#(has not used an emulator since 2019)

[allthegothihopgirls]

stupid idiot has bloodthirst for even stupider silly space game from 2000 on an extinct console. combats by deep-diving into emulators, ends up downloads 4 different types of malware

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

1. ‘We are just getting started’: the plastic-eating bacteria that could change the world

In 2016, Japanese scientists Oda and Hiraga published their discovery of Ideonella sakaiensis, a bacterium capable of breaking down PET plastic into basic nutrients. This finding marked a shift in microbiology's perception, recognizing the potential of microbes to solve pressing environmental issues.

France's Carbios has successfully applied bacterial enzyme technology to recycle PET plastic waste into new plastic products, aligning with the French government's goal of fully recycling plastic packaging by 2025.

2. HIV cases in Amsterdam drop to almost zero after PrEP scheme

According to Dutch AIDS Fund, there were only nine new cases of the virus in Amsterdam in 2022, down from 66 people diagnosed in 2021. The organisation claimed that 128 people were diagnosed with HIV in Amsterdam in 2019, and since 2010, the number of new infections in the Dutch capital has fallen by 95 per cent.

3. Cheap and drinkable water from desalination is finally a reality

In a groundbreaking endeavor, engineers from MIT and China have designed a passive solar desalination system aimed at converting seawater into drinkable water.

The concept, articulated in a study published in the journal Joule, harnesses the dual powers of the sun and the inherent properties of seawater, emulating the ocean’s “thermohaline” circulation on a smaller scale, to evaporate water and leave salt behind.

4. World’s 1st drug to regrow teeth enters clinical trials

The ability to regrow your own teeth could be just around the corner. A team of scientists, led by a Japanese pharmaceutical startup, are getting set to start human trials on a new drug that has successfully grown new teeth in animal test subjects.

Toregem Biopharma is slated to begin clinical trials in July of next year after it succeeded growing new teeth in mice five years ago, the Japan Times reports.

5. After Decades of Pressure, US Drugmaker J&J Gives Up Patent on Life-Saving TB Drug

In what can be termed a huge development for drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) patients across large parts of the world, bedaquiline maker Johnson and Johnson said on September 30 (Saturday) that it would drop its patent over the drug in 134 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

6. Stranded dolphins rescued from shallow river in Massachusetts

7. ‘Staggering’ green growth gives hope for 1.5C, says global energy chief

The prospects of the world staying within the 1.5C limit on global heating have brightened owing to the “staggering” growth of renewable energy and green investment in the past two years, the chief of the world’s energy watchdog has said.

Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, and the world’s foremost energy economist, said much more needed to be done but that the rapid uptake of solar power and electric vehicles were encouraging.

---

That's it for this week :)

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Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog this post with your friends.

[blackexcellence]

Welcome to Black Excellence 365, where we celebrate all things Black and Excellent every day of the year. This month, for March, we will be taking a look at a new theme and source of pride & expression: Hair ✂️.

This month is all about hair, and its importance to Black style, culture, music, history, politics, and, most of all, Black Excellence. Black hair is an essential part of the Black experience. You name it, we’ll look at, explore, and celebrate it: cornrows, box braids, natural coils, knotless braids, goddess braids, twists, pixie crops, locks, wavy hair, crochet braids, and everything in between. Black hair goes hand-in-hand with every aspect of Black life and touches every corner of the world. Care for Black hair is a labor of love ❤️and a long, long process that involves washing, detangling, combing, oiling, braiding, twisting, and decorating the hair, which creates not just a sense of beauty but honors its spiritual power. And this legacy lives on today across Black life. In the 60s, the Afro was a big expression of Black power, pride, connection, and revolution popular with artists, performers, youth, and activists. Some artists would use their hair as an expression of art, as they do today, while young Black Americans would ‘fro their hair to emulate the style of the civil rights heroes like the Black Panthers and convey Black pride, as pioneered by the Queen, Angela Davis. Since that time, Black hair has become a symbol of celebration, a reminder of our roots, and a call to embrace heritage while politically rejecting Eurocentric ideals. Today, the Natural Hair Movement is carried with pride and power. Black hair has always been political — in the same vein, in 2019, The Crown Act (sign the petition|email your legislator) was passed as a starting point to support Black Folx in their appreciation of their hair — their CROWN 👑. Whatever the period, whatever the style, It is all Black Excellence and is here to be celebrated 24/7. 

But BE365 is nothing without you: so POST your favorite hairstyles, iconic Black cuts, shapes, and styles, and your cutting-edge hairdressers and stylists who turn Black hair into art, and Black Excellence. And don’t forget to tag your content with #blackexcellence365 for the chance to be featured. And last but not least, join us for our celebration and of the very best in Black hair of every shape and every style. Make sure you join in, follow, and smash that share button using the tag #BlackExcellence365. 

Welcome to March in #BlackExcellence365 ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽!

[shadowcanine]

a deep dive into the raul brasil school massacre.

as always, more information will be below the cut. this post is for educational, research, and awareness purposes only.

On March 13th, 2019, two students walked into their former school- Professor Raul Brasil State School, located in the municipality of Suzano, São Paulo State, Brazil.

The students, 17 year-old Guilherme Taucci Monteiro, born July 5th, 2001, and 25 year-old Luiz Henrique de Castro, born March 16th, 1993, had planned this for well over the better part of a year. It was 9:40 AM, and for the students at Raul Brasil, the day was just getting started. For Guilherme and Luiz, though, they were at the finish line.

Before arriving at the school, the two had shot and killed Guilherme’s uncle at the rental car shop, which he owned; that car shop was also where they stole the car they used to get to school that morning. Monteiro had previously worked for his uncle at this car shop, but had been fired for “petty crimes.”

When they arrived, they were armed with a gun (.38 caliber handgun), crossbows, and axes, as well as molotov cocktails and a handful of small knives. According to those who knew them, the pair had a “deep fascination with Columbine” and hoped to “emulate” it. Friends and former classmates were told about these plans, but claim they “didn’t believe it would actually happen” and those who did believe it kept their mouth shut, “afraid telling anybody would make them a target.”

Taucci and Luiz wanted to prove they could act like Eric and Dylan, the perpetrators behind the 1999 massacre at Columbine Highschool in Littleton, CO. They had goals of being even more well-known than the Columbine killers.

Allegedly, an unnamed 17 year old student was involved in planning the attack- although he was not present at school the day of. Police have asked a judge to issue a warrant for the teens arrest, (but it’s unclear whether or not anything has come of that request, five years later.)

Security camera footage captures Taucci and Luiz walking into the school. Taucci can be seen on CCTV shooting, and hitting several people in the head. Luiz can then be seen following him, attacking wounded, but still alive, students with an axe; “swinging it wildly” through the crowds of students who were attempting to flee the scene.

Luiz aims his crossbow, walking further into the school- and disappearing from the view of security cameras.

It would later be announced that seven people had been killed in the attack- 9 had died in total. 5 students, 1 teachers, and 1 school administrator (who police suspect to be the first to be killed.) 9 people were wounded in the attack, including 7 who were still hospitalized days later. One student was forced to run to the hospital nearby with an axe still lodged in his right shoulder.

After their killing spree, police were quickly closing in. Rather than facing authorities head on, Taucci turned the gun on his partner, Luiz- killing him. He then took his own life.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

why did they do it?

Firstly, Taucci and Luiz were copycats; plain and simple. They wanted the fame and notoriety that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold have.

Rumors did circulate about Taucci being bullied and dropping out of school over it, but sources claim this was pretty much irrelevant to the attack. The bullying wasn’t severe by any means, allegedly it was primarily focused on Taucci’s acne. State officials say the boys never showed any problems during their time in school.

Taucci had been raised by his grandmother, as a result of his mothers “addiction problems.” Taucci is considered the “leader” of the two, as he’s the one who originally formulated the plan. Luiz was described as a quiet kid who kept to himself, which has led the public to believe this was a “leader-follower” type of scenario. If it is, it’s still unclear how Taucci managed to rope Luiz into this. The boys had been friends since childhood, playing video games and visiting the local arcade together.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

was there any criticism after the attack?

As with any tragedy, the public wants to blame the perpetrators- however, if the perpetrators are gone, the public will tend to target the people who made the tragedy possible in one way or another.

Brasil’s former right-wing president, Mr. Bolsonaro, (a president surrounded by accusations of political manipulation, buyouts, and more) had recently passed a law making the acquisition of firearms significantly easier. Gun violence is extremely common in Brasil, though school shootings are relatively rare, with only a handful of documented cases existing in modern times.

Because of this law being passed, many Brazilians blamed him for the tragedy at Raul Brasil. However, many others brought up the possibility of making sure all staff were armed, in order to better protect their students. However, nothing ever really came from this debate, as the law stayed in place, and staff remained unarmed (that we know of.)

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

Rest In Peace to the victims who tragically lost their lives on 03/13/2019 at Raul Brasil School. Que onde quer que você esteja, a vida o trate melhor do que o tratou esta vida.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

# Hello! Thanks for reading. I’m really sorry this deep dive isn’t as long as my Cokeville one (view here)- I did do my best to find all the information I could, but this case has been pretty hard to find anything on. I also tried to find a memorial photo of the victims to include so I could do a writeup on who they were as people, but I can’t seem to find anything.

# This was requested by somebody, once again- so if you learned something new, you can thank them. If I’m able to find any photos of the victims at any point, or other information that I think should be here, I’ll edit the post to include it.

# I also did add a translation for the first photo, if you click on the alt text you’ll be able to see it. I think adding context to the photos via alt text is probably a somewhat decent idea, so I’m gonna try to do that more! Again, thanks for reading :D

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

[crimmothy]

Who's making Mario and Luigi Brothership?

I'm really really excited for Mario and Luigi Brothership! I've been with the series for a long time and to finally see a completely new entry that so faithfully emulates the style of the past game while still having unique character design, and really good animation has me hyped! But after watching the trailer and screaming for a bit I had one question. Who's actually making this game? Alpha dream went bankrupt in 2019, and the studio has been gone since. As to where their staff ended up we know that Hiroyuki Kubota is at Monolith Soft, Yoshihiko Maekawa supervised the Super Mario RPG Remake and according to Stealth40k on Twitter several of the senior staff that worked on Dream Team still work with Nintendo. The director of both the Superstar Saga Remake and the BiS remake ended up working at ILCA as quality assurance support on Sand Land. The point being is that the Alpha dream staff are scattered about the industry and aren't really at one studio. It's possible that some of them are working on Brothership but we most likely won't know until release. So I started to research Nintendo development partners that have experience with RPGs and here's what I've come up with so far. -Monolith Soft( Most notable for their franchise Xenoblade but also worked on Baten Kaitos, they're notable since they've provided support for a lot of recent Nintendo games including Splatoon 3 and Tears of the Kingdom) -Intelligent Systems ( Notable mainly for FE, but recently developed the Paper Mario Thousand Year Door remaster) -Genius Sonority( Developed Pokemon Colloseum and XD Gale of Darkness, are currently working on the New Denpa Men that was announced in the direct) Camelot ( Though they're known for their more recent works on Mario Sport titles, they made the goat Golden Sun) ILCA (Recently worked on BDSP, has an former Alphadream director as well as other staff) Arte Piazza Ltd. (Has a lot, and I do mean a lot of experience on RPGS and were recently on the Super Mario RPG remake) My best guess so far would probably be ILCA? Since I don't believe they're working on anything outside of porting One Piece Odyssey to Switch, they have several previous Alphadream staff and they have at least worked on a Nintendo Franchise before being Pokemon. But it could also be a brand new studio that Nintendo hasn't worked with before or an inhouse team! We really won't know until the game releases. But I can't wait to find out who made this game so I can thank them profusely for bringing back one of my childhood favorites.

Here's the sites I used if y'all wanna learn more! Plus the link to Stealth's tweet and other resources https://www.mobygames.com/ https://www.mariowiki.com/List_of_Mario_%26_Luigi:Superstar_Saga%2B_Bowser%27s_Minions_staff#Producers https://x.com/Stealth40k/status/1803226827080491008

Video on every Nintendo Dev Team: https://youtu.be/95oj9_eF25c?si=4sJW7iaqEvSHDHYg

[granvarones]

In 1996, Frank Mendez was one of the most visible people living with HIV in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas along the US-Mexico border. At a time when the drag community had been impacted heavily by losses to AIDS, Frank was out about his HIV status both in and out of drag and used his platform as Jacqui Fabiane to advocate for safer sex, testing, and education. After testing positive in 1992, Frank became a leading voice in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Valley and worked as a community health educator for the Valley AIDS Council.

In 1995, several clients protested against the Valley AIDS Council – feeling ignored and taken for granted by the organization's leadership. After launching a hunger strike to incite changes in the agency, Frank left and started his own grassroots group- The McAllen AIDS Coalition.

Needing money to fund his efforts, Frank turned to drag. Since the onset of the AIDS crisis, drag shows had been used to raise money to pay for medical and burial costs for those impacted by AIDS, as well as a forum to educate others about HIV and AIDS. Frank called on four of his fellow drag queens from the local community. The choice was obvious in the Winter of 1996, and they put together a Spice Girls-themed benefit show.

British girl group The Spice Girls burst onto the scene with their breakout single "Wannabe" in July 1996. It became a global pop sensation seemingly overnight with their brash lyrics and take on "Girl Power" feminism.

The quintet- consisting of Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice), Melanie Brown (Scary Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), Melanie Chisolm (Sporty Spice), and Victoria Adams (later Victoria Beckham- Posh Spice)- seemed tailor-made to have a huge queer following- whether it was the larger-than-life camp-inspired outfits donned by Ginger and Scary, Sporty's tomboy aesthetic, or Posh's high-fashion and iconic pout.

Their lyrics celebrating authenticity and expression resonated with many young queer people. For Halloween of 1997, it was common to see groups of five queer friends dressed as the girls. They were also a popular act for drag queens to emulate.

While the group has always embraced its queer following, it was their third single, "2 Become 1," that cemented their status as gay icons- with a lyric change intentionally made to be more inclusive of the community.

“2 Become 1" is a sensual R&B flavored ballad celebrating intimacy. The original version included on their debut album “Spice” featured a lyric sung by Ginger, "Any deal that we endeavor, boys and girls go good together."

While Ginger quickly became the most popular member of the group, she was the only one who did not have any singing or dancing training. When the group decided to release the song as their next single, she confessed that she had trouble singing her portion and was worried about having to sing it live.

Realizing the original lyric could potentially alienate their growing queer fan base, the girls decided to re-record that portion of the song with new lyrics sung by Posh. The new lyrics, "Once again, if we endeavor, love will bring us back together," - made “2 Become 1” a song that anyone who wanted to "get it on" could relate to.

“2 become 1” became the group’s first Christmas #1 single in the UK in December 1996 and reached #4 in the US the following summer. The song also has an essential nod to the importance of safer sex. Towards the end, Baby sings the final bridge “Be a little bit wiser baby, put it on, put it on…because tonight is the night when 2 Become 1."- a nod to condoms and to navigating sexual safety at a time when AIDS was still ravaging the queer community.

The Spice Girls' connection to queerness went beyond being vocal allies and supporters. In various interviews, Mel B. came out as bisexual- revealing that she had been dating women since her Spice Girl's days. In 2019, she also confirmed long-standing rumors that she and Geri had hooked up during their time in the band.

For Halloween of 1997, the Spice Girls were so ubiquitous that it was common to see groups of five queer friends dressed as the girls. They were also a popular act for drag queens, especially performers who wanted to share the stage with members of their drag families.

For the fundraiser, Frank- the group's leader- was Ginger. Frank's drag mother Takisha More took on the role of Baby- donning her signature pigtails. Takisha was a transgender woman who grew up in San Juan and Edinburg and performed in drag since the 1970s. In 1993, Takisha became the first trans woman to come out publicly on the local news. She was known for her signature high-energy dance moves.

Frank's drag daughter Kanela del Karibe served Sporty Spice with a ponytail and track pants. Kanela was originally from Puerto Rico and moved to the Valley in 1994 with the original plan of moving to San Antonio. She found a community and a voice in drag and decided to stay- remaining in the Valley to this day. She was known for making all of her outfits by hand.

Arden Van York played Scary Spice. Arden was a trans woman from Mission, Texas, of Native Hawai'ian and Mexican descent. She was known for her acrobatic dances- jumping up in the air, doing a flip, and landing in a split at her shows Arden passed away from cancer in 2019.

Rounding out the group was Ty Paris as Posh Spice. Just a few years before, Ty was a young gay teen who found family and community at McAllen, Texas gay bar 10th Ave after becoming the first drag daughter of Valerie Paris - a trans woman from Roma, Texas whose drag house eventually became one of the most prolific in South Texas.

Some of these pictures were taken by Frank’s goddaughter Crystal- who was raised by her mother in a large chosen family that included several drag performers. Crystal would go on to co-found the first GSA in the Valley in 2000.

Instead of hosting the benefit show at a gay bar- which was most common at the time- this group of queens organized their Spice Girls - themed show at a community center in Mercedes, Texas- bringing drag, queer and trans visibility to this small town smack dab in the center of the Valley.

Frank Mendez and his Spice Girls-inspired benefit show in 1997 exemplified the power of community, creativity, and resilience in the fight against HIV/AIDS. By combining activism with entertainment, Frank and his chosen family of drag performers used their platform to raise funds, educate the public, and foster visibility in a region where such efforts were desperately needed.

Written by: Gabriel Sanchez (they/she/he)

Gabriel Sanchez (they/she/he) is a queer and nonbinary native of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.

Gabriel is a community historian who has spent the past several years researching, documenting, and sharing the history of the LGBTQIA2S+ community of the Rio Grande Valley and the rich stories of resistance, visibility, and creativity from within this community.

Gabriel curates a pop-up exhibit highlighting this history and a digital archive on Instagram called Pansy Pachanga where they share picture and stories from this community. They are also currently co-directing a documentary of the same name. Gabriel is also a part of various organizations that work to support and celebrate the Rio Grande Valley's LGBTQ+ community including @southtexasequalityproject, @rgvtranscloset, and Casa Kimberly.

This post is in partnership with Pansy Pachanga. Pansy Pachanga is an upcoming documentary about the history of the Rio Grande Valley's LGBTQIA+ community. Follow us for updates and RGV LGBTQIA + history.

[thekingofgear]

The Smile's 2024 Tour Rehearsal Setup

On March 5 and March 6, The Smile shared photos taken by Ade B during rehearsals for the band's 2024 tour dates. In the photos, the band are set up in Air Studios’ Lyndhurst Hall. It's a space where Jonny has frequently recorded orchestras, including for the Phantom Thread soundtrack. A photo from circa-2014 revealed that Radiohead’s string arrangements for Spectre (and possibly Man of War) were also recorded in the room.

The Smile’s live setup largely resembles the one they used for their tour dates last year. This isn’t a surprise, since many songs from the band’s latest album were written on the road. However, there is some new gear which seems to be intended for material off the new album. Further down in this post, we’ll list all of the gear, but we’ll highlight the changes first.

Electric Cello

Almost certainly the biggest surprise is that Jonny has added an electric cello and an electric viola to his setup. In the past, Jonny has occasionally played bowed string instruments on recordings, but they were always acoustic instruments, and he's never brought them on tour. Most of the time, Jonny only used his viola to sketch out string arrangements, which were then recorded by other players. And at live shows, Jonny has always bowed his electric guitar or bass to emulate those string arrangements, whether it's the harmonics on Pyramid Song or the col lengo crunch on Burn The Witch.

However, Jonny has started to play the cello more regularly in the past few years. In an interview from the 2010s, Jonny mentioned that he could make noises that he’s happy with on a cello, but claimed his left hand isn’t precise enough to perform with it. Then in 2019, he mentioned that, compared to viola, the cello "feels much more natural to hold and so much easier to make a nice sound on — I only wish I had moved on to it when I was a kid” (The Times). In 2021, he was credited with cello in the liner notes for the Power of the Dog soundtrack, applying banjo-style technique to the instrument. And this year, he was credited with cello in the liner notes for Wall of Eyes. In fact, Jonny can be seen playing his acoustic cello in a couple of polaroids posted in March 2023, during the recording of the new album.

A closeup of the electric cello (left) and viola (right).

Digital “Upright” Piano

On every tour since 1997, Radiohead have brought an acoustic upright piano on tour. Usually they brought a Yamaha U1, though more recently they’ve favored a Kemble KC121 (essentially a U1 built at Kemble’s factory in the UK, rather than by Yamaha in Japan). The same was true for Atoms for Peace shows in 2010 and 2013. The Smile followed this trend, bringing an acoustic upright along for all of their tour dates from 2021-2023.

However, given how few of the Smile's songs require piano, it’s understandable that they’d switch to a digital instrument instead. The one they chose is a Nord Grand digital piano, which features fairly authentic piano hammer-action made by the piano maker Kawai.

For some solo shows in support of Anima, Thom brought a Waldorf Zarenbourg for sampled acoustic and electric piano sounds. Thom only played it for a couple songs each night, so it was understandable that he didn’t want to tour with an acoustic upright. However, it’s interesting that The Smile are still using their vintage Rhodes electric piano, rather than using the Nord Grand for Rhodes sounds in addition to acoustic piano sounds. Perhaps keyboard action is the reason: the hammer action of the Nord might be accurate for piano, but it’s probably a little heavy for Rhodes playing. Plus it’s clear that the band enjoy having a lot of keyboard on stage to experiment with.

Closeups showing the Nord Grand in its custom black stand.

Sequential Prophet 6

One benefit of the digital piano is that its shorter stand leaves space for a keyboard to rest on top. For this tour, Thom has brought along his Prophet 6, which he previously used for the Suspiria soundtrack and for shows in support of Anima. This isn’t the first time that the band have mixed piano and synth. Thom did velcro a Dave Smith Instruments Tetra to Radiohead’s upright piano from 2012-2013. However, that synth saw little use, perhaps because of the Tetra’s minimal control layout.

The band now have three Prophet synths in their active setup: the Dave Smith Prophet ’08 beneath the modular, the Sequential Prophet 5 REV4 on top of the Rhodes piano, and the Sequential Prophet 6 on top of the digital piano.

Earthquaker Devices Blumes

In addition to the Earthquaker Devices Plumes overdrive on Thom’s board (note the green), it looks like he’s added a Blumes overdrive as well (the similarly-sized yellow box). The Blumes is intended as a bass-friendly version of the Plumes. Thom was already using the Plumes with his bass guitar for a very punchy sound, so it’ll be interesting to see how he uses the bassier Blumes.

The green of the Plumes and yellow of the Blumes can also be seen on Thom’s backup pedalboard, which is resting on top of one of the gear cases by Thom’s guitar stands.

Closeups of Thom's guitar and vocal pedalboards (left) along with his backup guitar pedalboard (right).

Eventide Pitchfactor

It looks like Thom has added an Eventide Pitchfactor to his vocal pedalboard. It's in the spot where he had an Eventide H9 on the last tour, so it's likely that he was using the H9 for pitch shifting sounds. The H9 features all of the algorithms from the Pitchfactor (as well as the other Eventide pedals), but it has far fewer knobs so controlling it is more cumbersome.

Jonny's Setup

Jonny's Chordophones

Gibson Les Paul Standard Natural Finish (late-1970s)

Fender Precision Bass Natural Finish (early-1970s)

Electric Cello

Electric Viola

Dusty Strings Ravenna 34 harp

Jonny's Gibson Les Paul Custom and ES-125 are probably on a stand out of view.

Jonny's Guitar Pedalboard

Currently unknown, but likely similar to his summer 2023 pedalboard.

Jonny's Guitar Amplifier

Fender '65 Reissue Super Reverb No1

Fender '65 Reissue Super Reverb No2

Jonny's Bass Pedalboard

Boss TU2/3

Boss DD200 (replaces Akai Headrush E2)

Two Notes Le Bass preamp

Jonny's Bass Amplifier

Ampeg SVT Classic amplifier head (1990s)

Ampeg SVT Classic amplifier head (backup)

Ampeg 8x10" Cabinet

Jonny's Laptop Setup

Apple Macbook Pro

Furman M-8Lx

MOTU MOTU Midi Express XT No1

Focusrite Clarett+ 8pre No1

MOTU MOTU Midi Express XT No2

Focusrite Clarett+ 8pre No2

Radial Engineering SW8 8-channel auto-switcher

Hinton Instruments Z4 Quad Channel Long Haul Converter

Blackstar Live Logic 6-Button Foot Controller No1 (kept by laptop)

Blackstar Live Logic 6-Button Foot Controller No2 (velcro'd to Studiologic pedal)

Jonny's Synthesizers Setup

Sequential Prophet-5 REV4

Peterson Strobostomp HD tuner (for Prophet 5)

Earthquaker Devices Avalanche Run delay/reverb (for Prophet 5)

Studiologic MP-117 MIDI Pedalboard (controls Prophet 5)

It appears that Jonny has stopped touring with his Oberheim SEM Pro synthesizers, which he'd used for bass sounds on previous tours. So he's likely either using samples or his Prophet 5 for all of his bass synth needs.

A closeup of Jonny's setup.

Thom's Setup

Thom's Chordophones

Martin 00-18?

Fender Jazzmaster Black Finish (1963)

Fender Jazzmaster White Finish (1964

Epiphone Casino Royal Tan (mid-1960s)

Epiphone Casino Sunburst (circa-1962)

Gibson SG (1964) No1

Gibson SG (1964) No2

Martin 00-18?

Fender Jazz bass

Gibson EB-0 bass

unknown classical guitar

unknown (semi-)hollow bass

Fender Mustang bass

unknown (semi-)hollow electric guitar

Thom's Guitar, Bass, and Vocal Pedalboards

Thom's current pedalboards seem mostly similar to the ones he used last year (see Thom's pedalboards page), aside from the changes mentioned above and the removal of the Soma Cosmos from the guitar board.

Thom's Guitar Amplifier

Vox JMI Vox AC30/6 (1962)

Thom's Bass Amplifier

Fender Super Bassman head

Fender Super Bassman head (backup)

Fender Bassman 610 Neo cabinet

Thom's Synthesizers

Waldorf STVC

Moog Matriarch

Sequential Prophet 6

A closeup of Thom's setup.

Tom Skinner's Synthesizer Setup

Tom Skinner's Prophet Setup

Dave Smith Instruments Prophet '08

Roland FS-5U (sustain pedal for Prophet '08)

Tom Skinner's Modular Setup

Boss TU-3S tuner

JBL GO3 Portable Waterproof speaker

Unknown 4-knob Mixer

Elektron Octatrack MK2 (sequences the modular)

Make Noise Strega

Make Noise 0-Coast No1

Make Noise 0-Coast No2

Mutable Instruments Yarns MIDI-to-CV

Make Noise Richter Wogglebug random generator

Make Noise Echophon delay

Vermona twinOUT dual balanced output No1

Vermona twinOUT dual balanced output No2

Some other modules aren't possible to identify from this photo, but they probably match the ones seen in previous photos.

A closeup of Tom Skinner's synth setup.

Shared Keyboards

Nord Grand (in custom black stand)

Fender Rhodes piano

[stil-lindigo]

It’s been a while since I’ve looked at an illustration and honestly thought: “I want this, i want to emulate key components of this. But I have no idea what those components are and it will take me a long time to get there.”

This used to happen a lot 3 or 4 years back for me, because at that point I had just decided that I wanted to do digital art; but I didn’t have a tablet. So in the meantime I would just look at lord of art and save it and try and take notes. And overtime my tastes evolved until now when I look at a piece of art and admire it’s composition and art style, I know almost exactly what I like about it and can analyze and deduce the things I would need to learn to achieve it.

I look at your comics and for the first time in months, I’m utterly lost.

It’s refreshing

I’m considering looking into studying comic making for real some time soon, and your comics are absolutely complex, genius, honest, gut wrenching and breathtaking. There’s something about them that I want to learn from but for the life of me I don’t know what that is and that’s exciting. Something completely new to learn and grow in. Like, even your creative notes just wash over my brain and over my back like it’s nothing because I’m simply too far back to be able to immediately take them into consideration and apply them mentally to my process. I’m looking at something of a masters work and it has things I’m inspired by but am not yet at the level to–you get the point, I feel like I’m repeating myself

Anyways, yeah, you’re art is a blessing, the poetry that comes with it sinks into my bones and rejuvenates me, and your work has given me invaluable inspiration.

Thank you

haveagreatdayyyyyy💕

thank you for having such a generous take on what i do! it honestly seems pretty mundane to me, but you're always your own worst critic i suppose.

I really encourage anyone to pursue making comics. I think it can be such a powerful medium if done right, and personally I find it cathartic. And I unfortunately don't really have a great crashcourse on how to learn other than just doing it a lot. I've been making comics semi-regularly since 2019, and just by trial and error I've learned a lot about what looks good and what doesn't, and what I'm capable of and what I'm not.

I hope if you do pursue this, you find comics fulfilling. And if you ever need any specific guidance, feel free to shoot me a message and I'll see if i can help :)

[techturd]

Do you know what this is? Probably not. But if you follow me and enjoy retro gaming, you REALLY should know about it.

I see all of these new micro consoles, and retro re-imaginings of game consoles and I think to myself "Why?" WHY would you spend a decent chunk of your hard-earned money on some proprietary crap hardware that can only play games for that specific system?? Or even worse, pre-loaded titles and you can't download / add your own to the system!? Yet, people think it's great and that seems to be a very popular way to play their old favorites vs. emulation which requires a "certain degree of tech savvy" (and might be frowned upon from a legal perspective).

So, let me tell you about the Mad Catz M.O.J.O (and I don't think the acronym actually means anything). This came out around the same time as the nVidia Shield and the Ouya - seemingly a "me too" product from a company that is notorious for oddly shaped 3rd party game controllers that you would never personally use, instead reserved exclusively for your visiting friends and / or younger siblings. It's an Android micro console with a quad-core 1.8 GHz nVidia Tegra 4 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard storage (expandable via SD card), running Android 4.2.2. Nothing amazing here from a hardware perspective - but here's the thing most people overlook - it's running STOCK Android - which means all the bloatware crap that is typically installed on your regular consumer devices, smartphones, etc. isn't consuming critical hardware resources - so you have most of the power available to run what you need. Additionally, you get a GREAT controller (which is surprising given my previous comment about the friend / sibling thing) that is a very familiar format for any retro-age system, but also has the ability to work as a mouse - so basically, the same layout as an Xbox 360 controller + 5 additional programmable buttons which come in very handy if you are emulating. It is super comfortable and well-built - my only negative feedback is that it's a bit on the "clicky" side - not the best for environments where you need to be quiet, otherwise very solid.

Alright now that we've covered the hardware - what can it run? Basically any system from N64 on down will run at full speed (even PSP titles). It can even run an older version of the Dreamcast emulator, Reicast, which actually performs quite well from an FPS standpoint, but the emulation is a bit glitchy. Obviously, Retroarch is the way to go for emulation of most older game systems, but I also run DOSbox and a few standalone emulators which seem to perform better vs. their RetroArch Core equivalents (list below). I won't get into all of the setup / emulation guide nonsense, you can find plenty of walkthroughs on YouTube and elsewhere - but I will tell you from experience - Android is WAY easier to setup for emulation vs. Windows or another OS. And since this is stock Android, there is very little in the way of restrictions to the file system, etc. to manage your setup.

I saved the best for last - and this is truly why you should really check out the M.O.J.O. even if you are remotely curious. Yes, it was discontinued years ago (2019, I think). It has not been getting updates - but even so, it continues to run great, and is extremely reliable and consistent for retro emulation. These sell on eBay, regularly for around $60 BRAND NEW with the controller included. You absolutely can't beat that for a fantastic emulator-ready setup that will play anything from the 90s without skipping a beat. And additional controllers are readily available, new, on eBay as well.

Here's a list of the systems / emulators I run on my setup:

Arcade / MAME4droid (0.139u1) 1.16.5 or FinalBurn Alpha / aFBA 0.2.97.35 (aFBA is better for Neo Geo and CPS2 titles bc it provides GPU-driven hardware acceleration vs. MAME which is CPU only)

NES / FCEUmm (Retroarch)

Game Boy / Emux GB (Retroarch)

SNES / SNES9X (Retroarch)

Game Boy Advance / mGBA (Retroarch)

Genesis / PicoDrive (Retroarch)

Sega CD / PicoDrive (Retroarch)

32X / PicoDrive (Retroarch)

TurboGrafx 16 / Mednafen-Beetle PCE (Retroarch)

Playstation / ePSXe 2.0.16

N64 / Mupen64 Plus AE 2.4.4

Dreamcast / Reicast r7 (newer versions won't run)

PSP / PPSSPP 1.15.4

MS-DOS / DOSBox Turbo + DOSBox Manager

I found an extremely user friendly Front End called Gamesome (image attached). Unfortunately it is no longer listed on Google Play, but you can find the APK posted on the internet to download and install. If you don't want to mess with that, another great, similar Front End that is available via Google Play is called DIG.

If you are someone who enjoys emulation and retro-gaming like me, the M.O.J.O. is a great system and investment that won't disappoint. If you decide to go this route and have questions, DM me and I'll try to help you if I can.

Cheers - Techturd

[mariacallous]

Would you like to do your bit to curb population decline in the west? Fancy a home full of babies with very high IQs and extremely blond hair? Well, let me introduce you to the Donald J Trump Insemination Institute. On a sprawling ranch in New Mexico, women can be impregnated, free of charge, with Trump’s sperm, ensuring that future generations, on Earth and Mars, are blessed with a steady supply of very stable geniuses.

Sorry if I turned your stomach there, but I’m afraid I’m only half-joking. It was actually Jeffrey Epstein – who used to party with Trump – who was besotted with the idea of a ranch where 20 women at a time would be impregnated, in order to seed the human race with his DNA. Elon Musk, who is obsessed with babies and Trump, may harbour similar fantasies. Earlier this year the New York Times reported that Musk has “volunteered his sperm” to help seed a colony on Mars. (Musk has denied these claims.)

While Trump hasn’t announced plans for a baby ranch of his own yet, he is suddenly a big fan of artificial insemination. Last week the former president announced that he would support free in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments if elected again. “We wanna produce babies in this country, right?” Trump said during a town hall campaign event in Wisconsin. He didn’t provide many details about how this would work other than saying that either the government or insurance companies would pay for everything.

Another fuzzy detail? How government-sponsored IVF would coexist with the Republican party’s 2024 platform, which supports states’ rights to pass foetal personhood laws. It is impossible to support widespread access to IVF while also supporting the idea of foetal personhood, which holds that an embryo is a person and destroying one is homicide. I am fairly sure that Trump has no idea how IVF actually works, so here is a little explainer: you typically fertilise multiple eggs because you have no idea how many of them will develop into viable embryos. You could fertilise 20 eggs and end up with no viable embryos or end up with 20. The only way to control how many embryos you create is to harvest a single egg at a time, which is hugely expensive, inefficient and emotionally exhausting. In short: Trump seems to be running on a platform where IVF would be free but also effectively illegal.

While it may be half-baked, Trump’s free IVF policy makes it clear that he is desperate to woo female voters. Women have registered and voted at higher rates than men in every US presidential election since 1980 and now – for obvious reasons – they are leaning heavily towards Kamala Harris. I’m not sure a last-minute IVF policy is going to cancel out the fact that abortion rights are a key issue in this election and Trump has boasted about being the guy who overturned Roe v Wade. Nor will it cancel out the fact that Trump is a legally defined sexual predator who can’t stop himself from saying every misogynistic thought that creeps into his little head. During a recent rally in Pennsylvania, for example, Trump praised his male supporters for “allowing” their wives to attend his campaign rallies without them.

While Trump is clearly trying to appeal to women with his IVF policy, you also have to wonder whether his buddy Musk – one of the most influential voices in the US’s growing pro-natalist movement – has a hand in this. If the billionaire did get a position in a Trump administration (a possibility that has been repeatedly floated) one imagines Musk would encourage the US to emulate Hungary’s pro-natalist policies, which stem from a racist desire to encourage births and repopulate the country with the “right” (AKA white) kind of children. “We want Hungarian children,” Viktor Orbán said in 2019. “Migration for us is surrender.”

Free IVF may sound like a progressive policy on the surface but, for many on the right, it is linked to a belief that women are nothing more than baby-making machines designed to pass on the legacy of men. A future Donald J Trump Insemination Institute may not be as far-fetched as it sounds.

[luigiblood]

The oddities of Nintendo Switch Online retro service

I've talked about a lot of things about this service, on Twitter, on Tumblr, but also a lot on Discord, but I have been thinking about a post where I could put all the accumulated information that I've gotten over the years through datamining and leaks.

Here's a post about all the little things that you may not know about the retro service of Nintendo Switch Online.

Identifiers and Stats

One of the most obvious parts of datamining these apps is that each game have a unique identifier rather than just being a game name.

On NES Switch Online, they use identifiers identical to the NES Mini ROMs, which are usually like CLV-P-H***J or CLV-P-N***E for Japanese and English, usually. On SNES, they use now an identifier like this S-****_j or S-****_e and other consoles follow suit.

The thing about these identifiers is that they have an order, they all usually follow each other. But in all the apps, there are always gaps, and those gaps can tell a huge story.

Currently as of February 2nd 2023, there are 66 Famicom games, 63 NES games, 53 Super Famicom games, and 55 Super Nintendo games on the service on all regions. If you start counting the gaps, it seems that internally, they have 185 NES titles and 174 SNES titles MINIMUM. This is a pretty huge difference.

Thanks to a leaked build of NES Switch Online from last year, we can figure out some of those missing titles, involving mostly Capcom and Konami, which are unlikely to release on the service as most of them were rereleased through collections before, though it hasn't necessarily stopped them.

That said, if you remember, we had done a similar research with Nintendo 64 and Genesis titles at launch, which the press have definitely talked about, where we found out there were potentially 38 N64 titles and 52 Genesis titles running internally at minimum, but Nintendo has actually done us dataminers a bit of a response: All IDs on N64 and Genesis are now randomized since the first updates, which means we cannot do this kind of research anymore.

That said the updates to NES and SNES apps have not done this change, they probably decided it wasn't worth it. But all that to say that Nintendo is definitely taking notice of our datamining (and won't be the last time) and won't necessarily hesitate to throw us for a loop.

The secrets of NES Switch Online 2.0.0 update

Now I'm definitely going way back in December 2018, 4 months after the debut of the full Nintendo Switch Online service after a year delay (do you actually remember that?).

In January 2019, people started to take notice of SNES game descriptions within the language files, hinting SNES Switch Online coming in the near future, and the potential games coming.

To this day, all the games except two released on the service: We're missing The Legend of the Mystical Ninja and Contra III: The Alien Wars.

The other thing that was noticed is what's called an enumeration of emulator types:

EMULATOR_TYPE_CANOE = 0 EMULATOR_TYPE_KACHIKACHI = 1 EMULATOR_TYPE_HIYOKO = 2 EMULATOR_TYPE_COUNT = 3

Canoe is the name of the SNES emulator since SNES Mini, Kachikachi is the name of the NES emulator since NES Mini, Hiyoko was, at the time, unknown, but turned out to be the Game Boy (Color) emulator, and Count is most likely a counter, to say there are 3 different emulator types, it's a programming standard.

What most people ignored at the time is that the app also included a function called getEmulatorTypeFromCode, which would return the Emulator Type based on the identifiers I talked about earlier.

Once I took notice of this and checking other code making use of it, I figured out something huge, and after talking to an actual reliable insider who also confirmed it (don't get used to this), my conclusion: They had originally developed a multi-emulator app, which would have included all games from NES, SNES and GB in one single app.

Now you may wonder why this didn't pan out, I don't have the exact reason but I can have some educated guesses: Aside from the accidental reveal of SNES emulator on Switch which I think is not that huge, I think the seperation of systems is probably because of the developers wanting to compatimentalize the development instead of having to test a huge app every time they wanted to update it to avoid potential huge regressions.

I think it's not necessarily a bad reason, as a developer I also take importance of the ease of development VS user experience, and I do think this decision is not really a bad thing overall, making a multi emulator can be extremely hard and you could deal with problems because of decisions taken extremely early on.

The secrets of SNES Switch Online

The SNES emulator derived from the Wii U Virtual Console by NERD has a bunch of secrets that you may not know about... such as the currently unused SNES Mouse emulation.

Once you start checking around the code about how to enable the SNES Mouse emulation, you find out two things:

It can be enabled using metadata within the custom ROM format.

It was able to be force enabled using specific internal emulator Game IDs.

The most interesting part of the Game IDs is that only 3 Game IDs specifically forced the SNES Mouse to be emulated: 0x11A0, 0x11A2 and 0x11A3. If we just keep ourselves to SNES titles that could only work with the SNES Mouse... we could think of only two, actually. Most of the SNES games that supports the mouse can also just work with the controller.

We can only think of Mario Paint and Mario & Wario as SNES titles that only works with SNES Mouse, but also both are first titles, so in terms of rights, there's no issues here.

The problem is like, what's the third title? And that's where we can have a lot of ideas here.

The thing about those emulator Game IDs is that they don't correspond to the Switch Online IDs, they correspond to IDs that have been populated since the Wii, but especially Wii U Virtual Console, but we don't exactly know when NERD took over the emulator from Intelligent Systems. It is currently impossible to tell for sure.

So we can only think of the following:

The third title is actually the PAL version of Mario Paint, when they used to seperate game versions in different IDs.

The third title is Sound Fantasy, the unreleased but confirmed to be completed third SNES Mouse first party game.

Or it is a game that Nintendo decided it was better to play with a mouse rather than the controller, but I don't think it's likely.

Unfortunately I don't know for certain.

One other thing about the SNES Switch Online service, you may have noticed that some of the games currently on the service can actually be played up to 4 players at the same time... at least outside of it since the emulator locks you up to 2 players maximum.

If you thought that they did not emulate the Multitap, you'd be wrong. In fact, the games in question all contain metadata saying up to 4 players, unlike what the menus might tell you, and they all technically emulate the SNES Multitap, but the user interface can only allow you 2 players, so it's sorta funny that the second player is technically plugged to the multitap from an emulation standpoint.

Funny.

The secrets of N64 Switch Online

This part has some plot twists to it, but in fact I should rather say the secrets of the N64 Wii U Virtual Console emulator, as most of these things were brought over from this.

Unlike what most people might tell you, NERD has not much to do with the N64 emulation, it was developed by iQue. If you wonder what's my evidence, the debug menu between the NES/GB VC emulator for 3DS (which is confirmed done by iQue because the source code of it leaked in 2020), and the N64 VC emulator for Wii U are pretty much the same.

I may as well mention the biggest secret of all which had a plot twist later: The N64 emulator used to have unfinished 64DD emulation code in it, since Wii U.

I do insist on unfinished because it was nowhere near enough to boot a single 64DD game, but they for some reason included a Sim City 64 configuration file on Wii U at one point, probably for initial testing.

When the emulator was ported to Switch with improvements such as Vulkan graphics rendering on Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Nintendo 64 Switch Online app, a bunch of the 64DD emulation code stayed as is, in the same unfinished state.

However something funny happened in between, the emulator had code to recognize the fanmade 64DD cartridge ports, and those are definitely fanmade, and they must have looked at other emulation code for it, and most likely, code that I even wrote myself as I did add support for these in emulators before. Note that at that point, the code to boot those games were not seemingly present, or maybe I missed it.

So I would like to assume iQue had still wanted to make 64DD games working, but wanted to test on easier to emulate versions of the games. That said, I did mention this on Twitter... and then they removed every single line of code involving 64DD in the 1.2.0 update build in January 2022. It was probably not literally removed, just not compiled as it is still a good skeleton code for it. I am definitely convinced that I'm being looked at.

When it comes to other stuff in the emulator... well did you know that the Controller Pak, the memory cartridge that you put inside the controller's slot to save in a bunch of games, is actually fully emulated since Wii U?

It is very annoying that they had something like this working, but couldn't figure out to swap between both that and the Rumble Pak for games that could make use of both.

If you wonder about the Transfer Pak, the Wii U has a bit of it, but it's just turning the hardware ON and OFF, and this code has stayed as is on Switch. I know Emily Rogers has mentioned there were experiments and I believe her, but unfortunately, the code must be in a seperate branch and not put in place in N64 Switch Online builds.

If you tell me "oh they didn't plan Pokémon transfers for Pokémon Stadium," please look at the japanese Direct about it and you'll find a widely different sentence that does not actually rule out support for this, stating that "Pokémons cannot be transferred from the Game Boy." I dunno about you, but that's a statement that makes it vague because they could just mean the actual real Game Boy.

Now I'm not really dumb, as Nintendo has showed that Switch Online is mostly low budget and does the bare minimum, but there are things that shows a bit more attention to things...

When it comes to new things that weren't in the emulator on Wii U, they actually emulated the Real Time Clock chip from Animal Crossing's N64 original version. This code actually isn't in Super Mario 3D All-Stars, this must be a fairly new addition, and since there's only one game using it, it is fair to assume Animal Crossing is actually in a working state in the emulator.

When Mario Golf was added to the service, the Lua script dedicated for it is... a bit odd. It includes code for asynchronous netplay, where each player would take control of the game in turns in an attempt to optimize the netplay and reduce lag. This code is fully unused, there's not even the functions that it uses in the emulator yet.

This could also be additional evidence towards my theory that the NSO apps would see a refresh including user experience to some extent, but this stuff was added since April 2022, so whatever they are doing, it's certainly in private and has been in the works for almost a year now.

This post... is a bit long already, and there are still a bunch of other little secrets to uncover, but I think I covered the most technical ones so far, I hope this post is mostly clear about these secrets. Feel free to give me feedback.

[moongurl95]

Writer Interview Game

Thank you for the tag @theladyofshalott1989! 💕 Yours was such an interesting read (can agree with your only child syndrome - im one as well ✌️) and it's something to think about since it's my first time receiving a tag game this long 😅

When did you start writing?

I remember making a lil homemade "Book of Jokes" (simply made out of elementary paper and just binding them with glue), my mom still has it somewhere she said she keeps as a memento.

But ive found i had a way to express myself in essay writing and with the other blogs i had before (blogspot days), before i really practiced creative writing back in 2019 by joining some writing groups online. They gave prompts and we spin a short story for it, which i greatly enjoyed doing. Joined Nanorimo in 2020 and even self published a couple of ebooks from that (not really confident to market it tho...)

But Fanfiction writing? ive honestly joined many a fandom but only Hogwarts Legacy was the one who called out to me to write something about my MC!

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I curiously read smut cuz for the life of me i cannot write a sexy, intimate scene in detail - my brain just blanks when i want to write it, so always back to the drawing writing board for me 🫣

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

No one in particular really, tho i transitioned from reading the kids' books (Magic Treehouse, Geronimo Stilton and Bailey School Kids) to straight up P.C. Cast and her Goddess Summoning series. The only good 'ol YAs that touched my soul were Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver Trilogy, Emma Raveling's Ondine Quartet, Courtney Alameda's Shutter, Jess Rothenberg's The Catastrophic History of You and Me, and last but not the least (which also shaped my love for morally grey characters, Julian goddammit i cried teenage tears for him 😢) L.J. Smith's The Forbidden Game and these are most of the writers i remember growing up reading (i never even read the HP books... whoops!)

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

i don't really have a fixed one, i used to go to those co-working spaces when i started with fanfiction writing but i can type out a quick short story in notepad on any pc as long as the mood strikes. i've also adapted to typing on my cp too (OneDrive is my friend in syncing it on both my mobile and laptop) 😁

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Peace and quiet. i usually have the best ideas late into the night when everyone is asleep, and im up like a gremlin, awake and typing away on my pc (those subliminal writer sounds work on me too) and there comes a time that i just need to write the words out when they've been brewing in my head for a fortnight too long...

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

3 love interests and the 1 mc who does not have the leisure for romance (i did it once, i unwittingly just realized im doing it now with my fanfic... oh well.)

What is your reason for writing?

Granted i haven't written any original works since starting my fanfiction (all my brain juice goes into that WIP, i guess), it does give me a sense of purpose and a nice lil side hobby project i still quite enjoy coming back to every now and then ✍️🤓

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

i don't get alot so i love all of them! The ones that comment on how sweet the interactions were between the characters keeps me motivated tho, it's challenging enough for me to be naturally affectionate irl so i really think my dialogue over before capturing it in words.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

i guess just somehow who'll not leave them hanging on an unfinished work 😅 at this point in time i still love adding chapters to it, but it does take time for me (between working and adjusting in a new country). i greatly thank them for their patience and support of my work! 💌

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Slow-burns. 'Cuz maybe it takes me awhile to really understand a certain level of affection that's why im more interested in seeing how it develops. Also i do get comments on how i really visually describe a scene real well, so i hope that's true and im not really dragging it out? 🤔

How do you feel about your own writing?

i personally feel like i lack a back and forth dialogue in how i write, as i tend to be introspective, though overall i love the art of writing itself! There are days i read a random work of mine just to get motivated, read the comments on that and get encouraged more. 🥰

Hope these lovelies dont mind me tagging them 💌 @glutengoblin @animasola86 @evaslytherpuff @little-emerald-snake

[bookishtheaterlover7]

The more I think about it, I think he was crying for help in the GQ interview like literally screaming.//

"Team real" doesn't realize that going along and encouraging this and is making his life worse. It's crystal clear he doesn't want to be a part of this anymore but the supporters make his team think it's OK. If your such a big fan of his you should be concerned. Not concerned for an actor but for a human. This is not normal human behavior at all. He has clearly not been acting or looking right since this whole thing started. Compare pictures between 2019/20 to now. He literally looks like a totally different person. We are in uncanny valley territory right about now. I've been trying to ignore this whole thing but it's just really really strange.

THANK YOU, AN🫶N!!!

And again, what kind of sane people attacks others for their beliefs. Y'all are SERIOUSLY emulating your Nazi queen. She must be so proud 🥹, especially with the money she pays 👀☕

Anyway, yeah. They probably lost all humanity, when they sold their soul to Albitch... 🤪

Honestly, they have zero consideration, and that is why they aren't real fans. The real fans will ask if their idol is okay. These people are in the same league as "fans" throwing stuff onto the stage while the show is going on.

"Love my idol! Don't care if I hurt anyone else in the process! Woo!" - is their mentality.

And it's HONESTLY baffling how they call us insane, when

☝️ they can't come up with anything beyond school yard taunts and questioning out sanity...

And🖕 they get to come to our pages, and attack all they want...

I say, shall we question your heart?

[rahilatach]

Raspberry Pi Board: Revolutionizing Computing and Education

The Raspberry Pi board is a series of small, affordable single-board computers developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a UK-based charity focused on promoting computer science education and digital literacy. Since its launch in 2012, the Raspberry Pi has transformed from a niche educational tool into a versatile platform used in a wide range of applications, from DIY electronics projects to industrial automation.

A Brief History

The first Raspberry Pi, the Model B, was released in February 2012. Designed to promote basic computer science in schools and developing countries, it featured a 700 MHz ARM11 processor, 256 MB of RAM, and basic connectivity options. The success of the Model B led to a rapid expansion of the Raspberry Pi lineup, with various models offering improved performance, more memory, and enhanced connectivity.

Key Features and Models

Raspberry Pi 1 Model B (2012):

Processor: 700 MHz ARM11

Memory: 256 MB RAM

Ports: 2 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, Composite video, 3.5mm audio jack, Ethernet

Storage: SD card slot

Raspberry Pi 2 Model B (2015):

Processor: 900 MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7

Memory: 1 GB RAM

Ports: 4 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, Composite video, 3.5mm audio jack, Ethernet

Storage: MicroSD card slot

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B (2016):

Processor: 1.2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A53

Memory: 1 GB RAM

Ports: 4 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, Composite video, 3.5mm audio jack, Ethernet

Wireless: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (2019):

Processor: 1.5 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A72

Memory: Options of 2 GB, 4 GB, and 8 GB RAM

Ports: 2 USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 Micro HDMI ports, Ethernet, USB-C for power

Wireless: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Raspberry Pi Zero (2015) and Zero W (2017):

Processor: 1 GHz single-core ARM11

Memory: 512 MB RAM

Ports: Mini HDMI, Micro USB OTG, Micro USB for power, GPIO pins

Wireless (Zero W): Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Applications and Uses

The versatility of the Raspberry Pi has led to its adoption in numerous fields:

Education:

Coding and Programming: Used in schools and educational programs to teach students programming languages such as Python, Scratch, and Java.

Computer Science Concepts: Introduces concepts like hardware, software, and networking.

DIY Projects and Maker Community:

Home Automation: Controls smart home devices, including lights, thermostats, and security systems.

Media Centers: Powers home media centers using software like Kodi.

Retro Gaming: Emulates classic gaming consoles using software like RetroPie.

Industrial and Commercial Applications:

IoT Devices: Serves as a hub for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, enabling data collection and remote control.

Automation and Control Systems: Used in factories and labs for monitoring and controlling equipment.

Research and Development:

Prototyping: Facilitates rapid prototyping of electronic devices and systems.

Data Collection: Gathers data from various sensors in environmental and scientific research.

Community and Ecosystem

The Raspberry Pi has cultivated a vibrant global community of developers, hobbyists, educators, and students. Online forums, tutorials, and community projects provide extensive support and resources for users at all skill levels. The Raspberry Pi Foundation also offers official accessories, including cases, cameras, and expansion boards, further enhancing the functionality of the Raspberry Pi.

Conclusion

The Raspberry Pi board has revolutionized the way people learn about and interact with technology. Its affordability, versatility, and extensive support network have made it an indispensable tool in education, DIY projects, and professional applications. As technology continues to evolve, the Raspberry Pi Foundation remains committed to expanding the capabilities and accessibility of this remarkable platform, ensuring that computing remains within reach for everyone.

[lookedupandfellasleep]

Little Women in 1994 and Little Women in 2019

Little Women is a novel written by Louisa May Alcott in the 19th century. It is a slice-of-life story that follows the March family, which consists of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy, their mother, Marmee, and their father who has been deployed far from them. We see the different people who enter the lives of the March family such as Laurie, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Brooke, and Friedich who fall in love with their family. We get to know these ordinary but extraordinary little women, their struggles, characters, ambitions, and relationships.

This simple story has been adapted to film a whopping six times since its publication. People may wonder why this story needs to be retold so many times but it is one for every generation. Even though Little Women is set in the 1800s, the tale is timeless and deserves to be adapted to film for every generation to enjoy and learn from.

The two most recent film adaptations are the ones from 1994 and 2019, respectively. With the 2019 remake so close to the previous one, many people had doubts about Greta Gerwig’s take on this film. However, it proves to be a worthy retelling of this classic with the most promising young actors of our generation and a modern take on a timeless tale.

Cinematography

Little Women (1994) used cinematography in a way that makes you feel at home. It’s whimsical and almost like looking at a moving version of a greeting card. This is completely fit and appropriate for the theme of the story. The lighting is consistent, soft, cozy, and reminiscent of holiday films and Disney movies. Wide shots are used to establish surroundings and close up as well as extreme close up shots are used to establish intimacy, emotions, and the close relationship of the family.

Little Women (2019) uses cinematography in a completely different but equally, – perhaps even more beautiful way. It shows how different emotions, time periods, and state of minds can be portrayed just by tweaking a few things with the way scenes are shot. Gerwig’s version isn’t consistent, styles changing as we watch the past and the present unfold. The past is told with sweeping movement and lots of activity to emulate the energy and light of the chaotic but charming March sisters. The “present” or older era is told with a locked frame, farther away from the sisters. This gave amazing contrast when it comes to the emotional state as well as more clearly told a non-linear story. We see the whimsy and pure joy of the Marches’ childhood when everyone was innocent, happy, and united. In contrast, the older Marches are resigned, separated, and watching each other from afar.

Characterization

In terms of characterization, Little Women (1994) stayed true to its source material and established everyone’s personalities early on. Jo is headstrong, feisty, and spirited. Meg is gentle, kind, and a romantic at heart. Beth is reserved, quiet, generous, and talented. Amy is the baby, a little snooty, annoying, and ambitious. Then we have Laurie, a lonely young lad just wanting to be a part of a family with someone to play with. Some inconsistencies come up when the time jump happened such as Amy’s sudden aloofness and sophistication. We don’t see a trace of the vibrant little girl we saw for the first half of the film. Jo also goes through some changes, it wasn’t as drastic as Amy’s and we still see Jo’s core character despite her opening herself up to love and connection.

Little Women (2019) also stayed true to these characterizations with a few exceptions. There was a creative decision to have Florence Pugh play Amy all throughout the movie even when she was supposed to be a child. While this may be an odd choice, it somehow worked and made the film more cohesive. We see how Amy grew into a sophisticated young lady but still see glimpses of the younger, vibrant Amy. Jo had a different development from the source material as well as the 1994 adaptation. The Jo in the 2019 film was a little more stubborn, a lot more spirited, and independent. This Jo loved her freedom and independence too much but expressed the very real dilemma of being lonely while being so. This is an incredibly powerful concept that the 1994 film didn’t address. Jo doesn’t fall in love here unlike the 1994 version, she simply feels lonely and wants to be loved.

Acting

There is nothing really bad to be said about the acting for both films. Both had an outstanding cast that delivered the emotions, the depth, and the personalities that the characters needed. It’s also interesting to note that both films chose to cast the most promising young actors of their particular generation, drawing in the most appropriate audience for the films at the time of their release.

However, there is something to be said about the incredible performances the 2019 cast gave in the film. Most notably, Saoirse Ronan, Timothee Chalamet, and Florence Pugh. Ronan captured Jo’s vivacious essence so exceptionally and gave the character such life. Chalamet brought more understanding to Laurie’s loneliness and desire to be part of a close family. Finally, Florence Pugh gave unbelievable depth to Amy, who is more of a shallow character in the previous adaptation. Pugh showed us Amy’s ambitions, feelings, and sense of obligation. It’s an incredible new angle for this character.

Emotional Impact

Both the 1994 and 2019 version of Little Women will touch the heart of anyone. Both films do a good job of letting the audience get attached to the characters to be able to empathize with them when they are angry, happy, and heartbroken. We experience life with them, as if we are part of the family. It helps that both films were also directed by women, which gave unique insight to the little women’s struggles and bond.

Little Women (2019) and Little Women (1994) tackled many of the same issues and some different ones, as well. The 1994 film went into more social issues such as poverty, racism, and discrimination. The 2019 film tackled issues such as loneliness, obligation, and life after marriage. Little Women (2019) had a bit more of an emotional impact because of the great storytelling for each character, leading the audience to become more attached to them and empathize with the struggles and loss.

Storytelling

The 1994 version of Little Women establishes exposition (Block, 2008) in the form of a narration from Jo’s point-of-view at the very beginning of the film. This continues all throughout and is a consistent tool for storytelling. The events unfold in a linear fashion and we grow up with the March family. The main conflicts come in the form of Laurie’s confession and Beth’s illness and death. Jo has to deal with losing her childhood friend after an emotional rejection and losing her beloved sister. The resolution comes as they accept the loss, Laurie and Amy reveal their marriage, Jo inherits Aunt March’s estate, and finds love in Friedrich.

In the 2019 film, we see many of the same events and even the same dialogue used but the storytelling is completely different. Gerwig uses a non-linear way of telling the story, opening the film with a quote from the original novel’s author, Louisa May Alcott saying, “I’ve had lots of troubles, so I write jolly tales.” Jo is grown up and already trying to make a name for herself in New York City. From there, we get flashbacks from their childhood that fill in the blanks of what’s happening in the present. There is only one exposition to establish the past “7 years earlier”, the screen tells us as Meg and Jo are getting ready for a party. After this, the film uses color and lighting to differentiate the past or their memories from the present. The present has a colder quality with muted color palettes of browns, blacks, blues, and reds. On the other hand, the memories have a warm quality, almost like everything is bathed in sunlight or candlelight. Everything looks cozy and vibrant, just as the March girls. Beth’s death is paralleled by the happy memory of her recovery only years prior as Marmee turns in her chair to reveal Beth sitting up. In the present, this scene is mirrored but as Marmee turns, the seat behind her is empty and she breaks out into sobs. From there, Gerwig’s interpretation of the classic starts to digress. The 2019 film addresses Jo’s need for independence along with her overwhelming loneliness that makes her desperate for love without loving back. She portrays hidden heartbreak hearing about Laurie and Amy’s marriage instead of the immediate happiness shown in the 1994 version. The ending is ambiguous, insinuating that the ending in the book that Jo wrote was not the ending that she chose for herself. The resolution is a little clearer as we see Jo and her family in the school that she established in the late Aunt March’s home.

The 1994 version is a little shorter than the 2019 adaptation but the modern, unusual take made the time go faster. The non-linear storytelling was also effective in getting the audience to understand the relationships and character development better. It gave context and a whole new angle to things.

Chemistry and Relationships

Again, both films did a great job with the casting and development. All the actors had a magical chemistry that really led you to believe they were family. Everyone’s love and friendship was palpable. You could feel the bond of the sisters through the screen and the way Laurie fit in so seamlessly within the family. Christian Bale and Wynona Ryder’s chemistry was outstanding, creating a romance-that’s-not-a-romance that devastates the audience when Jo rejects Laurie.

With a longer running time, the 2019 film gave way to developing the relationship between Laurie and the other March sisters, as well. We see him bond with Meg, Beth, and Amy in different ways, making his integration into the family much more natural. Chalamet and Ronan’s chemistry as friends and almost-lovers is also phenomenal. Their bond as best friends and Chalamet’s subtle moments of falling in love was the cherry-on-top. We also see how Amy and Laurie’s relationship grows and the audience isn’t as blindsided by it as in the 1994 version.

Romance

Romance was handled a little differently from the 1994 adaptation to the 2019 film. The former had more of a romantic undertone that leads the audience to believe that Jo had fallen in love with Friedrich and that she plans on marrying him. On the other hand, the 2019 version chose to go a different route and play things ambiguously. Jo doesn’t seem to be as obviously in love with Friedrich although she seems to be fond of him. She is lonely, yes, and has moments of weakness. But she values her freedom too much and doesn’t want to be a wife. In the end, we see Friedrich with the family at Jo’s school but it’s unclear whether or not she has a romantic relationship with him. The audience is left to choose what to believe.

All in all, I loved both versions of the film but I preferred the modern remake from Greta Gerwig. Of course, I may be a little biased because prior to this, it was already one of my favorite films of all time. I have watched about a dozen times and can never tire of it. Watching it again knowing all the different aspects that go into filmmaking and with the goal to observe the techniques, storytelling, and its overall appeal and quality, it gave me a whole different experience and made me love the film even more. The visual story of Little Women (2019) is truly brilliantly done. It gave new meaning to an adaptation that was already made multiple times. I love the changes that were made for the plot. As a writer with the same principles as Jo, I found myself relating to the 2019 version of her a lot which is probably what makes this resonate so much with me. I love that Gerwig didn’t go for the conventional ending and instead went for ambiguity so that the audience can choose their own ending. Loneliness can be a powerful thing to battle with especially if you value your independence and this film addressed it perfectly. This classic tale can be retold over and over again and it would be just as powerful. The stories of these little women will continue to touch each generation of little women.

[andrews-reviews-and-thoughts]

Andrew’s Review of The Lion King (2019) and Knives Out

   I have two movies to talk about. The first is the 2019 remake of The Lion King, or as I like to call it, Ingonyama nengw’ enamaRemake. I did not see it in theaters due to the not-so positive reviews, and instead saw Aladdin (2019) to avoid it (which was nice, about a 6 or 7/10, but clearly was inferior to the original and could have used some tuning up). And after seeing it on Disney+…Yeaaahhh, I chose wisely to avoid wasting my time at a theater.

   Now the one positive thing there is to say about Ingonyama nengw’ enamaRemake is that, in terms of revolutionary visual effects (or, animation, since this is 99.9% animated), it does look extremely good at replicating realism. With every grass, animal, fur, movement, whatever, it shows how far computer-animated technology has gone. But that is where the positivity ends, since the way the remake tells the story is what breaks this movie.

   Now while, yes, it is remaking The Lion King, it does so in a way that is Boring. There can be times where it is nearly shot-for-shot, while other times, it pads out a scene of someone or something traveling just to show how good the visuals are. Either way though, neither help make this interesting, and it does not help either that the characters are not as engaging as before, with most of the actors giving an alright performance while attempting to emulate the ones from before. The sole exceptions are Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen giving their takes to Timon & Pumbaa; James Earl Jones as Mufasa making us wonder if age has caught up with his acting or if he just did not give as much energy as he could have (2019 Mufasa: “is that a challenge ?”); Keegan Michael-Key and Eric Andre as Not-Banzai & Not-Ed not being as funny; and Florence Kasumba giving a fierce take to Shenzi.

   And then there are the visuals themselves. While it does stay realistic, it does so to a fault by preventing what was once an animated animals movie from being creative. Are the songs as vibrant and fun as before? Nope, they mostly consist of the characters running about with the soundtrack sounding nearly the same, except for ‘Be Prepared’, which is turned into an odd song-speech. Does Rafiki use his staff all the time? Nope, he instead acts like a monkey the entire time, Even when he brings his staff-stick at the end just to attack like a real monkey, while also calling it an old friend for unexplained reasons! Is Mufasa’s death scene as powerful as befor-NOPE!!! It help shows how not making the animals emote like in The Jungle Book (2016) can have people Not connect to them, and quite possibly Laugh at their ‘facial expressions’ not matching the mood of the scene! (2019 Simba looks like he is roaring while sillily saying: “Nooooooooo.”)

   So yeah, if you were wondering which Disney Remake is probably worth skipping, this one would be a good contender (and considering how it is an unnecessary remake of not just a great Disney Renaissance film, but one that everyone in the world must know about, that is not really too surprising). Now despite this technically being an animated film, I will go the live-action movie route and just give the overall rating, which is a 5/10 for forgetting that it is more than what it has become.

   Thankfully, I also saw a great movie as well, and that is Rian Johnson’s murder-mystery, Knives Out, and honestly, this might be my favorite live-action movie of 2019 I have seen so far. Keep in mind, this is a movie where not spoiling it for your first watch is an Important requirement, so I will try my best to keep things spoiler-free as possible. As a murder-mystery, while I am not very familiar with that genre, I can say with absolute certainty that Rian Johnson made sure to make this an Interesting and Complex one, making us unsure of who to trust or suspect, and keep surprising us even when we think we have been given a good amount of the true story. And by the end of the third act, even the most-tough-to-express-emotions-at-a-movie person like me will be amazed at what is revealed. Another important part of the movie is its political message, which is a bit difficult to describe through words, but the best way I could put it is that it points out the hypocrisy of rich, white established families, while also acknowledging some issues surrounding immigration.

   And then there are the characters, who help bring the story and message together, and help make this experience unforgettable. Starting with the main ones we focus on the most, there is Benoit Blanc, a detective who is trying to investigate and solve the case; Harlan Thrombey, the wealthy novelist who has mysteriously died; Ransom Drysdale, the rude and jerkish member of the Thrombey family; and Marta Cabrera, the Thrombeys’ house servant who may be at the center of this mystery, and also has a gag reflex whenever she lies. Sounds a bit silly and ridiculous, I know, but it doesn’t just end up as a silly running gag. And that leads to the strength of these characters; they could just be as typical as I made them sound, but thanks to the strong writing and use of surprises, they end up being more than just their roles.

   And then there are the rest of the Thrombeys. There are some notable individuals, like Richard, Joni, and Walt, who have some trouble with Harlan; Linda, who acts like the head of the family; and Meg and Jacob, with the former being friendly with Marta, and the latter who is literally portrayed as a kid always being an alt-right troll on his phone. Now while it could be possible that some of the Thrombeys did not get focused on a whole lot, it probably does not matter because, when they are put together as a whole, they are meant to help represent the film’s message, and that is as an entitled family filled with people who are either ‘nice’, or blatantly racist. As for the other characters, there is Detective Lieutenant Elliott and Trooper Wagner, the regular cops assigned to the case, with Elliott being the more rational one and Wagner being a fanboy of Blanc and Harlan’s works, and other characters like Fran, Nana, and Alan Stevens who are meant to help move the plot along, while also bringing in more twists and turns. And to top it all off, the cast in here is Just Great! If anything, it feel likes this is a Perfect cast, with actors like Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, and many more. Granted, I haven’t seen much of their works, but I feel safe in believing that they are not being themselves when bringing life to these characters.

   Overall, Knives Out is just a Great movie that is worth seeing, and probably several times, with a very impressive story that keeps on surprising, a wonderful cast full of great characters, a nice use of a political message, and some nice visuals with the Thrombey mansion, the camerawork, and how almost every shot feels like it has some sort of purpose. Does this mean this gets a great rating? OF COURSE IT DOES! This film gets a solid 10/10 for its sharp wit and clever script. Oh, and one more thin-Ransom: “Eat $%#^. Eat $%#^. Definitely eat $%#^.” Yeaah, don’t expect Chris Evans to be as kind as Captain America, and do expect tons of cursing. Walt: “I ain’t eating one iota of $%#^!”