#doing gifs with low quality streams we are so back

[tvuniverse]

#goodbye mustache, you were bigger than the whole sky

9-1-1 RYAN GUZMAN as Eddie Diaz -> 8x06 Confessions

[tricoufamily]

those playdough ass sims aren't gonna fit in with that beautiful beautiful lighting let's get a move on i wanna see some realistic skin folds (MODELED not a flat texture) and blemishes and subsurface scattering i want that-specific-breed-of-maxis-match-tiktoker-you-know-the-ones tears

[loonarii]

Ari's K-Pop Roundup: May 2024 (aespa, NewJeans, IVE, tripleS, YVES, ARTMS + MORE)

sorry this one was a little late - it was partly due to my personal life being a bit hectic at the moment, and partly due to the amount of stuff I wanted to say about this month's releases. check out last month's installment here, and happy pride month :)))

Supernova + Armageddon - aespa

Instant classic. 'Drama' in all its electric cyber-crush glory is a tough act to follow, but 'Supernova' holds it's ground from the first second and starts being fucking iconic in the next five.

Dem Jointz is all over this track, I love how he gets to go a little wild with the complexity of his production when working with groups like aespa and NCT. The beat bounces and booms, taking the listener on an intergalactic roller coaster ride of dance-pop rhythm, with the aespa girls as our celestial guides. 'Supernova' is a masterclass in vocal mixing and ad libs, Ningning's vocals sound especially addictive on this track, low and oozing confidence. It's an instant hit, and one of aespa's best.

While 'Supernova' feels very much in aespa's usual territory, 'Armageddon' takes a few more risks - it's slightly less dancepop, a little more edgy; less first-listen club banger and more third listen unexpected groove. Don't get me wrong, it definitely maintains the hallmarks of an aespa title track: full of unplaceable futuristic synths, tin-can trap beats, and a deep sliding baseline, but something about that half time chorus and the switch up to focus on the members lower registers more feels so confident. 'Armageddon' depicts an aespa utterly assured in their abilities as idols, musicians, entertainers, and performers, and regardless of it you liked the song or not, I think it is clear to anyone from this title track that aespa have far from reached their peak, and they still have much more to do in this industry.

Frustratingly, the album did not live up to the quality of the titles that represent it. There are a few stand out hits, like 'Bahama', which pulls off y3k h2o just add water mermaidcore effortlessly, as well as 'Set The Tone' a classic aespa style track evocative of the 'Drama' and 'Savage' EPs in sound, and 'Licorice' which apparently is controversial to enjoy, but I can't help but love its bounce and rhythm; but much of the rest of the tracklist fell short. I couldn't help but notice a lack of coherence both in the sound and concept of this era. The album feels like a hodgepodge of tracks rather than a deliberate project - there aren't any through lines between tracks other than aespa's flagship futuristic production style (which isn't actually present on every track but whatever), and each song seems to be appealing to different scenarios of streaming music - BAHAMA is for a summer beach date, but Supernova is for the club, but then Live My Life is for a disney channel original movie starring Demi Lovato?? The overall vibe seems to be disjointed.

This is a problem I have with a lot of aespa's releases since the 'Savage' EP - on the EP or mini album or album or whatever around 65-90% of the tracks are certified bangers, life changing hits, and then there are a few dull fillers to pad the runtime. I know there is a pressure for groups to release something twice a year or so, but I think aespa is at a point in their career where they can certainly afford to release an album once a year if it's for the sake of quality music.

Great titles, poor b-sides - aespa deserves more than a top-heavy album, SM take more than six months next time you want to make an album for them I beg.

How Sweet - NewJeans

It's been a rough couple of months over at HYBE, and considering how sick we are of it as fans and listeners, I can't even imagine how exhausted the members are of the whole ordeal. Being at the centre of one of k-pop's biggest company dramas in history in the middle of your comeback season isn't for the weak, but NewJeans make it look easy. They are back, stronger than ever, with yet another instant classic.

'How Sweet' is the complementary reversal of 'Bubblegum', capitalizing on the members gorgeous lower registers and pairing them with a 90s hip-hop vibe, featuring their signature NewJeans production flairs as always. I've seen a little bit of criticism that this song feels too much like 'ETA', (which I think is a bizarre comparison, it much more sounds like a lovechild of 'OMG' and 'Ditto') but I don't think that groups releasing music in their established sound is a bad thing at all. NewJeans aren't rookies anymore, they have more than proved themselves to be a force to be reckoned with both on the charts and on the stage, and with the korean general public and bunnies themselves consistently loving the NewJeans sonic identity it makes no sense for them to abandon it entirely. They've grown a lot since 'Attention' and 'Hype Boy', and their performance of this song shows that clearly.

The girls' vocals on this song are to die for, every line they deliver exudes confidence and assurance in their capabilities. Danielle and Hanni's little chant of 'Toxic loverrrrr you're no betterrrrr, 거기 숨지 말고 얼른 나와, you little demon in my storyline, don't knock on my door, I'll see you out' is adorable and SO catchy, Danielle's delivery in that outro with her Aussie accent being a highlight of the song as a whole.

Yet another banger from (in my opinion) the most exciting kpop group out right now - it is becoming clearer and clearer to me that the day NewJeans release a bad song is the day pigs fly.

Girls Never Die - tripleS (<ASSEMBLE24>)

The final lineup for tripleS is here, and with it, one of the groups best songs to date. Juggling 24 members in one song is feat few have successfully managed, but tripleS expertly uses the plethora of voices they have at their disposal to deliver a title track as hypnotic as it is anthemic.

'Girls Never Die' has all the hallmarks of a tripleS song we've grown to adore, from y3k style production to the classic 'lalala' hook in the chorus - sonically it both calls back to the groups humble beginnings with Acid Angel From Asia's 'Generation', and looks to the future of the group with its united 24 members. The verses tend to lose me a little, but although they are dull, they are thankfully short, and the chorus is a stunner. The finale of the track is a triumph, the final refrain of 'girls never die 절대 never cry' closing the song giving the effect of a battle cry - to me 'Girls Never Die' says tripleS are here to shake things up in the industry, and release fun music while doing it.

I've enjoyed many a tripleS project before this, with the +(KR)ystal Eyes EP and the 2023 ASSEMBLE album being real highlights. '<ASSEMBLE24>' is immediately one of ( if not their best) albums, b-sides such as 'Beyond the Beyond', 'White Soul Sneakers', and ESPECIALLY 'Chiyu' bringing the heat fully.

tripleS are one to watch, and while I have genuinely no clue what 'decentralized kpop idol group' means or what the fuck an objekt is, trust when I say I will be watching.

Accendio - IVE (IVE SWITCH)

After the exciting return of an IVE that is worthy of their hitmaker epithet with 'HEYA', I was intrigued to see what 'Accendio' would bring to the table other than a matching cherry-red wig moment for the members (which was iconic btw.)

'Accendio' borrows some ideas from garage, but generally just feels very kpop - it's functionally the epicentre of the sounds of the industry right now; a little bit tripleS, a little bit (G)-IDLE, but 100% IVE. It has an ethereal quality, but in the sense of a fallen angel, with the lyrics bringing a sense of Catholic guilt (not sure why this is becoming a trend right now but sure!). The chorus is half high-fashion girlpop with their chant of 'watch me, don't touch me; love me, don't hurt me', and half rhythmic acid trip with the onomatopoeia and the refrain of '주문 걸어, accendio'; it's a highly successful marriage of opposites. To me it recalls the sound of their Japanese single 'WAVE' which I personally loved, and while 'HEYA' is technically a more advanced kpop song production-wise, 'Accendio' just has a pace and rhythm to it that 'HEYA' lacks, making it feel more exciting and engaging.

It's actually kind of crazy how good the rest of the album is, like IVE's b-sides have never been criminally bad, but this is wild. Potentially a niche reference for you 4th gen stans, but 'Blue Heart' and 'Ice Queen' are to 'Accendio' what 'Clue' and 'Note' are to SHINee's 'Sherlock'. 'Blue Heart' expands on that vogueish, runway style sound from the first part of the 'Accendio' chorus, and 'Ice Queen' explores that gossamer flowy sound from the refrain. I doubt this was intentional, but I love any sense of sonic consistency in kpop albums (@rinas4ki this kind of what we were talking about) and all three tracks are very successful.

'WOW' is a little bit of a wildcard, an acoustic style girly type of track that sounds like the kind of thing SM used to force aespa to sing, but it works very well for IVE. That post chorus of 'wowowow' is very cute. 'RESET' also has a little bit of a garage sound, and reminds me a lot of Yves debut (which will be discussed below), and while it is pretty catchy, it isn't especially memorable, especially in the context of IVE's discography and the quality of the other tracks on this mini album, but it is still worth a listen for sure.

Overall I am very impressed with IVE this time around, 'HEYA' is very enjoyable, 'Accendio' is even more enjoyable, and the b-sides don't put a spanner in the works at all, in fact they in many ways boost the overall quality of the comeback, a feat frustratingly rare in the kpop scene. If you missed the 'IVE SWITCH' album this month, I would definitely recommend giving it a listen.

LOOP - YVES (LOOP)

It feels good knowing all 12 members of LOONA have redebuted after leaving BBC, and what a way to end it. Yves has always been one of my biases in LOONA, and this solo debut proves exactly why she's so special.

'LOOP' is a uk garage style kpop classic, and while Lil Cherry's rap occasionally wanders into questionable territory, Yves' vocals melded with the gorgeous Pink Pantheress style production (no she didn't actually produce it, but a girl can dream, right?) make the track the hit it is. I've seen the use of 8-bit sounding vocal processing being criticised online, but I personally love the computerized sound it brings - with Yves lilting 'ooh's and refrain of 'yeah I'm lost but I like it' 'LOOP' creates an atmosphere of a virtual euphoria.

'LOOP' is great and all, but for me the real star of the album is the beautiful, the stunning, the AWE INSPIRING, 'DIORAMA'. It's so effortless in it's production and that chorus is so subtle yet addictive, it's seriously good. 'DIORAMA' has been on repeat since it's release, I can definitely see this one finding a spot high on my top kpop tracks of 2024 list.

The mini album as a whole is amazing, Yves is such an exciting soloist, she clearly has a lot she wants to achieve, and 'LOOP' is evidence of that.

Virtual Angel - ARTMS (Dall)

WARNING - PLEASE READ: If you wish to support ARTMS after reading this review, please be warned that the music video for 'Virtual Angel' contains repeated flashing scenes, and has been reported to trigger seizures, epilepsy and headaches in a small minority of viewers - even the 'Human Eye Ver.' has some flashing elements. Please stay safe!

I think i speak for all orbits when I say we had big expectations for 'Dall'. Both of the Loossemble albums so far have been excellent, Chuu and Yves have been bringing it in their solo projects, and everything we've heard out of Modhaus concerning Loona has been incredible - for ARTMS to stumble with this album would be immensely frustrating. Fortunately, they did not stumble at all, they smashed through the finish line of the Loona redebuts, and elevated the groups post-BBC discography to another level of excellence.

'Dall' is an album that is difficult to put into words. It has the essence of Loona beyond just having Heejin, Kim Lip, Jinsoul, Choerry and Haseul involved, it is genuinely quite moving how it echoes that 'Hi High' sound from so long ago. I say this as a joke a lot, but 'Dall' is genuinely an album that feels like an ascension to another plane of existence - it is euphoric and ethereal, especially in the context of the fight the members and orbits have put up since 2022.

I consider 'Girl Front' the gold standard for Loona songs, and 'Virtual Angel' genuinely comes close to snatching that crown. The whole album is so fucking good, and while I would usually go through the charade of describing every track and its genre influences and whether the hook is catchy or not, I refuse for this album - I will not steal the experience from you of hearing this album for the first time.

So yeah, this is probably a mildly shit review, but PLEASE go stream this album, if there was any post BBC Loona album you were going to listen to, let it be this one (but also the Odd Eye Circle album lmao). 'Virtual Angel' is a triumph, 'Dall' is a triumph, 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy', 'Sparkle' and 'Unf/Air' ESPECIALLY are triumphs.

In conclusion... stan loona.

MINI REVIEWS:

Taxi Blurr - Jay Park (feat. Natty of KISS OF LIFE): i may not like Jay Park, but Natty is and always will be my girl, so here we are. I really love the 90s r&b style of this track, and Natty especially sounds amazing on it - her vocal colour is so beautiful. The two's voices blend really well in my opinion, the harmonies in the bridge are satisfying as hell.

Mona Lisa - Soojin (formerly (G)-IDLE)): questionable album titles aside, Soojin is back with her second comeback post leaving (G)-IDLE. This song is frustrating because it's not really offensively bad in any sense, but it is also not really especially good in any sense either. The budget for the MV is kind of crazy, but I wish they had put some of that into the making of the actual song.

No Biggie + Algorhythm - ITZY: (requested by @a-moth-to-the-light) If you've been on my blog before, you will know that JYP's direction of ITZY's korean releases has been irking me for a while, but somehow when ITZY gets on that plane and lands in Japan I am always obsessed. I'm into pretty much all of their Japanese releases, like Ringo went triple platinum in my mental chart. 'No Biggie' is really cool actually, super catchy and Yuna sounds amazing on it - it feels very laid back and relevant to the 2024 music space, something that ITZY's korean singles seem to struggle with. 'Algorhythm' is also SO GOOD, in production, style, and vocal performance. The music video and song also have major old red velvet vibes, which I love. ITZY - please stay in Japan a little longer, the discography over there is so solid. I miss Lia so much though, I hope she's doing well.

LOST! - RM (BTS): I really appreciate namjoon's artistry, and I actually enjoyed his 2022 album 'Indigo', quite a bit, but this song just doesn't work for me. I have heard from others that the album is something special tho, so if i have a spare half hour I might give it a listen.

나의 이름은 (ROTY) - YOUNG POSSE: I would like to redact my previous statements on young posse, I get it now, and this song is so fun. Very 2000s, very y2k, beautiful production, great raps from everyone, what more could you want.

Supernatural - A.C.E: Saw a GIF from the music video on my dash and decided to check it out, and I was severely impressed. 'Supernatural' is not an ear-splitting noisy headache of a track I have come to expect from kpop boy groups, it's a light hearted, classic Bruno Mars style pop hit. Good music and a well produced fun concept? I need to check out this group more.

[wengyan]

Week 7: The Slow Fashion Movement

Hi, welcome back to yet another blog post of mine! In this blog, I’ll be discussing the slow fashion movement.

Fashion plays an important role in our lives because it not only makes us more presentable but also a way to express ourselves. Fashion has always been sustainable and clothes are made to be worn as long as possible. However, in recent years, the fashion industry has appeared to be more fast. What does it mean to be fast in this context? Well, fast fashion, is a segment of the fashion industry producing trendy clothes at a low cost in high volumes. This may sound like a positive thing because of the low cost and all but that is not the case. It is causing an environmental impact that may bring harm in the long run. “It dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. Even washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.” (Maiti 2024)

The main purpose of this blog post is to encourage slow fashion to achieve a more sustainable fashion industry and to do our part in being more environmentally friendly. So, what is slow fashion? Slow fashion is the exact opposite of fast fashion. According to Hill (2023), slow fashion involves an understanding of and attitude towards fashion that gives considerable thought to the methods and materials needed to produce clothes. It promotes the purchase of longer-lasting, higher-quality clothing and maintains the principle of treating people, animals, and the environment fairly at every turn. 

There are plenty of advantages in slow fashion but the biggest factor is to save and improve the environment before it’s too late. The impact of fast fashion may not seem huge at the moment, but it surely is slowly contributing to global warming. Slow fashion should be encouraged because it is beneficial in the long run. Slow fashion clothings are produced at a higher quality which is made to be more durable. When our clothes have better durability, naturally we purchase fewer clothes and help reduce consumption. (Kulczycki 2021) 

Shopping and purchasing from sustainable brands are way more ideal. One recommended brand would be Nudie Jeans. Nude Jeans’ denim is 100% organic and crafted by one of the finest denim mills in the world, which has produced high-quality fabrics for over 70 years.

In summary, the fashion business has significance to our lives since it serves as a means of self-expression and presentability This blog post promotes slow fashion as a more environmentally friendly option. We can lessen the negative effects of fast fashion, contribute less to global warming, and encourage well-made, long-lasting apparel by opting for slow fashion. A useful step towards achieving this aim is to support eco-friendly companies like Nudie Jeans, which is well-known for their premium, organic denim. Ultimately, adopting slow fashion techniques helps the environment and promotes a more environmentally friendly fashion industry.

References

Hill, M 2023, What Is Slow Fashion? - Good On You, Good On You, viewed 17 May 2024, <https://goodonyou.eco/what-is-slow-fashion/>.

Kulczycki, P 2022, 10 Slow Fashion Benefits & Fast Fashion Disadvantages | Infographic, SANVT, viewed 18 May 2024, <https://sanvt.com/blogs/journal/advantages-of-slow-fashion?country=MY>.

Maiti, R 2024, Fast Fashion: Its Detrimental Effect on the Environment, Earth.Org, viewed 17 May 2024, <https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/#:~:text=It%20dries%20up%20water%20sources,of%2050%20billion%20plastic%20bottles>.

[fahrni]

FineWoven is Fine

I’ve never purchased an Apple iPhone case because they’re just too darned expensive for what you get. I have a couple of custom cases from Syd Cases and a couple Unicorn Beetle cases.

They do the job I intended for them to do, they protect my $1,000+ investment.

If I decide to get an iPhone 15 I’m totally buying a FineWoven case just so I can enjoy all the ugly marks it gets. I don’t mind them and I miss the olden days of aluminum iPhone bodies that scratched and wore over time. My iPhone 7 is a perfect example and I love the way it looks.

Maybe we can convince Apple to abandon Xi charging on the low end models and go to 100% USB C charging with a change back to an aluminum body? 🤣

I’d welcome it.

UPDATE:

I thought I’d drop a picture of one of my Syd Cases in here to show how it’s beat up. Now, don’t judge how the original artwork turned out. I provided that and it wasn’t of good quality, but I like it. My Stream Syd Case is much nicer.

Anywho, here’s the case.

[cjgladback]

[ID: First gif is a low quality, high speed turnaround of a 3D scorpion character with a potted cactus character riding on its back. The camera swoops around the scorpion on its 6 meters per second walk cycle, contextualizing the position of the cactus character in her chair under the a stinger umbrella and the large corked vessel shaking behind her where it rests at the base of the scorpion's tail.

The second, third, and fourth gifs are each four renders from a single view angle, showing the models and textures improvements from the characters' front-right, back-left, and back-right respectively. A green plaid blanket folded behind the chair gets some more wrinkled details and uniformity of colors, leather straps holding the chair in place become more matte, the ties attaching the umbrella to the scorpion's stinger gain folds and richer color, and the umbrella fabric gets thinner and better fitted to its spokes. In the final shot of all three, the scorpion's streaky pattern is more comprehensive (covering most of the unarmored portion of its tail) and the cracks and chips sculpted in its skin and shell are integrated with roughness and color changes. Also, there are blue glassy gems dangling from brown cords on either side of the umbrella's edge. End ID]

Well, that answers one question: the reins will be the last thing modeled for the characters themselves. Probably the last rigged, too, though we'll see how much rigging of the blanket/sack counterweights and these shiny new dangly strings I get to before then. I was happy to get the smooth-ish (though oh-so-hectic) turnaround camera set up and rendered from last weekend. And also pretty happy with the material improvements on the furniture and scorpion (albeit most of it is invisible in 540px gif format), especially since I had another Painter crash lose me an hour of work this week. Looking forward to getting the gems and cords unwrapped (probably to be added to the belts & grain sack material set, since there's room and it looks like the "furniture cloth" map has the best length space to fit the reins when we have them); I expect them to be both quick and fun to finalize. Shiny things are usually a blast!

Edit: I forgot the worst part milestone! Doing simple "count the streams and multiply by 3" math, as of this evening I have now done 120hrs of streamed work on this project, or 3 full time work weeks. Yes, streamed work takes about twice as long, but I was also doing a significant amount off stream for the first month. So. That's a number to confront.

[silversatoru]

birthdays don’t have to suck

fushiguro megumi x f!reader (elli)

synopsis: you get really sick on your birthday, but megumi makes sure that you still have a good day :))

t/w: fluff, reader is sick, vomiting, medicine (tylenol lol), some details pertain specifically to elli

wc: 2.2k

a/n: a small birthday present for the love of my life @megumifushi who never sleeps enough and is always sick,, i love u and i hope ur days not too bad <3

you stared into your dimly lit laptop, red eyes squinting at the black text that sped across the screen as your fingers scrambled against the keys. you weren’t even sure that what you were writing was comprehensible at this point, but your essay that was due tomorrow morning wasn’t gonna write itself. at this point it just needed to get done, concerns of quality were thrown out the window hours ago.

aside from the burning and stinging in your eyes, your entire body ached, and you were ridden with chills and goosebumps. seemed like a fever was coming on, but you didn’t have the time or capacity to care about that right now. you’d pop a few tylenol and crawl into bed in a couple hours, and everything would be better tomorrow.

what time was it anyway? it couldn’t possibly be that late yet, right? 

you glanced to the corner of the screen, eyes falling on a bright 3:56am that made your heart sink and your eyes widen. you had a terrible habit of losing track of time and staying up into ungodly hours of the night — a habit that your wonderful boyfriend was trying so terribly hard to break. 

you glanced to your left and took in his sleeping form, his lips parted ever so slightly as he took small breaths of air. he’d be disappointed and upset with you if he knew how horrid your sleep schedule had been lately, and he’d probably blame your chills and headaches on your lack of sleep as well — which in all fairness was probably pretty accurate. 

“i’ll just finish this up real quick and then i promise i’ll sleep, ‘kay gumi?” you spoke softly, running your fingers through his soft, spiky hair. 

he was undisturbable, his mind off somewhere in a dreamland that was quite the distance from your small bedroom. and that was probably for the better, because him nagging at you to go to sleep would be too distracting for you to get your work done. 

your hands moved rapidly against the keyboard for about another hour, words spilling onto the screen until you finally hit the page requirement for your paper. it was probably terrible, most likely had a few words spelled wrong, and honestly you were pretty certain you’d repeated yourself several times, but fuck it — submit. you were typically an excellent student, so one bad paper wouldn’t kill you, and you were too tired and achy to care right now. 

you got up and placed your laptop onto your desk, plugging it in and letting a heavy sigh fall from your lips as you made your way back over to the bed. the soft blankets were therapeutically warm on your chilly skin as you crawled in against megumi’s back, effectively turning him into the little spoon and pressing your nose to the back of his neck. thankfully, sleep found you shortly after, your eyes fluttering shut as you drifted off into a much needed slumber. 

babe 

wake up 

babe

you woke up to small finger pokes to your cheek from megumi, his face laced with concern as your vision finally focused on his features. he bent over and pressed his lips to your forehead, pausing there for a fraction of a second and then standing back up. 

“i think you have a fever. i noticed when i woke up and you felt like a fucking space heater,” he frowned, confirming your initial suspicions from last night, “i’ll go get some medicine”.

you groggily nodded your head, shivers coursing through your body and dotting your extremities with goosebumps. your condition had definitely deteriorated overnight, your eyes stinging and a horrible nausea creeping up your throat. 

by the time he returned with the medicine you had yourself propped up against the pillows, thick blankets pulled up to your chin in an attempt to minimize the icy feeling in your body. he handed two small tylenol tablets to you with a disappointed look on his face — a look that said: i’m gonna kick your ass for not getting enough sleep again. 

“i’ll let everyone know you’re not feeling well enough to go out tonight,” he hummed as he handed you a glass of water, your brain filling with thick fog as you tried to decipher why he would need to let anyone know you were sick. 

the look of pure confusion signaled to him that you had no idea what he was talking about, megumi shaking his head before he spoke up again, “it’s your birthday, dumbass, we were supposed to get food and stuff with yuuji, inumaki, and nobara and maki”. 

birthday 

oh 

forgetting about that was another habit you continued to succumb to every year.

“mm, shit,” you sighed after drinking back the pills, “i forgot”. 

“figured you would,” megumi clicked his tongue, “but i didn’t, because i’m a good boyfriend. can you drag yourself out to the kitchen? you should eat”.

“don’t think so,” you mumbled, attempting to disappear back under the blankets before he could coerce you to follow him outside of the bedroom. 

but megumi is impossibly even more stubborn than you are, wrapping his arms under your body and lifting you to his chest, “guess i’ll just have to carry you then”. 

“fine,” you let out a long groan — was it a bit dramatic? maybe. but in your defense you felt like you’d been hit with a train.

he peppered your face with kisses as he carried you out of the bedroom, lovingly setting you down on one of the high bar stools around your kitchen table. he instructed you to stay in the chair, abruptly returning to the bedroom to bring out a couple blankets to wrap around your shoulders. you were grateful for the extra heat, you body still shaking and shivering as the medications worked to cure your fever. 

megumi was a man of few words, preferring to display his love for you through acts of service than grand confessions, and this was very eminent when he wordlessly grabbed a couple pots and began cooking for you. you let your face fall onto your arms, resting your chin as you watched him silently shuffle between the stove and the pantry. the silence was comfortable, and you weren't going to complain about watching your muscular boyfriend walk around the kitchen in nothing but a pair of loose, plaid pajama pants. 

a few minutes later he was placing a steaming bowl of soup and a couple slices of baked bread in front of you, a savory scent flooding your nostrils. 

“red lentil,” he spoke as he handed you a spoon, “it’s your favorite, so you better eat it”. 

“yes, sir,” you gave him a small smile, dipping the cool metal into the hot liquid and scooping a spoonful into your mouth. 

“all of it”

“yes, megumi, i will try”

to no surprise, the soup went down pretty fucking horribly, your head hanging low over the toilet while megumi held your hair out of the way. your throat was practically raw by the time you were done heaving and vomiting up the meal, your eyes brimming with hot tears. 

megumi tied your hair up in a neat bun so he could step away, filling up a glass with water and carefully helping you to take small sips and rinse out your mouth. he was tedious with the clean up, washing your face and helping you brush your teeth — ensuring that you felt the best you could given the situation. he then scooped you back into his arms, carrying you back to bed and profusely apologizing for making you eat the soup — but he was just trying to make you feel better, he really was doing his best.

you were ready to add today to your long list of terrible birthdays, chalking it up as another failed attempt, but megumi was not about to let that happen. he knew you had a rough history with birthdays, but now that he was here? you’d have a bad birthday over his dead body. 

he scoured the back of your fridge for ginger ale, gatorade, jello, and whatever else he could find to make you the perfect sick-person platter. and he made sure he was logged into every streaming service that the two of you collectively owned, preparing netflix, hulu, and crunchy roll so that he could easily access every single one of your favorite shows and movies. and so you spent the majority of your day tucked safely against megumi’s chest, forcing down small sips of ginger ale and watching an assortment of tv. 

your phone rang at some point — a facetime call from all of your friends who had gotten together so they could all wish you a collective happy birthday. megumi stuck a singular candle into a cup of blue-raspberry jello and ignited it with a small flame; and then they all sang the most terrible rendition of “happy birthday” that you’d ever heard, yuuji’s voice a little louder and little more out-of-tune than everyone else's.

you mustered enough energy to blow out the flame, everyone cheering while megumi shoveled a scoop of the blue jelly into your mouth. you swallowed it with a smile, praying it stayed down while everyone sent you off with an assortment of “feel better!”, “we love you!”, and “wish you were here!”

your night got pretty quiet after that, you and megumi climbing back under the covers to watch a few more episodes of your new favorite anime. it wasn’t until well into the night that he finally asked you if he could give you the presents he’d gotten for you. reluctantly, you said yes. you hated receiving gifts (it was just one of the many reasons you hated your birthday) but you knew that megumi wasn’t going to take no for answer. 

he was obviously nervous, palms sweaty as he handed you a couple neatly wrapped packages in plain, solid colored paper. they were very megumi, perfect folds with not a single crease, the paper simple yet elegant and adorned with a singular bow on top. 

you hesitantly peeled the paper off the smaller of the two, revealing a tiny box that contained a classic looking silver locket. you felt your heart pinch in your chest as you clicked the locket open and revealed two small pictures of each of the two of you. you weren’t particularly sentimental, but on top of your lack of sleep and not feeling very well, the simple gift caused few tears to well up in your eyes. but he was quick to wipe them away, insisting that you had to open the second gift first, and that birthdays weren’t meant for crying. 

you followed his instructions, ripping open the second package and revealing a larger box that contained a series of envelopes. each one was decorated with tiny doodles of you and megumi, his demon dogs, hearts, etc. they were sickeningly cute, and you immediately reached for the first one before megumi reached out and stopped you. 

“they’re not for now; they’re for when i’m gone, you know, on missions and stuff,” he could barely even maintain eye contact, his eyes dipping low as yours filled back up with tears. 

despite your lack of energy and the fever that was starting to return, you showered him in hugs and kisses after that, thanking him over and over for the most perfect gifts, and for making your day as wonderful as it could have been. 

all things aside, you were coming around to the idea that birthday’s don’t have to suck. 

bonus: the first letter: 

to y/n:

i know im not great at telling you what i have to say through words, actually, i’m kind of really bad at it. but i thought writing these might be a nice way to try and get better? i’m not sure. anyway, i guess i’ll start by saying that you mean a lot to me, and i probably miss you a lot right now (even though ill be too afraid to reach out and say it). not sure how long i’ll be gone for at the time but it’s probably a few days at least. gonna work hard so i can hurry back to see you. 

i hope you’re sleeping enough, but i know you’re not. you never do, especially when i’m not there to yell at you. i hope you’re eating enough too. but you’re probably also not doing that. you’re like taking care of a stubborn child, you know that? but this is supposed to be a love letter so i’ll try to refrain from scolding you too much. but do try to take care of yourself. ill see you soon. 

megumi

[star-fruit23]

I posted 1,770 times in 2021

116 posts created (7%)

1654 posts reblogged (93%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 14.3 posts.

I added 2,858 tags in 2021

#mcyt - 1196 posts

#hermitcraft - 514 posts

#grian - 275 posts

#3rd life smp - 269 posts

#goodtimeswithscar - 136 posts

#rendog - 129 posts

#mcytblr - 88 posts

#bdoubleo100 - 86 posts

#inthelittlewood - 86 posts

#ethoslab - 79 posts

Longest Tag: 129 characters

#i’m 70% sure mika is following me back and i only make an original post every few months. often times it isn’t even anything good

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

People I’d love to see in 3rd Life season 2 if they wind up adding new people:

DomRao: One reason and one reason only. Chaos. Also it would give him a reason to post again. Who knows, he might revive the YHS kinnie server by joining!

FalseSymmetry: She’s a total bad-ass, is a 2 time MCC winner, and is known as one of, if not, the best PvPer on the Hermitcraft server. (Something both the fans and the hermits seem to agree upon) Also her build skills are so top notch, and we need some pretty to balance out the chaos.

Taurtis: He’s probably the least likely to get added to the roster but his and Grian’s dynamic is just so amazing and I think it’d be fun to see that again. Also seeing more of the Evolutionists reunite is just- please.

LDShadowlady: She was a part of X-Life so that’s a plus, and she’d bring a whole new breed of chaos into the mix. She might overshadow Joel but like- I wanna see her joke about divorcing him, it was fucking hilarious when she did during MCC.

H-bomb: He was a part of X-Life, he’s a long time content creator, his dynamic with Ren and Grian is funny, he’s a 4 time MCC winner and he would give us clout. Please sir, hand over the clout.

171 notes • Posted 2021-06-11 08:30:42 GMT

#4

Okay I know all of hermitblr agrees Grian is an avian but like-

Cod head-

Looks like his head-

Flying fish.

315 notes • Posted 2021-11-27 23:15:14 GMT

#3

Incase anyone needed to hear this today:

Transcription:

If you’re ever feeling low, just remember I’ve somehow managed to make Minecraft my job, despite being utterly useless at it. That means you can do anything you want in life.

335 notes • Posted 2021-08-01 18:26:38 GMT

#2

I made some low quality memes based off the 3rd Life SMP:

1475 notes • Posted 2021-04-22 11:01:24 GMT

#1

A little late but Female MCYTers and Streamers to support right now. Feel free to add on in the notes or reblogs.

Bacon_Mom - she’s an older Twitch streamer (she’s a boomer but like- not in a bad way. Like in a literal way, but she’s really chill). She has a very unique build style with primarily features a more textile, quilt square style. Each build has a meaning. She often plays in modded worlds with her husband. She’s incredibly wholesome and a has very unique play style.

Blushi - She’s a minecraft twitch streamer who primarily does hypixel content. She also has a Minecraft Sub server.

CaptainPuffy - She’s an incredible Streamer and YouTuber and is most known for her content on the Dream SMP, however she has worked on other Roleplay content in the past. She has participated in 11 MCCs and has won one of them.

FalseSymmetry - False is a Minecraft YouTuber who plays on the Hermitcraft server. She also occasionally streams on twitch. She’s the queen of hearts, heads, and body parts. You’re diamond armor can’t compare to her martial arts. She has also participated in 10 MCCs and is a two time MCC champion.

hannahxxrose - She is a twitch streamer who primarily does bedwars but she’s also a member of the Dream SMP.

iHasCupQuake - She’s one of the OG Minecraft YouTubers and she occasionally streams on twitch. She is currently working on a bakery on the Shady Oaks SMP. She was a participant in the first MCC, however she has never returned for another championship.

LDShadowLady - She’s another OG MCYTer who occasionally streams on twitch. She just wrapped up her X-Life content and she has a lot of old content to binge watch. She’s participated in 6 MCCs.

PearlescentMoon - She’s been on YouTube for a while but she also streams on twitch occasionally. She is an incredible builder. She is most known because of her colabs with Grian, but she’s got a whole lot of incredible solo content. She’s a member of the Legacy SMP and has been a part of it since the start of its first season last year. She’s also participated in 6 MCCs.

Stressmonster101 - She’s a YouTuber most known for her hermitcraft content however she is also a member of the Vault Hunters Server and streams it on her Twitch.

Zombie Cleo - Cleo is a gaming YouTuber who’s most known for her content on Hermitcraft, more specifically the absolute madness that is her armor-stand work (she takes that plug-in and does the coolest shit with it) but she also played a lot off games, aside from Minecraft on her main account, such as Fallout 4 and Bioshock Infinite.

Zukrbee - She’s a smaller twitch streamer who is most known for her content on the Third Eye SMP and being that one girl on tiktok who painted her door to look like a Minecraft oak door. She also speedruns and plays a lot of hypixel.

Obviously this isn’t every female CC on earth, and I’ll probably reblog with more tomorrow. Feel free to reblog with some more. This is no where near a complete list.

1847 notes • Posted 2021-03-09 06:18:09 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[ollieologys]

Hi if it’s not to much to ask could you please write something about calling tom peter by accident during sex. Hes pounding into you, and it slips and he smirks in your neck. He decides to tease you and do the american accent which turns you on more. And you cum harder than ever and then he teases you all the time about it

title; The Actor

summary; You love Tom, you do. But God, he looks mighty fine when he plays Peter Parker.

pairing; Tom Holland x Reader

words; 1.2k

warning; nsfw, swearing

note; thanks so much for the request! i hope you enjoy and request more!

     You last saw your boyfriend Tom six months ago.

It was hard, to say the least. You missed him dearly, and the bed was cold without him. With Tom across the ocean in LA for his ‘Far From Home’ premiere, he was this close to coming home to you.

When the day came, you decided it’d be best to spend as much quality time together as possible. A movie, take-out, and cuddles seemed like heaven in your eyes. You picked out a movie you both enjoyed, laid out pillows and a blanket on the sofa, and left a more than usual tip to the restaurant.

You heard the door click shut while you were setting the DVD on the coffee table. “Y/N, darling? I’m home!” he called out. You jumped up excitedly, rushing out the living room and to the door. Tom smiled as you jumped into his arms, wrapping his hands around your waist and putting his face into the crook of your neck.

“Baby!” you stood on your toes and wrapped your arms around his neck. “I missed you so, so, so much!” He held onto your figure for a moment before pulling away. “I missed you too, darling.” Giggling, you slid your hand in his and ushered him to the living room.

“I was thinking,” Tom looked around, taking in his shared apartment with you lovingly. “That I would surprise you with a little cuddle time!” You motioned to the sofa, TV, and the movie on the table. He smiled softly at you. “Darling, this is wonderful. I love you.”

For Tom, being without you was a difficult six months. He missed you, all of you, and FaceTime every night didn’t cut it for him. You promised you would see him soon, and he knew it wouldn’t be forever, but time passed achingly slow. Especially since he followed your Instagram daily, and you looked gorgeous in all of your pictures.

Even now, waiting for him on the sofa in just your black and white shorts and a tank top, he wanted you.

“Baby?” You noticed Tom staring at you silently. “What’s wrong?” He shook his head. He took a few steps towards you and grabbed your hand, pulling you up and to his chest. You blushed, your body begins to melt as you stood in his arms.

His voice got low, and he leaned down to your ear, brushing your hair out of your face. “I missed you tons, darling.” He growled, hands moving down from your torso to your waist, to your hips. “I haven’t touched you in so long.” You shivered, closing your eyes in bliss and felt your legs become weaker as every moment passed.

Tom bit lightly on your earlobe. Your eyes rolled back, and you let out a sigh. He let a trail of kisses go from your neck down to your shoulder, then lifted his head and looked you in the eyes. His gaze was intense, and you wanted him more and more as he continued to stare with lust filling his mind.

Your lips crashed against his, desperately grasping onto his shoulders. He followed your lead, his hands moving from your hips to your ass and massaging you through your shorts. A moan escaped your lips, and he slipped his tongue into your mouth. He sucked on your bottom lip and pulled away, admiring your swollen lips.

“We can watch the movie later, okay, sweetness?” He didn’t wait for your response. Tom moved his hands to your thighs and lifted you up, carrying you to your shared bed and tossing you down. You smiled up at him as he lifted his shirt over his head, biting your lip as your eyes landed on his torso.

He had gotten jacked while preparing to play his role as Peter Parker, and the longer you stared, the longer you wanted him to fuck you senseless.

You were so busy in your thoughts that you hadn’t noticed his hands on you, lifting your top over your head and pulling on the waistband of your shorts. “God, Y/N,” he started, staring at the light pink, lace panties you had worn just in case. “You’re going to be the death of me.” You laughed lightly, going to reply with a witty response before he practically ripped the underwear off of you.

It turned you on immensely.

He unbuckled his belt quickly, forgetting about any kind of foreplay. Tom pulled down his pants, grabbing your waist and flipping you onto your stomach. Instinctively, you lifted your waist up and crawled further up the bed to give him room. He groaned at the sight of you, placing his hands on your hips before pushing himself in you slowly.

You gasped. It had been so long since you’d been with Tom, but you didn’t feel any pain. He bit his lip, loving the feeling of you around him and knowing you were his. “Fuck, baby,” you moaned into the duvet. He moved slowly at first, tormenting you and himself. Tom was a gentleman, though. He wanted you to become used to feeling him before he went too fast.

“Faster, please.” You begged, and he obliged. He grasped your hips, pushing your waist against his and thrusting harshly. Your hands gripped the sheets, unable to muster words to come out. Tom groaned. “You’re so tight, darling.”

You gasped and felt yourself tighten around him. “P-Pete-“ You felt your face flush. You prayed Tom hadn’t heard that, but you felt him pull out of you, and you whined. He flipped you onto your back and leaned a centimeter barely in front of your face.

“What was that, darling?” He teased, pushing himself to your entrance but not quite going in. You whined more. “Baby, please, I want you.” He shook his head. “Did you just call me Peter, darling?” His voice taunting you. “You wanna be fucked by Peter, don’t you, baby?” His voice slipping into an American accent. You closed your eyes, a moan leaving your lips and nodding. “Just by you.” You said, your voice shaky.

He pushed himself back into you, thrusting into you relentlessly. Your nails clawed at his back, and you gasped, feeling yourself clench around him. “I-I’m close,” you stuttered. Tom leaned down and kissed you, his movements becoming sloppier. He was close, too.

“Come for me, baby,” He said, his accent mixing between American and English. You moaned into his mouth and felt yourself release onto him. He came moments after and fell beside you. He panted, catching his breath. You curled into him and felt his arms slither around your waist.

“I love you, Y/N,” he whispered, breathing into your hair. “I love you, too.” You sighed, slowly drifting to sleep.

The next morning, you found yourself alone in bed. You groaned as the light beams streamed onto your freshly woken eyes. Slowly, you sat up and smiled at the smell of breakfast. You grabbed a white t-shirt of Tom’s and walked out into the kitchen, wrapping your arms around his torso and smiling.

“G’ morning baby,” you muttered groggily. Tom smirked to himself, turning around and cupping your face in his hands. “Don’t you mean, Peter, darling?”

Your face beamed red as you smacked his arm. “Shut up, Tom!”

-

[ducktracy]

155. picador porky (1937)

release date: february 27th, 1937

series: looney tunes

director: tex avery

starring: joe dougherty (porky), mel blanc (drunks), billy bletcher (bull)

while mel blanc provided porky’s shrieks in porky the wrestler, this is often considered his first role in a warner bros cartoon, or at least a role of substantial size. porky has also been considerably slimmer down. other directors such as ub iwerks and bob clampett would follow suit, with frank tashlin being the lone fat porky straggler. this is where i think looney tunes really start to shift in tone and truly become recognizably looney. porky gets refined, mel blanc puts his foot in the door... great things lie ahead! (and an interesting note—i’m using the porky pig 101 rip for quality, but the title card music is actually ripped from porky’s tire trouble. this is the beginning of many, many, MANY reuses... so get ready.) here, porky assumes the role of a toreador, hoping to win the cash prize with ease as his buddies promise to dress up as a bull and provide an even fight. however, when his buddies get into the bottle, porky finds himself fighting a REAL bull instead, and a cash prize seems none too likely.

the cartoon opens with an expositional foreword:

slumbering peacefully ‘neath the warm caresses of the noonday sun, lies the sleepy little village of la rosita. it presents a scene of serene quietude and beauty as its inhabitants enjoy their mid-day siesta preceding the annual bull-fight. the solitude is broken only by the occasional strains of a soft guitar.

tex does a wonderful job of painting the perfect setting that almost anyone can imagine (even if he does spell preceding as preceeding). and so, of course, it’s only right that the scene after the foreword completely defies every word. gunshots, shouting, people running amuck, a flurry of activity. this setup would be borrowed at the beginning of bob clampett’s naughty neighbors (which, funnily enough, also has the porky’s tire trouble music tacked onto it).

however, tex was right on the soft strains of the guitar: a mariachi band gets together to play “la cucaracha”. a variety of visual gags accompany the music, whether it be men head-butting each other, a man drying himself off with a towel, or a kid poking his head out of a pot carried by his mother, interjecting “swing it, mama, swing it!”, a man shaking a cocktail, you name it. there’s animation reused from a friz cartoon of a girl dancing with a cloth—i believe it may be from billboard frolics.

enter porky and his two mysteriously unnamed buddies, both sliding into view from opposite sides as they all approach the gate to the town. porky and co are nonplussed by the fervent celebration—we get a rolling pan of the action. gunshots, dancing, confetti, the works. a poster tacked up to a tree captures the audience’s attention:

TO-DAY

BULL FIGHT

1000 PESOS

TO THE

WINNER!

the camera then trucks out to reveal porky and his entourage staring at the poster. i was listening to mark kausler’s commentary on porky’s romance (which is coming up very soon, hooray! next porky cartoon!) and he mentioned how the camerawork could be a bit jittery and choppy on zoom outs such as these. the same applies here, the zoom out is a little jittery, but it’s a niche complaint. something i never would have thought to notice! porky signals for his buddies to bend down low, and he whispers an inaudible plan in their attentive ears.

fade out and in to a costume shop, where porky and co hurry inside. a few seconds later and out marches porky in a matador costume, a makeshift bull outfit marching behind, tail pompously raised in the air. topping the gag off, as if it wasn’t obvious, mel blanc provides his first coherent line of dialogue in a warner bros cartoon as the two buddies unmask themselves, reassuring the audience “it’s us!”

elsewhere, the stadium packs full to bursting with eager spectators, waiting to see the bullfight in action. some of the animation of the spectators streaming into the stadium would be reused as an overlay in porky & daffy. elsewhere, porky and his “bull” tiptoe into the back entrance, where they encounter the actual bull for the fight, pent up in a cage that reads “1st event”. the real bull mistakes the fake bull for a female, hearts pouring out as billy bletcher provides an “mmmmm-mmmm!” from the bull.

porky wheels the bull cage out of the way, fetching an empty cage for his buddies to hide out in until the fight. porky tends to his business, leaving his buddies alone, when a pesky bee flies into the cage. clever visuals of the guy in the bottom half trying to smack the bee, his hand clearly sticking out of the tail. the bee lands on the bull’s “butt”, to which the hand promptly smacks. though he hit himself in the process, the guy has successfully taken care of the bee, flicking it offscreen.

meanwhile, a bottle of alcohol catches the attention of the front half. carl stalling debuts his favorite drunken motif of “how dry i am” as the bull head opens up, buddy #1 taking a hearty gulp of the liquor. mel blanc works his magic as #1 wheezes and coughs, sputtering “hey, this is fine stuff!” buddy #2 pokes his head out of the butt and helps himself. wonderful animation as the alcohol settles in, #2 spinning and contorting the bull costume from the impact. he gives his seal of approval by slurring incomprehensibly.

the next scene has some wonderful animation paired with mel blanc’s hiccups. drunk #2 begins to hiccup, sinking back into the bull costume. what starts as a string of hiccups morphs into an uncontrollably frenzy, the bull’s back half rocketing up and down and flailing all over the place as the hiccups render drunk #2 (and #1) useless. eventually, the force of the hiccups is so strong that #2 lodges the entire bull outfit out of the cage, the cage now empty.

in the arena, a trumpeter blares out the beginning fanfare, and a number of miscellaneous doors—wooden, steel, even a safe—slide out of view, one by one, revealing the bullfighter’s entrance. this gag, paired with the same music, would be reused in porky in wackyland and later the remake, dough for the do-do. the gag would be reused to a similar degree in another one of tex’s shorts, northwest hounded police over at MGM. while the gag is funny as it is, even more amusing is that the doors open to reveal absolutely nothing. a beat, and then tiny little porky jumps out of a hidden door to the (our) right of the grand entrance, posing triumphantly. porky shakes his hands in the glory, eating up the applause.

back behind the scenes, a guard notices the bull is missing. he wheels away the cage, and spots the ACTUAL bull, wheeling the real bull back in its rightful place. another door gag as an assistant opens a heavyset door, pulling a string that reveals the door to be a curtain. the bull is riled up, snorting wildly. without any further hesitation, it zooms straight into the arena, spinning porky around in a whirlwind in the process.

porky, believing the bull is still his scamming buddies, whistles in awe and speaks out of the side of his mouth, “take it easy, boys! that was a little close!” with that, virgil ross animates a scene of porky doing magic tricks (i had thought this was bob clampett animation, seeing as he had such an affinity with magic, but the movements, shiny eyelids, and dimensional snout give it away as virgil), the bull running straight into porky‘s telltale cape. the animation is as wondrous as the magic trick to the spectators. porky turns the cloth inside and out—no bull. eventually, he shakes the cloth, and his bull plops out onto the ground. porky strikes a jubilant pose, with an angry bull glaring him down.

suddenly, porky whistles. “hey, caddy!” a man appears with a golf club bag full of toilet plungers. you know, the essentials. porky begins to attach the toilet plungers on the bull, one by one. the bull, enraged, shakes all of the plungers off except for one, that sticks to his butt. determined to get it off, the bull fights with himself, and in the midst of the struggle, the plunger gets stuck on his nose. he struggles to pull it off, but manages to do so, drastically elongating his snout in the process and giving a hilarious, squeaky whimper. the payoff is amusing with the visual, but this is definitely an instance where tex’s gags seemed to be randomly placed in with no merit. why was porky sticking the plungers on the bull in the first place? nevertheless, the bull, now more furious than ever, prepares to attack.

chuck jones is responsible for animating this GLORIOUS next scene. it’s one of my favorite scenes he’s ever animated. of the three specialties, two of them are included—closeups and drunks. dogs is his third, but i guess you could count these guys as dogs. regardless, porky’s hammered buddies suddenly burst into the arena, the bull costume ripped in half (and the owners of each half are switched). drunk #2 accompanies the vocal talents of drunk #1 singing la cucaracha. mel blanc’s vocals are absolutely HYSTERICAL. the hiccups, the slurring, the random YIPPEE! even better is watching drunk #1 get up in drunk #2’s face, completely expressionless (except for a drunken smile), the cow head occasionally concealing his head as it falls down and he props it back up. chuck’s movements are smooth, rubbery, and utterly hilarious. this is a great scene and the first time mel blanc truly shines for all to see.

elsewhere, porky’s still waving his little flag around, but pauses to admire the drunken music. suddenly, a revelation. he recognizes his drunks. he stares at the drunks, and then at the bull, prying open the furious bull’s mouth. sure enough, no pals of his are lodged down the bull’s throat. they’re over yonder singing a hammered rendition of la cucaracha.

mel provides porky’s “WOO!” of terror as he scrambles away. nice bit of a 4th wall break that unfortunately doesn’t realize maximum speed potential as porky runs across the borders of the screen, running up the sides and upside down, the bull hot on his tail. meanwhile, the time keeper (as his plaque labels in his stand) blows on a party streamer, a hammer popping out of the end and slamming on a bell.

porky and the bull freeze in their tracks, porky petrified with terror, so much so that two assistants have to physically pick him up from the ground and carry him off. the bull snaps in frustration and gives porky a promising glare of vengeance.

transition to a non-petrified porky gargling with some liquid and spitting it into a funnel with the guidance of his assistants. the bull goes through the same routine, and when the assistant points to the funnel, the bull grabs it and talks into it instead. “hello, mama! hello, papa! it’s great, fine. wish you were here!” even better is the bull’s contented smile at the end of the “call”. a genius gag that is enhanced by the deep vocals of billy bletcher.

the time keeper blows on his party streamer/hammer, and the hammer stops to whack the keeper in the head instead of the bell, a loud bell chime reverberating regardless. the chase resumes. bob clampett animates the next scene of porky sliding into the safe zone—i love porky’s giant satisfied, ecstatic grins as the bull waits patiently outside, humming (a scene clampett would incorporate in his own porky’s last stand, a mega-favorite of mine). in tex avery fashion, the bull defies all logic by lifting the painted lines off of the ground and towering over a terrified porky, who zooms out of sight.

porky’s drunken buddies notice the plight, and are at least sober enough to take action. #1 whispers in #2’s ear, and we see the fully formed bull (really a cow) costume hide behind a wooden barrier. an arm reaches out and grabs a baseball bat and a plank, calling “moooohoooooo!” (instead of “yoohoo!”) in a seductive catcall. the bull takes the bait, lumbering over to the barrier, where the drunks await with their weapons. even better than the typography zooming out of the scene as the fight ensues is mel blanc YELLING the onomatopoeia out loud, batman style. “bang! bam! bop! wham!” the action freezes. then more violence. finally, a victorious rendition of “the lady in red” as the costumed bull marches proudly out of the barrier, unscathed.

the disguise approaches porky, the head giving a befuddled porky a wink. then, the “bull” flops over on its back, tail straight up, a white flag of surrender waving triumphantly in the wind as porky is showered with applause, beaming and raising his sword.

just as porky’s about to collect his earnings, the REAL bull shakes himself to his senses. porky grabs the money bag from the judges, bowing as he twirls his hat victoriously in the air. the fake bull suddenly panics, zooming off screen. porky turns around to see a very angry, real, slightly bruised bull snorting heavily at him. porky shrugs it off, celebrating some more, until he realizes that That’s The Real Deal. mel blanc provides porky’s panicked HOOHOO!s as porky zooms out of the arena. a clever pause, and porky zips back to the bull, offering his money bag, and rocketing out of sight once more. iris out as the bull grumbles “well, imagine that!”—another catchphrase used from a previous tex cartoon, porky the rain-maker.

as i said before, this is the cartoon that really starts that looney feel to me. half of it is mel blanc’s prominence, the other half being porky’s slight redesign—he’d be even skinnier in tex’s next porky, porky’s duck hunt. this is a great cartoon for its time. tex’s gags are amusing—that setup with the whole “sleepy village which is actually a village in chaos” is just sublime. some gags made more sense than others. while the joke was supposed to be the visual of the bull’s elongated snout, porky covering the bull in toilet plungers felt too incongruous and didn’t really fit in. funny, but kinda just floating there. porky’s duck hunt suffers the same fate with the gag of daffy swallowing an electric eel—very funny, but has nothing to do with any of the adjacent scenes. regardless, you need to see this one. mel’s drunken rendition of la cucaracha is certainly the highlight, but there are a lot of fun gags elsewhere. very high energy, very fun, very feel good. give it a go!

link!

[anarchistemma]

Jerry Lewis. No comedian since Charles Chaplin has been so loved and so reviled. He is America’s Dark Prince of Comedy--brilliant, bitter, passionate and deeply conflicted. A man of many demons, his cockiness conceals a labyrinth of doubts and self-destructive impulses. An American original whom Americans have never quite come to terms with, he also happens to be one of the greatest filmmakers of the latter half of the 20th century. And for this he deserves an Academy Award.

It’s not surprising that he’s never even been nominated for one. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a tradition of snubbing comedians. The list of those whose movies failed to win a single Oscar is appallingly long and distinguished: Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon, Mabel Normand, the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, Abbott and Costello, Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, to name a few. The academy finally gave Keaton an honorary Oscar in 1960, and one to Stan Laurel in 1961 (after Lewis lobbied passionately on his behalf), and even one to Charlie Chaplin in 1972, bringing the once-demonized “un-American” director back to Hollywood after 20 years of exile in Europe.

Now it’s time to honor Jerry Lewis.

Lewis was a superstar in the 1950s and early ‘60s, the I Like Ike era of “The Organization Man,” when a Wonder Bread corporate monoculture force-fed an entire generation a bland diet of conformity. In a time of crew cuts and bouffant hairdos, of TV dinners, suburban tract houses, gleaming new supermarkets and the homogenized nuclear family paradigm set forth by “Father Knows Best” and “Leave It to Beaver,” Lewis’ archetypal character, “the Kid,” served as an escape valve--a personification of the American id, cavorting across TV and movie screens, acting on the anarchistic impulses his audiences felt obliged to repress.

“We used to hang out on street corners, and guys would do Jerry Lewis imitations,” says Philip Kaufman, director of “The Right Stuff” and “The Unbearable Lightness of Being,” who came of age in the 1950s. “The way that Jerry Lewis walked, that staggering, uncoordinated adolescent walk--you could feel the American youth culture being born. . . . Lewis and Elvis had this primordial American energy.”

Lewis gradually filled his comic archetype with nuances and complexities, so that it continued to resonate on deeper and yet deeper levels. He did this by becoming what he calls “a total filmmaker,” as Chaplin and Keaton had been. When Lewis began appearing in movies in 1949, he set about learning the technical intricacies of every aspect of production. “After about a year and a half I was able to load a BNC [35mm Mitchell] camera and do anything on the set that any technician did--maybe not with the quality of a man who’s done it for 25 years, but if he got sick, I could do it,” Lewis told me in an interview in December 2003. “I know depth of field like you know your wife’s first name. . . . I therefore proceeded to own every union card in the picture business.” Along the way, he also managed to invent the video assist, which allowed him to instantly replay scenes he’d just shot--now standard equipment on most Hollywood sets.

Once he’d mastered the filmmaking process, Lewis dared to declare his independence from the studio system. He wrote, directed and starred in a series of features that he also co-financed with his own money. “I mortgaged my house a couple of times, sold two cars, I remember that!” Lewis told me. In exchange for putting up half or sometimes the entire budgets of the films he directed, he got 50% or more of the profits and a level of creative autonomy that no screen comedian had commanded since Chaplin. “I had final cut on everything,” he said.

“I would love to have achieved the level of independence that he had,” Kaufman says. “The opposite is Orson Welles. He’s a half a generation before Jerry Lewis, but he gets destroyed because he can’t control the films.”

The movies Lewis directed--including “The Bellboy” (1960), “The Ladies Man” (1961), “The Errand Boy” (1961), “The Nutty Professor” (1963) and “The Patsy” (1964)--were bizarre stream-of-consciousness concoctions packed with brilliant pantomime set pieces and surreal comic nightmare sequences, moving Rorschach inkblots that reflected Lewis’ deeply conflicted psyche. “They were not regular Hollywood films,” says director Martin Scorsese. “There were no stories. No plots. They were very dreamlike, going from one free association to the next, almost like the later Luis Bunuel pictures, like ‘The Phantom of Liberty,’ which was a dream within a dream within a dream. You know you’re in the hands of a master; you just let him take you along. His films were almost avant-garde.”

Like Buster Keaton, Scorsese says, Lewis had an uncanny ability to pour his subconscious onto a movie screen, creating phantasmagoric visions permeated with disturbing psychological undertones. Unlike Keaton, Lewis often worked in color. He urged his cinematographer, W. Wallace Kelley, to pump huge amounts of light onto his sets until the comic book hues popped off the screen. “Lewis’ use of color has influenced many filmmakers, [such as] the way David Lynch uses color, and Pedro Almodovar,” Scorsese says.

In the mid-'60s, European critics--the French, most famously, or infamously, depending on your point of view--embraced Lewis as a genius, an heir to Chaplin and Keaton. Chagrined American critics sputtered outrage. They saw Lewis as a vulgarian, a pretentious, sentimental egomaniac who was a tad less subtle than the Three Stooges, and a lot less funny. And those were the good reviews. “Mr. Lewis is a frenetic performer,” wrote Eugene Archer of the New York Times, “but he lacks a point . . . a rubber-limbed robot making faces in a void.” Harriet Van Horne of the World Telegram wrote of a Lewis performance, “you flinch from the soulless vulgarity of his spastic twitches and low-class leers.” In his 1968 book “The American Cinema,” Andrew Sarris demeaned not only Lewis, but also his fans. “Lewis appeals to unsophisticated audiences in the sticks and to ungenteel audiences in the urban slums,” Sarris wrote. “He is bigger on 42nd Street, for example, than anyplace else in the city.”

Lewis seemed to scuttle any chance that American intellectuals would change their minds by taking the fight to the enemy. He wrote nasty letters to reviewers and denounced them on television and radio. He said they were “caustic, rude, unkind and sinister. . . . They’re burying the business they’re paid by.” And in his most infamous salvo, blasted in a 1981 Los Angeles Times interview, he called them “whores.”

But beneath his belligerence one sensed the man had been deeply wounded. In a telling passage in his landmark 1971 book about moviemaking, “The Total Film-maker,” Lewis confessed: “I cannot sit at certain tables at the Directors Guild because I make what some people consider is a ‘hokey’ product. John Frankenheimer waves and hopes that no one else sees his hand, simply because I film pratfalls and spritz water and throw pies.”

In countless magazine profiles and biographies, Lewis has been vividly portrayed as a tantrum-throwing egomaniac. But there is another side. I’ve talked with many people who worked with Lewis over the years--including his longtime collaborators, writer Bill Richmond and comedienne Kathleen Freeman--who told me stories of his private acts of extraordinary kindness and generosity. Peter Bogdanovich tells of how Lewis befriended him when he was a poor, young aspiring filmmaker--lending him a car, allowing him to screen movies at Paramount and charge the cost to Lewis’ production company. “He’s been a good friend to me for more than 40 years,” Bogdanovich says. When I first interviewed Lewis a year ago, I found him to be a perceptive, articulate but deeply divided man who oscillated during the course of our one-hour conversation from laughter to anger to tears. His ability to infuse his movies with these seething emotions gave them their strange emotional charge, and helped make them audacious and poetic works of art.

In “The Bellboy” and “The Errand Boy,” Lewis’ Kid finds himself wandering through sprawling corporate complexes: the ultramodern curvilinear interiors of Miami Beach’s Fontainebleau hotel, and the cavernous soundstages and maze-like streets and corridors of a movie studio. He desperately tries to mesh with the gears of the industrial combine, but his inability to function with the automaton efficiency of his co-workers inevitably causes catastrophe. “There’s a sense in which he’s a modern man, a universal figure confronted with modernity, with bosses and difficult jobs, and especially with a fast pace that’s difficult to keep up with,” says Henry Sheehan, critic for KPCC-FM and KCET.

There are haunting moments that evoke the lonely yearnings of the alienated in America’s increasingly institutionalized society, such as the brilliant pantomimes in which the Kid conducts an imaginary orchestra or imagines himself to be a movie mogul holding forth in a deserted boardroom. Or the scene where the Kid is assigned the Sisyphean task of setting up more than 1,000 chairs in an auditorium the size of a football field. Lewis films from one wide angle, holding the shot as the Kid recedes farther and farther into the great hollow hall. “When he started directing his own pictures there was a powerful visual sense,” Scorsese says. “It was almost as if the films were drawn by hand--animated. Something was very arresting about the way Lewis designed his scenes and shot them, the way he focused the eye of the audience.”

In the middle of “The Bellboy,” the Kid is ordered to help with the luggage of an arriving celebrity: Jerry Lewis, the movie star. Lewis the star arrives in a limousine with a huge retinue of yes-men and sycophants. “That kind of thing was refreshing and brilliant,” Scorsese says. “It opened the audience’s mind. What is the reality? We know we’re watching a film. We know it’s directed by him. We know he’s in control. Then he shows up as a film star within the movie! It plays with your sense of what reality is and what cinema is--and also what celebrity is.” In a culture obsessed with celebrity, Lewis shows us that a star is as objectified as a Playboy centerfold, and his existence at the top of the ladder every bit as lonely as that of the Kid at the bottom. The entourage of Jerry Lewis the movie star laughs at his every remark. When he tearfully reveals that a beloved aunt just died, the crowd howls with unhinged hilarity. “Nothing like a laugh!” someone screams.

In “The Ladies Man,” the Kid serves as a gofer in a boarding house full of young women. Lewis built the entire mansion--four stories tall, including a stairway and working elevator--on two soundstages at Paramount, with the fourth wall of every room cut away, like a giant dollhouse, so the camera could swoop on a crane from room to room, each of which was pre-lighted and wired for sound. It was another groundbreaking technical innovation, and a fantastic dreamscape through which Lewis’ imagination ran wild. In one spectacular crane shot, Lewis pulls back to show the entire dollhouse. “That shot is so striking,” Scorsese says. “In a funny way, it had something to do with the way I did a shot in ‘Gangs of New York’ in the beginning of the film, showing the [multileveled] hell of the old brewery

Scorsese found more inspiration in Lewis’ masterpiece, “The Nutty Professor,” in the famous sequence that occurs after Professor Kelp has transformed himself into the incandescent lounge lizard Buddy Love. At first we do not see Love. Instead we see the world through his eyes. In an intricately choreographed tracking shot, Love walks through the street toward the Purple Pit nightclub and various passersby react with astonishment to his high-voltage charisma. “I use that as an example of the kind of point-of-view shots that I use,” Scorsese says. In “Gangs of New York,” he told his assistant director, Joseph Reidy, that he wanted to choreograph a similar point-of-view shot in the scene where Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) places a rabbit pelt on a Five Points fence as a declaration of war. “I am constantly referring back to Lewis’ work,” Scorsese says.

Lewis explored the polarities of his personality--the lonely kid he had been in his youth and still felt himself to be, and the polished persona he presented on television and in live performances--not only in “The Bellboy,” but also in “Cinderfella” (directed by Frank Tashlin and produced by Lewis) and “The Errand Boy.” This theme reached its full and most complex expression in “The Nutty Professor.” The movie is an extended investigation of Lewis the public performer, and his insecure inner self. But more than a movie star’s exercise in self-absorption, it is a meditation on the American model of masculinity. Lewis acknowledges its pathology even as he admits that he cannot free himself of his aspiration to embody it. In the climax of the movie, Buddy Love transforms back into Professor Kelp before a stunned crowd of college students. Kelp makes a heartfelt speech about the fallacy of trying to create a false personality to please others and the need for self-acceptance, and there’s not a dry eye in the house. But in the film’s denouement, as Kelp leaves for his wedding with heartthrob Stella (Stella Stevens), the director reveals that she has stuffed two bottles of Kelp’s magic tonic in the pockets of her jeans--an admission that there’s a dark, erotic power to Love’s aggressive posturing that Americans find irresistible, despite whatever lip service they may pay to the values of sensitivity and brains.

“Lewis’ sense of burlesque is a strange type of comedy because it’s full of anxiety,” says director Barbet Schroeder (“Barfly,” “Single White Female”). “It’s a tragic vision that makes you laugh. . . . And all that is completely personal and completely extraordinary. He took burlesque comedy one step further, like any great artist, to a very freaky, disturbing modern tone.”

In 1977, someone at an American Film Institute seminar asked Lewis why his films hadn’t been rediscovered, as those of other great comics had been. “They wait until you die,” he snapped. Until recently, it looked as if Lewis might be right. During the last decade, a series of serious health problems--bouts of meningitis and pulmonary fibrosis--forced him to cancel live engagements and spend long stretches in the hospital. But last year, Lewis bounced back. He returned home from the hospital, and in the fall he released sparkling wide-screen DVD transfers of 10 movies from his golden period, complete with outtakes and commentary tracks.

And the damnedest thing happened. They got good reviews. The New York Times published not one but two rave notices. In the second one, Dave Kehr wrote: “Is it finally time to stop with the French-love-him jokes and acknowledge that Jerry Lewis is one of the great American filmmakers?” Kehr noted that the DVDs “reveal both the fierce creativity of his comic performances and the extreme formal sophistication of his direction. The centerpiece is the 1963 ‘The Nutty Professor’ . . . a study in split personality that both anticipates Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 ‘Persona’ and surpasses it in psychological acuity. It’s also a lot funnier.”

In December 2004, the Library of Congress concluded that “The Nutty Professor” is a movie of lasting cultural significance, worthy of preservation, and added it to the National Film Registry. Then in January, Lewis received a career achievement award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. The explanation for this turnaround is simple: As older critics retired, a new generation replaced them. They had come of age in the 1950s and ‘60s and had spent the better part of their youth in the dark, watching Jerry Lewis and laughing till they just about wet their pants. “For me, personally, the impact of watching ‘The Nutty Professor’ as a boy in a drive-in in the Valley was huge,” says Robert Koehler, who writes for Variety. “It was the first time I had felt a weird sense of terror, horror and comedy all in one fell swoop. I’d never felt that before in a movie. There was something going on here besides just another Hollywood comedy. There was a sense of wild theatrics. I was only 7 years old at the time; I couldn’t even put my finger on it, but it so absolutely impressed my young mind.”

As they grew older, like Morty S. Tashman in “The Errand Boy,” these young fans made their way to Hollywood to become part of show business. Their film school professors and older critics had told them Lewis was vulgar and tasteless, but they went back and watched the movies and didn’t believe it. “I always thought he was funny, from the first time I came to him, at 9 years old,” says Henry Sheehan, president of the L.A. critics association. “Once I grew older and learned something about composition and the mechanics of gags, I was full of admiration for him. I think my experience is pretty common for people my age.”

For years a growing number of Lewis supporters had been urging the association to give the comedian the career achievement award. This year the membership suddenly agreed. “It was pretty widely supported,” Koehler says. “In the past there have been complaints. The first year I was in the group, his name was brought up and some people were openly contemptuous. I heard none of that this time. I don’t know why. I think it’s the test of time.”

As the night of the awards ceremony approached, a question loomed: How would Lewis react? Would he be able to drop the contentious attitude he’d held against his old adversaries for more than half a century? When I talked with him shortly after the award had been announced, he seemed to be struggling for his equilibrium. “I don’t really know how I’m going to deal with it,” he admitted, then murmured something about handling it with grace. But when he talked with other journalists, some of the old fighting verbiage crept into his remarks. He told Larry King the award was “the best revenge I’ve ever had.” And to a reporter from the Los Angeles Daily News, he said, “Jesus Christ, is that retribution or not?”

Finally, the moment came. Peter Bogdanovich presented the plaque. Lewis stepped to the podium. His eyes passed over the crowd. “Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to be the recipient of this award. . . . What took so goddamned long?” The room exploded with laughter. Lewis segued smoothly into his Vegas act and did about 10 minutes that had the critics, filmmakers and stars doubled over and gasping for air.

Then he stopped, his voice growing serious. “I would feel somewhat remiss if I didn’t show you something that I believe brought me here tonight,” he said. Film rolled, and on the screen behind him appeared a 35-year-old Jerry Lewis doing the famous Chairman of the Board pantomime from “The Errand Boy,” his gesticulations and mugging timed to the tempo of Count Basie’s “Blues in Hoss’ Flat.” It was much more than funny. It was at once melancholy, poetic and exhilarating. When it was over, the room rose in a howling, hooting standing ovation. The only one of the night.

Now it’s the academy’s turn to step up. A few months ago, Bogdanovich wrote a letter to its president, Frank Pierson, suggesting that Lewis be given an Oscar. I hope the Academy doesn’t take too long. The hour is late. Another great clown and groundbreaking filmmaker, too long ignored, deserves to be honored by his peers.

JL’s yahrzeit

The once and future King of Comedy 👑

[mugen-monogatari]

5 Quality Yet Accessible Tragic Anime You Should Watch

Let’s talk about tragedy in anime. Ain’t nothin’ like watching some sad anime boys experiencing sad things while I sit there and cry. I love tragedy in anime, there’s just a certain satisfaction in ‘dissatisfaction’. Sometimes, it’s far more meaningful for someone to lose a fight, to make a hard decision or sacrifice something. Maybe the hero never saves the girl, or a loved one just doesn’t make it. Yes, in a perfect world everyone ends up happy, but this isn’t a perfect world. People suffer, and sometimes it ends on a good note, sometimes everything goes to hell and the world burns. That gritty realism and human error adds a level of empathy and depth to many shows that would otherwise lack it. I personally think it’s worth talking about that, since I don’t think tragic anime get enough love.

So I thought I’d make a quick list of 5 accessible yet Quality tragedy series, ranging from pretty popular and accessible, to slightly more niche. Many of you have seen these series I’m sure, but with the continuous stream of shows being released every single season, it can be hard to either go back and watch older shows, or stay on top of newer ones. These are just a few picks that I would urge anyone and everyone to go and at least try.

I should also preface this by saying, when I say tragedy, it doesn’t mean the show has a depressing ending. By tragedy I’m referring to tragic events happening in a show regularly, be it at the end, the beginning or throughout. Simply putting something on this list, doesn’t mean it has a tragic ending, so you can rest assured there are still surprises to come when watching these.

Also, these are all my opinions, everyone is entitled to them. You can disagree or agree, it’s up to you, we can even discuss my peeps. Just don’t brutalize me for shows you don’t like or if one of your favorites isn’t on this list.

All of that being said, Here are 5 tragic series I think everyone should at least try:

1. Code Geass

Starting off simple we have Code Geass. What a show this was back in the day. Death Note, mixed with Mechs and sci-fi and chess and a whole lot of edge. For many people, they have already seen it, it’s almost guaranteed if you watched anime in the early 2000s. However, as time goes on, this series slowly falls into obscurity, many people being less attracted by its flamboyant art style and the ever growing age. It seems like Code Geass is slowly fading away with time, people online aren’t forgetting about it, but moving on, and many new fans are understandably detracted from a show like this.

But they’re all wrong. This series is incredible. It’s a fundamental “must-watch” show. Sure, it shows it’s age now, but that doesn’t detract from it’s plot and characters. With a very likeable cast, a constantly expanding story, high stakes, insane powers and mind games, politics and action, all of these make an insanely good series, one that warrants repeated viewing to this day. What starts as a boy being in the wrong place at the wrong time, blows up into a worldwide conflict. This is one of those series that sticks with you, there are scenes and moments in this you just never forget moving forward.

Some of the things I love is Sunrise’s mech designs, Lancelot as well as many of the Knightmare frame designs in the movies and show are still fun and vibrant to this day. Many old Mecha shows become redundant years later as the designs don’t hold up. This one though, certainly does.

I also really love the voice acting. Yes the sub is good, but the dub (fight me) is just mwah. Johnny Yong Bosch as Lelouch is nut worthy. Just watch the first episode where he gives his first command. Insta nut. I’m telling you.

I also love the endings of both seasons. I think the first is a really good climax, while the second season closes about as well as this could, while still coming out of left field.

Some things that I think detract people, definitely start with the art style. Sunrise’s designs for the machines and backgrounds and such is fine, it looks good, however Clamp’s character designs are definitely an acquired taste. They’re not for everyone. Everyone looks super slender, almost cartoon like in their clothes and proportions. Yes you get used to it, but they still look very “different” to the standard, even back when it first came out.

Another is sometimes, the show just goes to very strange places, for example having an episode to do with drug addiction that just came out of left-field. In the same vein, some people have very mixed opinions on season two, not entirely liking the direction it goes and some of the character developments. However, a lot of these things are subjective and I’ll leave them up to you to decide.

Spanning two, 25 episode seasons (you can definitely just pretend the movie never happened) as well as several spin off OVAs and Shorts (Those you actually can watch though), the series is a pretty long watch by today’s standards, but it’s definitely worth it.

2. Zankyou No Terror

Next up, we have Terror in Resonance. This one for sure is worth the watch even without the tragedy. This is one of those shows, which is so visually appealing to watch. It’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing shows I’ve ever seen. I guarantee anyone who’s interested in aesthetic gifs and images of weeb stuff, has seen shots from this show without even realizing it. It’s not exactly a niche show, but it’s a little less accessible than something like “Angel Beats”, with a much more serious and gritty tone. It’s not criminally underrated, but I just really wish more people had seen this, since it genuinely is a beautiful series.

Some of the things I really love about this show, is (as I’ve mentioned a thousand times) the aesthetic sense. Every shot in this series is screenshot worthy, with plenty scenes making for ‘straight-out-the-box’ gifs and icons and whatever it is you kids use screenshots for. Even the food, just like papa Gigguk mentioned, is just mwah, spicy stuff. I attribute this to the very well considered color palette, realistic lighting and designs, as well as just overall good cinematography.

On the less visible side of things, the story hold ups really well too, with some very genuinely emotional moments and scenes. Just like Code Geass above, this series has a very well considered ending, with a “Wholesome”(?) message at the end.

The only negatives I can really give for the series, is some pacing issues if you’re an impatient brat like me, as well as almost a complete lack of lightheartedness. The series can be sweet and touching, but it’s almost always dark and serious at the same time, with no time to relax or breathe throughout.

I think there isn’t as much to say about ZnT as there is about Code geass, as it’s not as subjective. It is an objectively high quality show, your own enjoyment of it is what varies. Unlike Code Geass, there isn’t many flaws, but it doesn’t take as many risks. To me, this show is a very safe bet. It looks gorgeous, is only 11 episodes (you big boys and girls can binge that) and tells a satisfying, self-contained story. A little bonus is that it’s directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, famous for Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, so hey- It has that going for it too.

3. Parasyte: The Maxim

Following on, we have one of the series that introduced me to tragedy, Parasyte: The Maxim. Let me tell you, this series is dark. And violent. Very violent at times.

When it first aired in 2014, the response was pretty good, it didn’t reach critical Acclaim, but had its own cult following, with the manga having been published from the late 80s to the mid 90s. For me, this was one of my first truly “darker” and more violent anime, having really only watched shounen and some seinen before that. This to me isn’t one of the best stories ever, the characters are fine, and the show looks acceptable. But while it doesn’t excel in anything, it does everything really well. To me, it’s the perfect bridge from Casual fan, to serious- or even as a primer for more dark and violent stories, such as Berserk or dare I say it Tokyo Ghoul (Read the manga, please don’t support the anime adaptation).

For me personally, I really Liked the main character, he drove the show on for me. Watching him develop into someone completely different from the beginning of the show, was a real draw to me. He’s likeable, relatable to an extent, and he had a complete character arc. Shinichi in the beginning is not the same character as in the end.

This character is also used to convey a deeper meaning about what humanity is and how we define the term. It’s a really interesting series about us as a race, with some genuine things to discuss and think about, which leaves a longer lasting impression than most shows. It’s the sort of series that makes you want to share it with other people just so you can talk to them about it. Ah- and it’ll hit you in the feels. This show is genuinely tragic through out, but still stays personal to the small cast, which to me, is the sign of a really good tragedy. Despite things going on in the entire world, they make you care about these few people specifically.

However, it has it’s own problems too. Art wise, it’s very faithful to the original source material, capturing the feel of it, the low key oppressive vibes. However, this also means, it can look a little… ‘Bland’? At times. The earthy colors can be a little drab, especially in an age were Studio Trigger, for example, can make an eye-gasm worthy scene using colours you didn’t even know existed.

The other problem, is some of the characters are very one dimensional. Take the love interest, she doesn’t really develop or change at all throughout the series, but I personally give this a pass as she’s not super relevant to the story anyway.

A fair warning though, this series has some strong violence, plenty of gore and mutilation, if that’s a problem for you, I suggest either giving this one a skip, or just trying to sit through it. It’ll be a good learning experience.

Spanning a fair 24 episodes, having aired in 2014, this series is both bingeable, and holds-up very well in the modern ecosystem of anime. To me, this is a pretty top tier show, a solid 8/10, it’s very good, a really well made show, It makes for the perfect bridge into far more serious and dark stories, such as maybe Berserk and Devilman, hence why I put it on this list.

4. Fate/Zero

For my second to last show, perhaps one of the most well known franchises, that is lowkey kinda niche. Fate is a series everyone knows the existence of, but not as many people have actually watched, especially not casual fans. To be frank, it’s intimidating. The series has no real easy entry point, and all the timelines are relatively interwoven, you can’t just bounce around. Everything spoils everything and it’s scary to even look at a list of fate entries.

That’s why I picked Fate Zero. To me, it’s the best entry point into the Type/Moon genre. For those of you who don’t know, it’s basically a battle royal between seven summoners who each have a servant of different classes. They all have to fight for the Holy Grail, an artifact that will grant them a single wish. Sounds simple right?

Well it’s not. The entire series is full of not only badass action, but plenty of mind games and ‘cat-and-mouse’ between the characters. It’s brutal, it’s tragic, violent and uplifting. Ufotable delivers some of the highest quality animation you’ll see in your life (they’re renowned for it), but it doesn’t just look good. The story is compelling, the characters are genuinely likeable and by the end, I wanted everyone to live and survive. Everyone has believable and compelling motivation, and even the objectively evil characters, like Caster, are still likeable, because you begin to love to hate them. The entire season honestly plays out more like a compressed microcosmic version of Game of Thrones, than a battle royal anime.

There are plenty of things I like about this series, the plot is really fun, the fights are pretty damn cool and it can be a very emotional show at times. I could talk about these aspects endlessly. However, the thing that really makes Fate for me, is the characters. Each individual characters gets some time and attention, and with the exception of a few, you really genuinely like and care about everyone. You want everyone to win, or at least survive, since all of them are either genuinely lovable, or have very compelling motivation.

The other part to it is, this is the best starting point for the rest of Fate, and I would actually argue that it enhances many scenes found in the subsequent (story wise) series, even if they aired prior to Zero. This series both introduced me to Fate, and got me attached and invested in the world, which is the sign of a good (technically) first series.

On the other hand, it has problems. First of all, it’s pretty interwoven with the later series. Those came before it and set up a lot of mysteries and ideas that Zero goes out of it’s way to explain, from character identities to events in the timeline, watching Zero will spoil a lot of those things, which may lessen the later experiences for some people.

The other flaw is despite being maybe the best starting point for Fate, it still isn’t entirely accessible. The show can be straight up confusing at times, at least for someone who hasn’t seen Fate. Many elements of the world aren’t explained and you’re just expected to go along with it, since it’s either just a part of this world, or explained in other series. Which is fine, but often lead to some rather “But wait… What just happened?” moments.

Ultimately, Fate/Zero is fantastic series for anyone looking for a really good character drama, full of magic and badass historical references. It’s not the best introduction but it’s the best you’ll get from Fate. Similarly to Code Geass and ZnT, the series has a really good conclusion in my opinion, with plenty of tragic moments sprinkled throughout.

For Fate, Zero specifically consists of two seasons of 12 episodes each, for a bingeable 24 episode series. For ideas where to go next from this, look for my upcoming Tumblr Post explaining the fate continuity.

5. Mobile Suit Gundam : Iron-Blooded Orphans

And Finally, we come to our last pick of the day. This is a series, I would urge anyone to watch. If I could make you watch one Single series from this list, this would be it. Throw away any views you have on the franchise or the genre, don’t be afraid of the name, just give this series a try.

Iron Blooded Orphans follows a small mercenary band of boys who just want to make a home for themselves in a galaxy strained by political unrest. The premise is simple, just people trying to survive and make a life for themselves.

Well what if I told you it was directed and written by the same Duo that made AnoHana, one of the most commonly acknowledged tragic shows out there. This duo write and direct stories about innocent children being put through immense hardship and this series is no different. This show is tragic, painful even. I sobbed as many times as I laughed and smiled in this show. We spend a season watching them come up in the world, only to watch everything get torn apart in the second season, and it is genuinely emotional and heart wrenching.

Something I love about this series, is the characters and how attached you become to them. Death is a genuine threat in this show, even if you don’t feel it in the beginning. When people die, it hurts, and that applies to IBO, where each death leaves resounding ripples on the people around them. It handles familial relationships really well, making you believe in these people and their emotions. When they suffer, you cry for them, and when they get brief moments of respite, you do too. I love how invested you become in this ragtag team of boys, making some of the later scenes all the more devastating when they happen.

Another thing I love is the stakes. Within the second season, the pressure to perform is on, the first season, while having threats and such, was never even close to season two. To be vague, one of my favorite moments is when a character has to land a decisive shot in the midst of a battle, and everyone’s lives are on the line. That entire confrontation is one of my favorite scenes in anime of all time. It is truly suspenseful and will take you on an emotional journey.

To top it all off, it’s made by Sunrise. If you like Mechs, well oh boy do they have you covered, and if you don’t- well oh boy, you will when you’re done. This show makes the mech Genre, and Gundam entirely accessible, you need no prior knowledge, you don’t need to be a fan to enjoy it. The fights are really fun and have genuinely cool moments, as cool as it can get for a mech anyway. The characters and story are well written and everything just comes together to make a very well produced show- Good job Sunrise.

It doesn’t go without it’s own problems though. The first 20 ish episodes, until they get to earth, are not pointless, but have some pacing issues, as well as low stakes. There are threats and people die, but you never feel that scared or intense. Then towards the end of season one, the show kicks into high gear. To counteract this slow start, the series has a phenomenal season two that I genuinely believe everyone should watch, as it’s a perfect example of character drama done exceptionally well.

The series is comprised of two seasons of 25 episodes each, totaling a measly (if you’re a big boy or girl) 50 episodes. There is several related forms of media, nothing worth mentioning though, for more Gundam, you’re better off watching other series from the franchise.

If I can only force you to watch one, please go out and watch Iron Blooded Orphans. To me, it’s 9- pushing a 10/10 series, with a undeniably slow start, but a fantastic heart felt, emotional ending.

So that’s it from me guys. Thanks for taking the time to read the ramblings of a mad man like me, but I hope this gives some people some ideas on where to go next or what they can watch now. If you enjoyed, make sure to follow me for more discussions and lists and whatever else anime related. If you have any advice, or want to discuss something with me, go ahead let me know, other than that- Leave, go outside, get some fresh air after reading all that.

[istgimamess]

Label: sm entertainment

Stage name: bella (because you're beautiful~)

Debut year: 2015 (3 yrs active)

Debut concept: aggressive bubblegum synth, dance heavy, vocal heavy, bright, pop!

Number of members: 4

Group name: strawberry jam (sj)

Fandom name: jammers

Position: main vocal, visual, dance line

Male bestie: Jongin (EXO)

How you meet: you are a hard worker, always putting your best foot forward, giving it your all; putting all your effort into anything you do! Which is such a great quality, you're told! Lord knows, you've benefited from that personality trait thousands of times, mostly in your career and personal relationships! However, alot of the time, it tends to have a negative effect! Mainly on your health! You put so much effort into whatever you're working on at the moment: new choreography, new music etc. that you tend to neglect your personal health! This lands you in the hospital alot; its not ideal, but you can't complain, your doctor is probably your favorite! Which is where you end up meeting (*cough*...fighting with) Jongin! You had a really important public appearance coming up, a couple of variety shows and another comeback all scheduled within a weeks time; and you knew your health wasn't at its prime, so you were basically in mental panic mode! You were hoping to get in and out of your check up as fast as possible, because you had things to do! Long story short, that wasn't happening! You ended up sticking your head in to the doctors office, to confront the patient before you! Which happened to be Jongin! "Hi! Yeah, sorry! Could you, I don't know, hurry up!? I've aged quite drastically since being here.." "He's my doctor and I was here first!" "Yeah, well he likes me better!" After a few more minutes of back and forth, a kindergarten-like tantrum and some overdramatic whining on both of your parts, you were left by your very flustered doctor to "..Work things out!.." You quickly end up bonding over your mutual lack of priority when it comes to your health, your whiney childlike mannerisms when you're sick or hungry and a love for the theater! He ends up becoming one of your best friends and you're almost always together! You're both quite determined and hardworking, both tending to over work yourselves and this is usually the cause for most of your fights: scolding eachother for not prioritizing your health! He ends up worrying about your health more than he does his, and vice versa! But you're constantly supporting eachother in anything you pursue! "Jongin, I heard Bella from Strawberry Jam is your best friend, is that true!?" "Yeah, she's my best friend!" "Cool! I also heard she is the biggest EXO supporter, is that right!?" "Yes, she is! I made a joke the other day about her leaving music to work for EXO and help us promote our new album!" "Really!? What did she say!?" "It was so funny, she took the album and walked over to the street corner and just stood there like this...(^ gif ^)..I couldn't stop laughing!" Your friendship is really goals!

Female bestie: Jennie (Blackpink)

How you meet: you love singing and you love theatrics but sometimes you feel like dancing and choreography, in general, can be very confusing and frustrating! So you decided to take some dance classes on the side, for some extra practice! That's how you meet Jennie, through a friend of a friend! One day after class, you accidently trip over her bag and take her down in a mess of legs, elbows and sweat! "Oh my god- I'm so sorry!...Ouch! Sorry! Yikes- are you okay!?" "Yes, of course! I'm clearly living the dream!" "Oh, well...glad I could help you do that then..." you stared at eachother for a few beats of silence, still sprawled out on the floor, and then busted out laughing! You ended up attached at the hip! It's an inside joke that you were split at birth and that you're actually twins; that's how similar your personalities are and your sense of humor! You're both really sarcastic and it's 100x worse when you're together! The fans love it! And despite how goofy and silly you both are when you're together, everyone can tell you both care about eachother immensely! You're always supporting eachother and you're always both genuinely happy for eachothers successes! She calls herself your "only fan!" And she lives up to that name! "Jennie! Did you hear yet!? Strawberry Jams song 'Pink' has hit the Billboard charts!" "..(^ gif ^)..What!? Seriously!?! I have to call Bella!!..." Such a cute friendship!

Group bestie: NCT OT18

How you meet: this probably, most definitely was the weirdest encounter you've ever had! You love to skateboard; you wouldn't say you're that great at it, I mean, you're no Tony hawk! But it is a hobby of yours! And when you have a stressful, busy day, full of dance practices and studio visits- you like to sneak out in the middle of the night, when the streets are empty, go down to the local park and skate to de-stress a bit! It's kind of like your secret rendezvous self-care session! Not even your group members know about it! The park, Seoul in general, is usually dead with no soul in sight at this time of night! Which is why you're so startled when one second you're minding your own business, practicing an inward heel flip and the next second you're surrounded by a bunch of guys who look like they've just stepped straight out of an Avril Lavigne MV! It startles you so much you trip backwards over your board and land flat on your back! You say about every curse word in every language you know, on the way down! "Oh my god! I told you we would scare her!" "If anybody scared her, it was you with that stupid pedo face!" "That's so rude! Taeyong, tell him that was rude!" "I mean..I did tell you to shave this morning.." "Yeah, you kind of look like an asian yeti.." "Or a pedophile, definitely a pedophile.." "Seriously?! Is this attack necessary!?? I mean-" "Umm, so sorry, pedi-yeti and friends..could you possibly, I don't know...help me up!?" They ended up hauling you up and bombarding you with questions left and right! Questions about your skateboard, questions about your skating technique etc etc. The more they asked, the more you answered and the more you answered, the more they asked! It was pretty much down hill from there! But it's all good, they quickly became some of your biggest supporters and closest friends! They always cheer for you the loudest at award shows! And sometimes, Taeyong or Ten, will send you little videos and clips (with the funniest captions) they filmed, on the down low, of the rest of the members singing and dancing to your music, unaware the were being filmed! "..[Bella, your music is hurting innocent bystanders! RIP Jeno]..(^ gif ^).." They're such a mess and it's the cutest!

Boyfriend: Taehyung (BTS)

Ship name(s): tella, bae couple, baehyung

How you meet: the way you 'officially' meet is kind of funny! And the time and location is a bit obscure! Anytime someone asks him when and where you met, he says Italy in June! You say it was definitely paris, late July! Both of you would be right and wrong! You love traveling and any time you have the opportunity, you jump on it! This is no secret! You first noticed him in Paris, he first noticed you in Italy, you both noticed eachother in Chicago! By the time you ended up back in the Incheon International Airport - you were 98.7% positive you had picked up a stalker abroad! "Are you following me!?" "I was going to ask you the same thing!" "Well I asked you first, so answer!" "I don't take demands from potential stalkers!" Some threats to call the police and a couple defensive hand gestures later, you eventually both settled on fate being the reason you've bumped into eachother over and over again! As cheesy as it might sound! You quickly bond over your artistic and creative sides, and a strong love for traveling and then there is no going back! He's one of your biggest supporters and you both often credit eachother as being an inspiration and muse! You eventually, after realizing how important and serious your relationship was becoming, went public! You figured your close friends and family would be the most supportive, and they were, but in actuality it was the fans that became your biggest supporters! "Tae-oppa!! Over here!! Taehyung-oppa!! You and Bella-unnie are the cutest couple ever!! I will always support you!!" "...(^ gif ^)..." It's so heartwarming!

Biggest fan: your biggest fan is probably Junhoe from IKON! He's always covering your songs, he even covers the songs you cover! He says it's only because he wants to prove he can harmonize with you, always calling you out in interviews hoping to get the chance to meet you and collaborate! "Bella from Strawberry Jam is my favorite! She has the best voice, even better than me! And she has good taste in music, I would love to collaborate with her if given the chance!" He's always showing support for your comebacks as well and even your solo projects; watching every drama and CF you do and streaming your music, constantly singing along with you at the top of his lungs! He's a dedicated and loyal fan and he's pretty loud and proud about it! So much, that it's even a running joke in his group that he would leave the rest of the members for even just a chance to perform with you! Well, it's a joke to them! Him, not so much! "Junhoe! I heard that you're a huge fan of Bella from Strawberry Jam, is that true!?" "Yes! She is my favorite singer!" "Oh really!? I heard that you would leave IKON without a second thought, if she ever wanted to perform with you!" "Yes, I would! In a heartbeat!" "What the-...you answered that so fast! You would really leave us, huh!?" "Yep!.." "...(^ gif ^)..." It's pretty funny!

Scandal: it's really no secret you have been trying to break out into the acting industry for a while, and make that cross over from idol to actress - auditioning and taking acting classes and workshops in your spare time! It's also no secret that you're good long time friends with Jaebum from GOT7! You've know eachother since before your debut and he's one of your closest friends, almost family! He's always helping you practice and reading scripts with you to help prepare you for auditions, giving you advice and direction on characters! So it's really not shocking when dispatch comes out with photographs of you two, on multiple days, coming out of your apartment and/or restaurants! What is a bit shocking is the headlines that are attached to those photos! "Strawberry Jams Bella and GOT7s Jaebum! Are they together!?" "Does GOT7s Jaebum have a sweet tooth for Strawberry Jam!? New couple alert!" It's ridiculous! "Are they serious!? A sweet tooth!? Who is writing this mush!?" "What I don't understand is how they got us mixed up!? I mean, I'm clearly the more desirable one in this relationship.." "Are you trying to make me throw up, or does that just come naturally when looking at your face?" "I'm a masterpiece and you are blessed to be in my presence.." What a dork!

Other activities: it's no secret you live for the dramatics, and the theatre is almost like your second home! So when SM suggested you audition for a couple of upcoming dramas, you jumped on the opportunity! And it was the best thing you could've possibly done! You ended up, not only booking a role, but booking a lead! You got to act along Seo Kang Joon (^ gif ^) who is the sweetest and most talented! You made new life long friends, won a couple of awards and gained a whole new following! Sure, they made you dye your hair a darker shade a red and teased you a bit on set about your sense of humor, but it was totally worth it! "It was so fun! And the hair color choice is actually kind of growing on me!" "Oh really!? Quickly, say that again into the camera! In 10 years when you're bald, I want proof that you were once satisfied..." "JB, I will literally push you off of this rooftop..." You didn't, but you were close to it!

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

@suchqt here is your idol ship~ thanks so much for the request and I hope you like it! 😅 Let me know what you think!

[infraredforhealth1]

Why Can’t iPhone Camera See Infrared?

Using Apple iPhone Front Facing Cameras

The front camera of iPhone camera which is facing you allows you to see Infrared. The back camera of the iPhone has an IR filter which filters infrared.

Open the camera app and point to any TV remote and you will see white light when depressing any button of a TV remote of any other kind of remote with an IR light on top of the remote.

Below are the list of iPhones models that can see Infrared

iPhone 4 = front camera can see Infrared

iPhone 7 = front camera can see Infrared

iPhone XS = front and back camera can see Infrared

iPad Pro (9.7″) = front and back camera can see Infrared

iPhone 6 = front and back camera can see Infrared

iPod Touch 5 = front camera can see Infrared

iPhone X = front and back camera can see Infrared

In the world of digital photography, using iPhone front facing cameras is one of the best options for those that want to take the most out of their photography experience.

One of the best features of this device is that it will allow you to see everything that is going on with your subject without having to turn away from the view in order to do so.

This makes the camera perfect for those that like taking pictures while moving around or trying to catch a moving object in the lens.

Some of the best features of this particular camera include the fact that there is no need to worry about getting obstructions in order to get a good shot and that the camera will not only allow you to see the subject but will also allow you to focus directly on it.

In order to take full advantage of your iPhone’s amazing capabilities when it comes to photo taking it is very important that you know exactly how to use the iPhone’s front facing camera.

The first thing that you need to know is that when you are not directly looking at your subject you should move your head to one side slightly in order to gain some eye contact.

In order to accomplish this, you simply need to raise your iPhone up so that you are holding it in the air just above your eyes.

Once you have done this you should focus on looking directly at the camera in order to maximize the amount of light that is coming through the camera.

How to See How it Works With an iPhone 4

You might be asking yourself “How is FaceTime working with an iPhone, and doesn’t the camera have to have an infrared filter so that I can see through the camera?”

This is a good question, and the first thing you need to know is that most cameras on the market do NOT have an infrared filter built in.

FaceTime uses an IP camera that communicates with your iPhone’s camera via a digital audio signal.

So basically instead of dealing with all of those wires connecting the camera to the computer and back up to your computer, you’re only dealing with a simple digital audio signal.

There are two benefits to this though.

The first being that FaceTime works great with streaming video from websites such as YouTube.

Because of the video compression algorithms the camera has to work extremely fast, and FaceTime is at that point pretty good.

With YouTube however, because there is such a delay between when the video is shot, and when it appears on screen, it’s tough to make a nice long video with the computer and FaceTime.

How Do Security Cameras Work? Include IR LEDs Hidden to Humans But Light Up Scene With Light

If we need a clear demonstration of how security camera systems work then let’s have a look at infrared security cameras, they are so much more powerful than their counterparts which means they have a much better ability to give us clear images and video.

An Infrared security camera uses extremely sensitive integrated circuits which can capture the heat energy of a human body and convert it directly into visible light.

Most cameras use an LED (Light Emitting Diode) on board but the best cameras usually incorporate IR LEDs.

For years now companies such as Panasonic, Sony and Samsung have been using infrared technology to capture high resolution images and video.

They also use other highly effective methods such as image stabilization, image correction etc.

We know that CCTV cameras are used to monitor suspicious activities so by capturing movement we can then see exactly what the person was up to.

So how exactly do security cameras work and what sort of results can they achieve?

There are various cameras on the market from passive Infrared Night Vision CCTV cameras to hard wired cameras using LIDAR.

The passive infrared security cameras are a great choice as they are not prone to the temperature extremes of a building and are able to work in the dark.

Black and White Camera Filters

It is now possible to see what is happening inside your digital camera’s IR filter.

A little known fact is that when you are taking photos using a black and white camera, the IR filter in your camera IR filter is blocked from the infrared light that is sent to your sensor.

If the camera lens is not an infrared lens then this blocking of the infrared light will not occur and your pictures would be perfect.

Have you ever been taking pictures with your black and white camera and suddenly got distracted by something and had to change the camera?

Have you ever stood there for a minute or two and just forgot about the photo you just took? This is all due to your IR filter in your digital camera.

Can My Digital Camera See Infrared radiation That is Only Beyond Red Light?

The camera can see infrared radiation that is just beyond red light from 700nm to 915nm? The camera and red are in the same room, yet it seems to not be a red light at all? Can you see infrared radiation that is only beyond red light from 700nm to 915nm?

If you look at the spectrum of visible light with your eye, and look closely at the visible light, you will see a few things that are red.

Look closer still and see infrared.

This is the kind of thing that the camera can see infrared radiation that is only beyond visible red light.

Can you see infrared radiation that is only beyond red light from this distant? You betcha, that’s why you have red, blue, and green waves.

You are probably asking, “Why can’t my camera see infrared radiation that is only beyond red light?” Well, the answer lies in the infrared filter on the camera.

The infrared filter doesn’t allow red light through, and only allows green and blue light through.

If you use the camera with a red filter, the camera will ONLY see infrared radiation that is outside of the visible red light range.

If you use a green filter, the camera will ONLY see red light, which will force you to think that the red light is being reflected.

Silicon Based Sensors Are Sensitive To Far Infrared

The invisible ones are mostly sensitive to far-infrared (FIR). But this is not true in all the devices. The visible ones are mostly sensitive to NIR. The silicon-based sensors in virtually all visible cameras are sensitive to near infrared (NI) as well.

These visible devices are often sensitive to the far infrared rays.

The visible light does not produce far infrared rays, and hence the visible parts of these devices are not sensitive to the far infrared rays.

So these visible parts of the cameras do not respond to them either. The silicon-based detectors can also detect the infrared rays produced by the sun. All such sensors are not sensitive to the far infrared rays.

You should buy a camera sensor having the above mentioned features.

The silicon based sensors will be very useful for you and your business in the areas of surveillance, security, and crime monitoring.

You should use them for the detection of crime before it occurs and prevent it from occurring. sensors in any area of your business premises. You can either mount them on a wall or a floor stand or place them on a vehicle stand.

How White Spots Look Like – Discover The Reality of IR Photography?

IR appears as white light to the camera, desaturating whatever colour present. As described by Wikipedia: “The electromagnetic spectrum of an IR wave is similar to the optical spectrum of visible light, but without pass-bands or edge effects”.

In other words, while visible light contains multiple colours, IR only has one, red.

The wavelength of an IR laser is generally long enough to penetrate many objects, but short enough to not heat up any of the matter it comes into contact with.

To produce IR, a laser generates a beam with a high frequency that has greater energy than the wavelength of visible light, and therefore passes through many objects without heating them, while visible light only needs a relatively short wavelength to do significant damage.

Because infrared lasers are so long and powerful, they do not require an extremely large photo area in order to capture a substantial amount of IR, which makes them very ideal for use by military and police units.

While the quality of the IR picture can be improved by using a wider aperture (wide apertures), this also increases the amount of scattering of light which can reduce the depth of field and cause blurry pictures.

This effect can be overcome by using wide angle lenses and by using image stabilization, where the camera is moved into a stable position, usually far from the subject, and then the picture is taken with the camera moving into that position.

If you are intending to use IR photography for surveillance, it is important to note that although the camera will appear as if it is focusing on the subject, this is actually the IR lens reflecting off of objects in the foreground and onto the camera sensor.

It is important to note that white spots are not caused by refractive errors, as those can appear in normal images.

Instead, white spots are caused by absorption, due to either a low or high absorbing lens.

Therefore, it is important to only use a high power optic that is capable of producing good levels of IR at the required shutter speed.

Infrared Digital Cameras

Infrared digital cameras are also referred to as night vision cameras because they use infrared illuminators to capture images at night.

The technology that is incorporated into these cameras is rather ingenious in its own right.

Many people do not know that it is actually possible to see in the dark with the use of an infrared illuminator.

If you were to look up at the stars from space or observe terrestrial objects in the night sky using your naked eye you would not be able to see through the darkness but an IR camera can.

What makes these cameras so unique are the fact that they use a series of LEDs behind the lens to capture the infrared light that comes through the front of the lens.

These illuminators are completely invisible.

There is no reflection from the surface of the earth that is reflected from the illuminators behind the lens.

When you look through one of these cameras and look directly at the back side you will see the backside of the illuminator which is filled with a neon green.

This is the very same green that is used behind the lens in everyday cameras.

The illuminator behind the lens uses the infrared energy emitted by the human eye and converts it to electrical energy, which is then captured by the LED behind the lens.

An IR digital camera is perfect for security and surveillance applications because they are highly effective at recording video footage without a need for extra equipment.

When these cameras are used in conjunction with a video recorder, the time spent recording can be greatly reduced since there is not a need for continuous film.

These cameras are also extremely beneficial for monitoring areas such as schools, airports, banks, and even inside the home where vandalism and theft are common occurrences.

Understanding The Demosaicing Process

The process called Demosaicing allows the camera to figure out the colour of an object with a certain amount of black and white.

If the light is more than one colour then it is shown as black.

It used to be very difficult to see an object when using only black and white, which is why the camera was set up so that the pixels were all different colours.

Now with computers it is easier to see an object because all the pixels are now different hues, but this process still has its drawbacks.

In the past, if you wanted to make more than one colour, you had to make extra passes over the image until all the colours came out perfectly.

The first demosaicing process was a very slow process that took over two weeks to complete.

The second, much faster demosaicing process made it possible to see objects in a matter of seconds.

You could demosaicing by hand very easily, but it was very difficult to get a perfect result. Today, computer-aided demosaicing is a much faster process that can give you extremely accurate results. Most of today’s demosaicing equipment operates at the level of a CCD sensor.

TV Remote Bright Irradiance

When you buy a TV, one of the things you may notice is the TV remote control – this is a special device that lets you change your TV’s buttons and navigate through the menus.

The infrared light beam frequency that TV remote controls use is much more precise than the one used by radio receivers.

When you move your TV remote up or down, for example, the infrared light beam that reaches your TV can detect the difference in the beams between the two and adjust the remote accordingly.

The post Why Can’t iPhone Camera See Infrared? appeared first on Infrared for Health.

source https://infraredforhealth.com/why-cant-iphone-camera-see-infrared/

[loganpfister]

CONSIDER THIS AN EXPERIMENT...

Generally, I listen to a lot of music. different genres, different styles, different languages, & different meanings. I truly listen to an extremely diverse array of music, & yes NYC people…even country music. Though I tend to listen to a lot of alternative/indie, hip-hop, modern R&B & Dance/EDM, I often add a lot of jazz, pop, rap, Reggae, Caribbean I don’t know really anything. Even songs in French & Spanish. Though the importance of this blog isn’t about the different genre, otherwise the different music streaming platforms featured across media (though many streaming platforms play more specific genres for such platform).

The 4 streaming platforms that will be discussed are

Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora & Tidal. Over the past year, I’ve purchased subscriptions to all of these streaming services & thus I am here to tell you my favorite.

Let’s start with Spotify, shall we?

Spotify is available to download for free online & with the app but it uses a lot of ads & a specific number of skip privileges.  Spotify fees are $10 per month, though you can bump that down to $5 by signing up with a student email. paying up allows you some real advantages, including being able to choose songs on-demand via mobile devices — an important feature for most users that the ad-based service doesn’t offer.

Spotify has a huge brand & generally has an enormous music library with many genres. It is actually a fact that Spotify is the most popular service. this is true for a number of reasons. Spotify has a very user-friendly navigation screen. My favorite, the Spotify app can be hooked up to your Google Home or Amazon Alexa & can activate your music playlists by simply asking “Alexa, play Sam Smith’s new album”. Spotify has a lot of premade playlists created by Spotify staff with also many podcasts & radios for every occasion.

Those looking to find their next favorite band will also love Spotify for its updated playlists like Monday’s Discover Weekly and New Music Friday, all of which follow your listening habits to recommend surprisingly fitting new artists to match up with your listening tastes.

Spotify also links up to your Facebook account to allow you to follow each other & see what your friends are currently listening to. I definitely recommend streaming newcomers to get on the Spotify train.

Next up is Apple Music.

Apple Music is similarly expensive, $10 per month, $5 for students, or $99 per year, though it is cheaper if you are a student. There is unfortunately not free way to use Apple Music by using ads.

Just to start, Apple Music’s interface makes me uncomfortable. The face is very plain & white & doesn’t look very appealing. Though I feel Spotify is more attractive, Apple Music toys with Spotify’s adaptability & usability with compelling reasons persuading me to want to go with Apple Music in some cases.

First, Apple Music is exclusive to Apple devises, obviously, which allows you to ask Siri to play your music which is not possible with Spotify. Also, before music streaming was a thing, buying music on iTunes was very popular, where a lot of your old music will still be saved to your music library, where your phone can save up to 100,000 songs oppose to the 10,000 songs Spotify can hold. (Both of these things are very meager & really don’t mean much to me). Soon, Apple has a Home Assistant like Google & Amazon, so that will be giving Apple Music more usage. iTunes is one of classic & original music services, so their platform features tons & tons of songs & genres. Also, Apple works hard to be the first to showcase songs from some of the world’s biggest pop artists, including Drake, Taylor Swift, and Frank Ocean. If you’re a fan of the biggest names in pop, love radio-style listening, and own an iPhone or other Apple device, Apple Music could be your service of choice.  

Continuing to Tidal…

Also, if you like being a stubborn audiophile bitch about the music you listen to you’re just a hardcore Jay-Z then Tidal may just be that service.

First off, Tidal is unnecessarily expensive. It doesn’t offer a free alternative & it's $10 to listen to low-quality music or $20 for the highest/ studio quality audio, which is quite expensive.

Yes, Tidal is owned by Jay-Z & several other music artists have shared int he business, generally other rap/hip-hop artists.

It is the first artist-owned streaming service in the world with the idea of an artist-owned streaming platform striving to restore the value to music by launching a service owned by artists. I’m not sure why Tidal remains so exclusive, but it is fact that it has a significantly smaller music library with poor music discovery features & actually a very glitchy interface that often ends up glitching & spending a majority of the time buffering your extremely high-quality song, rather than playing it at a normal streaming quality. Tidal’s audio quality makes the service something of a dichotomy, as Tidal seems to be aimed towards the mass market, but it’s really best for those with high-quality gear who care more about the fidelity of their audio source than interface usability or library size. Until Spotify upgrades their quality options, Tidal may merely stick around, for now. If you have expensive stereo systems which can handle Tidal’s 1411kbps audio, then yeah waste your money, but if you want to be reasonable, skip Tidal & save some money.

Lastly, Pandora.

If you’re generally older aged or just simply want to listen to music, Pandora may be just for you. Pandora is best for its radio capability which for some, like restaurants, is perfect for. The restaurant I work at on Long Island uses Pandora Radio & all you need to do is type in n artist or genre & Pandora finds songs you may be interested in.

Pandora is one of those services that are free to download & listen to with ads, but you can pay $5 a month for ad-free radio & $10 for ad-free music streaming. Pandora has a lot of songs, but not as much as Spotify & Apple Music. I haven’t stuck with Pandora very long, aside from my times in Jr High when it was very popular, but I’ve heard Pandora features a lot of slower relaxing type genres & coincidently a lot of EDM & dance music hits. With such an abundance of data about each song, Pandora is able to offer the best curated, radio-style streaming online, all based on simple thumbs up or thumbs down ratings. While the on-demand service is a nice addition, Pandora is best for people who like to simply sit back and let the tunes roll on.

Personally, the winner is Spotify because of its huge selection of music, cheap price, download capability, Home assistant capability, & friend connections.

[tableflipemoji]

VRLA 2017 Recap

A Night Sky Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus

The controller for the Samsung Gear VR just debuted the day before, so I got to try it with a game called ‘A Night Sky.’ The game opens to a campsite setting with stacked boulders, a tent, a flickering campfire and the titular sparkling night sky. You use the controller to point and connect the stars to make a constellation, with the constellation coming to life and flying around the scene. I made an owl, a ship and even a dragon! It was a simple game that gave you a lot of help when connecting the stars so that whatever you were pointing at with the controller was more suggestive than precise. Young children would enjoy this free game as it inspires imagination in a peaceful scene.

I found the Gear VR headset cushy but still bulky. Images were very pixelated. I waited 1-1.5 hours in line for a 10 minute demo as they had 7 working headsets at a time.

Virtual Virtual Reality on Google Daydream

For this one they gave out appointment cards so I didn’t have to wait in line and simply came back at my appointed time. I chose the game ‘Virtual Virtual Reality,’ which the staff member described as Inception with VR. When the game starts, you meet a robot named Activitude, who explains that you can keep stepping into virtual realities inside virtual realities by putting on VR headsets. You flick the controller with your wrist to let out a line that looks like a fishing rod with a suction cup at the end to grab a virtual headset, and then run your thumb along the touch pad to reel in the headset onto your face.

The controller wasn’t working for me, something the staff member attributed to a low battery, so my experience with it was worse than the Gear VR’s controller. The robot gave me a demo on how to grab a virtual headset but after some time flailing around and failing at using the controller, I felt that it got a bit impatient with me and just made the headset fly onto my face, transporting me into another virtual reality. I also failed at grabbing all the flying pieces of toast, but it was still highly entertaining going into all the different virtual worlds. Would definitely recommend for $9 in the Play Store.

I liked the Daydream headset better than the Gear VR as it was made of fabric and was lighter and more comfortable. Instead of a foam cushion, the thinner padding between the headset seemed to be made of breathable mesh. In contrast, the foam cushion on the Gear VR made it look even bulkier. Although the Daydream seemed thicker than the Gear VR, its design was more sleek and aesthetically pleasing overall. Image quality was better.

Hado by Meleap

I saw this 2 vs 2 player game and definitely had to try it! Basically you get to shoot energy balls that look like fireballs from your fist like the famous hadouken move from Dragon Ball Z. Hado is not VR but AR. When you put the headset on, you can see that the players are wearing 4 “wings.” The goal is to use the armband sensor on your wrist to aim at the wings of the player on the opposing team. You can also put up shields, which I never figured out how to do. My team won, probably because I stopped caring about shields and kept continually shooting at both the opposing players (yeah, I’m highly competitive). 

The wait was shorter since 4 people at a time can play but was still about 40 minutes. I believe this was an 80 second game. Hado was produced by Meleap, a Japanese company all the way from Tokyo. There was a surprising number of Japanese people, both exhibitors and attendees.

Things I wished I got to try

There was so much more! I wanted to try the Vive, the Google Tilt Brush and something that looks like putting on a headset and getting inside a bubble ball. Not sure what was going on with the latter, but I saw a guy put on a headset, get inside the bubble ball, and then freak out and get back out. Wish I was able to attend the 360 film making session with Unity.

Ah, I forgot to mention that I also tried out Facebook 360. They had a 360 camera the slightly larger than the size of a Square Reader that you plug into your phone’s charge port called the Giroptic iO 360 camera. Wasn’t too impressed by the image quality. But I saw cameras of all sizes, from the small handheld Ricoh Theta to giant motion sensor cages to this other thing that looked like a Mars rover.

A wide variety of industries which applied VR for practical use was represented too, from VR marketing to live streaming games and events to real estate. I passed by G’Audio, which did 3D audio, and can’t even imagine what that’s like.

I didn’t have time for everything as most of the demos and experiences had a long wait time. It never got crowded and there might be only 8 people in front of you, but if each person took about 10 minutes and there was only one headset then you could be waiting for a very long time. Almost a Disneyland-like feel. The AR Easter Egg Hunt with Microsoft’s HoloLens was 1.5-2 hours wait for an 8 minute demo. Worse still was the Oculus Rift with up to a 3 hour wait for a 45 minute game. They said they decided on a longer demo as that particular game just won an award for best VR content.

My friend and I were at VRLA since 10am for the keynote and presentations (which we should have skipped), got into the exhibits when they opened at noon and were pretty pooped by 4pm. We didn’t even get to go to any of the workshops. We were expecting food trucks or at least some food vendors but all they had was the venue cafeteria. Some companies were handing out VR headset hygiene masks but most weren’t. If you ever go to VRLA, I’d recommend bringing comfy shoes, water, a packed lunch (or eating before) and your own VR hygiene mask.