ALBUM OF THE MONTH: EXOTIC ANIMALS & BEACHES OF PENNSYLVANIA https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/album/exotic-animals-beaches-of-pennsylvania-expanded-reissue

 —This is a bizarre love letter to my home state of Pennsylvania, delivered with jangly-guitar power pop, funky reggae, surf rock, synth-pop, and a bit of psychedelia. The title cut features the late Davy Jones (Monkees) giving zany narration while a progressive rock band jams with a string quartet. It recalls "spy movie music" with a twist of espionage in Amish country.

The song "(I Wanna Be In) Pennsylvania" is an ode much like the "American tales" by The Beach Boys, with Mike Roe (The 77s) singing a creamy cameo vocal on the bridge. Another highlight is "Dumb Angel,” based on a dream in which Brian Wilson was Sunday driving around Avis PA (where I grew up). Bonus tracks include a cover of Mike Nesmith's "Silver Moon" co-produced by John Bechdel (Ministry, Killing Joke) + 5 live cuts at The Cell Block in Williamsport PA, opening for that great American band, The Badlees. The freakazoid cover art is by the late Chris Yambar, an acclaimed writer and graphic artist whose resume included Alice Cooper, KISS, Mr. Beat comics, and The Simpsons. Celebrate PA and download your copy today! 

https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/album/exotic-animals-beaches-of-pennsylvania-expanded-reissue

#pennsylvania #davyjones #monkees #johnnyjblair #beaches #Amish #beachboys #dumbangel #chrisyambar #alicecooper #mikenesmith #michaelnesmith #johnbechdel #badlees #nicklowe #powerpop #reggae #synthpop #williamsportpa #avispa #avis #simpsons #silvermoon #surfrock #surfmusic #cellblock #breakingglass #janglyguitar #PA #exotic #animals

making more mech character designs bc the brain rot and i cannO T decide how i think mordred looks i am going to spontaneously combust

this is a 31 year old man.

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Once again need to be a trophy wife

Thanks for the tag Lee @zablife ! 🥰 you’re watching The Sopranos atm??? 👀👀 you’ll need to let me know what you think about it!!!

Last song: Sister Shirley - The Badlees

Fav color: blue

Last movie: The Hill

Last show: NCIS (I don’t watch it regularly but it was on at my aunt’s house and I saw a half an episode)

Savory spicy or sweet: depends on my mood

Last thing i googled: if I can still use a phone case if there’s a bend in the middle….results were inconclusive.

Current obsession: swimming (and I think that’s only because I just got back into it on Friday - I’m getting up at 5:15 to go tomorrow before work…wish me luck!)

Looking forward to: finally finishing my 3.5k Celebration blurbs (I’m so stinkin close!!)

Tagging (no pressure): @amysteryspot @brummiereader @teenwolf-theoriginals @call-sign-shark @peakyscillian @halsteadlover @allie131313 @shelbydelrey & anyone else who’d like to join in!

my stupid gay ass brain hurts so badlee

Boo! Bad Boy

Design: L00N4/L00_NA;

Escrito: Badlee/Badhyuck;

Dia: 13 de novembro de 2022;

Inspirado: @chanyouchan.

1776 cinnamon roles and why:

Dr. Lyman Hall: he’s innocent af and even though his first day in Congress was chaotic af, he didn’t leave. He was a sweetie.

Roger Sherman: doesn’t say very much but he is friendLEE and he has a sweet face in general. He’s just a simple cobbler from Connecticut.

Richard Henry LEE: he is most certainLEE adorable. He realLEE said ✨gay rights✨ and he’s a crackhead that we all love.

Benjamin Franklin: oh come on 😩 such a great sense of humor and for the most time very happy and patient.

James Wilson: yes he’s a southerner and is with Dickinson but you’ve got to admit that he’s afraid to disagree with John and that deep down he’s a sweet soul and is in love with John outside of Congress.

Rev. John Witherspoon: I’m not normaLEE a fan of church folk but since he doesn’t mention anything about that then he’s cool. When he comes in you automaticaLEE sense that he’s innocent and a sweetie. Also he has a whore aunt in New Brunswick that would most certainLEE get along with Benjy.

Abigail Adams: the mom friend we wish we had. Doesn’t put up with Adams bull shit. Hates smirking at the wrong time. What a queen.

Thomas Jefferson: doesn’t say very much but you can clearLEE tell how much he loves his wife and wants to see her very badLEE. He’s also insaneLEE hot.

Martha Jefferson: admires her husbands violin playing. (That how she gets the D) and she doesn’t put up with Benjy and John’s simping. We Stan a queen.

Iyyaka Na'budu wa Iyyaka Nas'ta'een. 

Why Imran Khan Cites this Verse as his Motto?

This is the verse that Imran Khan recites at the beginning of all his public rallies. Why has he chosen this line from more than 6000 verses from the Quran?  First, the translation: “You Alone we worship, and You Alone we ask for help”.  It is also important to study the context of this verse. The verse forms part of Surah Al Fatiha, a complete dua or supplication that almost all Muslims know by heart and also recite daily. It has been named Umm al-Qur'an, the Mother of the Qur'an, and Umm al-Kitab, the Mother of the Book, according to the opinion of the majority. This reference has been found in Saheeh Ahadees confirmed by Tirmidhi and Bukhari.

The verse is a beautiful reiteration of the concept of Tawheed, the Oneness of The Almighty, The Ever Supreme. Imran recites it right at the start as a prelude to what he believes — with utmost conviction – to be the cornerstone of our new paradigm in Pakistan. The “tabdeeli” or change that he talks about is not merely an outward reflection of huge gatherings at his jalsas or the introduction of a third popular party in Pakistan where he talks about his policies, etc., but a reflection of his own inward beliefs and thought process that he wishes to inculcate into the minds of his listeners.

“You alone we worship”.  In the absence of the right direction, or in the presence of confused opinions, people in Pakistan have created many demigods. These come in different shapes and forms, from the ill-reputed feudals to bank balances, to our jobs, cars, women, etc. It was important that somebody stood up and “reformed” the concept of worship and its worthiness. I would define ‘reform’ here as “ to bring something back to its original form”. Reformation, the process of reform, usually takes places under radical circumstances. 

Any system that transcends into chaos requires a jolt in order to rearrange the molecules around its nucleus and history also tells us the same about the dynamics of societal reform. This is the tabdeeli Imran seeks. First of all, we need to change our focal point of worship, our true north. When all our focus is converged to a point where we are not really “scared” of anything else except whom we worship and revere, we would attain a transformation of existence, a higher plane or being.

This reformation would then help us to consolidate, rearrange, and then “transform”; an adjective used to denote something that acquires a higher stature whilst remaining in its natural shape and form.

The concept is equally applicable for non-muslims as being consumed by material or outward influences is damaging nevertheless. The overbearing septic tank of an outwardly obsessed progeny of Adam has now started spreading its foul all over the place and we can witness its aftermath.

“And You Alone we ask for help”. The “You Alone” has been repeated here for a reason. It could also have been said, “You alone we worship and ask for help”. But this time the idea was to explicitly, imperatively set the notion of Tawheed, a reverberation that should boom in our heads every time we recite the verse. 

This part of the verse also complements the concept of “Tawakkal” or putting one’s trust in the Almighty, no one else, period. However, no guarantees are forthcoming. You still have to strive hard for what you are after.

Reformation and the resultant transformation starts from within. It’s an individualistic concept the after-effects of which multiply to bring about the change at large. “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves”. (Surat Ar-Ra`d (The Thunder), Verse 11)

Iqbal’s khudii also has its root in the same concept when he says:

“Khudaa ne aaj takk us qaum kee haalat naheen badlee Nah ho jisko khayaal aap apnee haalat ke badalnay ka.

Interestingly, Imran refers to the above a lot as well.

In one of his interviews, he mentions that there are three types of strengths, physical strength, the strength of good character, and spiritual strength. He says that the strongest of these is the spiritual (roohani) strength as its prowess is unlimited owing to the source it gets its nourishment from.

I endorse this view that is clearly reflected in Iyyaka Na'budu wa Iyyaka Nas-ta’een. I pray that he comes out victorious on the night of the 22nd of July 2022, Ameen, and I pray that his victory be a source of paradigm shift for our homeland Thumma Ameen.

I hope and pray that all the prayers of countless Pakistanis are heard this time, I pray that his ideology transforms us to be an envious nation in the world, InshaAllah.

SONG OF THE WEEK: “Sunday Morning”— https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/track/sunday-morning-2

 …Velvet Underground first recorded this song, late in 1966, with the goal of tailoring a hit single. Instead they created a dark lullaby with a near-gospel message about the world versus spirit. John Cale and Lou Reed wrote the song in a classic pop-rock template that could’ve suited The Monkees, The Turtles, or any number of pop acts of the day. Cale added celesta on impulse, heightening the lullaby feel of the song—which opened one of rock music’s most influential albums, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO. In my remake I sought to retain the etherealness of the original while going into a jangly ambient pop mode with vocal harmonies, thick guitars, subtle keyboards, and Brian Wilson-style percussion. The studio musicians are 3/5ths of The Badlees—Bret Alexander, Ron Simasek, Paul Smith—a.k.a. The Cellarbirds a.k.a. “The Wrecking Crew of Pennsylvania.” I’d already been playing this song in my solo acoustic concerts, but these Badlees-Cellarbirds cats took it to a higher place. It was a relaxed recording session, and the track has gotten a lot of mileage. I’m grateful that, in 2006, Reed himself commended it and featured it on his website. 

#velvetunderground #loureed #johncale #celeste #thebadlees #bretalexander #ronsimasek #paulsmith #cellarbirds #powerpop #johnnyjblair #singersongwriter #monkees #jangle #singeratlarge #monkees #turtles #BrianWilson #nico #music #musicians

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if one day i lose all my followers for acting stupid ill cri so much.. sobbing :(((

“17” Questions, 17 People

Thanks so much for tagging me @a-lil-bit-nuts ! 🥰

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Nickname: I don’t have any in real life…I’m only called K on here so I’d consider that as more of a pen name than a nickname

Sign: Libra

Height: 5’5”

Last Thing I Googled: What year does season 4 of Peaky Blinders start in? (doing some research for a fic haha)

Song Stuck in My Head: The Good I’ll Do by Zach Bryan … it’s been stuck since I decided I’m gonna use it for a fic.

Number of Followers: 2,456 (still so close to 2.5)

Amount of Sleep: last night I got like 6 hours, which probably explains the headache I have today 😬😬

Dream Job: honestly nothing 🤣 but if I had to choose, it’d be to be a professor of history at a university.

Movie/Book that Summarizes You: I don’t think there is one…

Favorite Song: Love All by The Badlees

Favorite Instrument: the vocals (?) idk…I love to sing (even though I suck at it) I like the guitar too but I don’t think I’ll ever have the paitence to learn it.

Aesthetic: anything warm and cozy

Favorite Author: I only read history books, so I don’t really have one … I read a book by Timothy Egan recently and really love his writing style, but I don’t think I’d read another book of his because the topics don’t interest me.

Random Fun Fact: I can rap the Hamilton soundtrack in its entirety (I put on a one-woman musical haha)

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Tagging (no pressure): @zablife @cillmequick @notyour-valentine @look-at-the-soul @forgottenpeakywriter @rangerelik @midnightmagpiemama @raincoffeeandfandoms @rangerelik @anotherblinder @gypsy-girl-08 @dandelionprints @madame-wilsonn @huntingingoodwill @choreosmania @hauntedheathcliff @yearningforeddiemunson

Whats behind Me stays behind Me. Whats in front of Me is whats WHAT!!! 3 Days of 420!!! Starting off with a Sesh at @otherpeoplespot.opp headquarters, where the FUN just began!! So much Fun and SMOKE… Daang!! After that we made our way to Blunt Fiction by @gotloudnights -wasnt ready for @aaron.keats and I yet so We went for a tour! Found a couple dispensaries to cause some trouble and rhen finalLEE made our way back to BLUNT FICTION where things got rEEL smokey! So many great LP’s and Peoples!! We then made our way to the @tokyosmoke party where sadLEE we couldnt find parking and dont think we would have got in as their was a line ip at the front door! Too bad- another great party with so many good peoples! Sooo…what to do? Aaron finds another small and quaint party going on at ???? We spoke with some great people-so down to earth, friendLEE, they had some live music and they have the largest Hash selection!! Awwesome! We had a chance to speak with legacy to legal LP @kushkraft.official and it looks as though they have some fine looking King Palm pre rolls out there!! Not badLEE priced for what You get. All in All, What a Faaantastic 420!!! So many Thank You’s, Hugs, High 5’z and GOOD GAME’z!!! Now to get ready for the 420 Gala! And then off to Niagara Falls for their 420 Expo!! ✌️😎💨💨💨🕺🕺🕺

#happydaze #420celebrations #thursdayvibes #bluntfiction #oppheadquarters