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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 8 Easter Eggs & References

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This Star Trek: Lower Decks article contains spoilers.

If anyone was on the fence as to whether or not the Lower Deckers in Star Trek: Lower Decks were also giant in-universe Star Trek fans, the latest episode, “Veritas,” will reveal the truth. Mariner, Rutherford, Tendi and Boimler know their Trek history better than most real life Trekkies. And to prove it, this episode has more Easter eggs and deep-cuts than (mabye) all the other episodes combined. From discussions about the hair styles of obsecure TNG characters, to some very big homages to a big seen in Star Trek VI, this episode packed in the references, and then decided to throw in a Gorn wedding.

Here are all of the Easter eggs and references we caught in Star Trek: Lower Decks, Episode 8, “Veritas.”

Klingon trial from The Undiscovered Country

Later in the episode, Rutherford describes the setting for the episode as “Alien trial 101.” He’s not wrong. From the elevating platform to the tall alcoves full of shouting aliens, everything about this setting — including the banging of the creepy gavel — is meant to remind us of Kirk and McCoy’s trial on the Klingon Homeworld in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Granted, the gavel in The Undiscovered Country was not shaped like a skull, but the guy who banged it in that movie was wearing a metal claw.

The voice of Klarr

Kurtwood Smith plays the alien Klarr in this episode. Smith is famous to RoboCop fans as being the bad guy in RoboCop and famous to Star Trek fans as the guy who played the President of the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. As the President, Kurtwood Smith is the guy who said Kirk and McCoy had to stand trial for the murder of Chancellor Gorkon.

Roga Danar versus Khan

Mariner and Boimler’s debate about “biggest badasses” is hilarious because everyone has heard of Khan, and only hardcore TNG fanatics have heard of Roga Danar. For most people, Roga Danar (played by Jeff McCarthy) is as Mariner says, “some dude nobody has heard of.” He appeared in the TNG Season 3 episode “The Hunted,” and briefly, did “outsmart” Picard, just as Boimler says.

Mariner’s defense of Khan echoes what Trekkies generally think; that he’s the best Trek villain ever, though obviously, nobody would pit Khan against Roga Danar! Mariner describes Khan as a “genetically engineered supervillain. Dude was a space seed!” Naturally, “Space Seed” is the TOS episode in which Khan first appears. Tendi’s reference to Khan’s “thick, thick chest’ is likely an allusion to the urban myth that Ricardo Montalbán wore a prosthetic chest while filming The Wrath of Khan. However, many sources (including director Nicholas Meyer) have repeatedly said that the “thick, thick chest” was all 100 percent Ricardo Montalbán.

Living on Earth

Mariner is super concerned about getting kicked off the ship and being forced to live on Earth “Where there’s nothing to do but drink wine and hang out at vintners and soul food restaurants.” This is a reference to both Captain Picard and Captain Sisko. In 2380, however, Jean-Luc Picard has not returned to his family’s vineyard full-time, The “soul food” references Sisko’s Creole Kitchen, a restaurant run Ben Sisko’s family and specifically operated by Ben’s father, Joseph Sisko. The restaurant first appeared in the DS9 episodes “Homefront” and “Paradise Lost.”

Picard’s family wine vineyard, made famous in “All Good Things…” and the series Star Trek: Picard, first appeared in the TNG episode “Family.”

Bug Captain Is Kenneth Mitchell

Star Trek: Discovery actor Kenneth Mitchell — who played the Klingons Kol, Kol’sha, and Tenavik— plays the voice of the insect-like Captain Seartave. In this same episode, Mitchell also plays a Federation guard and a Romulan guard.

Send them a message

When Captain Freeman tells Mariner to “send them a message” to the alien ship, Mariner fires the phasers right away. This could reference The Wrath of Khan when Khan says “explain it to them,” which means, he wants his lackeys to fire a photon torpedo.

“Denobulan flesh-eating bacteria”

Jax mentions a “Denobulan flesh-eating bacteria,” which references the Denobulans, a race of friendly aliens made famous by the prequel series Enterprise, specifically Dr. Phlox. Interestingly, Phlox did have a bunch of unorthodox treatments on the NX-01 Enterprise, which might have included weird fleshing-eating stuff.

Vulcan nerve pinch

Rutherford points out he doesn’t know how to do the Vulcan nerve pinch but managed to do it anyway. Non-Vulcans have done the Vulcan nerve pinch on several occasions. Picard did it in the TNG episode “Starship Mine,” Data did it “Unification,” and Michael Burnham did it in “The Vulcan Hello.” Most hilariously, McCoy tried to do a Vulcan nerve pinch in The Search For Spock, while Spock’s Katra (soul) was in his body.

Vulcan shuttle

During their covert mission to the planet Vulcan (presumably) Jax, Rutherford and Philips are flying a classic Vulcan shuttle. This is the same design of shuttle Spock took to hook-up with the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Famous starships in the museum

The museum where Jax, Rutherford, and Philips steal a Romulan Bird-of-Prey is packed with a ton of famous Star Trek ships, including:

A Jem’Hadar fighter (Deep Space Nine)

A Ferengi shuttle (TNG and DS9)

A D-7 or K’Tinga class Klingon Battlecruiser (TMP, TOS, TNG, DS9, and, technically, Discovery)

Several Federation shuttlecraft (Mostly TNG era)

A classic TOS shuttlecraft

The Vulcan landing ship from First Contact.

A Tholian ship (“The Tholian Web,” “In a Mirror, Darkly.”)

And…something that looks like the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Romulan Bird of Prey

The ship that is stolen, and later used by Ransom and Tendi, is a classic TOS-era Romulan Bird-of-Prey. Prior to this episode of Lower Decks this style of Romulan ship has only been seen in canon three other times: In the TOS episodes “Balance of Terror” and “The Enterprise Incident,” and in the Picard episode “Absolute Candor.” That said, the Bird-of-Prey in “The Enterprise Incident” was digitally inserted into the remastered “Enterprise Incident” in 2008. So, really, this ship has only appeared in canon in 1968, 2008, and twice in 2020.

Federation Guard

Also voiced by Kenneth Mitchell, the Federation Guard has security armor and a helmet reminiscent of the kinds of outfits security guards wore in The Motion Picture, The Search For Spock, and The Undiscovered Country.

Fan Dance

Jax tells Rutherford to “to a fan dance,” to distract the guard. This references Uhura doing a dance with feathery fans on Nimbus III in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. In that case, the fan dance only got Kirk and Spock some horses.

Does Philips know the TNG crew?

The chief engineer of the Cerritos, Philips, makes two references to TNG episodes when he’s running out of oxygen. He says “Mark Twain’s got a gun!” and “Tasha No! The garbage bag’s behind you!” The Twain thing references Mark Twain pulling a gun on the TNG crew in “Time’s Arrow.” And the Tasha comment seems to reference “Skin of Evil,” when a creature who you could call a “garbage bag” did kill Tasha Yar.

Gorn Wedding

Does the Gorn wedding count as an Easter egg? Considering we’ve never seen this many Gorn (Gorns?) in one place, ever, this feels like yes, this counts as an Easter egg. Also, if the shuttle crashlanded during a Gorn wedding, does that mean they crashlanded on Cestus III, a planet the Gorn took over in the TOS episode “Arena?”

Romulan Bridge interior

Everything about the interior of the Romulan ship matches a TNG-era Romulan ship, which seems to reference, mostly, the TNG episode “Face of the Enemy,” in which Troi is kidnapped by Romulan agents, but also, made to work for them.

Covert Ops Starfleet Outfits (Again!)

This marks the second Lower Decks episode in a row that references the all-black bodystocking outfits from the TNG episode “Chain of Command.” And because Ransom wore one in “Much Ado About Boimler,” this is the second episode in a row that he’s been on an undercover mission.

“You know who I hate, Remans”

The Romulan guards are talking about how they hate “Remans” and that Remans are “the worst.” The Remans are an alien species who live in the same planetary system as the Romulans on the planet Remus. We never met the Remans until the 2002 film Star Trek: Nemesis. Although he was human, the Picard clone named Shinzon (Tom Hardy) considered himself a Reman. The events of Nemesis and the attempt for the Remans to take over the Romulan Empire happened just one year prior to Lower Decks, in the year 2379.

“Like whenever Q shows up”

John de Lancie voices “Q” in a flashback where he forces the crew of the Cerritos to play some kind of absurd chess game with playing cards and a soccer ball. Q is dressed in his judge’s robes from the TNG episodes “Encounter at Farpoint” and “All Good Things…” In the context of “Encounter at Farpoint,” this outfit is actually taken from Earth’s future history; at some point in the 21st century, several draconian courtrooms existed on Earth, in which the rulings were neither fair nor just. Q says “Do you think humanity is really worth saving?” which was basically his whole beef in “Encounter at Farpoint,” when he calls humanity “a savage, child race.” The ridiculous board game, in which the crew is turned into chess pieces could reference the DS9 episode “Move Along Home,” in which the crew has to act out certain moves that are reminiscent of a board game.

Salt Vampires… are… alive!

When Mariner tells Ransom that his date is a “salt vampire” the says that “salt vampires died out more than a century ago.” This references the very first aired TOS episode “The Man Trap,” which takes place in 2266, more than a century before Lower Decks. This is the second time the M-113 “Salt Vampire” creature has been referenced on Lower Decks, but the first time we’ve actually seen it in the flesh — sucker hands and all.

Dr. T’Ana has a “Remember Me” moment

When Dr. T’Ana says that nobody on the ship remembers her, this could reference the TNG episode “Remember Me,” in which Dr. Crusher enters a small bubble parallel universe in which people she knows, start to vanish from existence.

Boimler’s speech about what Starfleet officers “don’t know”

To prove that Starfleet officers are good people, but sometimes totally ignorant of what is going on in the galaxy, Boimlter rattles off several examples of Starfleet officers not knowing something that was utterly nuts.

“Did Picard know about the Borg?” References the TNG episode “Q, Who?” in which Q forces the Enterprise to encounter the Borg. Picard may not have known about the Borg in 2365, but there’s some debate that some people in the Federation did. Seven of Nine’s parents knew about the Borg in the 2350s.

Did Kirk now about that giant Spock on Phylos? This references an episode of The Animated Series called “The Infinite Vulcan.” The “giant Spock” was a huge Spock clone named “Spock 2.”

Did Dr. Crusher know about that ghost in the lantern from the Scottish planet that she hooked up with that one time? This is from the TNG episode “Sub Rosa,” and yeah, Dr. Crusher hooked up with a ghost that lived in a lantern.

“Drumhead!” Boimler’s mic-drop moment is the word “drumhead,” which references Picard giving a speech that ends a witch-hunt trial in the TNG episode “The Drumhead.” The “drumhead” itself, refers to the head of a drum that would be up-ended on a battlefield to serve as an ad hoc judge’s bench.

Q references Trelane!

When Q appears at the end of the episode, he says “I challenge you to a duel” to the Lower Deckers. This references the character of Trelane from the TOS episode “The Squire of Gothos.” Trelane was a being with powers that were basically exactly like Q, and later Trek novels like Q-Squared, made it clear that Trelane was a member of the Q-Continuum who had been cast aside. When Gene Roddenberry first created the character of Q, TNG writers were worried he’d be too similar to Trelane and fans wouldn’t accept it. These days, naturally Q, is much more famous that Trelane. And yes, Trelane did challenge Kirk to a duel in “The Squire of Gothos,” and Kirk accepted.

Q speaks French, talks about Picard

When Mariner says : “Get out of here Q! We’re not doing any of your Q bullshit” he says “S’il vous plaît Mariner!” This implies he knows Mariner pretty well, which is hilarious, but she tells him she’s not French and he should go bother Picard. Q says, “Picard is no fun!He’s always quoting Shakespeare, he’s always making wine.” Picard quoted Shakespeare to Q, specifcally Hamlet in the TNG episode “Hide and Q.” Mentioning that Picard is making wine at this point in time is interesting. We know that by 2385, Picard will leave Starfleet and go live on his vineyard in France. But, in 2380, Picard is still in Starfleet. Is he making wine on the Enterprise?

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Star Trek: Lower Decks has two more episodes in season 1, which air on CBS All Access on Thursdays.

The post Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 8 Easter Eggs & References appeared first on Den of Geek.

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feitanswife · 4 years ago

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That southern gothic post got me thinking and here’s my guide to writing books about Washington State since SOMEONE ruined it...

We’ll start at Western Washington

Cults. Not shitting you. Everything is a cult.

Churches with weird names right in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. On the way home from school a long long driveway back into a parking lot of an unassuming plain building, you never see anyone parked in the parking lot, the lights are never on.

Everyone in my neighborhood had a special knock, or you announced yourself by shouting your name as you knocked. Cause the only people that ever rang the doorbells were the cult recruiters that made daily rounds.

Everything is football. Everything. Is. Football. You are sincerely more likely to see a Seahawks flag on a flag pole than an American one. Everyone likes football. Schools have Seahawk Spirit Days more often than they have normal ones.

We’re notoriously unfriendly and that’s intentional. Don’t trust a smiling stranger, don’t eat the food they bring. Don’t listen to their honeyed words for a snake lies underneath. Re: cultists but also racist sleeper agents who don’t even realize they’re racist.

Everywhere you go there’s just trees. Random forests in the middle of towns, snaking between developed areas. You could go from decadent three story houses with crystal chandeliers to back woods farmland within two miles. All the kids from all these houses all go to the same public school.

Calling the cops is largely a useless measure, half the time they don’t even show up unless someone’s dead. If your new (cultist) neighbors entered the neighborhood by gifting everyone homemade pizzas that made everyone ill enough to go to urgent care? And made active threats against the people across the street? Just... deal with it I guess. Tell the kids to not play near their yard. Hope they move out or die. Yes this is a true story.

Everyone’s house is haunted. Or possesed, or inhabited by other non-reality beings. I don’t care if you built it yesterday and it’s on the water not even on land! Your house is haunted! There’s nothing you can do about it and frankly it’s more of a minor annoyance than anything. Most of the time. Unless you give it a reason to be more.

Everyone knows someone with a horse. Or who used to have horses. Or comes from a long line of show horse breeders or champion riders.

Everyone knows a Car Family, or comes from a Car Family. Whether it’s hand-building army jeeps from just a frame to go rock-crawling in the mountains, or lovingly restore classic cars that hang out in Walmart parking lots on Friday nights, everyone knows Car People.

You either ski, cross-country ski, snowboard, or snowmobile. Or do sled dog racing if you’re really cool. You know someone who knows someone who has an old cabin on Snoqualmie pass, or Stampede, or somewhere, cause only tourists go to the lodge.

Seeing liscence plates from out of state gets weirder reactions the father out of state you come from. Idaho? Oh well that’s kinda odd. Arizona? Must be a...family event I guess. Georgia? What the fuck are you doing here? Whatever it is get it done fast and fuck off.

Clothes are the most important thing about a person. Everyone here dresses to send a message, and allegiance, to let you know why they are and who they definetly are NOT. Don’t come around in a pain short sleeve button up and belted slacks if you aren’t looking to be grouped in with the damn cultists.

Everybody knows a witch or three. It’s just a fact of life at this point.

Easy book plot: character just moved from out of state, befriends a shy but polite boy who seems perfectly normal. One of the haughty, popular girls takes her aside and warns her against hanging out with him, but gives no specifics as to why, acting like it should be obvious. Character thinks that this is just normal high school bullying and forges on, but as she starts to get closer to the boy she starts to notice that his family isn’t what they seem. They keep odd hours and act strangely, but surely it’s just a cultural difference! But then she’s invited to come to church with them........

Eastern Washington

Mostly just like the west side but 300% more forests in the central-area and way fewer cults but a lot more racists. Also there’s nobody out there aside from small pockets of civilization.

In Central Washington there are like... 4 towns. And a couple villages. Ellensburg, Cle Elum, Roslyn, and Ronald. Ellensburg is the only one of those big enough to have a Fred Meyer. Outside of those you technically have Thorp, Liberty, and Easton. But I don’t know if those qualify as towns. They’re more like villages.

The forests go on FOREVER. Everyone has a quad (that’s a four-wheeler for normal people) or an old hand-restored Jeep that they take out in the hills and ride the trains with for hours because what else are you going to do?

Everyone knows someone who seems to have an unnaturally good memory of the trails. All their names, and the names of everyone who rides them.

Again with the horse thing, everyone has horses it’s weird.

Anything post-Ellensburg is a WASTELAND. DRY HOT BULLSHIT. INHOSPITABLE. YOU WILL DIE.

There’s certain places with life, such as tri-cities, Yakima, Spokane, uhhh Lake Chelan... and various itty bitty towns in the middle of nowhere that I can’t in good conscious reccomend for a visit. I can’t reccomend most of eastern Washington. It’s scary out there.

It’s actually a lot like the traditional Southern Gothic setting, except take all the southern-ness out of it. Rather than old-money families with fake smiles and Murder on their minds it’s new-money, upstart wineries with cool hipster themes, “oh we hard-restored this old silo and made a tasting room and we had our daughters wedding here!” 50-something couples with four kids and three dogs, they seem so genuinely nice and down to earth but the situation just feels so odd I mean they just don’t ever want to disclose anything of note about the vineyards.... even their niece from the west side who they practically raised knows nothing....

Easy book plot: group of city kids decides to go camping at a random lakeshore on the edge of Wine Country, with an itty-bitty town next to it, middle of nowhere type with nothing but dry farmland for miles and miles. There’s maybe 100 people in the whole place, and the kids happen upon the extended family of one of the nearby vineyard owners, including a girl around their age who shows all the signs of being a normal person with coherent thought: dyed hair, edgy clothes, denim jacket with politically charged patches and pins, etc. and she offers—no, begs the group to come down to the vineyard the next morning, for the big family brunch and grape picking party! The group wonders why she was so insistent, but once they got there it was fairy obvious, things weren’t normal at this vineyard and she clearly needed backup.

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tabloidtoc · 5 years ago

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In Touch, December 30

Cover: Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston back together

Page 1: Contents

Page 2: Who Wore It Better? Anne Hathaway vs. Nicky Hilton

Page 3: Morgan Stewart vs. Chrissy Teigen, Nicole Richie vs. Kate Mara

Page 4: Meghan Markle ordered old pal Jennifer Meyer to cease and desist using images of the duchess wearing Jennifer’s jewlery

Page 5: Andy Cohen disses Nene Leakes for wearing the same dress, Starstruck Fan of the Week -- Timothee Chalamet at a dinner party with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West and Kid Cudi and Pete Davidson, Dad of the Week -- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, an anonymous donor paid $243,000 for Olivia Newton-John’s iconic Grease jacket only to give it back to her to display at her cancer center, Makeover of the Week -- Kaia Gerber got an even shorter haircut

Page 6: Crib of the Week -- Barack and Michelle Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard Estate

Page 8: Feud of the Week -- Eminem and Nick Cannon have been battling for 10 years

Page 9: Tyler Cameron scrubbed all evidence of Hannah Brown from his Instagram account, Ryan Reynolds hires the “Peloton Wife” Monica Ruiz to be in his ad for Aviation gin, Man Candy of the Week -- Titus Makin Jr., Winner of the Week -- Vanna White gets to host Wheel of Fortune while Pat Sajak recovers, Loser of the Week -- Dan Spilo became the first contestant in Survivor history to be ejected from the show after inappropriately touching a female crew member’s leg

Page 10: Up Close -- Dwayne Johnson at the Jumanji: The Next Level premiere on LA with wife Lauren Hashian and castmates Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Awkwafina, Nick Jonas and Karen Gillan

Page 12: Jerry Seinfeld and Amy Schumer, pregnant Maren Morris in Hawaii

Page 14: It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas -- Katy Perry and Ryan Seacrest, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka

Page 15: Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen, pregnant Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard and daughter Cali, Kendall Jenner

Page 16: Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie and Charlize Theron at the LA premiere of Bombshell

Page 18: Kate Hudson, Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta as Sandy and Danny from Grease, Melissa Joan Hart

Page 20: Kate Middleton in the Lover’s Knot tiara

Page 21: Camila Cabello at KIIS-FM iHeartRadio Jingle Ball

Page 22: The West Family Christmas Card with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West and kids North and Saint and Chicago and Psalm, Taylor Swift’s 30th birthday with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds and Cazzie David and Jack Antonoff

Page 24: Bradley Cooper works the phones for ICAP’s annual Charity Day, Jennifer Aniston and Ellen DeGeneres on Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways

Page 25: Beyonce in Elle

Page 26: Cover Story -- Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston announce they’re back together at her star-studded Christmas party

Page 30: What’s going on with Bradley Cooper and Anna Wintour

Page 32: Princess Beatrice’s royal wedding ruined by the Prince Andrew scandal

Page 34: Season’s Greetings from the stars

Page 38: Britney Spears is going to court against Kevin Federline because she wants more custody of her kids

Page 39: Kyle Richards is trying to stop plans to bring her former co-star and former friend Lisa Vanderpump back to RHOBH, Brittany Murphy’s sister speaks out about her death, Star Sightings -- Loren Ridinger and Swizz Beatz (pictured), Wyclef Jean, Molly Sims, Paris Hilton and Joan Smalls, Kristin Chenoweth (pictured), Simon Huck, Claire Holt

Page 40: Matthew Perry’s new love is 28-year-old talent manager and producer Molly Hurwitz

Page 41: Cody Simpson and Miley Cyrus shacking up, Colin Firth’s marriage destroyed by wife Livia Giuggioli’s cheating, Khloe Kardashian wants ex Tristan Thompson to donate sperm so she can have baby no. 2 via surrogate

Page 44: The Big Interview -- Karamo Brown has been planning his wedding since he was 12

Page 46: Holiday Hits and Misses -- Leslie Mann vs. Hailee Steinfeld

Page 47: Katie Holmes vs. Olivia Wilde

Page 48: Zendaya vs. Lily James

Page 49: Rachel Zoe vs. Celine Dion, Sophia Bush vs. Dua Lipa

Page 51: Beauty -- Merry Manis -- Taylor Swift

Page 52: Did I Really Do That? Shailene Woodley wore a bouncy castle, Noomi Rapace copied Carmen Sandiego

Page 53: Chloe Sevigny put on a paper bag, Alexa Chung stole Wednesday’s duds

Page 54: Animal Overload

Page 56: Entertainment

Page 58: My Night at Home -- Cassie Randolph, Guess Whose Video Game Character -- Emma Stone, Hayden Panettiere, Liam Neeson, Kristen Bell, Ice Cube, Ray Liotta

Page 60: Double Take -- Lizzo and Normani

Page 62: Horoscape -- Capricorn Alison Brie

Page 64: Last Laughs

#tabloid #jennifer aniston #brad pitt #meghan markle #Colin Firth #bradley cooper

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essilt · 6 years ago

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Fic: Mnemosyne's gift (WIP)

Autors: @katerina150 , @essilt Theseus Scamander / Leta Lestrange, Canon Het Relationship, Het, Alternate Universe, Epistolary, Drama, Romance, Family Feels Notes: BC THEY ARE OUR BBS AND JFC WE JUST CAN’T! Notes2: We’re sorry for mistakes, english isn’t our native language. Sum: Fantastic Letters and what are they hiding.

#theseus x leta #theseus scamander #leta lestrange

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dandelionwineshop · 6 years ago

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THURSDAY NIGHT TASTING 6-8PM!!!! SUCCÉS VINÍCOLA!!!

Winemakers at the Lions Club: Catalunya’s Succés Vinícola

Young Spanish winemakers behind the bar tonight! Mariona Vendrell and Albert Canela fell in love studying winemaking in Tarragona and started Succés Vinícola in 2011 at the tender age of 20. They successfully introduced themselves to the world of Spanish wine with a still red wine made with Conca de Barberà’s favorite grape, Trepat. Traditionally, the Trepat grape was used in the region’s rosé cava and first vinified as red wine only a decade ago. The couple use Albert’s family’s wine connections to source Succés’ fruit from older, organically farmed vineyards owned by local abuelos, and they continue to push the boundaries of what’s considered possible in the region with good farming and introspective winemaking. Please come join us to taste through these exuberant wines!

Let there be WINE, BREAD, CHEESE, and VINYL!

Succés Vinícola, Conca de Barberà Parellada Experiència 2018

40-60 year-old bush trained Parellada grown in calcareous clay at between 500 and 700 meters above sea level. Traditionally one of the main grapes for Cava, Parellada is a late ripening variety that likes these high altitudes. Success Vinicola is amongst the first producers to make a still Parellada and is arguably the benchmark producer for the grape. Experiencia sees 12 hours of skin-contact. Fresh, lively, and bright - you can taste the salt from the calcium in the the clay. Organic and natural. $25

Succés Vinícola, Trepat Rosado Patxanga 2018

Patxanga means “party” in Catalan! Everybody’s going to want to take this one home. 100% Trepat sourced from 40 year-old bush-trained vines grown calcareous clay @ 400-500 m. Hand-picked, spontaneous fermentation and aged in steel with minimal sulfites added. Exceedingly fresh with some herbaceous notes alongside the red fruit. The label and the wine scream "SUMMER!" Organic and natural. $22

Succés Vinícola, La Cuca de Llum Trepat 2017

And Cuca de Lum means “Firefly” in Catalan! This is from 30-55 year-old bush-trained Trepat (native to Conca de Barbera) grown in calcareous clay at around 500 meters. A large, thin-skinned grape similar to Poulsard or Schiava, Trepat produces light-bodied, aromatic reds reminiscent of those from the Jura. There’s Meyer lemon and orange peel here in amongst the fresh strawberry and pomegranate notes. Hard to stop drinking this one. Organic and natural. $25

Succés Vinícola, Conca de Barberà Trepat El Mentider Old Vine 2016

100% Trepat from bush-trained vines between 80 and 120 years old! (That’s crazy for Trepat!) Also grown in the same clay around 500 meters, these precious grapes are handpicked. The wine is macerated for about 45 days and aged in Burgundy barrels. The resulting wine is richer than most Trepat, with a satisfying earthy depth to it. Mentider means liar in Catalan, as this wine plays devil’s advocate to most Trepat. A real treat for lovers of complex, but lighter reds. Organic and natural. $40

#drinkwine #catalunya #trepat #parellada #winemaker #meetthemakers #greenpoint #succesvinicola #trumpetwine #organicwine #rose

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twilliamsroofing · 2 years ago

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5 Best Things to Do in Spring TX

If you’re planning to visit Spring, Texas, you need to know some fun things to do. Looking for things to do in Spring, TX, you’ve come to the right place. There are many exciting things to see and do in the city. Some of the best attractions in the city include Old Town Spring, Meyer Park, Wild Stallion Vineyards, and more. Read on for more information. After reading this article, you’ll be ready to plan your next visit!

Bask in Nature at Meyer Park

The park is full of recreational opportunities for people of all ages. There are sports fields, trails, fishing lakes, and playgrounds. You can even exercise at the various stations throughout the Park. There are several playgrounds that will make the entire family happy. If you’re looking for an active, family-friendly environment, Meyer Park is the place to visit. Bask in the beauty of Spring, Texas, and get fit while you’re at it.

Enter the Wild at TGR Exotics Wildlife Park

When visiting TGR Exotics Wildlife Park in Spring in Texas, you can take a guided tour where you can get up close and personal with the animals. Monkeys, kangaroos, and tigers are some of the exotic animals you can get up close and personal with. The park is one of the best in the state and offers tours in English and Spanish.

Sip Wine at the Wild Stallion Vineyards

If you’re in the Houston area, you’ve probably heard of the Wild Stallion Vineyards, which is the only commercial vineyard in Harris County. This winery is situated near the edge of The Woodlands, a suburb of Houston. Wild Stallion Vineyards makes some of Texas’ best wine and is definitely worth a visit. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a glass of wine or two, and you’ll love the location.

Learn Local History at Old Town Spring

If you are interested in learning more about the history of your area, Old Town Spring is a great place to visit. It is a popular tourist destination and is located just outside of Beltway 8 in Harris County, Texas. The town has been around for over a century and has preserved its historic charm. It is home to many museums and historical sites that showcase its history. It also hosts many festivals and events throughout the year.

Check the Antiques at Antique Gallery of Houston

If you’re in the market for some new furnishings, jewelry, art, or collectibles, check out the Antique Gallery of Houston. This sprawling antique mall has 250+ vendors and a variety of furniture and collectibles. There’s something for everyone, including pieces that will make your room look like a museum. The prices are affordable, and you can find anything you want for any budget. Plus, you’ll be happy to know that you won’t be paying full retail!

Services Offered by T Williams Roofing in Spring TX

You’ve probably heard about the 5-star rated roof company T. Williams Roofing in Spring, TX, but what are its services? The roofing contractor offers roofing, insulation, ventilation, gutters, downspouts, siding, skylights, and more. It serves both residential and commercial customers have expertise in residential roofing and roof leak repair, Spring, TX.

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mywinepal · 1 year ago

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Two Roses from Meyer Family Vineyards and Mayhem Wines

Two Roses from Meyer Family Vineyards and Mayhem Wines @bcwine #bcwine #bcvqa #Merlot #PinotNoir #somm #winewriter #okanagan @MFVwines @MayhemWines

Meyer Family Vineyards (MFV) in Okanagan Falls has a sister winery, Mayhem Wines, which pairs JAK Meyer from MFV with his sister, Terry Meyer Stone, plus their spouses. The wineries have a different vibe with MFV, being more serious, concentrating on Burgundian style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while Mayhem is on the more fun side, making aromatic white wines and a few big red wines. I opened a…

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#bcvqa #BCWine #Mayhem Wines #merlot #meyer family vineyards #okanagan falls #Okangan #pinot noir #rose

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i-am-very-very-tired · 3 years ago

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Blessed with magnificent beaches, humbling mountain landscapes, and a blissful Mediterranean climate, Malibu is a famous city that lures even celebrities and socialites to leave foreign lands and permanently settle on its heavenly terrain.

Malibu brings both the resplendence of the Santa Mountains and the Pacific Ocean together, so expect a wealth of enchanting trails, state parks, campgrounds, and beaches.

It can be hard to choose where to go, so here’s our very own list of the best things to do in Malibu, CA to give you a glimpse of the city’s irresistible destinations.

1. The Getty Villa

The Getty Villa, located east of the city limits of Malibu, is an educational center and museum dedicated to ancient Greece, Rome, and other classical civilizations.

Why You Should Go

Featuring art that dates back to 7,000 years ago, the Getty Villa is nothing short of grand. In fact, it is a re-creation of an ancient Roman country house and offers performances, family events, lectures, Mediterranean-inspired food, and a wealth of resources on classical antiquity.

What to Do

Browse through the villa’s amazing exhibits, or catch an event if you can. If you’ve worked up an appetite from that, enjoy classical fare at the café, kiosk, or tea room.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Oceana Santa Monica, LXR Hotels & Resorts

2. El Matador State Beach

El Matador Beach is located within the Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach and is one the places to visit in Malibu that you should never miss!

Why You Should Go

El Matador Beach is a spectacular seafront location perfect for the usual swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing, with the added bonus of cave adventures during the low tide.

What to Do

Ready your cameras for El Matador’s impressive arches and unique rock formations. Don’t forget to wait for the low tide after swimming to visit the cave!

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Calamigos Guest Ranch and Beach Club

3. Zuma Beach

Zuma Beach is a 2-mile-long shoreline bordering a massive sandy area. Unlike other beaches in the city, there are no residential buildings on its shores.

Why You Should Go

One of the largest and most popular beaches in Los Angeles County, Zuma Beach is often considered to be one of the top attractions in Malibu. Its wide taupe sands and gentle summer waves beckon beach lovers here to go swimming, scuba diving, surfing, and fishing.

What to Do

The squad will absolutely love all the fun things to do in Malibu, California waiting for them at Zuma Beach. On top of the classic beach activities, there’s kiteboarding, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, beach volleyball, and windsurfing.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Malibu Beach Inn

Related: Best Beaches in Malibu

4. Adamson House

The Adamson House was built in 1929, featuring an extensive use of decorative tiles inspired by Mediterranean Revival design.

Why You Should Go

Sometimes dubbed the Taj Mahal of Tile, the Adamson House’s exterior and surrounding landscape flaunt a vibrant Mediterranean scene, while a rustic Old World countryside charm permeates the house indoors.

What to Do

Step into the forgotten era of Spanish-Moorish design in California, and make your way through the gardens and historic rooms. Afterwards, check out the shop for unique gifts along this motif.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel

5. Malibu Country Mart

Nestled between the majestic mountains and the glistening sea, the Malibu Country Mart was founded in 1975.

Why You Should Go

Malibu Country Mart, the heart of the downtown Malibu’s Civic Center, has a generic name, which hides away its extravagant countryside ambience, upscale boutiques, and al fresco dining experiences.

What to Do

Immerse yourself in Malibu’s calming, laid-back setting as you shop ’til you drop and dine ’til you’re filled. If you brought the little ones along, there’s a small playground just for them.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Santa Monica Proper Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels

6. Malibu Bluffs Park

Malibu Bluffs Park spans six acres of community park facilities overlooking the Pacific.

Why You Should Go

Part-wilderness and part-park, the Malibu Bluffs Park offers families multipurpose sports fields, a playground, trails, picnic tables, a whale watching station, and community events at the heart of actually 83 acres of undeveloped wilderness.

What to Do

Escape the rush of urbanization and commune with the abundance and power of nature at Malibu Bluffs Park. Hike the trails, listen to the distant waves, have a bite in the wilderness, and encourage the love for outdoor recreation to the kids.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: The Anza – a Calabasas Hotel

7. Escondido Falls

The Escondido Falls drops from a 150-foot multi-tiered cliff, the highest in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Why You Should Go

Dependent on rainfall, Escondido Falls is best visited in the early months of the year. It takes an adventure through 4.2 miles of oak woodland, riparian woodland, and coastal sage scrub to be rewarded with such a sight to behold.

What to Do

One of the top fun stuff to do in Malibu is embarking on the outdoorsy journey to Escondido Falls. Hike the Winding Way and soak in the natural ambience to recharge your soul!

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Sheraton Agoura Hills Hotel

8. Malibu Wine Safaris

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Malibu Wine Safaris takes you around Malibu’s largest vineyard to introduce you to its furry friends!

Why You Should Go

Aboard a trusty safari vehicle, Malibu Wine Safaris carries you through Saddlerock Ranch on a fun safari adventure that ends in wines and hor dourves.

What to Do

Explore the 1,000-acre Saddlerock Ranch with Malibu Wine Safaris and meet zebras, water buffalo, llamas, giraffes, and more! The adventure then serves you locally grown wines in a private wine tasting location.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village

9. Point Dume State Beach

Point Dume State Beach is one of the most breathtaking things to see in Malibu, noted for its vast, rugged beach landscape.

Why You Should Go

Featuring over one mile of shoreline and 34 acres of sand, Point Dume State Beach is a hidden gem that boasts views of the entire Santa Monica Bay and Catalina Island in the distance.

What to Do

Despite its rocky features, Point Dume State Beach actually has perfect spots for swimming, surfing, scuba diving, and fishing. Whale watching is also common from December to April.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Homewood Suites by Hilton Agoura Hills

10. Malibu Coastal Adventures

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Malibu Coastal Adventures is a consistently five-star rated tour operator that takes you along the Southern California coast.

Why You Should Go

Looking for the top things to do in Malibu with kids? How does an ocean adventure aboard a luxury catamaran sound? And you won’t just sail aimlessly around; you can meet and interact with sea life along the way and explore amazing marine landscapes too!

What to Do

Try stand-up paddleboarding, explore incredible sea caves, grab a fishing pole to catch some lunch, or snorkel around exotic kelp forests! Meet whales, dolphins, and sea lions as you go.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hilton Garden Inn Calabasas

Related: Best Things to Do in Southern California

11. The Grotto Trail

Nestled on the idyllic Santa Monica Mountains, the Grotto Trail leads you to a secret oasis hidden in a canyon.

Why You Should Go

If you’re looking for cheap things to do this weekend, why don’t you take the squad on a short 3-mile round trip into the mountains? The trail leads you to a narrow canyon with caves, a creek, a little waterfall, and an enclosed pool.

What to Do

Experience the beauty of the majestic Santa Monica Mountains as you journey through a rare coastal Mediterranean ecosystem with occasional wildflower blooms.

Looking for things to do in Malibu tonight? You can also reserve a spot at the campground to listen to coyotes and watch the stars glisten in the dark!

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Calamigos Guest Ranch and Beach Club

12. Malibu Creek State Park

Malibu Creek State Park is a massive 8,000-acre mosaic of woodlands, tallgrass, and slopes surrounding the 14-mile Malibu Creek.

Why You Should Go

The Santa Monica Mountains is indeed home to a treasure trove of hidden gems, one of which is the ancient sprawling paradise surrounding Malibu Creek. This state park is so pretty it has been the location of a couple of popular films.

What to Do

Malibu Creek State Park offers a lot of the free things to do in Malibu for backpackers. Hike, bike, climb, kayak, camp, and watch wildlife as you explore the Santa Monica Mountains. For a full experience, the park offers free docent-led tours too!

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel

13. Solstice Canyon

Located off Corral Canyon Road from the Pacific Coast Highway up on the Santa Monica Mountains, Solstice Canyon is a popular sight with a wide array of hiking trails.

Why You Should Go

Another contender for scenic adventures into the Santa Monica Mountains is Solstice Canyon, a favorite among families, hardcore hikers, and history enthusiasts. Solstice Canyon features ruins, coastal sage scrub, and a perennial waterfall, all populated by roaming wildlife.

What to Do

Hike the wide trails and enjoy picnics along the way. A trip to the waterfall shows you several ruins too, like a stone hunting cabin and ranch house. If you’re looking for a more challenging adventure, opt for the Rising Sun Trail.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles Woodland Hills

14. Malibu Riders

Click Here to See Ticket Price of Similar Activity

Malibu Riders is a top-rated horseback riding tour company that guides guests through Malibu’s most beautiful trails.

Why You Should Go

With Malibu Riders, you get to ride through the city’s most amazing trails, lush forests, and stunning landscapes aboard gentle horses. You don’t need to be experienced. Just come and enjoy the relaxing ride.

What to Do

First choose your adventure. You can enjoy a ride through forests, up mountains with ocean views, or to a famous ranch formerly owned by 20th Century Fox. Arrive about an hour ahead of the ride schedule for briefing, and enjoy the trip.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hampton Inn & Suites Agoura Hills

15. Leo Carrillo State Park

Named after a local conservationist, Leo Carrillo State Park is bordered by 1.5 miles of breathtaking coastline.

Why You Should Go

Campers with an affinity for the water are always drawn to the sycamores, coastal caves, reefs, and tidepools of Leo Carrillo State Park. The park also features lovely trails for back-country hiking.

What to Do

Book a spot on the park’s famed campgrounds and enjoy a beachy camping trip involving swimming, surfing, beachcombing, caving, and diving.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Quality Inn & Suites Thousand Oaks – US101

16. Malibu Hindu Temple

Amidst the green state parks of the Santa Monica Mountains rose a Hindu temple built in 1981.

Why You Should Go

The Malibu Hindu Temple is one of the largest Hindu temples in the Western world. It’s actually an active temple that hosts Hindu ceremonies, activities, and cultural programs.

What to Do

Looking for things to do in Malibu for couples? This temple makes for a unique experience with a foreign culture.

Tour the grounds and marvel at the intricacies of Hindu architecture inside out. Check out their official calendar to catch an event. If you’re hungry, the temple has a kitchen that serves delicious vegetarian meals.

Recommended Hotel Nearby: Hilton Woodland Hills/ Los Angeles

17. Neptune’s Net

Neptune’s Net was started in 1956 by a retired aerodynamicist from NASA.

Why You Should Go

Done all the best things to do in Malibu, CA? Reward yourself with a warm tasty meal at Neptune’s Net, a popular restaurant that has been featured in countless movies and shows.

What to Do

Even when it’s raining or cold, Neptune’s Net’s popularity never dies out. Treat yourself with the deep-fried seafood well loved by locals until today. Enjoy the postcard-perfect views as you chow down on Malibu fare.

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bethestaryouareradio · 3 years ago

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Fall Harvest and Bulb Buying

“Tickle it with a hoe and it will laugh into a harvest.” English Saying

Every September I think about two major garden projects that transpire throughout the autumn season: harvesting and bulb buying.

Fall boasts a spectacular bounty of pears, Asian pears, grapes, apples, tomatoes, tangerines, blackberries, walnuts, kiwis, and more. The last of the peaches and nectarines are being picked while festivals celebrating the end of the fruit and vegetable collections transpire throughout the next two months across the United States.

We also kick off fall by thinking about what bulbs we’ll want to plant for spring. Alliums, daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinths, iris, snowdrops, muscari, and fritillaria top the lists of many gardeners.

Let’s get started on this month’s workload!

Fruit and Vegetables

What do we do with all the produce that is harvested? Besides eating your fruits and veggies fresh and raw, autumn is a plum time for canning, freezing, pickling, and drying the season’s extra yield to enjoy during the winter months when “fresh-picked” is not possible. Use a dehydrator to dry apples, peaches, tomatoes, and pears. Put grapes into an ice-cube tray, add water, and make grape cubes that are pretty and delicious in drinks. After cooling, freeze batches of various fruit sauces that have simmered in a pot with a dash of salt, sugar, honey, and/or vinegar. For canning and pickling, check online sources for simple recipes and make sure to follow the safety requirements. Making jams, jellies, pies, and chutneys is easy and fun, especially when you involve the kids. Next to Christmas, harvest time was always a favorite family experience when I was growing up.

Although my vegetable garden did not return the abundance I had anticipated for the year, my fruit trees overcompensated. I’ve been slicing crunchy apples into salads, sauces, compotes, soups, and making crumbles, pies, and crisps. Peaches or nectarines with fresh cream is one of my favorite breakfast treats. For a refreshing and invigorating weekend cocktail that I call Sunday Sensation, try this beautiful and delicious combination. It can be made with or without alcohol.

Sunday Sensation

In a clear pitcher, muddle cut pieces of peach and nectarine. Add slices of an orange, tangerine, and Meyer lemon. Stir in a shot glass of Campari or Aperol for an alcohol infused drink, add ice cubes, and top with sparkling wine or Champagne. For a virgin sensation, use a cup of orange juice topped with sparkling water or apple cider. Garnish with sprigs of basil and mint leaves.

Yummy!

While you are enjoying your Sunday Sensation, it’s time to contemplate the bulbs and rhizomes you’ll plant this fall for a spring showcase. Bulbs can be planted mid to late fall in a sunny location with well-drained soil. Daffodils can be planted anytime and anywhere. They are especially great in areas where deer roam as the deer are repelled by them. There are so many varieties of tulips for early, mid-season, and late blooming that it may be best to peruse bulb catalogs to get an idea of the specimens that speak to you. All tulips will need six weeks of refrigeration before planting so it is doubly critical that you decide on what to buy now. For rock gardens and borders, you may be thrilled by Water Lily tulips that naturalize when left undisturbed. When you want exotic-looking tulips, consider the flamboyant Parrot or Peony flowering tulips. If you want to force flowering, single or double early tulips are the most well-known as well as Species and Triumph tulips.

Forcing How-to:

Plant bulbs in well-draining pots in October, place them in the dark for 12-14 weeks while chilling at 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit. Gradually move pots to filtered sunlight to allow sprouting and acclimation. Water as needed.

Ponder the Pollinators:

Happy bees stay in our gardens helping nature thrive. By planting bulbs in colors most attractive to the bees––blue, purple, white, and yellow––fresh food is provided for them after winter when they need it most. The best bulbs for bees are allium, anemone, camassia, corydalis, crocus, fritillaria, Galanthus, hyacinths, muscari, tulips, and scilla.

Best Way to Plant Large Quantities:

Most people plant bulbs in groups of five to seven spaced six inches apart and buried four to five inches deep. However, if you want to create a bold and beautiful impact with large swatches of color, try trenching. You can mix bulbs or use one variety or one species.

Dig a long five-inch deep (or whatever depth the bulb packaging indicates) trench wherever you want to make your floral statement. It can be straight or made into a circle or pattern. Add soil amendments if your ground is clay and hard. Arrange a minimum of a hundred bulbs with the pointy side up. Cover area with soil and mulch. Water, wait, and WOW!

After blooms fade in the spring, cut the flower stalks to allow the bulbs to conserve energy for the next year while the foliage continues to flourish.

Hose Repair:

Every time I or my siblings telephoned my Mom during a summer or fall day, the first words out of her mouth were “I’m busy. I’m pulling hoses.” That line became a code sentence for us whenever we were doing manual labor that others may not think was important, but what was critical to us. This past summer, to save water by not turning on my irrigation system, I found myself pulling actual hoses daily. By spot watering, I was able to water deeply and accurately, but it was arduous work pulling those heavy hoses. Several tore or broke during the process and I mended them, giving them new life. I have always repaired frayed or cut hoses and figured everyone repaired theirs when necessary. But then I saw a couple of hoses in the recycle bin area of a client’s yard with new hoses sitting next to the front faucets. They didn’t realize that hoses are easily repaired with inexpensive parts. If your hose is damaged, head to the hardware store to buy either a female or male coupling. If your hose is broken in the middle, you can buy a connector. Cut off the damaged hose part with a shear or sharp knife. Use a Philipps screwdriver to open the connector. Push the new female or male plug into the hose and tighten the connector with the screwdriver. Test the hose. It will be good as new. I tend to use more female couplings than males, so I always buy extras.

Tickle your garden with a hoe and you’ll have a great harvest. Come visit me at the Pear and Wine Festival in Moraga at the Be the Star You Are!® charity booth on September 25th and pick up some free goodies. Laugh on!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Saturday, September 25th, Be the Star You Are!® will participate in the first live event at the Pear and Wine Festival with a booth sponsored by the Lamorinda Weekly(www.Lamorindaweekly.com) and MB Jessee painting (www.MBJessee.com). Wear your mask and visit us! Details at https://www.bethestaryouare.org/copy-of-events

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing.

Photos and more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1515/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian.html

Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, is available for hire to help you prepare for your spring garden. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com.

Buy copies of her books, including, Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul, Growing with the Goddess Gardener, and Be the Star You Are! www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store. Receive a FREE inspirational music DVD and special savings.

Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures.

[email protected]

www.GoddessGardener.com

#harvestbulbspeachesnectarinesapplestrenchingcynthiabrian starstyle goddessGardener growingwiththegoddessgardener

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dustedmagazine · 4 years ago

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Dust Volume 7, Number 2

Bitchin’ Bajas

The whole country is snowed in and Texas is starting to look a lot like the Terrordome, and we can see how people might not be laser focused on music right now, especially if they’re cold or sick or out of food. But music continues to pour in, in great quantities and beguiling diversity, and a fair amount of it is very, very good. So, while we encourage you to take care of your brothers and sisters first (by donating to organizations like Austin Mutual Aid, Community Care — Mutual Aid Houston, Feed the People Dallas or the Austin Disaster Relief Network), we also present another collection of short, mostly positive reviews of new-ish records that have caught our attention. Writers this time around include Ray Garraty, Jennifer Kelly, Bill Meyer, Justin Cober-Lake, Eric McDowell, Bryon Hayes, Jonathan Shaw, Tim Clarke and Mason Jones.

Babyface Ray — Unfuckwitable (Wavy Gang)

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On his new 7 song EP Unfuckwitable, thanks to his technical skills, Babyface Ray grinds through a great variety of trendy topics under a great variety of beats: from “not rap” rap to “bad bitch” rap to “we got it off the mud” rap. It’s all very professionally done, as you expect from a professional rapper, despite Ray’s claims that he’s not one. But midway through it, behind the misty fog of bouncy production and some lines catching the ear, you can clearly see at least two problems, with the EP and Babyface Ray. First, he doesn’t have anything to say (unlike some hip hop artists who ran out of things to say, he never had any in the first place). Second, he either doesn’t rhyme or goes for a lazy rhyming. The standout here is “Like Daisy Lane”, a catchy little song, with absolutely no substance behind it.

Ray Garraty

Bananagun — The True Story of Bananagun (Full Time Hobby)

The True Story of Bananagun by Bananagun

Ooh look, it’s tropicalia from Australia! The five-piece Bananagun hails geographically from Melbourne, but metaphysically from 1960s Sao Paulo or swinging London. Their first album swaggers like a long-haired hipster in wide-flared hip huggers, fingers snapping, funk bass slapping, keyboards and flutes gamboling in hot melodic pursuit. Multiple band members got their start in similarly 1960s-aligned Frowning Clouds, so the psych garage freakbeat elements are, perhaps, to be expected. But Bananagun runs hotter, wilder and considerably less Anglo. “People Talk Too Much” rattles the foundations with scorching funk percussion, big flares of brass and a vintage Afro-beat call and response chorus. “Mushroom Bomb” likewise heats up psychedelic apocalyptica with seething syncopations of bass and drums. Most of these tracks are a bit overstuffed, with a pawn shop’s worth of instruments enlisted in happy, dippy, everyone-get-in-the-jam exuberance, but am I going to complain about too much joy? I am not. Bring on the Bananagun.

Jennifer Kelly

Andrew Barker / Jon Irabagon — Anemone (Radical Documents)

Anemone by Andrew Barker + Jon Irabagon Duo

Some names tell you exactly where you stand, and others raise questions. Take the name of this record, for example; did drummer Andrew Barker (Gold Sparkle Band, Little Huey Orchestra) and tenor saxophonist Jon Irabagon (Mostly Other People Do The Killing, I Don’t Hear Nothin’ But The Blues) have the aquatic or land-lubber variety in mind? To get specific, is this record a buttercup, or a bottom-dwelling, plant-lookalike life form that waits for other aquatic species to come close enough for it to lance them, paralyze them with venom and chow down on their still-living bodies?

“Learnings,” the first of the album’s four tracks, is true to its name, being a distillation of instrumental tones and free jazz attacks that might remind you of moments from various Coltrane and Pharoah records. It feels familiar, but invigorating. The title tune comes next, and it’s a slower, more laconic performance, attractive enough to be either the sea or land variety. Then comes “Book of Knots,” which suspends an intricate percussive construction over slow-bubbling pops and barks. The record closes with “Branded Contempt,” a juxtaposition of pathos-rich blowing and restless brushwork. One can listen most of the way through this record without guessing whether it owes allegiance to Poseidon or Persephone, but the coarse intensity of Irabagon’s playing in the last minutes is the tell; this record packs a sting.

Bill Meyer

BBsitters Club — BBsitters Club & Party (Hausu Mountain)

BBsitters Club & Party by BBsitters Club

Label Hausu Mountain specializes in weird experimental electronics. Its release of a rare rock record might raise a few eyebrows. BBsitters Club, with the label's founders making up half the quartet, pulls off a tricky feat in becoming an arch rock band. BBsitters Club & Party has enough old-fashioned blues and psych-based rock to suggest a group taking itself seriously. Naming the opening track “Crazy Horse” immediately calls attention to its meta status, even if the track sounds more like Pink Floyd than Neil Young's collaborators (and there's a touch of hair metal in there, too). No group with songs called “Joel,” “Joel Reprise,” and “Joel Reprise Reprise” can take itself too seriously, and that kind of playfulness runs throughout the disc. At the same time, BBsitters Club does take its musicianship seriously. They avoid conventional forms, working in complicated structures full of surprising twists. The group can get a little proggy, but then twist it toward an Allman Brothers-style jam. If it starts to settle into the Woodstock era (see the clear nods to Hendrix and Cream), it jumps to the 1980s with an unlikely easiness. The band goes wherever they feel like rocking, with everyone invited to the party.

Justin Cober-Lake

Bitchin Bajas — live ateliers claus (les albums claus)

Bitchin Bajas - live ateliers claus by Bitchin Bajas

If we can all agree the pandemic has dealt musicians some dizzying blows, that’s hardly to say they had it easy before. Squeezed between tech platforms and spurned by a hostile federal government (speaking for the US, anyway), even on tour they had to contend with iffy financials, physical neglect and — because why not say it louder for those in the back? — literal theft. So Cooper Crain, Rob Frye and Dan Quinlivan found themselves over 4,000 miles from home in May 2018, playing Brussels’s les ateliers claus on borrowed equipment after having their gear stolen (twice) on a European tour in support of Bajas Fresh. “Um, we’re, ah, Bitchin Bajas, from Chicago ... Illinois,” one of the trio says over the set’s first tentative tones. “And thanks ... for coming. This is gonna be great, I think. Or, we’ll see.”

Perhaps it’s not a question of either/or but both/and, the cosmic “we’ll see” of COVID-19 only amplifying how truly great it is to receive this music in the unimaginable future of three years later. As ever with the Bitchin Bajas, there is pleasure in the subtleties, whether that’s an excited concert-goer whooping as “Jammu” picks up momentum or the way each turn of the musical kaleidoscope seems to bring out new hues. That the recording doesn’t represent any dramatic departure from what we hear on the studio album or during other sets on other tours is part of its appeal and part of its power as a balm. We don’t need any more startling revelations right now. In this sense, the whole live ateliers claus series is a reminder that this venue and these artists — from Michael Chapman (vol. 1) up through Will Guthrie (vol. 12) — are still here today. If we can help repay what’s been stolen from them, they’ll be here tomorrow, too.

Eric McDowell

Loren Connors & Oren Ambarchi — Leone (Family Vineyard)

Leone by Loren Connors & Oren Ambarchi

This is the first time that Loren Connors and Oren Ambarchi have collaborated, despite the myriad ties that bind the two guitarists across the global exploratory music scene. Leone offers a trio of pieces arranged like overlapping globs of paint on a painter’s palette: the two artists each perform solo with a collaborative piece in between. “Lorn” is a side-long Connors piece with the guitarist in an experimental mood, hammering the reverb-drenched strings to create a glorious cacophony. Ambarchi’s “Nor” recasts the guitar first as a church organ and then as a subaquatic communications device. When the two pair up for “Ronnel,” it is a symbiotic meeting. Connors picks out notes around which Ambarchi weaves contrails of tone. It is a mesmerizing piece, and, we hope, just the first of many joint efforts from these two.

Bryon Hayes

Buck Curran — WFMU 'The Frow Show' Live Session (Feat. Jodi Pedrali) (Obsolete Recordings)

Buck Curran: WFMU 'The Frow Show' Live Session (Feat. Jodi Pedrali) by Obsolete Recordings

When we last caught up with Buck Curran, he was hunkered down at then ground zero for the COVID epidemic, socially isolating in Bergamo, Italy while recording the lovely acoustic-guitar-and-voice album, No Love Is Sorrow. Half a year later, still deep in the grip of a worldwide pandemic, he made this record, a duet with Italian keyboard player Jodi Pederali, revisiting one song from the previous album and adding three others. The tracks with Pederali fuse Curran’s electric blues with the bright, meditative melodies of Pederali’s piano. The two players interact and overlap in intoxicating dialogue. “Deep in the Lovin’ Arms of My Babe,” reprises the finger-picked folk of Curran’s earlier album, adding a glittering sprinkle of piano to its mournful, wistful melody. The set was recorded for Jess Jarnow’s show on WFMU and released on Bandcamp, and while not as long or as weighty as No Love Is Sorrow, it’s well worth hearing.

Jennifer Kelly

Jürg Frey — l’air, l’instant - deux pianos (Elsewhere)

l'air, l'instant - deux pianos by Jürg Frey

When you put two pianos together, there must surely be a temptation to see how much sound you can get out of them. Swiss composer Jürg Frey does the opposite on the two compositions that make up this CD. Each is so sparse that an inattentive listener might think they are hearing one patient pianist, when in fact they are hearing a pair of deeply skilled interpreters. The task assigned to Reinier van Houdt and Dante Boon is to place their notes in such precise relation to each other that they can influence each other’s pitches without interfering with them. Each musician is, as the title “toucher l’air (deux pianos)” (2019) suggests, inducing a slight disturbance in the atmosphere, lightly pressing transitory shapes into the silence that absorbs each note. “Entre les deux l’instant” (2017/2018) allows the two pianists to decide how closely they will match paces as they trade the roles of melodist and accentuator. Immune to gauche temptation, Frey seems drawn instead to see how much attention and how little sound it takes to accentuate the beauty of silence.

Bill Meyer

Chris Garneau — The Kind (The Orchard)

THE KIND by Chris Garneau

Chris Garneau’s lush, stunning art-pop swoops and whirls and flutters in wild arcs of drama. In this fifth album, the New York City songwriter works in a restrained palette of guitar, piano, electronics and drums, but colors way outside the box with his vibrant, emotional-laden voice, which flies up into a falsetto register with an ease not heard since Jeff Buckley passed. “I know you loved me truly, but we don’t love one way, do we?” he croons on the gorgeous “Telephone,” lofting up into whistle range without losing the purity or the trueness of his tone. Cuts like the title song and “Now On” are prayerfully simple, just framing piano chords and Garneau’s highly charged delivery. But others like “Not the Child” are more intricately constructed with a lattice of picked strings, an antic syncopated beat and staccato vocal counterpoints that dance around the main line. The Kind’s songs are deeply personal and rooted in Garneau’s experiences as gay man, but they’ll resonate with anyone who’s ever loved or longed or regretted.

Jennifer Kelly

Gaunt Emperor — Femur (Self-released)

Femur by Gaunt Emperor

Some would-be emperors may no longer have clothes (looking at you, Trump), but Gaunt Emperor is unabashed about wearing its influences on its sleeve. Femur is the first LP by this California project, and Sunn 0))) and the first few records released by Earth are large presences, looming hugely just behind the sounds Gaunt Emperor generates. If you’re familiar with those other bands, you get the essential idea: deep (really deep) notes and long (really long) sustain from loud (really loud) guitars, and not much else. That said, Gaunt Emperor has an aesthetic vision that seems to be attempting to survey its own territory. While compositions like “Slow Submersion” and “The Birth of Obsidian” work from the playbook established by O’Malley and Anderson, the textures of Gaunt Emperor’s guitar tone have their own sort-of-subtle qualities. They’re pretty good. “Conception,” the second track on Femur, expresses a similar inclination towards melody that Earth began to demonstrate on The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull (2008), but Gaunt Emperor retains an unrestrained relation to volume; you can feel the heat inexorably building in the overdriven amplifier stack. In any case, this is suitable music for pondering massive, ongoing phenomena, like the calving of icebergs off Antarctica’s coast or the steady disappearance of the Amazonian rainforest — not that Femur will make you feel any better about that stuff.

Jonathan Shaw

Luka Kuplowsky — Stardust (Mama Bird)

Stardust by Luka Kuplowsky

Soft jazzy reveries coalesce around this Toronto songwriter’s offhand, semi-spoken melodies. Little accents of acoustic bass, slide guitar, hushed harmonies dart in and out of focus, but the songs themselves come up on you obliquely, filtering in from the vents in evocatively scented clouds. Rhythms sway in undulant, bossa nova syncopations, while chords slide into resolution from slightly off center. A half-remembered jazz flute lick lick lofts through the window. At the center of it all is Luka himself, posing, but not insisting on koan-like observations. “Perfection is a noose,” he confides amid the muted wreck and roll of massed jazz sounds in “City by the Window,” but he seems unbothered by it. Perfection is an accident, and if you look at it too hard, it disappears.

Jennifer Kelly

José Lencastre / Hernâni Faustino / Vasco Furtado — Vento (Phonogram Unit)

Vento by José Lencastre / Hernâni Faustino / Vasco Furtado

Vento is the Portuguese word for wind, and the name conveys that combination of purposeful and chance operations that converged to make this record happen. The trio of alto saxophonist José Lencastre, double bassist Hernâni Faustino and drummer Vasco Furtado didn’t book a studio with the intent to record; they just wanted a place to play for a couple hours. But the engineers had just obtained some microphones and wanted to try out their new toys. Likewise, this improvisational trio did not bring an tunes to the session, but they play with a purposefulness born of shared aesthetic values. Whether are sailing a brisk clip, as on the title track, or gradually unwinding the music at low volume and velocity, as on “Ruínas,” they operate as a real time compositional cooperative, developing their music in linear fashion. While they share a direction, they also value contrast. For example, Lencastre’s breathy tone during the latter tune’s early moments balances Faustino’s pointed twang. Since remorseless microoganisms and anti-cultural politicians are each doing their best to keep live music down, records like this serve a necessary function in reminding us of the life force that motivates improvised music.

Bill Meyer

Lilys — A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns (Frontier)

A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns by Lilys

Kurt Heasley’s Lilys made some of the most ebullient and inventive guitar music of the 1990s. The best Lilys songs sound as though they’re flying apart and being put back together as they hurtle along, killer hooks tossed aside as quickly as they start to drag you in. Though they’re perhaps best known for their Kinks-indebted breakthrough Better Can’t Make Your Life Better, this was actually a sharp turn away from the dense shoegazey atmospherics of their first couple of records. Thus far, Frontier Records has reissued their first two albums, In the Presence of Nothing and Eccsame the Photon Band, both of which are superb. The A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns EP was originally released in 1994, a transitional period when Heasley was still exploring the textural joys of distorted guitars while starting to throw down pop hooks with aplomb. Opener “Ginger” hits similar pleasure centers as Weezer’s debut, released the same year, while on “Dandy,” Heasley’s vocal sounds uncannily like Stephen Malkmus. The previously unreleased “G. Cobalt Franklin” foregrounds searing guitar tones and bulbous bass, the bulk of the melodic layers sounding like they’re bleeding through from the next room, peppered with swirling flange and voice recordings. The second half of this expanded edition comprises songs originally demoed for Eccsame the Photon Band, and later released in 2000 on a split EP with Aspera Ad Astra. They’re decent enough, though feel like they’re missing the spark of the best Lilys creations. So, while this amounts to a far-from-essential Lilys release, it’s fascinating to hear Heasley in transition, working out how to reconcile his love for melody with his immersion in guitar noise.

Tim Clarke

Fred Lonberg-Holm — Lisbon Solo (Notice)

Lisbon Solo by Fred Lonberg-Holm

As befits a guy who has also recorded a “solo” record in the company of a Florida swamp full of frogs, Fred Lonberg-Holm picks his recording locations strategically, and location has a lot to do with how this album turned out. It was done at an old and well-appointed studio in Lisbon, Portugal, where he could be sure that the microphones would catch every creak, groan and polyphonic wail he might draw out of his main instrument. But he also knew, from prior visits, that he would have access to some seriously over-the-hill pianos. While most of the album is devoted to savagely bowed attacks, the odd digressions into detuned, radiant chimes deliver just enough respite to keep you off balance and on the edge of your seat.

Bill Meyer

Dan Melchior — Odes (Cudighi Records)

'Odes' by Dan Melchior

Dan Melchior is likely a recognizable name to Dusted readers; he has made quite a string of releases over the years. This cassette/digital release, recorded in 2016, is a subdued affair, nine songs for the most part following the same blueprint: a track of strummed or lightly picked acoustic guitar with a fuzzy electric lead layered on top. The foundational guitar tracks establish a calm, repetitive cycle, giving some of these songs an almost raga-like feel, in some cases through a hazy reverb: "Tybee" feels like you're sitting in the next room listening to him play through a closed door.

Calling the overdubs "guitar leads" implies the wrong feel. While played through fuzz or distortion, the mood is a woozy one, more opiated than energetic, but in a drifting, pleasant way. There's an over-arching melancholy throughout these songs, one person alone playing to satisfy a need. Knowing Melchior was facing the recent loss of his wife Letha certainly colors it, but even a listener ignorant of that back-story would feel the emotional resonance.

These nine ramshackle, loose instrumental pieces are personal, incomplete, and like having someone entrust you with private stories in song form.

Mason Jones

Mint Field — Sentimiento Mundial (Felte)

Sentimiento Mundial by Mint Field

Mint Field, from Mexico City, filters the feedback and noise of shoegaze guitars through a pensive screen, finding an aura of nostalgia in between and among blinding walls of scree. Estrella del Sol Sánchez contributes two of the band’s signature sounds, the dreamy, delicate vocals and the swirling masses of altered guitar. She is supported by Sebastian Neyra on bass and Callum Brown on drums. The volume level varies song to song, but it’s all mesmerizing and good. “Delicadeza” breezes in on the tenderest sort of sigh, the softest, most lyrical strummed accompaniment, but “Contingencia” digs in and pounds, drums cranking, bass thudding and guitars winging out in wild arabesques of distorted sound. The easiest comparison might be the similarly hauntingly voiced Lush, but there’s something special here in the soft, keening soprano calm at the center of even the most agitated cuts.

Jennifer Kelly

Roy Montgomery — Island of Lost Souls (Grapefruit)

Roy Montgomery 40th Anniversary 2021 LP Series by Roy Montgomery

In 2021, guitarist Roy Montgomery celebrates 40 years of music-making with the release of four new LPs, beginning with Island of Lost Souls. Though 2018’s fantastic Suffuse included vocals from artists such as Haley Fohr (Circuit Des Yeux), Julianna Barwick and Liz Harris (Grouper), Island of Lost Souls is entirely instrumental, comprising four pieces, each dedicated to a late artist (actor Sam Shepard, and musicians Adrian Borland, Peter Principle and Florian Fricke). Though wordless, Montgomery’s guitar speaks volumes, flickering and flowing with the liquid grace of a player intimately familiar with both his fretboard and the effects pedals at his feet, sending waves of tone cascading with delay and reverb. Plus, on the side-long, climactic “The Electric Children of Hildegard von Bingen,” Montgomery pitch-shifts his guitar so it really ascends to the heavens, where it takes up residence for 22 minutes. Fans of Windy & Carl, Flying Saucer Attack and The Durutti Column, take note.

Tim Clarke

Jon Mueller — Family Secret (American Dreams)

Family Secret by Jon Mueller

A family secret is usually a multigenerational skeleton in the closet that is either sorrowful or sinister. For percussionist and Volcano Choir member Jon Mueller, it is the former: a series of familial rifts that became the unlikely muse for this collection of reverberating drones. Mueller employs instruments that produce multiple resonant tones, such as singing bowls and gongs, to create rich pools of complex sound. Metallic hues brighten subterranean rumblings while enigmatic dapples of condensed steam coalesce into liquid shapes. The drummer conjures ghastly creatures through extending the vocabulary of his drum kit. Cymbal scrapes become banshee wails and scoured skins emanate uncanny whispers. With Family Secret, Mueller manifests his personal demons as phantom signals. He transmogrifies emotional strife into physical actions which then become ethereal. Ironically, the resulting sounds are actually soothing. Pain has never sounded so sweet.

Bryon Hayes

Primitive Motion — Descendants of Air (Kindling)

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Primitive Motion is the Brisbane-based duo of Sandra Selig and Leighton Craig, and Descendants of Air is their seventh album, previously only available as a CD given away at live shows. You can immediately imagine what the album sounds like based on the artist name and album title alone: rustic yet cosmic, full of space and open to spontaneity. Recorded on the banks of the Enoggera Reservoir, these eight meandering pieces prominently feature the sounds of wind and leaves, plus the calls of raucous Australian birds, while Selig and Craig insinuate suggestions of melodies and chords on nylon-string guitar, woodwinds, and battery-powered keyboards, and gently massage the air with percussive patters. Though part of the appeal of the recording is its deliberate vagueness, the most affecting piece, and the shortest, is “True Orbit,” where a strident theme built around melodica, keyboard and voice seems to emerge fully formed from the aether.

Tim Clarke

Socioclast — S/T (Carbonized Records)

Socioclast by Socioclast

In heavy music’s current moment of endless genre-hopping and hybridization, it’s nice to hear a record that understands exactly what it wants to be. Socioclast is a grindcore record. Like Assück’s grindcore’s records. A lot like Assück’s grindcore records. You get all the high-velocity chugging crunch and guttural grunting — vocals so deep in the gullet that it’s pretty hard to pick up any lyrics. The song titles, however, suggest the ideological dispositions you might expect: “Surveillance, Normalization, Examination,” “Specter Signal,” “Psychodrone,” “Propaganda Algorithm.” There can be a fine line between paying tribute and being derivative, but Socioclast creates an homage rather than an outright imitation. This is 21st-century music. It sounds a lot clearer and slicker than anything Assück or the early Slap A Ham bands committed to vinyl. Like Slap A Ham, Socioclast is a California-based musical phenomenon, featuring dudes who have played in bands like Deadpressure and Mortuous; Colin Tarvin’s death-metal grooves are especially prominent on some of the record’s best tracks, including “Eden’s Tongue” and “Omega.” But this is assertively a grindcore record. Given that version of traditionalism (and yes, events have come to such a pass that grindcore has a tradition), it turns out that Socioclast isn’t all that socioclastic. So goes the strangeness of semantics. But the music is good.

Jonathan Shaw

Space Quartet — Under the Sun (Noise Precision Library)

Under the Sun by Space Quartet

Space is a persistent and multi-faceted theme in the music of the Portuguese electronic musician, Rafael Toral. And while his name is not appended to the Space Quartet’s, make no mistake, this is his band, playing his music. But it is a music derived from ideas that can’t be realized without the right people. So, while Toral has delved repeatedly into the sounds that people imagine they might make and that they actually find in outer space, and he has explored empty and variously filled spaces as starting points for his music, the point of the Space Quartet is to find the right people, and give them enough space to realize a new kind of jazz. Under the Sun is the combo’s second recording, made with a substantially different line-up than the iteration that recorded the self-titled debut for Clean Feed Records. Toral has sacrificed the all-electronic front line and switched drummers, but in doing so he may have found the right crew to take him where he needs to go. Across the album’s two 21-minute-long tracks, there are usually several ongoing dialogues taking place between the players, which manifest intriguing degrees of mutual challenge and support. But the way that Toral’s elongated feedback lines and Nuno Torres’ stuttering alto saxophone phrases flow around Hugo Antunes’ stark, elastic double bass figures and percussionist Nuno Morão’s lightly deployed, carefully modulated streams of textures and beats that extends a lineage anchored in the language that Cecil Taylor’s trio first released into the air at the Café Montmartre back in 1962.

Bill Meyer

Stinkhole — Mold Encrusted Egg (Mangel Records)

MOLD ENCRUSTED EGG by STINKHOLE

The name sort of says it all, but to clarify anyways: Stinkhole languishes in a slimy musical ditch, bottoming out somewhere between the No Wave skronk of Mars and the transgressive caterwauling of Suckdog. As was the case with both of those acts, the dissonance and the gross-out antics can obscure some interesting ideas. Clawing your way through the dense layers of yuck (or, depending on how you’re wired, enjoying it) is integral to the challenge posed by the experience. All the gagging vocalizations, primitivist drumming and semi-tuned bass whomps on Mold Encrusted Egg occupy prominent positions on the surface of songs like “Orange Juice.” But listen to Mold Encrusted Egg a little more closely: there are some rabid grooves, feral guitar breaks and a lot of impenetrably weird environments of sampled sounds, tape manipulations and unidentifiable scree. Is it fun? Does it sound good? Fuck no. The band’s name is Stinkhole. They write songs with titles like “Slippin’ on Slug Slime” and “Emancipated by Hair.” They roll with the whacko punk and noise bands that have congregated around the Berlin-based Flennen digital music zine and its accompanying label. Dig the stink. Rock has rarely been so richly rotten.

Jonathan Shaw

Styrofoam Winos — S-T (Sophomore Lounge)

STYROFOAM WINOS "S/T" by Styrofoam Winos

Stryofoam Winos brings together three old friends to swap songs in Nashville. You might recognize Lou Turner from her solo album, Songs for John Venn, a sly and subversion of the songwriter’s wholesome alt-country charm. Joe Kenkel is a kindred spirit, a folk rock singer with respect but not reverence for the certitudes of Southern life. Says Nashville Scene of his solo Dream Creator, “Kenkel, a sophisticated folk-rock songwriter, documents Music City’s idiosyncrasies on his debut LP, with acutely observant lyrics.” And Trevor Nikrant completes this anonymous all-star line-up; his 2017 debut caught the ear of Aquarium Drunkard’s J. Steel who called it “Oddball baroque psychedelia broadcasted from a basement on the east side.” The three kicked things off with a lo-fi and charming debut, Winos at Home, in 2017, but this self-titled LP takes things up a notch with songs that balance craft with eccentricity. “Stuck in a Museum” jangles and rambles in an antic, neurotically intelligent way, as the narrator finds himself entrapped amid the exhibits, staring fixedly at a teapot from the Tang Dynasty. “Roy G. Biv” turns contemplative—and twangy—as Turner sings plaintively about rainbows and colors, the way things change and how hard it can be to keep up. “Maybe More” glints with mandolin, but remains pared back, as a down-trodden singer (one of the guys, not sure which) sings about a life stuck in neutral, same book, same coat, same jokes, but beautiful. The disc has the feel of a warm, casual gathering, with friends jumping in on harmonies or picking up the bass. The songs are sharp and lovely without a lot of fuss.

Jennifer Kelly

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architectnews · 3 years ago

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Global Flora Conservatory, Wellesley College

Global Flora Conservatory, Massachusetts Real Estate, Martha’s Vineyard Architecture Design Images

Global Flora Conservatory at Wellesley College

Jul 11, 2021

Design: Kennedy & Violich Architecture

Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA

Global Flora Conservatory

The Global Flora Conservatory, an internationally renowned botanical collection at Wellesley College, has been selected as the 2021 Architizer A+ Awards Jury Winner for Architecture + New Technology. The project was designed by the American architecture firm of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd. (KVA Matx) in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team at Wellesley College led by Kristina Jones, Professor of Botany and Director of the Botanic Gardens, and Cathy Summa, a Professor of Geoscience and Director of the Wellesley College Science Center.

The Global Flora project reimagines the “stand-alone” typology of the greenhouse as an interlinked and synergistic set of Wet and Dry biomes that are heated and cooled using renewable resources. The design integrates a curved building form that follows the east-west sun path and engages the hillside topography of the Wellesley Campus.

The iconic Durant Camellia tree, over 140 years old, is exhibited in a transparent pavilion linked with the new facility. The new Global Flora is one of the first public conservatories in North America that is clad with a transparent ETFE building skin that enables the direct visual comparison and study of plant form across biomes, advancing public education and scientific research on plant adaptation and the ecology of climate change.

Kristina Jones, Ph.D., states, “Global Flora builds on the rich history of botanical education and research at Wellesley College established in the 1920s by Dr. Margaret Ferguson, who advocated for interdisciplinary botanical education as a Center for the College’s intellectual life. The new space will be an amazing platform for student engagement with nature and with the systems thinking that underpins progress in sustainability.”

The architecture integrates innovative passive and active sustainable systems to meet the Net Zero Water criteria of the Living Building Challenge, the most rigorous contemporary criteria for measuring sustainable design. The elegant, curved form of the Global Flora Conservatory follows the east-west arc of the sun to maximize solar heat gain in winter which is captured through the thermal mass of a wall. In summer, the architecture’s environmentally responsive ETFE skin allows the biomes to be cooled entirely through natural ventilation.

“The Global Flora project is the first contemporary Conservatory that is designed in vertical section,” said architect Sheila Kennedy, FAIA, a Principal of KVA Matx. “The need to accommodate different tree heights produces a dynamic and varying interior space which works together with the configured ground of the site’s topography. This offers diverse spatial experiences of plant form that are slowly revealed as people move through the biomes.”

Public education and scientific research in the Global Flora project are enhanced by an Interactive Sensor Platform integrated into the Conservatory design that provides real-time air, water, soil, and energy data, expanding knowledge of natural and architectural systems and public access to the collection for on-site and online users around the world.

The Global Flora Project has also won the prestigious Lafarge Holcim Design Award and has been selected as Building of the Week by World-Architects. Completed in 2020, the project was built by Turner Construction and supported by the generosity of Wellesley College Trustee Mary White.

Global Flora Conservatory in Wellesley College, Massachusetts – Building Information

Architect: Kennedy & Violich Architecture Design Team: Managing Principal: Frano Violich, FAIA Principal Consulting on Design: Sheila Kennedy, FAIA Project Architect: Ben Widger, AIA Project Designers: Shawna Meyer, AIA LEED AP, Kyle Altman, Bob White, Nick Johnson, Daniel Sebaldt, Michael Bennet, Diana Tomova, Peteris Lazovskis, Mark Bavoso, Lynced Torres, Noam Saragosti

Structural, MEP & Envelope Engineering: Buro Happold Consulting Engineers, PC Civil Engineer: Nitsch Inc. Landscape Architect: Andropogon Associates, Ltd. Lighting Designer: Tillotson Design Associates Code Consultant: Jensen Hughes Associates Inc. Climate Consultant: Transsolar KlimaEngineering Exhibit Consultant: Small Design Firm Energy Consultant: ReVision Energy

About Kennedy & Violich Architecture Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd. (KVA Matx) is an internationally recognized design practice that works at the intersection of architecture, natural ecology, digital networks, and emerging public needs. Led by Principals Sheila Kennedy, FAIA, and Juan Frano Violich, FAIA, the KVA team creates innovative projects that explore the material culture of architecture and advance the sustainable design of materials, buildings, and urban regions.

About Wellesley College Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing an outstanding liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world. Its 500-acre campus near Boston is home to some 2,400 undergraduate students from 49 states and 58 countries.

Photography: KVA

Global Flora Conservatory, Wellesley College, Massachusetts images / information received 110721

Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA

Massachusetts Buildings

Massachusetts Architecture

Franklin County Justice Center, Greenfield, MA Design: Leers Weinzapfel Associates photograph © Brad Feinknopf Franklin County Justice Center Building in Massachusetts

Perles Family Studio, Jacob’s Pillow Dance, Becket Design: David Croteau of Flansburgh Architects photo : Robert Benson Photography Jacob’s Pillow Dance Building in Becket

Massachusetts College of Art and Design – Design and Media Center Design: Ennead Architects photograph © Peter Vanderwarker Massachusetts College of Art and Design Building

New York State Buildings

New York State Architecture – NY State

Olnick Spanu House, Garrison Design: Alberto Campo Baeza Contemporary New York House

HSU House, Ithaca Design:EPIPHYTE Lab, Architects

Holley House, Garrison Design:hanrahanMeyers architects

A classic Modern US house:

Farnsworth House

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storytime-reviews · 7 years ago

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My 2017 Book Reviews

This is my masterlist of the books I’ve reviewed this year. For the full list of books I’ve read this year, including rereads, check out my Goodreads.

Unfortunately these days I don’t get as much time to read due to lots of uni study, which includes lots of readings and dissertation writing! Hopefully next year I’ll be able to read more, especially because I finish my dissertation halfway through the year.

FICTION:

The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum by Heinrich Boll [5 Stars] {reread}

A young woman's association with a hunted man makes her the target of a journalist determined to grab headlines by portraying her as an evil woman. As the attacks on her escalate and she becomes the victim of anonymous threats, Katharina sees only one way out of her nightmare. Turning the mystery genre on its head, the novel begins with the confession of a crime, drawing the reader into a web of sensationalism, character assassination, and the unavoidable eruption of violence.

Hover Car Racer by Matthew Reilly [5 Stars] {reread}

Meet Jason Chaser, hover car racer. He's won himself a place at the International Race School, where racers either make it on to the Pro Circuit - or they crash and burn. But he's an outsider. He's younger than the other racers. His car, the Argonaut, is older. And on top of that, someone doesn't want him to succeed at the School and will do anything to stop him. Now Jason Chaser isn't just fighting for his place on the starting line, he's racing for his life.

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo [5 Stars]

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he'll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist: Break into the notorious Ice Court (a military stronghold that has never been breached) Retrieve a hostage (who could unleash magical havoc on the world) Survive long enough to collect his reward (and spend it) Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done - and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first.

The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan [5 Stars]

Zeus has punished his son Apollo--god of the sun, music, archery, poetry, and more--by casting him down to earth in the form of a gawky, acne-covered sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester. The only way Apollo can reclaim his rightful place on Mount Olympus is by restoring several Oracles that have gone dark. What is affecting the Oracles, and how can Apollo/Lester do anything about them without his powers? After experiencing a series of dangerous--and frankly, humiliating--trials at Camp Half-Blood, Lester must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas [5 Stars]

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin-one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

Origin by Dan Brown [5 Stars]

Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.”

The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon’s first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough … one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence…

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan [5 Stars]

Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer [4 Stars]

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favourite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen…

Three Dark Crowns By Kendare Blake [4 Stars]

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose … it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater [4 Stars]

Every year, the Scorpio Races are run on the beaches of Skarmouth. Every year, the sea washes blood from the sand. To race the savage water horses can mean death, but the danger is irresistible.

When Puck enters the races to save her family, she is drawn to the mysterious Sean, the only person on the island capable of taming the beasts.

A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab [3 Stars]

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

Genuine Fraud by E Lockhart [3 Stars]

Imogen is an heiress, a runaway, and a cheat. Jule is a fighter, a chameleon, and a liar.

Imogen is done pretending to be perfect, and Jule refuses to go back to the person she once was. Somewhere between the mansions of Martha’s Vineyard and the shores of Cabo San Lucas, their intense friendship takes a dark turn.

The Selection and The Elite by Keira Cass [3 Stars + 2 Stars]

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon…

The Martian by Andy Weir [2 Stars]

I’m stranded on Mars. I have no way to communicate with Earth. I’m in a Habitat designed to last 31 days. If the Oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death. So yeah. I’m screwed.

NON-FICTION:

Yassmin’s Story by Yassmin Abdel-Magied [5 Stars]

Frank, fearless, funny, articulate, and inspiring, Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a young Muslim dynamo offering a bracing breath of fresh air—and hope. At 21, Yassmin found herself working on a remote Australian oil and gas rig; she was the only woman and certainly the only Sudanese-Egyptian-Australian background Muslim woman.

With her hijab quickly christened a "tea cosy," there could not be a more unlikely place on earth for a young Muslim woman to want to be. This is the story of how she got there, where she is going, and how she wants the world to change.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly [5 Stars]

Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as “Human Computers,” calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women.

Segregated from their white counterparts by Jim Crow laws, these “colored computers,” as they were known, used slide rules, adding machines, and pencil and paper to support America’s fledgling aeronautics industry, and helped write the equations that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert [5 Stars]

Over the last half-billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.

This time around, the cataclysm is us.

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson [2 Stars]

While you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for the bus, the train, or a plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson [1 Star]

A ‘self help’ book on how supposedly your life will be better if you stop trying to be positive all the time. Mostly descends into narcissistic drivel.

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