Synthwave – Lazerpunk

Slickster

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March 10, 2018

<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><a href="http://lazerpunk.bandcamp.com/album/death-glory">DEATH & GLORY by LAZERPUNK</a>

3/13/2018 – Continuing our popular Synthwave interview series, we checked out Hungary’s Lazerpunk. His newest album is dark and sinister, but comes with a packaged around track he almost deleted. Black Lambo has been an underground hit on the Outrun – Vaporwave scene. We caught up with Lazerpunk to hear about the new album and whole lot more. #synthwave

Slickster: Black Lambo has some catchy and sinister vocals. Who did the vocals and how did you come up with that sound?

Lazerpunk: Everyone is asking me about Black Lambo and it’s totally weird. Even days before the release I was thinking very hard if I should delete it from the album, as it didn’t really fit. This is the only track with a good, uplifting vibe on the entire album. Also it has strong hiphop/trap elements, which is not something that is common in this genre, so I absolutely did not expect people to like it. Originally it was an instrumental song and as I was listening to it over and over again I just started rapping over the beat because I was getting bored of it. Then I recorded these lyrics that I came up with on the spot, and sent it to a few friends as a joke, but they said this is totally fire and kept pushing me to put this on the album. So eventually I did and it became the most popular track on the whole thing. The original lyrics were very different but I decided to delete all drug references and I also deleted the part where I mentioned Lil Paper.

Slickster: You have songs titled, “Ego Death”, “Poison”, “Revenge”, “Rampage’, and “Anger” on this album. What is driving these intense feelings that you channeled onto the record?

Lazerpunk: The last few years been pretty rough for me. I won’t really get into the details but I’ve been through some stuff that severely damaged me as a person, but at the same time inspried me big time as an artist. And it really shows. I was in a much better mood when I wrote my two previous albums and they are not even close to what DEATH & GLORY is. I had enough of everything and decided to just finish this last album just because I don’t like unfinished business. Then the thing blew up and so many new doors opened for me that I’m no longer looking at the Exit. Or at least I see that it is not the only door I can walk through now.

Slickster: Some would call your music ‘darksynth‘. How do you classify music as ‘darksynth’ as opposed to ‘synthwave‘ or ‘outrun‘?

Lazerpunk: Synthwave is cruising on the beaches of Miami in the sunset in a convertible roadster with palmtrees all around. This is Quixotic. Outrun is trying to get away from the cops after a bank robbery in a Ferrari Testarossa in Los Angeles downtown. This is Tokyo Rose. And darksynth is going straight to hell with maximum speed driving a black Lamborghini, kicking the gas pedal through the floor while the whole thing is on fire and it is the grim reaper itself who is sitting in the passenger seat grinning at you like a maniac as you push the gas pedal even further. And that’s Lazerpunk.

Slickster: There is a line in you bio that states, “Even though his careless behaviour on the roads and his multiple accidents due to illegal street races have caused a lot of controversy…” Can you elaborate on this? Are you into street racing, modding cars, race queens, and all of that scene?

Lazerpunk: Well I’m not some guy from a Fast & Furious movie, not even close, but I love cars and motorbikes, and I love speed. Last year I paid so much to the police because of speeding that they could list me as their sponsor. I also had quite a few accidents. The last one happened right on my birthday and could easily been fatal, so that really got me thinking and made me take a step back. I got lots of supportive messages from people but there were also guys who said I should have died because I’m a dumb fuck for racing in traffic and such. And I have some people who really want me dead. I know the stuff they are saying behind my back, and they really wish the worst on me. But it’s cool. It’s not like they are going to do anything other than running their mouths.

Slickster: Your business model includes giving away your music for free. In today’s online environment is this the only way to get noticed? Can artists make any money from Youtube videos anymore? If people want to donate, where can they send money?

Lazerpunk: I have no idea about Youtube money, I get none of that since it’s other folks who upload my music. Maybe I should take a look at that. But people mostly support me by donating cash through my bandcamp site. It is pretty cool actually, because all my music is free, so when someone send me money I know that they really like what I’m doing and they want me to continue. And that feels great. People always ask me what is it about me that makes me stand out and why am I doing so good. And I don’t really know what’s special about me, but one thing I know for sure, that I have the most loyal and most supportive folks having my back.

Slickster: Do you have any live performances on the schedule? If so, where and when?

Lazerpunk: I’m putting together my live setup now, so it’s still in the works, but yes, I’m planning to do lots of live shows this year. Can’t really disclose any dates and places yet, but I can promise that I’ll go back to Moscow, and I’ll also visit many other European cities. And I have a thing for Eastern European countries, so I want to visit a few places in that region as well. Might I add, I never been to the US before, and that’s on my “things to do before die” list, so I’ll have to make that happen as well.

Slickster: Thanks for talking with Slickster Magazine and best of luck with all of your upcoming musical endeavors. What message would you like to share with the world?

Lazerpunk: Thanks for interviewing me. I’m not big on inspriational thoughts and such, but what I could suggest everyone is to don’t put too much time and effort into the wrong things. Relationships will end, friends will stab you in the back, but if you take care of your car or motorbike it will serve you forever. Fuck people, focus on yourself and machines.

Death Wish Review: Generic Vengeance

Movies

Chris Sawin

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March 6, 2018

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The remake of Death Wish spent over a decade in development. The film went through several different directors including Sylvester Stallone, Joe Carnahan, Gerardo Naranjo (Miss Bala), and Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado (co-directors of Big Bad Wolves) while Stallone, Liam Neeson and Frank Grillo, and Benicio del Toro nearly starred in the newly re-imagined film. After Eli Roth eventually signed on to direct, Joe Carnahan’s script was rewritten by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood, Big Eyes) even though Carnahan receives sole writing credit.

I haven’t seen an Eli Roth directed film for almost as long as this remake has been in the development stages. Like Rob Zombie, Roth seems to have piqued with his debut film (Cabin Fever) and hasn’t really offered fans anything new, intriguing, or different since. Expectations for Death Wish were already low since the film was rumored to be in contention as the secret midnight screening at Fantastic Fest 2017 as attendees threatened to walk out or boycott the screening with loud boos if that actually occurred (thankfully, it didn’t). With how distant I had become with Roth’s filmmaking and the film already being met with seething hatred, I went into Death Wish hoping that we’d at least get some good gore sequences. Somehow Death Wish is still disappointing, underwhelming, and ordinary even with that initial mindset.

Bruce Willis speaks softly, but carries a big wrench as Paul Kersey in, “Death Wish.”

For some reason, Bruce Willis decided to portray a doctor by barely speaking above a whisper and after he becomes the vengeful vigilante known on the streets as The Grim Reaper, he suddenly starts yelling with his voice screeching and cracking in a cringing manner that Bobcat Goldthwait would find offensive. Willis’s performance seems to be based on his voice more than anything else as he associates soft vocal tones, crying, and tenderness with the sounds of a titmouse and a short-fused temper, snarky one-liner spewing, and the clumsy gun-handling mannerisms of a vindictive sociopath with the rage-infused commotion of a cyclone. Other performances in the film are even less memorable with Vincent D’Onofrio deciding to play the timid cliche of the menacing character he normally plays and Beau Knapp (The Nice Guys, Super 8) giving off every blatantly obvious creepy vibe an individual could to loudly giveaway his true nature and yet everyone turns a blind eye. Meanwhile, Dean Norris continues to be cast in the standard good cop role he’s become notorious for after Breaking Bad.

It’s odd to be telling you there’s an Eli Roth film out there that turns its head away from blood and gore, but that’s exactly what Death Wish seems to do during the nastiest moments of the film. The revenge thriller shows plenty of blood pooling on the ground or spraying on the wall and bullet wounds all over every inch of the human body, but shows heavier gore in nothing more than a flash. The car sequence in the mechanic shop where Paul uses a scalpel and rubber cement to torture someone is the film’s crown jewel unless you include the most magical bowling ball sequence in existence occurring at the pawn shop a few scenes prior. With someone like Eli Roth at the helm, he has every opportunity to go over the top and be as outrageous as possible but he seems more dialed back here like he’s purposely restraining that aspect of his filmmaking since this isn’t a horror film. That restraint seems to carry over into Paul’s vengeance. Instead of embodying this urban legend that slaughters criminals, Paul is more of an amateur hitman who shouldn’t have been able to continue his explosive killing streak past the first night.

The highlight of, “Death Wish.” You can bail after this sequence and you’ll be golden.

Taking the bowling ball sequence into consideration, Death Wish purposely ignores logic. How Paul gets his hands on his first gun is absolutely ridiculous and things only get worse at the end of the film. Death Wish leaves this message that killing in the name of your family is okay and living happily ever after is possible after taking the law into your own hands, killing for solitary gain, and walking away without doing any jail time is totally plausible since it’s an angry father in America getting retribution for his wife and daughter. With all of the school shootings and gun control issues currently taking place across the country, Death Wish feels like a film that is trying to cram a square peg in a round hole. Paul’s hand wound seems to appear and disappear throughout the film and why would a doctor of all people let a wound get so nasty anyway? He not only has access to top notch first aid supplies, but also has the knowledge of how to keep something like that from getting infected.

The comment about running over a hobo who forcefully washes your windshield at a red light not being a crime is the most humorous part of the film. The way Death Wish incorporates split screen to show how Paul associates surgery with cleaning and disassembling/reassembling a gun is kind of cool, as well. The soundtrack feels misshapen and disjointed jumping from AC/DC’s “Back in Black” to a variety of R&B, rap, and dance and electronic music, but Paul hops around from sketchy neighborhoods to random dance clubs, so “Back in Black” seems the most out of place like Paul stole Tony Stark’s iPod or something.

Bruce Willis: inconspicuous hoodie spokesman since 1990.

Death Wish isn’t unwatchable, but it is dreadfully bland and boring to an almost insulting extent. The film seems to cater to obvious action thriller and revenge film stereotypes. I have not seen the original Death Wish franchise, but this is basically what films like James Wan’s Death Sentence and John Wick have already accomplished. When your remake has already been remade better by multiple films since its original release 44 years ago, then why offer a film that doesn’t expand on that in any way? It’s a subject matter that was explored better and more efficiently with films like Blue Ruin and Prisoners; that vengeful streak loaded with unique kills and bloody retribution is all in there but there are worthwhile performances, captivating scripts, and interesting characters to make the experience worthwhile. Death Wish lacks stimulation and an emotional connection of any kind and is the most generic vengeance imaginable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzILu6yyA20

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): Bankroll Management Even Ben Franklin Can Get Behind

NEWS

Staff Report

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March 6, 2018

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Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): Bankroll Management Even Ben Franklin Can Get Behind

Similar to real-life, to be successful in the slippery slope that is daily fantasy sports (DFS) you must manage your finances responsibly. The term for finances in DFS is bankroll. Unless you’re that lucky SOB who enters a random line-up into a high dollar contest and wins (I hate you), you need to make the most out of your deposit. It’s too easy to take a shot at a high dollar/high entry contest, lose, and then deposit more money and try again. Before you know it, you’re hundreds of dollars in the hole with nothing to show for it. If you play, or are thinking about playing DFS, chances are in the past you have done some sort of gambling and experienced loss through poor decision making and planning. Don’t be like me, and fail to learn a damn thing from your past mistakes. Take DFS by the balls, have fun, and make your initial or next deposit your last. I’m going to share some of my playing strategies that have allowed me to play on FanDuel and DraftKings for the past two years without depositing any money. I admit, it’s been close a few times, as I still have some DFS demons to overcome, but I was able to right the ship before I joined The Antoine Walker bankruptcy club.

Crash Course in Bankroll Management

In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria", Benjamin Franklin - Founding Father, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, and 1st Postmaster General. — In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria”, Benjamin Franklin – Founding Father, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, and 1st Postmaster General.

My favorite dead politician, Ben Franklin, made famous many quotes. One of my favorites you see to the left. Another quote of Ben’s that pertains to DFS is, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Bankroll management is a necessary tool in DFS to remain profitable for the long-term. It’s a tool to help make money, but just as important, it’s a tool to help you keep money in your account when you are on a cold streak. Cold streaks happen, even to the most experienced DFS players, and developing a bankroll strategy will allow you to keep treading water when the DFS seas get rough and choppy.

To truly master the art of bankroll management, you must be disciplined. I have conditioned myself over time to only play a certain amount of money each night. To keep numbers simple, I will use a $100 initial deposit as my bankroll number. My initial bankroll deposit was $25, but the numbers are easier to work with using $100. A mathlete I am not, so I need to keep things simple.

I only play 10-20% of my bankroll each night. No matter how much I like the slate or think I have built a “can’t lose” line-up, I don’t go over my pre-allotted dollar amount 99% of the time (the 1% represents my DFS Demons). Of the 10-20% I play, I play 90% cash games and 10% tournaments (GPP’s). This ensures that if I win my cash games I will make money. If I happen to hit a GPP, then that’s extra money I am not counting on. If you haven’t read my article on cash games, check it out and understand why it’s easier, and more likely, you will win at these contests. Look at the two examples below as I outline the epiphany I had that finally got it through my head that I had this DFS thing all wrong.

Example 1

Ok, so we have a Ben Franklin in our account. I am going to use playing 10% of the $100 as that is what I used when I started implementing this strategy. For tonight’s slate I am playing $10. Of that $10, I will play $8 in cash games and $2 in GPP’s. If you want, you can play all $10 in cash games. It just depends on how comfortable you are with the risk of GPP’s. If I lose my $2 in the GPP’s, but win my cash games, I will profit $4.40. That is a 44% return on investment (ROI). With solid line-up building strategies and proper contests selection, on average you will get these results 2/3 of the time.

If you were expecting a “get rich quick” solution to being profitable at DFS, you may find this method unappealing. I sure did when I first got started. However, this allowed me to still be in the game when I lost every contest I played on a slate. If you lose the $10, you still have $90 left to play with the next night. In the next example, here is what you get if you throw caution to wind.

Example 2

Same scenario to start, $100 deposit and rolling out 10% for the slate. This time we are going to win the big money using $8 in GPP’s and $2 in cash games. As with most nights, you lose all $8 in the GPP’s, but you win your cash games. At the end of the night, you lose $6.40.

The above scenario for most players without a bankroll management strategy ends in a $0 balance and another deposit quicker than I was during my first love-making session. Most players fall for this trap and blow their deposit in one night. This happened to me many times and I don’t want to see it happen to you.

Track and Analyze Your Results

My main man, Mr. Franklin, also penned this beauty, “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” In relation to DFS, I busted my ass to stay the same stupid player I was at the start. I had no strategy, played contests at random, and didn’t look at the results of the contests I played. My focus was on my balance to see if it went up. I listened to different podcasts all day and changed my line-up many times with no data to back up my decisions. It wasn’t until I started my bankroll strategy that I began to track my contests. I set up a simple Excel spreadsheet with the types of contests I entered, how many participants were in it, and what the scores were that cashed. This told me if I was successful at one type of contest and not so much at another. Armed with this information, I pinpointed what contests gave me the best chance to profit. I am also a stubborn bastard, so I also used the information to try and figure out why I sucked at certain contests and what I needed to do to get better. As I’ve pointed out many times, this DFS thing is not easy. If you’re not willing to put in the work, don’t play, or better yet play me on the sites and I will be glad to take your money.

Two Additional Tips to Build Your Bankroll

Instead of entering all your money in one cash game, spread the wealth. If your spending $8, play two $2 games and four $1 games or some similar variation. With a solid line-up and more contests entered, the variance is less, and you have a better chance with more contests entered than putting all your hopes and dreams into one.

Single entry games, whether they are cash or GPP’s, are always the best to enter for profitable results. Each contestant gets to go with one line-up instead of 150 computer generated ones.

Discipline is key to making this strategy successful. I stumbled many times before I became committed to this DFS lifestyle. I would build my bankroll all week, then piss it away on the weekend with stupid decisions and a little liquid courage. These days, I make sure I don’t start pounding the beverages until after line-up lock and all contests are closed.

Conclusion

With the 10% of bankroll strategy, you are bound to hit a GPP along the way. Even if you don’t win, it will be a nice addition to your bankroll. Who knows, you may even win one. As your bankroll grows, obviously that 10% can grow depending on your preference. This allows you to take calculated risk on bigger contests if you would like. As you evolve as a DFS player, you will figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. If you figure out a failsafe method, do me a solid and share it with a brother, will you?

Coming Up in the Next Article

Thank you all for reading. I hope you are enjoying the articles half as much as I enjoy writing them. Next time, I will dive into tournaments (GPP’s) and the things the sites don’t tell you about these alluring contests. I like to think of them as sirens calling you in to a rocky shore. You enter with dreams of seduction and grandeur, and, for the most part, end up crashing into the rocks. I will educate you and get you ready to have the best chance of winning and let you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. Please email me at r.dicker@slickstermagazine.com with any questions, comments, or experiences you have had in the DFS world. Until next time, stay safe and stay profitable!

GPP’s are sexy, alluring, and can get the juices flowing. However, going into them blindly can lead to disastrous results.

Booty! The five most unexpected butts in entertainment 2018

NEWS

Will Chandler

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March 5, 2018

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The five most unexpected butts in entertainment 2018.

A great booty deserves to be celebrated.

On the east coast, January, February and a little after, is a time to cover up. You have to sport wool hats, scarves, hefty jackets, corduroy pants, and even some form of tight, insulated, pant. Many women wear their fall, and winter, designs well. There is style in them thar’ clothes. You cannot prepare for what spring or, good lord, summer holds. Anyway, you can turn to media, television, films, YouTube, etcetera, to find neutral territory. There are some great short films, on YouTube. Some are fan films, while others are solid short pieces. They have television clips too. Black Lightning is a great new show on the CW. Oh my goodness, who is that? Below is list of the five most unexpected great butts in 2018, in entertainment.

Skye P. Marshall

The show Black Lightning, starring Kress Williams, is a thunderclap. There are beautiful levels to the show. It operates on a social level, street level, and in the heroic world. The actors in the show are solid in all aspects. I do not know where Skye P. Marshall came from. She comes in glimpses and parts. However, Misses Marshall has a magnificent, dark, rich look and a wondrous booty that comes from out of nowhere, in my eyes at least. She takes care of herself. She was in the Air Force. Skye comes from a dance background. She has been on The Mentalist, Dexter, and Grey’s Anatomy. She should be in more. Check her out on Instagram and Facebook.

Hafiia Mir

You can go along in life and break away from the television. There can be a woman. You happen to come across her image on Pinterest, or Instagram. What is her name? In this case, it is Hafiia Mira. She is a refuge from Yugoslavia. Hafiia is both a leading model, and fashion designer. She experienced the terrors of war, only to rise, and follow a dream to be a fashion model. Her hard work shows not only in her body, but also in her daily post on Instagram, @hafiamira, on Facebook, and even on Twitter. This, now, Canadian female is wow.

Minka Kelly

Minka Kelly does a lot of work in media. Some people remember her from Friday Night Lights, the television show, or more recently Bull. You get a glimpse of her in the movie 500 Days of Summer. She will be prevalent, in 2018, in the Detective Comics show, Titans. The show will be a live-action version of the Teen Titans. She is a Los Angeles star, has been a Maxim hotlist regular, and was the “Sexiest Woman Alive”, in Esquire, in 2010. In 2015, she was part of an effort to support 20 beautiful individuals, with Down syndrome, in a special fashion event, Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show. Her face is unforgettable, is a solid actor, and she has buns. Kelly does not have a donkey, a big booty. She has a nice set of cheeks. In a sense, her diligent work ethic, and booty go hand-in-hand.

Vida Guerra

She came from out of nowhere for me. I watched 2017’s CHIPS. There she was. Vida Guerra’s career comes, and goes, as an actor. Guerra is a glamour model. She shimmers, shines, and glistens. This Cuban born woman works her beauty, and her presence. She has been on the inside of, and on the covers of, a series of men’s magazines, including as “Open Your Eyes”, “Smooth”, “FHM”, and “DUB.” She is a vegetarian. She proved this in a 2011 campaign, from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in support of vegetarianism. It is clear Guerra works hard. Her body shows this. Her ass is not vegetarian. It is all meat. You can see her in movies, television, on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter in 2018.

Brittany Perille Yobe

There are women who really take care of themselves. That is the key. I saw Misses Yobe in passing. I had to stop one day on Pinterest. Her body is her work, without a doubt. It transformed her, and those women who want to step up to the challenge. The Chicago native is the essence of personal fitness. She has a certificate from The National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association and a degree from the University of Santa Barbara. Her focus has been on development of the gluts, abs, and legs. Her diligent workouts and presentation of physical fitness, with her work on Instagram, and online, makes you want to get in the gym. Stay away from the lotion. Check out her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Conclusion

I felt the need to try this kind of article. These are women with the drive, intelligence, business sense, and bodies to do some damage in entertainment. It is easy to look at the images, but to see what they do to make the images that drive men, women, and everybody insane is a wild thing.

Girl of the Week Mimi Eve

GIRL OF THE WEEK

Slickster

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March 4, 2018

0

Girl of the Week Mimi Eve

3/4/2018, 3:05 p.m.

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BEST VIDEOGAME EVER

NEWS
TOP TEN

Jon Lee

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March 4, 2018

0

What is the best video game in the world?

By Jonathan Lee: With over five decades of video game history to dig through, the debate over the best games of all time has been hotly discussed for years and years. And let’s be honest, it’s never going to end! But there’s so many games, and it can get hard to decide especially with so many games out there. And because choosing ONE game would probably set off a civil war within the comments, I’ll be choosing the TOP TEN of the best video games ever.

With this being about the best video games EVER, and not just from one year, I’ve carefully selected five from the earlier days for their significant contributions to gaming culture, while the latter five are going to be titles that may be more familiar and impactful to new gamers and experienced gamers alike.

Super Mario (1985)

Unsurprisingly, Super Mario can claim a spot on this list of video games for many reasons. While its gameplay was simple, it was easily an addicting game thanks to that simplicity combined with various platforming challenges. But perhaps most significantly, it helped the Famicom/NES become a big hit, elevating the well-known company Nintendo out of its old business of card games and quirky toys, and into becoming the video game giant it is today. So you can thank this game for a lot more than giving you a few Goombas and Koopas to jump on!

Street Fighter II (1991)

It can be debated over what the best fighting game is for ages to come, but it’s hard to argue that Street Fighter II did not help revolutionize the Fighting Game genre. Despite there having been fighting games since the late 1970’s, it took until we had a game like Street Fighter II that we finally had a fighting game that combined fast-paced action, unique character traits, and the strategic combination of moves such as high and low attacks with strong, medium, or light amounts of strength. This opened new levels of gameplay in the genre, that led to the explosion of new favorites such as Samurai Showdown (one that almost made this list!) Hands down, one of the best snes games ever as well.

Doom (1993)

Before Grand Theft Auto, there was ID Software’s Doom leading the way with gratuitous violence and video game controversy. You had demons roaming a Martian base, the gates of Hell have opened, and you’re an unstoppable space marine that we all know and love as “The Doom Guy”. His legacy is written in the blood of countless demons that we’ve all slain from the first Doom all the way to the rip-roaringly fun reboot Doom that’s out on current-gen systems and PC.

So what makes this game so great?

It inspired the first-person shooter genre back when the concept of existing in a 3D game environment was still seen as ambitious and hard to achieve. Sure, ID Software had taken Castle Wolfenstein from Muse Software and made Wolfenstein 3D a year earlier, but it was a testbed for what John Carmack and his ID Software crew were going to push for in Doom. Doom brought true, active multi-level environments, more creative powerups, and an original premise that would inspire countless shooters after it.

The ability to mod Doom also led to the creation of one of the earliest modding communities. Those with long memories may remember how there was a Barney the Dinosaur mod available back when Doom first came out. Now there’s one where EVERYTHING IS NICHOLAS CAGE… that could be a good thing or a bad thing. Depends on if you like bees.

Final Fantasy (1987)

One of the best games ever created, Final Fantasy, helped bring about the rise of visually-engaging presentations while delivering deep storytelling and original settings with each installment. Not only did this game save the renowned company we now know as Square-Enix from dying, but this game helped spark the flame that would become the RPG genre of gaming. RPG games weren’t new, but much of the titles were text-based computer games. Other developers would soon start developing their own RPG games, expanding on exploration, different item systems, combat systems, and storytelling forms.

Civilization (1991)

One more turn. Just one more turn.

It’s a familiar phrase today in a lot of those 4X Strategy and nation-management games that we all like to play, but back in the day, there was Sid Meier’s Civilization, one of the top pc games of it’s time. With limited computing resources, it was an impressive game of massive scale. Begin with your first city, growing your nation, engage in diplomacy and infrastructure building, it’s all there. Build your armies, destroy your enemies, laugh at them—all there. Whether it’s Masters of Orion, Age of Wonders, Endless Space, Stellaris, or just the latest installment of the Civilization series (of which there are six!), we can thank this humble game for breathing life into the genre.

Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)

Most First-Person Shooters had been following the same formula set by the likes of Doom, Quake, and Unreal. Things were becoming a little too homogenous. That’s when Bungie surprised everyone with their Xbox-exclusive: Halo: Combat Evolved. Gone went the magic bag of nine or twelve weapons, it wasn’t just you against the world, or against the entire realm of Hell. Bungie had tried to make things fresh with an original story, a deeper background story to flesh out both the immediate plot as well as the underlying lore, and a new way to play the First-Person Shooter.

It made sense that the famous Master Chief would only be able to carry two weapons realistically. Bungie gave a reason as to why Master Chief has a regenerating shield (his armor). Health packs were still a thing, and that was kind of great. The enemies came in a nice variety with unique ways to take them on. And the characters were memorable. But best of all, perhaps, was how the galaxy-at-large was so filled with life. It wasn’t just some alien invasion that the hero thwarts and saves the day, there was a story that stretched beyond the scope of the game, both before the game, as well as beyond it. It wasn’t always serious, it never carried too much levity, and it always kept the badass meter on full.

Also, let’s never ever forget how amazing the orchestral soundtrack of this game was.

BioShock (2007)

As a spiritual successor to the System Shock series, BioShock had some big shoes to fit and it did the job incredibly well. While its gameplay was creative with the use of both weapons and plasmid abilities, it was the storytelling done in this game that helped set it apart, as well as set the stage for more subversive narratives to be told in other games. Following the same threads of Ayn Rand and George Orwell, BioShock gives players a look at an alternate history that is both beautiful and terrifying, driving a narrative that challenges the players to ponder on the structures of both society and morality, the legitimacy of human free will, and the weight of freedom and control.

Aside from being hailed as a brilliant presentation of video games as art, BioShock signaled a change in storytelling that would continue to change the way games would be written, how heroes and anti-heroes are defined, and how narratives need never be painted in black-and-white, that it’s okay to coat everything in grey. Or red. Depends on what you choose! (Remember, a man chooses, a slave obeys!!)

The Elderscrolls: Skyrim (2011)

Since The Elderscrolls: Daggerfall, the Elderscrolls series has been renowned for its immense worlds incredibly large numbers of characters to interact with, and the sheer customizability when it comes to defining your character by your equipment, profile, and of course, choices. The Elderscrolls: Skyrim is the latest, as far as the single-player installments are concerned. With its vast popularity, the game has continued to be played by many, its modding community is healthy, and almost every age group plays it (I mean, there’s even a grandmother that plays it for her YouTube channel. Don’t believe me? Check it out here[hyperlink will be inserted]!)

From choosing your character’s race and star sign to deciding on every detail of your nose, the character possibilities are almost endless. With modding involved, it might as well be endless. And the story has expanded so much over the course of the different DLC expansions as well as the quest-based mods that so many players have made. Some players have even created WHOLE WORLDS to be added to The Elderscrolls: Skyrim.

From the improved gameplay built upon its predecessors, to its highly impressive longevity thanks to both players, modders, and YouTubers: The Elderscrolls: Skyrim has certainly earned a place on this list.

The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt (2015)

Since CD Projekt brought us the first The Witcher game, the gaming community worldwide has been engaged with the fantasy world created by author Andrzej Sapkowski. And for good reason. Each game took on the concept of player choice and brought it to a new level. Rather than good and bad decisions, no choice was certain in its benefit or ill-consequence. For example, saving a lost spirit that sounded like it had been tormented for ages ended up leading a village to being driven insane and killing each other.

No choice is clear in any of the entries in this series. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is no exception. Based on your choices in the first two games, this game crafts a unique world setting that other players might not necessarily be experiencing. It is this distinction in the way the games take your decisions and consequences that I choose this game as one of the best games ever (and its series, really) over other possible entries such as Bioware’s Mass Effect, which I really wanted to include in this list!

Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)

Horizon Zero Dawn is absolutely gorgeous on the visual end, yet this game provided a great blend of intuitive, action-packed gameplay, and a story that was both creative and incredibly relevant. In a world where humanity royally screwed up and basically got themselves almost all killed thanks to their own nanobot creations, we learn that our own ingenuity can be our most terrible weakness, but also our greatest strength.

And while the world is looking pretty rough, and getting more boned by the week, we do have the power to come together and bring great change to the world, even when it’s already gone to Hell. It’s not a plot that’s super smart, crafty, or puts you on a rollercoaster, but it was a simple message strong enough to still matter. And that’s one of the many things that makes this game beautiful. The rest is being able to kick some major ass with a bow and arrow, riding atop a giant robot stag elk!

Welcome to Singapore!

NEWS

Jon Lee

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March 4, 2018

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Welcome to Singapore!

By Jonathan Lee

Singapore! A small island nation situated south of Thailand and Malaysia, smack dab between Malaysia and Indonesia. Aside from being one of the richest Asian nations thanks to its wide net of trade and its knack for innovation (a necessity in advancing a country so small), it is also a jewel of tourism and mixing cultures that make it accessible to visitors of all sorts.

FOOD CULTURE

Food is what some may call a second religion here in Singapore. There are many countries that celebrate their own unique food cultures, but rarely does a country’s food culture become something more than just a unique set of recipes. Food is a means of welcoming a visitor to one’s house. When a guest comes to your house, you ask them if they’ve eaten yet. And even when you’re out of the house, there is seldom a hangout that doesn’t revolve around a table with food here. The kinds of food you can expect are everything from things I’d see around Cleveland like fried chicken and cheeseburgers, to things more exotic like the Singaporean dishes of Laksa and Chicken Rice. Or how about a trip to Little India for Indian food? Looking for seafood? Try the barbecue sting ray, or the famous chili crab. Thirsty? Have a refreshing cup of sugar cane juice, rose-essence drink, or bubble tea. When you’re in Singapore, you’ll never run out of things to try. I’m serious! Over twelve visits, and I’m still trying new things. And the selection keeps growing.

GETTING AROUND (And Maybe More Food)

Public transportation in Singapore is something of a modern marvel. One might think cities like New York may have its public transportation (somewhat) down with its chaotic plethora of subway tunnels, taxi fleets, and the rise of app-based services such as Uber, but seeing is believing, my friends. The small nation of Singapore has a talent for great organization, and public transportation is a great example of that. Because of its nation-wide subway system (called the MRT), its fleet of buses and taxis, and its safe streets, it’s easy to get to any part of the island with little to no fuss. Thanks to the general safety and organization of the public transport system, most people walk to their destinations while hopping from transport station to station. During my stay, it was easy to work up an appetite! And thank goodness there was food, quite literally, at the end of every MRT station. At one station, I was greeted by the food court of a huge shopping mall. At another station, a long string of food stalls leading to another MRT platform. Singapore LOVES food. And it’ll be there to tempt you almost every step of the way.

Thankfully, local food in Singapore is affordable, and well-portioned! (Maybe too generous for the likes of me as I came to eat way too much.)

SINGAPORE LOVES RULES

Just make sure you follow the rules! Singapore is incredibly safe, the food is plentiful, and the city is gosh-darn gorgeous. But they’re very particular about having their laws followed, and they’ve a big fine for about anything they think you should not be doing. So, when you visit Singapore, just be on your best behavior, and enjoy!

SINGAPORE ALSO LOVES FUN

One of the most fun attractions in Singapore is Sentosa, a tourist resort area that was once sprawling with green. But now, it’s the fun capital of Singapore with big attractions such as the massive SEA Aquarium, and Universal Studios Singapore, both of which are amazing! (How could I NOT ride the 3D Transformers ride five times?)

But if you’re looking for something more intellectual and surreal, why not check out the Supertree Grove? A place where advanced, sustainable technology meets beautiful engineering and architecture. Or the Garden Domes, where botanical preservation meets aesthetic presentation. Personally, you can’t go to Singapore without checking out all of the above! A bit of an action nut? There’s also rock climbing, luge board riding, and ziplining when you check out Sentosa.

Looking for a good drink? C’mon, you’re looking at the home of the Singapore Sling! This island nation is no stranger to good drinks, and thinking up of new ones! But if you’re looking for a real good place to go for a drink, why not check out the Tippling Club, or No. 5 Emerald Hill?

Final Thoughts

I can’t get enough of this place. Aside from the various cultures that one can experience in one city, there’s an authenticity to each that just isn’t there when you go to New York or San Diego. The difference can be seen in the way the food is made, the people you see around you, and the kinds of markets in each area that provide the means for each culture to thrive on this sophisticated island. Food aside, the architectural and botanical beauty of the city is also something to truly behold and admire. Once, Singapore had developed a reputation of not having enough green. The nation took it to heart and now it’s a garden city with streets all lined with trees, roofs carpeted with gardens, and a great focus on sustainable technology. And of course, Singapore is unbelievably clean. Fun, food, too many things to see—Singapore is a vacation destination that I would recommend to anyone.

Synthwave – Carbon Killer Interview

Slickster

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March 2, 2018

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Carbon Killer

Nestled in the winemaking epicenter of France, Bordeaux is the sixth largest city within the country also known for it’s electronic music scene. The competing genres are split, classified and re-classidied, then broken down and built up back up into something completely new. There is always new development among innovative musicians. The upcoming young musical act, Carbon Killer, divides their time between Bordeaux and border crossings to neighboring Berlin, Germany. Their style, we call synthwave, goes by many different names. Among them are, Outrun, vaporwave, and darksynth to name a few. Regardless of what you choose to label it, they have a new album coming out on March 16th, 2018 and a whole lot more.

Carbon Inc by Carbon Killer
Slickster: There are a few hot spots of electronic music that seem to pop up frequently. Those would be Quebec, Berlin and Paris. Is there are a friendly rivalry between Berlin and Paris in terms of electronic music on the European scene?

Carbon Killer: I don’t really think it’s so much of a rivalry but these days there has definitely been a rise of a more techno scene in Paris, very similar to what has been already established in Berlin for years. I don’t think it’s much of a competition but more that more clubs in Paris are exploring the techno scene nowadays and that’s probably good.

Slickster: You have a web series with Red House Collective debuting in 2018 as well as your next record. What can you tell us about your upcoming web series? What will make it unique and entice fans of synthwave to check it out?

Carbon Killer: Actually, I noticed there isn’t that much web series or even cross-media projects in the synthwave world as far as I know, except for The Summoner and some other things. I wish to transcript my ideas around the cyberpunk culture and share this with sci-fi enthusiast among the synthwave community. It’s very likely to include heavy synths, heavy rain and lots of neon lights.

Slickster: A common statement we hear during our interviews with synthwave musicians is their love and admiration of Mr. John Carpenter. Can you share some anecdote about this man’s influence on your work and perhaps your favorite Carpenter movie?

Carbon Killer:I do love and admire John Carpenter and his work. I actually did watch a lot of his movies while in the process of making this EP so it might have influenced me to some degrees. My favorite movies probably are “The Thing”, “Escape from New-York” and “They Live”.

Slickster: Let’s say there was zombie apocalypse. Ok, it doesn’t have to be zombies, but whatever happens, you are the last man on the earth. All alone, and the last species with the genetic code safeguarded in your DNA, it’s up to you to repopulate the world. You can choose only one 80’s model to make babies with. Who would you choose to be with you?

Carbon Killer: Tough question. On the pragmatic side, I’d say that it would actually be even better to try to find a huge sperm and ovum bank and learn how to make In Vitro humans but my nihilistic personality would rather go for something like “If to humans have to disappear, let it go, they’re probably responsible for what happened to them”.

Slickster: Let’s talk about your name, Carbon Killer, for a moment. It sounds cool, but what does it mean? Carbon is basic building block of life as we understand it our solar system, so it is kind of cool and paradoxical to pair ‘Carbon (Life) with Killer (death). Is that what you are going for with your stage name?

Carbon Killer: That’s actually a pretty cool explanation, never thought about that ! Unfortunately that’s not really it but nice try though. It actually comes from the upcoming web series : in a dystopian alternative 1983, huge corporations rules the world with the biggest of them being “Carbon Inc.” who created a few decades ago the “carbons” which are human-like androids who progressively replaced actual humans in all kind of labour. Long story short : some humans from an obscur anti-transhumanism extremists don’t want such things to exists and decide to kill them, they call themselves the Carbon Killer.

Slickster: Do you have real name, or is that super Top-Secret level stuff?
Carbon Killer: Every one could be a Carbon Killer, so my name doesn’t really matter actually

Slickster: Who are some of your favorite synthwave musicians to work with and listen to?
Carbon Killer: Obviously, both Carpenter Brut and Perturbator are huge influences, I don’t think I’ll ever stop being amazed by their work. I can add a few more like Volkor X, his track Enclave was one of my highlight from last year. Also I can mention Sierra as one of the most bad ass producer out there, she has this kind of darkwave techno sound that has a bit of a synthwave feel and it love it so much ! Lazerpunk just released a superb darksynth masterpiece few weeks ago. And last but not least, Boucle Infinie, which is the side project of Algorithm, it’s probably the most beautiful thing I heard last year.

I think we should also be watching Aerds and Skelone, they are two young french guys with great talent.

Slickster: What message would you like to share with the world?
Carbon Killer: Stay rad, Stay fabulous.

Konami Can’t Metal Gear Survive Without Kojima

Tanner Banks

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February 28, 2018

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Konami Can’t Metal Gear Survive Without Kojima

Holy sh*t Metal Gear Survive is bad. Like, universally considered so bad it’s just sad. Sad because of how much the Metal Gear series is revered. Sad because Hideo Kojima was kicked out of the project. And extremely sad because of just how uninspired and slow Metal Gear Survive is. Metal Gear Solid has always been a respected series. It’s always had a crazy story and hasn’t always been a smooth ride for fans. (Cough, Raiden, Cough.) But in Hideo Kojima we trusted. When Konami decided they didn’t need him and everybody knew it’d be bad. But nobody thought that Metal Gear Survive could be this bad. MG: Survive is so bad people are just sad, confused, and angry. This is as if the class valedictorian wound up as a panhandler. What happened with Metal Gear Survive!?

What Happened with Metal Gear Survive

Top to bottom this whole game is irredeemably bad. The story is so lazy it’s insulting to every generic zombie game built in Unity. The game is just chock full of cardboard bland gameplay. All you do in Metal Gear Survive is run, beat off zombies, craft, and slog through. Every piece of the game is built with frustration and player apathy in mind. Combat is a boring game of poke behind the fence. Crating is uninspired and a chore. The map is a dull and desolate wasteland. All of the creativity and inspiration of Metal Gear V is replaced with corporate deadlines and microtransactions.

Metal Gear Survive Combat — How could this have gone so wrong?

This game is the nail in the coffin for Konami reaching EA status. Criticism of the original gaming giant has long persisted. But the legend behind the most famous cheat code is now nothing more than that. A cheat. A lying, wretched, and pitiful game developer. Greedy and hateful corporate stooges behind the time and in fear of innovation. As the anger and derision for Konami continue to pile on, hype for Kojima’s Death Stranding continues to grow. Ironically, this is due to the fact that hype is no longer enough. Atop the corpses of series who have burnt out audiences sit the future of gaming. No longer is the idea of a “more but better” attitude the name of gaming.

The Death of Hype

Games like Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed lived off of the “more but better” only to be burnt to the ground by consumers. These series have either died or may as well be for much of the vitriol pointed towards them. And part of that comes from how many of these series put so much emphasis on more, instead of better. Because now, gamers want their games to be “more and better” for their fix. Consumers seek developers to hit the same notes as the classics yes, but they want to hear something new as well. They seek innovation in presentation, gameplay, and story. Games like Super Mario Odyssey and Dangonronpa. Games that are doing something different from before, but still familiar somehow. These games are the future. And Metal Gear Survive is a shambling corpse of the past.

UFC 222: Cyborg vs Kunitskaya Main Card Preview & Predictions

MMA
SPORTS

Staff Report

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February 26, 2018

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UFC 222: Cyborg vs Kunitskaya Main Card Preview & Predictions

Main Event: Cris Cyborg vs Yana Kunitskaya (UFC Featherweight title)

Betting odds: Cyborg -1400 or 1/14, Kunitskaya +800 or 8/1

What more can you say about the most dominant woman in MMA history, there will always be criticism about the controversial P.E.D violation & the resulting permanent physical benefits but purely judging her performances in the cage you’ll struggle to find a single fault since her only loss in her first professional fight back in 2005.

Cyborg fought Holly Holm in the final UFC event of 2017 who on paper at least was her hardest test to date. Cyborg never looked threatened, it was a pretty comfortable win in my eyes considering Holm is the more accomplished striker, Holly just couldn’t match Cyborg’s physicality.

Making her promotional debut Yana Kunitskaya isn’t getting the warmest welcome, she’s not only going up a weight division from the one that she’s been competing in with Invicta, Cyborg is also a huge step up from the opponents Yana has fought up to now. The odds accurately reflect how little of a challenge Kunitskaya is expected to mount, Yana is currently the biggest underdog ever in a UFC title fight.

I’m unsure how such a lopsided fight on paper is headlining a PPV event but then again with the odds as wide as they are this is almost a position with nothing to gain for Cyborg which comes with its own complications.

Amanda Nunes the current UFC Bantamweight Champion is the only woman who has any chance against Cyborg, apart from Nunes the rest of the women are so far behind it’s hard to get excited about Cyborg’s fights right now, its a matter of how she’ll win rather than if she’ll win

Frankie Edgar vs Brian Ortega

Betting Odds: Edgar -200 or 1/2, Ortega +170 or 17/10

This is all things considered the real main event, Edgar hasn’t lost a non-title fight in nearly 10 years, the four losses he’s suffered in that timeframe have been against only two men, Benson Henderson & Jose Aldo. The unfortunate scenario Edgar has faced thus far is he deals with the top-ranked guys in the weight division with ease but keeps falling short at the championship level.

Yair Rodriguez, a promising young talent tasted defeat at the hands of Frankie Edgar last May in a one-sided contest ending in a second-round stoppage which put Edgar right back at the top of the featherweight rankings. This fight won’t be for the title but should be seen as the final eliminator for Max Holloway’s UFC Featherweight Title.

There have been some memorable moments produced by Frankie Edgar in his UFC tenure, initially snatching the lightweight title from legend B.J. Penn then coming back from the brink of defeat against Gray Maynard & everything in between. One more vintage performance will secure the fight with Max Holloway which was originally the fight planned for this card.

Brian Ortega is somewhat of an enigma, an undefeated fighter who has a distinct talent of finding ways to end fights, he has an unbelievable six finishes in six fights with the UFC (one overturned to a no contest for a P.E.D violation).

He’s Dangerous everywhere but specifically on the ground is where Ortega is in a different league to anyone else in the division, irrespective of the situation Brian Ortega has a knack for creating something from nothing sometimes completely against the momentum of a fight.

The most recent win in Ortega’s career earned him this fight against Edgar, I’m referring to the exquisite submission finish of Cub Swanson which put Ortega over as a genuine threat to anyone at 145lbs.

In Edgar, you’ve got a former champion who’s never been finished before in his professional career, in Ortega an undefeated fighter who specializes in finishing fights, this combination creates ideal conditions for a perfect storm.

Predictions

Cris Cyborg vs Yana Kunitskaya (Cyborg Ko/Tko)

Frankie Edgar vs Brian Ortega (Ortega Submission)

Sean O’Malley vs Andre Soukhamthath (O’Malley Decision)

Stefan Struve vs Andrei Arlovski (Struve Ko/Tko)

Cat Zingano vs Ketlen Vieira (Zingano Decision)

Girl of the Week Aylen Alvarez

GIRL OF THE WEEK

Slickster

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February 25, 2018

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Girl of the Week Aylen Alvarez

2/25/2018, 3:05 p.m.

Cuban model, Allen Alvarez, has over 3 million followers on Instagram. She is a fitness model and motivates others to get into shape. Aylen Alvarez also does freelance modeling work and Snapchat.

Twitter

Main Page Instagram

Instagram

Cities Across the Country Void Past Marijuana Convictions: Is Yours On The List?

Marijuana

Ray Vann

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February 25, 2018

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Cities Across the Country Void Past Marijuana Convictions: Is Yours On The List?

As nationwide marijuana legalization, inches closer each and every day, several cities across the country are taking measures to right the wrongs of the past. Major cities across the United States have announced that they are planning to completely void past marijuana convictions for their citizens, releasing them of the burden of having a felony on their records and allowing them to better compete in the often crowded urban job market. So check out our list below, and see if your hometown is on the list. And if not, have no fear. It looks like whole stated might be clearing convictions soon. So hang tight, and that pesky pot charge might just be going away in the very near future!

Philadelphia, PA

While most of the more lax marijuana laws are being passed out west, the city of Philadelphia has recently announced that it has its own plans to void a number of possession charges. As legal medical marijuana dispensaries begin opening up across the state, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced that his office has dropped more than 50 possession charges, and are planning on looking into others to clear them from the record. “We are going to tell them, yes, drop any cases that are simply marijuana possession,” Krasner said to a Philadelphia NBC News affiliate, speaking about the directive given to other Philly DA’s. Prior to that the Philadelphia police department made the decision four years ago to hand out citations rather than arrest for marijuana offenses, and as a result, more than 90% of marijuana stops resulted in a simple ticket rather than time behind bars. This latest step is yet another step towards completely normalizing marijuana use, and reinvesting officer time to help solve other crimes.

“I did it because I felt it was the right thing to do,” Krasner said. “We could use those resources to solve homicides.”

Seattle, WA

Seattle passed laws back in 2012 to allow anyone over 21 to carry up to an ounce of marijuana on them, but new measures by Mayor Jenny Durkan are now coming into place to wipe the slate clean for almost 600 individuals charged prior to legalization. “I can’t emphasize enough how much a conviction affects a person’s life the moment it happens. Almost every application they fill out will ask, ‘Have you ever been convicted of a crime?’” Mayor Durkan said during a press conference. “While we cannot reverse all the harm that was done, we can give back to those people a record that says they were not convicted.” She went on to say in a seperate op-ed piece that “people’s lives were ruined for misdemeanor marijuana offenses. Too many here in our community faced huge legal bills and fines, or had a harder time getting loans, apartments, and good-paying jobs,” and she hopes that new measures will attempt to make up for the hardships imposed on many of Seattle’s citizens.

The city is also planning to look more past convictions in the future, and anyone convicted of a marijuana-based offense in the past is encouraged to contact a lawyer and make a bid to have their record cleared.

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco led the way for clearing the records of marijuana convictions, and was actually the inspiration for the similar measures undertaken in Seattle and San Diego. After making the decision to rid the records of marijuana convictions, San Francisco’s District Attornies have so far identified 7,900 cases that meet the criteria for being eliminated, and many believe that the number might climb to as high as 12,000 in the coming months. And these aren’t just recent convictions either: according to officials in the Golden Gate City, the DA’s office is willing to investigate cases going as far back as 1975, erasing decades worth of marijuana convictions from government files.

San Francisco DA George Gascón has also said that he is not placing the burden on the people to come forward and have their name cleared, but instead says that he plans to have his office actively search the records and clear them on their own. “A lot of people don’t even know they qualify, and I don’t think it’s the right thing to do to make people pay lawyers’ fees and jump through a bunch of hoops to get something they should be getting anyway,” he said.

San Diego, CA

Politicians in southern California are also hoping to follow the lead of their cousins to the north. San Diego interim district attorney Summer Stephan has announced that his office is also going to begin expunging past marijuana convictions from the record, a move which can benefit more than 4,000 residents of the city. “We wanted to be pro-active,” Summerman told reporters. “It’s clear to us that the law was written to allow this relief, and it’s important that we give full effect to the will of the people, especially for those who are most immediately affected.”

Unfortunately, however, San Diego politicians believe that the process will take a considerable amount of time to investigate and clear every conviction filed in the city. “It won’t happen overnight,” chief deputy primary public defender Angie Bartosik said, “but we are committed to seeking relief for everybody who is entitled.”

States considering

Colorado

Colorado is well known for their pro-bud policies, and recently governor John Hickenlooper has said that he is considering releasing nearly 40 inmates currently serving time for marijuana-related offenses. Late last year, Hickenlooper also pardoned 7 other inmates who were convicted of similar offenses and has signaled that he is willing to take more steps to get those charged will marijuana-related felonies out of prison.

“Right now, we have not enough room left in our prisons. So if what these people are serving serious time for wasn’t violent — is no longer illegal — maybe we should be looking at (whether) it safe to release them,” he told reporters for The Denver Post, possibly paving the way for an even wider initiative to push for clemency.

Massachusetts

Another surprising East Coast location pushing to clear the record of marijuana charges, Massachusetts politicians have recently introduced a proposal to wipe the slate clean for a huge amount of individuals and instead focus more effort against drunk driving and those who peddle deadly synthetic opioids. “What we have attempted to do is address the criminal justice every step of the way, from a person’s first contact with the criminal justice system through the courts and right up until the end, after a person has been incarcerated and re-enters society” said Claire Cronin, Chairwoman of the Massachusetts House Judiciary Committee.

Should the bill be passed, House Majority leader Ronald Mariano says that all previous convictions for marijuana offenses ” will go away” and that a process will be put in place to help people previously charged to clear their name and get on with their lives.

California

After approving the ability for local lawmakers to clear prior convictions through Prop 64 back in 2016, politicians in California now say that they are looking into taking things a step further, and automatically eliminating any records of marijuana crimes within the state. According to Oakland Assemblyman Rob Bonta, the new bill would be a crucial step to “give folks who deserve it under the law the fresh start they’re entitled to,” and allow those who have been denied jobs or even housing because of a criminal history to finally find justice.

The proposal, known as AB 1793, hopes to automatically eliminate the prior convictions instead of leaving it to individuals to file suit and clear their name. “Let’s be honest, navigating the legal system bureaucracy can be costly and time-consuming,” Assemblyman Bonta said in the state capital, before explaining that this bill would go a long way for those who may not understand the legal system or be able to afford to hire a lawyer.

Nevada

A new bill in of Nevada is hoping to overturn convictions across the state, and is also taking steps to halt mandatory convictions for those who are arrested for carrying more than an ounce on them. “Mandatory minimum sentencing is more damaging than it is helpful. Nevada voted in November, and our laws must reflect those results,” Assemblyman William McCurdy II said as he introduced Assembly Bill 259 this week to the States Assembly’s Committee on Corrections, Parole and Probation.

In November, Nevade voted to up to one ounce of recreational marijuana and up to one-eighth of an ounce of marijuana concentrate, but for many who were jailed before then it is a case of simply too little too late. “This bill really hits home for me,” said Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson, of Las Vegas. “My cousin was charged years ago with possessing less than an ounce and served 17 years. It was a non-violent crime. He’s doing great now, but I’m very curious how many cases we potentially have that would be vacated.”

And if your state isn’t on the list, have no fear! More and more places across the country seem to be getting more open to the idea of legalization, so it might just be a matter of time before your home, too, decides to clear the records and elimate and past charges that might be tarnishing your good name.

Synthwave music – Grimlin

Slickster

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February 25, 2018

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Grimlin

France puts forth yet another fantastic electronic musical artist.

<a href="http://grimlin.bandcamp.com/album/trapped-on-tape">TRAPPED ON TAPE by GRIMLIN</a>

Slickster Magazine: Your band name is spelled Grimlin, which is just a slight misspelling of the word Gremlin. We’re sure you know of the original Italian band Gremlin, that was featured in Italian Splatter Cinema and George A. Romero’s zombie films. Have they influenced you at all?

Grimlin: First of all, thank you for allowing me to do this interview.

Oh… I can feel the tricky question for this one. Grimlin is a reference to the Italian Progressive Rock band called Goblin. There are no Gremlins featured in George A. Romero films, I only saw Zombies! Haha… So yeah, Goblin is the band. They mainly have composed soundtracks for Romero and Dario Argento’s movies, which I particularly like.

The second anecdote is more personal. These Gremlins we’ve just talk about, you may know them from Joe Dante’s movie. I feel like, I’m a bit a Gremlin sometimes. After midnight if you feed me with some synthesizers, I become a night creature who will have fun with his old analog instruments.

Slickster Magazine: Ah yes, Goblin. You’re right. That was an embarrassing mistake. Your album, Trapped on Tape, is out now and sounds like it could have been pulled directly from an 80’s slasher flick. What are a few of your fav 80’s movies?

Grimlin: It’s so true that “Trapped on Tape” has lot’s of influences among 80’s slasher flicks. Of course, I love those “Giallo” movies such as “Suspiria” or “Tenebrae” (which my cover album is inspired from). Also John Carpenter’s movies, “The Thing“, “Halloween” or more recently “The Ward” (2011). There are other cult ones such as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” from Tobe Hooper or the saga “Friday the 13th” (By the way, the track “Slash Fiction” is a tribute to those last two).

But, I’m not only influenced by 80’s slash flicks. It’s more than that. I’m a big fan of sci-fi culture, and movies such as “Blade Runner” or “Alien”. I’m also a gamer (even ifI don’t have much time to play these days) I’m completely into sci-fi horror games such as “Dead Space” for example. And of course, I’m listening a lot to some other modern artists. Justice, Carpenter Brut and Gost which I like very much. Last but not least, I have a futuristic approach with my work. I like to think that one day our world may be controlled by machines, some kind of Terminators. This dystopian vision is my “cherry on the cake”. So yeah, I have a kind of cyberpunk mindset. I take some retro elements and make them sounds very modern, adding some metallic tones, distort the shit out of them. That’s my dope.

Grimlin on 80’s scream queens

Slickster Magazine: The girls from 80’s movies just seem hotter than the actresses of today in a way. Their costumes were a little skimpier, and their boobs a little more natural. Perhaps most of all, they seemed like the girl next door, who really date a guy who watches horror movies. Why do you think that is, or maybe you don’t agree?

Grimlin: Well, it’s also a “trapped” question, isn’t it ? hahaha… It’s so true that women of the 80’s were full of freshness. Perhaps because of the neon lights reflecting their perfect brushings. Yes, in my opinion, women were more natural at this time. The guy who brought his girlfriend watching an horror movie to the cinema had more chance to seduce her than today. You just need the right scene, the right amount of fear in order to create the right approach haha…. In the 80’s, souls were without any doubt, more emotional for the genre.

Slickster Magazine: Do you have a favorite slasher movie scream queen?

Grimlin: I like Nancy from “The Nightmare on Elm Street” (Heather Langenkamp). This phone lick scene is just over-the-top. It really could have been more interesting if the phone was plug-in. Freddy knows how to make girls scream.

Slickster Magazine: The cover art was done by Serhiy Krykun. How was it working with him?

Grimlin: Serhiy Krykun is a very nice guy and and a horror geek just like me! I have discovered his work through some vampire sketches he made (we have this thing in common. We love “Castlevania“, the old school game). So, I have talked to him about my music album. I explained the main idea; An exorcism which takes place in a spacecraft in another dimension. Some kind of witch is trapped inside a giant tape recorder, a VHS machine who look like a cryotube. There is a satanic ritual made by some evil machines, which look like to some skeletons in astronaut suits.

Serhiy just says “stop!”.

This cover might be Lord of the Rings “grandeur”, over-the-top epic. Not a good idea finally.
I’ve said you’ve maybe right. So I’ve focused on what it’s more important. What could be simple and catchy at the same time? Well, you have it. Tenebrae revisited in a futuristic way. Thanks to him to make such a beautiful piece of art.

John Carpenter’s long reaching influence

Slickster Magazine: Recently, I watched the remake (prequel) to John Carpenter’s 1982 film, The Thing. His name is one that most frequently appears on synthwave artist’s bios. His personal musical work in the electronic/synth scene of the 80’s has spawned an entire new genre. Can you briefly discuss the impact his films and music have had on your own career?

Grimlin: John Carpenter is a genius, andI admire him. Of course, I’m influenced by his work. I like “The Thing” soundtrack very much, but this one is the work of Ennio Morricone (which, by the way, has composed great Giallo musics such as “The Cat O’Nine Tails). The Carpenter’s Halloween theme has influenced me a lot. For a long time I wanted to catch the right tone from the creepy bass you hear (I think he has made it with some big synths like the Prophet-10 or the Moog Modular… Which are dream synths for any retro inspired composers).

I have tested many hardware synths as well as a huge amount of VST (virtual instruments) that reproduce the sounds of vintage synthesizers. Nothing seems as close as the sound created by his experienced sound designer Alan Howarth. It’s a pure timeless horror classic musical.

Slickster Magazine: What would you like to say to your younger self when it comes to music composing?

Grimlin: Well, I have to travel back to the 80’s (which is my speciality). Not too early because I was born in 1982. You know what? My birthday is on November 1st, pretty close to Halloween. That’s a sign!

So, once in the 80’s, I would tell this little guy, “Come on, start composing music now! Don’t loose one minute!” Time is one of the most precious things, and it might be the most creepy too. I started composing music quite late in my life. I’m 35 now, and I have to make up for the time lost, and just between us, what is the best way to catch up on lost time than to listen to some John Carpenter, Goblin? If you’re not afraid to attract some invisible dark forces, you can listen to Grimlin too!

Slickster Magazine: Is there anything you’d like to promote to your fans?

Grimlin: I would like to say a huge thanks for those who believed in me and have supported my work so far. I’ve received so many nice messages since the album is out, and they make me very motivated for making a second release (which is already in progress). It will be something much more accomplished and surprising. That is why I won’t say more because I’m a huge fan of surprises just like the best horror movie scenes!

Thanks again for your time, and don’t forget to stay Retro… And HEAVY!

Originally from Paris (France), Grimlin is an electronic music producer, genre Darksynth or Dark Synthwave. His name evokes both the italien progressive rock band called Goblin and Joe Dante’s creature Gremlin. Give him a synth to eat after midnight, that’s his dope.

He draws his inspiration from the 80’s culture with, on the one hand, SF and Horror movies (Blade Runner, Halloween, The Thing), and on the other, the 70’s with the italian Giallos of Dario Argento and the dark era of pop-occult culture that ensues. The whole thing is impregnated by a destabilizing cyberpunk feeling, a neo-demonic current with some heavy rythmic metallic sounds, sharpened like a razor, which intersect with agressiveness in the middle of warm nostalgic tones.

Girl of the Week Krissy Taylor

GIRL OF THE WEEK

Slickster

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February 18, 2018

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Girl of the Week Krissy Taylor

2/18/2018, 3:05 p.m.

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Does Masturbation Cause Blindness?

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Will Chandler

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February 17, 2018

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Does masturbation cause blindness?

Some perspective on getting in touch with oneself.

By: William Chandler Jr. – Visit Everyday Health. In an article by Elizabeth Shimer Bowers, Justine Marie Shuey, PhD responds to the question point blank; Does masturbation cause physical blindness? Shuey, a sexologist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, explains, “Many myths about masturbation, such as this one, come from beliefs back when people believed sex was only meant for procreation.” Masturbation, as defined by Merriam-Webster, indicates an “erotic stimulation especially of one’s own genital organs commonly resulting in orgasm and achieved by manual or other bodily contact exclusive of sexual intercourse, by instrumental manipulation occasionally by sexual fantasies, or by various combinations of these agencies.” But, does masturbation actually cause you to lose your sight?

Blindness To What Is In Front Of You?

If you are a single masturbation is a normal activity for many people. For women, it prevents cervical and urinary tract infections. It can reduce insomnia. Men who masturbate have less of a risk of prostate cancer and show signs of reduced depression. Psychology Today reports, in an article by Michael Sheldon, the benefits of masturbation while in a romantic relationship. Sheldon, a therapist at Joseph J. Peters Institute and the Keystone Center, supports masturbation with the healthy sexual relationship, but not abuse of it.

In the article 10 Women Share The Can’t-Get-Enough-Of Things They ADORE About Men, they talk about similar things some women enjoy about men. Tammy M. Fontana, a relationship counselor that helps people, with any relationship status, explains it all pretty clearly, “Masturbation and relationship sex are definitely not interchangeable but can often complement one another. Contrary to how many people think, masturbation doesn’t take away relationship sex, in some cases it actually helps to enhance it.” Individual masturbation, in moderation, seems healthy. In a relationship, in moderation, masturbation is of a benefit, if the purpose of it is clear. Blindness comes from overuse of masturbation and the lack of input into the relationship.

Religion weighs in on jerking off

According to websites like Catechism of the Catholic Church, or Christianity Today, “masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action”, and “the deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose.” Marriage, and the sexual relationship, is a high “moral order” and sex is for both “mutual self-giving” and “procreation” in that order, but nothing else. Fire and brimstone stuff huh?

Masturbation, in Islam, is more varied. In the page About Islam, Counselor Karim Serageldin responds to the question. He says, “There is no clear verse in the Quran”, the Islamic holy book, about it. There is also no clear indication in “hadith (second to the Quran). Masturbation is not haram, which is Arabic for “forbidden.” However, in an article by Fahad Ur Rehman Khan, his article states masturbation has a negative impact on your health, with proof through scripture.

Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, of My Jewish Learning, points out a similar fact in his article. From the word of Moses Maimonides, “Semen constitutes the strength of the body, its life, and the light of the eyes. Its emission to excess causes physical decay, debility, and diminished vitality.” Dorff’s article continues to argue against masturbation. The article, in the end, in the face of modern life, indicates in the choice between non-marital sex and masturbation, masturbation is preferred. Visit a website like Bussle that offers legitimate reasons why masturbation is a good choice. Overall, the blindness comes from masturbation’s ability, if overused, to cause divergence from belief, in whatever form it takes, and good health.

Compulsive masturbation and addictive personalities

Slickster Magazine carries tame content in comparison to other forms of sexual stimulation. Every week the magazine offers women that give you a glimpse into their thoughts, and just some of how they can sexually appeal to any person, or many, on any given day. Shape Magazine, Cosmopolitan, or other online magazines perform a similar purpose for those attracted to men. If this, or more extreme stimulation, turns you to compulsive masturbation, pushes you away from the things you find important, endangers your health, or relationships that is the blindness.

What makes compulsive masturbation so appealing?

Some people have addictions. In an article by Alexandra Katehakis, she explains compulsive masturbation is “Choosing masturbation over intimate relationships.” There can be any number of reasons for it, and this editorial examines childhood trauma. In the Journal of Mental Health and Human Behavior, a case reports a young, adult, male’s “fearfulness that a friend of his would kill him along with pain in the genital region.” He learns to masturbate 4-5 times daily, until he would seek treatment. More research shows the reasons for these compulsive sexual behaviors vary widely. The National Center for Biotechnology Information sees compulsive sexual behaviors as a practice that “has not yet received extensive attention from researchers and clinicians.”

Conclusion

Masturbation can cause a form of blindness, but not in the physical sense. It is isolation from faith, loss of friends, lovers, and health, in extreme cases. The idea of a sex life on the internet, is beyond its horizon, yet scientists and researchers are beginning to investigate. In this case, it is about the range and purpose of masturbation. Do masturbation and physical blindness coincide? No. However, it may be in ways you may not necessarily understand just yet.