tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2918944472134491292024-01-24T16:37:12.275-08:00ZestyverseBecause life is full of juicy possibilities.E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.comBlogger655125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-42463826294233618132016-10-20T05:33:00.000-07:002016-10-20T05:33:18.097-07:00Dear Able People: An Ableism Primer<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dear Able People:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">An Ableism Primer</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">by E. Amato</span></div>
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Being differently abled can be a minefield. Daily life
activities can be filled with frustration, fear, loneliness, pain, adaptation,
challenge, and/or plain impossibility. To get through the day, people with
ability issues need persistence, patience, flexibility and focus – many of
which tend to be in short supply due to illness, chronic pain, mental health
issues, and injury.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Still, life goes on, and people with ability challenges do
remarkable things. Though blinded in a shooting incident in his twenties, <a href="http://www.lynnmanning.com/">theatre artist Lynn Manning</a> toured shows
around the world. Stephen Hawking has changed humanity’s conception of the
universe from a wheelchair with a voice simulator. In London in 2012, a Paralympian
zoomed past me on prosthetic legs. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Differently abled people find ways to get through the day,
to become new selves, to express their gifts, and to thrive in circumstances
that would make many people want to give up. This is what life should be – a
journey of purpose to happiness, despite the odds and challenges on the path.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What life shouldn’t be is degrading, shaming, shunning,
penalizing, and punishing. Yet every day, people who are differently abled face
these in varying degrees. From micro-aggressions through job discrimination,
able-bodied people bring consequences to disability that don’t have to be
there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We call this “ableism.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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We find it both harmful and unnecessary.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Perhaps you haven’t realized that this problem exists or
know how it manifests. Here’s a quick overview of the problem, some of the
issues, and some fixes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1. What is ableism?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Ableism is the practice of assigning less value to persons
who have disabilities. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ableism can take many forms, including hurtful speech,
denigration, rendering invisible or unseen, or not taking practical needs and
parameters into account. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Ableism can be as small a gesture as side-eye to the
life-damaging hiring discrimination. It removes agency from individuals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ableism can be unconscious; for example, making assumptions
about ability, capability, and mobility without creating an environment that
allows for people of different levels of ability.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ableism can take the form of the enforcement of “normal,”
while discrediting those who fall outside this arbitrary assignation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2. What is
disability?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Disability is any state of not being 100% healthy in body
and mind. It can be temporary, chronic, permanent, or, in some cases, terminal.
It can be related to an illness or debilitating treatment or side effects from
medication. It can be the result of an accident or injury. It can be the loss
of physical mobility or the use of senses such as sight and hearing. It can be
related to psychological health or an autoimmune condition. It can be any
combination of the previously mentioned conditions. It may or may not be
visible to you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3. What is invisible
disability? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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So glad you asked! Not all disabilities are visually
evident. Let me state this again: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">n<a href="https://invisibledisabilities.org/what-is-an-invisible-disability/" target="_blank">otall disabilities are visually evident</a></b>. This is so important. People suffer
from many types of illnesses, diseases, injuries and mental health conditions.
Not all of these require wheelchair, cane or crutches. Not all of them are on
display. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This does not mean the person you are looking at, who is
able on the outside, is actually able. If they have requested assistance, if
they are parking in a handicapped spot and have a handicapped placard, then
they are handicapped as far as you are concerned. They don’t need to be
questioned by you or reminded that it’s a handicapped parking space. They don’t
owe you an explanation. They could have hearing problems, they could have a
condition like lupus or fibromyalgia that can render movement painful. They
could have a serious mental health issue. They could have a brain condition
that makes balance difficult.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It doesn’t matter -- none of the above matters. What matters,
is that they are not able, even if their disability is not visible to you. What
matters is that it’s their body, which they live in and know intimately. They
do not need to share their body and its processes with you if you are not their
practitioner, caregiver, or very best friend in the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They do not need to be shamed, punished or penalized for
their appearance of health. They are struggling. If you are making their way in
the world harder, then you are policing their behavior and needs, which is no
one’s place. Instead, try Plato’s advice: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is
fighting a harder battle.”<span style="background: lightgrey; mso-highlight: lightgrey;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4. What does ableism
look like in the world? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In <a href="http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/colostomy-bag-wearer-samantha-cleasbys-amazing-open-letter-after-disabled-toilet-shaming/story-fneuzlbd-1227236421754">a
fantastic open letter,</a> Samantha Cleasby details a trip to the disabled
bathroom marked by being “tutted” at by another woman. She is candid about her
disability and her needs. Her medical condition essentially means she has no
bowel. Cleasby still <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">appears</i> able –
she is not in a wheelchair, she is able to run to the bathroom as soon as she
realizes she is about to have a problem. These should be positives, but they
leave her open to criticism, jeering, and even laughter. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Imagine this level of scrutiny every time you went to the
bathroom outside your home. Now imagine living with pain, limitation, digestive
issues, mess, anxiety about having accidents in public places, in addition to
this level of scrutiny. It seems more than unfair – because it is. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A person who is differently abled may experience this type
of encounter multiple times upon leaving his or her own home every day. The
additional friction and tension of potentially difficult human interactions placed onto already overloaded physiological systems are unwelcome and can be damaging.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most people who are differently abled learn to be up front
about boundaries and limitations. This doesn’t mean they are going to tell you
their health problems, but they will offer up what they can or cannot do when
it’s applicable. Yet, this does not always produce the desired results.
Refusing someone access to alternatives to stairs, or refusing to lower a bus
when requested are ableist actions. Assuming that disabled people are lazy,
rather than accepting that they are limited in certain areas, or in pain at
that moment, or sometimes, or all the time is ableist. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Forcing people to beg in order to honor the limits of their
own bodies, for your listening and understanding, or for you to give them what
they need when it is completely within your power to do so is ableist. It is
tiring to live with ability challenges; it is exhausting to continually
explain, charm, cajole and plead for simple modifications. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ableism looks like judging people by how you think they
look, and what you think their level of ability should be – not what it actually
is. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5. What does ableism
look like in the workplace? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Ableism at work can include harassment, making jokes, and
overlooking in favor of able colleagues. Ableism can take the form of not
accommodating necessary modifications to workspaces or schedules for those who
are differently abled. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Firing an employee while he or she is out on disability, or
passing over those who have been ill or have struggled with mental health
issues for promotions is ableist. Actions like these have major consequences on
income, financial stability, and threaten consistency of access to health care.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.ada.gov/">Although the U.S.</a> and other
governments have strict codes and guidelines for persons with disabilities,
these are not always fully honored, and the burden of proof is on the employee.
In extreme situations of ableism, an employee will be forced to retain legal
counsel and sue for his or her rights, either after termination, or while still
maintaining a working relationship with colleagues and the employer. Suits like
these are time consuming, anxiety producing, and draining. The multiple
stresses to body and mind of unemployment, loss of income, harassment, loss of access
to or increased cost of health coverage, added to the burdens that come with
ability challenges can be devastating.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6. How can I help?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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You are helping just by reading this! You are learning about
ableism, disability, and its impact on lives – that’s very helpful. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You can help by not policing the behavior or stated needs of
people with disabilities. You can help by accommodating those needs
respectfully when possible. You can help by beginning a conversation around
these issues with other able people. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You can help by listening to, learning and adopting the
language used by the differently abled people you know. Alternately abled
people have a variety of ways of referring to themselves and their condition.
They usually settle on terms that give them the greatest agency. By accepting
the language being used, you are reinforcing their personhood. When you choose
other language, language that is debilitating or disempowering, you are
overwriting the choices made by the person with whom you are interacting, which
is tantamount to making them invisible, or infantilizing them. If you don’t
know the proper language to use, ask. An open-ended, non-judgmental question is
always welcome. It shows you are listening and you care. Be brave – the person
you are talking with is, so you can be, too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally, you can help by remembering that no one is
infallible and everyone will have struggle or illness in their lifetime.
Differently abled people are you, in a different body at a different time –
treat them as you would love to be treated yourself if these were your
circumstances.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">“</span><i style="text-align: justify;"><b>…unapologetic feminist, dulcet-toned poet, activist, film-maker, editor of Zestyverse</b></i><span style="text-align: justify;">” (LossLit) </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.eamato.com/" target="_blank">E. Amato </a></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> is a published poet, award-winning screenwriter, and established performer. She has published </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/E.-Amato/e/B004QDHDXY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1437097694&sr=8-1&tag=abro02-20&linkId=35ITKS5HOY6KPQE6" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">three poetry collections</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=abro02-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;" width="1" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> through Zesty Pubs and is </span><a href="https://eamato.wordpress.com/consulting/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">a freelance writer and editor,</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> and a contributor to </span><i style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/author/e-amato/" target="_blank">The Body Is Not an Apology</a></i><span style="text-align: justify;">. She got </span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/eamato/04-the-full-english" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Marmite</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> in her bag.</span></div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-50547014731922985612016-08-25T01:27:00.000-07:002016-08-25T01:27:07.292-07:00Dear Able People: Creating A Relationship That Transcends Ability Issues by N.S. Lavay<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4P6lc1CTjQUxJN2-QOWgLuDTEbZnvKpgJIMqa6e9bRk4jqUiMeJT99zVJ9KwtW2yf45rKpmdywsn-6xX_pGe4eysjYvC4XWjg_G1uUmNLVEhOqQb1SSTQA2st0gpLnNcicpnxvrqajw/s1600/pic+for+nicole+article.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4P6lc1CTjQUxJN2-QOWgLuDTEbZnvKpgJIMqa6e9bRk4jqUiMeJT99zVJ9KwtW2yf45rKpmdywsn-6xX_pGe4eysjYvC4XWjg_G1uUmNLVEhOqQb1SSTQA2st0gpLnNcicpnxvrqajw/s320/pic+for+nicole+article.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy N.S. Lavay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dear Able People:<br />Creating A Relationship That Transcends Ability Issues<br />by N.S. Lavay</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is it like being in a relationship with somebody who has severe mental health needs?</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-d07fe1ba-a26f-29ab-59a2-c5b4d8952a1c" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think it’s probably a lot like any other relationship. We spend Sunday sitting on the couch watching Netflix and eating chips. We listen to crappy music together and debate the merits of </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">different brands of peanut butter at the grocery store.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We also have a very unique set of challenges.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My fiancée, who I call ‘Goose,’ has been diagnosed with chronic PTSD. This creates certain difficulties, but through our teamwork we’ve navigated these challenges and come out stronger. I’d never tell anybody I’m a relationship expert but we just set a date for our wedding; as a commitment-phobe who’s not running away screaming, I assume we’re doing something right.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It took time to figure out how to be a good partner, but I’m very glad I’ve had the luck to meet the incredible individuals who’ve helped me understand how crucial honesty, communication, respect and trust are in fostering a healthy relationship -- regardless of mental health. I recognize that it’s important to learn from my previous relationships. Critical reflection has helped me discover what I don’t want to put up with from others, and realize my own missteps as well. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In my first relationships, I found honesty and communication especially scary. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goose is amazing at gently pushing me towards straightforward discourse and setting boundaries. Not too long ago, I was afraid to discuss my needs, but she’s shown me that it’s okay to tell her when she does something that annoys me, like stealing my pajamas every night. It’s okay to confess that staying in for three weekends in a row is slowly eating at my soul. Being honest is good — I deserve warm pajamas in our cold apartment and I shouldn’t silently develop cabin fever.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Time has taught me that advocating for my needs creates openness between us. Being able to talk about little things which annoy me is practice for talking about the issues that scare us. If I can’t ask Goose to stop stealing my water, how can we talk about bigger issues such as our plan for a mental health crisis?</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trust has been an interesting issue for me. Most people think of cheating when the word ‘trust’ is thrown around, but for the first ten months of living together, I found myself adopting this horrible caretaker approach to our relationship. I made Goose’s lunches, did all the laundry and the grocery shopping, all because I wanted her to be happy and comfy. After a string of weekends on laying on the couch feeling grumpy and irritated, I realized that I didn’t trust in her ability to take care of herself, and this attitude led to burning out. I genuinely enjoy taking care of others regardless of ability, but when I’m stressed I forget to take care of myself. There’s nothing worse than feeling exhausted and emotionally drained, only to be hit with a mental health emergency. It’s important that I trust her to make the best decisions for herself, because when she does request my help, I want to be ready for when she needs me the most.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I won’t lie about the fact that PTSD influences our couple time. We can’t go to the movies, ride the bus at night or go crowded places. While these are things I miss, it means we go on unique and thoughtful dates. We’ve gone to secluded beaches, mini golf, and hiked while holding hands. A therapist suggested we take a dance class so we could experience a safe way of being in a crowd. One of my favorite activities is picnicking at the park with a game of Scrabble. I’ve also found that these types of activities allow us to interact with each other, which is more difficult when one is plunked down in front of a screen or nursing a beer in a loud bar. This has helped me feel so much closer to my love.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I want to do anything Goose feels uncomfortable doing, like going to bars or dancing, I save it for my friends. This means I get to explore the city I live in with my other favorite people, and have partner who feels safe and mentally balanced.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The PTSD directly influences date-night choices. It also influences our arguments. Goose navigates couples issues much better than I because she was lucky to have received the help she feels she needed. A variety of mental health experts helped her develop a set of tools to evaluate emotions and communicate during arguments. She’s able to ask critical questions needed during times when we don’t see eye-to-eye. Goose has the ability to stay grounded and ask, “Why are we arguing in this moment? What are we trying to accomplish with this argument? How are we feeling? What’s the appropriate way to talk about that?” She’s been an amazing example regarding communication during disagreements. Thanks to my partner, we can find solutions without hurting each other’s feelings. We usually come out of disputes feeling better about the issue at hand and even stronger as a couple.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Being with her can be challenging, but all relationships have their moments. For me, it’s been about deciding whose issues I’m most willing to handle.The magnetic connection I felt during our first conversation has never gone away and every day I only feel more drawn to her. The swelling in my heart when I look into her gorgeous eyes always throws me off guard. I recently accidentally saw Goose in a wedding dress she was trying on, and the sight of it nearly knocked the breath out of me.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everybody has problems, including able-bodied and neurotypical people. Regardless of ability or mental health needs, everybody has strengths and weaknesses. Mine work well with my fiance’s. The difficulties we face together are nothing compared to our determination to overcome them. I love her so fiercely that we’re willing to do whatever it takes to stick together. Goose attends therapy and engages in other activities to stay on top of her mental health, while I proactively eliminate triggers, or stay in with her on anxious nights. At the end of the day, I’m content from the time we spent together during the evening, and obsessively imagining the details of our wedding, which I bug her about as she attempts to fall asleep. Sometimes she asks me how I can put up with anxiety and avoidance of loud noises, but I always tell her it’s a very small price to pay if I want to watch crappy Netflix with her when we’re 105.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">N.S. Lavay</span></b> is an art historian and writer currently existing in San Francisco. Read <a href="https://medium.com/@nslavay" target="_blank">more work here</a>, or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chansonsdebilitis/" target="_blank">follow her on instagram</a>.</div>
E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-89242380153910105782016-06-06T00:00:00.000-07:002016-06-06T00:00:11.150-07:00Women You Should Know - Gina Psyliakou by Aradhana Kothari<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Women You Should Know:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gina Psyliakou<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="font-size: large;">by Aradhana Kothari</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I used to work for a service
that offered support to disadvantaged and vulnerable young people. The
difficulties with the job were the usual barriers - unsociable hours,
insufficient budgets, infinite reserves of resilience needed, and the ability
to withstand verbal abuse - that came hand in hand with working with young
people who had been dealt the hard end of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Standing in my office on an
unremarkable day, a staff member comes into the room. Striding in slow motion,
stopping with the superhero stance that befits her most recent actions. This woman
has just achieved something outstanding. You know it; she knows it; everybody
standing in this ridiculously small office knows it. But of course, she doesn’t.
The Foo Fighters play as she moves casually past, in sync with all of the
words. The one lyric I can’t help hearing is: “There goes my hero, he’s
ordinary.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This is where my heart
resides: in the ordinary heroes. The action of getting up everyday and trying
to make the world a better place, purposefully. The global citizens who have
the empathy to act without pride, greed, and ego-governing. Making small
changes and meeting challenges with the faith and belief that you can make a
difference; continually fighting, often without acknowledgment or acclaim. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gina Psyliakou is an everyday
heroine. Born in Greece, Gina came to England in October 2000. Studying graphic
design, then changing her focus to Humanistic Therapy. Moving back to Greece in
2014, Gina continued to work supporting vulnerable people, and currently works
with refugee children. Now she is a “Friendly Space Facilitator” with <a href="file:///www.praksis.gr/en">Praksis</a> in association with Save the Children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What is it that you do as a
Friendly Space Facilitator?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i>We’ve created a space within the refugee camp where children can play, learn and regain their sense of carelessness. We work with the children of refugees providing them a safe space where they can play, gain a sense of normality, overcome the trauma of war and hardships and build their resilience in order to survive the harsh reality they are living in. Those spaces are important for the camp because they bring a sense of normality and joy within a very dire environment. I am based in Chios Island ... next to Lesvos and [it] has big numbers of refugees arriving.</i><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What originally inspired you
to work with disadvantaged young people?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>When I was studying in
Banbury... there was a lot of talk about young people and their behaviour. The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/asbo">ASBO [court] order</a> had started being served
to young people that were antisocial according to the government. It felt like
young people were being criminalized for being young and for the failures of
their parents, their schools, their governments and society in general. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This made you want to get
involved?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>I started working as a graphic
designer, campaigning to start inspiring young people to believe in themselves
to have a dream. I felt that they had lost their way, and had no one to guide them.
They were just reacting in a world that we had created that wasn’t okay. The
world wasn’t inspiring them to be the best they could be. By the time I
finished my degree I realised that I wanted to work more with young people and
support them directly.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So after Banbury where did you
start with your newfound passion?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>I went to Brighton and I found
my first volunteering position, which changed my life forever. <a href="http://youngpeoplescentre.org.uk/">The Young Peoples Centre</a> is for
young people that have been isolated from society, and are unloved and wounded.
Here is where they can find a place they can belong and be themselves. Where
they are accepted and cared about. It is an inspiring place that has taught me
so much. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What would you say was your
biggest lesson at the Young Peoples Centre?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>[T]o support a young person
you have to empower them and teach them how to do things for themselves. Help
them believe in and understand themselves enough to be able to tolerate failure
and keep going. And never, never give up on them, no matter how many times they
fail. We, as professionals, representing sometimes the supportive parents these
kids never had, we have to be consistent, honest, fair and forgiving. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tell me who has inspired you
in your work? <span style="color: #7030a0;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><i>The
people that inspired me where those who challenged me in my work, by making me
reflect on my behaviour and [taking] the time to teach me. I have also learned
a great deal from the young people I worked with over the years and especially
those who had horrible unloving childhoods, but still had a big capacity for
love and forgiveness. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What things in your opinion should
we have in mind to live better lives for ourselves and others?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>That’s a big discussion, but
three things that I believe would make a big difference and bring a domino
effect are: living closer to nature, strengthen our sense of community and
eliminate competitiveness. I believe there is a big void within us by living
away from nature that cannot be contented with anything else. That sense of
humility you feel in nature and the connection to everything around you, gives
you a sense of peace and balance, something that we’re denying ourselves by
putting us above nature.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>Secondly, I feel that
isolation is one of the big issues in the western world; individualism is
overrated. We are social beings; we don’t develop without connecting to others,
so we need a feeling of community and solidarity in order to survive. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>And lastly,... [I think that] competition
should only be acceptable in sports and even there up to a point. We should
strive to better ourselves in everything we do and work with each other for the
common good, not individual prosperity only.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gina is an agent of change,
fighting for a better world for herself and those around her, where optimism is
fast becoming a precious commodity. Reminding us to power forward by walking,
sauntering, stumbling or crawling, because it will be worth it in the end. <s><o:p></o:p></s></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Lm-3j0ckhqJu9AtIPLxrdp1OL1xMe230hu-GYl47zeGJqHmOT0YP-YtiDagpTUNEEMLGP_SB2PF8NWNsmtfz4T8DHkl3t7br6DJ3CONckJ72usPm22hn_BkGoD5-YibRSq_b8iT1CjM/s1600/black+and+white+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Lm-3j0ckhqJu9AtIPLxrdp1OL1xMe230hu-GYl47zeGJqHmOT0YP-YtiDagpTUNEEMLGP_SB2PF8NWNsmtfz4T8DHkl3t7br6DJ3CONckJ72usPm22hn_BkGoD5-YibRSq_b8iT1CjM/s200/black+and+white+face.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Aradhana
Kothari</span></b> is a former Youth Worker and Community Development worker (although the
role never really escapes you). Living nomadically at present trekking high
mountains and diving deep seas Aradhana is enjoying the exploration of new
cultures, tastes of new food and constant challenges on her understanding of
the world.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-53905988317777733602016-04-19T05:16:00.002-07:002016-04-19T05:16:15.535-07:00Women You Should Know - Lisa Leone by Jessie Florence Jones<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MJB by Lisa Leone</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Women You Should Know:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lisa Leone </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>by Jessie Florence Jones</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">When it comes to strong women, hip-hop doesn’t often open its doors very widely. Almost everybody has heard of Nicki <span class="SpellE">Minaj</span>, whose hard-hitting, empowered raps broke through an industry perpetually dominated by men. Perhaps even more have sung the praises, or bathed in the light of the artist Mary J Blige. Apart from performers like these, hip-hop can be a minefield for women. A rare exception is <a href="http://www.thereallisaleone.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px; text-decoration: none;">Lisa Leone</span></a>, a photographer who has spent her career documenting the aforementioned Blige, <span class="SpellE">Nas</span>, and Snoop <span class="SpellE">Dogg</span> to name a few. Hailing from the Bronx, Leone started her career by photographing musicians, and eased her way into cinematography, shooting videos for the likes of D’Angelo and TLC. Like Bibi <span class="SpellE">Bourelley</span> (the woman behind a lot of Rihanna’s smash hits), Leone has a long list of accolades that would suggest she belongs deeply nestled into the public’s address book of hip-hop. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">After working on Stanley Kubrick’s <i>Eyes Wide Shut</i>, Kubrick became her mentor, which is visible in her black and white shots. The contrast of grit and delicacy in her monochromatic stills remind me of Kubrick’s <i>Lolita</i>, blending the disturbing with the beautiful. This is something that makes Leone so important in my eyes; not only has she photographed many household names, but she also has a unique ability to take such huge stars and make them appear vulnerable and human. Though often depicting artists performing or in the studio, there is a constant sense of candidness, the photographer’s presence seemingly absent. They don’t appear staged or forced, simply a personal peek into the lives of these artists. Her photographs are an invitation to spend some down time, away from the expected decadence, with these stars, depicting them as intimately and genuinely as possible. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nas by Lisa Leone</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Leone has expanded her work to film, with a number of titles under her belt as cinematographer, writer, and director. Her debut short <span class="GramE"><i>Exactly</i></span> was shown at both the Sundance and Tribeca film festivals. Since then, she has directed, or co-directed, four films. In 2014 she released <i><a href="http://minormattersbooks.com/products/here-i-am-photographs-by-lisa-leone" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px; text-decoration: none;">Here I Am</span></a>, </i>a collection of her photography portraiture. The title reflects the struggle and hard work that involves surviving such a male-dominated arena, to become a name on the tip of everybody’s tongue. As recording artists such as M.I.A and Azealia Banks and others build on the legacy of early women in the art form like Leone, the creation of a distinctly female <span class="GramE">sphere of</span> hip-hop becomes a reality.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/divineaccidents.wordpress.com"><span style="font-size: large;">Jessie
Florence Jones </span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">22 year-old student based in Leeds currently doing an
Erasmus year abroad in Berlin studying English Literature. Was formerly </span><a href="http://www.thegryphon.co.uk/2015/03/father-john-misty-brudenell-social-club-2702/" style="font-size: 11pt;">Fashion
Editor at the Gryphon</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, the university newspaper, and have had my
illustration on </span><a href="http://crownrules.uk/big-babe-8-sampat-pal-devi-the-gulabi-gang/" style="font-size: 11pt;">crownrules
</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">website. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: '"times new roman"', '"new york"', '"times"', serif; text-align: justify;"><u>Editor's Note:</u></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 " , "\22 new york\22 " , "\22 times\22 " , serif; text-align: justify;"> We have so many pieces, we've gone past Women's History Month! You can find additional posts in the </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: '"times new roman"', '"new york"', '"times"', serif; text-align: justify;">Women You Should Know</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 " , "\22 new york\22 " , "\22 times\22 " , serif; text-align: justify;"> series in the blog archives from March 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. If you are interested in being </span><a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.de/p/blog-page.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: '"times new roman"', '"new york"', '"times"', serif; text-align: justify;" target="_blank">a guest blogger on the Zestyverse</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 " , "\22 new york\22 " , "\22 times\22 " , serif; text-align: justify;">, let us know!</span></span></span></div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-49829224240087014372016-03-27T00:00:00.000-07:002016-04-07T00:32:31.963-07:00Women You Should Know - Amrita Sher-Gil by Nicole Lavay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IRZUF_3XdcNtdhAemNIFq9MbsTqOeH1RnMHz_UYZV4263hiDozE4dQsVaoxgYa0xZh-utpzo3zu6LlpDVRA3g6CkiFMHZ4BNWa0M-NauFN9qd53yceAJQtXQfOwMp3RL-8ELejKGU4Q/s1600/Amrita_Sher-Gil_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IRZUF_3XdcNtdhAemNIFq9MbsTqOeH1RnMHz_UYZV4263hiDozE4dQsVaoxgYa0xZh-utpzo3zu6LlpDVRA3g6CkiFMHZ4BNWa0M-NauFN9qd53yceAJQtXQfOwMp3RL-8ELejKGU4Q/s320/Amrita_Sher-Gil_2.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Women You Should Know:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Amrita Sher-Gil</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>by Nicole Lavay</b></span><br />
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I’ve always loved art history, but never so fiercely as when I was a teenager. I grew up in a conservative suburban community where my pink hair and black clothes made me an oddball. My love for the arts and women didn’t help me fit in either, but it was okay, because I’d discovered something more interesting than the life around me: the lives of 19th and 20th century artists.<br />
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I took Advanced Placement Art History, where I excelled. The tales of Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Warhol all excited me so much. These were people who moved to big cities, had large circles of artistic friends, went on adventures to foreign lands and then used their experiences to create something new and change the world.<br />
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My text book contained hundreds of pages on art from Europe, mostly by white male artists. Women artists didn’t appear in groups of more than two per chapter until modernism, and I found their biographies and the representation of their art lacking. The definitive canon of art history I was shown in high school neglected the female artists I’d later come to love.<br />
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The lives of real women artists were never presented to me as interesting or exciting. Luckily, I went to a college where I received the education I needed to understand that women artists are creative, capable, smart and just as bold as I’ve always wanted to be. I was given the tools to discover artists I could relate to. <a href="http://ngmaindia.gov.in/sh-amrita.asp" target="_blank">The biography of Amrita Sher-Gil</a> caught hold of my mind, and lately, as I try and navigate the path to forging my own creative life, I find myself inspired by hers.<br />
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Born in 1913 to an Indian father and a Hungarian Jewish mother, she spent her unique childhood between Europe and India, completing her artistic training in Paris. She painted self-portraits of herself, nude, which was just as scandalous in the 1930’s as putting nude selfies up on the internet is today. Sher-Gil chose to paint portraits of herself and her sister honestly without ‘oriental’ details, as other Indian artists catering to the European gentry did. I love thinking about Sher-Gil, so radical at age 17, giving no fucks, and confronting racism and sexism in the arts by depicting herself as an ‘average’ subject, rather than as an oriental fantasy from a far away land. The independent young artist found a place for herself in bohemian Paris. She caused quite a stir through her artistic feats, and in her personal life, as she was known to wear her sari and conduct affairs with both men and women.<br />
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Sher-Gil won national competitions, and her incredible skill was promising, but her mixed-race heritage set her apart from her contemporaries during the dusk of European colonialism. Never one to choose conventionality, the artist said ‘good-bye’ to the capitol of the art world and began her career in India, where she painted with the celebrated revolutionaries of the Bengal School of Art.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO-bbXnMp93k5iFy5RuQ-gS4j6VX-gKnlDaM1Au9wjAYP454IMOj_KGK5VHxpDSf3Mn-raeZa1yC67zpFhtzuAeojvLHaCzit-6m2vVX3BIZbXq8bU8jh6FJ48dWg9SThu-tExBdYKZg/s1600/sher-gil%252C+group+of+three+girls%252C+1935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO-bbXnMp93k5iFy5RuQ-gS4j6VX-gKnlDaM1Au9wjAYP454IMOj_KGK5VHxpDSf3Mn-raeZa1yC67zpFhtzuAeojvLHaCzit-6m2vVX3BIZbXq8bU8jh6FJ48dWg9SThu-tExBdYKZg/s320/sher-gil%252C+group+of+three+girls%252C+1935.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Amrita Sher-Gil, "Group of Three Girls," 1935</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Her return to India brought an immediate shift in her artistic style, and her subject matter, too. She spent 1937 touring rural southern India, finding inspiration in the daily lives of local women. She began painting village scenes, group portraiture, and images of average Indians, especially those living in poverty.<br />
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Her new work was a reflection of the changing Indian political landscape, as the colonized people demanded independence from the British. Her paintings explored Indian identity on a national level. Sher-Gil didn't orientalize or romanticize the lives of villagers living in poverty. She painted the lives of women, without sexualizing or romanticizing her subjects. These women, who break away from European beauty standards are not on display or eroticized for the gaze of the viewer. They are strong, sturdy, grounded, almost defiant.<br />
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Unfortunately, only four years after her return to India Sher-Gil died at age 28, after slipping into a coma from a hemorrhage suspected to be the result of a botched abortion. Her untimely death came just days before the opening of her first major solo exhibition in Lahore.<br />
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Amrita Sher-Gil was a masterful painter whose amazing technical skill wowed critics. Her legacy lies not only in her skill, but in her revolutionary choice to paint the average Indian during the fight for independence and represent women at the beginning of the women’s rights movement. Adventurous, bold, and self-determined, Sher-Gil is so awesome it makes me incredibly sad that she’s virtually unknown by Western audiences.<br />
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Sher-Gil fearlessly asserted her identity again and again throughout her life, defying convention and breaking barriers, both in her personal life and career. She lived an artistically rich life full of adventure; looking at her art reminds me to live life without creative limitations.<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTc22hae1GiLpqeA79ko2OWp5Sf_QCIUKB-qAa4rHasVC3-ha1JhONYvbT7CUfNKTpYrPwUfeYcSafAj5crgOuXBT0eWSYjKJAGsyOeSbXAhzGghsBzq2dgQFsdUaL9ZvG4otLV-rhAU/s1600/734324_10200172000801197_1369091207_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTc22hae1GiLpqeA79ko2OWp5Sf_QCIUKB-qAa4rHasVC3-ha1JhONYvbT7CUfNKTpYrPwUfeYcSafAj5crgOuXBT0eWSYjKJAGsyOeSbXAhzGghsBzq2dgQFsdUaL9ZvG4otLV-rhAU/s200/734324_10200172000801197_1369091207_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/chansonsdebilitis/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Nicole Lavay</span></b> </a>is an art historian, educator, writer, and photographer based in San Francisco. She has worked at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, and recently taught English with the Académie de Nantes. She currently spends her time traveling, learning new languages, and trying to read as many books as possible while preparing to work in South Korea.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: '"times new roman"', '"new york"', '"times"', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><u>Editor's Note:</u></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 " , "\22 new york\22 " , "\22 times\22 " , serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> I'm so grateful to find out about Amrita Sher-Gil's life and work! If you liked this piece, you can find additional posts in the </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: '"times new roman"', '"new york"', '"times"', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Women You Should Know</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 " , "\22 new york\22 " , "\22 times\22 " , serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> series in the blog archives from March 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. If you are interested in being </span><a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.de/p/blog-page.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: '"times new roman"', '"new york"', '"times"', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;" target="_blank">a guest blogger on the Zestyverse</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 " , "\22 new york\22 " , "\22 times\22 " , serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">, let us know!</span></div>
E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-70509205075256379582016-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:002016-03-28T15:37:47.359-07:00Women You Should Know - Dora Maar by Elizabeth IannaciI don’t remember where I first came across Dora Maar’s Portrait of Ubu: Most likely it was in one of the dust-drenched used bookshops that dotted the Hollywood Boulevard of my youth – I’d stroll in on my walk home from junior high, get lost browsing the disheveled columns of faded clothbounds stacked floor-to-ceiling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gO-r22RdMJ0SSLqdmYN7YRsb42iR9IADNVLSNvxITLGs9u4384Y8ymONKpxUT6JJL9yjAnPKMF_h8tvXG0xBK6PTke5XF2PTz5T1EqUyVSGjXhn267alY6CYBtdKc3iK7nTEdgH-OSw/s1600/Dora+Maar+Ubu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gO-r22RdMJ0SSLqdmYN7YRsb42iR9IADNVLSNvxITLGs9u4384Y8ymONKpxUT6JJL9yjAnPKMF_h8tvXG0xBK6PTke5XF2PTz5T1EqUyVSGjXhn267alY6CYBtdKc3iK7nTEdgH-OSw/s320/Dora+Maar+Ubu.jpg" width="235" /></a><br />
I don’t recall where. But I do remember the image that somehow made my chest tight, yet, like a loose tooth, I couldn’t leave it be – had to keep touching it with my tongue. Ubu held a tender mystery that entered through my eyes but set up shop somewhere deep in my gut. What was it and who would take such a photo? Dora Maar took this photo in 1936, and it became emblematic of the Surrealist Movement. Presumably to preserve its mystique, she never confirmed what Ubu actually was.<br />
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Years later, I learned that many of the images I held as icons of social, artistic and sexual independence were also works by Dora Maar. Their audacity and wit were embraced by my free-thinking, unfettered generation.<br />
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No surprise that Maar’s images were standard-bearers of the Surrealists (though there were formally no females among the Surrealists when the movement was born in 1924). But I didn’t know her name the way I knew other photographers of the period, like Man Ray or Dorothea Lange. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNf29N5lyTv5GZonfKP0ocKhdwPtc6X9U49RVQuCpH6XLMDVqIVp6C9EjxnNLWihHP60PTrkJEM__at0tUQbgfSJB6pOhhOsfYSwFPkGYAkVXWIS5m95ylzg4yYmkwezMRmkXkOh7_2I/s1600/Dora+Maar+Starhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNf29N5lyTv5GZonfKP0ocKhdwPtc6X9U49RVQuCpH6XLMDVqIVp6C9EjxnNLWihHP60PTrkJEM__at0tUQbgfSJB6pOhhOsfYSwFPkGYAkVXWIS5m95ylzg4yYmkwezMRmkXkOh7_2I/s320/Dora+Maar+Starhead.jpg" width="180" /></a>Dora (Henriette Théadora Markovitch) began her artistic life at 19, moving back from Buenos Aires to her hometown of Paris and enrolling in the Academié Julian which offered the same training to women as they did to men(!). She pursued both painting and photography, but early success as a photographer pointed her firmly in that direction. Drawn to the contrasts and disparities of street life, she gave her subjects what she recognized in them—grace and dignity: blind beggars, street waifs, a friend lost in thought. This sensibility manifested itself in all her work: portraits, the Surrealism of the streets, and especially with the groundbreaking images in her photomontages. Even the striking fashion and commercial photography that provided her living had an edge. <br />
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With all of that to commend her, if you Google Dora Maar, the first entry will probably state, she is most widely known as Pablo Picasso’s muse of nearly a decade (beginning late 1930s). <br />
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She met Pablo Picasso on the set of Jean Renoir’s film <i>Le Crime de Monsieur Lange </i>and then again, famously, at café Les Deux Magots in 1936. That meeting changed forever the focus and trajectory of Dora’s life. Her beauty and daring fascinated him (she was said to have cut her fingers playing “the knife game” at a café table when he met her). They were drawn inevitably to each other. She moved around the corner from his studio: he stayed with her often, and though he reportedly displayed on a shelf her bloodied gloves from their Deux Magots encounter, she was never allowed into the studio without his invitation. <br />
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The pair became an influential part of the Surrealist Movement; they collaborated on a number of artistic projects together and with other prominent artists, including Man Ray. She had her first solo photography exhibition in Paris. She became a regular model for his work. Picasso encouraged her to leave photography and take up painting again (some say after he belittled her photographic talent). She did. Friends said that she would sacrifice anything for him. According to Maar herself, I wasn’t Picasso’s mistress; he was just my master. <br />
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For Picasso, she was the woman in tears: beautiful and sad—sad, he said, because she was barren and suffered for it. Weeping Woman and Dora Maar Seated were painted by Picasso in 1937, which is the year she documented in photos the various stages of the master creating the masterpiece, Guernica. In fact, it was said that during their time together, photographing Picasso’s work became the sole domain of Maar. <br />
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Their relationship ended tragically for Dora in 1943, when Picasso took a new lover, Françoise Gilot, who was (newer, younger, better) 40 years his junior and 20 years Maar’s. The break up sent her into a tailspin of depression, ending predictably in a nervous breakdown in 1946, after her dearest friend, Nusch Eluard, wife of the poet Paul, died suddenly. Family and closest friends gone, she felt cast aside and set adrift. So, she drifted. <br />
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Eventually, Dora found a road back, as well as solace, in Roman Catholicism. She famously told author Mary Caws, After Picasso, God. So, here’s where the tightening in my chest I experienced upon first seeing Ubu re-exerts itself, but this time, because the question is so close to home: The question is, did Dora lose herself in love or was her passion for Picasso greater than her passion for her own work? Or does it matter? <br />
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In Dora’s case, it may be that fighting her way out from under Picasso’s shadow so that the fruit of her artistic talent would be her legacy rather than her talents as a muse, was just not worth the fight. Perhaps the fight was shaken out of her along with the passion. My truth is that I don’t think it matters. The work remains and Dora Maar is a woman you should know. <br />
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Dora continued to paint (eschewing Surrealism) and to write mostly meditative poetry. She died in 1997.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEgdv03ztPUctEMC7isaRc9pqo5C6REUX1t76DyRxMY-W0TadAcBO3uGpJWl4BvDnM-AMdTaEwAlg-0nX9jLC50tkwV97YV1QMP2SzwQfW2wdIW4rsJ9th48lQqyEaIuqrO9TcEGQb0o/s1600/Dora+Maar+Hand+and+Shell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEgdv03ztPUctEMC7isaRc9pqo5C6REUX1t76DyRxMY-W0TadAcBO3uGpJWl4BvDnM-AMdTaEwAlg-0nX9jLC50tkwV97YV1QMP2SzwQfW2wdIW4rsJ9th48lQqyEaIuqrO9TcEGQb0o/s320/Dora+Maar+Hand+and+Shell.jpg" width="227" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEgdv03ztPUctEMC7isaRc9pqo5C6REUX1t76DyRxMY-W0TadAcBO3uGpJWl4BvDnM-AMdTaEwAlg-0nX9jLC50tkwV97YV1QMP2SzwQfW2wdIW4rsJ9th48lQqyEaIuqrO9TcEGQb0o/s1600/Dora+Maar+Hand+and+Shell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEgdv03ztPUctEMC7isaRc9pqo5C6REUX1t76DyRxMY-W0TadAcBO3uGpJWl4BvDnM-AMdTaEwAlg-0nX9jLC50tkwV97YV1QMP2SzwQfW2wdIW4rsJ9th48lQqyEaIuqrO9TcEGQb0o/s1600/Dora+Maar+Hand+and+Shell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEgdv03ztPUctEMC7isaRc9pqo5C6REUX1t76DyRxMY-W0TadAcBO3uGpJWl4BvDnM-AMdTaEwAlg-0nX9jLC50tkwV97YV1QMP2SzwQfW2wdIW4rsJ9th48lQqyEaIuqrO9TcEGQb0o/s1600/Dora+Maar+Hand+and+Shell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
<b>5 November </b></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(thought to have been written by Dora Maar in 1970</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">[though I’d prefer the title <i>After Picasso, God</i>])</span></div>
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Pure as a lake boredom<br />
I hear its harmony<br />
In the vast cold room<br />
The nuance of light seems eternal <br />
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The soul that still yesterday wept is quiet -- it's<br />
exile suspended<br />
a country without art only nature<br />
Memory magnolia pure so far off<br />
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I am blind<br />
and made from a bit of earth<br />
But your gaze never leaves me<br />
And your angel keeps me.<br />
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<strong id="yiv6998390830yui_3_16_0_1_1458581144547_28557" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; line-height: normal;"><span id="yiv6998390830yui_3_16_0_1_1458581144547_28556"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lKOQCVSe92cCknatOiKocYNlPGxWPoQxBrhcEQpzC7BGSxbJcwy1LO6y0dqU48lGMffbRjdmlQdERqpmBEBNPkYRk9_ksHnAFOD-phrbxxvxESbueZsxFswMzbGi5JGJDjz-R8vUaDA/s1600/AT+THE+PICKFOR+SIGN-IN+DESK.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lKOQCVSe92cCknatOiKocYNlPGxWPoQxBrhcEQpzC7BGSxbJcwy1LO6y0dqU48lGMffbRjdmlQdERqpmBEBNPkYRk9_ksHnAFOD-phrbxxvxESbueZsxFswMzbGi5JGJDjz-R8vUaDA/s200/AT+THE+PICKFOR+SIGN-IN+DESK.tif" width="150" /></a></span></span></strong></div>
<strong id="yiv6998390830yui_3_16_0_1_1458581144547_28557" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; line-height: normal;"><span id="yiv6998390830yui_3_16_0_1_1458581144547_28556"><span style="font-size: large;">Elizabeth Iannaci </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></strong><strong id="yiv6998390830yui_3_16_0_1_1458581144547_28562" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;"><span id="yiv6998390830yui_3_16_0_1_1458581144547_28561" style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">holds an MFA in Poetry, lives in Los Angeles, remembers when there really were orange groves, and shares birthdays with Red China Julie Andrews<i> and</i> Bonnie Parker.</span></strong><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym18_1_1458587871900_6223" style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal;"> She has traveled extensively in Europe and Asia without getting arrested (please knock on wood), and can usually find out how to ask <i id="yui_3_16_0_ym18_1_1458587871900_6222">Where is the bathroom/water closet/ toilet/facilities? </i>She also writes poetry and occasionally writes letters on real paper, delivered by humans.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "new york" , "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><u>Editor's Note:</u></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> Thanks so much to Elizabeth for sharing her wonderful writing with us and for this reconsideration of Dora Maar. You can find additional posts in the </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Women You Should Know</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> series in the blog archives from March 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. If you are interested in being </span><a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.de/p/blog-page.html" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">a guest blogger on the Zestyverse</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, let us know!</span></span></div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-45000540529235027202016-03-22T00:00:00.000-07:002016-03-22T14:16:48.873-07:00Women You Should Know - Dr. Mayme Clayton by Zoe Blaq<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Women You Should Know:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dr. Mayme Clayton </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>by Zoe Blaq</b></span><br />
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During my undergraduate studies at California State University Northridge, I took a Pan African studies class given by fascinating Professor Johnny Scott, who grew up in Watts and graduated from Harvard. <br />
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The day Professor Scott introduced me to Dr. Mayme Clayton, I was instantly consumed by the presence of a woman who would become my mentor, friend and inspiration. I was drawn to her passion for literature and film. <br />
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Dr. Mayme Agnew Clayton gathered one of the largest and most significant collections of black Americana in existence. She kept her collection in the garage behind her home in the West Adams district of Los Angeles, California. <br />
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We exchanged numbers after class and a week later I was volunteering in her home and had the pleasure of helping her preserve and organize books and posters in a damp and mildewed garage. I will never forget the smell of old books that permeated the air. It smelled like heaven. <br />
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We often sat and talked like old friends although we were generations apart. I was in my early twenties and she was in her seventies. I will never forget the spark in her eyes as she carefully sat her most valuable item in front of me which was the first book published by a black American in 1773 - a signed copy of <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/phillis-wheatley">Phillis Wheatley's</a> <i>Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral</i>. I remember the time she shared a handwritten and signed first edition of works by Zora Neale Hurston and correspondence from George Washington Carver. I was in the midst of greatness. Dr. Mayme Clayton was not only a collector, she was a visionary who dedicated her life to preserving Black history for Black people. <br />
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Mayme Agnew was born on August 14, 1923, in Van Buren, Arkansas. She graduated high school at the age of sixteen. She received a Bachelor of Art Degree from the University of California, Berkeley; a Master's Degree in Library Science from Goddard College, Vermont, and Doctorate in Humanities from Sierra University, Los Angeles. <br />
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In the late 1940's She moved to California to the West Adams bungalow where she started collecting. <br />
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By 1957, her collection grew from her work as a librarian, first at the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Southern_California">University of Southern California</a> and later at the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Los_Angeles">University of California, Los Angeles</a>, where she began to build an African-American collection. She started by collecting out of print books. In the 1960's, Mayme was part of the group that founded the Afro-American Studies Center Library, which is still in existence at the school today. After working 15 fifteen years at UCLA, she took a position at Universal Books in Hollywood, CaCA. When Universal Books went out of business, she managed to grab all of the books that pertained to Black society and culture – more than 4,000 volumes.<br />
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Clayton founded the Western State Research Foundation in 1972 as the world's largest privately held collection of African-American historical materials. Alex Haley, author of Roots, served as national board chairman. <br />
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Clayton was the founder of the Black American Cinema Society, which awards scholarships and hosts film festivals. In my observation, Dr. Clayton was very well respected in Hollywood, and distinguished celebrities always showed up at her events. She was a strong woman who taught me a level of focus, determination and delivery I continue to strive for. Even today, her spirit continues to encourage me to follow my dreams as a storyteller and historian. In 1999, Clayton co-founded the annual Reel Black Cowboy Film and Western Festival at the Gene Autry Museum. <br />
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Mayme Clayton and I would sit at her dining room table and have deep belly laugh conversations until we cried. We could talk for hours over the phone. Time was seamless, age was spirit and our relatedness was bond. I went to graduate school and we lost touch with the hustle and bustle of life. Although short short-lived, our paths crossed and our three three-year meeting left a huge impact in my life. <br />
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When Clayton died in 2006, her garage held an estimated two million artifacts of African-American history. Her collection included rare books, letters, posters, photographs, newspaper clippings, and films. Her contribution to archiving will always be a valuable resource for books and documents of the Civil- War era and the Harlem Renaissance. Dr. Clayton’s library is a gem for all fFilmmakers and writers. <br />
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We draw strength and inspiration from those who came before us including those remarkable women working among us today. The dreams and accomplishments of women are part of our story. An inclusive history recognizes how important women have always been in American society and culture. <br />
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Dr. Mayme Clayton simply desired to know about her people and give children pride. She is definitely a woman we should know representing the West side. May her work continue to thrive in the altruistic heart and soul of all people. <br />
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Visit the museum in Culver City, CA <br />
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<a href="http://www.claytonmuseum.org/">http://www.claytonmuseum.org/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47JCjBhPZPl2KjhSGPj4Lx_tyvdB1ITigqQZGN1fwKveZDTffBPjgxMN7AJs6xRQQVpKdwOK8vstN0LV-GVZ7CEwkwlpM2DZljSB7_DicbVNp39pgWtHd9VL5_bMlpnp5B2GXXXoTZA0/s1600/IMG_1037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #0d4e8a; float: left; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47JCjBhPZPl2KjhSGPj4Lx_tyvdB1ITigqQZGN1fwKveZDTffBPjgxMN7AJs6xRQQVpKdwOK8vstN0LV-GVZ7CEwkwlpM2DZljSB7_DicbVNp39pgWtHd9VL5_bMlpnp5B2GXXXoTZA0/s200/IMG_1037.JPG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" title="" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://sobekfilms.com/" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Zoe Blaq</a></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, MA was Raised in Europe and speaks German. She is A former mental health therapist from Antioch University and also has a film degree from CSUN.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Blaq is a published writer and </span><a href="http://urbansoulfarmer.tumblr.com/" style="color: #0d4e8a; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">a holistic health advocate </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">who aims to reconnect people with their indigenous root.</span><br />
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<b style="text-align: justify;"><u>Editor's Note:</u></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> Wow - I'm so grateful to Zoe for introducing me to Dr. Mayme Clayton! What a wonderful woman! You can find additional posts in the </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Women You Should Know</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> series in the blog archives from March 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. If you are interested in being </span><a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.de/p/blog-page.html" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">a guest blogger on the Zestyverse</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, let us know!</span>E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-53529374127790075122016-03-14T00:00:00.000-07:002016-03-14T00:00:13.074-07:00Women You Should Know - Claude Cahun by Siofra McSherry<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Women You Should Know:</span></b><br />
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<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Claude Cahun </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">by Siofra McSherry</span></b><br />
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Claude Cahun (25 October 1894 – 8 December 1954) was a French artist, photographer, and writer. Born in Nantes as Lucy Schwob, she adopted a gender-neutral forename (Claude can be either male or female in French) and her uncle’s more recognisably Jewish surname. In an arrangement that echoed that of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Cahun made many of her works in collaboration with her partner and companion, Suzanne Malherbe. Malherbe likewise took a pseudonym that obscured her gender, preferring to be known as Marcel Moore; she eventually also became Cahun’s step-sister after her widowed mother married Cahun’s father. The couple lived and worked together first in Paris then the island of Jersey, where they are buried together.</div>
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Described by Andre Breton as “one of the most curious spirits of our time”, Cahun is eternally difficult to characterise. As an artist she worked across multiple media, producing writing, photography, theatre, and performance works. She identified as a third gender that incorporated both masculine and feminine elements, and was actually described as a male artist in an early exhibition, probably due to a lack of information about her biography and self-definition. Today her best-known works are her highly-staged surrealist self-portraits and tableaux of the 20s, which play with the performance of gender and sexuality. The artist takes on characters such as Bluebeard’s wife or a fetishized weight-lifting boy, in <a href="http://www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/Tirza/TirzaEssay1.html" target="_blank">an exploration of performative self-portraiture</a> that prefigures the work of <a href="http://www.cindysherman.com/" target="_blank">Cindy Sherman</a> and <a href="https://fraenkelgallery.com/artists/nan-goldin" target="_blank">Nan Goldin</a>. <br />
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These works clearly explore experimental territory similar to the photographs of Man Ray and Lee Miller, who used photographic technology to reframe, dissect, and erotically defamiliarize the female body. Techniques such as the disembodied head-in-a-bell-jar trick appear in both Miller’s and Cahun’s work: in Cahun’s version, however, the sequence is used to highlight the theatrical expressiveness of the face. Showcasing her experience on the stage, these isolated heads are absurd Beckettian characters, rather than objects or collectibles. Viewed as a whole, her body of self-portraits forms an exegesis on the performance of self, which probes the nature of the dissected identity rather than the body. Cahun’s repeated use of mirrors, reflections, and masks pay tribute to the photographic medium while providing symbolic resonance for the themes of masquerade, questioning the source and privilege of the gaze within the performative space of the portrait. </div>
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<a href="http://www.jerseyheritage.org/media/Find%20a%20place%20to%20visit/Cahun.pdf" target="_blank">Marcel Moore and Claude Cahun settled on Jersey</a> in 1937. During the German occupation of World War II they successfully disguised their identities as lesbians and Jews and staged an effective resistance programme, distributing pamphlets in German subverting Nazi propaganda and staging installations. They remained undiscovered for some time, since the Gestapo allegedly could not believe that two old ladies would be capable of such sustained action. Eventually detained and sentenced to death, the couple were released only when the war was over. Unhappily, much of their work was destroyed by the Nazis. Since the 1980s, however, critical interest in Cahun has sharply increased, with major retrospectives held in Paris, London, and Chicago in recent years, establishing her proper place in the history not only of surrealism but the performance of gender. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyAfLpqJO2CbIGl18x75Yl8h3wLrVXaIJKibKcHC7R1LnNK1RbpWN6940BDnWi7jVkMxklf9eeMzHjA31FwSJJSdm8uYtT0oFXU4lREilg44ureedyRTuU2U5nv-BVnsrUA823D_9dfE/s1600/siofra+contrib+crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyAfLpqJO2CbIGl18x75Yl8h3wLrVXaIJKibKcHC7R1LnNK1RbpWN6940BDnWi7jVkMxklf9eeMzHjA31FwSJJSdm8uYtT0oFXU4lREilg44ureedyRTuU2U5nv-BVnsrUA823D_9dfE/s200/siofra+contrib+crop.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://sioframcsherry.com/" target="_blank">Siofra McSherry</a></span> is a poet, researcher, and co-founder of the And Or new media curation project. She lives and works in Berlin.</div>
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<b style="text-align: justify;"><u>Editor's Note:</u></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> You can find additional posts in the </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Women You Should Know</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> series in the blog archives from March 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. If you are interested in being </span><a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.de/p/blog-page.html" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">a guest blogger on the Zestyverse</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, let us know!</span></div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-40236183294085884222016-03-08T17:00:00.000-08:002016-05-31T04:41:16.752-07:00Women You Should Know - Sherin Hegazy By Zosia Jo <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdP80GRljiH9ph1M8gjODoN36k39F3lFIuGQMa8b4dfxcnzXLdtfngb-t34XREnfkzcim1i0in45xWrL0MOfZhHRWY8xP7x7aiyS1NkNn6uF5cLZLjt7IxSPtYMniDv0mswg3hn8sbuQ/s1600/1097727_690928624256700_582112445_o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdP80GRljiH9ph1M8gjODoN36k39F3lFIuGQMa8b4dfxcnzXLdtfngb-t34XREnfkzcim1i0in45xWrL0MOfZhHRWY8xP7x7aiyS1NkNn6uF5cLZLjt7IxSPtYMniDv0mswg3hn8sbuQ/s320/1097727_690928624256700_582112445_o.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Sherin Hegaz photo by Johny Smith</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Women You Should Know: <br />Sherin Hegazy<br />By Zosia Jo </b></span><br />
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Amidst the hustle and heat of Cairo life, a surprising artistic ecology is thriving. The independent contemporary dance and theatre scene in Egypt is unlike any I have encountered before. Forget what you thought you knew about this country, and imagine a passionate, earnest, and unexpectedly gender-equal community. Women and men in this city are creating powerful work against a backdrop of traffic, street harassment, and economic disparity. Out of diversity grows great art, and Cairo is certainly one of the most diverse places I have known. <br />
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As a female choreographer and guest here I have yet to encounter sexism within the arts sector, a statement I could sadly not make of my time working in the UK. Female artists are not as outnumbered or underpowered as <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=291894447213449129#http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/oct/27/where-are-the-female-choreographers">recent discussions</a> have highlighted they are in ours. <br />
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One such remarkable artist is Sherin Hegazy. She agrees it is fairly equal between women and men within the dance scene, despite considerable gender issues in the wider community, and cites attitudes to gender as the surprising cause: <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“We have a problem with the cultural view of dancing. For women it’s hard [to be a dancer] and she has to fight - starting with her family. But for boys it’s the same because it’s seen as weak. Men and women fight equally.” </span></blockquote>
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I first met Sherin in 2014 through friends with whom she trained in the Cairo Contemporary Dance Workshop Program. Last December I first saw her work. Sherin was one of <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=291894447213449129#http://seefoundation.org/v2/index.php?lang=en">Studio Emad Eddin’s</a> chosen artists for their <a href="http://www.cairoscene.com/ArtsAndCulture/2B-Continued-Festival-Tries-Keeping-Theater-From-Killing-Itself#http://www.cairoscene.com/ArtsAndCulture/2B-Continued-Festival-Tries-Keeping-Theater-From-Killing-Itself">2B Continued Festival</a>. For Sherin, it was a chance to present a work she had already begun researching months before. After touring with Nada Sabet in a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=291894447213449129#http://egyptianstreets.com/2015/01/16/shattering-egypts-misconceptions-about-female-genital-mutilation-through-comedy/">performance</a> aimed at generating discussions about <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=291894447213449129#https://www.globalgiving.org/fgm/?rf=ggad_16&gclid=CKXNw8_xpMsCFQo6Gwodl7sJQA">female genital mutilation</a> in rural Egypt, Hegazy was inspired to look deeper into the experiences of women in her culture. <br />
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For her recent piece<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=291894447213449129#http://www.madamasr.com/sections/culture/photos-fish-harassment-strict-hotel-2b-continued-festival%20"> Ya Sem</a>, she decided to focus on an issue she, and most other women here, encounter on a daily basis - street harassment. Sherin asked fifty women from all over Egypt, and from various walks of life, two questions: <br />
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<li>If someone bothers you on the street what is your reaction? </li>
<li>If it happened a lot over the years, did you change anything in yourself in order to deal with it? </li>
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Sherin describes changing her own clothing choices in order to stay safe, covering her arms and décolletage, even when she feels it ruins the look of her dress. She also believes many girls dress more like men, in jeans or sports clothes, in order to send a message:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“She is tough, she has no time to be beautiful; don’t attack me because we are the same.”</span></blockquote>
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It was for this reason Sherin chose deliberately feminine costumes for the piece, red with flowing fabric and a flattering cut, but purposefully modest and not too revealing. She wanted to show women being beautiful and powerful at the same time. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Since I started dancing, I dreamed of making a piece about our culture.”</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=291894447213449129#http://www.madamasr.com/sections/culture/photos-fish-harassment-strict-hotel-2b-continued-festival%20">Ya Sem</a> does exactly this, in the sense that it uses Baladi Dance (known commonly as Belly Dance and a traditional dance embedded in Egyptian culture) in a contemporary way. Three dancers, Ameny Atef, Nagham Saleh and Hegazy herself, share the stage with <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=291894447213449129#http://sabrinedarbuka.com/bio.html">Sabrine El-Hossamy</a> who plays the traditional Egyptian drum - Darbuka, which is unusual for a woman. The piece begins with what appears to be a normal Baladi movement sequence, their faces are smiling and the mood is fun. However, the immediately comfortable audience are later confronted with powerful, unapologetic women, dancing with sticks the way men do (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=291894447213449129#https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahtib">Tahtib</a>), using their voices and bodies to tell the stories of those 50 women and make a clear statement- : ‘we are being harassed but we are powerful and we are fighting.’ Their performances are unified despite their diverse characteristics, ; their facial expressions change many times during the piece but their eyes never lose focus on the audience. They are telling us something important, and they won’t go quietly.<br />
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Baladi dance is a poignant medium for this work. Most Egyptians, even many men, have some experience of dancing in this style; it is the prominent social dance and even the name, Baladi, means country or local. Back in the 1950s and 60s it was enjoyed and respected. It is only in recent years that it gained a reputation as sexual or shameful. Sherin cites the wave of more extreme views on Islam coming into the country with returning migrant workers in the 1970s and 80s. During this time, many Egyptians travelled to Saudi Arabia to work and returned with different practices. Before this time the Hijab (veil) and Niqab (full black veil with face covering) were very rare in Egypt, but are now much more common. <br />
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Whilst researching the origins of Baladi dance, Hegazy also discovered something that makes her choice of movement vocabulary even more appropriate. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“In Upper Egypt girls are so shy. When a girl was forced to dance at a wedding or something she would make a movement to say NO… (Sherin moves her hip and stamps one foot) … This developed into movements with the waist, belly, butt… and it became Belly Dance.”</span></blockquote>
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The response to Ya Sem was hugely positive, it won the audience vote in every category. However, sSome people told Sherin she was too direct, her meaning too clear. But it was vital that her message got across, not just to an intellectual, artistic audience, but to everyone. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It was my goal to make something people could understand and enjoy. Something from our culture, and not just for entertainment, but to make people think.”</span></blockquote>
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Perhaps the most surprising response came from a female programmer who asked her why the piece didn’t show women’s suffering. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I was avoiding putting women suffering. I didn’t want to show this. I wanted to show women fighting.”</span></blockquote>
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So often in contemporary dance we see images of angst and suffering. We make the ugly beautiful; we combine grace and skill to express truth. When you apply this to the issue of bodies, street harassment and feminism, there is a huge risk. We risk fetishizing the act of sexual oppression. I don’t need to see more images of women being raped, oppressed, silenced, and desperate. Let’s see powerful females centre stage saying ‘NO. This is not OK.’ Sherin could’ve ended up putting a pretty pink ribbon around a very dark message. Thank fully she did the opposite. She showed us the solution. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkf2cI-hMJ6bEo7phC9BYDI08IWnatKBg1elRERgVWhzrOIEEivMPsaNNmF8J6aJs_CodIeEfAyYT2nwsr2SLfylRjhgsGxc0-cKEDHQoLP1GVyHsEsauZOmGOZJQ9sUHekq2rVLXdhU/s1600/zosia+head+shot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkf2cI-hMJ6bEo7phC9BYDI08IWnatKBg1elRERgVWhzrOIEEivMPsaNNmF8J6aJs_CodIeEfAyYT2nwsr2SLfylRjhgsGxc0-cKEDHQoLP1GVyHsEsauZOmGOZJQ9sUHekq2rVLXdhU/s200/zosia+head+shot.jpeg" width="167" /></a><span style="text-align: justify;">Working as a performer, choreographer and facilitator, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><b>Zosia Jo</b></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> has built a portfolio career specialising in multidisciplinary performance work including dance, spoken word and theatre. In 2010 she ran TufPoets, a monthly open mic poetry evening at the Literary cafe in Tufnell Park, London.</span></div>
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As a choreographer, Zosia enjoys an international career including several works made in Cairo Egypt, and performances across the UK. Her solo performance work, Herstory, combines dance and spoken word and found critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015. Zosia writes a blog on her own website <a href="http://zosiajo.com/">zosiajo.com</a> which is mainly focused on her choreographic process but also includes refelctions on dance in general.<br />
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<b><u>Editor's Note:</u></b> You can find additional posts in the <i>Women You Should Know</i> series in the blog archives from March 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. If you are interested in being <a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.de/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">a guest blogger on the Zestyverse</a>, let us know!</div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-44792206792838316692016-03-02T07:14:00.000-08:002016-03-02T07:14:30.121-08:00Women You Should Know - Julie Dash by E. Amato<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Women You Should Know:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Julie Dash</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>by E. Amato</b></span><br />
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When I was in college, I worked part-time for a woman who
ran her own business. I’m not sure why, maybe she was cleaning out her book
shelves, but one day, she handed me almost every book by Zora Neale Hurston. I
read them all. When I cracked open <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Their Eyes
Were Watching God</i>, I knew I was inside something sacred, something that
blended longing and fulfillment with painful precision, and something that told
truths never before exposed. I didn’t know why I had never heard of it – why
people weren’t shouting about it like they did <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gatsby</i> or Hemingway.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite the fact that I was in film school and planning to
make a life in cinema, no movie had ever made feel anything like that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until I saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Daughters
of the Dust</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Julie Dash’s out of the gate fiercely independent feature
held me in its palm for 112 minutes. It is a womanist story; it is a story of
peoples invisible, worlds unexplored, and humans defining the meaning of home.
It is filled with indelible images and presences rather than performances. Its
lines still reverberate in my head; its characters voices come to visit and
stay. A film like that should have propelled Dash to the forefront of American
cinema.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Instead, the next time I heard about her, she was directing
and writing an episode of Showtime’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Women:
Stories of Passion,”</i> an attempt by the cable network to both cash in on
women telling women’s stories and sell some soft erotica to a late-night
market. Still, it employed more than a few women directors, writers and
producers during its run. Since then, Dash has had an intermittent filmography that
outwardly falls short of her vision, talent, and experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><b>"Everything I’ve made, pretty much, being a female filmmaker, my male teachers would say, “Why in the world are you wasting your time on that?” Illusions, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0180644/">Diary of an African Nun</a>… everything was like, “Oh for god’s sakes.” That continues. When I was doing my segment of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120240/">Subway Stories</a>, I remember a lot of male crew members gritting their teeth when I had the flowers blowing across the subway track. They were looking at their watches like, you know, it’s time to go. That was the ‘90s. It continues. It’s something that female filmmakers, who were working and investigating the culture of women, faced and what we continue to face. There are different cultural set points, traditions, and all of these things that may not even interest the male counterparts and might even annoy them, because they may seem frivolous. Even with Daughters of the Dust, when we won the Best Cinematography award at Sundance in 1991, I would have people look me in the face at times and say, “Let’s not even talk about it. I don’t even know what the hell it’s about.” At that time, Matty Rich’s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102989/">Straight Out of Brooklyn</a> was at Sundance, and it won the Special Jury Prize. It was given a standing ovation. Young, urban, male films were the thing in the ‘90s."</b></i></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>(<a href="http://flavorwire.com/543984/theres-a-movement-here-pioneering-director-julie-dash-on-the-la-rebellion-black-lives-matter-and-the-new-generation-of-african-american-women-in-film" target="_blank">Julie Dash, Flavorwire Interview, October 2015</a>)</i></div>
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Recently, watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrCHz1gwzTo" target="_blank">Beyoncé’s <i>Formation</i> video</a>, I was struck
by the imagery so clearly influenced by Dash’s work. It feels shameful that
Dash and her creative team fashioned images so powerful they are referenced
over two decades later, yet she has never been given the space to tell the
visual, visceral, emotional stories she holds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
As we look closely at inclusion and at the
underrepresentation of women and PoC in the entertainment industries, it is
important not only to consider what – and who – we are missing, but also the
lifetimes of stories we have already lost. Dash has remained a working artist, and has a new documentary, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/vertamae/" target="_blank">TravelNotes of a Geechee Girl</a>,</i> in the works. But I would have given a lot to have
her skill, craft, and point of view as part of the cultural dialogue over the
last 25 years. I would have liked to have her speaking to me all this time. I
certainly would have traded a few of the same guys with guns movies for a few
more of her human stories. To have a voice like that so marginalized out of the
main, to be missing the ten or so feature films she should have been supported
in making feels like a grave crime to me. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>".. it’s important to do the film that you want to do — and then let people come to it. They may not get it now, but they will get it by and by. I’m not saying pop films aren’t fun, but every film is not a pop film. Every film isn’t taken from the headlines. Some films are made because they need to be made. They’re works of passion. That’s what Daughters of the Dust was." </b></i><i style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://flavorwire.com/543984/theres-a-movement-here-pioneering-director-julie-dash-on-the-la-rebellion-black-lives-matter-and-the-new-generation-of-african-american-women-in-film" target="_blank">Julie Dash, Flavorwire Interview, October 2015</a>)</i></blockquote>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="214" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qsz6x3Ux4W0" width="380"></iframe><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUK-8vqbxT63hFsFQqVFBHm30VbEafGSJCdLpeZaNgqFn3lR8_oI2WQNcirvDJMxH1mUQC8-tbfJp-iqnuhdKj5FpnQSjTl1oUBqYtmc1s6Y3IJeyrKbAcDyXp3jbTXQfX-mNdHyyzhLo/s1600/IMG_0028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #0d4e8a; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUK-8vqbxT63hFsFQqVFBHm30VbEafGSJCdLpeZaNgqFn3lR8_oI2WQNcirvDJMxH1mUQC8-tbfJp-iqnuhdKj5FpnQSjTl1oUBqYtmc1s6Y3IJeyrKbAcDyXp3jbTXQfX-mNdHyyzhLo/s1600/IMG_0028.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="150" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“<i><b>…unapologetic feminist, dulcet-toned poet, activist, film-maker, editor of Zestyverse</b></i>” (LossLit) <span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.eamato.com/" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">E. Amato </a></span> is a published poet, award-winning screenwriter, and established performer. She has <a href="http://www.amazon.com/E.-Amato/e/B004QDHDXY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1437097694&sr=8-1&tag=abro02-20&linkId=35ITKS5HOY6KPQE6" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">three poetry collections</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=abro02-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 5px;" width="1" /> by Zesty Pubs: <i>Swimming Through Amber</i>, <i>5</i>, & <i>Will Travel,</i> and <a href="http://thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/author/e-amato/" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">is a content writer for <i>The Body Is Not an Apology</i></a>. She also has <a href="https://soundcloud.com/eamato/04-the-full-english" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">a special relationship with Marmite</a>.</div>
</div>
<br />
<b><u>Editor's Note:</u></b> This is my favorite month of the year! I love this series, and am excited to have the inaugural post this year. You can find additional posts in the <i>Women You Should Know</i> series in the blog archives from March 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. If you are interested in being <a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.de/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">a guest blogger on the Zestyverse</a>, let us know!</div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-85369811999846430102016-01-04T03:23:00.001-08:002016-01-10T14:56:22.760-08:00Groove Theories: Top 50 Albums of 2015<h3 style="height: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskxIu7HoFzcz5pnbt_g1mYD1mknVrlNjjuPjmkWrJcEoSMkRysuHhfymUA1E7UfimEwMVhg7z1Z9Xtjy4UlUBRYOHhAU3pfyRxVc8vP25i9tQRatah77NWK97rZg2LGuFEvJKwbZAqDAn/s1600/Madonna%252C_Rebel_Heart_Tour%252C_Bell_Center%252C_Olympus_Stylus_1%252C_Montre%25CC%2581al%252C_10_September_2015_%2528121%2529_%252821162637909%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskxIu7HoFzcz5pnbt_g1mYD1mknVrlNjjuPjmkWrJcEoSMkRysuHhfymUA1E7UfimEwMVhg7z1Z9Xtjy4UlUBRYOHhAU3pfyRxVc8vP25i9tQRatah77NWK97rZg2LGuFEvJKwbZAqDAn/s400/Madonna%252C_Rebel_Heart_Tour%252C_Bell_Center%252C_Olympus_Stylus_1%252C_Montre%25CC%2581al%252C_10_September_2015_%2528121%2529_%252821162637909%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>by Sean Morris</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In more ways than one, 2015 was a steady stream of “what the fuck?” moments. My favorite kinds of western civilization music appeal to my inner bitch pop afficionado, ignorap historian, college radio snob, and R&B junkie. All of these preferences have never been equally catered to in the same calendar year… until now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The overriding themes of this weird ass year in music were twofold. First, between Animal Collective solo projects and emo trap superstars, lyricism has declared war on consonants and is winning handily. This development has caused me to appreciate instrumentation and production techniques more. It has also led to more questionable high-ranking entries than usual. Second, whether because of declining sales or streaming services or torrent sites or all three, more musicians than ever are either unable or unwilling to create consistent and cohesive full length listening experiences. Even the most high profile Best Of lists this year feature critically acclaimed albums with undeniable dull spots if not out and out clunkers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This list also doubles as a document of the realignment that my music tastes go through every few years. Who knows which genre is going to emerge triumphant this time… let’s get straight to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwO8oBk2uYln4ZNFu0rsJoF7EdQfiZ98XjdsFUGKRopeuEs8Ix82foqwqixoq8Im-nfabjlx-jsQy5Kqp9lYTG10-yJE8NuUl6taK2p7wqiA-Ul-iO8uEVvbemIF99e-o8MlwzeVmpJjH/s1600/Cheatahs.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwO8oBk2uYln4ZNFu0rsJoF7EdQfiZ98XjdsFUGKRopeuEs8Ix82foqwqixoq8Im-nfabjlx-jsQy5Kqp9lYTG10-yJE8NuUl6taK2p7wqiA-Ul-iO8uEVvbemIF99e-o8MlwzeVmpJjH/s320/Cheatahs.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>#50 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izp0MnnmHtM">Cheatahs - Mythologies</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkDOhzR7-6rAdMC5yQc9joJ5UzG2LRXeXjsz0ytBt5P2UhuMFwCCkXuU7TncxBrt9iPGw0ystpZSHLC-eG_K8QiOyvrE2JhbM6YHq-sALW6w8zEqiNqu1ebrVlB3N-o4iDxOBvg6EF8yv/s1600/Da+Mafia+6ix.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkDOhzR7-6rAdMC5yQc9joJ5UzG2LRXeXjsz0ytBt5P2UhuMFwCCkXuU7TncxBrt9iPGw0ystpZSHLC-eG_K8QiOyvrE2JhbM6YHq-sALW6w8zEqiNqu1ebrVlB3N-o4iDxOBvg6EF8yv/s320/Da+Mafia+6ix.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#49 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUrSyOSyr3A">Da Mafia 6ix - Watch What U Wish...</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWwXHegvL5sEjoF8bn-mxlYt0NRImr0PeMvngjXkvLqGyKD6X8JjMEXwUW9zyilxVtChkc2m9nTx0H5q8EDj_kJY6r9qx_vFU7B-DAPiWbH4kG32JomyyHkSN4BtLrJbRCpCbGmnY43aR/s1600/Adele.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWwXHegvL5sEjoF8bn-mxlYt0NRImr0PeMvngjXkvLqGyKD6X8JjMEXwUW9zyilxVtChkc2m9nTx0H5q8EDj_kJY6r9qx_vFU7B-DAPiWbH4kG32JomyyHkSN4BtLrJbRCpCbGmnY43aR/s320/Adele.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#48 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQHsXMglC9A">Adele - 25</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5TO9g8WRloDob9pmApjrX74-ijgTqT5gRnSHSCTBhelVpY1BoQgwBRMutiDG0WoejZxhABK3xN7wDwgVnNXYxCiiRYzaGK5uwkS_KNnwE7MI8mRXufWTE1A7w0HSi3gkljApAH7gdIiU/s1600/Big+Pooh.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5TO9g8WRloDob9pmApjrX74-ijgTqT5gRnSHSCTBhelVpY1BoQgwBRMutiDG0WoejZxhABK3xN7wDwgVnNXYxCiiRYzaGK5uwkS_KNnwE7MI8mRXufWTE1A7w0HSi3gkljApAH7gdIiU/s320/Big+Pooh.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#47 <a href="https://rapperbigpooh360.bandcamp.com/track/prom-season-feat-kenneth-whalum-iii">Rapper Big Pooh & Nottz - Home Sweet Home</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPQAmrFQ6FQnEBr0FWhnIQX8A1UvyYTy28cyeTPYk-pSca_9C86OUOL4iH1RXp_OPdqxzBeknJ-bIQ-Wzc4I4pjtIlac80amh7fw9JDDr2M1mH9-7z2lFA6s6CHzav2vfqcTts2snTmL0/s1600/JB+Dunckel.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPQAmrFQ6FQnEBr0FWhnIQX8A1UvyYTy28cyeTPYk-pSca_9C86OUOL4iH1RXp_OPdqxzBeknJ-bIQ-Wzc4I4pjtIlac80amh7fw9JDDr2M1mH9-7z2lFA6s6CHzav2vfqcTts2snTmL0/s320/JB+Dunckel.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#46 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9yDwMl22hY">JB Dunckel - Summer Soundtrack</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2g9pNF33XDl-JS3QdJJyYJBj3-drYa8Gu_KoG7_zvF4-PqUrEMGiReBvbrXXHjdF0qWsE0GUvOEZdgxlPR8Wpp1FVJXKCAOiXkdp0MdrPcitG_G38XBlf_Y-VwlUVl0-6prcJZIsQhIz/s1600/Black+Ryder.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2g9pNF33XDl-JS3QdJJyYJBj3-drYa8Gu_KoG7_zvF4-PqUrEMGiReBvbrXXHjdF0qWsE0GUvOEZdgxlPR8Wpp1FVJXKCAOiXkdp0MdrPcitG_G38XBlf_Y-VwlUVl0-6prcJZIsQhIz/s320/Black+Ryder.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#45 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAX26uB-pDY">The Black Ryder - The Door Behind the Door</a></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcloJvp794LboZnVubrsw48xqg8oaOGFHfmSXqOlPBwFpyyF7rC4pZPn-bT1prVyNQCwwPvV4nVxHOzeenPwjW5BytFW1bvVMc8_H-_cgIHXK9DDFy8UhFWVS6SaMgma3xYgIa-2PKcVJ/s1600/Open+Mike+Eagle.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcloJvp794LboZnVubrsw48xqg8oaOGFHfmSXqOlPBwFpyyF7rC4pZPn-bT1prVyNQCwwPvV4nVxHOzeenPwjW5BytFW1bvVMc8_H-_cgIHXK9DDFy8UhFWVS6SaMgma3xYgIa-2PKcVJ/s320/Open+Mike+Eagle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#44 </b></span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3ib9gCw1F4" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Open Mike Eagle - A Special Episode Of</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZxcKMpwn-0kjM5jpnhJ9Gktovd2twciHpGsj_tGr9YrT_QGlASq6jl0E_QCXYR1Pn-D6mCGCqlY2lhNAqMSPAbzYjPlSSPzgg_xrp-1vvh0hzFBHC3UUdueLUNNRpNWzwUE8QdbHEBf1/s1600/MNDR.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZxcKMpwn-0kjM5jpnhJ9Gktovd2twciHpGsj_tGr9YrT_QGlASq6jl0E_QCXYR1Pn-D6mCGCqlY2lhNAqMSPAbzYjPlSSPzgg_xrp-1vvh0hzFBHC3UUdueLUNNRpNWzwUE8QdbHEBf1/s320/MNDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#43 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3fyFzp9Gfg">MNDR & Sweet Valley - Dance 4 A Dollar</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07NMyAzS5kS1F5uJO1N-q1viYhyus0hN2fRXrmpNt-93tgQ3bzBv7tAvap8ji9P7hW7jV8jpNrHBFJ5FvwRi8QxcQIlYGyLAc9QELBoq1iJgflNaP6rV_8j1nZqZnYfPol9r_q0DAjKiT/s1600/Cold+Beat.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07NMyAzS5kS1F5uJO1N-q1viYhyus0hN2fRXrmpNt-93tgQ3bzBv7tAvap8ji9P7hW7jV8jpNrHBFJ5FvwRi8QxcQIlYGyLAc9QELBoq1iJgflNaP6rV_8j1nZqZnYfPol9r_q0DAjKiT/s320/Cold+Beat.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#42 <a href="https://soundcloud.com/cold-beat-2/cracks-1">Cold Beat - Into the Air</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJoXx_Ub21qKT_lfS9t-aqt-0x8tga_OHjNg5tcVV4gVDXaGS5hU_C9fUGnCSbwf5qlG9wHMA6VlRv-V1I2XTjJOqs0OnDISdzrhJdVWXSoTHZ30k0EnJWsYu04HdDLshz91WwBzJASCi/s1600/Lyle.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJoXx_Ub21qKT_lfS9t-aqt-0x8tga_OHjNg5tcVV4gVDXaGS5hU_C9fUGnCSbwf5qlG9wHMA6VlRv-V1I2XTjJOqs0OnDISdzrhJdVWXSoTHZ30k0EnJWsYu04HdDLshz91WwBzJASCi/s320/Lyle.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#41 <a href="https://lylehorowitz.bandcamp.com/track/catch-a-panther-by-its-tail-feat-curly-castro">Lyle Horowitz - Psychotic Breaks</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxQ4iS2BnG_mibLHncKe_XXsslf19S-PQUmBKpZ5-4AiyJxscrpszJFXF7BDmBMyAsfgjB5UGZMYao4-dbX4l3El8s_P8VP2oWcE8WhWp2lbH4oKqFp-pF_r6BIqGYgfgSuflzZcO0cr_/s1600/Django.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxQ4iS2BnG_mibLHncKe_XXsslf19S-PQUmBKpZ5-4AiyJxscrpszJFXF7BDmBMyAsfgjB5UGZMYao4-dbX4l3El8s_P8VP2oWcE8WhWp2lbH4oKqFp-pF_r6BIqGYgfgSuflzZcO0cr_/s320/Django.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#40 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9OkgFkzWFo">Django Django - Born Under Saturn</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincn7RY8758Kkrn29H3WYJyQXmucNEz0aafG7efmPsylETlU7q1m2-FCYc5m64NYqpQcFF4n4xrG14BZhYYp7wv2wxgsvohQfdHAUOu1FSfilg1xtWDlDWi9bwDd_gi05B1rncqMbEH2Jm/s1600/Trails.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincn7RY8758Kkrn29H3WYJyQXmucNEz0aafG7efmPsylETlU7q1m2-FCYc5m64NYqpQcFF4n4xrG14BZhYYp7wv2wxgsvohQfdHAUOu1FSfilg1xtWDlDWi9bwDd_gi05B1rncqMbEH2Jm/s320/Trails.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#39 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0KoqIG4lCo">Trails and Ways - Pathology</a></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9E-YoSa8tL2ucq9eQKl5iXzUSu0rDzWGp8fD096-GaFWdjyS33cb3EzsTmgKQSLObNXjmVO-pmEioJCsdXnd3YwfdfMaf-bVqw8rWYZ43FGQtYM7-kp3yLpXdOeZbS8aUwKRdYsgQAtf/s1600/Big+Sean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9E-YoSa8tL2ucq9eQKl5iXzUSu0rDzWGp8fD096-GaFWdjyS33cb3EzsTmgKQSLObNXjmVO-pmEioJCsdXnd3YwfdfMaf-bVqw8rWYZ43FGQtYM7-kp3yLpXdOeZbS8aUwKRdYsgQAtf/s320/Big+Sean.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#38 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhky7pALFSA">Big Sean - Dark Sky Paradise</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...don't ask.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7Mdxch78o-_dcm0VN6-ddHlmmvwQ04Qd0xJOOw-mWMANIctu0CHjUdOi-WYN2cz8w49WHYjVlxD5MHdf4G79dUFdNuk5UDL_ovt3ZCwu8mz526tIEH1l6ThaEdb9usA_D_58xEGLIKRR/s1600/Big-Grams.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7Mdxch78o-_dcm0VN6-ddHlmmvwQ04Qd0xJOOw-mWMANIctu0CHjUdOi-WYN2cz8w49WHYjVlxD5MHdf4G79dUFdNuk5UDL_ovt3ZCwu8mz526tIEH1l6ThaEdb9usA_D_58xEGLIKRR/s320/Big-Grams.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#37 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djbFQKzkiRg">Big Grams</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHz0JBiUjNtOp6WWf7YmGLXR2Fa1KR_PUDeUACtAEcx0N2-X5zAHqmVsL2duRDB3cYHPS4h37yIh1c4l7p3Hlfk3noO49wO8xguDilr2eatoqD5HwGuC1eAgCZwQNmrGyuz2blapfuY4sB/s1600/Sus+Boyz.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHz0JBiUjNtOp6WWf7YmGLXR2Fa1KR_PUDeUACtAEcx0N2-X5zAHqmVsL2duRDB3cYHPS4h37yIh1c4l7p3Hlfk3noO49wO8xguDilr2eatoqD5HwGuC1eAgCZwQNmrGyuz2blapfuY4sB/s320/Sus+Boyz.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#36 <a href="https://soundcloud.com/iampizzaboy/10-how-to-love-pt-22-how-to?in=iampizzaboy/sets/too-sus-4-tv">Sus Boyz - Too Sus 4 TV</a></b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3O75NrEBsboB6tQQgINJUH7Fn-dg3u7KSliT6tTcx0KCRLESnpSpF9hUV9jkeGb2B46tGB5jSL_44Zjm0z9DCfa-ITr-4Z-7m6acJAkjyh1yBMymlwK97ZxeYtmZ6WPYZSnWiwvJlJHRl/s1600/jr-jr.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3O75NrEBsboB6tQQgINJUH7Fn-dg3u7KSliT6tTcx0KCRLESnpSpF9hUV9jkeGb2B46tGB5jSL_44Zjm0z9DCfa-ITr-4Z-7m6acJAkjyh1yBMymlwK97ZxeYtmZ6WPYZSnWiwvJlJHRl/s320/jr-jr.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#35 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq0mpgHNapc">JR JR</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6HpWQnH3UJlws9yX8GcPyPgpu-A-goxIzkJU10Z-RuozKMfc31q5N2uZeYFz55Lk2Evo2__OniRwSpxFdFHstiud4SYMWAMh19zFkmN46IfZZBm3-fHRKJ129dyp-XaA9xjipLWPN_o3/s1600/beirut-no-no-no.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6HpWQnH3UJlws9yX8GcPyPgpu-A-goxIzkJU10Z-RuozKMfc31q5N2uZeYFz55Lk2Evo2__OniRwSpxFdFHstiud4SYMWAMh19zFkmN46IfZZBm3-fHRKJ129dyp-XaA9xjipLWPN_o3/s320/beirut-no-no-no.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#34 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D9SFPT8htU">Beirut - No No No</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T6vRHRB1Qbco3vNCvgB1QjQhzqJUMuX7fTAr3HWP6TvY7f3IwiqCIGKgs_JsuBBpgp54DtKGUg_1rjYbPGsXxQaXi5f8zEVt4rm5AITAalwXqu47PNWQNmHcnEM0dFRHKPVGm5CTx70N/s1600/Crocodiles.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T6vRHRB1Qbco3vNCvgB1QjQhzqJUMuX7fTAr3HWP6TvY7f3IwiqCIGKgs_JsuBBpgp54DtKGUg_1rjYbPGsXxQaXi5f8zEVt4rm5AITAalwXqu47PNWQNmHcnEM0dFRHKPVGm5CTx70N/s320/Crocodiles.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#33 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoGXytrhgsE">Crocodiles - Boys</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXLiusyRxXSjIMw1n4mKF0LtAhCI4BRfqnBIJAgdpGgBiZVf0A7xXZBlXaSIkSQaSwpDBz5g2wGuw9ywNYpAOA5chDbTsQkZc9Qq-KYuXDGoLKYg-WqQJ6McEdhmskapf7sO7lW7SO_5a/s1600/Scarface.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXLiusyRxXSjIMw1n4mKF0LtAhCI4BRfqnBIJAgdpGgBiZVf0A7xXZBlXaSIkSQaSwpDBz5g2wGuw9ywNYpAOA5chDbTsQkZc9Qq-KYuXDGoLKYg-WqQJ6McEdhmskapf7sO7lW7SO_5a/s320/Scarface.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#32 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGw_OHqFqk">Scarface - Deeply Rooted</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxA3cgEGTIU3owSzdpzUKl-Xxam9ESnL01zONWgxxoE-pm0k7AGmoAnA9v3VeL5iXYAXZFyI35c4ns8Yu5i47AfD5fFAjhHtFabymjYM5IiAwwgUnL2E79XfsuMYJ4d8kYSY980Ua91Fgs/s1600/Tame+Impala.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxA3cgEGTIU3owSzdpzUKl-Xxam9ESnL01zONWgxxoE-pm0k7AGmoAnA9v3VeL5iXYAXZFyI35c4ns8Yu5i47AfD5fFAjhHtFabymjYM5IiAwwgUnL2E79XfsuMYJ4d8kYSY980Ua91Fgs/s320/Tame+Impala.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#31 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=784Qdy8YeJ4">Tame Impala - Currents</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBhxPbOg38vUVfcaz8DYXYibzzNoKp8RFRvTvXLCjupj-MoUS15btUzTzg4QtqdQXh0neWVdKn3ZKyRGrgMYeZdwyrmVgvPOUCLpodMG7u9a0U0OKZovbNQfgzgmNI0xSAjp18IAqZ452/s1600/Suffers.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBhxPbOg38vUVfcaz8DYXYibzzNoKp8RFRvTvXLCjupj-MoUS15btUzTzg4QtqdQXh0neWVdKn3ZKyRGrgMYeZdwyrmVgvPOUCLpodMG7u9a0U0OKZovbNQfgzgmNI0xSAjp18IAqZ452/s320/Suffers.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#30 <a href="https://soundcloud.com/thesuffers/giver">The Suffers - Make Some Room</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk85V-6SoeDqWntjYLiQhCYRUBnqsISyybJi5yHudjFI0Ds80PPGq05WmCiVowmcWPQSuFaynrD_rYOyt65NUtpsWE5bPZo80ZvAoQGy3_i8aZLhuWF4m1pweKvk3P-ALAkZhO4J2vxD5i/s1600/Programm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk85V-6SoeDqWntjYLiQhCYRUBnqsISyybJi5yHudjFI0Ds80PPGq05WmCiVowmcWPQSuFaynrD_rYOyt65NUtpsWE5bPZo80ZvAoQGy3_i8aZLhuWF4m1pweKvk3P-ALAkZhO4J2vxD5i/s320/Programm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#29 <a href="https://soundcloud.com/weareprogram/03-soft-shadows?in=weareprogram/sets/like-the-sun-ep">Programm - Like the Sun EP</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WpV7KaE6fPHuzHV0zlY01gXfV17MD2fl30RKAmxfovQ54KhQaz8fk9plA0dvtnKgw09oSFdgVyBXFmBRDFIFgPaSlANN7FwwZRY3NNU14FWM8Ithh7VI_EvV2-DpV1JSlv6aVZXBvHJV/s1600/Juicy_J.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WpV7KaE6fPHuzHV0zlY01gXfV17MD2fl30RKAmxfovQ54KhQaz8fk9plA0dvtnKgw09oSFdgVyBXFmBRDFIFgPaSlANN7FwwZRY3NNU14FWM8Ithh7VI_EvV2-DpV1JSlv6aVZXBvHJV/s320/Juicy_J.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#28 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98oGDmHbuCk">Juicy J - Blue Dream and Lean 2</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKJbkUiJtSKYOiBsOS_qdhLgULPAOC8-cV_D_hngUrxuZ4fpAgVkidoAH8zq3QjUvYBg8Ll7Db5YUMIEp21zGShX-78txwwQl_yP3oFLXVszZogRQW7fZUd2jYbwmnD1R_x9k-XxqWF9r/s1600/Purity+Ring.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKJbkUiJtSKYOiBsOS_qdhLgULPAOC8-cV_D_hngUrxuZ4fpAgVkidoAH8zq3QjUvYBg8Ll7Db5YUMIEp21zGShX-78txwwQl_yP3oFLXVszZogRQW7fZUd2jYbwmnD1R_x9k-XxqWF9r/s320/Purity+Ring.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#27 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr5mtKSbd7M">Purity Ring - Another Eternity</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWRkyhG6h-WUs2MvWc2ImvAuueRKIYoaxENOKY2Zc0LAdh_iLLegvXuWPlinML2KkCiHNAnD8YNx5prHkuspmLlgODTc3QB8J7ZpnBHDLP3PvMXxDgSXdoKoZgLUI9V-KehDWBdF45BQb/s1600/Panda+Bear+Crossword.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWRkyhG6h-WUs2MvWc2ImvAuueRKIYoaxENOKY2Zc0LAdh_iLLegvXuWPlinML2KkCiHNAnD8YNx5prHkuspmLlgODTc3QB8J7ZpnBHDLP3PvMXxDgSXdoKoZgLUI9V-KehDWBdF45BQb/s320/Panda+Bear+Crossword.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#26 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w2ENOFz-xY">Panda Bear - Crosswords EP</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH_OGHc6pObLuoh9Z3oYK-24LBmv2q5eYCIosKm-HPN2naZtz8CfUlSNKfggFc8bMq4ikK7-M-97PxxrMS8s4ro5I6Rc74I2DpTLxOEcHtiW6eBGRricUod2PvHMcNulK0j-V9Ewd4kAO/s1600/thee-oh-sees.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH_OGHc6pObLuoh9Z3oYK-24LBmv2q5eYCIosKm-HPN2naZtz8CfUlSNKfggFc8bMq4ikK7-M-97PxxrMS8s4ro5I6Rc74I2DpTLxOEcHtiW6eBGRricUod2PvHMcNulK0j-V9Ewd4kAO/s320/thee-oh-sees.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#25 <a href="https://soundcloud.com/castle-face-1/thee-oh-sees-rogue-planet-1">Thee Oh Sees - Mutilator Defeated At Last</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For their 4700th release, Thee Oh Sees lead a rigorous rock history cram session. In half an hour you get woozy psychedelics, brittle punk, and even a little detour into country. The mixes are even less grubby than last year’s <i>Drop</i>, which could be a result of John Dwyer’s move from Northern to Southern California. The reconfigured lineup keeps getting better at translating the gleeful fury of their live shows to a studio setting. <i>Mutilator</i>’s final third is an essential new classic rock playlist unto itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk10TpClSQQSEfvuiLHEb-KjNS7G33gVsdovTzbeTS3jH2ASNs2yozfhAnYW-rZhSKHTRCbYvHNrDJdW91eKLNC5-LwOEFtGagXT6erkWpHKycmVQGfloMlMZN_iO3PdPdI5ofPv5h4uh7/s1600/UMO.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk10TpClSQQSEfvuiLHEb-KjNS7G33gVsdovTzbeTS3jH2ASNs2yozfhAnYW-rZhSKHTRCbYvHNrDJdW91eKLNC5-LwOEFtGagXT6erkWpHKycmVQGfloMlMZN_iO3PdPdI5ofPv5h4uh7/s320/UMO.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>#24 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqjWidsMhvM">Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Multi-Love</i> rarely moves faster than a saunter yet remains lively all the way through. While their contemporaries venture deeper into the realm of chintzy 80s synths, UMO genuflects before 70s funk organs. Blue eyed soul goes dance punk on “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone,” and “Necessary Evil” takes yacht rock on an acid trip. Who would’ve thought “jam band makes a soft rock album” would turn out to be a bright idea?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpqo7h0l_iiUMxcetSWfllcGBtMsuqNing3Nkl-MaBeEOQu4UxgauJho7Vjea9fc09CG6bwjpfgnMb5_xZwB3-AHgTY7c6e3J-w_5s32ZhXzOLgS7S90bFg4o7EAYmbEv5Hiqj7Z_ymKu/s1600/Meow+the+Jewels.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpqo7h0l_iiUMxcetSWfllcGBtMsuqNing3Nkl-MaBeEOQu4UxgauJho7Vjea9fc09CG6bwjpfgnMb5_xZwB3-AHgTY7c6e3J-w_5s32ZhXzOLgS7S90bFg4o7EAYmbEv5Hiqj7Z_ymKu/s320/Meow+the+Jewels.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#23 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS4qVOsJch4">Run the Jewels - Meow the Jewels</a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Better than it has any right to be, this crowdfunding joke not only made it to fruition but also attracted Just Blaze, Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, Prince Paul, and more. <i>Meow the Jewels</i> owes much of its success to El-P & Killer Mike’s still blistering and timely <i>RTJ2</i> lyrics, which clearly sound incredible over <i>anything</i>. The cat sound remixes, at turns searing and silly, are inexplicably as brash as the originals, and in some cases even more daring. Snoop Dogg singing the <i>Meow Mix</i> jingle alone is worth the price of admission. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnKhverI63DgxNSbx-VKezGxOjbdEwc9STzUrifjy_NQFVXrw756RcPTz4pL9-BhY6NYmoNcKjnafitZfoZf5SfgqVMEIX85-bIKCqnduox2C65eV2M5ORZKL26le8yYjt0y_E7_ZTdMl/s1600/jodeci.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnKhverI63DgxNSbx-VKezGxOjbdEwc9STzUrifjy_NQFVXrw756RcPTz4pL9-BhY6NYmoNcKjnafitZfoZf5SfgqVMEIX85-bIKCqnduox2C65eV2M5ORZKL26le8yYjt0y_E7_ZTdMl/s320/jodeci.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#22 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiCB1XbkCfI">Jodeci - The Past, The Present, The Future</a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Bad Boys of kneepad R&B celebrated the twentieth anniversary of </span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">still sensational <i>The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel</i> by unexpectedly releasing the long-awaited/long-forgotten-about follow up. Timbaland dropped his pop auteur facade long enough to return to his raunchy roots as Devante Swing’s co-pilot. K-Ci’s voice wears the hint of gravel well (Jo-Jo not so much). With the exception of the contemporary pandering on “Too Hot” and the B.O.B. cameo on “Nobody Wins,” these tracks are the quintessence of 90s retro. Only thing missing is some Mr. Dalvin ad-libs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2ygfbn1qByKOD0WV8oOVnne9XFy2dZov1ExP0TT7SLzXwUbaxEyB7d3-reeDo4lAZs63TJ5JvYoHih1vLUH8daGS3aLhRlOon73sdr9SXp_jK8KrPw22zDMMdn_AHAcy3Tq2eRzGjJ7D/s1600/Game.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2ygfbn1qByKOD0WV8oOVnne9XFy2dZov1ExP0TT7SLzXwUbaxEyB7d3-reeDo4lAZs63TJ5JvYoHih1vLUH8daGS3aLhRlOon73sdr9SXp_jK8KrPw22zDMMdn_AHAcy3Tq2eRzGjJ7D/s320/Game.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#21 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_0KK4lczIU">The Game - The Documentary 2</a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On The Game’s best album since… wait a minute… no 50 Cent… only two skippable tracks instead of three… this <i><b>IS</b></i> The Game’s best album! <a href="https://twitter.com/GMPaiella/status/661738562707185664">#MeatprintPapi</a> wisely stays out of the way of his insane guest list, from Q-Tip & Premier to Kendrick & Kanye. Even the incessant name dropping and Rich Little-esque impersonations of great rappers past and present have grown endearing. Flipping everything from Screamin' Jay Hawkins to Phantogram, the ridiculously well-produced and well-sequenced <i>Documentary 2</i> remains one of the most pleasant surprises of 2015.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Jfw0qS5woG1Uv7agaKdNI0pxr7Sht6xAnQCfSE9ZACH4MKdWxthMLlIiU2bpsfk4q2hESup9hSwDy2Hl72F7OrXiqtLWGMTH0U7wKKyUxgk8ExbnJNUicPSkvaGO1OTGfHSFGdxyl2BN/s1600/Gangsta+boo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Jfw0qS5woG1Uv7agaKdNI0pxr7Sht6xAnQCfSE9ZACH4MKdWxthMLlIiU2bpsfk4q2hESup9hSwDy2Hl72F7OrXiqtLWGMTH0U7wKKyUxgk8ExbnJNUicPSkvaGO1OTGfHSFGdxyl2BN/s320/Gangsta+boo.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#20 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIL1ZH_mxBk">Gangsta Boo - Candy, Diamonds & Pills</a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Hypnotize Minds Renaissance went into hyperdrive in 2015, with eight new albums from representatives of the former Memphis rap enterprise. Lola Mitchell helmed the strongest Three 6 Mafia-related project for the second year in a row. <i>Candy, Diamonds & Pills’</i> biggest revelation is its total lack of smut, especially coming from a rapper well known for filthy quotables (happy 15th anniversary to <a href="https://youtu.be/brHkg1dRCJU?t=2m25s">“Tongue Ring”</a>). Gangsta Boo simultaneously struck while the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQbveAtzzTk">“Love Again”</a> iron was hot and ignored the iron altogether, preferring to reinforce her legacy as the First Lady of Crunk with grimy beats and twisted rhymes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOrVwZ7ahI_1TZ4X-QXQmS5ozYI_hQ3Rz3c0hG5BiylItRHDFKDeQvySOyfEiWvzi2OstjQavyo_ANhoSOjqpKHxoFH8vxp8tBPSylMGroWvmiFsy3Bsn4Ul7riKXyxwyEIBbNSfCwm4G/s1600/Sean+P.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOrVwZ7ahI_1TZ4X-QXQmS5ozYI_hQ3Rz3c0hG5BiylItRHDFKDeQvySOyfEiWvzi2OstjQavyo_ANhoSOjqpKHxoFH8vxp8tBPSylMGroWvmiFsy3Bsn4Ul7riKXyxwyEIBbNSfCwm4G/s320/Sean+P.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#19 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLRfqX9vXUU">Sean Price - </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS3-9KznCyY">Songs in the Key of Price</a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2015 was hip-hop’s most commercially and culturally relevant year so far this decade, for better and for worse. At the top of the “worse” column, even over that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxjxEFm9-vk">C-minus</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpKjc91h5a8">rap beef</a>, were the losses of Three 6 Mafia’s resident Pareseltongue Koopsta Knicca and the mighty Bar-barian also known as Ruck. The self-proclaimed Brokest Rapper You Know slap-boxed competitors one last time with his trademark barrage of stinging punchlines and witty reminders that <a href="http://genius.com/1460110">he didn’t vote for Obama</a>. The Duck Down version of <i>Songs in the Key of Price</i> runs an hour, while the “we couldn’t get all the samples cleared” version lasts a mere sixteen minutes. Both are spectacular farewells to an unbridled diss-master. P!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvZwplSGJ6AjXM8CbRh2Z4e-eNXjbTJIsMwDXOA_wC8nVJyRgpE5FyYBKvomYHjqJhN1bqqm43t_vjT9OzkB-ZBuffPKj8CKqI3K_chnWVjHlN-nGjmD4N3xt4UhpsHVWvEU89ilF3w2T/s1600/Rebel+Heart.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvZwplSGJ6AjXM8CbRh2Z4e-eNXjbTJIsMwDXOA_wC8nVJyRgpE5FyYBKvomYHjqJhN1bqqm43t_vjT9OzkB-ZBuffPKj8CKqI3K_chnWVjHlN-nGjmD4N3xt4UhpsHVWvEU89ilF3w2T/s320/Rebel+Heart.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#18 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5d8Bx6TG_E">Madonna - The </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARdMOAX_yVQ">Rebel Heart Sessions</a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today’s allegedly provocative entertainers keep ripping pages out of Madonna’s 80’s playbook yet not a one of them has dared to emulate the strip hop disco dominatrix of 1992’s <i>Erotica</i>. The Queen Mother of Pop realized she had to do it herself and recorded several dozen homages to her raunchiest persona. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2877820/Madonna-responds-new-unfinished-album-leaks-months-ahead-schedule.html">"Artistic crepe"</a> connoisseurs pored over the praise-worthy folktronica demos that leaked three months in advance. Even the official version of <i>Rebel Heart</i>, plagued with overproduction and misguided song transitions, contains a solid hour of ratchet triumphs and Madonna's best overwrought ballads since <i>Music. </i>Put them together and you get a riveting journey through guilt, pleasure, and an unapologetic bitch’s enduring vitality.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5f3J8x3rDe2UVwoDBfoT6FYECw_P0EymloP0vNukyZOUr8Wna5Yn3rTTbLkbzhTCDZMPTtw2IjWtaPWm3ZML5L712QAypBBeKjLwZx7brFamGExy0rk97PKNAdcZpoeEs99xc2K6_VrFq/s1600/Protomartyr.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5f3J8x3rDe2UVwoDBfoT6FYECw_P0EymloP0vNukyZOUr8Wna5Yn3rTTbLkbzhTCDZMPTtw2IjWtaPWm3ZML5L712QAypBBeKjLwZx7brFamGExy0rk97PKNAdcZpoeEs99xc2K6_VrFq/s320/Protomartyr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>#17 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzroaG2oDVs">Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From Danny Brown to (Dale Earnhardt) Jr Jr, Detroit has been producing a lot of flame emoji artists this decade. Post-punk quartet Protomartyr’s revelatory third album is teeming with vicious strumming, tempestuous drumming, and aloof grumbling. Joe Casey’s lyrics are steeped in references to Christian mythology and dive bar culture, devoting equal amounts of reverence and disdain towards both. Whether you identify with the cul-de-sac Satans or the saints about to get stoned in both senses of the word, </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Agent Intellect</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is a staggering listen, and an excellent addition to the modern Motor City playlist.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghO_M5oH_P6A7fv9imUeZd5IXDh1Tly0u316lzfJs5eHUcM-SAcjg4P_KiY1Z9uZ9m-_iKC-hpQKbkpZIQ4dQBILZHOq0MInItB9foHn2cBUj3StSSr3C5wOdr8e_5dxKmXRSSyaqLDAUb/s1600/hermitude.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghO_M5oH_P6A7fv9imUeZd5IXDh1Tly0u316lzfJs5eHUcM-SAcjg4P_KiY1Z9uZ9m-_iKC-hpQKbkpZIQ4dQBILZHOq0MInItB9foHn2cBUj3StSSr3C5wOdr8e_5dxKmXRSSyaqLDAUb/s320/hermitude.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#16 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdrRUX40U2E">Hermitude - Dark Night Sweet Light</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hermitude’s fifth full-length wrests the spotlight back from Flume, who upstaged the Australian duo’s entire previous album with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWuaoOrCBT4">one irresistible remix</a>. Motivational EDM anthems flow seamlessly into smooth R&B seductions, and nasty bass drop bangers double as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DStJCZUlEgY">advertisers’ wet dreams</a>. Hermitage excises the irritating parts of multiple trendy genres and expertly blends the leftovers. </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dark Night Sweet Light</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is officially the chillstep gold standard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokuBDgkwxuDdW21XyTZhi73RyoBtfDZSGtSvsB8PoHqBMxFh4uPhi5qXBThyH1zzWN3r6nzOkrnhKtxCpWUDMhwrvnFvqbrfCGBqBaPVMC8kCz5tfG4C8a23SvnB8Sd6WEDhcLf9aLhNb/s1600/Them+Are+Us+Too.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokuBDgkwxuDdW21XyTZhi73RyoBtfDZSGtSvsB8PoHqBMxFh4uPhi5qXBThyH1zzWN3r6nzOkrnhKtxCpWUDMhwrvnFvqbrfCGBqBaPVMC8kCz5tfG4C8a23SvnB8Sd6WEDhcLf9aLhNb/s320/Them+Are+Us+Too.jpg" width="319" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#15 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo4Y1RhqkTY">Them Are Us Too - Remain</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Putting the “new” back into “Best New Artist,” Them Are Us Too’s debut is the hottest thing to come out of UC Santa Cruz since all the KZSC DJs I crushed on graduated. Cash Askew’s haunting guitar work mesmerizes, and Kennedy Ashlyn’s soprano is as uplifting and heartbreaking as her percussion is savage. Drawing inspiration from shoegaze and slowcore, </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Remain</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">’s nightmare pop revels in gloomy synths and dejected drum patterns. These maudlin foundations often give way to aching beauty such as “False Moon,” one of the best songs anyone released in any genre this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnDdgVg2bNgQtemPY8MkXCi4jrkM0Y0CYUBFatbrEmwjvaEBIDmpGpxW8-UO61mb-Q5jL3nGHMwQS7gSbPgWe3n4l_f4tisKc8lhb4xiwy_CveTENLFjXAV0_OabVaKmVK144_unbHxzg/s1600/Teen+Daze.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnDdgVg2bNgQtemPY8MkXCi4jrkM0Y0CYUBFatbrEmwjvaEBIDmpGpxW8-UO61mb-Q5jL3nGHMwQS7gSbPgWe3n4l_f4tisKc8lhb4xiwy_CveTENLFjXAV0_OabVaKmVK144_unbHxzg/s320/Teen+Daze.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#14 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrlIxlTGJlM">Teen Daze - Morning World</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Canadian producer Jamison’s previous projects under the Teen Daze moniker were full-fledged chillwave affairs, reaching an absorbing apogee with 2013’s </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Glacier</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. Recorded and mixed in just ten days, </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Morning World</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is an idyllic sunrise soundtrack that owes more to orchestral folk and space rock than downtempo electronica. Branching out into string arrangements and peppy tempos has resulted in yet another impressive maturation. With </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Morning World</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, Teen Daze reveals himself to be a habitual game stepper-upper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OC0Z9ECfPcxFcFtN_zm28N7ZV4hIOq4E1Z0mJ-j4UCKu14ehkFlwMWRRIgKC9n-UbMRI_o6dGUf7_EILlaQw-vIjUkMjM1auJMwjzziZj8vXvTDj8o-vIOwTYfePKKPTV7a08Agpc2Jf/s1600/neon-indian.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OC0Z9ECfPcxFcFtN_zm28N7ZV4hIOq4E1Z0mJ-j4UCKu14ehkFlwMWRRIgKC9n-UbMRI_o6dGUf7_EILlaQw-vIjUkMjM1auJMwjzziZj8vXvTDj8o-vIOwTYfePKKPTV7a08Agpc2Jf/s320/neon-indian.jpg" width="320" /></a> </span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#13 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0wPHAau1ts">Neon Indian - VEGA INT'L Night School</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Neon Indian awoke from his four year coma only to discover that the 80’s retro bandwagon he’d helped establish had been toppled over, shoved out to sea, and transformed into a yacht. Unfazed, he sidles past misguided tributes to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkLOg252KRE">Dire Straits</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAWDk4VjVEA">Styx</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdneKLhsWOQ">Debbie Gibson</a> to resume his post as the reconfigured Nostalgiamobile’s figurehead. </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">VEGA INT’L Night School</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> takes </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Psychic Chasms</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">’ sun dappled distortion to nightclubs, dark alleys, and boudoirs. Working with a live band equally well-versed in Paisley Park and The Dangerous Crew, Alan Palomo creates his giddiest, sexiest, and funkiest work to date.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKxsI5kYeJ1l1-ZMwuB54H4Y8riicigiUQwvleD5aSg_3OdjsZjDDc992lfavFzBrpY5hsTpQ7SEkQMowg_KMqa85ufAlu4mRN3BUkQi5hmubFvhO78zHWigXJD1VqEfBYSy-YA44V2X7/s1600/Best+Coast.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKxsI5kYeJ1l1-ZMwuB54H4Y8riicigiUQwvleD5aSg_3OdjsZjDDc992lfavFzBrpY5hsTpQ7SEkQMowg_KMqa85ufAlu4mRN3BUkQi5hmubFvhO78zHWigXJD1VqEfBYSy-YA44V2X7/s320/Best+Coast.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#12 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF0gkV65Jl4">Best Coast - California Nights</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After months of listening to <i>California Nights </i>out of obligation, I saw Best Coast <a href="http://www.theowlmag.com/live-reviews/live-review-best-coast-lovely-bad-things-the-fillmore-san-francisco-92315/">sell the shit</a> out of these nouveau grunge tunes to an adoring audience that was even younger than the previous eight times that I saw them. Bethany Cosentino is still surf rock’s Mary J. Blige, only now she’s closer to <i>No More Drama</i> than <i>My Life. </i>The apathetic journal entries, inviting “ooh”s, and deceptively sunny melodies are still there, just swaddled in much more muscular riffs and polished mixes. Cosentino and Bobb Bruno’s successful yet bittersweet transition from indie sensations to alternative rock stars means catering less to a fan base that remains loyal and more to a fan base that remains the same age. As Ol’ Dirty Bastard would put it, <i>California Nights</i> is for the chilbren.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmCCRSjMdzaMmywD35UJ6tJ9jT9OcKcPqyN-MbM_m8B2jgrLC2cbszL4x4_Dw7qdPdNN_DkqMK20UNnJWqkwDE9pEuK-vbff0x7RuFQJw8yJ2EZ8iClJlaoDiMtWGnDTqxyPWIKZlcyG1/s1600/miley-cyrus-her-dead-petz.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmCCRSjMdzaMmywD35UJ6tJ9jT9OcKcPqyN-MbM_m8B2jgrLC2cbszL4x4_Dw7qdPdNN_DkqMK20UNnJWqkwDE9pEuK-vbff0x7RuFQJw8yJ2EZ8iClJlaoDiMtWGnDTqxyPWIKZlcyG1/s320/miley-cyrus-her-dead-petz.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#11 <a href="https://soundcloud.com/mileycyrus/tiger-dreams">Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The second entry in the Flaming Lips <i>The Terror</i> Cinematic Universe focuses on an insulated creature who survives on a diet of marijuana, viscous glittery liquids, and her own tears. Thumping techno lead single “Dooo It!” and its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu5iAgJ65dA">unicorn bukkake video</a> are red herrings. <i>Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz</i> is a messy, weepy psychedelic fucktronica opus. Self-funded and then given away </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">à</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> la <i>Run the Jewels</i>, <i>Dead Petz</i> corrects the many missteps of the endearing yet vacuous <i>Bangerz, </i>including Big Sean going from cringeworthy to a career-best cameo. Her pipes more penetrating than ever, Cyrus trills, snarls, and screams meditations on the fragile mortality of ecosystems, romantic entanglements, and yes, a blowfish. The Lips boldly rework a couple <i>Terror</i> interludes, and Orel Yoel and Mike Will Made It pull off amazing straightforward R&B beats. I don’t know how Miley goes back to contractually obligated pop records after this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6ASWI8Jv06MieM-MV0a-WIWhFlI52Zd1ynLQ5afOQKxkugnOmwK3XH04R_mSavs5Ac86dnCO4aQTbLdtuCnyCb_e3rMNn8Ho5jkqi95gBIu4PnxAxHv0yB0trim46GvNA2_qXC2FWYI0/s1600/compton-soundtrack.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6ASWI8Jv06MieM-MV0a-WIWhFlI52Zd1ynLQ5afOQKxkugnOmwK3XH04R_mSavs5Ac86dnCO4aQTbLdtuCnyCb_e3rMNn8Ho5jkqi95gBIu4PnxAxHv0yB0trim46GvNA2_qXC2FWYI0/s320/compton-soundtrack.png" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#10 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-s5zIw7Xts">Compton: A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Inspired by his surging protege and the immensely entertaining N.W.A. biopic, ignorap’s pristine perfectionist finally completed his third album. <i>Compton</i> is the first Dr. Dre effort with accurate production credits (y’all still don’t think he did <i>Doggystyle</i> by himself do you?) and no momentum-killing features (*cough* Hittman). Considering it's by the man who helped turn gangsta rap into a pop juggernaut, </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Compton</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> also surprisingly radio unfriendly. The majority of the content is preoccupied with homicide - committing it, witnessing it, or lamenting its proliferation. Thankfully, none of it is played for laughs. Kendrick Lamar goes for broke; Anderson Paak crows through multiple <i>A Star is Born</i> moments; Snoop Dogg & Xzibit spit like they give a damn again; The Game gets a lean on your car horn anthem; Eminem floats overhead spouting aggro Micro Machines ad copy. Reigning them all in is the finest rapper to never write a rhyme, his commanding baritone and pliable delivery in top form. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Andre Young may need Extendable Ears to keep his ears to the streets, but they’re working better than ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLz8WS6GSX6qEimp9M5soRsnTNkfPfgBSboti9VC7McrLFIh_2NQ4bFq3JbfCUbH9VIlwtDJmWVNINgp_d-Pcs-vKs42xQH19cu6GIaacildAscSrFVDb4AexuED1_pWAFJB0IoJdpPhlZ/s1600/Bhi.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLz8WS6GSX6qEimp9M5soRsnTNkfPfgBSboti9VC7McrLFIh_2NQ4bFq3JbfCUbH9VIlwtDJmWVNINgp_d-Pcs-vKs42xQH19cu6GIaacildAscSrFVDb4AexuED1_pWAFJB0IoJdpPhlZ/s320/Bhi.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#9 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLWmbLUPg6w">Bhi Bhiman - Rhythm & Reason</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dear Every Aspiring MC: being a great lyricist doesn’t mean being able to rapidly spout strings of homonyms in one breath. Bhi Bhiman’s <i>Rhythm & Reason</i> features few sonic or thematic ties to hip-hop, yet his couplets inhabit the same fatalistic, sarcastic, and insightful domain as the genre’s strongest storytellers. Disillusioned expats, opportunistic bigots, drug addled radicals, and enhanced interrogators traipse across Bhiman’s reggae and soul-inflected landscape. His powerful tenor sparkles as he portrays these variegated voices of dissent. <i>Rhythm & Reason</i> is a rollicking, eerie, and passionate work that exemplifies folk rock’s full potential.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuA52ON34Ggr9sLA2U0TBDTDssiNp4KVmEm7KrWTqwFunNesrqxWpPow1ST-yovmjQQpqEuVCEunrPOHVpFbiHgDsYYDTXQBlLoXr5FzokJM-TNyuyzFbBYBu9u0Uc4vxxKSVYHW3_HtS7/s1600/Alabama+Shakes.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuA52ON34Ggr9sLA2U0TBDTDssiNp4KVmEm7KrWTqwFunNesrqxWpPow1ST-yovmjQQpqEuVCEunrPOHVpFbiHgDsYYDTXQBlLoXr5FzokJM-TNyuyzFbBYBu9u0Uc4vxxKSVYHW3_HtS7/s320/Alabama+Shakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#8 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oib0a2_itA">Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alabama Shakes is the first of three acts that barely registered on my radar in 2012 and then inexplicably made it to The Big Show this year. There’s nothing wrong with <i>Boys & Girls</i>, but everything about <i>Sound & Color </i>is grittier, sexier, spookier… exponentially better all around. Brittany Howard turns on a dime from tender lover to gruff blusterer. The foursome’s synchronicity is electric, seamlessly shifting back and forth from hushed to thunderous tones. Alabama Shakes lovingly wrap their limbs and instruments around all the South’s signature sounds, from scorching blues to breezy playalistic pimp themes. <i>Sound & Color</i> is one of new classic rock’s most crucial entries to date.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29fSTRsH7ObFUik5aKiaWzyx5AF907UDcjUtF7vMq51FPhCZsByd23Qo6cDXbGMSO8PLNo19JH-W0aEBkIdQjBKlnbrxNLdwAyf83q7htGYCCVXjE07dr0jwGcoVjQZmutqxOQoGLsAM4/s1600/this+is+pizza+boy..png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29fSTRsH7ObFUik5aKiaWzyx5AF907UDcjUtF7vMq51FPhCZsByd23Qo6cDXbGMSO8PLNo19JH-W0aEBkIdQjBKlnbrxNLdwAyf83q7htGYCCVXjE07dr0jwGcoVjQZmutqxOQoGLsAM4/s320/this+is+pizza+boy..png" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#7 <a href="https://soundcloud.com/iampizzaboy/08-this-is-me-trying-not-to-be">pizza boy. - this is pizza boy.</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last year the only rapper to make a better song than pizza boy. was Jay Electronica. Jay Electronica did not release a song this year. ICYMI, and based on his Soundcloud play counts YMI, pizza boy. is a Taco Bell & masturbation addict-cum-humblebrag wordplay wizard. <a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.com/2015/04/groove-theories-this-is-pizza-boy.html"><i>this is pizza boy</i>.</a> is his sophomore effort, third if you count the <i>futility</i> EP, <a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.com/2014/12/groove-theories-pizza-boy-no-tip.html">which you should</a>. His most subversive acts are as follows: daring to rhyme with excellent grammar in an era of run-on sentence ramblers; intelligently analyzing his desires and shortcomings with mischievous humor; making prank calls in Bill Cosby’s voice. This is his third appearance on my 2015 Albums list along with <a href="https://soundcloud.com/iampizzaboy/sets/too-sus-4-tv">Sus Boyz</a>, his collaboration project with Shampoo Papi, and a stunning <a href="https://lylehorowitz.bandcamp.com/track/i-have-a-voice-i-have-a-gun-feat-pizza-boy">feature</a> on Ly Moula’s <i>Psychotic Breaks</i>. Widespread and possibly even thin-spread success and attention unfairly continues to elude him. If you don’t support him, Melvin Burch will win, and he will order you to drink a cumshot through a straw. Quit playing and listen now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhlW-PwtpgAgAZ5UxyZZgwg1jm8-1otnL_X-3iDyUinEYciprlPAe-P6mPHF9ymnxD2oAtSEMEy9haDX-ZY9RvmdBXH3RC3krzPG0HUvey7JraG-S4EOZqjADPfIwQia4oahIORcrMiTa/s1600/jamie-xx.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhlW-PwtpgAgAZ5UxyZZgwg1jm8-1otnL_X-3iDyUinEYciprlPAe-P6mPHF9ymnxD2oAtSEMEy9haDX-ZY9RvmdBXH3RC3krzPG0HUvey7JraG-S4EOZqjADPfIwQia4oahIORcrMiTa/s320/jamie-xx.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#6 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-C-pOR6QP4">Jamie xx - In Colour</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you told me that one of the best rap songs of the year would contain the line “she gon get on top of the dick and she gon squish it like squish,” I wouldn’t believe you. But then, I’m still perplexed as to how a member of a group known for making 40 minute ambient interludes created such a diverse, thoughtful, and superbly sequenced ode to electronica’s illustrious history. The glowsticks, the grime, the EmbracEs from strangErs with as many capital Es as thEy can afford… Jamie xx covers it all and then some. <i>In Colour</i> also stands as one of the few EDM albums to explicitly and sweetly convey its mission statement: “I go to loud places to search for someone to be quiet with.” Not even Young Thug following it up with “I’ma ride in that pussy like a stroller” can break that sentimental spell.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKMaDBdSiAiwQh4A-msM0YQvcWCOA75bJHH1jhqY9lVlEHaMb9gGsoi9lriAiASGL9O-4q5Z2vmHg1fFem9JZ9sujur9ttzaQA42X5AOG0BeEFmdWPsJwiqTiaR6vuLocMd3r8smjYoOx/s1600/CB.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKMaDBdSiAiwQh4A-msM0YQvcWCOA75bJHH1jhqY9lVlEHaMb9gGsoi9lriAiASGL9O-4q5Z2vmHg1fFem9JZ9sujur9ttzaQA42X5AOG0BeEFmdWPsJwiqTiaR6vuLocMd3r8smjYoOx/s320/CB.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#5 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NVOawOXxSA">Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My inner Conspiracy Brother believes it’s not a coincidence that <i>Sometimes I Sit and Think</i>… dropped nine days after Tame Impala released their Chemical Brothers-meets-REO Speedwagon <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFptt7Cargc">lead single</a>. Australia’s rock scene needed a new standard bearer and <i>quick</i>. Courtney Barnett left her twangy pair of EPs in the dust with this dazzling grunge/blues/punk conglomeration. The deadpan, half-spoken delivery of minuscule details and self-deprecatory slogans resonates deeply, yet none of the lyrics are as intimate or alluring as what <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxiuhWIGnSE&feature=youtu.be&t=1m52s">CB</a> does with her guitar. Whether gently strumming or vehemently shredding, Barnett’s volatile fingers are even more expressive than her whispers and hollers. <a href="https://youtu.be/BxiuhWIGnSE?t=1m52s">CB</a> combines a rousing and arousing racket with remarkably candid declarations of yearning and sorrow.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAIxUw2ggykxK8NaIpDq1lxINiO7q_HImSFucS0ATnZNIVbhCSavZvqi1QSo5eLv2-6wPjeyOlkvENe63Y-8yHem_TJv8TtOZmu2hizjpaNK0qS8036T8172I2dhcyE7dL-U_w4WSnscX/s1600/TPAB.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAIxUw2ggykxK8NaIpDq1lxINiO7q_HImSFucS0ATnZNIVbhCSavZvqi1QSo5eLv2-6wPjeyOlkvENe63Y-8yHem_TJv8TtOZmu2hizjpaNK0qS8036T8172I2dhcyE7dL-U_w4WSnscX/s320/TPAB.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#4 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaB2g_eF6T8">Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am one of the dozen people on the planet non-plussed by the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwR_1EP18eo">“Murs makes a Drake album”</a> that has already been declared this generation's <i>Illmatic </i>(*shudders*). This guaranteed that I would enjoy the follow-up a lot more, I just didn’t expect it would be this much. The lion's share of the credit goes to the impeccable production courtesy of Sounwave, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, Pharrell Williams, Knxwledge, Terrace Martin, Boi 1da, Tae Beast, it goes on like this. <i>To Pimp A Butterfly</i> singlehandedly introduces a generation raised on trap pop and emo hop to - gasp! - live instrumentation in hip-hop. Kendrick is game to tackle every jazz spazz-out and G-funk symphonic movement thrown his way. As the best MC mainstream hip-hop currently has to offer, Lamar is working without a net here. There are ridiculous voices, somber slam poetry platitudes, stream of consciousness nonsense, religious parables, black pride diatribes, shame on a nigga scenarios, and more. If it weren’t for that unnecessary mock 2Pac interview, <i>TPAB</i> would be a masterpiece. The Realest Negus Alive will have to settle for a classic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssXhRJ9AtW5DCyGPqwfSZOmK-XYEhqta9GGNfHRoZUsVbP2u8c7GRkJLE9wDkl-rMAj4qBd4oHMiATkXbAaH4mQLnmbCYcHFrp4bs3UFZ5o9iUk9LnaFA54SDgT5jlmAfRdRm8QDnypN2/s1600/Wax+Idols.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssXhRJ9AtW5DCyGPqwfSZOmK-XYEhqta9GGNfHRoZUsVbP2u8c7GRkJLE9wDkl-rMAj4qBd4oHMiATkXbAaH4mQLnmbCYcHFrp4bs3UFZ5o9iUk9LnaFA54SDgT5jlmAfRdRm8QDnypN2/s320/Wax+Idols.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#3 <a href="https://soundcloud.com/collectrecords/severely-yours">Wax Idols - American Tragic</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In a year overflowing with multiple generations of pop divas audaciously staking their respective claims, a DIY glam rocker out-popped them all. On <i>American Tragic, </i>singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/general badass Hether Fortune defiantly displays her scars as proudly as she does her compositional prowess. She plays everything you hear on this record except for one instrument, which is taken care of by Rachel “imagine if Furiosa was a drumming virtuoso” Travers. “Lonely You” is the glorious goth lead-in, but that’s as close as Wax Idols gets to recreating the chilling magic of <i>Discipline + Desire</i>. There is no comparing the two albums; <i>Tragic</i> is an entirely different beast. Moreover, the beast turns out to be in good spirits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Deborah” is a delirious graveyard party, and “Goodbye Baby” is a relationship kiss-off that could soundtrack <i>Waiting to Exhale</i>’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGwV4mrOCJo">most iconic scene</a>. “Glisten/Severely Yours/At Any Moment” is the astounding one-two-three punch that tells the story (or at least the story in my imagination) of the cover photo. Fortune is mired in the murkiness of toxic love, spies a light above her head and clambers towards it. She is pulled the rest of the way up by her own libido “like some tethered angel, lifted straight from the ground by the fingers in my mouth.” She is ecstatic upon her arrival but hesitates, knowing from experience that blissful luminescence can be just as treacherous as the shadows she just escaped.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxg00bt4z4gumQW9VRzHMyX-ecDsCApiV_Q-oZoN3y-O6Cnl0NpIGxva_wrisoOshAnCvmWzFk8DDnuenyaeuEuV9YWoTCPuQsRMqxSNV2M1Do9OTTBDXmT5isN1zTI_yehTfFJfSO3_C/s1600/Panda_Bear_Meets_the_Grim_Reaper.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxg00bt4z4gumQW9VRzHMyX-ecDsCApiV_Q-oZoN3y-O6Cnl0NpIGxva_wrisoOshAnCvmWzFk8DDnuenyaeuEuV9YWoTCPuQsRMqxSNV2M1Do9OTTBDXmT5isN1zTI_yehTfFJfSO3_C/s320/Panda_Bear_Meets_the_Grim_Reaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#2 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ORcUH3VIa0">Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ladies and gentlemen, the best electronic <i>and </i>best hip-hop producer of 2015. Mr. Noah Lennox, Animal Collective’s resident lead percussionist and seraphim, takes his sample-heavy song structures to dizzying new heights. Though the 1990s finally became the prevailing choice for retro flourishes this year, Panda Bear was the only artist brave enough to re-envision boom bap for the 21st Century. When you impress the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhCO8OWwXBk">Chocolate Boy Wonder</a>, you know you’re on the right track. Though trippy progtronica remains <i>Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper</i>’s ultimate goal, sturdy drum loops provide a much needed bridge across a generation gap that can’t even agree about <a href="https://twitter.com/BigGhostLtd/status/654473071894511616">Common’s verse</a> on Kanye West’s “Get ‘Em High.” <i>PBVSGR</i> intricate tracks are far too captivating on their own for anyone to spit bars over, though I’d love to see Chance the Rapper or Kendrick or pizza boy. or <a href="https://youtu.be/iJ7UCm6uxNc?t=30s">anyone but Jimmy From Degrassi</a> try.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The album’s gooey center - from “Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker” to “Lonely Wanderer” - is the most creative AC-related work since the morbid fantasies of Avey Tare’s <i>Down There</i>. Synthesizers burble and splash like a swamp located in the mouth of a volcano. “Dark clouds descended again and a shadow moves in,” our hero narrates with jagged echo chamber chirps. As soon as the Supernatural Anesthetist comes, the agitation dissipates, and Panda Bear earns wings and harp. “And you won’t come back, you can’t come back to it” is his plaintive hymn as Debussy and a demonic thrum hurtle him to the next destination.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZG1NX-LkWWtWyN1w8tLwNtACKG7YQldjiaTiWRc_q2Moy-AEoYnh5L6or7mHir1ZpSn9T5PN3MymsdLlEVMT2S7pc_EJctVyZ32TRfDiTfJTxWb_rlxToxaN6HS5qJmGULxkkA2L1ypVw/s1600/Abyss.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZG1NX-LkWWtWyN1w8tLwNtACKG7YQldjiaTiWRc_q2Moy-AEoYnh5L6or7mHir1ZpSn9T5PN3MymsdLlEVMT2S7pc_EJctVyZ32TRfDiTfJTxWb_rlxToxaN6HS5qJmGULxkkA2L1ypVw/s320/Abyss.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">#1 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46u_Ggsub1A">Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On a warm, clear summer day in 1995, I entered the mall to buy a copy of Brotha Lynch Hung’s <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukGISyL8WcY">Season of da Siccness</a></i>. When I walked outside again, the afternoon sky had turned jet black. Within minutes of my first listen through, it didn’t feel like mere coincidence. Twenty summers later, another Sacramento-born musician duplicated this ominous feat, only this time dark clouds did not gather overhead. They gathered inside my head.</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>“Even sometimes when things are going really well and calm, I’ll have crazy nightmares. It doesn’t really make any sense. The mind is a wild place.” </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As album openers go, Chelsea Wolfe’s “Carrion Flowers” is one for the record books. A horrific slice and dice synth motif lurches to life, then stalls, and repeats until- devastation. Punishing triple time pulsations and churning strings signify sinister machinery whirring to life, its purpose as yet uncertain. A high voice calls out “hold on to the pain,” as both consolation and grave warning. A macabre, flippant amalgamation of industrial and Chicago drill, “Carrion Flowers” is a masterstroke. Nothing else on <i>Abyss</i> tops it, nor does it need to. The mood is set, and the descent continues.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>“Waking up… you can move your body and your eyes are open, but there are figures and people from your dreams still present in the room.” </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wolfe cites her <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/aug/14/chelsea-wolfe-drone-folk-singer-sleep-paralysis-high-art">experiences with</a> <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/music/carl-jung-and-sleep-paralysis-inspired-chelsea-wolfes-dark-new-album-5746620">sleep paralysis</a> as the reason for <i>Abyss </i>sounding even more nightmarish than her usual recordings. These eleven operatic folk metal songs do more than recount memories of phantoms gliding through bedroom walls; they vividly depict the artist’s personal vision of a hell dimension.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Many easily identifiable instruments and chord progressions represent ambiguous intentions. The clatter of grinding guitars evokes gateways to torture chambers. A whining viola can either be the despairing cry of a lost soul, or an approaching swarm of demons. Pensive acoustic passages are welcome respites from the internal turmoil… or are they shape-shifting hallucinations, twisting pleasant memories into relived trauma? Wolfe’s warm soprano acts as a beacon, though this guardian angel may be leading her charges towards unfathomable peril.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Emboldened by extraordinary bandmates and <i>St. Vincent </i>producer John Congleton, Chelsea Wolfe engages in some visionary netherworld-building. <i>Abyss</i> isn’t just the Best Album of 2015, it is one of the finest releases so far this decade.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJQR6D8NbKI">Sweet dreams.</a></span></span><br />
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<i>Zestyverse's </i>resident Music Geek <b>Sean Morris</b> is an SF Bay Area native with a photographic memory and encyclopedic knowledge of popular culture. He is a graduate of UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television, a former Los Angeles Slam Team member, part of the collective <a href="https://www.facebook.com/artforademocraticsociety" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;">Art 4 A Democratic Society</a>, and a music blogger for <a href="http://www.theowlmag.com/author/sean-morris/" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;">The Owl Mag</a>. Find him on <a href="https://twitter.com/SaneIsCrazy" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/saneiscrazy/" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;">SoundCloud</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/SaneIsCrazy" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;">YouTube</a>.</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766323426834640862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-41088429488380545092015-12-09T11:51:00.002-08:002015-12-09T11:52:59.721-08:00Zesty's Indie Gift Guide for 2015!It's holiday time and that means giving!<br />
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Zesty loves to support independent creatives and craftspeople, and we think you do, too. Because the internet, we're thinking #localisglobal. We've curated a group of grassroots up and coming designers and craftspeople who can send your gifts anywhere in the world!<br />
<br />
When you purchase their original creative work, you are supporting entrepreneurs, artists and gamechangers. Feel good about where you drop your dollars this holiday season - take a click!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ccstar" target="_blank">CC Star</a></span><br />
<img alt="Pink Marble Enamel Earrings - Pink, Purple, and Grey Marbled Vitreous Enamel and Sterling Silver Ear Wires - CC Star" height="320" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/124/0/5142554/il_570xN.882322766_ny3g.jpg" title="" width="320" /><br />
CC Star is in love with color! The enamel work is flawless and the designs make you smile. Artist and jewelry maker Celeste Christie is behind this shop and her sense of joy and attention to detail are in every handmade piece - she makes perfection look easy! This year CC Star has<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/258761800/green-snowflake-christmas-ornament?ref=shop_home_active_16" target="_blank"> Christmas ornaments</a> for your tree, too!<br />
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From December 1-25, check in daily for <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ccstar" target="_blank">CC Star's ADVENT SALE</a>! Each day, one item will be discounted 25%! Like the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ccstaraccessories" target="_blank">CC Star Facebook Page</a> to get notified of sale items.<br />
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On Etsy: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ccstar" target="_blank">CC Star</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.freezeraypress.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html" target="_blank">FreezeRay Press</a></span><br />
<img alt="Picture" src="https://www.freezeraypress.com/uploads/2/0/1/1/20114393/4725645.jpg?960" style="max-width: 100%; width: 960;" /><br />
The brainchild of poet-preneur Rob Sturma, FreezeRay Press is the place to go for all your pop culture poetry needs. <a href="https://www.freezeraypress.com/store/p1/Fake_Knife__.html" target="_blank">St. Vincent-inspired poems</a> - they got you. Latest release - <a href="https://www.freezeraypress.com/store/p2/Again_I_Wait_For_This_To_Pull_Apart_.html" target="_blank">Again I Wait to Pull Apart</a> - is edited by the brilliant Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib.<br />
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First 100 orders get a custom FreezeRay Press guitar pick! Be quick about it!<br />
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Books are forever gifts that grow and get better with time - put some on your list!<br />
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<a href="https://www.freezeraypress.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html" target="_blank">FreezeRay Press website</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/HOUSEofDIVINITY" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">House of Divinity</span></a><br />
<img alt="Lotus Necklace ~Rebirth~" height="320" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/131/1/5367627/il_570xN.849837261_jtye.jpg" width="320" /><br />
Longtime one of my favorite jewelry makers, Araceli Silva combines an elegant design sense with a holistic approach to life. Her jewelry is eloquent - it perfectly describes its wearer. I get compliments every time I wear one of her designs. The <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/251916754/lotus-necklace-rebirth" target="_blank">new lotus necklace</a> is on my list!<br />
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If you are SoCal local, HoD is taking part in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/900167960031172/" target="_blank">this open studios event in Boyle Heights</a> the 16th, 17th, 21st, 22nd. You can try things on and meet her!<br />
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On Etsy: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/HOUSEofDIVINITY" target="_blank">House of Divinity </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://shop.planetlucid.com/" target="_blank">Planet Lucid</a> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIHK0fCHzNrVbVoPFtq1zpYon0mumeCNv9hhbnqCwjjeIB0MmyGtGH-42fiSqS2ungHAHDAM3T3qNit47oFrU3qGADAmkNg2mN_qcMCsc0y_RHa5UQwOxtxuW_e93RYVRtC3LiYtT1pE/s1600/BK_CAMO_model_1024x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Brooklyn Faces Camo t" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIHK0fCHzNrVbVoPFtq1zpYon0mumeCNv9hhbnqCwjjeIB0MmyGtGH-42fiSqS2ungHAHDAM3T3qNit47oFrU3qGADAmkNg2mN_qcMCsc0y_RHa5UQwOxtxuW_e93RYVRtC3LiYtT1pE/s320/BK_CAMO_model_1024x1024.jpg" title="" width="213" /></a></div>
Designer Ryan Spence has been raising his game for a while now. <a href="http://shop.planetlucid.com/collections/brooklynfaces" target="_blank">The Brooklyn Faces collection</a> is it for me -- great design fueled by a grounded sense of community. For the guys on your list, <a href="http://shop.planetlucid.com/collections/brooklynfaces/products/brooklyn-faces-camo-t-shirt?variant=1796079044" target="_blank">the camo t</a> is what to give. I'm all about <a href="http://shop.planetlucid.com/collections/summer/products/preorder-brooklyn-faces-long-sleeve-button-up-1?variant=4534139908" target="_blank">the pencil skirt</a>, and I'm sure no one on your list can resist <a href="http://shop.planetlucid.com/collections/accessories/products/tote-bag-brooklyn-faces?variant=1799257860" target="_blank">a tote bag.</a><br />
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<a href="http://shop.planetlucid.com/" target="_blank">Planet Lucid website</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.uppermetalclass.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Upper Metal Class</span></a><br />
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<img alt="Stacking these bar rings with this awesome new nail do thanks to @topknotnails from @fingerbangportland
Btw if you didn't know our 30% off sale ends tonight 11:59pm pst! Use code: HOORAY30" class="thumb-image loaded" data-image-dimensions="640x640" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" data-image-id="565ce93be4b08f3c6f447510" data-image-resolution="300w" data-image="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/539a712be4b02bedb3a41c2c/551b979ee4b0e07d77dc216d/565ce93be4b08f3c6f447510/1448929598182/" data-load="false" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/539a712be4b02bedb3a41c2c/551b979ee4b0e07d77dc216d/565ce93be4b08f3c6f447510/1448929598182/?format=300w" data-src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/539a712be4b02bedb3a41c2c/551b979ee4b0e07d77dc216d/565ce93be4b08f3c6f447510/1448929598182/" data-type="image" style="height: 220px; left: 0px; position: relative; top: 0px; width: 220px;" /><br />
Upper Metal Class knows sleek is sexy. Rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings designed with intention and beautifully crafted in your choice of metals. <a href="http://www.uppermetalclass.com/lookbooks/" target="_blank">This great lookbook </a>gives you a sense of designer T. Ngu's inspirations and style - her designs accent you, they let you come through, they don't demand who you are.<br />
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Last day for holiday orders to get there by Christmas is December 15th.<br />
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<u>For Zesty readers!!!!! 25% off coupon code: ZESTY25</u><br />
<a href="https://www.freezeraypress.com/store/p2/Again_I_Wait_For_This_To_Pull_Apart_.html" target="_blank">Upper Metal Class website</a><br />
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We hope you find the great and personal gifts you are looking for and wish you peaceful holidays and a beautiful 2016.</div>
E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-8021490436467218962015-11-02T08:43:00.000-08:002015-11-02T08:43:13.917-08:00Quote of the Week - Price<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxYF3oFdp2UfXvyvcB_cixsbBmmBEOqzKV7HsqavmOWakhgdaUifnPq_OEjASh7AoSBxrkK-xWGIXuSvBVKSzxo04WU_Sfr90Q90bkuhQ6LWsgwOjQd1oTI4C8bEgLUoW_0Cn8nB0lY8/s1600/Cash-Money1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxYF3oFdp2UfXvyvcB_cixsbBmmBEOqzKV7HsqavmOWakhgdaUifnPq_OEjASh7AoSBxrkK-xWGIXuSvBVKSzxo04WU_Sfr90Q90bkuhQ6LWsgwOjQd1oTI4C8bEgLUoW_0Cn8nB0lY8/s320/Cash-Money1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">"Here I am walking around making $1 million a year, and I'm working shoulder to shoulder with people in her situation who are every bit as good and valuable as I am."</span></i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">~ <a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/201511/paul-keegan/does-more-pay-mean-more-growth.html?cid=cp01002wired" target="_blank">Dan Price</a></span></i></blockquote>
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This is such a great example of being in integrity. Of understanding that our world is a collective process and life is a shared experience, not a competition. Price set a policy of elevating salaries in his company toward a goal of $70,000 while butting his own to that figure. He did this to make sure that all of his employees could have manageable lives based on their salaries in their environment. </div>
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Valuing people for who they are and that they are, not based on their job description is still a pretty radical idea.</div>
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If you were in Price's position, what would you do?</div>
E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-85369895367726337192015-10-26T23:30:00.000-07:002015-10-26T23:30:00.935-07:00Body Shaming by Victoria by E. Amato<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
My relationship to Victoria’s Secret is basically: why are they so
expensive? Why do their things fall apart so quickly? Why do they never fit
properly? On their side, there's my old satin robe, which wasn’t expensive, doesn’t
fall apart no matter what I do to it (like burn it on the stove when I'm boiling water for coffee) and has been reclaimed from the Good Will
pile about a dozen times: I can’t let it go; I love it too much. It keeps false hope alive that one day, I will walk into a Victoria's Secret and find something that fits, that is quality, and that lasts. Also, it's kinda sexy.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Much of my life, I’ve had DDs or
sometimes, even more. I’ve worn 36 and 38. I’ve discovered the ridiculous way
the number size affects cup size – these assumptions that if you are skinnier
around the ribs, your breasts are also smaller. I will never understand bra
sizes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Finding bras is a challenge for every one who wears them. My last good purchase was at Intimissimi and before that I got some from Felina. Both brands have great styling, fit well, last long, and are a good
value. Not cheap, but priced comparably to Victoria’s Secret, and they last
about 5 times as long. But those brands can be hard to find, and bras need to be tried
on. As I walked by a Victoria’s Secret, feeling that strange combination of desperate and hopeful, wearing my 34C Intimissimi demi cup that
I love and that really needs replacing, I went inside.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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First off – everything in there is padded. I’ve never needed or wanted extra padding.. I also have no idea what those pads are made of,
if they let my skin breathe, and what toxins they are leaking. I
asked the overly friendly sales associate (I hate the way they stalk you the minute you walk in. Do they think that's helpful? I think they are always just letting me know that they think I might shoplift.) for “unlined” and she showed me lightly padded. I asked again. She said she’d
confused unlined with no underwire. I thought she should probably be fired, but
none of my business. <o:p></o:p></div>
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They had two styles without pads in the whole store. Two. A t-shirt bra and another.
The other is modeled completely on the Intimissimi bra I already had on - a total knock off with cheaper fabrics and construction, but the same price. (VS actually used to distribute Intimissimi in the US; presumably it's more profitable to just steal their designs.) There was a very
sparkly bra that looked like something a six year old would really like, but
no.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the dressing room, I tried on the 34Cs I’d asked for. The
t-shirt bra was too small in the cup - like way too small. The band had no extra fabric (which helps
to hold on to when you are doing it up) and appeared to not have extra
settings. Women have cycles, our bodies change within a month (I used
to change so much I actually had to have different bras for different weeks of
the month), it’s good to have a few hook and eye options. I tried the other bra; I was coming out of
the cup. I know I'm not a D anymore. I mean, not even close. And good luck
getting a D cup below a 36. I came in there wearing a bra that
fits, and is a 34C.</div>
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In the changing room, I had a momentary
blast of…’Oh, I must’ve gained weight!’ And a tiny little red flush of shame.
As soon as it surfaced, I laughed inside and called bullshit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like dress sizes go down over time, in the boob
culture of Victoria’s Secret, cup sizes need to go up! Pad them, demi cup them,
push them – make the girls look bigger. While simultaneously, making them feel
like it’s too tight around the ribs and they might be getting fat.<o:p></o:p><br />
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And then it hit me:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Corporate body shaming. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Brilliant.</div>
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Honestly, what a perfect strategy for hooking consumers. Make
them feel sexy, but imperfect, and you have them hooked. With their sizing strategy, a woman who always felt she was "small" could feel bigger. A woman who felt she was fat would feel shamed. Both of them will come back for more. That's how body shaming works.<br />
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Marilyn was a size 12 in her day, which would make her about a 4 in today's sizes. Yes, fashion has been making women feel better by making the numbers smaller for decades. I recently found a cocktail dress I got for an event about twenty years ago. It’s a stunning black velvet one and a size 10. It used to be tight, but I wanted it and was unable to find it in a bigger size, so I bought it, starved myself the week before the event, wore control top pantyhose and sucked everything in. That’s how I used to do it. Now I buy everything too big, because I like to breathe. I put on this dress, thinking, well, it’s a size 10. I’m about a size 2. It couldn’t possibly fit me anymore.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It fit perfectly. </div>
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<br />
Even with evidence of what the fashion industry does with sizing - statistics, anecdotal, observational - we still seem to let ourselves in for these games. We pour money into companies that use our bodies as psychological war zones.<br />
<br />
I don't want to be the one who calls out Victoria's Secret, the one who can't buy anything without thinking about the political implications of the purchase. I just want a new bra. But in an environment where one competitor has almost shut down the competition, it's hard to make that happen. I mean, when was the last time you were anywhere a department store to get to the "Intimates" department?<br />
<br />
Expressing ourselves with clothes has been one of the few areas of creativity consistently allowed to women who could afford to do so. It has become part of who we are, how we identify ourselves, and how we fit ourselves into the world around us. We dress our mood, we dress our role, we dress for the event, we dress for effect. It would suck to have to trade the fun of dressing up for our balance and dignity. It sucks that the huge amounts of money women spend on clothing and accessories isn't enough to get companies to stop trying to get more of it and to respect us in all our shapes and sizes.<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">“</span><i style="text-align: justify;"><b>…unapologetic feminist, dulcet-toned poet, activist, film-maker, editor of Zestyverse</b></i><span style="text-align: justify;">” (LossLit) </span><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.eamato.com/" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">E. Amato </a></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> is a published poet, award-winning screenwriter, and established performer. She has </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/E.-Amato/e/B004QDHDXY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1437097694&sr=8-1&tag=abro02-20&linkId=35ITKS5HOY6KPQE6" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">three poetry collections</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=abro02-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 5px;" width="1" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> by Zesty Pubs: </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Swimming Through Amber</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><i style="text-align: justify;">5</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, & </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Will Travel,</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> and </span><a href="http://thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/author/e-amato/" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">is a content writer for <i>The Body Is Not an Apology</i></a><span style="text-align: justify;">. She also has </span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/eamato/04-the-full-english" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">a special relationship with Marmite</a><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-78788154916191163912015-10-25T23:30:00.000-07:002015-10-25T23:30:01.440-07:00Quote of the Week - Luscious Jackson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVR14db4EfoVodaDnnXBYWz6Qh54GSvx04z4GrsKSfXTc5YNXzgRgqids91jeIj0_PwuY_B1WnT5xDoubeUtJ6haN5_yLWc524mOOtrfoR8_XOyx9sqDzrkboYcExNpqqqaVWZzK56Ko/s1600/CS1703524-02A-BIG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVR14db4EfoVodaDnnXBYWz6Qh54GSvx04z4GrsKSfXTc5YNXzgRgqids91jeIj0_PwuY_B1WnT5xDoubeUtJ6haN5_yLWc524mOOtrfoR8_XOyx9sqDzrkboYcExNpqqqaVWZzK56Ko/s320/CS1703524-02A-BIG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">"Faith will come humbly down.<br />Fear will come tumbling down."</span></i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">~ Luscious Jackson</span></i></blockquote>
<br />
Sometimes I forget how much I love <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LusciousJackson?fref=ts" target="_blank">Luscious Jackson</a>! Then one of their songs floats up in my consciousness and I have to listen on repeat.<br />
<br />
Here are the rest of the lyrics:<br />
<br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">I cry for the love in your eyes.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">I try to let you be free.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">If you're blue, don't let it worry you.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">We'll make it through.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">And if you don't believe me...</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Faith will come humbly down.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Fear will come tumbling down.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Cynics may fill the books.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Critics may give you looks.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">But I'll stand by ya 'til ya die.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">And I'll be wise in the afterlife.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Faith will come humbly down.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Fear will come tumbling down.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Faith will come humbly down.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Fear will come tumbling down.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Faith will come humbly down.</span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Fear will come tumbling down.</span> </i><br />
<br />
E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-46714465898407427882015-10-19T00:01:00.000-07:002015-10-19T00:01:09.449-07:00Quote of the Week - Lao Tzu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrn7Y6KDXX8fuK4WwLKrYf0QHgt302EicvsUhuFBBzNZ6opf5bT-mQYu1XXgfAI6nGh7AaoWhDB7CZBcaugQ3nVaNKu8thLDx5RHvSjejnJk3Gp0wZqmO-WR5OtkwGoxBJNyXkZVOElI/s1600/6912047-clear-water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrn7Y6KDXX8fuK4WwLKrYf0QHgt302EicvsUhuFBBzNZ6opf5bT-mQYu1XXgfAI6nGh7AaoWhDB7CZBcaugQ3nVaNKu8thLDx5RHvSjejnJk3Gp0wZqmO-WR5OtkwGoxBJNyXkZVOElI/s320/6912047-clear-water.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">“Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?”</span></i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">~ <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2622245.Lao_Tzu">Lao Tzu</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/100074">Tao Te Ching</a></span></i></div>
</span></i></blockquote>
<br />
<br />
I don't know. I'd like to think the answer is yes, but the world doesn't always move at the same pace as inner clarity. Sometimes it's hard to hold on until the way is clear.<br />
<br />
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<br />E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-56358045297504685192015-10-14T23:30:00.000-07:002015-10-14T23:30:01.315-07:00On Being Unapologetic by E. Amato<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH3DrcBkfIInAM2P4RNPIAT9IYArZn17zOAZX8jm_3GSDk-kSQRRP7PsIW62ZBrf8Ty0P8SjcuBtIV1QBHgatugOlHhHYhYxEyllhVObb7tuBKmy1fzF3RjLlN4lbWTsix9rF4CmMaKo/s1600/empire-cookie-gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH3DrcBkfIInAM2P4RNPIAT9IYArZn17zOAZX8jm_3GSDk-kSQRRP7PsIW62ZBrf8Ty0P8SjcuBtIV1QBHgatugOlHhHYhYxEyllhVObb7tuBKmy1fzF3RjLlN4lbWTsix9rF4CmMaKo/s320/empire-cookie-gif.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Could Cookie be the patron saint of our unapologetic posse?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
Recently, I apologized to a friend for dropping out of an
online comment thread in the middle, saying I was overwhelmed. He brought to my
attention the fact that I’m “unapologetic” and didn’t need to say sorry. I
replied that I did have to say sorry, because I did something wrong.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t say where I first heard of the concept of unapologetic - it probably wasn't because of Rihanna, at least, not directly. I know that I'm influenced by <a href="http://thebodyisnotanapology.com/" target="_blank">The Body Is Not anApology</a>, and <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7lzOXlK1D8" target="_blank">Unapologetic Bitch</a></i> has won a place in my fight song canon. Not that long
ago,<a href="http://losslit.com/" target="_blank"> LossLit</a> called me an “unapologetic feminist, dulcet-toned poet, activist, film-maker, editor of <i>Zestyverse</i>, ” which I wish I’d written myself, and my twitter handle is currently "Unapologetic B." <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wherever it came from, I've embraced "unapologetic." But what is it?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Here are some things “unapologetic” means to me:</u><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Unapologetic means not apologizing for being here. </b>Not
apologizing for having been born, taking up space, existing while woman or person
of color, while plus size, trans, or disabled. It means no one has to apologize
for being a human being in this body at this time on this planet. Ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Unapologetic means not apologizing for how you feel</b>. Ever.
Even if others’ around you do not feel that way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Unapologetic means not apologizing for what you think, or
how you think it.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Unapologetic means not apologizing for speaking or writing
down your thoughts or feelings. </b>This one is hard. I just read this great piece
on <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2015/10/13/jennifer-lawrence-has-a-point-famous-quotes-the-way-a-woman-would-have-to-say-them-during-a-meeting/?postshare=9731444854861592">famous
quotes if women were trying to say them in a meeting.</a> I so used to be that
girl. “I’m sorry, if I could just….” “I was just thinking, maybe…” I don’t do
that anymore. I try to use kind speech, but I don't caveat myself into a corner
or apologize. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A guy I met after a gig emailed
me asking me for a drink. But also after the gig, this guy made a very
inappropriate comment, and knew it. It made me, and others there uncomfortable.
I wasn’t going to go out with someone who’d made me that uncomfortable, but as
I wrote back, I kept having to delete the “I’m sorry, but…” Each time I drafted
my response, it would try to creep back in. Why was I apologizing for holding
him accountable for his behavior?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Here are some things unapologetic does not mean to me:</u><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Unapologetic does not mean you don’t apologize</b>. Being
unapologetic is a way of being accountable, taking up space, being present. In
order to do this, it has to go both ways. This means when you speak in a
hurtful way, when you take an action that has a bad consequence, when you harm
yourself or someone else, when you don’t live up to your agreements, you
apologize. Not for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">being</i> wrong, but
for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doing</i> wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Unapologetic does not mean you get to go around and say
everything that comes in your head.</b> That is having no filter and no boundaries.
Being unapologetic requires more mindfulness from me, not less. If I am going
to be in integrity and authenticity, if I am going to be honest in the moment,
I have to bring a very strong practice of mindfulness to bear on my
unapologetic words and actions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Unapologetic means not apologizing for your needs, wants,
desires, dreams, life story, personal history, weaknesses, vulnerability,
identity, economic status, state of wellbeing or illness. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Unapologetic does not mean we are right.</b> In fact, it frees us from having to be so. When I first
started writing for TBINAA, I was scared. I was going to be writing about
things that were hard to even speak about with friends. What gave me courage
was one sentence in the guidelines they sent to new writers: “We are not afraid
to be wrong.” I highlighted that and came back to it a lot. This was the most
liberating thing ever. I get to say what I want to say, without apologizing or
backtracking or making excuses. And if I’m wrong, or if I’m not, that’s where
the conversation starts. This is how we create dialogue, which is how we build
community. It might seem like the opposite, but unapologetic communication is the
first step in community building.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being unapologetic isn’t for everyone. It means there will
be an end to hiding, a heightening of accountability, and especially when
dealing with online platforms, it can mean a lot of friction. For me, it’s
meant all that. But it’s also meant that I’m often sharing in ways that creates
empathy and connection between people. It’s meant that when I do apologize, it’s
from a place of making amends, rather than making excuses; it gives “I’m sorry”
its real power and meaning back. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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It means that I don’t spend time wondering why I’m on the
planet, and can spend more time on what I’m meant to do now that I’m here. It’s
also meant a stripping away the filter between what I think and feel, and what
I’m willing to witness and testify to, which feels a little dangerous and like
an emperor’s new clothes kind of moment, but I think that’s how we go forward. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe unapologetic is just having its moment, but I think it might be here to stay.</div>
E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-51889352161602374422015-10-12T23:00:00.000-07:002015-10-12T23:00:01.103-07:00There’s Something About Vinyl by E. Amato<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JWll6jLTIDMtgm_LGB8KZT40VQzxwayQhVLe5nI6u1lw0qRMa9hITK-YvS44sBzM4kdwyECUgDxoT3LlJEEBI_4MJfuQWpray37ADMH6GWhtsLyBliJGEUok5WE5LXBoxjNJRylJ1-Q/s1600/R.E.M._-_Reckoning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JWll6jLTIDMtgm_LGB8KZT40VQzxwayQhVLe5nI6u1lw0qRMa9hITK-YvS44sBzM4kdwyECUgDxoT3LlJEEBI_4MJfuQWpray37ADMH6GWhtsLyBliJGEUok5WE5LXBoxjNJRylJ1-Q/s1600/R.E.M._-_Reckoning.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">I stayed at some friends for a few
days while they were away. Before they left, one said, “Oh and the stereo
works, and the turntable.”</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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My eyes darted to what in fact was
a working stereo and a turntable with an LP already on it. There was a teeny
twinkle in my soul. I recognized the disk and not far from it, its cover told
the whole story: R.E.M.<span style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001I0G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000001I0G&linkCode=as2&tag=abro02-20&linkId=ITTRJL7PCALYCYJZ">Reckoning</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=abro02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000001I0G" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">.</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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The first time I heard R.E.M., I
was standing about fifteen feet from them at Nassau Coliseum. They were opening
for The English Beat, who were opening for Squeeze. We had no idea there was
another opening act, but we’d pushed our way to the front to dance and be as
near as possible to Difford & Tillbrook as we could. Even though we were
still fifteen or sixteen and judgy as hell when it came to music, the first few
chords of the first song made us look at each other in recognition. Who were
these guys? Where had they been all our lives? How could we both be in love
with Peter Buck so fast and what in the world was the lead singer saying?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chronic
Town</i> wasn’t out yet. We had to wait and go to the record store the next
week to get the EP. Like all trips to the record store in town with my bestie,
we each bought one or two records. We debated endlessly which ones these should
be and who should buy which. Even then, we were buying Maxell XL-IIS’s by the
box. Tape runs were a thing. Whoever was going into Manhattan or to Uncle
Steve’s would take money and buy boxes and boxes of blank cassette tapes. After
visits to the record store, once we were done with town, we’d go home to one of
our houses, play the records and tape them for each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe it was because R.E.M. was the
first band we felt like we got to discover, apart from friends’ bands, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reckoning</i> was important. By the time it
came out, other people were noticing them. But for us, their music was already
part of our language. Hearing new fans wondering aloud what Michael Stipe was
singing made me laugh. We spoke Stipe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Although there are later albums that
have masterful tracks, this one always felt the most them to me. It held
together as a document (yeah, I see what I did there) and the songs are each
little gems.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was just waiting on the
turntable. How could I not?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I lifted the cover, the needle,
moved it right to left and onto the vinyl. Let the needle down. And there it
was: music in the room.<o:p></o:p></div>
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People say a lot of things about
the transition from vinyl to CD to digital. They say that there’s static and
the sound of dust coming off a record. That it can deteriorate and warp. They
say digital has limiters and is cold. They say CDs are flawless, but we all
know they aren’t. I have no CDs anymore. But I still have my vinyl. Even if
I’ve been separated from it for much of my adult life, I know where it is, in
alphabetical order, waiting for me to have more space. I refuse to give up my
vinyl.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Still, I believe wholeheartedly in
the reality that we can have any song anywhere, just when we think about it. I
have a friend who has an infinite mental jukebox and who can “listen” to any
song he’s ever heard whenever he wants. But for the rest of us, streaming and
MP3s are a wonderful moment in evolution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But now I am listening to those
first melodic lines of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO6N8lQMBYM">“Harborcoat.”</a> I am here in the room, and so is the band.
The record brings a physical presence to the music the CD and the digital file
never had. I feel a band. I feel a drummer, a singer. I feel a studio. I feel a
time. The ‘when’ of this recording becomes alive. The context and perspective of
this music make themselves known. Who was mixing Americana with new wave in
1982? Who was bringing gorgeously layered tracks to music that was supposed to
feel unfinished and urgent?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t hear needle fuzz or static.
I hear more of the mix; I hear all the tracks they recorded. I hear all the
times they went through the song to lay down those tracks. I see the food
delivery containers on the soundboard where the engineer has probably told them
never to put food. I wonder about the studio it was recorded in and who else
made albums there. As I am listening, this isn’t just music – it is a story; it
is taking on a life of its own. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I forgot how much I love vinyl. How
my deepest connections to songs come through its frequencies. My digital
archive of music is hundreds of gigs. But what do I know of their covers, their
lyric sheets? They come and go, ephemeral and capricious. I forget sometimes I
have them. Snippets of them haunt me without titles or track numbers. Yes, I
will listen to Jim James’ <span style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DZE51D4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DZE51D4&linkCode=as2&tag=abro02-20&linkId=KIFCRQJ7OV6UZDLN">Regions Of Light And Sound Of God</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=abro02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DZE51D4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">or Beck’s </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IB73QTG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IB73QTG&linkCode=as2&tag=abro02-20&linkId=ATV2PHAMJFNLYFEC">Morning Phase</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=abro02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00IB73QTG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">a million
times and yes, iTunes will keep track of those million times. Yes, I will have
them in my headphones and between my ears and right up inside my brain when I
am writing. But they won’t ever feel like they’re there with me. In the room,
holding it down. Like there’ll be a shot of whisky when the needle comes up or
an after party.</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s wonderful that we have all the
content we could ever want or has ever been. But the flip side is this
hemorrhaging of context. I feel Chelsea Wolfe’s angst as I listen to <span style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WREOEEA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00WREOEEA&linkCode=as2&tag=abro02-20&linkId=OCVN6VADBSE7S33T">Abyss</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=abro02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00WREOEEA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">, but it’s simply not the same as
feeling Chelsea Wolfe’s presence. This is a tiny distinction, it is splitting
hairs, I know. I do. But there is a difference between an injection of sound
between your ears, and a wrapping of sound around you. Records create
atmosphere – something you are held inside of. Digital seems to facilitate
separation.</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Across the board, we are
sacrificing our experience of touch; as we become more digitized, we seem to
become less sensitized. Yes we still love analog – the turn of a page, the drop
of a needle on a record – but we don’t seem to recognize how much we need it,
relegating it to a throwback, kitsch, or curiosity. This while we envelop
ourselves in adult onesies and fleece everything, become rigorous foodies in
search of the latest taste. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There is something about vinyl,
though. Sleek, elegant, and right there where you can see it, touch it, smell it.
The magic is that you can hear it all from those scratches circling into spiral
grooves. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">“</span><i style="text-align: justify;"><b>…unapologetic feminist, dulcet-toned poet, activist, film-maker, editor of Zestyverse</b></i><span style="text-align: justify;">” (LossLit) </span><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.eamato.com/" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">E. Amato </a></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> is a published poet, award-winning screenwriter, and established performer. She has </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/E.-Amato/e/B004QDHDXY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1437097694&sr=8-1&tag=abro02-20&linkId=35ITKS5HOY6KPQE6" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">three poetry collections</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=abro02-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 5px;" width="1" /><span style="text-align: justify;"> by Zesty Pubs: </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Swimming Through Amber</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><i style="text-align: justify;">5</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, & </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Will Travel,</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> and </span><a href="http://thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/author/e-amato/" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">is a content writer for <i>The Body Is Not an Apology</i></a><span style="text-align: justify;">. She also has </span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/eamato/04-the-full-english" style="color: #0d4e8a; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">a special relationship with Marmite</a><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-25144660446375076162015-10-11T23:30:00.000-07:002015-10-12T12:12:56.922-07:00Quote of the Week - Roop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCr0_K6W8Y_jwQf9bWow1Kx288Ql2T-rsrrkJp6Xc-PqiYU1No4k6FE6VHyyGYNsI-ARE6Q7rULBbjGj9txd2_g8lXlXgvV9GRXWTdoquX0Z4PUA_iIsPX_3FZWrrGabEfM10enzC5gI/s1600/Glossy20000i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCr0_K6W8Y_jwQf9bWow1Kx288Ql2T-rsrrkJp6Xc-PqiYU1No4k6FE6VHyyGYNsI-ARE6Q7rULBbjGj9txd2_g8lXlXgvV9GRXWTdoquX0Z4PUA_iIsPX_3FZWrrGabEfM10enzC5gI/s320/Glossy20000i.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1436873110"></span><span id="goog_1436873111"></span><br />
<blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">"What if I told you there were sparks in your spine<br />and handed you a match to strike against your vertebrae?<br />Would you believe in your flicker then?" </span></i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">~<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8S2BLfCCiU" target="_blank">Lacey Roop</a></span></i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
I love this poet! This is an excerpt from <a href="http://A Poem For When You Need To Be Reminded Of Your Own Electricity">"A Poem For When You Need To Be Reminded Of Your Own Electricity."</a> (with permission) This is my go-to reminder poem when I'm in the dark.<br />
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And here's a writing prompt from the same poem: </div>
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<b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><b><i>"Have you forgotten the blowtorch that is tongue?"</i></b></b></div>
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</b>
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<b><b><i><br /></i></b></b></div>
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</b>
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What aren't you saying?<br />
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What are you holding back?<br />
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What power are you refusing to unleash?<br />
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What happens to your fire when you don't use it?<br />
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Happy New Moon Monday! Now go ----<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Be so electric<br />that this world can't help but be<br />dazzled by you."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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Above image found on the<a href="http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2012/Article/index.htm" target="_blank"> Electrotherapy Museum</a> site.<br />
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p.s. Happy birthday Lacey Roop - turns out it's today!</div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-47116119490767010052015-10-04T23:30:00.000-07:002015-10-04T23:30:03.428-07:00Quote of the Week - Hiddleston<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKCZXRul29nlDhJh_Fsg87V8RIvRb7XjJ8YMU_6guIW4z6nuue8iVH67Qg_mT9PblDCLu3Mkz9ZTJidi195-4Zk06H2o2wbGZlNWCVVDzShV2mUEIn6YHd38KKzeTh4kS1l-F5Q9-Vd8/s1600/_1383343096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKCZXRul29nlDhJh_Fsg87V8RIvRb7XjJ8YMU_6guIW4z6nuue8iVH67Qg_mT9PblDCLu3Mkz9ZTJidi195-4Zk06H2o2wbGZlNWCVVDzShV2mUEIn6YHd38KKzeTh4kS1l-F5Q9-Vd8/s320/_1383343096.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Only Lovers Left Alive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><i>"Be yourself above all else and trust yourself. Be kind, be brave, be on time!"</i></span><i> </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>~<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1089991/" target="_blank">Tom Hiddleston</a></i></span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
This came from an IMDB twitter interview with folks who made Crimson Peak.<br />
<br />
Hiddleston was asked for advice for young actors. This is such great advice! Especially the second part - which is often overlooked in an industry governed by budget and speed. I'd add "be prepared and be flexible!"<br />
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<br />E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-55357039672444981682015-09-28T11:50:00.001-07:002015-09-28T11:50:51.395-07:00Quote of the Week - Blake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAafYzVplssQdIipaFIgP_FfS9vhc-Wngv46wEFygdizSVWVa8OFRz4pRW4qrD_rxi6hZqpHprj4Ow_9catLVTa-J5HCYXXGELvOBk9rTCEy9XV4Zvcn5aPUv7z0VXNj21o0mb02QiK-I/s1600/William_Blake_-_Jerusalem%252C_Plate_8%252C_%2522Rose_up_against_me....%2522_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAafYzVplssQdIipaFIgP_FfS9vhc-Wngv46wEFygdizSVWVa8OFRz4pRW4qrD_rxi6hZqpHprj4Ow_9catLVTa-J5HCYXXGELvOBk9rTCEy9XV4Zvcn5aPUv7z0VXNj21o0mb02QiK-I/s320/William_Blake_-_Jerusalem%252C_Plate_8%252C_%2522Rose_up_against_me....%2522_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br />"If the Sun and Moon should ever doubt, they'd immediately go out."</span></i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"></span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">~William Blake</span></i></span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2015/sep/28/blood-moon-supermoon-rises-pictures-from-around-the-world" target="_blank">That moon was brilliant.</a> There had to be a moon quote today! And who better than <a href="https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/william-blake" target="_blank">Blake</a>?<br />
<br />
Happy Monday!<br />
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<br />E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-39717862934506902702015-09-20T23:30:00.000-07:002015-09-20T23:30:00.879-07:00Quote of the Week - Kapoor<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnMaSsldE8oYKDmXvK7SUkxIKzyt1aZMC6OzqaF-sClcviN-bUWAO2L6pWvuJPV9pWZwDPLdpuC7429Lcn67EQRv-jQTxOdgt7Lunm9ZvbM14Ul1zinmORLjKNT2j67S5a0ZWFBHysPg/s1600/AP155373368526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnMaSsldE8oYKDmXvK7SUkxIKzyt1aZMC6OzqaF-sClcviN-bUWAO2L6pWvuJPV9pWZwDPLdpuC7429Lcn67EQRv-jQTxOdgt7Lunm9ZvbM14Ul1zinmORLjKNT2j67S5a0ZWFBHysPg/s320/AP155373368526.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Ai Weiwei's installation at Alcatraz</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“It is important that artists are not outside the equation, we don’t stand on the sidelines. Artists are part of the story of a response, we cannot stand aside and let others make the response.”</i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>~ <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/17/ai-weiwei-anish-kapoor-london-walk-refugees?CMP=share_btn_fb" target="_blank">Anish Kapoor</a></i></span></blockquote>
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It's so easy, as an artist, to feel outside, or marginalized, but it is in standing - or walking - with and for the outsiders and the marginalized that we have our greatest power. Responding to the call of social justice we connect across borders and create something new.<br />
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The quote is from <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/17/ai-weiwei-anish-kapoor-london-walk-refugees?CMP=share_btn_fb" target="_blank">an article about Kapoor and Chinese artist Ai Weiwei walking in London</a> in solidarity with the refugees.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-28120791826674401742015-09-15T23:30:00.000-07:002015-09-15T23:30:00.779-07:00Practivist of the Week - E. Amato<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPoRcmXojdnbAGh1mSglpiWg6RSJekNA_GDrn6B5oFhyphenhyphen9neXytjF2FD7CunkAS-2aZI6n25rH2VTLUYbJWBA6b2VE8LWGrIoZvd04quZgtQjKXRhjZHWYIIyQIGadZeRuqYZN7Nms944/s1600/IMGP2466_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPoRcmXojdnbAGh1mSglpiWg6RSJekNA_GDrn6B5oFhyphenhyphen9neXytjF2FD7CunkAS-2aZI6n25rH2VTLUYbJWBA6b2VE8LWGrIoZvd04quZgtQjKXRhjZHWYIIyQIGadZeRuqYZN7Nms944/s320/IMGP2466_1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Practivist of the Week - E. Amato</span><br />
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[<u>Editor's note:</u> E. Amato would like you to know that she is the editor of Zestyverse in the interests of full disclosure!]<br />
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<b>How old are you, if you don't mind?</b><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>What is the main focus of your practivism at this time and how does that manifest? </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The main focus of my practivism at this time is creating live performance events that promote diversity, sustainability, and connection. After over a decade of promoting and producing events, I have begun to percolate a formula that allows maximum connection with the audience and sustainability for artists, audience, organizers and community. As a promoter and producer, I have always made sure there is parity on my stages between genders, orientation, age, ability, ethnicity, etc. In my time promoting, I have seen this parity decrease elsewhere. The lack of women on festival stages this past season has been well-documented, for example. My practivism is refocused on this issue for my own events, as I find it has renewed importance.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">In 2013, I did an event called Secret Door featuring poets and musicians. It was in a tiny space that we designed specifically for the event. The evening took on a life of its own - the barrier between artist and audience erased itself and collaborations formed. This model has wider applications and can be partnered with community needs to develop audiences, spaces and creative relationships in ways that are financially sustainable. In order to learn and experiment more, I've accepted a place in the MFA, Creative Producing program at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. In order to get there,<a href="https://www.youcaring.com/e-amato-397314" target="_blank"> I still need financial support, so I've begun a crowd fund to help.</a></span><br />
<b style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></b>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>What route did you take to get here?</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The longest possible one! I began as a performer, who decided to direct. I've always written. I went into film production, which gave me a huge amount of down time between jobs as well as a strong sense of things being far too big and taking far too long. The combination of these led me - indirectly, of course - to get on stage and read some of my poems. I loved the immediacy and the audience being right in front of me instead of in a a darkened movie theatre 24 months from now. This led to a B-career as a performance poet. With the organizational skills I had from production and my voice as a poet, many encouraged me to start my own venue. My unpredictable work schedule made me start with one-off events that I knew I could actually attend! This led to hosting,then a monthly venue, and the Fringe Festival, Edinburgh, among other things. Now I had three full-time careers! I did this for about ten years. Then I fell. My body did not bounce back - my resilience was worn out. I had a vision of what I wanted to build, but I did not have the strength, focus, or resources. It was frustrating and even debilitating in its own right. Getting back on my feet was a lot of work - I'm not sure I'm even all the way there, yet.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">But there was also inner work to do - did I still have the commitment to the vision I had before everything went so wrong? I knew that in order to achieve this goal of the MFA and building a creative entrepreneurship I need more than one hundred percent commitment. I felt sparks, but I knew sparks weren't enough. I continued to self care and meditate, stretch and strengthen. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Eventually a flashpoint showed up - that place where I had to commit or choose another path. I knew that this was not a dream I could let go. I embraced with the strength that I had, but I knew I'd need to create community support around me to fully enable this vision. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is a great way to start this journey, as I feel sustainable arts require community involvement and collective choice-making. The entertainment industry's practices lag far behind where we actually are in 2015. In order to move them into the world we are living in, we have to move away from a hierarchical and pedagogical model of taste and presentation and towards one that will engage people viscerally. People need strong engagement now to counter the large amounts of time we spend partially engaged through our devices or altogether disengaged. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I hope I've answered the questions! i'm so used to being the one asking! If you're a Zesty fan, a fan of any of my work or just stopping by and like the sound of all this, <a href="https://www.youcaring.com/e-amato-397314" target="_blank">you can support by donating</a>, sharing or just sending great energy! Thank you!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-56350066681713441722015-08-24T23:30:00.000-07:002015-08-25T00:28:57.821-07:00Why I Don’t Watch WWE Anymore by BH the Uncivilised<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lKlW87GTBQ98JH7Ef-iRRXcP91Uqjck13G4X7qXokmlYTkLYa6UxV5FAuVZsmsmisfK7LV-NkM0l69RkfCCbcjRxELkOYiJWUa8OM7peaRyiBzQYnY7ybwKfHcIUe5tZpqRj70RKSAg/s1600/Andre_The_Giant_-_Andre_Roussinoff_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lKlW87GTBQ98JH7Ef-iRRXcP91Uqjck13G4X7qXokmlYTkLYa6UxV5FAuVZsmsmisfK7LV-NkM0l69RkfCCbcjRxELkOYiJWUa8OM7peaRyiBzQYnY7ybwKfHcIUe5tZpqRj70RKSAg/s320/Andre_The_Giant_-_Andre_Roussinoff_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
By BH the Uncivilised<br />
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I’ve been a wrestling fan since the early 90s. Watched WWE (back when it was called WWF) when I was a child, and all my friends watched it, and as an adult, when all my friends were saying it was stupid. Now, after some twenty-five years, I no longer watch WWE.<br />
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Recently Hulk Hogan was fired from WWE for using racially insensitive language in a private setting. On the surface this might seem perfectly reasonable, considering the public nature of the wrestlers and the company. But <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PlNDLrIvqM">old school fans remember Vince McMahon,</a> head of the company, on their very own TV show, in front of millions watching all over the world, saying “What’s up, my nigga” to John Cena. Thus, Hogan is just the latest example of the organization’s hypocrisy.<br />
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WWE have a long history of racial insensitivity. Many non-white wrestlers' gimmicks (the characters they portray on TV) were some kind of racial stereotype. Sometimes it worked, other times it was just awkward. In August 2014, former employee Alberto Del Rio complained of racism from staff. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIkP70WdBBM">Del Rio was fired</a> after slapping then Social Media Manger Cody Barbierri for making a racist joke. WWE were originally going to suspend Del Rio without pay, but Barbierri threatened to sue the company if they didn’t fire him, so Del Rio was fired. WWE never made an official comment as to what happened, nor stated what, if anything, happened to Barbierri as result of his alleged comment. Though it is worth noting that they never denied it either. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="214" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UIkP70WdBBM" width="380"></iframe><br />
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It’s not just racism. On more than a few occasions they’ve been inconsiderate of religious beliefs. Most notably the tag team match of Vince McMahon and his son Shane Vs Shawn Michaels and God. Yep, God, except God was a spotlight. What made this especially awkward was the fact that Michaels was a recent Born Again Christian. The build-up to the match included Vince McMahon going to a church, spitting holy water, and on the day of the match, telling ’God’ to get jiggy with it.<br />
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McMahon has also run several story lines where he gets to be intimate with the hot chick. Bear in mind that this is the Chairman of the company putting himself in stories where he has his employees dance for him, share a bathtub with him, feel their breasts and French kiss in front of his wife. Speaking of kissing, he also ran the “Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass Club”, where several wrestlers, an announcer, and his own son, kissed his bare ass on television.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="214" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_PlNDLrIvqM" width="380"></iframe><br />
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Everything I’ve mentioned so far could fall under a couple of categories: “Only one side of the story” and “They obviously agreed to do it.” WWE have acknowledged at least some of their, shall we say, WTF moments. Which is one of the reasons I kept watching. The final straw for me came after Triple H appeared on the Stone Cold Steve Austin Podcast in February 2015 and was asked if Chyna would ever make it to the Hall of Fame (HoF). <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCifDjs8JdVongDd_Q1l8J6Q">Chyna is the only female to ever hold a men’s championship</a>, considered a legend amongst wrestling fans, and the ex-partner of Triple H. He replied no, citing her actions after leaving WWE as the reason. After leaving WWE (or fired without being told, according to Chyna) she briefly entered the adult entertainment industry. After leaving adult entertainment, Chyna settled in japan and worked as a teacher. <br />
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There are plenty of people who’ve had less than stellar life experiences after leaving wrestling, including one who killed a man. Chyna, like others in the HoF, had been working to get her life in order. Triple H chose to drag her through her history again. When Chyna was employed by WWE, they fully supported and promoted her posing for Playboy magazine, even working it into her story line. This was not just hypocritical, but potentially sent a whole new generation of people looking for something she was trying to move on from.<br />
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I haven’t been watching WWE for a while now, maybe one day I’ll come back to it. But for now, I am a wrestling fan, there’s only so much hypocrisy one can take.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4Xjv5EzhnQBXo-9yesQGLPnsFfFDJX9IsR9knHNX-lnAx46XdsRay059VCZ0qYntT_tIAXNvKN8ul8xNVqKyj5Uqg6tqph_6n-V_uyNLOZ7E1IbYPFmSxqgmnx9mH0O358dCwCywqcI/s1600/Bunmi+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg4Xjv5EzhnQBXo-9yesQGLPnsFfFDJX9IsR9knHNX-lnAx46XdsRay059VCZ0qYntT_tIAXNvKN8ul8xNVqKyj5Uqg6tqph_6n-V_uyNLOZ7E1IbYPFmSxqgmnx9mH0O358dCwCywqcI/s1600/Bunmi+004.jpg" width="151" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://uncivilisedart.com/" target="_blank">BH the Uncivilised</a>, </b></span>aka <a href="http://facebook.com/BHtheUncivilised" target="_blank">Bunmi Hazzan,</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;"> film geek, gamer geek, general all round geek. <a href="http://youtube.com/uncivilisedart" target="_blank">I've been writing</a> since the Cretaceous period my life experience is long and varied, plus I'm kinda mysterious, some say I'm d</span></div>
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E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291894447213449129.post-78597902785219762022015-07-20T23:30:00.000-07:002015-07-21T10:42:54.877-07:00Dear Able People: I Eat. by Jennifer E. Hudgens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dear Able People: I Eat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">by Jennifer E. Hudgens</span><br />
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You know the feeling that you get when someone holds you down to tickle you, then you’re laughing uncontrollably, and you have lost control over your body? It’s the same sort of fight or flight that rolls through a person with anxiety -- this is what it feels like to live with an eating disorder. As of July 28th, I will have hit my six-year mark of having had a gastric bypass. Just prior to the surgery I weighed 500 pounds. <br />
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I was proved sane enough and ready to undergo one of the most damaging and transformative things I’ve ever experienced. <br />
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I lost around 200 pounds in less than six months. I had a difficult time looking at myself in the mirror, I didn’t know who I was looking at. Among the massive amount of speed bumps and trauma that go with having this sort of surgery, I had to finally face the dark thing that brought me to 500 pounds in the first place. At one point I’d gone back to smoking three packs a day and living on diet pills and laxatives. I’d lost over 320 pounds and I could not get thin enough. If you see a picture from around that time my cheeks look caved in. One might wonder what causes a person to gain that much weight. <br />
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When I was little and still in diapers, I was molested. The molestation went on until I was around twelve years old. I had some unsavory family members that to this day make me sick to even think about, let alone see, at family functions. I was withdrawn, often kept to myself, and had very few friends as a child. When I was ten, my younger cousin and I had a shared birthday party. I was taken aside by one of the men that had hurt me; he told me that if I ever told anyone about what he had done, he would kill my mother.<br />
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That day, I gathered a large amount of cake on a plate, I hid in a room and shoveled as much of it in my face as I could. I ate so much cake that I made myself physically ill. There was a bathroom in the back of the house that nobody really used; I hid in there, feeling like I was going to vomit. That’s exactly what happened. After vomiting every bit of that cake and crying like crazy, I felt euphoric. I felt like I was in control. <br />
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I’d like to think if I had been an adult around a child that was so obviously introverted and shy, and had any number of signs of abuse, I would have done or said something. This is not to judge my parents, they worked hard, and provided the best they could. All of those years, nobody noticed. No one. I have barely spoken to anyone about the abuse that’s happened to me, I swallowed the guilt and shame of it.<br />
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The cycle of addiction, of binging and purging, continued for a few more years. I hoarded food. I hid food in my closet, under my bed, any place I thought that I could. I learned that gorging myself and purging the self-hatred was the only way I felt any sort of control. <br />
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As I became a teenager, I stopped the purging and started living on diet pills and cigarettes, a behavior that went well into my adulthood. I attempted suicide my freshman year of high school. I was sick of being bullied because I was quiet, fat, and didn’t fight back. I learned very early on that my only means of fighting back was a battle I had to fight internally. <br />
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I have had a number of abusive relationships that definitely contributed, too. I once dated a guy who sexually assaulted me and convinced me nobody would believe me. He said, “Who would believe a disgusting thing like you?” For so long I believed this about myself. I used to let others define my value as a woman and as a person. I thought my weight defined my worth.<br />
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I am now 36 years old. I weigh 255 pounds. I have loose skin, about 40 pounds worth. As a way to cope, I still eat my feelings. I will, on occasion, stop eating and start taking diet pills, water pills, and laxatives. I do this because sometimes I spin out of control, sometimes I unravel. I am not one of those people who thinks that eating disorders can be cured. I think that we can grow healthier relationships with food, absolutely. We can learn to love ourselves, and realize that those things that made us, do not define us. I still have days where I hate my body. More often, I find myself just not caring what anyone else thinks. <br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Originally from Oklahoma City, </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-E-Hudgens-Poetry-page/187023841494029" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Jennifer E. Hudgens</span></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> has been published in some stuff and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing at the University of Central Oklahoma. </span><a href="http://thehudgepoetry.weebly.com/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">She thinks life is poetry</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> if you’re paying attention. Jennifer watches the sky the way most people watch television. She is terrified of clowns, horses, and animatronic toys. She genuinely hopes you </span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/thehudgepoetry" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">enjoy her poems.</a><br />
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<u>More posts in this series:</u><br />
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<a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.com/2014/07/dear-able-people-wearing-inside-out-by.html" target="_blank">Wearing the Inside Out by Jerry Garcia</a><br />
<a href="http://zestyverse.blogspot.com/2014/07/dear-able-people-new-series.html" target="_blank">Dear Able People: New Series</a><br />
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If you would like to share your thoughts, please comment below. If you would like to be a guest blogger, <a href="mailto:eamato@mac.com" target="_blank">please feel free to get in touch</a>. We welcome anonymous guest posts on this subject, as we are aware of the pressures of discussing these subjects in a public forum.</div>
E. Amatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15871037815432463912noreply@blogger.com0