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tarotnoob · 3 years

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PAC: What’s your spirit animal + their message for you

It’s nice to do some fun pick a cards once in a while, but there’s still a meaning behind the animal and it visiting you in this reading. Please take your time to find a pile that resonates for you. It’s okay to choose multiple piles or feel that there is no pile calling you at this time. Piles go from left to right, 1-3.

Pile 1

Golden Unicorn

First of all, this is a pile I think a lot of air signs will be drawn to, specifically Aquarius folks or those who have significant Aquarius or 11th house placements. Also, Saturn in Aquarius transit may be of significance for you, so I was reading through this link: https://astrobutterfly.com/2020/12/08/saturn-in-aquarius-2020-2023-what-to-expect/

The I Know card is like the Star card, the Uranus card is like The Tower. Then we also have the King of Swords (clarified by five of wands, nine of swords reversed) and the Page of Pentacles (clarified by six of wands and the moon).

I’m just going to put it this way: This feels like a big message to me. I am not particularly interested in talks of starseeds and such, but if you are into that or identify as such, this pile may resonate for you because what I sense is that you are receiving a message from a higher plane. Could it be from something out there in the universe? Possibly, or is it a higher deity of some sort or even your higher self. Because the Moon/six of wands around the Page of Pentacles makes me feel like you receive messages (and I’m seeing the unicorn horn as an antenna, which is connected to the animal’s mind/crown/third eye area). The message about Aquarius relates to being one’s authentic self, being slightly emotionally detached, being of a very unique intellectual/visionary mind. Both of the black moon oracles also pertain to lgbt, specifically transgender issues, so if there are any of you going through a transition or questioning period, this unicorn (which represents some higher being for you here), wants you to know that you are right. That who you are is who you’re meant to be, and even if your situation pushes you through some very uncomfortable growth periods, that... there’s a purpose, and you are exactly the way you are supposed to be no matter what anyone says.

So, that’s just one message I feel strongly for those going through some sort of spiritual crisis surrounding that at this very moment.

I also want to say that your intuition is strong and in any moment of doubt, you should follow it as that’s what will lead to your success. It’s also possible that you tend to overthink things, with the King of Swords and 9 of swords reversed/five of wands clarifiers... because the King of Swords does represent someone logical, a clear thinker, a bit detached, highly ethical - but these clarifiers make me feel that you’ve been dwelling for a long while on some type of conflict, either an inner conflict or recent issues with a (group?) of people, a conflict/choice that’s caused you some type of anxiety or guilt, although you may not even be at fault - you might just feel attacked. This may even involve some issues of online bullying as well since Aquarius can be about technology, and this could represent the group with which you’re having a conflict.

I was unsure how “playtime” fits in besides suggesting a very superficial bit of advice of... seems like you’re taking things very seriously and need to relax. You may need to disconnect from social media or just do something to take your mind off THAT situation for now because you’re expending way too much mental energy on whatever it is. So I clarified that little oracle and got Chariot with Justice and 8 of swords at the back, so again a sense of... anxiety or a feeling of being stuck in a situation where maybe some injustice occurred or conflict around a choice (to do what was right or not)... it’s also cancer season, so this could be about the timing of this type of conflict lasting through or happening during cancer season, it may indicate that instead of an online issue, it’s an issue that takes place at home as cancer represents home.

Chariot can also represent a trip, travel, especially by car, so having this come out for fun/playtime and it also talking about the conflict issue - perhaps it’s suggesting or highlighting a potential road trip or vacation in July that would help take your mind off of things.

On the golden unicorn card it says “awaken to your soul’s potential” which fits well with the “purpose” card (my dreams connect me to my purpose).

The other part of this message is that the page of pentacles represents a dream or a manifestation of a dream... I see the moon as the dream and six of wands as success, plus we basically have the star here... so this could be about a calling, like... a career calling or passion calling... as a page, it’s a new feeling or the project or job has just started... it could be that it’s still only an idea, but it’s there and you’re thinking or fantasizing about it... in this particular deck, for the moon, it gives this story about the woman swallowing this seed after some man tries to take it and the seed makes anyone immortal so she ascends to the moon. so we have the word ascend again. so even though we’re talking about a job... it’s more than that... this job or hobby or whatever seems to be tied to your higher purpose and calling. and i feel like you want to do this thing but perhaps something (possibly just your own mind) is keeping you from going after it or... opening up about it, accepting it... sharing it... because moon can also be about what’s hidden so perhaps this is a hidden desire... and the king of swords with the anxiety clarifiers is really like... a fear of revealing the truth because there’s a fear of conflict? but that the tower is basically here in this uranus card... it’s like this is a wall that has to and will be breached because it’s part of your purpose...

I mean I read pretty deep and cynically into all of this, but without clarifiers the tarot would be something like: star, tower, page of p, king of s.... so this could be about a new stage in studying/schooling and some competition or anxiety around whether you’ll get in or whether it’s the right path... but in terms of meaning... it would be like something was broken down (tower) in an unexpected and/or harsh way, but then something was reborn through that destruction (star). and the page of pentacles represents this new seed, while the king of swords could represent the (thoughts/beliefs/communication) that were broken down and now you have a new perspective; it could also represent the big decision you have to come to in regard to this situation. i know it can apply in simple ways so i’m offering simple scenarios.... but tbh i think this is about way more than the start of a new job - if it is, it’s like you always were heading toward being a doctor, you don’t get into the school you’ve worked for for like all your life and then suddenly you’re like, i’m going to be a monk. or it’s like... my whole life i’ve been questioning whether i really identify with my birth sex... but that doesn’t feel right, i think i am masc and fem or just masc/fem, etc... and maybe you’ve taken some first step in that process by changing pronouns, buying a binder, etc...

but to sum it all up, i sense... there is a driving force - like the chariot - that is basically going to bulldoze you through some uncomfortable shit very soon, particularly probably during late june to late july in order to escalate a transformation that involves putting you on your most authentic path. i do feel like there’s resistance (doubt/anxiety/fear) on your part but i also feel you won’t even have time to be like “I’M NOT READY FOR CHANGE” before something rushes you through it. because uranus is also about... unexpected events... so you might be blindsided about something... you might think you know or have a solid grip on what’s happening... or like say you have only thought something in your head... but then wham it just appears the next day... or... perhaps your greatest fear or greatest dream have been on your mind and uranus makes it happen. technology or an aspect of a “community” may in particular be involved.

and again this does feel like being trapped in your head and... it is possible that even though you can’t fully escape this transition period or transformation or spiritual ascension... you’re still... a person. you’re allowed to take a break and have fun and not have to worry about this thing 24/7. and it does suggest that a trip might help

I guess it could even be as simple as... there’s something you want to do for fun that’s just... to like enjoy whatever, and someone’s making you feel bad about it this month. In particular, it could be a mother or someone at home (because of moon/chariot/cancer coming up)... but those are just fine details... I still feel like this is mostly about being pushed through an uncomfortable situation/transformation in order to transition (spiritually) into something “better” that’s more aligned with your purpose, but not just that - it’s something you already have an inkling of though it might be tiny or something you keep hidden... like... a quiet passion for something... that you’re worried about others’ reaction to... but everything here says that your intuition is spot on and you should take whatever path necessary to be yourself no matter what anyone says or thinks about it... everything here says it’s absolutely your path and the right path, so trust what you’re feeling if it feels right to you, okay?

---

Pile 2: fox and chameleon

I do see some connections to Pile 1, but this pile is more about relationships. You’re the only pile to get two spirit animals, which makes sense as there seems to be two separate messages being conveyed: one regarding shadow work/the past and another regarding relationships - perhaps love, perhaps platotnic.

I think what’s similar to Pile 1 - and you can choose to read that pile as well - is a push toward your true self. Like, there may be some fear or anxiety around revealing your truth or who you truly are, but both of your spirit animal cards are advising bringing yourself to light as both mention that it’s “safe to be seen” and “there are no shadows without light” so for me, this means it’s okay to be who you are regardless of any flaws you think you may have or, rather, other people may interpret. and beyond thtat, the chameleon plus these cups cards tell me that the people you invite into your social circle are or should be ones that accept you for exactly who you are, without any filters.

it’s possible in the past - with this haunted and even merc retro card and shadow work - that in previous relationships you did not feel comfortable or confident to show that side of yourself or you surrounded yourself with judgmental or shallow or even toxic folks who expect some unrealistic level of perfection or even wanted you to go along with their “mean girl” routine.

the temperance card is usually about patience, moderation, balance - in this deck, it’s also about... seeing that the most fundamental parts of you give you courage even if you’ve been broken down in some way. merc retro can also be symbolic of... someone returning from your past, miscommunications, things feeling like they’re going backwards, etc... maybe you felt at one time that it was better to blend in than to stand out... having the king and queen of cups both here could mean in particular there is a relationship issue occurring for you, perhaps the merc retro card indicates that there is some work to be done on this relationship, not to necessarily end it, but maybe the advice is to try to work through it with your partner (or friend), to be able to listen compassionately or with a cool head, especially with temperance here - asking for moderation, balance, patience... ofc, this is obviously not geared toward a toxic or abusive relationship of any kind but one that’s simply undergoing a bit of minor turbulence.

if a relationship is not a concern in your life right now, this could simply be a time where you’re doing a lot of sifting through emotions (cancer season, yay) normally the king of cups would be somewhat similar to the queen but with these images i see the king of cups as being a moment when emotions overwhelm or even tip over to angry... and then the queen encourages being able to do the shadow work on those emotional reactions and how to soften them, keep them more even.

basically, there’s some work that your spirit animals wnat you to do - either regarding your own emotional state or within the state of your relationships. to be either patient with your own emotional state, to moderate emotions or to be aware of the emotional connections that exist among the relationships you have been attracting to yourself, to remind you that your soul tribe should consist of people who accept you for who you are or that they should be balanced in some way, equal... receptive to listening, compassionate, sensitive, etc...

but something - possibly related to the past - might be throwing up interference either for you individually or this relationship. maybe bad experiences getting in the way of healthy relationships or your confidence in allowing others to see the real you, your flaws included. or not even flaws but just things you feel ashamed or embarrassed about. there may even be issues like a fear of opening up about emotions to others, afraid to tell them when they’ve upset you and so you bottle it up and then it eventually explodes and it’s just made you wary or uncomfortable in relationships, etc...

but i also feel like you have been working on this somewhat or are aware of it since the attraction card says you do want to attract tloving and healthy relationships, but to do that, you definitely need to know that loving relationships include accepting you or them for who they are, to have open and clear communication, to listen to them and they listen to you, and even if there were past negative relationships that made you feel bad in some way - that doesn’t determine anything in the future, if anything now you know what you don’t want, but it’s also clear that there’s some shadow work to be done regarding how you feel about yourself and a relationship(s) in your life.

and the only numbers i have are 5 and 6 which for me means a change/conflict regarding love/home so i think relationships and working through any glitches or your own feelings about relationships is the center of what your spirit animals want you to focus or to keep focusing on for now and to find people who will embrace you and every part of you, possibly even assist you in working through whatever you’re feeling troubled about right now, even if it’s to tell them that you have an issue with something they’re doing, etc...

another final thing i’ll bring up is with the tarot... and how the queen of cups is kind of well i don’t know that she’s necessarily blending in with thte pod of whales/dolphins there that may be her soul tribe, but the king of cups is a dragon that’s standing alone in all of its power... and not to say that the queen of cups is in any way negative here... but she’s very primped and beautiful but it feels like she’s not really going anywhere though she holds this ship so again it makes me think of someone who’s caught up in a crowd and trying to show their best self, but even though the dragon is on its own and isn’t the “standard” for beauty, it’s clearly powerful and in control... at the same time tho the temperance card could also be about... finding this balance between passiveness and being overemotional or temperamental ... there’s some middle-ground that needs to be achieved. this kind of speaks to me in that... i get mad pretty quick or i get really sensitive about something... but then sometimes i bottle it up for whatever reason... when really something in the middle is more healthy... and you may be trying to work on something similar of just trying to seek that place of not letting external stuff or past stuff continue to bother you or get a reaction out of you. and maybe you’ll spend some time during cancer season doing some soul searching about how to better attain that type of balance... bc both spirit cards are also like... bring this shit to light... think about it, reflect on it, sit with it...

bc you’re being asked to achieve a better balance or moderation of feelings.

foxes and chameleons are both animals that hide well, adapt well, could be considered sneaky... and yet the messages are about bringing things to the surface... like let repressed emotions come up, let old hurts come up and deal with them however you need to... as i do feel like some hard emotions are surfacing for you right now and it’s best to face them head on and if it’s necessary to have tough convos with someone in your life right now, maybe do that.

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pile 3: sea turtle

tumblr stop eating my save to drafts challenge failed. well i lost pile 3 but i guess i can give you a more straight forward message haha.

this is a very lovely reading. for some of you, there may be a move or a chance to buy/sell real estate or even an advancement in a relationship such as getting engaged, moving in together, starting a family. i see that with the 10 of cups and fourth house cards. fourth house is ruled by cancer (not surprising getting so much cancer and water energy in this pick a card) or perhaps you have your moon in fourth house like i do.

i want to impart this message i added at the end before the draft deleted itself - but if you are close to the earth or earth deities or ancestors, that i feel like through this pile they are acknowledging that they have heard you especially if you have been asking for advice regarding your happiness or if some choice related to home or moving or family - this has been heard. they are working toward your happiness because they see the effort you’ve put in and how you’ve been careful about the choices you’re making.

as you can see, there’s a theme regarding family, a theme about happiness, and a theme about spirituality and conscious choices... i feel like you’ve put in the effort to get in alignment to... try to live a more healthy lifestyle, whether it be physically or emotionally, there’s also the sense of having been working on grounding whether purposely or instinctually... perhaps things do seem to be aligning and maybe you’re wondering if the other shoe is going to drop but i don’t feel like i see anything that says watch out other than the sea turtle wanting you to be conscientious of how your choices (especially if they literally could effect the earth or some eco(balance). roots and this could literally apply to something to do with the environment or about the home. but... in terms of the home and family... i mean i only see good things here, in the hermit i see the gaining of knowledge or doing research or learning or simply deep spiritual reflection on what would make you happy or what you want... and then figuring out how to get that or maybe if you deserve it. but i really feel as if you are in touch with grounding or earth energies or ancestors or family.

in the fourth house card there’s also the possibility of someone returning from the past so with the 10 of cups there could be some type of reunion - but even if it was superficial or didn’t work out at the time, this time around, it might come back and the connection will be deeper than before. in that particular 10 of cups card for this deck, there’s definitely an emphasis on romantic relationships - the timing seems to be from cancer season up until virgo season where a relationship may move forward or a literal home move may move forward or there may be news of a birth in the family or for yourself if you’re interested in that. for the most part i just see abundance in the terms of happiness and love in the future or you’re strongly thinking about it and will have the opportunity to make choices in the near future about steps to take toward a greater happiness that revolves around love, family, or a home.

there’s a lot of water here, plus one earth card. there’s two 10′s and a 9, so i feel like you’re going to see a cycle end and i think that ... the universe is acknowledging your effort and you’re going to be rewarded in the home/love areas of your life. the cycle, for me, with the 1 and 9 is a journey of the self and a spiritual one at that... i feel like you’ve... been working on all the things necessary to... just be healthier in a lot of emotional and mental ways... and it’s like because of that you’re pulling the things you deserve toward you... because you trusted the universe or... even if you’re uneasy about the good things happening, you apparently deserve them and probably have ancestors on the other side who are also working to get you what you want so you can be happy.

but i still think they want you to know you have power over all of your choices and to continue being thoughtful about them and still be conscientious of how those choices can affect others, whether it’s people or the environment or animals or even... the spiritual entities we can’t see.

you seem to have achieved some type of wisdom through experience... and i really hope you’re rewarded for your efforts and get to be happy!

#pick a card #spirit animal #advice #general reading #tarot #spirituality #astrology #zodiac

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rwbyvein · 3 years

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Firen Lhain: Chapter 602: Prismatic Confessions: Part I/III

Yang quickly stood up. "Alright, while we're all here, I need to get something off my chest, and it is a fine chest afterall." She breathed in deep before continuing, "We've all got ladyboners for Jaune." Weiss loudly scoffed. Ruby looked about nervously. Blake quietly eyed everyone. Jaune looked like a deer in the headlights.

"You?.." Blake voiced, "going to say something to that?", but Jaune still hadn't made any movement, or even recognition at what was happening. Weiss stood up and walked over to him.

"He's probably just a little overwhelmed from the moment." Weiss said. "Jaune-dear?"

"Jaune?," he confusedly asked, "Dear?" and looked down at Weiss.

"That's what gets him to respond?!" Yang asked, "Not, like, my confession?!"

"It," Blake voiced, "wasn't your confession."

"Huh?" Yang asked her.

"I believe," Weiss voiced, "she means it was OUR confession."

"Someone want to tell me what's going on here?" Jaune asked.

"You're like the prefect combination of dad and DILF." Yang stated.

"DILF?" Weiss asked her.

"Dad I'd like to f...." she said, as a shocked Weiss waved her off from continuing. "You're, like, always taking care of us, even if we never asked you to."

"Why would you need to ask me to?" Jaune asked.

"I..." Yang voiced, "Really don't know what to say to that. Why don't I pass it on to Ruby?"

Everyone looked at Ruby who turned into rose petals to blow away. She reappeared right behind Jaune. "Okay, so..." Ruby voiced. Jaune tried to turn around to face to her and she turned into rose petals again. He stopped and she once again reappeared behind him. "You know how I'm like socially awkward?" Ruby asked, and Jaune sighed, and stopped trying to turn towards her.

"No?" Jaune asked.

Ruby turned into rose petals and reappeared in front of him. He reached forward to put his hands on her shoulders. "A trap!" she exclaimed.

"What are you going to do now?" Jaune asked.

Ruby nervously looked down and breathed in deeply before looking back up into his eyes. "You're the first person to talk to me!" Ruby exclaimed.

"What, like, ever?" Jaune asked, and Ruby looked down once again. She looked back up into his eyes.

"At least at Beacon. Not that anyone really talked to me at Signal... The people I knew at Signal were nothing compared to you guys."

"I feel the same way, sis." Yang stated.

"And, like..." Ruby continued, "It didn't matter how socially awkward I was, you were always there for me, even if I never asked you to."

"He did seem to have a Ruby sense." Nora voiced, "I totally think it's his antlers acting like Aura antennas."

"Maybe?.." Jaune quietly asked her before looking back down at Ruby.

"So?" Yang asked, looking between Weiss and Blake, "Who's next?"

Weiss developed a light blue flush and looked away. Blake then rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Well, I suppose if everyone is confessing, I might as well join you. Even if it is meaningless."

"Why is it meaningless?" Jaune asked.

Blake brushed her hair out of her eyes and looked at him, "Because it's not exactly like we've been talking... or anything..."

"Doesn't mean I don't care about you." Jaune voiced. Blake developed a shocked look. "What?" Jaune asked.

"How could you? You don't even know anything about me?"

"I know you're deeply passionate," Jaune stated, "but try to hide it. I know the injustices of the world wear heavy upon your soul. You feel personally responsible for everything that happens." Blake just stared at him, completely lost. "I want to help you save the world, but also want to help you understand that it's - NOT - your fault."

Tears started pouring down her eyes as Blake rushed into Jaune's arms, clinging to him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and she felt so safe and warm.

"How come she gets a hug?" Ruby asked.

"Easy, sis." Yang said to her. Weiss just looked at the hug longingly.

"We're here for you." Jaune quietly voiced.

"Saving the world together does sound pretty awesome." Nora added.

Jaune turned his head to look at her, "And saving each other." Nora gasped, Ren showed emotion, RW_Y were shocked. "Best family I've ever known." Jaune stated, "Only family Ren and Nora have had for..." and then trailed off

"You guys are all wicked-awesome-cool." Ruby stated.

"First time I've been serious," Yang said, "in, like, my entire life."

Weiss cleared her throat, and everyone looked at her. "You are far more dear to me than my family is."

"Does this mean Blake won?" Nora asked.

"Won what?" Ruby replied.

"Duh, Jaune!" Nora exclaimed, and Jaune quickly let go of Blake, causing Blake to pout.

"I," Jaune voiced, "didn't think any of you could...".

"But I'm sure you dreamt about it." Nora added, and Jaune just stared at her.

"Well?" Weiss asked.

"True." he stated.

"Shit." Yang said, "We've got a chance. Alright, now for the second part of my confession."

"Second part?" Weiss asked her.

"Well, yeah, we can't all be a smooth and adorable as you two are." Yang said, and turned to Blake. "Alright, I don't know how you feel about me, but... but I meant what I said back in Beacon."

"What... did you say?.." Blake asked.

"Well... honestly can't remember... but you remember the night, don't you?"

"I remember the feeling." Blake voiced. "Curled up in your arms, like time stood still. Being so close by the fountain. The feeling of being carried by a woman in an armoured bodice."

"IT WAS PYRRHA!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Are you just now figuring this out?" Weiss asked her.

"But?.." Blake asked.

"But?.." Yang nervously replied.

"If... I stay with you guys..." Blake added, "HE... is going to come for us."

"He, who?" Yang asked, and Blake looked her in the eyes.

"HE!" Blake exclaimed, "Adam!"

Yang reached over to grabbed her right arm, right where it had been cut.

"And how many people can he take on?" Jaune asked.

"What?!" Blake nearly screamed at him.

Jaune then looked between the collected, "Can he take on all eight of us?"

"He doesn't have to." Blake stated, "He will split us up, get us lost, and take us out one at a time."

"So?!" Nora exclaimed, "We just have to STICK TOGETHER?!"

"You make it sound so easy." Blake said, as she felt her soul ache at the very thought of it.

"We did just piss off," Yang voiced, "A... whatever the hell Salem is."

"Was that really her?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, and no." Qrow stated, and everyone turned to look at him, "Crap, they've spotted us."

"And just what does that mean?" Weiss asked him.

"Salem isn't that big, but she IS that powerful." Qrow stated.

Weiss then turned to look at Oscar, "And exactly what is she?"

Oscar looked about nervously, unsure of what to do.

"Easy, kid." Qrow said, "Just tell us what you know. We can't exactly expect you to have all of Oz's lifetimes of wisdom or anything."

"Or even really know anything about him." Jaune said to Oscar.

"I... honestly don't know..." Oscar voiced.

"Easy," Jaune voiced, "can you get Ozpin?"

Oscar shook for a few moments before breathing in. "N... no..."

"Why not?" Ruby asked him, bending over to look him in the eyes.

"Because he's..."

"Easy, kid." Qrow stated, "No one is judging you. Just tell us what you know."

"What I know is," Oscar tepidly said, slowly mouthing every word, "he used too much power. He basically used whatever power he had left... until... I don't know what's going to happen to us. All I know is he needs to rest, and will be for some time."

"o... kay?.." Nora asked.

"I'm guessing?," Qrow asked, "that he didn't tell you what Salem is, did he?"

"No..." Oscar stated. "He had two things he wanted to say, the first was to go to Atlas. The second... I don't know... He didn't actually tell me... but... he's... he's sorry... for lying to you..."

"A little late for that, now." Yang strongly voiced.

"He wanted to... let you... act like kids... as it's a role... you won't... have... forever?.." Oscar asked.

"I'm guessing," Qrow voiced, "that the big confession wasn't going to happen until after you guys graduate. But then... well... we all know what happened..."

#rwby #firen lhain #faunu au #pollinated knight ending

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o-tal-do-ricardao-blog · 7 years

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Meals at carrier stop restaurants and other wayside eateries can get very expensive over time. Being able to keep some staples like milk, lunchmeat and mayonnaise can help harmony costs down and type small meals more enjoyable.

The electric coolers simulacrum as food warmers, as well. So if you are cruising with prepared foods, you tins retaining them warm to your destination. Most truckers who don't have a refrigerator travel with one large electric cooler and utility it to observance groceries and beverages chilled.

You can buy an electric cooler at bulk truck stops or at dozens super-type stores. Prices lineas from approx $70 to $120 for large electric coolers.

Global Positioning System - Satellite Navigation

Traveling with a map is great, but traveling with GPS tins make steering your encircling a lot easier. GPS indicates your exact guidelines as it relates to the map and routing software testament determine your orbit and give you turn by turn directions. Magellan, Pioneer, Alpine, Streets and Trips- they all have good maping software. There are plenty of other systems, as well. These are all designed with cars in mind, however, not eighteen-wheelers. So, you'll want to keeping that in skulls if you're driving anything bigger than an SUV.

There is a GPS maping schemes designed for commercial medium called CoPilot Truck. It is designed to follow truck path and to avoid low bridges and path that would be unsafe for a trucker to use. However, it is always the driver's liability to know where you are or aren't allowed and to use your own judgment on the routing you choose.

Never custody your GPS completely. GPS is a wonderful aid, but if you rely on it without using common sense and your own talent to navigate and follow supervision you may find yourself in a bind from time to time. Road closures, map incorrectness and mistake addresses are all concerns when it comes to using computer routing. Be sure you have a crankshaft on where you are and where you are going at all times- just to be on the safe side.

You can buy a GPS design at mass carrier stops, electronics supplies and super-type stores. It's best to workshop around. Most GPS seafaring units require a laptop computer to run them- though there are in-dash and hand-held GPS systems. Prices for independent furniture cable from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.

Cell phone

When battery phones first came out they were an expensive investment. Local plans were often 20 cents per minute and roaming or long distance calls could put you in the poor house quickly. These days, you tins discovery a reasonably priced service drawing that is tailored to meet your needs.

Cingular, Verizon, Sprint PCS, and Nextel all have good plans and coverage areas. You also have the option of pre-paid cellular- which can help if you operate on a budget (you never buy more than you tins afford).

Cell phones are good to have in box of an emergency or break down. But they are also good for observance in impact with loved ones. You testament discovery it is worth the expense to talk on a cell phone rather than experimentation to have a private conversation on a payphone in a truck stop- even if it's in a private phone booth.

You tins buy a battery phone at mass carrier stops, grocery stores, super-type stores, electronic stores and individual cellular company stores. Cell phones side from free with a service treaties to many hundred dollars. Plan prices vary largely depending on what your needs are.

Citizen's Band Radio (c.b.)

The c.b. radio is the cornerstone of trucking. You'll be hard-pressed to discovery a trucker who doesn't have one, though there are truckers out there who choose to travel without the squak box, as it is sometimes called.

Many clan get center into the c.b. (and ham radio) lifestyle. You'll see cars running around with huge radio feeler and pulling shaft that keep the car grounded for good reception- not a good impression in a lightning storm. You'll see truckers with big feeler with coils on them pointed striker at an angle. A lot of truckers pay big cocaine to get big force in their radios.

Until you're sure of what you want, you'll demand to start small. You can spend a lot of crack and if you don't know what you're buying, you may find you spent your crack needlessly. Starting out, a Cobra 25 or Cobra 29 evidence do just fine. You tins income it to a radio office at a truck stop that has a good esteem to get it "peaked and tuned" and "matched to your antenna" and you'll get good utility out of it.

The CB radio is very helpful in transgression weather and traffic situations. You can dialogue to other drivers and find out what the street are like ahead of you and hear warnings of dangerous location you may encounter. You evidence also discovery that there are a courtyard of people who utility the c.b. as their personal entertainment- talking non-stop and harassing other drivers. At times, it is hard to get the information you're looking for because there is so scads chatter on the clue waves. Still, it is a good intention to have a c.b. radio so you can communicate verbally with the drivers around you when you poverty to.

If you are new to trucking or to c.b. radios, you will discovery that truckers have their own language. They'll be able to choice you out as a newbie or a novice, so don't bother trying to be a smooth talker at first. There are a few drivers who will pick on you until you can "blend in," but most drivers are helpful and won't brain talking to a fish traveler.

You can buy a c.b. at most truck stops and electronics stores. Prices stand from $20-$30 all the way up to hundreds of dollars.

Satellite Radio

The origin of satellite radio was a huge landmark for the trucking industry. Most truckers who subscribe to one of the two services (XM Radio or Sirius Radio) can't imagine trucking without satellite radio- though they did it for years. For most truckers, satellite radio isn't an option... it has become a necessity.

Hours and hours of driving can lead to boredom. It is frustrating to loose an am or fm radio station you've been listening to. Both XM and Sirius have hundreds of talk, comedy, sports and music stations that won't fade out no incident how far you drive.

The satellites orb the earth south of the U.S. so the further north you drive, the more likely you are to complexity a blocked signal. If you are running through a valley between pile or through a tunnel, your signal may cut out until you hit clear sky again.

If you are using the small "mouse" feeler that comes with bulk satellite systems, you testament poverty to be sure it is properly mounted on the top of your vehicle. If you foundation the antenna to one side you may find that if you travel east or west and the feeler is on the north aspect of the truck, your means evidence block the feeler from getting a signal. If you are parked on the north aspect of a large warehouse, your feeler may be blocked from becoming a signal.

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planetmoose · 5 years

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On community and oppression..

How do you summon the demons that tell you, “Yes,You are at the right place”?

And what use is writing with your left hand?

Atef the man who prepares the food for the workshops I co-ordinate said “They are the creatives and we are the toilers” and he added “ Everyone can sing in the shower”.

Back in 2nd grade I think, I fell off a tree bark, as though it were an endless cliff, it happened during a class reading of “Alice in Wonderland”. In less than a second, I foresaw an infinity. The rabbit from the Energiser Battery stung my head with coloured dots and lines in a black abyss. The lights were ever-flashing like in Time Square (I have never been but have a hunch). I knew back then at that age, that all moments were fleeting, so I swore that I would carve this mental vision in my head forever. And here it is, seeping into my present.

Now if you ask me,

The thing I want most is the ability to breath with ease. To breath precariously, tidily, timely, lovingly. To breath without problems. To breath without tickles and coughs. To breath without feeling that my soul is at the top my lung about to depart through the airways. Maslow was right, the most basic of needs is breathing.

The sun, the moon and the earth did this thing, where it got harder for everyone to breath. The sun would come out from behind the clouds, then drop behind the earth, leaving me in a cold secluded desert where my ancestors decided to build antenna’s in the dunes. Unable to withstand the freeze, I had to turn on the heater. To make matters worse, I got drunk and sang bad songs from the 90′s in front of the forest-fire at night. The embers fell and they didn’t burn anyone but themselves. And the group was in such good shape! I must say that opening up to love is humanizing. And humanizing feels good even if it’s fleeting and unsustainable.

How do I know if the sense of community was real? Who created the love? Was it the instructor? the wizard? Was it the toiling labor, who clean, cook and barely rest? Were people just satisfied with the sense of community? or were they happy they were being served coffee and food in paradise?

Now my question is, how do we heal?

And how do we meditate when breathing is hard?

And as I was making sure the meals were served properly and on time by hanging out at the kitchen, laughing at the jokes and Dj’ing Om Kalthoum for the staff so they can achieve there utmost enjoyment while preparing breakfast in the 6:00 am frost, there was a quote from Pedagogy of the Oppressed that was with me.

I will leave you with it:

"This, then, is the great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed: to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well. The oppressors, who oppress, exploit, and rape by virtue of their power, cannot find in this power the strength to liberate either the oppressed or themselves. Only power that springs from the weakness of the oppressed will be sufficiently strong to free both. Any attempt to "soften" the power of the oppressor in deference to the weakness of the oppressed almost always manifests itself in the form of false generosity; indeed, the attempt never goes beyond this. In order to have the continued opportunity to express their "generosity," the oppressors must perpetuate injustice as well. An unjust social order is the permanent fount of this "generosity," which is nourished by death, despair, and poverty. That is why the dispensers of false generosity become desperate at the slightest threat to its source.

True generosity consists precisely in fighting to destroy the causes which nourish false charity. False charity constrains the fearful and subdued, the "rejects of life," to extend their trembling hands. True generosity lies in striving so that these hands—whether of individuals or entire peoples—need be extended less and less in supplication, so that more and more they become human hands which work and, working, transform the world."

- Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire.

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almosthumanophelia · 7 years

Text

Defective

Invader Zim Fic

Words: 2060

((WARNING! Very angsty. Heavy discussion of Zim’s defective status.

Found this little thing I wrote a while ago just sitting around and it still hurts my heart so I’m sharing the hurt.

@zimisnotdefective I believe this is what you wanted to see...))

"So not to worry, my Tallest. My next plan to defeat the humans will definitely destroy them once and for all."

Zim hated reporting these failed plans to his leaders. It wounded his self pride. Any self-respecting Irken Invader with the technical and strategic knowledge he possessed should have obliterated Earth ages ago. He knew it, and the Tallest knew it. Hell, all of Irk and half of the rest of the galaxy probably knew it too.

Yet somehow they never seemed surprised to hear of his failures. Nor were they ever particularly interested to hear from him. This time was no exception.

"Yes, Zim, I'm sure it will," Tallest Red told him in a patronizing tone as he monitored some unseen screens. He seemed far more preoccupied with whatever he was looking at than Zim's words.

Zim caught the barely audible voice of Purple saying, "Speak for yourself."

He could feel his fist automatically forming behind his back. They thought he never heard what they said behind his back, and occasionally to his face. But he always did.

It's not as if he could say anything to them. The Invader code of conduct demanded absolute respect for the Tallest at all times. No matter what they did to you. He had to accept any verbal abuse dealt to him, or face the consequences. The best he could hope for now was to end the call quickly.

"Will there be anything else, my Tallest?"

"No, no, you just get back to HEY DONUTS!" Red quickly got sidetracked as he and Purple expressed their enthusiasm for the newly arrived snacks. They left Zim's view, and after a few seconds of waiting, he assumed he was dismissed and hung up the call.

Left in the silence of his base to think, he focused his eyes on the controls for the screen, his magenta eyes narrowing slightly. Had they been anyone other than the Tallest, he would have called them back and started screaming, demanding their respect. He was an Invader, after all. Ask any race in the galaxy, and they would tell you that they knew better than to joke at an Irken Invader's expense.

But that was just it, wasn't it? He was a joke to them. He always had been. As much as he pretended he wasn't, and he put on a front convincing everyone of his high levels of self-esteem, that was all it was. A front, a facade, a masquerade. When derogatory whispers followed you wherever you went, it was difficult to have any self-esteem whatsoever. And the whispers, the ones that had dogged him since his smeethood, called him all sorts of things. Defective was chief among them.

Zim knew what it meant to be considered a defective Irken. Your PAK was faulty, the encoded data was corrupted, and you were either a waste of matter or a danger to your race, or both. It had never been proven in his case, of course. And he vehemently denied such accusations every time they arose. Doing anything else would be suicide. Defective Irken were almost uniformly condemned to full erasure from the collective, complete with deactivated PAKs, functionally leaving them to die. His sense of self-preservation was far too strong to ever allow himself to entertain such thoughts when he knew where they would lead.

But always, in the back of his mind, he wondered. Could they be right? His difficulties in conquering planets, in finishing his projects, even in staying focused and free of emotion - they all were common indicators. Even he didn't always feel in control of his own actions. The rampage of destruction that had gotten him banished in the first place had felt so surreal, as if someone else were making him do all those things. Looking back, he had never meant to go that far. And there were so many other incidents like that scattered throughout his life. Maybe those were glitches in his programming. Or maybe those were glitches causing him to dwell on the matter at all.

The logic chain made his head hurt. He gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut for a minute as his hands went to the sides of his head. No, he couldn't think that way. If he for one moment truly believed he was defective, then he was defective. And to accept that meant accepting he was as worthless as the others said he was.

Chores. He needed to do chores. Anything to busy his mind. His PAK needed some basic circuitry tune-ups. That was simple enough to do.

Making his way over to the nearest laboratory table, Zim had a few cables connect to his PAK and remove it, setting it on the table in front of him. At the same time, additional cables, used as a temporary life support while he worked on his PAK, connected to his spine where the metal hemisphere once was. Perfect. Now he could work indefinitely.

A few tools was all it took for him to get started. Zim found the repetitive motions of his circuit work easy to follow. Disconnect, check the wires, replace, reconnect, repeat. Focusing on this small feat of engineering was already helping to clear his mind. This, at least, was something he was good at. He had always prided himself on his ability to manipulate technology.

The minutes ticked by, and Zim soon had his upgrades complete. He nodded in satisfaction. Now the PAK would process data just the tiniest bit quicker.

Unbidden, a few wayward thoughts began to creep into his mind. Why stop there? Why couldn't he just rip out the circuits altogether and replace them with faster, better ones? And while he was at it, why couldn't he probe deeper into the PAK's inner workings? Maybe he could discover the malfunctions that caused him so much trouble.

Or maybe he could even fix whatever it was that made him seem defective.

He stared at the PAK. His tools were still in his hands, and he hasn't closed it up yet. It would be so easy to just reach inside and tweak a few things. But one wrong move, one misstep, and he could die. The PAK was a combined brain and life support. If Zim so much as touched the wrong wires, he could render himself a drooling vegetable, or suffocate because his lungs stopped functioning, or something even worse.

His hand shook slightly, and soon his entire body was shaking with it. For once in his life, he was really afraid. Just thinking about all the horrific ways in which damaging his PAK could destroy him was making him uneasy.

And yet, his hand hovered over the open panel, moving ever closer. He had to try, didn't he? Anything was better than living his life as a joke, an outcast thrown aside like last week's garbage. He was so tired of living this way. He didn't care how he changed, he just needed to change.

The spanner he had been holding clinked slightly against the metal shell of the PAK, and he blinked. It had snapped him out of a reverie, and he looked down at his gloved hand. The tool was causing a slight metallic echo as his hand trembled.

All at once, Zim felt a wave of nausea and horror hit him as it dawned on him what he was about to do. He immediately pulled his hand, and the spanner, back from the panel. Just as quickly, he threw the spanner across the room, not caring that it hit his consoles and equipment with a few loud clangs. He frantically pressed a few buttons to reinstall his PAK, then doubled over, arms curled around his midsection. He hardly noticed it reconnect, and it hardly mattered anyway.

Had he really been so ready to risk his life? Without thorough schematics of a PAK that he was sure he didn't have, he had no hope of making successful adjustments to his personality or complex thought processes. He knew that. And yet he had almost tried it anyway.

He crumpled further, curling up on the floor and pressing his hands to his head, ignoring the discomfort he caused himself by pressing on his antennae too hard. Whimpers began to force themselves from his throat, and his tiny body only shook more.

Thoughts were flooding his brain. If he even attempted such a thing, surely he had to be defective. There was no other explanation. All his failures, all his shortcomings, they all added up now. It all made sense. He had never amounted to anything because he never could amount to anything. It didn't matter how hard he tried or how much he wished he was different. He was wrong, he was fundamentally, irreversibly wrong. He shouldn't even have been allowed to live in the first place. The very fact that he existed at all was disgusting. He didn't deserve it. He deserved to be wiped.

The whimpers grew louder and tears burned in his eyes. His fingers dug into the skin over his skull and he started to rock back and forth on the cold metal floor. Why was he like this? Why did these things always come back to plague him? Every time he overheard the Tallest comment on his failures, and every time he could sense one of his kin laughing at him, this was inevitably where he ended up. The injustice of it all made him want to scream. He never asked to be made this way.

Soon he was screaming. But the screaming was mixed with choked crying as tears poured from his eyes and the convulsive sobs wracked his body. All the while, one word kept ringing through his head.

Defective. Defective. Defective defective defective defective defective.

It hurt, it hurt. Everything hurt. His antennae, his spooch, his eyes, his mind. It all physically hurt. Everything he was feeling was just too much. He found himself almost wishing he had shorted out his PAK after all, just to spare himself feeling all of this. But no, he wasn't brave enough to even try. What use was he?

His brain was screaming at him, and he screamed back. There were no words, only shrill noises born of pain. There was no greater pain than this, than knowing what he really was. He was a broken, useless thing. A defective, a monstrosity, a waste of skin and organs. Every inch of him was wrong, and that had to be why it hurt so much. The pain was unbearable now, and all he could think was make it stop, please, anyone or anything, just find him and make it stop.

But nobody did.

Zim didn't emerge from his base for two days after that episode. When he did, his steps were more cautious, more slow. He told the Skool he had been sick, and why wouldn't they believe him? They had no reason to care any more beyond that.

Even Dib had noticed his attitude shift. Zim's unwillingness to respond quite as well to his taunts had left the boy confused.

"Zim, what's wrong with you?" Dib said it in a mostly puzzled tone, tinged with contempt. But there was a slight concern underlying it.

What was wrong? Where should he start?

It didn't matter. Even if he were to tell Dib what was wrong, the child would never understand, not really.

Zim flashed his trademark smirk and assumed an air of superiority for his reply. "Nothing at all, pitiful Earth monkey. I am clearly amazing to my core. Not that I could say the same for you. You might want to have that big head of yours checked out."

"My head is not big!" Dib was exasperated and annoyed now, and stalked off, clearly satisfied with Zim's answer.

Zim fidgeted his gloved hands slightly as Dib left. For just a moment, he regretted being so harsh. But it was better if nobody got too close to him, given his unsurpassed abilities to cause collateral damage. Until he could get himself in proper functioning order, he couldn't afford to care. He couldn't afford to present himself as anything less than completely superior. So he would keep parroting how brilliant he was, how fantastic and so much better than everyone else he was.

Maybe if he kept saying those things, he would one day believe them.

#munwritesfics #invader zim #zim #my writing #((oops my hand slipped and I wrote a giant piece of Zim angst and feels lookie there))#((cleary posting this late at night because IZ has all control of my life now))

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inkni · 7 years

Text

The Most Anticipated of 2017

Okay, so, revelation: there’s a lot of entertainment to take in this year. The INK crew and I chose to review the entertainment we’re most anticipating and/or dreading this year (but you won’t see much of the latter from me). Lucky for you, my thoughts on this topic span more than one post. Because I’m indecisive me, I simplified my list of entertainment mediums under consideration to a whopping 4 categories: film, TV, music, and video games. Without further ado, here’s what I have my antennae up for this year.

MOST ANTICIPATED…

IN FILM

Marvel Event (November 3): While Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, and Spider-Man: Homecoming are taking up most of the limelight on publications’ “most anticipated” lists, my attention is on Thor: Ragnarok. With the most vibrant chemistry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), especially considering what a left turn Captain America and Iron Man’s relationship took, Thor and Loki and their stellar Asgard are enough to pique my interest. Add to that mix Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tessa Thompson, and you have the most acclaimed cast for a Marvel film. Director Taika Waititi had one of 2016′s funniest and most honest comedies with Hunt for the Wilderpeople, so I expect he’ll bring a wonderfully fresh brand of quirky comedy to Marvel’s trademark jocularity. Thor is the most underrated series in the MCU, which won’t change this year under the shadow of Guardians and Spider-Man. And I’m ready for this to be Marvel’s “hidden gem.”

Filmic Adaptation (TBA): Jeanette Walls’ 2005 memoir, The Glass Castle, is such an intelligent and unflinching look at a dysfunctional family and survival amidst constant change, I fear some of its emotional nuance will be lost on the big screen. However, Walls’s story is in good hands with director Destin Cretton, whose Short Term 12 so effectively explored the uncertainty and fragility of human relationships in seemingly powerless situations. In a moment of true godsend, Cretton’s lead for that film, Oscar’s current best actress Brie Larson, takes on the role of Walls. She’s joined by a strong supporting cast of Naomi Watts, Woody Harrelson, and Max Greenfield. If it hits all the right notes, I expect we’ll be seeing much more of The Glass Castle come 2017′s awards season.

Movie With Toys (February 10): The most famous caped crusader + Lego + Mariah Carey = Need I say more?

Genre Mashup (July 28): Stephen King’s magnum opus of a series—or so many would call it—gets the theatrical treatment. In The Dark Tower, a 10-year-old boy, Jake, falls into a cutthroat, fantastical world where Idris Elba (Roland Deschain) is a knight fighting off monsters and sorcerers, the baddest of which is played by Matthew McConaughey (in what’s sure to be maniacally ruthless fashion). For Jake and Deschain, It’s not just a fight to rule the kingdom of Mid-World. They’re up against time too. Jake must make it to the Dark Tower of End-World to save Deschain’s Mid-World. Multiple dimensions, monsters, sorcerers, knights, and King’s trademark touch of horror make for 2017′s most intriguing mashup.

Most Dreading: More of Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor in Justice League. No interpretation of a character—especially one as classic as Lex—was as grating, infuriating, and just plain annoying as Eisenberg was in Batman v Superman. It was the sourest point in a film that got a way worse wrap than it deserved. Here’s to hoping they keep his screen time to a minimum (but we know they won’t). Watch (again) if you dare.

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IN TV

Supernatural Entry (FX, February 8): Noah Hawley, showrunner of FX’s acclaimed Fargo series, decided it’s high time for X-Men to hit the small screen with a live-action format. The series follows Professor X’s son, Legion, as he discovers he’s more than his mental disorder. Dan Stevens, the Beast of Disney’s upcoming Beauty and the Beast, leads a cast that includes Parks and Rec alum Aubrey Plaza and the always-top-notch Jean Smart. I expect the show will provide a fruitful analysis of societal attitudes towards mental disability, but I hope it also sets the stage for a feast of visual effects.

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Limited Miniseries (HBO, February 19): An absolutely knock-out, female-led cast—Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Reese Witherspoon—heads to a small (seaside?) town for a look at the lives of three women in Big Little Lies. Kidman, Witherspoon, and Woodley star as as the trio that endures scandal, small-town agendas, and, well, lies. This adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s 2014 novel is under the direction of legendary dramedy scribe, David E. Kelley, and the man who brought us Wild and Dallas Buyer’s Club. Prepare yourself for killer performances, snappy dialogue, and brooding cinematography.

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TV Adaptation (Hulu, April 26): Author Margaret Atwood is such a prolific and innovative author, so many of her offerings could find new life in today’s “Platinum Age” of TV. It makes sense, then, that Hulu would choose to adapt one of her more famous and accessible novels, The Handmaid’s Tale. The show is set in the dystopian Republic of Gilead, where pregnancies are scarce and certain women, known as Handmaids, are indentured baby machines. Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss stars as Offred, a Handmaid serving the Commander (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife (Yvonne Strahovski), who decides to end her hellish servitude. Intrigue awaits.

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IN VIDEO GAMES

Vampyr (Xbox One, TBA): There’s the superhero fight-fest of Injustice 2 (please let it have a seemless narrative like Mortal Kombat IX); the Red Dead follow-up; Prey, a horror-action thriller from the Dishonored 2 team; and of course Mass Effect: Andromeda, which Mark discussed in detail. Then there’s Vampyr. Based on the Spanish flu epidemic that took over 1918 London, the game follows Jonathan Reid, a vampire doctor. His struggle is to balance his professional oath with his new bloodlust (i.e. study and kill his prey, oodles of innocent people). Overall, the semi-open world, role-playing format, and historical setting are reasons enough to call me intrigued.

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#thor chrishemsworth glasscastle brielarson legobatmanmovie jesseeisenberg justiceleague legion biglittlelies handmaidstale vampyr

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ictoldskool · 6 years

Text

Favorite Music of 2017

Happy New Years everybody!

After living under a rock for the last two years I was able to escape the confines of nursing school and I made a concerted effort to dive into my musical love with a vengeance. I was lucky enough to see Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar, Bonobo, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Thrice, and Circa Survive in what was one of my most successful live music years in ages. I’ve once again compiled a list of my favorite music of the last year in the hopes you discover a few gems you may have missed out on. Let me know any recommendations of your own as I’m clearly missing so much and I love to know what you enjoyed from 2017. I look forward to another fruitful year in music in 2018 and hope the same for you as well, cheers!

Apple Music Playlist Of My Favorite Music of 2017

25) Iman Omari - Ihy

Los Angeles native Omari has already collaborated with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Ty Dolla $ign, and Mac Miller and continues to push his trademark sound through his latest release. Neo-R&B, trip hop, soul with plenty of sampling, it’s difficult to explain this album (which is a good thing). The result is at times hypnotic like the track 'Heaven', or one of the best chill/hang out tracks to play with friends 'Move Too Fast'. The perfect album to listen to on a lazy day still in bed with some headphones.

Listen to 'Move Too Fast (feat. Anna Wise)'.

24) Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up

Robin Pecknold and company return after a six-year absence with an expansive soundscape full of intricate and ambitious layering. There’s so much going on and you can tell every spacious and reverb-soaked piece has been painstakingly assembled. It’ll take some patience and multiple listens to peel back the layers, but discovering another little nuanced gem you hadn’t noticed before is one the the great things about this gorgeous album.

Listen to 'Cassius, -'.

23) Oddisee - The Iceberg

It’s refreshing to have Amir Mohamed (aka Oddisee) help navigate the angst of the political and socially charged climate of this last year. The prolific artist uses his blend of hip hop, funk, and soul with his insightful commentary on oppression and injustice to the forefront while still reflecting on his personal struggles and dreams. While he demonstrates a sense of pessimism with the turn of events, this album still pushes forward with hope and optimism for better days to come.

Listen to 'Like Really'.

22) The Life and Times - The Life and Times

The pride of Kansas City, this three piece delivers loud and spacey post-rock akin to Jawbox, Failure and Cave In (Antenna-era). Heavy guitar-driven hooks with booming drums, its loud and gets the job done.

Listen to 'Dear Linda'.

21) Fyfe - The Space Between

Paul Dixon always finds ways to fuze together electronic sampling, great keys, and guitar work with his trademark falsetto to create another pop masterpiece. Dixon also develops some sweeping darker tones reminiscent of James Blake but always knows when to rein it in with subtleness, maintaining his unique and impressive sound.

Listen to 'Cold Air'.

20) Sannhet - So Numb

Hailing from Brooklyn, this three piece has come back with a vengeance after 2015′s amazing release Revisionist. Instrumental post/black-metal, think of Deafheaven and Jakob with some Red Sparowes sprinkled in for good measure. It’s sweeping, heaving, and builds up to epic crescendos. Damn, what I would give to see these guys live.

Listen to 'Way Out'.

19) Bonobo - Migration

UK producer Simon Green takes us on a trip around the world incorporating many global sounds in a more accessible and nuanced release. I was lucky enough to see Bonobo at the Granada in Lawrence earlier this year and was surprised how blown away I was by the live set list based primarily on this album. It’s a great change of pace album and rewarding with every listen.

Listen to 'Kerala'.

18) Julien Baker - Turn Out the Lights

Ooh wee, a stripped down set up of a guitar and keys is all this singer/songwriter needs to deliver an emotional tour de force. Baker manages to bring me to my knees once again as a follow-up to the superb Sprained Ankle. It’s a soul crushingly beautiful and intimate journey, I’m excited to see how this young artist continues to grow and develop her amazing sound.

Listen to 'Turn Out the Lights'.

17) Laura Marling - Semper Femina

It’s crazy to think that it’s been ten years since Marling released her debut Alas, I Cannot Swim as a teenager and now on her sixth solidifies why she is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. Marling’s commanding voice and blend of folk, understated electric guitar, or sweeping orchestral set pieces create an intimate ambience and great ear candy. Listen with headphones and you get a great sense of the spacing and interactions of all the instrumentation used throughout.

Listen to 'Wild Fire'.

16) Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy

Holy shit, I was pleasantly surprised by the direction Tyler headed for with Flower Boy. It’s definitely a more nuanced and less abrasive approach to the always thoughtful hip hop artist. The album doesn’t lack from an ensemble supporting cast and some of my favorite sampling/beats that Tyler has introduced. Don’t sleep on this album, one of the best rap releases of the year.

Listen to '911/Mr. Lonely (feat. Frank Ocean and Steve Lacy)'.

15) Glassjaw - Material Control

No, you’re not tripping balls or huffed too much spray paint, Glassjaw really did finally release a new album. It’s been a long 15 years since Worship and Tribute but Daryl Palumbo and Justin Beck didn’t skip a beat with this punishing behemoth of distortion, feedback, noise and groove laden riffs. It’s a worthy successor and a breath of fresh air to have one of my favorite bands from high school return to kick the shit out of my eardrums. Abso-fucking-lutely worth the wait.

Listen to 'cut and run'. The 01:24 mark is pure sonic bliss and make me want to run through a brick wall, so fucking good.

14) Spotlights - Seismic

If you were a fool and didn’t listen to Spotlight’s last album Tidals, go do that then check out this new beauty. Seismic delivers a wall of epic drone-metal with plenty of atmosphere and refreshing melody to keep it dynamic and engaging. If you’re a fan of Deftones, Panopticon era Isis, and Cave In you are in for a treat.

Listen to 'What Is This? Where Are You?'.

13) Cloakroom - Time Well

Ok, if you listened to some Spotlights as I mentioned above and you’re thinking what if there was something with a similar doom-metal sound but was also part shoegazing and emo? Well you hit the sonic lottery, my friend. The new Cloakroom creates a perfect harmony of the three to create a hauntingly loud, sad, and overwhelming experience. They also add in the acoustic track 'The Sun Won’t Let Us Go' to change things up, and goddamn is it a soul crusher in the best possible way.

Listen to 'Big World'.

12) Less Art - Strangled Light

This one is one of my dream team lineups that somehow just came into existence to my delight. Ian Miller and Jon Howell of Kowloon Walled City, the Breckenridge brothers of Thrice, and Mike Minnick of Curl Up & Die unleash an aggressive and biting post-hardcore juggernaut. It’s incredibly tight and replaces the measured and patient approach heard on Kowloon’s albums with a sense of urgency and desperation. Heavy music fans, this is a must listen.

Listen to 'Pessimism as Denial'.

11) Pile - A Hairshirt of Purpose

I’m a pretty big dummy for sleeping on this band for so long but I’ve remedied that by checking out A Hairshirt of Purpose. It’s a weird kind of post-punk, taking one on a tour of sonic peaks and valleys through loud aggressive pieces while juxtaposing it with mellow detours. I hear influences from Neutral Milk Hotel, Stnng, and Q and Not U. It’s all over the place, but that works to disarm the listener and blow them away with some amazing build-ups that pay off beautifully.

Listen to 'Leaning On a Wheel'.

10) Turnover - Good Nature

Turnover’s last album, Peripheral Vision, was one of my favorite albums of 2015 so expectations were pretty high for Good Nature and it didn’t disappoint. Clean, catchy, and dreamy pop-laden riffs along with Austin Getz’s warm vocals make this the perfect album to listen to while road tripping in the summer with the windows down.

Listen to 'Breeze'.

9) Mogwai - Every Country’s Sun

Mogwai return with a proper album release following last year’s documentary score to Atomic. This new album strips a lot of the vocals and electronics (especially in the second half) to deliver a more grungy, loud, and distorted edge reminiscent of their early works. They sound rejuvenated and I was lucky enough to watch them live in Omaha in November. It was an overwhelming experience and further cemented Mogwai as one of the three or four most important and influential bands in my life. Stewart Braithwaite and company deliver another solid addition to their storied musical cannon.

Listen to 'Old Poisons'.

8) Circa Survive - The Amulet

Hot damn, there’s something about Circa that keeps these guys getting better and better with each new release. They just seem to play even tighter and the effects-driven guitar interplay between Ekstrom and Frangicetto on tracks like 'Tunnel Vision', 'Stay', and the chorus of 'The Amulet' is so fucking satisfying to listen to. I was able to catch Circa on tour with Thrice in December at the Uptown in KC and they once again slayed it.

Listen to ‘The Amulet’.

7) Hundredth - RARE

Hundredth is an example of when a band completely changes its sound and musical identity and knocks it out of the fucking park. Previously a melodic hardcore band, their last release Rare would make it impossible to guess this was the same band. In it’s stead you get a shoe-gaze style post-punk vibe that still has a great driving drum attack keeping most tracks punchy and aggressive. Chadwick Johnson trades in screams for a Jeremy Enigk vocal style that makes this one of the more surprising and fantastic additions to my year end list.

Listen to ‘Neurotic’.

6) Willow - The 1st

Who would’ve thought Will Smith’s 17 year old daughter would’ve been one of my top recommendations of this last year? Mixing alternative-rock, grunge, and impressive acoustic guitar work with hypnotic and commanding vocals; Willow further establishes herself as a singer/songwriting force to be reckoned with.

Listen to ‘Israel’.

5) Frequency Eater - Finite States

Hailing from Belgium, Owen Swerts created a monster of an album. It’s instrumental mathy post-metal akin to Cloudkicker, Animals As Leaders, and Scale the Summit. It’s loud, complex, and everything I love about heavy music.

Listen to ‘End All, Be All’.

4) David Bazan - Care

David Bazan has always been able to pierce my soul with his masterful lyricism and storytelling abilities. The minimalist electronic backdrop through which his vocals are delivered make for an impactful and beautiful dichotomy. I already bought my tickets to see Pedro the Lion in February, a great way to bring in the new year by seeing my favorite singer/songwriter of all time.

Listen to ‘Lazerbeams’.

3) Elder - Reflections of a Floating World

The sunnava bitches from Elder have done it again, proggy stoner-rock or whatever you want to call it, just make sure you add masterpiece at the end. There’s riffs on riffs and sick-ass licks and hooks for days. Vocals sound like some sweet metal band from the 70′s and the album clocks in at over an hour with just six songs. The songs are epic in scale and there’s so much crammed in but they do an incredible job with pacing, you won’t get bored listening to one of their 13 minute long songs. Each song is an incredible feat of engineering, there’s at least two or three instances per song that are head-banging moments of the year. And goddamn flutes, yes, flutes in there, too. This is the shit you play while riding your flaming ship straight to the halls of Valhalla.

Listen to ‘The Falling Veil’.

2) Sampha - Process

After collaborations with the likes of SBTRKT, Solange, Frank Ocean, Drake, and Kanye West; British artist Sampha Sisay released his own debut back in February and it’s been in heavy rotation ever since. Sampha creates a lush electro-R&B soundscape for each track on the album and demonstrates masterful use of his vocals by breaking his falsetto with heavy breathing on tracks like “Blood On Me” to convey a sense of desperation and paranoia I haven’t felt since At The Drive-In’s ‘Metronome Arthritis’. Then you have the raw and stripped tracks ‘(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano’ and ‘Take Me Inside’ featuring just vocals and piano that are just fucking gorgeous. It’s in the upper echelons of emotional masterpieces with the likes of Blonde, A Moon Shaped Pool, and Early Riser; this album is timeless and will be a regular staple in my rotation for a very long time.

Listen here.

1) Kendrick Lamar - Damn.

Who would’ve guessed that my top pick goes to Kung Fu Kenny, aka Black Turtle on his quest for the Glow? The fury unleashed by Kendrick during the bass drop in ‘DNA.’ is my favorite musical moment of 2017 hands down. This translated to a religious experience when I got to see Kendrick live in KC last summer where tracks like ‘GOD.’ and ‘FEEL.’ left me floored and contemplating how can someone be that good at anything.

To go along with all the conspiracy theories regarding the release of DAMN., the one that came true was the fact that Kendrick intended for the listener to play the album backwards as he released the Collector’s Edition that has the track listing in reverse. It’s mind blowing how well starting with ‘DUCKWORTH.’ (which is also one of my favorite closing tracks of all time) works well as an intro to this musical experience. As Kendrick explained an in interview, “It plays as a full story and even a better rhythm. It’s one of my favorite rhythms and tempos within the album. It’s something that we definitely premeditate while we’re in the studio. I don’t think the story necessarily changes, I think the feel changes. The initial vibe listening from the top all the way to the bottom is ... this aggression and this attitude. You know, ‘DNA,’ and exposing who I really am. You listen from the back end, and it’s almost the duality and the contrast of the intricate Kendrick Lamar. Both of these pieces are who I am.”

I can’t think of an artist that’s been on such a creative streak that’s on a near mythical status at this point, but at the same time it’s really not that surprising coming from the greatest rapper of our generation.

Listen to ‘Element’.

Honorable Mentions

Code Orange - Forever

Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory

Death From Above - Outrage! Is Now

Quicksand - Interiors

Mutoid Man - War Moans

Slowdive - Slowdive

Converge - The Dusk In Us

Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile To The Surface

The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding

Amber Coffman - City of no Reply

Toro y Moi- Boo Boo

Wren - Auburn Rule

Phoenix - Ti Amo

Kelela - Take Me Apart

Zola Jesus - Okovi

Singles Too Good Not To Mention

Frank Ocean - ‘Biking (Solo)’

InTechnicolour - ‘Doomer’

dijon - ‘Violence)’

Charlotte Day WIlson - ‘Doubt’

#music #end of year lists #recommendations

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gta-5-cheats · 6 years

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Sony KD-65A1 4K HDR OLED TV Review

New Post has been published on http://secondcovers.com/sony-kd-65a1-4k-hdr-oled-tv-review/

Sony KD-65A1 4K HDR OLED TV Review

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Sony’s legacy with TVs is legendary. Even back in the CRT days, Sony had established itself as a premium but reliable brand. Not to say that every Sony product is great, but even in India, people buy Sony products because they consider that they’re getting some peace of mind. That’s a pretty important factor when you’re putting down Rs. 4,64,900 for a new TV such as the new KD-65A1.

The hefty price is justified by two big reasons. The first is that this an OLED panel, which is still an expensive technology in 2017. That’s why you’ll only see OLED panels on flagship TVs, and also phones for that matter. The second reason for the price is that it’s a 65-inch panel. This might not seem like much considering how affordable 55-inch TVs have become, but the 55 to 65-inch jump is pretty significant, not just from a technological standpoint, but also in terms of how difficult they are to manufacture.

With that out of the way, what we have here today is Sony’s 2017 flagship TV in India – the very best it has to offer this year. It’s deceptively understated in its looks, especially when compared to the fancy stands and attachments that set Samsung’s QLED range apart. However, once you switch the TV on, you see exactly what you’re paying for.

Design The Sony KD-65A1 is big, and impressive to look at. On the front, it has a thin frame and just a minimalist white indicator light at the bottom centre. There isn’t even any over-the-top branding. Looking at it sideways, the panel is extremely thin at just 88mm. Sony has made a pretty bold decision in going with a photo-frame-like desk stand, which naturally tilts the screen upwards at a 5-degree angle. It’s an odd decision that doesn’t suit all home viewing environments, because it requires a low surface. The stand has a purpose beyond keeping the TV upright – it also houses all the input and output ports. If you’re mounting this TV on a wall, the stand remains attached and folded in. This keeps the ports accessible, albeit with a bit of difficulty. Like with any other TV, you should sort out your cabling before mounting it to a wall.

Connectivity and remote The Sony KD-65A1 has four HDMI ports, all capable of handling 4K HDR input and one (HDMI 3) that also supports ARC (Audio Return Channel). There are also two USB ports, one being USB 2.0, and the other USB 3.0. You also get a single composite input jack, antenna terminal, headphones socket, and an optical audio output. Interestingly, there are no component inputs. Internet connectivity can be through the Ethernet port at the back, or using Wi-Fi 802.11ac. The TV also supports Bluetooth 4.1. Finally, to the left of the mount there’s another USB 2.0 port.

The remote is perhaps our biggest disappointment with the Sony A1. Not that there’s anything drastically wrong with it, but it’s a simple IR remote, not what we’d expect with a TV of this calibre. The only redeeming feature about it is that it has a button for voice input. Besides the usual controls, there are direct shortcuts for Netflix and Google Play. It would have been great if it had motion control support, like LG’s remotes or even a Bluetooth option like Samsung’s, so you don’t have to point at the TV every time, which doesn’t feel very flagship-worthy.

OS and features The Sony A1 runs Android Nougat and comes with a number of common Android apps preinstalled, namely Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and Sony’s own Serial Ab Tak. Amazon Prime Video is easily available from the Play Store, and if you’re into Jio Movies, Yupp TV, BIG Flix, etc. there are apps for each of these as well. There are obviously games available to download as well, and it would have been nice if Sony had included a controller of any kind to let us play them, but the IR remote doesn’t support motion control, so you’ll need a supported accessory. The TV does come with a tiny IR blaster cable that you can use to control other devices in your home theatre using the TV remote.

Sony has a very interesting way of handling audio with this TV unit – the screen itself is your speaker. The KD-65A1 has two actuators that use the surface of the screen itself to emit audio. It’s fascinating to hear the audio emerge right from where the image is, and it does create a sense of immersion that works really well. For lows there is a separate sub-woofer, and we’ll get to the audio performance of the unit in a bit.

Video performance OLED TVs are inherently capable of producing brilliant blacks. The panel technology is excellent for taking advantage of dark environments, and there are movies and games in which deep black levels make or break the immersion. The Sony KD-65A1’s OLED panel is stunning when it comes to movies, regardless of the input medium.

Our tests included a variety of films and TV shows that showed off the panel’s strengths and weaknesses. Gerald’s Game (Netflix), exhibits an excellent application of HDR, especially for outdoor sequences at the beginning which looked stunning with natural gradients and deep reds. Our favourite Blu-ray test disc – Planet Earth II in 4K HDR – really pushed the TV. Brighter sequences in which the camera captures the high luminosity of the sun were also handled well by the KD-65A1. That said, the same sequence on the Samsung QLED we tested earlier, had us literally squinting due to the intensity of the sunlight, which is the way it’s meant to be in our opinion. Samsung claims a maximum brightness level of 1500nits with its QLED range, whereas the Sony KD-65A1 puts out closer to 1000 nits.

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Some TV shows like Star Trek Discovery and Stranger Things 2 are excellent showcases for HDR on smaller-sized panels, but once you get to a 65-inch TV like this one, the lower mastering quality of TV shows (due to lower budgets as compared to films), becomes quite evident. This was especially true in the darker scenes of both shows. That said, our target viewing distance when reviewing TVs is 5-6 feet, which is way closer than where you’d be watching from in most likelihood. It isn’t the panel at fault here, it’s the mastering of the medium.

Non-HDR content that’s rich in colour saturation, such as Hindi films, Hollywood action movies and TV sitcoms were handled pretty well. The enhanced contrast of the OLED panel worked extremely well in The Dark Knight, which has quite a lot of wide-aperture night shots. As a result of the panel’s high contrast, the colour tones and gradients are more easily noticeable than on most other panels. There is an option to force HDR, but we found that the picture quality esd better with that turned off, because it allowed for more natural-looking bright spots and colour tones.

Sony’s motion enhancement features are turned on by default, and you can even optimise the TV’s brightness according to the light in the room. We preferred keeping both these options disabled. Viewing angles are great on the Sony KD-65A1. There’s no image quality degradation no matter what angle you look at the screen from. Rest assured that in terms of image quality, there won’t be a bad seat in your home theatre. Upscaling worked wonderfully on the KD-65A1 as well. Sony TVs are known to reduce compression artefacts and upscale lower-resolution media well, and of course, this flagship model is no exception. You’d have to look closely to determine whether any particular Blu-ray playing on this TV is not true 4K. DVDs did get a bit soft in the upscaling, but not to the extent that the experience was hugely degraded. Of course, if you’re spending so much on a flagship TV, why would you ever play a DVD on it to begin with?

Gaming performance Games always have an edge when it comes to showcasing HDR, and this experience was no exception. Gaming on the Sony KD-65A1 was a treat to the senses. We ran our usual test games, which include Uncharted 4, Injustice 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn, and even threw in the newly released Star Wars Battlefront 2 – all using a PlayStation 4 Pro. As expected, they all looked exceptional on this TV. Uncharted 4 and Injustice 2 look great on just about any TV, but the experience was ideal on the KD-65A1, thanks to its evenly lit panel without any kind of light leaks, colour leaks or ghostly edges. We didn’t face any input lag either, even when we tried a twitch-heavy game like Injustice 2.

Motion lag, which is a known issue with many 4K panels was handled well by the Sony KD-65A1. This is definitely an excellent panel that makes the most of the PS4 Pro’s enhanced visuals.

We tried letting the TV upscale 1080p games using a PS4, and 720p games using an Xbox 360, and both were handled admirably well. Xbox 360 games do show their age at this point, especially on a 65-inch panel. However, looking at 1080p performance, we can safely say that even if you don’t own a PS4 Pro, the visuals on the Sony A1 will still be pretty impressive.

Audio performance We didn’t honestly expect much from the Sony KD-65A1 in terms of audio performance, considering the unique nature of its ‘acoustic surface’, but consider us surprised. Audio output was crisp, and easily capable of filling a large room. Levels seemed well balanced right off the bat, so we didn’t need to change the equaliser preset. We were satisfied with the mix of highs, mids and lows for most kinds of media, be it for TV, movies or gaming. We did find a bit of a distortion at the highest volume level, but we found a sweet spot at the 90 percent mark which worked great for most movies and shows. Of course, you’d be better off with a multi-channel speaker system for making the most of this TV, but for casual usage or in case you want to keep the room clutter-free, the TV itself will do a pretty good job of handling audio.

Verdict With the KD-65A1, Sony has presented its vision of a flagship consumer TV, and it can handle anything that you throw at it. Video quality is extraordinary, no matter what media you throw at it, and its support for both HDR-10 as well as Dolby Vision makes it future-ready as well. Even in terms of audio, this TV is unique and does an excellent job of giving you good quality, immersive sound. The maximum brightness is one weak spot, but the uniform blacks without any hue or light leaks at any viewing angle do make for a compelling argument in favour of the Sony. It would be hard not to recommend this TV for both HDR and SDR viewing. Buyers just have to be prepared to deal with its odd angular stand and lacklustre remote.

Price: Rs. 4,64,900

Pros

Deep blacks

Excellent 4K performance without motion lag

Supports HDR-10 and Dolby Vision

Lots of input and connectivity options

Cons

The table stand tilts the screen upwards

Uninspired IR remote

Ratings (Out of 5) Design: 4 Performance: 4.5 Value for money: 4 Overall: 4.5

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