#I made this picture 10 years ago and I recreated it :D I liked the first one better though oops haha

[life-of-a-wannabe-photographer]

[kpopinesss]

[ateez] S A N ➱ baby daddy au

YOU HAVE TO RAISE HIS SON AFTER HE LEAVES. MAFIA SAN.

warnings: teen pregnancy

a/n: sorry ya’ll I accidentally posted this on my main lol - @atinybitofau

• raising a son on your own was hard.

• raising a son whose genes were on par to his notorious father was even harder—

• a hooligan. a mischievous troublemaker.

• an eyesore in morality.

• and yes, your son was just like him.

• cold. ruthless. blood thirsty.

• but unlike San, your son loved you enough never to leave you.

• appreciated the things you did for him enough to stay.

• “Eomma..”

• you turn on your side when your son interrupts your slumber,

• injuries blatant on his tethered arm.

• raising a child who’s now 13 since you were 16 never easy.

• “Where were you, Ari?”

• he sits at the edge of your bed and leans for the warmth only a mother could give. “I was trying to get your medicine.. but I ended up causing a scene and the store owner kicked me out.”

• you sigh letting him lay down beside you. “It’s just a little cold. You don’t need to go and risk your life to save mine.”

• he wants to ask you.

• he’s old enough..

• why hasn’t his father came back to be the one the take care of you?

• to take care of him.

• why do you have to suffer alone?

• “Ari, just do me a favor and take care of yourself the way you do for me.” you cuddle into your sons warmth too. “That’s all I need.”

• but you’re lying.

• you’re getting sicker.

• and he can’t take it anymore.

• he goes to lower than the low to find something to save you, his mother.

• eventually ending up tied up in San’s gang house.

• brutally beat for intervening a drug heist—

• “Alright you little shit,” San holds your son up by the collar, blood running down his face mixed with his tears. “I don’t care that you’re 13 years old. Hell you could’ve been 10 and I’ll still beat the living crap out of you. No one just comes barging into a drug heist for no reason. That’s not just a coincidence.”

• it is.

• it really is.

• and maybe god was just giving him a sign.

• because you were on the verge of dying—

• and his own son being dealt his life and in the hands of his own father,

• yet San still didn’t know what was going on.

• what sign god was trying to give him.

• “I have to admit.” San runs a finger down his son’s chiseled jaw and smirks. “You’ve got a nice face. But in a couple minutes, you might not even be able to recognize it anymore.”

• “I-I-I was just trying to get medicine for my mom! I swear.”

• San really needed to get a clue.

• not all drugs were recreational.

• and some—

• some can actually save lives not just make dirty money.

• “You think I’ll believe that sissy crap?”

• Ari shudders looking to his torn up jeans. “H-her pictures in my wallet. I swear, she’s the only thing I’ll do anything illegal for. I promise I wasn’t trying to fuck anything up. She’d kill me if I got involved. Kill herself if I pushed myself too far.”

• he’s convinced at the desperation in the poor kid’s voice.

• normally not as merciful but he digs through the kid’s pocket for the picture anyway.

• and he should be glad he did because shit—

• the picture of you made him go from 100 to 0 real quick.

• “Y/n?”

• “T-that’s her! That’s my mom.”

• San glances up at the beat up kid, horrified.

• horrified at the sight.

• that he was basically beating to death a walking replica of himself.

• an age far enough that fit the time he left you.

• “You’re telling me my high school sweetheart..” San’s bloody fingers curl around your picture. “The woman you’ve been trying to steal medication for is your mom? The woman in this picture.”

• he’s at first in denial.

• that the kid he almost beat to death was your son.

• but denial hits him even harder the chances he could also be the father.

• “M-my mom is everything to me.” Ari bawls his last tears out begging for his own father to spare his life. or anything to save yours. “She’s only got me. I’ve only got her. S-sir please. At least save her. If you wanna kill me sir, please save my mom first.”

• his jaw clenches,

• still knealt down on one knee propped in front of his pleading son.

• studying every feature of his face.

• how on par everything was to his own.

• San was beating up his son, he realized.

• holy shit he was about to kill his own son.

• “Why didn’t she tell me?”

• “W-what?” his son chokes. “What do you mean?”

• “Fucking hell— kid, I think I’m your dad.”

• the five days that your son was held captive was long enough for your body to grow cold and weaker.

• laying in a hospital bed nearly blacked out.

• your son cries over your body as you sleep.

• hoping he’s not too late.

• not too late to give you the one thing that might be able to keep you alive.

• a husband?

• finally a father to your child.

• “You’re the husband?” the doctor finds San watching from the doorway awkwardly glancing at the black dressed men who towered behind him. “You’ve got quite the entourage there, sir. But not even an army of soldiers would be able to save your wife right now. She’s hanging on a thin line. Barely holding on. That woman needs a miracle if she wants to live the next good years of her life.”

• San watches as his son that he never knew about cries over you.

• wishes you would’ve told him..

• he would’ve stayed.

• would’ve loved you.

• why were you always so selfish? always wanting to do things that pushed you too far even if there were another option available.

• “Eomma.”

• you hear everything.

• your son.

• San.

• “Ma, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get the medicine. I got into trouble again, ma. I’m sorry.” Ari folds his hand over your limp one’s. “B-but I have something even better. Someone who could help you and me. He can take care of us, ma.”

• it hurts.

• you want to wake up for your son because he deserves the world.

• he deserves a fight for the both of you but the option you chose came short.

• in the past, the option of never telling San in the first place of his own son.

• “Ma.. he’s gonna talk to you okay? I’m gonna let him talk to you.” Ari sniffles and suddenly your hand gets replaced with a different warmth. “He’s gonna tell you it’s gonna be okay. I love you, eomma. I love you. We’re gonna be okay.”

• it’s almost enough.

• your heart beats a little faster.

• burns a little more so you could breathe on your own.

• it’s definitely working.

• “You shoulda told me, bubba.”

• the nickname San had given you years ago,

• a nickname you thought you’d never hear again, rings in your ear and that light so far away,

• it gets further.

• “You shoulda told me about him. About you.” he lifts your hand against his trembling lips. “13 years? 13 years after I tell you to take care of yourself and now you’re almost dying. Come on now. My girl was a fighter. Pushed herself harder than she wanted to.”

• his voice is like a mantra—

• a dream that gives you a little bit more of life you we’re starting to lose.

• “Bubba, you were the love of my life. And I didn’t tell you enough how much I appreciated you. I know it may be too late and if god forbid I do lose you, I will make sure our baby stays safe okay?”

• you think if you were awake right now you’d be crying.

• as if a weight lifted off your shoulders.

• cause the one person who could save you right now—you and your son,

• was right here.

• ready to go merciless to keep you two safe.

• “I left loving you. And I’ll come back loving you. 13 years only kept us apart. But let me tell you, y/n, it never stopped me from loving you.”

• he’s unsure when he lets go of your hand.

• usually gets what he wants with one word—

• cause he’s a notorious mobster.

• but let’s just say you were the one thing he wanted he could’ve never gotten even with two words.

• 3?

• “I love you.” he continues. “And if I’m gonna have to love our son the way I should’ve loved you then so be it.”

• but life’s not like movies where you wake up right during a miracle.

• this miracle takes time.

• and after an EXPENSIVE deal of money and medicine to keep you alive,

• a year it takes for you to finally open your eyes.

• to a nice hospital bed room.

• filled with flowers and the reminiscent scent of old spice and San.

• your hair’s a bit longer.

• the sun’s definitely brighter.

• but not as bright as the smile you see once you turn to the side.

• “Good morning beautiful.” San reaches his forehead against yours. “How were your dreams?”

• you choke on a decent reply. “S-San?”

• “The one and only.”

• “Where’s— Where’s Ari? Where’s my—“

• “Our?” San chuckles softly. “You mean our son.”

• you kind of remember.

• it takes a while to remember the voices and the dreams in your head.

• how waking up to find them real was surreal on its own.

• “He’s at school, bubba.” San cradles your face in the palm of his hand staring at you like he was hypnotized. “I’ll have someone pick him up. Tell him mommy’s awake.”

• “San..” you shake your head in his hand. “How is this real?”

• “Our son might be a miracle worker. Brought us together the way we made him. Brought me so I could keep you alive.”

• cheesy as you remember.

• although this handsome and older version of your old flame you aren’t too sure.

• “So you just show up while I’m in a coma and play daddy while I sleep?” you hoarsely chuckle while he smiles against your lips. “Even after 13 years, you won’t grudge against me for not telling you?”

• “I can’t blame you for trying to save yourselves.” he admits with his lips still on yours. “I wasn’t good enough for you. I know still I’m not. But I’m gonna try this time. Even if I have to pretend I’m not who I am sometimes.”

• you two are interrupted by a crying teenager.

• one you remembered resembled San.

• but now them standing right next to each other,

• looking like two carbon copies and a surreal dream in your head.

• maybe you are dead...

• “Ma!” he shoves his father away abruptly. “Look ma! I brought dad! He helped pay your debt, pays for my school. Even finished the hospital bills.”

• you glare at your always boisterous ex boyfriend and long lost father to your son.

• “You did what?”

• “Did I mention this was my way of getting back at you for not telling me about my 14 year old son?”

• “San how the hell am I gonna pay you back?”

• you just woke up.

• and the doctor runs in ready to sedate to keep you stable for at least more than 24 hours.

• but the way San looks at you is enough.

• him being there like your life long medication itself.

• holding your hand while your son holds your other one proposing,

• “Marry me. And we can call it even.”

@atinybitofau

[hydrangeachainsaw]

Oh my gosh. I just stumbled across your simblr and saw the railroad covered in flowers and buildings looking down over it. Oh my gosh. Could you please tell me youd release a world that has that aesthetic? 😭😭😭😭

beware, super long post, lots of ramblings haha

 Hello! I just made that scenery for a picture, but I’d like to eventually create a world full of inspo images I have found over the web. Maybe it’ll happen after Silver Peaks. Aand well since we’re already on this subject, I want to show a few pictures that I think fits well with the aesthetic of that one. For the town area, I think different heights would look nice!

And with lots of alleys!

And another area, not so far away from town, perhaps more rural like this one:

Another railroad scene I’ll try to recreate:

  Besides that, there are soo many worlds I still want to make! I still want to create a world for some Studio Ghibli town/city, yep, it won’t be easy xD Maybe I should just take some elements that I like of each movie and plop it onto only one world, idk. Here’s some studio ghibli’s inspo: Tales from Earthsea. I find it really cool the giant old ruins there and that every house has this orange-red-yellow pallete, aand the super long stairs lol

Spirited Away. I just love this movie so much! There’s this yt video of a minecraft world builder who built the entire map of this movie, it’s mind blowing!

When Marnie was there. This one I actually started last year, there’s a post about it too, but you know, I can’t focus in only one thing at a time so I jumped to other projects D: Howl’s Moving castle. I really love that scene which the train’s passing below Sophie’s window, it makes me want to have a house right next to it!

Out of ghibli’s stuff, there’s the anime Attack on Titan! I really like the idea of huge walls surrounding the town and big titans outside of them just waiting for their chance to get in, well it could be a cool world for a challenge

About the inspirational pictures I found over the web, there are tons of it. I’ll select a few.Japanese themed world. A combination of traditional and futuristic, plus that cyberpunk feeling. 

And a world where no matter where you look there’s water everywhere!

Or maybe high up in the trees!

This one I actually started some time ago, even tho I don’t even know where to start or what to do lol 

But at least I made the fences of the treehouses from the inspo picture, that’s something already! 😂😂

 And that’s it! Maybe I’ll finish all of them in like 10 years lol And I know it demands a lot of building and object creation skilz, but I’ll get better at it. dattebayo!😁😂

[abitterlifethroughcinema]

         #ABitterLifeThroughCinema’s WOKE! Film Reviews

     The Top Ten (+1) Best Movies of 2018 and where to find them!

                                                          by

                                           Lucas Avram Cavazos

+1…11. Overlord  Having its premiere at this year’s Sitges Int’l Film Fest, Overlord not only happened to be one of the fave films screened there this past festival, but this cinematic fantasy is an all-too-real and stark portrayal of a horror that actually occurred, and it deserves a nod from the Barcelona film critic family, so here it goes. Duly noted, I’d say. It starts with an insane aerial combat mission on the night of D-Day, one which goes awry and sees only a handful of paratroopers surviving the drop when enemy fire rains hell. They land in provincial France and the plot sets out to detail some of the inner workings of the Third Reich in reference to the insane, gruesome experiments done on captured Europeans and Jews. Those stories you’ve heard about turning these poor people into guinea pigs for super soldier intent using potent, injected serums…yeah, those? They’re true, if you believe the words of JJ Abrams. Are they as utterly brutal and horror/zombie film-like as displayed here? I sure as hell hope not. (now available On Demand and DVD)

10. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs There once was a film called O Brother Where Art Thou? While this is not its sequel, there is a sharp-witted vein to this film that could only be crafted and gifted to us by the Coen Brothers. What a hoot it is, even if it is a rather darkly-tinted hue of that hoot and humour. It is also one of their finest in years. Revolving around the singing cowpoke Buster Scruggs (Tim Blake Nelson) and five other tales brought to us with the commonly-threaded theme of death in often brutally funny ways, this film is a fine return to oddball form from two of the finest sibling directors of all time. Starring Liam Neeson, James Franco, Zoe Kazan, even Tyne Daly and so many in its vignettes, and that acting star power fuses this Western comedy into new territory for the brothers. Their previous works set in the west always seemed to be re-hashing works of years gone by but here, with their usage of almost comic-book-like details and witty banter make this much more enjoyable than their other historical works like O Bother and their remake of True Grit. Best western in absolute years! (available on Netflix or VOD)

9. Eighth Grade This poignant little film, which should have been wide-released everywhere the world over, is given fierce and bittersweet star power by Elsie Fisher, protagonist and student at the heart of this film. Comedian Bo Turnham has brought us the quintessential coming-of-tweenage story and along with Fisher, everyone in this film is so perfectly placed in their roles, especially Josh Hamilton as her dad, who deserves some nominations for this film but is unlikely to get any. Telling the story of 13-year old Kayla, we the audience get a sneak-peek into the minds and lives of today’s young adults. From her simple YouTube videos made to encourage other young kids to her obvious desire to fit in with older kids to her insecurity with boys, this film paints a stark reality that too many have lived through and this little indie film deserves aplomb from anywhere it can get it! (now available On Demand and DVD)

8. A Star is Born I skipped the critics’ screening of this film for the mere fact that I couldn’t bear to see if the acting and plot lines were another torrid take on a much-redone film. Even into the holiday season, I had not yet seen it and then when I did, I certainly took back any reservations. Bradley Cooper’s update of the film starring himself and Lady Gaga is just about as good as everyone said it was, and that was beyond refreshing to note post-viewing. In many ways, I feel that Cooper is likely revealing a few things about himself with the guise of “it’s a movie” being a nice cover; in some ways, he gives us what I believe are hints of his covert life, and it’s with Gaga’s turn as Ally that we really see him shine beyond the shtick of his character, country-rocker Jackson Maine. In a tad corny-tad, gripping way that takes hold the moment you see Gaga, let’s be frank and real, this film goes on to detail a Diet Coke version of the grim realities that often detail too many a tale of celebrity in Hollywood. Without revealing too many details of the film’s plot and denouement, we are looking at a necessary conversation about alcoholism, drug addiction and fame (plus a lack of ’NO’ men/women in many relationships) that needs to addressed for all ages. Well done, Mr. Cooper Goes to the Oscars. (At select screens, On Demand & DVD)

7. El Angel Incidentally, this may be the first time in a rather long time that I say something good about Argentinian men, so do take note. Telling the true story of fresh-faced boy killer Carlos Robledo Puch, played to Oscar-worthy perfection by newcomer Lorenzo Ferro, the masterful detail to which director Luis Ortega has crafted this arthouse meets dramedy-thriller is astounding and easily touches heights set by dePalma and even, dare I say it, Scorcese. We follow young Carlitos Puch, who is just nearing the edge of seventeen, as takes up with a rough and tough family of his devilishly attractive school chum Ramon, played by the spirited Chino Darin, son of Ricardo Darin. But as Carlitos comes to find out, his street crimes can easily be paved to real ones and his sadistic tendencies suddenly yet gradually paint a picture of someone who is in part desperate for attention and tacceptance and in part a fairly smart, well-to-do young adult. He parlays his sociopathy at pubescence into psychopathy with time, and this film will likely be, but should definitely not be, forgotten come awards and Best Of lists time.(available On Demand and DVD)

6. Black Panther As Oscar season comes to a head, it is worth talking about one of the most striking films that you’ll see for a while. Black Panther is that good, not only because of its genre but also because of its message: that seeking freedom through recreating systems of oppression will only extend the ill-treatment and broken nature we find ourselves in nowadays. Set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda, protagonist King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) brings us the first real black superhero from the Marvel universe. With a cast including Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and Michael B Jordan, the acting is beyond impressive. What is even more amazing, however, is how the plot power-plays many elements of our world’s current political climate. (now available On Demand and DVD)

5. Chappaquiddick Another film which is nothing short of striking in its relevance to the current political situation in the USA. Senator Ted Kennedy was the only remaining Kennedy that I was familiar with throughout my adolescence and early adulthood. Jason Clarke as the Massachusetts senator is astounding, as is the cut of his jib and chin, although the accent was a tad weak, to be ever sincere. This is a complete revelation on the many details that were only gingerly touched upon during the course of the week following the death which this movie is detailing . As the facts are laid out in the film, it astounds me that the American people continued to vote and elect Kennedy for decades after. This is a study on arrogance, class and governmental ambiguity. And if that was the case with liberals in the Sixties, how much more so with conservatives in this digital age? My favourite film of last year’s BCN Film Festival. (now available On Demand and DVD)

4. Private Life Good Lawd this is such a heartwarming/breaking story with the finest elements of believable comedy and situational realism that define the art of the classic Gen X film from the 90s to now. May we never forget that it was Gen, and even those a few years before them, who gave us the digiverse-Netflix-instant oatmeal www.orld in which we live today and when I see a very NYC film like this one, it makes it a true reality check. Being the age that one should be married with kids, I watched Kathryn Hahn as Rachel absolutely slay the silver screen and am eager to see if she picks up any more accolades throughout the current awards season. Simple plot…she’s in her early 40s and her hubby Rich (played by Paul Giamatti) is entering his late 40s and they are fully entrenched within the confines of every single way to conceive a baby. Following the couple through their trials and tribulations really get pushed up an ante when sort-of relative Sadie (the lovely Kayli Carter) decides she will be the surrogate mum for them as things get a tad pear-shaped. This could easily be dubbed a dreamed, for in effect, it is; what needs to be known is that this is also a morality tale for a new age. The old-fashioned ethics of yesteryear just do not apply anymore, at least not in big cities, and the less is more factor easily makes this one of the finest films released within the last year. (available on Netflix)

3. BlacKKKlansman Without a doubt, this is the finest work in all too many years by Spike Lee, and he takes no prisoners in letting you know that the spilled essence of blaxploitation all over this celluloid is to egg you into knowing that this story is 100% true…and crazy. The mere fact that David Duke is literally cheerleading for the current President of the United States should scare us all and wake those who are not. Watching actor John David Washington portray Ron Stallworth, the real-life cop who slyly infiltrated the inner workings of the Klu Klux Klan 40 years ago. After signing up for the Colorado Spring PD, he realises the lack of trust in the 98% Anglo-Saxon workforce, as he’s thrown into monitoring the goings-on of any Black Panther student situations. Eventually, he takes up with a guy on the force that he can dig called Flip and played to skilled excellence by the oddest of lookers Adam Driver. Basically, the plot follows the twosome, as they tag team the aforementioned white supremacist movement, Ron being the voice and Flip being the wingman as they start an investigation on grand wizard bastard himself David Duke, played to troubling perfection by Topher Grace, evoking all of the calmness and utter sociopathic tendencies of a man reviled by most yet revered by still too many. And watching this taut film and how it rolls through such a daunting story with comedic aplomb and vicious realness gives you goosebumps. That said, as the film gets toward its ending, is when Lee gives you the goods when he flashes to scenes from the crazy Charlottesville, Virginia, riots, AntiFa protesting and subsequent death of Heather Heyer, may she rest in peace. God Save the World…and Amerikkka.

2. Fahrenheit 11/9  Premiering a few weeks ago here in Spain at very select cinema screens across the country, this is the first documentary in some time by Michael Moore that could play across an international landscape and should be required viewing on any critic’s or person’s list. The titular oddity refers to the day after we all woke up across the world in shock and awe that Donald J Trump had won the Presidency of the USA. Even if this is not Morre’s best film to date, it is undoubtedly the one that holds the viewers’ feet to the fire and calls for them to fight the nasty funk of this administration. But, it’s when he takes it back to his roots, to Flint, Michigan, and ends up involving all local and state politics, that we start to see the more sinister undertakings happening amongst conservative parties, ideals and societies. When you add in the fact of the Parkland High School shooting and the way Moore later fuses footage of Hitler and his minions and followers with a rally speech made by the current occupant of the White House, it becomes all too obvious that things are exactly as we think they are (A HOT MESS!) and we have very little recourse rather than claiming truth. (now available On Demand and DVD)

1. ROMA There are tender moments of realism that are permitted to happen with the rise of instant cinema on VOD and direct-to-home films, and it has been a pleasure to see that sites like Netflix and Amazon and Canal+ have truly added to the foray in which great celluloid can be brought to the masses. Case in point comes the finest piece of dramatic celluloid that graced the silver screen in the last year. Being a Mexican whose father is a naturalised citizen of the US and a mother who is Chicana from the US, like myself and my siblings, the sentimentality ran deep with this film. One of the differences I experienced was the fact that we were the only Mexican-American family in a stately US country club…and we had an entire childhood spent with loving housekeepers, which is what this film inherently is honouring and depicting, using the backdrop of Alfonso Cuarón’s take on growing up in 70s-upper middle class Mexico City in the neighbourhood of Roma. Depicting the life of the house assistant Cleo (first-time performer Yalitza Aparicio in a J.Hud moment, frankly) and the family of Sr. Antonio (Fernando Grediaga), a doctor in the Mexican capital, what Cuarón has called his most personal film to date, is also a B&W modern tale in the vein of Gone with the Wind, and the fact that he centres around a privileged Mexican family is poignant for several reasons: it not only takes a focus away from how Donald bloody Trump has painted Mexicans, in general, to the world, but it also highlights a very human element to how many classes of society function and live there in the frontier regions of North America and, more importantly, EVERYWHERE…easily put, this is a sweet, oft-times simple, oft-times brutal story on humanity. What binds so many critics together on this film’s merits is that fact that Alfonso Cuarón has crafted the past year’s most enigmatic movie, leaving us to make our own answers to what happens to Lady Cleo, her best mate Teresa, and this beautiful family. Absolutely and quietly stunning! (available on Netflix and selects screens across the country)

[ahouseoflies]

The Best Films of 2018, Part III

Parts I and II are here and here.

GOOD MOVIES

70. Mid90s (Jonah Hill)- I usually applaud filmmakers for letting visuals tell the story instead of spelling everything out, but Mid90s needs to spell some more stuff out, especially at the truncated end. His brother brought him an orange juice, so all of the abuse is forgotten? I need a bit more there.

I was always going to be in the tank for this though, having been the same age as the protagonist at the time, owning some of the same shirts as him and hanging some of the same posters on my wall. Despite the "My First Screenplay" beef I had up top, each supporting character gets something to do. Hill shows promise as a director (and the fingerprints of his influences) by being able to shift between poles of emotions in a matter of seconds.

69. McQueen (Ian Bonhote)- Although it waits too long to get into McQueen's depression, this documentary does an adequate job of showing the ups and downs of his life. It was great seeing things I've only read about, like the Voss show.

Here's the thing though: I'm not a genius, but if I were, I would hope that my closest friends and advisers would be able to articulate what made me great. A little less "We were working sixteen-hour days." A little more "He changed art forever."

68. Beautiful Boy (Felix Van Groeningen)- For better and worse, this portrait of a parent's worst nightmare is unrelenting. Surprisingly, the toughest moment is when Nic is fierce with pride, clean for fourteen months. Because when you pause and see that there's an hour left in the movie, you shudder at how low he might end up going.

Van Groeningen's sort of french braid of past and present hasn't changed for his English-language debut, but things worked best for me when he locked in on Timothee Chalamet's mannered but touching performance. I wish the movie had a proper ending.

67. The Kindergarten Teacher (Sara Colangelo)- This takes a little while to get sick and twisted, but I liked it once it did. Part of why it works is Gyllenhaal's commitment to the role. As dark as the character gets--and the film does seem hell-bent on establishing her as a failure when I'm not sure that's true--Gyllenhaal never judges her. It's probably her best performance since SherryBaby.

As for Gael Garcia Bernal, who plays a poetry professor who kisses people and then apologizes and says that he misread the moment and acts all bashful, are we sure about him? Are we sure he's good at acting?

66. The Spy Who Dumped Me (Susanna Fogel)- The spywork of the last half-hour is way too convoluted, but the comedy is fast and loose in service of a sweet female friendship. We're at the stage with the genius of Kate McKinnon in which I just assume that she came up with anything funny on the spot. For example, there's an off-hand joke that her character went to camp with Edward Snowden and was surprised that the news didn't mention how "into ska" he was. It's so bizarre that it had to be improv. Later, when Edward Snowden shows up as a character, I had to admit that the movie was tightly written. But I assumed it was McKinnon first. 65. Ready Player One (Steven Spielberg)- Halfway through Ready Player One, there's a sequence that takes place inside The Overlook Hotel of The Shining. The characters are walking through a photorealistic recreation of that setting, down to the smallest details, but it has been repurposed with different angles for this film. Not only have I literally never seen something like this in a movie, but I never imagined the possibility of such a thing existing. And somehow...it's corny and derivative.

So goes Ready Player One. It takes the simple pleasures of a Chosen One narrative with a killer villain, loads every corner of the frame with Ryu or Beetlejuice or a Goldie Wilson campaign poster, and punishes you with maximalism. Each piece reliably contributes to the whole, sometimes in thrilling and amusing fashion, but no matter when you check your watch, forty-five minutes are left.

When imdb came out, Steven Spielberg was one of the first people I looked up. What shocked me was how many projects I attributed to his direction when he had only produced them. In my kid brain, Spielberg had directed Gremlins or Goonies or An American Tail. They had his imprimatur of whimsy and wonder and childhood identification even if they were, you know, a bit more conventional and less purposeful than the movies he directed. Well, not since Tintin has there been a Steven Spielberg-directed film that feels more Spielberg-produced.

My favorite reference was the Battletoads. Or more accurately, imagining the seventy-two-year-old filmmaker going, "Oh, you know I gotta get the 'Toads up in this bih!"

64. Ben Is Back (Peter Hedges)- Despite a little bit of note-card screenwriting--"Get a line about how insurance doesn't care about drug addiction in there!"--The first two-thirds take their time revealing information to the viewer, dropping bread crumbs of the family history quite gracefully. Roberts and Hedges play off each other well, and their charisma powers the first half. She, of course, has an ample bag of Movie Star tricks, but, surprisingly, he already does too. You can see, in the confrontation at the mall, for example, how the mother's dissembling and conniving would pass down to him.

So it's a real bummer when the final third decides to separate the leads and rushes to a baffling conclusion. It falls apart like few movies in recent memory.

63. Avengers: Infinity War (Anthony Russo, Joe Russo)- Whatever. I admire the skill that it must have taken to balance the revolving wheel of characters--even if it does feel like check-ins half the time. The movie is exhausting in a bad way until it's exhausting in a good way. More importantly, here are my power rankings. (Their power in my own heart. Thanos is obviously the most powerful.)

1. Rocket 2. Hawkeye (Renner Season even when it isn't.) 3. The Collector 4. Black Panther 5. Thanos 6. Iron Man 7. Ned 8. Nick Fury 9. Star Lord 10. Thor (His scene with Rocket is the best one in the film.) 11. Gamora 12. Hulk (Your boy is so earnest in this. "They KNEW!") 13. Spider-Man 14. Wong 15. Okoye 16. Doctor Strange (Way cooler in this than his own movie.) 17. Captain America (His hair was beautiful.) 18. Drax 19. Pepper Potts 20. Falcon 21. Groot 22. Black Widow 23. Winter Soldier 24. Loki (Is he alive? Was he alive before this? Can he impersonate people or whatever even if he's dead? What's his deal?) 25. Scarlet Witch (Her first line is, getting out of bed, "Vis, is it the stone again?") 26. Gamora's Sister (No, you look it up.) 27. War Machine (Do you think Cheadle forgets that he's in these? Like, he misses a day of shooting just because he forgot?) 28. Vision 29. Whatever Peter Dinklage Was

62. The Old Man & the Gun (David Lowery)- Sissy Spacek's character explains, on a tour of her house, that she pulled up some wallpaper and found a signature from 1881 underneath, which is so unique that--ugly as it is--she couldn't bear to cover it. The movie is sort of about that. Does a way of life from a long time ago matter now?

Does it matter how you present yourself? How much does intention cancel out action?

The questions play themselves out in a way that is formally interesting--Lowery swish-pans and advances the scenes in a way that he hasn't since Ain't Them Bodies Saints--but informally pretty dull. Redford is engaging as possible, but I feel like I maxed out on my concern for a person who refuses to change.

I've had the Sean Penn "on one" scale for a long time, but I'm introducing the "off one" scale for Casey Affleck, who is so purposefully muted that he seems like he's going to pass out in some scenes. Keep doing you, Case. As far as acting goes.

61. Disobedience (Sebastian Lelio)- I admired how little the film spelled out about the setting and the characters' pasts. The beginning is cautious without being slow, and the women seem drawn to each other with a sort of magnetism that is difficult to pull off. While the triangle of people at the center is realistic and fair, the picture is ultimately a bit staid. I don't want melodrama out of the story either, but I do think it would work better if the characters were more passionate about anything, even the religion that makes them lack passion. 60. Crazy Rich Asians (Jon M. Chu)- This movie is sweet, and it nails the rom-com fulcrum scenes that it has to. Hear me out though: Both of the leads are winning, and Henry Golding's charm keeps us from acknowledging that his character is a psycho. Here is a list of things that, over the course of a year, he does not bother to tell his girlfriend:

a. That his family is the wealthiest in Singapore. Or wealthy at all. But more notably, he tells Rachel no details at all about his family, such as his brothers' and sisters' names. b. That he skipped an important trip home a few months ago, which caused a rift in his family. c. How to pack or dress for their trip to visit his family. d. That his mother did not want them sleeping together at her house, not that he "wants her all to himself." e. That his family wants him to take over their business, which would necessitate a permanent move to Singapore. f. That he went out with one of the women attending the bachelorette party, and that this woman has very good reason to sabotage Rachel and Nick's current relationship. g. That the wedding they're attending is also a super-rich affair that will be covered by international media. h. That the wedding party they're attending the night before is a formal affair with hundreds of guests, not the "family party" that he presents it as. By the way, this is one of the two times that he not only doesn't accompany her to an event, expecting her to meet him there and find him, but he doesn't even send a car. i. That he's thinking about proposing to her. "We haven't even talked about that stuff," Rachel tells her mother.

Communication is key, Nick.

59. Lean on Pete (Andrew Haigh)- I liked the first half and its patient doling out of information. Haigh sews quite a few credible threads to show why the gruff Dell would take a liking to Charley. When the film diverges into a drifter story, I got frustrated with it. To me, drifter characters aren't interesting because they take unpredictable actions, what enliven films, and make them predictable. A dine-and-dash is a dangerous, exciting thing to happen in a movie, but when this scared kid has already done so much similar running, it dulls that edge. This is Haigh's least successful film, but it's still empathetic and sensitive.

58. Hereditary (Ari Aster)- The first third of Hereditary is when it is at its most intimate and compact as a story of grief. And with the bridge of a genuinely shocking event, it becomes less Don’t Look Back and more of a hellish explainer.

Ari Aster is a master craftsman already, investing every element with intention, down to “Why are clocks so present in the frame?” That craft extends to Toni Collette, who is even better than she normally is. But in refusing to be mysterious and small, the film didn't connect with me on a level beyond admiration..

57. Gringo (Nash Edgerton)- The expository information about the company comes too late, the ending is too tidy, and I'm not sure what my girl Mandy Seyfried is doing in this. But it's funny overall, in large part because Theron and Edgerton bounce off each other beautifully, projecting a very specific brand of nouveau riche awful. She says, "Fat people are...hilarious," and he wears too many accessories in his pick-up basketball game, for which there's a running clock.

Many of these crime comedies fail because all of the characters are painted with the same cynical brush, but Oyelowo is so likable here as a frazzled guy in over his head, playing against the type of simmering dignity he inhabited as someone like Martin Luther King. I'm glad that he's getting at-bats with something this different.

56. Bad Times at the El Royale (Drew Goddard)- If you like table-setting (and I do), then this is going to be a fun time. Each room at the motel gets a two-sided mirror, each character is two-faced, many events are presented from two perspectives, and there's even a double in the title. It's hard not to share in Goddard's delight as he patiently lays out all of the Tarantinian pieces.

Once he has to start declaring things though, somewhere halfway in the meandering two and a half hours, the film doesn't end up having much to say. I'm not sure I wanted another Cabin in the Woods ending, but I did want it to add up to more than the modest pleasures that it does. Kudos to Chris Hemsworth and his dialect coach for finally piecing together a serviceable American accent.

55. Thunder Road (Jim Cummings)- As far as calling card movies go, this one is a pretty smart character study. It centers on how the things we find important, the impact of words in this case, can often be the things we struggle with the most, through dyslexia and spoonerisms and messed-up jokes in this case. That being said, no offense, the film would be 25% better with a more capable lead actor. 54. Annihilation (Alex Garland)- Much like Sunshine, another Alex Garland script, this story handles the mystery elegantly, with jolts of real horror, until we get where we're going, which doesn't live up to the promise. I do appreciate that it respects the viewer's intelligence--withholding answers to questions, sometimes never answering questions. I'm grateful that it exists. 53. BlacKkKlansman (Spike Lee)- Like Chi-Raq and Red Hook Summer, BlacKKKlansman would make for a hell of a YouTube compilation if you cut together its best moments. It's sharp and vital when it's at its best, which is pretty much any time it's commenting on the present, through "Now more than ever" Nixon campaign posters, mentions of how David Duke's policies might show up in Republican platforms, or the searing epilogue that brings back one of Lee's oldest tricks.

Like a lot of his recent work though, it's a mess tonally, and basic stuff like the timing of the cuts seems amateurish. I also think Lee's relationship with Terence Blanchard is hurting him at this point; the music doesn't match what's going on at all. I wish it hung together better than it does.

52. Widows (Steve McQueen)- This is the messiest film that Steve McQueen has made, which is its biggest strength and its biggest weakness. That loose quality allows for some expressive moves, such as when the alderman candidate takes a real-time two-minute ride from the poor area where he's campaigning to the tony area where he lives, in the same district. This is a film with admirable ambition to go with its cheap thrills.

But that same messiness produces as many bad performances (Farrell, Neeson, and, yes, Duvall) as it does good ones (Debicki, Henry, Kaluuya), and it elides so many moments near the end that I have lingering questions about whether a major plot point was even resolved. This is definitely the type of movie that has a three-hour cut that is better, and I still hope that director's cut doesn't waste five scenes on Debicki's prostitute relationship with Lukas Haas. (Where is his sliver of a face on the poster?)

51. The Death of Stalin (Armando Iannucci)- I feel as if I have to adjust to the astringency of any Iannucci property, and when I do, I laugh a lot. This movie is hilarious, and I'll save you from a list of the jokes that work the best.

Iannucci and his collaborators take one of the most violent, tyrannical periods of history and expose its perpetrators as sniveling, feckless children who might accidentally spit in their own faces as they're trying to spit on someone else's. Destabilizing those in power--in this case de-memorializing them--and portraying them as lost, scared humans is the goal of satire. So even though he does it so well, part of me wonders, "Is that it?" Bureaucracy is dumb? Isn't this an easy target? For what it's worth, I felt the same way about In the Loop, despite everyone else's praise. I'm waiting for Iannucci to find a weapon sharper than the middle finger.

50. Tully (Jason Reitman)- In a way, it's refreshing for a screenwriter to be bad at writing men. The outdated, clueless, manchild dad is the biggest weakness of the script, especially since everything else is pitched with such realism. There's also one scene that I hate but probably shouldn't spoil.

Put aside that character though, and this is a movie with wit, verisimilitude, and even a bit of visual agility. The protagonist--Marlo, a Diablo Cody name if there ever was one--has a special needs son, and I appreciated the honest way that Marlo's frustration with him sometimes outweighed her understanding.

49. Fahrenheit 11/9 (Michael Moore)- Fahrenheit 11/9 is diffuse, but it's effective enough to be in the top half of Moore's work. He stays out of it mostly (besides that familiar narration, as gentle as it is ashamed), but his heart is clearly in the searing Flint section. In fact, I wish he had made a documentary that focused only on that American travesty, not all of them.

He has the same challenge that many of us do--pointing out the crimes and perversions of Trump while keeping the high ground--and he doesn't always avoid the low-hanging fruit. Dubbing Trump's voice over Hitler's is the type of shit that people hate him for. At most turns, however, Moore's choices make sense. A long diversion into the Parkland kids, even though I find them kind of tiring personally, serves as an inspirational peak to the valley of any people of a generation or two earlier than them.

48. Isle of Dogs (Wes Anderson)- Many Wes Anderson movies are flippant about death and disease. When the effect works, it's refreshing and disorienting. When it doesn't, like in this movie, it feels cold, as if he's moving dolls around in a playhouse.

But in every other way, the sweet and wry Isle of Dogs benefits as a manicured chamber piece. The details are obvious (the tactile fur on all of the dog puppets), less obvious (a translation provides the legend "very sad funeral" to accompany a news story), and even less obvious (more than one joke about how many syllables should be in a haiku). If the narrative--jaded stray finds redemption through guileless child--doesn't offer much in the way of re-invention for the director, then I'm glad the large canvas does.

47. You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsey)- I wanted an artsy crime film, and I got an artsy crime film. I have no idea if I liked it. It's bleak and groady, more of a violence movie than an action movie, concerned with the cycle of abuse and the oily spread of vengeance. It begins twenty minutes after most films of its type might choose to, and it begins in earnest at the hour mark. The atonal Jonny Greenwood score is a perfect approximation of whatever kind of dark clouds are floating in the protagonist's head.

Even when it doesn't work, the film is a reminder that Lynne Ramsey is a real artist. Although this doesn't come close to the catharsis and real-world relevance of We Need to Talk About Kevin, it reveals a focused point of view. Whether it's depicting a sequence through only surveillance footage or cutting to a half-second of flashback, she includes exactly what she wants to.

46. The Commuter (Jaume Collet-Sera)- I gave Non-Stop two-and-a-half stars, and this is a much more elegant version of Non-Stop. Even though it succumbs to gross CGI and outsized conspiracy, the class-conscious table setting is non-pareil, and it lets Neeson act his age.

45. Vice (Adam McKay)- Vice is a difficult film to evaluate because its greatest strength, the resolute, partisan, experimental point of view, is also its greatest weakness, the hand-holding, pedantic, antic point of view. There are moments in this film--the menu scene, the fake-ending--that are more inventive than anything else this year. And credit to McKay for a sui generis structure that covers thirty years in the first hour and two years in the second hour; if nothing else, he has the talent to make unitary executive theory fun.

It's a big, angry, auteurist, '70s swing, so it also takes a lot of chances that don't work and, quite obviously, it wields poetic license in the way that Ron Burgundy swished around a glass of scotch. Sometimes it doesn't know when to trust the viewer, like when it freeze frames and flashes "George H.W. Bush, President, 1989-1993" over a Bush-looking guy talking about "Barbara and I" as his son misbehaves in the background. Through no fault of McKay's, the story feels anti-climactic as well. Although I felt more distance than I expected from events that I consider recent history, the dominoes are still falling in the world that Cheney shaped.

One thing that is less debatable is Christian Bale's transformation into Cheney. That word "transformation" is used any time a famous person wears a wig. This performance, which spans decades and is not directly related to any of Bale's other work, is different. The portrait of Cheney is one of monolithic evil, which Bale suggests, but it's also grounded in reticent, clenched jaw micro-movements. Cheney, who is four inches shorter than Bale, seems like the smallest and biggest man in any room. At this point, if you told me Bale was playing Grendel, I wouldn't bat an eye. In fact, his Grendel might look a lot like Dick Cheney.

[wigmund]

From Earth Science Picture of the Day; June 16, 2018:

Encore - Providence Canyon Photographer and Summary Author: Ray Major

Today and every Saturday Earth Science Picture of the Day invites you to rediscover favorites from the past. Saturday posts feature an EPOD that was chosen by viewers like you in our monthly Viewers' Choice polls. Join us as we look back at these intriguing and captivating images.

Sometimes called Georgia's Little Grand Canyon, Providence Canyon in western Georgia (U.S.) is a large erosion feature caused largely by poor farming practices in the 1800s. Furrows from plows deepened in the soft soil of this area and over time, and left unchecked, they expanded to become gullies and ravines and eventually these intriguing and colorful canyons -- colors chiefly result from variations of the exposed clay and sand. The name of the canyon comes from Providence Methodist Church, which had to be relocated because of the rapidly expanding canyon encroaching on its property. Hiking and other recreational activities have long ago replaced farming as the principal activity here. Photo taken on May 9, 2011.

Photo Details: Camera: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT; Focal Length: 18.0mm; Aperture: f/8.0; Exposure Time: 0.0063 s (1/160); ISO equiv: 100; Software: Digital Photo Professional.

Providence Canyon, Georgia Coordinates: 32.063273, -84.919511

Related Links

Providence Canyon State Park

Soil Erosion - Causes and Effects

Student Links

The 5,000 Year History of the Plow

Erosional Landforms

Earth Observatory

Tropical Depression Beryl Over Florida and Georgia

[shakib-posts]

cut files

Did someone say "glow-in-the-dark unicorn blanket"? Sold.

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

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Walmart

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You, after seeing all of these products. ABC

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.

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[dailyokes4u]

157 Times Drinking Didn’t End Well

157 Times Drinking Didn’t End Well

Everything in moderation. That’s how the old saying goes. But as you can see from this hilarious list of drunk compiled by Bored Panda, some people just don’t know when enough is enough. From mistaking bars of soap for fudge and driving cars into pools, to making random purchases online (like Jeff Goldblum showers curtains for example) and waking up with a toaster full of pasta, the people below might not have remembered the crazy stuff they got up to, but they probably remembered the hangover! Don’t forget to vote for the funniest picture, and remember to drink responsibly!

#1 Good Ride Home

Image credits: elitereloaded

#2 Note For Drunk Self

Image credits: Tarryntino

#3 Coming Back Home To Find Your Drunk Friend

#4 Got A Bit Drunk And Decided To Recreate The Stingray Pic With My Girlfriends

Image credits: emmafgreen

#5 After A Blackout Night, My Mate Woke Up To A Ripper Selfie On His Phone

Image credits: CtrldKilla

#6 So My Roommate Came Back Drunk Last Night And Doesn’t Remember Designing An Entire Airplane

Image credits: spasepeople

#7 Good Luck With That

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#8 Gf Got Drunk And Adopted A Cat… She’s Fitting In

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#9 Have You Ever Been So Drunk You Mistook A Chocolate Bar For Your Phone?

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#10 Drunk Me Made A Drum Kit Out Of Cocktail Stirrers Last Night

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#11 Drunk Friends Did This

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#12 Best Taxi Driver Award Goes To This Man

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#13 Last Night I Was So Drunk I Replied To My Own Text

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#14 My Mom And Her Best Friend Got Drunk And Gave My Cat A Bath

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#15 Drunk. Got The Dominos Guy To Buy Me Mcdonalds In The Special Instructions Section

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#16 “Drunk Me Is Such A Douche”

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#17 Drunk Mother

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#18 Drunk Amazon Purchase

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#19 Drunk Purchase

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#20 You Know You’re Drunk When

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#21 I Just Painted My Favourite Meme, I’m Drunk And Haven’t Painted Since I Was 12

Image credits: MUNCHHAM

#22 Got Drunk And Adopted A Cat. I Guess This Is My Life Now. Meet Spaghetti

Image credits: punkindrublicrpp

#23 Not Pictured: My Drunk Wife Loudly Singing The Jurassic Park Theme

Image credits: mr_chip

#24 Came Back Home Really Drunk Last Night, This Morning I Went To Make Breakfast And Then This Happened

Image credits: DrunkAlbatross

#25 Random Drunk Guy Urinated On My Porch And Tried Entering The House At 4am A Couple Weeks Ago… Got This In The Mail Today

Image credits: t5carrier

#26 My Friends And I Got Drunk One Night In A Small Country Town. Woke Up The Next Morning With This Picture On My Phone

Image credits: Shmallies

#27 Bagel Seeds

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#28 Had A Party And A Random Drunk Guy Slept On Our Couch. He Left Us This Note

Image credits: BartledooTaco

#29 My Friend And I Were Drunk Photoshopping Last Night. Forgot We Made This

Image credits: ballison10

#30 My Friends Got Drunk, 3d Scanned And Printed

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#31 Accidentally Bought My Toad 100 Top Hats Instead Of One While I Was Drunk Online Shopping

Image credits: Alicatscat

#32 My Mum Got Drunk For The First Time In 10 Years Today

Image credits: ramjetrulz

#33 Got Blackout Drunk Last Night… My Girlfriend Helped Me Remember What Happened

Image credits: chadneidt

#34 We Enlarged A Photo Of A Drunk Friend. He’s Not As Happy As Us

Image credits: TheMilo

#35 I Found A Drunk Guy That I Tried To Help

Image credits: Krazy_Legs

#36 So I Might’ve Got A Little Drunk And Made My Cat A Fort

Image credits: dangleberries4lunch

#37 Ordered A Pizza While Drunk Because Breakup. They Sent Me This

Image credits: DownTheBoulevard

#38 Had A House Party Last Night, Still Can’t Find The Key To My Mums Shoe

Image credits: Justched

#39 Went Out Drinking With My Daughter Tonight. Pleased To Report I Was Able To Show Her How Adults Have A Sensible, Restrained Evening Without Going Over The Top

Image credits: Whirlpoolgby

#40 My Buddy Dropped His Burrito After A Long Night Of Drinking. This Is What Defeat Looks Like

Image credits: reddit.com

#41 Boyfriend Was Drunk Last Night. I Woke Up To This

Image credits: themusicman777

#42 This Drunk Woman Dropped Her Phone. She Picked Up Her Sandal Instead And Used Her Phone As The Sandal

Image credits: Topham_Kek

#43 Mom Is Happy

#44 Girlfriend Got Drunk Last Night And The Dog Was Equally Concerned And Unimpressed

Image credits: ThereIsAlwaysCake

#45 After A Night Of Drinking My Friends Dropped Me Off At My Place

Image credits: SymbiotePhoto

#46 Ever Been So Drunk, You Left Your Leg Outside The Pub?

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#47 We Also Made A Recent Drunken Amazon Purchase For Our Cat That Worked Out Well

Image credits: mybeardismymanifesto

#48 I Wake Up At 2am To Find My Roommate Passed Out In A Box Of Packing Peanuts

Image credits: zrcjessica

#49 So, My Friend Drank Too Much, And Passed Out On The Table

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#50 Next President Of The United States Of America

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#51 My Drunk Roommate Was “Saving It For Later”

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#52 Got Blackout Drunk And Woke Up To This

Image credits: SofaKingSexy

#53 My Roommate Made Coasters Of Pics We Took Of Him Blacked Out

Image credits: ExtremelyOnlineGuy

#54 After A Night Of Fairly Heavy Drinking, I Woke Up To Find I Took A Very Unnecessary Cab Ride… Thank You Uber For Rubbing It In My Face With The Detailed Map

Image credits: uhcougars1151

#55 Drunk Me Was Determined Not To Lose My Earrings Last Night

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#56 Drunk Me Responsibly Took My Contacts Out Before Going To Sleep

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#57 Drunk Amazon Shopping Led To A Nice Surprise

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#58 3 Years Ago, Happy Drunk, I Thought I Met Jake Gyllenhaal… I’m Now 90% Sure I Didn’t

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#59 Am I Too Late For The Drunk British People Bandwagon?

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#60 Got Drunk, Bought A Stegosaurus. No Regrets. Never Regret Dino Garb

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#61 My Roommate Got Drunk Last Night And Brought Home A Random Little Person Who He Just Met, Who Is Now Passed Out On My Couch And Snoring Like A Bear

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#62 My Dog Wasn’t Happy When A Drunk Friend Decided To Sleep With Her At 1 Am

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#63 My Friend Improved Her Netflix Suggestions In One Easy Step

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#64 Drunk Text

#65 Chatting With Abul From Boohoo Customer Service

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#66 So, I Got Blackout Drunk At A Friend’s 21st Last Week And Bought Something At 5:30am That I Didn’t Know About Until It Arrived Today. Sober Me Is Very Very Proud Of Drunk Me

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#67 My Friend Was Drunk When He Decided To Tattoo A Black Face Charmander With No Experience Or Artistic Ability. The Flame Saves It

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#68 I Have A Tendency To Get Drunk And Shop On Amazon And Ebay For Weird Stuff. Picked This Guy Up The Other Day. 10/10 Would Buy Again

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#69 Just Letting The Airport Know That Everything Is Okay

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#70 Only In Canada

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#71 I Broke Our Shower Curtain Rod Last Night While Drunk And Immediately Went To The Backyard And Handcrafted A New One

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#72 Drunk Genius

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#73 Totally Drunk And Thinking I Was Meeting Bono. Nailed It

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#74 So My Brother Got Blackout Drunk The Other Night. He Found This In His Toaster The Next Morning

Image credits: AbstractCeilingFan

#75 I Got Drunk At A Red Wings Game And Woke Up To This Picture On My Phone. I’m The One Playing The Piano

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#76 Got Too Drunk Last Night. Apparently My Cat And I Shared A Quesadilla Before I Passed Out

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#77 This Is A Piece Of The Bar Of Specialty Soap My Wife Bought That Apparently Drunk Me Thought Was Fudge

Image credits: ImNtYrGuyBddy

#78 Heard A Noise Downstairs, Went To Check It Out… Found Drunk Neighbor Like This

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#79 Self Love

#80 I Was Drunk Last Night, Looks Like I Tried To Charge My Wallet Because I Was Out Of Money

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#81 Drunk Photoshop Skills

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#82 Drunk Boyfriend Decided To Change The Name Of Our Soap Last Night

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#83 My Drunk Roommate Left Me A Surprise This Morning

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#84 My Roomate Came In Drunk Last Night And Without Saying A Word, Taped These To Every Single Packet Of Popcorn We Had. Revolutionary

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#85 Drunk By The Campfire Eating Hotdogs When Suddenly… Deer!

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#86 Not The Best Purchase For The Next Day Hangover

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#87 My Drunk Girlfriend Was Really Upset About Losing In Connect Four

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#88 Drunk Me Should Not Be Allowed To Buy Things At 4am

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#89 Drunk Hubby Thought He Grabbed A Pillow Before Passing Out

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#90 So A Friend Got Really Drunk, Made A Few Phonecalls And Ended Up In A Mcdonalds Kitchen Making Himself The Most Awesome Cheezeburger Ever

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#91 Drunk Me Tried Making Ravioli Last Night

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#92 “He Said The Room Was Spinning And We Wanted To Help Him” �� Drunk Girls At Party Last Night

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#93 My Roommates And I Write Erotic Fridge Poetry When We Get Drunk

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#94 Drunk Me Made My Lunch Last Night, I Like His Style

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#95 So, This Is What I Woke Up To This Morning

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#96 Drunk Me Thought I Was Onto Something

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#97 Woke Up Hungover To This

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#98 I’m Building A Wall So My Neighbors Can’t See Me Drinking And Won’t Suspect Me Of Being A Drunk

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#99 Drunk Me Has Some Explaining To Do

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#100 Drunk Me Made A Good Decision

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#101 Drunk Criminal

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#102 My Buddy Was So Drunk He Couldn’t Ride The Tandem Home. My Other Buddy Improvised

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#103 Me And My Mate Sam Got So Drunk We Facetimed Ourselves To Tell Us How Great It Was Going

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#104 Brother Got Very Drunk At The Daytona 500 And Disappeared From Our Tailgate. When I Texted To Ask If He Was Ok He Responded With This. Yes, He Is Charging His Phone. No, He Did Not Have A Pit Pass

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#105 My Drunk Dad Ordered 42 Hotdogs

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#106 Drunk Me Is No Longer Allowed To Pack My Lunches. 8 Cheese Sticks, Some Gummy Cows, And Lucky Charms In A Bag With Milk

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#107 I Guess My Roommate Ordered Pizza After Some Serious Drinking

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#108 Drunk Me Still Isn’t Saying What Happened, But I’m Fairly Sure That He Rolled In Around 4am

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#109 So This Happened To My Neighbor Last Night… Don’t Drive Drunk

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#110 That Time The Sheriff Had To Tow My Drunk Ass Back To Shore

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#111 Guess Which One Was Made With The Help Of Alcohol

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#112 Woke Up To A Random Girl On The Couch Who Apparently Wandered Into The Wrong House

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#113 My Friends Ordered Pizza While They Were Drinking Last Night. I Don’t Think They Thought This Through

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#114 For Two Days I Couldn’t Find My Glasses, And Then I Found A Note From Drunk Me

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#115 Best Drunk Text Of 2014 Goes To My Wife

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#116 My Drunk Friend Thought A Table Made A Good Blanket

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#117 Instructions: Get Drunk. Preheat Oven To 450. Place Pizza On Middle Oven Rack. Go To Sleep

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#118 Drunk Me Decided To Buy A T-Shirt. Naturally I Forgot About It, Until A Package Arrived In The Mail

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#119 She Swears She Wasn’t Drunk. She Hates Chocolate And We Do Not Play Tennis

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#120 We Work At A Bar, After Closing Down (At 4am) We Walked Out To Find This Guy; Pants Down, Passed Out. We Took A Picture And Then Took One On His Phone For Him. (We Also Woke Him Up And Put Him In A Cab) But At Least He Got A Pic When He Woke Up

Image credits: SouthernJeb

#121 Comfort Over Aesthetics

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#122 Okay, No More Drunk Amazon Shopping

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#123 Stumbled To Find This After A Night Of Heavy Drinking

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#124 Got Wasted, Woke Up Like This

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#125 The Little One Is Happy Though

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#126 How I Found My Roommate After A Night Of Drinking

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#127 Came Home Drunk And Decided To Have A Bath, This Is This Is The Result

Image credits: fuknlingerer

#128 Got Drunk Last Night And This Is The Only Thing In My Pockets When I Woke Up

Image credits: reddit.com

#129 Smooth Move Drunk Me

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#130 When Your Friend Is Severely Intoxicated, Goes Missing For Several Hours And Turns Up Last Minute For The Train Home

Image credits: Gunny3

#131 How My Drunk Roommate Tries To Get Me To Wake Him Up For Our 8:30 Class

Image credits: imdrukn

#132 She Told Me She Wasn’t Drunk, Then Fell Asleep Like This

Image credits: koalaberries

#133 It Was My Friend’s 21st Birthday Last Week. He Passed Out Like This. And Yes, Those Are Pizza Rolls

Image credits: Arabic_Persuasion

#134 My Drunk Neighbor Waking Up For A Smoke Break

Image credits: Wilderlust

#135 My Sister Didn’t Appreciate My Drunk Amazon Purchase

Image credits: chutupandtakemykarma

#136 My Drunk Friend Looks Like He Died For Our Sins

Image credits: Cheddar_Shreddar

#137 How Drunk I Plan On Getting This NYE

Image credits: Yellowcab1111

#138 Found This Amazing Headline I Cut From A Newspaper A Few Years Back

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#139 But When She Will Realise…

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#140 In My Family When We Get Blackout Drunk, People Write Down What You Say And Hang It On The Fridge

Image credits: mradda

#141 My Husband Came Home Drunk With A New Haircut Last Night

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#142 I Just Found Where Drunk Me Left My Friday Night Dinner

Image credits: Daswooshie46

#143 Roommate Got Drunk Last Night And I Woke Up To This In The Kitchen This Morning

Image credits: hedgehog15

#144 Drunk John Thinks Really Highly About Sober John

Image credits: just_my_thoughts

#145 Every Time I’m Drunk

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#146 The Point At Which I Knew I Was Pretty Drunk

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#147 Drunk Me Pretty Into A Conversation

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#148 My Mother In Law Tried To Bake Some Round Sugar Cookies While Drunk

Image credits: Arkinats

#149 I Think My Husband Was A Little Drunk Last Night. This Is A Contact Lense

Image credits: HereForTheKitteh

#150 My Friend’s Taken Lazy To A New Drunk Level

Image credits: Barkboy63

#151 It’s Fine

Image credits: lyssszczepanski

#152 Accidentally Photobombed My Girlfriend’s Sisters Engagement Photos After A Long Night Of Drinking

Image credits: tcjones54

#153 Good To Know That I Stay On Top Of Things When I’m Drunk

Image credits: Captain_Charismatic

#154 I Got Drunk And Tried To Make Mac And Cheese Last Night But I Accidentally Passed Out On The Couch For 3 Hours

Image credits: sagelface

#155 My Roommate Came Home Drunk, Put A Pizza In The Oven, Then Passed Out. 6 Hours Later And This Is The Result (Compared To Properly Cooked Pizza)

Image credits: MaestroKnows

#156 I Found This The Next Day After A Long, Long Night Of Excessive Drinking

Image credits: idownvoteanimalpics

#157 Chicken Nuggets And Tater Tots Slow Roasted In My Oven For 8 Hours While I’m Passed Out Drunk In The Other Room

Image credits: xXBrOThaDEIONXx

from https://dailyjokes4u.com/157-times-drinking-didnt-end-well/

[entergamingxp]

The priceless work of Make-A-Wish, and the potential of games • Eurogamer.net

“The one that’s most fresh in my mind is George’s Wish.”

I’m talking to Jason Suckley, CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the UK.

“I met George and his mum a couple of years ago, and he had, at the time, they knew he had a terminal condition, so they created what she called a ‘bucket and spade list’ because he was too young to have a bucket list. He couldn’t speak at that time because he’d lost his power of speech but they were obviously very, very close. And one of the things on the list was to go tobogganing in Austria.

“We were able to say yes.

“Half-way down the mountain she asked him a question and he spoke to her for the first time in eighteen months.”

She asked something like, “Are you having fun?” And he replied something like, “Yes I am.” But the words don’t really matter: he spoke.

“Um…” Suckley falters.

“I never should have chosen this wish.

“Then George passed away not long after that.”

They show me a video of George’s Wish. They’d rather I don’t share it here, because it would draw a lot of attention to it, but there are other videos you can watch it on the Make-A-Wish YouTube channel. I watch as George careers down a tobogganing run sandwiched between his mum’s legs, and he is – they are – having a great time. His mum talks about hearing him speak and what it means to her, and what the experience meant to her and George, and it means the world.

As the video ends, there are sniffles around me. Suckley has been streaming. He turns to me, sees my eyes and says, “Don’t take away sadness.

“As you can see, it’s more about the power of the Wish and the difference Wishes make. That, inherently, is a sad story, but it is much more than that. The memories of those moments will last a lifetime, and they do last a lifetime, however long ago it was.”

Then he smiles and says, “I’m going to get a cup of tea,” and he does.

You might have heard of Make-A-Wish. Bethesda’s Todd Howard has talked about how inviting Make-A-Wish children to the famous Elder Scrolls studio was “by far the greatest thing” it does, and John Cena, the superstar wrestler, regularly meets Make-A-Wish children. He’s the record holder with 600 wishes granted, which is extraordinary, although he’s far from the only celebrity involved. Bieber has 250.

Make-A-Wish is a charity which grants critically ill children their heart’s desire, whatever that may be. Maybe they want to meet John Cena, maybe they want to visit Bethesda, maybe they want something else. Whatever it is, Make-A-Wish tries to fulfil that.

Make-A-Wish turns 40 this year in the US, which is where the Foundation began, but there are arms of the organisation all around the world, including the UK. Here it’s nearly as old, having opened in 1986. Until fairly recently, it was hidden away in Camberley in the middle of a housing estate with paint peeling off the office walls, but now it’s in the historic town of Reading, high up in the flashy Thames Tower, with great views, a playroom and a den, and even a star-shaped entrance. It’s bright and cheery. Dozens of people work here.

In the room with me are a handful of people.

Nicola Briggs has been here the longest: 10 years in September. The seed was planted when a friend had a wish granted back in 1996, a holiday to Florida, to go to the theme parks and swim with dolphins. One day years later, while working at Mercedes Benz, the seed germinated. Briggs realised ‘I could be doing something better with my time’ and left. Today she manages the Wishgranting teams.

Next to her is Daniel O’Reilly, who used to drive past the Camberley Make-A-Wish office every day. He had a degree in graphics but wanted to do something caring, and would look up at the Make-A-Wish office and think, ‘I want to work there.’ He’s a senior Wishgranter now.

Katrina Shaw is on the fundraising team. She worked in financial services until an old colleague pulled her over to the charity world, needing her help, and she never left. “I was exactly the same as everyone else,” she says, “like, ‘Oh that’s nice.’ Then I got here and was like, ‘No, it’s not nice, it’s imperative for critically ill children to have the wishes we grant.'”

Then there’s Rosie Parrish, the newest of the team, the press officer. The turning point for her was in a cinema, seeing an advert for a charity she’d done agency PR work for. “I was like, ‘I’m a part of that.’ That was my ‘I want to work in a charity’ moment,’ she says.

Katy Meade has been here the next longest, around eight years. She’s a career fundraiser – her family were charitable so she believes it was somewhat inevitable. She also knew someone who had a wish granted – a niece on her husband’s side.

“Her wish was to go on a family holiday,” Katy Meade says. “She’s one of four children, they live in a small, remote part of Northern Ireland, and they’d been through a really difficult time when she was ill. Juggling four children: I don’t know how their mum does it. When you’ve got one child who is constantly being rushed off to the nearest hospital, which is two hours away, it really just drove a massive wedge in the family.

“Her wish was over ten years ago now but they still talk about it as bringing the family back together. I knew from them how powerful the work Make-A-Wish does was, and that was it, all these years later I’ve not left.”

Then finally there’s Jason Suckley, who’s been here five years, and comes from a place I really didn’t expect: BP, the gas and oil giant. He’d worked there for about 10 years when he had his epiphany. “I remember being in the global head office in St. James’s Square,” he says, “and there were people there, in my eyeline, hanging out of a tree – literally hanging out of a tree – saying, ‘Get a life. Do something decent with your life.'” And he did.

To make a wish, a child has to be between three years old and 17, and be fighting a critical illness. Families cannot apply directly any more because demand got too high, so children have to be referred through a play specialist nurse or social worker instead. And if they’ve already had a wish granted by a similar organisation, such as Starlight Children’s Foundation, Rays of Sunshine, or Dreams Come True, they won’t be eligible.

If all is good, two local volunteers head out to “capture the child’s one true wish”, as Nicola Briggs puts it. Some things are off the table. Make-A-Wish UK can only offer travel around the UK and to Europe and Florida, for the theme parks. It couldn’t send someone to Bethesda Game Studios in Maryland, then, but it could refer the child to Make-A-Wish US.

This works the other way around as well. There was a boy from the US, called Erik, who had a very unusual passion: vacuuming. He wanted more than anything to visit the Henry Hoover factory in the UK, so Make-A-Wish UK made his wish come true.

Then there’s the Taiwanese girl and her noodles. “Just this week we had a wish from Make-A-Wish Taiwan for a young lady who has leukaemia and as a result, her appetite has been affected and her taste buds have been shot,” says Briggs. “But she absolutely craves the taste of instant noodles.

“Her request is to receive instant noodles from all around the globe.”

Why Britain? Because of our delicious Pot Noodle cuisine, of course. And Pot Noodle rose to the occasion. “They’ve rewritten their story, their timeline – about when new models were introduced and where – and right at the end, they put her photo in their story and it says, ‘In 2020, the world’s biggest noodle fan tried her first Pot Noodle.'”

The ninja princess.

But these are relatively easy wishes to grant. It’s much harder when a girl turns around to you and says she wants to be a ninja princess, and ride on a carriage drawn by unicorns to do battle in the grounds of a castle. A girl after my own heart I must say. Surprisingly though, Make-A-Wish UK made this happen. There’s a huge picture of the girl all dressed up and sitting in a carriage, presumably pre-battle, on the wall of the room I’m sitting in, and similar pictures – of other kids on days out – can be seen on other office walls.

These wishes are about running with the unbound imagination of a child and saying yes to whatever they ask, and coming up with a creative way to fulfil it. “We never say no, really,” says Briggs. “Even if someone wanted to go to the moon, we could potentially recreate the moon.”

“Why do you want to go to the moon?” Make-A-Wish would ask. “Because I want to feel weightlessness,” the child might answer. “Well, there are places where you can do that without going to the moon,” Briggs carries on. “‘I want to see what it looks like.’ Well, maybe we can work with somebody who could recreate the surface of the moon for us.

“There are other ways of delivering a child’s wish, not just the obvious.”

Take, for instance, a wish Daniel O’Reilly is tackling. There’s a little boy who wants to be the Blue Power Ranger and fight baddies, then, and this little flourish warms my heart, he wants to go to Chinatown for noodles. How does O’Reilly go about realising this?

“I reached out to a Power Ranger cosplayer and asked if he’d make a cosplay suit for this kid,” O’Reilly says, “which he is at cost price, and he put an ask out on his Facebook to see if there are any Power Rangers in the UK that do it professionally, because when I was Googling I couldn’t find anyone. And we’ve been reached by a group of professional cosplay Power Rangers that will grant him his wish.”

Now O’Reilly has gloves coming from somewhere else, morph suits to buy for the baddies, a laser tag venue to book in London, which Make-A-Wish uses quite a lot apparently, and a noodle house to find. On top of that he’s got accomodation to book for the family and travel to sort. “It’s piecing things together like a jigsaw,” he says. And jigsaws take time.

“Gaming represents the biggest single new fundraising opportunity we’ve got.”

Other wishes aren’t so complicated. A trip to Disneyland Paris has been done many times before, and there’s a trusted supplier in place and it’s just a question of dates. Or if it’s a wish for something the child wants to possess, like a gaming PC, a great choice incidentally, it’s as simple as ordering it.

Every wish follows the same pattern, the same process. There’s the initial call with the family, after the volunteer visit, to begin designing the wish in more detail. It’s a chance to manage expectations and get everyone on the same page.

Then, it’s into research and design, and when that’s all collected, it’s back to the family to propose the wish to them. Some things may not work for them. Perhaps the noodle house in Chinatown isn’t right for some reason, so a bit more research and design may need to be done. But once all is agreed upon, you can book, and then it’s everyone’s favourite invoices and payments part.

At six weeks to go, bookings are finalised and Make-A-Wish checks in with the family about the current health of the child, and gets any updated medical certificates which may be required.

At two weeks to go, a Wish Pack is sent out which contains a full itinerary and booking confirmations, and a few useful gifts from Make-A-Wish. They are a baseball cap, a badge and a drawstring bag, and they’re given in the hope they’ll be seen wherever the kid is going and encourage a bit of extra help.

The only thing left after that is to go on the wish and have a great time.

“The average journey from qualification out the other end, to their wish being granted, is twelve months,” says Briggs.

How many wishes do you think Make-A-Wish UK grants each year?

Nope.

It’s 1200-1300. It’s incredible.

Here’s young Erik on his trip to the Henry Hoover factory.

The world of gaming is the next big challenge for Make-A-Wish UK because there’s so much more it could be doing. There have been gaming wishes granted before. RuneScape maker Jagex used to be a really popular destination but not so much any more, and there have been trips to Yooka-Laylee studio Playtonic, Forza Horizon studio Playground Games, and Sea of Thieves studio Rare, which is where I really want to go.

A few influencers have been helping raise awareness for Make-A-Wish too, like DanTDM, but it’s all just the tip of what Make-A-Wish hopes will be an iceberg.

There’s been a shift, you see. The old kind of celebrities – pop stars and actors and TV personalities – aren’t as popular with kids any more. “Every week there’s another name on the list and we’re all like, ‘Who?’ We have to go away and Google it,” says Briggs. “Now, the majority of our wishes, from a celebrity point of view, are the influencers.”

Cue GameStars, a brand new campaign aimed at influencers, or streamers, which lets you fundraise while you stream. Just set up a fundraising page use provided overlays and you’re set. Influencer Syndicate helped Make-A-Wish launch GameStars a few weeks ago.

Anyone can be a GameStar, and to incentivise people, Make-A-Wish is giving away the X-Men arcade cabinet I complimented when I came into the room. Raise over £1000 and you’ll be in the running for it.

When I ask how GameStars is doing, though, I’m only told there has been “interest” around it, which sounds like it’s off to a slow start. But when you think of what could be achieved when influencers and streamers with huge followings throw their weight behind it, you begin to see the potential. It’s why Jason Suckley says, “Gaming represents the biggest single new fundraising opportunity we’ve got.”

Make-A-Wish needs it. The demand for wishes keeps rising and funding struggles to keep pace. More urgently, there’s coronavirus to contend with.

When I visited Make-A-Wish on 10th March, the UK was still largely open. Wish children were still, according to Suckley, going to Disneyland Paris. That is no longer the case, and who knows how many other wishes won’t come true now as a result of the pandemic.

When I visited, the London Marathon was still going ahead, and Make-A-Wish had £650,000 in fundraising wrapped up in it. What happens to that money now? Make-A-Wish relies on outdoor events and activities for fundraising and they have all been either postponed or cancelled.

In a statement sent to me 20th March, Make-A-Wish said it was facing losing up to 20 percent of its income as a result of cancelled events. As a result, “We have had to make the difficult decision, for the first time in our 34-year history, to turn children away. We simply cannot continue to meet demand.”

Gaming could be a lifeline.

It’s not just about money. It’s about establishing a new network to call on to make wishes come true. It’s a two-way street. Think about the Power Ranger wish, and how Daniel O’Reilly made inroads with the cosplay community: those ties are established now. Should another child want something similar, Make-A-Wish is much better placed to realise it.

Imagine if influencers, who were helping fundraise for Make-A-Wish, were also working with Make-A-Wish to meet members of their own communities. The connections are all already there, there’s a beautiful synergy, and it could be the same for game developers and their audience too.

“We already saw gaming as a big opportunity for the organisation,” says Jason Suckley. “Big time it is now, even over the course of the next two or three months. There’s a moment in time here where there’s an opportunity for the gaming community to work with us to step up.”

There’s something else gaming offers which is very important too. I’ll let Katy Meade’s favourite wish paint the picture. “When I first started, we’d just granted a wish for a guy who was fifteen or sixteen,” she says, “and his wish was he wanted to drive a car. I really vividly remember it because it really brought it home that he was about to turn 17, and all his mates were going to be learning how to drive, and he knew that he was not going to reach that milestone because of his condition. It was just something that was so normal people would take it for granted.”

So Make-A-Wish went to Mercedes who gave him a car and let him drive it round and round their track. “For his mum to see that…” Meade adds. “She was really emotional watching it. It really brought home what some families are going through.”

Gaming, like that wish and many others, helps children feel normal again. It allows children an escape from an illness dominating their day to day lives. It gives them something else to talk to their friends about, and a place to be where they are no different to them. “You get to be a person,” says Katrina Shaw, “you get to be not just a sick kid.”

It’s priceless. Priceless like the look on a mother’s face seeing her son drive a car. Priceless like the ninja princess, the Power Ranger, the Henry Hoover factory visit and Pot Noodle fame. Priceless like George. Priceless like every reconnected family and every moment that will last a lifetime. “We want to grant the wish of every child who turns to us,” Jason Suckley tells me. Maybe we can help that come true.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/03/the-priceless-work-of-make-a-wish-and-the-potential-of-games-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-priceless-work-of-make-a-wish-and-the-potential-of-games-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

[blackpjensen]

Top Technology Trends

Blueprints, mechanical time clocks, two-way radios and messy stacks of paper reports — these are just some of the exhibits one may find in the Green Industry History Museum if we constructed one. While it’s fun to reflect in jest, the technological landscape has changed rapidly over the past couple decades, and the alarming rate of technologies being swapped for newer counterparts seems to increase as time presses on. To run a successful company in the lawn and landscape industry requires being able to change over and over again. Legislation, technological advances, consumer behaviors and culture itself are shifting, progressing and refining every day. We must not only be OK with change, we must be excited about it. Our businesses depend on it. These shifts and developments are often met with new technological solutions to meet the demands. What worked just a year or two ago may be becoming obsolete, and it’s important to keep tabs on what leaders in our industry are finding to be the top technology trends to follow.

New trends

While individual technological advances may lead to an exhaustive list, industry experts and savvy company owners are seeing these main trends being adopted and used widely.

1. Virtual and interactive landscape design software.

The majority of landscape companies utilize some sort of drafting program to create scale landscape plans via a computer. While the blueprints of just 10 to 15 years ago have been traded in for newer technology producing full-color renderings and 3-D sketches, that common method is now becoming a passing trend.

Noah Nehlich, founder of Structure Studios, a professional pool and landscape design software solution, is excited about not what just the past two years have brought to the design world, he’s also enthusiastically embracing the very near future. His clients are not only using 3-D video for presentations, they’re moving to virtual reality (VR).

“Not only can the designer sell more with VR, customers are demanding it.” With VR sets becoming mainstream for recreational purposes, pioneers in the landscape industry are getting their prospects to strap on a headset and take a peek at their new outdoor space.

But Nehlich says an even more exciting future is not as far away as we may think. Virtual reality has led to rapid development to augmented reality (AR). “In the next 9-12 months, expect to see AR.” Using augmented reality takes elements from the real world and puts them directly into a phone or tablet. Looking through a device, a prospect will be able to turn and move about outdoors, virtually seeing a design in their own space as it existed in real life. “Today they are just novelty items, but by end of next year (2018) they will be incredibly useful.”

2. Automated marketing and sales software.

“I feel that we are ahead of our time compared to most of our competitors,” states Claude Kershner IV, president of Reef Tropical Pool & Landscape in Key Largo, Florida. The company offers not only a cutting-edge portfolio of high-end design projects but uses the latest technology to automate much of their sales and marketing processes.

“Customers want information now. They don’t want to wait or meet, they want descriptions, pictures, graphics, and have user-friendly proposals to sign and send back.” The increasing speed of buyer behaviors has led Reef Tropical to utilize an inbound marketing approach that uses their website to deliver a robust array of useful content to prospects and integrates with their CRM to continue to nurture lukewarm leads into closed deals. Kershner says that it allows his sales team to “step back and have opportunities to come to when the prospect is ready.”

Smart marketing and sales automation tools such as these help green industry companies prioritize their efforts and close a greater percentage of jobs.

3. Interconnected landscape business software.

Green industry companies who remain competitive in their markets, maximize the most profit, and minimize the most internal headaches are relying on software to help them run the many processes of their business from sales to operations to billing to financial reporting.

Crew leaders and technicians who use devices to video call their teams and access vital information in their companies’ databases are the present reality. They’re part of the present reality. Buddy DeLong, vice president of Bluegrass Landscaping & Maintenance in Bridgeton, Missouri, is continually finding new ways for technology to improve his business.

From mobile technology that instantly imports data into a united landscape business software program, DeLong keeps tabs on what is valuable to his business. “At the end of the year, you’re able to see how many hours were spent on each job, which ones weren’t estimated high enough, and which ones made us money.”

“We used to never know how much we used in materials and now finally we have exact figures on how much we used. Thanks to technology we saved a ton of money because we audit estimates and red flag certain quantity issues. Those kinds of errors mean a lot of time and money. The bigger you get, the more things you need to keep track of this stuff. Everyone sees the data coming out off the software.”

Using technology such as an integrated business software solution allows company owners like DeLong to make educated decisions versus relying on gut instincts.

Researching and adopting new technology

In the admirable pursuit of improving your company, it’s important not to hang your profit-generating hats on any one piece of technology. “We find people are buying software in hopes it will solve their process problems. It won’t fix it, they need to fix their processes first,” warns Ken Thomas from Envisor Consulting. Over the past 30 years in the green industry, Thomas has helped grow successful landscaping companies.

Thomas always puts process improvement before technology adoption, but he suggests green industry companies need to keep advancing. “In 10 years, we are going to be in a different world. Our industry needs to evolve because it will limit the size of their business if they don’t adopt technology.”

Our industry as a whole is categorized by outsiders as late adopters to many technological trends. However, times are changing. Nanette Seven, vice president of Include Software, which offers a landscape business software solution, is hopeful because of what she’s seen in the past couple years.

“With the millennials entering the workforce, the next generation is very open to new technology,” she says, adding that technology is even being easily adopted by Spanish-speaking H-2B workers in the industry at a surprising rate.

With so many new technological options, it’s important to research solutions extensively as you incorporate tools into your improved processes. “Do your homework and research” Seven adds. “Go online and research software and other technology.

Talk to industry peers, people you respect. Ask them what challenges they faced, and what has worked for them.”

When it comes to moving your company onward and upward, facing forward to the future is the key. Use your past experiences, but utilize new technology to move you past the age of blueprints and two-way radios. It takes some guts, but with the right resources, you can make more money, provide better services and stand out among your competitors. As Seven says, “You have some risk involved in adding technology to your company, but you have to be a forward thinker and take a chance to propel your business.”

The post Top Technology Trends appeared first on Turf.

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[crdenhart]

Spielberg Ranked: My Top 15 Favorite Steven Spielberg Movies

Steven Spielberg always has been one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. His movies have been among the best of nearly the past half century, and he is the first director who really got me interested in the craft of filmmaking and made me want to become a filmmaker. In the 6th grade, I dressed up as Steven Spielberg for “future career” day and gave a presentation on his work and my desire to become a filmmaker (I wish I had a picture to include). I now actively produce my own short films as I continue to further my filmmaking career and live out the dream I set out for myself so many years ago. Spielberg and his films constantly come to mind, so it would be nice to list out my top 15 favorite Steven Spielberg films.  Definitely check out all these amazing works if you haven’t already (or watch them again if you have)!

15. Amblin’ (1968)

Spielberg’s first completed professional short film about the romance between two hitchhikers. Beautifully shot and well made for such a small-scale production; you can really see Spielberg developing his skills as a filmmaker.  This movie is a major influence on my short film “Double Cloud Nine,” which I shot summer 2016 (https://youtu.be/m0sFWa_CqCA).

14. Duel (1971)

Spielberg’s first feature-length film is also one of his most thrilling! Great car chase scenes and a wonderful performance by Dennis Weaver (who is pretty much the only actor throughout the movie) as the terrified salesman stalked by a malevolent trucker.

13. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Spielberg turned down the opportunity to direct Rain Man to make this movie. Spielberg probably regrets not getting to make that film in retrospect, but Crusade is the best Indiana Jones sequel and has some great action sequences and good performances by stars Harrison Ford and Sean Connery.

12. Super 8 (2011)

JJ Abrams wrote and directed this film, but Spielberg produced it and the film pays homage to many of his earlier films. I love how the movie is all about young filmmakers because the movie came out right after I graduated high school, and making short films in my radio/TV class with my friends and classmates was such an important and fun time in my life; I could really relate to the characters well.

11. AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Stanley Kubrick started production on this sci-fi classic but died suddenly in 1999, so it was up to Steven Spielberg to finish the project. Though there is controversy over if Kubrick would have made a better movie, Spielberg delivers an amazing film just as magical as some of his greatest works. Great performances by Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law as humanoid robots and incredible special effects and wonderful score by John Williams.

10. Minority Report (2002)

One of my favorite Tom Cruise movies (his late 1990s/early 2000s era is his best). The movie is like The Fugitive set in a futuristic society. Really intense action sequence combines with cool CGI. I also like the overexposed, washed-out look of the film that gives it a unique cinematographic style. Also, some good sci-fi concepts and presentations of philosophical societal questions.

9. Jurassic Park (1993)

Spielberg’s greatest achievement as a blockbuster filmmaker. It’s amazing how the realistic CGI of the dinosaurs holds up nearly 25 years later. Really great performances by the cast, especially Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum! I watched this movie all the time at my grandparents’ house growing up as a kid and got me interested in dinosaurs and science as a whole.

8. Empire of the Sun (1987)

Spielberg’s first real war movie (I’m not counting 1941 or the “Time Out” segment of Twilight Zone) and the film that really got me interested in the study of film and the art of filmmaking. This was my favorite movie in junior high (circa 2006)! I watched it all the time (my dad even jokes about how much I was obsessed with the film). A young Christian Bale gives one of his best performances as a boy who witnesses WWII first-hand in a Japanese internment camp. It’s so well-crafted, paced; top-notch drama, war action, and music by John Williams (especially the track “Suo Gan”). The movie fills me with every emotion!

7. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Spielberg’s best war movie! No war film since has been able to top the battle sequences, especially the perfect recreation of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Great performances by the large cast, including Tom Hanks and Matt Damon.

6. Schindler’s List (1993)

Spielberg’s greatest achievement as a straight-up prestige picture (I don’t want to say “Oscar bait” because that’s a negative term and List is an incredible movie). It’s not a movie I like to watch over and over again because of the depressing subject matter (the Holocaust is near the top of my list of most terrible things), but the film is utterly brilliant! Incredible black-and-white cinematography and use of color in some sequences and mesmerizing performances, especially by Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. It brings the horror of the Holocaust to life in the most amazing way possible. Stanley Kubrick even cancelled plans to make a Holocaust movie because he feared he couldn’t top Spielberg.

5. Jaws (1975)

Spielberg’s first big hit that made the summer blockbuster the standard! Very suspenseful scenes heightened by John Williams’ iconic score. Also, great cinematography and performances by Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss.

4. Catch Me If You Can (2002)

My favorite Leonardo DiCaprio role! Love the ‘60s setting, soundtrack and overall style of the movie. Wonderful performances also by Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, and Martin Sheen. Spielberg is at his best when he expertly switches the pace between comedy and drama and thriller.

3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Spielberg’s sci-fi directing at its best! The music and special effects are incredible, but the real heart of the film is Richard Dreyfuss’s amazing performance as a man who becomes obsessed with UFOs. My high school film literature teacher loves this movie the most and really explained well how important the film influenced Hollywood.

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

The greatest action-adventure film ever made! Includes some of the best action sequences in movies ever (I always like the scenes where Indy just shoots the guy who acts like he’s going to fight, the fight near the airplane, and the entire opening sequence) and gave us one of the greatest characters in movie history with Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford).

1. ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Spielberg’s perfect film! This has been one of my favorite movies since childhood. Wonderful performances by the kids, especially star Henry Thomas, and excellent puppetry to create the character of ET. John Williams' score also gives me the feels, especially in the sequences when ET causes the kids to fly on their bikes. The cinematography is some of the best ever and looks so realistic (the movie was filmed in the early ‘80s but looks like it was shot in the 2000s). I don’t know if Spielberg himself will ever be able to top this film!  He has contributed so much to cinema, and I always look forward to seeing what magic he creates next!

[geniuszone-blog]

New Post has been published on Geniuszone

New Post has been published on https://geniuszone.biz/the-top-five-must-play-rpgs-for-every-video-game-console/

The Top five Must Play RPGs for Every Video Game Console

The gaming marketplace is large. Right now there are six consoles, three handhelds, and the ever present PC you can buy video games for. That’s 10 exceptional approaches you can get your sport on, so in case you’re a person who would not have the ways or means to shop for all 10 platforms and every midway decent recreation that arrives for any of them, you are in all likelihood thinking which way you have to visit get the maximum bang for your dollar. I’m a chunk of a gamer nerd, and so for you, I’ve accumulated the top 5 to be had video games (in the shops now) for every console for every precise genre. Based on reviews, consumer feedback, and my personal revel in, these are the fine methods to move.

  This spherical: RPGs. The Japanese RPG marketplace exploded within the 32-64 bit days, blowing out with a brand new recreation seemingly each week. You can blame Square for that one, bringing to the shops super sport after high-quality recreation, which at once spurned every other agency to launch whatever dreck they could muster to keep you pumping money into their pockets. Nowadays there are masses of options available, and the Japanese market isn’t the best one around. North American companies have their very own answers to the RPG increase and now it’s a veritable flood of alternatives. Here are the pinnacle 5 for each choice you’ve got.

RPGs. The Japanese RPG marketplace exploded within the 32-64 bit days, blowing out with a brand new recreation seemingly each week. You can blame Square for that one, bringing to the shops super sport after high-quality recreation, which at once spurned every other agency to launch whatever dreck they could muster to keep you pumping money into their pockets. Nowadays there are masses of options available, and the Japanese market isn’t the best one around. North American companies have their very own answers to the RPG increase and now it’s a veritable flood of alternatives. Here are the pinnacle 5 for each choice you’ve got.

video game

The Japanese RPG marketplace exploded within the 32-64 bit days, blowing out with a brand new recreation seemingly each week. You can blame Square for that one, bringing to the shops super sport after high-quality recreation, which at once spurned every other agency to launch whatever dreck they could muster to keep you pumping money into their pockets. Nowadays there are masses of options available, and the Japanese market isn’t the best one around. North American companies have their very own answers to the RPG increase and now it’s a veritable flood of alternatives. Here are the pinnacle 5 for each choice you’ve got.

  PlayStation 2 – The PlayStation logo call has been the house of exceptional RPGs because PS1 first

  The PlayStation logo call has been the house of exceptional RPGs because PS1 first roled out with Suikoden and Final Fantasy video games in the mid- 90s. This listing becomes tough due to the fact there are such a lot of left off. Dark Cloud 2, Final Fantasy X, the Shin Megami Tensei games and lots of more deserve reputation, but unluckily these also are long as hell, so in case you had extra than five, when could you ever end them. You may word I exclude the PS3, however, I cannot clearly offer any PS3 RPGs for you till they have got actually been created. We’re ready.

  1. Shadow Hearts Covenant – The Shadow Hearts collection took on a critical following after this access, one of the best RPG releases of the era.

  The Shadow Hearts collection took on a critical following after this access, one of the best RPG releases of the era. It takes at the fantasy RPG style combined into the geographical regions of reality, bleeding over in church and demonology lore. Taking area inside the 19th Century and following the legend of a young girl and her unfortunate destiny, it could be enjoyed on my own or together with it is predecessors Koudelka and Shadow Hearts (I).

  2. Disgaea – This might be the pleasant approach RPG released for any console ever. Released by way of Atlus,

  This might be the pleasant approach RPG released for any console ever. Released by way of Atlus, an emblem call that has grown in and of itself of new years to the respectability that names like Square and Level 5 now carry with their games, Disgaea is ready the young prince of hell and his quest to regain his domain after being awoken. With more than two hundred hours of gameplay right here, anticipate gambling for days on days. And it is funnier than hell. These are great characters.

  3. Suikoden III – The Suikoden collection is the cult series. Of

  The Suikoden collection is the cult series. Of path, it’s slowly sliding out of cult reputation and into the mainstream with releases occurring each couple of years when you consider that this one. The first-class within the series with the viable exception of Suikoden II, Suikoden III tells the tale of a large cast of characters, all intricately entwined with each other. You play via the story of their struggle, however as seen via every characters eye. Truly epic.

  4. Final Fantasy XII – The newest release, released best weeks before the PlayStation 3’s release, this game redefines the epic scope of prior Final Fantasies, literally reaching for the stars. Each person is absolutely realized and part of the action, their story an intricate part of the game. There’s no fluff here, and the rebuild of

  The newest release, released best weeks before the PlayStation 3’s release, this game redefines the epic scope of prior Final Fantasies, literally reaching for the stars. Each person is absolutely realized and part of the action, their story an intricate part of the game. There’s no fluff here, and the rebuild of a long time antique RPG components was enthusiastic about the better, operating for the complete and total betterment of the game and with a bit of luck the collection.

  Five. DragonQuest VIII –

  Dragon Quest has always been massive in Japan, but most effective now did it discover the identical success right here within the US. Dragon Quest VIII is the large (extremely big) result of Square Enix’s jump to

Dragon Quest has always been massive in Japan, but most effective now did it discover the identical success right here within the US. Dragon Quest VIII is the large (extremely big) result of Square Enix’s jump to the full three-D glory of their collection. The pictures are great, the characters hilarious and deeply related to, and the story arresting. The battles are not 1/2 bad both. And the same old monster catching glory is undamaged. A lengthy game, it’ll hold you busy for days.

  Gamecube (and Wii) – The Gamecube got shorted at the RPG options, just like its massive brother the N64. Nintendo lost lots of their clout with the RPG crowd while Squaresoft jumped deliver in the 90s and they’re nonetheless trying to earn it lower back…Thus

  The Gamecube got shorted at the RPG options, just like its massive brother the N64. Nintendo lost lots of their clout with the RPG crowd while Squaresoft jumped deliver in the 90s and they’re nonetheless trying to earn it lower back…Thus far to little achievement. But, the future appears brilliant, as Square Enix is sooner or later producing video games for the Big N, and Nintendo’s personal work consists of extra forays into the RPG market. Here’s hoping for more, due to the fact the Wii is best for the format.

  1. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess – The most up-to-date Zelda adventure, Twilight Princess, is by means of a long way the quality reason to personal a Nintendo Wii. The sport is a masterpiece on almost every level, to the

  The most up-to-date Zelda adventure, Twilight Princess, is by means of a long way the quality reason to personal a Nintendo Wii. The sport is a masterpiece on almost every level, to the point, I’m almost willing to name it the greatest sport ever made. We’ve heard this lots, that this game is the finest. That it surpasses what Ocarina carried out 8 years ago. And as my own favorite sport, it is tough to ever put whatever above Ocarina in phrases of scope, depth, and innovation. No want to go into an element. Read my evaluation of it here for the extra mind on why it’s so exceptional.

  2. Tales of Symphonia – The first clearly exact RPG for the Gamecube, and nevertheless one of the only ones absolutely. The most modern entry inside the extremely popular (in Japan) Tales saga, Symphonia turned into a huge, amusing,

  The first clearly exact RPG for the Gamecube, and nevertheless one of the only ones absolutely. The most modern entry inside the extremely popular (in Japan) Tales saga, Symphonia turned into a huge, amusing, well-told recreation. The characters were fun, the war machine is one of the nice rounds, and the movement becomes completely inclusive and crafted a long sport. Symphonia turned into the Gamecube proudly owning RPG fan’s one saving grace.

  3. Skies of Arcadia Legends – Originally released for the Dreamcast, Skies of Arcadia became given

  Originally released for the Dreamcast, Skies of Arcadia became given the 2nd existence at the Gamecube, again fated to anonymity due to the failure of the console. This is an extraordinary game. It tells the tale of sky pirates who ought to traverse the sky ocean and shop the world from a shattering warfare and so forth. You strive for the duration of the sport to build your pirate rank and build up your ship. It becomes one of Dreamcast’s must have games and the same for Gamecube. Unfortunately so few honestly had it, and now it is now not precisely easy to discover.

  Four. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker – The infamous Wind Waker. Nintendo’s foray into

  The infamous Wind Waker. Nintendo’s foray into cel shading and the horrible foray into ocean mechanics. This sport remains terrific. It’s Zelda after all, but it is mistaken on greater than the basic tiers. It’s hard to get round. The ocean is large, and the game is short. But the components you play, in among sailing round Hyrule are beautiful and fantastically a laugh.

  5. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door – The Big N rounds out the five with every other in residence attempt. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door was a go back to the Paper Mario fun they coined inside the N64 days, this time

  The Big N rounds out the five with every other in residence attempt. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door was a go back to the Paper Mario fun they coined inside the N64 days, this time round with the RPG elements the sport seems to paintings satisfactory with. Incredibly smooth sure, but a laugh as hell at the same time.

PC

Xbox (and X360) –

  The Xbox, now not noticeably saw no Japanese development. Every game listed under became produced in English Speaking nations, in

  The Xbox, now not noticeably saw no Japanese development. Every game listed under became produced in English Speaking nations, in general, Canada truely. The style is quite exceptional, but the nice is equally exceptional. The attempt for realism via Western builders can be visible in every of those entries. Although the lack of humor is equally as prescient.

  1. Elderscrolls IV: Oblivion – The Xbox 360 has some critical horsepower. Not only is there room to spare,

  The Xbox 360 has some critical horsepower. Not only is there room to spare, however, the graphic output is insane at the time, and what better manner to expose this off than with an Elderscrolls recreation. Monstrous, big worlds in which you can freely roam wherever you need and engage along with your surroundings. This recreation is big and severe. Hundreds of hours can be spent simply wandering around and completing a major quest. As for buying the rest accomplished. Who is aware of how long you can spend on there.

  2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Star Wars video games were beginning to get a horrific rap for some

  – Star Wars video games were beginning to get a horrific rap for some time until Bioware arrived with the first full-fledged Star Wars RPG. Built on the press and wait for the motion of the D&D ruleset video games, KOTOR was an extraordinary game that took Star Wars lovers returned some thousand years to the peak of the Jedi/Sith wars. It additionally had one of the maximum sudden and brilliant endings in any sport..Ever.

  Three. Elderscrolls III: Morrowind – And some other

  And some other Elder scrolls sport. This one changed into equally as large as its sequel and had simply as high-quality portraits for its time. Elderscrolls surely stretches the imagination in terms of open international RPG exploration and making a recreation with a view to taking a long time to complete. A genuinely first-rate recreation.

  4. Jade Empire – Set in a fictional historical China, Jade Empire comes from the makers of Knights of the Old Republic, and at the same time as no longer almost as large in scope or period, the sport utilizes an array of different fight patterns and factors that make it sheer fun to play. It’s shorter and less difficult than the original games from Bioware, but they make up for it with the eye to element and the battle device improvements.

  Set in a fictional historical China, Jade Empire comes from the makers of Knights of the Old Republic, and at the same time as no longer almost as large in scope or period, the sport utilizes an array of different fight patterns and factors that make it sheer fun to play. It’s shorter and less difficult than the original games from Bioware, but they make up for it with the eye to element and the battle device improvements.

  5. Fable –

  Touted as an amazing achievement in Touted as an amazing achievement in the international interface, Fable became out to be a touch bit of a letdown. It becomes smaller, shorter, and less enticing than what become claimed, but it was nonetheless a strong, fun sport to play. Starting as a bland adventurer you can come to be both absolutely precise or completely evil via the actions devoted all through a quest. The characters are standard, the quests forgettable, however, the options given to play through them all are still fun. The ending but leaves some thing to be preferred, and they may have finished with a few greater motives to openly explore. For a sandbox RPG, it became fairly linear.

  Game Boy Advance –

  Yup, no DS games. I believe quickly, with the discharge of the brand new Pokemon recreation, and the unexpected announcement of Dragon Quest IX coming completely to the DS, the RPG options there will explode, but for now, your excellent bet inside the RPG realm on handhelds is with the Game Boy Advance. Here are among the excellent.

  1. Golden Sun – It’s no longer a masterpiece. It’s now not legendary. But, it’s correct strong a laugh, and for the scale and expectancies o f a handheld console it is nonetheless quite a laugh. I enjoyed it for a few reasons. First off, the gameplay is high-quality. The war gadget is constructed It’s no longer a masterpiece. It’s now not legendary. But, it’s correct strong a laugh, and for the scale and expectancies o f a handheld console it is nonetheless quite a laugh. I enjoyed it for a few reasons. First off, the gameplay is high-quality. The war gadget is constructed It’s no longer a masterpiece. It’s now not legendary. But, it’s correct strong a laugh, and for the scale and expectancies o f a handheld console it is nonetheless quite a laugh. I enjoyed it for a few reasons. First off, the gameplay is high-quality. The war gadget is constructed round an easy premise and sticks with it, however, it’s nonetheless fun. The tale is nothing unique however it jogged my memory plenty of the 8-bit glory days, retaining me involved with out making it not possible to hold up when I have to show the sport off every 20 minutes. Solid play and cross action

  2. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire – Pokemon has been round for nearly 10 years now, an everyday entry within the Gameboy RPG market, virtually the most effective access hotel that marketplace, and a rattling precise one. By the time this pair changed into released (the same old replica games with slightly special monsters in every), the equal gameplay turned into reused an excellent four instances and beginning to get a bit vintage, but it is nevertheless sound gameplay, and who doesn’t want to acquire an awful lot of something as they can. I’m older yes, but I still revel in the senseless seize and battle system of Pokemon. It’s cathartically easy.

  3. Final Fantasy IV – It’s technically a port, however a rattling precise port at that. I loved this game again within the days at the SNES and the concept to convey the sixteen-bit Final Fantasies to the GBA made me as happy as can be. This become a game I like to play, but experience goofy loading into my PS2 and sitting all the way down to play. It’s a super bus play, and it performs just as extraordinary as in 1992. The traditional story of Cecil and the Red Knights never fails to seize my interest from beginning to finish. Of route, whilst Final Fantasy VI is launched, I would possibly update this with that one, as all of us understand that VI is the finest of all of them.

  Four. Riviera: The Promised Land – Atlus has been basting the PS2 marketplace with first rate games for 3 plus years now, with their superb approach and alchemy RPG games. They carry Riviera to the GBA with the equal pedigree, a strong RPG that performs to the GBA’s strengths as well as any. It’s basically a screen to display recreation. You don’t control your surroundings so much as go from web page to page within them, however, the warfare machine is fantastic and the one-of-a-kind options and acquires large. The tale, like several Atlus recreation, is the real promoting factor and actually were given me to play via it two times.

  Five. Final Fantasy Tactics – The portable model of the PSone traditional has sucked greater time from my lifestyles than any GBA game I’ve ever performed. The 300+ missions are each 30-60 minutes long and the customization options same duration. This is a long game with numerous gameplay and a laugh little story. You’re Marche, you’ve been sucked through an e-book into the magical land of Ivalice and now you are a knight. Go!

  PlayStation Portable –

  When the PSP first released fanboys dreamed of tremendous ports that would convey their preferred games now out of print returned to existence in

RPGs

When the PSP first released fanboys dreamed of tremendous ports that would convey their preferred games now out of print returned to existence in hand held format. At least one made the bounce, but for the most element RPG improvement at the PSP has been lackluster, and whilst Japan gets the Suikoden I and II percent and guarantees of Final Fantasies, we await a decent whatever to play. Final Fantasy compilation all of us? Anyone at all?

  1. Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth – One of the most popular video games from the PSone days, Valkyrie Profile changed into an exquisite RPG that no one performed after which no person ought to play because it was out of print. Ranging from $a hundred and up on eBay, the promise of a rerelease for the PSP was a godsend for fanatics obtainable always involved but too poor to find the money for it. It’s a stable game at that. With rebuilt cinematics and PSP controls, this entry leads into the brand new PS2 recreation wonderfully and in the end, shall we the relaxation of us play via Kenneth’s journey.

  2. Monster Hunter Freedom – Never an actual large fan of the Monster Hunter video games, I can nevertheless see their draw. You go and you hunt monsters. Simple as that. There’s little to maintain you up, and there is online play. It’s like Pokemon with out the pesky storyline or reason.

  Three. Ys: The Ark of Napishtim – A port of a port. This became in the beginning launched for the PS2 and before that the PC and has been watered down in among. The identical classic Ys gameplay is intact, overland map, onscreen battles and amusing little characters in a charming, if easy tale. It’s true solid amusing for a transportable and tells a decent tale. Even if the controls are a touch damaged.

  4. Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade – One of the release releases with the PSP, Untold Legends is an overhead hack and minimize RPG without a conscious. It would not attempt for top notch storyline or gameplay, just easy hack and scale back glory and it does it pretty nicely. It was fun because it turned into easy, made in a very brief development cycle from the time the PSP was introduced. Oddly enough though, the sequel was almost as proper.

  5. Tales of Eternia – Alright, technically it nevertheless hasn’t been released in America, but you can import it from Europe and play the English language model (or Japan if you speak Japanese). But, it’s a testimonies game, a pretty appropriate one at that. Technically it has been launched right here too, as Tales of Destiny 2 in 2000. Unfortunately, it was given completely disregarded as the gaming global moved directly to the PS2. This is an extraordinary sport although and best for the PSP. Complete and intact are the outstanding Tales battle device and one of the better Tales plots. Saving the arena from the Great War turned into by no means quite so a laugh as on this one.

  PC –

  The PC has always been a domestic for the more hardcore of gamers. The cost of constant upgrades and depth of a PC game are mythical, and best the maximum hardcore amongst us are able to

  The PC has always been a domestic for the more hardcore of gamers. The cost of constant upgrades and depth of a PC game are mythical, and best the maximum hardcore amongst us are able to preserve up. Accordingly, the games under healthy that mind-set, although more than this type of games controlled to break free of the limitations and become significant worldwide phenomena. I’m searching for you Blizzard.

  1. World of Warcraft – Okay, so duh proper? Well, some of you’re likely palpitating over my choosing this above some other MMORPG, however too awful. Everyone performs this one, including myself and it’s simply simple fun. Having spent hours of my life in this game and knowing that I can move back whenever I want with out fear of being destroyed due to the MMORPG legal guidelines of survival (by no means leave), this is an extraordinary pickup and play recreation in a style where that nearly in no way exists. Huge, lots to do, and constantly a laugh even whilst you’re grinding, WoW continues to be excellent.

  2. Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn – The Baldur’s Gate games are a number of the satisfactory RPGs to come out of the PC age of D&D ruleset RPGs. It’s large, it’s long, it’s a laugh as hell. The undertaking of figuring out what to do, a way to upgrade your characters and make the sport the most it could be have been continually the number one reasons to play those. The tale is quite exceptional too. Don’t neglect the Dragon. That dragon is a whinge.

  Three. Diablo II – Diablo II stole my whole summer my sophomore 12 months of Diablo II stole my whole summer my sophomore 12 months of a high faculty. This recreation changed into excellent. It took the entirety Diablo did and blew it up times ten. The capacity to discover and get hold of unique guns that 1000 of your pals could by no means locate kept you playing again and again. And it turned into simple. Click, click, right click on. F1. That’s it. Nothing to it. And when you eventually unlocked the Cow degree, you then had been the genuine God of Diablo.

  Four. Elderscrolls IV: Oblivion – Many of you likely can not even play this but. I still can not. I most effective recognize it due to the fact I actually have a pal who enhancements his PC ever 3 weeks seemingly. This game is a beast of the highest order, annoying loads from your system but handing over even extra. Monstrous, massive worlds in which you may freely roam anywhere you want and interact together with your environment. This recreation is large and excessive. Hundreds of hours can be spent simply wandering around and finishing the first-rate quest. As for purchasing the rest achieved. Who is aware of how long you could spend on there.

  5. Neverwinter Nights – Another D&D ruleset recreation, however one of the best no much less. It’s large, monstrously large. And tack on the expansions and you’ve were given 200+ hours of action to play through. The largest supplier in this one although changed into the potential to craft and write your personal adventures as a DM with the toolsets and host them on the line, ala D&D, but with graphics. The sequel does not quite keep as much as the original, however still consists of the equal weight and amusing issue.