#what if they liked ska together. huh.

[reelbigchip]

torchwood wips in big old twenny twennyfor. what the hell am i doing

[the-words-we-sung]

The songs of Young Royals - S1E2 & E3

And I'm back with another song analysis article ^^ You can find the first one (in which I covered the songs from S1E1) here. I'm gonna do 2 episodes in this post because there are not many songs in episodes 2 and 3!

No tomorrow, Ty Frankett, Stephane Lo Jacomo and Myariag Summers

I'll be in my feels They know I'm the truth When I'm pullin' up I'm bulletproof I don't really care 'bout the rules The most cool Wilhelm has ever looked ^^ He was all blushing and stressed during lunch about what almost happened with Simon, but here he's collected, alone but looking like he doesn't care and just plays it cool. He's the Prince so I guess it's true that the "rules" don't really apply to him but is he "bulletproof"? Unfortunately the whole debacle that is gonna happen with the sex video will prove that statement wrong... (We also know that most of the students at Hillerska don't care that much about the rules, and August says it himself: they could "murder someone and nobody would say a word")

ALPHA, Yung Titties

ABC I'm the alpha bitch If you wanna know who runs this shit ABC I'm the alpha bitch When I'm in a car, I'm driving When I'm on a date, I'm buying Yes girls!! They run this shit ^^ I like that they choose this song when we see the 4 girls hanging out together. I do like them (Felice, Stella, Frederika and Madison) (putting Sara on the side because *complicated feelings*) They're far from perfect but compared to most of the guys in the school, they're pretty cool. I love Felice and how smart/nice/strong she is, and I love her friendship with Wilhelm later on. I hope she'll become even more badass in season 3!! And Madison is the best (and one of the few people in this school who is not terrible to Simon). The song stops as soon as August arrives and takes a chair to sit next to Wilhelm: because yeah, he's not an "alpha". I like that Madison and Felice don't take shit from August: when he starts mocking Simon and Sara (after Felice invites them to the movie night), they immediately tell him off. Then we see Vincent and Nils join August and start bothering the girls (throwing gums/candies at them) and they're not impressed: it's a very short scene but it highlights the fact that they're not interested in their stupid behavior. It's also the episode in which we see the difference between the girls and the boys when it comes to their relationships: we learn at the beginning that Madison and Nils hooked up during the party, but also that Nils was bragging about it and giving the experience a 9/10 while Madison admits doing it mostly because she was bored and not being at all into Nils. We also see August pursuing Felice who is not interested at all. Who run the world? Girls!!

Äter upp dig, Maxida Märak

Nu ska vi leka hela världen är våran Huh inga hinder är för svåra Flyger över alla jag är lätt som en fjäder Strike like a pro BDSM läder Good boys gone bad Alla ser rött King Kong gone mad Jag är blöt du är naken Okay so it's a bit hard to do this one because it's in Swedish and I'm definitely not there yet with this language ^^' From what I understand with the translated lyrics, it's quite a "sexy" song (with some violent undertones: being a wolf, being naked, being wet, good boys gone bad, etc.). The first sentences are about playing and how they have the whole world, which is interesting because it's the parents day at Hillerska and we are introduced to a lot of upper class people, people who have a lot of money and power. In this sense, they are the people who can use the world as a playground: they have the means for that. They're rich and powerful, they're above. The lyrics are also about getting angry though, "seeing red, King Kong gone mad": a little nod to Simon and Sara being pebbles that are gonna throw the whole machinery off? During the lunch, Sara is going to mess up Felice's family with the riding issue (and they're the richest family apparently!). Wilhelm is also gonna upset the order by not sitting at August's table but choosing instead the one table with a family that doesn't belong to Hillerska's upper class environment. So I guess yeah, things aren't going to go that well. And to top it off, August is gonna learn that his family is in fact broke! Oh, how the rich and mighty have fallen...

Hillerska Song

Hope and faith wherever we roam As we make our way back home Oh, we meet with open hearts Another one in Swedish but with the English subtitles directly in the show so it makes it easier to understand ^^ Simon and Wilhelm look SO happy and smiling and smitten in this scene 💜 I like the idea of making their "way back home" because they're not there yet, but they're getting there: being a safe space, being home for each other. And yeah in this scene they still have "open hearts", because Erik has not died yet, because the sex tape hasn't been made/released yet, because none of the awful stuff that is going to make them close in on themselves has happened yet. And Wilhelm is so cute and happy (and it's gonna become very rare to see him like that afterward) that this song deserves another picture ^^

The songs of Young Royals - part 1

[talenlee]

Decemberween ’23 — Behind The Bastards

I like depressing media, apparently.

Produced by Robert Evans and a bunch of other people I can’t immediately credit off the top of my head, Behind the Bastards is a podcast that releases about three episodes a week, with a standardised format of Robert, with research on hand, explaining a historical narrative about the worst goddamn people in history, both current and in the past, and the ways in which their ways of being have resulted in a suckier world. Evans’ particular style of journalism is extremely dry and sarcastic, but also seems to project just holding tight on a deeply white hot held rage about the world and the way it is.

And he podcasts about it, reading this story to a friend, who gets progressively more sad and upset over the course of the episode.

Because of the scope of Behind the Bastards, a podcast that releases something like three episodes every week, is so vast, I don’t recommend just grabbing a starting point and plowing through it. There are trends, subjects that the host, Robert Evans relies on, and they tend to be expressed in who he brings on board to talk to.

There’s a lot of general content warning stuff of course. I mean it’s a podcast about terrible people, so sexual assault, both of adults and children comes up. Genocide is pretty common, both in the big one everyone knows about (the Holocaust) but also all the other examples of it as executed in less holistic ways. Things like schools that sought to exterminate a language, that’s genocide. An attempt to sterilise a population based on racial lines? That’s a genocide too! And of course, all the talk about White Genocide is by people who want an excuse to kill all the nonwhite people which is also genocidal. Attempts to drive people out of the country they’re living in, like the ethnic cleansing in Syria? Oh that’s genocide too.

I guess what I’m saying is: You’re going to learn a lot about awful people.

There’s a real philosophy behind what constitutes being a bastard. What does it mean to be a completely arsehole? Some people in this podcast are thoughtless and stupid and make mistakes on minor scales, that nonetheless involve doing something really bastardly. Sometimes it’s people who are important in a massive, widespread way to a whole bunch of people you have no reason to think about in your day to day life. Like did you know the dictator of Turkmenistan built a golden statue of himself, but more handsome and jacked, and made it turn to always face the sun? Weird, huh? Bet you didn’t know Turkmenistan existed before now.

The result is a really interesting kind of mix of general world history, current events, journalistic ethics, deep dives into modern political figures, and sometimes, incredibly important things that the podcast can get you started on. It’s well-sourced, consistently thorough and open about its position on such things.

But if it’s a big dense podcast, with lots of threads to work from. Where to start?

All Fertility Doctors Are Bastards | BEHIND THE BASTARDS

Watch this video on YouTube

First of all, I recommend checking out the early episodes that Evans made with Billy Wayne Davis, which centre on themes of quack medicine. Billy Wayne has a particularly drawling delivery that presents an incredible sarcasm in response to Evans’ overreach. This thread will involve talking about balls.

Then there’s the times Dr Mister Cody, former Cracked Alumnus, and Katy… not-Stoll? Oh it’s Katy Stoll? And I could go back and edit it at any time and not have this extra clause in it? But I’m not? Anyway, those two, who make the Youtube Channel Some More News. Thing is, that’s really funny, is that these three, together, made me swear off Behind the Bastards on my first impression because the first time they showed up was on an episode where they made a bunch of jokes about the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was in this episode that they called a ska band with multiple black members ‘the whitest band in the world,’ which I mean, look, like, Paramore? Brooks & Dunn? Most Yacht Rock? Reel Big Fish is right there.

I kidf you not, this opening of hearing them talking about Ska music as ‘the whitest thing’ just convinced me this was another group of people who huff their own farts and figure ‘if I haven’t heard of it, I can discard it as being inadequately leftist.’

Then Dicky Barrett came out as an anti-vaxxer and the Bosstones broke up over that, which, y’know, that sucks as well.

Eventually I needed some long form content and I saw there’s an early episode on King Leopold of Belgium, who sucked shit and I thought I’d check it out and give the show another chance. I’m really glad I did, I really enjoyed it!

What We Learned From Ben Shapiro's Racist Novel | BEHIND THE BASTARDS

Watch this video on YouTube

Oh yeah anyway, point is, they get in these two in to talk about reasonably current events, or going over things like Ben Shapiro’s attempts to write dramatic fiction. That’s funny!

But there’s also some more serious stuff, like roundtables and discussions of what it was like protesting the police in Portland, or the ways that outside agitators at the Unite The Right tried to manipulate leftists into giving the police an excuse. And of those, there’s my favourite, which is a two parter on the history of the Black Panthers, which was cohosted by a guy who grew up with Black Panthers in his household:

Part One: The Bastards Who Killed the Black Panthers | BEHIND THE BASTARDS

Watch this video on YouTube

If you like bastards, or more specifically if you hate bastards and want to confront the way that the world we live in is populated by and peopled by a tiny fraction of people who are complete shitheads. You get that right? Like, this isn’t ‘wow the world is fucked’ but rather ‘the ways the world are fucked are the result of people doing things, and those people are historically, underpunished and undercontrolled and maybe that doesn’t need to be permanent as a way to treat the world?

But you know, that’s just a thought.

Hey, do you own bolt cutters?

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[betweengenesisfrogs]

The Triumph of the Marginalia

Marginalia, n.:

1 : notes or embellishments in the margins (as in a book)

2 : nonessential items

-Troll OED

Is it just me, or is Nepeta and Equius’s arc the most slept-upon piece of brilliance in all of Homestuck?

A brilliance, might I add, that culminates in possibly the most triumphant, fulfilling emotional moment in the entire work:

https://www.homestuck.com/story/7928

*stands back and beholds its majesty while from the background comes the sound of James Roach brutally murdering ska*

No, but actually, I mean this 100% unironically, and by the end of this post, I think you’ll agree with me.

By now, I think we all understand the Act 6 double metaphor: the series of temporal loops and universes that Lord English commands is paralleled with, and in fact totally identical to, the narrative of Homestuck. Our characters’ lives exist within this context. They struggle to escape it, and are defined both by it and by the rejection of it.

Enter Nepeta.

The metaphorical meaning of Nepeta in Homestuck is irrelevance, and that’s why she’s the most relevant character in any discussion.

Nepeta was one of the characters killed off during the Murderstuck arc. Hussie argued that she was perfect for this role. In fact, I believe he said something like “Nepeta is sweet, but if you look up the dictionary definition of ‘expendable character,’ you’ll see a picture of Nepeta playing with a ball of yarn and looking very cute.” She’s an endearing combination of shipper girl and apex predator, but not one of your Vriskas or Terezis in being a driver of the plot. Hussie, it seems, created her just to round out the troll cast. He described one of his purposes in Murderstuck as being to axe some of the less necessary trolls to reduce the scope of his character list.

Except that didn’t really happen, did it?

Like a cat with nine lives, Nepeta just keeps coming back.

Equius is another addition to the troll cast who gets pushed away from the main action. He was a character-writing challenge: how do you make someone who’s gross, uncomfortable, and racist kind of likable anyway? I’d argue Hussie succeeded, in large part because of Equius’s relationship with Nepeta. By the time you finish with Hivebent, you’ll probably have a little fondness for their moraillegiance. And if that doesn’t do it, the conversation that serves as their swansong in Equius: Seek the Highblood will tear your heartstrings to shreds.

Because Equius dies, tragically clownmurdered. There was, at the time, some stink over this from Equius fans. Would he have really let himself be killed so easily? Hussie countered: yes, and it was the most in-character thing he could have done. He died doing what he loved: being asphyxiated erotically and horrifically by a superior. Truly, there could be no more fitting end to his character than that.

And yet.

No sooner did Hussie complete his self-appointed story cleanup challenge than he immediately began to undo his own work. It’s almost as if, in declaring his intention to own those who preferred more characters to narrative economy, he immediately had to own himself??

By the time we get even a little way into Act 6, we’re deep in the dreambubble landscape, meeting dead characters left and right. And who should show up there but Equius and Nepeta? Equius attempting to get it on with a bunch of Aradias, who dump him. And Nepeta, living out her romantic dreams as a representative of a timeline where she got together with Karkat. They both appear as symbols of this deadness, this irrelevance. Except that that brings them back into the story, into the spotlight – the opposite of where they’re supposed to be!

Like many bits of commentary, Hussie continues to incorporate the metaphor Nepeta=Irrelevance into Homestuck. Karkat’s remark on their journey that he would love to meet “FIFTY FUCKING NEPETAS” and embark on “NEPETAQUEST” alludes to formspring remarks to the effect that, no, Homestuck was not going to have much time for the minor characters. Except it clearly did.

Why couldn’t the narrative let the meowrails go? Was it that despite the economy of Murderstuck, something was still incomplete? After all, one of Equius’s charms was that he appeared to be growing into a less repressed, kinder person. In Seek the Highblood, we see him letting his guard down enough to roleplay with Nepeta for a change. Their love for each other: wasn’t that ultimately what could redeem Equius in our eyes? So his dying and thus failing to protect her–isn’t that something that should be addressed?

You could imagine many a Nepeta and Equius fan saying this to Hussie back in 2011.

But Hussie was already saying it to himself.

The duo come roaring back into the story in the Trickster mode arc, mid Act 6, thanks to Gamzee’s ridiculous resurrections. True, Nepeta is still reduced as part of Fefeta, the character formed from killed-off girls who never speaks onscreen. But doesn’t using that fact as a running gag kind of draw our attention to it? Doesn’t the fact that Fefeta talks to Roxy constantly offscreen inform us that once we get outside the frame of the narrative, Nepeta has a rich inner life and countless stories to tell?

And it’s here that Equius gets something he never got in his original “arc:” the chance to apologize to Nepeta. You’d be forgiven for missing it since there’s so much else going on at the time, but he does, while fused with AR. Here’s what you’d miss, though: he’s grown as a person in the afterlife. He’s come to regret that moment of weakness, where his fetish kept him from protecting his moirail. Impossible as it seems, he’s continuing his character arc.

The scene ends with Fefeta exploding (she’s also, after all, dealing with Eridan), but it leaves us with a tantalizing question:

Will Nepeta forgive Equius? Is there even a plausible time and space in that story when she could respond to his words?

Do you see what’s happening here? Instead of being erased, Nepeta and Equius are starting to slip the bounds of the story that killed them. They leap in and out of the frame, half-mythical figures. Marginalized, they write their own stories in the margins. They exist in complete defiance of the original logic of Homestuck.

Lord English is an alt-Author figure, a dark, brutal reflection of narrative control and narrative necessity. His world, in which horrible choices are necessary, in which the alpha timeline is a ticking clock leading inexorably to his manifestation, is one that beats down people not deemed important enough by his narrative. Which makes it identical to the one we’re reading. Throw all the unnecessary characters in the trash. Kill them off, if it suits my purposes. The world doesn’t need Nepeta.

Which is precisely why it does. Because isn’t defying Lord English the entire point? Isn’t it what Homestuck reveals as truly heroic?

What might Nepeta be capable of?

Let’s talk about two other victims of English’s forces of marginalization. Davesprite might be the most quintessential example. He teaches us what the alpha timeline is and how it works, by going back to fix a doomed timeline and submitting to being doomed himself. Except he merges with a bird and avoids that fate. Okay, but he clearly gets killed off fighting Jack in Jade: Enter. Except he comes back and hangs out with Jadesprite. Okay, but he dies in the planetsplode in the Retcon. Nope, he comes back from that, too. Huh. He keeps slipping the fate decreed for him by – who else? Lord English.

But it’s a struggle, clearly. He’s caught up in various cycles of guilt and shame. Over being “not the real Dave.” Over his feeling that he has to be a hero in the sense Bro demanded he be. Hussie describes Davesprite as fitting the “way of the unbroken sword:” his experiences have led him to believe in being strong and capable at the expense of all else, in contrast with the other Dave, whose belief in Bros’ toxic ideas is beginning to slip – the “way of the broken sword.” And where did Bro get his toxic ideas from? At least in part, the whispering voice of the soul of Lord English.

Now we turn to Dirk. Like Dave, Dirk has a marginalized, “less important” splinter self but it’s more of a pressing concern. AR shows Dirk’s darker side: exhibiting manipulative tendencies that human Dirk is trying to move away from. He’s also a copy removed from humanity, who feels an understandable amount of disillusionment about being removed from physical existence and his own identity. But as much as Dirk may splinter, like his dumb anime sword, he never breaks. What this means in the symbolic language of Homestuck is that Dirk lives fully, instinctually, in the way of the sword. He believe in a world of hard choices, masculine heroism, and necessity. Ultimately, this, too, is part of what makes Bro so harmful to Dave. In AR and Davesprite, we have a strange parallel: two splinter selves, both of whom are enmeshed in the logic of LE.

Except AR, unlike Davesprite…kind of is LE.

What is Lord English composed of? Well, there’s Caliborn, the most unrepentant shithead of all time. There’s Gamzee, embodiment of horrifying clownery. And then there’s AR, a version of Dirk even more removed from the person he wants to be.

And…Equius?

Allow me a moment to get really indulgent and take a big puff on my Homestuck scholar’s pipe.

The metaphorical meaning of Equius in Homestuck is: sort of growing out of being a creepy racist.

Or maybe let’s say: the opportunity to do that. We said that Equius was on the verge of being redeemed (even had been, in the eyes of many readers). What does it mean to stick him in with Lord English’s souls? It means two things:

1) Equius is a product of his society, which was shaped by Doc Scratch, aka by Lord English, both of whom are kind of him, but Scratch picks up on his traits especially. This is a recognition of that fact: the part of him that sucks is, itself, Lord English in a dizzying loop.

2) Equius’s story is a tragedy. It is the story of a kid who started to escape his society’s tendencies, but was sucked back in by the evil force behind them.

Although…maybe that’s not the whole story.

Because both Equius and AR aren’t really that bad. AR’s pretty understandable, and by no means beyond the possibility of goodness. And the combination of the two? Honestly, pretty harmless. They counter each other’s worst tendencies by devolving into a weird goofball. In fact, AR even says he wants to do something heroic: to sacrifice himself for something really important. He does, kind of, mustering a last-ditch robohorse assault on Caliborn. But at the same time, this is the substance of his tragedy. A hero whose defeat of a great evil forces him to become the substance of that evil. Which could not be a more fitting summary of how these characters function in their story.

But maybe that’s still not the whole story.

Enter Davepeta.

At first glance, the creation of Davepeta seems like Hussie’s most batshit troll move yet. I feel pretty confident in saying that even those who predicted either of these characters returning didn’t see that one coming. However, a few pages of Davepeta’s presence reveals a fundamental truth:

Davepeta is fucking amazing.

In them, Davesprite’s depressive moods are buoyed up by Nepeta’s upbeat optimism. Nepeta’s reclusive shyness is balanced by Dave’s tendency toward brash banter. Both of them gain confidence from being the new person they are. They quickly let go of ideas inherited from the world that kept them from self-knowledge and happiness. Dave, his toxic masculinity; Nepeta, her fear.

A great point I’ve seen made is how much Jasprose and Davepeta resemble fantasy selves for Rose and Dave: indulgent, technicolor manifestations of people they could be if they let go of inhibitions and limitations. But I think Davepeta is the most unambiguously positive of the two.

The metaphorical meaning of Davepeta in Homestuck?

Growth.

Not giving a fuck about what the world thinks. The world, aka Lord English. Because Lord English could never have predicted that his machinations would also spawn a confident, powerful fusion of two beings he had discarded as totally irrelevant.

They’re also a multicolored non-binary furry, so that’s even more points in the pissing off shitheads column.

They are someone Lord English never conceived of, never could have conceived of, but which lay as potential within his domain all along.

And if Lord English is a reflection of the author, of what Hussie feels one has to destroy or sacrifice, than Davepeta is an indulgence existing in defiance of all that.

And this makes Davepeta the most powerful person of all.

They are the light at the end of the tunnel. They are the person you could be, if you could get past your mental shackles and just grow. It may not be possible to ever get there as a mortal human, may only be for a godlike sprite, but striving to be like them matters, is purpose and fulfilment enough.

And they love ARquius.

Nepeta believed in Equius, believed he could grow, and was growing. So as much as ARquius traps himself in a Lord English loop of his own making – grown, perhaps, out of Dirk’s belief that there should be a loop, that importance is admirable—Davepeta pulls from him, in his last scene, his finest qualities. His love.

Equius asks forgiveness again, and this time, Nepeta’s able to give it. Davepeta easily accepts ARquius’s apology, an apology which never could have existed within the confines of a normal narrative. A reconciliation that both of them fought for by defying their narrative, by existing outside it. By being not the trolls who lived and died, but their broader, conceptual selves, who exist beyond lifetimes. Beyond the comic page. And they consummate that reconciliation with that most cherished and loving of gestures:

A hug.

And even as this is Equius and Nepeta’s reconciliation, it’s also Dirk and Dave’s. Which, I should mention, is also taking place, simultaneously and circumstantially simultaneously, just below. It’s a more difficult one, certainly, especially as filtered through the splinters of Davesprite and AR. Here forgiveness is not quite the right word. But – knowledge, and recognition, and a kind of peace. It’s Davesprite’s chance to reunite with the part of his brother he loved, while also being a person who’s grown beyond him. And it’s AR’s chance to be loved.

Oh, sure, the art is ridiculous, the pose absurd. But that’s what makes it sublime.

I mean, what did you think that Sbahj comic was really about?

A boy distancing himself from his feelings through irony, never acknowledging that the story he’s telling is about two bros who desperately want to hug each other, but don’t know how.

Here’s the hug.

I want to dip into Epilogues territory for a moment, but it’s territory which is fairly well implied by Davepeta’s statements and role in Collide. The Meat Epilogue, I think, only illuminates what was already there.

Lord English is uniquely vulnerable to Davepeta.

And why shouldn’t he be? They, like so much else in Homestuck, are a consequence of his actions spiraling far beyond his control. But it’s more than that. Davepeta is finally able to lay the unbroken sword to rest by following the “prophecy” about Dave defeating Lord English. On the one hand, that’s kind of what happened. But it’s also completely different from what English intended, antithetical to his desires and goals. Which makes the victory all the sweeter. But at the end of the day, Davepeta doesn’t fight for the reasons Davesprite did. They’re free of that, now. Instead, they fight from a place of genuine compassion. Because Davesprite, like Dave, knows the true meaning of being a hero: caring about one’s friends.

But the most important thing about Davepeta is that they know Lord English, on a level that perhaps neither he nor they recognize. Both AR and Equius are in there, and both are capable of redemption. It’s only Gamzee and Caliborn who are truly beyond it.

How does Davepeta defeat Lord English?

With a hug.

They wrap their claws around him, and carry him into the sun like a piece of garbage. It’s an aggressive hold, but it’s also effectively an embrace.

And I have to wonder: in those final moments, did they sense a connection there? Did Equius and Dirk stir somewhere within Lord English? Did they give him a moment’s pause? Resist him? Make it just the tiniest bit easier for Davepeta to do their work?

If so, then that, too, is heroism.

At the very least, it’s circumstantially simultaneous with the hug we see in Act 6, and so it carries the same message:

Redemption.

Not for the shitheads, but for those who wanted to be better.

And if this isn’t enough, there’s a third reconciliation here, too: between author and reader, or to put it in other terms, author and character.

If Lord English is a shadow of the author, what part of the author can be redeemed? Maybe not the destructive, antagonistic urges. But the part that plans and designs and philosophizes as Dirk does. That part of Hussie wanted Davepeta to be there, to strike that final blow, and made it happen.

Because, when you get right down to it, as much as Hussie pretends to be antagonistic toward his readers and the characters they enjoy, it’s the fans, the shippers, the furries, those whose hearts go out to a cute, shy cat girl that he most celebrates.

Hussie fucking loves Nepeta.

Nepeta and Equius are, sneakily, the best characters in Homestuck, because they understand its fundamental message: that to succeed in Homestuck is to defy Homestuck. They defy everything it throws at them, and somehow, improbably, come out on top.

All of this is there on that page, a whole edifice of storytelling culminating in that singular, grand, supremely indulgent expression, a feast of looping leitmotif and color and imagery and meme and sound. It’s all there, if you know where to look.

Nepeta and Equius love each other, and that’s pretty fucking great.

See? I told you.

<> Ari

[ccwastaken]

Howdy hi this story is set before Scarlett and the shakers got uh. Popular. There's some swearing in here. Oh and. Janana is referred to as Janet because Janana is a nickname in my hcs that she hasn't been given yet.

×××××××××

Janet set down her pen and sighed. She glanced at her watch. Three twenty seven pm. Hm. She had an appointment in three minutes, didn't she? She reached for her journal and flicked it open. Looking over the appointments for the day, she found she was correct. Some amateur band "Rudy and the Shakers". She frowned at the name. She hated appointments like these. They were almost always wannabe rockstars, entitled rich kids or teens that barely knew how to play a guitar. She sighed. No- no she wouldn't be negative about this one. Every band deserved a chance at fame. That was why she worked in A&R.

But she would admit the job got...tiring. She sometimes wished she didn't have to stay in this office all day, doing paperwork- she wished to have a band of her own to manage, to help and popularise- that was what she'd always wanted. But...she was starting to doubt it would happen...

The phone on Janet's desk buzzed. "Miss Patel, there's a group here to see you." The secretary's voice came. She snapped out of her thoughts and sat up.

"Send them in." She replied, her voice back to formal business. She straightened the papers on her desk, pulled her chair closer to her desk and watched the brown wooden door across the room from her. There was a knock. She looked down at her paperwork and held her pen in her hand. "Come in."

Janet looked up at them as they entered. There were four of them. All fairly young, probably fresh out of highschool. The first was a guy with a navy mohawk, sunglasses, and a pierced ears. He wore a ripped navy jacket, grey shirt, and ripped black jeans. The second was a tan woman with long red hair. She wore a similar outfit, white ripped jacket and jeans and a red shirt. Both of them wore matching combat boots, red and navy respectively. The third was another guy. His spiky hair was clearly bleached blonde. He seemed pretty average compared to the other two. He wore a denim jacket, a striped shirt and jeans. He looked like a normal guy who'd work at a burger joint or something. The last was a ginger girl with blonde bangs. She looked both younger than the others and like a typical ska fan. White button-up shirt, black tie and hairband and blue jeans. A pair of drumsticks stuck out of her belt.

Oh great, punk rockers, a ska fan and a possible stoner. She sat up. "So you guys are..."

"Rudy and the shakers!" The sunglasses guy interrupted. Just by his voice Janet could tell this guy had an ego.

"Uh-huh. I take it you're Rudy?" She asked. He nodded.

"Yep! I'm frontman, secondary singer and bass player." He gestured to the blonde man, who had tucked his hands into his jeans pockets. "That's Marty, he's our guitarist," Marty looked from a sign on the wall to Janet. He pulled a hand out of his pocket and waved a bit in greeting. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Rudy. "That's Clover, our drummer." he gestured to the ska girl. She grinned and waved.

"Yo." She chirped

"And this fine lady is Scarlett, our primary singer." He grinned at the girl and grabbed her hand, kissing it. Janet cringed internally. Eugh. These two were big on PDA, weren't they? She folded her arms on the desk.

"Alright, well," she gestured to the couch in the centre of the room. "Did you bring something to show me?" She asked as they sat down.

"Uh- yeah." The blonde man, Marty, fumbled with his jacket pocket and pulled out a CD case. He moved over to the desk and held it out. He sat down again after she took it. Janet stood up and looked at the cover as she walked over to the CD player in the corner of the room. There was paper taped to it. In the most punk rock font she'd ever seen was written "Rudy and the Shakers: album 1"

She put it into the player. "It's only a demo album," Marty said. "it's uh- all kinda experimental and-"

"It's our best work." Rudy interrupted, shooting Marty a look. The blonde fidgeted and looked at Janet.

"Just- we've never recorded music before so-"

Not saying anything, she hit play and moved back to her chair. She picked up her pen and grabbed a fresh sheet of paper.

The CD contained ten songs. She sat through every single one, taking notes, listening to the occasional interruption from the band members. As the last few drum beats of the final song faded into silence Janet looked up at the four of them. They all looked anxious, scared of her response.

"Well," she began. "You're definitely not experienced." She looked at Marty.

"But it's good, right?" Rudy asked. His confidence seemed to have died down a bit. Not much but- enough for there to be a slight nervous tone in his voice.

"Weeeell..." Janet tilted her head and looked at her notes. "You're interesting to say the least. I like the style of music, and you certainly have potential..." She frowned for a few seconds. "Your lyrics are unique and attention grabbing. Your song titles too. What I think you all lack is cooperation and experience."

"Cooperation?" Scarlett asked. She seemed to be the one that spoke the least. Even Clover, who was extremely nervous, spoke more often than her. Scarlett did seem anxious yes, but also...prepared. like she was taking this as serious as a job interview.

"Yes. You guys combine punk and ska and it's a great combination but you need to balance it, you need to refine that style." Janet explained. Scarlett nodded in understanding, seemingly thinking over everything. "And some songs are clearly Rudy songs or Scarlett songs- Marty and Clover don't really get that treatment. There's one or two that are distinctly one of them and a couple others where they're sort of crushed together."

"They're siblings." Rudy replied defensively.

"I just think you don't like sharing the spotlight, Rudy." She narrowed her eyes at him. Rudy seemed to stiffen in surprise for a moment. "You guys need a balance. Your songs should sound like all four of you working together. Occasionally you should make one for a certain member."

"Yeah! Yeah I was thinking that because- well we all like different types of music so-" Marty smiled at her a bit. Rudy shot him a look and folded his arms. Janet quietly wished rockers were less entitled.

"So?" Scarlett asked. Janet looked from the anxious band members to her own notes. She opened her mouth, then closed it.

These guys showed promise. More than the other amateur bands she'd met. She looked up at them. These kids...they looked so full of hope as they stared at her in anxious anticipation. She looked down at her notes then quickly back.

"...I'll cut you all a deal." She said. All of them snapped to attention. "I can give you all a year to improve and create an album-"

"What?!" Rudy interrupted. Now it was Marty's turn to shoot Rudy a look.

"Underneath mine and other professional's mentorship," she continued "You'll be given professional grade equipment and lessons. You'll have a team and a professional recording booth to use at your disposal. I'll be there too, obviously." Janet looked at them, arms folded again. "So?"

"We don't-"

Scarlett slapped a hand over Rudy's mouth. "We'll do it." She said quickly. "Thank you so much I-I promise this won't be something you'll regret."

Janet nodded and looked at the other two. Clover and Marty both grinned at her. Clover looked almost ready to cry. Janet scooted her chair back and looked through her drawers. This one year record deal was a standard offer for new bands. It established a business relationship, let the band produce work, and then, if they succeeded, gain a record deal. She pulled out four contracts and stood up.

Walking over, she handed a contract to each band member. "Now, I want all of you to read this over before handing it back in. You can mail it in within the next two weeks, just address it to me." She looked at the four of them as they read. "If the album you guys produce isn't satisfactory, you will have to pay back the costs of your use of equipment. Recording sessions are limited, use of our instruments is not."

"F-Forty thousand dollars...?" Marty asked. He suddenly looked pale. Janet winced.

"It is a lot, but we give you six months to pay it. Start saving throughout the year."

"Uh- excuse me," Clover asked. "It says here you need to be eighteen to sign this. I'm seventeen."

"You'll need parent's permission then." She replied. "Is that all your questions?"

"Yeah why are you such a-" Scarlett slapped her hand over Rudy's mouth again.

"Yes, we're done." Scarlett said. "Thank you miss- we'll make this worth your time, I promise."

"I hope so." Janet moved to her seat and sat down again. "I'll see you guys soon, I hope." She said with a small smile. The shakers grinned at her, except for Rudy who scowled, and left. Janet looked from her paperwork to the door. She- she just signed a band on. She'd be managing them soon if everything worked out. She leaned back in the chair and looked at the ceiling.

"What the fuck, Scarlett?" Rudy snapped as they stepped outside. His girlfriend looked at him.

"What? We got a contract, Rudy, didn't you want that?"

"Yeah but not one with a bitch of a manager and a bigass price tag! How're we gonna pay this shit back?! We'll have to sell our instruments or some shit-!" He gestured at Marty. "We'll have to sell his fucking kidneys or something!"

"This could be our big break!" The blonde retorted.

"I'm not listening to that bitch, Scarlett. This is a shitty deal and you know it!" Rudy hissed.

"Well you're gonna have to, aight? We got no other choices." She snapped. She looked over at Marty and Clover. "You two got any complaints?" She asked, a bit more earnest than she'd been with Rudy.

"Well- I'm worried about the money thing- I could get a job! Maybe a fast food place or somethin' but-" Marty wrung his hands together nervously as he spoke. "Clover?" He asked, looking at his little sister.

"Wh-what if our parents don't let me do this? Would you guys kick me outta the band?" She asked nervously. She looked scared, and Scarlett felt a pang of sadness. She walked over to the two siblings.

"Hey, we wouldn't do that," she gripped each of them by a shoulder. "The shakers aren't the shakers without drums and ska." She smiled at the two of them. "We'll work it out, okay?"

"Okay," Clover smiled a tiny bit. "Thanks Scarlett- you always know what to say..."

The redhead smiled. "Psh- nah, I've just been around Rudy too long," she looked over her shoulder at Rudy. "Ain't that right babe?" She asked with a grin. Rudy huffed and trudged away from them.

"Where are you going?" Marty called.

"The van! I'm getting food and I'm not waiting on you dicks!" Rudy called back. The three other shakers laughed and followed after him.

[samsegrist]

Bob & Sam Part 1: The History of Rock n’ Roll and the Gift of Awkwardness

The mid-’90s were a weird, but maybe perfect, time for an awkward nerd growing up in rural Nebraska to get into rock n’ roll. By that point, the genre of rock was over forty years old. The ‘90s saw the rise of hip-hop, electronica, rap-rock/nu-metal, third-wave ska, and the swing revival vying for the youngster’s ears and eyeballs. The World Wide Web was in its infancy and MTV still played music videos regularly. 

Once I had my epiphanic experience in the summer between seventh and eighth grade (of which I’ll write about in Part Two of this series), I knew I had some catching up to do if I were to be more than proficient in my domain. Besides subscribing to Guitar World and raiding my father’s vast record collection, the number one way I dove into rock n’ roll history was by buying dozens and dozens and hundreds of compact discs at On Cue, the solitary corporate retailer of multimedia for the entire panhandle of Nebraska. It was one of several chain stores such as Sam Goody, Sun Coast, and Tower Records that have as much cultural presence in 2020 as the works of Ozymandias. How strange it is to think that there were once publicly-traded corporations who bolstered their quarterly earnings reports through the physical sales of expensive shiny, plastic discs in thin, plastic squares. I was such a regular at On Cue in those formative years of adolescence, that the manager--her name was Traci--knew me by name before I hit high school. She could always count on me for a sale. At that time, she seemed quite grown-up and worldly, but in reality, she was probably a world-weary 22-year-old who had not yet found a way to escape the stultifying ruralopolis of western Nebraska. Where is Traci now? She and I both share a certain kind of workplace history. I was once a Blockbuster Customer Service Representative, so she and I are both former employees of defunct business models that seemed fun, hip, and cool at the time. On Cue and Blockbuster were the two primary ways people in our hometown acquired movies and music. Traci must be closer to fifty than forty now. Though I am sure she and I conversed back then about what music she liked, my memory jar containing those conversations is as bare as the “lone and level sands [that] stretch far away.”

Anyhow, one day back in 1996, my mom and I were shopping at On Cue, and I saw a ten-part VHS documentary set called The History of Rock n’ Roll. This blue cinder block of tapes looked just like what I needed to get caught up on forty years of music. I believe the original retail price was something like $120, which adjusted for inflation today would cost $196.09, almost twenty dollars a tape! No wonder those giant companies were raking it in before being slayed by Napster, iTunes, Netflix, and YouTube. I remember my mom haggling with Traci to see about getting a lower price, but there was nothing she could do. (Thank you, Mom, for still purchasing the set and contributing to my development as a musician!) I enthusiastically watched every tape in the series and took feverish notes of every artist and song that I should check out, and perhaps learn to play on the guitar. This was my introduction to singers and groups like Fats Domino, The Kinks, Buddy Holly, Marianne Faithful, Credence Clearwater Revival, the Clash, and the Sex Pistols.   There was one musician though, a famous one, that I wasn’t so sure about. This folkie guy, Bob Dylan, his stuff didn’t rock. His attitude on camera didn’t seem particularly rock star-ish, even though I totally see NOW there is such a breezy cool to his aloofness. And that voice was so strange and off-putting.  But as the tape rolled on, there was a B & W clip of him playing a bluesy tune with some really square rhymes: “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding).” And it struck me with a strange kind of logic that only appeals to a young, insecure soul. See, when I started out on my guitar-playing journey, I wanted to be Slash.  I wasn’t anywhere close to being Slash. For one thing, I didn’t have the top hat. I didn’t have the hair. Or the Gibson Les Paul. Or the Marshall JCM Slash Signature 2555SL 2-Channel 100-Watt Guitar Amp. Oh, and I also couldn’t play four chords with the same strumming pattern twice in a row… ...but when I heard this Bob Dylan guy, who was somehow, inexplicably, included on this $120 ten-tape documentary series with all these other musicians who seem to have the talent, presence, and sound of being rock stars, something clicked in my mind. I thought: “Huh. Well, that guy’s voice isn’t that pretty, but he sounds clever and he’s playing solo. Maybe I can play solo and sing until I get a band together.” So, that’s what I did. And at the 1996 Haig Country School Talent Show, I performed as a singer-songwriter for the first time ever. I even gave a shout out to Bob before I proceeded to dazzle the audience with the brilliance of searing slides on my Stratocaster(-copy) guitar and tickle their brains with peculiar lyrical puzzles. See for yourself. Uh, yeah, so....every musical journey has to start somewhere, right? And history was made that day, and I owe it all to Mr. Robert Zimmerman for blazing the trail of rock n’ roll awkwardness.

I’m still catching up. The next installment of this occasional series of essays concerning the enigmatic and ethereal influence of Bob Dylan on my quarter-century musical journey will focus on the success and popularity of other artists covering his songs. That forthcoming installment is tentatively titled “The Dylan-esque Quality of Elasticity.” Thank you for reading.

[lonelypond]

Can’t Get Started

Love Live, NicoMaki, 3.5K, 1/2

Nishikino Maki is trying to make in the piranha fishbowl of movies, music, and Hollywood. Yazawa Nico already has. And they keep crashing into each other.

Can’t Get Started

No matter how many luxury, fancy, five star, $$$$$ hotels Nishikino Maki would spend time in, she would never get used to the powder room lounges, with interior design as fancy and challenging as the living areas of the ‘finest’ homes. This one had a wood and platinum motif, with large low sofas scattered over a space the size of her moderately luxurious apartment. There were pitchers with cucumber water and a thick book full of very unclothed photography, which actually interested Maki, as a photographer herself, but here, where women came in and out every few minutes, she felt too exposed to pick it up, have a look, and see who had made that particular editor’s cut. So no lingering after the deed is done. In a room seemingly designed for lingering. And one fidgety blur of movement in a corner Maki made certain to only catch out of the corner of her eye. No staring. Time to move on, no matter how tempting the couches seemed compared to the roomful of noisy chatter and chummy elbows.

Maki was back to continue her decor appreciation jam session after only ten minutes because of a small accident with the soup. Award shows should be like the Oscars, someone else in your seat when you needed air, not occasions where you not only had to juggle nerves but also food. Maki shook her head at herself, looked at the curry down the front of her dress and wondered if water would make it better or worse.

She stopped. There was the blur, now in the center of the ‘lounge,’ a tiny dark haired woman, pacing and muttering, hands flying back and forth, making shapes in the air, leaning into a couch, patting an imaginary cheek, turning to one side, smiling and waving, unusually...red eyes wide and friendly. And then they spotted Maki, and narrowed.

“Sorry…” Maki coughed and ducked her head, pointing to her dress, “spilled soup. Just…” Maki smiled shyly, “thought I saw you in here ten minutes ago. Are you okay? I get nervous too.” A flip of her finger across the still damp soup stain to demonstrate empathy.

Now there was staring. The eyes were red, almost rubies, with that same illusion of faceted depth that the best jewelers carve into their efforts, bringing out magical warmth from mineral cold. Then an incandescent smile happened that knocked Maki back, “Nico is fine. Nico is just rehearsing her acceptance speech so fans like you,” a broad, broad wink, “aren’t disappointed.”

Nico. Yazawa Nico. Maki took a better look, this woman was so tiny, but yes, the eyes should have been a giveaway, set deep over a nose that was much sharper than Maki had even seen in any of the movies where Yazawa had bled out all of her emotions for an audience eager for stories of romance, tragedy, and triumph with an actress unafraid to be as unapologetically gay on screen as off. From superhero to Empress, Nico had swept the international cinema scene, scoring box office hits in both small indie films and action blockbusters. Maki had been impressed by the actress’s range, cried and laughed over her performances, and maybe had a slightly illicit dream or two. Like every other gay and bi woman on the planet.

“Hello?” Yazawa’s hand was waving in front of Maki’s nose, “Nico can help you with the spill. I have a stain stick in my purse, It’ll keep it from setting.”

Maki nodded. That sounded sensible. Like a plan. And Nico’s dress was silver slashed with black fringe, that went with the silver slashes across sharp cheekbones above lips that could really only be described as a sensuous dark plum.

The actress was waiting for some kind of verbal reply, but Maki had half turned and was just staring at a pattern on the couch and running a hand through her hair, as adjectives and screenshots kept flashing on her internal movie screen. Then Yazawa’s hands were on her shoulders and she was being shoved into a chair, “But first you listen to Nico’s speech…” Yazawa paused.

“Um…” Maki realized her elevation had changed and she glanced up, Nico watching her critically.

“Name?” Nico urged.

“Maki.” Easy question.

Nico nodded and the tension eased. “Okay, Maki, hi I’m Nico, I have a big presentation in…” Yazawa glanced at a delicate twist of a silver watch, “20 minutes, so it’s kinda urgent, can I run something by you? So I don’t sound like an idiot.”

“Yeah, I always sound like an idiot too.” Maki blurted.

“Well,” Nico stepped back, “thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Sorry, Ms. Yazawa...” Maki bit her lip, “you’re always so polished on screen….”

“It’s Nico. And I never write my own dialogue. On set improv is lame.” Nico stepped back, her eyes focusing somewhere else, hands seeming to measure out where the stage and microphone were, “Writers work as hard as Nico does so they deserve respect.”

Maki thought Umi would be pleased and surprised to hear that from a celebrity she had occasionally doubted the work ethic of. Maki, as a composer, was usually immune from actors altering her artistic choices but it was a near daily struggle for Umi. Maki wondered if Nico would be interested in reading their latest, an intimate musical…

Nico’s hand again, fingers snapping this time under Maki’s nose this time. She jumped as Nico began to sound testy again, “If Nico can keep your interest, she can keep anyone’s…”

“Not, that’s not...I just...my friend Umi is a writer and always complains about actors who want to improv.”

“Posers.”

Maki grinned, “Exactly what she says.”

Nico patted Maki encouragingly on the shoulder, amused, “Introduce Nico later. Now you listen. We only have 15 minutes before...” Nico flung her arms wide, nodding to each side, gathering in imaginary shouts and whistles.

“Okay.” Maki stood, stretched her arms out in front of her, sat, leaned forward, slammed her hands into her knees, the picture of alert attention, and winked at Nico, “Go.”

Nico laughed, stepped behind her imaginary podium, whispered, “clap” so Maki did while Nico’s hand gestures called for more. Then the flip of the hand for quiet.

“Thank you. Tonight is very important to Nico…”

###

Sundance...party...one pissed off caterer...Maki had no idea what she did to annoy the woman...oh wait, yeah that...but Umi was going to be SEVERELY disappointed when their party, intended to impress award winning designer Minami Kotori turned out to be Maki smiling awkwardly and handing around a bag of stale chips and a growler. It was a weeknight, the Thursday before the second weekend, and Maki had had hopes of catching the ska documentary she’d connected a musician friend with. But no, here she was frantically searching for...a pizza place, maybe? Fewer crowds than last year, when they’d come the first weekend, but still enough people bustling that Maki felt like she was elbowing people awkwardly in the halls of high school again. And then her heel hit a patch of black ice and she sssssssslllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiid down the sidewalk until some obstacle forced her back on her butt. That was going to be sore, Maki thought as she reached a hand behind her, levering herself up was going to be at least a three limb job, both legs and one arm.

“Here let me help you. Are you okay?”

Maki recognized the voice and winced. Yazawa Nico once again catching her in an imperfect moment. “Hi. No, I’m fine.”

Nico snorted. She was in a black snowsuit with cute pink flair, fake fur, and patches scattered all over her arms and legs. She took Maki’s hand and when the redhead nodded, pulled. Maki rose and stumbled forward, suddenly finding herself with A list celebrity arms supporting most of her weight while dreamably delicious, not even mildly chapped lips pinched back what was probably a belly roar of laughter.

“Sorry.” Maki stepped back, hands brushing the snow off her leggings. Why hadn’t she dressed for the weather? Leggings based on samurai armor, an oversized Northwestern hoodie and a Reign ballcap would not have been any stylist’s choice.

“No soup stains?” Nico teased, clapping together pink mittens that looked like Muppet fur. Maki thought there might be eyes on the palms. She wasn’t sure if that was cute or creepy.

“No food at all.” Maki sniffled, feeling the cold soak into what was going to be a sitting bruise, and having no real options as her mind raced through possibilities. Umi and Kotori would be headed back with a small crowd after the premiere of Umi’s latest film and Maki had nothing, “I have to go. Nico to see...I mean nice to see you, Nico.” Maki tried to smile but she knew her face was giving away how many non options she was discarding per second.

“What’s the matter?” Nico asked so casually, so quickly, Maki almost forgot where she was.

“I pissed off the caterer. And Umi…”

“Your writing friend….”

“You remembered…”

Nico tapped her temple, “Nico keeps future industry connections who know cute redheads in the most secure part of her memory.” Nico frowned, “Sorry, Nico meant intelligent and attentive test audiences. Nico’s not a creep.”

“Then why are there eyes on your mittens?” Maki couldn’t help asking.

“Huh...” Nico laughed, raising one of her hands, turning her mitten into a sock puppet, the pitch of her voice dropping, “Hey, friend, let’s make a snowman…”

Maki glanced around, a little frantic, not sure how to react, especially as this new conversation track was her stumble entirely, “Sorry no...there’s not really anywhere...I really...Umi’s going to be so upset…”

“They make my little brother laugh. He’s 13 and I’m trying to keep him silly.” Nico rolled her eyes, “They grow up too fast.”

“Oh.” Maki hated being this confused. And feeling this incapable. But Nico was grinning at her and cute and surely Umi and Honoka could charm Kotori without catering. There was ice cream in the freezer. Probably.

“So what did you do to the caterer…?”

Maki shoved her hands in her kangaroo pocket so she wouldn’t just throw her hat somewhere as she remembered the scene. “Ummmm...ran over the main dish because I was running late and backing out of the condo driveway when they were unloading…”

“Sounds like a movie meet cute.” Nico’s eyes were twinkling while Maki was getting shorter and probably tilting toward the left as her hip contracted from pain and cold. “So is it a private party...why did Nico miss getting her invite?”

“Oh, it’s for anyone who goes to Umi’s premiere.” Maki glanced at her watch. “Which is going to be over soon.”

Nico pulled out her phone. “What’s your address?”

“Why?” There wouldn’t be much of a party, and Honoka would surely just hit Nico with every project her clients might need an actress for.

“Nico knows someone. Is this Umi or who she’s trying to impress allergic to anything?”

“Minami? I’m not sure.”

Nico whistled, “Kotori, the Divine Kotori of Floating Feather Atelier….Nico really needs to come to one of your parties. Nico hears she’s big on cutesy food…” Nico frowned, considering. “I might know a place...”

“Where?” Maki got ready to run.

“You are not touching anything breakable, droppable, or poisonable. Nico will send her assistant.” Nico handed Maki her phone, “Just give me your contact info and Cocoro will take care of it.”

“Okay.” Maki took off a glove and tried typing but nothing registered. She kept punching until Nico took the phone back, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Just talk.”

“Okay.”

Nico typed in the digits as Maki recited them. “All right, Nico will send a rescue party to your wreck. Don’t back over them.”

“I’m walking everywhere from now on. Rogue Salmon spaghetti carbonaras are obviously stalking my car.” “Probably safest. Are you hanging out this weekend? Nico’s chairing a diversity panel. People are going to be talking about it for months.” Nico kept typing, biting her lip as she muttered things Maki couldn’t make out.

“Flying to Tokyo in the morning.” Nico looked disappointed so Maki explained. “Family business. My parents...”

“Oh. Nico will text you a snap of her agenda and her dress so you can see what you missed.”

“Okay.” Maki nodded at Nico, who had finally glanced up from her phone.“Thanks, Nico. I’d better get back.”

As Maki turned, Nico giggled. “Send Nico back a pajama selfie.”

Maki whirled, “What?”

Nico, with a too innocent expression on her face, was watching her mittens out dance each other, “We should go to a party TOGETHER sometime.”

“Stop by tonight. You have the address.”

Nico’s mittens dropped to her sides, her voice apologetic before it dipped back into a teasing edge. “Guest of honor three places. Already late for the first. And Nico has to hurry her assistant because there’s a cute redhead with no food to stain her clothes…”

Maki blushed and bolted. Nico had a very distinctive, short, snorting laugh and Maki feared that further conversation would draw a crowd. Plus, the liquor delivery was probably waiting.

###

Maki’s phone vibrated with a text from an unknown number, “We’re here.”

“Who?”

“Food.”

Maki had changed into jeans and a turtleneck, and was about to put her last layer on. Shoving her arm quickly into the formal jacket, she hopped down to the door.

One young woman, leading three young men with huge insulated bags, stood, impatiently tapping her fingers against the doorframe, “Maki?”

The grim tone made Maki wonder if she should pull out her ID. “Yes.”

The woman turned, “Take everything inside, find the kitchen, set it all up, my sister said not to let her touch anything.”

The staff nodded and shuffled past Maki once she stepped out of the door and onto the porch so they could get through.

The young woman glared at her. “Nico already tipped them.”

“Okay.” Maki was staring. This young woman was almost identical to Nico in coloring, but no amusement had ever lurked in her blood red eyes and her entire expression screamed “Not on my watch, you don’t.”

“You should probably go back inside.” The not Nico pointed.

“Okay.” Could this be over soon, Maki wondered.

“I have to text Nico a picture.” Nope.

“I’ll take you to the kitchen.” Maki had said something right, but it was too late to score any points. The “thank you” in response was perfunctory.

“I’m Maki Nishikino.”

“I know.”

Maki knew Nico had mentioned a name but its memory was as slippery as the Park City pavement.“You are?”

“Ms. Yazawa, Nico’s assistant.” Stated slowly.

“Right. Thank you.”

No reply. Ms. Yazawa racewalked into the living area, and Maki could hear her ordering the three young men around.

Maybe everything would be self serve. And Nico’s...sister? Evil clone? would make a quick exit. Maki wasn’t looking forward to the party and extra scrutiny would make it so much worse.

“Maki!” Honoka Kosaka cheerful trill echoed as the front door banged open, ‘Everyone loved Umi’s script. And they can’t wait to meet you.’ Maki waved at her old friend and agent as the ginger in a kilt and shawl bounced into the living area. The food had arrived just in time. But a smile was more than Maki could muster as the memory of the younger Yazawa’s frigid attitude kept scalding her.

###

The condo was finally quiet. Umi, Honoka, and Kotori had gone off somewhere to continue what Umi called ‘negotiations’ while Honoka had whispered date. Which Maki wasn’t thinking about. Because the condo was finally quiet. And then her ringtone went off. Maki groaned and grabbed her phone, wondering what the new crisis was.

A text from an unknown number: ( ˘▽˘)っ♨ how was the party? My sister said you didn’t spill anything while she was there.

Maki smiled. Nico.

M: （－－；exhausting

N: In bed already? Pajama selfie?

M: Collapsed in chair fully clothed so not terribly exciting.

N: Depends on the chair ପ(⑅ ॣ•͈૦•͈ ॣ)ଓ

Maki shot a quick pic of the fabric pattern.

N: 10/10 would slouch right there with you

M: I’d be terrible company. During party: |_-｡), after party (o_ _)o

N: And yet, here we are...(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

Maki ran a hand through her hair and sighed. What she really wanted to do was soak in a bath for hours, candles lit, music low, but past experience had taught her that as soon as Honoka came back she’d barge into wherever Maki was with an update.

N: Is the rest of Team 'Slide In Through My Window' there?

M: You know the script title?

N: Nico talks to people. Your friend Umi made quite a splash at the writing panel. Bet actresses are swooning to get a look at the script ヽ/❀o ل͜ o\ﾉ

Maki frowned.

M: Are you?

A pause...Maki could see Nico typing, then the bubble disappeared. Then more typing,

N: (,Ծ_ლ) Honestly? There’s no good way for Nico to answer that.

Maki leaned forward, her fingers flying.

M: Why not?

N: *groans* Because of course, duh...hot new thing and turns out I love the score for the 'Déshabillé and Disaster' short and YOU composed that, but mostly, Nico is swooning over an excuse to keep talking to you.

Nico knew her work. The first thing people mentioned was usually the hit steamy summer bop she’d written with Carly Rae Jepsen last year, not the Le Cristal d'Annecy winning animated short so Nico had either done her homework or was a genuine enthusiast. Either way…Maki found herself typing too quickly to reconsider anything she said.

M: You don’t need an excuse.

N: Are you going to be in LA for awards season?

M: Yes.

N: Nico will see you then. Cocoro hasn’t overscheduled me yet…So let’s crash a party together.

M: Can it be a small, quiet party? *yawns pathetically*

N: Get some sleep. And don’t forget to send Nico a pajama selfie when you get to Tokyo. Or at least a chair pic. Nico needs to know your furniture preferences.

And Nico had attached a selfie where she had the most serious of faces, one eyebrow quirked to its sharpest, most questioning extreme.

Maki couldn’t help it. The guffaw just rolled out; there was no other word for it. This was flirting. This was nice. No one staring and making her feel uncomfortable. A minute to think. Maki relaxed into the chair, legs pulled up, remembering Nico’s grin. This was flirting. A nudge. A wink. A dare. Maki took a risk.

M: Not too well padded.

N: (╯‵□′)╯︵┴─┴ Rude. Nico’s furniture is padded perfectly. ಠ‿↼

Guffaw followed by giggle. Maki was feeling better. Maybe she could actually sleep before leaving for her flight. IF she taped a huge DO NOT DISTURB ME, HONOKA to her door.

M: Thanks for your help, Nico. You saved me. Although I don’t think your sister likes me.

N: She’s not the deciding vote in the Yazawa family. Chat up Cotaro, he likes donuts, you might be able to swing a majority. Nico will put in a good word for you.

M: You’re probably exhausting in person.

N: All the to die for parties are ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)

M: *collapses further into chair, CRUSHED under weight of brush with celebrity*

N: Nico is not fatal, Ms.OVERdramatic, just friendly.

M: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

N: Sleep it off, recluse ❤⃛ヾ(๑❛ ▿ ◠๑ )

M: (b~_^)b

N: Cute. See you in LA.

See Nico in LA. It was now a plan. And Nico would be in one of those dresses designed to show off every perfectly padded curve. Maki felt herself redden and then panic jumped to her memories of red carpets and last year. The crowds. The cameras. And how everyone sweeping by, svelte and confident, had brought out every clumsy twitch in her body. But Nice was certainly not the watch the red carpet on a laptop with takeout and TWIG commentary type. Maki sat up, maybe if she started with a dress. Could Umi and Honoka talk Minami Kotori into coming back to the condo for some fashion talk? Maki could use a little divine design intervention.

A/N: Enjoy this first half. I started this while finishing up Jingle Bell Jazz when I heard Nancy Wilson's version of "I Can't Get Started." Juggling a few storylines so I'm not sure what'll be next after this as summer and Shakespeare and crimes against humanity by the government of my country continue.Thanks for reading. Take care!

[kimonobeat]

aiko bon: “Yume no Naka no Massugu na Michi” liner notes

aiko’s 6th studio album, released March 2, 2005. 

Aoi Hikari (青い光; Blue Light)

Koibito Doushi (恋人同士; Couples)

Energy (エナジー)

Ashita mo Itsumodoori ni (明日もいつも通りに; The Same as Always Again Tomorrow)

Kaban (かばん; Bag) ★not translated by me

Koi no Namida (恋の涙; Tears of Love)

Vidro no Yoru (ビードロの夜; Night of Glass)

Ai no Shigusa (愛のしぐさ; Acts of Love)

Zutto Chikaku ni (ずっと近くに; Always Closeby)

Smooch!

Hana Kaze (花風; Flower Wind)

Mikuni Eki (三国駅; Mikuni Station) ★not translated by me

Hoshi Monogatari (星物語; Star Story)

(Thank you tbgxbdg for the commission!)

☑ The album as a whole

It’s a very deep and heavy album. And yet as I was writing it, I feel like I just wanted to look on the bright side. Each song is so heavy, so deep, but then I pull myself together… I was able to do all the things I wanted to do: “Smooch!” is the sort of song I only would’ve been able to pull off right now, there’s lyrics I wrote more politely, and I feel like there’s a lot of ‘brand new aiko’ on it. It’s like the different parts of aiko that used to be on the right and the left and in the middle before are all one now. There were moments on the day I debuted where I braced myself for the good and the bad. I thought, “This is all I have.” Writing my 6th album sort of made me realize I’d forgotten how that felt. I almost feel as if I’ve had to accept that about myself all over again. Whether it’s a sad song, a happy song, or a heartbreaking song, in the end I just write about whatever compels me at the time. I hope you can tell.

☑ Aoi Hikari (Blue Light)

Once I finished this song I was like, “This album’s gonna be alright. I can do this.” I finished it sometime in October or September last year. It was between that and “Mikuni Eki�� for a single. I ended up putting it on this album instead because I really, really wanted it to be the first track representing the whole thing. It honestly just popped into my head all at once when I wrote it. The chorus came to me first, then I added the first and second verses, and then the bridge. The melody of the second verse is pretty crucial. In the lyrics I was able to write about things I’d been thinking about but couldn’t put into wordsーlike, I was able to express the painful, innocent parts of me, the ones that are very, very precious to me. I’m really happy about that. It’s also one of the few songs where I use the masculine pronoun ‘boku’. I normally use the pronoun ‘watashi’, but when I use ‘boku’ every now and then I find that I can be a lot more honest. I think using the word ‘boku’ helped me find the words I’d been searching and searching for all this time. Of all the songs I’ve written so far, this song has a very wide, open image to it. It always makes me feel like I’m floating high in the sky, personally. That’s why I gave it that title.

☑ Koibito Doushi (Couples)

Working on this song was quite the struggle for the musicians because of the weird time signature, but it’s a lot of fun for me to sing. The song goes in every directionーit goes here and thereーand when I was singing it, I was like, “Okay, next I’m going to sing it like THIS!” The tempo never changes; it just sounds like it is because of the arrangement, which I find interesting. The way the musicians perform it and the way they change the rhythm makes it sound like the tempo is changing, but it’s all the same tempo. Singing those parts is a lot of fun, too. I have a lot of songs where there’s a bunch of string players performing. There weren’t very many people in this song, though, which is a good thing when you listen to it. The violins in this song make it nice and lively. Although guys might listen to this song and say, “I don’t get girls!”, when I wrote the song I was thinking the oppositeーmaybe the things we think about are pure and straightforward.

☑ Energy

This one’s a rock song. On this album I communicate through nuancesーwell, I do all kinds of things, like getting my point across with the vibe rather than the melody. Like on this song. Once I get into the second half I’m singing with a big ‘Oh, I see!’ grin on my face. There’s also a section halfway through the song, at the chorus, where the guitars start playing ska. I played it on my piano as ska in the original demo tape for the song, and they picked up on that when they did the arrangement. That makes it aiko’s one and only novice ‘ska’ song. Or I guess, ska-like song? (laughs) It’s a mutual love song, but also the first song in a while where I’m telling them what to do. You see it pop up in the lyrics: “Do this, do that.”

☑ Ashita mo Itsumodoori ni (The Same as Always Again Tomorrow)

This one’s a medium-tempo ballad. I feel a lot of regret in the lyrics. No matter how many times I experience love, I never seem to learn anything from it, you know? I understand but always end being unprepared for it, and because of that I think of every single person as a once-in-a-lifetime romance. I took those feelings and wrote about them in the lyrics. Somebody told me, “As big as the world may be, I think you may be the first singer in the J-POP world to ever use the words ‘leaky faucet’ in your lyrics.” (laughs) I think the ordinary things in life are the ones that pull at your heartstrings the most. All it takes is something small and insignificant like a leaky faucet to open the floodgates for me, you know? I suddenly just felt SO sad and then wrote this song. I personally love triplets as a rhythm because they feel so good to sing. I really belted this one out though. Likeーand I mean this in a very positive wayーI sang this song with a lot more fullness than I usually do. Writing this song was like, “Whew, I need to take a little break after singing so passionately!”

☑ Kaban (Bag)

Wow, this really takes me back. I hadn’t ever written a song like it at the time so to this day, I’m really glad I wrote it. I’m not sure when I’ll encounter another song quite like this again. I’m really glad I was able to write it when I did.

☑ Koi no Namida (Tears of Love)

I love the pizzicato in the beginning. They worked so hard in it. At first they told me it might be a bit difficult to make the phrase pizzicato when it reappears. But they made it happen, which I’m very happy about. This song was more of a medium tempo in the actual demo tape, but I was like, “Hey, why not bring the tempo up a bit?” and it gave the song a bit of a rock feel. The melody’s really cute when you listen to it by itself. We decided to go with the approach of making it more of a rock song instead of piling on the cute. Because of that, I feel like this song changed the most from the demo stage. The lyrics are about getting dumped but in the song, the girl still hasn’t given up hope that they’ll get back together. When I finished the melody it felt like I’d come full circle. It almost feels like something I would’ve written a long time ago. I really feel like I came up with an honest, straightforward melody here. A little bit ago I probably would’ve added in some ad-libbing or something like that. I think I’ve sorta come full circle just playing the melody straight, as-is.

☑ Vidro no Yoru (Night of Glass)

The word ‘vidro (’glass’ in Italian)’ has such a lonely vibe to it, don’t you think? It sounds like you’re all by yourself. That’s the image I had in mind when I wrote it, even though it’s got a rock sound to it. Osada [Susumu] arranged this song for me. Isn’t he just amazing? The guitars stand out in this song which made it a little bit hard to like, find a balance within the flow of the album for it, but I think it really ties the whole thing together. I was actually stuck trying to decide whether to make “Kotori Kouen” or “Vidro” the B-side to “Mikuni Eki”. I thought “Vidro” had a more solid, lingering afterimage to it though, so I held onto it with the hope of including it on something else. I decided to put it on this album because of its flow. I was really glad to see Mr. Osada get caught up in the lyrics while we were recording, too. He seemed to really enjoy the “Whether you can really hear the sound of my heart wearing thin” part. “I’m always surrounded by old guys. If they ever ask me why I listen to your music, aiko, I’ll tell ‘em: THIS!” he said, then he went home. (laughs) I always say, “Thank you so much for that very normal reaction!” Deep down, that made me super happy thoughーI was ecstatic!

☑ Ai no Shigusa (Acts of Love)

The way I pumped this one out, it was kinda like it’d possessed me. I usually write a chorus first, then go home and write the rest cooped up at my place. But this one I finished writing in no time at the studio. The lyrics are worded a little bit more politely―a bit of distance has formed between me and the person I like, so I’m being extra polite to them on purpose to get them to notice me. There’s almost like, a despicableness to it. (laughs) Or like, a meanness to it I guess. I do that sometimes. If I get into a fight with someone I’m friends with, I’ll change my tone and start speaking super politely to them. I do it to get them to realize just how mad they made me. Some people don’t, though. (laughs) I really like the way the rhythm changes like, halfway through the song. And I love some of the ballads I came up with on this album even though they’re really heavy.

☑ Zutto Chikaku ni (Forever Close)

I wrote this one 2 or 3 years ago. It’s got a jazzy arrangement to it. We mixed it so that it felt small in scaleーto make it sound like everything is really close. We did the horn section for cheap because there weren’t very many of them, too. That also gives it a really nice vibe, I think. I really love this song. It’s finally on a CD now. This one’s in three-four time too. I really must love three-four time, huh? This is the first time I’ve ever ad-libbed with horns in the back. So like… a collaboration? (laughs) It just feels nice. This is a song I’d really like to do live sometime on a small scale. I’d like that someday. The lyrics make me imagine a dried-up riverbed. I wrote them 2 or 3 years ago but wrote the second chorus recently after being reminded of the same exact feelings I was having then. It brought back so many memories for me.

☑ Smooch!

“Smooch!” refers to the sound you make when you kiss. It’s been a while since I had a title in English, hasn’t it? I named the song “feed us” after a sticker that just happened to catch my eye when I wrote it and put it on the demo tape. Once we’d recorded the vocals and finished up everything including the arrangement, I decided that because that sticker was what inspired me, I ought to make the title in English too. And “Smooch!” was what I found. The first line of this song has a lot of impact, I think. That was what was on the demo tape I made at home. I thought for sure they wouldn’t like it when I brought it with me [to the studio], but they seemed to think it was neat. I was like, “Okiedokie then!” (laughs) I was so excited when I finished the melody, I just wanted to record it as soon as possible! They managed to arrange it exactly the way I wanted it too, so I’m really glad I wrote this song, and that I finished it when I did. Oh, and I’m the one doing the whistling at the end. I’m totally hopeless at it though. (laughs) I actually forgot we’d added in the whistling and was like, “There’s some kind of weird noise in the song.” So then I said, “Um, excuse me…” and found out it was me. Kinda feels like I want you guys to check out how bad my whistling is. (laughs)

☑ Hanakaze (Flower Wind)

Oh man, I had tons of opportunities to sing this song on TV at the end of year, like on “Kouhaku”. The people in the audience come to see all the different artists during specials… and then there was my fans, shouting, “aiko, we’re over here!” when I sang “Hana Kaze”. It was really encouraging. I remember thinking to myself, “I’m nervous, but I’m going to give it my best shot,” and just singing with everything I had in me. We did a lot of things with this song: it was a baseball theme song, and we shot 2 music videos for it too. I feel like I’ve been wanting to look on the bright side ever since, and that I was able to create this album because that feeling took root then. And of course, that positivity really comes through in this song.

☑ Mikuni Eki (Mikuni Station)

Writing this song and releasing it as a single makes me sort of excited to go back home to Mikuni, now. It’s become an even more sacred place for me. It’s like I made my own song commemorating it. I really makes me feel like I got to reflect on all the things that’ve happened, with the friends I made when I was just a student, people who have supported me. Apparently people in Kansai are like, “Why Mikuni?” It’s that much of a local thing. So why Mikuni of all place? Well, because towns like those shine so bright to me.

☑ Hoshi Monogatari (Star Story)

With this song, I was able to express the kind of person I am now. It’s genuinely who i am nowーI mean, like, I really want to be the kind of person who goes home after recording and still is super positive even though I’m beat. But I think that is who I am now. I do fun stuff, and I’m recording music, so even when I’m tired I’m always looking on the bright side. I think that’s important. I feel like the person I am now really comes through in this song. When I get home to my apartment building and into my room, the moon’s always super bright in the sky somewhere over here, right around the time I get off the elevator and walk down the hallway. I look at it and go, “Ah, the weather was nice today, wonder what it’s gonna be like tomorrow.” And then I look at the stars and go, “Ah, it’s almost (month) so this star won’t be up there anymore.” I look at them for a moment and just have a nice, relaxing moment to myself. It’s just for a few seconds, three or so. This song came to be by doing that every single day. The apartment building I’m living in right now, and the things I think and feel in the rhythm of my daily life became a song. And it’s got the perfect sound. It’s exactly what I wanted. It used to just be the first half, actually.  I added another verse A to it because I wanted to make just a little bit bigger, and then it was the absolutely perfect size for the version of myself depicted in the song. This song really only could’ve come together right at this moment in time.

[johnboothus]

The 30 Best Red Wines for 2021

Wine is for everyone. If you like more expensive, focused wine, awesome. If you just want some everyday bottles to have on hand, great. If your sweet spot is under $30, excellent. And if you’re looking for a good case buy, stupendous. There is so much wine on our market, and it can be difficult to find your match online or in stores.

That’s what we are here for. A couple years ago, VinePair embarked on a journey of reviewing as many wines on the market as possible. Since then, every bottle that comes our way gets a fair shot being tasted. If you see a bottle online or on a shelf, we make an effort to sip and consider it.

Wine is not always about what you can afford. It’s also about occasions and moods. Just because you can afford a $150 bottle of wine doesn’t mean that you are buying that style on the reg. Even if you are comfortable buying a weekly $30 bottle of wine, you may not be spending that on bottles for large get-togethers.

For a sliver of brightness to hold onto as we squint toward the rest of 2021, here are 30 wines to fit every budget. These are some of the bottles that really made us raise an eyebrow this year, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. With a phone in hand, you can always use our review section to see how VinePair feels about a wine you might be looking at on a shelf.

Under $15

Fontanafredda Briccotondo Piemonte Barbera DOC 2018 ($14)

Barbera was once considered an everyday wine in Piedmont. Over the years, winemakers have leveled up the status of this grape, giving it the attention it’s due. But it can still shine on that everyday role, and this one is a clear example. Under screw cap, juicy, and with good acidity, this is a great bottle for casual weeknight pasta nights and is a definite crowd pleaser.

See Review

Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône ‘Nature’ 2018 ($14)

Sometimes, Côtes du Rhône at this price is oaked heavily, leaving little room for subtlety. This wine is not crazy complex, but it does have a nice earthy vibe and smells like blackberries right off the vine. It’s balanced, easy, and would be a fun wine to pair with a cheese board and some cured meats.

See Review

Imagery Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($14)

Cali pumps out a lot of cheap Cab, and it can be tough to find the diamonds in the rough. This wine is just that. It’s soft and rich (probably meaning it has a bit of Merlot in it), but it’s not overloaded with high alcohol. It smells like blackberries and soil — common characteristics when wine production ramps up to a large scale. It’s a good case buy and good for pizza night, but it will also hang with a weeknight skirt steak.

See Review

Familia Zuccardi ‘Zuccardi Serie A’ Malbec 2018 ($14)

How about those walls of Argentine Malbec in wine shops? Pretty crazy, huh? It can be a bit much as you just say “screw it” and grab the coolest label. Well, if you see this wine on the shelf, grab three or four — and don’t look back. It’s one of the best-quality Malbecs in this price range in our market. It’s dark and intense, with moderate acidity lifting just enough on the palate to match a big ol’ messy burger.

See Review

The Pinot Project Pinot Noir 2019 ($13)

This is the American go-to Cali Pinot Noir for all the things. Pizza or burger night, a hefty brunch, a casual lunch, a chill dinner, movie night, date night, watch party, relaxing after work, you name it. It’s chewy and soft, with crowd-pleasing acidity. The alcohol is just right, meaning you can pop bottles all night. Hell, buy a case.

See Review

Planeta La Segreta Sicilia Rosso 2017 ($14)

Sicilian wine needs your attention. It’s out here being awesome and affordable, looking for love. Go get this wine. It has bursting berry fruit from wonderful acidity, making for a balanced, playful palate. It’s a red wine for hanging out early evening and swapping hot goss while snacking on whatever you have lying around. It’s that easy and delicious.

See Review

Louis Jadot Beaujolais 2019 ($11)

Beaujolais Nouveau gets a lot of play on our market. But the region of Beaujolais is not just young bubblegum fruit. This bottle is a good example of how the Gamay grape can go beyond punchy. It is a mouthful of juicy cherries and sandalwood, with crazy acidity and a slight earthy vibe. It’s the bottle you buy by the case for Thanksgiving.

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Santa Julia Reserva Mountain Blend 2018 ($12)

The red blend trend has taken hold. It’s a new-ish category here in the States, used to describe mostly New World winemakers expressing themselves through untraditional grape combinations. Malbec and Cab Franc is definitely not a traditional blend, but it’s working here. You get a deep, dark concentration of fruit from the Malbec, lifted by good acidity from the Cab Franc. You’ll also get a waft of vanilla and some mocha. This is a great bottle to drink alongside a big pile of meat off the grill and a bunch of friends.

See Review

Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($10)

Cabernet from Chile comes in many forms — from soft and structured, to grippy, dense, and age-worthy. When done right, it can also be easy-drinking and crowd-pleasing. This is that wine. It’s not too heavy, but it still shows some depth and is ready to drink. I mean, the price is nuts for the quality. Buy it by the case in the name of spontaneity.

See Review

Sierra Cantabria Selección 2018 ($13)

The Rioja region has defined a certain style of Tempranillo: soft, somewhat supple, and structured. Fortunately, that awesome profile lineup can cover all price points. If you like the feel of Pinot Noir but need a good cheap bottle for a weeknight, this is a great grab and go. It’s plush, with a nice, calm fruit core and great acidity. Cheese plates and tapas are in order.

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$15-$30

Dogwood & Thistle Testa Vineyard Carignan 2018 ($26)

Native to Spain, heavily planted in South France, brought to California before the Gold Rush, and almost erased post-Prohibition, Carigan is a survivor. When brave winemakers take on this late-ripening, high-yielding variety and successfully harness its characteristics, you’ll want to see it around more. I know I do after sipping this bottle. It has a deep, concentrated fruit core with a structured, tannic grip. This wine fills the palate, but is balanced with excellent acidity. If you are a Syrah fan, this is a must try. Steak, please!

See Review

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT 2016 ($17)

This is a quintessential northern Italian red wine, with lively, ripe fruit and a slightly tart edge. Soft yet angular tannins give this wine a quiet structure, while moderate acidity pronounces the smells of just-crushed cherries and savory aged balsamic. It’s the kind of wine that really ties the meal together — any meal, really, though hearty pasta would be buonissimo.

See Review

Balletto Pinot Noir 2018 ($26)

Sonoma offers all types of Pinot Noir from its 18 sub-appellations. It’s a very diverse region, but there is a consistent profile that runs through the county, and this bottle defines that. Expect soft, chewy fruit, with a slight weight on the palate — just enough to let the grapes’ natural acidity lift up the aromas from the core. It has judicious oak exposure and smells like cherries and earth. It would be great with a cheese plate and some nibbles.

See Review

Benziger Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($16)

Here’s another well-priced Cali Cab with a little more focus. It’s big and balanced, with clear separation of character with the acidity showcasing the concentration of fruit and well-integrated oak. There is a nice, simple harmony here that makes this wine a truly awesome weeknight pairing for steak or the lean grain of a pork loin.

See Review

Tenuta Tascante ‘Ghiaia Nera’ Etna Rosso 2017 ($20)

Say it with me, because you’re about to fall in love: Nerello Mascalese (neh-rello mah-ska-lay-zay). This amazing grape grows on slopes and surrounding hills of an active volcano in eastern Sicily. It is its own unique kind of wonderful, but if you like Pinot Noir or Sangiovese, this wine is your dinner table’s new bestie. It bursts with juicy fruit that smells like cherries and has a slight tannic edge. The balance in this wine is awesome and would even benefit from a quick chill.

See Review

Valle dell’Acate Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico DOCG 2015 ($21)

This is a Sicilian double whammy! I am telling you, wine lovers: Wines from Italian island regions are some of the best everyday and communal wines. They are bright and focused, with unique aromas. Like this wine. Made from the native grapes Frappato and Nero d’Avola, it wafts with earthy strawberry and cherry aromas. The fruit is chewy but balanced by great acidity and would shine with a beef carpaccio.

See Review

Decibel Wines ‘Giunta’ Malbec Nouveau 2020 ($15)

This is Malbec like you’ve never had it. And from New Zealand! Buy a bunch of bottles, chill this wine down, and drink it with whatever. The savory side plays well with the fruit and will pair with all kinds of cooked meats, from skirt steak to lamb. This wine is a gem.

See Review

Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite Légende R 2017 ($15)

Yes, Bordeaux can be delicious and affordable! YESSSS! This bottle has all the things you want in a wine from this region, such as a soft fruit core balanced by moderate acidity. It also has earthy notes of dark berry fruit that bring comfort to the senses. It’s a nice weeknight red to drink with herbed buttermilk chicken or braised duck.

See Review

Sella & Mosca Terre Rare Carignano del Sulcis Riserva 2014 ($15)

This wine is made on an island just north of Sicily called Sardegna. In Sardegna, they call Carignan Carignano. And here, it is softer than most other examples around the globe. It has soft, supple fruit for lovers of wines like Merlot, with a slight tannic frame for the lovers of bigger wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s very versatile and will pair well with artisanal cheeses, seafood pasta dishes like lobster ravioli or, hell, the entire lobster drenched in butter.

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Skouras Saint George Agiorgitiko 2017 ($17)

This wine, paired with mint-flecked grilled lamb, will send you. If you like Chianti, go find this bottle, stat. It has that soft, earthy cranberry and cherry smell, with a medium depth of fruit. But the acidity is higher and really brightens up the wine. The tannins are nice, soft, and ready to please a crowd.

See Review

$50 PLUS

Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir 2018 ($64)

This Pinot Noir demonstrates the beauty of the coastal Sonoma macroclimate. Chewy cherry fruit wafts up into your noggin on a cloud of bracing acidity. This results in a nice, lean character that is so well balanced, it doesn’t interfere with the depth of the fruit. It’s a master class in restraint, with just the right amount of oak. If I were in Sonoma right now, I would be eating cracklins and roasted chicken in the sun — washing it all down with this bottle, slightly chilled.

See Review

Massolino Barolo DOCG 2016 ($57)

No list would be complete without a wine from the beautiful region of Barolo tucked in the rolling Langhe hills of southern Piedmont in northern Italy. It’s a magical place. Sipping this bottle will take you there. It’s powerful and elegant at the same time. The tannins are grippy, as the wine continues to age, but it’s drinking well now. It’s a wonderful mouthful of balanced cherry fruit, with whispers of where it’s headed in the form of a whiff of leather and rose petals. Guys, this wine is awesome. Stuffed ravioli with a dense, meaty red sauce or a hearty mushroom risotto are in order.

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Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2015 ($72)

When Amarone della Valpolicella is truly balanced, it’s an event. Your eyes widen at the calm depth of fruit and hardworking acidity. Your brain reels at the comfy aromas of dark chocolate and cherry liquor, and you’re slapped in the face as the braised meats and stinky cheeses you pair with it harmonize on your palate. That is this wine.

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Dutton-Goldfield Russian River Valley Zinfandel 2018 ($50)

Napa and Sonoma were once the lands of Zinfandel before other varieties like Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon gained in popularity and took the lion’s share of land. It’s actually still the land of delicious Zinfandel — just less of it is made. So when you find one, grab it. This bottle is an excellent example of how this grape can thrive here. It’s tart and savory — smelling like blackberries and balsamic. It has excellent acidity, demonstrating a texture similar to that of Sangiovese. This wine, paired with a brisket, will make you fall in love. Hoping for more Sonoma Zins in the future.

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Early Mountain Eluvium 2017 ($55)

When we are on the other side of this national health crisis, go to Virginia. Stay in the beautiful Shenandoah, tucked into the Blue Mountains. Hike and paddle during the day, eat venison and local cheeses as the sun sets, and sip some of the most exciting wine in the country. Wines from these hills are bright and balanced, even when brooding. This wine defines that. Dark, supple fruit, with high acidity and satisfying tannins, make for a unique American wine experience.

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Denner Vineyards Dirt Worshipper 2018 ($80)

Ever been to Paso Robles? Like Virginia, this is another wine region to run to posthaste after this craziness is behind us. Paso Robles celebrates grape diversity, while still making popular California varieties like Cab. This bottle shows that California is more than the norm. So much more. It’s so expressive, with dark, concentrated fruit and that Paso acidity that brightens the deepest of wines. It smells like cooking herbs (rosemary, oregano, tarragon) and a quiet layer of black pepper. Another awesome American wine experience.

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Freemark Abbey Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 ($146)

I can feel American wine diversifying by the year. More innovation and focus on soil and variety relationships are driving a bright diverse future. But we can’t forget how this all came to be. Founded by Josephine Tychson in the late 19th century, Freemark Abbey survived disease and Prohibition, entering both the red and white categories in the 1976 Judgement of Paris. Dark and brooding, this wine is deserving of aromatic descriptors such as mocha, blackberries, and hints of white and cracked black pepper. It’s still aging with a rustic edge, but is a pleasure to drink now. In a few years, it’ll soften into the legacy it holds.

See Review

Château Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 ($59)

Château Montelnea was not only an entry into the Judgement of Paris, its 1973 Chardonnay came in first place for white wine. That finesse the judges fell for in 1976 can also be found in the winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon to this day. The elegance lives in the vibrant acidity winding through this wine, casually pronouncing a whiff of plum and blackberry mingling with cracked black pepper. It all comes together on the palate, with an added cassis vibe and well-woven tannins calling from the edge of your palate. This is a special wine.

See Review

Gary Farrell Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016 ($50)

If you were to ask, “What is it about Russian River Pinot Noir that sets it apart from the rest of the Pinot on the planet?” I would shove this wine in your face, then take it away and drink it myself. Just kidding, I’d share … think. Cherries, cinnamon, and earthy mushrooms rush up and into your senses, leaving you all swoon-y before you sip. On the palate, the wine is dense, crushed velvet, with supple, chewy fruit that soaks into your palate. It would jive with some legit cheeses, but you might find me just sipping it at cellar temp with just a glass and a sunset.

See Review

Tenuta Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2015 ($56)

In Tuscany, Sangiovese shows itself in many forms, as well as names. Brunello is what they call Sangiovese in the dry, bright region of Montalcino. Here, this grape gains power from the sun — concentrating itself, with skilled hands, into one of the most age-worthy wines on the globe. The nose is cherries cooked into a sweet balsamic reduction and an earthy whiff of the sloping hills this grape grows on. It’s still aging — wow, can these wines age — but it is ready now for a splurgy night complete with a big ol’ steak or a bowl of heavy pasta.

See Review

The article The 30 Best Red Wines for 2021 appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/buy-this-booze/best-red-wines-2021/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/the-30-best-red-wines-for-2021

[graphicabyss]

Neverland Tour Reports II: Fukuoka, Sendai, Shizuoka

Again, only bringing the important parts. Like dick grabbing and shower incidents and petty arguments.

Fukuoka 2017.04.09 Concert 1  

At the opening Tegoshi’s pants slipped off mid-song. The next song he used his part to sing “My pants slipped off, how embarrassing”. At some point Tegoshi starts to pretend he’s playing golf.

S: Why? Why golf now? That’s why your pants slipped off! Do your job properly!

T: I’m sorry! Sensei, I’m sorry!

K: And you can’t put them back.

T: Yeah, having them halfway off is embarrassing.

M: Isn’t it that? The mischief of the fairy of Neverland?

T: While singling I thought it was odd that my legs felt heavy.

M: I was surprised. “Is Tegoshi wearing a skirt?” Koyama often adds something to my costumes, but it’s unthinkable that Tegoshi would do this so I wondered if they came off.

K: Well, it’s a concert, you can’t help it.

On solos:

S: I am dancing so much!

T: It’s not ok to be sleeping during your solo, Shige.

S: You too! This is a spolier but in yours you also sleep all the time. Though today a button fell off and I was doing it more naked than usual, it was embarrassing.

On names:

T: You should talk to me in keigo!

T: I get it, I’ll call you “Takahisa”.

M: My mum doesn’t call me “Takahisa”, just “Taka”. Where did “hisa” go??

K: Me too, me too. My mother calls me “Kei”, since it’s long. 

T: It’s also long in Latin letters. 

On douki (who entered the agency same year)

T: Out of the Juniors who dance today there’s Taiga.

K: It’s weird that Taiga is calling you “Yuya”.

T: Really?

S: But it seems he’s being self-conscious lately, so he’s calling him “Yuya-chan”.

  Sendai 2017.04.15 Day 4/15仙台MC

On pranks

S: Lately Tegoshi has been attacking me strongly. Today he also brought my backpack and my suitcase to the rehearsal, what is this? 

K: Before he did that to me, now it’s Shige.

S: But, you know, Tegoshi chooses people carefully, he doesn’t do that to Massu, does he?  

K: Would it be ok if he did it to Massu?

M: Let him try!

Audience: Kya~

S: What is this “Kya” for?

K: If he does, Massu will get mad, right?

M: If there’s a meaning in it, let him do it.

K: There is none though.

S: At most he’ll make some staff members laugh.

K: Tegoshi’s mama immediately sends him Skull’s pictures, right? Today too?

T: She sends Skulls’s photos saying “Do your best, papa!”

K: And what do you reply when you see it?

T: “Ska~kun is so cute. ♥ I’ll do my best!”

S: You never get bored of it.

K: You do it all the time.

Sendai 2017.04.16 Eve

At “Koi no ABO” Tegoshi came up to Shige, squashed his face close and sang together into his microphone. After they were done he announced “This was Tegoshige!” Thank you very much!” 

At MC Shige complained

S: Because it was Tegoshi’s mike I couldn’t hear!

T: Let’s sing together! ♥

S: Sing yourself! 

Aw, Shige. We know you don’t mean it.

Shizuoka 2017.04.29

K: Shige, get me water!

S: I’m tired of this treatment! Don’t touch Shige’s Shige! [to Tegoshi] Shige Shige!

K: Hey, you! Stop touching it when we can’t see and running away!

T: Huh? Isn’t that ok? This much at least. 

Seriously, Tegoshi. If you’re gonna touch it, do it properly.

On underwear

K: I brought everyone underwear.

S: He brought bags out of that yellow cheapness shrine. (laugh) [Don Quijote] And had a ceremony where he gave them to everyone. He became a “Panta Clause~!”

K: That’s because Tegoshi would put on my underwear and go home in it.

T: That really helped! I can return them now, I washed them.

M: Tegoshi only borrowed them because he knew Koyama would gave them to him. Even if he borrowed my socks and returned them I’d throw them away! 

T: Are girls like that too?

K: It depends on the person.

S: I wouldn’t want to wear other people’s underwear!

T: But I washed them!?

M: But they might feel different, I’d hate that.

S: But I would end up thinking “ah, it touched Tegoshi. Tegoshi’s Tegoshi. Same with socks.

T: Koyama asked me about the size. Like, if I wear S or M.

K: But that was my underwear.

S/M: What are you talking about?

S: So Massu doesn’t have any fuss over underwear?

M: I have none. I only wear underwear of one brand! 

K: But that’s very fussy!

T: Right. When he saw the socks I was wearing today at rehearsal he asked “Are those mine?”

M: One of my socks is missing. 

T: But these are mine!

K: He’s even fussy about his socks.

M: Would you stop that please? I am not fussy about socks or underwear.

S: Recently we performed “Butterfly” on SCP.

M: (quetly) Swimming on your back...

S: What? 

M: (muttering)

S: If you’re gonna joke, do it confidently in a loud voice.

M: Shige who supports my jokes is so kind ♥

Shizuoka 2017.04.30 Day

MC starts

T: Shige, you talk!

K: You’re too random! That’s so cruel!

T: What?

S: Seriously, lately your personality got distorted. Even when I’m changing really  quickly he’d be like “Shige, quick! Shige, quick! You’re too slow!” Even though I’m already changing like crazy after my solo...

T: I’m just cheering you on!

S: I can’t afford to protest.

K: He was holding my shoes so I could not put them on, he did that so I couldn’t. 

S: Huh? So you could not put them on? That’s just bullying.

T: I’m cheering you on like “Go, Shige-chan!”

S: In that case just don’t talk.

T: Do your best.

K: What was that? That sounded so condescending. 

T: When I change there are monitors in front of me. 

S: You’re watching!

T: I do! Like, “wow, he ran so high up!” That’s amazing, Shige.

手「あやかってんなー」 加「なんだよ、あやかるって。それならあやめってるって言えよ」 手「うるせー」

Ok, I’m not exactly sure what happened here but Tegoshi said “Shut up!” to Shige and sensei did not take it well.

S: Why, you... 

Shige chases Tegoshi and hops onto his back.

M: What is this idol-like MC.

S: He’s doing it all the time in the dressing room!

Ayame

T:  I like Shige's solo. I'm singing along backstage so I remember most of the lyrics by now. 

S: ...thanks. (shy)

T: I’m watching it closely on screen! I think “Shige is doing his best!”

K: I like the part where you sadly say “One, two three”.

S: Thank you!

T: I like this part “Knock! Knock! Knockl!” 

S: It’s wrong! It’s “Open the door!” >_<

Apparently the others also sang along backstage and even when they were checking the concert footage afterwards the other 3 kept singing loudly. 

S: When we were checking the filmed footage, Tegoshi was singing so loud you could hardly hear me. But, well, I’m grateful he learned the lyrics and likes the song.

At some point Shige pressed Tegoshi’s nipple. [s]

Shizuoka 2017.04.30 Eve

They brought the cake and Shige hand-fed Koyama but there are photos already and accounts and I’m not gonna write about it.

After Lives

M: When Tegoshi removes his make-up I wait, right? As Tegoshi takes shower I wait, right? And when he gets massage I wait. I am always one step behind. When I wait for the massage almost naked I am like the statue of David.

T: Massu’s always standing in his underwear.

S: Since me and Tegoshi are fast.

More Ayame talk 

S: I have no time to change between songs but Tegoshi’s like “Faster!” but it’s just words so I can ignore him but Koyama tried to take my pants off... I’m going to be late! 

K: I though you’re in a hurry so I’d help.

T: Recently my habit is saying whatever comes to mind.

S: Please control yourself.

M: At school you were probably the type they watched closely.

S: In elementary school you had “restless child” written in your report card.

T: That’s true!!!

Did he just... guess it?

T: I’ll regain my composure before 30.

Other 3: As if!

The shower terror strikes again - saved the best for last

S: When you said “stop it!” what did he do?

K: I better not say it here. I was touched.

T: Hahaha.

K: We have 2 shower stalls so me and Shige went in first. I was washing my hair when I felt a presence behind me... I looked back and there was a blond! As a newborn!

M: You mean “as the day he was born"? If he were just as he was born he’d be a baby.

S: Stop ruining the story with your air-headed slips! I was in the other stall and I could hear Koyama’s voice “Stop it!” I was about to go out when I heard Koyama saying “it’s slippery”.

K: Something I can’t name was hitting my thighs! I looked back and Tegoshi was using conditioner while laughing hard.

T: When you do it with your hands it’s too obvious so I applied it to the hair directly.

S: I was expecting Tegoshi to come so I shampooed my hair facing the door.

K: Massu, you can also come~

M: I’m not that type.

Mike drop.

[rkkwseok]

new song in the draft... (1)

Tap… Tap… Tap…

He sighs. Puts a finger on the keyboard, presses one of the keys, it just does not match, does not sound like he wants it to sound. He leans back, sighs again. The ceiling looks unbelievable lonely, the only thing up on there is the lamp, the lamp who only shines a little bit of light over this dark room. He wonders, maybe he should decorate it, make the ceiling more beautiful, he could put stickers of stars, paint stars? He used to paint, maybe he should start again?  Or he could put those glow-in-the-dark star stickers up on there? Then when he turns off the light there would still be a bit light and that could bring him inspiration?

Attention.

He looks down at the keyboard again, the messy papers with the messy handwriting on them, oh what to do, he’s a terrible song writer, isn’t he? He’s been doing this for years, trying to write and compose songs, at some point in his life he thought he was good enough to post them on SoundCloud, did that ever make him big? No. Thank god he stopped. It led to him getting noticed by LMS Ent. And he became the songwriter of BTB, but what? His and their songs never became successful, only their Japanese songs which he didn’t compose nor write became successful, so all in all Sangho is a failure. He looks down at the floor, it doesn’t look as empty as the ceiling, yet it feels like there’s nothing there. His head looks up, his look shifts to the ceiling once more, maybe he shouldn’t ever have come to Korea? Maybe it would’ve just been better staying in Denmark? He feels the tears pressing on, they press on so much, it’s like nowadays Sangho can’t write a song without crying and having a mental breakdown. He breathes, breathes slowly, he doesn’t want to cry.

2+2=4 4+4=8 8+8=16 16+16=32 32+32=64 64+64=128

He blinks, the urge to cry is gone. Sangho’s first boyfriend always told him that when sad, when on the edge to crying then he should solve math problems, that would distract him from crying, and Sangho has now used that advice for a couple of years. For a second he wonders if he’ll ever be able to date again, he never officially came out as gay when in Denmark, and he only realized his sexuality at the age of sixteen, he’s sure of the fact that he’s gay, but… He’s not so sure if he’s able to tell it to people, especially not over here, not in a country that is even less accepting than Denmark, Denmark is an accepting country, Sangho was just scared back then. Korea isn’t like Denmark, so now Sangho is scared again. Even if Sangho met a cute guy, the chance of them actually liking guys too is too slim, Sangho will probably be single his whole life unless he decides to move back to Denmark, how sad… Maybe that is why this is going so badly? How is he going to write love songs, when he has to pull out old memories to remember what it felt like being in love, he hasn’t had that feeling in years, the feeling of actually liking someone, how can one write about something they can’t even fully remember?

But it isn’t that easy, Sangho can’t just go out and fall in love so he can write somewhat prober songs again, he either has to remember the feeling of being in love and heartbreaks, or he’ll simply just have to start writing songs about something different than love.

He hears a weird sound, turns around immediately on the chair, it’s coming from the door, Sangho wonders what the hell it is, he swear to god he locked his apartment door, nobody has the chance of getting inside, so what the hell is outside his door? He stands up, walks over to the door and when he opens it gets happy surprise. He sits down, drives a hand over the fur of his pet “Hej Måne, er du kommet for at hjælpe mig med at skrive?” he smiles, looks at his cute pet. He looks at his dog, and then an idea pops into his mind, he drives another hand over it, pets it under its ears like it usually likes “tak Måne”. He stands up, walks over to his chair again and turns around on it so he faces his keyboard. Måne walks with him, plays up at his leg, and Sangho lets his finger be places on the keyboard, and then he plays the same melody from before.

Og jeg der var så ung Jeg troede, vi sku' vær' De første kærester på månen Men vores himmelrum Var lige nu og her Så vi holdt bare verden gående

He smiles, it sounds somewhat good, he immediately picks up his pen, writes the words down as he remembers them, and then adds a few more words to it. He quickly places a hand on Måne, pets him lightly “Alright Måne, nu har vi omkvædet”, his fingers go back to the keyboard, he starts over, plays the melody that is now well remembered by his fingers.

Og jeg der var så ung Jeg troede, vi sku' vær' De første kærester på månen Men vores himmelrum Var lige nu og her Så vi holdt bare verden gående Jeg troede, vi sku' være De første kærester på månen Jeg troede, vi sku' være, ååh-uh-åh De første kærester på månen

He leans back, words sound somewhat good, and he’s actually kind of satisfied with how the words sounds next to each other, surely Sangho does not have the best voice, but even with his non-perfect singing voice the song sounds somewhat good, and he’s actually satisfied with what he has so far. He looks up into the ceiling, tries to figure out words that will fit together.

Og jeg der var så klog Jeg troede fuldt og fast At vi ku' gå gennem ild og vand.

No, that doesn’t sound good, it’s too long, too complicated too—

Og jeg der var så klog Jeg troede fuldt og fast At vi ku' gå være evigt.

No. Too sad, not what he’s looking for… if just he could come up with a somewhat okay idea…

Og jeg der var så klog Jeg troede fuldt og fast At vi ku' gå til verdens ende.

Perfect. Sounds exactly like how he wants it to sound, now just put that together with the first verse, the chorus and we got basically half a song. Sangho writes the words down, hurriedly, and then again places fingers on the keyboard, once again plays the melody.

Og jeg der var så ung Jeg troede, vi sku' vær' De første kærester på månen Men vores himmelrum Var lige nu og her Så vi holdt bare verden gående Jeg troede, vi sku' være De første kærester på månen Jeg troede, vi sku' være, ååh-uh-åh De første kærester på månen

Og jeg der var så klog Jeg troede fuldt og fast At vi ku' gå til verdens ende.

Too short… The second verse is too short… but how can Sangho make it longer? Hmm…

Og jeg der var så klog Jeg troede fuldt og fast At vi ku' gå til verdens ende. Men vores drejebog Blev skrevet i al hast Vi havde ikke lært at vente.

It sounds… Good… yet not perfect… Sangho wants more, something that sounds perfect, words that are melodies, come perfect together. He looks at Måne, what if…? “Jeg har det Måne!”

Og jeg der var så klog Jeg troede fuldt og fast At vi ku' gå på vandet Men vores drejebog Blev skrevet i al hast Det ene ord tog det andet

Perfect, exactly what he was looking for, now just add that with the first, put the chorus afterwards and…

…

…

…

“Huh?” he looks around, weirded out by the setting, his neck hurts, everything hurts, he must’ve slept terribly. He sits up, looks at the keyboard which his head had been placed on in his sleep, did he fall asleep? How late was he up…? He looks at the floor, papers are all over it, he picks one up, reads the words in his head, was this a song he played yesterday? When his fingers briefly touch the keyboard he remembers the melody from the night before, the words, what he was doing, he places the paper so he can see the lyrics, and he places his fingers on the keyboard, let’s try this out, see if he wrote a somewhat decent song.

Og jeg der var så ung Jeg troede, vi sku' vær' De første kærester på månen Men vores himmelrum Var lige nu og her Så vi holdt bare verden gående

Jeg troede, vi sku' være De første kærester på månen Jeg troede, vi sku' være, ååh-uh-åh De første kærester på månen

Og jeg der var så klog Jeg troede fuldt og fast At vi ku' gå på vandet Men vores drejebog Blev skrevet i al hast Det ene ord tog det andet

Jeg troede, vi sku' være De første kærester på månen Jeg troede, vi sku' være, ååh-uh-åh De første kærester på månen Solen drejer os tilbage til Der hvor alting starter om igen

Og nu 'vi landet her Og vi har, hva' vi ska' ha' Og vi er stadig stående

Og lige meget hva' der sker på sidste skoledag Bli'r vi de første kærester på månen På sidste skoledag, ååh-uh-åh De første kærester på månen

De første kærester De første kærester

Oh… that sounds okay… at least Sangho is kind of satisfied, it just needs a name, he looks through the lyrics, it isn’t too hard to pick out a title. Måne runs into the room, Sangho turns his head “Hej Måne”.

He stands up, perhaps it’s time to go and get ready for work.

“De første kærester på månen” he says out loud, that’ll be the name of the song.

De første kærester på månen.

[pennswoodsman]

I don’t like it the Ska-bee-doo

I got a random text from Kristy Carpender yesterday about her and our former classmate Rob Wilkinson. He dumped her 3 days ago and she is really devastated. He was telling her things like “I want to spend the rest of my life with you” “I can’t imagine a life without you” “you think your kids will take my last name once we’re married?”. Then they didn’t talk for a week. After she finally reached out all “dude, WTH?? Where are you?” he was all “we’re breaking up. You’re putting too much pressure on me to get serious too fast”.  This angers me on Kristy’s behalf. He is playing games like he’s still 16, not 43. It reminded me of other brief relationships I had. Like with that flaky chick, Meg. She acted like she wanted me big time. But then wouldn’t call or answer the phone for days. Would flake out on plans by just standing me up and kept warning me that if we had sex, she would freak out over how fast we were moving. Then she wanted to have sex.  It was her request. I made sure she wasn’t going to freak out. We had sex. We went to the folk festival together with Bill and Bungee. We were holding hands, spooning, kissing, embracing, just a major PDA all around. She goes home that night and I’m swimming in joy. She calls me an hour later saying she was totally lost and was totally freaking out. She gets directions from a gas station and gets home. The next day she comes back to Fest and is acting totally weird. Won’t hold my hand, is barely talking to me, acting cold and distant...and when I was all “are you alright?” she was all “I’m fine”. (Dude...really? You’re really going to pretend like everything is fine?!) We met up again the following weekend and she suddenly tells me she was freaking out on the drive back from Fest because we’re “moving way too fast” and doesn’t want to fool around anymore, and wants to take it slow.  I was so annoyed in my head considering what mind games this was PLUS the sex was her idea. She spent the night refusing to fool around except making out. We made plans to go to Rock Lake the following weekend. She contacts me suddenly being all “am I going to be the only woman there!?” The answer was yes, so I begged my friends Bill and Tammy to come too.  Tammy hated Rock lake due to how rugged the cabins were at the time. I knew getting her to go along was going to be a long shot.  She agreed to go for me. I even uninvited my buddy Jerry, just so there would be fewer men there. It was pouring rain that Friday with the forecast for down pouring rain all weekend up in Wayne County. I told her it was cancelled and she said she was going to cancel anyway. then told me that she was going to go drinking with her girlfriends and not hang out with me. I was all “huh?” then she dumped me. Only thing I regret was not dumping her first. 

   My point in telling this story? Rob is leading Kristy on with sweet talk, then blowing her off without explanation. She tolerates it because she has low self esteem and doesn’t think she could do any better. He apparently came over last night and acted like everything was normal. Told her “he’s not the man she deserves” (fucking spare me) and “he’s in a weird place right now” (We all are dude. Yet the rest of us aren’t playing teenage mind games for no reason). This really reminds me of me. I put up with so much bullshit from women who figure out they can get away with it, so they immediately start to pull bullshit because they can. Because I always am stuck in this mindset of having a GF is better than not having one. It took almost having my children taken away by the state due to my GF’s drunken bullshit to force me to learn that it’s better to be alone than be with a woman who totally sucks at life.