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If this summer season wants extra booming bass in automotive audio system or charged clubbing music for dancing the evening away, Berlin-based couple MCR-T and Miss Bashful’s new album Tootsie Pop supplies the proper tunes for warm summer season nights. Collectively they create a singular sound combining techno dance and home with a 2000s-esque aesthetic. Bumping with attractive dance instrumentals and sensually intelligent lyrics, the brand new album will hold audiences, both within the membership or the automotive, intrigued. 

MCR-T, a seasoned Ghettotech artist, eloped with Miss Bashful earlier this yr. Though a more recent artist on the scene, Bashful shortly discovered her sound. Her earlier works with DBBD, a Berlin DJ and producer, solidified her type as “slut-techno,” now perfected on Tootsie Pop, which launched earlier this month.

Miss Bashful and MCR-T’s lyrics show addicting all through your entire album. “Bought your uncle in my DMs, he be cheatin’ on aunty” on “1-800-Ghettolicious” serves as one instance of a number of amusing strains that Miss Bashful delivers. In one of many album’s stand out tracks, “Unhappy Slut,” Miss Bashful does her finest to embody all of the feelings of a thriving membership life, together with the powerful occasions. The music explores these emotions with rhymes like “I’m crying within the membership, I’m not gonna sober up,” with the sped-up model giving a killer contact and irresistable vitality to the album.

“Lollipops and Limousines” exhibits off the skilled manufacturing by MCR-T. Miss Bashful applies her signature voice filters, including the proper techno vibe alongside layered instrumentals. The intro pattern exhibits how a lot the duo’s playfulness provides to their music.

The monitor “FSDD” exhibits MCR-T’s versatility and included types. The music begins off as a membership rave however morphs right into a home jam with deep spacey keys about midway via. With MCR-T’s ascendancy of techno, he’s capable of make the jam really feel like an extended trance. The percussion serves as one other spotlight of the album, offering the listener with fast-paced membership beats true to MCR-T’s sound.

With synth breakdowns and echoey mantras thick with reverb closely influenced by techno legends similar to Gigi D’Asgostino, the album’s closing monitor, “World BBs” ends on a bang. The playful backwards and forwards between the 2 artists invokes recollections of Fergie and Timbaland or Ja Rule and Ashanti, who dominated the radio waves within the 2000s. The duo clearly attracts on nostalgic influences. 

MCR-T and Miss Bashful do a beautiful job of making quite a lot of sound all through their album, with nice instrumentals, little room for error and few weak factors stuffed with deeply disparate notched tracks. If the album possesses any weaknesses, it’s that it efficiently explores so many sounds that future initiatives may wrestle to prime it. 

On this collaborative file, the completely produced tracks completely pair with attractive lyrics and bumping beats. Simply in time for the final weeks of summer season, Miss Bashful and MCR-T ship a mission positive to maintain home events alive and the dance ground shifting. 

4 1/2 Tootsie Pops out of 5

David Mohrig, geology affiliate dean for analysis, mentioned excessive water use in Austin causes water ranges in Lake Travis to lower considerably. 

Rainwater Tech, a geoengineering firm, plans on reworking the humidity across the Colorado River — particularly the Lake Travis reservoir — into water droplets by electrically charging the water. The cost permits the water particles to condense from water vapor. Rainwater Tech first tried this course of in Oman, the place, in accordance with its web site, it elevated rainfall by 18%. 

“To get (pure) rainfall we have to have moisture and convection,” Mohrig mentioned. “However, we are able to have (rain) with a number of warmth, and never a number of convection, so we’re not getting the large thunderstorms, we simply have the warmth there. (Rainwater Tech) is making an attempt to get round that.”

In Might, the entire Colorado River dams had been under-filled as they didn’t attain the river’s upper-range. This mission helps guarantee Austin’s water demand is not going to surpass its provide, Mohrig mentioned. “I’ve not discovered a great way to persuade folks (to restrict water utilization) aside from after they see the lake ranges so low, they usually begin to fear,” Mohrig mentioned. “As quickly because it rains then folks kind of neglect that is the kind of factor.”

Tim Cady, Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologist, mentioned greenhouse emissions and warming enhance the quantity and depth of the floods. Due to this, folks don’t understand low water ranges as an enormous downside, Mohrig mentioned.

“Say you’re shuffling up a deck of playing cards and your severe warmth wave (represents) drawing an ace,” Cady mentioned. “What adjustments to the local weather does, is taking out different playing cards and including extra aces to the deck.” 

Different corporations are additionally exploring geoengineering alternatives, equivalent to Make Sunsets. The corporate launches reflective balloons into the air to replicate the daylight again out to area, lowering solar warming. Based on their web site, this mimics a volcanic eruption, they usually describe it as a solution to reverse international warming. 

“You’ll be able to’t benefit from all these applied sciences which can be (negatively) altering our ambiance, and never be prepared to discover applied sciences that could be a part of an answer,” Mohrig mentioned.

After a yr’s wait, viewers return to Cousins Seaside, the place the trials and tribulations of a teenage love triangle proceed within the second season of “The Summer time I Turned Fairly.” Following the identical indulgent romance with newfound depth, season two lives as much as and improves upon its predecessor. The eight-episode season’s first three episodes arrived on July 14 on Amazon Prime; the remaining will launch weekly on Fridays.

Season two introduces a stark dynamic change between characters Stomach (Lola Tung), Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), who discover themselves at odds after the occasions of the earlier yr. A brand new addition to “The  Summer time I Turned Fairly” world, Aunt Julia (Kyra Sedgwick) plans to promote the seashore home, and her youngster Skye (Elsie Fisher) has come alongside to assist. Regardless of their strained relationships, the trio, Steven (Sean Kaufman) and Taylor (Rain Spencer) band collectively to avoid wasting the seashore home. These new obstacles give season two an intriguing introduction.

After the considerably trivial qualms of a debutante ball in season one, the brand new season brings a refreshing degree of maturity because the characters take care of extra intense life adjustments. The present shortly moved on from its early days, with Nicole (Summer time Madison) and Stomach being the one remaining debutants. The episodes now give attention to the transition from highschool to varsity and emotions of powerlessness and grief with a brand new depth that provides to the characters’ relatability. Although the characters get older and the themes achieve magnitude, the teenager facet of this teen drama stays intact. Characters keep their youth and keep away from changing into mini-adults, as in different teen dramas. Any viewer in search of continuous romance, nonetheless, could also be disenchanted. With its newfound depth, the frequency of loving glances and stolen kisses has taken a success. Nonetheless, with solely three episodes to date, an increase in romance stays doable.

Simply as in season one, the creators didn’t skimp on the soundtrack, filling it with well-known artists like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, One Path and extra. The music heightens and intensifies particulars, transferring a tune’s nuances to the scene. The nostalgic and sprightly anthems improve the present’s appeal and youthful glow. 

Although the primary three episodes mark a largely profitable return, they generally really feel sluggish — the current timeline drones on with out substantively driving the plot. Flashbacks to the prior yr provide painfully quick however extraordinarily needed aid from the drudgery. And regardless of extra depth in themes and subject material, some characters’ relationships stay underdeveloped. The present doesn’t adequately discover its sibling relationships, particularly the brotherly bond between Conrad and Jeremiah or the connection between Stomach and Steven. 

In the end, “The Summer time I Turned Fairly’s” second season makes for straightforward viewing. With the proper stability of drama and enjoyable, the Amazon sequence made a powerful return and launched deeper plotlines to maintain followers invested for the remainder of the summer time. 

3 slices of blueberry pie out of 5

Coming off the heels of a tumultuous 2022-23 season, Texas basketball will sport a completely new look within the first full yr of the Rodney Terry period.

Whereas Terry did an admirable job in not solely steering the ship following the midseason firing of former head coach Chris Beard, pushing it additional because the remnants of his predecessor have made for an offseason of regrouping.

Gone are the foundational items that Texas’s unbelievable Elite Eight run was constructed on: seniors Timmy Allen and Christian Bishop and graduate college students Sir’Jabari Rice and Marcus Carr will transfer on with hopes of constructing it within the professionals. Guard Arterio Morris, the inheritor obvious and clear favourite to exchange Carr within the backcourt, lately transferred to Kansas to play below Invoice Self.

Together with the departure of Morris got here arguably the toughest capsule to swallow, the decommitment of Texas’ two prized five-star recruits Duncanville native Ron Holland, a projected 2024 top-10 decide who will play for the NBA’s G-League Ignite program, and guard AJ Johnson, who will play professionally in Australia.

Transfers apart, the one key holdovers from final yr’s squad embody veterans Dylan Disu and Brock Cunningham, in addition to rising junior Tyrese Hunter and rising sophomore Dillon Mitchell, each of whom examined the 2023 NBA Draft waters however finally determined to return.

Nonetheless, Rodney Terry and his employees have labored to restock the cabinets this offseason, touchdown 4 transfers — probably the most outstanding of which being Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas.

Abmas is a family title for a lot of faculty basketball followers, largely as a consequence of his 2021 marketing campaign by which he led Division I males’s basketball in scoring and willed the Fifteenth-seed Golden Eagles to the Candy 16. From Rockwall, Texas, Abmas has averaged 20.8 factors per recreation throughout 4 seasons whereas taking pictures 38.8% from deep for his collegiate profession, and has actual believers in a possible future within the NBA.

To place it merely, Abmas is an injection of prolific scoring and environment friendly taking pictures right into a staff that desperately wants it, a bit that must be the face of this yr’s Texas staff.

Abmas, because the clear greatest participant on the ground within the majority of contests, could possibly be characterised as heliocentric offensively. He averaged virtually 16 photographs a recreation in his final season, 9.4 of which got here from past the arc, and because the clear-cut primary choice for Oral Roberts might draw criticism for trying to find low-percentage photographs. Alongside higher expertise although, Abmas could really feel much less stress to place the staff on his again each evening.

Journalist Kelly Hines lined the Golden Eagles throughout her time with the Tulsa World newspaper, and mentioned that Abmas would profit from having a while out of the highlight to be able to concentrate on his recreation. 

“There have been instances in video games when there was extra of a burden, if the staff wasn’t enjoying nicely, at instances you felt like he was forcing it just a little bit,” Hines mentioned. “I feel that permitting him to only be Max and never really feel as a lot weight to ship, I feel that’s going to be so huge for him.”

With Texas ideally not relying solely on Abmas as their engine offensively, a diminished position as a shot creator also needs to assist him defensively, an space that’s not essentially his sturdy swimsuit. Standing at 6-feet tall, with a 6-foot-2-inch wingspan, mixed together with his smaller body and lack of elite athleticism, Abmas isn’t a plus defender, a possible space of concern for Texas as they are going to presumably trot him out subsequent to Hunter, one other 6-footer.

Whereas Abmas may not be the sticky defender Carr was, Hines calls him a great defender, if one with room to develop. What Abmas may go away to be desired defensively, he’ll actually make up for on offense — and is working to do extra than simply get buckets. 

Abmas took a step ahead as a facilitator final season, his scoring numbers taking a dip however his help fee rising to the best of his profession at 4.0 per recreation. Subsequent to Hunter, who averaged simply 2.5 assists final yr after placing up practically 5 his freshman season at Iowa State, there’s a really actual likelihood Abmas steps right into a newfound position as a real level guard.

“(He’s) getting into this case the place he doesn’t have to attain 30 factors a recreation for the staff to win,” Hines mentioned. “Perhaps he has 10 assists per recreation as a substitute of scoring 20 plus factors. Simply having the ability to match into regardless of the staff wants, I feel he’s going to have the ability to try this.”

Nonetheless, the soar from the Summit League to the Large 12 could show an impediment for Abmas early on. He received a style of it final season, in a 45-83 loss in opposition to Large 12 newcomer Houston, by which he went 1/13 from the sphere and was completely shut down by guard Marcus Sasser, who figures to listen to his title referred to as within the 2023 NBA Draft.

However enjoying with actual Energy 5 expertise in a extra sound protection and lob threats in gamers like Dillon Mitchell, Abmas figures to regulate shortly to Terry’s scheme. He’s confirmed himself on the most important stage already, eliminating superior competitors within the 2021 event like Ohio State and Florida.

Hines mentioned Abmas is an unselfish and well mannered particular person who will do no matter it takes for his staff. She talked about a narrative shared by former ORU coach Paul Mills about Abmas altering his diploma plan as a consequence of his class schedule interfering with apply. Despite him lastly shifting on to greener pastures, he’s beloved by Oral Roberts trustworthy because the almost-inarguable greatest ever Golden Eagle.

“He was simply such a particular participant for ORU, and I don’t know many locations that might retire the jersey variety of a man who completed their profession elsewhere,” Hines mentioned. “However I feel that’s what ORU will finally do as a result of nobody blamed him for leaving, it was extra like, thanks for staying so long as you probably did. He simply was form of a generational-type participant.”

Excited cheers and Latin music crammed the Important Mall because the Chavo del Ocho piñata hit the grass. Alina Almaraz gazed gleefully on the crowd of smiling faces, admiring the payoff of her onerous work. 

A piñata breaking and a forest inexperienced bouncy fortress had been a part of the Día de los Niños occasion organized by the Mexican American Tradition Committee. Quite a lot of Latin American nations have fun the vacation, which acknowledges and commemorates youngsters. Kayla Moncada, a member of MACC, mentioned the group is within the course of of fixing its identify to the Latin American Tradition Committee to be extra inclusive of all Latin American cultures. 

Although Almaraz, an utilized motion science freshman, simply joined MACC this semester, she eagerly signed as much as be an occasion coordinator for Día de los Niños. 

“My favourite half (of organizing) was making an attempt to suppose again (to) …  how I grew up within the family that I’ve, within the tradition that I’m (part of), and considering of all of the nostalgic items that I actually miss and that I really feel different folks may connect with,” Almaraz mentioned.

Quite a lot of childhood video games like Lotería and Jenga introduced again candy recollections for Ellie Garcia, a radio-television-film freshman who attended the occasion. She mentioned the celebration helped her really feel linked to her dwelling in Brownsville, Texas after going away to high school. 

“Now I’m going into (Día de los Niños) with a giant appreciation as a result of it is part of my tradition,” Garcia mentioned. “Particularly being so distant from dwelling, it’s good to reconnect with that, particularly right here in my school.” 

The nice and cozy embrace of nostalgia lingered in Moncada’s thoughts as she labored alongside Almaraz to plan the occasion, the place the radio-television-film sophomore introduced the Chavo del Ocho piñata straight from Mexico. 

“I instantly began making a playlist and I used to be selecting songs that I bear in mind from my childhood, and I might ask different folks for options,” Moncada mentioned. “I particularly needed Latino-type songs to point out our tradition. I knew that when we had the music taking part in, it was going to set the temper for the entire occasion.” 

Paulina Nájera, a provide chain administration senior and president of the Latino Pan-Hellenic Council, volunteered at a sales space together with different LPHC members on the occasion to assist different folks of their group. 

“I didn’t have fun (Día de los Niños) right here, however my mother used to have fun it at any time when she was youthful,” Nájera mentioned. “She would inform me that (the adults) would at all times give them little sweet luggage on that day, or simply one thing to point out a token of appreciation.” 

Sweet luggage, elote and recent fruit allowed college students to destress and join with their interior little one. Dantes Martinez, a linguistics and anthropology freshman, mentioned he didn’t plan to go to the occasion, however was drawn in by the bouncy fortress. 

“(Occasions like these are) a great way to uplift the spirit a bit,” Martinez mentioned. “In case you’re having a busy day finding out, … it’s a enjoyable break and escape from every little thing else for a bit.” 

MACC will proceed to host a wide range of occasions, all targeted on bringing Latin American tradition to campus. 

“Our foremost aim is to offer a way of group and a way of belonging for Latinos by placing on the occasions,” Moncada mentioned. “It’s a chance to … produce other folks expertise part of our tradition.”