#folk psyc

[thelunastusco]

On System Hopping...

So, we’ve seen a fair amount of crap leveled against system hopping.

As approaching old-farts-status within the online plural community, and a trauma-formed system with DID that’s sick of seeing misinformation, let’s address some things.

DISCLAIMER: While belief in system hopping varies WILDLY within the community, let’s assume for the duration of this conversation that it DOES exist in some form. (Because this is a belief, you’re lack of it doesn’t change the fact that: the concept exists, that a lot of systems do believe in it, and that there’s a LOT of misconceptions out there about it.)

First off, let’s define system hopping. System hopping is the (neither scientifically proven nor disproved) phenomena where a system member travels from one system, to another. This can be either permanent, or temporary, and can be either a full switch over or the system member meeting in some nebulous space “between” systems.

Got it? Cool.

Now that we’ve got the “what”, let’s go over the who, when/where, why, and how.

Who “system hops”? Contrary to popular opinion, system hopping is not a belief that is exclusive to endogenic (or any other non-traumagenic) systems. Plenty of traumagenic systems believe in it, too.

We’ve seen many folks say that trauma-formed systems, or systems with DID/OSDD/etc, don’t believe in it-- or “can’t do it” even if they do-- because it’s a “spiritual thing”. Surprise! Plenty of trauma-formed systems are spiritual, or feel their systems have a spiritual basis, just as plenty of non-traumagenic systems aren’t, and feel their systems have a psychological basis. (And many systems of all origins are a mix of both spiritual and psychological!)

Also... it’s not just a spiritual concept. More on that in a bit.

Tl;dr, any system of any origin, regardless of diagnosis, can believe in system hopping or claim to experience it.

When/where do systems “hop”? Usually, if system hopping happens at all, it happens between systems that are very close. Usually systems that are dating. It is often pre-planned. The idea that systems can “steal” someone else’s system members is a common myth, and we’ve never heard of it actually happening. (Though, rarely, abusive systems might try and convince their victim(s) that it’s possible.)

Sometimes, systems (especially gateway systems or systems who believe their inworlds are a factual space somewhere) will form “between” spaces between their inworlds where sysmates will meet up without actually “hopping” across systems.

Most systems who believe in system hopping will outright tell curious systems to only attempt it with systems they know and trust, and make sure there is a shared understanding that it’s not something a system can force onto another system. Planning it in advance helps ensure it’s a mutually agreed upon thing, and helps reduce the risk of negative “oh your sysmate came over here”/”oh we came over there” claims.

Why do systems “hop”? Systems who claim to experience system hopping usually do it to visit friends or non-platonic partners in other systems. We’ve also seen system members who have “left” one system, “show up” in the second system some time later. (This is not the same as System B “stealing” System A’s sysmate-- it’s a sysmate fully vanishing from System A on their own and reappearing in System B. This could be a case of System B forming a factive or introject of System A’s sysmate, but who’s to say.)

How does system hopping work? Honestly, we don’t know! Even if we assume it happens, studies haven’t been done on it. There’s two main schools of thought we’ve identified--

1. Spiritual.

2. Psychological.

With spiritual sorts, one of the most common explanations we’ve seen is that inworlds are basically pocket dimensions that exist out there in the universe somewhere, and so, with systems that are close (and work this way) a sort of gateway opens up between the inworlds. Or, a sort of grey area forms between the two inworlds, where sysmates between systems can meet.

With psychological sorts, the most common explanation we’ve seen is that both systems develop a “version” of the same sysmate. That version will go dormant in one system, while waking up in the other, giving the appearance of one sysmate “hopping” between systems.

And because it’s worth repeating:

Not all non-traumagenic systems believe in system hopping, of ANY kind, and not all who do are spiritual. Not all trauma-formed systems DON’T believe in it, and not all who do are psychological. The belief in-- and any experience with-- system hopping is not unique to any one system origin, nor is it tied to a dx status.

But isn’t it dangerous? The short answer is, it’s not inherently dangerous. Can the concept of it be used to abuse people? Sure, but so can the entire concept of systems. Anyone who wants to abuse someone, can use anything to abuse them, including the idea of system hopping. There are in fact people out there who have, do, or would use system hopping to claim they can “steal” sysmates, “break in” to your system and hurt sysmates, or claim that your system did so (or threatened to). But these are people using a needlessly maligned belief to cause harm. That does not mean that the belief is harmful.

(We personally don’t think it’s possible for a system to “force” their way into another system without both parties agreeing, anyways. Every experience we’ve had or seen that we consider genuine system hopping, it’s been mutually agreed upon (though not always consensual unfortunately), a sysmate showing up in a second system after for sure vanishing from the first system, or an accidental sort of “meeting in the middle” rather than an outright “swap”.)

So then what are some red flags? A few things to watch out for, if you decide to be more open minded or attempt this concept yourselves--

Don’t attempt to do this with any system you don’t know. That’s the obvious one, but sincerely-- if you haven’t known a system for more than a couple years, if you don’t have a strong and healthy relationship-- don’t try it with that system.

Both systems involved need to have good communication. Are you both spiritually based systems? Is one of you more psychological, while the other isn’t? You need to be clear about what you both think is happening. If one system feels like their system member is actually hopping into someone else’s inworld, while the other system thinks that they’re just developing an introject, that’s a situation ripe for potential problems. Make sure both participants know and agree on what’s happening.

Do not let anyone “talk you into it”. If it’s something you don’t think is possible for your system, and/or the idea makes y’all uncomfortable, say no. If the other system keeps pushing, then you really need to reconsider your relationship with that system. This is never something you should be forced into, or have to be “convinced” to try/do. It should be something both systems are interested in, and excited to try. If you’re not, don’t do it.

Similarly, if a system tries to convince you that one of your sysmates “came over” into their system, or that one of theirs “came over” into yours, when you know that’s not true-- that’s a warning sign. Stand your ground, and if they push, consider getting out of that relationship ASAP.

Same for if someone claims that your sysmate did something wildly out of character. If you know that it’s something that couldn’t, wouldn’t, or didn’t happen, stand your ground and get out of there when feasible.

And while this feels obvious to us... if someone accuses you of “stealing” a sysmate, or threatens your system with such a thing, get the hell out of there.

So what do you all believe, TLC? We generally have come to the consensus that system hopping, as a general concept, likely does exist. (For statistics, we’re a trauma-formed system with DID, and we’re spiritually based.)

We are very skeptical of individual claims of it-- kind of like how we believe in ghosts, but we question the ghost stories of other people. :P Of course, we don’t know how it works, only that we’ve had experiences we can’t explain-- and we know others have, too. We personally don’t purposefully engage in it, because our system is closed (once someone comes in, they don’t come back out), but we did have an incident a LONG time ago where a system member was confirmed gone in a system we knew, and they showed up here, with memories we couldn’t have known about.

That said, we don’t think it’s possible, much less desirable, for all systems.

In any case, it’s never been proven to be real or not. There’s no studies out there, to our knowledge, testing it. So everyone needs to come to their own conclusions. We just ask that people not spread outright lies about the concept, or shit on people who do believe in it.

[ikari-cat]

15 questions tag meme

Tagged by @itstimetodrew 💚 Thanks Nat! I hope you have been doing well 🫂

1. Are you named after anyone?

No, I always figured my parents couldn't pronounce Catherine right away and it came out as Caterin so it's pronounced differently in English/Spanish.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Oh damn, probably two days ago, wasn't feeling too good about my circumstances still but honestly needed a good cry :')

3. Do you have kids?

Azure is me child despite being an old lady now

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

No sports, think I've mentioned in the past that I wanted to be a cheerleader in high school so that was the most I could of done!

5. Do you use sarcasm?

:^)

6. What is the first thing you notice about people?

Hmmm, I try not to stare at people directly at first but when I do it's definitely the way they present themselves!

7. What's your eye color?

Brown 🤎

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Scary movies 👻 can't wait for Halloween this year lol

9. Any talents?

Ah, I've come to appreciate my need in sketching out things, my internship during my last semester had me doodling with kiddos and it was great to use art as a strength in a job :)

10. Where were you born?

Somewhere in south OC in Cali 🌞 although those who follow me on insta know where exactly lol still glad I haven't moved from my birthplace still during these dark times ☁️

11. What are your hobbies?

I feel like I've been picking up reading more than drawing over the years but those two hobbies would define me the most, was attempting to collect plants but sadly a couple have passed already so not trying to invest in that lately ;^;

Been also watching novellas lately to improve my Spanish so definitely been feeling the trope of dem folks with their soaps on 📺

12. Do you have any pets?

Me daughter

13. How tall are you?

5'6 so average lol

14. Favorite subject in school?

Damn. Culinary, Biology, and Psychology were my favorites and the ones I was stuck on for a career choice and YET

15. Dream job?

I am not sure, having now graduated with PSYC, I feel like the field is not quite for me. I have no position in mind, but what I do know is that the things I'm looking for is an organization where I can clock in/out without major distress in sight and being a help to others. I'm fortunate enough for this year to rely on my brother and my partner for income support 💜 I plan to leave my assistant job soon to start anew but where I start next is debatable - I have time to figure things out tho :')

I was thinking of ending the tag here but I'll shoot ~ tagging @silversdragonemporium, @da-imaginarium, @osorezanna, @dpsisquared, and @noodle-artist

No pressure obvi 🫂 hope everyone is well ❤️‍🩹

[swankyangles]

rules: 🎵 when you get this, list 5 songs you've been listening to. tag 5-10 followers to do the same 🎵 tagged by @confield 😈😈

Oh! I can do that that's easy! @confield I'm so glad I put you on to them! They're literally like, my favorite band ever!

The Minutemen - Joe McCarthy's Ghost 👻 GOOD luck getting that bass-line out of your head. Those lyrics are pretty damn sticky too. At 1:11 long, I recommend listening to this one roughly 3 times on repeat. I've been listening to their whole discography on repeat actually, and it's crazy how noone sounds like them still.

Beck - When the Water will take back the Land - (loud harmonica warning) folk song about the apocalypse that you never knew you needed. There are literally HOURS of recordings made by Beck in the late 80s early 90s that have never been commercially released. Some REAL fucking gold in there, also a lot of shit, but that's easy to avoid. This one's p great, but not my very fav.

SRSQ -Permission . She's singing about waiting to get permission to do anything from her longtime musical partner who died in a warehouse fire. 😩this song fucking haunts me.

Jimmy Newman "Let Me Stay in your Arms" There are 2 versions of this song and the later one he did after he fixed his teeth is total bullshit. There's no heart, there's no endearing human flaw. The "lispy" version is everything to me. He's very young, he has something to prove. He's full of passion and piss and vinegar, and by God, this swamp-billy sings his fucking balls off. I have a clean copy of the original DOT recording from 1950 on 45 in a vault at a secure location. Here's a yt vid for your convenience

GOAT - Let it Burn. This song is fun and the timbres and tones are p f'n neato. FUCK YEAH DOOM RECORDER SOLO! I love Acid rock and Heavy Psychedelic, but decent stuff seems so hard to find. Someone once tried to tell me that king gizzard was "good psyc". I punched that hippie right in the throat. Knocked that wook clean out his rot-black Birkenstocks. How dare he...HOW DARE HE.

I was supposed to reblog this back in march

Whoops.

Im gonna tag, uhhhh... @alliswyattonthewesternfront @abrahamshipwreck @therazgar @wetterroomba @dessert-orb-blog

[neilspsycho-s]

Something's Cooking! Mushroom Soup, perhaps?

Hello Folks! I'm Sarah, the host of the Psych-O's Podcast series. Join us soon for our magical first episode, where I'll be joined by guest speakers Fariha and Danial!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for PSYC 3240, and will not be a continued series. Sorry to disappoint our avid listeners.

[dontyabigboy]

- obligatory pinned welcome message -

Topics covered on this blog include, but are not limited to:

Queer topics, media, and subtext

Film studies and animation

Fanfiction, shipping, and romance

Reading and writing

Horror

Art

Science (astrophysics, evolutionary biology, genetics, neuro, psyc, scientific philosophy)

Humor

Mental health

Bisexual thirsting

💖💜💙

Fandoms and Ships:

Supernatural - Destiel, Dean/Benny, Saileen, Samwena, and Deamhunter. (NOTP - Wincest, Dean/Jo, Sam/Lucifer). Bisexual Dean Winchester truther. (Supernatural posting is moreso reserved for my side blog @lost-in-purgaytory)

Heartstopper - Nick/Charlie, Tara/Darcy, Tao/Elle

Stranger Things - Steddie, Byler, Ronance, Jopper, Lumax, some Mileven.

Buffyverse - Spuffy, Twillow, Cangel, Xanya

Life With Derek - Dasey, Dallsey (Derek/Casey/Sally)

Boy Meets World - Cory/Shawn/Topanga, Jack/Eric/Rachel. Headcanon pretty much everyone is bi. Genderqueer Shawn.

Good Omens - Ineffable Husbands

Venom - Symbrock

Queer as Folk - Britin

Pixar's Luca - Luca/Alberto

The Good Place - Jason/Janet, Eleanor/Chidi, Eleanor/Tahani

Our Flag Means Death - Blackbonnet

Hannibal - Hannigram

MCU - Stucky, SamBucky, Lokius, WandaVision. (NOTP - Sylkie, Natasha/Anyone, Gamora/Peter, Steve/Sharon, Thor/Jane)

The Vampire Diaries - Delena, Bamon, Klaroline (NOTP - Stelena, Caroline/Tyler)

Atypical - Casey/Izzie

Teen Wolf - Sterek. Bisexual Stiles truther.

Community - Trobed (NOTP - Jeff/Britta)

Zootopia - Nick/Judy (non-explicit only)

Doctor Who - Ten/Rose

Lucifer - Lucifer/Chloe, Maze/Eve

Scooby Doo - Velma/Daphne

Bones - Booth/Brennan

Sex Education - Lily/Ola, Maeve/Isaac. (NOTP - Maeve/Otis)

Rick & Morty - Pansexual Rick truther.

Bob's Burgers - Bisexual Bob truther.

Bojack Horseman

Breaking Bad

Hilda

Matilda

Encanto - Headcanon bisexual Mirabel, lesbian Isabela, and gay Bruno.

Tangled - Rapunzel/Eugene

Jennifer's Body - Jennifer/Needy

But I'm a Cheerleader - Megan/Graham

Taylor Swift - Gaylor truther (very casual, only reblog, no speculation or involving the artist)

One Direction - Larry RPF (very casual, only reblog no speculation or involving the artists)

Bo Burnham

Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston (mlm Alex/Henry)

One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston (wlw August/Jane)

Heartstopper series - Alice Oseman (mlm Nick/Charlie)

💖💜💙

This blog is not a major source of:

Politics

Discourse

Sexual content

💖💜💙

About me:

27, any pronouns

Biromantic asexual, queer, nonbinary.

Atheist, pro-choice, pro-vax, pro-body positivity/body neutrality, trans rights, black lives matter.

🇨🇦

💖💜💙

DNI if:

All the usual stuff, just don't be a bigot or a bully. Don't crap on my interests or try to start an argument.

💖💜💙

[savinggracemusic]

The New Samh single "We Are Not Physical" is OUT NOW!! Available on @we_are_saving_grace @bandcamp @Spotify @iTunes & major streaming platforms. http://www.saving-grace.co.uk/product/we-are-not-physical/ #samh #wearenotphysical #rock #folk #psyc #soul #disco https://www.instagram.com/p/ByhqF2GlSaE/?igshid=1u513qo90ihbz

[silver-falling-star]

Introductory psychology classes are 50% neurotypical people who look at neurodivergent folks like lab rats under a microscope, 40% people who are neurodivergent or genuinely interested in making a difference, and 10% science majors getting their social science gen ed out of the way.

And boy does that first 50% make every one of my intro psyc classes feel like a specimen being prodded by scientists without my consent sometimes.

[grapevynerendezvous]

The Byrds - Fifth Dimension

The album Fifth Dimension took flight following two ground-breaking albums that had melded the innovative essentials of the British Invasion with the burgeoning folk-pop music scene happening in the U.S. With the release of their first album The Byrds blended those styles into what came to be known as folk-rock. Although they may not have been the only ones to do this, nor the actual first to produce it, they became the most influential artists to do so. With Fifth Dimension, things took a left turn straight into the stratosphere of psychedelia and toward Raga as well, plus a bit of a right turn toward country music. The album contained all that, although it was perhaps not so well executed as their first record.

In March 1966 the single Eight Miles High b/w Why was released for take off. It turned people, as the saying goes, on their ears. The band and their manager Jim Dickson recorded the two songs at RCA Studios in December 1965, and those songs were a creative leap for them. According to Columbia all recording had to take place at the label’s studios and, with their house producers. The re-recording took place in January. The bulk of the song was written by band member Gene Clark, who had become the band’s primary songwriter, but Roger (Jim) McGuinn and David Crosby were co-writers. By the time the song came out Clark had departed. The “official reason given for his departure was it was due to his fear of flying which prevented “him from fulfilling his obligations with the group”, according to Johnny Rogan in his book, The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited. The reality was that it also had something to do with general anxiety issues. Of course, there was that little affair with a certain “Mama” in another up and coming band as the year progressed.

The remaining quartet, McGuinn, Crosby, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke were left to complete the album which was recorded over the next three months and released in July. The other single that was released, 5D (Fifth Dimension) b/w the instrumental, Captain Soul, came out one month before the album. The two singles were victims of being banned due to alleged drug references by certain stations and markets. This, in part at least, helped prevent them from going higher on the charts than they did. Eight Miles High, which topped out at No.14 on Billboard and 24 on UK Singles, was also cited for being comparably noncommercial and complex for the average listener. 5D (Fifth Dimension) was another, perhaps even more psychedelic track, that only reached 44 on Billboard and never charted in the U.K. The composer, Jim McGuinn, was being cerebral and metaphysical in his approach to the song, trying to explain Einstein’s theory of relativity while also citing Don Landis’ book 1-2-3-4 More, More, More, More as inspiration. Yet a large amount of the audience was interpreting the abstract lyrics as relating to an LSD trip. The other songs written by McGuinn for the album were also eclectic. Mr. Spaceman, which got some radio airplay in some areas, was definitely a lean into country music with by no means typical country style lyrics. 2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song) was novelty song. The main characters of the song were a Lear jet and a pilot preparing to take off in it while the band sang a ten-word phrase repeatedly throughout the entire song. The next song on the album, I See You, co-written by McGuinn and David Crosby, has a jazzy feel and contains some effective 12-string guitar solos. What’s Happening!? is David Crosby’s lone solo composition on the album and presaged his hippie ethos rants to come. Crosby was also the catalyst for including his version of the garage rock song Hey Joe that The Leaves made into a Top 40 hit. The Leaves version came after hearing both The Byrds and Love play it at shows in the LA area. It is a song that is said to have been written by Billy Roberts. There are other claims to its’ authorship as well, but Roberts holds the copyright. Crosby brought it to the band in the first place and wanted to record it before they had gone into the studio. The rest of the band was not excited about it, but by the time they were in the Fifth Dimension session Crosby was was so angry because The Leaves already had a hit and Love had also recorded it, that they agreed to let him sing it on the album. Wild Mountain Thyme, credited as a traditional song, is more directly associated with the song adapted by Belfast musician Francis McPeake and first recorded by his family in the 1950s. The source was an Irish/Scottish folk song, the lyrics and melody being a variant of  Robert Tannahill and Robert Archibald Smith’ The Braes of Balquhither. The McPeake basis of this was related to me by Belfast musician, and former band member with Van Morrison, Kevin Brennan, who had personally known the McPeakes. All four band members were responsible for the instrumental Captain Soul, and they are also credited for arranging the other traditional song on the album, John Riley, which is derived from Homer’s Odyssey and interpreted through 17th century English folk ballad tradition. It was recorded by Peter Seeger in 1950. I Come and Stand at Every Door is the closing song on the first side. It originated as a 1955 poem by Turkish poet Nâzım Hikmet (Ran), called Kız Çocuğu (The Girl Child). It was a plea for peace from a seven-year old girl who had died in the atomic bomb explosion in Hiroshima and has, of course, an anti-war message. The only composer in the album credits is Çocuğu, but he was only responsible for the Turkish poem he had written. The roots of the American song version emanate from a non-traditional melody composed by Jim Waters in 1954 to fit the lyrics of Child 113 ballad The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry. Pete Seeger describes the story behind his version of the song in his Where Have All the Flowers Gone: A Singer's Stories, Songs, Seeds, Robberies (A Musical Autobiography) (1993):: “Jeanette Turner did a loose English "singable translation" of the poem under a different title, I Come And Stand At Every Door, and sent a note to Seeger asking "Do you think you could make a tune for it?" in the late 1950s. After a week of trial and failure, this English translation was used by Seeger in 1962 with an adaptation of "an extraordinary melody put together by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology student James Waters, who had put a new tune to a mystical ballad The Great Silkie which he couldn't get out of his head, without permission." Seeger wrote in his Where Have All the Flowers Gone: A Singer's Stories, Songs, Seeds, Robberies (A Musical Autobiography) (1993), ”It was wrong of me. I should have gotten his permission. But it worked. The Byrds made a good recording of it, electric guitars and all.” Tom Clark, a poet who had a blog called Beyond the Pale, posted the poem with photos referencing Hiroshima and further discussion. Per his response further down in the comments 7 August 2015 at 03:32, “…… rest assured the credit situation had long since been settled up fair and square by the time Pete Seeger, at 90, did that amazing a capella version for Democracy Now. The song is now and forever copy(r)ighted c: Nazim Hikmet/James W. Waters.”

Eight Miles High was the last piece in the puzzle which determined if I was finally going to accept rock and roll as my musical lord and savior. Well at least one of my musical saviors anyway, jazz was already in my head. It came on the heals of music I was listening to in 1966 from the Animals, Outsiders, Young Rascals, Troggs, Syndicate of Sound, Kinks, Paul Revere & The Raiders and particularly The Yardbirds, with Shapes of Things. When I first heard Shapes of Things I knew I was hooked, and Eight Miles High confirmed it. Looking back, it appears I was wide open to the ideas of psychedelic music because both these songs have been identified as pioneers in that genre. My true turning point came when a classmate of mine and I were hanging out at school and he started asking me about my musical likes. This was not long after I had started hearing Eight Miles High on the radio and I finally admitted that I was getting hooked on rock music. I had that undeniable "gotta have it" experience going on, but I wasn't into buying 45s at that point and frankly thought it surely must be on an album. It turned out that album took an another four months from the single release to be issued. It felt like an eternity, especially since it still took me a few more months to finally buy Fifth Dimension. It is generally recognized that the Yardbirds’ song, with Jeff Beck’s Asian/Indian-Raga feedback-laden guitar solo, and the anti-war/pro-environmental lyrics, was the first popular psychedelic song. Eight Miles High, is likewise considered the first American popular psychedelic song, with The Byrds next single, 5D (Fifth Dimension), following up a few months later. What followed was a two to three-year period in which the new psychedelic music scene was explored from top to bottom, and sideways. Psychedelic music incorporated new playing techniques, use of unusual or unexpected instruments, new ideas in thought and expression. It most certainly was influenced by the growing use of drugs, particularly those labeled as psychedelics such as LSD. As was mentioned, both Eight Miles High and 5D failed to reach higher chart plateaus, at least at part, because of what was alleged to be drug references in the songs. Eight Miles High approximates the height at which jet airliners fly and was a reference to that experience. Latently both Roger McGuinn and David Crosby admitted that their own drug use had influenced their contributions to the song. McGuinn however, who wrote 5D (Fifth Dimension) as a reference to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, was disappointed by much of the listening audience assuming it was about drugs. What did he expect? It was 1966 after all, and perhaps that’s what they wanted it to be. Despite the psychedelic feel and abstract lyrics of 5D, McQuinn still somehow managed to make it sound country as well. The album ended up being a continuation of the folk-rock sound that The Byrds had helped pioneer with their first two albums. It also found them exploring what came to be known as country-rock.

A notable difference between Fifth Dimension and The Byrds’ first albums is that the band had five original compositions with four by Bob Dylan in each of them while Fifth Dimension contained eight by The Byrds and none by Dylan. The reviews of the album have been mixed, with some, such as New Express Magazine calling it "faultless" and a work that "heralds a newly psychedelic Byrds hung up on the archetypal acid-fixation with the unknown”, while others were disparaging. The general direction of criticism of the album was that it fell below the standards set by their first two albums, that it lacked energy, that it was “wildly uneven” per Richie Unterberger, or as Barney Hoskins in Mojo put it, "can't quite decide what sort of album it is”. On the other hand Billboard Magazine, later called it “their most under-rated album”. I, for one, was quite happy to not be some jaded critic. My mind was being opened up by new music, new ideas, and I could not get enough. Since I hadn’t obtained the first two albums, Fifth Dimension became my compass point for the Byrds, even though I had heard and enjoyed their first two hit songs. Fifth Dimension, with its’ various styles, was perfect for me and I listened to it repeatedly for quite a long time. It still remains one of my favorite albums. I even found a way to enjoy 2-4-2 Foxtrot (The Lear Jet Song) when I finally listened to it from the perspective of someone sitting in the co-pilot seat. Must have been at LAX.

One cut on the album had a resounding affect on me, "I Come and Stand at Every Door". I was still developing my own perspective on what was going on in the world and this song helped me look at many things differently.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Byrds

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Dimension_(album)

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-byrds-mn0000631774/biography

https://www.allmusic.com/album/fifth-dimension-mw0000200612

https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-Byrds

https://www.discogs.com/artist/215471-The-Byrds

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Mountain_Thyme

http://tomclarkblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/nazm-hikmet-ran-i-come-and-stand-at.html?m=1

Pete Seeger Aug. 9, 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9qzZ0-qkac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1ql_ADlWoY

LP15

[karingudino]

What Are Biodynamic Wines? – Why Biodynamic Wines Are the Most Green

There’s a sure sort of tea (not the type you drink) made out of manure that was as soon as stuffed inside a cow horn, buried on a farm for a season or two, dug up, and diluted with water. That tea is stirred in a bucket till a vortex, which absorbs the vitality of the setting round it, kinds. Each couple of minutes, the vortex’s course is switched. After the combination absorbs its share of environmental vitality, it’s sprayed, arbitrarily, over grape vines in a winery.

The spraying takes place in line with a calendar that follows the phases of the moon and alignment of the celebs to find out 4 forms of days—root, leaf, flower, fruit—and the vegetation you need to be cultivating on today. It additionally dictates the forms of wine you need to be consuming on today. Wines shine brightest on fruit days, though you may get away with a lighter white wine on flower days, too. Should you’re consuming a Pinot Noir on a root day, you have got made an enormous mistake.

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The label “biodynamic” is usually hooked up to this intensive follow of winemaking, nevertheless it’s a sort of farming usually—half follow, half philosophy. Biodynamics have been first theorized a century in the past by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian thinker and beekeeper who hosted a series of lectures in the 1920s decrying the creep of artificial fertilizers and chemical substances into farming. To today, the biodynamic protocol refuses standard components, follows specific preparations for composting, and plans by that biodynamic calendar.

“We folks are likely to assume we will management issues,” says Rex Farr, co-owner of Farrm Wine, a biodynamic winery on Lengthy Island, New York. “However we will’t management something. Biodynamic farming is about giving up management. It’s the PhD of organics. It contains energies that aren’t simply within the soil however aboveground, too: how the moon impacts the tides, how the celebs and planets all play a component within the vitality cycle that we right here on terra firma are a part of.”

Biodynamic wines aren’t new, however as the truth of local weather change units in and youthful generations look to spend cash on manufacturers taking note of it, they’ve been newly attended to, whether or not wine drinkers perceive them or not.

The large concept in biodynamics is self-sustaining agriculture: The biodynamic farm is symbiotic with its vegetation, soil, animals, and course of. It doesn’t take away from the earth, and it does little to disrupt the pure setting of the, albeit artifical, farm with human intervention and destruction. It predates the natural motion by about 15 years. However as a result of biodynamic farming additionally follows the vitality of the cosmos, an concept that has no foundation in reality, the choice to drink biodynamic wine turns into a query not of style or high quality however considered one of integrity. It’s not about what sort of wine we like, however what our values are once we go to purchase a bottle.

Elaine Chung

“Lots of shoppers stroll into the shop and need a pure or biodynamic wine as a result of they’ve heard the phrase round,” says Jane Arbogast, assistant wine purchaser at Eastside Cellars in New York Metropolis. “However after I push them, they normally don’t know precisely what it means. What they’re normally in search of is one thing with morals that match their very own.”

In case you are in search of the biodynamic label, you’ll seemingly discover it at your native wine retailer and undoubtedly on the closest Complete Meals, within the non-conventional wine aisle stuffed with different green-sounding phrases like pure, sustainable, and regenerative, nestled amongst low-intervention wines and dry-farmed wines. These seemingly eco-friendly phrases are usually not sure by any USDA (and even colloquial) definition and can simply misrepresent environmental duty to the wine-drinking plenty. Pure may attraction to the psyche, nevertheless it has no actual declare to well being, regardless of the well being meals business’s insistent utilization. Pure isn’t inherently good. Arsenic is pure. It will probably additionally kill you.

“We name it ‘greenwashing,'” says Ed Area, co-owner of Pure Retailers, an importer of natural and biodynamic wine for locations like Complete Meals. “Pure, sustainable—these are like nails on a chalkboard. Should you throw in phrases which might be undefined, it [all] turns into a advertising and marketing gimmick.”

A part of the draw towards biodynamics is the sense that pure, sustainable, even natural, are usually not sufficient. “On a scale from probably the most inexperienced to the least inexperienced, biodynamic is probably the most excessive,” says Arbogast. “It’s probably the most devoted to preserving the earth’s assets.”

Biodynamic practices haven’t been up to date since Steiner’s first name to them in 1924, and though any product with a biodynamic label is licensed as such from an international governing body called Demeter, within the U.S., the USDA stamp of natural approval is the closest factor we have now to a legally sure manifestation of the concept. However the place organics deal with what we don’t add—chemical substances, synthetics, and the like—biodynamics additionally emphasize not taking something away.

“Say a plant is sick,” says Farr. “The Western method can be: Let’s go deal with it with Roundup. We ask, ‘Why is the plant sick?’ I’m not simply going to remove the issue however take a look at the supply—the plant, the roots, the soil.”

On this manner, biodynamic winemaking sounds loads like integrative medication: If an individual has a continual pores and skin rash, you don’t simply prescribe a topical antibiotic and transfer alongside. You take a look at their stress ranges, their meals consumption, their bloodwork. However biodynamics get actual hippie, actual fast. Some farmers imagine in it like a faith. Steiner, for instance, doesn’t simply have modern-day college students of the follow, however zealots. They stay and breathe the concept that we as folks and as an earth are all interconnected with the soil and stars, and we should restrict the injury we do to the pure order of issues. Wine isn’t just good or unhealthy based mostly on style, however proper or incorrect, moral or unethical.

That intangible, philosophical manner of behaving may be what attracts each farmers and wine drinkers to a century-old speculation. It’s a poetic ideally suited, which makes it unattainable to review, unattainable to quantify. If, in the end, you wish to know if biodynamic wine is quantifiably higher than different green-sounding wines, you’re out of luck. Perhaps that’s the purpose.

“Science compiles proof via managed experiments,” says Anna Katharine Mansfield, affiliate professor of enology at Cornell College’s School of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “However biodynamics wouldn’t match that body. They imagine you’ll be able to’t replicate a system.” You may’t check biodynamic wine in a lab, as a result of it issues what day of the week and month and yr you drink it on. It issues who you might be with and the way it’s shared and why it’s skilled in any respect. In Mansfield’s opinion, if a farmer takes care of the general, holistic well being of a winery system, that is good. “However that additionally occurs in natural rising. Once you transfer to counting on the tides of the moon and all that, it most likely is not higher than natural.”

Wine isn’t just good or unhealthy based mostly on style, however proper or incorrect, moral or unethical.

Viticulture and enology, the research of winemaking, are constructed contained in the scientific framework of falsifiability: We check concepts which have the capability to be confirmed incorrect. On this manner, biodynamics appear extra like faith than science. We are able to’t show that the speculation is true, however we can also’t show that it’s not true.

“I’ve no diploma in agriculture, however I’ve 30 years of farming expertise,” says Farr. “We’re simply caretakers of what we do out right here. We aren’t making an attempt to regulate nature. There’s definitely extra spirituality in biodynamics than organics. You may simply really feel one thing totally different. You actually can.”

Perception in holistic farming apart, some are pushed to the biodynamic label by the notion that non-conventional wines are “more healthy.” It’s most likely extra correct to say that sure forms of wine are much less damaging or have fewer components—that some wines are much less unhealthy than others.

“I’ve to snicker when folks ask for wine with out chemical substances,” says Mansfield. “The whole lot that makes wine style good are chemical substances. Wine is chemical substances. People are chemical substances. Probably the most poisonous factor in any bottle of wine is the alcohol. Let’s simply agree that we’re ingesting a toxin as a result of we prefer it.”

Elaine Chung

For the report, an off-the-cuff wine shopper can’t normally inform the distinction between a biodynamic wine and different wines—natural, natural, and typically even straight-up standard. Simply tastes like good ole fermented grape juice. And no wine—not biodynamic, natural, nor pure—is a well being meals. However what you assume, your notion of the wine, is admittedly what finally ends up defining how good it’s. Should you assume that the wine you obtain is an ethical funding, that you simply’re supporting sustainable farming, that you’re a wholesome one who buys wholesome issues, then you definately’ll most likely have a greater expertise consuming that wine.

Now we have stories about wines as a result of it has by no means been compelling to cut back the earth and our time on it into knowledge in a lab. That’s why philosophies of farming and cosmic calendars and perception in one thing past what’s right here proper now exist. Science can solely arm us with a lot.

Biodynamic wine is about these tales. Wine is not just wine. One factor isn’t, can by no means be, only one factor. The whole lot is linked. To some, it’s unattainable to separate wine from its former life as a grape, the grape from the tea-sprayed vine, or the tea on the vine from its vitality within the vortex of area. The wine cannot be stripped from its context, simply as we will’t strip ourselves from the earth and our area within the stars, our morals from our wines.

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source https://fikiss.net/what-are-biodynamic-wines-why-biodynamic-wines-are-the-most-green/ What Are Biodynamic Wines? – Why Biodynamic Wines Are the Most Green published first on https://fikiss.net/ from Karin Gudino https://karingudino.blogspot.com/2020/12/what-are-biodynamic-wines-why.html

[howardstudent]

Baby’s First Literature Review

Racism: Internal and External

Department of Psychology, Howard University

PSYC 016-01: Psychology New Student Orientation

November 11, 2020

Racism: Internal and External

The Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 has sparked a major mainstream conversation about racism in the United States. Different expressions of racism, especially antiblackness, can be observed throughout the world, but most of the literature on racism comes from the U.S. Conversations on antiblack racism in America date back to 1773, when the first African American author was published (Library of Congress). Phyllis Wheatley, the aforementioned author, was not critical of her white oppressors but she did discuss the struggle of being enslaved, though she mainly focused her works around her Christianity (Library of Congress). In the over 200 years since then, a nearly infinite amount of content has been produced on the topic of racism. 

Racism is actually a fairly new concept in human history. “Race” as a word first entered the English language in the late 1500s (Wade). Its earlier meaning was synonymous with “kind” or “type”, and was a more general term (Wade). It was not until the 1700s that it began to be used commonly to refer to humans in a sorting manner. Built into this use of the word was a type of ranking system and in America, European settlers were at the top, followed by the conquered Native Americans, with African slaves holding the lowest rank (Wade). It is important to note that race is not a categorization system based on science. While there are physical differences between races of people, and some genetic qualities may be more common among individuals of a certain race, race is a social construct. This is most obvious when examining concepts like “whiteness”, and how the ingroups and outgroups of whiteness have changed over time. People of Irish descent were at one point not considered white, but now they generally are (Wade). This is not to imply that there are not real life repercussions associated with the concept of race, but rather to add context to the conversation and to further expose how absurd white-supremacy, and racism as a whole, are.

Black people are central to the discussion of racism in America because of the long history of antiblackness. Racism is something black folks are faced with from “crib to coffin” (Jones, 2020). Racism is often treated as a purely external issue, but its influence is so prevalent that it has bred “internal racism” (Sosoo, 2019). Both contribute to the pain, suffering, and oppression of black people. Racism wreaks havoc on black people’s self-image and mental health. Which is worsened by the fact that racism and racial disparities are even commonplace in the medical field. This creates a positive feedback loop where a black individual may seek medical assistance in coping with stress linked to racism they face, and they are then confronted with racism coming from their healthcare providers. 

Shawn Jones (2020) discussed African Americans attempting to cope with racism-related stress throughout their lifetime . It seems as though addressing and even dismantling internalised racism may be tangential to this process. Effua Sosoo studied “The Influence of Internalized Racism on the Relationship Between Discrimination and Anxiety” among college students (2019). Internalized racism further perpetuates racism and it’s deconstruction from within oneself is crucial to helping black Americans cope with and heal from the racism they face.

Jones (2020) breaks down racism throughout a black individual’s life, chronologically, as follows:

To illustrate, research suggests that racism—and not simply racial group—drives the persistent low birth weight disparities among Black babies (De Maio, Shah, Schipper, Gurdiel, & Ansell, 2017). As these children develop, research indicates that they will likely face differential treatment as early as preschool, an age wherein Black children’s suspension rates (48%) are nearly twice those of their White counterparts (26%; U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2014). The period of adolescence then brings stories such as one in which a 16-year-old Black teen was taunted publicly for eating chicken at a pep rally contest, with video and inflammatory narrative shared across social media by his White peers (Wootson, 2017). As racism persists in early and middle adulthood, Black Americans may contemplate abbreviating their names given persistent biases in hiring practices (Nunley, Pugh, Romero, & Seals, 2015). Racist reverberations extend into older adulthood for Black Americans, with burgeoning research suggesting that poverty and racism raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s (Alzheimer’s Association, 2017). These correlations and numerous others have been further synthesized by an at-once impressive and disheartening number of reviews linking racism and health or well-being across hundreds of studies spanning the last three decades (see Hope, Hoggard, & Thomas, 2015; Pascoe & Smart Richman, 2009; Pieterse, Todd, Neville, & Carter, 2012; Priest et al., 2013; Williams & Mohammed, 2009). These reviews generally congregate around one reality: that racism is a pernicious and unique stressor, with the potential to thwart the physical, physiological, and psychological health of Black Americans. This developmental overview seeks to add to this growing body of literature, applying a life-course perspective to investigate racism-related stress (RRS) and coping over time. (para. 2)

The study goes on to lay out their parameters, explaining (Jones, 2020),

As articulated by S. P. Harrell (2000) and derived from Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) broader conceptualization of stress, RRS refers to “race-related transactions between individuals or groups and their environment that emerge from the dynamics of racism, and that are perceived to tax or exceed existing individual and collective resources or threaten well-being” (S. P. Harrell, 2000, p. 44). Harrell describes six prominent types of RRS: (a) racism-related life events (time-limited, specific life experiences), (b) vicarious racism experiences (observation and report of others’ racism experiences), (c) daily racism microstressors (subtle slights and exclusions), (d) chronic-contextual stress (social systemic and institutional racism), (e) collective experiences (“cultural-symbolic and sociopolitical manifestations of racism,” p. 46), and (f) transgenerational transmission (discussions of historical events). Importantly, these various types of racism-related stressors may (and often do) co-occur and interact, as well as interact with other stressors, including general and other-social-roles-related stressors (e.g., sexism, heterosexism, Islamophobia). (para. 5)

Interestingly, internalized racism is not included in any of six types of racism defined by S.P. Harrell. This is important as Sosoo (2019) explains “numerous studies have linked internalized racism to metabolic health (e.g., Chambers et al., 2004), but it has also been associated with psychological distress (Molina & James, 2016; Szymanski & Obiri, 2011)” (para. 2). The study was conducted among college students which fits well into Jones discussion. It concludes with stating that,

Analyses revealed that the relation between racial discrimination and psychological distress may depend on other factors such as levels of internalized racism. A significant interaction was found between racial discrimination and internalization of negative stereotypes such that racial discrimination was associated with increased anxiety symptom distress at T2 for individuals with moderate and high, but not low, levels of internalization of negative stereotypes. (Sosoo, 2020, para. 29)

To give credit where credit is due, both studies show deep analysis. However, Jones’ (2020) study went further in examining coping methods utilized by African Americans, beyond looking at racism from various input sources. Both send a strong message about the importance of addressing racism in America, and both point out the negative physical and mental effects racism has on black people. They both argue for a reduction of prevalence of racial stereotypes and racial discrimination. Sosoo’s study reveals that individuals who experience internalized racism “are more likely to report experiences of anxiety symptom distress, such as distress from feeling tense or scared” (2019, para. 29). This is potentially explained by the idea that their “experiences of racial discrimination may serve as a confirmation of these negative views, leading to psychological and physiological symptoms of anxiety” (Sosoo, 2019, para. 29). Therefore it is vital that all forms of racism must be considered, addressed, and dismantled for the sake of black people’s overall health, happiness, and wellbeing.

References

Jones, S. C., Anderson, R. E., Gaskin-Wasson, A. L., Sawyer, B. A., Applewhite, K., & Metzger, I. W. (2020). From “crib to coffin”: Navigating coping from racism-related stress throughout the lifespan of Black Americans. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 90(2), 267-282. doi:10.1037/ort0000430

Library of Congress. (n.d.). Revolutionary Period (1764-1789). Retrieved November 11, 2020, from http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/revolut/jb_revolut_poetslav_1.html#:~:text=Wheatley grew up to be,learn to read and write?

Sosoo, E. E., Bernard, D. L., & Neblett, E. W. (2020). The influence of internalized racism on the relationship between discrimination and anxiety. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 26(4), 570-580. doi:10.1037/cdp0000320

Wade, P. (2020, July 28). The History Of The Idea Of Race. Retrieved November 11, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/race-human/The-history-of-the-idea-of-race

[niohd]

The difference between poor people and people making a lot of money is more psyc… The distinction between poor individuals and folks making some huge cash is extra psychological than it's possible you'll suppose.

[businessmakemoneyonline-blog1]

The difference between poor people and people making a lot of money is more psyc… The distinction between poor folks and folks making some huge cash is extra psychological than chances are you'll assume.

[aprillikesthings]

bijou3owl replied to your post “malafight replied to your post “I recognize that I’m preaching to...”

I went to the University psyc center. They did a full-blown evaluation on me. They then said I couldn't have ADHD because I was in grad school. I then went to a private psychiatrist who specializes in ADHD and he diagnosed me almost immediately. The school center cost me a year of treatment and likely fucked over grad school for me.

Someone needs to bonk them over the head with a book about 2e aka “twice exceptional” folks; those of us with “gifted” intelligence and a learning disability (which includes ADHD). Smart can hide ADHD in a lot of situations but it doesn’t cancel it out.

The dumbass thing is, I bet your neuro-psych eval absolutely had the hallmarks for ADHD, because even though 2e people sometimes test really well (I do, in most subjects I find it easy to hyperfocus during an exam), one of the tell-tales of ADHD is having wildly varying results on psychological exam stuff--like, our intelligence will test really well, but our short-term/working memory will be much, much lower than expected in comparison. 

Either their evaluation wasn’t as comprehensive as they told you, or they’re too goddamn ignorant to read the results. 

Because, like.....I would have pegged you as “probably ADHD” when I met you! I don’t mean that in any kind of negative way, there’s just weird little stuff I find hard to explain, that I notice with other ADHD people when I talk to them in social situations?? 

[the-metal-president]

My critique of anti psychiatry does not mean that I believe that psychiatry needs to go uncriticized and that all psych practices are ethical. My main issue is the fact that you are a) denying the lived experiences of many mentally ill people by telling them how they “should” label and view themselves and b) getting mad at people who have made a conscious, informed choice to use psyc meds and harassing them in the comments on any post/video/podcast/song that meds are mentioned in. Your movement fails to listen to a huge swath of the people it claims to protect. Also, it wasn’t founded by mentally ill folks but by Neurotypicals. Go away.

Mental illness denialism is ableism, no matter what kind of “progressive” wrapper you package it in.

[healerkenneth]

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[winstonhcomedy]

How’d Winston Do This Weekend? 11/2-11/3

What a wild and wacky weekend of wonderful comedy!!! We had a twofer on Friday in Petersburg, and then a bit of a road trip for a shit show at Smith Mt. Lake on Saturday!!!

I love a twofer. Two sets in one night. It’s especially rare when the show isn’t in a huge city. The fact that Petersburg had two shows on Friday is kind of ridiculous, but I am definitely not complaining.

The first was the Off The Rip Improv Showcase at Plaza Mexico Bar and Grill run/hosted by my buddy Mu Cuzzo. I think it was Mu’s first time running a show like this which is pretty neat. I hit him up before the show and asked for a spot. He put me on and let me go first so I could make my second show.

I get there early and get to hang with Mu, his dope girlfriend Paula, and Bryan Williams. I knew Paula before I knew Mu. She used to come out and support a bunch of comedy shows. She’s a pretty dope artist as well. She is a poet, a writer, she makes jewelry, and there’s probably a lot more I’m missing as well. She’s a good influence on Mu, and supportive af. I always enjoy talking to her!

Mu is in a super good mood, because his mom is coming to watch him perform for the first time. This is a super dope moment to watch. When his mother gets there Mu hands her a bouquet of flowers (it’s her birthday) and gives her a huge hug. Shit like this gets me teary eyed. Small stuff like that really touches me in a crazy kind of way.

Mu’s mother is a pretty strong, and awesome woman. Mu told me she’s on city council and when city council tried to knock down city worker’s pay by 10% she told them to take all of her pay. This is a bad ass move. It show’s she gives af about the community, which is rare as hell nowadays.

Had to talk to Bryan about staying in his lane. Bryan is a good dude who means well, but he sometimes gets involved in some stuff on fb he really shouldn’t. I think arguing about stuff on FB is super annoying and pointless (even though I’ve done it.) I just advised him it’d be best to mind his own business and keep his head down and just write/tell jokes. He’s so new he doesn’t need the reputation of a White Knight or argumentative dude on FB. It was about some personal stuff going on in the comedy scene rn so I don’t want to go into it, but it was a good talk.

The room itself is pretty big and spacious. There is a weird divider in the middle of the room. The DJ is set up on one side, and the comics perform on the other. There is a pretty good crowd there, but because the room is so big it doesn’t feel super intimate. Also there's a table of about 11 people behind us that you have to turn around to see. It’s an odd setup, but it works.

Mu went up first and did a good job getting the room ready for comedy. Since the microphone was wireless and he knew a lot of the audience he walked out into them a little bit and did his thing. He got his mom involved a bit, and warmed up the room nicely.

I go up first and have a pretty solid set. I only did crowd work. It did not have the vibe of a crowd that would be into my material. I only did about 5 minutes since I was a guest, but I got his mom involved and his cousin. I had some pretty good lines, and got some big laughs. 

All in all I’m glad I went to the show. I’d give my set a B-. After the set I hopped in my car and drove straight to Wabi Sabi.

Wabi Sabi is one of my favorite comedy rooms. It is usually hosted/run by Jason Klingman. Tonight Kenny Wingle was hosting since Jason was at the Brian Wilson concert in Richmond. 

This is a room set up for comedy. It is in a basement, has low ceilings, tight seating, brick wall backdrop, separated from rest of the restaurant, and usually has a good crowd. This is not an easy room by any means, but they do reward funny. You have to be willing to work for your laughs. They like jokes and crowd work. 

I’ve had some of the best sets of my life at Wabi and I honestly think it’s a room that has made me into the comic I am now. I’m not afraid of any room, and it really helped me build my confidence while doing material or crowd work. 

When I got to the show Alex Castagne was on stage and he had a hot one. The room was full, and he was slaughtering. Alex is a funny dude, and a good friend. A real fine jew of a boy.

 He gets off and Joshua Horsford goes up. Joshua has been in and out of the comedy scene for a long time. He started well before me, but he also writes/acts so there are times where he is absent from the scene for months. He had a pretty good set and Kenny went back up and did some crowd work in-between him and the next comic.

Next up is Patrick Nowaczyk one of the members of Rich Girls comedy. A comedy troupe that isn’t really doing anything anymore but was full of some of my favorite comics when I started. Pat started out super strong. He was really killing up top, but then he got into some of his longer jokes and they either didn't get them or just didn’t have the attention span for them (which sucks because he did two of my favorite bits he does). 

He gets off stage and since it is late about two tables get up to leave. Which is always disconcerting as a comic who is going last on a show. 

Bryan showed up to hang out after his set at Mu’s show. When he got there he asked for a guest spot. Kenny came up and asked if it was ok if he went in front of me.  I didn’t give a shit. Bryan’s five minutes aren’t going to affect me. 

Bryan goes up and really does not have a good set. He caught them when he got on stage, but after that he really let their lack of laughs get to him and he got more and more timid. He just had no confidence and they just weren’t his crowd. After his set about half of the remaining tables leave. 

Kenny goes back up and does a little more crowd work to get the crowd back and excited again. Luckily the tables that were left were great audience members. 

I go up and just go right into crowd work. They are vibing with me and my energy right away. I do about 25 minutes and I can honestly say I did one joke in the middle (and it worked).

The audience members left were amazing. I had one of the best sets I’ve had in a while. I was jumping back and forth between two large tables of guests, calling back to crowd work, and really getting weird and intimate.

Talked about sex with a mom/dad in front of her daughter who was celebrating her birthday. Talked to another lady about how much she loved to be choked. I had a lot of lines I can’t even remember, but it was a super fun and hot set.

I’d give it an A- and maybe even bump it up to an A. 

It was so much fun, and really glad I was booked on this show. After the show I hung with the guys a bit, and then Klingman showed up. We talked about the Brian Wilson show, and I asked to be on next month’s Wabi show (it is the 9th year anniversary and I didn’t want to miss it.) Afterwards I headed home.

Saturday was a fun day. I got to wake up late, and hang out with my niece which is one of my favorite things to do. I also knew I had a good hang on the horizon because I was driving to Lynchburg to meet up with my dude Jake Snyder and ride with him and Paige Campbell to the comedy competition at Heath’s Waterfront Grill at Smith Mtn. Lake. 

Once I get to Jake’s we got and grab a bit to eat at Wendy’s next to his house. Someone asks him how tall he is (6′7) and they then reply with, “that ain’t too bad”. I don’t even begin to know wtf that even means. 

Paige gets to his apartment and then we hit the road. We are jamming to older metal on the radio, and it legit feels like we are comics in the 80s. Three dudes crammed into a car, driving into the middle of nowhere for some dogshit show and a chance at $250. 

We have done this show before, and it actually wasn’t bad. I had a super hot set and won some money. They had us on a real stage, and it was pretty packed out. Definitely more fun that it had any right to be.

This time we show up. The sound system is shit, there is no stage (they have moved us to the corner), very little audience, and the energy is weak af in the room. We all know it is going to suck.

The good thing is there are definitely some folks I love to hang with here. Johnny Camacho (Roanoke comic), Kristinia Montouri (Roanoke comic), Colby Knight (lynchburg/charlottesville guy), Zach Webb (lynchburg comic), and a few others idk at all. 

The host Phil Hogan goes first and he just gobbles dick for like 15 minutes. Like it is brutal. Barely any laughs at all, and really isn’t vibing with the crowd. After him he brings up a comic Ron Hebert who also bombs. The next comic is Melissa Douty. I have never seen her before, but her reputation precedes her. She is a local headliner/touring comic. Super likeable and a good joke writer. She has what I consider the best set of the night. 

I go up next and in my opinion bomb. I got some good pops, and about 3/4 of my jokes work. I try to engage the crowd, but they aren’t having it at all. I also keep stepping out of the light because it is poorly placed and bright af (I get points deducted because of this). 

The best part was in the middle of a setup to one of my jokes that needs people to pay attention a man who has to be 80 rolls in on his mechanical wheelchair. He is making what I can only describe as a comical amount of noise. He is knocking his wheelchair into tables, and the hostess is talking so loud asking him where he is going to sit. The whole time I am just on stage delivering a joke people don’t want to hear just trying my best not to yell at this old dude. HE WHEELS ALL THE WAY TO THE FRONT!!! On the inside I am dying laughing. It felt like it was out of a tv show.

I’d give my set a C-. I just didn’t have it that night.

Melissa Douty comes over and we both compliment each others sets. I definitely respect her as a comic. Super funny lady check her out. 

Everybody else goes up and honestly it feels like everybody is bombing. Paige and Jake didn’t do great but also the crowd was shit. Johnny Camacho goes up and does a German Psychic character (that I enjoy) and gets a few good laughs. Lastly a 16 year old kid goes up with a notebook and he does ok. Not bad for a first set ever, and he had a few good ideas.

They are adding up the scores at the end of the show while the host goes back up and plays guitar for an obscene amount of time. We are hanging out in the back and 16 year old is one cocky dude. You can tell he thinks he is a comedic genius. He is trying to bust balls, and be goofy. He asks me if my legs are ok because my jeans are too tight (brilliant roast). A little later he says he’s a bit sleepy because he did a bunch of heroin, so I responded with, “yea and after your set I just wish you had Od’d.” He heard me, but he didn’t respond. He also quit busting balls after that. He did have some funny shit so I hope he continues to go out and work on new stuff. His parents were there, so it was cool to see them support his dream.

They announced Johnny Camacho as the winner. Which blew me away. Not because he isn’t funny, but just because Mellissa Douty got more laughs than all of the other comics combined. I’m happy for Johnny because at least a hack didn’t win, but I felt bad for Melissa because for that room she kind of freaking crushed.

We head back and stop at Sheetz to grab some food. We park back at Jake’s place and start doing our favorite street jokes. Then we all go our separate ways. I head home and start playing tf out of Red Dead Redemption 2! Which is how I spent the rest of my weekend.

WHAT AN AMAZING TIME BAYBEES AND LAYDEES!!! I love you a lot and will catch up with you soon. Keep on trucking everybody! xoxoxo LOVE YOU!!!