On the 29th of September 1963, in Richmond California, a little boy is born into a working-class family of car mechanics. His name was Leslie Edward Claypool.   Les Claypool was raised in El Sobrante, California, where he started playing bass guitar at 14, and he got really good at it too. He later attended De Anza High School in Richmond, where he became friends with a guy named Kirk Hammett. After graduating, he worked as a carpenter for several years.   After the death of Metallica’s legendary bassist Cliff Burton in 1986, Metallica held auditions for a new member and Les’ friend, Kirk, asked him to audition as Burton’s...

My heartbeat quickened as I stood at the edge of the field, my magenta soccer boot studs digging into the damp earth. The crowd hummed with anticipation, but my focus was locked on the opposing team.   My old Hills district team.   The team I had never been allowed to join, due to my gender.   Their coach, the same man who had never given me a chance to play year after year, stood on the sidelines. Initially, I believed him when he claimed I was “too weak” or that “I ran like a girl”. Why do we still allow outdated biases to dictate who gets a chance to play?   The whistle blew. I sprinted...

“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretence, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”  ~ Timothy J Keller   The world has grown quiet in its own electric hum. Each notification, each ping, each message is a ripple across a pond we never touch, a vibration that reaches us without ever meeting us.   To reach for a friend now is to reach for a shadow mediated through glass....

Deep beneath luscious rainforests, in a virus containment lab nestled gently amongst the darkness and natural enclosure purposefully kept separate from the outside world, Eve gently lifted a vial. A sliver of pale luminescence seeped below a sterile white door beside her, reflecting off the glass in her hand and into her eyes, bringing out a glistening sparkle in each sage-flecked iris. In her hand Eve held immense potential for disaster, the fatal catastrophe of lerlingus. Her job required great caution, and presented a plethora of risks, but she loved it and wouldn’t give it up for the world. Clear, still silence filled the lab as Eve...

We are currently living in a humanitarian crisis, people being starved, cities being reduced to rubble, and over 62700 people being killed. Entire cities being reduced to rubble overnight, while aid remains stranded at sealed borders. The Gaza war on the brink of genocide, and yet if history has taught us anything, its that wars rarely invent themselves from nothing, they recycle. Again and again, across centuries the same cycles repeat.  From Roman legions to medieval crusades, to colonial powers, history seems to repeat this same recurring storyline, a predictable cycle: nations watch, nations imitate, nations learn.  As war spreads,...

During the mid-eighties to the very early nineties, a musical movement erupted out of Seattle, Washington, from which many irreplaceable musicians emerged. Kurt Cobain led Nirvana to become one of the most successful rock bands to date. Pearl Jam’s debut album thrusted grunge into the mainstream music scene by becoming the first commercially successful grunge album. Australia even had a crack at it with Silverchair, who are still one of the top grunge bands in 2025. Even with all the competition, one man stood as a pillar of the genre, and became an inspiration to countless musicians, myself included.   Chris Cornell, born in Seattle...

Many philosophers have pondered the question of the meaning of life, but it can be very difficult to find a satisfactory answer. Anyone familiar with the works of Douglas Adams would be adamant that the meaning of life, the universe, and everything is ‘42’. But this statement only serves the purpose of confusing those unfamiliar with Douglas Adams. Just like with many other questions it may be wise to consult religion with this question, to which almost every religion answers with “to bring glory to a higher being(s).” As a Christian I agree with this however I want to approach this question at a neutral standpoint to find an answer...

“For the first time in history, the world's best dance teams will compete as professional franchises, just like traditional sports teams.” - idl.pro The IDL is a new competitive initiative, made to grow the dance industry. The world’s best dance teams duke it out as franchises performing across cities all over the world with the desire to win cash prizes, grow fanbases and win the title of ‘IDL Champions’. The competition is set to launch late 2025 and mid-2026; let’s have a look at the competitors. The competition has 6 globally renowned teams competing: Royal Family, GRV, Quick Style, Brotherhood, Jam Republic, and 1MILLION. Introducing...