"Krizis" by Yerevan, Armenia-based underground post-punk and synthwave act No Many Cry off of their 2020 album Kukuruznik

Pan-Turkism has been characterized by pseudoscientific theories known as Pseudo-Turkology.[64][65] Though dismissed in serious scholarship, scholars promoting such theories, often known as Pseudo-Turkologists,[64] have in recent times emerged among every Turkic nationality.[66][67] A leading light among them is Murad Adzhi, who insists that two hundred thousand years ago, "an advanced people of Turkic blood" were living in the Altai Mountains. These tall and blonde Turks are supposed to have founded the world's first state, Idel-Ural, 35,000 years ago, and to have migrated as far as the Americas.[66]

According to theories like the Turkish History Thesis, promoted by pseudo-scholars, the Turkic peoples are supposed to have migrated from Central Asia to the Middle East in the Neolithic. The Hittites, Sumerians, Babylonians, and ancient Egyptians are here classified as being of Turkic origin.[65][66][67][68] The Kurgan cultures of the early Bronze Age up to more recent times are also typically ascribed to Turkic peoples by pan-Turkic pseudoscholars, such as Ismail Miziev.[69] Non-Turkic peoples typically classified as Turkic, Turkish, Proto-Turkish or Turanian include Huns, Scythians, Sakas, Cimmerians, Medes, Parthians, Pannonian Avars, Caucasian Albanians, and various ethnic minorities in Turkic countries, such as Kurds.[69][70][71][67][68] Adzhi also considers Alans, Goths, Burgundians, Saxons, Alemanni, Angles, Lombards, and many Russians as Turks.[66] Only a few prominent peoples in history, such as Jews, Chinese people, Armenians, Greeks, Persians, and Scandinavians are considered non-Turkic by Adzhi.[66]

Philologist Mirfatyh Zakiev, former Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Tatar ASSR, has published hundreds of "scientific" works on the subject, suggesting Turkic origins of the Sumerian, Greek, Icelandic, Etruscan and Minoan languages. Zakiev contends that "proto-Turkish is the starting point of the Indo-European languages".[66] Not only peoples and cultures, but also prominent individuals, such as Saint George, Peter the Great, Mikhail Kutuzov and Fyodor Dostoevsky, are proclaimed to have been "of Turkic origin".[66] As such the Turkic peoples are supposed to have once been the "benevolent conquerors" of the peoples of most of Eurasia, who thus owe them "a huge cultural debt".[66][72]

The pseudoscientific Sun Language Theory states that all human languages are descendants of a proto-Turkic language and was developed by the Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during the 1930s.[73] Kairat Zakiryanov considers the Japanese and Kazakhgene pools to be identical.[74] Several Turkish academics (Şevket Koçsoy, Özkan İzgi, Emel Esin) claim that Zhou dynasty were of Turkic origins.[75][76][77][78]

what is going on with the turkish

Background character sketches for "My Brother’s Child", a fic I've been writing for about a year. It is E-rated for s*x and graphic vio lence, but it's also full of Rise-style fluff, family moments, and humor. But I'm adding a T-rated version soon, and when I do, I'll drop the link.

The fic is generally about the different stages of love and loss the adult turtles go through during the apocalyptic future in the Rise Movie, and how things change over the course of the years until Time Travel Day. The fic is canon compliant, so all the losses suffered in the movie are, in fact, in the fic, or will be soon.

So i needed some background characters that can create situations for the turtles to navigate. Expendables, if you will.

This is the Mad Dogs Hockey Team (and a few others). They're Raph and Cass' scavenger squad full of ultra-strong weirdos. All their weapons and armor were made by Donnie during a fit of unbridled inspiration.

But anyway, in case you can't read my chicken scratch (from left to right) under the cut:

Denzlo:

-Stinky Boy

-Doesn't shower much to conserve water

-Fiercely Loyal to Raph and Cass

-Incredibly kind, but has a short fuse

Evans:

-Out of the Box Thinker

-Tall and Buff (gotta stay fit in the apocalypse)

-Smartass

-loves his wife, Spice

(Not on here, but recent lore drop in the fic, Evans was training to be a radiologist, so he's the group's de facto medic. He also loves stealing dried herbs/spices during scavenges to spice up he and his wife's rations)

Spice:

-Soft spoken and stealthy

-uses Donnie-Tech camo cloak

-high kraang kill-count

-loves her husband (they dance together at bad times)

-was a law student

Pietro:

-Angry at everything, was scared of mutants (still kinda is.)

-has two kids (Trish and Tai)

-unpleasant person in general

Quinn:

-Short Queen, sweetheart

-Used to be a mortician

-Goth, from Jersey

-Took care of Raphael’s body

Maya:

-A bit self-centered, brutal, sadistic

-likes cute things

-likes Mikey

-uh oh

The honorable Rabbi Venkman (Not a member of the Hockey Team, but one of Mikey’s 'Light-Steppers', the mystic warrior squad he teaches):

-handles all religious crises in the rebellion base

-Thinks the world of Mikey, learned mystic arts from him

-very tall and soft spoken

-very moral and fair, if a lil sassy

Delia Vardanyan (civilian):

-In charge of the war's orphans, takes care of all children on base when their parents are busy, in charge of their general education.

-HATES Donnie (likes his brothers, though?)

- Armenian immigrant. survivor of the original kraang attack. Very loud/outspoken. They found her eating MREs in a turned over battleship in the harbor.

-Trusts. NO. One. (Sleeps a lot)

Yuri:

-Was a tourist/exchange student in NYU from Sweden

-Struggles with English and has a very heavy accent

-Maya is his bestie by default bc she speaks fluent Swedish and was the only one who could understand him when the world flipped upside down. His English has gotten better over the years, but he still needs her.

-Speedy in battles. Will share his rations. Bit of an appreciator of the finer things in life, like wine.

-Maya and Yuri have both slept with Mikey. Mikey is quite a Casanova in the resistance due to his mystic mystique. (That... might change once he starts aging more rapidly, however...)

There's another page of characters, but it contains spoilers, so im gonna have to correct that before i show it.

Had a lot of fun playing Age of Empires 2 with @thirteen-jades and @cyberbun tonight. We did two maps against hard AI, which we now seem to be capable of consistently beating both individually and in equal teams.

The first was a nomad + regicide game, the three of us against 5 teamless AIs in a random multi-continent map.

What these settings mean is that all the players start without a base, but may build one wherever and whenever they wish. It's a bit of a balance between getting one built as soon as possible to get ahead economically and looking for a good spot that will have enough resources and favorable geography to be useful long-term.

And the regicide setting means each player has a king unit whose survival is linked to that player's. If the king dies, the player immediately loses.

I was playing Gurjaras (cavalry and camels), Jade was playing Armenians (infantry and naval), and Lottie was playing Huns (cavalry).

This one started with all three of us unfortunately spread apart too far to reinforce each other in the early game, but fortunately this was not an issue since we were all capable of taking care of ourselves, especially with the AI sometimes fighting itself rather than attacking our team.

As is often the case when I'm not just supporting my sisters I took down my closest opponent first through some rather extreme harassment with light cavalry, killing dozens and dozens of villagers until they finally surrendered once my elephants started breaking down their town.

Jade then took down an enemy by herself while Lottie and I contained the goth tide coming from the west (I added hand cannons to my composition to deal with them). After bringing down the enemy king's castle I dived him with light cavalry and killed him before he could escape to another castle, instantly taking them out.

Following this, I joined Jade in sieging the Poles to the south, building a ton of stables and pumping out lots of camels to counting their horses, on top of my discounted light cavalry to cover Jade's artillery and cause chaos. It was a lot of fun, even if my starting location ended up being kind of low on wood. I don't really need that much wood with Gurjaras anyway given some animals to garrison in my mills.

The second game was a bit more dangerous. We played in a pretty small open map in a 3v3 against hard AI. Both Jade and Lottie wanted to go for horse civilizations (Poles and Huns respectively) so I decided to add to the team bonus synergy with Mongols.

I started out by attacking the enemy closest to me (Goths, an infantry civ) with a scout rush. I got a bit of success with that before they started making a whole lot of discounted pikes. As I saw this coming, I had prepared a bunch of skirmishers to defend at home. This turned out to be a really good idea once they eventually counter-attacked with a good amount of spearmen.

At the same time, Jade got hit pretty hard by two of the AIs at once, with some of the aggression spilling over to Lottie as well. Unfortunately, the enemy attack was synchronized well enough that my units were busy defending. Besides, skirmishers are extremely ineffective against the Frankish knights that were attacking them, so I decided that the best way to help would be trusting them to survive and doing my best to swing the tempo back through light cavalry and horse archer raids.

This was a grand success, as my skirmishers kept their own army of skirmishers and spearmen distracted on the front while my horses went around and completely cleared their entire wood line and even a bunch of the farms, then also disrupted the enemy trade by shooting down all the caravans arriving at the market. The pressure was enough to completely break that opponent and cause the first surrender in the game.

With that done, I started to push back against the Frank player whose cavalry had been terrorizing my sisters early in the game, defeating their army and taking down a castle plus several production buildings. Around the same time, my allies overran the last enemy player (Koreans) with their own cavalry and forced them to abdicate, with the Franks following soon after thanks to Jade and Lottie sneaking into the back of their town with their own armies and completely destroying their economy.

It was fun enough that the other me is really excited to play more of the game herself as soon as possible.

Hazel and Yasmin from my in-progress Powerpuff Girls Mafia AU fic (it's as dumb as it sounds).

Yasmin Abajian:

She/her.

5'9".

Trans lesbian.

Runs a crystal/metaphysical shop and comes from a well-off Armenian family.

Comes across as rough and bitchy, but it's just because she's very protective and guarded.

High-strung mom friend.

Former friends-with-benefits with Hazel, but no romantic feelings. Has since returned to just being besties.

Meditates daily and runs a fitness instagram.

Can put Hazel on her shoulders, does it to annoy her.

App game addict.

Cannot keep a girlfriend for more than a month because she's either too aloof or too clingy, no in-between.

Would kick Ace's ass without hesitation.

Hates Snake not because of his own wrongdoings, but because he reminds her too much of other 'bad boys' Hazel's been hurt by.

Trying to get her best friend back on the straight and narrow.

Hazel Santos

She/her

4'11"

Works at Yasmin's shop as a fortune teller. Calls it 'spooky therapy'.

Uses braille tarot cards.

Believes in ghosts, tells everyone the shop is haunted.

Bisexual.

Born in Argentina, moved as a toddler.

Second-generation goth after her 80's trad goth mom

Keeps dating thugs and drug dealers much to Yasmin's disappointment.

Likes to give people a chance, but is naïve. Cannot say 'no' to anyone and is very desperate for approval.

Long line of abusive exes.

Roommates with Yasmin. Annoys her with loud post-punk music and tries to feed her spicy food.

Has non-24 and sleeps 'whenever'.

Hates being babied or excluded from going out with friends because of her disability. Tends to hang out with rough types because they don't treat her delicately.

Met Snake and the gang when she was 16. Has had a crush on him for almost 10 years but hasn't made a move because she thinks she'd be a burden.

Sweet, helpful 'therapist friend' but always avoids talking about her own problems.

Updated OC Playlists

Combination of songs that fit the character's story/vibe and the music they'd listen to

Seonag Tallach - Scottish punk, Celtic punk, dark wave, folk rock/metal, and goth rock

Mystery Potato Johnson - Dance pop, (mostly delta) blues, and r&b

Satenik Varoujan - Armenian folk, alt pop, more Ethel Cain than I remember adding

Melik Hammersmith - Psychedelic rock, southern rock, rock & roll, lots of Zappa

Mihika Ekanayake - Mostly 90s hip-hop and r&b

Sorrel Simoneau - Glam metal, French rock, alt pop, French covers of pop songs

Today the Church honors Pope St. Cornelius.

Ora pro nobis.

Pope Saint Cornelius was a Roman priest who was elected pope during the lull in the persecution of Christians under Emperor Decius (AD 249–251).

During the period of persecution under Emperor Decius, and after the martyrdom of Pope Saint Fabian, the Roman Church was unable to elect a new pope. During the persecution it proved impossible to elect a successor, and the papal seat remained vacant for over a year. In the fourteen months without a pope, the leading candidate, Moses, had died under the persecution. In AD June 251, Decius was killed in battle with the Goths, which provided a brief window for the election of a new bishop of Rome.

Although Novatian was the pre-eminent theologian in Rome, and the first Roman theologian who used the Latin language rather than Greek in his writings, and who had largely administered the Church of Rome during the period of persecution (for which he expected to be elected pope), the moderate Roman Cornelius was elected over Novatian and others as the twenty-first pope in AD March 251. Novatian then proclaimed himself pope, and the Church of Rome fell into schism.

Those who supported Novatian and his rigorist position, that the lapsed could not be re-admitted to the Church under any circumstances, had Novatian consecrated bishop and refused to recognize Cornelius as Bishop of Rome. Both sides sent out letters to other bishops seeking recognition and support. Cornelius had the support of Cyprian, Dionysius, and most African and Eastern bishops while Novatian had the support of a minority of clergy and laymen in Rome. Cornelius's next action was to convene a synod of 60 bishops to acknowledge him as the rightful pope. The synod excommunicated Novatian as well as all Novatianists. Also addressed in the synod was that Christians who stopped practising during Emperor Decius's persecution could be re-admitted into the Christian community only after doing penance.

The verdict of the synod was sent to the Christian bishops, most notably the bishop of Antioch, a fierce Novatian supporter, in order to convince him to accept Cornelius as bishop of Rome. The letters that Cornelius sent to surrounding bishops provide information of the size of the church in Rome at that time. Cornelius mentions that the Roman Church had, "forty six priests, seven deacons, seven sub-deacons, forty two acolytes, fifty two ostiarii, and over one thousand five hundred widows and persons in distress." His letters also inform that Cornelius had a staff of over 150 clergy members and the church fed over 1,500 people daily. From these numbers, it has been estimated that there were at least 50,000 Christians in Rome during the papacy of Pope Cornelius.

As a side note, all Christian worship throughout the world was originally offered in Greek (the language of the New Testament), the Scriptures were read in Greek, and all scholarly theological writing was in Greek. Translations of the Gospels began to appear in the 4th c. AD in regional languages, such as Syriac, Gothi, Ge’ez, Armenian, Coptic, and Georgian, which also shaped growing provincial changes in the liturgy. In the Western Church, translations of the Gospels into Latin began to be made piecemeal by various translators in the early 4th c. AD, which collectively are called the Vetus Latina. It was not until the Vulgate translation (vulgate meaning “vulgar”, the Latin word for “common”, referring to the common language of Rome, Latin) was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in AD 382 that a singular, authoritative Latin version of the Holy Scriptures that Latin began to replace Greek as the language of worship and scholarship in Western half of the Roman Empire. It is a sad note of history that in the 16th c. translations began to be made into regional languages because very few could read Latin, just as had been commissioned by Pope Damasus in AD 382. Latin was a dead language, and mostly only scholars could read or speak it. Even the average clergy not trained as scholars could barely read it, and in the liturgy the people were reciting prayers with little to no comprehension. The response of the Roman Church was regrettably intolerant and violent, and was no small part of what precipitated the Protestant Reformation. Today, no matter the language used in Western Christianity, during the liturgy we can still see the vestiges of the Greek liturgy, such as when we pray “Kyrie Eleison, Christie Eleison, Kyrie Eleison”. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in AD 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Vetus Latina Gospels used by the Roman Church. Later, on his own initiative, Jerome extended this work of revision and translation to include most of the books of the Bible. The Vulgate became progressively adopted as the Bible text within the Western Church.

The persecutions resumed in AD 251 under the new Emperor Trebonianus Gallus (AD June 251 to August 253). Cornelius was exiled to Centumcellae, Italy, where he died in AD June 253. The Liberian catalogue ascribes his death to the hardships of banishment; later sources say he was beheaded.

Almighty God, by whose grace and power your holy martyr Cornelius triumphed over suffering and was faithful even to death: Grant us, who now remember him in thanksgiving, to be so faithful in our witness to you in this world, that we may receive with him the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

shoutout to goth armenian trans girl witches

I rarely do this stuff too @delgrosso but I appreciate the tag, so I'll bang this out.

Rules: answer these questions and tag some blogs you are contractually obligated to get to know better.

QUESTIONS:

Name: PalmtreePalmtree aka PTPT

Sign: Sag

Height: 5'4"

Time: 8:23 PST

Birthday: None of your beeswax, but I'm just barely Gen X

Favourite bands/artists: Prince, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Cyndi Lauper, Jeff Buckley, Otis Redding, Bruce Springsteen, George Harrison, The Clash, T. Rex, The Cars, Phoenix, The Psychedelic Furs, Kate Bush, TENDER, Bonnie Raitt, INXS, Tears for Fears, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Dua Lipa, Robyn, fuck I could go on and on and on.

Last movie: Love and Gelato (it's on Netflix, I hate that I watched it)

Last show: Extraordinary Attorney Woo (it's on Netflix, I love that I watched it)

When I created this blog: 2012...?

What I post: Nothing of interest, mostly ranting about this and that, but I think people keep me around cause I comment on posts a lot.

Last thing I googled: “gems of war best zuul goth team” lol I'm a nerd

Other blogs: Towards the end of quarantine, I created a subblog "Museum of the Home" or something like that where I intended to solicit people's favorite art that they have in their houses. Since none of us could really go places then, I thought it would be interesting to see the personal art people live with, different artists from different places, and ideally in their home situ. But I never got around to doing it. I still think it's a nice idea. Maybe someday.

Do I get asks: No, but @duckandorpenguin took pity on me last time I said this. .

Following: 172

Followers: 448 (saving Tony's comment here: though only like 20 people regularly interact; I am sure the rest are bots)

Average hours of sleep: about six hours unless like an idiot I decide to look at my email when I wake up to roll over at 4am.

Instruments: I might remember how to play guitar if it came into my hands, a little piano.

What I'm wearing: black joggers, black t-shirt.

Dream job: Pretty much doing it - I primarily secure work visas for artists in the entertainment industry. I don't think there's anything that suits my skills better than that. It's my sweet spot. Either this or no job.

Dream trip: I want to walk across England.

Nationality: American, parents are Israeli, grandparents were German, Polish, and Ukrainian Jews. I often get mistaken for Armenian.

Favourite songs: Lover, You Should've Come Over by Jeff Buckley; I'm on Fire by Bruce Springsteen, When You Were Mine by Cyndi Lauper (by way of Prince), All I Want by Joni Mitchell, Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding, Just What I Needed by The Cars, fuck I could go on and on.

Last book I read: Kurzban Immigration Law Sourcebook, by Ira Kurzban - I appreciate the fuck out of Ira

3 fictional universes: There is only one fictional universe that matters, and it is Cabot Cove.

Alright, I'm gonna tag a few people if you wanna take a stab at this or need a distraction, but no obligation @myspaceshipleavesat10, @captainsnacks, @freemantim, @moresweetsoul, @davidkendall, and anyone else who wants to give this a go.

Events 8.11 (Before 1900)

3114 BC – The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Maya, begins. 2492 BC – Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation. 106 – The south-western part of Dacia (modern Romania) becomes a Roman province: Roman Dacia. 355 – Claudius Silvanus, accused of treason, proclaims himself Roman Emperor against Constantius II. 490 – Battle of Adda: The Goths under Theodoric the Great and his ally Alaric II defeat the forces of Odoacer on the Adda River, near Milan. 923 – The Qarmatians of Bahrayn capture and pillage the city of Basra. 1315 – The Great Famine of Europe becomes so dire that even the king of England has difficulties buying bread for himself and his entourage. 1332 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Battle of Dupplin Moor: Scots under Domhnall II, Earl of Mar are routed by Edward Balliol. 1473 – The Battle of Otlukbeli: Mehmed the Conqueror of the Ottoman Empire decisively defeats Uzun Hassan of Aq Qoyunlu. 1492 – Rodrigo de Borja is elected as Head of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Alexander VI. 1675 – Franco-Dutch War: Forces of the Holy Roman Empire defeat the French in the Battle of Konzer Brücke. 1786 – Captain Francis Light establishes the British colony of Penang in Malaysia. 1804 – Francis II assumes the title of first Emperor of Austria. 1812 – Peninsular War: French troops engage British-Portuguese forces in the Battle of Majadahonda. 1813 – In Colombia, Juan del Corral declares the independence of Antioquia. 1858 – The Eiger in the Bernese Alps is ascended for the first time by Charles Barrington accompanied by Christian Almer and Peter Bohren. 1871 – An explosion of guncotton occurs in Stowmarket, England, killing 28. 1898 – Spanish–American War: American troops enter the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

368 of 2022

I.. [ ] am tall [ ] am in between [ ] am short [ ] am a blonde [ ] am redheaded [ ] am a brunette [ ] have black hair [ ] have blue eyes [ ] have brown eyes [ ] have green eyes [ ] have hazel eyes [ ] have grey eyes [ ] and wear glasses [ ] and wear contacts [ ] have braces [ ] have freckles [ ] have piercings [ ] have a tattoo [ ] have long hair [ ] have short hair [ ] have mid-length hair My nationality includes: (nationality is not heritage, just sayin') [ ] chinese [ ] indian [ ] taiwanese [ ] japanese [ ] hispanic [ ] nicoya [ ] puerto rican [ ] chicana [ ] italian [ ] scottish [ ] filipino [ ] dutch [ ] english [ ] french [ ] german [ ] irish [ ] greek [ ] portuguese [ ] polish [ ] korean [ ] jamaican [ ] canadian [ ] lithuanian [ ] native american [ ] russian [ ] british [ ] danish [ ] african [ ] hungarian [ ] scandanavian [ ] armenian [ ] finnish [ ] other (Belgian) [ ] I don’t know My favorite color(s) is(are): [ ] red [ ] pink [ ] yellow [ ] black [ ] green [ ] blue [ ] white [ ] silver [ ] purple [ ] brown [ ] orange Some things I’ve done/played include: [ ] soccer [ ] cheerleading [ ] dancing [ ] lacrosse [ ] field hockey [ ] hockey [ ] football [ ] softball [ ] wrestling [ ] gymnastics [ ] track/cross country [ ] basketball [ ] baseball [ ] golf [ ] minigolf [ ] playing in the mud [ ] playing music [ ] hiking [ ] kayaking [ ] camping [ ] horseback riding I am sometimes: [ ] annoying [ ] talkative [ ] shy [ ] funny [ ] serious [ ] bubbly [ ] spazzy [ ] fun-loving [ ] laid back [ ] strict [ ] hyper [ ] weird I like _____ music: [ ] rap [ ] rock [ ] pop [ ] country [ ] hip hop [ ] r&b [ ] slow jams [ ] Christian [ ] classical [ ] techno [ ] oldies [ ] the 80s [ ] punk [ ] Metal [ ] reggae [ ] Goth [ ] Latin [ ] 90’s grunge [ ] musicals The pet(s) I have is (are) a: [ ] cat [ ] dog [ ] lizard [ ] rat [ ] ferret [ ] rabbit [ ] fish [ ] bird [ ] tortoise/turtle [ ] snakes [ ] other Clothes I like to wear are: [ ] plain t-shirts [ ] sweatshirts [ ] stockings [ ] high heels [ ] boots [ ] sneakers [ ] jeans [ ] pj pants [ ] dresses [ ] mini skirts [ ] long skirts [ ] watches [ ] necklace [ ] hoop earrings [ ] toe socks [ ] flip flops [ ] halter tops [ ] stilettos [ ] shorts [ ] sleeveless shirts I like to wear my hair (in a): [ ] down [ ] ponytail [ ] pigtails [ ] messy bun [ ] half ponytail [ ] scrunched/curly [ ] bun [ ] crimped [ ] with a bandana [ ] French braids [ ] lots of little braids [ ] Gel [ ] hat [ ] messy hot guy hair [ ] fauxhawk I am mostly labeled as: [ ] goth [ ] emo [ ] prep [ ] punk [ ] surfer [ ] athletic [ ] hippie [ ] nerd [ ] gangster [ ] ditzy [ ] hyper [ ] happy [ ] I have no idea I eat/drink: [ ] dessert every night [ ] no meat [ ] diet stuff [ ] healthy foods [ ] junk foods [ ] a lot of carbs [ ] lots of meat [ ] salad [ ] seafood A typical friday night: [ ] mall with your friends [ ] partying [ ] at a show/venue [ ] watching movies [ ] going to the club [ ] staying home [ ] babysitting [ ] hanging out with your friends [ ] hanging out with your boyfriend/girlfriend [ ] working while your friends are out having fun [ ] i don’t plan out my weekends Currently I am: [ ] in a relationship [ ] single and loving it [ ] crushing [ ] single and looking for someone [ ] single and whatever happens, happens Online, I use: [ ] lol [ ] sup [ ] =D [ ] lmao [ ] stfu [ ] ty [ ] jk [ ] ttyl [ ] g2g [ ] ^^ [ ] T_T [ ] x_x [ ] ^_^ [ ] o.o [ ] <3 [ ] “LOLZOHEMGEE” [ ] knai [ ] omg I have: [ ] lied to my best friend [ ] dyed my hair [ ] dressed punk [ ] kissed a girl on the cheek [ ] lied to my parents [ ] cried in front of lots of people [ ] went barefoot in the snow [ ] played hockey [ ] made my own clothes In the last 24 hours, I: [ ] got in a fight [ ] took a shower [ ] gave a dirty look to someone [ ] cried [ ] went to school [ ] shopped [ ] danced [ ] got sick [ ] did something I regret [ ] ate something gross [ ] discovered something new At school I: [ ] run to class because I’m always late [ ] hide in the bathroom [ ] am smart [ ] am hyper [ ] am a nerd [ ] am somewhat popular [ ] don’t know Right now I am: [ ] in my pjs [ ] drinking [ ] listening to music [ ] watching a movie [ ] IMing someone [ ] talking on the phone [ ] eating Have you ever…. [ ] Ridden a skateboard? [ ] Played a piano? [ ] Been to New York? [ ] Seen the movie “Thirteen”? [ ] Ridden in an ambulance? [ ] Broken a bone? [ ] Broken somebody else’s bone? [ ] Been to sleepaway camp? [ ] Gone to another state country without your parents? [ ] Babysat? [ ] Cried for no apparent reason? [ ] Laughed for no apparent reason? [ ] Shoplifted? [ ] Heard “The Tide” by The Spill Canvas? [ ] Been nothing for Halloween? [ ] Killed a bug with your bare hand? [ ] Met a celebrity? [ ] Moved? [ ] Played on a soccer team? [ ] Made a MySpace? [ ] Talked on the phone for over an hour? [ ] Got detention? [ ] Got suspended? [ ] Played pool?

A personal update! 

So, after almost 10 years, my fiance Ryan and I have made our way home to St. Louis from Los Angeles.

Being a Midwest native, the noise and the dirt and the constant heat and sunshine took me some getting used to - especially because when we moved in, all we had was an air mattress, a laptop and a Target clearance lamp. Sitting on the floor watching Youtube for entertainment, working our way up in the animation/comics industry, collecting Ikea furniture, seems like million years ago now.

L.A. is an awesome place to spend your 20s. Ryan scrapped and saved while living on a good friend’s couch in Pasadena and found us an apartment in the SFV, which I grew to adore and make our home.

 We made so many incredible memories together and with our friends. We camped, hiked, fished, in the Mojave desert, in the Sierra Nevadas, in the Kern River. We drank beer at tiki bars, at the Gold Room in Echo Park, partied at the Roosevelt Hotel, danced all night in a goth club (twice!). We sat for film festivals and series premieres at the Egyptian and Chinese theaters. We got to smell roses literally every day and enjoy a wealth of beautiful plants and flowers right outside our apartment door. We went to the weddings of our dear friends. We saw El Capitan and Yosemite Falls and Lake Tahoe. We went to the best Six Flags, spent hours sitting in traffic, walked to the corner Armenian bodega for sour cream. We went to ComicCon four times and Las Vegas twice. We ate some of the world’s most delicious food from where I feel is probably the most diverse food scene in the world. 

We even did the touristy stuff like go to the Griffith Observatory and ate Beard Papa’s down on Hollywood and Highland (R.I.P.) There’s a thousand other little and big things I cherish experiencing.

I suppose we did the same thing thousands of other people do each year;  move to Los Angeles for a time, usually for a job, and because of whatever circumstances, return from where they came. I can honestly say though, that we left L.A. confidently, and not with our tails between our legs. But we had to do the same thing so many others do - leave because the cost of living just isn’t feasible for our future goals. Lots of people want to live there, and of course the prices reflect that. The wealth inequality there is staggering and the price of housing will probably get worse before it ever gets better, unfortunately.

So we made the decision to make the trek ~1900 miles across the United States back to our hometown to see if we can hack it doing the grownup thing. It’s a big change in many ways but we feel excited and hopeful for our future. And hey, we still gotta get married this year! I love Los Angeles in all its quirky, diverse, filthy, delicious glory. It definitely is a city of many contrasts - a very love it or hate it kind of city, I think. 

I just had to write a little love letter to say goodbye. I’ll miss so many things about L.A., but I’m so glad I got to spend some of my best years there with the one I love. No regrets.

Except leaving behind the food. I will miss the food.  

im insane im insane im gonna talk about leftism in nu metal now. yes its because of that post i reblogged earlier.

nu metal is not a genre people typically associate with leftist beliefs or attitudes. but why? let’s talk about why.

part 1: nu metal? what??

a little context for the uninitiated: nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal which is a subgenre of heavy metal. popular bands that fall under this category would be korn, limp bizkit, and system of a down. the genre began in the 90s, peaked in popularity around Y2K, and then fell out of public favor. it’s largely regarded as a laughable mark in music history with little of quality to offer, which is a take usually spewed by self-important wannabe critics. fwiw, i am also a self-important wannabe critic, but that’s different because my takes are good and also my hair is sooo soft and nice.

anyway, the nu metal scene was largely populated by cishet white men, and the subject matter of the songs’ lyrics usually had much more to do with whiny emotional turmoil than anything political. you can see why nu metal to leftism is not a connection made very frequently. and i am not here to convince people that the genre is secretly some hotbed of progressivism or whatever! instead i want to talk about...

part 2: progressive potential

just like any alternative subculture, nu metal has potential as a force against fascism and patriarchy and all that other shit. the counterculture element of the genre makes it opposed to the status quo that the enemies of leftism hold dear, the same way grunge, goth, punk, and so many others have historically been. and that means there is precedent.

by “precedent”, i mean that nu metal is far from some kind of total white-boy cultural hellhole. allow me to introduce you to the already-existing more progressive side of the scene.

System of a Down- considering how popular they are, i’m guessing most are at least passingly familiar with SOAD. they’re a group of Armenians with a history of activism and a slew of politically charged songs in their catalog, with a couple of highlights including Prison Song (speaks on the issue of prison labor in the US being the goal of the war on drugs and being used to fund wars and coups in other countries) and BYOB (stands for “bring your own bombs” and is an anti-war song from the Bush era).

Kittie- an all-girl band with feminist themes coming through in many of their lyrics. the feminism is not always... up-to-date, shall we say, but hey. it was the 90s.

Rage Against The Machine- do i even need to say much here. they’re literally called “Rage Against The Machine”. their most popular song is an attack on police brutality. they aren’t usually considered truly a nu metal band, but anyone even remotely familiar with the genre can tell you that they are absolutely essential to the genre’s development. i would even go as far as to call them a proto-nu metal band.

Linkin Park- okay honestly their most well-known albums don’t have anything political in them but i just have to gush about my boys. throughout their career they’ve explored topics about war, poverty, and political corruption. in particular, as well, Mike (vocalist, guitarist, bandleader, etc) has family who were imprisoned in Japanese internment camps during WWII, and has discussed that in his music on occasion.

Otep- probably the most explicitly leftie nu metal i can think of. Otep (named for their openly queer frontwoman) is unapologetically political on a routine basis, and even made a whole record in 2018 to put the president on blast.

I could go on, but i feel i’ve more than sufficiently made my point, that being: nu metal is not the thoughtless, hypermasculine, entirely white scene that it can all too easily be boiled down to resemble.

part 3: okay? so???

SO... because we know that precedent is there, why not push it further? i wanna see more nu metal bands come out of the woodwork nudging the genre towards open diversity and progressive beliefs like antifascism, socialism, and feminism. it’s not like we’re too late to catch the genre, either, because it’s been making a comeback in recent years.

maybe this seems kind of silly, but i really do love this genre, so why not give it a shot? we deserve it, goddamn it all.

i’m probably gonna make a nu metal playlist For Lefties ™  later and put a link here, so be on the lookout for that 👀

Guide: Lesser-known nu metal albums that hold up

Nu metal is a genre that’s easily derided. It was caricatured as over-the-top angst, baggy jeans and casual misogyny. It was one of the biggest genres when I was first discovering music.

There was plenty of bad music, but to say it was all bad would be inaccurate. It was extremely diverse compared to other metal scenes. It also put issues like child abuse to the forefront, showing survivors they were not alone. Nu metal took a genre that was showing signs of wear and reinvented it. While it soon became saturated by faceless bands (as every popularized genre eventually does), it was important.

As the genre regains popularity, there have been plenty of retrospective lists about bands like Slipknot, Deftones and Korn. There have even been lists detailing some of the lesser known bands. The podcast Roach Koach has done a great job reassessing the genre (It was the catalyst for me making this list). In no order, here are seven nu metal albums you might be less familiar with but are worth your time. These all roughly come from the genre’s original era of popularity.  I’ve also put together a ranking of more established nu metal records at the end.

I love the first couple of Static-X albums, but Cannibal is truly a high-water mark. It’s catchy, concise and extremely heavy. While it has some more straight-ahead metal flourishes (guitar solos!?!), no one could mistake this for another band. And, if nothing else, Static-X is a definitive nu metal band. Cannibal seems to find Static-X revitalized after kicking out a problematic member. Vocalist Wayne Static (who died in 2014) knows exactly what he wants these songs to do. His barking delivery finds spaces in each of these spartan industrial rippers. It represents all the things I like about the genre.

Oracle represents somewhat of a break from the more straight-ahead nu metal sound of Spit, so it might not exactly fit on this list. But ultimately Kittie is forever tied to the genre (much like Deftones), even if they’ve branched out in other directions. Oracle doubles down on heaviness by incorporating death metal influences. Morgan Lander’s vocals kneecap a lot of her more melodically inclined nu peers. It also shows the band progressing, despite losing guitarist Fallon Bowman. When people dismiss the nu metal as an outlet for white male whining, though sometimes deserved, they overlook great albums like Oracle.

Apex Theory’s only album, Topsy-Turvy, is brimming with creativity. Much like System of a Down, which originally featured lead vocalist Ontronik Khachaturianon on drums, the band channels its Armenian heritage. Yet Apex Theory leans into something more melodic, mathy and possibly emo (in more of the At the Drive-In sense). Every aspect of this album feels so precise and thought out. Khachaturianon’s vocals can leap out like a barrage of stream of consciousness yet can just as easily smooth out. It might’ve been a bit too weird for radio but, in a world where SOAD broke, it certainly could’ve happened.

Apartment 26’s final album might be one of the strangest on this list. It’s apparent that it was made to be more “marketable.” Yet those touches make it even weirder. The production here is very polished, but this is still an album that incorporates swing jazz into metal through programmed horns. It’s that oddness, intentional or not, that benefits Music for the Massive. An added bonus is the great cover of “In Heaven” from David Lynch’s Eraserhead (the band’s name is a reference to the film). Apartment 26 easily surpasses its legacy as Geezer Butler’s son’s band on this album.

Taproot’s debut struck on something deeply vulnerable that the band has carried through on subsequent albums. What is often missing on those other albums, though, is the heaviness found on Gift. The band’s raw talent is on display here, recalling System of a Down’s debut. Like that album, influences peek through but the band sound fully formed and unique. Stephen Richards’ distinct vocals, while not for everyone, bend around every twist and turn of these knotty songs. The band moved away from the genre, but created some of its best work within it. Oh, and bonus points for instigating this.

Orgy’s goth-y, processed guitar crunch was often imitated (Deadsy, etc.) but has never exactly been replicated. Candyass in some ways seems like the obvious choice, but there are some awkward growing pains. And really Vapor Transmission is just as good and possibly better. The hooks are bigger, the band commits to the futuristic themes and vocalist Jay Gordon is at the top of his gender-bending industrial crooning game. Orgy remains notable in this era for poking holes in the genre’s inflated macho exterior at every turn. There’s something so transgressive about the way the band operated in nu metal.

New Killer America’s cover always caught my eye when I was a kid. Album art was and still is a big deal to me. I love how subtly gross this is. At the time it was more affecting than the over-the-top gore common on metal albums. It fits the music. Skrape wallows in heavy post-grunge sludge. As Ulrich Wild did on the Static-X albums, there’s a good balance struck between heaviness and accessibility. Skrape had a mysterious vibe that was missing from similar acts that had a tendency to over-share. Despite some awkward vocals/lyrics that come up, NKA is noteworthy.

Honorable Mention: Coal Chamber-Chamber Music, Powerman 5000-Tonight the Stars Revolt, Nothingface-Violence, Mushroomhead-XX, Sevendust-Animosity

Established Classics Ranking

1. Korn-Korn: This was the album that started the genre. Every element that other bands would copy is here. It also features some of the rawist emotion ever recorded (”Daddy”) and some great singles (”Blind,” “Clown”). Some of the lyrics are definitely dated, but there are few metal albums that are as influence and heavy (well, in terms of subject matter) as this.

2. Deftones-White Pony: This album defied every stereotype the genre had. It seamlessly incorporated trip-hop and post-rock influences without sacrificing any of the heaviness. This is the highpoint for a band that rarely has a misstep.

3. System of a Down-System of a Down: SOAD’s debut is heavy, political and completely left-field. It still sounds like nothing else. All of the band’s records are good to great, yet I love how the death metal influences poke out more on this one. That’s a personal preference I guess, I really could’ve picked any SOAD album.

4. Sepultura-Roots: This album is so unbelievably heavy. It’s such a bummer that Sepultura didn’t make a record with this lineup past this point. It’s political in a way a lot of nu metal wasn’t. It seamlessly incorporates the band’s Brazilin heritage. It up-ends any perception about the genre being light-weight.

5. Slipknot-Iowa: This is really the only album from this era that rivals Roots in terms of heaviness. The band draws from a different well than Sepultura, packing Iowa with horror movie imagery. Much of this was to no doubt channel vocalist Corey Taylor’s troubled childhood. There’s something so frantic and desperate captured on this album, which probably has to do with Ross Robinson producing it (he produced Korn’s debut, as well as a lot of other iconic records).

6. Incubus- S.C.I.E.N.C.E.: Few nu metal records are this legitimately fun. Every part of Incubus is bursting with stoned creativity here. It also channels its influences much better than its peers. Somehow metal riffs and bongos go together here. S.C.I.E.N.C.E. showed a more easygoing side of the genre that still retained all the heaviness.

7. Linkin Park- Meteora: Though Hybrid Theory has a lot of singles, I always preferred this one. I think the band forged a bit more of its identity here. It gets a bit heavier, yet retains all the pop smarts. Definitely worth revisiting if you’ve just re-listened to Hybrid Theory to celebrate its recent anniversary.

NOTE: Yeah, Limp Bizkit is not on this list. The band has some cool songs, but ultimately its albums are pretty scattered. Fred Durst is a lot for me to take. The rest of the band is amazingly talented, especially Wes Borland. If its exclusion is annoying to you, please make your own list.

Saints&Reading: Wed., Oct. 13, 2021

September 30_October 13

THE PRIESTMARTYR GREGORY, ENLIGHTENER OF GREAT ARMENIA (335)

The Hieromartyr Gregory, Enlightener of Greater Armenia, was born in the year 257. He was descended from a line of Parthian Arsakid kings. Anak, the father of Saint Gregory, was a Parthian by birth. In his quest for the Armenian throne, Anak and his brother attacked their kinsman, King Kursar with their swords, leaving him mortally wounded. The King's servants found him still alive, and he was able to tell them what had happened. Before he expired, the King ordered the execution of Anak, his brother, and also their wives and children. The murderers were caught by a river, where they were slain and their bodies were thrown into the water.

One of Anak's relatives saved Gregory and his brother, who were infants, and hid them in his home. There was a revolt in Armenia, and King Artasirus of Persia was able to conquer Armenia and bring it under his rule. As for Arak's sons, one was taken to Persia, and Gregory was sent to the Roman Empire.

When he reached adulthood, Gregory lived in Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he was converted to the Christian Faith. Gregory married, and had two sons, but soon was left a widower. Gregory raised his sons in piety. One of them, Orthanes, later became a priest, and the other, Arostanes, was tonsured as a monk and went into the wilderness to live in solitude.

In order to atone for the sin of his father, who had murdered the father of Tiridates, Gregory entered into the latter's service, and was a faithful servant to him. Tiridates, who was serving in the Roman army, loved Gregory like a friend, but when he learned that Gregory was a Christian, he became angry. Saint Gregory, however, ignored his master's unjust wrath.

When the Goths attacked the Roman Empire, the Prince of the Goths challenged the Emperor to single combat. The Emperor was afraid to fight the Prince, so he had Tiridates put on his armor and take his place. Tiridates defeated his adversary without using his sword, and led him as a captive to the Emperor. Then the entire Gothic army was defeated. In gratitude, the Emperor made Tiridates King of Armenia. When Tiridates offered sacrifice to his "gods" for his new position, he wanted Gregory to sacrifice with him. Gregory refused, and so Tiridates ordered that he be tortured.

The Saint was suspended head downward, with a stone about his neck, and for several days they choked him with a foul-smelling smoke, they beat and ridiculed him, and forced him to walk in iron sandals inset with nails.

During these torments, Saint Gregory sang Psalms. In prison the Lord healed all his wounds. When Gregory stood before the King cheerful and unharmed, he was astonished and ordered that the torments be repeated. Saint Gregory endured them, not wavering, with his former determination and bearing. They then poured hot tin over him and threw him into a pit filled with snakes, scorpions, and other poisonous creatures. The Lord, however, spared His chosen one, and he was left unharmed.

Some pious women kept him alive for fourteen years by feeding him with bread, secretly lowering it into the pit. A holy angel appeared to the martyr, strengthening and encouraging him. During this time King Tiridates killed the holy virgin Saint Ripsimia (Ριψιμία, or Ριψίμη), the Eldress Gaianḗ (Γαϊανή), and 32 other Virgin Martyrs (some sources say 35) from Asia Minor. Tiridates, who seemed to have lost his mind after this, recovered six days later. Then the wrath of God struck King Tiridates, his associates, and the soldiers who had participated in the execution of the virgins. Beset by demons, their appearance resembled wild boars, as once happened to Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30). Running through forests and fields, they tore their clothes and devoured their own flesh.

Saint Gregory was taken from the pit, and then he was washed, dressed in clean clothes, and fed. Then he was led to the King. Everyone bowed before him, begging him to ask God to heal the King as well as the others responsible for killing the Holy Virgin Martyrs. First, the Saint asked about their relics, which remained unburied for nine days. Saint Gregory buried the bodies, and then began preaching to the people, urging them to turn away from the darkness of idolatry and toward Christ. The people came to believe in Christ, and wanted to build a large church. When it was completed, Saint Gregory had the relics of the holy nuns brought into it. Then he led King Tiridates to the church before the bodies of the Saints whom he had slain, so that they might pray to Christ for him. He repented, and at once his face was restored to its original appearance once more.

Soon all of Armenia was converted to Christ. The temples of the idols were destroyed, and churches for the worship of the only true God were built. Saint Gregory ordained priests, established schools, founded monasteries, and provided for the good order of the Church.

After this, Saint Gregory went into the wilderness, where he ended his earthly life in a manner pleasing to the Lord. His son Aristanes was made a bishop in Cappadocia, and was one of the 318 Holy Fathers of. the Council of Nicea.

SAINT MICHAEL, THE FIRST METROPOLITAN OF KIEV (992)

Saint Michael the first Metropolitan of Kiev, according to the Joakimov chronicle, was a Syrian by birth, but according to other chronicles, he was a Bulgarian or Serb. In the year 989, he arrived at Korsun with other clergy for holy Prince Vladimir (July 15), not long after Vladimir’s Baptism (988).

As first metropolitan of the Russian Church his service was difficult, but grace-filled. He zealously made the rounds of the newly-enlightened Russian Land, preaching the Holy Gospel, baptizing and teaching the newly-illumined people, founding the first churches and religious schools.

In Rostov he established the first wooden church in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and installed Theodore the Greek there as bishop. Saint Michael was a wise and gentle, but also strict hierarch. The Russian Church has preserved the memory of the saint’s praiseworthy deeds. In the Synodikon of the Novgorod and Kiev Sophia cathedrals he is rightfully called the initiator.

Saint Michael died in the year 992 and was buried in the Desyatin-Tithe church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kiev. In about the year 1103, under the Igumen Saint Theoctistus (afterwards Bishop of Chernigov, August 5), his relics were transferred to the Antoniev Cave, and on October 1, 1730 into the Great Church of the Caves. Thus his memory was celebrated on September 30, and also July 15, the day of his repose.

Formerly, his memory was celebrated on September 2, along with Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. There is a trace of this earlier celebration in the service to Saint Michael. In the second verse of the “Praises” we sing: “Having begun the new year, we offer you our first songs, O blessed one, for you were the beginning of the hierarchy in the Russian land.”

Source: Orthodox Church of America (OCA)

LUKE 5:33-39

33 Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?" 34 And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days. 36 Then He spoke a parable to them: "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. 39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'

EPHESIANS 4:14-19

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ-16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. 17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.