#last time I had this was pre Covid they just had it return to the menu
Text
French Fries With Pulled Pork And Cheese. Flame Tree Barbecue, Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
#walt disney world#disney food#mine#disneys animal kingdom#cheese fries pork barbecue#can it get better than this#this was so delicious#shareable size#disneyfoodislove#I wish I could buried in this & eat my way out#I always come back for more#last time I had this was pre Covid they just had it return to the menu#oh how I missed them#it you want plain Mac & cheese there#no can doesville babydoll#they will put the stuff on the side but you have to get the loaded Mac#but other than that#so good#seriously delicious#yummy in my tummy#nom nomnom
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
I Know Your Wife (She Wouldn’t Mind) - Part Fifty-Seven
Summary: Jared takes you on your first date, just the two of you. (Still set during the pandemic)
Words: 2.9k
Jared x Reader x Gen
Warnings: pregnancy, pre-smut
IKYW Masterpost
There had been tonnes of speculation as to why you were at LAX on Monday morning.
Part of your contract with Naughty Dog meant that you weren’t able to tell people about the game you were working on, but you added a picture of Jared and Tom to your instagram story the day after you returned, dispelling any rumours that your relationship was on the rocks.
You were grateful to see that you had support from at least one person, as the stewardess from your first flight had defended you when someone had replied to her picture of the two of you, questioning why you would be so careless as to fly during a pandemic.
FYI, @dittoackles was the most COVID-conscious passenger I’ve seen since this thing began. Re-cleaned her own seat, sanitised often, had her mask on constantly. I highly doubt she would’ve been travelling if she didn’t have good reason.
You quoted the tweet, explaining that you were travelling for work and spent as little time as possible outside of your hotel room while you were away. You obviously couldn’t explain any more about your work but, with your tweet and your story, people seemed to get off of your back about the situation.
*****
You finished your stream on Monday evening, signing off and updating your schedule to include The Last Of Us Part II later in the week, before finding Jared in the front room.
“How was work?” you asked, letting him pull you down onto the couch beside him.
He’d got home while you were still streaming, so this was the first time that you’d really had together all day. Gen was in the bath and all of the kids were in bed, leaving the two of you alone downstairs.
“Yeah, good,” he answered absently, leaning in for a kiss. “You?”
“It’s barely work,” you laughed, allowing him to rearrange the two of you on the couch.
He put one leg along the cushions, sitting against the arm with his other foot on the floor, before encouraging you to lean back against him with your legs up.
“Comfy?” you asked, and he huffed a laugh as his arms wrapped around you, his hands resting on your belly.
“Yeah,” he confirmed, and you allowed yourself to lean fully into him.
“Tell me if I get too heavy,” you murmured, and you heard him tut.
“How have you been today?” he questioned, absently rubbing your bump.
“Missed you,” you replied, “And I was sick again this morning, which obviously sucks.”
“Oh, babies,” he sighed, kissing your neck. “Why do you gotta do this to your mommy?”
You laughed, hugging his arms to you.
“It’s one day out of the last two weeks,” you reminded him. “They’ve been good to me.”
“They’ve made you sicker than Dallas ever did,” he retorted.
“There’s two of them,” you told him, turning enough to look at him properly. “Jare, I’m fine.”
He hummed, letting you kiss him firmly.
“Stop being such a weirdo about it,” you insisted, kissing him again.
He sighed, resting his temple against yours.
“I don’t like it,” he admitted.
“Don’t like what?”
“That I barely spend any time with you,” he explained. “Like, technically we should be seeing each other more this time around. We live together, we share a bed every single night, and I’m still missing so much. You’re still doing a lot of it alone.”
Your heart twinged at his words, and you closed your eyes as you leaned into him.
“It’s not like you could really do anything,” you reminded him. “You’re working, our schedules are a little out of sync, but that’s okay.”
“I know,” he allowed. “I know. I just miss you, I guess?”
The admission made you smile, shifting again so that you could kiss him properly.
He kissed back, one hand leaving your bump to cup your cheek.
You pulled away, looking into his eyes as you bit your lip through another grin.
“What?” he asked, your smile infectious.
“We should go on a date.”
Jared laughed, tucking a loose hair back behind your ear.
“I’m serious,” you told him, moving away from him enough to tuck your legs under yourself and face him. “Like… COVID safe, obviously, but we should.”
“We do date nights at least once a month,” he reminded you, but you shook your head.
“No, I mean,” you sighed, trying to explain yourself, “I know we do. But I mean just me and you.”
A slow smile grew on his face.
“You wanna date me?” he asked, teasingly.
“Yeah,” you answered easily, “Of course I do.”
“Wait, for real?” he questioned, making you laugh in disbelief.
“Duh,” you rolled your eyes. “Think about it, we’ve been together for, what, nearly four years? And we’ve not been on a single honest to God date in that entire time, just the two of us.”
It sounded dramatic, but it wasn’t a lie.
You’d been out alone with Gen a couple of times, but never just you and Jared. Not on an official date, anyway.
“Unless you don’t wanna date me,” you added, exaggerating a pout.
“Of course I wanna date you, you dork,” he laughed. “We’ll do something at the weekend.”
“Good,” you smiled, leaning in to kiss him softly. “You can plan it.”
Jared laughed again as you got to your feet, pinching your ass as you passed him to go to the kitchen.
"You can't ask me on a date and then make me plan it," he called after you, making you grin.
You turned to face him in the doorway, finding him watching you leave.
"I can, and I did."
*****
You’d talked it through with Gen on that night and decided that, from Saturday onward, you would try to have a date night every weekend; at least until the twins arrived.
The first would be you and Jared, as already discussed, then you would alternate between the pairs, and finally one of your more usual date nights with all three of you together.
“Gotta keep the relationship fresh,” Gen had joked as you let your hair out from your braids that night.
The rest of the week passed by in your same routine, and no matter how much you pestered, Jared wouldn’t tell you anything that he was planning for your date.
That Thursday night was the Walker premiere, so you took an evening off of streaming to watch with Jared and Gen.
It was fun for you to finally see what they’d been working on all this time, and you realised how Gen must have felt watching Supernatural while the two of you were away.
Once it ended, Jared asked what you thought of the show, based solely on the pilot.
“You make a super hot cowboy,” you told him, making him roll his eyes as Gen agreed.
“Right?” she laughed. “He’s so hot.”
“For sure,” you grinned, leaning in to kiss the annoyed pull from Jared’s lips. “It’s great, baby. I’m proud of you guys.”
“One day we’ll do a show with all three of us,” he mused.
“Technically we’re all in Supernatural,” Gen reminded him, and he groaned, looking over at her.
“I mean in like… the same episode, at least,” he clarified.
You got to your feet, stretching your back and rubbing at the small with your fingertips.
“If you’re renewed for season two you can get me in as a random guest,” you told them. “These babes will be little but I’m sure I can do a guest episode.”
Jared smiled as Gen moved your hands away so she could lightly massage your lower back.
“I heard you already tried to get a guest spot on The Boys,” he teased, making you laugh softly as you leaned into Gen’s touch.
“Hey, what’s the point in having Jensen as a dad if I can’t use a little bit of nepotism?” you joked. “Gotta get me on one of those fancy Prime shows. Make me a household name.”
Jared and Gen both laughed and you turned around, placing a light kiss of thanks to Gen’s temple.
“Still sore?” she questioned as you rubbed your back absently.
“Kinda,” you allowed. “But like… there’s two babies in me.”
Jared’s retort was cut short by the sounds of little footsteps coming down the stairs.
“Dal,” you murmured, your guess proving correct as your daughter’s little frame appeared in the doorway. “You should be asleep, Baby Dits.”
“Yah.”
She yawned as she answered, her eyes scrunching shut.
Jared got to his feet, making his way over to your daughter and scooping her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing.
“What’re you doing down here, monkey?” he asked, and she shrugged as she sat on his hip.
“Woke up,” she explained.
Her hand went up to find Jared’s hair, an annoyed frown pulling at her brow, and you shared a look with Genevieve.
“Will you stay in bed if I take you up?” Jared asked her, letting her twirl some of his longer strands.
“After a story?” she bargained, and he smiled as he kissed her cheek, already walking towards the stairs.
“You drive a hard deal, baby girl.”
You started to lead Gen out of the living room, a small smile pulling at your lips.
“She misses his long hair,” you told her, causing her to laugh.
“She’s literally the only one,” she joked, squeezing your hand before letting go to pinch your butt.
“I don’t know, I get asked at least once per stream if I can convince him to grow it back out again,” you told her, making your way through to the kitchen. “Obviously I’m not gonna do that.”
“Obviously,” she grinned. “He’s like a whole new man.”
“So hot,” you agreed, pouring yourself a glass of water. “Speaking of our hunky man-”
“I’m not allowed to tell you anything about your date,” she interrupted, knowing exactly where you were going.
“Fuck’s sake,” you complained, leaning against the counter. “I hate surprises.”
“You’ll like this one,” she promised. “And you’re the one who wanted him to plan it in the first place.”
You rolled your eyes as she retrieved a couple of beers from the fridge for her and Jared.
“You’re gonna have a good time,” she promised. “Take it from someone he’s dated before. He knows what he’s doing.”
“Alright,” you allowed, kissing her back as she leaned in.
“Get ready for him to romance your pants right off,” she grinned, kissing you again before making her way back through the house.
“I’m already pregnant,” you reminded her as you followed her back to the couch. “My pants are staying on.”
She raised her eyebrows as she took a drink from her bottle.
“You say that now,” she murmured, a smile pulling at her lips.
You laughed, throwing your legs up onto her lap. She instantly rested her arms over your shins, leaning back into the cushions.
“For real, you gotta stop asking me about it,” she requested, her voice taking on a slightly more serious tone. “He made me promise not to tell you what he’s planning, and I’m certain you’re gonna have a good time, so stop being weird, okay?”
You nodded, leaning to place your glass on the floor beside you.
“I’ll stop asking,” you assured her, earning a pleased nod in return. “I can’t promise not to be weird, though.”
“Of course,” she laughed. “That was far too much to ask.”
*****
Jared told you to pack a bag on Saturday afternoon; your first indication that you were going to be staying out all night.
You packed a change of clothes in an overnight bag, changing your current outfit in the process.
You’d been told that there was no need to dress fancy, but this was a date. The first date you’d been on with a guy since you were at drama school, so you felt like you should at least make a bit of an effort.
You made your way downstairs with your bag over your shoulder, finding everyone in the front room.
“Alright,” Jared grinned, getting to his feet and ruffling Tom’s hair before taking your bag from you. “I’ll meet you in the car.”
You smiled as he kissed your cheek, making your way over to the kids.
“You gotta be good for your mama,” you told the boys, earning a laugh from Genevieve.
“I’ve got this,” she assured you. “Go, before Dad leans on the horn.”
“I’m going,” you promised, squeezing Dallas’ cheeks. “Be good for Bambi. I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”
“Have fun, Mama,” Tom told you, and you patted his shoulder on your way out.
Jared was waiting for you at his car, opening the passenger door upon seeing you leave the house.
“How romantic,” you teased.
“Your chariot awaits,” he joked back without missing a beat, helping you up into the car.
“You gonna tell me where we’re going yet?” you asked once he’d got in beside you.
“I’ll tell you when we get there,” he grinned, leaning across to kiss you softly. “Won’t take long.”
*****
You smiled as Jared pulled into a drive in theatre, seeing that Jurassic Park was the movie of the evening.
You waited for him to put the car in park before undoing your seatbelt and turning to face him.
“So,” you grinned across at him. “Did you take me here to make out in the back seat like a couple of horny college kids?”
He laughed, sliding his seat back to make a little more room for his legs.
“I took you here because we’re unlikely to be seen and I thought it would be fun,” he explained. “We can make out in the back seat if you want, but I figured we could order some chips and queso and watch a movie. Save the making out for the hotel.”
“They have queso?” you asked as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“They have a bunch of Tex-Mex, and chilli cheese fries, I’m pretty sure,” he told you, handing you the menu on his phone.
You took his hand before he could pull it back, bringing it up to your lips to kiss his knuckles.
“I love you,” you told him, squeezing his hand. “This is perfect. You’re amazing.”
“You mean I might be able to get to second base on our first date?” he teased, letting go to cup your cheek.
“Maybe even third,” you replied, leaning over to kiss him firmly. “I’m serious, though. Thank you.”
He laughed, kissing you again before letting you sit back in your own seat.
“It’s been a long time coming.”
*****
You wore a hoodie and a mask as you left the car at the hotel after the movie, walking hand-in-hand with Jared as you entered the lobby.
Jared did all of the talking, taking your bag from you once he’d been given the room key before leading you towards the elevator.
You raised your eyebrows at him as he used his elbow to press the button for the top floor.
“What?” he asked through his mask. “I’m not gonna touch it.”
“That wasn’t what the look was for,” you assured him. “Top floor?”
“I’m trying to woo you,” he reasoned, making you laugh. “Hey, it’s a date! I’m allowed to try and woo you on a date.”
His indignant argument had you fighting back another laugh as the elevator doors opened and you stepped out into the hall.
“You’ve literally already put three babies in me,” you reminded him. “Consider me wooed.”
“Oh, so should we just get back in the elevator?” he asked, turning to face you and walking backwards down the hall. “We could just go back home, if you’ve had enough of my romance.”
“No,” you backtracked. “No, sorry. Woo away.”
He stopped outside the door, letting you into the most beautiful suite you’d ever seen.
“Jesus,” you murmured, taking off your mask once you were inside, walking straight to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The suite looked over the lake, the city lit up at night creating an amazing view from your window.
“This is gorgeous,” you announced, turning to find that Jared had already made his way through to the bedroom.
You followed him, finding the room already lit with candles as he placed your bags on the couch.
“Are you more on board, now?” he questioned, tucking his mask into his pocket before removing his coat.
“I was on board this whole time,” you assured him, walking over and putting your hands on his waist. “This whole time, I promise.”
“Oh yeah?” he smiled, draping his arms over your shoulders. “It’s not just because of the view and the candles, and the massive bed?”
You pulled back, pulling your hoodie and tee over your head in one motion, revealing a black lace bra.
“I put this on before I saw the suite,” you told him, watching as his eyes instantly fell to your chest.
He caught himself, very deliberately looking back at your face as he cleared his throat.
“You’re allowed to look,” you laughed, grabbing his hands and bringing them back to your waist. “You’re supposed to look.”
He smiled, his thumbs moving in circles against your skin.
“You mean I might actually make it to third base on a first date?” he asked, and you grinned as you reached a hand up to cup his neck.
“What can I say?” you grinned, scritching his hairline. “I’m easy.”
103 notes
·
View notes
Text
Rehosted from rocksound.tv. Be sure to visit the page and support rocksound and the author, and to see the digital feature, which includes photos of the band!
ERRA, ‘Cure’ | The Album Story
by Jack Rogers | March 28, 2024
ERRA return with their highly anticipated sixth studio album ‘Cure’, featuring recent singles ‘Pale Iris’ and ‘Blue Reverie’ and set for release on April 05 via UNFD. Ahead of its arrival, we chatted with vocalist JT Cavey and guitarist and songwriter Jesse Cash about the process behind the record, from capturing their modern metalcore sound to lyric writing, choosing the artwork and more.
Read ERRA ‘Cure’ | The Album Story below:
ERRA are still determining what it is about the last few years that has allowed them to rise to the top of the modern metalcore ladder, but they aren’t complaining. Thanks to this shift in scene perception and passion, these have been the most successful and exciting years of their decade-and-a-half career. And with that success and building a ravenously passionate fanbase, they have felt the most at ease with their creativity. They can do whatever they want, and that’s a fantastic spot to be in.
“The biggest thing we have taken in is that we are blessed to be able to do our own thing,” vocalist JT Cavey smiles. “We have always been hyper-focused on ourselves within self-improvement and creating stuff that we like, but now we are lucky to have cultivated a fanbase that just trusts us. We’ve grown substantially post-COVID, and I can’t explain why things like that have happened, but we are grateful. We can continue to be ourselves while making the things we have always been working on. It’s really nice.”
It’s with this openness that they have been able to create a record as dense, destructive, and dizzying as ‘Cure’. Weaving gleefully between all-out sonic battery, ethereal atmospheres, and experimental expansion, it is a collection of songs that pushes what is expected of the band without losing any of the phenomenal technicality and vigour that has defined them all these years.
“I think part of why this album is cool is because it does sound more accessible to us, but it doesn’t sacrifice anything,” guitarist and primary songwriter Jesse Cash expands. “It gets tricky when accessibility becomes an objective. It ends up backfiring a lot. We hoped that it would sound easy to listen to whilst still managing to be personal and profound. Hearing the end result made us realise that’s what we did. More than anything, this sounds like an ERRA record.”
To dive deeper into everything that makes ‘Cure’ what it is, Rock Sound sat down with JT and Jesse to discuss the ebbs and flows that go into crafting such a gorgeously gritty piece of art.
THE SOUND
Historically, when it comes to ERRA heading into the studio to commit a record to tape, most of the music is already in place. That comes down to meticulous pre-production and demoing from Jesse, serving as a foundation of what he anticipates that particular chapter of the band to encompass. In the case of ‘Cure’, rhythm was the focus, with more attention being put on what the right hand was doing more than the left in terms of guitar playing. The result is groove, and lots of it.
“Because of the time that had passed since our last record [2021’s ‘ERRA’], this album was going to sound different no matter what,” he muses. “I really wanted to focus mostly on groove because that is what I listen to and enjoy more recently. Bands like Tool and Gojira and Meshuggah, a lot of the technicality of those bands is just crazy rhythm. It’s way more of a workout on the right hand. So that is how my guitar adapted to the riffs I wrote. It just naturally happened, as that was the style of metal I was listening to.”
That’s how you end up with the pulsating brutality of ‘Slow Sour Bleed’ rubbing shoulders with the shimmering gorgeousness of ‘Past Life Persona’. The painstaking intensity of ‘Crawl Backwards Out Of Heaven’ slots perfectly next to the all-seeing power of ‘Glimpse’. It is a tapestry of technicality and tenacity that feels as grand as it does natural. By focusing on how their creativity can serve the individual song rather than the broader picture, the possible leaps and bounds felt all the more endless.
“I feel like we had more fun with these songs in the risks we were taking, even if you could call them a risk,” JT adds. “As long as people trust in and have faith in that, including ourselves, then we can’t go wrong.”
THE COLLABORATORS
One of the most significant changes from how ERRA have previously functioned is introducing an external producer. With Jesse being so hands-on throughout their career, they knew that if they would let somebody else into the fold, they needed to know exactly what this was all about. That’s where Daniel Braunstein comes into the mix. The man behind the desk for bands such as Spiritbox, The Ghost Inside, Volumes and Silent Planet, he is as close to modern metalcore royalty as you are going to get. Being so intertwined into understanding what it takes to write a song that is as boundary-pushing as it is wonderfully heavy, there was nobody else better on their list.
“Just the simple notion of having a producer involved meant that [this album] would be different,” Jesse explains. “There’s more space for the songs to change and evolve. And Dan was the right producer for us. He understands the assignment more than anyone else would because he is in the middle of the genre—creating a more nuanced version of metal.”
Even with such high regard and understanding for what he was capable of, Jesse went to extra lengths to ensure they were all on the same working page when it came time to hit the studio. With both him and Dan living in Los Angeles, it was easy to pop around and see how he functions whilst sitting in on a handful of sessions with other bands, one being their close friends Kingdom Of Giants as they worked on their track ‘Wasted Space’. Over two years, they built a relationship that allowed the creation of ‘Cure’ to be as seamless as possible.
“I feel like Dan allowed Jesse to be pretty experimental within this record,” JT points out. “He’s not a yes man, and he will tell you when he’s not feeling something, but he also has a lot of great ideas and is incredibly supportive. He’s very diplomatic like that. We couldn’t ask for more.”
THE LYRICS
So often in heavy music, the lyrics take a backseat. This is something that ERRA make sure is far from the case, even putting more emphasis on what their songs are saying at times than what it sounds like. Making sure that whatever direction they were heading in sonically, the words attached served them. Because of this, ‘Cure’ became quite the dark record in the grand scheme of things. Dwelling in the darkness is something that Jesse and JT are used to and more than happy to express. This time around, much of their expression came from the other forms of media that Jesse was consuming. One such morsel was the 1997 film Cure, a Japanese atmospheric crime picture that wallows in the depths of unhinged brutality and philosophical questioning. Though nothing on the record is actually inspired by the movie, despite sharing the title, the atmosphere and pondering of existence, and the pursuit of purpose within that questioning, is draped throughout.
“Records are an imprint of a time and place of where you are at,” Jesse muses. “So, when we were tracking this one, I dipped my toes into the darkness and stayed there for a few months with the content I was ingesting. It enforced the way the record sounded and felt. Because of that, the record is pretty dark but ends on a positive note. It’s the idea of focusing on the darkness, but then somebody turns on a flashlight. I like how it is focused in that way.”
Though much of what Jesse was being inspired by could be seen as nihilistic and bleak, that’s not to say it reflects on who the band are as people or how they want their mindsets to be interpreted. It’s more of a case of understanding that these ways of thinking exist and that it is possible to approach life from these angles and feel like you have everything figured out through this lens. Every person making their way through this life views their everyday differently, and that is as beautiful as it is overwhelming when you think about it too much. Using ERRA to try to interpret these different strands of humanity, no matter how pitch-black they may seem, is how Jesse learns more about himself and his own way of seeing things. It’s also so he knows that the band have done enough to cover every base they can.
“We’re making songs; it doesn’t always have to be a direct reflection of us,” He expands. “This isn’t us saying we are super dark people, but I just want to go there and see what I find. Any kind of art is about trying to nail down a relatable feeling. Something to make you understand what you are going through and feeling. That’s why I take it so seriously, and it’s what I obsess over the most during the process. Let’s make these lyrics as good as they can be. We’re going to be a band that does that.”
THE TITLE AND ARTWORK
If this album wasn’t going to be called ‘Cure’, another option batted around was ‘Wish’. Though it ended up being the former, ‘Wish’ is still an essential word to the record’s anatomy. It is not just the title of the ethereal introduction to the stunning ‘Glimpse’ but also a word that appears in a particular lyric alongside cure in the sprawling title track. In many ways, both go hand in hand. The idea of a cure is rooted in positivity, but what if the cure that ails our existence is that nothing truly matters. What if all we were wishing for was to exist in the grey rather than spiral and bounce between the black and white?
That ambiguity stretches into the eerie artwork, showing off distorted human-like figures clinging to each other like their lives depend on it. As you move further away from the details, you see how these figures make up a gigantic earth-shaped structure. Such a foreboding structure feels otherworldly in scope, but on a smaller scale, it almost represents how much we depend on connection to make it through the day. It’s as human as it is alien, depressing as it is enlightening, and that is absolutely the point.
“This collection of beings forming a sphere—it’s pretty interesting and exciting,” Jesse explains. “This broad view of humanity that, at times, can be bleak. At other times, it can be very beautiful and connecting. There’s a lyric in the title track I like where we say, ‘We are connected by loneliness, through a kinship of detachment. The juxtaposition in these words that defile one another—those are my favourite kinds of themes.”
Though many of the themes within the record come from a pursuit of understanding, Jesse realises that being able to sit and question what everything means and what purpose is within that is a luxury. Many people are just trying to make it from dawn to dusk, getting enough food, sleep and shelter. In many ways, that is what all of this is about. Being content in what we are capable of and understanding that our neighbours are just trying to do the same.
“I don’t think the record declares any answer or preaches anything. It’s a bit more open and ambiguous,” Jesse admits. “I think we are always doing that. It’s a dicey place to be, as everyone is right and everyone is wrong at exactly the same time. It’s a difficult thing to carry around and show off, but there is a sweet spot to it. It’s about not letting your mind dominate you within the ambiguity.”
THE FUTURE
On a professional level, ERRA are having the time of their lives right now. They have more eyes on them than ever before, and as they approach their biggest-ever headline tour, even more will be facing their way. Though on that more profound level, this era of the band will allow the variety of eyes and ears engaged in their output to expand. Described by JT as a “Delivery service for whatever you want from us”, it means that within the ambiguous scope of what they have achieved with ‘Cure’, the potential connection will be even more prominent. From searching for your calling to simply trying to make your brain quiet down a bit, ERRA is the cure. Though that might not have been the intention, it’s a pretty extraordinary place to be.
“The album we have made is so full of variety; the avenue you want to travel down is up to you,” JT smiles. “That’s the same across every song on the record. It’s just really fun to be able to do that. I feel like with any artist, a part of their journey is presenting a practical thing impractically and hoping it clicks with somebody. We are all on a different means of connecting and trying to meet in the middle. That feels like a global goal, and we’re having fun participating in that.”
8 notes
·
View notes
Photo
IN THESE TIMES
The future of the four-day work week is looking brighter after the results of a major new study were released last month.
Nearly 3,000 workers at over 60 organizations took part in the latest trial of reduced working time — and the findings surpassed most expectations. A large majority of workers reported significant improvements in their quality of life. And it wasn’t just employees who preferred the shorter working week: more than 90% of employers who participated opted to continue the arrangement.
The U.K.-based experiment introduced a four-day week or equivalent cut in hours, with no loss of pay, from June to December 2022. Research teams at Boston College, Cambridge University and the London think tank Autonomy studied the effects. Overall, workers reported lower levels of stress and burn out, higher job satisfaction and less conflict between work and family demands. They also said they felt more capable at work and better able to manage their time.
Almost all (96%) said they preferred working four days and most put a high value on their new free time. Asked how much money would persuade them to return to a five-day week, 29% said they would want a 26-50% pay increase, while 8% wanted more than 50% and another 15% said no amount of money would lure them back.
Employers benefited as well. Compared with the pre-trial period, there were fewer staff resignations and days off for illness. Revenues saw a slight increase. Asked to score their experience on a scale from 0 (negative) to 10 (positive), the average among employers was 7.5 for productivity and 8.3 overall.
One likely reason for the trial’s success is that it recognized there was no one-size-fits-all formula. Each organization could choose its own approach to work time reduction so long as it offered significant reductions without loss of pay. The trial was also meticulously prepared, with two months of workshops, coaching, mentoring and peer support, drawing on experience from earlier pilots in more than 100 companies in the United States, U.K., Australia, Canada and Ireland. This approach was geared to help participants improve well-being and economic prosperity at the same time — by designing new working practices and changing company culture.
The trial took place during a pitched moment in history, as evolving digital communications combined with a global pandemic to wreak havoc on the concept of “normal” employment. More employees than ever could work anytime and anywhere with a suitable device and internet signal. And most everyone who took part had fresh memories of when workplaces closed down, human proximity seemed lift-threatening and online meetings redefined personal interaction.
In some ways, the Covid pandemic gave the four-day week a boost by forcing companies to adapt to new ways of thinking and working. One manager of a manufacturing company in the UK trial observed, “I think we have come out of the pandemic with a new outlook on life… There’s a greater expectation around flexible working, hybrid working — people are taking that opportunity to think ‘I want to do something completely different.’”
(Continue Reading)
#politics#the left#in these times#economics#labor rights#workers rights#progressive#progressive movement#democratic socialism
95 notes
·
View notes
Note
I’ve heard rumours the Amazon books isn’t doing well and might be shutting down. What do you think this would mean for indie authors, authors who require the print on demand?
Indie Publishing and the Current State of Amazon
A lot has happened with Amazon in the past year, and unfortunately it's causing a lot of rumors and unnecessary confusion, so let me break it down and see if I can dispel some of the confusion.
Amazon vs "Amazon Books"
I want to start by your use of the term "Amazon books" which is immediately confusing for a few reasons:
#1 "Amazon Books" was actually the name of Amazon's short-lived brick and mortar bookstores that operated from 2015 to 2022. The failure of this venture has little to do with Amazon's overall health and does not relate to or impact its ability to sell or publish books online or to produce print on demand books.
#2 Amazon sells far more than books... although it began as an online book retailer and holds the dominant market share (60-70%) of online book sales, that makes up only 10% of Amazon's global revenue, so it's important not to think of Amazon as "Amazon books."
#3 There is no part of the Amazon company referred to as "Amazon books" that could be shut down. Amazon could decide to stop selling books, but there is no evidence that this is being considered or evidence that it could occur in the foreseeable future.
Amazon vs Book Depository
Book Depository was a global online book retailer that was acquired by Amazon in 2011 and shut down last month. Book Depository had nothing to do with Amazon's own online book retail, publishing division, print on demand, or sales numbers. It was simply an acquisition that they chose to jettison as part of overall corporate streamlining, which we'll talk about in a bit.
Kindle Direct Publishing vs Amazon Publishing
There are technically three ways to publish with Amazon:
#1 APub or Amazon Publishing - This is Amazon's own publishing house which oversees several imprints. This works like any other traditional publisher and has nothing to do with Amazon's book sales or Kindle Direct Publishing.
#2 Kindle Direct Publishing (E-Books) - This is Amazon's e-book publishing platform which allows authors to self-publish e-book versions of their books.
#3 Kindle Direct Publishing (Print on Demand) - Formerly called CreateSpace, KDP also allows authors to self-publish print versions of their books.
Is Amazon, APub, or KDP in Trouble?
The closure of Amazon Books (the brick and mortar stores), Book Depository, and the recent announcement that Amazon is cutting 18k jobs may make it sound like the company is struggling, but in actuality this is just necessary streamlining that occurs when companies get bloated.
One important reason why this streamlining is occurring is because Amazon doubled the size of it's operations during the pandemic due to a 220% increase in sales. More people were shopping online to avoid exposure to Covid, so Amazon hired thousands of new employees and expanded their warehouse space to meet demand, but now online sales are returning to pre-pandemic levels, so it's necessary for the company to scale back. Rather than cutting every new job or new warehouse they added during the pandemic, they've looked to other ways they can streamline the company, and that may well be one of the reasons Book Depository was jettisoned.
At this time, Amazon book sales are continuing to do well, and there's no reason to believe Amazon is looking to cut its Kindle Direct Publishing platform, either in terms of e-book publishing or PoD publishing.
What Would a KDP Closure Mean to Indie Authors?
Even if Amazon did eventually shut down Kindle Direct Publishing, it's unlikely to have much of an impact on indie authors, as there are numerous other options for publishing e-books and print books besides KDP. IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, BookBaby, Barnes and Noble Press, and Lulu are just some of the online publishing and PoD options indie authors commonly use.
I hope that answers your question and gives you some reassurance!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!
Learn more about WQA
Visit my Master List of Top Posts
Go to ko-fi.com/wqa to buy me coffee or see my commissions
46 notes
·
View notes
Text
I am just wondering about the sustainability of... doing basically anything around here. Companies are requiring employees to return to work (in many cases, eliminating telework options that existed PRE-pandemic), mask and vaccine mandates are being rolled back, and everything’s open again despite high COVID numbers.
But at the same time, recent studies show that up to 1 in 5 adult COVID survivors develops symptoms of Long Covid. That’s possibly millions of people developing chronic illness symptoms. That sounds difficult for both the healthcare system to manage AND to have any kind of steady, reliable, functional workplace if your coworkers keep being absent due to sickness and then developing long-lasting symptoms after they return (or quitting due to them).
Even for younger people, for whom it’s often not as bad, I’m seeing so many people get hit with post-viral fatigue and other symptoms lingering for a month or more that remind me a lot of mono. Imagine that like half of your friend group had mono... but unlike mono, kept getting infected again and again (I know many fully vaxxed and boosted people who’ve had COVID multiple times due to different variants). People who have always been super healthy and fit getting exhausted easily or developing new daily headaches who never had them before, struggling with ‘brain fog’ making it difficult to work. These are the young, fit ones.
If there are NO mitigation measures in place and we’re just expected to accept that we’re “all going to get COVID sooner or later,” that ignores the fact that people can get it again and again as each new variant arises and immunity wanes. Because everyone seems to agree that COVID isn’t going away but will just continue to mutate and change into new variants, this seems pretty risky, constantly rolling the dice on getting a virus that may cause LASTING health problems in 20% of people. Especially since so many jobs provide little to no health benefits and super low salaries, basically keeping people from effectively managing chronic illnesses that require frequent absences and medical appointments. I guess they think workers are replaceable, but how long before they burn through the supply?
But on the other hand, it’s also not sustainable to just stay in your room with no human contact for the entire rest of your life. I was super cautious for the first 2 years of the pandemic and now I’m finally doing indoor socialization with vaccinated friends and family again (though still not going into indoor public places like restaurants or movie theatres and still order things online rather than going into stores) because if things are never going to get any better, I don’t know how much longer I can wait. I guess I would rather develop lifelong chronic illness from making lifelong memories celebrating Christmas with my family than running errands at Home Depot.
I genuinely don’t know how long all of this is going to last before the widespread infections and chronic symptoms really start messing with... any industry you can possibly imagine. It seems like everyone is experiencing labor shortages already, and that’s only going to grow from here. Yet it’s hard to find anyone caring even a LITTLE about this. I can’t even talk to friends and loved ones about this because they just start trying to comfort me with the bright side of the COVID situation (”Omicron is less deadly! More people are vaccinated now! The chances of young people dying are vanishingly small!”), when those aren’t the things I’m worried about at all.
When I was 23, something weird happened to my body and I can’t quite say exactly what caused it, because it was a perfect storm. I worked a busy, stressful, physically demanding job at a preschool, and I was working about 10-12 hours a day because I was covering a boss on paternity leave. It was a cold, dark, snowy winter and due to the long work hours, I virtually never saw the sun, so it’s possible a Vitamin D deficiency played a role here, or psychosomatic symptoms caused by stress and anxiety, or just plain old repetitive strain on my body from the long hours. I was also diagnosed with a mild underlying condition during all this-- what is now known as Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder. I’ve always had loose, overly flexible joints, but it never caused me serious problems, just made it a little easier for me to get injured than other people and meant I got worn out a little more easily. Things were never bad enough for me to seek treatment until what happened to me that winter, and have never been as bad since.
But it all started with a cold. A weird bad cold that started like any other cold (and lord knows I was always getting colds working at the preschool) but quickly involved joint pain and weakness and tingly numbness in my hands and wrists, then spreading to the rest of my body over the course of a few weeks. I was so fatigued that all I could do after work was lie in bed. I could hardly make it through the work day. My whole body ached and I could barely do anything without exacerbating my constant pain.
I thought I must have mono. I tested negative for that and 11 other things. The only thing I was diagnosed with during my Extensive, Expensive Journey was hypermobility. My doctor said, “It’s probably just a virus,” which could mean anything. But I felt like a ghost of my former self for about 4 months and still had lingering symptoms for almost a year. Things went downhill so fast that I remember looking at a photo of myself doing a cartwheel two months before and crying because I couldn’t imagine ever doing a cartwheel again (which fortunately wasn’t true-- I have no problem doing cartwheels now at age 30). I eventually quit that job and got a less physically demanding office job. The symptoms never came back to the same degree, and I’ll never know what really caused it, but it wouldn’t surprise me if some kind of post-viral malaise played a role there. Even little colds can set off all kinds of storms, let alone a new virus.
When I hear about people with Long COVID, I imagine a workforce full of people who feel the way I felt when I was 23. Can you? I’m not proposing any kind of solution here or saying, “Here’s what I think people should do about it,” so I’m sorry for the gloomy post, but when people ask me why I’m still worried about COVID-19 after all of this time and my multiple vaccinations... this is why.
124 notes
·
View notes
Text
have been quite busy spending the past week 'in the barrel'
i have an uncle who's always said 'guess it's my time in the barrel' whenever shit really hit the fan and the norm of life was bad news. don't ask where the phrase comes from, as no one has a clue.
i hesitate to say it's truly barrel time for me as i've defenitely sruvived some bad shit, but here's the recap to date:
while watching over the firing monday, i woke to discover the merciless covid had once again returned to the household. still negative, i spent the day frantically sanitizing and masking with fingers crossed.
was glad to have scheduled the firing when i did, as the power did go out a few times with the windstorm tuesday. this, however, did not stop the unfolding calamity, my pre-packaged barrel. opened the kiln to see a disaster. glaze everywhere, all but a few works utterly destroyed, majority of shelves unsalvageable from glaze runoff, and it even managed to drip onto the kiln floor and through a vent hole. yikes! everything in my studio on hold until i can repair the kiln and wait for new shelves and patching compounds to arrive in the mail, purchased with the last of emergency funds hoping to not miss all of the upcoming contests and chance to make more work before the new year. i begin to feel sick by afternoon, test myself. i am become death covid.
i've had covid once before and this infection just laughs at the first experience. holy shit. wow. it's been 5 days now and no end in sight, but the barrel will decide.
i'll post pics of the destruction soon, it's really a sight lol. and aside from losing so much, the glazes turned out so wonderfully. as soon as i can, pics of the good shit will be shared here.
i don't like asking for help, but i could greatly use some. my business is fucked. money is tight. i am still sick af.
so...
when i get better i will be posting a sale on my work [thinking 22% off to celebrate the birthday i spent melting/degrading in quarantine] to try getting money in fast. you can also spread the word about the shit i make by sharing my website and your favorite posts here. that would mean so much and thanks!
i refuse to set up donations, being a firm believer in giving/taking equally and also that i am still with basic needs despite my poor kiln and livelihood being currently clusterfucked. this too shall pass, and that barrel won't be around forever.
stay tuned the one glaze test is sure to wow. still can't get over it.
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
So I made it back to the gym for the first time in 4 (ish) years today! Hooray! For context, I used to powerlift pretty seriously, but got a bad concussion/brain injury 4-ish years ago and had to stop. While I still have a brain injury, I'm at a point where going back to the gym and trying to start lifting again (very lightly and slowly) feels okay.
I'm going to be doing a sort of journal on here, entirely for my own tracking/benefit, because I'm too lazy to journal things just for myself but will happily yeet it into the world. If you don't want to see this stuff and follow me, block #lifting . There's gonna be some technical stuff in here, feel free to ask questions as well if you want lol.
Some notes after today:
I'm doing stronglifts 5x5 - basically a very simple program of back squats/bench press/barbell rows on day 1, and bench press/deadlifts/overhead press on day 2. 5 sets of 5 reps for each lift, some stretching pre/post, and home.
I got in and out with stretching in just under an hour, which was the goal! I wanted to be able to stay an hour, and I did, which is rad.
Sensory wise the gym is a bit of a nightmare, but wearing a ballcap for light and noise canceling earbuds helped, as did going during the day when it's less busy. It's definitely busier during the day than it was pre-covid, possibly due to ppl working at home and being able to duck out. But I didn't have to wait for a rack/bench at all which was great.
I lifted really light - just the bar for all three lifts (45lbs for the uninitiated). I still came home with a pressure headache, which is definitely from doing actual lifting. It wasn't bad enough to not go, and has subsided to something really managable with rest and food, but something to watch for. I think I need to watch my breathing more too, especially on squats, because it's still instinctual to try and do the valsalva maneuver while doing a lift - which puts a ton of pressure on my head and is very unhelpful. Gotta breathe through the lift! I came home with some neck pain too, which I suspect is from rows.
Squats - definitely the worst on my head. (And by that I mean not 'mental game' but 'headache/brain injury wise'.) I did squats first, and next time I'll save them for last because I am 90% sure that's where most of the pressure headache came from. Moved well, though, much better than air squats at home do which is hilarious. I did low bar, which I think will be necessary for avoiding neck pain.
Bench - felt great. Bench is my weakest lift traditionally, but it was by far the easiest on my head - potentially due to the combo of stability from lying down during, and having a stable place to sit after, as well as less full body movement (which leads to less fatigue, etc). Might have to try sitting on the ground between squats instead of on the rack to see if that helps.
Barbell rows - eh. They were fine. Harder on my neck and lower back. A bit more of a struggle form-wise.
Weight wise - I think it's going to be a bit of a mental game to not push myself to lift more. Physically I can lift a lot more weight than my head can handle, as heavier lifts lead to more pressure on the head. Squats today felt super easy in terms of actually moving the weight, and so did bench. But having a disability means being really careful moving forward and adding weight to my lifts. Which sucks, and is something I'm probably going to be navigating feelings around for a while - I want to be able to do so much more than I can. Complicated grief even while returning to a beloved activity, etc etc.
There's also the aspect of "last time I was here I could lift several hundred pounds, and now I'm back down to the naked bar", which kind of feels shitty (even though I know why, and am super proud I'm back at the gym at all). I'm also aware of an aspect of it that's connected to like, being read as a woman at the gym, and expectations that women lift less. Which is weird, but an aspect of it.
Anyway - all told, it went good, about as well as I'd expected if not as easy as I'd hoped. I'm curious to see how deadlifts etc go when I go back (either later this week, or early next week - the goal is 1-2 times per week). I think that honestly even if it ends up that I can just do bench and some other upper body/seated stuff (there's a lot of machines, even if I prefer free weights), that would be better than the nothing I've been doing.
I'm really glad I made it back, even though it feels like it's going to be a long slog to get anywhere close to where I used to be (which might not even happen). Anyway. Yay lifting! Yay being a gym bro again!
#lifting#the thiccest guy on the lower east side#the gymiest of bros#also god the tags associated with gym bro are absolutely terrible#no thank u tumblr i do not want to tag this as 'alpha male'#personal#rambling
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
Monday 23rd January 2023
Today has been our last day here in Balgowlah and it will be sad to leave Jill's lovely apartment. Tomorrow we make our way down to Manly to catch the ferry to Circular Quay where hopefully Ovation of the Seas will be waiting for us. I say we make our way to the wharf, but Jill is going to give us a lift.
Whilst it's our last day in Balgowlah, when we get back from the cruise we will be staying down the road for a week in Fairlight so we haven't yet said goodbye to Manly.
It's a difficult choice of how to spend a last day, so after some exercise we walked down to Manly and along to Shelly Beach where the sharks created a bit of chaos over the weekend. This is where we had some lunch before trekking over the headland. Local wildlife on the beach is in the form of small turkey types, roughly a 4 dinner place setting sized bird I'd say. These things were ransacking bather's belongings, but most likely not finding much by way of food. Top prize for trying though.
The route around the headland was quite rocky but very pleasant with great views out across the Pacific. Last time we walked this we came face to face with a small black snake. Nothing like this today.
At last we made it back to Shelly Beach in time for Happy Hour, and it proved just that as we supped a Boat House Beer and looked out across the beach to the sea beyond bathed in the late afternoon sunshine. No sign of sharks today although I think the helicopters were keeping an eye out for them.
We walked home since we had just missed the hop, skip and jump bus. Martine is now busy packing most of our belongings for the cruise. Happily we shall be able to leave some behind with Jill to collect on our return.
ps Jill says the clomping noises are possums and not bandicoots! Well all I can say is he looked like a bandicoot!
pps Blog entries could be intermittent due to possible lack of WiFi on board the ship. We will update whenever possible.
ppps We had to take a pre-cruise COVID test to present to the head of ship hygiene on arrival. We assume they would prefer a negative one rather than positive, but anxious to please we thought we'd make one of each just in case.
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
“So you don’t believe anything unless you hear it directly from the showrunners and producers???? Interesting because you clearly believe what Misha said, even thought it didn’t come directly from the showrunners/producers.” — it doesn’t need proving that Misha has spoken to them (that’s just a fact), therefore his is secondhand knowledge. Yours could be third at best, perhaps even fourth etc, and since you don’t reveal your “sources” there’s no real proof of what you claim to be itk about.
I have plenty of second hand sources, which is what Misha is. I’ve got lots of people who worked on set or fans who became friends with the writers. Some of them were friends of the writers before they became fans.
If someone can prove that they worked on set and have been reliable about what they’ve said in the past and then they say, “Singer said [x]”, then well, I don’t automatically believe it, but I see if I can falsify it. I see if it matches up with what other people have reported Singer saying.
I don’t reveal my sources because the Grifter will try to get people fired. The Grifter has tried to dox and take down a lot of people, so this isn’t something that’s in abstract, but people tell me not to reveal them as a source to avoid harassment/doxing. If you reveal your sources, you don’t get more.
The scripts aren’t supposed to leave the set.
Here’s the thing, there were a bunch of people who spoiled 15.18 and the end of the show. I have partial copies of 15.18 from three different sources. When I say that Misha never filmed Supernatural after he left in March, having finished 15.18, I have verified that fact with dozens of people, including Misha himself.
Anon 2: I saw a tumblr account claiming they'd found the mysterious view of mountains & hotel that Misha had in the GISH stream. It was in YVR. On twitter, I see just this week someone claiming Misha quarantined a full two weeks in YVR for the finale. But that same time period, Misha talked on Rich's podcast about camping, then visiting him. And the pre-covid script just had a Jimmy cameo, same minutes as the others. So why the rumor?
Anon 3: Hi, sorry for bothering you. I wanted to ask if you or any of your followers remember this thing: an interview with Misha in which he said that after filming the 15x18 episode, the cast and crew had thrown a little farewell party for him (because he wouldn't be back on set). Do you remember where this interview was published? Thank you.
Qfanon has a conspiracy theory that Misha returned to quarantine and filmed the ending of Supernatural, but was cut out of the finale episode by the evil CW.
Misha was not in Van in that time period. He said so himself. On top of that, those mountains don’t match up.
I’m really behind on con videos - I haven’t even seen the most recent con panels - so I don’t have the time to watch through old con videos, but Misha has talked about his goodbye party on multiple occasions.
There were pictures of his goodbye party posted on twitter the next day by a crew member, which were later deleted. In the goodbye party photos, you can see Misha standing next to a tv in the bunker and various crew and cast are seated and watching him give a speech. Jackles is there as well.
I’ve gotten two other crew members who testified that they attended Misha’s goodbye party and that was the last time he was on set. We were also able to confirm from multiple sources, including Misha, that he recorded 15.19 during 15.18. And Misha posted (and deleted) a post about how this moment
Was the last time the 4 of them were together on set.
One of the things I’ve been trying to track down is when they cut Misha from the final script, because it definitely happened in March before they broke for covid. Maybe they just assumed that people wouldn’t be back when they broke in March, but they threw the goodbye party for him then. They knew they needed to record 15.19 during 15.18. Misha himself said that he never went back.
Everyone on set who has seen the scripts has confirmed that there was never a version that had Castiel in it. The people who’ve seen the script with Jimmy have said that Dean was going to tell him about Claire. Most of the people leaking are Destiel shippers themselves, so if there was a version with Castiel, I’m sure we would’ve seen it.
As for why Misha was cut, I’ve heard different stories from different crew/cast. One of the reasons given was Misha’s hip issues. Both Misha and Jensen had surgery after they finished filming.
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
Healing the Morrigan’s Crows: A Recorded Ritual
So, the other day, I did a healing ritual the Morrigna had me develop originally for the Morrigan’s Call Retreat 2020, which was going to be my first year heading up there… until Covid happened and it ended up being online instead. Still, nervous as I was, the ritual did work in an online format, and now I’ve done it twice more since then. I was asked by someone who couldn’t make this last one if I would record it, and while I opted not to record the entire Zoom session, I did do a stand alone recording of just the ritual and journey, and have now edited that and uploaded it as an unlisted Youtube video, which I’ve embedded below. The lighting isn’t great, and the quality isn’t great, and the titles are very basic, but it EXISTS, and if this works out well for folks, I’ll be doing more like it in the future.
This workshop has two main parts. In the first part, I normally discuss a few examples of battlefield healing from Irish mythology (including the use of the Well of Sláine in the Cath Maige Tuired, and the exchange of healing between Cuchulainn and the Morrigan in the Ulster Cycle), and talk about how that informs my own spiritual healing practice, as a healer called to serve the Morrigan and her community of Crows. I did not record that part; that information (as well as the entire ritual and journey script) is available in a shared PDF document I’ll put a download button for, below. In the video, I refer to this as the “packet”.
In the second part, which I did record. I lead a short healing ritual focused on cleansing away all wounds that prevent the Crows from doing their sacred work, so that we can return to the battlefield, renewed and ready. This includes invocations of deities of healing, a chant to help create focus, self-anointing or -asperging with blessed water, and then a journey to travel to the Well of Slaine. To follow along at home, you’ll need a few things on hand before you start:
Vessel to be the Well, full of water
Small dish to hold the salt
Small dish to hold the 9 pre-mixed healing herbs
Bottle to pour out offerings from
Vessel to pour offerings into
Stirring implement
For the herbs, I generally use nine that I have on hand and most of which I have grown myself, selected intuitively for the need I sense at the time, but the idea is mostly that whichever nine you pick will align themselves with the 365 that Dian Cecht and his children strew in the water, and allow for a resonance. Choose based on what your specific healing concern is, or based on whether you want to drink the water after rather than just anointing, or based on what you’ve got in your spice cabinet. It should work just fine!
6 notes
·
View notes
Note
Your Exo-L Secret Santa checking in/replying! I have your gift all queued up although I might add some finishing touches.
Ohh the Xfiles fandom is old school. I've watched a couple seasons always meant to get back to it. Are you still active in those fandoms? I was on tumblr as a high schooler primarily for doctor who, harry potter, star trek. That was quite long ago although I still follow doctor who sometimes.
I have a couple friends who are big BTS fans, and I was super into classic rock at the time and they both sent me the Dynamite mv which IS a great way to hook a 70s fan into kpop. Since then I've gotten into a whole bunch of groups: SHINee was probably first. I'm also big into WayV (veryy excited for their new comeback the teasers look gorgeous!) Pentagon, Day6... Do you follow/listen to any other groups?
I can’t believe you saw SuperM in concert!!! that’s amazing. I have been to one kpop concert (BTS) and it was SO much fun. ugh to see Baekhyun live… but yesss you're right he is almost back! (and we're just not gonna talk about kai and sehun enlisting) Do you think Exo is going to have a comeback soon then?? Trying not to get my hopes up too much haha but I think it's what the world needs.
I really liked Grey Suit too! (Morning Star made it surprisingly high in my spotify wrapped, but Hurdle was the favorite for me). I will definitely check out the live session MVs! I love anything that highlights their vocals (and any time they lean into the superpowers).
Favorite Baekhyun songs are probably Amusement Park, Betcha, Privacy, UN Village. My favorite Exo solo album overall is probably Kyungsoo's though.
When I had covid, I luckily never fell ill, but I tested positive and this was pre-vaccine so there was (understandably!) even more precaution. But no symptoms! I just stayed inside and binge watched tv and tried to learn how to play guitar.
Last optional Q for the present, what are a few of your overall favorite music albums? (doesn't have to be exo/kpop!)
Have a lovely week! <3
Hi Santa,
Yay! I am quite excited to see what you have created for me.
Omg, how lucky you are to have seen BTS in concert! Trying to get tickets are always sooooo crazy! A friend of mine tried to get tickets once and couldn’t.
Besides EXO, I really enjoy TVXQ, NCT and all their subunits.
Maybe us fans can manifest a EXO comeback after Baekhyun comes back from his military service. Crossing fingers!
I am so glad you didn’t have bad symptoms of covid. I also loved Kyungsoo’s solo album, but second to Suho (of course, hahaha) I loved Kai’s first solo album. His 2nd solo album was good, but I really enjoy his first one.
It’s hard for me to choose certain albums for a few of my favs so I hope you don’t mind me going off their greatest hits albums. Some of my fav artists and their greatest hits albums are Bruno Mars, Keith Urban, Maroon 5, and for Taylor Swift her two albums: 1989 and Midnights.
I was very involved in the Arrow/Olicity fandom when the show was on air, but not very much these days. As for The X-Files I still love all the fandom creations (gifs, edits and fanart). They will always be my OTP of fandoms.
Were you excited about the Dr Who’s David Tennant surprise return? I think it might have broken tumblr when it happened. Hahaha! I loved him in BroadChurch.
Have a wonderful week too!
1 note
·
View note
Text
大家好! The US admitted for the first time that famine has begun in Gaza. 1 in 3 children suffer from malnutrition and severe malnutrition is rising. Israel claimed they would open Erez crossing and Ashdord port to allow more aid to enter the war-torn area but so far, there hasn't been much progress. The proverb, shang liang bu zheng xia liang wai, comes to mind when I read about the war in Gaza. Loosely translated, it means when a boss/superior lacks integrity, subordinates similarly lack it.
I forgot to order my noodles 'white' - no sauce - when I tried bak chor mee (pork noodles) at a different stall this week. Waste not want not, as the saying goes, so I tucked in. OMG it was SO delicious! The meepok (flat egg noodles) was silky and highly slurpable, fishballs were QQ as they should be and pork was well seasoned. Even their broth had a distinct meaty taste, an indication that it had been boiled with pork bones and wasn't just seasoning. Definitely will return for the bak chor mee as well as to try their other dishes.
The last time LL and I caught up, she asked if WWIII is coming. Kinda feels like we're already in the midst of it. The world is currently dealing with conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as an economic war the West is waging on China and Russia. Everything is more expensive, including basics like electricity, housing, clean water, food and transport. Prices of daily items like coffee are much higher than they were pre-covid. Salaries don't stretch as much as they used to. In rich countries, the working poor rely on food banks and free school lunches for their kids to make ends meet.
I was about to order otah to go with bee tai mak (short rice noodles) and curry vegetables for breakfast last Friday when I remembered the famine in Gaza and decided to go vegetarian out of compassion for Palestinians. The stall served onion rings that morning, so I ordered some. Without enough protein, I was very hungry by lunch time. It was a stark reminder that genocide by starvation is still happening in Gaza and innocent civilians are suffering. The increased humanitarian aid promised by Israel is also not flowing into the war-torn area fast enough to avert famine.
This week, a friend who was into 'healthy fats', ate lots of avocado, nuts and seeds and used a lot of olive oil when he cooked, died. I tried to warn him because oils are oils, 'healthy' or not, but he didn't listen. There was only so much I could do; I didn't pursue it. This guy was heavily into fitness. He was so fit and strong and now he's gone. At this point, I dunno what to say, except if you're consuming a lot of so-called 'healthy fats', please think again. I don't want anyone else dying due to wrongful 'expert advice'. Pa followed the same and had a second heart attack a few years ago. I don't trust what I read nowadays. 下次见!
0 notes
Text
NYR: March in review.
Post-March horoscope: "your efforts, blossoming still"
My major goal for March was to rest, and I think I mostly met that goal. I still don't feel all that much like talking, so a very brief update for this past month:
Holiday. Between the lead-up, actual holiday, return and unpack, followed by the last week of me having a cold, this entire month was dedicated to The Holiday. But it was good and I think we're both better for having had time away from everything for a while.
.
Did some art. I took some watercolour pencils etc. with me on the trip so I could look out at the ocean, put on some headphones, and just chill, and it was lovely. I want to do this a lot more.
.
Did some reading. Another thing I've been really enjoying, and making more time for going forward.
.
An event I programmed broke a record for our venue. One of my ongoing programs to manage at work is a series of morning concerts for the older demographic, and the March installment brought in the biggest audience of any of the series to-date. So that feels nice. The series has been dwindling over the last few years and correlation =/= causation, but it hasn't felt great that I took over the role sort of right after the covid decimation of the arts, so the reduced audience has potentially been looking like a result of my programming to anyone who just looks at the numbers pre- and post- me joining the company. It's affirming to have something significant to gesture to as evidence that that's not the case.
In April, I will:
Thesis introduction. More to do on this so this is the goal for the coming month. I got very little done for it in March with everything else going on.
.
See some friends and family. A long time overdue in some cases. My sort of interest / tolerance for social life is more diminished than usual, but I know it's one of those things that will likely continue if indulged, so in order to want to spend more time with people again, I will first have to spend time with people despite being reluctant to and the feeling will come.
0 notes
Text
THAILAND – A BRIEF CULTURAL IMMERSION
Bangkok or the City of Angels, is an unpolished gem set within the alluvial crust of the great Chao Phraya Delta. Whatever our fertile imagination conceives in the realm of human civilization – culture, food, entertainment and learning, Thai society offers an almost perfect mirror image. In this Land of Smiles, Buddhist doctrine, including the faith in how the world is, rather than what it should be, predominates. Familial connections thereon are supposed to encompass the whole society. Hence, no quarrel or enemy is permanent. Mutuality of interests determines every relationship. In this respect, we have much to learn from Thailand and Thais.
On account of the disruption to my scheduled visit to Israel last month due to the hostilities generated by the Oct 7 terror attack emanating from Gaza, I was thrust several days later into the warm embrace of Bangkok. It was not to be my first visit however. Over the decades, my family and I had travelled to Thailand for vacation. Sara and David had very fond memories of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, which we visited in 2006 and 2007.
Post-Covid Bangkok is ramping up the buzz. Tourists have returned by the millions – the Suvarnabhumi Airport is cluttered at any time of the day and night. Construction activity within the city centre is a growing nuisance no doubt, but a necessary and desired product of economic development which creates employment across the board.
As our imagination and expectation evolved from the pre to post Covid, so too has Bangkok. Once a haven for the most extreme forms of exploitative and fleshy entertainment, Bangkok today seems more intent on just being chill, like a meditating Buddha. Its many culinary attractions have been given added focus and also a wider palette. For those who know, Thai food is Heavenly. But wait, since post-Covid, there has been a significant uptick in the number of food outlets and restaurants across town. Of course, there are some or perhaps many who visit Bangkok for the legalized weed, which is easily accessible from the numerous “green” outlets splattered across the city centre. But food is my thing, and I suspect this is what coincides with the runaway imagination of most visitors – stuffing ourselves to our heart’s pleasure without any need for hallucinogens.
I do not encourage recommendations for food outlets, especially in Bangkok. What I do propose however is for the visitor to explore the many Sois or Lanes connecting to Sukhumvit Road. The finest foods may be found in them – Thai, Western, Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Korean and so on. For Chinese and Thai-Chinese food, most folks, I gather, make their way to Chinatown. Everyone is an individual and every taste bud is different, I suppose. So, please seek out an outlet which you will find heavenly and in doing so, reinforces your imagination and expectation of Bangkok and Thailand.
One other thing, contrary to the old colonial mindset depicting the oriental as inscrutable, the Thais are just what we see however – gracious, helpful and friendly. They do live by the Dharma.
Bangkok is the unpolished gem whose beauty can never be refined by a single hand. To see it at its finest, one has to immerse in the culture and society.
Sawasdee.
0 notes
Text
My Last 10 Reads
With our annual trip to Ironwood including a trip to Duluth and beach time, there was plenty of time to read!
The Liar's Bench by Kim Michele Richardson - 2.5 stars - In 1972 Kentucky, Mudas Summers (that name drove me nuts throughout) finds her life upended when her mother dies. It looks like suicide, but Mudas is determined to pin the death on her abusive stepfather. The plot is good. The writing dragged. I just discovered this was the author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. She's obviously gotten better as she wrote more books.
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller - 2 stars - Twins Jeanie and Julius, in their 50s living together at home, must deal with the death of their mother. I did not like the characters, and it was a character-driven versus plot-driven read: hence, not for me.
Invisible Son by Kim Johnson - 5 stars - This YA was phenomenal! Set in Portland, Oregon during the early days of COVID, the reader follows senior-in-high-school protagonist Andre who just returned home after a sentence served for a crime he did not commit. Everything has changed including the fact that his best friend is gone. And no one can seem to find him. And no one seems to care to look for him. Andre starts asking questions that lead down a path he never imagined. Two thumbs way up for this one. Definitely for more mature YA readers. Bonus: lots of music references and a soundtrack list at the end!
To the Bridge by Nancy Rommerlmann - 4 stars - My pool book to end July. This was on my Kindle for a long time. It's a nonfiction about Amanda Stott-Smith who infamously dropped her two children off a bridge and into the water in 2009 killing one of them. Very "friendly" nonfiction format for a very depressing topic.
It's Always the Husband by Michelle Campbell - 4 stars - This book opens with a bang. One of the three protagonists (identity unknown at this point) is standing on a bridge about to end it all. How did Kate, Aubrey, or Jenny get there? To find out. the reader jumps between the girls' college years, where they met, and their lives afterward. Their relationships and their lives are tumultuous to say the least. I enjoyed the plot and the ending. The jumping around was a bit hard to follow to begin with, but once I got the characters down, I was in good shape. Mystery/thriller readers, pick this one up!
Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell - 2 stars - Short but uneventful. Read in two and a half hours in the car. In 1976’s summer heatwave in Britain, a woman wakes up to find her husband missing. She contacts her three grown children to come help find him. An uneventful ending. Do not recommend.
Did I Say You Could Go by Melanie Gideon - 4 stars - I thought I had this one all figured out, but the ending was not what I expected! The story follows two mothers and daughters from when they met during a pre-kindergarten event into high school. Both are single moms but are quite different in all other respects. Ruth is divorced and has more money than she knows what to do with. Gemma is a widow scraping to get by. They become best friends as do their daughters. Gemma’s daughter, Bee, is outgoing and popular. Ruth’s daughter, Marley, is a quiet, reserved scholar. All have grown apart due to an event that occurred six years prior to the start of the plot, but another event that spells disaster for Gemma brings them all back together. For better or worse. I had a bit of a hard time getting into it, but boy was it with it in the end! Fast paced, well written.
The Good Son by Jaquelyn Mitchard - 4 stars - Mitchar’s The Deep End of the Ocean was one of my favorite adult novels from before I was an adult. I was stuck in the horror genre most of high school. Maybe this one brought me out? If it did, I’m thankful for it! I still enjoy a good horror novel;, but I digress… This book has a lot of prose. More than I prefer. But it was good. The first person narrator, English teacher, wife, and mother of one, was written as very believable. Life has been good to Thea until her then-college-freshman son, Stefan, went to prison for the drug-fueled murder of his childhood-best-friend-turned-girlfriend. The plot begins the day Stefan leaves prison three years after his sentence begins. The town, especially his girlfriend’s mother, does not believe he served enough time. She and other protesters make this known day in and day out. Stefan does not remember what happened the night Belinda died, but he wants to do something to make amends. Thea will do everything in her power to try and support him. Slow burn. Great ending. Great read.
Sophomores by Sean Desmond - 4 stars - The reader follows the three members of the Malone family during the son’s sophomore year of high school in Texas, 1987. I really enjoyed the chapters following the son, Daniel. He’s in an advanced English class with a teacher pushing him and his classmates like they’ve never experienced. I loved the chapters following Anne who is on a jury trying to get to a verdict about a local minister who allegedly killed his wife. Then there’s Patrick. He’s a drunk who doesn’t deserve his wife and son. Good mix of character development and plot. .
The Starfish Sisters by Barbara O’Neal - 5 stars - This month’s Kindle First Reads choice did not disappoint. Phoebe and Suze grew up together on the Oregon coast. Phoebe found respite from her father with Suze’s grandmother. The two were like sisters. Until a betrayal rips them apart. Suze went on to become a famous actress. Phoebe wrote a well-known children’s book and is an artist. Years later, they are brought back together after Suze is brutally attacked. Their relationship has twisted and turned for years and continues to do so in the present day of the plot. They are both engaging characters, and the plot is enjoyable as well. Highly recommended!
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
imtrippydoe
post relevant
isa-fanfics
To read to yourself
kafeiphoto
The Photo Kafei
sprogletoad
Untitled
pichichustudios
Pichichuchu Studio