#the moon design was superb. the concept was superb

[jestroer]

God I just remembered the moment in season 8 when some smart and beautiful and incredible people decided to ship Mumbo with the Moon and made her a beautiful lady it was a top fandom moment for me for sure

[crusherthedoctor]

Crusher Elaborations #1: Thoughts on the Aesthetic of Sonic’s World

If someone came up to me and asked “Which do you prefer, Classic Sonic or Modern Sonic?”, my answer would start off with “Well, technically Classic Sonic because...”, and then I'd get cut off by the other person immediately lecturing me on why I'm wrong and why I'm the worst kind of fan imaginable. Should they finish their rant, I would then explain to them in the midst of them basking in their flock of easy Twitter likes that I didn't necessarily mean it in the way they predicted.

If we were talking about the games, the characters, or the character design, I'd be fairly neutral, since I like both halves equally for the most part. In fact, when it comes to characters, Modern might actually have the edge believe it or not, since the sheer number of characters introduced from SA1 onwards naturally means a lot of my favourites were introduced from that point on, such as Tikal, Rouge, Gamma, Omega, Blaze... But then again, Classic introduced Eggman and Tails, and the Hard-Boiled Heavies are technically Classic as well despite being relatively new...

Anyway, the point is, I'm not talking about any of that today. I'm talking about the world that Sonic and his multicolored chums live in. Or rather, the aesthetic of it.

NOTE: This is purely about the game universe. While I do have my thoughts on Sonic’s world as presented in other continuities, that won’t be the focus here.

If you're familiar with my blog, you'll know that as a general rule of thumb, I much prefer colorful and creative worlds in my Sonic universe, and that rings true for my reasoning here. And I know what you're gonna say: “But Crusher, isn't there plenty of that in the Modern games as well?” Yes, there is, and I appreciate them very much. But this is why I feel the need to make a post of this sort to begin with, because I'm NOT saying “Classic cool, Modern boring” and calling it a day. There's a little more nuance to my tastes here.

When I say I prefer the Classic aesthetic for Sonic's world, I don't mean it in the literal sense of disregarding everything about the Modern aesthetic. Let's put it like this: when you're asked to paint a picture of these two sides of Sonic's universe in your head, a specific image will likely come to mind. When you think of Classic, you'll probably think of Green Hill first and foremost, whereas with Modern, you'll probably think of something like City Escape or Rooftop Run before anything else. In other words, when you think Modern Sonic, you're probably imagining the more realistic kind of locations first. And between the two mental images that come to mind, I personally prefer the Classic image. Shock, horror.

I wish I could swim in a sea that’s probably radioactive.

Now keep in mind, I'm not saying that City Escape, Rooftop Run, and all similar environments in the series look bad, because they don't. Unless they're painted with the '06 brush, they generally look fine, and the locations in Unleashed in particular are undeniably beautiful from an graphical standpoint. The problem is that although I can picture this as a world that Sonic could be in, I can't necessarily picture it as Sonic's world specifically. Because when it comes to the more realistic environments, I feel there's not much of an attempt to let it branch out as its own thing.

I know that might seem harsh, especially for Unleashed, since the real world angle was the deliberate theme of that game. And Sonic taking cues from real places is a fine concept, there's no issue there. I'm not gonna complain if there's a France Zone with an Eiffel Tower in the background. In fact, Sandopolis Act 1 has one of my favourite aesthetics in a Classic zone (mainly because the background is really pleasant to look at), and that zone is essentially Egypt Zone. But if you're making a Real World Zone, there needs to be more to it than that, otherwise you don't truly get a Sonic interpretation of our world... you instead have our world as it is with Sonic characters awkwardly stapled on.

When I look at City Escape, it may not be completely unfitting for Sonic (the posters and billboards in particular are actually a really nice touch), but when I look at it, I don't see Sonic's interpretation of San Francisco. I see San Francisco with Sonic shoved in. When they morph these places to Sonic's liking, they'll add rings, loops... and that's it. They rarely take the concept any further, which is a huge shame, particularly in the case of Rooftop Run, where I otherwise do like its visuals a lot, but it just doesn't go far enough with the concept for my liking.

At least you get to murder car owners, and give G.U.N. a legitimate reason to arrest you.

So which Modern games do I feel did the best job at making Sonic's world... er, Sonic's world? Well the truth is, most of them actually do a decent job in this area, regardless of the level design quality or the game’s quality period. SA2 has Pumpkin Hill, Eggman's Pyramid Base, and... SOME levels aboard the A.R.K (mainly the “outside” ones, like Final Rush). Shadow the Hedgehog, a game that reveled in how brown and gritty it was, still had highlights like Circus Park and Digital Circuit. Even '06 of all games had Aquatic Base, which was pretty cool from a conceptual standpoint. And although Unleashed as a whole might be a touch too vanilla in the creativity scale, it still had the glorious Eggmanland at the very end. But if I had to say which of the Modern installments did the best job overall...

- For starters, I'm gonna give a shoutout to SA1, because even though it was the first Modern game, and thus it was technically responsible for the more focused angle of realism in Sonic's world in the first place, it didn't take it quite as far as later games would, and although it may not be a perfect 1-to-1 representation of the world we saw in the Classic games, it does well enough with what it brings to the table that I can still accept it without any issue at all. Some of that has to do with the fact that you still have wilder areas like Windy Valley and Red Mountain to balance things out, but even with the other half, the game's use of colour is enough for it to go a long way, oddly enough. Take the At Dawn section of Speed Highway for instance:

From innocent times, when the radar wasn’t a piece of shit.

Technically, it's really not that different to the urban environments you see in SA2 or Unleashed. But something about the sleepy morning approach gives it a subtle, almost dream-like edge to it that I really dig, and despite it being pretty similar to the likes of City Escape, somehow I have an easier time buying into the idea of this place being part of the same world as zones like Sky Sanctuary.

And seeing how I already mentioned Red Mountain, let me compare it to Flame Core:

Yes, I know bringing '06 into this discussion at all is inherently and hilariously unfair, but let's put aside the game that Flame Core comes from for a moment. Aside from maybe the purple crystal caves indoors (and that's assuming you can even see where the fuck you're going in there), Flame Core is pretty boring to look at as far as Sonic levels go. Red Mountain is vastly more interesting, even though it's basically the exact same concept, and a lot of that has to do with - you guessed it - colour. Sure, it's day time, that's one thing, but you'll also notice that for a lava/mountain stage, it surprisingly has a few grassier sections, sort of like Hill Top in that regard. A little bit of green among the brown and red, and a great contrast to the volcanic nightmare you'll experience when you head inside.

Now this might seem like a fairly minor detail... and yeah, it is, but the thing that SA1 does so well is that it combines so many of those small details to make a complete, well-rounded package. This is why SA1 meshes well with the Classic style despite not being an exact replica, because just as the Classics excelled at, it wasn't afraid to use colour in interesting ways. It understood that a fire level could have more than just red and orange, in the same way that a grassy level could have more than just green and blue.

But of course, as I mentioned, SA1 is not an exception. There are other Modern games that did a great job on the whole...

- Heroes is an obvious answer, since it's translation of Genesis-style environments to 3D is probably one of the most recurring praises the game receives, and rightly so. Not much to say here, except that Hang Castle is still cool as hell.

And plenty of opportunity to admire the not-broken-in-half moon.

- Colours is another obvious one, though something of an ironic one given that the premise of the game involved going to other worlds, and those worlds were all converted against their will by Eggman. Yet, they did an equally superb job at creating fun, unique locales, and Aquarium Park in particular remains a favourite of mine.

Gotta love that red/blue contrast.

- The Riders series has a more futuristic bend compared to the rest of the series, but even when it's not all high-tech, it's got some pretty cool environments of its own, and I feel they even do well at mixing the real world side of things on top of that. Gigan Rocks comes to mind, as does Aquatic Capital.

Reminds me of when Perfect Chaos peacefully protested against Station Square.

- Regardless of my thoughts on the game itself, Secret Rings had some undeniable winners in this depertment. You tell me with a straight face that Night Palace doesn't look amazing.

A wonderful palace for a domestic abuser.

- And lastly, they might have had an early advantage since they're already 2D, but the Advance trilogy and Rush duology deserve a mention. They had some fantastic ideas for zones, like Planet Sonata Music Plant, and they did great with the colours as well. Hell, throughout these five games, the sky was practically every shade of the rainbow at one point or another.

Oh look, another completely whole moon.

Also, quick shoutout to another minor detail akin to the grassy sections of Red Mountain: these pink tunnel sections in Ice Mountain. No elaborate point to make here, just another perfect example of how much I adore these games' use of colour and contrast.

Seriously, I could go on for hours about good contrast.

Although I do bring up these small details for another reason, and in turn, another layer to my more nuanced take on Sonic aesthetics. By this point, we get the basic jist: Crusher likey when Sonic levels unique and pretty. But this can - and has - lead to a couple of misconceptions, so I'd like to address those and then laugh at them.

“So you want Sonic's world to be exactly like Mario?”

A common complaint that Lost World received was that it was too much like Mario, in more ways than one, and part of this was to do with the game's visual style. The zones may have been upbeat, but they often consisted of a bunch of things floating in the air and not much else, ala 2D Mario. While I didn't outright hate it, it’s definitely not what I have in mind for Sonic.

Of course, all complaints about being too much like Mario suddenly turn into praise when Eggette gets brought up...

And why is that? Because yes, I like my Sonic locations to be fun and lively... but I also want them to be firmly established within the context of this universe. The Lost World approach is fine with Special Stages and the sort, but outside of that... well, Studiopolis is a perfect example of what I'm talking about:

On one hand, it's very unique when compared to other cities in this franchise, and it's full of quirkiness, great use of colour, and all that good stuff I've went on about. But at the same time, it's grounded just enough so that it still feels like an actual city that the people of Sonic's world could feasibly live in, rather than a basic and empty video game level with a tacked on city background. Studiopolis may be a level from a video game, but you can totally believe it's a fully fleshed out place from its own perspective.

Naturally, this praise also rings true with the Modern games I listed earlier, and is yet another reason for why I approve of their settings.

“So you think Sonic can't have darker locations?”

It might be easy to take my compliments at face value, and assume that I'm immediately opposed to a zone that's not brightly colored. This is... very obviously false, as even the Classic games have their share of less-than-cheery areas, such as Scrap Brain and the Bad Futures in Sonic CD.

However, when you're making a grittier location in Sonic's world, regardless of the context, it still needs to be interesting. The problem with a lot of them in Modern installments is that they're boring. Crisis City is a generic city on fire. Westopolis is a generic city with aliens firing lasers from above. The prison levels in SA2 - and the indoor ARK levels not named Cannon's Core - are just grey hallways for the most part. That shit isn't exciting, and it doesn't get my mind speculating. It just makes me want to move on.

Let the eggsperts take care of this.

By contrast, Eggmanland is a prime example of how to do it right. Eggmanland is a magnificent theme park as envisioned by the good doctor, but it's also, at its core, a giant metal hellscape fueled by the energy of a dark entity, and it only gets more ominous the further you go through it or try to before you give up because it’s too fucking long and you died at the end. So it sets the mood to be sure, but it's still visually compelling to look at, and interesting to think about.

And since Eggman is apparently the only one who can show us how it's done, here's a shoutout to Titanic Monarch as well:

Like Heavy King, but Heavier and Kingier.

When comparing the final zones in Sonic games, I especially love this zone's visual approach, because it manages to be dark and colorful at the same time, and in a strangly organic way. It's got a spooky atmosphere, with a moody moonlight backdrop to match, and the titular robot is foreboding as hell as you climb up it and traverse through it... all the while having red floors, green and yellow wires, blue and pink buildings, and stained glass windows of Eggman and the Heavies for you to marvel at. So even putting aside the unique scenario of climbing up and then through a Kaiju-sized mech, the mood of the zone alone manages to be extremely memorable.

So what have we learned from all this? Aside from the fact that I’m way too interested in this subject? We now know that when I say I prefer the Classic “style” over Modern when it comes to the way that Sonic's world is presented:

- I don't mean that literally.

- There are certain qualities that although both of them possess, they tend to be more immediately associated with Classic in the collective consciousness, even within the fandom.

- The environments that I love the most in Modern games are often the ones that would also fit perfectly in the Classic style.

So whenever I express the basic nature of this opinion in the future... just imagine a small asterisk at the end of my sentence.

[systemic-anomaly]

Hello, this is Xotykh, and I’d like to dedicate this post to the gratitude I feel towards a few individuals in specific, but simultaneously to all of my fellow travelers and mutuals. To @she-scriptures for always being there for me, spiritually, intellectually, and exuding such a shrewdness of mind, as well as being steadfast in her ultimate dedication to the Divine. As an orator myself, it is rare for me to find someone with such a skillfulness and dexterity of form regarding the delightful application and approach of her communication. The inspiration I have received from this individual has been and remains one of the largest reasons for my continuation and perpetuation of my devotion to my craft. She reminds me that there are people who thrive in their connection to spirit and that when in tune with the goddess, the result is always extreme brilliance and radiance of beauty. My gratitude and appreciation towards and for you are endless and in actuality, ineffable. I love you. /// To @sagittariusvibez for bringing forth the sun of happiness and the moon of insight and instinct, and for our conversations about the universe, current events, and shared interests/passions, as well as her love for writing. We have not known each other that long, though simultaneously, our connection is as ancient as the stars, and older than that, even. She reminds me that I am not alone in my perspective, and that sometimes we must go through trials and periods of intensive and extensive strenuousness, in order to travel through the depths and expanses and seemingly vast chasms of our shadow in order to return to our center, our eternal home of endlessness and the abidance of the one who needs not a name, has no boundaries and is in it’s own essence sustained. You will dominate. I appreciate your conversation, and your time. I love you. /// To @everything-starstuff and @joshwylie for your persistence in your own craft, and the continued efforts of development and concentration, regarding the fruition and elevation of your art and the ceaseless and endless endurance of your passion towards that effort. You have always inspired me to do what I love, and have never failed to fascinate me with your artwork. I adore your mind, and your appreciation and inclination for aesthetic and conceptional design. He reminds me that to do what you love is important and I am thoroughly convinced that regardless of anything, one should always do what they love, and follow their passion, as it is an endless source of energy. I love you. /// To @paraisosingular for having a very deep understanding and empathy, and for always being there for me when I need her. Your friendship is appreciated and adored, by me. I love you. /// To @taletreader for having such exquisite taste and liking a lot of my posts, lol. I love you. /// To @newtype9w8 for having an excellent intellect and a beautiful mind, and for his surprisingly superb and, in my opinion, immaculate way with words and personal form or style of communication. As being one of the very few people I’ve actually conversed with through voice, from Tumblr, I can state with an authority and assurance that his communication skills caught me by surprise, and that’s saying something quite considerable, considering how excellent I am at expressing myself through verbal or written word. I appreciate your mind, personality, and character. You’re an outstanding example, in my opinion, of what a human being should be. You inspire me to communicate with an even higher level and degree of communication. You impress me. I love you. /// To @wholenessblooming for being about the work of the spirit, and for representing the sacred source of existence. I love you. /// To @brunchwrap and @relaxedgoddess for her outstanding personality and unique expression, and for being my friend. I appreciate you, I love you. /// To @zosyme for your friendship and conversation, specifically and especially in times when it felt like I had no one. You were there for me, when sometimes, it was only you. You will always have a special place in my heart. I love you. /// And to all of my other mutuals and anyone I’ve missed, as well as the entirety of existence and the spiritual source of boundless awareness that pervades all entities, I love you. You bring my heart and being a deep joy.

[marcmyworks]

Ranking the albums of Björk

Today I will be ranking the albums of the fantabulous and wonderful Björk. She has been an influence on me ever since I first heard “It’s Oh So Quiet” back in 1995 and since I have been following her career extensively. Although her later albums are a bit less accessible commercially to her early work, I don’t believe she has released a bad album. I will be charting her work starting with her first solo album in 1993, and not including her work with Icelandic Punk-Pop group the Sugarcubes. I also will not be including her soundtrack to the film ‘Drawing Restraint 9’, as this was mostly instrumental.

10. Volta (2007)

Volta seemed like Björk’s attempt to gain radio play again after having an experimental phase working with her ex-partner/filmmaker Matthew Barney. The album’s first two singles, “Earth Intruders” and “Innocence” were both produced by hip-hop giants Timbaland and his protégé Danja and featured a very electronic dance aesthetic. Though the album did quite well critically and is packaged beautifully, it does not feel cohesive or really as forward thinking as most of her work. Also, the Mark Stent remixes of each single, released separately, seem to outshine the album versions.

Listen to: Earth Intruders, Declare Independence, Wanderlust, Innocence.

9. Utopia (2019)

Most Björk fans find this album to be a triumph but I currently still cannot enter the world of Utopia or find it interesting enough to warrant repeat listens. The album is her lengthiest (at over 70 minutes) and is a mixture of folk, electronic and studies more ethereal themes. Björk works with the brilliant producer Arca to help shape the landscape of each song, and at times it really works, but overall it feels overly long, and almost like a Björk parody.

Listen to: Arisen My Senses, The Gate, Sue Me, Saint

8. Biophilia (2011)

A concept album that deals with nature meeting technology. Each track is tuned to a different note on a tuning fork and sets of these tuning forks were even released as exclusive boxsets. Overall the album is well conceived and produced but does suffer from being a bit ‘samey same’, as some of the tracks blend together. I did see a concert on the three year tour for the album and I was incredibly impressed with how she was able to translate the sound live.

Listen to: Mutual Core, Crystalline, Thunderbolt, Moon

7. Selmasongs (2000)

This is the first soundtrack album conceived by Björk and contains the songs written for the film Dancer in the Dark. The film is a wonderful and sad story of an immigrant woman named Selma who is going blind, and who makes her days brighter by conceiving there is a musical happening when things seem to go wrong. The songs are quite good but not her strongest, though this may have been due to her tight time constraints and working with an orchestra.

Listen to: Cvalda, Scatterheart, 107 Steps, Overture

6. Debut (1993)

Björk’s first album post-Sugarcubes is a trip-hop masterpiece that not only launched her career but also brought London’s underground dance scene to the mainstream. This was thanks to producer Nellee Hooper who had previously won Grammy Awards working with Soul II Soul and Sinead O’Connor. Five singles were released from this album (four initially, and one on the re-issue) and all charted on the UK singles chart, with the album selling around 4.5 million copies Worldwide.

Listen to: There’s More to Life Than This, Venus as a Boy, Violently Happy, Human Behaviour, One Day

5. Vulnicura (2015)

Vulnicura in my opinion is probably the first album in Björk’s career where there were no radio-friendly tracks but rather a continuation of her wanting to push the experimentation of song constructs. Rather than release singles to promote the album Björk decided to create innovative music videos which tested new technology, such as 360-degree cameras. This later lead to a virtual reality exhibit entitled “Björk Digital” which went on an 18-month tour around the World. I still kick myself for missing it. Each song is produced by either her now long-time collaborator Arca (whom she met on her Biophilia Tour) or new collaborator The Haxon Cloak.

Listen to: Lionsong, Stonemilker, Family, Notget, Mouth Mantra

4. Medúlla (2004)

Being asked to write the theme for the 2004 Summer Olympics is an honour, but also to have its musical themes continue onto a full-length album is superb. Björk started writing Medúlla as “The Lake Album” in which she would strip all instrumentals from tracks and simply focus on voices. As she called it, a “very introverted” album and the title changed to the latin word for bone marrow, as it is the base building block of a person. Though some of the tracks do contain some synthesizers, 95% of the album’s beats and rhythms are made by mixing the voices of throat singers, beatboxers and choirs.

Listen to: Oceania, Where is the Line, Pleasure is All Mine, Sonnets/Unrealities XI, Triumph of a Heart

3. Vespertine (2001)

It took me a few years to get into this record as Vespertine was so far and beyond what anything Björk had created. I was used to the incredible experimental electronic sound on first three albums that when I listened to #4, which contains mostly micro-beats and soft vocals, and not to mention the infamous swan dress on the cover, it was a bit of a shock. Björk felt the energy of her 1997 release Homogenic was very masculine and aggressive and she wanted her new album to sound more feminine and explored her mindset during the filming of Dancer in the Dark as well as her relationship with Matthew Barney. I always felt Vespertine was a winter album as it feels quite Nordic in its soundscape. I’m glad I kept listening as it turned out to be one of my favourites. 

Listen to: Harm of Will, Pagan Poetry, Hidden Place, It’s Not Up to You, An Echo A Stain

2. Homogenic (1997)

Wowser, already at number 2. I remember the first time I heard this record with my friends; they would think it too strange though I would think it magical. It became one of my most listened to records of my teens. Its glamorous and punk and the artwork is extreme. Björk’s album look was envisioned and created by genius designer Alexander McQueen, who would be her frequent collaborator until his death in 2010. Homogenic was produced by Howie B and Mark Bell, and Björk wrote the album as a tribute to Iceland, wanting the songs to create the landscape of her homeland. The album released five singles, three which would enter the UK top 40. 

Listen to: The whole thing.

1. Post (1995)

Post is probably one of my top 10 favourite albums of all time. I could listen to it over and over again on repeat without being bored. The year 1995 was big for me in terms of musical discovery. I was 13 around the time I started buying my own cassette tapes and CDs. My Aunt came home from a business trip in London and brought back this CD. “It’s Oh So Quiet” was a massive hit in the UK and she wanted my brother, my cousins and I to hear this unusual and brilliant artist. The next year the Mission: Impossible film would come out and the song “Headphones” was featured, to which Björk sings to a friend about the feelings she has listening to his mixtape. I in tow would listen to that song every night on my Walkman before I fell asleep as it was a perfect way to end each day. Post was incredibly influential to me and to this day is a staple in my life. I can’t thank Björk enough for creating this iconic piece of music history.

Listen to: The whole thing.

Please, if you are so inclined to let me know in the comments how you’d rank Björk’s albums.

[ridingirlsblog]

Photoshoot of the Week: December 30th 2019 - January 5th 2020 - Suzuki GSX-R750 & Miray

Can you believe we are in a new decade? I couldn’t have imagined the year 2020 when I was a young boy. Do you remember all the movies that took place in the future and how futuristic 2020 was depicted? What about the flying cars and interstellar travels on exotic planets? We haven't gone near it so far: in a few days I'll have to take my motorbike to the repair shop, again! Anyway I don't mind at all: I believe that each and every day should be our main focus. When we do things from a place of feeling the way we want to feel, it all flows together with so much more ease. For me, my #1 goal this year was to continue the practice of strengthening my inner world – to feel joy and gratitude daily. To fully and completely feel it so deeply that happiness just oozed out of me in my relationships, in my work and in my blog, especially in these weekly posts for all of you. I’ve been working on my 2020 goals and I’m going to continue with last years intentions, which is adding goodness into my life, not setting resolutions on things I think I need to give up. But, as I decided a long time ago, there is always time for ridin' my motorbike, whether in my neighborhood or around the whole world, and that's what makes my life interesting, thus, worth living. I'm not personally interested in flying ships yet, and like the King sang I feel that 'there's so much world to see'. I think that many of you totally agree with me on this, and surely Turkish-German bikergirl and misterious socialite Miray endorses those words: you know, she never shows her face on Instagram but I bet there's a big fat shining smile ridin' around her Suzuki GSX-R750 behind that black HJC helmet! Why don't you show it to us? That smile will make all of us just walk on the moon! *** More than thirty years ago Suzuki GSX-R750's introduction revolutionized the sportbikes segment. Ever since then, the GSX-R750 has remained true to its original concept and championship-winning heritage. On the road or on the track, the GSX-R750 delivers a breathtaking combination of outstanding engine performance, crisp handling, compact size, and light weight. Its secret is an unequaled pairing of 750cc performance with the lightweight, compact chassis of a 600cc Supersport, complemented by technologically advanced suspension front and rear. The GSX-R750’s look was born and raised on the racetrack, and for its whole lifetime that styling has two new, dual-color paint schemes. Riders can choose the Glass Sparkle Black/Pearl Glacier White scheme that includes red bodywork graphics and striping on the black cast aluminum wheels. Also available is a scheme that blends a shiny and flat finish via Metallic Matter Black/Glass Sparkle Black bodywork that also includes red graphics and accents on black wheels. The GSX-R750’s fuel injected, 750cc, four-cylinder engine powers a balanced sportbike experience. This engine pulls strong off the bottom like a larger-displacement powerplant while it builds revs like a smaller mill – it’s the best of both worlds. The Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS) lets the rider adjust the engine’s power delivery to suit the riding conditions. The twin-spar aluminum frame effectively connects the steering head with the swingarm pivot portion of the chassis in a way that balances light weight and strength. The engine is suspended below the frame to keep mass low and the wheelbase short to promote nimble handling. Compact 750cc, four-cylinder engine with a race-proven over-square bore/stroke ratio managed to produce a remarkably strong high rpm power delivery. The energy-efficient engine employs forged pistons, shot-peened connecting rods, chrome-nitride-coated upper compression and oil control rings, and pentagonal ventilation holes to reduce frictional and mechanical losses. Lightweight titanium alloy valves are controlled by single-coil valve springs to reduce valve-train mass, reducing mechanical losses at high rpm. Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) fuel injection uses eight fine-spray eight-hole injectors for improved fuel atomization, which contributes to more complete combustion. An Engine Control Module (ECM) provides state-of-the-art engine management and has enhanced settings to suit the intake and exhaust systems, resulting in better fuel economy and linear throttle response. Advanced, MotoGP-developed transistorized ignition control programming helps maintain more precise spark timing across the range of engine speed and temperature. Four-into-one stainless steel exhaust system with a titanium muffler is fitted with a Suzuki Exhaust Tuning (SET) valve that maximizes torque and improves throttle response, especially in the low- to mid-rpm range. Lightweight and compact twin-spar aluminum alloy frame is constructed of five cast sections to produce a balance of light weight and strength. The frame is mated with a cast aluminum swingarm and multi-piece rear sub-frame that’s ready for racetrack use. Race-developed, lightweight Showa Big Piston front Fork (BPF) delivers superb feedback and consistent performance. Single Showa rear shock features externally adjustable rebound and compression damping, along with adjustable ride height. Electronically controlled steering damper provides lighter steering at slower speeds and more damping force at racetrack and highway speeds. Front brakes with fully floating 310mm discs are grasped by radial-mount, four-piston Brembo Monobloc calipers. Three-spoke cast aluminum alloy wheels are shod with lightweight, high-grip front and rear tires for sharp handling. Three-way adjustable foot pegs, adjustable shift lever, and short fuel tank help compose a comfortable riding position that permits the rider movement required for performance riding. Compact, lightweight instrument cluster with a built-in lap timer/stopwatch and programmable engine rpm indicators to alert the rider to certain shift points. The GSX-R750 survived in several incarnations from its launch in 1985 all the way to 2016 before it was finally dropped from the Suzuki range. During its lifetime, the GSX-R750 had to see off competition from impressive rivals such as the Yamaha FZ750 and YZF-R7, Kawasaki ZXR750 and ZX-7R, the Ducati 749 and then a new generation of larger-capacity superbikes such as the FireBlade and Yamaha R1. The GSX-R was much lighter (thanks to its aluminium beam frame, a first for a mass-produced bike) than the FZ750 and its better looks and more futuristic design gave it the edge in the battle of the showrooms. The battle for middleweight supremacy waged on into the 90s and it took a serious overhaul for the Suzuki to respond to the Kawasaki ZXR750 and later ZX-7R models, but the GSX-R kept moving with the times and remains a brilliant choice of machine whether you’re a trackday addict or a road rider. #bikergirl #fastbikes #RidinGirlsBlog #racing #suzukigsxr750 #gsxr750 #gsxr #gixxerkidz #Suzuki #gsxr1000 #hjchelmets #biker #bikelife #bikersofinstagram #bikerfamily #bikergirl #motorrad #girlsonbikes #HJC #sportbike #sexybiker #Suzuki #GSX #gsxR #motard #moto #suzukigirl #bikerchick #bikerlady #motorbike #speed #roadracing #ridingsexy #girlswhoride #riderich #girlsonbikes #gsxr #suzukigsxr #motogp #moto #helmetporn

  Same top, different bike (Honda CBR 300 R 🏁)

Visualizza questo post su Instagram Merry Christmas everyone ______________________________ #motorcycle #motorrad #мотоцикл #bikerofinstagram #bikergirls #bikekingz #tbt #picoftheday #lifestyle #mototurkey #bikergirl #twowheels #riderchicks #fireblade #rideout #munich #rideordie #hondacbr #instagood #instamoto #sportbike #superbikesgram #motogirl #motolife #bikegeneration #instalike #fashion #motoask #motolifestyle Un post condiviso da @ miraycno in data: 24 Dic 2019 alle ore 12:14 PST Read the full article

[caseycottdaily]

The best of the Kennedy Center’s Broadway series? Game over, it’s ‘Tommy’!

I am philosophically opposed to beginning a review with the blunt suggestion that you go see the show I just saw.

But really, go see the show I just saw.

And please, be quick about it. Director-choreographer Josh Rhodes’s Kennedy Center production of “The Who’s Tommy,” the musical that began as a 1969 studio album by the Who, is close to rock-musical perfection. It’s being presented through Monday only, the latest installment of the arts center’s Broadway Center Stage series, in which musicals of the past are revived, concert-style, for a weekend of performances, three times a season.

“Tommy” turns out to be the best offering yet of the series’ first two seasons. The pulse-rushing melodic energy of Pete Townshend’s score is thrillingly harnessed by a cast led by Christian Borle, Mandy Gonzalez and, as the traumatized Tommy in his grown-up guise as a touring rock sensation, the terrific Casey Cott. Wesley Taylor plays bullying Cousin Kevin with all the magnetic menace of a natural-born demon, and Kimberly Nichole sings “Acid Queen” with a sexy shimmy and a set of pipes that recalls the electric talent of Tina Turner (who sang it in Ken Russell’s 1975 film version).

I can’t remember the last time a musical created a vibe so infectious that the audience couldn’t resist the impulse to rock out with it. (As the evening progressed, you could sense more and more people in the Eisenhower Theater catching the wave.) This is especially true in the turbocharged first act, as the story of little psychically paralyzed Tommy — played splendidly at ages 4 and 10 by Declan Fennell and Hudson Loverro — kicks into high gear. Aided by a dynamic wall of digital images by set designer Paul dePoo, Rhodes stages number after number with a showman’s instinctive lean into pizazz. The superb musicianship of the eight-member onstage rock band, conducted by Lynne Shankel, doesn’t hurt, either.

“That deaf, dumb and blind kid” is the crude way the (fabulous) ensemble refers to each of the Tommys, dressed in white by Andrea Hood — what you might call martyrdom chic. The acrobatic, supple-voiced rabble themselves don’t “see” how cruelly the world can treat a kid who can’t speak for himself. “Tommy” is at its heart about the secret soul of every 15-year-old who has ever felt misunderstood by society and harbors the melodramatic belief that the world doesn’t deserve to “hear” from someone as sensitive as they are.

This theme develops over the course of 20 scenes that roll out like distinct album tracks. The minimal dialogue sequences by book writer Des McAnuff allow for only rudimentary transitions, so the musical doesn’t always feel like a complete integration of script and score. As a result, the interludes depicting the abuse of Tommy at the hands of Uncle Ernie (a suitably creepy Manu Narayan, singing “Fiddle About”) and mistreatment by Taylor’s Kevin are so skeletal as to come across as insensitive.

But remember, these are antiquated representations, born a half-century ago, of the corrupt values of a fraying postwar British establishment. (“Tommy,” the band’s rock opera, debuted on Broadway as “The Who’s Tommy” in 1993 and begins with the boy’s birth in 1941.) What rescues this from irrelevance is the fable-like milieu of the musical and, on this occasion, Rhodes’s extraordinary grasp of how to translate the show’s powerhouse songbook into three exciting dimensions.

The Center Stage concept mandates getting a show on its feet quickly and staging it barely; if actors so desire, they’re allowed to have their scripts onstage. But this “Tommy” comes across as so fully baked that the production belies the mission statement. (You get the feeling it could move somewhere else — and should! — pronto.) Actors carry on and off the few set pieces, which consist of the bare frames of tables, doors and, yes, a pinball machine; if you don’t know why this last prop is essential, wait for the gorgeously staged (and danced) Act 1 finale, “Pinball Wizard,” enhanced by dePoo’s dazzling graphic mock-up of an amusement arcade.

“Tommy” has sagged for me in the past, as it works its way from rigorous, pulsating storytelling to a pat ending, better suited to a rousing round of “Kumbaya.” But Rhodes and his savvy cast — and let’s hear it for the versatile Borle and Gonzalez, called on to sing in the styles of Broadway, music hall and rock-and-roll — never let any of the stage muscle of “Tommy” atrophy. Feel him, touch him, heal him. But most important of all — see him.

The Who’s Tommy, score by Pete Townshend, book by Townshend and Des McAnuff, additional music and lyrics by John Entwistle and Keith Moon. Directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. Music direction, Lynne Shankel; sets and projections, Paul dePoo; costumes, Andrea Hood; lighting, Jake DeGroot; sound, Kai Harada. About two hours. $69-$219. Through Monday at the Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org.

[zxshi]

EXHIBITION OF MASTER WAN KO YEE’S (H.H.DORJE CHANG BUDDHA III) AMAZING ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FORM OF WORLD-CLASS TREASURES

EXHIBITION OF MASTER WAN KO YEE’S (H.H.DORJE CHANG BUDDHA III) AMAZING ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FORM OF WORLD-CLASS TREASURES

The Explanation of the Buddha’s Title – “H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III”

On April 3, 2008, a solemn and dignified first-publishing ceremony of a fact-recording book entitled H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, which published jointly by the World Buddhism Publishing LLC and the World Dharma Voice, Inc., was held at the Library of the Congress of the United States. The book was also formally accepted into the collection of the Library of the Congress of the United States. Only since that time, did people in the world know that Master Wan Ko Yee, who had been broadly respected by the great masses and who had also been known as Great Dharma King Yangwo Yeshe Norbu, had been recognized by the world’s leaders, regent dharma kings, and great rinpoches of Buddhism through official documents as the third incarnation of Dorje Chang Buddha, who is the primordial Sambhogakaya Buddha of the universe. The Buddha’s name is H.H.Dorje Chang Buddha III. Since then, people began to address His Holiness the Buddha by “Namo[1] Dorje Chang Buddha III.” This is similar to the situation that Sakyamuni Buddha’s name was Prince Siddhartha Gotama before attaining Buddhahood. However, after Sakyamuni Buddha had attained Buddhahood, His title changed to “Namo Sakyamuni Buddha.” That is why we now address His Holiness the Buddha as “H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.”

In particular, on December 12, 2012, the Senate Resolution No. 614 of the United States Congress officially used “His Holiness” in the name addressing Dorje Chang Buddha III (That is to say, “H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.”) Since then, the title and status of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has been definitive by nature. And, as a matter of fact, “DorjeChang Buddha III” is a name used legally in governmental and official legislative documents. Therefore, the previously used respected name and titles such as “Wan Ko Yee,” Great Master, and Great Dharma King no longer exist.

However, the news below was published before the Buddha’s title of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was publicly announced. At that time, people did not know about the true status of His Holiness the Buddha. Therefore, to respect the true history, we still kept the names used before the title of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III was legitimately determined in republishing this news. However, all must clearly know that the only legitimate name of His Holiness the Buddha is H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and all other names used before the legitimate determination no longer exist.

ASIAN JOURNAL

NEWS     FEBRUARY 17-23, 2006      VOL5 – ISSUE 7

Exhibition of Master Wan Ko Yee’s (H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III) Amazing Achievements in the Form of World-Class Treasures

Mystic, wondrous, noble, and enchanting!

A mysterious art which is recognized as a precious treasure from

heaven appears in the world for the first time!

On February 5-27, 2006, the Master Wan Ko Yee (H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III) International Cultural Institute hold an exhibition of the World-Class Treasures created by Master Wan Ko Yee (Dharma King Yangwo Yisinubu Wan Ko). Regarded by all as enchanting and precious treasures from another dimension, this art appears in the world for the first time. The Organization of American States, which represents 34 countries, sponsored a special exhibition of Master Wan Ko Yee’s work for ambassadors and dignitaries. Now you can see this mysterious and wondrous art. It is praised as “Treasures from Heaven.” This exhibit displays superb, extraordinary art, profound knowledge, holy virtue and more from another realm. Admission is free.

A rare exhibit of Master Wan Ko Yee‘s (H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III) world-class art, literary accomplishments, and innovations hold from February 5 through 27, 2006 at 1822 Eddy Street, San Francisco, California.

The exhibition showcases more than 200 pieces of the Master’s artwork in 18 categories. This represents only a small portion of Master Wan Ko Yee‘s (H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III) outstanding accomplishments. The exhibition features Yun sculptures, Chinese paintings, western paintings, art frames, jade plates, three-dimensional pictures, calligraphy, poetry, and literature, along with the latest application of the master’s designs in ceramic, enamel, glass, and other mediums for use in beautifying the domestic and work environment. These tiles, wall hangings, transparent panels, etc. are unbelievably beautiful and highly original, surpassing the elegance of materials found in the Louvre Museum in Paris or the luxury hotels of Las Vegas. These are suitable for the most elegant homes, up-scale restaurants, fashionable hotels, sophisticated offices, or other places to create a noble and enhanced quality of life. Master Yee wants to make his enlightened view of a world of incredible beauty available to everyone.

Master Wan Ko Yee (H.H. Dorje Chang BuddhaIII), who currently resides in the United States, is known as Dharma King Yangwo Yisinubu Wan Ko (H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III). Over 2,000 Buddhist leaders from thirty three countries and 416 organizations, recognized Master Yee as a Dharma King and “Authentic Buddhism Master." it is difficult to find another person in this world who has succeeded in gaining the high state of virtue and realization that Master Yee has attained. It is precisely due to his unfathomable Buddha-dharma realization that the Master has acquired erudition and penetrating understanding of the laws that govern the growth and change of everything in the universe. He has thereby attained the highest achievements in various fields, such as religion, literature, philosophy, painting, calligraphy, sculpture, and application of color. No one in history can match such achievements.

He is a master of art of outstanding international fame. The Chinese paintings of Master Wan Ko Yee  (H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III) were sold at auction at the highest prices for paintings by any living artist in Southeast Asia, going for over two million US dollars each. With the appearance of Yun Sculpture, created by the Master for humanity, all splendid pearls, jades, and gemstones become pale in comparison, like the stars in the sky being outshined by a clear moon. The Yun sculpture created by the Master is an art with indescribable beauty and appears in the world for the first time. Its beauty surpasses that of any natural pearls, jades or precious gemstones. No precious stone in this world can compare with the mystery and resplendence of Yun sculptures. Some of you might consider this an overstatement, but when you see the beautiful and wondrous artwork, you will be surprised, enchanted, and see that this is not an exaggeration.

The organization of American States, which represents 34 countries, sponsored a special exhibition featuring part of Master Wan Ko Yee’s work for ambassadors and dignitaries. The artwork was recognized by all as a precious treasure from heaven. The Master is also the only artist awarded the position of “Fellow" by the Royal Academy of Arts in the London in the Academy’s over two hundred year history. As you can see, this is not an ordinary artist, nor is this an ordinary exhibition.

The frames and jade-like plates created by Master Wan Ko Yee (H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III) can be described as “embodying the essence of Nature yet surpassing the craftsmanship of Nature.” The frames of the Master cannot be limited to the concept of frames. They also are a particular kind of extremely exquisite and precious art. They vividly reproduce the superlative craftsmanship seen in the creation of everything in Nature yet embody what is refined rather than coarse, amplifying the ephemeral or unostentatious beauty of precious natural beings in life to the perfect zenith of art.

The appearance of Master Yee’s uniquely beautiful, unfathomably mysterious, and holy works of art have shattered mankind’s long-held understanding of artistic creations. The astonishing beauty of his artistic creations stirs once soul. His mysterious artistic masterpieces are the natural crystallization of his various astonishing talents, the natural outflow of his limitless Buddha-dharma wisdom and compassion. They also represent his very high moral achievement and the highest expression of kindness, generosity, and selflessness. It is the Master’s compassionate desire that everyone be able to attain this level as well. What you see in this exhibit is superb extraordinary art, profound knowledge, holy virtue, and more, truly from another realm.

The exhibition is free to the public.

Location: 1822 Eddy Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

415-673-2311

Time: February 5-27, 2006

Monday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Friday-Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Sponsored by the Master Wan Ko Yee International Culture Institute.

CONTACT: Zhaxi Zhuoma Rinpoche (Cell Phone: 626-394-4699)

E-MAIL: zhaxizh@zhaxizhuoma.net

PHONE: 626-281-6378

FAX: 626-281-3243

WEBSITE: http://www.YunArt.org" http://www.YunArt.org

Exhibition of Master Wan Ko Yee’s (H.H.Dorje Chang Buddha III) Amazing Achievements in the Form of World-ClassTreasures

Link: https://dorjechangbuddhaiii-compassion.blogspot.com/2017/12/master-wan-ko-yees-DorjeChangBuddhaIII.html

#MasterWanKoYee #DorjeChangBuddhaIII #HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII #Buddha Art

[ndowne]

What I’ve been up to recently

Courses I’ve taken

In 2019/2020 I took these Stanford classes as a JSK fellowship affiliate:

Ornithology (BIO221)

Conservation photography (BIO53)

Evolution (BIO85)

Ecology and Evolution of Animal Behaviour (BIO245)

Applied Ecology at Jasper Ridge preserve (BIO205)

Geology, Landscapes and Tectonics of the SF Bay Area (GEOLSCI42)

Concepts in Environmental communications (EARTHSYS 291)

Ecology (BIO81)

Introduction to Earth Systems (EARTHSYS10)

Other classes and trainings I have taken during this time:

Weekly Spanish classes since March 2019

Pat Brown’s 3 day residential desert bat class in July 2019 in the Mojave Desert

Drones in Conservation workshop, week long class by The Wildlife Society in April 2019.

Defensive driving class March 2019

Advanced animal care training with the Marine Mammal Center 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Marine Mammal Center advanced education and tour guide training Feb 2019 (also many other in-the job advanced education training courses)

Elephant seal progression trading with the Marine Mammal Center, January 2019

Giving psychological first aid in a disaster, with SF fire department and NERT, Jan 2019

Two day Marine Mammal Center docent and education training, October 2018

3 day residential class on nudibranchs with Alison Young and Dr Rebecca Johnson, the California Acadamy of Sciences and the Jepson Herbarium in Half Moon Bay, California, July 2018

Week long naturalist kayaking trip in Baja, Mexico to learn about whales, Feb 2018

Two day ham radio class with the San Francisco Radio Club, June 2017

Week-long residential bat acoustics workshop (using Sonobat) by Dr. Joe Szewczak, Leila S. Harris and Jill Carpenter and the Wildlife Society. June 2017 in the San Jacinto Mountains, California.

California naturalist residential course in 2017

The Wildlife Society day/long bats and white nose syndrome workshop

Bat banding radio tagging class with Dave Johnston in September 2017

NERT graduate class in Pet disaster response and first aid, Feb 2017

NERT graduate class in Emergancy communications, Feb 2017

Neighborhood Emergency Response Training with the San Francisco Fire Department (NERT) January 2017

Marine Mammal Center animal care and advanced animal care, and elephant seal progression training.

Conferences I went to during this time:

Science Hackday October 2019, 2018 and 2017

The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society annual conference in Cleveland Ohio September 2019

California Bat Working Group summit Feb 2019 and Feb 2018

Wildlife Conservation Network Spring and Fall Expo 2018

California Naturalist Regional Rendezvous where I have a talk on white nose syndrome in bats

The Wildlife Society Annual Conference in New Mexico September 2017

Wildlife Conservation Network Spring Expo 2017

Pybay Python regional conference August 2016

Naturalist training and Bat experience

I qualified as a California Naturalist in 2017 through through the University of a California Agricultural College and Camp Ocean Pines. My final project was a bat walk and a presentation about bats. This was such a huge success that I was invited back to the 2018 class to give a paid talk on bats and guided bat detecting walk.

I put this training to good use encouraging friends and organising many trips to help spark that passion for nature (bats and otherwise!). I believe in getting people on that first rung of the stewardship ladder where to care and protect for the environment you first have to be exposed and get interested in nature.

I volunteer with the California Acadamy of Sciences on occasion to help perform biodiversity analysis on the tidepool reef at Pillar point in Half moon bay under the direction of Alison Young and Rebecca Johnson. I have also taken their 3 day residential class on Nudibranchs with the Jepson Herbarium.

I collaborated with leaders in the California Bat Working Group to specify, design and build a website for the group and the logo/branding:

https://www.calbatwg.org

Simon and I also built this Bat website with iNaturalist data to help people realise that awesome bats are around them everywhere!

https://www.batsnearme.com

I attended the residential workshop put on by The Wildlife Society and run by Dr. Joe Szewczak, Leila S. Harris and Jill Carpenter in the San Jacinto mountains, June 2017. We did a deep dive into the biomechanical process of echolocation, diffeeent species of bats, the physics of sound and in teams of 4 we designed, ran and analysed the results of a survey with a Sonobat detector. Paying special attention to where we placed the sensor, what types of bats we thought we might get then learning to analyse the sonogram waveforms for heuristic patterns to identify individual species of bat. We did some mist netting, I helped get a tangled June bug successfully out of the net.

At Pat Brown’s 3 day residential Desert bat class in the Mojave Desert, 2019, I got my first bat handling experience under supervision of Jill Carpenter. I assisted with the construction and breakdown of the netting sites. Record keeping and I held and helped measure several California Myotis and helped get a Canyon bat and two Palid bats out of the net. (I have a recent Rabies Titer)

In February 2020 I had the opportunity to volunteer for Gabe Reyes with the USGS mist netting bats in Marin. I managed the survey record keeping, helped with construction and breakdown of 6 mist nets. I handled some California Myotis and helped measure weights and wingspan, assisted with the removal of one bat from a net and helped release a few after we had surveyed and radio tagged them. More winter survey dates were planned but the global Coronavirus pandemic stepped in the way.

I took a week long drones in conservation workshop with the Wildlife Society where learned to plan routes, fly drones, environmental and wildlife considerations and regulations and how to analyse and collate imagery and geo reference to a map using ArcGIS. We also used ArcGIS for our project in which find a number of hidden plastic turkeys with drone imagery from a route that we planned and executed in teams of 3.

Science communication and Docenting/Guide experience

I have been working with the Scientific community on twitter to support and boost the engagement in science communication games (eg #cougarOrNot / #CrowOrNo #barkingUpATree etc).

I used Python to automate a Twitter bot that retweets science communication games:

https://natbat.github.io/scicomm-calendar/

I have also worked extensively with the iNaturalist API. Simon and I just launched MVP of the site we’ve been working on for the last few days. It’s a site to get people interested in Tidepooling and help figure out the best low tides to visit in the next month that are in daylight hours.

https://www.rockybeaches.com/us/pillar-point

Another site we launched was for the Super Bowl / Superb Owl

https://www.owlsnearme.com

I am working to publish and create a library of nature videos for the Bay Area.

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCu_N3UP2o8JdnNmGAhYRijQ

Here is the educational video of me talking about how 50% of all Californian Sealions are born on June 15th and the rest are born that week:

https://youtu.be/Z2B_cbp34D8

My educational video on redwood trees:

https://youtu.be/3DzN2De9ANc

I have been a volunteer Docent/Guide at the Marine Mammal Center for a year, I have done nearly 100 hours of Docenting. This involved customer engagement through storytelling to help spark people’s passion about marine mammals and lead them into behavioural change to save the oceans and the planet. (See below for more details and recommendations I have received on this role). I have also taken the tour guide training and was in the process of graduating as a tour guide when the pandemic temporarily closed the Center.

I took part in Science Hackday 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Marine Mammal experience

I have been volunteering at The Marine Mammal Center in Marin, California on the animal care crew (Tuesday daytime topside) more details on this can be found in the volunteering section of my LinkedIn profile.

In summary this consisted of in-pen experience with marine mammals such as Elephant Seals, Northern & Guadalupe Fur Seals, California & Stellar Sea lions. Working as part of a team to follow protocols (such as tube feeding), do detail oriented work and care for the animals in a high stress, high risk environment.

I trained in ‘Elephant Seal progression’ which involved direct interaction with young & yearling Elephant seals 'fish school' monitoring their behaviour and teaching them to activate their instincts to recognise fish as food & overcome gag reflex to swallow and eat fish on the pen floor & in the pool. I spent several seasons as part of the Fish school team. Part of this work required detailed charting of observations and behaviours for continuity between teams and vet-staff to be informed.

The Fish kitchen experience (both participating in and running fish kitchen) involved, organising orders, labels and buckets, measuring quantities, performing quality assurance & adding medication to fish, making measuring and drawing up fish mash and electrolytes.

I ran the fish kitchen operation on several occasions, organising, prioritising and managing teams to take the fish to the pens, taking reports of the feeds/observations and charting this for vet staff.

I helped release Elephant Seals to the wild which is an incredibly magical experience knowing you have helped these animals recover. I have participated as part of the release team on two releases at Chimney rock which is a different sort of high-stress/risk environment because you are out in the wild and there are adult elephant seals around on the beach.

I've taken the Animal care class & the Advanced animal care class yearly and the Elephant Seal Progression class.

Neighborhood campaigns and local politics

I have been campaigning with some friends and neighbors to save trees in Hayes Valley, this included putting out petitions, posters, social media campaigns, surveys, writing speeches, and speaking out at public meeting city hearings and appeals (both for hayes valley and other neighborhoods) and negotiating for terms of replacement trees directly with the Bureau of Urban Forestry.

For more information on our campaign’s achievements: https://blog.natbat.net/post/623649015818485760/hayes-valley-trees

Ham Radio and Disaster response experience

I trained with the SF fire department Neighborhood Emergancy Response Team (NERT predecessor to the CERT programs elsewhere in California) in 2017. This was a 3 day program with a license for 2 years and I have renewed again in 2019. I have attended a NERT Drill and have done three graduate NERT classes, psychological first aid, pet preparedness and first aid and Emergency Communications.

I took a Ham Radio class with the SF Ham Radio Club in June 2017. I arranged study groups with some friends. I took the exam for the Technical License and passed first time with a score of 34/35. In September 2017 I passed my General License (Intermediate) exam. My callsign is KM6LCB.

I volunteered at the San Francisco Marathon on the communications team on the part of the route that blocked in the SF blood bank. I’ve taken part in two treasure hunt style simplex competitions with friends, run by a friend who used to write the MIT treasure hunt.

Expeditions

Simon and I went on a week long kyacking and camping expedition in Baja Mexico in with Naturalists and Guides from Seatrek to find Blue and Grey whales in n Feb 2019

I planned and organized a 4 week expedition to Madagascar in September 2019. I wanted to see as many Lemurs in the wild as possible so my plan took me to a distribution of biodiversity hotspots all over the country (some of which were very hard to get to and involved chartering boat or hiking for miles).

I worked with an independant local guide and together we booked accomodations and arranged logistics around constraints of time, budget route and amount of lemurs. We saw 28 (of the hundred or so extant) different species of Lemur in the wild. Hiked twice a day including a lot of night hikes to see bats and nocturnal lemurs and fosa fusana. I learned enough Malagasy to communicate basic needs and facts about animals!

[richpeace-cad-blog]

Cloth as paper, thread as ink, needle as pen —this is embroidery.

Chinese embroidery has a long history and superb artistry, and is a treasure of the Chinese nation. In the long river of history, there are different styles of embroidery on the vast land, whether it is the Jiangnan Water Village, the Northwestern Frontier, the Yellow River Basin, the Lingnan Strip or the ethnic minority areas. For a long time, the creative design of Chinese embroidery, the acupuncture techniques and the political, economic and people's aesthetic concepts are closely related. Since its establishment, its superb artistry and craftsmanship have become popular and have enjoyed a good reputation in the world.

origin:

According to legend, in ancient times, people were extremely respected for animals and plants in nature. The sun shines brightly on the earth and is the basis for all things to grow. The bright moon o is the light in the dark. The stars guide the people in the darkness, All this is the embodiment of beauty.

Our ancestors used the moon and the stars as the tattoos . When the leather goods, linen and silk fabrics appear, began to pattern the totem embroidered on the clothes, which began with embroidery. Sun, moon, stars on behalf of the glory; Hill on behalf of megatron universal; dragon on behalf of the gods, changeable; Chinese worm is a pheasant, on behalf of the beauty.

The earliest embroidery material that has been found is the embroidery print unearthed in the tombs of the West Zhou Dynasty in Rujiazhuang, Baoji, Shanxi Province. The embroidery in the mud has long been eroded, leaving only a glimmer of gossamer trace, but the impression is still vivid and bright.

Development ：

With the changing times, in the process of social and economic development, China's silk handicraft industry has made great strides. From the unearthed historical embroidery objects, it can be found that both the types of embroidery and the embroidery techniques are constantly expanding. As of the Tang Dynasty, acupuncture has been used in needle stitch, Souhe needles, flat gold needles and so on. As of the Song Dynasty, Huizong set up embroidery academy in the capital, specializing in the court supplies and ornamental embroidery, embroidery appreciation began to prevail .At that time embroidered draft of embroidery patiend by the artist to embroidery full of all kinds of acupuncture, Embroidery presents a subtle and realistic effect. In the Ming Dynasty, Gu embroidery of the essence of boudoir appeared, and the image of embroidery was more superb. By the time of the Qing Dynasty, the artistic style of different regions enriched the embroidery art of China. For example, Suzhou embroidery, Shu embroidery, Xiang embroidery, Yue embroidery, Bian embroidery , and Luxu embroidery, marked by their geographical features, have all set definite positions in the Qing Dynasty. Among them ,Yue embroidery,  Xiang embroidery, Shu embroidery and Su embroidery known as the four famous embroidery.

              Variety pattern decoration, thousands of customs

For thousands of years, embroidery has always been closely related to people's lives. An embroidery, from the needle to the lead, from the pin to the end of the line, from the beginning to the end, polished not time, not kung fu, but the heart. Chinese embroidery, Variety pattern decoration, interpretation of the most important style! Beautiful flower group, Longfeng Chengxiang, flower and bird insects in the traditional pattern, full of friends and relatives is the most simple and best wishes.

Still remember "Dream of Red Mansions", Dai Yu had a hand-embroidered purse to give gem, thought he was still rewarded to others crying once. Finally learned that the purse was treasure hidden in his arms, they secretly pleased, quite touched. A woman placed the deepest love in this purse, each thread is a trace of affection, only delivered to their most beloved man, this love passed through the embroidery, the deepest and most subtle.

                  Many samples, each with its own characteristics

In front of this article , due to difference of the regional culture, we have extended the embroidery art with different characteristics. There are many kinds of varieties and rich styles, which are definitely one of the traditional Chinese arts and culture.

                                     Suzhou embroidery

Suzhou embroidery is one of the Han national excellent traditional crafts, Suzhou embroidery products in general, its birthplace in Suzhou Wuxian area, has been diffused Wuxi, Changzhou and other places. Suzhou embroidery with beautiful designs, ingenious ideas, delicate embroidery, acupuncture lively, elegant color of the unique style, rich local characteristics.

                                     Xiang embroidery

Hunan embroidery is the general name of Hunan embroidery products with

the distinct Xiang and Chu cultural characteristics centered on Changsha in 

Hunan Province. It is a carefully crafted folk craft with Hunan-Chu cultural 

characteristics. Nearly half a century, archeological workers have successively 

in Hunan, Hubei and other places found a lot of linen, brocade, silk and other 

silk fabrics, textiles, many of which are embroidery.

                                        Yue embroidery

Yue embroidery is the general name of handmade silk embroidery in Chaozhou, Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City, including the two branches of embroidery. It is one of the four famous embroidery in China.  Guang embroiderery as one of the Yue embroidery was originally founded in the ethnic minority - Li, embroidery workers in ancient times mostly Chaozhou, Guangzhou men, rare for the world.

                                        Shu embroidery

Shu embroidery, also known as "Sichuan embroidery", is a traditional Chinese technique of silk pattern embroidered on silk or other fabrics. It refers mainly to embroidery in the western Sichuan plain centered in Chengdu, Sichuan. Shu embroidery was first seen in the Western Han Dynasty records, when the craft has been quite mature, while inheriting the pattern of bright colors, commonly used red and green color characteristics.

                                         Jing embroidery

Jingxiu also known as palace embroidery, Ming and Qing Dynasties began to flourish, and more for the palace decoration, costumes, materials stress, skilled, elegant style, most of the private high-end palace embroidered with the Royal Palace are inextricably linked. This embroidery,make real gold twisting plate into a pattern, or seed on it, it’is very delicate and luxurious.

                                         Lu embroidery

Lu embroidery belong to the production of embroidery in Shandong Province, the representative of embroidery in Shandong .Shandong referred to as "Lu", hence the name. It is one of the earliest embroidery recorded in historical documents and belongs to one of the "Eight Famous Embroidery" in China. Spiraea used by most of it is thicker twisting double strand of silk, commonly known as "clothing line", it is also known as "clothing line embroidery." And more to use floral fabric as the backing, double-stranded color strong twisting line embroidery thread, the use of Qi needle, wrapped needle, seed needle, Souhe needle, Zhenxiu (braid shares the needle) , Choose the Han nationality loved by the people, mandarin duck, butterflies and hibiscus flowers, lotus as a theme.

                                          Ou embroidery

Ou embroidery, also known as curtains, is one of the special handicrafts of Zhejiang "Three Carvings and One Embroidery", which is developed from the traditional Chinese embroidery. Ou embroidery, Hunan Embroidery, Suzhou embroidery and Shu embroidery together known as China's four famous embroidery. Ou embroidery is one of China's export famous embroidery, not only by the national treasures, but also as a national gift, a "embroidered diplomacy,"said.

                                     Hang embroidery

Up to the Southern Song Dynasty, Hang embroidery stayed a heyday of the time, the embroidery, one for the "palace embroidered", one for "private embroidery", the former embroidered for the royal court all kinds of clothing, the latter embroidered uniform, was the face, wall, wall hangings Wait. Hangzhou embroidery as the intangible cultural heritage projects which include in the first batch of Hangzhou and the third batch of Zhejiang Province.

                                         Han embroidery

Han embroidery was based on Chu embroidery, blend the length of the embroidery method of North and South Zhu, embedding the new embroidery method rich in distinctive local features.

Now, Chinese embroidery is no longer as simple as memory, but also an art and fashion. Now, Chinese embroidery is no longer as simple as memory, but also an art and fashion. Fast-paced life advocating efficiency, Exquisitive embroidery by a careful embroidered woman is even more precious, not only the insistence of the ancient craft but also a delicate and perfect adherence. Now these embroidery has become a new fashion symbol, active in many major show floor, whether it is new or red carpet, can always see the presence of embroidery. In the era of non-heritage protection, the embroidery art is even more concerned by all walks of social. More and more people choose to work in this field and have achieved  good results in artistic creation. I believe this traditional art will be obtained a better heritage and development.

[retphienix]

I'm very thankful for this impulse buy from a while back.

The Fall was an interesting ride that had better writing and characters than I expected to be honest.

I mean, this is a game with 3 main speaking roles and it still ended up creating a character I outright loved, the Administrator.

And it recognized that it's writing was sound by taking advantage of that to kick me right in the gut as hard as it could!

I wasn't even aware that this was episodic and now I'm INCREDIBLY excited to see the sequel.

I'll be keeping my eye on you, Over The Moon development team. (And apparently HUGE kudos to John Warner who apparently did most of this work, though I'm quoting that just from wikipedia)

Your writing is superb, your atmosphere is INTERESTING AS HECK, and you created and voice acted some amazingly likable characters in the form of Arid and the Administrator, AND THEY ARE AIs WHOM SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN INTERESTING. (well, obviously, that's the point of the game, but I mean logically, you made characters with no 'real' faces and personalities that should simply be lines of code into breathing intelligent life that I like a whole lot!)

A+ stuff, seriously.

Oh, and I didn't mention gameplay... whoops.

The puzzles were really nice and fun since they mostly worked around the concept of 'bending' the rules Arid must abide by as an AI.

I got stuck twice I believe? And only one was due to what I'd say is obtuse puzzle design. Seriously, pouring the computer juice into the water in order to find the part I needed? I was CERTAIN that I needed to save the "juice" for AFTER I found the part, not use it in a strange puzzle to FIND the part? Felt backwards there. But as that was the only time I felt put off it could very well just be that I'm terrible at adventure game puzzles. My bad. Combat was servicable. It was actually half decent, but I was never looking forward to it. Thankfully it's minimal and made sense when it happened (and with no 'difficulty' settings, the base difficulty made each encounter perfectly lenient).

The star is the story and characters, with a side emphasis on the puzzles, and all of that shined.

This was a great time. Seriously, looking forward to that sequel, but I'm already weeping knowing that *redacted* is forever *redacted*. :(

I think I'll dedicate some time to replay The Fall with the commentary on in the mean time. This was great. ((Actually, while waiting on this playthrough to render for upload I did just that.))

[theradioghost]

Audio Drama Podcast Recs

EDIT: well jesus this thing is getting old! If you’re looking for podcast recommendations I would recommend checking some of the newer posts I’ve made. I’ve expanded my subscription list from about 30 to over 150 in the years since I posted this, & at at this point it’s a pretty inadequate rec list.

Because I’ve gotten a few questions over time about podcast recs, both from people who are curious about audio drama, and fellow denizens of Podcast Hell™ who need something new, I wanted to put together this list so I could go a bit more into detail about why I love and recommend each of these amazing audio dramas.

Rather than trying to rank them, I tried to organize this list roughly based on popularity, at least based on my dash! More well-known shows are listed first, and then my faves that I don’t see getting nearly the love that they deserve. Especially with the volume of new innovative audio drama being created, there’s some really good stuff out there not getting nearly enough attention. Which is not to say that, if you’re a new podcast fan, you have to start with the most popular – but those shows are more likely to have an active fandom. (Of course, there are a ton of great podcasts out there, and plenty (both popular and obscure) that I don’t listen to yet.)

I also have a podcast rec tag and a very long list of audio dramas, if you want to go hunting for something beyond these recommendations here. Additionally, if you want more details or content warnings about any of these shows, feel free to message me on or off anon and I’ll do my best to answer! This post really focuses on the positives of each show and who I think might enjoy them.

WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE – Community radio from a friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, the dog park is forbidden, the mayoral candidates aren’t human, the weather is a mystery, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep.

If you know anything about audio drama podcasts, there’s like a 99.99% chance you know about Night Vale already. If not, just go listen. It’s weird and amazing and beautiful and helped to make a lot of this possible. Or if 100+ episodes plus live shows is overwhelming, don’t (but come back to it someday. It is magical).

For people who like: surrealism, humor, ‘radio show’ format, somewhat less emphasis on plot, diversity, indie music, experimental storytelling, a large back catalog of episodes, a fandom considered large by regular standards and not just podcast standards.

ALICE ISN’T DEAD – As she travels across America, a trucker tells the story of her search for the missing wife she had presumed dead, of the mysterious danger stalking her down freeways and backroads, and of the much bigger – and more terrifying – mystery she is uncovering.

The first and most popular of Night Vale Presents’ other podcasts. Gothic Americana soft horror lesbians! The writing, atmosphere, and orchestration are all superb, as is Jasika Nicole’s monologue performance. I personally recommend car/transit listening. (Also, you can get the whole soundtrack for free, and you should definitely do that.)

For people who like: surrealism, horror, Americana, female leads, lesbians, atmosphere, introspection, mystery, great music, something to drive to.

WOLF 359 – Doug Eiffel doesn’t want to do his job, Hera is a friendly but faulty AI, Dr. Hilbert is probably a mad scientist, Commander Minkowski wishes she wasn’t in charge of these idiots, and together, the four of them make up the entire crew of the USS Hephaestus space station. It’s not a picnic at the best of times: they’re isolated in a constantly malfunctioning tin can, orbiting a red dwarf star eight light years from Earth, and working for a shady corporation with coworkers they can’t stand. Then Eiffel starts to receive inexplicable transmissions from deep space – and everything gets so, so much worse.

It’s a hilarious office sitcom! It’s a character-driven deep-space sci-fi thriller! It’s a tragic, thematically powerful story about personhood, communication, and isolation! It’s all of those things, often within three lines of one another and frequently all at once! Wolf 359 is probably a masterpiece and now, heading into its fourth and final season, it continues to surprise and impress me every single time. Alan Rodi’s music is evocative and superb and the cast and writing are top-notch. One of the best. Listen to it.

For people who like: excellent character-driven writing, great music, well-written women, a gender-balanced ensemble cast, intimate sci-fi, hilarious and often referential humor, scary corporate overlords, cerebus syndrome.

THE PENUMBRA PODCAST – In Hyperion City, metropolis of a far-future Mars, a private eye named Juno Steel is pulled into life-threatening criminal conspiracies, and tangles with an even more dangerous, nameless thief – who could be his worst enemy or the love of his life. Within the Second Citadel, human civilization is protected by knights who venture out into the jungles to fight the monsters that threaten them – but some knights are discovering monsters who seem just a bit different. On the Painted Plains, a train-robbing bandit steals away a schoolteacher – and her heart. All of these and more are stories waiting to be heard behind the doors of the Penumbra, the grandest hotel this side of Nowhere. And absolutely none of them are straight.

Fabulously written genre-bending “queer AF” anthology show. The best is the Juno Steel series, about a bisexual, nonbinary sci-fi PI, which remains eminently and hilariously quotable even as it wrenches your heart out with genre-deconstructive depictions of mental illness and one of the most believable and emotional romances I’ve seen in ages . The Second Citadel fantasy series is also starting to come into its own in the second season and the standalone stories from the first season are a pretty damn good listen (LISTEN TO THE GAY WESTERN. DO IT.) I love this show, I love everyone from this show, I love everyone associated with this show, and I love Mick Mercury.

For people who like: playing with genre tropes, OTR, noir fiction, diversity, romantic chemistry, a variety of stories, suspense, heartache.

THE BRIGHT SESSIONS – Dr. Joan Bright isn’t an ordinary therapist, but her patients aren’t ordinary patients. Sam’s panic attacks bring on bouts of involuntary time travel; Caleb has it hard enough negotiating teenage emotions without also experiencing the feelings of everyone around him; Chloe can’t escape hearing other people’s thoughts; and the less said about Damien, the better. But Dr. Bright, too, is more than she first appears.

It’s a hard-hitting and poignant show about mental illness and people recovering from deep traumas, and also it is about superpowers. As the concept implies, the show is highly character-driven, and it develops an ensemble cast incredibly well. These guys are friends with the Wolf 359 crew and apparently have taken lessons from one another in how to ramp up a plot from “fun” to “oh god why,” but let’s be honest: that’s what we’re here for. Also, unjustifiably sweet gay teen romance, really cute friendships between ladies, at least one cat.

For people who like: highly character-focused narrative, superpowers, moral questions, ensemble casts, cool female leads, shady government activities, great acting.

ARS PARADOXICA – One minute, Dr. Sally Grissom is conducting cutting-edge physics research in her lab in early-21st-century Texas. A single mistake later, she’s on the deck of the U.S.S. Eldridge, in Philadelphia, 1943, smack dab in the middle of a classified WWII weapons experiment. She’s accidentally put time travel into the hands of the US government just as the nuclear era kicks off. And she can’t ever go back.

I assume everyone has heard of ars P because I assume that everyone knows Mischa Stanton. (They work on what must be like 50% of all podcasts that exist at this point, including The Bright Sessions.) Everything they do is pretty much a must-listen, but especially ars p, the “sad time show” to Wolf 359’s “sad space show.” The writing sticks out to me for its sense of consequence; it’s a major theme of the show that everything that happens will have serious and cumulative effects. Deservedly award-winning sound design. As a bonus, it crossed over with The Bright Sessions; if you like one, you might like the other.

For people who like: sci-fi, period settings, cold war thrillers, cool female leads, time travel with rules, complex and grey moralities, science lesbians, diverse ensemble casts.

EOS 10 – Dr. Ryan Dalias has enough to deal with just as the new head surgeon on a massive space station (alien aphrodisiacs, space anti-vaxxers, mind-controlling plants…) But as if that weren’t enough, his boss is an alcoholic misanthrope who has received an unwelcome ultimatum about his drinking; the nurse may or may not be inclined to bite people; there’s a deposed alien prince in the examination room who won’t put his pants back on; and an intergalactic terrorist who wants his name cleared is hiding in the cargo bay. And those are the people on his side.

I have my issues with EOS 10, not least of which is that it is still mired in a two-year hiatus (though Season Three is finally going into production soon? FINGERS CROSSED). I usually forget those issues when I listen because it’s still a frankly hilarious space comedy and the entire main plot is kicked off because of a potentially deadly boner. Think of it as the strange offspring of DS9 and Scrubs. Come for wild space shenanigans, stay for surprisingly heartfelt storylines about addiction (and even wilder space shenanigans). If W359 sounds cool but maybe a little heavy for you (or if the first season was your favorite), EOS 10 might be more up your alley.

For people who like: Star Trek, comedy, space scifi adventures, alien characters, gay space pirate cowboys, waiting.

THE THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR – “America’s favorite new time podcast in the style of old time radio.”

An anthology show like The Penumbra which takes a comedic approach to its old time radio inspiration instead (and it is very OTR inspired – not just playing with the same genres). Has a lot of segments, not all of which are created equal; two are standouts. Sparks Nevada: Marshall on Mars (which has a continuous plot) follows a deadpan robot-fighting lawman, the Martian tracker who provides him with somewhat vitriolic companionship, and their various allies across the sci-fi-comedy-western landscape of Space Future Mars. Beyond Belief (which is episodic) stars alcoholic socialites Frank and Sadie Doyle, who may be world-renowned paranormal experts, but who mostly just combat supernatural evils so they can get back to their two greatest loves: booze and one another. It was recorded live, often featuring celebrity guest stars (most notably and frequently Nathan Fillion), and recently ended its many-year run.

For people who like: OTR, forties/fifties culture, really REALLY cute couple chemistry (Beyond Belief), humor, much more lighthearted content, a large back catalog, great music, corpsing.

GREATER BOSTON – Leon Stamatis’s perfectly organized life abruptly ends one day at the top of the first hill of a roller coaster – and that’s where the real story begins. His death will start a domino effect of change rippling through a Boston where activists agitate for subway lines to form their own city, shadowy executives watch over offices where magazine editors predict the future, and Google Calendars are updated from beyond the grave.

Guys, I am never gonna shut up about this show. At this point it’s probably my favorite podcast. Experimental fiction, a sort of regional-gothic-slice-of-life, with a plot that builds into the story of an interconnecting community of people, all of them growing and learning and changing and interacting, even the dead ones. And it plays more brilliantly and hilariously and beautifully and poignantly with format and writing and character than you’d think possible. I sometimes see it compared to WTNV (the “weird town” angle), but I think it’s likely to appeal to fans of The Bright Sessions: its characters may be dealing with incredibly strange situations, but the focus (and the appeal) is the development of those characters and their relationships with one another. Alternately, just literally everyone should listen. It’s that good.

For people who like: ensemble casts, experimental fiction, awesome women, strong character development, lesbians, playing with format, characters named Extinction Event, political intrigue, great music, Boston.

WOODEN OVERCOATS – Siblings Rudyard and Antigone Funn, along with their assistant Georgie, run a funeral home on the tiny Channel island of Piffling. It’s the only one, which is how they remain in business even though Rudyard is a punctuality-obsessed misanthrope and Antigone hasn’t left the morgue in daylight for 17 years. Then the world’s most perfect man, Eric Chapman, opens another funeral parlor directly across the street.

A British sitcom about rival funeral directors in a small town, with all of the dry, witty black humor that implies. "British” does always feel like the best adjective to convey the distinct sense of humor here. Also, it has amazingly high production values. Like, it just sounds really, really good. Also, it’s narrated by a talking mouse. The third season was just announced, so now is a really great time to catch up.

For people who like: black comedy, British comedies, rivalries of both business and sibling kinds, mysterious backstories, just a whole lot of dead people jokes, a more episodic structure.

THE BRIDGE – Once, you could drive all the way across the Atlantic in luxury and style, using the Transcontinental Bridge. Now, the Bridge is virtually abandoned. The employees of its Watchtowers are the only people left to tell its stories: stories about ghosts, about curses and illusions, about vanished and abandoned people and places, about the monsters whose places these were before the Bridge, and the strange and dangerous people who came there to find them.

IMHO, possibly the highlight of the writng for The Bridge is that they can create atmosphere like nobody’s business, and the show has a gorgeous soundtrack to boot. The characters are charming, the plot is intriguing, and the world they are building is like absolutely nothing else. Like Archive 81 below, it might appeal to those who’d enjoy Lovecraft if he didn’t suck so much in every possible way, although it’s much softer on the scary factor.

For people who like: atmosphere, storytelling, great character dynamics, sea monsters, spookiness, really fun ladies, ghost stories, mysteries, the bottomless depths and siren’s call of the ocean.

THE STRANGE CASE OF STARSHIP IRIS and UNDER PRESSURE – Starship Iris is the story of Violet Liu, a biologist forced by circumstance to join up with a ragtag crew of spacefarers to determine whether the explosion which killed every other person onboard her spaceship was really an accident. Under Pressure presents the notes of Jamie McMillan-Barrie, a researcher whose literary background did not prepare her to negotiate the kind of office drama that takes place on a research station at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Both of these are part of Procyon Podcasting Network, which also has more upcoming shows which I am beyond thrilled about; both are also incredibly diverse, both in-universe and behind the scenes. Both are charming and very, very gay as well as racially diverse; I’m particularly fond of Starship Iris, but everything that comes out of Procyon is more than worth a listen. They’ve started pretty recently and have only a few episodes each.

For people who like: space scifi, found family tropes, workplace drama, human/genderless alien romance, space lesbians, diversity, cool female leads.

THE ORBITING HUMAN CIRCUS (OF THE AIR) – The dreamy, accident-prone janitor of the Eiffel Tower does his best to get himself a place in the fantastical, impossible radio variety show being broadcast from the tower every night. Will he ever be successful? Will the show survive his attempts? And just where do the mysterious and magical acts come from?

Considering it’s a Night Vale Presents podcast and stars an A-list of my favorite underappreciated creatives I was kind of shocked at how little discussion I see. OHC is so charming and dreamlike and heartwarming; it’s like recapturing the feeling of a particularly magical bedtime story. It features Mandy Patinkin singing Cheap Trick and you need that in your life. Also, it has a platypus in it.

For people who like: OTR, John Cameron Mitchell/The Music Tapes/Neutral Milk Hotel, a gentler weirdness than other NVP podcasts, Paris, charm, experimental storytelling.

WITHIN THE WIRES – You are a patient at the Institute. You have been instructed to listen to this series of relaxation tapes to aid in your treatment. You must trust my voice. You must trust only my voice.

NVP’s other highly underappreciated show. WTW manages to tell a narrative in a format (self-help relaxation tapes) I would have never thought possible, and though it’s difficult to say much about what makes it so good without spoiling the effect of that excellence, it’s a great choice if you’re weird-fiction-inclined. Like Alice Isn’t Dead, it also features lesbians. (It may not be good for anyone who has trouble with unreality, disturbing second-person commands, or depictions of institutionalization.)

For people who like: experimental storytelling, WLW love stories, surrealism, dystopic fiction, suspense.

INKWYRM – Mella Sonder was hired to work with a recalcitrant AI, not to be personal assistant to Annie Inkwyrm, head of outer space’s premiere fashion magazine – and the two of them will probably be fighting about that, along with all of the other disasters they get tangled up in, until the star they’re orbiting explodes. Or until they fall in love.

My money’s on the latter (fingers crossed please make it happen), but this show just finished a really fun first season and I absolutely cannot wait for more of it. I’m a sucker for dysfunctional coworker comedy, and an even bigger sucker for girls falling in love; this offers both and is excellent, and is just incredibly done for an amateur podcast. The peeps making it are inspiring and badass and really, really talented.

For people who like: The Devil Wears Prada, scifi, diversity, vitriolic romantic tension, cool female leads, alien characters, wlw romance, incompetently homicidal AIs.

THE BEEF AND DAIRY NETWORK – The number one podcast for those involved – or just interested! – in the production of beef animals and dairy herds.

Honestly almost impossible to describe. What really gets me is the hilarity of how it somehow perfectly imitates the public radio/industry podcast style, delivering you important updates from the world of cattle products, except not from a world anything like ours. Endless beefy fun times with the occasional sharp right turn into body horror and potent unreality played for comedy. This and Alice Isn’t Dead are my dad’s favorite podcasts, which probably says something about him.

For people who like: Wooden Overcoats (it’s by the same folks!), weirdness, humor, much less of a focus on narrative, ‘radio show’ format, satire, rich beef sausages.

ARCHIVE 81 – Dan Powell is missing. He was hired, so he thought, for a simple job cataloguing an archive of tapes for the New York state government: a series of interviews that a woman named Melody Pendras conducted with the tenants of an odd apartment building. Then the story on the tapes becomes impossibly strange and terrifying, and so does Dan’s life.

Another one where I’m not sure whether everyone knows about it and just isn’t talking, but they should be. It’s probably a sign of how fantastic A81 is that it’s one of my favorites even though I ordinarily can’t stand horror. This post really extolls its virtues in a better way than I can. This show has some of the most incredible sound design I’ve heard yet, so if visceral body horror conveyed solely through the audio medium isn’t for you, then neither is Archive 81. On the other hand, if you like extradimensional lesbian apotheosis and the nickname “Boombox Fuckboy,” listen to this. On top of that, the acting is superb. (The creators, Dead Signals, also did an apocalyptic scifi survival-horror miniseries thing called The Deep Vault, which is similarly beyond well-made.)

For people who like: horror, weirdness, found footage format, great music, absolutely stellar atmospheric and action sound design, excellent and realistic acting, The King in Yellow, a ‘Lovecraftian’ feel not based on hatred of anyone who isn’t straight/white.

JIM ROBBIE AND THE WANDERERS – Three trouble-seeking wandering musicians (one brash and upbeat, one an argumentative engineer, and one a grumpy robot brought to life from a radio and assorted cutlery) wander a post-apocalyptic America populated by strange towns and fantasy beings, some friendly, others dangerous.

This is another show that really charmed me right out of the box. Not to mention that it’s a take on “post-apocalyptic” that I’d never seen before – why have grim ruins or cannibalistic societies when you can have giant friendly genderless bees, an NYC inhabited by partying undead, towns full of squid-people, and desert-dwelling leprechauns? It’s much more of a fantasy take on the genre and the characters are incredibly sweet. I was also really impressed by the quality bump it’s undergone over its run so far.

For people who like: fantasy, more lighthearted narratives, fun and creative concepts, a villain called “The Fig-Wasp King,” great music, friendship, cool female leads, diversity.

THE HIDDEN ALMANAC – A thrice-weekly, four-minute show hosted by the plague doctor Reverend Mord, offering historical anecdotes from another world, the feast days of unlikely saints, and useful gardening advice. 

Tired of that one analogy from every news article of the 2013 Night Vale boom (“like Stephen King/H.P. Lovecraft wrote A Prairie Home Companion”), writer/artist Ursula Vernon decided to take a crack at recreating Garrison Keillor’s other show, The Writer’s Almanac, in a similar fashion. Compared to WTNV, it comes off as less ‘weird’ and more fantastical, and is on the light side continuity-wise, though both the historical events and the frame show have arcs. In the past couple of years there have been a lot more story arcs, many lasting months, and a lot more appearances from guest character Pastor Drom and other characters. I find it incredibly charming and relaxing.

For people who like: fantasy weirdness, the actual Writer’s Almanac, WTNV, gardening, vitriolic friendships, worldbuilding, short runtimes, less of a focus on plot, large back catalogs, worldbuilding, crows.

[birthdayparties2-blog]

birthday party rentals in Cincinnati - An Overview

Arranging Youngsters birthday events is stress filled! There may be so much to carry out, so a lot of things to take care of from deciding upon a concept to finding cute birthday girl outfits. For a Mother of two women, I come to feel the soreness of any guardian who is in the midst of scheduling their child's birthday social gathering! I realize that as a guardian, You usually want the get together to be excellent since you realize that your child will bear in mind it for the rest of her existence. In the subsequent paragraphs I will offer valuable guidelines and phase-by-move instructions regarding how to plan the most beneficial bash for your kids. My aim is to produce your task simpler.

one. Pick Girls Birthday Celebration Themes

On the list of initial matters it is best to do is find a theme to your women birthday occasion. The very best spot to start is her passions. What's your Woman into today? Does she have a favourite pastime or TV present? In the event your girl is sufficiently old, it is possible to inquire her what topic she would prefer. When you are setting up a surprise birthday bash, You'll be able to try to find enable from her pals.

Make sure to look through Pinterest for teenagers occasion Strategies. You are able to do a selected lookup is you might have presently picked out your theme or it is possible to search for a little something like "girls birthday paty" or "Youngsters birthday party." You are going to be amazed by the number of terrific Suggestions you'll find! Not merely Pinterest is a wonderful location to search for an exciting and first themes, You can even get Strategies for decorations, pleasurable crafts and game titles, birthday outfits for ladies and even more.

ten Popular Birthday Social gathering Themes For women

Minnie Mouse

Princess

Mermaid

Frozen (the Motion picture)

Rainbow

Cupcake

Pony/Cowgirl

Carnival/Circus

Barbie

Good day Kitty

two. Pick Girls Birthday Celebration Venue & Day

This has always been the toughest aspect for me. Initially you should make a decision on your price range along with exactly how much perform you actually would like to do oneself. Some of the concerns you'll want to ask on your own when variety a location are:

What's my price range?

The amount of function do I need to do myself?

Do I need the occasion to become in my house or in other places?

Ought to I host the celebration within or outdoors?

The amount of kids might be attending?

You are able to do every little thing during the convenience of your own personal property. At your home, you won't have to be concerned about the closing date and you will do essentially whatever you need. Nonetheless, you'll need to cleanse, Prepare dinner and entertain the friends, so be prepared to be fatigued! Parks are great for Youngsters birthday get-togethers as well, but you should keep the weather in your mind. Another option is to lease an in-door location. Some locations will only offer Area whilst It's important to convey your personal meals and amusement. But you won't have to worry about cleansing before and right after. Some Young children birthday get together venues are all-inclusive this means they're going to deliver space, food and amusement.

To find a party venue, you can start by inquiring friends and family for recommendations and undertaking a Goggle look for. Children museums, gymnastics gyms, bowling alleys, Motion picture theaters, bounce houses and other kid-helpful areas may host birthday functions.

Past alternative is usually to host a party at your private home but purchase enjoyment. By way of Google lookup along with the phrase of mouth you will discover birthday social gathering hosts, magicians or providers that could give bounce homes, petting zoos and this kind of.

three. Send out Birthday Get together Invitations

Make sure to send invitations early. Young children and fogeys appear to have extremely fast paced scheduled in recent times, so it is usually a smart idea to invite in advance. Two fantastic destinations to order Young children birthday celebration Invites are Etsy and TinyPrints. Etsy is the greatest put to start out in case you are looking for special social gathering Invites which will be an excellent match on your Children birthday get together concept. There are many outlets that produce custom made invitations.

Ask attendees to arrive 10 - quarter-hour early. The majority of them will be slightly late, so If you're minimal on time, Ensure that you place that on your invitations. You may as well place a request to RSVP and also any special Guidance.

It is a good idea to retain a report of many of the addresses so that you could re-rely on them subsequent year. You'll be able to enter them into your mobile phone, planner or an Excel spreadsheet.

four. Decide a Perfect Birthday Female Outfit

That is my most favored part of the procedure! You will need to decide on a adorable birthday girl outfit that coordinates together with your birthday bash theme. A few of my most preferred manufacturers for sweet birthday outfits for women are Mustard Pie Apparel, Giggle Moon clothes, Ooh La La Couture, Persnickety Clothing outfits and Lemon Enjoys Lime.

Lemon Enjoys Lime types the cutest numbered birthday Lady t-shirts that can be coordinated with a Lemon Enjoys Lime ruffle skort or a cute skirt. Ooh La La couture birthday gown is yet another sweet selection for a birthday girl dress.

You may total your lovable birthday girl outfit having a set of lovely Joyfolie footwear or Livie and Luca sneakers.

If you desire to to get an Certainly exceptional, 1-of-a-kind outfit for your personal birthday Woman, a superb place to search is Etsy. There are actually hundreds of sellers who can style and design and create a perfect outfit for the Female. For anyone who is planning to custom made-purchase an outfit, do it a couple of weeks in advance.

five. Program Birthday Bash Decorations

According to your women birthday celebration topic and place, you have got to strategy declarations. When you are web hosting the party at a park, you may want minimum decorations. So, all you might really want is balloons and tablecloth that coordinate along with your occasion topic. You can find extra Inventive In case you are internet hosting the social gathering at your own home. If you need ideas, Pinterest is a fantastic spot to begin. Simply just search for your bash concept to uncover shots of Countless Children birthday events, cakes, decorations, crafts, food plus much more.

Helpful back links for Do-it-yourself Children events

25 Concepts for DIY Bash

DIY Children' Birthday Get-togethers - Favors & Decorations

In case you are over a spending plan, you can find a lot of cute Do it yourself social gathering decoration Concepts and tutorials by carrying out a Google research or searching on Pinterest. Hit your neighborhood greenback retail outlet to terrific economical provides, social gathering favors and decorations. It's also possible to discover beautiful decorations on Etsy or at your neighborhood occasion supplies shop.

I hope you find the following pointers valuable! Rejoice at your minimal one particular's party and don't forget, it should be as much enjoyment for you as it is for her!

[birthdayparties26-blog]

5 Essential Elements For birthday praty rentals

Scheduling kids birthday events is tense! There exists much to do, so many things to take care of from picking out a concept to choosing sweet birthday Female outfits. For a mom of two ladies, I really feel the discomfort of any guardian that is in the middle of planning their Kid's birthday bash! I are aware that for a mum or dad, You usually want the get together to be fantastic simply because you are aware that your son or daughter will keep in mind it for the rest of her everyday living. In the following paragraphs I will offer beneficial ideas and stage-by-step Directions on how to plan the very best bash in your Little ones. My intention is to help make your job much easier.

1. Pick Women Birthday Bash Themes

On the list of 1st points you'll want to do is pick out a concept on your girls birthday celebration. The most effective position to start is her interests. What is your Woman into these days? Does she have a favourite passion or Tv set exhibit? When your Lady is old enough, you may check with her what concept she would prefer. When you are arranging a shock birthday celebration, You'll be able to search for aid from her pals.

Make sure you look through Pinterest for youths get together Concepts. You are able to do a selected look for is you may have currently picked out your concept or it is possible to seek for one thing like "girls birthday paty" or "Young ones birthday celebration." You might be amazed by the number of fantastic Suggestions you will find! Not just Pinterest is a good spot to search for an exciting and first themes, you can also get Strategies for decorations, pleasurable crafts and online games, birthday outfits for ladies plus much more.

10 Well-known Birthday Celebration Themes For Girls

Minnie Mouse

Princess

Mermaid

Frozen (the movie)

Rainbow

Cupcake

Pony/Cowgirl

Carnival/Circus

Barbie

Hi Kitty

two. Decide on Women Birthday Party Location & Date

This has often been the toughest aspect for me. To start with you need to choose your budget as well as the amount of get the job done you actually want to do your self. Many of the questions you have to question oneself when range a location are:

What is my funds?

The amount of operate do I want to do myself?

Do I need the occasion being in my home or somewhere else?

Need to I host the party within or outside?

The number of Children might be attending?

You can do almost everything within the comfort and ease of your very own house. At your house, it's not necessary to worry about the closing date and you may do basically regardless of what you'd like. However, you will have to clean up, cook and entertain the company, so be ready to be exhausted! Parks are perfect for Youngsters birthday get-togethers also, but you'll want to continue to keep the weather in mind. Another choice is to lease an in-doorway venue. Some areas will only present Place although You must deliver your own private meals and leisure. But you will not have to worry about cleaning ahead of and soon after. Some Youngsters birthday bash venues are all-inclusive indicating they will supply Area, foods and enjoyment.

To find a get together venue, you can begin by asking family and friends for recommendations and undertaking a Goggle research. Young ones museums, gymnastics gyms, bowling alleys, Motion picture theaters, bounce houses and also other kid-pleasant spots might also host birthday functions.

Last possibility should be to host a celebration at your property but pay for entertainment. Via Google research and the term of mouth you can find birthday party hosts, magicians or organizations that will provide bounce properties, petting zoos and this kind of.

3. Send out Birthday Bash Invitations

Make sure to deliver invitations early. Youngsters and parents seem to have very active scheduled as of late, so it is always a good idea to invite beforehand. Two fantastic areas to purchase Young children birthday bash invitations are Etsy and TinyPrints. Etsy is the greatest place to get started on if you are searhing for exceptional bash invitations that will be an excellent match on your kids birthday get together theme. There are several stores that build personalized invitations.

Ask company to reach 10 - quarter-hour early. The majority of them might be slightly late, so If you're limited in time, Make sure you set that in your Invites. You may as well set a ask for to RSVP and any Exclusive Guidelines.

It truly is a smart idea to maintain a file of each of the addresses to be able to re-make use of them subsequent year. It is possible to enter them into your mobile phone, planner or an Excel spreadsheet.

four. Choose a great Birthday Girl Outfit

This is my most most loved A part of the method! You must select a lovable birthday girl outfit that coordinates using your birthday bash topic. Several of my most favourite brands for sweet birthday outfits for girls are Mustard Pie Outfits, Giggle Moon outfits, Ooh La La Couture, Persnickety Outfits garments and Lemon Enjoys Lime.

Lemon Loves Lime types the cutest numbered birthday girl t-shirts that can be coordinated with a Lemon Loves Lime ruffle skort or a adorable skirt. Ooh La La couture birthday costume is yet another adorable choice for a birthday Female costume.

You may total your adorable birthday Female outfit using a set of Attractive Joyfolie sneakers or Livie and Luca sneakers.

If you want to to own an Completely unique, 1-of-a-sort outfit on your birthday Lady, a superb place to appear is Etsy. You can find numerous sellers who can design and style and make an excellent outfit to your Female. Should you be intending to custom made-order an outfit, get it done a couple of weeks upfront.

five. Plan Birthday Celebration Decorations

Based upon your girls birthday social gathering topic and area, you need to approach declarations. If you're web hosting the bash at a park, you'll want negligible decorations. So, all you are going to actually need is balloons and tablecloth that coordinate together with your get together theme. You can get more Resourceful In case you are web hosting the party at the house. If you want Tips, Pinterest is an excellent position to start. Only search for your social gathering theme to discover pictures of Many Little ones birthday functions, cakes, decorations, crafts, food items plus more.

Helpful backlinks for Do it yourself Children functions

twenty five Strategies for DIY Party

Do it yourself Young children' Birthday Events - Favors & Decorations

If you are on the spending budget, you'll find a lot of sweet Do it yourself party decoration Tips and tutorials by carrying out a Google look for or searching on Pinterest. Hit your neighborhood greenback retail store to excellent affordable materials, get together favors and decorations. You may also find lovely decorations on Etsy or at your neighborhood party materials shop.

I hope you find the following pointers beneficial! Have a great time at your small a person's social gathering and bear in mind, it ought to be as much enjoyment to suit your needs as it truly is for her!

[birthdayparties54-blog]

Cracking The birthday parties in Cincinnati Code

Preparing Young children birthday functions is tense! There is a great deal of to try and do, so many things to take care of from picking out a topic to picking cute birthday Woman outfits. To be a mom of two women, I experience the discomfort of any parent who is in the midst of organizing their Kid's birthday celebration! I recognize that as a parent, you always want the celebration to get ideal since you are aware that your son or daughter will try to remember it For the remainder of her everyday living. In the subsequent paragraphs I'll give helpful guidelines and phase-by-action Guidance on how to plan the best bash for your personal Young children. My goal is to create your position much easier.

1. Decide on Women Birthday Party Themes

Among the list of 1st things you should do is select a concept in your women birthday occasion. The best location to start out is her interests. What exactly is your Lady into in recent times? Does she have a favourite interest or Television present? When your girl is sufficiently old, you are able to request her what topic she would prefer. If you are arranging a shock birthday social gathering, Then you can certainly seek out enable from her buddies.

You should definitely browse Pinterest for youths get together ideas. You can do a selected lookup is you have by now picked out your theme or it is possible to seek for a thing like "girls birthday paty" or "Young ones birthday social gathering." You will be surprised by the amount of wonderful Strategies you will see! Not simply Pinterest is a superb spot to search for an exciting and initial themes, You can even get Strategies for decorations, fun crafts and video games, birthday outfits for girls and a lot more.

ten Well-known Birthday Celebration Themes For Girls

Minnie Mouse

Princess

Mermaid

Frozen (the movie)

Rainbow

Cupcake

Pony/Cowgirl

Carnival/Circus

Barbie

Hello there Kitty

two. Find Women Birthday Party Venue & Date

This has often been the toughest section for me. To start with you have to choose your spending budget and also just how much function you truly wish to do on your own. A number of the thoughts you must question you when selection a venue are:

Precisely what is my budget?

Just how much operate do I wish to do myself?

Do I need the occasion being in my dwelling or in other places?

Must I host the social gathering inside of or outside the house?

The number of Children might be attending?

You are able to do almost everything while in the ease and comfort of your very own residence. In your own home, you won't need to worry about the cut-off date and you will do practically what ever you need. Even so, you will have to clean, Prepare dinner and entertain the visitors, so be prepared to be exhausted! Parks are perfect for Children birthday functions too, but you'll want to preserve the temperature in mind. Another choice should be to rent an in-doorway location. Some sites will only offer Room while you have to provide your very own food stuff and entertainment. But you won't have to bother with cleansing ahead of and right after. Some Young children birthday social gathering venues are all-inclusive indicating they will provide House, meals and entertainment.

To find a bash location, you can begin by asking relatives and buddies for suggestions and executing a Goggle research. Young children museums, gymnastics gyms, bowling alleys, movie theaters, bounce properties and also other kid-pleasant places might also host birthday functions.

Past selection is always to host a celebration at your private home but purchase entertainment. As a result of Google search along with the term of mouth you will find birthday celebration hosts, magicians or corporations that can present bounce residences, petting zoos and these kinds of.

3. Deliver Birthday Social gathering Invites

Ensure that you ship Invites early. Kids and oldsters seem to have pretty occupied scheduled these days, so it is usually a good idea to invite in advance. Two terrific destinations to buy Youngsters birthday party invitations are Etsy and TinyPrints. Etsy is the greatest place to get started on when you are seeking one of a kind social gathering invitations which will be a great match for your Young children birthday occasion concept. There are lots of shops that create tailor made invitations.

Check with company to arrive 10 - 15 minutes early. The majority of them will be just a little late, so For anyone who is confined in time, make sure to place that on your own invitations. You can even place a ask for to RSVP together with any Specific Guidance.

It truly is a good idea to continue to keep a record of all of the addresses to be able to re-rely on them upcoming yr. You may enter them into your cell phone, planner or an Excel spreadsheet.

four. Select an ideal Birthday Woman Outfit

That is my most favorite A part of the process! You must pick a sweet birthday Lady outfit that coordinates using your birthday occasion topic. Some of my most beloved models for adorable birthday outfits for girls are Mustard Pie Clothes, Giggle Moon clothes, Ooh La La Couture, Persnickety Clothing clothing and Lemon Enjoys Lime.

Lemon Loves Lime layouts the cutest numbered birthday Woman t-shirts that may be coordinated having a Lemon Enjoys Lime ruffle skort or perhaps a cute skirt. Ooh La La couture birthday costume is another cute choice for a birthday Female costume.

You'll be able to finish your adorable birthday Female outfit by using a set of Pretty Joyfolie shoes or Livie and Luca footwear.

If you want to to have an Unquestionably exceptional, a person-of-a-variety outfit for the birthday Lady, a great place to search is Etsy. You'll find hundreds of sellers who can design and generate a great outfit to your Lady. For anyone who is intending to custom made-get an outfit, do it a handful of weeks ahead of time.

five. Program Birthday Social gathering Decorations

According to your girls birthday bash concept and position, you will need to strategy declarations. When you are hosting the get together in a park, you are going to want negligible decorations. So, all you will really need is balloons and tablecloth that coordinate using your get together topic. You will get much more Artistic In case you are web hosting the social gathering at the house. If you want Suggestions, Pinterest is a wonderful position to get started on. Merely hunt for your celebration topic to find pictures of A huge number of Little ones birthday events, cakes, decorations, crafts, food stuff and much more.

Handy hyperlinks for DIY kids parties

twenty five Strategies for Do it yourself Get together

Do-it-yourself Young children' Birthday Functions - Favors & Decorations

If you're with a spending plan, you will discover several lovable Do it yourself occasion decoration Tips and tutorials by doing a Google lookup or looking on Pinterest. Hit your local dollar store to fantastic affordable materials, get together favors and decorations. You can even find wonderful decorations on Etsy or at your local social gathering provides retail store.

I hope you find the following pointers helpful! Rejoice at your small one particular's bash and try to remember, it ought to be as much pleasurable for yourself as it is actually for her!

[pinupgalore-lanadelrey]

PORTAL POP ONLINE

Hi Lana, thank you for agreeing to speak with us! Hi, how are you? 

No problem, I'm excited! 

Obviously, we would like to know more about Lust For Life . But first, the cover! You are beautiful and you smile, so you can deduce that you are happier and more sure of yourself with your work?

Hmmm, yes. I think I can say I'm more confident. You know, I've always been very happy with my music, but I always had to work hard until I felt comfortable unveiling it. But surely now I have two albums that I like a lot, Honeymoon and Ultraviolence , so I'm more focused. Well, the cover was photographed by my sister on the day of the shooting of Love's clip . We had taken pictures in the middle of this truck and what is funny is that it is the same truck as on the cover of Born To Die ! 

One of the cool things in your career, apart from the music, is your looks. Everything that relates to you, be it an album cover, promotional photos or videos, are treated and easy to recognize as something that belongs to you. Are you behind this concept? How important is it in your career?

Ah thank you! Yes, definitely. You know, we thought of everything in a somewhat futuristic way, as in Love's video , and it took a long time for it to be finalized and it made me feel like I was on the moon ... All this Is very important because I believe that for a long time, I did not have a "message", you see? I was just writing and singing about the things I was going through and I was making songs with a broader perspective, and being able to incorporate a more social landscape into my music is cool. Despite the fact that the clip of Lust For Life , for example, did not really have a political message, it was also non-political ... There was much more than just me and my art, that's what's important. We had the opportunity to listen to 5 tracks of your new album and I found that, like many other artists, you were very influenced by the current political and social scene of the United States. 

Did you take this theme really into consideration when designing your new compositions?

Yes ... I have removed three songs from this album, which were undeniably political, but I also left some that tell exactly what I say, like God Bless America - And All The Beautiful Women In It and When The World Was At War We Kept Dancing . So I think it was even more reflective, with all this confusion ... It probably explains what I and the people I know feel, and obviously also people all over the world. 

How do you differentiate Lust For Life from Ultraviolence , Honeymoon and Born To Die?

I think my main influence on Lust For Life began with the concept of the word "lust", but in a more complete way. Not just the concept of desire with a boyfriend for example, but something more malleable and romantic, like vibrations. That would be the most comfortable thing I've done so far. When I started producing Lust For Life , I wanted the album to be more peaceful by nature ... I'm in a different phase now, but I still have some harder things in some songs. As for example in the bands with A $ AP Rocky, I feel that there is always a bit of aggressiveness and it surprised me. I'm fine, you know, but it still reflects a lot what I feel and how I am. 

You've just released Summer Bummer and Groupie Love , both in collaboration with A $ AP Rocky. How was it to work with him?

Yes, it's someone like The Weeknd, whom I knew ... I knew that if I had collaborations on this album, these two guys would have been part of it for sure. I think he [A $ AP Rocky] and I got known in the same year, in 2011 ... He's great and he's a really good rapper! He really has a superb sensitivity and never does things in half. He is the opposite of boredom. His lyrics are excellent and one of my favorite songs from him is called LSD . In fact, he also loves the 60's and his new songs also have a slightly retro feel. I think we are in the same phase. It was wonderful to record a few tracks with him. 

How are you used to choosing your collaborators? Do you choose close relatives or do you plan and invite?

The Weeknd and A $ AP Rocky, I see them all the time. Sean Lennon ( Tomorrow Never Came ) and Stevie Nicks ( Beautiful People Beautiful Problems ), I did not know them, but I have their phone number, I invited them to join my project and fortunately they said yes. 

Still on the subject of collaborations, you are friends with Marina & The Diamonds and a few months ago, you saw her in Los Angeles. Can we infer that there is a possibility of collaboration between the two of you in the future?

Completely! Absolutely! It's a great lyrics! 

And what about Katy Perry? You were together at Coachella. 

..I do not know! That's right, I met Katy at Coachella. I do not remember what concert we had seen together, but she was in the same place as me ... But you never know, do you? It would be nice. 

New songs we could hear, we love Change . Can you choose a favorite track on Lust For Life?

I also like Change . I think it's really a good song because I could work with the feeling that things will really move ... In our political scenario. I start the song by saying, "There's something in the wind, I can feel it blowing in. It's coming softly, on the wings of a leap." I also like the "blowing in the wind" reference, which reminds me of one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs. There are so many layers in this song, like little things that have been incorporated into it and that are really dear to me. The refrain also speaks of people whom I know personally and who can be strong enough in the middle of everything. All the songs are like little newspapers to me ... I ' Also likes the song with A $ AP Rocky, Summer Bummer . She's really cool, very summer. I love driving by listening to it! 

You know that many young artists like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez often mention you as a great inspiration. How do you do with that and what do you think of Miley's takeover of Summertime Sadness?

I liked Miley's cover and I think it's really cool. It's good to hear pop music when artists incorporate things into their music and I think I'm a person who has always done it. So if I can contribute to music in any way, it would mean "ok" to inject your own personality into your music. I feel that I have contributed in this way, that's good. There was a time when pop music was very interesting and there were layers in it, like when the Beach Boys were one of the most famous pop bands of all time. They had not only good sound and good rhymes, but culturally they had an impact. I think we're going back a bit to that, Especially with the boom of hip-hop and the change of pop music, because hip-hop has always had a strong narration. I think it's a good time for all the music, I see that pop changes. 

Well, I have an important question: have you planned to return to Brazil?

Haha, of course! I have plans for next year! 

And before finishing, did you know that there is in Brazil a Facebook group with more than half a million people called LDRV (Lana Del Rey Vevo)? Could you leave a message for them?

Of course, I'll do it! I had already heard of this group, but you just reminded me! So I'm sure to leave them a message!

[nina-richpeace]

Use cloth as paper, thread as ink, and needle as pen------This is embroidery.

Chinese embroidery has a long history and exquisite craftsmanship, and it is the treasure of the Chinese nation. In the long course of historical development, on the vast land, There are different styles of embroidery, whether it is Jiangnan Water Town, northwest border, the Yellow River River Basin, south of the Five Ridges area, or ethnic minority area. For a long time, the creative design and stitch technique of Chinese embroidery are closely related to politics, economy and people's aesthetic concept, Up to now, its superb artistry and artistry are loved by people, and enjoy a high reputation in the world.

origin

It is said that in ancient times, people worshiped animals and plants in nature very much, The light of the sun shines on the earth, is the basis for all things to grow, The bright moon is a light in the dark, the stars in the night to guide people. All of this is the embodiment of beauty.

Our ancestors took the sun, the moon and the stars as tattoos. When there are leather goods, linen textiles and silk fabrics, they begin to embroider the patterns of totems on their clothes, and then they begin to have embroidery. The sun, the moon and the stars represent the glory; the mountains represent the four seas of Wei; the Dragon represents the gods and the changes; the Chinese worms are pheasants, representing the beauty.

The earliest embroidery objects found at present are embroidery prints unearthed from tombs of Western Zhou Dynasty in Shaanxi, Baoji, The mud in the embroidery has been eroded, with just a hint of gossamer traces, but still clear and bright.

Development

With the change of times, in the process of social and economic development, China's silk handicraft industry has made great progress, From the unearthed objects of embroidery in the past, it can be found that both the types of embroidery and embroidery skills are constantly expanding. The use of needle embroidery to the Tang Dynasty, has appeared to grab the needle, needle, needle plate, and no gold, gold etc.. To the Song Dynasty, Song Huizong set up embroidery house in the capital, specializing in the embroidery of palace supplies and ornamental products, embroidery appreciation products began to prevail. At that time, the embroidery manuscript was written by the painter, fully expressed in various stitches of embroidery, so that embroidery showed a realistic effect. The Ming Dynasty appeared in the boudoir art essence of embroidery, embroidery image more reach the acme of perfection. To the Qing Dynasty, different artistic style rich embroidery art Chinese, such as geographical characteristics as a symbol of embroidery, embroidery, embroidery, embroidery, embroidery, Lu embroidery has a clearly defined position in the Qing Dynasty, the embroidery, embroidery, embroidery, embroidery is also known as the four famous embroidery.

Amazing decoration, amorous feelings

For thousands of years, embroidery has always been closely related to people's lives. . A piece of embroidery, from the needle to the lead pin to the line, from the tail, from beginning to end, the grinding is not time, not Kung Fu, but also in the mind. Chinese embroidery, variety decoration, interpretation of Wan amorous feelings! The traditional pattern of flowers, birds, fish, dragon and Phoenix Park in full is to relatives and friends of the most simple, best wishes.

Still remember, in a dream of Red Mansions, Daiyu once handed a hand embroidered purse to baoyu, Think he gave others crying one time. Finally learned that the purse was treasured in his arms, then secretly pleased, quite touched. A woman's deepest love in this purse, each line is a trace of affection, only delivered to their favorite man, this kind of love through the transmission of embroidery, the deepest and most implicit.

There are many kinds of samples, each with its own characteristics

Speaking in front of us, because of geographical and cultural differences, extending the embroidery art characteristics of different varieties, there is absolutely Chinese style rich, traditional culture and art in a way.

Suzhou embroidery

Suzhou embroidery is one of the outstanding traditional handicrafts of Han nationality, is a combination of embroidery products in Suzhou area, and its origin in the Suzhou area of Wuxian, Now it has been widely distributed in Wuxi, Changzhou and other places. The unique style of Suzhou embroidery is beautiful and clever design, delicate embroidery, needle lively, elegant color, strong local characteristics.

Hunan embroidery

Embroidery is the general name for Hunan Changsha center with a distinctive feature of Hunan culture of Hunan embroidery products, is a folk art with Hunan Chu culture characteristics of a careful creation. Nearly half a century, archaeologists have successively found a lot of linen, brocade, silk and other textiles in Hunan, Hubei and other places, and many of them are embroideries.

Guangdong embroidery

Yue embroidery is a general name in Guangdong Province, Chaozhou city and Guangzhou city as the center of production manual silk embroidery, embroidery and embroidery, including two branches, is one of the four famous embroidery China. One of the first was founded in embroidery embroidery minority - Li, the ancient works are embroidered Chaozhou, Guangzhou man, is rare in the world.

Shu embroidery

They are also known as "Chuan embroidery", is the silk line in silk or other fabric embroidery pattern of the traditional process China, Mainly refers to the Sichuan Chengdu as the center of the Western Sichuan plain embroidery. They first appeared in the Western Han Dynasty records, the technology has been quite mature, while inheriting characteristics of bright color, pattern commonly used red green color.

Beijing embroidery

Beijing is also called the palace embroidery embroidery, Ming and Qing Dynasties began to flourish, for palace decoration, costumes, exquisite material, exquisite technology, elegant style, high-grade palace embroidered folk are inextricably linked with the palace. Beijing is the best embroidery needles "Pinjin seed embroidery". This is the gold embroidery, twisting disc into a pattern, or in the seed, very delicate, elegant. Jing embroidery as one of "Yanjing eight", Zeng and the "four famous embroidery" in the "Su, Xiang, Gu" and known as the "four embroidery".

Lu Embroidery

Shandong belongs to the production of Lu embroidery embroidery, Shandong embroidery area representative in Shandong Province, referred to as "Lu", named. It is one of the earliest embroideries in Chinese history. It belongs to one of the eight famous embroideries in china. It uses the embroidery thread is mostly coarse thread double twisting, commonly known as "clothing line", it is also called the "clothing embroidery line". The floral fabric as substrate, with strong twisting double color line with clothing embroidery thread, needle, needle, needle, wrapped around a seed, trembling and needle, Zhen Xiu (2000 shares needle), then stitches and selection of Han folk popular characters, the mandarin duck and butterfly and hibiscus flowers etc. the theme of the lotus, abraham.

Wenzhou embroidery

Embroidery, also known as painting, Zhejiang is one of the "three carving of a special embroidery crafts, traditional embroidery evolved by China. With embroidery, embroidery, embroidery together four famous embroidery China. It is one of the China export embroidery, not only by the national treasure, was also as a national gift, "hair embroidery diplomacy" said.

Hangzhou embroidery

Hangzhou to the Southern Song Dynasty heyday, was a "court embroidery, embroidery", a "folk embroidery", the former royal court for various kinds of clothing embroidery, embroidered robes, quilt cover, the screen wall, etc.. Hangzhou named the first batch of Hangzhou and Zhejiang Province, the third batch of intangible cultural heritage project.

Han Embroidery

On the basis of Chu Han Embroidery embroidery, embroidery from the north and South with long, with a new knot full of distinctive local characteristics.

Now, Chinese embroidery is no longer as simple as memory, but also a kind of art and fashion. The fast pace of life advocating efficiency, embroidered mother exquisite embroidery more precious, not only to the ancient process of insistence, but also to a delicate and perfect stick. Now these embroidery has become a new fashion symbol, active in the big show, regardless of the new or the red carpet, always see the existence of embroidery. In the protection of intangible cultural heritage under the background of the times, the art of embroidery is the concern of all sectors of society, more and more people choose to engage in this industry, good results are obtained in the art creation, believe this traditional skills will get better inheritance and development.