#they were great performers before the break up but in all the videos and photos ive seen they rarely looked happy?

[angstics]

it wasnt even Just for the Cause before the breakup. he talks about pushing gender boundaries, yes, but also that he personally got to explore femininity through performance. “When I was doing MCR I think I finally got to display my femininity through the glam theatrical aspects of the band. It made me feel more hopeful, that I was allowed to be flamboyant.” (boyzine, 2015)

i have thoughts on people constantly diverting from the personal significance of gerard's outfits the past tour to focus on ONLY the Current Social Meaning. personal not in the identity sense (since that's very subjective) but the newfound freedom to explore the breadth of gender expression in context of this being a difficult, frowned-upon thing in documented mcr history. from cross-dressing being self-described as creepy in 05 to the constant homophobic harassment, both explicit (violence, slurs) and implicit (othering the gender nonconformity, quick dismissal of the band).

diversion like when that anon called the tour "performance art in solidarity with an oppressed queer group" (not singling out the anon, ive seen this take several times) dehumanizes the performer. he is not a vessel, he's a physical person impacted by said oppression. gerard's history matters. others have different reasons, but mine is that it further emphasizes how Normal it all is and should be, and how Terrible it all was and still is. you know that wearing that the cheer dress in 2004 wouldve amplified the harassment. and in reaction to that, the dress would become a pure "Fuck You". it would become an angry object, like the prorev kisses.

but somehow in 20 yrs the world changed. and with that, how gerard interacted with nonconformity changed. the cheer dress is still a "Fuck You", but that's not the only thing it is. it emanates joy. it's well-thought out and beloved. the cheer dress (and every single outfit) is loved for what it IS!!! not just what it means!! love being louder than rage is a miracle. it means we can do more than survive. we can evolve and become new things. that is EXACTLY what i am reading from my chemical romance today. i cant help feeling the intent in the joy.

[demonic-charcuterie]

Alastor X technology obsessed reader

Alastor continued to wrapped his arms around and and sigh as he felt the warm bath water slosh around him. A drop of water landed directly onto his nose as you shook gently on top of him as you giggled at your phone. “Hehe what a fucking idiot!” You cackled as the video continued to play.

“Doe, that is the 4th time you’ve played that damned video.”

“Oh I know baby but it gets better every FffFUCKING time!” You snickered. Alastor gently slide his hands down to your inner thighs and gave them a gentle squeeze but nuzzling his face into your neck. You and Alastor had been sitting in this bath for more than hour to the point that the water was barely lukewarm.

You and Alastor! Talk about an unlikely marriage. You spawned in hell many years after Alastor started killing overlords. You were scrolling on your phone when you bumped into him. “Oh sorry- Oh. My. God!”

“Well hello dar- what are you doing?”

“What’s up guys! It’s me,Y/n you’re favorite burning bitch and you’ll never guess you I just ran into. Alastor the radio de- ouch!” You yelled as Alastor’s cane came down on your hand and knocked your phone out of it. “Sorry my dear but this face was made for radio.” He said as he smiled down at you. Swiftly,he turned as his heel and began to walk away but paused as he felt your arm slipped interlocking with his.

After that you seemed to always find him or maybe he was finding you? You turned a corner- there he was. “Oh well hello my dear!”

“Alastor!” You would squeal and ran into his arms…we’ll actually you ran into and wrapped your arms around him and he just let you. After that you just started actually planning hangouts. “Hey what’s your social? What do you mean you don’t have a phone? H-how do you talk to people?” You asked him you brain seemed to almost be breaking. Alastor simply chucked an patted your head. You looked up at him shocked before smiling and grabbing his wrist to move his hand down to your cheek and nuzzled into it. “You know this would make a great Sinstagram story-“ you said while pulling your phone from your pocket but Alastor quickly pushed your hand down and placed a kiss to your lips. “Don’t ruin it…” he whispered.

Your eyes widened before you pulled him closer by his shirt and kissing him harder fighting for dominance.

You and Alastor actually didn’t take that long to get married surprisingly. You just ran up to Rosie and she said you could have a small ceremony in the town hall with one of Alastor’s servants performed the ceremony. You made a big mistake letting him take photos because his face was almost in none of them and they were all shaky as if he didn’t know how to work a camera but you know he did. You were heartbroken when he left for all those years. He did give you a warning unlike with any of his other friends.

“Darling I just need you to know I love you and will never stop…” he said while running a hand through your hair. “Yeah I know silly hehe.” You answered.

“Good…we’ll I’m afraid I’ll be gone for a good while. I’ll seen soon…” All you did was lay on the bed while scrolling and waving him off. “Shoo shoo” you said like you always did. It was a joke you would later regret making. When you got word that your husband chilling at this lame as hAZbiN HoTEl you nearly broke the door down. You eyes were glowing red and your were snarling. “What the FUCK?!” Angeldust screamed as you burst threw the door. “W-WHERE THE FUCK IS MY GODDAMNED HUSHAND?” For some reason everyone’s head turned to Angeldust. “What!? I ain’t never been high enough to get married and forget about it!”

Your nose twitched in anger. “ALASTOR!” You barked. Alastor at that moment appeared around the corner. “Oh Charlie a new guest- y/n?” He said his smile going down to a grin as it seemed to falter. “My love is that you?” He said as he ran to you clutching his staff tight in hand. “Alastor! You cried before running into his arms and beating your hands on his chest. “You bitch! Y-your left me you left me! I-I hate you!” You screamed but all Alastor did was hold you tighter. “I-I missed you so much.” You cried as you both sunk down to the floor.

“Ummmm Alastor who is that?” Vaggie said breaking the silence.

“Everyone this is my wife Y/n”

[ecrivainalene]

Leviathan Panel at Otakon 2024

I was OVERJOYED to be at the Leviathan panel during Otakon 2024! I'll do my best to recap it below, but if you want a more coherent play by play, this Twitter user did an excellent job.

I've got a handful of photos, recap of Sharp Gender Discussion, plus misc. things I remember.

Not everyone was up for the entire time, but I snapped this photo near the end when everyone was on stage! From left to right: Waki Kiyotaka (Studio Orange), Yoshihiro Watanabe (Studio Orange), Scott Westerfeld, Christophe Ferreira (Quibic Pictures), Justin Leach (Quibic Pictures), Katrina Minett (Quibic Pictures), and Diana Garnet (ending theme vocalist).

New concept art! Looks like Dr. Barlow, Klopp, Alek, and Sharp, right before the Germans attack the Leviathan.

More under the cut!

Alternative shot of that art bc I couldn't get my lighting right:

Clanker and Darwinist technology designs. Watanave explained that Studio Orange's early days were spent doing contract work on Gundam anime, so I can't wait to see how that translates to the Clanker machines.

Some more concept art:

By the way, the entire series is being adapted at once - so we'll get the complete story at once! That in mind, the second image here makes me think of that maneuver near the beginning of Goliath to pick up the cargo.

Sharp!!! Look at them!!!

I don't have much to say about these but I'm fairly sure I hadn't seen them before. I am wondering if they downsized Alek's crew for the sake of the story, or perhaps we just haven't seem Bauer and Hoffman yet.

We got some new character art! The panel was very cryptic about who the character designer is. Apparently they're pretty well known, but they can't share it yet!

Volger I am so sorry your photo was unfocused. Forgive me.

The panel jokingly described him as "Alek's dad," which feels accurate. And maybe I misunderstood, but it sounds like he plays an even more important role in the anime than he does in the books. I've always considered Volger to be a pretty important character, so I wonder what else he'll do in this new series.

Klopp looks exactly like how I pictured him in my mind!! They said if Volger is Alek's dad, then Klopp is like his mom. Which is very fair but also made me laugh a lot.

Dr. Barlow!! She looks amazing. There was a lot of talk about the dynamic between her and Volger and how they're often playing mental chess games with each other. I'm really glad they're leaning into that dynamic.

And one more concept art:

This looks like the visit to Istanbul, which I'm desperately hoping means we'll see my favorite chaotic bisexual, Lilit.

That's all of the photos I have! They also showed us a preview of the show plus a live performance of the ending song with Diana Garnet. No video recording was allowed and I don't break rules, but believe me when I tell you it was stunning. The world feels so full of life and adventure and I can't wait to see the final show.

Tbh I was too busy holding back tears of joy but one thing I remember distinctly is there's a shot of Sharp getting ready for the day, and we see a sheet of paper with a bunch of names written and crossed out before finally (I think) "Dylan" is circled.

Which actually brings me to the Q&A part. TLDR, between the use of "Sharp" for Deryn's name, Scott referring to Sharp as "she/he/they" during the panel, and the scene I mentioned earlier, I feel really hopeful about how they're approaching Deryn's gender and identity in this adaptation.

I asked a question about this at the Q&A and voice recorded it, so I'll try to transcribe it here as best I can because the audio is not great lol. I stumbled through my question so I trimmed it down here but I'll transcribe the response as clearly as I can!

Me: I just finished re-reading [the series] for the first time since I was probably in high school, and one of the things that interests me about this adaptation is the approach to Sharp's character... I guess I'm just interested, like, was there a lot of thought put behind, or what kind of thought was put behind how to approach their character in the anime, I guess as a chance to re-approach the story however many years after it was originally written.

Scott Westerfeld: Yeah, there's a lot to that. The "girl dressing as a boy" as a trope was something completely different in 2007 when I started writing this than it is now. And so we really approached Deryn's identity as what was at stake rather than just... rather than just her being in disguise, it's about their recreating themselves and becoming a different person and transitioning and, and so... but it's always been interesting to me that the words that I wrote back in 2009, 10, 11, y'know, as an old guy who grew up in Texas in the 70s - who was David Bowie fan! - but otherwise didn't have a lot of access into issues of gender, I'm amazed at how many people have been [able to?] adopt Deryn/Dylan as one of their own. I just got an email a week ago from a trans boy whose chosen name is Dylan. So it is amazing to me how whatever imperfections or whatever problematics there are in the text, people still find their way into what they need from a character. And as a writer, I can say that I always respected that character, I always respected their choices, I always respected who they were. I never tried to stick them into a dress and have everyone go "Ooh now you're pretty 'because 'cause you're in dress!" We didn't do that, and I think that what may be important for people and I think that's why it's still what's gonna work here, but it's been fun to be able to update it and everybody on the team's been really great about understanding that.

TLDR I don't want to get anyone's hopes up too high, but I'm really appreciative of the care that's being taken with Sharp's story and identity in this adaptation. It seems like Scott and the others on the team are taking that into account, and I'm excited to see how it plays out.

Other random things I remember:

THERE WAS AN ALEK COSPLAYER. I took a photo with them but I won't post it without their consent. Just trust that they looked fantastic.

Scott said one of the first things he was told was that Alek can't actually kill Nikola Tesla because he's too well loved by people in Japan, which I think is the funniest possible reason for a change to be made in an adaptation.

Diana Garnet (they/any) mentioned how much they love Sharp (don't we all) and also how they used to work at a Barnes and Noble and remembers selling lots of Westerfeld books!

Scott said his approach in writing Leviathan was taking everything he'd always wanted to write about and basically throwing it together, because he was just coming off of the success of Uglies and figured he could get away with it.

If I remember anything else I'll add on to this post! Overall, it was a wonderful panel and I'm incredibly excited for this project.

[saelterlude]

Curious about the lc musical cast heights? No? Well here's a very questionable ranking of the CXS and LG actor from tol to avereg to shmol.

(I swear it was a joke, but then @sgdlr-asdfghjkl took it seriously, and then I took it even more seriously, and now here we are)

Disclaimer! I have no ill intent in making this ranking, all the actors are great. I was just presented with a challenge I can't deny. Also, once again reiterating that these are very QUESTIONABLE.

Without further ado, Rankings!

Teng Chunpeng

Wang Minhui

Ji Xiaokun

Wang Yifei

Cai Qi

Guo Hongxu

Wu Yihan

Ding Xingchen

Cao Muzhi

Bai Zhuoming

Jing Yanqiao

Shu Rongbo

Du Guangyi

Zhu Hanbin

Read how I determine the ranking under the cut.

Take note that most of these were done before February 16, so it's mostly using information/clips prior to the new year's break.

So the first thing I did was made this bipartite graph to show which actors have been paired with who. (Ignore the color-coding, it was for an abandoned plan. Also, pre 16/02)

Cheng Xiaoshi actors on the left and Lu Guang actors on the right.

One thing you might notice, is that some actors have been paired with more actors than others. Such as SRB who have been paired with 4 LG actors, thus I will use him as my initial point of reference.

(If anyone asks, why not DGY with 5 pairs? That's only 56% of the CXS actors, meanwhile SRB got 80% of the LG actors. Also, I have a lot of easy to access SRB clips.)

Then I carefully overlay multiple screenshots of SRB with LG actors to rank them, adding both a DGY-DXC duo and a ZHB-DXC duo so I can finish ranking the LG actors.

Here's an example, comparison of WMH and DGY referenced to SRB.

Next is probably the most accurate and logical part. You know those old math puzzles where you go: A<B, and B<C, that means A<C? Yeah, I did that but with 14 variables (the actors) and 18 conditional statements (the pairings).

If you want to try it out yourself, here you go. Have fun! (again, pre 16/02)

With these, I can roughly guess most of their ranking. Then I use more overlaying photos on top of another to complete and get the ranking you see up top.

That said, let me highlight some problems I faced.

I tried my best, but keep in mind camera angles, video quality, actors' postures, shoes/sole thickness, fluffy hair. This is why the overlaying method is unreliable and this ranking is questionable.

I considered using the photo wall (the one with the donghua shiguang scene, that separated the back and the front studio set) as a point of reference, but I can't determined how far away each actor stood from it.

So i mostly took reference from the final part of 'Guiding Light' where they stood in a line or when theyre standing on the table (rock paper scissors and that song's ending)

Contrary to what it might seem, I didn't use much effort doing this legit (Could've literally asked any Chinese fan for help finding their height but I didn't). So yeah another reminder. THIS IS QUESTIONABLE AND UNRELIABLE.

That said, WMH is apparently 188cm tall (lol he's so tall and cool, he intimidates me)

CMZ, WYF, and JYQ is a problem because they've only been paired with the shortest LGs and they're all taller than that LG. Without overlaying, literally could be anywhere from rank 11 up. Even then I only have 1 reference point, ZHB.

Thank god for 16/02/2024 (very fun, they mix well) performance between WYF and DGY.

CQ originally have this problem too but he performed with WYH on 17/02/2024 (very good perf, will be on my next list) so that helped a lot.

JXK too have only ever performed with GHX which means when I have to compare him to WMH and TCP, the shortest path is 3/4 long, which makes the overlaying even more unreliable.

So yeah, it was really unreliable compared to me ranking all the LG to SRB, who's shortest path is only 2 (3 for ZHB)

ZHB and DGY is really close in height, I have to compare both of them to both DXC and CMZ to find who's shorter.

DXC and WYH have the same problem too, so I watched a lot of their clips from multiple angles to find who's taller.

I can't believe you argued DXC is shmoler than SRB, even BZM is smoller.

That said; WYH, DXC, BZM, CMZ are all so close in height it could very much be interchangeable.

Same with WMH and JXK.

For the love of god, JYQ is a PROBLEM. There's barely any performances much less clips of him so it's hard to find one that fits my requirements (Which is a shame, I like his voice and he's cute. Thank god he post on weibo often). In the end, I have to eyeball it so feel free to question his ranking even more so than the others.

The top 4 (top 6 even) is really easy though, they really are just that tall and easy to rank.

There's a very clear, undeniable, drop in height between rank 3-5, JXK and GHX, as well as between rank 6-7, CQ and WYH.

I know there's a lot of CXS actors in the bottom half but I think if you average them, LG is still shorter bcs WMH is a frickin outlier and the others are average.

Anyway, that concludes this (I swear, I'm very sane) post.

Mild congratulations to Wu Yihan, Ding Xingchen, Bai Zhuoming, and Cao Muzhi for being the very avereg.

Little congratulations to Zhu Hanbin and Shu Rongbo for being shmol, with special mentions goes to Du Guangyi.

Big congratulations to Wang Minhui and Teng Chunpeng for being tol, with special mentions goes to Ji Xiaokun.

[sylvia-forest]

[CN] Shaw's 6th Anniversary event - Finale (Part 2)

⚡ Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an Event which hasn't been released in EN yet!⚡

MC: I didn't expect someone to be so full of me, secretly taking so many photos.

Looking at the arranged photos on the car window, I couldn't help but lift the corners of my mouth.

Shaw: Your smugness is too obvious. Shaw: If you don't tone it down, I might take them back.

Seeing him say that, I quickly opened my arms to protect the photos in my embrace.

MC: It's not easy for you to capture me with so much feeling. What's wrong with being a little smug! Shaw: You often go "all out," making it challenging for me to capture candid moments. Why didn't you mention that?

As he said that, he "straightened" me while separating me a bit from the photos on the car window.

Shaw: Look, this one is a great example.

Shaw pointed to a photo, a small boat bathed in the setting sun, even though we didn't interact, the atmosphere was full.

MC: This one is not bad~ One facing forward, the other with the back turned, one smiling, the other looking.

I paused, playfully poking his lip.

MC: But from the perspective of a professional producer... you should have more opportunities to showcase this kind of smile in your photos. MC: It's good to level up the image of you always being a "bad guy" in my mind~

He lowered his eyes and glanced at my finger, and the curve of his lips became even more pronounced.

Shaw: No, I'm always authentic—whatever mood I'm in, that's the expression I wear. MC: Then, tell me, in what kind of mood were you smiling so brightly in this photo?

I pointed to another picture, a brightly lit snowfield where Shaw and I were racing in the snow.

He smirked and poked the little turtle protector in the photo.

Shaw: What mood do you think I could be in? At least, I taught my disciple well. How could she not perform in the snow? MC: It's not about lack of experience; it's about being cautious with a boat that has sailed for thousands of years~ Shaw: So, someone like you, who is both unskilled and loves to play, deserves to be recorded.

The more Shaw spoke, the more his lips curved upward, perfectly replicating the "him" in the photo.

Shaw: When you act rebelliously again someday, I'll expose this "black material" of yours. Shaw: "Breaking News: A seasoned skateboarder seeks a little turtle as a bodyguard." MC: How dare you!

As I thought of hitting him, I caught sight of another photo with a conspicuous "Yay" in it, making me squint my eyes.

MC: Isn't this from the night before we went to the Little River Ancient Village... Is this also some "black material" you want to keep? Shaw: I can't bear to expose this one. Shaw: Do you know what you did after getting drunk that night?

I paused, glancing around nervously.

MC: Didn't I just fall asleep on your leg... Shaw: Messy nibbling, talking nonsense, silly laughter—have you forgotten these three "pieces of evidence"? MC: Your words are baseless. You want to accuse me with just one photo!

"Hehe... Shaw, let me hug you."

A drunken voice entered my ears, and I widened my eyes, looking at the video playing on his phone that I didn't notice when it started.

The background of the footage was the noodle shop, and there I was, like a soft "octopus," leaning on Shaw.

Shaw: The video has 24 frames per second. How do you make every frame wonderful? MC: Shaw!

I shamefully pressed the lock screen button, ignoring the laughter nearby, and pretended to be calm as I picked up another photo.

MC: This one is also good, it was taken when we were playing on the slide in the flower town, right?

Shaw's teasing expression lingered in his eyes for a moment before nodding.

Shaw: Indeed, it can be considered a rare harmonious photo. MC: It shows that as long as we want to cooperate, we can take good photos. Look at this one—

In the deep underwater tunnel, we stood side by side, and I was smiling, leaning on his shoulder.

MC: Don't you think this one has a nice contrast? MC: It's not like our usual selves; it's an unusually quiet moment captured in front of the camera. Shaw: So, you prefer this style? MC: To be precise, I love every "us" in every style. Shaw: Since that's the case, let's put a definitive end to this trip.

Shaw aimed his phone at the two of us and pressed the record button.

Shaw: Let's make it clear here. Although it seems like an endpoint, it's also the starting point for something else. MC: Huh? What starting point?

He raised an eyebrow, abruptly bringing the phone's camera close, making us blurry in the frame.

Only the voice in my ears was clear.

Shaw: Of course, it's the starting point of the next year. Shaw: But for me, no matter how many "next years" there are, Shaw: I won't let you have a single boring moment.

—

🚐 Moments (coming soon)

🚐 Texts (coming soon)

🚐 Offline Call (coming soon)

[atcostmag]

A visual diary of Fazerdaze on support for POND's "STUNG!" North American tour

Words and Photos: Peter Quincy Ng

What’s it like to catch Fazerdaze on tour? Well, for one, it was a bit over 7 years ago when Fazerdaze's frontwoman Amelia Murray last visited Toronto on November 11, 2017, so I suppose it would exciting for a fan like me to say the least! However, I would also contrast excitement with a decidedly shorter half-hour set, as Murray's roles were largely delegated for support, opening for Western Australia's POND, and their more dedicated fans given their extensive discography and profile as an offshoot of Tame Impala.

Fazerdaze played at the Danforth Music Hall, a mid-size venue that gives a theater-like setting, offering seats for those who like cozy dates and panoramic views and no-nonsense security staff which would shake the last clump of lint from your back pocket before letting you in. Given the disparate costs of touring as an independent artist from New Zealand/Aotearoa, Amelia performed a no-frills set with just her on guitar and drum pads/sequencer and her plucky tourmate Dave Rowlands mirroring with synths.

Though playing songs largely from her recently released album "Soft Power", Amelia opened up with the grungy charge of "Break!" the title track from her previous EP. Pairing to the tête-à-tête of conversational self-talk, the track drifted along to its mellow grooves sardonically routing with Amelia's notions of emotional meltdown. Following was her only other track from her previous EP "Winter", slowing the pace with the wry melancholy of her soothing vocals and gentle scale of her light guitar riffs.

Suitably, "Soft Power" played soon succeeded her EP tracks, the title track from her latest full-length release. Frosty vocals and distant guitars drift into the foggy mist of smoke machines and harsh pastels from the stage's spotlights. Perhaps her most convincing track followed promptly and invited Murray's most invigorated performance of her short set. Though Amelia notably without a drummer instead opted for drum pads/sequencers, and it's this lo-fi and mild electronic aesthetic which really sold Fazerdaze's energy throughout the show. Though Amelia regrettably stood perpendicular to the audience while performing, we got to see the reserved singer dance and swing her hips about a tad more, as she loosed to crisper lighting and beat-driven melodies. Amelia yielded a subtle sensuality with the gentle romance of its bluesy synth keys and smoky vocals that were juxtaposed to the robotic electroclash of her stern dictation.

Fazerdaze's "A Thousand Years"

It's not an exaggeration to say Amelia is more of a reserved performer, but it would be unfair to go without mentioning the simple joy she carries on her face that comes with her quiet enthusiasm. Murray thanked the audience remarking how exciting it was to play in a larger venue with POND and directed her bandmate to explain how great it is to be visiting all the way from New Zealand, who culturally is often shadowed by their larger neighbor Australia. They continued with the restrained psychedelica of "Purple" with its gentle cascade of drum snares, followed by Fazerdaze's marquee "Cherry Pie". "Cherry Pie" contrasted with a brighter and more choral tone, with Amelia shouting and exclaiming her lament on her youth slowly fading away. As a fun farewell, Fazerdaze closed with "Bigger" a misty dream-pop sound that closes with the arc of wide-reaching synths. Overall, it was a fun concert, and despite its short duration and limitations; enjoyable. To be brutally honest, I came to see Fazerdaze, not completely aware of her latest LP, and at the risk of insulting more enthusiastic POND fans, I left early, fully satiated and smiling from my Fazerdaze experience.

FAZERDAZE's Toronto Setlist BREAK! WINTER SOFT POWER A THOUSAND YEARS PURPLE CHERRY PIE BIGGER

You can check out Fazerdaze's latest video for "So Easy" with its burnished grain and DIY aesthetic below:

[tomorrowxtogether]

HUENINGKAI: “Once I like something, I end up liking it for a long time”

TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION comeback interview

2023.02.08

HUENINGKAI listened closely to each question with his hands neatly folded as if in prayer. He would always nod along as he listened to them, waiting for the very last word to finish before answering. He knows he must wait so that he can fully absorb everything. HUENINGKAI has always waited like this, and he’s waiting now as well—for the roots to take hold, firmer and deeper.

Did you enjoy the photoshoot?

HUENINGKAI: I like Weverse Magazine because it feels new and fresh every time we shoot. Like last time—we were all connected through hands. I liked how this time it captured Neverland in all its dreaminess.

It’s winter, your favorite season. What have you been doing this winter?

HUENINGKAI: I spent Christmas and New Year’s with my family, which was great. I made mini cakes with my sisters. I ate tteokguk on New Year’s, so I’m a year older now. (laughs) I usually get up around seven or eight and go for a morning jog. I like the morning winter air and I don’t really feel the cold. I’m a morning person, so I usually wash up as soon as I get in and sleep, even if work runs late.

You did a Weverse Live with the other members to mark the holidays. You gave a pet rock as your Secret Santa gift, right?

HUENINGKAI: I chose that because I have a pet rock already and wanted another of the members to raise one with me, and then I got BEOMGYU. My pet rock was originally a gift, too. They’re cuter than you think—you can draw a face on them. I’m still raising it—Lionel Mbappé. It’s doing a shoot for a moment so it’s going to be a star soon. (laughs)

It sounds like you did a lot of small but fun things. (laughs) You must have been really busy getting ready for the year-end awards ceremonies.

HUENINGKAI: There was supposed to be a vacation in between, but we all turned it down and practiced the choreography instead. We really wanted to do a good job, so we tried to bump up how often we practiced. You’re always going to feel nervous when you get on stage if you haven’t practiced enough. It makes you anxious. We decided to practice more because we wanted to feel relaxed when we got up on stage. We put on a high-quality performance so I was satisfied with the result. I think it’s particularly amazing that the dance break we did at MMA [Melon Music Awards] managed to contain our whole storyline in just five minutes.

The beginnings of The Name Chapter were at MMA.HUENINGKAI: I really think this new album is our conceptual peak. It brings up the subject of Neverland, so it makes connections to Peter Pan, too. I feel like Neverland would be like the Nightmare version of the concept photos: It seems like a good place at first, but then you realize there’s something ominous about it. It’s like a video game: I like games, and when I have fun playing and hanging out with other people in the game world, I feel like I want to stay there. But it’s a virtual world and it’s not real. There’s stuff to do in the real world, so I’ll enjoy what I can then come back and focus on my work. I felt really happy while shooting the Nightmare version, actually. I liked lying down on the nice, soft floor with all those cute stuffed animals around me. (laughs) How did you interpret the message behind that concept?HUENINGKAI: It’s about deciding to get out and escape from Neverland even in the face of temptation from the devil. The story about that temptation starts with “Devil by the Window.” It’s like saying, Let’s walk down our own path—I mean, I think that’s how we grow up in the end. Even though you’re an adult on the surface, sometimes you’re still tempted to go back to your childhood. Sometimes when I’m up against a wall I think about how I want to return to a time when I just had fun, went home for food and studied. But I’m the kind of person where, if something bad happens, I might hold a little grudge for the day, but I sleep it off and then I’m perfectly fine. (laughs) The other members say that’s something good about me, which I think is a good personality trait for an idol to have. (laughs) What did you do to try and express being tempted in “Devil by the Window”?HUENINGKAI: I tried to sing it as breathily as possible to give it the feeling of the devil whispering. To compare to another artist: Billie Eilish. I have so much fun dancing to it because the song and dance feel like a perfect fit for the concept. I’m currently trying to make facial expressions I’ve never made before. I’ll try to stare at MOA with a mellow look when we’re on stage. The idea of temptation continues into “Sugar Rush Ride.”HUENINGKAI: It wasn’t easy to capture that at first. It’s also about temptation, but it has a different quality from “Devil by the Window,” so I tried not to be too breathy and sing with a little bit of power behind it. And it’s hard to stay in sync for that dance because it just flows with no real clear points of emphasis. So I have a lot of concerns but I’m going to make it work somehow. I don’t think anything would make me happier than putting on a perfect performance of that song.

Is wanting to grow musically another part of wanting to prove yourselves as a group? You set a goal for yourself again this year to increase how much of the music and lyrics you write.HUENINGKAI: I think I’ll still be wanting to increase my proportion after 10 or 20 years even. I don’t have a lot of time to work on it, obviously, but since we’re the ones singing and dancing, I always figure it would be nice if we could have more of our own words on the albums. You couldn’t achieve all your goals for last year, but you got the most important one done: seeing MOA.HUENINGKAI: The pandemic kept us apart for way too long. We should have been able to come around sooner and I thought it was amazing they somehow managed to hold out for three whole years. I felt really regretful and sorry. It’s really important for us to see MOA and get that energy from them, too. It wasn’t until we saw them that I truly felt like I’m a real singer. You said in another interview with Weverse Magazine back in 2020 that when you finally met them, you wanted to yell out the group greeting at the top of your lungs, dance like never before and sing “Sweat” as the encore.HUENINGKAI: Nailed it! I guess everything worked out, then. For me, the encores were the most memorable part of the concerts. I was running out of energy at that point but that part was so exciting and fun, and we could see MOA right up close and personal. I actually remember being clearly exhausted by the end of the performance at the beginning of the tour, but after doing it awhile, I got used to it. It’s like how cardio is so hard at first but after you build up your strength you can go faster and run more. It’s the same sort of thing on stage. Being that energetic and then doing “Sweat,” which is the real final song, it’s always just touching. MOA always has something prepared, too, so it’s new every time. You sang “Our Summer” as an additional encore in Manila, the last stop on the tour.HUENINGKAI: It was a pity to tour in the summer and not have “Our Summer” on the set list so it was a spontaneous final gift. (laughs) The tour allowed me to experience all kinds of things and improve myself by another step. We’re touring again in the spring. We tried to go back out as soon as possible, just like we promised! We’re going back out so soon because of how much we want to see MOA. There’s an amazing set list waiting, so look out for that. How has your relationship with MOA changed over time?HUENINGKAI: I think we actually became closer during the pandemic. It made us miss each other even more. My self-esteem improved during the tour thanks to MOA and I was so excited and grateful to see them every time. Well, duh! I’m happiest when I’m on stage and dancing for MOA. (laughs)

What else makes you happy these days, whether big or small?HUENINGKAI: Yogurt ice cream? These days it’s when I eat ice cream late at night or something else sweet at night. I’m happiest when I’m having dessert. Forget meals—I’m on Team Dessert. (laughs) That reminds me of when you said, “I live life feeling satisfied every day. Every day’s five out of five, and if I feel a little let down, it’s just a little lower.”HUENINGKAI: When I feel a little down, all I have to do is eat something sweet and I’m back in business! I’m usually okay after sleeping even if I had a rough day, so it’s not hard to have five-point days. Zen—like, no thoughts, head empty, as much as I can, calmly and with positivity. (laughs) Do hoodies, stuffed animals and anime still make you as happy as before?HUENINGKAI: Of course. Those are still my favorite things in life and nothing about that has changed. What’s your secret for holding onto that feeling so long?HUENINGKAI: I think it’s just in my nature. Once I like something, I end up liking it for a long time. My feelings don’t wane that easily. I guess you could say my love toward them is great from the start. Has there ever been a time you ended up liking something later despite your first impressions?HUENINGKAI: As far as music goes, I’d say “Good Boy Gone Bad.” I like every track off our albums but I think having a good lead single every time is our specialty. To be honest, when I first heard “Good Boy Gone Bad,” I felt like something was different suddenly and it wasn’t my style, so I had a hard time accepting it. But after we did it on stage, it felt exciting and I had fun with it. I warmed up to it when I realized people who like it would probably really like it.

When it comes to TOMORROW X TOGETHER, you can transcend your own tastes. Where does your affection towards the group come from?HUENINGKAI: The other members, of course. If we go on stage feeling resolved beforehand, I can really feel the difference in the performance. It makes me feel really enthusiastic when we yell, “Fighting!” together and go out there. They’re passionate and ambitious people and I think doing it with them makes me ready to keep moving forward and take on the challenge. You can’t really climb up higher and higher if you keep running away. I think being an idol means having to put up with things to some degree and I think it’s important for me to be active. When TAEHYUN said, “We chose to do this job, so we have to try and reach the very top no matter what, don’t you think?” I thought, Wow, he’s absolutely right. We have to keep going until the end. You mentioned that TAEHYUN’s had an influence on your MBTI changing from ENFP to ISTP.HUENINGKAI: I hear about what he’s thinking a lot since we’re roommates, so I think I naturally came to understand him. That must be how we both ended up as Ts. (laughs) There’s times when it’s good to look at things rationally and I used to be an F so I think my strong point is that I can understand both sides. It’s pretty amazing how I completely changed from ENFP. I was really emotional even as recently as when I was a trainee. I even cried a lot back then but I’ve become a little more rational since debuting. What caused your personality to change?HUENINGKAI: I think being so busy during my trainee years and after the debut slowly dulled my capacity to express my emotions. I thought about going home in the early days of trainee life because it was so hard sometimes, but after a few years I learned to just accept it. So sometimes I feel bad lately when I’m having a hard time and I say that to the other members. We’re all working together and all have hard times and I don’t want to pass my troubles on to them. When you said that, “as the youngest member, I want to be a reassuring presence” for the others, was that born out of the same feeling?HUENINGKAI: I wasn’t grown up yet when I was a trainee and I was so childish (laughs) so I don’t think I really earned much trust from the other members. Even after we debuted, I still thought about how I wanted to gain their trust. But now that we’ve been living under the same roof together, we’re just like family. I’ve been waking up to YEONJUN’s face right in front of mine ever since we were trainees. (laughs) Now, even if one of us feels like giving up, the other four can keep things moving along and help each other out. You always emphasize how important it is that you achieve things together.HUENINGKAI: We’re a team and it’s important that we’re all doing a good job together. That’s how we show the real TOMORROW X TOGETHER. If even one of us isn’t giving it their all, it isn’t TOMORROW X TOGETHER, I don’t think. I also picture us in the future together, reaching the top the way the BTS members have. And I hope our members will be happy after that. Honestly, I think their happiness is top priority. I just want them to be happy because I know how hard they work.

On Weverse Live, TAEHYUN said, “Do you want to plant a tree in the spring?” You replied, “I think I’ll be a little sad whenever the tree grows. If 20 years passes and I see the tree grew, I think I’d feel so proud. Proud, yet sentimental.” What made you feel that way?

HUENINGKAI: I think because I would feel time passing by. I feel like I’m still a fairly new artist, and if I saw that tree growing, I’d think, Wow, it’s already been that long. Time really flies.

You said you were sad when Ash became the Pokémon champion, too.

HUENINGKAI: I was already showing my true colors when I was little (laughs) and I liked the anime ever since I was a kid so it made me sad to hear someone I spent so much time with would be retiring. I looked it up and Ash and Conan are the two longest-running main characters. While the main character kept changing in other shows, Pokémon’s always been Ash. In the context of the story, the fate of everyone who becomes champion is they end up retiring somehow. I already knew it was going to end that way, but it’s still really sad. It’s just like it would feel looking at a tree if we planted it—sentimental and moving.

At least Ash must be happy. (laughs)

HUENINGKAI: Because he became the very best. Now we can reach the top, just like Ash did.

[carbuckety]

Wanna share your favourite Cats actors?

WHY YES I DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *ties you to a chair nice and secure*

Btw, I'm sure you know what all these people/characters look like, identification is for my poor non-Cats mutuals who I am also forcing to look at this post.

Well first off. the one and the only LINDSAY CHAMBERS

(Misto in the middle)

Pouncival/Misto (But mostly misto) in Zurich 1991. We have a FULL BOOTLEG of his Zurich Misto performance which is amazing!!!. Then he went on to play Misto on Broadway in 1994 and we also have (much more limited) video footage of that too! But mostly I love his Zurich Misto. He's mute in that production, because it was Vienna-based, but Zurich Misto is so communicative in his body language anyway that he doesn't need to be talking to the other cats or even making facial expressions (which I'm sure he does too but the video quality from the bootleg, while good, is not that good) for the viewer to understand what's going on with him.

I love Zurich 1991 in all its aspects (it's my favorite Cats production too!!!!!) but Lindsay Chambers' Misto is definitely one of my favorite parts of it!

And my second favorite Cats actor, well, they're much newer to the production. (So is my third but we'll get to her in a second)

Nora DeGreen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Demeter on the right in this amazing photo... but admire Erica too...)

I actually had the pleasure of meeting Nora when I went to see Cats in Philadelphia over spring break!!!! And they were soooo sweet and kind and lovely to talk to! They gave me a hug and told me they loved my earrings :)))) But aside from being a sweet person, they are also a great Demeter! Especially during the Macavity fight - during that, Nora's Demeter is huddled off to the side curled in a ball, looking up occasionally but hardly for more than a millisecond before they are back in a little ball, too afraid to even imagine what must be going on, and you can tell lots of heavy memories are being dredged up... just... GAH! Their acting is excellent. And their voice as well!!!! Absolutely stellar!!!!!! So lyrical and flowing, and watching Macavity was absolutely heavenly the way Nora and Erica as Demeter and Bomba played off each other both in voice and in acting. I could rant about Nora Demeter for hours upon hours (and force you to watch the, er, copious amount of footage i took) but I won't because now we will move on to my third favorite cats actor.

Maiya Hikasa!!!!!! Who just recently left as this leg of the International Tour finished :(((( I miss her so dearly.

(far left, the white cat)

She looks so graceful and happy in every single photo I have seen of her Victoria. The video footage too, I've mostly only seen bows (if anyone has a video of her doing the White Cat Solo, send it to me ASAP and we will be best friends forEVER) but she is so beautiful and lithe, she was such a great Victoria and I may or may not have a huge crush on her. Just, her makeup, her costume and wig, her mannerisms, everything seems so PERFECT for Victoria and I adore looking at the (little) content I have found of her!!!!!!!!! (of course I haven't really been actively seeking stuff out recently *cough cough classic rock has been taking over my life* so as I said if there's any footage of her during the show besides bows... send it to me... PLEASE LOL) She's just the perfect Victoria in my mind, my automatic go-to. Sorry, Phyllida.

[popentertainmentconcertreviews]

Two Friends, NOTD & Deerock – Skylight Stage at the Mann – Philadelphia, PA – June 17, 2023

A Night on Planet Two Friends

Two Friends – aka Eli Stones and Mathew Halper – are known for their “Big Bootie Mixes” and their bi-annual festival “Big Bootie Land.” Stones and Halper are longtime friends and musical collaborators. The dance-pop duo has listeners ranging from college kids to grown adults. The pair’s viral remixes of popular songs such as “Mr. Brightside” and “I Miss You” helped them break out into the global dance music landscape.

Their current headline tour, Planet Two Friends, made a stop at the Skyline Stage in Philly on June 17th. The first opener Deerock created a fun atmosphere as fans arrived at the show. He understood the crowd, shouting “Go Birds!” The set ranged from an original song titled “I Remember” to a remix of “Mine” by Taylor Swift.

The second opening act of the night was NOTD, a Swedish pop-dance duo. They brought another level of energy to the night as they took to the stage. The peak was the moment Tobi jumped into the crowd of fans. Their mix of “Unholy” by Sam Smith hyped up the sea of people waiting in excitement.

Finally, it was time for Two Friends to take the stage. Right before they came on, the screen behind the stage displayed Two Friends themed trivia questions. It unified the crowd of fans as they talked amongst themselves in anticipation.

The graphics, lights, and stage design were very on point with the theme of the tour, Planet Two Friends. The intro video made it feel like you were inside of a spaceship. When the duo appeared, they popped out from a UFO where they performed from most of the show. Amongst the lasers and smoke cannons, the UFO even got raised in the air in the middle of the set.

The chemistry between the duo is impossible to miss. It was clear that they were having the time of their lives on stage. Their stage presence was felt by the whole crowd, as the two of them ran around the stage and stood on top of their UFO during their mixes.

They played a number of hits, from “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),” to “Electric Love” and throwbacks from “Candy Shop” to “Clarity.” Two Friends also played some original songs including, “Looking at You.”

All in all, this show was a ton of fun. Both Eli and Mathew’s energy was unmatched, not to mention the fans dancing the entire time. Two Friends have a handful of shows left on their summer tour and it would be a shame to miss out on a great night out.

Emily DiMarcangelo

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: June 19, 2023.

Photos by Emily DiMarcangelo © 2023. All rights reserved.

[thepropertylovers]

The Eras Tour in Nashville

Dearest reader, this weekend was a dream.

After talking about it and planning it for months, PJ and I and Matt and Beau finally went to Nashville to see Taylor Swift. And it was the greatest concert PJ and I have ever been to. Matt stayed on TicketMaster for two days straight to get these tickets, and Beau booked a cute Airbnb for all of us within walking distance to the stadium, since he knew parking and driving would be insane. Everything was planned so perfectly and we had the time of our lives.

What would the world be without great friends like that?

We got to Nashville around 3ish, checked into the Airbnb, and showered. We had some time before the concert, so we walked to a bar and had a few drinks.

I will be honest, it felt weird to be responsible for absolutely no one for a day. We took the kids to my mom’s and PJ’s mom’s houses for the night, which they were so excited about. They love spending the night with their grandmas, who are much more relaxed than we are (part of what makes grandma’s so great!) and it’s a nice little break for everyone when they go.

After the bar, we walked over to this food truck serving gyros and each split one. They were SO good, though we probably could have each gotten our own and would have been just fine (they were that good).

From there we walked across the bridge to Nissan Stadium. The bridge had a great view of the city, but was PACKED with thousands of people all going towards the same place. It was madness, but in the coolest way. There was definitely a connection between all the Swifties there that you could just feel.

Once we made it to the stadium, we got a few refills on our drinks and headed to find our seats, and we were all pleasantly surprised by how good they were! They were on the cheaper side of Taylor Swift tickets, but they still felt pretty close to the stage and we could see everything the entire night.

Way to go, Matt!!

It was a surreal feeling being around that many people who were all there for the same reason. Everyone knew all the words and knew every move and every song. It was exhilarating hearing the crowd sing and scream the words you know by heart and have sang yourself over and over again.

Also, side note: please notice the girls behind us in every picture, haha. They kept making funny faces that I didn’t realize until the next day when I was going through the photos. They actually saw our video on TikTok a few days later and reached out! Small world.

The concert itself was incredible. It felt like a Broadway show but with the intimacy of talking to a best friend on her couch. Also, her stamina!!!! I have no idea how she preformed for 3 and a half hours. By the end of it, all of us were hurting and had to sit down because we were so exhausted. She is truly such an amazing performer and I am so happy we got to see her talent live.

A big highlight of the night, not that I could pick just one, was Taylor announcing her next re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)!!! When she started her monologue, the crowd went wild, and when she said that instead of speaking about it, she would rather just show us what she was talking about, the crowd absolutely lost it. We weren’t picking up what she was putting down, though, and were kind of confused until the last moment when the picture below appeared on the giant screen and suddenly it all made sense.

And then we, too, lost our minds.

Speak Now has always had a special place in my heart. It came out in 2010, the year PJ and I got together, and the song “Enchanted” has always been my song for PJ, since it perfectly describers the first night we spent together. Also, the song “Mine”, with lyrics like “You are the best thing that’s ever been mine” seem to always remind me of him as well ;).

Needless to say, Speak Now is the one album that I am more excited about than any other one that she will be releasing. Can’t wait for July 7th!!!

By the end of the night, we were all exhausted and hoarse from screaming and dancing. We walked back to the Airbnb and crashed, still on a high from the last four hours. I don’t know how she lasted as long as she did, but it was absolutely incredible and to be honest, super inspiring!

Her work ethic, talent, determination, and will power to make anything she wants happen and work for her is very, very inspiring to us. She knows what she wants and she does whatever it takes to make it happen. Kinda reminds me of PJ!

The next morning, we drove to the nearest IHOP for some pancakes. It felt good to recharge and relax for a bit before making the three hour drive home.

As always, we are endlessly thankful for Matt and Beau for putting together a truly unforgettable weekend. They planned the concert and where we were staying, leaving us to just enjoy ourselves.

Don’t tell anyone, but we’re already looking at other tour dates that we could possibly do. She was that good. We started this week coming down from the high that was her concert, and almost felt a little blue because of it? Weird, I know. So we watched Miss Americana on Netflix to cheer ourselves up.

Oh! And it’s official: PJ is a Swiftie now. We’ve been listening to every album of hers nonstop since we got back, which is something I do all the time, but now PJ’s joining in.

And our kids are already on board, of course. When we got home, I told them how she performed so many of her songs and asked them which one is their favorite because I recorded little parts all of them and I could show them. Allan, our oldest, said “Gold Rush” was his favorite and asked to listen to that. Sadly, I told him she didn’t do that song, but what was another one that he loved? He asked for “Invisible String” and again…I told him for some reason she didn’t sing that song, either.

So I brought up “Blank Space” because she did do that one! And he was happy to watch her perform it on my phone, because it’s one of their favorites. Anna always calls it “the horsey song”, referring to the music video. How cute is that?

So there you have it!! The best concert of our lives and one that we will never forget. If you haven’t been to her Era’s Tour yet, dear friend, I hope you are able to make it in the future!!!

[briamichellewrites]

22

Michelle and George were still visiting with Matt and Brad when Bria stopped by. George introduced her as his stepdaughter. They shook her hand before she sat down. She was beautiful! The kind that made people take notice. If they didn’t know she was a musician, they would have thought she was a model. That was how beautiful she was! She was excited to tell them all about Live 8 and her trip to Philadelphia. They were excited to hear about it.

It was so much fun! Henry enjoyed himself. They met Toby Keith and his wife. Only Michelle knew who he was since he was her father’s favourite artist. Brad asked who he was. He was a country singer. They had a great conversation with him. Her father was the one who ran into him. They had a great conversation about his military service.

When she walked by, she was introduced. Toby wanted to collaborate with her, so they exchanged phone numbers. She was teasing him about it later. Jon Bon Jovi then entered their dressing room and enquired about her. He praised her performance before inviting everyone to a pizza party with his band. Did they go? Yeah! They were staying at the same hotel, which was extremely convenient! They did not stay very long because they were exhausted.

She was also able to say hello to Paula Abdul, who remembered her. They did not have much time to talk because they were on their way out, but they did take a photo together. Michelle was delighted to hear that she had a good time! What did they do the following day? They slept in before heading out for sightseeing. George enquired about her hairstyle. They laughed. What influenced her decision to do that?

"Initially, I planned to have a simple haircut. The stylist encouraged me to be daring."

"George, this is what girls do. They experiment," Michelle explained.

"And your tattoo?"

She displayed her tattoo. He did not understand. Tattoos were not common among girls when he was younger. He was dealing with someone from another generation. Matt questioned her about it. Why did she get a tattoo of Bavaria on her wrist? She was born in Grafenwöhr, Bavaria.

Was she German or an American? Her nationality was German. Her American citizenship was granted by her parents. It was complicated. What was her primary language? She spoke German and English, though she struggled with the latter at times. It was typical for bilingual children. If she could not remember the English words, she needed the help of her friends. She also understood Italian and Japanese.

"If I ever need someone to teach me how to speak German, I know where to find you," Brad explained.

"Keeping George in line, I’m sure."

They laughed.

Sheena was pleased to have met Dave's friends. She wished to spend time with them again. He was delighted to hear that. They enjoyed spending time with her as well. They entered the kitchen because it was dinnertime. He used the tray on her wheelchair to hold what he required. She browsed through the options on her monitor. He asked her what she was up to.

She smiled as she touched the music player. Avril Lavigne. He laughed. Her sister assisted her in putting her favourite songs on her monitor, allowing her to listen to them whenever she was home. To be considerate of others, she wore headphones while out in public. Did she have Linkin Park on there? Yes. Her parents found it too loud. He laughed again. That is something he could understand. It was not for everyone. They were taking a break before getting started on their new album.

Mike and Joe would spend that time making new beats for them. He wondered if Joe would resume playing video games now that he and Bria were no longer together. He could tell he was having difficulty throughout the tour. It was probably difficult because she was there with them. He was still grieving. Did he believe he would return to drinking? No, it was a one-time mistake. He did not self-medicate.

He would follow up with him the next day to see how he was doing. Sheena usually napped in the afternoons. Her disability made it difficult for her to fall asleep at night, so she was exhausted during the daytime. She took a nap to give herself enough energy to get through the day. She would occasionally take a bath before going to bed to relax and prepare her mind for sleep. Because they were staying at her home, they had everything they needed.

Her requirements were taken into account when the one-story home was constructed. It had wider hallways, a wheelchair-accessible bathtub and shower, grab bars on the toilet and bathtub, an open floor plan, and laminate floors. When her parents learnt of her diagnosis, they began construction. They lived in a two-story house, which would be inconvenient for her as she grew older.

Their church assisted them with financial donations. Sheena volunteered her time at Sunday School. The children adored her! She read them bible stories and allowed the teachers to use her tray to hold items. She was made to feel welcome at church. The adults never questioned her inappropriately or made hurtful remarks. She was not bothered when young children asked her inappropriate questions because they did not know any better.

Their parents constantly chastised them before apologising. She always told them it was fine and that she was not offended. Children had a difficult time understanding cerebral palsy. It indicated that her muscle movement was disrupted as a result of prenatal brain damage.

She received physical therapy to strengthen her muscles. She became frustrated at times because she was unable to perform tasks that her sister could. Her parents took note of her frustration. She had every reason to feel that way. It was unfair. Usually, she was cheerful. She enjoyed correcting people's misconceptions about her. Dave fed her when it came time to eat. What were her thoughts? It was really good. He laughed before thanking her.

Max walked over and grunted. Bria jumped because she had not expected him to sneak up on her. Oh, my God! They laughed.

"Dude! The pig!"

"He is just saying hi," George explained.

"I would have expected to hear his hooves on the floor. This is why I am getting a cat.”

"Do not you think cats will sneak up on you?"

"Not like a pig!"

They laughed. Max sat down on the floor next to George's feet. Michelle jokingly asked which was better: Max or Scout. She opted for Scout. He trailed them around the house, barking at his own reflection. Matt asked how old he was. He was older than a year. Her father got him as a puppy. He also enjoyed playing with her feet while she sat on the floor. They would need a play date with a puppy, a cat, and pig. George was intrigued by the idea.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon

[mnzmysticechoes]

Ditching the Big Brands: My Surprisingly Excellent Experience with the MaxPhone

For years, I'd been a loyal customer of major smartphone brands, convinced their high-priced devices offered the best technology. But recently, the ever-increasing costs started to feel unreasonable. My phone was due for an upgrade, and I wasn't keen on spending a small fortune for the latest specs. That's when I stumbled upon the MaxPhone, a brand promising premium features at a refreshingly affordable price.

Breaking Free From the Brand Hype

My priorities were clear: a phone that could keep up with my busy lifestyle. I needed a smooth, responsive interface for daily tasks, social media scrolling, and occasional gaming. Additionally, a decent camera was essential for capturing life's moments on the go. While flagship phones offered all that, their prices often felt like a luxury I couldn't justify. Budget options, on the other hand, often sacrificed performance and features.

Intrigued by the MaxPhone's Value Proposition

The MaxPhone presented itself as a potential game-changer. The advertised features were impressive - a powerful processor, a multi-lens camera system, and a long-lasting battery. Reviews, while not as plentiful as for established brands, were generally positive. Users praised the phone's performance and camera quality, highlighting its excellent value for money. This combination of affordability and promising features convinced me to take a chance.

A Modern and Sleek Design

The MaxPhone arrived in a sleek package, hinting at the design within. The phone itself was surprisingly thin and light, yet felt sturdy and well-constructed. The design was modern and elegant, with a large, bezel-less display dominating the front. The glossy finish looked beautiful, but a case became necessary to avoid fingerprints. Overall, the phone felt comfortable to hold and use.

Performance That Doesn't Disappoint

Setting up the phone was a breeze. The operating system was familiar and intuitive, and the pre-installed apps covered all my basic needs. The real test came with daily use. Navigating apps, browsing social media, and multitasking were all smooth and responsive. Games ran flawlessly - the graphics were crisp, and the gameplay felt lag-free. This was a stark contrast to my previous phone, which constantly struggled with even basic tasks. The MaxPhone delivered a smooth and enjoyable user experience.

Capturing Memories with Confidence

The camera on the MaxPhone was a pleasant surprise. The high-resolution sensor captured crisp, detailed photos and videos, even in low-light conditions. The multiple lenses offered versatility, allowing me to capture stunning wide-angle nature shots and beautiful portraits with soft backgrounds. The phone also boasted various camera features like night mode and portrait mode, which helped me elevate my mobile photography without needing a bulky DSLR.

All-Day Battery Life, No Worries

One of my biggest concerns with smartphones has always been battery life. The MaxPhone exceeded my expectations. The large battery capacity easily lasted me a full day of moderate use, often stretching into the second day. Even with heavy usage, like extended gaming sessions or video calls, the phone rarely dipped below 20% charge before the end of the day. The phone also supported fast charging, so a quick top-up during my commute ensured I never ran out of power.

A Reliable and Affordable Companion

The MaxPhone has become my go-to smartphone. It delivers smooth performance, a fantastic camera, and a long-lasting battery, all without breaking the bank. While some users might prefer features exclusive to high-end brands, for my everyday needs, the MaxPhone has been exceptional.

Would I Recommend It?

Absolutely! If you're looking for a feature-packed smartphone that offers excellent value for money, then the MaxPhone is a great option. It delivers a flagship-like experience without the hefty price tag. While user needs vary, for me, the MaxPhone has been a fantastic upgrade, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a reliable and affordable smartphone experience.

Upgrade your world. Get a MaxPhone today!

[hueylengyong15]

Going to the BTS Exhibition at Pavilion Bukit Jalil

I saw a website about BTS's exhibition in Pavilion Bukit Jaili. I told my father about this event that had been happening recently on the third floor. After discussing what will be there in the showcase room. He agreed to take me to this showroom during the winter break.

The luckiest day finally came on January 10. When I arrived at the ticketing counter, I managed to have access to the VR room to receive a zip log pouch, a battery-operated star badge, and a photo card of the BTS member, Jungkook. When I put my VR goggles on, the members practiced their popular songs “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” before their big concert started tomorrow.

Fifteen minutes later after the VR session was over, it was time to see the art planets of each member of the group. When I saw their pictures on the walls, it was fascinating to see how they looked and how they were popular throughout the years.

After seeing their portraits in the planet rooms, I went to the hall of mirrors which was filled with inspiring quotes from the members' interviews, songs, and concerts from 2017 to 2018.

It made me feel positive by teaching me not to give up on myself when practicing hard for anything especially a concert or a music video with your band members.

Also, I saw an infographic timeline of the BTS members winning the grand prize for two years due to their excellent music and many fans voting for the well-liked K-pop band since their debut in 2013.

It made me happy that this boy band won many awards throughout the years with a lot of hard work and popularity towards all of them and their fans as well.

The last place to visit was the hologram room where the BTS members had their previous concerts. I love the part where V sang "Permission to Dance" on stage along with Jimin, Jin, and Jungkook in 2018.

I love the part where I danced to the music while listening to their most famous songs when they sang and showed off their moves by entertaining their audience in concert.

When the tour of the showcase room was over. I went to the gift shop where I saw shirts, transparent files, tote bags, books, etc. I also wrote a note on their army wall memo quoting. "I want to see the concert" I hope next year, I will meet them when they begin their Southeast Asia tour.

Here is me with a replica of Jungkook holding a light blue gift box while giving a thumbs up to him being the strongest member and after the photoshoot was done, I ended my day making all the great memories that I had in the showroom.

And that's the end of my tour at the B-Verse showroom. In my opinion, this was a fun experience to go to if you’re a fan of K-pop. We hope that all of the members finish their national service in Korea and once that's over, they could plan to have their big performance on stage next year.

[bike42]

Wednesday July 5, 2023

Two Bear Day!

We woke to clear, blue skies with just a little mist on the water.  The other couple cleared out early, but we took our time drying our tents in the sun while we had breakfast.

We’ve got our two people Big Agnes tent along that I think of as “quick drying,” but in reality it’s 10 years old this summer and doesn’t quite perform the way I’d recalled from our 2013 bike trip.  This tent has seen a lot of dew filled mornings and rain storms!

By 9am we were headed out and the day warmed up fast.  We were hiking along the trail back towards Lake Elizabeth.  Due to the change in our itinerary, we’re going to repeat hike a large portion three times in three days, but it’s all so beautiful we’re okay with that.  We were hiking along in a fairly tight line, telling Todd about how Dan generally writes a poem to sum up each adventure we do together.  We were hiking along brainstorming rhymes, when all of a sudden Todd stopped and quietly told us to step off the trail to the right.  He’d spotted a black bear coming down the trail towards us.  He said “Hey Bear,” and then we heard “Hey Bear” from up the trail.  I’d stepped off the trail as instructed, but of course, I also wanted to get a photo of the bear!  Jeff had been behind me, and he came around to be between me and the bear - nice to have a protector!  The bear, kind of boxed in by hikers in front and behind, ran off into the woods.  I got a grainy photo as I tried to lean out around Todd.  It was exciting, but also felt kind of like a relief that the bear behaved just as the videos said it would if we talked to it gently and moved off the trail.  The guys coming up the trail said they’d been following it at a “safe” distance for awhile, talking to it, but it just kept moseying down the trail until it came to us!

Shortly after that, we encountered Ranger Laura Funk and had a nice conversation with her for a while.  Todd asked her about the bear occurrence at the Lake Mokwanis camp:  she told us it was actually a work group camped there, and while they were out of camp working, a bear chewed their water filter and ripped into one of their tents.  To be sure, they’ve closed the camp and brought in a bear specialist to ensure there isn’t a problem bear in the area.  That really got me thinking about how important it is to keep the food and sleeping areas separate in the camp, yet you also have to hope that the people there the night before and the weeks before followed the same rules!

We crossed the river again, then as we approached the a swinging bridge, we saw a “mule train” fording the Belly River.  The Mule Train is a wrangler on a horse, with a chain of 3-5 mules hauling gear for staff working on trails and camps.  A bit different than the mule trains we’d seen in Peru, but pretty cool just the same!

Todd gave us the option to leave our packs with him while he prepared lunch, and walk down to the base of Dawn Mist falls to enjoy it from another viewpoint.  I changed from my boots into my Chacos and waded in the waterfall pond.  It was cold, but the day was very warm!  Tam had her swimsuit under her clothes and immersed more than her feet!  Lunch was cheese, sausage and crackers.  Yum.  It was close to what we’d have as “trail lunch” when I went to camp (we also had hunks of dark chocolate and peanut butter to supplement sausage, cheese and rye crisp crackers).

As we walked back towards Lake Elizabeth foot camp, we met the group of 4 from Missoula that we’d camped with Monday night, and shortly after that, the three guys from Colorado we’d met that same rainy night!  We took a pack off break at the beach, then walked along the lake to Elizabeth head camp (not as nice of a site).  It was great to walk along the lake - sometimes at beach level, then we’d climb up higher into the wild flower meadows.  I really marveled at the beauty of these pristine lakes.  How privileged we are to see them up close, and how fortunate that our fore fathers saved them from commercial development.

We headed away from the lake, as soon Todd said quietly “just wait here for a second.”  Lynn and Kent were behind him, and I was behind them.  Apparently, we’d come upon a smallish black bear heading up the trail just ahead of us.  I couldn’t see the bear, but he’d have us wait, then he’d have us come forward quietly, while he kept on talking to the bear (suggesting he get off the trail!).  He’d have us get off the trail just in case the bear startled and ran backwards.  Finally, the bear ran off into the woods and he had us walk forward.  We looked back and saw the little guy standing by a fallen tree.  As we continued to hike, those in the back kept looking over their shoulders.  It felt good to have two black bear encounters that went so well.  Still don’t want to encounter a grizzly though!!

We had a bit of a push to get up to Lake Helen and I was really dragging!  The scenery was changing, getting more rugged and we spotted mountain goats up high again - cruising along the rock face!

Another great waterfall as we approached Helen Lake.  At 11 miles and out of water, I was stumbling and glad to be at camp.  I’ll appreciate the view better tomorrow on our way back down!

This is the smallest camp we’ll stay in - just two tent sites and a food prep area.  Todd had told us another highlight of this site was the toilet without walls, and a great view of a hanging glacier!  We got our tent set up and I headed down the toilet trail only to find a robust Hoary Marmot living next to the toilet!  I called Todd to help me chase his away but he was a persistent little bugger!

This is a gorgeous camp, a beautiful lake surrounded by towering mountains.  After we were settled in, a couple and their teenage son came up - day hikers from Lake Elizabeth.  They stayed at the lake while we ate dinner, then the mom whipped up their dinner and they ate there before hiking back (seemed kind of late to me!).  Our dinner was walking tacos - delicious, but a margarita would have been fantastic.  After clean up, Jeff and I sat by the lake for a bit, but we were exhausted and turned in well before sunset!

11 miles, 958 ft elevation gain, 7 hours

[woozi]

yza beloved 🥰🥰🤍

first of all, did you listen to jinyoung's title track?? how do you feel about it? <3 the whole concept pictures, teasers felt so unreal 😭 i couldn't believe it's finally happening. i'm so happy <3 he came out with such a vibe-y, dancey song i love it! and ofc the rest 4 emotional songs ❤️‍🩹😭 served c*nt in concept pictures and emotional lyrics in the album lmaoo, while we're on this topic how have you been liking the albums def released recently 🥺? i saw jaebeom is also releasing something soon but haven't gotten time to check the details hfjdjd

black eye literally went on top of my 'on repeat' playlist after just two kr three days and it's still there!! hdjdjdkd i love it so much, the composition, lyrics and mostly vernon's voice 😭🔥 this kind of genre fits him so well <3 i want him to release an album already 😔. i said this before too ( to so many people 😭💀) when 2 minus 1 came out, that he gives a mix of 5sos - green day vibes, i love it so much 😋

also the band live performance was so goood HDSKJSKSKSBD HE LOOKS SO FINE IN MV AS WELL AS BAND LIVE VIDEO AND ALSO FULL AGREE WITH YOU THEY SHOULD'VE USED THE BLACK TANK TOP FIT MORE 😭😭😭😭 I CAN'T HDDJDJ (never thought i'd get biaswrecked by him at all 😭) the way they created the band live video was great! but i wish they used the green screen a little less 😭 just personal preference. also so so excited about booseoksoon comeback <3 january is a gift which keeps giving ( i say this without even knowing what date bss single is dropping 💀) hdksks love that

love to know that you got to have some time for yourself, hope work load - deadlines aren't too much <3 ( if there are any more ), hope your real break comes soon!!

also, have you started any series or drama? i'm currently watching doom at your service, a year late but im finally here dhdjdj it's been great so far! i really love the character seo inguk has played 😭🤍 ( the pace in some episodes is a little slow to my liking </3 but it's bearable because of the cute couple, not really liking the sub plot 😭, can you tell i solely started it because of seo inguk?- ) anyway yes the drama is good 🤍😭

thank YOU for hanging out, i always have fun 🥺🤍 sending best days wishes as always, love you yza <333 rest well in between of work!

MA CHERIE <3333333333333333

im gonna get stoned for this but i havent been keeping up with the sevens lately and am now just a svtpoppie 😭 BUT IVE SEEN ALL OF THE PHOTOS <333 its exactly what i'd expect from him tbh 😋 ALSO JB'S IS SO FJKDFJKJDFKJFDKJKFDJKFD that's so him tbh,, but also so slay of him it's v unique <3 ALSO FORGOT TO TELL U FDKJFDJKDFKJFDJ i accidentally came across ponytail on spotify 😭😭 it was on shuffle and i didnt even know it was yugyeom i was just like,, what THE FUCK THIS IS SO GOOD (and the vocals havent even kicked in yet) and when i checked it was him 😭

ALSO URE SOOOOOO VALID <3 it fits him so well and i'm glad thats the route he chose to take for his solo tbh <3 early 2000s vernon i lov u

AND IK???????????? honestly i love how raw the band ver sounds i even prefer it more than the official one fdkjdfjdf but that also has its own charm and i understand why they produced it that way <3 ALSO AGREED LMFAOOOOOOOOO 😭😭 i got the concept they were going for but it was a little distracting to me (a lil funny even) ALSO CB THIS DAY HAS COME WE ALL NEED TO BE DOLLYS <#333333333333 the thing abt the svteenies is that they just have SOOO much to offer im a lil overwhelmed at times but im also so glad i cant wait for bss and ITS 😋

AND IM ON BREAK FR <3333333 classes for the next (and my final omg??) semester start 2nd week of february hehehe BUT WBU WHAT HAVE U BEEN UP TO <33

nooo i've actually been looking for things to watch but all my sister has been recommending me western series (sitcoms) but those r not really my vibe fdjkfdjkdf so i'll def be checking the drama u mentioned out ehehhe 😋

I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO OUR LIL HANGOUTS 🥺🥺 lov u even more wishing u only have sexy days ahead <33 MWAHH

[zingaplanet]

Heyy, did Rafa and Shakira ever date? I just came across their song, Gypsy and he looks quite comfortable. Also, did Fed ever react to the song?

No darling, our little Rafa, although he might be an adonis Tommy Hilfiger sex god on the outside, (if you need some photos for purely *ehem* scientific reference:)

<I mean Roger, by god, we get you 🥲🔥>

he is fortunately a hopelessly awkward island boy (erring on the cute side of course) who's extremely introverted. His very tight-knitted close circle only consists of people that he knows since his childhood in Mallorca and it's the same case with his love life. He has only ever been kmown to be associated with one person, that is his current wife, María Perello (who's an absolutely lovely goddess btw! ❤️) that he's been dating since 2005.

Mery is also Mallorquín and part of the circle he grew up with (they dated for 14 years since Rafa was 19 before getting married in 2019!!).

This sounds completely crazy but it's actually pretty common with high-profile athletes. Their fame, I can imagine, make it very difficult for them to be close to someone who's ENTIRELY not in it for your 'superstar persona' or who actually knows you before all of the craziness happens. That's why a lot of high profile athletes ended up with their childhood sweethearts (who's known them since forever).

This is even more so in tennis. I don't think people truly truly appreciate and understand how difficult it is to be a life partner of a professional tennis player. They move cities every 2 weeks around the world and that means not only sacrificing your whole life to be with them, but also your dream of a normal family life, not to mention your anonymity. The Federer kids def did not have a normal childhood lol. You must either be a completely selfless person, or you must love them very very much I think. The other 3 of the big 4 are exactly the same! They married their childhood sweethearts that they've known even before they were famous (Andy with Kim, Novak with Jelena, and Roger with Mirka).

So no, in conclusion, they never dated! (Pretty sure Shakira was already with Piqué at the time) Rafa was also very very awkward with girls lol he's surprisingly not very smooth at all (there are some hilarous videos of him on the internet). And no, Roger never made comments on the video, although he has teased him mercilessly in the past whenever Rafa's changing or performed some precarious tennis moves that require him to show a lot of his *ehem* physique (watch Hit for Haiti!).

Tbf this whole video and the Tommy Hilfiger ads seem completely out of Rafa's comfort zone! As I mentioned, although ppl like to compare him with Ronaldo, he is genuinely, the most clueless, awkward boy alive hahaha. (Also feel like Shakira basically saw her chance to scope out Spain's hottest golden boy and she took it, YOU GO QUEEN!!) But it's such a great thing to see him break away from his insecurities and trying new things!

Here's the video, again, for *ehem* scientific reference, because why the hell not: