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2020 Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition Road Test

Ronald A. Hurley


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Land Rover made a bold claim when revealing the 2020 Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition. Or at least it did after catching its breath from saying that name. This new range-topping Velar would be “the most driver-focused model in the range,” which set expectations awfully high given the existence of the even more powerful Range Rover Sport SVR. Unfortunately, while it has a world-class powertrain and sumptuous styling, its chassis doesn’t live up to Land Rover’s claim.

We’ll start off with what the Velar SVAutobiography gets right, and the powertrain is easily the most “right” thing about it. Its supercharged 5.0-litre V8, used elsewhere in the Jaguar Land Rover empire, boasts 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque in this application. That means it’s down 75 horsepower on the Range Rover Sport SVR but you never miss it. That’s because you’re distracted

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How fashion fell out of love with shopping centres

Ronald A. Hurley
Mean Girls
Mean Girls

Back in the Nineties and early 2000s, the shopping centre was one of the few places groups of teens could hang out away from home. It’s something that was common the world over – especially the US. We saw it in movies too: remember Cher and co hitting the mall in Clueless? Or the Mean Girls gang doing the same in their matching pink tops?

For those with a nascent interest in fashion, the mall also presented an opportunity to spend pocket money on clothes at brands like New Look, Bay Trading and Kookai. My go-to look took a lead from the band All Saints – skinny-strapped tanks with baggy combat trousers and Buffalo platform trainers. Juicy Couture flannel tracksuits, boot-leg jeans and Spice Girls-style minidresses were also looks that defined the era.

Today though, the shopping centre looks very different. Traditional malls across the UK are

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The Fight to Defetishize the Term ‘Gaysian’ in Fashion

Ronald A. Hurley

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LONDON — Racism exists within the LGBTQ community and gay Asian men, who are often grouped together by the term ‘Gaysian,’ are often being fetishized — in a similar way to how Asian women have been perceived by the general public — and underrepresented in Western society.

Asian creatives who work in the fashion industry are increasingly voicing their concerns and demanding change regarding how they are perceived and how they should be represented within the community and in popular culture, especially after the outbreak of the Black Lives Matter movement across the U.S. following the killings of George Floyd and many other Black people at the hands of white policemen.

“I don’t like the word ‘Gaysian’,” said Alex Po, cofounder of Ponder.er, a Hong Kong-based brand that aspires to redefine modern masculinity. “It’s a combination of two stereotypes. It’s a

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If you want to learn to play guitar during the pandemic, Yamaha has 2 acoustics that are well worth checking out

Ronald A. Hurley
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Business Insider

Does the FGX3 sounds as good as it looks?
Does the FGX3 sounds as good as it looks?

Matthew DeBord/Insider

Baking, cooking, board games, puzzles — quarantined and locked-down folks have dealt with the coronavirus in a variety of ways, reviving old pastimes and exploring new ones.

Being stuck at home isn’t necessarily fun, but it does present a classic scenario for learning to play a musical instrument. And perhaps the most popular, historically, is the acoustic guitar. You can do it all by yourself, there are superb online resources — Fender Play is one of the best — and the acoustic guitar can be played quietly enough to avoid annoying family members and roommates.

Of course, if you’re gonna learn, you need a guitar. And when it comes to starting out, few manufacturers have a better reputation for “starter” acoustics than Yamaha. The company’s FG300, at $200, has long been considered the best beginner

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