#Store & Deliver for Audio | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

laika290 · 1 year ago

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ever wonder why spotify/discord/teams desktop apps kind of suck?

i don't do a lot of long form posts but. I realized that so many people aren't aware that a lot of the enshittification of using computers in the past decade or so has a lot to do with embedded webapps becoming so frequently used instead of creating native programs. and boy do i have some thoughts about this.

for those who are not blessed/cursed with computers knowledge Basically most (graphical) programs used to be native programs (ever since we started widely using a graphical interface instead of just a text-based terminal). these are apps that feel like when you open up the settings on your computer, and one of the factors that make windows and mac programs look different (bc they use a different design language!) this was the standard for a long long time - your emails were served to you in a special email application like thunderbird or outlook, your documents were processed in something like microsoft word (again. On your own computer!). same goes for calendars, calculators, spreadsheets, and a whole bunch more - crucially, your computer didn't depend on the internet to do basic things, but being connected to the web was very much an appreciated luxury!

that leads us to the eventual rise of webapps that we are all so painfully familiar with today - gmail dot com/outlook, google docs, google/microsoft calendar, and so on. as html/css/js technology grew beyond just displaying text images and such, it became clear that it could be a lot more convenient to just run programs on some server somewhere, and serve the front end on a web interface for anyone to use. this is really very convenient!!!! it Also means a huge concentration of power (notice how suddenly google is one company providing you the SERVICE) - you're renting instead of owning. which means google is your landlord - the services you use every day are first and foremost means of hitting the year over year profit quota. its a pretty sweet deal to have a free email account in exchange for ads! email accounts used to be paid (simply because the provider had to store your emails somewhere. which takes up storage space which is physical hard drives), but now the standard as of hotmail/yahoo/gmail is to just provide a free service and shove ads in as much as you need to.

webapps can do a lot of things, but they didn't immediately replace software like skype or code editors or music players - software that requires more heavy system interaction or snappy audio/visual responses. in 2013, the electron framework came out - a way of packaging up a bundle of html/css/js into a neat little crossplatform application that could be downloaded and run like any other native application. there were significant upsides to this - web developers could suddenly use their webapp skills to build desktop applications that ran on any computer as long as it could support chrome*! the first applications to be built on electron were the late code editor atom (rest in peace), but soon a whole lot of companies took note! some notable contemporary applications that use electron, or a similar webapp-embedded-in-a-little-chrome as a base are:

microsoft teams

notion

vscode

discord

spotify

anyone! who has paid even a little bit of attention to their computer - especially when using older/budget computers - know just how much having chrome open can slow down your computer (firefox as well to a lesser extent. because its just built better <3)

whenever you have one of these programs open on your computer, it's running in a one-tab chrome browser. there is a whole extra chrome open just to run your discord. if you have discord, spotify, and notion open all at once, along with chrome itself, that's four chromes. needless to say, this uses a LOT of resources to deliver applications that are often much less polished and less integrated with the rest of the operating system. it also means that if you have no internet connection, sometimes the apps straight up do not work, since much of them rely heavily on being connected to their servers, where the heavy lifting is done.

taking this idea to the very furthest is the concept of chromebooks - dinky little laptops that were created to only run a web browser and webapps - simply a vessel to access the google dot com mothership. they have gotten better at running offline android/linux applications, but often the $200 chromebooks that are bought in bulk have almost no processing power of their own - why would you even need it? you have everything you could possibly need in the warm embrace of google!

all in all the average person in the modern age, using computers in the mainstream way, owns very little of their means of computing.

i started this post as a rant about the electron/webapp framework because i think that it sucks and it displaces proper programs. and now ive swiveled into getting pissed off at software services which is in honestly the core issue. and i think things can be better!!!!!!!!!!! but to think about better computing culture one has to imagine living outside of capitalism.

i'm not the one to try to explain permacomputing specifically because there's already wonderful literature ^ but if anything here interested you, read this!!!!!!!!!! there is a beautiful world where computers live for decades and do less but do it well. and you just own it. come frolic with me Okay ? :]

*when i say chrome i technically mean chromium. but functionally it's same thing

#txt #long post #permacomputing #sustainability

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whorekneecentral · 2 years ago

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hear me out yk the tiktok audio that’s like “the quarter of a million necklace around her neck” i need that with lance tell me he wouldn’t love fucking you in all the expensive shit he showers you in

boyfriend lance is so real

lance buys you so much stuff, he doesn’t hesitate to spoil you. anything you want is yours, you never really ask for stuff though.

maybe if you’re on vacation and you see a new purse or a piece of jewelry you liked but it’s never anything massive.

lance just likes to buy expensive stuff, his love language is gift giving.

if’s he’s away for long, like a triple header , he’ll make sure you know he’s thinking you. whether it's flowers at your front door or having your favourite foods delivered to your doors, he's doing something.

he almost always brings you back a piece of jewellery from each place they stop. it's even worse if you go with him, he'd buy you the whole store if he could - he really could, he could afford it but you stop him.

he's singlehandedly building your jewellery collection.

nonetheless, you appreciate it and you make sure he knows that.

he brought you along with him to his sister's wedding, obviously you were invited but you guys went early to get a bit of relaxing in before the wedding chaos sets in.

chloe had a fairytale wedding with a million and one events which meant you needed a million and one different outfits and lance made sure you had the very best for all of them; shoes, dresses, jewellery - you needed it, it was yours.

after the rehearsal dinner, you and lance found your way back to your hotel room. the blue dress you had on was bunched over your hips as you straddled him, louboutins still on your feet.

lance's hands gripped your hips, nails digging into your skin. the diamonds that hung around your neck shifted with each movement, lance's free hand carefully brushed over them before moving to wrap around your throat.

"so pretty like this," he whispers.

#lance stroll #lance stroll x reader #lance stroll smut

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jamiekb · 1 year ago

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Exploring the new Welcome Home Update

So here's my journey through the new update and the little details that it has, this will be a very long post and of course full of spoilers.

Look at the new design for the loading screen, so Christmas-y! I particularly love the antlers on Home's chimney.

Looking good Wally! And now we have new little doodles that seem to go with the holiday.

Ok so according to the admins no more bugs so wonder what will be different this time. Onto the news page then

Also I'm really digging the new background

Ok starting the FAQ now and some questions and answers are interesting. So they've been receiving more material covered in goop. They kinda adress in universe the move of the website, due to malicious material and in the code of the page.

And there is one new hidden message in the answers (I think) "The numbers are so hard to read. Sometimes I can't see them" So do we have to look for numbers now?

Took a detour through the stickers and they have new ones! There is Wally making a Home out of snow, sleeping Julie, I think Frank singing Carols to a butterfly, Poppy with a Jello thing, Eddie with a ton of presents to deliver, Howdy with some relatives, Sally as the star of a Christmas tree and Barnaby with a snowman.

Also with the "Welcome Home" banners two are a bit more desaturated now. And now that I think about it there are some stains in the main banner too

Neighborhood

Anyway unto the Neighborhood! Looks so cute although I'll be honest the clock tower is a bit weird and the trees feel a bit more intense at the edges or maybe that's just me

Eddie seems quite normal though now apparantly he has a mother, I'm confident that didn't use to be there. Is it weird that other than Wally hes the only one that didn't add anything new to his home for the season?

I think Howdy's description also changed a bit but nothing alarming. His store now seems to have signs welcoming his family for the holidays.

Checking Barnaby's description they seem to all have a bit more background info, since he apparently left his farm life to come to Home. Ok what does "Barnaby’s middle initial was often rotated in terms of what it stood for" mean???

Poppy is so cute! Is she holding cupcakes decorated like the characters or did she already do that? Ok but her new details feel very interesting: she claims to be able to fly but it's never shown and she never leaves her house to the point of being excluded from some events (like Wally's Homewarming party I guess)

Sallys is fine. She's besties with Poppy I guess and she can shine??? How do you make a puppet shine?? Were they roommates maybe?

Oh Julie got quite a backstory. Named siblings, she has paws and used to live in the forest on the outskirts of Home in a cave with her family. And she hibernates that's too cute!

Great my dear Frank still gets no background info (which is very interesting) but he goes get forced heteronormativity.

Ok and Wally is kinda similar, no background info just very dedicated to Home. And I''l see about coming back to the As above so below page since I can't seem to click it, might just be me. You can still see the goop at the doorstep though

Merchandise

Ok so first off the Merchandise page has a different background to the rest, some colorful static and took a bit to load.

oooh they even changed the layout for the phone since you could hear Wallys call, that's such a cool detail

Maybe I'll go back and see if Eddies or Sally's stories have been changed in the audio or transcipt but I'll stick to the new stuff for now. Now that i think about maybe Sally's doesn't have the bit where the transcript couldnt understand it.

Finally reached the wish book and I love it so much, this is so much work all around! My favorites are the Frank and Wally pillows, Eddie Dear Lil' Mailman's Kit, the Home Clock and specially the tree skirt! I now have to make those cute neighbors

Oh my god the record has the perfect Santa voice. And.. interesting that the ad cuts off when we get to Eddie. I'm not really surprised thought it would do something when it got to him or Frank, still suspicious.

Homewarming Story

The sound editing for all this new items is amazing!

I love the bit of the characters tripping up the narrators, this one just hasn't been able to get it right.

Hey is it me or in this one they've been a bit more insistent that Frank is a bit too literal but in a not so good way, not that much more intense but can't help but notice it. Seems a bit meaner

The return of Walliford!

Good to know Home uses he/him I guess

excuse me the fuck was that sound distortion???

and then it ends kinda abruptly, so that's that...

Where's my Eddie by the way, they didn't ask him and didn't find him while out on the town. I better hear him at some point or I will riot.

We have a code!

Ok so I was skimming the rest of the material before choosing what to listen to next and saw the cereal and craft at the back! So I guess now I have to find all the little drawings in the page and see when come from that

So I did listen to a few more songs, nice to see Eddie and Frank interacting as always, and noticed that in the transcript pages there are some entries for Mistery Audio, which are actually three of the previously hidden videos so that's interesting

Also not all the pages have four drawings some only one, so I've been trying to keep track which symbols i found where in case it matters. Still don't know what they're for just going around collecting them

Ok nvm I was doing things out of order and now that I got to media can see they are mentioned there

So after finally getting all the little things and going back to tumblr cause honestly I didnt really get what to do, I'm guessing it leads to a website, since one of the pages just has www as the code, so I'll try that I guess since I saw that there is a secret website somewhere. If it takes me too long I'll just look it up

Secret website

Nvm I'm too impatient at this point and I think i was missing a few letters so I just looked it up

Ok so that's interesting, so this person is kinda like the one behind the scenes talking to us along with whatever had infected the website before. They mention how the curator got sick (???) but is better now and that they'll try to update this website with the weird things they find

So the phone is one, like the weird glitched audio from Wally. This audio is interesting cause it plays out technically in real life but Wally speaks as if they are living out their lives...

And then moving on to the commercial they are speaking again of being compelled to know more, to see and wait. I'm sure some is curiosity but that can't be all

ohmygod this is more than 20 minutes long, the effort it must have taken Clown and team is monumental

that little animation is so cute!!!

fast forward many commercials and we have Eddie!!! And even a whole hand helping Poppy or something.

god the tobacco comercial of course they would have one

My poor Eddie boy is so anxious and depressed, why is no one talking to you bud? Like not getting him a present is a thing but not even Julie called him to play... and now is he's spiraling and even mad, that's unusual for sure. Also what's with the perspective of his videos, everything is a commercial or in the case of the secret videos it's interactions with other neighbors. This is more like the secret videos that we're seeing from someones POV, but not even that, we're observing him not looking through his eyes

Oh my poor Eddie is certainly going through it, who let them expose him to The Horrors? The horror aspect of this ARG sure has started to pick up speed, even I picked up some anxiety from that last segment

Also I did notice that Frank eventually dropped the Mr Dear for Eddie when he got more worried, almost like hes more worried than for an act that he has to put up huh?

So that was the newest Welcome home update. I can say it was everything I hoped for and more!!! The team behind it really gave it their all. From VAs for the audios to all the visual and graphic artists for the commercials its all so wonderful

#welcome home #welcome home arg #welcome home spoilers #welcome home eddie #welcome home frank #welcome home update #experiencing media #hey this is my stuff

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starshower1215 · 7 months ago

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Hange Zoë and the Vets Headcanons: University/Modern AU

Though many are unaware, Hange is an artist. They like to go out and find interesting buildings, sit down for a good view and sketch it into their sketchpad. They do this for other things as well; a nicely shaped leaf, a lost shoe, an interesting rock.

Sometimes, they collect cool stones or sticks off the paths on the way to class and then gives them to Mike for a sniff test.

Walking to and from classes, Hange plays podcasts or listens to the audios of various educational videos.

They have a very cool room/dormitory. Yes, it is messy almost all of the time, but it is an organized mess. Hange has plant shaped pillows, terrariums, a touch-activated moon lamp that they use for late nights, walls of shelves filled with the textbooks and novels collected over the years, pinned up sketches of the things they see, plants hanging from their ceiling, a soft carpet because they love working on the floor, a corner desk... just a lot of stuff.

I imagine Hange is actually quite fond of stuffed animals as well. They find them useless, yes, but they make nice friends and study buddies. (I think Erwin would have gifted them a stuffed lizard). They line them up on the bed so that they can watch them study, and sometimes they practice their speeches, verbalize their essay outlines, or simply present their discoveries and ideas to the pretend audience.

On Friday nights, Hange is dragged away from their work by Nanaba and Mike to then go drag Erwin and Levi to go drinking.

Levi hauls Hange back to their dorm room every Friday night, where they pass out on the stuffed animals. Levi tries to sleep there, too, sometimes, if it is too late to get back to his place. Unfortunately, the stuffed animals' eyes disturb him. He may make a late night call to Petra for company, since they're usually the only ones at least a little bit sober. Petra complains to him about Gelgar vomiting on her shoes.

Hange takes a lot of pride in keeping their lab coat in good condition. The more surprising fact is that it is in good condition, and affectionately adorned with colorful pins and brooches.

While prodding from Levi to tidy up their room usually results in fondly irritated sighs and grumbling, Mike's invitation-like demands for them to tag along with him to the gym are met with much more positivity.

Every now and then, a full group hangout is called and they — Hange, Erwin, Levi, Nanaba, Mike, Petra, Oluo, Gelgar, Nifa, Moblit, who am I missing? — pick somewhere to go for the day. Usually it's the park or the beach, because few public places can handle their level of chaos and volume, so they kick a ball around, race one other, arm wrestle one other on park tables, and just enjoy the sun.

Hange's shoes always wear out quickly from all the walking around that they do. Their clothes always end up being torn or stained by the things they pick up, and they spend an unnecessary amount of time trying to clean them. They've taken to wearing Erwin's shoes when they're waiting for theirs to be delivered (much to his distaste).

Speaking of clothing, the heavy duty of being Fashion Police falls upon the capable shoulders of Mike, Levi, and Nanaba. Levi likes to check the material of the fabric for quality, Mike likes to make sure the outfit is coordinated by style and in style, and Nanaba likes to coordinate the colors, finding the things that compliment eyes and complexion. They are scrupulous with this, they'll take Hange and Erwin around the stores, have them fitted into clothing, turn them around and around in circles to scrutinize. Hange appreciates the help, and probably just reads while they make comments to one another. Erwin does not need the help, but finds it amusing and indulges them.

While Hange draws still life, Moblit loves drawing people. He follows his friends around and sketches them from life— the motion of muscle beneath Erwin's skin on a run or during a workout, the subtlety of the shifts in Levi's expressions during classes from confusion to intrigue to awe, the swift movements of Hange's body when they're excited about something. He also likes to sit at cafes and sketch strangers.

Levi has a part time job at a cafe. Hange often stops by with Erwin and Mike, and the three of them tease him at the counter before buying their morning drinks and breakfast. I feel like Hange and Erwin would like blueberry muffins.

Nanaba does not indulge their teasing for oddly private reasons, and goes to say hello to Levi on her own. They chat at the counter for long enough to make Levi's coworkers curious about the nature of their relationship, and then Nanaba buys herself a coffee and Levi a cup of tea and a pastry. He likes to slip her a free cookie or pastry puff every now and then, too, and if a bit of his money ends up in the cash box, well, it's no one else's business.

Hange is overwhelmed a lot, and easily. They are a free spirit, not to be held down by the demands of school life, but alas, society calls for discipline in order to obtain survival. Therefore, Grandmother Levi made them a quilt to use as a picnic blanket/meditation mat on the grass to protect their pants from grass stains. Hange uses it every day, between lectures to eat their lunch, to watch the sunset, to stargaze, to just feel the earth beneath their back and watch the clouds float by.

When all the other veterans, ahem, graduate from the school, Hange lies beside Levi on the quilt and, to cure their sudden, mutual dislike for the new quiet of their days, invites him to share an apartment with them.

Hange is terrible at checking messages. They are the most inactive member in every group chat and they respond maybe once every couple of days. Not only because they're busy often, but because of the overwhelming factor as well.

Erwin likes to ruin his outfits by wearing crazy socks. He may have on the most elegant, dapped outfit ever known to mankind, but the moment he sits down and the ankle of his bottoms ride up, there are his cup noodle print socks, or his frilly strawberry socks from Mike the Bully, or rainbow socks that everyone looks into a bit too much. He has a collection, mind you, an entire display of silly socks and an abundant lack of shame.

This was much longer than intended, but my favorite one of these was definitely the one about Levi and Nanaba.

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demifiendrsa · 3 months ago

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youtube

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH - PC ANNOUNCE TRAILER

youtube

Japanese version

The PC version of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will launch for Steam and Epic Games Store on January 23, 2025.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth first launched for PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024.

Screenshots

PC Features

The PC version introduces new features and customizations to take full advantage of the platform:

Lighting – Lighting has been adjusted, and the game’s overall rendering of light is significantly improved. The updated areas and cutscenes present with even greater beauty and clarity than before.

Frame Rate and Resolution – NVIDIA DLSS support means that frame rates can be enhanced and image quality upscaled. There is now also support for variable refresh rate (VRR).

Textures – The Level of Detail (LoD) for background models and MIP maps for background textures can both be freely configured in the options settings. With this background polygon density and texture density can be set higher than was previously possible, allowing for gameplay with higher-quality graphics.

Controller Input Support

Connecting a DualSense® controller with a PC allows players to use the same controls as the PS5 version. Keyboard and mouse support has also been added, alongside the option to freely customize the controls between world exploration and combat or mini-games.

Steam Deck

The Steam version is planned to be playable on Steam Deck as well.

Pre-Orders

Players can pre-order Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PC via Steam or the Epic Games Store and take advantage of an Early Bird discount of up to 30 percent off across all editions for a limited time. Additionally, those who pre-order will receive the Moogle Trio Summoning Materia, giving access to a powerful summon for their first steps into the unknown journey. The preorder bonus also includes a Shinra Bangle Mk: II and a Midgar Bangle Mk: II. The Posh Chocobo Summoning Materia will also be offered to all players who purchase the PC version of the game regardless of their purchase timing.

A full list of digital editions available for pre-order is as follows:

Standard Edition (limited time price: $48.99)

Digital Deluxe Edition (limited time price: $62.99) – Includes digital Mini-soundtrack, digital artbook, and digital DLC items including the Magic Pot Summoning Materia, Reclaimant Choker accessory and the Orchid Bracelet armor.

Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack (limited time price: $69.99) – Offering great value during the pre-order phase, the Twin Pack includes FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, available at launch, and the full game download of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade which will be available to play as soon as the Twin Pack is pre-ordered.

Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Digital Deluxe Twin Pack (limited time price: $89.99) – Includes Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade full game download plus all Digital Deluxe Edition contents.

Accolades

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was named Game of the Year by USA Today, and was also awarded the Best Score and Music at The Game Awards 2024 show. The company’s highly acclaimed hit, which earned over 110 perfect review scores from global critics, was also nominated at The Game Awards 2024 for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best RPG, Best Performance (Briana White as Aerith), and Best Audio Design.

About the Game

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a new, standalone adventure set across a vast and vibrant planet. The game sees Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Aerith and Red XIII escape from the dystopian city of Midgar into the wide world beyond. To hunt down Sephiroth, a haunting figure from Cloud’s past bent on ruling the planet, these unlikely heroes join forces with new companions like the spirited ninja operative Yuffie and the wisecracking, feline-shaped robot Cait Sith. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth delivers an unforgettable experience to players filled with unexpected twists, memorable characters and jaw-dropping set pieces that longtime fans and newcomers can both enjoy.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth follows the previous installment, Final Fantasy VII Remake, which was released in 2020 to universal acclaim from players and critics around the globe. Final Fantasy VII Remake became the highest-selling digital release on the PlayStation platform in Square Enix’s History, exceeding more than seven million shipments and digital sales worldwide since its release.

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cloudgremlin-creations · 3 months ago

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Grafted Branches: Fight!

By this point maybe I should make a turtle blog. ANYWAYS

Because GB is a separated au, not all of the sibs grew up with Splinter. So their fighting styles and experiences are quite… mixed.

From oldest to youngest:

Dona has the most formal training, learning aikido and later ninjitsu from Oroku Saki. It was rocky going at first, but once Karai and Casey found out that Dona reacts faster to sounds than movements when fighting, the gang were able to design a system that prompts Dona with audio when fighting (different sounds are connected to different katas, and Don will instinctively do the kata Don has connected to that sound when it’s played). Because of this handicap and Dona’s inherent speed, Don has developed a fighting style that is vicious and fast- but very, very predictable. Don relies on surprise and speed, which does actually make Don a very good ninja!

Rafa was (partially) raised by Splinter and so has a spattering of aikido and ninjitsu training. Mainly, though, he uses kickboxing and wrestling techniques learned from Beebop and Rocksteady any time they weasel their way back into the Red Heart Sanctuary’s good graces. He will also just sit on you, my boy is 6 foot 1 of pure muscle, fat, tail, and shell. He’s definitely a contender on the battle field, but tends to focus on protection and de-escalation unless things get Really Bad, in which case. He has the strongest holding bite of the sibs (Dona might have the fastest and most force, but Don’s jaw is relatively weak and can be held open really easily if you jam it even slightly past Don’s release point).

Michael is a street brawler at heart, my lil terror <3. Sun begged saber training from sun’s uncle and learned keysi from sun’s dad (strictly for self defence! And to keep the terror from trashing the store with sun’s never-ending energy) but has also just picked up everything and anything sun thinks might be useful, which includes a lot of parkour. Michael fights dirty and will lead you on a merry chase around whatever area the fight is taking place in, utilizing the environment to deliver powerful blows from every direction. Anything to Michael is a weapon, and will be used accordingly! Just don’t let sun get close to water, sun is literally too dense to float TwT

Lee is an odd case. He’s extremely analytical and a perfectionist, but this doesn’t translate to “amazing fighter”. Although the way he fights is loose and flexible like Michael, he doesn’t have the same careless gusto to just try out new things. A lot of what he was taught was twofold: learning both how to be flashy and please the crowd while also viciously and discreetly taking the wind from your opponent’s sails. He relies a lot on intimidation and misdirection when fighting, and while his actual fighting skill is good, he doesn’t have the confidence to really push for the win, being a fairly defensive fighter instead. However, Lee is incredible at quickly analyzing the situation and pointing his sibs in the right directions, and often takes over from Dona once the action starts and there’s too much chaos and unpredictability for Don to handle (and if Karai isn’t there).

All in all, each of the sibs has a different way of contributing in fights- and in other types of confrontations. Want to make a business alliance with someone, get an accidentally inspiring speech, or plan an intricate heist? Dona. Wanna calm someone down, gain loyal allies, or fix a refrigerator? Rafa’s got it. Wanna confuse and embarrass the enemy, or maybe need some random super rare information? Send Michael! And for a special treat if you want to ruin someone psychologically, or if you need an on-the-fly plan that will Definitely Work, or if you need someone to become a meat puppet, Lee’s gotchu covered <3

#GraftedBranchesAU #tmnt au #cloudgremlin art #rottmnt au #cloud turtles

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currytantou · 7 months ago

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[translation] Mayonaka Danshi Meshi audio drama / s1ep1 CVs: Uchiyama Kouki & Itou Kento

do not repost or use my translations! link back if you want to share. partial screenshot it allowed but blatant copy/paste is prohibited

Also x-posted on my wordpress page

Watch/listen here

0:12 (sound of typing on keyboard) Email to the other side…done. Documents for tomorrow…done. (watch beeps) Oh! Just in time. Alright, then! (clicks mouse then gets up) Hashida is signing off! Good work everyone.

0:50 What’s for dinner tonight? (phone vibrates) Yes, it’s Hashida. Thank you for your patronage. Yes.. (footsteps receding) Oh, the quotation estimate? Yes. I can confirm that on my side. Is it urgent? I can get to it. I’ll send it to you soon so please wait a moment.

(phone beeps) Change of direction, huh? Well, that can’t be helped.

1:35 Shoot. That took longer than expected. Can I make it in time before the store closes? My fridge is pretty much empty. At this rate, I might have to settle with eating box lunch from the convenience store. Please, make it in time! No, I’ll make sure to make it!

Ahh, I can’t make it! What to have for dinner? Should I just compromise today? Nah, I’m in the mood for Japanese food thanks to what I had for lunch. I’m not giving up now. I’ve no other choice. I’ll have to detour and go to the supermarket on the other side of the river.

2:29 No way…. How is this possible? I went to three different supermarkets and the fact that each of them ran out of vegetables… I was stubborn and ended up wasting my time. Should’ve used my time for something more worthwhile if I knew this would happen. (sighs) No point regretting over the past. Sometimes, incidents like this happen. Convenience- nah, I’ll settle with instant noodles today.

3:12 Finally home. It’s quite late already. Hmm, postage and letters.. hm? A delivery, eh? I got stuff delivered to me… That’s quite a big box. Oh? It’s from grandma! Huh? Did I ask her something?

I’m back~ (walks with the box and then opens the door) Heigh-ho..! That was quite heavy. What did grandma send me? (tears the tape) These are..! Lotus root, burdock and carrot! And plenty more! Oh, great! This box is full with veggies from back home! Feels as if grandma saw through me today! Talk about timing. Hm? Hold on. (checks fridge) Chicken and konjac jelly. Alright! I got ‘em. I can do this! I can make grandma’s chikuzenni with these ingredients. I don’t have to give up on eating Japanese dish! Thanks, grandma.

Still, I haven’t had chikuzenni in a while since I left home. I hope I can pull this off. Anyway, I just gotta try.

5:20 (pot boiling) First, pre boil the konjac jelly. I should prepare the rest of the ingredients in the meantime. Right. I should first peel the skin off. Get the carrot and lotus root done smoothly with this peeler. (peels veggies) Taro’s skin is thick so I gotta use a knife instead. (sound of cutting against wooden cutting board. Next, burdock. Just washing ‘em with water is enough, I guess? (washes burdock) That’d do. Now, I gotta cut these guys up. (cuts)

Grandma did mention that cutting uniformly matters in stews. When they’re different, the ingredients don’t soak up the same amount of flavour. Good thing I remember that. (continues cutting) What’s left are taro and soaked shiitake. Bite size cut would do.

7:13 Alright. Time to cut these pre-boiled konjac jelly. Evenly cut the konjac…nah, maybe I should try shred it roughly with a spoon. The sections are rougher than when cut using a knife and apparently this way, they would soak the flavour even better…but oh well, I can’t wait to try it out.

(water runs) Also, grandma’s chikuzenni isn’t complete without this…ginger. Ginger really makes so much difference. I’m gonna shred this guy thinly. (sound of cutting against board) Whew. Pretty much done with the prep for now. Next is the chicken. (brings out pot)

Sesame oil goes inside the pot and heats it up. (switches on gas) Add chicken and stir fry until the colour changes. (pot sizzles)

8:47 I guess this would do..? Then, I just gotta add the veggies that I cut earlier into the pot. (sizzles) Stir them until everything is covered in oil. Hm! This fragrant sesame oil aroma! How appetizing. Hm. Looking good. Almost ready. Add the water from soaked shiitake, sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and finally, ba-bam! Thinly sliced ginger! Ugh! What am I doing? Alright. What’s left is to let it simmer well. Hm? I feel like I forgot something…? Oh, a lid! Gotta cover it with a lid. Without it, the flavour would be uneven.

(covers pot with a lid) That’d do. Hold on. I forgot the bean to garnish with at the end. I should boil some in the meantime. (sound of water running, metal pot and gas being turned on)

Hmm. About twenty minutes until it’s ready, eh? Right.. I made quite a huge serving. Maybe I should let Akira eat some. Bet he’s eating junk either way.

10:30 (pot boiling) Alright. About time it’s done. I wonder how it’d turn out? Whoa. Looks good. Salty-sweet aroma. This is the best! (turns off the stove)

(door opens then closes) Sudou: Yo~ Hashida: Oh, you’re here? Sudou: Hashi, this is not like back home. You better lock the door. Hashida: Oh, sorry. I forget sometimes. Well, not like I have anything worth stealing. Sudou: One thought he’s guarded but it’s the other way. Hashi, that side of you really never changes. Hashida: Really? I don’t think I am that unguarded. Sudou: Oh, whatever. That aside. That smells really good. Stew? Hashida: Correct. I made chikuzenni today. Using the recipe from my granny. Sudou: Wow, seriously? How delightful. Makes me feel excited. Hashida: You don’t look excited though. Well, that’s not important. I’m gonna garnish this so Akira, can you dish out the rice? Sudou: Okay~

(opens fridge) Hashida: I got some beer. You’re drinking? Sudou: Yeah. Bring ‘em out. Hashida: Hmph. Silly.

11:59 (arranges plates) Hashida: Alright. Now that everything’s ready. It’s time. Hashida & Sudou: Bon appetit.

(both started eating)

Hashida: Oh. The flavour soaked in nicely. Sudou: Hm. This is good. Hashida: I was right to tear the konjac with a spoon. They soak the flavour well and curl into a nice shape. Sudou: Hmm, that method is possible, eh? Actually, this really tastes like the one I had at Hashi’s grandma’s. That kinda makes me emotional. Hashida: Emotional? You’re exaggerating. Sudou: Nah, I mean it. Remember how Hashi’s family often feeds my younger brothers and I, since our pop’s always busy with work? So to me chikuzenni at Hashi’s place is what I consider a mom’s home cooking. Hashida: Oh, right. The only family I have is my grandma, after all. I suppose this meal is a mom’s home cooking. I’ve never thought of it that way. Sudou: You better appreciate her more. Hashida: I do! I mean, I don’t feel lacking despite the absence of parents. I’ve never felt lonely just because grandma’s the only family that I have. Hey, now! Don’t make me say something embarrassing! Sudou: Ah, I see. Hmm. I somehow get it. Hashida: Well, in other words, we should be thankful for the love from people around us. Sudou: Whoa. The way you worded it just screams old person. Hashida: Huh? Really? That was unintentional. But right, recently I do feel like I am an old man. Sudou: Hehe. Just kidding. If anything, you no longer seem immature. It’s crazy if you still act the same when you’re a brat. Hashida: I hope you’re right.

13:53 Sudou: Actually, having chikuzenni while talking about the past with you makes me feel like I just time slipped to when we’re kids. Hashida: Hehe! You’re right. We really played hard back then. It’s impressive how we didn’t get sick of it, even though we lived in the countryside. Sudou: Yeah. Oh, I’m recalling things. You’re quite popular among the girls since you’re casually nice to them. Hashida: Really? I think that’s normal. Sudou: How is that normal? Plenty of girls asked me to pass love letters to you. It was so annoying. Hashida: Ahh, that happened, eh? Heck, don’t be annoyed over something petty! Sudou: Nah, it was so annoying. You said you wanted to focus on the club and stuff. Turning them down half-assed. You’re making it awkward even for me too! How annoying. Hashida: You..! In that case, I’ve got something to say too! Did you forget how I had to let you sit on the back seat of my bicycle simply ‘cus you can’t ride it yourself? You can’t do that until 8th grade! There should be a limit to how unathletic one could be! Sudou: Not 8th. 7th grade! Hashida: Nah, you were in 8th grade! It’d be a problem if you still cannot cycle ‘cus we’re gonna commute to a further place in high school so I accompanied you to practice. Remember? Sudou: That was the 7th grade. Definitely not the 8th. Hashida: It’s not important! Sudou: It is. This involves my good name. Hashida: Heh. As always, you’re so oddly stubborn. Whatever. Uh, ah! Hey, Akira! You’re spilling so much! Gosh. Use this to wipe. You never grow out of it. Sudou: Oh, sorry. Hashida: I guess you can’t help when you stop focusing. But why can’t you control your mouth? You’re old enough, it’s about time you fix that habit. Sudou: Uh, you’re right. Hashida: Oh, almost out of beer. Should I bring more? Sudou: Hashi, I think you’re more like a ma than a pops…

Thanks for reading!!!!! I had this in draft since march lol :’) I translated this just because?? As a practice? Out of whim? lol anyways. This franchise is seriously underrated so pleaseee check it out. I doubt anyone translates this anyway so I did it. I hope this post let seiyuu fans who weren’t aware discover something new. So far, I’ve no plan to continue translating… (there’s four seasons. It’s hella long and I don’t think I can do this voluntarily) but commission is always welcomed!! ❤

#mayonaka danshi meshi #uchiyama kouki #itou kento #ito kento #seiyuu #curry translates

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wphostzone · 6 months ago

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What is Web Hosting? Discover Types, Key Factors, & 2024’s 12 Best Web Hosting Platforms.

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#Web Hosting #Hosting #WordPress Hosting #WP Hosting #Best Web Hosting #Web Hosting Platforms #Top 12 Web Hosting

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dolls-shoppe · 1 year ago

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And so it begins.

The first of many audios in a series of Empty Space comfort ASMR. Here's to new beginnings. Transcript Below:

[Wind-up Key start up sound] [Grandfather clock ticking begins in the background and persists] {Gentle sigh} Hello there, little one. I'm tasked with tending to your repairs for the day. You seem hesitant, is there something on your mind? I wouldn't want to begin while you're uneasy. {Soft, deep chuckle} I understand more than you know, I assure you. Though, I doubt one would just abandon you in the careful hands of another if they didn't love you. In my opinion.. some of the most well loved toys are worse for wear. When things like yourself are delivered to a place like this, that's because you are loved in such a way that every moment is precious. Your presence means so much, being able to prolong the time you'll share is worth a bit of time apart. {Approving hum} Now, I know you're anxious to get back to your home. Are you ready for me to look over you? How darling. Alright, let's get you set up here. {Another chuckle} You're in luck, there's only minor damage to your frame— Oh, don't misunderstand my earlier comments. Little things like you can be loved and whole all the same. You don't have to be broken or scarred, chewed up, mangled or missing pieces to have felt love. Here, let me see your arm. Interesting.. Hm? Ah, after how wary you were earlier, I didn't think you would be so obedient. I suppose I should expect as much given the marks you have. {Chuckle} Why the look? I've seen my fair share of all sorts of mishaps, this is nothing new. Especially for a doll of your purpose. Heh. Yes, yes. I was provided with some.. notes.. about your care. They have some special things in store for you. Worry not, you're in good hands. It wouldn't do to have such a unique gift repaired in a random store. No, this shoppe was founded with things like us in mind. Suprised? I don't see how, it's only right that we tend to eachother in times of need. Or.. in times when our makers are busy. Now, may I see your other arm? Good.. Turn, just a touch. Perfect. You've done well, keep this up and I'm sure they'll be proud of you. Bare with me for a moment, this may be cold to the touch. How does that feel? Not terrible? I'll keep that in mind for next time. Of course there will be a next time, our shoppe isn't usually a one time experience. Many visitors and walk ins have become regular clients, some have even grown close to my maker. Have I found a friend in the clientele? Hm.. I wouldn't know, those relationships are left to the others. I focus on the task at hand. Today, my task is you. I can't say whether its outside of my capacity, just that it's outside of my focus. My time per client is precious, and I value each one of you highly.. Thoughts beyond that are.. distracting. You need not apologize to me, It's alright. Feelings are a complicated thing for many others. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm no different. For this next part, I'll need you to relax and remain perfectly still. Don't worry, we're nearly done. Breathe in.. One.. Two.. Three.. Breathe out.. One.. Two.. Three.. Do that again for me. {Softly} In.. Two.. Out.. Two.. Good, good. That's the last of your repair. Let me help you up. Are you feeling as wonderful as you look? {Soft chuckle} I'm glad. Please, give our compliments to your maker. You've been a joy to meet.

#empty spaces #sfw audio #comfort #doll #dolls #maker #witch

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iantimony · 3 months ago

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tuesday!

hello again! another 2-weeker because I was in Washington (Da Capital) for a portion of last week for an academic conference and boy howdy did that sap my will to live/energy to post.

listening: I finished relistening to TANIS! season 5 felt completely unfamiliar so I either never actually listened to it or it was just that forgettable. which tbh, it was. very forgettable. definitely good background white noise but really nothing cooking in there. very clear to me that at the end there terry miles was way more interested in writing a book than an audio drama.

for the sake of completeness I also am relistening to the black tapes. definitely a more cohesive narrative happening there even though I know the "finale" is looming ahead. also has not generally aged super well, and some of the attempts at writing academic experts of things in make me laugh a lot, and the overlap in voice actors for side characters is also amusing. I think this universe of podcasts only work if TANIS is a fictional podcast in TBT and vice-versa but that's not news. also why did they make cuneiform on…parchment…as a plot point in s3…it's cuneiform…wouldn't it be on a slab of clay…anyways a reference to "current political discourse" in a s3 ep made me check the date and I didn't realize that this came out in 2020????? insane. way more recent than I thought (derogatory).

music-wise, saw Mahjong Crib live a few weeks ago at a local bar so I've been letting that run in the background. the bassist was incredibly high (as he should be) and very funny. the last song of the set he put the bass down and started going ham on cowbell. definitely in the family of freeform jazz which isn't normally my thing. still not sure this band is my thing, will probably not be purchasing this album for example.

reading: How Cheerleading Became So Acrobatic, Dangerous and Popular (David Gauvey Herbert): what it says on the tin. didn't realize how much of it came down to monopoly of an industry again. womp womp.

read these both on the plane back from the conference: By Proxy (Lise): mind the tags. really nailed a good dynamic between LWJ and JC imo. Wuxian The Ninth (spockandawe): was linked by the author in a server we're both in. the choice to just do the intro and finale is so incredibly valid. I should do that for my abhorsen/TLT crossover actually because I have the beginning done and definitely have a finale cooking in my head but writing all the bits in the middle seems exhausting and this has made it occur to me that I am allowed to just. skip all the shit in the middle. nothing is stopping me.

watching: fallow

playing: fallow

making: I have been speed knitting a pair of fingerless gloves for my mom! chose this pattern specifically to do them flat style because I was on the go and didn't want to think about using dpns, and I don't have the equipment for knitting in the round comfortably on that small of a scale.

finished carving the block for my holiday cards BUT printing them has proved. challenging. I have what turns out to be kinda shitty water-based ink that is a real pain in the ass to do more than one print at a time with because it dries so fast. it's also applying and printing extremely unevenly and patchy, and while I don't actually mind the texture that adds, the fact that I have to wash off my block & roller every 2-3 prints or so is really stymying my speed. I am abusing my boyfriend's amazon prime to get an oil-based printmaking ink shipped to me so I have put further printing on hold til today when that allegedly arrives. I miss living in closer proximity to a more professional art supply store :-( I've printed about 15 or 20 now and depending on how much nicer the ink looks I may restart lol… either way next year I think I will get thicker paper to mail postcard-style instead of in an envelope to save on postage and work? we'll see. I'm hand delivering around half of my cards over the course of the holidays as it is to make it simpler and cut back on the amount of envelopes and postage I'll need anyways so it's really not TOO bad…

I kind of want to carve a return label stamp as well but obviously the scale/detail of that is more challenging. the easier move is to order return label stickers obviously so maybe I will design some of those, not for this year at this time scale but y'know. I was thinking of putting up my holiday card designs on redbubble or etsy or whatever as well just for funsies.

eating: made deb smittenkitchen's lentil soup with sausage, chard and garlic! really good! my sausages are generic beef from the farmers market so I feel like I lost a little flavor in there by not using some sort of sweet or spicy sausage but it's still tasty and filling. according to comments it freezes very well so I made the full recipe and will be freezing about four servings. I am rich in frozen soups rn.

I was GOING to make her crispy cauliflower and cabbage salad as well but the half a head of cabbage I had in the fridge tragically finally went bad. so instead I did an improvization at her cauliflower with dates and pistachios salad. I did not have dates or pistachios, subbed in craisins and almond slivers, lmfao, but still tasty and has the same structure. I also got some salmon burgers from kroger that have TWENTY FIVE GRAMS of protein each and were very tasty.

misc: feeling very [horror movie scare chord] from networking at that conference. my advisor's previous student who I did not overlap with but am familiar because I have continued his work casually commented that he applied to over Four Hundred Jobs before getting the one he currently has that he. does not even like that much. (I think? unclear. he is kind of a hater at heart in the funniest possible way, bless him.) so I have the fear of god in me a little bit but it's Fine, I'm doing what I'm "supposed" to be doing that a lot of other people are not by doing extensive networking and looking for summer internships for what will hopefully be the last summer of my PhD program.

I gotta start thinking about my yearly roundup too!!! I did a bad job of keeping a spreadsheet this year for this to note everything down in an easy format so maybe I will do that in retrospect as a time-filling activity in the next few weeks…

#tuesdayposting

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black-arcana · 10 months ago

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WITHIN TEMPTATION To Release 'Worlds Collide Tour: Live In Amsterdam' Live Album And DVD/Blu-Ray

Ahead of WITHIN TEMPTATION's upcoming tour, fans can prepare for the spectacle by reliving the adrenaline-pumping excitement of 2022's "Worlds Collide" run from the comfort of their homes, as the band's remarkable show at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on November 29, 2022, will be available on vinyl, CD, Blu-ray/DVD and in a special 64-page hardcover artbook on June 21, 2024.

During the "Worlds Collide" tour, WITHIN TEMPTATION played two sold-out shows in their home country at Ziggo Dome. They were their first-ever headlining shows in Ziggo Dome and a total of 30,000 fans were there to witness the occasion. These shows were captured for posterity and now everyone around the world has the chance to immerse themselves in one of the most iconic performances the band has ever done in their home country.

Few collaborations in WITHIN TEMPTATION's career have ignited as much anticipation as their co-headlining tour with EVANESCENCE did, especially having being postponed four times due to COVID.

As soon as the world reopened in 2022, the "Worlds Collide" tour finally took place. Over the course of over four weeks, the tour traversed 17 cities across Europe, delivering a total of 19 performances.

For this tour, WITHIN TEMPTATION and EVANESCENCE saw an amazing amount of over 200,000 tickets sold, 7703 kilometers traveled, eight tour buses serving as mobile homes for the artists and crew, twelve trailers loaded with the gear to fuel the spectacle, and a dedicated team of over 80 experienced individuals whose tireless efforts ensured that every aspect of the tour ran seamlessly.

Experience the audio and visual spectacle that was brought to life in Ziggo Dome on November 29, 2022 now. Preorder your copy in the official WITHIN TEMPTATION music store.

Last month, WITHIN TEMPTATION released the official music video for their newest single, "A Fool's Parade", featuring Ukrainian producer and vocalist Alex Yarmak. All royalties from the new single will be donated to Music Saves UA for the duration of the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to a press release from WITHIN TEMPTATION's publicist, "A Fool's Parade" "showcases the band's commitment to raising awareness of Ukraine's ongoing battle against Russia's invasion. The song itself serves as a condemnation of Russia's deceitful actions and sheds light on the harsh realities faced by Ukraine. WITHIN TEMPTATION remains steadfast in their support for Ukraine, with involvement in initiatives such as the Ukraine Aid OPS foundation, advocating for more much-needed solidarity."

Recorded amidst the streets of Kyiv with renowned Ukrainian video director Indy Hait, the music video for "A Fool's Parade" captures WITHIN TEMPTATION frontwoman Sharon Den Adel at important Ukrainian landmarks.

Released last October, WITHIN TEMPTATION's latest album, "Bleed Out", signifies a bold leap forward for the band. From contemporary, hard-hitting, and djenty riffs to soaring melodies displaying their symphonic roots, WITHIN TEMPTATION has created a sonic journey that fuses diverse musical styles and thought-provoking themes. This is an album that is as epic as it is unflinchingly outspoken, and now more than ever, this is a band who isn't afraid to make a stand on issues the members care about.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, WITHIN TEMPTATION have shifted their focus from writing about personal emotions and societal subjects to tackling global injustices and reflecting the tumultuous state of the world in a way that other artists seem unable or unwilling to do.

While songs such as "Wireless" and "We Go To War" examine the authoritarian aggression on display in Ukraine and other warzones, the title track itself addresses the plight of women fighting for their rights in Iran after the murder of Mahsa Amini.

The album also grapples with the complex issues around a woman's right to choose in single "Don't Pray For Me" and throughout, this impassioned and political focus is reflected in the intensity and heaviness of the music. Embracing a new era of musical exploration and lyrical depth, WITHIN TEMPTATION have pushed boundaries and showcased their artistic evolution, delivering a fist-in-the-air proclamation of both their moral convictions and their fearless approach to music.

youtube

#within temptation #worlds collide tour #live in amsterdam #Youtube

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gyaruguy111 · 11 days ago

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Beau is Afraid personal analysis:

From someone that can't put thoughts in order, is neurodivergen, and expects both nothing and everything from a film.

Just started watching Beau is Afraid and here's me just throwing interpretations and a shitty analysis into the void of Tumblr as I'm watching it!

It should be noted that the subtitles aren't working for me so a lot of the audio is hard to understand for me if I'm not absolutely invested. You should also expect some comparisons to Beau's life and mine since mommy issues don't wait for anyone besides the mother who throws them onto you!

In all honesty, I wanted to watch this movie when I first saw the poster but I have the habit of adding movies to my watchlist and then forgetting them if it isn't in my face 24/7 so it got benched. I finally picked it up because of Joaquin Phoenix and the fact that I wasn't mentally prepared for the Joker sequel. During the movie it did an amazing job of stopping my gawking at Joaquin to actually seeing Joaquin as Beau and being in the same room as Beau as if it were my own movie. Props to Ari Aster for making a mirror more than a movie.

Hour 1:

I obviously had to pause the movie while Beau was walking down the hall to the elevator. I really enjoy when people put small little details into media and even though a lot of it was hard to read I wasn't disappointed. It seemed that right off the bat dicks were going to be very important in the movie.

Beau's character was really relatable in the beginning in the sense that his anxiety is so persistent. There were a lot of people that commented on the pacing and scenes being confusing but from my POV it was a good representation of what living with anxiety is like. COMING BACK TO SAY THAT I WAS NOT READY! IT IS NOT JUST ANXIETY! IT IS LEARNED HELPLESSNESS AND SO MUCH MORE!

When Beau imagined a guy running into his apartment I felt the jump and shock just as much as him. It seemed strange that somehow all them people didn't walk inside of the store since it wasn't locked. The best I can take away from it right now although I might add things later is that the outside is just chaos really. I think it might have some to do with the feeling of the outside being so dangerous and the invasive thoughts of what could possibly happen to you when you even leave your apartment. You have one place in the world where everything while not particularly quiet and entirely peaceful is just enough to get away from the hustle and bustle and whatever terror comes with it. And having it invaded would turn anyone's day not just upside down but tossed over a cliff into a massive hole of "My fucking God what next?" and whatever curse words you can toss in with that sentiment.

When Beau missed the flight and had to break the news to his mom it really did feel like a call with my own mother. That silence where Beau is just seemingly waiting for a spur of disappointment to pass on from the other side of the phone. And not even at the situation but at Beau. Like for some reason Beau is the cause of it all and this isn't the first time he's been blamed or at the end of disappointment. And you can even hear it in his mom's voice so shout out to her actor for delivering those lines so wonderfully! Beau borderline pleasing with his mom for help and not getting any actual answer is beyond relatable. People are expected to somehow know where to go from somewhere in their own POV but when your POV doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight there's not a lot of help.

I tried to think about what the key missing could even mean if it possibly were supposed to be about how Beau feels internally and I'm coming face to face with the idea that while Beau wants to see his mom it might be that he struggles so much with reaching the middle of the bridge with the people he cares about along with an overwhelming fear of meeting with his mom in general. We can assume that something happened between them that makes the air so stiff. So maybe the key going missing and him missing his flight is himself trying to avoid whatever might come with going to see his mom in some way. It felt like self isolation. Like Beau wanted to be there but at the same time couldn't bring himself to do it and now he has to face his mom and apologize while also being too scared to apologize for not being able to open himself up enough to see her and let her see him.

Going back to the invasion of his apartment. If we imagine That this world in the beginning and his apartment is just what being in his head is like, that could also be a "Something's gotta give." moment where his fears and anxiety are racking up so high that his mind just lets the lock loose and all that noise starts flooding his head. Almost like when you get overstimulated and try to stop the outside world from coming inside but everything is just too much. I'm not good at explaining this so my bad.

Now moving on to finding out his mom has died. When you have anxiety and not only anxiety but OCD too it's like the smallest fear of something happening or you not doing something makes your fears come true. The idea that if you don't pick up a pencil you drop in the next five seconds a train will hit you at exactly five thirty-one in the evening on your way home even though there's no train tracks within a ten mile distance of you. I don't really know what to say about this part of the movie but his instant shut down and taking a bath with the figure that I'm guessing is some sort of comforting link he has to his mother is definitely what I'd do if I'd remembered that my tap was going and my mom is dead.

There's a point in the movie where Beau walks outside and there's some words behind him from at what point in the movie I don't know that say things like, 'pussy write letter' and 'pussy something whistle' and all that and I was confused by it but really did want to know if that meant someone's vag was writing a letter or if it was some sort of prosthetic you could buy I'm not sure but it was a hoot.

I can already see this being long and I'm not even halfway through the movie. Waking up in the gal's room was definitely something that made my head turn round I thought that maybe they'd bedazzled a hospital room or something. Beau looked pretty rough there so good healing to him throughout this movie. I took their behavior being weird and the dreamy feel as if Beau was craving some comfort and this is what he thought up to get it, which is so relatable. We can basically immediately interpret that Beau is a fill in for something the couple is missing AKA their son Nathan I believe was his name? For me this is so far the scariest part of the movie. And that's Beau being trapped. The actors do an amazing job of making you feel off in general. This feels like some pseudo family and the puzzle scene felt exactly like sitting down with my grandparents and having no idea what to do or what's even happening.

The way they treat what I think is their daughter compared to Beau is definitely a stark contrast. Reminded me of being a kid and wanting my mom to treat me the same as everyone else. Which was simply nice. The fact that they keep pushing him leaving back while he's begging for any way out is really the best representation of needing something NOW, not in the evening, not after a nice dinner and some good hosting, NOW. He's been guilted into believing that his mom's being insulted and humiliated and when he's doing what he can to stop it by leaving he's trapped and no one is giving him a way out of it. He can't even properly give himself a way out because he's been knocked into Saturn by a car and is currently healing from it. Anyways, an hour in and that's all I got.

Hour 2:

Okay that took an insane turn. The peer pressure carpool made me extremely uncomfortable and I honestly just wanted it to end since he kept saying no. The girls saying that they'd accuse him of that stuff put another edge into the situation when it already had plenty of sharp edges. In some way I see it as Beau somewhat needing a good puff but also not needing it. Does he need it or is he convincing himself that he does? Does he not need it or is it because his anxiety and suspicions are so implemented into him that he can't or won't? This scene was definitely good to watch if you need to tip of your blood pressure if it's low.

I knew it was going to cut to the boat when I heard the seagulls but what I expected to be a calm in this chaotic fucking movie turned out to be the exact opposite. This post isn't even interpretations anymore it's going to be me spiraling. Everyone did an amazing job atmosphere wise because what the fuck? Every interaction between young Beau and his mom just made me want to screw my face up so hard you could hammer it to a wall. I'm wondering if Beau recognized the woman that he cut back to in the video on his mom's death and I'm also wondering if this young gal is a positive, negative, or neutral. The scene where she counts down and what I'm guessing lead to a kiss got skipped because it just made me too uncomfortable.

I was immediately hit with what was the worst wham bam in the world. I saw those creepy people's daughter without a shirt and didn't want to go back but was hoping they'd explain and was let down completely with my brain in a twister. Most of it was me thinking "Dear God tell me nothing happened with this teen fucking girl." Don't know if anything did and will probably never know because I honestly wouldn't be able to take it.

By this point we see the mom's obvious want to tell Beau what the fuck is going down especially when we see Beau is being recorded and not only is he being recorded, as far as he knows this little remote could tell him his whole life. Both Beau and the daughter's crashout are completely understandable. The gal wasn't any bit kind to Beau but she was the break in reality. The screw that wouldn't nail in the hole right. And in some sense I feel like Beau definitely needed her interaction to realize something was very deeply wrong. The way he's holding an obvious doll is hilarious but I wonder if it's supposed to be the kink that the audience needs to realize that this isn't real. It's real in the sense that it's happening but everything Beau is going through isn't real. These interactions aren't spontaneous they're planned. And Beau is slowly realizing it bless his heart.

30 minutes later and I'm even more dumbstruck. I really love how when you're watching the play featuring Beau you almost get lost in the story too, seeing yourself walking in his shoes. And it supports the anxiety of it all. You could have a good life, you can have a wife and children and all things in between. All the happiness you want. But it's going to end. Something beyond your control is going to tear it away from you and you have so much life left to live. So much that you'll wonder if that happy beginning is worth the sad ending. I could have this, but I can't keep this. The part where Beau reunites with the children only to find out that his wife is still lost didn't ease it. Congratulations you've found three halves of your soul, where's the fourth? The idea that Beau wants to find family and some place that feels like home for him in a world where he doesn't belong comes up again. Beau wants that but has he opened his can up enough to let it in? To let it want him? There's a lot of him both being the one guilty and innocent. He's guilty of doing all of it in the first place, of having a family and knowing that they'll be ripped away. Of walking into that broken up town and having the audacity to get too involved by just standing there. And at the same time, he's innocent. Because why shouldn't he want a home? Why shouldn't he be standing in that town? The idea of him giving his last bit of change for one empty stomach moment of happiness is worth more to him than a stomach full of food. Personally I can't disagree, happiness can keep you full plenty. But it shows a lack of self preservation trying to just grasp the concept with what fingernails he hasn't chewed off out of paranoia. This explanation isn't good and I'm sure these aren't ideas worth quoting in the next Sherlock Holmes book but I just really loved how this simple robotic voice pulls you into a trance. It felt almost as if they were trying to get him to join their cult up until he snapped out of it and the play looked completely different!

Hour 3:

My jaw dropped and never stopped dropping. It felt like I was watching the tape from The Ring and it only closed when Beau's counselor came out of the what I assume was a bathroom smiling. That's really when the dread filled every nook and cranny of my mind.

When he found his childhood gal I couldn't stop staring and I wondered the same as Beau if it was even real at all. I kept pausing and reminding the part where she turns over in bed to turn a song on Spotify on to see what songs were displayed but it was too blurry for me to see and I eventually gave up after enough tit flashes. Throughout the rest of that sequence I was saying "Wow! Congrats buddy you're alive and you're okay!" only to be completely dumbfounded with my jaw open like a guppy when I realized everything was in fact not okay. The having hanky panky time in my dead mom's bed would throw me off but it makes sense when you realize he knew she wasn't actually dead.

When she revealed herself and started mentioning the times she felt that Beau didn't care enough it really did remind me of my relationship with my mother. I thought that maybe he might've given her the tape because he liked it so much or thought she did but after she said he just couldn't decide on things for himself I realized it was most likely because he really just didn't know what to get her and I definitely resonated with that. My mom expected me to understand what she wanted from the get go but I never knew what to get her for gifts or what to do when she was slowly judging towards an idea. I knew my mom but I didn't know what she wanted and it personally left me stuck in a ditch of guilt every time. Christmas was the worst simply because I didn't know what to come up with without her saying it to my face. I did end up finding something I think surprised her though, it was one of those zen sand gardens since her old one was busted. I think the relationship between Beau and his mom really hut you the worst when you realize she's right in some aspect. All of the people that were hurt because he was lost and even worse, afraid. But how can you trust that? From the woman that manipulated him into believing that she died? From the woman who's been watching him as close as when he picks his nose and from what nostril? And was it really Beau? Considering the fact that most of the interactions haven't been genuine and the pure trauma of it all, was it him or was it the dog that ran him into the fence? Really I don't even know what I'm saying anymore it's just pure rambling.

The final straw was the audio recording of his session. Of him speaking to a man he believed he could trust and saying how isolating it all felt. To be stuck with a mom that was pulling on both of your arms left when you wanted to take just one step right your own way. Of being guilted by your parent and or parents into believing that you didn't love them enough or that you were ungrateful because you simply didn't want to do exactly what they wanted you to. I definitely related to that, my mom would revoke my invitation to join my family when they went out to eat simply because my hair wasn't done how she wanted it to be done and would shame me for my own lack of decision making and control over my life. Beau does lack decision making but it didn't seem like his mom actually tried to help, she just waterlogged off to the side and expected him to when he was wrong no matter what if it wasn't what she expected. I really don't know what to say, his mom deserved a happy childhood and she's valid in wanting her son's love but he didn't have to give it to her how she wanted him to and he also deserved a good childhood. I'm waiting for the cherry on top in the attic so we'll see what happens next.

It's over. This T fuck face of a rex movie is over. Beau's dad literally being a massive dick is what I assume some representation of Beau not being able to see his dad as a person. His father wasn't around, he only knew him as the cock that impregnated his mom and made his pops croak in the same breath because of how God damn cursed it was. In the somewhat accurate words of Tyler the Creator, he was considered a sperm donor. The small man up against a dude with a fucking mic on a large platform was obviously Beau supposed to be Beau's grievances being ignored and quieted because of how wrong his mom made him feel for every inconvenience she experienced. And killing him was what to me meant silencing Beau once and for all. To kill the thing that allowed him the smallest but of self comfort. And all that's left was to kill Beau. I'd like for a happier ending but I feel like Beau's death did make a lot of sense. You listen to prolonged mental abuse like that and in the end again, "Something's gotta give." Beau died feeling guilted and betrayed, begging his mom for help and assistance the same as he did throughout his life only to be ignored by not only her but everyone that was convinced along with her that he was the bad guy one last time. You die that way. Feeling guilty for something no matter what.

I don't really know what to say, this was a wonderful movie and it was the most immersive movie I've seen besides the fact I wasn't in the studio to actually walk the set. I loved the practical giant dick and the slow decent into terror instead of dick jokes. Patti LuPone really took Beau's mom as a character to another level and Joaquin Phoenix is a hard man not to hug at the end of most of his movies. Thanks for reading this if you actually for some reason took the time out of your day to do it. I hope I never forget this movie and if I do I'll buy a bird to squawk it to me every few days.

See y'all sometime if anytime!

#beau is afraid #god what I'd give to give this man a hug and some water to ease the pain #joaquin phoenix #ari aster #spotify #peak cinema #analysis #movie analysis #neurodivergent #he has enough mommy issues for an entire drawn out PTA meeting

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oneinathousand · 8 months ago

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Mediocre Extras in Drowned God: Conspiracy of the Ages Re-release Leaves Price Questionable

Since the Epic Games Store doesn't let you review games and it's not on Steam yet (a release there is supposed to happen eventually), I'll have to make my review here.

Some of my followers may recall that when the 90's point-and-click adventure game Drowned God: Conspiracy of the Ages was illegally put on Steam for $15, I raised the alarm about it to get it taken down. As I came to learn later, this incident inspired the rights holders (producer Algy Williams, co-creator Alastair Graham, and creator Harry Horse's estate) to come together and produce a re-release that is currently on the Epic Games Store for $25.

Since the original source code was lost long ago, all the developers could do was polish it slightly to make it run better on modern computers and hopefully iron out the bugs, but to justify the price point the advertisements on the new website promised several enticing extras including: a new walkthrough, the original pitch documents, an all-new art book with never-before-seen art, and most exciting of all - Diary of a Plagiarist, the 11-volume tome Harry Horse created in the 80's that served as the inspiration for Drowned God but was thought to have been lost (well, not really lost, the guy Harry sold them to refused to sell them back).

When I brought up the illegal version of DG on Steam, I said then that the game by itself would not even be worth $15 even if it were an official re-release because 1. It's a short, linear point-and-click game 2. It's over 25 years old now. Do the extra materials make the $25 price tag worth it? I'm not so sure, right now I'm leaning towards "no, not really". I'll tell you what's in this package and you can decide for yourself.

First, the game, which is fundamentally the same as it was before. This is not a remake or a remaster, there are no subtitles to alleviate the often awful audio mixing, it's just the original game made easier to play now. The producer of the re-release said in a Q&A video on the DG Youtube channel that he thinks the audio mixing sounds a little better now than it did then, but I couldn't tell you because my Airpods broke recently and I had to play the sound through my potato laptop's speakers.

Well, at the very least, from what I've played of the re-release so far (I'm not planning on playing through the whole thing right now, I'm not strong enough to go through that goddamn 9 Men's Morris puzzle again, I'm sorry ;_;), it is indeed functional and the mouse sensitivity felt better from what I remember playing on my emulated version.

So the re-release delivered the bare minimum with the game, and if that's all you care about and don't mind spending $25 on it, have at it, but now onto the extra materials, which I feel are a mixed bag that wouldn't have been so disappointing to me if the advertisements had been more honest about what they contained.

I have no qualms with the new walkthrough and the original pitch documents. The former is made to look like a top-secret folder complete with bits of redacted text and handwritten notes, it's very cute. The latter is very interesting to those interested in the lore of the game, as it gives a very different picture about what the story could have been. There are many pieces of art and writing that depict very different scenarios for the player that were changed for the final release, such as a description of the original goal being to collect a key plus several pieces of a UFO to fly to Atlantis and raise it from the ocean, with no mention at all of Kether and Malchut.

As for the other main extras, I have my qualms. Firstly is the purported Drowned God Art Book, which isn't really a book at all but a booklet, a short collection of concept art and musings from Alastair Graham about Knights Templar and Mayan mythology that abruptly stops and mostly only shows art from the Binah section of the game.

Don't get me wrong, the concept art that actually is in there is great, but I was left wanting more. If those pieces of art that were there were all that the developers had managed to track down after all these years and they titled the collection something like "Drowned God Art Booklet", I would understand, but they oversold the art "book"'s contents by a long shot, I feel.

And I know for a fact that there's more artwork out there that for whatever inexplicable reason wasn’t included anywhere in this re-release, but I can’t go into more detail at the moment, I’m in the process of trying to find out what’s been going on with this topic and will hopefully be able to give an update on it in the future.

As for the "Diary of a Plagiarist", that was a straight-up lie. It's in fact just a handwritten letter from Harry Horse giving the premise, a few story details, explaining how and why he made the volumes, and apologizing that he couldn't remember a whole lot about what was in them because he could never get them back. Imagine paying 20-something bucks for what you think is a copy of Moby-Dick, only to open it up and just see a note from Herman Melville going "I think it was about a guy in a boat chasing a whale, I forgot, lol".

I'm glad we have these notes from Harry in this case because it's probably the most detailed information about DOAP that we're ever going to get, plus it has more concept art of what looks like an even earlier version of DG before the pitch documents. However, the ones who put this re-release together could have avoided pissing me and potentially other people off by just being honest about what it really was rather than pretending like it's the real deal on the website.

So what we've got here are a few pretty good pdfs that have been blown out of proportion in terms of their contents. If you think that plus the old game is worth $25 and you can spend that, go right ahead, but for the rest of you, I would recommend waiting for a sale.

I have a few ideas for what they could add onto the package in the future to make it more worth the price tag: 1. Include a text file of all the spoken dialogue and hard-to-read pieces of writing in the game for those who might need it. 2. Expand the art book to include interviews from the developers about the making of the game and put in those other pieces of art that weren’t there the first time. 3. Update the website and social media to be more honest about the contents of the extras. 4. If tracking down the creators of the game's soundtrack is feasible, create a new, remastered soundtrack that makes the music longer than the original short loops.

If they cannot add any of these things in the near future, then there is really no excuse for this to be $25. Other PC games that are about as old as Drowned God such as Fallout 1 and 2, Diablo 1, Half-Life 1, Quake 1, and more are not only much cheaper to buy, but have more to offer.

#drowned god conspiracy of the ages #90's games #point and click adventure games #retro gaming #pc games

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demifiendrsa · 5 months ago

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Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered - Announce Trailer

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will launch for PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store) on October 31, 2024 for $49.99. Existing owners of Horizon Zero Dawn can upgrade to Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for $9.99.

First details

Over seven years ago, we released Horizon Zero Dawn into the wilds. Players got to meet Aloy, our leading hero, thrust into a journey of (self-)discovery in a mysterious, far-future world ravaged by deadly machines.

It was also the beginning of a thriving community of cosplayers, virtual photographers, fan artists, and content creators who inspire us to this day with their incredible creations. Horizon Zero Dawn is near and dear to many fans, as well as to everyone at Guerrilla.

And that community has not stopped growing. Each year, many millions more pick up Horizon Zero Dawn for the first time. But seven years is a long time in the world of computer graphics; technology improves. As time moved on, we really wished that new players who join Aloy on her origin story can do it with a version that is worthy of their PS5 or compatible PC. And so, we are thrilled to announce that the game has been remastered by our talented friends at Nixxes.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered launches on October 31. The captivating story and awe-inspiring post-apocalyptic world returns alongside a host of technological improvements, visual enhancements, and upgraded features. It also includes The Frozen Wilds content, a vast expansion featuring additional lands, skills, weapons, and machines. Take a look at the announcement trailer below.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered features over 10 hours of re-recorded conversation, mocap and countless graphical improvements that bring the game to the same visual fidelity as its critically acclaimed sequel Horizon Forbidden West. The game’s lush world includes frozen mountains, dense jungles, and arid deserts with stunning new visuals and 4K graphics and travelling between settlements is now lightning-fast.

The story’s many compelling characters have been upgraded, bringing them in line with current generation advances in character models and rendering. We hope that improved animation, lightning, textures and more will make new and existing fans excited to dive into the action!

The audio experience in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered has been significantly enhanced. We’ve completely revamped the sound mix, now supporting PlayStation 5 Tempest 3D Audio Tech for higher-order ambisonics and Atmos rendering for an immersive soundscape. Our sound design has also seen major improvements, with hundreds of improvements both in-game and in the cinematics.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered takes full advantage of the PlayStation 5 console’s power and features. The DualSense controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers ensure incredible immersion during tense combat, stealthy exploration, or scaling a gigantic Tallneck. We’ve integrated custom haptics for the DualSense controller throughout the game, providing tactile feedback that heightens immersion. Additionally, we’ve introduced a new optional accessibility feature that utilizes sound and haptic feedback to notify players of interactable elements, such as pickups, that were previously only indicated visually.

We’re also very happy to share that Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered comes with native support for PlayStation 5 Pro. This includes a range of graphical features that have been improved to make use of the power of the PlayStation 5 Pro, while also delivering ultra-high fidelity at blazing fast framerates.

The PC version on Windows includes the PlayStation overlay with Trophy support and has its own set of features, such as support for ultra-wide resolutions and the latest performance enhancing technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR 3.1 with frame generation. We will let our Nixxes partners expand more in a future blog.

Many of the accessibility features that were first introduced in Horizon Forbidden West have been included for this Remastered version as well; remappable controls, haptic cues, and various assist toggles will enable all players to fully enjoy the game.

For those that have already played it, we’ve made sure that your old save games will work; so this is a great opportunity to dive into New Game+ or get back into Photo Mode with all your previously unlocked outfits and customizations.

We’re excited to share that pre-orders for Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will open on October 3 for both platforms.

For existing owners of Horizon Zero Dawn (PlayStation 4, PC) and/or Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition (PS4, PS5, PC): you can upgrade to the digital version of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for $9.99 on both PlayStation 5 console and on PC (via Steam or Epic Game Store). This includes fans who added the game to their libraries during PlayStation’s Play At Home initiative.

Owners of the Horizon Zero Dawn PlayStation 4 game disc can access this offer by inserting the game disc into their PlayStation 5 console (and will need to keep the disc inserted each time to play the game). PlayStation 4 game disc owners who buy the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition disc-free console will not be able to access the upgrade offer.

For new fans, the game can be purchased for $49.99 on PlayStation Store, Steam, or Epic Game Store. You will receive the Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition.

#Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered #Horizon Zero Dawn #Horizon #Horizon game #Guerrilla Games #Sony Interactive Entertainment #PS5 #PC #State of Play #State of Play September 2024

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