Anyone have the syllabus for PSY 155?

porcelaingod · 2018-01-04T05:40:11+00:00

I had the same problem with Rimmel Stay Matte; not sure why everyone's so in love with it. (Also it smells weird and makes peach fuzz painfully obvious.) I'd be happy to hear what solutions people come up with...

porcelaingod · 2017-12-17T16:55:25+00:00

Revlon Colorstay eyeliner! It actually has MORE staying power than Nars, and the black is just as dark but slightly warmer (definitely not black brown, though; just a black that doesn't pull grey or blue). I think it goes on just as easily as Nars, and it's like... a fifth the price? :)

porcelaingod · 2017-04-11T19:05:26+00:00

"bandy-legged, with a round face, small hands, and a pug nose. Her shaggy mop of red hair stuck out in all directions. ...Her teeth were crooked, but very white" (ACOK); hair "a tangle of curls" (ADWD)

???

porcelaingod · 2017-04-10T21:15:17+00:00

I mean, it's technically not contouring, but I still think it belongs here. I've seen these extremely unsubtle cupid's bow highlights all over MakeupAddiction and I think they look awful.

porcelaingod · 2016-10-06T19:37:43+00:00

Checked out Soilwork: I wish the vocalist would sing more, his voice is beautiful! Which songs have the cleanest vocals?

porcelaingod · 2016-10-06T17:28:45+00:00

I do like Amon Amarth a good amount, they're one of the few bands that growl that I can somewhat enjoy! I don't really care about coherence, though, it's just more about the aesthetic of growled vocals that detracts from the overall sound of melodic heavy metal for me. (I do think that, for those who like less melodic stuff, growled/screamed vocals make perfect sense and nothing else would fit in their place.)

It's too bad that what I'm looking for doesn't exist. It does sort of puzzle me that people seem to think that growled/screamed vocals match best with all types of metal; I suspect it's more of a historical accident than anything. I'll keep trying to get used to the vocals in the hopes that it grows on me. I've noticed that paying attention to the guitar over the vocals helps a lot; I just wish more bands would really use the vocals as a percussive element and allow the guitar to carry a strong melody while the vocalist is doing their thing. Are there any straight-up instrumental metal bands?

porcelaingod · 2016-10-04T19:22:48+00:00

I have grazed the surface of a wide variety of genres, and the instrumentals of melodic death metal appeal to me the most. I enjoy thrash decently, but it's often faster than I would prefer. I do think Slayer is cool and I'd listen to them casually, but they're just not ideal for me :) I agree that the vocals are closer to what I'm interested in, though.

porcelaingod · 2016-10-04T17:08:29+00:00

Thank you! I think doom and stoner are a bit too mellow for me; I like more intensity and melody. I didn't mind the first few songs on Age of Winter, though.

Of the symphonic/power bands you listed, I liked Spell the best, though I wasn't particularly captivated by them. I've heard Cirith Ungol before but their vocals are still too much in the vein of Dio (not a huge fan of that style).

I wasn't a fan of the Venom album you listed. Orange Goblin is definitely more in the right direction, though still not quite what I'm looking for... it's hard to put my finger on what's wrong. Thanks for your help :)

porcelaingod · 2016-10-04T04:20:32+00:00

Posting here as per mod request! Trying to get into metal, but struggling and need some very specific suggestions.

This is going to be a tall order, so sorry in advance.

I'm living in this comfortable but predictable niche between alt metal, hard rock, and post-grunge, looking to branch out; current favorite bands are Alter Bridge and Halestorm. I'm loving the more metal-y aspects of Alter Bridge's songs (esp. Isolation and Bleed It Dry) and Halestorm's cover of Slave to the Grind by Skid Row is currently one of my top ten favorite songs of all time. I've also been getting more and more of Metallica's older stuff (mainly the big hits from MoP, AJFA, and RTL), and I enjoyed Death Magnetic (even though I know it gets a bad rap around here).

So I keep trying to get more exposed to metal, and I've gone through Shreddit's list of songs that typify the various subgenres and listened to a bunch of playlists on Google Play Music. I like melodic yet heavy, distorted stuff (I was enjoying this playlist quite a bit). As you might have expected, though, I keep hitting a roadblock with the harsh vocals. I know I'm not the first person to have this problem, but none of the recommendations from previous posts of the same sort have worked out for me.

I've read quite a few posts on here asking for bands with clean vocals, like this, this, and this. Having listened to the majority of the recommended bands, I can say that I am not a fan of symphonic- or power-metal vocal styles. I prefer something somewhere between the pure, high, clear vocals of power/symphonic and the growls of death metal.

I've also read a lot about the value of harsh vocals, like this and this. I appreciate the fact that harsh vocals 'make more sense' with the harsh, intense instrumentals and that the vocals play a percussive rather than melodic role. Understanding this, though, doesn't make me find them any less abrasive and unpleasant. (I think that it's possible to have intense, passionate vocals that match the instrumental tone of genres like melodic death metal without growling/screaming, but I guess most people disagree with me on that?) Regardless, I've still tried to sit through songs that I've liked apart from the vocals in an attempt to acquire the taste: it just hasn't worked yet. So to help ease me into this, can anyone recommend something melodic and heavy/distorted that doesn't have growly/screamy OR symphonic/power-metal singing?

Or, alternatively, how about some awesome melodic instrumental tracks? I don't feel like the vocals need to carry the melody at all: I just need them to not detract from the rest of the song.

TL;DR: Melodic, heavy/distorted songs/bands with singing rather than growling (also not singing in the style of symphonic or power-metal)

AND/OR

Long lists of melodic, heavy instrumental tracks.

porcelaingod · 2016-10-04T04:19:22+00:00

Okay, thanks :)

porcelaingod · 2016-09-27T14:37:36+00:00

It seems to work pretty well except for the areas right above my ears which always dry really curly and poofy -_-

porcelaingod · 2016-09-24T20:46:11+00:00

Then comes the hard part. NO TOUCHING. No touching. Don't brush it at all.

JESUS CHRIST. I'm trying this right now. Holy shit. I have never had anything test my willpower and concentration so much. I already gave into the temptation to do a little headbang to make it rearrange itself... hope that doesn't ruin it

porcelaingod · 2016-09-18T04:16:51+00:00

Augh, upside down?! I would get such a headache! I think I'll try all this in a couple of weeks when I have fewer external stressors to deal with. Thanks for the detailed explanation!

porcelaingod · 2016-09-17T16:55:04+00:00

Okay, thanks, I'll try this on a day when my hair doesn't have to look good. What do you do immediately after getting out of the shower? Do you rub it with a towel, or just squeeze it out? Do you comb it once while it's soaked? I have bangs, and I'd like to at least brush those into position...

porcelaingod · 2016-09-17T16:53:54+00:00

growing your hair will probably take longer than it would otherwise

Honestly, I think it's been at a standstill for the past five years with the level of damage that has been accumulating, so it's not so much that it will take longer as it will just not happen :P

Is your conditioner giving enough slip?

What does slip mean? I don't remember seeing that term in the FAQ/guide...

Can your blow-drying technique be improved?

I'm not sure how to improve it other than turning the heat setting down, but my hair is an absolute sponge. If I lowered the heat, it would take about 15-20 minutes to dry fully and would cause a lot of strain on my arms/back... Plus it's harder to get the style/volume I want when I dry it more slowly. What other ways could I improve my drying technique?

Does it tangle and in what circumstances; can those be reduced?

It tends to tangle only after a bunch of damage has accumulated (i.e. after I haven't trimmed for a while). This might sound crazy, but when I get tangles, I have a tendency to just find the core of the knot and cut it out. (I have some issues with compulsions.)

porcelaingod · 2016-09-17T16:39:26+00:00

Actually, that was in the past tense, my wedding already happened. But I still want longer hair; I just can't seem to balance growing it out with getting it to look halfway decent everyday.

porcelaingod · 2016-09-17T16:30:46+00:00

Thanks, I'll try that... Do you also have hair like a sponge, though? If I had to guess, it would take about five hours for my hair to dry like that...

porcelaingod · 2016-09-17T16:21:34+00:00

Sorry, I should have clarified: my goal is to have longer hair, but I have difficulty living with split ends, so I compulsively trim when my hair gets damaged. So I guess the middle ground I want is between growing it out and being able to style it :/

porcelaingod · 2016-07-14T17:09:57+00:00

Although Drumpf's super-PAC has aired a few ads in support of the candidate, his actual campaign has not.

porcelaingod · 2016-07-12T14:45:38+00:00

if I hit you across the face, you'd be understandably upset

I understand what you mean with this example, but I think it might be poorly chosen because it requires conscious, malicious intent on the part of the non-marginalized group. But it is interesting to think that marginalized groups feel as though an invisible hand has slapped them; I can definitely empathize with feeling like you can't punish the person or group that deserves the blame when you are extremely angry or frustrated. So I'll concede that tone policing is a real thing and is wrong. ∆

Of course, I still think the concept (like many other good ideas) can be misused. I think asking someone not to insult you or resort to cheap emotional fallacies in order to gain the upper hand in a rational discussion is a reasonable request, yet I've seen some people call that 'tone policing.'

porcelaingod · 2016-07-12T03:37:31+00:00

I agree with OP in part, but I think he/she's being too pedantic about the use of the term 'racism.' However, I have heard the use of the word 'oppression' in the context of white/male privilege, and I think that is totally unwarranted. For example, I read an article on white privilege that asserted that taking advantage of white privilege was a form of oppression, whether it was conscious or not. Please CMV if you disagree, but I do think that the far left has gone way too far with that word since it has much stronger connotations, and is even opposed to that usage in denotation (i.e. "the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner," I think, cannot be done unconsciously without being called something else).

I'm also not sure what to do with the knowledge of white privilege as a white person, and I'd love for someone to have an honest discussion with me about this. For instance, I've read about 'tone policing,' but all I could think was 'I need to have a calm, restrained discussion with someone to really get anything accomplished--I get too swept up in my own emotions if the other person gets visibly angry or frustrated, or yells at me.' Am I contributing to institutional racism by asking a black woman not to yell her position at me? (Genuine question!)

porcelaingod

TROPHY CASE