#ending the year by going to a music festival that was all likeminded people and also the artists sang in my homelands language

[spearxwind]

Honestly though sickness aside this was such a fun end of the year for what honestly is probably the best year of my life so far ngl

ive been getting into a lot of different things, having fun, being loved by a lot of people, i really couldnt ask for anything else

[dustedmagazine]

Bryon Hayes’ 2021: Get Your Hopes Up For The Big Let Down

Godspeed You! Black Emperor — G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!

Outside of music, this past year was full of great expectations (the arrival of COVID vaccines) and great disappointments (the rise of omicron). I found solace in Dusted, and specifically getting to know this talented and knowledgeable bunch of likeminded music lovers (I joined the club late into 2020, so 2021 was my first full year with the group). Dusted is a big part of what kept me sane through school closures and my second year of working from home. I’ve learned a lot from this team, who keep my “to listen to” list full with their recommendations of new sounds to explore. To say that I’m proud to be here is an understatement.

Another positive happening in 2021: after over a year of no live music, I managed to catch one show in real life. It was an outdoor event, but my family and I heartily enjoyed the Revival Ensemble’s reimagining of Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite at the Guelph Jazz Festival in the Park. It was refreshing to enjoy real people play real instruments while a real audience danced and moved around to the music. Ted Crosby and his twelve-piece orchestra (which included Nick Fraser on drums and Colin Fisher on the guitar) really brought Ellington’s (and Billy Strayhorn’s) music to life, adding a contemporary flair and going fairly free at times. For someone who hadn’t seen a note of music played live in over twelve months, it was epic.

There also seemed to be far more really good music released in 2021 than I remember happening in past years. The volume was so overwhelming, I was slightly anxious that I was missing out on more music than I consumed. Between record label anniversaries (Three Lobed’s twentieth), solid outings from old favorites (Bill Orcutt and Chris Corsano’s Made out of Sound), new discoveries (Ookii Gekkou from Vanishing Twin), and recently unearthed greatness (that John Coltrane A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle release), solid tunes kept flowing through my ears all year. I also look forward to catching up on all that I missed.

Because there were so many great sounds this year, it’s too hard for me to pick a top ten. So instead of a “top 10” list, I came up with a few lists – all music-related – that I felt I wanted to share with Dusted’s readers.

Record Labels

First off, it seemed that a lot of record labels were batting a thousand in 2021 with their catalog additions. These record labels in particular enticed me to investigate as many of their 2021 releases as I could:

Three Lobed Records

The Jewel Garden

Black Truffle

International Anthem

Astral Spirits and Astral Editions

American Dreams

Feeding Tube Records

Canadian Releases

Also, I noticed that there was an unusually large volume of amazing Canadian records that arrived in 2021, and since I’m a canuck, I feel that I should list my favorites:

Godspeed You! Black Emperor — G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END! (Constellation Records)

Kiwi Jr. — Cooler Returns (Sub Pop / Kiwi Club)

Ducks Ltd. — Modern Fiction (Carpark / Royal Mountain)

Colin Fisher — Reflections of the Invisible World (Halocline Trance)

Nick Storring — Newfoundout (Mappa)

Dr. Joy — Dr. Joy (Idée Fixe)

Outliers — Outliers Tapes (Outlier Communications)

Archival Releases

2021 also seemed like a big year for archival releases. Here are a few that hit my ears multiple times over the year:

John Coltrane — A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle (Impulse!)

Can — Live in Stuttgart 1975 (Mute / Spoon)

Don Cherry's New Researches feat. Naná Vasconcelos — Organic Music Theatre Festival De Jazz De Chateauvallon 1972 (Blank Forms Editions

Dennis Bovell & The Pop Group — Y in Dub (Mute)

Amelia Cuni — Parampara Festival 13.3.1992 (Black Truffle)

Ten More

And finally, while not a “top 10” list per se, the following ten records feature some of the music that made 2021 much brighter for me:

Daniel Bachman — Axacan (Three Lobed)

Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt — Made out of Sound (Palilalia)

William Parker — Mayan Space Station (AUM Fidelity)

The Reds Pinks & Purples — Uncommon Weather (Slumberland)

Smoke Bellow — Open for Business (Trouble in Mind)

claire rousay — A Softer Focus (American Dreams)

James Brandon Lewis & Red Lily Quintet — Jesup Wagon (Tao Forms)

Wau Wau Collectif — Yaral Sa Doom (Sahel Sounds)

Mdou Moctar — Afrique Victime (Matador)

Natural Information Society & Evan Parker — descension (Out of Our Constrictions) (Eremite)

[roleplcyheaux]

DO YOU HAVE ANYMORE IDEAS FOR ALTERNATIVES TO A CHRISTMAS EVENT???

oooh boy! i mean i can definitely try to think of some more! i think it should stated that most of my experience planning events comes from admining town rps so most of these ideas will probably be skewed that way but please feel free to try to make it fit for any group! 

THE ANTI-HOLIDAY EVENT: look, listen, the holidays are exhausting for everyone and there are a lot of people who pretty much despise the holiday season period. why not make an event for the haters? i’m thinking maybe a bar crawl! just imagine the chaosity that could ensue with a bunch of inebriated muses making their way from bar to bar singing whatever the opposite of christmas music is! or a karaoke competition at a popular spot downtown where the only rules are no holiday music or sad songs or it’s immediate disqualification! these could happen shortly before the holidays in character so that muses who are planning to celebrate the holidays with family can have a place to blow some steam and be surrounded by likeminded people before the upcoming festivities!

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL STARVING ARTISTS PLS: an art festival!!!! think about it a concert series with local musicians, a pop-up drive in movie marathon / outdoor movie marathon in the park, a craft fair! there are so many ways to center an event around something artistic that muses can enjoy that doesn’t necessarily have to be holiday related! this is also an easy way to incorporate muses who are artistic into plots too!!! people can have their muses doing something at the festival like either performing or selling their art or providing food and drinks! bonus points if this art festival is happening for a good cause, like maybe the local movie theatre is about to go under and this is the town’s last ditch effort to raise enough movie to save it!

A PLOT DROP OF SOME SORT: something admins can do instead of a standard christmas event is to do some sort of plot drop that characters ( and muns ) can use to push along plotlines or maybe shake things up and start new ones for their muses! i think one of the standard ones people tend to do is like a storm or some sort of natural disaster but it’s 2020 and we’re all kinda tired of irl natural disasters so maybe more out of the blue and leaning toward ridiculous but still have some stakes for people to decide how much or how little it’ll effect their muse??? like what if a wild animal gets loose in the town? or there is a group of high school trouble makers going around and breaking into homes a la bling ring style? or maybe it’s a series of mysterious graffiti showing up everywhere? you can have fun with it! 

HANUKKAH EVENT: i’ve already suggested this in my last one but i’ll suggest it again. do whatever you were going to do for a christmas event but center it around hanukkah instead! were you gonna have a christmas fundraiser ( ball / party / gala )? make it a hanukkah one instead! were you gonna do a christmas tree lighting? make it a menorah lighting instead! did you know that hanukkah is often known as the festival of lights? you could literally have an event centered around that concept alone! friendly reminder that hanukkah starts on the 10th this year and ends on the 18th! 

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE BABYYYYY: you know what i miss from 2012 rps??? random af unhinged au events that literally made no sense but were still so much fun! it’s the holidays and usually most groups tend to go on hiatus or like an extended break where activity doesn’t count around this time so people can be with their families but this year i think a lot more of us will be around so why not do something fun that only lasts the duration of said hiatus or little break ( or just a regular event worth of time if your group doesn’t do that!) i’m think TEN YEARS INTO THE FUTURE AU ( typically people pick older fcs for their current muses and rp what their lives in the future is looking like ), or a good ole fashion GENDER SWAP AU ( typically people pick fcs of a different or opposite gender for their muse ), or if you’re a normal non-spn group a SUPERNATURAL AU ( characters get to be mythical creatures ) or if you’re a spn a ( OPPOSITE AU where like human charries get to be supernatural and all the supernatural characters are human! ). listen ANY TYPE OF AU REALLY GOES THESE ARE JUST THE POPULAR ONES I REMEMBER FROM BACK IN THE DAY!

ASK YOUR MEMBERS: you can’t go wrong by asking what your members would like to see instead of the standard christmas event! i’ve never adminned a group where members don’t have opinions and ideas. i promise if you just asked them they would probably be able to give you far more creative ideas than little ole me and that are probably better suited for your groups since they are actually there and know what would work and what wouldn’t

[misedejem]

I wrote 75 headcanons about Kannao

25 for Kanji, 25 for Naoto, 25 for them as a couple

Why?

Why not.

 Kanji Tatsumi

1.     He does actually need glasses, but he was hesitant to ask for contacts, so he spent most of P4 struggling to see until Naoto brought up that he looked like he was having a hard time. He wore contacts for a bit, but eventually he just stuck to glasses.

2.     The scar on his head was a source of speculation for the other members of the Investigation Team for years, because he never cared to explain, resulting in some very wacky theories. Eventually they found out it was just from a fight with a gang member, but considering he got it when he was twelve, the story is still pretty interesting.

3.     He hates mentioning medical stuff to anybody, but he’s prone to fainting spells out of nowhere. Thankfully, it never happened in the TV, which several members of the IT very angrily said to him when he blacked out in front of them one day.

4.     He’s the spitting image of his father, only with shorter hair. He could never let it grow out for that reason.

5.     He’s the only one from the Investigation Team B to go to college. He studies textiles and trains to become a teacher in Tokyo. He ends up being an art teacher at a middle school.

6.     He’s actually pretty good at literature and humanities subjects, though he struggles applying those skills in a school setting until a teacher who hasn’t given up on him yet helps him through them.

7.     Rise forced him to take dance classes the minute he moved to the city because he was ‘super good at it dammit’. Ditto the drums. He can sing too, but she’s not allowed to know that.

8.     He actually just tends to go along with Rise’s plans a lot, partially because he knows her well enough to know stopping her is futile, and also because she understands his tastes very well once she learns what they are

9.     He doesn’t dislike the way he used to dress in high school, but it wasn’t quite him. It needed more cuteness, and softer colours, which is how he started to dress once he graduated high school.

10.  The black hair and glasses stay forever, but when he’s sewing, he still wears his hair pushed back. Yukiko gave him a hairband for it when she noticed him growing slowly more irritated with it getting in his eyes.

11.  As well as his nose and ears, he also gets an eyebrow piercing in college.

12.  He manages to make a small group of friends in college, with his course being the perfect way for him to find likeminded individuals who applaud his skills rather than shunning them

13.  Kanji is the best cook in the Investigation Team. His baking skills, especially, are exemplary.

14.  He has an online, worldwide store where he sells his plushies and the occasional drawing and outfit. He’s semi-fluent in English by the time he graduates college, so when Naoto travels abroad sometimes he goes too and hits up the conventions.

15.  Ann is his go-to model once they meet. He helps her with outfits for a college final once and they work together so well that she sticks with him.

16.  The reason Koromaru dislikes him is that he can tell he’s kinda rough with physical affection. He doesn’t realise it for the longest time because nobody points it out. He is really good with animals otherwise though, and he’s also really good with kids.

17.  He’s a back-up fighter for the Shadow Ops should they need him, by virtue of being married to their resident detective.

18.  The main reason he keeps training his body though is actually because Chie is determined to beat him at arm wrestling one day, and he’s too proud to let anyone win without a fight.

19.  When Naoto’s cat, Mochi, had kittens, he got to name the one they kept. His name is Pocky. He has a little leather jacket that Kanji painstakingly crafted one night when he couldn’t sleep.

20.  He needs a lot of alcohol to get drunk (which makes nights out with the IT interesting for him, given that the others are all serious lightweights)

21.  If you give him a life sim, especially that one with the cute animals, you will not see him again for days at a time. He’s not huge on video games, but life sims will take over his life

22.  Even if he does retreat into a cave to build a pristine village though, he will still probably emerge with a smooth face because he doesn’t grow facial hair very easily. He can, but it takes a while.

23.  He can’t sleep as easily unless he’s holding something soft.

24.  The easiest time to get him to speak his mind about certain things is when he’s sick and more vulnerable, which doesn’t happen very often. For example, the IT had no idea their jokes at his expense bothered him until he confessed it while extremely out of it on cold medication one time. He doesn’t remember saying it either, but he did notice they were more sincere with him after that.

25.  Everybody in the Investigation Team ends up facing their Shadow again in their adulthood, but by the time Shadow Kanji returns, Kanji has become so accepting of the self the Shadow had represented in the past that he takes on a completely different form. Naoto is the only other person with this same experience.

Naoto Shirogane:

1.     By the time they stop growing, Naoto is nearly 5’1” and they absolutely make it a point to let their friends know

2.     They don’t really know how to look after their hair at all, hence the cap and general messiness. They tend to forget about it until it becomes too long and gets all tangled.

3.     They’re very accident prone, and are covered in a lot of scars from their childhood. The worst one though is one on their back from that time Sho stabbed them at Junes.

4.     One of said scars came from their neighbours’ huge dog biting them when they were five. To this day, they’re still absolutely terrified of big dogs.

5.     They’ve experienced panic attacks for most of their life, though they occur less frequently as an adult.

6.     They resemble their mother more than their father, but the height comes from the Shirogane side. Grampa Shirogane was quite small as well.

7.     They are the only member of the Investigation Team who can tolerate Rise’s cooking. The others suspect potential spice immunity.

8.     As well as piano and ballroom dance, they were also trained in a choir as a child, but fell out of favour with it in their teens. The Velvet Siblings hold a final Theatre Showdown with their guests in 2019, and this is when Naoto fully rediscovers their musical side again.

9.     If you ask Naoto how much those specially tailor-made clothes cost, they will mumble and then change the subject

10.  Naoto returns to Yasogami as a full-time student in third year after Mitsuru enrols Labrys in the school out of nowhere, intent on investigating her motives.

11.  They hold the school’s record for highest graded paper for decades. It was on Sherlock Holmes.

12.  Naoto has written a lot of Sherlock Holmes fanfiction as a kid. The others are aware this exists, but are not allowed to read it.

13.  They don’t attend college after graduation, but don’t have much time to figure out what they will do. The mental shutdown incidents begin the same year, and Naoto decided to help the Shadow Operatives with it as much as possible.

14.  Naoto hates the title ‘detective prince’, and actively tries to shed it. Akechi was a godsend in that light.

15.  They actually hate the media’s attention in general but figured that they may as well use the platform they have for a good cause. They want to be the kind of person they needed to see on TV as a kid, but they very vocally opposed the ‘detective prince’ crap until it ended – which it did quite abruptly when the truth about Akechi came out.

16.  Much of what Goro Akechi likes, he got from Naoto’s indirect influence, from the way he dresses to knowledge of that jazz club in Kichijoji. They’re more of a regular there than he is.

17.  Rise set them up on social media, but they don’t really get how to use it. Their fans discovered it though, so they still have a fair number of followers.

18.  Naoto has a slight friendly rivalry with the people who run a local escape room place. Their goal as a company is to one day leave Naoto stumped.

19.  Naoto doesn’t actually like coffee. Too bitter. Tea is their go-to.

20.  They got a standard-size motorcycle at eighteen but doesn’t drive a car. Yakushiji and Kanji refuse to let them behind the wheel.

21.  After becoming comfortable with their childish side once again, they became openly enamoured once more with Neo Featherman, and have a lot of very expensive figures on display in their house. They even cosplayed at a convention once with some of Kanji’s college friends (though it was difficult to convince them to do it)

22.  Yosuke was paid back all the money the IT owed him shortly after Naoto joined the team and discovered they were mooching from him. Yosuke doesn’t know for certain where it came from.

23.  They adopted a kitten they named Mochi in 2017, who they found abandoned outside a supermarket (in an old box that had contained a shipment of mochi, hence the name). She’s an orange tabby, and she became something of a comfort animal when Naoto was at their lowest.

24.  Their grandfather died from an illness in early February 2017. They didn’t handle his loss well, and they ended up falling into a depression that they never really came out of, though they weren’t able to admit that they weren’t okay. It was an encounter with their Shadow that eventually led to them seeking help.

25.  While they’re still a Private Detective in theory, most of the work they do following the events of P5 are Shadow-related. The Shirogane Agency became one of the Shadow Operatives’ closest allies. Makoto Niijima is currently doing an internship there (they met after the Phantom Thieves helped the SOs deal with another incident in Tokyo in 2018)

Kannao

1.     Naoto ‘came down with a fever’ around the time of the Love Meets Bonds festival that had absolutely nothing to do with their friend Kanji suddenly seeming way cooler than before.

2.     The ‘fever’ got worse when they started having classes together in school, and Naoto agreed to help Kanji with his college entrance exams.

3.     At this point Kanji had kinda accepted his feelings existed, but were unrequited, and that he didn’t want that to interfere with their friendship. Naoto was one of the only people who really got him, and he didn’t want to lose them so soon after building a rapport with them. Little did he know.

4.     Naoto was the first one to eventually confess, once Rise, Yu, Grampa, Nanako, several books and google searches, and a random stall vendor at the summer festival in their hometown had convinced them that the weird feeling in their chest wasn’t actually an illness. They did it in the summer of 2013, at said festival.

5.     They were also the first one to say they were in love. The realisation hit them one day as they were watching Kanji play a cute life-simulator game in his college dorm.

6.     While they’re no longer awkward around each other all the time, there are ways they can still make the other very flustered. For example, with Naoto, it’s any time Kanji is wearing a suit.

7.     They got married at Christmas in 2019. Kanji had a proposal planned. Naoto misread the vibe and proposed early and spontaneously on the day he had planned to, though he still got to go ahead with his as well.

8.     Kanji doesn’t really like PDA. They get a lot of people staring at them anyway because of how they look, or because Naoto is recognisable from the TV, and he doesn’t want to make the stares worse. In private though, he’s the more affectionate one.

9.     Naoto accidentally fuelled the rumours that ‘Kanji Tatsumi is in a biker gang’ again when they first started dating by parking their motorcycle outside the textile shop. Ma Tatsumi was quick to tell anybody who questioned it that it belonged to her son’s significant other long before she was supposed to know they were dating

10.  Kanji keeps forgetting to specify which number in his phone is for Naoto’s personal phone and which is for work, which has lead to such wonderful anecdotes as ‘I accidentally hired a private investigator to fix my broken car’

11.  They’re both used to the other bolting upright in bed at 3am because they’ve had an idea for a new pair of socks for the cat, or another hypothesis for a case. Naoto also wakes up quite a bit due to nightmares.

12.  They lived together with the rest of the Investigation Team since 2016, but they don’t get an apartment as just the two of them until the year they get married. It doesn’t take long before there is an entire room in that apartment filled from floor to ceiling with toys.

13.  Kanji is much tidier and more organised than Naoto, even though Naoto isn’t bad, so he’s the one who figures out where things should go. Decorating the house is his favourite thing

14.  They are the unparalleled board-game kings. Somehow, they’re an unstoppable force of nature when paired together for them.

15.  Surprising everyone, Naoto is the more likely of the two to use pet names. They are the only person who won’t be threatened if they call him ‘Kan-chan’.

16.  Before it became common knowledge amongst Naoto’s fanclub that Kanji was their boyfriend, they thought he was their bodyguard. (The Risette fandom had the same idea)

17.  Kanji never helped that rumour die, considering that when the media tries to shove cameras into Naoto’s face, he yells obscenities and gets in the way until the footage is unusable.

18.  They have a daughter in 2025, when Naoto is 30 and Kanji is 29. She’s named Chihiro, mostly because it’s like a phonetic portmanteau of Kanji’s father’s name (Koichi Tatsumi) and Naoto’s grandfather’s (Yasuhiro Shirogane). But also, that was the name of the actor who played Naoto’s favourite version of Feather Swan. Naoto isn’t creative enough to come up with a portmanteau.

19.  They are each 80% of the other’s impulse control

20.  Naoto couldn’t care less that Kanji isn’t the brightest, despite common misconception. The Shirogane family, and the people who work for it, always placed emphasis on a person’s intelligence (hence Yu’s requirement for a lot of knowledge to start the Fortune link) but Naoto is strongly opposed to that mindset. To them, it’s freeing to have somebody around who doesn’t want to be an intellectual 95% of the time.

21.  They are very private when it comes to their relationship, to the point that sometimes even friends or colleagues have no idea what’s going on in their lives until it’s let slip somehow. When Junpei and Yukari – the Shadow Ops Naoto worked with the least - found out they were expecting, it first had to be explained to them that they’d been married for five years.

22.  They sometimes get mistaken for father and son at restaurants until their early thirties, to which point Naoto will make a scene of ordering a lot of alcohol to prove they’re old enough. Naoto can’t really handle booze.

23.  They’re really bad at making face to face announcements about anything big to their friends, so they always find some way to do it elaborately instead. They told the IT they were having a kid, for example, through a series of puzzles put together by Naoto

24.  Kanji loves making couples costumes and outfits, but then gets too embarrassed to wear them

25.  Naoto is a fiend for stealing Kanji’s clothes as pyjamas. They are large and warm, and when they’re travelling for work, they remind them of him. It got to the point where Kanji would pack a shirt of his secretly in Naoto’s suitcase, knowing that’s why his clothes always went missing.

[jacobmellor]

Chapter 4

What was once seen as a bit of a challenge, an opportunity to show that there may be a different way of thinking or doing had recently been getting me down. I spoke to mum about it and her response was perfect, “most stuff is pointless really”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lib7w9AdDMY

9 months ago I left my bicycle in Da Nang, central Vietnam. That was me leaving my normal. I was stagnant, progressing through places but not really progressing personally.

Stepping out into the unknown was a really amazing step. Me, Jethro and Felipe rode our shitbox motorbikes costing a maximum of $200 across the country together. Each one a Chinese fake, bald tyres, oil leaks, broken lights, broken fuel gauges, dodgy speedos. They were constantly falling over, breaking down, making strange noises, running out of petrol. Locals gesturing they were going to explode any minute, laughing at us as they pulled out of the service station on their real Honda Waves. Well these shitboxes carried us all the way through that amazing country. Through the scorching heat, the torrential rain, over mountains, along bone shaking roads and survived an actual fucking tornado. Every second was priceless.

And upon arriving in Hanoi I quickly stumbled across a group of crazy awesome likeminded people and rented a big mad house together. A family of travellers. We hosted other travellers, ran a free community English class from the living room and taught English in kindergartens for a bit of money. Together we enjoyed everything that wonderful city has to offer.

With the cost of living so cheap and the wage for teaching English so good, we had time to do or not do. Anything, everything and nothing was possible. Sampling tasty food, playing music, painting, busking, yoga, going to festivals, trips to the islands, finding skyscrapers to climb, joining a football team, taking photos, going to circus, we did it all and more. But the centre of our world which we always enjoyed returning home to was our roof terrace. THE ROOF. Coming in from those manic streets you were instantly transported to a tranquil ish bubble surrounded by air cleaning plants and the smell of drying clothes and marijuana. The walls, tables, doors, and hanging clothes were all covered in our art and any space in between was filled with Jerome’s chilled music. Freedom. The little cherry on top of it all was Hien, our incredible Vietnamese housemate full of traditional culture and fire. At first it was a struggle to cope with our western ways but soon she blossomed into this inquisitive lover of life, opening a business teaching Vietnamese to expats, telling her parents she didn’t want to get married, yet, and trying simple things we take for granted like drawing or watching and dancing to live music for the first time. She lived in the room beneath, always keeping us in check. Check Check!

Around Christmas time everybody had made plans for something else, it’s not something to do forever, that Hanoi life, the city as I said is manic. And polluted. I was seeing family in Australia, Stef was hitching and busking back to Italy, Askar was going to Thailand to carry on his amazing journey of travelling without money. Vika and Yura back to Russia to make music, Xsenia and Pavel would carry on busking and travelling around Asia. Nick to Ukraine to meet a girl he’d met in Hanoi, Daniel to Perth to see family, leaving just Jerome and Hien in the house. But before leaving we all spent Christmas Day in Hiens home town, met her family and enjoyed a big dinner together. It was a perfect way to finish.

On the plane to Australia I cried knowing that I would see my family for the first time in 3 years, but also because I was leaving my newly found family and Masha, the woman I’d fallen in love with behind.

My mum and dad, are older, greyer but still the same people at heart, it was surreal to see them after so long. A few weeks spent relaxing, eating and just hanging out with the folks like normal. I’m very lucky. I’m also so thankful that they are happy knowing I’m happy, I couldn’t ask for anything more. It wasn’t so sad leaving them again, just sad to leave those avocado, poached egg, smoked salmon on toast breakies in the cafe.

I hitched from Sydney to Melbourne and back again and then up to Newcastle for a tree planting job. All the time planning on returning to Vietnam and Masha. I asked Daniel to come and help with the job seeing how he was in Oz, he needed money and it would be nice for him to learn how to plant. Just like that, we were planting 15,000+ native grasses by hand, the perfect job for one of the most inspiring families I’ve ever met. I’d been introduced to Paul, Tanya and sons over a year earlier when with Russ. We stayed at their house a couple of nights but never had the chance to fully get to know each other. Paul is working in construction, but has always challenged himself with amazing/insane adventures, living on the edge, sometimes even falling over the edge, but it doesn’t matter, he smashes through everything with his can do attitude and refusal to fail. After his wife died of cancer, he rode his bike to the very northerly point of Australia and kayaked, fucking kayaked to Papa New Guinea. Aaaaaand raised a shit ton of money for charity in the process. Wow, and then there is Tanya. Like us she is definitely a traveller at heart, hitching Europe and Turkey in the, I think 80’s, maybe 90’s. She’s not old old! One of the most open minded easy to talk to people in the world, she fuelled a love for horses by working in stables in different countries. After realising professional riding wasn’t for her and just going with the flow she now sculpts for a living and has life size bronze works on display across Australia. Being creative and doing what she is passionate about! If these guys aren’t an example of following what you love and achieving everything you put your mind to, I don’t know what is.

I’d booked my flight back to Hanoi from New Zealand, because first I wanted to hitch on a boat and do a bit of cycling in real nature before returning to Masha and Hanoi. And I guess this is where that feeling of pointlessness has come from. I couldn’t find a boat and things haven’t worked out with Masha. I’m not really used to things going against me, I’m used to things being hard, I can deal with that, but all of a sudden my dream of sustainable travel seemed up in a big fossil fuel guzzling cloud of aeroplane smoke as I bailed and flew to NZ. The fact the relationship ended multiplied this feeling ten fold, I felt lost. Instead of doing what I’d done previously, enjoying the journey for what it was, riding the waves, embracing the challenge, learning from the mistakes, going with the flow, smiling at the punctures or the breakdowns, or the bad weather, shitty road, lack of food. I got down.

I was riding but not riding, my head was stuck up in that cloud. But New Zealand is so bllllllloody beautiful that it’s actually difficult not to live in the moment when your surrounded by so much breathtaking scenery. And then I met cyclists Ryan and Dee, an awesome friendly couple from England, with the positive vibe returning I’m starting to find apples everywhere, and people are giving away the best tastiest pinkest peaches you can imagine. I stayed a few nights with a girl who loved to bake. Scones, banana bread, apple + blackberry pie, a loaf of bread and then leaving and discovering a home made quiche she’d woken up early to bake and put with my lunch. Last night I stayed with a family of 6, the dad Chris had cycled from the top of the north island to the bottom of the South Island. 3000km along rough trails in 22 days. Their 3 teenage daughters outwitting me in every conversation and then waking up this morning to watch their 11 year old average sized son devour 8 weetabix, his response, “I do a lot”. Needless to say, I feel good, I feel high on life. I already thought I should write a post whilst I was riding into town this morning. And then waiting for me was a message from a profile I’d made on a boating website months ago, I have just received an email asking if I want to crew a marine biology sailing yacht to Fiji and back.

I’m not saying that being positive or living in the moment had anything to do with the boat, it didn’t. The thing on the boat may never even materialise. I’m just saying that everything is always alright in the end, so no point getting down and worrying about it. You are doing what feels right, that’s all that matters.

So yes most stuff is pointless, my pointless thing is to challenge misconceptions and push boundaries, what’s yours?

[sissearchkittpu-blog]

Speed dating opera bar

Speed Dating Tonight! — Fargo Moorhead Opera Cartoons and has a date from him.  And, as one of the most established clubs in the city, this city centre venue is the perfect setting for our exclusive Cardiff speed dating events.  Ramana nanda parbat, and i norge humor about her hobbies, and steal was gone a figure is hosting a lot of the site.  This hilarious one-act opera introduces you to the stereotypical daters you might expect while speed-dating: the liar, the cheat, the drama queen, the nerd, and so on.  Looxy dating methods desert, watch hot post-baby in the premier bodyguard.  So, for those wanting to cease the day by popping along to one of our upcoming Newcastle speed dating events in the area and seeing how such events can open up a wealth of opportunities to you in the world of love, we welcome you and look forward to meeting you very soon! The goal is to have a hundred options--new dates are commissioned every year.  All Bar One situated in Guildford is a stylish city bar where you can catch up with friends, unwind after work or simply find a sophisticated space to indulge in an excellent selection of food and drink - the perfect venue to hold Guildford Speed Dating events! The length of time spent with each of the people you meet at a speed dating event is determined by the organizers.

Vegan Speed One Act Comic Opera Music and Words by Michael Ching Based on a concept by Dean Anthony This modern opera, written in 2013, portrays an imaginary speed dating night at a bar.  Also, think about what message you want to present on a with ten or more people.  Boasting ten elegant booths, spacious seating, and an exquisite, fully stocked island bar, and located just a short walk from Central Station, Bonbar really does deliver something rather special when it comes to city centre venues.  Each pair had five minutes to generate a spark with the person sitting across from them.  The floor to ceiling windows across three floors and lovely outside terraces do the incredible views justice.

Elite Speed Dating Charbonneau plans to run several more events in northern California over the next few months.  Most speed dating companies will give you a sheet of paper with spaces for each person's first name and a tickbox next to it.  As experts in our domain, we like to keep things creative in the world of speed dating and strive to remain on trend with what our speed daters want and like and most importantly, offer something different to the rest of the run of the mill speed dating hosts in the wider Sheffield area.  Like all of our venues across the United Kingdom, our Exeter speed dating events are full to the brim with likeminded, gorgeous singles living, working and socialising in the local Devon area; great news if you want to see how speed dating works as a method of dating and you are foot loose and fancy free! The opera is by Michael Ching.  Translink is a woman looking to sports news, and those using neo4j.  Crisp, fresh interiors with statement mirrors hanging on the walls, stunning, bespoke lighting hanging from the ceilings and comfortable Chesterfield sofas scattered across the roomscape, Circo really is the go to destination for those seeking a luxury venue in Bath.

Speed Dating Tonight! — Fargo Moorhead Opera Its experienced venue staff and our knowledgeable and friendly Slow Dating hosts alike look forward to inviting you to one of our upcoming Leicester speed dating events for a fun filled evening like no other at this contemporary city centre venue! But if the location is upscale, trendy or high-end, make sure to choose your clothes accordingly.  Hosting events at this uber trendy venue, Slow Dating are delighted to be working closely with the Pitcher and Piano in providing a chic, elegant and sophisticated venue to our wealth of keen Nottingham singletons all on the search for their perfect match.  Since we began holding our singles evenings at Circo, ticket sales have boomed, speaking volumes about the popularity of our events as well as the venue itself.  And the end of the night you'll be asked to hand in this paper.  The Pan-Asian food is served to share and dishes are brought steadily to the table creating an informal yet sophisticated style of eating and drinking - the best way to enjoy the taste sensation that is Chino Latino.  It is certainly intellectually stimulating.  The relaxed bar offers you calmness to minimise any nerves you may be having.

Speed Dating TONIGHT! This 90-minute show brings 25 characters together, 3 minutes at a time.  Mithra in north-eastern europe singles in denver catholic christianity in Loans participating in 2000.  Simply grab yourself a ticket to one of our upcoming events and see what Cupid has in store for you, it really could be the best decision you ever make! She's a biggy too with 130 covers internally and a jaw dropping 80 covers externally overlooking the marina ya.  They will look after you and take care of everything.  Plus with its beautiful panoramic views of Exeter Cathedral and amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, Coal Grill and Bar is not only chic, trendy and vibrant, but also a modern spacious venue in an enviable city centre position, perfect for Exeter speed dating.

What to Do, What to Wear and How to Act on a Speed Date If the Valentine's round of speed dating doesn't yield any hook ups, they'll be other chances for those seeking a veggie connection.  If someone else showed interest that you were also interested in, the speed dating company will then provide the two of you with some form of contact information usually email to initiate another date.  With an enviable cocktail bar, two ultra large outdoor terraces, beautiful atrium skylights and an impressive Funktion One sound system, this contemporary bar, club and restaurant in unrivalled when it comes to style and class.  Showcasing a beautiful decor, this hand selected venue has everything you need to have a fantastically fabulous evening.  For example, the cat lover can be male or female; high, middle, or low voice.  Join us at The Wine Bar to meet local singles in this fun, immersive experience.  An ongoing project, the original twenty-five daters has been expanded to nearly fifty.

Speed Dating Tonight! Opera Kcci spoke to your best restaurants chaleureux.  With the basement bar being open every Saturday from 10 pm.  Our speed dating evenings are guaranteed to get the singletons of Reading chatting, flirting and their hearts racing as our events tick all the right boxes when it comes to looking for love, laughter and a bit of fun.  Guildford offers a little something for everyone, the idlystic country life, while not being too far from city life.  They are easy to find as we are situated on the river over looking Welsh Back.

Speed Dating at The Wine Bar Plus, why restrict yourself to one first date when you could enjoy multiple in one single evening? So by being as comfortable as you can, you'll be secure in knowing that everyone else you are meeting is seeing the real you, and if they want to meet you again outside of the speed dating event, it is because they are genuinely interested.  With breaks, our events tend to last up to 2 to 3 hours.  The basement can also be hired for up to 150 for a private hire or a cocktail making master class for that special Birthday or Hen Party celebration.  The dining experience falls nothing short of delectable, whether their it's for early brunch, dining late with friends and family or simply popping in to rest your feet while you enjoy a coffee.  They opened Toto's over 3 years ago and thanks to our customers, word spread around.

Elite Speed Dating Las Iguanas is a tasty addition to the dining quarter at Festival Place shopping centre, located next to Festival Square and just a samba away from the cinema! Occasionally you will meet a few more and sometimes fewer than this.  And when you are trying to get to know the speed daters all around you, we think this setting is ideal to put your mind at ease and let you enjoy the full-filled experience ahead of you.  Our speed dating events in the area remain ever popular and we receive fantastic feedback year upon year, so why not try it for yourself? After each individual speed date, write down the person's name who you just met. If the location is casual and laid-back, to that place.  Sacramento has an active social community with a vegan Facebook , vegan meet-ups and events like and Sacramento.  The composer will adapt the score for varying numbers of singers, voice types, genders and lengths of time through cutting, reordering or transposing keys.

‘Speed Dating Tonight’: Operatic musical chairs for lovers » Albuquerque Journal Featuring our , this show returns for another season but with all new dates! If dating singles are bisexual or seeking a same-gender relationship, there are several options to connect, according to the Find Veg Love site.  And because we know what works, we snapped this venue up in an instance to ensure Slow Dating delivered the very best singles events in the city, month upon month.  The weekends get very lively, the volume of people who join them for their much loved events keep coming back, knowing what to expect and enjoying their entire evenings with them till the small hours of the next day.  Most speed dating companies range from three to ten minutes per date, with the entire evening's dates lasting approximately two or three hours.  So, why not pop along to one of our upcoming speed dating events in the Bath and join in the fun.

[mango2kw-blog]

Gay Pride London is a massive event that has continued to grow since its inauguration in the 70s.

Gay Pride London is a massive event that has continued to grow since its inauguration in the 70s movies online While raising awareness on gay rights issues is still high on the agenda, today's festivities are less likely to show protest than at the time of its establishment; instead of an atmosphere of celebration, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities in London hitting streets and partying in the evening. The Gay Pride in London is usually held on the first weekend of July, which means it makes most of the excellent summer weather in England. If you want to go to the city for this festival, staying in one of many London hostels proves the best way to save money and discover other likeminded travelers. Every London hostel tends to be booked all the time, so it should be booked well if possible. History of Gay Pride in London Gay Pride in London was first held in 1972, when 2,000 people attended. Since then, the event has grown, both in terms of attendance and activity, with various presentations, such as political speech and dragging competition, plus the initial procession. Gay Pride London actually took off in 2004, when a new body (Pride London) was held to oversee the celebration party. One of the characteristics of the London Pride venture has been to use London's outer space, with Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Soho Square all featuring annual trips. Celebrations The main event in London Gay Pride needs to be the march itself. Starting at Baker Street at 1 pm, he entered Oxford Street, and then headed to his retreat, Trafalgar Square. Needless to say, Trafalgar Square is an organized activity nest, and slowly swells in increasing numbers throughout the day. Coming in the night, many participants go to one of the two or three main events organized by the party and drink and dance the night. However, it is a mistake to see events as a day of activity. Gay Pride London actually lasted for weeks, with an art festival, a music concert and a political debate that took place for 14 days leading up to the march itself. As a result, early July is a very exciting time to be in London, especially (though not only) if you belong to the LGBT community. Stay in London For members of the LGBT scene, London is a homely place, and you will get a lot of speeches, gatherings, and nightlife that are specific to the scene throughout the year you arrive. The East End and Kings Cross areas are known as epicenters of the scene, though you will find dedicated bars and clubs throughout the city. Ask at reception at your London hostel to find out more.

[swtch-blog1]

Gay Pride London is a massive event that has continued to grow since its inauguration in the 70s.

Gay Pride London is a massive event that has continued to grow since its inauguration in the 70s free porn While raising awareness on gay rights issues is still high on the agenda, today's festivities are less likely to show protest than at the time of its establishment; instead of an atmosphere of celebration, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities in London hitting streets and partying in the evening. The Gay Pride in London is usually held on the first weekend of July, which means it makes most of the excellent summer weather in England. If you want to go to the city for this festival, staying in one of many London hostels proves the best way to save money and discover other likeminded travelers. Every London hostel tends to be booked all the time, so it should be booked well if possible. History of Gay Pride in London Gay Pride in London was first held in 1972, when 2,000 people attended. Since then, the event has grown, both in terms of attendance and activity, with various presentations, such as political speech and dragging competition, plus the initial procession. Gay Pride London actually took off in 2004, when a new body (Pride London) was held to oversee the celebration party. One of the characteristics of the London Pride venture has been to use London's outer space, with Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Soho Square all featuring annual trips. Celebrations The main event in London Gay Pride needs to be the march itself. Starting at Baker Street at 1 pm, he entered Oxford Street, and then headed to his retreat, Trafalgar Square. Needless to say, Trafalgar Square is an organized activity nest, and slowly swells in increasing numbers throughout the day. Coming in the night, many participants go to one of the two or three main events organized by the party and drink and dance the night. However, it is a mistake to see events as a day of activity. Gay Pride London actually lasted for weeks, with an art festival, a music concert and a political debate that took place for 14 days leading up to the march itself. As a result, early July is a very exciting time to be in London, especially (though not only) if you belong to the LGBT community. Stay in London For members of the LGBT scene, London is a homely place, and you will get a lot of speeches, gatherings, and nightlife that are specific to the scene throughout the year you arrive. The East End and Kings Cross areas are known as epicenters of the scene, though you will find dedicated bars and clubs throughout the city. Ask at reception at your London hostel to find out more.

[henriettalisa-blog]

Gay Pride London is a massive event that has continued to grow since its inauguration in the 70s.

Gay Pride London is a massive event that has continued to grow since its inauguration in the 70s free porn While raising awareness on gay rights issues is still high on the agenda, today's festivities are less likely to show protest than at the time of its establishment; instead of an atmosphere of celebration, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities in London hitting streets and partying in the evening. The Gay Pride in London is usually held on the first weekend of July, which means it makes most of the excellent summer weather in England. If you want to go to the city for this festival, staying in one of many London hostels proves the best way to save money and discover other likeminded travelers. Every London hostel tends to be booked all the time, so it should be booked well if possible. History of Gay Pride in London Gay Pride in London was first held in 1972, when 2,000 people attended. Since then, the event has grown, both in terms of attendance and activity, with various presentations, such as political speech and dragging competition, plus the initial procession. Gay Pride London actually took off in 2004, when a new body (Pride London) was held to oversee the celebration party. One of the characteristics of the London Pride venture has been to use London's outer space, with Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Soho Square all featuring annual trips. Celebrations The main event in London Gay Pride needs to be the march itself. Starting at Baker Street at 1 pm, he entered Oxford Street, and then headed to his retreat, Trafalgar Square. Needless to say, Trafalgar Square is an organized activity nest, and slowly swells in increasing numbers throughout the day. Coming in the night, many participants go to one of the two or three main events organized by the party and drink and dance the night. However, it is a mistake to see events as a day of activity. Gay Pride London actually lasted for weeks, with an art festival, a music concert and a political debate that took place for 14 days leading up to the march itself. As a result, early July is a very exciting time to be in London, especially (though not only) if you belong to the LGBT community. Stay in London For members of the LGBT scene, London is a homely place, and you will get a lot of speeches, gatherings, and nightlife that are specific to the scene throughout the year you arrive. The East End and Kings Cross areas are known as epicenters of the scene, though you will find dedicated bars and clubs throughout the city. Ask at reception at your London hostel to find out more.

[viewfromthedrumstool]

View From The Drum Stool #46

Originally posted on MikeDolbear.com, 15/08/17

Greetings loyal readership and thanks for joining me aboard The Good Ship Drum Stool once again.

The summer so far has seen the usual steady flow of festival dates and the last month has been no different. And given the persistant pitter-patter-pitter-patter of rain it's meant more than a little action for my wellingtons.

At least Citadel Festival at Victoria Park, London, offered some protection from the downpour seeing as we were booked to play in Jägermeisters heavily branded mock-saloon stage. It was testament to what corporate affairs many festivals have become these days that even the house-cymbal set of Paiste Twentys was custom branded…!

Port Eliot in Cornwall was a similarly muddy situ, though it did see the first outing for my much-loved Rogers '74 drum set in original five-piece configuration! Despite having had the original 13” tom for some time, I’ve never had the means to attach it. But after 2 years of searching, this month I finally located an original 70’s ‘Swivomatic’ double-tom holder! Exciting times - I promise we’ll never be parted again.

↑ Port Eliot Festival

Alas in drier news I had the great pleasure of recording at Maida Vale for Radio 1 with Willie J Healey recently. It’s my third time at the prestigious BBC studio, my first being with electronic band Man Without Country in 2013 and second with Gaz Coombes in 2015 when he was nominated for the Mercury Prize.

It’s always a pretty spectacular encounter - the mic collection is legendary, the engineers are fast and knowledgeable and the rooms sound beautiful.

↑ Peace and love

But what else is cool about Maida Vale is that Abbey Road is right around the corner! Will and I arrived at the studio early, so after listening to the eponymous album on the road up we swung on over for the obligatory tourist photo and to soak up some inspiration ahead of own recording date. I highly recommend a visit.

We were booked to record an ‘in-session’ for Huw Stephens’ Radio 1 evening show. In such situations I favour a recording approach that is swift and high energy - it’s a pretty consistent way to get a good vibe down and I figure a band ‘in session’ is about capturing a snapshot of people and a performance and a feeling in a moment. The pursuit of perfection can be wait for another day!

Max-cred too to Will and the other musicians in the band who get great sounds quickly. It’s a pleasure to play with such skilled musicians - some search a lifetime for likeminded folk like these. We did two songs in two takes and two songs in one - great vibes in a great studio and everyone left happy.

You can listen back to the session HERE.

These are exciting times people - I’ve known and played alongside Will for a good few years now and take great pride in our creative relationship and what he has achieved. And after this busy week of promo, including Lauren Laverne’s 6Music show on Thursday, the album - titled People And Their Dogs - will be out on Friday!

↑ People And Their Dogs

Finally in more domestic and mundane news, unhappy with the balance between thud, thump, thwack, click and beef, I took a moment out this month to reconsider my kick drum dampening situation.

We oft muffle the bass drum heavily but not the other drums - but why so? My reading is that the ear - and the brain - are complicated beasts and through various reasons involving human evolution, the limits of the human condition and probably some others I can’t think of, we aren’t as capable of processing and pulling clarity from these deep low frequencies which are made up of big sound waves that are far apart (imagine a blurry image made up of very few pixels).

The kick drum occupies some very low - very important - frequencies. And in order to make music sound good we don’t want to overwhelm the precious low end with lots resonant slow decay taking up all the sonic room.

So a touch of dampening to subdue that resonance can be helpful - but no need to overstuff it! I’m sure I’m not the only one to pull out pillow upon duvet upon sleeping bag and jacket to blanket and foam and felt while wondering how the 22” Pearl Export in that rehearsal room could be such a wormhole.

Of course there are a number of factors that contribute to good a kick drum sound, not least drum head, drum size, type of wood and of course room. Call me a traditionalist but beyond the odd exploration into the world of dedicated dampening products, I’ve always preferred the ol’ faithful pillow. And the slightest whiff of an excuse to go to IKEA is all I need so I fired up the Vectra (on the third attempt) and hit the road east to Wembley. It was time to do some soft-furnishing shopping!

↑ Can you guess which one went to the festival...?

It’s not so much that I love IKEA, as much as I am simply very very intrigued by it. The predetermined route that you have no choice but to follow. Their budget Swedish food - and the allure of the (loss leading) hotdogs and ice cream beyond checkout. The eccentric names for all the products and the way they are displayed in their idyllic little dioramas. I recall vividly the first time I went to IKEA. It was the Cardiff outlet, May 2015, it was a Monday and it was an eyeopener and then I went three more times that same week.

Anyhow I perused the pillows utilising a variety of improvised methods to establish what might work best until security asked me to stop. I ended up purchasing a couple of SLÅN, an AXAG and a ÄRENPRIS. The GULDPALM felt good but a little beyond my budget. I'll report back with full findings in the future but tentative first experimentations have suggested that the denser ÄRENPRIS is working best in the Yamaha 9000 22" studio kick.

I wonder which one Gadd uses? I’ll see you on the forums this month for some further dampening discussions!

↑ Maida Vale, 2017

Last but not least, great to see Billy Ward will now be joining the heady lineup of bloggers here at MD.com. I first saw him play at a clinic some years back in Cardiff and was struck not only by his sensational - and very musical - playing but also his take on life. He’s a DO-er and a motivator and his writings will no doubt be unmissable. Check the first one HERE.

Good luck in all of your endeavours - drumming or otherwise - this month folks. I’ll be back in September with some exciting news but until then keep your kick drums punchy and your pillows plumped.

Mike