#jingle jam 2016

[vexx-ation]

365 Albums in 365 Days: 150/365

Date: Thursday May 30th Album: Tensei Jingle Artist: Sōtaisei-riron Released: 2016 Genre: J-Pop Review: Ohhhhhh baby it’s jam season again. This is exactly the bright kind of Jrock/Jpop that I adore— driving, clean guitar lines and vocals to match. It has an undeniable motion to it, cool and smooth. This is the kind of things that people make really cool animations to and put on their playlists with covers of old school manga on the front. This is the album to listen to when you want to feel like you have it all together, optimistic and suave. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for a good guitar line. It could be both :) Favorite Track: An Around

[celarewrites]

When the Crow Finds a Flock: The Prologue

CONTENT WARNING/S: Spoilers for Sae Palace arc and Akechi's motivations, Mentions of the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdown victims (nothing graphic), Slight cussing, Small panic attack episode.

Note: All other characters shall be referred to by their last names (with the exception of Ren and Sae).

Chapter wordcount: 1,951 words

Fic under the cut

11/5/2016, Saturday, Afternoon

It's cold. Not quite snowing, as it hasn't reached the winter season yet, but it's still cold. “I should start wearing a coat soon”, Goro thinks to himself as he walks out of the train station.

The streets of Yongen-Jaya were narrow and crowded, but not as jam-packed as Shibuya is. In such an unsuspecting and inconspicuous place such as this, Goro never would have thought nor suspected the types of activities that actually took place here. Or maybe he would have? It's hard to tell, now that he knows so much now. 

“Do you truly think this is a bright decision?” A feminine voice in his head queries, skepticism and doubt coating the words. Goro holds the urge to scoff aloud. He hates getting questioned like this, especially when he's already aware of what would happen. 

“I've already told you, Forsette. Stop questioning my decisions. Do you think me a child, who has no idea what he's doing?” The detective retorts with his thoughts, knowing that the young lady in his mind (or… heart?) would hear him perfectly. He can't help but feel a petty and smug sense of pride swell in his chest when ‘Forsette’ shuts up. 

Goro hates it when Forsette actually speaks her mind and tries to dissuade him from doing something. He hates how it makes him self-conscious, how it makes him more careful of himself. He hates how it makes doubt and anxiety start to crawl up his spine like a parasite, feeding on his worries and inner negativity.

He hates how much power Forsette holds over his conscience. He hates how he knows how little power he has over even himself. 

As he walks to the humble and small cafe down the alleyway, he second-guesses himself. His heart rate spikes up, that's rarely a good or normal sign. Goro feels his gloved hands oddly shaking and hides them in his pockets, wondering why he feels so sweaty all of a sudden. It feels like he's lost all feeling in his limbs, numb but warm at the same time. What is this? Why is he experiencing this again? Is it because–

“Take deep breaths, Ace,” Forsette’s voice cuts in, though her tone is a lot more soothing. Goro can almost feel her hands patting his back, as she starts to gently guide him through a breathing exercise. The evening hustle and bustle of the street fade into the background as Forsette's voice talks him through his little episode. 

“... There we go, that's it,” The young lady encourages in a kind tone. The same tone she gets when she's pleased. Like when Goro mastered something, or when she was proven right. It's lathered in sweetness to a point Goro finds it sickening. It's almost like hearing an emotionless doll attempt to sound friendly. She just ends up sounding like a pretentious little bit-

“I can hear what you're saying in your mind, Ace,” Forsette interrupts his train of thought with an unamused and firm voice. Damn it. The moment has been completely ruined, and the mood has disappeared. Fortunately, Goro’s panicked disposition went away with it as well, and he schools his expression to appear calm and collected. 

He opens the cafe door, the bells over his head jingling to signify his entrance. Sojiro Sakura, the owner and sole worker (with the exception of the one part-timer) of Cafe Leblanc, turns his head to look at the newcomer. The middle aged man nods his head, and gestures up to the attic with a tilt of his head. 

“They're all upstairs,” Sakura-san says, a small lilt of amusement in his voice. Goro is still in a bit of shock, knowing that the old man knew of the Phantom Thieves residing in his own property but accepts them anyway. He provides them a shelter, but why would he do that? Sakura-san used to be a government worker, Goro notes when he did his research on the man, so he should be more aware of the dangers housing the Phantom Thieves would bring. 

Goro shakes away his thoughts as he gives Sakura-san a polite and pleasant smile. “Thank you, Sakura-san. I'll head up there now.” 

Without hesitation, the ace detective walks up the stairs. The wood creaks under his newly shined shoes, alerting the Phantom Thieves of his incoming presence. The chatter goes quiet, and the air is almost tense around them when the group can start to see Akechi emerging from the stairs. 

The attic was a dingy place to be, but it's become a tolerable sight for Goro the more he's been to it. A learned acceptance that no amount of cleaning could fix what's been done to this place. 

Everyone was already there. Ren Amamiya, the leader of the Phantom Thieves, sat on a chair by the northern side of the table, Ann Takamaki and Makoto Nijima on the couch to the west, Futaba Sakura (Morgana seated on the girl's lap) and Yusuke Kitagawa on a bench at the south, and Haru Okumura and Ryuji Sakamoto on separate chairs at the east side. 

Everyone had their place on the table, and Goro knew he was the one intruding. 

“Yo, what gives? You call all of us over here and you're the last one to arrive!” Sakamoto, the loudmouth of the bunch, starts. His boisterous and easily agitated demeanor is evident from how he shouts his words every chance he gets. He has the least subtlety among the group.

Goro gives a pleasant smile, his tone one of apology but he knows his face doesn't show it. “Please, forgive my tardiness. I had to take a call that held me up for a while,” The detective says, walking over to the group, pretending not to notice how Sakura-chan, Morgana, and Ren seem to look at each other. 

Nijima-chan crosses her arms, her expression as earnest as Akechi has always seen it to be. “Akechi-san, you said you wanted to tell us something? It must be rather important if you initiated a meeting like this. We've already secured the route to the treasure, after all, and we simply have to wait before sending out the Calling Card.”

Goro chuckles, the Nijima sisters have always been sharp. “Yes, it is rather important. I'd appreciate it if everyone would listen to me.” His expression turns serious and he leans against the wall by the window, looking at everyone. 

“I'd like to confess something,” Goro starts, trying to find the words. He's rehearsed this exact speech multiple times today, and yet now, he can't muster up the courage to speak. 

His eyes look around to analyze the Phantom Thieves’ faces. He feels something weighing down on him heavily as he looks at Haru Okumura and Futaba Sakura. He clenches his hand into a fist from inside his jeans pocket. He promised himself he wouldn't feel guilty or regret after what he's done. He doesn't deserve to even feel bad, not when the deed has already been done. And by his own hands, nonetheless. 

“Sae-san's Palace is all a trap,” he states. No one in the room is surprised, for some reason, but Ren stands up, hands in his pockets as always to look at him. Ren’s glasses glint from the light, and Goro wishes he could see what his so-called “rival” was thinking. 

“What do you mean by that, Akechi,” There comes the question Goro knows would be coming. The brunet takes a deep breath and explains, his crimson eyes slowly analyzing all the reactions, especially Ren's. 

“After the treasure is taken, guards and police workers from the real world will be brought to the Metaverse to ambush the Phantom Thieves,” Goro raises an eyebrow slightly when he sees a look shared between Sakamoto and Takamaki. Nijima shakes her head discreetly as she looks at Sakamoto, as if discouraging him from doing something. 

“If you're all dead set on changing Sae-san's heart, do so now while you can,” Goro says, looking directly at the leader of the Phantom Thieves. 

The whole room is in silence, until Nijima cuts in, furrowing her eyebrows a bit as she looks at Goro, “Hold on.” 

“How did you know all this, Akechi-san? Who's behind the plan?” The questions make Goro purse his lips, before deciding that he's gone too far to back down now. 

“I'm sure you all know who it is. The police and the government. The Special Investigations Unit isn't very happy with all of you, and they'd stop at nothing to get to you,” Goro says, before narrowing his eyes sharply. “Even if it means sending someone to pretend to be an ally. That someone, being me.”

Goro expects indignant remarks and distrustful glares, but he only receives an almost resigned yet begrudging expression from everyone. Well, everyone except… 

“Aha! We knew it!!” Sakura-chan exclaims, excitement filling her voice as if she witnessed a scene from a show or game. Everyone stares at her blankly, and Goro raises an eyebrow at the wording. 

“‘We’?” He asks, but Takamaki clears her throat loudly, changing the subject quickly, “A-Anyway! Oh no! You were tricking us this whole time?!”

Takamaki is a terrible liar, everyone in the room now realizes (or some have already known for a while). But Okumura manages to pick up the momentum, “Why exactly are you telling us this, Akechi-kun?” The soft-spoken heiress managed to keep an air of calm to her, though Goro can tell that she was holding something back. 

“Because I don't want to be a pawn in someone else's plan anymore,” Goro says, his voice firm and almost angry. “I've been a pawn for too long now. For almost three long years now… I don't want to go back to that again.”

The screaming, the crying, the scolding, the shouting. It haunts Goro’s conscience too much now.

“You have to come clean now,” Goro says to himself in his mind, internally thanking Forsette for not interrupting or interjecting the whole conversation. 

“The SIU isn't your true enemy, Phantom Thieves. It isn't me either. It's Masayoshi Shido. He's the one behind… well, everything. The mental shutdowns, the psychotic breakdowns, everything.” He says, hoping his voice and expression would show how serious and truthful he was. 

Ren stays quiet for a while, before speaking up again, “Can you tell us everything? How do you know all this?”

Sakamoto speaks up, “Wait, who's Masayoshi Shido? The name sure sounds familiar, but I can't put a finger on it…” To which Kitagawa replies, “I believe he's a rather famous politician. You can hear many people talking about him and his speeches recently. He's planning to run for Prime Minister.” 

Goro tunes out the conversation, turning to Ren. “I know all this because Shido made me do all the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. I did all of them, and Shido orchestrated it all. I have just as much blame in all of this as Shido does, but I'm not willing to keep being his slave anymore.”

The sheer resentment in Goro's voice makes the conversation in the background slowly quiet down, and everyone's eyes are on the detective this time. “I'll be willing to tell you all everything. But it will be a long story,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest as he leans back on the wall behind him. 

The Phantom Thieves all look at each other and share a nod, sitting comfortably and giving Goro the go-signal. 

“Give us every detail, Akechi-san,” Nijima says, nodding her head at him. Her expression was reminiscent of that of Sae's during a court hearing. 

Goro takes a deep breath. “It all started two years ago…” 

[bigboxochristmas]

Yuletidings 2023, Part Two: Christmas Jam 3

1. Overture for Shorty - Shorty Rogers 04:00

2. I'm Spending Christmas With The Old Folks 

      - Sydney Lipton & His Grosvenor House Dance Orchestra 02:10

3. Frosty The Snowman - Beegie Adair 03:18

4. Little Drummer Boy - Jeff Linsky 03:55

5. Santa's on His Way - The Town Pipers 01:53

6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas - B3 Kings 04:24

7. Mister Santa - Steffi Denk & Flexible Friends 02:41

8. All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth - Urbie Green 02:48

9. Deck the Halls - Betty Glamann 01:49

10. Cool Yule - Kurt Elling 03:26

11. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Jimmy Bruno 02:09

12. Jolly Old St. Nick - Beth Lederman 03:26

13. Jingle Bells Boogie Woogie 

       - Will Bradley and His Boogie Woogie Boys   02:39

14. Silver Bells - Tony Bennett 03:13

15. White Christmas - Jacob Collier 00:59

16. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Emma Smith 02:31

17. Last Christmas - Betty's Bounce 04:39

18. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - The Jim Cullum Jazz Band 02:15

19. Merry Christmas In Eight Foreign Languages

- Family And Friends 01:37

-----------------------------

I had just enough time to throw together a new volume of Christmas Jam as a bonus for this year.  As I’ve written here before, there are always far too many great holiday jazz tracks to include in my usual Christmas compilations so every so often I try to do an extra all-jazz collection as well.

Highlights:

Shorty Rogers was a trumpet and flugelhorn player who was also in great demand as an arranger.  (He did a fair amount of work with the Monkees, among many other artists.)  Here he plays on “Overture for Shorty”, a track from his 1960 album, The Swingin’ Nutcracker.

I haven’t been able to find out much about the Town Pipers (not to be confused with the Doodletown Pipers), but they were a jazz vocal group who apparently only released one album, Christmas Greetings, in 1959.  I’m also not familiar with this song, “Santa’s On His Way”, so it may have been composed by or for them.

There aren’t many musicians who can say they’ve played with John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Spike Jones, but harpist Betty Glamann did all that and more, in addition to leading her own group.  This version of “Deck the Halls” is from her 1959 album Christmas Fantasy.

And speaking of Coltrane, in 2009 singer Kurt Elling released Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, a tribute to the 1963 recording John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman.  However, this version of “Cool Yule”, originally made famous by Louis Armstrong, is from his 2016 album, The Beautiful Day: Kurt Elling Sings Christmas.

Will Bradley was an American trombonist and bandleader during the 1930s and 1940s, best remembered for the original hit version of “Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar”.  He and his band, The Boogie Woogie Boys, tear things up here with “Jingle Bells Boogie Woogie”.

The harpejji is an electric stringed musical instrument that was developed in 2007 and has been described as a cross between a piano and a guitar or as a cross between an accordion and a pedal steel guitar.

The great Jacob Collier makes use of it to play a version of “White Christmas”.  You can see a video of the performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5T-9RPW4pg

Betty's Bounce is a trio performing acoustic American and gypsy jazz in the spirit of guitarist Django Reinhardt.  Here they offer a gently swinging arrangement of Wham’s “Last Christmas” from their 2018 album Luminous.

And finally, for no particular reason, a track called “Merry Christmas In Eight Foreign Languages” just in case you find yourself in one of these countries at Yuletide.

Cover art swiped from the internet.

DOWNLOAD

[etherealswan]

George made it!

[xephs]

[spectorsummers]

When the Yogscast raised 5mil in December for charity and they still aren’t getting the love they deserve for it

when the yogscast raised 900k in just 5 days and no one outside the fandom is talking about it

[persianblue]

Were there walls in here, 'cause all I see is jizz?

Chris Trott 2016

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Famous People who were Murdered

Sharon Tate -  Actress Sharon Tate was tragically murdered on August 9, 1969 by members of the notorious Charles Manson Family.

Phil Hartman - Former Saturday Night Live comedian and Jingle All the Way star Phil Hartman was murdered by his wife, Brynn, on May 28, 1998.

Christina Grimmie - Singer and former The Voice contestant Christina Grimmie’s life was cut short on June 10, 2016 after an obsessed fan named Kevin James Loibl murdered her. She was 22.

John Lennon - Beatles singer John Lennon was killed on December 8, 1980 in what is probably the most famous fan murder of all time. He was shot four times by a troubled man named John David Chapman outside of his home in New York.

Natalie Wood - Actress Natalie Wood’s body was found in the Pacific Ocean on November 29, 1981 after a boat trip to Catalina Island on board her husband Robert Wagner's yacht. Though her cause of death was declared an “accidental drowning,” many suspect she was murdered because the autopsy report revealed she had bruises on her body and a cut on her left cheek.

Jam Master Jay - Legendary Run-D.M.C. DJ Jam Master Jay was murdered on October 30, 2002 after someone shot him in a recording studio in Jamaica, Queens.

Marvin Gaye - Singer Marvin Gaye was killed by his father on April 1, 1984 after he tried to break up a fight between him and his mother.

John F. Kennedy - President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 while riding in a presidential convertible limousine through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.

Dimebag Darrell - Guitarist Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage while performing with his band Damageplan on December 8, 2004 at nightclub in Columbus, Ohio.

Tupac Shakur - Rapper Tupac Shakur was shot four times on September 7, 1996 while riding in his friend’s car after leaving a Las Vegas boxing match. He died at a local hospital six days later at the age of 25.

XXXTentacion - Rapper XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroym, was shot and killed in an apparent robbery on June 18, 2018. He was 20 years old.

Biggie - Just like his rival Tupac, Biggie Smalls (aka The Notorious B.I.G.) was killed in drive-by shooting on March 9, 1997,

Gianni Versace - Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace was murdered by serial killer Andrew Cunnanan on July 15, 1997. He was shot and killed on the steps of his Miami mansion after his morning walk

Jill Dando -  British journalist and newscaster Jill Dando was shot in the head at point blank range in front of her home.

Pop Smoke -  American rapper and songwriter Pop Smoke died February 19, 2020, age 20; and was shot to death during a home invasion

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Drone delivery crashes

When Amazon announced “Prime Air,” a forthcoming drone delivery service, in 2016, there was a curious willingness on the part of the press — even the tech press — to take the promise of a sky full of delivery drones at face value.

This despite the obvious problems with such a scheme: the consequences of midair collisions, short battery life, overhead congestion, regulatory hurdles and more. Also despite the fact that delivery drones, like jetpacks, are really only practical as sfx in an sf movie.

Now, Amazon has laid off more than 100 Prime Air employees. Departing workers told Wired UK that the division is “collapsing inwards,” “dysfunctional,” “organised chaos.” They called management “detached from reality.”

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/amazon-drone-delivery-prime-air

As Andrew Kersley reminds us, Prime Air was the centerpiece of a massive PR push, with school tours of a “secret” facility and showy promotional videos (high-sfx sf movies, really). Execs said drones would arrive “within months.”

But after the PR wins, the organization became a do-nothing boondoggle where employees openly drank beer at their desks at 10AM.

All of this raises the question: why? Why spend millions on something that was obviously not going to work out?

My theory is tech companies promise to deliver impossible things n order to cultivate an air of mystical capability that’s invoked to mask real-world awfulness.

Amazon’s automation claims — about drones, warehouse robots, and self-driving delivery vehicles — masks their ghastly labor abuses. This is especially useful when automation is used to make workers’ lives worse.

The more automated an Amazon warehouse is, the more workers it injures. Amazon warehouses injure more workers than any other kind of warehouse.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/17/reverse-centaur/#reverse-centaur

Seen in this light, many of tech’s worst promises become less silly: Uber promises self-driving cars to distract us from its exploitative labor practices. Imaginary self-driving cars are a way to make worker misclassification seem temporary.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/08/required-reading/#goober

Facebook’s promise of AI-based content moderation is a good way to distract us from its dysfunctional, high-handed and corrupt moderation practices, making htem seem like a minor hurdle that will soon fall.

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20201211/15111245871/content-moderation-case-study-facebooks-ai-continues-to-struggle-with-identifying-nudity-2020.shtml

Every single thing Elon Musk says goes into this category: “It’s ok to destroy astronomy because my satellites obviate the need for fiber infrastructure.” “Tunnels (not transit) will solve traffic jams.” “I am saving the planet by keeping SUVs on the road.”

It’s all the kind of thing Riley Quinn calls “jingling keys” — a distraction for the technologically unsophisticated (and techies who have dipped into their own product) while everyday corporate crimes are committed under our noses.

[listoriented]

Chronology

no regerts

Sometimes (often) I idly wish I could go back to when I was say, eighteen, and make a bunch of different decisions that would presumably lead me to making more out of my twenties. Chronology is a 2D puzzle platformer that’s sort of about this, except instead of “playing less dota” it’s “saving the world”.

The backstory is that there’s been some sort of cataclysm and everything is ruined. Your main guy is an old scientist, or alchemist, or, I dunno, someone, who works out a way to travel back and forth in time to a moment pre-cataclysm. He determines to use his time travelling powers to go back and prevent the apocalypse by hunting down his former mentor, who happened (through some not-very-well explained thing that actually doesn’t seem to have much to do with your ability to time travel??) to have caused the whole disaster. Alas, a lot of the pathway is blocked, so, as you go about your platformy business, you need to shift between the two points in time, sometimes getting an item from one to bring to the other, sometimes changing something in the Before time so the environment will be different in the After time, sometimes just using a platform that exists in one but not the other, in any case solving a series of puzzles that eventually let you move your way from the left of screen to the right, from one level to the next.

This initial gambit is complicated slightly by the introduction of a secondary character, a large snail who happens to be able to pause time. The snail can slide around platforms but not jump, so you often end up traversing the level as the old man and continually calling the snail to teleport to you as you go. As well as being able to pause time, the snail is an extra paper-weight for levers, and a moveable platform from which to reach extra heights. You combine these possibilities with the two versions of each level and there’s quite a bit to consider, sometimes, if the answer isn’t immediately apparent. 

To that end, most of the puzzles are...fun? I mean, I quite enjoyed this. And I don’t even think it was just will to procrastinate. 

The story is fine, take it or leave it. The characters aren’t great. The old man is kind of a dick – he seems to hate the snail at first even though progress would literally be impossible without it. To be fair, though, the snail is also super annoying, voiced in overly-earnest childlike squeaks. The platforming can be a bit imprecise, but at least death by obstacle or gap result in no punishment. More tedious is when completing a puzzle that involves multiple steps of repositioning both the snail and the old man, and slipping off a platform can lead to having to do the whole thing again, which, because the process involves a lot of shifting between both characters and time-periods, it is never an instinctive task and always feels annoying to repeat. A couple of puzzles toward the end felt a bit esoteric in what they were asking me to do (read: I feel bad about having to look up a walkthrough), though perhaps that’s forgivable given the number of possible elements to each one.

Still, it’s a decent little game. A successful encounter for the list, you might even say. I liked the way it went about introducing and teaching its elements. It gets extra credit for knowing when to not overstaying its welcome, for letting me finish a game in a few sweet hours.

Chronology was one of the many games that landed in the 2016 Yogcast Jingle Jam. Merry xmas to myself from three years ago, I guess? It’s still the only Yogcast I’ve gone in on, though. This year’s one started with too much that I already had so, I dunno. I forget that the point of all this was charity.

Released in 2014, it was the first game made by Bedtime Digital Games, a Danish studio who have since put out Back to Bed and Figment.

up next is Chuchel

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression - Ep 32 , Radio version - May 2016 - Domestic Violence, Racial discrimination in the USA, Chiba legend 'Jaguar', Ancient mummy wearing Addidas.

Kaoru starts by mentioning that its still Golden Week in Japan (a week of national holidays that occurs every year in the Spring). Joe says that Golden Week doesn't really mean much to him and Kaoru, as they are always working anyway. Kaoru says its tough for Dir's staff, because if the band are working, the staff usually have to be working too. They do sometimes try to make it so the staff can have a break during this time, but if there's work to be done, it can't be helped. Kaoru does say that the streets in Tokyo are much less jammed with cars during Golden Week, which he likes.

Kaoru's first topic of interest is the 'Black dot' campaign, designed to help victims of domestic violence. The campaign was started by British woman Danielle Tredgett, and the premise was that if a sufferer of DV drew a black dot on thier hand, people in the community might be able to recognize it, and help them. One problem with this is that if the perpetrator of the abuse knows the meaning of the black dot, it could worsen the situation if they see it. Kaoru thinks victims of bullying face a similar situation, in that even if they want to talk to someone about it, they can't. Or if they do tell someone, the bullying might worsen. Joe mentions that in the case of DV, people often feel like there is no way out. He thinks seeing this type of thing on the news makes society face up to these issues and forces us to think about them, even if we are not directly involved in such situations ourselves. Kaoru says it is often the case that women are the victims of DV at the hands of male partners, but he recently saw on the news that cases of women abusing men are also on the rise, and male victims of DV generally have no one to talk to about it, or any means of support. Its very difficult for society to recognise that men can also be victims of domestic violence. Kaoru also thinks its very difficult for a man to admit something like that to others. Its a very tough issue, and he really thinks that community support and having a place to go to for help like a community center is very important.

Kaoru's next topic of interest is about an apparel maker (GapKids) who put out an ad containing four girls: three white, and one black. In the ad (link here), one of the taller white girls is resting her elbow on the head of the black girl. The image has caused a lot of controversy. Kaoru says how this could be seen as inappropriate. Joe says that the Civil Rights Act was passed in America in 1964 as a means to end segregation, but the reality is that even now, discrimination against black people in America has not disappeared. He says that incidents involving the police shooting young black Americans without reason are frequent. The issue of racial discrimination is a very sensitive issue within American society. Joe says he recently talked with movie critic Machiyama Tomohiro via Skype, who said that even now, there are a lot of movies which can't be screened in America - in particular, movies set in the time of the Civil War, or movies grappling with the topic of racial discrimination. Such movies usually cannot be screened in regular movie theatres. He brings up the 1946 Disney movie, 'Song of the South', set during the American Reconstruction era, where a white boy becomes friends with a black man. The movie is seen to pull a veil over the system of slavery. Disney does not curreny screen the movie anywhere at all. Joe asked Machiyama whether it might not be better for these movies to be screened in order to remind American society of its past deeds, but Machiyama told him that it is a risk that movie companies are not willing to take. If such movies were screened in theaters, boycotts would likely take place. There is no merit for theaters or movie companies to do so, only risks. The online backlash would also be intense, and so movies such as this get shelved. Joe thinks this kind of protest reaction is going a bit overboard. Kaoru comments that while racial discrimination in American does not disappear, tensions continue to escalate, but overall he agrees with Joe. Joe says that although this is not a solution to this problem, there is the growing concept of 'Slow media', taking place in America and the UK. This is where news is analyzed in depth three months after it occurred, in contrast to the instant consumption of media that goes on around us all the time. He thinks this type of approach is worth watching, as it is really important to get a good balance when looking at serious issues. Kaoru also thinks this idea is interesting.

Next they welcome Tasai for the Tokyo Sports corner. Tasai says he is covering for Dobashi this time, because Dobashi is busy taking care of his kids. Kaoru and Joe think this is a much better reason than Hiranabe's. Joe says Hiranabe is probably still in Atami, still trying to  get his revenge. (See Ep 29 and 31). Hiranabe apparently sometimes sends Joe cute stamps on Line. Joe thinks he must have sent them to the wrong person. Tasai tells the others that Hiranabe is currently talking to a Thai woman via Line. He showed Tasai texts from her saying, 'Can't wait to see you' etc. Tasai also apologizes to Kaoru once again about the 'bande desinée/bando de shinee' mix-up that Kami made last week.

Tasai's first news is about the trending artist/musician 'Jaguar', who is based in Chiba. Kaoru knows about him already, but Joe does not. Tasai says that Jaguar has been inaugurated as the face of the channel 'Chiba TV' at an event he recently attended. Jaguar originally owned a clothes repair business, and a beauty salon etc in Chiba. He has become a bit of a legend because for 11 years he bought his own broadcasting slot on Chiba TV on broadcadt his own show. He did everything himself, including filming, editing, delivery etc. At the recent inauguration event, Jaguar apparently told people he had come from the planet Jaguar, but got stuck in traffic on the way. Tasai says that Jaguar is also rumored to have hung out with Hide a lot back in the day, as Hide had done a part time job at Jaguar's business, and he has also done events with Ayanokoji Sho, vocalist of the band 'Kishidan'. He's the type of guy who knows people in the rock scene.

Speaking of Hide, Joe mentions to Kaoru that, 'You love Hide more than god, right?', which causes laughter as they confirm that Joe wasn't referring to 'that' god (Kami).

Joe mentions that 'quirky' characters like Jaguar are recently getting a lot more focus in the media and online. Kaoru says its just the next step on from 'yuru kyara' (those cute mascot characters). Tasai reckons Jaguar must be in his 60s by now, as he said once that he was in a band during the oil shock in the 1970s. They encourage listeners to search for Jaguar to see what he is like.

For Tasai's next story he says that he has recieved another tip-off letter, like the one he got last time. The letter is titled 'Time traveller',  and refers to a story about a 1500 year old mummy being found wearing Addidas shoes. Of course the letter was from Kami. Joe thinks Kami should focus more on his night shift, instead of looking for wierd stuff to send to Tasai. Tasai said he was going to just dismiss this story, but he realised that while Kami was busy scolding him last week he (Kami) was wearing Addidas clothes. Tasai suggests that the mummy wearing Addidas shoes is Kami's doing. Maybe he travelled back in time to do it. Kaoru says that Kami is a god after all. He did teleport himself to the studio last time, so of course he could time travel if he wanted. Tasai says that Tokyo Sports have decided to run this story. Joe says the photo of the mummy's foot does look like it has three stripes on it, but there is every possibility that it could be photoshopped. They wonder why Kami isn't joining them for this topic, when suddenly, he appears. Kami's first comment is, 'A Kansai person has to come if they are called', admitting that he is a Kansai god. Kami tells them it was him who went back in time as a god from the future bringing shoes. He says it was a favour for his friend who works for Addidas. Kaoru asks Kami to take Dir en grey's new single far back into history. Kami says people in the past would probably find it too noisy/unpleasant, so Kaoru suggests for him to just take the CD cover instead. Kami loses his train of thought a bit, and Joe accuses him of being slow today. Kami scolds Joe, and they all apologise to him (while laughing).

Kaoru finishes by saying he will play more of the jingle campaign entries from next week after he has had chance to listen to them. He Then plugs the new single (due on July 27th 2016), and his blog, DVD, and tour. Finally he comments that this show has been pretty lively. Joe says its ok because its still Golden Week.

Songs - Dir en grey/Sustain the Untruth.

[yogpetshame]

What’s your thoughts on Hannah’s tweets on how she was told that the person who wanted to rape her that was joking.

I wanna rewind a bit. Let’s pretend we’re several years in the past, right at the moment Hannah is bringing this stalker to the attention of the office. In fact, I’ll make an educated guess and say maybe it was that time four years ago when Hannah was complaining that an unnamed person “made [her] feel the most alone [she’s] felt in years.” It fits the bill fairly well (not that any of what I’m about to say depends on guessing correctly.)

In the timeline we’re in, the men who said the stalker was joking were the end of the line. There’s nowhere else that Hannah could have complained to. It would have been on-brand for Lewis to have been one of the men who made fun of it, but even if he didn’t he certainly wouldn’t have sympathized with Hannah. Knowing that Turps’ judgement was fundamentally compromised, there’s just nowhere for it to go. Years pass and Hannah bears this grudge still and there’s no reason for anyone to want make it right with her.

Alternate timeline: the Yogscast gets HR way, way earlier. Probably in response to Ridgedog going buck wild while waiting for his contract to expire, or to communications breakdowns that used to be so common and ridiculous.

In the revised history, Sjin gets flattened sometime in 2015, in the HR department’s response to complaints that aren’t instantly muffled. Will remains in the Yogscast, with HR there to communicate and mediate his needs. Nilesy never goes through his ‘vanishing’ phase, instead he has a contact present to assist him with his move to streaming. Hannah cleans up the streaming room after Lewis & co fill it with empty bottles during Jingle Jam 2015, and then Lewis & co are directed by HR to offer a sincere apology and to thank her for cleaning up.

And then in 2016, when Hannah comes forward to complain about a stalker threatening to rape and murder her, and someone laughs in her face, that someone gets dressed the hell down in HR. Suspended, even. Office resources are brought to bear to coordinate with the police, Hannah is given additional support from the office in order to lighten her load, and best of all, four years later Hannah doesn’t have any reason to bear a grudge against the office or anyone who worked there.

Just a little bit of proactive action, so that people who get close to the Yogscast don’t invariably walk away covered in deep scars.

[strifesolution]

actually watching parts of the jingle jam im interested in this year so i can finally recognize yogs that joined post-2016

[yogscast-confessions]

Sometimes when I'm feeling down, I'll watch the video of Lewis singing the National Express song from one of the 2016 jingle jam karaoke streams. He's just so into it 😂😂

Send me your confessions!

[rapturerecords]

Let us begin again ringing in the New Year here in Rapture. Here’s a little tribute based off Johnny Dombrowski’s marvelous illustration though with a slightly older Wurlitzer model instead. Those new Bubbler jukeboxes always seem to jam and play only a few seconds of a song.

As always, we’ll take this time to remember Patti Page, singer of “Doggie in the Window” who also passed away on New Year’s Day.

We’re celebrating another 10th anniversary of a sister game this year with Fallout 3 and a new set of sounds wafting in from Appalachia.

See if your favorite record, 8-track, cassette, or wax cylinder was featured this year:

BioShock

"Bei Mir Bist du Schön" - Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 1562

"Bei Mir Bist du Schön" - Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23605 (reissue)

"It's Bad for Me" - Rosemary Clooney and Benny Goodman - Columbia Records 40616

"Papa Loves Mambo" - Perry Como - RCA Victor Records 20-5857

"20th Century Blues" - Noël Coward - Columbia Records ML 5163

"The Party's Over Now" (1959) - Noël Coward - Columbia Records ML 5163

"Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" - Bing Crosby - Victor Records 22701

"Beyond the Sea" - Bobby Darin - ATCO Records 45-6158

"Night and Day" - Billie Holiday - Columbia Records 3044 (reissue)

“The Best Things in Life are Free” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 24327

"If I Didn't Care" - Ink Spots - Decca Records 2286

"Danny Boy" - Mario Lanza - The Magic of Mario Lanza - Heartland Music HL 1046/50

“Danny Boy” anniversary revisit 2015 “Danny Boy” anniversary revisit 2016 “Danny Boy” anniversary revisit 2017

“(How Much is That) Doggie in the Window” (1966) - Patti Page - Columbia Records CS 9326 (in-game version) 

"The Doggie in the Window" (1953) - Patti Page - Mercury Records 70070 (original version)

"You're the Top" (1934) - Cole Porter - Victor Records 24766 (original version)

"La Mer" - Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli - Djangology RCA RGP-1186 (reissue)

Cohen’s Quadtych: “Academy Award” vs. “The Ballroom Waltz”

"Academy Award" - Stanley Black - Music De Wolfe DW/LP 2977

“Too Young” - Nat King Cole - Capitol Records 1449

"Just Walking in the Rain" - Johnnie Ray - Columbia Records 40729

"Waltz of the Flowers"

Looking for BioShock’s Django Reinhardt

BioShock 2

"Ten Cents a Dance" - Ruth Etting - Columbia Records 2146D

"Dawn of a New Day" - Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights - Brunswick Records 8313

"It's Only a Paper Moon" - Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23425

BioShock 10th Anniversary Revisit and Eclipse

"Someone's Rocking My Dream Boat" - Ink Spots - Decca Records 4045

"We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" - Ink Spots - Decca Records 3379

"I'm Making Believe" - Ink Spots with Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23356

"Bei Mir Bist du Schon" - Benny Goodman with Martha Tilton - The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert Columbia Records ML 4359

“Hush, Hush, Hush, Here Comes the Bogey Man“ - Henry Hall and his Orchestra with Val Rosing - Columbia Records FB 2816

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36640

“You Always Hurt the One You Love” - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 18599

"Paper Doll" - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 18318

"Dream" - The Pied Pipers - Capitol Records 185

"Chasing Shadows" - Quintette du Hot Club de France - Royale Records 1798

"Nightmare" (1938) - Artie Shaw - Bluebird Records B-7875 (in-game version)

“Nightmare” (1937) - Art Shaw and his New Music - Vocalion Records 4306 (re-recording)

"Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" - Bessie Smith - Parlophone Records R2481

Father’s Day in Rapture 

"Daddy Won't You Please Come Home" - Annette Hanshaw - Velvet Tone Records 1940V

"My Heart Belongs to Daddy" - Mary Martin - Brunswick Records 8282

"Daddy's Little Girl" (1976) - Mills Brothers - Ranwood Records R-8152 (in-game version)

"Daddy's Little Girl" (1950) - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 24872 (original version)

BioShock Infinite

"Ain't She Sweet" - Ben Bernie - Brunswick Records 3444

"Button Up Your Overcoat" - Helen Kane - Victor Records 21863

"(What Do We Do on a) Dew-Dew-Dewey Day" - Charles Kaley - Columbia Records 1055D

"Indian Love Call" - Sigmund Krumgold - Okeh Records 40904

"Me and My Shadow" - Sam Lanin - Lincoln Records 2628

"Black Gal" - Ed Lewis with unidentified prisoners (recorded by Alan Lomax)

"I'm Wild About That Thing" - Bessie Smith - Columbia Records 14427D

"Makin' Whoopee!" - Rudy Vallée - Harmony Records 825-H

The Cylinders of BioShock Infinite 

"Shine On, Harvest Moon" - Ada Jones and Billy Murray - Edison Standard Record 10134

 "The Bonnie Blue Flag" - Polk Miller - Edison Blue Amberol Record 2175

"After You've Gone"

"The Easy Winners"

"Solace - A Mexican Serenade"

“Just a Closer Walk with Thee” - Elizabeth’s version

“Just a Closer Walk with Thee” - Selah Jubilee Singers - Decca Records 7872

“The Grand Old Rag” - Billy Murray - Victor Records 4634

Albert Fink's Magical Melodies Presents: "God Only Knows"

“Ah! La femme il n’y que ça“ - Mon. A. Fertinel - Improved Berliner Gramophone Record 1148

“God Only Knows” - The Beach Boys - Capitol Records 5706

"Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fantasy Records 634

Burial at Sea

Episode 1

The Complete Records Behind the Music

"Midnight, The Stars and You" - Al Bowlly - Victor Records 24700

"She's Got You" - Patsy Cline - Decca Records 31354

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" - Johnny Mathis - Columbia Records 40784

"The Lady is a Tramp" - Mel Tormé - London American Recordings HL N.8305

"Tonight for Sure!" - Ruth Wallis - Wallis Original Record Corp. 2001

"Stranger in Paradise"

Episode 2

The Complete Records Behind the Music

"Back in Baby's Arms" - Patsy Cline - Decca Records 31483

"Easy to Love" - Sammy Davis Jr. - Starring Sammy Davis Jr. Decca Records DL 8118

"Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" - Glenn Miller - Bluebird Records B-11474

"La Vie en Rose" - Édith Piaf - Columbia Records 4004-F 

“La Vie en Rose” (English version) -  Édith Piaf - Columbia Records 38948

“La Vie en Rose” in 2007′s BioShock

"The Great Pretender" - The Platters - Mercury Records 70753

"You Belong to Me"

Fallout 2

"A Kiss to Build a Dream On" - Louis Armstrong - Decca Records 27720

Fallout 3 (Galaxy News Radio)

"Civilization" - Andrews Sisters and Danny Kaye - Decca Records 23940

“Butcher Pete (Part 1)” - Roy Brown - De-Luxe Records 3301

“Crazy He Calls Me” - Billie Holiday - Decca Records 24796

"I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" - Ink Spots - Decca Records 3987

"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" - Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23356

“Swing Doors” - composed by Allan Gray - Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording CBL 37

“Jazzy Interlude” - composed by Billy Munn - Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording CBL 37

"Anything Goes" (1934) - Cole Porter - Victor Records 24825 (original version)  

Fallout: New Vegas (Radio New Vegas, Mojave Music Radio, Black Mountain Radio)

"It's a Sin" - Eddy Arnold - RCA Victor Records 10-2241

"Jingle Jangle Jingle" - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36604

“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” (1979) - Ink Spots (Bill Kenny) - CBS Special Products P 18042 (in-game version)

“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” (1941) - Ink Spots - Decca Records (original version)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1950) - Peggy Lee with the Dave Barbour Quartet- Peggy Lee’s Greatest - Camay Records CA 3003 (in-game version)

“Why Don’t You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)” (1947) - Peggy Lee - Rendezvous with Peggy Lee - Capitol Records 10118 (re-recording)

 “Why Don’t You Do Right” (1942) - Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman and his Orchestra - Columbia Records 36652 (re-recording)

"Big Iron" - Marty Robbins -  Columbia Records 4-41589

“Blue Moon” - Frank Sinatra - Sinatra’s Swingin’ Session!  - Capitol Records W1491

“Orange Colored Sky” - Nat King Cole - Capitol Records 1184

Fallout 4 (Diamond City Radio)

“Butcher Pete (Part 2)” - Roy Brown - De-Luxe Records 3301

“Orange Colored Sky” - Nat King Cole - Capitol Records 1184

“Pistol-Packin’ Mama - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23277

“The Wanderer” - Dion - Laurie Records 3115

“Sixty-Minute Man - The Dominoes - Federal Records 12022

“Atom Bomb Baby” - The Five Stars - Kernel Records A002

“It’s All Over But the Crying” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 24286

“Grandma Plays the Numbers” - Wynonie Harris - King Records 4276

“Personality” - Johnny Mercer - Capitol Records 230

"The End of the World” - Patti Page - Say Wonderful Things - Columbia Records CS 8849

Fallout 76 (Appalachia Radio)

“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” - The Beach Boys - Capitol Records 5706

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36640

"We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" - Ink Spots - Decca Records 3379

Guardians of the Galaxy

"I'm Not in Love" - 10cc - Mercury Records (Phonogram) 73678 (abridged)

"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" - Elvin Bishop - Capricorn Records CPS 0252 (abridged)

“Spirit in the Sky” - Norman Greenbaum - Reprise Records 0885

“Escape (The Piña Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes - Infinity Records INF 50.035

"Hooked on a Feeling" - Blue Swede - EMI Records 3627

"I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5 - Motown Records M 1157

"Go All the Way" - Raspberries - Capitol Records 3348

"Come and Get Your Love" - Redbone - Epic Records 5-11035

L.A. Noire (KTI Radio)

“Pistol-Packin’ Mama” - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23277

“Stone Cold Dead in the Market” - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan - Decca Records 23546

"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" - Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23356

"Manteca" - Dizzy Gillespie - RCA Victor Records 20-3023

"Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" - Louis Jordan - Decca Records 23741

"Red Silk Stockings and Green Perfume" - Sammy Kaye - RCA Victor Records 20-2251

“Black and Blue” - Frankie Laine - Mercury Records A-1026

"'Murder', He Says" - Dinah Shore - RCA Victor Records 20-1525

"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) - Tex Williams - Capitol Records Americana Series 40001

“Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop” - Lionel Hampton - Decca Records 18754

Mafia II (Empire Central Radio, Delta Radio)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1950) - Peggy Lee with the Dave Barbour Quartet- Peggy Lee’s Greatest - Camay Records CA 3003 (re-recording)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1942) - Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman and his Orchestra - Columbia Records 36652 (re-recording)

"A Guy is a Guy” - Doris Day - Columbia Records 39673

XCOM The Bureau Declassified (KNOV Radio)

“Runaway” - Del Shannon - Big Top Records 45-3067

“Who’s Sorry Now” - Connie Francis - MGM Records 975 (57-S-622)

"Smack Dab in the Middle" - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 29511

“Riders in the Sky” - Vaughn Monroe - RCA Victor 20-3411

"Man of Mystery" - The Shadows - Columbia Records 45-DB 4530

“I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive” - Hank Williams - MGM Records 11366

See the previous years’ lists here:

2014

2015

2016

2017

[lotsofsjin]

So I was watching Turps sing “Smiffy’s mom″ and it somehow turned into this So imagine Turps singing this with kazoo master Sjin playing kazoo instead of background singing _______________________________________________________________ Sips.co's boss has got it goin' on x4

Hey, Sjin, can I come over after school? (Sjin in a schoolgirl outfit kazoo) We can hang around by the pool (Sjin in a bikini kazoo) Did our boss get back from his business trip? (Sjin in a space suit kazoo) Is he there, or is he trying to give me the slip? (Sjin kazoo)

You know, I'm not a massive noob like I used to be I'm a pro now, baby can't you see

Sips.co's boss has got it goin' on He's all I want and I've waited for so long Lewis, can't you see you're just not the guy for me I know it might be wrong but I'm in love with Sips.co's boss

Sips.co's boss has got it goin' on Sips.co's boss has got it goin' on

Hey, Sjin, do you remember when I built the sign? (Sjin kazoo) Our boss came out ,as always, lookin' fine (Sjin kazoo) I could tell he liked me from the way he glared  And the way he said, "You missed a letter there" (Sjin kazoo) (Cue shot of the sign reading "Sip.co")

And I know that you think it's just a fantasy But since Lewis walked out, Sips.co could use a guy like me

Sips.co's boss has got it goin' on He's all I want and I've waited for so long Simon, can't you see you're just not the guy for me I know it might be wrong but I'm in love with Sips.co's boss

(Blistering kazoo solo proceeded by Sjin gasping to catch his breath)

Sips.co's boss has got it goin' on He's all I want and I've waited for so long Duncan, can't you see you're just not the guy for me I know it might be wrong but oh oh (Sjin kazoo) I'm in love with (Sjin kazoo) (Sjin kazoo) I'm in love with Sips.co's boss _______________________________________________________________ Yeah, not a lot of the lyrics have been changed and the ones that were changed don’t make sense but I thought this up in like fifteen minutes.

I’m sorry.