#animated power bi visuals

[cyber-corp]

2023: The year of all time

This felt like the first year post-COVID where things really kicked into high gear for me personally. My new year's resolution was that I would go out and have fun for once.

And had fun I did.

I did some voicework reading for a story podcast, I went to a bunch of amazing concerts (nothing beats seeing Weird Al for my birthday!), and I sorted out a bunch of RL stuff and put a neat little bow on it. Thank goodness.

But fuck all that sappy shit: Here's a small collection of things I really enjoyed this year!

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: An excellent sequel to a seemingly unfollow-uppable first film. Takes everything from ITSV, and amps it up to twenty with a stunning visual style, a sonically fitting soundtrack, and a meta-commentary on the nature of Spider-Man's character and whether they really deserve all the tragedy thrown at them.

Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe: The guys who made Pud did another show, this time with funding from the Australian Government! While stripped back in its setting, they continue to provide the same stupid bullshit that put me into laughing fits as they did with their Netflix show. Haven't they done well.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: I think when people heard about "An animated Scott Pilgrim show with the live-action cast and Edgar Wright producing", they did not expect "A proper dissection of Ramona Flowers' character and her motivations, as well as her own journey of forgiving the Evil Exes. Also lots of yaoi." Scott Pilgrim continues to dominate as the premier "guy learns not to be a shithead" franchise.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Live in Accor Stadium: The Peppers prove their pertained power as performers by playing the purest psalms in their prospectus from the past 35 years (eugh, what a mouthful). Flea came out, did a 30-second handstand, waved and said hello to the moon and then got up some people littering in the crowd. Their life is more than just a read-through.

Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You: I had absolutely no clue who Caroline was before I listened to this album. I now realise that she might just be the person that pop needs right now. A soaring collection of songs destined to become classics down the line, like a greatest hits compilation that doesn't exist. We're all on Caroline's island, and we ain't leaving.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk: I kept my eye on this game as it was developing, and it was absolutely worth it to see it come through in the end. Satisfying gameplay that requires you to learn how to combo to progress, an addicting artstyle inspired by Y2K, and the soundtrack. Holy fuck the soundtrack. I just can't get enuf.

Weird Al Yankovic - TUROTRSIIIVT: Man, what a title. Emu Phillips come out swinging with jokes I did not expect, and then Weird Al comes out aggressively swinging, with all the songs you don't know him for. He then did a polka melody of his parodies, did a ritual halfway through, and then ended the concert on a high note. Only the best from Strange Alfred.

Doctor Who 2023 Specials: That bastard David Tennant returning led me down the rabbit hole known as watching Doctor Who, and did it ever pay off more than these specials. A trans woman saves the day and the Doctor realises he's bi, black, and needs therapy. A magnificent close on a chapter of one of the greatest sci-fis ever, and a bright step into the future.

The Hyperfixation of the Year award goes to none other than

Homestuck, everyone's favourite webcomic! Everyone's.

And I think that's partly because I joined this website to begin with. I probably say this all the time, but leaving Reddit was probably the best decision I could have made at that time. As much as I reminisce, the communities I was in began to get a little stale. Same jokes, same shitposts, a different day. Tumblr in some strange way, is not that. It feels less like a big communal website and more like a collection of small towns spread across a large spot of land. Calm and village-like, you know?

So to all my mutuals, my followers, to the people that liked and reboggled my stinky posts, to all that offered mealworms and crickets in my askbox, thank you. "Gecko Boy" might just be a silly lil joke in the grand scheme of things, but it's a fun joke to play into.

Whatever comes next year, I know I've got the energy to keep going. Have a good 2024 everybody. <3

[seasealwaters]

It's just rude how I have yet to see a Now You See Me! Six of Crows AU.

NO BUT WAIT, WAIT. Bear with me. The Crows as illusionists and magicians brought together to create elaborate performances that may or may not be a way to extract revenge on a few people (Jan, Heleen, and Pekka, we're looking at you) and steal a lot of money in the process. The group could be either formed by Kaz himself, or like in the movie, they're brought together by a mysterious individual for a job (in this, it could be Jan to commit the equivalent of the Ice Court Heist, until the Crows turn back on him).

Like. Imagine. Kaz would definitely be an amazing escape artist and the master mind of the operations. He would have the best sleight of hand ever. With his flair for dramatics, I think he would also be a great performer, and have a whole "character" for the show: you know, Dirtyhands, with his all black clothes, raspy voice, dry wit, slight smirk, scary monologues and taunts. He's not even pretending, really, but it works really well on stage, and the public loves it, loves when he's taunting them, and legit creeping them out.

Inej would be into the escape thing as well, and she would love the tricks where she vanishes and then apparates in a different corner of the room, or just behind someone in the audience (they wouldn't even notice until one the Crows points it out or Inej taps them on the shoulder. The number of times they almost had to call an ambulance because she legit gives them heart attacks). I feel like she would also be a contortionist who's able to fit in small boxes and cupboards, to the point where you start to ask yourself if she even has bones. She would incorporate acrobatics in her performances.

Jesper would love flashy tricks with cards, coins, and so on. I know that sleight of hand is more Kaz's thing in the book, but I feel like it would suit him well, too. Kind of like the Jack Wilder of the group. He would do tricks with guns, bullets and shooting, of course. Also, I feel like he would be the one the Crows rely on to distract the crowd, to catch, hold, and redirect their attention where it's needed. Kaz is good at that, too, but Jesper is really the one who can put them at ease and charm them (especially if it's a single person or a few they call on stage).

Wylan would handle technical aspects: light, flash bombs, smoke bombs, fireworks, visual and sound effects, music and sound, material, etc. I think he would know exactly what type of soundtrack and light to choose to create maximum effect and efficiently hold/distract the crowd's attention. I don't see him as a main performer, but I think there would be one memorable occasion where he would "blow himself up" or set fire to himself on stage and then reapparate, completely fine. It remains one of the Crows' most watched performances.

Nina would definitely be the Merritt McKinney of the group. She would be all about hypnosis and mentalism, and I know that real-life hypnotism doesn't work like it's portrayed in the movie, but let's just pretend. With her knowledge of anatomy and medicine (she could be an ex med student or nurse), she would know exactly how to use the human body, mind, and blood flow to her advantage – it would be a nice parallel to her canon powers. She knows how to gather information from her targets, is amazing at subtle interrogation, and she, too, would be very good at charming the crowd (her and Jesper as a the sexiest bi duo ever). Also, I think she would fight tooth and nail to incorporate a dramatic quick change sequence on stage. ("Nina, we don't need that." "Shut up, Kaz, you don't understand, I have been waiting my entire LIFE for this moment").

I admit, I have trouble deciding what Matthias would do in this universe. Like Wylan, I don't see him as a main performer, I think he would remain more in the shadows and act as an assistant to the others (catching Inej, helping Nina change, setting Wylan's material, etc.). If the Crows need animals for their show, he's definitely the one to take care of them. However, in the books, he is our guys' main source of information on the Ice Court, and I feel like in a modern au, he would parallel this: he would be the one tasked with research on the Mark, digging up everything about them, their background, family, habits, the lay outs of a place the Crows intend to rob, etc.

Or alternatively: Matthias is their inside man in the FBI. This would work even better, I think. So yes, he's the Dylan Rhodes of the AU, minus the revenge.

Feel free to add anything if you have other ideas!

[sophieinwonderland]

Hey Sophie. I prefer to talk about plural stuff anonymously at this stage of my life, but rainydaysystem has anons turned off (which is fair enough!) so maybe you could post this to share.

I no longer like the term MADD, I prefer the term neuronarration, since that's more grounded in mad pride and antipsychiatry approaches rather than shame and treating everything as a pathology. My daydreaming processes aren't inherently a bad thing, and it only becomes 'maladaptive' in specific contexts when the balance of my life has been thrown off by some type of event and my coping methods aren't up and running or aren't enough. But anyway, that's semantics, I used the term MADD from 2012-2023.

I'm using singular pronouns here but I'm plural & endo, and daydreaming has a major impact on my experience of plurality. I may end up making a neocities just to write about this stuff at some point.

The way I see it, daydreaming is a type of creative and theatrical process, right, like playing with dolls or dress-ups or creative writing. So that's why it can be so useful as a coping strategy, and also why it can be so emotionally engaging that it's hard to disengage from daydreaming - because we're social animals and theatrical play is something that's really good for our brains.

And different people daydream in different ways, but I have a very visual and sensory and spatial imagination, and so my daydreaming involves a lot of creative design of settings and characters and costumes and props and worldbuilding, and a lot of stories/scenes that I can replay and redevelop, and change what implications get drawn out, and change what emotional tone and themes get explored, like people do with fanfiction where the core cast/settings/themes are a jumping off point and you can process a lot of different things by engaging with them in different ways. So it's like my daydreaming is a medium that naturally has no finished endpoint because the fact that it's an open process is the whole nature of the beast.

I think a huge part of how it connects to plurality is that you're basically practicing really good internal coping techniques the whole time. Having a headspace/innerworld/wonderland, and designing it to have certain features, and having objects and behaviours internally that are supported by it, has a LOT in common with daydreaming. You've got a setting, and "characters", and when you need to have a conversation between people or process some emotions, you mentally go through the whole "scene". And there are obvious differences in terms of agency and volition, between an OC and a headmate, but you know, it's good for the social development of singlets to do some sort of narrative play because it's practice that helps them interact with other singlets, and I think that's what it's like with daydreaming and internal communication for plurals.

And there are resources out there trying to explain innerworld visualisation exercises so people can make use of coping techniques based on imagining resources inside the headspace and making use of them - I feel like I've got a lot of experience and a lot of confidence with visual and spatial and sensory imagination of settings and objects, so as soon as I discovered that type of coping advice, it was SO EASY to immediately deliberately integrate it as a plural coping technique. Because you basically practice the underlying skills all the time while daydreaming.

If you've practiced imagining settings and objects, you can easily use internal landscaping and headspace tools; and if you've practiced imagining narrative scenes involving multiple figures with different perspectives, and going deep into an emotional tone and then working towards resolving the narrative, you've practiced both emotional regulation and internal communication. And having that familiarity is good for your confidence and esteem and sense of efficacy and power and trust that you can turn to these tools whenever you need to.

That's the biggest impact of daydreaming on plurality for me, there are all these coping strategies that are notoriously especially useful for plurals who need to develop internal communication and collaboration between headmates in order to function, and not all plurals have headspaces/innerworlds, but it can really help using those techniques. And the daydreaming was like a 15-year intensive crash course on those exact ideal coping techniques, before I even knew about my plurality, so I could immediately put my daydreaming skills to work deliberately on plural stuff as soon as I knew about it. I think that was a profoundly important and good thing for me.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[opinated-user]

LO, writing a quadruple amputee: "She's bitter and angry, has no reason to live but her love interest, and has no external goals or social life."

Disney's Gargoyles, writing a Black blind man: "He's a published author, dog lover, helped found a dog shelter, has a bunch of nerdy author friends, has supportive parents, accepts nonhumans and their status as people, and since he's immune to magic that you have to see to be effected by, he is key to defeating a major villainous scheme. He goes on to be happily married in the comics, and is both one of the characters' closest friends and his most honest critic, pushing Hudson and himself not to give up on learning new things purely because of their ages."

Elfen Lied, writing a quadruple amputee teenage girl: "She's fighting a serial killer with the same psychic powers both were born with, is bi, loves Mayu deeply but will forego a relationship rather than risk Mayu's safety, is happily adopted by a dad she loves, loves her foster sisters, refuses to hurt innocent people in a setting where good and bad guys alike usually do, and does not see becoming disabled as the end of her life or a reason to give up on life."

Yuki Yuna Is A Hero, writing a teenage girl who uses a wheelchair: "She's a magical girl who's also a sniper, has a close circle of best friends, is independent to a fault, is a femme lesbian, is a huge history nerd, loves cooking, and even when the villains hit her with amnesia and forcibly try to take her identity from her, she's so dedicated to justice that she just ends up becoming a hero in a different way, because her driving motive is a desire for everyone to live happy, peaceful lives."

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, writing a deaf teenage girl for one episode: "This girl does karate and gymnastics, wants to be a teacher when she's older, is crushed on by two guys normally depicted as shallow because even they understand that being disabled doesn't make her any less cool or date-worthy, teases her younger brother, is friends with both popular and unpopular girls at school based on shared interests, and is immune to the villain of the episode's magic flute due to being deaf but singlehandedly defeats the villain because while he's arrogant and thinks he's undefeatable, she's smart enough to watch him carefully, formulate a plan and wear him out before fighting him."

Wolf's Rain, writing a blind, albino woman who suffers from chronic fatigue: "This is our ultimate hero who will save the world. She loves plants, animals, and her close circle of friends. Although the world has been unkind to her and often cruel, she refuses to let the world end, because she will not give into despair and instead will focus on those that have been good to her, in stark contrast to the abled villain who has had a really good life but is fixating on the handful of bad things that have happened to him. She is quiet and too serious sometimes but also curious, thoughtful and loves bad puns."

Katawa Shoujo: "All of the characters in this visual novel are disabled. No two have the same disability. Every single one is portrayed as a well-rounded character, a love interest, someone with struggles, dreams, hopes, and a bright future ahead of them whether you choose to befriend them or romance them, because they're friends with each other and with one another to depend on, goof off around, vent to and feel normal with, they'll be okay. All a person needs to be successful in life is to feel connected to others and supported by them."

Once you watch anime/watch cartoons/watch cheesy 90's shows/play visual novels, Lily's disabled character looks horrifically underwritten. Fall The Amputee is barely a character. There's no agency, no inner world, no future, nothing outside of "became disabled, hates being alive, serves her spouse".

I know we've all moved on to talking about her sexually predatory ways. But as a disabled person I'm so tired of "being disabled means your life is over and the best you can hope for is someone who's willing to fuck you". No. That's not how this works. That's not how life is. We do not exist to sexually service able bodied people. We do not exist to be comforted by your OC stand-in who's oh-so-noble for doing so.

To crib from a Disney song, since LO only watches Disney, cartoons, and BBT: "I can slay my own dragons, I can dream my own dreams. My knight in shining armor is me."

.

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

My Weekly Roundup CW 29

This week was full of drama, people disappearing from other people's lives, evil antagonists, good acting and a lot of good communication. I loved so much about this weeks episodes and before I'll start, let me tell you "Team Roommates for the win!".

And yes, this will contain spoilers!

→ 1. Be My Favorite (Ep 9)

Okay, so not quite as much fluff as I had hoped for, but it was enough for me in the end. I thought the conversations were very well done again and a drunken pisaeng is just ADORABLE!

Kawi is on his way to finally understand that he can't save every future. He needs to have faith in people to go their own way. It is not in his hands that other people won't make mistakes and have no regrets. He will continue to make mistakes himself, but he can try to be the best version of himself to be there for the people he cares about. He won't protect them from getting hurt though, but he can be there for them, catching them before they fall so they can go off and make other mistakes. But it's not up to him to make the decisions about what makes a person happy and what doesn't. And I love that he has Pisaeng as a partner by his side, that he also clearly told him he wants to be able to see them both as equals so that Pisaeng's money doesn't create a power imbalance and I love it so much! I love their communication so much 😭 I hope Paer can work things out with her mom and maybe talk to her dad. Kwan and Paer both desperately need to realize their own worth and just keep their hands off Not. He should end up reap the fruits of being an asshole in the end. Please let an asshole character just be an asshole for once.

☼ 2. Wedding Plan (Ep 1)

I vibe this series so much! Oh my god! I saw the trailer and knew this series was going to captivate me. I'm into this forbidden love. Nuea is my spirtit animal! I find his love for food and dislike for gyms very relatable. I knew it wasn't going to be a classic cheating story, but am still a bit confused by how active Yiwa is in helping Lom flirt with Nuea. I'm definitely curious to see what exactly is behind the two of them and their marriage, and if a wedding between Nuea and Lom will happen in the end. That the visuals will be good in a Mame series is kind of a law, so I'm not surprised by the cast, but this birthmark on Lom's nose has a certain effect on me that I didn't know was possible. I mean look at him!

Normally I'm always a little restrained in the first episode of series, but here I'm just on fire and I apparently have to make that known, otherwise it eats me up inside 😅 I find it funny to see how he majority on here went off on PrapaiSky's wedding, and every little piece of them and PayuRain was giffed and I couldn't care less. But I am very happy to see a gay wedding! So yeah, I can't wait for the next episode! But the subtitles really are something else on iQiyi!

But you would definitely be famous for having a crush on a broom!

↑ 3. Stay With Me (Ep 9-12)

Oh man, so much has happened. First Su Yu and Wu Bi move in together, because Su Yu's dad got married and now has a new family, so to speak, in which Su Yu doesn't want to force himself in. And he wishes so much it was different, but after the mother has found a new family and the father has now also remarried, it has once again become clear to him that he also wants someone whose love is just for him and that he doesn't have to share with anyone 😭 And Wu Bi sits there and just looks at him with these puppy dog eyes and holds him by the arm - there is this person, you just have to finally admit it to yourself too. Yes, and then we see moments where Su Yu uses Wu Bi's butt as a pillow and they're bickering together and their apartment is so wonderfully colorful and lovingly decorated and welcoming and just beautiful and I'm floating through all the seventh clouds...

... and then along comes the evil ex who isn't actually an ex but acts like she is and tries to get in between Wu Bi and Su Yu and apparently she's somewhat successful at it and my gosh, what a pain in the ass that person is! I can't stand her. Great actress but such a crappy character. I hope Su Yu sees through her lies and obvious attempt to drive a wedge between them. Let her just run off with the cousin again and never come back! Surely she should realize that Su Yu doesn't like her anymore and that he is indeed Wu Bi's.

This is frustrating. I want to have Friday and be able to continue watching 😅

↓ 4. Tokyo In April Is... (Ep 6)

For a short moment I really thought that Ren was lying unconscious or knocked out by some drug in Sanada's bed at the end. I got hot and cold for a moment. Fortunately he wasn't. My heart would not have survived that after the episode. So Ren has disappeared again and Kazuma sits alone in the cold and dark apartment, thinking about all the beautiful memories he had made with Ren during the past weeks.

The only thing missing was that he would have grabbed one of Ren's t-shirts and curled up on the bed sniffing it. Then I would have done the same with a box of tissues here. Not that I didn't know that would happen, but still, it hurts. And then to watch Ren break down while Kazuma was waiting for him at home... The series keeps on hurting really good!

↑ 5. Hidden Agenda (EP 3)

Okay, I admit it, I'm starting to get hooked on the series. I love Joke. And I love that he could go on dates with Zo without having to reveal himself. Slowly, though, he's realizing that he might have a chance after all and is really putting himself out there now. Sometimes I'm a very simple girl: give me nice music, a library, intense eye contact, and a pinky that finds the courage to make first contact and you'll find me melting on the floor, squealing blissfully.

The fact that Zo is also starting to realize that he should get to know another person first, and most importantly get to know yourself in order to know if you like a person, I think is so sweet. And the heart racing he definitely has... with Joke... This is a happy-go-lucky series right now.

↓ 6. Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Ep 3)

Minato and Shin now live together, but of course they don't share a room, which is a bit frustrating for Shin. Minato, however, is starting to come out of his shell a bit. So he asks Shin if they want to go to the festival together and let him dress him. And this boy is whipped!

On the beach, he takes Shin's hand, only to pull back in fright when other people come running to the beach. There are two generations that collide in Shin and Minato. Shin is proud of his love and wants to show that they both belong together. He is not afraid of the world because he has not experienced any negative experience because of his sexuality yet. He experiences the world from a not-so-conservative lens, especially since his parents have agreed to let him live with Minato until the apartment is renovated. Minato has grown up in a more conservative world and has always hidden away until now. He is slowly letting himself be carried away by Shin, but it takes time. Such a learned behavior, and especially mindset, can't be changed overnight. And I find the process very exciting right now. It's nice to watch the two of them take care of each other and grow together.

☼ 7. Jun & Jun (Ep 1)

Childhood friends who lost touch and now find their way back to each other paired with office romance? Bring it on! It was really hard for me to watch at the beginning. My threshold for embarrassment is very low and all the action until they arrived at the office caused me some pain. I hope from the next episode it will be a little more pleasant. The first impression is still positive. I'm curious to see how the story develops, why they lost track of each other and if it will end up being a feel-good story like Our Dating Sim. One can still hope. What I can say is that the visuals are definitely appealing.

↓ 8. Low Frequency (Ep 3)

So something happened. The acting wasn't as bad as it had been one episode before. We learned that ghosts can do things if Mon lets them, at least Thames. And they can touch each other now, which led to a very strange and totally out of context scene where they touch hands, illuminated by sunlight, and it almost comes to a kiss. So yes, the setting was nice, but the scene itself was a bit oddly placed. What else happened? Thames remembers something more to the accident and is jealous. There are a few who come up as potential suspects and other than that, very little else happened for an astonishing 40 minutes. Or I just forgot all about it already....

→ 9. Dinosaur Love (Ep 5)

What do they all think is so great about cotton-candy-ball? He's a snoozer who looks like his mind is on a trip abroad and no one knows when it's coming back. And Dino... I mean, there are really intense series with jealous and toxic characters, but he's really the crowning glory of them all. The worst thing is that he reminds me of one of my exes. I think he was jealous of my bedspread itself... And that's how Dino acts... It's no excuse for obsessively possessive behavior that you like the person. The way I screamed at my screen how much I hate this! And what are these scenes? I don't have to spend five minutes watching Dino play a mobile game and talk to his buddies while cotton-candy-ball sits next to him grinning stupidly. Never thought the biggest enemy in this series was the fact that Dino is the SOTUS president and SOTUS members aren't allowed to date freshmen or be friends with them! Will they still get together? I guess we'll see next week or sometime in August... It's getting tiring, but maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it today. Maybe the title is that way because it's outdated stereotypes that act as the main roles here?

[killing-time-w-kaz]

German folk rock is worth listening to.

I spent the last 5 months listening to Swedish heavy metal, and now I need something softer. I still listen to Sabaton, and here are some good ones if you’re interested.

My roommate has made fun of my music taste in the past, exclaiming how “white” my music is for someone who is “supposed to be BIPOC”. Well, I mostly listen to rock. I was raised on American folk, classic rock, and whatever old hippies listen to. And I don’t think race or ethnicity should determine the kind of music one listens to.

The 5 main bands I listen to are Rise Against (American punk rock), Starset (American heavy rock), Bastille (British indie pop/alt rock), SID (Japanese visual kei rock) and L’arc~en~ciel (Japanese rock). I’ve been listening to these bands for 10 years, and I’m trying to branch out a bit.

I’ve added Sabaton (Swedish Heavy/Power metal that focuses on war time history) and dartagnan (German folk rock) to the rotation, as well as Citizen Solider (American rock focused on mental health).

Growing up I didn’t like what I considered “modern music” aka pop music because I found it shallow. I only listened to Taylor Swift because my two close friends at the time listened to her and I wanted to have something to connect over. But when those friendships fell through, I went back to my dislike of pop music. When I discovered the world of anime, I fell in love with the music that accompanied these shows. Many of the anime from the Golden Era have theme songs from visual kei or rock bands that borrow heavily from western punk/goth, glam rock/metal and heavy rock. I think part of the appeal is that I don’t speak Japanese and therefore could focus on the musical structure of the pieces rather than the lyrics.

It has been been 10 years since I started picking my own music. I still do not love pop music, I still find many of the songs shallow, but I do not carry these sentiments over to the people who listen to them. I actually love hearing what music other people like, because it gives me a better idea of who they are. When I met the archaeology team last summer, we went around talking about what concert or artist (any time or place) we would like to see live. I immediately found a guy who also loves Rise Against.

Music is a universal language. It has been incredibly important to my family: with my great grandfather dedicating his life to being a violinist, with my grandfather teaching me different folk songs, with my parents always playing their favorite music.

My grandfather sung this song to my mom and uncle, and later me: “All things must perish under the sky, music alone shall live, never to die”.

[mia-talks-toons]

(S1E3) The Owl House: How Companies Disrespect Animated Shows

A relatively new show to join the ranks of some of Disney’s BEST animated shows, The Owl House was created in 2020 by Dana Terrace, and is the last of the Disney Channel’s serialized cartoon shows (more on that later…). It follows the adventures of Luz Noceda, a regular teen girl, who was magically transported into another world, named the Boiling Isles, full of witches and (friendly) demons and all sorts of neat creatures. There, she trains with her mentor, Eda the Owl Lady (and a demon named King), on how to become a witch and use magic, even though she, as a human, has no natural magical powers of her own. The story is, in my opinion, extremely well done, and I fell in LOVE with every single character. The only issue is that it felt a liiiittle bit too short… And let me tell you why.

While the second season was airing, it was revealed that The Owl House would end prematurely, and the show’s third season, which was already planned out, would be shortened to three specials, instead of the usual 20ish 22-minute episodes a season would have. Many ideas had to be cut, and a lot of character development had to be shortened in the process. A lot of fans were sad, disappointed, and outright outraged, including me! Such an amazing show didn't deserve the short end of the stick. The question on most of the fandom’s mind was “Why?”, and Disney tried to answer.

Dana Terrace (The show’s creator) has gone on record saying that the show didn't fit the Disney "brand". She mentioned the fact that Disney TVA wanted to move away from serialized content, as it’s mostly older kids, teens, and adults who could keep up with those kinds of shows. The Disney Channel wanted to keep their target audience a tad younger, so that meant getting rid of shows with linear storylines and introducing more shows that you could jump into at any episode.

However, many fans have speculated that this was because the show contains a lot of queer themes and characters, and Disney has shown over and over again that even though they may seem progressive, they show many homophobic tendencies. Examples of this are removing gay scenes or characters from their movies when they’re released in homophobic countries, and boasting about their “first gay/lesbian/bi/trans character!!!” while only giving them a blink-and-you-miss-it moment that mentions their identity. Knowing this, it feels like Disney’s intentions were different than they lead us to believe.

No matter what the REAL reason was for the cancellation, I’m still extremely upset. If it’s for the anti-queer reason, it would hurt, as I grew up watching Disney movies and shows, and shortening a show because of characters who are LGBT, just like me, would frankly be offensive. But the other reason would hurt just as much. Animation is constantly referred to as a “children’s genre”, both by the general public and the film industry itself. Anyone older than mid-teens is often discouraged from watching animated shows and movies unless they’re specifically targeted at that demographic. Because of this, a lot of people are missing out on some really great stories and incredible visuals. My own mother made fun of me for preferring the animated Mulan movie to its abysmal 2020 live-action counterpart. I LOVE animation, and I feel like it’s constantly being mistreated by those who are meant to defend it. And that leads to beautiful pieces of art being, well, cancelled and shortened.

But hey, at least The Owl House got to properly end, right? Unlike some other shows…

[neodracunyan]

Danganronpa: The Ultimate Student - Prologue

Location: Y/n's House - Uptown Creation City

Date: July 14, 2022

Time: 9:30 PM

Y/n's POV

Hello there. My name is Y/n L/n and I live in Uptown Creation City, living by myself, far away from my awful parents and I...am a diehard fan of Danganronpa.

Yes, I am talking about the adventure, visual novel, detective and dating simulation type of game known as Danganronpa. I have every video game, manga books, figurines and every single piece of Danganronpa merchandise known to man and it was all worth the trouble of collecting everything that is based on my favorite anime.

My most favorite character in the series was the cute, but very dangerous and cunning black and white bi-sided bear known as Monokuma as he takes the role as the Hope's Peak Academy's own principal and used many tactics to manipulate the Ultimate Students in killing each other through murder, despite most of the students refusing to murder each other in order to escape the school turned prison through graduation.

All of that was caused by the students that have fallen into despair...

The point of the game is when a dead body student is found around school grounds, the other students have to figure out who is the 'blackened' and if they find the culprit correct, the murderer will receive the death penalty of Monokuma's brand of executions, but if they get the wrong culprit, all of the students except for the real culprit will all be punished, leaving the murderer to get away with murder and graduate.

I played all of the Danganronpa games 27 times and I know all the characters that killed the other students in each game.

The only thing I hate about the series was Junko Hiroshima, not because that she a dranged lunatic like she always does with a passion for murder, mayhem and despair, its just that she uses Monokuma for her own entertainment and used the whole scenario of seeing the students murder each other for a TV Show, which explains about all the cameras all around the school that is recording everything that has happened during the events of the game.

I always thought of Monokuma as a sentient being like a Very Powerful AI controlling the bear and I never saw him as either a puppet or a high-tech build-a-bear reject.

If I was in that game, I would prove to Monokuma that I would be his most favorite student and beat Junko at her own game.

If I had an Ultimate Talent, I would be known as the Ultimate Student. It doesn't matter what kind of special talent that I have that makes me an Ultimate Student, I have any Ultimate Talent that will get me into Hope's Peak Academy.

However, that will never happen because all of that stuff from the series is all made believe and not real. It's all part of reality and you just have to deal with it and move on.

I understand that none of the events of the game ever actually happened in real life, but I would love to see myself in that universe and meet the entire cast of the Danganronpa franchise as well as Monokuma himself.

But then again, that's part of reality and you can't make it happen like you're some sort of God or have the ability to travel through different dimensions.

We can't always get what we want in our lives. It's all part of our lives...

But that's ok, I can always just imagine myself being inside all of those games I played, the manga I read or even replay with the figurines and plush dolls I have of the characters.

I even wrote my own Danganronpa AU fanfiction and I would post it online, but I didn't want anyone thinking that I'm super obsessed with Danganronpa and might end up like Junko herself.

So, anyways you all wondered what's going to happen next in this story. Well, as I was getting ready for bed because I have work tomorrow morning and I gotta get some sleep to get to work on time.

The very moment that I got in the covers of my Monokuma bed sheets, I turned off the lights and went to sleep before I said something to myself before I went out like a candle.

Y/n: I wish I was a part of the Danganronpa universe as the Ultimate Student at Hope's Peak Academy...zzzzzzzz

Those words that came out of my month sent a message to the cosmic being of the multiverse that heard my cries for help as the God's Creation got the message and decided to grant my wish that will change my life forever.

Creation: I can fully understand your desires to be the Ultimate Student in the world of Danganronpa and I shall grant your wish. The moment you wake up from your slumber, you will find yourself in a dorm room at Hope's Peak Academy, but you will not remember everything from your past life once you arrive at the Academy as your new life. However, your vast knowledge of this series will be your greatest weapon in surviving through the world filled with nothing but Hope and Despair as you will be known as Y/n L/n aka The Ultimate Student.

With the cosmic power of the Multiverse, he transported me to the Danganronpa Universe as my life as the Ultimate Student at Hope's Peak Academy is finally coming true as I was blessed by the creative power of the God's Creation.

As I was being sent to the Danganronpa universe, Creation was about to head back to his realm, only to stop for a moment to say a few words before leaving back to his lair.

Creation: Oh, I also added a special surprise once you meet this "Monokuma" that I heard so much about. A very interesting creature to be a highly advanced AI in a high tech build-a-bear reject that is the balance between Hope and Despair. He's gonna be so surprised to see an uninvited guest inside the school and once meets the Ultimate Student for the first time, his reaction is absolutely "Unbearable". (Chuckles) I crack myself up. (Looks around in my room to see my entire Danganronpa collection) Nice collection by the way, Y/n. I better get all of your Danganronpa merchandise to a safe place in my dimension, where no one will ever try to steal them.

He then used his powers to put my entire Danganronpa collection in a safe place where no one will ever find it and he soon went back to his own dimension while I'm being sent to the world of Danganronpa to start my life as The Ultimate Student.

This was going to be the adventure of my entire life, but I must be on high alert as I'm about to enter Monokuma territory and things will soon fall into despair once the games of murder and trail begin at Hope's Peak Academy.

Meanwhile in an Alternate Universe...

No POV

Inside the principal's office at Hope's Peak Academy, a familiar looking bi-sided black and white bear was sitting at his desk, relaxing and drinking a glass of wine when he suddenly heard something from a few dimensions away that insulted him when Creation made a joke about him that his reaction about a new student arriving here at the academy uninvited would be "un-bear-able" to him and he did not like that at all.

Monokuma: (Growls) Why do I suddenly hear someone make fun of me with bear puns and I don't remember having an extra student coming to this school, uninvited. Eh, no matter. More students, means more fun ways to bring despair and murder to amuse me. Yet, I'm still deeply offended by whoever made fun of me and it wasn't bear-y nice at all.

END OF PROLOGUE

TO BE CONTINUED IN EPISODE 01

[bestpowerbicertification]

Best Power BI Course - What You Should Learn

In today's data-driven world, mastering tools like Excel and PowerPoint is essential for professional growth. A microsoft excel certification can significantly improve your resume, showcasing your expertise in data management and analysis. Employers value individuals who are able to efficiently manage spreadsheets and perform complex calculations. By enrolling in a microsoft excel training program, you'll gain practical skills which are highly relevant in various industries. Whether you're new to Excel or looking to advance your knowledge, an excel training course offers structured lessons that could assist you to quickly grasp the software's functionality. An excel course is not merely about learning basic spreadsheet functions; additionally it delves into data visualization, creating formulas, and using pivot tables for detailed analysis.

This really is especially helpful for individuals employed in finance, marketing, or any field that needs extensive data handling. Many professionals opt for an on line excel course, as it allows them to master at their very own pace, with no pressure of keeping up with a class environment. Furthermore, pairing Excel skills with powerpoint training online can allow you to a well-rounded professional, able to handle both data and presentations with ease. In addition to Excel, proficiency in PowerPoint can also be an invaluable asset. Many organizations require employees to provide presentations which can be clear and engaging. Completing powerpoint courses can enhance your ability to communicate ideas effectively, whether you're presenting to colleagues, stakeholders, or clients. The powerpoint training online format is particularly beneficial because it enables you to practice and refine your skills in creating slides, animations, and transitions from anywhere. Combining these PowerPoint skills with Excel knowledge will enable you to generate presentations which can be data-driven and visually appealing.

As companies increasingly rely on data for decision-making, obtaining a powerbi certification can further boost your career prospects. Power BI is a powerful tool for transforming raw data into insightful visualizations. By taking power bi courses, you'll learn to make use of this tool effectively to generate dashboards and reports that help businesses understand complex data patterns. This certification signals to employers that you will be proficient in business intelligence, making you a more appealing candidate for roles in data analysis and management. In conclusion, gaining certifications in tools like Excel, PowerPoint, and Power BI can significantly improve your career opportunities in today's competitive job market. A microsoft excel certification implies that you are capable of handling large data sets and using advanced features. An excel course or online excel course provides you with the flexibility to learn at your own pace, while powerpoint courses and powerbi certification equip you with skills which are highly valuable across industries. By investing in these certifications, you position yourself as a skilled professional who is able to thrive in data-driven environments.

[blogbyahad]

What are the top data science tools every data scientist should know?

Data scientists use a variety of tools to analyze data, build models, and visualize results. Here are some of the top data science tools every data scientist should know:

1. Programming Languages

Python: Widely used for its simplicity and extensive libraries (e.g., Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, Keras).

R: Excellent for statistical analysis and visualization, with packages like ggplot2 and dplyr.

2. Data Visualization Tools

Tableau: User-friendly tool for creating interactive and shareable dashboards.

Matplotlib and Seaborn: Python libraries for creating static, animated, and interactive visualizations.

Power BI: Microsoft’s business analytics service for visualizing data and sharing insights.

3. Data Manipulation and Analysis

Pandas: A Python library for data manipulation and analysis, essential for data wrangling.

NumPy: Fundamental package for numerical computing in Python.

4. Machine Learning Frameworks

Scikit-learn: A Python library for classical machine learning algorithms.

TensorFlow: Open-source library for machine learning and deep learning, developed by Google.

PyTorch: A deep learning framework favored for its dynamic computation graph and ease of use.

5. Big Data Technologies

Apache Spark: A unified analytics engine for big data processing, offering APIs in Java, Scala, Python, and R.

Hadoop: Framework for distributed storage and processing of large datasets.

6. Database Management

SQL: Essential for querying and managing relational databases.

MongoDB: A NoSQL database for handling unstructured data.

7. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)

Jupyter Notebook: An interactive notebook environment that allows for code, visualizations, and text to be combined.

RStudio: An IDE specifically for R, supporting various features for data science projects.

8. Version Control

Git: Essential for version control, allowing data scientists to collaborate and manage code effectively.

9. Collaboration and Workflow Management

Apache Airflow: A platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows.

Docker: Containerization tool that allows for consistent environments across development and production.

10. Cloud Platforms

AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure: Cloud services providing a range of tools for storage, computing, and machine learning.

[itboyarchives]

About Tae-Hyun...

Character Name: Jeong Tae-hyun

Aliases: Devyn (English Name). Gender: Male. DOB: August 11, 2000. Orientation: bi. Occupation: choreographer, 1/8 of Stray Kids, songwriter. Personality Type: ESTP Ethnicity (on Earth): Korean.

Background

Planet of Origin: a long dead world of Arrakis. Title: Pearl of Arrakis, prince of the underworld and heir to the throne.

(Writer’s note: I have not read or watched the Dune series. I simply liked the name “Arrakis” for a extra terrestrial planet.)

Original Name: Sephiroth.

About

Abilities: his powers are currently unknown to him or anyone around him, therefore he does not have full control over them. 1) Enhanced agility/reflexes: he’s always been very nimble and quick on his feet (granting him the “ferret” nickname, alongside his looks). Untapped as a real superpower, his agility makes him the shining dancer of his band and one of the best choreographers of his generation. 2) Healing manipulation/self-healing: his outstanding health has always been attributed to great genetics, but the reality is he has self-healing powers, as well as the ability to heal others through physical touch. The process of healing another being temporarily drains his own vital energy. 3) Energy absorption: on the other side of the coin of his healing ability, he can also absorb energy from others, whether they are healthy or wounded subjects. 4) Shield generation: he can create a shield to protect himself and people around him from the outside world, including sounds, visuals and attacks. This ability is linked to his vitals. If he his not in tip top shape, the shield crack (in specific places or completely disappear). Weaknesses: TO BE DEFINED Talents: singing / rapping / dancing, which all are a part of his career. Hobbies: playing guitar, painting and drawing, reading (webtoons, poetry and novels), visiting museums / galleries / art exhibitions in every city he visits. Quirks/Pet Peeves: not respecting privacy and boundaries, chewing loudly, long queues, having to repeat himself over and over again… just to name a few. Quotes: “isn’t love a promise until death?”

Interests

Likes: peach iced tea, animals (he’s a dog person, but he can’t resist any fur friend), music, truffle pasta, cheese, any form of carb really, long baths after working all day, his kindle unlimited, his bandmates, cashmere plaids on overnight flights, an extensive skincare routine, vanilla scents, crispy rice sushi. Dislikes: eggplants, sweet toothpaste, cheeseless pizza, kids on planes, being away from his dog, natural deodorant (aka stinky people), crammed showers, soggy food, wet socks, staying still, patchouli. Favorite Color: burgundy and blue. Favorite Food: sushi and ramen. Favorite Thing to do: paint. Least Favorite Color: purple. Favorite Flower: Tulip. Least Favorite Food: mushrooms. Least Favorite Thing to do: waking up early.

GIF CREDIT

[mvishnukumar]

What are the best tools for data visualization in 2024?

As of 2024, there are several top-notch tools for data visualization, each with its own strengths:

Tableau:

Features: Offers a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality, creating interactive and shareable dashboards. It's great for exploring data and creating visually appealing graphics.

Use Case: Best for business users who need to create complex visualizations without coding skills.

Power BI:

Features: Integrates seamlessly with Microsoft products and provides strong data modeling capabilities. It offers a range of visualization options and interactive reports.

Use Case: Ideal for users in a Microsoft ecosystem and for those needing integration with other Microsoft tools.

Looker:

Features: Provides robust data exploration and business intelligence capabilities, with strong integration with Google Cloud services. It includes advanced data modeling features.

Use Case: Suitable for complex data exploration and for organizations using Google Cloud.

D3.js:

Features: A JavaScript library that offers complete control over the visualization of data. It’s highly customizable and ideal for creating unique, interactive web-based visualizations.

Use Case: Best for developers who need custom, interactive visualizations and are comfortable with coding.

Plotly:

Features: Supports interactive and high-quality visualizations and works with Python, R, and JavaScript. It’s good for creating complex charts and dashboards with ease.

Use Case: Ideal for users needing detailed and interactive plots, especially in Python and R environments.

Altair:

Features: A declarative Python library for creating statistical visualizations. It’s designed to be simple and intuitive for users to create effective plots with minimal code.

Use Case: Great for data scientists and analysts who need to create statistical visualizations quickly and efficiently in Python.

Matplotlib and Seaborn:

Features: Matplotlib is a versatile library for creating static, animated, and interactive plots. Seaborn builds on Matplotlib to provide a higher-level interface for statistical graphics and improved aesthetics.

Use Case: Suitable for Python users who need detailed and customizable plots and are comfortable with coding.

Qlik Sense:

Features: Known for its associative data model, which allows users to explore data from various perspectives. It provides interactive dashboards and strong data discovery features.

Use Case: Best for users needing advanced data exploration and visualization capabilities.

Choosing the best tool depends on your specific needs, such as ease of use, integration capabilities, and the complexity of the visualizations required. 

Each tool has its strengths, so consider what features are most important for your data analysis tasks.

[popmusicu]

Math Rock: A Beginner's Guide

As I mentioned in a previous post, my recent exploration of Japanese music led me down a fascinating path. While delving into Visual Kei, I encountered bands that defied its stylistic boundaries. These songs captivated me with their complex and almost dissonant rhythms. After some research on the bands that played this music, I came across the term Math Rock. So, today I'm going to tell you a bit about this genre, its relationship with Japan and what I've learned from my research.

 As a disclaimer, I'm by no means an expert on this genre and I'll just share with you what I've found, so I'll leave some links below with my main sources :)

Math rock is a subgenre derived from indie rock and post-hardcore, being typified by its atypical rhythmics, angular melodies, and odd time signatures. The intricate nature of the compositions that follow this genre was perceived by the listeners as mathematical, in a way of that it resembles to resolving mathematic problems, hence the genre’s name. Initially, the ‘math’ term came as a joke, but it has evolved into a more accepted name for the style.

Another important feature of math rock is that it usually prioritizes guitar and drums sounds, but it’s this last one the instrument in charge of providing driving, complex rhythms.

Although many math rock bands have lead vocalists, lyrics are generally not the focus, treating the voice as another instrument in the mix. Even so, there are a lot of math rock groups that are entirely instrumental.

The history of math rock begins in the late 1980s and early 1990s, primarily within the experimental and post-punk music scene. However, some sources indicate that its peak came in two waves: one in the mid-1990s and another in the mid-to-late 2000s, with the rise of the modern internet era.

The influences behind this genre go from the orchestral experimentation of Igor Stravinsky and Steve Reich to avant-garde changes in jazz in the 60’s. Progressive rock developments of the 70’s also played a role, as did the experimental beats of krautrock pioneers like Can and NEU!, along with the powerful guitar work of King Crimson and Bi Ryo Kan.

As Ed Cunningham says in his article for The Glow, math rock isn’t a genre specific to Japan, but it has a significant presence in the country; since the late 1980s there have been Japanese musicians who have consistently led in the development of the genre, taking it from brutal progressive to post rock, sometimes overlapping with another famous scene in the country, the noise rock.

Tatsuya Yoshida's band Ruins is often credited as the most influential in Japanese math rock, pioneering many of the genre's stylistic avenues. While I won't delve deeper here to keep this post concise, the math rock Wiki mentions Toe, Tricot, The Cabs, and Lite as prominent Japanese groups.  For my anime fans out there, Math Rock influences can even be found in the music of Ling Tosite Sigure.

In my opinion, math rock, with its focus on complex rhythms and instrumental interplay, offers a unique listening experience that challenges the norm of traditional song structures. While some might find it dissonant, others appreciate its intellectual complexity and artistic merit. So, like it happened to me, I hope the internet (and maybe even this post, hehe) can continue to connect music lovers with this unconventional and unique genre.

I’ll leave you a link to the Japanese math rock playlist that got me interested in this topic. Hope you enjoy it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCfh5BEPTp4 -Francisca Rivera C.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Math_rock

https://feckingbahamas.com/history-math-rock-pt-1-guess-black-flag-math-rock-now

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/math-rock-guide

https://www.tokyoweekender.com/entertainment/music/brief-guide-japanese-math-rock/

https://theglow.jp/guides/a-brief-guide-to-japanese-math-rock

[shefsolutionllc]

Data Science Tools and Technologies 

In the rapidly evolving world of data science, the array of tools and technologies available to professionals and enthusiasts alike is vast and constantly expanding. These tools are integral to transforming raw data into meaningful insights, driving decision-making, and fostering innovation across industries. In this blog, we'll explore some of the most prominent data science tools and technologies that are shaping the field today.

Programming Languages

Python

Python is the de facto language for data science, known for its simplicity and versatility. Its extensive library ecosystem, including NumPy, pandas, and Scikit-learn, makes it a powerhouse for data analysis, machine learning, and statistical modeling.

R

R is another leading language in data science, particularly favored in academia and research. It excels in statistical analysis and visualization, with packages like ggplot2 and dplyr providing robust capabilities for data manipulation and graphical representation.

Data Visualization Tools

Tableau

Tableau is a premier data visualization tool that allows users to create interactive and shareable dashboards. Its user-friendly interface and ability to connect to various data sources make it a popular choice for businesses looking to extract actionable insights from their data.

Power BI

Microsoft’s Power BI is a powerful tool for creating visualizations and business intelligence reports. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products and offers robust data modeling capabilities, making it ideal for enterprise-level data analytics.

Matplotlib and Seaborn

For those who prefer coding, Matplotlib and Seaborn are essential Python libraries for creating static, animated, and interactive visualizations. While Matplotlib provides the foundation, Seaborn builds on it to produce more aesthetically pleasing and informative graphics.

Machine Learning Frameworks

TensorFlow

Developed by Google, TensorFlow is an open-source framework that enables the building and training of machine learning models. Its flexibility and scalability make it suitable for both research and production environments, supporting a wide range of applications from image recognition to natural language processing.

PyTorch

PyTorch, developed by Facebook's AI Research lab, is another open-source machine learning framework gaining popularity for its dynamic computation graph and ease of use. It's widely used in both academia and industry for developing deep learning models.

Scikit-learn

Scikit-learn is a Python library that offers simple and efficient tools for data mining and data analysis. It's built on NumPy, SciPy, and matplotlib and is ideal for implementing classical machine learning algorithms like regression, classification, and clustering.

Big Data Technologies

Apache Hadoop

Hadoop is a framework that allows for the distributed processing of large data sets across clusters of computers. It is designed to scale up from a single server to thousands of machines, each offering local computation and storage.

Apache Spark

Spark is an open-source, distributed computing system that provides an interface for programming entire clusters with implicit data parallelism and fault tolerance. It's much faster than Hadoop due to its in-memory processing capabilities and supports various languages including Java, Scala, and Python.

NoSQL Databases

NoSQL databases, such as MongoDB, Cassandra, and HBase, are designed to handle large volumes of unstructured data. They offer high scalability and flexibility, making them suitable for real-time web applications and big data analytics.

Data Warehousing Solutions

Amazon Redshift

Amazon Redshift is a fully managed data warehouse service in the cloud. It allows users to run complex queries against large datasets and integrates seamlessly with other AWS services, providing a robust platform for big data analytics.

Google BigQuery

BigQuery is Google’s fully managed, serverless data warehouse that enables super-fast SQL queries using the processing power of Google’s infrastructure. It's designed to analyze terabytes of data in seconds and scales seamlessly to handle petabytes of data.

Conclusion

The landscape of data science tools and technologies is ever-growing and continually evolving. By leveraging these powerful resources, data scientists can extract meaningful insights from vast amounts of data, driving innovation and informed decision-making across various industries. Whether you are just starting in data science or are a seasoned professional, staying abreast of these tools and technologies is crucial for harnessing the full potential of your data.

[roamnook]

New Data Revolution: Transformative data visualization reshaping news consumption worldwide. Enhanced storytelling, engagement, comprehension through dynamic visuals. Stay informed with Business Today.

Designing the News of Tomorrow: Embracing the Power of Digital Data Storytelling

The evolving digital landscape has transformed the way we consume news and information drastically. Gone are the days of traditional text-based reporting systems; people across the world prefer receiving news and updates in an engaging and insightful manner. Such an approach is possible with the intersection of accessible design and data-driven storytelling—data visualization.

The What and Why of Data Visualization?

Data visualizations are an effective way to quickly establish a visual hierarchy between headline-worthy data and supplementary information. It helps make text-heavy pieces of information easy to assimilate.

They are the perfect mechanism to add empirical evidence to create improved, aesthetically attractive literary experiences bound to stimulate the audiences’ interest.

Transformation Driven by Data Visualization

At the crux of revolutionizing the way news and media content is presented and consumed, we turn raw data into thrilling visuals enhances storytelling, engagement, and comprehension. From interactive charts and maps to dynamic animations, we’re crafting more techniques to create captivating stories that move the reader.

Economic Trends

As we embrace the big change we’re witnessing in the finance industry with respect to big data, we continue to look for accessibility in data design. Numerous techniques and steps have been taken to make data accessible to the audience in real time.

Augmented Analytics (AA) is a boon for businesses worldwide. With cutting-edge techniques paired with robust systems designed to handle data efficiently, AA enables visual data discovery and more for industries.

Through modern AI tools, embedded data has become the norm. To improve functionality, BI tools can embed interactive data tools to portals and websites seamlessly.

Environmental Reporting

Through impactful data visualizations, environmental journalism has been highlighting pollution, deforestation, and the decline of wildlife across the globe. This presentation of data is a powerful tool in raising awareness and inciting action on a larger scale.

Breakthroughs in Healthcare

When covering medical advances or healthcare topics, news organizations use data visualization to interpret clinical trial results, the spread of disease, and the effectiveness of clinical trials. These help simplify complex medical information for the public.

Envisioning Data in the Future

The future of data visualization in news and media is all set to be both dynamic and transformative, driven by a convergence of technological advancements, evolving consumer expectations, and the imperative for effective storytelling.

The rise of immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) promises to revolutionize data presentation by enabling audiences to step into data-driven experiences. Furthermore, interactive and real-time visualizations will gain much-deserved attention, offering viewers the ability to manipulate and explore data themselves.

AI-powered news and media distribution will offer tailored content and data-driven insights with relevance and information distribution in mind, enhancing user engagement globally. This may also bring global events and incidents closer to the younger audience, as they would be heavily involved with cross-continental information at reach constantly.

As we move towards advanced data visualizations in news and media, we find ourselves embracing next-gen technologies and a commitment to ethical data handling, helping us build better stories for users worldwide. Think Design is looking forward to being at the forefront of data visualization trends in the industry, striving to captivate and inform our audiences in ways that were once unimaginable.

The author is Design Director at Think Design Collaborative

(DISCLAIMER: Any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the author or authors are solely their own and do not reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of Business Today)

Published on: Nov 14, 2023, 6:58 PM IST

[44gamez]

Bahnsen Knights Review (Switch eShop)

Captured on Nintendo Change (Docked)Inside seconds of beginning Bahnsen Knights, the third in LCB Sport Studio's ‘Pixel Pulps’ collection of video games, we discovered ourselves impressed. We turned the lights down low, placed on some headphones and, with the clear goal of savouring each second, held the Change’s OLED display so near our face that we grew to become totally immersed on this visible novel’s wealthy four-colour pixel graphics and oscillating, unnerving chiptune soundscape. Our barely obsessive behaviour was no shock contemplating how a lot this author loved the earlier two Pixel Pulps, Mothmen 1966 and Varney Lake, visible novels of genre-defining high quality in probably the most essential of the way—that they have been loads of enjoyable to play (particularly Mothmen). These predecessors have been hyper-imaginative horror tales informed to a powerful storytelling customary, seemingly impressed by the retro likes of Bizarre Tales journal. To our tastes, this collection already deserves to be the customary bearer for visible novels as a complete. They’re the sort of idiosyncratic, high quality manufacturing that may elevate a style out of what's a reasonably small area of interest.

Captured on Nintendo Change (Handheld/Undocked) Bahnsen Knights hits the identical excessive requirements from its opening scene. Story-wise, its broad-strokes horror narrative might sound acquainted. The Wicker Man and different tales and movies come to thoughts. All function the identical setup: somebody has gone lacking in a creepy, rural location with the accountability seemingly falling squarely on the ft—or ought to that be automobiles—of an odd cult. This model tells the story of Boulder, an undercover police officer looking for his associate, who went lacking whereas investigating a gang—the Bahnsen Knights, a bunch of car-driving, brooding psychopaths, whose primary pastimes embrace: portray pink crosses on their automobiles; ‘exorcising the highway’; a deep psychological entwinement with tornadoes; being underneath the spell of their enigmatic chief, Toni; and customarily posing an enormous risk to Boulder’s sanity and life. In the event that they uncover you’re a mole, then your life is over. There’ll be no going again to your deeply-missed spouse and child.

Captured on Nintendo Change (Docked) A lot in regards to the Pixel Pulps makes them really feel genuinely particular. In Bahnsen Knights, the very first thing that jumped out at us was the tightness of the storytelling. The sport is informed in skilfully dramatised scenes. The writing sucked us in with robust moment-by-moment characterisation, elevating that semi-familiar story arrange simply the way in which robust writing at all times ought to. Very quickly, you’ll overlook any similarities to different tales. Bahnsen Knights has greater than sufficient character of its personal. Subsequent are the visuals—the fantastically atmospheric illustrations are rendered within the color palette of a Spectrum ZX, and so they make the sport really feel in some methods like a low-bit graphic novel. But, the animations, pacing, and interactivity inherent within the visible novel medium make sure that Bahnsen Knights is its personal beast totally. It is nonetheless very a lot a recreation. Like Mothmen 1966 earlier than it, this incorporates a near-constant, mesmeric cicada sound that’s so hypnotic that we began questioning if the video games have been designed with some bi-aural enjoyable beta-wave trickery, pushing us right into a dream state the place our imaginations grew to become a bit extra susceptible to the impressed dreamy nightmarishness of the story.

Captured on Nintendo Change (Docked) We’ve heard loads of complaints that visible novels don’t have fairly sufficient precise gameplay—that they’re extra studying experiences—however we discovered Bahnsen Knights had a pleasant steadiness between story and interactivity. As with the opposite Pixel Pulps, the principle bulk of this interactivity seems as minor dialogue selections alongside the way in which, however this time there’s additionally a light-weight roleplaying factor. At occasions Bahnsen Knights feels virtually like a point-and-click journey—the investigation into your associate’s disappearance is well-realised as you seek for and interpret clues. Probably the most notable interactivity comes in the course of the motion sequences, which, whether or not depicting a brawl or a high-speed chase, really feel like easy however tonally acceptable diversions that you just may need performed as their very own video games on an alternate-dimension Grindhouse-edition of a Sport & Watch. Their retro really feel matches completely with the artwork type, and so they weave straight into the story—or, within the case of darts and solitaire minigames, flesh out the world and make it ever extra plausible. These sequences are well-timed. They add a bit burst of adrenaline-inducing motion and sometimes threat supplying you with one of many demise endings in the event you fail—then they’re completed, and the story strikes on as swift as ever. Notably, there's touchscreen management all through the sport, and in these moments it usually feels extra responsive than utilizing the joystick and buttons.

Captured on Nintendo Change (Docked) Argentine developer duo Nico Saraintaris (writing and recreation design) and Fernando Martínez Ruppel (artwork and music) each come out of those video games leaving optimistic impressions that they're high-achieving artists of fantastic and universally gratifying style. We would like extra from them, and we’re not bothered how they go about it. They've a smattering of other games out there on-line too, and as at all times they nail the actually vital stuff. LCB makes high-quality and interesting work. A fast take a look at the screenshots will inform you that Bahnsen Knights, unsurprisingly, runs extremely nicely on the Change. Throughout its two-and-a-half hour runtime, you may really feel assured that nothing will get in your manner of delighting on this most gratifying of visible novels. The creativity on present is such that you just’ll doubtless be tempted to reload and tick off all the additional achievements when you’re completed. It’s not important that you just play the Pixel Pulp video games so as, though one character who does seem in every instalment will get his most thorough introduction in Mothmen 1966, which is then adopted up in Varney Lake. And there’s no less than one different backward reference, too. For probably the most half, nonetheless, Bahnsen Knights is a standalone story,

Conclusion

Should you’re intrigued by visible novels and their potential to please, then the Pixel Pulps collection is arguably the absolute best place to start out. Bahnsen Knights is the third entry and it’s fairly rattling fantastic. With its tighter emphasis on gameplay, it is arguably the perfect of the three, although that will be like selecting your favorite baby. It’s okay to like all of them. Bahnsen Knights is a simple suggestion, and one which turns into even stronger in the event you’re interested by horror and peculiar tales. Source link Read the full article