Spent my weekend at the beautiful Montigo Resorts, took tons of pictures and got a (slight) tan. Also filmed a quick GRWM for fun. Good times :-)
This is a serious and very personal topic for me. To put things into context, I identify as pansexual, and I am surrounded by people who identify as bisexual, lesbian, straight, and gay. If you ask me, of course I fully support the LGBT community. However, I'm not about to drone on regarding my stance on this new legislation. This post is just made to explain it. I respect that people are entitled to their own opinions, and I respect that people disagree with this ruling and wish to express it in their own way. All of that sits perfectly well with me. However, there are two kinds of opinions, informed and misinformed. Informed opinions are everywhere, and widely accepted, be it within or outside of the LGBT community. However, there are certain (horribly) misinformed opinions which have surfaced regarding the new legislation that prove how awfully misconstrued the new ruling has become, which I hope to address in this post.
#Fact 2: The new legislation functions on the basis of mutual agreement and consent to the civil union or marriage, by the two parties involved. This is exactly the same as how opposite-sex marriages, as stated in the Defense of Marriage Act, are deemed legal in the eyes of the Constitution aka eligible for marriage licenses. Other forms of sexual or non-sexual relations such as pedophilia, zoophilia, paraphilia and incubus/succubus are unable to fall under the same premise of legal judgment because there exists no way to prove whether or not the other party is consensual towards the civil union they are being "engaged" in. Also, they are not, in legal terms, able to be guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Therefore, it is completely beyond reason to compare these alternate relations to a same-sex marriage.
#Fact 3: Religious liberty is protected by the First Amendment, and this legislation has nothing to do with that. Religious organizations are still guaranteed protection and definitive rights to continue to teach the principles that are essential to their faith, whether or not they are for, or against the formation of same-sex marriages.
This post is just meant to clear up some confusion, not to start a fight or impose beliefs. You're free to stand for anything you want, but be sure to back up your opinions with stuff other than ignorance and bigotry.
#Fact 1: The legislation is put in place to guarantee equal social and federal rights for Americans engaged in a marriage or civil union constituting of two people of the same sex. This means that the legislation allows these people to enjoy the same insurance and social security benefits which people who are engaged in a marriage or civil union consisting of one man and one woman enjoy. This new legislation also ensures that people in same-sex marriages now lie within the same scope of laws that apply to family units which were formed by opposite-sex spouses. All laws relating to financial aid eligibility, immigration, bankruptcy, taxes, (basically all federal purposes), are now made available to same-sex spouses. Therefore, no, granting the same rights to these people wouldn't discount the existing rights of the people engaged in opposite-sex marriages. Politically speaking, this ruling would not disrupt or pose as a threat to democracy, because that is not the issue at hand. The ruling only serves to protect the rights of same-sex couples, and answer the legal question as to whether or not the Constitution protects the right for same-sex couples to marry, or form a civil union, and deems it illegal for members of same-sex marriages to be subject to any form of discrimination in terms of social and federal rights. It does NOT lend them additional voting rights, or impose unnecessary political opinions on, or legally allow them to vilify opposite-sex spouses.
#Fact 2: The new legislation functions on the basis of mutual agreement and consent to the civil union or marriage, by the two parties involved. This is exactly the same as how opposite-sex marriages, as stated in the Defense of Marriage Act, are deemed legal in the eyes of the Constitution aka eligible for marriage licenses. Other forms of sexual or non-sexual relations such as pedophilia, zoophilia, paraphilia and incubus/succubus are unable to fall under the same premise of legal judgment because there exists no way to prove whether or not the other party is consensual towards the civil union they are being "engaged" in. Also, they are not, in legal terms, able to be guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Therefore, it is completely beyond reason to compare these alternate relations to a same-sex marriage.
#Fact 3: Religious liberty is protected by the First Amendment, and this legislation has nothing to do with that. Religious organizations are still guaranteed protection and definitive rights to continue to teach the principles that are essential to their faith, whether or not they are for, or against the formation of same-sex marriages.
This post is just meant to clear up some confusion, not to start a fight or impose beliefs. You're free to stand for anything you want, but be sure to back up your opinions with stuff other than ignorance and bigotry.
Well, this was a finality, albeit a good one. My thoughts on Ta-Ku's new album. When I first heard it, I was bowled over, and I felt all the #feels he set out to convey, and the album really did conjure up bittersweet memories of cotton candy skies, piggyback rides and nights spent intoxicated. However, I'll admit that there came a point where I got confused. Now don't get me wrong, Ta-Ku is, without a doubt, one of my absolute favourite music producers out there, and I'd trade a double mcspicy for him any day, but some of the tracks in the album made it difficult to differentiate it from its predecessor, Songs To Break Up To (2013).
Akin to it's two-year old twin, Songs To Make Up To revolves around a myriad of #feels and Ta-Ku's slick maneuvers, however, some tracks were vaguely predictable and barely conveyed lukewarm emotion, or should I say, #feels. My personal favourites were Long Time No See ft. Atu and Sunrise/Beautiful ft. Jordan Rakei. Drenched with pure and uncluttered sentiment, these tracks were the ones that were free from any sort of beat-layering pretence, and really shone a light on Ta-Ku's rhythmic genius. That being said, perhaps the highs and lows of the album serve to convey and carry a deeply poignant sense of longing for a love once lost, and perhaps translates as an accurate aural manifestation of the beauty in having everything you've lost come back to you.
Released: June 12, 2015, ℗ 2015 Fool's Gold Records, Available on iTunes, $7.99.
A long hiatus (and two different hair colors) later, I'm back with some pretty good news. I've since gotten a new camera and to test it out, I filmed a short get-ready-with-me/everyday go-to makeup and hair sort of thing. On the day I decided to film it, a (very) conspicuous zit decided to pop up on my chin but I went ahead and filmed it anyway. I've really been diggin' the whole flesh-toned color palette recently, so I've decided to incorporate that into my everyday makeup and some of my outfits. I think vibrant colors register as slightly more unforgiving on my very confused skin tone for some reason, (speaking from experience) so I tend to stick with neutrals and muted colors. I'm really excited about my new camera, and I'm looking forward to updating this space with more videos/visuals and my thoughts on various new releases like I used to! X
Been real busy with school lately, and I know I haven't gotten down to filling up this space at all but I found this gem of a track recently which I absolutely fell in lust with when I first heard it. Presenting my latest earworm, Stroll by StéLouse. Taking the future bass game by storm is StéLouse, the latest product of the acclaimed Die High Records. Pronounced "Stay-loose", electronic music producer Ross Ryan has been making waves in the future bass genre, churning out two quality EPs and landing overwhelming support from fellow bass-boosters Bassnectar and Adventure Club, just to name a few. I mean yeah, we could all be belting vocals to Taylor Swift's Blank Space, but why not whistle along with StéLouse instead?
[embed]https://soundcloud.com/stelouse/stelouse-stroll-forthcoming[/embed]
Ah, the ever anticipated Alexander Wang x H&M capsule collection. After trawling a ton of teasers, sneak peaks, and ad campaign previews in what felt like an endless wait, the collection finally made its way to our red dot on the 6th of November. Was I glad? Boy, was I over the fucking moon. Since the announcement of the collaboration in April, I'd been dying to see how Wang was going to incorporate his trademark dark aesthetic into a vibrant fast-fashion label like H&M. Following their slew of collaborations with industry big names like Margiela and Lagerfeld, this one was surely one to watch. With a running sportswear influence throughout the whole collection, Wang ingeniously includes a mix of functional details and sporty chic. Without compromising his signature "urban uniform" essentials, the collection features a wide range of daily essentials from hoodies, sweatshirts and knits, to jacquard beanies and scuba bags. The crème de la crème of all H&M collections, to me at least, was finally here, and my self-confessed inner Carrie Bradshaw couldn't resist it for a second, so I pulled out all the stops and headed to H&M, ready to spend over 24 hours of my fast-fading youth queuing for it. I was semi-prepared for battle, and I forgot a ton of stuff when I rushed out of my house, but I managed to survive anyway. On that note, I'm about to tell you guys some Dos and Don'ts for dealing with the launch of a collection/store, a sample sale, or basically anything that kinda resembles a stakeout.
1# Don't be a bitch
Yes, these things are crazy. Maybe not Black Friday-crazy, but still crazy. When you're in line for something, there are bound to be quarrels over who got there first, but hey, if you're in the queue, you're guaranteed a purchase, so chill, alright? Leave the frenzy till the moment you actually get into the store.
2# Do be prepared
Bring. Food. And. Water. And. A. Tent. A tent? Yes, I promise you you'd rather look ridiculous camping in a concrete jungle, than go to sleep hungry, thirsty and cold on bare cement.
3# Don't play tag
Go early, queue, and stay in the queue. Don't tag your friends to queue on behalf of you, it's the most controversial thing since Bush vs. Gore.
4# Do make friends
No harm getting chummy with your neighbours, they're the only people you'll be seeing for more than a day. Who knows, they might become your new fashion-stakeout buddies.
5# Do go berserk and buy everything you can afford (or maybe more).
Self-explanatory.
Okay, I admit, when I first laid ears on this album, I wasn't a fan. I thought it was misaligned, insipid, unconvincing and horribly far off from their predecessor, An Awesome Wave (2012) which blew our minds and eardrums back when it was first released, in other words, I thought it was a plain boring sophomore slump, and doing a review of it was the last thing on my mind. However after repeated listens and constant daydreams about Joe Newman's ever-magnificent scruff, I felt a pang of guilt, and questioned all my previous judgements about the album. I closed my eyes, threw away every single preconceived notion I had about the album, and delved deep into Alt-J's newest sensibility. Revelation came when it hit me that what Alt-J was doing with This Is All Yours (2014), was not a bad follow up of their previous album, but an elaborate musical scheme that encompasses at once a humble attitude and impeccable musicality. Transitioning from the layered vocal harmonies in the Intro, to folky instrumental fillers and catchy tracks which cover various genres such as indie pop, alternative rock and electronica, the diversity of percussion techniques and Newman's ethereal vocal nuances are distilled to form nothing but pure musical genius. Although there were songs that felt like an extremely contrived attempt at filling up disc space, such as Left Hand Free, and Arrival In Nara, there were also tracks like Every Other Freckle and Warm Foothills, that channeled deep sexual imagery in them, simultaneously engaging and indulging the listener. Alt-J's new album is a conundrum in itself, playing it safe yet transgressing every single expectation we had of them, leaving us breathless yet wanting more. Mad props to these guys.
Released: September 22, 2014, ℗ 2014 Infectious Music Ltd, Available on iTunes, $7.99.
Launching their debut eyewear collection, featuring both sun and optical options, New Zealand-based apparel label I Love Ugly have garnered quite the attention with their latest releases. These bite-sized babies contain natural cotton fibres in their frames, housing impact-resistant lenses which offer 100% UV protection against the unforgiving sun. Beyond their latest eyewear collection, ILU has also dropped their newest line of apparel. From sleek bomber jackets and basketball jerseys with custom embroidered mesh construction, to dapper loafers and slouchy tees, the label's attention to detail and penchant for variety presents itself in every piece. Yes, they've been receiving a ton of mixed reviews about their constant oscillation between "ugly" and minimal designs, but you know what, ugly is subjective as beauty is, so who gives? I love ugly.
Available at http://www.iloveugly.net/ and all I Love Ugly flagship stores.
We know we can always count on Phillip Lim, designer and founder of label 3.1 Phillip Lim, to churn out clean lines and dapper silhouettes, and his Spring/Summer '15 runway not only proves us (very) right, but also showcases his versatility in this steadily changing climate we call "fashion", while still keeping close to the very principles which make up the label. A visual interpretation of Leonard Cohen's ever-so-impressionable quote, "“Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”, his womenswear line explored not only the vulnerability of the female anatomy, but also the sensual intimacy of the bedroom space. An ingenious attempt at simultaneously exposing and hiding the body, the clever rips, tears and semi-sheer organza pants, paired almost seamlessly with the belted bra tops and undulating hemmed skirts, fully presented the revealing nature of both a lady's body and boudoir. His menswear collection, on the other hand is a skilfully curated coalescence of locker-room chic and boardroom class. Devoid of any superfluous couture pretence, Lim seamlessly pairs sporty details such as referee pinstripes and utility buckles, with dapper elements such as oversized suits and collared shirts. The amount of thought he puts into each piece only serves to overwhelm, and it's safe to say that at the heart of his design is nothing but a pure and genuine need to communicate, which is pretty darn rare nowadays.
View the whole collection on http://www.31philliplim.com/.
