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Man/Woman/Chainsaw Sign to Fiction, Share New Single ‘Only Girl’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Man/Woman/Chainsaw Sign to Fiction, Share New Single ‘Only Girl’

Man/Woman/Chainsaw have signed to Fiction Records, marking the announcement with a hooky, buoyant new song called ‘Only Girl’. Check it out below.

“’Only Girl’ is our playful love song,” Vera Leppänen, who sings lead vocals on the track, said in a statement. “Built around a ripping violin top-line and birthed from a grungy guitar jam, it gradually became something more boisterous and altogether more joyful – a total declaration of love. We had a lot of fun making it.”

Read our Artist Spotlight interview with Man/Woman/Chainsaw.

How to Talk to a Doctor About Medical Marijuana (Complete Patient Guide)

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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How to Talk to a Doctor About Medical Marijuana (Complete Patient Guide)

Talking to a doctor about medical marijuana can feel intimidating, especially if it’s your first time bringing up the topic. Many patients worry about being judged, misunderstood, or dismissed — but today, more healthcare professionals recognize cannabis as a legitimate therapeutic option in certain regions where medical programs are legal.

With the right preparation, you can approach this conversation confidently and respectfully. This guide explains how to prepare, what to say, how to ask the right questions, and how to work with your doctor to make the best decision for your health.

1. Understand Why You’re Considering Medical Marijuana

Before your appointment, take a moment to reflect on why you want to explore medical cannabis. Common reasons include:

  • Chronic pain
  • Anxiety or sleep issues
  • Appetite loss
  • PTSD
  • Inflammation
  • Neuropathic pain
  • Muscle spasms

Knowing your goals will help you communicate clearly and show your doctor that you are approaching the topic responsibly.

2. Do Basic Research First

Doctors appreciate patients who educate themselves before asking about treatment options. You don’t need to be an expert, but having a basic understanding of:

  • THC vs. CBD
  • Indica, sativa, and hybrid differences
  • Common forms (tinctures, capsules, vaporizers, topicals)
  • The importance of dosage

…helps you speak confidently and clearly.

If you live in a region where personal medical cultivation is allowed, some patients also study how different strains and genetics influence therapeutic outcomes. Educational resources about marijuana seeds can help you understand cannabinoid and terpene profiles, which may be relevant when discussing strain types with your doctor.

3. Prepare Your Medical Information

Your doctor will likely ask about:

  • Your current symptoms
  • What treatments you’ve tried
  • Your medication list
  • Allergies or medical conditions
  • Any previous experience with cannabis

Bring:

✔ A list of medications
 ✔ Notes on previous treatments
 ✔ A timeline of symptoms

This shows you’re taking the conversation seriously.

4. Start the Conversation Calmly

A simple opening line works best:

“I’ve been researching medical cannabis and would like to know whether it might be appropriate for my condition.”

This tone is:

  • Respectful
  • Non-demanding
  • Open to professional guidance

Doctors appreciate clarity and honesty.

5. Ask Responsible Questions

Asking thoughtful questions shows responsibility and maturity, such as:

  • “Could medical marijuana interact with my medications?”
  • “What form would you recommend for my symptoms?”
  • “What dosage do patients typically start with?”
  • “What should I watch for in terms of side effects?”
  • “Is CBD or a low-THC option more suitable for me?”

Your goal is to learn, not convince.

6. Understand the Forms of Medical Marijuana

Your doctor may explain different options like:

  • Tinctures
  • Capsules
  • Vape oils
  • Edibles
  • Topicals

In regions where home growing is legally permitted for medical use, some patients supplement their understanding by exploring educational resources such as marijuanaseeds.com to learn how genetics may influence therapeutic effects.

This is only for education — never a replacement for medical advice.

7. Be Open to Your Doctor’s Concerns

Doctors may have questions or concerns about:

  • Drug interactions
  • Side effects
  • Workplace safety
  • Mental health considerations
  • Legal restrictions

If your doctor expresses hesitation, you can say:

“I understand — could you explain your concerns so I can better understand your recommendation?”

This keeps the conversation respectful and productive.

8. Know What NOT to Say

Avoid statements that sound recreational or unserious:

  • “I need weed to relax.”
  • “My friend has a card — I want one too.”
  • “I already use cannabis; I just want it legal.”

Doctors respond best when you focus on:

✔ Symptoms
 ✔ Medical goals
 ✔ Safety
 ✔ Compliance with local laws

9. Understand Local Medical Cannabis Rules

Medical marijuana laws vary widely depending on your location. Some regions require:

  • Approval for qualifying conditions
  • Registration in a medical program
  • Purchasing from licensed dispensaries
  • Follow-up visits

Knowing the rules ahead of time helps you have a more informed conversation.

10. Plan for Follow-Up Appointments

Your doctor may want to:

  • Adjust dosage
  • Monitor side effects
  • Track symptom improvement
  • Reevaluate your treatment plan

Medical cannabis is not a one-time decision — it’s an evolving therapy that requires guidance.

Final Thoughts

Talking to a doctor about medical marijuana doesn’t need to be stressful. With preparation, honesty, and a clear understanding of your symptoms, you can create a meaningful and productive conversation that prioritizes your health and well-being.

If you choose to learn more about strains, genetics, or the science of cultivation for educational purposes — especially where medical growing is legally permitted — there are many reputable resources available to help you understand how different strains and plant characteristics may influence therapeutic effects.

Always follow your doctor’s guidance and your region’s laws — your health and safety come first.

Steam Frame VR Headset Explained: Everything to Know About Valve’s New VR-PC Hybrid

Shubhendu Vatsa
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Steam Frame VR Headset Explained: Everything to Know About Valve’s New VR-PC Hybrid

While we didn’t get a Half-Life 3 announcement (for now), Valve has shown off something far more eye-catching (if you catch our drift). Riding the wave of the Steam Deck’s success, the company is doubling down on its device strategy and recently unveiled a slew of new gaming hardware, including the Steam Frame, a spiritual successor to 2019’s Valve Index VR headset. The VR gaming headset space has been in a weird place lately. Despite a whole host of powerful VR headsets, the lack of fun, replayable games/experiences and the sheer work needed just to set it up and get started have held VR back. However, with the Steam Frame, Valve is trying to solve a lot of that by putting a full-blown Linux PC right in front of your eyes. Featuring a wireless, “streaming-first” setup, the Steam Frame can not only stream games off of your PC but also lets you play those games on it as a standalone device (without having to stream them from a PC), thanks to its onboard Snapdragon chip that runs the SteamOS interface and can access your complete Steam library, including VR titles and your regular non-VR PC games. 

Although Valve has yet to share the pricing or exact release date, the reveal makes it pretty clear what the Steam Frame is aiming for. If Valve’s announcement has already piqued your interest, here’s what you need to know about the Steam Frame VR headset before you buy one.

Valve’s Steam Frame VR Headset: The Good

Let’s start with what’s to love about Valve’s new Steam Frame VR headset. High-end specs don’t mean much if you can’t wear or use the headset for hours at a stretch, and Valve has put a lot of thought into ergonomics. The Steam Frame has a relatively smaller footprint and is surprisingly lightweight too, weighing a mere 245 grams. The headset’s battery pack is placed on the rear, which the company says will balance the weight from “front-to-rear for a comfortable experience.” And since there are no wires or setup involved, you can simply slip the headset on and get on with playing/streaming your games.

Then there’s Steam Frame’s onboard Snapdragon chip that lets you run games on it the same way you’d on a PC, basically turning the headset into a VR-PC hybrid. Powering the headset is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650), an eight-core chip featuring one Prime core up to 3.4 GHz, five Performance cores up to 3.2 GHz, and two Efficiency cores up to 2.3 GHz. Although the chipset isn’t the newest or even fastest on the market, it fits the bill for a VR headset since it doesn’t run too hot (therefore doesn’t need any extra cooling hardware), delivers enough power for standalone play and also supports Wi-Fi 7.

Like the Steam Deck, the Steam Frame runs Linux via Valve’s SteamOS, giving you a familiar interface right on your face. However, the technical flex here is that the Steam Frame runs the entire SteamOS on an ARM chip but can also play x86 games right out of the box. Valve has achieved this feat via FEX, an open-source ARM emulator that converts x86 code into something ARM can understand. In a nutshell, FEX is basically a translation layer that takes care of compatibility, so you don’t have to worry about it. And if all that wasn’t enough, you can even run games stored on your microSD card (yes, you read that right), since the Steam Frame comes with a microSD slot in addition to the built-in 256 GB (or 1TB) of UFS storage.
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The company has also reworked the Steam Frame’s optics and display system to deliver a sharper, more immersive VR experience. The VR headset uses a new custom pancake lens system that cuts down on bulk while improving edge-to-edge clarity, resulting in a crisp, distortion-free image and a more comfortable eye box. The headset features two 120 Hz LCD panels with a resolution of 2160 × 2160 per eye, using an RGB subpixel layout instead of OLED or Micro-OLED. Moreover, every Steam Frame headset comes included with a USB 3.0 wireless adapter that connects to your gaming PC or laptop via a dedicated 6 GHz link. This plug-and-play 6 GHz adapter handles all the visual, audio, and input data for gameplay, while a separate antenna keeps this streaming link isolated from the headset’s Wi-Fi 7 traffic; thus, as Valve puts it, there’s “no competition for bandwidth.” This gives you the best of both worlds, as you get smooth, lag-free streaming without the need for an additional VR router or complicated network setup.

Since Valve is pitching the Steam Frame as a “streaming-first” PC VR headset, the streaming setup is obviously the big thing here. The VR headset uses foveated streaming, pushing up to eight times more bandwidth to the area you’re looking at while rendering peripheral areas at lower quality. This keeps the content in your sight razor-sharp while saving resources for the rest of the frame. Another innovative feature is that the Steam Frame can also run Android games, and you don’t have to worry about whether a title is native to Steam or Android. It can run the same Android APKs that developers have already created for devices like the Meta Quest. While SteamOS isn’t the same as Android (despite the fact that both are Linux-based), the ARM-based Snapdragon chip lets the headset run Android apps natively, without the need for translation layers.

Valve’s Steam Frame VR Headset: The (Not So) Bad

Even with all the hardware and software breakthroughs, this is still Valve’s first attempt at a fully standalone, streaming-focused PC VR headset, which means the Steam Frame isn’t without a few minor quirks. The VR headset’s resolution, refresh rate, and field of view are in line with what we have seen before in recent releases and are nothing to write home about. Even the display (which is plenty sharp and crisp) isn’t the “best in the business.” Valve has gone with Steam Frame’s LCD panels, which, while offering solid brightness and being affordable, simply can’t compete with the deep blacks or contrast of an OLED display.

Then there’s the Steam Frame’s monochrome passthrough mode for mixed reality, which captures everything in only black-and-white. This means that you can see your surroundings, but not in full color, which can make interacting with real-world objects feel less natural and it can’t deliver the type of mixed reality features that have become common on recent VR devices.

Tracking is another thing that sort of feels like a missed opportunity. Steam Frame uses inside-out tracking with eye-tracking support and has redesigned the controllers around a more conventional layout. The controllers come packed with 18 IR LEDs, an IMU, and capacitive sensing, but all of that still depends on staying within the headset’s four camera sensors. So, the big question is how well the Steam Frame will handle controller movement when the controllers leave the headset’s cameras. Without external tracking, it’ll have to manage everything on its own and rely entirely on prediction and IMU data, which will naturally limit tracking precision.

Beyond these, there are also a few hardware choices that (somewhat) hold the Steam Frame back, depending on how you use your VR headset. The Steam Frame doesn’t come with a 3.5mm headphone jack and the single USB-C port on the headset is limited to USB 2.0 speeds, so you don’t get fast data transfer or the option for a wired, uncompressed video signal.
Valve’s Steam Frame VR Headset: Release Date

Valve hasn’t shared an exact release date for the Steam Frame, but the company did
reveal that the VR headset is all set to release sometime in the spring of 2026.
Valve’s Steam Frame VR Headset: Price and Availability

There’s also no word on how much the Steam Frame will cost. However, with the kind of specs it packs, pricing will be a make-or-break factor. If Valve can price it reasonably, like it did with the Steam Deck and undercut the competition, it could be a huge win. With the Steam Frame, Valve is making PC VR gaming easy and accessible to the masses, as you can simply put the headset on and play your entire Steam library and if it’s priced well, then Valve has already got a winner in its hands. As for availability, the Steam Frame is slated to launch in the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

The Top 10 Gaming Slots to Try

Sebastian Bickley
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The Top 10 Gaming Slots to Try

If you’re a fan of online casinos, you’ll know that slots aren’t just a game; they’re an experience. With vibrant graphics, thrilling themes, and the chance to score massive wins, the best slots online can make you feel like you’re part of an epic adventure. From mythology to outer space, there’s a game out there for every kind of player, and we’ve rounded up ten that are definitely worth your time.

Starting strong, Divine Fortune is a standout for anyone who loves Ancient Greek vibes and the thrill of chasing progressive jackpots. Developed by NetEnt, it features beautiful symbols like Medusa and Pegasus, plus the Falling Wilds Respins that keep each spin unpredictable and exciting. With medium volatility, it balances the excitement of chasing jackpots with regular enough wins to keep you engaged.

Next up is Starburst, another NetEnt classic. This cosmic-themed slot has low volatility, making it perfect for players who like frequent, smaller wins. Its expanding wilds add a spark of excitement without complicating gameplay. If you’re after a visually captivating and smooth slot experience, Starburst is hard to beat.

For Wild West enthusiasts, Dead or Alive II is a must. With high volatility and an immersive cowboy theme, it allows you to choose your own free spins bonus, adding strategy to every round. Plus, the potential for massive payouts makes it one of the most thrilling slots out there.

Adventure lovers can’t miss Gonzo’s Quest. Its Aztec/Mayan theme and cascading reels are iconic, giving players the chance for both regular wins and big payouts. This medium-volatility slot has remained a favourite for over a decade, proving that good design and solid mechanics never go out of style. It’s a game that offers a balance of regular wins and big payouts, reassuring players of its potential.

Blood Suckers stands out as one of the highest RTP slots, at an impressive 98%. Perfect for vampire fans or Halloween vibes, it pairs generous bonus features with frequent payouts. These are definitely some of the best slots online ever, offering players both fun and profitability.

Other top contenders include Wheel of Fortune Power Wedges, which combines the thrill of a progressive jackpot with an engaging bonus wheel, and Fortune Coin, a Chinese-themed slot with 243 paylines and plenty of opportunities to rack up wins.

Buffalo, Medusa Megaways, and Book of Dead round out our list. Each brings its own flavour: Buffalo with its wild animal theme and multiple paylines, Medusa Megaways with heart-pounding mechanics, and Book of Dead with Egyptian adventures and rewarding free spins.

Whether you’re chasing jackpots, exploring immersive themes, or just spinning for fun, these slots provide some of the most entertaining experiences online. They’re designed to appeal to all types of players, from cautious bettors to high-stakes thrill-seekers.

So, if you’re ready to try your luck, dive into these games and discover why slot machines remain a cornerstone of online gaming. With eye-catching graphics, innovative features, and the potential for big wins, there’s never been a better time to press spin.

Lines of Control: How a Visually and Conceptually Driven Designer Uses Colonial Railroads to Decode Power

Abbie Wilson
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Lines of Control: How a Visually and Conceptually Driven Designer Uses Colonial Railroads to Decode Power

 “Infrastructure appears neutral, just ‘how things work’. But it physically encodes social exclusion. Qian’s Book goes back to 19th-century railroad politics and asks: Who gets infrastructure? Who gets left behind? And how is this exclusion designed, engineered, and justified as ‘progress’?”

A single railroad contract became a mirror reflecting three incompatible futures for China. American capital, through William Barclay Parsons’s brutally frank 1899 survey, sought resource extraction disguised as modernization: mining rights mattered more than trains. The Qing government desperately needed infrastructure to prove sovereignty and centralize power. Provincial gentry resisted, recognizing that foreign-built railroads meant foreign control of Chinese territory. The conflict wasn’t tradition versus progress, it was a fight over who had the right to modernize China and on whose terms.

For Zhihan Qian, a critically minded designer who investigates spatial politics and power, the three-way struggle over China’s railroads offered irresistible dramatic potential. Collaborating with writer Baiyi Du, she created Lines of Control. Du conducted the historical research and writing, while Qian’s design work, the visual system, archival typography, and documentary layouts perform its own analytical investigation. It’s a slim book readable in an afternoon, but dense with historical complexity, extending a body of work that has found recognition in both design and cultural institutions—including the acquisition of her earlier publication by major institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Thomas J. Watson Library.

The design of Lines of Control embodies its subject’s tensions. Open the minimal cover, the full-bleed railway lines extend across pages with almost violent directness. Rigorous investigative text alternates with emotionally charged typographic moments—particularly Qian’s treatment of resistance documents like Sichuan People’s Cry to Heaven (川民吁天歌), where text arrangement becomes a tool for what she calls “conveying the story’s multiple rhythms.” The project builds on Qian’s broader practice, which includes highly selective international exhibitions at the Brooklyn Art Book Fair, Detroit Art Book Fair, Boston University’s Multiple Formats, and Pioneer Works’ Press Play, all of which are platforms known for showcasing leading voices in critical and experimental publishing. The approach echoes her earlier work, The Memeing of Political Discourse, a project recognized with prestigious KTK Design Awards, demonstrating a consistent methodology: using typography to decode how political power operates through both language and form.

Lines of Control: Railroads, Resistance, and the Reordering of Semi-Colonial Space, 1898–1905″ (Dream Labor Press, 2025).
Book spreads from “Lines of Control: Railroads, Resistance, and the Reordering of Semi-Colonial Space, 1898–1905” (Dream Labor Press, 2025).
Posters from “The Memeing of Political Discourse (Zhihan Qian,  2023).

What Lines of Control demonstrates is that design is not just a tool for making infrastructure—it’s a tool for unmaking it, for taking apart the visual and textual systems that make power appear inevitable.  It provides a methodology for decoding contemporary infrastructure politics. The same questions that tore through China in 1898 still structure infrastructure debates today: Who finances it? Who profits? Whose communities get connected, and whose get bypassed? By revealing how colonial powers used the language of engineering, contracts, and surveys to make extraction appear as modernization, this work shows us how to recognize when “development” and “progress” are being weaponized.

Book spreads from “Lines of Control: Railroads, Resistance, and the Reordering of Semi-Colonial Space, 1898–1905” (Dream Labor Press, 2025).

Watch Rosalía Perform ‘La Perla’ on ‘Fallon’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Watch Rosalía Perform ‘La Perla’ on ‘Fallon’

Rosalía appeared on last night’s episode of The Tonight Show to deliver a performance of ‘La Perla’. The track is taken from her revelatory new album LUX, which she discussed with host Jimmy Fallon. She also played a game with him called “Seductive, Insulting, or Nonsense.” Watch it happen below.

Fort Lauderdale Glamping: Smart Picks Near The Water

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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Fort Lauderdale Glamping: Smart Picks Near The Water

Dawn on the Intracoastal brings quiet canals, soft light, and herons lifting from dock pilings. You hear water slap against hulls and see paddle boards glide past shaded mangroves. Many travelers want that calm, with real beds, private baths, and easy shore access.

Glamping near Fort Lauderdale blends hotel comfort with outdoor rhythm and water time. 

If you want more space, browse options among luxury vacation rentals in Fort Lauderdale to compare layouts, neighborhoods, and marina reach. The ride to paddle spots, fishing charters, and parks often matters more than floor plans.

Why Glamping Works

Glamping works well for travelers who love camp routines yet need sleep, privacy, and climate control. You still plan daylight hours around tides, wind, and crowd patterns at launches and beaches. Evenings move slow, with grilling on patios and quiet canal views after sunset.

Pick a base within short reach of water you will actually use. Many stays sit along the Intracoastal, near Las Olas, or beside canals that meet the New River. A short drive opens access to Dania Beach, Hugh Taylor Birch trails, and inland lakes for laid back paddles.

Think through daily movements before you book. Check drive times to kayak launches, grocery stores, and fuel stations during real traffic windows. Confirm on site parking, gear storage, and quiet hours so mornings start smooth and nights wind down easily.

Best Time And Weather

Winter and spring usually bring comfortable air, low rain chances, and lively waterfront scenes. Summer heat feels heavy, and afternoon storms can build quickly across the county. Fall can run warm, with shifting wind and late season showers.

Plan around sun, tide, and lightning risk. Use official forecasts for wind speed, rain timing, and marine advisories before setting out. 

The National Weather Service publishes detailed local updates that help you choose safe start times and routes, and those alerts are reliable for day plans.

Water clarity and boat traffic change with holidays and weekends. Early morning starts reduce wake chop and ramp congestion. Midweek outings often feel calmer across canals, inlets, and nearshore flats.

If you are new to the area, ask hosts about typical breeze direction at their block. Many canals funnel wind and echo noise, which affects paddle comfort and sleep. Shade patterns also matter for patios, since afternoon sun can run hot.

Choose The Right Area

Glamping stays near Las Olas place you close to cafes, marinas, and the beach tunnel. Parking can be tight, and weekend traffic can slow returns from sunset swims. Canal homes north of Sunrise often feel quieter and still sit close to launch spots.

When you weight tradeoffs, list what you need each morning and each night. That usually means coffee, launch access, parking, and gear storage, not only bed count. Hosts that provide wagon carts and hose bibs make rinsing salty gear quick and tidy.

Look closely at noise sources before you commit. Check maps for drawbridges, construction zones, and nightlife clusters within a few blocks. Ask whether outdoor spaces face busy canals with heavy wake during evening cruise times.

Families often want fenced yards, blackout curtains, and cribs on request. Small groups may want twin beds for friends, plus wider dining tables for meals. Couples often prefer upper floor bedrooms with water views and private balconies.

What To Pack

Glamping near water needs a compact yet complete kit for sun, bugs, and salt. Pack light layers, rash guards, brimmed hats, and quick dry footwear for wet decks. Bring compact first aid, reusable water bottles, and dry bags for phones and keys.

Add a simple gear list that fits your plans:

  • Collapsible wagon for hauling paddles, coolers, and beach shade

  • Compact headlamps, spare batteries, and clip on lights for docks

  • Microfiber towels, sand brushes, and small mesh bags for wet items

  • Reef safe sunscreen, mineral based zinc, and lip protection with high SPF

  • Portable charger, short cords, and multi outlet cube for shared bedrooms

Many hosts supply beach chairs, umbrellas, and coolers, yet verify before you fly. If you plan dockside nights, carry citronella coils and small clip fans for airflow. A soft sided cooler makes early starts easy and keeps walkways clear.

Keep your kit tidy so indoor spaces stay clean and dry. Rinse gear after salt use and hang items over racks or fences, not shrubs. Bag wet items before you bring them inside to protect floors and furniture.

Water Rules And Wildlife

Greater Fort Lauderdale sits beside sensitive waterways that support manatees, rays, and wading birds. Slow zones protect these animals and keep wakes low along narrow canals. Be patient at ramps and give way to paddlers, anglers, and tour boats.

Pack out trash and micro litter from snack wrappers and broken line. Keep food smells contained so raccoons and gulls do not learn easy habits. Use refillable bottles to lower plastic use across docks and beaches.

Read posted signs at inlets, bridges, and launch points. Many zones have clear speed limits and right of way rules for small craft. If you plan to boat near protected areas, review federal guidance before your trip for safe conduct around wildlife (nps.gov/ever).

Respect quiet hours in residential blocks. Sound travels far over water, especially after dark. Keep music indoors and low so canals stay calm and friendly for everyone.

Two Day Plan

Day one starts with an early paddle on flat water before brunch crowds build. Glide along shaded canals, watch osprey fish, and return by midmorning for rinsing gear. After lunch, read on the patio, then walk to the beach for a golden hour swim.

Evening runs relaxed with grilled seafood, cold fruit, and board games indoors. Set alarms, prep coffee, and freeze ice packs for tomorrow’s cooler. Turn in early so the next morning begins quiet and unhurried.

Day two begins with a short drive to a calm launch outside heavy boat lanes. Fish near bridge pilings or explore mangrove edges at an easy pace. Return midmorning, wash down equipment, and pack slowly so nothing stays damp.

If time allows, stop at a local market for fresh produce and take home treats. Share leftover ice with neighbors who are loading gear by their docks. Small gestures keep canal blocks friendly and make future visits welcome.

Final Tips For Your Stay

Glamping near Fort Lauderdale works best when comfort and water access both guide choices. Pick a base that cuts travel time to launches and leaves evenings quiet and restful. Pack a lean kit, use official weather guidance, and move early to avoid crowds.

Treat canals and parks with care, and you will leave places better than you found them. With smart booking and simple routines, you get calm mornings, safe outings, and easy nights. That balance keeps memories clear and brings you back to the water with confidence.

Ghassan Abdelnour Crafts Holiday Magic Through Sound

Abbie Wilson
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Ghassan Abdelnour Crafts Holiday Magic Through Sound

In the world of film and television, sound is an often-overlooked yet fundamental element that can make or break an audience’s immersion in the narrative. If the sound doesn’t capture a viewer into the onscreen world, you’re likely to zone out. 

If there’s anyone who knows this, it’s sound engineer Ghassan Abdelnour, who is a Member of the Television Academy, and has worked on countless film and TV projects.

As a top sound engineer based in Los Angeles, Abdelnour has been crafting sonic landscapes for Christmas films, thrillers, romcoms and dramas. His sound credits include And Love Knocked, a 2025 romcom starring Katherine McNamara, who was nominated for the Critics Choice Association’s Super Award for Best Actress in an Action Series in 2023, 

His credits also include the BET-produced film, War Dawgz, starring Emmy Award-nominated actor Raven-Symone, and the 2023 thriller, Sister Assistant, which stars Vincent Duvall-DePasquale, known for his roles in Yellowstone and CSI. Abdelnour has a knack for transporting viewers to new worlds through the power of sound. “It’s not only my passion, but luckily, my profession, too,” he said. With a storied career spanning multiple platforms, including Hulu shows, live orchestras and films, Ghassan shares his insights on the quiet art of sound engineering and his latest projects.

As the lead sound engineer, Ghassan has lent his expertise to a diverse range of programs. Notably, he worked on a quartet of holiday movie specials for Hulu – All I Want for Christmas, Menorah in the Middle, My Christmas Fiance, and Santa Games – which premiered on the streaming service in 2022, as part of Hulu’s festive holiday season lineup. These films showcase Ghassan’s ability to evoke the warmth and magic of the holiday season through his thoughtful sound design, which brings a strong sense of drama into the plot and storyline.

To Ghassan, creating a believable and engaging sonic environment is a multi-layered process. “To make a project come to life sonically, you need multiple layers that are made separately and then combined,” he explains. “It’s similar to making a sandwich – it’s not really a sandwich until all the layers are put together.” This is symbolic of the whole post-production sound process. These layers include elements such as ambiance, sound design, and effects, each carefully tailored to the unique vision and direction of the project at hand.

While sound engineering is often praised for its technical aspects, Ghassan reminds us that the true power of sound lies in its subtlety. “When you’re watching a movie or TV episode, you don’t really think of sound – that’s exactly the point,” he explains. “It’s not supposed to be something you can point out, because in that case, if it’s standing out, it’s really not doing a very good job. It has to be seamless and flow naturally. It’s something that is felt, not heard.”

Ghassan’s expertise extends beyond the realm of television, as he has been selected as a juror for the prestigious 11th Asian World Film Festival in 2025. Held in Los Angeles from November 11 to 20, the festival celebrates the best of Asian cinema, showcasing a diverse range of films from over 50 countries. As a jury member, Ghassan will assess 12 officially selected films, offering his insights and expertise to help shape the festival’s awards season recognition.

“I’m honored to be part of this esteemed event,” Ghassan remarks. “As a jury member, I’m entrusted with evaluating the hard work, vision, and artistry behind these remarkable films. Each one represents a unique voice and cultural perspective, and being part of the process that celebrates and uplifts these stories is truly rewarding.”

Ghassan Abdelnour’s dedication to the craft of sound has led him to work on some of the most exciting projects in the industry. With his keen ear for detail and passion for storytelling, he continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of film and television sound. As a respected figure in his field, Ghassan’s expertise serves as a reminder of the vital role that sound plays in shaping our emotional connection to the stories we love.

Book Review: Jennifer Dawson, ‘The Ha-Ha’

Sam Franzini
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Book Review: Jennifer Dawson, ‘The Ha-Ha’

In one of my favorite clips from The Simpsons, Marge Simpson sits on a green stool. “At times like this,” she says, “I guess all you can do is laugh.” She does not laugh afterwards. She just sits there, stone-faced.

That humor — but not pessimism — flows through Jennifer Dawson’s reissued 1961 classic The Ha-Ha, in which Josephine, a student at Oxford, cannot help but be astonished at the absurdity of the natural world, its parties and people, its situations and themes. At so many times she sits and thinks how silly it all is, really, that it borders on philosophy. “It is all too strange and chancey to be worried or angry about,” she wonders about houses, the people that go in and out of them, and umbrellas. “There were so many things in the world… and it might so easily not have been at all.” Sometimes reading the novel is like babysitting a high person who once in a while says something profound, something inarguably true and beautiful. 

Her laughter is a real thing, too — though she was institutionalized during a particularly hearty laughing fit, she did it constantly before her mother’s death. “My giggly girl,” the mother would first say as a pet name, then as a warning to behave in public. As Josephine grows up her laughter remains (you notice more absurdity as you continue through life…) until she is barely able to go a second without being unable to process life correctly. “I wanted the knack of existing,” she thinks, “I did not know the rules.” This will make sense for anyone who has attended an event and hopelessly reconfigured their arms to resemble a parody of reality.

At the mental hospital, she meets Alisdair, an erratic man who nonetheless takes to Josephine and her way of perception. She, not like the others in the outside world (if that’s even a thing) is the realest of the bunch, as she’s cut through the noise and understood the world’s fragility, its paper people and flimsy rules. After she attends a party an old Oxford colleague invited her to, she laments that she wasn’t able to make in-roads. Alisdair says forget about them. “You say you don’t know the rules, and can’t learn them. But that is what is so nice about you,” he tells her. “You are real, you are serious. You aren’t just playing a game as other women are.” Eventually, he flees town, and leaves her with the rationale (excuse?) that if he were to stay around her longer, he’d only corrupt her. “Yours is such a secret, intense, unworldly life” that he can’t let himself ruin, he writes.

In the aftermath of the party scene (which is just as good, if not better, than any depiction of social awkwardness in a contemporary novel), The Ha-Ha agrees with the same conclusion that much of the mental health theorization of the 2020s came to — that you aren’t sick, but rather, everyone who doesn’t see society’s troubles is. “It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society,” goes the Jiddu Krishnamurti quote, which has been passed around and infographic’d so much that it occupies the same realm as “sex work is real work” or “pride was a protest.” But it is true, and even though the current American government is on a tirade against anything “woke,” it really just means staying informed and critical. Josephine is not woke so much as half asleep, seeing everything through bleary eyes, nonetheless getting the picture partially right.

But The Ha-Ha is emblematic of Krishnamurti’s phrase not as condescension — us being able to see all injustices means we are one of the chosen, elite few — but as an irreverence and awe that everything is not worth figuring out. “I was already awakened and free, and the rest did not seem a matter of importance at all,” Dawson writes, which could be read either as apathy or a miraculously healthy way of knowing what you can and cannot control. In her shrugging off society’s rules, Josephine can simply be Josephine, unburned by any prescribed ways of being.

Not necessarily sad in the vein of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, which The Ha-Ha has been compared to (and which Plath was reading before her death); Dawson’s novel sees Josephine get everything wrong, and this is what makes her get everything right. Both charmingly original and completely idiosyncratic, Josephine’s foibles make for a compelling character story and a relatable way of seeing the world — that is, too much and not at all.

The Ha-Ha is out now.

Pokémon GO Reveals Key Details for Final Justice Event

Prince Addams
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Pokémon GO Reveals Key Details for Final Justice Event

Pokémon GO has lifted the curtain on the full details of its Final Justice Event. It forms part of the closing stretch of the Tales of Transformation season in the game. This offering also comes ahead of the December Community Day 2025. In particular, it introduces a new character, along with a shiny version. At the same time, the event adds fresh wild encounters, and more in-game activities.

Keldeo Debuts in Pokémon GO

According to Niantic, the highlight of the Final Justice event is the coming of Resolute Form Keldeo. The arrival of the Colt Pokémon marks its first appearance in the popular VR mobile game. Specifically, players will unlock the last part of the Seasonal Special Research at the start of the event. It allows them to change the form of the new character using 50 Keldeo Candy.

Resolute Form Keldeo also brings a fresh move to the game. Particularly, it will learn the secret sword. This charged attack deals 70 power in Trainer Battles and 120 power in Gyms and raids.

In the same way, Shiny Keldeo will be available in Pokémon GO for the first time. To encounter this version, trainers must buy a Masterwork Research ticket. It sells for $7.99 in the in-game shop once the game begins. The good news is that the ticket does not expire, so players do not have to rush. However, they cannot use PokéCoins to make a purchase.

Final Justice Event Bonuses and Wild Encounters

The developers also said that trainers can earn up to two free Raid Passes. All they have to do is spin Gym Photo Discs during the event.

Aside from these, there will be wild encounters with the following Pokémon:

  • Crabrawler
  • Hisuian Sneasel
  • Hitmonchan
  • Hitmonlee
  • Hitmontop
  • Shiny Hitmonchan
  • Shiny Hitmonlee
  • Shiny Hitmontop

Raids, Field Research, and Collection Challenges

Based on the announcement, the Final Justice event includes raids and features many characters.

One-Star Raids

  • Machop
  • Pancham
  • Timburr

Three-Star Raids

  • Galarian Farfetch’d
  • Sawk
  • Throh

Similarly, field research tasks will offer encounters with various Pokémon. A few of them even reward players with Keldeo Candy. The developers also added new collection challenges. Trainers can claim XP, Premium Battle Passes, and Stardust after completing these activities.

Availability and Safety Reminders

The Final Justice event of Pokémon GO runs from November 25 (10 AM) to November 30 (8 PM) local time. Tickets for the Masterwork Research will be available globally on the same schedule. Meanwhile, players can get the Seasonal Special Research story until the end of the season on December 2 (10 AM) local time.

Like it usually does, Niantic tells trainers to follow guidelines to ensure a safe and fun gaming experience during the event. The developer also invites players to stay tuned on social media for more updates.

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