#Full Activated Software

[dontp42ic]

I’ve found this thing helpful if anyone is interested in alternatives.

[wistelligence]

honestly i think my favorite part of using photoshop CS2 in this, the year of our lord 2023, is that sometimes it gets so excited to be Open and Running on a modern computer that it refuses to stop being on screen when i switch windows unless i actively minimize it, like having to gently but firmly take a cat off the counter and put them back on the floor

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Gackt - Vanilla 1999

Gackt is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and actor. He has been active since 1993, first as the frontman of the short-lived independent band Cains:Feel, and in 1995-1998 the visual kei rockband Malice Mizer, before starting his solo career in 1999. He has released nine studio albums and, with forty-eight singles released, holds the male soloist record for most top ten consecutive singles in Japanese music history. Besides being established in the modern entertainment industry and a pop icon, Gackt's music has been used as theme songs for video games, video game films, anime series/films, and television series. In addition to his music career, Gackt has acted and voice acted, including characters inspired by him in video games like Bujingai and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. He also provided the voice samples for the Vocaloid software Gackpoid.

Gackt released his second single "Vanilla", from his first full-length studio album Mars (2000), on August 11, 1999. "Vanilla" is one of his most popular and commercially successful songs. It peaked at number four on the Oricon Singles Chart and charted for ten weeks. With 248,360 copies sold, it was the 89th best-selling single of the year, and it was certified Gold by RIAJ. The single was later re-released in 2002. It charted for six weeks, reaching number twelve. "Vanilla" is a favourite among fans, particularly because of a live performance from Gackt's Mars tour, which contained a large amount of fanservice with Masa, his guitarist at the time.

"Vanilla" received a total of 72,5% yes votes!

[shinobicyrus]

// An AI company wants to pay you cryptocurrency to absorb your biometric data through their steel orbs. What problems could possibly come from that???

[milksockets]

why scan?

scanning is something i've done for probably about 12 years now (i'm ancient, for this site), with varying degrees of regularity, intensity, etc. it has ratcheted up since the dawn of 2023, though, which begs the question: why? why put so much time into what could not-wrongly be considered a passive activity, hunched over a piece of clunky machinery with the express purpose of preserving others' creations? the answers are several, and fascinating (not really).

i am a [sober] drug addict. anything i pursue, consume, create--more often than not--ends up taking on addictive qualities. i'll eat the same specific food item for a month, then never want to see, let alone taste it, again. i'll listen to one song on repeat for days until i'd rather hear nails on a chalkboard than have it shuffle on and assault my ears. one of the reasons that my scanning has increased in volume recently is that i acquired library cards to the 3 nyc library systems: nypl, brooklyn, and queens. as soon as i was able to, i pillaged + plundered those fine centers of learning, leaving any given library with as many hefty scan-worthy books as i could [barely] carry. here, finally, was a *free* way of obtaining more + more + more visual media to consume.

2023 saw me get my first legal, full-time job. as such, my adjusting to that hellish reality resulted in a steep decline in my own personal creative output. collaging, writing, and rapping all fell to the wayside as i slowly acclimated to a life of work that almost everyone else my age has known for over a decade is generally unbearable + detrimental to the maintenance of outside pursuits. in times of famine within my own artistic harvest, scanning, archiving, and sharing others' work is a means of feeling as though i am still contributing to the global oeuvre.

there’s an element of losing my mental self in a series of physical motions that becomes almost automatic after some time. “zoning out” is not something endemic to my daily life; if anything, i’m almost always too zoned in. relief is necessary.  especially considering the shitshow this past year has been in terms of my personal life.

i am a product of capitalism’s cultivating a craving for constant consumption. 

it seems that visual content is only going to continue to get more + more uninspired. has everything been done? did social media ruin it all? in any case, i feel a need to document the past. to a degree, it’s my version of doomsday prepping. (god forbid books go extinct altogether.) 

i have always gravitated towards solitary activities. this topic could be a thesis in its own right.

i thrive on external validation. this reliance is something i’ve improved upon over the past several years, but it hasn’t been altogether extinguished. even though the materials i scan are not of my own creation, i nevertheless feel a vague pride in showcasing them. occasional appreciation thereof satisfies this fixation on others’ attention, albeit in a diluted form. 

i am fortunate to live in a city bursting to the gills with cultural institutions. i am also lucky enough to have some disposable income that can be directed toward fulfilling my ravenous desire for visual media. 

((i keep getting messages about the specifics of my scanner + "process":

i have a cheap ass hp envy 6055e and i just use the software it comes with.

there's nothing special or fancy happening here, and i could definitely invest in a better and/or a large format scanner, etc. but i really just don't care enough and it's not like i'm getting paid for this lmao))

[mariacallous]

In early September, the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a series of sweeping investigations and indictments into Russian information projects aimed at disrupting the 2024 U.S. presidential election. One of these projects, which secretly funded right-wing influencers to promote former President Donald Trump’s campaign, is an escalation from prior Russian information operations, such as their email hacks during the 2016 election.

But another Russian team, described in a planning document published by the Department of Justice, approached disrupting the election a little bit less directly.

The Russian plan describes the “Good Ol’ USA Project” as a “guerrilla media” campaign intended to target “sentiments that should be exploited in the course of an information campaign in/for the United States.” Written by Ilya Gambashidze, a figure already facing sanctions for his disinformation work aimed at smearing Ukraine, the document suggests focusing influence efforts on the “community of American gamers, users of Reddit and image boards, such as 4Chan,” since they are the “backbone of the right-wing trends” online in the United States.

The inclusion of gamers in this campaign points at emerging dynamics in a global struggle over human rights online—one that policymakers need to pay closer attention to.

According to the Entertainment Software Association, a trade group, around 65 percent of Americans—or 212 million people—regularly play video games. Globally, video games generate more than $280 billion in revenue, far larger than traditional culture industries such as film or book publishing. While a trickle of stories about other attempts to push Russian propaganda in video games have attracted some scrutiny from journalists, the question remains: Apart from scale, what is it about gamers that Russia thinks will make them receptive to its messaging?

For starters, video game culture has already become an important venue for extremist right-wing groups to share and normalize their ideas. Far-right groups modify video games to be more explicitly racist and violent than their designers intended. Even gaming spaces designed for children, such as Roblox, which allows players to create their own game worlds and storylines, have attracted thousands of people (many of them young teenagers) to use the game’s freewheeling mechanics to play-act fascist violence.

The prevalence of hate groups has shaped video games into a place where culture and politics are debated, often contentiously, with predictable fault lines emerging along U.S. partisan boundaries. While the industry itself has made considerable progress in improving representation and reducing acts of horrific sexual violence, it has received pushback from far-right figures who are angry at the so-called “wokes” for supposedly “ruining games.”

For a decade, repeated efforts to “reclaim” gaming from an imagined enemy composed of women, Black people, and LGBT+ folks have bubbled up from the darkest corners of the internet, often in places such as Reddit (where this Russian campaign aimed its influence activity). These movements have spilled over into more mainstream political movements that can shape election outcomes. Consider how Gamergate, a 2014 campaign to terrorize women working in the industry into invisibility, metastasized into an online troll army working to get former U.S. President Donald Trump elected in 2016.

These far-right efforts are ongoing, even without Russian help. Last year, a group of gamers who were angry at inclusive representation in games launched a harassment campaign—colloquially called Gamergate 2.0—against a story consulting company.

Earlier this year, when Ubisoft began promoting the latest installment of its popular Assassin’s Creed franchise, this time set in feudal Japan, the trailer prominently featured Yasuke, an African man who served as a samurai in 16th-century Japan. Despite being based on a real historical figure, this movement (egged on by X owner and billionaire Elon Musk) raged at the decision, as if acknowledging Black people in the past was somehow bad. In their quest to sow division within the United States, Russian information operations analysts do not need to look very far to find political allies in gaming communities.

It helps that Russia enjoys greater social legitimacy in gaming than it does in, say, news journalism. You can see this legitimacy reflected in the language gamers that use as they play. Around the same time as Gamergate, a vulgar Russian phrase began popping up in the chats that players use to communicate with each other in non-Russian game streams, primarily in the multiplayer first-person shooter Counterstrike: Global Offensive. The game has around 4 million Russian players, and as it grew in popularity in the mid-2010s, the Russian obscenity cyka blyad became common invective during frustrating moments of play. Its widespread adoption among non-Russian-speaking gamers struck many as odd.

Cyka blyad rose in prominence alongside Russia’s descent into becoming an international pariah, which has limited the spaces where Russian gamers can play games online. In 2014, Russia passed a law requiring websites that store the personal information of Russian citizens to do so on servers inside the country. This was compounded in 2022, when companies ranging from Activision Blizzard to Nintendo protested the invasion of Ukraine by either suspending sales or shutting down Russia-specific services. Despite its residents representing around 10 percent of Counterstrike’s player base, there are no host servers for the game anywhere in Russia.

So, when Russian players log on to find players for a match, they use servers based in Europe or sometimes North America. These servers place them into direct contact with players on the other side of international conflicts—something that many players within the European Union found deeply frustrating after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, as their games became places where people would argue about the annexation.

But another reason why Russian slang began infiltrating non-Russian gaming spaces is that after years of censorship and exclusion from both Russian and Western governments, games are one of the only spaces direct exchanges between ordinary Russian and Western people. Russians lack access to many Western social media platforms—such as Instagram (blocked by the Russian government in 2022, though earlier this year some Russian users regained access)—and were locked out of Western game stores, even as they kept access to many online games. As a result, matches in a game such as Counterstrike or Fortnite became one of the only places where these informal cultural exchanges could take place.

This narrowing of exchange spaces highlights how video games can become useful conduits for propaganda, and it demonstrates that video games are becoming an important, if underappreciated, site for ideological disputes over politics, speech, identity, and expression.

Other countries have begun to use video games for strategic communication. The U.S. government operates semiprofessional esports teams through the Defense Department, whose remit includes convincing young people to become interested in enlistment. China launched a military-produced first-person shooter game to boost recruitment and to humanize the image of the People’s Liberation Army abroad.

The Chinese developers of the hugely popular game Black Myth: Wukong instructed gaming influencers who were given early access to avoid discussing “feminist propaganda” while reviewing the game, apparently to adhere to government censorship rules. And Russian propaganda about the country’s war with Ukraine has begun appearing in games that allow user-generated content, such as Minecraft and the aforementioned Roblox, as the Kremlin seeks to persuade Westerners to end their support for Ukrainian freedom. In response, the U.S. State Department has begun developing its own games intended to train players to resist Russian disinformation.

This isn’t an abstract challenge. Scholars have drawn linkages between Russia’s propaganda efforts and President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as both bots and human agents aggressively pushed narratives about the need to “pacify” an ostensibly violent Ukraine by invading. The invasion was further justified by the myth of Novorossiya, or a pan-Russian identity that views Ukrainians as misguided Russians who need to be forcibly reclaimed.

These efforts to spread propaganda through gaming are rarely successful. Few people wanted to, say, join Hezbollah after the Lebanese militant group launched its own game, Special Force, in 2003. The terrorist group al Qaeda has used video games for recruitment since 2006, but there is little evidence that any meaningful number of people have been recruited because of it. Scholars have fretted for years over the “militarization” of video games as the Pentagon gets more and more involved in the industry, yet U.S. military recruitment is in long-term decline, and public confidence in the nation’s military is at a two-decade low. If games-based propaganda works, we do not yet know where or how it does.

The revelations about Russian video game propaganda hint at some intriguing innovation in how strategic messages might be spread through nontraditional channels, but they also point to the areas where traditional channels for propaganda have closed down. Despite efforts by Republicans in Congress to falsely accuse agencies such as the Global Engagement Center of partisan bias when addressing foreign misinformation, the U.S. government takes the challenge seriously and, as this 2022 report on the propaganda channels , is working to thwart many of Russia’s best efforts to target Americans with propaganda, like when they sanctioned several Russian oligarchs who had been financing US-directed misinformation.

But even beyond government counterprogramming, there are plenty of obstacles to Russia’s efforts within the world of gaming. For example, Ukraine’s video games industry is respected in the United States and Europe. The developer 4A, which was based in Kyiv before the invasion, produces popular games such as the Metro franchise. That company, however, had to fly its employees abroad to keep them safe from the indiscriminate Russian barrages against the Ukrainian capital and other cities. This sent shockwaves through the industry, as it made some of the consequences of the invasion seem more viscerally real even to people who do not follow politics closely.

As a result of American and European sanctions, Russians have a more difficult experience legally purchasing software and services such as online gaming. (Some Russian game companies have since relocated abroad to more neutral countries, such as Cyprus, to continue operating globally). Wargaming, the Belarusian company that makes World of Tanks, also fled to Cyprus, which has become an informal hub of Russian game companies.

Looking forward, there are real questions about what video games are going to become in the information war between Russia and the West. Russian censors have proposed deploying neural networks to search for banned content in games, but it is unclear whether those systems might disrupt gaming for everyone else.

Long before the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow forced Activision to censor the infamous airport sequence in the rerelease of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (in which players assume the role of a Chechen terrorist and can slaughter hundreds of screaming civilians at Sheremetyevo International Airport), and it has not been shy about using government coercion to erase LGBT+ people from gaming (paralleling to its embrace of the U.S. far right). Policymakers should look at ensuring that global communication platforms—and that is what video games are—remain open to free speech and safeguard other basic human rights.

While the latest Russian effort to target games seems to have been thwarted by the U.S. Justice Department, there will undoubtedly be more programs looking to repeat and extend the success of Gamergate in empowering the far right, perhaps this time by enabling it to obstruct effective governance in the United States. The Good Ol’ USA Project also targeted its influence operations toward websites such as Reddit and 4Chan, both of which are as central to the sustainment of far-right movements as gaming. Emerging platforms—which range from popular Chinese games to channels such as the online chat service Discord, which is difficult to monitor at scale and routinely hosts leaks of sensitive military documents—present new opportunities where Russian influence could be targeted.

These strange spaces are the frontier where a global battle for speech is being fought.

[bubonickitten]

The ALA's State of America's Libraries Report for 2024 is out now.

2023 had the highest number of challenged book titles ever documented by the ALA.

You can view the full PDF of the report here. Book ban/challenge data broken down by state can be found here.

If you can, try to keep an eye on your local libraries, especially school and public libraries. If book/program challenges or attacks on library staff are happening in your area, make your voice heard -- show up at school board meetings, county commissioner meetings, town halls, etc. Counterprotest. Write messages of support on social media or in your local papers. Show support for staff in-person. Tell others about the value of libraries.

Get a library card if you haven't yet -- if you're not a regular user, chances are you might not know what all your library offers. I'm talking video games, makerspaces (3D printers, digital art software, recording equipment, VR, etc.), streaming services, meeting spaces, free demonstrations and programs (often with any necessary materials provided at no cost!), mobile WiFi hotspots, Library of Things collections, database subscriptions, genealogy resources, and so on. A lot of electronic resources like ebooks, databases, and streaming services you can access off-site as long as you have a (again: free!!!) library card. There may even be services like homebound delivery for people who can't physically come to the library.

Also try to stay up to date on pending legislation in your state -- right now there's a ton of proposed legislation that will harm libraries, but there are also bills that aim to protect libraries, librarians, teachers, and intellectual freedom. It's just as important to let your representatives know that you support pro-library/anti-censorship legislation as it is to let them know that you oppose anti-library/pro-censorship legislation.

Unfortunately, someone being a library user or seeing value in the work that libraries do does not guarantee that they will support libraries at the ballot. One of the biggest predictors for whether libraries stay funded is not the quantity or quality of the services, programs, and materials it offers, but voter support. Make sure your representatives and local politicians know your stance and that their actions toward libraries will affect your vote.

Here are some resources for staying updated:

If you're interested in library advocacy and staying up to date with the challenges libraries are facing in the U.S., check out EveryLibrary, which focuses on building voter support for libraries.

Book Riot has regular articles on censorship attempts taking place throughout the nation, which can be found here, as well as a Literary Activism Newsletter.

The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom focuses on the intellectual freedom component of the Library Bill of Rights, tracks censorship attempts throughout each year, and provides training, support, and education about intellectual freedom to library staff and the public.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation focuses on intellectual freedom in the digital world, including fighting online censorship and illegal surveillance.

I know this post is long, but please spread the word. Libraries need your support now more than ever.

[tempural]

Pertinent community guidelines for artists on BlueSky, especially in regards to adult art AKA PORNography.

from the community guidelines:

no "content portraying minors in a sexually explicit context", so if you're Steven King don't write the kids from IT having an orgy in the sewers while pennywise dances

no "depictions of excessive violence, gore, torture, dismemberment, or non-consensual sexual activity". Using specifically the word "depictions" makes me think that they're intentionally covering cartoon art as well as real violence. But of course there's still a vibrant guro tag:

https://bsky.app/search?q=guro

there's stuff in the noncon tag

https://bsky.app/search?q=noncon

And I'm sure there's people posting horrific gruesome special effects makeup from horror movies in other tags.

Just because there's people posting in the tag doesn't mean it's allowed. And any faceless platform can pull the rug from you, or change the rules without warning, or, or…

So I'll happily stay on my current fediverse server and feel safe posting horrible gruesome centipedes in vaginas ☺ The finances seem stable, the moderators feel good (haven't seen any racists or nazis), and I can just link my art to anyone who wants to see it on other platforms. The rules are clear enough to distinguish works of art and writing from actual real videos and photos of death and torture and abuse.

But the wonderful thing about "federation" is that we can talk to each other no matter what site we are on :D Who knows if the bridge between fedi and bluesky will keep working with me if the content rules are different though :P

SO! If you are already on the fediverse (which includes Mastodon, misskey, ruffy, and other softwares), you can follow me on blorbo.social and we can talk to each other normally without any complex tech gimmicks. You can also dm/message/email me for an invite to blorbo.social. Or just sign up yourself!

If you're on BlueSky, you can follow me on the mirror of my Fediverse account :D (you can also create your own fedi->bsky mirror)

The mirror will post the same things I post that are public, which includes my art and other's posts that I share. If you follow the bridge account (which creates your own mirror), then you can reply to my posts on Bsky, and I can reply to you from my Mastodon account, and we can hold hands and sing.

It's kinda complex and full of tech jargon, so if you don't want to do all that, it's fine. It's an option if you have 5 minutes to spend. And my art will always be available to see on various sites including my own that do not require log-in to view.

Thanks for reading. This post was copy/pasted from my fedi account (woohoo 5000 word limit), then edited with more information lol.

[kit-williams]

Modern!Space Marine AU

Blame @pluvio-tea because I've been reading her interpretations of what Titus and the gang would be doing in the modern day and I got enough people encouraging me... so...

@bispecsual @egrets-not-regrets @moodymisty @bleedingichorhearts @liar-anubiass-blog

@thevoidscreams @barn-anon @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan @squishyowl @ms--lobotomy

@nekotaetae @sleepyfan-blog @remembrancer-of-heresy @felinisnoctis @solspina

@the-californicationist

lets begin

Note: a lot of them will be ex military though in honesty you could make them all ex military just if I mention they are ex military its more so they are a recent ex military

The Dark Angel; Azazel: In a modern setting I see him as still being active military but now behind a desk and more so working for the Intelligence community and interrogations but he tells people that he still does work as a military therapist which isn't exactly a lie. The excitable young woman that works with him is a nice distraction...

The Emperor's Children; Palion: Is a Tailor and a Costume Designer he loves to make fancy outfits that glitter in the light and is inspired by a tragic Muse...

The Iron Warrior; Harram: Military Contractor (still very much as a Dad bod in this universe) with a focus on construction so like infrastructure and building. He's recently moved and there is a nice widow right new door...

The White Scar; Nogai: Racing (he's a white scar) with a focus on motocross on both bikes and ATVs. However he also likes to do rally races with his navigator Honey... he may or might not enjoy the steadfast and commanding tone she takes when she’s in the co-driver seat and in the zone as they race a little too much...

The Space Wolf; Arkyn: Another Ex military (given that he was a captain) so at the moment he is learning how to transition back to being a civvie but he's recently learned he enjoys helping at the local wildlife rehabilitation center. The other retired military woman who works there helps sooth his wild soul...

The Imperial Fist; Astel: Black market Doctor and Chemist operating without a license. He makes house calls and is good for what he does but sometimes he likes to take on cases "out of the goodness of his heart" for way less money... such cute little mouse for him to work on...

The Night Lords; Ghosk: Actor but not just any actor he is a monster actor; aka the guy who is in full prosthetics moving like a cryptid even if he's under like 20 pounds of makeup and props and prosthetics. When he's not assigned to a movie role he likes to be a scare actor at one of those parks where he can touch the attendants... he likes watching the rabbits run...

Anrir: he is in the nitty gritty and dirty business of Organ Transplants like proper handling (just don't ask where he got those 30 kidneys)

The Blood Angel; Sirus: He is someone's Art muse. He get's so much money and time to make his pottery. He also is good at making memorial pieces like incorporating human ashes into a piece... that's because for his grand pieces he's already doing that. Sirus is also a Serial Killer with a pinch of cannibalism, he incorporates blood into the hues... human ash mixes nicely with his clay. He's hoping to ask his Moonlight muse for a photoshoot soon...

The Iron Hand; Marlos Vauth: Software Engineer. He focuses on programming for prosthetics but he's been moonlighting as a hacker as well and getting rather good at it. He's been bothering the IT girl recently...

The World Eater; Zul: Retired. He heavily insists that he is retired but he's still jacked and simply says he made smart investments so his money makes money. But how can he be retired he's young (40s) and scarred to hell and back. But he will get aggressive if you keep asking questions. He can often be found with a sickly young woman on his arm too...

The Ultramarine; Tulio: He is a high salaried investor who could retire if he wanted but he just hasn't done so yet... He has to make sure that the new girl is going to be fine...

The Death Guard; Solos: Unemployed. He is the guy in town who you never see at the same job twice and never for very long, yet he somehow has money all the time. His spats with his lady are legendary as they seem to break up and get back together all the time, even if she could do so much better than Solos, but people who intervene with his love life have a habit of going "missing" and Solos always has an alibi...

The Thousand Son; Nakht: He is a professor that deals with historical documentation as well as document repair. Though a few people have noticed that a lot of what he deals with is occult materials given how his main field of study has nothing to do at all with esoteric occultism...

The Black Legion; Zhur: Professional Dom... he's got his eyes on a particular client but he's got to pay the bills and his baritone voice can easily get anyone to obey him.

The Word Bearer; Jihias: Preacher (is anyone surprised?) well in fact the Preacher bit is a ruse as he is in fact a full blown cult leader. Such passion and fervor his preaching tend to be but if you think more and more of what he says... and by the time you realize the grotesque nature of his preaches get it's far too late... the shepherd loves you and wont ever abandon you...

The Salamander; Nubin: Master Blacksmith. Run's his own shop and also does free classes for the high school when they cut their shop classes so he just offered free courses and is trying to get some deal for the time spent in the shop to count towards credit hours.

The Raven Guards; Sor, Kazi, and Moremo: Private security guards though they have come under scrutiny for getting rather close to their latest client

The Alpha Legion; Omegon: Lawyer and a damn good one as some people say he hires professional investigators to look over a scene again he's never really lost a case.

The Black Templars; Roland: Retired Military and does stuff with guns either selling them, helping people train with them, also runs a Youtube Channel with Backerin called "Guns & Buns" which has their own niche because it will be Roland helping out with his wife's bakery/a slight vlog showing off his journey with retirement

Arnault: Retired Military turned erotica writer/author. Started writing when he was bored out of his mind during a recovery and found out he enjoys writing erotica.

The Carcharodon; Tyberos: Mafioso. (Rather he is either the head of the Carcharodons or an enforcer) but right now he's helping run a front which is a coffee shop but it's become a nice little community get together since it has decent food and good coffee and its great for people trying to sell stuff

[blkdaddie]

Buns in the Oven

The kitchen was a symphony of sizzling sounds and vibrant colors, each station brimming with an array of exotic ingredients and gleaming utensils. The contestants, an eclectic mix of expectant men from all walks of life, stood ready, their hands poised to create culinary magic. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement and camaraderie, their shared journey creating an unspoken bond.

"Welcome to another thrilling episode of 'Buns in the Oven!' I'm your host, Jeremy, and today, our talented dads-to-be will be whipping up some extraordinary dishes to satisfy those unique pregnancy cravings!" Jeremy's voice echoed through the studio, his enthusiasm infectious.

"Let’s get cooking, gentlemen!" Jeremy announced, signaling the start of the competition.

At Station One, Alex, a software engineer from Seattle, was busy chopping a selection of exotic fruits. "I’m going for a spicy mango-avocado tart with a hint of chili and lime. It’s got that sweet and savory kick," he explained, exchanging a confident smile with Carlos, the contestant at the next station.

Carlos, a dance instructor from Miami, grinned back. "Sounds amazing, Alex. I’m working on a sweet plantain and black bean empanada with a guava glaze. A little taste of home for me."

Station Three housed Ravi, a chef from New York City, meticulously arranging ingredients for his dish. "I’m making a curry-infused chocolate mousse with candied ginger. It’s a fusion of my Indian heritage and classic French technique," he said, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

The judges, seated at a long table, watched intently. "These combinations are wild! I can’t wait to taste them," said Chef Maria, a renowned culinary expert.

"Remember, guys, presentation is key. We eat with our eyes first," added Chef Luis, a pastry chef known for his avant-garde creations.

As the clock ticked down, the kitchen was a whirlwind of activity. The smell of freshly baked goods and exotic spices filled the air. The men worked with a blend of precision and passion, their bellies round and their smiles wide.

"Five minutes left!" Jeremy called out, pacing the kitchen and peeking over shoulders.

At Station Four, Malik, a jazz musician from New Orleans, was putting the finishing touches on his dish. "I’ve got a beignet with a spicy crawfish filling and a sweet bourbon glaze. It’s got a little bit of everything," he said, his voice smooth and melodic.

The camaraderie was palpable. "Malik, that smells divine," Ravi called out, plating his mousse with a flourish.

"Time's up! Step away from your stations, gentlemen," Jeremy announced. The contestants exchanged high-fives and knowing winks, the energy in the room electric.

The judges made their rounds, sampling each dish with thoughtful expressions. "Alex, your tart has a wonderful balance of flavors. The heat from the chili is perfect," Chef Maria praised.

"Carlos, your empanada is incredible. The guava glaze is a fantastic touch," Chef Luis commented, nodding appreciatively.

"Ravi, your mousse is sublime. The curry and chocolate work beautifully together," said Chef Maria, clearly impressed.

"And Malik, your beignet is a revelation. The spice and sweetness are in perfect harmony," Chef Luis added.

Jeremy took the stage once more, microphone in hand. "And the winner of today’s 'Buns in the Oven' is… Malik with his spicy crawfish beignet! Congratulations, Malik!" The room erupted in cheers and applause.

"Thanks, everyone. This was such an amazing experience," Malik said, his voice full of emotion as he accepted his prize—a basket filled with goodies for both him and his soon-to-arrive baby.

As the credits rolled, Jeremy’s voiceover captured the essence of the show. "Join us next week for more mouthwatering creations and heartwarming stories on 'Buns in the Oven.' Where every dish is a labor of love."

[magz]

Inochi2D beta, the Open Source alternative to Live 2D Cubism (the 2d rigging and puppetry software) has restarted active development after almost being abandoned in February 16, 2024.

Inochi2D is now using a one-time-payment model for optional pre-compiled "full" versions to become financially viable, alongside a "free" version with a "nagging" window.

Currently, $20usd for lifetime updates.

The source code and "free" version will still be available.

Support TransFem programmers like LunaFoxGirlVT if you want.

Inochi2D on Twitter.

Inochi2D website.

Inochi2D Github.

Inochi Creator Itch.io download page.

[eobe]

Greetings wanderer, nice to meet you! ☕️🦉

come in and enjoy some art and talk 🫶🏼

Masterlist – sorted & linked

Regular updates! 👀

💀 The Bad Batch 💀

‚The Outpost’ // Mayday, Crosshair and the black ice vulture on Barton IV ❄️

‚Get Lula‘d!‘ // Wrecker annoys Crosshair with Lula 🃏

‚Come ˋere!‘ // Wrecker hugging Rex 🤗

‚Tech being Tech’ // Infodump mode activated 🤓 Quickdoodle

‚Mantell mix‘ // Echo sniffing suspect food 🍿 Quickdoodle

Hunter WIP // rare glance of him without his signature face tattoo, he‘s innocent! 😽

‚Clones. Brothers. Dads.‘ // Hunter and Cut Lawquane about to be a dad 🥹

‚Don‘t do it, Crosshair!‘ // Echo waiting for his cybernetics got cuddle attacked 🧶

Big sweater pile escalation // Poor Echo deserves a caf. Omega and his brothers crowding him and Batcher couldn't resist anymore. Gonky is happy too, Tech still tinkering somewhere 🧶

,Sniper in my office' // Crosshair is a cat and this is another proof 🐈‍⬛

🎳 Cantina fight series 🎳

‚OH YEAH!‘ // Wrecker starting the cantina fight 💣

‚Here comes the sun‘ – Part 1 // Get WRECKERED! Wrecker serving his deadliest hug to the soup clones💥

‚Here comes the sun‘ – Part 2 // Cantina soup is served! Poor Shinies beeing WRECKERED 😱

💙 The Clone Wars 💙

‚Brothers’ // Feral and Savage Opress 🔥

‚Dogma‘s decision‘ // Fives and Dogma. Umbara arc 💙

‚Fives and "Blues"‘ // Fives with the drunk blue eyed clone at 79's 💙

‚Savage survived‘ // Sober from Sith vibes with a yellow double-bladed lightsaber 🔥

‚Fives laughing at Jesse‘ // Jesse is not amused. Umbara arc 💙

‚Staring contest‘ // Commander Wolffe almost growling 🐺

‚Oh Captain my Captain‘ // Captain Rex slightly blushing 💙

,Rex with long hair' // He considered a topknot and a Weequay braid in a joke 💙

👀 Captain Gregor‘s faces project 👀

Part 1 // The shocked face 😨

Part 2 // The uh-oh face 😒

Part 3 // The hurtful chuckle face 😬

Part 4 // ‚Insubordinate plebe‘ 🤨

Part 5 // The caught-watching-him faces 😉

Part 6 // The ‚flirtation mask‘ 😎

🙏 Underrated clones 🙏

‚Most stylish clone’ // Captain Keeli! (My very first clone drawing)

‚One man army but chuckling‘ // Captain Gregor!

‚Man bun’ vs. ‚Open hair’ Part 1 & 2 // Tup!

‚Long hair‘ Part 3 // Tup!

‚Respect is something to be earned‘ // Mayday!

‚Icy eyes‘ // Edge! The blue eyed clone

‚Sneaky fingers‘ // Hardcase!

„Odd Ball“ // Davijaan! This is his true name!

‚Helplessness‘ // Commander Fox!

‚Paragon’ // Sergeant O‘Niner!

✨ Inspiration & Appreciation artworks ✨

‚Chess game‘ // Echo vs. Crosshair ♟️ inspired by this gorgeous artwork of @thora-sniper

‚Chess game‘ // en detail ♟️

‚Lazy day’ 🫧 // based on this amazing artist humor comic of @chiliger

Captain Keeli full armor  // 100 Follower Celebration 🎉

‚Echo in the rain‘ // fanart for ‚Starstruck‘ of @isthereanechoinhere96

‚Hunter in the woods‘ 🪶 // Hunter portrait and tattoo close up for @lonewolflupe

‚Owly day‘🦉 // Brooding over ideas and solutions… fuzzy and hooting on a clone trooper helmet with caf (honor to my moots)

,I ♥️ caf' // Commander Fox! Have you ever tried caf with spice?

,The last stand – Heroes of Ryloth' // Captain Keeli and General Di fight scene / 200 Follower Celebration 🎉 

‚Clanker day‘ // I‘m a fallen, headless clanker today. Kriff.

☘️ Original art ☘️

,Peaking Luigi' // my cat peaks over the edge of my desktop to paw my pencil. Unforeseen continuation is another Star Wars The Bad Batch artwork 😁 ,Sniper in my office'

☕️ Eobe thoughts, rambles and deep talk ☕️

📜 The lesson of the artwork in a room // the way of art helping me steadily solve some problems

📜 About my software & brushes // Never ask an artist about their tools ☝️🤓 Tech infodump mode activated

📜 The ALT text mission // Peppering my art with my thoughts and the stories behind for more than just a nice view

Tag list concept

DM me, if you want to be tagged to stay tuned! 🤩 Of course multiple choice is possible or just tell me for which character or topic you want to be tagged for example ‚Captain Keeli‘ or ‚clones‘ ☺️

Star Wars (universal)

The Clone Wars

The Bad Batch

Characters

Dividers?

Free to use and share them, just tag me – Thank you 🤩 If I am in the mood I'll do some more and create a list for them.

Current mission

Appropriate and vibrant ALT text for my artworks! 📖

Next (maybe) drawing projects

Our favorite clones but long haired and bearded 😎

Maybe AU crossover? Tup, the Winter Soldier? Shall I touch this boat… 👀🙈

Face close ups. Focussing on sparkling eyes 🤩 and (blissfully crosshatched) tattoos 🫠

Armor-up (ARC or RC) and Glow-up for our favorite clones ✨ OC armor design. Drawing Padawan army since I achieved more than a companie of followers ✨

my litte crazy chickens, owls, cats and cute and crazy stuff (part of my art studio subbranding project ‚hendlz‘) 👀 still too shy to launch

DM me what you want to see!

About me

☘️ Drawing Padawan. Restarted drawing on 3rd September 2024.

☘️ Art style: Sketchy, shading and lining. Maybe not able to shut off crossshading and too big shining eyes. Sometimes trying something new.��

☘️ Huge fan of Star Wars, especially The Clone Wars / The Bad Batch and some other fandoms like Tolkien universe since I was a child.

☘️ Love nature, mugs of caf or choc, deep talks & ramblings, feel free to kindly stop my infodumping, if too much.

☘️ AuDHD and positive mindset armorer, feel free to ask everything (respect is mutual) or get a hug (TBB Wrecker style) 🫶🏼

☘️ Main objective: make people‘s eyes shine 🤩

Growth struggles ❤️‍🩹

Sometimes I‘m not able to react or answer instantly, because I do not always understand the between the lines and freeze with error 502 bad gateway until the world ends! 🥶 So If you think, there should be a reaction from my side, please help me, reach out to me and don’t let me down 🙈🫶🏼

And… ☺️

Please be patient, English is not my mother tongue and I process data differently (TBB Tech kind of alternate operating system internally) 🦋 Feel free to bring up gently when I put my foot in 🙈

I don‘t have any expections here but respect, no pressures and having a good and soul-soothing time for everyone ☺️🙏🏼

Enjoy yourself, stay healthy and grow patiently into your essence ☺️

[science-sculpt]

Epigenetics: A Journey Through Inheritance Beyond Genes

For centuries, scientists have been fascinated by the mysteries of heredity and how traits are passed down from generation to generation. DNA, the molecule that stores our genetic code, was once thought to be the sole determinant of our characteristics. However, a new frontier in biology, revealing a captivating layer of complexity beyond the DNA sequence itself: Epigenetics.

What is Epigenetics?

The term "epigenetics" was first coined in the 1940s by British biologist Conrad Waddington, but it wasn't until the late 20th century that its significance truly blossomed. Epigenetics, literally meaning "above genetics," refers to the study of heritable changes in gene expression that occur without alterations to the DNA sequence itself. Imagine DNA as the musical score, but epigenetics are the conductor and musicians who determine how the music is played. Through chemical modifications and adjustments to the proteins around DNA, epigenetics dictates which genes are turned on or off, influencing how cells function and ultimately shaping our health, development, and even behavior. Think of your DNA as the hardware: it contains the basic instructions for building and running your body. But epigenetics acts like the software, fine-tuning those instructions and determining which genes get turned on or off at specific times and in specific cells. These modifications, like chemical tags or changes in the packaging of DNA, don't alter the underlying code itself, but they can have a profound impact on how it's read and interpreted.

The Key Players:

DNA methylation: This process involves adding a methyl group to DNA, essentially silencing the gene it's attached to. Imagine it like putting a dimmer switch on a light bulb.

Histone modifications: Histones are proteins that package DNA, and changes in their structure can make genes more or less accessible to the cellular machinery needed for expression. Think of it like adjusting the curtains around a window - open wide for full light, slightly closed for filtered light.

Non-coding RNAs: These are molecules that don't code for proteins but can regulate gene expression in various ways. They're like the backstage crew in a play, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

The Power of Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic regulation plays a crucial role in various biological processes, including:

Development: During embryonic development, different cell types emerge from the same DNA blueprint by activating or silencing specific gene sets through epigenetic modifications.

Cellular differentiation: Specialized cells like muscle or nerve cells have unique functions due to differences in their active genes, controlled by epigenetic mechanisms.

Learning and memory: Epigenetic changes in brain cells are thought to be essential for learning and forming memories.

Aging: As we age, our epigenome accumulates changes that can contribute to age-related decline and disease.

Environmental influences: Diet, exercise, stress, and exposure to toxins can leave epigenetic marks on our genes, potentially impacting our health and even the health of future generations.

Epigenetics reminds us that we are not simply products of our genes. Our environment, choices, and experiences leave their mark, shaping who we are and potentially influencing our children's health. This deeper understanding of ourselves opens doors for self-awareness, empowerment, and potentially reshaping our narratives – not just as individuals, but as a species with the potential to leave a healthier legacy for generations to come.

[arkus-rhapsode]

So wasn't expecting to make this Gaming Hot Take of the day but after reading this from Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki I gotta be honest I had to write something

So look, I can kinda understand this stance in a very retrospective sense as he says "Fostered from the beginning." Playstation 1 in particular didn't really make a big distinction between its original IP and its Third Party IP. It's why you had Crash Bandicoot or Cloud Strife as basically the mascot of Playstation when both come from third parties. Compared to the likes of Mario and Sonic who were not only their console mascot, but company mascots respectively.

But by now, Playstation has an undeniable back catalogue of first and second IP that it can either revive or rerelease if need be. Like if we're looking at like multi entry series and not just one offs, by the PS2, Sony had:

Jak & Daxter

Twisted Metal

Ape Escape

Sly Cooper

MediEvil

Wild Arms

Dark Cloud

Everybody's Golf

God of War

Rachet and Clank

And by the PS3 we have

Infamous

Uncharted

Killzone

Resistance

Little Big Planet

Like Sony has their own catalogue that can stand on its own. Its not like they should be struggling now to play catch up.

Now if you read my recent Emio and Mages post, I am very well aware that in the age of modern gaming, a game doesn't get made without a team devoted to it. And with the rising production and time costs of making games, no company can release a hundred games and be profitable. So sadly some IP just do fall by the wayside in favor of others. Guerrilla Games isn't making Killzone anymore, because their efforts are spent on Horizon and Sucker Punch went from being the Sly Cooper guys to the Infamous guys, to now the Ghosts of Tsushima guys.

However, I feel like Sony has had some circumstances that compound this problem. Sony and Playstation are technically powerful machines-they want to fully utilize the hardware they're selling you for hundreds of dollars. It is their brand. However, the downside to this is because of this the rise in production costs, it's now taking much longer to make games that make use of the powerful hardware. We went from being able to release a full trilogy in a single generation to basically one. Its also made worse by the fact that Sony has been very active in shuttering studios and cutting costs. The biggest would be the loss of Sony Japan Studio, who were beloved for their more varied Japanese-y style games. It added flavor to the more Naughty Dog inspired games of the sixth and seventh generation. But now, Sony went all in on being that one big budget release that leaned more towards broader genres that could maximize the amount of sales like Uncharted, The Last of Us, Spider-Man, etc.

With this, a lot of mismanagement, its really made the PS5 era feel very sparse compared to the PS4. Now, I wanna stress this, I actually do not subscribe to the mentality "Playstation has no games." Playstation has tons of games beyond just their first party titles, some are exclusive like Final Fantasy 16, some are just way too powerful to be something that could be played on a switch like GTAV. Heck, I played Bomb Rush Cyberfunk on my PS5 and it's probably the game I've dumped the most time into this year. So yes, even if Playstation's first party offerings are few and far between, you're still capable of playing a lot of good games on this really expensive plastic box.

And maybe that's indicative of the fact that Playstation has always been about selling you the hardware on the basis of the hardware. Going back to the PS1, the main selling points was this was the haven for third parties after Nintendo really burned a lot of developers with the N64, and that this was a much more system than the N64. When you look at someone like Nintendo now, they're hardware is underpowered they live and die by the power of their software that only they can provide and no one else. But the playstation even if its not shooting out a new Jax & Daxter every year, they're still the place you can play something like Final Fantasy or Elden Ring at a really great clip. Perhaps Totoki was alluding to that reliance on hardware instead of software because in retrospect, they never really had that big homegrown system seller on playstation till the PS2 with things like God of War. And now fostering that, has made it hard to have that sort of Zelda or Halo that are so undeniably their companies IP and will move launch units.

But a reliance on just being the place where you can play games at a high fidelity, means that its still got competition from Xbox and PC. So Sony would have to offer a service the others don't and that can be software you find nowhere else. True story, I was genuinely conflicted about getting a PS5 or and Xbox X/S for my birthday because I knew I needed to at least have a strong machine to play with my switch. And ultimately I took PS5 because that was the console that would have God of War Ragnarok and Spider-Man 2. So yes, IP absolutely factors into purchases in my experience. And the fact that this generation Sony has really struggled to put out first party games, really makes that purchase factor feel so much thinner and thinner. When you know-you know Sony has loads of IP (Some that haven't left their respective console) that even a simple remaster on the PS5 could at least hold people over in-between their AAA releases. So to hear their CFO say that they don't have enough IP, gets very disingenuous.

To close this out, I wanna stress something. I don't think wanting to make new IP is a bad thing. Im glad Sony is willing to invest 8 years and millions of dollars into something new. But eventually, we reach a point where this has to be better managed. We have to have some smaller titles that can be released between the bigger ones. We gotta have some variation in the types of games we're getting from the platform holder. And sometimes leaning in on those fan faves for smaller titles would help. Are they gonna sell 10 million units? More than likely not. But if you balance the budget, having something move between 1-2 million units would be acceptable. Perhaps maybe allow more second party developers a crack at using that IP so your internal teams can work on the bigger blockbuster titles?

The PS5 generation has been a pretty all over the map one for Sony, and the more we learn about the thoughts and management behind the scenes, the more aggravating it can become when this platform does something really cool, but then seems to take two steps back. I genuinely can't tell you if I'll get a PS6. But if I do, it will probably not be out of optimism for classic Playstation franchises to return.

[do-you-ship-this-comic-ship]

propaganda:

Ok, limiting this to the fab 5, because attempting to chart the dynamics of the full roster Titans polycule would probably need several breakthroughs in software development. The trailblazers, the standard-setters, the first sidekicks and the first teen heroes - they’ve been together since 1966, and are so hopelessly codependent that tbh, it’s kind of cruel to separate them and their other significant others appreciate this. Their individual relationships shift and change, and they’ve had their ups and downs - they’ve grown up together, they’ve raised their kids together, they’ve fought with each other, they’ve buried each other, but they always, always, always find their way back to each other.