(An animation shows black and white clouds parting)
Charles: (Off-screen) Once upon a time, there was a glowing city protected by golden gates known as Heaven. It was ruled by beings of pure light. Angels that worshipped good and shielded all from evil. Lucy was one of these angels. She was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for all of creation. But she was seen as a troublemaker by the elders of Heaven. For they felt her way of thinking was dangerous to the perder of their world. So she watched as the angels began to expand the universe in their ways. From the dust of Earth, they created Eve (I couldn't think of a female name that looked like Adam) and Lilian. Equals as the first of mankind, but despite this, Eve demanded control and Lilian refused to submit to her will. He fled the garden. Drawn in by his fierce independence, Lucy found him and the two rebellious dreamers fell deeply in love. Together, they wished to share the magic of free will with humanity, offering the fruit of knowledge to Eve's new groom, Adam, who gladly accepted. But this gift came with a curse. For the single act of disobedience, evil finally found its way into Earth. With it, a new realm of darkness and sin. And the order Heaven had worked to maintain was shattered. As punishment for their reckless act, Heaven cast Lucy and her love into the dark pit she had created, never allowing her to see the good that came from humanity, only the cruel and the wicked. Ashamed, Lucy lost her will to dream. But Lilian thrived, empowering demon-kind with his voice and his songs. And as the numbers of Hell grew, so did its power. Threatened by this, Heaven made a truly heartless decision. That every year, they would send down an army, an extermination to ensure Hell and its sinners could never rise against them. But Lilian's hope remained. And his dream was passed down to their precious son, the Prince of Hell. (The prince shuts the "Story Of Hell" book) (On-screen) Don't worry, Dad. I'll make you proud. (He holds a key)
Vagner: Charles?
Charles: Augh! (The key turns into a cat) Oh, shit. Did you hear all that?
Vagner: Uh... Yeah, I was right there.
Charles: Sorry. I get worked up after an extermination happens. This story helps.
Vagner: (chuckles) I know. Don't worry. I enjoy your theatrics. Are you okay?
Charles: I'm fine, just...Thinking, ya know, family stuff.
Vagner: Did you hear from your dad yet?
(Charles shakes his head saying no)
Vagner: Oof. How long has it been now?
Charles: Not that long, only...Seven...Years...Off something important, I'm sure. But this kingdom was something he really cared about. Something I care about.
Vagner: Well, at least you aren't alone.
Charles: I just hope what I'm trying to do here will work.
Vagner: It will. I have faith in you.
(The cat hopes on Charles)
Vagner: All right. Come on. Alice says she has something to show us.
(Vagner heads to the door and Charles look out of the window and see Hell on fire and goes)
(A commercial plays)
Alice: Well, hello there you wayward sinner. Do you like blood, violence and depravity of a sexual nature? Of course you do. That's why you're in Hell! But what would you say there was a place to stay that had none of that? Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, a misguided path to redemption! Founded five days ago by Lucy's delusional son Charleson Morningstar! Come place your fate in his inexperienced hands as he tries to work through his mommy issues by fixing you! Here, we offer fun thing! Such as somewhat functional staff! And 24 hour Pest Control! Custom rooms, and just look at this tacky parlor! Enjoy riveting conversation with our singular resident. Wow! All this and more at the Hazbin Hotel! You last desperate attempt at salvation starts here.
(The tv suits off)
Alice: So, what'd ya' think?
Vagner: I'm sorry, what the fuck was that?!
Charles: Uh, yeah, one note...Alice, I mean...First off, thank you so much for making this, seriously, amazing, but um...Maybe the tone is a bit...Off? We want people to want to come here, this makes it look...Ummm...
Vagner: Bad. The word you're looking for is "bad".
Alice: Funny, I was going for hilarious!
Vagner: It didn't explain anything about how we're trying to save demons from extermination, which is the whole fucking point.
Charles: Vagner is right, Alice. The commercial was to let sinners know we are trying to help them.
Alice: Well, my dear, I haven't been active in Hell for some time, and everyone remembers me from my radio show! The proper medium to express oneself! But YOU insisted on this noisy picture box adversiment! So I had a little fun with it.
Vagner: Oh, fun? You had a little fun with it? (Stand on the sofa) Well, this is not what we want to represent us. When you showed up here a week ago, you told us you would help run the hotel! Instead, you're mocking us. Nobody's going to want to come to a place that a powerful overlord like you thinks is a waste of time!
(A demon on a sofa raises her hand)
Vagner: What?
Angela: If'n ya filmin' a commercial, can I suggest you take better advantage of the talented celebrity you have right here?
Vagner: Angela, you're a porn star.
Angela: A famous porn star. I'll have the horniest sinners knockin' these walls down to get in.
Vagner: We are not filming a porn as a commercial.
Angela: Why not? Sex sells, don't it? I swear if you film me goin' at it with mistress fancy-talk-creepy-voice here, you'd rollin' in participants willin' to stay at this tacky hotel.
Alice: Haha! Never going to happen!
Charles: Angela, I appreciate you wanting to use you special skills to, um, attract folks to the hotel, but...I really don't want to exploit you, in that way!
Angela: Oh, please, baby. This body was made to be exploited. I got the arms, I got the stamina, I got the legs. I got the lung capacity-- Oh-oh I got the legs! The gag reflex, the holes...
(Charles laughs uncomfortably and his phone rings with his mom calling)
Angela: The small tits that make everyone think I'm a man...
Charles: Uhhh, hold that thought. I'll be right back! (Walks away)
Angela: I could keep goin' all night, baby.
(Charles breathes and answers the phone)
Charles: Hello? Mom?
Angela: Hey, I have a question. If freaky face over there is so powerful, then why can't she just make people stay here?
Alice: Oh, trust me, (ominously) I can!
Hisky: Why the hell do you think I'm here?
(The camera goes to Hisky at the bar)
Hisky: You actually think I'd be cleaning bottles and listening to you fuck's bitches moan all the time if she wasn't forcin' me?
Niffter: I like being forced!
Hisky: Keep that to yourself, Niff.
Angela: What, you don't like being here with me, Whiskers?
Hisky: Call me "Whiskers" again and I'll that bottle down your throat.
Angela: Kinky. But I like pussies. But keep talkin' dirty.
Vagner: Ugh, Angela, let Hisky do her job. And no, we can't force sinners to stay here. They need to choose to.
Angela: I'm choosing to be here, and I think is all stupid. We're in Hell, toots. It's kind of the end of the road, ain't it?
Vagner: Well, maybe it doesn't have to be. Just because nobody has made it before doesn't mean is not possible. (Angela pust her arm in his shoulder)
Angela: Hey, whatever means I can keep crashin' here rent free. Crack is expensive.
Charles: (excitedly) Yeah, I can! Totally. Yeah, I'll head over there right away...Okay. (Turns off the phone) Hah! YES! YES!! Hahahaha!! Vagner! Holy shit!
Vagner: Ahh! What?!
Charles: (through closed mouth) Get over here!
(Vagner sighs and goes to where Charles is)
Vagner: What's going on?
Charles: (Inhales) My mom just called. She said that the leader of the Angel Army wants to meet. She asked if I could go instead. (Breathes deeply)
Vagner: But... But...But the extermination just happened. What would they want this soon after...
Charles: (Singing) I can do this. Somehow, I know it I'll get Heaven behind my plan!
Vagner: Charles, hold on.
Charles: There's just no way I could blow it. Not this once a lifetime change!
Vagner: It's just a meeting.
Charles: To change their minds. And touch their hearts. Or whatever angels have.
Vagner: This could be bad.
Charles: Cheer up, Vagner. This could be swell. Something tells that today will be a happy day in Hell!
Vagner: Okay, but just don't... sing to them.
Angela: That motherfucker is halfway down the street.
Vagner: Is he...
Angela: Oh, he's dancin'.
Vagner: Ugh, no.
Charles: There's a warm fuzzy feeling that wafts through the air! Every street so revealing it's hard not to stare. It's a realm so appealing it beats anywhere! If you don't mind the smell! It's a happy day in Hell! Hi, miss!
Demon: Go fuck yourself!
Dead Sinner #1: There's a endless trash fire that's burnig my soul!
Charles: Hello!
Imp: There's a lot of barbed wire to shove in her holes!
Charles: Uh, excuse me...
Executioner: Doing what is required we all have a role!
Dead Sinner #2: I'm not doing well!
Ensemble: Another shitty day in Hell!
Charles: If I can show them the dream I've dreamed, that any soul can change!
Vagner: Those angels minds are hard to change!
Charles: Then they know that everyone can be redeemed from the evil to the strange!
Vagner: They're bloodthirsty and deranged!
Charles: I can hear all their stories, the lost and the displaced! And I know that they're of an acquired taste! But if I open the door and give them a place at my Hazbin Hotel it'll be a happy day in Hell! (Jumps in the back of a truck) From the porn studio where the cinephiles go to watch award winning demon bukkake shows to the Cannibal Town where they don't wear a frown 'cause...Holy shit, ew, my gosh, why?! And I don't give a crow that her brains got in my eye! Cause I know I can spare them from Heaven's genocide! I can do this...
Dead Sinner #1: There's an endless trash fire...
Charles: I just know it! Dead Sinner #1: That's burning my soul!
Chorus: Ahhhhhhhhhh!
Charles: I'll get Heaven behind my plans! There's just no way I could blow it!
Demon Sinner #3: I kinda like the barbed wire that's shoved in my hole!
Charles: Not this once in a lifetime chance! To change their minds!
Trenchcoat Demon: And touch my parts!
Charles: Oh...No, thank you. I'm just gonna...Fullfill my destiny!
Trenchcoat Demon: Your loss fucker!
Charles: I can already tell! Today is gonna be a fucking happy day in Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell! (Charles enters at the lobby) Hello? (echoes) Hello? Creepy...(He goes to the reception, rings the bell in the table and a paper and a feather pen appear in front of him) Oh, okay! Also creepy. (Signs the paper)
(Elevator doors open, Charles goes to them and enters in a dark room)
Charles: Hello? Is anyone here?
(The lights turn on)
Eve: 'Sup?
Charles: Holy shit! (Falls in the floor and gets up) Hi, I'm Charles. My mom asked if I could meet you.
Eve: Yeah, I know.
Charles: Okay, well, it's nice to meet you. (Stands his hand)
Eve: Totally. Nice to meet you, too. (Stands her hand)
(Charles hand passes through Eve's hand)
Charles: Ahh!
Eve: Ha! I fucking got you! Did you fuckin' see that?
(Luther shaves his head in yes)
Eve: Good shit!
Charles: Uh, so wait, you aren't here?
Eve: No, you think I'd come down there? (Laughs) No. I mean, I love the vibe, totally, I love your tunes. Pretty fuckin' hardcore, don't get me wrong. But, it's such a bummer, man. Everything down there's just so "eugh" ya know? (Chuckles) Ew.
Charles: Right. So I'm happy we got this opportunity to meet. There's a project I've been working on that I really want to talk to you about...(Eve puts her finger in his mouth)
Eve: Hey, hey, hey, slow down. We got time. How about we get to know each other, mm? How about some lunch? You hungry? I got you! (Shows a plate with ribs) Here's my personal favourite. You'll love it.
Charles: Uh, thanks! (His arms passes through the plate of ribs)
Eve: (Laughing) I got you again, fucker! Haha fuckin' hilarious! Haha!
(Back at the Hazbin Hotel, everyone is at the lobby)
Vagner: Okay, so Charles is dealing with something very important, so while he's gone, we are making a new commercial. One that representants his vision and what we're doing here. So we need a camera. Alice?
(Alice snaps her fingers and an old camera appears in Vagner's hand)
Vagner: A video camera.
Alice: Hmmm. (Snaps her fingers)
(A video camera appears in Vagner's hand)
Vagner: All right, let's do this!
(Vagner films Angela sitting at the bar)
Vagner: And...Action!
Hisky: "Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, can I help you with anything?"
Angela: "I've been a bad girl. And I need a big strong mommy to put me in my place...On the path to redemption!"
Hisky: Ugh! "Well, you come..."
Angela: "Oh yes!"
Hisky: (boredly) "To the right place!"
Vagner: Cut! Okay, Angela, I need you to be less horny, if possible. And Hisky, can you maybe not have a script in front of your face?
Hisky: (Angrily) I ain't no actress, I can't memorize this shit!
Angela: Well, we could improve this shit, baby cakes! (Purrs seductively and Hisky push her out of the counter) Ahh!
Hisky: Whoops. (Drink a bottle)
Vagner: Hisky, come on!
(Meanwhile, Charles is bored)
Eve: So I was playing this gig, and for some fucking reason this virtue boy was digging on the drummer, and it's like, do you know who I am? I'm fucking Eve. I'm the original pussy! All pussies descend from me. You think you like a drummer pussy? No way, I'm the Pussy-fucking master! (Eats sloppily) So anyway, then we fucked, and it was awesome. What'd you do this weekend?
Charles: Wait, your name is Eve? Like the first woman? That means you...Ohhh...(Enlightened) That explains so much.
Eve: I know. I fucking rock.
Charles: Well, Eve, ma'am. Mrs. Eve, ma'am.
Eve: Call me Pussymaster.
Charles: Eve, you seem like a smart...well, stand up girl.
Eve: (With the finger in her teeth) Uh-huh.
Charles: And I know you are the leader of the angels. And you are a bigger revolutionary, a...A genius!
Eve: I maen, your words, babe.
Charles: Who would really her name on something.
Eve: Fucking love putting my name on shit! Shit's the best!
Charles: It's a solution to our biggest problem!
Eve: Oh, herpes. Yeah, that's a bitch.
Charles: No! Our other biggest problem.
Eve: Oh, uh...Ugly people? (Looks at the camera) Math? Global warming? Nah, wait that's Earth's problem. Umm...
(At the hotel, a bug walks in the floor and a needle tries to stab it saverel times)
Niffter: Hehehe. Stab. Stab. Stab.
Vagner: Alright Niffter. Niffter? Niffter! (Stops him) Your line is "We have the cleanest rooms". Okay?
Niffter: Got it. I'm ready.
Vagner: (Turns on the camera) Action!
(Niffter looks at the camera with his pupil constricted and Angela and Vagner look at him confused and he keeps staring weirdly)
Vagner: Uhh...Cut. (Turns off the camera)
(Niffter smiles again)
Niffter: (Giggles) How was that?
Vagner: Well, Niffter, you actually have to say the line. So let's roll again.
Niffter: Okay!
Vagner: Action. (Turns on the camera)
(Niffter stares deeply at the camera)
Angela: You're doing great, Vagina!
Vagner: Cut! Alright, um, maybe wr can try to fix it in the post.
Angela: Do you even know what that means?
Vagner: (Angrily) I'll figure it out!
(In the lobby, Vagner is watching the video with the camera connected to the tv)
Hisky: (On TV) Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel.
(Vagner groans, covers his eyes and Alice appears in his side)
Alice: Seems like you're having a bit of trouble there, hm?
Vagner: Ugh, esta pendeja...Why are you even here?
Alice: For the entertainment! I came here because I love seeing wasteful souls struggle to accomplish something meaningful and fail spectacularly. Like you are doing now! Good job!
Vagner: (Turns on the camera) And here is Alice, the egocentric piece of shit that...
(Alice gets static on the camera and it starts to spark and Vagner screams and knocks the camera down)
Alice: I wouldn't try that, my darling. (Sinisterly) This face was made for radio.
Vagner: (Gets angry) That's it! I don't care who or what you are! If you are staying here you are going to make this work! Beause it won't be so "entertaining" to watch an empty hotel will it, shit ass?! (Turns around and walks away)
Alice: Fair enough. I'll tell you what. Let's make a deal.
Vagner: Pft! You think I'm that stupid? Making a deal with a demon like you.
Alice: Not for your soul, just a simple deal. I do this for you, and you never ask me to engage with this frivolous television technology ever again. Or...Charles can come back to absolutely nothing! Your choice.
Vagner: (Sighs) Fine. (Gets the video camera and raises in Alice's hand and green ghosted skulls fly around it)
Alice: Now then! (Makes the camera disappear and snaps her fingers)
(Angela, Hisky and Niffter, a lot of filming materials and a ghost recording team appear in the lobby and everyone gets tailor clothes)
Vagner: Alright, everyone! Let's make a fucking commercial.
(Meanwhile)
Eve:...When you take him out for the fifth time and he still expects you to pay the check, but you're like, (In deep voice) "Hey I thought you wanted equality"!
Charles: (Frustrated) No! Our shared problem of overpopulation in Hell!
Eve: (Normal) Oh! Well, that's not a problem! We got that covered! Luther, how many demons did you kill this year?
Luther: Got a good 275 this year, ma'am.
Eve: 275? Whoa, badass! Awesome job, danger dick! Pound it. (Punch fists with Luther)
Charles: Uh, no, not awesome. Those are my people, you know that, right?
Eve: Ohhh, yeah...That must suck for you. Pft...Hahahaha! Charles: But these are souls. Human souls, just the same as the ones you have in Heaven.
Luther: They're not the same. They had their chance and they earned damnation.
Charles: You're wrong. Sinners made mistakes, sure, but everyone makes mistakes.
Luther: Angels don't make mistakes.
Charles: You really think that?
Luther: I know that.
Eve: Yeah, I've never made a mistake in my fucking life.
Luther: The only reason you're still here is because Mommy gave you and your Hellborn-kind a pardon from an exorcist blade. How does that feel? To know how little you matter.
(Charles shrinks back)
Eve: Oops, almost out of time. Guess we should get into it...
Charles: Oh! Fuck!...(Get up from the chair) Okay. I've a lot to get through and not a lot of time and I feel like you weren't really hearing before, so here goes. (Clears throat) (Singing) I know Hell's population is out of control. It's a bad situation, it's taking a toll. If we rehabe these sinners and cleanse all their souls at my Hazbin Hotel! (Normal) Wait I'm getting ahead of myself! Right! Extermination! (Singing) I know you guys fly down just to kill once a year. And it must be annoying to schlep all the way here. If they join you in Heaven that trip disappears! You can wave that chore farewell! (Deep breath) It'll be a happy day in...
Eve: (Singing) Let me stop you right there, save us all precious time!
Charles: (Normal) Okay?
Eve: If what you're suggesting is letting them climb! Up the ladder. Oh they rather cross the Pearly Gates? Sorry, sweetie, but there's no defying in their fates! 'Cause Hell is forever wheter you like it or not! Had their chance to behave better now they boil in a pot! 'Cause the rules are black and white there's no use in trying to fight it! They're burning for their lives until we kill them again!
Charles: Okay, but...
Eve: Just try to chillax, babe, you're wasting your breath!
Charles: (Nervously) Hehe...
Eve: Did I hear you imply that they deserve death? Are they winners? Are they sinners? 'Cause it's cut and dry!
Charles: Actually, if you take a look...
Eve: Fair is fair, an eye for an eye! And when all's said and done! (Said and done) There's the question of fun! (Fun) And for those of us with divine ordainment, extermination is entertainment! (Imitates guitar) Guitar solo, fuck yeah! (Imitates guitar) Hell is forever whether you like or not! Had their chance to behave better now they boil in a pot!
Charles: Where all these people come from?
Eve: 'Cause the rules are black and white, there's no use in trying to fight it! They're burning for their lives until we kill them again! (materializes a guitar and play it) Fucking Hell is forever and it's meant to suck a lot! So give up your dumb endeavor 'cause you don't have a shot!
(Charles groans, his paper gets on fire and his hair moves in the air and horns appear in his head)
Eve: Long as I've got your attention, I guess In should probably mention that we made a determination (Shows a contract) To move up the next extermination!
Charles: What?!
Eve: Can't wait a whole year to slaughter those little cunts! (Holds Charles' wrist) I know is just been a week, but we'll be back in six months! (Spins Charles out of the room and plays her guitar)
Charles: Um, wait, didn't you...(Goes at the door, but it closes) Awh, shit! (Punches the door)
(Charles returns sad to the Hazbin Hotel)
Vagner: Charles! (Hugs him) How did it go? Did they listen?
Charles: Oh, uh...They sure did...hear it! But, um...
Vagner: Oh! Come here. We have something exciting to show you! (Holds Charles to the living room) Alice pulled some strings, and it's about to air.
Alice: I pulled a few limbs too! Hahaha!
Charles: Wait? The commercial? You all made a new one?
Angela: Yeah, one of my better performances, if I do can say so myself.
Charles: That's...That's amazing.
Angela: Shh! It's starting!
Vagner: (On TV) Welcome to the Hazbin Hot...
(The TV changes to the 666 News channel and everyone complains)
Kallie: (On TV) Breaking news in Hell today! We have just received word from the Heaven Embassy that the next extermination is happening sooner than ever before! Do you know what that means, Tomita?
Tomita: No. What does that means, Kallie?
Kallie: It means we are all royally fucked!
(The clock in an hourglass changes to 176 with everyone screaming)
Angela: Wait...What? Why?!
(A drone laser scans a headless body of an angel laying in Hell and Eve and Luther see then from the ship)
Luther: We found the body, ma'am. They've never managed to kill one of us before. We should just go down there now and destroy them!
Eve: No, no. We can't risk them catching on. But don't worry, when we come back, there won't be a demon left to pull a stunt like this again. (Breaks the projector and her eyes and mouth glow in the dark)
(The end credits start playing)

Mi siedo alla macchina da scrivere come Alan Wake nel reame della Presenza Oscura, che nel contesto della metafora eldritch dovrebbe rappresentare forse l’alcolismo nel mio caso, o forse il disturbo depressivo, e nel caso di Alan Wake penso sia solo il fatto che sia scandinavo.
Questa storia comincia a Malta, terra ben lontana dalla Scandinavia, ma non per questo meno stramaledetta. Passeggio per le strade strette e incanalate (verso dove poi?), con l’architettura oppressiva di un quartieraccio di Kabul, come in quei film americani ambientati nel Medio Oriente dove ogni edificio è ingolfato da chili di sabbia e da uno strato di lerciume che puoi solo immaginare provenire dagli abitanti stessi. Malta ha 365 chiese, una per ogni giorno dell’anno, proprio come Yharnam, dove camminano bestie moribonde e dementi, con fattezze incestuose e parossismi esclamatori che si possono restringere a quelle tre frasi ricorrenti che si suppone abbiano imparato in un tempo lontano, prima di tramutarsi in creature dimenticate da Dio. Anche a Yharnam penso sia così.
Sbuco ai giardini pensili di Valletta, chiamati così per via delle numerose vecchie dai seni sgonfi, e mi incammino verso il palazzo ministeriale e poi giù per la Hauptstraße dove mi indigno per gli uomini abbronzati a dicembre e le donne che acquisiscono quattro strati di grasso sotto i fianchi una volta compiuti i 14 anni (grazie genetica di madre Angleterra). Sto andando a trovare Lollo, che si è fatto monaco dell’ordine francescano quattro mesi fa, penso perché gli fosse piaciuto quando lo chiamai fra’ Lawrence di Bristovia, e un po’ spronato da un’epifania religiosa sulle origini dell’uomo che giurava fosse sopraggiunta durante una sessione di infarinatura del pane. Probabilmente era solo perché la capigliatura gli si era organicamente tramutata nella tonsura di San Francesco, e perché si era rotto i coglioni di Ryanair e preferiva una divisa che arieggiasse naturalmente lo scroto.
Scivolo tra i gradini di una perpendicolare, che a Malta non capisci mai se vada in alto o in basso, e percorro le vecchie vie mercantili che lustri orsono traboccavano di commerci e grida dei vari spacci, prevalentemente costituiti da molteplici banchi del pesce. Ora gli scambi e i mercati sono svaniti, e permaneva fastidiosamente solo l’odore del pescato. Arrivato alla punta di Valletta, volta ad Oriente verso un sole spietato, scorgo fra’ Lollo che bisticcia accanitamente con un maltese ingobbito e tarchiato, che poi sono tutti così ed è sorprendente come la genetica possa fottere in culo non solo a te, ma pure ai tuoi figli e nipoti e pronipoti finché ti evolvi all’indietro e ti ritrovi di nuovo analfabeta e incapace di parlare lingua umana. Avevo davanti a me due esponenti agli antipodi del Weltgeist, alla mia sinistra un maltese che poteva per forza di cose avere uno tra forse quattro cognomi, ignobile e presupponente, che non si capisce che cosa presupponga perché non è neuronalmente abilitato al pensiero, eppure Dio gli ha ugualmente donato parola, e per cosa non si sa. Gli ecologisti e i cosiddetti campioni del buon senso ti dicono che la zanzara è fastidiosa sì, ma è necessaria per l’ecosistema perché altrimenti cosa mangerebbero le rane? Io ribatto che la zanzara non è fastidiosa, ma filogeneticamente e ontogeneticamente spregevole, e che se la rana vuole si mangia l’hamburger, e se non vuole mi frega cazzo se muore pure lei. E in questa metafora il maltese è quello che si mangia la rana (fritta in sette tipi di burro, di cui uno di rana) e non si sa nemmeno perché, l’hamburger è letteralmente lì sul tavolo. Boh.
Sulla destra, fra’ Lorenzo, difensore dello spirito, ha raggiunto vette inimmaginabili per il cerebello maltese. Mentre il maltese tenta di esprimere concetti in una lingua cacofonica e semitica, Lollo, che di suo non sa e non gli interessa conoscere l’arabo siculo-ebraico, ribatte con fermezza parlando solo ed esclusivamente per metafore da panettiere. Lollo stava difatti lavorando su una versione degli Eroici Furori di Giordano Bruno in cui il mito di Atteone è un esperimento mentale per cui Atteone voleva mettere il cazzo nel forno. E comunque nel loro battibecco Lollo era abbastanza schietto nelle sue metafore, dividendo e immedesimando gli uomini secondo le varie tipologie di pagnotte, sfilatine, panini, filoni e chi più ne ha più ne metta (il cazzo nel forno), e il maltese era un Fastenwähe, quel pretzel immangiabile degli svizzeri, che sono i tedeschi delle paludi, che di loro volta sono gli scandinavi delle steppe, che di loro volta sono chiusi nel reame della Presenza Oscura a scrivere sta cacata.
Vabbè fatto sta che il maltese mi vede arrivare mentre ho i vestiti impregnati di morte e di fumo di sigarette stracariche di nicotina e 17 additivi, che servono solo a fare la speedrun del cancro così puoi proprio essere come Walter White, nel senso che tua moglie viene scopata da un evasore fiscale. Capisce che non è aria e taglia la corda, proprio mentre Lollo gli stava spiegando che a differenza del pensar comune, le baguette non rappresentano i francesi, bensì gli africani, perché sono lunghi e alla fine facciamo finta tutti che ci piacciono, ma è ovvio che Dio si sia sprecato poco a farli. Mi saluta con un’invocazione a Santa Luisa e mi conduce alla canonica, e mentre passeggiamo fa quattro distinti giochi di parole basati sul fatto che tutto questo sia “canon.” Ci sediamo su due sgabelli di legno di fico e riprendiamo la discussione da me interrotta, mentre Lollo mi illustra i passaggi della sua prossima opera. Come ogni teologo che si rispetti, le posizioni cosmologiche e antropologiche di Lollo sono intricate e degne di ulterior pensiero, e come ogni dottore di Chiesa meritevole di tale titolo mi legge la sezione sulle donne, lunga quattro righe, e sostiene che sono proprio come il forno, perché servono a fare gli uomini, come il forno col pane, e letteralmente a nient’altro, se non a scaldarsi e rompere i maroni, che non so come si incastri nella metafora ma mi torna appieno. Lollo difende le qualità innovative della sua opera, perché ormai i giovani non capiscono un cazzo se non dici ogni sette secondi Bazinga con la voce di Chris Griffin, e se non inondi la tua parlata con sette gradi di post-ironia e tumori semiotici allora ti chiamano un friendful visitor, che avrebbe anche senso perché sto proprio visitando Lollo in questa storia, e sì in sostanza il meta scherzo alla fine è questo e se non l’avevate capito prima allora posso continuare a fare cose meta, perché vi colgono di soppiatto come quando la maestra dice alzate le mani, e tu lo fai, ma poi la maestra ti avverte che non aveva detto “Simon says” e quindi niente, bestemmi e ti accendi la quinta sigaretta stamattina.
In sostanza, Lollo mi dice che bisogna modernizzare il credo, tipo introducendo gli OnlyFans delle suore o facendo un tiktok in cui il papa beve il Wocky Slush dicendo che è proprio come il sangue del Cristo, fr, fr. Bisogna parlare direttamente al cuore della nuova generazione, usando metafore relatabili come quella del pane. O come la versione manga del capitale di Marx, che è praticamente un isekai dove Marx sbarca in un modo sconosciuto e a prima vista magico, che è solo l’epoca del tardo capitalismo, e il suo oggetto magico è la barba incolta, il cui incantesimo sembra unicamente quello di sbattere i coglioni ai borghesi e ogni tanto raccogliere le briciole dei panini alla mortadella. Mio padre mi spunta in testa come il Professor Oak e mi fa presente che nella nostra epoca il Capitale è datato, perché la classe borghese propriamente non esiste più. Io ribatto che sembra proprio una cosa borghese da dire, e lui, infingardo, replica che lui è amico di Fusaro e io no, e che la lezione su Byung Chul-Han era uno stronzo megagalattico perché non solo non ho letto fino in fondo The Burnout Society (che è uno stronzo tutto suo), ma non ho nemmeno pronunciato bene Leistungsgesellschaft. Alzo il dito come Miles Edgeworth in Ace Attorney e faccio l’appunto che la mia è stata una mossa astuta e Zizekiana, perché se una cosa fa schifo fai la recensione senza nemmeno averla consumata, e questa è la vera essenza del Capitale di Marx, ma lui che ne vuole sapere della dialettica materialista, e poi sono italiano, e l’unico gesell-schaft che faccio sono le battute sul mio cazzo.
E poi boh, breve appunto. Ogni tanto faccio il redditore, e non solo per inviare a Klaudio l’ennesimo screenshot di Nietzsche che sembra il flusso di coscienza Nietzschiano durante i giorni della pazzia sifilitica, la stessa di suo padre e che i medici avevano designato come liquefazione cerebrale, l’OG Brain Rot. Ma inciampo occasionalmente su qualche post che è uno screenshot di Tumblr che è uno screenshot di Twitter che parla di una thread su Reddit che contiene qualche battuta sulla misura del cazzo di qualche tale. E poi i moralisti accorrono nei commenti, e a colpo sicuro il primo o secondo commento concerne quanto sia più rispettabile chi scherza sul proprio cazzo dicendolo piccolo, perché chi fa la battuta su presunte dimensioni ciclopiche del proprio pene sembra non solo gradasso, ma anche falso. Mentre chi dice che ha il byung piccolo fa ridere perché boh, dovrebbe essere inaspettato (?) e sicuramente ha più fiducia in sé stesso e non ha bisogno di compensare attraverso una battuta. Ecco, questi esperti psicanalisti io li detesto da profondità viscerali. Perché non solo la psicanalisi non serve a un cazzo oltre a portarsi a letto le ragazze appassionate di astrologia, ma soprattutto perché opera attraverso una ratio campata su ‘sto cazzo (grosso). Cioè, se uno fa la battuta sul suo membro enorme, io gli faccio una risata piratesca e non penso altro, in primis perché si incanala all’interno di una tradizione goliardica e millenaria che vede l’uomo maschio tessere le lodi esilaranti della sua grossa anatomia, e in secondo luogo perché se devo davvero pensare oltre, al massimo deduco che forse ce l’ha davvero grosso, oppure di manifattura standard, oppure piccolo, ma mai con sicurezza una delle tre. Mentre se un pivello rigorista sovverte le aspettative e scherza dicendomi che ha un condorello tra le cosce, io non solo sono forzato a pensare alle reali dimensioni del suo organo, ma al massimo penserò che ce l’ha normale, e più probabilmente piccolo. Boh, congratulazioni, non faceva manco tanto ridere e ora hai pure il cazzo piccolo.
Mi sono un po’ dimenticato dove volevo andare a parare. La Presenza Oscura mi sta iniettando delle amebe carnivore nel cervello, e poi ho appena scritto la parte della sigaretta e ora voglio accendermene una. Lollo, che non sta qui, ma a Malta, o sull’Orient Express tra Manchester e Bristol, risolvendo il caso enigmatico di come cazzo l’infrastruttura ferroviaria sia stata inventata dagli inglesi eppure sia così merdosa, mi riporta alla luce facendo vaghi accenni allo stato in decadenza di Malta. Decenni di speculazione edilizia e secoli di speculazione genealogica l’hanno resa forse lo scoglio più tragico del Mediterraneo. Gli appassionati dell’Odissea fanno presente che alcuni studiosi identificano Gozo, l’atollo a nord di Malta, con l’isola di Calipso. Evidentemente non sanno leggere la loro stessa metafora perché se una ninfa così bella e un po’ puttana sceglie volutamente di evitare la tua isola più vasta e popolosa a favore di un’isoletta minore, allora forse c’è qualcosa di cosmologicamente sbagliato con casa tua.
Sfociamo brevemente in una discussione sul genus loci dei posti del mondo, e Lollo mi domanda se è uno di quei casi in cui tutti i posti sono veramente uno, come quando Marco Polo dice al Khublai Khan che tutte le città che narra in realtà rimandano a Venezia, e il Khublai gli chiede 15+18 quanto fa. Annuisco e replico che effettivamente Malta è proprio una merda come Biscot Crustford, ma che alla fine sono merdose per cose diverse, la prima perché ci ho cacato io, e la seconda perché l’ha fatto Klaudio. C’è bellezza in questo. La Presenza Oscura mi da una pacca sulla spalla e mi dice di levarmi dai coglioni che si è accorta che non sono scandinavo perché ho il cazzo grosso.
Vabbè torno a controllare i dottorati in Latvia. Uz redzēšanos, brāļi.

What’s everyone play for music in the car? The kids are 3, 5.5, 8. The oldest doesn’t want to listen to just Disney music. The middle child could go either way. Youngest is starting to develop an opinion, but still pretty easy to persuade.
For awhile we were listening to a playlist on Apple Music called “cool family” it’s basically just clean versions of todays music. This was fine and dandy, but now the older 2 are really starting to listen to the music and ask what things mean. Even clean music is still so inappropriate half the time! It was fine for background noise, but now that we actively listen I don’t love it.
We’ve been listening to the radio 95% of the time because there’s no service around their school so my phone doesn’t work for music anyways. Which again is fine, majority of the time. Especially since we’re usually in the car during more music less talk show time. But occasionally there’s a song or a commercial that I’m like oof definitely not great.
With my last NF MB didn’t care in the slightest what they listened to. She allowed the kids to swear and she listened to whatever she wanted in front of them. They also rarely actually listened to what was on. While current NF isn’t super strict (the older 2 know all the words to Low by FLO Rida) they do prefer that the music is clean and the adult references subtle.

Personally, I've been rating albums for six years and there have been periods where I've been too focused on giving a rating that reflects my opinion on an album rather than enjoying it. Recently I've been randomly revisiting some albums that I've loved and listening to some new ones without taking into account any rating and, to be honest, I've rediscovered what genuinely listening to music is.
I think that in the music community there's too much emphasis on rating and reviewing an album and less on just discussing and sharing music. I see people listening to 4 or 5 albums a day and rating them on RYM and I genuinely feel that they can't be enjoying all that music, it must feel like a chore to them. To listen to an album and then immediately give it a rating and forget that it exists, without taking into consideration how an album grows on you with time, how mood can affect your enjoyment of it, what that album meant at the time it was released and what it means now...
When I started to be a music lover I used to dig deep into YouTube recommendations, click on any album with an interesting cover art or title, and then enjoy it while reading all the positive comments left by the users. When I moved to RYM for my recs I entered a world that dug deeper into music (YouTube, unless a documentary, views music on a superficial level), but I also saw a passive-aggressive, elitist side of music that I don't quite like, and I think that it affected my way of enjoying music because I took into account the general opinion of the site.
Now I'm going back to just clicking on YouTube videos, talking to people about music and listening to whatever they recommend, living music in a less analytical way and letting myself enjoy whatever comes into my hands without thinking if it's considered good music or radio-friendly commercial crap.
How do you feel about this matter?

So I’m not sure where else to look since as far as I remember it was a local radio station.
Early 2000’s there were commercials on TV for a Syracuse Radio station where a guy was begging people to listen to the station he was at. Every commercial had the same guy in progressively worse state, where he started off in a suit, then was looking disheveled, then was beaten up and I think one of the last ones he claimed the station manager cut his ear off. I’ve been looking for these for a while since my lady and friends don’t believe me when I told them about it. Any help would be appreciated.

Besides the obvious KC and the Sunshine Band song, what are some songs with the lyric "shake your booty."
All suggestions are welcome, but I'm especially looking for anything child-friendly and could be played on commercial radio.
(There's a long story behind this request)

I have several thoughts, so I'll break them down by sections:

1. I believe Cole was looking to drop The Fall Off some time before the last quarter of the year. I firmly believe that Kendrick interrupted that with seeking out a battle with Drake and now putting out an album of his own. With that said, Cole can not delay The Fall Off to next year. He's been teasing it enough. It has to be this year.
   
2. Daylyt said on his ig live a few weeks ago that he's heard The Fall Off as it is now and Cole is on there rapping his ass off and that he is not concerned with pleasing the radio with this album. To me, this is a problem. For all the hype going into this album it has to be a classic, which means it's going to have to have some hit records and have high replay value. It can't just be another Offseason where he is barring up. There has to be a balance...even if he decides to do a double disc where Side A is the commercial songs and Side B is the rappity rap songs. I would actually like for him to take the Future approach with putting out 2 albums in a month's span. Cole needs to get his classic album counter up because right now the industry is only giving him one classic album with 2014FHD. If he putd out two parter for The Fall Off it can bring it up to 3.
   
3. His production needs to improve. I'm glad he's back to rapping over other people's beats but we need hits as I said before. The fact that he is still performing No Role Modelz last in his set list and whenever an artist brings him out as a special guest speaks volumes. Yes, it's a diamond record, but it suggests that it is still his most recognized song for the casual listener. That song is 10 years old. Less T-Minus (unless he repeats what he did with The London and Huntin Wabbitz), more Tay Keith, Boi-1da, Hit Boy, 808 Mafia, Sonny Digital, London, Mike Will, ATL Jacob with a balance of Conductor Williams, Elite, and Alchemist beats. We need a balance of beat switches, southern-layered trap production and boom bap beats. I be forgetting sometimes that he's a southern rapper because of the New York back pack influence that he can't seem to shake.
   
4. The album has to be cohesive. I want him to bring back storytelling throughout the album or have a consistent theme to make it really feel like a project. Not just a playlist of songs where he's barring other rappers up. He hasn't told a story through his album since...2014 FHD. Let's get back to that.
   
5. Lastly, no Kendrick or Metro collabs. Not because of Drake, but because they both put Cole in unnecessarily awkward positions for the last 2 months and imo played in his face. Cole is a nice guy but you can't trust people like that.
   

That's all I got for now. Not sure if I want him to do another no feature album or not. The only appeal in him doing another no feature is that if this album is a classic, he can flex that he did it on his own again. But if you have artists that you would like to see featured please share.
Thoughts?

abandon, ability, able, about, above, absence, absolute, absolutely, abstract, abundance, academy, accent, accept, access, accident, accompany, accomplish, according, account, accurate, achieve, achievement, acid, acknowledge, acquire, across, action, active, activity, actor, actual, actually, adapt, addition, additional, address, adequate, adjust, administration, admire, admission, admit, adolescent, adopt, adult, advance, advantage, adventure, advertise, advice, advise, adviser, advocate, affair, affect, afford, afraid, after, afternoon, again, against, age, agency, agenda, agent, aggressive, ago, agree, agreement, agriculture, ahead, aid, aim, air, aircraft, airline, airport, alarm, album, alcohol, alive, all, alliance, allow, ally, almost, alone, along, already, also, alter, alternative, although, always, amateur, amazing, ambition, ambulance, among, amount, analysis, analyst, analyze, ancient, and, anger, angle, angry, animal, anniversary, announce, annual, another, answer, anticipate, anxiety, any, anybody, anymore, anyone, anything, anyway, anywhere, apart, apartment, apologize, apparent, apparently, appeal, appear, appearance, apple, application, apply, appoint, appointment, appreciate, approach, appropriate, approval, approve, approximately, architect, area, argue, argument, arise, arm, armed, army, around, arrange, arrangement, arrest, arrival, arrive, art, article, artist, artistic, as, ashamed, aside, ask, asleep, aspect, assault, assert, assess, assessment, asset, assign, assignment, assist, assistance, assistant, associate, association, assume, assumption, assure, at, athlete, athletic, atmosphere, attach, attack, attempt, attend, attention, attitude, attorney, attract, attraction, attractive, attribute, audience, author, authority, auto, available, average, avoid, award, aware, awareness, away, awful, baby, back, background, bad, badly, bag, balance, ball, ban, band, bank, bar, barely, barrel, barrier, base, baseball, basic, basically, basis, basket, basketball, bath, bathroom, battery, battle, be, beach, bear, beat, beautiful, beauty, because, become, bed, bedroom, bee, beef, beer, before, begin, beginning, behavior, behind, being, belief, believe, bell, belong, below, belt, bench, bend, beneath, benefit, beside, besides, best, bet, better, between, beyond, bicycle, big, bike, bill, billion, bind, biological, bird, birth, birthday, bit, bite, black, blade, blame, blanket, blind, block, blood, blow, blue, board, boat, body, bomb, bombing, bond, bone, book, boom, boot, border, boring, born, borrow, boss, both, bother, bottle, bottom, boundary, bowl, box, boy, boyfriend, brain, branch, brand, brave, bread, break, breakfast, breast, breath, breathe, brick, bridge, brief, briefly, bright, brilliant, bring, broad, broken, brother, brown, brush, buck, budget, build, building, bullet, bunch, burden, burn, bury, bus, business, busy, but, butter, button, buy, buyer, by, cabin, cabinet, cable, cake, calculate, call, camera, camp, campaign, campus, can, Canadian, cancer, candidate, cap, capability, capable, capacity, capital, captain, capture, car, carbon, card, care, career, careful, carefully, carrier, carry, case, cash, cast, cat, catch, category, Catholic, cause, ceiling, celebrate, celebration, celebrity, cell, center, central, century, CEO, ceremony, certain, certainly, chain, chair, chairman, challenge, chamber, champion, championship, chance, change, changing, channel, chapter, character, characteristic, characterize, charge, charity, chart, chase, cheap, check, cheek, cheese, chef, chemical, chest, chicken, chief, child, childhood, Chinese, chip, chocolate, choice, cholesterol, choose, Christian, Christmas, church, cigarette, circle, circumstance, cite, citizen, city, civil, civilian, claim, class, classic, classroom, clean, clear, clearly, client, climate, climb, clinic, clinical, clock, close, closely, closer, clothes, clothing, cloud, club, clue, cluster, coach, coal, coalition, coast, coat, code, coffee, cognitive, cold, collapse, colleague, collect, collection, collective, college, colonial, color, column, combination, combine, come, comedy, comfort, comfortable, command, commander, comment, commercial, commission, commit, commitment, committee, common, communicate, communication, community, company, compare, comparison, compete, competition, competitive, competitor, complain, complaint, complete, completely, complex, complexity, compliance, complicate, complicated, component, compose, composition, comprehensive, computer, concentrate, concentration, concept, concern, concerned, concert, conclude, conclusion, concrete, condition, conduct, conference, confidence, confident, confirm, conflict, confront, confusion, Congress, congressional, connect, connection, consciousness, consensus, consequence, conservative, consider, considerable, consideration, consist, consistent, constant, constantly, constitute, constitutional, construct, construction, consultant, consume, consumer, consumption, contact, contain, container, contemporary, content, contest, context, continue, continued, contract, contrast, contribute, contribution, control, controversial, controversy, convention, conventional, conversation, convert, conviction, convince, cook, cookie, cooking, cool, cooperation, cop, cope, copy, core, corn, corner, corporate, corporation, correct, correspondent, cost, cotton, couch, could, council, count, counter, country, county, couple, courage, course, court, cousin, cover, coverage, cow, crack, craft, crash, crazy, cream, create, creation, creative, creature, credit, crew, crime, criminal, crisis, criteria, critic, critical, criticism, criticize, crop, cross, crowd, crucial, cry, cultural, culture, cup, curious, current, currently, curriculum, custom, customer, cut, cycle, dad, daily, damage, dance, danger, dangerous, dare, dark, darkness, data, database, date, daughter, day, dead, deal, dealer, dear, death, debate, debt, decade, decide, decision, deck, declare, decline, decrease, deep, deeply, deer, defeat, defend, defendant, defense, defensive, deficit, define, definitely, definition, degree, delay, deliver, delivery, demand, democracy, Democratic, Democrat, demonstrate, demonstration, deny, department, depend, dependent, depending, depict, depression, depth, deputy, derive, describe, description, desert, deserve, design, designer, desire, desk, desperate, despite, destroy, destruction, detail, detailed, detect, detection, detective, determine, develop, developing, development, device, devil, dialogue, diet, differ, difference, different, differently, difficult, difficulty, dig, digital, dimension, dining, dinner, direct, direction, directly, director, dirt, disability, disagree, disappear, disaster, discipline, disclose, discover, discovery, discrimination, discuss, discussion, disease, dish, dismiss, disorder, display, dispute, distance, distinct, distinction, distinguish, distribute, distribution, district, diverse, diversity, divide, division, divorce, DNA, do, doctor, document, dog, domestic, dominant, dominate, door, double, doubt, down, downtown, dozen, draft, drag, drama, dramatic, dramatically, draw, drawer, drawing, dream, dress, drink, drive, driver, drop, drug, dry, due, during, dust, duty, dwell, dying, dynamic, each, eager, ear, earlier, early, earn, earnings, earth, earthquake, ease, easily, east, eastern, easy, eat, economic, economy, edge, edit, edition, editor, educate, education, educational, educator, effect, effective, effectively, efficiency, efficient, effort, egg, eight, either, elderly, elect, election, electric, electrical, electricity, electronic, element, elementary, eliminate, elite, else, elsewhere, e-mail, embrace, emerge, emergency, emission, emotion, emotional, emphasis, emphasize, employ, employee, employer, employment, empty, enable, encounter, encourage, end, enemy, energy, enforcement, engage, engine, engineer, engineering, English, enhance, enjoy, enormous, enough, ensure, enter, enterprise, entertain, entertainment, entire, entirely, entrance, entry, environment, environmental, episode, equal, equally, equipment, equivalent, era, error, escape, especially, essay, essential, essentially, establish, establishment, estate, estimate, etc, ethics, ethnic, European, evaluate, evaluation, evening, event, eventually, ever, every, everybody, everyday, everyone, everything, everywhere, evidence, evolution, evolve, exact, exactly, exam, examination, examine, example, exceed, excellent, except, exception, exchange, exciting, executive, exercise, exhibit, exhibition, exist, existence, existing, expand, expansion, expect, expectation, expense, expensive, experience, experiment, expert, explain, explanation, explode, explore, explosion, expose, exposure, express, expression, extend, extension, extensive, extent, external, extra, extraordinary, extreme, extremely, eye, fabric, face, facility, fact, factor, factory, faculty, fade, fail, failure, fair, fairly, faith, fall, false, familiar, family, famous, fan, fantasy, far, farm, farmer, fashion, fast, fat, fate, father, fault, favor, favorite, fear, feature, federal, fee, feed, feel, feeling, fellow, female, fence, festival, few, fewer, fiber, fiction, field, fifteen, fifth, fifty, fight, fighter, fighting, figure, file, fill, film, final, finally, finance, financial, find, finding, fine, finger, finish, fire, firm, first, fish, fishing, fit, fitness, five, fix, flag, flame, flat, flavor, flee, flesh, flight, float, floor, flow, flower, fly, focus, folk, follow, following, food, foot, football, for, force, foreign, forest, forever, forget, form, formal, formation, former, formula, forth, fortune, forward, found, foundation, founder, four, fourth, frame, framework, free, freedom, freeze, French, frequency, frequent, frequently, fresh, friend, friendly, friendship, from, front, fruit, frustration, fuel, fulfill, full, fully, fun, function, fund, fundamental, funding, funeral, funny, furniture, furthermore, future, gain, galaxy, gallery, game, gang, gap, garage, garden, garlic, gas, gate, gather, gay, gaze, gear, gender, gene, general, generally, generate, generation, genetic, gentleman, gently, German, gesture, get, ghost, giant, gift, gifted, girl, girlfriend, give, given, glad, glance, glass, global, glove, go, goal, God, gold, golden, golf, good, govern, government, governor, grab, grace, grade, gradually, graduate, grain, grand, grandmother, grant, grass, grave, gray, great, green, grocery, ground, group, grow, growing, growth, guarantee, guard, guess, guest, guide, guideline, guilty, gun, guy, habit, habitat, hair, half, hall, hand, handful, handle, hang, happen, happy, harbor, hard, hardly, hat, hate, have, he, head, headline, headquarters, health, healthy, hear, hearing, heart, heat, heaven, heavily, heavy, heel, height, helicopter, hell, hello, help, helpful, hence, her, herb, here, heritage, hero, herself, hey, hi, hide, high, highlight, highly, highway, hill, him, himself, hip, hire, his, historic, historical, history, hit, hold, hole, holiday, holy, home, homeless, honest, honey, honor, hope, horizon, horror, horse, hospital, host, hot, hotel, hour, house, household, housing, how, however, huge, human, humor, hundred, hungry, hunter, hunting, hurt, husband, hypothesis, ice, idea, ideal, identification, identify, identity, ignore, ill, illegal, illness, illustrate, image, imagination, imagine, immediate, immediately, immigrant, immigration, impact, implement, implication, imply, importance, important, impose, impossible, impress, impression, impressive, improve, improvement, incentive, incident, include, including, income, incorporate, increase, increased, increasingly, incredible, indeed, independence, independent, index, indicate, indication, individual, industrial, industry, infant, infection, inflation, influence, inform, information, ingredient, initial, initially, initiative, injury, inner, innocent, inquiry, inside, insight, insist, inspire, install, instance, instead, institute, institution, institutional, instruction, instructor, instrument, insurance, intellectual, intelligence, intend, intense, intensity, intention, interaction, interest, interested, interesting, internal, international, Internet, interpret, interpretation, intervention, interview, introduce, introduction, invasion, invest, investigation, investigator, investment, investor, invite, involve, involved, involvement, Iraqi, Irish, iron, Islamic, island, Israeli, issue, it, Italian, item, its, itself, jacket, jail, Japanese, jet, Jew, Jewish, job, join, joint, joke, journal, journalist, journey, joy, judge, judgment, juice, jump, junior, jury, just, justice, justify, keep, key, kick, kid, kill, killer, killing, kind, king, kiss, kitchen, knee, knife, knock, know, knowledge, lab, label, labor, laboratory, lack, lady, lake, land, landscape, language, lap, large, largely, last, late, later, Latin, latter, laugh, launch, law, lawsuit, lawyer, lay, layer, lead, leader, leadership, leading, leaf, league, lean, learn, learning, least, leather, leave, left, leg, legacy, legal, legend, legislation, legislative, legislator, legitimate, lemon, length, less, lesson, let, letter, level, liberal, library, license, lie, life, lifestyle, lifetime, lift, light, like, likely, limit, limitation, limited, line, link, lip, list, listen, literary, literature, little, live, living, load, loan, local, locate, location, lock, long, long-term, look, loose, lose, loss, lost, lot, lots, loud, love, lovely, lover, low, lower, luck, lucky, lunch, luxury, machine, mad, magazine, mail, main, mainly, maintain, maintenance, major, majority, make, maker, makeup, male, mall, man, manage, management, manager, manner, manufacturer, manufacturing, many, map, margin, mark, market, marketing, marriage, married, marry, mask, mass, massive, master, match, material, math, matter, may, maybe, mayor, me, meal, mean, meaning, meanwhile, measure, measurement, meat, mechanism, media, medical, medication, medicine, medium, meet, meeting, member, membership, memory, mental, mention, menu, mere, merely, mess, message, metal, meter, method, Mexican, middle, might, military, milk, million, mind, mine, minister, minor, minority, minute, miracle, mirror, miss, missile, mission, mistake, mix, mixture, mm-hmm, mode, model, moderate, modern, modest, mom, moment, money, monitor, month, mood, moon, moral, more, moreover, morning, mortgage, most, mostly, mother, motion, motivation, motor, mountain, mouse, mouth, move, movement, movie, Mr, Mrs, Ms, much, multiple, murder, muscle, museum, music, musical, musician, Muslim, must, mutual, my, myself, mystery, myth, naked, name, narrative, narrow, nation, national, native, natural, naturally, nature, near, nearby, nearly, necessarily, necessary, neck, need, negative, negotiate, negotiation, neighbor, neighborhood, neither, nerve, nervous, net, network, never, nevertheless, new, newly, news, newspaper, next, nice, night, nine, no, nobody, nod, noise, nomination, nominee, none, nonetheless, nor, normal, normally, north, northern, nose, not, note, nothing, notice, notion, novel, now, nowhere, nuclear, number, numerous, nurse, nut, object, objective, obligation, observation, observe, observer, obtain, obvious, obviously, occasion, occasionally, occupation, occupy, occur, ocean, odd, odds, of, off, offense, offensive, offer, office, officer, official, often, oh, oil, okay, old, Olympic, on, once, one, ongoing, onion, online, only, onto, open, opening, operate, operating, operation, operator, opinion, opponent, opportunity, oppose, opposed, opposite, opposition, option, or, orange, order, ordinary, organic, organization, organize, orientation, origin, original, originally, other, others, otherwise, ought, our, ours, ourselves, out, outcome, outside, oven, over, overall, overcome, overlook, owe, own, owner, pace, pack, package, page, pain, painful, paint, painter, painting, pair, pale, Palestinian, palm, pan, panel, panic, pant, paper, paragraph, parent, park, parking, part, participant, participate, participation, particle, particular, particularly, partly, partner, partnership, party, pass, passage, passenger, passion, past, patch, path, patient, pattern, pause, pay, payment, PC, peace, peak, peer, pen, penalty, people, pepper, per, perceive, percentage, perception, perfect, perfectly, perform, performance, perhaps, period, permanent, permission, permit, person, personal, personality, personally, personnel, perspective, persuade, pet, phase, phenomenon, philosophy, phone, photo, photographer, phrase, physical, physically, physician, piano, pick, picture, pie, piece, pile, pilot, pine, pink, pipe, pitch, place, plan, plane, planet, planning, plant, plastic, plate, platform, play, player, please, pleasure, plenty, plot, plus, PM, pocket, poem, poet, poetry, point, police, policy, political, politically, politician, politics, poll, pollution, pool, poor, pop, popular, population, porch, port, portion, portrait, portray, pose, position, positive, possess, possession, possibility, possible, possibly, post, pot, potato, potential, potentially, pound, pour, poverty, powder, power, powerful, practical, practice, prayer, preach, precisely, predict, prediction, prefer, preference, pregnancy, pregnant, preparation, prepare, prescription, presence, present, presentation, preserve, president, presidential, press, pressure, pretend, pretty, prevent, previous, previously, price, pride, priest, primarily, primary, prime, principal, principle, print, prior, priority, prison, prisoner, privacy, private, probably, problem, procedure, proceed, process, processing, processor, proclaim, produce, producer, product, production, profession, professional, professor, profile, profit, program, progress, progressive, project, prominent, promise, promote, prompt, proof, proper, properly, property, proportion, proposal, propose, prosecutor, prospect, protect, protection, protein, protest, proud, prove, provide, provider, province, provision, psychological, psychology, public, publication, publicity, publish, publisher, pull, punishment, purchase, pure, purpose, pursue, push, put, qualify, quality, quarter, quarterback, quarterly, queen, quest, question, quick, quickly, quiet, quietly, quit, quite, quote, race, racial, radiation, radical, radio, rail, rain, raise, range, rank, rapid, rapidly, rare, rarely, rate, rather, rating, ratio, raw, reach, react, reaction, reader, reading, ready, real, reality, realize, really, reason, reasonable, recall, receive, recent, recently, reception, recipe, recipient, recognition, recognize, recommend, recommendation, record, recording, recover, recovery, recruit, red, reduce, reduction, refer, reference, reflect, reflection, reform, refugee, refuse, regard, regarding, regardless, regime, region, regional, register, regular, regularly, regulate, regulation, regulator, reinforce, reject, relate, relation, relationship, relative, relatively, relax, release, relevant, relief, religion, religious, rely, remain, remaining, remarkable, remember, remind, remote, remove, repeat, repeatedly, replace, replacement, reply, report, reporter, represent, representation, representative, Republican, reputation, request, require, requirement, research, researcher, resemble, reservation, resident, residential, resign, resist, resistance, resolution, resolve, resort, resource, respect, respond, response, responsibility, responsible, rest, restaurant, restore, restriction, result, retain, retire, retirement, return, reveal, revenue, review, revolution, rhythm, rice, rich, rid, ride, rifle, right, ring, rise, risk, river, road, rock, role, roll, romantic, roof, room, root, rope, rose, rough, roughly, round, route, routine, row, rub, rubber, rude, ruin, rule, run, running, rural, rush, Russian, sacred, sad, safe, safety, sake, salad, salary, sale, sales, salt, same, sample, sanction, sand, satellite, satisfaction, satisfied, satisfy, sauce, save, saving, say, scale, scandal, scare, scatter, scenario, scene, schedule, scheme, scholar, scholarship, school, science, scientific, scientist, scope, score, scream, screen, script, sea, search, season, seat, second, secondary, secret, secretary, section, sector, secure, security, see, seed, seek, seem, segment, seize, select, selection, self, sell, Senate, senator, send, senior, sense, sensitive, sentence, separate, sequence, series, serious, seriously, servant, serve, service, session, set, setting, settle, settlement, seven, several, severe, sex, sexual, shade, shadow, shake, shall, shallow, shape, share, sharp, she, sheet, shelf, shell, shelter, shift, shine, ship, shirt, shock, shoe, shoot, shooting, shop, shopping, short, shortly, shot, should, shoulder, shout, show, shower, shrug, shut, shy, sibling, sick, side, sigh, sight, sign, signal, significant, significantly, silence, silent, silver, similar, similarly, simple, simply, sin, since, sing, singer, single, sink, sir, sister, sit, site, situation, six, size, ski, skill, skin, skirt, sky, slave, sleep, slice, slide, slight, slightly, slip, slow, slowly, small, smart, smell, smile, smoke, smooth, snap, snow, so, so-called, soccer, social, society, soft, software, soil, solar, soldier, sole, solid, solution, solve, some, somebody, somehow, someone, something, sometimes, somewhat, somewhere, son, song, soon, sophisticated, sorry, sort, soul, sound, soup, source, south, southern, Soviet, space, Spanish, speak, speaker, special, specialist, species, specific, specifically, specify, speech, speed, spend, spending, spin, spirit, spiritual, split, spoil, sponsor, sport, spot, spray, spread, spring, square, squeeze, stability, stable, staff, stage, stain, stair, stake, stand, standard, standing, star, stare, start, state, statement, station, statistical, status, stay, steady, steal, steel, steep, stem, step, stick, still, stimulate, stimulus, stir, stock, stomach, stone, stop, storage, store, storm, story, straight, strange, stranger, strategic, strategy, stream, street, strength, strengthen, stress, stretch, strike, string, strip, stroke, strong, strongly, structural, structure, struggle, student, studio, study, stuff, stupid, style, subject, submit, subsequent, substance, substantial, substitute, succeed, success, successful, successfully, such, sudden, suddenly, sue, suffer, sufficient, sugar, suggest, suggestion, suicide, suit, summer, summit, sun, super, supply, support, supporter, suppose, supposed, Supreme, sure, surely, surface, surgery, surprise, surprised, surprising, surprisingly, surround, survey, survival, survive, survivor, suspect, sustain, swear, sweep, sweet, swim, swing, switch, symbol, symptom, system, table, tactic, tail, take, tale, talent, talk, tall, tank, tap, tape, target, task, taste, tax, taxi, tea, teach, teacher, teaching, team, tear, technical, technique, technology, teen, teenager, telephone, telescope, television, tell, temperature, temporary, ten, tend, tendency, tennis, tension, tent, term, terms, terrible, territory, terror, terrorist, test, testimony, testing, text, than, thank, thanks, that, the, theater, their, them, theme, themselves, then, theory, therapy, there, therefore, these, they, thick, thin, thing, think, thinking, third, thirty, this, those, though, thought, thousand, threat, threaten, three, throat, through, throughout, throw, thus, ticket, tie, tight, time, tiny, tip, tire, tissue, title, to, tobacco, today, toe, together, toilet, token, tolerate, tomato, tomorrow, tone, tongue, tonight, too, tool, tooth, top, topic, toss, total, totally, touch, tough, tour, tourist, tournament, toward, towards, tower, town, toy, trace, track, trade, tradition, traditional, traffic, tragedy, trail, train, training, transfer, transform, transformation, transition, translate, translation, transmission, transmit, transport, transportation, travel, treat, treatment, treaty, tree, tremendous, trend, trial, tribe, trick, trip, troop, trouble, truck, true, truly, trust, truth, try, tube, tunnel, turn, TV, twelve, twenty, twice, twin, two, type, typical, typically, ugly, ultimate, ultimately, unable, uncle, undergo, understand, understanding, unfortunately, uniform, union, unique, unit, United, universal, universe, university, unknown, unless, unlike, until, unusual, up, upon, upper, urban, urge, us, use, used, useful, user, usual, usually, utility, utilize, vacation, valley, valuable, value, variable, variation, variety, various, vary, vast, vegetable, vehicle, venture, version, versus, very, vessel, veteran, via, victim, victory, video, view, viewer, village, violate, violation, violence, violent, virtually, virtue, virus, visibility, visible, vision, visit, visitor, visual, vital, voice, volume, voluntary, volunteer, vote, voter, voting, wage, wait, wake, walk, wall, wander, want, war, warm, warn, warning, wash, waste, watch, water, wave, way, we, weak, weakness, wealth, wealthy, weapon, wear, weather, web, website, wedding, week, weekend, weekly, weigh, weight, welcome, welfare, well, west, western, wet, what, whatever, wheel, when, whenever, where, whereas, whether, which, while, whisper, white, who, whole, whom, whose, why, wide, widely, widespread, wife, wild, wildlife, will, willing, win, wind, window, wine, wing, winner, winter, wipe, wire, wisdom, wise, wish, with, withdraw, within, without, witness, woman, wonder, wonderful, wood, wooden, word, work, worker, working, workout, workplace, works, workshop, world, worried, worry, worth, would, wound, wrap, write, writer, writing, wrong, yard, yeah, year, yell, yellow, yes, yesterday, yet, yield, you, young, your, yours, yourself, youth, zone.

There’s barely anything left on medium wave now, just 5 Live and Talksport with a declining audience along with the odd local station like Caroline. Long wave is in an even more moribund state with most countries having vacated the band with the BBC to follow imminently. Usually when technologies die out the spectrum gets resold for a different purpose (4G uses what used to be analogue TV spectrum for example) but the bandwidth for AM radio is so low and noise so high there’s not many other things it’d be that useful for. Given the lack of commercial demand I think there’s a case for pro-social uses to be made for the long and medium wave bands:

• Amateur radio. Giving over slices of LW and MW to radio amateurs would be an obvious thing to do in my opinion. The propagation characteristics are interesting even if the required aerials are large, although it might lead to pressures on their spectrum elsewhere.
  
• Hobbyist radio. While rare now pirate operation on MW used to be a big thing and it’s (just about) still a thing today, they’re radio nerds like amateur radio people but unlike radio amateurs they broadcast to anyone rather than talk to specific people and tend to favour music. I think allowing these broadcasts officially if power is kept low and interference minimised would be a good way to keep the spectrum useful and prevent old radios from becoming e-waste. There’s also the potential for niche vintage appeal as in vinyl and cassettes.
  
• Digital radio. Technologies like DRM allow for decent quality digital transmissions on medium wave bandwidths, but I think this would probably suffer the same issue as DAB in that internet radio is just better if you’re going digital. It would have better coverage in hilly areas though.
  
• Museum pieces. Since it’s been going for a hundred years it seems really sad to shut down BBC radio 4 longwave. Given how this country is full of the sort of people who spend their free time rebuilding steam engines and keeping British Leyland sports cars from rusting away I think there’s probably a decent chance a British longwave signal could be kept running at a low power by volunteers. Obviously nobody’s going to afford the power bill for 400 kW but Caroline manage to keep their 4 kW going on a volunteer basis.
  

I understand the point of advertising, but what is with these commercials including annoying opera, mouth sounds, already famous songs that don’t need help getting covers from people who can’t sing. The amount less that I want to buy your product is astronomical.

FCC ID: OWWF115705SR

### Application Information Submitted on: May 12, 2024
Equipment Description: Signal Booster
TCB Grant Type: B1: Commercial mobile radio services equipment in the following 47 CFR Parts 20, 22 (cellular), 24,25 (below 3 GHz) & 27
Manufacturer: SHENZHEN HUAPTEC CO., LTD ### Further Details See more data about Signal Booster (FCC ID OWWF115705SR)
Find more SHENZHEN HUAPTEC CO., LTD devices

Not bait, i promise. Basically I want my music to sound as shitty as possible. The murkiest, scratchiest setup you can recommend. No bass. I don't even want to understand the lyrics.
I ask this because a restaurant near me plays their top 40 playlist through the most pathetic, washed-out setup I've ever come across. And it's gorgeous. Imagine a tv show with two characters conversing in a small-town bar, 70s hits crackling through an old radio. Or a CRT playing commercials in another room on a rainy night. It's exactly like that.
I desperately want to recreate that vibe, but unsurprisingly not many people will go out of their way to reduce sound quality. So I've hit a wall with my googling. My best options are either to a) build a Chrome extension that adjusts the levels at the flick of a switch (as i dont want to change them each time im in the mood for lo-fi music), or b) buy the oldest radio I can find and gamble that it is indeed dogshit.
Any ideas? I know this is weird and I'm sorry if this is the wrong sub, but /audiophobe doesn't exist and I genuinely didn't know where else to post.

Hello everyone, I would love some advise on choosing my first radio(s)
I hear a lot of times this question is followed by many comments asking for clarificarion, what the person wants to do with the radio so I will also provide some context in advance.
I am new to the hobby literally just got the eamil I have passed my exam.
So now I need to chose my callsign and... ...buy some gear.
Just to start with a bit of context.
What got me into the hobby is my Malahit SDP2 (the chinese version with the russian software) I got one of those receivers earlier this year and found it absolutley fascinating that I can hear signals transmitted thousands of kilometers away I love the waterfall. I also have two Tecsuns, they are lovley radios too there is also something about browsing the frequencies without having waterfall and a visual representation of the signals activity. With the Tecsuns it reminds me a bit of fishing, you are not really sure what will come out when. After listening for a while I started to think I would like to transmit not only listen and this is how I started studying. And now I have my licnese class A in Denmark. (Not sure what is the FCC equvalent. I can operate on all ham bands on most up to 1kW on commercial homemade or modified equipment )
I am not sure that I know what are all the things I can do with ham radio therefore I am not sure what I want to focus on and that does not really help me with choosing gear.
I would like to hear any pointers on which directions the hobby can genrally take me. And maybe this will helpe me figure out what gear I should get.
Personally I am fascinated by long distance contacts. Also the satelites sound exciting, not data but accessing the satelite repeaters and eventually talking to ISS (I understand that it is very low probability that an astrounaut will actually be free and available for contact at the exact small window of time in which I reach the ISS but still fascinating even with low probability)
What does not seem a direction I would like to take is CW i do not believe I can ever learn it. Or at least I do not believe I can enjoy learning it.
(That said I could be interested in any options for software code decode morese from to text not sure if such exist )
FT8 sounds interesting but I am not really crazy about using a laptop in my leasure (i would rather hope to get myself away from laptop screens, i do stare enough at them during my workday)
If location matter for the radio activity around me / within reach, am located in Denmark.
I am interested in experimenting with building my own antennas.
Also along with the radios what else I might need? Tuners? Are the build in tuners good enough or an external one wpuld be able to tune wider range of mismatch?
I believe i will be mainly using my radio indoors from my basement but might be interested once in a while in taking my radios out and listen / transmit from the outdoors. So I guess any tips on batteries are welcome too.
There are a couple of set ups I consider and would like to hear your opinion on what would be advantages disatvantages and also what are some differences that won't make any difference for a non expert like myslef.
Considered options ftdx10 and a separate VHF/UHF radio Vs one radio like 991 or 7100
I guess if I go with a separate VHF/UHF radio I will be missing out on ssb (not really sure if there is much ssb activity on those two bands )
Seems like 991 or 7100 would be the logical choices as they offer widest rande of bands / modes but my concerns is both are older models compared to the ftdx 10 which seems to have much better user experience in anvigating and accessing of all the menues and settings.
There is also the matter of d-star and fusion... Maybe orher standards too... None of the radios above have dmr if I am not mistaken? So I probably need to get one to listen on dmr repeaters?
Yeah I am really uncertain what to buy so that I won't regret after a while. And be in a situation where I would be saying: 'I wish I bouth rhis other radio because of this or that...'
Thank you in advance.

My dad grew up in San Jose in the 70s, and had a history with Chuck E. Cheese's, And went to the Tully Road location in the early 80s. So I asked him, did he see a commercial like the infamous lost commercial? He said it's possible that he did. He doesn't remember much though, since it was so long ago, so he had no information. I will ask him about the radio commercial soon, to see if that was what was used in the ad.

"Pet Shop Boys: 'Għandna nsejħu l-mawra li jmiss tagħna Adieu'
“Ma nħobbx it-taraġ spirali,” jgħid Chris Lowe. ""U dik hija l-ewwel darba li toħroġ f'intervista.""
Sejħilha esklussiva. Smajtu hawn l-ewwel. Il-Pulitzer jinsab fil-kariga.
Ir-rivelazzjoni tiġi hekk kif niddiskutu l-oriġini tal-Pet Shop Boys, waħda mill-aktar bands importanti u influwenti tar-Renju Unit.
Din is-sena timmarka l-40 anniversarju mid-debutt single tagħhom, West End Girls - tkarkir klawstrofobiku fil-ħajja ta’ bil-lejl ta’ Londra li nediet vjaġġ ta’ erba’ deċennji lejn pop intelliġenti u irresistibbli.
Iżda qabel ma kienu Pet Shop Boys, id-duo kellhom ħajjiet oħra. U hemm fejn ningħaqdu magħhom, infakkru fil-jiem qabel ma ħabtu ma’ xulxin f’ħanut tal-elettronika ta’ Chelsea u twieldet sħubija mużikali.
Neil Tennant, frontman erudit u liricist in-chief, trabba fi Newcastle, attenda l-Iskola Kattolika St Cuthbert, stretta u subien, li aktar tard ispirat kanzunetti bħal It’s A Sin.
Ta’ 18-il sena, telaq jistudja l-istorja f’Londra qabel ħa impjieg f’uffiċċju tal-assigurazzjoni. Kien l-eqqel tal-era tal-glam rock, u ħaddan il-ħarsa androġina tal-eroj mużikali tiegħu, David Bowie.
“Kont nimxi fit-Triq Kings b’tank top abjad u żraben tan-nisa b’takkuna kbira ta’ pjattaforma,” jiftakar. “Irġiel omosesswali kienu jagħmlu kummenti hekk kif kont imxi fit-triq.”
""Hekk int libsu għax-xogħol fis-sensara tal-assigurazzjoni?"" jistaqsi lil sieħbu tal-banda, li jidher li sema’ l-istorja għall-ewwel darba.
""Ir-raġel li ħdimt għalih kien omosesswali ħafna,"" jispjega Tennant. “Hu kien għex fis-snin 60 u kien joħodni għall-ikel u jirrakkonta stejjer dwar The Rolling Stones.
""Naħseb li seta' kellu xi ħaġa għalija, imma dak iż-żmien ma rrealizzajtx.""
Lowe, sadanittant, kien f'Liverpool jitħarreġ bħala perit, inkuba d-dislike tiegħu ta 'taraġ imdawwar (il-ġeometrija hija dijavolment diffiċli, apparentement).
Stampi promozzjonali Pet Shop Boys
Il-band kellha 47 single hit fir-Renju Unit, inklużi erba’ numru wieħed
""Kull drabi, inti tidħol f'kamra ta 'lukanda u jkollha żewġ livelli magħquda minn taraġ spirali,"" josserva.
“Tajjeb, ma nistax nibqa’. Ikolli noħroġ.”
Wara l-laqgħa ċans tagħhom fl-1981, id-duo bdew jagħmlu demos fi studio 'l barra Camden Road, imħallsa mill-impjieg ta' Tennant fir-rivista Smash Hits.
""L-ambizzjoni tagħna kienet sempliċement li nagħmlu rekord ma '[il-produttur taż-żfin ta' New York] Bobby O, u li jkun disponibbli fuq l-importazzjoni fil-ħanut Record Shack fi Brewer Street,"" jgħid.
Huma laħqu l-għan tagħhom.
Tennant intbagħat New York biex jintervista lil Sting, u uża l-opportunità biex jintroduċi ruħu ma' Bobby O.
Huwa qabel li jirrilaxxa West End Girls fuq it-tikketta tiegħu stess, u sar hit klabb minuri fl-Istati Uniti u l-Ġermanja.
Sa tmiem l-1984 kien disponibbli fuq l-importazzjoni f’Londra, u meta l-band reġgħet irrekordjatha sentejn wara, marret sa l-ewwel numru.
""L-istazzjonijiet tar-radju qabżu fuqu għax kienu jafu l-oriġinal u kienu ħerqana li jdoqquh,"" jgħid Tennant.
""U ladarba tkun bdejt fuq dan il-vjaġġ trid tkompli bih.""
Getty The Pet Shop Boys jagħtu intervista bir-radju, fil-KROQ f'Los Angeles, 1986Getty
Intervista bikrija tar-radju, fil-KROQ f'Los Angeles, 1986
Ħamsin miljun bejgħ ta’ diski wara, il-banda waslet biex toħroġ il-15-il album ta’ l-istudjo tagħhom, Madankollu, li jimmarka ritorn għall-ħoss maximalist tal-aqwa żmien tagħhom, wara tliet diski ta’ dak li Tennant isejjaħ “puriżmu elettroniku”.
Strings grazzja kull track, mill-kanzunetta ta 'l-imħabba dejjem jogħlew Feel sal-groove majesty ta' Love Is The Law.
Sens ta’ tama u possibbiltà jdaħħal ir-rekord - paradossalment hekk, peress li nkiteb waqt il-lockdowns tal-Covid tal-2020 u l-2021.
“Kont għadni kif mort f’dar ġdida u ħassejtni pjuttost ewforiku dwarha, tassew.
""Niżfen fil-kċina, nimxi fil-kampanja... Il-pressjoni ta' ħajjitna kienet tneħħiet.""
Iżolati fid-dar, id-duo nnegozjaw demos fuq email. Tennant saħansitra niżżel GarageBand u tgħallem jirreġistra l-vokali tiegħu stess għall-ewwel darba.
Ittra 'Priceless' Pet Shop Boys misjuba f'ħanut tad-diski
Tmur wara l-kwinti mal-Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys: 'Aħna ma naħsbux dwar l-affarijiet il-qadim'
Biż-żmien għalxejn, reġa’ rreġistra wkoll xi wħud mill-kanzunetti folkloristiċi li kien kiteb meta kien adoloxxenti.
“Huwa tal-għaġeb li tista’ tiftakarhom,” jistagħġeb Lowe. “Qatt ma kont poġġihom fuq tape recorder?”
""Iva, imma m'għandix aktar il-cassettes,"" iwieġeb Tennant. ""Naħseb biss, jekk il-kanzunetti huma tajbin, tista' tiftakarhom.""
M'hemm ""l-ebda pjanijiet"" biex jiġu rilaxxati dawk l-melodiji li għadhom qed jitnisslu, iżid, filwaqt li jindika li jippreferi jżommhom bħala tifkiriet personali.
Minkejja dan, Neetheless fih diversi tiffjorixxi ta’ kitarra akustika – u kanzunetta waħda li tirreferi speċifikament għall-illokkjar (Why Am I Dancing?, li ssib lil Tennant jgħajjat ​​madwar il-kċina, waħdu iżda kuntent, hekk kif il-mużika tintefaħ madwaru).
X'imkien ieħor, jikteb dwar dak kollu li jieħu f'idejh. Hemm ballata dwar iż-żeffien tal-ballet Russu Rudolf Nuryev “jaqbeż il-barriera fl-Ajruport ta’ Orly” biex jitlob l-ażil; u kanzunetta miktuba mill-perspettiva tal-gwardja tal-ġisem ta’ Donald Trump li ma tħossha bi tqila.
""Jekk in-numru tiegħi jiżdied, nieħu bullet għal Narcissus.""
Studju reċenti jissuġġerixxi lirika pop saret aktar sempliċi u aktar ossessjonat ruħha mill-fażi imperjali tal-Pet Shop Boys tas-snin tmenin.
Tennant, li l-kanzunetti tiegħu ħafna drabi huma mdaħħla fil-kummentarju soċjali (L-Integral jittratta l-karti tal-identità, ix-Xiri jittratta l-insider trading u l-korruzzjoni tal-gvern), mhuwiex impressjonat.
""Wieħed mit-twemmin tagħna huwa li tista 'tikteb kanzunetta dwar kwalunkwe ħaġa, litteralment kull ħaġa, sakemm tkun interessanti,"" jgħid.
Inzerta qed nitkellmu fl-istess ġimgħa li d-djarist-in-chief tal-pop, Taylor Swift, toħroġ l-aħħar album tagħha.
Allura x'jagħmlu The Pet Shop Boys mill-opra tagħha?
Getty The Pet Shop Boys jilagħbu l-Logħob Olimpiku ta' Londra 2012Getty
Tieħu rwol ewlieni fiċ-ċerimonja tal-għeluq tal-Olimpjadi ta’ Londra 2012
“Inkun interessat ħafna, jekk għadni ħaj, biex nara kif Taylor Swift tiġi meqjusa fis-snin li ġejjin,” tgħid Tennant, “għax hi għandha dan is-suċċess kbir – iżda normalment ma’ nies b’suċċess kbir, hemm suċċess popolari. wirt ta’ kanzunetti li kulħadd jaf.
“Jekk int Michael Jackson, min ma jafx lil Billie Jean jew lil Beat It? Ma’ Taylor Swift qatt ma nħoss li huwa l-mument fejn in-nanna tiegħek tkun taf il-kanzunetta tagħha.”
Din hija sempliċement funzjoni tal-età tal-midja miksura tagħna, nistaqsi? Swift trid tikkompeti mal-istorbju tal-midja soċjali u servizzi tat-TV on-demand u streaming fejn jittellgħu 100,000 kanzunetta kuljum.
“Imma lkoll nafu lil Harry Styles’ Kif Kien,” jargumenta Lowe.
""Naf, u jien qodma biżżejjed biex inkun nanna,"" żżid Tennant.
“Meta titkellem bħala nanna, int taf b’Harry Styles,” jidħaq sieħbu tal-banda.
'Kulħadd hu gay?'
Din mhix kritika ta 'Swift, jenfasizzaw. Wara kollox, Tennant m'huwiex kontra l-lirika personali meta l-okkażjoni titlob.
Ħu, pereżempju, New London Boy. Waħda mill-aktar kanzunetti beguiling tal-album tagħhom, issib lill-kantant ifakkar dwar il-wasla tiegħu fil-kapitali, 51 sena ilu.
Is-syntijiet jixegħlu bħal sekwenza ta’ flashback hekk kif jiddeskrivi li jħallu l-“ħajja ivvintata” tiegħu fi Newcastle u “jiżblokka s-sigriet tiegħi” fit-toroq tal-belt.
“Huma bniet jew subien? Kulħadd huwa gay?” jistaqsi, għajnejh jinfetħu għal ħajja ġdida. ""Qed niċċajta lili nnifsi [li] se mmur it-triq kollha.""
""Going all the way', hija referenza sesswali,"" jispjega, ""iżda hija wkoll dwar l-ambizzjonijiet tiegħi li nkun kantanta"".
""U f'dawk il-jiem kelli ħabiba, għalhekk hija xi ftit dwar il-bisesswalità wkoll.""
Huwa ddeskriva l-kanzunetta bħala “dak li jiġri bejn il-versi tnejn u tlieta ta’ Being Boring”, is-single klassika tal-PSB dwar il-festa f’Londra mal-ħabib tiegħu ta’ tfulitu, Chris Dowell, li aktar tard miet b’mard relatat mal-Aids.
Kien hemm żball
Dan il-kontenut mhuwiex disponibbli fil-lokalità tiegħek.
Pet Shop Boys fil-BBC
L-atmosfera wistful u evokattiva ta’ New London Boy tinqata’ b’sezzjoni ta’ kliem mitkellem, fejn Tennant jiddeskrivi t-theddida ta’ vjolenza li ħarġet lill-komunità omosesswali f’żgħożitu.
""Newcastle kien terrifying fis-snin 70,"" jgħid.
“L-unika darba li qatt ġejt daqqa ta’ ponn kienet minn skinhead, meta kont qed nistenna karozza tal-linja. Ġibt dik il-paranojja miegħi f’Londra.”
Huwa ħa serħan mill-istorja ta’ drag queen li kienet attakkata barra l-pub Eldon ta’ Newcastle fis-snin sebgħin. Twissija għall-periklu, hija kienet tiġi ppreparata, u bagħtet l-iskinheads mifruxa billi wielding handbag li ħeba briks hefty.
“Jien inħobb l-idea li xi ħadd jiġġieled lura,” jgħid Tennant, “imma xorta qatt ma kelli ħendbeg tiegħi.”
Illum, il-laqgħat tiegħu mal-pubbliku huma ħafna aktar gentili. Il-Pet Shop Boys għandhom ""livell aċċettabbli"" ta 'fama, fejn jistgħu jaqbdu t-tubu jew jirċikjaw mit-tieni dar tagħhom f'Berlin mingħajr ma jiġu ffastidjati.
“Dejjem inkunu barra fit-toroq, allura jekk xi ħadd jgħid, ‘Oh, nista’ nagħmel selfie?’, Ġeneralment ninsab sorpriż ħafna,” tgħid Tennant.
“Nesa li jien jien!”
Dak mhux se jkun lussu li jista’ jgawdi għall-bqija tal-2024.
Flimkien mal-album il-ġdid, il-Pet Shop Boys estendew it-tour Greatest Hits li għaddejjin, kitbu musical ibbażat fuq The Emperor’s New Clothes, u se jtellgħu t-tielet residenza tagħhom fir-Royal Opera House ta’ Londra f’Ġunju.
Iħobbu jilagħbu hemmhekk - li jħobbu l-opportunità li jbiddlu ċ-ċittadella ta 'kultura għolja ta' Covent Garden fi nightclub throbbing, anke jekk ma jagħmilx sens finanzjarju.
""Nistgħu nagħmlu ħames darbiet aktar flus nilagħbu l-arena O2 għal lejl wieħed,"" josserva Tennant.
Getty The Pet Shop Boys fuq il-palk fir-Royal Opera House waqt l-aħħar residenza tagħhom fl-2018Getty
Fuq il-palk fir-Royal Opera House waqt l-aħħar residenza tagħhom fl-2018
Ftit wara r-residenza, il-kantant jilħaq it-tragward tiegħu għeluq is-70 sena. Qatt ikkunsidra li jirtira?
""Mhux fuq l-aġenda, per se,"" jgħid Tennant, ""imma min jaf?""
""It-touring gets ftit ħafna,"" Lowe jindika, b'mod archly jissuġġerixxi mawra tagħhom li jmiss se jissejjaħ ""Farewell, minħabba kemm żmien twil dan wieħed marret fuq"".
Iżda l-Pet Shop Boys ma juru l-ebda sinjali li jonqsu. Qed jinkitbu l-kanzunetti, il-kunċetti qed isiru r-ragħwa, u hemm xi ikla.
Jirriżulta dibattitu: Ikseb sandwiches issa, jew għand id-diski llum wara nofsinhar?
Il-kerrej huwa kuntent li jaqa 'f'Pret A Manger (għalkemm ipoġġi l-veto fuq it-tikkettar tal-BBC flimkien, wara li nissuġġerixxu t-titlu ""Pret Shop Boys"") iżda l-offerta tas-salamun fuq is-segala mill-eaterie Daniż Ole & Steen hija potenzjalment aktar jitħajjar.
Il-konversazzjoni tkompli barra mill-istudjo u fl-imsaren tal-BBC. Il-banda tevita l-lift, madankollu, u tħalli għażla waħda biss ta 'ħruġ: Taraġ spirali.
“Ugh, ddejjaqni dawn,” jgħid Lowe. ""Qatt izjed.""
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cle08d4v214o
—
L-Amazon Deals tal-lum (Afljat) - https://amzn.to/3FeoGyg
Li ssir Kattoliku jagħtik pedament sod għad-destin etern tiegħek. Il-fidi Kattolika tirrappreżenta l-aktar sistema ta’ ideat kumplessa, konsistenti u kompleta fost il-filosofiji kollha tal-umanità li jikkompetu. Huwa katidral veru tal-ħsieb uman. Il-Knisja Kattolika tgħallem li Alla tant iħobbna li bagħat lil Ibnu l-waħdieni biex imut għal dnubietna u jqum mill-ġdid għas-salvazzjoni tagħna. Billi nemmnu f’Ġesù Kristu bħala l-Mulej u s-Salvatur tagħna, nistgħu nirċievu l-grazzja t’Alla u ngħixu miegħu għal dejjem fis-sema. - https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html
Radio Maria Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan) - http://www.voiceofmary.org.mo/ - “Radio Maria huwa rigal mill-Madonna. Permezz tal-programmazzjoni, kull prodott editorjali, u l-attivitajiet kollha tagħna, irridu nkunu radju ta’ talb u evanġelizzazzjoni b’impronta Marjana qawwija u sejħa għall-konverżjoni.” (Fr. Livio)
Radju Marija jwieġeb għall-istedina kontinwa ta’ Ġesù: “Mur fid-dinja kollha u ħabbar l-Evanġelju lil kull ħlejqa” (Mk 16:15).
It-temi ewlenin tal-ipprogrammar tagħna huma:
Talb;
Is-sejħa għall-konverżjoni;
Evanġelizzazzjoni;
Formazzjoni umana u soċjali;
Aħbarijiet mill-Knisja u mis-soċjetà.
VisitMalta: Ikseb l-informazzjoni kollha li għandek bżonn għall-vjaġġ tiegħek lejn Malta! Ibbukkja biljetti, skopri postijiet ġodda biex iżżur, sib affarijiet aqwa x'tagħmel u aktar! - https://www.visitmalta.com/
Ċaħda ta' responsabbiltà: Dan is-sit huwa għal skopijiet informattivi biss u m'għandux jitqies parir legali [saħħa, taxxa, professjoni]. Aħna m'aħniex responsabbli għal kwalunkwe telf, ħsarat, jew obbligazzjonijiet li jistgħu jinqalgħu mill-użu ta 'dan il-blog. Dan il-blog mhux maħsub biex jissostitwixxi parir mediku professjonali. Il-fehmiet espressi f'dan il-blog jistgħu ma jkunux dawk tal-host jew tal-maniġment.
https://www.reddit.com/SinoMaltaNews
http://sinomaltanews.freeforums.net/
"
"寵物店男孩：“我們應該把我們的下一次巡演稱為告別”
「我不喜歡螺旋樓梯，」克里斯洛說。 “這是第一次在採訪中透露出來。”
稱之為獨家。你首先在這裡聽到的。普立茲獎就在貼文裡。
這項啟示是在我們討論英國最重要和最有影響力的樂隊之一寵物店男孩的起源時揭曉的。
今年是他們的首支單曲《West End Girls》發行 40 週年，這是一首穿越倫敦夜生活的幽閉恐懼症之旅，開啟了長達四年的智能、不可抗拒的流行音樂之旅。
但在成為寵物店男孩之前，兩人都有過不同的生活。這就是我們加入他們的地方，回憶他們在切爾西電子商店相遇並建立音樂夥伴關係之前的日子。
尼爾·坦南特(Neil Tennant) 是一位博學的主唱和主詞作者，他在紐卡斯爾長大，就讀於嚴格的全男生聖卡斯伯特天主教學校，這所學校後來激發了《It's A Sin 》等歌曲的創作靈感。
18 歲時，他前往倫敦學習歷史，然後在一家保險公司找到了一份工作。那是華麗搖滾時代的鼎盛時期，他擁抱了他的音樂英雄大衛鮑伊的雌雄同體的外表。
「我過去常常穿著白色背心和大厚底女鞋沿著國王路行走，」他回憶道。 “當我走在路上時，男同性戀者常常發表評論。”
“你在保險經紀公司工作就是這麼穿的？”他的樂團成員問道，他顯然是第一次聽到這個故事。
「我為之工作的那個人非常同性戀，」坦南特解釋道。 「他經歷了 60 年代，經常帶我出去吃午飯，給我講滾石樂隊的故事。
“我認為他可能對我有興趣，但我當時沒有意識到。”
同時，洛正在利物浦接受建築師培訓，他對蜿蜒的樓梯產生了厭惡（顯然，幾何形狀非常困難）。
寵物店男孩宣傳圖片
該樂團在英國擁有 47 首熱門單曲，其中四首冠軍單曲
「時不時地，你會走進一家酒店房間，它有兩層，由螺旋樓梯相連，」他觀察到。
「好吧，我不能留下來。我得出去走走。
1981 年偶然相遇後，兩人開始在卡姆登路附近的一間工作室製作小樣，費用由 Tennant 在 Smash Hits 雜誌的工作支付。
「我們的目標只是與 [紐約舞蹈製作人] Bobby O 一起製作一張唱片，並在布魯爾街的 Record Shack 商店進口。」他說。
他們實現了目標。
田南特被派往紐約採訪斯汀，並利用這個機會向鮑比·奧介紹自己。
他同意以自己的廠牌發行《West End Girls》，該專輯在美國和德國的俱樂部中引起了轟動。
1984 年底，它在倫敦進口，兩年後樂團重新錄製它時，它一路上升到了第一名。
「廣播電台對它很感興趣，因為他們知道原版並且渴望播放它，」坦南特說。
“一旦你開始這段旅程，你就會想繼續下去。”
1986 年，寵物店男孩在洛杉磯 KROQ 接受電台採訪
早期電台採訪，洛杉磯 KROQ，1986 年
唱片銷量達到5000 萬張後，樂隊即將發行他們的第15 張錄音室專輯《儘管如此》，這標誌著在發行了三張坦南特所謂的“電子純粹主義”唱片後，他們又回到了鼎盛時期的極簡主義聲音。
從高亢的情歌《Feel》到莊嚴的《Love Is The Law》，每首曲目都充滿了弦樂的魅力。
這張唱片充滿了希望和可能性的感覺——矛盾的是，考慮到它是在 2020 年和 2021 年新冠疫情封鎖期間寫成的。
「我剛搬進新房子，真的感到非常高興。
“在廚房裡跳舞，在鄉村散步……我們的生活壓力都被消除了。”
兩人隔離在家裡，透過電子郵件交換示範。坦南特甚至下載了 GarageBand 並第一次學會了錄製自己的聲音。
在唱片行發現「無價」寵物店男孩的信
與寵物店男孩一起走進幕後
寵物店男孩：“我們不會考慮舊的東西”
閒暇之餘，他也重新錄製了一些他在青少年時期寫的民謠。
「你能記住它們真是太神奇了，」洛驚嘆道。 “你沒有把它們錄到錄音機上嗎？”
「是的，但我不再有錄音帶了，」坦南特回答。
他補充道，「沒有計劃」發行這些新生歌曲，這表明他寧願將它們保留為個人紀念品。
儘管如此，《儘管如此》還是包含了幾首原聲吉他的華麗表演，以及一首特別提到封鎖的歌曲（《Why Am I Dancing？》，歌曲中，田南特在廚房裡拖著腳步，孤獨但快樂，音樂在他周圍響起）。
在其他地方，他寫任何他喜歡的東西。有一首民謠講述俄羅斯芭蕾舞者魯道夫·努里耶夫「跳過奧利機場的護欄」尋求庇護；以及一首從唐納德·川普不情願的保鑣的角度寫的歌曲。
“如果我的人數達到了，我會為納西瑟斯擋子彈。”
最近的一項研究表明，自 Pet Shop Boys 的 20 世紀 80 年代帝國階段以來，流行歌詞變得更加簡單、更加自我迷戀。
坦南特的歌曲經常充斥著社會評論（Integral 涉及身份證，Shopping 涉及內幕交易和政府腐敗），但他對此並不以為然。
「我們的一個信念是，你可以寫一首關於任何事物的歌曲，實際上是任何事物，只要它有趣，」他說。
我們碰巧在流行樂日記首席泰勒絲發行她最新專輯的同一周進行了交談。
那麼寵物店男孩對她的作品有什麼評價呢？
蓋蒂 寵物店男孩隊參加 2012 年倫敦奧運 蓋蒂
2012年倫敦奧運閉幕式上擔任主角
「如果我還活著，我非常有興趣看看泰勒絲在未來幾年會受到怎樣的評價，」坦南特說，「因為她取得了巨大的成功，但通常對於那些取得巨大成功的人來說，有一個受歡迎的人眾所周知的歌曲遺產。
「如果你是麥可傑克遜，誰不知道 Billie Jean 或 Beat It？對於泰勒·斯威夫特，我從來沒有感覺到這是你祖母知道她的歌的那一刻。
我問，這只是我們破碎媒體時代的功能嗎？ Swift 必須與社群媒體、電視點播和串流媒體服務競爭，這些服務每天上傳 100,000 首歌曲。
「但我們都知道哈利·斯泰爾斯的《As It Was》，」洛說。
「我知道這一點，而且我已經足夠大了，可以當祖母了，」田南特補充道。
「身為祖母，你一定知道哈利·斯泰爾斯，」他的樂隊成員笑著說。
“每個人都是同性戀嗎？”
他們強調，這並不是對 Swift 的批評。畢竟，田納特並不反對在場合需要時使用個人歌詞。
以《新倫敦男孩》為例。這是他們專輯中最迷人的歌曲之一，歌手回憶起自己 51 年前抵達首都的情景。
當他描述離開紐卡斯爾的“發明的生活”並在城市的街道上“解開我的秘密”時，合成器像閃回序列一樣閃爍。
「他們是女孩還是男孩？每個人都是同性戀嗎？他一邊想，一邊睜開眼睛，迎接新的生活。 “我只是在自欺欺人嗎，我會一路走下去。”
「一路走來」是一個性暗示，」他解釋道，「但這也表達了我成為歌手的野心」。
“那時我有一個女朋友，所以這也有點關於雙性戀。”
他將這首歌描述為“《Being Boring》第二節和第三節之間發生的事情”，這是PSB 的經典單曲，講述了他與兒時好友克里斯·道威爾(Chris Dowell ) 在倫敦聚會的故事，克里斯道威爾後來死於愛滋病相關疾病。
有一個錯誤
此內容在您所在的位置不可用。
BBC 的《寵物店男孩》
《新倫敦男孩》充滿渴望和令人回味的氛圍被口語部分打破，坦南特在其中描述了他年輕時困擾同性戀群體的暴力威脅。
「紐卡斯爾在 70 年代非常可怕，」他說。
「我唯一一次被光頭黨毆打是在等公車時。我把這種偏執帶到了倫敦。
1970 年代，一位變裝皇后在紐卡斯爾的埃爾登酒吧外遭到襲擊，這讓他得到了安慰。她意識到危險，做好了準備，揮舞著一個手提包，裡面藏著一塊厚重的磚頭，把光頭黨驅散了。
“我喜歡有人反擊的想法，”坦南特說，“但我仍然沒有擁有自己的手提包。”
如今，他與公眾的接觸更加溫和。寵物店男孩的名氣達到了“可接受的水平”，他們可以乘坐地鐵或騎自行車穿過他們在柏林的第二個家而不會受到騷擾。
“我們總是在街上，所以如果有人說，’哦，我可以自拍嗎？’，我通常會感到非常驚訝，”坦南特說。
“我差點忘了我就是我！”
在 2024 年剩下的時間裡，這對他來說不會是一種奢侈。
除了新專輯之外，寵物店男孩還延長了他們正在進行的Greatest Hits 巡演，根據《皇帝的新衣》創作了一部音樂劇，並將於6 月在倫敦皇家歌劇院上演他們的第三次駐場演出。
他們喜歡在那裡玩耍——享受將考文特花園的高雅文化城堡變成熱鬧夜總會的機會，即使這在經濟上沒有意義。
「我們在 O2 競技場玩一晚可以賺五倍的錢，」坦南特觀察到。
2018 年，寵物店男孩在皇家歌劇院的最後一次駐場表演中登台表演
2018 年他們最後一次駐場演出在皇家歌劇院的舞台上
駐場演出結束後不久，這位歌手就迎來了他里程碑式的 70 歲生日。他有沒有考慮過退休？
“這本身並沒有列入議程，”坦南特說，“但誰知道呢？”
「巡演有點太多了，」洛指出，並狡猾地建議他們的下一次巡演將被稱為「告別，考慮到這次巡演持續了多久」。
但寵物店男孩並沒有表現出放緩的跡象。歌曲正在寫，概念正在醞釀，還有午餐要吃。
一場爭論隨之而來：現在買三明治，還是今天下午去唱片公司買？
租戶很樂意去 Pret A Manger（儘管在我們建議標題為“Pret Shop Boys”之後，他否決了 BBC 的跟隨），但丹麥餐館 Ole & Steen 提供的黑麥鮭魚可能更具誘惑力。
談話在演播室外繼續進行，進入了 BBC 內部。然而，樂隊避開了電梯，只留下了一個出口選擇：螺旋樓梯。
「呃，我討厭這些，」洛說。 “再也不會。”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cle08d4v214o
—
今日亞馬遜優惠（聯盟）- https://amzn.to/3FeoGyg
成為天主教徒將為您永恆的命運奠定堅實的基礎。天主教信仰代表了人類所有相互競爭的哲學中最複雜、最一致、最完整的思想體系。這是名副其實的人類思想大教堂。天主教會教導說，上帝如此愛我們，以至於祂派遣祂的獨生子為我們的罪而死，並為我們的救贖而復活。透過相信耶穌基督為我們的主和救主，我們可以接受神的恩典並與祂永遠生活在天堂裡。 - https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html
瑪麗亞電台大中華區（中國大陸、香港、澳門、台灣） - http://www.voiceofmary.org.mo/ - 「瑪麗亞電台是聖母的禮物。透過節目編排、每一份社論產品以及我們所有的活動，我們必須成為帶有強烈瑪麗亞印記並呼籲皈依的祈禱和福傳電台。 （利維奧神父）
瑪麗亞廣播電台回應耶穌不斷的邀請：「你們往普天下去，向萬民傳福音」（谷16:15）。
我們節目的主題是：
禱告;
呼籲轉變；
傳福音；
人類和社會的形成；
來自教會和社會的新聞。
VisitMalta：取得馬耳他之旅所需的所有資訊！預訂門票、發現新的遊覽地點、發現令人驚奇的事情等等！ - https://www.visitmalta.com/
免責聲明：本網站僅供參考，不應被視為法律[健康、稅務、職業]建議。我們對因使用本部落格而可能產生的任何損失、損害或責任不承擔任何責任。本部落格無意取代專業醫療建議。本部落格所表達的觀點可能不代表主持人或管理階層的觀點。
https://www.reddit.com/SinoMaltaNews
http://sinomaltanews.freeforums.net/
"
"宠物店男孩：“我们应该把我们的下一次巡演称为告别”
“我不喜欢螺旋楼梯，”克里斯·洛说。 “这是第一次在采访中透露出来。”
称之为独家。你首先在这里听到的。普利策奖就在帖子里。
这一启示是在我们讨论英国最重要和最有影响力的乐队之一宠物店男孩的起源时揭晓的。
今年是他们的首张单曲《West End Girls》发行 40 周年，这是一首穿越伦敦夜生活的幽闭恐惧症之旅，开启了长达四年的智能、不可抗拒的流行音乐之旅。
但在成为宠物店男孩之前，两人都有过不同的生活。这就是我们加入他们的地方，回忆他们在切尔西电子商店相遇并建立音乐伙伴关系之前的日子。
尼尔·坦南特 (Neil Tennant) 是一位博学的主唱和主词作者，他在纽卡斯尔长大，就读于严格的全男生圣卡斯伯特天主教学校，这所学校后来激发了《It's A Sin》等歌曲的创作灵感。
18 岁时，他前往伦敦学习历史，然后在一家保险公司找到了一份工作。那是华丽摇滚时代的鼎盛时期，他拥抱了他的音乐英雄大卫·鲍伊的雌雄同体的外表。
“我过去常常穿着白色背心和大厚底女鞋沿着国王路行走，”他回忆道。 “当我走在路上时，男同性恋者常常发表评论。”
“你在保险经纪公司工作就是这么穿的？”他的乐队成员问道，他显然是第一次听到这个故事。
“我为之工作的那个人非常同性恋，”坦南特解释道。 “他经历了 60 年代，经常带我出去吃午饭，给我讲滚石乐队的故事。
“我认为他可能对我有兴趣，但我当时没有意识到。”
与此同时，洛正在利物浦接受建筑师培训，他对蜿蜒的楼梯产生了厌恶（显然，几何形状非常困难）。
宠物店男孩宣传图片
该乐队在英国拥有 47 首热门单曲，其中四首冠军单曲
“时不时地，你会走进一家酒店房间，它有两层，由螺旋楼梯相连，”他观察到。
“好吧，我不能留下来。我得出去走走。”
1981 年偶然相遇后，二人开始在卡姆登路附近的一间工作室制作小样，费用由 Tennant 在 Smash Hits 杂志的工作支付。
“我们的目标只是与 [纽约舞蹈制作人] Bobby O 一起制作一张唱片，并在布鲁尔街的 Record Shack 商店进口。”他说。
他们实现了目标。
田南特被派往纽约采访斯汀，并利用这个机会向鲍比·奥介绍自己。
他同意以自己的厂牌发行《West End Girls》，该专辑在美国和德国的俱乐部中引起了轰动。
1984 年底，它在伦敦进口，两年后乐队重新录制它时，它一路上升到了第一名。
“广播电台对它很感兴趣，因为他们知道原版并且渴望播放它，”坦南特说。
“一旦你开始这段旅程，你就会想继续下去。”
1986 年，宠物店男孩在洛杉矶 KROQ 接受电台采访
早期电台采访，洛杉矶 KROQ，1986 年
唱片销量达到 5000 万张后，乐队即将发行他们的第 15 张录音室专辑《尽管如此》，这标志着在发行了三张坦南特所谓的“电子纯粹主义”唱片后，他们又回到了鼎盛时期的极简主义声音。
从高亢的情歌《Feel》到庄严的《Love Is The Law》，每首曲目都充满了弦乐的魅力。
这张唱片充满了希望和可能性的感觉——矛盾的是，考虑到它是在 2020 年和 2021 年新冠疫情封锁期间写成的。
“我刚刚搬进新房子，真的感到非常高兴。
“在厨房里跳舞，在乡村散步……我们的生活压力都被消除了。”
两人隔离在家里，通过电子邮件交换演示。坦南特甚至下载了 GarageBand 并第一次学会了录制自己的声音。
在唱片店发现“无价”宠物店男孩的信
与宠物店男孩一起走进幕后
宠物店男孩：“我们不会考虑旧的东西”
闲暇之余，他还重新录制了一些他青少年时期写的民歌。
“你能记住它们真是太神奇了，”洛惊叹道。 “你没有把它们录到录音机上吗？”
“是的，但我不再有磁带了，”坦南特回答道。“我只是想，如果这些歌曲好听，你就能记住它们。”
他补充道，“没有计划”发行这些新生歌曲，这表明他宁愿将它们保留为个人纪念品。
尽管如此，《尽管如此》还是包含了几首原声吉他的华丽表演，以及一首特别提到封锁的歌曲（《Why Am I Dancing？》，歌曲中，田南特在厨房里拖着脚步，孤独但快乐，音乐在他周围响起）。
在其他地方，他写任何他喜欢的东西。有一首民谣讲述俄罗斯芭蕾舞演员鲁道夫·努里耶夫“跳过奥利机场的护栏”寻求庇护；以及一首从唐纳德·特朗普不情愿的保镖的角度写的歌曲。
“如果我的人数达到了，我会为纳西瑟斯挡子弹。”
最近的一项研究表明，自 Pet Shop Boys 的 20 世纪 80 年代帝国阶段以来，流行歌词变得更加简单、更加自我迷恋。
坦南特的歌曲经常充斥着社会评论（Integral 涉及身份证，Shopping 涉及内幕交易和政府腐败），但他对此并不以为然。
“我们的一个信念是，你可以写一首关于任何事物的歌曲，实际上是任何事物，只要它有趣，”他说。
我们碰巧在流行乐日记首席泰勒·斯威夫特发行她最新专辑的同一周进行了交谈。
那么宠物店男孩对她的作品有什么评价呢？
盖蒂 宠物店男孩队参加 2012 年伦敦奥运会 盖蒂
2012年伦敦奥运会闭幕式上担任主角
“如果我还活着，我非常有兴趣看看泰勒·斯威夫特在未来几年会受到怎样的评价，”坦南特说，“因为她取得了巨大的成功，但通常对于那些取得巨大成功的人来说，有一个受欢迎的人众所周知的歌曲遗产。
“如果你是迈克尔·杰克逊，谁不知道 Billie Jean 或 Beat It？对于泰勒·斯威夫特，我从来没有感觉到这是你祖母知道她的歌的那一刻。”
我问，这仅仅是我们破碎媒体时代的一个功能吗？ Swift 必须与社交媒体、电视点播和流媒体服务竞争，这些服务每天上传 100,000 首歌曲。
“但我们都知道哈利·斯泰尔斯的《As It Was》，”洛说。
“我知道这一点，而且我已经足够大了，可以当祖母了，”田南特补充道。
“作为祖母，你一定知道哈利·斯泰尔斯，”他的乐队成员笑着说。
“每个人都是同性恋吗？”
他们强调，这并不是对 Swift 的批评。毕竟，田纳特并不反对在场合需要时使用个人歌词。
以《新伦敦男孩》为例。这是他们专辑中最迷人的歌曲之一，歌手回忆起自己 51 年前抵达首都的情景。
当他描述离开纽卡斯尔的“发明的生活”并在城市的街道上“解开我的秘密”时，合成器像闪回序列一样闪烁。
“他们是女孩还是男孩？每个人都是同性恋吗？”他一边想，一边睁开眼睛，迎接新的生活。 “我只是在自欺欺人吗，我会一路走下去。”
“一路走来”是一个性暗示，”他解释道，“但这也表达了我成为一名歌手的野心”。
“那时候我有一个女朋友，所以这也有点关于双性恋。”
他将这首歌描述为“《Being Boring》第二节和第三节之间发生的事情”，这是 PSB 的经典单曲，讲述了他与儿时好友克里斯·道威尔 (Chris Dowell) 在伦敦聚会的故事，克里斯·道威尔后来死于艾滋病相关疾病。
有一个错误
此内容在您所在的位置不可用。
BBC 的《宠物店男孩》
《新伦敦男孩》充满渴望和令人回味的氛围被口语部分打破，坦南特在其中描述了他年轻时困扰同性恋群体的暴力威胁。
“纽卡斯尔在 70 年代非常可怕，”他说。
“我唯一一次被光头党殴打是在等公共汽车时。我把这种偏执带到了伦敦。”
20 世纪 70 年代，一位变装皇后在纽卡斯尔的埃尔登酒吧外遭到袭击，这让他得到了安慰。她意识到危险，做好了准备，挥舞着一个手提包，里面藏着一块厚重的砖头，把光头党驱散了。
“我喜欢有人反击的想法，”坦南特说，“但我仍然没有拥有自己的手提包。”
如今，他与公众的接触更加温和。宠物店男孩的名气达到了“可接受的水平”，他们可以乘坐地铁或骑自行车穿过他们在柏林的第二个家而不会受到骚扰。
“我们总是在街上，所以如果有人说，‘哦，我可以自拍吗？’，我通常会感到非常惊讶，”坦南特说。
“我差点忘了我就是我！”
在 2024 年剩下的时间里，这对他来说不会是一种奢侈。
除了新专辑之外，宠物店男孩还延长了他们正在进行的 Greatest Hits 巡演，根据《皇帝的新衣》创作了一部音乐剧，并将于 6 月在伦敦皇家歌剧院上演他们的第三次驻场演出。
他们喜欢在那里玩耍——享受将考文特花园的高雅文化城堡变成热闹夜总会的机会，即使这在经济上没有意义。
“我们在 O2 竞技场玩一晚可以赚五倍的钱，”坦南特观察到。
2018 年，宠物店男孩在皇家歌剧院的最后一次驻场表演中登台表演
2018 年他们最后一次驻场演出在皇家歌剧院的舞台上
驻场演出结束后不久，这位歌手就迎来了他里程碑式的 70 岁生日。他有没有考虑过退役？
“这本身并没有列入议程，”坦南特说，“但谁知道呢？”
“巡演有点太多了，”洛指出，并狡猾地建议他们的下一次巡演将被称为“告别，考虑到这次巡演持续了多久”。
但宠物店男孩并没有表现出放缓的迹象。歌曲正在写，概念正在酝酿，还有午餐要吃。
一场争论随之而来：现在买三明治，还是今天下午去唱片公司买？
租户很乐意去 Pret A Manger（尽管在我们建议标题为“Pret Shop Boys”之后，他否决了 BBC 的跟随），但丹麦餐馆 Ole & Steen 提供的黑麦三文鱼可能更具诱惑力。
谈话在演播室外继续进行，进入了 BBC 内部。然而，乐队避开了电梯，只留下了一个出口选择：螺旋楼梯。
“呃，我讨厌这些，”洛说。 “再也不。”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cle08d4v214o
—
今日亚马逊优惠（联盟）- https://amzn.to/3FeoGyg
成为天主教徒将为您永恒的命运奠定坚实的基础。天主教信仰代表了人类所有相互竞争的哲学中最复杂、最一致、最完整的思想体系。这是名副其实的人类思想大教堂。天主教会教导说，上帝如此爱我们，以至于他派遣他的独生子为我们的罪而死，并为我们的救赎而复活。通过相信耶稣基督为我们的主和救主，我们可以接受神的恩典并与他永远生活在天堂里。 - https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html
玛丽亚电台大中华区（中国大陆、香港、澳门、台湾） - http://www.voiceofmary.org.mo/ - “玛丽亚电台是圣母的礼物。通过节目编排、每一份社论产品以及我们所有的活动，我们必须成为带有强烈玛丽亚印记并呼吁皈依的祈祷和福传电台。” （利维奥神父）
玛丽亚广播电台回应耶稣不断的邀请：“你们往普天下去，向万民传福音”（谷16:15）。
我们节目的主题是：
祷告;
呼吁转变；
传福音；
人类和社会的形成；
来自教会和社会的新闻。
VisitMalta：获取马耳他之旅所需的所有信息！预订门票、发现新的游览地点、发现令人惊奇的事情等等！ - https://www.visitmalta.com/
免责声明：本网站仅供参考，不应被视为法律[健康、税务、职业]建议。我们对因使用本博客而可能产生的任何损失、损害或责任不承担任何责任。本博客无意取代专业医疗建议。本博客所表达的观点可能不代表主持人或管理层的观点。
https://www.reddit.com/SinoMaltaNews
http://sinomaltanews.freeforums.net/
"

As Reddit doesn't allow posts to exceed 40,000 characters, Eastwood's edition had to be split into two parts because his whole career cannot be ignored. The second part will be posted tomorrow.

Here's a new edition of "Directors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the directors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's Clint Eastwood's turn.
Eastwood was a troublemaker at school, and he had a bunch of odd jobs such as lifeguard, paper carrier, grocery clerk, forest firefighter, and golf caddy. In 1951, he was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War and was discharged two years later. Through this, he got into contact with a Hollywood representative, who got him into acting classes and started his acting career. He got his start by starring in the hit show Rawhide, but he said he was exhausted by the experience. This caught the attention of some film producers and he decided to act in films directed by the then-unknown Sergio Leone. His career was on the rise, and then he got the chance to make his directorial debut.
From a box office perspective, how reliable was he to deliver a box office hit?
That's the point of this post. To analyze his career.

It should be noted that as he started his career in the 1970s, some of the domestic grosses here will be adjusted by inflation. The table with his highest grossing films, however, will be left in its unadjusted form, as the worldwide grosses are more difficult to adjust.

Play Misty for Me (1971)

"The scream you hear may be your own!"
His directorial debut. It stars Eastwood, Jessica Walter and Donna Mills, and follows a radio disc jockey being stalked by an obsessed female fan.
Before his colleague Irving Leonard died, he and Eastwood had discussed the idea of producing a film that was to give Eastwood the artistic control he desired, and his debut as a director. Eastwood said he was ready, "I stored away all the mistakes I made and saved up all the good things I learned, and now I know enough to control my own projects and get what I want out of actors."
The film was a huge success for Eastwood, and it also received positive reviews. So far, his directorial career was off to a great start.

• Budget: $950,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $10,600,000. ($81.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $10,600,000.
  

High Plains Drifter (1973)

"They'd never forget the day he drifted into town."
His second film. The film stars Eastwood, Verna Bloom and Mariana Hill, and follows a mysterious stranger who metes out justice in a corrupt frontier mining town.
Eastwood reportedly liked the offbeat quality of the film's original nine-page proposal and approached Universal with the idea of directing it, which would make it his first directed Western. The screenplay was inspired by the real-life murder of Kitty Genovese in Queens in 1964, which eyewitnesses reportedly stood by and watched. Holes in the plot were filled in with black humor and allegory, influenced by Sergio Leone.
It was well received, and the film even surpassed Play Misty for Me at the box office. Eastwood was just going up.

• Budget: $5,500,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $15,700,000. ($110.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $15,700,000.
  

Breezy (1973)

"Her name is Breezy."
His third film. It stars William Holden and Kay Lenz, and follows the relationship between a middle-aged real estate agent and a young hitchhiker.
This was his first directed film without starring on it. And his lack of presence certainly hurt the film; it received mixed reviews and flopped at the box office.

• Budget: $750,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $200,000. ($1.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $217,753.
  

The Eiger Sanction (1975)

"His lifeline, held by the assassin he hunted."
His fourth film. Based on the novel by Trevanian, the film stars Eastwood, George Kennedy, Vonetta McGee, and Jack Cassidy. It follows Jonathan Hemlock, an art history professor, mountain climber, and former assassin once employed by a secret government agency, who is blackmailed into returning to his deadly profession for one last mission.
The film received mixed reactions for its writing, and it wasn't a box office success either.

• Budget: $9,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $14,200,000. ($82.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $14,200,000.
  

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

"An army of one."
His fifth film. Based on the novel Gone to Texas by Forrest Carter, it stars Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney and John Vernon. The film tells the story of Josey Wales, a Missouri farmer whose family is murdered by Union militia during the Civil War. Driven to revenge, Wales joins a Confederate guerrilla band and makes a name for himself as a feared gunfighter. After the war, all the fighters in Wales' group except for him surrender to Union soldiers, but the Confederates end up being massacred. Wales becomes an outlaw and is pursued by bounty hunters and Union soldiers as he tries to make a new life for himself.
Eastwood was fascinated by the novel and he bought the film rights, hoping to star on the film. He got Philip Kaufman involved as screenwriter and possible director, but left after disagreeing with Eastwood in the material adapted to the screen. Kaufman insisted on filming with a meticulous attention to detail, which caused disagreements with Eastwood, not to mention the attraction the two shared towards Locke and apparent jealousy on Kaufman's part in regard to their emerging relationship. This caused Eastwood to take over as the director. Kaufman's firing angered the DGA, as he did most of the pre-production, and sanctioning a $60,000 fine. This resulted in the Director's Guild passing a new rule, known as "the Eastwood Rule", which prohibits an actor or producer from firing the director and then personally taking on the director's role.
The film received critical acclaim, and in subsequent years, is ranked among Eastwood's greatest films. It was also a huge success at the box office, doubling his previous highest grossing film. It was also one of the few Western films to receive critical and commercial success in the 1970s at a time when the Western was thought to be dying as a major genre in Hollywood.

• Budget: $3,700,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $31,800,000. ($174.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $31,800,000.
  

The Gauntlet (1977)

"The man in the middle of..."
His sixth film. It stars Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney, and Mara Corday. It follows a down-and-out cop who falls in love with a prostitute, to whom he is assigned to escort from Las Vegas to Phoenix for her to testify against the mob.
While it received mixed reviews, it became another box office success for Eastwood, becoming his now highest grossing film.

• Budget: $5,500,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $35,400,000. ($182.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $35,400,000.
  

Bronco Billy (1980)

"The most outrageous of 'em all."
His seventh film. The film stars Eastwood and Sondra Locke, and focuses on the financially-struggling owner of a traditional Wild West show and his new assistant.
It became another critical and commercial success for Eastwood, who referred to the film as one of his most affable shoots of his career.

• Budget: $6,500,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $24,265,659. ($91.9 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $24,265,659.
  

Firefox (1982)

"The most devastating killing machine ever built... his job... steal it!"
His eighth film. Based on the novel by Craig Thomas, it stars Eastwood, Freddie Jones and David Huffman. The Soviets have developed a revolutionary new jet fighter, called "Firefox". Naturally, the British are worried that the jet will be used as a first-strike weapon, as rumors say that the jet is undetectable on radar. They send ex-Vietnam War pilot Mitchell Gant on a covert mission into the Soviet Union to steal the Firefox.
The film received mixed reviews, but it earned almost $47 million, becoming Eastwood's highest grossing title as director.

• Budget: $21,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $46,708,276. ($151.1 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $46,708,276.
  

Honkytonk Man (1982)

"The boy is on his way to becoming a man. The man is on his way to becoming a legend."
His ninth film. It's based on the novel by Clancy Carlile, and it stars Eastwood and his son Kyle. It follows Red Stovall, a country music singer and composer. With his nephew Whit by his side, he travels to Nashville to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in the backdrop of the Great Depression.
While the film received acclaim, it earned just $4.4 million, becoming his second worst performer.

• Budget: $2,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $4,484,991. ($14.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $4,484,991.
  

Sudden Impact (1983)

"Dirty Harry is at it again."
His tenth film. The fourth installment in the Dirty Harry series, directed, it stars Eastwood and Sondra Locke. The film tells the story of a gang rape victim who decides to seek revenge on her rapists 10 years after the attack by killing them one by one. Inspector Harry Callahan, famous for his unconventional and often brutal crime-fighting tactics, is tasked with tracking down the serial killer.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, but it earned over $150 million worldwide, Eastwood's first film to pass that milestone. It's also very popular for including the iconic catchphrase, "Go ahead, make my day."

• Budget: $22,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $67,642,693. ($212.1 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $150,642,693.
  

Tightrope (1984)

"A cop on the edge..."
His 11th film. It stars Eastwood, Geneviève Bujold, Dan Hedaya, Alison Eastwood and Jennifer Beck, and follows a detective determined to hunt down a sadomasochistic serial killer of prostitutes.
The film became another critical and commercial success for Eastwood.

• Budget: N/A.
  
• Domestic gross: $48,143,579. ($144.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $48,143,579.
  

Pale Rider (1985)

"...And Hell followed with him."
His 12th film. It stars Eastwood, Michael Moriarty and Carrie Snodgress. A couple and their daughter, along with a few others, are driven out of Lahood, California, by goons working for a mining baron. However, a stranger enters their life to assist them in their fight.
There was no stopping Eastwood: another critical and commercial success.

• Budget: $6,900,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $41,410,568. ($120.2 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $41,410,568.
  

Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

"The scars run deep."
His 13th film. It stars Eastwood, Marsha Mason, Everett McGill, and Mario Van Peebles. The story centers on a U.S. Marine nearing retirement who gets a platoon of undisciplined Marines into shape and leads them during the American invasion of Grenada in 1983.
The film was inspired by an account of American paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division using a pay telephone and a credit card to call in fire support during the invasion of Grenada, and fashioned a script of a Korean War veteran career Army non-commissioned officer passing on his values to a new generation of soldiers. Eastwood was interested in the script and asked his producer, Fritz Manes, to contact the US Army with a view of filming the movie at Fort Bragg. However, the Army read the script and refused to participate, due to Highway being portrayed as a hard drinker, divorced from his wife, and using unapproved motivational methods to his troops, an image the Army did not want.
It received mixed reviews, with some deeming the film as "imperialist propaganda". But it was still another box office success.

• Budget: $15,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $42,724,017. ($121.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $121,700,000.
  

Bird (1988)

"There are no second acts in American lives."
His 14th film. The film stars Forest Whitaker and Diane Venora. It is constructed as a montage of scenes from saxophonist Charlie Parker's life, from his childhood in Kansas City, through his early death at the age of 34.
Eastwood, a lifelong fan of jazz, had been fascinated by Parker ever since seeing him perform live in Oakland in 1946. He approached Chan Parker, Bird's common-law wife on whose memoirs the script was based, for input, and she lent Eastwood and arranger Lennie Niehaus a collection of recordings from her private collection Before Eastwood was involved, Richard Pryor was originally cast as Parker.
Despitive positive reviews, it performed poorly, earning just $2.2 million in North America.

• Budget: $14,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $2,181,286. ($5.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $2,181,286.
  

White Hunter Black Heart (1990)

"An adventure in obsession."
His 15th film. Based on the novel by Peter Viertel, it stars Eastwood, Jeff Fahey, George Dzundza, Alun Armstrong and Marisa Berenson. It follows a famous movie director, John Wilson, who goes to Africa to make his next movie. He is an obstinate, contrary director who'd rather hunt elephants than take care of his crew or movie. He has become obsessed with one particular elephant and cares for nothing else.
Despite positive reviews, it made just $2.3 million domestically, not even 10% of the budget.

• Budget: $24,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $2,319,124. ($5.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $2,319,124.
  

The Rookie (1990)

His 16th film. The film stars Eastwood, Charlie Sheen, Raul Julia, Sônia Braga, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Tom Skerritt. It follows a veteran police officer teamed up with a younger detective, whose intent is to take down a German crime lord in downtown Los Angeles, following months of investigation into an exotic car theft ring.
It received negative reviews for its acting and story, and it became another flop for Eastwood. That's three bombs in a row. Ouch.

• Budget: $30,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $21,633,874. ($51.6 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $21,633,874.
  

Unforgiven (1992)

"Some legends will never be forgotten. Some wrongs can never be forgiven."
His 17th film. It stars Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris and Morgan Freeman. It follows William Munny, a widower with two young kids, who was once a very vicious gunfighter who gave up everything after marriage. Now, a man named Schofield Kid brings him an offer that he cannot refuse, forcing him to come out of retirement for one last job.
David Webb Peoples wrote the script all the way back to 1976, and it was optioned by Francis Ford Coppola, but he lacked the funds needed to helm it. By Eastwood's own recollection, he was given the script in the "early 80s" although he did not immediately pursue it, because, according to him, "I thought I should do some other things first". Eastwood has long asserted that the film would be his last traditional Western, concerned that any future projects would simply rehash previous plotlines or imitate someone else's work. He dedicated the film to his close friends and mentors Sergio Leone and Don Siegel. Hackman initially refused to participate as his daughters were upset that he was starring in too many violent films, but he became fascinated by the script that he agreed.
It opened with $15 million and it legged all the way to $100 million after playing for almost one year, closing with $159 million worldwide, his now highest grossing film. The film received Eastwood's best reviews of his career, with many considering the film as his magnum opus as director. It received 9 Oscar nominations, and won four: Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood, Best Supporting Actor for Hackman, and Best Film Editing. So Eastwood, on top of being a reliable box office draw, was now a 2-time Oscar winner.

• Budget: $14,400,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $101,167,799. ($225.2 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $159,167,799.
  

A Perfect World (1993)

His 18th film. Kevin Costner, Eastwood and Laura Dern, and follows an escaped convict who takes a young boy hostage and attempts to escape on the road with the child, while being pursued by a Texas Ranger.
The film received critical acclaim, and has appeared as one of Eastwood's best films. The film disappointed in North America, but it earned up to $100 million overseas (Eastwood's first film to gross that much) and ended with $135 million worldwide.

• Budget: $30,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $31,130,999. ($67.2 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $135,130,999.
  

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

"The human heart has a way of making itself large again even after it's been broken into a million pieces."
His 19th film. Based on the novel by Robert James Waller, it stars Eastwood and Meryl Streep. The film is set in 1965, following a war bride, Francesca Johnson, who lives with her husband and two children on their Iowa farm. That year she meets National Geographic photojournalist, Robert Kincaid, who comes to Madison County, Iowa to photograph its historic covered bridges. With Francesca's family away for a short trip, the couple have an intense, four-day love affair.
It received more critical acclaim, and made over $180 million worldwide, becoming his highest grossing film. For her performance, Streep was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.

• Budget: $22,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $71,516,617. ($146.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $182,016,617.
  

Absolute Power (1997)

His 20th film. Based on the novel by David Baldacci, it stars Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Judy Davis, Scott Glenn, Dennis Haysbert, and Richard Jenkins. It follows a master jewel thief who witnesses the killing of a woman by Secret Service agents.
It received mixed reviews, and disappointed at the box office.

• Budget: $50,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $50,068,310. ($97.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $92,768,310.
  

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

"Welcome to Savannah, Georgia. A Ccty of hot nights and cold blooded murder."
His 21st film. Based on the book by John Berendt, it stars John Cusack and Kevin Spacey. It follows the story of antiques dealer Jim Williams, on trial for the killing of a male prostitute who was his lover. The multiple trials depicted in Berendt's book are combined into one trial for the film.
It received mediocre reviews, and flopped at the box office.

• Budget: $30,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $25,105,255. ($48.8 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $25,105,255.
  

True Crime (1999)

His 22nd film. Based on the novel by Andrew Klavan, it stars Eastwood, Isaiah Washington, Denis Leary, LisaGay Hamilton and James Woods. It follows a journalist covering the execution of a death row inmate, only to discover that the convict may actually be innocent.
This was another project that received mediocre reviews and flopped at the box office.

• Budget: $55,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $16,649,768. ($31.2 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $16,649,768.
  

Space Cowboys (2000)

"Boys will be boys."
His 23rd film. It stars Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner as four aging former test pilots who are sent into space to repair an old Soviet satellite.
It received very positive reviews, and earned over $128 million worldwide.

• Budget: $60,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $90,464,773. ($164 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $128,884,132.
  

Blood Work (2002)

"He's a heartbeat away from catching the killer."
His 24th film. Based on the novel by Michael Connelly, it stars Eastwood, Jeff Daniels, Wanda De Jesús, and Anjelica Huston. It follows a retired FBI agent who recently had a heart transplant but still takes up the job to nab a killer.
It was another film with mediocre reviews and flop status.

• Budget: $50,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $26,235,081. ($45.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $31,794,718.
  

Mystic River (2003)

"We bury our sins, we wash them clean."
His 25th film. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, it stars Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney. It follows three childhood friends who are reunited 25 years later when one of them suffers a family tragedy.
Michael Keaton was originally cast in the role of Det. Sean Devine, and did several script readings with the cast, as well as his own research into the practices of the Massachusetts Police Department. However, creative differences between Keaton and Eastwood led to Keaton leaving the production. He was replaced by Kevin Bacon. This was the first film in which Eastwood would be credited as composer.
The film had a slow roll-out, but it was aided by strong word of mouth, closing with a wonderful $156 million worldwide. It also received acclaim, and was named as one of Eastwood's greatest films. Sean Penn received universal acclaim for his performance, with some naming it among the best acting of the century, particularly for one scene (if you watched it, you definitely know which scene). It received 6 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood. It won two: Best Actor for Penn and Best Supporting Actor for Robbins.

• Budget: $25,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $90,135,191. ($153 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $156,595,191.
  

Come back tomorrow for Part 2

MOVIES (FROM HIGHEST GROSSING TO LEAST GROSSING)

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Overseas Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
x	The Bridges of Madison County	1995	Warner Bros.	$71,516,617	$110,500,000	$182,016,617	$22M
x	Unforgiven	1992	Warner Bros.	$101,167,799	$58,000,000	$159,167,799	$14.4M
x	Mystic River	2003	Warner Bros.	$90,135,191	$66,460,000	$156,595,191	$25M
x	Sudden Impact	1983	Warner Bros.	$67,642,693	$83,000,000	$150,642,693	$22M
x	A Perfect World	1993	Warner Bros.	$31,130,999	$104,000,000	$135,130,999	$30M
x	Space Cowboys	2000	Warner Bros.	$90,464,773	$38,419,359	$128,884,132	$60M
x	Heartbreak Ridge	1986	Warner Bros.	$42,724,017	$78,975,983	$121,700,000	$15M
x	Absolute Power	1997	Sony	$50,068,310	$42,700,000	$92,768,310	$50M
x	Tightrope	1984	Warner Bros.	$48,143,579	$0	$48,143,579	N/A
x	Firefox	1982	Warner Bros.	$46,708,276	$0	$46,708,276	$21M
x	Pale Rider	1985	Warner Bros.	$41,410,568	$0	$41,410,568	$6.9M
x	The Gauntlet	1977	Warner Bros.	$35,400,000	$0	$35,400,000	$5.5M
x	The Outlaw Josey Wales	1976	Warner Bros.	$31,800,000	$0	$31,800,000	$3.7M
x	Blood Work	2002	Warner Bros.	$26,235,081	$5,559,637	$31,794,718	$50M
x	Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil	1997	Warner Bros.	$25,105,255	$0	$25,105,255	$30M
x	Bronco Billy	1980	Warner Bros.	$24,265,659	$0	$24,265,659	$6.5M
x	The Rookie	1990	Warner Bros.	$21,633,874	$0	$21,633,874	$30M
x	True Crime	1999	Warner Bros.	$16,649,768	$0	$16,649,768	$55M
x	High Plains Drifter	1973	Universal	$15,700,000	$0	$15,700,000	$5.5M
x	The Eiger Sanction	1975	Universal	$14,200,000	$0	$14,200,000	$9M
x	Play Misty for Me	1971	Universal	$10,600,000	$0	$10,600,000	$950K
x	Honkytonk Man	1982	Warner Bros.	$4,484,991	$0	$4,484,991	$2M
x	White Hunter Black Heart	1990	Warner Bros.	$2,319,124	$0	$2,319,124	$24M
x	Bird	1988	Warner Bros.	$2,181,286	$0	$2,181,286	$14M
x	Breezy	1973	Universal	$200,000	$17,753	$217,753	$750K

The Verdict

Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section.
The next director will be Robert Zemeckis. One of the biggest falls from grace.
I asked you to choose who else should be in the run and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. It had to be a controversial filmmaker. Well, we'll later talk about... Zack Snyder. Oh, BoxOffice chose fuego 🔥
This is the schedule for the following four:

Week	Director	Reasoning
May 20-26	Robert Zemeckis	Can we get old Zemeckis back?
May 27-June 2	Richard Donner	An influential figure of the 70s and 80s.
June 3-9	Ang Lee	What happened to Lee?
June 10-16	Zack Snyder	RIP Inbox.

Who should be next after Snyder? That's up to you.

There's a few DM studio tracks where you can hear voices from people other than the band members (or ex band members).

• "Black Celebration" - Daniel Miller doing his Winston Churchill impression "A brief period of rejoicing"
• "To Have And To Hold" - Unknown Russian (radio?) voice that supposedly translates to "‘Psychological problems of Arms Race"
• "I Want You Now" - A couple of models hanging around the studio provide the laughing
• "Condemnation (Paris Mix)" - Backing vocals from Samantha Smith, Hildia Campbell, Bazil Meade
• "Route 66" (Beatmasters Mix) - Includes a commercial for the "Name That Tune" game show: "They come from everywhere to take the challenge ... and if they can name it, they can claim it!" Later, Wolfman Jack pops up talking about registering for the draft.
• "Never Let Me Down Again" / "Sacred" / "Little 15" - Used samples from Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Southend Boys' Choirs
• "Fly On The Windscreen (Final)" - A voice saying "I don't care how you feel.". Unconfirmed who, but could be Daniel Miller, could be Richard Pryor.
• "Personal Jesus" (Pump Mix)" - "The Lord Jesus Christ himself" - taken from 1988 film Thy Kingdom Come
• "Painkiller" - "I want it"? sampleed from Sonic Youth.

It feels like there's a few others I'm missing....Anyone know of the others? I'm discounting live recordings from tours where they had backing vocalists.
The following tracks had voices, but research indicated it was from a band member

• "Shouldn't Have Done That" - Apparently the reversed voices is Martin telling a story...and the foot stamping includes members from the band Blancmange...so that one doesn't really count.
• "Crucified" (Interlude #2 from Violator) - Apparently, the voice is Fletch, so doesn't count.
• "Kaleid" - I've been unable to confirm who the voice is from, so likely to be the band (Martin?)