#APPLE POWER CD

[retrocgads]

USA 1993

[bits-and-babs]

Im so sorry I didn’t see this till after request were closed but so idk if you gon see this but, f!reader had her nipples pierced? I’m sorry but I feel like price would be obsessed with readers piercings like if she had a tongue piercing too? Manz would go crazy. Smut? Dw if not <33

✦ 𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐄 ✦

– KINKTOBER DAY 6: NIPPLE PIERCINGS

cds!john price x recruit!reader | smut, 18+ | 1.2k words

summary: three months into your sas training course, chief directional instructor captain john price drills you on cold-water-shock survival.

cw: f!reader, cold water shock, power imbalance (recruit x directing staff), secret relationship, breast/nipple play, p in v sex, cream pie.

⇽ KINKTOBER MLIST | DAY 7: INCUBUS ⇾

It wasn’t as though there hadn’t been sufficient warning, but three years of service in the British army was nowhere near enough to prepare your body for the brutal battering that SAS selection subjected it to. Your blisters had blisters, and your body pulsed with a bone-deep ache every time you managed to crawl into bed upon dismissal. 

You had been sufficiently warned… About everything except this. 

Freezing cold water drips from your nose as you hoist yourself out of the pool at the base of the waterfall. Cold-Water-Shock training was a standard part of SAS selection– the ability to control your own discomfort and maintain a level head whilst also teaching the fundamentals of surviving sub-zero. January weather meant temperature levels were unsurvivable past a handful of seconds, and you could feel why. 

The process was simple. Fully submerge yourself into the icy depths before raising to the surface and keeping your chin above water. Next step; breathe. Regain composure and steady your breathing to fight the effects of cold-shock. Recruitment Staff would then ask you a handful of simple questions to assess competency before heaving you out of the water. 

You’d passed, you felt, with flying colours. The savagery of the otherworldly Brecon Beacons had failed to shake your resolve, answering the questions with ease. Even now, drenched to the bone and involuntarily trembling, you maintained a strong eye contact with Chief Directional Instructor Price as he eyed you with a stern expression. 

It’s momentary— barely there. You’d have missed it had you blinked. Price’s thick eyelashes, made damp by the sleet that had been battering the group all morning, dipped below your face. Sapphire blue irises glint in the low light when they zero in on their target. You hadn’t worn a bra this morning given you’d been forced out of bed at the arse-crack of dawn and expected to be in the van within five minutes… They’d left you little to no choice. 

Regardless of this reasonable explanation, you suddenly begin to regret your decision to forgo the cover, Staff Price gazing at the way your grey t-shirt clings to your pebbled nipples and the exposed shape of the piercing balls either side of each mound. 

“That’ll be all, 16,” he says, that raspy grit to his voice warming you from the inside-out. That fever encroaches on the apples of your cheeks when you realise he’s yet to pull his eyes away. 

“… Yes Staff.”

✦✦✦

“You did that on purpose.”

John’s voice, husky and full, was surprisingly even considering how tight your pussy walls clenched around his thick, veiny cock. You wail quietly at the soft breath that dances across your assaulted skin, nipples so incredibly sensitive. Sucked and nibbled and licked, the tender skin screams when Price drags the flat of his tongue over your pierced nipple with a delighted hum. 

“N-No—“ you choke out, the overstimulation of your nipples sending another shockwave of bliss down your spine. You know you’re squeezing him, because John ruts up into your fluttering pussy with a far less composed groan. “I didn’t— I didn’t mean to!”

“You’re not foolin’ anyone, Love,” John murmurs, gently taking your pebbled nipple between his teeth and rolling it. 

You see stars— swirls of technicolour dancing behind your eyelids with how tightly you squeeze them shut against the cataclysmic pleasure that seeps between your thighs. When John jerks his hips up again, you can hear how wet you are. It’s sloppy, disgustingly soaked, and Price loves it. 

“Fuckin’— Hah-“ John moans against the supple flesh of your breast, wrapping his lips around it and sucking on the hypersensitised skin. This time, when you arch your back from the bed with a wail of his name, he begins a slow and leisurely pace with his hips. 

Burying your fingers into the short-crop of his hair, you brace against the ticking bomb of your orgasm as it approaches. Each long stroke of John’s hips makes another disgustingly wet sound, your cunt greedily sucking him in and creaming around his throbbing dick as he flicks his tongue back and forth across your abused nipple. His other palm, battle calloused and rough, squeezed the other breast, thumb equally torturing your second nipple. 

It comes in waves; cresting, crashing tsunamis rather than soft laps of the ocean on a beach. A prickling heat that singes away the Beacon’s icy cold from your toes and creeps up the inside of your thighs. Your heart slams against John’s lips, your hands pushing into the back of his head to keep him there while you chase what could only be described as liquidation. 

“Ohmygod—“ you slur, and it’s as though the edges of your vision blacken. In truth, you’re not sure what you call him as you come apart on his cock, sobbing out a hapless string of garbled noises that don’t sound anything like his name. Toes curling either side of his hips, you fail to brace against the overstimulation that rips violently through you. 

“Fucken’ ‘ell—“ he groans deeply, a guttural growl that seems to vibrate the atoms in the air around you. The deliberate, methodical thrusts of his hips suddenly pitch to a sloppy, desperate gallop. John’s hands grasp the bed sheets so tight you almost hear the threads strain against the pull. 

He cums, coating the inside of your cunt with a rumble of your name that sounds so foreign to your ears with the afterglow buzzing in your eardrums. John continues to fuck you through it, taking pleasure in the way you squirm and squeal and cry until his cum seeps between your legs, coating the inside of your thighs with his seed. 

Sharp, heaving breaths echo in his small quarters, and you’re almost certain that his fellow DS had definitely heard you this time. But when John places his damp forehead to yours, eyes closed as he relishes in the bliss of being so close to you for just a moment longer, you struggle to find it in yourself to worry. 

“You should wear a bra,” John mumbles, pressing a kiss to your lips— but missing in the haze of post-orgasm-bliss and settling for a peck on the corner of your mouth. 

“Why?” You muse, still a little breathless as he works his lips down your chin and over your jaw. The gruff, burly Chief of Directing Staff was so affectionate when the door was closed. You knew that this thing you had going on was more serious than a thing when you stopped being anxious about getting caught and being kicked off the course— instead stressing about John offering his tenderness to another recruit. “If this is how you react to seeing me with a wet shirt and no bra, I’ll dunk myself in that water every damn day.”

In a moment of sobriety, John pulls back to look you in the eye. His aquamarine irises hold a heavy seriousness that makes your breath stall for a moment, afraid you’d said something out of line. 

“Love, I completed that whole trainin’ session with a rock hard cock.” 

A beat. 

Just before peals of laughter burst from you. John rolls his eyes, turning onto his back on the mattress. Still, he’s unable to bite back the smile that pulls on his lips.

cod mwii/kinktober taglist:

@mortallyuniquepeach @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @crybaby-blue-blog @heart-atttack @pansa-1-san @maviee @emotion-no-hot-yes-hotel-trivago @s-u-t @ghostslynx @solidly-indulgent @glitterypirateduck @gummyfang @bii-aan-ckaa @konigsblog @crissteetee @crissteetee67 @sylvanasthebansheequeen @akaym2 @exploremyworldsm @thriving-n-jiving @su57 @cabreezer0117 @cathnoneofyourbusiness @marygraceee @thatchickwiththecamera @legend-o-zelda @eatingtheworldsoffanfiction @tusk89 @bellasbees01 @dog55teeth

@mockerycrow @bubuslutty @cheezitwh0re @haunt3dh3art @levi-llama @thebiscuitsheep @maelstrom007 @alexxavicry @bug-sy-boy @glennrheesworld @kittenfrostt @luvfromkat @blingblong55 @whore4dilfs @wolfyland07 @doggydale @dog55teeth @cabreezer0117 @cathnoneofyourbusiness @marygraceee @thatchickwiththecamera @legend-o-zelda @whore-for-anime @i-love-ghost @cyberpr1m3 @mockerycrow @bubuslutty @lundenloves @cheezitwh0re @haunt3dh3art @babychoi03 @infectedkura @allekat1988 @whore-for-anime @soupbinsoup @passi0np1t @mockerycrow @cyberpr1m3 @i-love-ghost @allekat1988 @infectedkura @babychoi03 @freakquenci @maviee @yunggoblin @sleepystaarr @watyousayin @soupbinsoup @passi0np1t @damn-dean-blog @pheonyxmoon @magicalreviewphantom @limegreenbabx @johfaam0 @iaur @justsayk

@bloodmoon-bites @wiltedwonderland @doggydale @limegreenbabx @namelesshumanperson @ninahhh-brahh

[taniahylian]

Paulina and Regulus

Okay, I'mma post this cuz I think I'm going insane (I probably am), but here me out. There's too many coincidences that point out to there being a connection between the two, even if don't know exactly what kind of connection.

First let's start for the most obvious thing... Paulina's blue polka dot scarf.

It's not the same as Regulus', obviously, but it is very similar. Yet, if this was the only coincidence I wouldn't be making this theory... yet here I am.

Next it's this peace sign sticker that's next to Paulina's picture at the restaurant, but also on Regulus' backpack. Again, on it's own could be just a coincidence, but maybe it's not.

In that picture it says Apple on the background, and there's an apple in that same poster, and I don't think I need to saw how this connects to Regulus. To the side there's also a vinyl disc, like those Regulus always carries with her, which wouldn't be a big deal... except we're in the 1990's, when using CD's was already a lot more popular than vinyls.

And there's also the fact that Paulina's mom married J's father, who was from a world-famous family of alchemists. How is this relevant to Regulus? Well, she's an alchemical genius. Maybe Paulina's mom had an interest in alchemy too and that's how she ended up meeting J's dad.

Now... I want to point out that, at least to me Regulus and Paulina look quite similar.

It's not a one-to-one resemblance, of course, but they look similar enough for me to think they might be related, maybe, especially since Paulina's blue scarf was a gift from her parents. That said... as funny as it'd be to say to Regulus "So you are a mother!", I don't think that's the case at all. Firstly because Paulina is French, while Regulus is British, but most importantly because Paulina is human; she doesn't have any powers at all.

Of course we don't know Regulus' lineage, so she could be only half-arcanist, and therefore she'd be able to have a mostly-human child if she married a pure blood human, but... I don't think that's the case. Sonetto says in ch1 that Regulus' talent is rated "S", which most likely mean she's either pure blood, or very close to it, so any child she had would be at least a half-blood arcanist.

That said... the dates would match. Regulus was 15 in 1966, and lets assume Paulina was the same age when she left J, let's say 1989, one year before the event takes place. That'd mean Paulina was born in 1974, and Regulus would've been 23 years old at that point. However, if she is Paulina's mom, she died very young (around 30 years old?), as we know Paulina and J became orphans soon after becoming sibilings... and, believe it or not, the fact that Regulus would die young is actually hinted at by Mr. Apple in the mini chapter after ch7.

So... it is possible that Regulus had a child with a French person, said child, Paulina, happened to be born without powers despite her arcanist lineage (like Kumar, for example), then they moved to San Francisco, where Regulus met J's father, bonded with him thanks to their shared love of alchemy, got married and then died soon after. However... idk, it doesn't seem right to me? I think there might be different kind of connection between them, although I'm not sure what.

Maybe I'm just losing my head, idk. Most likely, honestly, but it's fun to speculate XD

Anyways, thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.

[mothandpidgeon]

Trick or Treat (Joel Miller Halloween drabble)

Character: Joel Miller

Words: 200

Summary: Just a drabble about Halloween in Jackson

---

Halloween comes to Jackson and it’s just like everything else here— the same but different. 

There’s a party in the dining hall. Hot apple cider and little paper pumpkins while an old, scratched up cd plays "The Monster Mash." 

The kids are sent out for trick or treating. The treats are home made— popcorn and maple sugar candies— but the children love the novelty of it all.  Joel gives out little toys he whittled from scraps of wood. 

The costumes have the same DIY bent. Paper mache crowns for little princesses, sticks painted to look like swords. Sarah used to beg for store bought costumes. Twenty bucks for a thin polyester Power Rangers suit she’d only wear once but nothing else would do. 

He’s just about to call it a night and turn off the front light when the doorbell rings again. On the porch is another nostalgic sight— a group of teenagers with open pillowcases. Their costumes leave much to be desired, too cool to dress up as cowboys or ghosts. 

“Trick or treat.” Ellie stands at the center of the group trying to conceal a mischievous smile. 

Joel realizes that her face is painted with red and purple lines. Around her hairline, there are bits of paper and cardboard glued to her forehead so it looks like there are mushrooms growing out of her skull. 

“Infected, seriously?” Joel asks. 

“What? Too soon?” she replies. 

Joel shakes his head with a sigh.

“Actually, that’s the scariest costume I’ve seen all night.”

[arctic-hands]

Thirty minutes and 9 paragraphs into an excited list of alternatives to Spotify's monopoly re: music, videos, podcasts, audiobooks, for weenies like me who are nervous about pirating, and my app crashes.

Well now I'm on a laptop and I swear to god if this crashes too I'm calling it a conspiracy.

LEGAL ALTERNATIVES TO SPOTIFY:

Music: There are virtually limitless options here. Buy music directly from the musicians/band! If they don't sell mp3s directly from their site, they almost certainly have CDs for sale, so buy those and rip the mp3s to your computer (if your computer doesn't have a CD slot, you can buy an external one for fairly cheap). Go to a new/used music store, they still exist!, and buy albums there. Buy old albums from ebay! Go to goodwill or other thrift stores and browse there collection of cast-off music for cheap, you never know what you'll find. Hell, browse their cheap vinyl if you prefer their sound and get a vinyl-to-MP3 conversion device if you like. They even have conversion devices for cassette tapes, if you find a treasure that was only ever released on tape. Once upon a time I would have said Bandcamp for MP3 or even physical albums (I once upon a time got an AUTOGRAPHED TO MY NAME CD of Lauren Ruth Ward's Well Hell album), but they recently union busted and a lot of artists pulled their stuff from them. I don't really know anything about 7Digital's business practices, but they are another seller of MP3 music, as well as MP4, FLAC, and WAV.

Music DEVICES: If you just want to manage everything on one device, your phone, get the free VLC app! It's open source and is absolutely wonderful. I only ever used it for music, but it's capable of much more than I realized, and it's open source and ad-free! And the audio files are tiny, even when I was running out of room on my sixteen gig old phone, I still had a substantial music library on it before before I got a dedicated music player.

Which brings me to my next point: MP3 PLAYERS STILL EXIST! I own two! My first one is a twenty-dollar SanDisk Clip Jam (an established and sturdy brand), my current is a thirty-dollar Phinistec Z6 (that just came out of nowhere it seems). Each have their pros and cons, and there are so so so many options out there. Some are smart, some don't even have wifi (neither of mine do). Some have expandable card slots for even more music. Some are extremely basic, some have a plethora of features. Some are cheap but still decent in sound, some are high-end for that true audiophile experience. Some have touch screens, some have buttons, some have no screens at all. Some only use wired earphones, some only use bluetooth, some (like the Z6) can use both! There are so many brands out there even in Twenty Twenty-four. Even the random brands cropping up online are some really good shit, and I bought both of mine used bc I have concerns about the lithium industry. Oh, and some are regular battery powered. And you don't need iTunes or anything, I just use the basic Windows Media Player to rip my CDs or put mp3s music on my player. In fact I've been avoiding Apple players because I'm worried they'd brick older devices, especially ones with wifi. But there are so many options out there, it's impossible to name them all.

Audiobooks: YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE AUDIBLE! Libro.fm has a similar business model (an optional subscription fee with a free credit every month, or the option to buy book without a subscription for a little bit extra price), and you can direct the profits to the indie bookseller of your choice! I have mine set to go to Baltimore's anarcho-feminist bookstore, Red Emma's. How to listen to the audiobooks you buy? Libro has an app you can listen to directly from! AND they have the option to directly download from the site (meaning no program you have to install) the book in non-proprietary mp3/mp4 files so you can listen to it on any device that can use those files! THAT INCLUDES MP3 PLAYERS! Almost every music player on the market now not only plays audiobooks, but has sections on the device specifically for them! Some, like the Clip Jam, are even proprietary audible-compatible if you still use or already have books there (check audible's site, and you'll have to go thru a registration process). I was listening to audiobooks on both my CJ and the Z6 (the Z6 doesn't have a section for them, but still played them), but I recently bought an e-ink/e-paper (meaning no backlit LED screen causing eye strain or insomnia) ereader, a Pocketbook Touch HD 3, and that is mp3/mp4 capable for audiobooks, and is easier to maneuver books with since it's meant for books. ALSO: the library apps Hoopla and Libby also have audiobooks you can listen to via phone or computer/browser, depending on your library's catalog. Some ereaders can even have the apps for them, and if they have audiocapabilities you can use the ereader for that too.

Podcasts: There are so many apps for this. I have Podcast Addict (I don't remember off the top of my head if it's on apple, I use android, but there are still so many apps). Literally I only had to sacrifice one podcast when I stopped using spotify, PodcastAddict has everything else I've ever listened to or want to listen to in the future. You can download them for offline use on your phone, and, you guessed it, MOST MP3 PLAYERS HAVE PODCAST SECTIONS TOO. MINE DO! There are still ads at the beginning and end, but I usually skip over them without care.

Video: This one is a bit trickier as YouTube is also a monopoly, but what I do is just watch yt on my phone's Firefox browser with UBlock Origins adblocker installed. Sometimes yt gets into a hissy fit with adblocker, but UBlock usually gets ahead pretty quickly thus far. And if in the periods Origins is losing, I just find something else to do. I'm sure someone else has recommendations for videos, they're just not a big part of my life right now.

Anyway, don't let the horrid beast that is spotify monopoloize the audio industry OR your time! There are options, and even if you're not a luddite like me that hates having everything on my smartphone bc I'm worried about privacy or companies yoinking their stuff off my devices via wifi (like Amazon did once with their copies of, of all things, Nineteen Eighty-four about a decade ago) at the whim of corporations. You HAVE OPTIONS! YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CONTROL YOUR MEDIA AND REJECT MONOPOLIES!

[hardcore-gaming-101]

Gundam 0079: The War for Earth

Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most influential anime series ever created, establishing many of the conventions of the mecha subgenre. In the forty-plus years of its existence, there have been dozens of series and spinoffs, but they generally boil down to political drama involving Earth and its space colonies, featuring a super powerful giant robot called a Gundam. Among the many, many video game tie-ins, one of the most unusual is this CD-ROM FMV title, a co-production between Japanese studio Bandai and American developer Presto Studios, the team behind The Journeyman Project titles. It was originally developed for the short-lived Apple Pippin platform, which Bandai was an ardent supporter of, but was also ported to Windows and Macintosh platforms, as well as the Japanese PlayStation.

Read more...

[madamlaydebug]

Really good information. IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE, put a beneficiary on all of your financial accounts like checking savings CDs, Life Insurance, investments etc. You don't need a will for them to get to your money, just a death certificate. And make a list, preferably by hand instead of your computer, either give it to your trusted person, spouse or put it in your security box at the bank. If the person doesn't know you have a savings account or a CD at XYZ Bank, they can never go get the money. Make sure you have a trusted person that is a signer on the security box at the bank.

🗣 IMPORTANT information to get your affairs in order‼️

💰Make sure all bank accounts have direct beneficiaries. The beneficiary need only go to the bank with your death certificate and an ID of their own.

🏡 TOD = Transfer On Death deed if you own a home. Completing this document and filing it with your county saves your heirs THOUSANDS. This document allows you to transfer ownership of your home to your designee. All they need to do is take their ID and your death certificate to the county building and the deed is signed over. Doing this will avoid the home having to go through probate.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Living Will: Allows one to put in writing exactly what you want done in the event you cannot speak for yourself when it comes to healthcare decisions as well as other final decisions.

👩🏽‍⚖️Durable Power of Attorney: Allows one to designate a person to make legal decisions if you are no longer competent to do so.

🏥Power of Attorney for Healthcare: This document allows one to designate someone to make healthcare decisions for them.

🛍Last Will and Testament: Designates to whom personal belongings will go to, who the Administrator will be. But if you have a beneficiary on any of your financial accounts, that will override a will. For instance if you say I leave all of my possessions to my daughter Susie, but on your savings account the beneficiary is your best friend, then the money goes to your best friend

🪦Funeral Planning Declaration: Allows one to say exactly one’s wishes as far as disposition of the body and the services.

If the above documents are done, you can AVOID probate.

If all the above is not done, you have to open an estate account at the bank. All money that doesn’t have direct beneficiaries goes into this account. You have to have an attorney to open the estate account. The attorney also has to publicize your passing in the newspaper or post publication at the county courthouse, to allow anyone to make a claim on your property. - It’s a complete PAIN.

📚 💳Make a list of all banks and account numbers, all investment institutions with account numbers, lists of credit cards, utility accounts, etc. Leave clear instructions as to how and when these things are paid.

Make sure heirs know where life insurance policies are located. 📂

📝Make 100% sure SOMEONE knows your Apple ID, bank ID account logins and passwords!

🚗 Make sure you have titles for all vehicles, campers, etc!

Set up a TRUST for intended beneficiaries, especially those that are too young, and appoint a trustee of said trust.

MOST IMPORTANTLY!!!! - Talk with those closest to you and make all your wishes KNOWN. Talk to those whom you’ve designated, as well as those close to you whom you did not designate. - Do this to explain why your decisions were made and to avoid any lingering questions or hurt feelings.

⚡️Hope this helps! ⚡️Hope this lights a spark to encourage all your friends and family to take care of these things to make it easier for those we all leave behind!

My hope is that the above list at least helps you start an important conversation with your loved ones...

(REPOST-I DID) and it’s a very necessary conversation

[weclassybouquetfun]

Hannah leading the TED LASSO pack.

Doing tourist tings.

"We saw you from across the bar and we like your vibe.."

With TED LASSO ending (and it is ending. I don't care about all the hedging that still persists about, "We told *this* story", the show's done. They need to hush their butts with that) it's time to look towards the future. What is on the horizon for AFC Richmond.

The cast next gigs...Oooh whee, what's up with that? What's. Up.With.That?

-Jason Sudeikis will appear in Charlie Day's directorial debut FOOL'S PARADISE.

-Hannah Waddingham: Will co-host Eurovision next month, appears in the four part Masterpiece mini TOM JONES

, will appear in THE FALL GUY with Ryan Gosling, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING Part 2, will have a Christmas special and will do voicework in Dan Harmon's animated series for Fox KRAPOPOLIS (alongside Matt Berry and Richard Ayoade) and voicework in 2024's animated film GARFIELD with Chris Pratt voicing the titular lasagne loving cat.

-Brett Goldstein: Brett will also do voice work for GARFIELD. He's also currently writing series two of Apple+'s SHRINKING

-Toheeb Jimoh can be currently seen on POWER on Amazon Prime. He's currently in rehearsals for his return to the stage in ROMEO AND JULIET for the Almedia Theatre.

-Nick Mohammed: Unsure whether the series that he created/writes and stars in INTELLIGENCE will be renewed as a series or as a wrap-up film, Nick has other works going. He costars in MAGGIE MOORES directed by John Slattery (MAD MEN) and stars Tina Fey and Jon Hamm; he will do voicework in the sequel to CHICKEN RUN titled CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET and he has a role in the upcoming Disney+ historical series THE BALLAD OF RENEGADE NELL which will star Alice Kremelberg (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), Frank Dillane, Joely Richardson and Craig Parkinson.

-Jeremy Swift: Will do voice work in the animated cat caper 10 LIVES joining Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo and Simone Ashley. Jeremy also joins the Disney Descendants universe for the musical DESCENDANTS: THE RISE OF RED. He currently has a cd out.

-Phil Dunster: Phil is sticking around Apple TV+ for the time being as he joined series two of their drama SURFACE which stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw (the first season saw her opposite Oliver Jackson-Cohen).

-Juno Temple: Juno was already in the DC universe with a role in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, but now she joins Brett and Cristo in the Marvel world with a role in the upcoming VENOM 3. She also has a role in the upcoming EVEREST about George Mallory's attempt at scaling the mountain. It will star Ewan McGregor, Sam Heughan and Mark Strong. However, before all that, expect to see her in series 5 of FARGO.

-Cristo Fernandez is a jobbing actor. You will hear him in TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEAST as Wheeljack

he will do voicework in SCOOB! HOLIDAY HAUNT, he appears in four shorts, the feature 3 FLOWERS and it was just announced that he's joining series 3 of Apple TV+'s ACAPULCO and the Disney+ adaptation of ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY.

-Moe Jeudy-Lamour (Thierry Zoreaux Van Damme) will costar in the sequel to cousins Stephen and Robbie Amell's film CODE 8. It will be released on Netflix.

New Village People has dropped.

-Moe Hashim: Moe will costar in Roland Emmerich's gladiator series THOSE ABOUT TO DIE.

-Charlie Hiscock: Will appear in Yorgos Lanthimos' POOR THINGS alongside Margaret Qualley, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo.

-Sarah Niles: Will turn up in the long gestating reboot of THE TOXIC AVENGER starring Peter Dinklage, Jane Levy, Elijah Wood, Kevin Bacon and Jacob Tremblay. She can currently be seen in ITVX's RICHES.

-James Lance: Always one for voicework, James has lent his talent to the short HANGING which is the writer debut of background Greyhound Joe Street (far right).

[adafruit]

🎉 💻🍎✨ Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh - Limited-edition Apple computer (1997)

The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (or "TAM") is a limited-edition personal computer released in 1997 to mark Apple's 20th birthday. The TAM was announced almost 20 years to the day after Jobs and Wozniak incorporated the company.

The TAM featured a 250 MHz PowerPC 603ev processor and 12.1" active matrix LCD powered by an ATI 3D Rage II video chipset with 2 MB of VRAM capable of displaying up to 16-bit color at either 800x600 or 640x480 pixels. It had a vertically mounted 4x SCSI CD-ROM and an Apple floppy SuperDrive, a 2 GB ATA hard drive, a TV/FM tuner, an S-Video input card, and a custom-made Bose sound system including two "Jewel" speakers and a subwoofer built into the externally located power supply "base unit".

A thick "umbilical" cable connects the base unit to the head unit, supplying both power, and communications for the subwoofer.

This one was a lot of fun to photo, put together, and check out the video - rare footage!

[regretsretrotech]

Other Sides of the Coin

That phrase is the guiding philosophy for my computer collection: lets unpack it.

First off, I've been around PC's all my life. While I don't remember it, the family's XT clone, then a 486 and onwards. I know PC's in and out. While they are fascinating machines in their own right, they aren't the only computers out there.

So what is out there? Many systems, all shapes and sizes, commercial and enterprise machines that never see the light of day until they are scrapped and the consumer machines meant for the home. For me the commerical and enterprise machines don't hold that much allure, they are curiosities for sure and one of two of them may find their way into my collection but that's for later. I focus on consumer machines currently.

But wait, there are many of those machines!? How do I keep myself from drowning in silicon and rocks we tricked to think?

Representatives.

You'll see this more in the earlier systems that had a vast array of systems that either competed with the example in my collection or preceded it. CP/M systems were many in a vibrant competitive ecosystem, I simply cannot own an example of every kind that is out there, so instead I settle on a well known unit and say it represents what the other units are.

Lastly, I sort the collection into bittiness and while my decisions are arbitrary and subjective, there is method behind them:

8 Bit Systems: Everyone will think of systems like the C64 but I also class systems like the PC/XT and the TI99/4a in the same category.

Limited color palettes and sounds

expectation to load software from 5.25" disks, cassette tape or cartridge ROM's.

BASIC in ROM.

Majority of the IO or internal operations done in 8 bits.

Limited RAM to 1MB or less.

Examples in my collection:

Commadore C64/C128

IBM PC/XT

Apple IIeP (Representative for the Apple II line)

Kaypro 4-84(Representative for the CP/M ecosystem.)

Texas Instruments TI99/4a

Timex Sinclare 1000

Missing:

Atari 8 bit. :(

16 Bit Systems: Here the lines start to blur and you'll see why.

Enhanced colors and sounds

Expected to load software from hard drives and 3.5" disks, gone are cassettes and cartridges for computers.

Faster CPU's

Majority of the system conducts itself in 16 bit operations.

RAM expanding above 1MB.

Expected to run GUI's

Examples:

Commadore Amiga 1000

Atari ST520

Apple IIgs (16 bit CPU but does everything in 8 bits)

Apple Mac Plus

IBM PC/AT (HA)

Clone PC/386 (full 32 bit CPU but all IO is 16 bits)

32 Bit Systems (Early)

Why do I say early? The 386 is a 32 bit CPU, but it's in the 16 bit category. And to that, I say the 386 didn't have a standard 32 bit expansion slot for it to use, a CPU like the 486 had two.

High color resolutions, and high fidelity sound capabilities.

Hard drives are standard equipment now.

CPU's pushing mid double digit speeds.

Multiple megabytes of RAM are expected

GUI's and multimedia.

CD-ROM is the new hotness

Examples:

Gateway 2000 4dx2/66V

Apple Performa 630CD

Missing:

Commadore Amiga 2000/3000

Atari Falcon

32 Bit Systems (Late)

At this point we are seeing the foundations of the modern computers as we know them today.

Unlimited Colors and Resolutions

Hard drives pushing dozens of gigabytes

RAM in the hundreds of Megabytes

Advanced CPU's with SIMD instructions running at several hundreds of Mhz.

Advanced OS's

Examples:

Compaq Deskpro EN866

Apple Imac G3(750)

Missing:

To be decided

The tail end:

Here the lines blur to the point it's difficult to call, so it's here where I plant the end of my collection, at least for now.

The modern computer as we know it has been invented and we start to shed the legacy of decades of computers that came before them. It is here that the coin has become flat. Apple is still doing their own thing with the Power PC's but will soon drop them in favor of x86. Intel is scratching it's head at the Pentium 4, AMD is ruling the roost with it's wildly successful Athlon processor.

There may be a home for systems in this era in the future as memories coalesces into nostalgia. There is already a root forming with two systems that blur the late 32 bit system lines, a Pentium 4 XP box and a Sawtooth G4.

Perhaps I'll get a G5. That would really blur the lines.

Thank you for reading.

Here is were I will put my wish list. Some of these systems are my biege whales, I would love an Amiga 4000T but at the costs of these machines, it is unlikely without shelling out as much as a decent used car.

Commadore Amiga 4000T

This machine doesn't have a direct comparison with either a PC or a Macintosh, but there are contemporary machines that would be added to the collection with it.

IMSAI or Altair 8800

Mostly for it's front panel toggling goodness. I'd reasonably be just as happy with something like a modern clone for me to twiddle the switches but still have something usable afterwards.

[retrocgads]

UK 1987

[bakedbakermom]

Wattpad's New AI-Review System and "The Purge"

source

What's Happening?

The past week or so, there have been reports of user's stories getting shadow-banned (delisted from rankings) and sometimes even removed. This is due to Wattpad's recent deployment of an AI-powered tool used by their support team. (Source) The tool is designed to aid Wattpad in flagging guideline-breaking content with manual reviews of the stories flagged. When a story gets flagged, it is "shadow-banned" (i.e. removed from rankings and searches) until it's been reviewed by staff.

If your story has been removed, you can contact Wattpad Support to appeal the decision.

Also important: Wattpad's "age of consent" rule has been updated. Previously, it followed the Canadian federal law of sixteen (16) years or older. On April 15th, 2024, the guidelines will be updated to reflect the new age of consent requirements of 18+.

That means for content including sexual acts between characters, both characters must be eighteen (18) or older. More tame acts (i.e. kissing, holding hands) between underage (16+ years old) characters is still fine and sex can be alluded to, but may not be described. Please review the News and Updates channel for the full text.

What Is The "Wattpad Purge"?

The "Wattpad Purge" is one of the terms given to Wattpad's recent surge in removing stories.

As mentioned above, the AI tool flags the content for manual review by a human. This simply means that it's the same process as before, just faster. Most likely, users will continue to encounter the same roadblocks they have before - little to no information about why their story was removed, no notification of removal, etc.

If what they said is true, the AI has no connection to the removal of content beyond flagging it.

Is this only targeting LGBT+-related content?

At the moment, this is only a rumor. There are a few reports of non-LGBT+ stories being shadow-banned. However, plenty of authors have reported their LGBT+ stories have been affected. I, personally, have had my LGBT+-related content shadow-banned, though I've noticed my favorite author's are not (albeit, they are popular stories).

What can I do?

Realistically? Not much. Wattpad's support team are notoriously slow and often times actually unhelpful. You can contact Wattpad Support and ask about your works being shadow-banned, but nothing is guaranteed.

But, what you can do - and this is unanimously recommended by old-timers like me - is, please for the love of God, BACK UP YOUR STORIES! It is the most important thing for you to do for any kind of projects, not just writing. Back it up! Save it on a flash drive, the cloud, on an external hard drive, CD, tape, whatever you have! Heck, write it down in a notebook if you have to!

Write it off Wattpad, copy and paste it to there later. (Related: u/Anna__V's "PSA: Don't Write on Wattpad") There are a variety of programs you can use! Microsoft Office (Word online is free), Google Docs, Apple's Pages app, LibreOffice, etc. Someone was even advertising a program they were working on (Sonovel), and it cloud saves! For more recommendations, please check the Writing Resources document.

Forget it, I'm leaving Wattpad!

Looking for alternatives? (Related: Popular platforms that arent as bad as Wattpad) Here's a small list:

RoyalRoad

Inkitt

Tablo

Writer's Cafe

Penana

Archive of Our Own

Important to note: Users will be able to download a copy of your works.

For those looking to move to AO3, please see these related posts: [AO3 Etiquette] | [1] | [2]

[youcanstayhere]

What each Stray Kids Member was like in Real Life

Bang Chan: OH MY GAWWD??? He was the one who shocked me the most. He looks so much more handsome in real life than pictures. He looks like a prince. I couldn’t get over how good looking he was. And his abs….were immaculate. Not to mention his chest..arms.. Adam’s apple.. like the man is GORGEOUS and pictures don’t do justice AT ALL. If you see him, you will be so shocked like??? I kept on gushing about him to my friend the whole night…. Unbelievable.

Changbin: okay people were screaming over him so much, like he was so popular with stays and I could TOTALLY SEE WHY. The way he dances is…and his rap LIVE???? Even better than anything I’ve heard on Spotify or CDs. It was so powerful & so clear. He definitely knows how to captivate the audience!! So much stage presence, humor, like whenever he would come near you can’t help but feel close to him. He’s so fun and interactive & down to earth.

Leeknow: no, I refuse to believe any human being could be THIS gorgeous. He was too shining like there’s a halo glowing from this perfect sculpture… he looked like the most handsome Japanese actor one could ever find. like..every part of his features were just so perfect. Like he looks good looking on screen, we all know that. But he looks even more beautiful in real life, like seriously, glowing.

Hyunjin: I…have no words. During soundcheck he came over to my section so many times. When I first saw him come over to my section…even his aura was so captivating. The way he walks. His gestures. His face was so….handsome doesn’t do it. He has something that really pulls you in. My heart was beating so fast. Even if he just moves casually to the rhythm, he’s like art??? I can’t say anything more because my heart still aches idk. too many emotions seeing him.

Han: okay I’m actually kinda sad because jisung is my bias wrecked and he didn’t come to my section, hardly at all so I never got to see him closely… 😭😭 but from what I observed, he was sooo interactive with the fans, like he would read so many signs and would talk to people, have funny reactions, and would smile such a big genuine smile that it made me happy. his live is so so so good too. and he’s always so funny haha

Felix: no. I will not be able to talk about him without crying…the boy’s literally an angel. he tried to go to every corner of the stage, he waved to his fans every chance he could get. he was so sweet and he never once stopped smiling. but also when he’s performing, he’s incredibly sexy and smooth & charismatic. I’m kinda sad he didn’t get to look at my section but I’m just glad he was literally trying to go to every corner and was waving constantly 😭😭 he’s so intentional and considerate..

Seungmin: yeah, seungmin was kinda bias wrecking me. his vocals? so stable. his voice is really clear and pretty…but on top of that, he kept smiling and looked genuinely so happy to see his fans. he would also point to many people, many signs and read them, and blow so many kisses haha! He made me laugh so much! And I think our eyes met once when we were both dancing to miroh (I was fairly close to him). he was so cute and charming 🫶

I.N.: okay this boys vocals improved so much and he’s really really stable & great at singing live.. I truly think he sounds even better live than on recordings. he was shy and cute, like you’d feel so protective over him. I was kinda sad he didn’t come by my section so I didn’t get to see him from that close but he was smiling the whole time too..I LOVED hearing him singing creep. That was unexpected but he did it so well 😭

[illarian-rambling]

Pineapple, for the food ask game?

🍍 Pineapple - If your character could steal one thing from a supermarket, what would they steal?

.

Ok, for the sake of funny, let's put these fantasy weirdos in a modern american walmart

Izjik: Other than food, which she doesn't think should cost money in general, her pockets would be absolutely stuffed with power tools she finds interesting. She is an enthusiastic, if not a subtle, shoplifter.

Sepo: As a very paranoid person, he'd take a little prepper kit with him. Water, canned food, a few knives, duct tape, waterproof tarps... and ok, maybe some nice jewelry too. Or a few CDs. No one will miss those.

Twenari: Books! Why do books cost money! The books you can find at a walmart aren't great, but she'd take them on principle.

Djek: Any and everything. Djek is the friend whose pockets you have to check anytime you go out shopping. He nab anything from a ham sandwich to a shotgun.

Astra: Screw the goods, she's going for the forklift they have in the back. By the time people think to check, it and half the parking lot's catalytic converters will be gone.

Mashal: He's probably the only one of my characters without sticky fingers. Mashal wouldn't steal from a walmart, but he would 100% take all the animals from a pet-co and relocate them to happier homes.

Ivander: Blueboy has shmoney, so he wouldn't really need to steal, but if he had the desire for some reason, he'd go for the highest value item and put a few apple watches in his pocket.

Thanks for the ask!

[inspofromancientworld]

The Venus of Milo and its Ancient Origins

By John Nelson Arnold - Brown University: http://library.brown.edu/cds/portraits/display.php?idno=114, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45655293

Sarah Helen Power Whitman was an American transcendentalist, poet, and essayist who lived from 1803-1878. She was born in Providence, Rhode Island When she was 25, she married John Winslow Whitman, co-editor of the Boston Spectator and Ladies' Album, allowing Sara to publish her poetry in it. John died when Sarah was 30 and they didn't have children. She was friends with many intellectuals, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller. She was also interested in the occult and hosted séances in her home. She was also a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and he walked past her home in 1845. She wrote a Valentines Day poem to him in 1848, which he then heard about. He sent her anonymously a previously printed poem. After she responded to that, he wrote her a new poem, referencing the first time he saw her. They met, though on the way to meet her, Poe took two doses of laudanum so he was quite ill when he arrived. He spent four days with her and was concerned that so many of her friends were Transcendentalists. They continued to exchange letters, though, and discussed getting engaged. They agreed to marriage in late 1848, but Sarah's mother found out that Poe was courting other women at the same time, however it was news that Poe had broken his vow to remain sober that ended the relationship. In 1860, eleven years after Poe died, she wrote a letter in defense of Poe against his critics. In 1853, she published a collection of her own poetry. In her will, she allotted most of the money from her estate to publish a book of her and her sister's poetry with the remainder to go to the Providence Association for the Benefit of Colored Children and the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

By Shonagon - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145514697

The Venus de Milo, or the Aphrodite of Melos, is a statue from the 2nd century BCE, most likely between 160-110 BCE, that was found again in 1829 and is now in the Louvre. Its thought to be a statue of Aphrodite and is most well known for missing both arms. A hand with an apple in it was found near by and modern studies support the initial identification of the hand going with the statue, leading to the identification of the apple as the apple of discord.

In the poem, the statue, and the goddess it represents, is called '[g]oddess of dreams, mother of love and sorrow'. Sarah also states that the goddess is 'so serene and tender,/In the calm after-bloom of life,/More fair than when of old they sea-born splendor/Surprised the senses of Olympian Jove', that her age brings her increased beauty, or maybe '[t]hy face seems touched with pity for the anguish/Of earth's disconsolate and lonely hearts;/For all the lorn and loveless lives that languish/In solitary homes and sordid marts'.

You can read the whole poem here.

[astarab1aze]

REPOST — DON’T REBLOG. BOLD any which apply to your muse ! feel free to add to the list !

WHAT ARE YOUR MUSE’S AESTHETICS ?

COLORS — red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. violet. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green. bubblegum pink. sky blue. pale jade. coral.

ELEMENTS — fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops. shadows. blood. animus. divinity.

WEAPONS — fists. legs. shortsword. longsword. broadswoard. buster sword. dagger. spear. bow & arrow. crossbow. pike. hammer. twinblade. shield. poison. blowgun. bolas. guns. bats. traps. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. acid. explosives. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katana. maces. staffs. wands. powers. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. claws. teeth. stealth. strategy. summoning an ally. sniping. rifles. shotguns. improvised weapons.

MATERIALS — gold. silver. copper. platinum. titanium. rose gold. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. ivory. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. feathers. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics. ribbon. ink.

NATURE — grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. sunflowers. tulips. lavender. wisteria. petals. cherry blossom. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. fungi. ocean. river. frozen lake. meadow. valley. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rain forest. crystal caves. underwater. beach. waves. space. clouds. mountains. snow. mist. pond. sky.

ANIMALS — lions. wolves. foxes. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. dodo. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. rabbits. penguins. praying mantises. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. werewolves. scorpions. unicorns. pegasus. dragons. ladybugs. scarabs. hummingbirds. cicadas.

FOODS &. DRINKS — sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. vodka. beer. coffee. sake. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. blackberries. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. ambrosia. eggs. milk. stew. whiskey.

HOBBIES — music. art. watercolors. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. writing. composing. cooking. baking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. war tactics. electronics. technology. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theater. libraries. books. magazines. cds. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. accordion. strings. violin. guitar. electronic guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. flute. bells. exploring. tea ceremonies. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. skateboarding. motorcycle riding. car driving. eating. sleeping. climbing. running. jogging. parkour. soccer. studying. people watching. shopping. alchemy. collecting.

MISCELLANEOUS — balloons. bubbles. cityscape. light. dark. clear. candles. mystery. growth. decay. war. peace. money. power. law. percussion. justice. clocks. ballpoint pens. photos. mirrors. lighters. pets. diary. journal. fairy lights. truth. deception. madness. sanity. death. sadness. wisdom. realism. happiness. optimism. pessimism. logic. loneliness. family. friends. clan. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. poison. drugs. kindness. love. hugs. kisses. spring. summer. autumn. winter. farmland. countryside. suburban. village. metropolitan. hospitals.