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GameCentral interviews the CEO of IO Interactive about 007: First Light, Eminem in Hitman, and what’s gone wrong with the video games industry this generation.

Même si Kiev a poliment accusé réception, ce jeudi, d’un plan de paix concocté par la Maison-Blanche, plus précisément par l’émissaire spécial de Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, ce projet n’a à peu près aucune chance d’aboutir : il est en effet inacceptable par l’Ukraine, quelles que soient ses difficultés actuelles sur le front militaire, mais aussi […] L’article Ukraine : un nouveau plan de paix inacceptable et contraire même à la politique de la Maison-Blanche est apparu en premier sur Contrepoints.

Audrey Vann by Audrey Vann Dean Johnson says that there are some pretty mean songs on his sophomore album, and that’s why he’s titled it I Hope We Can Still Be Friends. However, the name alone should tell you that he’s far from a bully. The man is soft-spoken, hyper-considerate, a little self-conscious, and impossibly charming. He was anxiously awaiting my arrival on a sunny Monday afternoon with the tea kettle whistling and two types of tea neatly set out for me to pick from. As I debated whether to choose decaf or herbal, I remembered what a friend recently said to me in preparation for the interview: “Everyone who meets Dean falls in love with him.” It’s easy to see why. Johnson’s music is warm and laid back with the wit of Michael Hurley and the vocal stylings of the Everly Brothers. His presence radiates gratitude, and he appears to be genuinely astonished that people listen to his music. This magical combination of talent and sincerity has led him to tours with Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis, Blind Pilot, John Craigie, and more; he also signed to Saddle Creek this year—I Hope We Can Still Be Friends is his first release for the label. I caught up with Johnson at his home in Seattle to discuss his new album, finding his voice in his 40s, and the overrated concept of dream jobs. I know that your debut album included songs you had written over a long period of time. Is the same true for I Hope We Can Still Be Friends?That is true. At least a third of the songs, I never thought I would record. I had enough friends who wanted me to record them, so I did. And for my own sake—to give them a place, you know? I kind of dread the idea of recording, but I ideally want to embrace it and have that be more of the focus of what I do. I have a lot of music to record. Going onstage and singing my songs can still feel awkward. If you’ve ever heard the songs on my first record, there’s a lot of heartbreak—exposing stuff. They can be exaggerated, but they are all written in the first person. There is stuff about jealousy and possessiveness. Doing those solo can be pretty vulnerable. As you were choosing which songs to record, did you find a unifying theme on the album?Yeah, I did. The second single, “Death of the Party,” is about energy vampires, and it’s the most overtly mean song. There are other prickly songs on the album, mostly about relationships. There is a kind of heavy “mean” theme. It’s a little bit embarrassing how petty some of them are. I have a hard time with people who are relentless talkers. When I sing “Death of the Party” to audiences, I say, “I hope you’re not afraid to come and talk to me after this song!” That is actually what led to the title I Hope We Can Still Be Friends. What is your favorite song on the album?My favorite is called “Shake Me.” It’s about revenge from Mother Nature. The destruction of the planet might be where humans eventually find common ground. The lyrics are “mountains under carpet,” and I always explain that line before I play it live. It’s about sweeping all your problems under the rug. A lot of the songs feel fragile on the record because we were playing live and weren’t very rehearsed. There is a delicacy to the recording. It’s a little bit wonky. “Shake Me” goes off the rails a little bit. But hopefully, that adds to the charm. What musicians do you look to for inspiration?I feel like I’m pretty typical when it comes to influences. Early on, I got into Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and Neil Young. Then, I was really into Sam Cooke and Ray Charles. When I was in high school and middle school, I loved the Violent Femmes, the Dead Kennedys, the Cure, and Echo and the Bunnymen. But there are some songs that make me want to write. Like Neko Case’s song “Star Witness.” That is an incredible song. Her songs paint a strange picture that feels like the Pacific Northwest to me. I think she would have been a great person to soundtrack something by David Lynch. I’ve noticed that much of the press about you puts an…

by Mercury Promotions Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT! • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to ZooLights November 21 - January 4 at the Oregon Zoo! Add some sparkle to your holiday season! Every year, ZooLights dazzles visitors of all ages with wildlife-inspired light displays and a whole lot of seasonal fun. It’s the ideal place to gather friends and family, snap photos and make lasting memories. Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair! Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road, Fri November 21 - Sun January 4, starting at 4:30pm, $35, all ages • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Tony Furtado Band on November 29 at Mississippi Studios! Soulful Americana roots picker Tony Furtado returns for his annual Post-Thanksgiving Bash, joined by some special guests and their respective, unique sounds. Tony's band will include Luke Price, Stephanie Schneiderman, Simon Chrisman, John Reischman, and Eli West. Don’t miss this holiday tradition with some of the PNW’s finest Americana artists! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair! Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, Sat Nov 29, 9 pm, $38.11, 21+ • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to Wicked Craft on November 29 at the Rae Loft! Wicked Craft is November 29th! A holiday market like none other with 33 vendors, Santa visits, gifts, magic, music, drink, food, and merriment. Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair! Rae Loft, 2222 NE Oregon Street, Suite 207, Sat November 29, 11am - 7pm, 21+ VIP $10, all ages • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Vincent Lima on December 5 at Mississippi Studios! Experimental folk pop songwriter Vincent Lima shares emotionally-open tunes from his latest EP, ‘Versions of Uncertainty,’ and beyond! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair! Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, Fri December 5, 9 pm, $26.05, 21+ • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Tezeta Band on December 6 at Mississippi Studios! Genet Abate has been playing sold out shows with Tezeta Band in PDX since 2019. Her passionate and soulful voice is a celebration of popular Ethiopian music! Enjoy her amazing voice alongside the talents of Tezeta Band, an eight-piece ensemble that plays nostalgic Ethiopian-influenced soul music. Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair! Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, Sat December 5, 9 pm, $32.21, 21+ • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to Story Of The Year & Senses Fail on December 10 at Revolution Hall! Story Of The Year and Senses Fail bring loud guitars, massive singalong choruses and hardcore stylings to Portland when they co-headline Rev Hall on the ‘Scream Team’ Tour! Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair! Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, Weds December 10, 7:30pm, $46.32, All Ages • Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Donni Davy on December 3 at Tomorrow Theater! Step into a dazzling exploration of beauty, storytelling, and transformation with Donni Davy, the visionary Emmy-winning makeup artist behind HBO’s Euphoria and founder of Half Magic. Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair! Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St, Wed December 3, 7 pm, $35, all ages GOOD LUCK! Winners will be notified on Monday, and check back next week for more FREE TIX from the Mercury!

200 words on why I hate the obscure indie band from the co-founder of Patreon! by Suzette Smith If you appreciate the Mercury's interesting and useful news & culture reporting, consider making a small monthly contribution to support our editorial team. Your donation is tax-deductible. You can also subscribe and have our papers delivered! Good Morning, Portland: WEATHER. NICE TIL SUNDAY; THEN RAIN. NOW NEWS. IN LOCAL NEWS:• Oh shit, the Portland Mercury Winter Guide is on stands now—waiting in front of your house with a boombox / slithering around your backyard (IT'S GOOD FOR THE SOIL) / tired because it spent all night yelling at the Blazers / sipping a latte in your local cafe / et al. The Portland Mercury Winter Guide WAS WITH YOU FROM THE MOMENT YOU WERE BORN, AND WILL GRIP YOUR HAND FIRMLY AS YOU PASS INTO THE NEXT REALM. This issue contains many tales of valor: -Local comedian Ben Harkins' advice on how to celebrate the holidays, while staying thrifty and more than a little morose. -A gift guide written by like 15 people—with good ideas for what your gift bottoms want 😉. -Tips from Courtenay Hameister on how to survive seasonal depression. -PLUS, this issue of the Merc is a return to pre-pandemic form. There's like news, arts & culture, food reviews, and a Wm. Steven Humphrey pump-up talk in there. It's a regular dang newspaper. Heck! • On Wednesday night, Portland City Council voted to ban landlord use of artificial intelligence (AI) price setting systems. The Mercury's Taylor Griggs wrote about the ordinance yesterday, breaking down the ideas behind it. Councilors also discussed a proposal to charge the owner/landlord of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building an annual fee to help offset costs associated with the contentious and violent tenants. • At the opening of the meeting, Councilor Ryan took some time to explain some posts he'd made on social media that were ostensibly about the about idea of a ban on price fixing, but which contained the sentence: "The proposed ‘price-fixing' ban on housing providers comes straight out of the national socialist playbook." This raised eyebrows from some because the infamous National Socialist Party most often refers to the National Socialist German Workers' Party commonly known as the Nazi Party. At the top of the meeting, Ryan explained that he didn't know that and anyone who knows him would know he wouldn't have meant that. The social media post has since been changed "national socialist playbook" to "'Local Progress Impact Lab’ playbook." In response, Councilor Angelita Morillo and Councilor Candace Avalos replied that Ryan's comments didn't seem like an apology and that they would also like to make speeches. They did not get to make speeches at that time. • Bike Portland's Jonathan Maus used the eyeglasses-wrecking fall of Mercury reporter Taylor Griggs to discuss Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT)'s Bike Lane Maintenance Program, which PBOT says has been sweeping lanes, but just not the one Griggs took a spill in. It's not clear that they ever plan to clear that one, since it's not a protected lane. In February, Maus reported on a grant from the Portland Clean Energy Benefits Fund (PCEF), providing PBOT $2 million per year for five years to clear the dang lanes. As it happens, Maus had also just attended a monthly Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, where he grabbed some useful slides for readers. The excuse? Leaves fell early this year, says a PBOT slide. • A reader points out that PBOT has no problem encouraging Portlanders to keep their storm drains clean. But we were already culturally doing that (proudly out here in full body rainwear, clearing my street drain with a hook, like I Know What You Did Last Summer). Most of the bike lanes I use aren't on residential streets; they're in higher traffic business areas where industrious do-gooders might not have their leaf-clearing hooks on hand. IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:• On…