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Former My Chemical Romance Drummer Bob Bryar Dead at 44

Konstantinos Pappis
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Former My Chemical Romance Drummer Bob Bryar Dead at 44

Bob Bryar, the former drummer of My Chemical Romance, has died at the age of 44. He was found dead in his Tennessee home on Tuesday (November 26), after being last seen alive on November 4, per TMZ. His body was reportedly discovered by Animal Control, who were called to remove two dogs from the home. The cause of death is currently unknown, but no foul play was suspected as all of Bryar’s weapons and music equipment were left in his home untouched.

Born on December 31, 1979, in Chicago, Bryar started playing drums at an early age and pursued a degree in sound engineering at the University of Florida. He initially began working as a sound engineer for bands like The Used and Thrice, and befriended MCR during their tour with the former in 2004. He joined the band in 2004, after the release of Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, replacing previous drummer Matt Pelissier. He contributed significantly to the band’s seminal 2006 album, The Black Parade.

“I left a very good touring gig where I was tour managing and doing sound. I left that job to join a band that was filthy, had shittyy gear, a smashed-up, smoking, death-trap van and was poor,” Bryar recalled in a 2016 interview with Alternative Press. “They smelled bad, too. I was so happy to receive the offer.” He added, “Long before we recorded Welcome to the Black Parade, I knew that [MCR] were special and I wanted in. I wanted to help evolve the band and be able to shred with them every night.”

Bryar was involved in the making of The Black Parade‘s follow-up, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, and is also credited the compilation record Conventional Weapons. He retired from music in 2014 to become a real estate agent and focused on dog rescue charities and sanctuaries. In 2022, he auctioned off his original Black Parade uniform, using money from the sale to help abandoned and sheltered animals in Florida and South Carolina that were affected by Hurricane Ian.

How Slovak Players Can Safeguard Their Data While Playing at Online Casinos

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How Slovak Players Can Safeguard Their Data While Playing at Online Casinos

Online casinos are popular all over the world, and Slovak players are not an exception. Security at an online casino becomes relevant for Slovak players in terms of protecting their personal and financial information. For example, Zodiac casino, players consider as a place where one can have fun yet feel secure. In this article, we will explore how Slovak players can secure themselves and their data while they enjoy online casinos, go through practical advice on choosing safe platforms, using secure payment methods, and avoiding common risks.

Understanding the Importance of Online Gambling Security

In online gaming, security is the number one priority. Without security, players would make themselves vulnerable to leakage of personal information, financial transactions, and even the integrity of their gaming experience. Fortunately, online casinos have adapted different technologies and practices that assure a secure and fair environment. In this section, we are going to break down the primary security elements every Slovak gambler should consider.

1. Licensing and Regulation

Some of the first things any player checks before entering an online casino include its licensure. A legitimate online casino is usually licensed by a reputable regulatory authority, such as the UK Gambling Commission or Malta Gaming Authority. These licenses ensure the casino operates by rigid rules concerning data protection, fairness, and responsible gambling.

2. Secure Connection and Encryption

Online casinos use high-tech and advanced encryption technologies, such as SSL, in order to guard against the leakage of their players’ personal and financial information. Encryption via SSL ensures that sensitive information, like bank details or identification documents, remains secure while being transmitted over the internet. Always make sure that there is a padlock symbol within the address bar of your browser; this means that a website is safe.

3. Payment Security

Slovak players should also be circumspect with the question of deposit and withdrawal options. To avoid such problems, prefer payment systems that provide better security: e-wallets such as PayPal or Skrill, credit cards, and well-known cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin. Such payment systems often have additional security mechanisms, such as two-step authentication, to support financial transactions.

4. Politics of Privacy

Read through the casino’s privacy policy before signing up; this gives an indication of how the handling of player data is being done, what information can be collected, and how it will be used. Also, try to see casinos whose assurance is that they do not share personal information with third-party organizations without your consent.

5. Responsible Gambling Measures

Another critical part of online casino security in regard to responsible gaming is that a secure platform should include features such as self-exclusion, limits on deposits and losses, and access to support services for players experiencing gambling addiction. Slovak players should make sure to choose those platforms where responsible gaming is part of their policy so they can enjoy safe and controlled fun.

Best Practices for Online Casino Players

While online casinos do everything in their power to make an environment as secure as it can get, players have to take some steps, too. Here are some best practices for Slovak players to observe:

Strong Passwords: One should always use complex, unique passwords for each online account. Never use common passwords and easily guessed ones. Consider using password managers that can securely store all of your passwords.

Activate Two-factor authentication: Enable two-factor authentication, if provided, for additional protection on your casino account. Besides password protection, 2FA offers an additional layer of protection.

Shun Public Wi-Fi: Refrain from accessing online casinos or making financial transactions over any public Wi-Fi network. Public Wi-Fi access is not as secure, and it might expose personal data to cyber thieves.

Keep Software Up to Date: Your operating system, browser, and antivirus software should be updated regularly. Updates fix the latest security threats in order for one to be better protected from those threats.

Prioritize Security for Safe and Enjoyable Gaming

Online casinos offer exciting entertainment, but security is always the first and most important priority. Slovak players should select licensed regulated platforms with robust encryption and privacy protections. In this way, by following best practices and using reliable payment methods, players can also enjoy online gaming without compromising their safety. Responsible gambling, after all, is the way to make sure the fun is safe. Whether any even reputable gaming venue, never compromise on your data security to keep both yourself and your winnings safe.

Critique: Lin Guo & Oskar Odiakosa – Latin Dance Performance

Abbie Wilson
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Critique: Lin Guo & Oskar Odiakosa – Latin Dance Performance

Lin Guo and Oskar Odiakosa delivered a performance that was as much a visual feast as it was a technical showcase. From the outset, their opening sequence set the tone for a routine filled with high energy, sharp movements, and an undeniable connection. It was clear that their performance was the result of rigorous training and a deep, shared chemistry. Their ability to connect with the rhythm and beats was evident in every step, turn, and pose. Each movement synced perfectly with the music, transforming their dance into a harmonious dialogue with the soundtrack.

What truly stood out was their partner work. The duo communicated non-verbally in a way that felt natural and effortless. Lin’s fluidity on the floor complemented Oskar’s commanding presence, creating a partnership that was both balanced and dynamic. Their facial expressions and interactions with one another fully engaged the audience, and Lin’s radiant smile, paired with Oskar’s dramatic flair, added an extra layer of charisma that heightened the performance.

Dance competition： Lin Guo & Oskar Odiakosa， Majestic Dance Tournament 2024. Photograph 2， Sophie‘s Photography

However, there were areas for growth. While the routine was polished, there were a few fleeting moments where foot placement could have been crisper, especially during the faster sequences. Tightening this aspect would elevate their technical score and add precision to their performance. Additionally, some transitions between slower and faster movements felt slightly rushed. Smoother pacing would have enhanced the overall flow and helped maintain the seamless energy throughout the routine.

The highlight of their performance came during a synchronized spin sequence followed by a daring lift. It was executed with impeccable timing and precision, drawing audible gasps from the audience—a moment of sheer brilliance that will surely be remembered.

Overall, Lin and Oskar’s performance was a masterful blend of artistry and athleticism. Their ability to merge emotion with technique sets them apart as competitors. With a touch more refinement in certain details, they are on the path to becoming legends in the Latin dance circuit. Bravo to both performers, and we eagerly await their next masterpiece on the floor.

The Grain of Memory: Tianjiao Wang’s Tribute in WILLIAMBABE

Abbie Wilson
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The Grain of Memory: Tianjiao Wang’s Tribute in WILLIAMBABE

Film is a time-based medium—its very structure compels us to move through duration, to experience moments as they unfold and dissolve. This temporal nature makes film uniquely suited for reflecting on the passage of time, on the impermanence of life, and on the enduring impact of those we’ve lost. Today, we highlight WILLIAMBABE, an experimental short recently showcased at the Light Matter Film Festival in Alfred, New York. The film is directed by Tianjiao Wang—an acclaimed artist, scholar, writer, and teaching fellow at the University of Chicago. In this work, Wang turns to 16mm film not just as a tool of expression, but as a vessel for grief, memory, and transformation. Shot with an organic and expressive sensibility, the film is a deeply personal tribute to her mentor, the late artist William Pope.L. Through tactile textures and emotional pacing, Wang explores how the materiality of film can mirror the fragile yet persistent imprint one life leaves on another.

The title WILLIAMBABE appears, handwritten on black leader, followed by a small heart drawn in the same style, accompanied by the sound of applause. The next shot reveals a close-up of a peace lily at night. Then follows a time-lapse sequence captured through single-frame shooting. The plant is now placed indoors, on a table set against a window. Within just a few minutes of screen time, the sequence reveals the plant’s gradual transformation over the course of a day, from slightly drooping to standing tall. In lived reality, such changes are nearly imperceptible to the human eye. The temporal scale of a plant’s life process may not be measured in seconds or hours, but in longer, continuous integrals. In Wang’s film, regardless of how time is marked or experienced, the plant’s quiet yet unmistakable vitality before the camera becomes a gesture of reverence for the unseen durations of life.

Wang describes the film’s dual visual effect as the result of an intensely tactile, hand-driven process in the darkroom, where she relied on nothing but touch and intuition. Using a simple rewind kit, she worked in absolute darkness, pressing a pushpin directly into the 16mm strip before winding it back and reloading the reel into her Bolex for a second pass. In these gestures—part mark-making, part ritual—the film became more than a surface of images; it became a palimpsest of memory and presence. The scratches, uneven in pressure and depth, produced unpredictable reactions during lab processing. Because the film stock contains multiple light-sensitive layers, each incision disrupted the emulsion differently, blooming into variations of color and brightness that could not have been fully anticipated.

Through this painstaking, physical inscription, Wang etched her own hand into the material history of cinema, collapsing the distance between artist, medium, and memory. The scratched passages reveal Pope.L’s Cliff (2012) and Better (2013), once installed on the glass walls of the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago. Spanning three floors of windows, the vinyl letters—beginning in a stairwell and stretching outward—collectively declared: “on strike for better schools.” In Wang’s film, these fragments reappear not as static documentation, but as spectral impressions, flickering through grain and rupture, carrying forward the urgency of Pope.L’s work while embedding it within her own language of loss and tribute.

More than a tribute, WILLIAMBABE becomes a vessel through which film and life fold into one another. Pope.L’s presence lingers, not only in the image, but in the grain, the scratch, the rhythm. In honoring a mentor, Wang also makes visible the elusive ways we carry those who’ve shaped us.

MIKE Announces New Album ‘Showbiz!’, Shares Video for New Single

Konstantinos Pappis
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MIKE Announces New Album ‘Showbiz!’, Shares Video for New Single

MIKE has announced a new album, Showbiz!, which will arrive on January 31 via his own label 10k. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the new single ‘You’re The Only One Watching’, which follows last month’s ‘Pieces of a Dream’. MIKE co-directed the song’s accompanying video with longtime collaborator Ryosuke Tanzawa, and you can check it out below.

Earlier this year, MIKE joined forces with Tony Seltzer for the album Pinball.

Albums Out Today: Good Morning, Juice WRLD, Mark Barrott, Juanita Stein, and More

Konstantinos Pappis
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Albums Out Today: Good Morning, Juice WRLD, Mark Barrott, Juanita Stein, and More

In this segment, we showcase the most notable albums out each week. Here are the albums out on November 29, 2024:

Good Morning, The Accident

Australian duo Good Morning have released their eighth album, The Accident. Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair tracked instrumentals in Greece last August, while lyrics and mixing took place in Joshua Tree in November, and final touches were added at Melbourne’s York Street Recorders in February. “We’re not really fighters (we’re way too passive for that), but given that we’re making a new record at the same time as already getting sick of thinking about the old one, an air of burn out and band related bum out seems to find its way into much of the lyrics,” they explained. “For the first time in a long time, there is no new Good Morning record being worked on as this one is coming out, and no plans to tour.”

Juice WRLD, The Party Never Ends

The Party Never Ends, which is billed as Juice WRLD’s final posthumous album, has arrived. It boasts guest appearances from Eminem, Fall Out Boy, the Kid Laroi, Benny Blanco, and Nicki Minaj. The rapper’s state shared a trailer for the LP starring actor Eric Roberts, who plays the role of a grandfather who tells his grandchildren about “the legend of Juice WRLD.” “I went to all the concerts. I listened to every project and freestyle, but the last album — it was really worth the wait,” Roberts said in the Steve Cannon-directed clip.

Mark Barrott, Everything Changes, Nothing Ends

British producer Mark Barrott has released a new album, Everything Changes, Nothing Ends, via Reflections. The orchestral ambient record is dedicated to the artist’s late partner, Sara Kult-Smith, following her death last year. In a statement, Barrot called it “the story of how life can change and be snatched away in the blink of an eye,” continuing: “But this is not a sad story, it’s a story of joy, love, grief and gratitude for what was. It is also my most ambitious album to date, conceived in the weeks after Sara’s death, as I worked with orchestras and choirs across Europe, trying to find the right sonic language to portray the Tsunami of emotions that were running through my body, mind and soul. Whilst this is my story, I hope that for someone, somewhere, it brings joy and maybe comfort for those of us that are just trying our best to get through the night. Keep going and stay safe…the light does come back.”

Juanita Stein, The Weightless Hour

Juanita Stein has unveiled her fourth solo LP, The Weightless Hour, via Agricultural Audio. The Howling Bells frontwoman previewed the follow-up to 2020’s Snapshot with the single ‘Mother Natures Scorn’. It sees the singer reuniting with Depeche Mode and Blur collaborator Ben Hillier. “I think making records is a really powerful way of letting go of experiences,” Stein said. “I’m allowing myself to kiss things goodbye.”

The Innocence Mission, Midwinter Swimmers

The Innocence Mission – the husband-and-wife folk duo of Karen and Don Per – are back with a new LP, Midwinter Swimmers. The follow-up to 2020’s See You Tomorrow was preceded by ‘This Thread Is a Green Street’ and the title track. “There is a companionship about Karen’s voice, and a realistic joy and gratitude, in the midst of life’s difficulties, that she is expressing here on songs like ‘Sisters and Brothers’,” Don Peris said in a press release. “I feel bolstered and comforted by them.”

total tommy, bruises

total tommy – the moniker of Sydney-based artist Jess Holt – has dropped her debut album, bruises, today via [PIAS] Recordings. Holt wrote the album during a period in which she went through a breakup, moved cities, came out as queer, and met her now-wife. “That was a really big time,” she said in a press release. “I grew so much, I learnt so much about myself; I mostly feel like an adult now.” She worked on the songs alongside producer and longtime collaborator Mark Zito of Fractures, seeking to capture the energy of the project’s live show.

Other albums out today:

Bedsore, Dreaming the Strife for Love; The Last Poets, Africanism;  Aisha Badru, The Sun Still Rises; Sech, Tranki, Todo Pasa; Jakob Bro, Taking Turns; Rikuto Fujimoto, Distant Landscapes; Jaeychino, Artwork III; Gregor Tresher, False Gods.

 

DJ Koze Enlists Damon Albarn for New Song ‘Pure Love’

Konstantinos Pappis
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DJ Koze Enlists Damon Albarn for New Song ‘Pure Love’

DJ Koze has shared a new track, ‘Pure Love’, which features Damon Albarn. It’s the first single from the German musician’s upcoming LP Music Can Hear Us. The follow-up to 2018’s Knock Knock is billed as “a 64-minute return trip into space and back,” and it’s set to arrive on April 4 via Pampa. Check out ‘Pure Love’ below.

 

Kesha Shares New Single ‘Delusional’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Kesha Shares New Single ‘Delusional’

Kesha has released a new song, ‘Delusional’. She co-wrote the song with Madison Love and Zhone, the latter of whom also co-produced it. Check it out below.

‘Delusional’ follows July’s ‘Joyride’, Kesha’s first song since being freed from Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records in December of last year. Upon announcing ‘Delusional’, Kesha was accused of using AI-generated art for the track’s cover art, though she has yet to address the backlash.

Ex-Vöid Release New Song ‘Pinhead’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Ex-Vöid Release New Song ‘Pinhead’

Ex-Vöid have released a new track, ‘Pinkhead’. It’s taken from their upcoming album In Love Again, which was led by the single ‘Swansea’. Check it out below.

In Love Again, the follow-up to 2022’s Bigger Than Before, is set to arrive on January 17 via Tapete Records.

How to start winning at casino slots?

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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How to start winning at casino slots?

A newcomer to online casinos has only a few steps to take to start playing for money. Modern gambling clubs offer a comfortable interface and a large assortment of gambling entertainment.

Why choose slots is a priority?

At the Bruno Casino showcase, you can find roulette, poker, and Baccarat emulators. Large gambling clubs also offer lotteries, tournaments, and a showcase with live dealers. However, professionals recommend choosing honest online slot machines.

Video slots do not require any skills and abilities from the player. In fact, all you need to do is choose the size of the bet and start spinning the reels. Somehow influencing the result of the drawing, the user cannot practically.

Everything is determined by the random number generator. This is a special combination in the software code, which each rotation calculates differently. Therefore, the probability of falling out several wins in a row is extremely low.

At the same time, this does not mean that the user does not get a chance to be on the plus side. In modern slots, a unique bonus program is thought out. This is a prize system that has wild cards, scatter symbols, and free scrolls. Due to this, you can compensate for past losses and catch large coefficients.

What do I need to do to start playing?

Prepare yourself in just a couple of minutes. A newcomer to online casinos needs to go through several stages:

  • Registration. You can create a profile at an online casino via email or mobile number. The easiest way is to link to an account from a social network. For those who are not sure that they will continue playing at the casino, this option is the best.
  • Opening a deposit. You can credit funds to your personal account using a bank card or any electronic wallet. Today, clubs support a wide range of tools, which includes foreign platforms.
  • Choosing a slot machine. On the showcase, there are a large number of slots. Top clubs work with thousands of applications. Therefore, it is better to approach this issue in advance and determine for yourself the giving slot machine.

Operators of gambling clubs give users hints. Find them on the main page of the official site.

How to decide on the first video slot?

One of the mistakes of beginners is to play several slot machines at once. Do not do this. It is impossible to thoroughly study each game. It is better to stop at one of the simulators and train in it.

Start exclusively with demo mode. Only in the free version will you be able to understand the mechanics and bonus set of slot machines. In addition, it will help to understand what deposit is better to start with.

The user should pay attention to the reviews. You can read them in social networks, Telegram, or on closed forums. Here you can, firstly, learn about whether it is worth playing in a particular casino. Secondly, it will give information about slots in which real jackpots have been snapped.

Usually these games are on the main page in the popular tab. In other casinos, this selection can be called the top of the week or month. Here are always added simulators that users run more often than others.

Another clue for the player can be a tape of recent payments. Such have many licensed casinos. Here you can see which emulator appears in the selection with a win more often than others. This means that the slot machine is maximally heated and ready to give out a win after the first few spins.

By the way, you should not forget about the terms of withdrawal of winnings. Jackpots in the casino newbies can withdraw only in instalments, and it can take up to several months.

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