustrates what seems like a bullet-time detachment from conflict. It's possible to make out the ambience of the Angolan bush, stray gunfire and casual bravado, but the clearest sounds in its spectral quiet are an amped-up wheeze and the continuous loading of magazines. You're hearing the itch to fight." - Ray Philp, Resident Advisor

3 - Benny The Butcher - Burden of Proof

"With the help of Hit-Boy, Rick Ross, and Freddie Gibbs, Benny has another one for us to mob out to. At one point on this album, he says, “I don’t care about haters/ I only care about what hustlers think.” The proof is in the eating of the pudding. This is not for the meek. This is not for the golf courses. Benny never dives into nihilism. He knows his purpose, but the album is called Burden of Proof because if you are going to be on the streets, you have to prove who you are. Benny has done that and then some. The Butcher is here, and he isn’t respecting old arrangements. He runs this ship now." - Jayson Buford, Consequence of Sound

2 - Yaeji - What We Drew "But while What We Drew is more internalized than past releases, it is not conflicted; rather, Yaeji finds clarity in vulnerability, in the pendulum swing of her humanity. Crucially, the mixtape doesn’t turn its back on one of Yaeji’s strongest traits as an artist: Her music has always been deeply social, and now it is more gregarious than ever in its gratitude for those around her. Some of the best tracks are valentines to the friends and artists who fill Yaeji’s world—and she has been proactive building scenes, from New York to Seoul—and her appreciation for this community feels all the sweeter balanced with her revelations of struggle" - Stacey Anderson, Pitchfork 1 - Various Artists - HOA 011

"Back once again, we assume the role of Vanguard in the war against white supremacy in electronic music. We bring part 2 in a story of black technological expression, from the perspectives of some of its most prolific, alongside much needed new perspectives. HOA010 was a call for a new path. HOA011 we embark.

Too Black, Too Strong." - HAUS of ALTR bandcamp page

[tammylowsoponkul]

Interview records: Day 5

Oulaykham Siphandone

What is your age and current occupation?

I am 21years old; I am international student from Laos, I am third year now and study international business and economic.

How do you feel about your finances?

Compare to another student, I would say I am ok with my financial situation right now.

Are you saving on a regular basis? Do you think save money wisely is difficult? And why?

To be honest no. If I try to save money or try to be serious with saving money, I think it is not that difficult.

Do you have an income and spending plan? How do you manage your finances? Tell me a little bit about your lifestyle of how you spend your money

I do not have an incomebecause I am studying full time and I don’t have a spend plan. At first, my money would transfer to me from my parents, and I will pay my rent, my phone payment and internet and all at the beginning of the month. And then what left over I will be using it for my dairy expense and other stuffs

What tools do you use to help you budget your money? Since childhood till now

Before I turn 18, I used to have piggy bank, when I turn 18, I opened my account and start on saving. I think since I was in grade 6, my parents open a bank account for me and my bothers. We put all the money from the piggy bank in the saving account.When I move out from home for first to study aboard, I just started write it down how much I spend each day. You can cut off some of your unnecessary spending, and you would know how much you spend at a weekand in a month and how can you save your money.

Do you know how much you save or spend each year?

I am not really sure, I really depends, even though I am I am writing down how much I spend but it usually something that came up that I have to pay. I could tell exact how much. Normally I write down all my spending on the notebook and it will be useful I have seen some these kind of applications on the phone but to be honest I am lazy to use those apps because normally they ask for the detail every day

Are you confident in the way you manage your money and view it as a resource that helps you live your life the way you want? (Financial goals/ plans)

I wouldn’t say that I could management my money well enough. But if I have a goal that I want to travel next year and plan my trip with a friend then it could help me achieve the goal.

Who is the first person you are going to talk with when you have trouble with money?

My parent

Have you heard about financial care services?

No, I haven’t heard about that. I feel like I don’t knowhow much I can trust those kinds of people, in term of security. It is not safe at all online. I don’t know how people can trust those kinds of financial care service, personally I wouldn’t trust those kinds of financial service because it is online. How would you convince people to use those kinds of services?If it’s not faces to face even it is faced to face It would hard to trust them. I would trust the bank more.

Do you have a plan for retirement? Are you on track to entire when you want?

I think everyone will have a plan for retirementandsaving for retirement is like a bonus.And as I said I don’t start working yet so I only have a rough idea about it. When you are start working then you can start thinking about it. Since we are young, we don’t really know about it that much.

What can I realistically do to improve my income level?

Firstly, I would cut on the spending that are not necessary and food, try not to eat out every day.  

What do you think about budget management and financial literacy?

I only know a rough idea about how to manage moneyand having those kinds of education could help us manage well our money and budget in the future

When/where/who were given your pervious financial education? Such as high school lecture, parenting or internet

I think it’s a habit, that I actually I put money in the bank each month and my parents make me do it. Also coming here, I have kind of sense of being responsibility.Parenting, coming here to New Zealand and living by myself and of course I’m majoring at university also teach me a little bit as well and also from my friends as well. I learnt from how they spend their money. I am learning from anyone that come into my life and people around me.

Please rate out of five, with five being the highest, how important it is: to learn about financial literacy at the young age? Why?

I guess it is hard for young people to save money, because we finished high school and we didn’t have responsibility and we didn’t live without parents and have to pay for the rent and stuffs. And when we kind of have our own apartment, living on our own. It is kind of harder to manage the money.

I think 5 because if we don’t know how to management money well then, we would go broke, even thought if we have a lot of income in a year. It would help us if we don’t know how to save up.

From your personal experience, have you ever tried or used any financial education tools to help you learn, manage or understand better about financial management? (such as mobile application, website, or other online learning tool)?

I have a learn about personal saving, but I am more interested in how people investin the financial market, and I have an application, like a game. Financial market. If you want to buy the bond in the market, like the trading game, stock market. Teach you why do we need to trade on FX, how to read the graph, the current changes and we can play and gain point.

If yes, what do you like or dislike about the pervious tool you are using?

High invest, high return. If I work and I didn’t get much paid and I can still play and get money. The thing I don’t like about this application, it is not realistic. I have to pay for more detail.

Please label the cards from top, with top being the most useful tool,

Which tools do you think, it would be the most useful methods to learn or educate yourself about financial literacy?

Parents’ and children’s online learning programs

Financial literacy/ workshop/ tutorial video/ e-learning

Financial Gamification

Financial Control

Financial Calculator

Madi Lowsoponkul

What is your age and current occupation?

16 years old and international student

How do you feel about your finances?

My parents are in control of my finances and I am comfortable with them managing my finance.

Are you saving on a regular basis? Do you think save money wisely is difficult? And why?

Monthly basis because I get paid by my parents every month. Saving money is difficult because when I go shopping, I do not have a budget and I sometimes end up with buying things I don’t really need e.g. when I go grocery shopping, I bought some stuffs that were not even on the shopping list.

Do you have an income and spending plan? How do you manage your finances? Tell me a little bit about your lifestyle of how you spend your money

I don’t really have a spending plan so when I get paid, I spend my money on food, makeup, stationery, room decorations and a lot of clothes.

What tools do you use to help you budget your money? Since childhood till now

When I was in primary school, I used to make a daily table of how much money I receive in a day and how much I spend during the day.The money I saved at the end of the day would go into my piggy bank. Nowadays, I only use “goMoney NZ” from ANZ to look at the transactions I made within a day.

Do you know how much you save or spend each year?

No, I don’t

Are you confident in the way you manage your money and view it as a resource that helps you live your life the way you want? (Financial goals/ plans)

I am not confident with it as I don’t have clear financial goals and plans

Who is the first person you are going to talk with when you have trouble with money?

Definitely my parents

Have you heard about financial care services?

No, I have never heard about it.

What can I realistically do to improve my income level?

Have a budget of what you are spending, have a goal, spend money on things you really need.

What do you think about budget management and financial literacy?

No ideas

When/where/who were given your pervious financial education? Such as high school lecture, parenting or internet

My parents and my agency

Please rate out of five, with five being the highest, how important it is: to learn about financial literacy at the young age? Why?

3?

From your personal experience, have you ever tried or used any financial education tools to help you learn, manage or understand better about financial management? (such as mobile application, website, or other online learning tool)?

No

Please label the cards from top, with top being the most useful tool,

Which tools do you think, it would be the most useful methods to learn or educate yourself about financial literacy

Financial control

Financial calculator

Parents’ and children’s online learning programs

Financial literacy/ workshop/ tutorial video/ e-learning

Financial gamification

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: New Coach 2K19

New Look Sabres! How I miss you so! It’s only been a month and a half, but I really enjoyed writing New Look Sabres and this little break is actually wearing on me. I have a need to blog about the Sabres! I have such a need to blog that you may have noticed I redid the whole blog this appears on and even broadened what I can blog about in terms of hockey. All that is well and good, but nothing beats my good old warhorse, my sweet sweet New Look Sabres! I couldn’t wait for the Draft or the Schedule release, I had to write this: a bonus blog! A bonus blog if anything in Sabres fandom right now can give you that rush of energy that a bonus does. If I am the only thing giving you that bonus rush then so be it. Luckily, I’m writing this mainly because I don’t think I’m the only reason you maybe excited about the Sabres right now. We have a new coach! I touched on Housley’s departure in the Season Retrospective but that was a whirlwind and what feels like forever ago in yet another offseason the Sabres have failed to make the postseason. There’s a new guy in Housley’s old job on the bench and his name is Ralph Krueger! The news first arose over the weekend when Elliotte Friedman first sounded the inside alert that Krueger had rocketed to the front of the pack for the Sabres Head Coaching vacancy. Then he sounded twice as sure it would happen on a radio hit on WGR550 Monday morning. It turned into the waiting game again until Tuesday Night when Friedman went on popular Canadian sports show Tim and Sid to say he thought it was more or less imminent, in his words: it could happen as soon as tomorrow (Wednesday). Then came the bomb from the king of all hockey insiders Bob McKenzie: Ralph Krueger will be named the next head coach of Buf. That’s about as official as you can get without the confirmation tweet from the team account but that came Wednesday morning. It’s official: Ralph Krueger is the 19th Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres.

Before we get into any of the dynamics of this hiring let’s just reflect on how we’ve not had a boring named coach since… Ted Nolan? Think about it: Dan Blysma, Phil Housley, Ralph Krueger. All great names to tell you wife to her bepuzzlement. Anyway, if you know nothing about this guy let me just say one word to you about him. Culture. No just kidding, we’ve been tortured enough in Buffalo; but that was a part of the interview apparently. No, the word on Krueger is he is an open mind. He’s not a math wiz so he’s not an analytics darling but by all accounts he’s far from turned off to it either. He’s a reliable leader but also a tactician not moored to coaching beliefs that haven’t worked since the 1980s. The word communication came a lot in the Press Conference too: communication with his bosses and the players under him. He is apparently such a good motivator of this generation of hockey players that he has helped groups overachieve their expectations time and time again. We could use a little bit of that for the Sabres couldn’t we? Believe it or not, players vouch for him. Imagine that! Tomas Vanek was excited for the Sabres to get him. Tomas Vanek. Let that sink in. Enough about the intangible stuff that is only talk until its proven on the ice next season, what is his actual record? Well, both of his most recent hockey coaching stints were with teams that were not expected to do great. He coached the Edmonton Oilers during the last lockout and did pretty well with the pre-McDavid club. His record there is nothing to gawk at but there are some layers to that onion that end up making you cry tears of joy. He coached Team Europe in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey all the way to the Final with a squad that was basically Leon Draisaitl, Anze Kopitar and a dozen other guys you didn’t realize were Europeans until you read their names on the roster. Just like with the Oilers he coached the team beyond expectations, this time he had a good enough team to give Canada a run for their money. He does special things with groups others see as nothing special and that fits so wonderfully into my narrative on the Sabres that I can’t help but be excited. It’s also worth noting he built a dynasty club team in Switzerland in the 1990s. He’s different than your average NHL coach for several reasons but the biggest and best maybe that he’s not a member of the old boy’s club that seems to still dominate hires in this league. For a Front Office that looked likely to hire Jacques Martin at one point and interviewed Lindy Ruff apparently, that is a huge, a giant confidence booster for fans who were prepared for a doomsday scenario this offseason.

Jason Botterill still has to have a big summer once he gets back from the World Championships, but this is one big sign he’s got his head on straight. Botts wasn’t afraid to tap the shoulder of a guy whose been an executive in the English Premier League for the last several years and that shows some big balls. He’ll need big balls to sign Skinner and do the roster surgery we’ve heard about. That’s right, he’s been in the Premier League as President of Southampton FC. If you got a problem with soccer that’s your flaw but it’s worth noting if he was rumored to come back to the NHL it would be for a Front Office job like President of Hockey Operations. In the presser after the hiring Botterill said the conversations with him were always about being Head Coach. I resist the idea Botts hired his successor, that’s a bit overzealous, but I speculate he was told if the shit doesn’t work again next season for the Sabres he can be bounced upstairs. This guy literally wrote a book on building a successful sports franchise so if that Armageddon comes I am fully prepared for Ralph Krueger to be our Bruce Willis and blow that asteroid to kingdom come! The key here is that he is 59. If things go good enough for him to be around more than two years he’ll probably retire from the job… and get bounced upstairs… ok we’ll sit on that idea. Only games will tell next season if this guy has the stuff, but Krueger is checking all my boxes. There is so much to like about this guy and its hard to really lend credence to individual pieces of information except this idea that he’s well respected around the Hockey world. Other coaches and players, like our old boy Tomas Vanek, vouch for this guy and that feels different from the last few years here. It looks like Chris Taylor will stay in his role and Steve Smith will stay on as an assistant coach. Otherwise you can look forward to Krueger bringing in some other new faces.

Perhaps a known face is what I’m most excited about looking forward here. Understandably Jeff Skinner was supposedly waiting to see who the Coach would be before signing. There are different reports out there locally and nationally but Botts himself said he would meet with Skinner and his agent again after returning from the World Championships later this month. I can’t help but say hurry up. Jeff Skinner is our Stanley Cup this offseason but when I say that I mean it more rhetorically. Getting him to stick around is really the break even point for this offseason. Look out for Botts to make moves before, during and after the draft. He set a bar in the hire announcement press conference that I will not let go of for months to come: “We should be in the discussion for Playoffs.” That’s as close to a guarantee as you’re going to get. Krueger’s phrasing was even more aggressive on that. The work starts now to make sure you got a roster that can do that. I for one am absolutely psyched for what might happen. Like, share and comment on this blog and keep your eyes open for non-Sabres content on this blog as well. I like to think this is a buffet now. Either way don’t expect another New Look Sabres post until June. If Jeff Skinner signs between now and then just know that I am on Cloud 9 about that. Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for reading.

P.S. I didn’t bring up the Rochester Americans because I’m still very much mad at them for getting swept in a postseason they could’ve made the Finals. I’m not sorry.

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Injury Updates for Stastny, Schultz, Andersen; Matheson; Revising Assumptions – October 16

  Let’s get around the league to catch up on some injury and lineup notes.

Paul Stastny’s injury timeline escalated quickly. It went from a few games, to week-to-week, and the latest update now has him missing two months with a lower-body injury.

This is a huge blow for Vegas, a team already missing Nate Schmidt for the next month or so as well. They are a good team but only so many guys missing can be sustained. For now, expect lines from the last couple games to persist, including the power play.

*

Michael Matheson was suspended two games for his hit on Elias Pettersson. Matheson wasn’t overly relevant outside of deeper leagues, but this should make the Panthers rely on their top two defencemen in Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle a little bit more.

*

Justin Schultz is expected to miss at least four months after surgery to repair a leg fracture which occurred Saturday night. Bad news for a guy who turned his career around after being traded from Edmonton.

Something to note is that with Schultz out, Juuso Riikola saw more minutes at five-on-five than Jack Johnson in that game. Riikola also maintained his second-unit PP status. I don’t know if he’ll have much fantasy relevance given that the second unit will clearly be used considerably less, but he played nearly 19 minutes against Montreal. It may not be long until he’s fantasy-relevant.

*

Adam Gaudette was called up by the Canucks given all their injuries, now including Jay Beagle who will miss six weeks. He’ll be slotted on the second line for now in Pettersson’s spot but there’s not much to write home about. It’s more about who takes over Pettersson’s PP spot on the top unit.

*

Nick Bjugstad is being called day-to-day by the Panthers and Denis Malgin took his spot on the top line in Florida for practice. Bjugstad did practice, though, so it doesn’t look like anything serious to worry about.

*

Toronto cruised to a home victory over Los Angels by a 4-1 margin. To be honest, this was probably the best the Kings have looked all year… and they still lost. In particular, the line of Pearson-Kempe-Toffoli looked dangerous all night.

Though the Kings played well, there is so much skill in the Toronto lineup that one mistake is a goal in the back of your net. This happened when Zach Hyman managed to force a play and in the ensuing tic-tac play, Mitch Marner scored from John Tavares. A missed drop-pass intended for Anze Kopitar turned into a 2v1 for Auston Matthews and Kasperi Kapanen. The result was the second goal for Kapanen on the night.

The Los Angeles power play is still a disaster. Why John Stevens won’t just play Kopitar-Kovalchuk-Carter-Toffoli together is beyond me. They deserve what they’re getting.

Garrett Sparks started for the Leafs as Frederik Andersen is day-to-day with a knee injury. It doesn’t seem too serious, but we’ll pass along updates.

*

Speaking of a better effort, Minnesota lost 4-2 in Nashville but they looked much better than they did when they got dumpstered by the Hurricanes on the weekend. The Preds got goals from Mattias Ekholm, Craig Smith (on the power play), and a breakaway marker from Filip Forsberg and Miikka Salomaki. Mikko Koivu and Matt Dumba (PPG) replied for the Wild.

Alex Stalock started instead of Devan Dubnyk.

Forsberg now has four goals and six points in six games to start the year. It’s not the scorching start like some other players but it’s nice to see him get the jump right out of the gate. He’s fully capable of maintaining a point per game this year. Let’s see if he can do it.

*

It was a big night for the Habs offensively. Jonathan Drouin picked up a pair of goals (his first tallies of the year) while Paul Byron, Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Tatar, and Charles Hudon also marked a tally. Tatar had a couple of assists as well in the 7-3 win.

Tomas Plekanec also scored, doing so in his 1000th game in the NHL. Just 17 more to reach 1000 in a Habs uniform.

This Detroit team is bad. Good grief.

*

Maybe Max Lajoie will never stop scoring? He tallied his fourth goal of the season for Ottawa, with Mikkel Boedker, Brady Tkachuk, and Zack Smith adding goals as well en route to a 4-1 win. Ottawa played a pretty even game with Dallas.

Stars coach Jim Montgomery did what he said he was going to do: he pulled his goalie very early, taking Ben Bishop out with just under 8 minutes left. It was an offensive zone draw with his to line. They spent about a minute in the zone and then on an ensuing faceoff in the neutral zone, he put Bishop back in. It’ll be fun to watch this progress through the year.

You can read the math behind optimal goalie pull decisions here.

*

This early in the season is when avoiding panic moves is paramount, same with getting to confident about any player. Monday was Day 13 of the NHL season. Just for a quick revision of how much things can change, the following things were true on Day 13 of the NHL season in 2017-18 (all below via Nat Stat Trick):

Filip Forsberg had five PP points in five games; he had 16 in his next 62 games.

Brandon Saad had six goals in his first six games; he managed 12 in his next 76 games.

TJ Oshie had five goals in his first six games, putting up just 13 more over the balance of his season.

Mike Green had four PP points in his first six games, tallying just nine in his next 60 contests.

TJ Brodie was a point-per-game defenceman through six games but scored just 26 more over the rest of the year.

There are obviously many situations like this but it’s just for a quick reminder about how easily we can get excited about a quick start. If someone manages eight points in five games in the middle of January, no one cares. Do it at the start of the season and fantasy owners get all hot and bothered.

All the same, it’s important to realize as early as possible where your offseason assumptions were wrong and begin adjusting them. In July and August, we have no idea what every lineup will look like. We have to think along with 31 coaches and try the best we can using historical information. I suppose no one really saw Warren Foegele playing alongside Jordan Staal for nearly every minute at five-on-five, but we should start using that as an assumption.

  Here are some other assumptions I’m going to start using for my rest-of-season projections based off what we’ve seen so far this year.

  Jesse Puljujarvi

This was supposed to be the breakout year for Jesse Puljujarvi. He played about a third of a season two years ago, was moved to a middle-six role last year, and this year he was supposed to unleash on the NHL.

Supposed to.

Through three games, Puljujarvi is 10:25 at even strength per game. That’s slightly less than Drake Caggiula (10:28). It’s over four minutes per game less than Ty Rattie (who is now on the top PP unit, by the way). Overall, he’s averaging over a minute and a half less per game this year than 2017-18.

It’s pretty clear Todd McLellan either doesn’t trust him or doesn’t like him. I wouldn’t expect much to change until a new coach is brought in. Maybe he’ll put Poolparty on the top line here soon, as he should, but whether it lasts is unclear. Until further notice, he’s a non-factor for me in 12-team non-keeper leagues.

  Jason Spezza

A new coach presumably meant a new role for the centre in the last year of his contract. At the least, he has been a mainstay on the top PP unit, something he wasn’t last year. As long as that maintains, he should have some fantasy relevance in some leagues.

He’s not being given that much more ice time though, clocking in under 14 minutes a night. That can affect everything from face-off wins, to shot totals, to production. He might have a consistent role on the PP, but that doesn’t mean his role has significantly changed.

It all means this is the end of the road for Spezza and fantasy relevance. He can still be used in deeper leagues but, at best, will be a Joe Thornton-type of fantasy option: lots of assists and PP production but little else. Before throwing him on your fantasy roster, be sure you need what he brings and don’t need what he doesn’t.

  Elias Lindholm

I mentioned this last week, but it appears that Lindholm is pretty much locked on the top line and top PP unit. I know he got moved around a bit, and I have a feeling that will last until the Calgary goaltending settles down, if it ever does. Nothing gets a coach changing his lines like bad goaltending.

Anyway, I’ve adjusted my projections for Lindholm to go from 50% top-line usage to 75%. Same on the PP. It’s added a little over eight points to his final-season tally, bringing him a shade under 60 points, with a similar points projection to wingers like Viktor Arvidsson and Cam Atkinson.

  Jake DeBrusk

Here’s the thing. Anyone who read my stuff in the offseason knows I thought DeBrusk would at least get a crack at the top PP unit. Once it was clear Ryan Donato would start there, I got a little nervous. My preseason projection had DeBrusk spending just 25 percent of his total PP time on the top unit, and his final projection was 12.3 PPPs. It’s not as if I had him being overly-reliant on PP production for fantasy value.

But it’s clear that he’s nowhere near getting to the top PP unit. When Donato was a healthy scratch, Anders Bjork was moved to the top PP unit. When Donato returned, they left Bjork on the top PP unit. That means the assumption should be that DeBrusk is, at best, third in the pecking order to get that coveted fourth-forward spot on Boston’s top power play. In other words, his time there will be extremely limited.

I moved his PP assumption down to 10 percent of time spent on the top unit and it’s dropped two PPPs off his total, bringing my projection for him to 49 total points. Still good, but his fantasy value his starting to be chipped away.

  Thomas Chabot

My preseason projection for Chabot was just a shade under 34 points, right in line with fellow young blue liner Charlie McAvoy, and in the same range as names like Aaron Ekblad and Jeff Petry. In other words, in good company.

But holy crap Chabot has looked great early this year. I’ve admittedly watched more Sens games than I’d like to, but he always stands out. I know the narrative is around Maxime Lajoie, and he is a great story, but Chabot looks every bit the cornerstone defenceman. In return, he’s earned top-pair minutes at even strength and is the top defenceman on the PP (though those minutes are a bit more mixed).

All told, Chabot is playing about four more minutes per game this year than last and he’ll probably earn more as the season goes on. His current scoring pace obviously won’t maintain but he’s driving the bus for the Sens, and I don’t think that stops anytime soon.

  Brent Burns

When the Erik Karlsson trade was announced, the first thing that popped in my head was how this was going to affect the power play. For years, Burns had been the focal point, ripping shots at will. That helped push him over 300 shots per season for three years. My assumption had been that Karlsson would be a facilitator on the PP with Burns retaining his shot-ripping role.

It hasn’t quite worked that way. Burns’s shot rate on the PP is his lowest in a decade, about 25 percent lower than last year. He’s lost about three minutes per game at five-on-five (which I did not anticipate) and concurrently has managed a four-year low in shot rate. Shooting less at all strengths and losing 5v5 minutes to only be playing more on the PK (about two minutes per game more) means that his negligible change in overall TOI from last year (only about 30 seconds less) is misleading. The loss in 5v5 time is almost entirely made up from the increase in PK minutes which is obviously horrific for his production potential.

There is cause for concern here. He’s playing 16:47 per game at even strength. That could lead to a loss of six or seven points alone. Unless that production is made up on the power play, this could be a very down year from what we had been expecting from him. 

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-injury-updates-for-stastny-schultz-andersen-matheson-revising-assumptions-october-16/

[oztrekk]

Tips for getting ready to study in Australia

You’re getting ready to go to Australia. This is a very exciting time!

It’s common to think of the major stuff like getting your student visa, arranging flights, and acquiring accommodation, but there are a few things that sometimes get missed.

Banking

It is recommended that you open a bank account in Australia, either before you leave Canada or as soon as you arrive. #OzTREKKTip: Find out which bank has a branch on your university campus.

Some Australian banks now let international students open an Australian bank account online from overseas up to three months before you arrive—and many OzTREKK students recommend doing this. This way, you can send a wire/telegraphic transfer from Canada to your Australian bank account before you leave home. When you arrive in Australia, the bank will require you to show proof of identification in person at a bank branch.

Your letter from the bank after you’ve opened the account

Your passport

Your student ID or proof of enrolment

Australian mobile number if you have one.

Australia’s major national banks include

ANZ Bank: http://www.anz.com/

Commonwealth Bank of Australia: http://www.commbank.com.au

National Australia Bank: http://www.nab.com.au/

Westpac Bank: http://www.westpac.com.au

Transferring Money

As you are well aware, studying internationally does not come cheap.  Every year we see an increasing number of students learning ways to save money on their foreign exchange. Over the last few years, OzTREKK has been a proud supporter of Cohortpay, an Australian company specializing in international student services. Having met with Cohortpay CEO Mark Fletcher a number of times, we can comfortably attest to the quality of their services and their attention to students. The company is incredibly responsive and our students are treated well—as they should be!

Cohortpay is a secure payment platform designed specifically for students that will save you time and money, converting your education expenses at foreign exchange rates usually only available to large corporations. You just need to make a local bank transfer and Cohortpay takes care of your payment from there.

OzTREKK isn’t any getting any referral rewards—we just really think this is one of the best solutions available for our students!

Tax File Number (TFN) or Tax Identification Number (TIN)

When you apply for your Australian student visa, make sure that you write down your Transaction Reference Number (TFN/TIN) at the end, and save and print copies of the forms and receipts.

A TFN reduces the tax rate you need to pay, and is required if you plan to work in Australia and for lodging tax returns. International students who are enrolled in a course that is longer than 6 months are considered residents for tax purposes.

Organisations such as banks, financial institutions and employers are entitled to ask for your TFN. For more information about TFNs and to apply, go to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website.

It may be necessary for you to file a tax return with the Canadian government for the year(s) you were studying in Australia. Visit the Canada Revenue Agency for more information.

Travel Register

It’s important to think about safety when travelling and while you might be lost in the thrill of it, it’s crucial to take the right precautions. A great idea is your national travel register.

Even if you don’t register and you need emergency consular assistance while in Australia/travelling, the Government of Canada will still help you.

You do not need to register for Registration of Canadians Abroad to receive consular services. The Canadian Consular Services Charter outlines the assistance the Government of Canada can provide in an emergency situation.

The Government of Canada strongly recommends that all Canadian citizens travelling or living abroad sign up for Registration of Canadians Abroad. It allows the government to contact you to provide important information in advance of an emergency abroad and to send you information on how to stay safe and secure as you travel.

The decision to travel is your responsibility, so remember to

find the location and contact information for the Canadian embassy or consulate closest to your travel destination. Always keep this information close at hand while travelling in case you need emergency assistance. P.S. They’re on Facebook, too.

alert your university and your family in Canada of your address in Australia as soon as possible.

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Stay tuned for more OzTREKK Pre-departure Prep Tips! 

[jen-kellen]

I hate the way I am but I don't know how to change it. Like I'm comfortable having literally like 4 friends but having only 4 friends sucks when it's 4 30 AM and everyone is asleep except for me because my brain is running a mile a minute and I just can't stop it long enough to fall asleep myself. I probably couldn't even just talk with one person because the topics that won't leave nme alone are so massively different and coffee with such massive differences is mood it'd give then whiplash. Like how do I go from talking about my writing (confusion, self deprivation, disappointment) to con plans (excitement!!!!!!) to politics (anger, sadness) and more in the spam of one conversation with one person? I already send my 4 friends walls of text enough as it is just to get 1 word replies so really maybe I don't even have 1 friends. I just need life actual proper human interaction but cause of my sleep disorder my fully functional hours are completely different to everyone else I know's and while yeah I could easily chat with my ANZ aquaintences or make some euro friends it's not the same. They aren't going to be able to see me cry or bounce off the walls in excitement or whatever. It's not their fault I know they've got their own stuff to do with school and work and shit but I just cannot physically comprehend being tired at 8 pm and going to bed at 9 like the day has barely started at that point for me. I was about to say I'm horribly touch starved but really I'm horribly starved for any affection at all. The streamer whose channel I hang out in said earlier that it felt like he's known me a lot longer than a year and it is one of the kindest things anyone's ever said about me. I'm just a dumbass insecure introvert that doesn't know how to interact with people and as such no one wants to interact with me and it sucks. If I just vanished no one would notice or care probably.

I don't know what the point of typing this out was. Even if I get the human interaction I need I still probably won't feel much better.

I'm just depressed.

[lengthofropes]

Seven Sentence Sunday

tagged by @evanbi-ckley 🩷✨ thank youuuu! I have no idea what I'm doing but here (that's hopefully gonna be 'what if Tommy never left 118' au piece):

“Not everyone wants to fuck you, okay? You’re thinking too much of yourself, you’re not that special.” Buck tightens his jaw but doesn’t reply to that. And if his face turns somewhat petrified, that’s exactly what Tommy was aiming – for that imp to shut up for once. He turns around and walks out of the locker room, but there’s one more thing he needs to add. Without slowing his pace, he throws his final over the shoulder: “In fact, you’re nothing special at all.” Burn baby, burn.

no pressure tagging @neverevan @steddielations and I'm too shy to tag anyone else but please feel yourself very much tagged if you want to share 😌❤️

[lengthofropes]

[lengthofropes]

“Mess around (a little)”

Rating: Explicit Total words count: 76k It's not that they're idiots. No, they are not stupid at all. They've just become a very good friends. Like, literally. Do you know how good it feels for Steve to finally have someone of his age and gender as an actual friend? Not a complete asshole as Tommy or... weird as Johnathan?! Yeah, exactly. Hawkins is peaceful again, and life goes on, with it's highs and lows. Some consequences aren't that pleasant, but at least they have each other's backs and constant determination to pay off good to one another in equal measure. Not because they feel obligated to, but simply because they care. Because that's what close friends do, right? From sharing secrets to giving favours, things aren't "burning slow", they just... flow. In right direction. And there's nothing criminal with messing around (a little) on the way.

 READ ON AO3 

ALL CHAPTERS GIFSETS

[lengthofropes]

I look at myself in the mirror. These are my arms, my shoulders, hands... I used to know my hands as strong and fast and lethal, and I’ve always thought that’s enough for male hands. I mean… they are, yes. But now I’d add, they are full of care, also. Even gentle. They're good for so many things, I didn't even realize they are so good.

[ x ]   [ x ]

tag list: @donestiel  @sinnabonka - @you-cant-spell-subtext-without - @casthyelle - @saltyghostsworld - @supernaturalcreek - @plantdadcas - @sammy-501 - @dtadeancas - @highvoltagejackles - @subtledean - @kaz2y5baby - @angelic-bee-enthusiast - @gardenforcas - @bimiserables @gabrielle-main @acklesology  @highkey-dysphoric @lila-tom  @teddybluesclues

[lengthofropes]

“Mess around (a little)” [ NOW COMPLETE! ]

Rating: Explicit Total words count: 76 k It's not that they're idiots. No, they are not stupid at all. They've just become a very good friends. Like, literally. Do you know how good it feels for Steve to finally have someone of his age and gender as an actual friend? Not a complete asshole as Tommy or... weird as Johnathan?! Yeah, exactly. Hawkins is peaceful again, and life goes on, with it's highs and lows. Some consequences aren't that pleasant, but at least they have each other's backs and constant determination to pay off good to one another in equal measure. Not because they feel obligated to, but simply because they care. Because that's what close friends do, right? From sharing secrets to giving favours, things aren't "burning slow", they just... flow. In right direction. And there's nothing criminal with messing around (a little) on the way. Chapter 10/10: (I never thought tonight could ever be) this close to me Words: 22k He’s cool and calm. He’s not in a hurry or in a worry. Everything is under control, all is perfectly fine and nothing outrageous is going to happen to him there. His hands are shoved into front pockets of his jeans, thumbs out, and he keeps on humming that unknown melody in completely unperturbed way. He climbs the stairs. He knocks three times and freezes with his fist in the air. Wait. Wait! What the hell is he doing? What… Oh my God, what is he doing??! Burning cold wave of fear washes over his body. Not just some fear, it’s a pure dread of agony! It’s a sheer panic, it’s a disaster! A disaster!! Oh, fucking Christ, what was he thinking??! He’s gonna fucking faint right now! He can’t do this, he fucking can’t, he CANNOT! Shit, he needs to run! He needs to quickly run to his car and drive away from here as quick as possible and never come back! But his legs somehow turned into jelly and there are goosebumps all over his skin, and he’s gonna fucking pass out. Right now! Door slams open, and he nearly jumps over the loud sound. “Hi!” Eddie stares at him, and it looks like all his face is nothing but smile. Shark's smile.

 READ ON AO3 

[lengthofropes]

“Mess around (a little)” [ NOW COMPLETE! ]

Rating: Explicit Total words count: 76k It's not that they're idiots. No, they are not stupid at all. They've just become a very good friends. Like, literally. Do you know how good it feels for Steve to finally have someone of his age and gender as an actual friend? Not a complete asshole as Tommy or... weird as Johnathan?! Yeah, exactly. Hawkins is peaceful again, and life goes on, with it's highs and lows. Some consequences aren't that pleasant, but at least they have each other's backs and constant determination to pay off good to one another in equal measure. Not because they feel obligated to, but simply because they care. Because that's what close friends do, right? From sharing secrets to giving favours, things aren't "burning slow", they just... flow. In right direction. And there's nothing criminal with messing around (a little) on the way. Chapter 8/10: Don't you want me, baby? (Don't you want me? Ooh-oh!) Words: 8,4k Steve lets the final smoke out and puts out the cigarette. He looks so ease now. And he looked the same when Eddie was speaking. Just listening. Without judging, without dramatic exclamations or mocking laugh, like it’s a normal conversation about usual things, not complicated at all. And Eddie thinks, huh, maybe to let a crazy bats bite him nearly to death was a trial good enough to deserve a person like this in his life. “It’s an experiment that got you a looked-for knowledge. Of course, it’s cool. Even brave.” “Yeah? Let’s talk about your experiments, then. Your turn.” Steve inhales and holds his breath. Eddie waits. “Sorry, but I think we kinda should talk about it too. But if you don’t want to – “ “No, you’re right.” Steve exhales and bites his lip. “We should.” Eddie nods, but the dramatic pause still fills the car, despite Steve’s willingness to speak. Pause too long. So, Eddie starts first. “You know what it means, right? What you did. And how you felt about it.” “Mhmm…” “Steve.” “Yeah. I know what it means.”

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“Mess around (a little)” [ NOW COMPLETE! ]

Rating: Explicit Total words count: 76k It's not that they're idiots. No, they are not stupid at all. They've just become a very good friends. Like, literally. Do you know how good it feels for Steve to finally have someone of his age and gender as an actual friend? Not a complete asshole as Tommy or... weird as Johnathan?! Yeah, exactly. Hawkins is peaceful again, and life goes on, with it's highs and lows. Some consequences aren't that pleasant, but at least they have each other's backs and constant determination to pay off good to one another in equal measure. Not because they feel obligated to, but simply because they care. Because that's what close friends do, right? From sharing secrets to giving favours, things aren't "burning slow", they just... flow. In right direction. And there's nothing criminal with messing around (a little) on the way. Chapter 5/10: (if it keeps on raining) Levee's going to break - Words: 5,4k “Can you, umm… Can you put that jacket back on my chest?” “What,” Eddie chuckles. “The blanket isn’t warm enough?” “No, it’s a… It’s just heavy. The jacket. And I –“ He doesn’t know how to explain this. The first time he fell asleep, covered with it lazily in the recliner, was when he smoked with the purpose to stone himself out after a week of continuing nightmares. It was his first horrors-free night. And since then, he’s been sleeping like this. Just like this. And that stupid jacket felt heavy and solid on his chest, like something that can help him not to fall on the floor again. Like something to hold on to, to feel grounded. Like it could cast the monsters away. Maybe it’s because it was a part of his battle outfit, he doesn’t know. But he felt… secure under it. That’s it. How the hell do you explain a thing like that? Eddie crawls onto the bed. He lays down on his stomach over the blanket close to Steve, throwing a hand over Steve’s chest. “That better?” Steve holds his breath and shuts his eyes tight. In few seconds, he manages to swallow down the lump in this throat. “Yeah.” Eddie says nothing, and they just lay like this for some time, in complete silence and darkness. “Steve?” Steve opens his eyes. “Yeah?” “We are heroes.”

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Destiel poetry [21/?] Fall What fell on my shoulders, was fate What fell on your wings, was doubt Maybe, we are both fallen, but lucky enough, being caught by each other >>> for ely @rambleoncas creator celebration