Disclaimer: the audience for this post is people who are familiar with Homeworld. I've put hundreds of hours into all the games across the series. I'm going to assume that you're familiar with the basic mechanics, story beats and tone of the original game.
Homeworld 3 has been out a few days now. Critic reviews are largely positive, and fan sentiment seems to be a mixed bag.
Personally, I give it a strong recommend. But I also understand some of the frustration: there are a few gameplay design decisions that I don't agree with that I'll get into later. Here's my detailed breakdown:

positive

graphics: amazing, no notes

• it's pretty. really, really pretty
• ships have lots of details and moving parts
• generally runs well on my mid-range computer, a few notable exceptions

camera: generally easy to control

• orbit camera still works as expected
• you can drive the camera around which gives additional flexibility
• dedicated controls for camera elevation

audio design: fantastic

• radio chatter is well done
• music is amazing (Paul Ruskay is back!)

movement & selection improvements

• right click on a 3d surface to move to a point
• sensors manager has helpful movement zones, similar to HW2
• select all damaged units in a single group with a button
• improved launch manager, easy to launch individual unit types

environmental improvements

• denser environments are tactically interesting

new unit types

• turrets are cool, can stick to most 3d surfaces

story and worldbuilding

• characters are generally well written
• engine cutscenes are nicely coreographed

roguelike mode (War Games)

• it's fun! and a great foundation for future content
• different starting loadouts are tactically significant
• semi-random upgrades encourage you to play differently

neutral

missing features from HW2

• no subsystem targeting
• no squadrons

different narrative tone

• CGI cutscenes instead of illustrations and line art
• more character-driven than previous games

tactical changes

• stances (aggressive/defensive/passive) are similar to HW: Remastered
• tactics (evasive/neutral/aggressive) have been removed
• "no formation" seems to fulfill a similar function to evasive tactics

miscellaneous

• some units very finicky to control
• cover system seems underutilized
• too many single-target abilities

negative

pacing & level design issues

• limited time at mission start to build and assign unit groups
• forced hyperspace: no time to collect resources or reconstitute after a mission
• pacing feels needlessly hectic

issues with camera & selection controls

• leaving sensors manager sometimes puts you behind objects
• superstructures can block unit selection
• right clicking on units in the main view does not deselect them
• some controls in hidden menus

miscellaneous

• groups don't keep their formation after docking. infuriating.
• no automated way to reinforce groups to full strength

discussion

A bit more detail on some of the points above:
neutral: missing features from HW2
I think the general sentiment is that few people liked squadrons in HW2. Subsystems were sort of cool but kind of annoying to target in the heat of battle. I don't really miss either of these features, personally.
neutral: different narrative tone
A lot of people seem to be up in arms about this. I have to say that the character-driven CGI cutscenes do add a bit of texture to the universe, but for me, it comes the expense of the kind of epic feel of the older titles. The older games doesn't really put individual people at the center of the narrative; the spaceships themselves are the characters.
Still, the in-engine cutscenes look great, with cool coreography. I wish they would have done more of this, it's more true to the original style.
neutral: too many single-target abilities
Why can't I shoot my charged beams at multiple enemies? Why can't I band-box to capture multiple ships at once? Not only would more multi-select abilies makes sense tactically, it would make things easier to control: it can be hard to pick out a single enemy from a big pile of ships.
neutral: some units finicky to control
I'm thinking of units like bombers. They have a cloaking ability, which doesn't always seem to work (maybe because one of them is still firing?). It's very frustrating when you *think* you enabled the cloaking device, only to have all your units wiped out 10 seconds later because the ability didn't actually trigger.
Movement and target selection can also be an issue. Again with bombers: they have an extremely long range, but will dive heedlessly toward the enemy at close range and get chewed up instead of turning around at a reasonable distance on their attack run. They also don't spread out their targets enough: they might drop two salvos of bombs on a target that would be destroyed by just one. Torpedo frigates are the opposite: they will try and keep a very large distance from the enemy, sometimes making it difficult to get them to go where you want them to go.
neutral: tactical changes
You can set a "stance" like in HW2, and this generally works better than in that game. Units don't run all over the map in a hyper-aggressive way, and will generally stick close to units they're guarding.
However you can't set "tactics" independently like in HW1 or HW: Remastered. For example, you can't set your recon units to "evasive" to have them break formation and tie up enemy units in the same way you could in that game.
You can kind of approximate this with formations, though. If you set "no formation" then strike craft will manuever in an evasive way. It took me a while to figure this out: the game doesn't really teach this to you.
negative: pacing and level design
This is the most frustrating thing about the game, even more so because it's 100% fixable. All you would need to do is give players a little time at the beginning of a mission to build a few units and get their selection groups set up before starting mission timers.
Likewise, it would be really nice to have some cooldown time at the end of missions to collect resources and rebuild your fleet. The "forced hyperspace" is a really questionable gameplay design decision.
There's one mission in particular where you're defending a chokepoint against a large enemy fleet. By the end of the mission, your fleet is battered: I was playing on the hardest difficulty, and had no resources remaining. After the combat, there are wrecked ships everywhere that your resource collectors can salvage, but the mission ends before you can collect anything!
Instead, I had to start the next mission with no resources and a crippled fleet. There didn't seem to be any plot justification for this: it's like it's specifically designed to annoy players.
negative: issues with camera and selection controls
These issues are more minor. The first is that you can't deselect a unit directly by right-clicking. As far as I can tell, you can only do it in the unit overlay in the lower-left corner. But in that view, you can't tell which unit you're delecting, since it's just a box with a pile of ships.
The large environmental objects (superstructures) are also an obstacle to selection. This is a problem, since some levels take place in large hollow structures. You can see the units in sensor mode, but if you try to click on one and there's a solid object in the way, it won't select them. This is annoying, and it forces you to waste time rotating the camera around until the object is no longer in between you and the selection.
The sensors manager can also drop you in weird places when you exit back into the standard view, particularly if you've been zooming around. Sometimes there's a big object blocking your view. Hope they can patch this.
Finally, there are hidden controls that are hard to access. There's a whole context menu that you can only find by holding 'alt' and right clicking: I had to look this up online. The command to retire a ship is hidden in this menu. If you've played these series you know that 'retire' is actually a pretty important command: your population is capped and sometimes you need to retire some ships to make room for better ones.
negative: miscellaneous
Why don't groups keep their formation after docking? Why? WHY? Sajuuk, why have you forsaken me?
Finally, and this is more of a feature request: it should be simple to auto-reinforce your groups back to full strength. Granted, this is a problem with every homeworld game: it's so frustrating to lose focus on a battle just because you're trying to add a single recon unit to bring your group from 29 to 30. Then you need to remember to update the formation because adding a unit makes it "mixed".
Maybe this is only a problem for OCD formation micromanagers like me, I don't know.
a note on performance
The game mostly peformed well for my mid-range computer on high settings. A few large, open levels had performance issues: one level in the War Games mode which consists of a bunch of vertical structures and a very large map occasionally slowed to a crawl, and I had to turn down the settings.

Conclusion

The fact that I can strongly recommend this game in spite of the issues listed above is a testament to the quality of the engine that BBI has built. The minute-to-minute gameplay feels very solid and true to the series. With a few tweaks, I think they could really improve the pacing of the single-player game.
I have high hopes for the modding scene, given that the modding tools appear to be based on a customized version of the Unreal Engine. The roguelike mode is actually a blast, and I'd love to see where they go with it. New maps and mission objectives would be welcome. I haven't played it cooperatively but I'm eager to try.
I haven't played the skirmish mode yet, and I never played the older games competitively, so I've got no opinions there. Would love to hear more from others one what they think.
Also happy to clarify any points above, please feel free to ask.

Jump on board! Looking forward to this set this evening
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001yyg3

To mark 30 years since their debut Glastonbury performance as the first dance act to headline at Worthy Farm, Orbital join Jo at Maida Vale Studios with a very special live mix.
Since releasing their debut single Chime in 1989, brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll aka Orbital have become one of the most iconic electronic acts in British music. Although for years they soundtracked the UK rave scene, it was only in 1994 that they broke through to the mainstream with their debut at Glastonbury Festival. Performing on the NME Stage, they became the first electronic act to have a headline slot at Worthy Farm.
To date, Orbital have released 10 albums, been nominated for BRIT and NME Awards, and collaborated with the likes of Goldfrapp, David Gray, Sparks and even Stephen Hawking.
On 19th April, the band released a remastered version of their debut album (the Green Album). They will perform this year at Glastonbury Festival, Bearded Theory Festival, Camp Bestival, Latitude and more.
Celebrating 30 years since their first Glastonbury headline, Orbital join Jo live at the legendary Maida Vale studios.

Reds @ D-backs - Wed, May 15

Game Status: Final - Score: 2-1 D-backs

Links & Info

• Current conditions at Chase Field: 78°F - Roof Closed - Wind 0 mph, None
• TV: National: MLBN (out-of-market only), Reds: Bally Sports Ohio, D-backs: Arizona Diamondbacks
• Radio: Reds: WLW 700, D-backs: KQMR Latino Mix 100.3 FM (es), 98.7 FM Arizona's Sports Station
• MLB Gameday
• Game Graphs
• Savant Gamefeed

	Reds Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Benson - CF	4	0	1	0	0	3	1	.194	.287	.388
2	Fraley - RF	4	0	0	0	0	2	1	.300	.360	.378
3	Ford, M - 1B	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.179	.207	.357
4	Steer - LF	4	0	0	0	0	1	0	.242	.356	.403
5	Candelario - 3B	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.230	.295	.407
6	Capel - DH	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	.167	.167	.167
7	Espinal - 2B	3	1	1	1	0	1	1	.200	.252	.284
8	Maile - C	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	.145	.266	.218
	a-De La Cruz, E - SS	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.258	.360	.497
9	Hurtubise - LF	2	0	0	0	1	1	1	.000	.200	.000
	Stephenson, T - C	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.245	.330	.429
	Totals	30	1	3	1	2	10	5

Reds
a-Grounded out for Maile in the 8th.
BATTING: 2B: Candelario (10, Pfaadt). HR: Espinal (2, 5th inning off Pfaadt, 0 on, 2 out). TB: Benson; Candelario 2; Espinal 4. RBI: Espinal (14). 2-out RBI: Espinal. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Espinal. Team RISP: 0-for-2. Team LOB: 4.
FIELDING: DP: (Steer-Espinal-Ford, M).

	D-backs Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Marte, K - 2B	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.289	.337	.526
2	Grichuk - RF	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	.274	.309	.403
	a-Smith, P - PH	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.258	.294	.452
	1-Carroll - CF	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	.193	.284	.255
3	Gurriel Jr. - LF	3	0	1	1	1	1	1	.231	.282	.373
4	Walker, C - 1B	4	1	2	1	0	1	2	.264	.372	.447
5	Suárez, E - 3B	3	0	0	0	0	1	2	.220	.291	.333
6	Moreno - C	2	0	0	0	1	0	2	.243	.350	.350
7	Alexander - DH	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.253	.337	.414
8	McCarthy - RF	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.281	.356	.393
9	Newman - SS	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	.262	.295	.440
	Totals	29	2	6	2	2	6	10

D-backs
a-Doubled for Grichuk in the 8th. 1-Ran for Smith, P in the 8th.
BATTING: 2B: Smith, P (3, Cruz, F); Gurriel Jr. (9, Cruz, F). HR: Walker, C (8, 2nd inning off Abbott, A, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Grichuk; Gurriel Jr. 2; Marte, K; Smith, P 2; Walker, C 5. RBI: Gurriel Jr. (25); Walker, C (28). 2-out RBI: Gurriel Jr. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Walker, C; Moreno. GIDP: Grichuk. Team RISP: 1-for-4. Team LOB: 5.

Reds Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Abbott, A	7.0	4	1	1	2	4	1	95-61	3.06
Cruz, F (L, 1-4)	1.0	2	1	1	0	2	0	22-14	4.50
Totals	8.0	6	2	2	2	6	1

D-backs Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Pfaadt	7.0	2	1	1	2	9	1	93-61	4.17
Thompson, R (W, 1-1)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	11-10	1.00
Sewald (S, 2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8-4	2.25
Totals	9.0	3	1	1	2	10	1

Game Info
Pitches-strikes: Abbott, A 95-61; Cruz, F 22-14; Pfaadt 93-61; Thompson, R 11-10; Sewald 8-4.
Groundouts-flyouts: Abbott, A 10-2; Cruz, F 0-0; Pfaadt 3-6; Thompson, R 1-0; Sewald 1-1.
Batters faced: Abbott, A 26; Cruz, F 5; Pfaadt 25; Thompson, R 4; Sewald 3.
Umpires: HP: Jordan Baker. 1B: Dan Merzel. 2B: Mark Carlson. 3B: Stu Scheurwater.
Weather: 78 degrees, Roof Closed.
Wind: 0 mph, None.
First pitch: 12:40 PM.
T: 1:59.
Att: 16,826.
Venue: Chase Field.
May 15, 2024

Inning	Scoring Play	Score
Bottom 2	Christian Walker homers (8) on a fly ball to left center field.	1-0 AZ
Top 5	Santiago Espinal homers (2) on a fly ball to left center field.	1-1
Bottom 8	Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doubles (9) on a fly ball to right fielder Jake Fraley. Corbin Carroll scores.	2-1 AZ

Team	Highlight
AZ	Christian Walker's solo home run (8) (00:00:22)
AZ	Ketel Marte's slick backhanded stop and shimmy (00:00:22)
CIN	Santiago Espinal's solo home run (2) (00:00:20)
AZ	Brandon Pfaadt whiffs nine against Reds (00:01:13)
CIN	Andrew Abbott fans four over seven innings (00:00:35)
AZ	Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s go-ahead double (00:00:29)
AZ	Paul Sewald seals the 2-1 win for the D-backs (00:00:29)
AZ	Ketel Marte extends his hitting streak to 15 games (00:00:24)
CIN	Reds vs. D-backs Highlights (00:03:06)
CIN	Condensed Game: CIN@AZ - 5/15/24 (00:08:16)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E	LOB
Reds	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0		1	3	0	4
D-backs	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1			2	6	0	5

Decisions

• Winner: Ryan Thompson (1-1, 1.00)
• Loser: Fernando Cruz (1-4, 4.50)
• Save: Paul Sewald (2, 2.25)

Division Scoreboard

PIT 2 @ MIL 10 - Final
CHC 7 @ ATL 1 - Final
STL 2 @ LAA 7 - Game Over
^{Last Updated: 05/16/2024 12:06:44 AM EDT}

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Zach tells some great stories on this one. We talk about Zachs hand, and what happens after a relative passes away. One of favorite episodes and hope you enjoy.
Zach Kagan is a sweet boy from St. Paul, Minnesota. His comedy is a mix of silliness, self-deprecating humor, and another s-word that I can't think of right now. Not that one though. In addition to stand up he hosts a podcast loosely about Magic the Gathering called I Love You, Mana.
Submit Your Questions and stories on Send it Show: https://form.jotform.com/233275884132156
Link to Full Episode: https://youtu.be/9Wh2ohBhs3s
Brendan’s Website: brendangay.komi.io

Hi all,
First, this is a long post, and for that I apologize. I have a lot on my mind I’m trying to process right now. I’m also a creative writing minor, so I realize this will come across as a story.
I attend a fairly conservative college where most of the students being Christian. I myself am not religious, and due to the environment I try to keep that fact to myself so as not to be rude or disruptive. Some people do know about my lack of belief, and I’ve had mixed responses from them when they learn. Some want to convert me, others are rather nonchalant about it.
The reason I am writing is because I recently had a conversation with one of my literature professors that has left me wondering how I should respond. The conversation started after I asked him a follow up question to something he mentioned about the Bible: “That it’s the greatest story about the human condition humanity ever told.” For context, he’s been a Catholic his entire life.
My follow up question to him after class was this: “But if it’s just a story, why should we believe it, especially when there seem to be so many contradictions within it?” This tends to be my first question when someone makes a claim about the Bible, and it is born partly out of curiosity (I genuinely want to know why, as no Christian I’ve talked with has given me a good answer to it) and partly as a challenge, as I don’t want to see him wasting his life worshipping something that isn’t true. Perhaps this is not the best motivation, but it is what sparked my question.
He didn’t answer right away, but when he did this is (roughly) what he said: “My favorite story is William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. I think it, while being fictitious, presents a deep understanding of human nature. I read it to understand the characters, and, by understanding them, hopefully learn a little bit more about myself and others in the process. Does it matter if it is true? Depends on what you mean by true. If you mean it in the sense of “this actually happened,” then you will be disappointed by a lot of literature. But if you mean it as “this reveals an important quality of human condition,” then I think it is very true.” He then chuckled and added, “Your question reminds me of a quote one of my professors told me when I was a student: ‘Everything in the Bible is true; some of it actually happened.”
This surprised me, as this is the first time I had really talked with someone who didn’t take the Bible (specifically the creation story) literally. I clarified with him to make sure I understood him correctly, and he affirmed what I said.
I probed him a bit more about that, asking if the fact that it was written by humans makes it less trustworthy. Why should we place so much faith in something that was written by mere men? I figured he would say something like “God wrote the Bible,” as that is what people I know have said.
He paused again and thought. His eventual response was this (if I recall correctly): “I have two reasons for why I believe in the Bible, one reason for believing in God, and one additional reason for why I am Catholic. The first reason for why I believe in the word of the Bible is because I think it is written by God. Unfortunately, that isn’t the most convincing reason even for myself, as why should I believe it is written by God? This leads to my second reason, which is that I simply find the story of the Bible presents to be the most beautiful and brilliant work to ever exist. I have spent years studying the intricacies of the Bible simply because I find its underlying themes and its story of human failure and promise for redemption to be gripping and compelling. Shakespeare doesn’t even come close, in my opinion. If it’s not written by God with human hands, then I don’t know what is. But this still is built upon believing that God exists, so let’s go to why I think that.
"The way I see it, faith is a natural part of human life. It is impossible to find a functional person who doesn’t trust something, and trust is one of the pillars of faith, so similar in fact that I view it as faith. If everything in the world is man-made and artificial, without divine influence, I think at the very least I would still choose to believe in the word of the Bible because I find it the most beautiful thing in the world. A large part of the reason I believe in God is because I think it is natural to have faith in something. If I am going to have faith in something no matter what, I want my faith to be in something beautiful, intellectually rigorous, and good for humanity.
“This leads into my reason for being Catholic, which is in large part it is because I think it presents the most holistic, beautiful, and practical theory for human success. Everything it teaches is geared toward human success, both individually and socially. People might disagree with what the Catholic Church defines as “human success,” but I think the Catholic Church is onto something.”
I asked him to elaborate, and he explained how the Catholic Church (if I understand correctly) places great emphasis on God’s first two commands to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply.” “Multiply,” he explains, “sounds like what it says: make more humans.” This is not to say every male and female should hook up, but rather that we as a society should be concerned about the “continuation of our species.”
This command is to be taken hand in hand with the next one: “Be fruitful.” Making lots of babies isn’t the point--the point is to make lots of “good” humans. What does he mean by ‘good?’ “That,” he shrugs, “is where a lot of people disagree. I myself am not entirely sure how to describe ‘good’ humans, but I’ll try. I could say ‘love’ is the measure of a 'good' human, but even there people disagree with what ‘love’ is. I think love, however, is fundamentally about willing the best for the other, to the point of being willing to lay down your life for that person. An enduring society that produces those types of people is one that I would say is a good society, and I think people who take the ideals of Catholicism seriously and live them out as intended are the most likely to do that.”
I asked him about the abuse that the LGBTQ community has had to endure at the hands of Christians, and how the Catholic Church does not recognize same-sex marriage and calls those people sinners. I also asked about how denying abortion access to women is loving to them. He winces at this, and says this in reply: “A lot of people say and do terrible things in the name of Jesus and 'love.' The Catholic Church’s official teachings do not say we should be cruel to LGBTQ members or to women who have had or want an abortion. Unfortunately, people are people and people are often hypocrites, many without realizing it. When it comes to the LGBTQ community, the Catholic Church does not say ‘being homosexual is a sin,’ it says that homosexuality is a disordered desire. The ‘sin’ comes from acting on that desire, as the Catholic Church holds that all sexual acts should be reserved for the opposite sex as a unitive and potentially procreative act within the security of monogamous marriage between a man and a woman. This goes back to “be fruitful and multiply:” Sex is so very pleasurable because it is extremely important for reproduction, which is what all life, in general, tries to do. Since the sexual act has been shown scientifically to significantly rewire the human brain, shouldn’t we try to be as careful as we possibly can be with it and make sure it is used for its intended purpose: to make babies? That is part of the Church’s practical reasoning for why homosexual acts (and extramarital and non-unitive sex) are not to be encouraged or endorsed by the Catholic Church.
"Many Christians, unfortunately, forget the lessons of the Gospel stories of the woman about to stoned and the woman at the well: those two woman were isolated and outcast from their homes for their sexual acts; one of them was about to be killed it. What happens to these women is intended to be viewed as unloving. Jesus, however, befriends them despite them ‘objectively’ sinning. He never endorsed their behavior, but he still treated them with respect and love. Even if people today might argue those women did nothing wrong, the point of those stories is that Jesus considered them ‘sinners’ and yet he loved and befriended them anyway. That is literally what Jesus was doing in every city he went to: Spending time with the people who were considered terrible sinners, not because he agreed with their actions but because they are human and thus deserve to be loved. I think Christians today too often forget that is the core message of the Jesus' teachings: to love one another.
“As for abortion, the Catholic Church’s position on that rests upon our emphasis on the inherent dignity of human life. The Catholic Church believes human life begins at conception. Operating under that view, abortion is murder and should thus be strongly discouraged and/or condemned. Personally, I think it should still remain a decision between a woman and her doctor, as the doctor is the only one with the medical expertise necessary to accurately say when an abortion is actually necessary to save the woman’s life. That, however, is a tragedy, and it is one the Catholic Church acknowledges is an unfortunate situation of ‘abortion is necessary to save a life that would be otherwise lost.’ Doctors need the confidence and ability to make difficult decisions without fear of being punished for it. That means there is a risk of abuse and malpractice, but that is the nature of trust.”
We were running out of time before he had to get to his next class, so I asked him one last question that was on my mind: “Can the existence of God be proved?”
He chuckled at this. “Some of my colleagues will likely disagree with me on this, but I personally don’t put a lot of stock in ‘proofs for God.’ I haven’t found one that convinces me, and I believe in God. I think they do a good job of suggesting God exists, but proving He exists? I don’t think so. I don’t think it’s possible to prove God’s existence to someone who doesn’t already believe in God. I think the most we can do is show is why belief in God is not illogical—that’s the role of apologetics. But I can’t say, with absolute certainty, that I am right. That’s part of why it is faith: We might be wrong. If we are wrong, then ‘we are of all people the most pitiable.’” (I had to look this up afterward, as he made it sound like a quote. He was quoting Paul’s letter (1 Cor:15-19) talking about what it means if Christians are wrong about their faith. It seems he was applying this quote to all people of faith who are wrong.)
He gave me an example of what he means by ‘impossible to prove:’ “Think of your paper for this class. You, hopefully, are writing about something that you think is true. You are speculating at what the author meant, at how the author thought, why the author wrote the book or scene the way he or she did, or any works or events that likely influenced the work you are studying. Can you know for certain that you are correct?”
My answer: “No. But I can find evidence for it that shows I probably am.”
His reply: “Exactly. It is the same way with God. I don’t think we can prove God definitely exists the same way you can’t prove, with 100% confidence, that your paper’s thesis is correct. I think there is a lot of evidence that suggests God does exist, but I can’t prove it. Belief in God is inductive, and therefore inherently uncertain. This is how the Catholic Church also understands “Natural Law” and “Moral Law.” We can’t really prove either of them exist, we just have a lot of evidence gathered from observing the world and humanity that we think strongly suggests a natural and moral law. Apologists are the ones in charge of showing how our teachings and beliefs on these subjects are not inconsistent and intellectually bankrupt to hold.
“One last thing, to explain what I mean by ‘lots of evidence for God’s existence.’ Imagine we were to find Van Gogh’s The Starry Night out in the woods. I can’t prove that someone painted it, but I think a strong case can be made that someone did paint it. I might go so far as to argue it is obvious. That’s how I tend to view the world and the universe: one giant painting made by God by means of scientific laws and evolution.”
At this point he had to leave for his next class. He thanked me for the conversation and asked if I was still able to make it to cigars this Friday to celebrate the end of the term. I told him yes, and that I will probably have more questions and that I hope he didn’t mind if I asked him. He said he did not mind.
So that leads me to here: I have never had a conversation with a person of faith like this before. Almost every response he had appealed to an intuition that he seemed fine with not everyone sharing. He's also the first Christian I've met who says he doesn't think God can be proved and doesn't seem bothered by that. I suppose my question for you is: What should I ask him? What should he clarify?

I made this a while ago just for myself, but someone asked me to post it when I said I had a mix going from the 120s to the 170s, so figured I'd share it here too.
Aritmya - Hey Man (Impose Mix)
Xpansions 95 - Move Your Body (Tony De Vit Mix)
Itchy & Scratchy - I Want U... (NRG Mix)
The Shaker - Strong to Survive
Eating Habits - May I Have The Mayonnaise
2 Bad Mice - Bombscare (UXB Mix)
Cagey Groove (Original Mix)
The Numerical Value - Krazy Noise (Instranormal Remix)
DJ Supreme - Tha Wildstyle (Klubbheads Hardstyle Mix)
Porn Kings - Up To No Good (Original Mix)
East 17 - Steam (P & C 2 Mix)
Baby Blue - Child (KLM Mix)
Joe Inferno - Tribal Church
Cosmopolitan - Cry Boy Tony De Vit Remix
Pianoman- Blurred (Original)
Point 2 - Wait 1 Minute
Montreal Sound - (Sure Of) You (Marc Kulak Remix)
Marmion - Schöneberg (Tony De Vit Mix)
Brain Bashers - Party Jumping (Original Mix)
Phunky Phantom - Get Up Stand Up (KLM Vocal Mix)
Technocat Featuring Tom Wilson - Technocat (Tony De Vit Mix)
Tall Paul - Rock Da House (Experts Remix)
Piano Pimps - Everybody (Magic Alecs Summertime Summit)
Moonman - Dont Be Afraid
Scooter - Fire Dub 1
Vincent de Moor - Flowtation (Original Mix)
Quench - Dreams (Tony De Vit Mix)
DOP Ft Lorna Marshall - Manifest Your Love Tooley St Dub
The Shaker - Mooncat Bonesys Hand Spear Vocal Mix
Deeper Cut - Organ Grinder
Felix - Dont You Want Me (Candy Girls Remix)
Artemesia - Bits + Pieces (Tony De Vit Mix)
99th Floor Elevators featuring Tony De Vit - Hooked (Tony De Vit remix)
Handbaggers - U Found Out (Tony De Vit Mix)
Quartz Lock Featuring Lonnie Gordon - Love Eviction (Tony De Vit V2 Remix)
Chakka Boom Bang - Tossing And Turning (Tony De Vit Mix)
Funkydory - Goodtimes 96 (Tony De Vit Mix)
Tony De Vit - Burning Up (Trade Club Mix)
Mrs. Wood - Joanna (Tony De Vit V2 Remix)
Signum - What Ya Got 4 Me (Original 12_ Vocal)
Movin Melodies – Indica (Original Mix)
Dj Ablaze - One More
Tom Wax & Jan Jacarta - Wormhole
UK Gold - Nuclear Shower (UK Gold remix)
rachel auburn - machine man (Original Mix)
Cadenza - Rock Your Enemies
DJ Misjah & DJ Tim - Access
Tony De Vit - Feel The Love
Antic – The Ultimate (Original Mix)
Feel The Rush (Evil Bass Remix)
Incisions - Beyond Motion (Chocis Choice Mix)
Fargetta - Music Is Moving (Tony De Vit Mix)
Outlander - The Vamp (Tony De Vit Remix)
Mrs. Ping & Mr. Pong - Ping Pong (Fetzners Netzangabe Mix)
Age Of Love - The Age Of Love (Tony De Vit Remix)
Diddy - Give Me Love (Tony De Vit Mix)
E-Motion - Naughty North Sexy South (Tony De Vit Remix)
The Frank Foundation Project - Do Not Be Afraid (TDV Mix)
Knuckleheadz - House Rocca
Dyewitness - What Would You Like To Hear Again (Dancefloor Glory Remix)
The Experts – Take You There
Rizzo - Keep Ya Head On
Jens - Loops & Tings
Hampshire And Weatherley - Breathless (Tony De Vit Mix)
Louise - Naked (Tony De Vit Remix)
E-trax - Lets Rock (Tony De Vit remix)
Dr Base – Blue Oyster
VTracks - Subway 26 (Tony De Vit Remix)
Cygnus X - Turn Around (Tony De Vit Trade Mix)
Version II - Skychilds Toccata (6am At Trade Mix)
Mark NRG - Brain Is The Weapon (Lexa Remix)
The Disciples – Underrave
DJ Eric Sneo - Forces Of Nature (Original Mix)
Tony De Vit - Resistance Is Futile
Tony De Vit - Splashdown (Original Mix)
Tony De Vit - The Dawn (Original Mix)
Tony De Vit - I Dont Care (Original Trade Mix)
Kleine Boiz - Eine Kleine Nacht Musik
Tony de Vit - Are You All Ready
https://soundcloud.com/user-665914143-387391396/tony-de-vit-tribute-mix-78-tracks-he-played-live-1-he-didnt

Introduction

In this post, we'll be discussing something called "Virtue Ethics." This is a normative theory of ethics that's most associated with Aristotle, though has in recent times experienced a resurgence of sorts from modern philosophers, some of whom have tweaked and modified it, and in doing so have created different branches on this tree of moral theory. We will be comparing these different flavors of Virtue Ethics to that of the New Testament's, pointing out where they're similar, as well as highlighting where the NT differs (and is actually superior) from the heathens' views.
I want to preface all this with a verse and a warning:

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."-Colossians 2:8

The entire Bible, over and over again, warns against syncretism. It's a running theme throughout to condemn the practice, with this verse being one of the more explicit ones to do so.
Mapping the ideas of Pagans (and especially Greek philosophers) onto the Scriptures has always resulted in people severely misinterpreting the Bible, as looking at the Word of God through a Hellenistic lens is and always has been extremely innapropiate to the author's original intent.
Whenever Greek philosophy or ideas are referenced, they're always portrayed in a bad light or otherwise used to make a point. Examples of the latter could be found in the apostle Paul's writings, as he was a fully educated Roman citizen of his day, and so he made use of known Hellenestic philosophy and literature (that he would have been familiar with) by redefining their terms and ideas in a way that would be consistent with the theology of his own religion. The apostle Peter did the same within his own epistles whenever he mentioned "Tartarus," the abyss/prison for certain disobedient angels that rebelled against God, despite the fact that the word has its roots in Greek mythology and not Hebrew religion (though, the belief that there were a group of spiritual beings that rebelled against the highest authority in the heavens was one technically shared between the two ancient cultures; even if the parties involved were vastly different, as well as the contexts of the rebellion itself).
The affect Hellenstic philosophy has had on the way people think (even subconsciously) can still be felt to this day, and can be seen in the confusion modern "Christianity" has brought on through its adoption of Gnostic teachings such as Dualism or the inherently fatalistic views that many unknowingly hold due to the error of Classical Theism.
While yes, I will be commending the heathen (unbeliever) whenever they are right with their ideas as pertaining to this subject, I will also show where they are wrong.
Let's begin.

"What Is Virtue Ethics?"

First, we need to define some terms and point out the differences between this view and others within the larger debate of normative ethics.
There are three major approaches in normative ethics, those being: Consequentalism, Deontology, and Virtue Ethics. The following are definitions of the terms:
Consequentialism – a class of normative, teleological ethical theories that holds that the consequences of one's conduct are the ultimate basis for judgement about the rightness or wrongness of that conduct.
Deontology – theories where an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good. Deontological ethics holds that at least some acts are morally obligatory regardless of their consequences for human welfare.
Virtue Ethics – theories that emphasize the role of character and virtue in moral philosophy rather than either doing one’s duty or acting in order to bring about good consequences. The virtue ethicist would argue that actions themselves, while important, aren't as important as the character behind them. To the virtue ethicist, consequences are also important, but they would say that good consequences ultimately flow from a virtuous character who has made virtuous decisions. Theories of virtue ethics do not aim primarily to identify universal principles that can be applied in any moral situation, instead teaching that the best decisions can vary based on context, and that there are only some actions that would be universally evil, only because those actions could never flow from a virtuous character in the first place (e.g., rape).
Aristotle's idea of ethics is in an important respect different from most people's, especially today. Heirs as we are to Kant’s idea of duty – there is a right thing that one ought to do, as rational beings who respect other persons – and to Mill’s idea of utility – the right thing to do is that which produces the greatest good for the greatest number – most of us see ethics as concerned with actions. "The function of ethics is to help me see what I ought to do in a given situation," the modern says. Aristotle’s approach was different. His ethic is not so much concerned about helping us to see what we ought to do, as about what sort of person we ought to be.
Aristotle was concerned with character, and with the things that go to make up good and bad character; virtues and vices. His sort of ethic does not look at our action to see if it fulfils our duty, or produces a certain outcome, such as the greatest good of the greatest number, and therefore merits approval. Instead, it looks at us; at the character behind the actions, to see whether we merit approval.
Comparing Virtue Ethics with philosophies such as Deontology and Consequentialism, we are able to divide ethical theories into two kinds; act-centered theories and agent-centered theories. Kant’s (Deontological) and Mill’s (Utilitarian) approaches are act-centered, because they concern themselves with our actions, whilst Aristotle’s is agent-centered because it concerns itself with the character of a person, which in his view was ourselves and our own dispositions that prompt our actions.
Both approaches have ardent present-day advocates, and so both are alive and well. Virtue Ethicists are dissatisfied with the answers ‘modern’ act-centered philosophy offers, and look for a more flexible, person-centered approach that takes more account of the subtle varieties of human motivation. Those in this camp see ethics as being about people – moral agents – rather than merely about actions. Of course, your actions matter. But, for Aristotle and his present day advocates alike, they matter as expressions of the kind of person you are. They indicate such qualities as kindness, fairness, compassion, and so on, and it is these qualities and their corresponding vices that it is the business of ethics to approve or disapprove.
All this seems simple and uncontroversial; there are two ways of looking at an action to evaluate it morally. You can take the action in isolation and judge it, or take the agent and judge him or her.
Virtue ethicists argue that act-centered ethics are narrow and bloodless. What is needed is a richer moral vocabulary than just ‘right and wrong’. There are subtle but important differences between actions that are good because they are kind and those that are good because they are generous, and those that are good because they are just. Likewise, there are subtle but important differences between actions that are bad because they are selfish and those that are bad because they are cruel and those that are bad because they are unfair. These, and many other, distinctions are lost when we talk simply about doing one’s duty, or promoting utility. Questions of motive and of character are lost, in these asceptic terms. Modern moral philosophy won’t do: it is cold, technical and insensitive to the many kinds and degrees of value expressed in human actions. Ethics is more than just thought experiments and hypotheticals about what would be the right course of action to take in any given situation we might conjure up from the comfort of our armchair. Ethics is about doing, and about context and character.

The Different Kinds of "Virtue Ethics"

Virtue Ethics has has been developed in two main directions: Eudaimonism, and agent-based theories.
Eudaimonism (Aristotle's view) bases virtues in human flourishing, where flourishing is equated with performing one’s distinctive function well. In the case of humans, Aristotle argued that our distinctive function is reasoning, and so the life “worth living” is one which we reason well. He also believed that only free men in the upper classes of society (i.e., the aristocrats) could excel in virtue and eschew vice, being that such men had greater access to the means in accomplishing this task as they had the wealth and resources to better perform their distinctive function of 'reasoning,' and thus "live well." For the Eudaimonian, inner dispositions are what one ought to focus on in order to cultivate virtuous traits, and thus a virtuous character.
In contrast, an agent-based theory emphasizes that virtues are determined by common-sense intuitions that we as observers judge to be admirable traits in other people. There are a variety of human traits that we find admirable, such as benevolence, kindness, compassion, etc., and we can identify these by looking at the people we admire, our moral exemplars. Agent-based theories also state that the motivations and intentions behind an action are ultimately what determine whether or not said action is actually virtuous. Whereas Eudaimonism understands the moral life in terms of inner dispositions or proclivities to act in certain ways (whether righteous or wicked, just or unjust, kind or cruel, etc.), agent-based theories are more radical in that their evaluation of actions is dependent on ethical judgments about the inner life of the agents who perform those actions, that is, what the motivations and intents are of a person.
[Note: While both Eudaimonism and agent-based theories are both agent-centered, Eudaimonism is not to be confused with an agent-based theory. Both branches concern themselves more with agents rather than acts themselves, but Eudamonism focuses on the self to improve whereas the agent-based theory focuses on others to improve.]

Common Critcisims Toward Secular Forms of Virtue Ethics

Firstly, Eudaimonism provides a self-centered conception of ethics because "human flourishing" (here defined as simply fulfilling our base function as humans, which is "reason" according to this view) is seen as an end in itself and does not sufficiently consider the extent to which our actions affect other people. Morality requires us to consider others for their own sake and not because they may benefit us. There seems to be something wrong with aiming to behave compassionately, kindly, and honestly merely because this will make oneself happier or "reason well."
Secondly, both Eudaimonism and agent-based theories also don't provide guidance on how we should act, as there are no clear principles for guiding action other than “act as a virtuous person would act given the situation.” Who is a virtuous person? Who is the first or universal exemplar?
Lastly, the ability to cultivate the right virtues will be affected by a number of different factors beyond a person’s control due to education, society, friends and family. If moral character is so reliant on luck, what role does this leave for appropriate praise and blame of the person? For the Eudaimonian, one ought to be born into a status of privilege if they wish to excel in being virtuous. For the proponent of an agent-based theory, one ought to be born into a society or family with good role models and preferably be raised by such, else they have no moral exemplars to emulate.

The New Testament's Virtue Ethic

The New Testament authors didn’t sit down and do a self-consciously philosophical exercise, for this was not what they were concerned with. They were concerned with giving practical instruction to disciples of the faith, and merely trying to express the ethical implications of their spiritual experience. That being said, we know the apostle Paul was familiar with the writings of Aristotle. We can actually identify places where Paul displays knowledge of Aristotle and incorporates some of the philosopher's ideas into his own epistles. Before we do this, however, it's important we refute common misnomers about what the Bible teaches concerning ethics in general.
You probably have heard many attack the ethics of the New Testament as being primitive and simplistic. "God dictates universal commands to follow: 'do not lie,' do 'not divorce,' 'do not insult.' And the only motivating factor is escaping hellfire and obtaining the reward of eternal pleasure." But in reality, this is a gross misrepresentation of the ethics laid out in the NT. I will argue the NT advocates for a form of virtue ethics, instead of claiming the NT contains a form of deontic ethics, as it is so often assumed.
Elizabeth Anscombe was one of the most influential virtue ethicists of the 20th century. Her work helped to revive virtue ethics in the modern era, however she also criticized the ethics of the Bible for promoting a form of ethics different than what Aristotle promoted:
"...between aristotle and us came Christianity, with its law conception of ethics. For Christianity derived its ethical notions from the Torah. (One might be inclined to think that a law conception of ethics could arise only among people who accepted an allegedly divine positive law..." (Modern Moral Philosophy, vol. 33, no. 124, 1-19)
We've already dealt with the issue of the Torah in another post. The Torah is not laying down moral laws, but describing justice in the form of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. But does the New Testament teach a deontic form of ethics? Anscombe might appear justified in her claim, as some "Christian" theologians have explicitly taught the ethics of the NT is deontic.
However, other theologians have argued the ethics of the NT is best characterized as a form of virtue ethics. In a study of the NT, we'll support this notion. As noted earlier, one of the central features of this approach to ethics is that the aim of ethics should be on living a virtuous life. Other forms of ethics focus on directing actions when confronted with a moral dilemma, but for virtue ethics every action is a moral or immoral action because all of our actions contribute or do not contribute to living a virtuous life. In other words, for a virtue ethicist, everything we do will contribute to living a fulfilled life. Now, the NT promotes a similar idea with a slight modification. The NT changes the distinctictive function and purpose for man in Eudaimonism from "reasoning" to loving God and others instead, and thus "living well" is changed from self-centered 'flourshing' (as defined by Aristotle) to glorifying God instead. The apostles taught everything we do contributes to living a life that glorifies God:

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."-1 Corinthians 10:31
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."-Colossians 3:17

So we see the same idea in Paul, that everything we do can be seen as a moral or immoral action. Everything we do should be seen as contributing to living a life that glorifies god or not. As a believer, the aim is not just doing good actions to avoid punishments, but to see everything we do as glorifying God. On secular virtue ethics, all our actions are either advancing a good life or not: nourishing your body contributes to living a good life. In a Biblical context: taking the time to properly dress contributes to living a good life, and not giving into the sin of sloth. So all our actions can be moral actions in this context, and so likewise for Paul and Jesus, all we do can contribute to living a life that glorifies God.
Since God made our bodies to thrive and enjoy life, we should nourish our bodies so we can thrive as God intended for our bodies to do, thus ultimately glorifying Him. Since we were created to experience and feel enjoyment, laughing and enjoying things throughout life glorifies God as well since we're experiencing emotions that God created to be experienced. Everything we do should be to glorify God, and often all that is is living our lives in the way that they were intended to be lived. Biblical ethics is very much more than merely performing right actions, but living a virtuous life that brings glory to God.
As Jesus said:

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."-Matthew 22:37b

It is also important to focus on what it means to love, which is an important aspect of what it means to be a believer. Paul makes the radical claim that to love is the entirety of the law of God:

"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."-Galatians 5:14

Jesus also taught that to love God and love others were the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-31, Matt. 22:34-40). He also extends the commandment to love beyond one's brethren, and to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44). Loving those around us is central to what it means to be a believer (John 13:34; 15:12-17, Rom. 12:10; 13:8, 1 Cor. 13:1-8; 16:14, 2 Cor. 8:8, Eph. 4:2; 5:2, Phili. 1:9, Heb. 10:24, Jam. 2:8, 1 Pet. 1:22, 1 John 2:10; 3:23).
One might suggest this is no different than the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you," or a Kantian rule: "I ought never to act except in such a way that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law." In other words, "to live well is to perform good deeds or actions and nothing more." But an important point about loving someone is it cannot be done through actions alone. For example, one could buy a gift for their spouse to cheer them up. However, one could perform this action merely because they value performing right actions without any love for the person. One could donate to charity because it is the right thing to do, and not because she cares for the people who would benefit. In such scenarios, they can be seen as idolizing moral laws, not necessarily caring about helping others.
But to love someone requires more than merely performing right actions. You cannot love someone and not care about who they are as a person and where they are heading in life. To love is to will the good of the other. Jesus chastised the Pharisees of his day for only performing right actions, but not loving their brethren in their hearts. His criticism follows Matthew chapter 22, where Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love. The implication is the Pharisees perform proper actions, but have the wrong motivations for doing so. James Keenan puts it like this:
"Essential to understanding this command is that we love our neighbors not as objects of our devotion, but rather as subjects; that is, as persons. Thus, we cannot love others only because God wants us to do so, since then we would love them as means or as objects and not as persons. We can only love one another as subjects, just as God loves us." (Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges Between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology, pg. 86)
A critic may bring up that verses of the NT are still phrased as commands, and therefore the structure implies duties were the central aspect of Christian ethics. But the importance of duties is not foreign to Virtue Ethics. Instead of being central to the ethical framework, duties flow from a virtuous character. Virtues are active and have certain demands for which a person must fulfill in their active behavior.
According to Aristotle, knowledge of the virtues gives us practical wisdom in how to properly act. Duties flow from the understanding of the demands of virtues. To put it another way, for virtues to manifest in persons, they have certain demands that must be fulfilled. For the believer, the command of love flows from being virtuous and aligning oneself with the character of God. Commitment to the character of Christ, who perfectly carried out the will of the Father, allows us to perform right and proper actions.
The NT also contains lists of virtues the believer ought to emulate, the most famous of these is in Galatians chapter 5:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (vss. 22-23)
Now, the connection with Aristotle cannot be more pronounced. The Greek phrase "against such there is no law" is almost identical to what we find in Aristotle's politics (3.13.1284a). It seems clear Paul is teaching a similar ethical framework to what Aristotle advocated for. Paul is teaching that the believing community ought to be persons who display key virtues, and that their conduct would not need to be regulated by a law. Instead, their character should be the standard others can measure themselves by. Romans chapter 2 is also a place we see references to Aristotle, where Paul notes that when Gentiles do what the law requires, they are "a law unto themselves" (vss. 14-15). In other words, they do not need to be told to act a certain way. They have the proper virtuous character that directs their actions, to do the good the law requires. Paul is advocating in Galatians that believers should think in a similar way.
So in Galatians 5, we have affinity with the teachings of Aristotle, and in other lists of virtues throughout the NT we see a similar idea, which is that Christians were meant to display virtues primarily (Rom. 5:3-5, 1 Cor. 13:1-8, Col. 3:12-17, 1 Tim. 3:2-3; 4:7-8, Jam. 3:17-18, 2 Pet. 1:5-8). From that, good deeds will properly manifest in our actions.
Anscombe made a great point on what the focus of ethics should be:
"It would be a great improvement if, instead of 'morally wrong', one always named a genus such as 'untruthful', 'unchaste', 'unjust'. We should no longer ask whether doing something was 'wrong', passing directly from some description of an action to this notion; we should ask whether, e.g., it was unjust; and the answer would sometimes be clear at once." (Modern Moral Philosophy, vol. 33, no. 124, 1-19)
Interestingly enough, Paul lays out a similar idea in explaining Christian ethics:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."-Philippians 4:8-9

In other words, the central aspect on living a Christian life was on what is virtuous, not on what is lawfully right or wrong. Right actions flow from whatever is honorable, true, and pure. Correlating with this is how Paul responds to the Corinthians who claimed that "all was lawful." Paul reminded them the emphasis is not on what is lawful, but on what is good for building a virtuous character:

"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."-1 Corinthians 10:23

One's main focus ought to be on what is good, not on laws that dictate behavior.
One of the key aspects of Virtue Ethics is the idea we ought to learn from virtuous teachers and imitate them. A virtuous character is obtained by imitating what a virtuous person does. This parallels a key aspect of Christian ethics. Imitating Christ was (and still is) crucial to living a virtuous life:

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:"-1 Peter 2:21

Paul says in Romans 8:29 that Christians were predestined "to be conformed to the image of his Son." Jesus often taught his followers to do as he does (Matt. 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 6:40; 9:23, John 13:15, 34). Paul says in 1st Corinthians 11: Be ye followers [i.e., imitators] of me, even as I also am of Christ" (vs. 1). Hebrews 13:7 says to imitate the faith of the patriarchs. 1st Thessalonians 2:14 says to imitate each other. And jesus taught to imitate the good Samaritan from his parable (Luke 10:37). Imitating virtuous teachers was key for Christian ethics.
Aristotle tended to compare acquiring virtues with that of learning a practical skill, like playing an instrument or learning how to become a builder. Such practical skills are best picked up when trained by a master of that particular skill, because a teacher can always provide more insight through lessons they learn from experience. For example, an expert salesman can provide examples from his experience of what works with specific customers that a sales textbook could never provide. Many professions today require on-the-job training or experience before even hiring an applicant. The reason is: experience is key to learning a profession. Merely acquiring knowledge from a textbook or an instruction manual is often insufficient to master a skill, so why would mastering the skill of virtue be any different?
In the NT, a believer is to see the world through the eyes of Christ and to love as he loved. One cannot learn how to be a virtuous person without knowing what that life would look like. A key component of Christian theology is that the Messiah perfectly represented the Father and His will on earth, to show us how to properly live as God intended for man. This central tenet of the NT aligns well with agent-based theories of Virtue Ethics, and modifies it so that the person of Jesus Christ is the universal exemplar that one is meant to emulate. We are called to imitate him through our actions, thoughts, and desires, and to conform ourselves to the way he lived. As Paul said:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."-Galatians 2:20

If learning from Christ is key, we should briefly take a look at the Sermon on the Mount, which is said to be one of Jesus' most important series of teachings. Daniel Harrington notes:
"The sermon begins with nine 'beatitudes' (see 5:3–12) in which Jesus declares as 'happy' or 'blessed' those who practice certain virtues, and promises them an eternal reward and the fullness of God's kingdom." (Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges Between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology, pg. 62)
Jesus laid out what a life for those that follow him look like in detail. One ought to be merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker, thirst for righteousness, etcetera (Matt. 5:2-10). The Sermon does not merely include what right actions are, but includes sections on proper desires. Not only is it wrong to murder, but it is wrong to desire to murder or wish ill on someone (Matt. 5:22). Avoiding adultery is good, but one also should not covet after another man's woman in their heart (Matt. 5:28). In other words, merely avoiding immoral actions is not enough. One must also not desire vices. A believer is called to desire what is good.
The Sermon is not necessarily laying down universal moral commands. For example, Matthew 5:9 says, "Blessed are the peacemakers," but this doesn't imply absolute Pacifism, as it would contradict passages in the Old Testament where it explicitly says there is a time for war (Ecc. 3:8). The point of the Sermon is to teach what a virtuous life ought to look like. A follower of Christ ought to use reason to know what is proper to do in various circumstances. For example, in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus offers guidance on how one ought to pray by presenting the Lord's prayer (vss. 9-15). This is a model of how to pray. It's not a command for followers to always pray in this exact way.
In reality, the Sermon on the Mount mixes in exhortations, parables, hyperbole, declarations, commands, etc. It is best understood as displaying what a virtuous life ought to look like. It's not a law code. Building on this, it's important to understand a proper action is context sensitive. Under Virtue Ethics, one should not necessarily apply a universal maxim to every situation. Sometimes the proper action will depend on what is at stake, who is involved, what is the background, etc. Aristotle advocated against the idea there were fixed universal laws that dictate actions, and instead he argued the right action would depend on the circumstances one finds themselves in. Although the ethics of the NT may be a bit more strict, it still places an emphasis on being sensitive to the context of situations.
In 1st Corinthians chapter 8, Paul lays out instructions on how to deal with meat that has been sacrificed to Pagan idols. Instead of stating an absolute prohibition against meat sacrificed to idols, Paul instructed Christians to use reason to come to the proper ethical decision based on context. In other words, the right action is not determined only by a law. Instead, the Christian had to make the proper decision based on the context: if eating caused another to stumble, then you ought to abstain; if not, then there's no harm done. The value of the action depends on the context.
A Deontologist might reply that there's still a universal law given here: that one should always abstain if it's going to cause another to stumble. This objection can be addressed by asking: how are we to know if eating the meat will cause another believer to stumble? To answer such a question, one must be sensitive to the context, which in this case would be knowledge of the fellow believer and your relation to him. It is the context that determines the right action, not a universal law. Moreover, Paul states that the primary goal for the believer should be to love (1 Cor. 13). The first consideration is once again not the rightness of action, but having love for one another. From this, knowledge of the proper action will follow.
Paul often explains that living a proper life as a believer will take work and practice. He reminded Timothy to attend readings, practice what these things mean, and keep a close watch on himself (1 Tim. 4:13-14). Elsewhere, he directs that all believers must work on their faith (Phili. 2:12). Beyond this, he also noted that not all Christians would have the same gifts, and to accept that this was normal (1 Cor. 12). For some, certain things may be a hindrance, whereas for others it is acceptable (Rom. 14:2-4). What matters is that we love and build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11). Right actions flow from love and knowledge of virtue. Rules are not the primary motives that dictate our actions; rules are secondary in this regard.
An interesting case can be studied with regards to divorce in the Gospels. Jesus preaches against divorce (Mark 10:7-9) and it is often interpreted to mean "divorce is always wrong, regardless of circumstances." However, it should be noted the prohibition on divorce is not a universal law. The context can affect whether or not a divorce is permissible. Jesus says that one can divorce over sexual immorality. Paul also has a situation where divorce is permissible, namely if one spouse is an unbeliever and wishes to leave (1 Cor. 7:15). The implication one can derive is divorce is not ideal, but there are circumstances where it may be the proper action to take. Given the other features of Christian Virtue Ethics we already covered, the proper action to take will depend on the circumstances and what the virtuous agent thinks is the most loving thing to do. A universal prohibition on divorce is not a Christian ethic. Instead, one ought to discern the proper action from circumstances. However, it's clear in most cases divorce would not be the virtuous thing to do.
Building on this, it's important to note that within NT ethics, certain acts are always wrong. For example, idolatry and sexual immorality are always wrong (1 Cor. 10:14, Col. 3:15, 1 Pet. 4:13). There are no possible scenarios where it would be okay to rape, because such an act would never flow from a virtuous character. But this concept is not foreign to theories of Virtue Ethics. Aristotle noted that for some actions, no qualifications could make them virtuous. Actions such as rape or murder are always wrong, because they would never flow from a virtuous character. So it's not as if a Virtue Ethicist cannot claim that some actions are always wrong. They simply are qualified as being unable to flow from virtue, whereas actions like lying or waging war could be considered virtuous for the right reason.
Now, despite Christian Virtue Ethics having many similarities with Eudaimonism (Aristotelian ethics), there are also numerous differences beyond what we've already noted. One of the deficiencies of how Aristotle lays out his ethical theory is that it is essentially an all-boys club. Aristotle writes mainly to aristocratic men, excluding women and slaves. In his view, women were inferior to men and slaves lacked the necessary rational faculty. But the Christians rejected this mentality, as the teachings of Christ and the apostles were available to all (Matt. 28:19). Paul said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28). Peter wrote that all Christians were part of the priesthood of Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). Jesus had women followers (Luke 8:2-3), and they were entrusted with delivering revelation (Mark 15:40–16:8). What we find throughout the NT is a radical change to how women were viewed in the ancient world. Paul is also likely building on Aristotle's household structure and refining it. David deSilva says the household codes of the NT are "...following the pairs laid out as early as Aristotle to such a degree as to suggest that these were standard topics in ethical instruction" (Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, pg. 231). But Paul adds an important preface: submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:20-21). DeSilva says:
"...husbands, we cannot then ignore the distinctively Christian addition they bring to this arrangement; husbands are to be subject to their wives as well." (Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, pg. 233)
Thus Paul doesn't break down the traditional perspective on the structure of the family, but he does add the idea that we all must submit to each other in reverence, love, unity, and cooperation because all are equal before God. There is no explicit mention in the NT calling for the abolishment of slavery, but it should be noted that Paul taught that slaves should be seen as equals. In the letter to Philemon, Paul is clear that his slave is no longer "as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved" (vs. 16). Thus, within Christian ethics class distinctions were supposed to evaporate. All were brothers and sisters of one family.
An important aspect of Christian ethics is that it wasn't a standalone ethical theory. It's embedded in the larger Christian worldview. The ethical framework is dependent on Christian doctrines. For Aristotle, his ethical theory is for men who were raised well. This is why these specific men desire to be virtuous and perform right actions. As for why the believer does good and desires to be virtuous, it's not because one was raised well, but because they have been activated by the power of God's Spirit (John 3:6, 1 Cor. 12:13). For believers, the reason as to why we desire to be good and virtuous is because the Spirit of God has regenerated us. He loves us so we can love others (1 John 4:19). One is meant to look to the life of Christ and what he has done by dying on the cross, to know that we are loved and forgiven. This in turn is meant to activate a good life, having seen what we have gained and been forgiven of. He calls and activates us to do similar to those around us. This is a more open system for people of all groups and classes. One only has to call upon the name of the Lord to be included. It does not require a specific gender or to be raised a certain way.
The goal of Aristotelian ethics is to achieve 'eudaimonia.' However, within the Bible the goal is as the Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it: "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever." Since the central aspect of Biblical Eschatology is that humans will continue on forever in resurrected bodies, the aim of ethics is more than living a good life presently. Living a good life now is important, but it was only one aspect in the Christian worldview. Humans are meant to live beyond this life, so the aim is also about building virtuous souls that will continue on. The importance of this is more crucial than it may seem at first. Paul said that we must all appear before judgment, so that "every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 15:10).
Being a virtuous person requires integrity, because one will still have to answer to God after death. If one can commit an evil act and no one finds out, then from the outside perspective he or she may still appear virtuous. Culturally speaking, the ancient world was very different from our own. All wrongdoings centered around public honor and shame. One did good to receive public honor, and one did not do what was bad to receive public shame. Right and wrong were connected to one's public honor and shame in the ancient Greco-Roman world. Thus good and evil were public ideas, not personal ideas. Ethical demands were grounded in the community in one's public appearance
The Biblical idea of an omniscient God who cared about our ethical status laid a foundation for integrity and personal guilt to emerge. Now one ought to do good because he is beholden to God, not just the community. Believers are to remain focused on God's approval and on the actions that lead them, regardless of the world's response. This lays down fertile ground for integrity to emerge. So the Biblical worldview has another important element built in that encourages ethical behavior, regardless of the honor it brings. One ought to do good because of a commitment to God not, because it might bring honor to one's name publicly.

Implications for Preterists

Paul believed that the Second Coming would happen in his generation, and prescribed certain things in the NT on the basis of that belief. An example of an exhortation that would no longer apppy to us today would be 1st Corinthians 7:24-29, where Paul argues that the times him and his fellow Christians were in called for celibacy, being that the Lord was fast approaching. It wasn't a sin if you did get married, of course; it was just harder to serve the Lord in this context if you had a family to worry about. Thus, Paul encouraged being single.
So, we need to be careful when reading the NT and determining what prohibitions or exhortations are still applicable to us today. Context is key.

Hey there, here is my review for who cares to read it. I am gonna keep it simple as most people have launched a lot of good and bad points! Just another nobody dropping my opinion!
Fair notice HW is more about the art sound and story to me then it is the game mechanics so I wont touch most of that.
Soundtrack: Seriously how amazing is this. If anything the soundtrack takes this home. It is just incredible to hear and mix with the older entries. Really try mixing it on a playlist it just fits so well, it screams and sounds homeworld! I use all of the HW soundtracks for my creative endeavors and this one is anther godsend. Im not sure it wa 100% made solely by Paul Ruskay, but I can not stress enough just how divine the sound track is to let me immerse fully into that mysterious far away feel so peculiar of HW.
Ambience: Ive paused this game to death so I could look at every single little detail that might be hidden. Might be a bit biased here but I love homeworld for the feeling of wonder. The backgrounds and colors now mixed with new hazy environments make me feel like I am in some mythical dream space. I wish I could express my words better but it will definitely make me wanna draw lots of new things. The megaliths might feel a bit to claustrophobic at times but holy jesus they are and look amazing. Some levels look like a piece of art, really its that beautiful and it left me mouth open.
Combat: Combat was never what I looked for in this game franchise so my opinion is a bit mute here. I do feel sometimes it goes to fast for my liking and some units might not respond so well but I think time will fix this. I do miss watching my slow lumbering ships get ready for action tough and I wish I could have some places with more distance.
Ship designs: Fellas I am a HW1 diehard fan. No ships will ever look better then the Taiidan Ships from HW1 to me :D. Now putting that aside all of the new ships look great! I loved pausing and zooming in on them.
We definitely can see that Higaaran designs have jumped technologically even if the weapon systems don't always make sense, I do think a more streamlined fleet makes a lot of sense. The fighters looks suspiciously a bit Taiidan to me and I like that we might be going full circle there..
The incarnate ships could have had a bit more divergence to them but they are growing on me already. The destroyers look like angry space fish that don't take no for an answer and I'm digging that a lot. Loved all the other little ships you see in the tutorial and campaign start. Kalaan ships were great also! Probably my favorite! I low key love the mega freighter and im happy we rammed it.
Wargames: Played just a couple. Seemed ok to me but I hope we get new fleets (id kill for a Taiidan fleet haha) Please devs?
Lore/Story: Here is where I might be a bit more negative. It starts great. It was amazing to launch from Higaara itself. SERIOUSLY people, how cool was that small part. I almost felt in DOK again and I lost some time here also. It was nice to see Higaara. I loved the Kalaan raiders and a fact that these Taiidan vassals still hate us, for me curiously this was the the cherry on the cake and I loved this little lore detail. The Kalaan captain for the little screen time he had was a great small villian and I wished I had seen him more.
What can I say. I love this franchise to death but I would lie if I wouldn't say that after this point I feel it went down hill there is no denying it. It was not what I was expecting and our main villain was really off putting, I have memed her to death (pigeon on discord, zoom call meme) but I have made my peace with it. I have seen people criticizing about Imogen and Isaac (which is your right if you feel so) but I really feel they worked well in general! It was nice to see a more inexperienced person in command and In general I think Isaac grew on me over time.
Again the Incarnate Queen leaves much to be desired and I firmly believe if we had a more ''serious'' villain in terms of being able to keep his cool and composure this would have been a nice addition to the greater hw story. I guess we got so used to the 1 liner stoic villians from before that this just clashed to much. IQ could have been vocal as she was but I wished there was more maturity. The rest of the campain was ok. Also missed the mini enemies factions that were a HW staple of the series, but i absolutely loved the Kalaan raiders and the little lore we got with them. I could go on a deep dive about the fgreater HW lore that I felt was missing but that's it there is no point for me to debate this more :D
Also I miss the animatics from the old ones. Even In DOK I missed the old style animatics but I guess that makes the older ones so much more special to me now. Didn't care much for the whole dance of personalities going on. That new CGI could have been used to showcase more wonderfull HW places :P!
My conclusion: Take a seat here because this might be a tad emotional. I love Homeworld. No seriously I know you love it also but I love it. No other game has manged to pull me so deep and I still don't know why. It was there when my life went to sh*t and it was there when it got back on track. Homeworld for me will forever be the trip I did from Kharak to Higaara. Nothing will beat 1999 child me listening to the soundtrack for the first time. My main character will always be Banana ship 1 with Karan onboard and all the colonist trays I manged to save. My vilian will always be the Taiidan Emperor and the many little battles I made to get ''home'' (and junkyard dog lol). I will forever try to save as many ships possible and every time Elson hyperspaces above to save me it still makes me fuzzy inside.
And you see I think that is my problem. Somebody else had said here that the OG HW was lightning in a bottle and It will never happen again and I believe it. For some cataclysm was the high point and while I agree its amazing I still prefer og HW. The Vaygr and Makaan felt like imposters to me, I defeated the Taiidan and retook Higaara, surely bathtub jesus wont stop me. Over time he grew on me and I made my peace with HW2 and it changes and now I do really like it. The scene with the Keeper is just engraved in me and I hum the tune from time to time without noticing. As flawed as I think hW3 story was I am happy to be back in the homeworld universe. I'm happy I finally got to see the megaliths and I wish we could have seen even more! I wasen't initially sure of it but now I am.
To finish while a lot of the criticism is fair I feel a lot of it is reaching points of nitpicking at this point. While story wise it wasent what maybe most of us wanted It looks beautiful and I would still recommend people to get it. I wish and hope that we get all the fleets (like remastered did) together for the the wargames and skirmish! And hopefully ill see another homeworld in the future.
Thank you for reading trough my poorly constructed mess of a review. Expect new homeworld drawings to come soon!

Introduction

ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, Zepp Tokyo for \"Quarter-Century Tour\"

^(\This article is an updated version of my "Sound Like" article from 2021. I have reposted this article due to difficulties editing the original version*, and have included additional information and recommendations based on the increased popularity of amp simulator pedals*)*

Hello fellow musicians and Ajikan fans!
I have been a fan of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION for roughly 16 years and as a guitarist was greatly inspired by the band's alt rock sound.
After a few years of research I have written a series of "sound like" articles for ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION. The purpose of these articles is to provide context on how the band create their signature sound, and to support beginning musicians or tribute acts who may wish to replicate it.
At the end of each article I have drafted a Budget Rig, which you could use for both at home and in a live environment. I have also provided some general amp settings to tweak and try, which are based on the band's live sound and be can used to help replicate their tones.
This is a 3-part series and if you enjoy this article I would recommend checking out the other articles:
Sound Like ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Pt.2: Kensuke Kita (2024 version) : AsianKungFuGeneration (reddit.com)
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Sound Like Part 3: Yamada : AsianKungFuGeneration (reddit.com)

^{Please note that the article focuses on the band's live sound, which will be different to the albums and can vary depending on the venue. Also (and is a cliché} every musician and instrument will have small differences, so bear that in mind!)

To help you recognise the individual guitar tones, Gotch's guitar parts are normally panned to the left earphone and Kita's are panned to the right earphone on the band's albums. (On 2016's Sol-Fa, Hometown and some of the Planet Folks singles the panning was swapped, with Gotch instead in the right ear and Kita on the left)

Masafumi Gotoh

Gotch live at the 02 Islington, London, 2013
Let's start off with lead singer and rhythm guitarist Masafumi Gotoh, or "Gotch" for short. Gotch's was massively influenced by the 90's alternative rock, Power Pop and the Britpop scene, and has previously highlighted Oasis, Weezer and Number Girl as key inspirations.
As Ajikan's main songwriter, Gotch follows the principle of "less is more" - keeping the arrangements simple for listeners, but combining pop hooks & traditional Asian melodies with the band's punk rock and indie influences.
Gotch's playing style follows this principle, as he primarily uses chord shapes, bar chords or repeated phrases to anchor the band. (The simple approach also makes it easier for Gotch to sing while performing)
Occasionally, Gotch will use "octave chords" (more on octave chords below) or play riffs with open strings notes, to add further depth. A good example of this is the opening riffs to Easter, where he plays an open D string while also playing the 3rd and 5th fret of the A string.

^{Octave Chords: Octave chords is famously used in punk rock and alt rock riffs, and is when you play the same note in two different octaves. Try play a bar chord on the 4th fret of the A string, and lifting your ring finger off the D string. You should get a "C# octave chord" and will recognise it from the intro of Haruka Kanata. Octave chords are used in many Ajikan songs and by many bands, so they are good to practice!}

In more recent albums, Gotch has also experimented with moving chord shapes across the fretboard. For good examples, check out the opening of Caterpillar or the bridge section of Kouya Wo Aruke.
Gotch's guitar tends to be lower in the overall mix, with Kita acting as the band's lead guitarist and Gotch as the anchor for each song. However, Gotch tends to improvise with ambient sounds during live performances and occasionally will take on the lead role in songs like Hold Me Tight.

GUITARS:

When it comes to guitars Gotch almost exclusively plays Gibson Les Paul Jr's with P-90 pickups, and has been his preferred guitar since 2004. The P-90 pickups have a bright midrange sound in comparison to the muddier humbucker sound, which makes them better suited for Gotch's focus on chords.
Gotch main guitar is the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Special
The Les Paul Jr is also lighter and have less sustain and power compared to a normal Les Paul, which leaves space for the other instruments to stand out in the mix.
Gotch's main guitar is a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Special, which he plays in E Standard tuning and uses for both recording and live performances. Gotch also uses a 1961 Gibson Les Paul Jr (with the pickguard missing) or a 2000 Gibson Les Paul DC (with a gloss yellow finish) for songs in Eb/D# tuning, such as After Dark or Soredewa, Mata Ashita.
Gotch's is also famous for using a 1975 Gibson Marauder during the band's early years. Gotch has mostly retired the guitar (due to the "lack of volume" for larger venues), but it regularly appears in MV's, band merchandise and occasionally during special events, such as the 10th anniversary shows in Yokohama.
Gotch's Gibson Marauder
Gotch occasionally uses a few rarer guitars live, such as the Gibson Custom Les Paul Junior John Lennon model (Gotch has number 54 of 300 such guitars made), and is normally played with a capo for songs such as Maigo Inu To Ame No Beat.
Gotch has also used a Gibson Hummingbird for acoustic numbers, and can be seen used in Eizo Sakushin Shu Vol.6 for the band's performance of Kaigan Doori. Gotch likes to use Tortex Flex .88mm & Tortex Flex Triangle .88mm guitar picks, which he swaps between depending on the song.
If you are looking to sound like Gotch, the best place to start would be a Les Paul Jr guitar with P-90 pickups.

AMPLIFIERS:

After originally touring with a Roland JC-22, Gotch has almost exclusively played Fender amplifiers since 2004. Gotch uses two amps when playing live, one for his "clean" sound and the other for his "heavy" sound.
The band's often implement a "quiet/loud" dynamic into their song writing, so Gotch will often switch between his amps during live performances, using a custom made footswitch on his pedalboard. (A good example of this is Mustang or Solanin)
For his clean tone, Gotch uses a Fender 65' Twin Custom Twin 15. It can be heard on Korogaru Iwa, Kimi ni Asa Ga Furu, Solanin and Wonder Future. Occasionally, Gotch will combine the Twin Reverb with a boost pedal or overdrive pedal for more clarity, with Wonder Future a good examples of this.
(1) Fender '65 Twin Custom 15 (clean tone), (2) Fender Vibro-King Custom, (3) Fender Super-Sonic 60 Head (which uses the Vibro-King as a speaker), (4) Fender '63 Spring Reverb (which runs in between the pedal board and the Super-Sonic 60, and is toggled on or off by a switch)
For his heavier tone, Gotch primarily uses a Fender Vibro-King Custom for recording and appears in most of the band's MV's. The Vibro-King/Twin Reverb was Gotch's main setup during the 2000's and can be seen together on Eizo Sakushin Shu Vol. 6.
In 2009 Gotch started to use a Fender Super-Sonic 60 Amp Head and still uses it now. Until 2022, Gotch would use Vibro-King as a "cabinet", acting as the speaker unit for the Super-Sonic. Gotch now uses a Shinos & L Rocket Head for live shows, but has kept the Vibro-king for recording sessions and MVs.
Since 2022 Gotch has used Shinos & L Rocket amp & cabinet instead of the Fender Vibro-King
Gotch "heavy" amps for songs such as Re:Re:, Haruka Kanata and Rewrite. It is important to note that Gotch prefers to use his amps to create his distorted tone, but will occasionally add an overdrive pedal for heavier tracks such as Blood Circulator & Easter.
Alongside the Twin Reverb and Super-Sonic, Gotch is known to use a Fender 63' Spring Reverb Unit. This unit only runs into the Super-Sonic and is used for additional reverb to "thicken the sound". Gotch can control the 63' Reverb with a on/off switch on his pedal board.
Other notable amps that Gotch has used are the Matchless C30 & Bad Cat 30R Head. Both have been used exclusively for recording, most notably on Wonder Future. Gotch is also known to use VOX AC15 amps for recording.
Gotch's '63 Spring Reverb Unit, along with a selection of Vortex Flex .88m picks

In terms of mics, Gotch seems to use a Shure SM57 for his Fender Twin Reverb and a Shure SM58 on his Vibro-King or Shinos Rocket. When you are trying to emulate his sound with modelling or profiling amps, it is worth experimenting with mic positioning and different mics.

If you want to replicate Gotch's amp sound then you should look to replicate his Fender amps. However the Vibro-King is a key component and are unfortunately rare, notoriously loud and expensive. For that reason, I have put together some alternatives that should get you close.

PEDALS & EFFECTS:

During Ajikan's early years, Gotch combined a Roland JC-22 with a ProCo RAT to create the "quiet/loud" dynamic of the band's early records. After buying the Fender Vibro-King in 2004, Gotch no longer required the RAT, but kept a simplified pedalboard to achieve certain tones for live performances.
Gotch's 2004 pedalboard, which includes the ProCo RAT and Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
We will cover two different pedalboards that Gotch has used during the band's career. Regardless of which pedal board you look at, Gotch's has always included an overdrive or boost pedal, a phase pedal and a delay pedal.
The boost/overdrive is used to "lift" his clean sound during ballads (Solanin, Wonder Future) or to thicken his sound for heavier tracks. (Senseless, Dororo) Gotch will normally set the drive or gain low and the volume high.
The phaser is a more sparingly used pedal to add texture and colour, but can be heard on Shinkokyū, Blue Train and Rewrite. I will include more detail on Gotch's use of delay in the sections below.
Gotch's "Classic" Pedalboard
Gotch \"classic\" pedalboard, used between 2006-2013, with Gotch's custom made footswitch on the bottom left to control the amps
Gotch started to use this "classic" board during the Fanclub tour and continued to do so until the 10th Anniversary shows in 2013. This would be the easier and more affordable board to replicate for newcomers.
Gotch's setup started with a BOSS TU-3 tuner, which he also used as a "mute" pedal in between songs. From there, his chain would run into the Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, the BOSS PH-2 Super Phaser and the BOSS DD-20 Giga Delay. During the Magic Disk tour, Gotch also added a Custom Audio Tremolo.

^{The BOSS DD-20} *^{has been Gotch's main delay pedal for twenty years and is set to "warp". On the warp setting, Gotch can keep his foot on the pedal to create swells of delays. Gotch's standard setting is 173-179bpm (beats per minute} on 1/4 notes and then he has 4 presets. These are 137bpm on 1/4 (for) ^Blackout, 154bpm on 1/4 (for) ^{Kakato de Ai o Uchinarase}, 177 on 1/2 (for) ^{Solanin and the intro of Siren} and 177bpm on 1/4 (for the 2nd half of) ^Siren)

Gotch also included two footswitches for his board; The first one was a handmade footswitch, which he used to swap between the Twin Reverb and the Vibro-King/Super-Sonic. The other footswitch was a BOSS FS-5L, which he used to control the '63 Spring Reverb Unit.
Gotch's "Modern" Pedalboard
Gotch's \"modern\" pedal board.【Pedal List】(1) api/TranZformer GT (compressoequalizer) (2) BOSS/TU-3 (tuner) (3) Spaceman Effects/Atlas III (preamp) (4) BOSS/DD-6 (delay) (5) Spaceman Effects/Voyager I (tremolo) (6) EarthQuaker Devices/Avalanche Run (delay/reverb) (7) Mu-Tron/Mu-FX Phasor 2X (phaser) (8) Caroline Guitar Company/KILOBYTE (9) BOSS/DD-20 (delay) (10) Handmade/Line Selector (11) FAT/514.D (booster)(12) strymon/Zuma R300 (power supply) (13)BOSS/EV-30 (Expression Pedal) (14) BOSS/FS-5L (foot switch)
During the recording of Wonder Future and his first solo album (Can't Be Forever Young), Gotch began to experiment more with boutique pedals, and has resulted in a more complex board since 2014, allowing more ambient experiments on the band's records and during live performances.
Gotch has added a API Tranzformer GT to the start of his chain, only using the E.Q. section and tweaking the settings for each venue.
Gotch's "Modern" board now includes a variety of delay and reverb pedals, such as the Earthquaker Device Avalanche Run and the Caroline Kilobyte Lo-Fi Delay. These are combined with his DD-20 to create the ambient sounds heard on Empathy & the outro of Demachiyanagi Parallel Universe.
The BOSS DD-6 Digital Delay is set to the "reverse" mode and is used during the intro of Re:Re: and the bridge of Rewrite. Gotch has removed the Tube-Screamer from his board and has experimented with multiple alternative pedals, which includes the Xotic Effects AC Plus and JHS Superbolt.
He currently uses the Atlas III Preamp Booster and the FAT 514.D for his overdrive sounds. The 514.D only runs to the Super-Sonic to help "thicken" the distorted tone of the Super-Sonic.
Gotch has also replaced the Super Phaser with the MU-FX Phasor 2x and is using a Voyager I Spaceman for his tremolo. (UCLA & No Name are good references for the tremolo) Finally, Gotch has added an BOSS EV-30 expression pedal, which he uses to control the delay of the Avalanche Run.
If you are looking to replicate Gotch's pedalboard, the best place to start would be a phaser, delay and a boost/overdrive pedal, which would cover most of Ajikan's Discography.

Sound Like Gotch...On a Budget

Now that you are up to speed on what Gotch uses for his guitar rig, we can start to look at replicating his sound. The idea of this section is to offer affordable suggestions to replicate Gotch's tone that can be used for home use and for small live venues.
I would like to highlight that I am just writing as a fan and the equipment I recommend are purely my own recommendations. I do not have any sponsors (I wish I did sometimes) and if you find alternatives that work for you, go for it!
Gotch performing in 2022, during the Quarter Century shows in Yokohama
To buy Gotch's current pedal board alone would cost roughly £2,500 and would be unrealistic for most readers to purchase, however there are options that can get us close to Gotch's tone without breaking the bank.
The key elements to this rig are:

• A Gibson style guitar with P-90 pickups
• A Fender amp with decent distortion
• A Tube-Screamer style overdrive
• A flexible Delay pedal

Let's start with the guitar, which is both important for the P-90 tone. You should always feel comfortable when playing the guitar you pick, so I recommend trying out the guitar when possible before buying.
GUITARS
As an affordable guitar, I would suggest looking at the Epiphone Les Paul Jr. It is the entry level price for Gibson guitars (Epiphone would be the equivalent to "Squier" for Fender) and includes P-90 pickups as the standard setup. You can buy one for around £380 and should also be fairly easy to modify & similar to Gotch's sound.
Epiphone Les Paul Junior
If you do have a higher budget to work with, I would recommend the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute DC. These were released in 2019 and you can normally find a 2nd hand version for roughly £650 - £800. (It is also the guitar I currently use!) Failing that, you can also look at the Gibson Les Paul Special for around £800.
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute DC
AMPLIFIERS
We are looking to replicate Gotch's Fender amps, so the affordable option to start with would be the Fender Mustang GTX. The newer Mustang amps are an improvement on the original and have simulations of the Twin Reverb, the Vibro-King and the Super-Sonic.
The GTX 50 (which has a smaller speaker) is roughly £390 and the GTX 100 (which includes a footswitch) is about £510, but you should be able to find both versions for a reduced cost second hand.
Fender Mustang GTX 100
If you do have a higher budget or prefer to use a tube amp, I would recommend going for the Fender Super-Sonic Combo or the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for a solid distorted Fender tone.
Alternatively, you could consider the Fender Blues Junior, Fender Tone Master Twin-Reverb or Roland JC, and combine them with a ProCo RAT to replicate the tones from Houkai Amplifier and Kimi Tsunagi Five M.
PEDALS
To keep the list of suggestions short and simple, we will use Gotch's "classic" board as a reference and will cover most of the band's discography.
For a budget rig, I would recommend the Ibanez Tube-Screamer Mini, which is a miniature version of the standard Ibanez Tube-Screamer and sound great for the price. You could pair this up with a Boss Phase Shifter and a BOSS DD-6 Delay for around £309 brand new to get a very similar Gotch board. (You could buy them for as low as £110 combined on the 2nd hand market)
The Tube Screamer Mini is a cheap, effective overdrive pedal based on the classic TS808
For a more expensive pedalboard, the JHS Superbolt V2 was used by Gotch extensively between 2015-2019 and was once described by Gotch as "the Ajikan sound" on his blog. You could also buy the TS808 Tube Screamer that Gotch actually used for many years or the JHS Bonsai 9 which emulates multiple tube screamers.
For modulation sounds (phase, tremolo) the AmpliTube X-Vibe is one of many great multi-effect pedal on the market. If you have the money for it, you could buy a BOSS DD-20 second hand or the BOSS DD-200 to emulate Gotch's delay sound.
If you decided to go with the Mustang GTX, you would also have a selection of effects built into the amp.
THE TONE MASTER PRO? (and amp simulators)
As a final recommendation, Fender have recently released the Tone Master Pro (TMP), which is a multi effects and amp simulator.
It can be used as a device for home recording, but also as multi effects pedal in front of a standard amp or as your main amplifier when played through a IR cabinet. (I'll go into more detail in a bit!) The TMP are not cheap at £1400, so I would only advise buying one if you plan to use it as your main amp and effects board.
If you have the budget and was starting your rig from scratch I would consider checking it out, as it includes great simulations of the Twin Reverb and Vibro-King. They are also easy to transport & the Fender IR cabinets only weigh 12.5kg. (For comparison, my VOX AC15 weighs 30kg and is a nightmare to transport for shows)
The TMP is Fender's first amp simulator pedal and from what I understand the Quad Cortex DSP, the Line 6 Helix series and the Headrush Pedalboard are more popular choices. However, for the purpose of "sounding like Gotch", I would start with the TMP for its Fender selection and simplicity
The Fender Tone Master Pro can be used to simulate multiple amps & as a pedalboard for live performances

^{If you decide to buy a Amp Simulator Pedal, there are 3 common ways to use it for band practices & live settings. (Outside of just using headphones or running straight to front of house at a venue:
Option 1: Only use the effects on the Amp Simulator and run it into a standard amp .}** ^{(Make sure to not use the cabinets settings within the pedal when doing this. You could still use the amp settings, however they may clash with the physical amps and do not always sound great
Option 2: Use the Amp Simulator as your main amp and combining with a standard guitar cabinet. In order to do this, you will need to buy a separate power amp pedal to run in between the amp simulator and the guitar cabinet. (Otherwise you will not have any volume or oomph when you play through the cabinet}\*)*
^{Option 3: Buy a IR Cabinet. The difference between this and Option 2 is that you would not need to buy a separate power amp pedal to run into the speaker. The Fender FR-10/12 & Line 6 Powercab are good examples.}

Recommended Amp Settings

The following amp settings are based on photos gathered from live performances or from photos of Gotch's social media. Every amp will slightly differ based on your guitar or playing style, so you may need to tweak with your settings to find the right blend.
My personal advice is to not put the gain too high and to start with getting the treble and bass settings where you feel comfortable, before tweaking the mids. The P-90s have a strong midrange attack, so bear that in mind as well.
Gotch's Vibro-King and Super-Sonic
Fender '65 Twin Custom 15:
(Plugged into Vibrato 1) Vol: 3, Treble: 3.5-4, Mid: 6.5, Bass: 3.5
Fender Super-Sonic 60 Head:
Channel 1: Vol: 3.5, Treble: 4-4.5, Bass: 5
Channel 2: Vintage setting ON, Gain 1: 4, Gain 2: 0, Treble: 5-5.5, Bass: 4.5-5, Mid: 5.5, Vol: 5.5-6
Fender Vibro-King Custom (as cabinet):
Plug into the speaker input at the back of the amp, with FAT switch on.
Fender Vibro-King Custom (as amplifier):
(FAT ON) Vol: 3, Treble: 4.5, Bass: 4, Mid: 5.5 (Based on Eizo Sakushin Shu Vol.6 settings)
OR
(FAT ON) Vol: 4.5 Treble: 4 Bass: 5 Mid: 4.5
Shinos & L Rocket Head:
Gain: 7, Treble: 8, Bass: 3, Reverb: 0, Master: 7

Conclusion

I hope this has been helpful for you guys, as it has been on my bucket list for some time! Please provide some feedback as it is always appreciated and if you would like more details about the effect settings let me know.

Hi Horror fans! I am back with a few more reviews. I normally try to mix up the new and the old the classic and the atypical when I can. My success varies depending on which books call to me. Let me know what you think!
Lowest reviewed to highest.
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
Premise- A new rabies virus is running rampant in Massachusetts and Nats is running out of time. Almost ready to give birth and exposed to the rapidly advancing virus she needs help before the baby arrives or she succumbs…
Thoughts- This book almost broke my DNF record. It has been a long time since I gave up on a book and this was close. If it wasn’t a relatively short book (around 300 pages) I don’t think I would have powered through. I disliked one of the main characters throughout (Nats) finding her grating and her attempts at humour embarrassing. It also employs just about every cliché ever put into the apocalyptic or outbreak genre and then makes it worse by being self referential about the cliches. Then towards the end the other main character who I didn’t mind as much becomes so selfish (I understand she’s trying to help her friend but come on) that she willingly endangers a busload of people just for her own ends. All of this is without delving into the awkward and awful kid “slang” Tremblay employs for about 50 pages in the middle of the book. My wife really enjoyed the audiobook for his A Head Full of Ghosts so I will probably try that before writing him off as an author who is not for me but he has a really difficult hill to climb after this. A final thing to note much of this book even when action was occurring felt plodding and slow somehow which I can’t even wrap my head around because rabies infected people chasing down our main characters should be exciting but I could barely keep my eyes open.
Rating- 2/5. Not a 1 because I finished it. Do not recommend. Read any other apocalyptic or outbreak book The Stand or Swan Song comes to mind.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
Premise- The Black Death ravages the French countryside and evil lurks behind every corner. A former knight turned brigand encounters a young girl who is more than she seems. Can he find redemption? Does he deserve it?
Thoughts- This is another horrorlit darling. I actually picked up Buehlman’s fantasy novel The Blacktongue Thief first in anticipation of this this novel because it was the only novel of his available at my book store. I enjoyed that and appreciated the author’s humour and dark side. This novel came with a lot of hype as it has to be one of the most recommended books in this sub. The premise of a medieval horror which features demons and devils was incredibly appealing and my wife and I decided to read through it at the same time (her on audio). We both found it pretty underwhelming which I know might be controversial. It’s strange because its well written, I enjoy the characters and the setting but somehow it did not gel with me. The best way I can describe it is it felt almost like a horror show with say 22 episodes. Like most shows with 22 episodes a lot of them are filler or freak of the week episodes and that is how a lot of the middle of the book felt to me. We would travel along with Thomas and Delphine, they would encounter something strange and remarkable (occasionally horrifying) and move on to another area where another strange or remarkable thing would happen. It felt oddly disconnected. Now I need to talk about the ending which didn’t redeem my feelings about a large portion of the book but it was my favourite thing about this novel for sure. It ends in a fantastic way and encapsulates what I think the author was going for throughout the book but didn’t land for me until the end with themes concerning sin, redemption and second chances. This might be the definition of a book I appreciate and can see what others love about it but didn’t register with me for large portions. That ending though, so good.
Rating-3.5/5 stars. An interesting setting for a modern horror novel let down by some meandering adventures which caused it to lose me somewhat before ending on a high note.
Little Heaven by Nick Cutter
Premise- Three hardened mercenaries team up for what seems like an easy job, rescue a woman’s nephew from a cult down south. What it turns into is a fight for their lives which will haunt them down through the years and will make them wonder if they ever really escaped Little Heaven?
Thoughts- My second foray into the work of horrorlit darling Nick Cutter. I enjoyed The Troop and found it suitably disgusting and chilling to earn the reputation it has in the wider horror fan annals. I actually think I prefer Little Heaven overall. One of my biggest gripes with The Troop was its lack of meaningful characters and many of them felt like stereotypes and while some of the characters in Little Heaven fall a little into that category (the Reverand in particular is just a straight black heart) the main group were all well realized in my opinion and despite their obvious shortcomings I came to root for them. Cutter per usual is a master with description, creeping the reader out with every mention of things slimy, crawly or looming. In this book he has included some pages of art which further the atmosphere and really burn some of the images into your mind (one rather tall character in particular). I enjoyed the back and forth between the two timelines, one during the initial trip to Little Heaven in the 60’s and the ugly return in the 80’s. It had almost an It like feeling of needing to overcome your fear when you know what is awaiting you but finding the courage decades later to face it regardless. Similarly to The Troop, Cutter doesn’t give us the Hollywood happy ending either which I enjoy, you get your elements and take what you can from such an evil place. Without going into spoilers there were things about the ultimate confrontation which I disliked (mostly the reveal of what is within the black rock itself) and things which I enjoyed a lot (the ultimate fate of one of the main characters). I think that I have now read what I would consider his two most applauded books I can move onto the one which splits horror audiences in half, The Deep. Overall though Cutter writes horror that really is a page turner and I will continue to read him until he proves otherwise.
Rating-4/5 stars. Another fast-paced creepy jaunt evoking elements of Heart of Darkness (and modern horror takes like Children of Chaos) and the two timeline split involving children obsessed evil like King’s It, Mr. Cutter continues to impress and make it his own.
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
Premise- The sun has gone dark and the great empire of Elidaen is at war. Not with their neighbouring countries but the great unholy horde of undying monsters that make up the vampiric kingdoms. Gabriel De Leon will learn what it means to survive and battle against these creatures on his journey to becoming a member of the Silversaints, the great brotherhood of warriors who try to keep the darkness at bay.
Thoughts- Let me start by saying that putting this into my horror reviews is a little of a stretch. This is really more of a dark fantasy book with horror trappings. If you just want straight horror and are not into fantasy as a genre maybe give this one a pass, but if you do enjoy fantasy even a little please check this out. It is epic in scale with fantastic characters and really fun dialogue. If I am being reductive it is like 70% Witcher, 20% Blade and 10% Interview with a Vampire. I happen to enjoy all three of those things quite a bit so I loved this book. The story bounces between three time frames, the framing story in the “present” where Gabriel is imprisoned and telling his life story to his vampire jailor, his origin story taking place when he is around 16 telling of his upbringing and becoming a Silversaint and finally him as a 32 year old on a quest for the holy grail. Kristoff does a really good job at least early on keeping the reader engaged on each story as they bounce back and forth and I never felt too much like I needed to go back to the other time line even though I was always interested in what would happen next. There was one sequence which dragged a little for me (basically the sequence going to and time in Redwatch) but it is a minor gripe in a hell of a book. I am very excited for the sequel which should be out in first half of 2024. This book looks from the title and cover a little juvenile but it is very adult (many brutal murders, battles, amusing and creative cursing and a fair bit of the sexy stuff) so do not be scared off by appearance alone. A definite recommend from me. I could see some people finding the dynamics and themes well trodden from other recent media as mentioned Witcher and things like The Last of Us, but the world and characters Kristoff creates makes it work despite the familiarity.
Rating-4.5/5 stars. A brilliant start to what I hope will be the and amazing vampire series.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patick Suskind
Premise- Jean-Baptise Grenouille is born with a unique ability, the most extraordinary nose of all time. He can remember, store and create any scent he wishes. To that end he “collects” as many as possible and aims to create the greatest perfume known to mankind. Unfortunately, the best scents that he wishes to capture for his perfume comes from virginal teenage girls and he will take their odour no matter the cost….
Thoughts- I prepared myself for this book based on comments from fellow readers by expecting it to fall into the more distinguished “literature” side of the horror genre. It did but it still surprised me with the directions that it went in. I was expecting more focus lets say on the murders themselves and Suskind does such an amazing job detailing the inner workings of Grenouille’s mind that when we finally get to that part of the book we absolutely understand why they are not really the focus of the novel but merely a means to an end. The descriptions of odours are amazing and a few times I felt myself almost gagging at some of the images Suskind conjures with his prose. I am not a prose person but he does a wonderful job detailing scents in a way you would never think of. The journey Grenouille goes on is utterly unexpected and fascinating. You truly get a strange insight into this broken creature and why he is doing what he is doing and how ultimately the murders mean nothing to him but a way to capture or collect his perfume which is his ambition. The last few pages erupt into a madhouse of defied expectations just when I thought we would have a fairly basic ending Suskind pulls the rug out once again. It also really underlines how animal humanity can be and what we can be reduced to based on our senses.
Rating-5/5 stars. A truly unique novel which defied all expectations. Very different and easy to recommend to horror readers who want something out of the ordinary.
THANKS FOR READING!
If you want to read my previous horror reviews I will post the links here:
Devil in the White City, The Troop, The Damnation Game, Swan Song, The Fisherman and Something Wicked This Way Comes
https://www.reddit.com/horrorlit/comments/15a7jvq/review_sixpack/
Playground, Ghost Story, Red Dragon, The Exorcist, Children of Chaos
https://www.reddit.com/horrorlit/comments/17a3s9t/halloween_season_reviews/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters, Mongrels, Strange Weather, Let the Right One in, The Final Girl Support Group
https://www.reddit.com/horrorlit/comments/18282lx/fall_horror_reviews_feat_graham_jones_hill/
Potential Options Upcoming books:
Owned- Old Country by Query, The Fireman by Hill and Carrion Comfort by Simmons (started this one got about 1/3 through and put it down wasn’t clicking despite me loving his Sci-Fi).
Wishlist- The Imago Sequence and Other Stories by Barron, Boy’s Life by McCammon.

https://minimalfreaks.co/2024/05/progressive-house-top-100-may-2024/

1. Estiva – Fine Day (Extended Mix) 07:00 124bpm 2B
2. Gorge – Intensity (Original Mix) 06:56 125bpm 5B
3. Kaskade, deadmau5 – I Remember (John Summit Remix) (Extended Mix) 05:29 126bpm 10A
4. Paul Thomas – Emotional Landscapes (Ezequiel Arias Extended Mix) 06:48 124bpm 2B
5. Quivver – Dovetail (Original Mix) 06:56 125bpm 9B
6. Marc Lenz – People Are People (Original Mix) 07:05 123bpm 1B
7. Selderv – Igray (Steve Bug Remix) 06:25 125bpm 5A
8. Oak and Hammer – Nacht (Dowden Extended Remix) 07:28 123bpm 11B
9. RIKO & GUGGA – Voyage Voyage (Extended Mix) 06:08 125bpm 1A
10. Spencer Brown – San te Crüs (Original Mix) 06:16 125bpm 4A
11. Bondarev – Meteora (Cosmonaut Remix) 07:30 122bpm 2B
12. Eric Prydz, Empire Of The Sun – We Are Mirage (Original Mix) 06:19 128bpm 9A
13. CamelPhat, Cristoph, Max Milner – Hope (Cristoph Remix) (Original Mix) 06:52 122bpm 4B
14. Eran Hersh, Kasango – Ascension (Original Mix) 05:32 122bpm 4B
15. Spencer Brown – Barcelona Surprise (Original Mix) 05:15 125bpm 2B
16. Aerofeel5, Vakabular – Under Your Skin (Extended Mix) 06:13 124bpm 3A
17. Yotto, Something Good – Rhythm (Of The Night) (Extended Mix) 06:35 122bpm 4A
18. Tonaco – Disurbia (Original Mix) 08:19 121bpm 7B
19. Nicolas Rada – The Wind Phone (Original Mix) 08:24 123bpm 9B
20. Ruben Karapetyan, Maze 28 – Cosmic Dot (Original Mix) 07:26 123bpm 12B
21. Fedo, Alexander Popov, Going Deeper – Lost In Space (Going Deeper Extended Remix) 05:10 123bpm 10A
22. Darin Epsilon – Janissaries (Extended Mix) 06:09 125bpm 7A
23. Kamilo Sanclemente – Theia (Original Mix) 07:05 122bpm 5A
24. Acrobat, Vakabular – Space Between (Extended Mix) 05:59 123bpm 9B
25. Braxton, Steven Weston – Splendor (Original Mix) 05:44 124bpm 8A
26. Quivver, Dave Seaman – Mushroom Embargo (Original Mix) 07:03 123bpm 10B
27. Subandrio – St. Kilda (Original Mix) 08:47 122bpm 8B
28. Tonaco – Avalon (Original Mix) 07:52 122bpm 3B
29. Dmitry Molosh – Modul (Original Mix) 06:25 122bpm 8B
30. ISMAIL.M, Redspace – Avenue (Original Mix) 07:12 122bpm 7B
31. Forty Cats – Nocturne (Kyotto Remix) 09:37 122bpm 9B
32. Felix E – Paradox Twin (Gai Barone Remix) 07:36 122bpm 9B
33. Darren Tate, Sxcha – Flashing Lights feat. Sxcha (Extended Mix) 07:31 126bpm 5A
34. Ruben Karapetyan, Maze 28 – Cosmic Dot (Cid Inc. Remix) 06:56 123bpm 12B
35. Marc Lenz – Black Rock (Original Mix) 06:44 123bpm 10B
36. Talemates – Quala (Original Mix) 07:30 121bpm 2A
37. Enzo Paradiso, JUAN BUITRAGO – First Time (Fran Garay Remix) 07:32 121bpm 11B
38. Ian O’Donovan – Frontier (Original Mix) 09:25 124bpm 11A
39. Matter, Eric Lune – Starlight (Original Mix) 06:56 121bpm 11B
40. Durante – Reaching (Extended Mix) 06:27 120bpm 10B
41. Gai Barone, Micah Paul Lukasewich – Pleiades (Original Mix) 08:32 123bpm 5A
42. Mayro – Gede (Original Mix) 06:40 123bpm 9B
43. Kebin Van Reeken – Liminal (Original Mix) 08:16 121bpm 9A
44. Chaum, Hobin Rude – Cressida (Tonaco Remix) 07:17 122bpm 7A
45. Volaris – Close To You (3am In Tulum Extended Mix) 07:14 126bpm 5A
46. Andrewboy, SHAZZE – Longlife (Extended Mix) 06:25 124bpm 12B
47. Alex Breitling – Wasted Youth (Original Mix) 06:25 126bpm 5B
48. Kamilo Sanclemente, Mauro Aguirre – Essence (Original Mix) 08:25 122bpm 9B
49. OceanLab, Above & Beyond – Sirens Of The Sea (Marsh Extended Mix) 08:24 126bpm 7A
50. Jou Nielsen – Spectral Twist (Dimi Mechero Remix) 06:25 126bpm 11B
51. Kasper Koman – Sinking Sky (Original Mix) 08:08 122bpm 12B
52. Taylan – Nebula (Original Mix) 07:36 122bpm 2B
53. Bruno Andrada – Hexagon Sun (Extended Mix) 09:04 122bpm 10B
54. Durante – Ancora (Extended Mix) 06:10 126bpm 7B
55. Spencer Brown – Fellas (Original Mix) 04:40 123bpm 6A
56. Pryda – Allein (Original Mix) 05:36 126bpm 6B
57. Tonaco – Crackdown (Original Mix) 07:48 121bpm 4B
58. Jesabel – Control (Extended Mix) 06:45 126bpm 11B
59. Jerome Isma-Ae, Sandeep Pai – Nightfall (Original Mix) 06:08 125bpm 5A
60. Guy J – Metal Dreams (Original Mix) 07:48 124bpm 3B
61. Maxim Lany, Cartouche, Matt Fax – Why Do I feat. Cartouche (Extended Mix) 06:58 125bpm 8A
62. Roman (AR) – Easy to Love (Extended Mix) 08:00 123bpm 10A
63. Lonya – Forever Young (Original Mix) 06:34 124bpm 7A
64. Kebin Van Reeken – Sound Particles (Original Mix) 08:43 121bpm 11B
65. TEELCO, Maze 28 – Sense (Original Mix) 08:12 122bpm 9A
66. Joris Voorn, Nathan Nicholson – You & I (Original Mix) 06:25 126bpm 7A
67. Gai Barone, Micah Paul Lukasewich – Pleiades (Echomen Remix) 07:54 123bpm 5A
68. Maze 28 – Aer8 (Original Mix) 07:24 122bpm 10B
69. Mike Isai – Exit (Original Mix) 07:01 120bpm 6A
70. Volaris – Close To You (Extended Mix) 05:51 127bpm 6A
71. Simon Doty – Lady Danger (Extended Mix) 07:37 128bpm 3A
72. Subandrio – Nights in Twilo (Original Mix) 07:36 122bpm 11A
73. Enzo Paradiso, JUAN BUITRAGO – First Time (Original Mix) 07:59 121bpm 11B
74. Eelke Kleijn – Regenerator (Extended Mix) 06:50 128bpm 5A
75. STEREO MUNK, Dublew, Eichenbaum – Flores (Original Mix) 07:32 122bpm 7A
76. Luciano Scheffer – J’s Odyssey (Weird Sounding Dude Remix) 07:30 121bpm 12B
77. Agustin Pietrocola, Andrés Moris – New Beginning (Original Mix) 07:28 122bpm 10B
78. Jiminy Hop – Nawaro (Original Mix) 08:43 122bpm 4B
79. Forty Cats – Nocturne (Original Mix) 07:39 122bpm 9B
80. Cristoph – Come With Me (Extended Mix) 06:49 123bpm 2A
81. Guy J – Illusions (Original Mix) 08:25 122bpm 8A
82. CamelPhat, Jem Cooke, Cristoph – Breathe (Original Mix) 07:13 125bpm 8A
83. Andrewboy, SHAZZE – Longlife (Ryven Remix) 06:15 124bpm 12B
84. Jou Nielsen – Spectral Twist (Extended Mix) 05:36 126bpm 11B
85. Dmitry Molosh – Sail (Original Mix) 06:57 122bpm 8A
86. Beckers, D-Nox – Astral (Original Mix) 07:17 94bpm 10A
87. Luke Chable, Danny Bonnici – Colours (Alex O’Rion Remix) 07:24 120bpm 10A
88. Juan Deminicis, EANP – The Other Side (Original Mix) 08:03 123bpm 9B
89. Marsh, Nox Vahn – Come Together (Scorz Extended Mix) 06:24 124bpm 12A
90. Eddy Tango – Unjust World (Alex Swank Remix) 06:57 122bpm 5A
91. Joseph Disco, Daniel Jaeger – Heavybottle (Original Mix) 07:27 125bpm 7B
92. Simos Tagias – Vortex (Original Mix) 07:33 122bpm 10B
93. Durante – Portal Six (Extended Mix) 06:02 124bpm 3A
94. Serious Dancers – In The Beginning (Hernan Cattaneo & Simply City Remix) 08:57 122bpm 10A
95. Agustin Pietrocola – Endeavor (Original Mix) 07:55 122bpm 3B
96. Eddy Tango – Unjust World (Original Mix) 07:09 122bpm 5A
97. Matter, Eric Lune – Memory Burn (Original Mix) 07:14 121bpm 9A
98. Whoriskey – Torn (NOIYSE PROJECT Extended Remix) 08:13 123bpm 9B
99. UnbrokenOne – Miragem (Peak Mix) 07:31 121bpm 1A
100. ANUQRAM, Ash Nova – On My Knees (Extended Mix) 07:32 125bpm 9B

Hello Long Islanders, hope you've had a great week so far.
I am not sure where to start looking but I am trying to find songs or a playlist of songs from the late 90's which played on the radio. I am a club, house, dance, edm fan and I used to tape songs off the radio, especially at 12 AM on Saturdays or so forth.
I know a few songs from the time but not sure what radio station exactly or the date anymore. I'm searching, because, when I moved out of Copiague in 2006, my tapes were left behind and lost to time (probably thrown out).
If anyone is a specialist or knows ways to contact former DJ's or the station staff themselves, I would appreciate it very, very much.
For reference, here's a few songs:

1. Move Ya Feet by Paul Jacob (Mix 2) (I think)
   
2. What Is Love by Dee-lite (some club mix)
   
3. Some mega mix with the song Our House by Madness (some club mix)
   

I wish my memory was better, it's been eons.
Thanks again!

Summarized: Dolphins Deep Dive: Sun Sentinel's Perkins, Furones discuss their takeaways from rookie camp and answer your questions

• Perkins: "We're gonna try to make this a quick show!"
  
• Perkins on Bayron Matos: The international UDFA OL is "impressive in a couple ways."
  
• Perkins on Mike Grier: "Congrats to Mike Grier," the brother of Dolphins' GM Chris Grier, on getting "the number one NHL draft pick! Good luck to him!"
  
• Perkins on Chop Robinson: "He showed good punch!" Expresses quiet first day. "Not the biggest guy physically, but showed decent power" and also liked what he "heard on the podium [from Chop]."
  
• Furones: Trying to set baseline expectations for rookies in minicamp. 'Don't fall for the highlights,' he reminds Dolphins fans.
  
• Furones: Kamara and Chop "trained together in the offseason in Phoenix, so ... fitting that they end up congregating in Miami." Nice, friendly competition level between them.
  
• Furones on Patrick Paul: "He is extremely huge. A very large human being."
  
• Furones: Enjoyed seeing all of these new personalities currently on the Dolphins.
  
• Perkins on Patrick Paul: "Maybe too nice. He really is such a nice guy." Adds Paul is "engaging, smiles all the time, makes good conversation." Looks forward to seeing how his minicamp shakes out.
  
• Perkins: Was surprised to see Xavien Howard's number taken so quickly in minicamp.
  
• Perkins on Mo Kamara: "Let's see what he does!" Expectations low because fifth round pick, but suggests 'you never truly know!'
  
• Perkins: "Long-shot, to me, for him [UDFA QB Hardison] to beat out Skylar Thompson."
  
• Furones on Mo Kamara: "Could have been a round 3, early round 4, guy." Potential is there, "like Malik Washington."
  
• Perkins on Malik Washington: "He's a guy that could sneakily ... be someone that contributes [in 2024]." Details, "Maybe down the line, he's a guy I could see as a nice slot WR." Dolphins got "good value" on his draft spot.
  
• Perkins on Chop Robison: "I did not see the 'quick first step' from Chop Robinsion." Saw some burst, but "[no] speed."
  
• Perkins: Didn't notice anything "[notably] physical" regarding Malik Washington or Tahj Washington.
  
• Furones on Patrick Paul (Again): HUUUUUUGE. HUGE, HUGE, HUGE. Physically hilariously massive.
  
• Perkins on Favorite UDFA: "He [Bayron Matos] could definitely be on the list to eventually become [my] favorite UDFA." Notes also Kader Kohou as memorable, impressive recent UDFA.
  
• Furones on Favorite UDFA: Bayron Matos, great personality, "a big body" type of player and overall demeanor. Hopes working with Butch Barry can see Matos develop. Also notes Needham as memorable, 'favorite' UDFA of recent years. "An impressive career he's [Needham] formulated for himself." Ends with, "Robert Jones might be the one [actual favorite] for me."
  
• Perkins on Chris Brooks: "Good personality, I like him."
  
• Perkins on Storm Duck: Didn't see anything interesting yet.
  
• Furones on Storm Duck: "Telling that the Dolphins made a commitment" on Duck with the guaranteed monies. Suspects Dolphins FO is carefully watching Duck as final roster add.
  
• Perkins on "What I Want to See Next": Really wants to see Tua throw to Hill, Waddle, OBJ in upcoming OTAs. Notes "it'll feel weird" to see Chop Robinson starting in place of injured Phillips/Chubb.
  
• Furones on "What I Want to See Next": Mentions Williams/Brewer interior offensive line situation. Wants to see "if Aaron Brewer is indeed the [starting] center," or if post-June 1st cash shifts things. Also interested to see alignment(s) and starting snaps for all RBs.
  
• Perkins on Alabama WRs: "If you put talent around him [Tua], he [Tua] will exploit that talent." Highly endorses strategy of acquiring receiving talent depth, or just talent in general.
  
• Perkins: "I like the offensive talent they've assembled."
  
• Perkins on O-Line: "For all the personnel" flexibility and with Tua's passing quickness and timing-based offense, thinks overall "the offensive line situation is handled [fine for now]."
  
• Perkins & Furones: Aaron Brewer "has that Richie Incognito nastiness."
  
• Furones on O-Line: Multi-faceted offense helps greatly. "You can still make it all work" without a top-tier offensive line.
  
• Furones on Paul vs. Lamm: Paul needs to "show that he deserves it" to start over Kendall Lamm for backup snaps at RT/LT. Paul has "a lot to learn" regarding developmental technique (but notes "a high ceiling").
  
• Perkins on Paul: "This is your [the Dolphins'] 2nd Round Pick." He insists, "I want him [Paul] to 4 or 5 starts" by the time that Paul is REQUIRED to play, whether by injury or salary requirements.
  
• Furones on Paul: Insists that first games will not matter, whether bad or good, for Paul's first starts - whenever they come. "I'd [prefer] to see him [Paul] get his snaps at the end of blowouts."
  
• Perkins on Surprise Starters: "You see what you've got in OTAs, you go into training camp, and then you see" what 2-3 surprise starters end up making the final roster.
  
• Furones on Surprise Starters: "There could be some mixing and matching" regarding 18.5 million to be freed up by June 1st. Insists "there will be value added to this roster," whether it's UDFA or FA.
  

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The Cube Guys, SaintPaul DJ, Eliza G - Touch Me (Club Mix) / Key Em, BPM 128, 6:40, MP3 16.23 Mb
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DOWNLOAD - progonlymusic com

The mixed-use property located at 75 Sylvan Street in Danvers, MA was sold for $29,000,000. Spanning 275,931 square feet, the property was transacted at a rate of $105 per square foot.

Summary of transation details:

• Property Type: Mixed-use
• Transaction Amount: $29,000,000
• Address: 75 Sylvan Street
• Market: Danvers, MA

Paul Herrick from Herrick Lutts Realty Partners represented the buyer in the transaction while Frank Petz and Rob Schlesinger from Colliers International represented the seller in the deal.
Learn More: Paul Herrick, Frank Petz & Rob Schlesinger Facilitate $29M Sale Of Mixed-use Property In Danvers

This month the following C++ videos have been published to YouTube. A new post will be made each week as more videos are released
C++Online
05/06/2024 - 05/12/2024

• Advanced SIMD C++ Algorithms in Pictures - Denis Yaroshevskiy - https://youtu.be/uAVXVzWIIBM
• Optimising a High Performance C++ Library: Lessons Learned - Dave Rowland - https://youtu.be/c_cXuL_L0Gg
• Keynote: What Does It Take to Implement the C++ Standard Library? - Christopher Di Bella - https://youtu.be/XP21DsoPaGw

04/29/2024 - 05/05/2024

• What’s New in Compiler Explorer? 2024 Update - Matt Godbolt - https://youtu.be/28Gp3TTQYp0
• Clean C++ Code Is Not the Norm: Why? - Sandor Dargo - https://youtu.be/Rn6EMwPoHZk

Pure Virtual C++
05/06/2024 - 05/12/2024

• Automated Testing of Shader Code - Keith Stockdale - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqnNOhOCesc
• Progress Report: Adopting Header Units in Microsoft Word - Zachary Henkel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvliLGtaQ0c
• Templates View for Build Insights in Visual Studio - Nelson D. Troncoso - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68pOEQ5YA5s

04/29/2024 - 05/05/2024

• Optimizing Game Development Workflows with Visual Studio and AI - David Li & Greg Denton - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ4uS8_lUzM
• Debugging GUI Applications in a GitHub Codespace - Michael Price - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewLbgs1thSk
• New Editor Features in Visual Studio for C++ Programmers - Haley Welliver and Caleb Blake - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgfSJ2_2TGI
• Message Handling with Boolean Implication - Ben Deane - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIPvb_PaI1A
• Enhancing C++ development with Copilot Chat - Sinem Akinci - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpxPB6FuIAM
• I Embedded a Programming Language In Debug Information - Sy Brand - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luogje8IHpM

CppCon
05/06/2024 - 05/12/2024

• Lightning Talk: Is Polymorphism in C++ Really That Bad? - Paul Tsouchlos - https://youtu.be/BujbOFNHHIY
• Lightning Talk: Program Complexity and Thermodynamics - Vadim Alexandrov - https://youtu.be/E1_AgDj_2kw
• Lightning Talk: Undefined Behavior - Toolkit to Improve Communication With Clients - Laura Kostur - https://youtu.be/zKZiWVNenVk
• Lightning Talk: Detecting Constant Folding to Prevent Substitution Failure - Patrick Roberts - https://youtu.be/Hoo9H9z-0VM
• Lightning Talk: Making Friends With CUDA Programmers (please constexpr all the things) - Vasu Agrawal - https://youtu.be/TRQWxkRdPUI

04/29/2024 - 05/05/2024

• Lightning Talk: Let's Fix Sparse Linear Algebra with C++. It'll Be Fun and Easy! - Benjamin Brock - https://youtu.be/vhpj-pQTJPA
• Lightning Talk: (Fine) Wine and MSVC: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? - Yannic Staudt - https://youtu.be/ogrJtlaZfl4
• Lightning Talk: Know Your Audience: Who’s Building Your C++ Code - Chris Thrasher - https://youtu.be/xSrEHZ6Sgfg
• Lightning Talk: Writing a Better std::move - Jonathan Müller - https://youtu.be/hvnl6T2MnUk
• Lightning Talk: Enhancing C++ exceptions with Context - Shachar Shemesh - https://youtu.be/LvzmAJ9_rDk

All of these talks can also be accessed at https://cppcon.programmingarchive.com where you can also find information on how to get early access to the rest of the CppCon 2023 lightning talks.
Audio Developer Conference
05/06/2024 - 05/12/2024

• Accelerated Audio Computing: From Problem to Solution - Alexander Talashov & Alexander Prokopchuk - https://youtu.be/X9TN9la0Q0Y
• Virtual Studio Production Tools With AI Driven Personalized Spatial Audio for Immersive Mixing - Dr. Kaushik Sunder & Krishnan Subramanian - https://youtu.be/Uhf4XUQwcLk
• Workshop: An Introduction to Inclusive Design of Audio Products - Accessibility Panel - https://youtu.be/-iVDiV1Iwio

04/29/2024 - 05/05/2024

• Legacy Code for the Learning Audio Engineer: Examples In C++ - José Díaz Rohena - https://youtu.be/b9z8a2z4ZP4
• AI Generated Voices: Towards Emotive Speech Synthesis - Vibhor Saran - https://youtu.be/5FoI9JPNbo8
• Audio Technology Industry Standards - the Agony and the Ecstasy - Angus Hewlett - https://youtu.be/wVxS9Rv1y88

Wow, it's the one-week anniversary of the Sean Paul Greatest Tour at the Pavilion, and what an amazing night it was. It all began with Jkool calling me to meet him in his dressing room. When I arrived, he was sporting a very expensive pair of darkers, designer jeans, and some fancy sneakers that I'd never heard of the sorts. While I was filming his ensemble, VOG walked in wearing an equally expensive pair of darkers. I suddenly felt left out, so I went back to my car to grab my CHOPPAHEAD HAT. You know the deal—DEFEND CHOPPERS, SHOOT HIPSTERS.
As we chatted in the dressing room, a young woman from Live Nation introduced herself and then escorted us to the catered dinner room. Let me tell you, what a spread! In all my 30 years, I haven’t seen a backstage meal presentation like that. There were loads of carbs, proteins, and sweets. While we were stuffing our faces, the same young lady from Live Nation came to our table and said sound check was in 20 minutes. I took one last bite, and then we were off to the stage. As we approached, I could see a figure doing his sound check. Without my glasses, I couldn't recognize who it was. It wasn't until I was right in front of his whiskers, I noticed it was PUP DAWG! We exchanged pleasantries. It felt like old times, with Jkool, VOG, and now adding PUP DAWG to the mix from 94.5FM. Good food and good friends—what else could you ask for? Maybe a couple of dancing girls, perhaps.
After sound check and one more trip to the mess hall, we returned to our dressing room. Then Sean Paul, Chi Ching Ching, and Ras AJai rolled into the place. That's when things got crazy. It was like a family reunion, with so much energy and love between everyone backstage. Words can't describe the energy and love. Jkool, VOG, Bobby Shakes, and Sean Paul all started as young children in this business. The stories and growth over 25 plus years are incredible to understand and conceptualize. I don’t want to misrepresent this energy with my writing; please go and watch the backstage footage. https://shakesislive.com/digitols
On stage:
The reason why this is called the Greatest Tour is because Sean Paul is one of the greatest reggae artists of all time. I remember 25 years ago at 3C’s with Mr. Vegas and Sean Paul; nobody in their right mind would say Sean Paul would outlast Mr. Vegas. Nobody would say Sean Paul would dethrone the “KING OF THE DANCEHALL” Beenie Man. Sean Paul has aged like wine, while 99 percent of all Dancehall has aged like vinegar. Vinegar isn’t a bad thing; I love vinegar on my chips & fish
Sean Paul has mastered his set, with his brilliant cadence and crowd involvement. He is a polished artist, which wasn’t the case 25 years ago. His first show at 3C’s was a nightmare, but with every return back to Boston, you could see the growth. By 2008, it was over for Vegas, T.O.K, and Lexus. Sean Paul stands alone. Like VOG said, “They say afrobeats is taking our ting, if it wasn’t for Sean Paul, wi wouldn’t have a ting.”

Wow, it's the one-week anniversary of the Sean Paul Greatest Tour at the Pavilion, and what an amazing night it was. It all began with Jkool calling me to meet him in his dressing room. When I arrived, he was sporting a very expensive pair of darkers, designer jeans, and some fancy sneakers that I'd never heard of the sorts. While I was filming his ensemble, VOG walked in wearing an equally expensive pair of darkers. I suddenly felt left out, so I went back to my car to grab my CHOPPAHEAD HAT. You know the deal—DEFEND CHOPPERS, SHOOT HIPSTERS.
As we chatted in the dressing room, a young woman from Live Nation introduced herself and then escorted us to the catered dinner room. Let me tell you, what a spread! In all my 30 years, I haven’t seen a backstage meal presentation like that. There were loads of carbs, proteins, and sweets. While we were stuffing our faces, the same young lady from Live Nation came to our table and said sound check was in 20 minutes. I took one last bite, and then we were off to the stage. As we approached, I could see a figure doing his sound check. Without my glasses, I couldn't recognize who it was. It wasn't until I was right in front of his whiskers, I noticed it was PUP DAWG! We exchanged pleasantries. It felt like old times, with Jkool, VOG, and now adding PUP DAWG to the mix from 94.5FM. Good food and good friends—what else could you ask for? Maybe a couple of dancing girls, perhaps.
After sound check and one more trip to the mess hall, we returned to our dressing room. Then Sean Paul, Chi Ching Ching, and Ras AJai rolled into the place. That's when things got crazy. It was like a family reunion, with so much energy and love between everyone backstage. Words can't describe the energy and love. Jkool, VOG, Bobby Shakes, and Sean Paul all started as young children in this business. The stories and growth over 25 plus years are incredible to understand and conceptualize. I don’t want to misrepresent this energy with my writing; please go and watch the backstage footage. https://shakesislive.com/digitols
On stage:
The reason why this is called the Greatest Tour is because Sean Paul is one of the greatest reggae artists of all time. I remember 25 years ago at 3C’s with Mr. Vegas and Sean Paul; nobody in their right mind would say Sean Paul would outlast Mr. Vegas. Nobody would say Sean Paul would dethrone the “KING OF THE DANCEHALL” Beenie Man. Sean Paul has aged like wine, while 99 percent of all Dancehall has aged like vinegar. Vinegar isn’t a bad thing; I love vinegar on my chips & fish
Sean Paul has mastered his set, with his brilliant cadence and crowd involvement. He is a polished artist, which wasn’t the case 25 years ago. His first show at 3C’s was a nightmare, but with every return back to Boston, you could see the growth. By 2008, it was over for Vegas, T.O.K, and Lexus. Sean Paul stands alone. Like VOG said, “They say afrobeats is taking our ting, if it wasn’t for Sean Paul, wi wouldn’t have a ting.”

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Paul Orwin - Falling (Extended Mix) / Key Am, BPM 123, 5:51, MP3 14.12 Mb, AIFF 62.02 Mb
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DOWNLOAD - progonlymusic com