#(its balance unlimited btw)

[hajidumps]

og!Choi Han: money can't fucking buy anything! when will you learn that!

og!Cale: i fucking know that! I know!

[flashbacks to og!Cale crying beside a hospital bed holding his mother's hands tightly]

og!Cale: i know it all too well..

og!Cale: [whispers] but money eases the pain enough to let yourself be content with life

[kannra21]

This time I watched Fugou Keiji Balance: Unlimited for real, meaning that all this knowledge I gained about that series from the previous time was just facts coming from different posts on Tumblr. And I got to know a lot about it thanks to you. You guys were a big help in figuring out some of the series' most important aspects, I appreciate your input on it.

Now that I’ve watched both episodes. I’m going to comment on some things I haven’t seen people talking much about, I’ll try giving it some highlight so I hope you enjoy.

1) The millionaire detective *or smtng more than that*-

Many expect the main character of the series to present himself in a way that he says his name and what he does for life, to give us an insight into who he is and to give us a better idea of what to expect of the series. But instead, the first episode opens with "I had a father and I had a mother", the series opens with a tragic story and tells us about the rich person's unfortunate life. Why's that? It's very important for Daisuke's character. Because, as we go through the series, the author probably predicted that audience would start judging him according to the way he treats people and work, just like Kato always does. The author tries to warn us not to judge a book by its covers. That's why it is so important that the beginning of the series opens this way.

2) Daisuke's and Kato's teamwork-

Daisuke, being a highly classified detective, knows his rights and what he can and can not do, which he exploits a great deal. He can damage people's vehicles and traffic control but he doesn't care, bc he's a detective and bc the law is on his side. He's using this same knowledge to reach his goal faster without wasting time on things that aren't that important, which means, morally or ethically important. Emotions like insecurity, guilt and regret aren't welcomed in this job. Sensitivity to other people's needs before yours are also irrelevant. Traumatizing a mother and a child from almost getting ran over isn't something that he'd preoccupy his mind with too much. He cares about the sufficiency of the mission and working in the favor of the government, as Ryo himself said.

Kato, on the other hand, is different. People come to him in the first place and the most important thing for him is to bring them peace and security, things that all police officers should actually have in mind. He is everything that Daisuke is not.

And when he told him "You're making quite the show here. How are you going to take responsibility for this?", we can notice that something clicked in Daisuke, that he told himself "ugh I went too far I should do something about it". And then he called HEUSC and told him to send reimbursements for DOUBLE the damage costs he caused for certain people. He also gave the Abura Emirate's seventh prince a billion yen when the car didn't even cost that much. So it’s evident that Daisuke does possess feelings like guilt, he just needs to be reminded of it.

The same goes for that scene when he tried to drop the vehicle into the river, Kato reached for the girl and told her to jump out. Daisuke doesn't care if she's a kid or if she's going to explode together with the van. It is important to him to save the rest + the kids are also considered criminals, he will take it upon himself to judge them as they actually deserved it. Kato, unlike him, can't let himself do that, he just can't. That's why he saved her and let her be with Hiroshi again. I love Kato for that.

Maybe Daisuke is a sufficient detective but Kato is there to remind him that the things he's doing aren't ok. He's giving him a sense of morality and ethics and that's why I think they're put together bc they make a great team. And they truly do, the problem is, Kato can't stand him. 😅

3) This funny moment-

I love how Kamei in the second episode found out ab the tragic death of some woman by going through one of his inappropriate sites and he's like: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Kato *annoyed bc he's as well judging him for his perverted ways and lack of devotion towards work*: "Shut up Kamei."

Kamei *big sad*: "It says she died from a drug overdose. That centerfold model Akiko Hoshida..."

Kato: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA??!! SERIOUSLY?"

Which leads me to the conclusion that:

Kato isn't that much different from Kamei.

Kato prefers only a specific type of women while Kamei drolls over every woman who looks even remotely pretty.

Kato has a type because the deceased centerfold model Akiko Hoshida and Suzue look very alike. Kato is also into "innocent" women bc he himself is innocent, as Akira stated. + He knows how to cook, refuses to drink alcoholic beverages during work hours and is actually pretty soft. Kato is more lovable than Daisuke in those aspects.

4) Kato's cluelessness-

Because of being so innocent, Kato doesn't have the ability to criticize others or judge "the way they breathe". He's too good, too considerate, too emphatic. That's why Daisuke's here to break his pretty picture of the world they're living in.

Kato was so easily deceived by the street performers and it was actually funny. Why would they do it otherwise than for money? No one wants to make an idiot out of themselves without a certain price.

He also thought of Suzue as one of them, the drug dealers I mean, acting as liaison. And it made me laugh so much bc he didn't know what's going to hit him. 😂

5) HEUSC-

I love HEUSC so much, this technology stuff is so lit, I wish I had it. It can detect lies, analize time, deduce certain information just from the help of a person's credit card, how much income they have, how much they lost over a couple of days, when and where, what were they buying. It can detect a person, personal information ab where they're from, age and date of birth. It also shows the person's heart rate. It can even work as a magnifier and control the traffic lights, isn't it crazy??

Daisuke's heart rate is always 60 during the whole interrogation. He's so freaking calm.

You also need to understand that Daisuke's session lasted longer than Cho-san's who used weak points such as family members and sense of right and wrong. Daisuke needed some time until their negotiation was done, he gave money to a drug addict in exchange for an information while Cho-san didn't lose anything, he could as well just deceive his suspect and get away with it.

Take into account that Daisuke went through a special training in England so his protocols are different from the normal Japanese ones.

6) Daisuke's jealousy-

Lmao Daisuke is stealing friends. He invited Akira to his own ramen during their Isezaki case.

He said "I can risk my life for Kato" and omg let me tell you, Daisuke became jealous so he made a move and even paid him to get into a costume to lure Kato and the rest of the hooligans to the top.

7) The elevator scene-

Kato standing in the middle of the elevator and Daisuke standing close to the corner as pinned as possible is what made my day. 😂

8) On the rooftop-

Daisuke's heart rate is 72 when shooting from a bazooka in the helicopter. Still too calm but I'd say that he's in a good physical condition considering that he's into boxing.

BTW he accidentally shoot towards Kato bc his target wasn't detected, it only wrote "primary target", he didn't do it on purpose.

But the sole thought of "stank needs to be eliminated" gets me every time. 😂

9) Daisuke joining the MCI-

Daisuke circled around the topic and refused to give the answer about why he decided to become a detective by redirecting the conversation towards Kato.

Let me tell you something, I watched too many crime series to know why he did that.

The reason is very personal.

And at the beginning of the whole anime he introduced himself to us with “I had a father and I had a mother”. I think he's trying to find the culprit for his parent's murder.

10) His lack of sleep-

Although he has lots of money, people like Daisuke tend to afford themselves a nice and cozy sleep. Despite that, Daisuke has as much under eyes as Kato. Which makes me wonder what keeps him awake at night, what's he thinking ab. Is he traumatized in a way? I can't wait for the next episodes to arrive!

Btw while watching the anime I fell in love with Kato even more, such a great character.

[unlimitedblessings]

#30DaysWritingChallenge DAY 2 : Ruang Bahagia

Things that makes me happy by nurulfajriati  ҉\(•˘▽˘•)/҉

Dewasa ini, semakin nyaring sebuah frasa bahwasanya kita tidak boleh menggantungkan kebahagiaan kita pada oranglain. alasan paling relatenya yaa ketika sesuatu itu Allah ambil kita akan mudah sekali rapuh hingga kehilangan pijakan.

Penting untuk kita memahami apasih hal yang kita suka, dan apa yang bisa menjadi amunisi dalam mengisi tangki kebahagian kita sendiri. Ibarat ponsel dimana charger menjadi salah satu jantungnya. Sama halnya diri kita, kitalah yang sepenuhnya bertanggung jawab atas kebahagiaan diri sendiri.

Pada akhirnya dari semua rangkaian perjalanan, kebahagiaan adalah ujung dari segala apapun yang dicari. Well..betapa banyak kita temui berita suicide dengan background yang terpandang.

Secara kasat mata beberapa dari mereka sudah mencapai apa yang mereka idam-idamkan. Ibarat bunga lagi mekar-mekarnya. Namun, ternyata hal tersebut tetap saja tidak bisa membeli kebahagiaan, atau yang seringku sebut “ketenangan”

Begitulah kebahagiaan bukan soal materi, pencapaian, dan tingginya jabatan. “Bahagia” adalah suatu hal yang sangaaat subjektif, satu kata yang sangat kompleks maknanya dan berada direlung hati setiap insan.

Anw, soal apasih yang membuatku bahagia(?)

Seperti yang sudahku sampaikan sebelumnya, pada dasarnya kita adalah manusia yang terus berproses dalam menemukan the real “you” pada setiap tahapnya yang penuh dengan kedinamisan. Termasuk terkait hal apa yang bisa mengisi tangki kebahagiaan masing-masing orang, termasuk aku.

Dan dalam praktiknya, aku seringkali menerapkan bahwa hidup didunia ini yaa cuma numpang, sebagaimana yang sudah disebutkan dalam hadist :

وَاللهِّ مَا الدُّنْيَا فِي الآخِرَةِ إِلاَّ مِثْلُ مَا يَجْعَلُ أَحَدُكُمْ إِصْبَعَهُ فِي الْيَمِّ فَلْيَنْظُرْ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ

“Demi Allah, tidaklah dunia dibandingkan akhirat kecuali seperti seseorang dari kalian mencelupkan jarinya ke laut, maka lihatlah apa yang tersisa di jarinya jika ia keluarkan dari laut?” (HR Muslim no 2868)

Kehidupan dunia hanya sementara. Seperti dua sisi koin, bahagia dan sedih bagaikan dua mata uang yang dapat kapan saja tersungkap. Artinya, sejatinya dunia ini adalah ujian. Senang dan sedih silih berganti, sekarang bisa senang tapi entah berapa detik kemudian dengan izin-Nya kita bisa saja bersedih. Karena, sejatinya dunia adalah tempat dimana kita terus berjuang, maka senang dan sedihlah sewajarnya.

Namun, satu hal yang penting bahwa dalam ketidakpastian itu wajib untuk kita meyakini bahwa segala sesuatunya adalah baik. Menerapkan mindset “Here & Now” juga merupakan salah satu caraku menemukan things that makes me happy dengan mengusahakan yang terbaik pada apa yang dilalui saat ini, menikmati setiap prosesnya tanpa harus membawa fikiran kemasalalu dan ke masa depan yang sama sekali belum terjadi.

Menurutku hal tersebut cukup membuatku menjadi waras dalam menjalani lika-liku kehidupan. Bahkan,  saat diri kita dizholimi sekalipun. Ketika hati dan diri kita sudah terpaut pada Allah SWT kita yakin bahwa rizki, takdir, dan jalan hidup tidak akan Allah SWT buat keliru dan tertukar.

“As You Sow, So You Shall Reap” begitulah caraku dalam menjaga kewarasan dan ke balance-an hidup yang makin kesini membuat beberapa orang ling-lung. And the end bagiku terlahir sebagai seorang muslim juga merupakan blessings yang tak ternilaaaai harganya yang tak dapat dibeli dengan hal apapun (the real key of happiness!).

Okee balik lagi.

Ruang Bahagia~ versiku adalaaah..jeng-jeng-jeng!

Sesuatu yang simple dan elegan : yaap aku sukaa banget sama hal-hal yang simple. Bagiku sesuatu yang “sederhana” cukup banyak membuatku lebih ter-ta-ta dan terorganisir dalam segala hal. Aku sangat menyukai desain-desain yang sederhana lebih tepatnya minimalis. Salah satunya dalam memilih furniture, menaruh barang, dan tanpa aku sadari makin kesini pemilihan warna dalam hal baju juga terkesan ituu ituu aja! Hihi (coklat susu-hitam-merah maroon- dongker) Yaap. Tak lain dan tak bukan ternyata memiliki warna baju yang monoton bisa membuatku lebih berhemat waktu dalam memutuskan outfit of the day. Tau sendiri laa perempuan cemanaa kalo pilih-pilih hahahahaha..

Aku sangat suka dengan dunia fotografi baik food fotografi maupun explore ketempat-tempat yang mengesankan. Menurutku melalui foto dan video kita bisa bercerita melalui sebuah karya visual. Daan menurutku cukup priceless! Setiap foto dan video bisa bercerita meskipun moment tersebut sudah berakhir.

Cookingg & Eating! sejak sekolah dasar aku sudah menaruh interest-ku pada dunia makanan. Inget banget waktu kelas 3 SD self-brandingku sebagai koki, sukses pada saat special day mengenakan baju profesi impian. Aku mengenakan baju koki dan menampilkan bakat masakku, dan beberapa kali ada event lomba masak disekolah, teamku selalu menang. Dari situlah ustadz dan ustadzah yang mengenalku khususnya ustadz yuniardi menjulukiku nurul si koki! 6 tahun yang menyenangkan syeekaliii! dan sampai sekarang akupun sangat tertarik dengan masak dan makanan. Kalau disuruh milih nih yaaa tempat liburan, makanan selalu menjadi pertimbangan utamaku dalam memilih tempat manaa yang ingin ku tujuu.

Belajar! Khususnya kuliah ini. Dari dulu aku adalah orang yang sukaa bangett belajar hal baru dan mencatatt dengan rapiiih. Tapi entah kenapa di SMA  matkul ipa seperti kimia kurang aku minatii. Hihi tadinyaa saking kecintaan samaa matematikaa nih, aku kira aku akan jadii anak ipaaa bangett. Dan jurusan yang aku incer dari duluu-pun (Psikologi) adalah jurusan yang its okaayy banget kalo dari IPA alias bisa saintek dan soshum. Dan akhirnya aku bisa melampiaskann kembali kecintaanku sama belajar, setelah kuliah dijurusan psikologi. Menurutku belajar psikologiii adalah bahagia yang bener-bener aku rasain bangeet, berasa gada abisnya dan gaadaa bosennnya to be honestt! setiap teorinya seperti sedang menyelami diri sendiri. 

Berproses- bertumbuh- berkembang. Di psikologi aku merasa bahwa kecintaanku dengan belajar bener-bener tersalurkan. Aku tauu untuk apa praktiknya dalam kehidupanku, bisa mengeksplore diri lebih dalam lagi, dan berasa seminar self-development dan improve diri tiap harinyaa. Membayar segala kecewa dimasa lalu yang tadinya aku fikir jalan yang menolakku bisa mengantarkan pada kebahagiaanku, khususnya bisa membanggakan kedua orangtuaku,  karena diterima dikedinasan. Tapi nyatanyaa, Allah SWT tau betul apa isi hati hambanyaa, meskipun di psikologi-pun aku juga tetap masih harus berjuang untuk mendapatkan tittle Psikolog. Namun, satu hal yang saangatt aku syukuri aku tidak lagi sedang memperjuangkan hal yang salah. Perih dan sakitnya kini, lebih aku nikmati karena aku tahu ini merupakan hal yang aku sukai. Aku percaya bahwa Allah SWT Maha Baiiik pada setiap hambanya yang berbaik sangkaa kepadanyaa! He is give unlimited blessings and miracle✨

Btw, banyakk jugaa yang udah kutulis dan rasa-rasanya masii banyak hal yang kaloo disampaikan akan menambah banyak paragraf lagii. Intinyaa, benar adanya bahwa kitalah yang bertanggung jawab atas kebahagiaan kita sendiri, agar kita tak mudah rapuuh. Cukup jadikan Allah SWT sebagai sandaran terbaik.

Terakhir, untuk yang membacanya doakan yaa semoga aku selalu on the track dalam hal-hal baikk. Khususnya dalam mencari ridho-Nya, tetap semangatt dan istiqomaahh dalam meyakini bahwa suatu saat nanti kita akan mendapatkan apa yang kita tanam dengan terus menebar benih-benih kebaikan dengan setuluss hati.

Terimakasih para hatii yang cantikk! Semoga untuk kalian yang tidak sengaja membacanya juga senantiasaa dalam lindungan-Nyaaa. Dipertemukan dengan orang-orang baik dan selaluu dimudahkann langkah langkahnya..

[studytist]

Hey, everyone! I’ve been planning this post for a while since I’m an app addict and wanted to share mine with you guys! I divided things in two: the first part of each section is the overall info on the app and then my personal review of it. Without further ado, here are my favorite apps. Hope you enjoy it~

FORTUNE CITY (Free with in-app purchases) Expense Tracker Available for iOS/Android Fortune City is my absolute favorite expense tracker. It’s from the same developer as Plant Nanny! In the app you’re the mayor of your very own city, each expense you insert create a specific type of building depending on what kind it is (shopping, food, transport, medical etc.). You can level up buildings by merging them and also merge parks (that are built automatically from time to time). It has the option to track card expenses differently and also a balance. By upgrading (monthly $3,99 subscription) you also have a few more options such as setting a budget etc. Besides being extremely useful and fun to play, Fortune City is beautifully designed, bonus points!

VANTAGE (Free with in-app purchases) Calendar and to-do list Available for iOS Here’s something you need to know about me: in order for me to like and actually use an app, I need to like how it looks. I’ve been searching for a nice free calendar/to-do list app for the longest time, but either it was too simple or too crowded or simply not for me (a.k.a “ugly”). Or at least until I found Vantage. Vantage is gorgeously designed and brings a totally innovative way to look at your calendar. In it’s free version, you can add events and use your calendar in general, with the upgraded version (a one-time $9.99 purchase) you can use the to-do list section which is divided by notebooks (reminds me of Paper 53), add tags, change the background, use schedules and much more. What I love the most about Vantage is how its super customizable and minimalistic yet equipped with a variety of options that’ll surely support all tastes, besides all that, it’s very nice to see an app with a one-time purchase (totally worth the price btw) instead of monthly memberships (yikes).

ANY.DO (Free with in-app purchases) Calendar and to-do list Available for iOS/Android/Web Any do is a great, simpler option for calendar/to-do apps that also has a web version so you can keep track of your day anywhere! Any.do is very user-friendly and has a very minimalistic interface that focuses more on to-dos. There are many subscription plans with different options (not that worth it in my personal opinion). I used it for a long time and it suited me just fine, the option sync it with other calendars is also very useful. A great option for those who want an easy application to get them through the day.

YOUPER (Free) Mood tracker and anxiety reliever Available for iOS/Android I have anxiety and depression so tracking my mood is kind of a big deal for me. Youper changes the whole experience tho, instead of a simple chart with moods or anything like that, Youper is an AI that is designed to help you track your mood more efficiently and, in case you’re feeling down, it helps you relax with breathing techniques and other little activities. It also has an anxiety/depression tracker you take every 15 days to help you get an overall idea of your progress! It also has various articles and videos on different mental illnesses to help you understand them better! It’s definitely one of my favorite apps for mental illness and has helped me keep track of myself without making it seem like a burden. !!NOTE!! No mood tracker or app designed for the mentally ill replace the help of professional medical assistance. If you’re feeling unusually down or showing signs of any mental illness, please reach out for a psychologist and never medicate yourself before that. It’ll be okay.

WYSA (Free) Mood tracker and anxiety reliever Available for iOS/Android Wysa is very similar to Youper, but it’s a bit more talkative and friendly, it also has a variety of activities depending on your mood (anxious, sad etc.) that’ll help you get focused, relaxed, create to-do lists and etc. Wysa also has the option to contact a professional coach for $29.99, I have never tried it tho. It’s surely a great application full of cute gifs and a very relaxing interface. !!NOTE!! No mood tracker or app designed for the mentally ill replace the help of professional medical assistance. If you’re feeling unusually down or showing signs of any mental illness, please reach out for a psychologist and never medicate yourself before that. It’ll be okay.

COGNI (Free with in-app purchases) Mood tracker Available for iOS/Android Cogni was an app indicated by my personal psychologist and also my psychiatrist, both of them said the report chart used in this mood tracker is very similar to the one used, for example, to recognize bipolar disorders and you’re able to share your chart with your therapist. It’s very simple and easy to use. Personally not my favorite since it bugs in my phone and always log out and it’s not that aesthetically pleasing either, although it’s full of options such as thoughts and what situation triggered your mood. It has a free version and a few other subscription plans with some other options such as a full chart of all the moods and some sharing options for your therapist as well. !!NOTE!! No mood tracker or app designed for the mentally ill replace the help of professional medical assistance. If you’re feeling unusually down or showing signs of any mental illness, please reach out for a psychologist and never medicate yourself before that. It’ll be okay.

TAYASUI SKETCHES PRO ($5.99 with in-app purchases) Drawing Available for iOS/Android Tayasui is an app very similar to Paper by 53, but with more customizable tools and options. I personally like to use it for my comic journal. The textures from the brushes are very realistic and nice and the option to creates notebooks is very great. A simple yet complete app.

QUIP (Free) Documents Available for iOS/Android/Web Quip is my favorite writing and document storage app. You can create folders and many different types of documents. It has a very clean design and user-friendly interface as well as many business tools such as synching between different accounts and layouts to choose from that’ll surely be helpful. It also syncs automatically between mobile/web and has an in-built chat. Definitely recommend it.

TIDE (Free with in-app purchases) Focus & sleep Available for iOS/Android Tide is a Pomodoro app with many included ambiance sounds (rain, library, cafe etc.), it also has the option to track your sleep or quick naps. It’s very beautifully designed and easy to use. Its free version is pretty complete but you can also purchase subscriptions and more sounds. A cool bonus thing is that it also has a daily quote (and they’re usually very nice and inspiring).

MERRIAM WEBSTER (Free with in-app purchases) Dictionary Available for iOS/Android/Web I doubt anyone doesn’t know about Merriam Webster but I decided to include it anyways. Merriam Webster is one of the most complete English dictionaries out there and now it also has some games and quizzes. You can purchase the 1-year ads-free version for $1.99. 

PAPAGO (Free) Translator Available for iOS/Android/Web (extension) I’m crazy about learning languages and the last one I’ve been trying to learn is Korean and because of that, I was looking for a good translator. Google Translate kinda sucks, we all know it by now, Papago, on the other hand, seems to be one of the best Asian languages (and a few others) translators I’ve ever seen. It can translate up to 11 languages (English, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Thai, Traditional Chinese and Vietnamese) and it’s very user-friendly. Its speech recognition is also pretty good and it has a built-in phrasebook for Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese! There’s also a kids version for young learners out there. 

CLUE (Free with in-app purchases) Period tracker Available for iOS/Android Clue is, in my opinion, the best period tracker out there. I love that you can input other data besides the flow of your period, such as pain (cramps, headaches, tender breasts etc.) or your energy (energized, exhausted etc.) and many other things as well as create your own tags! It also gives you a prevision of when your next period is going to be and, for me at least, it’s pretty accurate. It also gives you plenty of info on the period overall and specific aspects. The free version is pretty complete but you can purchase some subscription plans if you want some more tools. 

MEDISAFE (Free with in-app purchases) Med reminder Available for iOS/Android Another thing you need to know about me: I forget absolutely everything all the time. Hence, if I have no one (or anything) reminding me of taking my meds, you bet I’ll forget about it. I went on the search for some med reminder apps and MediSafe was the best find in my opinion. It’s super complete and fairly easy to use, it also has many customization settings and you can even set a reminder to refill your meds! You can add reminders for medicine you need to take periodically or just meds in general, just input a dose whenever you take it. Depending on the medication, it also gives you some info (and sometimes even a video of a doctor) explaining a little bit of it. You can also add a friend or doctor so, in case you forget to take your meds, it sends them a notification. Its free version works wonders on its own, but you can also purchase subscription plans to change the design of your pillbox or even have Obama’s voice remind you to take your meds among other things! Amazing, right?

GOOGLE PHOTOS (Free) Photo/video storage Available for iOS/Android/Web If you’re anything like me and have trouble deleting your pics (a.k.a memes) because “I might need this sometime!”, Google Photos will be your holy grail. You can store an unlimited amount of photos and videos in the app and delete them from your phone. They’ll be safe and sound and you can see them again anytime you log in anywhere! Pretty neat right? It also organizes the photos based off who’s in it, date etc. You can also create a shared folder, send them to anyone and even search for specific places and dates. A must-have for any photo junkie out there.

So those were some of the apps I use the most! Hope you could find something useful in this list. Feel free to add other apps you use and think people should know about or your own reviews on these. Sharing is caring!

[dorianpavus]

sometimes people make these big long posts complaining about bioware and i’m like. sigh. there’s so many times that i never say anything cause i’m not trying to get involved in fandom drama but like oh my god

salt beneath the cut?

bioware should not be forced to only make the kinds of games you like. so historically they made some games you love, ok, cool. i don’t know why you all think that a company trying new things and experimenting and trying to push the boundaries of what their games should be is such a terrible horrible no good dirty-rotten thing. innovation is great. experimenting is good. bioware is not betraying you for trying to incorporate different ideas into their games like?? not everything is going to work out to your satisfaction but that doesn’t mean they should remain stagnant and only ever do the same thing. why not see if they can incorporate a big explorable world into a game with a really structured and nuanced story, as they tried to do with inquisition? it may not have worked out perfectly but now they have a better base on which to build their next game (which, if it can strike a balance between dao/dai, would be amazing, btw). and if you’re really upset that there’s a big world in inquisition and that offends you, just don’t buy the game. like. bioware going, “hey look there’s a huge world to explore!” and you paying money for the game and then going “but why is there a huge world to explore???? #betrayed” is like.... can’t wrap my head around that one. you paid for the game they made you, not 8000 years of their lives, the entire future of the company and right for every subsequent game to be made exactly as you like it, and their first borns.

(the contract is only for the first borns)

2: video games aren’t books, especially not a huge game like inquisition. it’s not “bad writing” for every small detail or character quirk to not be expounded upon super obviously all the time -- that’s hard to do in a video game with a huge ensemble cast and epic fantasy plot. like don’t get me wrong i think there were plenty of things in dai that could have been executed a lot better but y’all were the ones who wanted a big cast of characters to be so developed, but now you’re actually complaining because they developed them really well? if you wish you could have had more engagement with the characters over smaller facets of their personality/beliefs, that’s not a problem with the writing, that’s a disagreement with the game’s focus on conversation and character vs the rest of the game. like i too would have preferred more conversation and to call characters out more on things, 100%, but to just disagree with the way something was executed and then slap a “bad writing” on it is just like... not what that actually is

which i know is stupid of me to make a post about how some otherwise-valid criticisms of the game isn’t actually about That Thing They’re Saying It’s About, like, ok katie who cares, but people are so smug about the “bad writing” in inquisition it’s hard not for me to roll my eyes really hard when literally everything is equated to bad writing and not actually dissected and discussed for what it is and how it could actually be improved

(that’s not to say that there weren’t aspects of the game that were poorly written cause there totally were, but being upset about the lack of conversation options FOR your extra conversation options [when you already had sooooooo mannnyyyyyyy long talks with your companions, which the devs added specifically because fans loved them and wanted them to return with a vengeance post-da2-no conversations whatsoever] is like... extra. like ppl really be complaining about the inability to have conversations about the companion’s extra extra side dialogue options. we were lucky to get that in the first place lmao! don’t get me wrong i want more of them too and i don’t disagree that i want to be able to comment on all of those things, but it’s not “bad writing” but more a lack of resources to just give you unlimited discussions with the companions. they respected their fans and listened to us and put in a ton of effort to making sure in DAI we got to talk with our companions a ton, waaaay more than in previous games (even dao, and with a bigger cast of characters!), so it’s just so bizarre to ppl saying it’s “bad writing” that you can’t talk to these characters literally about everything they say all the time, that every single thread and facet to their development isn’t able to be discussed. it’s a video game, not real life, and conversations have to stop somewhere. and they gave us so much! should they have just left those details of the character out completely then, if you can’t completely and fully turn over and call out everything they say? obviously not. i agree with what yall are saying about those conversations could have been better, of course!! but i feel like it’s more about resources than like... bad writing

(of course in da4 i still want even mOAR conversations and also a “BS BUTTON” would be great)

(it’s just not necessarily “bad writing”)

(also that said sera’s arc was poorly written but that’s another story)

(anyway i’m not saying every single thing someone complains about isn’t Valid(TM) because so much of it is great criticism, but rather that some of the arguments i’ve seen over and over and over and over and over on my dash are like..... not really.... accurate

and there are just so many people in the fandom are so smug and condescending and seem like they enjoy criticizing games for the stupidest reasons like it makes them smarter and more Enlightened like they need to chill

(also i’m aware i’m asking ppl to chill by writing a really long salty personal post that’s gonna lose me 150 followers so obviously i also have lost my chill but come on yall omg please stop whining over inquisitions “bad writing” that isn’t bad writing just maybe something you didn’t like (like the explorable areas) and how bioware obviously is betraying you, its lord and master, for trying to incorporate different elements into their games or explore new genres like anthem u know how ridiculous it sounds right)

(that said fuck bioware, just for other reasons lmao)

honestly i’m writing this and kind of disagreeing with myself cause i’m like “but there’s so much bad writing” and there totally fuckin is but that’s not the specific thing i’m trying to talk about so...  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

why am i defending it then?? also good question but here we are

[wintersmitth]

@katevoralberg  replied to your post “Watched Bitter Harvest today. I liked The Guide more.”

is it a good comparison? should if watch the guide?

To answer your second question, I do think you should watch The Guide. It is an amazing, albeit heartwrenching, movie. 

The reason why I am comparing those two movies (hey, doesn’t it feel a bit luxurious, to have  w h o l e  t w o  modern movies devoted to that part of history? btw if there are more tell me and i’ll try to overstep myself and watch them to) because they roughly cover same period of time. 

Both deal with 30th, with Stalinist regime, with cruelties and atrocities Red Army done, forcing Ukrainians and their culture into hiding at best, destroying it at worst. 

I guess spoiler alert for both movies from now on, even tho I'll try not to delve deep into plots. Still, on your own risk. Also the cloak warning for time-typical attrocities?

Both movies have the plotline of arts and how arts & artists were affected in early USSR. For those who don’t know, Ukrainization was a real thing, and for the artists of all kinds the decade between 1922-33 was a Good Time, at least better than before, with them being seemingly encouraged to bring Ukrainian everywhere, to make newspapers, write poems etc. God why the fuck and I writing a historic paper y’all know that already I’ll stop now

Yeah, it is worth mentioning that I watched The Guide only once in the cinema, so if I am wring about smth, pls forgive me.

Anyhow, in The Guide we have plotline of this city singer (and okay as much as I love Jamala, I really do think that as an actress she failed in this movie, at least in romantic scenes for sure), and they show us through her eyes how cultural situation in Kharkiv changed with the time. 

In Bitter Harvest we have kind of similar plotline with Yuri entering an art school, with this art teacher who Wants Them To Show Truth, and then leaving it when said teacher is sent to Siberia and the new teacher is All Hail To The Party. 

Also the similar plotline with Mykola, an inspired young communist who truly believed that communism can help Ukraine get its rightful freedom, only to being warned that he’ll executed, and commiting suicide. And boy, didn’t it hit home, especially since I learnt only last week that basically same thing happened to by grand-uncle.

In both movies we see how the spirit was slowly stomped out of people, how over time everything was taken away, yes, I am talking about Red Army taking everything before Holodomor. We see how bright aspects of culture, traditions were forbidden and punished. In The Guide we see this safe heaven where kobzas are being made, where everything is seemingly well, and later we see this place baren and destroyed. In Bitter Harvest we also see how church was persecuted and icons and church gold & silver were take away. 

What I disliked about Bitter Harvest is, well, the central love plotline. Not that I like romace per se, I just really dislike how it was excuted, sometimes with plot one-liners thrown in only to never being revisited again, and how really cliche this story is. And I mean Hollywood-cliche. 

Bitter Harvest tried to show the variety of historic events on the example of one village, on its inhabitants. Maybe they tried to show how closed-off vilages were really at that time. But man, Smila isn’t that tiny. Of all the village we see handful of people at the most. When Natalka tries to organise women’s protest it is just, i don’t know, funny because there are like five women in total. And timeline. Well no way in hell Mykola could’ve become a head communist in few short weeks. In my oppinion things happen way too fast, esp Yuri’s brief stunt in art school, because hey, apparently he only attended it for a month at most. 

And locations. They shot the village in Pyrohiv (outdoor museum of architecture), and I get it, Pyrohiv is tiny, and you see it. It just wasn’t enough for such a movie. In Kyiv I think I recognised two streets in Podil where they shot their meager outdoors scenes, and also ofc Kosyi Kaponir fortress. It just. You can feel the lack of space, how few places they shot in, you feel enclosed and trapped in those few locations, you know? They had limited locations, limited cast, and unlimited well of stories to tell. I don’t think they balanced that out.

And in the Guide there wasn’t this feeling of being trapped in few locations. We see many places, many people, big cast of background actors. 

Like, I do have issues with The Guide, but I think it is a better movie to show that period. Simply because it covers a longer time, and from multiple povs, and there were good nods to events that had happened at the time. 

I will give Bitter Harvest’s creators the credit: the movie very much feels as the scream into the void “Look! This happened! This was real! This was horrible and terrifying, and so many people die! Look! Do not foget this” while trying to sell it as a Hollywood love story. But they didn’t have enough resources for that.

Oh, by the way, shout out to actors. Samantha Barks is amazing, and Max Irons does a great job too. They didn’t feel ‘odd’, and felt very much like Ukrainians.

[armeniaitn]

Armenia Economy News Digest for Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Here is the Daily Digest of economics and business news for Armenia for Wednesday, August 19, 2020. The notable articles are the following:

ADB approves $2m grant to help Armenia fight against Covid-19

August 18, 2020 – 18:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $2 million grant from its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) to support Armenia in its fight against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, the bank said in a statement Monday, August 17.

The grant, which is financed by the Government of Japan, will be used to upgrade laboratory diagnostic and testing capacity. The funds will also help finance the purchase of urgently needed medical equipment and supplies to improve treatment capacity including in critical care units.

“ADB is fully committed to helping Armenia through this difficult period. This assistance will help to meet the needs for appropriate medical services and supplies where required, and is in line with the government’s national response plan,” said ADB Country Director for Armenia Paolo Spantigati. “We will continue to work closely with the government and other development partners to combat the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic.”

The Government of Armenia declared a state of emergency on March 16 and implemented a range of measures to restrict the spread of the disease, including quarantine measures.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Armenia grew by 145 to reach 41,846 on Tuesday, August 18. So far, 34,982 people have recovered, 832 have died from the coronavirus in the country, while 245 others carrying the virus have died from other causes.

Read original article here

The Armenian Model for Belarus

STOCKHOLM – With Belarusians taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers and refusing to be cowed by state violence, it is obvious that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has failed in his bid to steal another election and prolong his time in power. By all standards, his days in power are now numbered.

Deconstructing Donald PS OnPoint

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Elizabeth Drew

Although it is difficult at this point to say anything new about Donald Trump, it is never too early to start reckoning with the implications of his presidency. The only thing more disturbing is the possibility of what may lie ahead in – and after – November’s election.

reviews six recent books on the Trump presidency and the incalculable damage it has already done.

13 Add to Bookmarks

The Master and the Prodigy PS OnPoint

Tim Gidal/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

William H. Janeway reviews recent books on Frank Ramsey, John Maynard Keynes, and a highly consequential meeting of minds.

4 Add to Bookmarks

How to Prevent the Looming Sovereign-Debt Crisis

Teradat Santivivut/Getty Images

Joseph E. Stiglitz & Hamid Rashid

From Latin America’s lost decade in the 1980s to the more recent Greek crisis, there are plenty of painful reminders of what happens when countries cannot service their debts. A global debt crisis today would likely push millions of people into unemployment and fuel instability and violence around the world.

propose a multilateral facility for buying back low- and middle-income countries’ bonds.

11 Add to Bookmarks

Many commentators are comparing the situation in Belarus to Ukraine’s Orange and Maidan revolutions in 2004-05 and 2014, respectively. But Belarus is not Ukraine, and nor is it particularly helpful to apply the Maidan model to the scene playing out in Minsk and other Belarusian cities and towns.

Although domestic issues of corruption and mismanagement have undoubtedly played a role in Ukraine’s post-Cold War political developments, the main determining factor has been the wish to bring the country into the European fold. The Maidan movement was a direct response to then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich’s attempt to abandon the cause of European integration and reform. The revolutionaries openly mobilized under the banner of the European Union.

The uprising in Belarus is different. Domestic concerns are clearly playing the more salient role, and questions about the country’s orientation vis-à-vis Europe or Russia are almost totally absent. Belarusians are simply fed up with the 26-year reign of a man who is increasingly out of touch with society. The banner of the revolution is the forbidden white-red-white Belarusian national flag, which is likely soon to become the country’s official flag (as it was in 1918 and 1991-95). Indeed, no other banners have even made an appearance.

Still, while every political revolution must forge its own path, there are models available to help outside observers understand what may lie ahead. In Belarus’s case, I would offer an analogy not to Ukraine, but rather to Armenia in the spring of 2018, when mass demonstrations led to the resignation of longtime President Serzh Sargsyan and inaugurated a new democratic era for the country.

Armenia, too, has always had a close relationship with Russia, for both historical and strategic reasons. In 2013, the country abstained from joining Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine in entering into a Deep and Comprehensive Free-Trade Agreement with the EU, opting instead to join the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

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During the events of 2018, there were justifiable fears that Russia would intervene in some way in order to forestall another “color revolution” in a former Soviet republic. But, because Armenia’s geopolitical orientation wasn’t poised to change, the Kremlin seems to have restrained itself.

Under the best of circumstances, the Armenian revolution could provide a template for Belarus. The immediate goal is for a transitional administration to pave the way for a new presidential election under international monitoring. To ensure a smooth process, Belarus’s external orientation should be kept off the table. The election and broader struggle must be solely about democracy within the country, and nothing else.

To create the conditions for the “Armenia model,” the EU must craft its coming sanctions carefully, targeting only the individuals who are responsible for and involved in the obvious falsification of the election and the ensuing violent crackdown on protesters. Any action that imposes costs on Belarusian society and the economy more broadly would be counterproductive.

Moreover, Europe and other Western powers will need to accept that a newly democratic Belarus will still be dependent economically on Russia, at least for now. Long-needed reforms to modernize the Belarusian economy will, one hopes, gradually make that relationship more balanced within the framework of the EEU.

Similarly, because a Ukraine-style association agreement with the EU won’t be an option, the priority should be to bring Belarus into the World Trade Organization, and to support it through the International Monetary Fund. Both of these processes would introduce conditions for domestic economic reforms, and the hope is that a democratic regime would quickly adopt them.

After its democratic revolution, Armenia continued to host a Russian military base outside of its capital, Yerevan. While Russia doesn’t have a comparable military presence in Belarus, it does have obvious security interests, with a small air force unit and two strategic facilities. On this and similar defense issues that do not represent a threat to anyone else, there is no reason why existing arrangements shouldn’t remain in place.

Whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept an Armenian-style political transition in Belarus is, of course, an open question. There are bound to be some in his inner circle issuing paranoid warnings about a slippery slope leading to NATO taking over. To head off those calling for a brutal crackdown to prevent any kind of democratic breakthrough, the West will have to be proactive in its diplomacy, making clear that it will support a democratic Belarus that still chooses to have close links to Russia.

The situation in Belarus is not a geopolitical struggle. It is a domestic matter, concerning the Belarusian people and a regime that has lost legitimacy and outlived its usefulness. Western diplomacy can help the Belarusian people arrive at a democratic outcome, but only if it is conducted wisely.

Read original article here.

GIZ to help Armenian winemakers overcome COVID-19 challenge

The German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) continues to support Armenian winemakers in overcoming the challenges posed by COVID-19, the German Embassy in Armenia reports.

In particular, it will provide assistance to nine micro-enterprises not covered by any government support program and the Vayots Dzor Regional State College.

As a result, the winemakers will have their brand and label to produce and bottle wines in accordance with local and international standards and be represented in wine bars, shops and online platforms.

The funding program for the winemakers involved in the home industry is brought into being by the GIZ project “Development of the private sector and vocational training in the South Caucasus” in cooperation with the Fund for Vine and Wine Foundation of Armenia and the UNDP.

Read original article here.

Today on Twitter

These are some of the tweets about Armenia from some of the Twitter accounts we follow. Get in touch with us via Twitter if you want to be part of this Twitter list. We retweet occasionally.

Armenia @armenia·

20h

Things you can watch #forever...Btw the #water in #Pambak river is pure enough to drink . #NaturePhotography : Vahe Aghamyan

MFA of Armenia@MFAofArmenia·

17 Aug

Warm congratulations to the people of the Republic of #Indonesia on #IndependenceDay. Ready to reinvigorate our historic ties.

Armenia Mission to UN@ArmeniaUN·

13 Aug

Permanent Representative of Armenia sends a letter to the UN Secretary-General condemning instigation of inter-ethnic clashes and violence against the Armenian communities in various parts of the world. Addressing #hatespeech is crucial for advancing the #prevention agenda.

JAMnews@JAMnewsCaucasus·

17h

The series of firings, dismissals and imprisonments of officials continues in #Azerbaijan: https://ift.tt/3230vPP

MoD of Armenia @ArmeniaMODTeam·

10 Aug

The #Armenian contingent carrying out a #peacekeeping_mission in #Kosovo, fulfilling it's tasks, handed over the shift to the new group of Armenian #peacekeepers.The superior command assessed the Armenian peacekeepers' professional abilities and service. #ArmenianArmy #Security

4

Artsakh Parliament@Artsakh_Parl·

12 Aug

The law «On Making Amendments to the Law “On the State Budget '20 of the #Artsakh Republic"» was adopted with 26 votes in favor & 6 against. The SB revenues will make 126bln 49mln 399.2th AMD, expenditures-135bln 650mln 717.7th AMD, the deficit-9bln 601mln 318.5th.

4

AOMF@AOMFrancophonie·

7 Aug

[Arménie ] @OmbudsArmenia a reçu 794 plaintes concernant les actions relatives à l’impact économique de #Covid_19 https://ift.tt/34eRHt4

USC Armenian Studies@ArmenianStudies·

7h

Following the developments in Lebanon? Tune in tomorrow morning for this illuminating panel organized by @ArmenStudies & @NAASR1955. Zoom registration details: https://bit.ly/lebanonwebinar

ArtsakhPress Agency@ArtsakhPress·

12 Aug

Number of Divorces Reduced in #Artsakh https://ift.tt/3hbuj3c

Artsakh MFA@mfankr·

17 Aug

The President of the Republic of #Artsakh Arayik Harutyunian (@Pres_Artsakh) has signed a decree on coordinating the activities of the state administration bodies of the Republic in conducting a common foreign policy. Read the full text here: https://bit.ly/3aw5Bb7

Published February 15, 2020 at 01:34PM. Read full article at Stem Cells in the News Portal.

[antmma]

Azure Striker Gunvolt overview

Here is a little something i wrote about a game, hope you enjoy!

          One of my favorite developers who I’ve found myself playing their games more and more is a company called Inti Creates. Yes they are one of the main developers that helped create the hot garbage known as Mighty Number 9 but they are also well known for their involvement of the Mega Man Zero games and more recent action 2D platformers such as Blaster Master 0 and Dragon Marked for Death (games which I hope I can talk about in the future). Their mastery of the 2D action platformer can not be underestimated, the gameplay, visuals, art design, and dedication from the company really feels like you are playing the best of the genre from the SNES games such as Mega Man X. Today we’re going to talk about their 2014 classic Azure Striker Gunvolt originally released on the 3DS, but today I’m going to talk about the Switch version so let’s get started.

           Azure Striker Gunvolt is an action 2D platformer that tries and succeeds at being a spiritual successor to the Mega Man X games on SNES. You play the yellow haired anime character named Gunvolt, a terrorist with the power of electricity. In what I believe is a futuristic version of Japan, your mission is to take down the Sumeragi group, a giant conglomerate that controls the country from the shadows. On your first mission you rescue a little girl named Joule who has the power to manifest a spirit named Lumen, the counties star pop idol. From there the game becomes more like Mega Man where you have an availability of 6 stages with distinct end bosses to tackle in any order. When you get to this point you have access to your main hub and options. Before going into a level, you can change your gear and skills, create new gear to equip, talk to Joule for some lighthearted dialogue, accept challenges to make the game harder, and even save. The game also has hidden collectables that do impact the story, specifically the ending of the game. I won’t talk more about the story since past this point it will probably be spoiler but there is an initial ending and a true ending that you can unlock by exploring the game to it’s fullest.

           The gameplay has a distinct taste which differentiates it from other games of the same genre. Typically, you would have your character have a blaster or sword that eliminates enemies when you press that A button. Here Gunvolt has a special blaster that instead places tags on the enemies in different levels, from there Gunvolt can turn on his electric forcefield to shock his enemies with tags while at the same time protecting him from certain projectiles and slow his descent in the air. Though you can say that this slows down the pace of the game, at the same time it makes your whole approach to the combat smarter and make you think more strategic. “who do I tag” or “how will my shock technique affect my jumping and platforming” are things that come to mind. It gives the player such satisfaction when you upgrade your blaster enough where you can tag multiple enemies to shock multiple targets at one time, it gets better with the Switch version which includes HD rumble every time you shock and eliminate an enemy. The game also has a level up system which in my opinion isn’t necessary unless the leveling really did increase my health and damage output. Other game mechanics available to Gunvolt is his dash which makes him run faster and increases his jump length, a double and even triple jump if you can create the equipment to do so, skills that can either be super attacks, utility skills for enhancement, or even heal Gunvolt a small amount. With all these to consider Gunvolt isn’t overpowered at all and the game is shockingly balanced well even with all these components. There are many instances in the levels and against bosses where I felt like there was an equal chance of me losing as much as there was of me winning.

           What I love about this game is its presentation, the pixelated art style of the game along with the clean HD character artwork compliment each other so well. The game’s audio is in Japanese, but the text is in English which is what I prefer. The music in this game is also on point and compliment the gameplay to make you feel inspired for an action game. There is also a mechanic in the game where if you die, you have a small chance of being revived by Lumen and she enhances you with unlimited energy while a very anime song plays in the background which is fitting. I forgot to talk about the bosses which are probably one of the main highlights of this game, but they are incredible and very reminiscent of Mega Man bosses but maybe with more personality. Each one has their own special power similar to Gunvolt, whether it be using fire, wind, magnetism, or even controlling the dead, the bosses give the player the right amount of challenge where the end result depends on the players skill and nothing random or out of the players control.

Overall this game isn’t perfect (though I can’t find any outstanding flaws in this game which I love), but with all that I’ve said you can tell this game is quality at it’s finest, especially considering this game came out 5 years ago on 3DS. The game represents the best of it’s genre and the best of the era it has been inspired by and I can’t wait to play the sequel (which comes with the first game on Switch so it’s a value package BTW).

Hey guys thanks for reading if you did, this game is great if you love games filled with action and a taste of Japanese flare. The game also comes with the second Gunvolt in the Switch package like I said before so look forward to that side note soon (hopefully). With all that said thanks for reading and I’LL SEE YA LATER!!!