#except alt colours that's never worth it

[fakeasmr]

NEW MAYOI OUTFIT UNLOCKED

oh no it's mid

bro r u wearing ripped jeans fr

WHAT ARE THOSE

[rizahawkais]

Hi Nia! You're gifs are so pretty! Is it possible for you to show how you get your WandaVision gifs too look so clear and hd? And how do you do your colorings too? (specifically the wanda maximoff in episode 3 gifset ITS GORGEOUS) I'm new to giffing and all the tutorials are kind of old. It's okay if you don't want to though! I understand it may be time consuming.

omg no! never feel intimidated to ask!! i don’t mind at all!

so, i’m going to show you how i made and coloured this gif

mostly bc it’s the only gif in that set w text and i’m going to share my text settings too!

tutorial is below :)

WHAT KIND OF VIDEOS ARE BEST?

.mkv files (the bigger the better BUT i usually think anything above 5 gb is excessive and unnecessary for an episode of television BUT for a movie worth it) itunes downloads (logolesspro on twitter, hd-source on tumblr, live-action-raws on tumblr have some DEPENDING on what you’re looking for) (also, there’s a chance that if you search "show/movie hd download tumblr” you’ll find a tumblr with its itunes download available)

THAT IS IT NO OTHER TYPE OF FILES MAKE YOUR GIFS LOOK GOOD

- my suggestion is always if its new (like just came out the past month) t*rrent it! it’ll be downloaded quickly and .mkv files look the best! BUT if not check the sources above see who has the BIGGEST file if they even have what you’re looking for and then if not then you look to t*rrenting!!

here are the wandavision files i use so you can see!!

SCREENCAPPING

-if you have windows use potplayer! i have a mac so i can’t show you how to use it and it’s not available for me :( HOWEVER back when i had a windows potplayer was the best method in screencapping!!

-I HAVE A MAC! so i use mpv!! (go to mpv.io and follow the directions) BUT DON’T DOWNLOAD THE LATEST ONE (it has a bug that skips frames) try each before the latest one bc from what i heard different ones work differently for everyone!! and i don’t know which one i use (yikes!) THERE ISN’T THAT MANY I PROMISE AND IT’S WORTH IT BC MPV IS THE BEST (i used to use adapter but they didn’t take impressive screencaps in my opinion and it was evident in my gifs you can see it too! )

create a folder for your screencaps! and make sure to rmb the directory order! now we want to create a text file on our built in textedit app on mac! type up all this down below (i like jpg but you can replace jpg w png if you want) AND SAVE THE FILE AS mpv.conf THIS IS IMPORTANT SO DON’T FORGET IT! save it somewhere you’ll find easily and NEVER delete it until you don’t use mpv anymore

just in case you don’t know what to insert after, go to your screencaps folder

now you want to open mpv and go to the corner towards mpv -> preferences and they’ll tell you that there is no .conf file SO GO LOOK FOR THE TEXT FILE WE JUST MADE AND DRAG IT TO THE FOLDER THEY OPENED FOR US AFTER SAYING THERE IS NO .CONF FILE

(i learned all this from @kylos tutorial!! so if any of what i just said about setting up mpv makes NO SENSE to you check out their tutorial at kylos(.)tumblr(.)com/post/178497909311)

now we can screencap!

so let’s find the scene we want RIGHT BEFORE and MAKE SURE SUBTITLES ARE OFF

i pause and then press (option/alt + s) and then SCREENCAPS ARE BEING TAKEN!! and to end the screencaps being taken you once again press (option/alt + s)!!

now we want to delete the excess frames! and put it all into one folder!! DO NOT DELETE FRAMES IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT YOU WANT TO GIF!! WHEN YOU SKIP FRAMES IT WILL BE NOTICEABLE!!

MAKING THE GIF

this method isn’t used that much BUT I LOVE IT so this is how i put my frames in! first i check to see the size of my frames: 1920 x 1080

so i create a NEW file on photoshop with those dimensions w these settings

now i set my tool on photoshop to path selection tool bc if you have it set on smth like move tool or crop tool at the end you might end up moving or cropping frames you don’t want to!

ok so now we select ALL our frames and drag it on top of our new file on photoshop and the MOMENT we see our first frame in photoshop JUST KEEP CLICKING ENTER until all the frames are loaded!!

you can do file -> scripts -> load files into stack but it is WAYYY slower in my opinion!

now i crop out the excess BUT i don’t resize the gif yet! the dimensions wandavision is filmed in is 4:3 so i go to crop and set the settings to this:

MAKE SURE IT’S ON RATIO SO WE’RE PRESERVING THE ORIGINAL SIZE JUST CUTTING OFF THE BLACK EDGES!! We are going from 1920 x 1080 to 1440 x 1080 this is the dimensions after i cropped

WE ARE KEEPING THE QUALITY BY NOT CHANGING THE DIMENSIONS OF ANYTHING INSIDE !!

now we want to go to actions and create an action!! open up actions w one of these two depending on what your dash looks like!!

so we create an action with this button on the bottom of actions and we’re gonna title it making a gif and hit record!!

NOW LET’S GOOOOO!!

1. make sure you have timeline on your dash!

2. create frame animation (if you see create video timeline just click the arrow next to the button to see your other option which is frame animation!!)

3. now let’s meet our best friend!! the little bar in the top right corner that has all the commands for making our gifs and MAKE FRAMES FROM LAYERS

4. WE HAVE TO SHARPEN OUR GIFS NOW BUT TO DO THAT WE NEED TO CONVERT TO A SMART OBJECT SO NOW WE ARE GOING TO CONVERT TO VIDEO TIMELINE there are two ways: the button in the bottom left corner or the button in the top right corner w all the other commands!

5. select -> all layers DON’T MANUALLY SELECT THEM ALL BC THE ACTION WILL ONLY SELECT THAT SAME NUMBER OF FRAMES SO IF THERE ARE MORE FRAMES YOU WON’T GET THEM IN THE SMART OBJECT!!

6. filter -> convert for smart filters

7. NOW WE SHARPEN!! (filter -> sharpen -> smart sharpen) i sharpen twice!! first, make sure we are on legacy w more accurate and remove gaussian blue! the first sharpening will be 500% with 0.4 px radius. NOW SHARPEN AGAIN (filter -> sharpen -> smart sharpen) also w legacy, more accurate and remove gaussian blur BUT this time 10% with a 10.0 px radius!

8. it’s hd now!! so let’s flatten frames into clips!! go to the top right magic button again!! and you should see a pop up saying layers are being made

9. now we convert back to frame animation w either the bottom left button or our magic top right command center!

10. make frames from layers

11. select all frames w our magic command button

12. set the animation delay to 0.05 THAT IS THE BEST ONE ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS only use 0.06 when the character is moving really fast in the video itself and it makes the gif itself look awkward BUT NEVER GO ABOVE 0.06 it’ll look slow and laggy and we don’t want that and don’t go below 0.05 bc then it’ll be tooo fast and we don’t want that either!

13. now delete the very first frame on the timeline bc it is an oversharpened duplicate of the second frame! end the recording w this button!

this is what your action should look like expanded! if you made mistakes on the way and it shows up you can just click the specific step and press the trash can on the action tab to delete in from the order!!

NOW AFTER LOADING YOUR FRAMES AND CROPPING THE EDGES OF YOUR FRAMES IF YOU NEED TO JUST PLAY THE ACTION AND THEN YOUR GIF WILL BE MADE FOR YOU!!!!

now i delete some unnecessary frames in the beginning and end and this is what my gif looks like (the size was 46 mb and the limit is 10 mb so the dimensions of the gif are 540 x 405 to get it to 5 mb BUT I HAVEN’T CROPPED IT YET SO THIS IS ME CROPPING JUST TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE)

CROPPING THE GIF

in my opinion if you want your gif to look hd you shouldn’t crop before you sharpen!! i believe that if you crop before you sharpen you don’t allow photoshop to sharpen all the pixels whereas if you crop beforehand there is less to work with!!

dimensions is all up to you!! just make sure to go by tumblr rules!! 540 is the max width and if you want to make two gifs per row then my suggested width is 268 and for three gifs per row my suggested is 177 px! Just have the right width and the length can be whatever you want!!

now i’m going to crop my gif to 540 by 590!!

NOW THIS IS WHAT MY GIF LOOKS LIKE!

COLOURING BASICS

let me show you the best adjustment tools in my opinion and a brief explanation for what they do!!

brightness/contrast: pretty simple increase/decrease the brightness/contrast BUT one of my techniques for when i first start colouring a gif is i select all my frames and do nothing to the settings of the adjustment but i set the layer to screen LIKE THIS

curves: ik others use curves to change brightness/contrast w the squiggly thing BUT i like it to set a white point and black point, this is also a technique i use when i first start colouring a gif when screen doesn’t look good for me SO you use white point to select a pixel on the gif to set as the lightest color on the gif (setting the white point) and you use black point to select a pixel on the gif to set as the darkest colour on the gif (setting the black point) usually the white point makes it TOO bright and that’s why we use the black point to counter it and same goes for when i use screen with brightness/contrast, it gets too bright so i use black point to counter it below is the button for white point and the button for black point, respectively they are shaped as color picker tools

vibrance: generally, i never use this except for color p*rn sets but they work really well in making colors seem more strong

hue/saturation: like vibrance, i never use this except for color p*rn sets but this adjustment is to help change the colors or hue of a color for example: turn blue into purple or turn a blue into a little lighter shade of blue

color balance: I ALWAYS USE THIS!! except for in black and white gifs BUT THIS IS MY GO TO AND IF I DON’T USE IT MY GIFS ARE JUST BLAND i feel like color balance is what essentially balances the colors on your gif and adds dimension to it, it makes your gif go from looking way too yellow to a more golden neutral look and it is an essential adjustment in my opinion

channel mixer: i rarely use channel mixer BUT it is so so useful when you are working w a dark scene just play w the settings and all of a sudden all the blue in a dark scene will be a little more yellow and red and your scene will kind of just look brighter and more visible

selective color: THIS IS ALSO AN ESSENTIAL this helps SPECIFIC colors pop you’re working on a scene where there is too much red on someones face you use this tool to remove the magentaness from the yellow section OR when you feel someones face is TOO yellow and needs more blush you add more magenta in the yellow section of selective color

gradiant map: gradiant map is perfect when you’re lazy if you feel like your gif looks more neutral and you want some red in it but you don’t want to mess with any other adjustments just set a red to black gradiant on soft overlay with a very low opacity and BOOM slightly red but not too much red added!

NOW TO COLOR THE GIF!

today i have decided to start with a brightness layer set on screen

and this is what we got!

now that’s a little to bright and washed out in my opinion SOOOO to counteract it, i’m going to use my black point tool in curves and i’m going to select this point on the gif (it’s better to choose smth in the background and not smth that’s paid attention to such as monica’s hair or either of their eyelashes)

now my gif looks like this! the base color is complete!

now i think i need to balance all this yellow and red! SOOOO WE GONNA USE COLOR BALANCE!!

i think the best way to use color balance is to keep swinging the balancer until you see what you like and then keep going midtones i think i want more red and i don’t want a cyan midtone and then for shadows i think i want more cyan to counter the redness of the gif but highlights i don’t touch that much NOW HERE ARE MY SETTINGS SO YOU CAN SEE

and this is what my gif looks like

now you can stop here if you want but in my opinion i think the gif looks a lil too dead still SO IMMA USE SELECTIVE COLOR

i think there needs to be a lot lot more RED so i amp up the yellow magenta and black in the red! but i also think the yellows need to be LESS RED so i remove magenta from the yellow! and bc there’s some cyan and blue bc of monica and the flowers in the background im going to make the cyans more cyan and the blues a lil more black! i’m going to remove some yellows from the magenta!! and i add more black to the neutrals and black!! i think it’s always important to add more black to neutral and black bc it adds more depth to the gif by not just making it a bunch of bright colors and having dark colors to contrast to!! my settings are below!

and the result!

now let’s see everything together!

and the before and after!

I HOPE MY COLOURING EXPLANATION MADE SENSE!! if not you can always ask me more questions i don’t mind!!

ADDING SUBTITLES

we want to grab the text tool!

make a text box from anywhere in the middle from the left to right edge. this is so we can make sure our text is centered and will be in the same place for when we have sets w more than one gif w text!

type your text out and make sure you highlight the whole text so that all the settings apply to EACH character! you can find the alignments (for center) in the paragraph tab!

now lets right click on the text layer and go to blending options! add stroke and drop shadow!

now drag it to the desired height you would like and make sure to keep it in mind for when you have more than one subtitled gif in a set!

NOW TO MAKE SURE THE TEXT STAYS IN PLACE AND THE BLENDING STAYS YOU HAVE TO CONVERT TO SMART OBJECT!!

if you want to only have the text applied to certain frames instead of all frames, select the frames you don’t want by clicking the first frame in ur don’t want section ON THE TIMELINE and WHILST HOLDING SHIFT click the last frame of ur don’t want section and then toggle the eye switch next to the text layer

now you see the text

now you don’t

tip: use opacity to fade the text in and out!

the text is going to be on all my frames so i don’t need to toggle the eye but i just wanted to show you just in case!!

now here’s my FINAL RESULT

save for web (file -> export -> save for web) 

your gifs have to always be under 10 mb! so, if your WAYYY overboard YOU HAVE TO DELETE FRAMES! or you can divide the gif in two and have two gifs instead of one! however, if you plan on going the deleting frames route MAKE SURE YOU DELETE FROM THE BEGINNING OR END OF YOUR SELECTION i promise you that most of us won’t notice that your characters dialogue is being cut off BUT WE WILL NOTICE IF FRAMES ARE BEING SKIPPED so, don’t delete frames in the middle of ur gif!! idc how little you do it IT WILL RUIN YOUR GIF AND I SAY THIS FROM EXPERIENCE i would delete every fifth frame to cut down my gifs and that may seem like not that big of a deal BUT IT IS my gif looked choppy and poor so it is way better to cut from the end/beginning of the gif

ANOTHER LAST PIECE OF ADVICE in the bottom left of when the save for web menu shows up THERE’S A PREVIEW BUTTON click on it! it’ll show you your gif on your default browser and show you what it’ll look like once uploaded! this is perfect to check the speed of ur gif and the colouring and to notice if there’s a problem with your subtitles or maybe there’s an obvious jump in frames you never noticed before!! i always use preview bc the built-in photoshop viewer of ur gif shows the colors differently and the speed is NEVER ACURRATE!

I USED THESE SAVE SETTINGS!! many say to use selective pattern but i DISAGREE and i think these save settings are the ✨ best ✨

OK NOW THAT IS THE END OF THIS VERY LONG GIF TUTORIAL!! I HOPE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED!! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK I SINCERELY DON’T MIND!! JUST DON’T BE RUDE OR ANYTHING BC PPL HAVE BEEN RECENTLY :(

I WISH YOU ALL THE LUCK AND FUN IN YOUR GIFFING ADVENTURES !!

[likesomekindofcheese]

Hello! I saw that you were doing ships and I'm interested if they're still open? If so, could I please get ships for The Beatles, Queen and Bohrap? I will be sending a few of these to give a full description so I'm sorry for the spam! I never exactly know what to put in these! So, My name is Jasmine, I'm Australian and I speak English, German, Czech (Gotta love family that doesn't speak English..) and Japanese. I've always been considered the 'artsy' person among my peers. (1/5)

I'm usually rather quiet at first, often the person just sitting in the back and drawing. The main exception of this being if I'm performing, wearing a fashion I love or doing a hobby of mine. I love the arts and have always been a big creative type. I will admit, I'm quite passive/submissive and very indecisive. I'm also kind of insecure. I tend to do whatever I can to make my friends happy due to negative experiences in the past. Also because I love doing things for people (2/5)

I'm 5'7" and pale, I have hair that reaches past my waist and is naturally a honey blonde in colour, I sometimes dye it magenta. My eyes are a blue/green colour and for some issue, one tends dilate more than the other, I have an hourglass body and because of that, I do have some cuves on me. I also have a slight overbite (which got "fixed" with braces). In terms of clothing, I love wearing alt fashion such as Lolita fashion, Cult Party Kei, and my own style which is quite doll-like. (3/5)

For my job, I'm currently studying Primary Teaching and Drama in University and a few years ago in Highschool, I began work as a Professional Mermaid and Princess for hire, as well as working part time in an OSHC. I love the water and I've been an actor since I was a child, For hobbies I love to Draw, Make accessories/clothes/costumes, Cosplay and I'm also a trained Singer, Dancer and Aerialist. (My mum always said " if you want to do something, do it while you're young") (4/5)

I'm actually a Pagan and practise White magick and am starting to learn Green magick, my deities are Poseiodon, Persephone and Aphrodite. Unfortuntely, I also live with a few physical and mental issues such as Endometriosis and Chronic Fatigue, Anxiety, Post Traumatic Dress Disorder as well as being Photosensitive. So that can sometimes make certain things hard for me, but we get past that! I tend to easily befriend all Cats and Birds I meet. Sorry this was so long, I suck at this (5/5)

Of course I can! You seem like such a cool, fascinating person with an incredible life and abilities!! 😯🤩 and don’t worry about giving extra info, I don’t mind.

For the Beatles, I ship you with...

Paul McCartney!

So with your pale skin and dyed hair, Paul basically thinks you are a princess

So when you get your mermaid job, Paul loves to tease you, but he also takes cute little photos and lovingly calls you “me siren!”

Even though he will lightly tease you for your Australian accent, but you tease him back for his Liverpool one!

He loves animals, so he always notices how his sheepdog, Martha, wags her tail and even wiggles on her feet like a tap dancer for you when you come in to visit her. He adores that even animals know they can love you are trust you.

You both often go wining and dining, especially in your beautiful Lolita style dress, enjoying the food, atmosphere, and each other’s company.

Though the first time you went to one of those fancy places, you were intimidated by the menu that was twice the size of your head and half the items were in French. “Paul, what should I get here? I’m not even sure!” “Would you like me to choose for you, Jasmine?” “Please!”

He ordered you a nice dish and you both had a drink and then went walking out in the moonlight, opening up about each other’s souls and insecurities but holding hands and assuring each other’s worth.

Since you are a more quiet, “submissive”’person, Paul loves it when he can “baby” you and take care of you, as much as helping you with your hair and outfits and plenty of times he will order for you at restaurants.

He even made you flashcards and notes to help with University, though sometimes you caught him doodling on your name full of hearts.

He probably composed “And I Love Her” for you if you ever felt sad or insecure

For Queen, I ship you with...

Brian May!!

He loves that you are a bit taller than most, even if he is technically taller, it means he doesn’t have to do a squat to hug you.

He is amazed at your creativity and multiple hobbies! He even loves watching you fly up in arealist in the air, he even took a beautiful stereoscopic photo of you!

When he decides to flirt with you at first, he noticed you were back there drawing so he went over and asked about your art and you showed him and you both were soon smiling and subtly flirting with each other.

He was nervous about asking you out until the whole band pushed him to, they all shipped it from day one.

He loves to hear you sing and he enjoys hearing you practice from upstairs, sometimes he will slowly pluck your notes on a guitar until he gets a song idea. Then he will run up to give you a hug and kiss as a thanks (despite your confusion)

He loves that you know all those languages and begs you to go on tour with him to help translate (and see things like Japenese cherry blossoms and German castles together linking arms).

He makes little lovey comments related to your pagan beliefs

“Jasmine, you bewitch me!” “Well, I didn’t intend to!”

“Jasmine, you’re a goddess of beauty”

“Don’t let Aphrodite hear you! You’ll be in trouble, Bri!” “Not if it’s the truth, sweetheart”

And he understands your PTSD and anxiety and helps to make sure you have counseling, and always leans in with a glass of water and a patient, listening ear

As for BohRap, I ship you with...

Rami Malek!!!

He thinks you are an absolute doll, from your eyes to your figure and calls you it all the time!

Plus you are both the most fashionable couple ever and when there is a premiere and he brings you along, you both grin at each other as the media looks at you both, shooketh to the coreth.

He is so sweet and understanding of your acting life that he comes to all of your premiering shows in the front row with a bouquet of flowers so big it needs it’s own seat. Plus he loves to help you think through characterization with auditions and rehearsals.

He loves to notice how you make beautiful costumes and things and if you need something like fabric or a certain color of paint, he runs and grabs it.

You both paid up when the BohRap cast has a board game night and defeat everyone through teamwork, until you both laugh and kiss each other.

He loves to learn bits of phrases of German and Japenese from you, and he brags about your abilities in interviews.

Gladly flips off anyone who gives you crap about your overbite and is always protective of you, with an arm around your waist.

He admires your strength and determination in spite of your physical and mental problems, it gives him hope to go on.

And he understands anxiety, so he will gladly cuddle you and help you with breathing deep when you’re anxious.

You both have a busy life together, but then you both snuggle into bed, giggling and playing footsie and gently touching each other’s faces.

[badsithnocookie]

bitter question asks

tagged by the lovely @buffkreia. tagging anyone who wants to i guess. you. yes, you, personally. answer these questions now. (or don’t. it’s up to you.)

What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

satele/marr (wat). anyone/marr. anyone/malgus.

Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?

vette+sw. any variant on teacher+student (sw/jaesa, jc/nadia, etc). (jk/kira is... borderline, since kira is more a peer than a student, whereas jaesa/nadia/ashara are very much students of the player character, with ds!jaesa being not just a student but an abused one at that).

Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

hell yes. i once unfollowed someone (who is since long deactivated) for posting “tivva and her old moff cutesy headcanons”. what the fuck, fandom. 

i also make a habit of unfollowing people who do Shit that i complain about on the regular (fascism/wh-te s-premcy rhetoric apologetics, ab-se shippers, etc). (though i am more picky about who i follow than i used to be. for a lot of people though it’s nothing personal, i am just a Weirdo who likes to read their entire dash, so i keep the number of blogs i follow low. but if we interact on anything resembling the regular i probably have a nose at your bagel anyway)

Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?

as above most/any variant on teacher/student.

jk/scourge. i’ve seen it done ICly exactly once. most of the time scourge is rewritten as a noble romantic knight in edgy armour and not the manipulative borderline-stalker that he is. i hate the pairing for the shitty characterisation that usually accompanies it and i hate the pairing for the abusive relationship it would be were he IC. there is no winning move here except not to play.

corso/smuggler. i get the feeling that most people into this pairing like corso as they want him to be, not corso as he is. or maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part, idk.

doc/quinn. this pairing is peak White Fujoshi and i hate it. i hate the examples where it’s doc repeatedly hitting on an increasingly uncomfortable quinn, because haha sexually harassing someone is both hilarious and hot am i right. i hate the examples where it’s quinn seducing doc for intel on the resistance (protip: that’s rape!). i hate it i hate it i hate it if i never see it again it will be too soon

Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?

f!sw/almost anyone male, as a result of the endless shitty revenge adultery abuse fics that are all over quinn fandom. not all f!/sw/anyone male fics/ships fall into this category, but most of them seem to, especially /theron and /pierce.

(something something why is it that the majority of people who write f!sw/men of colour only do so in order to generate manpain for a white dude, huh)

Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?

nope.

Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?

pugging EV/KP

Have you received anon hate? What about?

until i switched off anon, yes. it was fifty percent “you say mean things about quinn and that makes you an awful person” and fifty percent “you say nice things about quinn and that makes you an awful person”. proof that no matter what i do, i will never make The People happy. conclusion: do whatever the fuck i want

Most disliked character(s)? Why?

scourge. because i have an irrational dislike of people who manipulative borderline stalkers, who threaten to kidnap the children of others so they can be “raised correctly” into an abusive reactionary religious order.

Most disliked arc? Why?

republic makeb is where logic and my will to live go to die.

kotet is equal parts ‘empire apologia’, ‘vaylin torture porn’, and ‘excuses to be violent towards koth’. appo hates.

Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

koth vortena. both for his intrinsic qualities as a character and because of the endlessly terrible way he is treated by the fanbase and th devs both. if i had a penny for every “but he said valk was good to zakuul” i would never have to worry about my income again.

jaric kaedan. he’s great i love him. grumpy, arguably less than ls, but passoinately dedicated to the jedi and the republic. hates scourge on sight. badassed the Dread Masters into submission. pushes for the jedi to take action in a war targeted at wiping them out instead of hiding behind the republic. he’s just *chef’s kiss*

Is there an unpopular arc that you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

the jc story. imp makeb.

Unpopular opinion about XXX character?

major anri exists only to put a likeable face on the empire. she and brax are incredibly deliberate (not to mention hamfisted) attempts to Humanise(tm) a genocidal imperialistic fascist regime and to attempt to play on the guilt of players/characters who take the saboteur route. sadly what bioware seem to fail to realise is that i traded my ability to feel sorry for the empire for a magic bean. it was completely worth it.

Unpopular opinion about your fandom?

swtor fandom is a dumpster fire. racism, misogyny, fascism apologia, ablism, we got it all, folks. in that respect it is not abnormal for fandoms but this is neither an excuse nor a selling point.

it is also not welcoming in the slightest if you take issue with any of the above.

Unpopular opinion about the manga/show/game?

the old method of unlocking travel waypoints was way more immersive (even if it was a colossal pain in the ass). exploring the depths of belsavis for the first time was awe inspiring - seeking out ancient forgotten tech to dig into secrets locked away for untold millenia.

yes, it was a huge pain in the ass, especially if you were on your nth alt. i’d be fine with some system (maybe legacy based) where waypoints/speeder points for a planet are unlocked once you’ve completed the planetary story for the first time (or something). there is so much content in the game that just gets missed by first time players because bioware want to rush them through to the very end and it sucks.

If you could change anything in the show, what would you change?

invent a time machine, arrange for the firing of those who okayed kotfe and its shitty story that glorified a repeat abuser and its shitty gameplay and its total lack of repeatable group content in an mmo. make the writers produce something that a. actually stayed true to the themes of star wars and b. didn’t glorify an abusive genocidal shitlord like valkoriate.

then find myself some lottery numbers and set up a fund for giving out money to people who are reduced to begging on social media for medical bills.

Does not shipping something ‘popular’ mean you’re in denial and/or biased?

shipping drama worst drama

What is the purest ship in the fandom?

vette/spewie

What are your thoughts on crack ships?

crackships which require you to ignore or worse betray a character’s personality (satele/marr, quinn/elara) - kill on sight

everything else - whatever

Popular character you hate?

darth marr. he is so overrated i don’t even know what to say. he has no personality, nothing. he didn’t even have a unique va in vanilla. he’s a shitty empty space that empire fandom hyped up up and away because he memes well and i loathe him.

Unpopular character you love?

i’m pretty sure this i a repeat of that question up there where i enthused about jaric kaedan

Would you recommend XXX to a friend? Why or why not?

join me in hell

Most shippable character?

eva kaayz. everyone needs a cute bisexual mirialan in their life.

Least shippable character?

darth marr. valkoriate. skadge.

[lupinepariah]

Why I’m Otherkin

This is going to be very trigger-y so... to be forewarned is to have four arms, yeah? Wonderful. So, let’s rap.

My mother died last week.

Amongst most of my family I’m the “know-it-all ass-burgers r-word.” I object to this as I really don’t know a lot and I don’t know how I’d weigh my intelligence. If pressed, I’d likely say that I’m not very smart as admitting to intellect makes me feel guilty. I don’t know why. Why do they do it, then? It’s because I have a strong propensity for being right.

You see, I have a strong propensity for doing something they never do. Thinking.

My mother is the only one in my family I’ve ever cared about. I admit, we’re a little distant but I did love her and I cared for her, I never wanted her to suffer. A friend of the family had a mother die not long before my mother died and they wouldn’t listen to me for the aforementioned reason, I wanted to tell their mother about an experimental treatment that was at least worth trying. No no, I’m just talking out of my arse.

That’s how it often is. I don’t think it’s especially difficult to not be stupid? You just have to think first. Is there really so much difficulty in that? I mean... I recall not so long ago when I was screaming at “medical professionals” to stop faecal transplant tests. There’s so much stuff we can’t screen for well and all you’d need is the combination of a superbug and a compromised immune system for people to start dying. It had to happen for them to stop, of course. They did it until people died for exactly that reason.

No one wants to listen to an r-word with ass-burgers.

What frustrates me with my mother though is that the solution to keeping her alive was so simple.

She started new medication recently. It turns out everyone in my family was told about this except for myself, which is dandy. The first thing I advise anyone to do is to check the side effects to make sure that there aren’t any co-morbid effects with any other drugs they might be on, or any instigators of underlying health problems they might have. Fat chance. My family got my mother popping meds without even bothering to read the documentation that came with them.

The first thing I do with anyone is tell them to check the side effects. Always check the side effects. Always check the side effects.

The truth is? I have loads of life experiences like this. I’ve been abused in every way you can imagine. I’ve been through the ringer. Physical, mental, sexual, emotional, and everything else. No matter what could happen to me these days, I’ve felt worse. That’s why the situation with my mother just leaves me feeling cold and angry, and little else.

The truth is is that my experiences with human beings that actually want to be human beings is that they can be monsters. I admit that this isn’t all of them, I’m sure it can’t be, but it is true for the vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast... you get the point, the vast majority. They’re monsters.

I was raised by dogs due to parents that were either neglectful or abusive. The dogs died because of abuse, missed vaccines, or other reasons... they were replaced with other dogs because it was the only thing that kept me sane. After all, you have to keep up appearances and make it look like it’s the problmeatic child’s fault rather than the alcoholic, violent, dysfunctional parents. Isn’t that always the way of it? Very relateable, yes?

The truth is is that I’ve had so many bad experiences that I... I don’t feel like I’m a good fit with this species. I’m too kind. I’m too considerate. I think before I act. I actually care. I help people even if they’ve hurt me so, so badly that all I feel for them is hatred. All I want for anyone is to not have to suffer as I do. So while most humans look like monsters to me, I don’t want them to suffer.

This gives one a... unique outlook on life.

As a coping mechanism I started thinking of myself as, well, not human. It helped. It helped so much. And over time I became mentally healthy, even well-adjusted, I’m certainly a lot less angry these days. I even have a partner! They’re non-binary and they’re absolutely lovely, I couldn’t ask for a better partner, so very supportive, creative, and clever. And then my mother died.

It’s hard not to feel set back by it. I feel like I’m teetering on a razor’s edge. I feel that the only way I can cling to my sanity is by more deeply embracing these very strong feelings I have of not being human. The human species—so overly obsessed with itself—brings me great shame. I feel shame and pain that I’m to share this species until the day I die, in body if not in heart and mind.

There’s an autistic community called Wrong Planet because it’s not unusual for autistic people to feel this way. It’s just that for some of us the alienation is so much more profound and extreme than it is for others. We feel it so deeply that we could never be “human,” not in the sense that most would understand that word. I mean, we could certainly never be normal and we’d never want to. It’s a horrible word, isn’t it? Normal. It suggests a binary state where one is the innate default and correct, whereas the other isn’t. How could that be anything other than pathological by design?

Being Otherkin is my coping mechanism.

It isn’t spiritual. I’m not an animal. I don’t have an animal living inside of me. I don’t have an animal spirit. I just really want to be something other than human, thanks.

So I think of myself as a lycanthrope. I’ve an imaginary support dragon who’s there when I’m alone and I have to handle things myself. It’s only by the merit of these two factors that I stay sane. If I had to think of myself as human, if I lost my support dragon, I’d be bouncing off the walls and chewing the furniture to pieces because I’d have no means to handle all of the unimaginably awful things that had been done to me, all of the suffering I’d endured.

No matter how bad something makes me feel, I’ve felt worse. I could only really go up and Otherkin was my way up. It’s a comfort, a small one in a world so bent on destroying itself as this one is. I mean, depletion of the rainforests and a huge hole in the ozone layer and people are still breeding like bunny rabbits. This is what scientists refer to as The Great Filter. Frankly, if not for SARS-CoV-2, humanity likely would’ve gone extinct within the next century.

I feel that SARS-CoV-2 has given the human species a chance to pull back from the brink.

It’s funny because I’ll never know anything other than hatred. I know that. It’s almost impossible for an Otherkin like myself to find any allies other than fellow Otherkin. I mean, I tried to reach out to trans people and they thought I was a meme created to hurt them because that’s what the Alt-Right very successfully brainwashed them into believing. So much for that, right?

I don’t hate trans people for this. That’d be stupid. They’re suffering too. No, I get that they were hacked and it’s not their fault. If you aren’t acting with full agency then you can’t really be blamed.

Every time something happens though that keys into my personal support mechanism I can’t help but latch onto it. I feel included, for once. It’s actually really nice to feel included. This is why I’ve been fixated upon Guild Wars 2 and why it’s been so important to me. I’ve been getting very clingy with it since my mother died because I love being charr and there may just be a good therapy dragon in the latest content. I’d love that.

If ArenaNet wants to do something for one person who’s suffered way too much? Don’t make Jormag evil. I’d really appreciate that. It’s going to hurt like hell if they are. I hate it when dragons always have to be evil because I’m Otherkin. I love dragons.

It’s a perspective thing, yeah?

I don’t really know how to explain it. I don’t think you’d really be able to understand without having gone through decades of torture and abuse. It just shifts your perspective. If I were to show you a picture of five scantily clad humans facing off against a dragon, you’d know for certain that it’s a depiction of heroes versus an evil draconic beast. What I see, however, is a bunch of thieves, burglars, and freebooters looking to slaughter an innocent dragon so they can steal the poor thing’s belongings. The dragon? They’re a mother protecting a clutch of newborn children.

Dragons don’t look like monsters to me. Humans do, though.

That’s unlikely to ever change. I hurt too much for it to.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I hate humans or anything. I don’t really have it in me to hate anyone as that would mean I’d have to want someone to suffer and enjoy it, which I couldn’t. I’d vomit. I’m as diametrically opposed to suffering as anyone could be. I’m really sick of how forced to suffer so many of us are already. It’s just that I can’t look at a human now and not at first see a monster because I have so much trauma to deal with and work through.

So, yeah. I’m Otherkin. It helps. It helps a lot. I love werewolves, dragons, robots, aliens, sapient fungi, and lots of other non-human stuff. It’s great. Sadly, humans being innately narcissistic tend to demonise anything unfamiliar to them, the human species has been doing that since the dawn of time with factors as trivial as skin colour or the shape of one’s nose. It’s tiresome. That’s why whenever something is special enough to have truly non-human entities as forces of genuine kindness opposed to suffering? It wins my heart.

I feel in love with Aurene in Guild Wars 2 for that reason. I feel that that game has been part of my ongoing therapy. I... do worry about being hurt by how they handle Jormag but I do hope. I really do.

So, yeah. That’s why I’m Otherkin. That’s the long and short of it. if you aren’t? I don’t hate you. It’s just that if we met, you’d probably want to hurt me. That tends to be how it goes. I don’t find comfort in the presence of humans. I do find much comfort though in the dreams of being a werewolf protected within a dragon’s shadow. That’s about the only way I can be healthy.

[anautisticdragon-blog]

Revisiting New Vegas: DLC

What I recall of New Vegas is how much I loved it, and for the most part it was more clever than it had any right to be. The stand out memories for me were how they handled stories of aging and the effects it can have, through the companions Raul and Lily. Beautifully done.

I'm putting together a small mod pack for my partner so she's able to appreciate these stories, too. I look forward to watching as she explores with the same wonderment I had, invested in all of those little stories and marvelling over how everything ties back into the main plot.

But what about the DLC?

I thought about this for quite some time. And the truth is? I'm actually skipping it. I think New Vegas is a better game without its DLC. I think it stands better alone, as a complete set piece, with just a little extra help from mods like NVInteriors to flesh out areas where the game is weakest.

You might be screaming 'WHYYY?' at me right now whilst punching your screen (I really don't think that's good for your monitor), so let's have a look at my decisions. Do keep in mind that there's going to be obvious spoilers ahead, so... Caveat lector, you know?

Dead Money

This was my favourite of the DLCs. From a story point of view, it had at least one likeable character and believable stakes. Not the greatest story ever told, but it was serviceable at the very least. Then there's the gameplay, though. Which is a painful, repetitive, tedious grind of death. Is that worth it for -- compared against the rest of hte game -- an average story?

I decided that... no. No, it really wasn't. I didn't want her to suffer through it. Whilst some do like the storyline of Dead Money (and I can understand why), I feel that we're all united in how much we Universally resent the gameplay of it. If she happened across this DLC too early, it could sour the rest of the game. For a first time player, it's just a bad idea.

Honest Hearts

Religion. Religion. Religion. Religion. Natives. Religion. Oh, you're going to brainwash the natives? I can't tell the natives not to listen to your quackery? I can't tell them about missionaries, conversion, and the shit you're pulling here by undermining their very culture? Good-O. Sod this for a game of soldiers. Where's that bloody choice and consequence, Obsidian?

Frankly, I wanted to imprison these religious zealots for their crimes against a fledgeling culture and save the natives myself, what I didn't want is a repeat of colonial America happening before my very eyes. That's not a fun time for me.

So, this one's out too.

Old World Blues

The biggest, most obvious problem here is that it's tonally incompatible with the rest of the game. It feels detached and entirely out of place with the rest of it, almost as if it were a different game entirely. That's a problem for me.

I like tonal consistency, I've brought it up before. There's really nothing in New Vegas that sets a precedent for primary coloured, toyetic scorpion bots and cussy AI appliances. It's funny, yes, but once the joke's worn off (which happens fairly quickly), it's just letting an average joke drag on for however many hours the content lasts for.

And then there are the scientists, oh dear. If I wanted to sit around listening to a group of smug, self-assured, sociopathic, arrogant pricks I'd watch Alt-Blight videos. Even the one whose role is the supposed 'good guy' of the bunch is just an utter arsehole. There's not a single, sole likeable character present. That's a problem for me, considering how much I dislike sociopathy.

So... Bad jokes, a failed attempt at being as clever as Fallout Tactics was, sociopaths, and... Uh... That's it. Pass.

Lonesome Road

Oh boy! I get to listen to an Alt-Blight-esque self-aggrandising, sociopathic lunatic tell me why everyone deserves to die and why all the world should burn in the never-ending fires of apocalypse. Good-O! This is why I don't like Chris Avellone, as not only is he a sociopath (which I've covered in the past with topics such as the Fallout Bible), but his characters tend to be soapboxing sociopaths as well. See: Kreia, Weeping Mother, et al.

The last thing I want is to sit around listening to an arsehole telling me why the world is horrible because people are too left wing, too bleeding heart, and how he wants to Make the Wasteland Great Again by nuking the hell out of it.

That's basically all Lonesome Road is. Listen to Avellone soapbox about the worthiness of evil and sociopathy. It's not new, really. This isn't a revelation. He even mentioned in a recent interview that he prefers 'clever' (sociopathic) evil characters to any other kind. It's just his nature. He's a born arsehole, so his characters are born arsholes too. Comes with the territory.

Oh, and if you kill his soapboxing sociopath and refuse to nuke anyone? A robot friend dies. Oh, and a race of monsters will overrun the wastes and kill everyone anyway... Whoop-de-bloody-doo. So the sociopath wins no matter what.

Choice & consequence, Obsidian. Somehow, along the way, they seem to have forgotten about their most important design ethos. Though Avellone pulled the same shit in Fallout 2 when he removed the good ending for the intelligent deathclaws just because he hated them and wanted to see them suffer (absolutely not kidding, guy’s a douche).

Do I think that my partner wants to listen to a soapboxing, sociopathic idiot, watch a robot friend die, and then learn that everything she does in New Vegas is pointless anyway? No, I really don't think that's necessary.

Cutting this out like a tumor.

Gun Runner's Arsenal

Where do I even begin?

Okay, first of all? Through bizarre and magical happenstance this Robotron has a shack full of specialised guns that even the Van-Graffs (specialised vendors and generally violent people) don't have access to. There aren't any guards or anything, really, so why hasn't this place been raided? And they aren't exactly running guns, are they?

So in order to fix this, I'd have to add in a lot of mods to make whatever this nonsense is feel like it has a place in the world. I'd have to improve the area to give it presence, add NPCs on paths that actually run guns, and have a few Gun Runner sanctioned affiliated merchants who sell their stuff. Then it'd feel more believable.

Except that the whole thing's a mess. You have GRA versions of guns and mods which are the same weapon but unique??? I don't understand the worth of this, really. To the first time player, this just serves to be a confusing bloody mess. And you can just up and buy these incredibly powerful weapons, which takes so much away from the joy of discovering something wonderful while out adventuring.

So, a confused, half-arsed, unfinished mess. One that's done far, far better by mods like AG's Supplemental Uniques and Weapon Mods Expanded.

Pass.

Conclusion

New Vegas is a brilliant game with a fantastic story. It has plentiful amounts of choice and consequence, enthralling stories to be a part of, and it's an all around good time. So the DLCs only detract from that and lessen it with bad, substandard content filled with sociopaths, unlikeable characters, annoyances, and worse. They don't really add anything at all.

So, when playing New Vegas, doing so without the DLC is always for the best. Unless, you know, you actually like sociopaths, feeling powerless, and unfinished content. I don't.

[creativecraig]

Code Institute

Now that I have looked at each individual learning platform that is currently out in the world atm, it was time to actually look at some of the main companies within these platforms that people tend to use. The first one I came across was code institute, which is a full-stack web development bootcamp course. I intend to go into full detail on this bootcamp website commenting on what I like, hate and see potential in. 

Kickstart Your Career

When you first load the website, the phrase ‘kickstart your career’ is literally everywhere. This is basically implying that the job you're in now sucks and that this is the answer to all of your problems. Immediately you think this is a breath of fresh air and is much better than the job you currently have, this might be true however other elements of the website make me think that Code Institute are portraying a false image of the career. Take for example the stock image in the background. When first introduced you immediately think that these people are having a lot of fun coding, this is the job that I want. However to people who know or have did code in the past, know that this is not the face that you’d normally make when coding and is more the face you’d make when looking at funny videos or memes. 

I do however like the micro interaction of the button, I think it goes well with their theme of kickstart and a new fresh career. When you hove the button stubbly changes to a lighter pinkish colour which fades in from the right, this makes you think that the future is brighter by the click of this one button. In an also feeling that you’re are trapped by your current career and you have seen the light at the end of the deep, dark tunnel.

Another thing I did pick up from this page was that the line starting “with our university credit-rated bootcamp, 88% of our graduates are hired within 6 months”. There was a few big questions that I came across with this such as;

it a University degree or not?

88% of graduates, but how many people actually graduated?

Were hired in 6 months, but what career path?

To answer these questions, there is simply no statistics or evidence of these facts, I searched the website and other platforms to try and find businesses that people had been hired as well as statistics about the drop out rate but no evidence was there.

Targeted Audience

Code Institute has stated throughout their website that their aim is to teach non tech professionals/ beginners how to code to an industry standard. Like the image above they take great pride and really push this aim with the use of statistics.

What is the Course Length?

Full-time 

12 weeks

600 hours of work involved (50 Hours Per Week)

Part-time

12-48 weeks

Still 600 hours of work

Must be completed in 60 weeks (extended time as Code Institute knows its hard to manage whilst working)

What Will You Learn?

Code Institute say that you will cover all aspects of web development including:

HTML 5

CSS 3

JavaScript

Python (Django)

Github

Data Management

Frameworks

The Course is split into 10 modules which will cover all of the skills as promised, but my one question which is extremely big is How do you expect to learn all of these skills in 60 weeks never mind 12 weeks? 

The answers is simple, it is near impossible to have an understanding, learn and then produce industry standard work in this time period. To their targeted audience this seems like the dream but ‘like most dreams they tend to be too good to be true’. For those who study these subjects in university or as a career know that there is just too much to learn for it to possible in this period of time, which then again questions the skill set of the people graduating from the course.

Price

The Truth is that I don't even think Code Institute know exactly what they're charging as in the space of a week the course has went up and down in terms of price dramatically both in full and monthly, as well as the way in which it is paid back and the currency used.

However give the dramatic change in figures, one thing that has remained is the monthly hidden rates. When originally set up the pay monthly option will still be paying monthly payments after you have completed the course as the maximum the course can run for is just under 14 months. Now with the other pricing plan of you pay once you are employed, you will still be paying the course back over 7 years which is similar to that of University’s student loan except the amount you’ve leant is significantly less but the payments are still very long also meaning your in debt for 7 years.

Qualifications 

Code Institute have praised that they have a course which is credited by Napier University, however when looked at more in depth they say that they actually follow Napier’s criteria and that they self proclaim to meet their Criteria. This is something that goes unrecognised by the eye at first glance and you really have to hunt through to find it. 

They also say that the acreedation is the equivalent on the european and scottish framework. The truth is the level of the equivalent on the framework differs depending on the framework meaning its different in every country in terms of what it is worth. It is also states that it is an equivalent of the the level, therefore stating that it is not actually a level and again is one of their self proclaimed facts.

Having looked at what Code Institute’s website says I then went to different websites to find reviews from previous students, in which one stated as above. The qualification is not recognised by most universities either again asking the fact of what are you paying for? 

Code Institute has recently added a comparison to their other competitors such as General Assembly. However looking at the statistics I believe that this does no improvements over their competition, in fact most of the results on this are very bais and pushed towards what Code Institute are strong at. Even at this Code Institute have ‘shot themselves in the foot’ as they state one selected Universities credited their course.

Reviews 

“Mentor support is 10h over 12 months (and my mentor quit in the middle of my course, leaving me hanging), the rest is #slack and students answering their own questions.”

Having read this review I then leave myself asking the question:

Is the support working? 

Are you really paying 5500 euros for videos?

“The course content varies, some sections are top notch, other barely touch on the subjects which are later required for the projects.”

This review also made me think:

There is no level of consistency

Is there a better way of improving the course content to get a high level of content?

“The quality of the content of the tutorials is a letdown, especially with the later modules which get very complicated. Numerous times I followed the tutorial exactly only for my code not to work. It is only after checking my code dozens of times that realise that the tutorial has skipped some crucial information.”

This review made me think of things which should be the main thinking and have they even done that such as:

Is the content provided actually correct?

Students still have to resolve to other sources to fix problems caused by the content.

Some Quick Solutions I Thought Of

Have set amount of spaces for the course, like 25 spaces

Run a new course every month or 2.

Have more courses but specialise on different areas like front end and back end development.

Use more than just videos to teach content, like live streamed tutorials.  

[tpquill]

If you stop and think for a minute, those who put a racist into power. A man who has a following of alt right, racist and anti-Semitic people. Those who believe their country needs 'cleansed' from people, who came to the US for a better life. A life that 45's grandparents came to America for? A life that immigrants from all over the world came for. The first taste of freedom they sought; on the decks of the ships carrying them on their long journey's was Liberty, in all her welcoming glory. Standing proud and diligent over the waters. Leading poor, tired, sick and hungry to Ellis Island. To call yourself a purest, to try and cleanse your country of Muslims, Jews, Africans, any colour any race. Consider yourself blind and ignorant. For your country has many colours, many rainbows and many races, all living under the one roof. But the worst of all is not your blind ignorance or foolish judgement, it's the very fact that your colour is not white, your ancestry is not pure. Dig back on your own family tree, you'd be surprised, no I think you will be very shocked to know just were your lineage came from. Hatred of another person, because you have been brainwashed into thinking they are below you is just plain hatred. It shows on your face from your heart - darker, blacker than any colour you despise. Cleansing your country, denying people, who have or want to raise their right hand and swear to uphold the constitution to uphold and honour the founding fathers of America. Those who have studied the constitution in order to be given citizenship...yet you want to deny them that right. Do YOU know the Constitution, can you recite any of it? It's taught in your schools, yet you take it for granted. Immigrants - migrating from another country study it long and study it well. They are not the terrorists you seek to stop coming into your country - they're already there. Threatening cleansing, threatening to clean up the scum that's robbed their basic human rights to carry firearms whenever and wherever they like. Ignorant party players, who for 8 yrs questioned the birth of a President, because the racist fool, now in power deemed it so. A man who is dangerous, not because of what he can do, but of what he has done. You want to ban immigration, equality of life, Healthcare and education for public schools, yet you accept pillow talking from Russia? The old saying: it's because im (black) white? Would it be different if Russians were black? Those who voted in a party full of racisim and hate, those willing to see families torn apart, because their leader hates all colours who dont work for him, for his family or for his companies on a less than minimum wage. A person so full of himself that he can't see beyond his bitter nose. The party that voted him in couldn't care about your problems, you're not worth bothering about. They got rich, living off their families Republican money, the can afford Healthcare and education, welfare and status. They can shop as much as they want and not have to live on benefits, because you're either too lazy to work or too ill, either way you'll never be able to afford Healthcare. You think they (those fat cats at the GOP) are going to replace the ACA with something easier to access, think again. The GOP and Trump are only out for themselves, because when it all comes down to it. Banning a nation of Muslims, because you deem them all to be terrorists and treat your own native indigenous people. People who were discovered by Christopher Columbus when he found the 'Americas' have been on their land from the beginning, in the most barbaric and Inhumane way, ignorance is bliss isn't it. Painting swastikas on homes and buildings of worship and communities...you think you're above everything, well you're not. We are all held accountable for our actions as will you. Dictators rise and they fall, dragging your sorry ass with them. Lastly I'd like to add... 5 yrs ago, my family and I left the UK; packed our suitcases, said goodbye to our belongings as they went in a container to a ship, that would take 6 weeks to travel to Australia. We immigrated just like hundreds and thousands of others before, for a new life in a new country. We like others did not do this without careful planning and consideration of what this might all mean. We did not flee our country through fear or persecution. For fear of our lives...we went voluntarily. Not all immigrants come to another country with the same set of circumstances not all are terrorists, not all come to take your jobs or steal your money or kill your wife and kids. Not all immigrants sponge of your government looking hand outs. Most of us come to live, to work and to uphold the laws of your country. To swear and oath, to pledge allegiance, to become citizens as my family did this year. I am an immigrant and I stand with ALL immigrants; Muslims, Jews, Africans and whoever they are, wanting a better life, a better future for our children and will never except hate, racism, misogyny, discrimination and segregation from ANY political party or ANY leader of that party, whether they be a Prime Minister or President.

[cycletechreview]

  Aprire Inverno AR Review

  Paul Horta-Hopkins

  A review of the Aprire Inverno AR, an aluminium framed, do-it-all kind of bike.

  I took delivery of the Aprire Inverno AR just in time for some proper wet and grimy weather, just the kind of conditions that I imagine the Iverno AR will see a lot of. At £745 with a full Shimano Sora groupset, it fits into the first ‘proper’ bike or winter hack that will also tackle some gravel and even the odd ‘cross race category. You can also buy the frame only for £295 and kit it out exactly as you want.

  The Aprire Inverno AR ready to tackle anything

  Aprire are the in-house brand of Cycles Perfecta, who are carbon specialists. We spoke to Aprire’s designer, Phil Dempsey a few months ago when we visited the Cycles Perfecta workshops. Although all their carbon manufacturing is done in the UK, their aluminium frames are designed here and built-in China – for now. Phil has applied his years of experience designing bikes in China, to his own designs and it shows in the way the Inverno AR rides.

  First inspection of the Inverno AR and I really like the paint job. Unfortunately it’s not the standard livery but a one-off. However, as they have their own paint booth, you can ask for custom colours (for a little extra of course). Quality of the paint job was very good and it stood up to a lot of abuse, both from the elements and being thrown in the back of my car with other bikes.

  The Inverno AR’s signature wishbone seat stay

  A Shimano Sora groupset is fitted to the Inverno AR. This was the first time I’ve used Sora and I came away pleasantly surprised. I was expecting clunky and heavy controls, but nothing could be further from the truth. Shifting was slick and true, with the front mech having a nice bit of trim available to stop any chain rub. The Sora shifters have a really nice shape and were easy for me to access, even with my little hands! The overall look and feel belies the fact that this is one of Shimano’s cheapest groupsets. Cheap it may be, but it performed perfectly during the whole test period.

  The Sora groupset was a mini revelation with one exception: braking. Sora uses cable operated disc brakes and this was my second time using mechanical discs. I wasn’t impressed the first time and second time round was no better. The feel and power isn’t any better than my TRP CX8.4 mini Vs. Although they were OK, they don’t live up to the rest of the groupset’s performance. Despite this they do work, just not as well as I know discs can. I would recommend upgrading. Shimano Tiagra now comes with hydraulic brakes!

  Seen an interesting path on your normal road route? You can head down it on the Inverno AR

  Wheels are Mavic Aksium ONEs. These aluminium rimmed wheels, while not the lightest out there, were up for all kinds of riding. I tried to run them tubeless but didn’t have much luck, which was a shame, especially when heading off-road. With twenty-four straight pull spokes, they stayed straight and true over some pretty shocking surfaces.   The Inverno AR came shod with Schwalbe’s CX Comp tyres, but I swapped them for a set of their 38mm G-Ones. The G-Ones livened up the ride and made it easy to dive off-road when the opportunity arose. Swapping to Clement Strada LGG tyres for road rides kept them feeling fast.

  Stem, seatpost and handlebars were from the Ritchey Comp range and performed flawlessly, as always. Understated in matt black, they blend in well with any colour scheme. You can find lighter, but for items that are going to get some hard use, is it worth it?

  The Prologo Kappa saddle was a comfortable perch on and off-road, but then saddle choice is such a personal thing. One rider’s favourite is another’s hell on a bike!

  Another item that I really liked was Aprire’s own brand bar tape. This is a made with a PU gel and has a wonderful tacky feel to it. It is apparently long-lasting as well as comfortable and I think I will be buying a couple of rolls for my summer CX sportive rides.

  Ritchey Comp components do their job with no fuss

  So that’s the details, but what was the Inverno AR like to ride? When I took delivery Aprire only had an XS available. I was a little worried about the fit – I’m 172cm tall – but it actually turned out alright. With plenty of extension on the Ritchey Comp seat post and the saddle pushed back I had enough room in the ‘cockpit’. A longer stem would have been nice, but my spare parts box came up empty! Being a smaller frame than I would normally ride, I did manage to catch my heels on the chain stays, but it really only happened a couple of times. Long or short rides, I never felt uncomfortable on the Inverno AR.

  Starting off on a few Sunday club runs, the Inverno AR proved very capable. With 28mm road tyres I had no problems keeping up on a typical Sunday route. The 50/34 compact chainset will get you up anything on-road, while the shifting was smooth and faultless; not bad considering this is a review bike with a ‘cheap’ groupset. While it feels heavy to pick up, you don’t feel this when riding at all. Stomping up hill, there’s no feeling of sluggishness or flex.

  Heading out on some long and wet solo rides it behaved perfectly. Cruising along was a pleasure and it tackled climbs happily, despite it’s weight.

  The Shimano Tiagra groupset performed faultlessly

  The Inverno AR has a wonderful, lively feel, which considering its cost is a real surprise. Made from 6061 aluminium the frame features an unusual Aprire designed seat stay arrangement to give stiffness but with low vibration”. This takes the form of a split wishbone seat stay. Considering everyone thinks of aluminium as giving a harsh ride, Aprire have got it right; the ride is smooth. Long distance rides were tackled without feeling you had taking a battering from the poor road surfaces. Upfront a tapered head tube and carbon fork combine to keep the steering light and direct, allowing the Inverno AR to follow twisty lines through the woods without any unexpected surprises.

  Ride quality was nice and stable, the kind of bike you could ride no-handed without any unexpected wobbles. I imagine it would also make for a good touring bike, there’s plenty of scope to add mudguards and racks.

  You would have no problem handling the daily commute on the Inverno AR. It’s nimble enough for weaving between traffic, but not so twitchy that it becomes a chore. And while I’m no longer commuting every day, I’d be happy riding the Inverno AR back and forth across London again and again and again…

  Mechanical disc brakes need a lot of attention to work properly; upgrade to hydraulic if you can

  The Inverno AR was more than happy diving off-tarmac and onto some bridleways. With 38mm tyres fitted it was happy cruising along the gravel and mud tracks. It would make for some great summer weekend adventures, as it has the speed to get you out of town and then onto some good old fashioned rough stuff.

  And while not a full-blown ‘cross racer it was happy to tear around the local trails. Riding my own cyclo-cross training circuit around the local recreation ground, the handling was good; not up to my own carbon race bike, but it would do for the occasional ‘cross race. If you were looking to tackle a CX sportive, then the Inverno would be more than happy.

  For me the Inverno AR sits happily in the ‘do-it-all’ bike category, with a bias to road and easy off-road. I can imagine it being ridden all week as a commuter and then happily tackling a club run, a weekend tour or an off-road sportive.   It’s a lot of fun, for not a lot of cash. You can upgrade and go for Shimano Tiagra, 105 or Ultegra, which will improve those brakes! But the quality of the frame will remain the same and Aprire have got that dialed.

  Read the Preview article here.  

Aprire Inverno AR

Aprire Inverno AR

Aprire Inverno AR

Aprire Inverno AR

Aprire Inverno AR

Aprire Inverno AR

Aprire Inverno AR

Mechanical disc brakes need a lot of attention to work properly; upgrade to hydraulic if you can

Aprire Inverno AR

Aprire Inverno AR

  Aprire

            [rps-include blog=127.0.0.1 post=30120]

  Aprire Inverno AR Aprire Inverno AR Review Paul Horta-Hopkins A review of the Aprire Inverno AR, an aluminium framed, do-it-all kind of bike.

[stlplaybox]

Top 10 Transformers of 2016

What a year 2016 was. However you may feel about the momentous events of the year, there’s one common, resounding sentiment across the Transformers community : 2016 was an amazing year for Transformers.

From official to third party there were many wonderful surprises that catered to the diverse pockets of the fandom. In its anniversary year, we saw Beast Wars get its deserved place in the Masterpiece line. Fans of comic fiction saw characters from the canonical More than Meets the Eye to the War Within receive loving representations in toy form.

Significantly the mainline Transformer toy line Titan Returns built on the momentum of Combiner Wars and elevated our expectations of what could be achieved with mass market deluxe, voyager and leader class figures. Cheap and hollow they may be but the engineering and playability of these releases captivated fans with their fun factor. The Masterpiece line underwent a newfound visual aesthetic that has divided some in the Masterpiece collecting community but no one can deny that Takara continue to engineer the hell out of these toys in a way no third party has come close to.

Even transforming relatives felt the love this year. GoBots received love in the Machine Robo line with 6 visually commanding releases while Diabattles unleashed an epic entry on the transforming toy collector community.

It’s with that tough context that I set out to try and name my top 10 Transformers of the 2016. Never has a limitation felt so unjust that I feel like a Quintesson handing out verdicts from my ivory tower on Quintessa. Firstly, a shout out to toys I failed to open last year. I expect some of you to be really loved in 2017.

Some Honorable Mentions:

Maketoys Pandinus was an event of the year. Unpacking it, beholding it’s beautifully sculpted glory, was nothing short of breathtaking.

Maketoys Striker Manus has yet to depart the coffee table. It’s not just his fun factor that keeps him there but also the freshness that he offers to an increasingly Masterpiece focused fandom.

MMC Impactor has been a long time coming. Perfect in every way except his transformation, he’s been a coffee table regular.

LG Springer was a repaint of one of the all-time great moulds from the Takara / Hasbro stable. It wasn't the last repaint that I derided then loved in 2016.  

In a regular theme of 2016, I underestimated Takara to my own peril. MP Hot Rod delivered cleverness and fun in untold amounts. So sure was I of disappointment that I only ordered one but after one play through, I went crawling back for seconds.

Gravity Builder delivered the perfect Devastator. Great in terms of scale but each and every individual bot was a beauty in their own right. So QC issues and fierce competition keeps it from the top 10 of 2016 but my eyes never stray far from its towering neo-G1 aesthetic.

I’ll have to end that list here otherwise, we’ll be here to 2018.

With its visceral yet heroic form, Vulcan was the culmination of Planet X’s cumulative learnings across their Fall of Cybertron Dinobots. Featuring some of the best implementations of light piping and transluscent plastics combined with awesomely articulated  alt mode and robot mode, the Dinobot leader was a mainstay of coffee table fiddlebots– a quality that proved decisive in this list.  

9. LG Blurr

Hasbro’s version of this wasn’t inspirational. It undermined the quality of the sculpt and engineering because it was so hard to look past that horrible palette of colours. Enter Takara and voila, Blurr blazed into the levels of stardom he deserved. Featuring amazing levels of articulation (wrist swivels!) and nuanced details like the raised crest on his head, you can’t mistake the labour of love poured into this figure. A figure I immediately want in my displays but also one I want on the coffee table, it’s fine affirmation of why I have that unhealthy habit of buying multiple TFs.

8. LG / Hasbro Wheelie

Hasbro or Takara, it doesn’t matter. A stunning example of what official engineering at its best can still offer. Not only does it have a beautiful head sculpt, an amazing transformation and two excellent alt modes – it has a cockpit play feature. All in the Legends size class! If coffee table occupancy is a critical metric of a figures success in 2016, Wheelie earns more points for being the perfect travelbot. He accompanied me on multiple holidays because his involved transformation and photogenic-self packs the right level of durability and fun.

Reported levels of varying QC on the Hasbro version are a shame as this, because this like Generations Springer, is one for the ages. Wheelie is what happens when ambition intersects with engineering brilliance.

7. Unite Warriors Technobots

Untie Warriors was an uneven set of releases that highlighted some of the problems with the design philosophies of the Combiner Wars era. Mixed with QC issues and the need for third party limbs, there was a certain readiness among the fandom to move on. 

Against this backdrop, the Unite Warriors Technobots were one of the last releases but they showcased what the line was truly capable of with a good coat of paint and loving remolding. Beautiful to the last bot and sexy to the last alt mode, the only thing that stopped this being higher was the need for the third party limbs to complete the combined mode.

6. Diabattles

This may not be a Transformer and after my retailer cancelled my preorder, I’d decided it’s something I could live without. But enter the age of enablement as the unbridled enthusiasm of pockets of the fandom (looking at @TFSquareOne here) along with a play with @itfdb’s copy forced me to reconsider. It may not be a huge figure but it’s amazing in the detail it packs and the playability it offers. Enabled by a sensationally focused engineering ethos, this figure dominated the coffee table for months and had me regularly diving into the accessories box under the sofa. Even now it’s gone into the non-TF transforming toy shelf but I’ve kept it at the front knowing full well I never want this to be far from reach.

5. Maketoys Cross Dimensions Despotron

Entering the business end of the top 10, I’ve come to realise I’m a neo-Gi collector at heart. I don’t want figures to be slavish to G1, I want them to be inspired by G1. As much as I adore Striker Manus, it is Despotron who shines. His sculpt oozes character in a way that reminds me of Animated and Transformers Prime toys. Every pose, every minutia of articulation all works towards accentuating the personality of our favourite Cybertronian despot. It’s a stunning achievement in design. Returning to my yardstick for success, this hasn’t left the coffee table since arrival. I expect it to stay there for awhile yet.

4. Titan Returns Triggerhappy

Having enjoyed many a top 10 of 2016 list, I can safely say, this guy is on most of them. And there’s a bloody damn good reason for that. Intuitive is a word that is often casually bandied around with transformations but I can’t think of a better bot that deserves that accolade. With its clever array of twists and folds, a beautifully shaped cockpit, incredible levels of articulation, two Takara compatible display stand ports, and  a stunning futuristic starfighter alt mode, Triggerhappy is an undisputed engineering marvel.

3. MMC Overlord

MMC Reformatted started the year strong with Impactor, Nova Prime and Turmoil and then went missing for the rest of the year until this. And boy was it worth it. Fiction has always been a key pillar of my love of Transformers and Overlord is a bold representation of what I consider a milestone in Transformers history: the Alex Milne and James Roberts era. 

Packing all the sadistic personality of his comic book persona and eye-catching sci-fi alt modes, MMC Overlord is a toy with presence and heft and three wonderful alt modes. His transformation suffers from some Maketoys moments but none of it is enough to displace this monstrous beast from a top spot.

2. SparkToys War Within Optimus Prime (Alpha Pack)

Every year, a few new players enter the booming third party market hoping to find their niche. Newcomer SparkToys promised love to the War Within series, one of the comics that brought me back to Transformers fold and ultimately Transformers collecting. Generally hesitant to try new third party companies until after its first release, SparkToys found the trigger to force me to break that rule. I won’t lie. I was a little apprehensive. I’ve seen too many train wrecks from newcomers. But my fears were misplaced. With it in hand, I couldn’t help but marvel at the stunning paint work and beautifully accurate sculpt that transported me to over a decade ago when I first fell in love with Transformers again. A love affair that’s led to the crazy collection I have today.

Not only that, but they dared to buck the trend. Their transformation is beautifully simple. There’s no near scrapes, tight squeezes or fiddily panels to navigate. While it may not have a Masterpiece moment, the simplicity is refreshing and ultimately FUN – a quality third party needs to aim for more rather than less. In its flawless futuristic alt mode or bulky heroic robot mode, it continues to dominate my coffee table much to my partner’s chagrin but it’s been there so long now, I’m convinced she’s starting to think of him as family.

1. Master Made Apollo

From their first release, Master Made have committed to their SD aesthetic: a unique niche that many a collector often does not have the budget, space or desire to invest in. Their penchant for quality and smart engineering has been undoubted from the start but what’s been amazing is how they continue to blow themselves away with each release.

Apollo was their last release of 2016 and it exemplified this. Unapologetic in its brilliance, Apollo exceeded my already high expectations. I remember the moments vividly as it was shared with good friend @itfdb. The moment you free it from its packaging and lift it out, the heft and quality of the sculpt bowls you over. All that before you begin transforming it, discovering its play features, and marvelling at its articulation! Apollo can be appreciated as a standalone figure but then you put him alongside some Iron Factory releases and you realise there will be no end to this figure’s playability.

He’s just been relocated from the coveted coffee table spot into my budding display setups but he’s right at the front because he’s a toy that I’ll never want far from my grubby little fingers. He’s what great toys should be and epitomises some of the key themes that I’m increasingly desire from my Transformers: inspired from G1, amazing articulation, fun transformations, beautiful sculpts and endless playability.

And that’s my 10.

We’ve just tiptoed into 2017 and it already promises to be another amazing year. One that may steamroll 2016 the way Megatron did Tarn and the DJD.

Hasbro and Takara look to be continuing their winning formula with a strong opening salvo in the form of Topspin, Quake and Krok. It’s also a movie year and I’m very curious how they’ll apply this design ethos to the movie line. The Masterpiece line will welcome more Beast Wars figures and will deliver arguably the most important release of the year: the despot we all want, but will it be the one we deserve?

Third party continue their onslaught of amazing product. MMC’s stable is ready to burst with Kultur on the cusp of release and IDW Megatron due later this year. Maketoys have MP Jazz and Targetmasters on the way whilst pushing the aesthetic and action figure boundaries of the franchise with their Cross Dimensions line. Master Made will turn their eye to their next project after they finish Scorponok and Fort Max. SparkToys will deliver the follow up to their War Within Optimus Prime with Megatron and maybe even the King. Having wow’d us with what they can do at Legends scale, Iron Factory will deliver combiners and a six changer.

Our wallets might not be excited about 2017 but we definitely have a lot to be excited about!

Thanks for reading, all the best for 2017 and here’s to another amazing year for TF collectors.

[flawdecay]

ICYMI, I recently made my first (huge) YesStyle haul! I got to try a lot of things, from k-beauty cosmetics to makeup, tools and accessories. They offer a really huge selection of beauty, clothing and lifestyle items at very affordable prices, including more than 3.000 Japanese and Korean beauty brands like Elizavecca, Some By Mi, A’pieu and more. In today’s post, some of these will be present – keep reading to find out more!

Check out the previous haul: YesStyle: First Haul! K-Beauty and Suncreams! (Part 1)

Makeup

I already introduced this store in the previous post and I plan to do a more insightful review of their treatment and what I think about it instead of what I got in another post, so let’s get to the exciting part: the products!

e.l.f. Cosmetics: Instant Lift Brow Pencil

3 colours | Cruelty-free | Vegan

You may (or may not) be surprised by this, but YesStyle offers international brands as well as Asian. Proof of that are the following products: I got e.l.f.‘s ultra-famous Instant Lift Brow Pencil, which I’m loving, and L.A. Girl‘s HD Pro Conceal Concealer.

e.l.f. – Instant Lift Brow Pencil – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

e.l.f. – Instant Lift Brow Pencil – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

This brow pencil is really good. It’s easy to apply and lasts really well, so I will definitely be repurchasing it in the future!

L.A. Girl Cosmetics: HD Pro Concealer / Color-Corrector / Highlighter

43 Tones | Cruelty-free | Vegan

And, as I said, I also got L.A. Girl‘s HD Pro Conceal Concealer, which I got in the lightest white shade so I could use it for creative makeup. That’s something I’ve done in the past with Colourpop, for instance, but I think I’m liking this one better. It’s very creamy and has amazing coverage.

A’PIEU: Juicy-Pang Water Blusher

12 Colours | Cruelty-free | K-Beauty

And I obviously could not try k-beauty without giving their makeup products a try! A’pieu is one of my favourite skincare brands, so I decided to give this Peachy Liquid Blush a try. It’s very lightweight and juicy-looking on the skin, I really like it so far!

A’pieu Juicy o Pang Blusher (Peach) – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

A’pieu Juicy o Pang Blusher (Peach) – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

Tools

I also got some interesting skincare tools and cotton pads at really amazing prices. That’s the thing about YesStyle: there are plenty of cool items at unbeatable prices.

Choyu: The iconic cleansing sponge

Everyone owns, or at least, knows about microfiber makeup removers like Choyu‘s. They have been a huge trend for a while now, and they’re an eco-friendly alternative to cotton pads. This particular one is meant to be able to take off heavy makeup, but there are two other types for lighter and slightly heavy makeup.

Aucucci: Roller Facial Beauty 3D Massager

Facial rollers. Do they even work? Some beauty gurus swear by them but I’ve never seen that much of a difference even after using them regularly. However, this one from Aucucci caught my attention. I feel like it’s more convenient for the body since it’s too big for the face (I have been using it on my neck though), but it can be used on the cheeks, forehead and more.

Aucucci – Roller Facial Beauty – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

Aucucci – Roller Facial Beauty – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

Yulu: Scalp Massage Cleansing Tool

For the past few months, I’ve been seeing a lot of ads for hair massaging tools that can be used with shampoo to stimulate and exfoliate the scalp, which can increase hair thickness and growth. And I’m really seeing process! So I would say that giving Yulu‘s Scalp Massage Cleansing Tool a try is very worth it.

Yulp Scalp Massager Cleanser – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

Yulp Scalp Massager Cleanser – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

Yulp Scalp Massager Cleanser – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

A’PIEU: No Dirty Brush Cleansing Soap

Besides cosmetics and makeup, I also got this Cleansing Soap for Brushes from A’pieu. It comes with a little silicone washboard that we can use to scrub the brushes and clean them pretty quickly. It works really, really great! It’s probably the best soap for brushes I’ve tried, even compared to Beautyblender‘s. I also find the packaging really convenient.

A’pieu Quick & Deep Clean No Dirty Brush Cleansing Soap – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

A’pieu Quick & Deep Clean No Dirty Brush Cleansing Soap – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

Beauty Artisan – Cotton Pads

Finally, I added this huge box of single-use cotton pads made of bamboo charcoal cotton to my basket. They’re meant to be used as makeup erasers, and even if they are very light and slim, they do their job pretty nicely. I’m very happy with them.

Beauty Artisan Bamboo Charcoal Pads – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

Beauty Artisan Bamboo Charcoal Pads – Yes Style First Haul and Impressions

YOUSHA – Face Wash Head Band

Headbands don’t have much to them except how comfortable they are. And in this case, Yousha‘s Beauty Turban is a really nice pick – it’s not too heavy or sturdy but still holds the hair pretty nicely. Plus, it’s really cute and affordable.

Accessories

Lastly, I also got some cute little accessories from A’ROCH and DREN:

Dren‘s Star Moon Earrings and Arroch‘s Zodiac Ring

I don’t know how well they’ll remain; they’re obviously not high-end jewellery but they don’t look bad at all for what they cost. Still, I liked the cosmetics more.

And… that concludes the hauls! I hope you guys enjoyed them. I’m genuinely very pleased with the service from YesStyle and how the products arrived. And the quality is amazing! I will keep showing you guys more on Instagram and Twitter, so make sure to follow me there. If you have any questions, I’ll be more than happy to answer them in the comments or DMs!

So, have you tried this website? Do you like their k-beauty (and general) products?

Before you leave, don’t forget to follow me on social media. I try to be more active there, and it’s an easier way of seeing my follow-ups and updates! ♡

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Youtube

Hi guys! I'm back with the second part of my #YesStyle haul: it's all about Makeup, K-Beauty Tools and Accessories. Check it out! ICYMI, I recently made my first (huge) YesStyle haul! I got to try a lot of things, from k-beauty cosmetics to makeup, tools and accessories.

[gadgetsrevv]

Beckham’s experience can make Cavani a success at Inter Miami

Another year, another expansion franchise. Some, like Atlanta United and Los Angeles FC, hit the ground running and thrive, having made the step up to the MLS at the right time. Others, such as 2019 MLS debutants Cincinnati will crash and burn, and while relegation is not yet a part of the Major League’s setup, a poor start to life often leads to a lot of soul searching and a loss of marketability.

The next team to make its mark on the MLS will be Inter Miami, bearing swatches of black, silver and pink – highly appropriate colours for a franchise already harbouring heady ambitions. Manager-to-be David Beckham is already hoping to utilise his black magic in the transfer market, in order to attract the signings that will put silverware in the cabinet, and ensure that Inter Miami remains in the pink of health throughout its Major League existence.

The team have agreed to play their football in Fort Lauderdale, but there are plans to build a stadium in Freedom Park, Miami. If designed with infrastructure, convenience and aesthetic value in mind, the new stadium will establish them as a force.

For now, however, the focus will be on player recruitment, and Beckham’s activity in the transfer market will be the first sign of just how deadly his influence could be in the MLS.

The early signs are certainly promising, with PSG’s Edinson Cavani set to become the England legend’s first marquee signing. Naturally, many people will point to Beckham’s prior experiences as an MLS player as a key factor, as he aims to get the best out of the Uruguayan.

  David Beckham

  Beckham – The Original Pioneer

There is no doubt that Beckham knows what it takes to flourish in a new league, and one that many European masters underestimate at their peril.

It all began in January 2007 with Beckham’s transfer from Real Madrid to LA Galaxy amounting to an eye-watering potential value of $250m. The actual deal was worth $32.5m, but such a huge figure immediately established LA Galaxy as one of the most ambitious football clubs in the world. So too did it believe the idea that only those in the mega-rich UEFA Champions League were worth following.

In addition to a surge in season ticket sales, Beckham’s arrival also prompted greater interest in corporate hospitality, showing exactly how a big name can see a surge in fortunes, even before the first ball of the season has been kicked. Overseas viewing figures for LA Galaxy games also increased drastically that year.

Initially, the hype surrounding Beckham did not translate into results as drastically as anyone expected. He struggled with injury during the 2007 MLS year, and while his unrivalled vision – and five goals in 25 appearances – gave Galaxy a fighting chance of playoff contention in 2008, it was ultimately not to be.

Loan moves to AC Milan, in 2009 and 2010, rejuvenated him. In 2009, LA Galaxy lost on penalties in the MLS Cup playoff final, but were not deterred. Galaxy retained the Western Conference title in 2010, before successive glories in 2011 and 2012 ensured that Beckham could end his MLS playing days in peace.

Inspiration for Cavani Amidst Diverse League

If Beckham’s time at LA Galaxy showed the world anything, it is that an aged exile from Europe need not experience immediate success to leave a great MLS legacy. Beckham’s title successes came during his twilight years, proving that the MLS is a league that allows natural skill to flourish for a long time.

While the pace is clearly slower than the frantic affair that is the Premier League, the instinct required for long passes, expert free kicks and long shots never leaves those who arrive from Europe seeking a fresh challenge.

Beckham’s move has since opened the floodgates for others to arrive. Over the past year alone, Wayne Rooney’s impact on D.C. United has been a telling one. Those that check out these exciting MLS markets can see that D.C. United often enjoy status as favourites on match day, and with the Croxteth-born assassin averaging a goal roughly every other game during his time in the capital, this is hardly surprising.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, however, appears to have stolen the limelight yet again, and despite his advanced years, he remains an exceptional athlete. Recent weeks have seen him become unplayable on home turf, and he will go into September having netted ten of the 11 goals scored by LA Galaxy across their last five home league matches not to end in defeat.

Many others, such as Thierry Henry and Sebastian Giovinco have also thrived after making the move, showing just as much passion as their homegrown MLS teammates, and defying sceptics who believe that they are just in it for the money.

  Edinson Cavani

  Will Cavani see this as a Step-Down in his Career?

Edison Cavani knows nothing but the highest level of club and international football, and as such, only he himself knows how he will perceive this move.

Inwardly, there may be a tinge of regret, with the move ending all possibility of Cavani winning the Champions League as PSG player, on top of countless Ligue 1 trophies.

However, the brutal truth is that Cavani’s time at the top of European football is running short, and the charm of winning nothing but Ligue 1 titles in France at a canter can only stay at its underwhelming plateau.

While Cavani’s inner-ego might cause him to miss the bright lights of Champions League nights, he is still a born winner who will crave any type of new challenge.

That challenge will be to prove himself against young speedsters, and provide a benchmark for MLS rookies to aim for. A unique long-term challenge also exists, in that his effectiveness could dictate how many more stars follow in his wake to Inter Miami, as the results that his goals yield gain international attention.

Given how the MLS has become a natural domain for stars in the twilight phase of their careers, the next three years could easily see mega stars such as Messi, Suarez and Benzema travel across the Atlantic.

As such figures are highly familiar with Cavani as a Champions League opponent, they will be naturally drawn to any squad built around Cavani. In turn, that increases Cavani’s chances of becoming the man who made Inter Miami the great success story of the 2020s.

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[jaketheaudiophile]

Best Albums of 2018.

This is the thing I look forward to most every year. I probably start internally ranking albums after purchasing them and have a conversation with friends and fellow musicians about their favorite releases starting in September. 

I personally thought 2018 was a very good year for music, and already have some stuff I’m excited about in 2019. Let’s just jump right in.

HONORABLE MENTION

TTNG: “Animals Acoustic” released October 5 via Sargent House

It doesn’t feel right to consider this a “true” new album since it’s only an acoustic reworking of TTNG / This Town Needs Guns’ seminal debut album. However, this is more than just a re-release; there’s unique, varied instrumentation added cleverly to every song, including strings, pianos and The Kraken Quartet on percussion. It also never gets old hearing Stu Smith sing again or hearing Tim Collis recreate his wizardry on an acoustic guitar. It feels like a brand new thing, which is impressive considering the source material is a decade old.

#15.

The Decemberists: “I’ll Be Your Girl” released March 16 via Capitol / Rough Trade

Props to my buddy Branden for recommending this, but in general Decemberists albums are an automatic purchase for me. I wasn’t crazy about their last few releases (particularly the collaborative Offa Rex LP) so I wasn’t completely up to date on their current activities, but this is another solid entry into a pretty stellar catalogue of music. The lead single “Severed” is a bit of a curveball, but it shouldn’t scare off old fans. In a strange way, this album is a reinvention of sorts but also a harkening back to the songwriting and cleverness that made these alt-rockers famous (”Everything is Awful”, “Once in My Life”). Perfect for old and new fans.

#14.

The Wonder Years: “Sister Cities” released April 6 via Hopeless Records

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but this is probably my least favorite Wonder Years album. It should have worked perfectly on paper: The old pop-punkers expand their sound and influences and graduate to a new level of maturity and success. And in a way, this is exactly that. However, the last half of the album, particularly the closing track, “The Ocean Grew Hands to Hold Me” just feels uninspired and lazy. There’s something to be said for purposeful dynamic choices, and that was something these Philly rockers nailed on previous releases. Still, TWY are master craftsmen, and there are a few great songs and moments throughout this record (”Pyramids of Salt” in particular), but this feels more like a transitionary phase than a masterpiece.

#13.

Mouse on the Keys: “tres” released May 23 via Topshelf Records

Japanese jazz aficionados Mouse on the Keys were a relatively new band for me this year, and their latest record certainly lives up to hype that I’ve seen them receiving. Bringing in a strong, varied collection of guest musicians works out splendidly at times (such as vocalist Dominique Fils-Aime, who absolutely kills it on “Stars”, and CHON wunderkind Mario Camarena’s solo on “Time”) and falls slightly flat at others (unfortunately, La Dispute’s Jordan Dreyer’s spoken word contributions to “Shapeless Man”). When left to their own devices, however, the skills and performances of these three dudes are admirable (”One Hundred Twenty”). The album feels a bit more of a collection of ideas than a full record, but is still worth checking out for any technical music or jazz fans.

#12.

mewithoutYou: “Untitled” released October 5 via Run For Cover Records

This album is a textbook example of what could have easily been a classic, or even an album of the year contender. However, it seems like these Philly indie rock mainstays lost all momentum halfway through and ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. The last two songs on this album are basically useless and meandering. It also seems like the band tried to get in the headspace of their earliest material, maybe pulling some influence on a few album anniversary tours, which is a welcome return to form (”9:27A.m., 7/29″). With that in mind, why are Aaron Weiss’ vocals so low in the mix or drowning in effects to make them unrecognizable? His poetic lyrics are what make so many fans keep coming back, so the choice to completely smother them is an odd one. The highs of this album are here, but they are too dragged down by the uninspired lows to make this a completely stellar record. I hold these guys to a pretty high standard, though, so maybe I’m more critical than most here.

#11.

Between The Buried and Me: “Automata I” and “Automata II” released March 9 and July 13 via Sumerian Records

It doesn’t feel right to separate these albums as its considered one long story and they really do work in tandem. Personally, I like Automata I a smidge more, but they are both pretty damn good. I is a more traditional metal (with the exception of the the epic Dream Theater-esque closer “Blot”) and II allows the band to sow their wild oats a bit, worshipping at the altars of Queen and Danny Elfman at times. Regardless, this is a mammoth achievement for these metal titans, who seemingly never seem to run out of ideas for brilliant, varied albums. Some songs are a bit overlong, and the few purely filler tracks may be a tad unnecessary, but it’s still a rewarding listen.

#10.

Horrendous: “Idol” released September 28 via Season of Mist

Perhaps the only disappointing part of this technical death metal release is the fact that it’s only 40 minutes long. Most bands in this genre would be content to tease out a riff or interlude and create a 12-minute song, but not these guys. Not that there are a lack of ideas; they’re just packed in so tightly and laser-focused to make every track feel adventurous, varied and finely tuned. Combined with one of the most unique vocalists I’ve ever heard (the most apt comparison is “Wolfman transforming from Wolfman back into man”), the listener is left with an album that truly leaves them wanting more. Also, kudos for the creepy Clive Barker-esque cover art.

#9.

Mom Jeans.: “Puppy Love” released July 3 on Counter Intuitive Records

Mom Jeans. scratch an itch I’ve always had for quality emo music and nicely fill a void You Blew It! left when they broke up last year. There’s certainly not a ton of brand new ideas on display in their music, but its earnestness and heart make up for it. I’m willing to overlook a few cliche moments (the acoustic album closing cut, the more-or-less straight up rip off of Weezer’s “The Sweater Song” on “Glamorous”) and instead be grateful that tracks like “Sponsor Me Tape” and “Pickle Bart” took up permanent residency in my head for most of the year. Keep doing what you’re doing.

#8.

Delta Sleep: “Ghost City” released August 10 via Big Scary Monsters

Longtime friends may remember that Delta Sleep’s 2015 effort “Twin Galaxies” was my favorite album of that year. The bar was set pretty high for the follow-up, and for the most part, they delivered. The production is top-notch, the arrangements are all over the place but locked in and expertly performed, and the band cements their status as one of the best in the genre. Unfortunately, there are just a bit too many filler tracks and interlude cuts to really make it stand out, and they tend to make me either skip songs or not want to jump back into the album. This is particularly odd as I didn’t mind this much on their last record or previous EPs, but I feel like they need to ditch this particular crutch in the future. Again, I’m most critical of the bands and groups I adore the most, so maybe I’m nitpicking. This is a really fun record (“After Dark” and “El Pastor”) and is certainly worth your time.

#7.

Tangled Hair: “We Do What We Can” released March 16 via Big Scary Monsters

Without overhyping it, this was easily one of my most anticipated releases for 2018, and something I was hoping for for several years. I quite enjoyed the two EPs this British math rock trio had previously released, and was a huge fan of Colour, a legendary group two of Tangled Hair were a part of. This album did live up to these hopes and dreams, but sadly the last third was lacking that extra “oomph” to make this a perfect record. That said, the drum work of James Trood is well varied and creative (”Keep Doing What You’re Doing”, “Yeah, It Does Look Like a Spider”) and while not full of over-the-top tapping riffs, the songs and riffs have a fun technicality to them (”Nao is my Driver”, “Catalina”). Tangled Hair have a way of crafting songs that don’t beat you over the head with their musicianship but incentivize the listener to pick them apart and then be amazed. This is why I’m a fan, and why I adore this record. Hopefully a US tour is their next big step.

#6.

Antarctigo Vespucci: “Love in the Time of E-Mail” released October 26 via Polyvinyl

For those unfamiliar (which included myself until I heard “Freakin’ U Out” through Anthony Fantano), Antartigo Vespucci is a project made up of Chris Farren (Fake Problems) and Jeff Rosenstock. I have never been a huge fan (mainly out of ignorance) of either’s previous work, but that seems to be at my detriment because I really, really love this record. It’s minimalistic, straightforward and effective. Most songs aren’t longer than 2 minutes and are chock full of hooks and fun instrumentation (”Kimmy”, “Breathless on DVD”) that keep you coming back. The word that resonates and fits most for this record is “sharp”. The songwriting, production and attitude is such. It’s a truly fun little release that came out of nowhere for me.

#5.

Tiny Moving Parts: “Swell” released January 26 via Triple Crown Records

I’m quite impressed with the consistency of these Minnesota rockers. They seem to crank out a quality record every 18 months or so, and their latest offering is no exception. It’s airtight and jam packed with energy and emotion, not to mention the occasional insane guitar tapping lick (”Feel Alive”, “Caution”). Perhaps not as polished as 2016′s “Celebrate” but still damn good. Damn damn good good (”Applause”, “Wishbone”). Anything these guys put out seems to be a lock to be in my Top 5 every time until proven otherwise.

#4.

Justin Courtney Pierre: “In The Drink” released October 12 via Epitaph Records

Like most people, I was incredibly sad to learn Motion City Soundtrack decided to call it quits a few years ago. Frontman Justin Pierre decided to at least make the transition easier by releasing his debut solo album, and it’s full of so many of the things that fans of MCS came to adore. It’s not quite as diverse or well produced as their material, but still contains Pierre’s trademark honest lyricism and songwriting chops. Also present are a few of the members of longtime Pierre side-project Farewell Continental, which makes this feel closer to one of their albums, particularly with the presence of guitar feedback and female vocals. I wasn’t really expecting this to blow away anything Motion City has put out, but it holds its own quite nicely without overstaying its welcome only being 28 minutes long. I’m just so happy Justin is continuing to put out music.

#3.

Vein: “Errorzone” released June 22 via Closed Casket Activities

It’s so fitting that this band is named after a vital part of the human body. They feel essential and basic, but not in a boring way, and aren’t too flashy or breaking any molds. I guess the theme of most of my favorite music of 2018 is “Well, it’s not reinventing the wheel, but it’s still awesome!”. This bleak and brutal hardcore record sums that up quite nicely. Taking influence from Glassjaw, Deftones and every knuckle-dragging breakdown factory playing on the side stages of every Warped tour and sharpening the edges with razor blades, this album’s raw energy and brazenness makes it feel bombastic and energizing. This is also the band I’m most excited to see what happens in the future, as this is their debut full length, and I imagine giving them room to grow and mature will lead to some outstanding things in the future. The traditional hardcore moments are awesome (”Old Data in a New Machine”, “Demise Automation”), but the occasional breaths of melody (”Errorzone”) and clever electronic samples (”End Eternal”) are surprising. Far and away my favorite heavy music record of 2018.

#2.

Lifted Bells: “Minor Tantrums” released March 30 on Run For Cover Records

Bob Nanna must be one of the coolest people ever. The longtime Braid and Hey Mercedes frontman seems to have his fingerprints all over great bands and projects, and this Chicago indie rock collective is certainly no exception. Each song feels like a symphony of spastic drums, distorted bass and Matthew Frank’s (he of Loose Lips Sink Ships and Their / They’re / There fame) insanely varied and skilled guitar lines (”Inevitable Devil”). Every song feels completely unique and different, making it a pretty perfect rock record (”Follow Me”, “Choir Sings The Cure”). Nothing feels unnecessary and it’s infinitely re-listenable. Pretty good for a first full length, huh?

#1.

Monobody: “Raytracing” released November 1 via Sooper Records

I’ve been playing music in some capacity for 25 years and generally try to go to as many concerts and buy as many records as I can afford. With all that said, I have a hard time fully grasping what this Chicago jazz collective have pulled off on this gargantuan release. Seemingly going in every musical direction at once while somehow being accessible and downright fun to listen to, it’s kind of hard to describe exactly how it all works out, but it does. I can’t really recommend it to casual music fans, but if you’re willing to take the plunge into something dense and different that is truly at its best as a whole album and not individual songs, this will reward you. I can’t put any other full-length record above it, so it is without a doublt my favorite LP of 2018.

...except...

So, about that word “full-length”...

...welp...

ACTUAL FAVORITE RELEASE OF 2018:

Invalids: “Fulfillment EP” released March 28 via Choke Artist

I’ve never been in this situation before. I can’t in good consciousness say that I liked any music that came out this year more than this EP, so it feels wrong giving it any other spot. Invalids is a math rock project that was essentially just guitarist / vocalist Pete Davis until recently. For this EP and a few recent tours, he joined forces with 3 amazing musicians who could keep up with his absurdly technical yet melodic songwriting. I hesitate to use the word “perfect”, but I cannot find a flaw on this EP. Earlier records were perhaps impressively performed but lacking in memorable songs, or meandering or bloated. This EP instead sees Davis and company trimming the fat but still keeping things varied, clever and jaw-dropping. Yeah, it’s a technicality calling this “album of the year”, but it’s a glorious album and one I’m willing to make an exception for. Thank you, Invalids.

[italiantripabroad]

London is one of the best city where you can take some amazing pictures. There are planty locations where you can find the best spot.

Shoreditch, for example, is one of the best London street photography locations as it is sourranded by the best street art, graffiti and vintage fashion shops and markets.We had the amazing opportunity to work with Three UK, going around the city and learn new tips with the new iPhone XS.

Which is the best place to do it? Of course, Shoreditch and Brick Lane. 

Shoreditch – Photography ideas London

Shoreditch is for sure in the list of the best London street photography location

It’s one of the more colourful areas of the city. 

Shoreditch aside from Brick Lane is perfect for street photography. The graffiti and street art of East London provides the perfect backdrop for great London street photography. I personally discovered better this area thanks to Kellee, working with Three Uk.

We had this amazing opportunity to try the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.  Shoreditch is the best area to try out the amazing potential of the camera of the new phone. I personally am a big fan of Apple, despite Toti love Samsung. 

Usually, when we are doing a session of street photography we use both phone and reflex. The50mm is the best for  street photography.”   While Alessia is shooting with the phone, Toti is in some corner find the best angle, cutting the light!

Out of all the different activities to do and things to see in Shoreditch, checking out its street art is on the top list.

There’s a ton of galleries and museums like the Brick Lane Gallery and the Whitechapel Gallery, but the crème de la crème of London’s art scene is along Brick Lane, Club Row, Fashion Street and Bacon Street.

Brick Lane – London street photography locations

Yet for street photography, Brick Lane remains a place where you’ll find a lot of characters and people generally a little bit more open to the idea of being photographed by a stranger.

This part of London is really vibrant and multicultural, colourful streets where you can meet independent artisans sellers, or walking through the stand in a casual Sunday morning, all surrounded by nice spices smells from all over the World.

During this amazing walking tour with Kellee, I had the opportunity to meet Rob, a really good photographer which he showed us some tricks about the new iPhone XS. I was so happy because for the first time I was so proud of my pictures.

I will share with you one of the tricks Rob teach me. If you want to take a picture from the street you can just turn around your phone. Yes, you understand well, you can just flip your phone in the upside down, later you can mastery your photo and at voilà, you have got an amazing photo from the street! It works!

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – The cobblestone streets

Self guide walking tours London

If you love to be around and take some pictures you are, for sure, in the right place. Here in London, you have plenty of locations where your imagination can start to work.

This is our itinerary which we highly recommend if you plan your visit to London, or if you are already here and want to enjoy a different way to visit the city.

Start your tour guide from old Street Station going towards Shoreditch, where after just 5 minutes you will stop and start to take pictures because you will be surrounded by amazing graffiti. 

Our personal idea is to get lost in the middle of the city and exploring everything by yourself, to be honest, every time we booked a free walking tour we never showed up, as we always prefered to see the city with our eyes.

Of course, there are some exceptions as the one we did in Rome with Livitalytours, which it was different as the guy who we were with was showing us the city in a different way. So amazing guys, you have to try it!

However, if you want still to book a free walking tour, online there are plenty, you just need to pick up the one that you like more, as all of them are offering a different type of places.

For sure, you can’t miss visiting the Old Spitalfields Market and the Boiler House which are typical of Shoreditch and Brick-lane and remember this need to be in your top ten London street photography locations. 

Visit Old Spitalfields Market.

London has some fantastic markets, many of which began operating hundreds of years ago. Old Spitalfields Market is not an exception. It completely rebuilds, but is worth to go!

There has been a market running on the same grounds as Old Spitalfields Market since the 17th Century.

Back in the Victorian era most of the stalls sold fresh produce, but the modern-day market is now hosting to multicultural food stalls and independent artisans selling jewellery, books, and clothes.

The mix of history and unique stalls makes it one of the best things to do in Shoreditch.

The Old Spitalfields Market and the Old Brick Lane Market are not to be missed by any first-time visitor to Shoreditch, and The Sunday UpMarket and the Columbia Road Flower Market are a must-see as well.

Lunch at “The Boiler House” – London street photography locations

After walking for long, you need to stop by and eat something and The Boiler House is the perfect place to do it and to take some nice picture as well.

This it will be your last stop before going back to your meeting point.

The Boiler House before was just a boiler room and now they use this place for events and on Sundays for the food market. You will find a lot of stands with all different type of food. Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Lebanese, Indian, Vegan and more and more.

You will have the opportunity to try different kind of food and the best part have your phone with you and be ready to shot a lot.

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – Typical vintage shop

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – Writer in action with a new murales

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – Graffiti in Brick ln

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – The cobblestone streets

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – Street Art

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – New art

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – Art streets

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – The art on the walls

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – vintage corner

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – Writer in action

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – London Icona

Brick Lane and Shoreditch – Typical scenario

London street photography locations London is one of the best city where you can take some amazing pictures. There are planty locations where you can find the best spot.