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strangegutz · 9 months ago

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Hey what’s up, it’s just about midnight, here’s some information on CompanDroids and Eddie under the cut.

HEADS UP! Some mature/NSFW subject matter

Broad scope:

-CompanDroids were manufactured by Ramirez Robotics 83 years ago.

-They were created to be companions and caretakers, making them strong, soft, reliable, and people pleasers.

-There is a model for each letter of the alphabet, 13 male models and 13 females, alternating. For example, Eddie is a model E, his female counterpart would be the model F. Each pair “matches”

-Each model is based on a different celebrity, from actors, to models, to TV show hosts. For example, Eddie’s face-sake was a Mexican heartthrob actor, Navarro Riviera, and model F was a Mexican Miss Universe contestant.

-There were different cosmetic changes available for a handful of models in the form of hair colors or styles, particularly for those based on actors, styled after their various roles.

-ComDro’s were available in “Standard” and “Deluxe,” Deluxe packages allowed for more functionality, like eating, drinking, smoking, and for a few select models, sex.

-The contracts for these celebrities were murky, and many didn’t realize the full scope of how the androids would function or be used.

-Ramirez Robotics went under 20 years after the release of the CompanDroids (63 years before current)

-CompanDroids are extremely rare, as they were already very expensive, and now vintage.

-CompanDroids, as they are now, are more or less integrated into society as independent people, and mostly seen as an unusual novelty, though the greater public tends to only remember more salacious details about their functionality.

-They remain one of the most high tech inventions of all time.

Looking in:

-ComDro’s have their power bank located at the top of their spine. They run on electricity, and need to charge themselves via a port located on the back of their neck. Eddie has had himself outfitted with a nuclear battery, and has spares.

-They can get drunk or high, internal sensors detect the chemical composition of various substances and adjust function accordingly.

-They have a simulated heartbeat in the form of a faint vibration in the chest.

-A diagnostic panel is located in the left forearm, which has a screen, small keyboard, a few ports, and their serial number.

-The visible seam lines on their bodies are cosmetic, there are many more seams for access that are flush and hard to see.

-Standard models can upgrade to Deluxe models with a kit.

-Certain “involuntary” bodily functions, like becoming intoxicated, sweating, blushing, or arousal, can be manually controlled, or turned off all together by the android themself.

Eddie himself:

-Eddie was a pre-order, specifically picked to look like Navarro Riviera’s character, Sheriff DeLeon, in a romantic drama western.

-Eddie was originally a standard CompanDroid, but worked for and paid for his own upgrade kit as a free bot.

-Eddie’s serial number is E-013, he named himself after how his number would have read as a deluxe edition, ED-013

-He painted his eyes black the night he was “let go,” but didn’t swap to LED light eyes until later

-CompanDroids have feeling in their internal mechanics, Eddie finds the sensation pleasurable and erotic, though is very selective about who can touch his internals in any context.

-To avoid any uncomfortable situations, he toggles his “arousal” routines off during repairs or maintenance, but prefers to feel all sensations naturally otherwise.

-Being an old computer, Eddie is a bit “off” in the software, he is twitchy and violent, but is loyal and can be a great caregiver and people pleaser to his friends.

-Eddie’s CPU being overloaded will cause his voice to hitch and stutter like a computer’s audio would, as well as his eye LEDs flickering slightly. This would happen in an extreme stress situation, downloading large files of information, but most often when he climaxes in bed.

-Eddie has a very skewed sense of age, as he doesn’t age at all. He tends to always think of people having the same age and capabilities as when he met them, like continuing to see Zeki as a naive 23 year old.

I did not include every single one of my thoughts here but this is good enough for now I think! And if you have any explicit questions take them over to @strangeorganz !

#heartbreak gulch #eddie ramirez #eddie black eyes #strangetext

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scifrey · 2 years ago

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Deleted Scene: Take Root

For those who love the "Cling Fast" / Hob Adherent series: this is, regrettably, not a new story. The series still ends where it ended.

However, it used to have a different ending. In that different version, instead of "Hold Tight" and "Keepsakes: A Plane Ticket", I planned to resolve the Daniel Hall and Orpheus storylines by writing a much longer multi-chapter fic about Hob finding out he still has living descendants through another TV show. In this story, Morpheus would have gotten jealous of Hob's living children, and spend more and more time asleep, with Daniel, until Despair & Desire finally came to Hob to tell him the truth about Orpheus.

I wrote this first chapter and then really, really struggled with the story after that. A long conversation with @late-to-the-magnus-archives led me to realize that if I did the Walkers/Daniel/Orpheus thing this way, by making them a negative thing in Hob's life, by choosing to stretch the trope of miscommunication between lovers, and by basically reverse-uno-ing all the work Hob did to grieve his brief mortal family, then I was doing a disservice to events and character growth in "Cling Fast".

Thematically it might have been a good fit, but it was perilously close to manufacturing unrealistic dissent for the sake of drama, and not because this is how the characters would have actually reacted in this situation.

So, I abandoned this tale, found better, kinder ways to resolve the Walkers/Daniel/Orpheus storylines, and reworked the series to be as it currently stands.

However.

I am still a little in love with this tiny fragment of a tale, and wanted to share it with you. Just for funsies.

Happy reading!

-J

Status: Deleted Scene from a story I won't be completing.

Series: the Hob Adherent series.

Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022) Includes some comics canon, and some cameos from the wider Gaiman-verse, but it’s not necessary to know to enjoy the story.

Rating: Gen

Warnings: Discussions of grief and in-canon character death.

Relationships: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Eleanor | Hob Gadling’s Wife/Hob Gadling (past)

Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Hob Gadling, Matthew the Raven, Destruction of the Endless, Patrick the Bartender, Harriet Butler, Maisie Hampstead

TAKE ROOT

When the camera crew walks into The New Inn, Hob assumes it has something to do with Cardenio. The filming request had come through Harriet, and as Hob trusts her not to chuck him into any situation that would endanger him, or his husband, and their secret, he'd said yes without really looking into the details of the television program.

They'd asked to film inside the pub, and to interview him on camera. As this was just one in a long line of such requests, he'd set the date, and thought nothing more about it.

(When this lifetime was over, Hob was going to have to ask for a very heavy favour from little Daniel Hall, to ensure that no one remembered that his face matches that of Robert Gadlen the Sixth, sometime media darling of the mediaeval history studies world. Dream of the Endless had already pledged to make his uncles' transition as smooth as was in his power, thank goodness, but Hob was still nervous about all the footage floating around out there.)

What Hob didn't expect was for the crew to come in full guns blazing, so to speak.

"Oh, hello," he says, standing up from the banquette as a steady-cam, followed by the operator holding it, enter the pub. "Welcome to The New Inn."

The red light at the camera's lens is on, warning the world that it's recording. He's suddenly very glad he let Matthew talk him into wearing his hot-professor outfit, and the very light makeup required for this sort of thing. His hair is still shorter than he’d like, the scar on the left side of his head from a gunshot wound finally hidden by the longer style, for which he’s grateful. He wouldn’t want anyone to see it and worry.

Hob had kind of assumed that the crew would be dolling him up, but in the years since Elizabethan Manor he's learned that it never hurts to be camera-ready, just in case.

A man in a wireless headset enters behind the camera operator and waves at him, then points at the red light.

Yeah, I got that, Hob thinks but doesn't say. He's not sure why they're filming right away, but he doesn't want to spoil whatever shot they have planned. Maybe they spoke to Surinder and found out what a terrible actor Hob is, and have decided that it's far better to get his First Reactions on camera than to ask him to pretend.

Hob doesn't mind, but it would have been nice to be warned first.

Actually, if he bothered to read Harriet's email with any kind of depth, he probably was.

Patrick, the only other person in the pub at present, drops behind the bar like a WWI private tripping into a trench, and then scuttles into the kitchen, presumably to warn Destruction to stay hidden if he doesn't want to be filmed. Dee is in the middle of making the day's crusty loaf, so nothing will pull the Endless from the kitchen, unless it's serious.

Dee means business when he bakes.

"Thank you!" a young woman behind the PA says. She ducks around the other two folks, who are lingering in the doorway, and moves purposefully across the pub. Once she's firmly within the shot, she sticks out her hand. "I'm Maisie Hampstead."

"Hi Maisie, I'm Bob," Hob offers, shaking and then holding out a chair at his usual two-top for her because he's a gentleman, and old habits tend to kick in when he's wrong-footed. "What brings you to my humble pub?"

Maisie sets a heavy leather folder on the table between them, and for a second, Hob is terrified that this is a set up. That someone had hacked Harri's email, got him cornered, is about to reveal his terrible truth to a live-streamed audience, with a phalanx of nondescript cars and government scientists waiting in his front garden if he tries to run.

He reminds himself that the literal god of warriors is just one wall away, covered up to his elbows in flour, and that even if he was taken out of here against his will, his inlaws are the most powerful and immutable forces in the universe. Nothing and no one can harm him. Also, he can't die, which makes him ruthless and vicious when it comes to protecting himself—he doesn't have to avoid injury the way other people do when engaging in combat. While bullet and stab wounds hurt, they can be ignored in favour of finishing a fight.

But Maisie just smiles at him, flush with genuine excitement, and flips back the cover of the folder to reveal a… a family tree.

Okay, so not a clandestine setup or sting operation.

But something just as fraught.

Hob's eyes go wide as he skims the names on it, he knows they do, and he's pretty sure he must look absolutely pole-axed, because that's how he feels. He knew the BBC Historics department had mocked up a family tree for Elizabethan Manor, but he's never had occasion or desire to sit down and study it. He was already chastined enough by the fact that they found him in the first place. He had no patience to read in black and white where exactly he screwed up in hiding his past identities.

Hindsight, as the saying goes, is 20/20.

But the cameras are on him and he can’t exactly snap the cover shut and shout them all out the door. Not after he’d told Hari that he’d be game. So he reads on.

At the top of the tree, in computer-generated font, it reads:

Hob's breath catches in his throat as he runs the tips of his fingers over first Eleanor's, then Robyn and Wee John's names. It's taken a lot of work, but he's proud that he's able to have this out-of-the-blue reminder of their love and loss, and not immediately react negatively. He is joyfully reminded of that time of his life, seeing their names, instead of triggered.

But… no, wait, something's different…

"There's a… there's another line here," Hob croaks, following the dots downward from Robyn's box. This wasn't part of the graphic when they shared it on the show. "There shouldn't be another line here. He never…" Hob flattens his palm over the next row down on the family tree, not ready to read it yet.

Instead, he looks up at the young woman across from him, drinking in the sight of her like a parched man at a wholly unexpected, but nonetheless welcome, oasis.

She's blonde, hair flaxen-yellow and straight as a pin. But her eyes are dark, soulful brown, crinkling just enough at the corner to put her in her late twenties, he guesses. Detached earlobes. Complexion a few shades darker than his own, but still within the realm of olive-skinned. She's wearing light makeup, eyelashes mascaraed dark and lips painted and funky plum red. They curl on one side when she realises what he's doing, what he's looking for, the smile secret and mischievous in one corner.

And she has a cleft chin.

"Oh my god," Hob breathes. His eyes burn. There's a lump in his throat the size of a fist. He swallows hard. Excitement and fear and confusion swirl up in his middle, nauseating and fluttery.

He wants to reach out and grab her face between his hands, and hold her there, cataloguing everything. He wants to shove away from the table and race up the stairs and start shouting at the framed sketches of Robyn over his bed. He wants to curl up under a weighted blanket and hide from the truth until his husband coaxes him out.

Instead he just sits at the table, mouth hanging open like a landed fish.

He wishes Morph was here, and at the same time is unaccountably glad that his husband is in the middle of his daily ramble through the nearby Wapping Woods park. This is, he thinks, something he wants to discover on his own, first. Something to cherish and to hold, just for him, before he has to share it with the wider world.

Entirely on camera, of course.

Like all his major emotional revelations lately, it seems.

Ha.

"You… he… did he…?"

"See for yourself," Maisie coaxes him gently.

Slowly, tremblingly, Hob lifts his hand away from the paper.

"Robyn had a son," Hob whispers, voice wavering. His hands are shaking. He presses them between his thighs, under the table, where the camera can't see. "I had a—" he cuts himself off with a choked noise, wet and thick with longing.

"They weren't married," Maisie explains, not oblivious to his surprise and distress, and quick to reassure. Though, from her perspective, he guesses it must be very odd, to see someone falling to pieces over family revelations that are already centuries past. "They never got the chance to."

She slides another piece of paper out from under the family tree, a copy of a handwritten letter, and Hob snatches it from her hands perhaps too eagerly. It's an account of a fight in the alleyway behind a tavern, written from the perspective of a bystander—no, not a bystander. A witness.

A patron at the tavern the night Robyn died.

There's a sentence highlighted but the letters blur and slide across the page.

Hob wipes at his eyes. "I… sorry, can you read it to me…?"

Maisie takes the letter back and reads:

Young master Gadlen protested that he had no quarrel with the brothers of the distraught maid. He shewed that he had drawn neither dagger nor mayde a fiste. He did then call them brothers of his owne and did swear his intent to wed, but his oath came too layte for a knife had been thruste under his rib. Martha did wail and forswear the murderer as her kin, and held fast the lad until his heartsbloode had ceased to flow into the street. Mister Hampsted took his daughter awaye inside to the warmth. The undertaker was called for piteous master Gadlen and the lad was borne awaye to the house of his lamented father.

Hob remembers that night with the clarity that four hundred years of reliving it in his nightmares, and wishing he could have found a way to prevent it, has gifted him with. The smell of the tobacco he'd been smoking in the study mixed with the fatty funk of the tallow candles; the squeak of the undertaker's cart wheels as they bumped up the drive; the crunch of boots on the gravel as Rob's friends accompanied his body in an honour guard of misery; the gasp of horror Fletcher quickly stifled when he caught sight of the solemn procession; the taste of the claret Hob had been enjoying turning to sour bile on the back of his tongue.

Maisie mistakes his grave silence for incomprehension of the archaic English.

"The night Robyn Gadlen found out that Martha was pregnant, it looks like her brother jumped him for taking her virtue," Maisie explains gently. "Martha said in later letters that Robyn had proposed marriage as soon as she'd told him, and they'd conspired to elope. But her brothers stopped them as they were sneaking out the back of the tavern. They never made it."

I never knew, Hob realises. There was a child out there, Robyn's child, and I never even knew it. I failed Robyn. I failed this little Harry. I was so busy wallowing in my own grief and self pity, too busy getting drunk each night with Despair, too busy calling for and rebuffing Death, that I never… did she bring the child to the house? Was I too insensible, too pathetic to even be sober long enough to see the baby when I had the opportunity—

Hob's breath shudders out of him in a soft moan. "Why did… why did she never bring the babe to Robyn's father?"

"Her own father sent her away to a convent that same night," Maisie says. "Here, here's another letter. She wrote often to a cousin during her confinement. She says that she would have fled to Gadlen House if she could, but her brothers had carried her off so quick that she was in a nun's cell before the blood was dry on her hands."

"Oh Christ," Hob groans, both a prayer for that poor girl, and a curse against those who had kept her from him. He is awash in relief that he hadn't actively driven his grandson and his mother away, and both regret and anger in equal measure that the baby was hidden from him. "And after the birth?"

"Martha returned home with little Harry and married a man who agreed to care for them both so long as Harry's parentage was never mentioned. The man took over her father-in-law's tavern eventually, but he died of cholera a few years later."

"Hampstead," Hob repeats dully, his brain clicking over slowly, like his gears were filled with fluffy, grief-coloured cotton. "That was… that was the proprietor. Of the White Horse."

"Yes."

He looks up, feels the blood draining from his face. "Robyn died in the White Horse?"

Maisie cuts a confused glance at the camera, not sure what this has to do with the conversation they're clearly supposed to be having. "Yes."

Hob fists his hand in his shirt, over his heart. Surely, surely, he was going to die now.

This had to be it, after six hundred and sixty-some-odd years. Surely, there was no way to survive a heartbreak like this. "I thought… they said a tavern brawl, but they never said which one, and I—"

Maisie reaches out as if to touch his arm, and then stops halfway across the table, unsure of her welcome. "I'm sorry, do you need a minute?"

"Yes," Hob hiccups, and stands from the banquette. He doesn't look at the camera, doesn't make eye contact with the PA. He just walks straight back to the kitchen, pushes open the door, and zombie-shuffles right into the arms of Destruction, who has clearly been waiting for him.

The door has barely shut behind him before his face crumples and his lungs seize up. "He died in the White Horse," Hob sobs quietly. "Right there, where I—"

"I'm so sorry, Hob," Dee says, and rubs his back.

"All that time, I never marked it or… I feel like I should have known. I should have felt it."

"He went to the Sunless Lands in peace, Hob. There was nothing of your son remaining in that place for you to have felt. Don't feel guilty about that."

"I wish I'd known."

Dee hums gently, soothing, and hugs Hob harder as he weeps. Being hugged by Dee is like being gently crushed by tree-trunks. Hob presses his face against his brother-in-law's chest and lets Dee squeeze his soul back into his body.

After a few long minutes, Hob steps back and gives Dee a grateful pat on the arm. "Where's Patrick?"

"I sent him out for lemons," Dee rumbles.

"I bought a whole bag yesterday."

"I know."

"Thank you."

Dee studies his face. He must not like what he sees there because he says, "Do you want me to kick them out?"

"No," Hob replies. He sighs and scrubs his mouth, tries to pat down his hair. "No, no, it's fine. It was just… unexpected. Serves me right for not reading Harri's email more thoroughly."

Dee peers out of the porthole window in the kitchen door at the film crew. Hob can hear the murmur of their discussion, but not the contents of it. "Still, that's a hell of a thing to spring on a guy."

"I'll say," Hob snorts. "Oh, hey look, it's noon. I can drink now."

"Don't go overboard," Dee says, eyeing him.

"Don't worry," Hob reassures him, patting his massive forearm again. "I'm not going to fall back into my self-destructive ways. I spend enough time with you as it is, new-new kid."

Destruction snorts. "I was more thinking about how Despair would worry about you. She hovers like a brooding chicken."

Hob chuckles at the image, which was likely the point, and appreciates Dee's concern for his well being. Hob finishes putting himself to rights, squares his shoulders, takes a deep breath, and shoves the rest of his freak-out down, down, down to share with Morpheus when his husband gets back. And the cameras are gone.

On his way back to his table, he stops at the bar to scoop up four champagne flutes, and pulls one of the nicer bottles of prosecco out of the back of the fridge.

"Well," he says, feeling if not settled then at least more centred, when he sets his glasses down on the table beside Maisie's folder. "I think I can guess what happens next in the story, and if I'm right, then I figure we'll have something to toast to."

Maisie lights up, and Hob can see it, right there, in the way her eyes sparkle—here is his son's many-times granddaughter, come back to him. His blood, in her veins, seeking him out like a loadstone.

Oh christ, Hob thinks, falling a little bit in love with the kid on the spot. I'm going to have to let her dictate the pace of our family bonding, or else I'm going to be selfish and grabby.

"To be fair," Maisie says, "until we found some new documents, I thought I was a Fletcher."

"The Steward?" Hob asks, startled.

"After Martha's husband died, the tavern went to one of Martha's brothers and she came perilously close to abject poverty. She had other children to feed, and thought it was time for Robert Gadlen to know about his grandson. But by then they say the man had fully gone mad, and the Steward decided it was unsafe for the kid to live with him," Maisie explains, sliding the corresponding photocopy of a much older document out of the pile to show him.

It seems I owe that filthy cheating thief my gratitude for this, at least, Hob thinks as he pursues the paper. I absolutely was not in my right mind and this would have absolutely made it worse.

"When Fletcher just showed up at the civil courts one day with a kid, everyone assumed the little boy was actually his. Up until a month ago, my whole family thought we were the illegitimate descendants of the Steward. But the dates weren't adding up, and… well, then we joined the show and they did some digging. The historian found Martha's letters in the Gadlen Fell Crate papers, along with the documentation from the Court of Chancery, and suddenly it all made sense."

"Chancery?" Hob echoes, startled. "Little Harry was a ward of the Councillor?"

"Oh, you know what that is!" Maisie says, delighted. "I didn't."

Hob chances a look up at the P.A., who shrugs, and gives a go-head wave. He taps the family tree still between them, bringing her attention to the fake younger brother he had invented for himself in the early 1700s, Richard Gadlen.

"Maisie, besides what it says on the family tree, did they tell you who I am?"

"Just that Richard Gadlen was my, uh, eight-times great uncle," Maisie says, blithely unaware of how Hob's heart is threatening to burst apart behind his ribs. "Which means you're my, um, no wait, we figured this out, my ninth cousin, once removed because you're one generation older than me."

Hob huffs a chuckle. More than one generation, he thinks.

He's taken to putting silver at his temples in the last year, just a speckle of bleach with a toothbrush, followed by some of the grey-pastel dye that the kids are into these days. He used to have to do this with chalk, so it's much nicer to not shed faux dandruff every time he turns his head. Morph, peacock that he is, isn't ready to start putting on airs of age. Doesn't matter, though—his hair is so black most people already assume it's coloured.

"And did they tell you what I do for a living?" he asks, reaching for the prosecco and unwrapping the foil.

"No," Maisie says, looking around The New Inn. "I assume you're a publican?"

"Well, yeah, but that's not my full-time gig." He works the cage off the bottle neck, and shoots a look at the camera operator. They give him a thumbs up, prepared for the loud noise. He begins to wiggle the cork. "I'm a professor at the University of York. I teach Medieval and Early Modern History and Language. My name is Doctor Robert Gadlen—"

"The sixth!" Maisie squeals in delight, finally putting all the clues together. "Oh my gosh! You're the Witch Knight!"

Hob groans. "We are not calling me that," he says, just as the cork jumps free with a delicious little pop.

#losyark #cling fast adjecent #cling fast #the hob adherent series #hob x dream #hob adherent #dreamling week #dreamling #centennial husbands #centennial boyfriends #deleted scene #the sand man #sandman #dreamling fanfic #dreamling fic #lord morpheus #feel free to fanfic my fanfic

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garbinge · 2 years ago

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Prank Wars

Angel Reyes x F!Reader

Day 24 from these April Prompts: “Wholesome Pranks”

Summary: Prank Wars at the scrapyard!

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Angsty, Pranks, Cursing. Mentions of dead parents and family struggling with sickness and addiction.

A/N: okay, so huge shoutout to Tay because she planted this fun little seed in my head for this fic!!

Mayans Taglist: @drabbles-mc @justreblogginfics @narcolini @danzer8705

It had been a few years since you started working at the scrapyard, it wasn’t a luxurious job but it was one that not only paid the bills but gave you some extra in your pockets. Angel had hooked you up with the job when he saw you were struggling. Home wasn’t exactly a home, your parents weren’t alive anymore, hadn’t been since you were younger. It left you to live with your grandmother who hadn’t just taken you in but also your aunt and cousins. It was an overcrowded and overwhelming house and it sat 5 doors down from the Reyes house. It wasn’t instant but somewhere down the line as the years passed you became close with the eldest Reyes brother just doors down from you and now, as adults, he was your best friend.

Angel originally had gotten you a job as barback at the clubhouse, and you were grateful for it. It saved you up enough money to get out of your grandma’s house and into your own space. Something small, or cozy as you called it, but your own. You had eventually worked your way into the scrapyard because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut. Overhearing Bishop and Taza talk about numbers and manufacturer meetings and how business wasn’t doing too great as you served them beer was the first step into it. You offered your two cents on how to boost business, that turned into giving some occasional business advice. You had gotten an associates degree in business, opportunity was just lacking in Santo Padre. Eventually, you started pulling in buyers, which led you to where you were now. You had taken the scrapyard truck out to a potential buy, but were driving back with a loss. It had already started out as a rough morning and it was just getting rougher.

It was days like this that you forgot about the multi-year long prank war that you had going with the guys in the club. It was something you and Angel had started prior to you getting close with the club and once it became known across the club, there was no way Gilly and Coco weren’t going to be apart of it. Now, the prank war wasn’t something front of the brain 24/7, that was the secret behind making it successful all these years. It was random. It was calculated but spontaneous all at the same time.

You whipped open the door to the scrapyard office, it made Angel jump, a scene that would have brought you to laughter any other day but you ignored currently.

“What the fucks got you twisted?” Angel was now standing, his sleeveless Romero Bros. work shirt covered in dirt and rust.

“California fuckin’ Steel company. That’s who.” You threw your bag on the desk and placed your hands on your head in an act of stress.

“Okaaaay,” Angel frowned and stepped out from behind the desk so he was standing to your right. “They’re always on some fuck shit, what’s really your issue?” He saw right through you, a perk and downfall of him knowing you so well.

You took a deep breath and turned to look up at him as he towered over you. You saw the cuphead patch on his shirt and smirked. “You put the patch I gave you on.”

Cuphead was a memory you two shared, sitting after school in front of the TV in the Reyes’ living room and playing until Marisol called out for dinnertime or Felipe unplugged the xBox to watch baseball.

Angel looked down at his shirt and back at you, “Yea, I couldn’t put that shit on my kutte, I’d never hear the end of it.”

You laughed and shook your head, when you gave him the patch you expected it to sit leaning on the outside of a picture frame in his house, not on any of his clothing items.

“My grandma’s sick and my cousin, he’s fuckin’ on hooked on that shit again. It’s got him stealing and not just shit around the house but taking my grandma’s pills now.”

“Fuck.” Angel whispered under his breath and looked away for a second before he was looking back down at you again.

“It’s fine, I talked to my aunt, they’re looking to put my grandma into a home or something.” You rolled your eyes and let out a sigh.

“That’s bullshit, your grandma’s lived in that house practically her whole life they should send your junkie ass cousin away.” He was getting loud.

“It’s out of my hands Angel,” You lifted your hands up in innocence “I offered for her to come stay at my place instead, but you know my aunt, she’s” you shook your hand in a way that was meant to describe your aunt as you turned around to look for your car keys. “You get a chance to look at my car yet?”

After your third time having trouble starting your car, you had asked Angel if he could look at it, it wasn’t the same as giving it to a mechanic but Angel knew a thing or two about mechanics since having his bike.

“Oh,” Angel went deep into thought, “uh, no.” He reached down and snatched the keys as you went to grab them yourself.

You looked at him confused.

“I’ve been up to my fuckin’ eyeballs in paperwork that I barely understand.” He pointed to the stack of manila folders on the table. “Haven’t had a chance to look at it.”

“Oh alright, well, I’ll take the paperwork. Least I can do so you can fix my shit and save me the 200 bucks. I’ll be in the clubhouse if you need me.”

“Aight.” Angel let his shoulders slump once you were out of the office. Gilly and Coco making their way into the office now.

“Yo, you fuck with the wiper fluid and put that fake broken glass shit on her car?” Gilly chuckled as he walked in.

“I’m bout to go take that shit out.” Angel sounded on edge.

“The fuck for?” Coco asked, confused since he had thought it was a genius prank.

“She’s got a lot going on man, it just ain’t the right time.” Angel was making his way out to reverse the pranks he had done to your car.

“We gotta get them both.” Gilly said with a smirk once Angel was out of earshot.

“Fuck yea we do.” Coco said, bringing a cigarette up to his mouth.

_____

Angel calling out your name caused you to turn around. As you did, you realized the clubhouse had filled up since you had posted up to work in here. A few of the club guys and some hang arounds filling the tables surrounding you.

“I fixed your car, needed a new battery. Nothing serious. Got one from Walmart.” Angel was making his way over to you and as he reached the seat next to you, he pulled the chair out and made himself comfortable before sliding the keys over to you.

“Thanks, how much was it? I’ll send you the money.” You pulled your phone out.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Just have me over for dinner or some shit soon.” He smirked hoping it’d earn a smile from you as well.

It did. You smiled and grabbed your keys from the table.

“You know,” Angel started his sentence without a single thought about where it was really headed, not sure how to say the next few words. “Uh,” he leaned forward, clearly uncomfortable.

“Spit it out, Angel.” You were now leaning forward too, placing your hand on Angel’s knee in hopes to get him to say whatever he was trying to.

It did the opposite, it choked him up more until he finally just said it. “I was thinkin’, you could come stay with me if you wanted.”

Your face twisted in muddled confusion which caused Angel to panic. “Nah I just mean, you know, your grandma might be comin’ to your place and I know you worked mad hard to get your whole bach pad situation and appreciate your alone time so I figured I’d offer my place up,” he said before practically cutting himself off to keep going. “And I know it wouldn’t be living alone but I’m usually always here anyways so you’d have the place to yourself way more than if you stayed with your grandma. I just figured it’d be worth the offer with everything going on–”

You cut Angel off as you lifted off your seat and wrapped your arms around him tightly. His seat pushed back a little from the force of your embrace, he sat there frozen for a second before he let his hands rest on your back.

“Thank you.” You whispered as you hugged him tightly. A few whistles from the guys filled the air, a couple howls too as you embraced your best friend. It wasn’t shocking, it was a normal occurrence, everyone was in on you and Angel’s connection except the two of you.

Before you had a chance to make a comment back to them, the clubhouse doors were busting open and Coco and Gilly were entering inside with water guns pointed directly at you and Angel.

“Get wrecked motherfuckers!!!!!” Gilly screamed as the water gun pressured out gallons of water each time he pumped the gun.

Out of instinct, Angel grabbed you around your waist as you two toppled behind the table in an attempt to block yourselves from their range. You let out a belly laugh as your backs leaned against the underneath of the table that was turned to its side. Angel looked over at you his frown turning into a smile.

“We are so going to get them back for this.”

Angel laughed at that. “In the 6 years we’ve been doing prank wars you never paired up with me once.”

As you opened your mouth to answer you were hit immediately with a splash of water on your face. Quickly grabbing Angel’s hand you were up and running out of the club house. It was then that you realized Bishop and a few of the other guys were yelling at Coco and Gilly to knock it off but you kept a one track mind and just pulled Angel out to the yard with you.

You kept moving until you were well into the scrapyard and you knew Coco and Gilly were probably being ripped a new one by Bishop so there wasn’t a chance they’d be able to get you out here.

“Holy shit.” You laughed and looked up at Angel who was soaked from head to toe. “You’re drenched.”

“Looks like we match.” Angel pointed to you with the hand that wasn’t still intertwined with yours.

Your eyes looked down to see the water dripping off the hem of your work shirt and pooling to your feet in the sand/dirt medley on the scrapyard ground.

“C’mon. We got some extra work shirts laying around, let’s get you one so you don’t have to ride home soaked.”

“Your home.” You corrected him. His head snapped to you. “Think I might take you up on that offer.”

Angel didn’t want to change your mind so he just nodded while saying nothing except that he’d get a key made for you.

____

You ran a towel over your hair and were now changed into something dry for the most part as you got into your car. Your driver side window rolled down as Angel stood a few yards from you a lot less drenched than before but still sporting wet hair, his normal styled hair was sobbing wet and falling around his forehead. Gilly and Coco were on the porch of the clubhouse and you offered them both a smile and middle finger before starting to back up.

“Thanks for fixing my car!” You went to beep the horn as a thanks when you heard the flag raise sound from the Cuphead game leave your horn. The high pitch glissando of someone sliding across the keys and the announcement of cuphead filling the air.

Your jaw dropped and turned to Angel very slowly. His eyes were wide and he was immediately yelling out to you.

“I thought I changed everything back!”

You continued to back out and as you put the car in drive you said one last thing to Angel before leaving.

“Oh it’s on, Reyes.”

#Angel Reyes #Mayans MC #MayansMC #Mayans FX #Mayans MC Fanfic #Mayans MC Fanfiction #Mayans #Angel Reyes x Reader #angel reyes x female reader #my writing #garbinge

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mariacallous · 1 year ago

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In the summer of 2023, Gleb Aleksandrov, a self-proclaimed doctor from Russia with a history of charging patients for ineffective “treatments” such as singing folk songs to them, set up shop in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. But according to an investigation from the Kyrgyzstani news outlet Kloop, Aleksandrov’s clients are far from the only people his new venture could endanger: he also claims to be producing drones for the Russian military in a facility that shares an address with his health center. Meduza shares an English-language adaptation of the story.

The Dmitry Rayevsky Psychology and Health Center in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, has a rating of 4.3 out of five stars on the digital map service 2GIS. Most of the comments are good; one user says the center helped him overcome depression, for example, while another says it helped her get through a tough divorce.

But when the comments are bad, they’re really bad. “One person had a tumor, and his parents refused chemotherapy. Psychologists at this clinic worked with them, and the tumor actually grew. Another mother lost her child,” reads one. Another simply says: “My aunt died because of you.”

For anyone familiar with the past work of the health center’s founder, these reviews are unsurprising. “Dmitry Rayevsky,” whose real name is Gleb Aleksandrov, began his career in Russia, where he referred to himself as a “doctor-innovator,” a “political scientist,” a “patriot,” and an “oncology psychologist,” all while claiming noble ancestry. Charging up to 1.5 million rubles ($16,400) for his services, he “treated” autism and cancer with methods such as singing folk songs and placing his hands on people. And when his patients occasionally died in agony, he blamed their “evil auras.” According to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, Aleksandrov ran a “cult” in the Moscow region, “brainwashing” his followers into selling their own apartments and giving him the money.

Aleksandrov’s schemes were widely covered in the Russian press, with at least six TV segments devoted to them and multiple news stories published online. One woman from Yekaterinburg gave a detailed account of how the quack doctor had “sent her son to the next world.”

The reporting eventually led state investigators to get involved, and in early 2023, Aleksandrov’s “miracle clinic” in Moscow was shut down. In the fall, the authorities opened two felony cases against him. But by then, Aleksandrov was one step ahead: he had already opened a network of “clinics” in Kazakhstan, and he had big plans in Kyrgyzstan — ones that went beyond the medical field. In July 2023, he registered a business called the Valkyrie Construction Bureau at the same address as his Psychology and Health Center.

The doctor diversifies

In June 2023, a job vacancy for an electronics engineer appeared on the classified ad website Headhunter.kg. According to the listing, the new employee would be tasked with “organizing drone production in Bishkek.” The ad was posted by someone named Yevgeny Anatolyevich Boldyrev, whose profile on the site includes a link to the website Judging from financial records, both companies appear to have been just as hollow as his promises of curing cancer. This domain name belongs to a Moscow-based LLC called Valkyrie Construction Bureau, which, according to the site, manufactures “aircraft, including space vehicles, and related equipment.” The site also lists military drones available for purchase.

The Valkyrie Construction Bureau’s social media pages say the company makes combat drones for the Russian Armed Forces. Dmitry Rayevsky (that is, Gleb Aleksandrov) is listed as a co-founder, while Yevgeny Boldyrev is named as the head of the operation. Boldyrev’s email address, [email protected], suggests he has close ties to the phony doctor. Elsewhere on the Internet, he refers to himself as a “student” of “Rayevsky.”

It’s clear from open sources that the Valkyrie Construction Bureau registered in Bishkek is linked to the company registered under the same name in Moscow. This means that the drones Gleb Aleksandrov plans to build in Kyrgyzstan will likely be used to kill people in Ukraine.

“Unmanned aerial vehicles are widely used in tactical military operations for things like artillery targeting, reconnaissance, observation, and monitoring,” Rayevsky said in a 2022 interview about Valkyrie in the Russian news site Novye Izvestia.

“We’re making drones for close-range reconnaissance up to five kilometers that are invisible to the enemy’s radar and resistant to various weather conditions,” said Valkyrie’s chief engineer, Alexander Kozlachkov, in a 2022 article about the company. “We’re also working on cargo drones capable of carrying up to 10 kilograms and staying in the air for up to two hours. They’ll be able to traverse quite long distances to break through enemy bunkers.”

Of course, there’s also a chance the Valkyrie Construction Bureau’s drones will prove to be just as much of a sham as his cancer treatment methods. But that doesn’t mean the operation will be any less harmful to Kyrgyzstan.

An uncanny resemblance

After reviewing the drone models for sale on the Valkyrie website, journalists from Kloop concluded that the company is likely not producing drones at all, but instead purchasing and reselling foreign devices under the guise of manufacturing them.

Valkyrie’s V-Coptr Falcon, for example, looks extremely similar to one made by the U.S. company Zero Zero Robotics, which has offices in China and Taiwan.

The EVO II Dual 640T V3 offered by Valkyrie resembles one made by the Chinese company Autel Robotics, which has branches in the U.S., Germany, Italy, and Singapore.

The photo provided by Valkyrie of one of the reconnaissance drones it offers is actually a screenshot from a video of a radio-controlled aircraft made by the Chinese company Skywalker Technology Co., Ltd., though the product details listed on the Valkyrie site differ from those of the pictured device.

An employee at the Dmitry Rayevsky Psychology and Health Center told Kloop that the business’s workers came to Bishkek from Russia but that “Dmitry Rayevsky” himself rarely travels to Kyrgyzstan. The employee did not know anything about the drones that are supposedly being manufactured at the health center’s address.

A lifetime of lies

It’s no coincidence that Gleb Aleksandrov chose Kyrgyzstan for his purported drone company. According to websites run by his past victims, Aleksandrov was born in Frunze (the Soviet-era name for Bishkek). His family soon moved to the Russian city of Smolensk, where he first claimed to be descended from nobility and began using the pseudonym Rayevsky.

On Telegram, where he has nearly 100,000 followers, Aleksandrov is a vocal supporter of the war against Ukraine. His enthusiasm for Russia’s military aggression appears to date back at least to the annexation of Crimea, during which he founded an LLC called Development of Crimea and Sevastopol Industrial Construction Holding and another called Crimea Industrial Consortium Trading House. Judging from financial records, both companies appear to have been just as hollow as his promises of curing cancer.

But whether Aleksandrov is lying about Valkyrie manufacturing its own drones or not, the company could still have consequences for Kyrgyzstan: the E.U.’s 12th package of sanctions will reportedly carry tough penalties for third-country companies helping Russia circumvent them.

In August 2023, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez asked Kyrgyzstani President Sadyr Japarov to better regulate the flow of goods to Russia to prevent defense-related items, including drones, from entering the country. In response, Japarov said that the export of drones is against the law in Kyrgyzstan. The outlet Economist.kg, however, was unable to get an official response from the Economic Ministry about whether such a ban is really in place.

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digitaldetoxworld · 4 months ago

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A Reflection on Freedom, Unity, and Progress independence day 2024 celebration ideas for office

Introduction

Independence day celebration ideas for office is more than only a date at the calendar; it’s a effective image of freedom, cohesion, and the iconic spirit of a state. As India celebrates its 77th Independence Day on August 15, 2024, it's miles an possibility to reflect on the adventure of this tremendous and numerous u . S . A .—from the struggles and sacrifices of the past to the achievements and demanding situations of the present. This day not handiest commemorates the quit of British colonial rule in 1947 however additionally serves as a reminder of the obligations that include freedom.

The Historical Significance of Independence Day

Best Independence Day food recipes marks the end result of a long and onerous battle for freedom. The British East India Company started out its rule over India in 1757, and through the mid-19th century, the British Crown had taken direct manipulate of the usa. For almost 200 years, India endured colonial exploitation, financial complication, and the suppression of its people.

The Indian freedom war became characterised by using various movements and uprisings, from the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 to the non-cooperation motion, civil disobedience, and the Quit India Movement led via Mahatma Gandhi. These movements galvanized millions of Indians, united them of their demand for independence, and paved the manner for the eventual cease of British rule.

On August 15, 1947, India ultimately gained independence. Jawaharlal Nehru, the primary Prime Minister of India, marked the event together with his well-known speech, “Tryst with Destiny,” wherein he stated India’s awakening to lifestyles and freedom. Since then, Independence Day has been celebrated every 12 months with remarkable fervor and patriotism.

Celebrations Across the Nation

Independence Day activities for families in India is celebrated with a big selection of activities, ceremonies, and cultural activities. The most iconic party takes region at the Red Fort in Delhi, where the Prime Minister hoists the national flag and addresses the country. This event is attended by way of dignitaries, government officers, and hundreds of citizens, while thousands and thousands more watch the lawsuits on tv.

The national flag, a image of India’s sovereignty and delight, is hoisted in schools, schools, government homes, and houses throughout the u . S . A .. Parades, cultural applications, and patriotic songs are necessary components of the celebrations, with groups coming collectively to honor the freedom combatants and the country’s journey to independence.

In addition to the legitimate occasions, Independence Day is also a time for individuals and households to have a good time of their very own methods. People often put on the tricolor, take part in flag-hoisting ceremonies of their neighborhoods, and percentage messages of patriotism on social media. The day serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made through endless people for the u . S .’s freedom and the want to maintain and cherish that hard-won liberty.

Independence Day 2024: A Time for Reflection

As India celebrates its 77th Independence Day in 2024, it is vital to reflect on the development made in view that 1947 and the challenges that lie beforehand. The state has come a long manner in terms of economic growth, technological advancements, and social development. However, the journey of independence is ongoing, as the united states of america continues to try for extra team spirit, equality, and prosperity.

Economic Growth and Development

Since gaining independence, India has converted from a in large part agrarian economic system into one of the international’s largest and quickest-growing economies. The u . S . Has made sizeable strides in various sectors, such as era, manufacturing, offerings, and agriculture. The upward thrust of the Indian IT enterprise, the increase of the middle magnificence, and the expansion of infrastructure are only a few examples of the kingdom’s progress.

In 2024, India is poised to hold its financial increase, with a focus on sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity. The government’s efforts to boost the manufacturing sector via projects like “Make in India,” the emphasis on digitalization, and the frenzy for renewable electricity are shaping the future of the kingdom’s economic system. However, challenges consisting of earnings inequality, unemployment, and environmental degradation continue to be and require sustained efforts to deal with.

Social Progress and Challenges

India’s adventure toward social development has been marked with the aid of large achievements, however additionally by way of ongoing demanding situations. The u . S . A . Has made high-quality development in education, healthcare, and poverty discount. Government packages just like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Housing for All) have had a high quality effect on millions of lives.

However, troubles including gender inequality, caste-based discrimination, and communal tensions hold to have an effect on the social material of the united states of america. Independence Day 2024 is a time to reaffirm the dedication to social justice, equality, and human rights. It is a reminder that the genuine essence of independence lies in making sure that every citizen, regardless of their heritage, has the opportunity to live with dignity and recognize.

Unity in Diversity

One of India’s finest strengths is its variety. With over 1.Three billion humans, 29 states, masses of languages, and a multitude of cultures and religions, India is a colourful mosaic of different identities. Independence Day is a party of this diversity and the solidarity that binds the nation together.

In 2024, as India faces worldwide demanding situations consisting of weather trade, geopolitical tensions, and economic uncertainties, the spirit of harmony will become even greater essential. The state have to come collectively to address these demanding situations at the same time as respecting and embracing the variety that defines it.

The Role of Youth in Nation-Building

The teens of India have usually performed a essential position in shaping the nation’s destiny. In 2024, with over 65% of the populace beneath the age of 35, the kids continue to be the driving pressure behind the u . S .’s development. Independence Day is an opportunity to encourage and empower the younger era to absorb the mantle of management and contribute to kingdom-building.

Young Indians are increasingly more involved in social, economic, and political spheres, riding exchange thru innovation, entrepreneurship, and activism. Whether it’s through technological advancements, social tasks, or political participation, the teenagers are at the vanguard of shaping a extra inclusive and progressive India.

Looking Ahead: The Future of India

As India celebrates its 77th Independence Day crafts for kids , it's far critical to appearance beforehand to the future and envision the sort of state we aspire to be. The challenges of the 21st century require progressive answers, collaborative efforts, and a commitment to the values of freedom, democracy, and justice.

India’s destiny lies in its ability to harness its human potential, protect its environment, and ensure that monetary boom benefits all sections of society. It is a destiny where generation is leveraged for social right, where schooling and healthcare are handy to all, and in which each citizen has the opportunity to thrive.

Independence Day 2024 is a moment to resume the pledge to uphold the beliefs of the liberty battle—equality, justice, and fraternity. It is a time to keep in mind that independence isn't always just about political freedom, but additionally approximately the liberty to pursue our dreams, to live without fear, and to make a contribution to the collective progress of the kingdom.

#independence day 2024 celebration ideas for office #Independence Day crafts for kids #Independence Day activities for families #Best Independence Day food recipes

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trivialbob · 2 years ago

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Last night I went to the auto show at the convention center.

I have been going every few years since I was old enough to drive. The early shows were more fun. Hustle and bustle. All the companies, except Ferrari and Lamborghini, had models there. The Mercedes and BMW vehicles were always locked. Then Lexus arrived on the scene and let everyone sit in their flagship LS400 sedan. The next year the Germans decided it was OK for people to look out the windshield and feel that nice leather on their backsides. This year though a lot of the pricier vehicles were locked.

The show seems to be declining in size and enthusiasm. Porsche was absent. The Thursday night crowd was much smaller than I anticipated. None of the “as sold on TV” types of displays had to be on the upper level. Now the Ginsu knives were in the front hallway. The far ends of the convention center were closed off because nothing was there.

Prices are horribly high. The number of options and their cost are astounding. Some high end pickups and SUVs are comfortably above six figures. There are more electric vehicles every year. Few are what I consider affordable for their size and content.

The Toyota Corolla sure has come a long way. I had a 2005 Corolla that never broke. It was lightweight feeling, but a terrific value. The 2023 Corolla on display was an AWD hybrid. The interior looked super nice for an “economy” car.

KIA got my vote for best designed LED head and tail lights. Those are nice looking vehicles. Mitsubishi had the least appealing vehicles to me.

Toyota and Chevy actually had some cars with manual transmissions. It used to be that sticks got better mileage than automatics. Computers upended that advantage. Now the only advantage of a stick shift is being one of a diminishing crowd of drivers who can operate one.

Some things never change though

There is always a freelance, volunteer salesman. He approaches people sitting behind the wheel taking a mental test drive. “Yeah, my buddy got one of these in 2021. Sweet ride! Acceleration is really good for a car that gets such good fuel economy! You probably want to act soon, because interest rates seem to be on the rise!” The driver nods politely, then crawls out the passenger door.

Some 10-year-old has to sit in every single vehicle, even the boring ones. At the fun cars, this kid takes 17 minutes to touch every button, jiggle the locked steering wheel, and adjust the seats while people wait for their turn.

There are the guys who want people to know they know someone who owns a fun vehicle. Standing near a small group of people around a Camaro, he loudly says to his companion, “Remember my pal Tony? Yep, Tony just got one of these. I think his has the metallic paint though, not this dull stuff.” Oh dude, that is cool. May I touch your arm?

The missing gearshift knobs. The dealerships or manufacturers have to remove them so they don’t get stolen.

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the-monkey-ruler · 1 year ago

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New Journey to the West (1971)布袋戲新西遊記

Director: Huang Junxiong

Country/Region of Manufacture: Taiwan, China

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Number of Seasons: 1

Episodes: 20 Single Episode length: 50 minutes

Type: Retelling

Summary:

In 1962, Taiwan's first TV station "Taiwan Television Company" started broadcasting. On November 8 of the same year, Li Tianlu "Yi Wanran" was invited to perform the traditional puppet show "Three Kingdoms" with a Hokkien pronunciation on TV. This was the first time that Taiwan TV broadcast a puppet show. , but the ratings were not high, and it was canceled after only 25 episodes (each episode was 50 minutes). The person who really made the puppet show shine on the TV screen was Huang Junxiong.

Huang Junxiong's first puppet show on Taiwan TV was "Yunzhou Da Ruxia", which was broadcast on March 2, 1970, with a total of 114 episodes. In addition, Huang Junxiong also performed puppet plays such as "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "New Journey to the West", "The Legend of Three Heroes of Liuhe", "The Great Confucian Hero", "New Legend of Jigong" (Mandarin dubbing), "The Legend of the Five Tigers of the Tang Dynasty", etc. The last one "The Legend of the Four Heroes of Yunzhou" ran from February 13 to June 16, 1974. At this point, Huang Junxiong's puppet show performance on Taiwan TV has temporarily come to an end, with a total of 8 performances and a total of 961 episodes, including 440 episodes of the Shi Yanwen series and Liuhe series 346 episodes.

At this time, because some plots of the puppet show were denounced as strange and confusing, and the pronunciation of the Hokkien language conflicted with the government's Mandarin policy, the Information Bureau ordered the complete suspension of the TV puppet show in 1974, and it was not until 1982 that the ban was conditionally lifted; At that time, the TV station and the Information Bureau agreed that puppet shows could be broadcast during the noon period of TV programs, but the three TV stations had to rotate the first Mandarin and the second Hokkien drama during this period.

The puppet show could not be broadcast on the two TV stations at the same time, so the three TV stations only It can broadcast puppet shows in turn, that is, each TV station can broadcast puppet shows for four months a year, and each puppet show can have a maximum of 30 episodes. Huang Junxiong's first puppet show after his comeback was the Taiwanese puppet show "Five Tiger Generals of the Tang Dynasty" broadcast on Taiwan TV. It started broadcasting at noon on June 14, 1982, with each episode lasting 30 minutes, a total of 30 episodes. Later, it was broadcast by "Five Tiger Generals of the Tang Dynasty". "The Legend of Three Heroes of Liuhe" took over; during this period, Huang Junxiong's Hokkien puppet show on Taiwan TV lasted until May 13, 1988. In the past 6 years, there were a total of 23 performances and a total of 668 episodes.

In addition, Huang Junxiong also performed two other Mandarin puppet shows on Taiwan TV: "The Monkey King" and "Burning the Red Lotus Temple"; at the same time, he also performed "Two Heroes of Heaven" on China Television with his sons Huang Qianghua and Huang Wenze. , "Feng Sword Spring and Autumn" and "The Lion Ranger" and other Hokkien puppet shows. In the 1990s, the people who led the puppet show on television were none other than Huang Qianghua and Huang Wenze's Pili puppet show!

The first Mandarin puppet show in the history of Taiwanese television, "Monkey King, the Monkey King" was produced by Huang Junxiong. It was broadcast on Taiwan TV from April 16, 1983 to October 8 of the same year, with each episode lasting 30 minutes, for a total of 25 episodes. The theme song "Sun Wukong" is a cover of "My Lady and I" (Girl and Me) sung by Japanese male singer Yukio Hashi in 1965. In fact, this song had already been rewritten by Huang Junxiong in 1971 and used as a Taiwan TV program. The theme song of the Hokkien puppet show "New Journey to the West", the singer is Li Zhuhui.

Source: https://bearpost.org/?p=47054

Link Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXXf-pDYDy8&t=89s

#New Journey to the West #布袋戲新西遊記 #新西遊記 #jttw media #jttw television #television #lost media #puppets #animation #retelling #sun wukong #tang sanzang #rewrite

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patrickzvveig · 2 years ago

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i just found out that kylie and kendall jenner "wrote" a dystopian novel and it reminds of how sickeningly diluted the idea of dystopia (specifically targeted towards teens) became after publishers realized that the genre had become popular.

I've talked quite a bit about why "The Hunger Games" as a concept and works, so I'm not going to reiterate my points. But even at its most conservative the series is fervently anti-fascist and a critique on capitalism. And most dystopians, if they're worth anything, have some level of critique on capitalism and how the state manufactures poverty and consent for it among the citizens.

But after the success of THG, books such as (but not just limited to) "Divergent" changed the idea of what it meant to be a dystopian novel, especially targeted towards teens. It no longer had the uncomfortable ring of truth that THG had. These stories set themselves in unrecognizable worlds that, instead of providing a look into what happens, create a plot on the often absurd "what if...?" idea the authors originally conceived.

And I think that this new brand of YA dystopia, which had no need to be introspective about society and class in the present, led to literally anyone and everyone trying to capitalize off of it. Because it's utterly ridiculous that Kendall and Kylie would try to make a dystopian novel in the wake of what was ultimately just the success of The Hunger Games. The Kardashian family is kind of a contemporary microcosm of the Capitol (to some extent). All of their money and success is contingent on the exploitation of the lower class. I mean for god's sake, Kylie's makeup literally has mica in it. And they're able to mask their exploitation behind a TV show and portray themselves as characters in a semi-relatable life, and an always entertaining one, is how they are able to be so popular and continue selling their brands.

The even more chilling fact is that they didn't write it. It's written by non-famous writer who's name is removed from the cover, but who, nevertheless, receives all the blame for how bad it is (and yeah- it's bad). They are able to reap most of the profits from this, have it advertised as THEIR book when they likely don't even know the story, but they can avoid all criticism of the text itself because of that. It's poignantly dystopian in itself. Obviously Kylie and Kendall were teens, but whoever pitched this idea was lacking any sort of foresight beyond what would be the most relevant and successful.

#i feel bad for going so hard on divergent #but it is such a stupid novel and was obviously made in response to the success of the hunger games.#i could write a whole ass essay about this idea because it's so weirdly dystopian.#the hunger games #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #catching fire #kendall & kylie #the book name for anyone wondering is called: rebels city of indra. and you only have to read the first page to realize it's awful.

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havesindia · 3 months ago

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#haves technology #Haves led tv manufacturing #Led tv manufacturing #led tv manufacturer #Led tv manufacturers #led tv manufacturer in india #led tv manufacturing in india #led tv manufacturers in delhi #led tv manufacturers in Noida #home appliances

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wumblr · 2 years ago

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i know sarah mclachlan kind of became a joke for booking a song in an extremely overplayed tv commercial but i do think fumbling towards ecstasy is one of the great albums of the 90s. which is saying a lot because i also think the 90s was THE decade for music. there was a sort of renaissance of coincidence in the industry where record labels were taking chances on auteurs, competitively booking incredible session musicians, and trying to establish the label as a tastemaker by carefully pairing artists with producers in a way they don't really do anymore

the chances executives were willing to take in the 90s led directly to the nonstop hitmachine style overproduction of the 2000s, which almost immediately became cheesy and passe. like in order to know how to overproduce like that they had to fund a host of talented, serious musicians who were trying to make an album as high art, send them on extensive tours and note what got audience response, in order for them all to become so much grist for the mill, to steal the basic premises and use that to mass manufacture boybands or teen stars who didn't know to insist on owning their copyrights, etc

fumbling towards ecstasy is one of these finely honed artworks, where the precise thing that they were going for was unilaterally inoffensive softness. it's very subtle and it maybe doesn't quite come across the same way now, ever since mclachlan got a reputation for what was essentially nailing the mark every time. probably one of the fundamental establishing works of what became the "adult alternative" genre

obviously not to laud record executives or suggest talent isn't a factor anymore, but it's a qualitatively different deal now where you have to show up to the record contract pitch meeting with the album done and hard proof of preexisting fans, assuming you even get that far, which like, as a collimated market pressure, does not tend to reward chops, novelty, or experimentation (it tends to reward people who can buy the career outright)

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scotianostra · 1 year ago

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On August 16th 1944, John Logie Baird gave the world's first demonstration of a practical fully electronic colour television display.

After Baird had invented the first ever television, Marconi beat him to be the one that the BBC used for their broadcasting system, a lesser man could have been deflated and pursued other projects, Baird embraced the opportunities, he had already dabbled with colour TV in his labs in July 1928. Ronald F. Tiltman, who later wrote a book about Baird, witnessed the first demonstration at the Long Acre laboratory in 1928. He said that

‘the vivid reality of the colourings seen on the receiving screen was quite remarkable. When the human face was transmitted it showed a delicate pink, while a protruding tongue showed a deeper pink, the subject also tied scarves of various colours round the head and then placed on a policeman’s blue helmet, and each colour came through clearly. A bunch of blue flowers, and another of red roses, appeared in amazingly vivid fashion and as near the original shades as could be determined.’

In 1929 Baird provided the first-ever BBC television programme, in black-and-white, which led to half-hour programmes five mornings a week, and in 1931 screened the Derby, with much favourable publicity.

In addition, Baird built TV outside broadcast vans and RF link lines into self-developed television projectors in cinemas with up to 3,000 seats, the economic use of which was thwarted by the beginning of the Second World War. By this time Baird realised that the future belonged to fully electronic television. On 16 August 1944, he gave the world’s first demonstration of a fully electronic colour television display.

The first pic shows the image of actress Paddy Naismith was used that day to show the pictures, pic two is the oldest surviving colour television in the world manufactured in 1946 by General Electric in the USA for the Columbia Broadcasting Service (CBS), the GE 950. CBS had been experimenting with Baird’s ideas for colour television for some time, and by 1946 were confident of obtaining a broadcasting licence. So confident, they began advertising the TV set the first colour television produced for the consumer market. However, if it was used at all, it can only have been to receive demonstration broadcasts, because on 30th January 1947, CBS was refused a licence for colour broadcasting by the Federal Communications Commission. With nothing to receive, the GE 950 can never have been sold, but guess where you can find it? Yes Scotland at The National Museum on Chambers Street Edinburgh.

#scottish #scotland #history #inventor #television

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softrobotcritics · 2 years ago

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Feel in the dark

Media contact:

Holly Evarts, Director of Strategic Communications and Media Relations

212-854-3206 (o), 347-453-7408 (c), [email protected]

Highly Dexterous Robot Hand Can Operate in the Dark -- Just Like Us

Columbia Engineers design a robot hand that is the first device of its kind to join advanced sense of touch with motor-learning algorithms--it doesn’t rely on vision to manipulate objects

New York, NY—May 1, 2023—Think about what you do with your hands when you’re home at night pushing buttons on your TV’s remote control, or at a restaurant using all kinds of cutlery and glassware. These skills are all based on touch, while you’re watching a TV program or choosing something from the menu. Our hands and fingers are incredibly skilled mechanisms, and highly sensitive to boot.

Robotics researchers have long been trying to create “true” dexterity in robot hands, but the goal has been frustratingly elusive. Robot grippers and suction cups can pick and place items, but more dexterous tasks such as assembly, insertion, reorientation, packaging, etc. have remained in the realm of human manipulation. However, spurred by advances in both sensing technology and machine-learning techniques to process the sensed data, the field of robotic manipulation is changing very rapidly.

Highly dexterous robot hand even works in the dark

Researchers at Columbia Engineering have demonstrated a highly dexterous robot hand, one that combines an advanced sense of touch with motor learning algorithms in order to achieve a high level of dexterity.

As a demonstration of skill, the team chose a difficult manipulation task: executing an arbitrarily large rotation of an unevenly shaped grasped object in hand while always maintaining the object in a stable, secure hold. This is a very difficult task because it requires constant repositioning of a subset of fingers, while the other fingers have to keep the object stable. Not only was the hand able to perform this task, but it also did it without any visual feedback whatsoever, based solely on touch sensing.

In addition to the new levels of dexterity, the hand worked without any external cameras, so it's immune to lighting, occlusion, or similar issues. And the fact that the hand does not rely on vision to manipulate objects means that it can do so in very difficult lighting conditions that would confuse vision-based algorithms--it can even operate in the dark.

“While our demonstration was on a proof-of-concept task, meant to illustrate the capabilities of the hand, we believe that this level of dexterity will open up entirely new applications for robotic manipulation in the real world,” said Matei Ciocarlie, associate professor in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science. “Some of the more immediate uses might be in logistics and material handling, helping ease up supply chain problems like the ones that have plagued our economy in recent years, and in advanced manufacturing and assembly in factories.”

Leveraging optics-based tactile fingers

In earlier work, Ciocarlie’s group collaborated with Ioannis Kymissis, professor of electrical engineering, to develop a new generation of optics-based tactile robot fingers. These were the first robot fingers to achieve contact localization with sub-millimeter precision while providing complete coverage of a complex multi-curved surface. In addition, the compact packaging and low wire count of the fingers allowed for easy integration into complete robot hands.

Teaching the hand to perform complex tasks

For this new work, led by CIocarlie’s doctoral researcher, Gagan Khandate, the researchers designed and built a robot hand with five fingers and 15 independently actuated joints--each finger was equipped with the team’s touch-sensing technology. The next step was to test the ability of the tactile hand to perform complex manipulation tasks. To do this, they used new methods for motor learning, or the ability of a robot to learn new physical tasks via practice. In particular, they used a method called deep reinforcement learning, augmented with new algorithms that they developed for effective exploration of possible motor strategies.

Robot completed approximately one year of practice in only hours of real-time

The input to the motor learning algorithms consisted exclusively of the team’s tactile and proprioceptive data, without any vision. Using simulation as a training ground, the robot completed approximately one year of practice in only hours of real-time, thanks to modern physics simulators and highly parallel processors. The researchers then transferred this manipulation skill trained in simulation to the real robot hand, which was able to achieve the level of dexterity the team was hoping for. Ciocarlie noted that “the directional goal for the field remains assistive robotics in the home, the ultimate proving ground for real dexterity. In this study, we've shown that robot hands can also be highly dexterous based on touch sensing alone. Once we also add visual feedback into the mix along with touch, we hope to be able to achieve even more dexterity, and one day start approaching the replication of the human hand.”

Ultimate goal: joining abstract intelligence with embodied intelligence

Ultimately, Ciocarlie observed, a physical robot being useful in the real world needs both abstract, semantic intelligence (to understand conceptually how the world works), and embodied intelligence (the skill to physically interact with the world). Large language models such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 or Google’s PALM aim to provide the former, while dexterity in manipulation as achieved in this study represents complementary advances in the latter.

For instance, when asked how to make a sandwich, ChatGPT will type out a step-by-step plan in response, but it takes a dexterous robot to take that plan and actually make the sandwich. In the same way, researchers hope that physically skilled robots will be able to take semantic intelligence out of the purely virtual world of the Internet, and put it to good use on real-world physical tasks, perhaps even in our homes.

The paper has been accepted for publication at the Robotics: Science and Systems Conference (Daegu, Korea, July 10-14, 2023), and is currently available as a preprint.

About the Study

Conference: Robotics: Science and Systems Conference (Daegu, Korea, July 10-14, 2023)

The study is titled “Sampling-based Exploration for Reinforcement Learning of Dexterous Manipulation.”

Authors are all from Columbia Engineering: Gagan Khandate and Tristan Luca Saidi (Computer Science), Siqi Shang, Eric Chang, Johnson Adams, and Matei Ciocarlie (Mechanical Engineering). The tactile sensors were developed in collaboration with Ioannis Kymissis (Electrical Engineering).

This work was supported in part by the Office of Naval Research grant N00014-21-1-4010 and the National Science Foundation grant CMMI-2037101.

The authors declare no financial or other conflicts of interest.

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xygled · 2 years ago

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Let's appreciate some cases of Xinyiguang's LED floor screen

Stay at home, go shopping, and walk on the road. Our common floor materials include carpet, wood plank, marble, cement road, asphalt and other types, but no matter how fancy, pattern, and color change, they all have a common feature-slightly "dull". Some people say that it is fun and convenient, just change it frequently. It sounds very embarrassing, you can change the carpet every day, but you can't pry the floor every day. Have you heard of Xinyiguang LED floor tile screen? Through the LED display, the visual interactive experience is immersive, giving people: the indoor floor tile screen with the experience of "sitting at home, the world is under the feet"; stepping and jumping, and the intelligent interaction of playing and dancing floor tile screen; waterproof and dustproof, super heavy outdoor floor tile screen. It can be tiled on the ground and displayed slowly, or it can be used to create a dreamy and flashing stair screen that climbs up the steps. Onlooker No. 1: It sounds amazing, do floor tile screens with so many functions really exist? Onlooker No. 2: Need to be powered on? Is it safe? Onlooker No. 3: Will it be crushed? Yes, yes, all of the above! Chinese people don’t lie to Chinese people. The editor of Digital Audio-Video Engineering Network couldn’t stand everyone’s urging, and decided to go to Xinyiguang with everyone to learn about it. It was an eye-opener. Experience the fun of "seeing is owning". 2022 CCTV Spring Festival Opera Gala-P2.976-300 square meters

Shenyang-TV Station-106.25 square meters

Yinchuan-Planning Pavilion-330 square meters

Xinjiang-Museum-P3.91-250 square meters

Zhejiang - Qiandao Lake Tourist Attraction - 240 square meters

Shanghai-Audi Flagship Store-P3.91

Russia - Stavropol - P2.976-288 square meters

Wuhan K11-P6.25 Indoor - 280 square meters

Q&A session

1. Is it safe? Quiet heat dissipation The power box of the LED intelligent interactive floor tile screen box adopts a die-cast aluminum box with good heat dissipation, and a special heat dissipation device is designed by a professional R&D team to achieve a better silent heat dissipation function. 2. Is it waterproof? The bottom case, mask, power cord and signal line of the waterproof and moisture-proof LED floor tile screen module are specially designed and equipped with waterproof and moisture-proof materials. They are made of raw materials with low moisture absorption coefficient. The front and back of the body can reach the waterproof level of IP45. 3. Is it reliable? The anti-slip and wear-resistant LED intelligent interactive floor tile screen mask is made of imported PC materials, which has high wear resistance and flexibility, and good high and low temperature resistance. And designed according to the principle of mechanics, Xinyiguang mask has good anti-slip and load-bearing functions. 4. Is it hard? Super load-bearing Each component of Yiguang LED intelligent interactive floor tile screen, according to different mechanical designs, has an ultimate load-bearing capacity of up to 3 tons per square meter. Onlookers 1, 2, and 3: Awesome! Is that brand okay? Editor: Founded in 2012, Xinyiguang is a professional supplier of global application products and solutions. Xinyiguang has a modern manufacturing plant of 8,000 square meters. The core R&D team has more than 20 years of experience in professional research and development. The company has obtained a number of valid patent certificates and a number of test reports to provide users with high-quality products and services. And in December 2021, it was awarded the "2021 Famous Brand of LED Floor Tile Screen" by Digital Audio Video Engineering Network. The trophy is still warming up, what do you think? Onlooker No. 1: Wow, it's so powerful, I will arrange a basketball court with LED floor tiles for the village immediately, the cubs in our village must not lose to the next village! Low-key arrangement... Onlooker No. 2: I heard it a long time ago! We have 4 in our village, 1 each in the east, west, north, and south. Onlooker No. 3: Tsk tsk tsk, you guys are so naive. I want to arrange a big floor tile screen for the entrance of my house, so that everyone will envy my house! The indoor LED floor tile screens, intelligent interactive floor tile screens, and outdoor LED floor tile screens developed and produced by Xinyiguang have various installation styles of floor tile screens and stair screens. The product cabinets are made of hard materials such as die-casting aluminum, aluminum plates, and iron. Increase the strength of the box, strong and wear-resistant. It's really good, the boss remembers to stock up for the New Year, because it will be a big hit in 2022! Read the full article

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