Generally, this blog is for my Boho Chic, Gypset, Nemophilist, Wanderlust, Raver stuff, and other similar content... But, included in my WANDERLUSTING is my love for Playing Pokémon Go.
This is THE MAIN reason why I no longer suffer from depression. I'm completely cured. I haven't suffered from Depression even once since the end of 2018 when I went back to playing the game.
So, I did create some videos for the LoFi Music Niche, but so far they're in the 10 min range for my Brand Channel "Oppressed By Violet"
I am hoping to release extended long play versions of these videos by 2022 also, as well as the ASMR & Relaxation Content on "Oppressed By Purple" the OTHER Brand Channel.
Augmented Reality & LoFi Chill Out Music:
The Short Form Versions of Content on my ASMR & Relaxing Music & Ambient Audio Channel:
I am hoping to expand these channels, and the content. I'm hoping to break into this niche market, but not actually driven by money. I'm AN ARTIST, and I would like my content to find viewers that appreciate this style or relaxation content. I've been struggling to find enough views & viewers, but I have better internet now.
I plan on cutting long form versions of my videos, and probably hosting more live streams.
The Playlist of the older shorter Videos on my Brand Channel:
The 1 Hour Version I Just Finished Last Night:
The 3 Hour Version:
The Reasons Why this is TAKING SO LONG:
Pesky Hackers:
I'd actually been working on this concept since 2016, and was wanting to shift this direction since 2019, but My computer was hacked very badly at the end of October-Early November of 2019 that I had NO COMPUTER until August of 2020, so WAY BEFORE people took the pandemic seriously.
I did actually shoot a lot of footage in 2018-2019, then started shooting at the end of 2020 & early 2021. I also got a gift from my brother, and was also working on a project with him.
PATHETICALLY BAD INTERNET:
My so-called Broadband Internet in my section of South Weymouth (Massachusetts, 02190) is rigged. They're been promising us access to FIOS since 2002, but the specific spot we happen to have our neighborhood in is rigged by Verizon & Comcast, so even if u switch to Comcast, u STILL need to go through the monopoly of Verizon.
Meanwhile, Down the street at Starbucks, Wholefoods, or in the other direction in South Field/Union Point, they have EXTREMELY FAST INTERNET. Or across the street from my neighborhood, they're laying in NEW INTERNET for the so-called "LUXURY" apartments.
I literally had better internet when G.W. Bush was president in 2005. Meanwhile, the internet NOW is worse than that, so we finally got a Wireless internet from T-Mobile, and the call to Verizon had the dude on the phone stuttering.
Yeah, EMBARRASSING.
New Electrical System Installed Into Building
Not only did we have several Power-outs since September, especially in October due to storms, so, before we got the new internet, our building needed a new electrical system installed since ours was from the 1960s-ish. The date on this got pushed back from August to September, then it kept getting pushed back further & further, October, November, then December... It also was an awful experience.
So, that had to be done BEFORE we got the new internet, and ALL the furniture was moved several times, and we're STILL re-ranging everything. We also had Thanksgiving Holidays, all sorts of shopping stuff we had to do, and medical stuff. And, I'm also a Pokemon freak, and Pokemon EVERYTHING was frequently happening simultaneously. And I'm somewhat popular now on Twitter in the Pokemon fandom, as well as locally in Pokemon Go, including on Discord. It's a BIG DEAL in new England to play Pokemon Go. I also got most of the new PokeStops & PokeGyms in the area. I'm a major contributor.
We were supposed to get #FIOS by 2006. They NEVER INSTALLED ANYTHING TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD. Screw u #Verizon! The ONLY REASON ur legally allowed to hike prices IS TO PAY FOR UPKEEP & UPGRADES but it's WORSE THAN 2005! I GOT #TMobile#Wireless internet! I will tell my neighbors! pic.twitter.com/CJdVoauA0D
So, it's not as fast as UMASS Boston, but I WILL TAKE IT!!!!
I can upload LONG videos now.
I've put quite a lot of effort into this content starting YEARS AGO. I was shooting the B-Roll Footage as part of this concept, as well as another TV Show that did actually air 2 episodes of in 2019 that I work on with my friend Roland. I actually LOST most of this footage tho.
I shot footage of all kinds of snow, nature, interior decor, and many other subjects. Typical B-Roll stuff.
Before, when I started this channel in August 2020, I only could upload UP TO 10 MIN of video length. Then, sometime this year (2021) YouTube allowed me to upload longer content. So, I stopped doing 10 min cuts, and just allowed them to go to whatever full length I wanted. But my internet was so slow, and so poor, that anything long than 15-20 could clog up the internet for a whole day just to upload, AND if it timed out, or crashed, u had to START ALL OVER! If you think THAT'S BAD, just trying to upload a SINGLE PHOTOGRAPH to Flickr or 500PX was MADDENING.
But, now I can upload videos, and also get back into streaming like I did in 2018.
Since Lockdown, I got a new WACOM CINTIQ, and I also got to use a variety of new software including stuff by Escape Motions. I've been using Rebelle 3, and I ALSMOT got Rebelle 4 on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, but they teased out Rebelle 5, and Rebelle 4 isn't even 1 year old yet, n I JUST GOT Rebelle 3 last year on Black Friday 2020, so when Rebelle 4 dropped quickly after and I saw how GOOD IT WAS, I was mad.
Anyways, I've been using Rebelle 3 to make the Chinese Stamps & Paper Labels. I'm wanting to get Rebelle 5 probably, or 4. I saw the cool stuff that 4 does.
I've also been obsessed off & on with Chinese Chengyu and Chinese Idioms. Including making new ones, or fake ones. Some people insist that only ancient Chenyu are real Chengyu, but businesses use the Chengyu format to make slogans, and brands, and titles of stories or movies... and, those same people still consider those as Chengyu, even tho they are not ancient. An actual Chinese Chengyu consists of 4 words only to convey a larger idea. It's also a type of poetry & language arts. I often meddle with it in both modern Simplified Chinese, and old Traditional Chinese text. I'm not an expert in it, but I am at a level with my Chinese that I can comprehend that there's something there. But, when I was in my teens or 20s it was way over my head. I also like to re-work old well-known Chengyu, and switch the words around. I also think it's funny or humorous at times.
Both as an artist & philosopher, its given me a lot to ponder & consider. There's other kinds of similar
idioms language arts poetry that Chengyu came from, including a type of ancient Chinese formal language. (古文 gǔwén "ancient text", or 文言 wényán "text speak", 文言文 wényánwén "text speak text") Sometimes it's referred to a "Classical Chinese" but there's many things these things are called, and it gets lost when trying to explain it in English. Also, even in Chinese they call it different things, view it differently from person to person, and its also not always appreciated for the high minded & sophisticated intelligence the ancient peoples utilized to create these.
Some of this ancient language may have been created to separate people in different classes on society, and could ONLY be understood if one was educated to. Also, some people were so intelligent that they COULD ACTUALLY SPEAK in this manner, not just in writing. But, over the centuries, it became integrated into culture through music & dramas like operas, songs, and popular poetry. So, most people could eventually understand it.
Chengyu are THE MOST interesting since they use ONLY 4 words.
But this style of language arts is ALSO used for Chinese names. In Mainland China today, people have a "MingZi" as their legal name (but in Ancient times, there were many other types of names) so, they use this method for the names.
My Chinese name also uses this style by putting 3 characters together: 任思麒
So, for my brand channels "Oppressed By Violet", and "Oppressed By Purple" I used different ways of creating this type of language arts.
For "Oppressed By Purple" I wrote the Chinese Seal/Stamp as a Chengyu, but for "Oppressed By Violet" I used this style but in 9 Characters instead of a Changyu. They both literally say the exact same thing, and it took me hours to figure it out this summer.
The entire ordeal is itself a major puzzle. If you've ever heard of an ancient Chinese Poet, Li Bai, his work is often mind blowing to me, especially when I look at the words written out. He actually was so smart & clever that he could write poetry while drunk. When you look at the words you can also see how he placed the words together, and some of his poems in Mandarin that don't rhyme can actually Rhyme in Cantonese. My daughter could actually receipt some of his poems when she was a child.
I also quite enjoy always returning to Dao De Jing by Laozi (Tao Te Ching by Laozu). It's a personal favorite, since I am a philosopher and an artist. What I like most about this book is the methods applied to THINKING, like if something isn't working out, problem solving, or also to explain why everything has gone wrong. Alan Watts often commented on this text himself, and is a favorite topic of Zen masters (Zen is also known as Chan).
The funny thing about all the setbacks was that I actually handled everything rather well. All the computer crashes, and computer hackers, and stalkers. I never suffered from any of the problems other people had during Lockdown/Quarantine. I actually benefited a lot from it, and even the setbacks tempered me, my resolve, my patience, and I never suffered from the stressed or depression other did.
Many of my dreams & ambitions actually DID COME TRUE. I got a lot of PokeStops & PokeGyms into my community, whereas in 2019 there was only about 4 PokeGyms, ans some sparce PokeStops here & there.
I got my WACOM CINTIQ the EXACT SIZE that I wanted. I got a Nintendo Switch, that I wanted this year. I also got THE LENS I'd ALWAYS WANTED. We also updated parts of our home, like redoing the bathroom, expanding the garden in my so-called balcony on the 1st floor, and we got better foods & nutrition. Not only did we get a new Fishtank, but we got 2!!! AND, we even got a CAT!!!!
I also have multiple screens on my computer!
All the bullies that were a pesky problem either made peace with me, or went away. People that had abused me badly when I was young actually came out of the woodwork & apologized. I also even reconnected with OLD FRIENDS. Also made some NEW FRIENDS and we do Pokemon Go Raid Hour every week!
Hopes & Dreams For The Future
I am hoping that all of my work on this stuff pays off, meaning I would like for it to find an audience. It's my hope that I could grow a following for this content. I've spent SO MANY HOURS shooting video content for this Brand Channel Concept, and I would like for it to get the views it deserves. Before COVID there weren't that many channels doing this kind of stuff in the ASMR niche, but its exploded since then. I was frustrated that my shorter videos were just NOT CUTTING IT, so I'm hoping to break into that market.... altho' I'm NOT actually interested in making money. Just sharing this type of content, and I would like the VIEWS to MATCH the appreciation level of the popular videos that don't even have good quality to them.
I'm HOPING that by next years, the longer videos will have the views in the thousands because I WORKED SO HARD ON THIS STUFF. I know that people enjoy this kind of ASMR Relaxation content, so I would HOPE they would eventually find their eyeballs & ears upon mine.
I'm hoping to re-work the winter videos some more, and put out some longer ones; perhaps even some live streams.
If you'd like to see my Recent Photography you can find it on my 500PX Gallery.
So, I'm still undecided as to whether I'm full on making a new Brand yet. there was SOMETHING I DID want to create, which I think I might've mentioned on another of my blogs. I'm kind of fracturing all over the place or at least multi faceted, like a jewel depending upon how u look at it, but I have different blogs for a reason. To separate different things from each other that I do, because atho some folks might love my DSLR, or my Boho Interests, they might like like my Unicorns, Pokemon, Macross, Dragons, Animations, Academic Arts, or 90s Eurodance Techno.
To me, I'm just like:
Well if u like me, then wouldn't u like ALL of me?
No, Kandice. THEY WOULDN'T. And, THEY DON'T.
Just because I like Furries DOESN'T MEAN I must ONLY love furries. I like them very much, but i also like Frazetta, and Vallejo as much as I love Degas & Rodin. I like looking at art of sexy bodies as much as natural human figures, and art. I like politics, and philosophy, but I also like yoga and Hippie weirdos.
Even tho I don't necessarily believe in Astrology I like Astrology (even tho it isn't science) because its mathematics based (and not in a boring way) plus I think the Astrologers (the actual people) are just interesting and fascinating to me. I am just always curious about what they think, why they think things, and why they change over time.
Also, since I'm Agnostic, I still enjoy The art of Cartomancy or "Tarot Card Reading" which is an Art form, and has grown into an industry of all kinds of artwork, and performance arts. No, it isn't real, but its IS ENTERTAINING, and I think its normal for the human brain to think its fun and entertaining. I watch Magic shows too. And I also like incense and candles. I don't care if its fake, pretend, or unscientific. I just like these things because I'm a human. I like dressing up as a witch on Halloween. I like Christmas Trees. I like Cathedral Architecture. It can mean something to you if you want it to, or it can also be fun to pretend, and feel, and be in character. It's all art, and its all in ur head anyways.
I found that if I read Tarot cards for people whom were sad or upset, it made them feel better. It didn't matter if it was fake, pretend, or whatever.... Maybe its Pareidolia.... which is something the human brain does... Who knows? Actors are fakers, and pretenders. But I like those as well.
But I digress....
I would VERY much like to create some content that is more soothing, relaxing, down tempo.... I like working with the audio design, and I have done a number of things. LoFi is currently a thing as well.
Here's Some of my previous experiments:
NegaRen in Negas Park/New England:
Still unfinished because my Computer was hacked so badly last year and still out for Data recovery... BIG HARD DRIVES take a long time... and lots of crashes....
Television Broadcast Graphics:
A Spirit To Be Free:
I only got to finish 2 episodes because of my big hacking problem at the end of last year. But 2 episodes have aired on Cable TV. But, I can;t upload because I have terrible internet.
Tipsy TV was a fiasco...
The Director was problematic, and its a long story. Anyways, I own all of my footage & B-Roll, so I have THIS made for my own personal tastes and values:
Much of the stuff for "A Spirit To Be Free" was ideas for my brand anyways. So, I don't know if I want to stick with "A Spirit To Be Free" which in my mind still isn't finished, because I just need to edit it. I'd also originally intended A Spirit To Be Free to include content from other people that was creative. But, it was as tho I was speaking a different language to people, and people ran away from the opportunity.
I like whimsical and free spirited things. I like to dream, and to day dream. I like upbeat things just as much as I like soothing things. It depends.
I've created so many things for so many other people's projects, and I often find they can;t understand what I'm doing it while I'm doing it because it hadn't ever been done before... or I'm just so Indie.
Motion Graphics:
But, honestly, I'm kind cheesy & cliche as well. Here's the Angelic Being I did for my friend's film which is probably stuck permanently on hiatus at this point due to COVID-19 and the fact that I was fed up with everything. I care about my friend, but not enough to put up with all the shenanigans of those whom not only push over the pushovers, but that fact that the pushover is STILL a pushover n expecting me to ALSO be one, and enable it.
But, surely there's a place for such things out there. Surely there's a market for such content. I've come across much like it after the fact that I have made it. So, It all needs to be reworked.
This is also 1 of my FAVORITES. It's actually NOTHING NEW, but at the time I failed miserably to find ANYTHING like this, even tho I'd seen it many times before... but, NOW when u search LoFi u can find all manner of this stuff:
So, I would like to produce more content like this of my own.
Then there's the ASMR stuff as well:
I shot quite a lot of stuff that's either ASMR or Visual ASMR. TONS. I shot stuff up here in New England, and also in Florida twice. I shot stuff in Philly, but not as much as I wanted. I want to get a camera drone as well.
I feel that video footage from a rain storm can be just as interesting as the ocean, or a lake. Whenever I go to the dentist they have stuff like that playing.
But, I also like Outer Space stuff
I also wanted to have more with these Butterflies. I wanted this project to be done back in 2018.
I REALLY wish I had my computer back because its a rebuilt and NEW rig. But, I STILL need my OLD DATA and FILES. All this stinking time in Lockdown or Quarentine and I can;t do my art, and I have SO MUCH footage, and projects just stalled.
I wanted to do more with my Butterflies from Inktober. I also wanted to REDO my 2016 film. I KNOW I can do it better now.
I just want ALL of that stuff DONE and out of the way so I can do BIGGER and BETTER things.
But, I still would like to do my Relaxation content.
I feel that there is room for all of those things on my TV Show "A Spirit To Be Free" but I would also like a channel that is JUST for the relaxation stuff, like meditation, ASMR, zen, chill-out, and LoFi content. I feel I could do that. I would like to see my work in that department as its own thing despite being on/in "A Spirit To Be Free". But, "A Spirit To Be Free" can also be upbeat.
But, I wanted to brand name to be something sort of weird tho, like a Perfume Avant Garde commercial/ad or art piece. I have a few names picked out. but I'm still undecided yet. It will most likely be SOMETHING PURPLE or related to that.
Something I was wanting to do VERY MUCH for years was have a side project, and possibly a brand that would mostly have a meditative or Chill-out style of down tempo or slower and meditative media and/or ASMR to help with relaxation.
I LOVE techno and fast up tempo music, but I also like things that are soothing. It depends on my mood, or if I need to relax. I have anxiety sometimes. Sometimes, i want something dreamy, sometimes I like nature, or far off locations. ASMR is also popular. I like mediation videos or so-called "zen" audio videos.
I wanted, originally, to have everything under my 1 brand Black UniGryphon, but it seems that people have completely different tastes than mine, and some things I love doesn't mean they will love ALL of the same things I do.
I've been tossing around SEVERAL ideas for these kinds of things since 2016, so I'd LOVE to indulge and realize ALL of these things. But, I might possibly need to create another channel for that.
Here's some of my Experimental Work mostly from or around the time of UMASS Boston (2016-2018):
This work is more slower, down tempo, chill, not fast or quick. It;s a different vibe than my usual peppy stuff. Academic Art stuff.
Motion Graphics Experiments:
Waterfalls Projects WIPs:
This was originally for a Video Projection Mapping project at UMASS Boston, but I was so fristrated with it, and the teacher ditched me before I shot the projection part, which he was irate over because it was awful.
Here was the botched Attempt at the Video Mapping due to my teacher frequently ditching us and going home on a whim:
I went through a LOT of trouble to create the Instillation Object piece and it was made to fit EXACTLY the video, but he just up & left, leaving me waiting n waiting n waiting many times.... I didn't know how to use the projector, had no supervision, no instructions, and so I gave up waiting for him since it was due the following day. He was so irate with it, that it was actually MEAN, but it was HIS FAULT and NOT MINE. So, he made me do something else, and start all over BECAUSE HE LOST FACE, and that was a MEAN thing to do.
So, I shot something else, WHICH HE ALSO ditched me with, so I went with a more comedic approach BECAUSE typical Generation X (me) deals with fucked up life with sarcasm and snark, as jokes and comedy. Typical Gen X making lemonade out of when life give u lemons.
The waterfall animation is by my friend David. ^,^ But the fire and other stuff on the wall was the teacher telling me what to do. I was so frustrated and annoyed that after the teacher ditched me AGAIN I just feel back on my old methods of doing things from AIPH or my old YouTube days in the GW Bush Era. So, I grabbed a mic n from the equipment place, and shot different shots, then slapped together and edit, venting my annoyed state, and making humor from it like a typical traditional animator....that I am...
So, it actually went over very well.... I'm still miffed about it, but I do find it rather funny.
After that, I made various experiments at UMASS Boston and was trying to learn After effects because no one actually knows that much about the program. It's my favorite program tho.
I was trying to figure out, and learn how to use 3D stuff in After Effects, and "Wiggle", as well as getting the illusion of plants growing with the cheesey Stroke Reveal stuff. I had ZERO guidance whatsoever, just very old YouTube videos that were outdated. Other people refused to help me because I didn't vote for HRC. (I voted GREEN Party... BECAUSE I'm A GREEN) Anyways, no one there knows how to do ANY of these things.Neither do any of my friends.... of if they sort of know how, they shunned me for NOT voting for HCR. Screw her! I'm NOT with HER! (I READ HER EMAILS on Wikileaks.)
Yeah... mood swing.... but, I like making relaxing stuff just as much as I enjoy making happy fun, and peppy stuff. I don't like things that are boring, and things that are SOOTHING are NOT boring to me BECAUSE ITS DOING something to me. NOT BOREDOM. Boredom is negative, or negativity, and destructive.
So, since then , I have done various experiments in motion graphics and animation, as well as shot a lot of B-Roll.
Here is the ACTUAL thing I wanted to learn how to do while at UMASS Boston with a waterfall, BUT NO ONE KNEW HOW, and that included PAID EXPERTS.... (whom weren;t really experts at all)
Anyways, its JUST an experiment. I feel like most people don;t fully understand how to use Particles in After Effects. But, if you can, the more you play with it the better you can become. I got this to work from a tutorial on YouTube, which was still frustrating to figure out, but I did it. It's so-so tho, but no one at UMASS (including people paid to be there and teach it) have no idea how to do this... in fact NO ONE at ANY colleges or art schools in ALL of Greater Boston can do it. I WOULD KNOW. I ASKED.... AND ASKED.... AND ASKED SOME MORE.... A LOT.
I get a lot of similar questions about my Gypsy Skirt stuff. It baffles me still because it was very common & popular stuff in the mid-late Bush Era and even still in the early Obama Era as well.
People that often do recognize this style often tell me it looks San Franciscan.
I will also post this to my Pirate Wench OC Cosplay Page.
Surely, THIS will address ALL the usual questions ANYONE could possibly ask, AND HAS: How to tuck your skirt: Go Tuck Yourself!
Make Your Own if u have the Patience
Typical ATS/Tribal and other Gypsy Skirt steps & moves:
Folkloric Bellydance Steps:
Female Culture was massively suppressed in many forms, as were "Gypsy", or Romani, or Bohemians/Boheme. I also noticed no one ever gets upset if you say Gypsy in German which is: Zigeuner, Zigeunerin (female Gypsy), or Zigeunerjunge (Gypsy-boy).
Much of my style has roots in Raqs Sharqi (Belly Dance) as other Tribal styles.
But the most modern versions are Folkloric & ATS which were made from a bunch of ancient styles in the USA. Most notably were Bal Anat and Fat Chance Bellydance which was the origin of American Tribal Style (ATS) which altho borrows from all over the world and history as well as prehistory, but is totally made up as a new style. From that brnched Tribal Fusion. Tribal Fusion is my favorite, but I also studied Raqs Sharqi including Arabic & Turkish, but also Egyptian, and North African.
Gypsy is often referred to as Romani in modern times, but can have any number of meanings. It's often considdered as an offensive word, even tho their own ancesters called themselves this and claimed they were from Egypt even tho they were from India. Romani/Gypsies were notrious for making trouble, and I've read several books about them in actual libraries about their cultures. They have a different view on life and the world, and even things like personal property. Today, most Romani are forced to live in modern neighborhoods in many nations by governments, so they do.
Altho the term Gypsy is often viewed as derogatory to many people these days, it's odd that the term Boheme or Bohemian is not, because its the exact same thing. But the word Gypsy can also mean a free spirit or wanderluster. I personally never viewed this term as hateful nor ugly like other racial words, but some people seriously get upset about it. So, I don;t want to hurt people. I often use the word Boho or Bohemian instead. This word has also evolved several definitions as well.
There's no 1 specific type of "Gypsy" or Romani, and there's so many varieties in many nations, and they had also changed and evolved.
A lot of people like to freak out about "Cultural Appropriation" but many of these dance forms were actually cultivated by women whom have heritage in those ethnic groups, and much like Bruce Lee felt the desire to "teach anyone who wants to learn" in order to earn a living.
ATS Dance
Tribal Fusion Utilizing Authentic Gypsy Romani Style moves & Steps:
This one is a personal favorite of mine making use of Spin performance and props:
The same dancer in her new band in Ghawazee style:
*
More ATS & Folkloric Style bellydance:
Tribal Fusion
Vintage Zafira Dance Company
Tribal Fusion began to break off from ATS. ATS was Improvisational, but Tribal Fusion brought back choreography since many of the dancers had backgrounds in Jazz, Ballet, and Popping & Locking.
2 of my very personal favorites back in the day were Zafira which incorporated a lot of dance moves & dance vocabulary from India, and The Indigo.
Vintage Zafira Dance:
The Indigo Bellydance Company:
My other top favorite vintage dance company/troop was The Indigo Belly Dance Company. The Indigo was probably the most influential and the most famous. It has started and grew with the belly Dance Super Stars, until 3 dancers remained, and they did several shows with burlesque style comedy which even mixed in elements from Road Shows & Vaudeville like "Yard Dogs Road Show" and "Beats Antique" as well as real like Balkan Brass Bands, and authentic Gypsy moves.
They had incredible zilling dance numbers that blew my mind with such precision, and a lot of quirky off the wall comedy, often with real bottles of wine, or liquor, but also mixed in pop culture, glam, fantasy, and all manner of eclectic fusion. They often made their own costumes from scratch, or borrowed pieces of costume bits from their friends.
They even started belly dancing wearing boots and heels, when most Tribal dance was done barefoot or in sandals. They also had their own small film as they were also heavily inspired by antique Silent Films:
And, since we're at it, because I KNOW it's gonna come up eventually, here's some pop culture songs from Europe:
I managed to get back up to North Weymouth, yesterday evening with my friend Roland, and we shot some test footage in Webb Memorial Park. Part of the cliffs broke off during the super storms last year, so accessing it is different than before.
You can also see the Boston Skyline across the bay.
