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Kazuma's sword-handling skill was not match for Casca's. Within seconds, his sword lay on the floor between Casca's feet. Casca's sword was pointed at quivering, surrendering Kazuma and Aqua.
(Later, Aqua would tease Kazuma about being beaten by a girl.)
They all look the same, dress the same way, use the same facial expressions and body language but each will tell you he's "doing his own thing" Interactions, mirroring consists of the parent imitating the infant's expressions while vocalizing the emotion implied by the expression. This imitation helps the infant to associate the emotion with their expression, as well as feel validated in their own emotions as the parent shows approval through imitation. Studies have demonstrated that mirroring is an important part of child and infant development. According to Kohut's theories of self-psychology, individuals need a sense of validation and belonging in order to establish their concepts of self. When parents mirror their infants, the action may help the child develop a greater sense of self-awareness and self-control, as they can see their emotions within their parent's faces. Additionally, infants may learn and experience new emotions, facial expressions, and gestures by mirroring expressions that their parents utilize. The process of mirroring may help infants establish connections of expressions to emotions and thus promote social communication later in life. Infants also learn to feel secure and valid in their own emotions through mirroring, as the parent's imitation of their emotions may help the child recognize their own thoughts and feelings more readily.When we meet others for the first time, we need to assess quickly whether they are positive or negative towards us, just as most other animals do for survival reasons. We do this by scanning the other person's body to see if they will move or gesture the same way we do in what is known as 'mirroring'. We mirror each other's body language as a way of bonding, being accepted and creating rapport, but we are usually oblivious to the fact that we are doing it. In ancient times, mirroring was also a social device which helped our ancestors fit in successfully with larger groups; it is also a left-over from a primitive method of learning which involved imitation.Additionally, individuals are likely to mirror the person of higher status or power within the situation. Mirroring individuals of higher power may create an illusion of higher status, or create rapport with the individual in power, thus allowing the person to gain favor with the individual in power. This mechanism may be helpful for individuals in situations where they are in a position of bargaining with an individual who possesses more power, as the rapport that mirroring creates may help to persuade the higher status individual to help the person of lower status. These situations include job interviews, other work situations such as requesting promotions, parent-child interactions, and asking professors for favors. Each of these situations involve one party who is in a more powerless position for bargaining, and another party who has the ability to fulfill the person of lower status's needs, but may not necessarily wish to. Thus, mirroring can be a useful tool for individuals of lower status in order to persuade the other party to relinquish goods or privileges for the lower status party.Mirroring generally takes place subconsciously as individuals react with the situation. Mirroring is common in conversation, as the listeners will typically smile or frown along with the speaker, as well as imitate body posture or attitude about the topic. Individuals may be more willing to empathize with and accept people whom they believe hold similar interests and beliefs, and thus mirroring the person with whom one is speaking may establish connections between the individuals involved.
One of the most noticeable forms of mirroring is yawning - one person starts and it sets everyone off. Dr. Robert Provine found that yawning is so contagious you don't even need to see another person yawn - the sight of a wide-open mouth is enough to do it. It was once thought that the purpose of yawning was to oxygenate the body but we now know that it's a form of mirroring that serves to create rapport with others and to avoid aggression - just as it also does for this pictured boat and yawning building.
Wearing the same outfit as another woman is a mirroring no-no. But if two men show up at a party wearing the same outfit, they could become lifelong friends.
Non-verbally, mirroring says 'Look at me; I'm the same as you. I feel the same way and share the same attitudes.' This is why people at a rock concert will all jump to their feet and applaud simultaneously or give a 'Mexican Wave' together. The synchronicity of the crowd promotes a secure feeling in the participants. Similarly, people in an angry mob will mirror aggressive attitudes and this explains why many usually calm people can lose their cool in this situation.
The urge to mirror is also the basis on which a queue works. In a queue, people willingly co-operate with people they have never met and will never see again, obeying an unwritten set of behavioral rules while waiting for a bus, at an art gallery, in a bank or side by side in war. Professor Joseph Heinrich from the University of Michigan found that the urges to mirror others are hardwired into the brain because co-operation leads to more food, better health and economic growth for communities. It also offers an explanation as to why societies that are highly disciplined in mirroring, such as the British, Germans and ancient Romans successfully dominated the world for many years. Mirroring the other person's body language and appearance shows a united front and doesn't let either get one-up on the other
Mirroring makes others feel 'at ease'. It's such a powerful rapport-building tool that slow-motion video research reveals that it even extends to simultaneous blinking, nostril-flaring, eyebrow-raising and even pupil dilation, which is remarkable as these micro-gestures cannot be consciously imitated.
Creating the Right Vibes
Studies into synchronous body language behavior show that people who feel similar emotions, or are on the same wavelength and are likely to be experiencing a rapport, will also begin to match each other's body language and expressions. Being 'in sync' to bond with another person begins early in the womb when our body functions and heartbeat match the rhythm of our mother, so mirroring is a state to which we are naturally inclined.
When a couple are in the early stages of courtship it's common to see them behave with synchronous movements, almost as if they are dancing. For example, when a woman takes a mouthful of food the man wipes the corner of his mouth; or he begins a sentence and she finishes it for him. When she gets PMT, he develops a strong desire for chocolate; and when she feels bloated, he farts.
When a person says 'the vibes are right' or that they 'feel right' around another person, they are unknowingly referring to mirroring and synchronous behavior. For example, at a restaurant, one person can be reluctant to eat or drink alone for fear of being out of sync with the others. When it comes to ordering the meal, each may check with the others before ordering. 'What are you having?' they ask as they try to mirror their meals. This is one of the reasons why playing background music during a date is so effective - the music gets a couple to beat and tap in time together. Mirroring on a Cellular Level
American heart surgeon, Dr Memhet Oz, reported some remarkable findings from heart recipients. He found that, as with most other body organs, the heart appears to retain cellular memories, and this allows some patients to experience some of the emotions experienced by the heart donor. Even more remarkably, he found some recipients also assume the same gestures and posture of the donor even though they have never seen the donor. His conclusion was that it appears that the heart cells instruct the recipient's brains to take on the donor's body language. Conversely, people suffering from disorders such as autism have no ability to mirror or match the behavior of others, which makes it difficult for two-way communication with others. The same goes for drunk people whose gestures are out of sync with their words, making it impossible for any mirroring to occur.
Because of the phenomenon of cause and effect, if you intentionally assume certain body language positions you will begin to experience the emotions associated with those gestures. For example, if you feel confident, you may unconsciously assume the Steeple gesture to reflect your confidence, but if you intentionally Steeple you will not only begin to feel more confident, others will perceive that you're confident. This, then, becomes a powerful way to create a rapport with others by intentionally matching their body language and posture.
Mirroring Differences Between Men and Women
Geoffrey Beattie, at the University of Manchester, found that a woman is instinctively four times more likely to mirror another woman than a man is to mirror another man. He also found that women mirror men's body language too, but men are reluctant to mirror a woman's gestures or posture - unless he is in courtship mode.
When a woman says she can 'see' that someone doesn't agree with the group opinion she is actually 'seeing' the disagreement. She's picked up that someone's body language is out of sync with group opinion and they are showing their disagreement by not mirroring the group's body language. How women can 'see' disagreement, anger, lying or feeling hurt has always been a source of amazement to most men. It's because most men's brains are simply not well equipped to read the fine detail of others' body language and don't consciously notice mirroring discrepancies.
Men and women's brains are programmed differently to express emotions through facial expressions and body language. Typically, a woman can use an average of six main facial expressions in a ten-second listening period to reflect and then feed back the speaker's emotions. Her face will mirror the emotions being expressed by the speaker. To someone watching, it can look as if the events being discussed are happening to both women.
A woman reads the meaning of what is being said through the speaker's voice tone and his emotional condition through his body language. This is exactly what a man needs to do to capture a woman's attention and to keep her interested and listening. Most men are daunted by the prospect of using facial feedback while listening, but it pays big dividends for the man who becomes good at it.
Some men say 'She'll think I'm effeminate!', but research with these techniques shows that when a man mirrors a woman's facial expressions as she talks she will describe him as caring, intelligent, interesting and attractive.
Men, on the other hand, can make fewer than a third of the facial expressions a woman can make. Men usually hold expressionless faces, especially in public, because of the evolutionary need to withhold emotion to stave off possible attack from strangers and to appear to be in control of their emotions. This is why most men look as if they are statues when they listen.
The emotionless mask that men wear while listening allows them to feel in control of the situation, but does not mean men don't experience emotions. Brain scans reveal that men can feel emotion as strongly as women, but avoid showing it publicly.
What to Do About It if You're Female
The key to mirroring a man's behavior is in understanding that he doesn't use his face to signal his attitudes - he uses his body. Most women find it difficult to mirror an expressionless man but with males this is not required. If you're a woman, it means that you need to reduce your facial expressions so that you don't come across as overwhelming or intimidating. Most importantly, don't mirror what you think he might be feeling. That can be disastrous if you've got it wrong and you may be described as 'dizzy' or 'scatterbrained'. Women in business who listen with a more serious face are described by men as more intelligent, astute and sensible.
When Men and Women Start to Look Alike
When two people live together for a long time and have a good working relationship, they often begin to look alike. This is because they are constantly mirroring each other's facial expressions, which, over time, builds muscle definition in the same areas of the face. Even couples who don't look facially similar can appear similar in a photograph because they use the same smile.
n 2000, psychologist Dr John Gottman of the University of Washington, Seattle, and his colleagues, discovered that marriages are more likely to fail when one partner not only does not mirror the other's expressions of happiness, but instead shows expressions of contempt. Instead, this opposite behavior affects the smiling partner, even when they are not consciously aware of what is happening.
Do We Resemble Our Pets?
You can also see mirroring occur in the pets some people choose. Without realizing it, we unconsciously tend to favor pets that physically resemble us, or that appear to reflect our attitudes. To demonstrate the point, here are a couple of examples: too far and presume that our model of body language and social interpretation applies to a dog's body language.
Be careful however not to extrapolate the metaphor too far and presume that our model of body language and social interpretation applies to a dog's body language.
Monkey See, Monkey Do
The next time you attend a social function or go to a place where people meet and interact, notice the number of people who have taken the identical gestures and posture of the person with whom they're talking. Mirroring is the way one person tells another that he is in agreement with his ideas and attitudes. One is non-verbally saying to the other, 'As you can see, I think the same as you.' The person with the highest status often makes the first moves and the others copy, usually in pecking order.
In the image above it is apparent by virtue of the facial expressions and other body language that there is a good rapport between the US President's wife Michelle Obama, of informally superior status, and a university president. If Michelle changes her body posture, one might expect there is a reasonably good chance the gentleman will unconsciously emulate her posture, indirectly demonstrating they are of the same mind. Mirroring happens among friends or between people of the same status and it is common to see married couples walk, stand, sit and move in identical ways. Albert Scheflen found that people who are strangers studiously avoid holding mirror positions.
Matching Voices
Intonation, voice inflection, speed of speaking and even accents also synchronize during the mirroring process to further establish mutual attitudes and build rapport. This is known as 'pacing' and it can almost seem as if the two people are singing in tune. You will often see a speaker beating time with his hands while the listener matches the rhythm with head nods. As a relationship grows over time, the mirroring of the main body language positions becomes less as each person begins to anticipate the other's attitudes, and vocal pacing with the other person becomes a main medium for maintaining rapport.
Never speak at a faster rate than the other person. Studies reveal that others describe feeling 'pressured' when someone speaks more quickly than they do. A person's speed of speech shows the rate at which their brain can consciously analyze information. Speak at the same rate or slightly slower than the other person and mirror their inflection and intonation. Pacing is critical when attempting to make appointments by telephone because voice is your only communication medium.
Intentionally Creating Rapport
The significance of mirroring is one of the most important body language lessons you can learn because it's a clear way in which others tell us that they agree with us or like us. It is also a way for us to tell others that we like them, by simply mirroring their body language.
If a boss wants to develop a rapport and create a relaxed atmosphere with a nervous employee, he could copy the employee's posture to achieve this end. Similarly, an up-and-coming employee may be seen copying his boss's gestures in an attempt to show agreement when the boss is giving his opinion. Using this knowledge, it is possible to influence others by mirroring their positive gestures and posture. This has the effect of putting the other person in a receptive and relaxed frame of mind, because he can 'see' that you understand his point of view. Before you mirror someone's body language, however, you must take into consideration your relationship with that person. Let's say, for example, a corporate employee has asked for a pay rise and is called into his manager's office. The employee enters the office, the manager asks him to sit down and assumes the Catapult with a Figure-Four showing the employee a superior, dominant attitude. But what would happen if the subordinate then instinctively copied the manager's dominant body language while discussing the potential salary increase? A boss might perceive a subordinate's mirroring behavior as being pushy or impertinent
Even if the employee's manner of speaking and phrasing was typical of a subordinate, the manager could feel affronted by the employee's body language, placing the employee's pay increase request in doubt and perhaps posing a threat to his future promotability. Mirroring is also effective for intimidating or disarming people who deem themselves 'superior' and try to take control of situations. Accountants, lawyers and managers are notorious for using superiority body language clusters around people they consider inferior. By mirroring, you can disconcert them and force a change of position. But never do it to the boss. Through mirrored multi-tasking, these business associates are taking their minds off what can seem an awkward encroachment on their personal zones.
Who Mirrors Whom?
Research shows that when the leader of a group assumes certain gestures and positions, subordinates will copy, usually in pecking order. Leaders also tend to be the first of a group to walk through a doorway and they like to sit on the end of a sofa, table or bench seat rather than in the center. When a group of executives walks into a room, the person with the highest status usually goes first. When executives are seated in the boardroom, the boss usually sits at the head of the table, often furthest from the door. If the boss sits in the Catapult, his subordinates are likely to copy in order of their importance within the group You can see this in a meeting where people 'take sides' with others by mirroring their body language. This lets you see who will vote with you and who will vote against you.
Mirroring is a good strategy to use if you are part of a presentation team. Decide, in advance, that when the team spokesperson makes a gesture or takes a posture when speaking, the entire team will mirror. This not only gives your team the powerful appearance of being cohesive, it can frighten the hell out of competitors who suspect something is up, even though they can't quite figure out what it is. When presenting ideas, products and services to couples, watching who mirrors whom reveals where the ultimate power or final decision-making ability lies. If the woman makes the initial movements, however small, such as crossing her feet, lacing her fingers or using a Critical Evaluation cluster and the man copies, there is little point in asking him for a decision - he doesn't have the authority to make it. When we rub both of our eyes simultaneously, it is as if we are telling our psyches, "I wish I never saw that", or "I can't believe he did that". We are trying to wipe it from our minds. People will also display this body language tell when recalling a past event in the "mind's eye".
Group Mirroring
It happens on fall season Sundays in American football stadiums around the country. Suddenly, 50,000 individuals became a single unit, almost a single mind, focused intently on what was happening on the field - that particular touchdown grab or dive into the end zone. Somehow, virtually simultaneously, each of those 50,000 people tuned into what the other 49,999 were looking at.
Becoming part of a crowd can be exhilarating or terrifying: The same mechanisms that make people fans can just as easily make them fanatics. And throughout human history we have constructed institutions that provide that dangerous, enthralling thrill. The Coliseum-like stadiums that host American football games or soccer games throughout the world are, after all, just modern knockoffs of the massive theater that housed Roman crowds cheering their favorite gladiators 2,000 years ago.
In fact, recent studies suggest that our sensitivity to crowds is built into our perceptual system and operates in a remarkably swift and automatic way. In a 2012 paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, A.C. Gallup, then at Princeton University, and colleagues looked at the crowds that gather in shopping centers and train stations.
In one study, a few ringers simply joined the crowd and stared up at a spot in the sky for 60 seconds. Then the researchers recorded and analyzed the movements of the people around them. The scientists found that within seconds hundreds of people coordinated their attention in a highly systematic way. People consistently stopped to look toward exactly the same spot as the ringers.
The number of ringers ranged from one to 15. People turn out to be very sensitive to how many other people are looking at something, as well as to where they look. Individuals were much more likely to follow the gaze of several people than just a few, so there was a cascade of looking as more people joined in.
In a study in Psychological Science, Timothy Sweeny at the University of Denver and David Whitney at the University of California, Berkeley, looked at the mechanisms that let us follow a crowd in this way. They showed people a set of four faces, each looking in a slightly different direction. Then the researchers asked people to indicate where the whole group was looking (the observers had to swivel the eyes on a face on a computer screen to match the direction of the group).
Because we combine head and eye direction in calculating a gaze, the participants couldn't tell where each face was looking by tracking either the eyes or the head alone; they had to combine the two. The subjects saw the faces for less than a quarter of a second. That's much too short a time to look at each face individually, one by one.
It sounds impossibly hard. If you try the experiment, you can barely be sure of what you saw at all. But in fact, people were amazingly accurate. Somehow, in that split-second, they put all the faces together and worked out the average direction where the whole group was looking.
In other studies, Dr. Whitney has shown that people can swiftly calculate how happy or sad a crowd is in much the same way.
Other social animals have dedicated brain mechanisms for coordinating their action - that's what's behind the graceful rhythms of a flock of birds or a school of fish.
Summary
Mirroring someone's body language makes them feel accepted and creates a bond and is a phenomenon that occurs naturally between friends and people of equal status. Conversely, we make a point of not mirroring those we don't like or strangers, such as those riding with us in a lift or standing in the queue at the cinema.
Mirroring the other person's body language and speech patterns is one of the most powerful ways to build rapport quickly. In a new meeting with someone, mirror his seating position, posture, body angle, gestures, expressions and tone of voice. Before long, they'll start to feel that there's something about you they like - they'll describe you as 'easy to be with'. This is because they see themselves reflected in you. A word of warning, however: don't do it too early in a new encounter as many people have become aware of mirroring strategies. When someone takes a position you have one of three choices - ignore it, do something else or mirror it. Mirroring pays big dividends. But never mirror a person's negative signals.
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Of course I cannot compete with the brilliance that is Boy_Wonder and all of his fabulous Harry Potter pics [Joel's set ] but my girl is a big Harry Potter fan, and she does resemble Hermione, so we had to give it a go.
It was a lot of fun. I think we're hooked and may need to try more. :)
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Note the RATO bottles used for Assisted Take-Off attached under the rear fuselage. Nuclear bomb (disarmed) under the fuselage too.
#1: Thee Silver Mt. Zion: 13 Blues For Thirteen Moons(Montréal, Canada)
Though my brother in law may cringe at this, without a doubt, Thee Silver Mt. Zion put out the best album this year. I know they aren't for everyone but when Efrim Menuck sings, his sense of passion and desperation...the way he communicates devastation speaks to me in a way that makes me think...this, this is the reason why music is here.
I know some have criticized Thee Silver Mt. Zion as pretentious but as someone who has been following Efrim Menuck from Godspeed You! Black Emperor to this point, I feel more than anything it's disarming and also...well, honest. Every time I put on this record, I feel a storm of emotion inside of me waiting to pour out. It startles me but I can't help it. When Efrim sings "Some hearts are true," it's the most hopeful moment. When Efrim sings "One Million Died to Make This Sound," my body was meant for collapse. He's singing my thoughts. He's singing my fears, my prayers. All that is in me is coming out of that dear man's throat.
And let's not forget the strength of the instrumentation and the joint choral effect (of the tra la la band) the album and live performance takes on. It creates the sense we're all in this together and we're all feeling it together. We may each have 13 blues for thirteen moons but we're sharing it together and, in a way, that redeems this pitiful life.
It's true that Thee Silver Mt. Zion, particularly because of Efrim's pained vocal delivery, is an acquired taste. If, like me, you acquire it, you'll probably never let it go.
#2 Karkwa: Le Volume du Vent
(Montréal, Canada)
Yes, another band from Montréal but this one sings in French! Ok, I literally first heard this band for the first time yesterday...skeptical? How 'bout if I told you that they are at times like, as Bill Pearis ( soundbites.typepad.com/soundbites/) aptly describes , a French Canadian Radiohead?
The album begins with a real intensity with Le Compteur before settling down into tracks like Oubile Pas, Le Frimas, and Le Temps Mort later on.
Well, anyhow, I'm in love with this record. It's passionate but also very melodic and urgent at the same time. Sort of like being simultaneously heavy and ethereal. Too bad they won't accept my American money but you can buy this most recent album on itunes. Have a listen...if melodramatic songs are your thing, I think you'll be pleased:
#3 Portishead: Third
(Bristol, UK)
I know there were many who were disappointed with this album but, if you're like me, you're grasping for just about every last scrap Beth Gibbons will give you
Now, I know this one is a little unpredictable and I know it's also a bit inconsistent. The album starts out with a startling track, "Silence" that builds in a completely hypnotizing way (especially if you are listening to it for the fourth time that night whilst editing photos at around 3:30 am when you begin to realize the next day is coming.) It cuts you off just as you truly sense the overall motion of it, though and the jarring effect is a testament to just how effective the song is.
"Machine Gun" has a similar overall feel and I think it could be said that it's Beth Gibbons at her most overtly powerful. But, we must also try to appreciate the random unpredictability of the album overall which I feel Beth Gibbons makes work in a very atypical way. Quite a few of the tracks are those that cannot be easily taken out of context and they are also the kinds of songs you need to give some extra time to. In a way, it feels like we see a portrait of a woman in all of her moods and this feels not only right but very honest. Just listen to "The Rip" as the day starts to peak through the dark curtain of night and you'll see what I mean.
www.myspace.com/portisheadalbum3
#4 The High Dials: Moon Country
(Montréal, Canada)
If you were to ask me what genre of music I love the most, above all others, I would look at you and say, without any hesitation: Psychedelic. It's something within me that I can't describe. Oh, shoegaze is wonderful and punk has it's place but it's the psychedelic music that speaks to me most. Without it, life is a very bleak place indeed.
That said, The High Dials have put out their third full length double album, Moon Country, and it is magnificent. What amazes me every time I hear the band on album or see them play is how utterly talented every member is. I feel most alive by listening and, even though they are playing songs in the genre that made bands like The Pretty Things and Love great, every time I listen to The High Dials, it seems so fresh to me. In other words, even though the influences peaked so long ago, there's such a joy and bliss renewed that comes to me. It's like I was experiencing it for the first time and it's wonderful. This album as well as 2005's War of the Wakening Phantoms are stellar and if you get a chance to see them live, do whatever you can not to miss it. As I told lead singer Trevor Anderson recently when I saw him play a show in Chicago, "I swear, if aliens were to land on this planet and hold everyone hostage, demanding even just one reason why the entire human race shouldn't be obliterated, I would play them your music."
"How can you be so sure, " he said, "that the aliens wouldn't like reggae dub better?"
#5 Spiritualized: Songs in A&E
(Rugby, England)
I really thought Spiritualized had lost it. Seriously! I felt 2003's Amazing Grace was just an album full of rehashed melodies from previous albums and that, frankly, Jason Pierce was starting to lose his magic. Then, another proper full length live album took five years to emerge. In that time, Pierce was going through so many issues including a serious hospital stay. No doubt he did some soul searching to produce this brilliant album, complete with tracks that suggest the power and energy of "Electricity" such as "You Lie You Cheat" but with a delicateness that suggest a fallen angel as in "Sweet Talk." Don't tell me I'm the only one that cries every time I hear "Death take your fiddle."
Needless to say, the gospel choir Pierce chose to back him up both live and on album was one of the best musical decisions he's ever made. Jason, you set my soul on fire.
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#6 Juana Molina: Un Dia
(Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Dear Juana,
You make my days complete...how could anyone be so complex and yet so soothing. I listen to you in my darkest hour and you are so comforting and at the same time incredibly intriguing as a songwriter...your compositions of songs work in a way no American songwriter that I know of can come close to. You are the reason why music will never die. In this modern age, you can be innovative and still provide a sense of stability somehow to this ever changing world. For that, no words seem to do you justice. You are creative in a way that mere syllables strung together seem almost wrong to describe as they are not enough.
Your devoted listener,
Kirstie
#7 The Magnetic Fields: Distortion
(Boston and NYC)
It probably comes to some of you as no surprise that I am a fan of Stephin Merritt's wry and insightful lyrics...his way of analyzing relationships and intimacy in a way that few can. I have such a history with this band, beginning so long ago when I was a college student. I loved all of Merritt's stories and even his lyrics when he was most jaded. I couldn't settle for one disc of the 69 Lovesongs...I had to have all three.
Distortion is not without a great deal of classic Merritt wit but the great guitar fuzz effect on much of the album makes it even more engaging to listen to. In a way the feedback and lo fi quality of it makes it seem dated but it's the kind of dates that got you through many of your years so far.
It's always interesting to me how live they tend to strip this down into an acoustic set. Both have their Merritt but I greatly prefer to hear the songs in this way with their full energy realized and without the strange personality of Stephin's making me feel more than slightly uncomfortable.
www.myspace.com/themagneticfields
#8 Orouni: Jump Out the Window
(Paris, France)
Orouni came out with his/their second full length album this year and the only way I'd like these magical songs better is if they were sung in French. Instead, they are sung in English but with a rather enchanting accent.
The cello arrangements are really lovely and so are the beautiful backup vocals of Mina Tindle, Mlie, and Emma. There's a real depth that Orouni has reached at times lyrically and some don't strike you at first but get stuck in your head with the accompanying melody line. There's an odd sense of innocence to the songs, especially the melodies, that make them all the more endearing like a bunch of comforting friends.
#9 Clinic: Do It!
(Liverpool, England)
Ok, you know those times when it's 8am, your parents are visiting in less than 24 hours and you've slept only about five in the last three days???? Well, you may be crawling to the shower and broom but, before that, do yourself a favor and put on Clinic's Do It! It's the get yourself in gear and get some work done type of album. Oh, and also, you might have to take some breaks to dance. Though I found Clinic's live show a little shticky with the surgical masks and the Hawaiian shirts, their live sound even more so brought out these gems.
Even though it's really upbeat overall and just gives me so much more artificial energy, I think Clinic is probably more of an acquired taste, especially relative to more typical music in all three genres of rock, pop, and even dance. Mainly, it's the overly nasal vocals that might turn some off again.
Funny thing about Clinic, when Walking With Thee hit the independent radiowaves back in 2002, I was so repulsed with the sound of it. I literally couldn't stand it and the college radio station in Chicago (WLUW) played it to death! I got to the point where I was changing the radio station any time the title track was played. I HATED Clinic. I wanted to scream how much I hated them! Why were they taking up space on the airwaves, I wanted to know!?!?!
Then, one day I woke up. It was still 2002 and it was on a Sunday. I looked out of the window and it was pouring rain. I turned on the radio but that didn't have what I was looking for. What did I want? Need? Crave with every fiber of my being? That's right! I had to have Walking With Thee and I would travel across the city at warp speed during a thunderstorm just to have it. I tell you this story just so if you're turned off for the first time, realize those songs you listen to might somehow come back to haunt you...they have very strange powers.
#10 Lost Wisdom
(Washington and Canada)
A joint venture between Phil Elverum of Mount Eerie fame and Julie Doiron has led to such lush and beautiful melodies that really resonate. The chemistry and dynamics of their two voices work together so well it recalls the harmony and beauty of the way Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel sang together so long ago at times, only if Art was a female. Hmmm...imagine the possibilities that might have brought!
Una cornice di cristalli impreziosisce anche la più semplice erba di campo donandole una bellezza disarmante ... destinata a scomparire col primo raggio di sole!
Vieni e guarda la luna e non dirmi di averla già veduta, perché stasera è immensa e nuova, disarmante e sorprendente, per chi ha gli occhi stanchi di capire. Fabrizio Caramagna
A glitch. Failure. The beginning of a new beginning, brings you closer to the most primal of all instincts. It creeps in slowly, chewing up what you think you know. You wait in vain, till you lose it all. Such is life.
Photography/Art Direction - Me
Talent - 未來, Vicky Hue
Make-up - Vicky Hue
Props - Me, Carolyn Chon, Kupih
Aver paura d'innamorarsi troppo
non disarmarsi per non sciupare tutto
non dire niente per non tradir la mente ......
INNAMORARSI: VIVI IN UN MONDO IRREALE
Featured in Tomorrow Never Dies, the "Bulletproof Beemer" came equipped with a security system that would deliver electrical shocks via the door handles to would-be thieves unless disarmed by Bond's Ericsson mobile phone.
The car also had 2 secure compartments hidden behind the section of the dashboard where the airbag supposedly was (and could only be opened by Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan) sliding his finger from right-to-left on a hidden fingerprint-scanner located directly under the "SRS Airbag" logo). These two compartments (after being revealed when the "airbag-compartment" flips up) could be each opened by pressing a button on the 'door' of the [respective] compartment itself. The left compartment slid out a tray with a integrated "cut out" intended to hold Bond's Walther PPK, as well as a silencer for the gun. The right compartment (also a "slide-out" tray) was basically an empty tray to hold anything that would fit in it. In the movie, the right compartment was used by Bond to store the "red box" which contained the [American] GPS Encoder stolen by Carver's henchman (and pseudo-"I.T. guy") Henry Gupta. The 750iL could be remotely driven and controlled via Bond's Ericsson phone, which opened up to show an LCD screen displaying the driver's view of the car (that would have front-mounted hidden microscopic cameras, to allow the remote-control "driver" to see what was in front of the car). Weapons and defense systems included unguided explosive rockets mounted in a hidden hatch in the roof which replaced the car's standard sunroof, self-sealing and re-inflating tires, a retractable cable-cutting device mounted underneath the front hood emblem, tear gas sprayers, and caltrops that dropped from a dispenser hidden behind the extendable rear bumper to shred the tires of any following cars.
Features: Ballistic bulletproof armored body panels, bulletproof and impact-proof glass all round (although a 40mm Grenade projectile fired from a rifle launcher wielded by one of Carver's henchmen managed to pierce and hole the front windscreen, but not shatter it), security system which electrocutes intruders through the door handles unless disarmed by Bond's Ericsson mobile phone, security compartments hidden behind section of dashboard where airbag is (the compartments are accessible only by Bond sliding his finger from right-to-left on a hidden fingerprint-scanner located directly under the "SRS Airbag" logo), can be driven and controlled completely remotely by Bond's Ericsson mobile phone, retractable cable-cutter, tear gas sprayers, and a rear-mounted caltrop dispenser.
[Text from Jamesbondwiki.com]
www.jamesbondwiki.com/page/BMW+750iL
This Lego miniland-scale BMW E38 750iL Saloon - (Tomorrow Never Dies 1997) has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 101st Build Challenge, titled - 'A Matter of Life and Death!'. In this challenge, any vehicle can be built that associates with the themes of life or death.
Being disarmed in the face of a tyrant is a mistake a free people get to make only once.
Live free, stay armed.
Pink is my colour
Pink is the sweet side of wild
Quite mild
Like a little lost baby child
Of all the colours compiled
Pink is romantic and disarming
All pink roses are ever so charming.
Captured in flower shop (France)
Ruthven Barracks were built by George II’s government between 1719 and 1721 following the Jacobite rising of 1715. They were to house garrison infantry to police the area and enforce the Disarming Act of 1716.
The barracks are situated on the site of the medieval castles of the Comyns and the Gordons, of which only the well still remains. The strategic importance of the site is obvious – visible from miles around, it dominates the head of the Spey valley.
For king and country
Ruthven Barracks could hold two companies of soldiers – about 120 men – and their officers, but it’s unlikely it was ever fully garrisoned. They were housed in two piles of three-storey barracks with a parade ground between them. Each pile had six rooms, with men sleeping 10 to a room and two to a bed.
Towers projecting from opposite corners of the protective wall housed the officers’ quarters, as well as:
•a guardroom
•a prison
•a bakehouse
•a brewhouse
The stables beyond the barracks, added on orders of Major General Wade in 1734, could hold up to 30 horses. They were used by dragoons protecting troops marching along the military road.
The second rising
The garrison saw action 26 years after it was first built, during the 1745 Jacobite rising.
In late August of that year, 300 Jacobites besieged the barracks, but were held off by the 12 redcoats inside. Just one of the barracks’ troops died, ‘by foolishly holding his head high over the parapet’, according to his sergeant.
The Jacobites returned in February the next year, this time with heavy guns. The garrison soon surrendered to Gordon of Glenbuchat’s men’
. The rising and the fall
The Jacobites were soundly defeated by the redcoats at the Battle of Culloden on April 16, 1746. The remainder of the army regrouped at Ruthven to await word from their leader, Bonnie Prince Charlie.
His message arrived on April 20, reading ‘Let every man seek his own safety in the best way he can’.
‘The answer, under existing circumstances, was as inconsiderate in Charles as it was heartbreaking to the brave men, who had sacrificed themselves in his cause,’ Chevalier Johnstone said.
Care must be taken to disarm this bomb, any movement can trigger the mechanism and BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!
See how a movement can be fatal here
Il 5 aprile 1977, la turbonave Leonardo da Vinci fu messa in disarmo, a conclusione di numerosi viaggi di linea per il Nord America. Si chiudeva così un fulgido periodo di grandi tradizioni marinare per l’Italia e la Liguria, legato ad un servizio marittimo ormai compromesso dalla concorrenza dell’aviazione civile mondiale. La Leonardo da Vinci in disarmo alla Spezia fu devastata da un improvviso incendio.
Molon Labe is a traditional shout of defiance when someone tries to disarm someone else. The literal translation from Greek is "Come! Take!" It is a dare. I'm sorry that so few people recognize the expression and its significance. Some are content to say just "It's Greek to me." If you saw the movie 300, you saw King Leonidas defy the Persian king this way at the Battle of Thermopylae, (480 bce ),
Ordnance Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 disarm an F/A-18C Hornet aircraft before conducting Hot-loading training at San Clemente Island Naval Auxiliary Landing Field, March 7, 2023. Hot-loading refers to the loading and arming of ordnance on an aircraft while the aircraft is still running, increasing the combat effectiveness of a squadron by reducing the downtime of an aircraft between sorties.
The Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail - rendered in the Cube Dude Style. Features removable limbs. ;)
Un fiore che si contraddistingue per la sua semplicità disarmante... è lui il fiore che guarda in faccia il sole. Non ha paura, è fiero di sé, ama senza pregiudizi, senza vergogna, con tenacia va avanti anche se non si sente sempre apprezzato. Piange per amore se necessario ma non abbandona il sole, non lo tradisce anche se viene tradito dal sole stesso perché di notte scompare dietro un orizzonte impalpabile.
Se fosse facile fare così
Poterti dire già quello che so
Farebbe freddo in un attimo che
Passerà.
Su tutto ciò che ora parla di noi:
Rabbia, illusioni e speranze che so,
Detonazioni di un attimo che
Passerà.
E rimarrà forse il vuoto di noi
A disarmare i rimpianti che so
Per ricordarci in un attimo che
Passerà.
Sugli edifici e sui cieli di noi,
Sulle stagioni e sui nostri perché
Nuvole rapide, e un attimo che
Passerà.
Piogge sul cuore, sezioni di un attimo,
Flusso, derive, parole:
Tutto si perderà.
Se fosse facile fare così
Poterti dire già quello che so
Farebbe freddo in un attimo che
Passerà.
Su tutto ciò che ora resta di noi,
Sulle parole e sui gesti che so,
Frantumazioni di un attimo che
Passerà.
E rimarrà forse il vuoto di noi
A disarmare i rimpianti che so
Per ricordarci in un attimo che
Passerà.
Flusso, derive, parole.
Se fosse facile fare così
Poterti dire già quello che so
Farebbe freddo in un attimo che
Passerà.
Su questi anni e sul cielo di noi,
Sulle ragioni dei nostri perché
Nuvole in corsa in un attimo che
Passerà.
E rimarrà forse il vuoto di noi
A disarmare i rimpianti che so
Per ricordarci in un attimo che
Passerà.
Sugli edifici e sui cieli di noi,
Sulle stagioni e sui nostri perché
Nuvole rapide e un attimo che
Passerà
© Subsonica
© Nicola Roggero - all rights reserved Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.
Our Daily Challenge: Through
The ultimate in camo!
"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
--Thomas Jefferson, quoting Cesare Beccaria in On Crimes and Punishment (1764).
"The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that... it is their right and duty to be at all times armed."
--Thomas Jefferson to John Cartwright, 1824.
"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action, according to our will, within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"
-- Thomas Jefferson, 1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334
"The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good"
-- George Washington
"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed."
-- Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers at 184-188
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."
-- Mahatma Gandhi