#choice trax

[artificial-transmutations]

Utopia

The sun was beaming down mercilessly on Trax as he climbed up the dusty rocks of the badlands. It didn't help much that his clothing was torn to rugs after the long journey or that his hands were calloused from the countless hours of climbing and shoving rocks and dirt. Still, the muscular and rugged man did not stop and climbed on, determined to reach the top of the hill. He didn't have too much choice. His water canteen was almost empty, only holding enough liquid for another half a day of hiking.

Trax stopped for a moment to wipe his brow and dry his hands on the very few scraps of clothing that were left from his shirt. Trax tried to control his breathing. His friends would surely have called him crazy, going into the badlands like this: Without preparation, without equipment and alone. Perhaps one or two of them would even have insisted on coming with him, to make sure he wasn't just throwing his life away. His friends really were awesome guys, Trax thought before correcting himself. No, that wasn't right. His friends had been awesome guys. Past tense. Another twinge of sadness darkened Trax' already bad mood. Truth be told, if his friends would still be around, he wouldn't even have considered taking on this crazy journey. But that was in the past. When the raiders on their bikes and trucks attacked Trax' settlement, many of the men, including every damn single one of his friends had been massacred. It had been a blood bath and Trax had only survived because he was out at the time, scavenging the industrial ruins nearby for supplies.

Having been born after the calamity and the subsequent wars, Trax knew fair well that surviving in the central European wasteland was difficult under the best circumstances. Having been heavily decimated by raiders, however, with most of the men dead it was nearly impossible. Most women and children had decided to leave, hoping to find a new place to settle or perhaps to find another settlement, where they might have a chance at a normal life. Not so Trax. Pretty much everyone had heard the story of Utopia. Utopia, the city of legends. Utopia, the safe haven. Grasping at straws, he set out for the badlands, in search of the mythical place.

Sighing, Trax got back to climbing, scaling the rest of the hill a bit more energetic now. After another half an hour, he finally reached the top of the hill, only to be rewarded with a wide view over a valley between the barren mountains. More importantly, though, Trax could hardly believe his eyes. Taking most of the space of the valley was a glass dome surrounded by a massive concrete and metal wall. Under the pristine glass that was reflecting the sunlight like a jewel, Trax could see a city. Not any city, mind you! Trax could see the green of trees and bushes between the high-rising spires, and the glittering of running water. He was able to make out some slight movement under the dome, probably from vehicles or even flying cars, and the air itself had a clean shimmer, almost like he imagined it when he heard the stories as a child.

Trax was mesmerized by the view, but at the same time, he didn't quite believe what he was seeing. He had really done it. He had reached the city of Utopia!

As fast as he could without breaking his legs, Trax scrambled down the hill and towards the impressive fortification. With each step, another thought became more and more prevalent. He had been so focused on finding the city that he had not yet thought of how to get in. From what he knew from the stories, Utopia had been a project of corporations and remnants of governments alike. A safe haven in the post-apocalyptic hellscape the continent had become. Of course, even though there were considerably less people than before the calamity, a single city would never be enough to house all survivors. So, the corporations chose a simple, yet proven concept of controlling who could get in: You had to pay for entry. It was ridiculously expensive, an amount of money Trax could not possibly earn in a hundred lifetimes. Enough to buy a bunch of settlements the size Trax' old home was. Of course, in the settlements, slums really, money didn't have too much meaning anymore. It was used for trading with other settlements, but apart from that, the concept of wealth had mainly meaning in the remains of the big cities. Even there, only a very elite few had been able to buy themselves entry into Utopia.

And now that *he* was here, standing in front of the massive concrete walls, it seemed like a stupid idea anyway. Who was he, a nobody, a mere scavenger, to try and demand entry to the city of dreams?

Well, he had to try. The gate in the concrete wall was massive. At least 20 meters tall and made of sturdy metal. Nobody was there, no guard or anyone really, which was not too surprising: Trax could hardly imagine anyone wanting to stand guard here, in the middle of nowhere, in the searing heat. Inside the huge gate was a smaller door, made from the same sturdy metal, with a computer console next to it. When Trax stepped closer, the terminal lit up. Trax was able to read, a skill that was sometimes necessary when scavenging the industrial ruins. However, he didn't have too much practice, so it took him a moment to decipher the three words on the surprisingly clean display: "Enter Entry Ticket".

Trax cursed. There was nothing else to be read, and even if there were, he would not have had any clue as to what he was supposed to do. He banged his fist against the door, and the sound reverberated off the nearby hills. However, there was no answer. Apparently, the entry in the city was fully automated and without an expensive ticket, there was no way to get in. Climbing up the concrete walls was pretty much impossible, and even if he managed to, he would only stand in front of the mighty glass dome.

Defeated, Trax slumped against the wall. It didn't make sense. He had made it all this way, had seen the city, had touched the very walls and yet, the city was still not within reach.

That's when he noticed another path, almost invisible under layers of dust and dirt. The main gate was well maintained and cleaned, but this path, going along the wall, had clearly not been used in decades. Perhaps there was still a chance to get into the city after all.

Trax followed the path for a few dozen meters before he noticed a faded writing on the concrete. The yellow paint was huge but aged and showed an arrow to the left. Under the arrow, Trax could read the words: "Lottery Winners, This Way".

Lottery winners. Something stirred in Trax' memory. Lottery. Yes, he remembered that part of the story. Of course, after announcing that only the richest of the rich were granted access to the city of dreams, there had been an outrage. Following that, and to soothe the masses, there had been a huge lottery where one thousand souls from all over the country were able to win a place in the city. It was said that whoever won the lottery left for Utopia and never came back - understandably so.

Apparently, the way he was following now was meant for the lottery winners. Trax felt a twinge of hope. Perhaps there was yet another way of getting into the city. It was a faint chance, but it was a chance.

Trax followed the path that was winding around the big walls until it ended in an archway that led down into the foundation of the concrete structure. It was a gaping black hole in the light concrete, but, and that was both surprising and like a miracle to Trax, not barred by a door.

He carefully entered the archway and waited for his vision to adopt to his now darker surroundings. There was enough sunlight coming in through the entry to discern that he was now standing in a long, concrete corridor, tilted a little bit downwards. Trax could vividly imagine a thousand people standing in queue in the broad corridor, but now his steps echoed from the blank wall. After a little while, electric lights flickered to live as he was nearing a fork in the corridor. It split into two, left and right, where the left was adorned with a black figure wearing a skirt, while the right one showed a similar figure wearing pants. The universal signs for male and female, as they were found on old restrooms as well. Without thinking too much about it, Trax turned right and went down the "male" path. After only a few more steps, he passed a heavy metal door, which stood widely into a medium sized room.

The room wasn't well maintained, but it was clear that this was a part of the technological marvels that kept the city running. It was crammed with pipes and cables, tubes and huge towers of technology that Trax couldn't really place. However, everything in here seemed dormant. There were no blinking lights, no beeping sounds or sound of liquids running through the pipes. Dormant, with one exception. In the center of the room, there stood a huge block of machinery, with two notable features. The first was a large screen at about eye level that was dark. The second thing was a hole in the block with a diameter of about 5-6 centimeters in diameter 80 centimeters above the ground, surrounded by a blue plastic ring. This ring was lit by some internal light source and was blinking slowly, as if it was breathing. Curiously, Trax stepped closer.

As he approached the block, two things happened at once. With a faint whirring sound, the machinery in front of him came alive and the display lit up. At the same time, a loud bang sounded from the entrance and the heavy door slammed shut, closing Trax in.

Trax could feel panic rising up but fought it down again quickly. Whatever was happening here was just standard procedure for the lottery winners. There was probably nothing to worry about. Instead, he looked at the screen. In big white flickering letters on green background, it read:

"Welcome Lottery Winner! Please enjoy yourself!"

Trax couldn't make sense of the message, so he took another look around the room. There was another, considerably larger door on the other side of the room, but it was closed shut as well, with no discernable way of opening it. While the room was crammed with technology, the only active thing Trax could see was the central block with the hole and the screen. "Please enjoy yourself!". What was that supposed to mean?

Trax cocked his head and took another long look at the block. The only other notable feature was the hole surrounded by the blue ring, about one leg length from the ground. Trax squatted down and took a closer look at it. The blue ring was still blinking, the hole itself was dark. When Trax looked into it, he could only see blackness. Carefully, he felt it with his finger and was surprised to find a smooth malleable surface that quickly warmed to the touch, not unlike silicon. When he extended his index finger deeper into the hole, he could feel the walls of the hole suddenly starting to move in a slow, wave-like motion.

Trax quickly withdrew his finger and the motion stopped. He cocked his head again. That surely couldn't be right. "Please enjoy yourself!". It couldn't possibly mean...

On the other hand, there were a lot of indicators. The hole in the block was at exactly the right height and had the right diameter. The message could very well be interpreted that way. This was a room designated for male lottery winners. And the doors closed, allowing for some privacy. Trax shook his head. This was crazy. What possible reason could there be that the designers of the city wanted the lottery winners to... jerk off before entering the city?

On the other hand, perhaps it wasn't even too stupid. Getting your rocks off, possibly after a long journey would help the newcomers to relax and see things calmer and more rational. It was unusual, sure, but possibly not a bad idea.

"Enjoy yourself!" the message still read.

"Fine!" Trax said. "If that's what you want, let's do this!"

He undid his belt, pulled his torn trousers and even more threadbare underwear down, and grabbed his soft dick. With a few quick strokes, he got it first half-hard, and then, when he was rigid enough, he directed his cock to the waiting hole. It wasn't too difficult to get hard to be honest. Trax hadn't had time to jerk off since the attack on his settlement, and now that he was finally safe and relaxed, he was able to unwind a little bit. He could feel his blood rushing down, and his dick got stiffer and harder, until the head of his dick was throbbing and ready to enter the tight hole.

Trax was panting and gasping as he shoved his dick forward, penetrating the warm, slick tunnel. He couldn't believe how good this felt. The hole was so soft and malleable and so very tight! Immediately, the movements started again, and Trax moaned with delight as his dick was surrounded by waves of pulsing, squeezing pressure. His cock was swallowed whole and pressed on the tight tube as if it wanted to milk his dick. Trax gasped again. There was absolutely no doubt that this device was meant for exactly this purpose. He stepped even closer to the block, until his shaft was buried in the masturbation aid to the hilt. Slowly, he pulled his dick back, feeling every inch of the wet, warm and tight sleeve until the head was resting against the entrance. Then, with a grunt, he shoved it back, making the machine squeal and his body shudder with the intense sensation.

This time, there was another whirring sound inside the machine, and the hole became a lot tighter as a strong suction became active around his cock.

"Fuuuuck..." Trax groaned. His legs were shaking as his shaft was being sucked on with incredible strength. This was so much better than jerking off! He tried to pull back to thrust his cock back in with force but found himself unable to. The suction was so strong that it just didn't allow any movement of his dick. So, all he could do was to stand there, trembling as the machine was milking his cock. He used both his hands to grab onto the machine block in order not to be too overwhelmed. Trax was so enthralled by the experience that he didn't notice the technology in the room turned itself on one by one. Before long, Trax was surrounded by whirring, squealing and clicking noises from all directions.

However, Trax did notice when both of his wrist where suddenly grabbed by cold metal grabs and jerked apart until his arms were forcefully extended left and right of his body. He tried to pull free, but the machine held him firmly. A second later, a metal strap shot out of the block, and forced his legs apart until his whole body was spread-eagled. Then, with a clang, the two straps were bolted to the floor.

Trax was unable to move, except for his hips, which were still being pleasured by the amazingly tight machine sleeve. Was this some kind of intruder detection? Still, the machine pleasuring his cock felt incredible and hadn't it been for the sudden attack of the machinery, he would already be close to cumming. Right now, however, Trax was looking left and right to the strong metal arms holding his wrists in place in increasing confusion and panic.

Then, something new happened. Accompanied by a mechanical whirr, Trax felt a prodding sensation at his exposed ass. Then, without much more of a warning, a silicon replica of a large cock rammed itself into his ass. Trax had secretly always fantasized about being intimate with another man, and, more importantly, to be fucked by another man, but he didn't expect to experience this sensation for the first time here, in all places. He didn't even have the chance to prepare himself, to stretch himself open. The cock, that was clearly made out of the same material as the masturbation aid, was thick and hard and the sudden penetration took his breath away and made him moan both from pain, surprise and pleasure.

The dildo was moving back and forth in a rhythmic pace, slowly, but with a steady mechanical strength. Despite the helpless situation, Trax felt he was in, the combined sensations were too much to bear. With a cry, he came, hard, into the machine, injecting spurt after spurt of his cum into the mechanism.

At the same time, he felt the dildo in his ass release a thick liquid into his intestines as well, leading to a strangely full feeling in his behind.

Trax' faint hope that now the machine would surely release him, however, quickly vanished. After his dick had spent the last drops of his load into the machine, the machine began to move alongside his dick again, the movements now accompanied by the slick feeling of his own sperm in the device. A moment later, the rhythmic fucking of his ass began anew. There was one change to before, though: The screen in front of him no longer showed the "Enjoy yourself" message but instead flickered with lightning fast strings of zeros and ones, each one displaying for little more than a millisecond.

Trax felt the strangest sensation as the dildo continued to fuck his ass. The semen, or whatever the machine was pumping into his bowels, was now acting as a lubricant and his ass was being fucked in the most pleasant way. At the same time, he felt a tingling sensation all over his body. He watched in amazement as all the little dark hairs on his body one after another fell to the ground like specks of dust. Trax had barely time to notice, though, as another grab from behind fixated his head to the screen in front of him.

Still, the strange sensation didn't stop there. Trax couldn't see it because he was unable to turn his head now, but he could almost feel his skin turning an unnatural gray - no, silver color. At the same time, his skin became harder and colder.

Trax groaned as his body suddenly expanded. He had been a fit, lean man, but now, his body changed so quickly it was almost like magic, accompanied by a churning feeling from within him. Again, he came, and again, more thick liquid was deposited into him as well, just as his bod became more and more bulky.

Trax' head was swimming. Somehow, the strings of binary numbers almost made sense to him. It was clear that something was planted into his brain, but he couldn't make sense of what exactly it was. However, there was one thing he could make sense of.

Trax had to serve Utopia. The thought appeared so quickly and so forcefully Trax couldn't help but say it out loud: "Serve... Utopia". What was going on?

He didn't have time to think about it further as his body expanded even more. His cock was still being squeezed and the dildo was still fucking him, and his muscles were burning from the constant strain, but the tingling sensation had not yet stopped. The skin on his arms and legs split open at the joints now. Around the parts that didn't need to move, cold and rigid metal plates formed now, while the joints were becoming flexible plastic. Trax could almost *feel* his bones become metal and his muscles being replaced by powerful servo motors. His chest had barreled out and the skin became a large metal casing. Inside, a whirring and clacking noise took place, before several valves formed at the side of his torso, leading to an internal oil tank.

Trax was acutely aware of all of that, but he couldn't react to it. His eyes were glued to the screen and with every passing number, Trax felt his own will being pushed away, replaced by a cold calculating logic, primed at a single motive.

"Serve Utopia", Trax said again and this time, his voice sounded different, almost artificial. The old Trax was still there of course - even as his head turned into the cold metal skull and his face was replaced by a red visor containing his sensory equipment, Trax original personality was perfectly preserved. He just couldn't help it. He had lost all control over his body, his voice and even his thoughts. He was being converted and there was nothing he could do. One last spurt of cum, the last remains of his human nature left his cock just before it turned into a set of tubes and electric connectors. The connector in his rear port deposited a last portion of nanobots and withdrew from the port after that. With that, the restraints holding his arms and legs released him at once. Unlike his flesh body from before however, Trax' new metal body didn't slump in on itself but stood unmoved due to its strong internal structure.

Trax wanted to turn around, to run away, but his body wouldn't obey his commands. Instead, another clear, pristine thought formed in his mind. "Connecting", Trax said in his new, mechanical voice.

Then, all of a sudden, his mind exploded and expanded. He was now *connected* to the city, to Utopia. Even more so, he was becoming a *part* of Utopia, one mechanical drone to serve the wealthy inhabitants of the city.

"Receiving new designation.... TRX-1001".

TRX-1001 quietly observed as the doors to the room sprung open. It withdrew its frontal groin connector from the conversion unit and stomped towards its assigned maintenance task.

As TRX-1001 entered the city of Utopia, Trax, who was still inside, was overcome by mixed feelings. He had really done it. He had reached the city of dreams. He had even become somewhat immortal, but at what cost. He had been reduced to little more than a subroutine in one of the thousand and one autonomous drones serving the city, toiling away day after day.

#male transformation #inanimate transformation

[allthenamesweretakensoichosethis]

So if extraction get an update(which I doubt will ever happen) I’ve been thinking of ideas on what operators could be proteans. Gameplay why of course. And I’ve found that our 5 proteans all are just improved versions of the enemies in game(Sledge-smasher, Finka-apex, vigil-lurker, etc) so to make a new boss would require a playable operator that shares similar abilities with a enemy so I give you 3 different operators that could theoretically be turned into bosses with this philosophy

1. Fuze-Breacher

Fuze’s cluster charges give off the most destructive effect in terms of explosives and area denial. Bleachers are one of 3 enemies that can break though reinforced walls but the red variant it’s certainly the most ‘explosive’ as they self destruct on you or when the large bulb on their back is shot. So a fuze boss would consist of of a shotgun and trying to run up to you and blow up in you face dealing loads of damage. The 2nd phase would add explosive projectiles that would be homing(similar to a tormentor’s charged attack) and phase through objects utilizing hitting an operator, a reinforced wall or being shot at in where it explodes where it’s shot, and when hitting a reinforced wall a hole would appear in the wall similar to a hard breach charge in r6s. The trick would to be using your reinforcements strategically to avoid those homing explosives and keep your distance from the boss while firing.

Extra notes: hibana would also be a good choice for being the boss as well

2. Gridlock-Rooter

Gridlock’s trax stingers are a throwable gadget that slows and damages enemies but takes time to activate and rooters are an enemy that attacks using spikes coming from the ground that immobilizes the target caught in its attack. So an enemy who can immobilize you then follow up by shooting you would make a terrifying boss fight(at least the first time you fight it) this boss would fire a lurker attack when it spots you trapping you in the spikes then attempts to fire at their traps target. It’s enhanced form would have lurker attacks start at this proteans feet and slowly spread out to where they attempt to find ‘prey’. Using smokes to block lines of sights from gridlock an attacking from behind from its front face carapace would be the optimal strategy and this would great for a glaz/warden type operator to see through smokes.

Extra notes: capitiao and nomad would be good choices to be the boss instead

3. Ela-Sower

So this last one’s a bit of a stretch but the sower deserves more attention than being a glorified bullet mag.

Ela’s grizmot mines that stun enemies is what I consider the closest gadget to the sowers mines that flash you. This boss would definitely be the most annoying to fight as it will always try to run away to set its blinding mines and claymores(it would do about 25-50 damage and can down) only in its 3rd phase would it actually engage with the scorpion smg as it sets the blinding mines automatically. Having someone on mine clearing duty while the other 2 chance ela down would be the best strategy.

Extra notes: Iq and Zofia would be considered good operators to chose to beat this boss

Other ideas I have are Tachanka-spiker and doc-feral grunt/revived archaeans. But feel free to add feedback and ideas on what kind of proteans you’d like to see in extraction!

#r6s #rainbow 6 extraction #shitpost #r6e proteans #r6 fuze #r6 gridlock #r6 ela #rainbow six siege #rainbow six extraction #r6s fuze #r6s gridlock #r6s ela #edit: spelling take 5

[en-wheelz-me]

#chevrolet #chevrolet trax #trax #trax 2024 #new suv #suv #cross over

[marastriker]

notes from last week's stex watchings 👀

Wednesday, March 8th Coco shoves Dinah during the argument between the engines and the coaches Dinah playfully slaps Pearl's butt at the beginning of Ich Bin Ich The coaches have glittery parts of their costumes! Dinah and Pearl have sparkly fabric for the straps under their knee pads Terence Caboose is REALLY REALLY amazing with his acting choices In Freight, Rusty loses control of both coaches and freight and looks very panicked Terence flips his hat back onto his head so smoothly 10/10 When coupling up for the first race, Turnov points to BV and makes a motion as if to say hurry up! Then takes off so quickly that Bee has trouble grabbing his couplers Alexandra covered Volta and gave some cool female Volta vibes Gary was very very Purse-like with his performance during Pearl Welche Ehre - but did some signature Krupp spins in AC/DC! A nice balance of the two! When the other components join Pumping Iron, KW freaks out because Elektra is FUSSY Flat Top is trying to imitate the Rockies' dance moves during Momma's Blues and fails so badly Belle throws up at the end of heat 2 - no drinking and racing kids KW freaks out again when Pearl leaves Elektra for Greaseball - he is so anxious about his job, poor Watt Terence sang the 2nd verse of Mein Spiel first, by accident but he saved it well! TerryBee did fun CB move Overall such INCREDIBLE acting, amazing Mein Spiel When Dinah disconnects Elektra, he's freaking out - but Bee is already there and Elektra kinda just….sighs okay fine can you help me Bee: >:D One rock and roll too many…. Idiot sandwich <3 Coco cocks her shoulder box when telling off Pearl before Für Immer When everyone comes back out onstage post love-song, GB is going after Elektra but Elektra SHOVES him away. BV laughs, Elektra holds up a finger to him as if to say: "shut up. You caused this."

Thursday, March 9th Trax bapped Carrie on the back of the head during bye bye Rusty During the argument, Ruhr seems to just be playfully playing along, but he has a kind smile and tips his hat to Carrie Beginning of Ich Bin Ich - Turnov offers Espresso a shot of vodka and Espresso does NOT like it Manga and Ruhr also sharing a snack. Manga offers Ruhr an alcoholic drink as well, maybe sake Belle has two barrettes in her hair, one is shaped like bottle openers and the other is shaped like bottle caps Beginning of Freight, Flat Top squares up to Dinah and she snaps his suspenders Rockies imitate Bee's "fake news" gesture - Rocky 2 gets it wrong and Rocky 1 shows him, "no, he does it like this" When the trains malfunction as a result of Elektra's presence, Bee does a silly little robot dance Dinah and BV talking/gossiping at the beginning of AC/DC No Pyro at beginning of Pumping Iron Jae Volta squatted like a hoe in pumping iron actually jae volta was slutty all week Ida Brexit is a grandpa and I love him. Hi peepaw Turnov makes a "chop chop" motion to Bee to couple him for heat 1 KW shows Rusty away to talk to Pearl Pearl looks sad to leave Rusty and go with Elektra Each BV actor has a "thing" they do when Greaseball yells CABOOSE during the races - Terence looks back and then nods GB pushes BV into Wrench so he can disconnect her and take Manga Flats is straight up grooving during Momma's Blues When FT takes a selfie of him and Momma, he looks at the pic and then looks back at her like "damn you don't look so good" and she gets upset and shoos him off OIL OIL OIL - Delano puffs out his cheeks and looks so stinky Rusty: Pearl won't race with me :( Rockies: tease him by fake crying Flats gets so STOMPY BV eavesdropping on Rusty and Momma's convo during Bummelok - also his scarf was backwards Momma looks so taken aback by GB and Elektra like "these youngins……" When Greaseball tells Dinah to shut up in the rap, the gang is like OOOOOOOOO and she looks ready to fight them Another incredible Mein Spiel performance Bee mockingly waves goodbye to Pearl after he crashes Rusty Rusty literally crying before the Starlight sequence :( Dinah disconnects the components because she angy

Friday, March 10th Technical difficulties with the door where the nationals enter! it got fixed fairly quickly <3 naruto run in rolling stock my beloved Ida brexit walk like afraid of cockroach Luuk Espresso sounds so italian even when singing in german GB pokes and prods Pearl when he brings her in He plays with her ponytail, she is not amused I LOVE MEZZO PEARL (Dieuwke) Kai Bee tips his hat to Carrie <3 For some reason, Elektra's gear lights weren't working until Race 1 today Ryan can play Espresso and Turnov, and THAT is what i call great vocal range Rocky 2 was ready to throw hands with Rusty for insulting Momma! Dustin flinched when Momma yelled NEINA Dustin waves shyly behind Momma during the race 2 introduction Espresso grabs Carrie's skirt tassels instead of her couplers and pats her ass RuhrCarrie moments! He spun her around Both Elektra and BV injure Pearl in the final race - Elektra electrocutes her and BV baps her at some point Saturday, March 11th and Sunday, March 12th Cole Greaseball has such power behind his voice! Incredible acting choices! GB didn't fade into the background this time, I genuinely enjoyed Cole so much more! Brexit/Turnov disappear sometime between taunting Rusty and the beginning of Ich Bin Ich due to split track Rocky 3 and Flat Top The other coaches are a little miffed that Rusty interrupted her but Carrie shrugs and is like oh okay :) Since Turnov is not available for Pumping Iron due to a split track, they replace him with TerryBee and he dances with Carrie! The coaches all take shots at the beginning of coda of freight to prepare for the race super quick change from Flat Top to Turnov for Race 1! Even if turnov is not there when they are all coupling up for race one, Bee and GB still have a moment where they establish they have a deal and I like that detail KW scans Pearl's face during the beginning of Pumping Iron (Elektra maybe already made it clear that he wanted her as a race partner?) Flat Top shows up halfway into Momma's blues due to split track Momma and R2 have a little fistbump after saying rusty is blind Rocky3 raising her hand like MEEE after Momma asks for Rocky to race with her. the other two scold her Carrie looks so excited to win the second heat with Ruhr! Delano Rusty is so ready to square up with Greaseball after race 3 Delano is the only one who acts properly injured after the crash/gang beat up, chugging back before right place right time I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW THE LIFT WORKS. there is indeed a back portion that supports Rusty by the waist as he's lifted into the air Carrie waves to Bee before the final race and BrandiBelle chastises her Cole GB acts like a ballerina in one rock and roll and it's hilarious Rocky 3 is the one who disconnects Bee, Elektra, and GB from the train before the final scene! Brandi and Bee share a drink before Light at the End of the Tunnel

#starlight express #march bochum trip 2022 #mara's stex thoughts

[omegaplus]

# 4,174

Cold Waves @ Warsaw; September 15 & 16, 2022.

If I told you that I was feeling shaky going into attending Cold Waves, you’d write me off instantly. Why would I still feel nervous about attending shows? Sure, the event is everything, but every trip to grandiose New York City is still a major thing for me. It’s still feels like uncharted territory and I’m still not over it but it has everything Long Island fails to provide: the venues, the people, the exciting energy, and an allure I still can’t put my finger on. It’s all for the taking, whereas on Long Island I had way more than enough. Also: anxiety. (Film at 5.)

I was only mere days away and I had to get ready for two straight nights of taking trains to and from Brooklyn. Cold Waves would be the third show I’d attend this year - fourth if I cared going to Ministry’s “Industrial” Strength tour which I didn’t go to. I was a frantic wreck anticipating this industrial legends / synthwave festival. The tremors in my black heart would stop only if I finally arrived at Warsaw. It’s my third visit there. The first was for Hospital Productions’ 20th Anniversary and the second was for Black Marble and Cold Cave on a hot June day - before my world, my momentum, and soul were all upended.

I don my black cap, a Clock DVA shirt, blue jeans, black boots and new black leather jacket. It’s sunny out, a hazy blue sky is being invaded by cumuluses all over the place - perfect conditions for an afternoon drive westward on the Long Island Expressway, down on Sagtikos Parkway, through Southern State to Rt. 231, and heading south to Rt. 27A to the Babylon station. I took no chances catching the earlier one-hour train to Penn Station, then hopped on the ‘E’ line to Court Square’s ‘G’ line to Greenpoint Ave. The train ride was bliss as hardly anyone was on it.

It was 6:15 PM when I stepped off the G and went upstairs to Greenpoint, my favorite Brooklyn neighborhood. It only took me 15 minutes to walk a few blocks down to Driggs Av. in Kings County’s Polish neighborhood. It’s only 6:30 PM and already I’m being greeted by a crowd of three at the very front of the line. One of them saw my DVA shirt and gave me two thumbs up. “Great shit, man!”, he said. I smiled and my heart rate went up 20.00% knowing I made the right choice of t-shirt for night #1 of Cold Waves. I found myself standing at the exact same spot on line more than four years ago when I waited to enter the venue for Cold Cave and Black Marble. It was that very corner where Wes Eisold stood with Genesis P. Orridge before that show. Doors open at 7 PM as all of us trudge towards the venue for our security checks before entering paradise where I’m immediately hit with the smell of incense, a special smell distinct to my Brooklyn travels and nowhere else.

The music existed before the beginning of time and it was pumping. No wonder - DJ Andi (Harriman) was behind the wheels of steel. She’s a fixture of the neighborhood where she fit perfectly with the industrialists and synth-wave demographic that populate there. With me being 15th in line, I won a spot up front. As always without fail. I was feeling great about what was about to go down for the next five hours. The first person I thought of was my Roman goth friend Lira* who I wished was there with me. She would’ve blended in with all these vampires, witches, and mistresses attending; many walking around wearing 242, Wax Trax, Pig, Pigface, Hocico, and Twin Tribes shirts.

7:45PM is here. The dee-jay fades out, the overheads turn off and the first act is ready to go. Cold Waves is finally underway.

Spike Hellis was the first of ten on the roster and kicked off the entire festival. The fresh Los Angeles duo have enjoyed a new sizable uptick of exposure. They were active and had lots of energy on stage; a theme that they’d set the tone for the entire program. Their fast-paced EBM, electro, and electronic hybrid was a fine example of the current sound that Los Angeles had to offer. Both Cortland Gibson and Elaine Chang traded instrumental and (screaming) vocal duties with each other while conveying themes of agony, control, rage, emotional despair, and submission that rubber-stamped their own pandemic-era, all accentuated at the end with an annoyed Chang dealing the finger to an audience member as the cherry on top. Who knows what happened there? What I do know was that someone threw an empty beer can at them during their set and security called him out on it; eyes and pointy fingers in his direction with a one-and-final warning not to do it again.

For those wondering why Rein is being highly praised all over, you’ll see why. One of two solo acts, Rein wasted no time taking the stage and it wasn’t long for her to show everyone why she’s one of the most talked-about synthwave acts of recent. It’s not just her razor-sharp EBM delivery and style but also her choreography which made her perfectly groove to the music. She can seriously move it like no other and also delivered plenty of hard-edged sounds of equal measure. It was more than enough to ask who the fuck Shakira was, because she’s got nothing on her. It wasn’t just Rein who was motioning to the music. I look to my right and seen a good number of people getting into it, too; such as the guy three spaces away from me who happened to be wearing a gas mask through her set. After she closed out her set came another intermission. The next three legendary acts have yet to come into play and right behind me are three belligerent drunks (one male and two females) fighting over who bumped into who, not saying ‘excuse me’, who stood where, and lots of name-calling and f-bombs lobbed at each other’s slovenly faces. Not a dull moment so far.

Portion Control was the third and most enduring act of the festival with their debut cassette release A Fair Potion dating all the way back to 1980. I’ve constantly heard of them through new-wave, industrial, and synthwave circles. It’s my first go at them and Wow. They. Nailed. It. They became one of the very few artists I ever discovered to give me a perfect example of everything I was looking for on the very first listen. Perhaps the hungriest, meanest, and venomous act I discovered live or not. I may have caught them at their best ever and it lead me to the three Seed e.p.’s. Onstage, Dean Piavanni was a vocally sinister, persuasive, and direct force who could’ve easily taken on the audience (and would’ve won); as Jon Whybrew was on the controls transmitting ultra-energetic and juiced-up EBM and industrial techno for the small masses. It was the most exciting payout of the night so far.

If there was ‘the’ reason that attending Cold Waves was an absolute must, it was the team of former Wax Trax and Ministry members Paul Barker and Chris Connelly. They are part of the reason why everyone had some of the best moments of their lives and made for some of the greatest industrial releases ever. Billed as The Revolting Cocks Corpse and in conflict with Al Jourgensen’s version of the band, it would be their last-ever appearance. I hate to admit, a scratch off the bucket list was long overdue and years in waiting. Now, here was my chance of seeing both of them live in one shot.

Want real-deal Cocks classics? You got ‘em. Paul Barker handled his iconic bass logo-ed with the Cocks’ Beers, Steers & Queers emblem on it before kicking off with “38” and brought out former Cock (Front 242’s) Richard 23 on vocals. After that comes Connelly onstage in casual wear in a trucker hat, jeans, and a shirt that’s scrawled “Strong And Pretty” on the front, so we’re getting the nutty version of him. Then the rest of the hits came rolling in: “Attack Ships On Fire”, “Cattle Grind”, “Crackin’ Up”. When Connelly asked himself out loud what else to play, the audience yelled “Let’s Get Physical” (rest in peace, Olivia Newton John). “Well, I didn’t ask for your help!” he said coyly to all of us and we couldn’t help but to laugh. They did cap off their monumental set with “Do Ya’ Think I’m Sexy” and it felt like a dream. Connelly leans on the speakers acting all cute and blowing kisses to the crowd with a smile. Before you know it, he’s laying on the floor with arms wide open like he’s just fallen in love as Barker and company call it a night. Nothing but good times and an ultimate culmination of their Wax Trax output as I hoped for.

Finally, it was Front 242’s turn to take the stage; the apex of an already high-flying night. It would be a bittersweet performance at that as this was one of many shows on what was their final U.S. tour. Many fans thought it was because of Jean-Luc De Meyer health issues but thankfully that wasn’t the case. No matter, it was everyone’s last chance in the states to catch them before leaving North America once and for all with no turning back. I considered Front 242 to be a bonus for me as I was heavily into their pioneering Eighties material during my community college years, their later albums, and C-Tec which De Meyer took part in. I had absolutely nothing to lose seeing them live. All throughout the night I’ve seen photographers-for-hire huddle around the space in-between the rail and stage getting their dozens of shots in. For Front 242, the three-song policy got extended to four. It had to be. Warsaw security managed to catch one snap artist who didn’t know better.“No flash! No flash!” they told him as they pointed at and called him out on it. Which also begged the question: where the hell is Brooklyn’s industrial / synthwave fixture-photographer Nikki Sneakers? It’s been at least five years since I’ve seen her shooting at venues.

Front 242 played their most-recognizable and popular classics that established and pioneered EBM with “Don’t Crash”, “Operational Tracks”, “U-Men” and many more. It was all Richard 23, De Meyer, and Patrick Codenys in their unmistakable iconic tactical outfits with a shirtless Tim Kroker on live drums. They took all the power and energy they had and kept it going all the way, delivering nothing short of a rhythmic and beat-heavy experience they were known for. One funny moment to be seen was when De Meyer stood cross-armed wearing his huge shades and had such a scowl on his face, looking all bad-ass as the other three carried on. After eight or nine songs, 242 left the stage - not to lock targets and catch men - but to gear up for their first encore. We all knew there was more to come and what came was “Headhunter”, one of industrial / EBM’s most historic songs ever written. Two more songs later and 242 left the stage again charging up for another encore. As soon as we all heard the soundbyte “Hey, Poor!”, it meant only one thing: “Welcome to Paradise”. Only then was the perfect Front 242 show complete. The team of 23, De Meyer, Codenys, and Kroker took in a lengthy applause and gave a standing ovation as they all thanked New York City and bid farewell. The lights turn on for all of us to head out of Warsaw. I turn around to get going and behind me I see a female fan being consoled by her husband - and she’s in tears. Either she finally fulfilled her life-long dream of seeing Front 242 or saddened that they would say goodbye and farewell to the states, never to return.

The first five acts were amazing. It felt like I did a great service to myself in attending. I already checked off all the boxes I wanted to: take mass transit, visit Greenpoint, see Barker and Connolly play, and be associated with my kind of people. A night out in Brooklyn never fails and the thrills would still continue after the show ended. There’s always the experience of taking the alphabet and number lines - taking the ‘G’ and then the ‘7’ line to walk from 10th St. towards the Empire State Building and then arriving at Penn Station all by one-in-the-morning. Like the ride from Babylon to Penn Station, the reverse ride was quiet and not as crowded as a can of sardines. More exhilarating was the ride from Babylon back home where all the roads were empty and quiet, leading up to driving east on a wide-open Sunrise Highway at three in the morning and getting home all in 25 minutes time.

Night One of Cold Waves was now in the record books.

**********

Friday afternoon? Well, what an adventure. I had no idea that traffic was literally paralyzed on Sagtikos Parkway. It was that point where I knew it would be down to the wire getting to the Babylon station. From then on, I was finding every inch I could to cut other drivers off, find detours, and get head-starts while waiting for green lights and cursing out turtle drivers. Traffic was tight and every decision counted. One minute I thought I was going to make it and the next minute I was doubtful. South on Commack Road, down Deer Park Avenue then Route 231, and finally to Route 27A where I was only a few thousand feet away from the station. I arrive at the parking lot across from the station, bolted out of my car, ran across the street and up the stairs like a motherfucker. I finally reach the platform and - it’s taking off. Fucking great.

I had one hour until the next train to figure out how to unfuck myself and get to Warsaw in time. I tried signing up for OMNY (New York City’s wireless transit pay) months ago but was unsuccessful. Now time to try again. I downloaded the Apple Pay app- and then had to call the bank to connect my card. Now that it’s tied to my phone, I tired again to sign up for OMNY. Success! The 4:35 PM Babylon train arrives and I had 55 minutes to map out the quickest path in getting to my destination. The train arrives at Penn Station and I waste no time hauling ass to the ‘E’ line. Here we go. I hover my phone over the turnstile and - GO. Raced up and down the flights of stairs and I catch the ‘E’ train by five seconds before its doors closed. I take another 20 minutes to cool down before the transfer to Court Square / 23rd Street’s ‘G’ line. I hop off, sprint, and find the ‘G’ train that would take me to the Nassau Avenue stop, the closest one to Warsaw. It took me about two minutes and 1,000 feet to get there. I finally arrive out of breath before I go through the security checks and magic wands before entry. All clear. It’s 7:40 PM. Five minutes to go and I’m at the exact same spot I was the night before. All worship to Lucifer that I made it.

And now, night two begins.

If there was any artist to kick off Friday’s festivities that represented his hometown and carried its flag, then Confines was it. The hard-hitting, beat-heavy industrial-techno / EBM project certainly had some punch to it. Like Rein, Confines was a one-person show who did all of his instruments and movements on his own. Not bad at all. At the time of this writing I learned something about him that totally kicked me off of my seat: Confines happened to be David Castillo, co-owner of Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus bar and venue, host of the Age Of Quarantine podcast, and lead singer of Primitive Weapons. Are you fucking kidding me?! I was on the lookout to spot him at my last visit to -Vitus to see Uniform but I was shit out of luck. Now I finally found him performing at Cold Waves and didn’t even know that was him until after the fact! Fucking right. And it doesn’t stop there. I also learned that both Geography Of Nowhere 1 and Work Up The Blood was mixed and mastered by Hospital Productions’ Kris Lapke / Alberich and laid out by Sannhet’s AJ Annunziata. Wow. Talk about getting five-in-a-row on that bingo card.

Fans of Vancouver musicks enjoyed a two-for-one approaching the middle of the night’s bill. We were all treated to Leathers consisting of Shannon Hemmett (vocals), Kendall Wooding (synths), and Adam Fink (drums). For anyone who wanted the 2022’s tense of what an Eighties’ synthpop / new-wave show would look like? Well, now you have it. It was a treat seeing them perform and also seeing the slender Hemmett as an Eighties dream while Wooding and Fink played a smooth mid-tempo set. But with a wardrobe change and Jason Corbett coming into play, Leathers became Actors and Artoffact’s flagship band was the iteration that appeared on everyone’s radar as of late. They traded in their Eighties’ synthpop and new-wave cool for heavier rock. This time Hemmett took over synth duties and Wooding wielded bass as Fink stayed on drums and Corbett helped Actors push more power and electricity into their second set to keep the excitement steady from start to finish. I tried out both Leathers / Actors before and for some reason they’re not my type of heavy-rotation listening. However, there’s no denying that their talent brought them their well-deserved fanfare and exposure.

Not since Merzbow’s personnel bringing out his gear at Output have I been bracing myself with another artist’s set-up. Lighting fixtures attached all over and bulbs placed in front of huge cymbals might’ve told me that the next set would burn my eyes right off my face. Luckily, I was wrong. That was Kite’s visual set-up and a precursor to their performance. The Swedish duo of Niklas Stenemo and Christian Berg were another act I never heard anything of, and afterwards tilted me to give them a shot. Both were skilled in playing two keyboards at once (or keys- and knobs in Berg’s case) as they delivered a lively performance and Stenemo a few kicks, switching between synth-wave and synthpop. Their latest single “Bocelli” was the highlight on the night, showing their dramatics while also providing a soulful, heartfelt, and at times acclaimed power.

While Kite tore down their equipment, I thought of something. It’s been five years since I attended Hospital Production’s 20th Anniversary. I remember one moment near the end of the showcase when Bone Awl was playing their set - where all of a sudden Dominick Fernow (Prurient and Hospital- label-head) runs to the apron, stage-dives over the pit, and into the audience for a crowd-surf. It was a moment that never escaped me since then. Here I am back again at Warsaw for Cold Waves five years later and I’m at the rail for both nights. During one intermission, something dawned on me - I look at the rail, then the edge of the stage, and then the rail once again. I thought to myself: how in the fuck did Dominick have enough clearance to fly in the air, avoid banging into the rail, and land safely on top of the crowd? Good thing he successfully pulled off that spectacular feat.

Asterisk: New York City was supposed to receive Stabbing Westward as the closer to Cold Waves but had to bow out. That’s where Cold Cave gladly stepped in and ultimately sealed the deal for Cold Waves’ entire New York City stop. “Remember when we last played here?” lead singer Wes Eisold asked the audience. Yes I do, Wes. Yes I do. Seeing Cold Cave again for the second time in the same venue was another special bonus to me, and always a welcome one at that. I walk through previously-ventured territory and this time it was just as exciting as the last. All hits and zero misses from Eisold, his lady Amy Lee, and company. “Glory”, “People Are Poison”, “A Little Death To Laugh”, “Confetti”, “Rainbow Girls”, “Godstar”, “Theme From Tomorrowland”. You named it, they played it. For 50 minutes they kept a steady upbeat energy of synthwave and classic goth pedigree; not to mentions tons of smoke and fog fired towards our way to where I’m seriously considering getting myself screened. The only difference between their 2018 appearance and this one at Cold Waves? No sign of Max G. Morton, and Eisold’s heroine Genesis P. Orridge who joined him on guest vocals had sadly passed away since then.

But there was one shining onyx that fit the head jewel of the crown: when Eisold and Amy Lee brought their daughter out on stage. How fucking amazing was that? The audience collectively melted. Imagine being in your single-digits and having an amazing story to tell your friends back in school about how your rock-star dad brought you up on stage to sing for the crowd. Through their entire set, Cold Cave never let up and missed any of their targets as Eisold, Amy, and the rest played through their last encore and that’s all they wrote.

Before I knew it, it’s 12:20AM. Cold Waves in New York City was now history.

**********

I walk out of Warsaw and away from the busy volume of the patrons standing around in front of it. The night skies changed their tune to a purplish overhead. They were nice enough to wait until my moment was over to return. I’m now processing how to put the last 48 hours into words and also my place in the universe after being where I wanted to be. I head west on Driggs Street through McCarren Park weaving through the pedestrians walking towards me and observe a few small groups of people congregating and chilling on park grounds with their portable speakers. It’s only a few more blocks before I enter the ‘L’ line that will connect me to the ‘2’ line.

If only I can tell you the city’s delights that I’ve seen during my travels to Penn Station. I’ve seen female torture artists and double-pigtailed mistresses in their black onesies and shiny knee-high boots. There’s an Asian girl my height in a low-cut purple dress and her thigh is all bloodied and bandaged up; situated below her very visible purple underwear. Across from me was this gay guy who was the stunt double for The Ukiah Drag’s Tommy Conte, kissing his boyfriend on the cheek and sad-gazing in his boyfriend’s eyes who boarded off the ‘L’, but not before he blew Tommy a kiss goodbye. Another couple hopped on our crowded car. His blonde girlfriend’s neck and chest were literally covered red with hickeys and didn’t give a soaring aerial fuck about all the eyes and stares aimed at her. The ‘L’ ends and I transfer to the quick ‘2’ which only took five minutes to get me to Penn Station, leaving me with a half-an-hour wait for the Babylon train to arrive. Lather, rinse, and repeat with a left-hand forward ride to the station and another Sunrise Highway night drive back to my quiet-as-night neighborhood. A return to silent normalcy.

**********

Chicago has been widely known as the industrial capital of the U.S. It’s where Jim Nash and Danny Flescher established Wax Trax as a record store and the label that’s given birth to the careers and legacies of Ministry, KMFDM, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Meat Beat Manifesto, and countless other acts. It’s also where Public Image Ltd.’s Martin Atkins created Pigface and Invisible Records and gave life to Chemlab, Damage Manual, Dead Voices On Air, Murder Inc., Ritalin, Sheep On Drugs, and Test Dept. All these artists made my identity, or part of it. Throughout the years I’ve followed all of my favorite artists and have never given up on them. They were there for me during my difficult times at community college and to this day I’ve never tired of their projects. It wasn’t until recently when I revisited the classics that I realized that these artists and labels were in my heart all along. Millions of industrialists join each other in various online groups to share their stories and live memories and say “hi!” to the many legends who lurk around and keep that cameraderie going. I see the company around me in Greenpoint who share similar interests, qualities, and aesthetics and those are the people I want to be associated with.

I thought attending just one Boy Harsher show was a rite of passage. Yes - more in the synthwave world. I’ve also attended shows for Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, and Killing Joke and that’s more than enough for me to hoist my flag for this genre. (Naysayers will wave their filthy unclean fingers at me and say “not so fast” because I wasn’t able to go to a Skinny Puppy show.) I’ve heard many great things about Cold Waves that I’d be a fool to miss out. Mutuals who went told me it’d be amazing and they were double-right. With Front 242’s final American appearances and with Braker and Connelly having to quit the RevCo name, this year was a non-negotiable. What started out as a one-night benefit and an honor of Jason Novak (Acumen Nation, DJ? Acucrack) and David Schock’s fallen friend Jamie Duffy evolved into an (almost) annual round of the best and legendary industrial, synthpop, and synthwave acts. Like my attendance with the previous Cold Cave and Black Marble shows, attending Cold Waves was a thank-you to the scene that gave me an identity but also to a certain number of acts that helped build it.

It’s been one of the best and most exhilarating moments of the year, ranking as high as Sacred Bones’ 15th anniversary. If the line-up for next year is as good or better (how could it?), then I guarantee you I’ll be returning.

#Cold Waves #industrial #synthwave #NYC #New York City #BK #Brooklyn #Spike Hellis #Rein #Portion Control #Revolting Cocks #Front 242 #Confines #Leathers #Actors #Kite #Cold Cave #personal #Long Island #omega #music #mixtapes #reviews #playlists

[wehrwolf]

so this week I flew across the country by myself to see my favourite band in the entire world. practically nothing went amiss. I had random interactions with lovely people. my hobbling faith in humanity has straightened its spine a bit? I’ll be cringe about this below because I want to remember, let’s have some positivity for once.

I hate that I like nissan rogues, I know the transmissions are dogshit. rented one for a day to avoid dragging luggage all over hell’s creation. sound system fucked hard. LOUD paul barker. ate hella steak, eggs and pancakes at pancake chef near seatac. alright alright alright. 

killed time before hotel check-in, visited lakeview for brandon and bruce lee, ended up perusing the cemetery with a multi-talented guy from LA for about an hour swapping perspectives, observations on the human condition and tombstone critiques. glossy black crow perched on an equally inky granite headstone embellished with a huge cross - oh my goth, bro. eric, I’m sorry your cat died, you are rad and I will try to find your music online. be water, my friend.

the fashionable gentleman who checked me into the hotel was a sweetheart, down with skinny puppy, name dropped wax trax, awesome taste in rings.

dipped out for coffee, asked directions from coffee-holding stranger in glasses to make sure I was headed the right way. ran into him the next day in my new hoodie post gig, he mentioned how he used to work at a record store in edmonton, sold records to cEvin. what? insane.

seattle has too many hills, someone should do something about this. but very walkable. always move confidently with purpose, shoulders back, mean mug, look like you want to curb-stomp god. never appear lost.

found a 24 hr cafe near the kurt cobain twin tower / frasier obelisk that served a mean breakfast and was blasting tunes at 9:30am. several compliments on my filthy rat nest hair. what is this fever dream? unwashed hair is in. pancakes are my passion.

wandered to the paramount to get my bearings, saw justin by the tour bus and that metalworker ephraim dude’s sick rusted-out mad max’d honda cr-v. meandered around for the rest of the afternoon before skuppy-prep time. incredible roast beef horseradish sandwich. cool and good.

hung out in the GA line for a while, no VIP this time, wind picked up and it was pretty cold for a may evening. ended up next to a tough looking dude during the show, chatted a bit, he was a kmfdm roadie for a few tours. said his best puppy show was new orleans, I can only imagine. he reminded me of wez from the road warrior. thank you R for the gum, it gave me a second wind.

the paramount theatre is something out of a golden fairytale, gilded to the gills. generous stage for alien abuse. fantastic acoustics. reminds me of the hippodrome. I relished irving plaza’s intimacy but the paramount was my favourite venue.  

I will never tire of seeing lead into gold. soundtrack for slowly asphyxiating in a warm tar pit but make it erotic. thank you paul barker, long-legged light of our lives.

no surge/mosh at this show- if so, I didn’t notice. the energy was on point. denver had some choice dumbasses in the crowd, no such issue here.   seattle mirrored silver spring imo, excellent all around.  I made a brief, wonky post touching on this but in denver ogre was still obviously uncomfortable. that made me feel fucked up... and quiet afterwards.  this time around he seemed in great spirits, tons of energy, spinning the mic around a bunch, writhing all over the place to thwart tormentor!dustin (our boy is flexible). everyone was going wild, we all yelled ourselves hoarse. got to use their A setup with the big projection sheet. justin and cEv on risers.

side note: big love to matthew for his crowd engagement and bubbly enthusiasm this entire tour. honestly he comes off as just a literal cinnamon roll of a guy and the tour diaries have been a real treat. at the end he reflected on otherness and a need to be kind to one another in an unkind world, which really oddly summed up my seattle adventure... and the general vibe of skinny puppy’s unique fans (as others have mentioned here far more eloquently).

also real talk does ogre do belly dancing or something BECAUSE jesus fucking christ man he makes my mind literally fucking blank with all that fluid gyration absolutely knuckle dragging cave woman looney toons wolf beating the shit out of itself with a hammer feral. he knows what he’s doing too, god bless him. there were gals behind me that just started SHRIEKING like it was beatlemania, fucking ogremania with every slutty little hip movement (”go daddy gooo”). also like... cock grabbing causing me irreparable brain damage. then he legit straight up purposefully spit/drooled and it was just... super hOrny NOT like... mouth trauma symptom salivation (I hope? oh god.) his spit makes me insane. ok.

this was the first time I had the pleasure of hearing god’s gift (maggot). we were graced with smothered hope at earlier shows... so I think I basically experienced everything الحمد لله رب العالمين screaming. they ended with candle again, huge plus. ogre practically pranced off the stage after the encore. everyone came back out together for a heartfelt round of goodbyes. no concerts have moved me like these puppy gigs. I am so thankful, down to the marrow. there are probably other details but I have slept ~two hours in the past 48 so...   ✌️👽

#p

[kevinandbernice]

Well not much to report today I’m afraid. We checked out our room at 1030 but not collecting the rental car from the airport until 4pm. We went across the road to have a look around Pikes Place Market as Bern had not had a look around. We the headed off 7 blocks to The Cheesecake Factory for a light pasta lunch and a purchase of their cheesecake. It would be rude not to. After grabbing a drink we walked back to our hotel

It was then time for me to go and collect the rental car. I left around 2pm, and I had to catch the train to the airport terminal then get the Car Rental bus to the Rental Depot. Thankfully no queue at the desk so sorted out quickly and off to get the car. This time it was a Chevrolet Trax, which did seem a bit smaller than our last car, the Ford Escape, but when I queried it was told it was an intermediate SUV. Set of for the hotel to pick up Bern with sat nav saying I would get there at 4.01pm, 1 minute later than I had said I would be. Out of the depot and onto the Interstate Highway when a warning light came on and there was a loud rattle from the back when I went over a bump. To be honest it was a bit of a shed! Not having this thought so turned around and back to the rental depot. Spoke with a woman whose grasp of English was not great, but she took the car back and looked for a new one for me. I mentioned that the Ford Escape had seemed bigger so had she got one of those or similar. She turned the screen around and gave me a choice of 4. Not knowing the models I just picked one expecting it to be similar in size but when I got to it it was a massive 4x4 SUV with a pick-up bit at the back. I went to a different booth and found an American guy with a better command of English and explained. He said the car she had given me was about 5 grades above what I should have had and also a luxury model so he sorted me out a Toyota RAV4 which was almost new a a perfect size. Off I goes again and eventually get back to Bern at 5pm. Whilst I was going through this ordeal Bern was sat in the public area of the hotel reading her book - see first 2 pictures. Then it was load up the car and off to our next hotel, thankfully only about 35 miles away.

The other photo 4 photos that Bern took when we went to the Smith Tower on Sunday

[suppenzeit]

D, L, N, T for StEx?

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

bestie i wish i shipped dinahboose but its just stuck as neutral in my brain

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves.

The John Napier concept drawings for Weltschaft and Prince of Wales (Prince ESPECIALLY) are genuinely some of my favorites !

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

its always nice when some less-noticed characters get more love. ive especially been rotating the rockies and the trax in my brain for a hot second now.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending? 

tall CB

i mean all my hcs are something that i believe in and will defend, but honestly im more eager to just say "agree to disagree" because i dont really have the energy to fight about headcanons.

that said. idc how good a white electra actor is electra is NOT white. and this is something im willing to fight about.

#askbox #noactofcharitygoesunresented #stex #im the kind of freak who really likes napiers concept art for stex

[juanmecanico]

"¡Descubre los INCREÍBLES Secretos del Interior del Chevrolet Trax 2024 que NO Quieren que Sepas!" "¡Hola, fanáticos de los autos! Finalmente puse mis manos en el nuevo Chevrolet Trax 2024, y tengo que decir, se nota que llegó al gimnasio. Sin embargo... Esperaba más de este vehículo. Es cierto que tiene un diseño interior excepcional, los detalles de acabado, la calidad de los materiales y el ajuste, muestran la dedicación de Chevrolet. Pero debemos ser honestos, ¿Eso es suficiente? 🤔 El Chevrolet Trax 2024 parece evocar la era de los autos comodín: un poco aquí, un poco allí, pero sin una identidad definida. Y hablando de su sistema de infoentretenimiento... ¡Guau! Si buscas un enigma de dolor de cabeza, entonces este auto es para ti. La pantalla táctil es interesante, pero el software de navegación es más complicado que tratar de entender a tu suegra después de 3 margaritas. En cuanto a su espacio interior, es bastante decente. Un Smart Car parece una limusina en comparación, pero aún se siente apretado. Sentí que jugar Jenga con las piernas. Quizás, mi molestia más grande sea ¡la falta de agilidad en su desempeño! Cruzar la ciudad a 40km/h en el Trax es similar a participar en una carrera de tortugas. En general, el Trax está bien, pero Chevy, ¿no hay algo más? Este auto necesita algo sorprendente que haga a todos decir: ¡Vaya! Asegúrate de exponer tu opinión, ¿estás de acuerdo conmigo o es un auto que te ha robado el corazón? Personalmente, lo mantendré como una opción, pero no es mi primera elección. Si me preguntas, prefiero ver a Chevrolet tomar oportunidades y crear algo fuera de este mundo. Así que, prepárense chicos, vamos a ver qué pasa en el futuro porque esto es solo el principio. ¡Enciendan sus motores! 🚗💨 #CocheDelFuturo #InteriorChevyTrax" Translation: "Hello, car enthusiasts! I finally got my hands on the new 2024 Chevrolet Trax, and I must say, you can tell it's been hitting the gym. But... I expected more from this vehicle. Yes, it has an exceptional interior design, the detailing, quality of materials and fit - they show Chevrolet's commitment. But let's be honest, is that enough? 🤔 The 2024 Chevrolet Trax seems to evoke the era of wild-card cars: a bit here, a bit there, but without a defined identity. And speaking of its infotainment system... Wow! If you're looking for a riddle of headaches, then this car is for you. The touchscreen is interesting, but the navigation software is trickier than trying to understand your mother-in-law after 3 margaritas. As for its interior space, it's quite decent. A Smart Car looks like a limousine in comparison, but it still feels tight. I felt like playing Jenga with the legs. Perhaps my biggest gripe is the lack of agility in its performance! Crossing the city at 40km/h in the Trax feels like participating in a turtle race. Overall, the Trax is okay, but Chevy, isn't there something more? This car needs something mind-blowing that makes everyone say: Wow! Make sure to voice your opinion, do you agree with me or is this a car that has stolen your heart? Personally, I'll keep it as an option, but it's not my first choice. If you ask me, I prefer to see Chevrolet taking chances and create something out of this world. So, guys, brace yourselves, we'll see what happens in the future because this is just the beginning. Start your engines! 🚗💨 #FuturisticCar #ChevyTraxInterior"

[cheiyunn]

Kimisute main story [3部 ] Part 5

Chapter 5

Side: EpsilonΦ

[Street]

Reiji: Shu, where do you intend to go?

Shu: Does it matter? It just felt suffocating to be holed up like that

Shu: I’ll take a walk out for a bit and maybe when I get back Haruka will be somewhat better

Reiji: …that's new then

Reiji: If you were really concerned about Haruka, I don’t think it was the best choice to leave those 3 together 

Shu: What? Reiji, aren’t you misconstruing something here?

Shu: It’s not that I’m being considerate to Haruka 

Shu: I couldn’t care less if he got pushed back by Kanata and suffered more for it

Reiji: …then, you’re looking for a sort of dissonance?

Shu: Haruka’s music and voice heavily depend on his mental state right? Then wouldn’t it be better if he just broke, is a thing for thought

Reiji: (...he and I are the same, sort of justification then)

Shu: Plus, I’m quite looking forward to what sort of music Haruka and Tadaomi can muster up

Shu: Maybe at this moment, Tadaomi is also joining in and putting pressure on Haruka too

Reiji: It seems that they’re having trouble with the songwriting process at the moment, so are you intending to just watch it go over?

Shu: Yup. Isn’t it more fun to see someone get overwhelmed and sink down in something they thought they had sturdy footing in, right

Shu: And I think the harder he gets stuck in a slump, the better the resulting product will be

Reiji: I understand

Reiji: …my condolences to Haruka

.

[Practice room]

--[Door opens]--

Tadaomi: Haruka-kun, welcome back

Tadaomi: I was thinking about some things, are you willing to listen?

Haruka: ….what is it

Tadaomi: I regret saying things that made me sound like I was waiting on you earlier

Tadaomi: When I thought about it for a bit, Shu-kun did say that he wanted the both of us to create something

Tadaomi: So, rather than having both of our ideas laid out, how about we think this through together

Tadaomi: That way, there's a chance that better ideas can come to fruition

Haruka: …you.. What are you thinking

Tadaomi: I’m only thinking about what I just said?

Haruka: …………fine

Haruka: I’ll join that

Haruka: I have no idea what you’re thinking about but, it’d be faster this way too…

Tadaomi: Fufu, that’s lovely. Then, from the top again, I look forward to working with you, Haruka-kun

.

--[Door opens]--

Kanata: Sounds like you’re havin’ fun. Whatcha chattin’ about? Songwriting?

Haruka: You have nothing to do with this.

Kanata: Aww don’t say that, aniki–

.

--[Door opens]--

Shu: I’m back. Lets restart practice~

Reiji: Haruka, is everything okay now

Haruka: yeah

Kanata: Boo~~ I got interrupted 

Tadaomi: Shu-kun. We’ll work hard on the songwriting okay

Shu: Why are you repeating yourself. Well, I’ll look forward to it then

.

[Skyfox record office]

Reiji: I would like to apologize for taking up your time despite being so busy

Sosui: No, don’t mind it. Lucky timing though, since there was also something I wished to discuss

Reiji: And that is?

Sosui: I want you to relay this to Shu-kun

Sosui: A little while back, this sort of project information started circulating

Reiji: …a 「Sales ranking game」?

Sosui: GENESIS TRAX, where Iryuu Koga is under,  is a worldwide known music label

Sosui: I’m not sure if what’s written there is pure fact, but it doesn’t change the fact that this project has great benefits attached

Sosui: A bunch of labels have already announce their partnering to it as well

Reiji: So EpsilonΦ is to join this too?

Sosui: Yes. I also indeed to offer this to Fujin RIZING! as well but at the moment they’re a little rocky

Reiji: Fujin RIZING! as well?

Sosui: Hm? What do you mean by 「as well」?

Reiji: …To tell the truth, this is what I wanted to discuss today as well but, we’re also a tad rocky these days

Sosui: Is that so

Reiji: You don’t sound very surprised. Possibly you’ve already noticed Haruka’s slump?

Sosui: I did have a thought. But, I didn’t know the exact reasoning as to why. Do you have any ideas as to why, Reiji-kun?

Reiji: …no, there wasn’t anything that stood out to me in particular

Sosui: I see. If possible, I want both EpsilonΦ and Fujin RIZING! to participate in this promotion project and release a single, so maybe just keep this in mind

Reiji: I understand. I’ll relay that to Shu as well

#fromargonavis #epsilon phi

[asklilmissrarity-redux]

You need to read in between the lines of the message she sent you. Here's what Twilight was actually saying:

"I'm sorry, Laff Trax. I didn't know.

I did think something was wrong, but I had no choice but to banish Chaser as I thought she had become the next Nightmare Moon and threaten the peace of Equestria.

I'm taking a page from my teacher's book. Just like what happened to me when an evil being has appeared and the only one who can solve the problem was me, now it is your turn to do what I did.

Make friends and use the power of friendship to defeat it before it's too late.

The only way to purify you might be the Elements of Harmony, but you'd need to find the wielders of them first and obtain the Elements themselves.

I believe in you. After all, friendship is magic."

[limocloud9]

From Terminal to Town: Your Guide to Salt Lake City Airport Transportation

Introduction

Welcome to Salt Lake City, the gateway to the stunning landscapes of Utah. Whether you're visiting for business or pleasure, one of the first things you'll need to consider is how to get from the airport to your destination. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the various salt lake city airport transportation, ensuring that your journey from terminal to town is smooth and hassle-free.

Overview of Salt Lake City International Airport

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is a major transportation hub located just 4 miles west of downtown Salt Lake City. It serves as a gateway to numerous ski resorts, national parks, and outdoor recreational areas in Utah. The airport has a well-designed layout with two terminals, five concourses, and a wide range of amenities to ensure a comfortable travel experience.

Public Transportation Options

Trax Light Rail

One of the most convenient and cost-effective ways to travel from the airport to downtown Salt Lake City is by using the Trax light rail system. The Green Line connects the airport to downtown and various other destinations, including the University of Utah. Trains run every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on weekends. The fare is affordable, and you can purchase tickets at the station using cash or credit cards.

Bus Services

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) operates several bus routes that serve Salt Lake City International Airport. Bus Route 551 provides direct service from the airport to downtown Salt Lake City, while other routes connect to nearby neighborhoods and suburbs. The UTA buses are equipped with luggage racks, making them a convenient option for travelers with baggage. Fare payment can be made with cash or a reloadable UTA FarePay card.

Ride-Sharing Services

Uber

Uber is a popular ride-sharing service available at Salt Lake City International Airport. Upon arrival, simply request a ride through the Uber app, and a driver will pick you up at the designated ride-share pickup area. Uber offers various vehicle options, including UberX, UberXL, and Uber Black, catering to different group sizes and preferences. The fare is determined by factors such as distance and demand.

Lyft

Similar to Uber, Lyft is another ride-sharing service that operates at Salt Lake City International Airport. Using the Lyft app, you can request a ride and be picked up at the designated ride-share pickup area. Lyft offers different ride options, such as Lyft, Lyft XL, and Lyft Lux, providing flexibility for your transportation needs. The fare is calculated based on factors like distance and time.

Taxis and Shuttles

If you prefer a more traditional mode of transportation, taxis and shuttles are readily available at Salt Lake City International Airport. Taxis can be found at the designated taxi stands outside each terminal, and they operate on a metered fare system. Shuttles, on the other hand, are a shared transportation option that can take you to various destinations in the city. You can book a shuttle service in advance or find one at the airport.

Car Rental Services

For those who prefer the freedom and flexibility of having their own vehicle, Salt Lake City International Airport offers a wide selection of car rental services. Several well-known rental companies have counters located in the airport's rental car center, conveniently accessible from both terminals. It is advisable to make a reservation in advance to secure the vehicle of your choice, especially during peak travel seasons.

Hotel Shuttles

Many hotels in Salt Lake City provide complimentary shuttle services for their guests. If you have booked accommodation at a hotel, it is worth checking if they offer airport transportation. Hotel shuttles can be a convenient option, as they will pick you up directly from the airport and take you to your hotel. Make sure to inquire about the shuttle schedule and any reservation requirements when making your hotel reservation.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1: How long does it take to travel from Salt Lake City International Airport to downtown?

A1: The travel time from the airport to downtown Salt Lake City varies depending on the mode of transportation and traffic conditions. On average, it takes approximately 15-20 minutes by car, 30 minutes by Trax light rail, and 20-25 minutes by bus.

Q2: Are there any discounts available for public transportation fares?

A2: Yes, the Utah Transit Authority offers discounted fares for seniors, students, and individuals with disabilities. Additionally, theyprovide discounted fare options for multi-day passes, which can be a cost-effective choice for frequent travelers.

Q3: Can I rent a car at Salt Lake City International Airport without a reservation?

A3: While it is possible to rent a car without a reservation, it is highly recommended to make a reservation in advance. This ensures that you have a guaranteed vehicle and can save you time and potential inconvenience upon arrival.

Q4: Are there any alternative transportation options for larger groups?

A4: If you are traveling with a larger group, it may be more convenient to consider hiring a private shuttle or van service. These services can accommodate more passengers and provide direct transportation to your desired destination.

Q5: How do I find the designated ride-share pickup area at the airport?

A5: The designated ride-share pickup area at Salt Lake City International Airport is located outside the terminals. Look for signs or follow the instructions on the ride-share app to locate the designated pickup zone for Uber and Lyft.

Conclusion

Navigating transportation from Salt Lake City International Airport to your destination is a crucial aspect of your trip. By familiarizing yourself with the various transportation options available, such as Trax light rail, buses, ride-sharing services, taxis, shuttles, and car rentals, you can choose the most suitable mode of transportation based on your preferences, budget, and travel plans. Remember to plan ahead, make reservations when necessary, and enjoy your journey from terminal to town in beautiful Salt Lake City.

[kneehoming-knee]

RAILROAD TRAX FOOD MASTERS "CHOICE"