#Master creative thinking in 90 minutes

[msamba]

Unlock creative genius like da Vinci and Richard Feynman | Tiago Forte

[alistarascendance]

author i am so hyperfixated on ur story,,, ANNND since u know about MBTI, what are the ROs’ MBTI if u don’t mind sharing??

lots of love x

oh, hello! so sorry for the late reply, I don’t check this account all too often 🥲 I’m planning on reworking a:a to make it much more fantasy + focused on the story of alistar as a legendary being rather than a normal human, which is kind of ironic, given that a bit of alistar wants to be normal—but I think a fantastical tale would be better for them.

I LOVE mbti. I’m an INTJ myself. As for the ROs… that’s a really fun question. I’ll do all characters, honestly, while I’m at it.

Seven

honestly, kind of an INTP… he’s very curious and has questions for everything. very imaginative, hence the N. he can be a bit dense when it comes to social interactions, even though he himself has a bit of a flirty streak, haha. likes being around people but I’d still say he’s more of an I type. P is a no brainer. T is debatable.

realistically, I don’t think he’d be an INTP (he’s more of an F type, so maybe INFP?) but he certainly has some INTP tendencies. essentially, I’d say he’s a mix of INTP and INFP. or maybe even an ENFP… haha, okay, I’d say ENFP now that I’m thinking about it. ENFP it is!

Saturn

I type for sure. S type also for sure. T is possible, but he also might be an F type. I think he cares a lot about people in general, even if he doesn’t know them personally. I know I’ve said that Saturn is lawful neutral, but now I’m a bit conflicted. I think he always has good intentions. So, yeah, F type. He’s also definitely a J. Stresses out a lot if he doesn’t have a plan.

So, he’s a pretty strong ISFJ :)

Orion

I, N, T, J. Yeah… this one wasn’t all that hard. The first three are obvious. Maybe he’d be a P type, but he seems like he’d sit down and strategize for three hours just to take a five minute stroll down the block. He’s got a bit of that cold, emotionless stoic guy trope that I’m not all too fond of, so we’ve gotta break him out of that eventually. I’ll figure out how someday 🙏

Chain

INT…P. Yep. INTP it is. He’s an extroverted introvert, but an introvert regardless. Might be S type but I doubt it. T is strong. P is also pretty strong. He’s not all too big on plans unless it’s related to his grand master scheme 😩

Argos

ENFJ or INFJ. Probably INFJ. Creative, imaginative guy that cares about people to the point that it debilitates him. Plans things ahead of time. Sounds about right.

Teacher

I’m guessing that 90% of you were waiting for this, bahahaha. Okay, well, let’s see. I don’t think that it’s fully right to restrict something inhumane by something as human as the mbti, but we did it for Argos, so we can do it for Teacher 😍😍 Teacher would probably be an ISTJ or INTJ.

I don’t want to repeat INTJ, but it feels a little wrong to say that he isn’t one. But, then again, I’m not all too sure myself, honestly, so ISTJ / INTJ it is! Orion probably also could be an ISTJ instead of an INTJ, but… I’m not going back to edit it 😔

[the-blue-fairie]

Emprex’s Horror Movie Challenge: Salem’s Lot (1979)

So, I knew that my track record for completing these challenges was very bad, so I decided to jump in and start watching the Salem’s Lot miniseries last night. I ended up watching all three hours – not exactly because I was on the edge of my seat, but because the halfway point was where things started to pick up and I didn’t want to stop at 90 minutes of lethargic pace.

The thing about the first half of this is that it is slow – and that makes sense; it’s a miniseries and everything. I have a deep fondness for the childhood sections of the It miniseries – and the adult sections have their kitschy charm – so I was hoping for something like that with this. Like the It miniseries, the kids were the characters I cared most about, but the adult main character had none of the endearing charm of any of the adult cast in It. Likewise, Tim Curry got the chance to be big and splashy in It, while James Mason in the first half of this is relegated to Ominously Being There.

You know something bad is going to happen. You know the suspense beats when they show that large crate and you’re like, “Oop, Dracula time,” but the miniseries format makes everything overstay its welcome. That being said, it was fun seeing a who’s-who of, “Hey, it’s that guy!” and “Hey, it’s her!” in the cast. Hey, an elderly Elisha Cook is in this, that’s neat! Okay, Fred Willard is here. HEY, it’s the Baron from David Lynch Dune/the racist cop from Ragtime! And he’s a cop here, too!

Those scenes with the undead children scratching at the windows, wanting to be invited in, ARE incredibly effectively eerie, however. I know Hooper can do horror, and those moments are just STEEPED in atmosphere.

Mark Petrie is more likable as a character than Ben Mears is – and I’m not just saying that because Kerwin was in my favorite episode of Faerie Tale Theatre. Mears feels like a somewhat smug King stand-in and… like, I’m a writer too and I get what it feels like to be dismissed for being a writer, but his character just felt so self-congratulatory. The boy, meanwhile, feels more relatable because he’s a kid, he’s vulnerable, and we get to see him watch his parents die in one of the most effective scenes. Also, the portrayal of Petrie’s outsiderhood – with the monster movie posters on the walls, with the model kits – resonated more. And, if the boy is a creative, like the adult author is, we SEE him struggling to come into his own – working on pageants and so forth, whereas we just hear about Mears doing the same.

When the Count Orlok-style vampire shows up, that’s where things get fun. I dismissed Mason as just Ominously Being There in the first half, but I want to amend that statement and point out that he brings a smooth, quiet menace even to those scenes – and that blossoms into perfectly effective menace in the master vampire’s face-off with the priest. He’s a Renfield that carries the weight of the horror, and I think that’s cool.

I loved the green hues of the Evil house. I loved the Orlokian makeup on Barlow. It has a funhouse spookiness while also conveying this is something ancient and threatening. I loved the glowing effects on the vampires’ eyes in general.

Overall, this was not as enjoyable as I was hoping, but it has charm, especially in the last half. I might check out the remake to see if the pacing is more to my style, but I also feel the remake will lack the old-school TV miniseries charm that gave this version what spark it did have.

(Also, I realize that calling this film "too slow at the start" when my favorite film is a 5-hour miniseries that begins with a 90-minute Christmas party episode may seem hypocritical - but the characters at that Christmas party have infinitely compelling and complex dynamics with each other and that first episode could be a movie on its own and a masterpiece.)  

@thealmightyemprex

@piterelizabethdevries

@ariel-seagull-wings

@themousefromfantasyland

@countesspetofi

[fostersffff]

I've been seeing a micro-controversy on Twitter with regards to a someone pointing out that the current masters for the Sailor Moon anime aren't properly color corrected when compared to the animation cels. The controversy is over the fact that the pinkish tint on the current masters (top video, versus the color correct bottom video) is considered by a lot of people to be the "true" version of the series, on account of the fact that's the version most people would be used to seeing. Plus, it just makes sense, ~*~aesthetically~*~, that Sailor Moon would have that pinkish tint, because it's shoujo. For girls, ya see.

Most of the people I follow who've chimed in on this think the pink tint is better, which is perfectly fine, but I'm also with the original poster when they say that this should not be the case for the masters. For the sake of preservation, masters should be color corrected to match the animation cels as closely as possible, because the cels are what the original images literally are.

The problem here is that Toei is dogshit at doing this themselves. Nearly every Dragon Ball home video release has some kind of coloring problem: check out this post I did comparing Seed of Might's Color Corrected release of Dragon Ball to the Funimation Blue Bricks (which were made using scraps Toei sent them) and the home video releases of the Dragon Ball Super movies (including Broly and Super Hero), which have a green tint as opposed to pink, and is even more obnoxious an error since these films were produced digitally.

These things are not the end of the world- it's not like the footage itself has been butchered, and the Seed of Might release and even the video kicking off this post are proof that proper color correction can be done after the fact, but it shouldn't be up to fans to fix this stuff. Especially since it leads to this exact current micro-controversy, where the people doing the proper color correction are attacked because people have come to prefer the wrong image.

And, the cool thing is, if you prefer a more stylized aesthetic, that's super easy to do yourself! Here's something I was able to do by gently nudging a single slider in VLC media player's default "Effects and Filters" on Sailor Moon S The Movie:

We Vaporwave Now! We can even get more creative and crop the second image to 4:3 and run it through a VHS filter for from real ~*~90's anime aesthetics~*~ type looks:

Now, you may look and that and think "but wait, that's cool!", and I'm inclined to agree. It's neat! But the point is that I was able to do all that in like 2 minutes with minimal effort to create a specific looking variation on the original product. If someone was so inclined, they could probably find a VHS effects package to run over the entire movie and combine that with a color filter to get a version of the movie that suits their personal aesthetic takes, and that's cool as hell. But the original source they're using (that should be available to everyone, especially if they're buying physical discs) is what it was actually intended by the animators to look like.

[linuxgamenews]

Experience FACEMINER: Play the Demo on Steam and itch

FACEMINER Demo releases for the story driven management sim game on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. This success can be attributed entirely to the skilled team at Wristwork. Available to play on both Steam and itch. If you're into trying out a demo, you might want to check out FACEMINER. The release from the creative team at Wristwork gives you a chance to play right away. This early look lets you take on the first 45 minutes of what the full Linux release has to offer. The FACEMINER demo is takes place in a time when people were optimistic about technology in the '90s. It's not just about having fun; it's also about managing a complex setup where you build a system for processing biometric data. Think of it as starting from zero and working your way up to creating a huge network. Due to collect a huge amount of data about people's facial features. You'll be in charge of upgrading your equipment and systems. While managing a storage facility, and even getting involved in some sketchy deals to offset carbon emissions. All of this is wrapped up in an old-school corporate software setting. Which also adds a unique twist to your tasks.

FACEMINER - Demo Launch Trailer

The challenge here isn't just about building and expanding your setup. You also have to handle the pressures of working within a company and dealing with competitive market forces. Your goal is to become a top player in the industry of facial data. All while improving your skills from basic data sorting to full scale automation. The FACEMINER game demo pushes you into scenarios where you have to manage crises. Such as running out of storage or dealing with server issues. All while keeping an eye on the broader impact of your actions, like global warming. These elements make each decision vital as you aim to avoid a game ending disaster. Moving up in your career means learning and mastering faster ways to process and sell this data. It's a tough world where every choice can have big outcomes. Alex Taylor, the studio lead, explains that the project started as a research project focused on the environmental toll of massive cloud computing setups. The FACEMINER demo uses the concept of rapid growth to demonstrate how competitive and expansive this field can be. While showing the huge scale and high stakes involved in modern data handling and AI training. So, if you're apt to a management sim that challenges you to think. Including your outlook on technology, data, and environmental issues all at once, the FACEMINER demo would be be worth a look. It's not just about playing; it's about taking on and managing a complex, high stakes settings. Available to play on both Steam and itch. The full release is due in Q4 2024 on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.

[fascinationex]

Take 2! How is Sealstorm handling the heat in Australia when he visits with Percy?

He's a creative problem solver :)

(takes place not long after this short I think)

-----

Perceptor didn't know when the power went out. For one, it happened some time after two in the morning, when he was fast asleep. He had probably slept better after the relentless cold of the hotel room had melted away.

The first he knew about the power outage was at 6 in the morning when he opened his eyes to clean white sheets and a wide expanse of white ceiling.

His first thought was that Brainstorm was... absent. Odd, since he liked to wake Perceptor up with a suffocating reminder that he weighed at least three regular people.

His second thought was that it was strange that he wasn't freezing. Despite his best efforts on this trip, he usually woke with icecubes for toes and fingers gone terribly stiff with cold.

Preceptor blinked at the white hotel ceiling for a second. Then leaned over to pat the bedside table until his glasses materialised in his hand. His phone was next. There was an SMS, which had come through in silence at 2:31 AM: Dear valued guest, hotel management has been made aware that the electricity supply to this block is currently unavailable...

That wasn't good. Perceptor knew Brainstorm would probably be fine even if the power stayed out for a while, but his belly still did a nervous little flip about it. Getting too hot would be bad news for a polar mermaid.

Brainstorm was truly a creature of the ice and cold, well-armed with all his weight of blubber and fur to swim in waters that would kill Perceptor in minutes. But that meant that he couldn't tolerate a lot of heat. Sixteen degrees was fine, but eighteen was pushing it, and over twenty made him feel sick, which in turn made him cranky and rude.

It being high summer, their selection criteria for hotels on this trip had pretty much started and stopped at climate control. And now, evidently, the power was out.

Perceptor skimmed the rest of the message: utilities supplier working on it, management apologises for the inconvenience. Right. He turned the phone screen dark.

"Brainstorm?" He rolled out of the bed. It was a tall, luxurious hotel bed, set so high off the ground that he kind of just spilled into a standing position. He'd taken to sleeping in soft trousers and a hooded sweater, in red and black respectively, for the cold. They were warm and cosy—a little too warm now, actually. He pulled the sweater off and left it on top of the rumpled covers.

Outside the master bedroom, which was pretty much 90% enormous bed, the hotel suite was... kind of a mess. There were long snaking trails of water over the floor and furniture displaced at random. He glanced into the kitchenette and found the refrigerator and freezer units completely absent, but most of their contents spread across the benches.

"... Brainstorm?" he called, a little louder. Weirdly, the hotel room didn't sound as though the power was out. The heavily glazed windows kept most of the traffic muted outside but he could hear the dull humming of something. "Are you alright?"

"Bath tub!"

The sound of his voice was a relief. Perceptor turned towards the bathroom instead. It was, like the rest of the suite, perfectly palatial and on-trend. In this case that meant it was an awful lot of big marble slabs, and that the room came fitted with the strange, voyeuristic vibe of walls that were half clear glass.

That meant that Perceptor should have been able to see in straight away, but he couldn't: what had once been clear glass had evidently not remained so, and when he touched the surface he pulled his fingers back fast at the biting cold of it. It had become frosted the hard way, he guessed.

A mass of dark smudgy shapes were vaguely visible on the floor. One of them, he assumed, had to be Brainstorm's furred back flippers and tail.

Perceptor was more curious than worried, now. He opened the door and paused in the threshold, and although he was braced for the temperature change, it still smacked into him like a wall of frost. He was suddenly very, very awake.

It was freezing in here.

The remains of several kitchen appliances lay strewn about, cannibalised. Strange mechanical parts littered the marble floors, the exposed organs of systems he rarely contemplated right out in the open. The humming was louder than he expected. There was evidently no grid power in use. Instead, Brainstorm had rigged something with a system of wires, boxes, electrical tape and mysterious coloured fluids: crude chemical batteries, he supposed.

In the sunken tub itself, Brainstorm was half-buried beneath icy water. His long claws were delicately manipulating a length of copper wire that Perceptor felt probably did not belong around so much moisture.

He rolled around when Perceptor came in, turning so he could prop his spined elbow on the lip of the tub and rest his chin upon his hand.

"Percy! Good morning," he crowed, letting the wire tumble from his off-hand casually. His attention was suddenly laser-focused on Perceptor. Heady. "Come inside, you're letting all the cool out."

Perceptor looked at the machinery. His toes already hated him, but he took a step inside the bathroom and closed the door.

"This looks..." Advanced. Dangerous. Necessary, perhaps. Also, very much like an inappropriate use of hotel property. "... creative," Perceptor suggested, instead of any of those things.

"What, this old thing?" Brainstorm crooned, picking up a chunk of ice, examining it and letting it splash back into the water. "I'm a creative problem solver. Also, it started getting really hot at about three am and I had to put my unmatched genius to the task. Are you coming over here?"

Perceptor eyed the icy water in the tub. It was very, very cold in here. At some point, there had been a bath mat, which might have insulated his toes a little—but it was basically a block of ice, so he assumed that had gotten soaked at some point before the... unmatched genius situation... had unfolded in here.

He took another step closer to the tub. One of Brainstorm's damp hands wrapped around his ankle. His claws were as cold as steel in winter and the chill bit straight into Perceptor's skin.

"I won't be able to stay in here for too long," he cautioned, hoping to manage Brainstorm's expectations. He knew Brainstorm loved to brag about his successful inventions, but Perceptor might have to listen from the other side of the glass.

"That's a shame. That looks interesting." Brainstorm nodded at Perceptor's chest, where his nipples had beaded up tightly, obvious under his tee-shirt. He pressed his thumb gently into the big muscle of Perceptor's calf. Beneath the sting of the cold, it felt nice.

Perceptor hummed. "Freezing is less sexually interesting to me than you may imagine."

Brainstorm let his ankle go, rolling his yellow eyes extravagantly.

"I've heard," he said, sounding perilously close to whining. "Believe me, I've heard."

Perceptor's teeth were starting to chatter. He leaned down just enough to smooth his hand over the cold bone of Brainstorm's helm. "It's very impressive. I'm glad you're not overheating."

"Of course! I'm just that good." Brainstorm beamed "Let me know when they get the electricity on again?"

"Certainly." And that was about all Perceptor could manage, barefoot in this cold. He shut the bathroom door behind him, feeling the warmth of the rest of the hotel suite hit him like a wall. He shivered all over and his glasses fogged at the edges.

At least that meant Brainstorm was still taken care of. Perceptor headed into the carnage of the kitchenette to make his depredations on the steadily warming contents of the fridge. It would go too waste, otherwise.

Probably, he should be more concerned about who was going to take care of the bill for damages to an absurdly expensive hotel room. Brainstorm seemed unlikely. The university, possibly. Insurance, maybe. Wasn't the tourism department sponsoring part of this trip...?

Perceptor deftly avoided the spilled water on his way back to bed with his breakfast.

[x5red]

More Super Klenk details come to light

Does Super Klenk still exist? Did Super Klenk ever exist? The tv show is so famously obscure that one could be forgiven for believing it was just a hoax. Running for 13 episodes at the turn of the millenium, Super Klenk followed the antics of a school teacher who has a secret life as a superhero. Broadcast on primetime Sunday evenings on GMA-7, each episode lasted 90 minutes, blending action, romance, and comedy. For a primetime show running on a major network there's precious little evidence online of it ever having existed. Only one very brief video clip is available, taken from a station promo, plus a tiny number of low resolution promotional photos.

It is, very likely, one of the most obscure and undocumented superhero tv shows ever. The series appeared to have not been reshown since its original broadcast, and for all anyone knows the master tapes may have been junked. But that doesn't mean that with a bit of digital sleuthing we cannot unearth some interesting details about the series. For example, a while back a study of television listings in newspapers revealed the original broadcast details, and the tantalising possibility that there may have been far more than just 13 episodes.

In this post we outline further sources of contemporaneous information.

The Manila Bulletin

We start with a low resolution scan of an article from the Manila Bulletin (see above.) The article is conveniently written in English, yet parts of the text are hard to decipher given the low quality of the image. The following is a transcript as best can be made out. Note: passages marked in colour denote text that is unclear or missing from the image.

[START]

Tired of your usual Sunday night viewing habits? Then look up in the sky. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It's Super Klenk to the rescue!

Although you won't really see Super Klenk in the sky once you channel surf to GMA-7 tonight at 8 p.m., their newest situational comedy entitled "Super Klenk" premieres.

Produced by Philippine-broadcasting leader GMA Network Inc., the comical super series "Super Klenk" stars sexy Ara Mina, who plays a dual role. As a normal human being she is a grade school teacher and volunteer rescuer Charito for Rescue 711, while she turns into the high flying but still fumbling heroine whenever she's needed to save people in distress.

In her new role as a super heroine, silver screen goddess Ara Mina defies the stigma of a "TF" [titillating films] actress. According to her, she doesn't care if people including the press would criticize her the way they did when she took on a singing career. What is important to her is that she remains focused on entertaining the children who will watch her show. She also emphasized that her decision to do children's show is not an indication that she will veer away from doing sexy roles. Her latest film that is slated for a January, 2000 release entitled "Laro sa Baga" will still feature her in some steamy love scenes.

According to its director Mac Alejandre, the unusual title of the sit-com was spawned after its head writer Isko Salvador, aka Brod Pete, who also plays Doctor Cortal in the TV series, took a break from their brainstorming. The creative team formed solely for this show were thinking of the show's title at Amigos Restaraunt when Isko came back with the "Super Klenk" apparently is also the middle name of Ara Mina (it is pronounced in Germany the same way as the word clench is pronounced.)

"Super Klenk" is also unusual in its length. It is a one and a half-hour sit-com, which is not the norm for television. Director Mac has no reason for this except that it was the time given them by GMA 7's programming department. He find this challenging since he knows that he has to keep this one and a half-hour show interesting all the way.

"It is really hard to do a sit-com that's one and a half hour that's why we have to make this as interesting as possible visually, acting wise and gag wise. The truth is the pilot episode was done in more than two days because we have a big cast and it was really hard doing the special effect," Explains Director Mac.

Insiders from the show said that the "Super Klenk's" special effects budget was really financially stressful but GMA-7 shelled out just the project's success. The special effects have also been at the helm of two creative [unreadable] behind "Super Klenk" five days to decide on which special effects to develop and utilize.

"Super Klenk" was developed with children's Sunday night viewing bits in mind according to GMA's VP for Programming Wilma Galvante. [Unreadable] is a wholesome entertainment but with Ara Mina as the star. "The show [unreadable] promises young televiewers bit only fantastic special effects but also moral lessons that are interjected in every episode.

The launching of "Super Klenk" is in line with the new shows GMA 7 has [unreadable] for its viewing public for the year 2000. The culmination of all their [unreadable] released and offered this year is "Millenium Broadcast."

So how does Ara Mina become Super Klenk?

The unassuming Charito lives an ordinary life as a teacher who has to contend with mischievous students like copycat Xerox and the narcoleptic [unreadable]. As a rescue volunteer, she works with an obnoxious publicity hungry [unreadable: police?] chief, Hope Pimentel.

Her daily routine suddenly shifts to a new gear one day in some dark [unreadable: alley?] when she sees an old lady whom she thought was waylaid by street thugs. Charito tries to revive the seemingly old ago-go dancer, Tondang Xorax (Flora Gasser), who [unreadable] against the wall during a chase with her archenemy Oblada (Sandra Gomez.) Charito's attempt to breathe life back into [unreadable] Xorax proves futile but he superpowers of the aging heroine is accidentally transferred to the young volunteer rescuer. Tondang Xorax [unreadable: magically?] fades into a celestial star right before the unbelieving eyes of the [unreadable: unsuspecting?] Charito. Soon Tondang Xorax visits Charito to inform her the [unreadable: henceforth?], she will be known as Super Klenk.

Also starring Pilita Corrales, Isko Salvador, Paolo Fabregas and James Fabregas.

[END]

Philippine Headline News Online

This next piece was posted to the Philippine Headline News Online mailing list on 11th December 1999, and seems to be a standard press release announcing the upcoming show. Translations of the non-English parts, courtesy of Google, are presented in colour.

[START]

WHOLESOME ROLE FOR ARA MINA IN GMA-7 SERIES

Quezon City, Dec.11, 1999 - GMA-7 is changing the image of bold star Ara Mina via a wholesome role in the network’s newest fantasy-action comedy series entitled Super Klenk!

“Tamang-tama nga dahil ngayong naghihigpit sa bold, heto’t nabigyan naman ako ng chance to do this kind of wholesome show na puwede sa bata and for the whole family,” Ara says. ["It's right because now that the bold is being restricted, I was given the chance to do this kind of wholesome show that can be done by children and for the whole family."]

Ara plays Charito, a dedicated grade school teacher and rescue worker. One night, she witnesses the original Super Klenk meet an serious accident. While trying to give the accident victim some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Ara received the special powers of Super Klenk, played by Flora Gasser.

“I become the new Super Klenk, a crimebuster who is the mortal enemy of the main villain in the show, si Oblada, played by Sandra Gomez,” Ara adds. “I enjoy doing this show because para akong si Wonder Woman and I get to do a lot of action scenes while fighting criminals. Nakakalipad din ako rito at ginastusan nila ang special effects sa flying scenes to make it look really convincing on screen.” [I enjoy doing this show because I'm like Wonder Woman and I get to do a lot of action scenes while fighting criminals. I was also able to fly here and they paid for the special effects in the flying scenes to make it look really convincing on screen.]

Playing the love interests of Ara in the show are newcomer Paolo Fabregas (son of actor-musical director Jaime Fabregas) and Isko Salvador (more popularly known as Brod Pete of Ang Dating Doon.)

This does not mean, though, that Ara is turning her back on sexy movies. As a matter of fact, she has just finished Laro sa Baga.

[END]

Philstar Global

The third piece was published on 18th March 2000 on Philstar Global, marking the premature cancellation of the show. Again, translations in colour.

[START]

Ara: Win Some, Lose Some

The sad news is true, after all. Yes, Ara Mina's Super Klenk will have its final telecast (GMA 7) this Sunday. After that, her flying character will be grounded (never to fly again?).

But the good news is that Ara will topbill a new GMA sitcom, untitled just yet, which starts telecast very soon.

"Super Klenk was very hard to shoot because palagi kaming outdoors," [Super Klenk was very hard to shoot because we were always outdoors] said Ara when Funfare talked to her on the set of FPJ Productions' Ayos Na Ang Kasunod (to be released by Millennium Cinema), her first team-up with FPJ. "Our minimum shooting time was two days. I wore a tight costume which could sometimes be very uncomfortable. I'm looking forward to doing the new sitcom which is light and easier to do. Like Super Klenk, pambata din 'yung bago kong sitcom." [Like Super Klenk, my new sitcom is also for children.]

Ara is leaving for Las Vegas third week of April to perform in a concert with Martin and Bert Nievera.

[END]

Cast and crew

Finally, through various sources (the IMDB, actor's profiles, etc.) we are able to pull together a list of the main actors and their characters, as well as some of the key production crew.

Ara Mina as Charito and her alter ego Super Klenk.

Isko Salvador (aka Brod Pete) as Doctor Cortal, the love interest, and also one of the show's writers.

Paolo Fabregas as another doctor and possible love interest.

Flora Gasser as Tondang Xorax, the superhero whose powers are accidentally transferred to the Charito.

Sandra Gomez as Oblada, the show's main villain.

Pilita Corrales as Aunt Baby, the relative Charito lives with.

James (Jaime) Fabregas as Hepe Pimente, the police commissioner and Charito's boss at the rescue team (also the real life father of actor Paolo Fabregas.)

Dingdong Dantes, possible guest actor.

Mark Anthony Fernandez, possible guest actor.

Elizabeth Ramsey as Tiya Kirara, guest actor.

Roxanne Barcelo, possible guest actor.

Yoyong Martirez, possible guest actor.

Mac Alejandre, the showrunner and director.

Wilma Valle Galvante, GMA's VP for Programming.

Conclusion

Over the last couple of years a lot of classic pinoy television has been uploaded, legitimately, to YouTube. The good news is therefore that it is possible that one day Super Klenk may be available for the public to watch once again. The bad news is that, given the obscurity of the show, it could be a very very long wait. Worse still, assuming the episodes do still exist in an archive somewhere, the chances are any uploads will be chopped up into small YouTube friendly chunks, rather than presented in their original 90 minute format. There's always the possibility that the show in its original form may be included on a streaming platform, or re-screened on a golden hits style cable channel, but so far neither of these things have happened.

And so, in the absence of any episodes to watch, the details above are currently all we know about what is possibly tv's most obscure superheroine show (unless you know more?!?) Maybe that will change in future -- here's hoping.

(A quick thank you to DrMuttonChops for tracking down a scan of the Manila Bulletin article, posted years ago on Ara Mina's social media.)

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Cataclysm

https://www.patreon.com/empyreaniris?fan_landing=true

https://starr-fall-knight-rise.tumblr.com/post/182501791735/master-post

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jzEIdDAB4omdO2JcQVMObfrhLJ5kX4ONmSsLypM1ks0/edit?usp=sharing

An uneasy standstill, the calm before the storm. The war had begun, yet the only shots to be fired were still contained upon the derelict space station. Space itself was still, a tense chess game waiting to break out into violence. Pieces moved on either side while the sacrificial pawns had yet to be played.

Adam sat in the cockpit of the F-90 Darkfire, roosting in tense silence with several other squadrons of aircraft, Maker designed and human designed all intermingled. The F-90 had been retrofitted to run on Anima energy, and when the instruments lit up, they glowed a delicate gold.

He took a deep breath, slow and steady through his nose and closed his eyes.

He could feel his heart racing inside his chest dancing out a manic rhythm. 

“Fealty?”

The AI who had been humming subtly in the background of his suit, responded to his command, appearing on his hud as a little cartoon dog with its head tilted. The image sort of reminded him of waffles, and pancake, and those thoughts made his heart hurt.

“Show me/”

The little cartoon dog vanished, replaced by a reel of pictures: Kay curled up with waffles and Pancake, Kay in his Halloween costume, Kay asleep as a baby inside his mother’s helmet. Sunny holding Astra and Nyx, His parents Holding the twins, He squeezed his eyes shut and his head hurt.

They had to win this.

He would do anything to be able to see his children again even if that meant saving the universe to do it….. Another part of him realized that he would do anything….. Just to let his kids live, even if it meant never seeing them again. He opened his eyes, looking through the docking bay’s energy field and out towards  the great black behemoth that lurked at the center of the galaxy

Sagittarius A*

Adam was willing to exist the destruction of his soul, willing to exist never existing.

Just so they could

The thought clawed its way into his throat, choking him, but he fought it down. 

No time to think about himself, only time to think about his family and his friends.

His hand tightened on the joystick. 

“T-Minus thirty.” Someone announced over the coms.

Red lights started flashing inside the docking bay. Adam could feel the sudden rumble of engines as they moved from idle. 

He did the same with his own jet, watching as the docking bay crew scuttle around on the floor ahead of them, waving flags and markers as everyone was settled into last minute position.

His headset chirped to life, and from he copilot seat Krill’s voice came, “You know, after all of these years being terrified for my life, this might be the first time I will actually have the ability to wet myself.”

Adam snorted.

It had taken an entire team and a half to get Krill fitted into the copilot seat.

In order to come at all his SE armor had been fitted with a pressurized amniotic compartment where his real body was stashed inside a thick viscous liquid, kind of like the brain inside spinal fluid. It was krill’s belief that his more fragile body would be protected, while his more human form could operate with impunity. However, that meant the suit he wore was absolutely massive, more like a mech than a suit at all, and it had taken some creative thinking to fit him inside.

Still, Adam was glad for the company, no shade to Krill, but he missed Sunny.

As battle partner they had sworn to be at each other’s backs always, but a conversation before the operation began had resulted in the two of them coming to the decision that they needed to go in separately on the off chance one of them didn’t make it, they wanted at least one parent to survive.

So, while Adam was going in on the jet, Sunny had chosen to join her family on a Drev drop carrier with the other warriors of her clan, Lanus and Sunny at their head. 

Lanus, Sunny, Kanan, Dzara, the entire family together, and that at least made him feel better.

“You sure you’re up for this.” He asked, his voice strangely warped and tinny over the comms.”

“Do I look like someone who can back out now.”

“T-minus Ten, nine, eight, seven.”

“Guess not.

And then there it was, the familiar pressure building up in the cradle of his pelvis. Adam sighed, Here he was a grown ass man, and still his body’s nervous response was suddenly and and unexplainably needed to pee, even after several trips to the bathroom “just in case”

“Two, one zero.”

…..

“Launch.”

Hundreds of engines firing all at once, until the night sky was filled with the burning golden glow of their engines, like a swarm of fireflies. Adam took point, exiting the empyrean and passing through the docking bay field and out into the silence of space. All around him thousands of other smaller ships joined him, in thousands of different shapes and sizes. He could only imagine what it might have looked like from a distance.

Fireworks.

Maybe.

Their plan was to strike hard and fast.

No mercy

No remorse.

There was no room for polite warfare, this was the end of the universe as they knew it, and manners were out of place, and out of time.

Evidently the Vodi felt the same way.

As soon as the first fighter, Adam, deployed, the Void matched with a response of its own, spitting spiked jets painted with tortured orange voidlight straight towards them, like the pellets from the barrel of a shotgun. Adam felt like it should have had a sound, an explosion, or a crackle like fire, or even an eruption like a volcano.

But the violence happened in complete silence.

Though the clash that came rocked the universe.

The first death occurred, not from weapons, but as two opposing fighters slammed together in a brief but fiery ball of debris erupting outward like an explosive mine, shredding at least two fighters that came too close.

One listed sideways ramming into another fighter, the two falling into an interlocking spin that tore them apart. Adam cut to the side, and then dove down, cutting narrowly between the wings of two opposing ships, deploying countermeasure rockets as he was passing between them, tagging both enemy ships in the fuselage and ripping them apart with a sharp and silent explosion. The hammering of his heart died away, slowly lulled by combat until both his hands and his body were steady, silent and controlled. The pressure on his bladder vanished as the nerves went wit them.

Nothing mattered now, but the moment.

The sky was chaos, bumper cars on steroids strapped to explosives. Adam rolled to avoid an explosion on his left, cutting i na shallow arc under a vessel passing in the other direction. Fealty tagged enemy targets, highlighting them in red where his normal human vision would be unable to keep up.

He spun once, very sharply to his left, falling into the trailing path of an enemy fighter locking on briefly before deploying rockets.

The ship exploded, and he dove downward avoiding the debris.

Killing enemy fighters was all well and good, but he never took his eyes off the real goal.

The necrotorium, glowing orange like the promised hell that it was, still so far away and surrounded by a wall of steel rubbed raw by the sickly  orange light of their shields.

A voice crackled in his headset “Cherub, This is mad dog  Four o clock on your right”

“Think you can hack it mad dog.” Adam asked,

“We’re going to find out.

“This is wicked Eight o'clock high.”

“Welcome aboard, wicked, try not to die.” Adam said, and then Dove down and back into the frey. Behind him Wicked and Mad dog followed in desperation to keep on his tail. Adam called out his moves before he made them, and together they cut into the bulk of the enemy squadron.

Adam’s dash beeped,

“He’s trying to lock on me.” Adam said.

“I got him, I got him. Cherub roll right!”  Wicked shouted

Adam rolled right, his pursuer streaking through the palace where he had been and exploding a few seconds past that moment

“HA!” Wicked said, her voice crackling over the radio. 

“Deploying countermeasures.” Mad Dog shouted, and another explosion lightened the black sky.

They were moving forward, sure and steady. Adam cut at a diagonal past two incoming fighters and then reversed his engines coming to a halt and shooting backwards as they tried to turn. Fealty marked both, and deployed the heat seekers that found their mark. Adam rotated the jet on its axis 180 degrees and shot in the other direction.

They were coming up on the bulk of the Armada now.

Massive blak ships loomed over them.

One of the ships pulsed, a powerful beam of burning orange void light pulsed from its cannons, vaporizing a straight line of fighters in the process, leaving nothing behind but dust.

Fealty chirped in warning, and Adam cut right just as another beam shot through the place where he had been.

Wicked shouted.

Mad dog cursed.

The ball of steel rose up…. This was going to be too much.

How were they going to get through this and the shield?!

And then, Adam saw it.

It was a miracle that he did. What it took to have him here in the right place and at the right time might as well have been a miracle, and still he only noticed because out of all the red highlights on his dash, as fealty lit up his enemies, he couldn’t help but notice the tiny dash of green.

A friendly.

At first Adam thought another jet might have made it ahead of him, but in the heat of the moment, as his subconscious brain was running in parallel to his active combat brain he realized the small dot wasn’t moving, and it was far too small to be a ship.

Momentum carrying him closer, it wasn’t until Adam was nearly right up on it that he realized.

The figure was humanoid.

Floating simply in the middle of space, gone unnoticed by the Void.

That fact wasn’t to last long.

As the figure raised his hands, and let off a psychic wave of energy that almost imploded Adam’s mind in the backlash.”

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Yeah Yeah Yeah - Fever To Tell

A perfect trio. Karen O's fuck me or go fuck yourself attitude, Brian Chase's frenetic drumming, and Nick Zimmer's nasty riffs make for the exact album that the burgeoning post punk revival scene of the 00s needed to stay fresh. If only other bands had followed their lead 😑 I digress though. The willingness to delve into the territory of noise rock only to always pull it back into more palatable garage rock/post punk territory is masterful. Like musical edging they keep it tastelessly sexual for almost too long. Up until the last few tracks which allows for an emotional release that helps pull the whole album together thematically.

Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

If it were me, hear me out now. See, if it were me, I would keep my Anne Frank sex dream to myself. I wouldn't write one of the most cryptic and beautiful albums of all time about it. I would not have combined indie folk and alt rock into a psychedelic melange of dreamlike wandering. I would have just kept that to myself. But I've made exactly zero of the greatest albums of all time so what the fuck do I know? This album is so completely sincere so please treat it gently. And ignore it's status as hipster holy grail. Listen to it on its own merits, for me, please?

Green Day - Dookie

Pop punk is maybe not the most well respected genre, and I get why. I don't think a lot of adults want to hear nasally privileged teens singing about jacking off. If Dookie, or any album like it, was a part of your childhood then you probably already know if you'll like this album. And if it wasn't then you probably already know you won't. But if you are at all curious where the 90s pop punk scene started then you have to listen to this, at least for the historical significance.

Robert Johnson - King Of The Delta Blues Singers

Robert Johnson, by god how am I supposed to review Robert Johnson! There were other earlier bluesmen but they didn't have the exact influence on rock music that Robert Johnson did. Not only did his blues stylings influence the original.batch of rock n rollers of the 50s but this very compilation reintroduced him to the artists of the 60s. It's not hard to see why he was so influential. Despite, or most likely due to, the stripped down performances Johnson's guitar work never overshadows his haunting vocals and vice versa. And that guitar work! Johnson may not have been the first blues musician to have supposedly sold his soul in exchange for musical talent (he isn't even the only blues musician with the last name Johnson to have that rumor attached to him) but it's easy to see why it stuck to him. He bounces around the fretboard effortlessly and lays down harmony and counterpoint all in one take while singing to boot!

Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul

In the wake of Otis Redding's untimely death Stax Records had to do something quick. They pushed for a slew of new albums to be completed quick including a follow up to an unsuccessful debut by up and coming session musician Isaac Hayes. Hayes demanded full creative control over and the Stax execs were in no place to argue. The result is a four sing album with three out of four track passing the ten minute mark. It's also really horny. Hayes has one of those voices where everything he sings just becomes sensual. I mean that was the entire joke of him being in South Park. On this masterpiece of a record though, oh man do the instrumentals know how to match his energy. Sloppy, funky bass and lush orchestral arrangements perfectly match Hayes's soulful, lonesome longing. This is such a perfect fuck album that I think it would be too on the nose to actually put on during sex.

Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills

Janis Joplin's voice is probably the most irreplaceable loss that the music world ever suffered. Wait nah I'll save this bit for when I review Pearl. They better put Pearl in this fucking list.

Janis Joplin was active for four years put out four studio albums had three bands and two distinct phases to her career and then dropped dead at the age of 27. She currently holds the 100% completion speedrun for being a rock star. And Cheap Thrills is definitely the most 'rock star' of all her albums.

The Temptations - Anthology

Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 is exactly what it says in the tin. A collection of every single released by Motown during their golden era. And looking at the track listing it's easy to see why the studio was nicknamed Hitsville USA. Five hours of runtime and nearly every song on here is an instantly recognizable classic. Even some of the deeper cuts are still just amazing. You would think that sitting through five hours of this might get tiring but I've seriously put this on and by the time it ends I'm like "wtf that wasn't five hours?" If you only have room for one comp in your collection make it this one. And if you want recs for a fucking Temptations record then listen to The Temptations Sing Smokey, Cloud Nine, or All Directions instead of another unnecessary compilation.

[howhow326]

Omg guys it's my first oc who has never existed outside of my head before: Hunter Bluecoin

I wonder how he got here?

Oh well, I guess I'll just be on my merry- wait a minute, my 9 year old self is behind me and holding a knife to my spine because I promised to post his backstory into writing!!! Ok then.

IRL BACKSTORY

Me and twin brother used to do RP games for all of the shows we watched togather before we knew what RP was lol. During these very early formative years (when I was like 7) I slowly began forming a character who was an amalgamation of all of the different self inserts I used in the RP. However, I first gave a name (kind of, it was still me) to this character during a Winx Club RP; Bloom was at a ball dancing with her new ice boyfriend/husband (don't ask, also it was me, also I don't even like Bloom it was my brother's suggestion lol) when the Ice-iums suddenly attack. Then when Bloom jumps to the obvious conclusion, I pull the dumb plot twist that Hunter/Howard (he had my name at this point) was from a different magic ice planet: Sticeterraria (Ice - uh - terria, the St is silent. To this day, I still don't know why I imagined the spelling like that). And from that moment forward, the path of me accidentally creating my first oc was set... [oh um, the reason why my oc is an Finn recolor is because I first thought of a visual apperance of him by thinking of finn with black hair and going "yep, that's me!"]

INSANELY AWSOME KOOL OC BACKSTORY!!!

The result of me seriously thinking about what this guys background would look like after using him as a dimension hopping self insert, circa 2013

Howard Hunter is the second in line of the throne of the Royal Bluecoin family of the planet Sticeterraria.

Note: Sticeterraria isn't the real name of the planet he comes from, it's the name that his culture (Sticeterrarians) gave to it. Sticeterraria has other cultures on the planet that have been at either war or peace with the Sticeterrarians.

Also, Sticeterraria is like really cold because it's the fourth planet from it's sun and 90% of it's surface area is water. That last part isn't relevant to the planet being cold but I put that in there just because.

Back to Hunter: he's a master of magic despite being [insert teenage age here]. His abilities include: Ice magic, superhuman physical capabilities natural to Sticeterrarians (peak human stuff) that Hunter enhances using his magic (super strength, durability, etc), flight, intangability (because Big Chill was my favorite Ben 10 alien), and a lot more powers from spells but what's listed are his go to powers. Hunter also has a magic Trident that's a family heirloom that normally goes to the oldest child, but Hunter has it because it choose him/he stole it/he just has it (???)

More on Ice Magic: my original idea was that it's just something that all Sticeterrarians can do but then 15 year old me retconed it to being a power that only 1/3 of Sticeterrarians can do without learning magic first. The reason why Sticeterrarians can do this is because they are blessed by their patron goddess, Ice (i think it's a very creative name actually), to have protection and dominion over the cold environment they live in.

Ice is also the goddess of love because 7 year old me was tired of ice powers always going to bad guys. The justification he gave for this is that "the cold winter forces people to value and treasure their loved ones more". Because of this association, the name of Sticeterraria's capital city is Amour.

Ice is also the goddess of the Moon because I used Hunter in DC comics RP and thought it would be good contrast to Kryptonians getting charged by the Sun. Hunter get's charged by the Moon!

Ice fell in love with the sun god, Fire, but their love is forbidden and the wind god, Air, keeps them apart from not only each other but also from their only child, the sea god Water. Yes.

Ok, back to Hunter. He's kind of quirked up and goated in the sauce because he's autistic not like the other boys. He despises the warrior culture he comes from (oh yeah, Sticeterrarians are basically Vikings but with 60% less pillaging) and studies the more female aligned art of magic (Norse rules of magic being feminine. Also, Sticeterrarians are lowkey sexist but like 80% less outright hostile to women compared to Americans) despite his dad telling him no. Hunter's what you might call a rebel even!

Also, Hunter is like a straight up dark wizard that has no qualms with performing dark riturals as long as he can control their power. And he may or may not be a a fugitive for stealing his family's royal jewel that transforms into his trident depending on canon this week.

Hunter's mom is ok with it (the learning magic part, not the dark magic stuff).

Hunter's older sister (who is my other Winx Club oc) Icealina get used to it, is kind of pissed at her younger brother for causing so much trouble and not taking royalty seriously.

Also, Icealina wants to abolish the royal family and start a democracy when she comes of age because she too is quirked up and woke actually everyone should be like her and king charles needs to be stopped.

Sticeterraria have female warriors that look just like Chesire's design from Teen Titans because...

Hunter also has a magic talking Huskey that follows him on his fandom hopping adventures. Ironically, not inspired by Jake.

Hunter is cursed to melt into a puddle of water when he is near fire. There's really no reason for it and im just mentioning it here because I like this weakness better that that one time I went "Hunter is a gary stu, better nerf his magic into the ground and make him incapable of fighting despite being a trained warrior!".

Hunter is not White its more likely than you think

And that's all(ish)! Oh look, 9 year old me has vanished to his final rest within the confines of my mind. Good, now I can go d literally anything else.

[boardgameparadisesblog]

What are the best adult board games?

When it comes to entertainment, board games have come a long way from the classic family games we all grew up with. For adults, board games offer a perfect blend of social interaction, strategic thinking, and pure fun. Whether you’re looking for a lively party game, a deep strategy challenge, or something with a touch of humor, there are plenty of options designed specifically with adults in mind. Here’s a rundown of some of the best board games for adults, perfect for any game night!

Codenames Genre: Party Game Players: 2-8 Playing Time: 15-30 minutes

Codenames is a fast-paced word association game that’s perfect for groups and parties. In this game, two teams compete to locate their agents based on one-word clues given by a “spymaster.” Each team tries to figure out which words on the board belong to them, while avoiding words that belong to the other team or the dangerous “assassin” word. It’s easy to learn but challenges players’ creativity and deduction skills. With the right crowd, Codenames can lead to hilarious and intense moments.

Cards Against Humanity Genre: Party Game (Mature Content) Players: 4-20+ Playing Time: 30-90 minutes

Cards Against Humanity is the ultimate adult party game, known for its crude humor and not-safe-for-work prompts. In this fill-in-the-blank game, one player reads a question or statement from a black card, and the other players respond with their funniest (and often, darkest) white card. It’s a game that thrives on outrageous humor and is designed for players who aren’t easily offended. Keep in mind that this game is best played in a group comfortable with edgy humor.

Ticket to Ride Genre: Strategy / Family Game Players: 2-5 Playing Time: 30-60 minutes

Ticket to Ride is a classic board game that’s accessible to beginners but still engaging for seasoned players. The objective is to build train routes across North America (or Europe, in another edition) by collecting and playing cards of matching colors. With its straightforward gameplay and immersive strategy, Ticket to Ride is a great choice for adults looking for a game that’s easy to pick up but hard to master. It offers the right balance of competition, strategy, and fun.

Settlers of Catan Genre: Strategy / Resource Management Players: 3-4 (expansions available) Playing Time: 60-120 minutes

Settlers of Catan, often simply called "Catan," is a legendary game in the board game world. Players take on the roles of settlers, gathering and trading resources like wood, brick, and wheat to build roads, settlements, and cities. The game is rich in strategy and requires players to negotiate, trade, and make tactical decisions to achieve victory. With endless possibilities, Catan is engaging, social, and competitive, making it a fantastic choice for adult players.

Exploding Kittens Genre: Card Game / Humor Players: 2-5 Playing Time: 15 minutes

Exploding Kittens is a humorous card game where players draw cards, trying to avoid drawing an “exploding kitten,” which will eliminate them from the game. The game includes quirky and funny cards, making it perfect for casual, light-hearted fun. The simplicity of the game means that anyone can learn to play in a few minutes, making it an excellent option for groups of friends looking for something quick and entertaining.

Wingspan Genre: Strategy / Engine-Building Players: 1-5 Playing Time: 40-70 minutes

For those who enjoy beautiful components and nature themes, Wingspan is a stunning game that brings birdwatching and strategy together. Players work to attract different bird species to their wildlife preserve, each with unique abilities that can help build an efficient engine for points. Wingspan is a relaxing yet strategic game that requires careful planning and resource management, making it ideal for adults who appreciate a slower-paced, thoughtful game.

Secret Hitler Genre: Social Deduction Players: 5-10 Playing Time: 45 minutes

Secret Hitler is a social deduction game where players secretly belong to two factions, liberals and fascists, with one player being the hidden “Hitler.” The game involves deception, bluffing, and intense debate as players attempt to identify who’s on their team and who isn’t. With the goal of either passing liberal policies or electing “Hitler” as chancellor, it’s a game that will keep players on edge and spark endless conversations.

Pandemic Genre: Cooperative / Strategy Players: 2-4 Playing Time: 45 minutes

Pandemic is a cooperative board game where players work together to stop the outbreak of diseases around the world. Each player takes on a role with unique abilities, and they must collaborate to treat infections, discover cures, and prevent pandemics from spreading. Pandemic is ideal for groups looking for a game that emphasizes teamwork rather than competition. It’s challenging, immersive, and deeply rewarding when the group finally succeeds (or fails!) together.

Betrayal at House on the Hill Genre: Adventure / Horror Players: 3-6 Playing Time: 60 minutes

Betrayal at House on the Hill is a horror-themed adventure game where players explore a haunted house, discovering rooms, items, and creepy events. Halfway through the game, one player will unexpectedly “betray” the others, setting off a thrilling showdown between heroes and the villain. With dozens of scenarios, no two games are the same. It’s spooky, suspenseful, and tons of fun, making it a fantastic choice for adults who enjoy a bit of horror and storytelling.

The Resistance Genre: Social Deduction / Strategy Players: 5-10 Playing Time: 30 minutes

The Resistance is a social deduction game similar to Secret Hitler, but with a unique twist. Players are either members of the Resistance (good guys) or spies working against them. Through multiple missions, players must decide who they can trust to complete the objectives successfully. Spies will attempt to sabotage the missions without being discovered. It’s a game full of bluffing, accusation, and tense moments, making it perfect for groups who love strategic thinking and deception.

Scythe Genre: Strategy / Area Control Players: 1-7 Playing Time: 90-115 minutes

For those looking for a deeper, more complex game, Scythe is a beautifully designed strategy game set in an alternate-history 1920s. Players compete to build their empire by controlling territories, gathering resources, and creating powerful mechs. Scythe offers an intense mix of strategy, resource management, and tactical decision-making, making it a top choice for seasoned board game enthusiasts.

Decrypto Genre: Word Game / Party Game Players: 3-8 Playing Time: 30 minutes

Decrypto is a word-based party game where players try to convey secret codes to their teammates while ensuring the opposing team can’t decode them. It’s challenging, cerebral, and keeps everyone on their toes as they try to think outside the box. Decrypto requires clever clues and teamwork, making it a great choice for adults who enjoy word games and puzzles.

Whether you’re looking for a strategic challenge, a social deduction game, or something lighthearted to break the ice, these board games offer fantastic options for adult players. Board games have become a popular way for friends and family to connect, unwind, and stimulate their minds. From serious strategists to casual players, there’s something here for every kind of gamer. So gather some friends, pick your favorite game, and enjoy a night of laughter, competition, and excitement!

Remember, the best board game is the one that brings the most joy to your group. So, don’t be afraid to try new games and discover new favorites!

[project1939]

100+ Films of 1952

Film number 148: Face to Face

Release date: November 14th, 1952 

Studio: RKO 

Genre: drama 

Director: John Brahm 

Producer: Huntington Hatford, Norman A. Manning, George W. Tobin 

Actors: James Mason, Robert Preston, Gene Lockhart 

Plot Summary: This film is a two-part anthology consisting of Joseph Conrad and Stephen Crane stories. The first is about a mysterious man swimming in the ocean who is rescued and hidden by a British Naval Captain, and the second is about a small town Texas Marshall who sneaks off to get married, leaving a gun-slinging drunk to terrorize the town. 

My Rating (out of five stars): ***¼ 

This is the fourth anthology film I’ve seen from 1952. (We’re Not Married, O. Henry’s Full House, and Actors and Sin were the others.) This one had the same two-story format as Actors and Sin, but it was a much better film. The stories aren’t really connected by anything, even though the narration at the beginning says they are both about “two strong men who stand opposed,” but I think that's a bit of a stretch. The good acting and the interesting stories are what make this worth a watch. 

The Good: 

James Mason is kind of a thinking woman’s dreamboat, and he was what made me decide to watch this. His role as the Captain required a lot of tortured pondering through non-verbal communication, and he is truly a master at it.  

Robert Preston. I was extremely curious to see him play a cowboy! I’m not sure I was entirely convinced- he's so seared into my memory as the fast-talking Harold Hill from The Music Man. He was undeniably good at the awkward subtle comedy of a bumbling new groom, however. He cracked me up. 

The casts in general were both very strong with many good character actors. 

Olive Carey as the old saloon keeper Laura Lee was one of the big highlights for me. Her dour line delivery and unflappable demeanor were perfect. 

The stories were both intriguing, even if they weren’t tightly plotted and filled with action. I always had some curiosity about what might happen next. 

A spooky eerie atmosphere was well created in the first film. 

The lighter comedy moments in the second one were fun. 

Both were visually interesting in their own ways, but the second was especially creative with some of its shot compositions. 

The Bad: 

The “two movies in one” format is hard to pull off; there’s really no way for it to not feel disjointed. 

At times I felt like I was watching Westinghouse Studio One, because the format for that show was a 50-minute self-contained performance. Each half of this film was about 45 minutes, so it really gave off Anthology TV vibes... Which isn’t totally a bad thing- it just made the film seem cheaper somehow? 

I almost wished each story was given a full 90 minutes to deepen it a little. 

The title's kinda dumb, ngl.

[gamificationcompany]

Revolutionizing Learning: The Power of Pop-Up Learning Cafes

 The Gamification Company offers an innovative approach to learning and development through Pop-Up Learning Cafes. These are designed to break barriers in traditional learning methods by fostering an informal, high-energy environment. Here’s a summary of what they entail:

Duration: Each Espresso Learning POD Session lasts between 60-90 minutes.

Learning Approach: Utilizes the Neuroscience of Play methodology for powerful experiential learning.

Flexibility: Can be set up in various settings, including indoor, outdoor, or digital spaces.

Requirements: A good supply of coffees, teas, and water; Espresso Learning POD Session kits; A Certified Facilitator trained in Cafe Style learning.

Programs Offered: A wide range of themes and topics spread over a few hundred activities, with the option for customization based on objectives.

Key Topics: Leadership, Customer Obsession, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Coaching, Ownership, Innovation, Diversity, Sales, Accountability, Creative Thinking, Negotiations, Unconscious Bias, Communication, and Engagement.

Trainer Certification: Master Facilitators deliver initial programs, followed by training and certification for your trainers to run customized programs.

Pop-Up Learning Cafes are a unique blend of focused micro-learning sessions designed to deliver concrete results within a short timeframe, making learning engaging and effective

[maxbrodbeckfilmblog]

Critical Reflection

Max Brodbeck - 40536303 

LMD09166 - On Set Production 

Critical Reflection – 2023 

Critique of Process 

When I signed on to The Hands of Men as Director of Photography, there was already a finished screenplay and cast and crew. After familiarizing myself with the script, I had one meeting with the director to discuss visual references and style, before immediately storyboarding, which worked quickly and efficiently, with almost no creative disputes. We filmed a rehearsal of scene three, which was great practice for working with our actors and gave me an opportunity to think more specifically about lighting, whilst also putting our storyboards into practice, confirming that our plan would work well to tell the story.  

We shot the film over two days, in our producer Abbie’s bedroom. The shoot was a lot of fun, and everything went roughly to plan. The biggest problem for me was the small location and entirely white walls. I was using only halogens of upwards of 650W, which bounced all over the room and lit our space evenly wherever I pointed them. This made it incredibly challenging to create the dark, surreal and cinematic look that we wanted from our image. The small space meant that I was often not able to use as long lenses as I had originally wanted and had to empty the room between setups to move around equipment. In retrospect, I wish we had practiced lighting in the location so that I had longer to problem solve and didn’t have to come up with solutions on set. I’ve learnt that in future I must make sure to not exclusively use halogens and hire a more diverse range of lights. The dolly zoom was a struggle to perfect and took 17 takes, over 90 minutes to achieve, but I am very happy with its final form and would have loved to experiment with more unusual cinematic techniques like this as I think it is one of the film’s most interesting features.  

Later in the production, I did the sound design and colour grade for The Hands of Men. This meant I was able to fix a lot of the problems I had on set with flat lighting and made a huge difference to the look of the final film. The sound design works alongside the picture to construct the tone of the film and reinforces the Lynchian aesthetic.  

I am very happy with the result of our film. It matches the creative vision I had going in, and I think it is very effective in its own weird and surreal manner. I am really pleased with my own personal creative contributions to the project, in both the cinematography and the sound design. I would love to work with almost every member of the crew again and I can’t wait to screen our film in front of an audience.  

Critique of Final Film 

I was the Director of Photograpy on The Hands of Men. Whilst there are some notable problems with the cinematography, I think that overall, the picture works very well to tell the story. The visuals somewhat embody the guilt, betrayal and physical pain that we watch Richard and Violet go through, as well as highlighting the performances. The Hands of Men is shot largely on the 50mm prime lens. This choice lends itself to the characters faces and works with the 4:3 aspect ratio to focus entirely on expression and performance. It also means that the entire film is a little tighter and closer than you’d expect, which establishes a claustrophobic feel, especially as the space is never really established. The masters are in medium two shots, and it often doesn’t attempt to imply a world outside of what is in frame. I believe this is consistent with the screenplay and direction, as the audience is forced to watch and experience the events and feelings the characters go through.  

The lighting is low-key throughout. It acts to highlight faces and darkens the background, one to three sources per setup to augment the effects of practical lamps seen in the production design. The tungsten or warmer colour temperatures make the film feel hot, internal and domestic, while the lighting’s placement and direction create a surreal and unsettling aura around the action. The lighting changes at 2:04 and 2:51 work well as additional surreal elements. They add visual intrigue, but the first happens at a far more significant moment than the other, and they work towards different purposes. I think there needs to be one or two more spotlight moments throughout to establish it as a stylistic feature, as currently the second one feels rather out of place and takes away from the tension of the final scene.  

The camerawork could certainly be more varied. The static and stable feel to it doesn’t work in tandem with the established tone, and each moment could do with a little more time to leave the audience with their unsettling feelings. Scenes two and five deliberately parallel each other, but the result of this is just that the picture isn’t diverse enough. The Dolly Zoom at 2:05 is very effective and completely stands out against the rest of the film, which works perfectly as it is at the story’s most significant moment. I think this could have been made a recurring feature, and returned later to help personify the hand, or to out you in Richard's headspace during the amputation. Despite these things, I think The Hands of Men stands up quite successfully as a film. I think the cinematography is beautiful in places, disturbing in others, and tells the story well.