#if this comes to the u.s. i'm going to sell my organs so that i can buy a wii u

[dankusner]

Michelle Shocked Short Sharp Shocked A SHORT SHARP MICHELLE SHOCKED BIOGRAPHY : From an austere, fundamentalist family, the oldest of eight children, Michelle ran away from home at 16 and went to Dallas in search of her father, whom she describes as "one of those hippy, atheist guys."

He encouraged her to play guitar, so she listened and learned from his old bluegrass and blues collection: musicians like Doc Watson, Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy, Norman Blake and Guy Clark.

She went to Austin in 1981, a time when local songwriters gathered regularly for open mikes.

"I thought, 'If the scene was this great in Austin, imagine what I'd find if I started travelling, '" Michelle says.

She hitched to San Francisco, New York and Amersterdam, where she became involved in squatter's movements and the politics of the homeless.

She drifted back to Austin, where her mother had her committed to a psychiatric hospital in Dallas until the insurance money ran out.

"Shocked" was her reply to the Republican National Convention in Dallas where she was arrested in 1984. "

'Michelle Shocked' because that's the way I felt. That said it all"

Politics is central to Michelle's motivation and she is particularly concerned with issues surrounding racism, the environment and housing.

She has performed benefit concerts and lent her support to such organizations as Shelter, WOMAD and YCND.

Describing herself as "affordable and portable," Michelle has toured all of Europe, playing more than 150 dates this past year; a รมา 1500 triumphant performance at Glastonbury Festival was described by NME as "the show of the weekend."

She toured the U.S. in 1988 with Billy Bragg and contributed her version of "Lovely Rita" to the successful Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father benefit album.

Michelle lives on a house boat in North London next to Old Fred, who lives in an ambulance with his dog, Trouble.

Her new LP Short Sharp Shocked is released August 15th. PolyGram Records 810 SEVENTH AVENUE/NEW YORK. NY 10019 (212) 333-8000 3800 W. ALAMEDA/BURBANK, CA 91505 (818) 955-5200

Michelle Shocked

Short Sharp Shocked

If you ask me what happened, this is what I'll tell you…

This English fellow came down to the kerrville Folk Festival where me and my friends get together every year to show off the songs we've written during our travelling, trade stories, see how much we've grown.

Well, he asked me to play some of my tunes for his tape recorder machine and I was of a mind to play that night so I kept right on singing, even after his batteries ran out.

I figured I would teach him a lesson, but something about mad dogs and Englishman…

Anyways, I'm hanging out in New York City with some squatter friends of mine when next thing I know I get a letter from him saying would I come to England and play at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and is it alright if he makes that recording we did into an album, because he played it for all his friends and they really like it and he thinks it will sell a lot of records.

I wrote him, sure, go ahead good luck, I'll see you on the 8th of January (that's a fiddle tune, by the way) and dropkick me if it didn't go to the very top of the Independent Album Charts the next month. which really to me says something about peoples' sense of humour, seeing as how the damn thing's got crickets chirping like mad the whole way through and Joe Don's pickup truck making godawful grinding noises with the gears in the background.

And how come he didn't ask kv Hote or Frank Hill or Emily Kaltz (or Purly Gates for that matter)?

I'll never know, but vou asked me.

so I'll tell you it's all those folks and more what's in the spirit of the Texas Campfire Tapes.

It's like I told those journalist fellows in London who were wanted to make interviews with me.

I don't know what all the fuss is about, and if you like it so much, well, there's plenty more where I came from.

You tell them that, somebody at PolyGram gets mighty interested.

Do I want to. make a real record, in the studio and all that?

What can you do with that?

I mean, you hate this system, you drop out, you write about what you see, next thing you know, it's $150,000 and we're your friends.

Okay, so now it's hmmn… get involved with the system, you know, work from the inside… now where have I heard that before?

They tell me about a producer in Hollywood that's just dying to meet Pete Anderson is the fellow's name. Between my imagination and his experience, I expect to get plenty of chances to justify myself to opportunity, here's short, sharp, Shocked, for the record; a few tricks up my sleeve.

squatter

feminist

anarchist

Texan

picker/poet

skateboard punk rocker

traveller / hitch hiker

psychiatric hospital Inmate

captdin pirate radio d.j. R. A. R. / Yippie! dctivist rundwdy army brat Mormon fundamentalist college graduate expatriate mandolinist / fiddler Green / Populist WOMAD champion carpenter's apprentice C. E. O. rape victim Storyteller +hats

m squatting to stardom: songuriter Michelle Sbo 'THE WAY YOU SAY IT' BY HOLLY GLEASON

Shocked, the lanky Texan who owes her career to a recording made on a Sony Walk man around a campfire at the 1986 Kerrville Folk Festival.

The resulting record, the drawling Texas Campfire Tapes [Cooking Vinyl/Mercury 834581-1), shot straight to the top of the British independent label record charts last year, selling more than 30,000 copies and grabbing Shocked a major label deal.

Though there was plenty of noise in the grooves of this amateur production the critics also found plenty to praise.

Shocked's unaffected vocals and songwriting honesty have brought her comparisons with every one from Woody Guthrie to Ricky Lee Jones.

The source of all this attention doesn't seem to take it too seriously.

"I very deliber ately play just an old Yamaha. My reasoning is that a guitar is almost universally the first instrument people pick up when they start learning," she continues.

"Because much of i music is keep equipoiyas simple as possible."

Then she adds, with a broad 16 FRITS ALAGAZINE/OCTURER 198K grin,

"But I have found some strings that are real special. They're Albion strings, medium gauge phosphor brunze."

Shocked's dependence on simple tools is par of the political and personal perspective that informs her work.

Born in Texas, she adopted a squatting lifestyle after leaving home as a teenager, living in abandoned buildings in San Francisco, Amsterdam, and London.

When Polygram records offered her $130,000.00 as an advance for her latest record, Sbort, Sbarp, Sbocked (Polygram, 834924 1], she refused it saying, "What would I do with all that money? Take some of it and sign another artist."

Shocked picked up the guitar (as well as fiddle) as a teenager, mainly as a way to amuse herself and her friends, and was soon writing songs.

Her compositions are bal. anced berween humorous snapshots such as "Secret Admirer" or "Steppin' Out" from Campfire Tapes, or the more touching per sonal reflections of "Anchorage" on the new album, all sung to gentle fingerpicked melo dies, and time honored blues progressions.

"I think the Campfire Tapesreflects a certain performance as well as songwriting quality," she says, , "and with this kind of music it's not so much the technology you use to say what you gotta say, as it is the way you say it. You have to understand that I was literally one of those dropouts from society. thriving on creating chaos. So when they called and asked about releasing the tapes, my whole attitude was, 'Sure let's see what kind of trouble we can make.'

"There's a kind of recklessness to it that falls very much in line with my political agenda, which is stronger than my com mercial music career."

To this day, Shocked is nonchalant about the technical aspects of performing Joking that "I don't change my strings as often as a pro-fesh-on al," she had great fun during her early days in England watching soundmen on the rock circuit attempting to mike her acoustic guitar and fiddle.

"As soon as the feedback inevitably started up, I'd say Yeah, we can do the com plicated things, but we just plain forgot how to do the simple things,'" Shocked laughs "But when I start touring here, I'll use a Countryman microphone with a wireless transmitter, because without it| I find the guitar really suffers.

And at least this way 1 won't end up feeling like I'm dragging an umbilical chordaround the stage." Going into the studio to record her second album Sbort, Sbarp, Sbocked she was wary of both the technology and Pete Ander son lof Dwight Yoakam fame), the producer she was to work with. In fact, Shocked's manager called up Anderson to read him a letter she wrote voicing her "complete lack of faith in his ability to produce her," and explained that Shocked would be bringing a friend with her from England.

Yet, before it was all over, Shocked's friend had been sent home and Anderson had even convinced her to use a Fairlight synthesizer to generate strings on "Anchorage."

"When I heard about the Fairlight, my reaction was No synthesizers! No com puters!,' and I took him aside and said, 'Uh, what's going here? I don't like this. '

His response was, You don't like the Fairlight? Your intuition tells you not to use it?

Then we won't.' I completely lost my heart and realized we wanted the same thing.

So I said, Well in that case … Perhaps the beauty of Shocked's attitude is that since technology doesn't matter, tak ing advantage of technology doesn't have to detract.

Her new album has the Fairlight, but it is mainly a mix of a country rhythm sec tion, occasional twanging guitars, and guest players such as Byron Berline on fiddle, Al Perkins on dobro, and Christina Olson adding hammered dulcimer.

The mixes range from a simple blues tune picked by Shocked, accompanied only by harmonica, to a live track she recorded with a punk band in San Francisco ("because punk is just as much a form of folk music as anything is.)

Though her populist approach to music allows here to embrace punk, she's got her folk roots in the right places.

Growing up she stayed with her father during the summers and the pair would venture to many blue grass festivals.

There Shocked learned an appreciation for traditional music that

Sunday, June 12, 1988 1988, The Dallas Morning News The Arts The Dallas Morning Nels Section C By Russell Smith Pop Music Critic

KERRVILLE, Texas -

Michelle Shocked is to the star system what Ronald Reagan is to the welfare state: a hostile witness.

The enigmatic singer and songwriter could also be the most significant musical figure to emerge from Dallas since Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Unless she does a kamikaze number on her new employer, Polygram Records.

"Look, I'll do this, but only if it's subversive in every way - the means and the ends," Shocked told record label officials whose biggest moneymaker is Bon Jovi.

"We all know subversion sells. So that was the least of their concerns," says Shocked, whose manner tends toward paradox: intense but approachable, direct yet abstract, intimidating but warm.

Like Dolly Parton strung out on politics.

Her 1986 small-label debut, The Texas Campfire Tapes, was recorded — almost by chance — on a tiny Walkman in a field at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

The simple, folksy record came complete with real cricket noises and the sound of passing cars; it rose to No. 1 on the United Kingdom's independent-record charts, alongside less-folksy acts such as the now-disbanded Dead Kennedys.

Her big-time Polygram debut, Short Sharp Shocked, is due out in August.

As for the market value of subversion and the tolerance of a corporate giant - well, we shall see. MICHELLE SHOCKED short, sharp Texas singer takes on politics and the record industry Special to The News: Bob Daemmrich

At 26, Shocked already has a legend longer than most music veterans' resumes.

Something of a bipartisan political activist, she got

BIO BORN: Michelle Johnston, 1962, Dallas, Texas.

BORN AGAIN: Michelle Shocked, 1984, Dallas GOP National Conven-tion.

That's the name she gave police who arrested her during a political rally that included a swim in City Hall fountain.

FIRST LP: The Texas Campfire Tapes, 1986, recorded by Englishman Peter Lawrence on a Walkman in a field at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

Lawrence turned the recording into an album that hit No. 1 on the United Kingdom's independent-record charts. NEXT LP: Short Sharp Shocked on Polygram Records in August.

"We all know that subversion sells," says Shocked, and that's how she hopes to stay happy at the record company responsible for Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and The Scorpions. herself arrested in 1984 at both presidential nominating conventions.

Born Michelle Johnston, her stage name was created for the benefit of the Dallas police, who insisted on a name when they plucked her out of the City Hall fountain after an anti-GOP rally called "the War Chest Tour."

The cover of the soon-to-be-released Short Sharp Shocked, she says, is a newspaper photo of the very skinny, utterly waifish singer caught in a choke hold by Please see MICHELLE on Page 6C.

@he Wallas jRorning Neus Sunday, June 12, 1988 Michelle Shocked hopes message will be music to our ears been a corporate-industrialist heri Continued from Page 1C. a San Francisco policeman during her arrest at the Democratic con-vention.

At the time, she sported a mohawk.

A bonafide expatriate, Shocked lives on a houseboat in London after years of drifting, existing in the squatters' underground of San Francisco, New York, Amsterdam, London and Berlin.

"I don't want to talk it up too much," she was quoted in the Dallas Observer last year, "because I don't like translating underground culture for mainstream readers.

But it's all incredibly organized: squat cafes, squat radio co-ops, squat book-stores.

Even squat barbershops."

Born in Dallas, Shocked saw Bast Texas and beyond the stepdaughter of an Army man.

From Dallas to Gilmer to Mineral Wells, back to Dallas and then to Massachusetts. Over to Germany, next stop, Maryland. And — just in time for high school - the family returned to Gilmer.

On stage at the 1988 Kerrville Folk Festival - where Shocked performed officially for the first time nine days ago she offers sharp and funny observations regarding life in the Piney Woods.

Her lazy East Texas drawl, only faint in conversation after so much cosmopolitan living, becomes much more pronounced onstage, and it's quickly obvious that she knows how to hold a crowd with a lethal brew of expert storytelling. down-home charm and edgy wit.

Her true-story account of the annual Gilmer campaign for "Yamboree Queen" wins the audience for the duration of her hourlong set.

Shocked's pointed but perceptive political edge comes out during The Campus Crusade, half-spoken piece about a couple of traveling evangelists.

"Thank you. I hope that offended some of y'all," she says.

Shocked is brought back for three standing-ovation encores.

She is joined, at one point, by her father for a mandolin duet, and then by brother Max, who accompanies her on guitar.

Shocked's father, an East Dallas carpenter, was a classic '60s hippie who spent years building a pipe dream of a boat that never sailed.

She was 3 when her parents di- vorced.

And it was just after high school that Michelle left home not long after her stepfather had converted to religious fundamen-talism.

Finally on her own, Shocked traveled to Dallas, hung out in Austin for a while and got involved in the Rock Against Racism crusade during her tenure in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district.

All the while, she made music that combined the Influences of a life-time: the bluegrass and western swing favored by her father, blues and folk from Dallas and Austin music circles.

From her immersion in California's skate-punk scene, might compromise the singer's in- tage that has subverted the dreams tegrity.

Still, it's unclear at this and ideals that we want to believe point how the company and the per- we founded our society on. former will handle the relations

"My main premise is that politics with the press that go hand in hand should make your life richer, make with selling records. Or how the you a more informed, intelligent, company might eventually balk at caring human being."

Shocked's intense politicism - at When Shocked embarks on a her selection, for instance, of an al- massive U.S. concert tour this fall, it bum cover that depicts her being likely will be with Britain's fore strangled by a police officer. most musical proponent of radical "Subversion sells," Shocked says. socialism, Billy Bragg.

He's a friend, But if that's true, it stands to reason she says, but her politics aren't that even her rebellion will be re-nearly as specific or as all-consum- duced to a mere product designed to ing as his. make money for corporate America.

"You don't have to preach it or Then what will she do? shove it down anyone's throat," "It seems to me, really, that there says Shocked. "You just use it, and It does come a point of no return. I'm speaks for itself.

"People go to hear him (Bragg) speaking theoretically, because I haven't experienced it," Shocked because they want to hear their says.

"But it seems like, at some own political views reinforced." point, you have to make a decision If Shocked doesn't care to be labeled a socialist with a capital "S," whether to sell out or not.

And on that decision rests a lot of conse- neither does she welcome the tag of quences. "folkie."

That's one reason she "I'm a strong believer in the gives for signing on with big, bad principle of sabotage," she says, her Polygram instead of a small, inde-calm, deliberate voice momentarily Shocked acquired a love for hardcore bands such as The Circle Jerks, whose anarchic sensibility she reflects in spirit, but certainly not in style.

Another hero is folk great Guy Clark, whom she refers to as "God" Clark.

All in all, Shocked fits in surprisingly well at the annual Kerr-ville gathering, full of organically inclined young families and guys who look more like Willie Nelson than Willie Nelson does.

On stage at Kerrville, where, in the past, Shocked has volunteered off and on as a ticket handler, festi val founder Rod Kennedy proudly throws an arm around her as the crowd stands cheering and applaud-ing.

He's beaming; she looks happy and somewhat embarrassed. Special to

The News: Bob Daemmrich Michelle Shocked embraces a friend at the Kerrville Folk Festival, where her father (left) and brother (far left) joined her at a poster-signing.

Shocked's set and visits her back- original agreement with Polygram, stage afterward; the two women ex- they allow her plenty of space. change autographed posters. "It's one of those situations

A big draw at the annual festival where you know that what you say, is the camping experience.

The real in four years, is going to be com musical action, in fact, often takes pletely different from what you say place around campfires long after now," Shocked says during a discus. the stage has gone dark.

That's how sion of how she plans to maintain Englishman Peter Lawrence — the control of her career under the man who recorded Shocked in the profit-conscious watch of a giant field on his Walkman - first heard record label. the singer.

Hours after her official "I'm a real strong devotee of the Kerrville debut, Shocked jams (Marshall) McLuhan idea of the around a fire with well-known Aus- medium being the message," says tin musicians Jimmie Dale Gilmore Shocked.

"You start dealing with and Butch Hancock, finally getting mass culture, pop culture, whatever to bed at 4:30 a.m. - and that is the message.

Already Less than six hours later, sometimes, I feel like I caricature Shocked leaves it to journalists to myself. It just happens when you try wake her up in her tent for an ap to work on any scale other than the pointed photo session

An intimate one." glamorous arrangement guaran- It doesn't take an observer long Shocked is on a Friday night teed to give most major-label publi- to figure out that Shocked is, above Kerrville lineup that includes rela- cists cardiac arrest.

In her camping all, an intensely political person. tively obscure folkies Steve Gillette, area, Shocked is surrounded by fa-

That's why she lives in England Fred Koller and Valdi, as well as ther Bill, brother Max, Peter Law-

("It's a politicized society") and not Guy Clark and increasingly popular rence and by various friends. the United States (which she be- Austin folk singer Nanci Griffith.

As the groggy singer greets the lieves is obsessed with "contro Griffith's soft Southern charm and drizzly morning, two Polygram rep- versy avoidance").

And that's what little-girl's voice stand in direct resentatives • a Los Angeles publi-

She wants her music to reflect. contrast to Shocked's torn T-shirts, cist and the New York-based artist

"In other words, just make the high-top sneakers and boyishly and repertoire person who signed whole musical career become some- Shocked to the label - stand thing of a metaphor for my political hair.

Her torn jeans are vision," she says. short patched with gaffer tape, and her around the campsite in dark glasses thin face looks even thinner under after a short drive from a Kerrville

"When I really reflect on what an ever-present longshoreman's cap hotel. In keeping with Shocked's kind of heritage we've got, it has that she thinks once belonged to a Greek sailor.

Griffith seems to be enjoying pendent label full of artistic integ taking on a vaguely ominous tone. rity.

"I believe that, if you created some- "The beauty of what happened at Cooking Vinyl (the British indie la- thing, then you are the first person to have the right to destroy it." bel that released The Texas Camp- Unless Shocked feels compelled fire Tapes) and the independent to bail out before her career as a scene in England is that I was on a recording artist gets out of hand, chart

that was, one week, The Dead she does have a goal. Kennedys at No. 1, and, the next week, The Texas Campfire Tapes at "I've got one pretension: 1 would like to make a classic, a record that No. 1. Also, the circuit that you play stands the test of time.

I really is the indie rock pubs." hoped that I'd done that with this On the other hand, she says, us- one (Short Sharp Shocked) that I've ing as an example the U.S. inde- just finished recording. pendent label Rounder Records,

"But I somehow suspect now that "They'll go to the folk programs on I haven't. I like the record a lot, and, the radio; you'll booked of course, only time will tell." (mainly) at folk festivals." On the potential collision course she may be charting with Polygram, Polygram Records is the home of heavy metal.

The completely gen eric and incredibly popular Bon Jovi leads a roster that includes frequently interchangeable headbangers such as Def Leppard, The Scorpions, Kingdom Come Yngwie Malmsteen.

Label representatives, who promise a big media push to promote Short Sharp Shocked, say that Polygram knows what it has with Shocked and that the record company won't make any moves that

Shocked is thoughtful, uncharacteristically dreamy and utterly sin-cere:

"Maybe. Maybe. I'm hoping it's a very conscious decision you make to sell out or not sell out.

I would die if I found out it's something that just happens with time, slowly wearing away.

I'm hoping that, if I can keep it an issue, I'll always be aware of it.

"Who knows? I'm speaking very naively. I don't have a clue what I'm really taking on." DIRE STRICTLY BE A MODEL/ACTOR!! We can help start ged, We re cu rently int

[mangodestroyer]

Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure my store would still be making lots of money if my wage was doubled.

Yes, I am aware that there is a fuck ton of labor that goes into running a clothing store. You have to pay the accountants, marketing team, upper management, truck drivers, customer service representatives, supervisors, and so much more. And sometimes, merchandise gets handled quite a bit. It needs to be kept neat, organized out onto the floor, go through price changes now and then, etc.

Thing is, I, a single employee, work with LOTS of merchandise everyday. Mere penny's worth of my labor goes towards a single unit, if even that. And the raw materials and labor that went into PRODUCING those clothes probably isn't as much as people think. It's pretty obvious these clothing items are being marked up at absurd prices so that you think you're getting a deal when you get a 20% off coupon or whatever.

Also, I wasn't even hired on as a service desk employee. And yet I often find myself working the till during a 4-8 hour shift. This isn't even the busiest time of the year for us, but it's really not uncommon for the place to be bustling with activity. And while working the register, I easily ring up tons of orders that are at least $50. Hell, I often find myself ringing up orders in the $150 to $300 range, with the occasional $500+ purchase. I'm also selling credit cards on top of that, which also earn the company lots of money because of the fact that these cards have a high interest rate and most people wait to pay them off when their bill arrives in the mail/online.

Not only that, but I also fill online orders sometimes. Whether that be through store pickup or through mail.

So I pretty much know how to do almost everything in the store. Aside from supervising and some operations tasks (even if I still help out with trucks and whatnot). I can do all of this fairly efficiently. ESPECIALLY since I've been working here two years. And within an hour, I can easily end up selling so much merchandise, that the money earned just from me alone ends up being far, FAR more than my weekly wage. Just in that hour.

So, yeah. How can you even justify giving the average worker a measly $12.50 an hour? Let alone one who is more experienced and efficient? With the cost of living these days, it just isn't ethical. Rent is insanely high, gas prices have gone up, and food isn't getting any cheaper. If my wage was doubled, I might actually be able to live on my own.

No, shit. Companies are greedy af. This is why I'm happy for the worker strikes and hope they do cause serious damage for the CEOs. The U.S. owns 25% of the world's wealth, so poverty shouldn't even be nearly as much of an issue as it currently is. And no one needs a billion dollars. Give me a break!

I've also become disgusted by how materialistic we are as a culture and try to cut back on frivolous purchases. I mean, I see people come here multiple times a month, buying so much dumb shit for their wardrobes that they really don't need. I once had a girl come in purchasing $400 worth of clothes. Admitting this wasn't the first time she'd done so that month. That she'll have to get a third job to support her shopping addiction when she already works 60 hours a week. Ngl, I kind of wanted to slap some sense into her right there and then. Just why??? She's already so busy, so she probably doesn't have much time to even enjoy the outfits she's wearing. And tbh, I doubt many people are giving it much thought either. And if you don't need to work more than 60 hours a week to survive, why the fuck would you? Wouldn't you rather, idk, pick up a hobby or something? Hang out with some friends? Spend some time out in the sun?

I guess capitalism isn't my thing.

[awesomeforever]

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[honest-verse]

Mess...

I've loved and adored travelling since always, if you knew me you'd know that for sure! If there was ever a question of what my bucket list items were- exploring cultures, learning languages, experiences and a chance to see new art top's it off and so the worm for travel and adventures�� I'm in my third year of undergrads right now and have been looking out for options for my masters, I'm not criticizing India as such but the courses for my interest areas are not that great here ( It just seems like a dumb move to study under this immense pressure and competition especially in psych programs, just to be criticized and get mocked at when we enter the workforce. And don’t even get me started on the ridiculously low pay ) I've come across some great programs in the U.S and Australia, with great teachers, exceptional opportunities, great work demand and pay as well! But.. It's not all sweet honey. Firstly, Have you looked at the costings!! 35 lacks a year tf! What for? This is why literacy rates are doomed.. I'll probably have to sell my organs for this or something. And it's not only that, there is the social and security aspect; their crime rates and gun laws are just sooooo good that scams and fraud worries are just thrown out of the window at this point There syllabus and methods have been so different as well, My University has done a great job of inclusivity of different topics and pretty much covering up everything, from cognitive styles -to- psychopathology -to- stats and research as well, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW! What if its not enough and I learn that only after going there UGHHH! But that doesn’t mean ill be a rational thinker and not do it though, I'm an asshole I know! I hope its not just initial excitement and is a long term feeling but just thinking about how great it will be, all the experiences and people I would meet makes me wanna work 20 hours a week, be under student loan just as I enter work force and eat 2 meals a day just to save up anyways..0: !!!

[umichenginabroad]

Bordeaux France

Last week was my last week at ENSEA. I finished my finals. Hopefully did well, said goodbye to my teachers for all their help throughout the semester, and began prep for my departure. This was last Wednesday. Thursday was a national holiday, I think it was a catholic one. Anyways, I was able to take advantage of my last weekend in France with a trip to Bordeaux.

I found this service that organizes trips throughout France called ErasmusPlace. It's run by this guy named Jeff, (super Jeff), and is open to anybody interested in a cheap and well-organized trip.

The trip to Bordeaux was 8 hours by bus on the way in. We took a few stops but it was more or less constant travel. Jeff kept people interested with quizzes and information about the activities to come.

We arrived later that day and did a city tour. There was a photo contest, so my photos for this blog are going to be kinda stacked. We were 85 people on the trip, and some of the travelers had super high-quality cameras.

Pics

So, we got to do a city tour and it I met a lot of people. 3 people from Greece: Signorita, Cleopatra, and Thanos. (Actually Thanos), 1 person from Germany: Simon, an aeronautical Engineer with top gun style ray bans and a scraggly beard. Rachel, a girl from the U.S who goes to Auburn University in Alabama and studies near where we do in Cergy (the 3rd person from the Alabama/Mississippi region I've met in France). Jesus, a student in Paris from Mexico, and Manu a student at Roma university who traveled to Paris from Rome just to make this Bordeaux trip.

For dinner, people were anxious about a decision because most places couldn't sit big groups and nobody wanted to pick a place. People were saying that they'd go anywhere, so we went into the first restaurant we saw. It happened to be a swiss restaurant, Savoyard style, with lots of cheese. Rachel wanted a burger because she thought that one of the tartiflette dishes (a potato lasagna) was a burger because it said, 'Berger'. The consensus after sitting down and reading the menu is that there's too much cheese. So we bail and our waiter recommends a place next door which sells savory crepes. We eat that up and afterward I head to the bar with Simon and Manu. Jeff picks the bar so the other travelers are there too. During this time, I'm speaking in Spanish with Manu a little bit because his English isn't so good and that's fun to do. At the bar, we get some beers and after talking with some people from Spain for a bit we go home.

The next day we go to the dunes of Pilat. A 3km long dune 110m tall.

Excuse my bad filming. We ran up the dunes the second we saw them and it's actually kind of difficult to sprint up 100 meters of sand, so I was out of breath taking it.

After a few hours at the dunes, we went to a beach 20 minutes north of the dunes in a town called Arcachoca. We swam in the Atlantic, and ate some seafood dinner, and headed back.

View of the Atlantic from the dunes

Not without incident, however, Our bus driver drove into a tree and broke a window on the bus. So we were stuck in Arcachoca a little longer than planned, trying to sort out how we'd continue to travel for the trip. Return to Paris, get back to Bordeaux, important things.

During this time we meet some Austrians, Natalie, and Lilith and we talk to them. Natalie just graduated high school in Austria and has left home to volunteer in Paris.

We get back and Jeff organizes a club for the travelers to go to. The music is a little much and Grace and I head home early.

The next day we prepare for the drive back, we try some Bordeaux delicacies the, caneles, which nobody seems to like but me, and we meet up with Victor, our friend from ENSEA who lives in Bordeaux. We see him for only 20 minutes or so on our walk back to the bus. It was cool to see him at home, he was really in his element. Bordeaux is exceptionally French.

The bus ride is long because of traffic. We stop briefly at a wine cellar to do a wine tasting.

The left photo is the oak used in the barrels for the aging of the red wine.

In the right photo, you see the roman architecture style arches which comprise the main cellar of the place. The tour guide told us that the building had papers from 500 years ago and could have dated back to the 12th century. The wine was good and I bought some for the family.

The rest of the journey was difficult. We didn't get back until 2am because of traffic. We were supposed to get back at 11PM. Overall, it was a really cool trip. I recommend the program to anybody going to France to study abroad.

Nick Peabody

Electrical Engineering

Fame 2022 Ensea

[bopinion]

2021 / 34

Aperçu of the Week:

"Rock and roll has probably given more than it's taken."

Charlie Watts, eternal drummer of The Rolling Stones, died at the age of 80 last Tuesday. RIP!

Bad News of the Week:

The closer the German federal elections at the end of September get, the more desperate I become. Normally, I'm the one who is asked among my acquaintances who is the right choice for which position or objective. And I'm never at a loss for an answer. And if I only - in order to avoid foreseeable unpleasant discussions - refer to a coherent analysis, with the help of which one can compare one's own opinions with the party programs in a few minutes (Wahl-o-mat). This time, I don't have an answer.

Only one thing is certain with the looming results: there will (have to) be a coalition of three parties. The votes for the right-wing as well as left-wing populists fall out of the equation, as do those for a handful of smaller parties. The former are not capable of forming a coalition, the latter fail the 5% hurdle and don't count at all. In addition, I know people who deliberately want to cast an invalid vote, since the potential vote of a non-voter is mathematically more likely to benefit the election winners. Of the remaining classic parties, the conservative CDU/CSU, the social democrats SPD, the liberal FDP and the Greens, no two-party constellation has the necessary majority.

The political orientation of the resulting three-party coalition - the party colors are often compared with the national flags of Jamaica, Kenya and Germany and with traffic lights - is negotiated and defined in the so-called coalition agreement between the party leaders involved. But since there is no constellation with positions that are reasonably harmonious in terms of content, it will inevitably boil down to a minimum consensus. Or to put it another way: gridlock. And Germany can afford this less than ever over the next four years. Climate change, Europe, education, digitization, sustainability, the refugee crisis, Economy 4.0, social inequality, globalization and much more are burning issues that call for spirited active policies - not status quo administration. We just don't have a solution to this arithmetic problem. And we don't have time to waste (anymore). Fuck.

Good News of the Week:

You have to look specifically for them, but they do exist: positive news about the environment. Here's a small selection from the last few days.

In Florida (of all places), the world's largest solar-powered battery energy storage system will go into operation this year. The "Manatee Energy Storage Center" will be able to supply 330,000 households with electricity in the medium term, regardless of the weather. And thus prove that solar power does not have to be or remain a fair-weather event.

The environmental protection organization WWF (World Wildlife Fund) wants to fundamentally reform financial policy to align it with climate protection goals. The five concrete aspects of this are: further developing CO2 pricing, making government financing more sustainable, reducing subsidies that are harmful to the climate, increasing public investment and mobilizing private investment. That doesn't sound so impossible.

The Llevant Marine Reserve has been in existence on the east coast of Mallorca since 2007. A current study now shows that this is not only beautiful to look at, but also makes a positive contribution to the local economy: every euro invested is said to come back 10-fold. So: environmental protection pays off!

Up to now, there has been a lack of an international framework to protect climate policy pioneers from disadvantages for energy-intensive industries, according to a key issues paper of the current German government. For this reason, it wants to establish a cooperative and open climate club with the USA and China, among others, which is to develop an international pull towards more sustainable economic activity with WTO-compliant regulations. Good luck!

Peatlands are even better stores of emissions than forests. But many are threatened by drying out - and consequent emissions - due to climate change. The EU has now published the guide "Peatlands across Europe: Innovation and Inspiration", which shows that it is not all that complicated to preserve peatlands. Or even revitalize them.

Plus: Germany overtook the U.S. and China in electric car sales last year. Ikea now sells green power subscriptions in Sweden. The "Circular Futures" project shows what tomorrow's circular economy could look like. The "Green ICT" innovation competition awards prizes to projects that reduce the carbon footprint of digital technology. Developments in the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) indicate that the phase-out of coal-fired power generation is likely to come much sooner than planned. And I drove three electric cars full of recyclables to the recycling center during the last two weeks of vacation. Maybe everything will be okay after all...

Personal happy moment of the week:

In these summer vacations even going swimming with the kids is complicated. It's too cold for an outdoor pool, so the indoor pools are pretty full. First reserve and take the daily test, then show proof on site and check in digitally. Fortunately, be early enough not to have to wait in line. Waiting half an hour for a free couch, even less than usual because of the spacing rules, because the predecessors - that's so typically German! - occupy these contrary to the current rules with their towels even if they are not there. Discussion with the pool attendant, who finally organizes an extra lounger for me, because he does not dare to remove others towels. My highlight was finally 10 minutes in the Jacuzzi. Sometimes it's the little things that make you happy...

I couldn't care less...

...who got blamed for what and when in Afghanistan. Terrorist attacks are always to be condemned. And the so much praised "West", which likes to think of itself as the ideal of democracy and freedom, has failed all along the line. Completely. All of them.

As I write this...

...I listen to The Rolling Stones songbook - of course.

[lovelykate94]

Am I the only one who just discovered that $50 Plan B is not the only available morning after pill?!?! Why do I bring this up? Well cuz I live in the U.S. and every grocery store /pharmacy I have ever lived near only sells Plan B at a premium price. It wasn't until I went to Mexico and saw:

This lil guy at the pharmacy for the equivalent of $10 USD. I am outraged. Another way for companies to make boucoups of money off of women during a desperate moment.

I'm not saying this pill should be a go to for contraception, but when a woman needs it, it should not have to cost her the bank. I can't even count how many times in college I didn't purchase Levonorgestrel (aka Plan B) because I couldn't afford it as a struggling student, and lord knows I was not going to ask my parents for the money. Thank goodness I never became pregnant, but I could've been a lot less stressed knowing that I had taken a contraceptive 72hrs or less after having unprotected sex.

I guess what I'm saying is: this is a form of oppression towards women and I'm PISSED. If the tables were turned and men needed this pill, it would come in millions of different brands, have the side effects tested out, and be available conveniently and a reasonable price.

It's not just the abortion debate that is against women. It's contraceptives too! I, as a woman, cannot get the pill, the ring, a shot, an IUD without going to a Dr., paying a copay or paying the whole Dr.'s Bill ( because shocker, I don't have health insurance). I then have to go back and repeat the expensive process every 6 months in order to keep refilling my Birth Control prescription. Oh and on top of the money, I have to be "checked out" by the Dr., or in other words: have a cold metal speculum shoved into my hoo hah in order to be prescribed birth control, even though a pap smear is only necessary every 3 years for a woman in their 20s. Yet another trap to make money off of desperation.

"Buy condoms", they say! Well guess what I can't trust a man to keep one on, so I must protect myself in other ways.

Ladies, there are other options out there besides the premium priced Plan B.

If you read my whole rant, thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

Here's some links: https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5785562

Side Note: Plan B is run by an organization called Teva Pharmaceuticals

Here's a pic of the CEO (it's is MAN)

DL;DR:

Plan B is a ripoff. There are cheaper options out there now.

[rethesun]

Completely different situations and I'm not personally coming at you. I'm addressing any fan who reads this. I'm not a fan of criticizing unless it's constructive, so here I go. 

Separate the person from the brand. Harry Styles™ is doing poorly right now. Granted, I'm speaking as a serious fan. Casual listeners and the general public reasonably see things differently, and most don't care like us. 

Louis' Annual Festival:

It's outside

It's one event that he wants to have annually 

It's free

It's live-streamed for fans who can't go

It helps small/new musicians

It's not a tour

Harry's Tour:

It's indoors 

Mosh pit + 20 - 30k people + almost every night of the fall season

Prices are capitalistic typical tour prices

Is it all Harry's fault? Did he cause a pandemic, make ticket companies give shitty service, screw over people with no longer refundable flights, or increase hotel prices? Is he the devil? Is Louis perfect? No to all of that. However, no matter the reasons, touring in a pandemic during the U.S. flu season after radio silence on all fronts until two months before it starts when flights and hotels cost more and ticket companies are half in shambles, that is not cool. Most severe, there is an ethical problem with touring right now. The delta variant is much stronger and is getting more people sick, even those who are vaccinated. I don't doubt that some who aren't vaccinated will go.

Update: One of family members had covid in early days October 2021 and it was such a scary time but we were lucky to all be fully vaccinated so they got better and no one else got sick because we were extra cautious as to not spread it to family or anyone else. We followed all the cdc guidelines but it was still the most stressful time ever. I have taken the pandemic very seriously and always been cautious and avoidant of a lot of things so I knew going to this event i’d need to be extra careful but it wasn’t until this situation happened that I learned there is a guideline on the cdc website which says to isolate after being exposed to covid for at least 5 days. If you don’t show any symptoms or test positive then you no longer have to isolate after the 5th day. These concerts, are (yes, even Louis’ was) high exposure events and put people at an increased risk. Many people are flying into the these events from out of town which is more exposure. Most people won’t bother to do this 5 day quarantine or for some it would be difficult because they have certain obligations like family and work who need them. After what my family went though I’m not taking any chances and I’m going to isolate. Since I don’t live alone that means I have to stay in one room for that entire time. Doing these concerts during a time like this is not right but it’s happening anyway. I don’t think harry is happy about this and has probably wrestled with it plenty but he has to sell this tour.

Honest fans won't pretend their faves are not flawed and incapable of making mistakes, and we comprehend that the brand is not the person. There is no need to be black and white about things.

Rant

I love Harry with all my heart, so I will no longer walk on eggshells in this fandom trying to appease every fan perspective. It may have taken me a year, but I realized that I'm allowed to voice my opinion, even an unfavorable one, by joining Tumblr. Thanks, Tumblr, and I know just because I can express mine doesn't mean I will necessarily always have a sound argument, and people are allowed not to like it. I'm open to being wrong, but I feel strongly about this. ADHD; I digress.

Rant over

I am trying to judge things comprehensively with the info we have as fans on the outside, giving room for the benefit of the doubt and holding empathy for Harry's situation and the hardworking people who organize the tour, something complex with many moving parts.

I'm not sure, but it's plausible and likely that they may cancel or reschedule some of the tour again depending on covid since U.S. cases are on the rise, and we fans should plan accordingly for that scenario. Maybe they will do this when he tours outside the U.S. because of all the changes in rules across borders. If so, I hope, for everyone’s sake, they announce it in a timely way, so it’s less stress on all involved and Harry doesn’t get more hate.

adding this here in case anyone wants it

it’s ok to have mixed feelings about this, it’s ok to feel conflicted. we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, people’s health and safety is the number one priority. what’s not ok is to treat two people who are doing basically the same thing, very differently. you can’t treat one like they’re the devil and the other like they’re an angel.

[gringoslur]

Hi you're one of my fav blogs (I wish I could talk to you in Spanish but I'm from Brazil and unfortunately we only learn English at school). Anyway, I'm here bc I need help with a playlist and you're the first person I could think of. I want some Latino songs about LatAm, but idk much of other countries' music, so I thought maybe you/your followers could help? I want songs that talk about being Latine, how usa imperialism sucks, etc. I can send u what I already have so u can see what I mean! Thx

Don’t worry! I have brazilian friends and we mix english, spanish and portuguese lkjfg. Yeah, send me what you got! i can give you some songs right now, putting some parts that i love:

Latinoamerica by Calle 13 (Puerto Rico, Colombia, Perú, Brasil): i feel like you already have this in your list, because is our anthem at this point. It’s a song about latinoamérica and what they did here (the video has subtitles) / I work hard but with pride. Here we share, what’s mine is yours. This nation doesn’t drown with the waves. And if it collapses I rebuild it. I don’t even blink when I look at you, so you’ll remember my last name. Operation Condor invading my nest, I forgive but never forget!”

Memoria by León Gieco (Argentina): a song in memory of the dictatorships of Operación Condór (they had the help of US) + in memory of the terrorist attacks here (in the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building) (the video has subtitles) / Two thousand would eat for a yearwith what a military minute costs. How many would stop being slavesfor the price of a bomb thrown to the sea? / Memory aims until it killsthe people who try to silence it and don’t let it fly free like the wind.

Frijolero by Motolov (México) / video with english subtitles: a big fuck you to US from México in 2009, even before Trump. I love this song / “Now why don’t you look down to where your feet is planted. That U.S soil that makes you take shit for granted. If not for Santa Ana, just to let you know that where your feet are planted would be México”

El mojado by Ricardo Arjona / lyrics in english (Guatemala): song for inmigrants. “He said goodbye with a grimace disguised as a smile and he asked God -crucified on a shelf- to protect his people, and he crossed the border as he could / Wet.back, wet of so much crying, knowing that in some place a kiss awaits him on hold since the day he left”

Multi_viral by Calle 13 (Puerto Rico): song of protest / The one who controls, the one who dictates, wants to get you sick to sell you drugs. / A piece of news not well told is an assault with a weapon /Our ideas are free and they are awake because we think with the doors wide open. What is not seen, we are seeing. We are born without knowing how to talk, ut we will die talking out loud.

Canción con todos by Mercedes Sosa / lyrics in english (Argentina): a song for latinoamericanes / All the voices, all. All the hands, all. All the blood can be song in the wind. Sing with me, sing…american brother, set free your hope with a cry in your voice. 

Rubén Rada (Uruguay): this list is looking to sad/dark, so let’s bring some latinidad with this amazing afrolatine artist. here: cha cha, muchacha / muriendo de plena / candombe para Gardel 

Gringo maligno by Todos Tus Muertos (Argentina):  Regan, Clinton Bush, Regan, everyone is the same / evil gringo, sent by Satan ccupying and blocking, imposing your plan.

La patria madrina by Lila Downs and Juanes (México and Colombia): protest song agaisnt capitalism, agaisnt the violent kidnapping and killing of 43 students of Ayotzinapa, agaisnt the destruction of the earth / Everybody wants a share of the oil, you see? and to burn Mother Earth with urgency to make more cars, to make more money, as if you could buy happiness. 

Por si acaso no regreso by Celia Cruz (Cuba): a song dedicated to Cuba, her homeland /  Home, do not suffer. Heart, do not break. Because badness can’t last 100 years nor could any body and I never wanted to abandon you. I’ve taken you with every step and my heart will remain for eternity as a flower on your lap just in case……just in case I don’t return / In the case I don’t return, if I don’t return, remember: I loved her with my life. In the case I don’t return, I will die from pain…I’m already dying.

Los americanos by Piero (Argentina) / lyrics in english: with an ironic/sarcastic tone, he makes fun of gringxs. Every part of this song is gold. / They are born elderly and gradually become kids, throughout the lifetime of “los americanos”. And they are born convinced that there is nobody in the world more important than “los americanos” / Napoleon for them was an Italian gentleman who organized everything without “los americanos”. And they are more than sure that he wouldn’t have lost Waterloo with the help of “los americanos”. If they know anything about history, it’s not from reading it but from seeing it in the “cine americano” / If there’s something to be admired, wherever they go, it’s the grand elegance of “los americanos”. wearing native dress, they mix in with the people, and nobody realizes that they are “americanos”.

“Murciélago” by Porter: about the colonization of natives /  The elders saw them. They do not come in peace, we hear screams. There have three ships, they bring Cristo. 

La Gozadera by Gente de Zona and Marc Anthony (Cuba and Puerto Rico): a really cool song about latinidad. / If you are Latino, take out your flag!

Guerra by Calle 13: anti-war song. they talk about US, wars and refugees. just. please watch this video. it has english subtitles./  I am your defeat, your two broken legs. The nail in your foot which pierced through the boot. I am the strategy in any battle. Today you either win or lose, I am the sorrows of your joys. The war by night and the war by day.

Pégate by Ricky Martin: let’s end this in a happy song, 100% latine with my father Ricky / I come with good stuff for my people, I bring love, I bring this remedy which cheers up the hearts of the entire world. For the pain, for the heartaches. There’s nothing better than the rhythm of my drums / And let rivers of goodness flow to all the people of the world. Because we can’t forget that pure love liberates and lies are poison. As my mother used to say: dancing you can solve anything.

I’m tagging some of the latines that i know, if they want to add any song, please do it! @dasakuryo @the-mighty-microwave @targannington @alteanwitch @koganer @voltronless @bitcherovas @ceibos @duskianfae @im-not-a-real-hero @trashsenal @dixonette1013 @latinxlance @cherry-cokes @lancesazul @freckledai @pamelas​ @elbiotipo guys u are like a bunch of people lkfjg i’m sorry if i forgot anyone!!! a lot of people and a bad memory, not a good mix. 

[mickleach]

Top 10 Food Myths

these are the possibly false truths we convinced ourselves to believe in regards to our food an apple a day keeps the doctor away and you're wondering is that really true welcome to watchmojo.com and today we're counting down our picks for the top ten food myths at the end of the day if we compare them side-by-side there are pros and cons for each for this list we're focusing on popular adages about food or common diet tips some of which have merit some of which don't and some of which do but not for the reasons you'd think then I would probably consider limiting or avoiding gum until the child gets a little bit older but as always be sure to consult a medical professional when it comes to your health stay lean and stay strong number 10 microwaving food destroys nutrients myth we're talking really bad we begin our list with the big bad microwave any new technology attracts its share of critics and the microwave was no different why don't you build something like he does stead of all your empty deals it's just like your science oven you know I read that it takes all of the nutrition out of our food empty just like your deal it's long been suggested that cooking food this way can rob it of its healthy properties but for the most part that's just not true it's actually the cook time and heat level that is most likely to destroy nutrients and since a microwave takes less time than most conventional cooking methods in many cases it might actually help retain more of the healthiness and cook for three to four minutes until the salmon is flaky pro tip try steaming vegetables in a sealed microwave safe ditch with a small amount of water for delicious and nutritious veggies it's also very important to choose glass cookware or microwave safe cookware that doesn't emit or leach different plastic compounds which can be toxic number 9 pop rocks plus soda equals kaboom miss thirsty what's wrong something you might have heard about mixing pop rocks some soda well you there stomach and your intestines everything first coca-cola hit the market in 1886 pop rocks hit the market in 1975 rumours claiming that ingesting these junky products at the same time would cause your stomach to explode due to excessive carbon dioxide from the combo of the fizzy candy and the carbonated drink weren't far behind I'm a little afraid I can't say oh let me see let's all see okay oh crap everyone heard this urban legend when they were growing up and many of us may have actually believed it the people of Seattle believed it so much the US Food and Drug Administration had to set up a hotline to calm them down oh but the truth is the worst thing you could likely do to you is cause a nice satisfying belch ah odd then number eight eggs are bad for your heart if this food factoid has been debated for years but here's what we know eggs contain cholesterol and too much cholesterol can lead to health problems like heart disease so how is this amiss well contrary to what you might have been told eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can consume as they're full of vitamins minerals and protein if you're healthy and don't have a history of heart problems you can likely eat an egg a day without it adversely affecting your cholesterol levels as your body will offset it by producing less cholesterol itself so will that be scrambled or sunny-side up there was a widely spread study that eggs were not good for you this just doesn't simply make any sense number seven red wine is good for your heart fact yep I don't care what the scientists say I'm just gonna keep on drinking all you wine drinkers out there prepare to rejoice scientists have been studying the connection between wine consumption and heart health for years after looking at the French diet and noticing relatively low rates of heart disease even though their traditional foods are fatty and if they want to drink Merlot we're drinkin Merlot know if anybody orders Merlot I'm leaving I am not drinking any more low but it's true red wine features heart-healthy properties that can possibly protect against heart attacks or strokes among other things however like most things when it comes to your diet moderation is key oh no no no I'm driving about two glasses a day for men and one for women is the optimum amount to drink for your health will drink to that number six a gluten-free diet is better for anyone myth clues a vague term it's it's something that's used to categorize things that are bad you know calories that's a gluten gluten is a rather new buzzword in the mainstream but boy has a gained steam fast gluten intolerance is described as the fastest growing food intolerance category selling over ten and a half billion in the u.s. in 2013 and only growing since then and while those suffering from celiac disease are unable to digest gluten only about 1% of the population suffers from it and therefore should follow a gluten-free diet and your body responds in a lot of ways to it stomach pains swollen lymph nodes skin rashes a whole host of things that will progressively get worse as you keep having to gluten in your diet doctors recommend that anyone without this condition can and should include whole grains in their balanced diet for help with digestion lower blood pressure and cholesterol maintaining a healthy body weight and more so why is it so bad well it's not in fact it's neither detrimental or essential for your health and there's very little evidence to suggest that cutting it out is the healthier choice for the average person that's the whole wheat toast please is better than the previous bite you gluten number 5 it takes seven years to digest swallowed gum miss name something you put in your mouth but don't swallow Oh Amanda gum we've all been there one minute you're chewing some gum the next something startles you and you swallow it better hope your mom's not around to lecture you about how swallowed gum will not be digested by your system for seven years and we'll just fester in your gut until it's finally excreted okay gross and patently untrue while gum has been described as indigestion that doesn't mean it stays in your stomach it just means that when you do pass the gum through your sister in the regular amount of time it'll be in pretty much the same shape as when you swallowed it I know what and get go mamas go but we don't suggest checking it out to be sure number four eating turkey makes you sleepy miss Oh Monica that was the best Thanksgiving dinner ever was so good I think he killed us we were surprised about this one too considering how lethargic we are after Thanksgiving dinner every year so why do you feel tired after you stuff your face with turkey a common assertion blames tryptophan an amino acid found in many meats that's connected to the sleepytime hormone melatonin but the holiday bird actually contains less tryptophan than a food like cheddar cheese for example so experts point to other culprits when it comes to after meal exhaustion it's probably the combo of carbs and booze that cause you to snooze whatever bring it on jelly those are my maternity pants no no these are my Thanksgiving pants number three boy stirs are an aphrodisiac miss have you ever had a wasters did you know boy stirs are an aphrodisiac well it's probably a myth anyway the oyster has long been considered a vital food for love partly because of its vague resemblance to female sex organs and partly because the legendary lover Casanova was set to eat 50 of them each morning but there have been many studies over the years none of which has proven the oysters roll as a definitive aphrodisiac what they have found however is that oysters are so rich with zinc and amino acids that they may increase the sex drive maybe there's something to this one after all but no matter how you eat them they're sure to enhance the romance of your Valentine's Day evening number 2 acne is caused by chocolate greasy foods etc miss people think that I told my name chuckling ba or that I don't wash my face call them pimples call them zits but whatever you call them they're an unfortunate part of life and they often crop up at the worst possible time my chocolate my beautiful chocolate now the uninformed might blame things like chocolate or greasy foods for their facial blemishes while others might cite poor hygiene but they'd all be wrong acne is caused by bacteria excess oil or clogged pores and there's not a ton you can do about it Chocolate Rain a baby born will die before this in Chocolate Rain stress and hormones may trigger a breakout as can some medications and there are even some studies that suggest diet can be an aggravating factor but all in all zits are a rite of passage we all must deal with amaz it get it before we unveil our top pick here are some honorable mentions today there are over 900 published studies revealing the detrimental effects of aspartame migraines are the most reported aspartame reaction like they're coming thank you contact even though artificial sweeteners don't raise your blood sugar they may put you at greater risk for diabetes calories consumed after say 10:00 p.m. won't make you gain weight any faster than calories consumed at 6:00 p.m. research shows that what matters is how many calories you eat and not the time that you eat them the bottom line is to be aware of what you're eating margarine can vary so drastically that looking at the label to understand what is or isn't in it will help you make informed decisions number one organic food is always healthier myth organic food is grown without synthetic pesticides fertilizers antibiotics or hormones today it accounts for more than thirty 1 billion dollars in sales a year in the United States many people think the organic label gives food some supernatural nutritional value but it actually refers to the way the farmers grow or raise their products is that USDA Organic or Oregon Organic of Portland Organic it's just all across the board organic in many cases organic farming might encourage soil and water conservation while decreasing pollution it's also more likely to be free of preservatives and synthetic flavors now I'm on the inside looked in my list organic chicken kale salad in a lemon twist however thus far test results have gone back and forth on whether or not organic food is healthier if you want to support small farmers and sustainable development then by all means look for an organic certification however an apple is an apple no matter how it's grown so as long as you're eating a healthy balanced diet you should be fine his name was Colin curious papers okay just quick he looks like a happy little guy runs around a lot of friends other chickens as friends putting his little wing around another one kind of like howling around I don't know that I can speak to that level of intimate knowledge about him do you agree with our list that is so good what's your favorite food myth for more enticing top 10s published every day be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com

See more here: http://mickleach.com/common-food-myths/

[moments-magazine]

Oathbreaker’s Caro Tanghe: On Transcending Labels and Transcendent Waffles

CARO: We hate being labeled. Once you get labeled, you get boxed. That's my idea of it. We can't even try to describe how or what influences us writing this music, so it's really hard to give it one label. It scares me when people do that.

RYAN: I totally agree.

CARO: The thing is, to us what is most important… People call us hardcore because we come from a hardcore background, or at least when I started going to shows there were definitely some hardcore bands that I really liked. To me what is most important about that attitude or about that scene in general. To me it's not about the music, or at least that's not what remains an Oathbreaker. The most important thing that remains is the way of thinking—the lifestyle. You can definitely say that we try to do everything ourselves. We try to be DIY, and while I also hate that term — everyone wants to be DIY — we don't have a manager and we try to do everything ourselves: visually, aesthetically, the videos… It’s all us you know?

RYAN: It's great that you devote yourselves to the band. There's totally an intimacy to what you guys do, and it’s really interesting how Oathbreaker has grown. What’s really impressive to me is the level at which the music is confessional in a way. You’re really tearing your heart out and laying it on the stage.

CARO: Yes.

RYAN: I think it's fantastic.

CARO: Thank you.

RYAN: Have you been compelled to do that for a long time, or do you feel like it's a recent evolution?

CARO: I think we've grown into doing it. It's so hard… Oathbreaker has been a band since 2008, but before that me, Lennart, and Gilles played in another band, so basically me and Gilles have been together in a band since we were 13.

RYAN: Oh man…

CARO: That would mean that that’s 14 years. And when you’re 13, you're not thinking about laying your heart out or trying to pour out everything you're feeling and put it all into lyrics or music. It's not something you think about.

RYAN: You want to have fun.

CARO: It's definitely something that we’ve grown into. And it grew really organically in a way. When you see our three records, and you put them next to each other, you’ll see that we did grow.

RYAN: There's absolutely a step up with each record.

CARO: Yes.

RYAN: It's got to be amazing being a working musician, especially if you started at 13. Is there anything that you could ever see yourself doing other than this?

CARO: Well, yes.

RYAN: Really?

CARO: Yeah, of course. I mean, we’ve only recently been working full-time as a band. We decided to try and do this when Rheia came out, because with the previous records we were never able to tour as much as we wanted to. We all had our full-time jobs.

RYAN: It's hard to get away.

CARO: Yeah, you get 4 weeks off or 5 weeks off.

RYAN: I get two…

CARO: Yeah… We're lucky we have that much off. It’s not easy to tour the States. When you bring out a record and you want to tour it as much as you can, that means in one year you want to come maybe three times.

RYAN: It's an investment with the travel and everything.

CARO: Yeah, it's just not worth coming here for five shows, after you pay for those flights, so you want to try to make the best out of it.

RYAN: So on that subject, since you guys are from Belgium, I'm curious if you think there's anything about home that bleeds into your music that is different then if you were from the US or Japan or South Africa or somewhere?

CARO: Probably, yes. The scene that we’ve grown up in, it's probably different than if you grew up [in the U.S.]. So possibly, yes. But I can't point out what that would be. I mean everyone has their issues, and I bet growing up in South Africa like you said, it’s completely different than growing up in Belgium. We’re a good country. I'm happy that I grew up in Belgium.

RYAN: Everything that I hear sounds wonderful.

CARO: It is; it's really wonderful. But I think what did influence us a lot is just Belgian bands and the Belgian scene. I got to see a lot of bands from Belgium, and not so many bands that came over from the States.

RYAN: Well, we've gone super deep.

CARO: It's okay.

RYAN: So I think it would be fun to ask you a couple of lighter questions.

CARO: No worries.

RYAN: So, number one: waffles or pancakes?

CARO: Hmm… Pancakes.

RYAN: Nice! Agreed!

CARO: It's weird, I feel like every time we come to the States, and tell people we're from Belgium they're like, “BELGIAN WAFFLES!”

RYAN: I really didn't want to think that was just a Belgium question!

CARO: No, no, no, it's fine! But I’m like “Dude, we don't eat Belgian waffles like you eat Belgian waffles,” and we don't eat them at breakfast.

RYAN: I don't even know why they're called Belgian.

CARO: It is a Belgian thing, but we eat them as a 4 p.m. snack.

RYAN: Oh that sounds good.

CARO: There's like carts in the street that sell hot waffles.

RYAN: Like we eat in the States, or is there some variation?

CARO: It's a little different. There’s different types… Like Brussels waffles, that’s one type, and there's Liège waffles. They come from the French-speaking part of Belgium. The difference is Liège waffles, if I'm not mistaken… I don't eat that many waffles…

RYAN: Pancakes right?

CARO: Pancakes, yeah! But the difference is, the ones from Liège are square, crunchy, and very light, and you just eat them with powdered sugar. And the ones from Brussels are softer and they have chunks of sugar in them.

RYAN: Oh my gosh… I think we need to translate that into the American waffle culture.

CARO: It’s so different.

RYAN: It will start with me.

CARO: Yes, do it!

RYAN: Next time you come back there will be sugar infused waffles.

CARO: But either way I like pancakes more…

RYAN: So maybe pancakes instead then.

CARO: We don't even really have pancakes. In Ghent, where I live, there are a few breakfast spots that serve them now, but when I was younger my grandma used to make crêpes, and we’d eat them with Nutella.

RYAN: Okay, so fun question number two: If you could be any animal…

CARO: Animal!?

RYAN: …what would you be and why?

CARO: Holy shit…

RYAN: I know, right? Do you want me to go first?

CARO: Yes!

RYAN: So, mine is fairly straight-laced, but I would like to be a happy, safe elephant…

CARO: That’s really hard though! Because I feel like none of them are very happy and safe.

RYAN: Yeah, they seem like they have kind of a rough life. But there might be a few. And if I could carve out that territory for myself as an elephant, I feel like it would be cool. They're kind of like humans in a way.

CARO: Oh? Really?

RYAN: Yeah! Big brain, big family, long life…

CARO: I don't feel like humans have big brains.

RYAN: Maybe not. Maybe just a big nose sometimes, if nothing else.

CARO: Okay, I know an animal. And I won't say that I want to be that animal… But when I was younger, I used to be in a youth organization, sort of like you have the Boy Scouts, and when you're around 13 they give you a totem that's an animal. And supposedly I’m this long extinct type of goat…

RYAN: That’s amazing!

CARO: And I kind of took it as an offense; I mean come on!

RYAN: Goats are the greatest!

CARO: Well, but there’s one type of goat with huge horns that curl up, and they live in mountains. And I got that totem. And all of their characteristics fit me really well.

RYAN: I'll tell you what, that's one of my favorite animals, so that would make me really happy. You should be a proud goat.

CARO: I'm a very proud goat—mountain goat!

RYAN: Okay, so why don't we wrap this up. You said you feel like the band has been evolving. So I guess the ultimate question is how do you feel like that will happen in the future? And what do you hope you’ll be able to give audiences through your music and your performances? Clearly the crowd was loving it tonight.

CARO: They liked it, yeah! I'm excited that they liked it. I have no idea where Oathbreaker is going to go, for real. When we recorded Rheia and when it came out, to me it felt like after this record anything was possible. We don’t ever want to make a record that’s the same, and I don't think we've ever done that before. And so after this one we could do anything.

RYAN: The sky's the limit.

CARO: When we brought out the first record, Maelstrom, it was like a metal record that comes from a hardcore background, and then with Eros/Anteros it was like we were trying to do something more, but “We’re still here, and we’re only seeing this.” And then bringing out Rheia was like, “Hey! Maybe we don't have to sound like we think we have to sound… But we can also do something different that people will still like.” It isn’t too much of a clash with before, but it is a natural growth, and I feel like now we could maybe do an acoustic record or maybe a more electronic record.

RYAN: That would be great!

CARO: There's so many things that are possible, and I don’t want us to feel limited.

RYAN: It's like you said, you don't need labels.

CARO: Yeah!

RYAN: You’re being creative, and that's the point.