Ubisofts Assassins Creed series is one of the worlds best-selling video game series. Featuring settings ranging from Ancient Greece to the French revolution, Assassins Creed: Valhalla, released last month, takes the player into the mind of Evior, a viking raider who invades England.

Little about Assassins Creed is unique or new: many games feature historical settings, with or without time travel; there are countless third-person action and action role playing games and the entire video game industry is preoccupied with making each game look and sound better than the last.

Even Assassins Creeds signature stealth action gameplay, which allows the player to sneak past foes, set ambushes, and avoid notice or eschew subtlety and rush in with a battle-cry, was first deployed by Eidos Thief: The Dark Project, in 1998.

First appearing in 2007, the franchise has spanned a dozen big budget PC and console games and inspired mobile tie-ins, comics, novels, board games, a film and a forthcoming Netflix live action series. So whats its secret?

Part of it is the varied settings, stretching from Ancient Egypt to Renaissance Italy to the near future. But the real secret sauce, Id argue, is in the motto of the in-game Assassins: nothing is true, everything is permitted.

Assassins Creed plays fast and loose with history, simultaneously putting huge amounts of effort into the reproduction of historical architecture and styles while also staging an endless war between the Assassins, who fight for the freedom of all humanity, and the Templars, who believe peace can only be achieved when everyone is under their thumb.

The game enables the protagonist to put on an in-game headset known as an Animus device an interactive history simulation. Rather than a time machine, the Animus uses the plot device of genetic memory. Protagonists can access their ancestors memories through their DNA to justify diversions not only from history but also possibility.

Like the play within the play in Hamlet, no-one really dies in an Animus simulation. This is an accepted fact of the plot. The goal isnt to fix the past, but to learn from it, and apply that understanding within the world of the game. This gives players consistency in terms of the series world and overarching plot, while also allowing each game to explore a different historical setting.

Small twists on familiar game-play paired with diverse settings have kept fans hooked as the games moved from 15th century Venice to 18th century Boston, to 5th century BC Athens, and beyond. Theres a different chapter of the eternal war between the Assassins and the Templars to relive in each game, a new Animus simulation.

In an era where games, from indie hit Undertale to military shooter Spec Ops: The Line, ask players to consider the consequences of their actions, the Assassins Creed games ask the player to identify with groups often seen as the bad guys. Assassins, pirates, and invaders are the heroes here.

The player can engage in assassination, piracy and colonisation without hesitation because its only an Animus simulation.

The actual historical Knights Templar are hard to get a grip on. Prominent in the 12th and 13th centuries, they fought brutally in, and profited greatly from, the Crusades. The order was later disbanded on false charges of heresy, with some burnt at the stake for confessions extracted under torture. More recently, they have grown popular with conspiracy theorists and white supremacists.

Read more: Knights Templar: still loved by conspiracy theorists 900 years on

On the other hand, the Hashashins, the historical Assassins that inspired Assassins Creed, are infamous. This Ismaili sect was active at the same time as the Templars, but in Persia (modern-day Iran) and Syria, far from the Crusades. Often incorrectly described as a cult of pot-smoking killers without fear or remorse, the motto nothing is true, everything is permitted has been attributed to their founder, Hassan-i Sabbh.

Slovakian-Italian author Vladimir Bartol collected rumours and created salacious details about the Hashashins in his 1938 novel Alamut. In it, stoned Assassins were carried to a hidden garden full of beautiful women and told they were seeing a vision of paradise.

Assassins Creed took its motto from Bartols novel, but Bartol was actually quoting Friedrich Nietzsche. The first recorded instance of the the maxim nothing is true, everything is permitted is in Nietzsches Thus Spoke Zarathrusta(1883).

In this philosophical novel, Nietzsche develops his concept of the endless return, of living the same life over and over. Thats exactly what players do in the Assassins Creed games.

Read more: Explainer: Nietzsche, nihilism and reasons to be cheerful

In Assassins Creed: Valhalla, the life you are living over is that of Evior. The player controls Layla Hassan, a modern-day Assassin, as she inhabits Evior, and he or she (the game lets you choose or periodically swap genders based on those genetic memories) re-stages the Norse invasion of the British Isles.

Eviors back-story and motivations are textbook: s/hes the orphan who needs to prove their worth, beat a nemesis and save their community. Its a rubber stamp that leaves the player free to go i viking, raiding coastal settlements and camps, butchering any opposition, pillaging valuable goods, and using them to establish and fortify a Norse settlement in England.

Read more: What does the word 'Viking' really mean?

Being an Assassins Creed game, the player also has the opportunity to infiltrate English cities, assassinating foes and rivals before quietly slipping away or cutting a gory swath to freedom.

Fandom is all about wanting new experiences that make you feel the same way you did when you first became a fan. Its a challenge for creators to provide something fresh and interesting but faithful to what fans already know and love.

Assassins Creed has worked this out: each version of the game is absolutely familiar, but makes that familiarity feel new.

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Assassin's Creed: after 13 years, 12 games and a ton of sales, what's the secret to the franchise's success? - The Conversation AU

Now, as Shakespeare said, is the winter of our discontent.

Covid keeps on coming, creating a third wave of infections that put the earlier upswells to shame. We are hunkered down, tired out, fed up, and strung out. People fret and businesses suffer.

What is an entrepreneur (last time I looked, entrepreneurs are people, too, subject to all the slings and arrows of human experience) to do during a dark moment like this? How can an emerging business move forward when everything is locked down?

Every entrepreneur is unique and every business different, but here are a few thoughts on how to traverse terrible times.

Focus on your core.

In challenging times, startups should cut away all the clutter, pare back big dreams, and pay attention single-mindedly to their core. This means core activities, like lab research and software development. Or core customers: keep every buyer you have today satisfied, occupied, and ready to expand in the future. It means paying attention to your key team members and to your most critical investors. Make a list of essentials. Tighten that list down to only the most central requirements. Pay attention to those. And leave everything else for later.

If you cant act, prepare.

In some cases, with all the restrictions now in place, action is impossible. You cant go to the office. The lab is shut. The customers are closed. The factory is inaccessible. The supply chain is sundered. In this case, be the farmer in winter: Paint the barn. Clean the root cellar. Muck out the stalls. Do all you can to prepare and improve your foundations so that when action becomes possible again, you can take the greatest advantage of it.

Remember the Shawshank Redemption.

In this classic story, an inmate chips away at a wall with spoons day after day for years. The task of escape seems impossible, ridiculous. But they persist. Imperceptibly, they make progress. Until one day, unimaginable when he began, the prisoner is free. Be that guy. Do what you can no matter how small. Keep the faith. Believe in yourself, your plan, and your tomorrow. Even if progress is minuscule, that is still progress and worthy of your effort.

Recognize that winter ends.

Vaccines are here. In Britain, inoculations began yesterday. In the US it may be weeks before they begin. But that is weeks, not years. The Covid crisis should ease over the spring and some degree of normal socialization should return by summer. It has been a long, dark nine months, but the end is in sight. Take a deep breath, adjust the heavy pack on your back, and just keep doing. Even if you cant see it yet, the brilliant sunshine of the summit is only a few switchbacks ahead. Truly, this nightmare is almost over.

Dont forget yourself.

Focus on your team, your customers, your prep, your tech. But dont forget to focus on yourself. You are human, too. All of this is taking a toll on you, as it is on all of us. Stay as close as you can to those you love. Reach out and do the things that bring you joy and comfort. Workout. Eat and drink so your body and mind are ready for the marathon ahead. Cut yourself some slack; in one way or another, all of us are a bit off our game during this conferment.

Nietzsche said, that which does not kill us makes us stronger. In our current malaise, this is literally true.

Be strong.

Reprinted by permission.

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Covid and the Winter of Our Discontent - AlleyWatch

As we celebrate the release of David Bowies seminal recordHunky Dory, which arrived 39 years ago today, we thought wed rank the iconic album from our least favourite to our most cherished track. It may well have been the moment that David Bowie finally fulfilled his potential, but that doesnt mean the record is perfect from start to finish.

That said, in an album filled with some of Bowies best pop work, it may be more difficult than you think to rank the songs from worst to best. The album remains the breakthrough record for Bowie and saw the then-24-year-old finally make his name. While the success of Space Oddity in 1969 had afforded the Starman some fame and acclaim, it wasHunky Dorythat really set him on his path to becoming a bonafide legend.

In the record, Bowie set out his blueprint for success. He would take the kaleidoscopic influences he fell upon and which fell upon him during the previous decade, tie them up together in a neat bow and deliver them with a charismatic smile. If theres one thing thatHunky Doryis, its an introduction to an icon. It should be the first place you send any Bowie virgin not least of all because of the vast range of songs and styles.

Here, we rank them all for you so that you can be as efficient as possible with your David Bowie adoration. Yes, we know. These kinds of articles are essentially just one persons opinion in an ocean of opinions. However, we like to think of ourselves as Bowie experts here, so maybe well surprise you, or maybe, just maybe, youll disagree with our rankings.

A few rules to note, for any ranking article we avoid bonus tracks or any remixes. We also try to listen to the albums on shuffle so that we avoid falling into the traps of clever producers.

Without doubt one of David Bowies more opaque songs, in fact, it never warranted itself a title, the song remains as a leading example of Bowies expressive lyricism. It was not an aspect of his songwriting which had been fully explored, but these are some of the first steps to Bowies legendary pen.

While the exact interpretation is hard to define, youd be forgiven for thinking this may surround the urbanisation of modern life and Bowies struggle to come to terms with it.

In an album chock-full of hits, this one falls by the wayside a little.

One of the funkier moments on the album, adding some delicate jazz touches wherever possible, the overarching sentiment that Bowie lets resonate is the last repetitious line free your mind, which punctuates the track with aplomb.

His first cover since I Pity The Fool, the special rendition of Biff Roses track had been featuring in the singers earlier live sets for some time. Never afraid to show his admiration for another, Bowies cover is up to scratch.

Largely seen by many as one of the most challenging songs of Bowies to navigate, it was one of the last tracks to be written for the 1971 record. Its dense texture, and rock hard exterior has it sinking to the bottom of the rankings for us, but that wont be a popular opinion.

The Bewlay Brothers has taken on a life of its own in recent years as a new generation discovers the singer. These are the artistically driven moments in Bowies career that have always seen him on the sharper side of the cutting edge.

The B-side to Rock N Roll Suicide, this 1971 song remains a bastion of Bowies inspiration at the time. While the arrangement was amply provided by Mick Ronson, it is in the lyrics that we see the beginnings of Bowies career unfolding.

The lyrics are influenced by Buddhism, occultism, and Friedrich Nietzsches concept of the Superman everything that makes Bowie brilliant.

In it, he refers to the magical society Golden Dawn and name-checks one of its most famous members, Aleister Crowley, as well as Heinrich Himmler, Winston Churchill and Juan Pujol. A kaleidoscope of influential figures to match the ranging styles of the music.

Not our favourite song on the record as it feels a little too dad-rock but Bowie himself once highlighted the songs significance to his own career in a 1976 piece inMelody Maker.

He once recalled: Theres even a song Song for Bob Dylan that laid out what I wanted to do in rock. It was at that period that I said, okay (Dylan) if you dont want to do it, I will. I saw that leadership void.

He added: Even though the song isnt one of the most important on the album, it represented for me what the album was all about. If there wasnt someone who was going to use rock n roll, then Id do it. This was the moment David Bowie made it clear that he was not just a showman; he was an artist capable of changing society.

Starting of course with David Bowies uncanny impression of Warhol, and a comedic expression that shows off Bowies acting skills, the song soon descends into a folk-pop track about the mercurial pop artist that is certainly tinged with apprehension and darkness.

The lyrics highlight a distrust of the artist: Andy Warhol looks a scream, hang him on my wall / Andy Warhol silver screen, cant tell them apart at all. Allegedly, when the two icons met and Bowie played the song for the pop artist, Warhol was not particularly impressed, leaving Bowie more red-faced than his usual make-up routine afforded.

Sadly, the possibility of two of the 20th centurys most creative and purposeful minds ended with the drop of a record needle as Bowie and Warhol quickly ascertained they were never going to be great friends. But Bowie certainly made off the better of the two from their meeting. Bowie could count two lifelong partners in Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, who he met on the trip and the seedlings ofhis upcoming creation Ziggy Stardustwho he lifted from the underbelly of NYC.

Allegedly written in tribute to Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, the former of which Bowie would introduce too much of the British audience in 1972 with his work on Reeds Transformer, Bowies Queen Bitch is an insight into the artists future.

First port of call is Ronsons decidedly thrashier guitar work which pulls this song apart from the rest of the album and turns a folk ditty into pure rock n roll. The songs arrangement, featuring a wonderfully melodic bass line, a tight and disco drum pattern, choppy fuzzy guitar chords, and an understated vocal performance by Bowie, all add up to glam rock gold.

As well as being a bloody brilliant song (in whatever decade) the track also provided the template for the invention of glam rock as we know it. It would be a template too for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, the 1972 introduction to Ziggy Stardust.

An anthemic adolescent bounces down Carnaby Street, Bowie transforms this jaunty little tune, somewhat reminiscent of The Beatles in their pop pomp, to something far more textured and intriguing.

Despite being originally released by Peter Noone of Hermans Hermits, upon inspection, it is really hard to imagine anybody but Bowie writing this track.

Lyrically and thematically, Oh! You Pretty Things has been seen as reflecting the influence of the aforementioned occultist Aleister Crowley, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and Edward Bulwer-Lyttons 1871 novel Vril, the Power of the Coming Race, most notably as heralding the impending obsolescence of the human race in favour of an alliance between arriving aliens and the youth of the present society.

An anthem for the outsiders of this world, Kooks may not be the most famous of the albums incredible tracklist, but for many fans, it resonates most strongly. The song, written for his son Zowie, is the track which recognises not only Bowies own kookiness but the effect that will have on him as a parent and Zowie as a child.

I bought you a pair of shoes, a trumpet you can blow and a book of rules on what to say to people when they pick on you, sings Bowie. Cause if you stay with us youre gonna be pretty kooky too.

Its a song which has transcended its intended target and instead hangs around the shoulders of all those who hear it as a comforting cradle of emboldening creativity. Its a forgiveness for the errant character traits and odd affectations. Its Bowie signing off on your weirdness and recognising it for the unique beauty it is.

Was there ever really any doubt that this song would be near the top of the pile?

One of the songs, that for many people, is one of the best that Bowie ever wrote. Its equally a song that Bowie admits it started out as a parody of a nightclub song, a kind of throwaway we think its fair to say that were all glad he didnt.

What transpires instead is a song drenched in optimism and guarded enthusiasm for life and art. As well as being an indictment of the previous generations lack of control, Bowie stating in 1968We feel our parents generation has lost control, given up, theyre scared of the future. I feel its basically their fault that things are so bad. The song is also an anthem for evolution and tolerance.

Its a mark of Bowies character and his artistic destination. Its a manifesto for his career as a rock and roll chameleon, for his life as a patron of the arts and creativity, and his legacy as one of the most iconic men in music.

Without doubt one of the most powerful and poignant songs, Bowie has ever written. Likely to be as powerful in a rock opera as on a pop record, with Life On Mars Bowie really changed the game and made artistically-driven music hit the heights of pop stardom despite never being released as a single.

Compositionally the song is near-perfect. Piano work provided by Rick Wakeman, Bowie reflected that it was actually an effortless creation: [The] Workspace was a big empty room with a chaise longue; a bargain-price art nouveau screen (William Morris, so I told anyone who asked); a huge overflowing freestanding ashtray and a grand piano. Little else. I started working it out on the piano and had the whole lyric and melody finished by late afternoon.

While lyrically, it ranks among the most surreal and deliberately difficult to ascertain any real concrete truth from, it is in the series of tableaux that Bowie provides which shows off his creative genius. Not comfortable with providing a searing narrative that the music warrants, instead Bowie provides a disjointed and designed medley of vignettes from the museum to the modernasking the listeners to create their own tale.

For us, if you can write a song filled with lyrics as non-sensical as Life On Mars while still having the audience sing those mysterious lyrics back to you with passion and drivethen youve truly succeeded as an artist.

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The songs of David Bowie album Hunky Dory ranked in order of greatness - Far Out Magazine

A new study has revealed the perfect song to relax to this Christmas, it might even help your children get to sleep on Christmas Eve!

Boney Ms Marys Boy Child tops the list as the tune most likely to chill you out this Christmas something we could all do with after the year weve had.

While Band Aid 14s Do They Know Its Christmas follows closely behind, featuring the likes of Dizzee Rascal, One Direction and Ed Sheeran.

The research, conducted by Great Bean Bags, analysed over 2,000 songs using data sourced from Spotify playlists containing the words relax, relaxing, chill and chilling in the title to find the top 50 most common songs people choose to kick back and relax to.

From the top 50 songs, it then calculated the average beats per minute (BPM) and found the most common key and time signatures of the top 50 to create the perfect formula for the worlds most relaxing song. Using this formula, researchers then compared it to the same properties of 2020s top hits and all time Christmas classics.

The definitive list of the all time most relaxing songs can be found here.

Commenting on the research, creative director, Patrick Tonks at Great Bean Bags said:Relaxation is core to all of our bean bags, so after what has been probably the most stressful year for many of us, well all be looking forward to a well-needed break, and now we can make that even more relaxing with songs that are proven to chill us all out.

As luck would have it, theres also a Christmas hit that matches the formula meaning we dont even need to break from festivities to relax we can completely get lost in Christmas. The songs weve found to match the formula might even help to get your little ones to sleep on Christmas Eve before the big day!

If Christmas songs arent your preferred choice of music in December, the study also analysed the top hits of 2020, with Lewis Capaldis Someone You Loved coming out as the closest match to the formula, with Doja Cats Say So closely behind.

Commenting on how music can help us to relax, psychologist Cristina Barcelo said:Music is scientifically proven to have a special effect on the brain, the body and even the emotional aspects of the human being,

If youre feeling anxious, take at least five minutes of your day to sit down, take a couple of deep breaths and engage in relaxing music, its going to help you relax and increase the oxygen level of your body, which is also what creates the calming effect in the body, mind, and spirit.

The full research and analyses can be found here.

See more here:

Science Says These Are The Most Relaxing Christmas Songs Ever - B&T

Besides sitting still and focusing on breathing as a form of meditation, there are many activities that can be meditative and help you unwind and relax. Meditation is a practice that people have used for centuries to train attention and awareness as well as achieve mental stability.

However, many people consider meditation a difficult activity. Sitting in silence for a long period of time and focusing on breathing can be challenging, especially when your head is full of other thoughts that can distract your meditation process. Luckily, there are a number of other meditation forms that are not necessarily meditation and that can effectively achieve the same effects and results.

Most of us live a hectic lifestyle, with our day-to-day activities leaving no room for relaxation. Focusing solely on work or studies can be unhealthy and can lead to many consequences that can affect our mental health as well as our physical health.

Not balancing your lifes hectic activities can limit your personal time that you need to rejuvenate and take a break from energy-draining activities. This can lower your energy, motivation, and productivity, which can lead to low self-esteem, stress, and anxiety.

Fortunately, there many easy and enjoyable activities that have a meditative effect and that you can enjoy practicing easily without any challenges. These six pleasant, meditative activities can help you unwind and take a break from your busy day.

You do not have to be artistic or creative in order to paintit is a hobby for everyone. Painting is one of the fun meditative activities that will help you unwind and just be completely yourself.

Choosing the colors you like, the slow motions of the brush covering the blank canvas, and creating the vision you have in your mind are all techniques that can help train your attention, focus on your breathing, and just relax your mind and body.

Many people find it difficult to express themselves verbally because it can be hard to find the right words to use. Painting is a way to express yourself and your feelings without using words, a tool to release the stress and anxiety that might have flooded your mind.

Painting can have a significant impact on your mental health. Creating something beautiful that you worked on for some time and are proud of can give you the self-validation you need that will help boost your self-esteem and confidence.

Planting trees, caring for plants, and nurturing them, in the long run, can be one of the most relaxing, meditative activities that can help you unwind and also find purpose in small things. Gardening requires us to use all our senses and focus on the task at hand.

Touching the soil and plants, breathing in different scents of earth and air, the soft breeze across your face, and the calm and quiet environment can all help create a relaxing atmosphere for you to breathe easily and restore your energy.

Gardening also helps you take a break from your routine and the fast-paced world to practice mindfulness and appreciate the beauty of nature. Caring for other creatures and watching plants grow and flourish can be very gratifying and it can also help you feel accomplished and proud.

Gardening activities also have many health benefits such as burning calories and strengthening the heart. Studies have also shown that healthy bacteria live in soil and helps increase levels of serotonin and reduce anxiety.

This is an activity that might be very popular but also underestimated. Everyone knows walking is good and has positive health benefits, but not many actually take the time off their day to just take a walk.

Walking is one of the easy activities with meditative effects that you can do anytime and anywhere. Walking alone, in particular, can help you focus on your thoughts without many distractions and other influences, which can help you build clear opinions and make better decisions.

Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, individuals across the entire world have spent months in quarantine inside their homes. As lockdowns in many countries ease up, it is important to get out of the house and go outside from time to time, while practicing all the necessary health measurements.

Being outside, surrounded by nature, the bright clear sky, the chirping birds and animals around, as well as people going on about their day, can give you a distraction from your daily routine. It will also give you the opportunity to focus on your senses: The breeze across your face, the sounds of nature, and even the touch of your foot to the ground. Walking can help you feel more in control of the current moment and slowly help you release any tension you have or stress.

Did you ever wonder how people who enjoy crocheting, knitting, and embroidery can sit for hours just working on their craft? Well, the answer is that needlework is one of the most relaxing and fun meditative activities that help you slow down and unwind.

If you find meditation to be challenging and difficult but still want to indulge in practices that train your attention and help you feel centered and focused, then needlework is a great activity for you.

Needlework might include sitting for a period of time, but while crocheting, knitting, or embroidering you will have something that will keep your hands and mind busy and focused while youre sitting. The repetitive motions of needlework can be very meditative and shift your focus from whatever is bothering you to the task you have in your hands and the pattern you are following and creating.

Needlework is also a productive hobby that not only allows you to enjoy some relaxing escapism but also gives you the opportunity to unleash your creativity and create unique crafts either for you or for others, and that can be very gratifying and boost your mood and self-esteem.

This might be surprising for some but not for others. Meditation is often associated with stillness, deep breathing, and quietness, and it is true that this helps you enter a state of mindfulness and improve your awareness. However, for many people, listening to music can also achieve a similar calm and focused state of mind.

Just like the renowned musician Jimi Hendrix, many people consider music as their religion, and that is because it brings them comfort, makes them happy, improves their mental health, and helps them express themselves through art.

People around the world enjoy music, no matter the genre or the language. Even animals are attracted to rhythmic sounds and pleasant melodies. Music is considered a tool of communication that has incredible effects on individuals.

The importance of music and has made it one of the most enjoyable meditative activities that anyone can do to unwind. Listening to music, focusing on the melody, the words, and the instruments played can create a meditative practice that will help you relax, reduce stress, provide comfort, and boost your mood.

For centuries, people have read books either for educational purposes or just as a delightful hobby that helps them enjoy an activity besides their day-to-day tasks. Reading is one of the meditative activities with many benefits and one that allows you to relax and unwind.

Some of the numerous benefits of reading include lowering stress and anxiety, strengthening your brain function, increasing your empathy, building your vocabulary, and improving your sleep quality.

There are millions of books of all genres of literature in the world, from biographies to thrillers and science fiction, making it easy to find the right book that interests you the most and that you will enjoy reading.

Reading books can help you immerse yourself in a different story and take your mind away from any life problems or issues you might be facing. Reading through the pages will help you slow down and relax as well as train your attention and focus.

Meditation is a great tool that allows us to train ourselves to be more focused in real life, to have a better reaction to unpredictable upsetting events, and improve our mental health.

Despite its immense benefits, meditation can be challenging and even frustrating for many people. Fortunately there numerous activities that are very beneficial and can achieve the same effects as meditation.

If you want to practice meditation but just cannot get yourself to sit still for a period of time without losing your focus, then you should try these six meditative activities that will help you cultivate a state of peaceful awareness without meditation.

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Meditative Activities 6 Relaxing Activities That Will Help You Unwind - Morocco World News

The world outside is messy, loud, and oppressive. Everything morphs into edges that you can easily get snagged on, but inside Lo-Fi Room, you can find momentary respite from the chaos of it all. Here, you can close your eyes, sink yourself into your soft beats, and smile. Here, you are safe.

In a nutshell, this, to me, is the whole appeal of Lo-Fi Room. Scheduled for release in late 2021, this relaxing game from Bearmask tasks you with finding hidden musical instruments littered across different scenes per level, then tests your musical prowess with timed beats. Each musical instrument you find unlocks a music track, in which you have to hit the right button to complete the beat.

Each level indicates how many instruments you need to find (and, in essence, how many tracks you need to successfully sync your own personal rhythm to). When you find all the musical instruments and complete the tracks, you can bask in the glory of your achievement and listen to the full music, with the scene coming alive to your newly formed beat ala-GIF style.

While rhythm games have been around for a really long time, Lo-Fi Room isnt just another Dance Dance Revolution, Rock Band, or Guitar Hero. On the contrary, it doesnt make you feel like you need to get all hopped up on adrenaline just so you can get your groove on. In Lo-Fi Room, its all about chilling out and staying mellow, because isnt that what lo-fi is all about?

As for the controls, theyre pretty basic - all you really have to do is time your taps just right to hit the notes when prompted. There are four keys, and while some tracks are easy one-two beats, some can get pretty complicated, and youll need to bust out your hand-eye coordination skills to really get things going. Some have short durations that are easy to hit, but for some, youll need to hit every single note for a longer period of time - one wrong key and youll have to start all over again.

Still, if you feel like you dont have the chops to hit the notes, dont fret - the game can be pretty forgiving if you tap the keys at almost the right time. Even if you hit the keys relatively near where youre supposed to, the game counts that as a successful tap, so youre really not going to rage-quit from frustration. After all, lo-fi should calm you down to the deepest recesses of your soul - not send you off into a fiery rampage.

If you dont feel like timing your keys to someone elses rhythm, you can make your own music in the games Make Beats mode. Here, you can take your pick from all the different musical instruments available and create your own lo-fi beats. Each instrument will also have four keys, so play along as you please. Im not really too musically inclined, but at the end of the day, I personally found this feature even more relaxing than the Story Mode, if thats even possible.

Currently, there will be 15-20 levels with increasing difficulty as planned when the final version of the game comes out. Its obviously not meant to be played in a single go - I personally think you can enjoy the game best when you sit down and play through just a level or two with every session. Its the perfect way to de-stress when youre feeling overwhelmed with the world around you, especially with the aesthetically pleasing art thats as low-key and calming as the beats that surround it.

Overall, Lo-Fi Room lets you find your chill by perfectly encapsulating what lo-fi is. If you want to give it a try and see if its your cup of tea, you can check out the first three levels for free over at the official website. Then, cuddle up in a cozy blanket with a furry fuzzball by your side and youre good to go.

Heres hoping the game hits its target release date - because if theres even any teeny tiny way the world can unwind right now, well definitely take it.

Continued here:

Lo-Fi Room preview - Chill to the beat of this relaxing rhythm game - Pocket Gamer

MIGHTY MOVIES

Miguel Ortiz

The military isnt all action and adventure. There are plenty of dull tasks required of service members that can send even the most motivated of troops to sleep. Whether its writing an after action report, studying for your promotion board, or trying to figure out the convoluted requirements to get your leave approved, here are some of the best military soundtracks to listen to and keep you on track. Note that this isnt a list of the most epic military soundtracks, hence the omission of legendary film soundtracks like Das Boot, Black Hawk Down, and Crimson Tide.

1. Band of Brothers

If youre like me, youve lost count of how many times youve watched Band of Brothers. From watching reruns on TV to popping in the DVD/BluRay for a mini marathon, Michael Kamens arrangements have graced the ears of thousands of viewers. The combination of beautiful orchestral melodies combined with the almost haunting choral work makes this soundtrack an excellent choice for some calming background music. That said, youd be forgiven if you kept the Main Titles, Suite One, and Suite Two on repeat. After all, they are the most used songs from the legendary mini-series. Its spiritual successor, The Pacific, also has a noteworthy soundtrack. However, its a bit too intense with its dramatic swells and drum beats to make the list for studying and relaxing music.

2. Saving Private Ryan

It makes sense that the forerunner of the previous entry be on this list too. Band of Brothers took a lot of production cues from Saving Private Ryan including its score. Produced by the legendary John Williams, the same man that brought us the music for iconic films like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, E.T., and Jaws, the soundtrack from Saving Private Ryan does not disappoint. The opening song, Hymn to the Fallen, is iconic in its own right and is often used for Veterans Day and Memorial Day events and videos. Additionally, the soundtrack itself is over an hour long, so you can get plenty of work done while it plays. If you enjoy this soundtrack, I also recommend giving the original Medal of Honor video game soundtrack a listen. The game was conceived by Spielberg after he completed Saving Private Ryan and Michael Giacchino, the games composer, was heavily inspired by Williams and went on to compose for eight more WWII-based video games.

3. Gladiator

Come on, this one counts as a military movie. After all, Maximus Decimus Meridius was a Roman general commanding an army in battle at the films opening. At any rate, composers Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard built a truly inspirational soundtrack for the film. You dont even need to have seen Gladiator to appreciate its music as a studying or working accompaniment. Additionally, the album won the 2001 Golden Globe for Best Original Score Motion Picture.

4. The Thin Red Line

Yes, its another Zimmer entry. Anyway, the 1998 film is a bit of a departure from other war films of its time like Saving Private Ryan or Platoon. At any rate, its soundtrack was nominated for Original Dramatic Score at the 71st Academy Awards. Although it didnt win, its impact on movie music is long-felt. The films main theme, Journey to the Line, has been used in the trailers for Man of Steel, 12 Years a Slave, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. It was also used in the trailer for Pearl Harbor, the soundtrack of which was also composed by Zimmer and features heavy influence from The Thin Red Line. Pearl Harbor didnt make this list due to its more melancholic tones.

5. Dunkirk (Honorable Mention)

Hear me out. This one is absolutely not a good choice to study or relax to. Its time ticking theme and anxiety-inducing builds are not the kind of sounds you want to hear if you need to slow your heart beat. However, if youre on a time crunch, this might be just what you need to get yourself in the zone. Picture this: Its 0400 and youve been up since 0300the previous day. Youre running on pure caffeine and adrenaline and both are running dangerously low. Your task, whether its a slide deck, a new SOP, or a stack of evals, is due first thing in the morning. Some people thrive under the pressure, and if thats you, why not add some epic background music to your sprint to the finish line? The satisfaction garnered from completing your last minute task just before its deadline will be sweetened by having the films End Titles play you through to your victory.

Ben Weaver

Fighting fires is hungry work. And since firefighters spend long hours, even days, at the fire station, it naturally falls to some schlub rookie to lace up an apron and put food on the table. Thats normally how it goes.

But Meals Ready To Eat doesnt profile normal.

In South Philadelphia, theres a fire station where things go down a bit differently. Thats because the members of Phillys Fire Engine 60, Ladder 19 are lucky enough to count a gourmet chef among their ranks. In fact, he outranks most of them. Hes Lieutenant Bill Joerger, hes a former Marine and this kitchen is his by right of mastery.

The two sides of Lt. Bill Joerger (Go90 Meals Ready To Eat screenshot)

and both are delicious. (Meals Ready To Eat screenshot)

It is a little weird for a ranking officer to spend hours rustling the chow. Its a little strange that he goes to such lengths to source ingredients for his culinary art. Its a bit outlandish when those meals are complex enough to necessitate a demo plate.

But Bill Joerger doesnt care about any of that. When not actively saving lives, he cares about honing his cooking skills, eating well, and creating in the midst of a chaotic work environment some small sacred space where everyone can relax and just be people together.

Meals Ready to Eat host August Dannehl spent a day with Joerger at the firehouse, experiencing the often violent stop-and-start nature of a firefighters day and, in the down moments, sous-cheffing for the Lieutenant. The story of how Joerger found his way from the Marine Corps to a cookbook and then to the firehouse kitchen is a lesson in utilizing ones passion to impose some order in the midst of lifes disarray.

Fatherly

Remember how awesome The Empire Strikes Back was? You can stream that particularly great Star Wars movie on Disney+ right now. And, as of Nov. 15, 2019, Disney+ just added some context to one classic Boba Fett and Darth Vader beef. In the latest episode of The Mandalorian, we finally understand why Darth Vader said no disintegrations.

Spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian Chapter 2: The Child.

In the second episode of The Mandalorian, our titular bounty hunter continues his make-it-up-as-you-go-along journey to protect a little baby Yoda-looking creature. Throughout his misadventures in this episode (which culminate in getting a giant space rhino egg) the Mando tangoes with a bunch of Jawas who have stripped his spaceship of much-needed parts. In an effort to get his stuff back, the Mando busts out his nifty rifle, which, as it turns out, turns anyone he points it at into a puff of smoke. He vaporizes a few of the on the lizard-like Trandoshans who ambush him at the top of the episode, and later on, a few pesky Jawas.

The Mandalorian gets ready to disintegrate some punks.

(Lucasfilm)

Later, when he has to make peace with the Jawas to barter for some of his parts back, he mentions I disintegrated a few of them. In terms of what weve seen in the Star Wars movies so far, this specific tech hasnt been witnessed, but it has been mentioned. When Vader hires a bunch of bounty hunters to capture the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back, the Dark Lord very pointedly shakes his finger at Boba Fett (a dude who rocks Mandalorian armor) and says no disintegrations.

Boba Fett and IG-88 in The Empire Strikes Back

(Lucasfilm)

So, there you have it. Vader was well-aware that this weapon was probably in Boba Fetts arsenal, and now, just a about six years after the events of Empire Strikes Back, in The Mandalorian, we get to see what that weapon looks like. The most surprising thing? In The Mandalorian, the disintegrations are shockingly mess-free. Less like a blaster, and more like a civilized vacuum for a more elegant bounty hunter.

After every episode of The Mandalorian you watch on Disney+, it invariably suggests you watch The Empire Strikes Back. Kind of makes sense now, right?

This article originally appeared on Fatherly. Follow @FatherlyHQ on Twitter.

Blake Stilwell

John Rambo changes lives. Not just in movies, but in the real world. From the flawed antihero of First Blood to the immortal god of death and destruction in 2008s Rambo, Sylvester Stallones action-hero prototype isnt just the forerunner of modern, big-budget action stars, hes a real-life game-changer. A cinematic visit from John Rambo has historically been an omen of big changes to follow in the real world.

Stallone just announced the production of a new Rambo movie and it couldnt come at a better time. Hes definitely going to take on Mexican drug cartels in the film, which is a good move, but there are many other places that need the help. Call it the Rambo Effect.

For the uninitiated, Vietnam veteran John Rambo goes off to find some personal peace after the war, meeting up with old Army friends and traveling the world, looking for meaning. What he ends up finding is a personal war everywhere he goes. He fights the bad guys in the movies and wins but in the real world, something always happens in the country he visits, often within a year of a films release, changing them for the better.

Anyone whos a big fan of Sylvester Stallones Rambo series knows the sequels are a far cry from the story and intent of the first film. In First Blood, he was a flawed Vietnam veteran who became a rallying cry for a generation of vets who were all but ignored by society. Seriously, this is a really great, thoughtful movie with a good message.

The Vietnam War took a toll on America in a way the country still hasnt fully recovered from. It was the first time Americans learned to distrust the President of the United States and this fostered a general mistrust of the government ever since. First Blood takes America to task about things Vietnam veterans still talk about today: Agent Orange, public indifference toward veterans, public perception of crazy Vietnam veterans, veteran unemployment, post-traumatic stress, and more.

The 80s were a crazy time for everyone.

What people really noticed while watching First Blood is how awesome that Green Beret stuff really was, so by the time First Blood Part II came about, Rambo was a full-on action hero the mold for the Bruce Willises, Arnold Schwarzeneggers, and the Steven Seagals yet to come. The real message was lost amid big-budget explosions and fight sequences.

Crewmen of the amphibious cargo ship USS Durham (LKA-114) take Vietnamese refugees from a small craft, April 1975

(U.S. National Archives)

The second installment of the Rambo series was released almost ten years to the day after the fall of Saigon. In the real-world, reunified Vietnam under Communist rule, chaos ensued. Thousands were herded into reeducation camps, a crippled economy suffered from triple-digit inflation, the state went to war with Cambodia and then China. Thousands of refugees took to fleeing by boat to anywhere else.

Still, some things just dont age well.

The year after First Blood Part II had Rambo return to Vietnam, the Vietnamese government began implementing massive reforms to move away from the strict Communist structure that dominated it for the previous decade. In the intervening years, the economy began to recover as the government moved to a more socialist form.

In 1988s Rambo III, John Rambo sets off to rescue Colonel Trautman after hes taken captive in Soviet-dominated Afghanistan. Of course, Rambo goes right into Afghanistan, destroys every Soviet in his wake and rescues his old friend in a blaze of fiery glory. That same year, the Soviet Union began its final withdrawal from Afghanistan, a war that was a major contributing factor to the fall of the Soviet Union.

Coming to theaters of war near you.

In 2008s Rambo, the former Green Beret joins a group of missionaries headed to Myanmar. 2008 Myanmar was a brutal totalitarian dictatorship scarred by rampant human rights abuses both on screen and in the real world. In the film, a warlord is brutalizing the Burmese people and the missionaries become victims. A team of mercenaries goes back into Myanmar with Rambo. Rambo kills everyone who isnt a good guy.

Two months after the films release, the actual Myanmar government suddenly held a real constitutional referendum intended to guide the country down the path away from the military junta and into democratic reforms. By 2010, Myanmar held contested, multiparty elections. The military government was fully dissolved in 2011 and, by 2015, there were serious elections held in the country.

Im not saying John Rambo had anything to do with any of this, all Im saying is that John Rambo could be the harbinger of positive change in the world. Which is good, because there are a few place that really need a change.

Even though this is hardly the worlds longest ongoing conflict, it has to be one of the most intense and well-attended. Anyone whos anyone is sending troops to Syria, and soon Germany may even join the party. All joking aside, this is a conflict that has, so far, killed more than a half-million people in seven years by moderate estimates, but no one really knows for sure.

A war this intense should end sooner rather than later. Even though Richard Crenna (the actor who portrayed Col. Trautman) died in 2003, maybe Rambo can be sent to Syria to rescue Trautmans son? Ill leave that for Stallone to decide, but hes got to get Rambo there somehow.

Just one North Korean parade and its all over.

While the intensity of this conflict peaked more than 70 years ago, the ongoing human rights abuses and detainment of North Koreans in prison camps is exactly the kind of thing John Rambo would hate to see.

And if theres anyone who could reach Kim Jong Un on his own, its John Rambo.

Pictured: Rambo sneaking back into Burma.

Even though his first visit to Burma (Myanmar) foretold the coming of democratic reforms, an argument could be made that they didnt exactly reach what anyone would call true quality before the law. In fact, a number of civil conflicts are ongoing in Burma, including the Rohingya slaughter and insurgency read so much about in the news lately, but there are others at least 18 different insurgent groups operate in Burma to this day.

If ever a war needed to end, its the ongoing Saudi-led coalitions war against Houthi-dominated Yemen. If ever any single country needed a John Rambo to finish things off, its this devastating embarrassment. For three years, Saudi Arabia and its 24 coalition partners have been hammering away at little Yemen and the Houthis who took it over, killing tens of thousands of people many civilians and are no closer to winning right now than they were three years ago.

Name a more iconic duo. Ill wait.

The Moro people of the Philippines have pretty much been resisting invaders since the beginning of time. For at least 400 years, the Moro have resisted Spanish, American, Japanese, American, and Philippine dominance over their traditional area of the country.

If theres a world leader that would make an excellent Hollywood villain, its Rodrigo Duterte, current president of the Philippines. Hes not crazy, he thinks hes doing the world a favor, and his methods are shocking. After a few centuries, this conflict should be ready to end and who better to bring that about than Rambo and a giant hunting knife?

Somalia has been in the throes of civil war since the 1980s and it has never even begun anything close to a recovery. After the fall of the Barre dictatorship, no one has held a controlling area of the country, including the United States, the United Nations, and even Ethiopia, who invaded Somalia not too long ago, crushing just one more in a long line of Islamic Insurgents who want to control the Somali people.

More than half a million people from all over the world have died in this conflict and it has displaced more than 1.1 million Somalis. It is time for this conflict to end thats your cue, Rambo.

Shannon Corbeil

Weve passed on all we know. A thousand generations live in you now. But this is your fight, hints Mark Hamills Luke Skywalker.

(Well, Ghost Luke, Im guessing)

This week at D23, LucasFilm released new footage from The Rise of Skywalker, leading fans to speculate what it all means as the Skywalker Saga comes to an end.

I for one got excited for the first time in a long time.

Check out the special look at then lets break it down:

http://www.youtube.com

Of course, the most buzz-worthy scene is Dark Rey wielding a duel-bladed and red lightsaber. I dont want to fansplain to you or anything, but red blades are of course associated with the Sith, who often preferred synthetic crystals energized by the dark side of the force.

Reys blade could mean a number of things. Maybe she nicked it? Maybe she turned to the dark side? Or probably maybe its just a vision. Rey hasnt had a character flaw yet, but who knows? Maybe J.J. Abrams wants to throw us a curve ball.

(PS: Has anyone else noticed how dangerous these fancy lightsabers are? Like, how does Kylo Ren not chop his leg off any time he ignites his crossguard lightsaber?? The Force can only do so much)

I just want to know that he attended his safety brief.

Anyway, back to Rey.

Twitter user Alan Johnson has a different theory about Dark Rey:

twitter.com

Now that would be interesting to me. And Im going full nerd to tell you why.

A brief history on clones in the Star Wars universe: they were bred to fight as soldiers under their Jedi commanders during the time of the Republic (think prequels). Under Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the clone troopers fought the droid army of the Separatists during the Clone Wars.

But there was a hidden trigger implanted into every clone, and Palpatine (who of course we know was a Sith), issued Order 66, which named the Jedi Knights enemies of the Republic and called for their eradication. The clone militants purged the galaxy of the Jedi and gave Palpatine unchecked control of the Republic, allowing him to become the true antagonist of the original trilogy.

Emperor Palpatine was thrown into a deep shaft by Darth Vader during the Battle of Endor presumably dead and yet promo materials for the Rise of Skywalker have been teasing his return.

Could Palpatine have survived his fall? Id say yes any trained Force-user can levitate so its far-fetched for them to fall to their death. Theoretically he could have also hidden himself for all these years.

If he is alive, and Rey is a clone, that could pose many questions. Is Dark Rey also a clone? Could Palpatine Order 66 her? Are there more versions of her? (I mean, I wouldnt be unhappy with an Orphan Black situation)

As a fan, its fun to consider the possibilities, which makes The Rise of Skywalker even more fun to look forward to.

Fatherly

There are a lot of great moments in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but there is one very specific and hilarious scene in which Peter Parker very confidently misidentifies AC/DCs killer song Back in Black by saying I love Led Zeppelin! And though this seems like a funny throwaway, this is actually the exact moment where Far From Home brings the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe full-circle. You may have thought Avengers: Endgame was the end of this era of Marvel movies, but really, the latest Spidey flick is the real ending. And thats because it wraps up multiple storylines about the only character who can never return to these movies Iron Man.

If you squint through those special Tony Stark high-tech glasses, Spider-Man: Far From Home actually reads as Iron Man 4, and thats because a huge chunk of the movie is about how Peter Parker deals not only with a world without Tony Stark; but more specifically, a world which Iron Man created. Spoiler alert, but the entire conflict of Far From Home revolves around disgruntled former employees of Tony Stark; people who either got yelled at by Jeff Bridges in the very first Iron Man movie in 2008, or in the case of Jake Gyllenhaals Quentin Beck, had their inventions hijacked and turned into holographic therapy for Stark.

Like the next generation of young Marvel fans who are just getting into all this superhero stuff, Peter Parker inherits the mixed legacy of Tony Stark whether he likes it or not. Because this version of Spidey doesnt really have a fatherly-Uncle Ben figure, Iron Man was Peters next-best-thing to a dad. And in Far From Home, all the mistakes Tony made become Spider-Mans problem. Happy Hogan reminds Peter that although Iron Man was great that he was also all over the place, which is a nice way of saying Tony Stark was actually kind of a douchebag and may have given Peter and the rest of the world more than they really want to deal with. Anyone who has had been saddled with messiness after the death of a parent knows how this goes. For Spidey, his personal life is totally compromised in the post-credits scene (in which his secret identity is revealed) all of which is, indirectly, Tony Starks fault. In fact, the seeds for Peter inheriting Tonys problems are sewn in Spideys first official MCU appearance; in Captain America: Civil War. Back then, Tony recruited Peter to help him reign-in Cap, but we now know this movie also was where Tony ignorantly turns Beck into a bad guy.

http://www.youtube.com

Which brings us back to that AC/DC track; Back in Black. This is the song that opens the very first moments of 2008s Iron Man;Tony Stark sits in the back of a humvee speeding through Afghanistan, drinking a cocktail, acting like jerky the millionaire arms-dealer that he is. From that point, Tonys caravan gets attacked, and through the course of the movie, and a lot of snarky one-liners, he eventually becomes a slightly better person and you know, Iron Man. In fact, just like Far From Home, that film famously ended with Tony Stark revealing his identity in a press conference. And now, unwillingly, Peter Parker has become the new Iron Man insofar as his identity has been revealed too, albeit not by choice. Either way, Peters journey is very similar to Tonys at this point, the only difference is Peter didnt get much of a choice in the matter, whereas Tony did.

Despite everything that happened to Tony Stark, Captain America and Black Widow throughout all of their Marvel movie adventures, for the most part, these characters read as adults, and in the case of Tony and Natasha, adults who were not innocent people, like at all. But Peter Parker is the opposite of this. Even after everything, hes been through in five movies, hes basically still at the beginning of his heros journey. Which is why Far From Home is both an ending for the old Marvel movies and the beginning of the new ones.

http://www.youtube.com

Its unclear what new Avengers movies will look like in 2020 and beyond, but because Tony is 100 percent dead and Steve Rogers is 100 percent living in the past in secret, the big recognizable heroes of Iron Man and Captain America wont be around. (Also that rumored Black Widow movie is thought to be a prequel?) In any case, if the new Avengers are Captain Marvel, maybe Hulk, Falcon, and Bucky, then it seems like Spidey might become their defacto leader. After all, once youre secret identity is revealed, youve got nowhere to be other than with other superheroes.

The musical cues and plot similarities of Spider-Man: Far From Home help to complete Tony Starks story one movie after his onscreen death. But, our incumbent Peter Parker isnt Tony Stark. Like at all. He doesnt really know who AC/DC is, even if he likes the music. This Peter is the face of the future of the next big round of Marvel movies, and in some ways, thats reassuring. The MCU began with a tortured man-baby who drank too much and said sexist things. That guy accidentally became a hero, and of course, because of that journey of redemption, we all love Tony Stark. But now, it seems Marvel is going to do stories about different types of heroes, and those people, like Peter Parker, might be a little bit better than the generation before them. Marvel is done with the old guys. Its time to give the kids a shot.

Luckily, as Far From Home proves, the kids are more than all right. Theyre better than us.

This article originally appeared on Fatherly. Follow @FatherlyHQ on Twitter.

Blake Stilwell

More:

5 great military soundtracks to study or just relax to - We Are The Mighty

Juliette Grco and I may have been born almost 50 years apart but she had always been part of me. When we were kids growing up on a housing estate in Strasbourg, my mother had a ritual: on Sundays, she would play French chanson for us. Lo Ferr, Jacques Brel, Charles Trenet, Georges Brassens, and Juliette Grco. She was the only female artist in the pack so not only did her mysterious voice have a distinctive impact on me, I also assumed she was a tough cookie with character. In my young boys mind, she was their equal, a great artist, period. Years later, as I was relaxing at home in the midst of recording my second solo album, I switched on telly and here she was with her husband Grard Jouannest who had been Jacques Brels pianist and composer, and I thought how amazing it would be to meet them. The following morning, I told the sound engineer at my record company. It just so happened that he had recently worked with Juliette Grco. He was our go-between. I sent her my work and she agreed to meet. One day, she opened the door of her house near Paris to me and we became friends for the next 13 years, spending Christmas and holidays together.

When Grco met new people, what she was interested in was to find a poetical connection with them. No poetry, no friendship. It didnt matter that you were from a different milieu, a different country, a different culture, or belonged to a different musical genre, generation, political family or even that you shared the same convictions. The only thing that she cared about was poetry, and style. And a love for words and the written text.

In a way, this mirrored my own story. One of my headmistresses noticed my love for books from an early age and fed my passion. She also convinced my mother to take me to a better school and helped me getting a scholarship. Literature and poetry made me who I am. Albert Camus in particular played a great role in shaping the young rebellious man I was. When Camuss daughter asked me to perform for the centenary of his birth in 2013, I invited Juliette, who had known him well, to be with me on stage.

I asked Juliette about her love affair with Miles Davis in the late 1940s, early 1950s. When Jean-Paul Sartre asked them why they didnt marry, Miles answered: Because I love her too much for that. If she had followed him back to the US, she would have been considered there as a negros whore, she confided to me. I am currently adapting their love story for the screen.

I consider Juliette as the last interprte of our times. Somebody who completely appropriated the words of another to make it her own. It was extraordinary to see. Suddenly, your words were hers, and hers only. She had a way of delivering words that was unique: it was both very powerful and moving to witness.

She was both a godmother and teacher to me. Thanks to her, I rediscovered writers such as Boris Vian and Louis Aragon, people she had known well. She had a way of explaining intricate concepts with simplicity.

We were friends right up to the very last weeks of her life. She had this extraordinary elegance, both moral and physical, even when she had become rather frail. Its her elegance in all things that I shall most vividly miss.

Continued here:

Juliette Grco remembered by Abd al Malik | Music - The Guardian

I once dated a guy who insisted that, given the choice between the two, he would almost always take a massage over sex.

I was initially skeptical of this claim, as it seemed to violate the sacred social dictate that all men are bound to a state of perpetual horniness and would cut off their own arm in exchange for sex at any and every opportunity. In addition to my disbelief, I also took some irrational offense at this dubious preference for not-sex over sex. Did he really like massages that much, or did he just hate having sex? Or worse, did he just hate having sex with me, specifically?

It only took one massage to make a believer out of me, however, and these days I, too, would probably take massages over sex if I could only have one for the rest of my life.

Fortunately, barring an oddly specific scenario Ive yet to consider, I cant really envision a situation in which anyone would actually be compelled to make such a choice. A small bright spot in an often cruel and unfair world, theres no reason we cant have massages and sex. In fact, bringing massage into the bedroom can actually improve your sex life, enhancing sexual experiences for both you and your partners.

Incorporating massage into your sexual repertoire can make sex last longer and provide opportunities to explore erogenous zones that are often overlooked, says Casey Tanner, certified sex therapist and an expert for sex toy company LELO. While some might resist massage because it doesnt seem overtly sexual, massage actually attends to your two largest sexual organs: your skin and your brain. Massage also increases blood flow, adds Tanner, leading to more sensitivity and lubrication, all of which ultimately translates into more orgasms.

Massage can also help partners become more familiar with each others touch language, says Eric Joppy, licensed massage therapist and owner of SenseFuel Massage. Massage helps you relax and become more comfortable with each others bodies, ultimately leading to a deeper, more intimate connection, says Joppy.

While, as Tanner notes, massage is often incorporated into a sex as foreplay or aftercare preceding or following a more explicit sex act, it can also be enjoyed as a standalone experience that need be no less intimate or erotic than sex itself.

While sex is an incredible tension reliever, I wouldnt call it relaxing to the body, says publicist Melissa Vitale, who considers it a karmic blessing that she recently entered a relationship with a man currently training to become a certified massage therapist. Massages help me feel rejuvenated, cared for and supported all at once, and it can be incredibly arousing, she tells InsideHook. I find the afterglow of a good massage can be just as blissful as post-orgasm.

Below, a few experts share tips on how to massage your partner into a state of post-orgasmic bliss, no orgasm required.

When it comes to sexy massage, what you dont have in the environment is just as important as what you do, says Tanner. To the extent possible, remove reminders of life stressors; put your pets away, wash dirty dishes, and turn off the technology.

As for those life stressors that cant be eliminated like loud traffic sounds or neighbors relaxing music or a white noise machine should do the trick, says Rachel Beider, massage expert and author of Press Here! Massage for Beginners: A Simple Route to Relaxation and Releasing Tension.

Tailor the ambience for sensuality using your five senses taste, touch, sight, smell and sound, says Tanner. Low lighting is a must, while scented candles can do double duty when it comes to sight and smell. Beider also recommends burning incense, using essential oils or scented lotion.

Basically, you just want it to be as comfortable as possible, says Beider. Temperature is also really important, she adds. The room should be comfortably warm, and Beider also suggests making use of a heated blanket.

Taylor Sparks, erotic educator and founder of intimacy retailer Organic Loven, suggests both partners begin with a warm bath or shower, whether alone or together, in order to relax and unwind pre-massage. Sparks also recommends laying out anything you might need oils, pillows, towels etc. ahead of time, putting everything within reach so you can easily grab it during the massage without breaking physical contact with your partner.

A massage is an exchange of energy between giver and receiver, says Sparks. If you can always keep one hand on your partner at all times while you get more oil or a towel, the energy will stay constant.

One of the most important things in massage is communication, says Beider. Its a good opportunity to practice consent and to ask for what you really want, which can also be helpful in other parts of the relationship. Massage fosters trust. It helps you express vulnerability.

With that in mind, the best way to begin a massage is to simply ask your partner what they want. Similar to professional masseuses, ask your partner if there are any regions of your body theyd like you to focus on or avoid, says Tanner.

Its also important to continue checking in with your partner throughout the duration of the massage. Ask them what they want and confirm things like pressure, speed, pace or location, says Beider, who suggests establishing a number system to help communicate the right level of pressure: If ten is way too much pressure and zero is boring, maybe you want to be massaging someone at a six or a seven. Partners can then communicate their desire for more or less pressure more precisely.

And even if you think youve got it down, dont hesitate to continue checking in with your partner periodically. I think sometimes people are afraid to say something, so its really important that you check in with them during the session, says Beider, who also stresses the importance of asking for specific feedback rather than accepting a simple, Its fine.

Your partner probably isnt expecting you to become a master masseuse, but figuring out where to put your hands and how to move them in a way that constitutes an actual massage instead of just a random rub down can be intimidating for a massage newbie. For those who really have no idea what theyre doing, Beider breaks down two foundational strokes to keep in mind.

The basic stroke in massage is called effleurage, says Beider. Its those long, relaxing, gliding strokes, and it accomplishes two things: it spreads oil across the surface that youre working on, and it also introduces your partner to the touch that youre providing, fostering trust.

The second stroke Beider recommends is petrissage, a deeper, kneading stroke good for breaking up adhesions, or knots.

This feels really good, especially in between shoulder blades, around the lower back and the neck, says Beider, who suggests creating flow throughout the massage by using long effleurage strokes in between areas that have been worked more deeply.

Start on the back so your partner can start to relax and become more comfortable with your touch, says Joppy. Then move from the back to the neck and down to the lower body. Try to use long strokes going from the bottom of the back to the top of the neck, or from the bottom of the legs to the top of the glutes.

And if your hands need a break? A sure fire way of giving a great massage is to turn to that large massager in the drawer, says Sparks. Yes, you can (and probably should) use a vibrator on your partner during sex, but a vibrator can also come in handy during not-sex. Vibrators that double as body massagers are capable of reaching 9,000 rpms and can work out the kinks just about anywhere you put them, says Sparks.

Dont forget that massage isnt just about the person being touched; the masseuse can get just as much out of this sensual experience, says Tanner

But to reap those benefits, youre going to have to relax, be present, and go slow.

It is just as important for the giver to be relaxed and in a comfortable position before, during and after the massage, says Sparks. This is an exchange of energy, and the giver must be in a mood to give. While you should stay focused on your partner, listening to their breathing and responses both verbal and physical, its also important to focus on your own breathing and state of mind, she adds.

Breathe, echoes Joppy. Deep, conscious breathing will naturally sync your two bodies, resulting in a deeper, more intimate and sensual connection.

Like sex, a good massage requires communication, consent, and enthusiastic partners who are both present and willing to engage physically and mentally.

Listen to your body, and that of your partner, says Tanner. When in doubt, just ask.

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How to Give a Massage That's Actually Better Than Sex - InsideHook

Beethoven in 250 words.

Beethoven fans and aficionados give us 250 words no more, no fewer on the great composer, as the world marks the 250th anniversary of his birth.

16 December 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of great composer Ludwig van Beethovens birth.

Weve invited music lovers and Beethoven devotees to give us 250 well-chosen words of their own to sum up what the great composer means to them.

Heres to you, LVB...

You can have the sunniness of Mozart, but very often he seems to be painting a world that is only sunny and ordered and loveable. With Beethoven, however, even though hes nearly always optimistic, theres often a lot of pain to be got through on the way. So in that sense hes realistic.

In the music of Beethoven you feel the agony, and the pain, and the effort; and the stretching, and the yearning; and the desire for things to be right; the storms that get in the way. And then, very often, like in the famous last final movement of the Fifth Symphony, the sun bursts through but hes taken us on a journey through lots of pain and melancholy before we get there.

I think if you listen to symphonic music written by a composer like Beethoven, there is a real sense of a human individual struggling to be happy, struggling to connect, struggling to belong. You get a sense and you can call it over-reading, if you dont like this way of talking about music of someone who feels outside of the run of common humanity and wants desperately to be a party, who wants to join in the dance, but cant. And then hes brought in by the forces of the orchestra, by the forces of a kind of belief and hope.

Beethoven, I do think, in particular is our champion, our humanitarian kind of figure, our Prometheus. Hes just there for us.

This interview originally appeared on Moira Stuart Meets...

This December, StephenFry narrates Beethovens Prometheus with Classic FM's Orchestra on Tour, The Philharmonia. Click here to find out more and watch on demand.

My favourite piece of music by Beethoven is the second movement of his Piano Concerto No. 5. Its always been my favourite. As well as it being an incredibly beautiful piece of music, I love the simplicity of the piano part. In particular, I love the purity of the solo passage about a third of the way in.

Its the piece of music my wife walked in to on our wedding, so as well as being a wonderful piece, it evokes all these memories of my wife looking beautiful on our wedding day.

I love classical music. I went to Guildhall School of Music & Drama when I was younger and therefore learnt lots about music. Sticking with Beethoven, another piece I really love is the Pastoral Symphony No. 6. It was one of my dads very favourite pieces of music, so again is particularly special to me. Towards the end of the symphony, when we come out of the storm and feel the sunlight breaking through again, it always feels like an inspiring moment for me.

I listen to classical music to relax at the end of a busy day Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, you name it. Theres a bit of a battle in our house because weve got a 10-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy, and theyre not as into classical music as I am. So theres often a battle between whose music gets put on when I win, I choose classical music because I find it really relaxing.

Sir Keir Starmer is the leader of the UK Labour Party. Prior to his time in law and politics, Sir Keir played theflute,piano, recorder andviolin, and was a young scholar at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London.

From my vantage point as a conductor, I naively thought 2020 would be remembered as the year the world celebrated the 250th anniversary of Beethovens birth. No one could have anticipated the unbelievable upheaval that 2020 would bring or how inconsequential a composer anniversary even an iconic one would seem. But the more I thought about Beethoven, the more I realised what a perfect symbol he was for everything we have experienced this year.

Beethovens life was filled with physical and personal challenges, capped by his profound and devastating hearing loss. He longed to connect with people, yet became inevitably more isolated. Now that we all have a deeper understanding of isolation, we can relate to his frustration. We can also draw inspiration from his continued faith in humankind. Despite everything, he believed we were empowered by sharing joy. When he incorporated Friedrich Schillers poem Ode to Joy into his Ninth Symphony, it was a radical call for equality, freedom and brotherhood.

I originally collaborated with Carnegie Hall on plans to honour Beethovens anniversary by reimagining the Ninth Symphony for 21st-century audiences, with orchestras on six continents. When these live events were cancelled, I partnered with YouTube, Google Arts & Culture, BTHVN2020 and the worlds leading arts organisations, inviting the international community to celebrate Beethovens birthday with joy-filled videos tagged #GlobalOdeToJoy. After sharing such a difficult year, this was our chance to come together and amplify his message by flooding the digital sphere with unity, solidarity and hope.

Marin Alsop conducts #GlobalOdeToJoy in 2020. Click here to find out more.

Beethoven broke the rules, simple as that.

You dont begin a piano sonata with a resounding chord, like Beethoven did in the Pathtique.

Nobody had begun a piano concerto with solo piano, as Beethoven did in Piano Concerto No. 4.

You cant possibly begin a symphony with two huge chords, as if to say Pay attention!. Beethoven did in the mighty Eroica.

In a good performance of Mozart, his music should wash over you, cause you to smile, convince you all is well with the world. A good Beethoven performance should turn your knuckles white from gripping the arms of your seat, your nerves shredded, but leaving you imbued with a feeling of exhilaration and triumph as well as deep love and admiration for a man who suffered the worst fate that can befall a musician, yet overcame it.

Beethoven was difficult, irascible, hot-tempered, cruel to his friends, withering about other musicians. How nice would you be if you were a musician, and you knew that was all you could be, and you realised you were slowly, inexorably, losing your hearing?

Beethovens music is evidence of his iron will and determination, his resolve not to give in to deafness, but to triumph over it. His music instils the same spirit in us Look at me. I refused to give in to my deafness, and by doing so I overcame it. Listen to my music. Through my music you can face whatever hardship confronts you and overcome it.

Subscribe to John Suchets new podcast, Beethoven: The Man Revealed, via Global Player, the official Classic FM app.

To me, Beethoven was the beating heart of the Romantic era not only through his music but the spirit of his soul. Over my career I have been lucky to play many of his piano concertos to audiences around the world, but I didnt actually begin performing his works until I was 20. Perhaps I felt that the emotional challenge, rather than the technical, was beyond my comprehension before then.

Beethovens short Bagatelle Fr Elise was not published until forty years after his death, and this, coupled with the identity of the lady in the title, gives is a deeply personal and intriguing context shrouded in mystery. For a pianist, Fr Elise requires a lightness of touch almost featherlike for the delicate melodies and left hand arpeggiated chords. The home key of A minor suggests lamentation, and the rondo form mirrors the emotions that move through storms clouds of sadness to moments of happiness and back to uncertainty much like the early stages of falling in love!

I recorded this piece for my Piano Book release on Deutsche Grammophon last year to inspire young piano players. I had neither performed nor recorded the piece before, but my motivation was to move the listener. It would be disingenuous to describe this piece as simple background music. The dynamics and phrasing are so important, and really bring out the depth of the emotions concealed within. This work demands to be treated like the great masterpiece it truly is.

Click here to watch Lang Lang & Friends 2020 Virtual Concert on demand now.

Beethoven's music is unmistakable its full of vitality, humour and drama. He was a complex genius. To me, he is to music what Shakespeare is to literature. It's hard to imagine a world without Beethoven's music.

As a pianist, his piano sonatas have always been stationed within easy reach of my music stand. And I even have a portrait of him above my piano which looks down on me every day as I compose. It inspires me to respond to any musical challenge!

Beethoven's music sounds as fresh today as it did when it was first published; as with all great works of art, it is ageless, timeless; immortal. Music, to Beethoven, was a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy offering an entrance to a spiritual universe. He was a father of modern music - linking the classical and romantic. I agree with Stravinsky who called him supreme among musicians.

The overriding feature in all of his music is vitality. Even his gentle music is more profound and more affecting than that of other composers. Goethe said of Beethoven that he never knew a more energetic artist. Beethoven is always surprising us every passage of his music is utterly convincing. In 1823, Beethoven wrote to his friend the Archduke Rudolph, to whom he dedicated the Missa Solemnis: There is no loftier mission than to come nearer than other men to the Divinity, and to disseminate the divine rays among mankind. Beethoven, without a doubt, fulfilled that mission.

Debbie Wiseman is Classic FMs Composer in Residence. Her new work for cellist Steven Isserlis is out in 2021.

Beethoven the brilliant virtuoso. Beethoven the bigger-than-life hero. Beethoven the transcendent visionary. Three epithets to cover the three creative periods of one of humanitys greatest geniuses. I hadnt really, viscerally, understood how amazing he was until this year, when I decided to tackle the complete cycle of 32 sonatas.

As I made my way through this incredible treasure trove, my biggest discovery was Beethovens character as it shone through his music. He wasnt the angry, grouchy man with a stormy brow I previously imagined, but a composer of light and life. His music radiates life energy, so present in every note we sometimes dont notice it so obvious it seems. But in this most difficult year, oh did I notice it.

Learning and recording his sonatas, following him on this journey that took nearly 30 years to complete, I was constantly uplifted by the warmth and life glowing from every page. I was energised by the unstoppable fast movements. I was entranced by the poetic beauty in his melodies. I felt privileged to have access to magnificent, awe-inspiring sound worlds particularly in the late sonatas which he had explored, captured in music and shared with us.

This year Beethoven became a composer I passionately love and turn to for comfort and support; a composer I passionately want to share with others. I couldnt have asked for a better musical companion for this year, and I so look forward to exploring his musical worlds for years to come.

Boris Giltburg performed all 32 of Beethovens Piano Sonatas in 2020. Volume 6 is out now on Naxos.

Beethoven has been part of my world for as long as I can remember. Writing Immortal, my novel about the composers immortal beloved, was a chance to try instead to immerse myself in his. Ive emerged with his music meaning more to me than ever before. Now I experience Beethoven not as an intellectual mountain-range or an unapproachable Goliath, but as a total human being, complete with all his fortitude, self-delusion and personal demons.

During lockdown I began practising the piano again regularly for the first time in years and decided to learn some Beethoven sonatas that I hadnt tried before. With live music all but wiped out these past months, Ive never been so glad that I can play some myself, and trying to get to grips with the Waldstein Sonata and the E flat major Sonata Op. 31 No. 3 has brought home the extraordinary generosity of Beethovens musical spirit. However much effort you put in, he rewards you threefold. Having conquered his own despair through his art - and sometimes I think thats what he was doing - he helps us with ours, giving us more and more energy, filling our hearts with his own unquenchable joy.

Oh, how beautiful it is to live, he wrote to Franz Wegeler, to live a thousand times!

We often think of Beethoven as the music of struggle - but its overriding drive is transcendental joy, filled with wonder at the marvels of nature and an elemental passion for life itself.

Jessica Duchens novel, Immortal, is published by Unbound and is out now.

Listen to 250 minutes of music by Beethoven across the UK on 100-102 FM, DAB digital radio and TV, at ClassicFM.com and on Global Player, the official Classic FM app.

Original post:

Beethoven at 250: famous figures share what his music means to them, in 250 words - Classic FM