Category Archives: Mind Uploading

If I had to describe the literary style of the manga artist Tatsuki Fujimoto in one word, it would be Genuine. His famous serialized manga Chainsaw Man has been taking the world by storm for some time now, but his serialized One-Shots (One Chapter Manga Works) are equally impressive in a different way, and each of them feels like they contain a hint of the true him, the genuine Fujimoto, and his new work Just listen to this song is no different.

Look Back, published on Shueishas Manga+ service in July 2021, has a strong message about Fujimotos growth as an artist, while Goodbye, Eri, published in February this year, was more about the author coming to terms with his own family, life, and the inevitability of death that rules over everything. Just listen to this song, released earlier this month, continues the trend of the author speaking from his own heart to the readers. This time, however, he is sending a clear message about the reception of the fans to online stories and media, among other themes that are worth exploring.

The start of the story is simple and cliched enough. A high-schooler who loves playing guitar is trying to win the heart of his crush by playing a song, and recording it on video for her to watch. He would have landed a hit if it werent for him uploading the video to Youtube, causing himself to become mocked by the entire school, and later the whole country and the world itself. Furthermore, he got turned down very harshly by the same girl he was infatuated with.

The boy had one simple wish, as he stated in the video: Let these feelings in my heart be understood, by the one who I love best. Nevertheless, no one really understood his true intentions. Everyone in the world saw the video differently, and perceived it as a form of political or religious criticism, among other outrageous claims. The boy got disheartened and quickly wanted to delete it. Despite that, he held back after someone warned him not to, saying Form Is emptiness.

He could not quite grasp the meaning of these words, but regardless, he composed himself and uploaded a second song, this time called: Just Listen to This Song. Even though this one contained his true and genuine feelings, no one bothered to watch it, and it was universally ignored. He later gave up and deleted all his videos. Yet still, the ending sends a warm message that if a feeling is truly from the heart, it will resonate with the heartstrings of the one its aimed at.

There is a lot to dissect from this story about modern trending topics and how they are perceived, and what the author wanted to say by writing it.

Modern communication is a wonder. There are a lot of barriers that could prevent you from understanding the true meaning of things. Whenever a new book or a movie is released, you are bound to find endless discussions and theories about what the creator was truly aiming for. The death of the author is a recurring daily subject when trying to appreciate fiction.

Most of Fujimotos works are surreal and symbolic, thats why they always spark a discussion about what could be the true essence of his stories. At first glance, you can feel that he is using Just Listen to This Song to call out his fans. The ones that are invested in figuring out deep meanings and messages behind his works, and boast about their superior intellect. In reality, and with reflections from his earlier works such as Goodbye, Eri and Look Back, he has always been just getting by, trying to be himself, and having fun. Nothing more.

But this latest manga suggests that the author is at a stage in life where he is satisfied with the conclusions he reached, the peace of mind he has longed for. He wants to inspire other readers to feel and do the same; to be true to themselves, and never have doubts when they are doing the things they love. Thats why Just Listen to This Song was not only about the boys feelings, but also about his own hesitation.

Its easy to miss the true significance of the advice the boy got from another school girl when he was confused about what to do after the video went viral. She said these words: Form is Emptiness. This is actually a direct reference to the Heart Sutra, a popular sutra in Buddhism. It does not mean that you should relinquish the constraints of form to reach the state of emptiness, but describes Form itself as emptiness.

Lets say you want to define something as good or bad. The mental process of doing that depends on you distinguishing that something between what it is and what it is not. If you like a color, its because there are colors you dont like. If a certain smell evokes good memories, itll be different from the smells of other things that you associate with bad memories. In other words, we put things in pre-established forms to define them, according to our fixed self-identity and how we define things.

We ignore their own individual nature because we inherently discriminate against the things we are not familiar with. Happiness in our minds is tied to a specific form. That form has to have specific logic and connections, but thats not necessarily true. Buddha calls this the reason for humanitys suffering. The boys suffering was because he was fixated on his preconceived notion of how his confession should have gone. Other peoples confusion is also tied to the form they chose to apply to the video he uploaded, with that form changing as the trend kept going.

The origin of suffering was that the boy didnt want things to change. He was afraid of that change. Emptiness on the other hand, does not refer to a space or a void in space, but to the true nature of all things. That there is nothing in this world that doesnt have a single fixated existence. Everything is in constant change. Therefore, its wrong to assume happiness will come if abstract things are given form, or even if we reject form for emptiness as the better truth of the world. Happiness will only come if we accept both form and emptiness as one unified reality.

Once the boy decided to upload his video on Youtube, he should have accepted immediately that his confession will take any form in peoples minds and thats okay. At the same time, he should have not waited for his feelings to reach the girl, but instead for the girl herself to perceive his love in her own way. Then after that, she would decide to accept his love, in whatever form it may take. Even the word Cringy which she used to describe his confession, was used again towards the end in a different context, showing that even her own perception of what is Cringy, has changed over time.

Of course, all that is just my perception (my form) of what could Fujimoto have wanted to say through his new one-shot Just Listen to This Song. Our interpretations of Fujimotos works will also keep changing as he releases more serialized manga and one-shots. Thats fine though, because form is emptiness after all.

Just Listen to This Song is now available to read for free on VIZ Medias partner website MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA.

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Tatsuki Fujimotos Just Listen To This Song Is A Lesson In Love And Buddhism - DualShockers

Understandably, many families have questions on how to best submit the documentation that many schools require as part of the financial aid process. Our goal is to make the process of submitting documents as easy as possible so weve put together some tips to help you in the process.

As a first step, we suggest you view the documents required by the schools you are applying to. They can be found in the Family Portal, under the My Documents tab. Please keep the following in mind as you go through the process:

If you know the school(s) you are applying to requires documents but they are not listed on the My Documents page, please contact us at sss@communitybrands.com. This indicates SSS needs to alert the school(s) where youre applying so they can enter their document requirements into the system.

Your documents will be marked as received much quicker if you upload them through the Family Portal.

If you upload documents online, they will be available on the My Documents page within 5 minutes of your upload. You may need to refresh the My Documents page or log back into the application in order to see the upload. Its important to note, however, a distinction between uploading your documents and fulfilling your requirements. SSS is required to review the docs, verify their authenticity, and label them for our use. This process typically takes up to 3 business days.

Please be careful not to upload your documents more than once. Good news! If you are submitting a 1040 bundle (like Turbo Tax and other tax preparation services provide) and it includes images of your W-2(s) along with your supporting tax schedules, you do not have to upload your W-2 document(s) separately. Our system will find the W-2s with all your other tax documents and process them accordingly. If you are concerned that your upload was not successful, refresh the My Documents page or log back into the application to verify whether or not your document label appears in the correct Required Documents section.

While there is a time lag between when you upload your documents and when the system recognizes them as received, the good news is that will not adversely affect your applications timeliness. All documents will be stamped with the date they were received for processing whether mailed or uploaded. As an example if you upload your documents the day before your application deadline, they will be time stamped on that day. The system will not show them as received for up to another 72 hours, but that does not mean that they will be considered late. Its the date you upload them, not the date the system recognizes them, that will determine if your application was completed on time.

Our document upload wizard uses pop-up functionality. Families should always turn their Pop-Up Blocker off when working in our system.

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Required Documents - School and Student Services by Community Brands

Before reviewing the movie in detail, I wound up writing this little prelude regarding the problem with the multiverse plot device in general. It spilled onto the page before I could stop it but then other viewers might be asking some of these same questions.

Disney, or as I like to refer to this hell-spawn of a company, the Mouse, is at it again. Where is the Pied Piper when you need him? There are many bad movies in the world, but very rarely does one deserve the term, cinematic abomination. The last time I used that loathsome title, I was watching Luke Skywalker suck green milk from an alien walrus. What is the common factor between The Last Jedi and Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? You guessed it! The Mouse a pestilence destroying our cultures modern myths one by one.

There are certain types of plots (or tropes, if you prefer) I dislike more than others. These include The Liar Revealed, Time Travel, MacGuffin Chases, and yes, Dear Reader, Multiverse Stories.

As Ive said many times before, certain rules must be followed in good story telling: consistency in plot and character and the balance between tension and pacing, for example. A good story must also establish stakes using story elements like hard and soft magic systems. If one must, one may resort albeit sparingly to gimmicks/tropes such as the Ticking Clock. I discuss these and other story-telling devices in my previous reviews. but you can find YouTube videos that discuss them too, particularly science fiction writer Brandon Sandersons lectures. Getting started, heres the trailer for Dr. Strange:

The problem with the multiverse storyline in general is that it ultimately kills the stakes. Most people are not going to spend a great deal of time pondering whether Jim A and Jim B are different people because, frankly, the reason for their difference is self-evident: Of course, theyre different people. They made different choices. Thats the natural intuition of most thinking individuals but often, the writers of these contrived plots insist that it isnt so. They seem to want to scream, If these bad things had happened to you, then you. would be bad!

Most of the time, the writers take the notion of a multiverse and try to twist it into an argument against free will. In most multiverse plots, fatalism and nihilism are the orders of the day. Ill leave it to you, Dear Reader, to answer the question of whether or not a multiverse renders free will irrelevant. My point is, fatalism and nihilism make for lousy storytelling. If a character cannot ultimately make his own choices, then why should I care about him? If there is a good Thanos and a bad Thanos, and a good Dr. Strange and a bad Dr. Strange, and their respective positions were ultimately determined by external circumstances, then why should I root for either of them?

Furthermore, if you can convince a nave audience that all these characters are interchangeable from one universe to the next, then death means nothing the stakes mean nothing. And this is the norm in these types of stories. But the reason for this isnt just so the writers can satiate their petulant desire to scream Everything is meaningless! into the empty night sky. No. It makes the narrative a permanent cash cow.

Typically, what happens in a multiverse story is that when a character is killed as in Time Travel stories an alternative version of the character is brought back, and the viewer is expected to regard this doppelganger as the original character. This insults every viewers intelligence. No one is going to accept the doppelganger as the original. For one thing, he or she did not die, like the original character. That by itself makes the doppelganger completely different. For another, the relationship of the doppelganger to the rest of the cast must be different by virtue of their memories of the original character. That also demonstrates that the characters are in fact two different individuals and both the other characters and the audience will see them as such.

But you see, Dear Reader, the Mouse thinks youre stupid. He thinks you will treat Hawkeye, a character youve followed for years, the same way youd treat a new phone, or a toy, because Hawkeye is not a fictional character who has lived a life of his own in your imagination. (He has a little multiverse inside your mind, if you will.) NO! To the Mouse, Hawkeye is as interchangeable as a car, so a multiverse is the ultimate opportunity to tell the viewer to discard their old products and make way for new products. But most viewers will not do this because, multiverse or not, every character is unique and alive. Not just because they have a life of their own, but because they have a life with you.

If youre a fan of the Marvel Universe , particularly, if you are a fan of Wanda Maximoff, you rooted for her when she listened to Hawkeye and, for the first time, chose to be the good guy. You wept with her when she was forced to kill Vision. You shared in her horror when you realized that her kids were not real and that shed enslaved an entire town after Visions death. Youve wanted her to find closure. Whether she lived or died in the story, whether she was given justice or mercy, you wanted her arc to end. You wanted to see her accept Visions death and move on or self-implode because she could not face the truth.

But none of that matters. All those years you spent wondering what was going to happen to her, meant nothing. Because the events of her life happened differently somewhere else. Dont you see? The Mouse can torture poor Wanda forever, now. Shell die horribly in one universe, live marginally better in the next, only to be brought to the 616 universe our universe and be subjected to other tortures, only to perhaps die all over again. Shell live and die perpetually, and her story arc will become an endless loop to infinity and beyond as The Mouse would say.

I hate multiverse stories because they cannot end and the reason they cannot end is because by definition a multiverse is infinite. And there is no better way to kill the stakes than to have a story that can never finish.

Because the Mouse knows it can resurrect and kill Wanda forever, it was unafraid to turn her into one of the most idiotic and malicious villains in the Marvel Comics Universe. The many who rooted for Wanda Maximoff ever since she watched her brother die have longed to see her and Vision together again somehow. They have hoped she would find a way to make her children real and become the hero she was always meant to be. But she has been given the good old Luke Skywalker treatment. But hey! Who cares! If you dont like it, it doesnt matter, because you liked it in another universe.

Well review the story in more detail next time.

You may also wish to see my two-part review of Transcendence (2014):

Transcendence Part 1 The Soul Meets the Singularity. In Part 1 of my review of the 2014 classic, we start with the question: Can a human mind be completely transferred to a computer? When an anti-tech group shoots a researcher, his wife, ignoring warnings, saves him by uploading him but is the powerful new Singularity really him?

and

Transcendence, Part 2: Spoonful of Water with the Nanotech When Will now an AI possesses a tradesman so that he can touch his wife Evelyn again, Evelyn begins to have second thoughts Transcendence (2014) remains good viewing even though it too often sacrifices tension to pacing: We dont mind seeing characters worry a bit sometimes.

Also, my reviews of Firefly, the TV series and the subsequent film Serenity: Firefly: Can science fiction reimagined as the Wild West work? I strongly recommend the original 20022003 series for its careful development of the culture that grows up around world-building (terraforming). Firefly is an impressive blend of the future and the past and, if Disney+ carries through with its threat of a remake, be sure to see the original. All parts linked at here.

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Dr. Strange: Can the Multiverse Really Work as a Plot Device? - Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence

LONDON: Actress and model Sophia Mirzas twin daughters have said they are living in Dubai with their father Umar Farooq Zahoor happily and of their own free will and allegations by their mother are false that they are being held against their wish.

The 15-year-old twin sisters, Zainab Umar and Zunairah Umar, spoke out after Sophia Mirza held a press conference, demanding the recovery of her two daughters from Dubai-based Norwegian Pakistani Farooq Zahoor, who is Liberias ambassador at large for Pakistan and Southeast Asia. Sophia Mirza, 42, held the press conference after The News and Geo News revealed in an investigation that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), on the instructions of Shehzad Akbar, the former accountability czar, targeted Umar Farooq Zahoor on a complaint by Sophia Mirza who had filed a complaint against her former husband under the name of Khushbakht Mirza, without revealing that she was making a complaint against her former husband. The FIA went on to investigate and issue Interpol Red Arrest Warrants against Zahoor in three cases, which were already closed due to lack of evidence, including a case in which the NAB had cleared him.

The twin teenagers have negated the claims made by their mother Khushbakht Mirza (known in the showbiz industry as Sophia Mirza) at a press conference, stressing that the model was holding media talks to gain publicity. They said their mother, rather than visiting them, resorted to social media platforms and for several years has been publicly uploading materials and making statements to indicate that her two daughters have been forcibly kept by Umar Zahoor against their will. They said their mothers actions have ruined their peace of mind and adversely affected their mental and psychological health as the media-related material was accessible to everyone.

Both the sisters offered in their affidavits that they were prepared to record their statements through Skype or any other electronic mode to ensure that they are making the statements without any coercion. Court papers reveal that Umar Farooq Zahoor has repeatedly offered to the court that he was willing to arrange a meeting of Khushbakht Mirza with Zainab Umar and Zunairah Umar besides bearing the cost of travelling and lodging of Mirza for her visit and stay in the UAE. In response to an order dated March 2013 by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Zahoor paid Rs 1,000,000 to Mirza to financially assist her to travel to the UAE and meet her daughters.

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Sophia Mirzas daughters say living with father happily - The News International

WE all deserve a holiday but taking a break from cybersecurity is a bad idea.

Cyber-crooks work all year round, so make sure you're not making any iPhone, Facebook or WhatsApp blunders this summer.

1

If you've got some travelling planned, you'll need to stay up to snuff on security.

"As the restrictions of PCR tests, passenger locater forms and strict mask wearing eases, were already to get on a plane, dive into a pool and order a cocktail," said cyber-protection firm Panda Security.

"However, flight cancellations arent the only thing you should be wary of when preparing for your next holiday.

"Travellers shouldnt just be worried about pick-pockets on their next vacation but should also be wary of their cybersecurity."

The cyber-security experts have shared four tips to stay safe online this summer.

When travelling, you'll almost certainly use public WiFi.

This could be at a restaurant, airport or some other public venue.

But be very careful it's fraught with risk.

"Hackers have ways to monitor the traffic that comes in and out of public Wi-Fi networks," said Panda Security.

"The traffic can include everything, such as personal passwords and social security numbers.

"So, if you plan on using public Wi-Fi, keep in mind that anything you are sharing on your smartphone while connected to the network might be something you are unintentionally communicating to a third party."

Consider also using a VPN app, which encrypts your activity so hackers can't see what you're doing.

Going on holiday is always a highlight of the year.

So you'll absolutely want to show off your vacation on social media.

Still, you'll need to do it safely.

"Sharing your location could point out to troublemakers that youre away from home," Panda Security explained.

"Burglary is on the rise on the UK and the more you share on social media the more information you put out into the world for people to take advantage of."

Consider only uploading photos and videos once you're home.

Losing your iPhone in the UK can be a real pain.

But losing it on holiday can make matters even worse.

Thankfully there's an Apple feature that can track down a lost iPhone even if it's switched off.

"Making sure you can find your device if things go sideways is an essential," said Panda Security.

"Turn on features such as iOS Find My to be able to track your device in case of an incident or especially if you want to share your location with your friends and family."

When we're not at home, we sometimes have to rely on public resources.

This could include a public PC maybe one at the hotel you're staying at, in a library, or at the airport.

Sadly this always comes with risk, so use these machines with caution.

"Travellers should think twice before typing in sensitive information or connecting smart devices of USB sticks to a public PC," Panda Security warned.

"Hackers have the power to log all the information you enter and infect your connected device with."

The cyber-experts added: "As were all returning to travel, utilise these tips and tricks to be more prepared for your upcoming summer holiday.

"Updating your apps and OS to ensure your data is backed up safely to ensure all your images are safe and sound in case anything is lost and broken in a holiday."

Best Phone and Gadget tips and hacks

Looking for tips and hacks for your phone? Want to find those secret features within social media apps? We have you covered...

Get all the latest WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and other tech gadget stories here.

Featured Image Credit: Apple / Unsplash / Emojipedia / The Sun

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk

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Warning for MILLIONS of iPhone users before going on holiday this year... - The US Sun

In the almost ever changing, fast-paced world of pop, youd be forgiven for thinking that the average lifespan of a young musical act was woefully short with many bands and solo artists seemingly enjoying a limited run of chart success, before rule abiding cynics would cruelly write them off and have you believe their fickle fans had lost interest and turned their attention, and affection, towards the next big thing.

However, for every rule, there is always an exception; just ask The Vamps

A decade on since their formation, Connor Ball, James Brittain-McVey, Tristan Evans and Bradley Simpson are celebrating 10 years together as The Vamps the super successful British pop / rock group whos fun, quirky sense of style and enduring, genre-bending sound has defined a generation. From their early days of posting videos on YouTube, to undertaking multiple arena tours and having hit no.1 albums, sharing stages with Coldplay, Jay Z and Taylor Swift, and becoming the first band to headline The O2 five years in a row the last decade has certainly been quite a whirlwind forthe boys

At this point in our career I think its really important for us as a band to look back and reflect on everything weve achieved so far. Lead singer Bradley tells us as we ask how it feels to have spent the last few weeks and months reminiscing about the past, and musing over all of the good times the four friends have shared over the course of the last ten years. Modern society maybe tends to encourage people not to do that nowadays, like there seems to be this mentality that were all supposed to adopt where we just keep going, and going, and going, and never look back! But I honestly believe its necessary, and a good thing, to allow yourself to press pause for a minute and take stock of things. If you dont, you can easily forget so much of what youve done, and I think thats a real shame.

Continuing his bandmates point, and nodding in total agreement, James adds: Our achievements together as The Vamps have far outweighed any of our expectations and dreams! Weve done so much and have experienced so many amazing moments together, I think we deserve this moment to celebrate all of that. I mean when you think of where we came from, to where we are now its mind-blowing!

Launched at a time when the majority of mainstream pop acts, prominent in culture and dominating the charts, had found fame via reality television, what set The Vamps apart from their contemporaries, and seemingly part of their initial appeal to both fans and critics, was the fact they were a group who had grafted their way to the top, the old fashioned way.

Having met through mutual friends and via social media back in late 2011 / early 2012, the boys say they instantly formed a close bond, born out of their love of music, and quickly set about studying the career paths of their idols; whilst hustling and perfecting their craft behind the scenes in the hopes of making it big thats not to say however the four teens werent savvy to the y2k tools at their fingertips

Using advancing technology and online music platforms to their advantage, the quartet began uploading cover versions of their favourite songs to their newly launched YouTube channel, before premiering their first original composition Wild Heart in the summer of 2013. Within two days the video had received over 46, 000 views, and within months boys were gearing up to release their debut single.

In the very beginning, even before wed really thought about the kind of music we were going to make together, Brad and I wanted to be The Kooks. James laughs when explaining what life was really like back in those early days of the band working together. Seriously, we wanted to be just like them! But we soon realised that being a carbon copy of another group probably wasnt going to work out so well for us in the long run, so we went back to the drawing board and the four of us worked together to develop our vision for the band.

Reflecting further the now 28-year-old guitarist adds: We were so innocent back then, we really were. None of us came from families who had connections in the industry, and we didnt really know what we were doing (laughs) but pretty early on I think we all felt that we had something special together, and now when I look back on those early days, I love that we were able to organically create and develop our sound, friendship and the bands identity, without any real pressure or external people telling us what to do, or who to be.

I love that we were able to organically create and develop our sound, friendship and the bands identity, without any real pressure or external people telling us what to do, or who to be.

Showing great understanding of what potential audiences and fans might want to hear and see, the groups tenacity and drive to create music that would speak to their peers proved to be the key to their initial success. Thats not to say however the boys didnt hit a few bumps in the road during those early years of working together, with the sudden change and pace in lifestyle coming as an initial shock to their systems. But despite any hardships or struggles, the four friends say they somehow managed to always remain true to their original vision for the band, and instead of getting caught up in any drama or industry politics they kept their focus solely on their music and dreams of one day being able emulating some of the musical greats who came before them.

Chipping in, an enthusiastic Bradley says: We also used to watch a lot of other artists live videos, because as much as we wanted to have brilliant songs, we also wanted to be an incredible live band as well. Id grown up watching live DVDs of AC/DC and The Foo Fighters, and I know the other lads would watch similar things too, and so all of us were really keen to emulate the kind of energy those bands would bring to the stage, and how giving they were to their audience. So our kind of thought process in the beginning, and even now actually, is that when were playing a festival, regardless of where were appear on the bill, we want to be the one band that people remember when they leave at the end of the day.

Having that shared mindset definitely helped to unify us, and set us off on the right path, so when things really kicked off and we became more well known and successful, because we were solid in our friendship and support for one another, we knew that no matter what the world threw at us, we were always going to be alright because we had each other.

Following the release of their debut single Can We Dance in the September of 2013, life for Bradley, James, Connor and Tristan has been something of a whirlwind with the band working solidly throughout the course of the decade.

In and amongst creating and producing a solid run of top tier pop bops (to date theyve released 5 studio albums, 23 singles and 5 EPs) the quartet have also collaborated with artists including Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovatto,Sigala, Krept & Konan, Tini, Matoma and Bruno Mars, headlined 12 concert tours, sold out some of the worlds most iconic music venues, appeared on several legendary international chat shows, created their own festival (The Vamps Weekender in Barcelona), drunk shots with Dave Grohl, hung out with Sean Paul at Woodstock, been held at gunpoint at airports, played for royalty and generated over two billion views on YouTube, and amassed over 6 billion streams!

I think its really hard to pick out specific highlights, drummer Tristan muses the boys begin to share stories, and personal highlights of years gone by. For me, on a personal level, its the times when people tell you how much a song or an album has affected them, or helped them to get through something in their life. I feel like our early material really captured a moment in time, and spoke to a lot of people who were feeling exactly the same things that we were to be able to make that connection with another human being, that youve not even met, is really special.

We were so naive to things like that in the beginning. Bradley adds. We were really young and although we had a lot of control, and The Vamps was very much our project, we were just silly teenagers writing songs in the studio, with no real clue of what life had in store for us. So I dont think we ever really thought about the possibility that one day our music would have some sort of impact peoples lives I mean, most of the time when we were in the studio we were too busy having fun and messing about, that our producers would struggle to get us to do any work (laughs). Maybe Im being a little harsh on us there, because 99% of the time were were very focused and professional the good thing about being in a band is that theres always someone there to keep you in line.

As people and as a group, I feel weve always played down our success, and while in a lot of ways I quite like that about us, I also think there comes a point where you have to champion yourselves a little bit and celebrate your wins. James adds thoughtfully. Theres a song on our last album called Glory Days that very much encapsulates the journey weve been on and says wow look at everything weve done, look at what weve achieved, that to me sums up how Im feeling about the band right now.

Pondering his own personal memories, Connor contributes to the conversation : Aside from all of the accolades, and the record sales, the places weve visited and all of the amazing people weve been able to meet, I think my overall highlight of the last ten years is the relationship I have with the boys. Ive always sort of felt like the camaraderie we have between the four of us, is the thing that inspired our original sound all of those early songs that resonated with people, all stemmed from the energy we exude when were together. So without our friendship, I dont think wed still be here, making music today.

As a group of musicians, responsible for writing and producing some of the catchiest and most instantly recognisable pop songs of the last ten years, we wonder how the bands working relationship and creative process has changed since those early days of non-stop, incessant songwriting in the hopes of producing their breakout, debut hit.

Id say overall our creative process is still very much the same. Connor says without hesitation. As songwriters weve always written about what were going through in our lives, so maybe the topics and subject matters we talk about have changed slightly because were all now a bit older and we have a little more life experience behind us, but on the whole Id say we still work the same way we always have.

If it aint broke dont fix it right? James adds with a knowing smile. The only real noticeable difference I see, is that in the beginning of career we would write the majority of our songs acoustically, and therefore a lot of our early demos would effectively be live versions of songs, which we would then have to hand over to the musicians we were working with at the time, for them to turn them into the versions you now hear on our albums. But because our last album Cherry Blossom was produced by the boys themselves, we were able to create a track from scratch and build the full production around our original ideas and concepts without anyone having to come in and work for us, which was so exciting! Explaining further, McVey continues: Taking more control of the production of our music has opened up so many doors for us. If we decide we want to make an album that has a slightly different feel to it, we now have the experience and knowledge amongst us to facilitate that, whereas before we would have been reliant on someone else, and wouldve had to go knocking on the door of a producer who would want hundreds of thousands of pounds to bring our vision and sound life. I love how self-sufficient we are now, its given us even more of a sense of ownership of what we do.

Weve always been quite picky about the people we collaborate with Brad interjects with a laugh. Only in the sense that its a bit like welcoming a new family member into the fold, and there needs to be a level of understanding and trust there because although making music is a lot of fun, its also something thats quite personal and it can be daunting to open up to somebody you dont know that well. Us being able to make an entire album, just the four of us is incredible. Pausing for a moment, the Sutton Coldfield native adds: Its kind of fun you asking about change, because sometimes I feel like weve not changed at all, but everything around us has beyond recognition.

As one of the last bands of their generation to launch onto the scene before the juggernaut that is social media exploded and became the force it is today, all four members of The Vamps agree that platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter have irreversibly changed the way artists release and promote their music.

When we first stated out YouTube was the main platform that musicians used to promote themselves and get their music out there. James reflects. Yes there had been MySpace before that, but with YouTube you could create more of a visual to go alongside your song so, it was another great way for us to be creative and get the vibe of The Vamps out there.

Back then I loved it because in those early days of us being together, there wasnt the toxicity that there is on some social media platforms now, nor was there the pressure to have an online presence 24/7. Nowadays it feels like having a high number of followers enables people to believe that theyre somehow superior to their peers and competitors and I dont like that, I dont like that at all! I dont think its good for people to have that mentality.

Offering his own take on how the music business has evolved since the group released their debut album Meet The Vamps back in 2014, Bradley says: I think pretty much everything about the industry has changed since we started out, and Id be lying if I said it hadnt been tough at times, but I think weve thrived in the face of all the challenges presented to us. Weve always sort of had this belief that if we wanted to stay around in this business, and still maintain an element of relevancy, then wed have to change and adapt with the times. So yeah, our style has changed a little bit over the years, as has our sound, and I think weve managed to really step it up when it comes to our lives shows.

Without our friendship, I dont think wed still be here, making music today.

In celebration of their 10th anniversaryThe Vampshave announced they are to hit the road later in the year to play a string of live shows to commemorate the momentous occasion with fans! Scheduled to kick off Wednesday, November 23rd at the O2 Apollo in Manchester, before visiting Brighton, London, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Dublin, Belfast, Liverpool, Glasgow, Nottingham and Birmingham, the10 Years Of The Vamps The Greatest Hits Tourwill see the group performALLtheir biggest hitsfrom across the decade, in what promises to be a night audiences wont forget!

Touring is without doubt our favourite thing to do! an excited Bradley tells us as we begin to discuss plans for the bands upcoming live shows. I think whats going to be brilliant about these gigs, is the fact that were going out there to celebrate everything weve achieved, and nothing else! Were not trying to push or promote an album or a single, were not trying to compete with any of our peers, were simply going to be up there on stage and saying to our fans: look at what weve all achieved together! and I honestly cant wait!

With the bands now extensive back catalogue filled to bursting with a plethora of chart hits, and five albums worth of material to choose from, we wonder how the band will go about planning and preparing for the anniversary tour

We usually start off by devising the setlist, thats kind of what weve always built our live shows around. Connor explains. Like you say, we have five albums and an EPs worth of material to pick from, which means theres maybe a little bit of pressure to create the dream setlist, but I think were more than up for the challenge (laughs). Like Brad said, this tour is just as much about the fans as it is us, so we definitely want their input and want to hear what songs they would like us to play.

Looking to his bandmate Tristan for input, Evans chips in: From there we then come together to create all of the weird stuff that happens throughout the gig things like the interludes, intros, and how long we want to play each song for; the flow of the show is very important to us as we always want to tell a story and take our audience of a little bit of a journey. At that stage it always feels like weve got everything sorted, then we hit the rehearsal room and everything changes (laughs). But its cool, because weve always really enjoyed the process of planning our tours, and like the boys have said, these shows are all about the fans, so we we want to make sure we give them the best show ever I actually think this is going to be the best tour weve ever done!

We want people to in tears one minute, and then feeling elated the next! Its going to be a total rollercoaster from start to finish! Bradley laughs. Seriously, its going to be awesome, and because we havent toured properly for quite a while, I think it will be quite emotional too. Live music is such a beautiful thing, and its something I think we all missed during the pandemic, so for us four to be able to be go back out on the road again, and make people smile is an amazing feeling; we feel really lucky to be able to do all of this for a living, and we dont take any of it for granted.

We are four normal guys, from four very normal backgrounds sometimes its hard to comprehend that any of this has happened to us! James says as he tries to summarise what the last 10 years have meant to him. Its one thing to have a dream as a kid, and to have an idea for what youd like to do with your life but for that dream to then become a reality is mind-blowing I mean to have done 5 albums in 10 years is sick!

Laughing at his friends enthusiasm, Connor adds: This anniversary is a massive moment for us! And I know we said this at the beginning of this conversation with you, but it is really important that we celebrate this milestone in our career, and say thank you to all of the people who have helped us get here. Its been the most amazing journey, and I personally cant wait for the next decade!

We were so young when we started out. Tristan reflects. And although we didnt really know what the future held for us, we knew we had this incredible energy between us that felt really special. Im proud of the fact that weve stuck together and never really veered off course Ive been to places and done things that I never thought were possible, so yeah this band, these lads mean everything!

As we begin to say our goodbyes, and wrap up our interview, Bradley shares one final thought: The Vamps has been our whole lives for 10 years now, and like James said, we cant actually believe whats happened to us, because at the end of the day, we really were just four normal, everyday lads, who enjoyed playing music together as teenagers, its as simple as that! As a group we had all of these dreams, one being that wed be able to build a career that would sustain us for the rest of our lives, and although I dont know exactly what the future holds for all of us, I feel like weve definitely done a good job in achieving a lot of the things we set out to do.

But forgetting all that weve achieved a lot these past 10 years, I think the one thing were all most proud of, is the fact that weve remained great friends, and that were still just as close now, as we were back then. Friendship is the foundation of our group, its why were still here after ten years and its why well still be around in another (ten years).

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Interview: The Vamps Celebrate 10 Years At The Top! - CelebMix

In these dreams of ourselves a little further in the future, were well. Were still ourselves. But our thoughts about dying are truncated and stunted. We stop at simple, fantastical scenarios: dying peacefully in our sleep, accessing voluntary euthanasia, living out our final years together with a group of friends in a kind of commune where we share the costs of carers. Some of us dream of outfoxing old age entirely through cryogenics, or uploading our brains to the cloud. And so when we think of older people, and especially of aged care residents, or older people with dementia or other physical or cognitive frailties, they belong to a separate group, a group to which we believe well never belong.

To take a macro view, its also unsurprising that these casual linguistic dismissals of older people and their value to our society are particularly acute in a country like Australia: a nation home to the oldest continuous culture in the world stretching back tens of thousands of years, but whose dominant culture suffers from a gross historical amnesia and a reluctance to reckon with the histories, legacies and lives of First Nations people. White Australia, with its relentless insistence on youth and the ahistorical claim that we are young and free, holds little cultural scope for the contributions of older people.

We arent designing an aged care system were willing to enter ourselves, because we wont concede well ever end up there.

Our cultural denial of death also underwrites many of our failures in aged care: the absence of public pressure for change, an industrial-scale political apathy, and relatively muted media coverage on aged care. Until recently, neither of the major parties have seen aged care as a vote-winner something which notably changed in the recent federal election, where Labor made it a centrepiece of its campaign and journalists and commentators frequently say that aged care isnt a sexy topic.

The pervasive apathy about aged care has unquestionably allowed neglect to flourish. But it also often means that we dont apply enough imagination and ambition to the problem of aged care reform, either. There are revolutionary examples overseas of aged care facilities co-located with university students, or childcare centres, which allow residents to stay connected to their communities. These changes radically alter what going into aged care means, yet we arent demanding them in Australia. We arent designing an aged care system were willing to enter ourselves, because we wont concede well ever end up there.

But after watching my father in his 20-year trajectory with Parkinsons, dementia and aged care, Ive come to my own thesis. Not only do we have a duty to look at and to contemplate ageing, aged care, and death, but that theres power in that gaze, and in fact its only through that gaze that we can live fully, aware of the full weight and meaning of life and its inevitable ending.

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When you watch someone you love decline over time, it can feel like an ordeal. You note the changes and mourn them. As my father declined, I noticed the loss of his brilliance, his sense of humour, his intellect, the shared jokes and references we used to make. I watched as his interest in his dazzlingly various hobbies classical music, tinkering with cars, computer programming, playing the piano, the harmonica, reading moved out of reach.

I mourned when he found himself confined to a wheelchair, then when his voice weakened, when he had difficulty eating. Sometimes Id sit with him and realise he was hallucinating a reality we werent sharing. Initially, I resented my role as witness to these indignities. It felt like a burden to have to watch these things happen over time.

But as the years passed, watching my father enter into old age and dementia changed me. I came to understand that while I was living in the past, mourning a person who hadnt been there for some time, my father was still living in the present tense, in front of me, still capable of joy and sorrow, distress and calm.

As time went on, my father gave me the gift of a great perspective it might have taken me a lifetime to reach: an understanding that if ageing and dying was happening to him, then it would happen to everyone, and it would happen to me. In the week it took Dad to die in hospital, I felt this even more acutely: his dying was his last lesson.

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In the small hospital room on the Gold Coast where my father died, I found my mind oscillating between focusing on the immediate world the mock-orange bushes teeming with ladybirds in the courtyard outside my fathers room, the sounds of boys playing cricket on the oval beside the hospital and the vast frontier, the end of the body, the end of the mind, my father was facing. Psychologists call this ontological confrontation: the keen and immediate awareness of our mortality, the puncturing of our fantasies and denial. The sharpest and most revelatory understanding I reached in those days was that death is not an extraordinary event, but utterly ordinary, present everywhere, a force that no human denial can stop.

While our psyches are primed to reject information that threatens us and reminds us of our own mortality, theres power in trying, even if its discomforting: the power to help shape what kind of old age we ourselves will have, the power to reshape our aged care system and the way we care for our elders, and to help change how our collective culture will view us when we get old.

This is a condensed version of Sarah Holland-Batts Curiosity Lecture at the 2022 Sydney Writers Festival, Our Denial of Ageing.

Sarah Holland-Batt is the author of The Jaguar (UQP) out now.

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The powerful lesson I learned watching my father die - Sydney Morning Herald

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When it comes to unofficial holidays, Amazon Prime Day is perhaps one of the most highly anticipated of the year. In 2022, the massive savings event will take place July 12 and 13, and some of its most coveted deals on home, fashion, beauty, tech and more items have already debuted. In order to get in on the action, though, youll have to sign up to become a Prime memberthat is, if you arent already one. The good news is you have two ways to go about this, depending on your desired level of commitment.

Sign up for a one-year Prime membership here

First, you can sign up for a one-year membership that will cost you $139 up front or $15 a month. This membership not only gives you access to Prime Day, but also offers tons of long-term perks like free two-day shipping and same-day delivery on millions of items, free two-hour delivery on groceries and daily essentials and the ability to stream millions of movies, TV shows and songs through the platformall without ads. Also included in the membership is 30-minute early access to select Lightning Deals on Amazon, so you can take advantage of the best discounts before the general public does.

And, students and select government assistance recipients can sign up for Prime at a discounted rate.

sign up for a free Amazon Prime 30-day trial here

If you're not quite ready to invest in a full membership and don't qualify for a discount (more on those below), you can also sign up for a free Amazon Prime 30-day trial in order to participate in Prime Day. Just make sure that your 30-day trial encompasses the Prime Day dates (since the sales event is just a few weeks away, signing up soon is a great idea). And if youre not completely sold, you can cancel your subscription once the event is over or on the last day of your trial period.

In order to qualify, students will need to provide a .edu e-mail address or send one of the following to student-verification@amazon.com: a transcript, class list or tuition bill that shows the students name, name of the educational institution and the current term; or an official acceptance letter that includes the date the student will begin an upcoming term. Once approved, students will enjoy a 60-day free trail to Prime and pay $7.49 a year, or $69 up front (a total of $70 in savings for the year compared to the standard membership). If you sign up for the student deal and have an existing Prime account, you will get a refund on the remaining months of your standard subscription. Students experience all the same Prime benefits as regular members, plus a few customized perks like discounts on textbooks, free food delivery and six months of free access to LinkedIn Premium.

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Some things to keep in mind: Students will lose select benefits during the free six-month trial, including 20% off diapers. And, Kindle owners wont be able to access one Kindle ebook per month for free. However, these perks are available at the end of the six-month trial.

Additionally, students will need to verify their current status every time the account is up for renewal (either on a yearly or monthly basis) by uploading the required documentation to their account. Monthly subscribers can do this by going to the Manage Your Prime Membership menu, while yearly subscribers should head to the Manage Your Student Membership menu to upload verification assets. Automatic re-enrollment for the discounted membership will occur from the date you provide proof of documentation. You will be charged the regular price if you do not re-submit, however, you will have 60 days to do so, in which case you will receive a refund of the difference. A student membership will expire at the end of four years, or once you graduate and can no longer verify your student status. If you sign up prior to graduation, you can enjoy the membership until the renewal periodeither through the end of the month or your yearly membership term, depending on how you pay for the subscription.

Shoppers who have an EBT card or other qualifying government assistance documentation will also be able to become a Prime member for less. These members will pay $6.99 a month (although EBT funds can't be used to pay this cost) and enjoy a 30-day free trial. They will continue to be billed on a month-to-month basis once enrolled.

Furthermore, they get all the same benefits as standard members, plus SNAP EBT for eligible groceries with free shipping and exclusive deals on other essentials.

To qualify for the membership discount with government assistance, you will need to upload one of the following:

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients: a photo of your eligibility letter

SNAP users: an image of the EBT card, plus enter your EBT number

Direct Express (DE) debit card holders: an image of the card

Economic Impact Payment (EIP) debit card holders: an image of the card (Note: EIP debit card holders may only qualify for the discount for a limited time)

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients: an image of the eligibility letter or a letter mentioning your participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) that notes your child's name and school name

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) members: a photo of the letter confirming your involvement

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program or Tribal assistance (TTANF) members: an image of the letter confirming your involvement

Medicaid recipients: a photo of your Medicaid eligibility letter

Your letter must show the date of issue (which will need to be within the past 12 months for acceptance) or date of expiry, as well as the name of the beneficiary.

Every 12 months, you will need to re-verify your government assistance status to continue to enjoy the discounted Prime membership. The deal can be used for up to four years from the date you sign up.

No matter how you sign up, make sure to check out our list of the best Prime Day Apple deals, TV deals, robot vacuum deals, Kindle deals, and more as you prep for the big day.

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How to Sign Up for Amazon Primes Free Trialand Save Big Ahead of Prime Day in 2022 - Yahoo Life

People of the northeastern regions of Bangladeshhave been affected by the worst flood in recent memory. To help people in distress, influencer Firoz Hasan of Free Motion has taken a personal initiative to stand by the flood victims of Sylhet and Sunamganj. Firoz Hasan is a well-known face on social media with a large fan following on Facebook and YouTube. Initially known for his travel videos, he is now known more for his humanitarian videos posted in his page, Free Motion.

"I am trying to give all kinds of food assistance, including dry food and rice and pulses," said Firoz Hasan. "I will stand by the people of remote areas from Sylhet, where relief may not have yet arrived," Hasan further added.

Early in his role as a social media influencer, Firoz Hasan solely created travel content, which became immensely popular. While creating his videos, he met people in distress and felt that the plight of these people should be highlighted. At one point, he thought of creating content on these helpless people and uploadingthem on social media, so that many more would be inspired.

With that in mind, since February 2022 he started uploading humanitarian scenes on social media. His videos show the lives of the disadvantaged people, and help them in various ways. This has inspired innumerable young people in this country who are working in silence with the conviction of building a better society. They carry on with these initiatives not because of self-promotion, but to attain self-satisfaction.

Firoz Hasan, however, mention with grief that even in this time of distress, people are being cheated. He said that some dishonest people are using his identity and the name of his Facebook page, Free Motion, to take donations from the common people.

"There are many who are deceiving people with fake IDs by introducing themselves as Firoz Hasan, which is very sad. This is by far the most embarrassing situation for me" he said. Hasan made a wholehearted request to all his followers to be cautious and avoid these people completely.

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Firoz Hasan of Free Motion stands by flood affected Sylhet and Sunamganj - The Daily Star

Coming back to the tour after being out for a year, Serena Williams is pulling up her socks to be at her best at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. After recovering from her hamstring injury, the 23-time Grand Slam champion is all set to open her Wimbledon campaign against Frances Harmony Tan.

Recently, the 40-year-old gave a sneak peek into her preparation for the Championships. While one may think that it is her coaching staff that is helping her train, Williamss sneak peek tells a different story. As per the 7-time Wimbledon Champion, it is Iron Man who is her compatriot in her Wimbledon preparation.

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While Serena Williams is training for her strong comeback, she has made sure to keep up with her fans. Apart from being a tennis legend, she is also one of the most active social media users; Especially Instagram. She uses her handle to stay connected with her fans, by giving them regular updates about her on-court and off-court engagements.

Yesterday, on the eve of Wimbledon, Williams took to her Instagram handle, uploading a post. The post featured Williams wearing a similar pair of glasses to that of Tony Stark in Iron Man. While she uploaded the post without a caption, the start of video made her intentions clear. In case youre wondering how do I prep for Wimbledon, right?, she started.

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While fans expected Williams to give a serious talk on her Wimbledon preparation, it turned out that is was a fangirling video of the legendary player. Elaborating on her preparation, she started by saying,Well, I relax my mind by doing Legos. Thors hammer. I mean, the movies coming up, so wanna be on-brand.

Going ahead, she also threw light on her love for the Marvel series and Iron Man.I love Marvels, so Im watching Iron Man on for the third or fourth time. No, actually the 20th time. Im sorry, I can just almost quote the movie,she said.

The Lego and the movie were good enough for fans to believe that Serena is a diehard Iron man fan. However, Serena had more in her bag. Heading towards the end of the video, she ended by showing her glasses.Blue light glasses ladies.

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Watch this story-How Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and Others Travel

Having Iron man with her it would be a thing to see whether it helps Serena in making her mark. Being the current World No. 1204, the former World No. 1 will kick off her campaign tomorrow,, as a wildcard entrant.

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Almost Quote the Movie Serena Williams Fangirls Over Iron Man as She Dons Similar Pair of Glasses Ahead of Her Wimbledon Championships 2022 Campaign...