#like 'i feel a sudden need to experience february-may 2019' *put on the february-may 2019 playlist*. basically a form of time travel

[eggmeralda]

thinking about what led me to having 718 playlists so I looked through them and it's mostly stuff like

[knitcrate]

Letter from our CEO

I would like to begin by saying thank you to the many people who have written in via email, through our DMs, or on social media expressing their support, understanding, and compassion as KnitCrate navigates this situation. Whenever we receive one of those messages, we share it internally with the rest of the team, and it helps boost morale and remind us why we enjoy being a part of this community. So again, THANK YOU.

The situation over the past year has been, well…to say it has been messy would be an understatement. The lack of inventory being in stock (particularly in the last 3 months), delayed shipments, and customers understandably being more budget-conscious with the uncertainties of the pandemic have all strongly impacted our sales as a company. We have been doing whatever we can to overcome it. One of the biggest challenges we’ve dealt with as a company during COVID-19 has been our supply chain, both with getting the yarn to our warehouse for kit assembly and for production of the yarn in the first place.

Issue 1: Logistics of receiving the yarn

There are two main problems affecting companies who rely on importing/exporting goods these days.

The first is that, due to COVID, there are less commercial flights. Almost all commercial flights carry the passengers up top and cargo down below. With less commercial flights, there is less opportunity to transport cargo. This causes a backlog of cargo sitting at the airports. For example, we paid our mill in mid-March to try to get what should have been the April yarn now in March (paying it a month ahead of what was planned in our budget), at which point they sent the cargo to the airport in Lima.  The cargo sat there for over a week because of the backlog of other cargo waiting to be put on a plane.  The airline finally delivered 3 pallets to the US on March 30th.  The remaining 9 pallets arrived today on March 31st.  Customs wouldn’t let us pick up the first 3 pallets until the other 9 arrived, because they wanted us to pick up the order in its entirety. We finally got clearance to pick it up earlier today.

The second issue companies are facing are capacity constraints at the ports, whether airports or ocean. All ports worldwide are working with far less employees than they were before the pandemic, which causes massive delays in being able to process shipments. This affects us with our large inbound orders but also with shipments to our international customers, as packages sometimes sit at customs in your countries for what may seem to be an eternity.  

Issue 2: Production of yarn at the mills

Because of the volume of yarn we are now ordering monthly, we have to contract with our mills 12+ months in advance. For example, as of today, all yarn orders through March 2022 are already contracted. Why the long 12-month lead time? The mills need this amount of lead time to plan their own raw materials purchases and production schedules, not just for our orders, but the orders of all their clients. Every month, we pay our mill at the time of shipment, they proceed to ship the yarn to us. Under normal circumstances, it takes a shipment by air only 1-3 business days to arrive, clear customs, and be delivered to our warehouse.  Outside of a worldwide pandemic, this is not usually an issue. The mills have plenty of time to produce yarn and deliver it the first week of each month when we need to assemble your kits and ship to you.

However, the COVID pandemic has complicated things. Both of our main mills in Peru and Italy have had periods of time where they outright closed due to government restrictions on non-essential businesses to help combat the spread of COVID in their respective countries. For example, in April/May of 2020, our Peruvian mill was closed for two months and that left us without yarn to send out in May. Due to the lead times required and the fact that most mills worldwide were (and still are) facing similar issues, looking for alternate yarn was nearly impossible. Thankfully, our team was quick on their feet and we put together a fun dye-it-yourself project using undyed yarn from our Dyer Supplier business.

During this first quarter of 2021, our Italian mill, who was originally supplying yarn from December through February, has been facing stringent lockdowns and closures in response to the recent increase in COVID cases in Italy. This disrupted their ability to produce yarn and has resulted in part of the January yarn and all of the planned February yarn not being delivered. We were horribly disappointed about this, but despite our best efforts as well as the mill’s, the production needs could not be met. Thankfully, our Peruvian mill has been able to come back online with a more regular schedule in the past few months, and we have been working with them to get yarn delivered now that was originally meant for a later month.

While this is a solution to the inventory needed for crate shipment, it presented the company with a new problem. We had to fund the purchase for this yarn outside of our budget and available funding, which has been difficult during a challenging and financially straining year. This is why we have been forced to issue a credit, as opposed to an outright refund, on those purchases. It would be impossible for the company to do both - issue a refund for all those orders at one time while allocating funds to pay for yarn ahead of time.

***

Does this situation absolutely suck? Yes. It absolutely sucks. Am I sorry that this is happening? Of course. Business owners who give a damn about their business, customers, and employees do not set out on a mission to disappoint customers or give a less-than-exceptional experience. It is more heartbreaking to me than I can explain. But we aren’t dealing with normal times. We are doing what we need to do to get the company through this temporary situation to keep delivering yarn each month, keep our team members employed, and continue to be the business so many of you have grown to love.

Unfortunately, this also means streamlining how we offer products to you as well as increasing prices. When we took over KnitCrate in mid-2016, the kits ranged in price between $45 to $65 USD. We lowered those prices significantly to $24.99, including shipping & handling, that same year. We have kept prices there since then, even though shipping costs and wool prices have skyrocketed over the past 4-5 year period.  Keeping our prices that low could not continue indefinitely. We had plans to introduce these price increases later in the year, but this situation has forced us to accelerate those changes. However, even at the new prices, we still feel there is superb value for the yarn you are receiving. Moreover, you still have access to the member discounts in the shop which gives you even more value.

I am hoping that most customers know us well enough to understand that we aren’t trying to pull a fast one or go Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde on you. We would never turn into a completely different company who is out to take advantage of you. However, we recognize that these sudden changes and issues have understandably raised concerns. Among them, there have been concerns raised about the products and website that we would like to clarify:

Our Terms and Conditions have not changed since 2019 and our Privacy Policy hasn’t changed since 2017.

We will continue to include 2 skeins per crate for the traditional membership and 1 for the sock membership. The “1+ skeins” wording previously seen on the website was updated back in 2019 when we tested featuring 1 skein of ultra-luxury base in the months we featured Citrus Squeeze and Titmouse. We subsequently sent a survey to our customers asking how they would like us to approach this in the future. The answer was that the majority preferred two skeins, and so we have featured at least two skeins ever since and will continue to do so.

We had seen some comments regarding extras no longer being included in kits. Please rest assured that extras will continue being a part of your kits.

Member Central discounts, Double Down discounts, etc. will continue. These are some of the key benefits of being a member and will continue to be so.

I have come across some hard-to-read comments about how KnitCrate is going out of business or won’t be around in 2 months. Are we going through a tough situation? Yes. That is no secret. Are we disappearing in 2 months? No. Like I said above, the yarn is contracted out through March 2022 with our Peruvian mill. This mill has already come back online and is working with us to push every month contract up by 30 days. We are working overtime and making the necessary changes to get things back on track and get the shipping schedule normalized again.  

Ultimately, whether KnitCrate, or any company for that matter, stays in business or not is always in the hands of the customers. Companies can die for many reasons, but there are two overarching reasons.  

The company cannot deliver a product the customer wants. The company created a product the customer wants and is willing to pay for, but the company cannot access or deliver it to the customer.

The company cannot get customers. The company developed a product a customer doesn’t care for and isn’t willing to pay for and they go out of business.

As a company, we have predominantly been battling Reason #1 during the pandemic and are actively working on solutions within our team and with our partner mills to address the supply chain issues.  Given that our Peruvian mill was able to finish the April yarn by mid-March and ship to us early, we are looking forward to working with them on the future orders already contracted as we bump up each of those months.  Going forward, we will not be pre-selling yarn on the shop.  Yarn will only be listed for sale once it has been received into our warehouse, quality controlled, and counted. We understand that this may upset some customers who liked the ability to reserve the yarn by pre-buying it, but it is a necessary action.

That leaves us with Reason #2, and this is entirely in your hands as a customer. We offer great products, great value, and fair prices not available in most places.  In fact, I encourage anyone who has been a member with us for a long time to look at the yarn they have purchased through us over their lifetime as a customer, either through the kits or in Member Central, and tally up the savings they have earned. I don’t know many other places that can enable you to save on quality yarn as much as KnitCrate.

When it comes to business, the customer is always in charge. You vote with your dollars whether any company you buy from, including KnitCrate, stays in business or not. This is not new, though. This has always been the case, ever since we took over the company in 2016, and will always be the case. We have had to make some tough decisions during a temporarily very sh!tty situation. We made those decisions in order to stay alive and keep delivering yarn to you at affordable prices long into the future. If you will have us, we will be here working to bring you yarn with great projects at great prices.  

Thank you for your support. We hope you stay well and keep stitchin’!

- Rob and the KnitCrate Team

[feralnumberfive]

I expect no one to read this at all. It’s more of a way to get some feelings off of my chest. This is a look into my personal life and what I went through in 2020. I cried quite a bit while writing this, haha.

My farewell letter to 2020:

To you 2020, the year that shook the world. You’re certainly one to go down in the record books. You changed my life as you did to everyone. To you, the month of March. I had hit the lowest part in my life since the shock of my parent's divorce 11 years ago. My beloved cat had died in October of 2019, a few days short of our one year anniversary of fostering him, which soon turned into us adopting him. It was sudden and unexpected. I still can remember clear as day that horrid call I got from my sister from the vet. “Hey, we need you to come up here. It’s kidney failure.” As she spoke through her tears, I instantly began to cry. I had felt sad for months after that. 

In December of 2019, the adoptive dad of one of my closest friends committed suicide. She was torn apart, having had three people she knew died earlier that year. I stood by her side and watched her cry. We colored together in the counseling room, making small talk and doing anything I could to comfort her. 

From late February into March, another one of my closest friends revealed to me a traumatic experience she went through. She had been raped by a classmate of mine, one who I considered to be good acquaintances. She was a grade younger than me, and was practically completely dependent on me and my friend, as she was too scared to tell her parents. She eventually completely relied on my friend as I became shoved out of the problem. Her story and the amount of support required from her, which she never gave back to me throughout our friendship, made me realize at that moment I had hit rock bottom. I was tired and so sick of it all. This sentence that I'm about to say is one I've never admitted to anyone: I didn't want to be around anymore, or at least alive. I needed somewhere to escape. I didn't want to commit suicide due to expectations I held upon myself. I was also too scared to commit suicide. 

I finally admitted I needed help, which was scary for me to do. In March of you, 2020, I was diagnosed with situational depression. I was soon put on an anti-depressant. It felt good to put a name on it, but little did I know I would pay the price for my relief. Preparing to go off to college, I needed to get a First Class Medical Certificate in order to apply to the flight program at the colloege I wanted to go to. I went and got my FAA Medical Certificate done, ticking off the boxes on my journey to fulfill my life long dream of becoming a pilot. 

Spring Break came and after watching schools around me close, it was announced that we wouldn't be returning until mid April, and then the end of April, then until May. I quickly realized it wasn't possible to return and that unbeknownst to me I had already spent the last days of my Senior year at school in March. A frantic question was suddenly formed amongst my classmates and soon the world: Will the class of 2020 graduate? I, being burnt out, didn't care what would happen to me or my class. We soon became a laughing stock and a sight to pity around the world. Class of 2020, Corona Class, The Class that would be telling this story to their kids. It didn't matter to me. As I held up the “Class of 2020″ shirt my uncle got me with the zeros as tp rolls, I sighed. I just wanted to graduate without getting laughed at. Spoiler Alert: That didn't happen. 

Around this time I ended my friendship with the girl who I cherished but didn't cherish me back. I still to this day can’t exactly understand why I did that. I blocked her and left without saying goodbye. That wasn’t the right thing to do at all. She had been raped and needed support, but here I was leaving her. She always needed and wanted my support but never gave it back. It was always “Aw you have a problem? Here, let’s try this minimal effort plan to help you. That didn’t work? Oh well, let’s get back to me.” This is no excuse at all for my actions of cutting her off. I really still don’t know why I did this. I had hung out with her everyday in the summer of 2019. Here I was, easily letting her go. Jackie, I’m so sorry. I hope you are doing well and get into ISU to follow your dreams of being an engineer. 

In May I received news that still hurts and effects me to this day. I had been denied my Medical Certificate. It wasn't due to me being on an antidepressant, is was due to the fact that I was depressed. This was soul crushing news, but there was still a chance I could reapply for the Medical Certificate if I jumped through multiple hoops. May also provided the announcement that my safe haven in Oshkosh, Wisconsin wouldn't be happening this year. It was definitely understandable due to the virus, but still very saddening to me. It’s really the only thing I look forward to each year, but I understood and agreed on why it was canceled for 2020.

In June I got the news that a beloved teacher of my family and I passed away due to a heart attack and complications of Addison’s Disease. She was the best math teacher I had ever had, and the best in my High School. Math is my worst subject, but she never made me feel stupid like the other math teachers. She always made sure I understood what I was doing. Sometimes when she didn’t feel like having class she would have a free day. She would gossip with my classmates and tell us stories of her youth. Sometimes though she would give us free days due to having intense migraines that sometimes hospitalized her due to her disease. It wasn’t fun to see her like that. 

In June she was hospitalized where even her husband and two kids weren’t allowed in to see her. The only person allowed into her before she died was her twin brother. The family decided to have a public funeral, with tons of people in the community and school district socially distancing and wearing masks to pay their respect. I began to cry as I listened to her husband tell everyone that he wasn't ready and was so scared to be a single parent. Their children were both under ten, and were now motherless. Mrs. Johnson it was so hard saying goodbye to you. I loved you so much, and I still do. You gave my friend who had lost her dad food and comfort. You did so much not only for my family and I, but for everyone in the community and school district. I miss you so much. 

Hot days came with hazy skies. Everyday I checked the wildfire smoke map as I watched the sun turn bright pink as the sun became a blazing red when the sun went down. For weeks our sky looked hazy. Some days looked cloudy, but it was actually smoke. As someone who lives the Midwest, this was quite surprising. 

In August I experienced something that will forever be remembered by me and everyone who lives in my state. A Derecho tore through and ravaged my hometown and the state that I dearly love. We watched through the window as trees snapped in half and branches and leaves whirled around everywhere. We watched through the window as water roared down the road, appearing as if a stream had started right next to us. We watched in fear as shingles were torn off and large items were blown through our yard. As the electricity flickered out, we wondered if we would be crushed by either tree that were on two sides of our house. Wet leaves were torn apart and slammed into our window, where they stayed there for a month afterwards. They looked like confetti, torn into thousands of tiny pieces. 

To the branches and trees I still see today in the neighboring towns and cities, broken reminders of the damage done. To you, the metal grain bins that still sit out in the flattened cornfields. Our once tall and proud cornfields that are a proud symbol of my state were now flattened to the ground, completely parallel to the rich farming soil that it stood in. Painting the countryside in flat waves of green with splotches of silver from grain bins and white from barns and houses damaged. Our proud stalks became damaged goods that costed us billions. To the buildings that still show their battle scars from months ago, the houses with the tarps on their roofs and the old wooden barns that couldn't handle the 140 mph. To you, Donald J, Trump, the President of the United States who was supposed to tour Cedar Rapids to exam the damage that still lies there today. You stayed in the airport and immediately left after getting your business done. You didn't care about us, you were there to do business and leave to start your campaigning.

My small town was able to clean up within a month or so, but even still TODAY the bigger cities are littered with damage. There are tree trunks and branches scattered along roads. Thousands of houses still have tarps on their houses and siding missing. 

In August my grandma was also diagnosed with Dementia. I've watched her deteriorate over the past few months. Every time we call she forgets that I’m not in school. Sometimes she forgets my name. When we tell her we’re on our way to visit outside her window, she forgets within 10 minutes. Grandma, I hope you never forget that I love you.

In September I finally met with a therapist. I am so thankful to be working with her. After months of my family getting angry and upset at me for being scared to go to the store, my therapist diagnosed me with Social Anxiety. I was so relieved to be diagnosed with it and to be working out the issues I have with my therapist. We work together weekly to help me become a better and more comfortable version of myself. 

Over the summer months the health of my already diseased cat took a steep decline. She was my cat, and I felt powerless as I slowly watched her die. She could no longer stay inside due to her having constant accidents. As we made our plan to take her to the vet to give her a peaceful death, I received a heartbreaking call from my mother on a cold September night. My little Jill had passed away in her sleep on our porch. I came over to say goodbye to my baby as I pet her cold fur one last time. I love you my little Jilly Bean and I miss you everyday. I miss and love you so so so much. 

September also brought the news that a precious B-25 had a crash landing. It always hurts to hear about a Warbird crashing or getting damaged. I was happy to hear though that they were going to fix it back to airworthiness.

In October I had to make a difficult decision with the FAA. Do I try to visit four different doctors for phycological examinations in order to complete my Medical Certificate or do I wait to get off my medicine and start feeling better on my own? I opted for the second part due to the decline of visiting all of those doctors coming up in November. We had been given that option early in the year, but Covid prevented us from traveling out of state to see those doctors. I sent a letter to the FAA to let them know what I was doing. I received a letter about a month ago that stated that I still needed to visit those doctors or something like that. I honestly didn’t look through it that well because it’s just such a pain in the butt.

Another thing about you 2020 is that you provided me with he opportunity to meet amazing people. I began to watch The Umbrella Academy in September, but I decided to make my account on October 1st. I’ve met tons of funny and talented people on here. The show itself had provided me tons of comfort. It has given me the courage to start writing fanfiction for it along with starting back up on drawing fanart

The end of 2020 has slowed down for me. One of my aviation heroes died this year, Mr. Chuck Yeager. It was heartbreaking for me to hear that. One of the worst days for me was ironically on my birthday in December. I felt really bitter and down and just wanted to sit in my room, but I didn’t. I don’t like celebrating my birthday anymore. As I get older it feels less and less special and in turn I feel sad about it. Another reason why is that I don’t like having a fuss made about it. I don’t like the attention from it haha. It’s okay though because even though this year I felt upset I eventually felt a bit happier as it turned to night. 

This year I witnessed history being made. Let me be clear that history is made every year, but this year was very eventful. I witnessed innocent black lives being slaughtered by the very people who are sworn to protect everyone. It’s so disappointing and soul crushing to see all of this. I don’t know if I’ve made it clear on here, but I strongly stand with the BLM movement. I may not understand what they haven been going through for decades, but I stand with them to make things right. Black Lives Matter, not All Lives. All Lives only matter when it’s actually true and Black Lives are included. If you saw a house on fire in an entire block of houses, you wouldn’t say “All Houses Matter!” No they don’t, that house on fire matters. Black Lives Fucking Matter, and All Cops Are Bastards.

To you, the Pledge of Allegiance. Everyday in elementary school I proudly held my right hand over my heart as I stared up at Old Glory and recited you. This year helped me realize that “With liberty and justice for all.” is total bullshit. The only thing I truly appreciate about my country now is the scenery and nature it provides. 

To you 2020, as I finish writing this letter on December 31st. You’ve made me cry a lot, including right now. You’ve deeply effected my life and brought me lots of sorrow. Despite all of this, I don't feel upset about you. Yes, you gave me some events that will always haunt me but that’s okay. 2020 even though you’ve hurt me, you’ve also shaped me. Yes, you also made my lose faith in my country and humanity, but I can only hope for the best. You’ve pushed me to become a better version of myself. 

So to you 2020, you’ve been a hell of a year. I’ve hated and loved you, but mostly hated you. I went through some shit, but others have gone through worse this year. To those of you who have had a very hard time this year, I love you. I sincerely hope things get better for you. Friend or stranger, you can always rely on me as someone to talk to, to rant or vent to, and to cry to. This year was excruciating, but don’t give up. It has ended and a new year has begun. Sure 2021 may also be bad and we’re all exhausted from 2020, but let’s fight till the end. 

[musemesmer]

Migraine & Tension Headache Management | Chronically Ill Studyblr

@lupinstvdies​ asked me for tips about how I manage migraines. It’s extensive. Migraine management is a lot of work but it’s so routine now that I don’t even notice it. By doing all of this things (almost) daily, I’m able to transition to a med free life (though I’ll still take migraine abortives if necessary), and focus on my health.

My knowledge for managing migraines is a result of extensive research, talking to people, reading forums, and personal experience. Some things might work for you, some not. 

Start small - with one or two habits - and see what works for you. Then build over time. Health isn’t built in a day. A lot of things take time and consistency - perfection does not happen right away.

ALL of these things will be useful for studyblrs / desk workers as well, because these are self care tips that aren’t exclusive to people with migraines. 

Finally, if you have any questions (Is this type of electrolyte supplement okay? Do these glasses work with my face? How do I meditate?) - PLEASE ask me. Knowledge is so important, but even more important when shared! Most of this information will not be summarized for you by a doctor. 

In this post you’ll find information on:

My history with migraines

Theraspecs & blue light glasses

Moisturizing eye drops

WeatherX pressure-adapting ear plugs

Electrolytes & Magnesium

Water & Sleep

Essential Oils

Physical Therapy, Treating Trigger Points at Home, and Yoga

My History with Migraines 

I’ve had mild headaches all my life, but didn’t start having migraines until a few years ago, and then I only had them once or twice a year. Then in April 2019, I started developing severe, frequent migraines. For the past year and a half I’ve had chronic migraines and tension headaches. Mine were weird because they came out of nowhere and hit powerfully and hard. Within months I had to stop working. In February 2020 I could hardly get out of bed because I just had pain all the time. I tried different types of drugs (Topamax/Topirimate, beta blockers) and they didn’t work. Finally in March of this year I got on Amitriptyline, which calmed my migraines down. Now I’m weaning off it because I have a lot of tools that can help me. I’m sick of medicine side effects. This isn’t for everyone, but I do believe that the tools below can help many people.

Theraspecs 

⎔ My #1 tool is Theraspecs. These are heavily tinted glasses that block different types of light to help with migraines. I went from being able to look at a screen 30 min a DAY to HOURS. It helps with TV, flourescent lighting, everything. You can get them prescription, send in your own frames, get night driving ones, and even sunglasses. These CHANGED MY LIFE.  

Theraspecs and Axonoptics are made especially for people with light sensitivity. These are stronger than normal blue light glasses, which you can get on Amazon, though some people say they work as well.

They are very red but after 5 minutes wearing them, you don’t notice it. People around you get used to it very quickly so it doesn’t look “dorky” (something I was personally very worried of).

Some insurances cover these.

These are especially important when looking at screens.

Moisturizing Eye Drops

⎔ I’ve found my eyes get so dry looking at screens / being inside with AC/Fans/Heating / and also from migraines. I found some moisturizing eye drops on amazon and use them daily. They help a lot so my eyes are less strained. 

WeatherX

⎔ WeatherX offers earplugs that help you adjust to different pressure changes which can cause migraines. This is especially useful if you have problems with storms or sudden hot and cold weather. I don’t use mine too often but when I do, it is a life saver. 

Electrolytes (especially Magnesium Citrate).

⎔ Electrolytes are three essential nutrients your body needs - sodium, potassium, and magnesium. You can get these in commercial sports drinks (like Powerade and Gatorade, which I don’t recommend because of sugar and additives), different foods, or as supplements. 

I started taking some electrolyte tablets in my water every day and noticed a huge difference in my migraines. You can also get a potassium / sodium blend, known as Lo Salt or Lite Salt. 

⎔ Magnesium Citrate. After taking the tablets and also reading up about another health issue I had, I learned about the importance of Magnesium Citrate. Magnesium used to be brought to food from soil, but because of modern farming practices, there’s a deficiency in our soil of up to 80-90%. A lack of magnesium in our body causes us to be stressed more easily, and react more strongly (e.g., through anxiety, irritation) to little life things, such as loud noises. Then stress causes us to lose magnesium through urine - creating a viscous cycle.  

A lack of magnesium can CAUSE or CONTRIBUTE to a lot of issues: sleepiness, anxiety, migraines, headaches, feeling weak, feeling distracted. 

Hormonal Birth Control VERY FREQUENTLY depletes the body of magnesium. You can fix this easily by taking a minimum of 500mg of magnesium a day. 

Make sure to take Magnesium Citrate - other types aren’t absorbed as well by the body.

Magnesium Citrate can cause diarrhea. Try to avoid taking with other diuretics (coffee, milk) or try an hour or two before/after eating.  

This may seem hard but it’ll prompt you to drink more water, which is really good for you too.

Be patient. It may take a week or so to start seeing real differences.

Water. Drink it. It’s good for you. 

⎔ I find under 3L a day and I feel really off - but I had to work up to that amount. 

⎔ Drink it first thing in the morning and sip throughout the day. Also if you’re managing your electrolytes you’ll have to go to the bathroom less.   

Sleep. You need it. 

⎔ Whether your condition is caused by tension in the body or a neurological condition, your body needs sleep. Meditating can help you get to sleep. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule every night. It makes a big difference. 

Essential Oils

⎔  Peppermint and Lavender can help calm you down. I dab peppermint directly on my temples (some people say don’t do this though, but it works wonders to help relax me). It instantly relaxes me and gets rid of a lot of the tension in my temples/forehead/jaw/neck/shoulders. 

⎔ Yesterday I made a lavender lotion by putting some essential oil directly in the lotion in a small bottle and mixing it. 

⎔ I also have a lavender spray (spray bottle + water + lavender) that I use on my face throughout the day. Cheap and effective.

⎔ Essential oils can be pricey but a little goes SUCH a long way that it’s so worth it for me. You can often get them on Amazon or in a pharmacy.

Physical Therapy / Trigger Points / Yoga

** All of this is also super important for if you’re sitting at a desk every day.

⎔ This made a HUGE difference in my ability to handle migraines. I didn’t really believe it - I was like, “I’m having auras, I’m having issues seeing, there’s pain in my brain and pressure behind my right eye, this is NEUROLOGICAL. NO WAY is it muscular!”

⎔ Boy was I wrong. Physical therapy helped me a bunch - but if you don’t have the ability to do physical therapy, here are some things you can do at home and cheaply.

⎔ This fantastic (and dorky) video explains what trigger points are and how to help them. I suggest doing this every day. I use a very simple fascia massage ball similar to this. A tennis ball also works. Also look at this video for exercises for the upper shoulder / front of the shoulder.

Tips for this: When you’re working with the ball with your back to the wall, you can hold the ball with the opposite hand. This means, if you’re working on the right side of your neck but the ball keeps slipping, hold it with your left hand. Keep the side that you’re working on relaxed! Same for the ball on the door frame - keep your arm limp and relaxed. 

⎔ Yoga really helps. I do this quick 10 minute video by Yoga with Adriene almost every day and it makes a colossal difference. 

⎔ Strengthening your core and focusing on proper sitting posture helps a lot. A good / easy core strengthener can be found in the Plank Workout at Home App by Leap Fitness Group. Android and iPhone. 

I really like that it works ALL ab muscles, not just some of them. found that at day 9 of the beginner it became too hard for me, so I am doing day 1 today, day 10 tomorrow, day 2, then day 11. Hopefully that will work. Feel free to modify the program to make it work for you!

[bee-kathony]

The Oath | Ch. 7 “An Adventure”

a/n: thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter, I’ve been waiting for it for quite some time ;) and thank you @lburks226 @claryclark and @julesbeauchamp for all the screams when I told them about this...

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6

February 8th, 2019

“What does it say?” Geillis knocked lightly on the door.

“I haven’t looked yet, my timer hasn’t gone off,” Claire dared a glance at her phone — thirty seconds left.

Thirty seconds until she found out if she was pregnant or not.

How could she have been so stupid that night at the party? Of course, there was an equal chance that the baby could be Frank’s.

“Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ,” Claire cursed under her breath, stamping her foot on the tiled bathroom floor.

She hoped it wasn’t Frank’s. There was no doubt whether she would keep the baby or not — Claire had always wanted to be a mother. But her circumstances were not quite what she had expected.

What Claire expected was to be married by now or at least engaged. At twenty-seven, she imagined that her personal life would look very different to how it actually was. Here she was, pacing in her friend’s bathroom, waiting to find out if she was pregnant or not. And not only was she single but one possible father had cheated on her, while the other was a near stranger!

“Please don’t let it be Frank’s,” she whispered to the empty room and then her timer went off.

“What does it say, Claire?” Geillis asked a second later.

“Would you be patient please?” Claire took a deep breath and walked over to the small stick that had the power to change her life. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to see but tears filled her eyes as she looked at the results and a smile spread across her face.

Geillis opened the door, holding the key in one hand and looked at Claire. “What does it say, lass?”

“I’m going to be a mum!” Claire smiled and held up the test with two pink lines and then fell into Geillis’ open arms.

“That’s wonderful, Claire! I ken ye wanted a baby, it doesna matter that it was a one night stand, look at what ye got out of it,” she laughed and then Claire released her.

“Well that’s the thing…” Claire twirled a lock of hair around her finger nervously. “I’m not entirely sure it’s Jamie’s.”

“I thought ye said ye and Frank hadna—“

Shaking her head, Claire looked down at the test again, “We hadn’t for a bit, but the night before I found out he was having an affair, we slept together.”

“Ye mean the day before the party?”

“Exactly,” Claire sighed. “And I’m not on birth control because Frank and I had decided to try for children a few months back and I feel like I was half asleep anyway.”

Geillis crossed her arms and leaned back on the doorframe. “And ye didna use protection with the wee fox cub,” Claire shook her head. “So it could be Frank’s, but it could be Jamie’s.”

“I’ve gotten myself into a bit of a situation haven’t I?”

“If this is what ye call a ‘bit of a situation’ then I need a whisky,” Geillis smirked and then walked towards the kitchen, forcing Claire to follow. “None for you though, mam.”

“Oh Christ, that’s right. No alcohol,” Claire ran her fingers through her curls. “How the hell am I going to get through this without alcohol?”

“That’s what ye have me for, lassie,” Geillis smiled and winked as she poured herself a glass. Claire looked at the bottle and her heart leapt. It was one of Jamie’s and she remembered that they had given out a bottle to everyone as the night ended.

“Are ye goin’ to call him?”

“Who?”

“Well that’s up to ye,” Geillis laughed, taking a sip of her drink. “Do you want either of them to know?”

The last thing that Claire wanted was for Frank to find out. Perhaps she was being selfish, but she knew that he would come to her and demand that the child was his. He was a proud man and he was the kind of man that wanted the seemingly perfect family. A wife at home to cook him dinner while she also folded the laundry and took care of their child. Claire didn’t want that life — even less with Frank. He certainly didn’t care for her and if he found out about the baby, he would only pretend to so he could be a part of the baby’s life.

“I’m not calling Frank,” Claire decided then and there. “Ever.”

“Will ye call Jamie then?”

“I don’t have his number, we didn’t get that far,” Claire blushed.

“Ye went so far to possibly create a bairn wi’ the lad, but ye didna exchange numbers?” Geillis laughed and finished off her glass. “Ye are a feisty one Beauchamp.”

“I found his company on Instagram,” Claire blurted.

“Then ye can message them and ask for Jamie’s number, easy as that.”

“I’m just—“ Claire fidgeted with a button on her sweater. “I don’t know if I want him to know either. Geillis, it was one night. One perfect night and if I tell him I’m pregnant and he could be the father… it’ll just mess everything up.”

“Having unprotected sex tends to make things a wee bit messy, Claire,” Geillis leveled with her and then seeing Claire’s defeated posture, set her glass down and embraced her friend. “Och, lass. Ye dinna have to decide now, ye only just found out yerself.”

“That’s true,” Claire sniffed. “I’ll take a week to think about it and then decide.”

“A week and no more,” Geillis rubbed her back. “I saw yer wee fox and if he is the father then ye’ll have a beautiful bairn.”

“Geillis!” Claire laughed. “You’re not wrong. And well… if the baby has red hair then that’ll be quite obvious.”

“Ye can have a paternity test while they’re still in the womb though nowadays ye ken?”

“Wouldn’t it be loads more fun to wait nine months to find out?”

“Or ye just dinna want to find out yer carryin’ that bastard Frank Randall’s child before ye set yer sight on the wee bairn?”

Geillis was always right and Claire just rolled her eyes, leaned back against the counter and looked the test one more time.

“Pregnant,” she said softly. “I’m going to have a baby.”

++++++

Two weeks flew by and Claire was so caught up at work that she didn’t realize how much time had passed. She promised Geillis that she would decide whether or not to call Jamie and that was a week ago.

She wasn’t even sure how he would react. How does one react when you find out the woman you slept with at your business’s launch party is pregnant and you may or may not be the father?

When she got back to Geillis’, Claire took a slice of pepperoni pizza from last night’s dinner and ate a bite cold. There was nothing better than leftover pizza. Her stomach rumbled and she had the oddest craving for pickles all of a sudden.

“I haven’t had a pickle in years,” Claire grinned and then slid her hand over her still rather flat stomach. “What are you making me eat little one?”

With the slice consumed, she pulled out her phone and searched for Fraser & Co. again.

Pressing message, she typed out a greeting, “Hello, my name is Claire Beauchamp and I met the owner Jamie,” she backspaced on his name and instead typed, “James Fraser. I’m interested in buying some whisky and need to get in touch with him.”

Staring at her words before she pressed send, her heart started to race as doubts crept in. What if he didn’t want to see her? Or what if when she told him she was pregnant, he accused her of lying to try and get at his money?

“He’s not Frank, Beauchamp,” Claire muttered to herself but her thumbs still hovered over the keyboard. Sighing, she pressed the delete button and locked her phone. She sounded insane and she felt insane for what she’d gotten herself into.

Of course, she knew that she should tell him he might be a father just like she knew she should tell Frank as well. But there was something holding her back. Claire hadn’t had the best experiences with men and she didn’t want to bring anything in to her latest predicament that would shake things up. Her life, while not going the way she planned at the moment, was slowly turning around.

All of her belongings now had a place in Geillis’ home and she felt she could call it that too. Her job performance was doing well since she now had nothing else in her life, she poured herself into it. And she was going to be a mum.

Sitting at the kitchen table on a late February day, Claire decided that she wanted to keep things just as they were… at least for awhile.

“It’s just you and me baby,” Claire smiled and laid her hand across her stomach.

++++++

Throughout the next several days, Jamie entered her mind often. While she was at work one day, she treated a little boy with a mop of red hair. And on her way home, she could have sworn she saw him on the street walking into town.

Perhaps it was a sign that she should contact him and tell him. Or maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her. Whatever it was, Claire was still unsure what her next step was.

She did, however, know what she was going to be doing when she got home. Yesterday after work, she had gone to the bookstore and purchased a copy of The Lord of the Rings — Jamie’s favorite.

Claire told herself that it wasn’t creepy at all. He had told her to read it and so now she was. It had been raining all day as well, so what else was better than curling up in bed with a good book?

As soon as she got home, she put on the kettle, brewing her favorite cup of tea and then climbed into bed. Claire had started the book last night, but had been so tired, she’d fallen asleep in the first chapter.

Hours later, she was still laying in bed, turning page after page. She paused at something Gandalf had said, "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.”

Her hand moved to cover her stomach, rubbing slowly. “You arrived precisely when you meant to didn’t you wee wizard,” she laughed. As she continued to read, she couldn’t help but imagine Jamie’s thick Scottish accent in her head and she saw him in her mind — that fourteen year old boy who’d just lost his mother, reading about hobbits and wizards.

She certainly didn’t regret being pregnant — at least not the short time she had been. Claire only hoped she wouldn’t regret her decision whether to call Jamie or not. Shaking her head to clear her mind, Claire focused her attention back on the book in front of her and lost herself once again in the Shire.

Chapter 8: The Bump 

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New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/galactic-upgrades-ushering-alignment/

Galactic Upgrades Ushering Alignment

Galactic Upgrades Ushering Alignment

By Think With Your Heart

February was such a HIGHLY activating month that I already can’t remember it.   More than any other month I am still in the process of integrating, deciphering and decoding the tremendous array of light codes that presented all month long, and I don’t see or feel this lessening in intensity any time soon.  The steadily increasing photonic/cosmic/plasmic energy levels are now invoking continual resets, reboots & recalibrations (seemingly all at once)…rapidly ushering each of us into alignment/right order for some major new life cycles beginning as I write this.  It’s as challenging as it is exhilarating.

Last month was a universal 5 month and so its overarching purpose was to initiate (agitate) major completions, breakthroughs and opportunities to make important, even long-overdue changes that will start to manifest more fully this month.  Life situations that have been putting extra pressure on us, pushing us to adopt a new outlook, to come unstuck, are now breaking thru at the physical level of life forcing a major dam to break in our personal affairs.

The full (Virgo) supermoon (on 2/19) was the linchpin, the tension breaker needed to thrust us out of our ruts so we are poised for the Heaven on Earth Era (via Uranus in Taurus (3/6).  This lunar cycle has since been ushering us into the scenarios needed to shift tracks…to get off the commuter rail which has way too many “stops”, and onto the rapid transit line which has a higher train frequency and runs on its own separate tracks. This fast track is the 12/3 energy of 2019 that we are all adjusting to and last month has been extremely powerful in assisting us to make the necessary modifications needed to open ourselves up to these Creation energies, to become ONE with the Force.

February also saw THE END of Chiron in Pisces and his long awaited ingress into Aries which is already liberating beyond belief. For 8 very turbulent years we have been sloshing around in our core wounding, tumbled & tossed about in the tides of feminine healing, where the accumulation of all our many lifetimes of suffering have been held.

The pioneers of the ascending collective…starseeds, blue rays, light workers, anchors, angelics, pioneers & volunteers…have literally been carrying/clearing the “weight of the world” via the water in our cells, working tirelessly to transmute the expired human condition thru each of our own bodies.  With Chiron in Aries to stay (until 2027) we can finally dry out our waterlogged souls which will significantly lighten our load to quicken the pace of life.

And now, moving into the third month of the year…packed with Trinity energies…we begin March with a very important Mercury retrograde cycle needed to prepare for the new era before us, to download the blueprint needed to create our Kingdoms “on earth as it is in heaven”.  According to my Sources, this will be a time of connecting dots like no other…major puzzle pieces falling into place, intuitively and otherwise…as it pertains to our highest purpose for this lifetime.

The energy to support that acquisition is already palpable, there are some exceptionally creative qualities bursting forth, begging to make our wildest dreams a reality….new inspirations, aspirations & motivations abound just waiting for the Aries sun to ignite the spark of our new life to begin again.  For the first three months of the year we are storing solar energy in our cells, steadily building up steam from the heat of our combustion chambers, readying to hit the ground running post-equinox and along side Uranus in Taurus.

In those areas that are already clicking into position we may be given a head start with a whole slew of sudden green lights which, in some cases can be both immensely productive but also demanding as we open the blocks in our bodies and lives to allow for more consistent streams of Creativity that are fueling our entrance into our Second Life.

March will be a very pivotal month in this regard, one that has a real sense of exiting much different than we enter.  With Mercury retrograde in Pisces, this won’t be forward moving in a typical sense…more like swimming the backstroke across the ocean with a sweeping celestial view of the night sky…BUT, it has the potential to be one of the most soul affirming months, maybe ever.

Get ready for the pre-spring cleaning of a lifetime!

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[dailyaudiobible]

02/21/2019 DAB Transcript

Leviticus 11:1-12:8, Mark 5:21-43, Psalms 38:1-22, Proverbs 10:8-9

Today is the 21st day of February. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I'm Brian. It is great to be here with you. It's great to be here with you today. Feeling a little little little tiny tiny bit stronger and that's kinda how it comes on. That's how the jet lag works. We did have a adrenaline filled day yesterday just because we're seeing all of this stuff for the first time and experiencing the wilderness and we'll talk about that in a little while but first we need to take the next step forward as we continue reading through the Scriptures. And today we’ll be able to read the Scriptures here from the southernmost part of Israel city Eilat on the shores of the Red Sea. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week. Today Leviticus 11 and 12.

Commentary:

Alright. So, in the book of Leviticus today and again, you know, the law and the customs and the rituals are being given and so we can consider this to be a portion of Scripture that's kind of like dry reading not particularly riveting reading. It's because of the kind of literature it is, right? So, we read the book of Genesis and we’re reading like a narrative, we’re reading in story form what happens next. And, so, this is how we understand things, right. So, even when we get together and catch up on each other's lives we’re gonna say this is what happened between the time that we last met and catch each other up and tell it in order. Whereas the law, these are statutes and regulations and rules. We can read this kind of literature and in our modern era by getting online or going to the library and getting a law book, but you never really see those on the bestseller list because they aren't the most riveting reading. So, we can go through reading like today in the book of Leviticus and just kinda, you know, zone out or glaze over because we’re talking about clean and unclean animals and, you know, the rights of purification after childbirth. And we can see the logic in kind of outlining what can and can’t be eaten, you know, like what's edible and what has no nutritional value to a human. But that’s when, you know, we might wonder why it's in the Bible. But if we go a little closer and we remember when we started this particular portion of the Bible there are practical reasons for why things were to be done the way that they were, practical in just community perspective, but everything had a spiritual underpinning. What’s being installed into this culture is that they couldn't do almost anything at all without it leading back to a reminder of who they were, who God is, and where they're going. So, if we look a little closer we might each have differing opinions about what kind of animals should or shouldn't be eaten depending on where we are on the planet, might be able to order a Big Mac in the United States but you probably won't be able to order that in India and we could definitely get lost in the weeds on trying to determine why somethings clean or unclean in terms of the food supply. But that would be missing the point. Clean and unclean things still do exist in this world and the principal that God’s weaving into the culture of the children of Israel, the principle of clean and unclean, is no less applicable today because it was always intended to be an outward representation of what was happening inside of someone. So, there are for sure, for sure things that we know are not clean and there are things that we know are and whether it's a behavior or a compulsion or an activity or something that you're thinking about, the fact that our reading in Leviticus represents an ancient custom has no bearing on the reality that there is still clean and unclean and we should not participate in what is unclean. So maybe we don't have to be ritually pure anymore but that does not mean we’re not supposed to be pure. And, as we’re out here in the wilderness and we've experienced one day in the wilderness and we’ll be experiencing most of today in the wilderness as well it doesn't take hardly any time to look around and realize, there is no way to survive out here without God. I mean, it would be so…it would be…even now in modern times with modern logistics, if we took a million people, even a half a million people out into this wilderness and tried to sustain them as they moved around without roads, like, I mean it would…it would be virtually impossible now…absolutely impossible then. So, we see that God leading His people into the wilderness where they have no way out and are having to learn and be reframed and reformed into a new people how important this was and how important this is to our own lives. There is clean. There is unclean. If we’re going to consume what is unclean, whether in spirit or body we are going to become defiled. Maybe we’re not going to become ritually impure, but the effects on our body and spirit are going to be the same. We’re separating ourselves from our intended state, holiness and purity. And there is clean. And inside of us we know when we are wandering into unclean territory and we know when we are walking pure and holy and are living clean lives. And as we can see from the book of Leviticus, it matters.

Prayer:

Father, we invite You into that. Yes, we are in the starkness of the wilderness. And yes, this certainly does put us right in the story that we’re reading. And even from the book of Mark when we’re reading Jesus of You casting demons into the swine, we think ahead because we’re gonna go there too. And, so, we can see that You have a lot to say to us as we journey whether here physically in the land of the Bible or whether as a community experience as we day by day just journey through the Scriptures. There’s a lot for You to speak to us as we’re here and we invite You fully. Nothing is off limits to You. Show us the areas that are unclean, the areas that we need to walk away from, the areas that are doing us no good whatsoever. Come, Holy Spirit we pray, in Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what's going on around here.

And obviously, we’re in the land of the Bible right now, just kinda getting going on our pilgrimage where we will experience so, so much. We have already been as far west as you can go in the land. That was yesterday in Ashdod on the Mediterranean Sea. It won’t be the last time we’re on the Mediterranean coast, but that's as far west as you can go. And we’re leaving out from Eilat today. We traveled south all day yesterday through the wilderness and truly got to experience what we’re talking about when we're talking about the wilderness, right? When we talk about the desert and the story of the children of Israel and their formation, we are here, and it is stark and it is barren and it is desolate and there's so much that gets brought up in our hearts because of that. And, so, we’re kind of just sitting with it. We were able to visit Beersheba yesterday. Beersheba is the southernmost city within the borders of ancient Israel, right? So, the borders of ancient Israel were known from Dan to Beersheba. So, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the South. Of course we traveled a lot further south of Beersheba, but visiting there, starting there, looking at how people had to live and how they had to get water in an arid transition zone, understanding that your standing in the book of Genesis, pretty big deal, pretty good place to start. And then we just kind of began to move into the deep desert and we were able to find an outlook and overlook the wilderness of Zin. We haven't got to this story yet in the Old Testament, but these children of Israel who are getting their laws and customs and being formed right now, they will eventually be preparing to go into the Promise Land and before they do that they will send spies into the land and that will happen from the wilderness of Zin. And, so, we took some time to explore that story and its implications to our own lives before grabbing some lunch. And we had some lunch with the Bedouin folk who live in the desert and travel around in the desert. And even though their culture is modernized to a degree, the desert dwelling people dates back thousands and thousands of years. So, even though desert dwellers may have new newer technologies than they had thousands of years ago they still live very simply and very nomadically, and we were able to have a taste of that, literally and figuratively, as we had lunch together out in the desert. And then we continued our journey south toward the Red Sea, which was our destination. We got some ice cream, got a favorite spot down in the desert where there's dairy farmers and fresh ice cream. Got to enjoy that before making our way to Eilat and the shores of the Red Sea. And boy, when you’re standing on the shores of the Red Sea after traveling through the wilderness all day long and you're able to kinda stand there and see into the country of Egypt and see into the country of Saudi Arabia and see into the country of Jordan while standing in the country of Israel, realizing that as you’re looking into the land of Egypt you're looking into the continent of Africa. Like all of a sudden you realize I am a long way from Kansas, like I am a long way from Spring Hill Tennessee or all of the different places that we've come from and it kinda hits us. It hits me every year almost always at the same spot, like…we are…this is really happening…we are really here and yes, I am a long way from home. So, that's kinda what our day looked like. Today we will be spending most of the day in the desert, but a lot to do. And we’ll be coming out of the desert and we'll talk about all of that tomorrow. So, thank you for…thank you for your prayers…your continued prayers over safety, stamina, health, logistics just the whole thing, it's quite a dance to do what we’re doing and keep everything moving in the same direction and on the same page. Thank you for your prayers.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link on the homepage of dailyaudiobible.com. Didn’t I already say that? I don’t know. I’m still jetlagged. Anyway, there's a link on the homepage. If you're using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello Daily Audio Bible family, this is Kay from West South Georgia. This is my second time calling since I found out about this ministry last year. I am with a heavy heart calling in to ask for prayer for my dear friend Elaine. She is in her 70s, one of the most vivacious, healthiest, godliest women I’ve ever known and out of nowhere she got sick with a virus that went to her heart and she is in ICU right now and it’s just…it’s scary for all of us. We know where she’s going if the Lord decides to take her but I’m real selfish right now and so is her family and I just pray that you would pray God’s will that He will heal her from this myocarditis. And before this happened, she went to her family practitioner and she’s never taken medications in her life and they put her on steroids and antibiotics shot and antibiotics orally and inhalers and it just completely flipped a switch in her brain and then she…she tried to hurt herself…tried to end her life then this happened. And now she’s in ICU with her heart at another hospital. So, again, if you would just lift Elaine in prayer that God’s will will be done and give the family and friends peace, that He will hear her this side of heaven. Thank you so much. Bye-bye.

Hello Daily Audio Bible listeners, this is Candace from Oregon and I want to stop and encourage all the musicians among us and pray for all of us including myself. Being a musician for the Lord is a huge, glorious experience and it’s just…it’s usually such a joy, it’s so good. It’s also really, really terrible at times. And all of you, if you’ve spent enough years as one of God’s musicians, you know what I’m talking about, you could give examples of what I’m talking about. But I think if you look across the years…the blessings…if you look across at the details of your experience as God’s musician, the blessings have far outweighed the struggle. So, I would encourage you to do that. Lord, I lift up before you now, along with all the listeners and prayer warriors who are hearing these words now, we lift up the musicians among us Lord and we ask You to bind the enemy from them, to free them into Your service in every way that You desire Lord. Fill their hearts with peace and joy. Encourage them and help them to be disciplined in their efforts and to listen to You Lord and keep their eyes on You. We pray in particular for Lynn __ husband and thank you that she has been there to intercede on his behalf and that her love for him is an undying love that only You can provide. Thank you, Jesus.

Holy Spirit flowing free please fall down afresh on me inside outside all through me take my life Lord let it be change is all I’m begging please keep me free from all disease free my heart from the sin it sees flesh condemned but spirit frees when I’m week Lord make me strong stay with me and carry long Lord I feel your presence strong lead me Lord where I belong

blindtony1016@gmail.com. Like to give a shout out to Terry the truck driver. Hope you’re still healing up and everything’s going good and Lee from New Jersey like to give you a shout out too. Anyway, thank you once again Brian and the Hardin family for this wonderful podcast for God’s Holy Spirit to flow. Keep it flowin’ y’all. All right. Bye-bye.

Hi everyone, it’s Christy from Kentucky. I wanted to call tonight and reach out to some of our sisters in Christ. First of all, Hurting, in North Carolina, you called about your brother and I’m glad that your brother is getting the help that he needs but I can still hear your concern and I’m just praying for you. You just love your little brother so much that’s so evident and you both have been on such a hard journey and I’m just praying that the Lord will touch and heal both of your hearts and to restore joy back into your lives and to let you walk out the rest of this journey together being healed and happy and knowing that you both have a hope and a future. Also wanted to pray for my sister Kathy in Kentucky and let you know that I’m praying for your brother and your family member that is dealing with addiction. And also Janet, sister Janet, we are praying for your son Jared and we are asking the Lord just to minister to his heart and to give you peace about the decision that you have made to place him in this program. And I’m just asking for the Lord to give you guidance and direction and what you should do regarding Jared’s request to come out of the program. You know, pray about it and when you find peace in your heart you will know the answer. We love you Janet and we’re praying for both you and Jared. I also wanted to speak to our sister Alyssa. You called in and you were just in such hysterics, it just broke my heart to hear your tears and I want you to know dear sister that we are here for you. Everyone, there is a DAB Friends page and if you ever need immediate prayer, if you go on that Facebook page, the DAB Friends you will have immediate responses from people all over the world who will pray for you right away. And Alyssa you are never alone. God promises He’s always with us.

Hi, it’s Gerda from Germany. I want to say thank you to Brian for __ I listened to the Daily Audio Bible today to Jill’s words and it’s really truly an amazing task what Brian has to do every day, no holidays, nothing without thinking about how to get it set on the Internet. I want to say thank you Brian, thank your family, thank you for supporting Brian, and thank you for having a part of it every day. Thank you for…and God bless you, God keep you safe, God give you and all your team a wonderful, amazed, blessed time. Thank you for everybody who does it in different languages. Thank you for all the tasks you have to do, and God bless you and God keep you safe and God support you in everything and God give you everything to be safe. Thank you for doing it. You’re an awesome community. I listen daily since many years. Thank you for being a part of it. God bless you all and keep you safe. I love you. Bye. Gerda.

[sussex-nature-lover]

Friday 1st January 2021

Review of the Year Q1  January, February, March 2020. Pre Pandemic Lockdown.

Hello, I’m wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy and Safe Year Ahead. We always say that don’t we, but boy does it have so much more meaning this time.

What can I say about the year just gone that hasn’t already been said? Well, they say a picture paints a thousand words so I’m going to choose some of my own photographs to illustrate the most positive things we experienced over the strangest year of our lives - the year of the Covid-19 coronavirus world pandemic, which is still raging today (and let’s hope I don’t get to say that again)

I’m cheating at the very beginning because I’m starting off by using a photo from Christmas 2019 when we had one of our usual type of trees in the Hall.

I’d usually decorate the Hall tree in the traditional red and gold

Below is the little tree that gained promotion this year, but in pink and white, silver and gold. That was a bit fancy for me, but the Owls liked it.

It put on some healthy growth throughout the year and played host to many perching little birds, mainly Blue, Great and Marsh Tits. I had to clear off all the cobwebs and take out all the bits of twig and leaf before it could come indoors.

And there it was, pressed into service. Every year in this house we’ve had at least two trees, a 7-8′ and a 5-6′ but this year, Little Tree was upgraded to the starring role. Hoorah Little Tree, you’ve done us proud. One of the best things to enjoy about the tree is all the memories that come with the decorations collected year after year from all around the world and some dating back to my Granny’s tree, although they’re looking rather delicate these days.

You can see our fairly recent tradition of perching ‘Travis’ the Christmas Pheasant in prime position just underneath the Angel. I think he looked fab this year, you can see him a bit more clearly than on a bigger tree.

January Garden Visitors: Sparrowhawk

As for January 2020, it brought some horrid bitterly cold, wet and windy weather. We were lucky on the 10th when we drove to Ms NW tE’s house and she put on a fantastic lunch that we both really enjoyed. That was the last time we sat down close at the table with anyone else outside of our own home and ate together* Last time we dined out-out was November 2018! Those were the days. 31st January 2020 was also the last time I had my hair cut - now it’s the longest it’s been since I was about half the age I am now and it might even be longer than then and still growing.

* Ms NW tY did pop around after work for supper in February and we meant to make that a fairly regular thing, but the only other time we got to eat together was when it was allowed outdoors in the Summer - sat at opposite ends of a very, very long table. That was weird.

January: sunset 

The bad wet weather had started here in late October 2019 and we were caught in flooding in Cheshire. The Fire Brigade came to pump water off the road that  we were sat on for a very long time. Much worse came with horrendous floods in Venice when some of the canals became unnavigable. World weather certainly made headlines in 2020 with flooding and raging fires devastating massive areas. The National Trust wildlife report I posted talks about the effects of the weather and climate change and what they’re trying to do to combat as much as they can.

I also see that in January we’d started to hear of Wuhan and to talk about hand washing. A friend’s sister is living in China and she’d got a flight booked to visit in April. Another friend said their lockdown and travel restrictions may be lifted by then. Little did we know.

Looking back at last year’s photos, pre blog, I was surprised I caught the Green Woodpecker in February, photo taken mid morning on the 16th. 

This may be one of the last PP pictures I took (PP = Pre Pandemic) and it’s all the more remarkable because Storm Dennis had hit us.

On the 17th we went shopping for a care package for Ms NW tY who was sick and home alone. Raging fever, cough, felt like she had a chest infection and limbs like lead. Similar to what I had back in November 2019. It took seven months for me to feel tip top again, so who knows what on earth we had - not Covid obviously because the medical experts say it wasn’t over here then. They also said no need to wear face masks and children were impervious...

I’ll just leave those thoughts there.

February Garden Visitors: lots of Pheasants 

Meanwhile we were starting to talk about handwashing - a lot, 20 seconds minimum with soap and hot water. Sing Happy Birthday to You all the way through and keep on washing. Haven’t heard that so much in a while actually.

...and toilet rolls. Any mention of a forthcoming lockdown and panic buying prompts shortages immediately. It was toilet rolls, rice, pasta and flour. I’m sticking with my illustration of handwashing using one of my favourite soaps. Portuguese Soap, hard to beat but prohibitively expensive nowadays. We just looked at that link and whistled, drawing in our breath and sighing. I’m going to be refilling that bottle with something altogether more modest. Of course, so much more choice now for something a bit different, especially closer to home. Kent Soap. I’ve been glad this year that I ask for nice soap as a gift if anyone wants to know what I’d like and we got some for Christmas too, so that’ll keep us going.

White Hyacinths and Freesias for fragrance lifting the bleak days

The pandemic seemed to get worse and we were getting alarmed. I last went into a supermarket early mid March. Since then I’ve only been in National Trust shops, the petrol station and the pharmacy. I first wore a face mask when we took the car for its MOT, also mid March. Staff looked at me as though I was a bank robber. When we went to collect the car later the same day there was a notice on the door ‘Only two customers allowed inside at any one time’ and news was starting to spread...about health precautions, not about me.

Soon MOT tests were suspended and the country was facing a lockdown. Since then we had a time when both of our cars’ batteries died. We’ve SORN (officially declared off road) one - it’s taking us all our time to keep the other ticking over.

March Garden Visitors: hungry Rabbits at the seed trays

I started to write my Blog. At first I just used Google Sheets for seven daily scribblings and then I moved to this platform. Blog Number 1 here with the urls of the first few entries at the end. Little did I know at that stage that I’d be writing every day at least once a day and still going.

As National Lockdown got underway as well as writing we all started walking again and looking at nature and baking - boy did we all embrace baking last year. There must’ve been a country-weight of Sourdough and/or Banana Bread attempted with varying degree of success...lucky Joe Wicks came on board to get everyone up and doing a bit of keep fit, People started working from home, hosted social lives by internet, online quizzes and memes became a thing, a really big Thing. If we were lucky our food shopping was delivered straight to our door, TV cookery shows were full of advice on what you could use if you couldn’t source what you really wanted.

Just as my football team was on course for its first ever Premier League Championship win, the season had to be suspended (13th March) hoping to resume in April. It was a vain hope, but as our manager Jûrgen Klopp said, health and safety is far more important than anything else...we can wait 😉

Sport around the world, like everything else, had to be put on pause.

The situation got worse and every Thursday night at 8pm we went outdoors and clapped for our carers as they battled on trying to get to grips with this new virus and people falling sick in huge numbers. It was a whole new way of life.

To be Continued

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

WEATHER NEWS:

Forecasters are warning of possible further chaos, because the same conditions behind the 'Beast from the East' in 2018 - one of the worst storms to hit the UK in living memory - are forming again high up in the atmosphere.  

The 'sudden stratospheric warming' (SSW) event happens when the temperature in the stratosphere soars by 50C (122F). This 'reverses' Britain's wind pattern, from the warmer west out in the Atlantic to the east – and Siberia.

It can take two weeks for the effects of a SSW to be felt. This was the case in February 2018 with the infamous Beast from the East, which saw much of the UK gripped by travel chaos and school closures amid heavy snow. 

^ Not to mention Hospital closures too, which meant my operation was cancelled.

New Year’s Day Read:

The Wildlife Trust Marine Review of 2020

This report is also covered by the Daily Mail which also includes photos, video and information from other regional trusts around the country.

Decoration from the Standen Courtyard Christmas Tree

Once again some absolutely beautiful handiwork, The Tree of Life. What better message for a brand new year.

The Tree of Life symbol represents our personal development, uniqueness and individual beauty. Just as the branches of a tree strengthen and grow upwards to the sky, we too grow stronger, striving for greater knowledge, wisdom and new experiences as we move through life. 

Music for New Year from the Rivertree Singers

a community choral ensemble in Greenville, SC. USA

‘Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day’ Let’s hope so.

[theonyxpath]

…all through the Onyx Path house, not a creature is working tho’ lots of games give us wows.

Like W20 Changing Ways, our featured cover this week!

So I mentioned last week that Onyx Path‘s “office” will be closed after today until Jan 2nd. While we could all use the break, and the holidays force a lot of non-work time too, we’re really looking at taking advantage of doing this now because a lot of our publishing partners are taking this time off.

For example, you’ll note in the “At Press” stage below in our weekly Progress Report that we have a fair number of things labeled as “PoD ordered”. That’s because our PoD printing plant is now on vacation. Mid-January and into February is going to be packed with new PoDs for sale!

The truth is, though: we’re really bad at vacationing.

Rollickin’ Rose Bailey says she is taking advantage of the time not spent herding our Onyx cats to work on Cavaliers of Mars, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be using my time to draw up Monarchies of Mau NPCs. Speaking of cats.

Just about every time one of our Onyx Path crew says they are taking time off, they come back with a new idea or something they finished while they were supposed to be relaxing. It is tough when you love what you do to turn off the creative mind.

And also like I mentioned last week, our fantastic freelance creators around the globe will still be working hard on their projects between holiday movie openings and other fun. (At least that’s what I always did as a freelancer).

    C20 Freeholds illustration by Drew Tucker

      The other thing, is that a bunch of us are also prepping for Mid Winter Con in Milwaukee starting Jan 10th (for us), and so we know we’ll basically have a week after we get back and then we’re off to the con. This is above and beyond our usual con efforts, as we’re ending it by staying an extra day and having our Onyx Path yearly summit.

So first, the con itself. Everybody who works on the books from our Onyx Path crew will be there. Impish Ian Watson, Mirthful Mike, Rollickin’ Rose, Mighty Matt McElroy, More Mighty Monica Valentinelli, Fast Eddy Webb, and your humble blog writer myself will be there. Normally, you’d need to go to Gen Con to see all of us, but with the Summit coming we’re all there and it’ll be a great chance to find out just about everything you’ve been wondering about.

Plus a lot of our phenomenal freelancers will be there, we’re doing demos for lots of our games and particularly the Trinity Continuum as that Kickstarter will either be running on close to it, special playtests like for Fetch Quest, the Pugmire card game, and we’re going to be making an extra-special announcement that we think will be a particular interest to the Mid Winter crowd.

    W20 Pentex Employee Handbook art by Steve Ellis

      As for the Onyx Path Summit itself, this is something that we used to do late one night at Gen Con, but frankly, we’ve grown beyond being able to cover what we need to in a few hours after dinner. So we’ll be doing a review of 2017, looking at financials, and generally getting a good feel for where we’ve been in order to move to the fun part of the evening.

That’s planning for how we want to grow and what we’re going to focus on in 2018 and into 2019. And beyond!

Two years ago, the crew surprised me by wanting to focus on shoring up our company processes and we drew up plans for that instead of what cool new game we could create or license. Which is what I had expected them to talk want to about.

This year, we’ll just have to see.

    W20 Changing Ways illustration by Jeff Holt

      We may have some notes about the meeting when the Monday Meeting Notes go up (I expect on Tuesday that week. It happens once in a blue moon.)

But if you want to be involved, please post your thoughts on what you’d like to see us doing, how you’d like to see us do it, whatever – and I’ll bring your comments up for discussion at the Summit.

We will definitely be talking about how to structurally and conceptually continue with our ongoing projects and the stressful necessity of bringing on new game lines and worlds. Because after all:

Many Worlds. One Path.

    BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

The Trinity Continuum Kickstarter will go live in January!

  ON SALE NOW:

We’re ringing out 2017 with a bang, giving you some great bundle deals on select Chronicles of Darkness PDFs until the end of the year! Each bundle is on sale for $9.99, which puts them in the 80% off range.

A Chronicle of 2017 includes:

The Chronicles of Darkness 2nd Edition Rulebook

The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology

Chronicles of Darkness: Hurt Locker

Dark Eras: Beneath the Skin (Skinchangers/Demon: The Descent)

A Requiem for 2017 includes:

Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition Rulebook

The Strix Chronicle Anthology

Secrets of the Covenants

Dark Eras: Requiem for Regina (Vampire: The Requiem/Changeling: The Lost)

2017 is Forsaken includes:

Werewolf: The Forsaken 2nd Edition Rulebook

The Idigam Chronicle Anthology

The Pack

Dark Eras: The Bowery Dogs (Werewolf: The Forsaken)

The Curse of 2017 includes:

Mummy: The Curse Rulebook

Curse of the Blue Nile Anthology

Book of the Deceived

Dark Eras: Ruins of Empire (Mummy: The Curse)

The Descent of 2017 includes:

Demon: The Descent Rulebook

Demon: Interface Anthology

Flowers of Hell: The Demon Players Guide

Dark Eras: Into the Cold (Demon: The Descent)

      As we try and find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is both rolling and rocking! Right now, they’re working on implementing multi-dice and die previews in the store, after adding in a lot of requested upgrades and tweaks, which is going along nicely but is a ton of work. Here are the links for the Apple and Android versions:

http://ift.tt/2zjnD0c

http://ift.tt/2hhT5Fk

Three different screenshots, above.

(The Solar Anima special Dice)

    ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE:

We’re delighted to announce the opening of our ebook stores on Amazon and Barnes & Noble! You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble). Our initial selection includes these fiction anthologies:

Vampire: The Masquerade: The Endless Ages Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage II (Kindle, Nook)

Mage: The Ascension: Truth Beyond Paradox (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Mummy: The Curse: Curse of the Blue Nile (Kindle, Nook)

Beast: The Primordial: The Primordial Feast Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

  And here are six more fiction books:

Vampire: The Masquerade: Of Predators and Prey: The Hunters Hunted II Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: The Poison Tree (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Songs of the Sun and Moon: Tales of the Changing Breeds (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Requiem: The Strix Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Forsaken: The Idigam Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Mage: The Awakening: The Fallen World Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

  Andand six more more:

Vampire: The Masquerade: The Beast Within Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: W20 Cookbook (Kindle, Nook)

Exalted: Tales from the Age of Sorrows (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: Tales of the Dark Eras (Kindle, Nook)

Promethean: The Created: The Firestorm Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Demon: The Descent: Demon: Interface (Kindle, Nook)

  And even more books are now on Amazon and the Nook store!:

Scarred Lands: Death in the Walled Warren (Kindle, Nook)

V20 Dark Ages: Cainite Conspiracies (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: Strangeness in the Proportion (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Requiem: Silent Knife (Kindle, Nook)

Mummy: The Curse: Dawn of Heresies (Kindle, Nook)

    OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there!

http://ift.tt/2w0aaEW

    Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://ift.tt/1ZlTT6z

You can now order wave 2 of our Deluxe and Prestige print overrun books, including Deluxe Mage 20th Anniversary, and Deluxe V20 Dark Ages! And Screens…so many Screens!

And you can now order Pugmire: the book, the screen, and the dice! http://ift.tt/1pOsnTb

    DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

  With a howl of RAGE, the W20 Changing Ways Advance PDF charges at you this Wednesday on DTRPG.com!

Changing Ways is an in-depth look at what it means to be a werewolf, both on a personal level and as part of a pack. It digs deep into what it feels like to have bones re-knit after breaking, the range of senses available across all forms, and the sudden heady rush of the Gifts and Rites bestowed by spirits. It also provides a look at what life is like for lupus and metis werewolves, characters who have had experiences alien to any person. It shows the many ways that werewolves organize in packs, and how those packs are designed as groups of warriors, rather than aligned to the behavior of wolves.

Changing Ways contains:

• A detailed look at what it means to grow up as a lupus or metis werewolf, and how that colors a character’s perspective.

• More information on what it feels like to be a werewolf, a creature that changes in both body and mind.

• Frameworks and organizations for packs, along with new tactics and systems for forging the pack as part of play.

      Arriving at DTRPG.com this Wednesday, and soon to your tables: The M20 Mage Cookbook!

Food is Life 

We are what we eat. As mages throughout history have realized, the foods that sustain our bodies sustain enlightenment as well. Such foods become extensions of the people and cultures that create them. Now Brother Oliver Lyon, Knight Templar and a humble baker’s son, travels around the world hunting the Fallen and gathering fine recipes along the way.

Enchanting Recipes 

From Mandarin lion’s heads to alchemical booze, Brother Oliver’s collection of delicious recipes spans the cultural realms of Mage’s human world. Among these many culinary concoctions, you’ll find:

Lobster Bisque

Angel Torte

Chicken Nanban

Corn Fufu

Beef Wellingtons

Battenburg Cake

Cannibal Stew, and so much more

Feed Your Body, Feed Your Soul 

The M20 Mage Cookbook is a non-canon but tasty culinary perspective on the world of Mage: The Ascension

        The world of Pugmire comes alive in this full cast audio drama experience “Thank You, Darcy Cat” available now on DTRPG.com! http://ift.tt/2ygOPbl

The police dogs have called Alistair Afghan to discuss the crimes of his valet, Darcy Cat. But this misunderstanding leads to the discovery of a deadly secret deep in the heart of Pugmire society. Will Alistair and Darcy be able to save Pugmire from this threat?

Created by Audioblivious Productions in conjunction with Pugsteady. Check out Audioblivious at http://ift.tt/2jPsQ61!

    We unveil Vampire: The Requiem 2e‘s Half-Damned as an Advance PDF on DTRPG.com!

http://ift.tt/2imeGt5

I love her, she’s family, but I don’t love what she is.

– Antonio Ramírez, dhampir

This book includes: 

• An exploration of what it means to be one of the Half-Damned, dhampir, revenants or ghouls.

• Mechanics for creating Half-Damned characters.

• Information for creating and running chronicles using the various Half-Damned character types, both with vampires and alone.

• Information on Half-Damned antagonists for vampire chronicles.

      Legacy of Lies, the V20 Dark Ages Jumpstart, goes undead in PDF and physical book PoD versions on DTRPG:

http://ift.tt/2k981ql

TWO PRINCES. BITTER RIVALS. AND A COTERIE CAUGHT BETWEEN THEM. 

Marcus Verus, the vampiric Prince of Chester, secretly prepares to go into torpor. Should his plans be made public, the Prince knows the wolves — both real and imagined — would launch an attack, threatening all within his domain.

That’s where you come in.

Legacy of Lies includes:

Basic rules for players and Storytellers

Introduction to the Vampire: The Masquerade Dark Ages setting

Introductory adventure

Characters for players and Storytellers

      Appearing on DriveThruRPG is the Advance PDF for Arms of the Chosen for Exalted 3rd Edition! http://ift.tt/2A0ga4f

Take up the panoply of legendary heroes and lost ages, and awaken the world-shaking might of their Evocations. Before the dawn of time, the Exalted wielded god-metal blades to cast down the makers of the universe. In an ancient epoch of forgotten glories, Creation’s greatest artificers forged unimaginable wonders and miracle-machines.

Now, in the Age of Sorrows, kingdoms go to war over potent artifacts, scavenger princes risk everything to uncover relics of the past, and the Exalted forge great arms and armor on the anvil of legend. These treasures are yours to master.

Discover the mystical power of the five magical materials and the secrets of creating your own Evocations. Wield weapons of fabled might and don the armor of mythic heroes, making their puissance your own. Claim Creation’s wonders: the miraculous tools of the Chosen, living automatons, flying machines, hearthstones, and more. And unleash the mighty warstriders, titanic god-engines of conquest and devastation, to once more shake Creation with their footfalls.

          What dark secrets do the eldest vampires hold? Find out in Thousand Years of Night for Vampire: The Requiem! PDF and physical book PoD versions available on DriveThruRPG.com. http://ift.tt/2sV8lZR

You may think that with a multitude of people coming, going, dying and running away, we’d be tired, done, or ready to give up. Instead, I find myself restless, looking for the next thing.  There’s always a next thing, and I for one am not yet ready to die.

– Elder Kincaid, Daeva Crone

This book includes:

• Detailed instructions on creating elder vampires, including how to base chronicles around them

• A look into the lives of elders, how they spend their nights, who they work with, and why including their roles in both their clans and covenants

• New Devotions, Merits, and Rituals for elder vampires

• The kinds of creatures that pose a threat to elder vampires, including Inamorata, Lamia, Sons of Phobos, a new elder conspiracy, and more!

      Is a life of running and hiding a life worth living? We say yes. There’s always something between the running and the hiding, and those moments of grace make it all worthwhile.

The Huntsmen Chronicle Anthology is a perfect companion piece to Changeling: The Lost, 2nd Edition. These stories spin tales of the Lost, of those abducted and enslaved by fairies. Those who escaped, but whose captors will stop at nothing to find them. These fairies summon forth the Huntsmen, primordial hunters who understand nothing but pursuit and capture. The Huntsmen are unstoppable monsters, and the Lost can only look to each other for respite, rare comfort, and rarer trust.

The Hedge has parted and you can get the Advance PDF of The Huntsmen Chronicle Fiction Anthology for Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition at DTRPG.com! http://ift.tt/2z4uZnU

          A Land Where Legends Walk

Drawing enthusiastically on Greek mythology, the revised and re-imagined Scarred Lands nonetheless retains its place as a modern fantasy RPG setting. This is a world shaped by gods and monsters, and only the greatest of heroes can expect to be counted among them. The most populous continent of Scarn, Ghelspad, plays host to vast unexplored regions, hides unsolved riddles from ancient cultures, and taunts adventures with the promise of undiscovered riches hidden among the ruins of older civilizations.

Yet the myths of the Scarred Lands are relatively recent events. The effects of the Titanswar still ripple through the world, and the heroines and villains of many of these stories are part of living memory, if not still living.

The Award-Winning Fantasy Setting Returns

Scarred Lands has been a favorite fantasy setting since the release of the Creature Collection for the d20 System in 2000. In subsequent years, over 40 titles were published for Scarred Lands, making it one of the most fully supported fantasy RPG settings ever and the premiere product line of Sword & Sorcery Studios.

Available in both 5th Edition and Pathfinder compatible versions! PDF and PoD formats available NOW!

http://ift.tt/2fEO9YJ

http://ift.tt/2fELqyx

      CONVENTIONS!

Midwinter Game Convention in Milwaukee, January 11-14 is going to be on us soooo fast after we get back. It’s where we’re going to be bringing a big crew of many of your favorite Onyx Path designers and we’ll be running demos and making some special announcements at the show!  http://midwintergamingconvention.com

    And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM ROLLICKING ROSE (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Guide to the Night (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

  Redlines

They Came From Beneath the Sea! Rulebook (TCFBtS!)

  Second Draft

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Monarchies of Mau (Monarchies of Mau)

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

  Development

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

SL Ring of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Ring of Spiragos (5e – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)

Night Horrors: The Tormented (Promethean: The Created 2nd Edition)

  WW Manuscript Approval:

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

  Editing:

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion: Origin (Scion 2nd Edition)

  Post-Editing Development:

Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)

  Indexing:

    ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Cavaliers of Mars – New art getting assigned.

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

Scion Origins

Ring of Spiragos – Got Rich’s cover in.

Changeling: the Lost 2

Trinity Continuum – Seeing sketches.

Ex3 Dragon Blooded – Sketches are coming in left and right…

Pugmire – Pan’s Explorer’s Guide (or whatever) – Syme is almost done with the splats.

Boggans – Reviewing art notes and figuring out the art buy.

  Marketing Stuff

  In Layout

Pugmire/Scarred Lands Community Content – working on the logo.

Book of Freeholds – With Mark

DtD Enemy Action – With Josh

Pugmire Fetch Quest – Playtesting samples ordered hopefully in time for MidWinter.

Pugmire – Vinsen’s Tomb – Notes are out. Need to input the changes on the first proof

Wraith 20 Screen 

  Proofing

Wraith 20 – Making fixes from WW.

Beast PG

  At Press

Beckett Screen – Shipped to shipper.

Scarred Land PGs & Wise and the Wicked PF & 5e – To fulfillment shipper. PDF and PoD physical book versions on sale at DTRPG.

Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition) – Deluxe Edition cover and Screen in the works. Waiting for Deluxe cover and the Screen proofs this week.

Prince’s Gambit – Setting up files for printer.

CtL Huntsmen Chronicle Anthology  – PoD Files uploaded and processing.

V20 Beckett’s Jyhad Diary– PoD proofs ordered.

C20 Ready Made Characters – Errata fixing.

Ex 3 Arms of the Chosen – Errata fixing.

Pugmire Artisan Cards – PoD proofs ordered.

Pugmire Shepherd Cards – PoD proofs ordered.

Pentex Indoctrination Manual – PoD files uploaded and processing.

VtR Half Damned – Out and errata gathering.

W20 Changing Ways – Advance PDF on sale this Wednesday at DTRPG.com.

  TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: With this being our last full day of work this year, we’re gonna raise a toast to the year that was… talk to ya next year.

[ezatluba]

Why your pet is acting like a weirdo during quarantine, explained by animal behaviorists

The psychology behind your dog or cat’s new eating habits, constant whining, or extra-loud purring.

Michael Waters

 Apr 24, 2020

When Theo Savini, a human resources assistant in Chicago, started working from home last month, he began noticing a pattern: His dog Zelda — a corgi and English bulldog mix — would lie on his lap all day as he cycled through meetings. But the instant he stood up to use the bathroom, Zelda would start whining and scratching at the door as though he’d disappeared for hours.

Since Illinois issued its stay-at-home order on March 21, Zelda also can’t seem to get enough of the outdoors. Even after a 30- to 40-minute walk, she acts as though it never happened. “As soon as we get in, she runs right back to the door as if she wants to go out again,” Savini says.

Savini is spending too much time working? Whine. Her usual meal isn’t satisfying enough? Whine. When they go out for walks, she fights against the leash. And while she used to be frightened of heights — you’d be hard-pressed to find her so much as jumping off Savini’s bed — now, Zelda leaps onto the oversize trampoline in the backyard.

Across the globe, as the quarantine period advised by public health experts to fight the spread of the coronavirus stretches from weeks into nearly two months for some, pet owners are reporting that their furry companions are leaving old habits in the dust. Some pets are growing clingy. Others are pouncing on exercise equipment, gliding across countertops, or hiding in corners and shooting their owners concerned stares.

Shannon Shoaf, a writer in Clearwater, Florida, says her male cat has started running into walls and bouncing off them — something he had never done before. All four of her cats have begun hissing and growling, and even their purring seems louder than usual.

Ramona Misilei, a student in New Zealand, tells Vox that her cat, named Catia, used to spend all of her time in the backyard. Now Catia barely goes out, instead opting to smother with affection the family members she had long chosen to ignore, even Ramona’s 6-month-old cousin. “In the four years since we adopted her, this is the first time she has behaved like this,” Misilei says.

In Italy, where people have remained under lockdown since late February or early March, pets are also reportedly struggling with their new routines. One woman told Politico that she and her husband normally travel often, so the switch to a permanent homebound life has alarmed her dog. “He hasn’t really gotten over it and still spends much of the day on the sofa giving us suspicious looks,” she said. Another pet owner said that her cat tackles her yoga mat whenever she tries to do burpees.

This isn’t the first time that pets have weathered a pandemic lockdown. During the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, pet owners put face masks on their cats and dogs, a physical representation that pets were struggling with the outbreak just as much as people were. “She has made the best of it in good spirit, as we all have,” one pet owner who masked a 5-year-old bulldog told the Seattle Star in 1918.

A century later, we aren’t exactly masking our German shepherds or Scottish folds, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t affected. “Just like people, pets can respond with a wide variability to any change,” says M. Leanne Lilly, a professor of veterinary behavioral medicine at Ohio State University. Some pets, Lilly says, are reveling in the constant attention that comes with their owners being marooned at home. Some don’t seem to have any idea that their owners’ routines have changed — or if they do, they don’t care. But still others are finding the sudden disruption to be a stressful experience.

Their owners being at home 24/7 “does increase the number of opportunities for interactions a pet may not feel comfortable with,” Lilly says. At least for dogs, the sudden spike in foot traffic outside their homes as people walk their pets more frequently is raising their alarms that an intruder is coming: “Everyone being out with their dogs can make dogs feel much less safe in their homes.”

It’s too soon to tell what these reported new behaviors mean, if anything. One possibility is that because people with nonessential jobs are at home more, they’re finally noticing strange patterns of behavior in their pets that always existed, says Zenithson Ng, a professor of animal clinical sciences at the University of Tennessee. But animal cognition research does offer some potential guidance. Although it’s unknown yet the extent to which quarantine is triggering pet anxieties, a potential culprit of these sudden changes is what veterinary scientists call “displacement behaviors.”

Displacement behaviors are the tics that pets adopt to cope with new stressors. “In dogs and cats, these may present as mounting, pacing, vocalizing, scratching, or patterned behaviors like spinning,” says Lilly. “Just like we may play with our hair, pace in a circle, or chew our fingernails.”

Think of when dogs shake their fur like they’re trying to dry themselves off, even when they’re totally dry. Overgrooming is also a common displacement behavior, and so is paw lifting or repeated “jumping at objects, grabbing them and shaking.” In birds, displacement behaviors manifest in speaking more or striking crouching postures. Young horses, meanwhile, might gum at an adult horse with their mouths when they’re anxious.

One displacement behavior — yawning — turns up in cats, dogs, reptiles, and birds under duress. Several studies have concluded that humans, too, yawn more often when they’re nervous, although the reason why is a bit opaque. One leading theory is that yawning increases blood circulation, funneling air into the body and cooling the brain ever so slightly.

Displacement behaviors, however, raise the question: Why would animals be stressed at all? Yeah, they’re living in a pandemic — but they don’t know it.

To be sure, plenty of pets are reveling in the onslaught of human attention. “I actually think that most pets benefit from work-at-home orders, because they get to enjoy the extended company of their owners,” says Ng.

That goes for pets of all stripes: While we might stereotype dogs as the primary attention seekers, research from last year concluded that even most cats — paragons of social distancing in normal times — enjoyed human interaction more than all other tested stimuli, including food and toys.

But there are many reasons a separate cross-section of pets might become anxious under this extended quarantine. Disrupted routines are one; the same way quarantine is messing with human psychology, trickling into our dreams, our pets are also reeling from the sudden disruptions to their at-home schedules. Vets are recommending that pet owners try to maintain consistent feeding times to give pets as much structure as possible. Other contributors are different walk schedules and a sudden lack of personal space at home. Even pets that adore attention might need some distance from time to time.

“It’s really important that as owners we try to stick to ‘business as usual’ when it comes to the daily routines our pets are used to, and to ensure that they still have quiet, undisturbed places they can go throughout the day,” says Lauren Finka, a cat behavior researcher at Nottingham Trent University in England. “Their normal routine will be disrupted, which can cause anxiety because their sense of predictability and control may be challenged.”

Pets might also be internalizing some of the anxious signals their owners — concerned about their health, their jobs, their loved ones, their rent payments — are broadcasting. According to a paper published in January from Fabricio Carballo, an animal cognition researcher at the University of El Salvador, dogs experience higher levels of anxiety when their owners are reeling from stress, a process called “emotional contagion.” A 2019 study in the UK found a similar pattern in cats: When you’re stressed out, cats will pick up on it.

PETS MIGHT ALSO BE INTERNALIZING SOME OF THE ANXIOUS SIGNALS THAT THEIR OWNERS — CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR HEALTH, THEIR JOBS, THEIR LOVED ONES, THEIR RENT PAYMENTS — ARE BROADCASTING

What all this means is that we humans might be part of the problem. “It is possible that owners are the ones behaving strangely, and their dogs are trying to adapt,” says Carballo. They “may be bored and ask their pets to perform new tricks, pushing them to behave strangely.”

If the internet is any indication, there’s plenty of evidence to back that theory up. TikTokers are turning their dogs into makeup influencers. Other internet users are remixing famous paintings with their pets as models — maybe none more successfully than the Dog With(out) A Pearl Earringor this gerbil-size art gallery. Very little about this moment can pass for normal.

“With owners working at home, the relationship and dynamic can certainly change. Perhaps there are more walks, more cuddles, and more overall attention,” says Ng.

But Ng’s biggest concerns center on what happens when the lockdown eases. For pets with separation anxiety, the transition out of a routine where their owners are home 24/7 and into one where pets may again be alone for long stretches won’t be easy. “We might recommend making it a smoother transition by gradually increasing the time away from home,” he says. “Also being sure to make more visits home or having a pet sitter come more frequently throughout the day may help.”

Humans are not the only ones attuned to the widespread societal shifts brought by the pandemic. As we look ahead to a gradual return to some aspects of regular life, we shouldn’t forget that our choices may have psychological effects on our pets. For the most anxious pets, another sudden rewrite of their routines could just fuel those bouts of whining at the bathroom door.

[balarouge]

The sound of Toronto right now: this music is setting the tone in 2020 - NOW Magazine

As Toronto grows and gets more expensive, there’s angst about displacement of DIY communities and spaces for creativity to flourish. But we’re still thriving. Globe-trotting sounds are meeting on the dance floor, toxicity is being worked out through rockstar swagger, disco is returning to its radical roots.

Here are eight snapshots of artists pushing the scene forward and more to watch in 2020. The music they’re making is strong, vibrant and diverse – the whole world in one city’s music scene.

The sound: Dance music for rule-breakers

Bambii is part of the lifeblood of Toronto’s dance music scene. She’s a leader in the collective of cool, queer and diasporic DJs who are working to make the city’s dance music culture reflective of their realities.

Committed to Black women and queer folk from the very beginning, she’s turned her biannual party, JERK, into an institution. Known internationally for genre-defying sets, she’s left a string of sweaty dance floors from Berlin to Ho Chi Minh City. But in 2020, she’s stepping away from touring as a DJ to focus on releasing her own music.

Bambii calls her recently released debut single, Nitevision, a “future dancehall” track, which is interesting – considering she was adamant at the outset of her career about not being labelled a dancehall DJ. Being Caribbean, she was concerned she would be pigeonholed by narrow-minded categorization. 

“I’m at a place now where I understand Caribbean music and diasporic music to be so vast in terms of something to reference or to be inspired by,” she says. “It’s just so rich. I no longer feel like I’m being put in a box.”

As a song and as a music video, Nitevision is an ode to Black women – to people Bambii admires, to her friends, to her community. It’s an ode to the dance floor as a conduit for powerful feminine energy. 

“It just felt like it was the most sincere point I could make, coming out as a producer.” 

And it’s just the beginning. She plans on dropping several singles this year. She says the songs will sound like her DJ sets. So expect more future dancehall, but also high tempo house, ballroom, Jersey club and reggaeton. She even hints at some songs using her own vocals. 

Like the city she’s from, Bambii is perpetually evolving – she’s never settled on just one thing. 

“The real Toronto, to me, just sounds like everything – which is what’s cool about it.”

Bambii has been in the party scene for years and the idea to produce came to her four years ago, but it took some time to conquer the intimidation of producing and get comfortable putting out her own music. But she also felt DJing no longer allowed her to express everything she needed to say and represent everyone she needed to represent. Her work has an overarching intention to reclaim Black women’s stories, and to counteract the narratives that are imposed on them. 

“When I think about what inspires me or encourages me, it’s people suspended in joy and dance,” she says. “It’s what spaces feel like when there’s a majority of women in them, a majority of Black women.” KELSEY ADAMS

More Artists To Watch

Demiyah Pérez 

A student of Intersessions DJ workshops led by Chippy Nonstop, Demiyah Pérez spent 2019 pivoting from being every Toronto DJ’s favourite dancer to a purveyor of sounds in her own right. Her sets, a high-energy mix of dancehall, reggae, house and hip-hop, cater to dancers who aren’t ashamed to leave it all on the floor. Last May, she helped launched Ahlie, a party series designed to create common ground between queer and straight people who love dancehall and bashment culture. 

The brainchild of DJs Hangaëlle, Minzi Roberta and Kiga, Kuruza is a collective and a monthly party. Already the go-to Afro dance music party in the city, Kuruza settled into its new home at the Drake Underground late last year. Think African pop music, gqom, baile funk, Afrohouse, soca and dancehall. You can also catch them on underground radio station ISO Radio, where they spotlight different DJs and provide a glimpse into their events.

Sofia Fly 

DJ/producer/rapper Sofia Fly's 2019 EP, Rosé, is a reflection of her trans Latina identity set to nebulous house and ballroom beats. Her inspired downtempo remixes of pop faves like Kehlani and Shakira to indie rap darlings like Princess Nokia prove she knows how to parse a song down to its core. Her live sets are opulently layered, genre-jumping feats, from hip-hop to disco to deep house.

Shan Vincent de Paul

The sound: Grimy flows and globetrotting beats

Shan Vincent de Paul’s ruthless collaborations with fellow Tamil musician Yanchan on Mrithangam Raps scored more than half a million views last summer. Fans ate up the video series in which Vincent de Paul’s staccato rhymes chase the percussion from Yanchan’s mrithangam (or mridangam), an Indian drum commonly used at Hindu weddings and Carnatic ensembles.

“It was an authentic bridge between the classic South Asian sound and modern rap,” says Vincent de Paul about the genre fusion that brought him back around to his Tamil roots.

Outkast, Hieroglyphics, Pharoahe Monch and their contemporaries are primary influences on the Sri Lankan-born, Brampton-raised refugee artist who has been grinding out music since 2005, first with Soliva Spit Society, then as half of experimental duo Magnolius and finally alongside the collective sideways.

“I never want to classify myself as a Tamil rapper,” says Vincent de Paul, about why he didn’t tap into his heritage until recently. “I want to compete with the best of them. [And] I always had this fear that if I was going to be speaking about our story, it’s going to be falling on deaf ears.”

His first two solo albums, Saviours (2016) and Trigger Happy Heartbreak (2017), scored with U.S.-based music blogs like Okayplayer and Afropunk. But as Tory Lanez, Drake or the Weeknd will tell you, homegrown love is hard to find.

He went beast mode on tracks like Die Iconic, unleashed bangers like Bitch Go and Warning Shot and lifted spirits with the refugee anthem Out Alive. But for years, Canada slept on him.

“The art I’m making is undeniable,” says Vincent de Paul, letting out his frustration about being ignored by the industry he once catered to. “I can out-rap 99 per cent of the people in this country. I’ll put that on my life. Canada has some of the best artists in the world, but our industry is a high school shitshow.”

Vincent de Paul eventually found support within the South Asian community, who were thrilled to find a brown rapper whose rhymes are tight. And then he hooked up with Yanchan. Their Mrithangam Raps paved the way for an upcoming tour through India in February and a collab LP called IYAAA dropping March 27. And in early summer Vincent de Paul will release his third solo album, Made In Jaffna.

“Now I don’t give a fuck about the Canadian industry,” he says. “Because I have all these other people that are legit supporting me and uplifting me.

“Now the Canadian industry is outnumbered.” RADHEYAN SIMONPILLAI

If you’ve seen their name in red stencil all over the streets of Toronto and wondered what the fuc Fuctape might mean, it’s an anonymous Toronto collective with over 30 members. None of them are identified, but listen to their album and scattered singles – all up on YouTube – and there are a few you might recognize. It’s somewhere between the give-no-fucks energy of early Brockhampton and Odd Future with the way-too-online pranksterism of Death Grips, with some other electronic and indie rock pastiche in the mix. 

Swagger Rite

The first song on Swagger Rite’s The Swagged Out Pedestrian, released late last year on Sony, is called Mosh Pit – and that’s the vibe throughout the spare and bone-rattling trap of the five-song EP. The Jane and Weston rapper’s single In Love With The K was a viral hit on WorldStarHipHop and attracted Drake collaborator BlocBoy JB for a new version. His energy is infectious, and you can already see it starting to spread beyond Toronto. 

Jon Vinyl

Jon Vinyl has a pretty good friend in his corner: pop sensation Shawn Mendes. The young R&B singer/songwriter got a shout-out from his old Pickering high school pal on Instagram last year for his Nostalgia EP, and the music stood up to the sudden influx of rabid Mendies (is that what his stans are called?). His upcoming single Moments (out January 31), produced by fellow Torontonian GOVI, shows his star potential – timeless smooth soul meets 2020 pop hooks. 

Nyssa calls her music “repurposed rock.” 

With her bleached-blond hair, intense eyes and undeniable swagger, she’s seven decades of rock star energy channelled into one person. You can hear it all in her electro-glam pop songs: outlaw country, 60s Motown, singer/songwriter folk, pulsing 80s pop and plenty of old rock and roll. 

But there’s one thing missing: guitars. 

“I’m not saying I’ll never use guitars. I mean, I love guitars,” says Nyssa. “But I want to challenge myself, and this kind of music is usually so guitar-driven, part of the challenge is to find that energy somewhere else. I want to take all the things I love and then break all the moulds so you hear them in a different way.” 

As a solo artist, Nyssa has an EP, Champion Of Love, and a handful of singles to her name. But she’s a long-time veteran of the local rock scene. She fronted the girl group/rockabilly-indebted band the Superstitions (later Modern Superstitions) starting when she was 15 years old. 

She’s been through the record-label wringer and is now purposefully independent and self-sufficient. She produces all her music herself, and even her powerful and intense live shows are 100 per cent solo – though she cherishes the visceral communal experience of live music. 

One collaboration Nyssa does have on the way is with Meg Remy of U.S. Girls, who co-produced her cover of Ann-Margret’s psychedelic Lee Hazlewood collaboration It’s A Nice World To Visit (But Not To Live In). That will appear on an upcoming vinyl box set from local label Fuzzed and Buzzed and also on Nyssa’s otherwise self-produced debut album, Girls Like Me, which she plans to release sometime this year. The songs, all primarily beat- and lyric-driven, tell the stories of female outcasts at odds with the modern world. 

Nyssa is long-time regular and now co-organizer at Dan Burke’s annual Death To T.O. Halloween shows, where local musicians dress up and play full sets as other bands. She’s channelled Rod Stewart, INXS, Robert Palmer, Mick Jagger and Elvis. This year, for a special Valentine’s Day edition, she’ll perform as Meatloaf. She always chooses artists she wants to “become a little bit,” and it’s inspired her own music, but she won’t forget the baggage that comes with it. 

“In rock and roll we still have all these very out-of-date male archetypes of excess. Just pure appetite,” she says. “And there are obviously a lot of troubling stories.”

“So I would like to take the good and the fun and the no-holds-barred sexuality and take away all of the uh…” she pauses for a second, searching for the right word and then lets out a bemused laugh, “...horrible bullshit.” RICHARD TRAPUNSKI

Nyssa plays (as Meatloaf) at Death To T.O. On Valentine’s Day on February 14 at Lee’s Palace. 

More Artists To Watch

Jesse Crowe launched Praises to focus on more personal inner questions about gender expression and health than they could tackle in their main project, Beliefs. But with the recent Hand Drawn Dracula release of the addictive three-song EP Three – co-produced by their Beliefs collaborator Josh Korody – it’s overtaken that shoegaze band as the project to watch. The songs are stark and dramatic, minimalist and heavy, with a voice that makes you stop dead in your tracks. After recuperating from cancer surgery, Crowe will return to the stage this year and finish the follow-up to their 2018 debut album In This Year: Ten Of Swords.

Praises plays the Monarch Tavern on March 27. 

Cindy Lee

Patrick Flegel, formerly of the short-lived but influential Calgary post-punk band Women, calls Cindy Lee the culmination of a lifelong exploration of guitar, queer identity and gender expression. The songs on the upcoming album What’s Tonight To Eternity (out February 14) are ethereal in the literal sense, exorcising ghostly echoes of the Supremes, Patsy Cline and Karen Carpenter – pop’s uncanny valley. 

Scott Hardware

After a stint in Berlin, electronic art-pop artist Scot Hardware has spent the last few years back in Toronto making his new sophomore album Engel (Telephone Explosion), and he’ll release it on April 3 before another extended jaunt in Europe. Inspired by Wim Wenders’s film Wings Of Desire, it’s an eclectic and uncategorizable piano-and-strings-speckled meditation on queerness, shame, death and the afterlife. 

Scott Hardware plays at the Boat on January 30. 

The sound: Soft sounds for the comedown

Ziibiwan is an electronic musician, but they don’t make music for the club.

“[Musician/artist] Melody McKiver explained it nicely: [my music] is what you play after the club when you’re like, ‘I’ve had too many gin and tonics and I need to chill out,’” Ziibiwan says with a smile. 

While living in foster care, music was a release for Ziibiwan. They played piano and guitar, and later experimented with electronic music through a digital audio work station. They covered Radiohead and Foo Fighters songs, and were enamoured with whatever was playing on BET. But it wasn’t until they moved to Jane and Finch that Ziibiwan made their own music. 

“I was working at Loblaws on St. Clair West, doing the graveyard shift, and I would commute from Jane and Finch. I was on my laptop most of the time and I would record everything,” Ziibiwan says about the making of their 2016 debut EP Time Limits, a collection of beat-centric songs that evoke textured imagery.

“There were a lot of problems going on in my life then, and I felt like the land was giving me something. Not just the land but the cultures around me at Jane and Finch,” continues the musician, who’s currently living in Hamilton to care for their family. “It was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had in my life.”

Following the EP’s release, Ziibiwan, who also performs as DJ Nimkiiwitch, opened for acts like A Tribe Called Red, played at Venus Fest and composed scores for two short animated films by Amanda Strong. Next month, Ziibiwan and McKiver will perform their original score for the play God’s Lake as it tours throughout British Columbia. This week at the Music Gallery, Ziibiwan will celebrate the release of their new album, Giizis. 

Ziibiwan describes Giizis as more soft and introspective than their previous music, and it will feature their voice for the first time. For Ziibiwan, Giizis – an Anishinaabemowin word they define as, “the moon, the sun and the eastern direction, which is all kind of a new beginning” – is the start of a new and more intimate creative chapter. 

“I want to introduce this version of who I am to people because people don’t really know me beyond making beats,” they explain. 

“My friend once said that we don’t have to always be performative with [our] Indigeneity and we also don’t always have to protest in our music. That’s what most Native rap is. It’s always they, they, they and us. It’s always plural and not really introspective at all. 

“We deserve our own music.” LAURA STANLEY

Ziibiwan plays an album release show on Saturday (January 25) at the Music Gallery at 918 Bathurst with Phèdre and Melody McKiver.

More Artists To Watch

Xuan Ye

Interdisciplinary artist Xuan Ye approaches sound manipulation with boundless curiosity. The improvised electronic pieces on her debut LP xi xi 息息 (out now via Halocline Trance) shudder, whine, whisper and shout. The detailed sonic layers force you to drop everything, breathe and listen. 

Xuan Ye performs as part of Convergence Theory on Saturday (January 25) at the Victory Social Club.

Astro Mega

Listening to Astro Mega’s (aka Jermaine Clarke) extensive catalogue of songs feels like slipping into a warm bath while a party happens on the other side of the door. His 80s- and 90s-hip-hop-inspired beats are muted and chill, often with a collage of sampled voices. Listen to 97’ Kobe from his recent LP GodBodyDevine if you want a vivid memory of playing NBA Live 97 in somebody’s basement.

BisonBison is a new multi-genre collaborative project between electronic producers Dani Ramez (Spookyfish) and Chad Skinner (Snowday) with producer and drummer Brad Weber (Caribou), multi-instrumentalist Sinéad Bermingham and vocalist Sophia Alexandra. On their upcoming debut album Hover (due out February 7), they meld the gentle sensibilities of folk with disquieted electronics in hypnotic convergence.

BisonBison play a release party on February 1 at the Garrison with ANZOLA and Kira May.

Luna Li

The sound: The all-ages scene grows up

As a teenager, Hannah Bussiere Kim straddled two worlds. Her mother ran a music school in Roncesvalles, and she trained in classical piano and violin, taking Royal Conservatory exams and performing at recitals. On weekends, though, she was at DIY shows at now-shuttered all-ages venues like D-Beatstro and the Central. 

She left Toronto to study violin at McGill, but dropped out after one semester. She wanted to start her own band. 

In 2015, she started a garage rock group, Veins, which morphed into her solo project Luna Li two years later. 

“When I was first starting out, I thought, ‘Rock and roll is cool, the violin is not,’” says the 23-year-old. “It took me a long time to figure out how to incorporate my classical background into Luna Li.” 

On her debut full-length, to be self-released this spring, she combines swelling psychedelic guitar and chiming keys with soulful orchestral arrangements of violin, harp and cello. She enlisted her brother, Lucas Kim, to play the cello and her producer, Braden Sauder, for drums. Everything else she plays herself. And she’s putting new parts of herself into the songs, too. 

“Many of my older songs were crafted out of poems or were vague in meaning,” says Bussiere Kim. “A lot of [the new ones] deal with mental health, loneliness and friendship. They’re more direct and clear, and vulnerable.”

She’s also inspired by a new wave of Asian American female musicians like Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som and Mitski. “I’m half-Korean and that kind of representation – of actually going to shows and seeing people who look like me – was key,” she says. “When I was in high school, I never saw a band fronted by an Asian person.”

Last fall, Luna Li played festivals almost every weekend with her live band – Sauder, Hallie Switzer, Charise Aragoza and Sabrina Carrizo Sztainbok – and landed big opening slots for bands like Hollerado. 

She’s still involved in the tight-knit all-ages scene from her high school days. It’s just all grown up now. 

In addition to Luna Li, she plays guitar in the psych band Mother Tongues (also with Aragoza) and drums in the art pop group Tange, which is made up of ex-Pins & Needles members Deanna Petcoff and her Luna Li bandmate, Carrizo Sztainbok. Meanwhile, her boyfriend Jacob Switzer plays in indie rock group Goodbye Honolulu. 

In 2020, she plans to focus on Luna Li and tour in the spring when the album is out. And hopefully, many of those shows can be all-ages. 

“It’s hard to do all-ages shows because so many DIY spaces have shut down,” says Bussiere Kim. “But it’s really important that everyone feels welcome at my shows, and that includes young people.”  SAMANTHA EDWARDS

More Artists To Watch

Goodbye Honolulu

While they were still in high school, Jacob Switzer, Emmett S. Webb, Max Bornstein and Fox Martindale started Goodbye Honolulu and the label Fried Records as a home for their music and their friends in the all-ages scene. The garage rock band has a penchant for punchy riffs and gang vocals, and it’s taking them beyond the city. Next month, they’re supporting the Beaches on their cross-country tour and then heading down south to play SXSW.

Goodbye Honolulu opens for the Beaches at Danforth Music Hall on February 28 and February 29.  

This year brings good news for longtime fans of Sam Bielanski’s grunge-pop project. After two EPs, countless Toronto shows and playing in Pretty Matty’s live band, Pony’s finally releasing their debut full-length this year. On the woozy first single Limerence, Bielanksi sings about the crushing feeling of unrequited love. Fittingly, this February she’s playing the emo-themed tribute night Taking Back Valentine’s Day (February 14 at Junction City Music Hall) in a Paramore cover band.

Moscow Apartment

In the three years since Brighid Fry and Pascale Padilla formed their indie folk-rock band Moscow Apartment, they’ve released their debut self-titled EP, won a Canadian Folk Music Award and toured across the country – all before they graduated high school. This spring, the teenagers are releasing their sophomore EP and playing shows during March Break (they’re still in high school, after all), while being outspoken advocates for the all-ages scene and climate justice.

Moscow Apartment plays the Paradise Theatre on January 30.

The sound: Disco reconnected to its roots

A half century after the heyday of disco, Tush is helping the genre stay alive. 

The project, which started as a seven-piece live disco band called Mainline in 2015, now consists of just two core members: vocalist Kamilah Apong and bassist Jamie Kidd. 

While their music draws from funk and soul and follows the four-to-the-floor beat typified by disco, they’re more than a vintage throwback.

“Disco is such a loaded term,” says Apong, who previously played in the band Unbuttoned. “For us, it means thinking about how music was made in the origins of [the genre] and keeping to those practices, which was experimentation and [that it was] so much of a social, cultural music.

“Black women were such a huge cultural connection, and disco is deeply ingrained in Black and queer communities.”

Naming Universal Togetherness Band and the Brothers Johnson as some early influences, Tush released an EP, Do You Feel Excited?, in 2018. Their latest single, Don’t Be Afraid, is an atmospheric slow burn propelled by Apong’s gospel-style vocals exhorting us to love defiantly. This summer, they’re planning on releasing their first full-length album.

“What we strive for is depth in the music, lyrics and themes that you don’t find in what most people think of as disco – like more of the later, whitewashed, commercial stuff,” Kidd explains. “We’re making lyric-based dance music that incorporates live instrumentation and more contemporary electronic techniques.”

Tush are a versatile band, and they’ve performed in grand ballrooms like the Palais Royale, rock clubs like the Baby G and underground warehouse parties. Recently, in order to tour more freely and take on gigs at intimate clubs, they’ve distilled their seven-piece live band into a live PA trio that includes Alexa Belgrave on keys. 

Kidd, a veteran of Toronto’s electronic scene who co-founded long-running event promoters Box of Kittens and puts on their popular Sunday Afternoon Social parties, has witnessed the gradual loss of the city’s live music venues, especially those accommodating of dance music.  But his genuine love for the local scene and all the talent in it encourages him to continue on. 

“Something I’ve always strived for is authenticity and doing it for the right reasons,” he says. “With Tush, we’re just doing what we feel most connected to.”

Apong agrees, adding that there’s strong support for contemporary disco in the city. “Everyone dances, no one’s trying to flex or look cool,” she says. “When we throw our own shows, our people show up.” MICHELLE DA SILVA

More Artists To Watch

Born Ryan Anthony Robinson, R. Flex is a queer Black singer, electronic producer and cabaret performer blending R&B and dance music. A backing vocalist in Tush’s seven-piece live band, R. Flex released their own EP, In & Out, in 2018, and since performed in Glad Day’s Black Power Cabaret and at Queer Pop: LGBTQ+ Music & Arts Festival. 

Catch R. Flex singing covers as part of Just Like A Pill on January 31.

The DJ, producer, composer and keyboardist born James Harris has been releasing music spanning disco, funk, deep house, dub and jazz since his 2017 debut EP, Memoirs. When he’s not performing or creating visuals for the electronic monthly Astral Projections, he’s co-running Cosmic Resonance, Toronto’s most exciting progressive jazz-fusion electronic label.

Babygirl 

One of Toronto’s hardest-working DJs, Katie Lavoie is a fixture on the queer dance party circuit. Catch her spinning everything from Hi-NRG to juke house, pop bangers and big gay anthems at her monthly residency Freak Like Me at the Black Eagle, and on her ISO Radio show Therapeutic Hotness. Babygirl is also part of the team at Intersessions, which teaches women and LGBTQ-identifying folks how to DJ.

Babygirl plays Freak Like Me with Chippy Nonstop and Karim Olen Ash this Friday (January 24) at the Black Eagle.

The sound: Exploding the “Canadian sound”

Haniely Pableo is a cardiac nurse by day, rapper by night. As Han Han, she sings and raps in Tagalog and Cebuano, challenging notions of what makes music “sound” Canadian. 

Hip-hop once seemed like an unlikely career for Pableo, but she’s driven by a desire to overthrow patriarchal-racist-exploitative systems. She enjoys creating positive change through challenging conversations, like one she recently had with a man in Tanzania. 

“He said that his daughter could go to school and get educated all she wants but when she’s home, she needs to respect and serve her husband,” she recalls. “I argued with him – wouldn’t he want his daughter to be treated like an equal by the husband, [not] a servant? We went on and on.

“I [have] a lot of conversations like this when I travel or go home to the Philippines.”

Her passion for changing the narrative first collided with Toronto’s arts and music scene in 2006, when she immigrated to Canada and took a poetry workshop. After years of performing around the city as part of the collectives Santa Guerrilla and PSL (Poetry is our Second Language), she released her self-titled debut album in 2014. On her upcoming second album, URDUJA, she delves even deeper. 

“Each song is different, but [it’s] mostly about the complexities of being a woman,” she explains. “How to be strong. How to be vulnerable. That you can’t always be fierce.” 

Inspired by her late grandmother, she named the album after the folkloric Filipino warrior princess revered for power and leadership.

“She’s the opposite of the stereotype that we have today – that Filipina women have to be submissive and happy. That’s what I want to manifest on the album, that we’re more complex. We can be angry, sad, happy, confident and all those emotions exist on an equal spectrum.” 

Pableo, who will play a Venus Fest-presented release show with fellow Filipina-Canadian acts Charise Aragoza and sketch comedy troupe Tita Collective, hopes it also challenges the idea that there’s such a thing as a unified Canadian sound. 

“We’re missing out on a lot of talent and creativity [when] we stick to a narrow-minded view on what Canadian music is and is not. It’s not progressive or empowering to those communities who are always neglected and ignored,” she argues. “Canada always prides itself [on] diversity and multiculturalism, so it should follow naturally that the music scene reflects those values.”

Pableo acknowledges a growing celebration of diverse Canadian music and cites acts like Maylee Todd as important trailblazers. But she’s committed to making her music until she’s just one of many. 

“My hope is that Filipino-Canadian music and talent [become] appreciated, recognized and respected. That’s my personal goal. That’s why I’m still here.”  CHAKA V. GRIER

Han Han plays an URDUJA release show at Lula Lounge on January 30. 

More Artists To Watch

Honest, empowering lyrics. Self-love and body positivity. A voice that blows the roof off. No, it’s not Lizzo. It’s LU KALA. The Congolese-Canadian singer is known for her flaming orange hair and songs like DCMO (Don’t Count Me Out) that you want to cry and dance to. She’s worked behind the scenes as a songwriter, and now she’s preparing to release her debut album. Its first single, Body Knew, will be out next month.

Duo Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne released their lush debut, Sombras, in 2019. OKAN's vocal- and percussion-driven tracks evoke their homeland yet also reflect the vibrant Cuban-Canadian community. On their album artwork they’re in full Latin garb, perched regally against a snow-covered landscape – the perfect illustration of their sound. This summer they’ll release their sophomore album, Espiral, and tour through North America and India.

Amaka Queenette

In the summer of 2018, Amaka Queenette quietly released her astute and far-too-brief Vacant EP. At just 19, the Nigerian-born singer’s lyrics and voice hold the composure of someone twice her age. Soulful and elegant, she moves between jazz, R&B and gospel with ease while singing about isolation and soul-searching. This spring she’ll release a visual EP, Fleeting, Inconsequential.

The sound: Heavy psych from the depths

Paul Ciuk laments the lack of meaningful connections in Toronto’s music scene. 

“The sense of community we have here is totally broken,” explains the drummer for proto-metal quartet Häxan. 

In the band’s experience, power dynamics are often unbalanced and musicians are reluctant to help others unless it helps themselves. But Häxan has seen that there’s an alternative – they’re proof of how supportive a small but dedicated community can be, especially if they have a space to congregate. 

Though some of the friendships in Häxan span decades, the real genesis of the band happened at now shuttered Kensington Market metal venue Coalition. In 2015, with only a theatre degree in her performance arsenal, vocalist Kayley Bomben (also one of Coalition’s founding bartenders/promoters/managers) made the leap to front a Germs cover band with guitarist Paul Colosimo and bassist Eric Brauer for a one-off covers night. 

“Coalition acted like a big tent because you could see all different kinds of metal there,” Brauer explains. “It was a pivotal venue for us to be able to work out the band dynamic,” Bomben agrees. 

Häxan matured from punk cover band to Stooges-inspired grunge act and slowly conjured the fiery intensity of the psychedelic metal they play now. After finalizing their lineup with Ciuk, they quickly slipped into a heavy vintage groove. 

A fascination with the occult didn’t hurt, either. Their name is a reference to a 1922 silent film that explores how superstition wrongly linked mental illness to witchcraft. “When we think of people as evil because they’re different, that leads to a lot of horrible things,” Bomben says. 

Their debut album, set to be released this spring, furthers the fascination. It’s named Aradia, after a tome of Italian folklore that positions witchcraft against hierarchy and oppression. (The first single, Baba Yaga, just dropped on Bandcamp.)

The album was produced by Alia O’Brien of Badge Époque Ensemble and Blood Ceremony, who knows a thing or two about how pagan rituals and witchy vibes should sound. Häxan credit that connection to Fuzzed and Buzzed. The local label took a chance on them early, putting them on last year’s half-cover/half-original Altar Box 7" compilation where the band first collaborated with O’Brien. 

“Nobody has ever done anything like this for any of our other bands before,” Colosimo says. Bomben agrees, pinpointing the key to thriving in the city’s metal scene. “You really have to find the people who are willing to help each other out.” MICHAEL RANCIC

More Artists To Watch

Look out for this mysterious project to make waves later this year. More within the psychedelic camp than metal, ROY still bring plenty of heaviness – biting, raw guitar lines rendered through a thick cloud of analog tape haze. But they temper that weight with dreamy keyboard-conjured paisley sublimities. Think the schoolhouse rock of Darlene Shrugg, or the dense psychedelic tapestries of Tony Price.

Rough Spells

Häxan’s Fuzzed and Buzzed labelmates occupy similar psychedelic and doomy territory and also have a full-length ready. They match Häxan’s occult metal intensity with stellar vocal harmonies and incisive lyrics. Their most recent single, Grise Fiord, is named for Canada’s most northerly community and a site of forced Inuit relocation in the 50s. All proceeds from the track go to It Starts With Us, an organization that honours the memory of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Two-Spirit and Trans people.

Erythrite Throne

Mysterious figure Wyrm has completely thrown themselves into the dark and dank atmospherics of dungeon synth, a black-metal-adjacent style that emerged in the 80s. They’ve released a ridiculously prolific amount of music in little over a year under the Erythrite Throne moniker: 18 albums on Bandcamp starting in 2018, including one on January 1 of this year. Don’t be overwhelmed: their mostly instrumental music is moody and wholly engrossing. Start with The Blind Hag’s Lair. 

This content was originally published here.

[toalways-fromforever]

Honesty.

February 21, 2019. 11:35 AM. At my desk at work.

I feel bad that I didn't comfort you the way I should have last night. You deserve better than that. You deserve my love and attention and I was being selfish and focused on myself last night and for that, I am so sorry. That wasn't the right behavior or reaction and I realize that now. I think I am struggling to see your side sometimes and it prevents me from being the best version of myself for you at times and I want to work on changing that. I don't know what will happen in this relationship. I know that I have put everything I can into loving you and creating a life with you. I know that God knows that. And I pray that we spend the rest of our days together. But I also understand that even if we got married, that wouldn't be the end of the work that we both have to put into this relationship. Perhaps then we will have to put even more work into our future together because there will be so much more at stake. But regardless of what happens, whether by God's amazing grace, everything works out for us or we have to go our separate ways, I know a few things:

You are capable. Beyond capable. I wouldn't be with you if I didn't think you could accomplish anything you set your mind to. I know that you are struggling at this new job. This is a major change for you. I felt the same way when I started working at Best Buy. I had spent years in my own business working a certain way and then everything was different all of a sudden. It took a long time for me to transition. I did everything by the book at Best Buy because I didn't know any different. You will grow into this role. Not only will you grow, you will thrive in this position. And then you know what is going to happen? You will take all your experiences and find another job that pays more. You will grow in your career. And then slowly the worries that we have about money and time will start to go away because we will be working towards a bigger goal. You said last night that 11 years were wasted at Best Buy. I don't think that's true. Everytime people ask me about your virtues, I have a story that I always tell. That in the 2+ years I worked with you, I never saw you lose your temper. You told me about times when you yelled at Jeremy or told a customer to watch the way they spoke to you. But I never saw it for myself. If someone walked up while we were talking, you would go help them. Without being frustrated or angry. You learned patience at Best Buy. You learned how to be social and get along with others. You understood how to understand a customer and what they are asking of you. You may not realize it but you learned so much by being there. You also found people that will stick by your side through anything. And lastly, you found me there. I don't think either one of us handled our last relationships well but I think that God brought me there for a reason. It was to meet and fall in love with you. I thank God everyday that you didn't leave Best Buy before I came there. Who else can we thank other than Him for that blessing? And like you said, we have been through everything together but it's always been a little easier because we've had each other to fall back on.

Everyday you teach me something different about yourself and about me. You bring out emotions in me that I didn't know existed. You taught me selfish and selfless love. I didn't think this type of love existed. But I love you more and more everyday because of it. I don't doubt you or what you are capable of accomplishing. I didn't fall in love with someone that won't make the best of their future. I know you think time slipped away from you but I don't see it that way. Our best days are ahead of us. The ones where we can really live and enjoy ourselves. We have so much to look forward to. We keep focusing on the negatives but God has given us so many positives. Let's look at those. We prayed for these jobs that He has blessed us with. We prayed for the day when we would have a place to rest our heads together and He gave us that. We asked for the days when we wouldn't live paycheck to paycheck. For all that we have asked for, He has provided that and so much more. We are truly blessed. It will be okay. Maybe not now. Maybe not in a few weeks or months, but with everyday, we will grow and become better versions of ourselves. And I think that growth is the best thing we can leave here. Not just the growth we do for ourselves but the growth we do for each other and for the world.

I don't doubt you. Not even a little bit. We are not perfect creatures but we are the most perfect versions of ourselves and we are doing the best we can to our abilities. It will be okay. You will grow into the man that I know you to be, even if you have doubts. And whenever you think you are coming up a bit short, I will be there to raise you up. I am sorry I didn't do that last night. Not one of my proudest moments but I promise I will get better.

I love you too much to not be the perfect version of who you need and want me to be. I will work on myself as hard as you are working for us. We will get to where we need to be.

[asfeedin]

Coronavirus Is Impacting The Fashion Industry In A Major Way

In a time when leaving the house feels like a luxury, fashion is facing a downfall like never before. Yes, we’re online shopping and stocking up on loungewear, but is that really enough to keep an entire industry afloat? With record dips in sales across the board and so many retailers forced to shut their doors—some physically, on their brick and mortar stores, others quite literally, as they cease to exist—the coronavirus pandemic is impacting the fashion industry in a very big, very scary way.

According to the April 15 Census Bureau release, total clothing and accessories sales (which include retail purchases both in stores and online) in March were down a whopping 50.5 percent from the previous month and 50.7 percent from 2019. (The April 2020 Advance Monthly Retail report will be available on May 15.) And it’s not just smaller businesses that are at risk: Macy’s and other department stores have been forced to furlough millions of employees due to the nationwide shutdowns. And, according to Reuters, J.C. Penney and Neiman Marcus might even file for bankruptcy as a result of the crisis.

All this begs the question: What does the coronavirus pandemic mean for the future of fashion? At the end of the day, the answer largely depends on what layer of the industry we’re talking about.

High-Fashion Designers Take Charge

Although it hadn’t yet hit the United States in full force, coronavirus concerns started to ramp up right around February—a.k.a. Fall/Winter 2020 Fashion Month. After attending New York Fashion Week and seeing little evidence of concern beyond a fashionable face mask or two, I remember feeling a tiny bit envious as I clicked through the Instagram Stories of friends who went on to continue Fashion Month abroad in London, Paris and Milan.

After watching them galavant around Italy during the latter half of the month, I then watched as they were forced to self-quarantine for weeks to ensure their luxe trips didn’t put them or their loved ones at risk. Runway shows in Milan like Giorgio Armani were canceled, later broadcast online for the fashion set to watch wistfully. Practically all of the resort couture shows scheduled for May were canceled, too. Finally came the news that the Met Gala and the CFDA Awards would be postponed, and things started to feel, well, real. The industry, much like the rest of the world, was being put on pause.

All of a sudden, fashion brands everywhere began to acknowledge the crisis at hand. While some—like Olivia von Halle, a British brand known for their luxury silk nightwear—canceled entire collections in an effort to get ahead of potential warehouse shutdowns and the delays that would follow, others—like Christian Siriano’s namesake label—took action, utilizing the creative materials in their workspaces to support frontline workers. Siriano stepped up when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state was low on supplies. Knowing that his seamstresses were ready and able to create medical masks, he offered his help via Twitter and got to work.

Following Siriano’s lead, plenty of other high-fashion labels have volunteered their help, while other fashion houses (like Chanel) have continued to pay their employees despite temporarily closing their doors. It’s this forward-thinking mentality and consideration for the fashion community (and the world as a whole) that makes me believe high fashion will thrive despite the pandemic’s negative effects. I mean, Jacquemus just debuted a Summer 2020 campaign photographed entirely over FaceTime. If that’s not quarantine innovation, then I’m not sure what is.

Fast Fashion Suffers, Then Adapts

Credit: Instagram | @zara

Fast fashion brands—ASOS, Topshop, Zara, Forever 21 and the like—are being hit especially hard during this time, as their customers (known for impulse-buying a new work blouse or a going-out top on a whim) have little need for trendy seasonal pieces, festival outfits or vacay attire while quarantining indoors. As much as I love these affordable retailers—especially when I’m in a pinch and need a good outfit—I think it’s safe to say none of us are prioritizing clear mules, cow-print bikinis and bandana-inspired halter tops over food and essentials at the moment.

That said, some of these brands are still thriving by leaning into the demand for athleisure (I’m sure you’ve seen the tie-dye sweat sets and fluffy slippers popping up all over Instagram). One could even wonder if Jacquemus’ idea for a FaceTime-shot campaign was inspired by Zara’s latest promo images, featuring models photographed while social distancing at home.

Still, if it’s a question of whether fast fashion brands will suffer from deferred demand—causing temporary issues—or destroyed demand—causing permanent damage— the latter is a real possibility. Due to this destruction of demand and a drop in sales across the board, many fast fashion brands will have to make major cuts if they want to stay afloat and regain traction when the world enters its new normal. Associated British Foods, parent company to British fast-fashion giant Primark, announced that the company will reduce its CEO’s and financial director’s paychecks in an effort to keep the company functioning—and they won’t be the only business to do so.

Fashion Gives Back

Siriano isn’t the only household name doing his part, of course. Anne Klein, Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Chaco Footwear, Bulgari, Fendi, Nike, Brooks Running, Keen, PANGAIA and Alice & Olivia are just a sprinkling of the other luxury and everyday brands contributing to the cause—and consumers are paying attention.

“It has been a really difficult time in terms of freelance fashion work with so much on pause, but I’m overall so thankful and happy to see how the fashion community has banded together to help make any difference it can for our healthcare workers,” says Belle Bakst, a NYC-based fashion influencer, whose wedding gown was a Siriano original. “Seeing Christian Siriano answer the call to make more masks is just one of the things that has truly reminded me just how incredible and special the fashion community is, and how much we can do when we work together,” she says.

While the donations and mask-making efforts are undoubtedly generous, it’s worth noting that brands who pivot their processes toward contributing to the production of PPE and vital masks become qualified as essential businesses, and are therefore allowed to remain open despite social distancing rules. As a result, contributing to the cause is in some ways a means for brands to stay afloat during these unprecedented times.

The Future of Fashion

Perhaps even more at-risk than high fashion and fast fashion entities are small businesses and fashion start-ups, the underdogs of the fashion realm. While they, too, have to face the realities of deferred and destroyed demand, they also suffer pointedly from the lack of visibility that comes with not already having been household brand names prior to the pandemic’s start.

According to an April 2020 study by a team of economists from the National Bureau of Economic Research, 72 percent of small-business owners said they could carry on with closed-doors for a month, and only 47 percent of small businesses expect to be able to withstand a shutdown of four or more months.

As we pay attention to the ways in which the industry has already been affected, it’s hard not to wonder what’s to come, and how the future of fashion has shifted. Will beloved brands be able to bounce back after being shut down for months? Will customers’ yearning for in-store shopping experiences outweigh their fears of over-spending or congregating in still-uncertain times? Will months of online shopping lead to the realization that brick-and-mortar stores are simply no longer necessary?

“

“I think, and hope, people will view this as a chance for humanity to reset its values.”

”

“I think, and hope, people will view this as a chance for humanity to reset its values,” says brand owner Olivia von Halle, who adds that in many ways, “this experience has highlighted what is wrong with society and consumption.” Von Halle believes that this will change how consumers shop forever: “If we enter into a recession, that will have a direct impact on how much and how often people spend, but beyond that, I think consumers will increasingly ask why they’re spending, too,” she predicts. “I think it is likely people will buy less, but buy ‘better’—taking more time to consider purchases and investing more readily in things that they know they will love and treasure forever,” she says.

She’s right about one thing for sure: The quarantine has certainly forced us all to slow down and look around. And with that, we’re learning what’s essential for us to achieve comfort, to feel happiness and to survive. When all this is over, I think that those realizations will stick with us as we shop for every aspect of our lives—be it a new outfit or otherwise.

News about the Coronavirus is unfolding in real-time, and while we make every effort to ensure our content is accurate, some of the information in this story may have changed. For the most up-to-date news on the pandemic, please go to the CDC or WHO websites. For the latest from STYLECASTER, visit our Coronavirus hub page. 

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[biofunmy]

So You Want to Join Your Co-op Board?

The people who sit on co-op boards in New York City generally skew older than the rest of the shareholders in those buildings. One reason: Sitting on a board can be a thankless and all-consuming task — one that is definitely unpaid — which makes the toil of running a building impractical for most people who are in the early stages of their careers or starting a family.

“It’s kind of like having a part-time job on the side,” said Melissa Leifer, a licensed real estate saleswoman for Keller Williams NYC TriBeCa. “It’s easier if you’re retired.”

But there are some young shareholders who are stepping forward and taking responsibility for their co-op buildings and the work that needs to be done there.

“Young people may want the amenities and structure of the building to reflect their lifestyle,” said Stewart E. Wurtzel, a partner of Tane Waterman & Wurtzel, P.C., a law firm that counsels about 150 local co-ops. “They may be more budget conscious. If they’re new parents, their interest in the building’s common areas may be to be more family-friendly. And they may be happier with a virtual doorman, or more concerned about package- and food-delivery capability.”

Carol J. Ott, the publisher and editor of Habitat, a magazine for co-op and condo board members, said people usually join their boards to address maintenance fees: whether they are rising too fast or remaining artificially low (and the building is consequently being neglected). In smaller buildings, she said, new buyers are often recruited: “You may have been flattered, and it’s hard to say no when you’re the new kid in town.”

Regardless of the reason, new shareholders should take a few months — or a few years — to learn about the building and its inhabitants before taking a seat on the board, said Arthur Weinstein, a lawyer who represents about 100 co-ops in the New York City area.

Mr. Weinstein, a founder and board member of the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums, also recommended scrutinizing the proprietary lease and bylaws, the documents that govern the co-op’s existence. “It’s very sad to see someone who’s not familiar with the basics, the very landlord-tenant relationship that exists between the co-op and its owners,” he said. “Without knowledge of the proprietary lease, a board can easily make an incorrect decision with potentially expensive, detrimental consequences.”

Still, the necessary training can sometimes occur on the job, said Phyllis H. Weisberg, a partner at Armstrong Teasdale and a leader of the firm’s cooperative and condominium law practice area. A newer resident, she pointed out, may have expertise in a field like engineering, finance or law that would prove useful in co-op deliberations.

While longtime residents “may have a better understanding of the culture of the building,” she added, “they do not necessarily have a monopoly on good ideas.”

For those who are intimidated by the complex skill set required for building oversight, the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums offers seminars for new board members, and Habitat has an online platform called Habitat U. Some law firms, including Armstrong Teasdale, also offer their own classes. These programs focus on the governing documents, the board’s responsibilities, legal matters and finance and insurance basics.

Mr. Wurtzel’s advice to new directors is simple: “Listen and learn — and then speak your mind.”

We talked to five shareholders who recently joined their co-op boards and asked them to share their experiences. (Their responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.)

Sara Ansari, 36, pastry chef and translator

Neighborhood: Upper East Side

When she joined: May 2018

Size of board: Seven members

Size of building: 100 units

Why did you join?

I’m into politics and community activism, and I liked the idea of participating in this little micro-democracy.

Did you have to campaign?

It was between me and one other person. It was scary for me because I don’t like public speaking, and two days before the election I was informed that we would have to stand up in front of the shareholders’ meeting and present ourselves.

How much of a time commitment has it been?

Last year, it was a lot of time. We were inspecting the facade, and I needed to understand building ventilation and how the exterior walls were constructed. And because the facade repair coincided with the terrace restoration, I had to call the roofing company to learn about waterproof membranes, and paver companies to learn about how much heat is retained and reflected by different materials.

The biggest challenge for me has been getting up to speed on the complexities of running a building in New York City, and becoming conversant in real estate issues, as we have several street-level commercial spaces. Also tax issues and a number of complex financial issues. You have to wear so many hats. A lot of it has been trial by fire.

What surprised you?

What was shocking and eye-opening was the annual shareholders’ meeting. That was much more contentious than I’d anticipated.

What advice do you have for others?

In the beginning, my impulse was to think, “I’m the youngest and newest to the building … is it even acceptable to put myself forward and say I’d like to help?” It’s a little bit compounded by being a woman. I think you have to override that feeling. I really mean this: Everyone’s perspective is really valuable, including your own.

Justine Champine, 29, fiction writer

Neighborhood: West Village

When she joined: February 2019

Size of board: Six members

Size of building: 14 units

Why did you join?

There would be sudden water shutdowns and other inconveniences, and I had no idea why these things were happening or when they would happen. I joined and realized that everything was going on in these meetings.

Did you have to campaign?

Because it’s a small building, anyone can join.

What kinds of decisions do you make?

It is an older historic building, built in the mid-1800s, that needs a lot of specific attention and upkeep. It’s not just, “Who can do this for the right price?” but “Who is qualified to work with something so old?”

How have your ideas been received?

I’m the youngest by far, and I feel like I’m picking up everything as I go along. Everyone else has much more experience. But they take me seriously.

Has it been a good experience?

I like it a lot more than I thought I would. As a fiction writer, I love listening to people’s stories. It’s a constant revolving door of the tiny fascinating issues of this microenvironment that I live in.

What surprised you?

I was surprised by just how long things really do take, the process of selecting new companies to provide services to us and getting things rolling. I always found it frustrating, but now that I’m on the board I can see why the process has so much inertia.

What advice do you have for others?

Even if things have been done one way for decades, it won’t help to assume that they can’t change radically, even faster than you think. The change you can effect may be bigger than what you can imagine.

Julia Keinan, 26, financial analyst

Neighborhood: Rose Hill

When she joined: December 2018

Size of board: Five members

Size of building: 16 units

Why did you join?

The board approached me about it. One reason I agreed was that I wasn’t happy that they raised the maintenance fee. I wanted to be part of that conversation.

How have your ideas been received?

They expect me to have opinions on these conversations that I’ve never been a part of before: whether this unit can be combined with that unit, what are the laws involved. It’s empowering that they value my opinion so much, but I definitely have had to be like, “I have to look this up and get back to you.”

How much of a time commitment has it been?

Everyone has very busy lives, and our president lives out of state, so we don’t actually meet that often — just two or three times since I joined. We have a group text that is always buzzing, an email thread that is a little bit less active and a few conference calls.

What surprised you?

We are self-managed to save money, and I didn’t think there would be quite so many decisions happening all the time. I knew that we would have to interview potential tenants, but I wasn’t quite sure how much detail went into it. Once, a mattress had been left outside, and we had to figure out what to do with it because it was disposed of illegally. Even getting paint colors picked for the doors, it’s a big discussion.

What advice do you have for others?

Maybe talk to a few members of the current board to really understand what you’re getting into. I’m happy that I’ve done it, but I really didn’t know what I was getting into.

Alan Law, 37, software developer

Neighborhood: Hell’s Kitchen

When he joined: October 2016

Size of board: Seven members

Size of building: 20 units

Why did you join?

At the annual meeting, a couple of shareholders announced that they didn’t want to do it anymore. They were looking around the room in silence to see if anyone wanted to join the board. People weren’t exactly scrabbling to fight over a seat. It was an ad hoc decision, on a whim.

How have your ideas been received?

I’m kind of analytical; I like looking at numbers. When the intercom system was starting to have issues, we debated replacing it with a digital system that was voice-only or a video intercom system, which was more expensive. I made the case that the video intercom only added $30 to $40 per shareholder; in the life span of the system, that wasn’t that much for a very modern improvement. We went with the video system.

Also, the carpet in the front hallway gets a lot of wear and tear, and it gets gross during the winter. It’s something I personally hated. I brought that up to the board, and there was a debate, because people thought it would be noisy without it. Finally, we removed it and kept it as exposed tile.

How much of a time commitment has it been?

The meetings end pretty quickly, half an hour to an hour. Because the co-op is in good condition and generally people are pretty happy, there’s no real need to have a long conversation.

Has it been a good experience?

To be honest, it might be a little selfish for me. If I don’t like the temperature or the way the hallways look, it’s easier for me to propose changes on the board than calling up the management company and asking them to change it, because they still have to go through the board.

Monu Singh, 43, labor lawyer

Neighborhood: Yorkville

When she joined: March 2019

Size of board: Seven members

Size of building: 56 units

Why did you join?

I’d just moved in and was interested in learning more about how a building is operated and taken care of. I also liked the idea of being able to contribute to my community.

Did you have to campaign?

Seven of us ran on a slate. I got up at the annual meeting and gave a little speech. I wasn’t kissing babies and shaking hands; I wasn’t debating.

What kinds of decisions do you make?

For the past few years, we’ve had a spate of young families moving in, and their needs or wants may be different from somebody who doesn’t have kids. Should we have more toys so the kids can play? Should we have a whole play area? How do we make that happen while staying within the constraints of our budget?

Has it been a good experience?

When you’re looking to buy an apartment in New York City, you hear all kinds of horror stories about boards, how they’re cloaked in mystery and you don’t know whether they’ll let you into the building. I’ve found it to be a very rewarding experience.

What advice do you have for others?

You have to be prepared to do research, get quotes from vendors, run numbers and talk to people. Nothing is going to change unless you pick up the ball and move it.

Jonathan Vatner is the author of “Carnegie Hill,” a novel about an Upper East Side co-op published by Thomas Dunne Books in August 2019.

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