#((Technically we are currently inbetween 2 & 3))

[furieshot]

Entry #4

I apologize for my extended absence, Rabbit wasn't pleased with me sneaking out and despite my place revoked my communications with the outside world for a while. That in of itself did not change much, but the amount of work I was busy with certainly did.

the project Wolf asked me to make has been discarded, and the security bots he badgered me for have almost all been destroyed. I have provided him with new ones, but he has decided he will throw a tantrum since they are only slightly taller than him rather than towering over him.

How he expected those to fit in the facility network I have yet to understand.

In other news, Ram has begun to grow on me. I am not cannot comprehend why, but I find myself checking on her as if she were a little sister.

I have been away from home for far too long. The recycled air must be messing with my head.

And yet at the same time... it is nice, to have someone to get along with who can follow in a conversation. Rabbit never cares to hear anything that isn't furthering his goal of "humanity's future" or "true ascension" and Wolf is a meathead who doesn't understand anything that is not stroking his own ego. Ram however is incredibly bright and ambitious, much to her own detriment. She aims to impress and certainly gives results, but frankly... she's attempting to impress idiots who can't recognize true greatness if it hit them square in the face. She reminds me of myself when I was younger, held back by the need for validation and by foolish ethics. and unlike the medical board, I will make sure Ram can at least continue her experiments.

Though, if she cannot understand what we really do here, then her own fickle morals will continue to get in her way.

[bamsara]

35

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

So we know that the Afton virus isn't tehcnically all technical and has some sort of supernatural element to it canonly because of how Afton aims for his immortality and whole plan and yada yada and this is why both in a fanficition self-indulgent aspect and realistic aspect (as realistic as a sci-fi fantasy genre could be) that the virus and it's effects could be 'treated' in a way with certain things that could range anywhere between technical interception and straight up cognitive treatment such like the 'exposure therapy' and other things my Y/N is currently doing right now to help Moon (and Sun) recover from the virus and to almost build an immunity to it. And if these positive effects work for the Daycare Attendant, who's to say the good results wouldn't be the same if the same steps were taken with the other animatronics. That is, if the animatronics and Y/N even knew what was happening at this point in time of the story. As of right now, all they know is that they are malfunctioning heavily, have a skewed sense of idenity and wants/needs and self-worth and know they pose a danger to others. At this point in the story, because Y/N comes in LONG before the events of Security Breach in the game, there are no missing children to be heard of. You know the missing kids that show up/talked about in the SB endings? That hasn't happened, and won't happen now, because of the variable thrown into the mix: The Reader, Y/N. Without going into detail, if Y/N had left the pizzaplex and then events would have played out as normal in canon but because of their presence and their intervention and effects between the animatronics and effect on them/influence in their behavior then they pose a much lesser danger not just in the area of the Daycare Attendants but in other areas as well, like say Monty (too be explained later) and any issues that arrive with the arrival of the security guard and the re-activation of the security cameras.

This, however, does not secure the saftey of management on hand. Y/N was hired somewhere inbetween the time of managment replacing all of the human staff with automated staff bots and making the animatronics act as security and the events of the game. They were not expected to last. Like, at all. Managment is actaully really surprised and inconvienced that they're still there, but can't really fire them because (1) they do their job well enough (2) somehow the animatronics don't want to hurt them *cough* Moon *cough* which is a mystery to Managment in itself that makes them curious and (3) at some point they realise Y/N knows too much. There will be a point in time where Y/N is no longer the expendable employee but a very valuable one, one that is too important and too invovled that they'll either need to be sworn to secrecy or killed off because...well, it's Fazbear Entertainemnet. Big cooperate has blood on their hands. Their robot's hands, actaully.

That last bit comes into play when ARC 3 starts and we have Sun n Moon live with Y/N after the Pizzaplex's destruction but I can't get too nitty gritty into the details about it

[spinningbuster98]

Mega Man X6 Part 3

Aww yeah we’re in the shit zone now!

Blaze Heatnix: what is this shit? What even is this?

This isn’t a level, it’s just short bits of level design put inbetween an absolute PLETHORA of fights against the same garbage miniboss, that you have to fight under increasingly more annoying circumstances.

Unlock Zero and then beat Infinity Mijinion to get his skill: it’s the most surefire way to deal with those monstrosities, otherwise if you try to attack those weakspots individually with THAT kind of level terrain? It’s gonna be an absolutely miserable experience for either character

Blizzard Wolfang: I hope you like ice physics coupled with X6′s trademark enemy placement and with the arbitrary disabling of wall jumps because....the walls are slippery I guess?

Zero’s double jump is pretty much required for those falling ice block sections: if you get crushed you lose like half your health and if you get stuck between two blocks the open space between them freezes and instantly kills you!

Rainy Turtloid: More shitty enemy placement assaulting you with no rhyme or reason every 5 seconds but this time...in the dark (with the Nightmare effect, more on that can of worms later)! With a gimmick that forces you to search for and destroy small devices! Isn’t that awesome?

The last segment requires you to use the Blade Armor’s mid air dash in an EXTREMELY pixel perfect fashion in order to make it through those tight passages littered with spikes, but honestly I just let myself get hit by enemies and abuse the I-frames....except for the Light Capsule where it’s just not enough so I’ll have to come back later...uuuughh

Metal Shark Player: in many ways the worst of the main 8 stages. Technically Blaze Heatnix’s is worse due to its issues but at least in that case there’s a “simple” solution as previously stated.

Here though?

That Ride Armor at the start is pure trolling, I’m sure of it, it’s there to make you think you’ll be able to make it through the whole level using it but NOPE you’re forced to abandon it a mere minute later. Fuck you too, game.

It’s stop and go the level! With some absolutely bullshit level layout and ESPECIALLY enemy placement, with those goddamn Nightmare bastards that can pass and shoot through walls, and some can even come from off screen while you’re dashing like mad to get past the current crusher section.

And if you die? You get booted all the way back to the start of that specific section, forcing you to go through that slog all over again and again and again until the next thing to get crushed is your fucking controller!

These levels are shit enough on their own...then we also add the Nightmare effect

Oh the Nightmare effect...

So you may have noticed some weird obstacles appearing in the levels every so often, like the aforementioned darkness in Rainy Turtleoid, or fire raining from above in Blizzard Wolfang or the random icy terrain in Metal Shark Player

That is the Nightmare Effect, a system that makes it so that everytime you beat a boss, an extra annoying obstacle appears in other levels. For example by beating Blizzard Wolfang those ice platforms appear in Metal Shark Player

It’s a system that exists exclusively to aggrevate the fuck out of you and to make these levels even more unenjoyable.

And worst of all: it’s explained to you in the most unintuitive of ways

At the start of the game Alia tells you that if a stage is highlighted in red a Nightmare effect is taking place: that’s technically bullshit

What the red tint means is that:

1) The Nightmare enemies in that stage can now once again drop Nightmare souls upon defeat

2) A Nightmare effect related to the stage you have just exited from is now affecting the highlighted stage

HOWEVER

Even if the stage stops being highlighted there will STILL be a Nightmare effect, simply that of the latest level you have visited (assuming that level’s Nightmare effect is applicable to the highlighted stage, since only certain effects affect certain stages). Bottom line: you can never fully avoid the Nightmare effect, there will always be some amount of crap to be dealt with. If you have full knowledge of how it works you may manipulate it to make it a bit less infuriating by tackling stages in a particular way, but you’re only gonna know any of this by looking it up on the Internet since, as I’ve just pointed out, the game ACTIVELY confuses you on its mechanics, either on purpose or due to this game’s piss poor translation I dunno.

Phew... well next episode is gonna be a bit filler, as I’m going to get most of the stuff I’ve missed, which I’d normally not bother showing but I will this time for the purposes of showing more of this game’s crap design

But most importantly I’ll show you a hidden but very important cutscene that pretty much no one playing this trainwreck will ever know about without consulting a guide

[mantis-in-the-dirt]

alright then, boys. i have quite a few thoughts and questions to consider about the inbetween and generally karl’s lore from today- i won’t be adding thoughts about the actual tales (the pit), although i might make a post about that later. just be warned, this might be kinda long-ish! i will probably expand on details within these posts later. it’s probably a bit ramble-y, but i,, cannot collect my thoughts better lmao. also, spoilers from the most recent tftsmp, in case that wasn’t clear. 

(also, forgive me if there’s any bad grammar, i’m pretty tired.)

unless i refer to them as cc!, i am talking about the character!

tw for mentions of manipulation, mentions of blood, mentions of the prison.

this is set up like a list, mostly because i will absolutely fail to keep my points in check if i don’t do it this way.

1. let’s start where Karl does- in spawn. he spawns in the inbetween, and based on what we’ve seen, his respawn point does seem to be set within the inbetween. my thoughts on this aren’t super specific, and they tangle a bit with minecraft mechanics, so. if his respawn point is set in the inbetween, that means, with Minecraft logic, he will come back right inside of the inbetween next time he leaves his time travel. what i am assuming is the inbetween is put in the/a world’s overworld, while the other side is through the nether, which means that the set spawn is naturally in the inbetween. unless Karl has a respawn anchor within the inbetween, he is naturally going to spawn there if whatever marks his respawn is destroyed. but other than that- he hasn’t set a spawn point of any kind within the other side, so technically, by Minecraft laws, he should be respawning within the inbetween. this doesn’t necessarily mean anything- for story purposes, it’s likely he’s just in the other side anyways, but it’s interesting to think about.

2. another quite glaring point from tonight’s stream. the inbetween’s threats to force karl to stay. this implies that it somehow has a way to stop him from leaving, which could involve many things. we don’t know the logic of how he joins and leaves the inbetween after he travels, and therefore we don’t know where he is. is the inbetween a separate physical plane? is it in his mind? if it’s in his mind, how would he be restrained? if it’s physical, where is it in relation the the rest of the smp? also, keep in mind this strange physical-mental-no info plane kinda idea. it’ll come up in another point soon.

3. whoo boy, this one. probably the one i’m questioning the most, if i’m being honest. one of the things we have the least answers on.. who the fuck is the inbetween? is it the castle itself, some kind of sentient being who has control and can grow itself? is there someone or something controlling the castle, making it place those books or placing the books themselves? is this force necessarily malevolent? it’s obviously not all powerful, because whoever was working to get karl out had spots that the entity couldn’t see before, and karl managed to get messages. it refers to itself as person, it refers to itself by calling itself ‘i’, implying it is some kind of sentient entity, so what and who is it?

4. i do not think either place is benevolent. neither of them seem even close to truly friendly, and both of them give big red flags in every way they talk. the inbetween is more obvious, because we have quite a bit more info on it. it’s used manipulative techniques, it’s tried to force karl into doing things and to stay. the other side hasn’t done anything specific enough to garner direct dislike, but for multiple reasons, i don’t trust it. this may be a personal opinion, but i think greeting karl like he’s familiar is strange. it said welcome home, which implies a few things (that he’s been there before, that it knows him, that it is somehow familiar with him) that we haven’t learned enough about to properly analyze. i still find it weird, however. (this is less of a concise point and more of a kind of guess/theory.)

5. this is something i said in my last short little post on the tales, but i noticed it once again within this tales, especially with a fewer specific lines. the inbetween continues to use extremely similar and the same methods of manipulation as our green smiley man himself does, which may or may not be important, but i find worth noting. 

6. there was blood in the supposedly secret room. it was a ‘surprise,’ phrased like it was supposed to be some kind of happy thing. first off, there was blood with the sign “don’t stray from the path :]” which is undeniably creepy. of all the ways you could’ve sent a message, that’s horrifying. secondly, this is one of the first (the first, possibly?) physical threats of violence within the inbetween, and we’ve observed quite often in this fandom the difference between physical and mental attacks. last, where did the blood come from? we’ve seen no physical bodies other than karl himself and the many copies of him. did something hurt the karl copies? if not, whose blood is it, and how is there so much of it all over the room?

7. this is likely a complete coincidence, or even if it isn’t it won’t matter to lore, but the blocks that we’ve seen of the other side are mostly the same as the prison. there’s a lot of blackstone and possible obsidian and such.

8. the inbetween and the other side seem almost inverse of each other. each different part of them that we are able to compare so far seems to be exactly opposite from each other. from the obvious things- the color schemes, the flowers- to the less obvious details- the way they speak to karl. the build of the other side so far seems to be foreboding and creepy, kinda strange and unusual type of build. the build of the inbetween looks peaceful and calm, very gentle and pretty. it’s obviously purposeful, and i think there are some connections with the nether (the other side) vs. the overworld (the inbetween.) 

9. there are still the karl’s wandering around all over the inbetween, and we got more information on them today. they are versions of karl who have ‘lost themselves’ and become stuck here, cursed to wander the halls of the castle together. this is a very, very interesting idea. first off, let me be clear. time travel is a tricky thing, and depending on the world and the lore of how cc!karl has decided he wants to do it. logically, these copies of karl cannot be from the past, because if they are stuck, then karl himself would be stuck, and none of the rest of the copies would be there. this then implies that either versions of himself from the future have come back and gotten stuck, and/or that there is some form of alternate reality talk coming into play here. also, to go back into the previous point, are there going to be any kind of flip-side karl’s in the other side, or are there going to be no entities at all?

10. who is warning karl out of the inbetween? the inbetween has shown us no people other than karl and his copies, but someone or something is putting the books there to warn him, and something obviously seems to know that the inbetween isn’t right. however, is this force actually trying to be helpful? is it trying to warn him away from the inbetween because they want to help him away from malevolent places, or do they just want him to come to the other side? is there some force within the castle that holds enough power to put out books with differing opinions to the inbetween’s books, or is someone manually setting out these stories?

11. where is the inbetween, and how does karl get there? we haven’t been given specific information on how karl arrives or leaves the inbetween, or where the inbetween is. is it an entire other dimension? is it within karl’s mind, or is it in a physical plane? what does it mean that karl has gone into another dimension in wherever he is? will this cause difficulties in leaving or coming back to this area in general? adding onto this with a small idea, we have been given the ‘other side’ and the ‘inbetween.’ does this imply that there is a third side, and if so, what is it? is it something we already know, like the dreamsmp, or is it a completely new world?

12. i do not think the other side is a good thing. i do not think it is going to turn out well for karl. however, it currently seems to be the better place for karl to be. it seems to be the ‘good’ out of the two, just from what we’ve seen. despite this, it seems to fight all these common stereotypes of being ‘good.’ it’s dark and scary and seems very dreary. does this or will this reflect on the dream smp itself? does it mirror anything that the dreamsmp does with stereotypes or characters?

alright then, that’s it! if you made it to the end, i hope you agreed with a couple of these points, and i hope a couple of these questions are ones other people are having as well.

sorry for the ramble essay lmao 

[probablydidrpgideas]

Not only is “phylactery” not a Jewish word (it’s Greek, actual Jews call the object a “tefflin”) , but the OP lied about being Jewish for that post, they’d even said “I’m not Jewish but I’m I’ll eat my way through Hanukkah food” before making that post. I’d retract the post at minimum, possibly reblog a correction of the post that you can find in the notes, that’s just such a sad thing to lie about.

[Note to start off the ramble before anyone says anything; I am not Jewish. Just spent all day researching this and fact-checking a few things]

Boy oh boy, we stepped in the Drama today everyone.

To get this part out of the way: People fucking suck, sucks about OP. That’s disgusting, and stupid, and just aggravating. People lying on the internet is stupid and frustrating and just. Ugh.

But hey let’s still address this part.

You DO realize Phylactery is, technically, a Jewish term, correct?

The term was originally derived from the Greek, or possibly also Latin or French based on suffix usage during the 12th and 14th centuries. We believe the Greek because we have the Greek translation of the Gospels of Matthew (St. Matthew the Evangelist, AKA Matthew the Apostle) in which the word was used. Matthew was a first century Galilean, and because he was a tax collector, was likely fluent in both Aramaic and Greek, which would’ve pushed him away from his fellow Jews as he was likely seen as siding with the Roman occupation. So, while the term came from a man using the Greek terminology, it still came from a Jewish man.

Moreover, as many people have been SO keen to make me aware, the term tefflin is used by Jewish people, not Phylactery. Believe it or not, I do know this, as I have access to Google. And THIS, my friends, is where my main problem arises with how angry people have been getting over this post.

1. When searching the term Phylactery, most of the top results (including the lovely definition Google posts from another website directly so your eyeballs see it immediately) show Jewish connections. YES, I know, it is NOT STRICTLY a Jewish term - it’s a catch-all, a term simply meant to describe an amulet. Be that as it may, it has become intrinsically tied to the Jewish faith in the eyes of those who are not Jewish. Meaning, while the term is not used by modern-day Jews, it still holds religious connotation and history strong enough to still be tied to that religion.

2. Given that fact, isn’t it still a good idea to stop using that word? If only so we can avoid this very specific kind of drama all over again? I mean, really, what REAL reason is there for us to call the container for a lich’s soul this very specific word? Why not make up our OWN word for it? It’s really not that hard to change it from that original word so that we don’t need to deal with that connotation it still holds.

3. Instead of understanding that, hmm, it really isn’t that hard to change a single word on our part to stop using that word, people went absolutely apeshit in the notes of that post. Like. Jewish People, Anti-semetic people, everyone went apeshit. And here’s the thing!! People keep saying “Jewish people have commented on the post and said they don’t care about this drama at all and they wish it would stop”! Yes! That’s true! And there are also Jewish people on this post agreeing with the fact that we should try to fix this terminology and stop using the term in D&D because of this exact fucking drama.

Ugh. Look, I’ve spent all day looking into this bullcrap. Here are my thoughts, and you can shit on them if you’d like because at this point it’s mostly opinion.

Was this antisemitism? Maybe, but almost definitely not imo. Certainly not deliberate in any case.

Should it change? Hell yes it should because the drama needs to die, so let’s change the word.

Does it matter? Well, let’s see. Has it completely overtaken my dash, turned my entire day into a hellscape of messages and reblogs and “Well ACTUALLYs” and just general UUGH? Yes. Yes it has.

Look. I get it. The big thing here is, there are far bigger issues in the world to handle. There are far worse cases of antisemitism, far more things that need to happen in this world. Changing the name of an archaic word that Jewish people don’t even use and haven’t used in more than a few centuries isn’t going to fix antisemitism. We get that. But in our small bubbles of world that we exist in, we cannot change the entire world. Yes, I would LOVE to protest antisemitic practices and god just EVERYTHING that goes on in this world. But the fact of the matter is, in my current position in life, I can’t do much beyond the scope of my inner circle of friends, and those who follow me on social media platforms.

I will always be vocal about things that I think are stupid or unjust or anywhere inbetween. This is one of those things. Because, as I said, the term is still connected to the Jewish faith, whether Jewish people like that or not! So on the surface level of Being Not A Shit Human Being, we should change the word in our D&D games. That is the easiest possible hurdle. Now, we should also start, idk, erasing the fact that the word is connected to Jewish culture in the first place (and almost ENTIRELY Jewish culture beyond the fantasy definitions) since it’s an outdated term nobody uses. But being an atheist-raised-christian with no current access to literally any Jewish people in my life, and no ability to hack every dictionary website at the same time ---- I think I’m kinda shit outta luck in that regard.

So I will do what I can, in my own little world, to change small things. Because I was raised in an environment where being antisemitic and racist and homophobic was all in the small details just like these. So much so that I didn’t realize how horrible some of the things I said and did were until they were already out of my mouth and I had already offended people.

TL;DR: Please stop messaging me about this. We should still probably change the term as it IS still connected to the Jewish Faith. OP is a crustnugget for lying. Can everyone please stop attacking each other over this post thx. Also let’s all try to be a little less antisemitic. Okay? Okay.

[blodreina-noumou]

Pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions. don’t cheat. tag 10 (or however many) peeps.

*I’ve done this twice before, technically, but I watch a lot of TV shows, so I’m doing it again.*

1 - Legacies

2 - American Horror Story

3 - The Good Place

4 - One Day at a Time

5 - The 100

1. who is your favorite character in 2?

Oof, I really should’ve picked a season. It’s tough to choose just one out of the whole anthology. The first that comes to my mind is a pretty popular choice, I imagine - Lana Winters, lead characters from Asylum. She’s tough, but she’s no cookie.

2. who is your least favorite character in 1?

I’ve actually been thinking about this lately, and I don’t think I really have one! I find all of the characters in Legacies to be reasonably fleshed out, charming, and compelling. I guess I have to go with Sebastian, simply because I don’t know what’s going on with him - why he can/chooses to reveal himself only to certain people at certain times, and what he wants with Lizzie. I don’t trust him.

3. what is your favorite episode of 4?

The second season finale really stands out. Each character gets their own little moment with Lydia, and we get to learn a lot more about them. It’s a tearjerker in the best possible way, and it really seals the deal - at that point, you have no choice but to love and care for all of the characters, and to cherish their connections to one another.

4. what is your favorite season of 5?

Season 2 remains the best to this day. It’s just where the show peaked - it had the most consistent storyline, characterization, and visual motifs. The twists were really surprising and well-earned, and trauma fatigue had not yet set in. The 100 goes downhill in a big way after season 2.

5. who is your favorite couple in 3?

Cheleanor, of course! I love Chidi, and I love Eleanor, and I love how they complement each other. Plus they are a beautiful couple.

6. who is your favorite couple in 2?

Are there any good couples in AHS, lmao? I suppose I gotta go with Liz Taylor and Trystan. They’re probably the healthiest, and come the closest to getting a happy ending out of any couple in the entire series.

But I have to admit that, when I was younger especially, I had a big soft spot for Violate. They’re fucked up, problematic, tragic, and so wrong for each other. And yet...

They’re so goddamn cute. And they provide some much needed teen apathy to the first half of the first season.

7. what is your favorite episode of 1?

“Mombie Dearest” - aka the episode where Alaric’s dead almost-wife rises from the grave and meets her miraculous daughters. It’s where the new generation really intersects with the old, for the first time. Definitely where I was well and truly hooked.

8. what is your favorite episode of 5?

I think the best episode is “Spacewalker” - where Clarke mercy kills Finn. But my favorite episode might actually be “Die All, Die Merrily” for the aesthetic alone. “Praimfaya” is high up there, too. And of course, “The Red Queen”

9. what is your favorite season of 2?

Oh man, I’ve been thinking about this one a lot, too. It’s tough, because I think the best season cannot count as my favorite, because I find it so difficult to watch - season 2, Asylum. It’s probably the most well-written, the scariest, the most disturbing, and has the most interesting characters of the entire series. But I cannot rewatch it - it’s just too tough.

So in terms of the ones I’d actually rewatch, in order: Roanoke, Hotel, Murder House, and Coven.

10. how long have you watched 1?

I jumped on inbetween season one and two - fully caught up, and I’m watching s2 as it airs. I saw a bunch of gifs of Hope sacrificing herself, but also a dude was there mirroring her? And my confusion was enough to make me finally give it a try. It’s so fun!

11. how did you become interested in 3?

Tumblr! How else, lol?

12. who is your favorite actor in 4?

Honestly, Justina Machado does work to carry the show. Obviously the more “side” characters, like Elena and Lydia, get a lot of the love and a lot of the snappiest lines and stories. But Penelope is the heart and soul and hardworking hands of the Alvarez family, and of the show itself.

13. which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5?

I only have a sideblog for The 100, so there’s your answer. But I think Legacies and The Good Place make me happier and are more enjoyable, lmao.

14. which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3 ?

I’ve seen every episode of both - but The Good Place has more episodes currently, so 3!

15. if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

I relate the most to Schneider, but I wish I was more like Elena.

16. would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

I think so, yeah! I don’t wish death on anyone in ODAAT, so it’d have to be an Earth episode of TGP. I could see Team Cockroach getting mixed up with the Alvarez family through some crazy shenanigans. 

17. pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple.

I’m a Hosie hoe.

18. overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

The Good Place, because it actually knows what story it’s telling, and when to quit. The 100 does not.

19. which has the better theme music, 2 or 4?

They could not be more different. ODAAT is super uptempo and hopeful, AHS is 90% creepy noises and minor piano. It’s really hard to choose.

Tagging:

I was tagged by: @katersann​ (tysm!!)

I’m tagging: @captainwilldameron​ @doortotomorrow​ @johnmurphysreddit​ @awesomenell65​ @blodkru​ @stardreamt​ @primekru​ @blodkihci​ @nightbleeder​ @bombshellsandbluebells​ and anyone else who sees this and wants to steal it! As usual, feel free to ignore this for any reason, no pressure.

[physicalcomputingwithj]

Experiment #2 : The Icarus Servo

Experiment conducted 2021/03/02

In this experiment I actually tried a series of things. First I tried controlling the brightness of an LED with a potentiometer. When that didn't work, I replaced the LED with a servo motor instead. At the end, I replaced the potentiometer with a photoresistor to the servo. I attached it to the arm of the servo and attempted to create a program that would make the servo move the resistor towards the brightest light reading it could find. I like to call it the Icarus Servo!

Part 1: Potentiometer Controlled LED

How the Potentiometer Works

The potentiometer has three pins - two terminal pins and one wiper pin. The terminal pins connect to the live and ground wires. Internally, these terminals are connected to each other along a track. A wiper connects to the middle of the track, where its position along the track rotates with the potentiometer's dial. This essentially makes the two sides of the track variable resistors, and the whole track a potential divider circuit - whose signal can be read from the wiper pin. (Fun fact: Because of how the potentiometer works, it doesn't technically matter which way around you connect the terminals!) If you're curious about potentiometers, Jeff Feddersen has a clear and concise explanation on their website.

For this experiment, we can read the signal from the wiper pin into the Arduino, and then use code to output a voltage to the LED. More voltage means more light!

Components Used

This experiment uses the Arduino UNO R3 Project Starter Kit.

1 x UNO R3 Controller Board (the Arduino)

1 x Breadboard

Breadboard jumper wires

1 x Potentiometer

1 x LED

1 x 220Ω resistor

The Wiring

The Code

void setup() { pinMode(7, OUTPUT); // LED ouput Serial.begin(9600); } void loop() { int val = analogRead(A0); // Potentiometer input int out = map(val, 0, 1023, 0, 255); // Converts the input range of the potentiometer (0-1023) to the output range of the analog pin (0-255) analogWrite(7, out); // Write to the LED output Serial.println(out); delay(10); }

You can see all the code for this experiment on GitHub.

The code here takes the signal from the potentiometer via pin A0, and outputs the signal to the LED on pin 7. The potentiometer input is a 10-bit value (in the range 0-1023), but the output pin is only an 8-bit output (in the range 0-255). For this reason, we use the map function to convert the value from the input range into the output range, so that we can use the input to control the LED.

There you have it! But not really...

I set it up in TinkerCAD and it worked a treat! Then I set it up my physical kit, and it didn't work.

The LED only switched between full brightness and completely off, with not even the smallest zone of "inbetween". After double checking the wiring, plotting potentiometer readings in the IDE's serial plotter, and switching out the LED for every colour in the kit, I discovered that the LEDs provided in this kit don't fade!

So let's connect it to a servo instead. Much more fun!

Side note: It took me a moment to realise you need to assemble the potentiometer yourself. The two parts you need are in the small box with eight smaller compartments, specifically they're in the top compartment second from the right.

Part 2: Setting Up the Servo

How the Servo Works

A servo motor is a particular kind of motor that, though only able to rotate in a 180°, uses a potential divider circuit to know it's position at all times. Using the Arduino we can send a target state to motor, and then it will compare the target state of the potential divider to it's actual state to determine how to drive the underlying DC motor. GreatScott! on YouTube has a great video that does more in-depth on how servos work, and even how you can modify them to have more degrees of rotation.

Components Used

This experiment uses the Arduino UNO R3 Project Starter Kit.

1 x UNO R3 Controller Board (the Arduino)

1 x Breadboard

Breadboard jumper wires

1 x Potentiometer

1 x Servo Motor (SG90)

The Wiring

I removed the LED and wired up the servo instead. The brown wire connects to ground, the red to live, and the orange to our control signal from the Arduino. I used pin 9.

The Code

I first ran example code that comes with the Ardiuno IDE to test the servo was working. You can load the example by going to File > Examples > Servo > Sweep. My wiring worked! I then wrote a program to use input from the potentiometer instead.

#include Servo servo; void setup() { servo.attach(9); // Servo output Serial.begin(9600); } void loop() { int val = analogRead(A0); // Potentiometer input int out = map(val, 0, 1023, 0, 180); servo.write(out); // Write to the servo output Serial.println(val); delay(15); }

You can see all the code for this experiment on GitHub.

Like in our LED example, I use the map method to translate the value from the input range to the output range, but this time the output range is 0-180, the rotations in degrees our servo can handle. The Ardiuno kindly abstracts away converting that value into the electrical signal the servo actually wants.

There you have it! Sort of...

Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube!

Judging by the plot of the potentiometer signal, it seems that as the potentiometer and other components wobble about, it sends a somewhat volatile signal, hence the weird movement from the servo. Blu-tacking the potentiometer to the breadboard helped to minimise that. It worked well enough for my purposes, and I was curious to try what I've now dubbed the Icarus servo!

Part 3: The Icarus Servo

Components Used

This experiment uses the Arduino UNO R3 Project Starter Kit.

1 x UNO R3 Controller Board (the Arduino)

1 x Breadboard

Breadboard jumper wires

1 x Photoresistor

1 x 5KΩ resistor

1 x Servo Motor (SG90)

The Wiring

I replaced the potentiometer with a photoresistor, in the same setup I used in my first experiment. To begin with, I just set it up on the breadboard, as to test that it was working. I wired the output of the potential divider to pin A0 so I could reuse the code I was currently using.

The photoresistor was not giving a huge range of values, certainly not the full 0-1023 range theoretically possible. Replacing the 10KΩ resistor I was originally using with a 5KΩ resistor helped increased the range. After that however, I just used the serial plotter to see what range of inputs the sensor was giving me, and updated my map function call to work in this range instead.

int out = map(val, 10, 360, 0, 180);

To make my Icarus servo, I wanted to attach the photoresistor to one of the servo motor arm attachments. To ensure that the photoresistor wouldn't swing into the side of the servo, I used code to set the servo to 0 degrees, then attached the servo arm such that it would swing around the "outisde" of the servo i.e. keep clear of the blue box. I then slotted the photoresistor into the servo arm and connected it to the breadboard using plug-to-socket jumper wires.

The Code

I wanted my servo to move the arm areas of light. My simple approach to this was to create a hill climbing algorithm. The program stores a current position in variable, and then continually rotates slightly to either side of this position to see if either of them produce a higher light reading than the current position. If they do, the current position is updated to the new one.

#include Servo myservo; int pos = 0; void setup() { myservo.attach(9); // Servo output Serial.begin(9600); } void loop() { int highestLightLevel = 0; int newpos = pos; for (int i = -1; i <= 1; i++) { // Iterates i through the values -1, 0, 1 - corresponding to "left", "centre", and "right" // Calcuate next position to take a light reading from int testpos = pos + i * 5; if (testpos < 0) testpos = 0; if (testpos > 180) testpos = 180; // Move to that position myservo.write(testpos); delay(200); // The the servo time to reach it's target before taking a light reading // Take a light reading int light = analogRead(A0); // Photoresistor input // If that reading is the highest so far, save it and the tested position to refer to later if (light > highestLightLevel) { highestLightLevel = light; newpos = testpos; } } // Update the "current" position of the servo to the one that produced the highest light reading pos = newpos; Serial.println(highestLightLevel); }

You can see all the code for this experiment on GitHub.

There you have it! For real this time!

Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube!

While recording the video I had my phone torch on, which I used to encourage the servo to move in particular directions. Sometimes the jumper wires would push against it, but otherwise it worked reasonably well! Working on this experiment in particular, I was surprised to see just how prevalent potential divider circuits are in electronics.

On reflection, I think part of why the movement of the servo is so janky is that each time the code pulls a signal from the photoresistor, it only takes one reading, meaning ambient variations in reading can cause the servo to move in different directions essentially at random. Taking an average reading over a few milliseconds would help prevent against this. It was definitely good insight onto how to best use the photoresistor.

The code could be also further improved by, instead of hard coding the input range from the photoresistor, dynamically setting it during runtime depending on what signals the motor receives.

[forgottentazfacts]

Fact 3

During the Stolen Century, Magnus died 19 times, Merle died 57 times, and Taako died 8 times.

Following that, during the Eleventh Hour, they died an extra 11 more times, making their updated death count to Magnus at 32, Merle at 68 and Taako at 19.

Also, adding onto that, Magnus died 2 more times, one being the part where his soul was forced out of his soul (Episode 56, Time 51:26) and the part where his mannequin body was destroyed by the Hunger (Episode 59, Time: 1:02:39), meaning that Magnus’ current death count is at 34, which is half of Merle’s death count.

Other notable things and thoughts about this topic:

When comparing the Boys’ deaths between The Stolen Century and The Eleventh Hour, Merle (57 > 11) and Magnus (19 > 11) gain less deaths in comparison while Taako (8 < 11) gains more.

Magnus is the only one with a canonically stated age (32), meaning that, unless you added the extra 99 or less years from TSC, his current death count is higher then his age.

Lup, Lucretia, Barry and Davenport do not have explicit death counts, however, if one gives a general estimate based on those character’s demeanor and already given deaths, it could be assumed that Lup and Barry would have a considerably high death rate (somewhere inbetween Magnus’ and Merle’s TSC death rates) and that Davenport and Lucretia would have considerably low death counts (somewhere near to Taako’s TSC death rate.)

The pod would take approx. 4 months to charge (if it’s stats were based off of the spell Clone) and given Barry’s... tendencies to die easily, as he probably has wizard stats in terms of health, he probably died around 3-4 times a year. 

You can do the math from there.

Lucretia has not yet had an explicit death. 

Personally, at where we currently are, I want that fact to stay a fact.

Despite the fact that Taako and Lup are twins, and ignoring the fact that one of them would technically be the older one at birth, if you removed the time from when they where dead/a lich/whatever else could have happened to them during TSC, Taako should probably be considered the eldest based on time spent alive.

Based on Lup’s whole entire demeanor and her tendencies, there is statistically no way that Lup’s death count would be lower than 15, let alone 7, and even if it was, she was a lich for 10-12 years. She’s still technically dead right now. 

Every day I am amazed that Taako’s death rate is so low, considering that he has a tendency to be near death or at risk of dying more than the other characters.

I may even do a post based off of that in the future.

[sylleboi]

𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊 𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 | 16/03/20

College announcements:

There will be e-mails coming through soon, so make sure to check frequently. Advise if the college does close due to COVID-19; check the school website.

What have we done so far, now being two weeks into our FMP, and what should we be able to evidence?

We have done the following:

The theme of “Encounters”.

Starting points reflecting on keywords and terms from previous projects

Developing portrait illustrations and basic artist research (simple analysis and quote)

Primary Observation of objects and working collaboratively in drawing

Proposal writing and establishing research/start points

Elective/Workshop practice and developing technical skills

Checklist for the end of week 2:

Mind map of the Encounter brief linking together previous projects with current themes and ideas (production file)

Reaction to brief on the blog with some initial thoughts and ideas

FMP handbook up to date including any tutorials or tasks completed

Visual examples of the stages of “icons” workshop (Printed and then examples of artist work

𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊 𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘

Revisiting pose to pose animation and morph animation.

Our aims & objectives:

To review and apply the elements of visual language to illustrated & animated ideas

To experiment with working from a reference to develop imagined responses to a specific idea

Visual language

We did a mindmap, trying to trace back to what we have been taught about visual language.

What else do we need to consider?

Meaning, purpose, and function

Design elements, balance, proximity, alignment, repetition, contrast, space, hierarchy, composition, layout, consistency

We then looked at two different examples of artwork as a task;

Task: Looking at both of these images, describe what you can see in terms of the visual language elements (rough textures/bright colours/contrasting tones). Then decide as a table what you think those elements together communicate, what do you think the work/artist is trying to say? why do you think this?

Katsushika Hokusai - Poem by Sarumaru Dayû, 1835

Colour: Muted, soft, earthy, balanced hue, pastel

Line: Delicate, thin, careful. It contributes to the calmness that the picture portrays.

Form: 

Shape: Organic, natural. It looks tranquil as if the people have been through the countryside, working, seeing the city where they live to come home.

Will Sweeney, Temptation

Colour: Contrast, warm and cold, bright, bold, juxtaposition. Communicates conflict. It reminds me of pop art–

Line: Bold, heavy, dense but detailed.

Form:

Shape: Mechanical, jagged, sharp. It feels busy and sort of unnerving.

We are going to focus on Hokusai and Sweeny for the inspiration for today.

Hokusai: Observation - reference, observational drawing, looking - drawing - looking.

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Task 1: Initial encounter

Based on the principles of Hokusai’s sketchbook (simple renderings and characterization from observation), pick a photographic image of a person from the collection of found photographs.

Caricature your source and refine over the course of multiple sketches (5-10) and drawings (Re-drawing will be key here). You can choose to just do the head of the character or the full-body depending on the source.

Finish your drawing by producing a final linework version using fine-liner to ink in your lines etc.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Task 2: Mutation

Based on the eccentric characterizations of Will Sweeney and the following premise develop/mutate and evolve your character.

Imagine that Alien life forms have been living among us for 1000’s of years inhabiting the bodies of human hosts, Your job is to now render your human character into alienated version, adding whatever details/flourishes and changes you like, whilst still retaining some of the original qualities of size/scale/structures and the initial characterization.

This will be important for the next stage of metamorphosis.

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Task 3: Metamorphosis

Using the two versions of your character (Human / Alien) you must now try to create a morphing frame by frame animation using the two versions as your key frames/positions.

Think about how you did this before?

Are you going to work use subtraction or addition?

Will it be a mix of both approaches?

How will you tween consistently?

How many frames will you need?

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Definition of Terms within frame by frame animation:

Key poses (Keys): They are the key positions of your sequence, essentially the book ends (1st and last frame/body position, etc)

Extremes: These are frames/poses that are the extremes of action (leaping then landing/leaning/weight shifts/expression/facial changes etc) within the range of the key poses.

Inbetweens/Tweens: These are the frames that get you between the extremes, more or fewer tweens will dictate the speed/smoothness/timing of the animation. You need to review this as you animate.

Review & Reflect on ‘Close encounters’

Question and reflect on your process today, think about the following when writing your blog review:

What was the aim for today’s session?

Who did we look at for inspiration?

Can you find some of them and analyze examples of their work?

Can you compare them?

Can you describe your process in response to this research?

Considering the animations you made in term 1 & 2, how was this different?

Was this a harder process? If so why?

What is the potential with this process?

Can you set yourself an action based on the successes/weaknesses of your work today?

How does this now effect your ideas and

What developments could you do now for your own project?

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

Tutorial:

Intellectual property (IP) is an idea that one person has and has copyrighted.

Loretto, a graffiti artist in Paris and France, a lot of political work. Banksy has taken inspiration from his work since Loretto did this style of grafitti art long before Banksy.

A lot of work that Andy Warhol has done has been copied and strongly inspired; Andy was inspired by another artist; Roy Lichtenstein.

It is important to stay protected when one creates something, as well as being inspired, not copying!

We watched some videos on Intellectual property to get a better understanding of it;

If you want to bring other people one for a bigger project that you cant complete yourself alone, it is very important to make it clear what their job is. If a written contract and/or lawyer isn’t an option, recordings and keeping track of everything agreed on between the people working together as evidence for ownership.

-

We watched a second video, a poet talking about how he makes his work as well as the trail of the research before he comes up with the final product.

We watched this video for the reason of understanding what the difference is between stealing, copying and being inspired.

[hmel78]

In conversation with John Hackett ...

Whilst John Hackett is probably best known for his work with his brother Steve Hackett (former Genesis guitarist), there is no shortage of other high profile artists with whom John has worked, and in addition he has also enjoyed a relatively successful solo career as a Flautist, guitarist, singer and composer.

John collaborated with Steve on his early albums, “Voyage of the Acolyte” and “Please Don’t Touch” , which led to further recordings and tours of the UK, USA and Europe playing flute, guitar and bass pedals in Steve’s live band ; also extensive tours of Japan and the USA as part of the Steve Hackett Acoustic Trio. Inbetween touring, back home in the UK, you will find a variety of incredible projects which John has been involved in ; as a composer of flute music for relaxation, he has recorded a number of solo and duo albums, plus several albums with Clive Williamson and the ambient group “Symbiosis” which has led to commissions for the BBC. John has performed concerts with international organist Marco Lo Muscio and performs regularly in a duo with classical guitar virtuoso Nick Fletcher with whom he has recorded two albums: “Overnight Snow” and “Hills of Andalucia”. 2005 saw a change of direction with John releasing, to critical acclaim, a rock album of his own songs called “Checking Out of London”, the lyrics for which were written by Nick Clabburn ; An experimental flute/dance album - “Red Planet Rhythm”- with Moodi Drury followed, and then another album of John’s compositions for flute and guitar - “Prelude to Summer”- which featured brother Steve, and Chris Glassfield. It was 10 years before John released his next solo album “Another Life”, in 2015 - which was essentially the rock follow up to “Checking Out ...” with Nick Clabburn once again providing the lyrics.   Thankfully we haven’t had to wait just as long for something else new! It’s September 2017 as I write, and I have just been handed the very first John Hackett Band album in which we see another avenue open up, on the musical map of John Hackett! For this album, John has gone beyond his usual boundary and written the lyrics, as well as the music - and it’s really very good! John is joined by Nick Fletcher on guitar,  drummer Duncan Parsons, and bass player Jeremy Richardson - who contribute their own compositions to the album, which presents us with a deluxe 2 CD album containing the new collaborative studio recording - “We Are Not Alone” -   and a live recording - “Another Live” -  of their 2016 Classic Rock Society gig. We were incredibly lucky to grab a rare chance to catch up with John about the latest release, and find out a little bit about how he arrived at this current stop on his musical journey ...

HR : I read an interview that you did some time ago, in which you describe your creative self as a bit like “Jekyll and Hyde” - in the sense that despite your focus on the classical side of music, you’ve always hung on to your inner rocker - is that still the case? “We Are Not Alone” sounds to me like you’ve found the balance...

Johh Hackett : I think you have gone straight to the heart of what I used to consider a problem … I started out from the age of 12 playing blues guitar, listening to all those amazing guitarists like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimi Hendrix. Then after hearing Ian McDonald play flute with King Crimson I started flute lessons and learned the classical repertoire. I used to think that one day I would have to choose between the two worlds but actually I now see that they can feed off each other.  It is like light and shade. If you have played electric guitar you know how powerful a sound it can be. So that influences my flute playing - I don’t like it to sound weak.

On the new album there is a track called “Blue skies of Marazion” which features guitar and alto flute. It has quite an impressionistic vibe. It is then followed by “Summer Lightning” which starts as a ballad but then Nick’s electric guitar takes it to a much heavier place. It is quite a contrast, and good of you to say that I have found a balance. I have Nick to thank for pushing me to include more flute on this rock album than my previous two.

HR : I’m glad he pushed you to, because it does work! Do you have a preference when writing and performing? Are you more comfortable with classical or rock ; with vocal tracks or instrumentals?

JH : There is no question that having spent most of my life whizzing up and down scales and doing all the daily technical exercises you have to do if you want to play the difficult classical repertoire, I have in the past been more comfortable with the flute. But there is nothing as exciting as being on stage with a rock band. I have never forgotten the buzz I got from my first ever rock gig with my brother’s band in Oslo in 1978. I took a conscious decision some years back to devote much more time to rock, improving my keyboard playing and learning to sing - I say learning to sing as it has been a painful process (both for me and my poor family who have had to put up with all the shrieking and wailing, not just when I am looking at my bank statements …). In all honesty I enjoy all of it, though at 62 it seems ridiculously late in life to be finding your feet. But having spent a good 90 per cent of my working life playing flute, it is frankly liberating and great fun to be starting a second career as a singer/songwriter with my own band.

HR : Well age is just a number, and I think if you’re creative you strive eternally to cover new ground ... which of course for you just now, is The John Hackett band. You’re essentially a quartet and all 4 of you write your own material; correct me if I’m wrong but none of the songs appear to have been written together for the recording - so who decided what was going to be included? Were any of the pieces written specifically for the album?

JH : The strength of the album is that, with only a couple of exceptions, we had performed all the pieces live before recording them. The way it worked is that we would bring suggestions to the rehearsal room and the band would try them out.  As everyone in the band has considerable experience writing and recording this inevitably meant bringing fairly complete compositions. It was soon obvious if a new piece could slot into our current live set or if best kept for a solo project.  With “Never Gonna Make A Dime” for example I had written this as a fairly slow song. I didn’t think it was particularly good. I played it to the guys in a simple piano and vocal arrangement and within a few minutes, like in some cheesy movie, they were rocking it up. It soon became a no-brainer for inclusion in our shows and the album.

“Castles” was a song I had written some time ago and similarly didn’t think it was anything special. I imagined it as a blues number with the kind of energy of that John Mayall’s “Bluesbreakers” album with the young fiery Eric Clapton reading the Beano on the front cover. I had recorded a demo with me playing the guitar solo on a Les Paul I had borrowed from my brother Steve. But when we tried it as a band with Nick playing a blistering guitar solo it was exactly as I had wanted it to sound. So unfortunately there is a sad end to the story –I didn’t get to play the solo, and Steve asked for his Les Paul back!

Similarly Duncan’s piece “Queenie and Elmo’s Perfect Day” was a flute melody I had always liked and wanted to record.  So when we got the band together it fitted in perfectly, especially as it gave the band free reign for improvisation.

“Take Control”, the opening track, I wrote specifically for the band and the album. I wanted something that would go through a number of changes . It is really in two parts the lyric being the link so there is plenty of scope for time signature changes, guitar solos and changes of texture ...

HR : It does have that, in fact the whole album is quite eclectic, which is what I love about it. It crosses genres and has a good balance of vocal and instrumental tracks. 2 out of 3 of the instrumental numbers were written by guitarist Nick Fletcher ; the 3rd in collaboration with yourself - how did you two meet and subsequently begin performing and writing together? He’s quite phenomenal ...

JH : I first heard Nick playing solo classical guitar without the aid of a microphone or Marshall stack in the fantastic acoustics of Sheffield Cathedral . I thought his playing was absolutely wonderful and wondered that day, as you do, if we might ever work together. Like myself, Nick started out in rock, then studied classical guitar so maybe I heard a kindred spirit. We did some concerts together as a guitar and flute duo, but it wasn’t until the release of my previous album “Another Life” that I found out what a fabulous electric player he is. I had decided to play some of the songs solo at the album launch with just me singing and playing  piano but as it got closer to the time I wasn’t so sure if I could make it work.  Anthony Phillips had played on one track of the album called “Satellite”.  I knew he was going to be there that night so I felt a little nervous ... Nick was round at my house, I played him a few songs, he picked up a Stratocaster and suddenly it was so much easier. Duncan joined us on percussion, so we performed as a trio for the launch. And then it was simply, “Well, where’s the bass player? We could form a band!” Duncan immediately suggested his old school friend Jeremy.  So that’s how we all got together - quite by accident really.

HR : The song “Jericho”, which was written by Jeremy Richardson, changes the vibe of the album a little - given that you sing lead vocal on the other 4 tracks, why didn’t you sing this one too?

JH : Yes “Jericho” was written by Jeremy and sung by him, with Duncan, as part of our live set.  It really suits his voice so there was never any question who would sing the lead vocal on the album. On stage Jeremy and I take a fairly equal share of the vocals which comes over particularly on the second CD (it is a double album package) “Another Live” recorded live at the Classic Rock Society in Maltby in 2016. He is a terrific singer with a harder edge to his voice when he needs it, which contrasts well with my sound.

HR : The second track on the album interested me too ; “Never Gonna Make A Dime” tells of your family’s move to Canada - you must only have been a baby at the time, but do you remember it at all? What prompted you to pen the song?

JH : The song is based on our short stay in Canada in 1957. I was only 2 years old so unfortunately I cannot remember it but Steve was 7 and has good memories of our time there. Our dad had gone on ahead to Vancouver to find work while mum, her sister Betty, Steve and I followed by ship. Our mother missed London so much that after just 4 months we came back to London. I have always admired them for taking the risk of going in the first place and then having the courage to return.

HR : Sure, it’s big life stuff! The track features Steve on Harmonica - which isn’t the first instrument that most people would associate with him  ... JH : Ah well , Steve used to disappear for long periods on board ship only to return with loads of cash. My mother asked him what on earth was going on - apparently he had been playing his harmonica to the crew and they had dug into their pockets for him. This must have given him an early taste for the music business. HR : Clearly! Haha. You’re both multi-instrumentalists - were your parents musical at all?  Who / what inspired you become musicians?

JH : It was our dad Peter Hackett who sparked our interest in music. We came back from Canada while dad stayed on for a while to work. He arrived back with an enormous black box which looked more like a coffin but actually contained a guitar. He had played bugle as a boy, then clarinet, and harmonica - though his main interest was painting. Mum didn’t play anything but always showed a great love of music. She is 87 now and still comes to our rock concerts. Steve and I have been blessed to have parents who have always supported us in our music careers.

HR : And your careers have seen you spend quite a great deal of time together over the years. It seems to be the way with brothers in bands together, that it inevitably results in some sort of falling out, and attracts an ensuing media circus! I thankfully don’t see much evidence of that with yourself and Steve - onstage, or offstage - is there a secret to getting on?

JH : Steve in his role as the older brother has always been kind enough to include me. I used to sit in on rehearsals with his first recording band ‘Quiet World’ ; I was there when he did his audition for Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks at our little flat in London - I even got to play a bit of flute for them that day.   I don’t think there has ever been any rivalry between us. I took the decision in my teens to concentrate on the flute, which has taken me in a different direction from him. So although we do work together from time to time, we are mostly involved in our own projects - But when we do get together inevitably we talk music, with all the enthusiasm as when we shared a bedroom as teenagers!

HR : You’re taking the JHB on the road with a handful of shows coming up - do you enjoy playing the more intimate venues?

JH : We currently have dates every few weeks for up until this time next year.  Certainly regarding venues it is always much nicer to play places where you can talk to the audience after.  Their enthusiasm is what it is all about.

HR : What’s your most memorable show to date?

The most memorable gig is perhaps the one for the Classic Rock Society captured on our live CD. It was only about the fourth gig we had done as a band and it felt great that we were being taken seriously by the Society who have always championed new progressive music. More importantly it was the last John Hackett Band gig our friend Steph Kennedy was able to come to - she travelled all over the country with the help of husband Dave and brother-in-law Glen in her final year. A humble reminder in this sometimes brutal world of how music can bring us together.

HR : Absolutely ... And if you could bring together anyone, living or deceased,  to perform with you on stage - a dream line-up - who would it be?

JH : If we were talking football I would probably start with Pavarotti in goal.

Of course, I would have to say my current band - But I wouldn’t mind having J.S. Bach on keyboards as long as he didn’t get any powder from his wig on my synths!

[princerazzie]

Tagged by @scribblindown

Rules: Answer these 92 statements and tag 20 people.

@pineapplerobots, @magicfox3, @sumomo220, @princessofimagination, @theamazingrosinki, @spikewerks, @eds-art-factory, @theactualcel, @duskybunny feel free to ignore me if you don’t want to do the tag.

LAST:

1. Drink: coca-cola mixed with some vanilla brandy(this is gonna get wild or just plain sad by the end, HOPEFULLY THE FIRST)

2. Phone call: My job 3. Text message: to my friend nate about how much I love werewolves, and how i miss dating someone with a hairy chest. 4. Song you listened to: Dead Girl Walking -reprise- from Heathers 5. Time you cried: probably wednesday, I missed my mom again. 

HAVE YOU:

6. Dated someone twice: Uhhh, so like get back together after you broke up?? if so twice then :DD one i regret the other i’m like ehh about. 7. Kissed someone and regretted it: nah, i have kissed a bad kisser before V_V not fun but it was an experience ya know. 8. Been cheated on: not really?? i mean i had this online bf and he “cheated” on me technically but he just like rp kissed someone XDD  9. Lost someone special: Yeah....... 10. Been depressed: *POINTS TO #9* 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: HAHA, NOT YET AND I WANNA KEEP IT THAT WAY. THOUGH I HAVE DRUNK BOUGHT STUFF ONLINE BEFORE 

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS:

12-14:

ehh it changes alot but! GREY

PURPLE

RED

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU:

15. Made new friends: Yes! at saikoucon and at my college! 16. Fallen out of love: nope!!! i’m a grey-rom  17. Laughed until you cried: yeahh!! we were messing with my friend while he was using his VR by like interrupting him, it went on for like 15 minutes 18. Found out someone was talking about you: Hmmm, nah, i mean there was that one time my friend told me about an ex friend of mine not really caring about me at all. :/ that made having the friendship break off easier honestly! but meh

19. Met someone who changed you: not really? i guess my ex, he made moving on from old shit alot easier and help me realizing, i’m not the worse? 20. Found out who your friends are: Yup!! I love them to death! 21.  Kissed someone on your Facebook list: ehh, yeahhh my last bf >_>

GENERAL:

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: ehh maybe like 40?? i guess 23. Do you have any pets: MY CLINGY BOY, SABLE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE(THIS MIGHT BE A FUTURE TAG COMING TO A RAZZIE BLOG NEAR YOU) 24. Do you want to change your name: NAH, i wanted to when i was younger because my name is super common 25. What did you do for your last Birthday: CRY!!! AND THEN eat cake with my sister and niece while trying not to cry again. im a very sad person. 26. What time do you wake up: Around 10am  27. What were you doing at midnight last night: petting sable probably 28. Name something you can’t wait for: TRANSFERING TO MY NEXT COLLEGE 29. When was the last time you saw your mom? .....I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING wow i’m like tearing up abit, APRIL 17th when we buried her. 30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: I wish I focused more on art so i could have felt more comfortable with making that a main part of my future 31. What are you listening to right now:  the sound of my fan and my 5pm alarm going off.  32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: ehh not since like being at my last college 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: *DRINKS MORE* LEGAL STUFF 34. Most visited website: THIS DAMN HELLSITE. 35. Mole/s: EHH MY right middle finger, my shoulder, my thigh, my tit, both my wrists, my upper arm, my leg, i have alot of moles like you can play connect the dots  36. Mark/s: like scars? or stretch marks? because i have tiger stripes some on my hips, and i have a stitch scar on my forehead. 37. Childhood dream: like almost every child*looks off into the distant* a veterinarian   38. Hair color: Dark brown almost black with a dyed brown part in the front of my hair 39. Long or short hair: Medium, i’m growing it out to cut it AGAIN! :DDD 40. Do you have a crush on someone: KINDA BUT i’m not trying for it. :/ i don’t think it’ll work out anyway

41. What do you like about yourself: I’M PERSISTENT WITH WHAT I WANT! also able to do things on my own if needed, i’ll find a way if i really need to.  42. Piercings: EAR PIERCINGS!! 43. Blood type: i think B positive  ??? its something on the rare side if i remember right. 44. Nicknames?: raspberry, ash, some others but i’m blanking. 45. Relationship status: single...i’m not too bent out of shape over it, like i need to get myself together before i can start looking at people. also there’s noone im really interested in aside from Nyx, but he’s fictional soo yeah 46. Zodiac: Leo 47. Pronouns: She/Her 48. Favorite TV Show: Hmmmm, probably Rick and Morty since Still Star Crossed was cancelled 49. Tattoos: I want  like lace across my arm, with white ink but i’m a bitch with pain  50. Right or left hand: Right-hand, though i can draw somewhat with my left :D. thank you art class warmups. 

51. Surgery: nah never 52. Hair dyed in different color: ahaha, *side glances* red in high school three times, brownish black to get the red out, and now a copperish brown   53. Sport: ahah i wish, i wanna be in shape bro! tho i;ve been wanting to take up boxing lately 55. Vacation: HERSHEY PARK! unless cons count then SAIKOUCON!  56. Pair of trainers: no??

MORE GENERAL:

57. Eating: Leftovers from eating out with my sister. 58. Drinking: STILL DRINKING THE COLA WITH BRANDY, i’m about to pour some brandy into root beer 59. I’m about to:  give up on goggling the missing questions, i’m doing that inbetween writing this and it’s kinda weird. it raises the question on where this question meme started, and who started it 61. Waiting for: the next time i play DND, its GETTING SO GOOD FAM. 62. Want: to figure out what i’ll be doing with my life also get better at art.

63. Get married: In the future, it would be cool to wake up to someone i feel i can trust and love 64. Career: I’m not quite sure lately, something in psych or art maybe both  65. Hugs or kisses: HUGS I NEED WARMTH 66. Lips or eyes: lips, lips have an attractive curve to them. >d 67. Shorter or taller: Taller if guy, shorter if girls 68. Older or younger: Older >_> 70. Nice arms or nice stomach: ARMS!!! BUFF ARMS ARE THE BEST. PICK ME UP AND SQQUEEEEZEEE ME

71. Sensitive or loud: loud, loud is fun!! i can be abit distant when i get into a mood and that hurts people >_>  72. Hook up or relationship: Relationship!! i wanna cuddle and talk!! JUST CUDDLE AND TALK 0__0  FUCK SEX  73. Troublemaker or hesitant: ehh i wanna say hesitant but i always seem to get along better and have more fun with Troublemakers because deep down i’m super mischievous 

HAVE YOU EVER:

74. Kissed a Stranger: Nah, but it’s not out of the question >D unless they have something weird  going on with their health 75. Drank hard liquor: CURRENTLY AM NOW KEKEKE,  76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: EVERY MORNING 77. Turned someone down: Yeaaa >__> 78. Sex on the first date: ....i wanna say no, but with my last bf, ahahah, i wasn’t in the best state of mind emotionally. though it was pretty nice because he didn’t treat me like I was easy and was like serious about me???  79. Broken someone’s heart: maybe? idk i mean i guess i ccould have with my breakups 80. Had your heart broken: Yeah it was pretty bad 81. Been arrested: Nope and least have it stay that way 82. Cried when someone died: WHY WOULD I NOT! 0/10 bad question!! 83. Fallen for a friend: ...DON’T YOU MEAN EVERY AND ANY FUTURE RELATIONSHIPS I HAVE. 

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

84: Yourself: Somewhat. 85. Miracles: Yeahhh 86. Love at first sight: Nope!! that’s saved for fiction!  87. Santa Claus: I’m like 24, HE’S VACATIONING IN HAWAII. (no) 88. Kiss on the first date: ....if they’re cute 89. Angels: yeaa

OTHER:

90. Current best friend name: Nate 91. Eye color: Dark Brown, basically black honestly 92. Favorite movie: idk ?? too tipsy to remember fam

[ashtenstitches]

Answer them all

omg i mean i asked for this

1. Who was the last person you held hands with?

--Honestly my cat. Otherwise I can’t think of anyone else.

2. Are you outgoing or shy?

--Shy but outgoing when I get to know someone

3. Who are you looking forward to seeing?

--This awesome guy who is incredible. His name is Alfredo. Fettuccine Alfredo. 

4. Are you easy to get along with?

--I’d like to think so

5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?

--Well I sure hope so!! I already took care of her ;)

6. What kind of people are you attracted to?

--The kind that are you

7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?

--I sure hope so!!!!!!

8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?

--My beautiful cat who is perfect in every way shape and form

9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?

--Only if it’s with family lmao

10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?

--My cutie girlfriend

11. What does the most recent text that you sent say?

--”Then I got sent to voicemailllllllll”

12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?

--Out Loud by Gabbie Hanna, Best Part by Daniel Caesar feat H.E.R., The Wolves (Act I and II) by Bon Iver, Cherry Wine by Hozier, When by Dodie Clark

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair?

--YES

14. Do you believe in luck and miracles?

--I mean kind of lol I’m pretty unlucky so luck has to be real

15. What good thing happened this summer?

--I got my first client!! And it didn’t come out terrible!!

16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

--Absolutely

17. Do you think there is life on other planets?

--Oh yeah! We can’t be the only things in this GIANT UNIVERSE

18. Do you still talk to your first crush?

--Nope 

19. Do you like bubble baths?

--I love them

20. Do you like your neighbors?

--I don’t really know them but the ones across the street gave us a watermelon when we first moved in

21. What are your bad habits?

--I don’t sleep at a great time, I don’t floss as often as I should, and I bite my nails

22. Where would you like to travel?

--I really wanna go to Australia! But I also wanna go to the other Hawaiian islands.

23. Do you have trust issues?

--Not as much as before

24. Favorite part of your daily routine?

--Eating then sleeping

25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with?

--My feet

26. What do you do when you wake up?

--I pee

27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?

--My skin is a nice shade of pale white and I’m cool with it

28. Who are you most comfortable around?

--My girlfriend and my family and a few friends

29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?

--Only one but I was like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

30. Do you ever want to get married?

--Yes pls

31. Is your hair long enough for a pony tail?

--Yessss

32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with?

--Orlando Bloom and Kristen Stewart

33. Spell your name with your chin.

--aqshtednb

34. Do you play sports? What sports?

--Have you seen me....no

35. Would you rather live without TV or music?

--TV

36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them?

--Yes

37. What do you say during awkward silences?

--I just make weird faces

38. Describe your dream girl/guy?

-- @playswithsquirrlz

39. What are your favorite stores to shop in?

--Forever 21 I don’t care how cheap some stuff looks ok I love it also Victoria’s Secret. Also like...amazon

40. What do you want to do after high school?

--It’s been 4 years....and I’m finally doing what I wanted so

41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?

--No

42. If you’re being extremely quiet what does it mean?

--I’m tired/hungry/not comfortable

43. Do you smile at strangers?

--Sure

44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?

--Outer space. Who knows what scary ass creatures are at the bottom of the ocean

45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

--The need to pee

46. What are you paranoid about?

--People breaking into my house, sharp pains in my body meaning that I’m dying, just the usual.

47. Have you ever been high?

--Yeeeeee

48. Have you ever been drunk?

--Nahhhhhh I don’t like alcohol really

49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?

--No I don’t think so lol

50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore?

--Probably gray since that’s all I own lol

51. Ever wished you were someone else?

--Yes

52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself?

--My lack of motivation. If I had more motivation I would be so fit rn lol

53. Favourite makeup brand?

--Wet n Wild has been awesome lately

54. Favourite store?

--Michaels lmao

55. Favourite blog?

--My own

56. Favourite colour?

--Purple

57. Favourite food? 

--Either the vegan nacho cheese I make or the vegan mushroom sandwich 

58. Last thing you ate?

--Nachos

59. First thing you ate this morning?

--Nachos......

60. Ever won a competition? For what?

--No I didn’t but I was the only one in my class to get a 100% on my final to phase out ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

61. Been suspended/expelled? For what?

--Nah I was a good student

62. Been arrested? For what?

--Nope

63. Ever been in love? 

--Yeah I guess you could say that :P

64. Tell us the story of your first kiss?

--I was in 8th grade and had been dating this guy off an on for 3 years and it was the last day of school. We met at the basketball courts and everyone watched us kiss and I was like wtf so we kissed again lmao

65. Are you hungry right now?

--Not really

66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends?

--I love all my friends!

67. Facebook or Twitter?

--Twitter

68. Twitter or Tumblr?

--Tumblr

69. Are you watching tv right now?

--Nope

70. Names of your bestfriends? 

--Angelica, Tiffany, Brittni, Robbi

71. Craving something? What?

--Mushrooms

72. What colour are your towels?

--Beige and towel

72. How many pillows do you sleep with?

--One technically but I also have my body pillow

73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?

--Nope

74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have?

--A couple

75. Favourite animal?

--Cat. Any kind. Big or small. Or sharks

76. What colour is your underwear?

--Blue

77. Chocolate or Vanilla?

--Chocolate

78. Favourite ice cream flavour?

--The PB & Cookies from Ben & Jerrys

79. What colour shirt are you wearing?

--Gray

80. What colour pants?

--Navy blue

81. Favourite tv show?

--AHS or Skins UK

82. Favourite movie?

--Now Is Good 

83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?

--Mean Girls of course

84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street?

--Mean Girls lmao

85. Favourite character from Mean Girls?

--Karen

86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo?

--Crush

87. First person you talked to today?

--Angelica

88. Last person you talked to today?

--Well my day is still going

89. Name a person you hate?

--Donald Trump

90. Name a person you love?

-- @playswithsquirrlz

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now?

--Any nazi

92. In a fight with someone?

--Myself

93. How many sweatpants do you have?

--Probs like 2

94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have?

--So many

95. Last movie you watched?

--Remember Me

96. Favourite actress?

--Kristen Stewart

97. Favourite actor?

--Orlando Bloom

98. Do you tan a lot?

--I wish

99. Have any pets?

--Where do I start

100. How are you feeling?

--Pretty good

101. Do you type fast?

--I type 68 words per minute

102. Do you regret anything from your past?

--Of course

103. Can you spell well?

--Autocorrect would tell me otherwise

104. Do you miss anyone from your past?

--Just old friends

105. Ever been to a bonfire party?

--Yes

106. Ever broken someone’s heart?

--Oh yeah

107. Have you ever been on a horse?

--Sure have

108. What should you be doing?

-- @playswithsquirrlz

109. Is something irritating you right now?

--Hmm nothing actually wow it’s a miracle!

110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?

--Yeah

111. Do you have trust issues?

--.........nah

112. Who was the last person you cried in front of?

--My dad

113. What was your childhood nickname?

--Ash

114. Have you ever been out of your province/state?

--Yeah

115. Do you play the Wii?

--Not anymore

116. Are you listening to music right now?

--Nope

117. Do you like chicken noodle soup?

--I like faux chicken noodle soup

118. Do you like Chinese food?

--Oh yeah

119. Favourite book?

--The Lovely Bones

120. Are you afraid of the dark?

--Not anymore

121. Are you mean?

--Yeah jk no

122. Is cheating ever okay?

--Heck no

123. Can you keep white shoes clean?

--Nope

124. Do you believe in love at first sight?

--Eh 

125. Do you believe in true love?

--Yes

126. Are you currently bored?

--Eh not really

127. What makes you happy?

--My cat. Food. My girlfriend. Hawaii

128. Would you change your name?

--Yeah but I won’t lmao

129. What your zodiac sign?

--Aquarius

130. Do you like subway?

--Nah

131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?

--I remind them that I’m gay af

132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

--Angelica

133. Favourite lyrics right now?

--”You’re the coffee that I need in the morning, you’re my sunshine in the rain when it’s pouring....” 

134. Can you count to one million?

--Who has time for that

135. Dumbest lie you ever told?

--That I liked boys lmao

136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed?

--Closed

137. How tall are you?

--5′ 4″ or so

138. Curly or Straight hair?

--I have inbetween but I like all hair

139. Brunette or Blonde?

--What about all colors

140. Summer or Winter?

--Winter but I like wearing crop tops

141. Night or Day?

--Night

142. Favourite month?

--October

143. Are you a vegetarian?

--Even better....I’m a vegan

144. Dark, milk or white chocolate?

--Dark is p good

145. Tea or Coffee?

--Love me a cuppa joe

146. Was today a good day?

--It has been so far

147. Mars or Snickers?

--Neither

148. What’s your favourite quote?

--May the flowers remind us/why the rain was so necessary - xan oku

149. Do you believe in ghosts?

--Oh yeah

150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page?

--Dudley gently released himself from his mother’s clutches and walked toward Harry, who had to repress an urge to threaten him with magic.

[toraonice]

Yuri on Ice BD booklet translation (with Eiji Abiko & Junpei Tatenaka interview) - Volume 3

Had a busy weekend, but finally here is the full translation of the BD/DVD vol.3 booklet. The format is the same as usual. I wonder if Yuuri was ever able to enjoy a banquet (and remember it), lol.

EDIT: I changed the translation of the street food eaten by Guang-Hong in episode 6 after being notified that it’s actually the Chinese “jianbing”, which is a kind of crepe, and not “rice cracker” which is what “senbei” means in Japanese. Thank you very much @dragonaeve  for the input!! In Japanese it’s written 煎餅, with the same exact kanji of "senbei” (rice cracker), and though in the anime it totally didn’t look like a senbei to me I failed to notice that it was a false friend... (And to think I even researched all the other Chinese food listed in the topics section to be sure..)

The booklet has 3 parts: 1) Character introduction for Minami-kun, Georgi and Leo.  2) “Topics”, in other words random curiosities. It includes an explanation of how Japanese qualification matches work. 3) Interview with the figure skating animators Eiji Abiko and Junpei Tatenaka. Some of the things they say might be a little difficult to understand if you don’t know a lot about how animation works, but if you google “inbetween animations” you will find more detailed information. The parts in round brackets are exactly like they are in the original text, it’s not something I added.

Translations of the audio commentary and choreography parts coming in the next few days… (As usual I still haven’t even been able to put the BD in the player despite having it since the 23rd, sigh)

***If you wish to share this translation please do it by reblogging or posting a link to it*** 
***Re-translating into other languages is ok but please mention that this post is the source***

The future protagonist of Japan’s figure skating world!

Kenjirou Minami voiced by Ayumu Murase

Profile Date of birth: August 18th, 17 years old Height: 155 cm Blood type: O From Hakata, Fukuoka prefecture

Introduction Last season, all eyes were on him when in the Japan National Championships, in which he participated from the junior section, he became the center of attention and obtained the bronze medal at the young age of 16. This season, which marks his senior debut, he first succeeded in a quadruple jump at the Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regional Tournament. Despite his small build, he brightens the hearts of the audience with his energetic skating and exhuberant dancing. The success rate of his quadruple jump and triple axel is still low, but he is the most promising young athlete that might become the future Japanese ace. He admires Yuuri Katsuki, who is from Kyushu like him, and for this reason he chose “Lohengrin” as his short program in the current season. His parents are doctors and his older brother is also a medical student. The late-blooming veteran becomes a witch.

Georgi Popovich voiced by Wataru Hatano

Profile Date of birth: December 26th, 27 years old Height: 178 cm Blood type: private Russian

He is a veteran who can perform high jumps worthy of one of Yakov’s students, but always tended to be overshadowed by fellow student Nikiforov. In this season where Nikiforov is absent he chose 2 programs based on the theme of “heartbreak” to fight to become Russia’s top athlete. With his peculiar artistic sense, in the short program he plays an evil witch that puts a curse on the princess, and in the free the prince that will save her. As also stated by Yakov, he practices hard and strictly follows his coach’s advices. He always entertains fans with his feminine costumes and in Japan is popularly called “pigeon”. Because music was always with me.

Leo de la Iglesia voiced by Shunichi Toki

Profile Date of birth: August 2nd, 19 years old Height: 167 cm Blood type: O American

Introduction A skater that knows how to show his charm and always performs programs brimming with originality, choreographed by himself. He doesn’t jump quadruples, but his Program Components are highly praised because of his performances that give importance to the music. This season he tried his hand at hip-hop in the short program and won the American tournament of the Grand Prix series, held in his country. He is riding on the wave. In his everyday life he is a cheerful American of Mexican origin and is very sociable. He has many friends among fellow figure skaters and his fans are always looking forward to the private shots he uploads on the SNS. He respects Nikiforov, who also choreographs his own programs. YURI!!!’s TOPIC

TOPIC 1: Greed to SNS** (Thirst for the SNS) There are many skaters who share information with fans all over the world via the internet. Now that SNS are popular, skaters will upload a variety of contents, from their practice footage to their daily meals and private pictures of their holidays, some even being as open as to post romantic shots with their lovers. Fans can’t take their eyes off the social networks. In this regard, one of the hottest accounts is Thailand’s Phichit Chulanont’s. From pictures of his fainted teacher to candid shots of other skaters, he uploads any “juicy moment” he witnesses, in a way being the terror of the ones close to him. However, fans absolutely don’t want him to change his habits. [**translator’s note: “Greed to SNS” is what is actually written in English in the booklet, the part in round brackets is a more exact translation of what the Japanese says. All titles of the topics are in both Japanese & English and I’m usually leaving the original English as it is unless it’s weird.]

*Yuuri’s “Hanarezu ni Soba ni Ite” was also spread to the world *The results of matches and other news are always at hand *Maybe Anya’s gaze was already turned to someone else here…? (Phichit’s collection) *Regular updates about his state *He will never miss the chance to get a good shot *Sometimes it’s important to have the courage to upload!

TOPIC 2: Personal Best Score In figure skating, which is a technical sport, an athlete’s highest score up to the present is called “personal best” and the highest score of the season “season best”. Not only his ranking, but whether he managed to surpass his personal best is very important for a skater’s motivation. The season best is also important, because some big tournaments like the World Championships have a required minimum score to participate. ISU (International Skating Union) openly displays all skaters’ personal bests, but only the results obtained in competitions officially recognized by ISU are a target, therefore even if a skater achieves good results in the Japan National Championships or the Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regional Tournament, unfortunately they will not be recognized.

*The score display for regional tournaments is simple *The electric scoreboard of the GP’s China tournament (showing the PB mark too) *The TV live broadcast shows the PB mark too

TOPIC 3: National Competitions For Japanese skaters to be able to represent the nation in the World Championships or the Olympics, they need to first win the regional block tournaments and then rank high in the Japan National Championships in December. There are 6 block tournaments, including the “Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regional Tournament” in which Yuuri participated, and if you rank high in these you qualify for the Eastern Japan or Western Japan Championships. And if you rank high in those you can proceed to the National Championships (the ones who ranked among the highest the previous year and the ones who have to attend overseas tournaments close to the date of the national competition will be exempted from the qualifiers). By the way, regarding the Grand Prix Series, participants are chosen based on the results obtained in international tournaments the previous year and other elements.

*4 senior athletes are participating in the Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regional Tournament *The skating order is chosen by drawing lots the day before *Official practice takes place 2 times, in the morning of the day of the SP and FS *It’s not rare for tournaments to be held in rinks without viewer stands *The skating order and raking are printed on paper *The award ceremony is often done outside of the rink and not on the ice

TOPIC 4: Chinese Gourmet This year’s China tournament of the Grand Prix was held in Beijing. While other athletes are preparing for the match, Victor and Yuuri went to enjoy the traditional Chinese “hotpot”. Various kinds of food, like mutton, are dipped in a pot that has two compartments, one with mild hot water soup and the other with spicy Mala soup. “Duck blood” is also a classic dish that goes with hotpot. The Chinese representant Guang-Hong Ji, who isn’t a fan of hotpot, likes the jianbing (crepes) sold at food stalls. Before the matches Yuuri was paying attention to what he ate not to compromise his physical condition, but at the banquet he had to look after a drunken Victor and it doesn’t seem that he could really have a taste of the Chinese delicacies.

*Winter is the season of Chinese mitten crab. The same as the skating season! *”Drunken shrimp” consists of live shrimps soaked in alcohol *”Duck blood” has a high nutritional value *People dip their favorite ingredients in the hotpot *Rice crackers are affordable snacks that can be purchased from food stalls Figure skating animation Eiji Abiko & Junpei Tatenaka interview

Tatenaka-san’s Victor is so elegant. (Abiko) Abiko-san’s spins are amazing! (Tatenaka)

Abiko: I also took part in the production of director Yamamoto’s previous work “ENDLESS NIGHT”, but I’ve always liked drawing looking at real life pictures, therefore when I was offered this job I thought that I had the necessary technical skills to do it. In the previous work there were some points I believed could have been done a different way, and I felt that in this new project we could try it out. Tatenaka: Before starting the job, I was suggested to try figure skating myself since the work was going to be about it, so I went to a skating class. Though it was just 4 days. The last time I skated was in elementary school, but (when I actually tried this time) I realized that I was going to draw something I knew nothing about. I could understand on which part of the blade you shift your weight when skating forward or backward, and that was really helpful later on. (When I watched the real life footage) after knowing that, I noticed that skaters really land on those points after a jump. They can land on the exact point even after spinning around at that speed! When I see videos where you can see them stress the landing to adjust the position so that they don’t miss the point I have goosebumps.

-Ideas to make performances look beautiful.-

T: What I realized when we started working is that scenes were very long, in the beginning. A: The director wanted to recreate a figure skating program and was determined to show the full sequence without shortening it. This means that all movements need to be connected, which takes a lot of work. T: Especially in the first part of the show, there were many sequences over 10 seconds long. You draw and draw and it never ends (LOL). A: To make skating performances look beautiful, I guess it was important to add a fair amount of inbetween animations (pictures added between key animations to supplement them). We gradually understood that using many key animations during slow movements wouldn’t make them look better unless they are very accurate. T: I had the idea to show the poses on screen for a longer time. (I was among the ones who went to Miyamoto-sensei’s choreography sessions, and) even poses that were really impressive when I saw them live only lasted an instant in the recorded footage, and it shifted to the next pose right away. If we recreated that in the anime, poses that were supposed to look impressive wouldn’t last, therefore I decided to use 2 extra key animations for some parts, so that the beautiful silhouette would stay in the viewers’ eyes. I like to draw “impressions”, and I always work thinking about what I want to show and communicate to the viewers. With figure skating I felt this all the more important. A: There are many things I found amazing about the scenes created by Tatenaka-san. Like Victor’s elegance in episode 1, isn’t that wonderful? When I watched it I was like “jeez, I need to get better too”, and he also has lots of ideas. Like JJ’s spin. I was determined to absolutely learn something from all that. T: Thank you. I like how Abiko-san draws all the characters properly. Yuuri always has an expression that fits his personality and the situation. And the spins are amazing! I couldn’t draw them satisfactorily and had to redraw them many times… I admit I was envious of Abiko-san’s soft touch that makes movements connect so smoothly. A: My favorite character is Otabek. I like how he is tough and cool. T: I like Giacometti. And JJ and Minami-kun. I think they are the ones I could figure out the best when drawing them. A: When the anime actually aired we had a huge response. Fans would write to me on Twitter, and every time I uploaded a picture I would get a lot of reactions. T: It was the first time that I had such a response, I was really surprised. I’m a fan of the baseball team Carp, and when I went to drink with my friends everyone knew “Yuri on Ice”. One person told me “a girl in my company watches it, she was praising it a lot”. It never happened to me so far!

-The biggest miracle is that all this staff could come together.-

A: Tatenaka-san also took part in the production of “ENDLESS NIGHT”, but this is the first time that we worked in the same space. I was really glad that he was there working in the same position as me. I can grumble about work (LOL), and he can understand me. T: It’s really like that. Watching Abiko-san I realized that Yuuri must be difficult to animate because he changes a lot, and when I was working on long sequences he would leave me alone. And he would talk to me when I finished. Things like that. A: I didn’t really do all that on purpose (LOL). But you really feel relieved (when there is someone else in your same position). There were also many other people around 40 years old, like the chief animation director Shishido-san, so we had things in common to talk about. T: It’s really a miracle that all this staff could come together. I think it was a difficult job for everyone, from the colors to the backgrounds to all the rest, not just us. But they were all people who would do whatever they could. Everyone would always find something to do. A: It would have been a problem if even one of them were missing. In difficult workplaces it happens that some people will get sick or leave, but this time it didn’t happen. T: The production staff, who probably had the hardest time, was outstanding and did their best. They were all young, but when they brought you things to fix saying “I want to make this better” you couldn’t refuse. A: Everyone got along well and even when they complained it was always jokingly. It was a really nice group.

[hythememes-blog]

top 10 places that could be turned into overwatch maps

Overwatch currently has 15 maps with jeff kaplan confirming that 3 more set to release within a year, that brings up the question of where these maps will be set, we’ve had maps based on certain cities and fictional countries, so it’s hard to tell, however i’ve compiled a list of places both real world and fictional that could be turned into maps. These are in no order, they’re just concepts i thought up.

#10

the moon: I'm mentioning this one first as we pretty much already know it’s happening with leaked voice lines and all. However we have no real confirmation that this is happening, and the leaks could even be fake, as convincing as they are. The map would be set on the base that we see baby winston on in the animation. The map would have the zero gravity feature fans have been eagerly anticipating since Jeff Kaplan said they we’re experimenting with adding it to custom game. The map would be control, where teams attempt to keep control of the point in the middle of the map. It would be outside the base however, so all of the characters would be given space helmets, only on this map though, some of them could be easter eggs or refrences, for example tracer could have one similar to what the nostromo suits in alien look like. Speaking of easter eggs since it’s on the moon we could have a reference to the moon landing where through one of the windows you can see footprints leading up to an american flag, another could be an alien spacecraft flying by earth if you look up, it would be a rare occurrence but a neat easter egg. The possibilities with this map are endless and i’m interested to see what blizzard would do with it.

#9

atlantis: This one i’m really interested in, and so far i’ve had nobody mention it. The lost city of atlantis sounds like a stretch but if you think that overwatch is set in the future i could be a sunken city that sunk during the events of overwatch, of inbetween now and the events of the game, It could be a major city from somewhere like new zealand, we don’t have a map set in oceania yet so this could be it. The map would be escort, with the attacking team escorting some sort of miniature submarine like payload. Like the moon all of the characters would have to wear helmets. The map would look awesome as well, with the final drop off point having statues or cars covered in coral and sea life. A whale or kraken easter egg would be cool too (i love easter eggs in overwatch maps).

#8

france: This one has tons of possibilities, the one i think would be most interesting would be based around ww1 or the somme. This would be cool because we would be experiencing what overwatch would be like on an actual war ground, with trenches and a no man’s land, it could be a really simple map, with trenches either side and a no man’s land and that’s it. War grounds themselves weren’t to detailed so it makes sense. This one probably wont happen as it may be offensive or disrespectful to base a map on the somme, but cod and battlefield have gotten away with it so overwatch could as well. Throwing some real world history into overwatch would make it feel even more immersive and just overall a cooler experience. Plus widowmaker is from france, she needs her map too.

#7

Brazil: technically estadio das ras is from brazil but that’s a one off event map available for a month every year, so it doesn’t count. The map could be set in rio de janeiro during a festival, they could even implement estadio des ras into it somehow, maybe as an eatser egg or if it’s a contol point map, they could make it a control point, just off to the side like in ilios. Another concept could be a festival, much like the famous carnival held every year. It could have festival music playing in the background unlike other maps which are mostly silent. Adding music would make it feel more urgent, like there are people there and whatever is going on needs to stop. If that we’re the case it would probably be escort or assault. Plus lucio is from brazil, he needs his map too.

#6

post war: This one is different in that the place the map is set in (it could be anywhere) has already been ravaged by war and is now a ghost town/city/country. It would be interesting as there would be likely be dead omnics scattered everywhere like in eichenwalde, it would be dark too, just to emphesise the whole death and hopelessness thing, that everything there, omnic or human, is dead. This map could fit into any of the gamemodes, but feels better as a control map, like everyone is scattering to and fighting for the only somewhat habitable part of the entire wherever it is. 

#5

Scandinavia: any of the Scandinavian countries could work, sweden, finland, any of them. Probably sweden because torbjorn but i honestly don’d care which country it’s in. The concept it this, it’s a control map, where the objective is in the middle of a mountain range and the teas have to get down the mountain to the point. There could be paths through, like a mineshaft from both spawns to the centre. or a tram line. It would be a massive map, but surely worth it. 

#4

oceania: poor junkrat and roadhog get no map representation in the game, not even in an event. Since junkrat and roadhog are junkers and like to blow up omnics, the map could be an escort map set in a desert covered in junk, escorting the payload to a warehouse where the omnics are based. It’s a pretty obvious one considering the whole junkrat and roadhog thing, but it could be executed differently by blizzard. 

#3

 south korea: suprised this one isn’t in the game already considering how popular the game is in south korea. It could be layed out similarly to hanamura (obviously it would have to be different enough to be a new map) But visually it could look more like a big city at night with electronic billboards everywhere and giant buildings, just like seoul, they could even include a little off point like the train station in kings row, but as an internet cafe. Plus D.Va is from south korea, she needs her map too.

#2

military grounds: This one could be awesome. A futuristc military ground where armies are trained and there are gun ranges and everyting would be awesome. It would be an escort map, with the attacking team starting outside the base by the gates, and when the timers reaches zero the gates explode allowing the attacking team through. There would be military vehicles lying around and a watchtower for snipers (it would be such an obvious spot for snipers to go it wouldn’t be a problem for the attacking team to take care of the sniper). The drop off point for the payload would be inside the airbase where all the planes are held. You could see planes taking off outside to make the place seem more lively and less empty. 

#1

prison: A prison escape map would be really cool. obviously it would be assault, with the attacking team starting in a cell, and the doors opening when times up. The final control point would be located outside by the prison gates. The layout would have a wall on top of the prison for snipers or flanking, there would be searchlights too that activate if the map is on night, they don’t do anything it’s just a nice effect.