The Duggar Family in El Salvador. Photo: Lwp Kommunikáció Note: The author is whiter than a They Might Be Giants concert. Like all good beta cucks, I like to open my morning with a trip to David Futrelle’s We Hunted the Mammoth, just to make sure my marching orders to eliminate America are all correct. If cultural Marxism is to succeed, it must be meticulous, after all. That was all sarcasm, by the by. I did read one of Futrelle’s fun explorations of the ickier sides of the manosphere last week, though. In a piece called “White people! Save your race by becoming ‘loud, fertile xenophobes,’ loud xenophobe urges,” he chronicles the Twitter rantings of prominent Nazi Paul Hominid. Hominid, like a lot of white supremacist, urges all white women in the world to immediately get pregnant as often as possible if the white race is to be preserved against the “raw power of POC birth rates.” Birth is a weird fixation for a lot of bigots. You ever hear of the quiverful movement? People like the Duggar family who believe a woman should basically keep having children until her uterus turns inside-out like you’re sewing a sleeve? Explore the foundation of that movement and you will find out it has nothing to do with babies being the glory of God’s creation and everything to do with “WE MUST OUTBREED THE MOOSLEMS OR THEY WILL CONSUME US ALL!” It’s weaponized reproduction with two aims. The first is to keep women perpetually pregnant, and therefore out of power. We’ll discuss that another day. The second is the preservation of the white race and the Western way of life, as these dinguses understand it at any rate. I really don’t care if the white race goes extinct. No, seriously. The idea of humanity descending into that vaguely brown race from that South Park episode fills me with an enormous “meh.” A future without white people or where they are an ethnic minority doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Whiteness is only an identity for one kind of people: racists. Our entire culture is set up to portray whiteness as the default, so white people don’t generally identify as white like other races do except when asked about it on a form. There’s no need to have someone look at the world through a white lens because white people control nearly all the lenses already. So when someone becomes fixated on whiteness as a thing in need of preservation, they are doing that in response to a fear of encroachment. I made that cuck joke in the opening paragraph for a reason. People obsessed with the ideas of alphas, betas, and cucks are generally freaking out over the idea of black men putting their peeners in white women. It’s an old racist idea going back well into the early 20th century. The image of black men as animalistic fuck machines who could satisfy the wanton cravings of white women is an ancient dog whistle. It speaks to racism, women as possessions, white fragility, fear of emasculation, etc. etc. ad infinitum. I’ve got no use for that nonsense. The recurring theme in this brand of far-right conservatism is a mindless fear of the Other. Blacks as animalistic. Muslims as barbaric. Whatever. Other races are seen as a pollutant in the gene pool. Know what my daughter thinks of when she considers miscegenation? The 44th president of the United States. Barack Obama is what happens when a white lady from Kansas reproduces with a dude from Kenya and their kid gets partially raised in Indonesia. In other words, an incredibly intelligent and well-read man who also happened to ascend to the highest office in his mother’s country. It’s really hard to feel fear of the erasure of whiteness when that’s your prime example. Look, white people have done great things. I can celebrate the brilliance of Columbus, the navigator, and decry Columbus, the native people eradicator, at the same time. It’s called nuanced, y’all. But my daughter’s whiteness is literally the least important thing about her I hope to pass on. I hope she inherits a knowledge of inequality, and what we must do to combat it. I hope she gets the concept of fairness. I hope she realizes that people should be judge not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. None of that requires my grandchildren or my great-grandchildren or my great-great-grandchildren to be mostly or even partially white. There’s just nothing about being white particularly worth preserving. Ideas and morals are what matters, and those have no color. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/i-really-dont-care-if-the-white-race-goes-extinct/
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Kedi documents stray cats in Istanbul. Felines are notorious (as are other animals and children) for being hard to direct. You don’t train a cat to walk along a line and stop at their mark. A point aside, I once worked on a national commercial back in 1984 where the animal trainer had given the performing cat Valium to calm it down and the cat was so stoned it couldn’t act. The company even made a wrap tee shirt that depicted the cat with a dazed gaze. So the production manager went and got their cat that did just fine in the role of a family kitty sitting on the floor. Kedi shows such a feel for the way of life of a cat expressed in tracking shots as well as angles that suggest what the cat is seeing that it’s possible it was actually made by a cat. The film partners, director/producer Ceyda Torun and producer/co-cinematographer Charlie Wuppermann obviously spent serious time studying the habits and patterns of Kedi’s seven main leads: Sari, Bengü, Psikopat, Deniz, Aslan Parçasi, Duman and Gamsiz. The cats are shown against the background of a city that itself is a couple of thousand years old. Some of the cats inhabit less impressive digs that others. But they all fit into the scheme that a city of such an age has respect for its inhabitants, both two and four-legged. There’s also the implication that a person would rather befriend a lone cat than a homeless person. Istanbul has four times the population of Houston. One shot has Sari carrying some food in its mouth down the street around the corner and up the stairs. And then Sari proceeds to drop the foodstuff to a kindle of kittens. Another shot shows Sari walking along a rooftop and stopping perfectly at the point where you can see the setting sun. Maybe it’s the rising sun? I don’t know Istanbul well enough to say if they’re facing east or west. Another cool customer, Duman the gentleman cat, hangs out at a popular restaurant. Duman never bothers the patrons save for a few autographs, but when he wants food he signals to the staff by pawing on the window of the establishment. The manager tells the audience that at first Duman was overweight so, on the advise of a vet, they started feeding him small amounts of smoked meats and maybe a bit of manchego cheese. Watching a film like Kedi puts the viewer in a mood to appreciate the life that surrounds them. Lovers of alpha cats will agree this is the best film about cats since the fictional narrative 1963 Disney flick The Three Lives of Thomasina. Kedi opens this weekend at the Landmark River Oaks Theatre. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/cool-cats/ A Sundae Drive, Photo: Uncredited/Courtesy of Artist
Your favorite band will more than likely change direction multiple times over the course of their career. Sometimes when that happens, the listening public turns a blind eye to those changes rather than embracing them. It’s a thing that can ruin the fan’s relationship with the band as the listener. However, when bands grow and make their sound more unique and defined, that’s when I get excited. On their new album Versailles, Houston’s A Sundae Drive does just that. Embarking on a sound that has a more defined and growth inspired direction where the band sounds closer to something original than someone else’s influence. Incorporating a more grandiose direction and at times, post punk sound, this album proves that a band’s growth is essential to survival while showcasing the strengths of these four as a unit.
Opening with the slower but more direct sound of “Hall of Fame,” the band immediately sounds different than their former selves. Moments of grand orchestration and somber notes sound like no one else, and usher in the change that will embody the rest of the album. The track holds your attention while you hold onto each and every note. This continues on the following song, “Fly South” where the band builds a slow pace. Bassist and sometimes vocalist Jennifer Garcia takes the helm here and when the build breaks, the payoff is immense. Swarming guitars and moments that remind you of “Foolish” era Superchunk mixed with later era Sonic Youth. The intricacy of the guitars that squeal and emanate in the background while Garcia’s vocals take the band to a whole new place creating a sonic landscape between the two elements that the band has never offered up on prior releases. The squealing guitar solos that the band employed in the past are still there, but there’s more separation from each instrument here showing off how important the bass and drums are to the band’s sound. This is the band at their best, when they move forward and explore new territory without losing too much of the elements that made them such standouts in the past.
While the band returns to the slower side of things on “In Threes,” the mix of the instruments has more weight than if they were turned up to the maximum volume. A deep and heavy drum slowly blasts while the bass gets taken for a walk and guitars wash over the song like a fever dream. When the song breaks, it breaks out hard. Lush guitars fill your headphones while the bass opens up and the drums play intensely without sounding like an explosion, and the vocals full of reverbed notes seem to erupt with precision and force. This gets followed by the speedy and almost Sonic Youth sounding “Boxing Day.” Snappy and full of life, the lead guitar really opens this song up before the rhythm guitar helps to add a depth from the band that reminds you of their past without really feeling dated. The way the drums come across like a bully stealing your lunch money alongside the desperation in Garcia’s vocals, crafts a sound from this band that shows how far they’ve come as a band. There’s a fevered stride here where the song is quick, but not without perspicacity, and there are even moments where the turns the group takes together seem to come from somewhere else without feeling foreign or unhinged. They return to that slow build full of intense notes all over the fifth track, “Beware The Cages,” opting for a more blistering approach. Keeping things thick with multiple guitar tracks while Garcia calls out into the darkness, the band is truly on the top of their game here, finding a balance between the build and the breaking point where all of these sounds go to a place where the amplifiers explode and stop working.
The album gets fittingly closed off with the sixth and final song, “Stubborn.” Opening with multiple guitar tracks that seem to dance like apparitions in a haunted mansion, the creepy bassline along with the soft and earnest vocals of Garcia really stick to your bones. There’s an ominous tone to the song before the guitars start to waltz with one another before the drums hit with stark and dark beats. The building up on this track again shows a side to the band we’ve not heard outside of this release, complete with meandering guitars and multiple drum sounds that seem to tease you of the payoff. However, when the tracks opens up, an additional violin track really adds to the grand feeling of it all, like you’re dancing in your Sunday best in a castle somewhere in Eastern Europe. The murky notes that pitch at the same level of the vocals on this track sound like things are getting ready to go awry before the song unfurls into a bombastic myriad of bellows and feedback that are truly worth the wait.
Versailles is not the result of a band changing direction as much as it’s just growth from a four piece who seems to have truly found their strongest points and offered them up as a collective thought. The build up of the tracks, the use of Garcia more as lead vocalist, and the distant feeling of the songs before they come together and explode into something new here is the band at their best and most progressive. You can find Versailles streaming today, or pick up your own physical copy at White Oak Music Hall upstairs on Saturday April 1. The all ages show with doors at 8 pm will feature sets from Glass The Sky, The Wheel Workers, and The Ex-Optimists with a $7 cover. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/a-sundae-drive-releases-their-strongest-album-to-date/ Peeps! {See what I did there?!} Can you believe it is APRIL already? Where has the time gone this “spring”… which actually feels way more like summer. Time to break out the shorts, flip flops, and sunscreen and enjoy all that our Bayou City has to offer this month. From festivals to all things bunny […] The post A Houston Mom’s Guide to April appeared first on Houston Moms Blog. from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HoustonMomsBlog/~3/GBuCy7aRJkU/ Glass The Sky. Photo: Scot Overholser
Every once in awhile I come across music that doesn’t seem to fit into one particular genre, instead crisscrossing multiple genres while still never fully fitting into one or another. On their debut full length album, Houston’s Glass The Sky never truly commits to a specific genre, but rather dances across many, crafting a sound that’s entirely their own. The self-titled album, referred to by the band as LP1, could be classified as post rock by some or perhaps even indie rock, but delving into the ten tracks you find that it’s really neither but both at the same time while also offering up so much more.
Opening with “Dog Fight,” the band utilizes vocals as the catalyst for the song, an element that will show up continuously throughout the track. The band’s use of piano alongside a meandering guitar and drums seems to snap all over the place while never feeling loose. This is definitely not what you’d hear on a typical rock song, nor is it what you’d hear in an indie rock track, or at least not orchestrated the way the band offers up here. Followed by a driving pace of guitars and the piano that hops back in for another view, the song sounds like nothing you’ve heard before while holding your attention through its unconventional approach. This is only taken further on the second track, “Puffins.” Starting with snaps and claps that seem to clear the path for multiple guitar tracks, the closest thing the band comes to in terms of relatable sound would be the early works of Kurt Vile mixed with hints of Mother Falcon and The New Pornographers. However, even with those comparisons, what the five-piece is doing here is more diverse and offers up something that’s arty without being difficult to enjoy.
By the opening of the third track, “Argentina,” when the band literally sings the song’s title to open things up, you should realize that Glass The Sky isn’t going to operate in a way that’s easy to understand. Multiple instrumentations with snappy drums and violin are only made more eclectic by the vocals of lead singer Eric Lungstrum and keys that seem to only appear when needed. The way in which this band writes is something that’s definitely its own, where melodies and harmonies feel like that of someone who’s studied the elements of music over that of the typical band. All of the sounds within are taken into consideration, while the band never deters from doing things their own way. However, that approach pays off, and midway through the album “Elephant” is about as close to traditional as the band gets. With more of a rock approach, the song is closest to sounding like what would happen if U2 and Explosions In The Sky made an album together. The post rock leanings of the song really show that this band can really take their music anywhere they want to, and the chorus is as catchy as it can get; you certainly won’t forget it after the first listen. There are so many sides to the band that you might forget this is their debut album, with so many elements finding their way into each and every track as if they were crafted by a music scientist.
They up the ante even further on the space-induced, almost psych-sounding song “Isochron” before settling into a more mainlined tenor. Finding the notes between seems to really be the band’s strong suit, as there are moments on the song that feel like the drums and the guitars are finding notes you wouldn’t expect without ever alienating the listener. While the band takes things in a funkier direction on “Fat Synth,” they keep things a little closer to the vest on “Touch.” Though the song will be the closest to a slow song, it’s one of the prettiest and most progressive on the entire album. Upon first listen, you’ll notice that the combination of vocals, piano and drums are intersected with lush guitar tones that seem to curl and snake their way onto the song like quiet beings in the night. With all of the elements played together, there’s a subtle beauty in how they orchestrate a sound that is intense without being dark, diverse without sounding foreign. The band finishes off the album with the synth and guitar cluster of “Zero Sum,” where they seem to find a space between the beginning and the end of the album. Continuing to do things differently than most bands, the conventional song seems like the fitting end to an album with more twists and turns than a mystery novel. Sticking with traditional post rock components, the bridge in the song is one of the most intricate and thematic orchestrations you’ll hear.
I don’t know if it’s that I don’t listen to a bunch of post rock music or that I’ve always been intrigued with what Glass The Sky has tried to do, but I couldn’t help but enjoy every song on this album. By incorporating a different approach to every note and every track, Glass The Sky quickly proves that doing things the way you want can pay off.
You can grab your own copy of “LP1” when Glass The Sky performs their album release party on Saturday, April 1 at White Oak Music Hall upstairs. The all ages show with doors at 8 pm will also feature sets from A Sundae Drive, The Wheel Workers, and The Ex-Optimists with a $7 cover. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/glass-the-sky-forges-their-own-path-on-debut-album/ Put in your earbuds and tune out the bad old world for a while. It’s time for the best music videos of the week!
5. Phantom — “Dance” One of the things I would most like to do with my life is curate a video gallery showing of modern solo dance performances in music videos. There’s just something so wonderfully evocative about putting all your song’s emotion into the body of a single person. Director Teemu Antero 1983 shoots dancer Karolina Ginman with remarkable grace, and it really makes “Dance” something dark and special.
4. Lexie Roth — “Drive” This one is a little sadder, but all the more powerful for it. “Drive,” directed by Liv Prior Colliander, is the story of Roth leaving an abusive relationship by stealing a car and just heading on out to the end of the world. It’s a simple video, but it’s got some amazingly clever shots. My favorite is Roth in a bathroom smiling happily to herself in a mirror while a stall with a handwritten sign saying “BROKEN” is in the corner of the frame. It’s a triumphant video, crafted with both pathos and beauty.
3. French Vanilla — “Carrie” So, there’s this famous musical version of Stephen King’s Carrie that flopped so hard on Broadway the phrase, “Not since Carrie” actually became a proverb. Well, I have finally seen the true version of Carrie the Musical, and it is this lovely video by director William Kaminski. The whole tale is told in three blistering, cheesy, and outstanding minutes, and features everything from kitschy dance numbers to screaming about menstruation. It even has Rocky Horror lips narrating it, so it’s basically perfect.
2. Spiral Stairs — “Emoshuns” Look, videos where bands just go take over whatever place is open and fuck around there to make a video are fun, but usually just lazy. “Director Joe Salinas manages to transcend that with “Emoshuns” though. Part of it is the strange, clippy framerate at which the video is shot, giving it an odd-dreamlike quality that keeps it interesting. Part of it is also because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a band have quite this much fun before. In a sub-genre of music videos that is generally uninteresting, “Emoshuns” stands out.
1. Gorillaz — “Saturz Barz (Spirit House)” It feels weird to even try to describe a Gorillaz video as the band remains more or less their own genre in and of themselves. Best I can lay it out for you is the gang goes to a haunted house, and a bunch of Gorillaz stuff happens. It’s awesome, excellent, trippy, engaging, it’s got full-frontal male nudity and if you don’t like it I don’t want to know you. Everything Gorillaz does is soul. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/top-5-music-videos-of-the-week-gorillaz-phantom-more/ Ripley’s Believe It Or Not claims that all the names of God in every language are four letters: in English, Lord; Latin, Deus; French, Dieu; Swedish, Goth; Viking, Thor; Hindu, Rama; Arabic, Amir; Mohammedan, Alla. There are several others. You get the picture. For the purpose of the Godhead incarnate as an actor the stage play, An Act of God concentrates on the Christian God spelled with three letters. All other Gods are not invited. An Act of God slays the audience with inventive religious satire. God has rewritten the Ten Commandments and they will be heard. As envisioned by playwright David Javerbaum, God dislike all his creations equally and likes to smite over and over. Javerbaum won multiple Emmys for his involvement with the John Stewart hosted The Daily Show. An Act of God has constant moments that skewer modern day perception of religion as a guiding force in life. And yet at the same time the intimate play, after all it’s just God and a couple of angels, has beats that suggest an adherence to some kind of cosmic reality. Those seeking good solid laughs will become true believers of humor. Todd Waite gets to the core of playing God. One moment we’re watching a kind of impudent sarcasm that would not be out of place with a character like Paul Lynde as Uncle Arthur in Bewitched. Yet other moments show what could only be best described as “wrath.” Emily Trask and John Feltch supply comic relief as a couple of angles, always dressed in modern or ancient white. “An Act of God” unfolds in the intimate Neuhaus Theatre at the Alley, running until April 16. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/an-act-of-god-at-the-alley-theatre/
Beautiful salad and if you keep the beets separated they won’t bleed on each other. Seems like it was just winter (usually short period of time here in Texas) and now it is springtime with summer just weeks ahead. The winter took havoc on our back yard killing about 1/4th of our plants. Since my husband loves shopping nurseries we will have plenty of shopping and planting to do to get it back in shape. I’m not a fan of hot summer days here in Texas but I will be glad to start using our outdoor kitchen again since [...]
from http://houstonfoodblog.com/houstonfood/houston-food-blogs/roasted-beet-and-pine-nut-salad/ Is your prom night just around the corner? Have you picked out the perfect dress for you? How about the matching boutonniere and wrist corsage for prom for you and your date? A corsage is a small flower arrangement that is worn on a female’s wrist, while a boutonniere is worn on a male’s lapels. Choosing your wrist corsage for the best prom night of your life can be quite difficult. Here are some tips that might help you decide on choosing the best prom corsage, from the design, style, color, and its cost. What Would Be The Best Style And Design For Your Corsage For Prom?You can bring your dress to the florist before choosing your corsage design. The florist can customize your corsage on your choosing or something that accents the design of your dress. Usually, your date will be the one to order your corsage. You can always provide a photo of your dress to give him an idea. Don’t you think that it would be a better idea to visit the flower shop together? You can always make the decision on the details of your best prom corsage and boutonniere. In that way, you can also choose his boutonniere so that you can have a design that will match your outfits. How Long Will It Take To Create A Wrist Corsage for Prom?You must buy your prom dress a couple of months ahead because you need it to choose the design of your corsage. Usually, a corsage must be ordered at least a week or two before your prom night. Your florist can work on it a little bit longer if you opted to get a customized one. Your corsage is made from fresh flowers. That means it is best if you pick it up on the actual day of your prom to maintain the quality of the flowers. How Much Does A Wrist Corsage Cost And Who Pays For It?Usually, the male date must purchase the corsage. Even though he is going to pay for the corsage, the female date chooses the corsage and boutonniere designs to make sure that it will match each other’s outfits. A corsage can roughly cost about $50 or more. It will depend on what corsage you would like to have. The type of flower to be used will influence the cost as well. You can also have it customized and even put some add-ons on it. Some people say that your corsage must cost about 10% of your dress’ actual cost. While your date pays for your corsage, you are in charge of getting him his boutonniere. Talking to your date about his preference is a good idea. What if he is allergic to flowers? What if he doesn’t like the color? What if he has a better suggestion? You can always visit our website or drop by our shop, Enchanted Florist, your top corsage flower shop, to order the best wrist corsage for prom tailor-made by our talented florists to match your unique requirements. Enchanted Florist 4416 Fairmont #104 Pasadena, TX 77504 (832)850-7677 Find us on: We are located at: wrist corsage for prom, prom flowers houston, prom corsages near me, corsage and boutonnierefrom https://enchantedfloristpasadena.tumblr.com/post/159003865662 |
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April 2019
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