text:
When Did Hot Rodding Become Hip Hop?
A little piece I threw down for Tubbed Magazine. Stop by and enjoy the second coming of Pro-Street.
Think back to your first memorable experience that set your fate as a "car guy." Don't let nostalgia sway you, just blurt it out. Just roll with the first one that comes to mind.
I'd be willing to bet that it had nothing at all to do with what anyone else thought of you. Taking that a yep further, I'd sweeten that bet by adding that it had nothing to do with fame or money. While one or two of you may have though about the guy with the bitchin' ride in your hometown that got all of the girls or that every other guy wanted to be, that seems pretty normal, and had nothing to do with defining just who you were. It started with the car, right?
Along that patch of blacktop we all travel on our way to becoming full-fledged car guys, we all get a taste of the pride that comes with a thumbs-up at a stoplight, or the strangers wanting to discuss our cars and the one they had "just like it" back in the day. Ego always grows a bit to fill those freshly upholstered bucket seats, and it's all fine if you know how to keep it in check. And if you had any car guy friends worth anything, they knew how to help you keep that in check. It's what good friends do.
It's a family.
Compare your memories to what any kid coming into what remains of the hobby today will know it as:
A bunch of posturing and ego-driven, money-hungry wannabe celebrities driving catalog-sourced vehicles destined to provide big returns at auction. In an entitlement-driven, fame-is-everything era, we're losing the real car guys and builders to a steady stream of TV stars and project managers. It's an awful lot like Hip Hop and reality TV: Just a load of "look at me" bullshit with no redeeming value. And having already conquered reality TV, it's not a far stretch to see the whole thing sink to a level of commerce-driven stereotypes telling you what's cool this week, and making everything so base and trend-driven that they'll be left with little choice but to either cannibalize the damned thing, or just leave it to die and move to the next.
Let's roll with the whole Hip Hop analogy. Let's create a fictional car guy who maybe came into the scene in the late-1970's. He's stoked about these "Pro-Street" cars, and can't get enough of the look. It becomes in his mind the right look: Big, fat tires out back, a rake, skinny tires up front, and perhaps some form of induction poking though the hood. The essentials are in place. Our budding car guy is exposed to cars like Joe Ruggirello's Mustang II or Lisk's Challenger or Kollofsky's '55 Chevy (side note: Anyone else find it coincidental that all of these guys have names befitting a cool character or bad-ass cop in a movie?) or any other of a series of killer, pro-style bruisers. And much as any fan of what would come to be called "Hip-Hop" would have heard Grandmaster Flash or the Cold Crush Brothers early on and been drawn to it for the unique approach and the imagery it inspired in anyone outside of the Bronx, what would come to named "Pro-Street" did likewise to anyone who never cruised Woodward.
While Hip Hop evolved by taking outside influences from funk and soul to new wave and even punk, Pro-Street did likewise, borrowing from Street Freaks and Street Rods and other places, always looking to raise the bar just a touch. And, like anything gaining popularity, each had a stand-out that came to be the face of the movement: Hop Hop had acts like Run DMC, and we scored with names like Sullivan, Dobbertin and Hay (they could play the law firm in that film idea mention earlier). And in that popularity of a select few, we can trace the evolution of each, mans see the ongoing influences applied to shape just where each might head.
Like anything that goes popular, there exists the danger of haven it buckle under its own weight. While Pro-Street suffered from a number of ills, we could blame the decline on magazine saturation and constant competition to be the next big thing, with cars adding more extreme power plants and detailing and so-on, that it just became a caricature of itself, and begged for something to step in and rebel against it. We wound up with Pro-Touring, which didn't seem to heed its own warnings, and is finding itself on a similar path. As for Hip Hop, it changed from a creative ocean of experimentation and arrangement to a soul-less money farm in the 1990's (oh, the similarities between Hip Hop and Pro-Street are many, kids), and eventually a sad joke with all of the "gangsta" posturing and crunk-style bragging. (Side note 2: Consider that Dr. Seuss coined the phrase "crunk car" back in the 1970's, and you start to feel all lightheaded, right? Scary how that works.) Where Hip Hop and its offspring found their way into the mainstream via MTV and radio play, hot rodding was doing likewise via major events, magazines and videos. TV wouldn't be far behind.
It's not such a far reach then, to compare Hip Hop and Hot Rodding. Each became a pale version of its former self once television became a part of the marketing. Hell, we could take this little notion on a whole other ride, but let's settle on the marketing of each as being hand-in-hand harbinger of destruction forthe movement. Don't get me wrong, I get the money thing… We all need to eat. But when the problems come banging down the doors, they usually look like the fresh-from-College guys from Marketing. And when they come visiting, even the goldfish stop swimming, if you get my drift. The dollar signs flash, and it's off to the races. On the music side, it becomes about selling the image of what Marketing thinks that it should be, with reference to moving product (as Yogurt the Wise taught us so many moons ago, the real money is in merchandising). You craft an image, and get the kids to buy into that. On the car side, it's eerily similar: Craft an image of what someone outside of the whole thing thinks it should be (based upon what the data shows will sell), and run with it, facts be damned if need be. Understanding that, it's not so difficult to see why we had shows like Orange County Choppers or, keeping with the theme, Pimp My Ride. On one hand, you had screaming and yelling and time crunch drama because, by golly, that has to be how it is in a real shop, right? The natural outgrowth was American Hot Rod, Wrecks to Riches and their ilk. They appealed to the "behind the scenes" exclusivity gene which TV inserted into the genetic code, and never mind how skewed from reality it might be… Just cash that check and find more shit to fight about. Take that a step further in the appeal to "you can sell these cars and make money!" idea, and by golly, the shows practically write themselves. I am convinced that there are but two formulas for any reality-based show:
1. The Shop as setting for drama (family, client/shop, contest, money or otherwise) formula,
2. The find it/buy it/fix it up/sell for profit/repeat formula
…each of which may be seasoned to taste by adding celebrity appearances, surprises, some form of competition, pranks or canned "tech tips" wherever holes appear in the story line. Take a long, hard look at Monster Garage and tell me it isn't so. Shit, get a hold of a script from Lords of the Car Hoards, Unique Whips, Leepu and Pitbull or Fast N Loud, mix them all up, and I'd bet that a seven year old could put a season's worth of shows together at random, and you'd never be able to tell the difference. You could do likewise with any current Hip Hop video premise. It's not about telling a story or building a cool car; it's about who can brag the loudest. And that opens the door to really scary things, and can usher outcomes like not unlike the Lucifer Effect, as postulated by Philip Zimbardo (aka the Stanford Prison Experiment), wherein the wheels can be put into motion that make a good person do some really twisted evil things. I mean, what would the dollar amount be for you to sell out and bastardize the car hobby you love? Roll with your first instinct. That's a lot of fucking zeros, isn't it? And that's chump change when the Advertising Department bros get involved (and you thought that little fishie was holding still earlier? You ain't seen nothin' yet). And when the image consultants and writers come to play, you'll hardly recognize yourself. It doesn't take a lot to go from singing about your sneakers over a sampled loop to bragging about the women you slept with in the penthouse last week and how big the rims on your SUV are when the residuals roll in.
And that's where we stand today: It's not about some guy with a cool 1970's action movie cop name building a kick-ass machine that will set your synapses afire, blazing a whole new path for thought across your brain or even mashing two things together that have never been mashed before. It's about having some money guy or project manager (at best) playing the douche (OK, sometimes it's not a stretch for the guy. As a wise man once told me, "Only two kinds of people wear sunglasses indoors: Rock stars and assholes. Be on the lookout for a guitar.") and creating some filler to top with ad sales. It's loosely connected product placement opportunities designed to make the numbers so that Trent and Blaine in the front office can keep that tee time. You don;t have the imagination or thrill of discovery involved with your entry to the hobby anymore. Instead, you have an image to play up to, and try to out-douche so that you can make your own mark and score that show.
After all, it isn't about the cars anymore, unless they're a prop for your bitches to lean against while you pose with jewelry and assorted gold-plated handguns. While I can appreciate how anyone uninitiated into the family that is hot rodding can fall for this, you can bet your ass that I'll be stepping into frame and doing my best to drop knowledge on Quick Mix Theory and Bill Jenkins' Pro Stock Vega.
It Doesn't Always Need to be About the Past
Why is is that every time an automaker re-designs a particular model, or brings back a nearly-forgotten nameplate, or even mid-cycle facelifts a car, that the very first fucking thing I have to read is every self-important know-it-all posting that they should have made it look like the 1961 model? SERIOUSLY?!
Here's a quick thought, you morons: Not every car has to look JUST FUCKING LIKE THE ORIGINAL MODEL. Tastes and design requirements change. You wouldn't sell a whole lot of Cadillacs today with giant fins or 150-lbs of trim on the flanks. Oh, you can bet your ass that there would be a half-dozen greaseball mooks on the East coast putting in advance orders ("Hey Joey… weez kin paint 'Teen Angel' on da continental kit! An' I gots you some new fuzzy dice, bro!"), but following that, it would have no place in the modern day.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for brand and model continuity, and a little nod to tradition is outstanding. Hell, I bought my Challenger based on that. Then again, that car was done RIGHT. It's not a cartoon-ish caricature of the original like a certain Camaro. On the other hand, would I have been even remotely interested in the car had it looked like the '78-83 models? Probably not. It's about instilling some heritage, and knowing how that will work with the current (and future) brand direction.
Consider the return of the Thunderbird in 2000. Holy moly… what a catastrophe. That whole retro-design phase ruined it for a lot of cars, not to mention design enthusiasts. Back to the Challenger, what if, in 1970, we weren't offered a fresh take on the Pony Car concept, but rather a 1937 Dodge coupe-looking thing with a wing on the back and a dual-snorkel hood? Would have failed, and gone down as a styling flop. This would have happened because people used to celebrate design and inventiveness. Perhaps this explains why every TV show is the same regurgitated bullshit, and why reruns of said shows sell like hotcakes. Originality just ain't what it used to be.
Nostalgia can be a great thing, just keep it the fuck away from the new car-buying public in general.
Reality TV Show Pitch #866.2.5
Anyone can imagine a world of peace and love and never-ending happiness and blue skies and all of that bullshit. And anyone who watches enough television can imagine a world based within a world that's taking place in an alternate reality of their favorite show.
However, it takes a real hero to imagine a world in which the most popular form of entertainment involves a mash-up of the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show, "Fantasy Island", the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow, "Deadliest Catch" and "Robot Wars", but as a musical with choreographed dogfights between Elvis impersonators riding on armored Zambonis, battling to the death in a variety of improvised challenges (voted on in real-time by viewers via text) for an honorary degree. Winner gets the title, while the loser's selected school has their electricity cut for nine years, and they are required by decree to sacrifice the tenured professor with the grayest hipster beard on their campus to the Lovecraftian deity Cthulhu, High Priest of the Great Old Ones. May he eat your home last.
Fuck You, History Channel
You Win Again, Camera
There's a shitty phrase. As someone who's face isn't classically "camera-friendly", I have to wonder just why in the fuck I'd want to be friends with the camera in the first place. Consider: The camera is a liar. Or, more appropriately, the camera's marketing guy is a liar. The present-day camera, anyway, suffers from a serious case of identity confusion. It's that whiny emo kid that just can't be itself because everyone is making it be something else, but in this case it's perfectly justified because people are making it into something it shouldn't have to be. But more on that later.
You're sold (in the old days, anyway, when the camera wasn't too busy receiving sales calls for life coaching (Unrelated But Yet Related And Certainly Worth Exploring Sidebar, or "UBYRACWES" — which, in hindsight, looks eerily like "you be racist" — but we'll roll with it because, well, fuck you, you privileged son of a bitch: The person making these spam calls to help coach your life is probably making $13./hr, working from a call center, and pushing some book on you that, while probably very vague in its own right, will never have you reaching any higher than the call center person, and you'll be $49.99 deeper in the hole, rendering you unable to afford to send photos of the following), status updates regarding meaningless trifles in the life of some bastard you would never have a beer with and their lunch salad that was "off the chain" (truly a description better reserved for that "chicken" you had at the buffet, or calls that you'll ignore anyway on some cheap box of mirrors that will capture your awesome life, and the memories and all of that nonsense. Yet the reality is, you're going to find that many of your subjects (i.e. "children", "relatives", "drunken friends", et.al.) will be less than "photogenic", rendering many of your life's memories in a less-than-flattering light.
In the old days, when you had to use film and have it processed and wait for the results of your shitty photos, there were no "on-the-spot-do-overs" or "let's do that again's" (ooh… UBYRACWES time; or more appropriately "SCRACWES" — or "Somewhat Closely Related And Certainly Worth Exploring Sidebar"— the "retake" photo. Remember these in school? "Hey, all of you less-than-average-looking/non-camera-friendly types, be in the Library next Wednesday during the middle of the Chemistry final that Mr. Arminstrinberger won't let you out of for the ten minutes it would take to re-shoot your graduation photo now that – not mention saving some poor motherfucker with an airbrush and a bad sense of humor like fifteen minutes to fix in post the agony of having to look at – the remnants of that zit you tried to rush along, but at the time of the original photo looked like a terrifying cold sore has healed enough to hide with that flesh-toned Clearasil –matched, obviously to someone with far "whiter" genes, like what's-her-face from that Regis Philbin show… something Gifford. Kathie Lee! – but that's another UBYRACWES for another time – and the odd wind and rain-styled 'do you were sporting that day to play some distraction"), you simply dealt the hand you were given because film was expensive and every shot COUNTED, and waiting for the magic elves in the FotoMat to develop them so you could drive up, get them in your hand and promptly throw them out along with half a weeks' pay, learning the valuable life lesson that not everything is best printed on quality Kodak paper. The camera was an unforgiving prick, and it often coupled with a partner, the "unflattering flash cube", which was like the shit-sandwich combo of the big doofus in third grade who would point out your flaws to everyone (especially if they involved your poverty, which in turn was a direct cause of you wearing uncool sneakers and hand-me-down Toughskins with weird little patches in the knees that the corners would slowly peel back on), with the added bonus of his Salacious B. Crumb-like sidekick adding that extra layer of bright light to help magnify the flaws, should anyone have missed them on the first click.
Thus, I am not "camera friendly" in either the classical sense (read as "homely"), or even the more esoteric sense (as in "hey, camera, thanks for all of the great memories! Let's be pals!"). The camera can suck it. In fact, I hope that Hell for cameras is when they end up in the Colonsocopy room. I can bear witness to having hoped that on one or two occasions (making this another UBYRACWES, but with a Too Much Information twist) that the camera in use was the reincarnation of my seventh-grade photo ("How you like me NOW, camera?! See anything INTERESTING? Oh… you do. Fuck. You win again, camera."). I do wonder, however, just why we have yet to apply technology to video in the way we have to sound. Consider just how many "singers" aren't exactly "microphone friendly" without the aid of processing and Auto-Tune and all of that. I can see someone like myself being overlaid (and consequently "over LAID" if you catch my drift!) with a little computer enhancement, and starring on a TV show. Sort of like Jar-Jar Binks (I'm getting a bit excited for the new Star Wars movies. Deal with it.), but like 11.2% less endearing. And probably less pants during sweeps week, but I digress.
I'd suppose that people today have it better, camera friendship-wise, thanks to re-takes and Photoshop (and possibly due to the slowly dwindling eye broccoli class of folks — another UBYRACWES with serious Darwinian subject matter) have it far easier than our generation with the Instamatic and flash cubes, making it easier to be friends with the camera. After all, I never once got driving directions from a Minolta 35mm that were worth a shit, although I did manage to lift the Katakana for "Film Goes Here" from one and convince a girl to have that tattooed under the impression that it meant "beautiful blooming orchid" (adding another layer of irony, consider that this was done as a tramp stamp, and I'd bet that few things have bloomed in that vicinity even remotely resembling an orchid – a lactose intolerance on her behalf could provide at least half a chapter of laughs via one of those SCRACWES with a grand TMI kicker). I can only hope that one day she's having a Colonoscopy and that Dr. Fong gets a little chuckle as that camera gets another taste of its own medicine, courtesy of her cave of unholy winds.
The Darkness Amid the Sparkle
A lot of talk the past few days regarding the car show world, from politics to rules and more. I had been writing a piece about this very subject prior to Detroit, and then felt it best to hold off on publishing it, as there were things afoot that could have made my post look, well, far more bitter for all of the wrong reasons. Rest assured, this is nothing more than my observations on the whole car show/industry slide toward oblivion, and not some "oh, they didn't give us a trophy" or other nonsense. For fuck's sake, we're adults. And yes, it's long. Should you happen to be some illiterate shit, or far too busy looking up memes or fail videos to read a few paragraphs, well, there's the wonder of the internet, Billy Bob: Scroll the fuck past. Nobody asked you to chime in with your "I dun dint read, cuz it were long" reply. It's a safer world knowing that the likes of you stick to looking at pictures anyway.
Some may be offended by my opinions/observations, and that's cool. The truth can pack a nasty stinger.
Think back to the first indoor car show you attended. Chances are, you were a young and impressionable gear head who was floored by the kandy and chrome ocean you found yourself dropped into. Take that a step further, and consider the first ISCA-type show car that made an impression on you. Chances are, you went home and drew that car, or built a scale model of it, or simply daydreamed about it in class. I'm betting that to this day you can picture the car, and still get a little blip in the heart rate from it. It's etched somewhere in your car psyche. It plays a role to this very day in what you like or don't like on four wheels. It's IMPRINTED on the very part of you that's tagged "CARS" on that dotted-line diagram of your brain.
Custom cars, to anyone just discovering them are MAGICAL. They have a power far beyond propelling people across the pavement. They take on a life beyond their perceived purpose. They tend to grow with us. I'd bet that your memory even skews a few facts about them, and maybe even glosses over a flaw or two, lifting them even higher in your memory of their perfection. You do that with nearly everything you grow attached to. I'm betting my wife does that about me. Thinking about this, I should go give her a hug. And clean the living room.
Compare the above to recent shows, assuming that you still attend them. Any cars that simply "do it" for you like that? Do you still feel that emotional attachment or charge? I certainly don't, and I'm smack dab in the middle of this whole thing, designing custom vehicles for a living. I try to create the kinds of things that some kid will recall 30 or more years down the road, and bring up in bench racing sessions. Don't get me wrong, there have been some in the recent past that come close to "doing it" for me, and continue to inspire, but the industry as a whole has changed… the whole mood is dark lately.
Let's not sugar coat this:
Car shows are the NFL of our world. A money-making enterprise. It makes sense, as they are a business, and the purpose of any business is to make money. I'm all for success, and doubly-so if your mission is to pocket some coin, and you happen to be doing that. Good on you. But the focus on the money changes things… It's warped the very spirit of this car thing, and dragged it so far away from celebrating the automobile as art, and taken us to the automobile as return on investment or a showdown of who can spend more or grab the most ink in some magazine that's months behind the times, and struggling to tell you that it's still somehow relevant and that the internet is killing it, when in fact, they're killing themselves and the industry by celebrating this push downward with third-rate articles and seven page features on uninspiring cars that would have been better served as a savings account. Again, don't get me wrong. We are in a time of incredible talent with regard to the builders and designers and tools we have available to us in this industry. Yet, we're losing the youth. Involvement is dropping among the next generation. And it is most certainly NOT because some kid grew up in the back seat of a Honda, or inherited a mini van as his first ride. That is a bullshit cop-out. Not every major builder or designer today grew up riding shotgun in a pro-street Chevelle, or had some Boss Mustang dropped in their lap for a first car. We drove uninspiring shitboxes. If you think that somehow more inspiration to build a ground-breaking, next-level beast of a ride comes from looking at a non-functional fuel gauge in a cracked dashboard in a rusty '73 Monte Carlo any more than it does from the same situation in a third-hand Subaru, you are brain damaged. The next self-righteous motherfucker to use that excuse gets a foot in their ass. Allow me to shed some light on the REAL problem:
Today, it's all nothing more than some bullshit cool kids club. Gone are the days of the "car as design statement" or even "rolling testament to craftsmanship" for the most part; we've hacked and slashed the soul from it all, and would up in a wasteland of cubic budgets and branding. It's not about a fun build that pushes the limits of imagination, or thumbs its nose at conventional transportation, or even inspiring some budding builder to go and do likewise. Rather, it's intimidating at best with endless checkbook builds where the goal is closer to making a name or a shop or builder, or trading damned-near a million (ad sometimes more) dollars for a trophy and a check that covers the transportation and week-long lodging and food for the crew supporting the car than it is to build for the sake of pushing skill. What in the serious fuck?! You expect ANY kid to want a part of that? Unless daddy is a CEO and is bankrolling the project, the odds get slimmer as we venture further down the income ladder. And don't throw me this bone of plopping some car into the top five that doesn't belong there as some gesture of "giving the average guy hope". We all know it's bullshit, and you can bet that you aren't doing that guy or some kid attending his first show any good. He can see though the "everyone is a winner" bullshit. He has to each day at school.
Like anything, the moment it becomes more about money than the challenge of creating something, all is lost; it becomes a caricature of the very thing it used to be. We're creating a hobby and industry filled to the brim with reality show-grade celebrities and hucksters, some with legions of fans who are undereducated enough to praise mundane and often idiotic design choices. And seeing the shows pander to one or two big-name builders, well… If you're going to tell me that you can't, without some degree of near pin-point accuracy pick put the cars that will be at the top of any show before the gates even open, then you're either a lying sack of shit, or you're holding onto that childhood innocence, and hoping to be inspired again. Perhaps the Pearl Paint Fairy will leave an airbrushed monster shirt under your pillow tonight, too. Innocence is lost. And it ain't going to be found in the direction we're headed.
The irony here is that we live in the greatest time, technologically speaking anyway, for production performance cars. 707 HP Challengers and Chargers??! While we were wandering the show indoors, looking at 'flake paneled and blown bad-assery, outside in the frozen parking lot was a dismal (at best) display of smog-choked, poorly assembled and designed garbage. It was depressing. 170 HP was considered "performance", and there wasn't any sunlight poking over the next hill. That glow was from the flashers on the broken-down heap that couldn't make it up the next grade. And maybe, just maybe THAT is what makes it all so fucking soft today. We DON'T HAVE TO AIM HIGH ANYMORE. We've managed to settle into a world of instant gratification., and that creates a laziness, and an unwillingness to try to raise a bar that we're told is already so sky-high. That in mind, we've abandoned the things that brought us all here in the first place, and instead are chasing the lowest common denominator, the "my dick and checkbook are THIS BIG" attitude.
It's a dark time, kids. Replace the breaker before it's too late.
Fast, Cheap, and Terrible: You Really CAN Have Everything
I see far too much of this bullshit on the interwebz:
"I'll do your rendering for $100!"
With "rendering" meaning "a loosely cobbled-together bunch of photos I Googled and then made attempts to stitch together with the two tools I can sort of use in Photoshop."
One last time, kids: NOT a rendering. Not on the best day of your life. And if you're paying for, and supporting this crap, well, you're not "on a budget", you're "A BIG FUCKING PART OF THE PROBLEM". While it's great that some cars have a huge-by-enormous budget for exotic and one-off parts, you simply need to realize that care and planning can make even a home-built ride a stand-out. If you're willing to cheap-out on the very design of your project, well, it's a given that you'll do likewise in the build. And please don't come to me in the eleventh hour of your SEMA proposal deadline with some fucking sob story about how you need a rendering, but you already threw money away on the photo-hack you just received from the kid on the forum. You knew going into it that some $100 rendering wasn't going to make a manufacturer all hot and bothered, and squeeze out a new car for you. Too many things wrong with that mindset to even approach it here.
There are professionals out there who do great things in Photoshop, should that be the look you're after… and plenty of other artists working in all media (should one of those be the look you're after) who can craft something to actually be proud of, versus bragging that it only cost a few bucks. A rendering is a work of artistry and design, and a good one brings years of experience and knowledge to the table… Not simply some shit that your seven year old could pull off in 30 minutes. Keep in mind that the photo-hack of the Hirohata Merc will always be just a photo-hack of the Hirohata Merc and not YOUR Merc, no matter how many layers of flames or how big a set of smoothie wheels with poor camber and perspective some douche pastes on there. And for the record, you're not "helping some new artist get a start". You're simply enabling yet another talentless hack with either a trial or pirated software to further soil a part of the industry that works its ass off to be continually undervalued. You deserve a series of ingrown toenails and festering boils on your heels, you dirtbag.
A rendering should represent YOUR vehicle, and showcase the pride and planning of your project. You know, thinking about it, maybe some projects are best left at this level anyway.
/drops knowledge AND the microphone; heads off stage.
On the Seventh Day of Christmas, We got Boned by Hollywood
Absolute bullshit.
As I'm sure that you know by now, the theatrical release of The Interview has been scrapped. This hits me hard, no simply because we have another telling tale of a lily-livered leader caving to some megalomaniacal fucking jerk-off, but because I will be denied the movie poster I was waiting for.
If you know me, you know that I love film, and movie posters even more. I love the art… GOOD art, anyway. Not these stinking, non-creative turds they pass off regularly featuring a low/back-lit photo of protagonist/antagonist in front of (INSERT MAJOR MOVIE SET PIECE HERE), surrounded by typography and copy obviously created by a seven year old with better things to do… but really good work, like that of Drew Struzan, or Boris Vallejo (I mean have you SEEN his National Lampoon's Vacation artwork??!), John Alvin, the Hildebrandt brothers, Frank Frazetta, Saul Bass, and on and on. As a filmmaker trapped in the life and career of an illustrator, I live vicariously through this medium until I can one day make that leap. But I digress.
You see, I was looking forward to grabbing a 27×40-inch, double-sided hunk of poster-y goodness from the film. It embodied many things that I enjoy: Propaganda-style art, great color pop, spectacularly tongue-in-cheek typographical layout, and it would be a great replacement for the Army of Darkness piece that currently hangs in my office. Whatever. I mean, it would have been a Guardians of the Galaxy poster (full theatrical release version, thank you), but those have gone crazy in price. Think of how great that poster would look as guests stop by for an…. wait for it… INTERVIEW on a podcast??!
Anyway, I had attempted to place the order weeks ago, knowing that prerelease posters have been hanging around since Summer, and wanting to beat the rush… but was met with "Order Delayed" messages. Apparently, these were the hot item. Good deal… I'm in no rush, I'll wait. Now, you can't find them, and all orders are suspended. This PRECEDING an "official" announcement regrading the film. Hmmm. Conspiracy? Another red herring? Just another deflection of your attention? You do the math.
(Don't get me wrong, I could drop a few hundred on eBay for one now, but decided that that was money best spent on food, clothing and toys from the less fortunate, and that has me feeling a lot better than hanging something on a wall.)
I mean, seriously. It's a comedy. A genius premise, and certainly a grand stage for slapstick and subversive humor. But to make threats to people for showing it… or SEEING it?! What in the fuck, Chuck?! This nearly harkens (almost wrote "Harkins", ha-ha!) back to my days in Catholic grammar school, when the Czar… I mean "Principal" had threatened us kids with disciplinary action, should we dare to go home and watch the TV movie The Day After (looking back on that, I now see that I understand far more about the Book of Revelation than the so-called "leader" at that school, and that her claims of nuclear armageddon ca.1983 was far off from what the book describes. It pays to know the mindset and capabilities of those in charge, I've found…), as we'd suddenly be faced with some sense of mortality, and then have to write an essay about how bad that can be. I compared mine to the fear of ABBA appearing on The Love Boat, and then having said ship become beached upon an iceberg, and the band playing on, as hundreds perished… the final soundtrack to their icy deaths being "Dancing Queen". Oh, the horror. Looking back, those essays helped to shape who I am today. The joke is on YOU, sister! I'm drawing cars AND writing dirty words, and not living under a bridge… yet, I digress once more.
The poster. I will not be getting mine. "There will be no Christmas", quoth the beast. Simply because of a "hacking" incident and some threat. If these guys were really looking out for peace, they'd have shut down any number of shitty movies, and let this one roll. Seriously. I STILL want a refund for my time having to sit through that steaming pile "The Hobbit 2: The Desolation of a Viable Screenplay" (should you have missed my feelings on THAT shit festival, scroll back a ways). I mean, if this were a publicity stunt, holy balls it would be great. But when you can't even grab the poster? That's either a sign that the marketing firm behind it all is absolutely inhuman brilliant and committed to detail, or that it's the real deal, and we just sold out to bullies.
If these folks at Sony were REALLY interested in cyber security, they'd listen up. Hell, they'd have already done this, but let's not split hairs. You can either implement this genius plan, or make a movie about it (and then scrap it when some freak sends a letter):
You grab the laptop from some porno addict, and you plug that hairy, sticky, probably-would-blind-you-and-burn-your-shadow-into-the-wall-if-placed-under-a-blacklight tool of debauchery into the network as your honey pot. Hacker logs on, and BAM! Enjoy your "free" trial and bajillion pop-ups, you fuck. Give me a shout for the rights and title ideas. The simplest of solutions often eludes us. I'm here to help. Hell, I'm always here, usually working, as I don't golf or vacation much, and still have yet to receive reparations for the Polack jokes my people have suffered the ill effects from.
Mr. Rogan, I appeal to you thusly: Please sell me a poster from The Interview, as I'm having little luck in finding one on my own. No freebies or other nonsense, as there are much better outlets for charity… I simply want to celebrate the creativity you put into the film. My other options have wavered between a nice Hellboy first-run piece, or the iconic "The Thing"… but what I really wanted was my damned first choice, and I'm certain that you can empathize, much as I do with your situation. Wishing you only the best, sir.
I'd Like To Give You Some Pussy for Christmas
Realizing that we're officially eight months into the Christmas season (for those of you going by the decorations on display in your local Lowes), I thought it best to take a moment and reflect on the wonderous joy that listening to Christmas music brings me. If by "wonderous joy", one means that it breeds to sort of feeling "similar to slamming my privates in a car door over and over again". Pa-rum-pa-pa-pum.
It's not that I hate this season. Far from it. I love the temporary feeling of giving that people have for a few short days, or watching morons brag about how they gave a buck to the Salvation Army Santa that one time. I hate (yes, "HATE" may be a strong word, but it feels nearly anemic in this case) the blatant commercialism, and made-up bullshit that surrounds it all, and we're not even going to delve into another made-up holiday here. That would be like discussing the existence of UFO's, and then expecting people to follow along as we turned to Godzilla and the possibility of giant mechanized robots taking over Tokyo and that a logical defense would be to create a super-human using gamma rays via an old microwave oven during a lunar eclipse while listening to Blue Oyster Cult backward. You can only stretch belief so far, and in my opinion, it stops at the whole gamma ray/microwave/BOC backward/eclipse thing, still many, many steps from "Kwanzaa". You might find a richer history in "Festivus", which shares an eerily similar point of birth of that other one there. 1966-67 must have been a hotbed of holiday manufacture. Strangely enough, How the Grinch Stole Christmas was released in… 1966. A YULETIDE CONSPIRACY! And let's not even dare venture to the 1967 Bob Hope Christmas Special, which featured "Miss World", Madeleine Hartog Bell, which was an obviously biased contest, as no formal invitation was sent to Miss Godzilla, spurring the alternate dimension battle ending with, as we all know, the great Microwave-Gamma-Ray battle which would propel Blue Oyster Cult to fame across all known realities, plus two additional ones we don't yet understand.
But I digress. It's not even a hatred for Christmas music in general. It's having to listen to it from October through, well, whenever the heck the next commercialized bullshit begins… Which is usually Valentine's Day, and you can expect those cards to hit shelves on 26 December. And it's one shitty remake after the next. How many different ways can you sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"? At last count, seventy-three million, with eleven million of those coming from Whitney Houston alone. And don't even get me started on the bullshit "It's a CLASSIC!" ear worms like "Wonderful Christmas Time" by McCartney. This pile of reindeer shit from the guy who penned "Paperback Writer", "Eleanor Rigby" and "Penny Lane"?! It's nearly as annoying as "Last Christmas" by Wham!, or, well, anything else recorded after 1959. You can feel my pain, I'm certain. As a season of giving and all that, I hope that you'll take time to give to those less fortunate, and continue that all year. And for you, in keeping with that theme from the start of the post, I'd like to make sure that you get a little Pussy this year. "Pussy with a CAPITAL 'P', Brian?!" you may be asking, "this must be high quality stuff! You shouldn't have!" What can I say? I'm a giver.
And yes. "Pussy" was the name of one of the dogs in this masterpiece, which illustrates clearly just how terrible the music of the season can be. I would pay a lot to hear the studio out-takes from those sessions. "Come on Pussy! Louder!" It's the Christmas music equivalent of watching your dog drag its ass across the carpet, yet, you'd probably stop this song long before yelling "STOP THAT!!" at poor Fido.


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Consider the waterjet cutting machines principle...
Deep within the South African gold mines a worker controls a large portable cutting tool that removes large pieces of ore from a solid quartzite rock. Off the coast of Newfoundland a crew of workers drill holes into icebergs with a similar device in order to anchor cables to them and drag them out of the shipping lanes. Doctors in an Ottawa hospital make use of a tiny yet similar implement to perform bone surgery.
When you force water through a tiny orifice at speeds of up to 3 times the speed of sound, the range of materials that this jet of water will cut, is vast to say the least. Anything from baby diapers to frozen fish, and when you add silica or garnett to the water - the abrasive jet will cut virtually anything, from tough tool steel to bullet proof glass - even armour plating, with ease.
Waterjet cutting machines do not employ heat with which to cut, this ensures the structural integrity of the metal being cut is not compromised.
Our laser cutting and waterjet cutting service will make light work of your cutting requirements for your next project.

subset: commoncrawl


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Our Programme
Steps2Recovery provides therapeutic and practical support to help ex-offenders with addiction issues break away from drug and drink related offending and towards longterm, abstinence-based recovery. Our team of qualified counsellors, support workers and volunteers understand what it's like to make these changes and provide caring, professional and constructive support at all steps in the recovery journey.
Steps2Recovery runs regular fundraising events and activities through the year including our Golf Day, Quiz Night and this year's newly launched Advent Hymn and Carol Service.
Click here to learn more about our upcoming events
For details about attending them or if you'd like Steps2Recovery to partner one of your organisation's events contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
I've never felt so welcome in my life. -S2R Client
What I like about the programme is that it's built on freedom and trust. Can't go the the shops in other places. The onus is on you - your recovery is about you. Its whether you're ready to do it. -S2R Client
Built on Freedom and Trust
There's no us and them with the staff, it helps me feel comfortable. -S2R Client
The Environment here feels really loving. -S2R Client
Loving Environment
S2R counsellors share their experience . They feel real and they really fight for you. -S2R Client
Counsellors Who Understand
The rooms are good for a residential. There's good privacy and the hygiene is good. -S2R Client


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There is only one thing you have to know about the current stock 'market'. Well, two things. Actually three things. First, it is no longer a 'market'. Stock indexes have become the manipulated playground of the central banks intent on keeping investors' spirits high by keeping portfolios buoyed via the public investment mechanism we used to call the 'stock market'. Two, the central banks have captured the printing presses of sovereign nations. And three, stocks now move in reaction to the prices of manipulated currencies.
At the forefront of today's investment battlefield is the Euro. Excessive debt has served to run the price of the Euro down in relation to the US dollar. While the US probably leads the world in debt, the Euro has come under attack. Let's remember that the US is a bit unique in that it reports debt at a federal level. Of course, there are 50 states in the Republic that also have crushing debt loads that does not get counted in the federal debt. Therefore, we can assume that like everything that comes out of the federal government's propaganda mouth, the debt is under-reported and thus a lie.
To get to the heart of the matter, I included a chart of the Euro ETF, the FXE, below. The chart pattern is easy to identify and it is the bearish head and shoulders. The neckline crosses under the peak of the head at about 125 and that allows us to set our downside target for the FXE at 90 or .90 to the US dollar. That's about a 30 percent drop. If allowed to play out, that would imply a reactive 30% increase in the US dollar and in turn, that would drive the beloved and worshipped Dow down some 30%. Remember, there is no value in the indexes any more. They are only a function of how much money the Fed pumps in (along with their shill banks of course). The Dow is now simply a function and reaction to inflation as defined by currency value. Currency goes up - Dow goes down. Currency goes down - Dow goes up. Ditto for oil prices and all other commodities and measures of inflation.
Now you know why the battleground of the moment is at FXE 1.22. Central banks are determined to 'save' the Euro and at least keep it above 1.22 or else risk the imposition of reality forcing the FXE to .90 or below. Notice the volume at the bottom of the chart. The trillions unleashed by the ECB (and the IMF) seem to be finding their way into the Euro manipulation. After all, this is all central banks in the west do. They manipulate stock indices and currencies all day long every minute of every day. I think they at least owe the Chinese an apology as Treasury Sec. Geithner keeps babbling about Chinese currency manipulation. The bottom line is if you want to know where the indices are going, keep your eye on the currencies. Earnings and sales and all that crap are now meaningless. Besides, a good accountant can make that stuff up at the drop of a derivative anyway. The only question is will the ECB be willing to spend enough money to prop up the Euro over time? Keep an eye on the volume of the manipulators!
Chart courtesy StockCharts.com


text: Music, Food, & Good Company Filey 24 March Posted on 2019-02-222019-03-31 by webmasterthirsk Filey Branch is running an informal musical social event to raise funds for their branch.Now there is a candidate standing in each ward for the forthcoming District Council Election campaigns, more than ever, we need to raise funds.You may not be aware that we have an abundance of musical talent amongst our members, so come along and find out. 24th March 19:30 at The Grapes, 40 Queen St, Filey, YO14 9HB Please come along to show your support, you can meet fellow members and enjoy great music, what's not to like? Posted in Filey & Hunmanby, Forthcoming EventsTagged Fund RaiserLeave a Comment on Music, Food, & Good Company Filey 24 March


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Triple room
Buffet Breakfast included!
All of our guest rooms are modern equipped. Earthy tones combined with high quality beds and materials will delight you. All bathrooms equipped with shower, WC, hair dryer, hand soap and shower gel. A flat-screen TV with 40 channels, ceiling fan, soundproofed windows and free high speed WIFI complete our offer for you.
|This is an example of the accommodation. The characteristic traits, colors and decorative elements in the room imagery and ground views are examples of our rooms and may vary.


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2019 Conference Information
Register Now!
2019 State Conference Sponsorship Opportunities
Full Conference Schedule
Title Sponsor:
Conference Day 1 Will Include:
Kate Bischoff, Employment Attorney & HR Consultant with Thrive Law Consulting presenting: Two Questions Will Save Us All
Katrina Kibben, CEO of Three Ears Media presenting: Employer Branding: Translating Your Story into a Recruitment Marketing Strategy
Rashida Dore-Wilson, Director of Experiential Learning Opportunities with AAMU presenting: In the Mix: Motivating, Managing, and Mentoring Millennials
Conference Day 2 Will Include:
Dr. Jarik Conrad, Senior Director of HCM Innovation, Ultimate Software presenting: The Future of HR: Establishing New HR Norms that Put People First
Laurie Shakur, SPHR, SCP, Head of People at Rakuten Marketing presenting: Putting the Human Back into Human Resources
The AL SHRM State Conference & Expo is the annual conference held by the Alabama State Council, a state affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Each year the event attracts over 500 human resource professionals and vendors throughout the state of Alabama and across the nation. Participants represent virtually every industry and companies ranging from small businesses to large industrial centers. Programs presented at the annual conference cover all aspects of the SHRM Body of Knowledge.
Join us for our 2019 conference on May 14th & 15th at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, adjoined with world-class hotel accommodations, Westin Birmingham and Sheraton Birmingham Hotels. Convenient nearby dining and entertainment accessible in Birmingham's Uptown District (uptownbham.com).
The AL SHRM State Conference & Expo is the State of Alabama's premier event for human resource professionals with:
· Over 500 HR professionals attending annually with more than 300 companies represented
· The opening reception is the largest HR professional networking event in the state
· Earn up to 10 certification credits
· The ALSHRM marketplace includes some of Alabama's most committed product & service providers
Attendees will receive an invitation after the conference for a free one (1) hour certified webinar


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Natural Baby Lotion nourishes baby senstive skin very gentally with Natural Oils and Butters with calming Lavender, Calendula & Chamomile Fragrance. Commercial baby lotions are full of phthalates, petrochemicals, parabens, sulfates, triclosan, aluminum, artificial fragrances and synthetic dyes can inflame baby sensitive skin, leaving rashes and blemishes. Our Natural bady lotion keeps it simple, No fragrance oils, No unnecessary additives, Just pure natural oils and ingredients that naturally moisturize and nourish skin. Lavender, Chamomile & Calendula help to calm even the highly colic babies.
Ingredients: Aqua, Herbal Extracts blend of (Aloe-Vera, Chamomile, Marigold), Aloe-Vera Gel, Glycerin, E-wax, Virgin Olive Oil infused with Lavender Flowers, Sweet Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Sunflower Oil, Shea Butter, Milk Powder, Sorbitol, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Honey, Citric Acid, Tocopherol Vitamin-E, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA.


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George Berkeley: Idealism and the Man
Clarendon Press, 1995 - Philosophy - 230 pages
George Berkeley is one of the best known names in British philosophy. Unlike nearly all previous studies, this book looks at the full range of Berkeley's work and links it with his lifefocussing in particular on his religious thought. Dr Berman presents a clear picture of Berkeley's career, and at the same time breaks new ground on, among other topics, Berkeley's philosophical strategy, his account of immortality, his Jacobitism, and his emotive theory of religious mysteries. Special attention is paid to the Irish context of his thought, his symbolic frontispieces and portraits, and recent discoveries concerning his life and writings. The Berkeley that emerges from this study is deeper and more human than the usual pictures of him: something more than the starry-eyed idealist or commonsense realist, something less than the good bishop with every virtue under heaven.
What people are saying - Write a review
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SwissStop Full FlashPro Yellow King Brake Shoes
These Full FlashPro brake shoes are a shoe and pad combo. They will work with virtually any brake caliper. They are sold in pairs, so one package sets up one caliper. Purchase two to set-up a complete bike with front and rear calipers. The shoes are CNC'd alloy to Shimano/SRAM spec, meaning, they accept any Shimano/SRAM compatible brake shoe. These shoes are fitted with Yellow King brake pads.
The Flash Pro Yellow King compound feature a high performance compound for carbon wheels but can be used on aluminum rims too. They are designed for excellent stopping power wet and dry with superior modulation and low pad wear rates. SwissStop uses decades of materials experience combined with rider feedback to produce the best pads possible.
- Complete pad and shoe combo
- Sold in pairs
- Yellow King compound
- Designed for carbon rims
- Good modulation
- Made in Switzerland


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Dan Napierski
Freelance API Developer at Toptal since December 20, 2015
Dan is a software architect and technology professional focusing on applications of blockchain technologies. He has years of experience providing professional consulting services to clients ranging from startups to global corporations. He specializes in bringing rigo... Click to continue


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2013 Appeal Launch Weekend- St. Rita Parish, Lowell
On Sunday, March 3, 2013, Rev. Marc Bishop and parishioners of St. Rita Parish in Lowell filled the pews for the launch of the 2013 Catholic Appeal. Holy Mass was celebrated by Most Rev. Robert P. Deeley, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston and Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia.


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Arabica Coffee May Be Extinct in the Wild by 2100
Climate change may do in coffee by 2100. That's the word from scientists from Kew Gardens in the UK, working with colleagues in Ethiopia, who report that wild Arabic coffee may become extinct "well before the end of this century."
If you're wondering why the extinction of wild varieties of Coffea arabica matters when there are cultivated varieties, it's this: Cultivated coffee has very little genetic diversity, and if we're to continue growing, drinking, and exporting coffee—which is the second most-traded commodity in the world—then being able to exploit the genetic diversity of the wild stock, tapping into those varieties that are climate change hardy, is crucial.Science Daily sums up the effect of climate change on Ethiopian coffee:
The outcome of climate change in Ethiopia for cultivated Arabica, the only coffee grown in the country, is also assumed to be profoundly negative, as natural populations, forest coffee (semi-domesticated) and some plantations occur in the same general bioclimatic area as indigenous Arabica. Generally the results of the study indicate that Arabica is a climate sensitive species, which supports previously recorded data, various reports, and anecdotal information from coffee farmers. The logical conclusion is that Arabica coffee production is, and will continue to be, strongly influenced by accelerated climate change, and that in most cases the outcome will be negative for the coffee industry.
Read the original research, in PLoS ONE


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We like nothing better at GeekDad than to hear about father-son/daughter projects. They inspire us, give us new ideas and show us that engaging with our children is so worthwhile.
So, this story about Singaporean whiz kid Lim Ding Wen and his father is right down our alley.
Ding Wen is the developer of Doodle Kids, a free artistic app for children. He developed it with his younger sisters in mind and it allows you to draw different shapes in a range of colors which you can clear with the shake of a screen. Not bad for a 9-year-old.
Ding Wen began to learn programming when he was 7 years old. He is predominantly an ActionScript and JavaScript programmer, but also understand Applesoft BASIC, GSoft BASIC, Complete Pascal, Orca/Pascal and a little Objective-C.
Both, Ding Wen and his father, Thye Chean, develop iPhone applications. Evidently, they compare stats each night on downloads. To date Doodle Kids has over 4000 downloads.
Thye Chean has obviously fostered his son's talent and interest. He himself has a site, Virtual GS, which aims "to bring back the fun and excitement of Apple IIGS programming for all the young children".
(via Gizmodo)
(image of Ding Wen via Virtual GS)
Update: Ding Wen's father has let us know in the comments that Doodle Kids has now topped 20,000 downloads - well done!
Doodle Kids review, over the fold...
Doodle Kids Review
This is a delightfully simple app, very suitable for young children.
Upon opening, the user is presented simply with a black screen. When you touch it - a shape appears and as you drag your finger along the screen it draws a line of that shape in different colors.
To change the shape you lift your finger, and re-touch the screen.
Multitouch will also change the screen color, and while there is no built in functionality for saving the images you can take a screen shot using the iPhone built-in screen capture function (holding down the home button, and pressing the sleep button).
Ding Wen could add a whole range of options and functions to this program, but it doesn't need it. I think this would suit children aged 1-3 years old. Older children (and adults) will have a little bit of fun, but it won't hold their attention for a great deal of time.
We look forward to Ding Wen's next iPhone App, Invader War. He has already programmed a version for Apple IIGS. Should be a fun little space game.


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Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.
out of 100
Metascore®Universal acclaimbased on a weighted average of allcritic review scores.
With patience, care, and strict attention to detail, Scorsese has staked out an impregnable position in the history of motion pictures.
Read Full Review
Great cinema - and also a whopping good time. [19 September 1990, Life, p.1D]
No finer film has ever been made about organized crime - not even "The Godfather."
All of the performances are first-rate; Pesci stands out, though, with his seemingly unscripted manner. GoodFellas is easily one of the year's best films. [21 September 1990, Friday, p.C]
See all GoodFellas reviews at Metacritic.com
not for kids
Masterful but brutal gangster tale isn't for kids.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this is a movie for mature filmgoers. Violent behavior, vicious characters, and profane language occur from the very first frames and throughout. Multiple scenes involve the terrorizing of innocent people, savage beatings, and graphic killing, including several shottings to the head at point-blank range. Drunkenness, drug use, adultery, thievery, corruption, graft and dishonesty are the lesser crimes in this intense, realistic movie. It is a film without any heroes or positive role models.
Messages: This movie is about amoral, unethical, and illegal behavior. The characters lie, cheat, steal, gamble, abuse drugs, maim, torture, and kill. In almost all cases, they show no guilt or remorse. Instead they are driven by an unwavering loyalty to the most violent and powerful among their peers. It's a striking example of "mob mentality." Women are treated as sexual objects and second-class members of the society.
Violence: From start to finish violence is at the forefront of this film. There are frequent vicious beatings, incidents of domestic abuse, point blank shootings, and stabbings with both knives and icepick. In addition, the audience will witness psychopathic outbursts, blood spurting and gushing in scene after scene; a father beats his son with a belt; numerous men are executed with shots to the head.
Sex: Several scenes show passionate kissing and touching as foreplay to sexual intercourse. Oral sex is implied but not actually in full view. Adultery is shown to be part of the gangster lifestyle.
Language: Profanity and cursing is pervasive throughout. "F--k" in all forms is used in nearly every scene. There are also several ethnic slurs uttered, including the "N" word and ugly references to Jews.
Consumerism: Not an issue
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Seen here, the consumption of cigarettes, cigars, and alcohol are integral components of the mob lifestyle. There are frequent sequences of social drinking taken to the extreme and leading to drunken misbehavior and even violence in some instances. A leading character's descent into drug addiction is graphically shown. Cocaine use is explicit in several scenes.
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© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
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at , Dapto, 2530 Australia
Growing from beachside house party to landmark club night, Parkside's regular throw-down has seen Sunday takeovers from legends both local and abroad.
Soul Clap, Horse Meat Disco, 6th Borough Project, H.O.S.H, Inland Knights, Jay Shepheard, MK, San Soda, Tornado Wallace and more have all turned their DIY party into a riotous institution for in-the-know fiends and dancers alike.
All nighters at Sydney Tower, Civic Undeground, Goodgod Small Club and the Novotel Rooftop have only cemented their place as experts on both sides of the party, with a consistent reputation for late-night crowds and sunrise kick-ons.
As snipers behind the turntables, Parkside have earned their cred DJing gut-busting sets on rooftops, beaches, skyscrapers and landmarks around the country.
Bridging the gaps between underwater house, crashing techno and deviant disco, the crew bring the worlds great dance locales together in a heaving mess of grooves – called upon to support names like Kolsch, Bicep, Omar-S, Claude Von Stroke, Jimmy Edgar, Shaun Reeves and Tiger & Woods for friends at Future Classic, Astral People and Falls Festival.
Holding down a monthly residency at the notorious Spice Cellar, the boys continue to wreak havoc on unsuspecting dancefloors and excitable audiences across the states.
Mondays have never been the same.


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South Carolina Flooding: "We Lost Everything" How To Help
Since the month of October began, deadly flooding has engulfed parts of South Carolina, forcing people from their homes. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has activated the National Guard to help with flood rescues. By Monday, October 5th, the rain that had ravaged the state of South Carolina was still steadily thumping over much of the state, in some places for a fifth consecutive day.
Five days of continuous rain caused havoc including a tree blocked a flood-ravaged road, water almost up to light poles, rain water on the second floor of houses and worse. The devastation is heartbreaking.
MUST READ: Disaster Emergency Items Every Home Should Have
Water main ruptures and other problems had left about 40,000 people without water on Monday, Gov. Haley said. Dams had burst and homes had been submerged and ruined, especially in and around Columbia, the state capital. A spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety, Sherri Iacobelli, said Monday night that the storm had killed 11 people in the state. Seven deaths were weather-related drownings, she said, and four others were traffic fatalities linked to the storm.
There have already conducted hundreds of water rescues and at least 25 by air — were rushing Monday to search more homes, restore infrastructure and power, and deliver drinking water.
Here's how you can help:
• The Salvation Army is assisting communities along the East Coast by providing food, water and shelter to flood victims. You can donate to the Salvation Army's relief efforts online or by texting STORM to 51555.
•The American Red Cross of the Palmetto South Carolina Region needs volunteers to assist in shelter operations and disaster assessment. New volunteers can visit RedCross.org/SC and click on volunteer to start the application process.
• The South Carolina Baptist Convention has deployed food and child care units to assist flood victims. A chainsaw unit also is on the ground, helping to remove fallen trees interfering with power lines.
•The Francis R. Willis SPCA shelter experienced a tremendous amount of flooding in their kennel areas. Now the shelter is in need of assistance to restore the location. They're asking for donations to the "FRW SPCA Emergency Flooding Fund."


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With how frequently you and your family use your toilet every day, it's crucial that it always works. That's why as soon as you notice a problem with your toilet, you should call in a professional and have it repaired. We offer 24-hour emergency services, and our team of plumbers at Axberg is ready to repair your toilet whenever you need us.
To schedule toilet repair "near me" in Rockford, Illinois or a surrounding area, give us a call at (815) 873-6003 or contact us online today!
Our Toilet Repair Services near Rockford
As soon as you notice a problem with your toilet, give the expert plumbers at Axberg a call. Our team is able to diagnose the problem, make the necessary repairs, and have your toilet working properly again in no time. We're trained to solve a variety of problems, from clogs to cracked piping. Whatever issue you may be dealing with, you can trust the Axberg plumbers.
Common Toilet Problems
There are a number of things that may require you to call in a professional for toilet repair. Some things you may run into are listed below:
- The toilet is clogged – Plunger not working? You can most likely blame a clogged toilet on excessive waste or non-flushable material. It's important to be careful what you flush down the toilet. You may think it's ok to flush some things such as wet wipes or feminine hygiene products, but these actually can cause a clog.
- There's waste on the floor – If waste has leaked onto the floor around your toilet, the fixture may be cracked or the wax ring may be damaged.
- The toilet won't stop running – A leaking flapper valve may be the reason for a toilet that doesn't stop running. If you notice this problem, we recommend scheduling toilet repair.
- It only flushes partially – If you notice that your toilet is only partially flushing, there may be slack in the flapper chain. This is a problem that our team of plumbers at Axberg can fix!
- There are improper water levels – Have you noticed that when you flush the toilet, the water level is fine, but after a period of time, a significant amount of water is gone? This could be because there's a partial clog or there may be a crack in the interior piping of the bowl.
- The flapper closes too soon – When you flush the toilet, some of the water is released into the bowl. If the flapper closes before most of the water has flushed out, you have a problem. If left unattended, this problem could cause your toilet to clog. We recommend scheduling repair as soon as possible!
Schedule Emergency Toilet Repair in Rockford with Axberg
No matter what type of toilet issue you're facing—whether a routine problem or an issue that requires specialized work—you can count on our toilet plumbing experts to handle your job with expertise and at a fair cost. In the event of a plumbing emergency, our experienced crews are available 24 hours a day to come to the rescue.
To schedule toilet repair service in Rockford or a surrounding area, give us a call at (815) 873-6003 or contact us online today!


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If your parents are separated, you have the right to receive a child support. It is a financial privilege to children so their needs are supported. For those who are wondering how to receive a support, you can get a my FL account at the website or read the options below:
Receive Payment from Debit MasterCard
a. For those who haven't got a bank account, getting a Florida Debit Mastercard can be another great choice. This is also suitable for anyone who has bank accounts to use.
b. Just claim a card first by filling in the Child Support Payment Options form. Make sure you send it on the address found in the form. The card is usable for three years and you would instantly have a brand new one a month ahead of the expiration date.
c. Your balance may be check and is also obtainable 24 hours each day and 7 days every week online. Just create an account at Florida EPPICard website.
d. It is easy to monitor per month if you are paid in the right amount. Or else, it is easy to contact any local Clerk of the Court office.
Receive Payment from Direct Deposit
a. The first you ought to do is authorize the Florida Department of Revenue to let providing a direct deposit of funds into your bank account. You have to fill in the Child Support Payment Options form and after that mail it at the address found in the form.
b. Any time you ought to make a direct deposit of a checking account, a preprint voided check is important with all the form.
c. When you need to have a direct deposit of a savings account, you should incorporate a letter obtained into your bank aided by the bank routing number along with your own account number.
d. In case you haven't still collected any support, you'll be able to communicate with the regional Clerk of the Court office. There is various nearby court office numbers found in the MyFloridaCounty.com web page.
Visit Myfloridacounty.com now and get more info about the child support payment.


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Demon Child of Russia
The Adoption from Hell: Demon Child of Russia Continue reading Demon Child of Russia
The Adoption from Hell: Demon Child of Russia Continue reading Demon Child of Russia
Originally posted on Mind Space Apocalypse:
-Scotland's Cannibal, Sawney Bean. There have been movies that were inspired or based on this story including Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes". The following account, though as well attested as any historical fact… Continue reading Tales of Terror 4: "The Hills Really Did Have Eyes" the Sawney Bean story
Some occult murderers twist the words of a religion to fit their agenda, and then some just completely invent and make up their own "religion"
Despite cults being a reality as far back as recorded history goes, it was in the '80s that America began to really fear cults and Satanists more than usual, most likely due to television and movies. However, now that people were more aware of their existence the truth smacked them in the face. There were ritualistic murders, sacrifices, kidnappings, and cannibalism cases everywhere across the country, and the world. The brutality is incomprehensible to most people, but like it or not it was, and still is, a sad reality and unfortunate fact of life.
From mass suicides and self-made "raptures", or boarding the "mothership", to sacrificing infants and children to different dieties, and making ritualistic blood sacrifices, the type of crimes commited by these groups know no boundaries. There are still tribes in Africa (wrap your mind around this 100% true fact) that feed children to crocodiles depending on what teeth come in first because that determines if they're a "demon" or not.. Even ripping them right out of their mother's arms to do so. Albinos are also often murder because of old stigmas attached to their birth defect. Continue reading T.o.T5 Cults & Cannibals – part 1
PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK and Follow the Rules. Continue reading T.o.T.3 Games/Rituals
The True Story that Wes Craven said he based his movie 'The Hills Have Eyes' on. Sawney Bean and his inbred family of Cannibal…
Stranger than fiction, Tales of Terror Continue reading Tales of Terror 4: "The Hills Really Did Have Eyes" the Sawney Bean story