#best smartphones 2019

[its-rat-time-babey]

Figuring out when the fuck Glitch Techs takes place.

Spoiler Alert: Not when you’d think.

Also probably spoilers for Glitch Techs idk.

Alright. Glitch Techs. I watched it, I liked it, I mourned that it was shelved by Netflix and will never get a season 3 or a conclusion to the story it was in the process of setting up, and I thought to myself:

“Hey, when does this show actually take place?”

Because we see technology from the past, present and future all in one timeframe being presented like it’s perfectly normal.

For the present (or at least 2019-2020, when the show was made), we see modern smartphones and VR gaming is a regular thing.

(Although do keep in mind that Smartphones seem to look more like the older models of Smartphone compared to our modern 2020 ones. This will be important later)

But that’s where the first flaws start showing up.

Starting with the evidence for the past: There’s fast, modern internet and social media exists, which is a point for modern day, but social media doesn’t seem to be a completely universal thing, with only a few characters we see actually using it.

Streaming and Streamers exist, with Mitch being a former streamer and member of a streaming group, but given how little social media is relevant in the show it’s actually arguable how popular or widespread streaming is.

People definitely know about Mitch Williams and the Furious Four, but I’d argue that those people are limited to more hardcore gamers and Hinobi game enthusiasts and not many (or even any) people outside that niche really know or care.

Mitch’s career as a streamer and any fame he has in general is only really noticed by other hardcore gamers like Five, other Glitch Techs and that one kid in the Hinobi tournament (the fact that they’re in the tournament to begin with means that they’re one of the best gamers Hinobi could find) after all. Miko, a hardcore gamer, doesn’t even know Mitch had a streaming career at all until someone else tells her (although she does kinda get a pass because it’s implied that Miko is homeschooled and just doesn’t know much about social media or streaming in general).

So it appears that in the setting of Glitch Techs, social media and streaming exists, but is a rather niche concept, with only a few demographics of people being interested in that sort of thing. High schoolers and older teens for social media, and hardcore gamers and game enthusiasts for streaming. So in that regard it’s a lot like the early 2000s when that kind of thing was just taking off and wasn’t as popular.

There’s also the far more obvious fact that arcades are common and very popular. Not something that you would expect if this show happens in the modern day.

Even TVs don’t line up with the present day. If you see a TV in glitch techs, it looks more like a TV from the 2010s than the modern day.

Note the stand and the fact that they’re not wall mounted and too thick to be proper modern TVs.

But on the topic of TVs and video games, this is where our one piece of big future evidence exists, so I’m going to disprove it real quick to make things easier for us.

There is holographic technology easily available and commonplace in gaming equipment.

And this isn’t just a regular case of Hinobi having advanced, futuristic technology that it only gives to its Glitch Techs (which I’m fully willing to overlook) because these holographic screens aren’t limited to just Glitch Techs. It’s an ordinary part of Hinobi’s commercial technology.

However, It can just be counted as Hinobi being really shady and advanced in terms of technology, especially since it’s only Hinobi technology that has this stuff. Phones, TVs and etc don’t have holographic screens, and there’s a canonical reason for that in the form of plixels, the Hinobi technology that creates all those glitches in the first place.

Plixels are canonically a thing that Hinobi invented to store massive amounts of data in very small spaces, which they use to make their products as advanced and high quality as possible. They’re also somewhat unstable which is what creates glitches, but that’s a whole different topic.

Point is. Plixels are extremely advanced Hinobi technology used in all of their products, and as seen in the show, can be used to create solid objects if used correctly. The holographic screens are just Hinobi Plixels being used for their intended purpose and it makes perfect sense why Hinobi has this technology, and as such doesn’t really provide any evidence of Glitch Techs happening in the future. Hinobi is strange, shady and has very advanced technology for it’s time, so we’re going to ignore most of the super advanced technology they have.

We will not however, ignore their older technology, especially the tech that parallels our own. That stuff is very useful.

Part 2: Actually solving this thing:

Here’s what we have so far for Glitch Tech’s setting:

VR gaming is a perfectly normal thing that matches or even somewhat surpasses modern VR (2020)

Smartphones exist, but visually resemble older smartphones from the early to mid 2010s

TVs resemble early 2010s TVs

The state of Social Media and Streaming seems similar to how it was in the 2000s

Arcades exist and are very popular, which dates things to anywhere from the 1970s to 1990s

Hinobi’s advanced technology fuckery can complicate things, and provides no evidence for any one time

For actually solving this, we need concrete data and that needs some assumptions regarding our world and how it relates to the world of Glitch Techs.

Because we have about three and a half pieces of hard evidence for the time period that Glitch Tech takes place in, and they don’t give completely conclusive dates, just a time frame of a few years that Glitch Techs can happen in and some explanations and rationalizations are needed to explain things that don’t line up.

It also uses the ages of some characters that I got from the wiki (which may not be completely reliable) and some educated guessing.

Those pieces of evidence are:

Ping’s creation and Emilio Nieves

Spec Ops

Phil’s files, Bitt and Bolybius

One crucial part of figuring out the Glitch Techs timeline is the fact that Video Games as a concept were created rather recently compared to our world. Five’s dad, Emilio Nieves was a former employee of Hinobi and was the creator of the first three video games, including this world’s equivalent of Pong, is still alive and according to the wiki is somewhere in his 40s.

Now we just need to figure out how old he was when he made Ping, and we have some pictures that might help.

In the episode “Ping”, we see Emilio Nieves at three different points in his life.

A young man who appears to be either in or fresh out of college judging by the other people around him that resemble college students.

An older man (that looks the same as before) raising Five that i estimate to be around his 30s considering his current age, Five’s age in the photo and Five’s current age.

Emilio Nieves in his 40s in prison, how he currently is.

Emilio Nieves is somewhere in his 40s, and judging by the pictures and how he was responsible for the first three games, probably made ping fresh out of college, and then made the other two a few years later.

Ping’s real life equivalent, Pong, was made in the year 1972, and if we assume that Ping and Pong share a birth year and Ping really was created when Emilio Nieves was in or fresh out of college, that would put the current year of Glitch Techs in anywhere from 1992 to around 1998, depending on exactly when Ping was made in relation to Emilio Nieves’ time in college (the average college student spends about 4-5 years in college, plus 1 year for time after leaving college).

That’s a pretty big timeframe, but it can be reduced by quite a bit with the help of another equivalent game.

Spec Ops.

Spec Ops is a game made by Hinobi that was freshly released when Five bought it in “Karate Trainer”. It’s also a very obvious parody of Metal Gear, so if we can figure out exactly what game in the Metal Gear franchise it’s closest to, we can compare its release date to the show.

And I narrowed it down to two games in the franchise. The original Metal Gear from 1998 and Metal Gear 2: Sons Of Liberty from 2001.

I apologize for the terrible pictures of the Metal Gear Games, I just couldn’t find any good ones.

I can’t figure out exactly which of the two games are closest to what we see in the show and I don’t really believe it’s possible, but this narrows our timeframe to 1998-2001.

Next up: Phil and his secret files.

According to Bitt, Phil has been working as the manager of Hinobi’s Bailley division for 20 years, and it’s implied that he worked as a Glitch Tech for several years before becoming a manager and being given Bitt. According to the wiki, Phil is somewhere in his 40s.

Now, we see Phil in his 20s in “BITT Prime” courtesy of Bitt’s photo album and we see a much younger version of him in Phil’s hidden files at the end of the episode.

However, you’ll probably notice that these two Phils are not the same. Notice the small beard on File Phil that’s absent on 20-Years-Ago Phil.

But we do still know roughly when this Phil existed because we have a photo close to that.

I’m not joking here. This is 100% serious. Notice the beard. This is the first appearance of said beard in all of Phil’s photos. Hippie Phil does have the beginnings of a moustache that File Phil lacks, but that still helps figure out when File Phil happens because it dates him to just before the photo was taken, in between Hippie Phil and the photo before it.

Hippie Phil is the 3rd picture in that photo album and assuming that each photo was taken one year apart, that means Hippie Phil happened 17 years ago, and File Phil Happened somewhere between 17 and 18 years ago, which I will simply round down to 17.

Hippies were a thing mostly in the 60s and early 70s, so if we assume that the photo was taken in the early 70s, that would place us around 1987-ish. But there’s a massive problem here: Ping puts us around 1992-1998 and Spec Ops somewhat narrows it down to 1998-2001, but now we have evidence pointing to way earlier than even the oldest possible date of 1992.

Luckily, although HIPPIES were a thing in the 60s and 70s, TIE-DYE specifically was a thing that went in and out of fashion during the 70s, 80s, 90s and even the 2000s. Phil isn’t being a Hippie in that photo, he’s just wearing tie dye, which happened to be in-style when the photo was taken, and I can’t explain the peace signs and stoned expression. Maybe some things are best left unanswered.

But this gives us another problem. Now the timeframe is too wide, spanning nearly 40 years of time. But this too can be solved using a completely different theory involving a certain arcade game that I have a love-hate relationship with:

Polybius. More specifically it’s in-universe equivalent Bolypius.

Almost nothing is known about Bolypius other than a few hints we’re given sparsely throughout the show, including:

Bolypius is a glitch of some kind that’s incredibly dangerous and important, possibly being intelligent and able to act human

Hinobi has no idea where Bolypius currently is

Miko may be important in locating Bolypius’s current location, for reasons that are unknown but probably linked to her reset immunity

If the show hadn’t been canned by Netflix, we would have had an episode dedicated to Bolypius, named “Bolypius”

An animatic from an unreleased episode exists bringing up “Bolypius Chess” as a very old game in the Glitch Techs universe

Bolypius presumably takes many details from its real urban legend equivalent

Now taking that last fact into consideration, here’s some important, basic details about Polybius:

Polybius was made by the government and caused all sorts of physiological effects on the people that played it

Mysterious men in black would often be seen messing with the machine and taking strange data from it

One day, Polybius just vanished. Taken away by the government never to be seen again.

Taking that into consideration and assuming that Polybius and Bolypius share similarities with each other (which they most likely do), you can assume some things about Bolypius, mainly that it was most likely purposefully created by Hinobi (who take up the role of the government here because it’s Hinobi, of course they do) for whatever reason and like Polybius, just vanished one day, with the difference that Polybius was taken away BY the government and Bolypius escaped FROM the government (or Hinobi in this case).

How does this apply to Phil’s messages to his future self? Well we’ll never know what those messages involve because Netflix is a bitch but judging by Past Phil’s comments about Hinobi wiping the minds of employees, the warning he delivers about “things getting glitchy” in the future and the slow reveal of Bolypius that was supposed to happen if the show didn’t get canned, it’s pretty safe to assume that these messages involve Bolypius in some way.

We also know that this information isn’t a clue to Bolypius’s location because for one, Phil’s mind was wiped at some point after making these videos, and if Hinobi is trying to FIND Bolypius they probably wouldn’t erase the mind of someone who has a clue to their location.

No, the video is definitely talking about Bolypius, but I don’t think it’s about its location or where it went. Past Phil mentions that he took a bunch of files from Hinobi’s development lab, aka the part of Hinobi responsible for making new technology and games, so I think these files aren’t about Bolypius’ location, but rather Bolypius’ CREATION.

Like it’s real equivalent, Bolypius was made by the government (or in this case, the equally shady Hinobi), and Past Phil somehow stole files detailing that process or was possibly even directly involved in the project, but had his mind wiped afterwards. It explains not only why Hinobi would wipe Phil’s mind several times in the past, but also his Phil’s warnings and why he bothered to send his future self a message in the first place.

But more importantly than that big theory that honestly deserves its own post, Polybius has a release date: 1981.

If Bolypius was made in the same year as its real world counterpart and Phil’s message involves Bolypius’ creation like I theorized, the year 1981 lines up with everything else.

It’s 9 years after the invention of Pong/Ping, so Hinobi could be a proper game company with designated Glitch Techs by that time.

That 9 years gives us more than enough time for Phil to have gotten those pictures taken over the course of 3 years.

The 80s were a time where Tie-Dye was in style, lining up with the Tie-Dye Phil picture.

And finally, taking the year 1981 and adding 17 years (the rough amount of time since that last photo was taken) gives us the year 1998, a year that fits with the other bits of evidence perfectly.

Part 3: 1998 Evidence:

1998 specifically lines up with almost all other pieces of evidence I’ve given.

Bolypius’s presumed birthday plus the age of Phil’s messages and photos gets us 1998.

If Emilio Nieves built Ping at the end of his college years or when he was fresh out of college, it’s fully possible for him to make at least 3 other games, have Five, be arrested for hacking and end up in prison by his 40s in 1998. In fact, this is even more likely given that the Ping machine has Hinobi’s logo on it, meaning that Emilio Nieves was a Hinobi employee when he made it. He probably got hired fresh out of college and invented Ping very early in his career, something that is entirely possible because Emilio Nieves is a master programmer.

The year 1998 is the exact year that Metal Gear (1998) came out, perfectly lining it up with the in-universe Spec Ops that came out in the current Glitch Techs year.

Arcades like we see in the show were popular in the 90s, albeit losing popularity at the time, and as even more evidence, the 80s and early 90s were the time when animatronic restaurants were at their most popular, lining up with in-universe things like Joystick Jr’s using animatronics when Five was a kid.

However, there’s still the existence of high speed internet, streaming and social media (in an early 2000s-like state), VR games, smartphones and TVs (which both resemble the 2010s versions of themselves).

Luckily for that, we have an explanation in the form of Hinobi’s high tech tomfuckery. More specifically the impact it would logically have on the rest of the world’s technology and technological advancement.

High speed internet can be explained by the invention of plixels, which are supposed to be an extremely compact and fast form of data storage. The invention of that technology would 100% kickstart the internet into a version that’s a lot closer to the modern version in terms of availability and speed. Even without directly using plixels, their invention would kickstart the invention of other high speed data storage technologies that would also bring the internet up to our modern speeds.

The extremely fast upgrading of the internet courtesy of plixel technology would also probably kickstart things like social media and streaming into becoming a thing way earlier than normal, but we see that it’s still not completely known by everyone.

Hinobi’s advanced technology (at least the stuff it actually sells) could also end up influencing things like smartphones into existing early and speed up the development of TVs from bulky CRTs to the significantly less bulky plasma screens (presumably they’re plasma screens based on their looks) we see in the show. The extremely fast advancement of the internet may also affect the invention of smartphones. They’re not as advanced as the modern stuff we have as they resemble smartphones and TVs from the 2010s, but they’re still more advanced than what you’d normally see in 1998.

VR being common and actually more advanced than 2020 VR is just Hinobi being Hinobi.

So TLDR: Glitch Techs takes place in the year 1998, in a universe where certain technologies were heavily influenced and advanced by roughly a decade or two due to Hinobi’s high tech tomfuckery.

[techturd]

Do you know what this is? Probably not. But if you follow me and enjoy retro gaming, you REALLY should know about it.

I see all of these new micro consoles, and retro re-imaginings of game consoles and I think to myself "Why?" WHY would you spend a decent chunk of your hard-earned money on some proprietary crap hardware that can only play games for that specific system?? Or even worse, pre-loaded titles and you can't download / add your own to the system!? Yet, people think it's great and that seems to be a very popular way to play their old favorites vs. emulation which requires a "certain degree of tech savvy" (and might be frowned upon from a legal perspective).

So, let me tell you about the Mad Catz M.O.J.O (and I don't think the acronym actually means anything). This came out around the same time as the nVidia Shield and the Ouya - seemingly a "me too" product from a company that is notorious for oddly shaped 3rd party game controllers that you would never personally use, instead reserved exclusively for your visiting friends and / or younger siblings. It's an Android micro console with a quad-core 1.8 GHz nVidia Tegra 4 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard storage (expandable via SD card), running Android 4.2.2. Nothing amazing here from a hardware perspective - but here's the thing most people overlook - it's running STOCK Android - which means all the bloatware crap that is typically installed on your regular consumer devices, smartphones, etc. isn't consuming critical hardware resources - so you have most of the power available to run what you need. Additionally, you get a GREAT controller (which is surprising given my previous comment about the friend / sibling thing) that is a very familiar format for any retro-age system, but also has the ability to work as a mouse - so basically, the same layout as an Xbox 360 controller + 5 additional programmable buttons which come in very handy if you are emulating. It is super comfortable and well-built - my only negative feedback is that it's a bit on the "clicky" side - not the best for environments where you need to be quiet, otherwise very solid.

Alright now that we've covered the hardware - what can it run? Basically any system from N64 on down will run at full speed (even PSP titles). It can even run an older version of the Dreamcast emulator, Reicast, which actually performs quite well from an FPS standpoint, but the emulation is a bit glitchy. Obviously, Retroarch is the way to go for emulation of most older game systems, but I also run DOSbox and a few standalone emulators which seem to perform better vs. their RetroArch Core equivalents (list below). I won't get into all of the setup / emulation guide nonsense, you can find plenty of walkthroughs on YouTube and elsewhere - but I will tell you from experience - Android is WAY easier to setup for emulation vs. Windows or another OS. And since this is stock Android, there is very little in the way of restrictions to the file system, etc. to manage your setup.

I saved the best for last - and this is truly why you should really check out the M.O.J.O. even if you are remotely curious. Yes, it was discontinued years ago (2019, I think). It has not been getting updates - but even so, it continues to run great, and is extremely reliable and consistent for retro emulation. These sell on eBay, regularly for around $60 BRAND NEW with the controller included. You absolutely can't beat that for a fantastic emulator-ready setup that will play anything from the 90s without skipping a beat. And additional controllers are readily available, new, on eBay as well.

Here's a list of the systems / emulators I run on my setup:

Arcade / MAME4droid (0.139u1) 1.16.5 or FinalBurn Alpha / aFBA 0.2.97.35 (aFBA is better for Neo Geo and CPS2 titles bc it provides GPU-driven hardware acceleration vs. MAME which is CPU only)

NES / FCEUmm (Retroarch)

Game Boy / Emux GB (Retroarch)

SNES / SNES9X (Retroarch)

Game Boy Advance / mGBA (Retroarch)

Genesis / PicoDrive (Retroarch)

Sega CD / PicoDrive (Retroarch)

32X / PicoDrive (Retroarch)

TurboGrafx 16 / Mednafen-Beetle PCE (Retroarch)

Playstation / ePSXe 2.0.16

N64 / Mupen64 Plus AE 2.4.4

Dreamcast / Reicast r7 (newer versions won't run)

PSP / PPSSPP 1.15.4

MS-DOS / DOSBox Turbo + DOSBox Manager

I found an extremely user friendly Front End called Gamesome (image attached). Unfortunately it is no longer listed on Google Play, but you can find the APK posted on the internet to download and install. If you don't want to mess with that, another great, similar Front End that is available via Google Play is called DIG.

If you are someone who enjoys emulation and retro-gaming like me, the M.O.J.O. is a great system and investment that won't disappoint. If you decide to go this route and have questions, DM me and I'll try to help you if I can.

Cheers - Techturd

[pinkiepiebones]

What do you think Renfield's relationship with the modern world is like? Mostly like, technology. I don't know many 130-year-olds who can use a smartphone, but he'd have to deal with at least some of that stuff to keep away from vampire hunters and buy out abandoned buildings, right?

"I don't know many 130-year-olds who can use a smartphone" Bro how many 130-year-olds do you know 🤔

Anyway. He's had to adapt, for sure. You don't see to the continued survival of a 600+year old vampire without learning how to navigate the constantly shifting world. Renfield has had to adapt and change with the times as best he could; he couldn't afford to cling to the old and familiar (heh).

As you say we know he's capable of using a phone, both for calling and for searching online. In the 2019 script, he tries to show Dracula real estate listings on his phone and also has a laptop on which he sends emails and stalks someone on F*ceb*ok. So, like- I'm not trying to mesh these two ideas of Renfield into one, I just wanted to use that to point out that Renfield being tech-competent is "canon."

Now I'm trying to imagine the first time he bought- or, let's be realistic, he took one off a corpse*- a smartphone with a touchscreen and started tapping away on it, and Dracula having that confrontational curiosity snatches it away to see this glowing rectangle that's got his familiar so entranced

"It's a telephone, Master. Er, a newer sort."

"No it's not. Where are the wires? The rotary dial?"

"Master, communication technology has advanced considerably since you last used a phone. They don't even need to dial an operator anymore, all the information is just, ah, in there, already."

"Preposterous. This thing is so... so thin. And frail. And small. Like you."

"... I'm taller than you?"

And Dracula gets mad when his lack of body heat (vampires are cold, right?) and his claws prevent him from using the screen so he declares it another bauble of man's vanity and yeets it.

*(at some point he had to start pickpocketing the victims, right? Credit cards to max out, cash to shove into his own worn wallet, driver licenses and other identification to destroy...)

[chenvs3000f24]

Blog #9 Unit 10

As I develop my personal ethic as a nature interpreter, I am reminded of the urgency and responsibility that comes with this role. The world is facing unprecedented environmental challenges, yet our connection to nature is dwindling. As Jacob Rodenburg (2019) mentions, “being an environmental educator in today’s world feels like you are asked to stop a rushing river armed only with a teaspoon”. To further this message, in a climate change discussion presented by the David Suzuki Foundation, it was mentioned that in San Diego, a city surrounded by stunning coastlines, 90% of kids can’t swim, 95% have never been on a boat, and 36% have never even seen the ocean despite living less than 20 minutes away (DavidSuzukiFDN, 2012). Both these points highlight a growing problem that extends beyond just San Diego. It’s a disconnect that, as a nature interpreter, I am committed to solving.

Once I stated this, I realized I might be in over my head by saying “solving” and rather maybe should say alleviate or mitigate. Even with mitigating this gap, I thought where would I start? How can I encourage a generation to care for a world they have rarely even experienced first-hand.

Connecting two worlds: The advantage of my generation:

Being born in the early 2000s, I believe I would have a unique perspective to take this challenge on. I had the advantage of growing up in an environment where outdoor play was common and afternoons were spent exploring the woods, playing sports outside, or simply daydreaming beneath a vast blue sky. I still remember the feeling of endless opportunities while emerging in nature, free of any digital world. During this time, even schooling was different. There was a greater emphasis on hands-on activities, outdoor field trips, and real-world discoveries than on screens and online classes. I have a vivid memory of the evolution of learning boards, which started with plain whiteboards and blackboards, to projectors (figure 1), and then to smartboards and more high-tech equipment.

Figure 1: this is an example of a projector that I still vividly remember my teachers using to give lessons. (Whatever Happened to the Overhead Projector?, 2021)

However, I was still young enough to experience the quick shift to a tech-centric lifestyle. As smartphones, tablets, and social media grew more integrated into our daily lives, I saw firsthand outdoor activities take the backseat. Children today, who have never experienced a world without continual digital connectivity, are missing out on the simple pleasures and deep connections that come from connecting with nature.

This dual perspective gives me an advantage when interpreting nature. I understand what today’s children are drawn to in the digital age, but I also recognize the irreplaceable significant of both hands-on and physical experiences. My goal is to use this insight to develop programs that combine the best of both worlds, utilizing technology to enhance, rather than replace, our relationship with nature.  

One of my firm views is that everyone, particularly children, has an innate urge to interact with the natural world. Jacob Rodenburg (2019), highlights this through his experiences that younger children are always eager to appreciate nature, all they need is a chance. He describes taking children to wetlands and seeing their faces light up as they discover salamanders and frogs. These experiences have taught me that the first step in encouraging environmental care is to instill a sense of wonder and curiosity.

Since this is a longer post I want to stop here at halfway and give everyone a break from reading and do this activity:

Think of a place in nature that holds a special memory for you- maybe a childhood park, a hidden trail, or even your backyard. Now think about if that is something children growing up now would experience. What did it teach you? How can you use this place to inspire someone else to love the environment?

As a nature interpreter, my job is not only to inform, but to inspire. Interpretation should aim to create memorable, meaningful experiences that inspire action (Beck et al., 2018). This includes acknowledging that both children and adults need to reconnect with nature on their own terms (Beck et al., 2018). It is not enough to discuss climate change or species extinction. Instead, I want to give hands-on, engaging experiences that will make people care profoundly about the environment around them. I can even do this by incorporating technologies, such as microscopes, magnifying glasses, and telescopes to look at nature. For example, when I was young my dad showed me how you can hold a magnifying glass up to a leaf in the sun, and the leaf will get a hole burnt in it. I still remember this experience to this day.

Here you can see a video of this in action:

https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-5804798-scout-burning-leaves-by-loupe-tries-holding

Futher, the identification of global warming as a severe hazard is not a new development. At the 1988 global conference, Steve Lewis and other renowned scientists raised the alarm about the dangers of climate change, urging the world to act. Despite decades of growing scientific data, development has halted and, in some cases, reversed (DavidSuzukiFDN, 2012). This lack of momentum is that the method was frequently based on just providing data and using fear to elicit change, rather than developing compelling, meaningful experiences that could inspire a deeper, long-term connection to the subject.

An interpreting technique that appeals to me is one that mixes storytelling and discovery. Rodenburg's significance on micro-environments serves as an inspiration for me when writing for younger readers (Jacob Rodenburg, 2019). Instead of bombarding children with information about vanishing glaciers or plastic-filled oceans, I can focus on the simple wonders right in their own backyard. For example, how he brought up the idea to take them to a local park and ask, "I wonder who lives under this rock?" so when they lift it and discover a wiggling earthworm or a little salamander, they feel as if that was their own discovery (Jacob Rodenburg, 2019). It's a time of pure exhilaration, where the thrill of discovery creates a deeper, more personal relationship to nature, instilling an actual care for the environment.

I also believe in the power of storytelling. By crafting narratives about the plants, animals, and landscapes around us, I can turn facts into intriguing stories that pique the imagination. This strategy not only makes knowledge more memorable, but it also helps people create a stronger emotional bond with their surroundings by transforming abstract concepts into relatable, lived experiences (Beck et al., 2018).

Quick interactive moment: What's one tiny thing you can do today to reconnect with nature? It may be as simple as planting a flower, clearing up trash. or taking a few minutes tonight to observe the stars.

References

Beck, L., Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For a Better World.

DavidSuzukiFDN. (2012, July 20). David Suzuki and Richard Louv @AGO [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5DI1Ffdl6Y

Jacob Rodenburg. (2019, June 17). Why environmental educators shouldn’t give up hope | CLEARING: PNW Journal of Environmental Education in the Pacific Northwest. https://clearingmagazine.org/archives/14300

Whatever happened to the overhead projector? (2021, November 15). Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom  Practice. https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2021/11/15/whatever-happened-to-the-overhead-projector/

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT in LA with Adam Conover at Vroman's, then on MONDAY in Seattle with Neal Stephenson, then Portland, Phoenix and more!

#20yrsago Education czar calls teachers’ union a “terrorist organization” https://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/02/24/paige.terrorist.nea/index.html

#20yrsago Garry Trudeau puts $10K up for anyone who will confirm Bush’s Air Guard claims https://web.archive.org/web/20040401103812/http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/faqs/index.html

#20yrsago Nelson’s Grey Tuesday RSS https://web.archive.org/web/20040503084858/http://www.nelson.monkey.org/~nelson/weblog/culture/blogs/greyDay.html

#15yrsago Conan copyright trolls censor fan-readings of public domain stories https://www.sffaudio.com/conan-and-new-zealands-new-copyright-law-vs-broken-sea/

#15yrsago Unimaginably gigantic cell-phone market in Shenzhen https://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=283

#15yrsago John Hodgman explains what’s wrong with “Meh” https://waxy.org/2009/02/john_hodgman_on_meh/

#15yrsago @brucesterling's The Caryatids, my pick for best book of 2009, a novel of clear-eyed hope for the future https://memex.craphound.com/2009/02/24/bruce-sterlings-the-caryatids-my-pick-for-best-book-of-2009-a-novel-of-clear-eyed-hope-for-the-future/

#10yrsago Mozilla’s $25 Firefox smartphone: a free/open device for billions of new netizens https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/with-firefox-os-mozilla-begins-the-25-smartphone-push/

#10yrsago Whistleblower: NSA secretly continues Merkel surveillance by bugging other German officials https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/02/nsa-moves-from-bugging-german-chancellor-to-bugging-german-ministers/

#10yrsago Text of Little Brother on an art-litho, tee, or tote https://www.litographs.com/products/brother

#10yrsago Takei to Arizona lawmakers: we will boycott Arizona if it passes its anti-gay Jim Crow law https://www.cnbc.com/2014/02/25/razing-arizonageorge-takeicommentary.html

#10yrsago How Youtube’s automated copyright system lets big music screw indie creators https://torrentfreak.com/why-youtubes-automated-copyright-takedown-system-hurts-artists-140223/

#5yrsago Deposition of opioid profiteer Richard Sackler reveals his bizarre defense: definitional games and insistence that words mean their opposite https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/sackler-behind-oxycontin-fraud-offered-twisted-mind-boggling-defense/

#5yrsago Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will pay every staffer a living wage, ending the longstanding practice of Congressional staffers taking second jobs https://rollcall.com/2019/02/22/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-call-for-a-living-wage-starts-in-her-office/

#5yrsago As expected, the EU has advanced the catastrophic Copyright Directive without fixing its terrible defects https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/02/european-governments-approve-controversial-new-copyright-law/

#1yrago This is your brain on fraud apologetics https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

[scrunkore]

Scrunkore Media "Thread" 2023: Part 6

the scrunko core has burned out, rebooting

63) Cassette Beasts (PC, 2023)

This is a really cool monster tamer RPG, it came up with a really fun type interaction system and there are are excellent designs in it especially with the eldritch-style bosses, that's super fun. Big fan of the setting and its unique vibe too, if you've played the game you'll know what I mean about that. Great indie I enjoyed my time with, though the romance feels tacked on and I thought the ending was just Fine. [4★]

64) Doctor Who, Series 6-10 (TV, 2011-2017)

Moffat's entire tenure with the greatest TV show in Britain, knocked out within the year, and honestly I think it was quite good. Plenty of flaws, like his messy ambitions, how weird he is about women sometimes, and how some episodes just genuinely fucking suck, but you get that with every era of the show really. The highs are damn high, especially with Capaldi's Doctor in episodes like Heaven Sent and The Doctor Falls, and I think that's enough to outweigh the bad. And I feel like series 10 in particular is often overlooked more than it should be, pretty strong one that is. No rating, but I love Doctor Who when it's good.

65) Mad Rat Dead (Switch, 2020)

MAD RAT MONDAY!!!! I played this game because of the soundtrack, which totally bangs and of course you need that in a rhythm game like this one. Fun one it is too, it has options to make it less challenging and the story is unexpectedly pretty cool. I'm not very good at it, but I beat it and I had a fun time doing so. Rats rule. [4★]

66) Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins (Switch, 2021)

This is apparently the only good Doctor Who game still officially playable, and yeah, I can see it. Immersing yourself in a mystery contained within a smartphone featuring an iconic monster and fun appearances from existing characters is pretty cool, though it can be kinda janky and there's not that much to it in the end. Certainly an alright experience though. [3★]

67) F-Zero 99 (Switch, 2023)

My only experience with F-Zero so far, the surprise announcement that jumpscared fans of the series before turning out to be a battle royale type game that's actually... kinda good? Chaotic fun with decently engaging gameplay, it's something you pick up and play for a bit before doing something else but don't play for hours once the honeymoon phase wears off. Sure helps add something to NSO, sure hope it doesn't get taken down in a year. [3.5★]

68) Sonic Superstars (PC, 2023)

A good new Sonic game! From Sonic Team! The series really has been popping off lately, and though some people complained about this one, I genuinely think it stands at least close to the classic titles it's following up from. Levels are fun and creative with the only real bullshit being in the optional postgame (which does kind of suck if you're not good), and though the soundtrack has plenty of duds it's still pretty decent overall. Cool cast of playable characters too, and it's great seeing Fang come back, with the new character Trip also being a fun addition. I don't think this is peak Sonic, but for me it was a good time that I enjoyed for the most part. [4★]

69) Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch, 2023)

Oh 2D Mario is so fucking back, this takes the formula that the "New" series was running with and gives it a super aggressive shake-up and an injection of creativity that it really needed. It has a really nice visual look, actually cool level design that is great to run through, fun powers, and a large roster of playable characters including Daisy finally. Not to mention it sounds good, the music is a great important part of it and the talking flowers in every level are honestly just fun. One of the best platformers on Switch right now, I like it more than Odyssey honestly. [5★]

70) Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon (Movie, 2019)

Bit of a silly watch this was, but in all honesty I'll always be a fan of Aardman's work and this is a pretty fun movie that all ages can enjoy whether they like Shaun the Sheep or not. It's animated as well as you'd expect, does some cute stuff, and honestly I kinda like the music in it too. Just a funny little adventure with that silly sheep and his weird cute alien friend. [3.5★]

71) Suika Game (Switch, 2023)

Suika Game.

72) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass (Switch DLC, 2022-2023)

Dropping a two-year DLC that doubles the track list and adds a bunch of new characters and balance updates to a Mario Kart game we thought was over was a fucking wild thing to do, but Nintendo did it and honestly it worked out quite well. Sure, it's clearly all Tour ports and a lot of them don't look too hot, but for the sheer quantity of it I don't think I can complain too much. They even chose pretty good tracks for the most part, with only a few favourites being left out that I can only assume will be remade in the next game and therefore end up better than ever. I think the game is actually done now, and I think it's probably the best Mario Kart at this point. Not bad at all. [4★]

73) PLUTO (Anime, 2023)

An anime that took ages to get made, and it shows all the polish that much time of production should have you expect (perhaps too much polish with all those unnecessary digital effects). It's a pretty complete adaptation of a much-praised manga about war, robots and consciousness, some strong science fiction with quite good writing based on an old arc from Tezuka's Astro Boy manga. It's pretty tragic how things turn out for most of the characters, but it's so good how it goes about things, and I think it was worth the wait. One of the best Netflix-distributed anime, I'd say. [4.5★]

74) Super Mario RPG (Switch, 2023)

Geno fans have not shut up for years, so how does his game hold up now that it's been polished up into HD? Not bad, honestly. It's a solid RPG experience with simple yet engaging battle gameplay that laid the foundations for other Mario RPG titles to come, and now it's all shiny and stuff. It's a fun journey through a whimsical Mario setting with the quirks you'd come to expect, apparently a pretty faithful remake with only a few new additions and script edits that it sort of needed. I don't think this game is really that special in 2023, but I liked it plenty. Funny that Geno is barely a character though. [4★]

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[ohnoproblems]

wait i have more movie thoughts about the un-bangers i've seen lately

The Batman (2022) was baffling. way longer than it even remotely needed to be. my wife said it was like half of the production crew knew how to make movies and the other half had never touched a camera before and every day they got together and did this to determine who got to film the movie that day

the moral of the movie (and you know it's the moral of the movie because they put it in twice, at the beginning and the end) is that it's okay to eat fish, because they don't have any feelings.

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) had the bones of a good terminator film in there but the meat was wrong and cloying. by the bones i mean: in much the same way that the t-1000 in terminator 2 is so effective because it's able to seamlessly blend itself with the organs of state control (the cops), T:DF correctly identifies things like the US border patrol, ICE detainment centers, and smartphone location tracking as currently-relevant organs in the same system, especially when the New John Connor is a mexican lady poised to become a labor activist. old sarah connor poorly dealing with her shit was cool but they put way too much focus and reverence and deference on her to the point that dani ramos, who is supposed to be the future leader of the new human resistance, barely got a chance to do anything or express anything about herself. most importantly, they sent a cyborg butch back to protect her. you NEED to do this. movie would have been so much worse without this. it was bold of them to open with footage from terminator 2, the best one, to remind the audience that they could just watch terminator 2 again instead.

arnold's character sucked ass, they were way too winking with his writing. like, okay, you took the concept of a t-800 gaining some degree of personal autonomy after his future and the directives it came from got unmade, and you decided that he would just become a fucking republican dad in texas?? a family man?? fuck off. but my biggest critique of the movie as a piece of craft is NO ONE FUCKING LIT THAT FILM. EVEN THE CGI SCENES. if you have a character say "i can't see what's happening!" in a sequence you built then it's good writing actually because the audience also can't see what's happening and it will build our bond to the character.

it's called Terminator: Dark Fate because every day on set they forgot to give their gaffers things to do

[harumirart]

Bonus pic of Mr Frederick Okada himself. (Both without and with Penelope's filters)

Although Penelope and her sister don't have the best relationship in our webcomic, I'd like to imagine the invention of smartphones would fix this.

Also, this is based on my friend's ( @papabigtoes ) akira comic from 2019. (Under the cut)

Beelz, I couldn't get it out of my head- I thank you for the countless funnies you've made throughout the years they have contributed to many of my comics.

[jiinjiinjarra]

BTS // Japan // Japan Official Fanclub Magazine (JPFC) // Vol. 7 // 2019 // Pt. 6

Scan Cr. jiinjiinjarra (me) // Translation Cr. BtsJapanese

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A to Z

A - Army (page 42)

Q: Words by Army that Made you Happy

🐹: "Just by seeing you I feel happy" these words were said to me during the handshake event.

🐰: "All the best. You did well" . These words make me happy.

B - Baggage (Jungkook only answer; page 43)

Q: List five things which you always bring while touring!

🐰: Um... apart from my cell phone and charger....., earphones, wallet, mask, and clothes. Also, lip balm? I don't carry a handkerchief (laughs) really, apart from these things I don't bring anything else. I used to bring my laptop before but lately I don't. In the past I used to bring plenty of luggage but now I travel light!

C - Charm (page 43)

Q: A recent new charm of V's that you found out?

🐹: How does he manage to look cool in any kind of clothes? But ARMYs are better aware of V's charms than us right?

🐰: When he's unintentionally funny. Lately there have been lots of funny instances like that, it's really cute.

D - Dance (J-hope only answer; page 43)

Q: Which song's dance you like the most?

🐿:  Boy With Luv

E - Eldest Son (page 43)

Q: When does Jin make you feel "As expected of the eldest?"

🐰: (immediate reply) Lately, there really hasn't been any (laughs).

🐨: When we are all talking and he takes the lead/ speaks before me. Then I feel "as expected of the hyung".

🐱: When he cares for the members in various ways even though he's three months older to me.

🐿: When I am not sure if something is right or not, he helps me make a decision and leads me.

🐥: When playing pranks (laughs). Even though he's the eldest he's like a child, that's our hyung

🐻: When he summarises what the members want to do and conveys them to the company as our representative.

F - Fragrance (page 44)

Q: Favourite smell?

🐹: I like the smell of the countryside. Since I often used to visit my grandmother's home there's a nostalgia related to that smell.

🐰: Rather than a sweet smell lately I like refreshing and cool smells.

G - Gold (page 44)

Q: A weakness of Golden Maknae Jungkook that only you know?

🐹: He can't refuse food (laughs). I stuff his mouth with food and hinder his diet!

🐨: To put it, he's simple and pure (laughs). It's easy to make him feel good.

🐱: Since he hates losing he suddenly becomes eager to prove himself if you talk about something he cant do (laughs).

🐿: It's sleep. It's really difficult to wake him up once he falls asleep (laughs).

🐥: He has a rich sensitivity . If he watches an emotional movie his emotions overflow and he quickly starts crying.

🐻: He really sulks if he feels you aren't interested in him (laughs).

H - Happy (page 44)

Q: Being together with J-Hope there are moments of happiness! Please tell us about those moments.

🐹: When I ask him to "express what you are feeling now through your body" and even though J-Hope says "please don't make me do such things!" he does it every time I ask him to (laughs).

🐰: Since he's positive and a person overflowing with kindness, being together with him always makes me happy. We ride together and go out to eat together a lot. He's a good person so I love him ♡

I - Ignite (page 44)

Q: What gets the always calm and collected Suga excited?

🐹: I haven't seen an excited Suga(laughs). His reactions are also calm

🐰: Seems like he’s into smartphone games recently. He becomes noisy during gaming (laughs).

J - Joke (Jimin only answer; page 45)

Q: A recent joke said by the members which you found very funny?

🐥: There really isn't a joke... but just before we go to bed, me and my roommate J-Hope hyung talk. We tend to talk about loads of nonsensical stuff but it's really funny and an enjoyable moment.

K - Kind (page 45)

Q: A recent act of kindness which you received from the members?

🐹: During immigration check at the airport, when a member gave up their turn to me. I silently entered in line before J-Hope but he didn't say anything and gave me his turn. (laughs)

🐰: It's not like they are unkind or anything but since we all are so close to each other, even if they showed kindness I didn't realise...(laughs).

L - Love (page 45)

Q: Which BTS song will you recommend when you're in love?

🐹: Trivia:Love. Definitely RM's solo Trivia: Love. The title is literally "Love"!

🐰: Lights. I really like the lyrics "You're my light" which gives a feeling that you are thinking about each other.

M - Mirror (page 45)

Q: Look in the mirror and give a message to yourself!

🐹: You always look good. Don't ever change yourself.

🐰: You have passion but don't slack off and continue doing the things you have to do without running away from them.

N - Notice (page 46)

Q: What's a phrase the members often say?

🐹: V often uses the word 0 # /iae in Korean it means from now on) in unexpected situations (laughs)

🐰: Um...? I don't know this one. Sorry

🐱: Jungkook pronounces "Do" as "To" at times.

🐿: I guess the members tend to attach *"San" (" with a fellow members' name ~

🐥: Jin hyung goes "Oye V", like this, he uses "Oye (members' name).

🐻: Jin hyung says "No" 

O - Omnipotent (page 46)

Q: When does the omnipotent leader make you think "He needs my help"?

🐹:  When RM isn't using his prodigal mind, the members take care of him.

🐰: Although he knows things everyone doesn't know, he doesn't know the things which normally people do.

P - Present (page 46)

Q: A reward for yourself, what do you want now?

🐹: I don't really buy stuff. But a time to play games is needed!

🐰: It has to be time, it's what I want the most.

Q - Quench (page 46)

Q: What heals you?

🐹:  When I am eating with the members or my friends and we all just talk while drinking.

🐰: It has to be ARMY's existence which is the most healing to me! I love you!

R - Replace (V only answer; page 47)

Q: If you could switch places with a member who'd you like to be? What do you want to do?

🐻: I want to be me. Since I want to live the way I usually do (laughs)

S - Smile (page 47)

Q: What to do to make Jimin smile?

🐹: Although he smiles even when you say the simplest of jokes, you need to create the atmosphere so as to make him smile.

🐰: This is really easy! When he looks at me he always smiles.

T - Trend (Jin only answer; page 47)

Q: Right now, what's in trend within the group?

🐹: It's a mobile game, but after playing it for 2-3 days I get really tired of it, and stop playing it. "This game's fun" I say in the beginning, spreading the word around, the first to stop playing is RM. The ones who are always playing are Jimin, V and Jungkook.

🐰: The one who actually plays till the end is Suga but he doesn't play much (games) in the first place.

U - Unconscious (page 47)

Q: When winking which eye do you close?

🐹: (Winked) I can do it with either but winking with the right eye is easier.

🐰:  I can wink with either of them but my left one is a little bad.

V - Vogue (page 48)

Q: If you could go out to shop for clothes with a member, who would you go with?

🐹: I want to go with Jungkook. Both of us don't have much interest in clothes so we'll end shopping fast (laughs).

🐰: J-Hope hyung and me dress similar in terms of atmosphere, so if I tag along I'll be able to gather something.

W - Want (page 48)

Q: Right now, what do you want for yourself? Strength or Kindness?

🐹: I think strength is necessary. So then my character becomes stronger!

🐰: I want to be able to judge with kindness and composure when thinking about something.

X - Xmas (RM only answer; page 48)

Q: How do you want to spend this year's Christmas?

🐨: Since debut I've always been spending Christmas performing and working a lot. Since Christmas is always meant to be celebrated with someone I think it'll be the same case this year.

Y - Yell (Suga only answer; page 48)

Q: Something that you yelled involuntarily recently?

🐱: I don't usually scream. Since I'm always calm and composed. But if I have to say anything with force on stage then I say "Make some noise!" or "Scream!" to get the crowd excited? There really isn't anything to scream about in day-to-day activities right(laughs). Maybe if you hit your body somewhere? Since I'm fine with insects, I can even catch the insects people are afraid of.

Z - Zzzz (page 49)

Q: A recent dream that left an impression on you?

🐹: I dreamt I got bitten by a snake. But since work went really well that day, it was a good omen.

🐰: I had a nightmare. That I had hurt someone, but you asked about a good dream!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[beansonbread2]

BEANSONBREAD AWARDS 2023 - BEST SONG

AWARD NO.5 - BEST SONG OF 2023

PAST WINNERS

2022 > Jockstrap 'Concrete Over Water' (see full list HERE)

2021 > Self Esteem ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ (see full list HERE)

2020 > Jockstrap ‘Acid’ (see full list HERE)

2019 > Weyes Blood ‘Andromeda’ (see full list HERE)

2018 >Let’s Eat Grandma ‘It’s Not Just Me’ (see full list HERE)

2017 > Richard Dawson ‘Ogre’ (see full list HERE)

2016 > Solange ‘Cranes In the Sky’ (see full list HERE)

2015 > Kendrick Lamar ‘The Blacker The Berry’ (see full list HERE)

2014 > FKA Twigs ‘Two Weeks’ (see full list HERE)

2013 > Oliver Wilde ‘Perrett’s Brook’ (see full list HERE)

2010 > Untold ‘Stop What You’re Doing (James Blake Remix) (see full list HERE)

2009 > Joker - ‘Digidesign’ (see full list HERE)

2008 > Lil’ Wayne - ‘A Milli’ (see full list HERE)

2007 > Panda Bear - ‘Bros’ (see full list HERE)

2006 > Hot Chip - ‘Over And Over’ (see full list HERE)

-

RULES - A maximum of THREE tracks from any one artist. Songs can be tied in the same position.

-

THE RUNNERS UP (in alphabetical order)

100 Gecs ‘Hollywood Baby’

Alabaster DePlume ‘Did You Know’

Animal Collective ‘Soul Capturer’ / ‘Defeat’

Aphex Twin ‘Blackbox Life Recorder 21f’

Avey Tare ‘The Musical’

Bar Italia ‘Nurse!’ / ‘My Little Tony’  

Bas Jan ‘No More Swamp’

BC Camplight ‘The Last Rotation Of Earth’

Beabadoobee & Clairo ‘Glue Song’

Beck & Phoenix ‘Odyssey’

Benjamin Spike Saunders ‘I Can’t Impress You’

Big Thief ‘Vampire Empire’

Biig Piig ‘In The Dark’

Blur ‘The Narcissist’

Danny Brown ‘Tantor’ / ‘Jenn’s Terrific Vacation’

Das Koolies ‘Pain Down The Drain’

Dean Blunt & TYSON ‘Rinsed’

Divorce ‘Scratch Your Metal’

Django Django ‘Don’t Touch That Dial’ / ‘Black Cadillac’

Dorian Electra ‘Puppet’

English Teacher ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’

Feist ‘Borrow Trouble’

Felicita ‘Spalarkle (Alys)'

Firestations ‘Undercover’

Hannah Diamond ‘Affirmations’ / ‘Twisted’

H. Hawkline ‘Plastic Man’

Janelle Monae, Seun Kuti, Egypt 80 ‘Float’

Jessy Lanza ‘Limbo’

Jockstrap ‘Sexy 2’

John Cale ‘Noise Of You’

JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown ‘Scaring The Hoes’ / ‘Lean Beef Patty’

Kara Jackson ‘Dickhead Blues’

Katy J Pearson ‘Willow’s Song’

Kelela ‘Contact’

King Krule ‘Seaforth’

The Lemon Twigs ‘Any Time of Day’

Lil Yachty ‘Drive Me Crazy!’

Liz Lawrence & Steve Mason ‘I Was There’

Magdalena Bay ‘Top Dog’

Martha Ffion ‘The Wringer’

MAY ‘Phone Me’

Memotone ‘Door To The Sky’

MGMT ‘Bubblegum Dog’ / ‘Mother Nature’

Minor Conflict ‘Second-Hand Time / ‘Living Statue’

Mitski ‘Bug Like An Angel’

Mun Sing ‘Waiting In The Car’

Nadine Shah ‘Topless Mother’

Nourished By Time ‘Daddy’ / ‘The Fields’

Oneohtrix Point Never ‘On An Axis’

One True Pairing ‘Frozen Food Centre’

Overmono ‘Good Lies’

Panda Bear, Sonic Boom, Adrian Sherwood ‘Whirlpool Dub’

Patten ‘Walk With U’

Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice ‘Boy’s A Liar Pt.2’

Pozi ‘Failing’ / ‘Pest Control’

Quade ‘Streching Out’

Roisin Murphy 'CooCool'

Rozi Plain ‘Complicated’ / ‘Painted The Room’

Seamus Fogarty ‘They Recognised Him’

Shabazz Palaces ‘Binoculars’

Sierra Manhattan ‘Smartphones’

Slauson Malone 1 ‘New Joy’

Sleaford Mods ‘UK Grim’ / ‘Force 10 From Navarone’

The Smile ‘Wall Of Eyes’

Squid ‘Siphon Song’ / ‘Undergrowth’

Steve Mason ‘The People Say’

Tapeworms ‘IRL’

Terry ‘Gold Duck’

Tirzah ‘No Limit’

Trust Fund ‘London’

Vagabon ‘Carpenter’

Warmduscher ‘Love Strong’

Weird Wave ‘Unrecognise!’

Wesley Gonzalez ‘Dress Rehearsal’ / ‘When I Rot’

Yaeji ‘For Granted’ / ‘Done (Let’s Get It)’

-

THE TOP 25 SONGS OF 2023

25. Bjork & Rosalia ‘Oral’

24. MF Tomlinson ‘We Are Still Wild Horses’

23. Fever Ray ‘Even It Out’

22. Dorian Electra ‘Freak Mode’

21. Nourished By Time ‘Shed The Fear’

20. ANOHNI & The Johnsons ‘It Must Change’

19. Young Fathers ‘Rice’

18. Kwes, Sampha, Tirzah ‘Open Up’

17. Max Tundra ‘Lights 2023’

16. Squid ‘Undergrowth’

15. Tara Clerkin Trio ‘Marble Walls’

14. Rozi Plain ‘Help’

13. The Lemon Twigs ‘When Winter Comes Around’ / ‘Corner Of My Eye’

12. Animal Collective ‘Gem & I’

11. Max Tundra ‘This Woman’s Work’

10. Water From Your Eyes ‘Barley’

9. Django Django & Self Esteem ‘Complete Me’

8. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown ‘Burfict!’

7. Bill Ryder-Jones ‘This Can’t Go On’

6. Squid ‘Swing (In A Dream)’

5. Tara Clerkin Trio ‘The Turning Ground’

4. Lana Del Rey ‘A&W’

3. Steve Mason ‘Brixton Fish Fry’

2. Caroline Polachek ‘Dang’

1. Oneohtrix Point Never ‘A Barely Lit Path’

[amuseoffirebane]

Shaking you lovingly for 2, 16 and 19 for the ask (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)

2. What is your novel’s aesthetic?

Dust, rust, denim, concrete, a cracked smartphone screen, tightly grasped hands, the silence after a cathartic cry

16. What is the theme?

Capitalist exploitation ruining lives; recovering from trauma but not erasing it; finding love in companionship and service; finding reasons to keep living

I’m deliberately avoiding paralleling robot-human relations to racism!! If robot people were real today we’d find a unique way to exploit them that would exist alongside the oppression that’s already here.

19. What excited you about this story?

This setting, the central city of which is New Amida, was born out of an SPG RP collective and I have yet to find much else like it-- it’s contemporary speculative fiction, where the question isn’t “how different would the world be if robot people were around” but “how would things stay the same.” I knew since very on in Riker’s creation that I wanted to send him on a roadtrip story. Taps coming to life in April 2019 set the project in motion. I think what excites me most is bringing the characters to life and finding the best plot to bring them to where they need to be.

[theredbackpack]

I saw Tisakorean live last week. I did not pay attention to the openers until right before the show started, but was blown away at the lineup: Texas Boyz, Yung Nation, and Trill Sammy with Dice Soho were the big names. Across these acts, you can draw a line from them to Tisakorean's new music. It was an incredible blend of circa-2011 blog-rap nostalgia that called to mind in the best way my nights at small sweaty clubs seeing eight rappers in a row over the course of four hours.

I don't know if you've seen the videos of Soulja Boy snapping, but I clocked it as a reaction to what Tisakorean is doing. It speaks to a trend/zeitgeist: concurrent to this is the embarrassing efforts to make "indie sleaze" a thing, which confusingly throws all manner of sounds and aesthetics anywhere from about 2004 to 2010 into a blender. The Dare kinda sound like LCD Soundsystem but they also remind me of mid-'00s detritus like The Bravery. I sense the same era rap music creeping on the margins: Homer Radio featured a slew of snap/dance music in a recent episode (#23, from April); indie sleaze nostalgia combined with "blog rap" podcasts point toward an endpoint destined to go just a few eras backward in time; the fact that 2003 was twenty years ago; this Druski skit that dropped the day I drafted this; and yes, Tisakorean's masterful album, Let Me Update My Status.

When Tisa appeared on the national stage in 2018, I thought he was riding the wave of a trend: regional dance rap that consisted of artists like Splurge and 10kcaash, alongside future footnotes like Lil Tecca. His 2019 debut, A Guide to Being a Partying Freshman, was met with a mixture of shrugs to light praise. A fun collaboration with Chance the Rapper seemed to seal his fate as a guy who would burn bright and hot but not for long.

The first time I thought "he has something" was 2020's "Bate Onna Bo" which weaved through so many movements in the span of four minutes it had to be the work of a musician with a real vision. By 2021 we got "Old School Cash" and "Silly Dude" and it was clear he was following his instincts and making the exact kind of music he wanted to make. This came to a head in 2022 with his EP 1st Round Pick and "Backseat," which was my favorite song of the year. Sometimes that's as far as an artist can go. But he pressed on: Let Me Update My Status underlines my thought that Tisakorean is an era-defining rapper in a time when artists make interminably long albums to game the streaming algorithm then disappear off the planet.

It may seem premature to call Tisakorean era-defining but that's where I landed. I don't mean he's sold the most albums or had the most hits, but in this age where you can have a few songs and leave no impact, that he's had an audience since 2018 is huge: that he's produced great music since at least 2020 is even more impressive. (While I never disliked his earliest music, it hits a lot better now in the context of his career arc.) A lot of people who liked "The Mop" may not be following him now, but artists who shed casual fans are probably doing something noteworthy. No one is good for three years, let alone five. I like Travis Porter more than your average person, but I'd argue at best they had a three year imperial phase. Now anyone starting a twitter reply with "buddy" doesn't know they exist.

The Atlanta snap/swag sound and movement from 2006 through about 2009 was a singular moment that came just as regional music was cresting (Houston famously in 2005, Three 6 Mafia won the Oscar in 2006), before blogs, before Drake. Early Gucci Mane was popping off and OJ da Juiceman became a household name within this precarious window. But as soon as all cool regional stuff became fodder for rappers on major labels and young hypebeasts like ASAP Rocky to absorb, it was over, which is why it's due for a renaissance.

It's getting harder to imagine life before smartphones, before omnipresent internet and connectivity, before literally every aspect of our lives was managed by at most three or four corporations. Kevin Durant's iconic BlackPlanet page might as well be the Dead Sea Scrolls as a relic of his personality expressed through that era of the internet. But any means of original expression becomes unlikelier as we get funneled into pre-ordained ways of being our ourselves, of consuming art and media and sports, to the fabric of our thoughts.

A few years ago Matty Healy described his life pre-internet the best I've heard it. It's not about the changes it brought, but that he cannot remember what it was like to live without it. He cannot remember what it felt like to feel things before the internet, and what it felt like to not have to think about the internet as he felt things, and that his life and experiences still had meaning. And this inability to remember will render us more vulnerable to exploitation, and feeling like we are not connected to our true selves.

It used to feel different to feel alone, to feel sad, happy, etc, without thinking about how to broadcast it. Even if you don't put yourself online like that, there's an inkling to want to. I took a ton of pictures and videos at the Tisa show and I put some in my stories, but I found I didn't want to share them permanently. They are for me.

Let Me Update My Status is a masterpiece in perfecting sounds from snap to crunk to mid-aughts Neptunes. It's a callback to a simpler time, which is nearly impossible to do without some subconscious argument we also need to return to simpler, regressive politics. What makes the album so invigorating is how thoroughly it plumbs the era as an aesthetic and sound, not just as an excuse to make goofy videos. Its accomplishment is how it demonstrates snap music as an organic form that was never a response to anything: it was not conservative in its values, instead it was a truly original and innovative Black American artform that took time to receive the respect it deserved. (Quick aside: yes there were people who always loved it and it was popular for a reason, but it was not considered a given until years later.)

In Kelefa Sanneh's Major Labels he says in spite of the liberal ideology at the heart of punk music, it was a conservative movement because art that aspires to either simplicity in its content (songs as political statements) or as a "return to form" (three chords and 4/4 time) is reactionary. The real-world impact of punk as ostensibly progressive expression was what came after it; it's Minor Threat and Green Day but also skinhead music. When mid-'10s revisionism took hold and people rightfully concluded "D4L were important" it took forgettable Big Sean and Kid Ink albums to get there; it took the critical adulation upon the arrival of artists as disparate as Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Waka Flocka Flame to get there; it took time to get there, to see what had shaped everything that preceded the moment as vital to the culture.

Tisakorean’s delirious ode to snap music locates within a specific timeframe from the past an emotional center and palette, finding new entry points into the sound, blending homemade beats with experimental forms as well as hyperpop to fashion an immersive triumph. There’s nothing one-dimensional about Let Me Update My Status and it also doesn’t conjure any Bush-era feelings of excess or doom, which it might do if it used nostalgia as a gimmick. I love Let Me Update My Status because it sounds exactly like how 2007 felt, and for me 2007 was a good year to be alive, using the internet not because I had to but because I wanted to.

///

Finally, Found Me Volume Two, released with my creative brother Fat Tony, released in February. Buy one here. It continues to be my favorite thing I do. I wrote about Lil Yachty for NPR. Read that here. I started a Linktree and will add to it when necessary; bookmark/follow me here.

[markef-consulting]

10 Online Business Ideas in Dubai, UAE

Dubai is one of the most vibrant cities in the world, renowned for its luxury lifestyle, stunning architecture, and thriving business environment. The city’s strategic location, coupled with its advanced infrastructure, make it an ideal location for entrepreneurs and businesses to thrive. With the internet becoming an integral part of our lives, online businesses have become an attractive option for individuals looking to establish a successful venture in Dubai. In this article, we will explore 10 online business ideas that can be started in Dubai, providing a comprehensive guide for entrepreneurs looking to tap into the lucrative online market in the city.

Growth of E-Commerce in Dubai

According to analysis by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, the value of the UAE e-commerce market is expected to reach $9.2bn in 2026. During 2021, e-commerce sales in the UAE reached $4.8billion compared to $2.6 billion in 2019. It is estimated that more than one-third of consumers in the UAE bought a product or service using their smartphone at least once a week, which is above the global average of weekly online purchases. Local retailers are attracting shoppers in the UAE more than international sites, with domestic online shopping sites accounting for 73 percent of total sales.

Importance of Online Businesses in Dubai's Economy

There are numerous benefits of starting an online business in Dubai due to its favourable business climate and variety of economic benefits. Rather than just being a great value for setup costs, a potential online startup in Dubai can facilitate constant growth and a result-driven journey without any hassles. If you set up a business in Meydan Free Zone you can avail:

100% Exclusion from personal and corporate TAX

Smooth registration process for a business license

Full ownership of the business

Access to growth-driven regional and international markets

Lower legal restrictions

Lower currency restrictions

10 Online Business Ideas in Dubai

1. E-commerce Store

An e-commerce store is a popular and profitable online business idea in Dubai. With the increasing trend of online shopping, the demand for e-commerce stores is growing exponentially. An entrepreneur can sell any product online, including clothes, electronics, gadgets, and food.

2. Social Media Management

In today’s digital world, social media is a crucial aspect of any business. Entrepreneurs can start a social media management company in Dubai, where they can help businesses manage their social media presence, create content, and run advertising campaigns.

3. Digital Marketing Services

Dubai has a vast number of businesses that require assistance in establishing a social media presence. Setting up an online digital marketing business to help other businesses get comfortable with marketing can be a profitable idea. A digital marketing specialist plays a diverse role in improving sales, generating leads, optimizing as campaigns, content creation, and social media management.

4. Graphic Design & Video Editing

Social media platforms are the future of modern business. Design is now a serious area of commerce and companies are striving to establish their brand in the market. Therefore, graphic designers & video editors are in constant demand to create aesthetic content for a wide client base. Furthermore, other benefits include flexible working hours, choice of projects, varied application across different industries and more.

5. Online Consultancy

This could be in the form of tutoring, offering financial and management advice, or helping with higher education. These services are highly demanded online, and you can charge competitive rates to earn a considerable profit. At MARKEF the process of obtaining your online business license is extremely straightforward.

6. Online Education

To make education accessible to all, the best way is to take it online. Online tutoring has been picking up since the pandemic. However, one of the easiest ways to start your online business, you need to be armed with just your skills and subject matter knowledge. To start your online teaching career, you simply need a professional license from the Dubai Economic Department (DED) which can be left up to trusted business consultants like MARKEF.

7. Online Translator

Many people in the UAE come from different parts of the world. Most people come here to study, work, or start a business. People need language translators to help them communicate with others in the UAE. Offering translation services to foreigners can be very profitable for other ventures such as the tourism industry and even the online shopping business. Even though Arabic and English are common in that area, you can also hear Hindi, Urdu, or Mandarin. You can easily start your business on translation which will be helpful for various foreigners.

8. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a commission-based business model where an entrepreneur promotes other businesses’ products and earns a commission for each sale made through their unique affiliate link. It is a profitable online business idea in Dubai.

9. Fitness instructor

Dubai’s residents have a passion for health and fitness. If you share that passion, you could quickly turn it into a career. You don’t need a costly premises to get into this field. You don’t even need to see clients face to face. Many instructors now hold fitness, yoga, and pilates classes via video conference.

10. Virtual assistant

If you have a good understanding of fast-paced working environments and exceptional organisational skills, you should consider offering your skills as a virtual assistant. There are now dozens of online platforms like TastVirtual and VaVaVirtual that make it easy for you to connect with local entrepreneurs looking to tidy up their busy lives and delegate tasks.

Want to start an online business in Dubai?

Contact Us

[vireeza09]

I’ve always loved music eversince I was a kid and have always been fascinated with concerts of artists and bands I watched online. I told myself that when I am already earning, I would definitely watch my faves. I got employed in the year 2012 and year 2013, I was able to watch 2 concerts. (I did blog about those. You can just scroll through my page 😅) Paramore and The Script were the first ones. And mind you, being a first timer back then, I got scammed twice. So much for being desperate! Hahahaha!

Life happened in the following years - got busy with work and love life? 😬 Yikes! Lol. And eventually with raising my daughter. Although I already have priorities, I figured that I should still have time for myself and enjoy once in a while. Right?! 😜

December of 2019, I was able to secure tickets to Avril Lavigne’s concert and early 2020, got seats for Boys Like Girls and Alanis Morisette’s concerts, too. But the pandemic happened and all shows got postponed obviously.

Fast forward to 2022, Alanis’ concert got cancelled and Avril’s got postponed yet again.

Since the world has already started coping up to the new normal, concerts opened their doors again.

September: The Script

Birth month! And what better way to celebrate it? Watch a concert! 🙌🏻 2nd time for this band. I remember in 2013, we came in late for the concert because of the scam I mentioned. Lol. We were too far to really see them.

This time, we were not able to score the best seats but with a certain stroke of luck, the band sang 2 songs just beside us in the audience. How cool was that? We were like shouting OMG the whole time! They were at arm’s reach, and if not for the stern look of the marshalls, we would have already thrown ourselves at them. Hahahaha! I was kinda sad though that they didn’t sing my fave song. I even shouted for them to sing it but I was heartbroken. But I did enjoy the concert, singing along with the crowd and most especially because I was with my constants. 🥰❤️

October: Boys Like Girls

Their songs brings back memories of jeepney rides to and from uni/duty. When smartphones were not that popular and new songs were heard first through the radio (Thank you, KillerBee!) I remember printing out the lyrics of their songs (in a long bond paper, in small font size, and in 5 columns. Hahaha!) just so I can jam along at home. Lol. The concert was postponed for 2 years, but was finally able to watch them live. 🥰❤️

The venue was not that big compared to regular concerts I’ve been to, but it made the band interact to the audience more. 🥰 I even had PCD for about a month. Lol. For the last song, “Love Drunk”, Martin had the audience keep our phones and just jam along just like the old times. It was very special. 🥹❤️

December: Eraserheads

I was not supposed to watch them because I am not really a super fan. I only know my favorites.😅 But my dear friend who’ve always wanted to watch their concert convinced me. More on nagpapilit pala ako. Hahaha! And it’s Eraserheads! Who would say no, right? You will never know when the next concert would be. 😉

Tickets were priced way too high and yet the ones we got were not the best ones. We thought that being there would just be fine. We will just enjoy the experience. But last minute, we took a risk, very desperate to get better tix and voila, upgraded to Moshpit! 🥹🥰❤️

So happy to sing along with the crowd. 🥰 Indeed a memorable experience for an open-ground concert. A first for me.☺️ “Ang Huling El Bimbo” really hit different. And towards the end of the song, there’s fireworks to cap the night off.

*Middle photo of the 2nd collage not mine. ctto. 😊

As the saying goes, “Do what makes you happy.” I’m doing mine. 🥰 Already 2 concerts coming right up in 2023! Waiting for when Avril will push through, Paramore to come back again, and of course, the one and only Taylor Swift. ☺️❤️

Thank you, 2022! 🥰❤️

[systemtek]

The UK's Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has set out his priorities for the online safety regulator, Ofcom, as it prepares to implement and enforce the laws set out in the Online Safety Act next year. The Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP), published today (Wednesday 20th November), includes ensuring safety is baked into platforms from the start so more harm is caught before it occurs, pushing for more transparency from technology companies on what harms are occurring on their platforms, and creating a digital world that is inclusive and resilient to harm, including disinformation. Government is also announcing the launch of a study to explore the effects of smartphone and social media use on children, to help bolster research and strengthen the evidence needed to build a safer online world. Ofcom will have to consider each of the government’s strategic priorities as it enforces the Online Safety Act from next Spring. Ofcom will have to report back to the Secretary of State on what action it has taken against the priorities to ensure the laws are delivering safer spaces online. These reports will be critical to inform next steps as the government commits to learning from the implementation of the Online Safety Act and building on it where necessary. The priorities will be finalised with the input of online safety experts and campaigners to ensure government action is informed by those with those who have experienced the offline impacts of failures in online safety. Ofcom is due to start enforcing the first duties on online platforms under the Online Safety Act from Spring next year. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: Keeping children safe online is a priority for this government. That is why today I will be the first secretary of state to exercise the power to set out my strategic priorities. From baking safety into social media sites from the outset, to increasing platform transparency, these priorities will allow us to monitor progress, collate evidence, innovate, and act where laws are coming up short. While the Online Safety Act sets the foundation of creating better experiences online, we must keep pace with technology as it evolves to create a safer internet, especially for children. We’re also firing the starting gun on research which will help build the evidence base we need to keep children safe online. I am committed to using all the tools at our disposal from monitoring the impact of new laws, creating more and better evidence, and working with online safety campaigners and charities to achieve this goal. The government is committed to implementing the Act as quickly and effectively as possible and has already acted to deliver safer experiences for people online. Earlier this year platforms’ responsibilities to remove intimate image abuse content were strengthened, whilst new data laws will help researchers gather critical evidence about online harms A new research project has been launched to boost the evidence base around online harms, The first stage of the project will examine what methods will best help the government understand the impact of smartphones and social media use on children after a review by the UK Chief Medical Officer in 2019 found the evidence base around the links to children’s mental health were insufficient to provide strong conclusions. The project will improve policy makers understanding of the relationship between children’s wellbeing and smartphone use and help direct future government action. Maria Neophytou, Director of Strategy & Knowledge at the NSPCC, said: We’re pleased to see the Secretary of State echoing many of the priorities that we have been campaigning on over the last few years. Through Childline, we hear daily from young people about the range of harms they are experiencing online, including online bullying, access to content encouraging suicide and eating disorders and child sexual abuse and exploitation.  Tech companies must be transparent about the harm happening on their platforms. They should be disrupting ‘safe havens’ for offenders by tackling the hidden abuse taking place through private messaging. It is right that the government is focusing on driving innovation and new technology that can identify and disrupt abuse and prevent harm from happening in the first place. The regulatory framework has the potential to change the online world for children. We continue to campaign for an ambitious approach to the enforcement of the legislation, and for children to be listened to and actively included. We look forward to engaging with the Secretary of State’s strategic priorities. The Statement of Strategic Priorities five key areas 1. Safety by design: Embed safety by design to deliver safe online experiences for all users but especially children, tackle violence against women and girls, and work towards ensuring that there are no safe havens for illegal content and activity, including fraud, child sexual exploitation and abuse, and illegal disinformation. 2. Transparency and accountability: Ensure industry transparency and accountability from platforms to deliver online safety outcomes, promoting increased trust and expanding the evidence-base to provide safer experiences for users. 3. Agile regulation: Deliver an agile approach to regulation, ensuring the framework is robust in monitoring and tackling emerging harms - such as AI generated content. 4. Inclusivity and resilience: Create an inclusive, informed and vibrant digital world which is resilient to potential harms, including disinformation. 5. Technology and innovation: Foster the innovation of online safety technologies to improve the safety of users and drive growth. Notes to editors United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ commentary on ‘Screen-based activities and children and young people’s mental health and psychosocial wellbeing: a systematic map of reviews’, 2019. The SSP will be laid in Parliament for approval, before then being formally designated by the Secretary of State. This is expected to take place in Spring next year. Read the full article

[recentlyheardcom]

The Best introduction to Mobile Application Development

Author Mohamed Magdy Published October 22, 2019 Word count 1,304 Every day the new devices are incoming to the market with innovative options thanks to growing technology. The evolution of mobile application development technology with new devices made our lives much easier. In the smartphone world, simply having a running web site is not enough. Regarding a recent study, it has shown that…