#this song is my favorite in the entire musical please vote i beg of you

[lwh-writing]

Okay, propaganda time. Sorry not sorry for the long post.

Listen, I get it. Phineas & Ferb is iconic. Dr. Doofenshmirtz is also iconic. But All the Convoluted Reasons We Pretend to Be Divorced is not iconic. It just isn't. It's a fine enough song; it's got a bouncy energy and is overall a fun little ditty. But it is not one of the Phineas & Ferb classics that stick with you for years. It just isn't.

So, I humbly bring your attention to Chicago's We Both Reached For the Gun.

Some context:

Roxie Hart is a nobody aspiring vaudeville girl who murders her lover Fred Casely after he tries to break things off. Roxie tries (and fails) to pin the murder on her innocent husband and winds up in the Cook County Jail facing murder charges. She's dancing on death row and looking for a way to escape the noose, but low on funds and can't afford anything more than the district attorney.

Enter: Billy Flynn.

Now, Billy Flynn isn't just a lawyer. He's THE lawyer. His claim to fame is that he can get anyone out of Cook County Jail, all charges dropped. He's never lost a case. Ever.

Because of all this, however, he has very strict standards for his clientele. He only ever takes clients that 1.) have a sensational story that can add to his mythos, 2.) are young, beautiful women, and 3.) can pay out the nose for his services. Once again, Roxie meets two of those standards, but is lacking in funds. Billy Flynn, though, he sees Roxie, sees her desperation, her pretty face, and most importantly, her nobody-ness. Roxie Hart is a blank canvas. And Billy Flynn intends to make her his masterpiece.

So he calls a press conference.

Now, you need to understand two things about Roxie: she's dumb and she can't keep her mouth shut. The only reason she failed to pin the murder on her husband is because she wasn't smart enough to tell a good lie and shut up in front of the cops. So if Billy Flynn wants to spin this the way he does, he has to feed Roxie every line.

And that gives us the wonderful, wonderful staging of We Both Reached For the Gun.

If you were to watch the music video on mute, it would look, at first, like this song's a duet. But it's not. It is intentionally staged as Billy using Roxie as a ventriloquist dummy, orchestrating her entire backstory as he sees fit. With a few words, Roxie goes from a nobody to a tragic hero. Her lover, Fred Casely, goes from her current affair who she murdered in cold blood to the possessive ex-boyfriend that wouldn't let her go. And most importantly, the story changes from Roxie pulling the gun to And They Both Reached For the Gun.

That's the key detail here: Roxie and Fred both reached for the gun. With this change, the charges against Roxie drop from first-degree murder to self-defense. The thing is, though, Roxie (and Billy Flynn) have to sell this. Up to this point, the news has been labeling Roxie as a murderess for weeks. Nobody, not even Roxie, has tried to claim differently. To come in and claim otherwise after weeks of Roxie's name being dragged through the mud is insanity.

But Billy Flynn goes for it anyway.

He makes Roxie say the words, then lets the press digest it a little bit. Lets them repeat it to themselves, see if it makes sense, and then goes for the bigger lie: if Fred and Roxie both reached for the gun, then it's understandable why Roxie shot him. Maybe she didn't even mean to shoot Fred Casely, maybe the gun went off as they were wrestling for it. Or maybe she did, because Fred Casely was still bigger, meaner, and meant to harm poor, innocent Roxie. After all: 'He had strength and she had none'. How would Roxie have survived if she didn't shoot?

The press conference continues, Billy Flynn navigates a few missteps with Roxie almost breaking the entire defense as it's being laid ("Are you sorry?" "Are you kidding?"), winning over the head reporter Mary Sunshine, and eventually, the press eats up his words.

Which then leads to my favorite part of the entire song.

You see, the first time I ever heard this song, it was for a live production of the Chicago, the show, not Chicago, the movie. In the show, Billy Flynn still makes Roxie into his ventriloquist dummy, but the reporters don't have the strings tied to their wrists. This is for practical purposes as the reporters immediately have to jump into dozens of other rolls throughout the play and don't have the luxury of editing and multiple takes.

First time I ever watched the movie, I thought the strings were added purely for cosmetic purposes. I thought, "oh, they're dressed as puppets to go with the ventriloquist theme," and would've left it at that if it wasn't for the cut away at the two-minute and fifty-eight-second mark (2:58).

The reporters start nodding along with the story, agreeing that They Both Reached for the Gun. We follow the strings up and up and up as the reporters start to crescendo, only to cut away and see Billy Flynn behind the curtain, literally pulling the strings.

Now that is what I call a character-defining shot! Those reporters? They had the strings on from the beginning. Billy Flynn has been playing the press like a fiddle the entire time. And nobody knew it except for him. He knew exactly what to say, what to do, and how to play the game to make sure Roxie (and hundreds of his other clients) got away with murder. And after the show? He just turns right around and sweet-talks the next murderess straight out of the Cook County Jail. Every time I hear this song now, whenever it gets to the rush of "oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes," in my mind, I still see those strings.

I could go on. I could pick apart the stressing of the syllables when the characters sing them (understandi-BULL, comprehensi-BULL, defensi-BULL), to show how Billy Flynn understands what he's saying is bullshit. I could nitpick every detail of Roxie's backstory and explain how it's perfectly tailored for the 1928 Chicago audience. But instead I will leave you with this:

If you were to hear songs on their own, with no visuals, no iconic cartoons, no Broadway-style stage production, just the songs, which sounds more interesting? A ventriloquist lawyer talking his client into getting away with murder, or a villain couple talking about getting extra coupons in the mail?

I rest my case.

Vote And They Both Reached For the Gun.

Villain Song Showdown Bracket F Round 1

All the Convoluted Reasons We Pretend to Be Divorced (Phineas and Ferb) - Villains: Charlene and Doofenshmirtz (from the 2nd dimension)

We Both Reached For the Gun (Chicago) - Villain: Billy Flynn

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Harry Belafonte (Carmen Jones, Island in the Sun)—one of my favorite things in the world when I'm sad is kicking back and listening to him and Danny Kaye singing "Hava Nagila" together. Or who can forget this man singing the Banana Boat song with the Muppets?? immensely talented, a powerful fighter for civil rights and humanitarian causes his whole life, if you have any remaining doubts PLEASE look at the following pics [clips and pics attached below]

Buster Keaton (The General, The Navigator, Sherlock Jr.)—For me Buster’s hotness comes not just from his physical beauty but in the constant surprise and contradictions of the man, he’s simultaneously delicate/rough, feminine/masculine, confident/vulnerable, 5foot5 pretty face with an unexpectedly deep voice, at first glance you think oh he’s a cute little thing and then he takes his top off and it’s Superman abs underneath. He was intensely shy in social situations but had no hesitation in jumping off the top of a building. He famously never smiled on screen* but he exudes warmth and joy and laughter. He created some of the most beautiful, intelligent movies ever made but refused to acknowledge his own genius and talent as an artist, instead maintaining that all he wanted to do was make people laugh. If he was here in reality competing in this poll he would give it 100% but he would not be at all bothered if he didn’t win. And that’s why he’s the hottest vintage man. A vote for Buster is a vote for all that is good and decent in the world 💕 (*he did smile on camera occasionally despite his own assertions to the contrary 😄)

This is round 4 of the bracket. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage man.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Buster Keaton propaganda:

"Just look at his freaking face...."

This entire Tumblr page was submitted

This post

This video

"And for those who have never heard it, here’s his lovely voice in action: link"

Submitted: Link to Buster Keaton car stunts

Submitted: BK fancam

Submitted: quotes about BK video compilation

"Ripped body, gorgeous unique face, beautiful personality too"

Harry Belafonte propaganda:

"Now let me say this about the songs of the Caribbean - almost all black music is deeply rooted in metaphor. The only way that we could speak to the pain and anguish of our experiences was often through how we codified our stories in the songs that we sang. And when I sing the 'Banana Boat Song,' the song is a work song. It's about men who sweat all day long, and they are underpaid, and they're begging the tallyman to come and give them an honest count - counting the bananas that I've picked, so I can be paid. And sometimes, when they couldn't get money, they'll give them a drink of rum. There's a lyric in the song that says, 'Work all night on a drink of rum.' People sing and delight and dance and love it, but they don't really understand unless they study the song that they're singing a work song, a song of rebellion." -Harry Belafonte

[in-tua-deep]

tua s1 rewatch with my roommate

episode one (I forgot for the first episode oops):

I have been treated to pictures of a lovely cosplay of Klaus who won a cosplay contest my roommate was in !!

Klaus putting his arm in front of Five during the funeral fight is good shit

“I have heard like nothing about Vanya” “yeah that’s pretty much how she’s treated in show as well”

“I can see why he’s the fandom favorite” - about Klaus

“Istanbul is in the firST EPISODE?”

I forGOT about the “rapists can climb” line when he breaks into Vanya’s apartment omg but also like,, his dumb arm wound

Episode two:

HERR CARLSON

Aww baby fives first time travel his little smile. Baby. Baby boy. And the dawning horror in the apocalypse baby nO

Five: you got anything stronger

Also five: takes one sip and then fills up more, takes another sip, and then immediately puts it down ?????

The motel dude for hazel and cha cha just looks at them like “yeah these are serial killers” and just rolls with it

Also actually why tf doesn’t the commission spring for better stuff?? Why would they cut costs?? They time travel? They could game the stock market so hard ?????? Give the assassins their own rooms omg

Also why didn’t five like. Crush his tracker. Why did he just leave it whole and intact outside of the Griddys.

Forgot how much I love Agnes

(Oh man it is storming bad here it just BOOMED)

Also idk if Diego actually deserved that taser hmmmmm but also like,, communication lads five was literally right there killing people and Diego is like “hmm something is up here” like. Yeah Diego ur big brother “I can get my sibling in trouble for something” senses are tingling

Wow I really did repress all these Allison and Luther scenes huh. Also it’s still super cute that Allison read Claire moon books

Allison: dads heart gave out, which wasn’t how I was expecting to find out dad had a heart but it tracks

“SHUT YOUR PIEHOLE BEN... said with love 😘”

Did five actually sleep at Vanyas?? The sofa looks undisturbed but he had to wait for work hours to interrogate the meritech people,, five,, please sleep. The whole “IF YOU CALL ME YOUNG MAN ONE MORE TIME” interaction makes more sense with five on. Zero sleep.

I didn’t remember that Patch straight up knows about the umbrella academy oops. Like she clocks Diego as overcompensating for his childhood. Queen

Is that an umbrella adademy Diego cross stitch on Diego’s wall?? Did he buy that? Make it?? Did grace make it?

Vanya, walking into the academy: five??? five? pspspspspsps

Also like. Who was Vanyas therapist??? Clearly they did not help her

Aww the tow truck driver :(

I know the show wants me to dislike Patrick I KNOW,, and I think her fathers funeral is extenuating circumstance?? But still Patrick is valid for not giving an inch regarding his ex who mind controlled his child. Vanya didn’t really deserve Allison snapping at her but like. She had some good points. Allison arguably would have had to deal with vanyas book more than anyone else

Five smiling proudly at Klaus’s drama at meritech bless but also KLAUS DONT BREAK GLASS ON YOURSELF

Me, spotting Leonard: BASTARD

Love how everyone greets Diego in the gym and don’t question all his knives or anything like “yeah that’s Diego he lives here and loves knives :)”

Why could Leonard have not been like. A normal ass guy. Vanya needs friends who sympathize with her holy shit get this person some socialization

Pogo really did have to lead these kids by hand to the recording rooms because literally no one was super invested in reginalds ~murder mystery~

ahafahJAGSJWGAI MY ROOMMATE JUST SAID POGO IS THE BEST CHARACTER SO FAR,,,, I will probably never include pogo in my fics because I do Not Care About Him lmaoooo

Aww five does to see Dolores and being like “it’s been a rough couple of days :(“,,,,, baby,,,, but also tag yourself I’m hazel going “elastic wrist splint yesssssss”

Five I am begging you PLEASE get some sleep

OH FIVE SHAKING DIEGO IN THE APOCALYPSE TO TRY AND WAKE HIM UP OHHHHH OH :(

Episode 3:

my roommate is super faceblind which is an issue bc she identifies people mainly by hairstyle so seeing the s2 stuff on tumblr is tripping her over bc she keeps seeing diego and going ??? who is that again? bc she’s seen his longer hair

okay there is no way that the eggs that grace put in that pan are the ones that ended up on the smiley face breakfast plate,,, but also grace that whole scene was a mood honestly i would be like “okay maybe mom killed dad BUT he deserved it sooooo”

“what the FUCK” - my roommate about cha-cha’s shitty wound care where she holds a curling iron against her arm

i didn’t remember that five got shOT AT THE DEPARTMENT STORE did i just erase that from my memory?? i mean yeah it’s a graze but he stitches it up and then slaps a bandaid on it so he has a wound that needed stitches on his shoulder for the entire show ??????? is he okay???? that would make moving your arm,,, painful,,,,,

a bandaid just slapped over it i’m actively yelling

“Sometimes when I see a million gifs of a show before I watch I get really surprised when they talk but he is exactly what I expected” - my roommate, about five

“I noticed they’ve only really showed diego in really badly lit scenes so far” - my roommate defending her lack of ability to recognize diego

i’m still laughing about pogo literally having to point out the murder tapes and now allison and luther are investigating and just. allison is lowkey defending grace and i’m laughing

“why is he saying woodwork is embarrassing that’s like one of the most middle of the wood hobbies to have. you’re respectable to grandpas who used to carve wooden ducks AND twenty-year-olds who can’t make anything to save their lives” - my roommate on leonard peabody

“i think he’s already crossing some lines he’s met this lady ONCE” - roommate on leonard/vanya

five having flashbacks in the car :(

did allison and luther draw straws for who went to fetch which sibling?? allison was like “dibs on vanya” and luther was just like “aww :(”

five luther and klaus in the van - BOYS NIGHT BOYS NIGHT let’s go pick up diego

“the coat he’s wearing does have a nice swish to it” - roommate about klaus’s coat

luther being like “you’re just as messed up as the rest of us and we’re all you have” like luther,,, baby,,,,, you literally ARE all he has,,,,,, his family is the only thing he’s really cared about since he was thirteen and maybe before then :(

“I can’t tell if those are supposed to be cake or yeast donuts... i think extruded donuts are cake donuts but she said she lets them rise so maybe they’re yeast?” - my roommate focusing on all the things that i do not

sometimes i forget that hazel and cha-cha pretended to be private detectives trying to find a lost child in a potentially dangerous situation,,, five would be disgusted

“she shouldn’t get a vote” “i was gonna say i agree with you” “she should get a vote!!” this is peak sibling energy honestly i think i’ve had that exact interaction with my siblings voting for a movie or something

“hashtag android rights” 

“I want to be the tailor who gets a call one day that says ‘i want you to make clothes for a chimpanzee”

is it telling that only luther in the flashback didn’t really talk to grace at all,, i mean five didn’t either but i think he was gone by that point in the flashback ???? 

wait diego tells grace that she worked for him for thirty years,,, the kids are 29 and later it’s implied she was built bc vanya kept killing nannies when they were like four but maybe s2 clarifies that some more?? or diego just is rounding up

“that’s an interesting fabric to her skirt” - my roommate about grace’s outfit

forgot that hazel and cha cha broke the door to the manor busting in,, do they ever fix that?? we’re only at episode three do they spend the rest of the season with their door open to anyone on the streets

okay that bathtub is WAY too small to allow for klaus to be moving his elbows about like that underwater smh

“how is HE useful on mission??” my roommate about klaus

where is the SECURITY SYSTEM??? luther LITERALLY said that reggie was more paranoid and yet some assassin can just bust down the door and have unrestricted access????? he built a whole ROBOT but no security system????????

“maybe it was like,, practice for the kids? someone breaks in and they take care of it? wait no that doesn’t explain the thirteen years they’ve been gone?”

“why WAS he on the moon?” - about luther

“I want to see what she’s embroidering!!” about grace during the gunfight in the living room she’s absolutely ignoring diego getting shot at

what is a rope-a-dope,,,, diego yells “EVER HEARD OF A ROPE-A-DOPE???” at luther but like. no i haven’t. what does that MEAN diego

aww i forgot they played sinnerman, love that song

“what are you doing dude, rumor has it you’re not shooting at me that’s all you need to do” i mean. the roommate is not wrong. allison could just end the fight with a yell. i understand she’s pissed off and has rumor trauma but like cha cha is actively trying to murder them

how is luther not winning he literally has super strength. does hazel have super strength? just punch the man and knock him out jesus y’all suck at this smh

why is there such intense music we all been knew about luther’s strength - oH HIS BODY

forgot about that

is it allison’s fault that klaus got kidnapped because she didn’t literally just rumor them to give up?? like she literally has that power. she could have been like “i heard a rumor you left and forgot about us” it didn’t even need to be violent?? i understand she has rumor trauma but this i feel is allowable circumstances

diego showing his worry about vanya by getting angry which honestly i think all the siblings do that rip none of these idiots have even heard of healthy communication in their LIVES

you know,, i don’t think vanya can drive. she takes the bus. she took a taxi to leonard’s house. we see her walking a lot. does she know how to drive?? i imagine that the umbrella academy were taught bc of mission related stuff but,,, vanya wasn’t?? that’s just depressing tbh

[howtotrainyouragents]

Things I Noticed in the Hamilton Film

Soooo, I was supposed to have posted this last year when the film first dropped, and I forgot...

Anywayyyy, things that were new, from the album, or was obvious to everyone but me. This is literally just me listing details I loved for my own keepsake later on

I hope this film’s success (and the play’s hopeful continued success on stage), shows that Broadway plays can and should be filmed for everyone 

Lin Manuel Miranda is a brilliant writer, scriptwriter, musician, rapper, singer, and a genuinely lovely person, but I think my favorite part about him is his acting. He has such a pure naturalness and sincerity in his acting. He nails microexpressions/gestures and sometimes I forget that he’s acting

E.g., Lin’s devastation after Washington kicks him out 

There’s some songs I wondered what their purpose was, but watching it I understood. For example, Story of Tonight sets up the purpose of the revolution. Like, My Shot is Hamilton’s ‘I want’ song, but Story of Tonight is all of the revolutionaries ‘I want’ song, and that’s why it comes up again for Laurens and Hamilton at their ends

Samuel Seabury’s acting was gold

In Right Hand Man the way the backup stage/cast lights up as they sing ‘not throwing away my shot” and Hamilton agrees to work for Washington

The fact that Helpless ends with “You’ll be a new man” because Hamilton is still so obsessed with his own ascendency  

HOLY FUCK RENEE ELISE GOLDSBERRY

They way they start Satisfied, it’s like Angelica doesn’t know the true extent of her devastation until she gives her toast and says “satisfied”. Like, she knows what she’s done but she’s still thinks this is fine and this is for the best, and it’s not until this moment that the weight of it fully hits her. By the end of it, it’s like she’s barely holding it together for this toast

Towards the end of the song, Eliza kisses her cheek and Renee’s expression is like she’s about fall apart in that very moment from the sheer overwhelming joy and pain

So in Helpless when their talking about letters, Peggy does a cute random shimmy while handing Eliza the letter. But then in Satisfied we see that she’s doing the shimmy to the beat of Satisfied, meaning that she knows how Angelica feels and knows about the love triangle 

I’m trying really hard not to scream about the rewind of all the dance and action in Satisfaction but please know I am internally screaming about this forever. 

Almost forgot, Burr and Hamilton were friends at one point. Burr shows up for his wedding to wish him well :(

I wasn’t gonna scream that much here, but LESLIE ODOM JR. 

Leslie’s smile- amused and scoffing disbelief- when singing about Hamilton in Wait for it

Speaking of Wait for it, the way the whole cast is waiting on stage and the balconies as Burr sings. and the way the dancers shift to Hamilton’s direction when Burr talks about him 

Also the lighting creates boxes on the stages, like Burr is trapped. But then this reappears in Your Obedient Servant 

I never knew the lyrics were “This is commonplace, 'specially 'tween recruits” and not “’tween corps” in Ten Duel Commandments...makes more sense

I think there’s 10 people in that line up in Ten Commandments 

The way Stay Alive conflicts Hamilton’s precious notions of sacrifice, and forces him to shift his focus from dying to legacy

The mimic of the bullet in Stay Alive 

The way that Eliza is also so excited about the war and the scholars in The Schuyler Sisters and that excitement goes away after she has the actual risk of losing someone she loves because of the war 

Who’s the choreographer because DAMN (btw it’s Andy Blankenbuehler) 

Also the dancers lifting up other dancers for whole bars? Incredible

The way women are interwoven into the story of the war, singing the chorus and setting the scene and rejoicing with the soldiers at the end 

The fucking red lighting in Yorktown. Also, the shot in the song’s pause is one of the best shots in musical history. 

The fact that ‘black and white soldiers wonder alike if this really means freedom’ ‘not yet’ is a commentary on slavery and the line is said by Washington 

The brilliant way What Comes Next undercuts the gravitas of Yorktown . 

Also, King George loses more and more of his costume and moves around more as the show goes on. Also, blue lighting with “I’m feeling blue” hahaha

Lafayette and Hercules getting the same letter about Laurens + Hamilton’s sobbing. And Laurens’ singing ‘there will be more of us’, referring to the future generations who will fight and win abolition. 

Nonstop: 

Burr’s disgust while Hamilton rants. Hamilton’s pouting then childish glee at the beginning 

Burr stays at the bottom of the staircase after Hamilton climbs it. Also, Jefferson descends the staircase after Hamilton ascends it, indicating their statuses

The refrain of “How does a....” shows up in Nonstop as Burr’s “How do you write...” (other characters sing their own personal refrains but Burr sings this), and it’s like this ongoing, jealous, incredulous questioning of how Hamilton became so successful, and part of the answer of how he did it is that he doesn’t stop writing and working.

Regardless of which sister he ended up with, love was never gonna be enough for Hamilton

The way Daveed Diggs jumps and dances and dives across the stage in just about every song he’s in. The man truly deserved the Emmy 

Jefferson’s being surrounded by his slaves because he sucks 

Hamilton’s costume goes from white --> brown-->blue-->green-->black and someone with more color scheme expertise needs to dissect this for me please

The fact that even Burr peaces out when it comes to the affair, like, nope, this is too messed up even for me

An in-universe explanation as to why the Ten Duel Commandments and Phillip’s count is the same is that Hamilton’s killing (metaphorically and literally) in order to stay alive is a part of their family’s DNA.

Anthony Ramos is phenomenal at playing 9 years old then having to switch to 19

The fact that Phillip was probably so determined to defend his father is that this is after the Reynolds Pamphlet and everyone was humiliating and scorning Hamilton

The Room Where it Happened

Hamilton is like an apparation to him, and Burr is both scared and begging the ghost to reveal the truth

The fact that this song is a plot song and a ‘i want’ song and a villain song all at once. Also, the song picks up speed to signal the shift from historical recounting to ‘i want’ song

They replay the beginning where Jefferson/Madison call for Hamilton

Jefferson being the one to ask “Don’t you remember Lafayette”, and there’s like a slight change in his demeanor that’s more Lafayette then Jefferson 

Burr, Madison, and Jefferson discreetly talking to each other in Washington on Your Side representing their nefarious schedming. Also, Daveed Diggs keeps Jefferson’s limp even without the cane. Also Madison is angry at Hamiilton when he says “the bill of rights, which I wrote!” 

One Last Time: 

How perfectly the Bible verse reflects Washington’s opinion of legacy. The younger men are obsessed with preserving their own memories in history, but for Washington, his legacy would be that everyone would be safe and at peace. 

Washington’s practically crying at the end 

Hamilton asking Washington here to teach him how to say goodbye because Hamilton genuinely doesn’t know how: people left him before he could ever say goodbye 

We Know: Jefferson’s pure WTF face when he says “my God...”. In this reaidng, Burr definitely threatened him (I didn’t always intepret that way when listening). But Hamilton’s still an idiot. 

Hurricane: Once again, Lin’s facial expressions. The way the the chorus stands around and watches him. But also the freaking brilliant way that the dancers mimic the hurricane, and Burr and Maria are the only other people in the hurricane with Hamilton. But at the end, it’s just Hamilton and the desk 

Reynolds Pamphlet: The way Washington can’t even look at him, but Angelica gets in his face to yell at him. Also, Jefferson hands a pamphlet to the conductor 

This reading, Phillippa Soo sings Burn with so much rage and fury and that is pretty much my favorite part of this entire film

Hamilton’s face at “Alexander, did you know?”

The fact that Angelica narrates Uptown because it’s too intimate for Burr or anyone else to narrate. Eliza’s changing facial expressions as she slowly lets him in. The way Hamilton just completely breaks down and sobs

The Election of 1800: 

Jefferson shaking his head when Madison suggests Hamilton

Burr’s falseness is hilarious. He hands Hamilton a pamphlet. 

Jefferson’s look of resignation when Hamilton is making his decision, then starts dancing around when he’s won

The close-up of Burr’s face falling when he realizes who Hamilton has voted for 

The whole “runner-up becomes VP” thing made me think about if we could have had Hillary Clinton as VP, and I made myself sad. 

Your Obedient Servant: I always saw this song as a reflection of the custom, but I never fully appreciated how it reflects their relationship: their relationship has completely disintegrated, but their working to maintain this false appearance of friendship/civility that no longer has a place in their relationship. 

Also, Burr’s increasingly incensed and it does not help that Hamilton sends like a 12-page letter and the dancer even teases Burr

The guy who gives Hamilton Burr’s duel challenge plays Charles Lee. Karma 

The World Was Wide Enough

Burr’s POV then Hamilton’s POV, like this story has become less and less about Hamilton and he is no longer in control of who’s telling his story

The shot of Eliza walking away and in her wake, it’s Burr shooting 

Burr’s alone in the stage, finally realizing the world (aka the stage) was wide enough for the both of them, but it’s too late. Also, in part foreshadowing his own future: that he had the world before him regardless of Hamilton, but he was completely ruined after this duel

I definitely cried at ‘the orphanage’. Also I interpret the gasp at the end as her breaking fourth wall and seeing the audience and realizing that Hamilton’s legacy has continued even to today. 

[codenamed-queenie]

Who do you think has the best voice in batfam? How do they all sound like? Who has the best soprano voice and who has the jazzy baritone? Who has the customer service voice nailed? Spare voice headcanons please?

Alrighty, now this is my kinda ask!

(I’ll just apologize now for the length...)

I love the idea of a singing batfam, so here are my (long rambly) headcanons:

Bruce: As Batman, he sounds like a chain smoking grizzly bear gargling nails. But as Bruce Wayne, his voice actually isn’t bad. Singing-wise, he was one of those ‘prodigy’ children, growing up. Martha Wayne was best friends with a famous opera singer, so she insisted on teaching Bruce everything she knew about vocal performance. As a result, he has a beautifully rich baritone voice, and a pretty freaking incredible range. And as far as any member of the League or general public are concerned, Bruce/Batman doesn’t sing at all, so don’t ask. But with his family? Bruce has been known to crack a smile and sing a few lines on occasion. When he’s on his own? He lets loose. Sounds like Hugh Freaking Jackman.

Kate: Her voice is very clipped and to-the-point, which kind of fits with her personality. Could not carry a tune in a bucket, but that’s fine by her.

Dick: Dick sings second tenor. He didn’t sing much as a kid, coming from an acrobat family and all. But after Bruce took him in, Alfred took it upon himself to change that. He’s got a pretty great range, all things considered, and once Alfred got him hooked on singing, the boy does it nonstop. He’ll sing on patrols, he’ll sing as he fixes himself breakfast…basically anytime, anywhere. Songs off the radio, songs his friends introduce him to, that annoying jingle for a car commercial that’s this close to driving Tim insane? All fair game. Bruce once walked in on him while he was doing a dramatic rendition of Sia’s Chandelier–while literally swinging from the manor’s crystal chandelier. (Musicals are probably his favorites to do, though, btw.)

Jason: This boy has a deep voice. Definitely a bass. When he talks, it’s a little raspy, but not in a bad way, and he’s also got a bit of a Bowery accent. It especially comes through when he’s tired or ticked off. When he sings, though, he can go higher, all the way up to baritone if he wants. But while he’s been known to sing soulful, heartfelt pieces when he thinks no one’s watching, his true passion is for rap music. On Gotham’s streets, it’s pretty common for street kids to have impromptu rap battles, and you’d best believe Jay could hold his own.

Tim: Let’s face it. His parents were the kind of folks who signed their kid up for every activity under the sun. Soccer, Lacrosse, Underwater Basket Weaving, you name it. Why not vocal lessons? And Tim, ever the perfectionist, worked at his voice until he was satisfied with his own ability. His voice is higher than his brothers’; he sings first tenor, and can go up to second alto if he warms up enough. (I feel like he’d sound like Sam Tsui–check him out on Youtube!)  A few years back on patrol, he was a little too close to an explosion, and suffered a bit of hearing damage. So when he talks, Timmy’s just a little louder than everyone else, unless he works really hard to bring his volume down.

Barbara: As far as anyone else can tell, she’s never taken a voice lesson in her life, yet for whatever reason, this girl is just naturally gifted. (It frustrates the heck out of the others.) Her voice is a smooth alto. She almost never sings, though.

But being both the Oracle and a librarian in her off-time, she deals with dozens upon dozens of frustrated heroes and bookworms on the regular. Her customer-service voice is eerily on-point. So she either sounds pleasantly ‘eager to help’–or vaguely threatening. If she uses it on any of the Bats, they’re 110% more likely to do anything she asks. Especially Dick and Jason.

Stephanie: Huge musical theater kid growing up. When someone’s singing through the comms on patrols, if it’s not Dick, it’s definitely Steph. She’s a soprano, but has the best range out of anyone (aside from Bruce). Because of this, she’s always trying to imitate the others. To their surprise (and chagrin) she’s getting pretty good at it. So far, Steph has Tim, Damian, Cass, and Dick down to a T. She’s still working on the others, and someday hopes to achieve Bruce’s Bat Voice.

When she sings, she loves to initiate duets with her siblings. Tim and Jason will indulge her, more often than not. Sometimes Cass and Barbara will join in. Bruce has only caved once (and if asked, he will deny it). But Dick? He’s her go-to choice, since he’s DTS (down to sing) all day, every day. Once these two get going, they don’t stop until one of them loses their voice or the entire family shouts them down.

Cassandra: Cass has a very clear, soprano tone. It’s absolutely gorgeous, but she’s very shy and sensitive about her voice, and rarely sings. Whenever one of her siblings is injured and/or laid up in bed, though, she’ll softly sing them lullabies while they recover.

When she chooses to speak, Cass is very soft spoken, but has ways of making herself heard if need be.

Harper: She has a thick Jersey accent, and a no-nonsense tone of voice. No one has ever heard her sing, though. (She would not sing if someone put a gun against her head, tbh.)

Duke: Everyone figured he’d be into rap like Jason, since they came from roughly the same part of Gotham, but Duke’s true passion is jazz. His dad was in a jazz group, and Duke inherited his father’s smooth jazzy baritone. Low-key, he has the best voice out of all of them, and he’s super passionate, since music was a huge deal to his biological family. He loves singing during quiet nights in the cave, or on patrol. He’s gotten the most standing ovations from random cops and citizens, and even the mayor asked him to perform for a charity event once. (An offer Duke respectfully declined.) Out of all the others, he was voted ‘Most Likely to Burst Into Brooding Song On A Rooftop Somewhere’. Bruce is so proud.

Damian: Everyone hoped he’d inherit his father’s golden vocal chords, but for now, he seems to have taken after his Aunt Kate. This frustrates Damian to no end, and for a long time, he hated listening to any of his siblings sing, knowing full well that he couldn’t join them. After months of watching the kid shrink away from anything musical, Jason had enough. He sat the youngest Robin down and taught him an art form he’d picked up from the streets of the Gotham City Narrows: beatboxing. At first, Damian thought it was crass and inelegant, but he eventually got into it. Now? He’s very good at it. The kid has mad skills, and more often than not, his siblings’ll ask him to back them up during rap battles or musical numbers. Maybe he’ll grow into his voice someday, but for now, he’s totally fine with just ‘dropping a beat’ for the others.

Alfred: Has a very thick cockney accent, but can mimic just about any other British accent whenever the fancy strikes him. Like every other aspect of the butler’s life, his singing career is an enigma. The others have heard him sing before, and he’s actually pretty good. But sometimes, random people will come up to him on the street, gushing and screaming his name while they beg for an autograph. There’s a running bet amongst the batkids as to what that’s all about, but so far? It’s anyone’s guess.

Headcanons are my favs, guys, so feel free to ask!

[witchyinthekitchen]

This is a Vent Post about my Mother, Please do not reblog

This post is probably gunna be all over the place/time with things that I can remember/recall so bear with me here.

-Being told to make my own food bc mom was too busy with brand new baby (I was between 5-6 so poptarts were about all i could manage. I'd asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.) (my brother was a VERY finniky baby. If you weren't holding him he'd scream till his face went purple.))

-Tried to share interests in Anime/manga with her, when I asked her what she felt about it she said she couldn’t get into it and that it felt like a chore. (13-15 ish)

-Told her I needed therapy bc I was having suicidal thoughts. She took me, but then took me out once I started getting upset about the things i’d been talking about in therapy with my therapist because I'd come home in a bad mood.(15-16 ish)

-Went to Mother Daughter Group Therapy with her (there were other mother daughter combos) and she stormed out in the middle of it saying that we were only attacking her and not my dad too. (was 15-16 ish)

-Got into an argument about who i was voting for in the 2016 election while on vacation at Disney World (Hint it wasn't Trump like she wanted)(24 ish)

-Tried to gaslight me about trying to get everyone together to talk wedding stuff saying how she tried but that it all fell apart. (I have texts of her canceling it the day before we were all supposed to get together.)(26)

-Gets super defensive/upset any time I talk about “other mothers” in my life (MIL, BM)

-Has been super hot and cold with me during wedding planning and making passive aggressive comments about everything: Tell him to buy new pants for the engagement shoot 'bc I dont want him wearing baggy clothes -SO's Lost over 20lbs+ for the wedding and i'm so fuckin proud of him- “I don’t want to pay for hard alcohol for SO and his friends to drink at the wedding.” As if ½ the people invited weren’t all just her friends? ((All our friends live out of state/country so half the wedding is family and HER friends/neighbors.)) "I’m sure H*(SIL) and K*(MIL) have good counsel for you on _____," (Why would you say this when i'm asking for YOUR opinion? If i wanted their opinion i'd ask them.)

-4 months before the wedding she’s trying to talk me out of my venue saying we need to go look at the ones SO and MIL had suggested.

-Wants me to keep (BM)'s relation to me a secret even though i’m pretty sure 85% of the people who know me and are coming to my wedding know i'm adopted.

-Angry that I was moving out of the house at 21 with my SO she told his mother she hoped we’d fail. (In her defense she'd just been diagnosed with breast cancer and I'd done poorly in my last semester of college so parents thought it would be a good idea to take me out of college for a semester so i could live at home and basically be at my moms beck and call while also being expected to work 2 jobs (they'd told me the instant that the semester was over that i was expected to work 2 jobs) -That's at least how I was viewing that whole situation before I moved out- )

-As a kid I remember wanting to run away a lot. (Never away to a friends house but always to a park to live under a bridge like the goblin I am (lol)) (is it obvious I use self depreciating humor to get through things that I'm uncomfortable with? haha)

-I'd always hide things from her, even small things like a puzzle book i'd bought myself from the elementary school book fairs. i even began writing my diaries in code so she couldn't read them. Not that i ever caught her reading my diaries or what not but thats how afraid i was.

-The only things that stopped me from killing myself was the distressing thought that my mother would be more upset with blood on the floor than me being gone. (It was a constant worry of mine when I was having ideations.)

-When i was getting close to graduating high school the librarians told me they had a bunch of excess old books they were getting rid of and one of them happened to be the "Toxic Parents" book i've seen several other posts refer to. I took no other books besides that one. I hid that from her too. Looking back through it i remember there was a checklist in the book and i'd filled some of it out when i was younger. I most definitely am a people pleaser.

-We've never really been able to "talk" about things together like how my dad and i do and i think she's really jealous about it.

-The only way I feel comfortable talking to her is Via Email/Text because then that way i have a copy of all the things she's said. because i often forget things. (I honestly don't know how bad my memory is or if its gaslighting but i hope its just me being forgetful and not the latter...)

-I literally cannot let my SO do the dishes because my Mom would always do the dishes/clean when she was mad and bang pots around loudly and just even those sounds set me on edge.

-Her telling me that the careers i wanted to get into (IE: the Arts/Theater/Music) wouldn't make enough money and that they'd be fine as Hobbies but not as careers.

-She's continually trying to push me into a Customer Service Job because i'm so good at making other people happy. (talked to dad about this and he says i'm a very big people pleaser who doesn't like conflicts -cue nervous laughter about wedding planning-)

-Being around her for long periods of time is so physically/emotionally draining. I know that's probably a result of always being on edge with her and I always feel bad that I feel that way.

-Because she's said she hoped I'd fail (me and my So when I first moved out) I'm terrified of telling her anything personal going on in my life for fear that she'd take it out on me or use it against me (i got super anxious/scared when she came up to see me on my end of town once because we'd be stopping at the mall where i used to work and i hadn't yet told her that I'd quit that job.)

-I want to have a relationship with her. I want us to do fun Mom& Daughter things but at the same time I'm scared of letting her get too close to me again just to have it fall apart again.

-When I moved out (21) i went VLC with my whole family before i even knew what VLC was. I barely saw them (except for certain holidays/events.) I didn't talk to my dad for about 3 years because of this and am just now recovering that relationship with him (been 5 years now since I moved out)

-After I get married my plan is to move to CO. During that time i don't remember if my mom has mentioned if she'd miss me, but i do recall she has made multiple points to tell me that my dad says he would miss me.

-I had to beg for a 16th Birthday Party. She finally caved half a year later after I'd talked to my Therapist about it.

-pretty sure i'm the SG of the family (possibly Cousin 1 being the GC because she went to same University my mom did)

-Other family members on her side have stepped in to provide financial help to me on the promise that i wouldn't tell anyone. (probably to stop any gossip of favoritism)

I Don't know if she's an N or just really bad at expressing herself but her hot and cold attitude really sets off my anxiety that i've done something to piss her off and that she won't talk to me about it for a few weeks and then acts as though nothing is wrong/nothing happened. Planning my wedding is the MOST contact we've had in 5 years since i moved out and went VLC and i've been trying to use this as a way to bond with her better but anytime i think i'm getting somewhere Something happens and she's upset again. A phrase i've found myself come into saying recently is "I can't fix something that I don't know is wrong." So i've tried to take that approach when it comes to her. I know she's an adult and can choose for herself if she wants to talk about whats on her mind. I can't force her to talk if she doesn't want to but the anxiety it causes when she gets into these moods is really debilitating. I'm terrible at letting things go (especially if i think its my fault)

I'm Not Her Therapist, but if she has an issue with me I wish she'd just tell me instead of the Silent treatment for a week.

Trigger Topics that I've learned to Avoid at All Costs:

Anything about "Other Mothers" in my life.

Politics & Racism

Anything in the Past that happened.

My moving out

Anything that paints her as a "Bad Mother"(aka this whole post probably)

This post is a mess and I'm rambling. Thanks for sticking through this Brain Dump while I process. 

-Edit 2:

More things i'm recalling: For Christmas one year in front of my whole family (I was between 8-10 ish) she got me a set of underwear with the days of the week labeled on them and told me in front of everyone that "Maybe this would help me remember [to change my underwear daily]..."

One of my final years in high school I somehow managed to get a Cold Sore. My First Cold Sore ever and my lip where it broke out swelled up HUGE. I woke up the day it appeared ( a weekend thank the gods) and horrified went downstairs to tell my mom about it. I don't recall any words of sympathy other than "Cold Sores are caused by Herpes." I just remember breaking down into tears.

I mapped out a "Quiet Walking Path" that avoided all the creaky floorboards and steps in our house.

I get extremely anxious whenever I would hear my parents footsteps coming up the stairs. It got to the point that I could distinguish their steps on Carpet.

I jump/flinch (visibly) at loud noises, even if I know they are coming (movies songs ect.)

Routinely friended/unfriended me on Facebook before deleting it entirely (due to 2018 spying/hacking allegations)

I don't know if she means for these things to be hurtful but as someone who doesn't enjoy confrontation and is extremely sensitive to others feelings it just hurts y'know?

-edit 3: Attempted to talk to mom about her saying she hoped we'd fail via email. went about as well as expected. =Well, that clears a lot of things up. We only wanted you to be independent and happy, and it appears you are. End of story!

And for what it’s worth, I’ve said a LOT of things over the past 6 years that you didn’t hear about. And I’m not really sure where you heard “I hope they fail.” But I’m sure your source is 100%, and certainly not something you’d want to clarify with me.

I hope you got your apartment all squared away in Colorado. You should be under the 60-day notice by now! Woo hoo!

Let me know when you all are coming to get your stuff out of the house.

I’ll have it packed and ready for you.

-Mom

Am i reading into this too much? because it sounds like she's being hella passive aggressive about this.

-Edit 4: 7-19-18 Been venting about wedding planning being stressful on fb away from my mom since she doesn't have one anymore. I didn't realize she had fms reporting to her about my posts as she just randomly mentions via text that she wants to help me have fun while planning and that she wishes she could make it a happy time for me.

Edit 5: 9-26-18 Wedding is over finally. had our honeymoon and got moved out of our apartment back into my MIL's house. During the move we had to put all of our stuff into storage which includes Wedding gifts and thankyou notes. So Mom has been hounding me about getting them done and i've informed her several times that all of that is in storage and i havent been able to yet. She said not an excuse go buy more thankyou notes and write them all. I asked if Emailing a thank you would work, she says no must be hand written and mailed out (also who's paying for 100+ stamps: Me) Well Tonight she informs me that she's doing all the ones from her/my side and that she doesn't care if we do them for DH's side since SIL didn't send any thank you notes either. Cue big long talk with DH about all of this and he says not to worry about her being passive aggressive like this. Go and check my Email to find she sent an Email to me only with writing saying

"Dear all,

Thank you so much for attending --- wedding. Your presence was so important to me, and I know to the kids as well. Thank you also for the lovely wedding gifts you sent or brought. I know they are appreciated and will be enjoyed by the newlyweds. It was very kind and generous of you!

Unfortunately, --- is unable to send thank you notes, but I did want you to know that your gifts, and your presence at the celebration, were very important to all of us, and very much appreciated.

Fondly,

MOM"

currently I'm choosing not to respond and I wonder how our relationship is going to be going forward from all of this... I was so happy that the wedding was over so i wouldn't have to deal with this petty drama bullshit anymore but I guess thats just too much to ask for.

-She's also unfriended me on facebook again. I'm tempted to just block her to stop this wishy washy stuff from happening again.

[bixeapage]

MOON by Simaudio 240i Integrated Amplifier

From a consumer electronics point of view, and probably no other, things seem to be getting better. Easy setup and use, completely engaging sonics.

Highlights

Simaudio 240i Amplifier

Trickle-down engineering

As simple as possible

Sounds so good, shouldn’t there be a sacrifice at this price point?

Introduction

In the case of hifi, you are more and more likely to find solidly built, high quality products, for less money, than when I was a kid (inflation adjusted of course). For instance, the MOON by Simaudio 240i is an integrated amp at the low end of a long list of integrated amps that this Canadian hifi company makes but it seems to have little to no shortcomings sonically or otherwise.

SIMAUDIO 240I AMPLIFIER REVIEW SPECIFICATIONS

2 rear line-level inputs:

(unbalanced)

1 front-panel 1/8” mini-jack:

(for personal media players)

2 SPDIF digital inputs

2 Optical (Toslink) digital inputs

1 USB digital input:

(rear)

1 phono input

(MM only)

1 Preamp/Subwoofer output pair

¼” Headphone Jack

Home Theater Bypass Mode

Updatable Firmware:

(via rear RS-232 port)

Output Power:

@ 8Ω 50 Watts per channel

Output Power:

@ 4Ω 85 Watts per channel

S/N Ratio:

100dB @ full power

Frequency Response:

10Hz – 80kHz +0/-3.0dB

Crosstalk@ 1kHz:

-100dB

Intermodulation Distortion:

0.005%

Total Harmonic Distortion (20Hz-20kHz @ 1W):

0.02%

Total Harmonic Distortion (20Hz-20kHz @ 50W):

0.02%

Phono section

Input Impedance Capacitance 47kΩ 100pF

Gain:

40dB

Input overload:

40dB 58mV RMS

Signal-to-noise ratio (full scale @ 40dB:

104dBr

Frequency Response:

20Hz – 20kHz (±0.5dB)

Crosstalk @ 1kHz -95dB

IMD:

0.01%

THD (20Hz – 20kHz):

0.001%

DAC section

DSD Data Rates:

(2.8224MHz)

Double:

(5.6448MHz)

Quadruple:

(11.2896)

DSD Sample Rates:

DSD64 DSD128 DSD256 (via USB only)

PCM Bit-depth range:

16 – 32 bits (32-bit via USB only)

PCM Sampling Frequency Rates:

44.1 – 384kHz (352.8 & 384kHz via USB only)

Shipping Weight:

24 lb. / 11 Kg

Dimensions (W x H x D, inches / cm.):

16.9 x 3.5 x 14.4 / 42.9 x 8.9 x 36.6

MSRP:

$2100

Company:

SimAudio

SECRETS Tags:

MOON by Simaudio, Simaudio, 240i, integrated amplifier, integrated amp, ACE, Amplifier Reviews 2018

Design

Of course, when I was a kid, electricity had just been invented so some progress is expected.

The 240i is a nicely sized box, at just about 17 inches wide it will fill the standard sized shelf. As often seems to be the case, it feels heavier than the specified 24 pounds would lead me to expect. Yes, there is an obvious conclusion here, but I already said I’m not a kid anymore, so we’ll leave it at that, ok? The reason for the weight, real or perceived, is the sturdy steel case and inside, a substantial toroidal transformer which is visible through the mostly-vented top of the chassis.

For various reasons, I care most about the ‘amplifier’ part of an integrated amp. The 240i uses Simaudio’s favorite class A/B amplification to create 50W into an 8 Ohm load. In the ‘things are getting better’ department, the frequency response is specified as 10Hz – 80kHz. Unheard of not that long ago. But, is it unheard now? That is, can we hear to 80kHz? No, but another way to look at that spec is that the amp will have a very high slew rate, the ability to quickly change what it is telling the speakers – a very desirable characteristic for an amp. That’s what it’s supposed to do after all.

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Perhaps it’s sign of the times that there are only two analog input pairs on the back panel, next to five digital input options (2 SPDIF, 2 Optical and one USB). The digital inputs are capable of handling very high sampling rates. Starting from the top, the USB input will process a PCM signal as high as 384kHz, the SPDIF’s: 192kHz and the optical inputs: 96kHz. DSD is also supported, MQA is not but Simaudio does plan to implement that format in their streaming products starting next year.

I wondered if the DAC in the 240i was the same as in the rest of Simaudio’s digital offerings (which mostly use ESS Tech) so I asked Costa Koulisakis (Vice-President Customer Experience): “Not all our DACs use the same chipsets. We generally stick with the ESS Tech chipsets, because of their high quality and intimate understanding on how to best implement them. However, with chipsets, implementation is just as important as what chipset is chosen. This is why for certain products, others were chosen (for example, our 260D player uses Burr-Brown). The chipset used in the 240i is indeed ESS Tech.”

He went on to mention that the 240i is essentially a Bluetooth-and-streaming-free version of Simaudio’s all-in-one player ACE. Otherwise they are identical. Given the cost savings (acquiring an ACE will cost you $800 more) and the ability to add an external streaming device – supporting format-du jour – in the future, the 240i might be the better route. I have yet to hear MQA (I have a turntable) and I’m sure it raises both 1’s and 0’s to an entirely new level but I notice that there is another format supported by this DAC (and any other these days), DSD. But no one seems to care very much. Just sayin’.

Speaking of turntables, the 240i supports that, but in a starter-turntable kind of way. The owner’s manual makes it clear that only a Moving Magnet cartridge is supported: “…for use with turntables equipped with a MM cartridge ONLY.” Well, I’m here to make it a little less clear, a high-output moving coil is fine as well. I could see how Simaudio might want to keep things as simple as possible for newbies and themselves, but I would vote for making that extra statement in the manual. Just a few more bits on the design: The headphone amp, taken straight from the amplifier output and routed to a ¼” headphone jack which is right next to the personal-audio-player (1/8”) input. I thought this was begging for some sort of headphone mishap but actually it is the opposite (I think). If someone had headphones with the smaller plug, they’re standing there holding a 1/8” stereo-mini plug in their hand, having that 1/4” jack right next to the only 1/8” option, might serve to keep people from thinking that the smaller jack is an output rather than the input that it is. Of course, some people will not get that message but there shouldn’t be any dire consequences other than no sound.

The display, an OLED type screen glows a lovely teal and gives away the fact that there is a processor inside. More on this later.

The remote (called CRM-3) is the third generation of Simaudio’s lighter remote and my favorite of the bunch. There is an ornate and overly-heavy remote that ships certain of the Evolution line (higher end) and I have a CRM-2 that came with the 430HA (headphone amp). The CRM-3 feels very solid, has a bit of design to it and is easy to use (i.e., not a brick). Oh, and if you’re not using the remote, the volume knob is hefty. It spins easily but it has a weight to it. The buttons are very solid and when you take the unit out of standby mode, the relays make the sort of sound that makes you feel this thing will last. Likely it will, all Simaudio components have a 10yr warranty.

In Use

The owner’s manual is excellent, clearly written with extensive instructions on using the setup menu. I didn’t have to change anything from the defaults however, so I skipped straight to listening. Luckily this review unit had been out to other reviewers and so the recommended 400 hours break-in time had passed and I could get right to it. I started by substituting the 240i in the place of two other components in my home theater system (Arcam 888 pre-pro and Parasound Halo A51 5 channel amp). The Simaudio component didn’t do all that those do (surround, Dolby, DTS) but it does about all I need because even if I’m watching a movie I generally stick to two channels. The two speakers in this setup are Aperion Intimus 5B’s. The turntable is a Denon DP-60L (no, you can’t have it!) with an Audio-Technica AT440ML.

Listening mostly to whatever was on television before starting any serious listening I still was able to note right away a powerful, articulate sound. Voices have a clarity with the 240i. If there was a characteristic to the sound it would be what I call ‘chunky’ – distinct and pleasing edges. It goes especially well with rock and piano music. Anyway, there was a lot more listening to do.

Hooking up the Denon to the phono inputs gave me a clue as to what I was getting into – and it was good. It has been a while since I have reviewed an integrated, but I had expectations of limitations or colorations in the phono area. Those were quickly erased. I like to use Radiohead’s Amnesiac for auditioning, lots of stuff going on at once including scratchy backgrounds that could make all else disappear if not handled right. They were handled right. The 240i had tight control on the two-way Aperions, the bass drum on Packt like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box had both the snap and the depth that the recording delivers while Thom Yorke’s tenor was clean and distinct. The piano on Pyramid Song was absolutely lovely, rich with harmonics. Also, the attack as the hammers hit the strings is something that only the best hifi can pull out. It wasn’t all there with the 240i but it was there.

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Ok let’s jump ahead and compare the 240i to the best hifi. The best I have in-house is upstairs: Simaudio’s P8 preamp, 430HA Headphone Amp and two W-6 monoblocks. Speakers are Daedalus 2.1’s. A Parasound CD-1 is the only digital source. All are fed by a Furman IT-Reference 20i power conditioner (designed by Garth Powell before Audioquest stole him away). I can hear you: “It’s ridiculous to compare a $2100 dollar integrated to that mega-pricey stack of stuff!” But here’s the thing, it isn’t. In short, the 240i stacks up (sorry) quite well to my big rig. There is less of the black-background thing and the highs are not quite as high, lows not quite as low but a 240i could keep me happy for a long time.

Now here’s the ridiculous part, the power cords and interconnects I was using upstairs would add up to more than the 240i. But this is my new advice to people wanting to build a system: Get a good integrated (the MOON by Simaudio 240i would be the place to look first), spend as much as you can on good used speakers, and over time, spend the rest on wire. I was using a Shunyata King Cobra power cord which is usually plugged into my P8 preamp. Any notions I had about a characteristic chunkiness to the sound of the 240i, which I favor anyway, was gone. Replaced by the famous Simaudio neutral sound. The bane of audio reviewers, how to describe what is not there? Only after some time and switching back to the big rig could I identify the extra extension and black background that all those other boxes bring, the kind of sound that makes one stare at the speakers. Shelling out for crazy-expensive power cords for the 240i is not required however, the stock cord is no slouch and I also tried the very reasonably priced Pangea AC 9 Mk-II, not as smooth as the Shunyata but very nice.

I used a middle-ground, a Shunyata Venom-HC to improve the headphone sound a bit with the 240i. I was noticing that the hard-to-drive (600 Ohm) Beyerdynamic T1 v2 phones were sounding kind of closed-in unless I cranked the volume past the half-way point. With the hefty Venom-HC, they opened up at any volume. This also helped the soundstage migrate slightly forward and not be stuck in the middle of my brain.

Gillian Welch “Boots No. 1”

Switching back to speaker-based listening, I tried the Gillian Welch compilation double CD, Boots No. 1, played by the Parasound through one of the SPDIF inputs of the 240i, I was not going anywhere. Gillian’s and David Rowling’s voices were blending in that weird way that they do but it was always easy to spot David in the background, distinct. I’m still having a fond memory of listening to that record as I type this.

Hector Zazou “Cold Seas”

Another record I like to use for auditioning is Hector Zazou’s Songs from the Cold Seas. Seek this one out. The first track is another two-singers-at-once affair and the 240i completely rocked it. The second track is a sought-after Bjork rarity “Visur Vatnsenda‐Rósu”, which doesn’t rock, it haunts, and I was engrossed again – listening to music, not at all thinking about this review or analyzing the sound. Played the rest of the CD that way.

I pushed the 240i hard when listening to music, there was never a hint of any sort of over-taxing the amp, sound did not ‘break up’ or deteriorate with volume levels. In a similar vein the amp did not get overly warm, even in the confined space of my upstairs equipment rack I could still touch the sides easily. Best to not have a confined space though.

Oh, and yes there is a downside to aftermarket power cords, they are so big and heavy that as you might expect, they fall out the component. Happened when I was first trying to get the 240i going in my upstairs system. Took me a while to figure out what happened because there were no godawful pops or bangs through the speakers, the processor in there took care of creating an orderly shutdown. Things are indeed getting better for audiophiles.

Conclusions

The MOON by SIMAUDIO 240I is a A ‘starter’ hifi component that will actually serve well into the future both in capabilities and sound.

Likes

Ample power and an excellent built-in phono stage.

Would Like To See

Balanced Inputs

Phono stage loading adjustments

At the start of my time with the MOON by Simaudio 240i I was thinking of it as a starter component. Since it is at the bottom of the Simaudio offerings I would wager that they are hoping that it is the case, that is, that you think of this as a ‘starter’ and move up as time goes on. At this point though, I’d say that you could do that, or you could just stick with the 240i, building up around it if you felt the need, and just love your music. Highly recommended.

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MOON by Simaudio 240i Integrated Amplifier syndicated from http://onetwothreemovies.blogspot.com/

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Kidz Bop Halloween Music Assessment

Are you looking for the most effective Halloween music or ambient Halloween sound effects on your 2013 Halloween social gathering? If you're one of many service's free or premium listeners, finding the precise music for this yr's Halloween party shouldn'tbe an issue. Not exactly a mysterious or even actually a spooky song, within the context of Halloween Howlin' for You produces some nice imagery of a blood-starved (or perhaps just love-starved) werewolf but the first verse does seem to trace at the constructing madness within the narrator's mind. On the eighth day of Halloween my true love gave to me eight monsters shrieking, seven spells are going, six goblins gobbling, five scary spooks, four skeletons, three black bats, two trick or treaters, and an owl in a lifeless oak tree. Older children may get a kick out of making their very own music video to basic Halloween songs like Michael Jackson's Thriller. Provided that we already collected our scariest pop , rock , and love songs, it made sense to sit back our spines with a brand new beat. Se hace de noche is a comic story-joke and children can simply be taught to recite it. It's one in every of my favorite Spanish Halloween activities! Movin' & Groovin' in Music Remedy ~ Half 3 - Check out some of my original movement songs that can get your kiddos up and transferring during your session. The actual tune Snh48 mv Halloween Evening Completely happy Halloween should be only relating to tryout in case you determine to like the melody remember to choose the preliminary audio. The lesson plan contains downloadable flashcards, worksheets, songs and a classroom reader. We love these healthy Halloween snacks discovered on Pinterest so inventive yet very simple!

Depending on the number of youngsters you've got and the area you might have this can be achieved in different ways. The final will consist of six entries that, via 50/50 public televoting and jury voting, will be shortened to a top 2, winning entry will probably be decided by the gold ultimate' wherein the highest two entries in the remaining will battle it out for the title of Iceland's 2017 Eurovision entry, determined by public tele-voting. Pleasebe at liberty to incorporate some other Halloween celebration tunes within the comments part below that you'll have in yourplaylist this year! Howdytoons brings you the most effective music movies and cartoons for youths including Dinostory, Halloween Songs and Rock'n'Rainbow.

The Unique Nursery Rhymes - Learn aloud to friends and family well-known nursery rhymes and songs, such as Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, Jack and Jill, and Old King Cole. When the King of Pop was topping the charts, everybody wanted to re-enact the Thriller dance - and the oldies at your do still will. DC101's annual throwdown is among the greatest Halloween parties in the space, because of the costume contest's $3,000 money prize, which is decided by an viewers vote. Download these free Halloween bingo playing cards from Scouter Mother and you'll get a set of 10 picture bingo playing cards together with calling playing cards. If you'd like a modern take on this basic tune, Walk The Moon carried out this for the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters film. The first model of the nursery rhyme was written in 1795, shortly after the beheadings, and the nursery rhyme grew to become extra baby-friendly through the years. In case you are in search of a couple of grim traces that your kids can recite when they're out trick-or-treating, Spirits of the Dead poem has a few good strains for you.

Halloween is the evening earlier than the Catholic pageant of All Saints and the pagan Celtic festival of Samhain (1st November). Alison Mosshart's breathy vocals will provide help to justify your sexy Halloween costume this 12 months. The song tells a narrative about a group of mischievous monsters with a plan to steal the entire Halloween sweet they will discover! The drum rolls and sinister lyrics will inspire you toshowcase your deadliest moves on the dance floor. This is Halloween is the opening observe from the Halloween animated movie mascot The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas. It's a childish tour of a land based completely on the spooky components of Halloween. Halloween Night is a 2006 American horror movie produced by The Asylum Regardless of sharing an analogous title with the 1978 film Halloween , Halloween Night time is itself an original film as opposed to a mockbuster film , for which The Asylum are infamous. Please fill out the knowledge below to help us provide you a greater expertise. Homicide within the Red Barn is a sparse, sluggish shuffle dominated by a demented banjo that sounds like the strings are about to pop off and, as with so many Waits songs, it showcases the person's talent for scary narratives. Animated Nursery Rhyme and Songs - Watch these cool animated videos of in style nursery rhymes and songs. Earlier than Bert Convy was the host of recreation exhibits like Tremendous Password and Win, Lose or Draw, he released this rock 'n roll Halloween tune in 1958. Halloween night time at Nellie's Sports Bar kicks off with a displaying of the cult '90s kids's movie Hocus Pocus, hosted by native drag performer Ba'Naka, at 7 p.m. A costume contest follows, with prizes of $250 for the winner and $50 and $25 for the runners-up. A variety of types and monsters have been represented, to show the inventive breadth of Halloween music. Since being released the music has been featured in numerous cowl variations, commercials, and films - maybe it is best recognized for being a form of anthem for the Scream movie franchise. Souling is a folks custom which continues in some areas of England on Samhain, the night of October 31. Youngsters go about in teams and sing Souling Songs and beg for treats, similar to American Halloween. When you're looking to kill two birds with one stone, then pack a pirate costume to double as your Halloween costume and Pirate Night time costume.

Creating a playlist earlier than Halloween is advisable as it is one of the issues folks would need in a celebration. Jackson moonwalked into the Halloween corridor of fame with this, the final word anthem for October 31 and a classic at any time of 12 months. Although first on this list of 13 Halloween songs for youths, remember it is in alphabetical order, and never so as of quality or the editor's personal alternative of greatest to much less nice. Admit it, you fooled round with the lyrics to Jack and Jill a bit yourself whenever you had been youthful, turning what you thought was an harmless poem into something slightly bit naughty. Whether or not you select enjoyable, kid-pleasant tunes, atmospheric instrumentals, or heavy rock songs, including music to your Halloween party plans is sure to reinforce the celebration. Halloween is extra fun if you embellish the surface of your private home with numerous stuff.

There are 18 enjoyable http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a10246544/best-halloween-songs/ Halloween youngsters' songs for you to scare your little ones with in this class, but we're convinced there are tons extra scary songs out there we've got but to discover. I am conscious these songs may have reached you after your Halloween celebration weekend, but don't forget there may be still Wednesday night time (be careful to keep away from noise violations with elevated fines) in addition to this upcoming weekend (do not forget to rejoice Day of the Useless for some extra credit score), so don't pack away your costumes but!