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Music of Sound
Essays for Entertainment
Journey to Oz
Oregon!
About Steve O
AND OTHER FORMS OF RECREATION
By K. Gordon Oppenheimer
He sidled slowly up to her and, betraying no questionable intentions, honorable or otherwise, suddenly turned toward her and like a flash of lightning, firmly planted a kiss upon her cheek as if he was well aware of what he was doing.His headlong retreat afforded him an opportunity to review his actions. Yes, he knew full well what he had done. He should have known better, for he was a little over five years old and she was six.
The act was witnessed by a teacher who did absolutely nothing because she was frozen in place by the realization of the audacity of the act. After a minute or two, she sprang into action, took a firm purchase on his shirt and marched --- nay, dragged --- him to the Principal's office. There she recounted the events of the last few minutes to the astounded official and upon concluding her narrative, transferred custody of the miscreant to him and returned to her classroom to try to minimize the gravity of the crisis.
The Principal immediately notified the boy's parents and, out of an abundance of caution, soon thereafter notified the police authorities. He followed this action by notifying the Superintendent of Schools and then, believing that he had covered his --- ah --- hrumph- -- ah --- ahem --- "butt," he began to write a statement of facts. Shortly, the parents arrived and the first of many narrations describing the events of the morning were recited. Only when the police (a captain, a lieutenant, two sergeants, five uniformed patrolmen and three detectives), assorted teachers, medical personnel, concerned parents of other students, the school counsellor, the Superintendent of Schools and the school social worker arrived did the questioning of the prisoner commence.
The Captain: Do you know that you have committed an act of sexual harassment?
Mother: Johnny, do you know what sexual harassment is?
Johnny: No, m'am.
Mother: What does "sexual" mean?
Johnny: I dunno.
Mother: Have you ever been told about harassment?
Johnny: Her ass meant? Sure, I know all about that. She has a cute---
All: Johnny!---Stop him! ---Vulgar sex maniac!---How horrible!---Do something!---Who would ever have thought---? He should be removed from society!---I feel faint!---I'm glad he's not my son!
Father: He deserves severe punishment for all that he has done.
Mother: Johnny, when you kiss a girl who does not want to be kissed (trying hard to retain her composure), that's sexual harassment. You are too young to be doing those things.
Father: I'll think of some punishment that he won't forget quickly.
Johnny: But you make me kiss Aunt Nelly and I've been doing it for years.
Mother: That's different. Aunt Nelly is a very old lady and she is very rich.
Father: It will need to be something commensurate with the gravity of his offense.
Johnny: And you make me kiss the baby and she is younger than I am.
Mother: That's different, too, and don't ask me why.
Father: I'll make it something which will deter others.
Johnny: When I wanted to go into the ladies' room with you, you said I couldn't because I was too old.
Father: You'll get no ice cream for a week!
Johnny: What kind of ice cream won't I get?
Father: And for being a---er---ah---ah---oh---.
Johnny: A smartass?
All: Horrible creature! Animal! I don't want him around the other children! Who taught him that? What does it all mean? What shall we do to---er---with him?
Johnny: Well, I know that they can't indict me because I'm just a kid, a 5-year old juvenile who doesn't understand the nature of the alleged offense nor comprehend the possible consequences.
Mother: Oh, shut up, Johnny, before I kick your---your---ah---er---before---
Johnny: These cops haven't read me my Miranda Rights. I am entitled to legal counsel and, furthermore, I demand that these cops either charge me with something or I'm out of here.
Guard: Watch him! He's going to make a break for it!
Superintendent: He may be armed and dangerous.
Social Worker: But he's only a child. He didn't hurt anybody and---.
All: Shut her up! No wonder kids get in trouble! Just like a Social Worker! The revolving door! He'd break parole the minute he hit the streets.
The culprit was quickly clamped in chains and carried by an entourage of police vehicles to the State Prison to await trial. The newspapers carried the story on the front page, which is probably what induced anonymous members of the community to cause a little over 30 gallons of various flavored ice cream to be delivered to the prisoner's cell. And the victim? She still doesn't understand what was so bad about being kissed by a boy. In fact, she rather enjoyed it, but she dared not admit that, considering the mood that the authorities were in. This matter was, eventually, resolved by the intervention of more reasonable minds who thought that the community would be best served by working toward shortening memories and deflecting ridicule by accepting the criticism with humor and equanimity.
She seldom was sick and was one of those people who were never bothered by earaches, toothaches, headaches, nausea and the like, but on this particular day, she had such a throbbing headache that she was thinking of asking to be permitted to go home. She wasn't accustomed to feeling so miserable and she had no medication with her. She was at a loss to know what to do. As is the generally accepted practice among teenage girls, she took the problem to the one person whom she knew would have the answers and would provide guidance and comfort: her girlfriend.
At recess, she told her girlfriend of her problem. As anticipated, the girlfriend offered what appeared to be an acceptable and sensible solution. She reached into her purse and extracted a couple of Tylenol and handed them to her ailing companion. They walked to the water fountain and she took the two tablets. Unfortunately, this entire episode was observed by a teacher who, in full compliance with the law, took the two confused girls into custody and escorted them to the Principal's office. There the teacher recited the events he had witnessed and awaited the Principal's judgment, which was swiftly forthcoming.
"The law is clear," he began. "I will not tolerate drug trafficking in my school. I am sending for your parents because we will need their cooperation in stopping the drug traffic at the county's best high school," and with what seemed to the girls to be with unseemly haste, he called their parents. With no finesse and not a trace of empathy, he told the parents that their children had been caught with drugs and that he had no alternative to suspending the two culprits. Within an hour, both pair of parents arrived, breathless, upset, confused and with many questions. The recounting took but a few minutes and when the Principal had rested, the parents glared at their children and waited in anticipation of a denial or, at the very least, an exculpatory explanation. None was forthcoming. Faced with disbelieving and angry parents, the Principal took the only course open to him: he suspended the girls for one week and seized the drugs. He thereupon notified the Superintendent of Schools who lent his full support to the Principal and commended the Principal and the teacher for their expeditious and resolute response to a dangerous situation.
When the story became public, the media and responsible community leaders who recognized the absurdity of the situation raised a cry. They were effective in their demands for temperance in the administration of rules which were not intended to be applied so inflexibly.
It now reaches the ear that another felon was recently apprehended and this one, like his predecessors, is a boy 5 or 6 years old, who was captured armed with a "beeper!" Yes, a beeper! One would suppose that there was some rational reason which supports the strict enforcement of such a rule in the elementary schools, although the school authorities have the grace to be embarrassed enough to avoid offering a defense. Is the use of beepers in the elementary schools so prevalent as to warrant punishment for infractions arising out of circumstances such as these? Why, you may ask, did this child have a beeper? The answer is that his parents permitted him to take it to school to show to his classmates. True it is (so we are informed) that there was no "show and tell" program planned and perhaps the parents were ill-advised in granting their consent, but it is still difficult to discern the reasoning of the school officials. We will leave the episode there, at least until another overzealous school administrator resurrects the problem by misapplying an otherwise perfectly reasonable regulation.
It seems, according to the Washington Post issue of November 22, 1996, that, in a Binghamton, New York, elementary school, a sixth grade girl claimed that the School District created a hostile environment by allowing classmates to call her and other girls by obscene names, snap their bra straps and stuff paper down the front of their shirts. Most people would have no difficulty in characterizing that type of behavior as sexual harassment, but the School District held that it was unreasonable to look at adolescent name-calling with adult expectations. Perhaps, but it seems obvious that some significance must be attached to the failure of the School District to address the real offense here. Could it be that the School District really perceived no objectionable conduct beyond name-calling (and obscene name-calling at that!)? With understandable confidence that the School District's ruling could be overturned in court, the girl's parents filed a lawsuit. A Federal jury (!) deliberated nearly six hours before delivering its verdict upholding the School District's position. It appears that there is a significant difference of opinion with respect to what behavior constitutes sexual harassment .
Finally, The Washington Post, in its October 21, 1996 Washington Business insert, printed a column dealing with the propriety of attorneys having sexual encounters with their clients. Apparently, the Bar has experienced a great deal of difficulty in deciding whether it is ethical. The question offers a challenge which simply cannot be evaded. According to the Post, this question has occupied the Maryland Bar for the better part of two years. But take heart: a conclusion of sorts may be at hand. Although this particular article deals primarily with the Maryland Bar, about another dozen other jurisdictions, e.g. Oregon (the home of the former Senator from Oregon, Bob Packwood), Virginia, New York and California, are similarly wrestling with the problem. To appreciate fully the magnitude of the issue, the reader should read the article under the assumption that "lawyer" means "female lawyer" and "client" means "male client." With that background, let us proceed to an examination of this thorny subject.
In Maryland, the issue has found its way through every committee, rules committee and subcommittee of the Bar with the result that it was decided (a decision! A giant leap forward!) that a "commentary" (read "advisory") would be issued letting lawyers know that sexual relations with a client may create an "impermissible" conflict of interests and that "coerced sex may constitute misconduct." Whoa! Stop! Cut! Cut! Run that past me again, v e r y slowly. "...coerced sex may constitute misconduct." Well, yes. I can live with that, but one would think that a bit sturdier standard would be taught in law school and applied by the Bench. Are you mentally switching "female lawyer" and "male client?" Also, one must wonder, if coerced sex may constitute misconduct, under what circumstances would it not? And this is the result of two years' intensive study? Well, now, I suppose that it is, in some sense, an advance.
Even without an articulated standard, the Maryland Court of Appeals held, in a disciplinary proceeding in 1992, that indefinite suspension from practice by a lawyer was clearly warranted where it was shown that the lawyer kissed a client, spanked another and spanked his secretary. Let us look at the alleged offenses starting from the last incident and working forward to the first. Is spanking your secretary necessarily an unreasonable response to secretarial misconduct or inefficiency? If he (remember that we are switching male client and female lawyer) deserves disciplinary action, a judicious spanking applied to an appropriate part of the anatomy would seem to be perfectly acceptable. Furthermore, a legitimate question might be raised as to whether spanking is a sexual act because, if it isn't, then it has no place in this document.
Spanking a client, however, is quite another matter. Now we are talking about jeopardizing a fee and that suggests the need for a more restrained approach. Although the security of a fee is not always an overriding consideration in deciding to discipline a client, it is difficult to find a circumstance where it would not be. A fee is a fee and I know of nothing to replace it when the lawyer desires to maintain or improve his/her current life style. So, the answer to the question about spanking your secretary is: do so, by all means, when warranted. The question of whether a spanking would be appropriate for a client is: never!---unless the fee has already been paid in full. Finally, with respect to the propriety of kissing a client, the answer is wholly dependent upon (1) whether the kiss was the result of the receipt of the full fee; (2) whether the kissor and the kissee are of the same sex or different sexes; (3) whether the lawyer and client are husband and wife; and (4) who squealed.
Incidentally, according to the Post article, no distinction would be specifically made in the "commentary" concerning cohabitation between attorney and client if the attorney and client are married to each other. Under these circumstances, given the choice, most of us would have no difficulty in making the decision as to whether to surrender the attorney-client relationship or to forego the prerogatives of marriage. Finally, one is impelled to wonder if the problem of sexual encounters between attorney and client is really so pervasive as to justify the effort and concern of Bench and Bar which, after at least two years, have reached no satisfactory conclusion. Apparently, it is. And what about physician and patient or, as appears to be more frequently the case, dentist and patient? But let us return to the attorney-client relationship.
It appears to be a real problem. For example, the Post reports that, some years ago, in Oregon (there must be something in the air in Oregon which arouses members of the Bar) an attorney was suspended for having sex with a client in a limousine and then bragging about it in a bar. Is there something wrong about bragging that you were in a limousine (for whatever purpose)? Whether bragging rights accrue in these circumstances depends on many factors, but it seems OK to me to brag about being in a limo, particularly a stretch limo. A question also arises as to whether there was complicity on the driver's part during this encounter. Shouldn't he be held accountable as an accomplice, for he was surely aware, or reasonably should have been aware, of the activity which was being carried on in his vehicle? Perhaps the driver was not a member of the Bar and the rules would not, therefore, be applicable to him. In a divorce case in South Carolina, a lawyer (presumably a male) had an affair with his female client after which her husband, not she, was granted a divorce because of her adultery.
In conclusion, no evaluation of the situation would be complete without recalling to mind "the granddaddy" of all harassers, Mr. Justice Thomas. His activities in this respect were elevated to almost a professional plane. He steadfastly maintained that his conduct toward Professor Anita Hill did not constitute sexual harassment. In any event, even if he did, the harassers in this country are entitled to representation on the Supreme Court as much as anyone else.
There is a problem here, folks!
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The Power of Being "Offended" in Order to Shut Down Political Debate
Rachel Alexander
Douglas MacKinnon
Canadian Patriots Rise Up Against Mandate Tyranny – Spread the Word
Has society really become quite thin-skinned, or is acting "offended" a new tactic that is being used to shut down legitimate political debate? Progressives are increasingly claiming to be offended whenever those on the right disagree with their left-wing positions. It doesn't matter what the issue is; the left will divert a legitimate political debate into an accusation that the right disagrees with them because they are full of hate towards them. This puts the right on the defensive, and removes the real debate from discussion. It then becomes difficult for the right to ever prevail with their position, because to do so would mean "hate" had won.
Economics? Disagree with welfare, and you're full of hate and intolerance towards the poor. Social issues? Disagree with the left on abortion or gay marriage, and you don't like women or gays. Foreign policy? Disagree on foreign policy, and you hate Muslims, Palestinians, and the poor in less fortunate countries. Second Amendment? If you support gun rights, then you have a cold and callous view towards the victims of gun violence. Affirmative action? If you disagree with affirmative action, then you're a racist. Unions? Disagree with them, and you despise working-class Americans.
The offended attitude ploy has become stifling. The left has brainwashed thousands of people across the country into seeking out chances to be offended. Meanwhile, these same people who act hysterically offended by a differing political view will pay $90 to attend a comedy show, laughing the hardest of anyone at the comedian's racist, misogynist, and obscene jokes. This is evidence they're not really offended by those who merely harbor different political positions on issues.
Try to make a joke about any of these issues with one of these thin-skinned victims and they will tear into you at best, report you to your employer or appropriate government agency at worst. We're seeing more and more people lose their jobs over simply posting an outspoken viewpoint on Facebook. The left will whip up its victims into a frenzy and have them bombard the employer with angry complaints until the employer complies and terminates the employee.
The left is expanding its victims to include almost all Americans. Now everyone has something to be offended about. Even the right is falling into this victim mentality. Fat? You're a victim. Smoker? You're a victim. Single mom? You're a victim.
The left has turned generations of Americans into wimpy fourth graders ready to start whining at any minute. At the same time, those same offended folks are walking around on eggshells at work, in public, and on social networking programs, paranoid of someone else catching them saying something "insensitive."
It is a dishonest stretch to assert that because someone has a differing political opinion than you on an issue, they hate you. Look at all the people on the right and the left who are friends with each other. They don't hate each other, or they wouldn't be friends. Sneakily, the left will point to a handful of hateful individuals around the country, and use a broad brush to paint everyone on the right as sharing their views. This is lying. Lying in order to convince Americans of your viewpoint is despicable and shows how desperate the left has become.
Using the ruse of being offended to shut down legitimate political debate is censorship. If you try to point this out, however, the left will bring up an extreme example, such as terrible words used against blacks in the pre-civil rights era. This is a red herring, because virtually no one today agrees that racial slurs are acceptable. If someone is using disgraceful slurs against someone on welfare, or against gun control proponents, that is one thing. But to merely disagree with the concept or welfare or gun control is not the same as being full of hate towards those people.
The absurdity of this concept can be seen by looking at some of those on the right. Mark Mattioli, the father of 6-year-old Sandy Hook victim James Mattioli, has been speaking out against gun control. He doesn't "hate" the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting, in fact, he and his wife loved their son more than anyone. To equate him with hate merely for opposing gun control is a pretty cruel tactic by the left.
Many blacks speak up against affirmative action and are viciously attacked by the left. Blacks don't "hate" themselves; there has never been a quote by a conservative black saying they dislike themselves, nor have there been hate crimes committed by conservative blacks against themselves. The entire concept is the height of foolishness. Yet the left routinely goes after outspoken conservative blacks more viciously than they go after, say, doctors who mutilate girls' genitalia in Africa, supposedly one of their key causes and something truly abhorrent. It has become so bad that the word "blacklash" has been coined.
The latest victim of the left's attacks on conservative blacks is Dr. Benjamin Carson. Carson, the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., dared to express a few political opinions as a speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast, for which he was highly praised later by the Wall Street Journal. The left has gone after him hard ever since.
The hypocrisy can be seen by visiting the White House website shortly after Carson gave his speech. The website wasn't even viewable until you clicked through a huge gun control message from Obama. There was no massive outrage, it was merely mentioned on a few conservative websites. Apparently for the left, it is O.K. for a left-wing black man to use the national government's website to promote an overtly political message, but not for a conservative black man to use the national prayer breakfast to also declare some political opinions.
The phony offensive ploys must stop. We are not a nation of crybaby fourth graders. Don't buy into the victim mentality, and call out the tactic when the left uses it. The left is not the harmless crybabies they appear to be at first. If we don't speak up now, they will bully us into giving up our First Amendment rights by threatening our jobs, licenses and reputations. As Charlton Heston once said, "Political correctness is tyranny with manners."
leftism

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Tag: Magic Bullet Records
January 2015 Review Round Up
A new year and some changes with it. Looking over my Best Of for 2014, I realised that there weren't many surprises because of how I structured my monthly reviews. Too many Honourable Mentions gave the game away. So from here on, one Album of the Month and one Honourable Mention.
I've also changed my tag cloud. Thought it would be a good idea to add some extra details. Probably still not perfect, but I like it.
On to the music, I was originally planning to give the Album of the Month to a January release, but Primordial killed that notion. Spectacular is an understatement. Had I followed through with my original intention, Marilyn Manson's new album would have got the nod. He's been in the wilderness quality-wise for a while, but he finally pulled himself together.
Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen
(Blackened Celtic metal – Ireland)
Metal Blade Records – 2014/11/25
Are Nemtheanga's vocals some of the most powerful in metal? In terms of emotional content and raw volume, absolutely. He serves up a real tour de force on Where Greater Men Have Fallen. Fortunately, the rest of the band don't just back him up; they shine brighter than the vast bulk of their contemporaries. Few bands can do what Primordial do; fewer still could match this effort. Frankly, I'm surprised they pulled it off do spectacularly too.
Try before you buy: Ghosts of the Charnel House (YouTube)
Honourable Mentions
Marilyn Manson – The Pale Emperor
(Gothic electric blues – United States of America)
Hell, etc – 2014/01/19
I was hoping Manson had one last fantastic album in him. Born Villain gave me hope, even if it didn't quite deliver. The Pale Emperor justifies my hope. It's a very different album for him, which isn't a bad thing. It's the work of a man looking back at his legacy and taking stock of all his missed opportunities and regrets. Bitterness and isolation are recurring themes and are delivered with an achingly soulful approach. It's a welcome return to form.
Try before you buy: Mephistopheles of Los Angeles (YouTube)
Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum
(Grinding industrial blackness – United Kingdom)
I was worried that Anaal Nathrakh had hit peak misanthropy with Hell is Empty. Black Widow had its moments and Passion was lucklustre. Vanitas was an improvement, but that's like saying Death Magnetic is better than St Anger; it's true, but it's a low bar. Desideratum is a welcome return to form. It's the sound of trying to wash flaming acid off your face with frozen lye. It burns in ways unimaginable. It's pure sonic masochism done properly.
Try before you buy: The One Needful Thing (YouTube)
Ancient VVisdom – Sacrificial
(Occult rock – United States of America)
Magic Bullet Records – 2014/10/28
I was hoping for a return to form from these occult crooners. Their previous album sounded like a compilation of shitty b-sides. But this is a roaring comeback. I mean that literally too, as this is a much heavier release. It's almost a metal album. Almost. It works though. It enables the band to set a suitably dark tone to compliment the anti-cosmic lyrics. It sounds fantastic and feels like you are having your own damnation broadcast directly to you.
Try before you buy: I Am Your Sacrifice (Bandcamp)
Blut Aus Nord – Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry
(Atmospheric black metal – France)
Debemur Morti Productions – 2014/10/10
Blut Aus Nord have that special knack for taking archetypal black metal and tweaking it into something unique. Feels weird about saying that about the third album in a series, but it's true. And of the Memoria Vetusta series, Saturnian Poetry is the one I'm most likely to return to. It's an album that, knowing it already speaks to the other, seeks to engage rather than alienate. This gives the album an appropriately poetic touch and an air of sophistication.
Try before you buy: Forhist (Bandcamp)
Caïna – Setter of Unseen Snares
(Black metal – United Kingdom)
Broken Limbs Recordings – 2015/01/20
Thank you, internecine scene politics; I had forgotten about Caïna. Frankly, I'm not entirely sure if they're worth the fuss, as regardless of where they sit on the ideological spectrum, they sound like just another black metal act. The punk-esque drumming is a nice touch, and the closer, Orphan, is monstrous, so there are some things that separate Setter of Unseen Snares from the pack. It doesn't change the fact that it doesn't push far enough to distinguish itself.
Try before you buy: I am the Flail of the Lord (Bandcamp)
The Datsuns – Deep Sleep
(Garage rock – New Zealand)
Hellsquad Records – 2014/10/03
The Datsuns are a rock band that keep me engaged with the genre and it's criminal that my collection doesn't have more of them. Deep Sleep helps redress that. Glad to get it too. It's less frenetic than their, frankly, fantastic self-titled album, but it's much more finely balanced; the sort of album that when it slows down, it doesn't fall off the rails. Truth be told, the slower tracks are where it's at. The fast tracks jab away, but the slow ones lay you out like a haymaker.
Try before you buy: Bad Taste (YouTube)
DawnRazor – Deus Ex Machina
Deus Ex Machina has smatterings of promise, but it's a pretty dull effort overall. There are some catchy melodies and some memorable vocal work, but the pickings are slim. As the album rolls on, it becomes more and more of a chore as the songs all merge into one slightly chuggy snorefest. Oddly enough, I don't thoroughly hate it. The opening few tracks do hold my attention. I can see why some folk would like it. But it wears out its charm.
Try before you buy: Ego Echo (Bandcamp)
The Grudge – Fortress Sessions
(Sludge metal – United Kingdom)
Okay, I get it, you guys really like Down. That infatuation creates a big problem, as Down really like Black Sabbath, so we're way down the recycled riff rabbit hole here. Familiarity breeds contempt is an old saying for a reason. It also doesn't help that the vocalist sounds like a Muppet Show version of Phil Anselmo. 'Felt Anselmo' may be appropriate for The Electric Mayhem, but it's a distraction here. It's a shame because there's some potential buried in there.
Try before you buy: Rise of the Death Rates (Bandcamp)
Old Man Gloom – The Ape of God
I had to get in the right frame of mind for this. Listening to it while lying on the couch watching sport left me thinking, "It's good, but so what?" Change of scenery and energy levels. Started doing yard work. Got the blood pumping. Then I got it. This is a visceral album. It's not blood and guts like death metal, nor is fire and fury like black metal. It's deeper than that. There's a primalness to it that can't be enjoyed passively. Turn it on and work up a sweat.
Try before you buy: Shoulder Meat (Bandcamp)
This is the superior of the Apes of God. The four long tracks hammer home with expertly delivered sludginess, but what really sets it apart is the incorporation of finely nuanced ambient noise. They're not mere interludes; they are critical elements to each song, deftly crafting mood that wouldn't otherwise be possible. There is a certain dark majesty at work here. Much like a mad emperor, it effortlessly commands you, but you cannot be at ease.
Try before you buy: Arrows to Our Hearts (Bandcamp)
Voices – London
(Blackened death metal – United Kingdom)
I miss Akercocke. Seriously, Voices does nothing for me. In their effort to distinguish themselves from their predecessor, they seem to have stripped out all the passion and replaced it with faintly gothic melodrama. It's a shame, as opening track, Suicide Note, demonstrated some genuine sophistication. But it quickly descends into a half-hearted display of disjointed rhythms and inconsistent vocals. It's not for me at all.
Try before you buy: Vicarious Lover (Bandcamp)
Posted on February 2, 2015 February 2, 2015 Categories 2014, 2015, Music, ReviewTags 2014, 2015, Albums, Anaal Nathrakh, Ancient Vvisdom, Blut aus Nord, Broken Limbs Recordings, Caïna, Candlelight Records, DawnRazor, Debemur Morti, EPs, Hell etc, Hellsquad Records, January, Magic Bullet Records, Marilyn Manson, Metal Blade, Old Man Gloom, Primordial, Profound Lore, Review, Self-released, The Datsuns, The Grudge, VoicesLeave a comment on January 2015 Review Round Up
Releases of the Year for 2014
It's finally here. A bit later than most annual lists, but I stand by my policy of waiting to review everything. Some amazing albums turned up late in the year and no list would be complete without them.
I've put the list together differently this year. Last year's list was just a collection of my previously unreleased reviews. Reposting old reviews didn't seem right, so I went back, relistened to everything, and tried to reflect on the year.
So without further adieu, here's my best of 2014.
Sólstafir – Ótta
Season of Mist – 2014/08/29
What I said then: If you can't appreciate the wonder of this album, I weep for you.
What I say now: This album really does improve with every listen. By the time I'm two tracks in, I'm already choked up. It's raw and devastatingly emotional, but it's so beautiful I will take the pain.
Some Other Top Things Worth Mentioning
Best Live Act: Death Angel
I saw these guys supporting Kreator. They completey blew their Teutonic compatriots off the stage. I haven't been so thoroughly entertained by a band for a long, long time.
Best cover art: Among the Ranks of the Unconquerable by Ola Larsson
It's a remarkably evocative piece of art, perfectly suited to its album. It doesn't just convey a sense of palpable darkness; it conveys the futility of even attempting to fight it.
My Other Picks for 2014
2) Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen
What I said then: Few bands can do what Primordial do; fewer still could match this effort.
What I say now: I really didn't expect another album to muscle its way into the top three, but underestimating Primordial was foolish on my part. Awe inspiring and heart wrenching in equal measure.
3) Triptykon – Melana Chasmata
Century Media Records – 2014/04/14
What I said then: [The] album is replete with the seething contempt and haunting introspection that make his work so engaging.
What I say now: The darkness only deepens the more you listen to it. Hardly a surprise though. Triptykon are masters of the inky depths. Few bands can juggle beauty and despair this well.
4) Wolves in the Throne Room – Celestite
Artemisia Records – 2014/07/08
What I said then: It takes alienation and isolation, and makes them beautiful.
What I say now: Easily the most soothing release on this list. I can lose myself in their ambience for a long time, reclining into their subtle blend of delicacy and tension. It's a thing of beauty.
5) Opeth – Pale Communion
Roadrunner Records – 2014/08/24
What I said then: Rich, evocative rhythms are woven through with striking string passages and delicate accoustic movements, creating sumptuously dark listening experience.
What I say now: I figured Pale Communion might have lost some lustre over the passing months. Wrong. Very wrong. It drew me in as easily now as it did when it was released in August.
6) Swans – To Be Kind
Young God Records – 2014/05/12
What I said then: That an album can be so dense and seemingly impenetrable, but be utterly compelling is a mark of true genius.
What I say now: It admittedly isn't an album I've returned to often, but that's because every time I start, I'm compelled to listen to it in its entirety. It's an album that demands to be experienced.
7) Wovenhand – Refractory Obdurate
Deathwish Inc – 2014/04/29
What I said then: Just as the band deftly tiptoes around classification, so too do the songs dance gracefully across the emotional spectrum.
What I say now: Wovenhand really have put together something wonderful. It's contemplative in a way that shouldn't be possible given the album's pacing. Excuse me while I rock out while meditating.
8) Trap Them – Blissfucker
Prosthetic Records – 2014/06/10
What I said then: You are pummled with fury and defiance, and yet, track by track, desperation and exhaustion creep in.
What I say now: The fury of this album is still the chief selling point of this album. Lots of bands do angry; few do it with the absolute lack of restraint on display here. Relentless, malicious abandon.
9) Devin Townsend Project – Z²
HevyDevy Records – 2014/10/28
What I said then: This double album hammers home both Townsend's talent and his bizarreness.
What I say now: Devin Townsend makes his music so damn easy to listen to. It's big and bombastic, successfully filling any empty space in your mind with ridiculously good music.
10) Decapitated – Blood Mantra
What I said then: Blood Mantra is polished death metal perfection, delivering non-stop pummelling action.
What I say now: The polish has endured; not a hint of tarnish to be seen. It remains an album that blows you away from the moment you press play. It deserves it's '2014 best death' crown.
11) Various Artists – One and All, Together, For Home
What I said then: Serious, moving, and proof that black metal can have some pride without going full Varg.
What I say now: The contributing artists clearly throw everything into these songs, as the raw emotional heft remains as potent today as it was in September. Best compilation in years.
12) Agalloch – The Serpent & the Sphere
What I said then: The rhythms and melodies flow with a natural progression that turn lengthy songs into meaningful reflective experiences.
What I say now: The Serpent & the Sphere is the model modern black metal album. It doesn't piss away its energy with mindless fury; rather, it cultivates a mature, yet devastating ambience.
13) At the Gates – At War With Reality
Century Media – 2014/10/27
What I said then: They have released an album that sounds exactly like it came out of the creative high-point they were in for Slaughter of the Soul.
What I say now: The comparison to Slaughter of the Soul may have been a whisper generous, but this is still some of the best melodeath out there. Easily the best thing out of Gothenburg for a long time.
14) Winterfylleth – The Divination of Antiquity
What I said then: The guitars are furious but clockwork precise, the drums are captivating in their intricacy, and the vocals have a nuance rarely seen in black metal.
What I say now: Winterfylleth improve with every album they do. And The Divination of Antiquity is far and away their best effort to date. Technically proficient and emotionally mature metal.
15) Death Fortress – Among the Ranks of the Unconquerable
Fallen Empire Records – 2014/11/15
What I said then: Their take on darkness is a contagious invocation of malice and domination, infecting your soul with hatred most profane.
What I say now: When it starts, you wonder what you've gotten yourself into. By the end, you're pretty sure you can't live without it. Congratulations, Death Fortress has recorded damnation.
16) Mayhem – Esoteric Warfare
What I said then: It's easily the best thing they've done since they defined the genre all those years ago.
What I say now: Alienation and obliteration. That's what Esoteric Warfare serves up. This isn't just Mayhem; this is Mayhem at their most ruthless. Which is a terrifying thought.
17) Plebeian Grandstand – Lowgazers
Throatruiner Records – 2014/03/31
What I said then: It's a combination of avant-garde darkness and technical fury that creates an atmosphere of relentless misanthropy.
What I say now: That it sounds like a combination of blackened horrors, Deathspell Omega, and jazz metal weirdos, Shining, is reason enough to get this. It remains a dark revelation.
18) Grand Magus – Triumph and Power
What I said then: Triumph and Power has everything you could possibly want in a metal album: anthemic choruses, towering solos, fist-pumping rhythms.
What I say now: It's an album I have listened to a lot this year. I keep on getting the itch and it can only be scratched by Grand Magus' particular brand of metalness. Rousing good times.
19) Earth – Primitive and Deadly
Southern Lord – 2014/09/01
What I said then: It can bring a tear to the eye while simultaneously destroying speakers.
What I say now: Sublime in its contemplativeness, Primitive and Deadly is an album that, four months on, is already demonstrating that it will stand the test of time. Irresistible and immovable.
20) Horsehunter – Caged in Flesh
What I said then: Even the weakest track on the album will kill the competition.
What I say now: Horsehunter justifiably took home the crown for best self-released title for the year. What they've done on their own, most of their labelled genre-mates couldn't hope to achieve.
21) Pallbearer – Foundations of Burden
What I said then: It draws you in and keeps you nestled in its heart.
What I say now: Pallbearer have put together a benchmark album here; it's the album by which they, and many others, shall be judged from here on out. It's a defining moment in quality doom.
22) Gnaw Their Tongues & Alkerdeel – Dyodyo Asema
ConSouling Sounds – 2014/01/01
What I said then: Be transported to a scene of abject horror.
What I say now: Sweet Jesus, this is bleak. I'm used to Gnaw Their Tongues' brand of horror, but the introduction of Alkerdeel's maddening sludge took this to an unexpected realm of darkness.
23) Mastodon – Once More 'Round the Sun
Reprise Records – 2014/06/24
What I said then: It's a beautiful expedition into progressive expanses, that is challenging, uplifting, and hard rocking.
What I say now: There was a 50/50 chance I was going to return to this and feel let down. But I wasn't; it's held up over the passing months. It remains an album dedicated to rocking the great riff.
24) 铁骑 [Tengger Cavalry] – 远古呼唤 / Ancient Call
Metal Hell Records – 2014/02/01
What I said then: Ancient Call is more blackened than their last album, but it is still an utter joy to listen to.
What I say now: I fretted that maybe Tengger Cavalry were, dare I say it, a one trick pony. But I can't argue with results. They put out consistently high quality blackened folk that begs to be heard.
25) Woundvac – Woundvac
What I said then: Woundvac's self-titled debut is the sound of emerging from a mosh pit, covered in sweat and blood (not all of it mine), nose busted across my face, spitting teeth, and smiling like a madman.
What I say now: Why did I rate this so highly? Oh yeah. That's right. It kicks the living shit out of everything in sight. It's easily the best pure grind album in a year populated with excellent grind releases.
26) Blut Aus Nord – Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry
What I said then: It's an album that, knowing it already speaks to the other, seeks to engage rather than alienate.
What I say now: I'm glad that this is another addition to the Memoria Vetusta series. As much as I love Blut aus Nord's more avant-garde material, what they do with trad black metal is amazing.
27) Lord Mantis – Death Mask
What I said then: Death Mask is a concentrated mass of metastasised malignancy.
What I say now: It hasn't so much aged like fine wine as it has putrefied like a corpse in a swamp. It was nasty when I first got it and has somehow grown into something much worse in the interim.
28) Eyehategod – Eyehategod
Housecore Records – 2014/05/27
What I said then: Thanks to Hurricane Katrina and their own personal demons, the notorious sludge lords truly have been through hell and back, [which] has translated directly to their music.
What I say now: I enjoyed revisiting this. I had forgotten just how punk it was. Unmistakably metal, don't get me wrong, but still punk as fuck. It makes an already grimey band sound extra dirty.
29) End Silence – The Waters
What I said then: Everything from the vocalist's range to the intriguing solos is near perfect.
What I say now: The year's best thrash album, right here. The fact that it doesn't play to either the traditional thrash tropes or a frat house mentality helps. That it kicks ass is more important.
30) Rotten Soil – Los Caretas
The Olmo Records – 2014/06/02
What I said then: Aside from the in your face immediacy, Los Caretas succeeds in combining hardcore rhythms with death metal tuning in a way that few of their genremates do.
What I say now: I continue to be a huge fan of their deathcore for the attention deficient. The album snaps by a breakneck speed, but still somehow allows the music room to breathe.
31) Tombs – Savage Gold
Relapse Records – 2014/06/10
What I said then: Densely symbolic. Thematically complicated. Tantalisingly unknowable.
What I say now: I have always been a fan of Tombs' smart metal. I love to be challenged intellectually by music. Savage Gold takes the intellectual approach and adds extra layers of nasty.
32) Lxs Jugadxs – Demo 2014
What I said then: There is more to this than naked rage; there's something darker in there, possibly grief, possibly melancholy.
What I say now: A grimey grindcore nasty, Lxs Jugadxs' most recent demo stands as a firm reminder that some of the world's best grind comes from deep in the underground. ¡Viva grind!
33) The Haunted – Exit Wounds
What I said then: This is a seemless blend of thrash and melodic death metal, keeping the invigorating energy of the former and the naked aggression of the latter.
What I say now: The simple joy of Exit Wounds makes you wonder why they're the only ones nailing it. It has a familiarity that allows you to drop staight in at the deep end of the mosh.
34) Alcest – Shelter
Prophecy Productions – 2014/01/17
What I said then: The end result is a sun-drenched journey through the ether.
What I say now: Neige's full embrace of shoegaze is a welcome thing. I loved his previous trvegaze work, but Shelter is a step apart. It allows his dreams to bloom out of the shadow of nightmare.
35) Nachtmystium – The World We Left Behind
What I said then: Bitterness, regret, and occasional self-pity make for a surprisingly honest outcome.
What I say now: Blake Judd may have gone out of his way to act like a colossal, steaming turd, but that's no reason to take it out on The World We Left Behind. It's a striking, stark beauty.
36) YOB – Clearing the Path Ascend
Neurot Recordings – 2014/08/29
What I said then: Another fantastic addition to Yob's already outstanding catalogue of American heaviness.
What I say now: As ominous and oppressive as a looming thunderstorm, Clearing the Path to Ascend is a literal embodiment of doom. It has some rough edges, but that's not a bad thing.
37) Panopticon – Roads to the North
Bindrune Recordings – 2014/08/01
What I said then: Roads to the North is absolutely coruscating black metal that incorporates Southern song structure and fiddles in a way that pays due homage to the band's Kentucky heritage.
What I say now: I'm willing to add Panopticon to the list of bands that get heritage metal right. Right up there with Primordial, Winterfylleth, and Drudkh. Heartache and fury abound.
38) Ancient VVisdom – Sacrificial
What I said then: It sounds fantastic and feels like you are having your own damnation broadcast directly to you.
What I say now: Coming across as less folksie and more like a lower, slower Ghost (B.C.) has worked wonders for the band. It sounds like they actually have forward momentum again.
39) Ofghost – Eeva
What I said then: The driving rhythms speak to a post-humanity environment; mankind is dead and this is the music of the machines.
What I say now: I've heard lots of industrial influenced black metal in my time, but Ofghost's synthesised approach sets it apart. It adds some novelty to a genre that is normally far too staid.
40) Shores of Null – Quiescence
What I said then: You don't often get to associate the word 'beautiful' with death metal, but that's what Quiescence is: beautiful death metal.
What I say now: This is somewhat more aggressive than memory served. But so it should be. I remembered the excellent gothic parts, but I needed the reminder of how kickass the death passages are.
41) Außerwelt – Our Lives Out of Balance
What I said then: It truly is a remarkable ep; every listen unearths something new, nuances in song structure that, while not immediately noticeable, make every song completely and truly vital.
What I say now: As much as I love Our Lives Out of Balance, I still feel I've underrated it. It plays with black metal tropes like a cat with its prey. It sounds familiar but is remarkably different.
42) Black Khox – Akab
What I said then: Once the sample fanfare ended and the rock started, I was left with an ear to ear grin.
What I say now: There's way more fun contained here than should be legal. I'm sure some will say it needs more polish, but they're the sort of people who think no social event is complete without doilies.
43) Vermin Womb – Permanence
What I said then: Its merciless, pitiless, remorseless blast-driven beat underscores some of the nastiest guitar work I've heard this year.
What I say now: Permanence goes way past nasty. This is the sonic equivalent of violently hate-fucking in filth. It's hateful, malicious, and contemptuous. It would kill you if it could.
44) Old Man Gloom – The Ape of God
What I said then: Much like a mad emperor, it effortlessly commands you, but you cannot be at ease.
What I say now: The decision to write fewer tracks but make them substantially longer paid dividends. This isn't only the superior Ape of God; this is an outstanding album in its own right.
45) Twilight – III: Beneath Trident's Tomb
What I said then: Twilight is black metal that embodies the death of light of their namesake phenomena.
What I say now: It's a crying shame that Twilight have gone their separate ways, as they improved with every release. Beneath Trident's Tomb is sinister black metal performed at the highest standard.
46) Anopheli – A Hunger Rarely Sated
What I said then: The combination of harsh, crusty guitars and more elegant string sections create an e.p. that is beautiful in its anger, furious in its eloquence.
What I say now: It still seems somewhat antithetical for a crust album to not be 100% grimey, but credit to Anopheli, they have successfully incorporated lighter, cleaner elements without losing impact.
47) ACxDC – Antichrist Demoncore
Melotov Records – 2014/06/24
What I said then: The sheer level of audio violence crammed into these twenty odd minutes is truly inspiring.
What I say now: Wild and anarchic, I had forgotten just how punishing this album was. There is no safe volume level for this. Played at one, it'll start a fight. At eleven, it'll start wars.
48) Amnesian – No Atonement
What I said then: I could easily ramble about the quality of the performers, but I'd rather marvel in the creation of a sound that is distinctly, and uniquely, Amnesian.
What I say now: It may seem a bit low on the list, but I love Amnesian. They approach grind in a way that still seems fresh almost a year after this was released. An amazing new band.
49) Fvck Mountain – Dead Dogs
What I said then: As I listened to Dead Dogs it slowly dawned on me that I may be listening to the best hardcore release of the year.
What I say now: I was right; it is 2014's best hardcore release. They strike a balance between technical skill and pure vitriol that is desperately lacking across the genre as a whole.
50) Morbus Chron – Sweven
What I said then: Their music has an otherworldly quality to it now, which allows them to expand their songwriting into progressive territory, while still indulging in the supernatural.
What I say now: Sweven remains a stand out album for straight up death metal. What it trades out in tempo it more than makes up in composition. Swedeath has a bright future here.
Posted on February 2, 2015 February 2, 2015 Categories Best of, MusicTags ACxDC, Agalloch, Alcest, Alkerdeel, Amnesian, Ancient Vvisdom, Anopheli, Artemisia Records, At the Gates, Außerwelt, Ava Inferi, Bindrune, Black Khox, Blut aus Nord, Candlelight, Century Media, ConSouling Sounds, Death Fortress, Deathwish Inc, Debemur Morti, Decapitated, Devin Townsend Project, Drudkh, Earth, End Silence, Eyehategod, 铁骑, Fallen Empire Records, Fvck Mountain, Gnaw Their Tongues, Grand Magus, Häive, HevyDevy Records, Himinbjorg, Horsehunter, Housecore Records, Kampfar, Lord Mantis, Lxs Jugadxs, Magic Bullet Records, Mastodon, Mayhem, Melotov Records, Metal Blade, Metal Hell Records, Mondvolland, Morbus Chron, Nachtmystium, Neurot Recordings, Nuclear Blast, Ofghost, Old Man Gloom, Opeth, Pallbearer, Panopticon, Plebeian Grandstand, Primordial, Profound Lore, Prophecy Productions, Prosthetic Records, Relapse Records, Reprise Records, Roadrunner Records, Rotten Soil, Sólstafir, Season of Mist, Self-released, Shores of Null, Southern Lord, Swans, Tengger Cavalry, The Haunted, The Olmo Records, Throatruiner Records, Tombs, Trap Them, Triptykon, Twilight, Vermin Womb, Winterfylleth, Wolves in the Throne Room, Woundvac, Wovenhand, YOB, Young God RecordsLeave a comment on Releases of the Year for 2014


text:
Call for Contributions: The Art of Resistance: Creative Writings on Prostitution
February 4, 2008 email@tunnel7.com
We are pleased to publicize the following announcement:
Deadline: September 15, 2008
Prostitution is an issue that impacts everyone in that its harm remains invisible due to systemic racism, classism, sexism, and histories of colonialism. As we make our way into the 21st century creative writing will be important for defining the movement against prostitution as well as functioning as a means for survivors to educate others about their experiences of violence.
We are looking for creative writing (prose, prose poems, poetry, creative non-fiction, short stories, micro-fiction, memoir, diary, multi-genre) for a groundbreaking anthology that addresses the harm resulting from prostitution.**
We invite submissions from survivors, family and friends of survivors, advocates, and all others who have experienced or observed the impact of prostitution on individuals, communities, and societies. Works that discuss race, class, sexuality, disability, nationality, colonization, globalization, and ethnicity and their relationships to systems of prostitution are encouraged.
Because this is a supportive place for people in prostitution, the requirement for submissions is that they engage with prostitution in critical ways that do not blame or reinforce stereotypes of prostituted people.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Guidelines for Submission of Creative Writing:
– Poetry: Up to five submissions per person (not all works will be accepted)
– Prose (creative non-fiction, short stories, micro-fiction, memoir, diary): A suggested maximum of 5,500 words (we have some flexibility with the word count)
– Email your submissions as word documents
Include the following in your submission:
– Bio: No longer than 5 sentences
– Full name as you would like it to appear if your work is chosen for publication
– Contact information: mailing address, phone number, and email
Send Submissions to:
Email: editors.artofresistance@hotmail.com
Email: editors.artofresistance@hotmail.com if you have questions.
The co-editors are Annie Fukushima and Christine Stark. Annie Fukushima is a doctoral student in Ethnics and a Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender & Sexuality. She is also an activist that organizes with numerous organizations, and the founder of SAFEHS (Students & Artists Fighting to End Human Slavery). Christine Stark is an award-winning author and visual artist, speaker, and activist of Native American and European heritage. She is a co-editor of Not for Sale: Feminists Resisting Prostitution and Pornography.
**We define systems of prostitution to include street prostitution, stripping, bartering sex for food and shelter, adult and child pornography, escort and out-call prostitution, sex tourism, ritual abuse, massage parlors, saunas, phone sex, prostitution tourism, peep shows, mail order bride services, and international and domestic sex trafficking.
NoPornNorthampton's reviews of essays in Not For Sale
A Review of Christine Stark, "Girls to boyz: Sex radical women promoting pornography and prostitution"
Stark considers sex-radicalism to be a form of female self-hatred, replicating male abuse of women even within all-female contexts such as lesbian relationships. Carol Queen claims to be on the side of all sexual minorities, but given the magnitude and pervasiveness of the sex industry and its role in subordinating women, siding with pornographers and pimps is not exactly an underdog role. (p.279) True "radical" feminism is radical not because it takes the most extreme positions on the issues, but because it looks at the roots of inequality and demands structural changes as well as personal ones. Stark observes:
Queen and other sex radicals have a rebellious, adolescent-style reaction to sex: what they perceive as being 'different' or rebellious is good, period… They channel women's vaild anger and desire to rebel against patriarchy into their political camp by misrepresenting the term sex radical. True sex radicalism would mean recognizing structures of inequality and oppression, working toward egalitarian relationships, and aligning with those (whether minorities or majorities) who do not have social or political power–such as women and children hurt in pornography and prostitution or lesbians against lesbian pornography. (p.280)
Because they are women and/or homosexuals, sex radicals who enjoy sadomasochism and purchasing prostitutes get away with claiming to undermine patriarchal norms, while in fact they are perpetuating other women's subordination…
Stark is disturbed by how lesbian pornography replicates the same master-slave dynamic of heterosexual porn, only with "butch" women instead of men as the ones who abuse the weaker, more feminine sexual partner. Just as in the girl-on-girl sex scenes in porn aimed at straight men, lesbian porn often portrays sex as women being cruel to one another:
[W]omen put other women into bondage using handcuffs, masks, ropes and chains. A chain saw as phallus is next to a breast….Lesbian pornography carries articles and advertises books that detail torture methods for women to use on other women, including how to set one's partner on fire. (p.288)
Stark suggests that misogynist porn appeals to lesbians because it lets them escape their feelings of vulnerability as women and sexual minorities, and identify with the powerful oppressors. This is not a new, radical vision of sex and society–it's an unhealthy coping mechanism that leaves the power structure intact. (p.289) Meanwhile, potential abusers take women's acceptance of rape and incest fantasies as proof that sexual violence is natural, consensual or even invited by the victims.
Feminist Perspective, Prostitution, What You Can Do. permalink.
The Village Voice Earns $80,000/Month from Prostitution, Sex Trafficking and other Adult Ads (explicit language)
GENDER AND JUSTICE Conference, March 28-29, Costa Mesa, CA


Mike Shinoda was born on February 11th, 1977 in Agoura Hills, California. He is half white and half Japanese on his father's side and took his music pretty seriously at a very young age. His mother forced him to play the piano as early as the age of six and his love for the music industry grew from then on. Later in his childhood, he got to learn to play the guitar and worked on his rapping vocals in both middle school and high school. Some of his favorite genres of music growing up were jazz, the blues and even hip-hop. This is a diverse mix of genres considering Linkin Park was predominately considered to be a rock band for the most of their career.
He attended Agoura High School with his future Linkin Park bandmates Brad Delson and Rob Bourdon. They initially formed an early version of the band, but they didn't get very far because they failed to acquire a record label. In the meantime, Shinoda attended the Art Center College of Design of Pasadena where he graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Illustration in 1998. Before becoming the more famous musician we know and love today, he originally just got a job as a graphics designer.
It was not until the band got Chester Bennington did Linkin Park become the famous band we knew and loved. The band were quickly picked up by Warner Bros Records and they released their debut album called 'Hybrid Theory'. The success of 'Hybrid Theory' made the band super famous as the album went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide after that. Their subsequent albums did really well as the band eventually managed to sell 70 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. Due to the huge success of Linkin Park. Mike Shinoda had enough resources to release his own side project called Fort Minor which concentrated mostly on his rapping skills. Despite being with Fort Minor, he spent the majority of his time being in Linkin Park as the rock band were far too popular for him to leave.
Sadly though, Linkin Park eventually came to an abrupt end when lead singer Chester Bennington committed suicide in June 2017. It was believed he was depressed after Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell also committed suicide just a few weeks earlier. Despite the death of Bennington, Shinoda released a new solo album in 2018 called 'Post Traumatic' and is hoping to get the band back together in the near future once everyone is ready.
Mike Shinoda Net Worth 2018: How Much Money Does Mike Shinoda Have?
Mike Shinoda is still a rich man thanks to all of the album sales acquired by Linkin Park. Not to mention he will also still receive a lot of royalties because Linkin Park songs are still popular on the radio and many of their material have been used on various video games, TV shows and movies over the years.
In all, we estimate Mike Shinoda net worth in 2018 at $23 million .


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Q: How to add another top level node I have my linq code formatted like:
<Deck>
   <Treasure>
     <card>
     .....
     </card>
     ......
   </treasure>
   <Door>
     <card>
     .....
     </card>
     ......
   </Door>

In the following code how do I add another Door that is the same "level" as treasure? Everything I have tried keeps adding it as the same level as card. Here is what I have:
   public void SaveXml(string path)
    {
        XElement xml;
        XElement root = new XElement("Treasure");
        foreach (var item in TreasureCards)
        {
            xml = new XElement("Card",
                    new XAttribute("name", item.Name),
                    new XElement("Type", item.Type),
                    new XElement("Image",
                    new XAttribute("path", item.Image)),
                    new XElement("Usage", item.Usage),
                    new XElement("Quantity", item.Quantity),
                    new XElement("Sell", item.Sell)
                    );
            root.Add(xml);
        }
        root.Add(new XElement("Door"));
        foreach (var item in DoorCards)
        {
            xml = new XElement("Card",
                  new XAttribute("name", item.Name),
                  new XElement("Type", item.Type),
                  new XElement("Image",
                  new XAttribute("path", item.Image)),
                  new XElement("Usage", item.Usage),
                  new XElement("Quantity", item.Quantity));
            root.Add(xml);
        }

A: You need to create the Deck element first:
XElement deck = new XElement("Deck");

Then add both the treasure (which i've taken the liberty of renaming from root to treasure) and the door to it:
XElement treasure = new XElement("Treasure")
...
deck.Add(treasure)
...
XElement door = new XElement("Door")
...
deck.Add(door)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


No Words, could describe how awful I feel posting this... Steven over @ "http://stevenchapmanwriter.blogspot.com" will be the judge!
Bruce Willis enjoying the view in Sin City.
i know it's like looking at awkward art... over and over again!
what, wait... she she cannot act, how come i didn't get the memo.


> Summer movies are here! And I had been waiting a very long time for Wonder Woman, go see it! We also caught a few other movies and watched Season 1 of Billions (loved) and Season 5 of House of Cards (hated).
> I mainly read a lot of ebooks in support of the Work at Home Ultimate bundle (it's over now). I don't like to promote things I haven't vetted/tasted/read so reviewing 30 ebooks took some time. I did get in a light summer read, Beach Trip by Cathy Holton and I started The Secret Wife by Gill Paul.
> I've solicited Mr. Misadventures to help me create Pinterest-sized images for the backlog of older blog posts that don't have them. I am trying to be consistent with putting a certain amount of pins out into the Pinterverse as well as repinning on group boards, etc.
> I've got several new job possibilities in various stages of interviewing. All of them are great opportunities so I'm hopeful that one of them will be the one. After my sabbatical and I rested and revitalized and ready to rock and roll!
> BlogHouse is in a few weeks in Indianapolis and I am planning to get the most out of it as possible. I am fully committed to every aspect of the 4-day agenda and I am really looking forward to it!
> The trip to San Francisco was just what we needed to remind us why we left. San Francisco is an awesome, amazing city to visit, but we are done when it comes to living there. There has been a bit of romanticizing about life in the San Francisco Bay Area, but a few days visiting was enough to remind us of why we left.
My Favorite Photo | Springtime.
> I haven't taken a lot of photos in the past couple of months, something that will change at BlogHouse, but you might have been amused by our very shocked faces when we got up to the top of Mount Rainier and saw this! Our plan was a nice picnic in the fields ourside of the Paradise Visitor's Center, however, as you can see it didn't work out.
June has obviously been a busy month for you! Ever since Wonder Woman made her appearance in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, I've been wanting to see it! I'm looking forward to the Justice League movie coming in November, but I know I need to see Wonder Woman first! The beginning of summer, June has always been a busy month in our house; yard work, WORK, and outdoor family gatherings on weekends. It's good to see you're able to keep it in perspective and staying focused. I'd like to visit San Francisco, just for a couple of days.
Need to do something like the San Francisco trip!
My daughter & I went to see Wonder Woman during opening weekend. We were so excited & it definitely didn't disappoint, we loved it.
This is a really fun series and totally inspiring! Love the fact that you're watching Wonder Woman and that you're into it. My sister loved it!
Good luck on your job interviews. Something, the perfect thing, will come along when the time is right. Sometimes we all need a nice break from the work force. Sounds like you are busy but having fun so far this month. Hard to believe it is almost half way over!
Let me just say, June in Texas we are already close to 100 each day. It's already intense hear.
Wonder Woman, totally agree. Go see it!! I am not a person that goes to the movies often. I take my boys on Thanksgiving day and then maybe one more time a year. We went opening day to see Wonder Woman just to get out of the house and kick off summer. AMAZING!! I actually want to go see it again.
June is just a busy month for us in general. Love your outlook!
I loved Wonder Woman movie. So empowering.
I am also working on pinterest. I need to organize my pins and find new content to share. Do you recommend an app or an strategy?
I am looking into travel this summer and I hope I can get good deals on flights.
You are such an inspitation.
I haven't gone to see Wonder Woman yet. I take it you recommend it? The reviews have been all over the place. Also, I LOVED Season 5 of House of Cards. 🙂 I thought the storyline twists were interesting, but I won't go into spoilers!
I heard so many good reviews on Wonder Woman. Good luck with your job search process. I am actually going on a mini blog sabbatical myself and I am going away for 3 weeks on an upcoming press trip that will prevent me from working for awhile but the experience will be so worth it!
Good luck on the job prospects!! Finding a job is so nervewracking but then exciting when you find a really great fit. Glad you liked Wonder Woman. I've been excited to see it but we haven't made it to the theater yet.
Looks like you are doing a lot of cool things right now. I am excited for the summer films that are coming out. There are always a lot of fun ones I love to watch with my daughter. As for my summer plans. I like to squeeze in as many activities as I possibly can with my daughter over the summer. It makes for fun times but sometimes we hit the wall of tiredness. Ah well.
I still need to see Wonder Woman! After hearing about it, I'm so excited to finally see it. Also, I really, really couldn't get into Season 5 of House of Cards. My husband and I loved it up until this season, and have just stopped watching it. That never happened before on earlier seasons–we'd usually binge watch every night after our kids were in bed! All good things come to an end, I guess.
I still haven't managed to see Wonder Woman yet, I can't wait to see it.
I have heard of both billions and house of cards. Want to watch it some time!


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Black Hat SEO je praktika, která má za cíl navýšit hodnocení webové stránky u vyhledávačů pomocí zakázaných technik. Tyto techniky jsou jmenovány v pravidlech užívání vyhledávacích serverů a měl by se s nimi seznámit každý, kdo chce optimalizovat svůj nebo cizí web. Samotný název Black hat byl převzat z filmů a hlavně westernů, kde byly za black hat považování "bad guys" a proti nim stáli white hats. V současnosti je mnohem více spojení black hat používáno pro počítačové hackery, programátory virů a ty, kteří používají neetické způsoby při práci s počítačem. Opakem Black hat SEO je White hat SEO - etičtější způsob provádění SEO vytvářením kvalitního obsahu a dobrého uživatelského prostředí.

Používané techniky
 Article spinning – metoda na vytváření levného obsahu, který nebude vyhledávač považovat za duplicitní
 Automaticky generovaný text – některé weby dokáží vygenerovat text na základě vložení několika slovních spojení, často využívaný například u názvu zboží – web si například na různých eshopech ukradnou kusy textu, přidají k nim obrázek a pokusí se získat návštěvnost na různá long tail slovní spojení.
 Cloaking – skrývání textu je snaha předhodit vyhledávači něco jiného, než vidí regulérní návštěvník, toto chování vyhledávače penalizují
 Doorway stránka – mezistupeň při přesměrování návštěvnosti, často se zde návštěvníci třídí a separují do skupin; roboti většinou vidí odlišný obsah
 Keyword stuffing – vkládání do textu nadměrné množství klíčových slov, text je většinou špatně čitelný a působí dojmem umělosti
 Scraper site – stránka vytvořená pomocí automatických metod, často se používají jako mezistupeň pro různá složitější odkazová schémata
 Skryté odkazy – používají se na přelévání link juice a posilování autority dalších webů; jsou často maskovány anebo přesunuty na místa, kde nejsou vidět
 Linkfarma – druh webu, který je složený z velkého množství stránek; převážně se jedná o statistická data, která místo do velké tabulky jsou rozdělena na malé stránky – cílem linkfarmy může být získávání návštěvníků z vyhledávačů
 Page Swapping – technika postavená na principu získání dobré pozice ve vyhledávači a následné rychlé výměně obsahu. Dnes již není příliš efektivní.
 Cílené skrývání obsahu – přidávání odkazů, které nejsou rozlišeny od obecného textu, přidávání textu ve stejné barvě jako je pozadí nebo umisťování textu mimo viditelnou část stránky
 Zneužití strukturovaných dat - tato technika zahrnuje poskytování nepřesných informací ve strukturovaných datech s cílem oklamat vyhledávače a uživatele.

Výhody
 Nízké náklady. Jedinou investicí je software na generování stránek, analýza klíčových slov a hosting; náklady na údržbu a provoz jsou také velmi nízké.
 Velmi dobré pokrytí long tailu hledaných frází, srovnatelné snad jen s PPC reklamou.
 S přihlédnutím k nízkým nákladům obvykle pozitivní návratnost.
 Univerzálnost a škálovatelnost – v podstatně jde aplikovat na jakékoli téma a v jakémkoli rozsahu.

Nevýhody
 V důsledku zdokonalování ochranných mechanismů vyhledávačů proti SEO spamu může zvolená metoda přestat fungovat. Obecně je životnost metody předem neodhadnutelná a může činit třeba jen pár týdnů.
 Jestliže administrátor některého vyhledávače síť doorway stránek odhalí (nebo ji některý konkurent vyhledávači nahlásí), budou pravděpodobně všechny zapojené stránky z výsledků vyhledávání na dlouho dobu vyřazeny. V závislosti na době fungování sítě mohou škody způsobené vyřazením převýšit získané přínosy.
 Veřejnost může používání těchto metod považovat za neetické. Případná medializace odhalení sítě proto může poškodit jméno společnosti, která ji vytvořila nebo v jejíž prospěch byla vytvořena.
 Obchodní efekt ze získané návštěvnosti nebude nejlepší, protože příliš mnoho různých dotazů směřuje na jedinou, z principu většinou nepříliš relevantní stránku.

Porovnají-li se výhody a nevýhody, obvykle se dojde k závěru, že podobné black-hat metody mohou být vhodné pro krátkodobé projekty bez ambicí vybudovat dlouhodobě prosperující podnik. Typicky se tedy využívají ve spojení s různými affiliate programy, často na okraji seriozního podnikání (hazard, erotika, potravinové doplňky, MLM apod.). Naopak se zpravidla nehodí pro větší a známější firmy, budování značky, dlouhodobé podnikání citlivé na důvěryhodnost firmy apod.

Reference

Optimalizace pro vyhledávače

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Celebrate Extraordinary Women with 'Harriet's Return'
Posted on 27 February 2016 by valaida
"I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say — I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger." Harriet Tubman at a suffrage convention, NY, 1896
A favorable aspect of my work is collaborating with an eclectic mix of philanthropic institutions, cultural organizations, arts groups, businesses, schools and fascinating people around the world.
A current project involves the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and its new HERITAGE & HISTORY series funded by Duke Energy. The program series features nationally noted artists and scholars who are preserving Black culture through an array of disciplines and media.
KAREN JONES MEADOWS (of Karen Jones Meadows Now), an award-winning playwright, actress and educator, kicks off Heritage & History as the featured "culture keeper" in March—Women's History Month. Once a Charlotte resident, Karen was a regular performer and creative force at the Afro-American Cultural Center (now the Gantt Center). She's returning to the city to perform her one-woman play, Harriet's Return: The Legendary Life of Harriet Tubman, which originated as a small project for the Afro-Am in the 1980s. Since then, Karen's signature theatrical work, in which she plays 30+ characters, has evolved into a critically acclaimed production and phenomenon with stagings throughout the U.S. and internationally each year.
Come experience Karen's mesmerizing performance in HARRIET'S RETURN at Booth Playhouse at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, March 8. Get your tix here!
Posted in History, Uncategorized	| Tagged Harriet Tubman, Heritage & History, Karen Jones Meadows, theatre, Women's History Month	| 3 Replies
The Act of Adapting
Posted on 7 September 2015 by valaida
ad·ap·ta·tion | adapˈtāSH(ə)n/
a movie, television drama, or stage play that has been adapted from a written work, typically a novel. the act of adapting.
Adaptation is the theme for Season 7 of On Q Performing Arts, Inc., which opens this month!
The three main shows of the season were adapted from literature. Opening the season is Spunk, based on three stories by the incomparable Zora Neale Hurston adapted by George C. Wolfe. Wolfe won a 1989 Obie award for best off-Broadway director for Spunk.
Other productions during Season 7 include The Children of Children Keep Coming, Soulful Noel and The Bluest Eye.
Save by subscribing to the entire season of OnQ productions for only $75. Click here to buy your tickets!
Posted in Culture	| Tagged arts and culture, Charlotte, On Q Performing Arts, OnQ, Season 7, theatre	| Leave a reply
guest blog post // 'Bravo to On Q'
Posted on 8 October 2013 by valaida
Renaissance Man Russell L. Goings, Author of The Children of Children Keep Coming
Following a recent performance of Russell L. Goings' The Children of Children Keep Coming by On Q Performing Arts, Inc, Irene Blair Honeycutt wrote the piece below. On Q, a nonprofit theater company that presents performance works reflecting the Black experience, opened its fifth season with a staged reading of The Children of Children. The production took place October 3-5 at Duke Energy Theater in Charlotte.
The theater was almost filled, and among the audience sat Russell L. Goings himself. Sitting in a row nearby, I could hear Goings' occasional deep-throated "uh-huh," "yes," "amen," and see him shake his head in approval and sometimes wipe tears from his cheeks. Quentin Talley, artistic director, and his talented cast had clearly captured the power of this Griot song. The theater itself seemed to rattle as if a train were coming around the corner bearing the likes of Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman.
This locomotive style was pronounced throughout the performance with knee- and hip-slapping by the performers who read, sang and danced their way through the trials of slavery up to and through the modern Jackie Robinson, the clang of integration, while killings, beatings, and the KKK still threatened blacks to stay in their places—separate water fountains, back seats on the bus (if any seat at all!)—stepping aside to let whites pass on sidewalks. The voices of Rosa Parks, Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson; the blues and jazz of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis…these were conjured and many heard and others—all threaded throughout this moving poetic narrative.
On Q performance of The Children of Children Keep Coming by Russell L. Goings, 3 Oct 2013 | Photo by Gena J.
The Children of Children Keep Coming ultimately reflects Goings' belief in a universal god and in a humanity that reaches beyond bitterness toward universal healing. Goings has said of his work that it "is the attempt to synthesize the notion of a griot (West African storyteller/musician/oral historian) with the blues, jazz, gospel, ragtime, Dixieland." In 90 minutes with no intermission, On Q melds Goings' themes of cultural change without missing a beat.
On Q performance of The Children of Children, 3 Oct 2013
I came away elated, with a renewed sense of how far we have come and how the children keep coming on many levels, that freedom awaits all who endure, and that hope and inspiration transcend indignities and bitterness. This production will surely find its way to the next level! Bravo to On Q for such a cohesive, energetic, awe-inspiring performance!
Irene Blair Honeycutt is author of four books and teaches creative writing. She is founding director of the Spring Literary Festival at Central Piedmont Community College and served as a member of the College's faculty and staff for nearly four decades.
Posted in Guest Blog Post, Stories	| Tagged Central Piedmont Community College, Duke Ellington, epic poem, Frederick Douglass, Griot song, Irene Blair Honeycutt, Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, Marian Anderson, On Q Performing Arts, Russell L. Goings, Sojourner Truth, theatre	| Leave a reply
guest blog post // Respect, Love and Space: A Culture Revealed
Posted on 9 April 2013 by valaida
Tonight, the nonprofit professional theatre company On Q Performing Arts, Inc. is hosting a fundraiser featuring the theatre legend Lou Bellamy. I serve on the board of On Q and am ecstatic to share this recent interview by Anne Lambert with Lou Bellamy on my blog. Enjoy!
Respect, Love and Space: A Culture Revealed
An interview with theatre legend Lou Bellamy, founder and artistic director of the renowned Penumbra Theatre Company
By Anne Lambert
Summer 2012, Charlotte's Quentin "Q" Talley, founder and artistic director of On Q Performing Arts, Inc., became one of only six theatre professionals nationwide awarded a Leadership U fellowship. Made possible by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Theatre Communications Group, the 2012-13 fellowship provides Q a residency at Penumbra Theatre Company in St. Paul, MN and professional mentorship from Lou Bellamy, Penumbra's founder.
An Obie Award-winning director, accomplished actor and sought-after scholar, Bellamy has led Penumbra in producing 23 world premieres, including August Wilson's first professional production. Penumbra carries the proud distinction of having produced more of Wilson's plays than any other theatre in the world. In addition to his theatre company, Bellamy has been a faculty member at the University of Minnesota for 32 years and is currently associate professor in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance.
Bellamy is traveling to Charlotte this week to participate in a dinner event, benefiting On Q Performing Arts. On the eve of his arrival, Bellamy generously responded to a series of questions I posed. My interview with him is below.
Q: How did you meet Q? How did you first learn about the Leadership U fellowship funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation and Theatre Communications Group?
I first met Q at a reception at the JCSU president's residence. I was in Charlotte at Dr. Carter's invitation. Dr. Carter and I were exploring ways to bring some of Penumbra's programs to Charlotte and to JCSU. Dr. Carter introduced me to Q as a leader and representative of the theater community. Q and I hit it off early on. Being a founder of a mid-sized arts organization, I understood immediately the challenges he was addressing. As Penumbra and JCSU's relationship evolved, so did my relationship with Q and On Q Performing Arts. We began to speak about making PTC's educational programs available to JCSU students and to artists associated with On Q Performing Arts. Those discussions led to students from JCSU and from Davidson College coming to Minnesota to participate in PTC's Summer Institute. At the same time, Q learned of the Leadership U fellowship and asked me if I would be interested in mentoring him if he applied and was accepted to the program.
Q: How is the fellowship structured? How do you and Q work together? Does he have 'homework' or assignments? Or is your partnership more loosely structured? How does the financial aspect of the grant work? Do you have benchmarks that you also have to reach?
The fellowship is structured to allow Q to explore and participate in both the artistic and administrative aspects of running a company. As we continue to structure the relationship, it is important that Q choose the areas he wants to develop. Once he chooses an area, we begin to chart out a strategy that will allow him to participate and/or observe that activity in a working professional company. He is an integral part of PTC's administrative staff, complete with desk, computer, etc. He attends staff and production meetings and follows the process of creating art for the stage from the germination of an idea to full production. He is also a part of all other aspects of running a theater company (e.g. marketing, personnel, education, technical, audience development, granting, and production). He also assists me in direction and has assisted and traveled with me as I've directed plays at Denver Center for the Performing Arts and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Q: What are the benefits of the fellowship for you? What are some of the unexpected aspects of the project and your relationship with Q? What advice would you give to artists who seek a mentor or a mentee?
PTC's programs and approach to production have been developed over thirty-seven years of continuous production. The company is now in the position where it is important that this body of knowledge be shared with those interested in engaging their communities in similar manners. On Q Performing Arts and PTC are exploring ways that our programming can be shared in the other's community. This could mean PTC programming in Charlotte and On Q Performing Arts programming in Minnesota. One of the unintended consequences of our interaction has been the refinement of my own artistic philosophy and practice. When I am forced to examine and explain actions and choices which have become almost instinctive for me, I begin to reexamine my own approach. I think the process has reinvigorated and expanded my repertoire.
Q: While you're working with Q, I imagine you have thought about your own career path. Can you tell us more about how you got to where you are, where you went to school, how you broke into the world of directing, how you founded Penumbra Theatre, etc?
My career path has been largely dictated by the direction, growth and needs of my company. When you are a company like On Q Performing Arts or Penumbra, your personal growth and development is inextricably tied to that of the company. When I came out of graduate school, I had been mainly trained as an actor. I had good directors already in my company, so the best way for me to contribute to the company was through acting and administration. As the company matured and directors began to be beckoned by the rest of the field, the needs of the company shifted and I began to move from acting to directing. Before founding PTC, I first broke into directing because of the demand I had created as an actor. Theaters wanted to hire me as an actor. I made deals with them that I would appear in their productions in their current seasons if they would hire me to direct in their next season. It worked. And I turned out to have something to say as a director. I founded PTC because I knew that there were stories from the African American experience that were not being told with truth and cultural authenticity. This approach to the drama necessitated both craft and textual exploration and refinement. Fortunately, there were available excellent actors, writers, and directors who were similarly impelled. We all felt that African Americans should be in control of the images, stories and iconology that surround and defines their ethos. This authentic approach to the drama has resulted in an increased demand for the work and has irreversibly shaped American drama.
Q: Could you tell us about your professional philosophy and work style? How do you direct? What is important to you as a director? What do you want from actors? What does your experience tell you actors need from you? How do you work with playwrights? How do you work with designers?
My approach is to explore and represent the authentic African American experience. For me, this is best represented in ensemble production. I've found that the culture will reveal itself only when it is given respect, love, and space. One has to be intimately familiar with the culture to present it on stage. I want actors who are trained and well versed in the craft of theatre and who have (or want to) stud(y)ied the culture. I love and respect actors and feel a real responsibility to make sure they have clear expectations and a safe and nurturing atmosphere in which to create. I do best working with playwrights by attempting to supply the cultural nuance and rhythms that are the intent of the playwright. With designers, I'm intentionally vague. I want them to have a certain fidelity to the text, but leave room for them to imagine.
Q: Can you recall a specific black theatre production (either one of your own or a project in which you weren't directly involved) that you have drawn significant inspiration from or weaves a story that you particularly identify with? In other words, what play moves you most? And why?
Three productions come to mind. Two of them I directed and the other was directed by another I acted in. The dramatic presentation and realization in all were instructive and the "whole" that emerged was definitely greater than the sum of the parts. I directed a production of Steve Tesich's On the Open Road set in an African American post-apocalyptic reality whose images were so strong as to still be inspirational to me. I directed a production of Seven Guitars that was, to me, so well realized that I don't think I want to ever try to reengage the text. I can't imagine it ever being more perfect. Probably the most formative in my career was a production of Fences directed by Claude Purdy in which I played TROY MAXON opposite Rebecca Rice's ROSE. Purdy's direction continues to shape the choices and style of my directing and Rice's honesty, beauty, and craft are carried in my heart and are templates for dramatic truth in everything I do. My study of African American culture and history form a context which informs each and every directing choice I make. Texts like The Drama of Nommo by Paul Carter Harrison, From Slavery to Freedom by John Hope Franklin, and Before the Mayflower by Lerone Bennett, Jr. are the bones of the skeleton that hold up the body of my work.
Q: Last fall, On Q Performing Arts hosted you, Joan Myers Brown (founder of Philadanco) and poet and playwright Amiri Baraka for a discussion called "Black Arts Movement: Present Condition, Future Vision." What makes a play uniquely 'African-American' or 'black' and not just a work of theater, or American theater? Why is that distinction important to audiences? Or is it still an important distinction as our culture becomes increasingly diverse? Is radicalism or racial identity a required theme of 'black' theater? What, in your opinion, creates an 'authentic' theater experience?
I feel that the answers to these questions are somewhere addressed above. A black character in a play does not make it a "black play." I could write, or talk, for days about this. Toni Morrison's Playing in the Dark is most instructive here. America's view of "things African" are so colored and pulled out of shape that depictions of blacks in American literature not created by African Americans often bear little resemblance to that which I know to be true. Blacks in this context tend to be metaphors, representatives of the race, portrayed without the community that shapes them, represent bench marks for the development of white characters, provide comic relief or the opportunity to play out extreme violence or sexuality, etc. I'm interested in exposing the "human experience" through the lives and culture of African Americans. I believe that in so doing I can make the world a better place for us all.
Anne Lambert is a professional actress, writer and theatre producer. A longtime supporter of On Q Performing Arts, Lambert organized Lou, Q and You at e2, a benefit dinner event, and contributes generously to the theatre company.
Posted in Guest Blog Post	| Tagged Anne Lambert, Arts, benefit dinner, Charlotte, culture, e2, Emeril's Eatery, Lou Bellamy, On Q Performing Arts, Penumbra Theatre Company, Quentin Talley, theatre	| 3 Replies


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Philae's descent: riding with the lander
SOURCE MP4 [132.42 MB]
The descent of Philae towards Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 12 November 2014, as if we are riding with the lander.
The animation begins with Philae being ejected by Rosetta and deploying its own three legs, and follows the lander's descent until it reaches the target site on the comet about seven hours later. Meanwhile, the comet rotates underneath the lander with a period of 12.4 hours.
The animation stops about four and a half hours after separation, after two thirds of the lander's descent. The total descent time will be about seven hours.
Philae was provided by a consortium led by DLR, MPS, CNES and ASI.
ESA/ATG medialab
Philae Lander Rosetta Orbiter
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko Animations comet Cometary missions Comets and Asteroids Space Exploration
Philae's descent and science on the surface
Video 00:03:09 116988 views 106 likes
Reconstructing Philae's flight
Video 00:01:52 242397 views 55 likes
Philae's descent: farewell from Rosetta
ROLIS descent image
Image 402548 views 2005 likes
Journey to the surface of a comet