Jordan 1 “Fearless” This Holiday Season
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Best Drinks For Lunch
Written by: crew
Does it sound ridiculous to have a drink during lunch hours? Not exactly!
A lot of us actually think that drinking during lunch hour affect our productivity at work. That’s not true. Next time, you go out for lunch, try one of the below mentioned drinks as they are considered the best drinks during lunch.
Moscow Mule
Moscow Mule doesn’t have its originality from Moscow, but the name has its significance because of the primary alcohol content – Vodka. It was initially served on the west coast of America in pubs but was born in Manhattan. It is a light drink which is made out of vodka, spicy ginger beer and lime juice. It is popularly served in a copper mug garnished with a slice of lime for bringing out a cool sensation.
Margarita
Who doesn’t know about Margarita and its qualities?
It is considered one of the most preferred cocktails all over the world. Margarita consists primarily of tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice. The drink is usually shaken or stirred with ice and garnished with salt on the rim of the glass and a slice of lime.
Gin and Tonic
Are you surprised to see this on the list as well? Gin and Tonic is also one of the most chosen drinks during lunch hours. Though a little strong, its primary alcohol contents include gin and tonic water. This drink is also garnished with a slice of lime on the glass.
Sangria
Sangria is one of the most preferred drinks for summers because of its light and cool qualities. This cocktail is actually a punch of Spanish origin. Its primary alcoholic content consists of red wine and chopped fruit. Depending on the drinker, it is also combined with brandy or orange juice.
Mojito
Mojito is the most common daytime drink preferred by all. Traditionally a Cuban drink, this cocktail is now preferred all around the world, especially for its refreshing aftertaste. Mojito contains five famous ingredients – white rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water and mint. The ingredients have made this cocktail a famous summer drink and one should not be guilty to have it during lunch.
Fernet And Coke
One the most famous spirits of Argentina, Fernet and Coke is also a lunchtime drink for the ones who enjoy casual socialization. Though Fernet is not available everywhere, it is an Italian bitter aromatic spirit mixed with Coca Cola. For the ones who never tried it before, this drink tastes like sour and bitter liquorice. Not everyone would like this drink since it needs to be acquired, rather than liked in the first place.
Pimm’s Cup
Pimm’s Cup is a classic British cocktail, mostly preferred during the daytime, thus making it one of the best drinks for lunch. It is a fruity cocktail that gets its name from the famous Brit spirit, Pimm’s No 1. It gives a variety of taste in the mouth because of its varied ingredients, which includes Pimm’s spirit, orange, apple and lemon slices stirred into ginger ale, and mint. Its garnish with spices gives it a tangy flavour loved by all.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_separator style="dashed"][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id="cs-6"][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Friday the 13th the Game is a survival horror video game developed by IllFonic and published by Gun Media. This game pits one player, as Jason Voorhees, against other players trying to escape. (Whoa! Just like the movie) The killer’s goal is to kill all the survivors in the map by using powers that catches a survivor off guard, such as teleportation and invisibility. Along with those powers, the killer can also use a melee weapon, throwing knives and bear traps. The killer is fun because once you have a survivor in your grasp, there are multiple ways you can kill them. These kills can either be based on the choices made in the main menu or be based on the items near the killer’s surroundings. For example, if the killer catches a survivor near a tree, he will proceed to impale the survivor on one of the sharp branches.
As a survivor, there are a variety of ways to escape the clutches of Jason Voorhees. The survivor can survive for 20 minutes, survive for 5 minutes if the cops were called or escape with a vehicle (car or boat). There are steps needed to call the cops and also to escape using a vehicle.
For example, survivors will need to find a car battery, gas can and a car key to escape using a car. The variety of ways to escape makes playing as a survivor thrilling and fun.
As much as I love playing as the survivor of any survival horror game, it can be quite frustrating. These tasks to escape require cooperation with other survivors, but if that’s not working out, all survivors are doomed. It is also annoying when a teammate gives away other survivors’ positions, accidentally or on purpose.
Friday the 13th the game has its moments of fun, but other players (especially as a survivor) may ruin the experience.
For example, I killed a lone gunman as he was trying to kidnap a lady. When I freed her, she thanked me and left on the deceased gunman’s horse. (Never to be seen again)
Along with the side missions, there are also numerous fun activities in the game. These include playing poker, five finger fillet, hunting and much more. I have spent most of the game hunting big game such as bears and mountain lions. That feeling of hunting a ferocious animal and wearing its pelt as a trophy is fulfilling. (In the game, NOT IN REAL LIFE) Hunting also has its own mechanics too. For example, you need to make sure the wind isn’t blowing your scent towards the animal or else the animal will be aware of your presence. When an animal knows you are there, it will either run away or attack.
This game is beautiful and has an abundant amount of things to do, but there is one nitpick that I found irritating. My one annoyance is maintaining Arthur, his horse and his guns’. Arthur and his horse need to eat food and take baths regularly or else they will suffer. For example, if Arthur or his horse skips a meal, their health and stamina will be hindered. This can be bothersome, especially if you are in the middle of a mission and you have run out of things to eat.
The random encounters and side mission have kept me busy for about 20 hours in the game. The simulation parts may be a bother, but the positives heavily outweigh the negatives. Red Dead Redemption 2 has been a blast so far and I can't wait to play more of it.
*All Screenshots taken from a PlayStation 4.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
A playlist mixed with Hip Hop vibes, including artist such as Mick Jenkins, Earl Sweathshirt, Anderson Paak, Smino and many more!
https://open.spotify.com/user/vjjr6o7ptve5np2f5xq06mr4i/playlist/0tvQmRHDkonPazIGR6dfy4?si=TD9SZ_IsScuxKtQ75NLXxw
A playlist mixed with R&B vibes, including artist such as The Internet, Arin Ray, Pink Sweat$, DaniLeigh, H.E.R and many more!
https://open.spotify.com/user/vjjr6o7ptve5np2f5xq06mr4i/playlist/3QRfEzL3zp99i65M7SK1Qi?si=cQv6TQv1TDCR6hQAaZTV_g[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
A playlist mixed with chill vibes, including artist such as Kamasi Washington, SBTRKT, Kendall Miles, [bsd.u], Monte Booker and many more!
https://open.spotify.com/user/vjjr6o7ptve5np2f5xq06mr4i/playlist/6kwTOcN88cdJYlIHBAfTb6?si=p1LZPoABT72f3fGJySnOHg
“Dead by Daylight” is an online multiplayer game that was developed and published by Behavior Interactive. This game has a wide audience due to the fact that it was released on PC on June 2016 and later released in home consoles on June 2017, which include PS4 and the Xbox One. (Sorry Nintendo)
“Dead by Daylight” pits one player, as a killer, versus four other players, as survivors. The whole point of the game is for the killer to hunt down the survivors before they fix all the generators in the map to escape. There are numerous killers and survivors that players can choose from. Along with the video game's original characters, there also some familiar killers that horror fans will recognize, such as Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. What’s cool about being these horror icons or being chased by them is that their theme song play and the powers they process are heavily influenced from their movies.
For example, Freddy Krueger cannot attack nor be seen by the survivors, unless he puts them into a dream state. Unfortunately, these beloved antagonists are locked behind a paywall. At least as a survivor, it is possible to encounter these DLC characters if other players bought them.
Along with awesome horror icons, the perk system adds some depth in this cat and mouse game. Before the match, the survivors and killer can equip perks that would improve their chances of winning. Each survivor and killer all have their own unique perks that are related to their backstory. For example, one of Freddy Krueger’s perks enables him to move faster every time a survivor fixes a generator.
Another cool thing about the game is how the game play is drastically different when playing as a survivor compared to the killer. When playing as a survivor, the camera is in third person view.
This means that the survivor has a better view of their surroundings, which is why I prefer playing as the survivor. It is quite thrilling because as a survivor, you have no clue which killer the solo player chose. So discovering the killer during the game is always exciting. When playing as the killer, the camera is in a first person view. Playing as the killer is fun because it feels like you are a dominating force that can strike down anyone who opposes you. It also a guilty pleasure to see the survivors fear as you try to kill them. (Don’t ask)
In conclusion, Dead by Daylight is a fun multiplayer game that is definitely worth a try, especially with friends.
*All screenshot are from PlayStation 4
I have found some things that I have grown fond of doing, but also a gripe that I notice during my play through of Red Dead Redemption 2. After numerous hours of hunting down criminals and big game, I finally started to do more of the main storyline missions of chapter 2. What I have notice is that the missions were more tutorial lesson, such as buying a rifle and herding animals. (Both of which I already did from free roaming and side missions) One tutorial mission I actually didn’t mind was the introduction of fishing, which turned out to be another activity that side tracked me from the main mission.
Along with the never ending tutorial missions, I quite enjoyed seeing the inhabitants of Arthur Morgan’s camp interact with each other. Eavesdropping on the other character conversation with each other immersed me even more into this game’s world. 
For example, two women had a verbal argument with each other that soon went physical. It wasn’t a cut scene, it just occurred naturally in-game.
Last thing I have to praise is the cinematic camera mode that can be switched on when riding a horse. Usually riding a horse through a big map can be tedious and boring, but I never realized how changing a camera angle can make riding a horse epic.
It is also quite useful because it allows the horse to steer on its own, which allows the player to only worry about pressing the accelerating button.(There are times when I just want to look through my phone whenever Arthur need to get to a far destination)
The gripe that I started to annoy me as I progressed through the game is how Arthur can’t run in the hub camp and stores. He can fast walk, but that barely gets me anywhere in time. I understand that walking in these environments is supposed to be immersive to the player, but this slow pacing sort of motivates me to avoid going into camp or stores. (It did not help when the camp got slightly bigger in chapter 3)
Everything in Red Dead Redemption 2 has a focus on immersing the players into the world, which Rockster Games usually succeeds in. The slow pacing of the game can be immersive, but doing it for more than 20 hours can be tedious and boring. The positives still outweigh the negatives and I am still loving the game.
*All screenshots are from a PlayStation 4
Four years ago if you would of told me that I would be jamming Jaden Smith albums I honestly would of laughed and called you delusional. Low and behold, I’m not only jamming Jaden Smith albums, but I’m anticipating their release and genuinely loving the music this young man is making.
Jaden’s project The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story is this artist’s latest release and probably most structured project. In The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story we really get a taste of what Jaden is capable of musically. Hearing clear influences from artists like Kanye on the second half of the track “Distant” and influences from Drake on “Yeah Yeah,” this young man is truly showing he’s not just Will Smith’s son, but a true music artist that is going to have continued success in his career.
For a follow up by his surprising album Syre, The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story shows young Jaden has the consistency and talent to have a lasting music career. 
Does it sound ridiculous to have a drink during your lunch break? It doesn’t have to. Many people are under the assumption that drinking during lunch hour will affect their productivity at work. That is not necessarily true. Next time you go out for lunch, try one of the drinks below. You are sure to agree that these are the best drinks to have during lunch.[/caption]
If you are single and living in or around Los Angeles, you are lucky enough to be in a place where a plethora of dating ideas are staring you in the face everywhere you go. Many of them are in large, heavily populated cities like Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Long Beach, but there are unique dating spots are as widespread as the sprawling metropolis.
If you want to make it easy on yourself, you can enjoy the typical romantic dating ideas like long walks on the beach at breathtaking locations like Laguna Beach, Leo Carrillo State Beach, Cabrillo Beach, El Matador Beach, Hermosa Beach, Malibu Surfrider Beach, Manhattan Beach, Venice Beach, or Santa Monica Beach. See a movie at one of the many phenomenal theaters like the Silent Movie Theatre, New Beverly Cinema, the Arclight, Downtown Independent, Frida Cinema, Nuart Theatre, Vintage Los Feliz 3, Laemmle Playhouse 7, or the Landmark. See a play at Geffen Playhouse, Valley Performing Arts Center, A Noise Within, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Mark Taper Forum, or the Bootleg Theater. Enjoy live music at the Hollywood Bowl, The Whiskey A-Go-Go, or the hundreds of other clubs and concert venues featuring every type of music you can imagine. Not to mention all your endless options for fine dining, hiking, museums and art shows, tourist attractions, and more.
Any of the afore mentioned places will be great for a date. With all these choices at your disposal, the best way to impress a date in the Los Angeles area is to be unique. Here are 10 unique dating ideas to make a lasting impression on your date in and around Los Angeles.
One of many films in the onslaught of original content that streaming giant Netflix has made possible in recent years is the subversive and wildly entertaining comedic thriller “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” starring Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood. It’s the directorial debut of actor and producer Macon Blair, who also penned the script. You might know Blair from director Jeremy Saulnier’s films: The indie horror gem Murder Party (2007), the moody revenge thriller Blue Ruin (2013), and the highly-acclaimed horror thriller Green Room (2015). All of which displayed Blair’s skills as an actor and a producer.
Filmed in Portland, Oregon; the film centers around the socially awkward and perpetually depressed nursing assistant Ruth in a rousing performance from Melanie Lynskey. After a particularly bad day, her home is burglarized and the police seem unwilling to help. Fed up with being a sad victim in a harsh world, she decides to track down the stolen items with the help of her neighbor Tony (Elijah Wood) who’s an outcast in his own right. Lynskey and Wood play off each other perfectly with their social awkwardness and a disdain for injustice being the only things they have in common. Only Elijah could give us a character just as loveable and memorable as Lynskey while bringing an undeniably endearing charm and an exciting unpredictability to the story.
The protagonist, Ruth, feels like a real person and you believe in her arc as she moves from being a victim of her harsh surroundings to a woman who takes charge of her life and makes those who try to victimize her pay the price. What’s different about this story compared to others that are similar is that this is not a defeated woman who suddenly becomes a force to reckon with. The transition is believable and you never lose sight of the character you got to know in the first act. Director Blair, with all his wonderful characters, seems intent on realism in every aspect of the film from the script to the locations.
Blair got the inspiration for the story from a real-life experience in which his apartment was broken into and he didn’t get much help from the police. It’s hilarious, dramatic, and often sad without being depressing. It’s gritty and unfamiliar with a sense of realism that doesn’t seem like the director is trying to achieve it. It’s a comedy without being jokey. The laughs come from a place a little deeper than you would expect from a high concept indie comedy. You laugh at the personalities of the characters and the way they react to outrageous situations rather than having a set-up and a punchline. The violence is shocking and realistic and everything about the film is atypical and unexpected. The use of natural light seems to fit the material and pulls you into the main character’s world, experiencing it the way that she does, and makes you feel for her struggle. You feel her frustration and you want justice as much as she does. An antagonist, played by Devon Graye, appears 30 minutes in and he is outstanding. He looks strange, he acts strange, and he makes you feel consistently uneasy. This makes his journey as a character all the more unexpected. His partner Dez, played by Jane Levy (Don’t Breathe), turns in a small but remarkable performance and turns out to be one of the unexpected highlights.
The film makes excellent use of music with a great soundtrack, adding to the impact of the film without relying on it to generate energy and mood. Most of the music is being listened to by the characters and helps set them apart as individuals. Other times the music is an auditory aid to the excitement on screen and just a part of what makes those scenes exciting. The carefully placed score in between is well crafted and often subtle, adding another layer to an already compelling story.
Macon Blair and Jeremy Saulnier worked together under The Lab of Madness production company to produce phenomenal indie films Murder Party and Blue Ruin. Blair co-starred in Murder Party and did an amazing job carrying Blue Ruin as the main character. Murder Party was filmed in 2006 with no money and became a cult hit after being released in 2007. Blue Ruin gave Blair and Saulnier a much bigger budget to work with at a little over a million (which is still low budget by Hollywood standards). It was released in 2014 receiving praise from many critics, but had criminally minimal success (which is a shame because I personally consider it a modern revenge masterpiece). This is likely why Saulnier got an even bigger budget to make 2015’s indie hit Green Room, giving him his most successful film to date and Blair a much smaller, but still memorable, acting role. This is when Blair set his sights on writing and directing. After following his career since being obsessed with Murder Party for years and being unabashedly floored by Blue Ruin; I couldn’t wait to see what Blair had in store for us as a writer / director. He met and exceeded my high expectations and somehow managed to reach the level of his partner in crime Saulnier in one film. If you’re a fan of Saulnier and as impressed with Blair’s writing as I am; you’ll be happy to know that Blair wrote Saulnier’s upcoming thriller “Hold the Dark” starring Alexander Skarsgard, based on the book by William Giraldi, about a wolf hunter who tracks down a young child in the Alaskan wilderness.
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore is a funny film, but it’s not trying to be. It’s an often-shocking action drama, but it doesn’t call attention to itself as an action film. It’s not trying to be anything. It crawls into your mind and plays with your senses in a way that feels fresh and inviting without being too heavy-handed or stylistic. It’s a character piece that descends (or rather ascends) into glorious chaos with an original and exciting climax with balls. I highly recommend this film and I’m sure you will agree that Macon Blair is a filmmaker to watch if you want an escape from the remakes and sequels that are flooding cinemas. Leave it to Netflix to have the courage to give talented artists control over their original creations so they can give us something new in an age where everything that has already been done is being done again... and again.
If you are a guy in the dating scene, you probably have a lot of people trying to give you advice on the best dating strategies for the modern world. Some might tell you that the best place to pick up girls is now online, and no one really picks up at bars anymore. Others might tell you that online dating is a trend that will pass and the traditional method of picking up at bars is the only way to go.
Well, I’m here to tell you that both are wrong. The internet might be a good place to find girls these days, but you will always be able to pick up at a bar. On the other side of the coin; online dating is not a trend. It’s a growing phenomenon that just gets bigger with every advancement in technology and social media. Even if it was a trend; there will always be trends to come and go and a good argument can be made to follow them. If it’s popular enough to be a trend, the dating pool will be larger and likely hold more probability for success.
Basically, both the newer method of finding girls online and the traditional method of picking them up at bars still works. That being said; why wouldn’t you do both? You might have to adjust your strategy for each method but doing both allows you to cast your net farther and enjoy the advantages that each method has to offer. I’ll go over both methods in detail, so you will know the differences between them and the best way to approach each one. You will start to see the similarities as well. Then you can navigate between the nightlife and online to add to your dating pool and increase your chances of finding love or just hooking up.
Hooking Up Online
When you are hooking up online; you can be looking for casual sex or a relationship, but your initial approach is pretty much the same. If you are just looking to hit it and quit it, you’re not going to let that be known until later. If you are looking for love; you’re not going to let that be known until later either.
Below are some tips to being successful with hooking up online. This is a unique approach to dating with more and more casual dating sites growing in popularity. This guide of things to keep in mind when hooking up online should provide some simple solutions for altering your strategy to find the most attractive girls on the internet and keep them interested.
Keep These Things in Mind - Hooking Up Online
Most guys have been there. You sit down to watch a movie with your significant other and you can’t decide what to watch. Everything she picks seems sappy and unappealing and everything you pick is a bit too macho and full of testosterone for her tastes. The last thing many guys want to see is a movie that they consider a chick flick, but they watch them anyway to appease her. Well, there are some movies you can suggest with the chick flick elements she likes, but are still enjoyable for you. Here is PlanetHopperTV’s top 10 chick flicks that guys will not only tolerate, they’ll enjoy.
10. For a Good Time Call (2012)– This is a hilarious and well-written comedy about 2 former college frenemies who start their own phone sex line to make ends meet. It’s directed by Canadian director Jamie Travis and stars relative unknowns, Ari Graynor (The Sitter) and Lauren Miller with a great supporting performance from Justin Long. The impressive, sexy, and endearing writing comes from the mind of one of the leads Lauren Miller, who also happens to be Seth Rogen’s wife and the voice of Camille the Tampon in Rogen’s Sausage Party. The writing is the backbone of this film and one of the main reasons guys will appreciate it. The lines are delivered splendidly by the two leads who shine in starring roles after spending most of their careers as bit players. (Something that is likely to change for Graynor when she stars alongside James Franco in the upcoming film The Disaster Artist, based on the making of the so-bad-its-good phenomenon The Room). Justin Long plays excellently off these two as the gay friend in a role that could have easily been a caricature, but the writing and Long’s performance give it depth.
Why guys will appreciate it: It’s raunchy, provocative, and genuinely funny with strong sexual content and tons of great jokes about vibrators, orgasms, and creepy callers.
Why chicks will appreciate it: It’s a heartfelt story about friendship and female empowerment and you know it’s going to feel good for her when you’re laughing your ass off at a movie like this.
A playlist mixed with Pop vibes, including artist such as Ariana Grande, Halsey, Khalid and many more!
https://open.spotify.com/user/vjjr6o7ptve5np2f5xq06mr4i/playlist/0vmj0lL660gr4jq8is3nuS?si=-1WL-qixRruHGekRePMecg
Monster Hunter World is an action role playing game that was published and developed by Capcom. The whole point of the game is to hunt monsters, solo or with other people, and make useful items out of their body parts, such as weapons and armor. These weapons and armor would require certain parts from the monster, some monster parts are rarer than others. This means that the dead monster that is being harvested may or may not have the piece you need to make a specific weapon. (Pray to the RNG gods)
Monster Hunter World had many improvements done to make the game play faster and less tedious. The Monster Hunter series may have a heavy emphasis on hunting, but it also encourages players to gather things as well, which slowed the flow of the game. 
Fortunately, Monster Hunter World sped up the gathering animation for those things. Instead of standing still to gather an herb, players can now grab it while walking pass it.
Another big improvement was the levels the monsters are in. The older Monster Hunter’s levels were split into segments. Every time a player moves to a different segment of the level, a loading screen would appear before entering the new destination. In Monster Hunter World, there are seamless transitions through different parts of the level.
The last improvement that Monster Hunter World had was how players track down a monster. In past Monster Hunter games, players would need throw a paint ball at the monster to track it down. This was bothersome because the paint ball would wear off after a while and hunters may lose track of the monster if they forget to paint ball it again.
Now, players can just find foot prints of the monster on the floor and their fire flies will make a trail of where the monster is heading.
Unfortunately, there are a few issues I had with this game. The one most disappointing was the lack of variety in some of the weapons’ designs. This series is known for having cool looking armor and weapons, which would usually encourage players to hunt a specific monster multiple times. In Monster Hunter World, there are some weapon designs that basically look like clones of each other.
Monster Hunter World had a ton of improvements made to the series. The game play is much smoother and faster than its predecessors, but the lack of cool weapon designs is disappointing. I can totally see this as a game of the year contender for 2018 and I recommend it.
*All screen shots are from a PlayStation 4
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Red Dead Redemption 2(RDR2) Online beta is a fun break away from single player mode but it can get annoying. It offers missions that you and three other people (friends or strangers) can do together. 
All mission starts with a cut scene of an unmemorable character informing your crew of silent protagonists what your objective is. These objectives usually involve killing endless hordes of enemies. At the end of a mission there is usually a time when players vote on either doing an honorable or dishonorable choice. It is fun doing missions with friends, but RDR2 online’s weakness shows when playing solo.
When playing solo, I found it boring and frustrating. It was boring because, unlike the single player mode, there aren’t any cool random encounter missions in online mode. The only random encounters you have are meeting with other players, which leads me to my frustration. So far, every player I have encountered has either tried or succeeded in killing me. I wish there was a mode, where you and the other players can’t shoot each other. 
Luckily, other players are marked as pink dots on the map. (You can avoid them, unless you have to go to a store)
The last issue I have with online mode is earning money. Everything necessary to have fun in online mode is pretty expensive. Doing missions or selling pelts multiple times can be a boring grind for a small amount of cash. 
I guess the bright side is that it forced me to use the crafting system to cook the animals I hunted, instead of buying food at the market.
RDR2 online was a fun short experience with my friends, but it needs some improvements.
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There have been several films throughout cinematic history that are obviously designed to appeal to male sensibilities. Many have action and violence to primarily appeal to the guys, while others have love stories and relationship drama that primarily appeals to women. Well, films like Wonder Woman successfully blur those lines and give both sexes various elements they can relate to. If you are sick of sitting through explosions, fist fighting, and misogyny just to make him happy, here is PlanetHopperTV’s list of the top 10 guys flicks you won’t just tolerate, you’ll both love because they have various elements you can appreciate. Enjoy!
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Marijuana has been a part of pop culture long before hippies were toking doobies in the 60’s. The anti-weed propaganda film REEFER MADNESS dates all the way back to 1936 and acts as a cautionary tale for young people thinking about smoking weed and features ridiculous exaggerations about the effects of marijuana on the human body and mind. Various people in the establishment felt it necessary to demonize marijuana because they saw it as a threat to civilized society and especially young people. Some people are still touting unfounded and nonresearched assumptions about marijuana and stating it as fact to this day. This article is meant as a bridge between the truths and myths about weed. What naysayers don’t realize is that half-truths and exaggerations, much like the film Reefer Madness, have become a joke among the more enlightened individuals in our society. Lying to us has only kept potential pot smokers from seeking the truth about marijuana because they don’t know what to believe. This article addresses the fundamentals of marijuana use and what it means to our society today. Hopefully this will clear up some of the major misconceptions about weed by addressing the harmful effects as well as the benefits.
Lies about Weed
You can overdose on weed: First of all, let’s address the lies that still seem to be lingering in the dialogue about modern marijuana use. Legalization in states like Colorado and Washington has led to a panic among the opposition and has prompted them to plant stories in social media about the horrible deaths at the hands of recreational pot. Let’s get something straight. No one in human history has ever died from a marijuana overdose! If you see a story about death caused by weed, check the source. The human body is not able to consume enough THC to cause death. You would fall asleep long before that happened.
Weed is more harmful than cigarettes: Are you kidding me? Is there anyone in their right mind that actually believes this? This blatant lie is actually printed in Junior High school literature to this day. Cigarette smoking is responsible for 480,000 deaths a year in the United States alone and averages out to about 1,300 deaths every day. Marijuana smoking is responsible for 0 deaths anywhere in the world. There is simply no such thing as a fatal marijuana overdose. It seems an obvious no-brainer, but 2 major studies proved it. A major study was conducted in California over the course of 10 years. It involved over 65,000 men and women ages 15 to 49 and there was no evidence that marijuana contributed to premature death. Another such study was conducted in Sweden involving over 45,000 people over the course of 15 years and the results were the same.
Secondhand weed smoke gets you high: Another popular misconception about weed is that you can get high by simply being in the same room as someone who is smoking. It is possible to get high from secondhand weed smoke, but it is highly unlikely. If you were in a room while 4 joints were being smoked simultaneously, you would not get high. In order to feel the effects of secondhand marijuana smoke, you would have to breathe in the smoke of 16 burning joints at the same time. Also, weed smoke is not as much like cigarette smoke as you may have heard. Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals with 43 of them being very harmful carcinogens as well as 400 other toxins like nicotine, tar and ammonia. They are chemically very similar simply because both weed and cigarette smoke are the results of burning plant matter. The major difference is that cigarette smoke contains Nicotine while marijuana smoke contains Cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are the complex medicinal properties of marijuana and have actually been found to kill numerous types of cancer cells. The fact that marijuana smoke contains many of the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke gives the opposition a nice high horse to sit on, but what they fail to tell you is that there are additional pharmacological activities in weed smoke that result in different biological endpoints. The absence of any links between marijuana and cancer of any kind should make this obvious.
The Truth about Weed
Let’s face it. Weed is not harmless. You are burning a plant and inhaling it into your lungs. That can’t be all good. And you have just heard the only valid argument among anti-weed proponents. It seems like it should harm you and ruin your life, but it just doesn’t. What it does is affect you mentally and could cause you to lose motivation. The first thing you must realize about this is that everyone is different. The negative effect weed has on your life really has more to do with you personally than it does the weed. If you are prone to laziness and lack motivation, weed is only going to make you worse. If you are a motivated person, weed is not likely to drag you down into a life of obscurity. Simply put: Weed makes you content. If you are lying around content, you aren’t going to get anything done. It does no good for you to numb yourself to the world around you. It will keep turning while you’re sitting in your beanbag getting high watching the latest Seth Rogen film.
If weed makes you feel good physically and mentally; it makes sense that it could become mentally addictive. The key to responsible marijuana use is essentially the same as the key to responsible eating, drinking, watching TV and even having sex. That key is moderation. If you eat, drink, watch TV, have sex and smoke weed in moderation, you are likely to get better results from all of them. Have you ever heard the saying “too much of a good thing”? Too much of anything is going to start to affect you negatively in the long run. If you stay conscious about your intake, you should have no problem avoiding things like loss of motivation and depression.
Do your kids smoke weed?
As mentioned earlier in the article; lies about marijuana have become a joke among the younger generation. This only serves to undermine the words of parents who are desperately trying to keep their kids off weed that they feel is a gateway drug. Let’s not beat around the bush here. Marijuana IS a gateway drug. Many kids think that, since all the warnings against weed are lies, their parents must be lying about hard drugs as well. That’s why you should seek the truth and warn them about the real dangers rather than the more exaggerated and unfounded ones. Who they are friends with and what you teach them about drugs plays a much bigger part in their decision than weed does.
A much more effective way to keep your children off marijuana at a young age is the truth. If they hear the same propaganda from you that young people have been hearing for generations, they are just going to laugh at you and your words will have no more effect on them than the laughably silly film Reefer Madness. The truth is; inhaling smoke in your lungs is harmful and weed can affect your motivation when it’s not done in moderation. Marijuana smoke adversely affects various cells in your body, but the average adult human can regenerate them fast enough to compensate. This can’t be good for a body that is young and still developing. Knowing the truth may prompt them to wait until they are older and their body is fully developed or, at the very least, make them think twice about smoking a lot of marijuana at a young age.
In Conclusion
One of the reasons there has been no link found between Marijuana and major health issues is the lack of research. The reason so much of society remains so ignorant about it is the lack of real information. Propaganda and the demonizing of Marijuana in our society’s history has caused a lack of growth in our understanding about it. So much so that the U.S. government has refused to conduct detailed tests because they don’t recognize marijuana as medicinal. It’s a curious point since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services patented the use of cannabinoids for treating a wide range of diseases. The legalization of pot for recreational use in a growing number of states is the first step toward a deeper understanding of this fascinating plant. Until then, think for yourself. Educate yourself and mind your sources. You have the right to know what you put into your body and you shouldn’t have to sort through lies and misconceptions to find out.
Photo credits: Glen Stubbe, RobotBoot, Shane Cotee[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Spider-Man is an action adventure game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. This is a PlayStation 4 exclusive that follows the life of an older Spider-Man. (Sorry Nintendo and Microsoft) The story was entertaining and full of Spider-Man’s rogue gallery but what stuck out to me the most was the game play. The combat and mobility was what made this game a breath of fresh air coming out of Red Dead Redemption 2 but the puzzles and sneak missions as other characters slow the game down just a little bit.
Combat against enemies can be a breeze in the beginning, but different types of enemies begin to appear as you progress through the game. (So don't go button mashing to victory) For example, one of the enemies can have a melee weapon and the only way to attack them is by launching them up in the air. Along with melee combat, you can use different gadgets, such as electrical webs or a grenade that can trap multiple enemies in a web. If you want variety in fighting, there are some missions where you can stealthily take down enemies without engaging in combat.
Mobility in this game is fun and easy to do. Swinging around New York from point A to Point B has never been this fun. All you have to do is hold down the R2 trigger on the controller and let Spider-Man do the rest of the tricks. If you accidentally swing into a building, Spider-Man will just run up the walls if you continues to hold R2.
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There also some moves that allow Spider-Man to launch from a building to gain some momentum for swinging. Thanks to this simple swinging mechanic, I am willing to collect all the collectibles and do all the side missions scattered in the map. (I barely use the available "Fast Travel" to go to my missions)
Unfortunately, there are some draw backs to this game.The first one issue with this games were the puzzles. It really stops the flow of combat and mobility of the game. Luckily, it’s not forced on the players too much in the story missions.
Sadly, the same cannot be said for the sneaking missions playing as either Mary Jane (Peter Parker's ex-girlfriend) and Miles Morales (Spider-Man's biggest fan). Their sneaking missions were boring, a chore and forced onto players who want to finish the story mode.
Luckily, Spider-Man's combat and mobility heavily outweighs the boring puzzles and sneaking missions. This is why I recommend that everyone gives this game a shot because its well worth it.
*All Screenshot are from PlayStation 4
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Los Angeles, being the birthplace of the film industry, is the movie capitol of the world and the home to some of the coolest movie theaters on the planet. Cinephilia and film culture are staples of the city of angels and its residents are comprised of some of the most movie mad people in the United States. L.A . is filled with unique and exciting movie theaters that are sure to satiate the passions of its movie-obsessed residents. Whether you're looking to catch the latest blockbuster or watch some classics on the big screen, L.A. is sure to have the perfect movie theater for you.
Arclight Cinemas
The most obvious example of a movie theater geared towards cinephiles. The Arclight is a classy movie palace that plays hard-to-find indie and arthouse fare, blockbuster tentpoles, and classic revival cinema. The Arclight Hollywood is home to one of the most famous and impressive movie screens in the country: the Cinerama Dome. Its wrap-around, curved screen being the product of the cinemascope features of Old Hollywood. The Arclight is indeed a very elegant upscale movie theater that comes equipped with a restaurant, coffee shop, and a gift shop catered to movie lovers. The Arclight has reserved, stadium seating that insures you won’t have to wait in a long line to get a good seat. All the screens are very large and the theaters themselves are quite comfortable. As a movie theater that is catered to movie lovers, you will find a lot of indie and arthouse films that are not in wide release. Their “Arclight Presents…” program offers movie fans a chance to catch some of their favorite movies on the big screen and is a great way to experience the classics the way they were meant to be seen. The theater is adorned with posters and memorabilia from classic movies and current blockbusters.
Graumann’s Chinese Theater
This is the best way to see newly released films and an essential part of the L.A. experience. The movie palace is located on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame. Outside the movie theater, you will find the handprints and autographs of some of the worlds’ biggest movie stars, past and present. The historical Chinese theater is where many big studio films have their red carpet premieres and it’s easy to see why. Inside, the movie theater looks like a palace worthy of royalty. The architecture, inspired by Chinese culture, is gorgeous and wondrous to behold. The decorations on the ceiling will have you staring for long periods of time, trying to decipher the intricate little details. The large red-draped curtains that open the screen are reminiscent of the grandiosity of old world Hollywood. The Chinese theater is a single screen and might be the most impressive one in the city. The recent renovations that have upgraded the screen to IMAX and renovated the sound system have helped to make this theater one hell of a movie-going experience. You don’t just watch films at the Chinese theater, you become a part of them. The perfect movie theater to watch the latest big-budget tentpole of your choice.
Graumann’s Egyptian Theater
Graumann’s Egyptian theater has been declared a historical landmark due to its illustrious history. Home to the first Hollywood red carpet premiere, the Egyptian retains much of its elegance and sense of film history. The theater was built in 1922 and was the world’s first lavish movie palace. The theater was abandoned as the place of Hollywood red-carpet movie premieres as it was supplanted by the even more grandiose Chinese theater, located not too far away. Whereas the Chinese theater is the place to go to experience the latest from Hollywood, the Egyptian is where you go to discover films from the past. Owned and operated by the non-profit American Cinematheque since 1998, the Egyptian has arguably become the most popular revival movie theater in L.A. The theater plays tons of classics from the golden age of cinema right down through cinema’s most recent decade. The theater still retains much of its original look with Egyptian inspired architecture and still carries the feel of Hollywood past. Their selection of classic films is varied and wide ranging, with something to please every kind of cinema fan. Whether you're looking to watch a forgotten gem from the silent era or a Stanley Kubrick classic on the big screen, the Egyptian theater is the place for you.
New Beverly Cinema
The only revival theater in the Los Angeles area that can compete with the popularity of the Egyptian theater. This one is owned by none other than Quentin Tarantino himself. The famed movie-geek turned Auteur owns and operates this theater and even provides his own film prints of classic movies to be screened. The theater has a low-tech, very old-school vibe and that’s part of its charm. The screen isn't the largest there is but it is an impressive experience. Double features play for only $8, so it’s a hard proposition to pass up. In keeping with Tarantino’s love and passion for film, there are no digital screenings at this theater. Everything that plays here comes courtesy of a 35mm film print, providing movie-goers with the real deal when it comes to big screen cinematic experiences. The theater isn't fancy but it’s very comfortable and has a kind of character that a higher-tech movie theater could never provide. Watching a film here feels like stepping into a 1970’s time capsule.
Nuart Theater
This movie theater is like a more down-to-earth version of the Arclight cinemas. This theater plays all the latest blockbuster fare along with harder to find independent and art house cinema. The theater itself isn't too fancy but it’s extremely comfortable, the screens are a nice size, and the selection of current films playing is top-notch.
Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater
Founded in 2007 by Hadrian Belove and the Harkins family, few cinemas in L.A. possess this kind of character and personality. The theater itself is adorned with portraits of silent film stars and is decorated to look how a movie theater would look in the early parts of the 20th century. This theater boasts a diverse and wide-ranging list of films to watch and savor. Everything from cheap B-movies to classic cinema to the latest quirky indie gems from around the world. They also have a great variety of international documentaries from some of the world’s most respected filmmakers. When it comes to variety and selection, Cinefamily has it all. Filmmakers have been known to stop by for Q&A’ s with the audience and they usually sell out very fast. Also known for a unique selection of food and snacks.
Bing Theater at LACMA
Located inside L.A.’s premiere art museum, this is a place for only the world’s finest cinema. Being a theater designed for giving cinema the status and respect of highest art, you won’t find the latest blockbusters playing here. Instead, expect to see retrospectives on such revered filmmakers as Stanley Kubrick. Martin Scorsese, and Tim Burton. The retrospectives usually coincide with its exhibits. Every Tuesday night, the BING theater hosts screenings of classic Hollywood films. Film Independent hosts series here that range from new releases to documentaries to classics and to, occasionally, a guest-curated program. The theater is very large and the screen is particularly impressive for how tall it is. A must visit for anyone who places cinema alongside the highest art forms in the world.
The Aero Theater
Owned and operated by the American Cinematheque, this is an extension of the Egyptian theater. Like the Egyptian, this theater plays a wide range of revival cinema. While it may lack the grandiose appearance of its more lavish counterpart, their selection is every bit as wide ranging and the theater itself is extremely comfy. If you’re a regular patron of the Egyptian, this is another must-visit movie theater.
Fun Fact: This movie theater was featured in Richard Kelly’s cult classic, Donnie Darko (2001). In the film, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Donnie Darko takes a female companion to see the odd double feature pairing of The Evil Dead (1981) and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988).
The Frida Cinema
Owned and operated by the non-profit Long Beach Cinematheque, this is a theater strictly for diehard film lovers and connoisseurs. Rarely will you ever find very much modern mainstream fare here. Instead, come to this theater looking for the latest indie hits on the festival circuit (Including short films) and beloved cinematic classics. This theater occasionally has special screenings where alcohol is served, giving the theater the feel of a raucous concert packed with cinephiles having a blast. The owners of this theater are known to plan special events both at the Frida and at outdoor screenings across Long Beach and Orange County.
The Landmark
Perhaps the swankiest and most upscale movie theater in Los Angeles, outclassing the Arclight theater in many ways. Some of the theaters even come equipped with couches, helping to max out the comfort level of your experience. The theater also has a reputation for providing the best food and alcohol of any movie theater in Los Angeles. The menu features such delicious items as prosciutto and provolone sandwiches and cappuccinos. The full-service wine bar offers a high selection of wines and beers and even offers happy hour discounts to its patrons. Where so many great L.A. movie theaters come with the challenge of finding good parking, The Landmark deletes this issue by providing over 3,000 parking spaces to its customers. The screens are large and the overall quality of virtually everything here is premium. Essential for anyone looking for a top-notch movie theater experience.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth was developed and published by Nicalis. The story is about a boy name Isaac (the player) that is trying to escape his room that his murderous mother locked him in. Game’s story is as simple as the controls because it’s a twin stick shooter. Move Isaac with the left analog stick, Shoot and aim his projectile tears at enemies with the right analog stick. I enjoy playing this game because I love discovering new items and enemies in randomly generated dungeons.
At the start of a game, the dungeon is split into rooms. When you enter a room with enemies in it, the doors will remain locked until they are all killed. To move on to the next level, the player needs to find the boss room.
Once you defeat the boss, you would get an item that changes how Isaac looks and plays. (Usually disturbing how Isaac looks when he gets a new item) For example, an item can boost his projectile range and damage, but adds a blood clot to his left eye.
Whenever you get a new item, the descriptions would usually be straight forward, but sometimes it can be pretty vague. The outcome usually leads to the vague item saving my life during a terrible situation.
Along with getting new items, I look forward to encountering new enemies because it can be a challenge when you don’t know how they attack or move. For example, I expected this chubby mini boss to jump on top of me, not shoot a stream of blood out of its belly.
Discovering new things from this game is always exciting and challenging, which is why I am glad this game is on many different platforms because it deserves everyone’s attention.
*Screen shots are from a PlayStation 4
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The 2016 election cycle was the most divisive in decades, leaving a bruising scar on the American consciousness. Studies have shown that families got together less during the past two holiday cycles because of disagreements about politics; this year seems to be no exception. The election of Donald Trump, arguably the most divisive presidential candidate in modern history, has left a bruising divide down the political aisle.
Politics has always been a topic capable of starting arguments between friends and family alike. So, why does it seem to be a bigger issue now than it was in the past? The answer is pretty simple: social media.
Thanks to social media platforms such as FaceBook, Instagram and Twitter, politics is no longer a topic you only have to face down in person. Now you're forced to drown in it all day, every day. You might have already known that certain friends and family had opposing political beliefs, but never before were you forced to contend with it on a daily basis. You might have known your uncle was an asshole before, but now you are constantly receiving reminders as you scroll down your news feed.
Social Media has opened us to a world where politics are no longer a topic that is avoidable. People on social media platforms tend to subscribe only to news outlets that confirm what they want to hear. Rarely do people ever research anything beyond what they want to hear, fostering a political environment where people shape reality to their will and beliefs. Everyone clogs up their news feeds with information that they think is true, forcing family and friends to contend with information they don't want to hear. It's a recipe for bitter arguments and unconstructive debates.
Social media has led not to a greater and more balanced political understanding, but to a toxic environment where relationships are destroyed over opposing views. Social media platforms are used as a forum to engage in angry and illogical debates where no side will admit they're wrong, no matter what objective information they are exposed to. People get so frustrated and worked up that they end up deleting each other from their friends list over political differences. This has put a strain on so many human relationships and has made it harder to find common ground.
There used to be a time when people could maintain friendships and familial relationships despite political disagreements. Social media has made that virtually impossible in this day and age. When you're forced to contend with the parts you don't like about someone on a daily basis, it tends to sour your view of that person, making a social relationship that much more difficult to maintain. There used to be a time when disagreements didn't divide Americans and we could all get along. The idea that we might return to a time like that is getting increasingly lower as social media slowly takes over everyone's lives.
Social media was supposed to be something that brought people together and connected everyone. Sadly, it's become more of an agitation than anything else. If, every time you log onto social media, you get pissed off at friends and family, what good is that social media in the first place? The future isn't looking bright in American politics. Hopefully, one day we'll be able to look past our differences and embrace one another. Until people learn to act better toward each other, social media will continue to be an avatar of bitter disagreement and anger.
So, the next time you say something to someone you might regret over social media, ask yourself: Is this disagreement worth souring a friendship or familial connection?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Celebrities have helped guide the evolution of fashion for decades. It’s obvious that many of us turn to models, musicians, or movie stars for fashion ideas and we are constantly on the lookout to see what our favorite celebrity is wearing. This need to dress like our idols has given rise to countless clothing lines over the years. Some better than others.
Musicians are especially notorious for turning their fashion into a business for obvious reasons. Who doesn’t want to dress like a rock star? Just a few who made a name for themselves in fashion are Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, both Will.i.am and Fergie from The Black-Eyed Peas, Pharrell Williams, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Bono, Justin Timberlake, and Rappers like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, and Nelly
Actors strut the red carpet and use their movie star influence to sell their fashion sense to the masses. Jennifer Lopez, Melissa McCarthy, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chloe Sevigny, Natalie Portman, Lindsay Lohan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rebel Wilson, Kate Hudson, David Arquette, to name a few. Even soccer star David Beckham and his Spice Girl wife Victoria Beckham have clothing lines.
The latest example of this trend is clothing lines created by celebrities who are famous for being famous like Nicky Hilton, Nicole Richie, Pam Anderson, Lauren Conrad, Snooki from Jersey Shore, and pretty much all the Kardashians.
Some celebrity fashion lines thrive and are still going strong. Some of the most notable from musicians are L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Sean John by Sean “P-Diddy” Combs, The Jessica Simpson Collection by Jessica Simpson, and Abbey Dawn by Avril Lavigne. Victoria Beckam by Victoria Beckam expanded from dresses to other merchandise and made $95 million in the first year. The most notable actors-turned-fashionistas are perhaps shockingly THE OLSEN TWINS. They have had consistently successful clothing lines since they were pre-teens and have been praised for their fashion sense with CDFA awards and billions of dollars in revenue a year. Celebrity fashion is big business!
Photo Credits - Theo Wargo (Getty Images), Alberto E. Rodriguez (Getty Images), Ivan Nikolov (Wenn.com), Xpx Star Max (GC Images)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Yoga may seem like a temporary novelty in the U.S. because of the sharp rise in popularity in recent years, but it’s not just a passing fad. Just a few years ago, the number of people who practiced yoga in the U.S. was around 20 million. That number has doubled, but Yoga has grown far beyond being a novelty. It’s an effective exercise that loosens and strengthens muscles all over your body, helps distribute the flow of energy, and can even help relieve stress. It tones your body while keeping it limber. It also helps prevent injury by retaining the elasticity of your muscles and especially by strengthening the muscles around the spine.
It might be obvious that yoga is most popular on our coasts and in large cities, but even the number of practitioners in Middle America is rising. As the country grows more health-conscious, yoga has become the exercise of choice for millions, for various reasons. Some practice it because they see it as an easy way to stay in shape, but if you want to get the most out of it, you shouldn’t take the easy way out. Go for the more challenging stretches and balancing techniques, or take a class. Classes are no walk in the park, but it’s not that expensive and the benefits are outstanding.
The reasons Americans practice yoga are varied and split fairly evenly among those who practice it. The most popular reason is flexibility, followed closely by stress relief and overall health / physical fitness. The reason it’s so effective on stress is that it is a form of meditation and was originally created for that reason. It wasn’t until later that it became a common exercise for the body as well.
The popularity of yoga doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon because a larger and larger number of practitioners are under the age of 18. Contributing to this number are schools that add yoga to their curriculum and an overall awareness in the younger generation about the importance of fitness. Our population is more enlightened by the access to information that explains the many advantages. The more people who practice yoga, the more they will pass on its benefits to their children, family, and friends. The more popular yoga gets, the healthier our population will be and that will have lasting positive effects on the mind and body of every person that practices it.
Photo credit: Andrea Obzerova - Fotolia
The Neon Demon is destined to become a cult classic. Directed by popular indie/arthouse auteur, Nicolas Winding-Refn (Drive, Bronson, The Pusher Trilogy) with a visually dazzling and vaguely surreal panache, this is one of the strangest mainstream releases of the past couple of years and a must watch for lovers of pure cinema. It’s a stinging satire with a vicious bite.
Keep in mind, this film will not appeal to everyone. The Neon Demon basks in its' none-to-subtle juxtapositions of the macabre and the beautiful, the glamorous and the gory, eroticism and graphic violence. The style will leave less jaded moviegoers feeling uneasy and might be a turn off for those less accustomed to Refn’s unique style. For the more jaded and adventurous filmgoer, this one is a fascinating descent into the hell of the modeling industry.
The film revolves around Jesse (Elle Fanning), a beautiful teenage waif from Tennessee. Jesse has just arrived in Los Angeles to pursue a career in the competitive and vicious world of super-modeling. She possesses a soft, natural beauty, the type that most women would kill for. She manages to get modeling jobs with ease and rapidly becomes the talk of the town, much to the chagrin of the older and more experienced supermodels. She is the envy of every model she comes into contact with. Every model Jesse meets relays stories and details about their plastic surgeries and the way they cut and carve their bodies and faces just to look like what Jesse is naturally gifted with. They gaze upon her with a rapturous envy, their faces exposing deep-seated jealousy. In one of the most unnerving and effective scenes in the movie, a beautiful rival model grabs Jesse’s arm (gaping open with a wound from broken glass) and attempts to suck the blood out of her freshly punctured flesh with an animalistic hunger. She looks as if she believes that she’ll absorb some of the beauty and “It” factor from Jesse’s body.
The Neon Demon is filled with striking and bizarre imagery that is simultaneously ghastly and beautiful. There is something patently artificial to the beauty on display and the way it overwhelms the essentially ugly and obscene tableaux that populate Refn’s miss-en-scene; perfect for a film about the fake, manufactured exteriors that mask an ugly, inner core. The use of color is bold and experimental, the lighting is perfect. The movie is filled with imagery that leaves a forceful impression on the brain and subconsciously reinforces its themes in the mind of the audience. The chosen visual style perfectly complements the diseased modeling world it portrays.
Refn fills the widescreen with colorful, glossy images that look like they belong in a fashion magazine but populates the space with ugly, insidious details. The opening shot perfectly establishes the film’s visual style: Jesse posed as if for a glamorous fashion spread: suggestively sprawled on a couch, neck slashed, gushing profuse amounts of glittery, glossy blood. The highly sexual position in which she is posed, in conjunction with the liberal use of blood and gore, establishes a visual motif that reappears throughout the film and is intimately tied with the movie’s themes. The Neon Demon is obsessed with sex and violence and the deep connections and similarities the two share. Both are deeply inlaid animal instincts and both require a certain sort of compromise of body and soul. Both require a mental and physical penetration. The film’s visual style perfectly communicates the themes and reinforces the queasy and uneasy connection between sex and violence in the viewer’s mind.
While not necessarily a “horror” film, Demon vibrates with a sense of unease and constant tension. Much of this attributable to the soundtrack: A retro synth score that would have been right at home in any one of John Carpenter’s 80’s chillers, combined with 80’s style synth pop. The unusual and jarring score greatly enhances the unsettling imagery.
Elle Fanning makes for an excellent lead. She possesses a soft, childlike beauty and is blessed with a face that looks virginal and innocent. Her soft voice and unassuming demeanor makes her an easy target for the vicious women she is surrounded by. Through the course of the movie, we watch as Jesse makes the transition from sweet-natured girl to vain, callous supermodel. All of the undue praise and adulation goes to her head as she proclaims “I don’t want to be them. They want to be ME!,” with a vain narcissism that belies the sweet girl we’ve seen throughout the film. The industry rots her to the core as she absorbs the values of the modeling community.
Demon culminates in a gruesome, shocking climax that combines grand guinol excess, over-the-top gore and gallows humor into a conclusion that stings the viewer with its clear disdain for the modeling industry. It takes the phrase “the industry will eat you up and spit you out” to obscenely funny new heights.
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Dead by Daylight’s new killer, Legion, has finally been released. As a survivor main, I was pretty excited to go against Legion (Teamed with three other survivors of course). The Legion can be different people depending on the costume they wear.
Legion's power called Feral Frenzy and three perks that he/she comes with counter many survivor strategies, such as hiding in a small shack, teamworking on fixing a generator and body blocking. After numerous games against Legion, I think he/she is pretty challenging. http://www.deadbydaylight.com/en/chapters/darkness-among-us/character/the-legion
Feral Frenzy allows Legion to sprint and gives players who got hit a bleeding status effect, which forces players to try and mend the wound. If the survivor is bleeding, a meter bar will appear and once it reaches zero, the survivor would drop to the floor.
Every Legion I played against had two perks, which are Sloppy Butcher and Hex:Ruin. Sloppy Butcher make survivors leave a bigger blood trail than usual when they get hit (normally, it takes two hits to down a survivor) and requires more time for a survivor to heal. This means that the survivors would be busy healing themselves or each other, instead of fixing generators. In addition to sloppy butcher, most of the Legions I played against also had Hex:Ruin. This perk makes a generators require more time for it to be fixed by survivors. (These perks put together is such a pain, but I love a good challenge) Legion with feral frenzy and a few perks can make things pretty interesting but most importantly thrilling and fun.
*screenshots taken from PlayStation 4[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The God of War series started out great due to the cinematic fixed eagle eye camera, intense hack n slash game play and some interesting puzzles. The puzzles helped game play flow since too much combat can get repetitive. Game play began to feel stale as more God of War games were released. (Six games in total) Luckily, the newest installment to the God of War franchise reinvigorates the series. God of War (2018) is an action-adventure video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
This game follows the adventures of Kratos (main character of the series) and Atreus (Kratos’ son) in a Norse mythological world. Their adventure includes gorgeous environments and a new refreshing combat system. (New for a God of War game)
The colors and art direction of God of War (2018) is breath taking. Based off the announcement trailer of the game, I feared that it would only take place in the snowy mountains with different shades of gray. Fortunately, there are a variety of locations that the game take you to, such as snowy mountains (duh), elf kingdoms in ruins, swamps and many more.
Along with the beautiful environment, the combat makes every battle against enemies cinematic, personal and challenging. (One misread of an enemy attack can F*** you up) Older games in the franchise has Kratos dual wield his Blades of Chaos, which enables him to attack enemies all around him. In God of War (2018), Kratos uses the Leviathan Axe and a shield, which only allows him to mostly attack enemies only in front of him.
Atreus also involves himself in combat by stunning the enemies by either jumping on them or shooting them with his arrows. The cinematic and personal feel of the combat is thanks to the games camera angle. Instead of a fixed eagle eye camera view the older games had, God of War (2018) camera is in a third person view.
God of War (2018) brought life back into an old franchise that I wouldn’t have thought would make a comeback and I’m really glad it did.
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If you follow the underground hip hop music scene, you’ve probably seen or heard Ski Mask the Slump God ‘s name or music get mentioned or played. To be honest I’ve only heard songs that have been played when I’m around friends who listen to his music, but when I saw that he had his first LP release I wanted to hear what this story is about.
Stokely which happens to also be Ski Mask’s first name is the title of his debut release. I would describe the project overall as playfully intensely heavy. I know that there’s older hip hop fans that don’t like the newer generation of artist that are releasing, and it’s too bad. This is what the new generation of hip hop is though, playful because there’s a certain widespread rebellion amongst young people going on, intense due to a lot of exposure to the internet and heavy dealing with what it’s like to be in modern America.
Ski Mask shows the type of creative range he has on Stokely. Starting the amlbum off with an easy and smooth track called So High, then secondly bringing in a high energy, open up the pit type vibe with another young artist showing major consistency and creative Juice WRLD, which I couldn’t recognize on this song because it’s steering way left of everything we’ve heard from Juice WRLD.
Check out Stokeley below.
https://open.spotify.com/album/0z0z4DcXhHiobX5ZKAw8Qn[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Finding dope new songs by artists on accident is always a great feeling, but finding whole albums by dope new artists is even better. That’s the feeling about Rex Life Raj’s new album California Poppy. I found out about Rex Life Raj about a month ago with his single Long Way and was instantly hooked.
Raj makes you feel like you know him on a personal level from the honesty within his music. Coming from Berkley, Ca Rex Life Raj reminds me of the one super cool dude you know that makes really dope music and always seems to have great energy. California Poppy highlights this artist’s creativity and levels.
Granted California Poppy will more than likely be categorized as hip hop, it is much more than that. Raj does rap, but also sings. Having a range of subjects he’s talking about, this project is highly personal on multiple levels whether it’s about coming up in the music game, being the one that was laughed at and riding the bench or finding the light inside and doing something that has true meaning.
Rex Life Raj seems like one of the artist from the 2018 class of artists I’ve found out about that’s going to have quite the lasting career in music.
Check out California Poppy below.
https://open.spotify.com/album/7D05dpgAQzwXoNhwUUETet[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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In a world of mumble rappers, electronic drums and dreadlocks, there are some artists that go against the grain of what the trend is in hip hop is today. One of those artists is Anderson .Paak, and he shows his true uniqueness in his newest album Oxnard. Released November 16th, 2018. Being .Paak’s 3rd studio album, Oxnard is named after the city that .Paak was born in.
If you’ve been following Anderson .Paak’s career, you’ve noticed that each of his 3 studio albums is named after a specific city in Southern California. Venice, Malibu and now Oxnard. Like the cities the albums are named after, each one is completely different than the other in terms of sound, lyrical content and feel. .Paak was born in Oxnard and from the sound of the music definitely feels as though he has found the homey feeling in his career and is in a great place allowing him to comfortably make music that is sonicaly pleasing, seamless, cohesive and multi-dimensional.
Honestly at first listen I wasn’t feeling this project, but I don’t believe it’s one of those projects that you can judge whether or not you like it or not off of first listen. With that being said, Oxnard honestly gets better with each listen. The album takes you through .Paak’s journey as a seasoned artist in the music dealing with today’s political America, success, losing Mac Miller and why he really needs window tints.
.Paak is having the consistency of an artist who is going to have longevity and have us telling young people 10 years from now that they don’t know anything about real music. Being his best release yet in terms of numbers, .Paak has added to his catalog of simply put, great music.
Give Oxnard a listen below.
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Four years ago if you would of told me that I would be jamming Jaden Smith albums I honestly would of laughed and called you delusional. Low and behold, I’m not only jamming Jaden Smith albums, but I’m anticipating their release and genuinely loving the music this young man is making.
Jaden’s project The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story is this artist’s latest release and probably most structured project. In The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story we really get a taste of what Jaden is capable of musically. Hearing clear influences from artists like Kanye on the second half of the track “Distant” and influences from Drake on “Yeah Yeah,” this young man is truly showing he’s not just Will Smith’s son, but a true music artist that is going to have continued success in his career.
For a follow up by his surprising album Syre, The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story shows young Jaden has the consistency and talent to have a lasting music career.
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If you follow hip hop music, or music in general, you know that the Migos are perhaps the biggest music trio to ever exist. Made up of Quavo, Offset and Takeoff, the three have an undeniable chemistry together and it clearly shows through the music that they have created since they first step foot into the music game. But individually, do the Migos have the same music making capabilities? The answer is yes. Even from who seems to be the most slept on Migo, Takeoff.
With his debut solo project entitled The Last Rocket, Takeoff takes us on a journey I believe no one really saw or knew was coming. From the intro track Martian, to the outro Bruce Wayne, Takeoff takes us on a trip in a rocket ship with him being the pilot.
I had zero expectations going into this project, because honestly Takeoff is the Migo I “know” the least to a degree. Compared to his counter parts Quavo and Offset, who seem to be the ones people rave more about, Takeoff has been the member of the group who perhaps really hasn’t gotten the recognition he rightfully deserves. But that should definitely change after his solo project gets more listens from music fans.
Last Memory was the first single we received from The Last Rocket, and really is just an appetizer into all that we get with this project. Takeoff’s flow and articulation is crisp and precise which is a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of mumbling that goes on in hip hop now.Takeoff shows his mood range with tracks like Casper and Infatuation in distinctively different creative ways. Of course fellow Migo Quavo had a feature with the track She Gone Wink, which was a standout track that didn’t feel like a Migo’s song but a Takeoff song featuring Quavo.
Overall, give The Last Rocket a blast and if you’re a fan of Migos or the Atlanta sound, you will dig this project.
https://open.spotify.com/album/5XRCcUfwtLNQflDd9cfz4U[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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There are numerous turn based rpg games on iOS and android that pleases my Pokemon collecting behavior. One in particular include DC Legends. This game is a turn based rpg that was developed by WB Games San Francisco for iOS and Android. This is a guilty pleasure game for me because of the collecting and turn based combat, but can be a annoying because its free-to-play.
The twist to this game is that you collect characters from the DC comics universe, such as Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. Instead of capturing them, like the Pokemon games, you collect tokens to unlock them. For example, if I wanted to unlock Captain Cold (The Flash's Villain) I would need to get 15 tokens of that character. When I do get a new hero or villain, it is recommended to still get tokens for that character to buff their stats even more.
Along with the collecting DC characters, the turn based combat is fun and simple. The teams you create can consist up to four characters, each with their own moves and abilities. There are some characters that offer a buff to their team if they are set as the leader. So, finding characters that sync well with other character's abilities is important when taking on waves of enemies. The game offers a ton of missions to collect what you want...most of the time.
The down side to this game is the usual free-to-play stuff. Such as getting random characters from loot boxes (can be earned or bought with money) and having a set amount of energy to do missions ( Energy rejuvenates every 5 minutes or can be bought) It can be quite infuriating when you need only a few more tokens to unlock a certain character but you get someone else from a loot box.
DC Legends offers the chance to collect my favorite DC characters and use them in strategic turn based combat, but suffers from free-to-play baggage. Luckily, the game has improved and offers a ton of chances to get more tokens without having to pay real money.
*Screenshots from Ios version. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Overcooked is a cooking simulation game developed by Ghost Town Games and published by Team17 for Xbox one, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows. This game can be played solo or up to four players. If playing alone, the game will provide two chefs for that solo player to control. Solo players would have to switch in between those two chefs while giving them tasks to do, such as chopping ingredients, cleaning dishes, cooking and many more. The weight is slightly lifted from your shoulders if playing with multiple people because each player controls one chef, but it comes with a price since everyone will do their task their own way and would sometimes run into each other if they aren't careful. (Leadership needed)
Along with having to worry about organizing and preparing meals, players will also have to worry about the kitchen's environment changing. For example, there is a level where an earthquake splits the environment in half, which caused one of my meals to burn because none of my chefs were on the other side of the kitchen to take the pan off the stove.
Though trying to complete a level can be frustrating by yourself or with friends, completing it is always rewarding for me because I look forward to see new challenges, new recipes to cook and new characters to unlock.
Unfortunately, the down side to Overcooked is that it does not have online multiplayer. (Couch co op ftw?) Luckily the game play is fun and completing a level always feels rewarding, which is why I would totally recommend this game. (Especially with friends)
*Screen shots are from PlayStation 4
Resident Evil 2 remake is an upcoming survival horror game developed and published by Capcom. As a fan of the Resident Evil franchise, I was totally hyped for this game. After rushing through the demo, since it only allows players to play it for 30 minutes (Tip:Pausing the game stops the timer), I find the game to be thrilling and gory. There are a few nit picks, but it didn't ruin my overall experience with this one shot demo.
The thrill of this demo comes from its tight corridor environments and, of course, the zombies. The hall ways can be quite dark and unsettling, thanks to the sound of zombies banging on windows and the house creaking. I would always have my gun ready whenever I turn at a corner or approach a door because a zombie would usually ambush me. (Not to the point where it gets predictable, but to the point it makes me paranoid)
Along with the thrills, this game can get real gory (No surprise) I mean, look at the screen shots. Seeing a man get mauled in half by zombies or examining a zombie up close caused me to cringe a bit. The gore fits into the game play too, similar to Dead Space (Love this Franchise as well, DAMN YOU EA!) , I was able to disable a zombie by shooting at their limbs. For example, I accidentally shot a zombies arm as I was running away from it (Rushing the demo). The next time I saw the same zombie, its arm was dangling. (Not sure if it affects how it attack).
My nit picks were things that were absent in the demo, but were in Resident evil 4. These include strategically fitting items in a suitcase (I love me some Tetris) and aiming a gun with laser sight. (Reticles take me out of the game)
A big step up from "Resident Evil 6" (Didn't play Resident Evil 7, yet.) and a good fill in for that "Dead Space" space in my heart. Totally looking forward to this game's release and Resident Evil fans should be too.
*Screen shots are from PlayStation 4
No other film of 2018 tapped into the hot-button political zeitgeist like Spike Lee’s return to form. An outrageous true story of the FBI infiltrating the KKK in the 1970’s, this film used a piece of history to tap into the current era and the racial strife that the nation can never seem to shake. Honest, raw, and confrontational, Spike Lee’s latest is a call to vigilance and the politically distressing film we deserve for these politically distressing times.
9. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (Dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman) (USA)
The most inventive, original and joyous comic book film in years. Pulling from the deep well of Spider-Man mythology, the filmmakers work to create a world that dazzles the imagination and tickles the eyeball. This is some of the most innovative, fresh, radical and eye-popping animation in years. Mutli-dimenional timelines, a stellar cast of voice actors, visual imagination to spare and a relatable hero in the Afro-Latino, Miles Morales, make for a remarkable piece of pop escapism. Spider-Verse accurately captures the fun of reading a comic book in a way that no other film has ever been able to pull off.
8. The House That Jack Built: Director’s Cut (Dir. Lars Von Triers) (Denmark/France/Germany/Sweden)
The latest from Danish provocateur, Lars Von Triers, is a self-reflexive piece of auto-critque; a darkly satirical examination of violence in our diseased culture, dressed in the clothes of a serial killer picture. The film serves as a meta-commentary on Von Triers’ deeply controversial career and marks the first time the director has looked inward to examine the origins of his work and themes. Matt Dillon’s work as the eponymous Jack is one of the most impressive feats of acting of the year. Dillon, like the film itself, manages to be charismatic, terrifying, creepy and funny all at once. The unrated cut is NOT going to appeal to most mainstream audiences and is bound to offend normal sensibilities. For those more adventurous and jaded film-goers, the film is a darkly entertaining work of an artist grappling with his inner demons.
7. Mandy (Dir. Panos Cosmatos) (Canada/USA)
A red-blooded, fist-pumping, acid trip of a movie. The latest from Panos Cosmatos is a surreal piece of horror that recalls Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and the films of David Lynch, filtered through the lens of psychedelics. Featuring a maniacal Nicolas Cage in top-form as a broken love-struck avenger, the film reaches a fever-pitch of intensity that both engages and overwhelms the senses. The film’s depiction of Jesus freaks, violence, acid-soaked imagery and bone-crunching soundtrack make for a bracing film experience that will leave viewers alternately dizzy and exhilarated. It may be the first Heavy-Metal art film.
6. Suspiria (Dir. Luca Guadagnino) (Italy/USA)
Luca Guadagnino’s wild reimagining of Dario Argento’s classic film should have been a failure in every regard. Argento’s masterpiece is such an original and uniquely idiosyncratic film experience that only a fool would attempt to remake it. Lucky for us, Guadagnino is a brave filmmaker who revels in taking chances. Against all odds, he’s emerged with one of the most unique horror films in years, one that gets under the skin in ways so few films manage. Featuring a score by Thom Yorke and a bevy of impressive performances from Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth and Jessica Harper, Guadagnino’s Suspiria manages to be a both a batshit insane horror film and a political treatise on 1970’s Berlin.
5. Roma (Dir. Alfonso Cuaron) (Mexico)
Cuaron’s love letter to his hometown in Mexico recalls the European art films of the early 1960’s, particularly the Italian Neo-Realist movement. Shot in gorgeous black and white and unfolding at a sedate, languid pace, Roma tells the story of a Mexican maid with the soul of an angel. First time actress, Yaltiza Aparicio, delivers a performance that the most seasoned of actresses would have a hard time pulling off. Tapping into personal experience and nostalgia, Cuaron emerges with a lovely, deeply artful film. Brimming with humanity, warmth and political undertones, Roma takes us back into a different era of movies and in the process taps’ into the viewers sense of compassion and humanity. A truly gratifying, humane experience.
4. Annihilation (Dir. Alex Garland) (UK/USA)
Alex Garland’s follow-up to Ex Machina is a visually gorgeous, thematically-probing, ‘hard’ science-fiction film that recalls such classics as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner and Solaris. Featuring a stellar, predominately female cast led by Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh, Garalnd’s latest probes uncomfortable topics such as sickness, death, decay and cancer with an unnerving sense of efficiency. Some of the imagery is beautiful, some of it horrifying, all of it is hard to shake.
3. Hereditary (Dir. Ari Aster) (USA)
The feature-length debut of the year, Ari Aster’s chamber drama of a horror film is the rare movie that gets under the skin on both a human and subhuman level. Hereditary manages to function as a supernatural horror mystery in the vein of genre classics like Rosemary’s Baby while delivering the year’s most damaging and emotionally painful drama. It is an intense, soul-crushing exploration of grief and one of the most genuinely unnerving horror movies of the decade. Toni Collette gives the best acting of the year, delivering a performance so intense that it looks painful. Collette takes her grief-stricken mother to devastatingly raw and uncomfortable places. Ari Aster’s work is one that inflicts emotional trauma on the audience, creating a work of art that is bound to go down as one of the supreme classics of the horror genre.
2. The Favourite (Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos) (Ireland/UK/USA)
The latest from Greek wonder kind, Yorgos Lanthimos, is the best comedy of the year. A British period piece in the mode of Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Barry Lyndon’, The Favourite is a gorgeously shot film with hilariously malicious undertones. Satirizing 16th century European opulence, the film rejects historical accuracy in favor of a vicious lampooning of the mores and social codes of Queen Anne’s reign and the genteel facade that masked a darwinian brutality. The film boasts a stellar trio of actresses (Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz) that deliver some of the finest work of their careers. The Favourite is shot through with some of the most visually stimulating, spatially distorted and experimental cinematography ever to be featured in a mainstream period piece picture. The film hilariously turns oscar-bait, stuffy, period dramas on their head and exposes them for how truly gutless most of them are.
1. First Reformed (Dir. Paul Schrader) (USA)
The best film of the year. Paul Schrader, the scribe behind such Scorsese classics as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, delivers his finest work as a filmmaker. By tapping into the current era of anxiety, political unrest and societal collapse, Schrader delivers a pointed social commentary that digs under the skin and asks uncomfortable questions. Ethan Hawke, in the best performance of a distinguished career, plays Ernst Toller, a Calvinist pastor living out an unhappy routine in an anguished state of mind. Toller is searching for a sense of purpose when his life is shaken up by a couple of environmental extremists, fueling his fear of a planet consumed by rapid climate change, political extremism, and scientific statistics that spell doom for the future. The young couple leaves Toller feeling traumatized, useless and inconsequential. Frustrated by his church's apathy and indifference to these issues, Toller decides to take matters into his own hands, finding a new lease on life, one that might have dark and troubling consequences.
A quietly haunting work and an exquisite piece of cinema, featuring a complex and probing script, elegant cinematography, powerful acting and timely themes. ‘First Reformed’ is a ‘Taxi Driver’ for an era fueled by political extremism and societal anxiety. Destined to be dissected, analyzed and cherished by cinefiles for years to come. Paul Schrader, after all these years, still has his finger on the pulse of the zeitgeist.
Honorable Mentions:
Cold War
You Were Never Really Here
If Beale Street Could Talk
Upgrade
First Man
Widows
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Isle of Dogs
Blindspotting
White Boy Rick
Halloween
Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Sega, with assistance from Media Vision. Just like its predecessors, Valkyria Chronicles 4 melds charm and strategy into its game play. The game play of Valkyria Chronicles is turn based and the players can move as many soldiers (in a third person view) as they want as long as they have enough medallions. If the solider encounters an enemy (that enemy will shoot at them), the player can switch them into target mode, which will cause the enemy to cease fire.
In target mode, the player can control where the solider shoots, the game shows how many bullets the soldier can shoot and how many is required to kill the enemy. Once the player uses up all their medallions or ends their turn early (you can save up medallions for their next turn), the enemy will make their move. If the player doesn't complete the mission in 20 turns, they fail. These missions usually involve capturing an enemy camp.
What I enjoy most about Valkyria Chronicles games is the huge cast of characters and how their personality melds with the game play. A normal mission of the game starts with the player positioning his soldiers on a map of the battlefield. There are numerous soldiers to choose from that have their own class and traits. Their class affects how they attack and decides what weapon or armor they can equip.
For example, a Sniper can only equip light armor (they are squishy, so don't position them in a cross fire) and use a sniper rifle.
Along with their class, all of the soldiers have their own traits as well. These traits will affect how the soldiers will react when they are in combat (good or bad). For example, Jester has a gambling problem which might down grade his accuracy in target mode, but if he is near a female solider he might gets an attack buff.
Like every other Valkyria Chronicles game in the series (Except Valkyria Revolution!!), Valkyria Chronicles 4 is fun, charming and offers some pretty good strategic game play. I absolutely recommend it for TRPG and JRPG lovers.
Photo: Mason Trinca/Getty Images
If you care to turn on CNN or scroll their social media news feeds, you’ll notice a constant and aggressive stream of Pro-Kamala Harris propaganda. Every 20 minutes a new article or post appears casting the Presidential contender in a favorable, uncritical light. CNN has a particularly aggressive bent on positioning Kamala Harris as the frontrunner in the Democratic Primaries of 2020 and as the next President. This is despite the fact that the-soon-to-be overcrowded Democratic primaries are still a year away and the fact that most polls contradict CNN’s polls. The Hosannahs for Kamala Harris are overstated and puffed up while the criticisms are watered down, feeble and deflected. This is not by accident. A closer look reveals just how much CNN has invested in Kamala’s Presidential aspirations.
Kamala Harris’ biggest donor is Warner Media Group, the parent company that owns CNN. CNN has a financial incentive to promote Kamala Harris' Presidential campaign and give her the type of glowing coverage not afforded to other Presidential candidates. This is why they avoid casting a critical light on her career as a corrupt DA who terrorized minority communities, upheld wrongful convictions and protected people who have tampered with and implanted false evidence to secure convictions. As California Attorney General, Kamala failed to prosecute Steve Mnuchin’s One West Bank for foreclosure violations in 2013 despite everyone advising her against this. Steven Mnuchin was the finance chairman for Donald Trump’s 2016 Presidential campaign. When pressed on the issue, Kamala deflects and avoids giving a direct answer as to why she failed to prosecute such blatantly obscene criminality. A little investigation into Kamala’s campaign finances reveals that Steve Mnuchin gave Kamala Harris a $2,000 campaign contribution for her bid in the California senate, marking her as the sole Democrat to receive a donation from Mnuchin in 2016 (On the national level at least). Of course, you’ll learn nothing of this by tuning into CNN, that hallowed bastion of corporatized media. These type of criticisms and honest background-checking are reserved for those candidates not aligned with CNN’s interests.
As a corporation, CNN has a duty to maximize profits for their shareholders. CNN is obligated by their shareholders to bolster Kamala’s presidential bid while simultaneously discrediting her opponents. CNN, a news media company, literally has money invested in her campaign. This explains why every 20 minutes there's another glowing, uncritical Kamala story. It also explains the overwhelmingly critical and unfavorable coverage of other candidates such as Tulsi Gabbard and Bernie Sanders. Neither of these two have investments in or are being funded by CNN and the Warner Media Group. Both have ran on platforms rejecting corporate sponsorship and PAC money. Notice their pasts are being put under a microscope by way of constant negative coverage and discouragement from running. Kamala, whose past is even more questionable, gets a pass as her political career goes completely unscrutinized and glossed over.
Photo: /www.berniesanders.com
Note that both Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris both had claims of sexual harassment swirling around their respective campaigns for the Presidency and the Senate. CNN has very strongly suggested that the harassment experienced during Bernie’s 2016 Presidential bid is a detriment to future Presidential aspirations and should stop him from running. The sexual harassment claims swirling around Kamala's campaign go completely ignored and the cheerleading persists. CNN won’t cast the same issue in a negative light for Kamala.
Another example of this biased reporting comes in the form Hawaii rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s campaign for the Presidency. Gabbard’s biggest handicap as a Presidential contender is her previous views on LGBTQ issues. Gabbard grew up in a deeply conservative household that promoted conversion therapy for gay people and often spoke of “homosexual extremists.” Gabbard has thoroughly revoked her past stances and has consistently supported LGBTQ rights since 2012. Within a day of announcing her campaign, CNN jumped on Gabbard’s past like lightning. Her past stances on these issues were painted as disqualifies from CNN. As a Presidential contender, the scrutiny of her past is valid. While no politician is exempt from criticism those criticisms need to be more balanced and honest.
Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press
CNN refuses to comment on or say a peep about Kamala’s past as a corrupt DA. Not a single bit of bad coverage, no scrutiny, no op-ed’s decrying it as the serious issue that it is. It’s all soft-ball coverage for Kamala, all positive all the time. What makes this worse is that Harris, unlike Gabbard, refuses to apologize for her past and doubles down with weak justifications when pressed on the issue. The lack of balanced coverage of potential Presidential candidates is astonishingly biased.
This is what happens when corporations are allowed to purchase stakes in media outlets and shape coverage to the will of their shareholders’ agenda. The glaring double standard is egregious and offensively blatant. With a little research, it’s easy to discern where this bias stems from. Even Elizabeth Warren, an arguably bigger name in politics than Harris and a Presidential contender, is being constantly sidelined for more pro-Harris articles and posts. Guess she should consider taking in Warner Media as a donor.
Media has an obligation to be truthful and unbiased towards the people who they report to. When that trust is broken, their credibility is non-existent and they deserve to be called out. CNN is basically functioning as propaganda machine, paid for by investors. This is literally a conflict of interest and why it's best to try and research the media sources you trust before taking every news story they report at their word.
If not for such blatant corporatized political manipulation, Donald Trump would have a harder time propagating “Fake News” as a legitimate catchphrase.
*For a more in-depth and comprehensive analysis of how corporate media manipulates mainstream news sources, read Edward S. Herman’s & Noah Chomsky’s groundbreaking and eye-opening work, Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of Mass Media.
It's with both joy and deep sadness that we celebrate the birth of BRANDON LEE, who would have been 54 today. A man who didn't seem to mind being born in the shadow of his legendary father Bruce Lee. A man with a big heart, a gentle soul, phenomenal martial arts skills, and the charisma of a rising star who was poised for greatness. Despite being the son of one of the most iconic figures in cinema history, he soared to stardom at a young age with highly memorable roles in martial arts films Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) and Rapid Fire (1992). His skills were undeniable and his likability was off the charts. Thanks to these wildly entertaining thrill rides, and characters that demanded your attention and adoration, he landed the role that he knew would be the dream role that put him on the map. That role was THE CROW.
He was so excited to be part of this project that he ignored numerous warnings from friends who insisted the production was cursed after a series of accidents and complications that plagued the film. He got through the most grueling part of filming that included performing with no shirt or shoes in the rain in 30 degree weather and several elaborate stunts and fight scenes. He was counting the days until he could finish the last few minor scenes and marry his fiance Eliza Hutton. Sadly and tragically; carelessness on the set led to Lee's untimely death. Apparently, a chunk of lead was lodged in a gun that was supposed to contain only blanks. The gun was used in the scene where Eric Draven (Lee) walks in on a gang of thugs who have broken into his apartment. Actor Michael Massee (Funboy) fired the gun and Brandon hit the floor. He lay there writhing in pain and the crew thought it was part of the scene. They soon realized, to their horror, that the lead from the gun had hit him in the stomach. It was later learned that it tore through his stomach and was lodged in his spine. He was pronounced dead March 31, 1993. His wedding was to be a little over 2 weeks later on April 17th.
I must admit; I'm writing this article because the films of Brandon Lee have made a huge impact on me. Something about Lee and his very few films grabbed me and I knew that he was going to be a huge star. His death hit me harder than any other artist's death in my lifetime and I cannot fully understand why it still affects me so deeply to this day. I followed the career of Brandon before he was ever considered for The Crow. RAPID FIRE was (and still remains) one of my favorite action films of all time. I was over the moon with excitement when I learned that he was poised to play the title role in a Gothic horror tale, based on the comic, about a rock musician who is murdered and his soul is brought back from the grave by a Crow to exact brutal revenge on the men who murdered him. I followed the pitfalls of production every week in Entertainment Weekly (back when it was good) rooting for my favorite action star to complete his dream role and give me a movie that is much closer to my personal tastes than any of his previous films.
News of his death was like a punch to the gut that I still feel to this day. The potential he had. The achingly personal performance he brought to such a fun and stylized action film. His words of wisdom that he seemed to speak directly to me. His excitement for his future with the love of his life. All of it came crashing down because of tragic and avoidable accident. He doesn't need any help being remembered because THE CROW is a beloved genre masterpiece, but he deserves to be introduced to every new generation of movie fans because he was the real thing. An immensely talented man with the world at his feet and he deserves to live on in the hearts minds of everyone who has the privilege of watching his films.
Monster Hunter World has had a few cross overs with other games such as Final Fantasy 14 and Horizon Zero Dawn. Each cross over offers a new armor and weapon for players to use. (A moogle costume for your cat, Aloy's bow, etc..) The recent crossover with the Witcher franchise is no different. Players can get Geralt's silver sword in the form of a sword and shield, armor that makes you look like Geralt, a cat armor resembling an ugly monster and Geralt's ignis runes (Allows you to shoot flames from your hands).[/caption]
Along with a weapon and armor, the quest also offers a new monster(Leshen from The Witcher games) to hunt, Dialogue choices (Similar to The Witcher's game play) and Doug Cockle reprising his role as Geralt (Awesome sauce). Fighting the Leshen can be challenging because it can call in multiple Jagras to attack you, an aoe attack that launches you in the air and it can cause bleeding.
There are also two hidden side quest you can do when hunting down the Leshen. Based on my experience, you can get an attack jewel if you complete at least one of the side quests. I also recommended completing the Gajalaka Linguists quests if you want to complete all of the side quests.
The quest was a fun and exciting experience on the first play through, but got tedious when I had to do it two more times. (The dialogue choice and Geralt scanning foot prints sequences) Fortunately, the items gained from the quest is well worth the hour and a half grind.
*All Screenshots are from PlayStation 4
As a fan of Dead by Daylight, I was excited with the announcement of the new killer. As a survivor main (starting to like playing as the killer though), I was definitely looking forward to going against the new killer named The Plague. She has a gross power called vile purge, which involves her puking a stream of bile. Along with her powers, she also comes with three interesting perks, which are dark devotion, infectious fright and corrupt intervention.
Vile purge allows her to infect survivors either by barfing directly on them or barfing on things that survivors will have direct contact in, which include, generators, wooden pallets, windows and other survivors. If a survivor gets fully infected, takes a while for a survivor to get fully infected, they can get downed by one hit by the killer and they cannot be healed. The only way to cure the infection is for the survivor to find fountains scattered around the map and drink from them.
Unfortunately, the fountain will become infected once a survivor uses it, which means the Plague will be able to turn their green infectious bile into a red one for a limited amount of time if they drink from that corrupted fountain. Red bile allows the Plague to instantly damage a survivor.
The three perks she comes with can get pretty annoying to go against. Dark Devotion allows her to transfer her terror radius to another survivor. (Survivors will hear heart beats, the terror radius, when a killer is nearby and it will beat quicker as the killer gets closer to them) Infectious fright allows the killer to find other survivors if they knocked down a survivor. For example, if she knocks down a survivor, any other survivor near the downed survivor will scream. Corrupt intervention (the annoying one) covers three generators, for a limited amount of time, furthest away from the killers spawn point. This forces survivors to fix generators that are closer to the killer.
The Plague is fun to go against because of how her powers work. Should I cure myself on a fountain, but give her a fighting edge with the red bile? If I rescue an infected survivor from a hook, it will make both of us infected (survivors cannot use the same fountain) A lot of thought goes into dealing with the Plague and man, it's a joy to do so.
*All screen shots taken from PlayStation 4.
via Stratosphere[/caption]
Adidas finally officially announced their Game Of Thrones, Ultraboost collab. The collection includes six sneakers inspired by House Lannister, Stark, Targaryen, The White Walkers, The Night’s Watch, and Daenerys's Dragons. They are set to be released March 22nd a few weeks before the final season of Thrones begins.
From a HighSnobiety article, adidas Running senior product manager Stephan Schneider said the reason for the collab was “When you look at Adidas and HBO, or Game of Thrones particularly, you have two powerhouses and two iconic brands. We wanted to bring a sports icon and blend that with a cultural icon to create a really powerful and meaningful story.”
As a big fan of Game of Thrones, the show (not the book, I ain’t got time for that), and anything Ultraboost, I can’t help but feel disappointed by this collaboration. None of these colorways feel different from other Ultraboosts we’ve already seen. I will admit that I do like the Lannister and the White Walker version strictly based on these pictures.
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via Adidas[/caption]
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Via Adidas[/caption]
The gold accent on the dark vibrant red really work for me and icy blue heel cup and cage really make those sneakers stand out. As for the other four I think they are bad and uninspired. I feel like they took a Game of Thrones superfan and put him in front of miAdidas (defunct Adidas customization option) and said “Make a Game of Thrones sneaker but only use a running shoe that doesn’t fit the aesthetic of the show, but we can put “Winter is Coming” and “Fire and Blood” on the heel tab! That’s cool and different... right? People will like that! We’ll sell tons.”
What about hi version of the Superstar with a metal shell top with a worn metal looking paint job, so it looks like it could’ve been worn during the Battle of Blackwater, how about a pair of slips that are inspired by Arya’s training with Syrio or at least give me some platform shoes and tell me they are Tyrion’s brothel shoes!
How can you get this Captain Marvel one so right just weeks earlier and miss so hard on this?
[caption id="attachment_6723" align="alignleft" width="183"]
via Comicbook.com[/caption]
At least when Adidas did the Dragonball Z collab they tried doing something different. You could tell they were inspired by the anime. Not everybody liked it, but it was sure as hell better than this.
[caption id="attachment_6725" align="alignright" width="300"]
via HouseOfHeat.co[/caption]
Go and buy these sneakers because you like the colors and because Ultraboosts are the best sneakers you will ever feel on your feet. Don’t buy them because you love Game of Thrones because you will be disappointed unless you have a Khal Drogo thong, then these sneakers might just be for you.
[caption id="attachment_6724" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
via TheMarySue.com[/caption]
via HighSnobiety[/caption]
This past weekend Adidas released two more versions of its Yeezy Boost 350 V2. What made this release different than the others was the fact that they chose to release only a specific colorway per region. This weekend saw the “True Form” colorway (middle) released in Europe and Russia, while the “Hyperspace” colorway (right) will release in Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East, and Africa. The “Clay” colorway (left) will release in both North and South America March 30th.
As it seems with any Yeezy release, cynical sneakerheads (like myself), question whether or not Adidas is killing the hype with so many colorways of the popular sneaker, over 19 since the original release in 2016. And whether or not they are doing this regional release to revive interest in a dated sneaker. Yes this is a conversation I have had with fellow sneaker enthusiasts believe it or not.
The only people that really should be mad are resellers. Adidas has found a balance to satisfy both true collectors and the masses with this type of rollout. The value for true collectors come from the colorways they own. Those first seven can be viewed the true OG colorways and their resale value are still at least 4x’s the retail price. All the other colorways are for everybody else.
Even if you look at the rarity chart below, the triple white 350 at its cheapest, still goes for $40 over retail on StockX. The “Sesame” which literally could have been picked up off of store shelves weeks after it’s release (one I truly regret not picking up), the cheapest one on StockX is $280, but you can see the value slowly rising in all sizes.
[caption id="attachment_6730" align="aligncenter" width="289"]
via SoleCollector[/caption]
This is brilliant marketing for Yeezy brand. They are building a fan base by getting these sneakers into the hands of people that never knew they wanted them. When they finally do release the next version, hopefully sooner than later, there will be an even larger demand for the new one, making those OG colorways even more valuable for resellers to buy and swindle hypebeasts.
I love the 350 V2, I have the “Zebras” and the “Cream”. The “Cream” while being the least rare, are the first pair I ever owned. Knowing that they were the widest released version, I chose to paint them myself and now I have almost a kinship with the shoe cause it’s something I helped to create. I don’t know if that was the intention, but it’s how I fell. While I’m not looking to buy any more and can’t fault anybody that still is. Stop being cynical about it. This is what Kanye wanted, YEEZY’S FOR EVERYBODY!!!
via JordansForAll.com[/caption]
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Image via ylt_r3[/caption]
As reported by Solecollector.com and SneakerNews.com, Nike’s Jordan brand will be retroing two very coveted models this year the Jordan 4 Bred on May 4th and the Jordan 11 Bred on Dec. 14th. The (Black + Red = Bred) colorway is usually a highly sought after model because of its roots to the “Banned” Jordan 1 and the Chicago Bulls, which is totally a wild story, that has been written about before and you can find here.
This is the 30th anniversary of the Jordan 4 and to celebrate it, Nike is bringing back the original Nike Air logo on the heel as opposed to the Jumpman logo, which is always a nice touch. The last time the Bred Jordan 11 was released was in 2012, an eternity in sneaker culture. Nostalgia seekers (like myself), and hypebeasts alike will jump all over this timeless Jordan silhouette.
No matter how many low versions or bad colorways they release, the Jordan 11 will always be special to me. It was the shoe that got me into shoes. I grew up in a low income house and never had brand name shoes. My mom made me get my sneakers at Bradless’ or Caldor’s and when I was young I didn’t know the difference. Shoes were just something you put on your feet. I saw the big brands but it never mattered to me. It wasn’t til the Concord Jordan 11 appeared and that glistening patent leather caught my eye, that I was like “Damn, that’s nice. I want those.” It might’ve been because all the “cool” kids had them or maybe I was a twelve year old kid that could actually appreciate art and design, but I wanted them so badly. My parents couldn’t afford to buy me them, I was too young to work, I was left to fantasize about them flipping through Eastbay magazine. Alas even as other colors such as the Bred came out it was just never attainable.
Fast forward to me as an adult, my interest changed to other things, I got some life experience and realized my parents weren’t trying to ruin my life after all and four years ago when I got the 72-10 Jordan 11, by chance, and I’m back in it now, with a job and a void to fill.
So like the recent Space Jam and Concord release, I don’t expect the Bred 11s to be hard to get if you put in a little effort. While they might not have the resale value that they did back in 95-96, I don’t think there is any way you can pass on these, but that might be 12 year old me talking.
Via Sneakernews.com[/caption]
This week Nike quietly dropped their new “Gold Ranger” colorway of their much overlooked Nike Element React 55 line. They look super clean and crisp, and retail for $130 and I have no doubt that these will be slept on by most sneakerheads, so you should pick them up if you see them. The only thing I don’t like about these sneakers is the name because these should obviously be called the “White Ranger”. Obviously with white, being the primary color, they should have gone with White Ranger as opposed to the Gold Ranger whose primary color is black.
[caption id="attachment_6748" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Via RangerCentral.com
Via SneakerBarDetroit[/caption]
Those colorways are still highly sought after and the resale prices on them shows.
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Via @FootDistrict on Twitter[/caption]
But to further capitalize on the success of this silhouette, Nike then released the Element React 55, the same shoe but with a more traditional upper (no translucent upper) and without the cork insoles and for $30 less. It seemed like a great thing for the consumer, a high fashion, comfortable sneaker for the masses, but that’s when people stopped caring.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I love how these sneakers look, I have two pairs, and I’m happy to see it so widely available for everyone to get without a problem. I just hate the fact that hypebeasts hate it for the exact same reason, meanwhile last year it’s all they wanted. Not only that but they trash it like they never wanted it in the first place. It’s like that annoying friend that was super into that indie artist, but once they hit it big and got popular they stopped listening because they got too popular.
Don’t let haters dictate what you buy. So if you like them too, don’t hesitate to buy them, the React sole feels great, and the shoes go great with a pair of jeans, joggers, or khakis. There are so many colorways now you’re bound to find something that suits you and I’m sure in a few months time you’ll be able to use a coupon code for them on Nike.com.
Update: 3/17/2019
[caption id="attachment_6745" align="alignleft" width="299"]
Via SoleCollector.com[/caption]
Nike just released pictures of a tie dye React 55 and they look pretty awesome. They are said to be releasing soon and you should keep an eye out.
March 26th is gonna be much different for Nike and its fans. Much to the chagrin of many, Nike is doing something different with “Air Max Day.” Instead of releasing some hyped new colorways or collabs of its venerable Air Max line, like they have since the inception of the promotional event in 2014, they have chosen to focus on a charitable endeavor. They are asking that people donate new or gently worn shoes at local sneaker shops so that they can be used by partnering local organization to bring some good to their communities.
Sure this is disappointing for any Air Max fan, but I think that it is definitely refreshing to see a multi billion dollar company encouraging its followers to give back. I know I have a few pair of sneakers that don’t bring the same joy as the day I copped them as I’m sure you do too, so I totally plan on Marie Kondoing my collection to donate some pairs. The great part of this is that Nike has partnered with small local retailers. You can’t tell me this is not also a way of helping the small businesses, to get buyers into stores.
I’ve read complaints from the cynics that say Nike should just donate money directly to the local charities or why don’t they give money off a new pair of shoes for every pair that they donate and that’s just petty to complain about. People will always complain whenever a multi billion dollar company tries to do something good. Nike is trying to promote unity. One should want to give back to the community that they are a part of. If anything people should just try to flex their collection by giving a coveted pair of shoes away. Can you imagine someone donating a pair Off Whites just to show off how good of a person they are? I think it would be amazing to see quality footwear get into the hands of people that would truly appreciate something that we "collectors" take for granted.
Check out the details below, Direct from Nike. See if your local store is accepting donations.
”GIVE FRESH AIR”
With the launch of the Air Max 1 in 1987, a revolution began. In the years since, Nike and “Air” have become synonymous while expanding its loyal following.
Although March 26, 1987, marks the beginning of the epic Air Max journey, this Air Max Day launches a new chapter focused on taking action. We know that change happens when people come together. Give Fresh Air is a rally cry to unify sneaker culture around a shared passion to ignite change. Nike and our partners in North America will create ways to give “Air” to support local organizations and champion the power of community.
Starting March 18, 2019, donate your new and gently worn sneakers at the following locations during the noted dates. Each store is partnering with a local organization to give back.
● Undefeated (LA) 3.24-3.26
● Bows and Arrows (Bay Area) 3.18-3.26
● Laced (LA) 3.18-3.26
● Likelihood (Seattle) 3.18-3.26
● Sneakersnstuff (LA) 3.26-3.28
● Bait (San Diego) 3.18-3.26
● Saint Alfred (Chicago) 3.23-3.26
● Xhibition (Shaker Heights) 3.23-3.26
● Sneaker Politics (New Orleans) 3.23-3.26
● Oneness (Louisville) 3.23-3.26
● Livestock (Toronto) 3.18-4.5
● Ubiq (Philadelphia) 3.18-4.5
● Ubiq (DC) 3.18-4.5
● Kith (Soho) 3.22-3.26
● Kith (Brooklyn) 3.22-3.26
● Concepts (NYC) 3.18-3.31
● A Ma Maniere (Atlanta) 3.18-3.26
● Social Status (Charlotte) 3.18-3.26
There have been a few sneaker documentaries produced over the past couple of decades that try to fully encapsulate the sneakerhead mentality, but Unbanned: The Legend of the AJ1 might very well do it the best. This documentary was recently released on Hulu to stream and I think it’s a must watch for anybody who considers themself a sneakerhead or a fan of streetwear culture. This documentary shows how this single shoe changed how people perceived shoes and how the Air Jordan 1 would go on to influence culture from its inception to today.
A great aspect of the documentary is the host of people that they interview. You can hear stories directly from Michael Jordan himself and people directly involved with its creation, such as Peter Moore (designer), Phil Knight (owner of Nike), Tinker Hatfield (Legendary Jordan designer). We also get to hear the real story behind the “Banned” Jordan from NBA commissioner David Stern himself. He finally gets to set the story straight and tell his side of the story. There are also a number of influential designers and entertainers like Anthony Anderson, Kenya Barris, Michael B. Jordan, Vashtie, Lena Waithe, Ronnie Fieg...you get the idea.
Unbanned: The Legend of the AJ 1, is by first time director, Dexton Deboree. It’s a successful and seemingly unbiased look at a subject, which is more than I can say about a lot of documentaries released the past fifteen years. The movie effortlessly weaves all the interviews into straight forward digestible narrative that can make any viewer understand the importance of the AJ1 and maybe convince any naysayers to buy a pair.
What really makes this documentary succeed is that Deboree takes the time to first establish the the sneaker world pre-1984, how the social dynamic of the country was different, as well as give an accurate portrayal of Michael Jordan before he became a legend. Most people don’t remember, or know what the world was like. It’s because the viewer sees that, that we can truly see the revolution this sneaker caused. You’ll see some interesting facts like Jordan initially didn’t want to go to Nike or that once he was signed, Wall street thought that it would be the death of the company, to make the face of Nike a black athlete. So many things about this partnership could’ve gone wrong.
From there, Unbanned, explores the problems Nike and Jordan ran into with the NBA, and how the sneakers were banned, but Stern is also able to give his version of the “Banned” legend and how Nike took that and used it in the marketing of the shoe which made it explode in popularity. This was the first time a sneaker company sold the public a story to make their shoe a must have.
Unbanned tells the story of how one shoe man’s shoe became a shoe for everyone and how everyone who wears them has their own unique connection and reason for what makes it so beloved to them. I don’t want to tell you everything because you should watch the movie and learn some sneaker history. Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 can be found streaming now on Hulu.
Here’s the trailer:
With the first wave of millennials slowly becoming decision makers in the business world, Nineties nostalgia is back in full force. Many brands that we thought were dead, such as ESPRIT, Juicy Couture, and even JNCO (briefly), have made a comeback, in some way, to remind us of our childhood and to capture our money. Most notably in the sneaker and streetwear scene Champion and Fila have come back roaring in popularity as you can find their logos everywhere again.
I’m writing this out because I’m conflicted. I like to think that I really appreciate the nostalgia aspect, but at the same time I’m a different person now and looking back... 90s fashion wasn’t so great. I just remember big logos on everything, baggy jeans, turtlenecks, ball bearing necklaces, a visor, and cargo pants, all things I would never consider wearing these days, although I probably did hold onto cargo pants too long. Nevertheless I purchased a pair of sneakers recently strictly based on nostalgia as it reminded me of my middle school. I had been looking for a pair at the right price ever since I got back into sneakers, I finally found them at retail, ant they are the Fila Grant Hill 96 (GH 96).
I was so hyped to finally get my hands on these, opening that box reminded me of Christmas. I’ll say the quality is great. The leather was soft, the patent leather glistens in the light, it was everything that I remembered. This Fila retro true to the original, too true to the original.
Putting these sneakers on makes me realize how far sneaker technology has come since the 90s. The materials are just so much sleeker, lighter, breathable, and just overall more comfortable today. The GH 96 just seemed to be too bulky and confining for me to really enjoy.
I thought putting these sneakers would bring back the same joy I had in middle school and it did for a moment. After that though, it just became another sneaker of an ever growing collection, destined to be lost among the dozens that don’t get worn. It’s effectively a $120 paperweight. I’m not telling you not to buy nostalgic retros, do whatever makes you happy.
For me I’m just gonna buy the retros that fit my style now. For instance I purchased a plaid colorway of the Air Max 97 and I love those. I just got so wrapped up in the chase for the GH 96 that getting them at the right price was the challenge, not getting gouged by a reseller was the true victory for me here. Going back to these sneakers is like getting back together with an old girlfriend that you fought with all the time, but you had enough time away that you just remembered the good times.
What excites me in sneakers these days is the new technology that they put into the shoe or crazy and unique designs. The imagination of designers’ wearable art is what I find magical. I was just able to purchase my first pair of Adidas 4D Futurecrafts, I can’t wait for those. So before you buy those retros, think about why first.
Sneakers, like anything else, go through design trends. Some are great, some I look back on with disgust, but something that i’ve definitely been loving is recently is the trend in sneakers using different materials and the fact that it’s being highlighted now with different colors so it really accentuates the silhouette of the sneaker. The first sneaker that I can vividly recall seeing this in is the classic Nike Cortez. In the picture below you can see how the shoe is predominantly made of nylon, with a suede top, and leather check mark. It just adds a different touch than an all leather upper and the nylon definitely makes it a more breathable shoe, which I’m sure was a vast improvement for runners, it’s original audience.
Probably the reason for this recent trend is Off White founder/designer, Virgil Abloh. Abloh’s collaboration “The Ten” with Nike that started in 2017 and ended in 2019, was probably the most successful collaboration in recent history, both artistically and commercially, as they look great, sell out instantly and the resale is insane. “The Ten” features Nike’s most iconic sneakers with a deconstructed/reconstructed look. Abloh sought to make sure that you can see all that goes into the sneaker construction and you can see all the materials and details that go into an everyday product. Below you can see a picture of my Off White Air Max 90s. You can see all the different layers from the nylon, suede, and translucent soles. Little details like the tape look on the check and the details written on the instep of upper pay homage to the original samples and the designers.
I can confidently say that “The Ten” line probably influenced the latest Russell Westbrook Why Not Zer0.2. What do you think? Sure the colors are a bit crazier, but each color highlights a different part of the sneaker.
Adidas isn’t immune to this trend as the recently release Futurecraft 4d ZX 4000 is a perfect example of this. The 4D printed sole doesn’t overshadow, the similarly looking deconstructed upper. Little details such as the two tones of blue used on the mesh as well as the lightly used pink stitching really make this shoe stand out as whole, whereas in most of the other 4D shoes, the sole steals all the attention.
Finally even Yeezy is getting in on the action as you can see this in the Yeezy 500 and 700. You can see how the different colors of mesh, leather and suede build upon one another for a unique layered look. If you are seeing these for the first time, you probably don’t see it as me and many other people felt that same, but trust me when I say these particular chunky dad shoes grow on you.
I'm sure there are hundreds of other examples, but these I think are a few great ones. I wonder how much longer I'm going to continue to enjoy this aesthetic? Tell me what you think. What did I get wrong? What can I add? Let me know!
Get ready to fight some bots, some moms, hypebeasts and resellers, the Travis Scott x Jordan 1 is set to get a restock May 3rd according to the often reliable app, J23. I remember being so disappointed watching this year's Super Bowl, not because the game sucked, not because Maroon 5 is bleh, but because these didn't release during Scott's guest appearance during halftime. Many sneakerheads and I thought Nike would release like the they did the previous year with the Jordan 3 JTH, which released during Justin Timberlake's performance. However they did the surprise release while the popular rapper performed at the Grammy’s on the SNKRS app selling out almost instantly. This is one of four collabs that Scott has worked on with Nike as well as his third Jordan. All four sneakers have remained super popular, the Jordan 4 was thought to be one of the best releases of 2018, his Air Force 1 with the detachable swoosh logo aesthetic have been used on other sneakers, and Scott's name on a Jordan 33 even sold out!
From HighSnobiety:
“Travis established aesthetic, the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG NRG “Cactus Jack” features a mix of earthy brown nubuck and white leather accented by an interesting backward Swoosh design. Another unique detail comes in the form of a hidden stash pocket at the stitched ankle collar. Cactus Jack heel embossing, retro Nike Air tongue tags and mismatched insoles serve as additional branding elements. Finishing up the design of the shoe is an off white midsole and dark brown rubber outsole”
I know that these are gonna be virtually impossible to get and although I’m not too familiar with Scott’s work, I’m definitely gonna try and cop these. The oversized backwards swoosh makes for an interesting simple touch that is unique yet also doesn’t overshadow the iconic Jordan 1 aesthetic. Keep an eye out for it on the Nike SNKRS app and enter yourself into as many raffles as you can and expect that “L”.
Big Baller Brand (BBB) is back in the news as pictures of Lonzo Ball, their lone athlete, covering his BBB tattoo surface back on March 26th. Rumors have linked Ball with Nike as he posted this IG message on March 23rd:
ESPN.com Ramona Shelburne and Paula Lavigne confirmed that Lonzo had cut ties with BBB’s co founder Alan Foster when he discovered $1.5 million dollars missing from his personal and business account.
From the article:
“Foster has served as the business manager of all of the Ball family's companies, including Big Baller Brand -- which was formed as a limited liability company in 2014. Foster developed a close friendship with the Ball family beginning around 2010, when Lonzo and Foster's son became friends as seventh-graders. It was Foster, Lonzo's father, LaVar Ball, has said, who helped convince him to create a shoe and apparel company featuring his three basketball playing sons rather than allow Lonzo to sign one of the guaranteed multimillion-dollar endorsement deals that had been offered by more-established shoe companies such as Nike and Adidas.”
Surprisingly the outspoken polarizing patriarch, Lavar Ball, has had little say except for "I've always believed in the best in people. Regretfully, I put my complete trust in Alan Foster to manage my son's business affairs," LaVar said. "At the end of the day, family comes first, and I support Zo wholeheartedly. Together, we will make this right."
From reading the article it is good to see that Lonzo does have some good people in his corner. It’s always tragic to hear about a athlete that gets in trouble because he has a bad agent or financial manager looking to take advantage of a kid. It’s also incredible to kind of hear some regret on Lavar Ball’s part. He knows that he put his son in a bad situation by setting up this bad deal and it’s refreshing to see a different side of Lavar. What’s even worse is that BBB is probably bound to fail now. Without a star athlete to promote its products and with an “F” score from the Better Business Bureau things are not looking good for the brand. It just goes to show how hard it is to start a shoe brand outside of the heavy hitters. Maybe if you want to start your own shoe company, you just might wanna “Stay in yo’ lane.”
Update 4/3/19 Via SoleCollector.com
According to official paperwork obtained by NBA insider Shams Charania, Zo is suing Foster for damages "in excess of $2 million" and "funds taken by Foster from BBB...to purchase assets in Ethiopia in means of, among other things, secreting stolen funds."
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1113294818157969408
Gucci recently made waves online for a design choice and I’m not talking about their turtlenecks. These Gucci “distressed” low tops going for $870 had Twitter in disbelief.
They kinda look like a worn Nike SB Dunk low, so not the worst thing in the world. I have to think that the people hating on these shoes are either not into sneakers or have a problem with a $870 asking price for sneakers, which I totally get. I don’t think I could ever pay that much for shoes, but isn’t everything Gucci overpriced anyway?
What these fiscally responsible haters fail realize the trends in fashion in which vintage is so popular these days. I’ve seen vintage concert tees go for at least $500 in shops around LA. There are shops, such as Sean Wotherspoon’s Take Two, dedicated to selling used clothing at high markups. Nike has released many sneakers this past year with the vintage worn look and all of them have been praised. All the examples have insane resale value, in some case more than that Gucci sneaker and nobody batted an eye.
I recently saw these Maison Margiela in person. These are best described as trash shoes. In pictures they look like garbage, but in person they are so ugly they are appealing. These shoes retail for $1645, yes that’s right. These shoes are a total flex.
For me personally, I don’t find it desirable, to buy something that appears used. However I totally endorse wearing it in yourself and getting that desired look. The Jordan 1 x Nigel Sylvester was made to look like one that he wore in as he biked. Those sneakers are special to him because he skated in them, he has a special connection to that sneaker because he biked in them endlessly and he became pro BMXer. I could see fans of Sylvester wanting to get the sneaker, but I can’t imagine anybody else wanting them for the right reasons. You just want a used looking sneaker that’s a tribute to somebody you don’t care about? Why???
Nike recently revealed a SB x Air Jordan 1 collab that capitalized on the used aesthetic, not because it is made to look vintage, but because as you wear them and beat them up they change to a different colorway. They go from a a purple/gold color to the classic Chicago colorway. This really should make any enthusiast want to use them everyday.
I’m not immune to the vintage look hype as I customized my own Nike SB Dunk HI. The denim looked nice but after awhile I thought they needed a refresh so I bleached em a little bit and used some sand paper on em to distress em. Now I have incentive to wear them to really give an authentic vintage aesthetic. You like?
Although brands are just making what people are buying, “You should wear yo’ shoes!”
So you may have noticed around your mall or your local shopping center that, everybody's favorite sneaker punching bag, Payless shoes is going out of business. Prices have been slashed as the once retail giant is trying to liquidate its stock before closing 2,100 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico. Its other 1,500 stores across 40 other countries will remain unaffected. Who would’ve thought that their reach spanned that far?
I know that it may seem odd for me to bring up a discount off brand shoe store on Planet Hopper, this isn’t an an article to rip on or make fun of store, but a recognition that it definitely has played a role in the lives of many. While my mom never got me sneakers from Payless, we were more of Bradlees’ family, those shoes got me through my elementary years and early on in middle school (much to my dismay). I definitely remember not until middle school noticing what brands people were wearing, but I think that’s normal, and hating the fact that my mom wouldn’t buy what the other kids had. But I was still going through my growth spurt, I wouldn’t want to spend that money then either. It’s so weird to look back and see things through your enemies eyes and know you are wrong. Damn you Mom.
Needless to say since I started buying my own shoes I hadn’t been back. However you wanna know what I do go to Payless for? Slip resistant shoes. I’ve worked at restaurants for many years and they have all required employees to wear slip resistant shoes which are a god send in the service industry. To be able to confidently walk on a wet floor makes the job so much easier. I tried to not give in and wear regular dress shoes, some all black Nikes, Lugz, anything. I suppose I could’ve bought a nice pair of non slips, but I’m not wasting my money work shoes that were gonna get food on em. I needed a pair of beaters and so I got my shoes at Payless and let me tell you they worked wonderfully, they lasted for a couple of years until I bought another pair.
Something I never understood is why the major brands never catered to this audience. I’ve tried working in a few different pairs of Nikes and never quite got what I needed out of that $30 Payless shoe. Two years ago Eddie Huang, the Vice personality, chef and author, collaborated on an Adidas Superstar that was supposedly a non slip, it looked good, had a metal shell top and suede upper. I was a fan of his for awhile already and you know what, I slipped in those shoes! Pure garbage! They didn’t work for the main reason I bought them.
The food service industry is an untapped market for Nike and Adidas, that is still growing because they seem to be the one job that computers can’t do better. There are millions of people just like me that want heat that they can wear at work. So will one of you make make a non slip react or non slip Ultraboost already so I can give you more of my money!
"The Lord works in mysterious colorways."
PreacherSneakers, a relatively new Instagram account, is calling attention to well known preachers and the cost of their kicks and clothing. The accounts creator says that he just created the account for his friends and to have fun, but it has certainly taken off as the account has amassed 126,000 followers since its first post 3 weeks ago. He or she seems to on point out the shoes of well known Evangelical pastors that preach to stadiums full of people such as Pastor John Gray, Chad C Veach, or Rich Wilkinson Jr. During a Q&A, through their stories, they said “...that they want people to consider how they are stewarding their money and ask the same of their leaders.”
As expected the comments on the posts are polarizing as people have rushed to shame and defend the pastors. People are now seeming to question whether the people that tell them to be giving, charitable and to put others needs before your own, are practicing what they preach.
No matter what my thoughts on religion and what I think a pastor’s role should be, seeing a pastor with more heat than me is depressing. Maybe I should start looking into another side hustle. Look if their vice is gonna be sneakers, I’m actually OK with that, it could be a lot worse. Other people that are in their congregation might feel a little betrayed, think they are being hypocritical and start questioning other things their leader may or may not be doing in the Lord’s name. You should decide for yourself.
You should give this account a follow it’s well worth the entertainment.
As we all prepare to watch Avengers: Endgame in the coming weeks and the NBA playoffs starting, Adidas has announced a new collaboration with Marvel set to be available starting April 26, dubbed the “Heroes Among Us”.
VIA Adidas
“Basketball players, like Super Heroes, have alter-egos. Just as Super Heroes don masks, players don uniforms, and each athlete represents a different power and skill. These unique powers, once assembled, create an unstoppable force of good. With the world watching, these heroes take center stage, placing their teams, their cities and their communities on their backs.”
The collaboration features NBA and WNBA basketball stars James Harden, Tracy McGrady, Damian Lillard, John Wall, and Candace Parker. Each shoe (pictured below) is a silhouette mixed with a new colorway suited to an Avengers character.
As Adidas continues to lag behind Nike in the basketball space, this is a great collaboration idea. Marvel movies are the biggest thing going on in entertainment and appeal to a much wider audience than just the NBA and if they can get people into their products through comic book movies, why not? It works well because athletes compare themselves to superheroes or talk about how they were inspired by them all the time, now they can “dress” like them!
I love the fact that each sneaker is just subtely branded and they don’t have the character name blasted all over. It’s simple with a small logo or an emblem. The largest heroe branding can be found on the John Wall/Captain America N3xt L3v3l, but it is on the bottom of the shoe.My personal favorite among the collection is definitely Harden/Iron Man shoe, it works well with the fact that his team, the Houston Rockets, have the same color scheme as Iron Man and he is my favorite.
So keep a lookout as this collection is set to drop soon and pick up a pair to watch Endgame in!
In case you didn't know, April 22nd, is Earth Day. This past week Nike and Adidas both announced their plans for the upcoming/awareness Earth Day campaigns.
Nike teamed up with Los Angeles based artist Steven Harrington and is releasing a collection of classic silhouettes, such as the Cortez, Air Force 1, and Blazer, made of their sustainable flyleather. The leather is made from recycled leather that uses less resources to produce. Each sneaker will feature Harrington’s illustrations that try to show that taking care of the Earth is something we all need to do.
From SneakerNews.com Steve Harrington said:
“Sustainability can be a very daunting subject to tackle. It’s one that a lot of us steer clear of [because] we think there’s not much we can really do. But this project for me is talking about the fact that every little bit counts.”
If you are in the LA area, Harrington currently has an exhibition running entitled, Magic Hour, running until April 21, at 670 Anderson St. from 6PM-10PM
Not to be outdone Adidas, with Parley for the Oceans, announced this week that they will be releasing “upcycled” Major League Soccer jerseys, to be worn by all 23 teams this upcoming weekend celebrating Earth Day. The jerseys remain in the traditional MLS style jersey, but now with the Parley aqua color that has been a constant in Parley products. This is not Adidas first time partnering with Parley, as they have had a partnership for over the past 3 years. Parley for the Oceans is an organization that concentrates on reclaiming plastic trash found in beaches and coastal communities, then reworking the plastic into technical fibers that can be used for apparel or footwear.
The Parley line started off with a single Ultraboost sneaker but has grown into a full sneaker and clothing line. It is said that each sneaker created takes 11 plastic bottles out of the ocean.
While this may not seem significant on the part of Adidas, they have been at the forefront of sustainability for quite some time. They have set goals and are actively trying to achieve them. You can get a full report here.
It’s great to see the two leaders in sportswear making an effort to help. Nike and Adidas championing the cause of sustainability and for a cleaner environment can make a big impact because these are some of the brands that most everyday people interact with. Whether we like to believe it or not, we are susceptible to messages that we are exposed to and this just happens to be one we all should all get behind. Most consumers today hope that the money the spend isn’t going to a company that is doing evil things. While we as buyers may never know the extent of all the underhanded things that these large companies may do, it’s comforting to see when a business is seemingly trying to do some good.
Hopefully one day all of the objects will be made of something recycled and we won’t know it and we can have it all
FUTURECRAFT.LOOP Via Adidas
Yesterday Adidas introduced the FUTURECRAFT.Loop to the world. The Loop will be the first sneaker manufactured intended to be recycled and remade into other FUTURECRAFT shoes, hence the name “LOOP”. The entirety of the shoe is created from a single material called thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), including the upper, midsole, lace, and the torsion bar. TPU maybe more familiar as the material that is used to create the Boost cushioning we all love.
Via Adidas
Ideally when the consumer is done with the shoe they will return it to an Adidas store where the shoe can be be washed, ground to pellets and melted into material for a new pair of shoes with no waste. Although nothing specific has been announced, Adidas is considering buying back the shoes for $10-$20 when users were done with them.
FUTURECRAFT.LOOP parts VIA Adidas
Adidas will make the Loop available to its 200 leading creators around the world as part of a beta test. They will ask them to use the sneakers for six months and provide feedback to hopefully help Adidas meet their Spring/Summer 2021 target release.
Anything we can do to promote a less wasteful more environmentally friendly “consumer” culture, I’m all for. Adidas seems to be really aware of this and is always trying to push the boundaries of helping Earth. Whether it is just for the good PR or not, time will tell. Depending on the price tag, I can see these selling well. Retailers could easily put these next reusable shopping bags, stainless steel water bottles, metal straws, a Tesla, pretty much anything “environmentally friendly” that’ll make people feel better about buying. While meant to be a running shoe, they look like a great casual shoe as well. With different colorways they could easily takeover Iniki space. If this proves successful I’m sure Adidas will look to incorporate this technology into their other sneakers as well and then we all win.
UPDATE: Upon further reading about the FUTURECRAFT.LOOP, Gizmodo’s Sam Rutherford reported while fully recyclable, that currently only 5%-10% of the TPUl recycled from the shoe can be used to make the next generation shoe, but some recent prototypes have as much as %50.
As mentioned two weeks ago in the sneaker news, donald Glover is partnering with Adidas on a trio of sneakers and we are starting to see the results. The three remixed silhouettes are are the Nizza, Continental 80 and Lacombe. Each sneaker has a base cream color and what looks to be a seemingly deconstructed canvas upper. Each shoe also comes with accented laces which can be described as giving it that cartoon aesthetic, this is most noticeable on the Nizza, the first shoe to be released. The shoes will range from $80-$100 when they are made available.
What I’m really loving is the marketing campaign used for the sneakers as they are actively pushing for the consumer to wear these. This slogan can be found on their product page.
Especially with the low starting range compared to other celebrity endorsed sneaker, it’s a great way to get people to actually use the sneakers or at least not get bent out of shape over a crease or scuff.
Glover is one of the best current artists out there. He writes, directs, does stand up, raps, acts, and he does it well and respected among his peers as well as audiences. Everything he does has so many layers and actually has a reason to be made. Now he is taking that drive and applying it to sneakers. He is subtly saying we don’t need to buy the hyped celebrity, athlete endorsed sneakers to want to be like them. Buy these because its about your journey. It’s just a little ironic that these can be viewed as just another celebrity sneaker though.
So during the first weekend of Coachella, Childish Gambino, Glover’s rapping persona, headlined. While there he was surprising fans by air dropping pairs of the Nizza to the concert goers much to their delight. Then this past week Glover and Adidas released a bunch shorts promoting the shoes. Each short stars Glover as a fictionalized version of himself, with whom I believe to be his mother, play by Mo’nique. Each short is very reminiscent of his show Atlanta as Glover seems to be a fish out of water in his own home. The Nizza is featured very prominently as it is being worn by him and more importantly beat up. You should check out.
PHTV
Believe me I hate to be that bitter old sneakerhead that just talks trash on new sneakers cause he just doesn’t “get it” but here I am. Over a month after seeing Jordan Brand tease their summer 2019 releases I still can’t get over how bad and uninspired this brand and is slowly becoming. Besides their retros, Jordan Brand is slowly losing its appeal and fading into Team Jordan territory.
Jordan 8, 7, 6 via Sneakernews
Just at these sneakers who are they for. First of all for a “summer” release the Jordan 6s, 7s, and 8s are all too bulky to be a real summer shoe. There is no breathability and I’m willing to bet that most people wear the shoes without tying them, cause they think they are cool, and the movement of the foot creates a friction causing your feet to get hotter faster. So you slapped some cool grey paint...great. There is nothing here that I couldn’t have done with a sharpie.
As for that all “Graduation Day” Jordan 13, get out of here with that. Classic shoe, terrible colorway. If you are wearing these during graduation, do yourself a favor and get a regular pair of black shoes for your parents sake. They are more versatile, you can wear’em to a job interview and not look like a child. I will address my bias here, but I hate all black sneakers. They look too formal or should just be used for work. The 13’s look to formal to just wear as sneakers, and just look tacky if you try to wear them formally. This is the total dad shoe colorway when he wants to seem hip and relate to the kids, but be taken seriously by his peers and just comes of as an out of touch ass.
As for these Ferrari jordan 14s, they took away some of the lines on the side that really made the shoe seem sleek, and replaced the leather upper with suede. I love this dark yellow colorway but that isn’t enough to justify a purchase.
Would you buy a Ferrari without the lines in the body? NO because it would look like a piece of crap and all the other guys going through a mid life crisis would make fun of you. PASS
As for these neon trash Flyknit Jordan 4s...WHY?!?!?! Ok cool, they are flyknit, great for the summer, a breathable shoe. These colors are trash. Nobody really wants these colors, maybe girls, or if there is a Save by the Bell party, these shoes could match something. I just don’t get it. I feel like I have an idea of what people want and I just don’t see any of it being it. Look for these sneakers upcoming in your local outlet store and if you buy of these sneakers don’t talk to me.
Jordan Brand needs to stick to basketball and not be concerned about forcing a basketball sneaker into the lifestyle category. Let it happen organically and that’s when you know you have a winner. I really like the Why Not .2 and I appreciate what the 33s were. They were original shoes that pushed design and technology. JB needs to do more of that.
So I recently came across the documentary “Sneakerheadz” on Netflix. While I remember watching it a while back I didn’t really remember it at all so I decided to give it another watch. The movie came it out in August 2015, just as the current sneaker boom was starting to hit its stride, and was written by David T. Friendly and Mick Partridge. Friendly is most notable as a producer for Davis Entertainment.
While I’m sure that this movie came from a love of sneakers, to put it bluntly, Sneakerheadz is the Cliffnotes of sneaker culture. If someone were to ask you how they could learn about the “culture”, this is what I would recommend. There is nothing here that any true sneakerhead wouldn’t already know.
The movie runs a svelte 70 minutes and I think that’s kind of the problem. Friendly and Partridge have created a fifth grade book report. They have essentially looked up the term sneakerhead on Wikipedia and made a movie of it. They introduce plenty of topics but do not provide any further dissection or commentary on the matter like a good documentary does. As the cliche goes “If you make something for everyone, it works for no one.”
There is plenty to work with here:
They could’ve talked how the internet has changed the game, from how stores do retail to how it has kind of caused a globalization of style as people can easily get exports now.
Sneaker violence - They briefly talked about it here and just recounted some headlines, but didn’t really dive in. They could’ve offered different opinions on why it happens and seek out brands thought on their responsibility in its cause
The idea of always wanting more. They talk to a few collectors here and they show off their extreme collections and talk to their loved ones, but kind of treat as more of a joke, not that it could be a problem and the cause.
They could’ve done a lot more work with the Nike’s Doernbacher Children’s Hospital charity work. Their yearly collection that they donate the profits to the hospital. While they touch on it, I could’ve watched a whole documentary on seeing the joy that sneakers brought to these children’s faces.
There are definitely stories to be told in the sneaker world. If you want a crash course in it watch Sneakerheadz. If you want a real sneaker documentary check out this year’s Unbanned: The History of the AJ1. That has a real story to tell because it gets across the idea that the Jordan 1 had an effect on your life in some way shape or form. If a random person watched Sneakerheadz they’d walk away saying “So what?”. Sneakerheadz is a well produced Youtube documentary that you should put on in the background and occasionally glance up to look at.
Mortal Kombat 11 was developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment. This game offers a story mode, online pvp, a klassic tower, towers of time (Frustrating) and the krypt full of loot boxes.
The story mode of MK 11 was short and sweet. Similar to recent NetherRealm games, there are moments in the story mode where players get to choose between two characters. A different cut scene would be shown depending on the character the player chooses.
I don't spend much time fighting online on any fighting games, Mk 11 was no exception. Just know, the few battles I had online were smooth and the button inputs were not that delayed.
The Klassic tower offers players a chance to fight against a row of CPUs with their favorite character and get rewarded with an ending cut scene related to that chosen character. Players are also rewarded with konsumables, which are necessary when doing towers of time.
Towers of time gives players a chance to get costumes and accessories for a specific character in the roster, but it can be frustrating. Fighting a row of CPUs is no problem, fighting a row of CPUs with modifiers is. (This is what makes it different from Klassic towers) There are numerous modifiers that the CPUs can have. For example, there was a set of towers that had CPUs covered in a green aura. This green aura pulls you towards them and also weakens your attack power. This is why konsumables are necessary to defeat a tower. (Fight fire with fire) Konsumables can range from a damage buff to an actual assist attack from a character.
Though some towers of time can be frustrating, there are some fun ones. For example, there was a tower where three people can team up to take down one fully decked out CPU. (Tip: When on the sidelines, please assist your teammate with modifiers)
The krypt is where players will be able to get more costumes, accessories, fatalities, brutalities and konsumables. There are three different currencies, which are koins, souls and hearts. There will be chest that require a specific currency. I like that the krypt is in third person (Hated 1st person in mkx), but I do not like how the camera can be pretty janky in some narrow areas.
MK 11 offers many things that MK fans can sink their teeth into. ( Story wise, game play wise or both) The krypt and towers of time can be frustrating, but it didn't stop me from having a fun time with the game.
PHTV
A lot of sneaker sites write about all the flashy kicks that get released every week and what’s new. I realize that some people don’t exactly care about the latest releases. There is a consumer out there that is buying strictly based on budget and style. I realize that, me the guy with too many pairs for very specific occasions, is the outsider. But writing this article for the everyday guy, mostly because that’s who my friends are and one particular has a wife that asks me for recommendations for her not so dapper husband in his price range, because if it’s too much he will instantly hate it. Me personally I would recommend a sporty yet casual shoe that can work in variety of situations. If price didn’t matter I would tell everyone to buy an Adidas Ultraboost or Nike Free Run shoe. I find the comfort and versatility of those shoes are well worth the price, but not for these particular set of circumstances.
Finding the right sneaker at the right price is amazing. So my biggest piece of advice is having access to the right information. There are two sneaker Twitter accounts that I follow is @solelinks and @HesKicks. While HesKicks is a YouTube Sneaker channel, he usually does provide a lot of links to promo codes and websites on his website CollectiveKicks.com. Solelinks however provides a more comprehensive amount of deals, as links to new releases worldwide. When buying on box store websites or straight from the brand, you can always double stack a coupon code on top of a sale. This has been the most effective way I’ve found for saving money on sneakers. Adidas and Nike usually provide a welcome code for %15 off a first purchase and free shipping when you sign up for an account, so you should definitely do that.
So these are my recommendations for an everyday fashionable price conscious shoe for the everyman.
My first recommendation is for the Adidas I-5923 or once was known as the Iniki. This shoe is a unisex sneaker that features a boost sole and a mesh upper for breathability. The I-5923 is super comfortable because of the boost sole, so this is ideal for activity, yet casual enough to wear with a pair of slacks. While the shoe does retail at $130, every pair at Finishline can be found between $55-$80.
My next recommendation is the Roshe 1 which can be worn by both men and women. Released in 2012, it was once the most popular shoe at Nike for a period of time, but the hype has cooled down on them and that’s good for you. I had pair that I used for the gym and they were a great buy. What really contributed to the popularity of the shoe was the rising popularity of joggers. If you are still wearing wide jeans don’t buy these you’ll look dumb. While the Roshe 1 retail price is $75, these can be found between $40-$60 nowadays.
The next shoe is a staple of the loved to be hated category and that is the Nike Monarch. Yes the original Pete Carroll dad shoe. This shoe is the dad bod of shoes. The Monarch became acceptable to sneakerheads when they began wearing them so ironically that it just became normal. When I see someone wearing this shoe, without some hyped Supreme hoodie along with it, I instantly think, this guy probably has more going on his life and he isn’t going to worry about fashion and I won’t hate them for it. I mean I hope I never reach his level of “I don’t give a F- attitude” either. I recommended a bunch of shoes to my friend I talked about before and this was the one shoe he really liked. There’s an audience for this shoe and they most like spend their time talking about their grill and drinking light beer. The Nike Monarch can be found for $55 at most retailers.
Now if you wanna be a cool go and buy the Puma Thunder Spectra. This chunky dad shoe has an aggressive look. It’s like Mr. Incredible when he started exercising again after he was going back into the superhero life in the first movie. It offers a chunky as the sole similar to a Balenciaga, the design of the colors on the upper give it a sleek look as well, giving it the best of both worlds, plus there is a variety of materials used on the upper. The Spectra retails for $120 but can be found at most retailers for $70.
Finally sneakers that I don’t think will ever go out of style and are timeless classics are really any pair of Vans or Converse Chuck Taylors. Both are iconic silhouettes that really just go with anything. Sure there might be some crazy colorways but you’re probably not getting the donut vans colorway. They go with any kind of jeans and cheap enough to triple or even quadruple up on, get all the colors.
Getting something that is comfortable and that you like shouldn’t be expensive so don’t ever feel the need to over extend yourself. What’s the use of spending a bunch of money on your shoes and were too worried to wear them or if you are constantly worrying about messing them up, that’s not comfortable. You do you.
This article was written by my good friend Matt Haggerty. He is a Philadelphia comic and sneakerhead. You can find him on IG and Twitter @MattSwaggerty.
After having the release date pushed back numerous times, we can finally expect to see the Tom Sachs Mars Yard Overshoe to drop on May 11th for a whopping retail price of $550. That’s a big price tag to look like you have the same drip as an astronaut headed to the moon. This is a frustrating shoe for me to say the least. Tom Sachs and Nike took my holy grail of sneakers, the Mars Yard 2.0, and covered it in a white heavy duty kitchen trash bag with some drawstrings and straps and threw it on top of a thick blue sole. Frank Ocean showed off his pair on Instagram back in December. The only difference between Frank’s pair and the one releasing this month is that Frank butchered his. He cut the bag off of the shoe with a knife or scissors leaving only the straps covering the exposed Mars Yard. Not many of us are bold or wealthy enough to take a knife to a $550 pair of sneakers for fashion, but Frank has the right idea.
If there’s anybody that this shoe will appeal to, it’s the sneaker heads who are afraid to wear their grails. Instead of never wearing that coveted pair you got from finally winning an online raffle, or putting sole protectors or plastic grocery bags over because you want to flex but it’s raining outside, you now have the opportunity to buy a grail already covered to protect from the elements.
I won’t knock this shoe completely. I see it as more than just a sneaker. It can be used for more than covering your feet. For instance if you turn it upside down and put it on your head, you have yourself a shower cap that will put even the Supreme shower cap to shame.
What’s that, your kid is still trick or treating this Halloween with an old pillow case? Just loosen the drawstring on the Mars Yard Overshoe and your kid will have an astronauts’ boot full of candy this year. The ultimate flex.
On May 11th I’ll still be refreshing my SNKRS app trying to cop. I missed out on the Mars Yard 2.0 so I guess this is the closest I’ll ever get to owning my grail. Maybe I’ll even try to pull my best Frank Ocean and get my scissors ready. What could go wrong?
This past week New Balance made its comeback in the basketball space as they released two Kawhi Leonard shoes. As you may not have heard last November the highly sought after “sneaker free agent” surprisingly signed with Boston based brand New Balance. Yes the New Balance that was proclaimed the show of the alt right after VP of Affairs Matt Bretton made some pro Trump comments in an interview. Leonard made a bold move leaving Jordan Brand for New Balance, perhaps to make his own mark in basketball wear.
Kawhi got his own basketball shoe called the OMN1s and his own 997 colorway From the pictures I gotta say that these look pretty good. So the OMN1s is New Balances first basketball shoe and it is definitely is looks unlike any other silhouette they currently produce and that’s a good thing. I tend to get a lot of the classic NBs confused as I think they look all very similar, and that’s not a bad thing as I’ve definitely gone through a bunch of them. But the first thing you will notice is how high the leather ankle collar goes on this sneaker along with a mesh breathable upper. I would totally check these out if given a chance even though I’m the biggest basketball shoe wearer. But I would totally without a doubt rock those 997s. If I see those in store they might be the first pair of NBs I’d buy in awhile.
The one thing that the OMN1s share with the 997 is the distinct black, midnight blue colors, and gold accents. The colors are vivid and eye catching yet neither of the shoes look gaudy and that’s what I love about them.
These shoes are a great effort to get New Balance noticed by a new audience. And judging by how quickly these sold out I’m not the only that feels that way. Could the Kawhi bring New Balance to prominence the same way that Steph Curry increased the visibility for Under Armour when he made them the hottest sportswear company a few years ago. A little competition never hurt and really hope these sneakers reinvigorate New Balance.
Packer Shoes, longtime retail store in Teaneck New Jersey, five minutes from New York City, did something really interesting this past week. We are all but too familiar with stores brands collaborating with sneaker brands to create their own shoe, but usually those sneakers are either widely available online or are hyped up so much that you have it marked on your calendar and you are determined to get it. However Packer did something a little different as they released an UltraBoost collab exclusively in store with only 500 pairs available. They say that they wanted a way to reward their customers that frequent the store and wanted to give them the feeling of discovering something new. The following is from their press release.
“Thanks to the internet and social media, we’ve never been more in the know about the shoes we love. Our timelines and feeds are chock full of what shoes are coming out, when they release, where we can buy them, etc. It’s a great time to be alive, but there’s something to be said about that long forgotten feeling of walking into a store and falling in love with a pair of shoes you never knew existed.”
The Packer x adidas UltraBoost OG 1.0 is a combination of three OG colorways. They are sold out now.
It’s common to hear retailers complain about getting customers in store while competing with online shoppers. It’s great to see a retailer trying to combat that and keep the in store experience special. Hopefully we will see some other stores follow suit in trying to figure out how to replicate this and give reasons for customers come in.
Via Nike[/caption]
Finally we are are getting a Nike Adapt BB that I want. Nike will be releasing this self lacing shoe in the “Mag” colorway. To those of you that don’t know why this awesome and important the Nike Mag was the shoe in Marty McFly wore in Back to the Future II. The Mag is what put the idea of the self lacing shoe to the masses. While numerous “Back To The Future” colorways of shoes have been released, they always paled in comparison to the the “The Mag”. When Nike actually made a working model of the shoe, I think audiences really appreciated the effort Nike put into the shoe, but we realized how impractical it actually was. While no sneakerhead will admit it, they are too high to really hoverboard in it or even walk. However because the product was so limited they are the ultimate flex and something you don’t want to crease the toe of.
[caption id="attachment_7613" align="alignleft" width="300"] Via Nike[/caption]
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Via Nike[/caption]
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Via Nike[/caption]
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Via Nike[/caption]
This Adapt BB Mag is merries the two ideas of having that self lacing Back to The Future shoe with something that is “practical” and can also be worn comfortably. It looks awesome and it’s a better shoe than what Marty wore, we are living in the future! That icey blue sole with grey speckled mid and mesh grey upper look perfect. It’s sure to stand out in a good way especially compared to those other normal looking original version. Besides the self lacing, the BB, through the app, can also change it’s lights colors to match any outfit, something that the Original Mag or E.A.R.L (first mass produced self lacing NIke) couldn’t do and some with a wireless charging pad for the shoes.
As I hope you can tell from my enthusiasm that I love these and think they are a must buy even at at $350. The Nike Adapt BB will be released May 29th.
Via SoleCollector[/caption]
Via HypeBeast[/caption]
Via SneakerNews[/caption]
Cancelled Puerto Rico AF1 via Nike[/caption]
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Cancelled BHM Ultraboost Via Adidas[/caption]
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Cancelled Adidas shackle shoe Via Bloomberg[/caption]
I think it’s all too common these days to see brands simply slap on certain colors for Black History Month or a rainbow on a pair of shoes in June for Pride month and Chinese lettering on a red shoe for Chinese New Year, its disingenuous. I really feel as if the “Lannister” Ultraboost from the Game of Thrones collab really could’ve been a Chinese New year shoe if they just changed out the tag for a picture of an animal. Did Nike really create 720 with a rainbow colorway for any other reason than they just wanted to capitalize on the month and the quickest way to do that was to put a rainbow on one of their latest silhouettes? Is the money they make off selling cultured themed gear going back to the people they are capitalizing off of. Nike does a hell of a job with the Doernbecher collection. Every year they select a few children to design their own sneaker and they tell you why they decided to design the sneaker they did. It's almost uplifting to hear these children's stories. Then each year the money they make off of those shoes, a portion goes back to the hospital to help more children and that is awesome.
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2018 Doernbecher Designers via nike[/caption]
If they want to sell us this story about celebrating cultures, I want to know the designer. I want to see who created this shoe and why. This would be a way to highlight diverse designers and you can reward the loyalty or creativity of, give the celebration sneaker a more personal touch.
If you like a the sneaker regardless, buy it, spend your money however you see fit. If you are inclined to buy the sneaker because you think you relate to it ask yourself “Do I?” or is this just a marketing ploy to get my money. 
I’m gonna come straight out and say it, I am a Nike Monarch hater. However I know that there is an audience for it, that’s why I had recommended it an earlier article a few weeks ago. It’s just so basic plain, vanilla, bleh, uninspired, generic, place negative adjective here. It enrages me that its basicness was so apparent that wearing it became a “statement”. So while it doesn’t pain me to say this but it sure as hell surprises me to say this, I really like the upcoming Nike Monarch father’s day release with a denim colorway. It’s amazing to see how a denim wrap and some slight details have made me do a 180 on the silhouette.
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via Nike[/caption]
The denim on the new Monarch highlights some of the details that I didn’t notice on the original as well really accentuates the gum colored sole. Something I never noticed on the original was the stitching, but here it is noticeable and accentuates the design making it look like a more unique shoe. Then the red highlights on the back of the shoe may look a little out of place considering the blue hue of the shoe but when you look at the tongue of the shoe it is obvious to anybody that’s owned a pair of Levi’s that this is a nod to the brand’s signature red tag, which Nike’s Jordan Brand has collaborated with recently.
I’m assuming that it will retail for $65 and at that price it’s gonna be hard to pass up. I can only wonder if this denim shoe will be as popular to customize as the recent Jordan 4 Levis that came out last year. But even without that it is still a good looking shoe. Congratulations Nike you got me to change my mind on this one and in the age of the internet that is hard task. These shoes are available starting today June 10 on the SNKRS app in North America and Japan, as well as nike.com in Europe, China and Korea.
This week Nike revealed their lost shipment tease and it all led to a Stranger Things collaboration reveal. There are two sneaker lines as well a Hawkins High clothing line. Each sneaker line contains colorways on the classic Blazer, Cortez, and Tailwind. One set dons the Hawkins High colors and the other sports a patriotic red, white and blue theme. The branding is subtle as the only way "Stranger Things" logo can be found on the the tongue tab or on the inside sole. The year 1985 can be found on the heels as a nod to the fact that season 3 takes place around July 4th, 1985.
I know most people on the internet probably hate this collab, but personally I think it looks great. What did you really want in the sneaker? The 70's sneaker captures the time because these characters aren't rich, they wouldn't be wearing the "high tech" sneakers of the 80's, so this makes perfect sense. Like I've said before I hate when the collaborations are over branded, they can look silly after awhile. This line by Nike you would have to first either know the show to get the Hawkins reference or you would have to be a sneakerhead and into the shoes to get the appeal of owning them. I'm definitely picking up a Hawkins hoodie, maybe the shoes depending on price and availability.
The new season of Stranger Things will be available on Netflix on July 4th.
Ghost Face is finally here and he is quite terrifying. (First few matches against him at least) Unlike other license killer DLC, Ghost face did not release with a new map and a new survivor. For example, the Michael Myers DLC came with Laurie Strode and a free level called Haddonfield. (So no Sidney Prescott, unfortunately)
But like other killers, Ghost face comes with a new ability and three new perks to take down the survivors. Ghost Face ability, Night Shroud, is a mix of Micheal Myers (Stalk survivors to get them in an exposed state) and the Pig (He can crouch).
What makes him different from Michael Myers and the Pig is that he can also lean to the side when hiding behind the wall and also that survivors can shut off his ability to stalk by simply looking at him. (Center the camera on Ghost Face) As a survivor, you are informed if you are being stalked by a high pitch sound effect and a red ring surrounding your avatar on the bottom left.
Along with Night Shroud, Ghost face's three perks include I'm all Ears, Furtive Chase and Thrilling Tremors. I'm all ears allows Ghost face to see any aura of a survivor performing a rushed action outside their terror radius. (Jumping through a window or over a pallet)Furtive Chase shrinks Ghost Face's terror radius every time he hooks an obsession. (Every obsession hook, he gets a token)
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The most useful one of the three is thrilling tremors, which activates when Ghost Face picks up a downed survivor. When activated, all Generators not being repaired by Survivors are blocked and cannot be repaired for short duration. The blocked generators are highlighted by a white aura.
Ghost Face is a fun killer to play against because his ability to stalk while crouching and leaning behind the wall. Whenever I find out that I am playing against Ghost Face, I become paranoid when ever i repair a generator. I Scroll my camera around non stop just to make sure he isn't stalking me from my blind spot. @solesbyJC Via HighSnobiety[/caption]
Recently @solesbyjc gave us a glimpse into an upcoming Jordan 1 set to come out this holiday season. The shoe is being called “Fearless”. It was designed to pay homage of Jordan’s transition from playing college at UNC to playing with the Chicago Bulls.
[caption id="attachment_8227" align="aligncenter" width="980"] Fearless[/caption]
The sneaker sports a combination of colors from the Tar Heels and the Bulls. Two things that separate this sneaker from the usual jordan is the half n half color blocking scheme as well as its use of patent leather and sure to be a highly sought after sneaker this upcoming holiday.
The shoe seems to be a combination of two highly coveted Jordans from last year, the “Homage to Home”, which sported a Bred/Chicago colors split down the middle and the “Gold Toe” which featured patent leather black/gold colors. Both were popular and hard to get at retail. I know because I tried. I remember really wanting the "Homage to Home". I love both the Bred and Chicago colorways and I was so disappointed when I couldn't find'em for retail and resale was crazy for them in the beginning because it was seen as a limited release.
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A crazy thing happened to me though, while checking these two out a local consignment shop. Holding them in hand, I realized I didn’t want them anymore. Neither of them simply didn’t look as great as they did in the pictures. The “Homage to Home” didn’t look like this unique shoe that I had never seen before, it looked confused and the quality of the shoe definitely seem to be what I had come to expect from Jordan 1. I’m not sure what it was, but holding that shoe didn’t give me the gotta have it feeling.
The “Gold Toe” I’ll admit is still something I’d buy if I could get it for close to retail, but that’s doubtful. What really drove interest in this shoe was the fact that it was similar to the Gold Toe Top 3 that was released in limited supply at ComplexCon when it was in Long Beach. But I digress, I really think the simplicity and classic aesthetic of Jordan 1 is what makes it a timeless classic. The use of patent leather totally changed the tone of the shoe and makes it a lot more flashy and gaudy which I don’t think works for the silhouette.
I’m not saying definitively that the “Fearless” model will be like that, but I’m afraid it may. I’ll have to see it in person whether to truly make that decision. The one question I have is “What’s the resale gonna be?”
What do you guys think let me know on Instagram or Twitter @TheRealKevinLau.
via Forbes[/caption]
Sneakerheads and myself have questioned whether or not Kanye West and the Yeezy brand had anything new to offer since we haven’t seen any radical design changes and a plethora of 350v2s for the past few years. Sure we have seen some design “leaks” but we could never be sure what was real or fake in this current internet age. But here comes Forbes magazine doing their latest profile on Yeezus himself, written by Zach O’Malley Greenburg, and now we know so much more.
Greenburg recounts the interesting day he spent with Kanye getting to know him up close and personal. Ye is even more of an intricate, obsessively detailed person than I could have ever imagined. The sheer fact that he made Greenburg put booties onto his shoes to enter his house, like an art exhibit, makes him seem as if he the guy you want to be an acquaintance with because he’s a good dude but not a full fledged friend because if you get to know him too well, it sort of gets old.
We also get a timeline of Kanye’s journey from the early 00’s to today from his early days as a producer to the present Yeezy empire. It’s inspiring to hear that he does put as much thought into the sneaker design than other athletes or entertainers in their footwear. The fact that he took the time to intern at Fendi, an Italian luxury brand shows that he cares and this isn’t purely a cash grab.
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via Forbes[/caption]
But the part of the story that got sneaker Twitter excited were the pictures. We got to see Kanye in the middle of a circle of a thousand Yeezy prototypes. There were unreleased silhouettes, colorways, slides, boots all seen in the pictures. The overwhelming amount got me excited again about the Yeezy brand. Look a those pictures, there ain't nothing that I wouldn't wear because I'm a Yeezy zombie, even the the 451s cause I want it to look like there is some kind of monster eating my feet. Click on the pics to get a better look. Is there something in there that you are excited about let me know! And read the article!
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I do my best not hate on sneakers. Like any movie, it could be somebody’s favorite. My last rant came on the heels of the Jordan Brand announcing their summer drops and how terrible I thought they were. And to no surprise you, the public, agreed with me as they sat on shelves for weeks. However this past week Nike did a surprise drop and released the Travis Scott (TS) Jordan 1 Lows to(o) much fanfare. While I appreciate the fair chance to get some hyped shoes, these shoes are absolutely overrated and deserve to be put in the dumpster.
The Travis Scott Jordan 1 lows is the latest example of hype. The original TS Jordan 1 Hi is a masterpiece. It’s along the lines of what I would call a perfect collaboration, paying homage to the original Jordan 1 as well giving it enough of a twist to make genuinely unique. The lows are just a poor retread. They aren’t a good basketball shoe and they look way too much like a far more super SB Dunk Low or an Air Force 1. The public is buying into the hype because of the demand for the first one. I know this because not once has anyone ever said they were looking forward to the low. Everyone has always trashed the J1 low.
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A Masterpiece[/caption]
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An Abomination[/caption]
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A Variation on the greatest shoe ever made that brings joy to people[/caption]
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The shit emoji[/caption]
Nike has always released low versions of other popular Jordan 1 highs to no fanfare. We saw what they were doing. Go to StockX and you can find any other pair for retail or less. This show the lack of love for this model til Scott put his name on it. Look at these side by side comparisons. I guarantee that no one would prefer the lows. The color scheme is even different and uglier that the highs and you can’t justify this solely materialistic purchase. This is a typical capitalistic move of slapping a name on a shoe that doesn’t sell, get people to think that they are missing out something to create interest and drive up the market. Brilliant business move, but terrible for the consumer.
I understand that some people may see this as a consolation if they in fact missed out on the highs, but getting the lows is just like when you parents got you a VR trooper toy when you really wanted a Power Rangers Megazord and Dragonzord. It’s not good and your denial isn’t helping. I’m sorry that I’m an old 90’s kid and you don’t get that reference. And I also totally get that these pictures make them both look super terrible.
If you are reading this, which I doubt you are, think about what you are buying. Does it really mean that much to you? Buy a shoe cause you want it and you want to wear it, but for the love of god STOP BUYING THE HYPE!
This week Nike announced its latest innovation in cushioning technology and it’s called Nike Joyride. From it’s press release, it seems as Nike will be marketing Joyride to runners and will then slowly make its way into other demo, similar to the React technology release less than two years ago. What separates Joyride from other cushioning systems is that it consists of TPE (a copolymer of plastic and rubber beads) zoned off in the soles of the shoes allowing the beads to move and mold to your foot for a perfect personal cushion for your feet.
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Inside the Sole of Joyride[/caption]
I can’t wait to get my hands on a pair to try them out. From what I’ve read from reviews they all seem to be pretty satisfied with the results. Although I’ve read some articles criticizing Nike for using plastic beads as the main material due to environmental concerns, comparing them to the micro plastics used in exfoliating face and body washes. While I do share the same concern I’ll wait til Nike officially responds with all the information, before assuming anything like an uninformed ass that likes to complain for like bait, as Nike has made concerted efforts to curb their waste.“Joyride is engineered to help keep legs fresh by delivering a personalized underfoot experience with great impact absorption in a surprisingly light, energy-returning package.”
Could this finally be Nike’s answer the Ultraboost? They’ve been chasing an equivalent for years now and while React was popular we all know it ain’t boost. But with Adidas pretty much riding Ultraboost and celebrity collabs, I think people will definitely be giving Joyride a chance because they want something different. It’s gonna be great to see what they do with these beads, will they incorporate into existing models instead of air? Seeing the two toned beads in the heel is the most defining characteristic and it’ll be interesting to see if or how it changes shoe design. After what seems like nothing but a year of retros and collabs I’m excited again.
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The Nike Joyride Run Flyknit was available starting on July 25 to Nike members and will be available to everyone August 15th for $180.
It’s been a long time coming, but New Balance is definitely in the midst of a brand revival. I’m not gonna lie to you, there was period of time where I owned many NBs. I was living on my own paying off a car, rent, a school loan, sneakers weren’t the biggest priority for me. I just found NBs to be a happy medium of comfort and “style”. But as I grew older and my tastes changed the classic 574s stayed the same and I just never went back to them, to slowly realizing that I should probably throw these out cause I just got something new and I need space.
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That was then and this is now and while they are still making weird runners and foam shoes that seem just like a poor attempt to keep up with the competition, New Balance is now starting to offer interesting options for a cooler, younger, hipper audience. And we a all started taking notice with the signing of Kawhi. His two models, OMN1 and 574, quickly sold out because they had bold design and color. Those shoes turned heads and captured the attention of a wider audience. It said we are more than dad shoes.
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via Sneakernews[/caption]
With the arrival of their Tokyo Design Studio, New Balance designs have been pushed to new limits beyond what anyone thought. Recently the Boston based company, teamed with six Japanese brands for their own collaborations (United Arros, N.Hoolywood, Beams+, nonnative, atmos and mita. While some more appealing than others and have their own story, the fact that they are experimenting should do them good.
Another collaboration announced this week was with New Era. They teamed up for a 997 and what’s truly unique about it is the removable/interchangeable logos and four pair of laces that it comes with, for endless customization options. It also comes with a matching hat!
Finally one more thing that I saw NB do to get me watching them again was their 30th anniversary of the 1500. Here is a quote from HighSnobiety:
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New Balance 1500 Sample Lab[/caption]
“New Balance Japan presents the limited edition Sample Lab assortment of the 1500 and 1530, consisting of just 24 pairs. Colorways of the sneakers have been selected at random and packaged in a bag to hide the contents. Customers will then choose a bag to purchase, as the shoes will remain hidden until the transaction is complete.”
This is them saying you are going to buy something from us and you have no control and you are going to like it. It’s refreshing to hear such a confident voice from the brand.
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New Balance 1530 Sample Lab[/caption]
New Balance is keeping their core audience and just expanding by reaching out to new audiences and positive results are starting to show. With some new designs, and limited quantity, they've created some hype around themselves to get the attention of more affluent sneaker wearers willing to look at their more premium priced offerings. If they can get their loyal base to slowly graduate up to those higher priced point sneakers and you are looking at a company that will start to compete with the bigger shoe brands.
via MagentaFP
When we think of “happiness,” we think of material things, money, having a husband or wife by the time we’re 30. However, many of us do not fit society’s image, and fortunately, we don’t have to. Being happy is a state of mind, and it’s possible, if we allow ourselves to be. Here are some ways I practice living a happier, healthier life. Self Love- Take a cute selfie, once in a while, and remind yourself of the queen or king you are. Tell yourself you’re beautiful. Tell yourself you’re the sexiest thing in the room. Remind yourself that your validation is the only one that matters. Exercise- Working out helps you overcome any challenge. I’m not saying your problems will magically disappear, but it greatly helps reduce stress. When I lift weights, I push myself to lift heavier. Mentally, I know I am strong enough to overcome my goal in the gym, as well as personal challenges in my life. Also, exercising will boost your confidence. When you start to see results, you will feel unstoppable. Surround Yourself With Good/Like Minded People- Energy is contagious. Be around those who are going to inspire and push you. Those are the people who are going to benefit you in the future. It would even help to be around those with similar goals and interests as yourself. Your friends are a reflection of your future, so choose your friends and partners, wisely! Isolate yourself. I’m not saying to abandon your loved ones and drop off the face of the earth. Travel, spend time by yourself to know what you want. If you need more time to be single, then be single. If you don’t feel like responding to a text, do that. If you feel like deleting your Instagram or Facebook, do that. Refresh your mind, and you will have a better understanding on what it is that you want. Get comfortable with being alone. You will learn to be at peace with yourself. Be Spontaneous- Some of the best moments in my life are when I traveled to South Africa, and sat down by the waves, alone, or standing by the edge of the cliffs. Sometimes, I drive to random spots at midnight and listen to music. You will appreciate life more, when you focus on the little things.
I was a young child when I first heard of a game called SimCity, where you can build an entire city exactly how you want. I went to the store and traded a bunch games for SimCity 2000. When I first started playing 2000, I was angry at how boring it looked. But 25 hours later, I was a newer, smarter, mature version of myself. I was now qualified to be a City Mayor.
Video tutorials can only teach you so much. SimCity gave me the hands-on experience to learn about land zones, tax rates and city ordinances, power grids, transportation, and trade. All the things that sound super boring! I then realized that Simulation games are the way to go if you want to learn new skills and grow as a person. Therefore, I have been playing that genre exclusively for over 20 years. Except Dwarf Fortress and other text-based games like that because we’re in the 21st Century.
SimCity 3000 was a huge upgrade from 2000. I learned about a city’s water and waste management, zone density, effects of pollution on population, and ways to increase land value. More things that sound super boring! Then Maxis did it again with a new and improved SimCity 4. They even added MySim mode where you can create a resident in your city and follow along to see how their lives unfold. Which led me to the Sims games that I will praise later in this article.
SimCity Societies and 2013 look good but feel weaker than their predecessors. Good thing there’s Cities: Skylines and all its expansion packs to hold the title of ultimate city simulator. I also spent a few thousand hours on Caesar III-IV and Age of Empires 2-3, but I prefer modern cities instead of history even though the military aspect of the games is cool. The Tropico series is cool if you like politics and armies, but in a modern setting. SimSafari is cool if you’re interested in Africa.
SimEarth is boring, but I learned about biology and a planet’s development. Spore is pretty much an upgrade to SimEarth, but with more focus on organisms rather than the planet. SimAnt was fun at first, but it doesn’t take long to realize that the life of an ant is boring.
SimLife sounded really cool, but I should’ve known the graphics aren’t remotely close to real life since the game was released in 1992. I didn’t play much of SimFarm, but Farming Simulator 19 is currently the best game when it comes to be a farmer. I was impressed with how much work goes into farming. You absolutely need some intelligence to be a successful farmer.
I played SimGolf for a bit, but I don’t understand why rich people like golf so much. I never played SimIsle, SimTown, and SimPark because they are too childish for me. SimHealth is too complex for me, but I learned about the U.S. healthcare system so I was prepared when I got too old to be covered by my parents’ insurance plan. Streets of SimCity and SimCopter are unnecessary.
I never played Capitalism, but I did play Capitalism II. It kind of looks like SimCity, but it’s all about business. After a few hundred hours of playing, I know everything about retailing, market analysis, manufacturing, branding, advertising, research and development, production, and the stock market.
Theme Park and Theme Hospital are fun, but boring after 50 hours or so. Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 is my favorite for teaching me how to run an amusement park, the physics required to build a roller coaster, and giving me the experience of actually being at an amusement park and going on rides. Planet Coaster has improved graphics and Thrillville is too wacky for me.
The Sims 1-4 and all their expansions have given me some of my most cherished memories and experiences. I learned so much about having relationships, being an independent adult, how to build a beautiful home and family. The Sims Stories and MySims are weak spin-offs that you can ignore completely. The Sims Medieval is fun, but there should have been custom castle building!
Nintendogs taught me how to take care of a dog and train it. Then I learned about cats in Nintendogs + Cats. WolfQuest showed me that the lone wolf is my spirit animal. I am always happy playing as a wolf. I’ve been playing the Microsoft Flight Simulator games since 2002, so I’m a very good pilot. Orbiter taught me how to be an astronaut and how to navigate through our solar system. Kerbal Space Program taught me how to build rockets, aircraft, and rovers.
Trauma Center taught me how to be a surgeon. Forza Motorsport made me a good driver and mechanic. PC Building Simulator taught me how computers work so I can now build one of my own. Train Sim World taught me how trains work and showed me what it’s like to ride in them. Fishing Sim World taught me how to fish in a few hours, but I didn’t feel like playing any more afterwards.
Many more Simulation games have been announced and that makes me very excited for all the new experiences and skills I will learn. I was able to write this letter after playing a writer simulator! And the new games coming out range from truckers, tank mechanic, junkyard owner, ship builder, prison guard, gunsmith, bum, bee, electro mechanic repair, car wash owner, and more. There will be so many things I’ll be able to do once I decide to leave my parents’ house. You guys at Planet Hopper have plenty of Simulation games to talk about and play. Maybe make a Simulation for running a content studio?
Yours sincerely,
Alex
P.S. All images were found on Google.
A couple of days ago, I found myself crying, from not getting enough Instagram likes. It all started when I posted some photos I was excited to share with the world. These pictures were fun, sexy, and “Instagood,” with my orange bodysuit and my hair blowing. I was definitely feeling like a hot girl, like Meg Thee Stallion. I was expecting 200 likes, and then was hit with a solid 90. I began to question my worth, and really didn’t feel as pretty as I wanted to. On Instagram, my girl friends will receive 1,000 likes and I only got 90. Another incident occurred when I was scrolling on an Instagram model’s page. Looking at her perfect face and body, I felt beneath her in many ways.
I get it. In this world, we like to feel important. We all crave a sense of belonging and validation. It’s okay. We’re human! The truth is, we let social media get the best of us.
Because I allowed myself to get in my feelings, too many times to count, I’ve decided to take the plunge and delete every social media app for 30 days. Deleting Instagram was the hardest, since that’s where I usually post. I deleted Snapchat and Facebook, as well.
Within these 4 and a half weeks, I found myself feeling much more refreshed, healthier, and would appreciate life a little more. Here are some advantages of a social media cleanse.
Photo Credit: Google Images
Halloween is coming around and for those of us who aren't too big into the ghouls and goblins but still enjoy that sense of horror that surrounds the prior weeks leading up to October and all the way to the 31st, these 3 binge worthy shows should definitely be on your list! Especially if you're looking for a few series no more than a season or 2 long to entertain yourself, these are the 3 that have caught my eye.
(Photo Credit: https://twitter.com/babyrosemusic)
Most of what you hear on the radio ends up falling in the line of Hip Hop, Trap, Rap, or Pop, usually not too much rnb. Mainstream R&B artists usually have to venture over into pop for radio play. For example SZA, whose top two songs on billboard are All the Stars feat. Kendrick Lamar for the Black Panther album and What Lover’s Do which she was featured on and the song belongs to Maroon 5. Both very pop like songs but SZA has so many other songs that in my opinion musically by far surpass those. But let’s not fear too much because behind the radio we have our beloved streaming services and it allows us instant access to whatever we want to hear. So here are 3 new R&B artists to put on your playlist ASAP!
With her new album, To Myself, dropping, touring with Lizzo and Ari Lennox, and appearing on the Dreamville, Revenge of the Dreamers album, Baby Rose is a force to be reckoned with. Her name is kind of contradictory to her voice. When All to myself starts and it’s so soulful, she begins to sing and the warmth of her voice stimulates every part of your ear drum in a way no singer has come to do in a long time. All though she is young, her voice sounds like a woman who has lived many lives, harbored much pain, harnessed it and tuned it into a frequency, unmatched and untouched by the impurities of this world. Heartbreak, heartache, and heart healing touch this album and it will have you in your feels loving every moment of it!
There’s still so many more artist, new and old that you can add to your list. Like Summer Walker, Jaz Kris, Kehlani, NAO, The Internet, etc, but let’s start there!
Within the last 10 years, people have made thousands of hours’ worth of reaction videos. I’m talking about videos where someone sits in front of the camera and watches a video someone else made. Sometimes, the person is reacting to another reaction video…smh. Most of these videos have views in the single digits, but they all add up to millions of views.
It is fun to show videos to friends and family and see their reactions because those people are special to you. I really couldn’t care less about a stranger’s reaction to a video. Before I watch a reaction video, I already know that the person is either going to get scared, to cry, or just try hard to be funny. Why do I need to watch that? The people are almost never involved with the video so they don’t have any insightful commentary.
Some of the very popular reaction videos include multiple people reacting to a video and each person represents a different demographic so that the viewer gets insight into society and humans….that’s a bunch of pretentious artsy-fartsy bullshit. It doesn’t matter what demographic you fall into, you’re still going to react with fear, sadness, or happiness and the reaction isn’t even 100% genuine because everyone is reacting to the camera.
Reaction videos can be good promotion for a video, but I think they are lazy. Be more creative with the video or more scientific with the research. Make a short narrative, sketch, or documentary. If you can’t think of anything good, then don’t upload it, no one has to see your reaction!
People will still be making reaction videos in the future, but everyone will only be watching the new ones. No one is going to revisit an old video of some stranger watching a video. And reaction videos make it harder to find the original video they were reacting to so it’s not really a good option for promotion.
You’re not a bad person if you watch reaction videos, but it will never be the best use of your time. You’ll be much better off watching videos here at Planet Hopper TV. You can expect to see good reaction videos here at the studio, and at least you can earn points while doing it.
photo, via papermag.com
1. Amala by Doja Cat- Doja Cat is a quirky, bubbly, lyrical rapper with fire bars. “Wild Dreams,” is a chill, electric poppy, R&B type of song you can just vibe to, and it’s slightly sexy. “Tia Tamera” (ft. Rico Nasty) and “Juicy” (ft. Tyga) are some of her most popular songs. Her album is great for vibin in the car, taking a light night drive, or working out. 2. Baby on Baby by Da Baby- Coming from the bottom, Da Baby tells you what it’s like to come from nothing to something, in his album, Baby on Baby. His flow is a combination of hood and rhythmic. He talks about getting money and flexing his ice. He’s one heck of a hit-maker, even featured on songs, such as Megan Thee Stallion’s “Cash S**t. 3. Fever by Megan Thee Stallion- If you’re a fan of Hot Girl Summer and living your best life, you’ll definitely enjoy Meg’s album. In “Cash S**t” with DaBaby, you’ll feel like the baddest in the world. She’s not afraid to let us know she’s all about the bag, and men with bands. If you’re the type to floss in the club, with your new Steve Maddens, and you’re a bit of a diva, or you’re just feeling confident, Meg’s your girl. 4. DJ Mustard’s Perfect Ten-is one album that you’re going to turn up to. With featured artists, including Nipsey Hussle, Offset, Meg Thee Stallion, YG, Roddy Rich, and more, this album is definitely one of the bangers of the year. This album will make you want to pop bottles at the club with your homies or ride in the whip with the top down, and act a fool. 5. So Much Fun by Young Thug- Young Thug creates vibes, with artists featuring Lil Uzi, Dababy, Lil Baby, J. Cole. and Quavo, to name a few. His album is futuristic, electric, and original. Of course, he’s still bragging about Gucci socks, tight pants, drugs, and sportscars. His voice is similar to Atlanta rapper, Sahbabii. 6. Everything’s for Sale by Boogie -Boogie is probably one of the most underrated artists of West Coast. His song “Rainy Days,” with Eminem is somewhat of a dark, gloomy, and melancholy, but chill. His honesty and rawness are what makes Boogie a type of “conscious rapper.” Boogie talks about being broke to wanting to “make it already.” This album is a reflection of his love life, as well as his career journey. He wants to know if his relationships will be “certain already,” and feels like he’s not yet settled, romantically. He tells us he feels like he deserves success, and asks why he isn’t sitting at the top.
photo via nytimes.com[/caption]
Sahbabii, rapper from Chicago and Atlanta, is definitely slept on. The funny thing is, he went from working at Dick’s Sporting Goods to S.A.N.D.A.S: “Suck a n***a d**k or somethin. Album, S.A.N.D.A.S (2017) is one of his most popular projects, with song, “Pull Up With Ah Stick” (2016). His sound is technical, chill, and futuristic, and he creates vibes. He creates the perfect music for chilling in the whip, or going on a late night cruise, hotboxing.
No doubt, this rapper is definitely in his own lane of artistry. His voice is high pitched and innocent like a lullaby. He can get away with saying something violent like, “Call up slaughter gang we’ll get your sh** popped,” and you’ll be like, wait, what? Don’t get it twisted. This artist thinks he’s slick, with his nasty comments. I was confused at first, because one of his most famous lines is, “Suck a n**** d**k or somethin,” and the great thing is that he’ll say it at the most random times. And then I realized, oh! That’s the name of his mixtape, SANDAS: "Suck A N**** D**k Ah Something." I suggest you don’t listen to any of his songs around your mom.
His videos consists of children, women, and guns, or anime-like creations and bright colorful things. No doubt, he’s creative when it comes to his vision. His music feels like an escape, you’ll be in your own world. He’s like the Alice in Wonderland of hip-hop. All of his songs are uplifting and bright-spirited.
When you listen to Sah, you’ll visualize things you’ve never heard of before. Although it’s strange to think of apes, sex, squids, glocks, or amphibians in a song, I’m actually open to hearing more. He uses many animal references in almost all of his songs. “B***h, I’m squidrific,” or “B***h, I’m king of the jungle, I eat anacondas,” and “I wanna fuck a amphibian.” In album, Squidrific, he tells us, “I'm fuckin' the clitoris. These niggas be talking that gibberish. Bitch I'm squidrific, Glock .19 I'm killing it. Play with the gang, yeah, then we spilling your chitterlings.” People will say that Sah’s music makes no sense, but that’s the beauty of it. Music doesn’t have to make sense, and he makes the rules. He’s the King of the Jungle.
Sahbabii definitely has a youthful side. If you watch Spongebob, you’ll know that, Spongebob uses “barnacles” as a cuss word. So, when something is hard or cool, “barnacles” is kind of how Sahbabii uses it in his lyrics. Perhaps Sahbabii is a fan of Squidward too, and that’s why he references squids all of the time.
"Before you achieve it you gotta believe it. You gotta achieve it before you can succeed it. You gotta succeed it before you can complete it. Ya dig," says Sah.
They say trap music, “mumble” rap is not real music, but rappers like Sahbabii just want to create vibes and make his vision come to life. As a true artist, Sahbabii makes the rules, and that’s why his music stands out to the outcasts, the weirdos, and the geniuses. Hopefully, Sahbabii will continue to make more music for us all.
photo via highsnobiety.com
TRIP is a healing album, and highlights reality, like losing someone who is close to you, whether it’d be death or going though a heartbreak. Aiko highlights our times of loneliness, when we are in the midst of finding our inner peace. She highlights real love, when you miss someone, and you search for them in the soul of others, but can't. She also highlights depression, the times when we feel like our love life will never work out for us, so we harm ourselves, mentally and physically. As I was going through a tough time in my early 20's, here’s what I’ve learned from this album. Don't Be Afraid to Fall In Love- Whether it'd be falling in love or going on a trip, it's okay to live your life as an adventure. Perhaps it's the kind of love you crave, where someone craves your presence, and will do anything, no matter how silly or dangerous. “While we’re young we should do something crazy.” Live in the presence. Take chances in life, because you only have this life one time. Acceptance- Accept the things you can’t control. If we let our emotions conquer, we will lose every time. Accept your pain and be vulnerable, but don't let it define you or destroy you. When you allow yourself to feel or accept your wrongdoings, you can begin to move forward with life. Accepting is a part of growth. When we can accept ourselves now, then we can learn to love others. Learn to Heal: Take a trip for your yourself. Alienate yourself to cleanse your body and soul. Take a step back from reality and ask yourself what you really want. Aiko reminds us we can get through the pain, even if what we go through is tragic or heartbreaking. Whether it'd be sitting outside by the ocean or leaving the state, we should be find our inner peace. Learn to be your own best friend- Loving yourself isn't always easy, but it saves your life. Sometimes, when you're going through a dark phase in your life, we have no shoulder to cry on. Learn to be your own voice of reason. Learn to be alone. If you're relaying on others, you will never be happy. You do not need someone else to enjoy your life to the fullest. Learn to take yourself on dates and live spontaneously. Before we can love anyone else, we have to learn how to love ourselves, first. You matter, first.
photo via self.com
Working out has multiple benefits on the body and the mind, and will help you build better habits in the long run. The great thing is, it's never too late to get fit. Here are some methods that will motivate you to get your work out on. 1. SET A GOAL AND VISUALIZE WHERE YOU WANT TO BE- The Self Fulfilling Prophecy says that when we focus on something, we can make it our reality. So, setting that fitness goal may be just what you need. Visualize yourself achieving your goal, and you will be more inclined to make an effort. Even if you slack or mess up, or don't feel like going to the gym, just know that giving up isn't an option. Know you can do it. Don't think. Tell yourself you can do it, period. 2. WEAR WORKOUT CLOTHES - Dress for the part you want. Research says that “enclothed cognition,” means dressing for the part you want can help you accomplish a task. So, if you're wearing your favorite yoga pants, you'll feel more inclined to head to the gym. So, dress for the fitness model you aspire to be! 3. LISTEN TO MUSIC - Listen to your favorite music. If you're a fan of Doja Cat, Meg Thee Stallion, YG, Donell Jones, or whoever, perfect! Play whatever your heart desires. Whether it's upbeat, sad, pop, or R&B, you're in your own world. Think of music as a mood setter for whatever your goal is for the day. Moreover, music will make the workouts more enjoyable, and make the time go by faster. So, if you're on the stair master, and you find yourself twerking, that's just what you need. 4. GET A TRAINER- Considering a trainer will help you out in the long run. Of course, you have to pay a little bit more to invest in one, but it's all worth it. The best thing about a trainer is that you learn new workout techniques as you go! Moreover, you will learn much more about diet plans that work for you. Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the more you can take with you for the rest of your life. Also, trainers can eventually turn into friends, so in the future, they might not even charge you, and you've got yourself a gym buddy for life. 5. SMALL STEPS ARE STILL ACCOMPLISHMENTS- Many people are impatient and want to see results fast enough. Be patient with yourself. Consistency is key. For example, you can go to the gym for 2 weeks and eat clean, and be in better shape than you were before. Small steps are still steps, and every step counts. Just imagine if you were to be consistent for a whole month, and 1 month turns to 3 months, and then 4 months, and then 6. BOOM. You're on your way! 6. WATCH WORKOUT VIDEOS THAT APPLY TO YOU- If your goal is to build muscle or lose fat, there are a ton of videos on the Internet. YouTube and Instagram have a variety of videos to choose from, so you can use them as a guide. Just make sure to actually do the workouts when you go the gym! 7. EXERCISING INCREASES SELF-ESTEEM AND BOOSTS MOOD- Research shows that exercising can boost our self-esteem and mood. For one, when you start to see results, you will be happier with your body image. Your confidence level will increase, and your stress levels may decrease. Who doesn't want to feel happier and more confident? 8. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THOSE WHO CHALLENGE YOU- Surrounding yourself with motivated people will give you an extra drive. If you're around people who are willing to push you, you might go harder in the gym, if you have inspiration. Energy is contagious, and if you surround yourself with like-minded people, you will put yourself in a situation to succeed.
photo via americatv.com.pe
I’m sure all women know what it feels like when it’s “that time of the month.” Periods are no fun, and unfortunately, we all need to prepare for the awful moments of heavy cramping, bleeding, crying for no reason, and being extra emotional and dramatic, and listening to sad music. Perhaps you’re the type to eat a whole tub of ice cream or snack on some Takis. Good thing, there are better habits we can all practice to look forward to a not-so-horrible period experience. Exercise- I know the last thing you’d want to do is get up and do cardio, when you’re experiencing a heavy cramp, and you want to scream like your body is being ripped apart. However, working out is actually beneficial for your body, and can reduce the pain and bloating. Yoga or light cardio is a good workout when you’re experiencing heavy abdominal pain. You can even take a walk. If you’d rather lift heavy and smash things, go for that, too. Exercising increases oxygen-supply to the muscles. Your endorphins released from working out will help boost your metabolism and help you sleep. Maintain a Healthy Diet- With the significant loss of blood, fatigueness and low energy is one of the most common side effects of a period. Foods with lots of iron, including spinach, quinoa, and lean red meat, are beneficial. Bananas are also good, since they contain potassium. Carbs such as oatmeal or whole-grain bread are also necessary to boost your energy. Moreover, foods rich in omega-3 are great: fish, such as salmon, lake trout, mackerel, herring, sardines and tuna are all rich in omega-3. These are some types of foods will also satisfy those “period cravings.” Avoid Caffeine- Although it may seem like a good idea to drink your favorite pumpkin spice latte or vanilla cappuccino, you won’t feel so good in the long run. While caffeine will boost your energy in the beginning, drinks with refined sugars and artificial ingredients can cause you to crash, and even cause other health problems. So, avoid those energy drinks, if you can! Enjoy a Hot Shower- Enjoying a nice, hot, steamy shower, can relieve some of the period pain, such as headaches or cramps. Stand in the shower for a good 10-15 minutes. For further relaxation techniques, add some tea tree oil or peppermint oil, to relieve even more stress.
photo via tsn.ca
With the big businesses coming, the LA construction, and the incoming traffic, Inglewood is looking forward to some big changes, as the new Ram's football stadium is still in the process, sitting right next to the long time, famous arena, The Forum. Built in 1967, The Forum has been home to the Inglewood locals and LA community, including the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League from 1967 to 1999. The Rams have played in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since they came back to LA in 2016. Looking forward to opening next year, in 2020, the Ram’s stadium is officially named the SoFi Stadium. They will be sharing with the San Diego Chargers. The name has been secured by San Francisco-based financial technology startup SoFi. SoFi has secured the naming rights for over 20 years for the $5 billion football stadium, in Los Angeles. The new stadium will have 70,000 stadium seats and 6,000 seat performance venue, and part of a 298-acre property that will also include a hotel, 20 acres of parks, and 1.5 million square feet of retail and office space. Already, Inglewood is looking forward to big events in the near future. The stadium is looking to host the SuperBowl 2022, and the Olympics Ceremonies of 2028. "We're thrilled to be introducing SoFi Stadium to the world, through our partnership with Hollywood Park," said Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi. "This is a giant leap toward achieving our company's mission of helping people get their money right by reaching our members where they are." The people are hype for the changes to come, and the City of Champions continues one day after another. Inglewood is definitely up to some good.
Being an "independent woman" may be tied with many negative connotations. Perhaps we've been told things like this: we're too masculine, we want to be a man, or perhaps will end up alone. I'm sure we've heard it all. However, an independent woman doesn't mean any of those things. Independent women know who they are, period. She knows what she wants and is a go-getter, regardless.
HERE ARE 12 DIFFERENT THINGS INDEPENDENT WOMEN DO DIFFERENTLY
1. SHE LOVES HARD, BUT IS MISUNDERSTOOD: If she's been single for a long time, chances are she's not very affectionate or nurturing. She may be minding her business, and somebody else will think she's ignoring them or does not care. However, this isn't the case at all. She's so used to being on her own time, and still sees herself as an individual. She's conditioned to do her own thing. She loves hard and is extremely loyal, but her independence comes off as "selfish."
2. SHE RELIES ON HERSELF: She isn't the type to ask for anything, because she feels the need to get things done on her own. She's the type to figure it out alone and solve problems, rather than ask someone for help, even if she needs it.
3. SHE WON'T SOCIALIZE UNLESS SHE SEES VALUE IN A PERSON: She's a bit introverted, if she feels the relationship is pointless. If she notices someone talking about who did what at a party, who dates who, or any sort of negative drama, she could care less. She wants to talk about ideas, building, and accomplishing goals. She won't hang around unless you can better her and challenge her.
4. SHE INVESTS IN HERSELF: She will spend money on things she values, including health, credit, a class, a gym membership, or anything she finds value in. She knows that she can't help others if she can't help herself, first.
5. SHE'S CONFIDENT, BUT HUMBLE: She's confident, but won't let compliments get to her head. She's probably heard "Aye ma, you look good," millions of times, but doesn't think much of it. She knows there's a line of guys who would love to date her, but she really doesn't care at all, nor does she desire to be the center of attention. She doesn't define herself by her looks, but by her mind and strength. She downplays. Though she could be a bad bitch, she feels confident wearing hoodies , sports clothes, and no makeup, in public. She knows she's beautiful, but doesn't "act" like it.
6. SHE DOES NOT SETTLE: Whether it's a job or relationship, she will always weigh the consequences. She does not settle for anything, unless she knows she's happy, period.
7. SHE VALUES HER TIME: Independent women usually have a busy life, so they won't feel bad to ignore your text. If she's busy, she won't apologize for spending time at home, getting away from people. She needs her alone time, otherwise she cannot function.
8. SHE ISN'T AFRAID TO DO THINGS ALONE : When it comes to attending an event or going out for a night, she isn't afraid to take the plunge, and do it, alone. She doesn't need a crew of people to have fun. However, she loves sharing her time with those she loves, but is not desperate to be around people.
9. SHE'S SPONTANEOUS: Being spontaneous can be both exciting and dangerous. However, she knows there are risks involved with taking late night drives to Crenshaw and Slauson past midnight, or walking to the beach at 4am. However, she lives her life on the edge. She's a risk taker.
10. SHE MAKES HERSELF LAUGH: The best feeling ever is when you can crack your own jokes and keep yourself entertained. This is a healthy sign of self-love. She's goofy and unapologetic.
11. SHE'S A LEADER WHO CLAPS FOR HERSELF: She knows people, but doesn't have much support, as in friends who actually care about her success and well-being. Even though she would like a nice support system, she makes herself proud, because she has no choice.
12. SHE' STRONG, BUT HOLDS IN A LOT: She is her own shoulder to cry on and her own emotional support. Even though she's her own emotional support, she secretly wants to share her feelings with someone and be vulnerable. 
My mom is black and Filipino and my dad is Creole, but to me, they’re just black. I’ve never knew anything outside of the black community, and learned nothing else about the rest of my culture. I grew up, partly in South Central LA, living in Inglewood. I've also lived in Echo Park and Vegas. I knew I was different, after hearing, “What are you?” or “What you mixed with?” for so long. From a young age, you start to question your identity. Here’s my experience, growing up as a mixed, black woman.
I kept trying to prove my blackness. To be accepted in the black community means more than DNA. Even though you’re literally black, you still find ways to prove yourself. Culturally, you are expected to attend black churches, speak the slang, watch Tyler Perry, attend cookouts, know how to Dougie or Electric Slide, and your mom is supposed to use the hot comb and use old sayings, like, “Boy, don’t you talk like that in my house!” or “I ain’t ya lil friend!” Unfortunately, my mom never used terms like that. Having light skin with “white people hair” and looking Latina makes you more of an outcast. You’re a minority within a minority. Having black family members doesn’t justify your blackness, because if you don’t “look it,” or live the experience, you’re not in the club
“I’m black” is the wrong answer. In highschool, I was teased for being mixed. I remember the black girls asked, “What are you?” and when I responded, they all laughed in my face. I didn’t really know what else to say, because regardless, it was funny to them that I said it. Even today, when I’m approached by strangers, “I’m black,” turns into an argument, a joke, or me giving a history lesson.
Proving that I was black meant telling the world that I used to live in the hood. They had to know I grew up, partly in Crenshaw, Leimert Park, or Inglewood. I had to let them know I listened to black music like Al Jarreau, Earth Wind and Fire, or Musiq Soulchild. I’ve spent my whole life trying to prove I was one of them.
A part of me feels like I'm pretending- It’s apparent that there is some sort of European bloodline in my family. On my dad’s side, my aunts look white. People stare at us like we’re creatures. It’s awkward, because I know we don’t “fit” the category. I feel like I’m offending somebody else who is “really black.” Most black women have a far worse experience than I do. As a semi-privileged light skinned, black woman, I feel like my experience isn’t as traumatizing as another black woman. I know there are black women who’ve been racially targeted for being “too dark,” having kinky hair, or being “too ghetto.” Because I can’t relate to those experiences, I feel like I don’t have a right to claim my blackness. Even though I know I’m black, I feel like an imposture.
At the end of the day, I know who I am. I know how society sees me, and I accept that I am everything at once and nothing at the same time. However the world chooses to see me, I figured out my purpose. As a human, my purpose is to love myself and be myself, regardless of who doesn’t approve.
I’m not here to preach or tell anyone what they should do with their life. Though I can’t say I’ve been in a toxic relationship, I can say that I’ve witnessed it on the outside. If your gut knows you’re unhappy, then you should probably make some adjustments in your life to be happy. Walking away may never be easy, and sometimes we keep people in our life for the sake of comfort and security. Getting rid of toxic people is not a loss, it’s a gain, and a step towards self-love. Here are reasons why you should let go of toxic people.
1. Holding on to toxic relationships prevent happiness and personal growth- It is difficult to accomplish your goals when you’re constantly around people who bring negative energy. If you’ve heard things like, “It’s your fault/You don’t love me anymore/ I hate you…” chances are, these people in your life are a waste of space. They serve no purpose in your life, and are literally wasting your time, while you could be doing other things for your personal gain. If you want to win, you need to surround yourself with people who cheer for you, support you, tell you things like, “I see you/ I got you/ You matter to me/ How can I support you…?” You deserve happiness, and if you allow negative energy into your life, you will stay miserable. The universe works with you when you create space for yourself.
2. Toxic people linger in your mind if you don’t let go- We are human. As much as it hurts to remember what pain they've caused, it doesn’t help to focus on them. If you’re entering a new relationship, the truth is, you haven’t yet created space for a new one, because you’re mentally focused on your past. Letting go takes time. I’m not saying it’s easy to just wash away your feelings. Would be nice, right? It takes time to let go, but if you can practice letting go, it will all be worth it. Acknowledge your feelings, allow yourself to be vulnerable, and learn from those mistakes. However, talking about how terrible this person is does not serve you well. If you keep focusing on them, you are wasting your energy, and allowing them to live in your mind, forever. Practice shifting your focus on things that matter like your goals, the loved ones in your life, traveling, fitness, etc.. Your focus becomes your reality.
3.Toxic people don’t want to see you win- Truth is, toxic people benefit from you the most when you are unhappy. They will manipulate you, when they see you down, because there’s something that they want. When you're weak, they attack. Don’t fall for this trap. Toxic people never want to see you doing better than they are. They will play the victim and will attack you from angles, to make you stay in the same position. For example, if you’ve had an opportunity to land a great job, and your partner says things like, “Oh, you don’t love me, anymore/ You’re going to leave me?/ You don’t care…” chances are, these people are no good. People who love you want to see you do better, period.
4. You prevent yourself from starting a new, healthier relationship- This applies to lovers, family members, friends, children, etc. If you find yourself having to push others away, you’re in a not-so-good situation. When you let go of an unhealthy relationship, you’re telling the world you’re ready for a happier, healthier life, in general. You will attract better when you surround yourself with better.
5. You are killing yourself faster- Yikes! I know this sounds harsh, but let’s just cut to the chase. If someone in your life is causing you unnecessary stress, drama, migraines, and grey hairs, you might be setting yourself up for a faster death. You should enjoy your life to the fullest, and spend it laughing, giving love, and being loved.
6. Toxic people want you to think you need them. You don't.- Even if these toxic people offer you some sort of “reward,” including financial security, a place to stay, a job offer/ connection, or can get you a record deal, it is never worth it. These toxic people want you to think they need them, so they can control you in the end. Their intentions are never to help you. If someone wants to be there for you, they’ll be there for you, period. There’s no point in spending your life on people who never planned on being there for you.
7. You realize your worth when you learn to walk away- You are amazing, period. Anyone who can’t see that doesn’t deserve the privilege of getting to know you, or being around you.
8. You deserve to be loved- You are worthy of being loved. Allow yourself to be loved and treated like the king/queen you are.
9. You will be free- In the name of En Vogue, “Free your mind, and the rest will follow.”
photo via nytimes.com
Many of us toss and turn at night, and it’s frustrating when we just can’t fall asleep. As somebody who has insomnia, difficulty sleeping, I’ve tried numerous ways to find myself fall asleep faster. Here are some helpful sleeping techniques. 1. Stay off of your phone!- The blue lights on your screen reduce melatonin in the body, which makes it harder to fall asleep. If you know you’re going to use your phone, at least ditch it 2-3 hours before you go to sleep. Scrolling through Instagram before bed will keep your mind consumed with useless information that will keep you alert at night. 2. Meditation- Techniques like yoga and meditation help relieve stress and clear the head. These techniques can calm the mind and relax the body. Moreover, melatonin can increase the melatonin in your mind. 3. Take a Walk- Light exercise can help the body by increasing serotonin in the brain and decreasing levels of cortisol. 4. Avoid Caffeine- Stay away from drinks including black tea, green tea, coffee, and energy drinks. If you’re going to drink anything hot, try something like lavender or chamomile tea. 5. Read-The trick is to force yourself to stay awake. Techniques such as reading a book can relax the brain. However, try to use a physical book, not electronic. E-books, like phones, can reduce melatonin, from blue lights. 6. Melatonin- Start off taking a little bit of melatonin before bed. Melanin is a natural hormone, but it can also be taken as a supplement. 7. Essential Oils- Lavender, valerian, and peppermint are great oils to soothe the brain. Science claims that certain oils reduce stress, cure migraines, and help the body relax. 8. Relaxing music- Certain music such as LoFi hip-hip, classical, or jazz, are perfect for relaxing the mind. 9. White noise- The easiest way to put on white noise is by turning the fan on. If that’s not good enough, then you can always download white noise sounds on your phone. Headphones will increase your chances of blocking the noise.
photo via axietyfightersguide.com
I’m an overthinker. I know what it feels like to sit with your thoughts and make yourself sad about pretty much everything, from your love life, to your goals, to money. I get it. I know what it feels like when you’re telling yourself, “I’m not enough/ I’m a failure,” and the only option you find necessary is to lie down and sleep your problems away or go on your phone. Sometimes we overthink, because we’re insecure. Perhaps we think our lover doesn’t want us anymore, or is checking out other women on Instagram. Or perhaps your girl doesn’t text you back right away, and you think she stopped loving you. Sound familiar? Though life doesn’t always operate the way we want it, that doesn’t mean we have to fill our heads with poisonous thoughts and jump to conclusions. I’m here to tell you right now, GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD. You are not your thoughts. Here are some ways to stop yourself from overthinking. Stop doubting yourself - If you think the reason you’re feeling down and tell yourself things like, “Nobody loves me/ Nobody cares/ I am nothing..”, stop it. You are none of those things, because it’s not real. Know that you have the power to change the way you feel about yourself. Talk to yourself- I know this sounds crazy, but hear me out. It’s okay to be your own voice of reason. When you’re feeling down, be your own motivational speaking mentor. Tell yourself things like “You matter/ You got this/ You’re beautiful/ You’re strong…” Sometimes telling yourself positive things will help you deal with a difficult situation, and you might feel refreshed. Live in the present- I know we all have a life of bills, stress, heartbreak, and so on. However, we are not our problems. You have a right to enjoy yourself. If you’re in the company of your loved ones, out on a date, listening to New Edition or Keith Sweat, enjoy that moment. We tend to think that we don’t deserve to have a good time, but that is BULLSHIT. I repeat, that is BULLSHIT. We are allowed to live, period. Know that overthinking will only ruin the moment, so stop listening to those negative voices in your head, and enjoy yourself. Apply your energy toward your goals- If you’re in your head, get up and move. Go accomplish something. Go to the gym, apply for that job, audition for that role. You will feel better about yourself, verses sitting on the couch wasting your energy. Just imagine what you could accomplish if you applied your energy toward your goals and priorities, instead of feeling terrible about life. Separate logic from emotion- We are not always right. So, if you’re getting worked up about not getting a text back, perhaps this person doesn’t “hate you.” Perhaps they were driving during the time, and could not respond. Take a step back and try not to take everything personal. Realize you can’t control everything- Sometimes it’s not your business to know every single detail. You don’t have to. Know that you can’t control everything, and it’s unrealistic to think that everything will go your way, nor will everyone think like you do. It’s okay to let go and accept things you have no control over. The world does not operate based on what you want all the time. Know that you will be okay.
photo via treehut.co
Some days I want to lay on the couch, drink 3 cups of coffee, listen to music and dance in my bedroom, and lip-sync to Keith Sweat on Snapchat. Other days I want to roam around the city with my boys, have a few drinks, and act a fool. Being an introvert and extrovert is like being on a spectrum. Some may lie on one end, and some may lie in the middle. So, if you adopt some of these qualities as an introvert and extrovert, you might be an ambivert. Here are some ways to tell if you're an outgoing introvert. 1. You’re selectively social- You can fit in anywhere, but choose not to interact with everybody. Being popular or liked is not important to you, and most people may think you’re shy, rude, or antisocial. However, you love being around those who are valuable to you, especially if these people are like-minded and motivate you. 2. You’re a “superstar”- You love being in front of people.Most people assume that if you’re a performer (singer, comedian, musician, actor, public speaker, etc.) you’re a popular person who loves being around people, 24/7. That may not be the case at all. Some introverts are creative people who find joy in their craft, and love to express themselves, alone or in front of a crowd. Introverts are not afraid to shine when it’s their time. 3. You don’t care about being liked- You’re not shy, but you’re also not interested in trying to prove yourself to random people. You know who you are and where you stand, but you could give a rat’s hat who thinks what about you. You don’t care too much about other people’s validation. 4.You’re okay with not fitting in- Standing out is what makes you unique. You don’t feel the need to be like everyone else. You may be goofy with a quirky personality, and will gladly accept it. You’re not afraid to be YOU, and you don’t really give a f**k. 5. You need alone time to recharge- Even though you may have close friends and loved ones in your life, you need your own space to function. Though you may be an interactive person, your alone time is a must. People may take it personally and think that you’re avoiding them, when that’s not the case. 6. You’re really quiet or really loud- Either you’re the life of the party, or you have nothing to say. At times, you may act a fool and be the loudest person in the room, twerking on walls, rapping to 21 Savage out loud, and Milly Rocking in public. Other times, you’re looking out of the window, quiet as a mouse, and acting like a saint. When you're quiet, people assume that something's wrong with you. Having a diverse personality may confuse people, but introverts know when to switch it on and off. 7. Small talk and drama does not intrigue you- “How are you?” is always awkward, because you don’t find it genuine. You don't really care about what Cardi B. did last week, or who did what at so-and-so's party. You don’t care about the conversation, unless you find value in people. You’d rather talk about goals, music, life, horoscopes, or maybe education. Small talk is not your cup of tea, so you’d rather just dismiss yourself from the conversation and go about your business. 8. You're introspective- You may be sociable and able to carry on a conversation, but you think a lot. People have probably referred to you as "chill" or "laid back." However, you're in your head so much, that people aren't aware of it. You monitor yourself in social situations, and you give yourself "social points." So, when you think the interaction is going well, you give yourself these invisible goodie points, but if the conversation goes awkward, you'll take them away. Introverts are sociable, but so much goes on in their heads.
South Africa is a great place for a nice getaway. There’s so many sceneries to view, such as Capetown or Hermanus. If you’re thinking about taking a vacation to a wonderful place, prepare for an awesome experience. While living there for a month, I’ve learned some things while I was living in 3 different cities. While it was a beautiful country to experience, there were also some downsides, I was displeased about. Here’s some advice for anyone who’s thinking about visiting.
1. Do not come off as a tourist- With that being said, make sure you don’t make it obvious you’re from America, or anywhere else that is a "wealthy." In certain countries, they associate America with wealth. Moreover, some people will try to take advantage of tourists and hustle you for money. You can always be yourself, but appear “broke.”
2. Segregation still exists- Unfortunately, racism is still apparent in every country. When I was visiting Africa, I’ve noticed the Africans were working behind the desks at every local store, bank, restaurant, you name it. I’ve noticed there were a lot of caucasian people who were dining or shopping. Due to the Apartheid, white superemacy is very apparent, and segregation is quite noticeable.
3. Expect to be hustled- There was a time when the Uber driver in Africa made me pay for his entrance to the tourist attraction mountain in Capetown. He apparently “didn’t know” that the passengers had to pay for his entrance, even though he was just dropping me off. If I didn’t pay for his entrance, I would have to be sent back home or dropped off somewhere.
4. It’s cheap- Everything you pay for is a lot cheaper than if you were living in America. Unfortunately, this means that the locals aren’t getting paid very much, at all.
5. Money is measured in rand- Say you have 1 US dollar. That one dollar would be around 15 rand in South Africa. Four dollars would be around 60 rand.
6. Homelessness is apparent- Like many other countries, South Africa consists of homelessness, even for children. It’s very common to see children on the street
7. Yes, there are “regular”cities and places- Do not feed into the stereotypical nonsense, you’ve heard. South Africa is a beautiful place, filled with lots of restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, bars, and much more. KFC and McDonald’s are very popular places.
8. Gender roles are similar to the traditional US- Like the US, South Africa is primarily a male-dominant society. The women hold less power than the men.
photo by @rellyjr
2cupyungin is an American hip-hop artist, born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His style of music is mainly trap rap. He's lit, wavy, and knows how to turn up. His songs consist of smoking backwoods, drippin' in ice, lean, getting money, and bad bitches, to name a few. His most popular song is, "Nintendo," with almost 5K plays on Soundcloud. However, 2cup also shares his struggles, and depicts his more vulnerable side. In song, "Crunch Time," he tells us his story about coming from the gutter, and making it to the top. He may come off as cocky, but he's quite humble and down to earth. He's a hard working performer who owns the stage, loves to travel and eat. This rapper is creating a name for myself in NOLA, performing at many clubs, festivals, and events. Atlantis Aubry: (Journalist): How did you start doing music? 2cupyungin: I’ve always had a passion for music but didn’t start rapping until I was 15 years old. My freshman year in high school was the start for everything. AA: How did you grow as an artist in New Orleans? 2cupyungin: Just by being known by so many people in high school and in my community, I already had so much support behind me. The song that got me out there would have to be “Nintendo.” The first night I dropped it, it did like 1,500 plays. I thought I was gonna blow, but just kept working towards my goals, and ended up opening up for Famous Dex in 2016. That had to be the biggest highlight in my career. Now, I’m about to just turn up from here and take over my city. For more 2cupyungin, follow his Instagram @2cupyungin and Soundcloud.
No Doubt photo. Digital image. Bing
As No Doubt celebrated their 24th Tragic Kingdom birthday, a couple of days ago, on October 10, there were hints of a possible reunion. On Instagram, Gwen Stefani posted, “Celebrating 24 years of Tragic Kingdom. Thank u for listening gx.” Drummer, Adrian Young, posted on his page, “Let’s do some shows to celebrate the 25th next year!” Trumpet players Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair also responded to the post, saying, “Fun times. I’m so into celebrating! 25!” Even actress, Reese Witherspoon responded, "Don't speak was my song!" The No Doubt boys, Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal, and Adrian Young, are currently in their new band, Dreamcar. Since 1992, No Doubt has released 6 albums: No Doubt (1992), The Beacon Street Collection (1995), Tragic Kingdom (1995), Return of Saturn (2000), Rock Steady (2001), and Push and Shove (2012). Gwen Stefani has recently finished up her “Just A Girl” tour in Las Vegas, Nevada. No Doubt’s last tour was in 2015, at the Las Vegas’s Rockin’ Rio. According to the band, 2015 was supposed to be their last tour. Fans are still waiting for an answer, but for now, we will just keep our hopes up for the 2020. If the answer is no, “Don’t tell me, ‘cause it hurts!”
Digital image. Tripsavvy.com
While over 40 million people visit every year, Las Vegas (AKA Sin City) is one of the most popular cities in the world. Vegas is a place for pure entertainment from the shows at Cirque Du Soleil shows to the nightlife at clubs, gambling at the casino, or perhaps walking the Strip. In a city that never sleeps, there is plenty to get lost in. After living in Vegas for 12 years, I am here to give you some advice and tips on what to do, if you ever make it to Vegas. 1. Downtown is cultural, the Strip is bougie- Seriously. If you’re all about culture, art, interesting things, and bar-hopping for cheap, then Downtown’s your go-to place. It is a more cultural environment, with restaurants, paintings, free shows, ziplining, and more. Some of the most popular places in Downtown is Goldspike and Beauty Bar. Goldspike is the ultimate hangout for the “cool” people. Everyone knows everyone, and the drinks are around 6-8 dollars for a simple vodka and cranberry. First Friday is a huge celebration in Downtown Las Vegas, packed with a crowd of people. Downtown is also interesting for it’s weird scenery, like the Container Park. Right in front of Container Park is a huge grasshopper that greets you with fire in his mouth. If you keep walking, you’ll see a window full of creepy manicans. If you're the type to spend a lot of money, see the city, attend fancy restaurants, see a show, and wants to attend the hottest clubs, then the Strip is your go-to spot. 2. Network, network, network!- If you’re looking to get into a club for cheap or free, it’s always good to know a club promoter. If you’re friends with a promoter, chances are they’ll put you on their list. Here’s a trick. If you don’t know one, personally, there are people on the Strip, passing out tickets or flyers, and some of them are club promoters. Obviously, they’re trying to get more people to attend whatever club or party. That’s an easy way to connect. Also, social media is filled with club promoters. DM them and ask them what they can do for you. Networking is your friend. Befriend the DJs and rappers. Most likely, these networks can give you access backstage or to the parties. 3. Ladies, you have the upper hand- Ladies, you have more power in Vegas, than you think. Things come easier. For example, if a club promoter is seeking for more people, most likely, they’re looking for attractive ladies. If you’re a woman, they need you to fill up the party scene. If you’re a woman they find attractive, more than likely, you will be invited to the hottest VIP parties. Also, if you're in a club, and a guy thinks you're pretty, he'll more than likely buy you a drink, so you won't have to spend much money. 4. Vegas is about appearance- I know this sounds bad, but you really do have to look your best. Dress up like you’re the baddest thing walking. Ladies, if you’re going out to a club, put those heels on, a nice club dress, and work! Get your nails done and fix your weaves. Cake your face if you need to. Men, don’t walk in the club with sagging jeans and tennis shoes. Put on some nice dress shoes, a nice button up shirt, with fitting jeans or dress pants. Remember, Vegas wants you to look the part, so if you look like you’re going to the homie’s house, just go home. 5. Pregame before you get into the clubs- Club drinks are highly expensive. So, if you plan to drink that night, it’s much cheaper to buy your own drinks than pay 12-15 dollars for one cocktail. 6. Avoid driving to Vegas on the weekends- Fridays and Saturdays are the worst days to drive to Vegas. The 15 freeway is packed with people who just want to party. The best time to drive to Vegas is on a Sunday or weekday. Leave Vegas on a weekday. Avoid leaving on a Sunday, because you will be stuck. 7. Room service is expensive- Here’s a trick. Don’t book a hotel by the Strip. The smartest thing to do is to book a hotel somewhere in North Las Vegas. Anywhere, away from the Strip is cheaper. The Aliante is a nice casino in North. It’s always best to save money. If you want to scope the city, book a cheaper hotel and Uber to your destination. If you do plan on booking a hotel by the Strip, the best times to do it are away from the holidays. Also, sign up for a player's card for every casino you attend. That way, you can earn rewards on hotels. 8. The weather is never nice- First of all, just know that you’re in a desert. In summer, it’s over 100 degrees. In winter, it’s 50 degrees or lower. Sometimes, the wind is harsh, and there are dust storms. Also, the rain can be heavy. Vegas weather is unpredictable. 9. Driving on the Strip is a pain in the ass- Save yourself and get an Uber. Know that there are tourists everywhere, so you can’t escape that. Also, the casinos now charge for parking.
photo via renatapereira.tv/
New Orleans is a place for all kinds of fun, from the food to the jazz, to the party scene. There’s so much to do in the city of NOLA, you’ll never be bored. As I was traveling, I’ve found some quite interesting activities in the city, such as clubbing, dining, or walking downtown. French Quarter- The French Quarter is one of the main places to visit for a lively experience. If you want to get a good glimpse of the city, there’s plenty to see. Either you grab a quick cup of coffee or gobble up some beignets. Cafe Du Monde is a popular place to enjoy beignets and a nice hot cup of coffee. Johnny’s Po-Boy’s is a 50’s diner, with a huge selection of dishes. You can get a fried shrimp, alligator, or fish po-boy. Or, if you’re a simple person, who likes shrimp, you can enjoy a huge plate of fried shrimp, fries, and hush-puppies. This place is a nice, low-key spot, where you’re not bombarded with tourists. Frenchmen Street is the perfect place to check out, for live music, the club scene, and bar-hopping. If you’re into a loud atmosphere, you’re in for a treat. Dragon’s Den is a 21+ nightclub, and a fun place to go, if you’re in the hip-hop scene. The vibe is welcoming, regardless of where you’re from or what you look like. Also, you can get in for free, on certain nights. If you’re the kind of person who likes to show off your twerk skills or vibe and smoke to some Gucci Mane, then this is your place. Also, there is a garden downstairs to socialize, as well as a balcony to check out the scenery. Some nights, there are