#listen I know there’s a lot of controversy surrounding South Park

[yourfavehaskenergy]

Randy Marsh from South Park.

Randy Marsh from South Park has Kenergy!

[girlreviews]

Review #46: Graceland, Paul Simon

It makes sense to do Graceland next, right? Ha. You might think I’m gonna fucking rip on it after that last post but I did say I loved it, and I do.

Here’s the thing: I think Paul Simon is a twerp. I could write a white paper on his ego and pretentiousness. That ego and pretentiousness would factor into whatever section that covered the controversy surrounding the production and creation of Graceland. That’s a nuanced discussion. He’s still a twerp.

However, he’s a twerp that made a damn near perfect album on this occasion. I’m going to have to keep myself in check or this review will itself turn into a white paper. Simon recorded some of the album with South African musicians including The Boyoyo Boys and Ladysmith Black Mambazo in Johannesburg, and remaining parts in the US with other guest artists like Linda Ronstadt and The Everly Brothers (!!). Unlike his previous work, since he had always been a singer-songwriter type, the music came first and the lyrics came last. This, is SO fascinating to me, because the lyrics are two things in Graceland:

One: Completely disconnected from the sound of the music behind them compared to the lyrical content, which I have always thought just somehow works. Songs about Memphis, songs about New York City, but sung over South African street music.

Two: Absolutely stunning. Masterful. Some of the best to ever be written and sung. I will have a lot of trouble not quoting entire verses. And I don’t always feel this way about Paul Simon. Sometimes I think he misses in a big way. He just didn’t on this record.

I’m going to start with Graceland itself. Make no mistake: this song brought my ass to Tennessee. It did. I listened to this record more in the year preceding my decision to move back to the US more than any other. So much so that I got banned from playing it in my office (true!). Consciously or not, when the time came for me to decide what the fuck to do with my life, I was hearing “I’m going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, for reasons I cannot explain, there’s some part of me that wants to see Graceland”. I actually have never been to Graceland. Well I have, I’ve been to the parking lot and the gift shop. But that’s it. I’m not paying that much money to look at some weirdos weird lair. You’re never going to get me to care about Elvis like that. Anyway, I digress. This song breaks your heart. Knowing your love doesn’t love you anymore. Everyone seeing directly inside your totally deconstructed heart and soul looking at the ruins of your future. What do you do to recover from that but hit the fucking road? Accompanying those soul crushing lyrics is a guitar riff that feels like how tears feel. It sounds like you’re in a bath tub and you go under for a minute. It’s under water. And that’s exactly right. It hurts so good.

Next! Oh my god, I want to say my favorite but this is one of those where they’re all my damn favorite. I Know What I Know. Firstly, this is the wittiest Paul Simon has ever been:

“She looked me over and I guess she thought I was alright

Alright in a sort of a limited way for an off night”

But he then describes her as moving so easily “all he could think of was sunlight”, and that’s pretty fucking special. I can’t lie. You could be a twerp but with talk like that, if you were a little funny, and you could sing pretty songs, yeah maybe plenty of women would give you the time of day. Maybe the ego makes sense. This song also reminds me of a former boss, who was actually from South Africa. He just sung the last words of each line, because they were really pronounced “moooooney”, “fuuuuuunny”, and it was annoying as hell. Probably because he was a real racist piece of shit, and one day when I really just told him I had nothing left in me and thought I might kill myself, mans looked me dead in the eye and told me to “pick a different thought and just keep showing up for work”. Money. Funny.

Moving on, there’s this chaotic accordion in Gumboots. I don’t really know how to single out any of the lyrics, but I’ll pick “I said hey señorita, that’s astute I said, why don’t we get together and call ourselves an institute”(the fuck???? Come on! I want to be mad at it, but it’s just the right damn side of the line where he’s not high on its own supply, it just is really that good). It’s a vocal performance for sure. It’s witty again. It’s conversational. It’s confusing. It’s unresolved. There’s joyful happy percussion and trumpets backing that up. It doesn’t make a damn bit of sense and yet it works perfectly.

I can’t get into every other song because they’re all amazing. But a poor boy is “empty as a pocket” in Diamonds of the Souls of Her Shoes. There’s a “roly-poly little bat faced girl” in You Can Call Me Al. In Crazy Love, Vol. II, “the fire in your life” is “all over the evening news”. I really can’t cope with it all.

Here’s my two stories. They’re good ones, too. Like I said, I really got to know this record in 2012, when I found it in the charity shop across from my shitty apartment at my shitty job that ruled my shitty life. I found so many good ones there (Joni!). I listened to it non-stop. Got banned from listening to it. Did it anyway, etc. Wouldn’t you know, it was the 25th anniversary of it being released? Paul Simon toured that year, with all of the original musicians. I saw it. My life was a disaster, and I was miserable all told. The people largely responsible for the misery bought tickets for everyone but me, knowing how much I loved it. But I was given VIP passes by my former housemate who worked for Columbia Records, because yeah! Sometimes you catch a break! I know in spite of all of the misery and pain of that time that felt all consuming, there was a sunny day in Hyde Park where I saw this album performed from start to finish by the original musicians. I wore a cute leopard print dress and have a picture from that day with my very dear friend Sophie, and I can see in my eyes that I was happy. He threw in some other classics too. Even some Simon and Garfunkel. I got drunk. I was in the moment. I was the roly-poly little bat-faced girl. Whatever that means. For me it means I was happy.

Fast forward a year, I moved to Tennessee. Fast forward a few more years from there. I’m married to a man who works for a nice couple who happen to be South African. One Saturday I stop in to see him at work, and he says “Hey girlreviews, I need to introduce you to someone”. That someone was a tall, slender, aging white man that I recognized from a documentary I had watched some months ago. He had a lovely South African accent. My husband tells me, “he worked on Graceland”. I didn’t know what to say, but I shook his hand and told him how much I loved the record and how special it was. I was so overwhelmed I don’t even recall his name without rewatching the documentary, or what role he played in the making of the album.

Brb, crying about that guitar sound for the 87546490075734643th time. If you’ve never heard a guitar under water, all you have to do is get in your car, put on Graceland and head to Memphis. Only the putting on Graceland part is actually required.

[littlewalken]

Don't liberate my baby

I'll tell you what, when I'm under stress my true character comes out and it's getting mighty tired of folks out there trying to tell me what I should and shouldn't read/watch/eat/whatever.

When y'all start sounding like the people on the other side of the fence I'm not going to listen to either of you.

I'm the one letting their youngins read the banned and controversial books, that are age appropriate and at their reading level, them making them write a book report or having a discussion about the book to see if they understood what it was generally about. If they didn't finish the book because they didn't like it we're going to talk about that too.

Fucking school ruined Treasure Island for me, the only one I've paid any attention to is the Muppets version which I suspect is one of the better adaptations, and along with the personal traumas surrounding the Oliver musical (later) and being sick of anything Scrooge the only version of anything I can remember is the animated furry very loose adaptation of David Copperfield. You know that if you've seen it.

If you keep telling kids they can't read something they're going to go out of their way to read it and they might not understand what they read and get bad ideas from it off the internet.

Let me guess, a lot of y'all haven't seen the South Park episode Proper Condom Use but I can bet some of your kids being babysat by a screen have.

~insert Pete Townshend's story about how he came to write Won't Get Fooled Again here~ unless of course you don't listen to old white men who translate their life experiences into food for thought.

[kingk8art]

hetalia rant

pls ignore how I won't use any proper punctuation or capitalization because my arms and fingers all hurt from volleyball :( Edit: My arm’s are better now so I’m actually using proper capitalization and punctuation (special thanks to my friends for proofreading and also Google autocorrect.) Special thanks to my friend for helping me out with writing this.

so i'm one of those people who joined the hetalia fandom like REALLY late, having first watched the anime in like 2017 or 18. Nevertheless, when I heard about how the anime was coming back in 2021 I was really excited!! I’ve been reading world stars lately but there’s just something in the hetalia anime that made me love it so much. the voice acting and how it’s animated and everything, it really brings the characters to life! out of curiosity I searched up hetalia on twitter. keep in mind that i’m pretty new to the fandom so i never really got to see the shipping wars, or really any toxic part of the fandom, since i wasn’t there when hetalia was at its peak.

What i saw was really different from what i expected to see. I kinda expected twitter threads hyping up the new season, or things like that but most of ones I found in the top section were hate comments about hetalia, and things about why it shouldn’t come back. I was reading these and I was like, wait why? Some of them actually made sense, and the others had flawed logic. Here are my rants on why hetalia ISN’T anti-Semitic or problematic (as of now).

Misconceptions About Hetalia

1. Hetalia is About Nazi Germany or the Holocaust

If you’ve actually watched the show/read the manga, it’s quite obvious that although some of the events take place during WW2, it never mentions Hitler, Nazis, the Holocaust, or anything like that. and there’s a good reason for it. In the first place, hetalia isn’t meant to be a serious comic. The manga only focuses on subjects like funny things that happened to historical figures/occurrences during a war, weird inventions; generally those kinds of things. It focuses on the cultural differences between countries, or wholesome moments in history (such as when two enemies stopped fighting on Christmas day to play soccer.) Hetalia itself is antiwar. Consider the main character himself: he absolutely hates fighting. I don’t see how hetalia can be anti-Semitic or pro-war at all. But what I will say is fucked up are those certain cosplayers that did the Nazi salute, posed in front of a Holocaust memorial, etc. But I can still guarantee that the MAJORITY of the fandom is not like this. Every single fandom has its bad apples, some more than others. It’s not right to generalize the entire fandom as anti-Semitic, racist, disrespectful shits.

Do people realize that Germany’s character in Hetalia isn’t Nazi Germany?  In the first place the Holocaust wouldn’t be Germany’s responsibility — the depictions of these characters are meant to portray the people as a whole, not their systems of law or government. It’s stated in the series that nations MUST obey orders from their “boss” (which probably refers to the country’s ruler, president, prime minister, or other leaders at the time. Nations can’t choose what their superiors do, or what those under that control do. Saying Germany is humanized Nazi Germany is like putting that label on all German people without considering factors like time period or representation. Hetalia characters are a mere representation of each country’s people, nothing else.

How does mentioning WW2 in a comedy make it offensive? There are PLENTY of movies, novels, and other kinds of media that take place in WW2 and yet are in the comedy genre. Ever watched Jojo Rabbit? If you thought Hetalia was offensive, have you ever watched South Park or looked at CountryHumans? I do get why some people dislike Hetalia, but why does it receive so much hate for something that was never in the series (or generally speaking, for the wrong reasons)? It may have flaws, but there’s a strong definition to what those flaws actually are. It doesn’t revolve around antisemitism or Nazism. 

2. Hetalia is Racist and Stereotypes People

Now this is a pretty controversial topic. Being a comedy about personified countries, stereotypes are really something that HAS to be used at some point to make the characters funny. But does that automatically make it racist? No. I saw this on a YouTube video comment section somewhere, but stereotyping (generalizing) that all stereotypes are ‘bad’ (or have negative connotations/associations) is literally stereotyping. Not all of the stereotypes are bad. Like the way Britain acts like a gentleman or likes drinking tea, which in a way, is a British stereotype. That’s not a bad thing, just funny to see in the show — played for comedy purposes, and not necessarily offensive.

Although Hetalia characters are sometimes influenced by stereotypes that revolve around the actual countries and represent the people in general, they DO NOT always represent what those country’s people are actually like. Also, I’m pretty sure the point of comedy about personified countries is to use some of those generalizations. Specifically, stereotypes that the Japanese have about foreigners. France is portrayed as a flirty man because in Japan France is known for being a “romantic country.” But that doesn’t mean that they think all French people are like that — it’s just a lighthearted joke. And now, Hetalia characters have grown to be more of their own character rather than simply a humanized country at its base. Despite being a personification, they’re like their own person, not just used to depict stereotypes. Just because a character has a certain personality trait doesn’t mean Hima believes that everyone from that country has the same trait. It’s not meant to be racist, and isn’t. 

What I Think Was/Is Problematic

As much as I love this show, there were DEFINITELY some problematic things that people tend to ignore.

1. Korea Controversy

As a Korean American, I have to say that I was quite disappointed when I learned about how Hima portrayed Korea in the manga. I won’t go that deep into this one since it’s not that relevant to what I'm talking about now, but it was definitely a HUGE problem and I’m glad that he was removed from the series.

2. Iron Cross on Germany

The iron cross that Germany wears in Hetalia (in every time period) is a military decoration that was used since the King of Prussia until the time period of Nazi Germany in WW2. Today, it’s considered a hate symbol, similar to and alongside the swastika. To be fair, it wasn’t just a decoration used purely for the Nazis, unlike several other examples of Nazi symbols and memorabilia, so I suppose it could be up to each person to judge whether it should pass or not, despite the surrounding circumstances — it isn’t up to me as part of the fanbase. But personally, I think it should have been removed/not used in the first place. I mean, it wasn’t that necessary, seeing all of the military uniforms drawn in Hetalia were simplified anyways. Perhaps it would be much less problematic if Hima didn’t draw the iron cross, and the same goes for the other presented issues.

3. Japanese Imperialism

The way Hima portrays Japanese Imperialism was pretty offensive in my opinion. An instance is the presentation of the Japanese invasion of Korea. It wasn’t just like how the colonies were under Great Britain’s rule. It limited much more of Koreans’ rights and was much more gruesome. I don’t know about anyone else and can’t speak for each individual, but as a Korean, portraying all of this as Japan merely patting Korea on the  head is fucked up. This ties to the controversy of Korea’s character. From what I’ve seen, Hetalia is pretty close to a rightist (in Japan, not the US) series. I won’t dive too deep into that, but rightist — or in Korean, 우익 — animes are animes that glorify their country’s past/country, or  use content to make fun of or criticize other nations. Actually, it’s probably much more complicated than that, but as of now I don’t know much about it. It mostly ties to the tension between Koreans and the Japanese, so if you’re not either, there’s not really much to worry about. But (maybe because I’m Korean) I found it weird that the manga seems to give every single character a bad/negative characteristic except Japan. I guess it’s only natural, since the creator is Japanese. But then again, France was basically drawn as a rapist/pedophile, but I have never seen a French person complain about it. Or maybe they just completely avoid Hetalia? If anyone knows about it, I would be glad to listen. Perhaps it’s just a bias that I have as a Korean. It could also be a cultural difference too, since we tend to be very patriotic.

4. The Title: Axis Powers

Although the main character is Italy, and the story revolved (emphasis on the past tense) around the 3 countries that were part of the Axis, Hima should have been more considerate with the title of the show, thinking about what the Axis Powers actually did during WW2. Just “Hetalia” would have been fine. But it also should be considered that when Hima started drawing the manga, he did not expect it to become a long-term thing or for it to blow up so much. Thankfully, only the first two seasons of the anime were titled as Hetalia: Axis Powers, and later seasons were titled more acceptable things, like World Stars (manga) or The Beautiful World.

5. Seychelles

Personally I don’t find a problem with there not being that many African/South American countries in the show. Africa’s country borders (and all of that related material) were very different from what they are today, and it would be really fucking hard for Hima to keep track of all of those while still writing good characters. And unlike Europe, Africa’s history was not transcribed much, and is a lot less-known. The problem with Seychelles was her skin color, which wasn’t accurate. But that’s since been fixed.

Is Hetalia Really Problematic?

My most straightforward answer for this question would be no, it is not problematic as of now. Something I realized while listing all of the aspects of Hetalia that I personally thought were wrong to put in was that most of them don’t exist anymore. Besides Germany’s iron cross, all of them were removed from the show. Korea was banned from the anime, and he no longer appears in any of the manga strips. The manga strays further and further away from topics like Japanese Imperialism or WW2. Most of the time in the manga, countries do not wear their military uniforms anymore, but stick to more casual clothes. The characters stray further away from stereotypes that Hima used to use as a comedic effect when he first started drawing. My point is: Hima learned his mistakes. Which only makes sense, considering all of the criticism he probably received when the series first started. I think that’s a good thing. Now back to what I was ranting about earlier. I don’t get why people are saying Hetalia shouldn’t come back! The new season is most likely going to be based off the most recent Hetalia manga series, which is Hetalia World Stars. If you’ve ACTUALLY READ THE MANGA AND DIDN’T JUDGE THE ENTIRETY OF HETALIA BASED ON ITS FIRST FEW SEASONS, you would know what World Stars is about. It’s about all sorts of things. My personal favorite strips are the ones about ancient Rome! It’s not just drawn to give readers a laugh but it actually teaches you some history. Other than Rome, the manga is also about the trends of clothes in certain countries/time periods, industrial revolutions, or just the interactions between the characters in general. I really don’t see how animating these would be harmful at all. The subjects don’t revolve around what a lot of opposers say/negatively connotate the series with. If you think bringing Hetalia back is a terrible thing to do because the fandom would return and start doing toxic/weird things, I really don’t know how to respond to that. The fandom already died out around the time the last season was released. Now newer fans will come around, and the former fans would return (hopefully) matured up. It's already been 5 years since the last Hetalia season aired, after all. And like I said earlier, toxic fans never represent the entire fandom. If you really hate the fandom that much, I recommend not getting involved at all.

[travelsnaz]

It’s been a (long) while.

Well. It’s 2019. Looks like the last post I made here was in 2016 sooo there is a lot to catch up on...it’s kind of overwhelming.

The long and short of it is that I stayed in NZ for a total of 6 years and truly loved every moment. New Zealand is an absolutely stunning sliver of earth and I fell head over heels.

Today (coincidentally) marks my 1 year anniversary of being back in the USA. I moved to Seattle one year ago for a kiwi company with an office here. The irony of life, right?

The Pacific Northwest is a gorgeous part of the states and I’ve truly enjoyed getting to know the area (particularly the great outdoor parts).

After 1 year in NZ I wrote a short tribute aka poem about Aotearoa, that I am going to re-share now since it’s kind of amazing. Can I continue this tradition for a tribute to Seattle? Challenge accepted.

Title: POET AND DON’T EVEN KNOW IT?

girl with backpack arrives in a foreign land a few bucks in her pocket, crap travel guide in hand no idea where she’s going (or even where she’s been) she reaches a backpackers; uncovering within a cozy private yoga studio, helloooo, WIN

instantly enraptured by the beauty of enzed’s scenery she treks volcano after volcano, summit views of endless greenery from one cuppa to another, the the kiwi life seeps in relaxed nature, laid-back attitude (and beers in the chilly bin!)

auckland pleases but she wants more - so to the north she goes (keen to explore) 90 miles (ish) of sparkling beaches and crystal waters delight plus kayaking, biking, tramping and fishermen everywhere in sight

northland: a land of sheer abundance, there’s nothing you cannot procure avos? kiwifruit? bananas? macademias? (oh, rest assured!) greeted with pure generosity and beaming with appreciation she welcomes the wonders of kina, feijoas and authentic fish n chips (did someone say…staycation?)

but with time the traveller’s itch reemerges and back to the south she ventures (on a car, she splurges) kerikeri, paihia and whangerei ensue an old stone building, controversial treaty and picaresque waterfall in view

down she goes with a stop in hamilton to enjoy the vibrant expanse of florets then to waitomo for dark caves, glow worms, twisting roads (while listening to 1984 cassettes) entering the taranaki region, her breath is taken away instantly the grandeur of the mountain dazzles contrasting black sands and sparkling sea

and so, for now, in new plymouth city she rests stealing glances toward the mountain at any request summer’s finally arriving (it was worth the wait) surrounded by tip-top, surfers and jandals - SWEET AS, mate

Title: I live here now?

After six years spent in oceania’s paradise The girl was in love, but still enticed By a new opportunity, back in the USA This time to the pacific northwest, I daresay 

They call it a wonderland, could it be true? An October move, I remember only darkness & dew “Sunlight, I miss you” is constantly top of mind Mother-in-law basement units, could be a crime In Seattle at least - as each drop of sunlight is treasured “Wait for summer” they say, as I roll my eyes, displeasured And then..May arrives and sunlight bursts at the seams Of this brand new city I hardly recognize, agleam

Countless national parks to hike and explore A bike ride around Rainier, now I’m done for Never-ending summer days with activities jam-packed We’re entering October again ... I’m ready for a nap

[transracialqueer]

Five Potential Side Effects of Transracial Adoption

by Sunny J Reed

A trans- anything nowadays is controversial, but one trans- we don’t hear enough about are transracial adoptees. This small but vocal population got their title from being adopted by families of a different race than theirs — usually whites. But adoption, the so-called #BraveLove, comes with a steep price; often, transracial adoptees grow up with significant challenges, partly due to the fact that their appearance breaks the racially-homogenous nuclear family mold.

I am transracially adopted. My work is an outgrowth of my experience, research, and conversations with other members of the adoption triad; that is, adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents. This piece is a response to the misunderstandings and assumptions surrounding transracial adoption, and I hope it brings awareness to some rarely-discussed side-effects of the practice. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, by any means, these are just a few of the struggles that many transracial adoptees grapple with on a daily basis.

1. Racial Identity Crises, or “You Mean I’m Not White?”

Racial identity crises are common among transracial adoptees: what’s in the mirror may not reflect which box you want to check. I grew up in a predominantly white town that barely saw an Asian before — let alone an Asian with white parents. Growing up, I’d forget about my Korean-ness until I’d pass a mirror or someone slanted their eyes down at me, reminding me that oh yeah, I’m not white.

There’s a simple explanation for this confusion: “As members of families that are generally identified as white,” writes Kim Park Nelson, “Korean adoptees are often assimilated into the family as white and subsequently assimilated into racial and cultural identities of whiteness.”

Being raised in an ethnically-diverse area with access to culturally-aware individuals would help keep external reactions in check, but still belies the race-based role you’re expected to play in public. Twila L. Perry relates an anecdote illustrating the complexities of being black but raised in a white family:

“A young man in his personal statement identified himself as having been adopted and reared by white parents, with white siblings and mostly all white friends. He described himself as a Black man in a white middle-class world, reared in it and by it, yet not truly a part of it. His skin told those whom he encountered that he was Black at first glance, before his personality-shaped by his upbringing and experiences-came into play.”

Positive racial identity formation might be transracial adoption’s greatest challenge since much of the dialogue related to race and color begins at home. Multiracial and interracial families sometimes have difficulties finding the language to discuss this problem, so it’s an uphill climb for transracial parents (Same Family, Different Colors is a great study on this).

Parents can begin by talking openly about their child’s race. Acknowledging differences is not racist, nor does it draw negative attention to your child’s unique status in your family. Instead, being honest about it places your child on the path to self-acceptance.

2. Forced Cultural Appreciation (à la “Culture Camps”)

Picture culture camp like band camp (no, not quite the band camp talked about in American Pie). The big difference is that, unlike band camp, culture camp expects you to learn heritage appreciation in the span of just one week instead of how to better tune your trumpet. Sometimes adoption agencies sponsor such programs, designed to immerse an adoptee in an intense week or two of things like ethnic food, adoptee bonding, and talks with real people of your race, as opposed to you, the poseur.

These camps often get the side-eye — and rightfully so. Critics argue that “fostering cultural awareness or ethnic pride does not teach a child how to deal with episodes of racial bias.”

Much like part-time church-going does little in the way of earning your way to the Pearly Gates, once-yearly visits with people that look like you won’t make you a real whatever-you-are. I know culture camps aren’t going away, so a better solution would be using these events as supplements to whatever you’re doing at home with your child, not as the sole source of heritage awareness. And yes, racial self-appreciation should be a lifelong project.

3. Mistaken Identities -aka — “I’m Not the Hired Help”

Transracial adoptees’ obvious racial differences provoke brazen inquiries regarding interfamilial relationships. Having “How much did she cost?” and “Is she really your daughter?” asked over your head while being mistaken for your brother’s girlfriend does not contribute to positive self-image. It publically questions your place in the only family you’ve ever known, setting the stage for insecure attachments and self-doubt.

Mistaken identities aren’t just awkward, they’re insulting. Sara Docan-Morganinterviewed several Korean adoptees regarding what she describes as “intrusive interactions,” and found that “participants reported being mistaken for foreign exchange students, refugees, newly arrived Korean immigrants, and housecleaners. [One adoptee] recalled going to a Christmas party where someone approached her and said, ‘Welcome to America!’”

Obvious racism aside, transracial adoptees often find themselves having to validate their existence, which is something biological children are unlikely to face. Docan-Morgan suggests that parents’ responses to such interactions can either reinforce family bonds or weaken them, so expecting the public’s scrutiny and preparing for it should be a crucial piece in transracial adoptive parent education.

4. Well-Meaning, Yet Unprepared Parents

Sure, they’ll be issued a handy guide (here’s one from the 1980s) on raising a non-white you, but beyond a few educational activities and get-togethers with other transracial families, they’re on their own (unless online forums count as legitimate resources).

Some parents may good-heartedly acknowledge your heritage by providing dolls and books and eating your culture’s food. Others may mistakenly adopt a colorblind attitude, believing they don’t see color; they just see people. But, as Gina Miranda Samuels says, “Having a certain heritage, being given books or dolls that reflect that heritage, or even using a particular racial label to self-identify are alone insufficient for developing a social identity.”

Regarding colorblindness, Samuels explains that it risks “shaming children by signaling that there is something very visible and unchangeable about them (their skin, hair, bodies) that others (including their own parents) must overlook and ignore in order for the child to be accepted, belong, or considered as equal.”

As mentioned in point #1 above, talking about color while acknowledging your child’s race in a genuine, proactive way can counteract these problems. This means white parents must acknowledge their inability to provide the necessary skills for surviving in a racialized world; sure, it might mean admitting a parenting limitation, but working through it together might help your child feel empowered instead of isolated. Talking to transracial adoptees — not just those with rosy perspectives — will be an invaluable investment for your child.

I’d also suggest that white parents admit their privilege. White privilege in transracial adoption is beautifully covered by Marika Lindholm, herself a mother of transracially adopted children. Listening to these stories, despite their rawness, will help you become a better parent. By acknowledging that you may take for granted that being part of a societal majority can come with dominant-culture benefits, you open your mind to the fact that your transracial child may not experience life in the same way as you. It doesn’t mean you love your adopted child any less — but as a parent, you owe it to your child to prepare yourself.

5. Supply and Demand

During the early decades of transracial adoption (1940–1980), racial tensions in the United States were so high that few people considered adopting black babies. People clamored for white babies, leaving many healthy black children aging in the system. (Sadly, this still happens today.) And since adoption criteria limited potential parents to affluent white Christians, blacks encountered near insurmountable adoption roadblocks.

Korea offered an easy solution. “Compared to the controversy over adopting black and Native American children,” says Arissa H. Oh, author of To Save the Children of Korea, “Korean children appeared free of cultural and political baggage…Korean children were also seen as free in another important sense: abandoned or relinquished by faraway birth parents who would not return for their child.”

After the Korean War, adopting Korean babies became a form of parental patriotism — kind of like a bastardized version of rebuilding from within. During this time, intercountry adoption fulfilled a political need as well as a familial one. Eleana H. Kim makes this connection as well: “Christian Americanism, anti-Communism, and adoption were closely tied in the 1950s, a period that witnessed a proliferation of the word “adoption” in appeals for sponsorship and long-distance fostering of Korean waifs and orphans.”

Although we’ve seen marked declines in South Korean adoptions, intercountry and transracial adoptions continue today, retaining some of their politically-motivated roots and humanitarian efforts. We need to keep this history in mind since knee-jerk emotional adoptions — despite the time it takes to process them — have serious repercussions for the children involved.

But we can make it better

None of this implies that transracial adoption is evil. Not at all. Consider this missive as more of a PSA for those considering adoption and a support piece for those who are transracially adopted. I’m aware that I’ll receive a lot of pushback on my work, and that’s okay. I’m writing from the perspective of what I call the “original transracial adoption boom,” and I consider myself part of one the earliest generations of transracial adoptees. Advancements in the field, many spurred by adoptees like myself, have contributed to many positive changes. However, we still have work to do if we’re going to fix an imperfect system based on emotional needs and oftentimes, one-sided decision making.

(source in the notes)

[lamarbuyshouses]

Beto Bets on the Border

Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald via AP

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Beto Bets on the Border

Will showing up with a high-minded call for border solidarity translate to the historic levels of Latino turnout that O'Rourke needs?

–

by Justin Miller August 24, 2018

After winning the Democratic primary for Beto O'Rourke's congressional seat, his friend and political ally Veronica Escobar, an exuberant former El Paso County judge, began planning a four-day “Border Surge” bus tour to spread the gospel of Beto in the Texas borderlands, where he struggled in the primary.

The goal of the tour, which wrapped up this week, was to knock on thousands of doors and kick off a fevered get-out-the-vote push that will increase Democratic voter turnout in the 32 border counties by 15 percent. That lofty feat would bring in 170,000 new votes and, Escobar hopes, help put O'Rourke over the top in November.

In order to come even close to winning, O'Rourke needs to do a hundred different things that Democrats have failed to do in the past. That includes achieving record levels of turnout in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the largest- and fastest-growing pockets of Latino voters in the nation - and an area notorious for low voter participation.

After years of Republicans (and some Democrats) using the U.S.-Mexico border as a punching bag for their war on immigration, O'Rourke and his allies are hoping that a high-minded call for border community solidarity from El Paso to Brownsville - 825 miles to the southeast - will resonate with voters.

Veronica Escobar, who will likely become the first Latina elected to Congress from Texas, has made increasing turnout for O'Rourke along the border her personal mission.  Justin Miller

With less than two months until early voting begins, O'Rourke's most recent campaign swing came with a sense of urgency.

The Observer tagged along with Escobar's “Border Surge” bus tour, which included rallies and blockwalking in Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville, to see what O'Rourke and his allies are doing to reach out to Latino voters and jumpstart turnout in one of the most crucial regions for statewide campaigns.

'He's the male Ann Richards'

Just weeks after launching his presidential bid by calling Mexicans “rapists,” Donald Trump flew to Laredo to preach about the dangers of illegal immigration and promote his border wall plan. Surrounded by a security detail, Trump claimed that he came to the Texas border city at great risk to his personal safety.

Three years later, Escobar and a busful of about 30 volunteers - mostly older women, all without a single bodyguard  - survived the harrowing 10-hour journey from El Paso to Laredo for the first stop in her “Border Surge” tour.

With the 100-degree heat lingering into the evening, hundreds of Laredoans flock into the Casablanca Ballroom to hear from O'Rourke as he makes his eighth trip through the city. “He's the male Ann Richards as far as charisma goes. And the South Texans loved Ann Richards,” former Webb County Judge Mercurio Martinez tells me. “He wins over every person he talks to.”

The statewide Democratic ticket has tagged along for O'Rourke's swing through Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville. They deliver a series of long-winded stump speeches like an amateur warm-up act killing time before the headliner, who's speeding down I-35 from an afternoon event in San Antonio.

You can feel the crowd turn electric when O'Rourke and his entourage enter the hall. He hangs off to the side, greeting supporters and taking photos as Cristela Alonzo, a comedian and TV star from Hidalgo County and Beto's travel companion through the Valley, warms up the crowd.

Then he jumps on stage and delivers a speech in his hallmark style - stream-of-consciousness, but remarkably coherent. He touches on everything from family separations, Dreamers and health care to veterans and ending ongoing wars to Trump's “collusion in action in Helsinki with Vladimir Putin.” He's often at his most candid when talking about growing up in El Paso and about the tragedy of family separations.

As a native El Pasoan and close friend of O'Rourke's for about 20 years, this campaign is personal for Escobar. “I feel that we are giving [the state] our best. He is a son of the border,” she says. But she worries about the prospect of O'Rourke losing because of dismal border turnout. Political analysts point to early indications that, even in the Trump era, Latino turnout is likely to dramatically fall off like it has in previous midterm cycles. And in a cycle that's focused on flipping suburbs, many Democratic groups have, once again, failed to prioritize Latino outreach. “Shame on us if that were to happen,” she says. “That would send a really terrible message to the White House, to state leaders, to Republicans, to all those who demonize us that we're OK with it and that it doesn't bother us.”

'This election could be decided by the person whose door you knock on'

On a steamy Saturday morning, O'Rourke climbs onto a stone ledge at a park in north Laredo to present to a crowd of about 60 volunteers his romantic belief in the power of blockwalking. “They may not see the TV ads that we've got running now, they may not hear the radio spot that might play on their way home from work. They will remember that you took the time this morning … to listen to them.”

Even as his campaign starts to ramp up more traditional modes of outreach, he has no intention of de-emphasizing this cornerstone of his DIY campaign. “In the closest Texas Senate election in decades … this election could be decided by the person whose door you knock on.”

O'Rourke's crowd sizes keep getting bigger with each pass through a town.  Justin Miller

Using Polis, the campaign's voter database app, which provides a real-time map of low-frequency Democratic voters, Escobar goes from house to house in Laredo's middle-class Hillside neighborhood. It takes a minute to get her bearings, briefly walking the wrong way as she tried to find a street. “This is the problem with door-knocking in a city you don't know,” she says. Another problem: It's hard to convince unlikely voters to vote when they don't answer the door. For the 45 minutes I tagged along, she knocked on about a dozen doors and got answers at only one or two. She'd leave a handwritten note, hoping that might help.

Tagging along with Escobar is Sergio Mora, a former Webb County Democratic Party chair. The enthusiastic crowd at last night's event makes him think change just might be afoot in Laredo. But is there any other evidence that voters are unusually fired up. He shrugs. “That's the big experiment this cycle.”

One El Paso volunteer tells me that most people who answered their doors in Laredo had never heard of O'Rourke and many had no intention of voting.  

'This is a powerfully sacred place to me'

The 150-mile stretch of remote highway between Laredo and McAllen has lots of big ranches, wind turbines and Border Patrol agents, but not much in the way of voters. The “Border Surge” bus skips past Zapata, Jim Hogg and Starr Counties, roaring on to Brownsville. Meanwhile, O'Rourke stops off for his sixth visit to McAllen, the seat of Hidalgo County. It's the epicenter of the Valley, where the number of registered voters has more than doubled since 2000 to about 330,000.

Several hundred supporters packed Cine El Rey, a downtown theater, to capacity with even more folks filing into the restaurant next door to watch him via livestream. O'Rourke tells reporters before his speech that the Valley often feels like the center of the universe to him. “This is a powerfully sacred place to me.”

While he's cast himself as an unsullied ally of the border, O'Rourke's voting record includes a wrinkle or two. Pressed by a local reporter on whether his controversial vote for an appropriations bill that put at risk the future of the local Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, he performed an uncharacteristic punt. He says he's “working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle. We're doing everything we can to stop that [from being constructed].”

With that, O'Rourke was whisked away by his aides.

'People always call Brownsville and the Valley 'the sleeping giant”

The hour-long drive through the suburban sprawl of chain restaurants and shopping centers between McAllen and Brownsville is a reminder of the Valley's rapid growth - even as climate change and urbanization put the Rio Grande at risk.

On the border by the Gulf, Brownsville is the heart of Cameron County. O'Rourke very nearly lost here to Sema Hernandez, an unknown Houston activist, and now needs the area to turn out for him in huge numbers. This is his sixth visit to Brownsville.

At his third and final event during his Valley swing, hundreds pile into the sweaty Tex-Mex Nightclub on a frontage road off Interstate 69 to hear O'Rourke deliver another barn-burner. Afterwards, as he wends his way through the crowd to get outside, greeting well-wishers and selfie-seekers, he emphasizes the importance of the RGV to his statewide strategy. “It's everything. It's everything,” ticking off how many times he's been to Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville and other Valley towns.

O'Rourke's rallies often feel like an alternate universe. People are filled with hope, their Texas cynicism washed away. It's a place where anything - a post-partisan reckoning, a surge in Valley turnout and yes, even a Democrat winning statewide - seems possible. Life is sweet at a Beto rally. But outside that bubble, the feeling can get quickly wiped away.

The Valley's elections are driven by an internecine political machine with a long history of corruption. Candidates lean heavily on politiqueras, who charge campaigns to turn out voters. His campaign has prided itself on doing things differently, and in the primary O'Rourke apparently declined to use them.

I asked whether he has any plans to use politiqueras for the general election. “We're getting behind those who are volunteering their time to knock on doors. There are some neighborhoods where the residents there don't have the luxury to knock on doors on a Saturday. They're working their second job or their third job,” he says. “If we can find paid staff in those neighborhoods who are gonna be able to knock on doors, who know their neighbors, we'll do that as well.”

O'Rourke hangs off to the side with volunteers from El Paso before his speech in Laredo.  Justin Miller

Vicente Martinez, a local activist and recent graduate of the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, is skeptical of a voting surge around here. “People always call Brownsville and the Valley 'the sleeping giant'” and wonder if now is when it will wake up, he says. “I heard that in elementary school and I heard that after Trump was elected.”

Is Beto doing enough to reach young people? Martinez smiles and points to the venue where the band is still playing. “Tex-Mex conjunto. That's not a millennial thing. … It's a little stereotypical.”

'The greatest candidate of our generation'

A powerful Gulf breeze sweeps through Tony Gonzalez Park, cutting the early morning's humid heat and rustling the palm trees that dot the park. Volunteers sip on coffee and munch on pan dulce as they get ready to hit the streets of Brownsville. Escobar grabs a bullhorn and introduces O'Rourke as “the greatest candidate of our generation.”

This is Day 22 of his relentless 34-day sprint around the state. Dressed in his black skinny jeans and white dress shirt, which he'll wash during a live-streamed laundromat trip a few hours later, O'Rourke delivers an energetic call to action. But the fatigue is evident in the bags forming under his eyes.

After his speech, he heads out to block walk in the surrounding Southmost neighborhood with State Representative Eddie Lucio III, a 39-year-old attorney whose father, Eddie Lucio Jr., serves in the Texas Senate. From there, he stops for a roundtable in Harlingen, eats a Tex-Mex lunch, does his laundry and drives the two hours north to Alice for a town hall.

O'Rourke hopes that an army of volunteers knocking doors will lead him to victory.  Justin Miller

Tony Martinez, the Brownsville mayor, says O'Rourke just might have the winning political formula, but admitted that “he's probably not as known [in Brownsville] as I'd like him to be.” To increase turnout by 15 percent in this county, O'Rourke needs to drive out 25,000 more voters than Democrats did in 2014.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. is one of the few not wearing a Beto T-shirt - he's facing an election fight in November and sports his own black-and-orange campaign shirt. He says that O'Rourke has injected a sense of urgency into the local politics and is doing the work that Democrats in the area have long neglected to do.

O'Rourke's multiple trips through the Valley seem to be moving the needle, Treviño says, at least a little bit. “I think we're going to surprise a lot of people. I like that we're just creeping up now and not gonna peak too early,” Treviño says.

Blockwalking as a duo in Los Fresnos, a small exurban town 30 minutes north of Brownsville, Treviño and Cameron County Clerk Sylvia Garza-Perez emphasize to residents that Beto is a Democrat and a fronteriza who is against family separations.

Luis Gonzalez, who voted for O'Rourke in the primary, was one of the few people who had heard of the El Paso congressman.  Justin Miller

Of those who answer their door, almost no one knows who O'Rourke is, but they politely listen, nod along and promise to vote.

Hanging out in his yard with his boxer, Luis Gonzalez was the only person who knew of O'Rourke, having voted for him in the primary. He's not so sure about any sort of surge and lamented the fact that O'Rourke seemed to focus on the bigger Valley hubs like Brownsville and McAllen. “What about the farm towns? Why isn't Beto coming here?” he asks.

'I don't believe it will happen organically'

At their last blockwalking event on a Monday morning, Escobar and her El Paso volunteers gathered at a park in a nice suburban neighborhood on the northside of McAllen, waiting for local volunteers to show up. Luciano Chano Garza, a local party activist, begins calling up more people to see if they could come out. Celia Hilber, an older woman who recently moved back to the Rio Grande Valley from Alabama, was one of the only other local volunteers there. “I may not be able to give much money, but I can give my time and effort,” she says after taking a team of El Pasoans to blockwalk.

With the help of people like Garza-Perez and Treviño, O'Rourke needs record levels of turnout in Cameron County.  Justin Miller

Danny Diaz started Cambio Texas with the sole purpose of increasing turnout in the lower Valley. The group hopes to target about 25 precincts in Hidalgo County -  where about a third of the population lives in unincorporated colonias - with especially bad turnout in 2014. But the group is still fledgling and doesn't have much in the way of money to fund a large-scale operation. He's talked to the state Democratic Party, but says they haven't committed any sort of funding.

That leaves O'Rourke's campaign trying to fill in the gaps. He's been running radio ads in the area for a while, opened up two campaign headquarters in the Valley and hired a cadre of local field organizers. But the campaign is still largely relying on volunteers to help with phone-banking and door-knocking.

“I don't believe it's a guarantee that [a border turnout surge] will happen. I don't believe it will happen organically. I don't believe that anger alone will fuel it. But we have one of the two components: an inspiring candidate,” Escobar says. “We need an army of field volunteers knocking on doors and spending the time with those voters who [would otherwise] stay home.”

Infographic sources: 2014 figures from the Texas Secretary of State, 2018 figures courtesy the Texas Tribune.

The post Beto Bets on the Border appeared first on The Texas Observer.

[therainroguefanfiction]

❉ 139 Dreams (Himchan Kim) Natural

📑 Table of Contents

Genre: Fluff, AU ☁

Word Count: 1,658 ☁

Pairing: Reader x Himchan ☁

World: B.A.P ☁

Author’s Note: This was written BEFORE the controversy surrounding him which, to my knowledge, has not been proven to be true or false.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ: *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: . ☁

You’re not sure why it happened, but you woke up early that morning having to rush to the bathroom. Your stomach was upset and had no issue letting you know by giving you violent diarrhea and eventually forcing you to throw up. Had you eaten something bad? Had the flu decided to pay you a visit? You didn’t have a clue. All you knew was that whatever it was, it had hit you like a ten-ton truck.

You did your best to fight it, trying to get some more sleep, but it wouldn’t be forgotten so easily. Your legs started to cramp, throbbing just enough to let you experience discomfort. It crawled up to your hips and you quickly realized that sleep would be nearly impossible. You tried listening to music, watching videos on YouTube, even browsing Tumblr, but none of it helped to ease you into dreamland.

You tossed and turned, catching five minutes of sleep at a time before having to rush back to the bathroom. As the hours ticked by, you started to feel more and more sick to your stomach until you were spewing violently into the trashcan.

Now, you prided yourself on your iron stomach and immune system, and you could only recall one memory of you throwing up in the past and that was brought on by a bad panic attack before you were out on the right medication for it. It was such a rare occurrence that it seemed almost dooming that you were throwing up now. We’re you really that sick? Was this the end?

You forced yourself to the kitchen to get a Pepsi, hoping that it would help settle your stomach, even just a little. On your way back to your room, however, your legs started to wobble and the room began to spin – it wasn’t long before you hit the ground, the soda spilling onto the tile of the kitchen.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ: *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: . ☁

Himchan pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building, sitting in his car for a moment to scan the area. It was raining outside, the air chilly as summer slowly transformed into fall.

He glanced at his phone, re-reading the text message from Junhong for the hundredth time. He was a perfectionist and every move he made was calculated, well thought out.

The message read: ‘Hyung, the mark is apartment 350 in the southwest building. I’ve scouted this place for months, and the owner always leaves the apartment at noon to visit the cat cafe, staying there for exactly two hours before returning home.’

He glanced at his watch. The time was twelve-thirty. His eyes scanned the parking lot once more, making sure it was empty before exiting the car. The rain gently bounced off his leather trench coat, the sound helping his mind to stay in a relaxed state.

He had done this a thousand times over, but there was always room for mistakes. He knew that well and made sure to remind himself of that. He ran for the stairwell, shaking out his coat once he was under the roof.

These apartments were fairly open, allowing anyone to come up without rhyme or reason. That made his job much easier, as did the fact that apartment 350 was located in the back corner. He remained hyper-aware of his surroundings as he approached the door, raising a fist to knock. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Junhong’s Intel, but he’d rather be safe than sorry. Spending twenty years behind bars for various robberies across the country was not something he was interested in.

He knocked again, ears listening for any sign of movement. When he picked up none, he pulled out a small black case the size of his hand, flipping it open to reveal several lock picking tools. It took him only a minute to twist the lock.

All the members of his crew had been trained to pick locks, it came with the territory, but Himchan was by far the fastest and most talented in that area.

His hand wrapped around the doorknob, twisting it until it clicked. As he slid the door open, he froze at what he found inside.

You were still sprawled across the floor, half your body on the cold tile of the kitchen while the other half rested on the tan carpet. What little bit of soda that hadn’t been soaked up by your clothes had made it halfway across the kitchen floor.

Himchan knew he should turn around and leave, but he had always been the more caring of his crew. It was his biggest weakness, and he couldn’t bring himself to leave you like that. He quickly shut and locked the door before approaching you, his gloved fingers pressing against your wrist. He sighed in relief when he felt your pulse.

Your face was flushed and you were breathing heavy, groaning softly every once in a while. He didn’t even have to touch your skin with his own to feel how heated your body was. Should he call an ambulance and then leave? What if you died in the time it took for the ambulance to get there? There was also the chance that they would find him suspicious and take him in for questioning.

‘No,’ he shook his head, ‘Out of the question.’

Gently rolling you onto your back, he slid his arms under your body and picked you up, heading down the hall. All of the doors were open, so it was easy for him to find your bedroom. He set you down on the bed and sighed, knowing he couldn’t leave you in your sticky, wet clothes. Chances are you would only get sicker.

Himchan felt uncomfortable undressing you, but he was professional about it, keeping his mind on the task at hand. Your underwear was dry, which he was thankful for, but his eyes did take in your beautiful skin, not covered by a bra. He was gentle ad he dressed you, taking his time so as not to disturb your rest.

Once you were tucked under the covers he headed into the kitchen to get a damp towel to rest on your forehead before he started to clean up the spilled soda. Taking care of others had always been ad natural to him as breathing and, despite being a well-known thief, he did care about the well being of others.

Once the kitchen was clean, he rifled through the fridge to make some chicken and rice. While the chicken was boiling, his phone vibrated in his pocket. The name ‘Yongguk’ flashed across the screen.

“Yeah?”

“Did it go South?’ Yongguk questioned.

Himchan glanced at his watch. He had been at the apartment for an hour now, no wonder the boss was worried. “I ran into something… unexpected.”

“Do you need backup?”

“No, I can handle it. I’ll return soon.”

“Be safe, Himchan.”

The line went dead and he hung his head, staring at the boiling water in the pot. How long did he intend to stay? He doubted you would be very welcoming if you found a strange man in your apartment. He decided he would wait for the food to finish cooking before leaving.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ: *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: . ☁

The smell of food drifted to your nose, luring you from your sleep. Your eyes fluttered open, stomach grumbling painfully. How could you feel so sick to your stomach but so hungry at the same time? You didn’t understand it, but it was miserable. Your entire body ached, from your toes all the way to your throbbing skull.

The red numbers on the clock read ten past three in the afternoon. What time was it when you were last awake? You couldn’t recall, your mind hazy. You slowly swung your legs over the side of the bed, pulling yourself to your feet. Your legs were still a bit wobbly and weak, but you felt stable enough to make it to the kitchen.

You clutched onto the wall for support, slowly inching towards the kitchen. The smell of boiled chicken got stronger, making your stomach do flips. You felt like you were starving, but at the same time, you were scared to eat anything.

Rounding the corner, you paused, rubbing at your eyes. Were you hallucinating now? A man stood in front of the stove, covered in black from head to toe. You could tell his body was toned through the tight sweater and jeans that hugged his body. If your face wasn’t already flushed from illness, you’d be blushing.

“Am I dead?” You suddenly asked, feeling your head swim as he spun around quickly.

Himchan mentally cursed, running over the various ways this scenario could pan out. His eyes scanned your red face, realizing that you were still very much sick. “You shouldn’t be out of bed,” he scolded, keeping his cool. If he acted like he belonged there, hopefully, you wouldn’t question it.

“I’m miserable,” you whined, lips tugging down. Why did that sad look tug at his heartstrings?

“I know,” he responded softly, cautiously approaching you. “It’ll pass, but you need to rest.”

You closed the distance, resting your head on his chest. His body tensed up at the contact, but you didn’t notice. “You’re warm,” you mumbled into the fabric.

He gently picked you up, carrying you back to your room and tucking you under the comforter.

“Are you my guardian angel?” You muttered, struggling to keep your eyes open.

Despite himself, Himchan smiled softly before pressing his lips to your warm forehead. “Yeah… I’m your guardian angel.”

“You’re really cute,” your voice was barely audible as you drifted off.

Himchan chuckled softly, sending Yongguk a quick text, ‘I won’t be returning tonight. Don’t worry, everything is under control.’

As bad as Yongguk wanted to send one of the other members to check on him, he trusted Himchan and, deep down, his instincts told him that the male was not in any danger.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ: *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: . ☁

📜 Read more by checking out my masterlist 📜

[stephanmasnyj-blog]

The Making of a Masterpiece: An Interview with Big Thief

Photos by Stephan Masnyj and Shay Mehr

Big Thief has been riding a steady wave of acclaim since the release of their debut record Masterpiece in 2016. Adrianne Lenker’s lyrics often center on large epiphanies found in small moments; finding out that no one can “kiss away my shit” in a car ride on “Paul,” or the first moment of falling in love at a diner in “Masterpiece.” These heartfelt stories are wrapped up in fuzzy rock songs that have kept listeners captivated for months, and we spoke to guitarist/ songwriter Buck Meek about the inspiration behind these songs, Big Thief’s experience at SXSW, and what we can expect from the band in 2017.

SM: If I'm correct this is your second SXSW in as many years; coming around this time does it feel any different from you guys? I know Masterpiece hadn’t been put out yet so there was a lot of buzz around the band and when the record came it seems like the band hit a new level of popularity. Does it feel different to be back?

BM: Definitely. As far as SXSW shows we were able to schedule our shows a little more specifically. Like all the shows we're playing this year I'm really excited about, whereas last year I feel like we were sort of paying our dues a little bit; you know just kinda playing where we could get [booked]. We played some awesome shows last year too but there were a few more shows that were filler in between the big ones. This year everything we're doing this year is really exciting and a little more high profile. Of course we're doing the Luck Reunion at Willie Nelson's Ranch which is a big honor. Rachel Ray's thing will be awesome too.

SM: It seems like for a lot of bands SXSW is a sort of "make or break" moment, and even from hearing what you said about last year it seems like you guys tried to take the opportunity to play anywhere that you'd be able to be heard. Did it feel like that the first time around? That this was your best shot at a big break?

BM: We try to never feel like that, no matter how big the show is. We try to visualize any night as just a basic show to our friends. That's a meditation that our band tries to maintain no matter what so I guess we looked at it like that.

SM: I guess that's a good way to remain even keeled throughout the process while other people can tend to make a big fuss about everything around you.

BM: Exactly. And I'm from Austin. I'm from Wemberly which is south of Austin and I petty cabbed SXSW like seven years in a row before we played it last year, so I was going into it really comfortable with the city and the layout and everything. There was no mysticism behind it for me which I think helped too.

SM: From your perspective was it strange to always work around the festival and for the first time be on the other side as one of those bands that it seems like everyone was talking about in the area?

BM: Yeah that was really exciting for me. To be on the inside looking out was really fun. And I love the energy there. For me it's a gathering... and of course there's a whole bunch of controversy about SXSW as a corporation and there always will be. But as a musician, being there surrounded by musicians feels really powerful; it almost feels like the gathering of our tribe. It's like seeing the vans everywhere, all the leather jackets and guitar cases. It's just really exciting you know?

SM:Yeah. I've never bee here myself but I was looking around and noticed a sign that said "Live band vehicle parking only" and I thought it was funny to see such a specific designation like that in a city.

BM: Yeah totally. It's so cool. It feels like a mass migration of our people.

SM: You guys are all from different areas of the country. I know you worked with Adrienne (singer/songwriter for Big Thief) on a few EPs before Big Thief started, but how did you guys come together as a collective group?

BM: Well I had actually gone to a five week summer program at the Berklee College of Music when I was 14 or 15 years old to study the guitar. I didn’t like my roommate, he was a punk (laughs). So I was sort of scoping out the scene looking for a roommate and I met this kid named Max at the cafeteria and we became fast friends. We ended up switching roommates so we could room with each other and spent the five weeks skipping every class and running around Boston eating Krispy Kreme donuts and making trouble. We became really good friends. Then he went back to Israel. This was before Facebook and we were kinda just teenagers; we lost touch basically and didn’t talk for ten years.

Around the time Adrianne and I were touring the duo stuff we were in Brooklyn and ran into Max on the street randomly. So I talked to him for the first time in ten years. And Adrienne and I at that time had just started to write more Rock and Roll songs, because before we had been playing acoustic music. She got this electric guitar and started writing songs and we knew we needed a band and we ran into max around that time and started playing in the basement and found a drummer (Jason Berger), who played drums on Masterpiece. We booked our own tour and went on a month-long tour of like house parties and stuff. And at the end of that tour we made Masterpiece. Our dear friend James engineered the record which was a big help. We basically just had no money and wanted to make a record and we asked James about it and he was really excited about it so he helped us. At the end of that session we had to part ways with Jason (the original drummer), and Jason knew all the material by heart from engineering the session and started playing drums in the band.

SM: It seems crazy that you would run into your friend on the street ten years later. That must’ve been the most fortuitous chance occurrence in some time.

BM: It was. And he had just moved to New York to play music again for the first time in forever and we needed a Bass player so it all worked out well. Very serendipitous

SM: Speaking of New York and Brooklyn; despite being from different areas and backgrounds you guys are still considered a "Brooklyn" band. Do you feel like that city and that scene has had a big impact on your development? I've heard that the scene there is shrinking in many senses and it's harder for artists to thrive. Do you feel that in any sense?

BM: I think thats BS. I think New York is - in all of my travels all over the world - I think thats the healthiest music community I've ever scene by far. The most thriving. Yeah, I think it's thriving and probably always will. Just the nature of that city; it's so big and there's so many creative communities and they all serve as these venn diagrams for each other. Every band is constantly expanding and contracting into one another; everyone I know has like ten bands and they’re always falling apart and going on tour and getting too big and moving to different cities. I think it's a very living organism. Maybe the bands in NY don’t last as long as they do in other communities because its such a thriving place and the organisms are constantly eating each other. But I do think it's very alive. It's [alive] on a more energetic level, it's like more alive and inspirational because... I dunno it's hard to explain. Because it’s so alive I think everyone that’s a part of it is very inspired. Almost to the point where sometimes it can go too far in the sense that people's attention span can become very short with it. But it's powerful.

SM: I feel like NY has this restless energy where everyone is constantly moving 100 miles a minute, so I can imagine that would translate to an artist community where you have all of these people having so many ideas and almost busting at the seams trying to get them all out.

BM: Yeah. Like for me I can look at it from my perspective. I've been in NY for six years and it's like I moved there and I was a part of this band Moishe Circus. And then I started my own band for my songs, and as soon as that started cranking I started playing shows and building a scene. Then I started in Big Thief and that kind of overshadowed everything for a minute. When Big Thief had time off I would go back to my solo stuff. Then Adrianne and I started this little punk rock called Pencil that played a bunch of shows and started building this momentum. But ultimately Big Thief started touring really heavily. it's constantly expanding and contracting. I guess you could look at it as kinda tragic that all of these projects are falling by the wayside but its all part of the same movement. And everyone there seems to have that same experience. It can be really bittersweet. It can be really hard when we come back to New York after tour we like dip into this community that we're constantly in and out of now. it can be really sentimental.

SM: I can imagine it’s strange to come back to a community where you thought everything you knew was set is now totally different and people have changed, or come and gone and done other things. it's like a different place every time you come back

BM: Yeah. But it's never dead you know? It always just changes. That’s the way New York is. Neighborhoods are the same way. They're constantly eating each other.

SM: I’m curious to know how the writing process goes for you guys. Are the songs usually fleshed out by the time you hit the studio to record? Or do you sort of contribute your own parts as you're going through the recording process?

BM: It’s a little bit of both. With Masterpiece she had written most of those songs in the year or two prior to recording the record. She wrote a handful of them when we were just playing them as a duo. And then we put the band together and she wrote a handful more. And then “Interstate” was actually written in the van on the way to the studio. “Masterpiece” I think was written a couple of weeks before the recording session. We were at a little folk festival and Adrienne had just written that song on acoustic guitar. “Masterpiece” and “Interstate” were two songs we had never played before as a band until we got to the studio. Everything else I think we had been rehearsing a ton and playing during tour. A few things that we hadn’t even touched. Our producer Andrew Starlow who is one of our dearest friends was a big part of the arrangement process. Especially for the newer stuff like “Masterpiece”.

For example I think we started with the newer stuff during the recording process, because I think we just wanted to get in the zone. So we recorded “Vegas,” “Paul,” and “Real Love” first since we had pretty tight arrangements for those. And it went really smoothly. Towards the end of the session Andrew had heard “Masterpiece” being sung solo by Adrianne at some point. He had us all come out to the front porch where we recorded music. He had Adrienne teach us “Masterpiece” and the chords — but only by ear. He didn’t let us have our own instruments; he just had Adrianne sing us the song and we had to learn it by ear. After she played the song a few times, he had us repeat the chords like he was an elementary school teacher out loud like five times in a row. We went inside and we listened to Neil Young's "Danger Bird" on a studio super loud. And he had us go in and record it immediately without rehearsing it at all. I think we kept the second take. The first take there were a few errors but the second take was super fresh. But anyway the writing process is Adrienne is a songwriter and she always brings the song to the band and we hash out our parts together. Everyone brings their part to the table.

SM: I heard that you guys had a second record finished as far back as last year. Will that be coming out this year? Is it stylistically different than Masterpiece or in the same vein?

BM: Well I cant say too much about it yet, but we did start a record last year. We've had a lot of time to work on this one so we've been slowly finishing it. It should be coming soon in not too long.

SM: Is there anything listeners can look forward to on your tour this year? Is there new material being played live?

BM: We do have a ton of new material in the shows. We have been playing it all year. We were just in Australia and Adrianne just wrote us a new song there and we integrated it into our set. I think our set is becoming more dynamic. Masterpiece is super emotional and there’s a lot of heavy material on that record. A lot of our new stuff I feel like is maybe a little more ethereal or elegant. There's some really deep ballads that she's written lately. I think the dynamic of our set is expanding a bit which is nice. It’ll be a lot of fun.

[johnchiarello]

Monday

MONDAY-

 Niger- beware of the agenda driven KRIS news!

https://youtu.be/rJdAeX2pc1I

http://ccoutreach87.com/10-23-17-niger-beware-of-the-agenda-driven-kris-news/

 .Niger not the same as Benghazi

.Funeral coverage

.JFK files

.ABC news ‘he died doing what he loved’-

.Where’s the public outrage?

.The plane crash I was at [NAS Kingsville]

.Media politicizing the death of our soldiers- because they have an agenda

.Even the Huff Post rebukes MSNBC!

.To the media [Local too] I just FACT CHECKED YOU- and you have come up wanting- again

[I just added one last note on Niger at the bottom- right before posting]

 CCPD changes statement in Dewboy Lister shooting-

https://youtu.be/ctFEuaKNHs4

https://vimeo.com/239491853

 Below is a time-line of the statements to the media about the Dewboy Lister case- I noticed today that something has changed- and it concerns me-

Now the Chief is saying that the officer was in the process of impounding the vehicle- which would change the dynamics. At first CCPD said the cop made a request for Lister to sit in the back of the cop car- so the officer could search Listers car.

Lister had the right to say no to a search. Then the previous reports said he left at that point. By the story changing to the officer was in the process of impounding Listers car- it makes the pursuit of Lister look more viable.

Like I said at the start- in this case the video will not be the main question- because it seems as if the video shows the ‘’justified’’ shooting of Lister- but the question is what led up to the shooting.

I am not saying the chief is lying about the incident- but we would like more clarification- proof- that the officer was actually in the process of impounding the vehicle- or as the first statements said- he simply asked Lister if could could search the vehicle.

 Here’s the change in timeline/story from local media reports-

 CCPD has released the identity of the officer involved in a shooting that left a man dead. 

Officer Jose Hasette conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a traffic violation in the area of Port and Winnebago St.  Thursday night around 9 p.m.

Officer Hasette approached the vehicle and contacted the 55-year-old driver, identified as Dewboy Lister. 

Police say that Lister did not comply with Officer Hasette's requests and then fled from the scene in his vehicle. 

Officer Hasette pursued Lister in his police unit for several blocks until Lister stopped his vehicle in the 2800 block of Minton St., and then fled from his vehicle on foot. 

Officer Hasette later caught up with Lister and a struggle ensued.  During the struggle, Officer Hasette fired one shot, striking Lister in the torso. 

Full article http://www.kztv10.com/story/36646468/ccpd-officer-identified-in-officer-involved-shooting

KRIS 6 News has sent a request under the Freedom of Information Act for a copy of the video and are awaiting response.

Here's what we know:

The video begins with the officer pulling over the vehicle being driven by a person who was identified Friday as Dewboy Lister, 55, of Corpus Christi.

The reason he was pulled over was for driving in two lanes and license plate lights being off.  The officer approached the vehicle, began a conversation, asking for insurance, registration and identification.  Lister showed him a piece of paper. The officer explained to him it was expired. They continued talking and the officer asked Lister where he was headed and where he was coming from.  Lister responded, "I'm coming from work man, I have a lot going on... Citgo." The officer continued to question him. Individual said a cuss word. The officer explained his insurance was expired.

The officer began a search, asking Lister to sit in the police car, and explained he is not under arrest.  Lister refused to sit in the police car and a confrontation began.

The officer repeatedly asked Lister to back up or he "will get tased." Lister was tased one time before getting back in his vehicle. A pursuit began.  "...Resisting traffic stop... he's been tased one time," officer said.  Lister eventually stopped the vehicle and a foot pursuit ensued taking them to the 2800 block of Minton Street.  The officer and Lister came into contact and a struggle began.

The officer repeatedly yelled, "...Get off me man, get off me. You are going to get shot. Get off me." Lister was shot in the chest one time.  Video ends. Full article http://www.kristv.com/story/36645119/the-latest-details-of-altercation-that-led-to-police-shooting

  [Here’s the change- notice the Chief now say’s the officer was impounding the vehicle]

 According to Corpus Christi Police Chief Mike Markle, who held a news conference the next day after the incident, Hasette was in the process of impounding Lister's vehicle for expired insurance when Lister did not comply with the officer's orders to sit in the back of the patrol car.  

Chief Markle said Lister was warned that he was going to be tased if he didn't listen.  Lister refused, and Hasette tased him.  

Investigators added Lister then got back in his car and took off.  After a short chase, Lister was stopped and ran.  Full article- http://www.kristv.com/story/36655091/friends-and-family-hold-peaceful-protest-following-dewboy-lister-shooting

 Bluff Update- friends https://youtu.be/sVCWY4JMQlY

http://ccoutreach87.com/10-23-17-bluff-update-friends/

.Crows ‘short’ trip from the park to funtrackers! [It was not much fun]

.The Rocks

.Claire- George- Diane

 ONE LAST NOTE- The top news [NBC- Probably the others as well] was-

‘THE NIGER ATTACK- WAS IT AN AMBUSH!!’

Now- look at this-

Sadly we have had many military men- and women- die in conflicts around the world-

Some have indeed been killed in ‘ambushes’- yes- that's actually a strategy in warfare.

These rarely make more than simple coverage- of the tragedy of the deaths of our men and women.

Yet now- because of media agenda- the average public is seeing ‘AMBUSH’ and believing that these 4 dead servicemen were somehow caught in the whole controversy surrounding Trump- and that there are things Trump might be covering up- because after all- IT WAS AN AMBUSH!

So right before I post- I’ll add this note- and yes- the list is never ending.

So remember folks- if you want agenda driven news- than watch NBC- and all the others- because sadly- that's what you get- even when they have to use 4 dead servicemen to do it-

    PAST POSTS- [Just a few past posts where I mentioned Libya- and stuff I talked about today]

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/10/21/10-21-17-dewboy-lister-is-dead/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2016/06/10/the-mexican-judge-and-benghazi/

https://ccoutreach87.com/russia-u-s-world-events/

THE MEXICAN JUDGE [And Benghazi]

https://youtu.be/aXYcDbk3s7M  The Mexican judge and Benghazi

Amos 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Amos 3:8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

 ON VIDEO- [verses- links- below]

.Why did the Apostle Paul work and NOT let the church support him?

.Should men who don’t work- able bodied- get free food? What does the bible actually say?

.Are judges- EVER- biased?

.What about the civil rights era- there were WHITE judges in the south- who were racists. Many Blacks complained- were those Blacks ‘racist’ because they were right?

.Did all the leaders of the country say ‘how dare anyone ever think a judge can’t do his job because he is a White KKK member’?

.Libya and the crime of Benghazi

.Bathroom law? There is a young girl who was told ‘UNDRESS’ and change- with an older boy- nude- in the locker room. She wore her gym clothes under her school clothes all day. Is this girl a bigot?

.Fire Dept. Stuff

.Our action in Libya supported racists- did you know that?

.ISIS

.What was the date of the Benghazi attack? http://journal-neo.org/2015/10/25/hillary-s-lies-and-the-benghazi-attack/

.Preachers- do you ever actually read the bible?

.Pastors- here’s the answer to why you’re having financial problems [for real- it’s in the bible!]

ANTI- CHRIST- [Church Unlimited notes- 2nd- 3rd John]

3John 1:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

https://youtu.be/7dfLhO2HBf8  anti- Christ [2nd, 3rd John]

https://ccoutreach87.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/10-23-16-anti-christ-2nd-3rd-jn.zip

ON VIDEO [past posts below]

.See my Hillary drawing [sorry]

.Who is anti-christ?

.Some thought Hitler

.Apostles relate to the bride

.Soteriology

.Was John a theological liberal?

Mosul

.Iraq- Libya

.ISIS

.Sunni- Shia division

.Execution- or human shields- or just murder?

.Abortion

.Docetism refuted

OBADIAH-

Obadiah 1:7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; that they eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.

https://youtu.be/LaG8b0etYK8  Obadiah

ON VIDEO-

.Peace treaty?

.Leaked emails

.How to skew the polls

.Do I like to lynch Black people?

.The 1 dollar cheese story

.Homeless stuff

.Iran- Yemen- Libya- Syria

.The shores of Tripoli

.ISIS

.Turkey

.Britannia ruled the seas- and lost

.Mosul

NEW- In this small book- 1 chapter- we read of the judgment of God upon Edom.

They were a people that felt like they were unstoppable.

The alliances they made were their downfall.

As I read the book the other night- it made me think about our present situation.

Let’s see if I can hit some high points.

We have an alliance with Iran- they are ‘helping’ us defeat ‘terrorism’ in Syria and Iraq.

Yet- they sponsor and carry out acts of terror themselves.

We made a nuclear peace accord with them- which released millions [billions over time]  of dollars.

How are they using that money?

They provide rockets for the rebels they back in Yemen- and those same rebels fired at our ships the past 2 weeks.

We have an alliance with Turkey- we use their air base to attack Syria.

Turkey just killed a bunch of the rebels we are backing in Syria.

Yes- our ‘partner’ killed our other ‘partners’- who themselves do acts of terror.

Yes- many of the so called rebels the U.S. backs in Syria- are actually no better than ISIS.

Sad indeed.

I watched a news clip the other week- it showed the out of work coal miners- and how they are rightfully mad because Hilary Clinton and president Obama said- on video- they will put them out of work.

Ok- I understand their view- though I do not agree with it.

They believe they need to put the coal industry out of business- for the sake of global warming.

They said it- many times.

Hillary has now denied she meant it- which is a lie.

Not only did they say this- but it happened.

Some lost their homes- went into debt- and yes- some actually lost all hope and killed themselves.

So- on the news they tried to show how Obama [and Hillary] have actually provided other jobs for them.

Ok-

As I watched- they showed an ex coal miner- who’s new job was working at the unemployment office- providing food stamps and welfare benefits for other unemployed co-workers.

Yes- this was actually promoted as the success of the Hillary policy.

I could go on- but it just gets me mad.

In the condemnation of Edom- they saw themselves as doing great- they even gloated that others were not as great as them [called exceptionalism].

Yet- they could not see that they too were headed for a downfall.

They could not see that their so called alliances were a joke.

They could not see [admit] that they made bad choices- and were headed for judgment.

I love our country- but when we have one of our soldier’s die- for a political maneuver- which has just happened in the so called taking back of Mosul.

Then it’s wrong.

The only justification for war- is self-defense [or the real preventing of genocide and the slaughter of many innocents]

And in the last decade we have had many people die- on both sides- because of political maneuvering.

I have been hearing the old Ozzy song a lot the last few years.

War pigs.

I used to hear it as a kid- had the vinyl album.

But I noticed it’s getting a lot of air time on many of the rock stations.

I think it has to do with the time we are living in.

If you never heard it- go listen to it.

It seems quite prophetic.

VERSES-

Obadiah 1:1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.

Obadiah 1:2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.

Obadiah 1:3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

Obadiah 1:4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

Obadiah 1:5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?

Obadiah 1:6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

Obadiah 1:7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; that they eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.

Obadiah 1:8 Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?

Obadiah 1:9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.

Obadiah 1:10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

Obadiah 1:11 In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.

Obadiah 1:12 But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.

Obadiah 1:13 Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;

Obadiah 1:14 Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.

Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

Obadiah 1:16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.

Obadiah 1:17 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

Obadiah 1:18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.

Obadiah 1:19 And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

Obadiah 1:20 And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.

Obadiah 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.

I read a piece form the N.Y. Times- they went into Libya and investigated the reports of the deaths of many civilians caused by NATO and the U.S. during the ‘no fly zone’ debacle.

 They found evidence of many civilians that were killed. They presented the report to the new leaders of Libya- they could care less.

 In Benghazi- the main city in the eastern half of Libya- they were openly flying the Al-Qaida flag.  We just spent 10 years and many lives fighting in Afghanistan. Why? Because they gave territory to Al-Qaida- they gave them a place to work out of.

 We fought the Taliban for 10 years over this. Yet in a few months NATO and the U.S. gave Al-Qaida their own capitol to fly their flag- I mean the terrorists must be thinking ‘if we knew these guys were this stupid- we would have never bombed the towers’.

 In Tripoli- the real capitol of Libya- the various militia groups [terrorists] are all claiming they are the security/armed forces of Libya. I heard a doctor- on N.P.R. - not a right wing radio show- he said in his hospital these various militias are all trying to take charge- they walk around with guns- sometimes walk into a room and shoot a patient who they think is not on their side- and the doctors say they have no security at all.

 Under Gadhaffi things ran well- like a normal society- now their country is a terrorist haven- run by these guys.

 I could go on and say the same for Egypt- and tell the stories of how the military have been killing protestors in the street. All these things are being done under people that the West [we- NATO- France] have enabled by removing their former leaders.

 And France this week passed a law making it a crime to deny the genocide that took place in Turkey in the early part of the last century.

 Yes- the Ottoman Turks did slaughter many Armenians- Christians- at the time. And getting Turkey to officially admit this has been a problem for years. But France passing a law to make it a crime to deny it- while they just finished committing ‘crimes against humanity’ themselves- by killing all the Libyan civilians- it’s just too much.

 Okay- let’s start a brief overview of some church history. Over the next few weeks I want to hit on the 16th century Protestant reformation and try and cover some of the key figures of the movement.

 Martin Luther- the German reformer who had the most influence in the movement was born and raised in Germany.

 As a boy his parents were peasant farmers and eventually his dad became a miner and became a very successful businessman- he would go on and eventually own 6 foundries.

 He sent his son to law school- and young Luther excelled. At the age of 21 he accomplished more than many of his peers. One day on his way home from the university a thunderstorm broke out and Luther was almost struck by a bolt of lightning.

 In fear he cried out to Saint Ann [the mother of Mary] and said ‘Saint Ann- if you save me I will become a monk’ [Ann was the patron Saint for miners- thus Luther was familiar with her].

 He was spared and off to the monastery he went. Luther eventually became an ordained priest and even though his dad initially was upset that his son became a priest- yet he was proud of his boy later on.

 Luther would eventually make a Pilgrimage to Rome- on foot [a few month walk from Germany to Rome!] and what he saw devastated him. Rome- and the Vatican- were in bad shape. Many of the priests lived in open sin- and the city that he saw as his headquarters for the faith- well it was a mess.

 Luther made the famous penitent walk/crawl up the stairs of the Lateran church [this church was the most famous church before the construction of St. Peters. The actual stairs of the church are the same stairs that Christ walked up during his trial under Pontius Pilate. Yes- you hear many ‘stories’ while studying church history- things like the relics or left over pieces of the Cross- well these stories are usually fake. But the stairs of the Lateran church are indeed the same stairs that Christ walked on- the early ‘church’ builders dismantled the stairs at Pilate’s court in Jerusalem and installed them at this church building in Rome].

 When Luther got to the top of the stairs- it is reported that he questioned the faith- he had a crisis of faith and thought that maybe the whole thing was a sham.

 Okay- as we do a few more posts over the coming weeks- I want you guys to see that the main players of the Reformation were sincere Catholic men who had many questions about what they saw as corrupt in their own church. These men did not want to start a breakaway church- they simply wanted to reform the church they loved.

 Keep in mind that Luther excelled during his legal studies- he had a keen legal mind- this will be important later on when we see the debates he has with Rome over the doctrine of Justification by faith- the letters of the apostle Paul [Romans- Galatians] use lots of legal language- and his early education will help him in these debates.

 Okay- that’s it for today. Maybe do a Google search on Luther and familiarize yourself a little with the history.

 The ‘readings’ for this week are 2nd Samuel 6-7 and Psalms 89. See what they have in common.

     www.corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com

Note- Do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on. Thanks- John

        [1760] News and Philosophy

  I want to try and cover a few subjects today- let’s start with some current world news. Yesterday I read an AP story about some cops who poured gas on the tents of the protestors- they then set them on fire.

 13 protestors died- 100’s were burned severely. The doctors set up outside E.R. areas to treat the wounded. The cops walked in to the areas and shot people- right there.

 I read a report where one of the doctors said he was shocked- he has never seen this happen before.

 ‘Now John- you shouldn’t make stuff up like this- even for a point!’

 I’m not making it up- this did happen the past 2 days- in Zuccotti Park? In Oakland? No- in Tahrir square- Egypt.

 The people who did this- the ruling military generals- are the people we ‘put’ in charge- by demanding the ouster of Mubarak- the former ‘king’.

 Let’s head directly west on this northern tip of the African continent. Libya.

 On the same news page- they had a story about the capture of Seif- Gadhaffi’s most famous son. They caught him trying to cross the Libyan border into Niger. The same place Gadhaffi’s wife fled to earlier in the conflict.

 His wife was about 7 months pregnant and she fled to save her unborn child. The ‘new leaders’ that have our support- they wanted her back in Libya- to stand ‘trial’ for crimes against humanity [they would have killed her!].

 So the other day they caught the son. The rebel faction that caught him will not turn him over to the ‘transitional government’ in Tripoli [the capitol] because they want to try him themselves [there is absolutely no order in Libya].

 Now- the son- like the dad- has been indicted on ‘crimes against humanity’ by the world Court in The Hague.

 These ‘indictments’ are tools the U.S. and other NATO allies use to justify going after one bad guy [and his wife and kids] while installing other bad guys- who are often just as bad- or actually worse!

 So this puppet court has the kid indicted. The puppet govt. in the capitol of Tripoli has said ‘the world court is a secondary court- we do not recognize you’!

 So the actual leaders- THE ONES WE BACKED- are saying ‘screw you world court- we will try the kid ourselves’. And the faction that caught the kid is saying ‘screw you leaders in Tripoli- we will try him here- in our region’ and the U.S. [and Fahreed Zakariah- a CNN talking head] have said ‘look how wonderful Obama has handled Libya and Egypt- not like Bush’.

 Wonderful? Burning protestors to death- ruling Libya like some back water Mexican drug cartel? This thing is sad- and our involvement in it is even sadder.

 Okay- let’s try and transition a bit.

 In the last Philosophy post I hit on the 10th-14th century development of modern thought- today I want to jump into the 16th-18th centuries. Like I said in a previous post- after the Renaissance and the Reformation and the great scientific revolution- you had the world in somewhat of a tailspin.

  What I mean is for hundreds of years people trusted in the old institutions [like the Catholic Church] to tell them what was true or false- then with the development of all these modern movements people began questioning stuff.

 Was it good to question things? Sure. But some challenged the very foundations of thought and knowing [called Epistemology] and went a bit too far.

 Some thinkers went  back to the thought of Plato [400 years BC] and said that the mind is the main source of all knowledge- these were the 17th century Rationalists.

 Rationalism- as a philosophy- was an outgrowth of all the great strides that man was making in all these other areas of life. The Scientific Revolution totally challenged the age old beliefs of many in the church.

 Math became a sort of new ‘god’. How so? As science invented the Microscope and Telescope- man was able for the first time to peer deeply into the heavens- and to see deeply into the microscopic world.

 As the great minds [Copernicus] showed us that the Universe was different than what we thought [Heliocentric versus Geocentric] man was able to do mathematical calculations and to say that a specific planet or star [or Comet] would show up at an exact date- or spot- and Walla- it would happen [you could look thru the Telescope and sure enough the math was right- the object that was calculated to be there- was.]

 These calculations were mathematical formulas- so math began to be seen as the new religion in many ways.

 There are even some thinkers in the modern day that still say the only ‘real truth’ that exists is mathematical formulas. Yeah- one guy wrote an entire book on the subject- the problem? Well- his book was not written in math- but words.

 Yes- even the extreme deniers of Objective truth do make mistakes.

 Now- what’s wrong with rationalism? Of course being rational is okay- but the philosophy itself denied real Objective truth. Truth that corresponds to some other ‘outside’ reality.

 This form of thinking [rejecting outside reality] is called Relativism/Subjectivism. While there is some truth to all the various fields of thought- yet extreme Relativism denies ‘reality’ as most of us understand the term.  There was a strong resistance to the 17th century rationalists- we call this Philosophy Empiricism.

 The main thinker in this field was John Locke. Locke lived most of his life in the 17th century- but his thought laid the foundation for the 18th century Empiricist.

 This philosophy says that the mind does indeed play a major role in the knowledge of things- but this knowledge does not originate in the mind [Plato] but in the ‘thing’ itself [Aristotle- remember when we covered these men? Plato was an idealist- Ideas were more real than matter. Aristotle was a Realist- closer to the thought of Locke].

 Locke developed a theory called the Correspondence theory- that truth that the Mind discovers corresponds to real things that actually exist apart from the mind.

 Locke was a practicing doctor- and most of the other thinkers of the day had room to speculate about reality in a way that Locke could not.

 He lived in a real world with real patients who had real symptoms- in a nutshell Locke had to diagnose his patients based on his findings- he could not deny that there was a real problem- he had to have his ‘feet on the ground’ [based in reality] while engaging with his head up high.

 Okay- I think we’ll end with this. Maybe you can go back and read some of my previous posts on this subject- just to become a little more familiar with it.

 As Christians- we are not ‘required’ to know Philosophy- or current events- or science- but it helps us engage the culture when we do educate ourselves in these areas.

 Go slow in learning [not too slow!] and try and see how the Christian Worldview agrees with- or rejects certain aspects of these different felids of thought.

 Most Christians would reject Rationalism as a Philosophy- because it denies real objective truth- it says truth is relative- whatever the mind can conceive- or think- can be defined as truth [Unicorns?]

 Biblical truth is based on real historic events- 1st Corinthians chapter 15 says that if we deny the physical  resurrection of Christ- a real event- then our faith is in vain.

 Christians base their faith on a real historic event- not simply on a belief system.

       NEWS LINKS-

http://www.cnn.com/

https://snopes.com/was-niger-attack-worse-than-benghazi/

http://www.kristv.com/story/36655091/friends-and-family-hold-peaceful-protest-following-dewboy-lister-shooting

 MY SITES

www.corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com  [Main site]

https://www.facebook.com/john.chiarello.5?ref=bookmarks

https://ccoutreach87.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ4GsqTEVWRm0HxQTLsifvg

https://twitter.com/ccoutreach87

https://plus.google.com/108013627259688810902/posts

https://vimeo.com/user37400385

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https://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_logo

http://johnchiarello.tumblr.com/

https://medium.com/@johnchiarello

http://ccoutreach.over-blog.com/

https://www.reddit.com/user/ccoutreach87

https://ccoutreach.yolasite.com/

https://ccoutreach87.jimdo.com/

https://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/jchiarello

 Note- Please do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on-  Copy text- download video links [Wordpress- Vimeo] make complete copies of my books/studies and posts- everything is copyrighted by me- I give permission for all to copy and share as much as you like-  I just ask that nothing be sold. We live in an online world- yet- there is only one internet- meaning if it ever goes down- the only access to the teachings are what others have copied or downloaded- so feel free to copy and download as much as you want- it’s all free-

Thanks- John.

[tune-collective]

Warped Tour Founder Kevin Lyman Defends Festival's Controversial Anti-Abortion Tent: 'I Wanna Stir It Up'

Warped Tour Founder Kevin Lyman Defends Festival's Controversial Anti-Abortion Tent: 'I Wanna Stir It Up'

After 23 years of touring, the Vans Warped Tour has faced its share of drama. From band members’ sexual misconduct with minors to the most recent display of verbal assault earlier this week, it seems the tour can’t avoid negative attention. Kevin Lyman knows this better than anyone.

As the Warped founder, Lyman has been recognized time and time again for his philanthropic work. He personally supports nonprofits on the tour that may otherwise not be able to fund their summer and still attends every single Warped date every year. However, most of the chatter surrounding him online tends to focus on the wave of allegations that arise every summer. While he’s not personally responsible for the actions of everyone on the tour, there’s a moral responsibility to protect the young audience members from potentially dangerous situations and individuals.

Over the past two years, Rock For Life has set up shop to promote being pro-life with a series of voting games devoted to asking teens when the fetal rights override the rights of the mother. Last year, their merch featured designs emblazoned with “ALL Lives Matter” messages. This year, we spoke with Lyman to get a feel for his views on the organization and its return to Warped. He stressed Rock For Life’s focus on adoption (to which he has a very personal connection) though its parent organization, Students For Life, is clear in its goals to “abolish abortion in our lifetime” and defund Planned Parenthood. Here’s what Warped’s leader had to say. 

How are nonprofits screened and selected for Warped Tour? Are there rules they have to follow or are there groups you won’t allow?

Kevin Lyman: Yes, anyone that promotes racism, hatred… pretty much that, you know? There’s a line there, racism and hatred and bigotry towards others. That’s where we’re at. So we’ve got about 100 nonprofits throughout the summertime.

The poll results from Nashville, TN! The Warped Missionaries can’t wait to see you in Atlanta today! #RFLWarped pic.twitter.com/fuHBJ8AO3T

— Rock For Life (@rockforlife) June 29, 2017

  One of those nonprofits is Rock For Life. Warped is the only secular event they attend and they’ve stated their goal to meet teens before they’ve decided what they believe. After a year of protests and abortion rights coming under fire, what impact do you think an anti-choice booth could have on young women attending Warped?

They’re not chasing people down. There’s four girls that sit at a tent and if someone walks up and asks them questions, they answer them. What I do is I use them to drag out the pro-choice groups because we reach out — and if anyone looks through my history, I put on the first Rock For Choice shows in Los Angeles in 1991, alright? I’m a very pro-choice advocate. But I also believe that counterpoints need to be allowed in spaces. We travel all over the country. Warped Tour plays for about a half a million kids every summer. I tend to put a little aside at Warped Tour but my public opinion is I’m very pro-choice and you know what? We couldn’t get the pro-choice groups out until we had a pro-life group out here. That’s been the thing to stir it up a little bit. That’s what punk rock was always about. I watch them, they’re one of the most passive groups out here. A lot of people stand in front of their tables or try to bring kids in. They just sit there until someone walks up. And from what I’ve seen, they’re very pro-adoption. I was adopted and I’m sure glad that someone took the option to have me adopted versus an abortion.

It’s definitely good that it’s growing the other presences at the festival. I noticed that there are a lot of nonprofits this year on the other side of the fence, including people like A Voice For The Innocent.

And I fund A Voice For The Innocent. They couldn’t afford to be here unless I paid them the money to be here. Last year, I think I invested about $30,000 of my own personal money. We need these things, but that’s what punk used to be; you used to put it out there. And I know that some people might be offended, but it should rally them up to help get the other point of view in. And I don’t know if you’ve ever followed when someone attacks me online, I say, “tell us, help us,” we’re a small organization. Warped Tour is run by a total of six people and we want pro-choice groups out here. I want them out here. But you know, their booth is four girls. To be honest, all four of them packed up in 10 minutes yesterday in Vegas because it was too hot for them.

I don’t feel like I need to defend it but I look at ‘em and go, alright, I may not agree with them but that’s what we’re about. We travel through the South and there are punkers that have pro-life opinions and maybe there will be people that come this year and get changed at the pro-choice booths. Or you know, 90 percent of the people come here just to listen to music and have a good time.

Since last summer I know there has been a lot of backlash — especially online — from bands and fans alike. Has it affected any of the decisions for this year’s tour?

No. I mean I’m always learning. A couple years ago, there was another issue and that’s what caused me to make sure we embrace groups like A Voice For The Innocent. For me, my personal choices, I donate to Planned Parenthood in California. I’m a supporter. Every time they do something in California and I’m in town, we get involved or try to be part of it. Online… it’s funny. I got attacked the other day by someone and I said, “Look, we have organizations you can help, we want people passionate like yourself to come help” and you know the response I get? “I don’t like the lineup this year.”

And that’s the thing. I’m sick of the online community. Really sick of it. Some of them have motivation and it’s great. Some get motivated and help us find pro-choice groups. I’m proud of those kids. But the people that are most vocal, that summed it up: I don’t want to help because I don’t like the lineup. You should help whether you like the lineup, you don’t like the lineup, whatever. But if you’re as passionate as you are online, you need to stand up in person. And it’s rare. You find the most passionate people online really are the least passionate when it comes to actually doing anything, that I find.

I feel like that’s a big thing with the Internet, is that everybody has a platform to use how they choose.

I put my money where my mouth is. I stand up for what I believe in. I also value other opinions. I sit under a bus every day and listen to my bus drivers. You wanna get blown away? Come spend a day with me and listen to the guys from Alabama and how they feel about the world. I bite my tongue but then I voice my opinions. We’re having some really good discussions. I’m learning why they’re so anti-Obamacare or why they voted for Trump. I have no fucking idea why anyone would vote for that man but by listening to them, I understand their frustrations. If we just throw up a wall, we’re never going to get anything fixed. We are so divided, so split, that people won’t even open their minds to another person’s opinion.

I think if anyone reads through your social media, they’ll find your opinions are more left-leaning.

Yeah, I wanna stir it up. I want to stir up the pro-choice to become more active around my tour and sometimes you have to do that in life. I’ve been doing this for 23 years. If you dig through the history of Warped Tour, there’s no tour ever that’s done more for nonprofits. We’ve launched Keep A Breast, To Write Love On Her Arms, Hope For The Day, Music Saves Lives. All those nonprofits launched out of our parking lot. I grew up in a hippie town and I turned a bunch of punkers into hippies.

I look at Warped Tour as a place where 90 percent of the people want to have a good time listening to music. But 10 percent want to overachieve and get involved in nonprofits. They bring canned food. Even in Las Vegas yesterday, we raised 2 tons of canned food for the local food banks. And everyone focuses on one little 10×10 tent versus everything else.

One of the things that struck a chord with people was that the sponsor and nonprofit pages never mention Rock For Life and neither do the Warped socials.

They don’t mention 90 percent of them. The only nonprofits that are mentioned are full tour, they pay to get the social media marketing that we can do for them. If you go to our page, you’ll see the larger ones or the ones that I support. For example, A Voice For The Innocent doesn’t necessarily do that but that’s the one I picked that I said we’d do the work for gratis. 

In terms of other people being mobilized to help, bands like War On Women are both performing and running the Safer Scenes tent to promote bystander intervention. How is this received by the team, having a band do both?

It’s cool! I think Shawna is really surprised. She only knew what she read online before coming out on Warped Tour. She’s writing a blog right now and I guess for sure you know there’s going to be certain things, but she’s also realizing how many women work on this tour and how engaged this tour really is. I support her, I gave her money for to bring her team and print her materials.

Are there any other organizations that you’re particularly excited to have this year?

I love Canvas Foundation. I’ve always loved them, they support art and art in schools. We’ve been trying to get corporate sponsors for them; we work towards helping to support these people and help them grow. And Feed The Children Now, I think we’re getting about 30-40 percent of the people bringing canned food to the shows now. We’ve sold less tickets based on not having the poppier bands, but the kids that are coming… we’re collecting more food this year than ever. We’ve got the super engaged fans and that goes back to my point of the punk rock ethos of this tour.

Do you have any specific goals for the tour this year?

Get everyone home safe. That’s my goal every year. Get the fans home safe and my crew home safe. We had three of our crew go to the hospital yesterday because of the heat. We had Phoenix and Albuquerque and the hottest three days they’ve probably had in the last 10 years. Now we’re up in Salt Lake City and it’s 79 degrees, everyone’s walking around with a new smile. We power through and we move to the next thing.

This article originally appeared on Billboard.

https://tunecollective.com/2017/07/01/warped-tour-founder-kevin-lyman-defends-festivals-controversial-anti-abortion-tent-wanna-stir/

[colonialcolone]

Lasting Impressions, Part One

My old friend Johnny Hamlin recently posed the challenge to list ten albums that made a lasting impression on you as a teenager. The challenge? Try not to think too hard about the task at hand and list only one album per band/artist. Without further ado, here is part one of my list, covering ten albums I heard between 1993-1996 (eighth through tenth grades).

THIRTEEN: ‘93-’94

Pearl Jam “VS.” (released October 19, 1993). Though I was already familiar with PJ, having received their debut Ten on cassette in 1991, Vs. set afire an unbridled passion for this band that continues to this day. This set the record for the most copies of an album in its first week and was a huge step forward -- both musically and lyrically. I had a promo poster for this release with a negative space photo of Eddie Vedder performing live with the band -- it graced my wall in high school and college until it would hang no more; the borders long since eroded from years of hanging and re-hanging from paint to concrete block to bulletin board.

Dr. Dre “The Chronic” (released December 15, 1992). I only had this record because of my older brothers, one of whom was an avid listener of “gangster rap.” Oh the genres we assigned... This was a smack in the face -- the stories, language, and rhymes were unlike anything I had ever heard. My brothers liked it, so it had to be good! The ferocity of the language throughout this record is more than a little influential (for better or worse) on the more colorful “adult” language in my repertoire to this day. That is a direct result of listening to this album on headphones over and over. Besides, I cannot imagine my mom’s reaction had I listened to this over the speakers!

Helmet “Meantime” (released June 23, 1992). I didn’t hear this record until 8th grade and looking back, it was quite a kick in the teeth. I guess you could classify these New York stalwarts as “alternative metal” but that does not seem to do this masterpiece any justice. It is noisy, chunky, “heavy” music with a backbone that sounded nothing like the hair metal that dominated the radio airwaves in the early 90′s. The riffage on ‘In the Meantime’ is crucial. Page Hamilton (the only original member still involved with current-day Helmet) sounded so angry! There was some serious Black Sabbath worship when Page yelled “ironhead!” near the end of that second song. Though I didn’t know it at the time, this could have been my gateway to hardcore music, though Sick of it All and -- much later -- Refused opened my ears to many more awesome bands...

Sepultura “Chaos A.D.” (released October 19, 1993). I purchased this record solely on the strength of its cover. “What the hell is going on in that drawing?” I thought, as I strolled the small aisles of the only record store I knew at the time -- Karma. “I bet this is something I should not be listening to...” ...so I bought it. Karma Records was about a 20 minute bike ride down Union Street to Westfield Boulevard, then through Cool Creek Park to the Village Park Shopping Center. I made the ride at least once every two weeks to buy new music, which explains where all of the money went that I made from delivering newspapers. These guys were from Brazil! They had long hair, but didn’t play butt metal! The photos and the artwork inside were insidious and controversial (for an 8th grader). Look, the heaviest record I’d heard to this point was probably Metallica’s Ride the Lightning or And Justice For All, so to hear this Brazilian thrash metal was a whole new experience. These guys became a staple on a radio show I ran for two years later on in high school.

Soundgarden “Superunknown” (released March 8, 1994). I am confident my early love for all things Seattle and grunge had everything to do with Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and this band. Badmotorfinger (1992) was not exactly accessible to a middle-schooler, but this album, released about five months before I started high school, was all the rage thanks to the strength of lead single “Black Hole Sun,” whose video graced MTV’s 120 Minutes (thank you Lewis Largent, and later, Matt Pinfield) and Alternative Nation, later exploded into the daytime rotation. The tracks that resonate with me are still ‘My Wave’ and ‘Head Down.’ This is mid-90′s grunge at its finest.

FOURTEEN: ‘94-’95

Slayer “Divine Intervention” (released September 27, 1994). I admit I am not as crucial as many of my metal-head friends who cut their teeth on Reign in Blood, South of Heaven or Seasons in the Abyss, but Divine Intervention was my introduction to thrash metal kings SLAYER. Look at that cover! The giant PARENTAL ADVISORY EXPLICIT CONTENT sticker probably stood out more so than did the weird skull and skeleton artwork. Rock Video Monthly featured the music video for the song ‘Dittohead’ and I bought the record shortly after burning up the rewind button on my VCR to watch the video over and over. This is not the best Slayer release, but it made the biggest impression at the time on a kid starting high school. I have yet to see Slayer perform live, still believing that even in my mid-30s I would die at one of their shows, this after hearing countless stories -- no doubt highly exaggerated -- about the brutality of the live crowds. If the crowds were anything like the video mentioned above, I should probably expect a lot of circle pits, chairs and hammers being thrown through panes of glass, and fists flying everywhere! Rest in Power, Jeff Hanneman.

Nine Inch Nails “The Downward Spiral” (released March 8, 1994). “Head Like a Hole” from the first NIN full length release had been burning up alternative radio airwaves for nearly five years, and even though I already had that record, The Downward Spiral stuck in my mind as more influential. This was definitely another “headphones only” release, especially after hearing Trent Reznor scream “God is dead...and no one cares!” on the song ‘Heresy.’ Yeah, this was not one to play around the parents. The video of their live performance of ‘Closer’ at Woodstock ‘94 is, to me, still the stuff of nightmares  -- Reznor coated in mud, synthesizers being played to the point of destruction -- but for me the songs that packed the most punch were ‘March of the Pigs’ and ‘The Becoming.’ The whole album shifts and morphs from aggressive to haunting to beautiful, yet is buried under the foreboding weight of Reznor’s subconscious; it still holds up over twenty years later.

Sick Of It All “Scratch The Surface” (released 1994). For a city kid transplanted to the suburbs north of Indianapolis, getting access to underground music in the pre-”Internet in every home” era was a near impossible task. You had to hope for an older friend with a car or someone who knew of a cool record store or a show in a basement or garage where one could be exposed to new sounds, people, and experiences. It could have been worse -- I could have been born or raised in nowhere Kansas or upper North Dakota! Enter Rock Video Monthly. I have them to thank for a welcome introduction to many of the bands who eventually led to my introduction to punk and hardcore music. Sick of it All were -- at the time -- brutal, uncompromising, New York City hardcore. This release, while admittedly not their best, struck a chord with me. I finally got to see them in late 1999 when they headlined a show at the Emerson Theater in Indianapolis. Their set was incredible, it was my first time in a TRUE circle pit, and to date it remains one of my fondest live show memories.

FIFTEEN: ‘95-’96

Quicksand “Manic Compression” (released February 28, 1995). I did not pick this up until over a year after its release, well after the first single ‘Thorn in My Side’ received heavy airplay. I have no idea what the radio station plays now, but WRZX 103.3FM (X103) was THE alternative station for Indianapolis and surrounding areas. At least until they started playing Creed. Quicksand, a group of ex-hardcore stalwarts (Gorilla Biscuits, Bold, Beyond, Youth of Today) branched out from their previous bands with short, clipped songs held together by chunky bass and nearly torn apart by the abrupt, sharp guitar work. ‘Backward’ and ‘Delusional’ are personal favorites here. Quicksand were way ahead of their time on this dark, almost depressing, release and it is a shame they were not properly recognized during their heyday.

Deftones “Adrenaline” (released October 3, 1995). Don’t let me fool you; I listened to a lot of bad music in high school, too (read: nu-metal). Deftones were lumped into that genre -- which now seems unfair given their longevity and how their sound has evolved -- at the same time Korn was getting bigger. Adrenaline was raw and had little focus, even if you were patient to listen past the last track for the “hidden” song. I had this on CD and a dubbed cassette copy, which later became stuck in my car’s tape player. For three months (right before I upgraded to a CD changer) this played seemingly every time I got in the car. I can still remember Scott Bender exclaiming (jokingly) “Dude, can we listen to something OTHER than Deftones?!?!” I have stuck with this band for over twenty years. I can remember being genuinely disappointed I had to bail on a trip to Cleveland to see them at Warped Tour ‘98. Looking back, that was probably a good decision!

/End part one.