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shinsengumi-archives · 5 years ago

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Kondo Isami [shinsengumi-no-makoto]

Commander of the Shinsengumi

Born - October 9, 1834 in Kamiishihara village, Tama, Musashi.

[November 9, 1834 in Kamiishihara, Chofu, Tokyo.]

Died - April 25, 1868 in Itabashi, Musashi at age 35.

[May 17, 1868 in Itabashi, Tokyo at age 34.]

Names -

Imina - Masanobu (Masayoshi)

Childhood Name - Miyagawa Katsugoro

Alternate Name - Okubo Yamato

Kondo briefly took the name “Okubo Yamato” on March 1, 1868 [March 24, 1868] when he was made a Junior Councilor. It was the name he was using at the time the imperial army arrested him.

Matsudaira Katamori created a “kaimyo” or “Buddhist death name” for him at the time Hijikata built a grave for him in Aizu. The name (currently unavailable) contained the elements “inden” and “daikoji”, which are usually reserved for the social elite. Because he was originally a farmer, Kondo normally would not have qualified for such a name and so it was a huge honor. It can be considered a small example of Matsudaira’s thankfulness to the Shinsengumi for their long years of support.

Physical Description -

It is said that Kondo had a “rustic” face, but was still attractive enough that women surrounded him. He is also noted to have dimples when he would smile. His mouth was very wide and his entire fist could be fit inside. He had a very powerful build and a sharp gaze. Although there is not an exact estimate of his height, he was not an extremely tall man. Rumor has it that his topknot only came even with Hijikata’s chin if they stood next to each other.

Personality Quirks and Traits -

Kondo seems to have enjoyed entertaining others by showing them how he could put his fist in his mouth. He was also said to have pulled the same trick with his favorite food, manju (steamed dumpling).

In personality he was a simple, honest man of traditional values. Many noted his kindness and generosity. No one ever saw Kondo drunk. He often borrowed books from Kojima Shikanosuke while he was still in Tama and he spent much of his spare time reading in the final days before his arrest. As a leader he was a capable man who had a sense of authority about him and a rather martial attitude. He was always very serious when on duty, though he could be very friendly at other times.

Although he was a good person overall, Kondo sometimes took too much pride in the Shinsengumi’s success. Even Hijikata warned him about this on occasion. There were some who accused him of being arrogant and things got so bad at one point that Nagakura Shinpachi led others in filing a petition to Aizu against him.

Whatever tensions may have existed between himself and the rest of the Shinsengumi however, Kondo was always well respected by them and they honored his memory after his death.

Family History -

Kondo was the third son of a powerful farmer named Miyagawa Kyujiro. His mother, Miyo, passed away when he was only about four or five. She seems to have been only around 38 at the time. He had two older brothers and the eldest was named Otogoro. He also appears to have had both an older and younger sister, but both of them died very young.

Incidently, the Miyagawa house is no longer standing. It was demolished during World War II (1943) so that a nearby military airbase could extend their runways.

On October 19, 1849 [December 8, 1849], he was adopted by Kondo Shusuke at the age of 16 [15]. Shusuke’s wife was named Fude.

According to some stories, Kondo met several women before he took a wife. He supposedly choose the first woman with an appearance that was not very good. His reason was said to have been that a beautiful woman would be a nuisance around the dojo because she would be a distraction to the men. Of course another story has it that he was forced to marry.

He married Matsui Tsune on March 29, 1860 [April 19, 1860] at age 27 [26]. She was the eldest daughter of Matsui Yasogora, a vassal of a Hitotsubashi house who served a man named Shimizu. Their only child was a daughter named Tamako (or Tama according to some), who was born in 1862.

Kondo was good friends with another Tama resident named Kojima Shikanosuke. Just before he left for Kyoto, the two became sworn brothers.

His nephew, Miyagawa Yugoro, later followed him into the Shinsengumi. Yugoro was his elder brother’s son. After Kondo was executed, Yugoro is thought to have retrieved his body for proper burial. Later on he married Tamako, taking on the Kondo name and inheriting his uncle’s dojo. Unfortunately the couple had no children and Tamako died of illness while still very young. Yugoro later remarried.

Another nephew, Miyagawa Shinkichi, joined the Shinsengumi in 1865 when they came to recruit in the Edo area. He died in action at Tenma-ya and is buried at the same temple as Kondo.

Kondo’s brother-in-law, Matsui Tokutaro, may have also been in the group.

Before the Shinsengumi -

Kondo is described as having been a good kid who did not need to be scolded very often. His father was a lover of war tales and often told him heroic stories that would later have a profound influence on how he conducted the Shinsengumi.

He apparently had trouble with some of the older kids every once in a while. One story has it that he took revenge on someone who was harassing him by climbing a tree, then peeing on the person when he passed underneath. On another occasion two youths tried to bully him, but they gave up in disgust when they could not force him to cry. Kondo himself was never cruel to younger children and when he would steal persimmons he would divide any leftovers up among them.

Sometime after joining the Shieikan, an intruder broke into the Miyagawa home and tried to take some valuable item. Kondo took the lead even though he was the youngest. The brothers ambushed the thief when he was on his way out and caused him to drop the object he was trying to steal. When his brother would have gone in pursuit of the man, Kondo stopped him by pointing out that they had the item back and pursuit would be dangerous.

Martial Skills -

Ryu - Tennen Rishin Ryu

Rank - Tennen Rishin Ryu Shihan (Teacher)

Teacher - Kondo Shusuke, Shieikan dojo [Ichigaya, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo]

Along with his two brothers, Kondo became a disciple of Tennen Rishin Ryu on November 11, 1848 [December 6, 1848] at age 15 [14]. He was very enthusiastic about practicing and learned quickly. Kondo Shusuke soon noted both his skill and temperament. After hearing about the incident with the thief from their father, Shusuke was sufficiently impressed to make the boy his successor.

Miyagawa Katsugoro was adopted into the Kondo family on October 19, 1849 and took the name Kondo Isami. By August 27, 1861 [October 1, 1861] a field match was held at Yasaka Shrine to celebrate his succession to the head of the Shieikan dojo, making him the fourth generation master of the school.

Teaching had never been limited to just the dojo. Kondo traveled throughout the countryside to give lessons. Both Kojima Shikanosuke and Sato Hikogoro had dojo in their homes for this purpose and it was on one of these visits that he first met Hijikata Toshizo. The two soon formed a friendship that would last for the rest of their lives.

Swordsmanship was not the only thing taught at the Shieikan. Kojima Shikanosuke was known to come there to teach calligraphy to the students. There also seems to be mention of spear and jujutsu being taught as well.

Kondo had a black training robe with a human skull embroidered in white on the back. It was said he wore this to show his determination as a swordsman. The jacket is now on display at the Kojima house.

His favorite technique was called “Ryubi no Ken”. (“A dragon attacks with his tail when his head is attacked and attacks with his head when his tail is attacked.”) When an opponent raised his sword in the “jodan” stance (an offensive position), Kondo would lower the tip of his in the “gedan” stance (a defensive position with the sword point toward the other person’s knees) and turn his body to stay in “hanmi” (a position where the body is turned sideways in relation to the foe’s). When his opponent attacked, he would quickly raise his own sword to either break the other person’s blade or deflect the slash, then use the same momentum to immediately inflict a downwards stroke while they were unprotected.

His Sword(s)-

Long Sword - Nagasone Kotetsu - 2'3"5

Legend has it that Kondo owned a blade made by Kotetsu, one of the thirty-one greatest swordsmiths, who lived during the 17th century. The story goes that he stopped a robber at the famous Konoike shop in Osaka. In gratitude, the owner gave the sword to Kondo as a gift.

However Kotetsu’s blades were sought after because they were known to perform well in “tameshigiri” tests. This was a process where cutting ability was tested on a human corpse, usually a criminal’s. The results would be inscribed onto the blade, but these could easily be forged. And even during Kotetsu’s lifetime people were making swords that they then attributed to him in order to charge a higher price.

According to Saito Hajime, Kondo’s sword was just such a forgery. As he told others years later, he himself had bought the blade at a secondhand shop called the Yotsuya because Kondo thought it resembled a Kotetsu. Saito gave it to him in order to thank him for lessons that he had received at the Shieikan, which incidently confirms that he was associated with the group long before they went to Kyoto. Even though he was well aware from the start that it was a fake, Kondo was very happy with the sword. As Saito described it, the blade had some sort of sculpture on the guard. There was also some sort of inscription (possibly a forged tameshigiri result) which had long before worn away.

There are a few who say that Kondo owned another sword called the Kiyomaru. This swordsmith was making blades around the time of the Bakumatsu.

Shinsengumi Years -

Was one of three Commanders of the “Mibu Roshi” when the group first formed in Mibu. Later he became the sole Commander of the group when Serizawa Kamo and others were eliminated.

He had originally joined the “Roshitai” in hopes of becoming a samurai in the service of the Shogun. This wish came true in June of 1867 when the Shinsengumi became direct retainers of the Tokugawa. Kondo himself had the right to directly meet with the Shogun. On March 1, 1868 [March 24, 1868] he was appointed to the “Wakatoshiyori” or “Junior Council”, which administered the Tokugawa’s personal domains. It was on this occasion that he was given the name “Okubo Yamato”. Unfortunately his success came only when the shogunate was already crumbling.

Kondo had been injured in December of 1867 when the remaining followers of Ito Kashitaro made an attempt on his life. The wound was in his right shoulder and continued to plague him for the few remaining months of his life. After Toba-Fushimi, he visited Matsumoto Ryojun in Edo and the doctor removed bone fragments which were still in the wound a month later. When he went to Kofu he had to travel in a palanquin and could not raise his arm above chest level. Following the battle, Hijikata had to rush him back to Edo for medical treatment because the injury had taken a turn for the worse. This proved to be a contributing factor in the falling out he had with Nagakura and Harada, since many of the group were angry they could not find their leader in a time of crisis and the two men had been forced to take steps to calm everyone down.

He was captured on April 3, 1868 [April 25, 1868] and taken to Itabashi. A short time later, on April 25, 1868 [May 17, 1868], he was beheaded as a common criminal rather than being allowed to commit seppuku. He faced his death with great dignity and courage. His head was placed on public display in Edo. On April 8, 1868 [May 29, 1868] his head was taken to Kyoto and displayed at the Sanjo bridge. (No that is not a mistype. The lunar calendar sometimes required that a month be repeated in order to keep it in synch with the solar year.)

Today the exact location of Kondo’s remains are unknown and only a rough guess can be made. His body is most likely buried at Ryugen-ji temple in Mitaka, Tokyo by Miyagawa Yugoro, who was said to have bribed someone into letting him claim the body. His head was probably removed to Hozo-ji temple in Kyoto. However the truth is not known for certain.

Love Life -

Aside from his wife, Kondo is known to have kept at least four mistresses. The most famous of these was Miyuki, who had previously been a courtesan in Kyoto. His relationship with her seems to have begun sometime before Ikeda-ya and to have continued throughout the years the Shinsengumi were in the capitol.

There’s a story which claims that Kondo was interested in a geisha who turned out to be a supporter of the Shishi. This woman apparently made an offer to be his if he would support their cause, but he refused her and broke off the relationship.

Early influences -

As previously mentioned, Kondo’s father frequently told him stories which had a great influence on him later in life. One of the people that he told him about was Kato Kiyomasa, who had played a prominent role in Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s invasion of Korea. After Toyotomi’s death, he seems to have given his support to Tokugawa Ieyasu in the political disputes which led up to Sekigahara. Kato wrote down a great many of his insights and viewpoints, but very little of this has ever been translated into English.

Kondo also heard two of the four great Chinese classics from his father. One of these was called “Water Margin” or “Outlaws of the Marsh”. It seems to have been written by two men, Luo Guanzhong and Shi Nai’an. The novel is the story of Sung Chiang and his 36 companions, though the book increases the number to 108. Sung Chiang was a real bandit and his men had their base at Mount Liang around 1119. He is now a folk hero similar to Robin Hood. In an eerie parallel to what would become of the Shinsengumi, he and all of his followers were either killed by the government or chose to kill themselves. Brotherhood and defiance of authority are major themes in the book. Also interesting is that the bandits drew members from all walks of life.

The other work was also by Luo Guanzhong and is called “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”. Apparently Kondo’s favorite character was from this story and was someone that his father would insist was still alive. Unfortunately the part which spoke about this person was not very clear, but it could have possibly been referring to Guan Yu, who was a general in the army of Liu Bei and a very popular warrior. Legend claims he was nine feet tall with a red face and he owned a great steed named Red Hare. He was noted for his loyalty and righteousness, but was also accused of being arrogant. In yet another eerie parallel, he was eventually captured by the enemy and executed. Soon after his death, Guan Yu was deified and has been said to manifest himself from time to time in order to help with certain tasks, which could explain why Kondo’s father would insist that the person was “still alive”.

#kondo #bio #shinsengumi no makoto

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eflixfun · 2 years ago

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greenbagjosh · 2 years ago

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31 May 2002 - Opening game of FIFA World Cup with surprise result, tailless apes of Gibraltar and tandoori chicken wings for supper

Good morning! Buenos Dias! Sabah alkhayri!

Our adventure in southern Europe still carries on. Yesterday we were in Morocco, specifically Tetuan and Tangier. We spent two nights in Ceuta at the Hotel La Muralla on the west side of Plaza de Africa. We were going to return to continental Europe, fetch the car and drive to La Linea de la Concepcion and walk to Gibraltar. We were not able to visit Gibraltar in the 1970s as Spain and the UK did not restore diplomatic ties until about 1986 or so. The land border between Spain and Gibraltar has been open since 1986, and I am not aware of any specific temporary closures.

Incidentally today would be the opening day for the FIFA World Cup 2002, when France were to play against Senegal as the opening match for Group A. I would find out about the result later that day.

We woke up in time to have breakfast at the hotel, including a bowl of Nampy Wampy’s, catch a taxi to the ferry port and then take the ferry to Algeciras, back in Europe. We boarded a 10 AM ferry and were in Algeciras about 11 AM. The car was still in its spot that we left it in the parking garage. We had to pay to be let out. I think the fee was the equivalent of 80 dollars. Dad had a bit of a mishap with his prescription sunglasses but he had a screwdriver to tighten the handles the way he wanted. Then we drove off. He did not like listening to the BFBS FM radio station, so I made a note of its frequency so that I could listen later.

We drove along the A-7 which is toll-free between Algeciras and La Linea de la Concepcion. We turned onto CA-34 and went as far as Avenida del Ejercito to avoid the long lines into Gibraltar. We had reserved one night at the parking garage at Plaza de la Constitucion. We entered at the south end, parked our car underground and took our luggage to the border across the Avenida Principe de Asturias. We passed the passport control station just fine. We boarded a bus that would take us at least to the Market Place terminus not far from Roy's Fish and Chips. The bus was a former UK bus with the steering wheel on the right, and was retrofitted with doors on the right. When I returned in 2017, Gibraltar was using more conventional busses meant originally for continental Europe right-hand traffic use. Two things strange about Gibraltar were that traffic was on the right and speed limits were posted in kilometers an hour, quite different from the UK which drives on the left and speed limits are in miles per hour. The give way signs had the words "Give way", where in Spain and most of continental Europe they are just a plain downward triangle with a red border. Traffic signals are more or less the same as they are in the UK excluding Jersey. A few minutes after the bus left the airport terminal stop, it crossed the runway and passed the roundabout that intersected with Devil's Tower Road, and then Glacis Road to end at Market Place.

After the bus dropped us off at Market Place, we walked along Main Street to the Bristol Hotel, close to the anglican cathedral at Cathedral Square and Bomb House Lane. We checked into the Bristol Hotel, left our bags, and walked to the Cable Car base station, past the Magistrates Court, where on 20th March 1969, Yoko Ono and John Lennon were legally married. We all went up with the cable car to the top of the rock. For about 45 minutes, we were on the top of the rock of Gibraltar, and we could see into Algeciras, into Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea. Along the way we could see the tailless apes. We did not try to pet them as they are wild. They did not cause us any trouble but I have heard stories about one of them taking a tourist's camera and smashing it to bits. That did not happen to me, thankfully.

We went down the cable car and walked back to the hotel to rest. I went into town and agreed to be back by 6:30 PM. I went to the Market Square to see if I could buy some music CDs. I ended up buying "She wants you" by Billie Piper, "No matter what I do" by Will Mellor and the debut CD by Sophie Ellis Bextor "Read my lips". I remember Sophie Ellis Bextor with "Groovejet (If this ain't love)" and "Murder on the dancefloor". She had also released "Get over you" which was being played on the local radio stations but was not on the CD. I was disappointed that I could not remember the band A-Ha and their latest CD "Lifelines", and I could not look them up since Google did not exist and my cellphone was only a monochrome Siemens S40 that would obviously not be able to show Google as we know it in the mid 2020s. I would have to wait until the 5th June to try again, I would have better luck then.

About 7 PM we went to the Mumtaz Indian restaurant on Cornwall's Lane. It was on a narrow street, and was a nice hole in the wall restaurant. I had a pint of Kingfisher and the mixed tandoori grill, which was a couple of chicken wings, ground lamb about the size of a bratwurst, rice and vegetables. It was very good. About 9 PM we walked back to our hotel and went to sleep.

I woke up again about 10 PM and turned on my radio to tune in BFBS FM. BFBS is the British Forces Broadcasting Service, which still plays pop music for the troops stationed in Gibraltar and many other places in the world that have a British presence. The first thing I did was record a segment where Pele of Brazil was being interviewed by a BFBS staff member about the 1958 FIFA World Cup that was played in Sweden, and Brazil had won the cup that year. I have it still on a C-90 cassette. The next thing I recorded from BFBS was about 90 minutes of "The Session" by the Ministry of Sound featuring Above and Beyond. It featured music by Fragma, Sylver, Sono, Ian Van Dahl, Lasgo and Ascension. The set ended with "For a lifetime" by Ascension before the 11 PM news was read.

To answer about the result of the Senegal vs France opening match for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Senegal beat France 1 to 0. France had won the 1998 FIFA World Cup against Brazil. The game was held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, about 62,000 were in attendance. Bouba Diop scored the only goal at the 30th minute. It was quite an upset of a game.

Her Majesty the Queen’s 50th golden jubilee was being planned for later in the following month. She would have begun her reign in 1952 and 2002 would be 50 years following that.

I recorded some more music the next morning. We would leave Gibraltar by taxicab and cross at the airport into Spain to collect our car and drive to El Puerto de Santa Maria by the A-381. And then we would see a bullfight in Sanlucar de la Barrameda. To date, that was the very last bullfight I would see ever since. I hope you will join me even if you do not like bullfighting.

Hasta manana y buenas noches!

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scifigeneration · 7 years ago

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Your next pilot could be drone software

by Jeremy Straub

Would you get on a plane that didn’t have a human pilot in the cockpit? Half of air travelers surveyed in 2017 said they would not, even if the ticket was cheaper. Modern pilots do such a good job that almost any air accident is big news, such as the Southwest engine disintegration on April 17.

But stories of pilot drunkenness, rants, fights and distraction, however rare, are reminders that pilots are only human. Not every plane can be flown by a disaster-averting pilot, like Southwest Capt. Tammie Jo Shults or Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. But software could change that, equipping every plane with an extremely experienced guidance system that is always learning more.

In fact, on many flights, autopilot systems already control the plane for basically all of the flight. And software handles the most harrowing landings – when there is no visibility and the pilot can’t see anything to even know where he or she is. But human pilots are still on hand as backups.

A new generation of software pilots, developed for self-flying vehicles, or drones, will soon have logged more flying hours than all humans have – ever. By combining their enormous amounts of flight data and experience, drone-control software applications are poised to quickly become the world’s most experienced pilots.

Drones that fly themselves

Drones come in many forms, from tiny quad-rotor copter toys to missile-firing winged planes, or even 7-ton aircraft that can stay aloft for 34 hours at a stretch.

When drones were first introduced, they were flown remotely by human operators. However, this merely substitutes a pilot on the ground for one aloft. And it requires significant communications bandwidth between the drone and control center, to carry real-time video from the drone and to transmit the operator’s commands.

Many newer drones no longer need pilots; some drones for hobbyists and photographers can now fly themselves along human-defined routes, leaving the human free to sightsee – or control the camera to get the best view.

University researchers, businesses and military agencies are now testing larger and more capable drones that will operate autonomously. Swarms of drones can fly without needing tens or hundreds of humans to control them. And they can perform coordinated maneuvers that human controllers could never handle.

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Could humans control these 1,218 drones all together?

Whether flying in swarms or alone, the software that controls these drones is rapidly gaining flight experience.

Importance of pilot experience

Experience is the main qualification for pilots. Even a person who wants to fly a small plane for personal and noncommercial use needs 40 hours of flying instruction before getting a private pilot’s license. Commercial airline pilots must have at least 1,000 hours before even serving as a co-pilot.

On-the-ground training and in-flight experience prepare pilots for unusual and emergency scenarios, ideally to help save lives in situations like the “Miracle on the Hudson.” But many pilots are less experienced than “Sully” Sullenberger, who saved his planeload of people with quick and creative thinking. With software, though, every plane can have on board a pilot with as much experience – if not more. A popular software pilot system, in use in many aircraft at once, could gain more flight time each day than a single human might accumulate in a year.

As someone who studies technology policy as well as the use of artificial intelligence for drones, cars, robots and other uses, I don’t lightly suggest handing over the controls for those additional tasks. But giving software pilots more control would maximize computers’ advantages over humans in training, testing and reliability.

Training and testing software pilots

Unlike people, computers will follow sets of instructions in software the same way every time. That lets developers create instructions, test reactions and refine aircraft responses. Testing could make it far less likely, for example, that a computer would mistake the planet Venus for an oncoming jet and throw the plane into a steep dive to avoid it.

The most significant advantage is scale: Rather than teaching thousands of individual pilots new skills, updating thousands of aircraft would require only downloading updated software.

US Airways Flight 1549 passengers evacuate in the water after an emergency landing. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

These systems would also need to be thoroughly tested – in both real-life situations and in simulations – to handle a wide range of aviation situations and to withstand cyberattacks. But once they’re working well, software pilots are not susceptible to distraction, disorientation, fatigue or other human impairments that can create problems or cause errors even in common situations.

Rapid response and adaptation

Already, aircraft regulators are concerned that human pilots are forgetting how to fly on their own and may have trouble taking over from an autopilot in an emergency.

In the “Miracle on the Hudson” event, for example, a key factor in what happened was how long it took for the human pilots to figure out what had happened – that the plane had flown through a flock of birds, which had damaged both engines – and how to respond. Rather than the approximately one minute it took the humans, a computer could have assessed the situation in seconds, potentially saving enough time that the plane could have landed on a runway instead of a river.

At the NTSB hearing, investigators learned how the decision time made it impossible for Flight 1549 to return to the airport, forcing the water landing. AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

Aircraft damage can pose another particularly difficult challenge for human pilots: It can change what effects the controls have on its flight. In cases where damage renders a plane uncontrollable, the result is often tragedy. A sufficiently advanced automated system could make minute changes to the aircraft’s steering and use its sensors to quickly evaluate the effects of those movements – essentially learning how to fly all over again with a damaged plane.

Boosting public confidence

The biggest barrier to fully automated flight is psychological, not technical. Many people may not want to trust their lives to computer systems. But they might come around when reassured that the software pilot has tens, hundreds or thousands more hours of flight experience than any human pilot.

Other autonomous technologies, too, are progressing despite public concerns. Regulators and lawmakers are allowing self-driving cars on the roads in many states. But more than half of Americans don’t want to ride in one, largely because they don’t trust the technology. And only 17 percent of travelers around the world are willing to board a plane without a pilot. However, as more people experience self-driving cars on the road and have drones deliver them packages, it is likely that software pilots will gain in acceptance.

The airline industry will certainly be pushing people to trust the new systems: Automating pilots could save tens of billions of dollars a year. And the current pilot shortage means software pilots may be the key to having any airline service to smaller destinations.

Both Boeing and Airbus have made significant investments in automated flight technology, which would remove or reduce the need for human pilots. Boeing has actually bought a drone manufacturer and is looking to add software pilot capabilities to the next generation of its passenger aircraft. (Other tests have tried to retrofit existing aircraft with robotic pilots.)

One way to help regular passengers become comfortable with software pilots – while also helping to both train and test the systems – could be to introduce them as co-pilots working alongside human pilots. Planes would be operated by software from gate to gate, with the pilots instructed to touch the controls only if the system fails. Eventually pilots could be removed from the aircraft altogether, just like they eventually were from the

driverless trains

that we routinely ride in airports around the world.

Jeremy Straub is Assistant Professor of Computer Science at North Dakota State University

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

#technology #drones #autonomous vehicles #driverless transport

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juwanthecurator · 4 years ago

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Flavor Waves: Playlist 4

The freshest urban and soul-based tracks out now, including songs by Eric Bellinger, Ty Dolla $ign & ZAYN.

Flavor Waves is here to bring the freshest urban and soul-based tracks of today. Every week, check in to come float in a wave of magic.

Flavor Waves is created and managed by R&B artist & playlist curator Taylor Gray, and is a separately managed, R&B-centric list that will have periodical updates (as of now, weekly) co-published by The Renaissance Project.

You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, Spotify, Apple Music, and now on The Renaissance. All previous and future updates can be found here.

In Flavor Waves’ latest update, music from Brent Faiyaz, Eric Bellinger, and Healy is added. Amorphous, Fat Joe, Ty Dolla $ign, and ZAYN are also featured.

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— @flavwaves

Amorphous was recently profiled by The Renaissance article, “Amorphous was the winner of 2020 — and he wasn’t even trying” in addition to an extended interview published as “More from Amorphous: Our interview & track-by-track review with the winner of 2020.”

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— @flavwaves

Below, find the transcribed tracklist, plus access to the playlist on Apple Music and Spotify.

More from The Renaissance: Playlist 1: Music For The Revolution

[* indicates new addition.]

1. Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, Amorphous — “Sunshine (The Light)” *2. Brelia Renee — “Don’t Bother Me” 3. Gallant — “Comeback.” *4. Brent Faiyaz, DJ Dahi, Tyler, the Creator — “Gravity” 5. Jazmine Sullivan — “The Other Side” 6. SZA — “Good Days” 7. Asiahn — “Get Away” *8. Eric Bellinger, Hitmaka — “Only You” *9. Jessica Ruffolo — “rain” 10. Marc E. Bassy, Buddy — “Cold” 11. Chloe x Halle — “Sending My Love” [Spotify Exclusive] *12. Jessie Ware, Bibi Zhou, Sihan — “Adore You (Endless Remix)” 13. Ambré — “alone” 14. Romen —“ nah.” 15. Mac Ayres — “Every Time” 16. ZAYN — “Vibez” 17. CVIRO, GXNXVS — “Candy” *18. Healy — “Part of Me” 19. dvsn — “Use Somebody” 20. MiC LOWRY — “Tell Me Now” *21. Ginette Claudette, Mia Ariannaa — “Guess Who” 22. Yung Baby Tate, 6LACK — “Let It Rain” 23. VanJess, Jimi Tents, Garren — “Curious” 24. Shanaz Dorsett, E.O.M., We Plug Good Music — “Imagination (Remaster)” [Apple Music Exclusive] 25. Eric Bellinger — “Genius” 26. Tone Stith — “Devotion” 27. Queen Naija, Kiana Ledé — “I’m Her” 28. NAO, Adekunle Gold — “Antidote” 29. Jazmine Sullivan — “Put It Down” 30. Dryx — “What U Want” 31. Emanuel — “PTH” *32. Masego, Don Toliver — “Mystery Lady” 33. Levandé, Taylor Gray — “Need to Know” 34. Shah — “Involved” 35. Ariana Grande, The Weeknd — “off the table” 36. Justin Nozuka, Mahalia — “No One But You” 37. Adam Ness — “Harlem Knight” 38. Omar Apollo, Ruel — “Want U Around” 39. H.E.R. — “Damage” 40. tobi lou, Dreezy — “OKAY” 41. Gemaine — “What’s Your Name?” 42. Ty Dolla $ign, 6LACK, Musiq Soulchild — “Your Turn” 43. Maurice Moore, JYDN — “it’s on you” 44. Ariana Grande — “just like magic” 45. Ginette Claudette — “Lookin’ Up Ya Ex” 46. Saweetie, Doja Cat — “Best Friend” 47. Bree Runway, Yung Baby Tate — “DAMN DANIEL” 48. Bryson Tiller — “Things Change” 49. Xavier Omär, Jae Stephens — “All Our Time” 50. Giveon, Snoh Aalegra — “Last Time” 51. Phony Ppl, Joey Bada$$ — “On My Shit” 52. Jazmine Sullivan, Anderson .Paak — “Price Tags” 53. Huckleberry Funk — “Broke Times” 54. Rejjie Snow, Snoh Aalegra, Cam O’bi — “Mirrors” 55. Durand Bernarr — “Relocate” 56. SZA, The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams, Ty Dolla $ign — “Hit Different” 57. Brelia Renee, Furillostar — “Vibe With You” 58. Queen Naija, Mulatto — “Bitter” 59. Lucky Daye, Babyface — “Shoulda” 60. Q — “Take Me Where Your Heart Is” 61. L.A. VanGogh — “Rendezvous” 62. Bryson Tiller — “Inhale” 63. Usher — “Bad Habits” 64. VanJess — “Come Over” 65. Disclosure, Kehlani, Syd — “Birthday” 66. Mac Ayres — “Where U Goin’ Tonight?” 67. Gallant — “Only One” 68. Brandy, Ty Dolla $ign — “No Tomorrow, Pt. 2” 69. Toni Braxton — “Fallin’” 70. Samoht — “BE OK” 71. Tré Melvin — “higher” 72. MiC LOWRY — “Brand New” 73. Elliott Trent — “Luv Lyfe” 74. Eric Bellinger — “One Thing Missing” 75. Keke Palmer — “New Nxgga” 76. Gemaine — “What’s Goin’ On?” 77. Victoria Monét — “Jaguar” 78. Jenevieve — “Baby Powder” 79. Xavier Omär, Masego — “SURF” 80. Devvon Terrell — “You Trippin” 81. Furillostar, Brelia Renee, This Life. We Lead. — “Northside” 82. Leon Bridges, Lucky Daye — “All About You” 83. Latif — “Before and After” 84. Jacob Latimore — “It’s My Birthday” 85. Eric Bellinger — “Weak All Week” 86. JoJo — “Kiss” 87. Kiana Ledé — “Feel A Way.” 88. Queen Naija — “Pack Lite” 89. Lyfe Harris, Ye Ali, DCMBR, JAHKOY — “Too Many Ways” 90. Ryan Trey, Bryson Tiller — “Nowhere To Run” 91. Zach Said, MiC LOWRY — “Therapy” 92. Brandy — “Rather Be” 93. JoJo — “Think About You” 94. dvsn, Shantel May — “…Again” 95. Paula DeAnda — “Call It Quits” 96. Justine Skye — “No Options” 97. 6LACK — “Long Nights” 98. Snoh Aalegra — “DYING 4 YOUR LOVE” 99. Giveon — “FAVORITE MISTAKE” 100. Lianne La Havas — “Can’t Fight” 101. Yebba — “Distance”

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— @flavwaves

https://medium.com/media/3c8a7cb1f37e2ca1f65f29b85ae58da4/href

Flavor Waves by Taylor Gray

Flavor Waves: Playlist 4 was originally published in The Renaissance Project on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

from Stories by Juwan J. Holmes on Medium https://medium.com/the-renaissance/flavor-waves-playlist-4-ab6e47a6abdf?source=rss-3afaef324bdd------2

#Juwan The Curator #Medium #Articles

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recentanimenews · 4 years ago

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Manga the Week of 12/2/20

SEAN: It’s the last month of the year… what are we seeing, manga and light novel-wise?

Bookwalker has the 13th volume of The Ryuo’s Work Is Never Done!.

Dark Horse debuts Mob Psycho 100: Reigen, a one-volume spinoff of the original that ran in Ura Sunday.

ASH: I’m curious about this one.

SEAN: In print, J-Novel Club has two debuts: an omnibus version of the Infinite Dendrogram manga, and an omnibus of the Otherside Picnic light novels! Both contain the first two volumes. There’s also I Shall Survive Using Potions! 3 and In Another World with My Smartphone 13.

Digitally, J-Novel Club gives us Banner of the Stars 4, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord 13, and Invaders of the Rokujouma!? 34.

They’ve also got manga digitally, including the manga debut of Bibliophile Princess, featuring one of my favorite fluffball heroines. There’s also the debut of Record of Wortenia War’s manga, and A Very Fairy Apartment 5.

Kodansha’s print debut is Mashima HERO’S, a crossover between three of the author’s biggest series: Rave Master, Fairy Tail and Eden’s Zero.

ASH: Somehow missed hearing about this one until now.

SEAN: Also in print: the 41st and final volume of The Seven Deadly Sins.

ASH: That was quite a run.

SEAN: There are two digital debuts. One is a Shaman King spinoff, The Super Star. It takes place after Flowers, and is still ongoing in Shonen Magazine Edge.

The other debut is The Invincible Reincarnated Ponkotsu (Ponkotsu ga Tensei Shitara Zongai Saikyou), a reincarnation isekai whose summary is so stupid I may actually give it a try. It runs in Suiyoubi no Sirius, and is probably glorious trash.

ASH: I have been convinced to read things for similar reasons in the past.

SEAN: Also out digitally: Altair: A Record of Battles 23, Cells at Work: Bacteria! 6, Chihayafuru 23, Ex-Enthusiasts: MotoKare Mania 5, Otherworldly Munchkin: Let’s Speedrun the Dungeon with Only 1 HP! 2, and Smile Down the Runway 16.

ANNA: I’m so far behind with Chihayafuru but I continue to be glad it is being released.

MICHELLE: I share your gratitude. Also, Ex-Enthusiasts: MotoKare Mania is a fun josei series that I’ve enjoyed so far.

SEAN: Seven Seas has two debuts. The Kingdoms of Ruin (Hametsu no Oukoku) runs in Mag Garden’s Comic Blade, but honestly it sort of lost me when I saw the words “revenge fantasy”.

The other debut, and done in one, is How Many Light-Years to Babylon? (Babylon Made wa Nan-kounen?), a comedy sci-fi story from the creator of The Voynich Hotel. This one I’m far more optimistic about, especially as it won the Seiun Award, the Japanese equivalent of the Hugo.

ASH: Oh! This sounds like one I should definitely check out.

SEAN: There’s also a 10th Akashic Records of Bastard Magical Instructor, A Certain Scientific Accelerator 11, the 11th Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average?! (digitally), and Skeleton Knight in Another World’s 5th volume (manga) and 7th volume (light novel).

Vertical has the 6th Bakemonogatari manga, with a lovely snek on the cover.

No debuts from Viz, but some quality titles. We see Chainsaw Man 2, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 19, Dragon Ball Super 11, Jujutsu Kaisen 7, One Piece 95, Queen’s Quality 10, Skip Beat! 3-in-1 14, Spy x Family 3, Twin Star Exorcists 20, Vampire Knight: Memories 5, We Never Learn 13, and Yona of the Dawn 27.

ANNA: Always happy for more Yona of the Dawn, Spy x Family, and Queen’s Quality.

MICHELLE: Indeed, several favorites for me among that lot. I’m especially keen to read the next volume of Yona, as the last ended on quite a pivotal moment.

ASH: Those three series are at the top of my list, too. I also plan on reading more Chainsaw Man.

MELINDA: I’m behind, but I have been a fan of Queen’s Quality, so I really should pick that up!

SEAN: Yen On debuts Reign of the Seven Spellblades (Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai Suru), which is yet another magical academy series but also comes highly recommended.

Also from Yen On: Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki 5, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 15, and My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected 10. The last of which has been delayed several times. As I expected.

Two debuts for Yen, though one is not really: Kingdom Hearts III, the manga has its first volume.

The other is Eniale & Dewiela. If you ever wondered what the creator of Witch Hat Atelier would do if she was told to make something akin to Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, then this is the title for you. It’s 3 volumes total, and ran in Enterbrain’s Fellows! and Harta, two magazines which always earn an automatic purchase from me.

ASH: I’ll definitely be on the lookout for a copy of this!

MELINDA: Interesting!

SEAN: And there is IM: Great Priest Imhotep 6, Kakegurui Twin 8, Murcielago 16, Phantom Tales of the Night 6, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story: The Complete Omnibus Edition.

ASH: I’m a couple volumes behind on Phantom Tales of the Night, but I have been enjoying it.

SEAN: Anything here catch your eye?

By: Sean Gaffney

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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loveplayersbioblog · 4 years ago

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Kendall Jenner: Age, Height, Weight, Career, Relationships, Net Worth and some more

Kendall Jenner is an American model and adaptable entertainer. At the point when she was conceived in America, LA, California, her folks put her name as Kendall Nicole Jenner. Her calling is model and functioned as a model because of offer originate from Vogue magazine development group and the development is designated "The Instagirl period". She was likewise seen by Harper Bazaar and persuade an opportunity to be introduced as an online networking model.

The popular character, Kendall Jenner accomplished name and acclaim through the unscripted tv show "Staying aware of The Kardashians" that is a similar film that was finished with her kin and her family. Be that as it may, this excellent attempted parts to exist in media outlets. She forayed into the allure world. She is likewise a motivation in this design industry to the vast majority of the youthful models.

Genuine Name Kendall Nicole Jenner

Stage Name Kendall Jenner

Age 25 years old

Birth Date November 3, 1995

Birth Place LA, California

Profession Actress and Model

Gender Female

Nationality American

Religion Christianity

Ethnicity White-Caucasian

Height 5 feet 9 inches

Weight 55 Kg

Body Appearance Slim

Body Measurement 34-24-34

Body shape Hourglass

Eye Color Dark Brown

Hair Color Dark Brown

Shoe Size 10 (US)

Particular Features Lean Figure

Conditioned Legs

Life story

Jenner went into displaying field when she was 14 years of age. Presently, at 24 years old, she is perceived as the wealthiest youthful model and generously compensated magnificence in the style business. She has been now on the fronts of different famous magazines and strolled the runway helping style creators and design appears. She is accomplishing marvelous work inside the style business. Her appearance on different style shows like Paris Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and New York Fashion week made everybody to see her. She has just been the face for numerous brands like Forever 21 and Sherri Hill, where she ramped stroll for their upgrade.

Additionally, she has facilitated numerous occasions of honorary pathway like Glee 3D show Movie nad Breaking day break Part 1 that made the most needed style symbol in business. She used to be occupied on making different publication goes for essential distributers. Her commitment on her dressing line with her sister rouses to be a fruitful business person. She used to rake in some serious cash from supports manages popular organizations like Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Fendi, and so forth.

Individual Life

Her introduction to the world needed to change the shape and culture in Los Angeles, California (US). She is 24 years of age now.

Family and Education

She is from an expert family. Her dad, Caitlyn, is a previous decathlete champion though; her mom Kris Jenner is a TV character. She has a more youthful sister from a similar industry named Kylie Jenner and eight half-kin who were conceived from her parent's ex.

Her mom had recently hitched to Robert Kardashian amd bring forth four kids who are currently remaining as half-kin with Kendall. They were Kourtney, Kim, Khole and Rob Kardashian and every one of them are unscripted tv stars. Also, she had four half-kin again from her dad's past marriage. Four of them are Burt, Casey Lynn, Pop artist Brandon and entertainer Sam Jenner.

She read for a concise period. For her tutoring, she went to Sierra Canyon School. From that point forward, she additionally joined Yorkshire High School. She was by and large analyzing, however she halted her investigation and offered need to her vocation. From that point forward, she is proceeding with her demonstrating vocation.

Connections and Affairs

Julian Swirsky was the primary sweetheart of Kendall who is additionally the companion of Justin Bieber. Be that as it may, this connection didn't keep going for quite a while. At that point in 2012, she dated Julian Brooks, who was additionally her secondary school pal. They proceed with their relationship for a solitary year. She included different relations inside the three years from 2013 to 2016. She had her last separation in 2016 with Harry. There was additionally talk about the relationship of Kendall with Styles in 2014, Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton in 2015, Singer Nick Jonas in 2015, American ball player Jordan Clarkson in 2016 and with Chandler Parsons in 2017. Presently she is having a clean relationship with Australian expert ball player, Ben Simmons since 2018.

Total assets

Kendall earned bunches of prevalence at her young age and prevailing through displaying. Her enormous commitment in different undertakings includes a portion of the incomes into her total assets. It is assessed that she acquires a total assets of $40 million. As an accomplishment, she purchased an apartment suite of $1.4 million in Los Angles in the year 2014.

Her procuring additionally helped her in purchasing a six-room, four and a half restroom chateau in Hollywood, California that costs $6.5 million. She appears to be driving around in a Range Rover of the time. Along these lines, she possesses a $100,000 Chevrolet Corvette that was purchased in 2015. It was bought at her twentieth birthday celebration.

#actress #model #kendallJenner

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sending-the-message · 7 years ago

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The sky is a little brighter today thanks to the Black Knight Satellite. by shipinthesea123

After Mondays eclipse, the sky is a little brighter. You probably won't notice it because the source of this extra illumination isn't that large, but I fear this small source of light may will have a unprecedented impact on our planet.

The Black Knight Satellite has turned white....bright white and very bright.

The names Josh, and I work as a custodian at the Space Fence . A now relic of the Air Force Space Command, once served as a the forefront in detection of objects in our immediate space through a series of radio transmissions. Like many other government initiatives, there is a lot more to the story than that. I started work with the initiative in 2004, and continued through the decommission of the effort in 2013. Like most abandoned government projects, someone has to "inspect and protect" government assets. Basically, the technology was outdated and Lockheed, Northrop and Raytheon have all already won the bid for the new and improved space fence, to be built off of Kwajalein Atoll. So, until they completely decommission our operation, myself and a few other staff occupy the last remaining "hot" low-power sites monitoring and sending data down the rabbit hole. I spend my time here in Lake Kickapoo Texas at the Master Transmitter. The seclusion and little interaction with anyone is a nice change from my time in Dallas. The ex wife not having a knowledge of where I am doesn't hurt either.

Those of you who have some interest in the paranormal community may know of the Black Knight Satellite. Spurred by Nikola Tesla's supposed session listening to radio waves from the object. These signals were sent perfectly timed and were deemed by Tesla to be intelligent, or from an intelligent source.

Que the forest fire of speculations and outlandish stories, and the Black Knight quickly became nonsense. Do your curiosity a favor and research it. The BK has so many back stories, it can only be a hoax right?

Not quite.

In October 2013, official word came from our headquarters that Space Fence has been deemed outdated. Our new initiative was to move towards low power duty and automation with the exception of custodial personnel to confirm that the grounds were maintained and automation was left uninterrupted. I liked Lake Kickapoo. This station is based in the middle of a farm, and the little shack on the lake I had bought was perfect. So I asked for the custodial position and received it. Having the ability to sit and monitor radio transmissions from space from 9am to 2pm, then fix a gutter or mow the grass was heaven to me.

To the Black Knight. If you read into the lore of it, radio transmissions seem to be the running theme.

Here's what my briefing uncovered to me and the other staff taking part in the Space Fence;

1) It is a real thing. Our governments are aware of it and when we can spot it, efforts from all parts of the world to catch a glimpse of it or intercept the radio transmissions. The closest man-made satellite usually intercepts a visual or auditory signal. The longest recorded information on the BK was from the International Space Station in 2012. The ISS made visual with the BK. The visuals of the BK confirmed its size to be comparable to a small sedan, with a texture that looked like that of a smooth onyx metal. There was a notable disruption in electronics in the ISS, signalling that the BK has an apparent electromagnetic field. Crew members noted confusion after witnessing the event. The BK disappeared.

2) It has a random, unpredictable pattern. Previously thought to have a polar orbit, no one has been able to predict or discover a pattern to it. It just....disappears.

3) It hasn't been sending a radio signal to us like Tesla originally thought. It has been sending a signal about us. Most are thought to have no knowledge of what the transmissions meant, but after decoding recorded transmissions, many people from around the world have interpreted it to be a basic "Handbook of Humanity". Form our genome codes, to our political structure and religious constructs.

4) Here is the most unsettling fact about the Black Knight. We know nothing else about it. It has appeared harmless, the BK itself. Just a spy station for something/someone. All signs point to extraterrestrial, but really the question to who or why can't be determined. So we've waited. It's been our Elephant in the Room for a while. Everyone in the upper echelons of government know about it. They know it's gathering information and transmitting it back out but why? It has boiled down to the fact that they can't catch it, therefore they can't figure out where it came from and so on.....so why worry about it?

A bit fucked up if you ask me.

But, we who are privy to it's existence carry on our daily duties, knowing that it's there and we do nothing. We just know that this out there. This so called "benign big brother" watching us.

Monday started out like all the others. I wanted to take a little time to catch the eclipse like many other Americans so I started my day early. My director would occasionally drop by to check and see if the compound was good at random drop ins, so I stayed on my toes. I mowed around the length of the radio transmitters, blew the clippings off the parking lot and knocked the few stray shrub limbs off. I keep the place in tip-top shape as if it were active to this day. I laid in the bed of my pickup with my glasses and stared off into the eclipse and life went on like it any other.

I stepped foot back onto my front porch at around 6:03pm, my nightly round of Netflix and shitty TV dinners was on track when my cell phone rang. It displayed a "Unknown Caller" for the ID. Answering it, I expected a recorded message alerting me of my vehicles warranty expiring or the situation with my current credit card debts, but no such luck. It was a disturbing call that I have only heard about people like me receiving in dire consequences. When we communication stations need to be listening....and listening close.

A recorded female voice, hurried but exact in her instructions.

"All Space Fence stations; Protocol H184.... 216.98 MHz Alpha Foxtrot Blue" She repeated this two additional times before the call ended with the beep beep beep signalling it hanging up.

I froze. I was instructed about this in '13 when we brought the fence down. Protocol H183 is a full power up. 216.98 MHz is the fences full operating frequency. AFB.....that's what worried me, it's a signal of a huge issue. Some kind of national disaster or a threat.

Surely this wasn't a test. We're a tick dick away from having all of the power cut to this program, why in the hell would they bring us back up?

My phone rang. Reggie from our fill-in transmitter site in Jordan Lake, AL calling. He had received the same call...Dianne from Gila River, AZ called next. We were all given the orders for a full power up. I sped off to my site.

While heading there, I received an email. Which was almost as shocking since the power down, I rarely received correspondence via email unless it was to receive my W-9 at the end of the year. It lit up with more emails from our group on the project.....the receiving stations were being brought up as well.

Hawkinsville, GA Elephant Butte, NM Sand Diego, CA Tattnal, GA Silver Lake, MS Red River, AR

All were ordered to be at full power by 2359 Eastern Time.

I felt instant nostalgia the minute I went to the main breaker and pumped the primer to flip the breaker. When it snapped into place, I could almost feel the energy running back into the sleeper station. The two red blinking caution lights at either end of the antennas quickly lit up like a runway when the forty or so other lights powered up. My little spot in the Texas desert was back online. Well, almost. This station was usually manned by at least 5 people. Startup wasn't impossible with one man, but timely. Finally at 2100 central time, I went online at 100%. I pulled the plastic film off of the chair in the middle of the control room and fell into the seat. For a moment, the terror of whatever was going on was masked for a moment by the pride of accomplishment. I pulled out my phone and started working my way through the forty some odd emails unread. It was a barrage of "What's going on?" or "Tattnal online" or "Hey, didn't the guy running San Diego die?". Our director, the "boss" never piped in the email exchange until he sent a simple, "Update to come at 0200 EST."

The worst fears came to mind while I checked and rechecked.

Nuclear war? Bio-terrorism? Why the hell is the AFSSS involved? Space Ebola or something?

I couldn't understand why in the hell they wanted the Space Fence online for a disaster? It would almost be like fighting cyber terrorism with a calculator. We're outdated. All we could do it detect things in the atmosphere.

0200 EST came.

An encrypted message hit my inbox. After pulling it and getting it to it's full form, I read the contents.

Air Force Space Surveillance

All Auditory/Radio/Visual Personell

RE: Black Knight

On August 21st, 2017 NASA has reported a sighting of the Black Knight Satellite. One like no other on record. >Approximately 1630 EST, ISS reported the BK had appeared mere feet away from the observation pod. Scientists on >board reported that the surface of BK, usually giving off a solid appearance, now looked fluid. During the 14 minute 34 >second time-frame it was in view, it slowly illuminated. Both cameras, and occupants of the ISS could not view with the >naked eye, or a camera anything decipherable after said illumination event.

A spike in transmissions of all kinds are being reported. Space Fence has been ordered activated to pick up any >anomalies or atmosphere entry.

Keep our ears open at the listening stations and send to HQ for decoding. The boys up top want to know what BK is >saying.

It is moving in a course that is in orbit, but inline with the suns current pattern.

Update through encryption any anomalies noted by your station.

End.

Sleep deprivation is a helluva drug. I can't help but think of the possible scenarios. Why haven't we as a people made a bigger deal of this. Did we just accept the fact that we were being watched and broken down? That this CCTV has been floating right above us and we've just....done nothing.

What is it doing? Why has it lit up?

I received another encrypted email. San Diego is picking up an entry. New Mexico and Arkansas are confirming.

An old friend who deciphers in the AFSSS has called. He says BK is talking...

EVACUATE. INVASION IMMINENT.

Is the BK talking to us though?

#reddit #nosleep #scary #story

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young--broke-blog · 6 years ago

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Online and Social Media Report for Lovebird Bridal Boutique in Kingston, Ontario

ABSTRACT

This report evaluates Lovebird Bridal’s online presence through a series of analytics for various platforms. This includes their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages, and their website. It is for the one-month period from Feb 27-Mar 28, 2019. The findings suggest their Facebook is very successful; their Instagram is too, however, needs more interactions/likes; their Twitter is inactive and should remain so; their Pinterest is inactive and should not be; and finally, their website is well done and comprehensive. Overall, there is a complex level of branding that defines the Lovebird brand and experience. The report ends with three recommendations: building an online shopping opportunity, creating more sharable content, and further refining their branding across platforms.

INTRODUCTION

This report is a critical review of Lovebird Bridal Boutique’s branding and online presence. All content is in the opinion of Emma-Lee Goulding of Embracing Branding Inc. Emma-Lee is a social media strategic analyst, specializing in branding and marketing. Lovebird Bridal Boutique is a store in downtown Kingston that specializes in and sells wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses and other wedding accessories. This report includes an analysis of their social media platforms (including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest) and website using various metrics. It also includes recommendations for improvement. Metrics involve social media analytics, branding consistency, and level of communication/interaction online. This report is intended to help identify the brand’s strengths and weaknesses across its platforms to improve, refine and maximize their online presence.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Understanding Social Media and Branding

People spend hours a day on social media; it now serves as a main artery for entertainment, communication, and even shopping. For a business, it is an important way to capture their target audience through brand awareness, recognition and loyalty. The goal is to turn viewers into customers and likes into sales. This requires the business to communicate their value and competitive advantage through effective and meaningful content. (Stanley, 2019). Simply put, if done right, “the opportunities on social are endless” (Pearson, 2014).

Online Selling Opportunities

Online platforms are now all linked. For retailers, included in this is interactive direct links to shop. Both Instagram and Facebook have shopping features integrated into posts. This feature is credited to significantly higher traffic and increased revenues for business (Wallace, 2019). There is now another level to selling online. This offers a larger reach to customers and new revenue streams.

What Competition/Inspiration Are Doing

In 2017, the wedding dress industry saw $3 billion in revenue (in the United States) (Gaille, 2018). The market is made up of mostly independent boutiques. In Kingston and area, this includes Bridal Creations & Murano’s Formalwear (immediately in Kingston), Rufina’s Bridal, Lily’s Bridal Boutique, Touch or Class and Runway Bridal. There are a few larger stores, notably David’s Bridal, with 28% market share (in the United States) (Gaille, 2018), none of which are in Kingston area. Online presence should always be true to the brand. It should also clearly communicate your business value proposition to stand apart from the competition. Do what they are doing better. Use larger companies, like David’s Bridal, as a benchmark and source of inspiration; there is a reason for their market share.

METHODOLOGY

Social Media

Socialbakers is a website that measures social media activity on different platforms. It is used mostly for research and marketing purposes.

Create a free account

Use the “Analytics” tab and add Lovebird Bridal’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account through the “Add a New Profile” button

Use the social media icons near the menu bar to look at the results for each platform

Click on the Lovebird account that is listed for the platform

Use the “Overview” tab on the left-side list to view summary metrics

Applicable for Facebook and Instagram; Twitter did not detect results for Lovebird Bridal’s account and Lovebird Bridal’s Pinterest was not found on this program.

Metrics of Focus:

Quick facts such as page likes, response time, etc.

Integration checklist evaluating ease of contacting, linking platforms, etc.

Interactions including number of posts daily, number of interactions daily, and distribution of interactions, growth of followers, etc.

Website

This requires launching the website and observing very diligently using this article as a guide. Unfortunately, running analytics is unavailable as a website tracker is required.

Metrics of Focus:

Quick facts such as social media share, call to action, etc.

Pages overview

Integration evaluating ease of contacting, use of media, linking platforms, etc.

RESULTS

Facebook

Refer to Appendix 1.1 for successful Facebook posts.

Instagram

Refer to Appendix 1.2 for successful Instagram posts.

Twitter

*Twitter analytics not available for this time period.

*Pinterest analytics not available for this time period.

Website

DISCUSSION

Overall, Lovebird Bridal’s online presence is well done! It effectively establishes and maintains their brand. The colours, textures, theme and feel is coherent across all platforms. A notable point is the branding of LBB – standing for Lovebird Bridal or Lovebird Bride interchangeably. They are branding themselves and the experience they offer. It is a very strategic and effective way to stimulate buzz, which creates brand awareness and recognition.

The following will focus on each platform individually.

Facebook

The Facebook page is very active. Further, it is an appropriate platform for Lovebird to use because 81% of 18 to 29-year-olds and 78% of 30 to 49-year-olds use Facebook (West, 2019). Also, 62% of all Facebook users are women (West, 2019). This is the age and gender of their target market – brides.

Lovebird has 2,012 Facebook page likes. The following is the breakdown of Facebook interactions. They posted 11 times for this one-month period; there is a sum of 152 interactions; and the majority of interactions are likes (a sum of 23). This post rate is low; it is suggested to post 24-44 times per month (Ahmad, 2017). Considering the number of page likes and infrequency of posts, 233 likes and 21 shares for this period is quite good. This implies they are creating shareworthy material.

Appendix 1.1, highlighting the top 5 posts, suggests that the LBB Staff Pick posts have the most traction – and should be a frequent content top. In fact, this idea is an excellent branding point. People are familiar with the “Staff Picks” that brands like Indigo do. Customizing the familiar is a strategic branding opportunity.

The response time is one-day. They create conversation in their content by personalizing posts to include the name of their staff or brides, asking questions, tagging photographers and other local business, and using descriptive words about their products. Comments are replied to, but not consistently.

Additionally, they use hashtags. All this effort translates into SEO and connects Lovebird to other local businesses – which is important. The Facebook page includes all important integration points, such as story, phone number, website link and book now button. Lastly, there is a mix of imagery and video highlighting the Lovebird experience.

Instagram

The Instagram page is also very active. Additionally, it is an appropriate platform for Lovebird to use because 64% of 18 to 29-year-olds use Instagram (West, 2019). Also, 39% of all online females use Instagram (West, 2019). This is also the age and gender of their target market.

Lovebird has 1,711 followers. The following is the breakdown of Instagram interactions. They gained 29 total followers in this one-month period; there is a sum of 31 profile posts; there is a sum of 1,900 interactions; and the majority of interactions are likes. This post rate is average; it is suggested to post around 30 times per month, or once a day (Ahmad, 2017). The number of likes is okay, with around 45 likes per post. This is reasonably low for their number of followers. Perhaps the content is not very engaging.

Appendix 1.2, highlighting the top 5 posts, suggests that the LBB Staff Pick posts are enjoyed on Instagram too. Users seem to like to see the staff and understand the experience.

They create conversations similar to Facebook, and additionally tag the photos, use Kingston and wedding related hashtags, and add the boutique’s location. They respond to comments consistently. The level of conversation on Instagram is great. Tagging local businesses is important because it creates a community and encourages others to tag Lovebird in return. An interesting familiarity point for their Instagram is the photos of brides holding the “I said yes to the dress at Lovebird Bridal Boutique” sign. This concept is borrowed from the TLC show “Say Yes To The Dress” and is another level of engagement.

The Instagram page includes the most important integration points, including highlights, hashtags, website and message links. Lastly, there is a happy balance of original content, including the boutique space, sign images, staff picks, products, events, and borrowed content, from brides and wedding photographers.

Twitter

The Twitter page is not active. It likely isn’t a platform worth activating since only 40% of 18 to 29-year-olds and 27% of 30 to 49-year-olds use Twitter (West, 2019). Also, only 24% of all online females use it (West, 2019). These are much smaller numbers than Facebook and Instagram. They have only 238 followers anyways. Additionally, the content that Lovebird shares is very image heavy and Twitter is not an optimal platform for such.

The Pinterest page has not been active for a year. Only 34% of 18 to 29-year-olds and 26% of 30 to 49-year-olds use Pinterest (West, 2019). Also, 41% of all online females use it (West, 2019). Although these are smaller numbers than Facebook and Instagram, they do have 760 monthly viewers and 130 followers. Their content is very image heavy, which aligns with the platform. Pinterest is a large resource for wedding planning and inspiration. Given such, it would be strategic to activate this page again and post 4- 10 times a day (Ahmad, 2017).

Website

The website is beautiful, both in terms of aesthetics and presentation. It clearly defines the Lovebird brand through the use of imagery and colours. There are numerous contact points: a subscription pop-up window, a main menu “Book Now” page, a contact form at the bottom of the landing page, a “Book An Appointment” button and mail icon in the footer. These are all effective placements as the main menu is one of the first items seen and the footer is the last. These are also effective calls to action. This covers three main website must-haves, including email capture form, multiple ways to contact, and a call to action (Hamilton, 2018).

The website has social media icons that connect to their social media platforms. These are placed in the footer, as the last item the viewer sees. Additionally, there is an upcoming events section on the landing page and blog page that viewers can stay up to date on all events and happenings. The blog section has a comment option for viewers to interact. However, the last post is from 2017.

The use of media helps illustrate the Lovebird experience. The photo gallery and virtual tour are impactful. Lastly, the review section offers customer feedback and verifies the Lovebird experience. All 35 reviews are 5 stars and very positive.

CONCLUSION

Lovebird Bridal’s online presence is extensive and involved. Their brand consistency is notable. However, using the same logo and bio on all platforms would strengthen this further. The interactions on Facebook are high considering a low post rate. Content seems to be successful and shareworthy with the high share rate. Increasing the number of posts would create even further reach. For the number of Instagram followers, the like rate is low. However, the post frequency is good. This suggests that the content is mediocre. The Staff Pick posts create buzz and are successful on both Facebook and Instagram. Twitter is not active, with no sufficient reason to be. Pinterest should be active, based on its role in the wedding inspiration and planning space. Their website is very well laid out, user-friendly, and contains many contact points. However, content should be more easily shared via social media; this includes blog posts and images. Overall, the branding and social media aspects seem well understood and executed.

Lovebird has not tapped into the online selling space. They have no online shop. This could be because wedding dress shopping is an experience and best done in person. However, it is possible via shipping and return policies to purchase online – there are countless online shops. This would also open the option to use Instagram and Facebook shopping features. This would allow Lovebird to reach outside of the Kingston market and have another revenue stream through online sales. This is an area of opportunity that will be elaborated upon in the next section.

Overall, they are certainly competitive with what Bridal Creations & Murano’s Fomalwear (closest local competition in Kingston) are doing online. Bridal Creations & Murano’s Fomalwear, too, are on the same platforms. However, Lovebird exceeds their presence through esthetics, quality imagery, and level of interaction. The use of branding tactics, such as #LBB, the Staff Picks, and the Said Yes To The Dress sign pictures. These create interesting content and interactions. They are also good for SEO and overall brand recognition. Additionally, in terms of global competition, David’s Bridal, Lovebird Bridal posts similar material. This includes the Said Yes To The Dress sign pictures. However, David’s Bridal seems to have more variety of content, including general wedding images – not just dresses and accessories. Overall, Lovebird Bridal does not post away from their products. Perhaps a better variety would improve Instagram interaction and further increase Facebook interaction.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The following are three prioritized recommendations to maximize Lovebird��s online presence:

1) Online Shopping Opportunity

Firstly, I would recommend developing an online shopping experience. This would include making a shop on their website and using both the Facebook and Instagram shopping features. As a boutique, offering online shopping is standard today. Thus, not having one arguably makes Lovebird Bridal less competitive, especially globally. An online shop is another offering, revenue stream, and point of interest for viewers. Further, using the Facebook and Instagram shopping features connect users to the website. This drives traffic and improves SEO. The feature tags an item in the post, similar to a person, with the item name and price. It is attributed to both higher traffic and more revenue (Wallace, 2019). An online shop would extend Lovebird’s reach past Kingston, into a global market.

2) Shareable Content

Secondly, I would recommend contributing more sharable content. This includes blog posts. The last blog post is from 2017. Blogs are a way to be personable while keeping your viewers up to date and returning to your site. It is also a way to control your content and what gets shared. This should include a variety of posts including product features, expert posts, collections, LBB brides, including photos/media. Further to this, is the ease of sharing. The posts should be easily shared via integrated sharing buttons on the post. Reviews should also be sharable and linked to other platforms. All shared content improves SEO. Additionally, the general social media buttons should be present in a header (at the top of the website), in addition to the footer. The more obvious, the better.

3) Refining Branding

Lastly, and of least priority, I would recommend further refining the branding across all platforms by using a consistent bio and the same logo. Their story would be stronger if it was the same everywhere. Additionally, the same logo should be used on every social media platform. These details make the brand more recognizable and increase brand recognition.

REFERENCES

Ahmad, I. (2017). How Often and When to Post on Social Media [Infographic]. [online] Social Media Today. Available at: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/how-often-and-when-to-post-on-social-media-infographic/510206/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].

Gaille, B. (2019). 23 Wedding Dress Industry Statistics and Trends. [online] BrandonGaille.com. Available at: https://brandongaille.com/23-wedding-dress-industry-statistics-and-trends/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].

Hamilton, C. (2018). 9 Website Must Haves That Your Website Needs - Small Business Trends. [online] Small Business Trends. Available at: https://smallbiztrends.com/2013/01/website-must-haves.html [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].

Pearson, M. (2018). How traditional companies are using social media in unexpected ways. [online] The Globe and Mail. Available at: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-marketing/traditional-companies-use-social-media-in-unexpected-ways/article17564456/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].

Socialbakers.com. (2019). AI-Powered Social Media & Digital Marketing Solution. [online] Available at: https://www.socialbakers.com/?utm_expid=.9K7bx648TPSoNHOC5yAvZA.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].

Stanley, B. (2019). 7 Tips to Increase Brand Awareness Using Social Media Channels - Relevance. [online] Relevance. Available at: https://www.relevance.com/7-tips-to-increase-brand-awareness-using-social-media-channels/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].

Wallace, T. (2019). Shopping on Instagram Results Are In: Brands Report +1,416% Traffic, +20% Revenue. [online] The BigCommerce Blog. Available at: https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/instagram-shopping/#how-to-start-using-shopping-on-instagram [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].

West, C. (2019). Social media demographics to drive your brand’s online presence. [online] Sprout Social. Available at: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/#Pinterest [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].

All icons are sourced from FlatIcon.

APPENDICES

Appendix 1.1

Top 5 Posts by the Number of Interactions per 1000 Fans

Appendix 1.2

Top 5 Posts by the Number of Interactions per 1000 Followers

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paperfacesllc · 6 years ago

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Join us this coming Saturday, March 16th at 11:30am on Model Behavior with Sharon Quinn...when Celebrity Stylist & Makeup Artist Ty-Ron Mayes joins Sharon Quinn: The ORIGINAL Runway Diva! & Host Sharon Quinn to talk about his amazing career in Fashion. He also talks about how he blazed a path in fashion very early in his journey and how he became The Lead Wardrobe Stylist on America's Next Top Model! His story is inspirational! You don't want to miss this one!!! Please spread the word by SHARING, LIKING, FOLLOWING & SUBSCRIBING!! Thanks! Model Behavior with Sharon Quinn airs every Saturday at 11:30AM on MNN Lifestyle Channel 2 (FIOS 34, RCN 83, SPECTRUM 56 and 1996, SPECTRUM HD 1993). You can also live stream it: http://goo.gl/qlzeGU. Podcast now available on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play & iHeart Radio!!! SUBSCRIBE NOW!! #MBWSQ #SharonQuinn @mnnnyc @origrunwaydiva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #celebritystylisttyronmayes #superstylisttyronmayes #superstylist #tyronmayes #stylist #newyorkstylist #model #modeling #fashion #ootd #picoftheday #photooftheday #wardrobestylist #paperfaces #instafollow #follow #followme #beautiful #bestoftheday #influencer #blackcelebritystylist #thefirstleadwardrobestylistantm #thefirstleadwardrobestylistforamericasnexttopmodel #mnn #antm #antmteam @stylisttyronmayes (at Manhattan Neighborhood Network - MNN) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu432jfHfyd/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15np0ydbse3rz

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ukpuru · 8 years ago

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Ụ́kpụ́rụ́: BHM Guide

BHM Topics Centring on Igbo History and Culture.

Lejja: 4000 Year Old Iron Smelting Site

Tag: #metallurgy | #metalwork

Archaeological investigations at the prehistoric iron smelting site of Lejja, Nigeria, made possible the study of some large scale iron smelting debris – evidence of a once thriving iron smelting community. The main village square in Lejja, contains over 800 slag blocks weighing between 34 and 57 kg. Furnaces, tuyères and slag are visible on the surface in many places. The site has been radiocarbon dated to approximately 2000 BC. [more+]

Lejja village square [+]

Igbo Ukwu

Tag: #igbo ukwu

9th century nobleman’s tomb [+]

It is possible that the inhabitants of Igbo-Ukwu had a metalworking art that flourished as early as the ninth century (though this date remains controversial). Three sites have been excavated, revealing hundreds of ritual vessels and regalia castings of bronze or leaded bronze that are among the most inventive and technically accomplished bronzes ever made.

— Met Museum [more+]

More than 165,000 beads of Indian, (medieval) Egyptian, and Venetian/Mediterranean origin points to trans-Saharan trade reaching the Lower Niger in the 9th century. [+]

The coast is 100 miles away from Igbo Ukwu, the presence of a bronze in the shape of a triton shell suggests a sea trade in the Niger Delta area was significant in the 9th century. [+]

>> Some of the oldest fibres of textiles found in western Africa [+]

>> Eri and Nri, Founders of Nri c. 10th century, associated with Igbo Ukwu

Nsibidi: Pre-15th century Ideographic Writing

Tag: #nsibidi

Ukara Nsibidi cloth [+]

Nsibidi is an ancient system of graphic communication indigenous to the Ejagham peoples of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon in the Cross River region. It is also used by neighboring Ibibio, Efik and Igbo peoples. Aesthetically compelling and encoded, nsibidi does not correspond to any one spoken language. It is an ideographic script whose symbols refer to abstract concepts, actions or things and whose use facilitates communication among peoples speaking different languages.

— Smithsonian [more+]

>> Jean-Michel Basquiat and Nsibidi [+]

Old Calabar, Bonny and the Slave Trade

Tag: #slavery

The slave trade in the area known as Bight of Biafra (today eastern Nigeria and southern Cameroon) was very significant, millions of people were taken captive in this area and taken to the Americas by Europeans.

The Trade

620 enslaved Igbo from Bonny to Montego Bay, Jamaica [+]

>> Port of Bonny

>> Igbo Names on the Amelié, 19th Century Slave Ship, Martinique

>> European Items Traded with Africans in exchange for Captives

>> The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano

>> Nancy Daniels survived the Atlantic Crossing

Resistance

>> African Resistance from the Shore and Slave Ship Captures by Africans

>> Ibo Landing, Geogria – Tag: Ibo Landing

>> Bussa’s Rebellion, Barbados – [+] | [+]

>> Igbo Runways in Virginia

>> Monday Gell and the Denmark Vesey Case – [+] | [+]

>> Eboe Rebellion, Jamaica

The Trans-Atlantic Link

Tag: #The Invisible Atlantic Cord

Eze Nri memorial of the enslaved, Virginia [+]

>> West Indian Igbo Words >> Igbo-West Indian Folk Idioms

>> Afro-Virginian Art and the Bight of Biafra >> Awka Metallurgy in America

>> US descendants >> Diaspora Igbo

>> Jaja of Opobo in Barbados

>> Ibo Granmoun: The Roots of Haitian Democracy >> The Igbo in Haiti

>> Eze A. Ogueri II: An African in British Guiana

Colonial Resistance

>> The Story of King Jaja of Opobo (1821-1891)

vimeo

>> The Ekumeku Movement – Tag: #ekumeku

>> Anglo-Aro War – Tag: #anglo-aro war

Re-enactment of the women’s protest, 60th Anniversary of the Women’s War of 1929 [+]

>> Women’s War of 1929

>> Iva Valley Massacre at Enugu – [+] | [+]

Other

| >> Indigenous Technology and Colonialisms Effects

| >> Impact of Indigenous Beliefs about Sacred Animals in the Niger Delta and Cross River area on Wildlife protection

| Folk tales: Asele, The Legendary Designer | Okpangu, The Ape Man | Goddess Idemili | Nza The Smart

#ukpuru #black history month

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juwanthecurator · 4 years ago

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Flavor Waves: Playlist 3

The freshest urban and soul-based tracks in this week’s update includes Ambré, Amorphous, JoJo & Queen Naija.

The single cover art to “Sunshine (The Light)” by Fat Joe feat. Amorphous

Welcome back — Flavor Waves is here to bring the freshest urban and soul-based tracks of today. Come float in a wave of magic.

Created and managed by R&B artist & playlist curator Taylor Gray, this is a separately managed, R&B-centric list that will have periodical updates (as of now, weekly) co-published by The Renaissance Project. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, Spotify, Apple Music, and now on The Renaissance. All previous and future updates can be found here.

So far, it seems we’re helping get the word out — Flavor Waves has now reached over 100 likes on Spotify!

Last week, artist Romen also took notice of Flavor Waves’ inclusion of his song “nah.”

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— @MeetRomen

In Flavor Waves’ latest update, music from Ambré, Amorphous, Fat Joe, and Marc E. Bassy is added. JoJo, Queen Naija, Toni Braxton, and Ty Dolla $ign are also featured.

Below, find the transcribed tracklist, plus access to the playlist on Apple Music and Spotify.

More from The Renaissance: Playlist 1: Music For The Revolution

[* indicates new addition.]

*1. Fat Joe, Amorphous — “Sunshine (The Light)” 2. Gallant — “Comeback” 3. Jazmine Sullivan — “The Other Side” *4. Marc E. Bassy, Buddy — “Cold” *5. Asiahn — “Get Away” 6. SZA — “Good Days” 7. Chloe x Halle — “Sending My Love ”[Spotify Exclusive] *8. Ambré — “Alone” 9. Romen — “nah.” 10. Mac Ayres — “Every Time” 11. ZAYN — “Vibez” 12. CVIRO, GXNXVS — “Candy” 13. dvsn — “Use Somebody” 14. MiC LOWRY — “Tell Me Now” 15. Yung Baby Tate, 6LACK — “Let It Rain” 16. VanJess, Jimi Tents, Garren — “Curious” *17. Shanaz Dorsett, E.O.M. & We Plug Good Music — “Imagination” (Remaster) [Apple Music Exclusive] 18. Eric Bellinger — “Genius” 19. Tone Stith — “Devotion” 20. Queen Naija, Kiana Ledé — “I’m Her” 21. NAO, Adekunle Gold — “Antidote” 22. Jazmine Sullivan — “Put It Down” 23. DRYX — “What U Want” 24. Emanuel — “PTH” 25. Levandé, Taylor Gray — “Need To Know” 26. Shah — “Involved” 27. Ariana Grande, The Weeknd — “off the table” 28. Justin Nozuka, Mahalia — “No One But You” 29. Adam Ness — “Harlem Knight” *30. Omar Apollo, Ruel — “Want U Around” 31. H.E.R. — “Damage” 32. tobi lou, Dreezy — “OKAY” 33. Gemaine —“What’s Your Name?” 34. Ty Dolla $ign, 6LACK, Musiq Soulchild — “Your Turn” 35. Maurice Moore, JYDN — “it’s on you” 36. Ariana Grande — “just like magic” 37. Ginette Claudette — “Lookin’ Up Ya Ex” 38. Saweetie, Doja Cat — “Best Friend” 39. Bree Runway, Yung Baby Tate — “DAMN DANIEL” 40. Quiet Child, Tinashe — “Ride Da Wav” 41. Bryson Tiller — “Things Change” 42. Xavier Omär, Jae Stephens — “All Our Time” 43. Giveon, Snoh Aalegra — “Last Time” 44. Phony Ppl, Joey Bada$$ — “On My Shit” 45. Jazmine Sullivan, Anderson .Paak — “Price Tags” 46. Huckleberry Funk — “Broke Times” 47. Rejjie Snow, Snoh Aalegra, Cam O’bi — “Mirrors” 48. Jovan E’Sean — “love you, always.” 49. Durand Bernarr — “Relocate” 50. SZA, The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams, Ty Dolla $ign — “Hit Different” 51. Brelia Renee, Furillostar — “Vibe With You” 52. Queen Naija, Mulatto — “Bitter” 53. Lucky Daye, Babyface — “Shoulda” *54. Q — “Take Me Where Your Heart Is” 55. L.A. VanGogh — “Rendezvous” 56. Bryson Tiller — “Inhale” 57. Usher — “Bad Habits” 58. VanJess — “Come Over” 59. Disclosure, Kehlani, Syd — “Birthday” 60. Mac Ayres — “Where U Goin’ Tonight?” 61. Gallant — “Only One” 62. Brandy, Ty Dolla $ign — “No Tomorrow, Pt. 2” 63. Toni Braxton — “Fallin’” 64. Samoht — “BE OK” 65. Tré Melvin — “higher” 66. MiC LOWRY — “Brand New” 67. Elliott Trent — “Luv Lyfe” 68. Eric Bellinger — “One Thing Missing” 69. Keke Palmer — “New Nxgga” 70. Gemaine — “What’s Goin’ On?” 71. Victoria Monét — “Jaguar” 72. Jenevieve — “Baby Powder” 73. Xavier Omär, Masego — “SURF” 74. Devvon Terrell — “You Trippin” 75. Furillostar, Brelia Renee, This Life. We Lead. — “Northside” 76. Leon Bridges, Lucky Daye — “All About You” 77. Latif — “Before and After” 78. Jacob Latimore — “It’s My Birthday” 79. Eric Bellinger — “Weak All Week” 80. JoJo — “Kiss” 81. Kiana Ledé — “Feel A Way.” 82. Queen Naija — “Pack Lite” 83. Lyfe Harris, Ye Ali, DCMBR, JAHKOY — “Too Many Ways” 84. Ryan Trey, Bryson Tiller — “Nowhere To Run” 85. Zach Said, MiC LOWRY — “Therapy” 86. Brandy — “Rather Be” 87. JoJo — “Think About You” 88. dvsn, Shantel May — “… Again” 89. Paula DeAnda — “Call It Quits” 90. Justine Skye — “No Options” 91. 6LACK — “Long Nights” 92. Snoh Aalegra — “DYING 4 YOUR LOVE” 93. Giveon — “FAVORITE MISTAKE” 94. Lianne La Havas — “Can’t Fight” 95. Yebba — “Distance”

body[data-twttr-rendered="true"] {background-color: transparent;}.twitter-tweet {margin: auto !important;}

— @flavwaves

https://medium.com/media/3c8a7cb1f37e2ca1f65f29b85ae58da4/href

Flavor Waves by Taylor Gray

Flavor Waves: Playlist 3 was originally published in The Renaissance Project on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

from Stories by Juwan J. Holmes on Medium https://medium.com/the-renaissance/flavor-waves-playlist-3-67b235b3875c?source=rss-3afaef324bdd------2

#Juwan The Curator #Medium #Articles

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newyorktheater · 6 years ago

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Ten of the 34 shows that opened on Broadway during the 2018-2019 season began life Off-Broadway. I was struck by how sharply different my reactions were to seeing the Off-Broadway and Broadway versions of four of these shows – Be More Chill, Hadestown, Oklahoma, and What The Constitution Means to Me. This was true even though all four were considered transfers, with little change in the casts and no change in the creative teams. The biggest change in some of these was the context — and that could make all the difference.

Boys in the Band, Off-Broadway, 1968

Suddenly dancing The Madison in The Boys in the Band: Robin De Jesus, Michael Benjamin Washington, Andrew Rannells, Jim Parsons (There’s a similarly memorable moment of a dance break in “Straight White Men”)

Now, the significance of a Broadway run was surely greatest this season in the play “The Boys in the Band,” which had debuted Off-Broadway in 1968, and had been produced around the world ever since, but had never been on Broadway. The Broadway debut production on the play’s 50th anniversary offered a symbolic importance that was as much political and aesthetic. Though many feel the script is dated — the characters stereotypes of unhappy homosexuals – the production was a celebration of how far we’d come. All nine actors were openly gay men, as were the director Joe Mantello and all five producers including Ryan Murphy (creator of such TV series as Glee,American Horror Story, and Feud). Several were famous—TV stars (Parsons of The Big Bang Theory, Matt Bomer of White Collar), movie stars (Quinto of the Star Trek films), Broadway stars (Andrew Rannells of Book of Mormon, Hamilton.) These good-looking, successful, popular out gay actors weren’t so much re-creating gay history, or even honoring gay history, when they portrayed these brittle homosexual characters from the past. By their very participation in this production, they were making history.

“Straight White Men” Written and Directed by Young Jean Lee Public Theater New York, N.Y. November 6, 2014

Stephen Payne, Josh Charles, Armie Hammer, and Paul Schneider in Straight White Men, Broadway 2018

Given how vibrant the work that is produced Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway and in regional theaters, it’s easy to argue that making it to Broadway should mean less than it used to. But Broadway still carries an emotional weight for theater people. How else to explain, for example, the Broadway debuts this season of such downtown avant-garde artists as Taylor Mac (Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus) and Young Jean Lee, whose Straight White Menearlier this season came some four years after the play debuted Off-Broadwayat the Public Theater.

Damon Daunno and band, Oklahoma, St. Ann’s warehouse, 2018

Oklahoma, Broadway 2019

Avant garde artists’ dreams of mainstream success can work in the audience’s favor. Exhibit A for me is director Daniel Fish’s dark production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma. When I saw it Off-Broadway at St. Ann’s Warehouse last October, I found its reliance on too many familiar avant garde devices tiresome and annoying. I felt it lost sight of a theater maker’s basic compact with the audience. “In its effort to make the environment feel authentic, the show suggests low-budget community theater as much as small town community gathering: The folding wooden chairs are physically uncomfortable, and the seating on either side of a long narrow stage (which looks like a fashion runway, except it’s made out of unfinished wood) nearly guarantees obstructed views at various times for a large portion of the audience. The director’s commitment to naturalism sometimes comes at the expense of audibility. Whole scenes unfold in complete darkness.”

Six months later, on Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theater, I was pleasantly surprised to discover comfortable seats and decent sightlines. Was the bigger theater more able to accommodate the set without sacrificing comfort and accessibility, or did the producers put the pressure on the creative team to accommodate the more demanding (and higher paying) Broadway theatergoers?

They also now give the playbill to you before the show begins, rather than after it is over, as at St. Ann’s — an affectation that to me epitomized the gratuitous efforts to be au courant.

There are still plenty of what I consider avant garde affectations in Fish’s Oklahoma. Many were toned down, and there are enough adjustments for the balance to have shifted for me. I could better enjoy Rodgers and Hammerstein’s score and the performances by a diverse and talented cast, and better appreciate Fish’s take on the world of the musical.

Be More Chill, Off Broadway 2018

Be More Chill, Broadway, 2019

The changes in two of the other transfers were less tangible, but they had the opposite effect on me.

When “Be More Chill” made it to Off-Broadway, the odyssey of the musical felt as engaging as anything in the show itself. A short run to mixed reviews in a New Jersey theater resulted in an original cast album that went viral, creating a whole nation of teenage fans for this high energy adaptation of a popular young adult novel that combines high school bestiary with sci-fi. The transfer to Broadway marks the Broadway debut of talented songwriter Joe Iconis, and incorporates changes that reflects an obviously bigger budget – more, fancier stage effects. But the biggest change is its new context. The show has gone from a theater with fewer than 300 seats to one with more than 900, and ticket prices as high as $325. It no longer feels like the little show that could. It’s a noisy, high-powered commercial enterprise, selling itself largely to kids. So, what exactly are they selling?

Curious, I read the original novel by Ned Vizzini, and was taken aback by a couple of the changes in the stage adaptation. In the musical, Jeremy is reluctant to join the cast of the school play, saying “ It’s a sign-up sheet for getting called gay.” But in the original novel by Ned Vizzini, Jeremy is a theater kid who has performed frequently in high school productions. Shouldn’t Broadway be the one place where young gay theatergoers don’t have to feel left out and put down?

What The Constitution Means to Me, 2018

What the Constitution Means to Me, Broadway 2019

When I saw “What The Constitution Means to Me” Off-Broadway, I found Heidi Schreck’s show about the United States Constitution extraordinary — funny and infuriated, analytical and confessional, erudite and heartbreaking. Schreck, who plays herself at age 15 competing in oratorical contests about the Constitution, and then herself at her current age, is a good storyteller. Her play is informative, enlightening even, inspiring me to re-read the U.S. Constitution (copies of which are distributed during the show.) It also has some important, justifiably angry points to make about the Court-sanctioned subjugation of women. Yet, in retrospect, what was most powerful about Schreck’s play was similar to the pull two decades ago of Anne Nelson’s “The Guys,” which was presented at The Flea Theater not far from the World Trade Center right after 9/11. “What’s The Constitution Means to Me” has allowed people to gather communally in a time of crisis. The crisis this time is not a foreign invasion, but what the theatergoers drawn to this show see as a domestic threat to democracy.

There are few discernible changes to Schreck’s play, which has the feel of spontaneous improv but is actually carefully scripted. While other critics have reacted ecstatically to Schreck’s piece both on and Off Broadway, I have mixed feelings about the transfer of this straightforward, three-character play to Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theater, where there are three times as many seats as Off-Broadway, and ticket prices are more than 70 percent higher. Instead of one producer, there are now more than a dozen. “What The Constitution Means to Me” can still serve as a salve for the politically shell-shocked and disaffected; they just have to be a little richer, which kind of undermines “we’re all in this together” vibe for me.

Hadestown Off-Broadway 2016

Amber Gray Patrick Page Reeve Carney on Broadway 2019

Hadestown was a very different show when it debuted at a reconfigured New York Theater Workshop in 2016. Just eight cast members brought Anais Mitchell’s concept album to life, performing in the sung-through musical all along the dimly lit spaces in front of stadium seating that evoked the rings of Hell

Three years later, after a run at The National Theater in London, Hadestown is now on Broadway, with an expanded cast of 13, and elaborate choreography for them. Only two cast members of whom are holdovers from the original eight, Gone is the reconfigured theater. The show plays out on Walter Kerr’s proscenium stage, and now features all sorts of stage effects, from stage smoke to a working steam whistle to a few surprise alterations of the set that are obviously the fruit of a bigger Broadway budget.

Some of the intimacy is lost. But there is now a sharper clarity to the tale, in large part because of the expansion of the role of Hermes as narrator, now performed by André De Shields. (There is also a note in the program explaining, “Who’s Who in Greek Mythology,” which is helpful in a show that still focuses more on atmosphere than plot.)

What made Hadestown most thrilling remains – the delightful score.

In the case of Hadestown, then, Broadway neither ruined nor redeemed an Off-Broadway show. It created something that’s different, adjusting to the new context and changed expectations, and in its own way just as good.

Are Off Broadway Shows Redeemed or Ruined on Broadway? Ten of the 34 shows that opened on Broadway during the 2018-2019 season began life Off-Broadway. I was struck by how sharply different my reactions were to seeing the Off-Broadway and Broadway versions of four of these shows – Be More Chill, Hadestown, Oklahoma, and What The Constitution Means to Me.

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lindyhunt · 6 years ago

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A Look Back at the Most Memorable Fashion Moments of 2018

2018 will no doubt go down in popular memory as a very, very bad year. Political headlines tended to dominate the news, and most of them were bleak: Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court despite allegations of sexual misconduct, mass shootings were disturbingly common, and the Toronto van attack hit close to home. And yet, fashion was not without its share of remarkable, newsworthy stories. Let’s take a look back at the most surprising and memorable fashion moments that made up 2018.

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A double helping of girl power. #goldenglobes #timesupnow “We’re here to stand up for all women and men who have been silenced by abuse and harassment and abuse within their industry; not just Hollywood. All industries.”-@reesewitherspoon Eva Longoria “We’re here to wear black to say Times Up on this imbalance of power. We’re also here to honour the women who came out originally and who really kicked the door open for this conversation. Asia Argento, Rosanna Arquette, Ashley Judd and Salma Hayak. These women were so brave; we’re just building on their message and their work.”-@evalongoria

A post shared by FASHION Magazine (@fashioncanada) on Jan 7, 2018 at 5:33pm PST

The Golden Globes Blackout Protest

The year began in earnest with a sombre display. Only four months after the New Yorker published a story detailing Harvey Weinstein’s decades-long history of abuse that rocked the entertainment industry and spurred the resurgence of the #MeToo movement (first invented by Tarana Burke in 2007), actresses stood together at the Golden Globes wearing a funereal dirge of black on the normally cheery red carpet. Though the hue was one of mourning, the mood was not, with many finding great power and hope in the solidarity of the gesture. According to Time’s Up, the organization formed in the wake of the industry’s reckoning, 1 in 3 women ages 18 to 34 have been sexually harassed at work, and 71% of those women said they did not report it. By wearing black to support the cause, Hollywood’s most famous faces helped shine a light on an omnipresent but oft-buried issue.

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INTRODUCING CELINE NEW LOGO ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #CELINEBYHEDISLIMANE

A post shared by CELINE (@celine) on Sep 2, 2018 at 1:15pm PDT

Hedi Slimane Named Phoebe Philo’s Successor at Céline

The fashion industry quaked when Hedi Slimane was appointed the successor to Phoebe Philo’s quiet, slow fashion empire at Céline. Philo dealt in the business of creating elegant silhouettes that quietly telegraphed the power of the wearer, and Slimane, best known for his loud, derivative rock’n’roll designs was viewed as a comically bad fit for the role. Requiems for the brand began to sound, resale prices for Philo-era Céline went way up, and an Instagram account titled @oldceline (run by former FASHION intern Gabrielle Boucie) popped up to deify the era. Ultimately, the appointment of Slimane spelled the death knell for one of the most beloved brands in popular imagination, as they pivoted from producing subtle, resonant garments to pure commercial strategy. RIP Céline.

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BREAKING FASHION NEWS: #VirgilAbloh founder of #OffWhite named new Creative Director of menswear at #LouisVuitton 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

A post shared by FASHION Magazine (@fashioncanada) on Mar 26, 2018 at 3:54am PDT

Virgil Abloh Takes Over at Louis Vuitton Men’s

In March, Louis Vuitton named the first African-American artistic director in the label’s history: Virgil Abloh. Best known for designing T-shirts with abbreviated quotation marks for his brand Off-White, Abloh has cultivated devoted following in the streetwear arena. The beginning of his appointment at the artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear spells the beginning of a new era where hype-based streetwear is synonymous with old-world luxury. Abloh’s appointment was a canny move for both parties, imbuing Abloh with supplemental street cred as a designer, plus sparked a newfound desire for Louis Vuitton goods amongst a demographic — primarily young Black men — that hadn’t previously viewed Louis Vuitton as aspirational.

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Sealed with a Kiss 💍💋 #HarryandMeghan

A post shared by FASHION Magazine (@fashioncanada) on May 19, 2018 at 5:40am PDT

Meghan Markle’s Wedding Dress

From her monumental royal wedding, to her pregnancy announcement to literally every single thing she wore, Meghan Markle was one of the biggest newsmakers of the year. On May 19th, countless North Americans rose at 4am and rubbed their eyes to witness the lavish royal wedding between the former Suits actress and Prince Harry. After months of speculation, Markle stepped out in a surprisingly simple white boatneck gown designed by Claire Waight Keller for Givenchy. Royal historian and curator Alexandra Kim told FASHION that Markle is “rather like a magician in the way she finds the delicate balance between remaining true to her own sense of style while honouring the elements expected of a royal wedding.” The simplicity of dress was juxtaposed with an ornamental veil depicting the distinctive flora of all 53 Commonwealth countries. For her more casual, private wedding reception, Markle changed into a Studio 54-worthy white halter neck dress by Stella McCartney.

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We are so sad to hear about the passing of Kate Spade today. Rest in peace to the talented designer. The fashion world won’t be the same without you. #RIPkatespade 💔 ♠️

A post shared by FASHION Magazine (@fashioncanada) on Jun 5, 2018 at 10:13am PDT

Designer Kate Spade Dies

Kate Spade, purveyor of sunnily optimistic handbags, died on June 5th, 2018 of suicide. Her death came as a shock, as many found themselves searching for answers to s make sense of the gulf that seemingly existed between her bubbly public persona and private despair. Many opted to share their stories about the impact Spade and her namesake products had on their own lives. For FASHION, Jenn Shinouda-Levine wrote, “Her signature polka dots and bows have been my salvation in a way akin to support groups, SSRIs and exercise. They are the armour of a person who is kicking against the darkness, albeit with well-manicured accessories. I often fear that one day that darkness is going to swallow me whole and everything, including lemon prints and flamingo clutches, will look flat and colourless to me. Fashion might appear superfluous to some, but it’s so often an external reflection of whether we have a bit of spring in our step.”

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#MelaniaTrump wears #Zara jacket "I really don't care, do you?" cost $39 during her visit immigrant children in a detention center in Texas

A post shared by Fashion Hooligans (@fashionhooligans) on Jun 21, 2018 at 11:05pm PDT

Melania Trump’s Offensive Jacket

On June 21st, First Lady Melania Trump was photographed stepping out of a vehicle on her way to visit migrant detention centres in Texas wearing an army green jacket with the words “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” scrawled in paint on the back. The jacket was identified as a $39 item from Zara and perhaps even more puzzling than Melania’s decision to wear the jacket at such a sensitive moment was the mystery of how the designer duds-loving First Lady even her hands on a jacket from Zara. We described the jacket as “less poor taste than it is downright offensive” considering the callous message it sent out: that migrant children who have been separated from their families do not matter. Trump maintained the jacket had no such meaning until months later, when she admitted that the weaponized message was aimed at journalists reporting on her husband’s infidelities.

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It’s here! @beyonce stars on the cover of our September issue. Tap the link in our bio to read the full story. Photographed by @tylersphotos, fashion editor @tonnegood, Vogue, September 2018.

A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine) on Aug 6, 2018 at 6:00am PDT

Tyler Mitchell Shoots the Cover of Vogue

A 23-year-old Black photographer shooting Beyoncé for the cover of Vogue would be noteworthy in itself, but what made the story truly historic was that Mitchell is the first Black photographer hired to shoot the cover of Vogue in the entirety of the magazine’s 126 year history. According to sources, Beyoncé was given “unprecedented control” over the images of her that appeared in the magazine, and handpicked Mitchell to photograph her cover. So we have Beyoncé to thank for using her platform to amplify the voices of Black creators in mainstream culture.

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@dolcegabbana RT/RP @pushkanews ・・・ Dolce&Gabbana опять в центре скандала, расисткого. Бренд запостил несколько рекламных роликов, на которых азиатка пытается палочками поесть традиционную итальянскую еду. Ролик набрал 120(!) млн просмотров на китайском сервисе Weibo, разгорелось нехило. Добавим, что китайцы являются главными потребителями люксовых товаров в мире, на них приходится больше трети глобальных трат на предметы роскоши.  #dolcegabbana #DGTheGreatShow #DGLovesChina #runway #fashionshow #racism #dolceandgabbana #stefanogabbana #chinese #asianmodel #asian

A post shared by Sire Arevalo (@urmajestysire) on Nov 21, 2018 at 6:01am PST

Dolce & Gabbana Slammed for Racism

In a bid to capitalize on China becoming the second-largest market in the world after North America, Dolce & Gabbana attempted to show their appreciation for Chinese culture by releasing a video featuring a Chinese model struggling to eat Italian food using chopsticks. The video was widely decried as ignorant and culturally insensitive but the real drama began when screenshots of Stefano Gabbana calling Chinese people “Ignorant dirty smelling mafia” as well as the poop emoji were leaked to the media. At first, Gabbana claimed he had been hacked (yeah, right) but eventually took ownership of his words and apologized. However, Gabbana has a long history of having #nofilter, and this incident sealed Dolce & Gabbana’s status as fashion pariahs. Despite the apology, we predict it is unlikely the brand’s reputation will recover after this ugly debacle.

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jessicakehoe · 6 years ago

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A Look Back at the Most Memorable Fashion Moments of 2018

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by FASHION Magazine (@fashioncanada) on Jan 7, 2018 at 5:33pm PST

The Golden Globes Blackout Protest

View this post on Instagram

INTRODUCING CELINE NEW LOGO ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #CELINEBYHEDISLIMANE

A post shared by CELINE (@celine) on Sep 2, 2018 at 1:15pm PDT

Hedi Slimane Named Phoebe Philo’s Successor at Céline

View this post on Instagram

BREAKING FASHION NEWS: #VirgilAbloh founder of #OffWhite named new Creative Director of menswear at #LouisVuitton 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

A post shared by FASHION Magazine (@fashioncanada) on Mar 26, 2018 at 3:54am PDT

Virgil Abloh Takes Over at Louis Vuitton Men’s

View this post on Instagram

Sealed with a Kiss 💍💋 #HarryandMeghan

A post shared by FASHION Magazine (@fashioncanada) on May 19, 2018 at 5:40am PDT

Meghan Markle’s Wedding Dress

View this post on Instagram

We are so sad to hear about the passing of Kate Spade today. Rest in peace to the talented designer. The fashion world won’t be the same without you. #RIPkatespade 💔 ♠️

A post shared by FASHION Magazine (@fashioncanada) on Jun 5, 2018 at 10:13am PDT

Designer Kate Spade Dies

View this post on Instagram

#MelaniaTrump wears #Zara jacket "I really don't care, do you?" cost $39 during her visit immigrant children in a detention center in Texas

A post shared by Fashion Hooligans (@fashionhooligans) on Jun 21, 2018 at 11:05pm PDT

Melania Trump’s Offensive Jacket

View this post on Instagram

It’s here! @beyonce stars on the cover of our September issue. Tap the link in our bio to read the full story. Photographed by @tylersphotos, fashion editor @tonnegood, Vogue, September 2018.

A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine) on Aug 6, 2018 at 6:00am PDT

Tyler Mitchell Shoots the Cover of Vogue

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sire Arevalo (@urmajestysire) on Nov 21, 2018 at 6:01am PST

Dolce & Gabbana Slammed for Racism

The post A Look Back at the Most Memorable Fashion Moments of 2018 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

A Look Back at the Most Memorable Fashion Moments of 2018 published first on https://borboletabags.tumblr.com/

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swipestream · 7 years ago

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Cobra Kai Kicks Lost in Space’s Ass!

Lost in Space, Netflix’s revamp of the classic SF TV series, is so abysmally bad that there’s no end to the possible critiques one could lodge against it. The biggest complaint—and, ultimately, the only one that matters—is that it’s boring. Tedious. Excruciatingly bland and stupefying.

In fact, the only thing that broke up the boredom was my visceral dislike for all the characters. Each and every one, a Wesley Crusher. An entire family, an entire show, of people so aggravating and unlikable, that if I sat next to one on an airplane, I’d choke them out before we hit the runway. I hated them, and I hated every minute I had to spend with them.

Folks, when writing something, strive to create characters that are likable, or at least interesting. Unlikable and boring is pretty much the nadir of character design, and Lost in Space hit that jackpot each and every time.

The show was so awful, it isn’t even worth spending the time to analyze why. It was shallow, it was insipid, and by the end I was just begging for it to be over.

So let’s flip to the other TV series I watched this week: Cobra Kai. YouTube Red’s sequel to The Karate Kid—the good one, not the modern reboot—put up two free eps, and since they looked pretty good, I decided to subscribe to YouTube Red. Wait, I’m not insane: the first month is free, so I’m not giving YouTube money or anything crazy like that.

Thankfully, Cobra Kai wasn’t as bad as Lost in Space. I didn’t hate all the characters, I was interested in where the story was going and, though it’s not the best thing on television, it is pretty good, up until the very end. That last episode, though… phew. (Spoilers to follow.)

Set 34 years after the original movie, Cobra Kai follows Johnny Lawrence, the blonde pretty boy who took the lead in bullying fresh-faced Daniel LaRusso. In the years since losing the All-Valley Karate Tournament to Danny, his life has gone straight downhill. A freshly-unemployed drunk, surrounded by TV commercials and billboards for LaRusso Luxury Motors, he’s a bit bitter about where his life ended up. Fresh out of options, he decides to reopen the Cobra Kai dojo to a fresh generation of students.

Though rivals, the series takes pains to show that both characters are struggling with their own set of problems, and both deal with them badly. Drunk one night, Johnny spray paints a penis on one of Danny’s billboards, and Danny retaliates by manipulating Johnny’s landlord into doubling the rent on the Cobra Kai dojo. On the plus side, both men become senseis to teen students, passing on their respective forms of karate.

The show dips deep into the well of nostalgia, and as usual for this kind of thing, mirrors events from the first movie. Johnny intervenes on behalf of an embattled student, Miguel Diaz, saving him from a beating by a crowd of karate-trained high school bullies. Diaz then becomes Johnny’s first student when he reopens the Cobra Kai dojo. Danny likewise takes in a student (Johnny’s estranged son, a budding juvenile criminal), teaching him the same way Mr. Miyagi did 34 years ago, wax-on, wax-off and all. And, of course, both students meet at the All-Valley Karate Championships.

Which is where the wheels come off. To Johnny’s disgust, the only students he can attract at his dojo are the losers, freaks, and nerds of the school. The series takes great pains to show how they’re the despised and belittled rejects of the high school social scene, but under Johnny’s tutelage they gain confidence and self-respect. Diaz even gets to shine in a well done karate showdown with the four bullies, pummeling them into submission in the middle of the school cafeteria.

The entire show depicts everyone as just people, no true villains and no absolute heroes. (In fact Johnny, for all his flaws, is the most consistently decent person in the show. He’s in a bad situation because of past mistakes, but tries diligently to straighten out his life and get back on track.) Yet, for reasons, the last episode needs some unalloyed villains, so the Cobra Kai kids—the losers, freaks, and nerds—are recruited for the task. They cheat, belittle opponents, and explode in rage when they lose. This, despite Johnny telling them not to. They’re all around bad sports.

The series could have been about flawed men finding peace in teaching others how to rise above their flaws. In helping kids get their lives together, Danny and Johnny could have learned how to do the same. Yet, in order to set up a White Hat vs. Black Hat final confrontation (and, apparently, to set up the show’s next season), the series abandons all the themes and events it’s been building to, in favor of a cheap ending that blesses Danny’s student with unearned grace. It’s a morally incoherent cop out. The series had so much potential, but squandered it in the last episode.

Lost in Space lasted ten hours, but felt much longer. Cobra Kai lasted just over five hours, and was a pretty fun watch, up until the bizarre ending. On about 1/1000th the budget, it’s 1000 times as fun. I don’t know that I’d exactly recommend either, but if forced to chose, I’d suggest Cobra Kai over Lost in Space any day.

Cobra Kai is about karate. Lost in Space felt like I was getting my ass kicked with karate.

I know which I’d chose.

Jasyn Jones, better known as Daddy Warpig, is a host on the Geek Gab podcast, a regular on the Superversive SF livestreams, and blogs at Daddy Warpig’s House of Geekery. Check him out on Twitter.

Cobra Kai Kicks Lost in Space’s Ass! published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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