Watching Trumps twisted behavior, his nutty tweets, and reckless policies and actions over the past 4 years or so, one could easily conclude that he shows clear signs of severe mental problems. But since most of us are not psychiatrists, we are not qualified to make such judgments.

While we may not be qualified there are many top-level, highly respected psychiatrists who most certainly are, and they did make their opinions known in a book in 2017 entitled The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump.

Bandy Lee,Clinical Professor in law and psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine joined with 26 other top-level psychiatrists and mental health experts to present their professional findings relative to Mr. Trumps very serious mental condition, that they indicated makes him unfit to be president.

The book was an instant bestseller and made some stunning revelations. You might think that the newspapers and the TV networks would have immediately made it one of their top subjects. But they did no such thing and, for the most part, generally ignored it.

Before the release of this book, psychiatrists across this country were largely silent on this matter. Thatsilence was primarily due to what is referred to as the Goldwater Rule, a general guideline of the American Psychiatric Association that states that psychiatrists should not make judgments relative to the mental condition of individuals who they have not personally examined.

Thereafter, many leading psychiatrists who saw this presidents mental state as a great danger decided this rule was no longer relevant when the countrys safety and security were at great risk.

What makes these psychiatrists think that they can make judgments of this presidents mental state without examining him? Well, there are multi-thousands of videos, audios, tweets, and other records of Trumps irrational behavior that clearly show that he has mental problems.

Day in and day out he shows definite signs that he has extremely serious problems. Who would be better qualified than highly trained psychiatric professionals to make these critically important judgments?

Here are some psychiatric terms and definitions that these 27 psychiatrists used when describing Trumps mental condition:

Narcissism: a mental condition in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others. The psychiatrists called it malignant narcissism, the very worst kind. Here isan articlethat discusses this condition and whether Trump has it.

Hedonism: Hedonism is a school of thought that argues that the pursuit of pleasure and intrinsic goodsarethe primary or most important goals of human life. A hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure (pleasure minus pain).

Sociopathic behavior: that of individuals who display antisocial behavior which is mainly characterized by lack of empathy towards others, coupled with displays of abnormal moral conduct and an inability to conform with the norms of society.

And speaking of abnormal moral conduct, what can be said about this pathetic excuse for a normal human being, Mr.Trump who, after separating small kids from their parents, put them into cages where they were treated like animals? A person would have to be not just mentally unstable to do such a thing, but completely crazy.

Paranoia: an instinct or thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality.

Cognitive disorder: a category of mental health disorders that primarily affect cognitive abilities including learning, memory, perception, and problem-solving.

I need only one example of Trumps behavior and actions to believe that he has very severe mental problems. To try to reverse his faltering reelection chances, he will readily put the lives of many thousands of Americans at great risk, in great jeopardy, as he gears up to initiate rallies almost every day.

Doesnt he understand that most people attending the rallies will follow his example and not wear masks, that people will be right next to each other? Doesnt he realize that many will later be infected by the virus, with some dying?

Yes, he most certainly does. But he also knows he has two options: he can cancel the rallies and protect the people and make this his highest priority. Or he can, instead, ignore the safety of the people, hold the rallies, and make that his highest priority. What option do I think he will choose? I think that Trump, the Superspreader-in-Chief, would say, full speed ahead and get those rallies organized.

When these experts on mental conditions previously wanted their conclusions to be spread across America to warn the people of how dangerous the situation was, that didnt happen. It was because the media decided it wanted no part of it.

Why did the media do that? Didnt its leadership comprehend the magnitude of this issue and act on this critically important matter? Didnt they understand that they had an absolute obligation, a commitment, to do what is right, to warn the people of America, and yes the world, about this dangerous situation?

I think they did but Corporate America which owns or controls a large part of the media did not agree at all. While we didnt hear it the word went out to all members of the media to initiate a policy of hands-off and off-limits. And that ended the psychiatrists chance to broadcast their message.

Yes, its very late but there is still time to reverse this situation. America needs this kind of October Surprise to take place. These psychiatrists need to quickly resurface and make the case to the media that, to stop Trumps chances of being reelected, everything possible must be done to take Trump down and out.

The media that they must now do what is right for this country and its people. There is still time for newspapers, radio, and TV to send the psychiatrists message relative to Trumps severe mental problems all across this country. So far the media has, in effect, covered up this presidents mental instability, and it is now time for that cover-up to end.

Sure the chances of this happening are not good and it might take a minor miracle for it to happen. But sometimes miracles do happen when leaders suddenly see the light and know that they must correct their mistakes.

When thinking about an October Surprise we need to consider this. What often seems improbable, virtually impossible, can suddenly take place.

FALL FUNDRAISER

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October Surprise! US psychiatrists convince the media to reveal the extent of Trump's mental instability - NationofChange

The 2018 Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country is ostensibly focused on the exploits of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, the Indian spiritual guru known as Osho, and his followers, who established a commune in Oregon, US, in 1982. But the most magnetic presence in it is Sheela Ambalal Patel, better known as Ma Anand Sheela, a fervent devotee of Osho since the age of 16, who was elevated to his personal secretary and de facto empress of the community.

With her innate chutzpah and fiery wit, the young Sheela lights up the screen every time she makes an appearance. Her signature remark, at the height of her brash swagger, was Tough titties, much to the delight of headline-hungry journalists. But the older Sheela, who was in her late 60s at the time of shooting the show, projected an air of dignity, a hint of world-weariness that was sporadically dispelled by her simmering eyes.

This two-in-one personality is also palpable in Nothing To Lose, Sheelas new authorized biography, written by journalist Manbeena Sandhu. She is much wiser now, more toned down, Sandhu says on the phone from Toronto, where she lives. Although she was briefly fascinated by the Osho movement in the early 1990s, when she lived in India, Sandhu never joined it. I noticed a fair bit of narcissism, egotism and hedonism among the followers which didnt align with my beliefs, she says. But this distance didnt come in the way of her forging lifelong friendships with many of the sanyasins, living in India or Canada, where Sandhu moved after her marriage in 2000. I collected my stories about the movement through the last 25 years, she adds.

From the beginning of her association with the movement, Sandhu heard one name again and againthat of Ma Anand Sheela, even though Sheela and Osho had fallen out by 1985 and become estranged. After Sheela had left Oregon with a loyal band of followers, Osho sent the law after her, accused her of wire-tapping, immigration fraud and poisoning his personal physician. Later, the charge of bioterrorism was added to the list, pertaining to her role in poisoning 10 salad bars with salmonella in the city of The Dalles. Sheela was extradited from Europe, where she had fled, and eventually served time for 39 months before being given parole for good conduct.

In spite of her chequered past and ostracization by the core Osho group, Sheela held sway over the sanyasins for years. But even those who knew her whereabouts were reluctant to talk, Sandhu says. Wild Wild Country changed it all. Suddenly Sheelas address and details were only an internet search away. So Sandhu picked up the phone, spoke to the reclusive matriarch, and offered to be her biographer.

Sheela was warm but not convinced at first, Sandhu recalls. She asked me to fly down to Switzerland to meet her. So Sandhu, with her husband and children, went to Maisprach, the village where Sheela runs care homes for the elderly and infirm. Sheela went to receive the Sandhus, was hospitable and helpful, generous with her time. Before long, work on the book was on its way, initially with long interviews in person, followed by near-daily trans-Atlantic conversations after Sandhu returned home.

A biography involves intense research and reporting, but in the case of Sheelas story, the challenge is heightened by the moral ambiguities that underlie every significant move of her life. There is much to unpack, multiple versions of the same event to square. But thats life for you, its full of grey areas, Sandhu says. I have kept parts of her story open to the readers interpretation.

Indeed, at several points of this very readable book, we are confronted with Did she or didnt she? moments. As Sheelas life with Osho begins to unspool, Sandhu reveals to us a softer version of the indomitable sanyasin. She comes across as vulnerable and shrewd, calculating and crumbling, by turns. But she refuses to admit to feeling any remorse. All her life, Sheela has maintained that whatever she did was for the love of her guru. She even described her prison sentence as a fee she had to pay to her master, her guru dakshina. With her steely reserve of strength in the face of monumental adversity, Sheela found a second wind as an unlikely feminist iconshe embodies what millennials and Gen Z fondly admire as badass qualities.

At 70, Sheela remains bold, beautiful and brutally honest, Sandhu says. She is the small-town girl who did things that even stars dont manage to do in movies!

Nothing To Lose by Manbeena Sandhu, published by HarperCollins India.

Excerpt from:

In search of the real Ma Anand Sheela - Livemint

Some artists, you would assume, naturally lend themselves to the restrained nature of gigs in late 2020 more than others. When London crooner Matt Maltese bestowed his twinkle-eyed, piano-led balladry upon us as part of DIYs 100th celebrations, you wouldnt have wanted to be anywhere else except sat down, with a few dear pals, under the night sky. The purposefully obtuse nature of black midi, meanwhile, makes perfect sense in front of a group of chin-strokers perched in the pokey belly of Brixton Windmill during their recent residency. However, Working Mens Club? Having recently released a debut that came good on all the antagonistic, ravey potential that Syd Minsky-Sargeant and co had teased us with so far, the prospect of this most visceral of bands playing to essentially a small church congregation feels odd, at best.

Yet the reality is a whole different beast. Sat in separated groups of two, dotted around the upstairs venue of Hackneys Oslo, its a true testament to the communal nature of live music (and the sheer good will and good vibes emanating from a group of people whove missed it so much) that todays afternoon set feels like a positive, joyous slap around the face.

Bowling around the stage like a caged tiger, moving down into the crowd as much as is literally legally allowed, and taking his top off like hes headlining a sweaty club despite actually playing to 40 people in rainy October, Syd is exactly the kind of frontman you want at an event like this: one wholl give the same level of energy no matter the conditions; one wholl definitely not make it awkward. Hes Ian Curtis if he fronted New Order instead of Joy Division - an intense, twitchy presence with a steely gaze (particularly on a climactic final Teeth), but backed by the kind of mesmeric, massive tunes that make you want to down ten pints and go on a rampage.

Cook A Coffees driving guitar riffs are gnarly and brilliant, while A.A.A.A finds the singer squalling its staccato chorus yowl like a man possessed. Meanwhile, when the quartet enter the more synth-led, hypnotic likes of John Cooper Clarke and Valleys, stage lights flickering in time, it feels as close to going out-out as weve been in forever. The whole thing is wired and tight, with moments of sheer cathartic relief; if you didnt realise that youd been 20% more tense for at least six months, then it feels good to finally let the looseness of loud, live music ease the bones.

Working Mens Club can create this much of a vibe in the most unconducive of circumstances, so you can only imagine how good theyll be when the crowd can give them something back, too.

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Not even seats and social distancing can stop Working Men's Club from bringing the hedonism to London's Oslo - DIY Magazine

Secretly was released in May 1999 and became a hit in the UK and throughout Europe, and Leigh had the pleasant problem of not being able to release a third single from the album becausethey couldnt get Secretly off radio playlists! The video was directed by Italian film-maker Giuseppe Capotondi, and the song was on the soundtrack of American teen drama Cruel Intentions, an adaptation of the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, but set in 1990s New York City instead of eighteenth-century France. While our video was played on rotation on MTV, we toured enormous festivals that summer of 1999 playing to 90,000 people at Spodek in Poland, 96,000 at Roskilde in Denmark and 150,000 at Germanys mega Rock am Ring. Leigh likened us to a conquering army.

Headlining Glastonbury Festival in 1999 on the final Sunday night of the decade was our pinnacle. As everyone knows only too well, the Glastonbury rain and mud can be as legendary asthe bands. But that year, when we came on after Lenny Kravitzs set, the clouds parted and the sun came streaming through. I stood on the Pyramid Stage, looking at a 120,000-strong crowdstretching all the way back to the tents in the distance. In 1995, we had missed the beginning of our slot, running late onto the NME Stage at midday; we had been the first band on, we performed four songs, and that was it, done.

Four years later, we were back, headlining the Sunday night with a seventeen-piece orchestra and playing to a huge crowd. The set is featured in the BBC documentary Glastonburys Greatest Headliners, but back then, there was grumbling in the music press that our stadium punk wasnt right for headlining the festival. In the late 1990s, Britpop bands had dominated the Pyramid Stage for some years, and even though we were a hugely successful band by this point, we still felt we had to prove ourselves worthy. Part of the reason I think there have been so few POC headliners at Glastonbury is because diehard fans and sections of the press and music industry think only rock or indie bands deserve the slot. We were rock through and through, but to some people, having a black front woman and a groove to our sound meant we werent rock enough. Festival organiser Michael Eavis did something special when he gave us a seat at the table, letting it be known to all that Glastonbury would have a more diverse future. He was ready to take a risk and withstand the backlash. His daughter Emily followed suit in 2008, when she put Jay Z in the top spot.

We were on form and ready to give everyone the gig of their lives. Our set the previous day on a speedway racetrack at the Hurricane Festival in Germany had been one of our bestto date. I remember thinking afterwards, If we play like that in Glastonbury, itll go off! To get himself psyched up, Mark got our make- up artist to put Maori- style warpaint on his face as if he was going into battle. He said to her, I need something on my face that says, Fuck off, the lot of you. She then put Maori tattoos on his face. Nowadays that might be considered appropriation, but to Mark, an ex-rugby player, it came from a place of love, and it was meant to give him strength in the face of adversity.

A young designer called Cathryn Roberts put together something very special for the day. Shed already made a load of my crazy looks, but for Glastonbury she went all out, designing asuit made out of ole-skool cassette tape, to reflect the light. It was shiny and mad and had the desired effect I was like a lightning bolt across the stage.

On that tour we had a huge stage set made out of 30 square inch mirrored tiles. Each section could be independently controlled, so we could create a lot of drama depending on how the lights hit them. This was important, because our songs are quite varied, and it gave us a simple way to instantly change the mood from soaring riff-tastic overtures, to intimate, delicate lullabies. The show was like a drunken argument: one minute youd be jumping for joy; the next minute youd be on the receiving end of a creative bitch slap.

We launched into Charlie Big Potato and, from the first second, it went off. People were screaming, singing, dancing and waving flags. As I sang, I climbed onto Marks bass drum and leapt off, running towards the front of the stage and the crowd. By then, Mark had a special contraption made called the Skin protector, which was a metal bridge that went over the bassdrum and bolted onto the drum riser, so I couldnt crack his kick drum when I used it as a trampoline. I was performing at full steam, turned up to Number 11 and taking no prisoners.

We were all feeding off each other and the audience the energy was electric. I jumped down to the crowd barrier and the fans reached for me. I was to discover that cassette tape is not the strongest of materials, so the fans were able to tear off pieces of my outfit. Song by song it began to disintegrate, leaving streams of tape all over the stage and in the hands of the front row. I didnt care; it added to the joy and unpredictability of the show and became a whole new look.

As I climbed back onstage, I could see people jumping up and down all the way to the horizon. Mark looked like a northern Incredible Hulk smashing his fists into the drum kit. We had to screw it into the floor every night to stop it crumbling to pieces under his assault. I could see Cass was loving every second, spinning around, ruling the stage, dreadlocks flying behind him. Ace, on my right, attacked his guitar in that deranged way that sent the crowd ballistic.

We all looked on top form. I had no idea that Ace was in intense pain with seven prolapsed discs in his back from constant touring. He had to have steroid injections every day and lie on ice packs after each show. During the gig, he was wracked with nerves, not wanting to play a wrong note. To the outside world he was on top of the world, but on the inside he was thinking, Dont fuck up, dont make a mistake! I almost feel bad for clambering all over him now!

We sang Hedonism, and when we got to the chorus, the crowd sang back in unison at the top of their voices: Just because it feels good / Doesnt make it right! I saw Michael Eavis at the side of the stage. His wife Jean had died earlier that year, and the whole country mourned with him, so I dedicated Youll Follow Me Down to her, and blew him a kiss. I gazed at a stunning sea of lighters while the light reflected off what was left of my outfit and it looked like I was on fire.

We were the last band to play on the Pyramid Stage that century. It was an incredible experience, but it also felt like the end of something at the same time. We were interviewed by Radio 1s Jo Whiley as soon as we got offstage, and I remember feeling so happy it was almost like I was floating. She asked us, What are you going to do now?

We laughed, saying, Weve got the string players with us and were going to get drunk all the way back to London. We were as good as our word. Sitting on the bus later, drinkingwine and celebrating, I thought, Is it ever going to be as good as this moment again?

It Takes Blood and Guts by Skin and Lucy OBrien (Simon & Schuster UK) is out now in hardback, ebook and audio.

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Features | Tome On The Range | Under The Skin: Skunk Anansie At Glastonbury, 1999 - The Quietus

This is absolutely true when it comes to whisk(e)y. So naming the best tasting whiskey of all time is certain to yield a whole bunch of different answers. Thats not to say that having an opinion and arguing your case is futile. Its fun to chop it up about whats the best, then expand your palate and reassess.

David Tlaiye, bartender at Sage SRQ in Sarasota, Florida

Im a big fan of Old Forester Statesman. Its a classy bottle, with a complex-yet-light flavor that I love on its own or on any cocktail I make myself at home.

Robert Bjorn Taylor, bartender and assistant general manager at ARRIVE Hotels and Restaurants in Austin, Texas

You do know this question is impossible to answer right?

But if I have to pick the best whisky I have ever had it would be The Yamazaki 18 Year or The Yamazaki Sherry Cask. Love those whiskies. I cant even begin to describe how beautiful they are. Smell, taste, the experience is one hundred percent orgasmic.

Drew Reid, bartender at W Aspen in Aspen, Colorado

Tough question. Blantons will have to be my answer here. Without question Blantons stacks up against all the best. The smoothness of this bourbon is unmatched. This whiskey is truly an American treasure.

Meredith Barry, executive beverage chef of Angad Arts Hotel in St. Louis

A consistent go-to for me would be Compass Box Hedonism. Pineapple, banana, vanilla, brown sugar. Delicate and flavorful. Also, Im a sucker for a PX sherry cask finish. Rabbit Hole Distillery Dareringer is another pick. Its sweet but goes down oh so smooth.

Benjamin Burch, bartender at The Nolen in San Diego

Lagavulin 12-Year-Old. I love Lagavulin. I think they make the best whisky in the world and every expression is top-notch. Ive got at least one bottle of every expression on my shelf at home, but the 12 year is my favorite. Its barrel-proof so it just has so much flavor. It tastes like a bonfire on the beach. Big smoke, big stone fruit flavors, and a really nice mineral quality and saltiness.

I have every release since 2013 and they are all just insanely good. If you like peated whiskey, find a bottle of this.

Rebecah Hunter, bartender at The Monarch Club in Detroit

W.L. Weller Special Reserve Bourbon. This bourbon is very well known for its smooth taste which derives from substituting wheat for rye in the mash bill. The Weller brand falls under the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve umbrella.

Eva Al-Gharaballi, bartender at Datz in St. Petersburg, Florida

My favorite tasting whiskey has always been Angels Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This whiskey is finished in port wine barrels and has robust flavors of vanilla throughout. It is a small-batch whiskey aged up to six years with just a touch of sweetness that goes great with a big rock of ice.

Tommy Ergle, bar manager at Dr. BBQ in St. Petersburg, Florida

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon must always be in a whiskey drinkers collection. Its hints of cherry, licorice, and honey that hit your nose are incredibly vibrant and inviting. The cherry, licorice, and mahogany tasting notes give it such a warm finish that really leaves it second-to-none in my book.

Jerry Shaffer, food and beverage manager at Embassy Suites Napa in Napa, California

My pick for best tasting whiskey is Bookers because of its flavors of oak tannin, smoky vanilla, mocha and coffee, and intense finish.

Anthony Aviles, General Manager at Jack Dusty in Sarasota, Florida

If youre willing to spend the coin on it, Whistle Pig Old World is tops of my list and worth every penny. The sweet and salty notes, richness, complexity, and smooth finish are able to stand up to just about any other $90 plus bottle of whiskey Ive come across.

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

Son of Bourye from High West is a fantastic blend of bourbon and rye that you were not expecting. The spice of the rye and the smoothness of the bourbon absolutely crush in this bottling.

Damian Langarica, head bartender at a.bar in Philadelphia

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is the perfect whiskey for those who love scotch (or bourbon). Its aged in two different barrels. The second one being an extra charred barrel, for some extra smokiness.

Emmanuelle Massicot, beverage director of Kata Robata in Houston

As a scotch drinker, I also enjoy Japanese whiskies and I like Hakushu. Everyone goes for Hibiki or Yamazaki from Suntory but Hakushu 18 has a bit of a peatiness that is reminiscent of scotch.

Marta De La Cruz Marrero, food and beverage supervisor of Burlock Coast in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Glenlivet 21 year is quite full and rich. There are notes of sandalwood and pine with a resinous note. Potpourri creeps in with barley sugar and cereal notes with acacia honey. The palate is rich and full. There are notes of oily walnuts and winter fruitcake with spice and sugar. The finish is long and sweet with a soft, chewy oakiness.

Stephen Potter, lead bartender at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Jeffersons Ocean has to be one of my favorites. They float the casks in seawater for three years. The nose is just that the ocean. I havent found the salted caramel flavor in many other bottles.

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Bartenders Tell Us The Best-Tasting Whiskies They've Ever Tried Wonderfully Curated News - Register

Dalia Maeroff | Staff Illustrator

Its October. Im exhausted, the stars are exhausted and Im sure youre exhausted. Take a break from your midterms and endless Zoom calls to see what kind of advice and insight the stars have decided you need this month.

Aries (March 21April 19): This month, the stars want you to know that if youre super burnt out from staring at your laptop screen for the better part of every day, they support you in throwing your computer away Ron Swanson-style. Its a reasonable solution. Plus, with your computer gone, you will no longer be obligated to log into Zoom just to stare at black boxes with your classmates names on them. Maybe you could use your newfound free time to take up a cool, autumnal hobby like knitting or baking!

Taurus (April 20May 20): You might be feeling a little spacey this month, Taurus. Try not to get too frustrated. Sometimes, your mind just needs a break, and its okay if a cumulonimbus cloud has taken up permanent residence in your brain. Call it autumnal ambiance or something. I dunno. My point is be gentle with yourself. Stuff is hard these days, and its natural to need a break from thinking and working and being productive all the time. The stars say you should make time to take a break.

Gemini (May 21June 20): Youre gonna have to stay vigilant this month, Gemini. Things at work might get rocky, especially if youre starting a new job or negotiating a new contract whatever that means. Read the terms and conditions, the fine print and the footnotes on everything. Im not saying you need to be paranoid, per se, but you do need to look out for number one thats you, in this case. Dont accept anything unless youre like 98% satisfied.

Cancer (June 21July 22): As Halloween approaches, you may start to crave some of the sweeter things in life, dear Cancer. While that is understandable, be cautious in your pursuit. Some sweet things might come directly to you, and they may manifest as a bag of Halloween candy that is sent to your apartment in an unexpected package with no return address and no note explaining it. You might be tempted to eat the candy, especially because it contains your favorite kind of sour gummy worms, but you should not. Maybe its true that good things come to those who wait, but mysterious candy is NOT one of those things.

Leo (July 23Aug. 22): This October, the stars have decided you get to be as indecisive as your heart desires! No longer do you have to feel guilty for holding up the line at the coffee shop when you cant decide if you want hot or iced coffee its a hard decision anyway, since its 40 degrees in the morning and 70 in the afternoon. Like, how does one choose the right kind of coffee for the weather when the weather cant make up its mind? Well, now you dont have to, Leo. Just stand in line all day pretending like youre deep in thought about it. Its all good.

Virgo (Aug. 23Sept. 22): You might be feeling like your life isnt fair this month, Virgo. Maybe you have tons of assignments piling up, two exams on the same day, or one of your TAs didnt give you partial credit on a question you totally deserved partial credit on. I dont know your life. What I do know is that the stars told me to tell you that crying, Its not fair! at any minor inconvenience makes you sound like Sarah from the 1986 film Labyrinth which isnt exactly a good look. If you dont believe me, watch Labyrinth and see for yourself. (If you do believe me, but you havent seen the film, go watch it anyway. Its a classic.)

Libra (Sept. 23Oct. 22): Now that Libra season is in full swing, its your chance to show the world whos boss. Youve gotta let the world know that youre at your peak right now, and that youre not afraid of anything the universe plans to throw at you this month. The stars think you should loudly announce this to anyone and everyone you encounter from your roommates to the other kids in your completely silent breakout room. Bonus points if you put on jeans, boots, and cable knit sweater while you do so just for the autumn aesthetic.

Scorpio (Oct. 23Nov. 21): You may need some extra comfort this month, Scorpio. The stars and I agree that the best way for you to self-soothe is to indulge in as many pumpkin flavored foods and drinks as you can physically stomach. Live your autumnal dream. Eat a pumpkin muffin for breakfast, paired with a pumpkin spice latte. Have pumpkin soup for lunch. Go to Girasole in Shadyside for dinner and order their pumpkin ravioli this one isnt optional. That ravioli is life-changing.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22Dec. 21): This month, you might find yourself scrambling to get things done. While this is understandable things are crazy right now, in case you somehow missed that you need to stay organized. And I dont mean organized like every breath Im going to take for the next week is scheduled down to the second. I just mean make sure you stay as on top of things as possible, and try not to let things fall through the cracks. This might seem like its just good advice for everyone, but I know you need to hear it, Sagittarius. You can thank me later.

Capricorn (Dec. 22Jan. 19 ): You might start to go stir crazy this month, Capricorn. Thats perfectly fine, so long as you have a plan to work against it. On days that you have to sit on Zoom for 10 hours straight, plan to get outside. Go to Schenley and take a walk around the park look out for any changing leaves. Toward the end of the month, you could even take a night walk through South Oakland and look for people trying to have Halloweekend even though they know full well theyre being selfish and irresponsible. Whether you judge them or not, the stars want you to pat yourself on the back for having more common sense than them.

Aquarius (Jan. 20Feb. 18): This month, the stars want you to avoid frivolity and hedonism. I know thats probably not what you want to hear, Aquarius, but the stars never lie. Simplicity is key for your October. All you really need is a cup of tea and a fireplace YouTube video. Settle down with a book or your pet or something I dont know. Just stare into the virtual flames and let your mind go blank. Is it a perfect substitute for an actual fireplace? No, not really, but youve just gotta make do.

Pisces (Feb. 19March 20): Great news, Pisces! Halloween is coming early this year! The stars said you should dress up in your wackiest costume make sure it includes a mask for pandemic safety and start going door to door demanding that whoever opens their door to you gives you candy. There are many, many benefits to this getting out of your dorm/apartment/house, interacting with people, avoiding homework and getting free candy to name a few and absolutely no downsides. What are you waiting for? Go get changed and get your candy!

Paige writes primarily about environmental policy and politics when shes not divining the stars, that is. Tell Paige if her horoscopes are accurate at [emailprotected]

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Satire | October Horoscopes - University of Pittsburgh The Pitt News

For New Jersey youth in the 70s and 80s, visiting (and surviving) Action Park was a rite of passage. The sprawling combination of water park, motor park and general bacchanal was the brainchild of Gene Mulvihill, a disgraced former penny-stock pusher who counted the cash as his park became a rule-free stew of dangerous rides, teen guests, teen employees, raging hormones, 80s-style machismo and booze.

The HBO Max original documentary Class Action Park (one of the parks winking nicknames; Traction Park was another) attempts a tricky balancing act, reveling in the hedonism of the attraction while treating the consequences of that hedonism with appropriate gravitas. The directors Chris Charles Scott and Seth Porges sneak the viewer behind the turnstiles by deploying John Hodgmans wry narration, giddily kitschy archival materials and interviews with park employees, celebrity patrons and journalists. Scott and Porges spend a fair amount of their running time on a detailed walk-through of the rides (many of them designed by people on the fringes of the industry) and their various corresponding dangers and injuries as well as the shamelessly shady business practices of its owner.

The grimness begins to creep in around the hour mark, as cheerful injuries and battle scars give way to horrifying stories of electrocution and drowning, as well as details behind the parks first death, the 19-year-old George Larsson Jr., complete with wrenching testimonials by his surviving family. Shockingly, there were five more deaths in the next seven years; the filmmakers detail how Mulvihill used his increasing power, influence and checkbook to dodge responsibility for them.

Class Action Park loses its footing somewhat in the closing passages; Scott and Porges dont seem to know quite how to wrap things up, and the films big tonal shift is a turning point that is all but impossible to come back from. (The incongruent feel-good vibe of the Holladay Brothers score does more harm than good.) But that shift is effective, and necessary, slyly replicating the experience of visiting Action Park itself: its all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

Class Action Park

Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes. Watch on HBO Max.

Continue reading here:

Class Action Park Review: Thanks for the Injuries - The New York Times

International Teachers of Pop released their nostalgically-futuristic Pop Gossip yesterday. Bombastic, brash and up-to-the-minute despite all the 1980's pomp, it's an album that lives and breathes club culture and hedonism. We love it. And we wanted to find out more. So we spoke to Leonore Wheatley and Adrian Flanagan about it...

Read on to delve deep into the big shoulder padded, gatefold sleeved, fairylight synth stabbing world of Pop Gossip.

Leonore Wheatley: I think Disco as a genre gets a bad rep. People will moan "ugh I can't stand Disco it's well cheesy" but then they'll listen to something which has heavily sampled it, or put on a Todd Terje record and dance around their house.I teach Music at a secondary school in Manchester and I think that from having to sit down and analyse different musical styles and then teach them, you see where influencers have come from and how important their role on the musical timeline is. 'Don't Diss The Disco' is a homage to that really, lyrically coming from the perspective of maybe taking something to enhance that experience or the internal feeling of the music; 'enter my mouth, slip down my tongue, fall in my arms, breathe through my lungs'. Imagine the absolute chaos of Studio 54?! I doubt there will ever be anything as outrageous as Grace Jones riding a horse through the middle of a packed club - not legally anyway - but living in Manchester there are still some people trying to keep the hedonism alive and I think Homoelectric is one of them. In fact I was in the pub the other day and someone I met on my last Homoelectric before lockdown was there too, the excitement and joy from that night was still as fresh as it was in February, the disco/club/fabulous community still in full swing as it was in the 70's.

LW: Strap in! Hold tight! Gaslighting in the moonlight! you take those tales you're telling me, and turn them to reality'. [Gaslighting is] a concept which has been around for quite a few decades since playwright Patrick Hamilton coined the term in the 30's with his play of the same name, the term 'gaslighting' has recently been given a new lease of life through social media platforms, empowering people to speak up, acknowledging what it means and how to spot it. As someone who has fallen victim to gaslighting the best way to describe it is utter confusion and hopelessness, where that person starts to change how you see yourself and your own identity; 'frog is in the frying pan, make me lose who I am, becoming you to be me, I'm not me.' The music itself can be quite menacing, it has a deep descending bassline but the strings add an element of hope, although that hope can seem far in the distance and the darkness takes over once again. The main feeling of this track is a sense of travelling, wanting to get away or escape, a modern-day Thelma and Louise. Ultimately 'Gaslight' is written from the victim's perspective whilst they're still in the depths of its grasp. I think I wanted to give hints of the signs of gaslighting within the lyrics, just in case anyone could relate and then may have some strength to speak up. We all need to have each other's backs, no matter what format it comes in!

LW: Following on from the dark feeling of 'Gaslight', 'I Stole Yer Plimsolls' is a more comedic reaction to past relationships. I attended Sheffield University in 2005 when indie nights at local grubby pubs and cheap lager was in full force and with that came indie boys and girls, who were never too far away from waking up on a random coach, making loose relationships and then outstaying their welcome by about 6 months. Unfortunately, I think some people are still trying to rock that look 12 years later: "windswept, cigarette, always in a cold sweat, look at you, 32, walking around without your shoe". When it came to getting Jason Williamson involved I couldn't believe he agreed as there wasn't anyone else more perfect to collaborate with on this track.He mentioned that he was once very similar to the type of 'softboi' we were describing and so maybe it was his way to redeem a bit of that guilt: we pretty much guilt tripped him into collaborating! Jason travelled to Sheffield to record his part and he pretty much just riffed it. After a bit of amateur dramatics fake arguing to get him in the mood, he managed to channel into his past demons and came up with the goods. There should be a separate track just for the outtakes, I nearly had an aneurism trying to hold in the laughter whilst he was recording.

LW: This song is about climate change. As I've mentioned before I'm a teacher for my day job, and so you do have a responsibility to discuss day to day issues and answer difficult questions about them.I also think that because it is what I do Mon-Fri it's hard to switch off from those issues and so lyrics tend to be a little bit more politically-based sometimes because you're so absorbed in the life of learning and teaching throughout the week. Last year lots of kids went on the climate strike, and we really started to see a change in ownership of the planet and their future. Children are acting way more responsibly than older generations and are articulate with it. Have you ever been to a school debate recently? They are so passionate. I teach in an inner-city school and so many kids are faced with challenges daily, where they argue and fight for what they know is right. So why not have a pumping dance track where the lyrics are about environmental issues and how complacent we can be?I also like the concept of that juxtaposition of a club/synth anthem mixed with lyrics based on global events heard on the news. It's like some kind of subliminal message, "here, dance to this but also be politically aware while you're at it!"

LW: I was listening a lot to Solange when I was thinking of the melody for this one. It's a lot different to the other tracks; always nice to throw in a cheeky curve ball. Normally Adrian and Dean will send me the instrumentals in advance and I'll tend to write some basic lyrics and melodies before our recording sessions. I remember I had written something completely different at first and it just wasn't working, I think because it was such a different vibe to what we had already got in the pipeline it was a switch in genre and so that's like stopping the train completely and changing tracks! We slept on it and that night I listened to Solange's second album When I Get Home and I just love how delicate her voice is and the harmonies are like they've been blown in on a summer breeze. Obviously, I thought I'd have a go. When writing lyrics sometimes I need the melody first, it helps me to form the shape of the lyrics and the word sounds.Lyrically it's mainly about being caught up in a thunder storm after the leaving the house on a sunny day without a brolly. Which I do quite often. Ironically living in Manchester I don't think I currently own one. So not the warm West Coast tones of Solange but more the unpredictable sounds of the North West.

LW: I think of all the tracks we've done this is the one that is most classic School Disco Cheese Pop and it's also the track which features main vocals of Katie Mason, who is my partner in crime on and off stage and has been for 20 years.As the title suggests, this is written about Prince and our love of him. Growing up he was my idol, and I was lucky to see him at Manchester Academy on his tour in 2014, not knowing at the time that it would be his last. "When I heard the news I went a little crazy, and the music then became a little hazy, I'd die for a chance to see you once again, our one and only Prince amongst men."I was doing Dry February and so pushed my way to be 14 people from the front and stayed there for the full 3 hour set.It's amazing how much you realise you miss when you're not frequently going to the bar and back. Prince and his all-female fronted band was probably the best live show I'd ever seen: I wanted to dedicate something to him. Dean and Adrian had already written this amazing instrumental which was like a mixture between 'Let's Go Crazy' and Yazz's 'The Only Way is Up', so the lyrics fall somewhere being upset about Prince passing away, but then on the chorus celebrating his legacy and wanting to learn from him because he was fucking ace.

LW: Ahhh internet dating. It's an absolute minefield and puts you off dating for life. I must have installed and deleted a few different apps over the course of 2 years, with probably only ever going on 4 dates in total as it would put me in total fear and panic that I was making a huge mistake. Maybe the gaslighting years had a bit of an effect...anyway, you see a lot of profiles of individuals hopefully giving away their stats and interests like it was a meat raffle at Bury market. And I started to notice that instead of people (and this includes myself) saying exactly what they thought of themselves, people would try and appeal more to what their ideal woman or man would want them to be, to adhere to the 'norm' which for me completely takes the fun and human feeling out of the process of getting to know someone: "you like your morning walks, take yoga seriously, in love with Sartre books, a blatant fitness freak, you say you're 6ft1 although begrudgingly, you love your neighbour's dog."By the way, there is totally nothing wrong with liking going to the gym, but I wouldn't necessarily call it part of your personality. We also decided to add an extract from 'The Age of Reason' just to send it a little bit more over the edge of Tinder pretence "who is it, that's cruel, jealous, hard, who cheats, when he can, hold, a card."

Adrian Flanagan: The title for this was taken from my old friend & journalist Martin Lilleker's book on Sheffield music in the 80's/90's. Martin was one of the first people I met when I moved to Sheffield from Salford: in fact he reviewed my very first Sheffield band for the local paper and gave us a pasting, he basically said my band was crap but "Adrian has something about him, I'm just not sure he has worked out what that is yet"..and he was right..After that I sacked that band off, went solo, started working with Sheffield producers Dean Honer & Ross Orton and everything changed.

Martin was a massive supporter through a lot of my musical projects, certainly locally and for the past 20 years I've kind of existed semi-professionally on the fringes of the music industry because of that one crap review..as a begrudging oddity! We became pretty close pals for years, we'd go to gigs together, hang out in the pub or he'd invite me over to his and we'd just play each other records all night, whilst drinking lots of wine. He even got me writing reviews of touring artists that he didn't like or random pop bands as he knew it would appeal to my twisted sense of humour. I wrote a great one about that awful pop group Hear'Say: Martin said he got loads of complaints off teeneage girls to the newspaper after it. Unfortuantly Martin got very ill and died a few years back which was tragic and really hurt, made worse as I couldn't attend his funeral as thousands of pounds on flights had been booked for a Moonlandingz session in upstate New York. I guess this little tribute to him is my way of saying both thank you and goodbye. He was just a really sweet guy, if you were out with him it was like being out with a celebrity as just everyone gravitated towards him to say "hello" or have a chat or some young kids wanting to give him their demos. A big loss personally and a big loss to Sheffield's music community.

AF: This is a cover of the Pink Floyd song 'Another Brick in the Wall' which is something that we have done in our live set since our very first live shows supporting Jarvis Cocker in a cave in Derbyshire. When we got the nod off Jarv that we were to do these shows with him we only had about 5 songs and needed to extend our set so we chucked in this Krafterwerkian type cover version of Pink Floyd and it ended up becomimg a staple of the live set as people really like it. It was my idea to sing it in German as I'm very against Brexit; very against leaving the EU. I wanted to annoy those fucking idiots who voted Leave.

As an artistic statement I wanted it to be a nod also to all the great things musically that were awarded to us by European musicians and artists and by being a part of Europe. Why anyone wouldn't want to be part of a universal community is beyond me. England is becoming a scary place to be: not only have we a pandemic to deal with and how that's impacting on everyone's lives and livelihoods, but we are being run in to the dirt by these complete fucking imbeciles who havent got a clue what they are doing, who are not only willing to murder half the nation with their 'go to work - but dont go to work' codswallop, but are about to plunge us into being this shitty little insignificant joke of an Island that will be riddled with homelessness. If i could afford it, I'd leave this country in a shot. Alas Im probably dooomed to be fighting over a shop doorway sleeping spot outside HMV. How have we allowed these fuckers to get us in such a mess, I'm truly ashamed to call myself English!

LW: Feminine + Energy = Femenenergy is a newly trademarked term by The International Teachers of Pop and it's a word which celebrates womxn, from all corners of the earth and the power that comes with it. ITOP has two driving forces behind it in my opinion. There is that of the studio, which you can't argue that Dean and Adrian rule the roost, and therefore the masculine drive is very present. However, on stage is where womxn have total power and I love every second of it. It's not every day where you're allowed to piss about on stage with your best mate in front of an audience and the bouncers aren't trying to drag you off your platform for being 20 tequila shots down and forcing people to do the Macarena. When we threw 'Femenenergy' into the mix and started to play it live I felt a change where both myself and Katie felt allowed to grab onto our own sexual power without care or worry. For some reason (maybe growing up in the 90's surrounded by bubble-gum pop) the thought of being sexy on stage felt out of our comfort zone, something the younger and more polished acts do. But then we thought fuck it, it's way more important to normalise womxn everywhere to completely express themselves the way that is inspiring for themselves and in turn for others. I think if we can go on stage with that mind set, anyone can and they should, and that's what it's all about, that's power and that's what 'Femenenergy' is all about. "Feminine ways, we entice you, we ignite you."

LW: As we come to the end of the record 'The Tower' is a final message to our younger listeners who I spend most of my life with when I'm not gigging or on tour. It's come at a time when politically I can't think of many leaders I wouldn't want to throw in the Tower of London. I think sometimes it's common to mistake pop as casual, where it shouldn't be the place you talk about serious issues, but Jarvis Cocker has done it for years and throughout the 60's/70's protest songs were part of popular culture: it's strange that we decided to deem it unnecessary in recent times. I also think that it's a huge platform to reach people of so many ages so why not talk about the corruption of our own government? "Children, welcome to heaven, where wealth is based on inheritance given, try not to be angry, you'll live as long as you're selling your country". I think it's absolutely the right time to speak up and be open about our views on the world, without being worried about the kind of backlash it will cause, I think they have bigger worries than an ITOP record. It's more about building that bond with others, sharing and connecting ideas and ideals and listening to an explosion of synth pop. "Take them to the tower it's a beautiful day, take them away take them away, can you hear the ravens call?"

AF: Another one of my great choruses (laughs) - we wrote this on the day The Queen kicked Prince Andrew out of her gaff, all our tunes will become incredibly relevant or bite you on your arse when you least expect it..

Read our review of Pop Gossip here.

Read more from the original source:

Track by Track: International Teachers of Pop on the bombastic Pop Gossip | Gigwise - Gigwise

"I wish I had good news on this, but certainly recessions hit the young the hardest."

The Roaring 20s one hundred years ago will forever be linked with a Golden Age of glittering decadence,Gatsby-esque hedonism and social upheaval a decade bookended by the Spanish Flu pandemic, and the Great Depression.

Unfortunately for this generation weve skipped over the fun bit and landed smack bang in the middle of the painful part.

Today Australia officially entered a recession, and young people are being told to brace themselves for the impact. Were not just talking about the impacts were already seeing (rising unemployment, sluggish wage growth, inaccessible housing options), but the impacts on our bank accounts that will continue to bite years after the recession is over.

Heres what you need to know about how it might affect you.

Australia is officially in its first recession for almost three decades. Its not as bad as the Great Depression of the 1930s, but its worse than the recession of the 1990s.

As a rule of thumb, a recession is when Australias economic growth goes backwards for two consecutive quarters.

Economic growth is tied to its gross domestic product (GDP), which is the value of goods and services produced by a country stuff like exports, household spending, government spending and business investment.

Our economy declined by 0.3 percent in the March quarter; today we found out the June quarter contracted by 7 percent, the worst fall on record.

For comparison, the 1990s recession we had to have saw the economy shrink by 1.3 percent.

We already knew this was coming todays official GDP figures just confirmed what we expected.

Thats because coronavirus restrictions came into effect towards the end of the March quarter, which means the economy was going backwards before the worst of the pandemic.

The figures from today also dont reflect the massive economic hit from Victorias second wave, so prepare yourselves for more bad news down the track.

Dr Andrew Leigh has been there he graduated high school during the last recession.

The Federal MP is now theShadow Assistant Minister for Treasury and Charities, and spoke to Junkee about what the news means for young people.

I wish I had good news on this, but certainly recessions hit the young the hardest, he said.

Youre probably already feeling the impacts of this.

If youre out of work, its going to be harder to find a job. If youve landed a job, youre unlikely to get a pay rise. If youve kept your existing job, you might see your hours or pay cut.

Dr Leigh himself graduated in 1990, when Australia was entering its last recession. While he went on to further study to be an economist his friends and classmates who entered the labour market faced a huge struggle to find work.

I was certainly very influenced by seeing the human suffering that accompanied the early 1990s recession, he said.

The fact that it was the fault of these external circumstances and yet classmates of mine were paying the price, it really moved me away from any notion that life is all about how hard you work and your kind of moral character.

Sometimes bad luck just comes along and hits people. Thats what happened to people who left school in the early 90s, and its whats happening to people who are leaving school today.

Its the responsibility of policy makers to take the edges off that bad luck, even if we cant make it go away.

Even with government subsidies like JobKeeper, weve seen huge employment losses for the first time in 60 years, less than half our national income is going to employees (despite company profits rising by 11.4 percent thanks JobKeeper).

Despite those lost wages many households saw their income increase thanks to welfare payments like JobSeeker, which saved us from falling further into the hole.

We know that low-income earners are more likely to increase discretionary spending (good for the economy!) when they get a financial boost, whereas high-income earners are more likely to tighten the purse strings (bad for the economy!).

Thats why people are arguing that cutting those welfare payments (which the government is planning to do this month) would be a very bad idea.

Australias unemployment rate is currently at 7.5 percent its expected to reach 10 percent by Christmas.

Thats particularly bad news for young people because of a little thing called economic scarring.Weve done a bit of an explainer on this phenomenon before, which you can read more onhere.

Simply put, economic scarring refers to the long-term consequences that a downturn can have on people just entering the workforce.

Basically, youll be earning less (for longer), which puts you on the back foot compared to previous generations. Youll also be more likely to accept a lowly-paid job, or a job beneath your qualifications, which means it takes longer to climb the career ladder. This affects workers earning potential for years after a recession has officially ended.

Unemployment takes twice as long to come back down as it did to go up, because employment relationships, like emotional relationships, are easier to break than they are to create, Dr Leigh said.

Right now we know that theres 13 or 14 job seekers for every available job, so its an incredibly tough time to be looking for work.

Anything you can do to upskill in the current climate is a great idea vocational training, online learning, university study, it should all be on the table. But, as with everything, its not that simple.

As you might recall, in June the government decided to hike the price of some uni degrees to try and funnel people into certain more employable fields. Thats seriously limited students choice, especially those interested in humanities (the cost of which will more than double).

Dr Leigh called that a crazy decision.

This is the worst time to be curtailing opportunities to do vocational studies or go to university.Weve got to beopening upthose places because theres not the jobs available, so people need to train, he said.

Capping places and rising prices I think, to me, shows that the government dont see this through the eyes of young people. They dont realise what its like for a young person to be, in some cases, effectively shut out of thelabourmarket.In that environment the moral obligation of those who are in government is to create other pathways, provide people with other productive things to do.

In Question Time yesterday the Prime Minister was asked why the government is cutting JobKeeper. This month the wage subsidy will fall from $1,500 to $1,200 a fortnight, and less for people working less than 20 hours a week.

In response Scott Morrison said theyre hoping to see fewer businesses having to rely on JobKeeper to pay staff wages.

And we will continue to calibrate these measures, as we have always done, in response to the economic circumstances that we face. And that has been one of the haul marks of the governments response: To be balanced, to be carefully considered, to understand what can be sustained over the short, medium and longer term, to put in place the supports that Australians need but to also ensure that when businesses are in a position to employ again that they can do so.

In short: theyre not ruling out cutting income support.

Groups are also continuing to fight for a permanent increase to JobSeeker. The dole rate was effectively doubled by the coronavirus supplement, but come September 25 that payment will drop from $550 a fortnight to $250.

View post:

Junk Explained: Why Recessions Hit Young People The Hardest - Junkee

Streaming recommendation of the week 9/4/20

Shanice Gitau, Contributing ReporterSeptember 4, 2020

Trigger Warning: Sexual assault, rape.

Scrolling through HBO one day, looking for something new to watch, I was pleasantly surprised to come across I May Destroy You, a new BBC series written by and starring the phenomenal British-Ghanian screenwriter Michaela Coel. As a huge fan of her sitcom, Chewing Gum, about one religious 24-year-olds quest to lose her virginity, and familiar with her more serious transcontinental drama, Black Earth Rising, which explored the consequences of the Rwandan genocide from the perspective of an adopted survivor, I expected great things from this show.

It is safe to say that I May Destroy You smashed every expectation. Coel seamlessly blends humor and painfully realistic depictions of trauma to explore consent, race and friendship in the messy world of millennial hedonism. Coels acute and tender writing easily makes it one of the best dramas of the year.

The series follows Arabella, an up-and-coming writer, as she recollects the pieces of her life after being drugged and raped at a bar in London. She leans on her best friends, Terry and Kwame, for emotional support, and with a new perspective, reevaluates the relationships she has with friends, family and her career.

One would think that no TV writer could approach such heavy content with comedy, but Coel owns her story by re-telling it from in a voice thats uniquely hersnuanced and empathetic, yet powerful and unflinchingly funny.

Thats right, the show is based on Coels own experience with sexual assault. The same way Arbellas character attempts to heal her trauma through writing, Coel repackages hers into this wide-spanning series that reveals the complex, painful journey of recovering from sexual assault through creative processes and intense introspection. The result is an unsettling, groundbreaking project that will rightfully leave you questioning the way society treats women and especially Black women.

Tying this show together is a cast of unapologetically Black characters, whose own moral quandaries we see explored across different episodes. Pleasure-seeking Kwame struggles with meaningful romantic connections after endless Grindr exploits, and Terry is an aspiring actress that still struggles to be seen or heard, even in her sisterhood with Arabella.

Examining the intersections of racism and sexuality in a supposedly post-racial society, certain scenes beg certain questions: What is it like to be queer and African? Where does preference turn into stereotypes and fetish? What is consent and what isnt? Therein each episode lies a clear answer, but Coel would also much rather leave us to endure disquieting visual cues and open endings that force us to wonder, What would I do in this situation? and What should I do?

While most of us crumble in fear when faced with moral ambiguity, Coel stands up, and with a voice that speaks from experience, points out the hazy line that separates right from wrong. This project came just at the right time. On the eve of global racial unrest and at the peak of an era of survivors ending their silencea movement affecting our own campus here at Case Western Reserve UniversityI May Destroy You is a revolutionary must-watch.

See the original post here:

I May Destroy You: The HBO series about consent we should all be watching (Trigger Warning-sexual assault, rape) - The Observer

Were digging deep into the Far Out Magazine vault to bring you a special moment between two of the most influential artists to have ever walked planet earth; David Bowie and the Velvet Undergrounds John Cale.

Bowie made no secret of his huge admiration for The Velvet Underground throughout his glittering career, living his life entirely obsessed by the New York street culture, that was so perfectly defined in their records. Its a fascination that began after his then-manager, Ken Pitt, had visited iconic artist Andy Warhols Factory studio and returned to London with an acetate copy ofThe Velvet Underground & Nico.

The rumour goes that Bowie began performing songs from the album almost immediately after receiving the record. In fact, he was the first artist to perform the VUs songs in Britain. So, when Bowie eventually became friends with Lou Reed, John Cale and the rest of the band, its little surprise that he would end up collaborating musically with a lot of them.

In 1978, during a long, frivolous and somewhat debauched session in New York City, Cale and Bowie put some infamous jam sessions to tape. The results are a sparkling reminder of the rock n roll lifestyle they all led.

On the back cover of one recording of a bootleg single, the 45 rpm 7 description read: On October 5, 1978, David Bowie and John Cale went into the Ciarbis Studio, which is located on top of a house or apartment complex in the city of New York. They recorded some songs there. Here are some results of these unique rehearsals!

According to Cales own words, his artistic relationship with Bowie was so strong that he could never sit at the mixing desk and produce his work, as Bowie had done for Lou Reed. Instead, the duo preferred to have fun with music together, playing a few live shows and secretly jamming together. David and I didnt actually meet until I first went back to New York, after Id done Patti [Smith]. When we did that bootleg, it was like the good old bad old days. We were partying very hard. It was exciting working with him, as there were a lot of possibilities and everything, but we were our own worst enemies at that point, Cale has previously said.

The Velvet Underground man added: We also played that show for Steve Reich and Philip Glass. That was a lot of fun. That was when we were hanging out, so I asked David if hed like to come and play Sabotage with me. I ended up teaching him the viola part, which he had a whack at and then ended up playing on stage for the first time.

Acknowledging both Bowies and his own ability to fall headfirst into a pool of hedonism, Cale would prefer to keep the session between them purely fun, Did I ever want to produce Bowie? After spending time with him, I realised the answer was no. The way we were then would have made it too dangerous. Cale, is, of course, referring to the duos penchant for debauchery and theres a good case for seeing why working with one another would be too much to bear.

Cale continued: He could improvise songs very well, which was what that bootleg was all about. The great thing about when we met and then started hanging out in the 70s was that he would say [puts on thick Welsh accent] Thats Dai Jones from Wales, isnt it? He loved all that. That set us off. We got along really well, but most of what we were doing was just partying.

They may well have been partying a lot and drinking far too much but judging by the sessions below there was most definitely a Cale-produced album in there somewhere. It may have produced the same quality of work as the last Velvet Underground/Bowie crossover, Transformer.

Alas, we will never have the chance to see or hear such a thing. That said, we do have these candid moments between not only two of the most influential artists of modern music, but two good mates, David and John.

Enjoy a sample of the demos, below.

(Via: Dangerous Minds)

Go here to see the original:

Remembering the time David Bowie and John Cale got wasted and jammed, 1978 - Far Out Magazine

Provided by Evening Standard

They say a writers environment is key to their creative process, so its no wonder Carder Stouts new memoir has received rave five-star reviews.

The Los Angeles film producer turned Hollywood therapist is showing me around the room where hes counselled Oscar and Grammy-winners, exchanged nostalgic lockdown emails with BFF Gwyneth Paltrow and most recently written a 300-page book about his escapades with old friends Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Anna Wintour.

The desk I can see over Zoom overlooks the Topanga Canyon in the Santa Monica mountains where Jimi Hendrix had a house and Neil Young wrote his album After the Gold Rush, and the room itself is the very space where record producer Steven Kipner wrote classics such as Olivia Newton-Johns Physical and Christina Aguileras Genie in a Bottle. Kipner owned the house before him, and Stouts now unassuming-looking office was his music studio, so I feel that creative spirit around me, he smiles, pausing occasionally to swat a mosquito.

Californias Covid situation is pretty dire, says Stout, 51, but there are worse places to spend lockdown than his hillside idyll. Mornings begin with praying, meditation and a walk along the beach with his dogs, and days are spent watching his son and daughter playing among olive, lemon and eucalyptus trees outside his window. Old friend Paltrow is always checking in, and five-time Grand Slam doubles winner Rick Leach is giving him tennis lessons.

Its all quite the world away from the focus of his new memoir, Lost In Ghost Town, about his days of drug-dealing, cocaine addiction and narrowly escaping death in the dangerous underbelly of Los Angeless Venice Beach in the early 2000s. But this is the point, says Stout. He wants his book to be a beacon of hope for anyone whos found themselves falling into a time of darkness, to show them there is a way out.

Stout had lived a privileged life before his days on the street. He had affluent parents, attended private school in Washington and later became a high-flying film producer with a plush penthouse in New York and a dinner party set that included the likes of Paltrow and Anna Wintour. Leo [DiCaprio] said that one day he wanted to have muscles like me so he could get the girls Liev [Schrieber] jumped into my blow-up pool with his wallet in his pocket Brad [Pitt] put his arm around me and suggested I put a putting green on my terrace so we could play golf at night, Stout writes among the celebrity anecdotes in his new memoir.

But the glamour and hedonism quickly disappeared when he discovered crack cocaine. Within a four-year period, I had lost it all, says Stout, recalling how he became homeless and fell out of touch with family and friends during those lost years of his early thirties in Ghost Town. The book details his escapades in the hood, from love affairs with prostitutes and escaping murder plots to befriending a fellow dealer named Flyn. Eventually, it was the love of Flyn and his grandmother, who took him into their home, which nurtured him back to health.

Stout credits Paltrow for later helping him realise his dream of becoming a writer. After getting sober and gaining Masters and doctorate degrees in psychology, he began writing for Paltrows lifestyle site Goop five years ago. One blog post denotes his own rock bottom, lying on the cold cement floor of an Albuquerque jail, but it was the response to a particular piece on addiction thats what he calls the tipping point. I said You know what, I can do this, I can sit down and create a schedule for myself and write this book. Two years later he had a finished manuscript.

The memoir is dedicated to Stouts older brother Craig, whom he describes as his hero. Their mother was an alcoholic and father a self-involved narcissistic man, so Craig, 15 months his senior, was his main guardian growing up. Losing Craig to cancer halfway through writing the book was arguably the most difficult period of [Stouts] life, and he is grateful that he was able to read the first half of the memoir to his brother in hospital before he passed away.

In many ways, Stouts own grief has helped him to connect on a deeper level with clients. He never planned to bring his book out during lockdown, but the timing feels fitting. As a psychologist, hes noticed a real uptake in feelings of fear and uncertainty over the last few months. His mission is to help clients use this strange time to their advantage, whether its taking a new class or developing deeper relationships with their children ideas that are just as relevant whether the patient is one of his pro bono clients or an Oscar or Grammy-winner (he insists he has many among his client base).

Stouts children, Sebastian, four, and Maxine, six, have walked in on several A-list therapy sessions over lockdown, but no one has minded, he insists. Celebrities are no different to the rest of us: everyone has experiences with their parents that are difficult, and difficult moments in their life and feelings of insecurity and doubt. We all share their common language of human suffering.

As a dream specialist, Stout is unsurprised many people are experiencing lockdown dreams about their exes because an ex represents a lost love during a collective time of grieving, and hes definitely seen a spike in people turning to drugs and alcohol during quarantine. Hes now 15 years sober so [doesnt] really think about [drugs] anymore himself but sees how people end up going down that track.

How does he look back on his own addiction now? Stout says he no longer feels ashamed or guilty, but this took some time. His wife of eight years, Jennie, knew roughly what had happened in Ghost Town but was shocked to read the details, and he would love for his children to read the book when theyre old enough. There are no secrets I want to keep from them, he says, recalling a moment on his recent US book tour when Sebastian stood beside him on the lectern, holding his hand and beaming with pride while he read a passage about a run-in with a murderous drug dealer.

Stout is currently writing a second book, a self-help guide called Everyone Is An Addict, to demystify the idea that addiction is simply drugs and alcohol, and says hes in talks with British actress Emily Mortimer about her production company turning his memoir into a film. There are a few actors involved already, he teases, tight-lipped on names. Hopefully old pals Leo and Brad will be keen for a re-run.

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Blue sky thinking with the A-list's favourite shrink - MSN UK

"We are ready. We have no choice".

It wasn't the most inspiring battle-cry from Mikel Arteta yesterday when summing up his side's current state ahead of today's Community Shield. In fairness, Jrgen Klopp made similar overtones to the virtual press-pack when he emphatically stated his Liverpool team will be nowhere near their best because, well, how can they be after two weeks training.

There is something to be said for the need for this game in general. It currently feels of less use and relevance than winning the Asia trophy or the Audi Cup in pre-season, peddle Phil Neville and Leon Osman out to lift it to an empty stadium, only this time one so out of necessity, not choice. What to expect on the pitch today is genuinely anyone's guess - and could range from uber conservative, to cricket score, to a post-battle scene from Game of Thrones with wounded men being tended to while horses roam and wild fires smoke.

Indeed, any gloss the Community Shield once had will have fully dissipated come kick-off. That isn't to say both clubs won't be desperate to win sheerly out of hating losing. That competitive element will always remain present, but the barren spell of a whole six days without football means that the transition of season has left many wondering where 2019/20 ended and 2020/21 begins.

For Klopp, this is his most terrifying nightmare becoming a reality. He is a manager who has a checklist of supporter driven intensity, reasonable breaks and rest times for players and a schedule he deems manageable top. He will finally have the end of FA Cup replays and two-legged League Cup ties, but it has come at a cost of what is essentially 12 months of relentless football for his players.

What he has is his team around the team. Nutrition, physiotherapy and sports-science will play a leading role in Liverpool's achievements this season. Keeping the squad fit now matters more than ever before, he will need luck, more importantly he will need the version of his team which won the Champions and Premier League so impressively more than ever before.

Today is another journey, another go on the rollercoaster of Klopp that brings a city to life with a hedonism of relentless togetherness, drive and increasing wall art. Yet everything still somewhat feels on hold, as if waiting to still play the Merseyside derby in March. It's a reality that Klopp has had to adapt to quick. Today is the first day of judgement to how well he and his team have. But with what may transpire to be the mantra of the season, don't judge them too critically given the circumstances.

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Liverpool are ready for another Jrgen Klopp journey, but this one carries biggest warning yet - Liverpool.com

By Zoe Strozewski, Editor-in-Chief | Published by September 1, 2020

As we begin the fall semester, I want to impart a critical plea to my fellow students: do not treat this semester like semesters of the past because it is the opposite of ordinary. The consequences of irresponsible student behavior and a COVID-19 outbreak on campus could be devastating to the Kean community.

Kean has set social distancing guidelines for the semester.Photo courtesy of Kean website

The world has seen a minor return to normalcy, but it has already been proven that we are nowhere near ready to revisit our way of life before COVID-19 became a household name. However, Keans later-than-most start date has given us the chance to witness the consequences of partying in the COVID-19 era and learn from the mistakes of schools that have unsuccessfully tried to reopen.

The University of Connecticut, for example, recently quarantined a dorm of approximately 300 students after their building became a hotspot for COVID-19 infection, according to an article published by the CT Post.

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has already topped 1000 cases between students and employees since reopening, according to the schools COVID-19 dashboard. Additionally, the university has suspended all face-to-face classes and asked residential students to start moving back home.

Regardless of every precaution and safety protocol that Kean has already put in place, this is a future that we will also face if the students themselves dont follow the rules. This three week buffer weve been allotted may be extended into the whole semester faster than you can shotgun a Natural Light.

In many ways, the charm of college is ingrained in breaking the rules, especially for the freshmen. Moving into a dorm and living without the constant supervision of parents is a completely groundbreaking level of independence, and I know that having the traditional college experience is something many high schoolers look forward to.

However, if we prioritize the traditional college experience over staying safe, then we will undoubtedly get shut down again and wont have a college experience period.

As far as breaking rules goes, anything outside of the COVID-19 safety protocols is still fair game. Go break those rules. (That was a joke. Heres another one: three people with COVID-19 walk into a house party. You can probably guess the ending)

Another thing to consider is the financial repercussions the university will face if forced to close again. The previously mentioned University of Connecticut is already facing a $74 million budget deficit due to outbreaks on campus, and that figure could grow substantially if the school fully shuts down, according to an article published by the CT Mirror.

At the end of the Spring 2020 semester, Kean responded to financial difficulties caused by the pandemic by laying off over two dozen faculty and staff and fully cutting some programs, including music, theater education and sustainability science. If irresponsible student behavior caused another campus closure, the resulting financial deficit may result in even more job and program cuts.

So much more is at stake here than a simple bout of the flu. People could lose their jobs, their educational programs, their housing and, ultimately, their lives.

Its important to note that following the rules does not mean students have to be antisocial hermits this semester. There are many ways to spend time with friends without putting the entire campus community at risk. That isnt possible in overfilled dorm rooms or basements that spit on the name of social distancing.

It was a long shot that Kean would open at any capacity this semester. Students have the rest of their lives to have fun, so its critical that we lay low for this semester and stay disciplined. Hedonism and pandemics really dont mix well.

Young people, me included, often have an invincibility complex, but this isnt something we can avoid because of our age. Kean is not going to just get lucky and avoid an outbreak if students resort to their usual hijinks and approach this semester like any other. This school isnt going to miraculously avoid getting shut down just because we want that outcome badly enough.

What happened to UConn and the University of North Carolina will happen to us too if we dont approach these coming months with extreme caution.

My fellow students, if youre not going to do it for yourselves, do it for the professors who are risking their health, as well as their familys, to teach you on campus.

Do it for those with a higher risk of severe illness who will walk onto campus every day scared because they dont have the luxury of being cavalier with their health.

Do it for the students who live in the dorms and will lose their housing if rulebreakers decide to play Russian roulette with a contagious disease.

Do it for the Kean athletes whose seasons were suspended seasons and for the Class of 2020, that had to graduate from college on a laptop because a whole lot of people in this country decided not to take a pandemic seriously.

Do it for the faculty and staff that recently lost their jobs and the students who lost programs theyre passionate about due to COVID-19s financial devastation..

Lastly, do it for the students who dont get the privilege of being on campus this semester. They might be surviving on the possibility of the Kean population avoiding an outbreak so they have a chance of returning next semester. That hope is going to be destroyed the second students choose themselves over the good of the entire school.

Only time will tell whether Kean was equipped to reopen in the first place, but the only way we have any shot at all is if everyone (and I mean everyone) takes personal responsibility. The butterfly effect is real and poignant. It may take one selfish act from an infected person to trigger an outbreak powerful enough to destroy the fragile semester were starting.

This issue, unlike many of the worlds problems, is black and white. Either we do what it takes to keep the campus open, or we dont. Its that simple.

Continued here:

Op-Ed: To My Fellow Students, Please, Just Follow the Rules - The Tower

Last weekend, in a new building with sweeping views of the citys skyline in a gentrifying neighborhood in East Nashville, organizers advertised a party on social media dubbed The V.I.P. Viewing of the Fashion House. Masks were scarce. Hookahs were plentiful. And bodies by the hundreds packed and writhed in tight. Judging by videos posted to Instagram the next day, Nashville looked like it had opened its own Hedonism resort.

One out-of-town attendee, who goes by DaddysJuiced, appeared in a video that showed him on his knees with his face burrowed in the ass of a woman. Framed in one of the homes massive windows, DaddysJuiced did his thing while being gawked at by a long line of people waiting to get inside on the street below.

Just under three miles away, in Nashvilles Broadway entertainment district, a less analingus-centered though similarly batshit scene was unfolding, one that had been going on for weeks. A sign set up in front of the three-tiered drinking temple Honky Tonk Central flashed, Wear Mask Its the Law! but few heeded the punctuation-be-damned mandate. Tourists milled about with masks below their chin, in hand, or without one at all. A photo on social media showed two barefaced bros hoisting beers as they posed for a selfie with Metro Nashville police officers. On the corner of Fifth and Broadway, a stones throw from the Ryman Auditorium, a stretch pickup truck ferried drinkers and their red plastic cups into the night.

Welcome to Nashville during a pandemic, where the party carries on, unabated.

We should have seen it coming. For nearly 10 years, Nashville has cultivated its image as Las Vegas East (its nickname is NashVegas, after all), a city that advertises itself as a tourist-friendly destination to drink to excess and get rowdy. Romanticized as ground zero for rising country singers who play for tips in overhyped cover bars like Tootsies Orchid Lounge and Kid Rocks Badass Honky Tonk and Rock & Roll Steakhouse, the district on weekends pre-pandemic was typically tense and crowded. The threat of a sucker punch feels imminent. Party buses, wagons pulled by tractors, and mobile hot tubs creep by with drunk tourists crammed inside. Its a sad hell that not even Kris Kristofferson could envision in a song.

Up until this weekend, little of this had changed during the pandemic. Nashville, while publicly trying to combat a raging virus, remained addicted to tourism. In early July, just a few days after the city abruptly canceled its Fourth of July fireworks spectacle because of a surge in Covid-19 cases, the citys Twitter account asked, Whats your first stop in Nashville? Most replies referenced various bars and landmarks; a few tweeted hospital or Covid test. It wasnt an overt call to visit, but nonetheless, tourists came.

The city has been sending mixed signals, says Erin McAnally, a writer and consultant who, with business partner Chelsea Crowell, published a joint op-ed last week about the ongoing Broadway problem in the Tennessee Lookout. They cant have it both ways, she tells Rolling Stone. You cant leave it open to interpretation and have tourists coming or sending out these signifiers that bring more tourists here.

Nashville is making some modest progress in battling the surge infections were averaging around 400 a day last month before dropping to its current daily levels of 250 but not with any help from the rotating cast of partygoers. Only over the past three days, after Nashville mayor John Cooper vowed last Tuesday to get things under control, have masks become a more common sight downtown. Following Coopers lead, Metro police made their first arrest on Wednesday for a mask violation a 61-year-old black man who gave his address as the Nashville Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter. (The charges were later dropped.) On Friday, MNPD issued 20 citations and made one arrest; Saturday saw 18 citations and three arrests.

Along with (finally) enforcing the mask mandate and shutting down the transpotainment industry of party buses that circle downtown, the mayor implemented a new public-health order on Saturday that prohibited restaurants and bars in downtown and midtown from selling to-go alcohol. The inclusion of the midtown neighborhood, near historic Music Row, underscores how the Broadway behavior, like the virus itself, has been spreading. Bars in midtown have been busy, and last weekend, members of a bachelorette party acted out in the citys Gulch neighborhood, with one attendee allegedly intentionally coughing on a restaurant employee after being reprimanded for moving tables in violation of the eaterys social-distancing policy.

Nashville currently has a mask mandate in place, no bars are allowed to be open, and all restaurants must end dine-in service at 10 p.m. Its imperative for our visitors to comply with these restrictions, Dr. Alex Jahangir, chair of the Nashville Covid-19 task force and Nashville health board, tells Rolling Stone. We dont want their trip to Nashville to end with them contracting the virus here and taking it back home. While many of our more healthy and younger visitors may not care if they get the virus, if they take it back to their communities, they can infect family or friends who may not be as tolerant of the virus and end up in the hospital or morgue. One careless weekend of fun in Nashville isnt worth that long-term consequence.

Tourists taking the virus home with them is an ongoing concern, and one that remains difficult to track. Contact tracing is abysmal, says McAnally, who contracted Covid-19 alongside her husband.

With mandates now being enforced, there are signs the party culture is migrating to escape the restrictions. At least three beer buses including one called the Rowdy Rona were spotted 16 miles south, in the Cool Springs neighborhood this weekend. They were quickly shut down by local police, but tourists clustered in the areas bars. A video taken outside one establishment showed dozens of people drinking in the parking lot.

Crowell, the daughter of Rosanne Cash and Rodney Crowell (and Johnny Cashs granddaughter), says Nashvilles history of prioritizing downtown tourism comes at the expense of the citys culture, small businesses, and, now, the health of its residents. In response, she spearheaded an online petition calling for the city to close Broadway bars until the pandemic is controlled.

The truth is that in the last decade or so, give or take, there were a lot of sweetheart deals given to developers and a lot of incentives to create this different incarnation of the tourism industry downtown. It was always touristy downtown and always tourist-driven, but its totally different than it used to be, she says. As long as these bars are open, they are going to draw in tourists that want to have a good time and dont care about wearing masks and get close to each other all of the things that scientists are advising against.

Small-bar owners are beginning to raise their voices too. The proprietors of Dees Country Cocktail Lounge, the Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, and Chopper Tiki each forced to close since March held a press conference recently asking the mayor to enforce health regulations downtown. While some honky-tonks and restaurants have remained closed, like Roberts Western World, Acme Feed & Seed, and the Southern Steak & Oyster, other drinking establishments have circumvented the mandates via their classification as a restaurant.

Dees owner Amy Richardson, a favorite bar and live-music venue among locals like Margo Price, calls it a direct slap in the face to all of us who have been following the rules.

The citys feeling is that [Broadway] triumphs everybody. Keep the money flowing in, and nothing outside of that matters, Richardson says.

She and her husband, Daniel Walker, have taken out disaster loans to keep their bar afloat and are redesigning a backyard beer garden with social distancing in mind for when they are allowed to reopen. Neither of them know when that may be. Luckily for us, our costs of being closed per month arent too prohibitive, Walker says. But [with] some bars and venues, thats not the case. They have astronomical rents and cant keep throwing money at their landlords.

The Nashville music community is starting to mobilize as well, with artists like Caylee Hammack, Maren Morris, and Cassadee Pope speaking out in support of small businesses and neighborhood bars. I get that the tourist trap is our money [maker], but if you kill all of the locally owned businesses, by the end of this, youre not really helping anyone, Hammack tells Rolling Stone.

Broadway bars taking advantage of these loopholes right now are cannibalizing our Nashville small businesses who have been following the health orders since day one, Morris tweeted on August 4th.

Paramore singer Hayley Williams, a longtime Nashville resident, addressed tourists directly. Please dont come to Nashville. Plan your bachelorette party somewhere else this time, she said in an Instagram video. If you really believe in Nashville, dont come here until this shit is handled.

Slowly, glacially, the message seems to be getting through. Downtown, midtown, and the Gulch neighborhood all tourist hot spots had minimal foot traffic on Sunday afternoon. While there were diners on some patios and rooftops, Broadway bars like Tootsies and Kid Rocks were closed. Of the pedestrians that were out, about half were properly wearing masks a statue of Elvis in front of a gift shop sported a mask to help get the point across.

But skeptics like Crowell remain dubious. While shes encouraged to see Broadway moving in a safer direction, she stresses that the progress doesnt rectify whats happening elsewhere in the city, away from the tourist epicenter. Richardsons Dees Lounge and others like it remain closed, and Nashville is still recording new Covid-19 cases daily. The Nashville Health Department added 190 new cases on Sunday, bringing Davidson Countys total to 22,904.

City leaders have responded to our pressure and outrage, and the result is that the lower Broadway party scene is moving in a safer direction, Crowell says. The Broadway bars continue to be the squeaky wheel, each weekend getting more grease resources, media coverage, and city dollars. While I respect the new efforts to create a safer area, I am adamant that the rest of Nashville is treated with the same importance as downtown and that the people who live here are prioritized over those who visit.

There is at least a glimmer of hope. On Sunday, Crowells petition surpassed its 25,000-signature goal.

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Welcome to Nashville, Where Were Just Realizing Theres a Pandemic - Rolling Stone

New TV drama Little Birdsis aSky Atlanticoriginal dramaseriesstarringJuno Temple, which aired its first episode at the start of the month.

The six-episode series is inspired by novelist Anas Nins posthumously published 1979 collection of erotic short stories, Little Birds. The plot amalgamates romantic storylines with drama, political intrigue, and hedonism. The collections 13 stories originally written in French are unrelated erotic shorts featuring a variety of characters exploring sex from a female perspective.

Set in 1955, Little Birds depicts the international zone, which was said to be one of the last outposts of colonial decadence. The story follows troubled American debutante Lucy Savage (played by Juno Temple), who desires an unconventional life free from the restrictive society she has grown up in. Along with Tangier itself, she finds herself on the cusp of achieving independence.

The series is based on a collection of erotic short stories, some of which mirror Nins own life. Born to Cuban parents in France in 1903, Nin lived a colourful life, punctuated with affairs with celebrated members of society including Henry Miller, Otto Frank and John Steinbeck. She is most renowned for her erotic fiction, particularly the collections Delta of Venus and Little Birds, which were published in 1977 and 1979. Both works are said to have been written in the 40s, when Nin was paid as little as $1 per page to write for an anonymous collector.

In 1955, Morocco was one year away from independence from colonial rule. In the 1920s, the city of Tangier had been officially made an international zone as part of the joint colonial regime of France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

After calling for Moroccan independence from the oppressive colonial regime in 1953, the Sultan of Morocco, Mohammed V, was forced into exile in Corsica. Many of the Moroccan nationalists inLittle Birdsare his supporters and wish him to return to power and fight for independence from the colonial forces.

Despite being set in Tangier, Little Birds was filmed on location in Andalusia with studio elements in Manchester. The reasoning behind the choice of location was because modern-day Andalusia is more similar to 1950s Tangier than the Moroccan city itself is today.

In February 2019, it was announced Juno Temple, Yumna Marwan and Raphael Acloque had been cast, with Stacie Passon directing.

Hugh Skinner, Jean-Marc Barr, Rossy De Palma, Nina Sosanya, Dave Constabile, Amy Landecker and Matt Lauria later joined the cast.

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What the new Sky drama series Little Birds is all about and what inspired it - iNews

Famous for its layered flavor profile often featuring a smokey funk described as peaty and the signature bite that accompanies its finish, Scottish whisky (commonly known as Scotch) possesses powerful warming properties that make it a popular choice for brown liquor enthusiasts during the colder seasons. However, theres no reason to abandon your Scotch preference in the summertime, especially because numerous distilleries make versions with a lighter texture and a more delicate presence, which taste wonderful when served neat in a chilled glass, poured over ice, or even when incorporated into a summery cocktail. These nine bartender-approved summer Scotches all serve as prime examples.

The flavor particulars of Scotch rely heavily on individual palates; some drinkers consider blended whiskies gentler and softer-edged than their single malt equivalents, while others detect an appealing natural sweetness in single malt Scotches. Beverage manager Grace Skarra of Harrahs Resort Southern California falls into the latter category, telling us that personally, if I am looking for a summertime Scotch, I am going to lean towards a single malt Scotch. Glenfiddich 12 Year is a great one to drink. Single malt Scotches tend to be sweeter and lighter, and they help bring out the citrus side in a summertime cocktail.

Single malt Scotches from the island of Islay tend to feature bold flavors of smoke and peat, but that doesnt prohibit them from providing a light and easy drinking experience. Jeff Josenhans, the director of food & beverage at Garibaldi in San Diego, recommends Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie to Islay single malt fans looking for a Scotch to sip on a hot summer night: My Scotch choice for summertime would be Bruichladdich Classic Laddie. While this is an Islay single malt, it is fresh, crisp, and approachable enough for both warm weather sipping and for cocktails. It retains the complexity a whisky drinker would expect from a single malt, but its subtle enough in its floral character to allow for ample playroom behind the bar or for sunny afternoon sipping on its own.

If you associate summer drinking with tropical-influenced, rum-based cocktails, then youll be interested to learn about this single malt Scotch from Balvenie, which can easily fit into that theme. I love Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask. It has flavors of rum, honey, spices, and oak. Since it was aged in rum casks, it can act like rum [in] a mojito or a daiquiri, explains lead bartender Ellen Talbot of Fable Lounge in Nashville.

Old Pulteney hails from the Highlands region of Scotland, and these single malts famously feature citrus notes and clear hints of sweetness. When describing Old Pulteney 12 Year, assistant director of food & beverage Alex Pendergrass of Hotel Viking in Newport, Rhode Island says that this Highlands sipper is great in the heat, having a wonderful dominant note of honey that adds to the rich mouthfeel. Some orange zest and a bit of coffee on the nose also make this an ideal candidate for a highball. I always get a touch of brine on the finish, especially while enjoying over ice. Theres a reason that this label is referred to as the Maritime Malt.

When it comes to drinking Scotch in the summertime, beverage director Gail Westmoreland of Serea Coastal Cuisine in San Diego splits her preferences into two categories: daytime summer Scotches and evening summer Scotches. In the first category, Westmoreland consistently chooses Dalwhinnie 15 Year [Single Malt] with one giant, melty ice cube. With this [Scotch], youll get refreshing hints of fruit salad on the nose, creating a pairing fit for a light lunch.

For nighttime carousing in balmy weather, Westmoreland goes with a different single malt: A smoky, peaty Scotch such as Talisker 10 Year would be the best fit to elevate a summer sunset beach bonfire. The finish on this scotch almost mimics smores the quintessential bonfire treat.

Compass Box isnt a venerable heritage Scotch house, since its first whisky release happened only 20 years ago. However, this distillery claims an ardent fanbase among professional bartenders, who gravitate to Compass Boxs unique and well-rounded spirit portfolio. For summer imbibing, Anthony Caporale, the director of spirits education at the Institute of Culinary Education, opts for Asyla, a limited-edition blended whisky. My go-to light-bodied Scotch is Asyla by Compass Box. Since its a blended whisky as opposed to a single malt, only half the grain base is barley and the rest [consists of] grains like wheat, corn, and rye that give it a softer character. It also has a lot of contact with new American oak barrels that contribute sweetness and vanilla notes, which are perfectly complemented by a cube or two of ice to open them up on a hot summer afternoon! Caporale tells us.

Another Compass Box devotee, Spirits Director & Head Bartender Jordan David Smith of HALL by ODO in NYC chooses the brands flagship whisky, Hedonism, for warm-weather enjoyment: [Hedonism is] light and relatively soft, with notes of lime zest, vanilla, and white peppercorn. Overall, it strikes a wonderful balance between citrus and spice, the finish is elegantly clean, and its sufficiently complex for use in cocktails. I consider it the perfect summer Scotch. Hedonism is a blended grain Scotch that doesnt contain any malt, which is unique, but considering Compass Boxs history of boundary pushing and experimentation, is unsurprising.

For a blended Scotch with plenty of summer-appropriate flavors and the ability to blend easily into a cocktail, look no further than Harleston Green Blended Scotch. According to beverage director Rob Long of Emilies in Washington, D.C., Harleston Green is a blend from most of Scotlands famous Scotch producing regions, including the Highlands, Speyside, the Lowlands, and Campbeltown. With all the unique regions combined together, it creates a mellow yet complex Scotch that makes for an enjoyable summer sip. Served neat, the light peatiness and reviving notes of vanilla, sweet spice, and citrus make the long summer afternoons easier. If youre feeling adventurous, add this blended Scotch in a smokey cocktail.

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9 Perfect Scotches To Sip In The Summertime - The Manual

Freshers for many people is a loaded word. Hazy memories of nights out, twelve new numbers in your phone by the morning, and a secret cry in your new room as you miss your mum are all part of the experience so they say.

Year 13s edge towards the end of their schooling years having been fed tales of this thrilling time, and sold the promise that they will love this period. That it will categorically be the best time of their lives.

For this years first year cohorts, however, things will be different. Thanks to Covid-19, kissing someone from your block on a night out and pointedly ignoring them for the next three years looks like it is no longer an option. Sex and parties are out of the question. Students will even receive sanctions and potential fines for breaking universitys safety rules, The Sunday Times reported. This years freshers experience is clearly not what they signed up for.

For Millie Richards, the hedonism of freshers isnt something she is particularly sad to miss.

A lot of people I know have that worry, like its built up to be this amazing week and everything, but for me it wasnt the thing I was most looking forward to, she said.

The 19 year-old is about to start international politics and policy at Liverpool, and said that shes heard friends who are worried the new freshers wont live up to expectations but for her, shes especially concerned about the impact on societies.

More so than drinking, she was looking forward to joining the riding club as she wanted to compete in equestrian competitions. On top of that shes especially worried about is whether the virus would impact her living away from home, as lessons move to just online.

I am really looking forward to moving out and gaining some independence so if coronavirus measures were to impede on that it would be really disappointing, she said.

On the other side of this, Hannah Elizabeth made the choice to forgo halls and study from home before she knew coronavirus could impact freshers. The 22-year-old has an unconditional to study criminology at Bournemouth University, and decided to live at home as she couldnt afford halls on top of the course fees.

She has already received an email to say her first term is online, so it is unlikely she will get the freshers she imagined.

I 100 per cent think the pandemic has messed up freshers week, she said.

In many ways this has made living away from halls easier however.

I have to admit also that if the first semester was not online I would have been more inclined to go for halls but knowing the first semester was online that was a massive factor for me as I wouldve had to pay 4-5k of my own money, she said. I was really looking forward to freshers week, the events that go with freshers week and also meeting friends as I feel itll be so much harder to meet friends now.

With so many changes, and the first term already set to being online, she feels the university should have reduced fees too.

I think its a bit bad they havent when its not the same experience.

For many international students, the fact lessons are remote adds another layer of knowing whether it makes sense to relocate to the UK too.

Liu Yasi is studying theatre design in London but is currently based in China. Shes sad to be missing out on the actual class experience as her course requires a lot of experimenting that cant be replicated through an online medium.

Ultimately the 20-year-old thinks doing it online is the safest bet, and is still planning on coming to London as some of her classes are offline.

For my friends who are also going to the UK and have the option to choose to study online at home in China, many are considering staying here for their health and safety, she said.

My family and I talked a lot on whether to defer or not, and decided not to because we couldnt find much to do for me staying here.

Overall shes excited for the change,even though its not what she thought it would be.

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How this year's freshers are feeling about picking the wrong year to start university - iNews

OF course, Im not as miserable in real life as I am when writing this column, which I do in character. If you believe anything in this column, theres a bridge over the Firth of Forth I can sell you.

Most people I encounter find me friendly, like a daft wee waggy-tailed dug. Frequently, I get sharp looks from onlookers for laughing too much. Its true that, when I get home, I drop the mask and burst into tears, but the Good Lord invented drink to take care of that.

I say all this because, no word of a lie, I have trouble with happiness and pleasure. On the few occasions these have come my way, Ive always assumed there must have been some mistake, and that I should return the concepts to their rightful owners.

The only time I genuinely feel anything approaching these states is when Im alone in nature. I used to think it was just me, Henry Thoreau (author of Walden) and Kenneth Grahame (author of The Wind in the Willows), who felt like this.

But two things: (1) its more contentment than laugh-out-loud joy; (2) the internet, YouTube vlogs (which I now watch more than television) in particular, has revealed that there are many people like me out there and, where before we had to shut up, now we have a voice.

However, as ever, discombobulation stirs at the heart of this discovery. All the people I admire most in the world right now Jonna Jinton, Rosina Espig, Aurora, Lana Blakely, Miss Northern are women. Its not just that they too love nothing better than being alone in nature. Theyre also all self-confessed introverts.

It would be facile to conclude from this that, ergo, I am like a woman. I have a beard, I drink beer. I watch football. I have testosterone-related prostate problems. Ive been in fist-fights. Still, the news is troubling.

You say: In a surprise development, all the burdz you mention above are kinda easy on the eye. But that has nothing to do with it. Im not a simp, as the new term has it someone who dotes emotionally on internet women. No, Im not. Im really not. All right, I am.

I should add that I am capable of fleeting moments of contentment in the real world among friends. Ive had that hygge feeling after a couple of snifters in their sumptuous and cosy homes (all my friends have sumptuous and cosy homes; I do not; I believe its to do with their having been successful), as candles flicker, light jazz tootles, and the aroma of proper, sensual food fills the air.

Sometimes, my hosts invite me to stay the night. Youll recall perhaps that, after one such invitation, I stayed for seven months. Theres an adage about a stinking fish in there somewhere, but I cannot bring it to mind at present as I am too busy writing.

Speaking of which, as usual, my preamble has turned into a rambling amble, and Ive barely space left to provide the hook for these witterings.

It is that psychologists from the University of Zurich have discovered that giving in to temptation is the key to happiness. This is grim news indeed.

It means we can now eat something sweet that actually tastes nice. We can have another dram. We can sit all night on the sofa watching vlogs.

The psychologists say: Of course, self-control is important but research on self-regulation should pay just as much attention to hedonism or short-term pleasure.

Now they tell us. Its enough to make a grown man weep.

Voices off

HOW almost enjoyable to read in Her Majestys English Press headlines about Edinburgh having one of the worlds best-loved accents.

Perusing the small print, it turned out that the survey by dating site eharmony named received pronunciation proper, posh English as most alluring accent because of its association with intelligence.

This struck me as odd. One of the same English newspapers had the headline, Britains new-build revolution, and the first sentence, Every new housing development in England Same thing every day. Not intelligent.

Edinburghs third placing, after New Zealand, was attributed to the rich, mahogany burr of Sir Sean Connery. It certainly wouldnt be attributed to my reedy educated Leith.

I sound like a dustman emulating royalty. And, oh, the droning. Its like one flat note played endlessly on kazoo. Thats why I always see friends attention drift when I tell a funny story or explain the economy.

Once, I gave a five-minute talk on BBC Radio 4. Never invited back. I listened to it with mates, who all laughed as soon as I started speaking. A professional broadcaster present said I should have drunk whisky first to deepen my timbre. Fool. I did drink whisky first. Hence all the burping.

Five things weve learned this week

Bald people were dancing in the streets of Baldonia after US scientists claimed theyd reversed hair loss in mice. The experiment utilised ribonucleic acid molecules which could be used in lotions, leading to bald people being reintegrated into mainstream society.

Fears are growing that enterprising criminals could soon use wee robots to break into properties via cat flaps or even letterboxes. Once inside, theyd scan rooms to see what was worth nicking before the propertys own security bots clouted them.

Conflict has broken out between England, sorry Britain, and the United States over tea-making. Hostilities began after a video showed an American person look away now, Martha! microwaving tea. Boiling mad Brits said this proved America had gone to pot.

Much debate was sparked by small Scottish football clubs charging 20 for Covid-exiled fans to watch games on television. Many fans said this was good value and fair, leading to calls for a Government crackdown on the overpaid working classes.

Bardcore is the new rock n roll. The latest musical craze, also called Tavernwave, takes rock and pop classics, and minstrelises them with harps, tabors, crumhorns, lutes and sometimes even Latin. Honestly, its enough to drive a man to mead.

Our columns are a platform for writers to express their opinions. They do not necessarily represent the views of The Herald.

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Opinion: Robert McNeil: All the lonely people: are they taking the bliss? - HeraldScotland

Clerkenwell has a remarkable reputation as the nerve centre of British creativity.

There are more creative businesses per square mile in this medieval central London enclave than in any other part of the UK, from architects, designers and tech firms to eco-tea brewers and ice cream makers.

But Zone 1 Clerkenwell today is also rapidly evolving, from start-up capital of Britain into a thriving urban village with new bars, restaurants and galleries opening despite Covid-19, and luxurious new homes on offer.

Plans were unveiled last month for an 8 million illustration and graphics gallery, featuring the archive of Quentin Blake, best known for his iconic collaboration with Roald Dahl.

Work is due to start on the site, near Sadlers Wells Theatre, next year ahead of a 2023 opening.

Next year Clerkenwell will firm up its transport links when Crossrail finally opens at Farringdon.

And the Old Sessions House, the Clerkenwell Green landmark where Charles Dickens began his literary career as a cub court reporter, has been newly repurposed as the Sessions Arts Club, with restaurant, bar, exhibitions and events.

New life for a landmark: Old Sessions House at Clerkenwell Green, once the criminal court where Charles Dickens was a cub reporter, is now Sessions Arts Club

Clerkenwell was recently named as one of the last three Zone 1 pre-gentrification locations, the others being Elephant & Castle and Kings Cross.

Average prices stand at 843,000, according to research from Hamptons International, up just over three per cent between 2018 and last year, and up 12 per cent in the past five years. At the turn of the Millennium the average Clerkenwell home cost less than 270,000.

Dominic Fletcher, branch manager of Winkworth estate agents, says typical buyers these days include first-timers with about 500,000 to 600,000 to spend this would buy a one-bedroom period or purpose-built flat and overseas parents buying digs for children studying at one of Londons nearby universities.

Families come to the area in search of its elegant Georgian townhouses at a comparatively affordable price.

The most sought-after option is a home on one of the garden squares just off Amwell Street, priced at 2.5 million to 3 million.

Some of these buyers are rippling out from nearby Bloomsbury, where a similar home would cost 3 million to 4 million.

When Nick Horowitz was 17, his family decided to swap leafy Crouch End for gritty Clerkenwell. The two locations could barely have been more different.

What was so exciting for me, was we were close to the trendy parts of London, says Nick.

Although Clerkenwell itself was very much a lost and forgotten space then, only at the beginning of being up and coming, now everyone wants to come here.

Nick, now 31, shares his flat with his dog, Boss, and works at the creative agency he set up with his younger brother, The Clerkenwell Brothers, enjoying the bars and restaurants and a quieter community atmosphere at weekends.

Amwell Street itself has become a village within Clerkenwell, with a primary school, independent shops and small galleries, making the perfect antidote to hectic Exmouth Market.

From 955,000: flats at Postmark London

New homes tend to be warehouse conversions in small boutique schemes.

But the big new story is Postmark London, a 1.2 billion redevelopment of the former Mount Pleasant Sorting Office with 681 homes on a 6.25-acre site.

One-bedroom flats start at 955,000, with two-bedroom flats from 1,345,000 (postmarklondon.co.uk). There will also be 163 lower-cost homes on the site, either to rent at subsidised levels or to buy on a shared-ownership basis. They will be marketed by One Housing Group (onehousing.co.uk).

The first Postmark London residents are expected to move in this year a mix of young professionals from the tech and creative industries. Health and leisure facilities on site include a wellness centre.

Monastic Clerkenwells earliest residents were a sisterhood of nuns. Its reputation for holiness began to crumble in the 17th century as hedonism took hold.

In 1683 the entrepreneur Richard Sadler opened a music hall and spa, now known Sadlers Wells.

Rich Londoners including the Duke of Northumberland and Oliver Cromwell built fine houses close to Clerkenwell Green, treating the area as a pleasant resort close to the City.

Historically, small businesses such as jewellers, clock makers and printers were drawn to the local warehouses. Clerkenwell also had some notorious brothel keepers, beggars and thieves and prisons of brutal correction followed.

After the Second World War the areas industries declined and it went to sleep until the Eighties, when artists and creatives began to take studio space in cheap, semi-derelict industrial buildings while developers began to experiment with early loft flats. Clerkenwells reputation was cemented in 2009 with the launch of the annual Clerkenwell Design Week, showcasing local and international talent.

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Living in Clerkenwell:the Zone 1 neighbourhood with house prices on the up and Crossrail on the horizon - Homes and Property