#I've been thinking in irl 3d forever

[flashcry]

I just learned that you can THINK in 2D. Like visually. I tried thinking in terms of a cartoon and was vaguely able to do that? this must totally be what artists do

I'm SHOOK

[guardevoir]

So!

Arts and crafts convention!

I got dragged to one on very short notice because a friend I hadn't seen in forever suggested I take a quick little day trip to visit her and look at the spinning guild's con booth while I'm at it, and despite being notoriously bad with short-notice plans, I actually fucking got over myself for once!

It was fun! Even if I apparently remain completely incapable of dealing with crowds.

I found myself one of those little 3D-printed articulated dragons/lizards I've wanted since forever, got some assorted bits 'n bobs (like a cheesy metal raven skull pendant that'll go great with my vulture LARP character), and also got to hang out with the spinning folks for a bit.

Tried out a Kromski Fantasia (surprisingly pretty irl, and also a surprisingly nice, agile-feeling wheel for a double-treadle*, but ngl I'm still happy I went with my Kiwi, even if I still think it's comparatively really ugly. Turns out the upside of the rough-hewn boxy IKEA look is that it's incredibly fucking stable and has zero wobbling anywhere compared to the Fantasia or my vintage wheel), tried out one of the Ashford top-whorl spindles (they don't feel as heavy in person as you'd expect them to and I liked them a surprising amount (they are speedy!), but at the end of the day I find bottom-whorl spindles more comfortable to use)

Here's my tiny skein of very badly chain-plied yarn from that spindle:

(I promise I know how to chain ply better than that (vaguely), but between the sensory overload and the unfamiliar equipment, I'm glad I got a yarn out of it at all)

And they also let me take one of their "blended by random booth visitors" rolags!

This is very likely to turn into pure mud, but I was intensely intrigued by the mystery of it all.

*I'm sorry, I know people like their double treadles, but I just hate how they feel. If there had been a good, foldable budget option with one normal-width goddamn treadle I would have gone for that one immediately.

[ocean-in-my-rebel-soul]

Inspired by @josilverdragon!

Here's the top five songs I've been listening to this week (I use Youtube Music) and a couple of sentences of what I think about them. I've added screenshots of what the song card is in YT Music with the link to the YT video, in case someone doesn't have YTM.

Tagging: @flashhwing @heart809 @dismalzelenka @luddlestons @barbex and anyone who wants to share! Tag me back, I wanna see what you're listening to!

1) "Blood // Water" by grandson

This has been my most repeated song this week. With everything going on in the world over the last, uh, forever, scream-singing it in my car has been rather therapeutic. I've even added it to my karaoke repertoire for when I'm in A Mood and feeling kinda crunchy about it all. I put it on when I'm angry with the world and daydreaming about a hypothetical world revolution.

2) "Feed The Machine" by Poor Man's Poison

More of the same. It's got very bourgeoisie vs. proletariat, anti-capitalist overlords, and anti-ologarchy vibes going on, and it speaks to my rage at the system I find myself living in. Plus, it's just a bop! It always gets stuck in my head, and it's just fun, kinda. I like the band's sound and overall vibe; everything I've listened to by them has been really great.

3) "Welcome to the Internet" by Bo Burnham

So I absolutely love this song. I absolutely love this whole special, both the film and the album. I wasn't a Burnham fan before this, though I was familiar with his music/comedy and was fond of a couple of songs, but INSIDE squished my brain inside out (ha) and turned me into jello. It's one of, if not THE best musicomedy or comedy specials in my heart. Plus, The Internet/the assembled websites as a villain/s is just such a fun thing to think about, and it's inspired me to work on crafting a drag number with an unfortunately elaborate costume with 3D printed custom retractable claws.

4) "Murder at the Bingo Hall" by Amigo the Devil [live video]

This absolutely fucks. The frenetic guitar, the kinda manic-touched quality of his voice as he's singing, the rather absurd and simple scene for such an energetic song to be written about - it all comes together into something insanely memorable. This video of his live performance really highlights all that for me, too. It's a super fun song, and it makes it very easy to get into his music. The drive of the guitar and his slapping accompaniment is pretty common throughout his music, and the imagery here is very descriptive without being overly heavy, which I feel is one of his great strengths throughout each song. Highly recommend!

5) "Primo Victoria" by Sabaton

This is just a big "fuck you" to Nazis everywhere. Written about Operation Overload and D-Day/the storming of the beaches in 1944, it's super metal and just gets my blood racing. My steering wheel and dashboard have each taken such beatings from my not-so-air drumming! It always makes me amped up whenever I have it on. This past week had it in especially heavy rotation. It's the first track on my "No Nazis in Valhalla" playlist. Fun fact: the a capella band Van Canto made a kickass drums-and-vocals (almost a capella) cover of this song, and the singer of Sabaton, Joakim Brodén, sang the lead on this! It's stripped down by nature of the musical approach but is no less awesome!

Honorary Mentions:

6) "Automatonic Electronic Harmonics" by Steam Powered Giraffe

Who doesn't love steam-punky bands? Who doesn't love androids and automatons? I love them so much! SPG is a fictional band of automatons built by a robotics engineer/scientist in attempt to win the heart of his love interest, a fellow scientist. He was unsuccessful, and he continued his research while feuding with a social and professional rival who had also been wooing his crush, and ultimately they went to war. After a long existence as weapons and soldiers, the band has since returned to their roots in entertainment as comedians, actors, and musicians.

IRL, SPG is known musically for their harmonies. A couple of their songs are less smooth in that regard but on the whole, their harmonies really show off how much of an influence and inspiration The Bee Gees have been to them as a band. Those harmonies get really elegant, emotional, and tight!

7) "The Fine Print | The Outer Worlds Song" by The Stupendium

I'm a sucker for a pop-culture song, and though I haven't played The Outer Worlds, this definitely scratches that itch and has put the game on my wish list for when I get rich. But like, it's directly attacking capitalism and its predatory exploitation of the working class and even poorer people in order to further capital gains. Again, I'm not familiar with the game, but as far as I understand it, its premise is built around a work colony that people go to and then are effectively indentured to the company. The song has made me really eager to see how it's viewed in-game and what the common views are of the power dynamics there.

Some banger lines:

* "You've been trapped in that ship for an awful long time, so perhaps you have simply forgot what you signed. Oh, honestly, did you not read the colony policy that defines you as company property? That waivers your say in autonomy? The conglomerate's got you in lock and key! We put the "dollar" back into "idolatry." If you're upset, you can rent an apology. We are a family forged in bureaucracy. No 'I' in 'team', but there's 'con' in 'economy.'"

* "We work to earn the right to work to earn the right to work to earn the right to work to earn the right to work to earn the right to give ourselves the right to buy ourselves the right to live, to earn the right to die"

[slade-neko]

Saw this video game tag thing pop up on my dash a few days ago. Wanted to do it.

1. First game you played obsessively? Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I believe I was 5yo. Still waiting on that FF7 Remake treatment.

2. A game that has influenced you creatively? Writing, drawing, etc. Well if I play a game and like it, then I'll create sims of it. Does that count?

3. Who did you play with as a kid? My brother from the day I was born.

4. Who do you play with now? My brother FROM THE DAY I WAS BORN.

5. Ever use cheat codes? I wasn't lying when I made this post. {link}

6. Ever buy strategy guides? Yes! Mainly to look at the artwork though. (Don't need no guide!)

7. Any games you have multiple copies of? Lots of games, most being Left 4 Dead with 6 copies (3 Xbox 360, 1 PC case, 2 PC digitally.) What can I say, its a GOOD GAME!

8. Rarest/Most expensive game in your collection? Gold cartridge Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (maybe that's rare?)

9. Most regrettable purchase? I don't regret my purchases, but I have received games I have never played like Cubix (PS2) no clue where that game came from, but I have it somehow. Madagascar (Xbox 360) came with my Xbox 360, never opened it from its case. And Monsters Inc. Scream Arena (Gamecube) or something... it was a gift.

10. Ever go to a midnight game release or stand in line for hours? No, because then I'd have to interact with people.

11. Have you ever made new friends from playing video games? I'm only friends with people BECAUSE of video games, so yes.

12. Ever get picked on for liking games? No, that'd be ridiculous.

13. A game you’ve never played that everyone else has? Probably a lot, I'd say Call of Duty, but I technically played CoD 1, 2, and 4. The campaign mode was alright, but I don't really care for CoD games at ALL.

14. Favorite game music? Koji Kondo and Grant Kirkhope are two BIG ones.

15. If it was a requirement to get a game related tattoo, what would you pick? Triforce is the most basic option, but I'd rather not get a tattoo.

16. Favorite game to play with your friends IRL? Super Smash Bros. Brawl with hacks, but that was over a decade ago.

17. Ever lose a friend over a game? No, that'd be ridiculous.

18. Would you date someone that hates gaming? No, that'd be RIDICULOUS.

19. Favorite handheld console? PSP. 3DS is great, but PSP Monster Hunter has ALL of my portable gaming memories. Like playing in school after End of Grade tests with my friend.

20. Game that you know like the back of your hand? Sims 4 I like to think I know everything about Left 4 Dead. Quite a bit about Monster Hunter, more so of a series though than a specific game.

21. Game that you didn’t like or understand as a kid but love now? I'd say Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. I loved it as a kid, but had a lot of complex pen & paper RPG mechanics that I never understood. I understand a lot more of it now, but its still complex as all heck. I just know you hit things, they die.

22. Do you wear game related clothing/accessories? That's the only thing I wear.

23. The game that you’ve logged the most hours into? Not sure so I'll list a few. Sims 4, Smash Bros. Brawl, Monster Hunter (its a series though), or Left 4 Dead

24. First Pokemon game? Leaf Green

25. Were you ever an arcade game player? No, don't like paying to play.

26. Ever form any gaming rivalries? No.

27. Game that makes you rage? I don't get mad at games, but I had a custom modded Hard Eight mutation in Left 4 Dead that is absolute bullsh*t!

28. Ever play in a tournament? No, because then I'd have to interact with people.

29. What is your gaming set up? A giant wall of video game consoles spanning from NES to Switch, 4 TVs, but I sit at a desk with a PC.

30. How many consoles do you own? "I own every console that's ever existed." - I Don't Play Games When I Play Games (My STRENTH) original song by Smooth McGroove BUT no seriously I own 32 consoles including handhelds.

31. Does the 3DS and/or Virtual Boy hurt your eyes or give you headaches? Yes. 3DS gave me headaches though I only really played with the 3D feature in Ocarina of Time 3D. I think my eyes broke because I couldn't get my 3D to work very well after.

32. Did you ever play a game based on your favorite show/cartoon/movie/comic? Sure I play games based on a lot of things. Literally any anime game. If I had to pick Dragon Ball Xenoverse is kinda like a dream Dragon Ball game. Oh, Attack on Titan 2 is pretty neat too!

33. Did you ever have any bootleg games or plug-n-play games? Some SEGA plug-n-play thing once. Played it like once and now its lost to time (or my closet.)

34. Do either of your parents play video games? Yes. Mom and Dad played NES Super Mario Bros. My Dad went HARD at that game until he saved the Princess. Then he quit forever.

35. Ever work in a game store? Or do you have a favorite game shop? "Hi. Welcome to Gamestop!"I never want to hear that again, but it was my main store until I went full digital/ online orders.

36. Have you ever shed actual blood, sweat or tears over a game? No, I don't tend to get upset or emotional, but Bill dying in Left 4 Dead made me pretty pissed.

37. Have you played E.T. for the Atari 2600? Do you think that’s the worst game ever, or do you have another nomination? Never played it. I don't really play "bad" games, but maybe Sims 4.

38. A game you’re ashamed to admit that you like? The Sims 4

39. A sequel that you would die for them to make? Dragon's Dogma 2 WHICH I think is actually in development, so I'd have to say Fallout New Vegas 2. C'mon Bethesda you cowards, hand the keys back over to Obsidian so they can make another good Fallout game!

40. What to you think of virtual reality headsets or motion controls? Two part question, two answers. VR Headset to immerse in world, yes. Motion Controls, no.

41. A genre that you just can’t get into? MOBAs and MMOs. I don't like paying to keep playing.

42. Maybe it wasn’t your first game, but what was the game that started you on your path to nerdiness? Nintendo 64 opened me up to what video games could be as a kid. Sad to say my parents' NES didn't really do that for me. And years later Fallout 3 was a big game changer for me too.

43. Ever play games when you really should have been concentrating on something else? Every day of my LIFE.

44. Arcade machine that has consumed the most of your quarters? None. I'd rather emulate.

45. How are you at Mario Kart? Pretty dang good. 3-STARS MARIO KART WII, BABY!

46. Do you like relaxing games like Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon? Yes, both of those. I preferred when Animal Crossing had more character to it. New Horizons looks so pretty, but feels so bland compared to classic AC.

47. Do you like competitive games? No. Not really. Usually amongst friends or if I can get competitive against AI Bots. I love my machine bot friends cause they don't cry like 10 year olds when they lose.

48. How long does it take your to customize your player character? Too long. I've seriously restarted games because I wasn't happy with my character's appearance.

49. In games where you can pick your class, do you always tend to go for the same type of character? Yes, I am always the magic man, my brother is always brute warrior, and my friend is the ranger.

50. If you were a game designer, what masterpiece would you create? I don't really know. Honestly, I'd rather mod already good games to make them better than create something completely new.

51. Have you ever played a game for so long that you forgot to eat or sleep? No, that'd be ridiculous. But I've had a friend fall asleep playing games at my house 3 different times and currently dozes off during our Minecraft sessions. So, maybe that's not a completely ridiculous thing after all.

52. A game that you begged your parents for as a kid? Kirby 64 apparently. My brother tells me we had to count out pennies to buy it. I must've been too young with no recollection, but I believe it.

53. What’s your opinion on DLC these days? It's good if its not in the game's files from the beginning and is actually developed AFTER launch... and pre-order bonuses should be standard DLC a month or two later. Some games have content lost to time because of that pre-order bullsh*t.

54. Do you give in to Steam sales? Of course. If you want a game and its on sale then why not? I typically wait just for Steam sales to get games.

55. Did you ever make someone you hated in the Sims and did mean stuff to them? No? I typically make people and characters I like in Sims. I've made villains like Dio, but he's an anime villain and I don't really HATE him despite the horrible things he's done.

56. Did you ever play Roller Coaster Tycoon and kill off your guests? No. Never played that game.

57. Did you ever play a game to 100% or get all of the achievements? I try to for all the games I really like.

58. If you can only play 3 games for the rest of your life, which ones do you pick? The Sims 4, Skyrim, & Fallout: New Vegas. Mods make them live forever. Left 4 Dead and Monster Hunter are good choices too.

59. Do you play any cell phone games? Those aren't games.

60. Do you know the Konami Code? No? But I'll take a guess. Is it make an IP and forget it exists?

61. Do you trade in your games or keep them forever? Keep forever... even the bad ones.

62. Ever buy a console specifically to play one game? PS4 Pro for Monster Hunter World. It was basically for early access since the PC version was being developed and releasing after PS4, but I don't like waiting.

63. Ever go to a gaming convention or tournament? Sort of. Been to anime cons and walked into the gaming tournament rooms only to walk out less than 10 minutes later.

64. Ever make a TV or monitor purchase based on what would be best for gaming? No, but I'm going to be doing that soon, hopefully.

65. Ever have a Game Genie, Game Shark or Action Replay? Did it ever mess up your game’s save file? GameShark for N64, PS2, Gameboy, and Action Replay for Gamecube, DS, 3DS. And no not really, I would cheat responsibly... but there was this one time at school my friend and I borrowed another friend's Gameboy game, loaded it up with my Gameshark, tried playing, it crashed, loaded it back up, save file corrupted... we just stared at each other jaws dropped, "Here's your game back, dude. Make sure you don't play it til you get back home!"

66. Did you ever have have an old Nokia with Snake on it? No, but I remember seeing them on billboards in the game DRIV3R on PS2.

67. Do you have a happy gaming-related childhood memory you want to share? Every game I play is filled with happy memories (mostly.)

68. Ever save up a ton of tickets in an arcade to get something cool? These tiger plushes. My brother got white and I got orange. They were the coolest. Got a butt load of tickets from some jackpot spinning light game thing as I was good at the timing with repeated jackpot hits.

69. In your opinion, best game ever made? I've played quite a few masterpiece games, but to pick one, I'd say Fallout: New Vegas

70. Very first game you ever beat? Super Mario 64. I was a mere child on a Sunday morning and ate celebratory pancakes made by my Dad.

Wow, that was long... I get the feeling this was supposed to be a "send me ask with numbers" thing, but answering all at once is more fun.