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A controversial two-page social media policy Commonwealth Bank introduced to its employees back in December has turned into a public relations disaster. The document threatens “serious disciplinary action which may include termination” for a range of online activities extending far beyond office walls.

The policy forbids its employees from doing anything online that may damage the bank’s brand. Most troublesome is a section of the policy informing employees they would be held accountable for the actions of their online friends.

Commonwealth told employees that they were to report “inappropriate or disparaging content and information stored or posted by others (including non-employees) in the social media environment” or risk being fired.

“For example, your friend could post an inappropriate comment about the Group on your Facebook page or create a blog about the Group,” the policy states. “If you become aware of any such material, you should immediately notify your manager and the Media & Communications team.”

You can read the entire policy here on page 2.

The document, which was obtained by an Australian newspaper, not only told employees they were expected to snitch on their friends, participation in any subsequent police action would also be required.

“You must also provide the Group with all reasonable assistance in relation to any investigation into such material and in relation to the removal or deletion of such material.”

Translation: Rat on your friends, then collaborate in the resulting witch hunt.

Brand Blowback

The social media policy, which restricts what employees do and say in their time away from work, has outraged privacy and civil liberties activists. Labor union officials say the policy violates freedoms of speech and association.

The Financial Sector Union, which represents Commonwealth employees, characterizes the bank’s social media policy as unfair, suggesting that even innocent and harmless comments might result in an employee’s dismissal. “Such conduct, whilst being a breach of the policy, would not constitute a breach of the employee’s duty of good faith under the contract of employment and would not cause damage to the reputation or interest of the banks,” FSU’s letter said.

And yet, “a conversation about the colour of the tea cups at the workplace, who is winning the footy tipping competition, or what day of the week Commonwealth employees are permitted to wear casual clothes are examples of conversations that would constitute a breach of the policy as it is currently worded,” FSU continued in its letter.

PR Nightmare

Ironically, Commonwealth’s social media policy was designed to protect the brand, however the document may have caused more harm than good. Media coverage of Commonwealth’s media policy has been harshly critical. Finextra called the social media policy “draconian.” Among the dozens of other brand-damaging articles covering the policy are headlines including:

At least one Commonwealth employee feared the social media policy would be used as an excuse to axe employees the bank wants to fire but otherwise can’t. “Because it’s subjective I have a feeling the policy is going to be used more as an excuse than the real reason [for firing someone].”

It’s worth pointing out that whomever leaked the bank’s social media document would certainly be subject to firing under the policy’s provisions. Furthermore, any employee commenting in an unofficial capacity here on this article at The Financial Brand would probably also lose their job. In fact, if you work at Commonwealth and you’re reading this, you had probably better report yourself, just to make sure you’re in compliance.

Backed Into a Corner, Now Backing Down

Commonwealth initially defended the policy but has now backed down, saying it is open to discussions with the Finance Sector Union.

Commonwealth is now promising to ”amend the policy where it is considered reasonable to do so to ensure that all of its staff continue to be treated fairly”.

Legal expert Peter Vitale told Startup Smart that he is unsure whether business have the right to force any employee to delete a negative comment from their Facebook account, particularly if it is made by a third party.

“There is a legitimate concern there that you are exposing employees to conditions beyond employment. There are situations where those comments may have something to do with being in a union and so on,” Vitale said in an interview.

It’s Happened Before

Marilyn Tagocon, a former Chase analyst, was canned after telling her employer she blogged about historical fiction in her spare time. She had been unaware of the bank’s policy until a coworker told her the company’s code of conduct included online restrictions. Tagocon was sure her blog, which she writes under a pen name, didn’t fall under the policy, but to make sure she talked to her boss. She was given a choice: her job or her blog. Tagocon refused to take down her blog and she was fired. Now Chase is staring at a nasty wrongful termination lawsuit.

“I’m not sure the intent of the rules was to restrict employees in this fashion,” Jim Kim wrote at FierceFinance. “They ought to be able to pursue hobbies that have nothing to do with work and pose no issues, even if those hobbies involve an online component.”

A similar recent situation involved an NBC employee fired for posting old footage from the “Today” show online. The clip from 1994, which showed Today hosts dumbfounded by the internet, generated massive online buzz. Once it went viral, the Today decided to do its own entire segment which it then posted online.

Analysis & Perspective

Establishing a social media policy to protect a financial institution’s brand is a good idea, but you have to wonder if Commonwealth wouldn’t have been better off with no policy than the Big Brother version it rolled out. Commonwealth threatened to terminate employees for failing to censor and conspire against their online friends crosses the line, and now it’s stuck with a big, painful distraction.

Section 1 in Commonwealth’s social media policy contains loads of prophetic irony: “The ever-changing and inherently public nature of online communication presents a range of challenges to the Group in safeguarding our commercial activities, our brand and reputation.” Indeed it seems the bank still has some way to go before its social media challenges turn into opportunities.

For all its faults, Commonwealth’s policy does contain one salient clause. Under Section 3 it says, “As a general rule, you should be guided by your common sense.” Such a simple guideline should sufficiently cover all employee behavior — not just social media — but unfortunately it doesn’t.

If your financial institution is planning to introduce a social media policy, you should be encouraged to see what other banks and credit unions are doing. Visible Banking points out two you examples you can check out, one from US Bank and the other from Monroe Bank & Trust.

Just be sure you exercise some common sense. You don’t want to blindly copy the mistakes of other financial institutions. Just because another organization has a social media policy doesn’t mean that policy is any good or right for you.

This article was originally published on . All content © 2020 by The Financial Brand and may not be reproduced by any means without permission.


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A final love letter to the river

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind, and I anticipate additional frenzy for another few weeks as our move back across the country happens. I’m saying goodbye to the river this week, along with all the birds and other wildlife the river attracts.

To say goodbye—even typing these words—brings a lump to my throat and the threat of tears. I have loved this place: the American River and its banks. And the river’s last surprise for me (one I first shared with you in January) has brought some of my most cherished memories:

The sea lion visits the river by the fish hatchery.

Continue reading

A love letter to the river, part 2

As my days here in California dwindle, I’m trying to savor the things and places I’ll miss most. Last week’s post offered up the first part of a love letter to the river here. This week’s focuses on a more specific love I have for the river: the birds it attracts.

A Great Heron keeps a watchful eye from its nest.

Double-crested Cormorants line up along a wire across the river. I love their turquoise eyes.

White-tailed Kites perched in their tree before going on a hunt.

Perhaps it is the birds I will miss most about the river. Unexpected varieties of birds have became daily companions. I’ve searched for them on morning walks and brought friends to see them in pouring rainstorms.

The little Anna’s Hummingbird that perches in the same tree top each morning. The pair of White-tailed Kites who have their own tree to defend from interloping hawks. Owls I can hear but never see in the dimmest early morning hours. The big birds that come in hunting salmon and trout: golden eagles, bald eagles, osprey. Then there are the herons, egrets, cormorants, mergansers, and other birds who are ever present. I’ve even come to appreciate the vultures.

Encountering these birds make up some of my favorite memories, and I will carry them with me in my heart when I go.

Do you have favorite birds you see where you live? Or when you travel?

A love letter to the river

In less than three weeks, I’ll begin the journey back across the country to move home. This past month has brought tears and hugs and goodbye visits with friends who’ve become dear to me. I’m thrilled to be going home, but there’s plenty I’ll miss.

For the next few posts, I’ll be sharing a love letter to the river. The river has been my most constant companion in my time here, and whatever the season, it offers its gifts and treasures and delights without asking anything in return. Maybe the river appreciates that I take the time to stop and notice.

At the start of a bountiful rainy season in 2016

Spring lupines decorate the river bank (2016).

A quiet winter sunset

Whether rushing or gently rolling, the river always carries away some of my cares when I stand at its banks. For that, I am in its debt.

What are some of the things you miss from places you’ve lived before? Is there something where you live now that may be calling for a little bit of your heart?

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It Doesn’t Always Work How You Think It Will

So it’s been a bit difficult lately in terms of my ability to concentrate. Which means meditating and trying to journey has also become difficult. I ground, center, and cleanse, then try to empty the useless thoughts out. Well, shortly after becoming empty, all the weird, pre-dreaming thoughts come into my head, without much notice from me until I’m almost asleep. I suppose it’s helpful that I can fall asleep more easily now, having sweet slumber come more readily lately is a blessing after the past year. I’m definitely grateful for that, make no mistake.

But back to that journeying I would like to be doing, she’s being elusive. Funny thing is, when I drew some cards yesterday before going Somewhere, I got these three cards: Seven of Bows – Clearance, The Journey, and Five of Stones – Endurance. Quite fitting, really, as yes, I began falling asleep with those weird, pre-dream thoughts during my attempt at journeying, and failing. Endurance to endeavour, indeed!

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The past few months have seen much less attempts at journeying, so I can understand why it’s been difficult for me to go back in. With that being said, I also know that even though there have been fewer attempts at journeying, I’ve had one foot in the Otherworld and one in this for quite awhile now. So, really, I am Somewhere else most of the time. I’ve been able to directly interact in both worlds quite easily while out and about on the forested trail, and even in my backyard, since it overlooks a swamp and there’s a plethora of plants, animals, and land spirits to connect with. It hasn’t required much effort to be in this state, other than allowing it to just be what it is. It’s been strange adjusting to this new way my brain likes to work, since like I said, I have less focus, and for a few months during the winter, I was having a really hard time remembering things.

Now, the memory has come back to an extent, much more manageable, but I don’t seem to be remembering all these little things like I used to be able to do. But I love that my brain is readily able to empty out without much effort as I’m going about in the yard, and there’s always this magick that seeps into the emptiness. I get to feel more wonder in the world about me now, and that makes me even more open for the interactions because I don’t get in my own way with those terrible thoughts they teach you are a part of being a grown up that nothing is “real”, it’s all fantasy and make-believe. Those thoughts are useless, and hinder. It’s about finding how these things are “real” and manifest for you. Even when they do pop up in my head, I take a moment to look at why I have them in a more anthropological fashion, and dismiss them.

What I’d also like to iterate is that most common of sayings, that anything to do with the spiritual, (in this case, journeying) is different for everyone. There are basic ways of teaching and learning how to do these (and many) things, but the continued practice will see it morph into what it needs to be for you at any given moment in time. This is probably why most of my magick and honouring kind of just flows from me, from the moment, from what feels powerful at that point in time. However, there are times when having that structure in place, the words or songs or actions repeated, are equally as powerful. It lends a prolonged focus to my workings as I have to prepare whatever ritual or working I need to do.

I know, I know, I seem to go back and forth on these thoughts, but it’s more of, I see that all of these things can work, in their own times. Structure really helps when you’re doing work in groups, structure can heighten it because there is comfort in structure. Yet alone, after having structure in place, after knowing why I do what I do, there is comfortableness which allows my actions and words and songs to pour forth and be equally well received. It is very much akin to creating any kind of art, sometimes you want to sing Mozart’s very technical Queen of the Night’s aria “Der Hölle Rache”, sometimes you just want to scat whatever inspires you in a sultry jazz song.

It’s important to not get hung up on any particular way or idea on what or how things should work for you. Be open and fluid, because that’s how the connections and inspirations from the Spirits and the Divine can flow in and through you. So for now, I endeavour to build up my ability to focus for more in depth journeying, however, I will also enjoy the walking in both worlds at the same time in my everyday life and what nourishment that has and continues to bring to me.

3 thoughts on “It Doesn’t Always Work How You Think It Will

  1. ..and sometimes the journey is being in both worlds at the same time.. I always think its important to adjust your expectations.. It seems, at least to me, that it is never how you expect it to be and that’s part of the challenge, knowledge, and learning process. Someone once told me she expected her journey to be more like a movie.. She expected “to see”.. And I said, there are many ways to “see”.. And it could be just like that.. But what if you are not a seer.. What if information comes to you in other ways.. Don’t discount how things come to you.. No matter how they choose to bring the knowledge..

    • This. Exactly.
      I figure that the only reason why anything at all has been happening is because of the flexibility I have with how I think things should work. Before something happens, I have that sort of idea of what I think will occur, but I don’t get caught up in trying to make that exact thing happen. Spirituality is a very individual and infinite thing, anything could happen, and I like that I’m open to that, in whatever way it comes to me.

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text:
Reading for the Week – Oct 19-25

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Beginning of the Week
VI Wands
A celebration of accomplishments is at hand. It is good to come back from your adventures and your victories to share and enjoy what your triumphs means and brings to you as well as those around you. You’ve earned your honour and the respect of those around you.

II Pentacles
Though the beginning of the week is joyful and well deserved, mid-week, you will need to focus on how you balance things within your life. Since it’s pentacles that are depicted here, it could be a balancing act between your financials and what you’d like to spend your money on. Perhaps it’s how much you need vs the career and money you make. Pay attention to the details, when it comes to balancing things out, figure out where you could be leaner, or what opportunities could help even things out.

End of Week
XIII Death
It seems though the start of the week brought you joy in your accomplishments, you will come to the end of the week and see that things are beginning to transform for you. Change is on the wind. Everything, no matter how much we love it, comes to an end so that it can provide nourishment for the next thing to flourish. It will be an adjustment, but all life is change, we are constantly evolving into the people we will be, even to the last moments of life.

If you enjoy my weekly readings, hop on over to my shop, The Forest Witch where I offer general readings as well as Deity/Spirit communication readings. Right now, you can get 20% off of ANY reading when you type SAMHAIN into the coupon bar at checkout!

Also… things are ordered and on their way!! I can’t wait to get some solid formulas pumped out to share with you guys in my shop!!!

10 thoughts on “Reading for the Week – Oct 19-25

    • Right there with you! I’m so glad I found this deck, it is gorgeous! The majors have finer paintings than the minors do, but still beautiful! The colours are so rich 🙂
      It’s the Llewellyn deck, in case you’re wondering 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      • Thank you for letting me know which deck you are using … in your opinion, is it a deck that suits itself for novices, as well? Also, do you have experience divining with the runes? If so, what would you point out as differences? I ask this because runes are something I do understand … a comparison by someone who has worked with both might bring me a bit further 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

        • Of course! 🙂
          Hmm, the imagery (especially in the minor arcana) is pretty much spot on with regular Rider-Waite depictions and symbols. The Majors show Welsh myths and Gods, so if you are familiar with Them, it helps a bit. I would say learning the tarot with any deck would take a while since there are 78 cards, each with its own meaning, symbols, and depths to be explored. Insofar as this particular deck, I feel the art speaks to the meaning of the cards well, as again, it follows the established R-W.

          As for runes, I am in need of a new set! I haven’t divined with them nearly as much or for as long as with tarot, but I enjoy the more blunt answers you can get with them. Runes have always felt straight to the point when I’ve read with them. There is most definitely depth to be explored with then as well, but the answers I get always seem quite a bit more focused.

          I hope that want all too incoherent! 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

          • Wow – thank you for the explanation! I am going to give this idea some time to move around in my mind … this deck, along with two others, really has my attention at this point (those other two being Archeon and Fantastical Creatures). I have been comfortable with the runes almost from the beginning, and am not necessarily looking for something to replace them with; but I think at least picking up some of the basics with tarot wouldn’t be amiss. And, in all honesty, if it turned out that I were more comfortable with tarot than with the runes even; then I don’t see where that would be a bad thing, either … no dread for that which is different 🙂

            Liked by 1 person

          • No problem!! 🙂
            It took me a while to get my first deck, besides the RW I received a long time ago, to choose which one really spoke to me before I purchased it! There’s so many beautiful decks out there!!

            You know, I think the more tools you have at your disposal, the better! 😉

          • I’ve read in several places that RW is what a beginner should start with … what is your opinion about this? The Archeon deck also speaks to me; but I’ve read that there is really little documentation to go along with it. With the runes, I was able to ‘make them mine’ by going through the lore and letting everything coalesce in my mind … do tarot decks work the same way?

            Liked by 1 person

          • I think simply because the RW is what most tarot decks are based off of, it is a good one to start with. Here’s where I’m going to be ambiguous about it, I think. So long as you’re getting a tarot deck, there will be differences, but it’s really up to you if you want to start with the RW. The RW does have a lot of symbolism that you can delve into to find deeper meaning; however, if you’re not interested in ALL of those symbols, and if you want to go with something that feels right for you, and you enjoy looking at, go with that.

            Decks will always have meanings for different situations, and with 78 cards, they can definitely get to the point despite differences between decks. My method is to read the book, see what kind of symbols the artist employed, figure out how that works for me; but mainly, I use my gut to tell me exactly what a card means in any given reading.

            As far as the Archeon deck, I think this is where you can decide if you want to take a bit of a leap in the dark… you can pick the deck up and allow yourself to completely create your own meanings for the cards. I’d suggest keeping a journal with what each card evokes for you. This would be a bit of work, but learning the cards from their written meanings is also work!

            I think your method with the Runes could be employed with the Tarot as well, though obviously the Tarot (unless it is specifically tied to a pantheon’s stories/symbols) doesn’t have that strong connection to specific Gods, as Odinn is connected to the Runes, or pantheons.

            Liked by 1 person

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Sale Reminder

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Hello, dear gentle readers! I hope your day is as nice is mine is (well, only because I’m cooking a delicious dinner for the Man since it’s his birthday and all! Lemon potatoes, marinated pork chops, and a pumpkin pie… with ALL the whipped cream :D).

Just letting you know you have until this Saturday (the 31st of October) to get 20% off ANY reading in my shop, The Forest Witch! Type SAMHAIN into the coupon bar at checkout and voila!

4 thoughts on “Sale Reminder

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text:
#30DaysMagicalRoots Days 8 & 9

Whew! What a busy week! A few days of solid preparation before the craft show, then the craft show, then decompressing after the craft show… All of that with a visit to family as well. Just busy! So I’ll catch up today with the Magical Roots challenge in a couple of posts.

Day 8: Meditation
Write a short meditation to practice on a regular basis. (Bonus if you record an audio version of this and share it!)

This is a meditation I’ve done before on quite a few occasions. Its purpose is to clear out a lot of my brain chatter so that I can focus better on whatever task I have at hand. I’ve used it before writing (anything, really), singing, being with people, journeying to Otherworlds. Pretty much any time I need some clarity and not be bogged down by the plethora of thoughts that like to fill up my head.

Clear Out Unhelpful Thoughts Meditation

Sit with your feet flat on the ground, eyes closed

Slow your breathing then begin to either breathe very deeply on each breath or perform the 4 in, hold for 4, 4 out, hold for 4 breath. Repeat until your heartbeat slows, and you get that tingly feeling; then continue to breathe deeply at a natural pace.

Imagine yourself walking a forest path. You can hear water flowing beside you to the right, but you can’t quite see it through all the lush foliage and well-established trees lining the river.

Keep walking until you find a little clearing between the trees. You can see the water now, from the path, flowing swiftly over well-rounded, and colourful stones and larger rocks.

You now walk to the water’s edge. You see there’s actually a bit of a dock that sits atop the water. Lay down on the dock with your head just above the water. Slowly let what hair you have dip into the flow, let it float beside your head, following the  current. Continue until the back and top of your head is submerged.

You can feel now that not only is the water cool and refreshing to touch, but it also seems to be taking away some of the stress and tension attached to your hair, wanting to pull more from the crown of your head.

Slowly allow the water to seep into your skull, and wash through all the nooks and crannies that need clearing out. The stress and fear that doesn’t help you, or hinders you from doing things you need and want to be doing. The sluggishness of procrastination, the random things that seem to fill your head whenever you want to really focus on an important project or issue.

The river seems to run as swiftly as it needs to, with as much force as it needs to in order to carry away the thoughts that don’t serve your purpose well.

You stay here, allowing the river to pull out all the hindrances in your head until there is nothing left but a cleared mind ready for whatever task you want to set it to.

Thank the river for its help. I like to imagine offering a leaf, stone, feather, or another natural gift.

Slowly open your eyes, breathe deeply to focus on your body once more and anchor yourself in our world. Now get to focusing on that task!

Day 9: Daily Practices
What are some quick & easy practices you can incorporate into your daily life to help you connect with your Craft and your Gods? You can find some ideas here: Ways to Live a More Magical Life and here: 15 Ways to Do Witchcraft Every Day

These are some of the daily practices that I’ve done in the past. And actually, doing this challenge has made me see that I actually do more than I think I do on a daily basis!

Stir love and luck into the food I feed my family.

Thanking the spirits of the food I eat for sustaining me.

Wish safe travels on my husband-man whenever he leaves, usually asking my gods, but also the universe.

Light candles for others to focus my well wishing upon them everytime I look at the candle.

Feel for the energies and spirits of any natural place I visit, usually saying hi, and complimenting the beauty I see.

I sing songs to Lake Huron when I visit the beach. I’ve done this with other bodies of water, but I visit Lake Huron the most, obviously 😛

I also sing songs to forests, and other natural places, actually.

Yep, in going over the things that I still do regularly, I am more active in my witchiness than I thought! ❤

You can follow along with the #30DaysMagicalRoots Challenge over at Plentiful Earth!


text:
F Plus Episode 47

47: In The World of Dragon Dildos, Is The Chin-Wattle Man King?

I'd like you all to think back to the time that you were at an adult video store browsing the various "marital aids" that the store had available. Don't be shy to admit it, we're all friends here! Now... you remember looking at some of the more ridiculous products and giggling with your significant other over the thought of "Who would actually buy this thing?" This episode is like that, but way worse. We're focusing on the community of Bad Dragon, an online retailer of sex toys accurately modeled after the genitals of creatures that don't actually exist. This week, The F Plus visits the astral plane and gets busted by vice cops.

  1. Enter The Dragon Theme
  2. Sisqo - Unleash The Dragon
  3. Peter Paul and Mary - Puff The Magic Dragon


text:
Rwanda: African Union Rallies Members Ahead of Landmark Trade Deal

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has urged African countries to ratify and implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, saying it will fast-track the continent’s much-desired economic growth.
Mahamat made the call during the opening of the 18th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the African Union in Kigali yesterday.
“The Agreement will be a historic pact, which has been nearly 40 years in the making and represents a major advance for African integration and unity. The African Continental Free Trade Area will also strengthen Africa’s position in global trade,” he said.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa F. Mahamat (Photo:Newtimes)
Mahamat further urged African countries to overcome fears and self-interests as these continue to be barriers to regional trade and growth.
Member countries and other continental trade bodies ought to look at the collective benefits as they outweigh the concerns, the AU official said.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, who also doubles as the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers, emphasised that the agreement is good for Africa and should enter into force as soon as possible.
“By signing and ratifying it, we would signal that we are determined to play our part as a global player while promoting the continent’s economic interests as one, through a single African market,” she said.
Mushikiwabo observed that the negotiations and implementation of previous agreements have given African countries capacity to implement the AfCFTA.
“With the AfCTA-related agreements before us, we are now well armed to improve our social structures, improve the livelihoods of even our poorest communities, and develop regional and continental value chains to ensure prosperity and well-being for our people,” she said.
Beyond the signing of the agreement, Minister Mushikiwabo said that countries ought to also address other trade concerns such as burdensome regulations, access to finance by the private sector, infrastructure networks, and simplification of customs processes to significantly increase intra-Africa trade.
Vera Songwe, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission, for Africa observed that the agreement comes at a time when there are instances of anti-globalisation and protectionism.
For instance, she observed, the American government last month announced increased tariffs for steel and aluminium imports. African steel and aluminium exports are valued at about $800 million.
“We are currently witnessing some new and quite extraordinary developments in the global economy.
In the developed world there is a rising tide of protectionism and anti-globalization. Although we are not the focus, Africa will not remain untouched,” Songwe said.
Culled from New Times

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text:
front cover

Platform: PC

Developer(s): Electronic Arts, Inc.

Publishers(s): Electronic Arts

ReleaseDate: 1991-01-01

Co-op: No

Chuck Yeager's Air Combat

Combat is the ultimate flying experience... General Chuck Yeager. Three historic eras that revolutionized air combat. Yeager saw them all. World War II. The peak of prop-driven combat. 50 accurate historic missions. Become an ace in one day like Yeager in World War II, fight Sabres high over the Yalu River in Korea, fly in the biggest air battle of Vietnam. Korean War. Jet aircraft dominate the skies. Tactical updates on call. You have a Sabre in your sights, but is he alone? Info windows give you critical data on enemy locations, plane performance, even your opponent's next move. Vietnam War. Missiles make their first deadly mark. Accurate flight dynamics. Faster speeds and greater Gs put your pilot skills to the test. Gunning fighters over Germany was hard, but a missile lock at Mach 1 is a whole different ballgame. Fantasy combat. Mix and match aircraft and eras. You choose the planes, skill level, tactical situation, and number of opponents. How many Me-262s does it take to shoot down an F-4 Phantom?! VCR-Style replay. Review actual footage of flip to the Tactical Analysis Model. Rewind, jump ahead, or single-step. Save your best kills to disk- watch the action from every angle. Key features. 50 Historic missions from three wars. Choose your side. Mission creator lets you pit aircraft of different eras against each other. Yeager's personal advice, analysis of planes- even his digitized voice. Multiple difficulty levels- take out amateurs or take on the aces! Six elite fighter aircraft. Easy-to-use, menu driven interface. Extensive manual with historical backgrounds, tactics, maneuvers, photographs, and color plates.

Genre(s): Flight Simulator

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T-Rex Arms MED1 Review

Let’s start with some honesty, I was sent the MED1 by Tactical Kit for review, along with the 1110 Gear tourniquet holder. Since leaving the forces, I don’t have a huge need for a personal medical kit any more, but the beauty of tactical gear is that you don’t need to listen to the manufacturer, they’re not your supervisor. I’ve been given this item on loan, which means I can stay objective as if I don’t like the MED1, I just send it back.

Read the Geardo Crow's review of the T-Rex Arms MED1

To begin with, it’s worth noting that this pouch, like the Orion belt and I assume T-Rex’s dump pouch, is OEM’d by Coyote Tactical Solutions on behalf of T-Rex arms. Coyote Tactical are renowned as a premium gear manufacturer, and whilst I have had teething problems with other products they’ve made for T-Rex in the past (see my review of the old Orion belt here), this was mainly due to the materials used, and not the standard of how it was put together. Taking a closer look at the MED1, it is clear that CTS haven’t dropped the ball with this one as the stitching is impeccable throughout, and there has clearly been time and effort put into the laser cutting on the back of the pouch which we’ll touch more on later.

Read the Geardo Crow's review of the T-Rex Arms MED1

When the MED1 arrived, I was really surprised to see the mounting system wasn’t Molle, but consists of several belt loops of different sizes. I’m not a fan of belt-mounted options like that on the Blue Force Gear (BFG) range, that use velcro wraps to attach to your belt, as velcro wears out and I’ve never been 100% convinced that it will hold on indefinitely. So for the MED1 to have more permanent loops is a nice compromise. The other happy surprise I found on the MED1 is that T-Rex have addressed the issue I found on the Orion, in that the laminate fabric started to wear pretty quickly in the corners. The simple solution of pre-cutting holes into the ends of each slot provides enough breathing room to stop the laminate from being stressed and ripping as easily.

Read the Geardo Crow's review of the T-Rex Arms MED1 Read the Geardo Crow's review of the T-Rex Arms MED1

The annoying thing about this pouch, is that I needed it this time last year on Op TORAL. As anyone who’s been on the holiday tour will know, you are required to carry a slimmed down IFAK with you at all times, consisting of an Emergency Care Bandage (ECB), Tourniquet (TQ) and Fentanyl Lozenge (FL). At the time I crammed this into a BFG small utility pouch, instead of using the bag of shit issued VIRTUS medical pouch. While this was a workable solution, it was hard Molle’d onto my Orion, and didn’t lend itself to quick deployment. This is where I think the MED1 would have been ideal, as many of the guys on my tour were doing away with any serious belt kit, opting to carry their pistols on gun belts and magazines on their body armour.

Read the Geardo Crow's review of the T-Rex Arms MED1

The MED1 is built for speed and to keep a low profile. With it’s belt loop attachment, it would have been a perfect candidate to slot onto my belt and leave there for the duration of the tour. In terms of what it can carry, it’s not huge. For my testing I managed to squeeze two ECB’s inside, and made full use of the large elastic straps to sling a TQ. In comparison to the BFG Micro TKN, the MED1 can take a larger load, and while it might have an extra step to release it, the gear is definitely held more securely while in transit.

Read the Geardo Crow's review of the T-Rex Arms MED1 Read the Geardo Crow's review of the T-Rex Arms MED1

I’ve found that the release system for the MED1 is…interesting. Within the pouch there is an elastic caddy with a long webbing ponytail, designed to hold all the necessary essentials together when ripped out of the pouch. The issue with this is that you have to undo one of the zips in order to pull the caddy out. This is a double edged sword really, as the zips do a very good job of keeping your all important medical supplies safe for the 99% of the time you don’t need them, but might slow you down that 1% of the time you really do. That being said, with drilling, practice and maybe a beefing up of the paracord zip-pull, I think I could get used to the system, despite it leaving something to be desired of its velcro or ripcord secured cousins.

Read the Geardo Crow's review of the T-Rex Arms MED1

So, leaving the medical world behind, I mentioned flipping off the manufacturers and putting whatever you like into your pouches. A lot of people get bogged down with reading labels and considering them to be gospel, but the MED1 doubles up really nicely as a slim utility pouch. I decided to try running it as a belt mounted pouch for my dems kit and found it to be a really good system when combined with a dump pouch. Carrying the clacker and charges internally, with approximately 25m of black and tan coiled up into the underslung elastic, this setup provides a really quick deployment method, especially when backed up with a dump pouch to quickly stow the black and tan after the charge is fired.

Read the Geardo Crow's review of the T-Rex Arms MED1 Read the Geardo Crow's review of the T-Rex Arms MED1

In conclusion, the T-Rex MED1 is an ideal candidate for those who need to carry a small to medium personal med kit all day, every day. Personally, I really wish I’d had this during my time on Op TORAL, as this was the perfect operational environment for it. It is minimalist in its design, and in solid colour variants doesn’t scream military, making it a good choice for emergency services or civilian use. To help justify buying it to the other half, it also functions very well as a utility, or could be used as a bum-bag of sorts while out exploring.

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Thanks for reading my thoughts on the T-Rex Arms MED1, if you would like one for yourself, head over to Tactical Kit who stock them in the UK, and who provided this one for testing. If you have any questions, as always, head over to my Instagram account: @thegeardocrow.

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GTA is Underway

A new report from Kotaku’s Jason Schreier delves deep into the “crunch culture” changes at Rockstar games. The company was in hot water over the long hours and extreme pressure put on the development staff that worked on Red Dead Redemption 2. In the report, Rockstar discusses their plans for the next GTA. The game will launch in segments. A smaller base game with followup DLC that would expand the world. This is a modern tactic in gaming and something similar to GTA 5’s online content. With additional content coming after release, the employees can spread their focus and keep to decent work hours. No news yet on whether this addition DLC will come at a cost or be free. Overall, this is a good step for Rockstar Games and soon will be the new norm.

Source: Jason Schreier of Kotaku

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We’re sorry! Here’s a pizza

Hi everyone! Steven here. We want to update you with our recent episodes because it was a ton of fun. Here’s an apology pizza for not being able to update you with our roster of episodes.

It’s been a while since we shared our podcast episodes on the site. Over the last year, we were able to interview artists and discuss more childhood geeky love.

Time to introduce to you to the later episodes we have done.

Episode 9: Convention Overload-The Philippines is experiencing a torrential downpour of Conventions. Is it possible that we have too many geek conventions already?

Miguel is on the left by the way. 😀 He was super friendly and accommodating despite the early hours of the morning. You can find him @merkymerx 🙂

Episode 10: On this episode, we welcome Artist/Cosplayer Miguel Mercado. Most known for the Boom Studios Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Covers. He has also done covers for Lady Mechanika, Rocko’s Modern Life and much more. We talk about his inspirations for art and how he got started in cosplay. This and many more things in The Geeky Juans Podcast.

Listen to our interview with Miguel here!

Episode 11: We’re back to talking about wrestling after a long while. We predict NJPW’s World Tag League and Wrestle Kingdom 13. We look at the competition dark horses, unexpected results, and possible outcomes that have the potential to shake up the upcoming months!

Bonus: We also discuss Sony’s E3 2019 pull-out, and the possible PS5 announcement.

Episode 12- Gundam celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2019. We talk about the upcoming projects coming our way, including Hathaway’s Flash, a new Build series, and Origin in TV series form. We also give an update on how we’re doing, and some possible plans for the next episodes.

Episode 13: 2018 has been a huge year for all things geeky! Steven and Jude talk about some of the biggest events, films, games, and wrestling highlights of 2018, and discuss some awesome plans for 2019!

The image is the property of Nintendo

Episode 14:
(Recorded last December 2018)
It’s all about video games! Steven talks to FB Gaming Streamer JR aka DangoFlash Gaming and discusses a LOT of Video Games, From the success of the Nintendo Switch to the 2018 Video Game Awards, Red Dead Redemption 2 & God of War. They even talk about FALLOUT 76! No stone is left unturned on this episode of The Geeky Juans!

Listen to Episode 14 here!

Episode 15: January 2019 was surely a fine first month of wrestling! We talk about Wrestle Kingdom 13, the Royal Rumble, AEW, PWR, and much more! We also discuss our new logo too!

That’s about it for our recent episodes. We hope to come back very soon! Steven’s Schedule is a little erratic at the moment so we won’t have an episode for a while. We’ll do our best to keep you updated though. 🙂

Steven Tan Profile Picture

Steven is a Data Encoder by day and Blogger/Podcaster by night. He writes abouts puroresu, Super Sentai and Comics in The Geeky Juans. He co-hosts the podcast with Jude. When he’s not updating the website, he’s ranting about wrestling, cartoons and comics on Twitter.

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Vouchers Galore!!

So it’s been a while due to lack of internet connection at my new house! Unfortunately this post is just a quick one, but a good breakthrough on the gluten free grounds I feel!

I always get annoyed when you get vouchers in supermarkets for money off products like bread or pasta. I CAN’T EAT BREAD AND PASTA, I want to scream – what makes you think everyone wants this!?

Ok, so it is a staple for many, but this in my books is not a good enough excuse 😉

Until these little gems made my day!

This seems to be part of a new system to give you vouchers relevant to what you buy.

I realised this when my Tesco vouchers consisted of FreeFrom and wine…..

So far Sainsbury’s and Tescos seem to have hit it spot on – and finally realised that we Coeliacs want to save money too, especially when our products are so expensive!

Anyone else had any good experience in the Supermarket like this? Comment below and share it!

  1. Lope
    October 20, 2010 / 13:27

    They do indeed tailor your vouchers to what you buy now!
    I realised this when I got lots for brie and cider 😛

    • sarahhowells
      October 20, 2010 / 16:46

      Yay my first comment from South Africa 😉 it is funny the things you get vouchers for – cheese was one of my top ones as well as cream for all the carbonara’s I make for Steve!

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Friday. First Friday, no less. Rock, Paper Scissors. And east wind.

Posted by
 September 5, 2014

Random Morning Thoughts

I managed to clear my schedule yesterday so I could ride my road bike all day in preparation for a 50 mile mountain bike ride I have coming up in a few weeks. As I was cruising along the roads through the farms east of The Dalles, I was thinking about just how spectacular the road biking is here in the Gorge. Very few cars. Great pavement. Stellar views. Forest, desert, and water. The Dalles has recognized this – they’re positioning as a road biking destination. I think we here in the western Gorge need to do the same. Road biking of this quality is rare and valuable, and deserves some marketing attention from our Chamber and our cities. That is all. I’m going to nurse my sore butt now.

Thank you for using this forecast!
Please donate to support it!

Thank you to everyone for using this forecast. Does it save you time, gas money, or help you find more wind, powder, or just plain fun stuff to do? Please consider making a donation to keep it going! Use it here for free or make a donation and get on the mailing list for wind for the summer and Mt. Hood snow in the winter. It’s not $99/year. Not $50/year. No, just $12.34 or more gets you on the list for 12 months. Do it via PayPal/CC by clicking on my happy photo below. Don’t PayPal? You can send a check to Temira @ PO Box 841 in Hood River. Thank you for your support, and thank you for trusting my forecast. You guys mean the world to me.

Gorge Wind

We have a nice start to the day with east wind on the river and a .09 gradient at 7am. Expect easterlies to peak at 25-29 at Rooster and 20-24 at Steven’s Locks. Tomorrow looks exactly the same as today. Sunday starts with light wind and picks up to west 10-15 late in the day. There is a bit of noise in the weather models for Sunday about a possible marine push on Saturday night. If that happens, Sunday will be windier than currently forecast.

Monday looks like a west wind day, and Tuesday, from way out here on Friday, looks like a very windy day, and I am attempting to rearrange my very busy schedule to accommodate Mother Nature.

Voting for the CGWA awards opens next week. The winners will be announced on Thursday, September 11th, at the end-of-year party, 6-10pm at Springhouse Cellar. Free admission; Food, beer, wine available for sale; Live music, Grant Myrdal Slide Shows and more festivities! I nominated Shane Lebsack for “Most Stoked”, because every day is “awesome” for Shane. So keep that in mind when voting opens. =)

Out on the coast, you’ll see NE wind today, in other words, offshore, with NW swell 5’@8. Tomorrow brings light offshore wind with NW 4’@8. Sunday starts off light and picks up to N wind 10-15 with NW 4’@7. The coast is going to be very warm the next couple of days: at least in the 80’s and possibly in the 90’s, so maybe this is the time for that surf trip you’ve been putting off.

Today’s Gorge Wind – these are ranges for the average speed, not a predicted wind range. =)
Your favorite beach Dawn
Rooster’s Rocks E 11-13 E 15-18 E 20-23 E 13-16
Steven’s Locks E 5-10 E 13-16 E 15-18 E 5-10
Hatchery/White Salmon Sandbar (minus a few for Hood River) light light light light
Doug’s, Lyle, Rowena light light light light
Rufus, etc. light light light light
Roosevelt, etc. light light light light
Temira’s sail: 35-40: 2.9 / 30-35: 3.2 / 26-30: 3.5
23-26: 4.0 / 20-23: 4.5 less than 20: something bigger!
Tonia’s kite: 35-40: 4m / 30-35: 4-6m / 26-30: 5-7m
23-26: 7-9m / 20-23: 8-10 / 15-20: 10-12 / 10-15: 13-15.

Advertising Worth Reading
Good Medicine Tea Lounge

The Good Medicine Lounge is bringing the world’s premium tea to the Gorge. The Tea House focus is on organic, bio-dynamic, sustainable, and grower direct teas from all flavor categories and all tea growing regions. Tea drinkers can relax in a restored craftsman living room while enjoying a light food menu and sampling from the large inventory of classic teas, flavored teas, blends, and tisanes. Loose leaf tea is also available in bulk purchases with a variety of pots, mugs, and infusers available to help consumers steep at home. The Good Medicine Lounge: 1029 May Street. 7am-3pm, Monday-Friday.

Gorge Weather

It’s another chilly morning in the Gorge with temps in the mid 40’s. Expect afternoon highs in the mid 80’s under sunny sky. Tomorrow starts with temps in the low 50’s and tops out in the upper 80’s You’ll see lots of sun tomorrow too. Sunday, and this may chance due to discrepancies in the models, looks sunny, with temps in the mid 50’s early and low 90’s in the afternoon.

White Sprinter Van receiving a wedding proposal from a tan human being.

Road and Mountain Biking

The road biking was indeed fantastic yesterday. I highly recommend riding the stretch of Highway 30 from The Dalles to Mosier in an east wind. It’s just blissful. If you would like to pick up an Ellen Dittebrandt memorial t-shirt to support finishing the missing section of the Historic Columbia River Highway Trail, you can do so here.

The Clymb: free membership. Cheap gear.
Temira approves. Click to join.

River Levels / Cheezburger update

The John Day Dam is reading 59-65kcfs. The Dalles Dam is putting out 110kcfs. The White Salmon is at 1.75′. If you plan on running the White Salmon yourself, remember that there is a riverwide log about 150 yards below Cave Wave. The Columbia River is 72 degrees. Cheezburger sent me a photo of a White Bike Trainer yesterday.

Events – email me if I’ve missed any outdoor-related events

If you want to get out of the house this evening, head to Hood River for First Friday and the 4th annual Rock Paper Scissors competition at Andrew’s Pizza.

Also today, Huckleberry Festival kicks off in Bingen and Pacific Crest Trail Days kick off in Cascade Locks. Both those events continue through the weekend. Tomorrrow is the Aluminum Man triathlon and duathlon in The Dalles at Riverfront Park. Then on Sunday, Skibowl hosts the 4 Hours of Downhill Race, and Hood River has the Rural Rampage bike race, benefiting Hood River Middle and High Schools.

On Saturday, head to Family Man in Post Canyon from 10-3 for free demos of Kona bikes. Finsh off the weekend at the Waterfront Park in Hood River on Sunday evening with a picnic party and music by Toy Gun Conspiracy and Cripple Hop to celebrate the park finally being done.

Have an awesome day today!


text:
Placebo iTunes Tracks Placebo Official Website

A nu noise for the nutty 90s, the PLACEBO effect was miles apart from the pseudo battles within the Britpop fad. Spearheaded by the openly bisexual, androgynous-looking Brian Molko – a geezer that drew comparisons with 70s glam idols BOLAN and BOWIE – the music, however, traded in the glitter for a darker listening experience. Taking the fast lane out of the post-grunge pile-up, London-based PLACEBO fused elements of avant-garde rock and cerebral metal; Molko’s paint-stripping shrill drawing comparisons with RUSH’s Geddy Lee and PAVLOV’S DOG’s David Surkamp – ah! prog and the 70s.
Formed in October 1994 by the cosmopolitan pair of singer/guitarist Molko (Belgian-born son of American and Scottish parents) and bassist Stefan Olsdal (from Sweden), they’d attended the same American International School of Luxembourg; they met up again on a South Kensington tube having spent time in the States and Sweden respectively. Early the following year, Ashtray Heart – as they were then briefly billed – recruited Englishman Steve Hewitt, although the sticksman had commitments with another band, Breed. Demos cut, drummer/percussionist Robert Schultzberg (also from Sweden), was drafted in as they chose the name PLACEBO. Press blogs at the time stated they’d been joint winners of the “In The City” Battle of the Bands competition – unconfirmed?
Late in ‘95, `Bruise Pristine’, was chosen by Fierce Panda Records as the trio’s debut 7”, although it’d be another act, Soup, who’d appear on the flipside. After only a handful of gigs, PLACEBO signed for Deceptive Records (home to ELASTICA and others), leading to tours with ASH, BUSH and WHALE. However, on the strength of one solitary single, `Come Home’, Molko and Co hit the proverbial jackpot via a deal with Virgin/Hut subsidiary, Elevator Records.
Roping in producer Brad Wood, the trio’s eponymous PLACEBO (1996) {*8} debut album was released to a fawning music press; metal-mag Kerrang!’s strong support helping the record dent the Top 40. Hit singles, `Teenage Angst’, and the glorious chartbuster, `Nancy Boy’, helped regenerate sales of a now Top 5 set which many hailed as one of the year’s best. In addition to the more incendiary tracks, the record also contained such hauntingly reflective songs as the sweet `Lady Of The Flowers’ and `Hang On To Your IQ’.
With Steve Hewitt back in the stool to replace Schultzberg, PLACEBO were back with a bang in the autumn of ’98; two blistering Top 5 singles in quick succession: `Pure Morning’ and `You Don’t Care About Us’, premiering their equally superb Steve Osborne-produced sophomore set, WITHOUT YOU I’M NOTHING {*7}. `Every You Every Me’, and the collaborative title track (with Molko’s idol, BOWIE), kept the band in high profile the following year, although the latter track was excluded from the charts for breaching regulations.
With BLACK MARKET MUSIC (2000) {*7}, Molko took his brooding sexual vision to its twisted climax on an album which ranked as one of PLACEBO’s most darkly satisfying to date. Long-time fans would be glad to know that the ever-androgynous frontman was still wrestling with his soiled demons, content to provide a mascara-smeared foil to the bloke-rock clogging up the music biz. And with a couple of further Top 20 hits in `Taste In Men’ and `Slave To The Wage’ (`Special K’ was again deemed too lengthy in format to achieve chart status), PLACEBO’s vision was still in tact.
Still going strong after three albums, PLACEBO issued their fourth, the hauntingly-titled SLEEPING WITH GHOSTS (2003) {*6}. The disc saw a more mature Molko letting down his glam-rock snottiness, in favour of dark rock in the vein of MUSE and the COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE. As always, his high-pitched whine was ever present, as were the complex guitar rhythms and the off-kilter backbeat by the ever reliable Olsdal and Hewitt; best examples were from hit singles `The Bitter End’, `This Picture’ and `Special Needs’. Add to the mix some dark electronica and the occasional ballad (`English Summer Rain’) and what emerged was a deliciously brash and delicately dark pop-rock record that would be hard not to impress the rock fraternity.
Fans buying the deluxe double-cd version of the set were in for a treat by way of a bonus “Covers” B-side collection that consisted of:- `Running Up That Hill’ (KATE BUSH), `Where Is My Mind?’ (PIXIES), `Bigmouth Strikes Again’ (The SMITHS), `Johnny And Mary’ (ROBERT PALMER), `20th Century Boy’ (T. REX), `The Ballad Of Melody Nelson’ (SERGE GAINSBOURG), `Holocaust’ (BIG STAR), `I Feel You’ (DEPECHE MODE), `Daddy Cool’ (BONEY M) and `Jackie’ (SINEAD O’CONNOR), while there were others in the pipeline through `Wouldn’t It Be Good’ (NIK KERSHAW), `Hardly Wait’ (PJ HARVEY) and `Fuck You’ (Archive).
Following on from the anthology, “Once More With Feeling: Singles 1996-2004”, MEDS (2006) {*7}, stripped it back even further, dispensing with any lingering production frippery on an album which returned the band to the scabrous, dirty rock thrills of their debut. On a record which followed the “greatest hits” set into the Top 10, Frenchman Dimitri Tikovoi was charged with the sonic reduction (achieved over an impressively concise two months), surpassing himself with the garish grind of `Infra Red’. Guests included an unobtrusive Michael Stipe (on `Broken Promise’), and The KILLS’ Alison Mosshart, who sassed-up the title track.
While the Yanks were beginning to take notice of the band’s self-conscious alt-rock sounds, and with Steve Forrest now in charge of the drum-stool in place of Hewitt, PLACEBO took on the might of America on album number six, BATTLE FOR THE SUN (2009) {*7}. Released by PIAS for worldwide distribution (Vagrant in North America), and produced by David Bottrill, the impact across the seas was immediate, as it not only underpinned the US Top 50, but smashed the charts all over Europe and beyond. Unlike its predecessors and due to the takeover of all things digital and downloadable, the PLACEBO singles (`For What It’s Worth’ and `The Never-Ending Why’) failed to reach out to the public. Despite this, Molko’s paeans of poetry and gothic glam were dispatched on the hook-line, churning of `Kitty Litter’, the title track and something somewhat déjà vu on `Ashtray Heart’.
Switching to Vertigo Records, the `B3EP’ (featuring a cover of Minxus’ `I Know You Want To Stop’) was issued toward the fall of 2012, while most fans were concerned that it was years since an album. Revolving around themes of inner love and all it encompasses, LOUD LIKE LOVE (2013) {*6}, was again led by mixed reviews. If decreasing sales were anything to go by (peaks of UK No.13 and US No.98), PLACEBO looked to be in danger of crashing and burning. Biting wordplay on the Facebook-(un-)friendly `Too Many Friends’ (the video highlighting a voiceover for transgressive novelist Brett Easton Ellis), was moody Molko searching out for solace from somewhere; other touching songs came by way of `Hold On To Me’, `A Million Little Pieces’ and `Begin The End’.
Marking their 20th anniversary on the rather old-hat/low-key MTV UNPLUGGED (2015) {*6}, PLACEBO sounded decidedly humdrum and unadventurous. Recorded live in front of a select audience in London Studios, only the guest tracks, `Protect Me From What I Want’ (featuring JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN) and `Every You Every Me’ (with Majke Voss Romme aka Broken Twin), and possibly the dependable PIXIES, SINEAD O’CONNOR and PAVEMENT covers, unmasked anything worth shouting about.
© MC Strong 1998-2006 / rev-up MCS Sep2013-Dec2015

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