#he just needs to be realistic about his internet presence and how it interacts with his defensive/nervous personality

[linktube]

i think its some of damiens responsiblity to think what kinda relationship he cultivaded with his fans. and why is centering his need for explaning, defending and further protecting his self/image is his knee jerk reaction. unless you do those things a social media break is just another way of image management. plus it wont feel better when you come back and you are still centering your image which causes you too act defensive/childish. you cant support things thru acts of fear and nervousness and not expact them to crumble! i know people joked abour his virtue signalling in the past, and they are jokes, but its a curious thing people notice that around him enough to point that out. i hope he can actually look into that part of himself with a more honest critical lense.also these twitch stream where he wants this magicaly ''positive'' enviroment where people can ''escape'' is just unrealistic at best. this is a livestream where people rush on each other to talk to you. its by nature feeding into these things im afraidi positivity is not the warm blanket you think it is, its more of a trap lol

[talenlee]

Game Pile: Kentucky Route 0, One of Three Games About America

Script and Thumbnail below the fold!

Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realist point and click game of what I’d normally call Narrative Adventure, which came to kickstarter in 2011, then came out in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2020, because you can’t have nothing for free, even things you pay for. The game is a text-driven game without any of the trappings of your typical point-and-clicker where you jam a ladder in your pants and try to work out why you want to put green dye in the water fountain. Instead it follows the haunted mind of Conway, a trucky driver and his interactions with small handful of people on a part of the Kentucky Interstate, while he to find the place he needs to do his delivery, despite being utterly lost.

I enjoyed what of Kentucky Route Zero I played, but the thing that stands out to me in hindsight is its sound design. It’s a beautifully defined game, audio-wise, with all sorts of thoughtful foley for its environments, and the way that even the pieces of the interface that Conway interacts with have their own sort of specific authentic sounds, chonks and thunks and ch-zzzzses.

It’s also visually splendid, beautiful in what it tries to represent in the heightened reality of its setting but also the format of a videogame. These places look good from the angle that’s chosen, creating lines of artwork and bars of cages, depending on what you’re focusing on, and by being a fixed-camera story of its type, Kentucky Route Zero takes on traits of theatre, with blocking and careful positioning and timing all making up part of how the story unfolds.

A story I haven’t finished.

See, I don’t feel like playing Kentucky Route Zero Act V.

Sit down, traveller. Let me tell you a story.

There’s a chance you’ve heard this story before. I’ve anonymised it here, not because I think you shouldn’t be able to work out who it is, but because the idea of focusing on the who runs the risk of ignoring the what. Plus, I don’t want to direct anyone to a person who said something stupid and encourage fights. That’s not the important issue.

This is the story of when someone perfectly represented something, and probably never realised it.

You will sometimes hear me talk about the take that ‘there are three games about America,’ with a tone of utter revulsion and derision. This is from an incident back in 2020, when a game developer and advocate for inclusive games, had an opinion, on the internet. This advocate is well-established and has a big audience, but also, he’s crucially, not a white guy, not a Christian guy, and not an American guy. These are factors that play into what he said, which was, in summary, that while Kentucky Route 0 was no doubt phenomenal, he wasn’t interested in playing it right now.

To this, an actual adult responded with:

This is legitimately the worst take you’ve ever had. There are only about three games that are actually American, and this is one of them. Everything else is designed for export. Kr0 is a precious and valuable thing. It is of immense and intense personal importance.

Now, resisting the urge to argue with a tweet, which is just generally a bad practice that leads to doing things like wanting to be on twitter, and setting aside this tweet conflating ‘this is of personal importance to me’ and ‘this should be of importance to you,’ this position describes the idea that there are only three games that are ‘actually American.’

What does it mean to be ‘actually American?’

America is a pretty pervasive presence, if you’re not aware of it. Most people in the world have to know about what’s going on in America. We know about your Presidents and your Senators and your Constitution, to the point where people can be more aware of how your country’s laws work than their own country’s laws. I’ve often seen it held up as an example of how poorly educated people in say, Canada and Australia are that we believe we have, say, a ‘first amendment right,’ but the thing is you have to ask why there is that.

We watch so much American TV.

We listen to American music.

We try to make our news broadcasts look like yours, because that’s what real and legitimate news looks like. We try to retell your stories in our local languages because that’s what real media looks like. Our children sing songs in your accents because that’s the culture that a multi-trillion dollar economy has pumped into the whole world.

America demands we attend their wars and surrender our living to become their dead and when we are done America sells the survivors a cheeseburger.

This is not a remarkable or controversial statement. You must know, this is not even vaguely challenging to know about. Everywhere in the world is replicating parts of the American empire, because America exports and enforces the vision of the American empire. McDonalds may sell curry in India, but it’s very important that the curry being sold is McDonalds curry because that is how you know it’s an American style curry.

What this means is when someone tries to assert there are only really three games about America, that’s a kind of specialised brain rot that requires you to consider games that are very much about America as not being really about America. And thus we see the other thing about America, which is it’s not enough for America to be the most important place in the world that everyone else in the world needs to recognise, but also, most of America is inadequately America for this vision of America. You saw this in the wake of 9/11, and the election of Barack Obama: huge amounts of American media resurged in extolling the values of ‘real’ America, as opposed to the parts of America where the vast majority of Americans lived, which just so happened to paint a lot of marginalised people living in the cities as ‘fake Americans.’

I am not bringing you unique information. This is just obviously true things if you don’t live within the boundaries of an environment that flatters you as the most normal thing in the world. The vast majority of the world is not America. There are eight billion people in the world, more or less, meaning that America is about 4% of the world, and yet, it is catastrophically, overwhelmingly, deleritously the common touchstone for how things are ‘supposed’ to work. This is through media imperialism, which is mostly supported by American companies exporting all their media to foreign markets extremely cheaply.

‘about three games that are actually American.’

This fascinating piece of doofusry still, even now leaves me agog. ‘Actually American.’ Kentucky Route 0 is actually American, you see, as opposed to… what? Is America’s Army one of them? You know, the game financed by the American Army? What about Call of Duty, a franchise that is in part subsidised by American military complex manufacturers? What about Grand Theft Auto, a videogame that tells the rags-to-riches story of American excess in criminality, setting aside the way it’s made by a Scottish company. Actually American, because American doesn’t mean America, it means one tiny little pool of ‘America’ where the speaker can imagine there’s a realness and an authenticity to the America-ness that doesn’t involve all the messy realities of what it is to be America. It’s the towns of hard-working people, that suffer under your particular description of oppression, whether that’s cities full of nonwhite people or corporations bleeding the country dry, always eliding the social cruelties and terribleness of these places, as if giving people money stops them from being bigoted (for example).

This is then used to recruit these poor, superior Americans, the you know, America Americans, whose sufferings are noble and whose authenticity cannot be impeached and they are then used as a defense against criticism of, you know, America. It’s the same speech Charlie Daniels gave about how foreigners may think they could push around Barack Obama (a dude who bombed a lot of shepherds with the most elaborate and brutal military ordinance in the world) but they were going to have a harder time taking on Americans who wrestled alligators, who at this point have exactly zero recorded drone strike kills.

This is because America America isn’t real.

‘Real’ America is a nebulous nothing that you can project whatever you want onto, and which is also not responsible for anything terrible that America does. It’s not the American Empire, it’s not the exporter of culture, it’s somehow purer, better, a sort of individualised folk who are to be protected and extolled, shriven of all the things about America that make it anything but its perfect idealised form of America.

I could go on.

I really could.

This is something that defines the world I have to live in. I speak English. I’m white. I’m from a coloniser state. I should be able to integrate easily and smoothly into the white supremacist capitalist hierarchy of American culture, but we are told, that no, we are not acceptable. We are only valid as long as our differences are invisible. We, a real people, do not get to have opinions on America, because we do not know True America. When you spell colour wrong in a chat message, when your accent isn’t quite right, when you don’t know the difference between junior and sophomore year of high school, then you are shown, you are evinced, and you are made very aware that you are other, you are outside, you are wrong.

And really, there’s no good reason for it. We send our soldiers to America’s wars, we buy America’s submarines, and we sing your songs. Our currency mimics America’s, our culture permeats with America’s, we even have such a crushing inferiority complex about the empire that there’s an academic term for what we feel about our own media compared to the media of the truer, proper empire to which we are vassal.

The term is ‘cultural cringe,’ and it was coined by Henry Lawson, who you, odds on, have never heard of. In 1894, he wrote:

The Australian writer, until he gets a “London hearing,” is only accepted as an imitator of some recognized English or American author; and, as soon as he shows signs of coming to the front, he is labelled “The Australian Southey,” “The Australian Burns,” or “The Australian Bret Harte,” and lately, “The Australian Kipling.” Thus no matter how original he may be, he is branded, at the very start, as a plagiarist, and by his own country, which thinks, no doubt, that it is paying him a compliment and encouraging him, while it is really doing him a cruel and an almost irreparable injury. But mark! As soon as the Southern writer goes “home” and gets some recognition in England, he is “So-and-So, the well-known Australian author whose work has attracted so much attention in London lately”; and we first hear of him by cable, even though he might have been writing at his best for ten years in Australia.

This is imperialism. This is a way in which we have been induced and brought by the empires around us to accept their ways as correct, as the normal, as default. And that is the mindset you must have if you want to look at the breadth of videogames, with their American ideas like health insurance, readily available guns, the importance of freedom, the ubiquity of air travel, the branding and iconography of types of food and the sports metaphors and then say ‘yeah, this doesn’t have anything to do with America, not really.’

Anyway, this thread, this incident, was a big deal at the time, in that there were a lot of people from within the community of game developers and journalists who seemed very happy to line up and get mad at a brown foreigner for being inadequately enthusiastic about the possibility of playing a videogame. But don’t worry, after a day or two, an apology was forthcoming for all of this fracas, by which I mean, the original developer apologised for being so thoughtless as to, again, express honest lack of enthusiasm in a videogame.

For me, this was a kind of break point, where I started just blocking indie devs on sight. I don’t want to know what they’re involved in, I don’t want to promote their work, and I will hold tiny grudges against them that I do not seek to transfer or encourage in others. This was one silly incident in which a lot of people said something silly because they don’t know better, or they’re arseholes.

None of this is fair to Kentucky Route 0. It’s a game with its own intentions and its own perspective. It’s not trying to make this conversation happen. Kentucky Route 0 has been choked and gripped by this position around it, where to talk about an American game, someone put a cross on it that made it the avatar for All Things America. The wild thing to me is that I had, prior to this point, played two episodes of Kentucky Route 0. I thought it was pretty good, and I liked what it did with the negative space of dialogue options – when a character you’re controlling makes excuses, the excuses you choose show you other things you could be making excuses about that you, the player, didn’t know beforehand. That’s some good Narrative Storytelling Design, I like that a lot. But now I can’t really engage with Kentucky Route Zero because the main thing it makes me think about is how this final chapter, meant to round out the game’s story and present a conclusion and a point, became this flashpoint for a lot of people to be very casually racist.

Which kinda poisons the whole thing for me. It’s an authentic thing, I’m sure, it’s a thoughtful thing, too, but the people stepping up to say I should care about it did so in a way that made me hate them.

Any time you see me say ‘three games about America’ I’m talking about this, and the attitude of a particular kind of American that America is, as always, exceptional. It’s real easy to not realise when you’re just voicing your self-centeredness and how easy that is to ignore the opinions of people around you and what they’re saying. This is what I’m talking about when I mention ‘the three games about America.’

[fade for credit text]

By the way, the three games about America are Crash Bandicoot, Sam & Max Hit The Road, and Bust A Move.

[fearsmagazine]

Interview with Director/Screenwriter MAURO IVÁN OJEDA  on his film THE FUNERAL HOME.

Argentinian director and screenwriter Mauro Iván Ojeda offers viewers a supernatural thriller with his film THE FUNERAL HOME.

Bernardo, played by Luis Machín, is an undertaker/funeral director, who runs his mortuary business on the same location as his family’s home. While part of his job is aiding the families to coupe with their loss, it seems that some of the “dearly” departed have not moved on and taken up residence in the family’s quarters. Bernardo, his wife, and daughter, manage to coupe with their “guests,” their presence adding more chaos to an already stressful home life. Things begin to spiral out of control when a darker, sinister spirit makes itself known. Bernardo turns to a local psychic, who has guided him in the past, to help his family in hopes of protecting them and removing the ghost that is terrorizing them.

Mauro Iván Ojeda is a talented filmmaker who serves up a compelling supernatural tale that is steeped in the cinematic tradition of such films as The Legend of Hell House, The Haunting, and Poltergeist. THE FUNERAL HOME is a smoldering tale that is flavored with some of traditions of Argentina that give it a fresh perspective.

We had the pleasure to ask Mauro Iván Ojeda about his film via email, as well as what he might have in the works for his next project.

FEARS: From what I could find on the internet, it appears that this is you first feature film. Is that correct? If so, why did you decide to make your debut with a horror film?

Mauro Iván Ojeda: Yes, The Funeral Home is my debut film. I like all genres, but since I was a child, and then in one of my jobs in a video club watching all the movies there, I’ve felt really attracted to the horror genre and the whole fantastic universe.

FEARS: What is or are the most important elements of a story you decide to make as a director; plot, characters, genre, budget, etc. Could you see yourself making a musical?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  The script is a very important pillar for me; the story must be original, powerful and must really have something to tell. The characters are the heart of each story, and if the heart does not beat, there is no life: the characters are fundamental. A musical?  Yes, I would like something like The Wall by Alan Parker.

FEARS: How difficult was it to get a genre film made in Argentina?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  In Argentina you always find yourself dealing with the difficulty of the budget, especially for genre films. There are many factors that influence, and one of them is our national currency instability, which forces you to do your best ticks with all the teams to achieve a great film that has good production standards. Genre cinema in Argentina is increasingly solid, with very interesting filmmakers, good teams in all areas, bold actors and actresses, and great films are emerging. In this case, with Del Toro Films we teamed great, they have experience with horror films that have been part of many international film festivals, and have been distributed worldwide, that added a lot to this production.

FEARS: As a storyteller, who or what films would you say are your biggest influences on THE FUNERAL HOME?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  The films I’ve watched, some from my childhood, and that have inspired me in the universe of The Funeral Home are: Poltergeist, The Entity and some elements of The Conjuring.

FEARS: THE FUNERAL HOME has a lot of supernatural elements going right from the start. I was wondering what was the core idea that first inspired you to write the screenplay?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  The core idea of the script starts from the premise that the funeral home business that shares the same space with the family's home, slowly engulfs everything until the funeral business and the house become the same. Human relationships and family bounds are dying, inert, withering, coffins piled up as household furniture, scattered wreaths, the presence of corpses roaming the house and the naturalized interaction of the family with them, all that opened a door for me to the world of the “uncanny,” defined by Freud as: incidents where a familiar thing or event is encountered in an unsettling or eerie context, in which the familiar turns strange, or strange turns familiar, or both realities in the same context

FEARS: With all these subplots in the story did you decide to not to explore them more as a result of budget or running time?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  You choose the points of view and where to focus, those are decisions, obviously, putting in action the plot in a shooting schedule affects those decisions, sometimes, you have very little time to deliberate. In the case of THE FUNERAL HOME, there are many subplots that reinforce and strengthen the story, just as there are subtle elements that you can detect or not as a spectator.

FEARS: Is this story over for you or if you have the resources would you make another film set in this universe, with these characters? Because it seems like you have so much material here what are your thoughts in terms of long format like a series?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  It happens a lot to me, that people who watched the film, tell me that they would like to know about the beginnings of that house, how did all began. They tell me that they would like to see that world from its genesis, or, that I should place the second part a few years in the future and know what happens with this and that character. For now I don’t have in my projects to write something about LA FUNERARIA, but I don’t rule out that I can explore other formats such as series, or a second part.

FEARS: You have a great location; it’s like another character in the film. Did you find exactly what you were looking for, and other then the portable toilet, did you have to add/build anything to it?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  It took a huge search to find the ideal house, several months, almost a year, until one day I visited this house that would be the definitive one. I examined the house several times and it had everything I needed to tell the story. But it was not easy. There were several elements that were difficult to put on the set: the portable toilet (which seems to be the more obvious), but also there were a lot of coffins, there were about ten, and some were turned into flowerpots, then, painting the entire house and the location with the red lines that divide the area for the family, and creating the area for the presences with all its elements. All that had its degree of difficulty and cost.    

FEARS: There are some great scary moments. There are a lot of what I assume are particle effects. I’m a fan of particle effects. Was that choice budget related, you didn’t have a CGI artist available to you, or, maybe, it was something else like schedule?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  There are many effects throughout the film, it was a nice challenge. There is a mix with VFX, and on set actions to make them look more real. It was my decision; I am one of those who believe that the special effect must be realistic, because if it looks fake it takes you out of history.

FEARS: I loved the daughter character, Irina, and the actress who played her. How hard was it to cast the part?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  Camila Vaccarini, the actress who plays Irina, was a great find. A casting was held, and then hours and hours spent analyzing footage and rehearsing scenes. Every time I saw Camila, it convinced me more. She had the talent and that high level of rigorousness and performance that her character required, from screaming and chasing, to enormous dramatic challenges.

FEARS: Irina adds a bit of comic relief to the film. Was that something that was in the script or something that developed once that part was cast?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  The script had small hints of humor, very dosed, and Camila added certain characteristics to the character of Irina, that added a lot to the film.

FEARS: With THE FUNERAL HOME completed and being released, do you have other projects you are working on, anything you might already be in production on?

Mauro Iván Ojeda:  While reaching our world release date in US and Canada, and waiting for the release of THE FUNERAL HOME in Argentina and other territories, I continue creating. I’m already engaged in two new projects. They are a crossover of horror and fantastic genres, written by me, and we are in developing stage with producers. This is a particular and difficult year due to the pandemic, but little by little we are advancing as much as possible. I hope soon I can get back to you with some news.

THE FUNERAL HOME Review: https://bit.ly/3oKF7bq

THE FUNERAL HOME Trailer: https://youtu.be/nnWvVwKJG3s

Interview by Joseph Mauceri

[princesssarisa]

Frozen II  – my thoughts on Elsa’s outcome (warning – long and full of spoilers)

At this point, my only real objection to the ending is the fact that separation endings have been way, way overdone in the past year. If Ralph Breaks the Internet, Toy Story 4, How to Train Your Dragon 3, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Steve’s outcome in Avengers: Endgame, and the finale of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic didn’t exist, my feelings would be almost fully positive. Especially because Elsa and Anna will still see each other all the time, they just don’t live under the same roof anymore.

I also have a minor quibble about the idea that growing up means you “need” to live apart from your siblings or extended family (not that the movie ever says that, it’s just a cultural norm). And when I read comments from fans saying “Yes, it’s slightly bittersweet, but that’s realistic, it’s a mature ending,” I feel a little sad that not even Disney is letting kids believe in happily ever after anymore. This applies to the whole separation/bittersweet ending trend throughout the past year’s family media. Again, these are minor issues.

But as a person on the autism spectrum who, like so many, feels a connection to Elsa, I love the way things turn out for her.

First of all, there’s the fact that for all of Elsa’s popularity, the protagonist of the original Frozen is Anna, and Elsa, though certainly not the villain, is, in terms of story structure, the main antagonist. Throughout most of the first film, her powers are a deadly force to be overcome – the endless winter must be stopped and Anna’s frozen heart must be thawed. Yes, the beauty of her powers is also highlighted and she fully realizes and shares that beauty in the end, but for the most part her magic is still a negative presence in the story. There’s a reason why so many viewers see it as analogous to a mental disorder.

Also, as many have pointed out, “Let It Go” has a bit of a Misaimed Fandom. Meta joke about how overplayed it is aside, it’s no wonder that in the sequel Elsa cringes at the memory of herself singing it. Yes, it’s an empowering anthem and it’s a good thing that she finally stops suppressing her powers, but it’s a bad thing that she turns her back on her people, her responsibilities and her sister, and while she’s reveling in her new freedom, she’s unwittingly burying Arendelle in snow. In the end she has to go back and give up some of that freedom, and even though she’s happy, it can still ring bittersweet to those of us who connect with the song.

The analogy is imperfect, but I do think of how my own situation with mild autism compares to Elsa’s. My huge emotions, panic attacks and ferocious meltdowns, so hard to control (see the Intense World Theory), and my difficulty with social interactions and playing by society’s rules in general. The concept of a person born with destructive magical powers tied to her emotions is an apt analogy. Her years behind closed doors bring to mind my own introversion and social anxiety. I hear “Conceal, don’t feel” and think of all times I’ve been instructed or scolded to keep my unruly emotions and odd instincts under control. Like Elsa’s powers, my autism has some beauty in it too: my intelligence, creativity, good memory, etc. But it’s still a disorder that society isn’t built for, and generally it’s something I need to mask around others. Also like Elsa, I’ve struggled with guilt and with feeling like a burden to my family. I know I’m not alone in relating to her for these reasons.

So imagine my vicarious thrill over “Show Yourself.” When Elsa finally learns the origin of her powers and learns that she was born that way for a reason – that it isn’t a curse, or just a random difference, but a gift. When she steps fully into her power for the first time, and unlike in “Let It Go,” it’s unambiguously a wonderful thing, both for her and for others. When she finally fully embraces self-love, realizing that everything she thought she needed from the outside is already within her (“You are the one you’ve been waiting for”) and that it’s time to fully show herself to the world. When she goes on to truly “see what she can do” and “test the limits and break through,” as she once sang, but this time in a heroic way, saving her people from her grandfather’s past sins – not from her own mistakes for a change. The moment I first learned about the plot point of the dam and the tidal wave that would destroy Arendelle if it fell, I was thrilled by the thought of Elsa using her powers to stop that tidal wave. The character whom we misfits relate to thoroughly leaves behind her old “sympathetic antagonist” territory and becomes a true heroine, taking her raw power that once endangered the kingdom and using it to save it.

(This is another reason why I don’t believe the rumors that she was originally supposed to stay frozen and that her revival is a Focus Group Ending. In the first place, what would be the point of her glorious self-actualization if it were only leading to her death? In the second place, who would stop the flood?)

I’d love to have the kind of experience she does. I wish I could learn that everything “disordered” about me is actually a gift and that fully being myself will bring good things both to me and to others. Maybe someday this will happen, but I don’t see it happening any time soon, so to see it happen to Elsa is incredibly therapeutic.

Then we have her becoming the forest’s guardian in the end. At first the idea made me uncomfortable because I thought it might seem to say that people who are different belong outside of human society. But the fact that she still regularly visits Arendelle and evidently stays close to the Northuldra too puts that concern at ease. I also understand why some people who relate to her are upset that she gives up her throne, because it was therapeutic to see someone so different and insecure not only find love and acceptance, but be able to rule a kingdom too. I agree that if she had wanted to stay queen forever, that would have been perfectly fine. But I think it’s perfectly reasonable that in the end it’s not what she wants.

Isn’t it arguably a bit of a waste for Elsa’s epic powers, which can alter landscapes, build castles, create life or take it, etc., to be confined to making pretty decorations and skating rinks? Isn’t it reasonable that after her self-actualization, she prefers a life’s purpose where her powers are central, since they’ve always been her chief defining feature and shaped most of who she is? As opposed to the life of a queen, where they’re only incidental? I can’t help but remember how much I struggled in school, from first grade through the first two years of college, when my hyper-focused passions for the arts, music and stories (the hyper-focus being an autistic trait, the passions being tied to the hyper-emotional sensitivity I’ve mentioned) had to be treated as just “what I do for fun in my spare time,” while math (UGH!!!), science, and other things i had no interest in and no talent for were treated as my life’s purpose. I also think of all the people in mundane corporate and blue-collar jobs, which I’m grateful every day that I’ve been lucky enough to avoid so far. If they were to find new jobs that reflect their greatest talents and unlock their full potential, wouldn’t we want them to take those new jobs? This is why I’m happy that Elsa’s new life purpose revolves around nature and magic.

Yes, I’ve read the complaints from some fans that Elsa has “lost some of her humanity,” and that’s fair. But let’s not be too quick to equate “humanity” with normality and “inhumanity” with difference. even if said difference is supernatural magic. Another reason why I like Elsa’s outcome is that Disney hasn’t always had the best track record with misfit characters who remind me of myself. I love Beauty and the Beast, especially from a feminist viewpoint, but when I see myself in the Beast, I sometimes feel awkward about his arc. I know they probably didn’t mean to code him as autistic, but still – a misunderstood loner outcast, to whom neatness, grooming and manners don’t come naturally, who struggles with the most basic social skills, who fails to understand others’ emotions at first, and who has massive meltdowns of rage when he’s under stress? How can I not see it? The fact that his journey consists of his being “tamed,” learning to suppress all his raw emotions and rough edges to please Belle, and that his happy ending is to become fully normal by becoming human again, doesn’t make him much fun to relate to. Give me a character like Elsa, who learns that her differences are her strength.

Elsa’s ending is just what I wanted for her, because it’s what I want for myself. Identifying with her is a more enjoyable thing than ever now.

[number9robotic]

Untitled Cyberpunk Magical Girl Project characterization prompt response:

Original prompt by @gallusrostromegalus​!

OC Recap (left to right):

Suzi: Dance student, part-time magical girl/virtual celebrity, half-stoic, half-upbeat depending on the mood.

Kim: Botanist, semi-retired veteran magical girl and mentor, awkward “cool” mom with baggage.

Crash: Delinquent spirit, first magical girl, currently hyperactive virtual ghost, born troublemaker.

Nano: Rebellious slave class member in hiding, uses magical girl powers for personal investigations, comically deadpan.

HD: Gifted rich girl/conspiracy theorist unknowingly chosen to be a magical girl, quiet but eccentric personality.

A. On a scale of “is occasionally forced to bathe” to “Instagram model with sponsors to hoe for” how involved is your OC’s Skincare routine?

Suzi: She’s a teenage girl, so a bit. Even disregarding her online presence, she’s in the know of cosmetics just to look good to friends.

Kim: Very basic hydration and cleanliness, only gets special treatment if something’s actively acting up.

Crash: Currently doesn’t care due to being a virtual ghost. Didn’t care much in her physical life either except for concerts.

Nano: Very basic cleanliness; she’s very out of the loop of many things, optimal skincare included.

HD: Focused a lot. Part of it is casual access to high-brand cosmetics, part of it is natural obsession with cleanliness.

B. What are your OC’s food preferences (flavors/textures/spiciness/calories/ when and how they eat) and how did they get that way?

Suzi: Has a pretty varied middle-class palate, likes even mix of savory and sweet. Very fond of fish and rice (sushi of course) and sugary drinks (boba, lemon tea).

Kim: Very light diet. Just needs something only mildly flavorful like tea or natto rice she can easily have at work, sometimes forgets to eat in general.

Crash: Likes cheap/instant ramen and other fast foods; grew up on the stuff and hates the taste of “real” food. She also likes things spicy.

Nano: Currently expanding taste buds due to lifetime being served nutrient goop. Likes sweets, but only has them on occasion because they cause headaches (taiyaki’s pretty good).

HD: Regularly gets to enjoy high-quality “real” foods, but very frequently jumps to easier-to-access comfort foods like strawberry milk or curry rice.

C. What’s something pointless/petty/unimportant that IRRATIONALLY ANNOYS THE HELL out of your OC?

Suzi: When the train arrives earlier than scheduled, so she misses it and has to wait for the next.

Kim: Zoning out while steeping tea and realizing it’s cold after forgetting about it.

Crash: Anti-aliasing, and the inability to turn it off. NOOOO SMOOTHENIIIIIIING

Nano: Her senior chef’s taste in music. She recently got a job as his apprentice, and she can’t stand the pirate rock he blares in the kitchen. She hates the accents.

HD: Lacking the right word to articulate an emotion or idea she wants to express and being unable to look it up.

D. What’s your OC’s response to being asked for money by a homeless person?

Suzi: “Some other day.”

Kim: (quietly looks to her phone)

Crash: “Nah fam, not today.”

Nano: (completely ignores them)

HD: (quietly looks the other way)

E. Does your OC get lost easily? What do they do when they do get lost?

Suzi: Checks the skytrain routes and maps at the stations.

Kim: Knows her path from home to work enough to never get lost.

Crash: “Thanks, GPS!”

Nano: Checks street signs and looks for maps at skytrain stations.

HD: In order: check maps, call guardians for directions, ask strangers.

F. What would STOP your OC from Doing The Right Thing in a tense situation?

Suzi: If she’s in physical danger without her powers. She don’t punch above her weight.

Kim: If she has no personal stakes in the matter. She doesn’t like escalating conflict, she’s already tired as is.

Crash: If it’s a strictly physical conflict where she’s unable to interact.

Nano: If it’s none of her business. She’s in hiding; attention is bad.

HD: If she doesn’t have powers for it. She’s not even in her teens, fam

G. Realistically, could your OC (in their normal circumstances- i.e. at their own house/battlecamp/spaceship etc.) keep a small child alive for a week if they had to?  A Dog?  A Houseplant? A rock with a  smiley face painted on?

Suzi: She underestimates her ability to accommodate someone/something. She’d start off nervous, but she’d probably pull through.

Kim: Pretty well. She wants to ensure others are safe, she’s just very awkward at it.

Crash: Even in life, she was a mess, so probably not.

Nano: She’s only just learning to take care of herself among the surface world, give her some time.

HD: She’s like 12! She might take care of a plant just fine tho

H. If your OC had to take the S.A.T. tomorrow with one night to prep, how would they do?  both emotionally and academically.

Suzi: Print out practice tests, head to a cafe, get some boba, and hunker down.

Kim: Work at home, take a shower, prepare some tea, scented candles, and some ambient records.

Crash: Wait for Kim to take her to her apartment and force her to do the same thing.

Nano: Internet biiiiiinge. Get the taiyaki ready.

HD: In her room going over various books with some music playing, and probably with a tab open for streaming.

I. What would cause your OC to chose to do something petty/pointlessly cruel?

Suzi: If she’s good friends with the target and another friend dared her to, and/or if she stands to get free food from it.

Kim: If she’s REALLY had enough of you but doesn’t have it in her to tell it to your face.

Crash: If she thinks it’d be funny. It isn’t always funny, but when it is, it is.

Nano: If she’s really angry at you and thinks she can get away with it without notice.

HD: If she’s feeling especially exhausted and has briefly given up on being nice to you.

J. On a scale of “Complete and Justified nervous breakdown” to “Conquer The Entire Galaxy and become an Immortal God-Emperor”, how well would your OC handle being abducted by Aliens?

Suzi: “Oh shit.”

Kim: “Is this a spaceship?”

Crash: “Kickass!”

Nano: “Are you from The Corporatocracy?”

HD: “I was right!?”

K. What song is 100% guaranteed to get your OC beyond turnt and will be sung loudly and embarrassingly, either in public or the shower?

Suzi: “Crazy Crazy” by Yasutaka Nakata.

Kim: “Sad Machine” by Porter Robinson.

Crash: “Whole New World” by SOPHIE.

Nano: She’s not the singing type, but “Giving Bad People Good Ideas” by Death Grips gets it done.

HD: “Feel Good Inc.” by Gorillaz.

L. What perfectly-normal-to-them-thing does your OC do that confuses/pisses off/terrifies their neighbors?

Suzi: Dances to loud mixes in her room.

Kim: Very frequently lights candles or incense in her apartment.

Crash: She used to practice a lot of vocalizations, ie scream a whole lot.

Nano: Have virtually no furniture aside from a bed and table for her laptop.

HD: Own an entire floor of an apartment building.

O. How often does your OC “zone out” or do things on autopilot and how severe have the problems that have arisen from that been?

Suzi: Often, but basically only during boring times where nothing is happening, including stuff that could potentially cause problems.

Kim: Almost never when at work, but frequently gets contemplative when at home.

Crash: As a virtual entity, she’s very active and almost never blanks out. In physicality, CONSTANTLY.

Nano: She doesn’t exactly zone out so much as she gets locked into one sensation/action and is unused to the need to adjust on her own.

HD: She can get twitchy at the worst of times, her mind going on extended tangents if there isn’t a lot of stimuli.

P. How strong or weak is your OC’s Impulse control? What’s the worst thing that happened because of their Impulsivity or inability to be so?

Suzi: Generally gives things careful consideration, but if a prospect is extremely exciting, she may need a reminder to step back a bit.

Kim: Very mellow and not one to making particularly decisive decisions, unless it’s regarding someone’s safety, where she’s very firm.

Crash: Very impatient and prone to making bad decisions without thinking through them. Ever since becoming a ghost, she’s a little more careful for Kim’s sake, but still needs a lot of work.

Nano: Very methodical and calculative, but feels the need to make fast decisions if she decides she has no time to be careful.

HD: Very patient and careful, almost glacial in terms of getting her onto another mindset.

Q. How does your OC sabotage themselves? 

Suzi: She’s forming a double-life as a civilian and as a Magica for excitement, but she isn’t fully realizing the consequences of it or what she must do in the future, potentially barreling into danger for a brief thrill.

Kim: She simultaneously wants to have a normal life away from supernatural shenanigans but is irreparably locked into it with her relationship with Crash, ironically denying herself closure by wanting nothing to do with her trauma.

Crash: Constantly seeks to rebel introduce excitement to the world, but is often dishonest about her own motivations, resulting in an inability to think through her plans or the consequences of her actions, some very deadly for herself.

Nano: Her extremely methodical and calculative approach to everything leads her to make an enemy out of everyone. Her inability to trust anyone to not screw up leaves her pretty ineffectual in her goals.

HD: She’s extremely smart and critical, but constantly traps herself in loops of obsessive paranoia, often isolating herself from anyone else to support her or give her better grounding.

S. How Dehydrated is your OC right now? Are they going to fix this?

Suzi: Keep a reusable water bottle for water, occasionally gets ice tea/coffee if she feels like treating herself.

Kim: Keeps a thermos of hot water/tea.

Crash: Currently NA, previously just gets water from the tap.

Nano: Usually gets her fresh cups at work, enjoys municipal tap water at home. Blame Crash.

HD: Fills a cold water mug from a filtered fridge.

T. What’s your OC smell like?  no, not that “Vanilla and Anxiety” evocative stuff, realistically.  Body odor? what have they been touching all day? When was their last shower? Did they put on any kind of artificial scent?

Suzi: Takes regular care of her hygiene and attends clean facilities, often showers with a peach fragrance that sticks with her daily.

Kim: Smells sanitized and like a dentist’s office when traveling from work, smells like tea and “herbal” everywhere else.

Crash: Like electrons. In life, she showered, but always smelled like a combo of light sweat and coffee.

Nano: Often times faintly like dirt, sometimes with a literal fish-y stench from work.

HD: Very presentable, often has the aroma of strawberry and bread.

[sharksfood]

spoilers for Ralph Breaks the Internet (Wreck-It Ralph 2)

SO i was going to wait to record my thoughts on Ralph Breaks the Internet until after i finished my homework but i cant stop thinking about it!!!

anyways, I saw RBTI on Tuesday night in 3D and it was AMAZING!! i mean, both the movie by itself and how it looked in 3D. i loved that they put in a nod to those movies that took 3D to the fullest potential with stuff coming at you from the screen, when Ralph was throwing the football into the air.

BESIDES THAT i LOVED this movie!!!! i’m no negative nancy when it comes to sequels and i had been wanting a WIR followup since the first one came out!

but to get the biggest aspect out of the way, i was not always on board with the plot of Ralph and Vanellope going into the Internet. when I first heard the movie announcement and the whole Internet aspect it didn’t totally make sense to me. I mean, I originally thought the gang going into online games was a good mix between Internet and video games (since WIR revolves around video games). However I quickly changed my mind, especially since they WOULD be going into online/mobile games.

My initial reaction to the movie as a whole was EXTREMELY POSITIVE!!! I loved how the animation looked, the fact that we got an introduction on what Ralph, Vanellope, Felix, and Tammy (Calhoun) had been up to since the last movie, and that everything including the arcade had changed in basically real time. That last part was a bit sad too, especially with how few games were left in the arcade and that it seems business was not as good for Mr. Litwak as it used to be. BUT this movie, especially the beginning, was like catching up with an old friend after a long time apart! WIR means so much to me and I was so glad Disney took the time to connect to those who’d seen and loved the first movie.

I’ll admit I was a little nervous with how they’d handle the Internet, especially for a fictional universe thats based on the real one, like WIR. I knew they’d have to create fake websites and video games and what not to fit the plot and because of licensing rights. I’m also glad they did this because if Yesss were the algorithm for actual BuzzFeed or YouTube I don’t think they’d let anyone forget that. plus that would be too 4th wall breaking in my opinion. and this movie did A LOT or meta/4th wall stuff. I dont think any of the references or hints or real-world tie ins were annoying or over the top, it was the right amount for me. they could have made everything fictional, but that would fail to hook people. it was the right amount of fiction and real-life.

that being said, I do think some of the things Ralph, Vanellope, and Yesss accomplished couldn’t work in the real world. What bothered me is that any video of Ralph showed him as 3D, like how he looks in Sugar Rush or in the Game Central Station. Yes, that is how he looks “inside” the games and from other video game character’s perspective, but does that work for humans? Maybe it wasn’t explained very well, thats all. WIR is at times a little hard to wrap my head around. But then again, not everything needs to be explained or completely realistic, since, you know, video game characters are not able to coexist in each other’s games or buy stuff from Ebay.

the new characters was SO GOOD especially Yesss, Shank, and Knowsmore (to me anyways). I would have liked if the new characters had interacted with each other on screen more (like Yesss and Shank are friends but you wouldn’t know that without each of them saying so). also the Disney Princesses were adorable and actually more plot-related than i thought they’d be!

the biggest surprise for me is how much importance the movie gave to Vanellope for being a princess, i mean, she got a song and everything! To me she never gave her princessship much mind, since she only wanted to be a racer. by the end of the movie she was farther from being a princess than before. but i think this was intentional and why we got the scene with the other princesses in the first place, Disney wanted to show that there’s no one way to be a princess. obviously Pixar addressed this with Merida, and I think Moana is a good example, too, but Vanellope really is the least-princessy princess. I’m also glad that they didn’t make her song or voice too cute/pretty, it fit with her character, personality, and dream!

the part of this movie that my most impactful for me was the message and eventually plot structure of how Ralph and Vanellope’s friendship was addressed. WIR means a lot to me is many ways, but the fact that romance or blood family isnt the main relationship dynamic is huge.  I mean, I can’t think of many Disney/Pixar movies that do this, and even those that do, friendship is just a subplot. Ralph and Vanellope becoming friends, protecting one another, even in the face of their differences is one of the main messages of WIR (the other being self-acceptance and following your heart). RBTI took this further with the message of how friends can grow, drift apart, have difference dreams, become too attached, and build negative friendships based on anxieties. I’ve NEVER seen this in an animated movie, and it hit me pretty hard.

so with anxiety in mind, I really liked how Vanellope’s glitching was utilized, i mean since she now has a general control on it, she doesn’t glitch out as much. the only time she does in RBTI is when she wants to or when she’s super anxious. its almost like a physical symptom of her having a panic attack. (on a personal note, Vanellope’s glitching was the main thing that helped me get over my fear of glitch, so that relation to anxiety and fear is very meaningful to me) but Vanellope’s anxieties were very different from Ralph’s, which is good! they both struggled with being accepted within their games in the past, and part of that still lingers, though now, especially for Ralph, it manifests in anxiety over their friendship. I really like the direction that Disney/Pixar has taken with some of their movies recently in that the main antagonist is not a villain, but rather an emotion or conflict anthropomorphized.

as for the characters, Ralph and Vanellope were PERFECT. Vanellope is my favorite and she was just amazing. Their characters were the right amount of the same from the first movie and different, since there’s been 6 years for them to grow. I’m also really happy that Felix and Tammy were in RBTI, though I wish they were in it more. I mean, this was Ralph and Vanellope’s movie, but most of Tammy’s appearances were just for comedic affect, in my opinion. They also seemed way different, but I guess that’s marriage? It’s as if their character-specific dialogue and quirks were toned down. Maybe after a second viewing it’ll make more sense to me.

My only other complaints are that when Ralph accidentally finds the comment section of BuzzTube, his reaction and that whole scene didn’t add much to the story. I think it was important, especially given Ralph’s past, but it was so short. Ralph seemed to have forgotten all about it after the scene ended. The comments and toxic parts of the Internet play a much bigger role than that, so I wish it was addressed better. I also thought it was weird that we didn’t get any clear context as to why Mr. Litwak got Wifi in the first place. I mean, I assumed it was to get an online presence for the Arcade, but i don’t think that was actually addressed. Of course thats a minor thing compared to my previous comment. 

The last thing I noticed is that the main conflict of the movie, the steering wheel of Sugar Rush breaking and how they’d need to buy a new one or Sugar Rush would be gone for good, was introduced too soon. I think this was done because there was so much content to get through within 2 hours, and I know that the main premise was involving the Internet, so staying in the Arcade would defeat this purpose. It’s just that to me it all sort of fell into place a little too easy and fast. Also, Vanellope feeling trapped in a boring loop of her game and other feelings from the characters in the beginning were told rather than shown. I know already mentioned that I thought certain things weren’t “explained” well enough, but I mean that like, both visually and through dialogue. With the emotional parts of the movie’s conflicts, I think those developed well once Ralph and Vanellope got into the Internet, but it seemed “presented” almost at first. Again, I only saw it once and its not totally fresh in my mind anymore, so maybe after seeing it again it’ll clear this up.

okay so as for the aesthetic and animation of RBTI it was GORGEOUS!!! I love how Disney/Pixar can take things like the Internet or your brain (like in Inside Out) and turn them into working cities/structures that are creative and make sense! I really like that Pop Ups are maneuvered by sentient beings like street salespeople, since the feeling of online popups and ads is the same! Also, the Dark Web being the underbelly of the Internet “city” and all the avatars are dressed like theyre in Incognito mode is amazing. i also LOVED the viruses, since they looked like gross, scary, creepy fictional bugs or visual germs (they reminded me of Osmosis Jones in a way). How the viruses functioned, at least the Insecurity Virus, made sense for how I think most people imagine computer viruses to act. I honestly don’t know how that stuff happens, and I bet Disney knew most of their audiences dont either, so they took some artistic liberties with that in mind. But the virus was a clever plot device because it literally detected insecurities, both in that Ralph/Vanellope were insecure about their friendship, and neither of them “belonged” in the Internet.

ANOTHER THING is when Shank and her crew had to fight the Slaughter Race players, the distinction between player and NPC was clear and funny. It felt very GTA to me. How they handled Slaughter Race in general was great, since it was obviously a violent video game, but they didn’t tone it down too much to loose that feeling. I think it would’ve been cool to see cars and buildings “update” like they do in some games, too. OH the way that the Virus Ralphs joined together to make the Giant Ralph and that they kept moving to make the entire thing kinetic was SO CREEPY BUT COOL!!! that must have taken forever to animate.  I also noticed that on the Giant Ralph the little virus dudes were like laying down or posed a certain way to give the impression of different textures or colors on Giant Ralph, which is amazing!!! the filmmakers and animators paid so much care to the look and feel of this movie and it really paid off.

okay last few things before I forget: all of the main characters were great examples of positive and negative personality aspects that real people could reflect on. Ralph felt so much more openly emotional and body positive than in the first, which for a dude character is great!!  Vanellope has always been a great example of a girl who likes “tomboy” or “masculine” stuff but still likes cute and “girly” stuff (i mean she obviously wasn’t into the whole princess thing but she found her own way around it!). Felix and Tammy in RBTI were obviously an example on how married couples can still love each other just like the day they met! Did i mention how much I love Yesss? I love her SO MUCH!!! she wore a different outfit/hairstyle every time we saw her, she was fun and smart and over the course of the movie grows to actually care about Ralph and Vanellope beyond their Internet fame. the MUSIC was fantastic as always, and I love Imagine Dragon’s song and the Julia Michaels rendition of Vanellope’s song on Slaughter Race.

Just like the first one, this movie was funny, heartwarming, emotional, and really fun!! I hope it gets all the recognition and love it deserves. I can’t accurately say if I like this one of the previous better, since I’ve only seen it once. HOWEVER I ma really glad that Disney has made a lot of merch for RBTI since the first one got barely anything. All in all, I loved Ralph Breaks the Internet!!!!

P.S. Did yall see the after credits scene?

[tifarobles]

The Pressures of Being a Millennial (and a Parent)

I’ll admit, I am not an expert on the topics I’d like to explore today. However, it’s important to me to explore some thoughts with you about what it feels like as a parent in today’s society as someone who just turned 30. I will be speaking mostly from my anecdotal experience and personal theories. I will not link to anything and encourage you to do your own Googling if you have questions about the “facts” I claim. 

Let’s start by exploring some of the negative stereotypes associated with being a millennial. 

Millennials are thought to be narcissistic and some studies have backed this up. I blame two things for this stereotype -  the highly competitive job market and the demand of having a social media presence. We are pushed to have confidence in order to succeed in interviews and often given the advice to fake it until you make it. If you are too confident, you are considered cocky and full of yourself. Not confident enough and people don’t think you have what it takes to make it in the cutthroat corporate world. 

Why is the job market more competitive? Lots of reasons. To simply name a few - there is a higher average level of education, a higher age of retirement, more job switching between places of employment, and more women in the workforce. This competition drives a lot of stress into every aspect of our lives, from our career choice to what level of unhappiness is acceptable at a place of work (including being overworked, underpaid, yelled at, sexually harassed and dealing with racist, sexist, or homophobic attitudes).  

Women, in particular, grow up with the pressures to look a certain way based on distorted versions of reality in magazines, on commercials, and in pornography. We are given the option to work very hard and spend lots of money to try to reach this unattainable ideal of what a powerful woman looks like in order to exude confidence or we can choose the non-conformity route and deal with the consequences of that. Either way, people will take your appearance into their consideration of how they view you, judge you, and determine how they guestimate your self-esteem level and worth. 

Diving deeper into what I’m referring to with the social media demand, social media is always on. Unlike the days before the internet existed, there is no off time. People are always online. Everyone you are connected with in life views your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, etc to see how you are doing. There is a certain expectation now in our culture to utilize these tools for social communication. This has added a lot of benefits to society, but it’s also exhausting to keep up with. If someone is any sort of a public figure or community leader, this becomes a full-time job on top of your full-time job. Being a parent becomes a third full-time job! In many careers, you have to interact with these forums. In almost every career, you have to at the very least engage with computers and emails on a daily basis.

There is a level of technological involvement with everything we do that didn’t exist before and this technology is now the place where the vast majority of social interactions take place as well. Most millennials are always connected online, through work, hobbies, talking to friends, playing games, reading, shopping, and more. This is a major change for humans and is changing society in ways I’m sure we haven’t even begun to understand. Yet millennials are judged for the use of this new technology when there is no real education surrounding the potential disadvantages of constant screen time. Instead, we are rewarded for being connected longer and more often.  

As a parent, how do I ensure my child is tech-savvy while also not overexposed to screens? How do I ensure he knows how to engage in meaningful face-to-face interactions if all of his interests end up being related to television, video games, social media, and computers? How do I teach him that his self-worth isn’t reliant on how many likes he gets or followers he has? I have concerns that the next generation (or even ours, honestly) engage exponentially more online than offline and what effect this has on real emotional connections and emotional intelligence. At the same time, I want Xander to experience movies, TV shows, video games and know how to communicate well over text, emails, blogs, social media, etc. 

As far as the stereotype related to millennials feeling “special” I actually think this is related to our generation being more aware that all humans have basic human rights and the easiest way to fight for this is through your own experience. Yes, I believe I deserve the right of choice when it comes to my own health and family planning. Yes, I believe that birth control should be accessed for free. Yes, I believe every human has the right to enter our country for safety reasons. Yes, I believe every human has the right to free health care and education. Do these beliefs make me seem entitled because I think I’m a special snowflake? 

I’m not sure how to raise Xander to be the “right” level of confidence that people feel our generations’ parents failed at. I’m hoping that his natural charm will help, but I also hope people don’t view him poorly for his good looks assuming he didn’t have to work for anything. I want him to have good self-esteem, but I don’t want him to feel superior to others. I think I can strike this balance, but I also feel like society is working against these goals with contradictory messages. 

In the workplace, it’s said that millennials have an increased importance of work-life balance. This is viewed as us wanting to be spoiled. I’d like to point out that this is likely related to a few different factors - the need for two-income households, the competitiveness in the job market, the average wage to the cost of living ratio, and the ability to always work when you are home on off hours. 

Related to this, there is also a desire for direct feedback from employers more than in previous generations and this creates a false stereotype that we need more hand-holding than older generations. Nowadays, most people do not stay in one job for their entire career. The majority of my friends switch jobs every 2-3 years, and not always by choice. This is a huge change. Your job could be taken away from you at any given minute through no fault of your own. Entire teams get axed all the time, wages for contractor roles have dropped in the last 5 years, and stability isn’t a word I think many 30 years olds feel like they have in their career. On top of this, housing prices and rent costs have skyrocketed during the years since I graduated college in 2011. Having some established feedback channel helps to determine if you are safe in your current job. 

I could get into the statistics of layoffs, unemployment rates, average wage by age compared to cost of living, etc, but that could go on for a long time and would require a great deal of research and probably lead to some debates. This is not the point of this post... 

Turning to the point of my post. As a parent, this is incredibly stressful. The option to have a stay-at-home parent is now considered a luxury. This used to be the norm. I’m not saying that women should be forced to stay at home with their kids, not at all. I just wish there was the option of choice for families to decide what is best for them, whether that be daycare and two full-time parents, a stay-at-home dad, a nanny, or something else. Being a stay-at-home parent nowadays essentially means that one parent has to make the average salary of two people or that you will have to learn to completely change your budgeting style, not just to account for the cost of raising a child, but for basic everyday things. I will say that the recommendation of spending 30% of your paycheck on housing is no longer realistic. Millennials now spend up to 45% of their income on housing before they are 30 (there’s a link for that one!). Add a kid to the equation and both parents pretty much have to work unless one makes bank. This adds an additional cost of childcare in addition to less time with family and potentially an overall more stressful home environment. 

Mothers, in particular, have it incredibly difficult. We are expected to be the emotional support structure of our home, one of the income providers, the person who ensures everyone is fed, dressed, and cleaned, we are expected to keep our house clean, the laundry put away, the dishes not stacked up in the sink, ensuring we have our own self-care and time with friends scheduled, all while maintaining a strong (but not too strong) attitude at work. We are expected to be sensitive to our children, yet thick-skinned at work. We are expected to be willing and able to listen to customers and coworkers complain, but not be able to complain ourselves or we will be seen as nagging. If we have bold opinions, we will be viewed as someone who overexaggerates or overreacts. If we are quiet, we are thought to not have ideas. We get talked over in meetings, are told we are too loud when we talk over others and are viewed as someone to walk on eggshells around if we call out this sexist behavior. 

At work alone, there is a lot to deal with. At home, there is a great sense of responsibility. At the end of the day, I care more about being a good mom than any of these other things. Being a working mom I felt like I was constantly at war with myself over what to prioritize between my own health, my son’s happiness, being there for my husband, and my ability to give 100% at work. At a certain point, my sanity broke under the pressures. I had to stop working to figure out how to balance properly. Stopping working led to a slew of other issues in our house financially. The work I did take up took up time I’d normally be sleeping, so that is still something I’m learning to fit into my days. 

Yet, I am afraid to even write about these feelings. What if a potential employer reads this post and thinks I can’t handle the job they want me to do? 

I don’t have an answer on how to solve this problem. I just think this problem, much like mental health, needs to be discussed, largely because the two go hand in hand. I just hope that by the time my son is starting a family (or choosing not to), that these pressures won’t be as great. I hope that whatever his choice is it is his choice because it is what he wants, not because he feels like he can’t have a family and a career. I hope he doesn’t have to spend half of his paycheck on putting a roof over his head. I hope he doesn’t get laid off from multiple jobs in a span of 5 years due to reorgs, job descriptions suddenly changing, and companies going out of business like Mike and I have faced. I hope he isn’t constantly job searching in case the worst is to happen or because he wants to find a job that will actually pay the bills and have a little that can go into savings. 

I hope that by the time he is our age there won’t still be a war over who can use what bathroom. I hope there won’t be children being gassed because they need a safer place to live. I hope there won’t be a war on women’s bodies that includes taking away their choice and taking away their ability to protect their own bodies from an unwanted pregnancy. I hope his future generation includes the importance of understanding consent and excludes blaming victims. 

Part of the human condition is that we will never get everything right. There will probably always be war. There will probably always be people that use other people in terrible ways. I just hope that things can get easier than they are now. At least we now have working toilets, lighting, central heating, air conditioning, the ability to travel around the world, and many other huge benefits from our technological evolution. At least slavery is illegal and women are allowed to vote. I just hope that the future has a better outlook for equality for all, and that is very related to the economy. As they say, the rich keep getting richer and the poor get poorer. I’m afraid the middle class is vanishing and marginalized groups will be the ones to suffer the most. 

Xander, I will do all I can to prepare you for this world and to help you be ready to impact the needed change. At the same time, I’ll try to keep the house reasonably clean, healthy and delicious food on the table, stylish clothes on your back, and find time to play with you and give you snuggles every day that I can. 

[mikeshanlon]

he’s all that: chapter two

fandom: it

pairing: reddie (richie tozier/eddie kaspbrak)

word count: 5k

one | on ao3

summary:

Richie smiled smugly, “You’ve got spunk Kaspbrak. I like that.”

“Why don’t you try shutting the fuck up Tozier,” Eddie retorted as the line moved forward, “So what is this, if not some ploy to get me to tutor you? Some sort of dork outreach program? Because I’m not interested.”

—

Or: The one where Richie Tozier has six weeks to get into a relationship and make someone fall for him. Only problem? That someone is the anxiety ridden, goody two shoes Eddie Kaspbrak, and he can’t even stand to be in the same room as Richie.

warnings: there is drug use in that bev/mike/richie are HUGE stoners. also this chapter there is mentions to maggie being an alcoholic. 

a/n: hey! decided to post two weeks in a row just to get the ball rolling (which is why i still dont have all the chapters figured out as promised, my apologies). i'll probably start the every other week thing for next update (so chapter three should be up by march 4th). i would try to do every week but im a college student who has Stuff to do and also makes gifs and im horrible at finishing my writing so, giving myself a realistic deadline that will still hopefully produce quality work. anyways, richie and eddie finally interact this chapter! it's.......................  a bit messy though. and we get to see the rest of the losers club in this one too. 

tag list:  @richietoaster, @wintersember, @howellhxlic, @ed-txzier, @clara-farl3y

After standing in the hallway arguing with Bev for ten minutes, (“I mean really Bevs, fuck!” “You said anyone.” “How do we even know he’s gay?!” “Richie, please.”) Richie resigned himself to the fact that he was going to find some way to charm Eddie. Maybe Beverly would let him borrow that spellbook she bought junior year when she had become obsessed with witchcraft and hexing the patriarchy.

Once school was finally over, Richie dropped off Mike at his farm per usual, ranting about the bet the whole ride over. The farm boy nodded along, but he knew the words ‘told you so’ sat on the tip of his tongue.  

They pulled up to his house, the engine idling so he wouldn’t have to spend time getting it to start again, “Don’t wait up for me tonight if you wanna smoke. Got lotsa research in store,” Richie said as Mike grabbed his backpack and got out of the car.

Mike raised a brow, leaning into the passenger window (which in its broken state always stayed down), “I’m surprised Rich. You never do your homework.”

“Homework shmomwork,” he tapped the end of his cigarette out the window before taking another drag, “Gotta figure out what little ol’ Edward likes. Time for some deep dark internet exploration.”

“Ah, you’re gonna stalk him. Wasting time on social media does sound much more in character,” Mike smiled.

“It’s not a waste Mikey darlin’, a shit ton of preemo dank is on the line.”

The other boy laughed and shook his head, “Godspeed Tozier.”

Richie saluted Mike as he reversed out back to the main road, Bigmouth Strikes Again blasting on the old car radio.

He weaved through the streets filled with kids walking home or trying to find something to do in this shit-hole town. Long afternoons spent at The Aladdin watching the newest releases or aggressively slamming his fingers down on his favorite game at the arcade came to mind; along with going out of his way to bother just about everyone in his path. Richie never really had many friends when he was younger, spending most of his time alone. He was grateful he crossed paths with Bev and Mike, to fate, luck, God if it existed. The universe was rarely kind to him, but finding them was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Plus, the first time he had smoked weed, but that was with them too.

Turning onto his street, Richie pulled up to the unsuspecting two-story white house. It was straight out of a handbook on the American Dream; but the closer one looked, the imperfections started to appear.

The box overflowing with bottles once filled with alcohol next to the recycling bin, which was already too full with more empty bottles. A crooked ‘Home Sweet Home’ sign by the front door. Dying grass, overgrown and conquered with the little weeds Richie used to make wishes on before blowing the seeds into the summer air (I wish for friends. I wish for better parents. I wish to be loved).

He parked the station wagon on the curb, saving the space next to his Mom’s car for his father.

Maggie’s car hadn’t been driven in months (years?), and Richie absently wondered if it would even work anymore. It was nice, a decent heater and it drove well, at least it did when she had bothered to drop him off at school as a kid. Despite her general lack of care for the wellbeing of others, Mrs. Tozier did not drink and drive. Meaning, she didn’t drive at all, as she was drunk off her ass most of the time.

Richie grabbed his books from the backseat and clambered out, fumbling to find his house key among the mess of weird keychains he bought while high.

He didn’t bother stating his presence, even as a pretense, giving up the habit long ago.

Maggie Tozier sat outside, her back facing the screen door in the kitchen. A cigarette rested from her fingertips, and Richie wasn’t sure if she was actually smoking it or just watching it burn. Of course, her other hand gripped a bottle of beer, and a wine cooler sat at her feet.

Richie scoffed and bounded up the stairs to his room, a ‘KEEP OUT’ sign and band posters adorning the door.

It was often said that one’s room reflected who they were as a person, and Richie was no exception. That is, to say, his room was an absolute fucking mess. His bed was never made, and clothes and knick knacks littered the floor (he had already tripped over some beat up sneakers as he walked in). Old mugs, comics, a lava lamp, lotion, and an ashtray Bev had made him in ceramics sat on his bedside table (read: an old wooden apple carton). The only thing that he kept clear was his record player and vinyls at the edge of the bed, which were meticulously organized.

He tossed his notebooks on his desk, alongside stolen pens, his laptop, and his bong. If his parents actually fucking talked to him he would bother to hide his shit, but it didn’t really matter.

Picking up his laptop and its charger, Richie was on his way out again. He could stay home to conduct his research, but he hated the stuffiness and how lifeless the house felt. It wasn’t really even a home, at least not his. Plus, coffee. It was a necessity, especially for the amount of bullshit he’d have to go through just for the tiny brat.

Richie drove to the Starbucks on Main and Belmont, strolling up to barista and ordering his usual: venti quadruple-shot, black. While he often gorged himself on sweets, his need for caffeine could only be sated by the purest form the coffeeshop could offer.

Per usual, the barista gave him a look, “You sure?”

“Listen, I’ve already made a shit ton of horrible decisions today. Trust me, this is not the worst of them,” Richie answered, sliding the cash across the counter

She raised her brows but said nothing else, handing him the change.

He set up shop at a table by the window in the back, away enough from the other patrons. Most of the time Richie threw caution to the wind, but he figured it would suspicious if someone saw him furiously stalking someone who looked like they hadn’t even graduated from middle school.

After retrieving his coffee, opening his MacBook, and plugging his headphones in, Richie scoured Instagram first. ‘Eddie.k’ didn’t post much, mostly some artsy photos, including ones of Bill and Stanley Uris (their other best friend). There were only one or two selfies, much to Richie’s disappointment. Eddie wasn’t actually too bad looking if you ignored his clothes, his hair, his… everything. Freckles dusted his face, concentrated around his little nose, a few on his lips. Cute lips. Cute cheeks. He had the urge to pinch them. But Jesus, that combover. What was he, a balding man in the 80’s?

Other than those pictures, Eddie hadn’t really posted to Instagram in months. He moved onto  his tagged photos. They had some more substance, although Eddie had pretty much only been tagged in pictures by Bill and Stan. It wasn’t like Richie wasn’t in the same boat of having only a few close friends, but at least he hung out with other people.

For the most part, the pictures were pretty normal, the three of them hanging out. Richie couldn’t help but snort at a picture of the three, presumably after a sleepover. They looked exhausted, hair messy, and were brushing their teeth. Pretty mundane, but Eddie had pulled a ridiculous face in the mirror. It was silly, but Richie hadn’t even thought Eddie was capable of making jokes or doing weird shit. The fucker was always uptight, serious even when they had a substitute. Unsurprisingly, Eddie did not appreciate the post.

eddie.k: literally stan delete this!!!!!!

stantheman: @eddie.k, sorry sweatie (:

Richie grinned and continued to scroll, stopping at a picture of Eddie lying down on the grass, laughing. He wore a red tracksuit, the one students wore to P.E. when the bitter chill of autumn came to Derry. His hair must’ve been a little sweaty, because it was curling up into a messy halo around his grinning face. Richie wanted to know this Eddie, see him curl up laughing, but he knew that would never happen.

He perused their profiles for a while before growing bored, downing a third of his coffee before moving on. Except Eddie didn’t seem to have a Twitter, or a Snapchat. A quick google search of his name only came up with a few images and… a Facebook profile?

Richie prayed that it was an old one Eddie had never deleted, but after the page loaded he saw that the most recent status was made last night.

“Oh my fucking god,” he whispered to himself.

Eddie’s profile picture made him look particularly child-like, a weird picture of him pointing to the camera like he was cool, even though the same hand had a clunky old watch wrapped around it. His header picture displayed the quote ‘there is bravery in being soft’.

Richie snorted, “Yeah, a soft fucking dick!”

Another patron scoffed at his fowl mouth, and he shot her a smug grin.

Eddie only had 40 friends on the site, which consisted of Bill, Stan, some of the other nerds at Derry High, and his mother and her friends. It wasn’t like someone’s Facebook friends actually mattered, especially because only middle aged mothers who posted minion memes about their alcoholism used it anymore, but it was still kinda pitiful.

His posts were generally uninteresting, stuff like ‘super nervous for the math test’, or ‘soooooooooooo bored ://///’. Otherwise, he mostly just shared pictures of cute dogs and DIY videos.

It was hard to find any useful information on Eddie, since he obviously lied a lot. Not in the way of bragging, or saying that he did things he didn’t (like Richie did). But there were comments from Mrs. Kaspbrak’s friends calling him a lady killer, or a few posts calling Carly Rae Jepsen cute (please, Run Away With Me is the one of gayest songs of all time). Eddie was closeted, and Richie knew from experience that someone could never really be themselves around others if they weren’t out.

What his profile lacked in useable information, it more than made up with blackmail material.

Take, for instance, little Eddie in possibly the gayest fucking hat imaginable.

He screeched as he saw the picture of the eleven year old, a white fedora-bucket hat hybrid sitting atop his tiny head, before breaking out into a full on wheeze. Richie was laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe, and then he thought about Eddie using his inhaler in that gay ass hat and laughed even harder.

The other customers began to stare, some concerned, and others pissed off at the disturbance.

Once he had collected himself somewhat, Richie sent a screenshot to the group chat.

the losers

bev: oh my fucking G O D

richie: I CANT FUCKIN BREATHE ELRNKKLNERG

richie: LIKE F U C K !!! KLJKLGRJKLLEJK

richie: LOOK AT HIS GAY HAT

richie: LIKE, IT’S GAYER THAN WEARING NOTHING BUT A PRIDE FLAG AND GLITTER

richie: HE LOOKS LIKE A TWINKY SKIPPER

richie: HOW IS THAT HAT MORE GAY THAN EVERY SINGLE ONE RYAN EVANS WORE IN THE ENTIRE HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL FRANCHISE COMBINED

bev: i’m muting you

mike: me too

mike: also that hat isn’t that bad

“‘Not that bad?!’” Richie squawked, not that he’d be able to hear him.

(Really, Richie had no authority on the subject. He still donned the occasional Hawaiian shirt over his tees).

He refreshed Eddie’s profile, seeing that he had made a new status.

Eddie Kaspbrak: big night friday, nervous but excited !!!!

Richie raised his brows in intrigue, seeing that Bill and a handful of other people liked the status. What was going on Friday?

He checked to see if Bill had posted anything, if Eddie was going somewhere, chances were Bill was too.

Bill Denbrough: almost the weekend, finally ready to let loose

Seriously, it would’ve been so much easier if Bill was the guy Richie had to woo. Kid was probably fucking nervous for a party, a place where you threw caution to the wind and had a good time. Still, he made a mental note about finding out what their Friday plans were.

Richie sighed, taking another swig of his coffee, “God, what a fucking loser.”

Suddenly, his headphones were being tugged out of his ear by an angry middle-aged woman with short-layered hair and eye bags.

“Hey, what the fuck?” Richie glared, snatching back his headphones.

The woman returned the look, putting her hands on her hips, “Don’t you have respect for the other customers?!”

“Sweetheart, I don’t have respect for myself, let alone some PTA moms-- like the post-divorce haircut by the way.”

Apparently, his finger guns did not soften the blow, because the lady started to scream at him.

And, apparently, this lady was also the manager, and was pushing him out the door.

So great, Eddie and his dumb gay hat got him banned from Starbucks.

Even though he was wounded from Eddie’s betrayal, (because Richie getting kicked out was definitely not his fault-- it was Eddie’s homosexual headwear. An anthropomorphic device of chaos, that Eddie owned, so, yeah, it was Kaspbrak’s fucking fault.) Richie still skipped smoking on Thursday to spend his lunch with the tiny fuck.

Obviously, they hadn’t made plans to do so, but Richie had, and he really couldn’t delay starting the bet. There was a lot on the line.

So, after getting out of econ (turning in an unstudied for but probably aced quiz), and throwing his shit in his locker, Richie detoured to the cafeteria.

The place was a fucking mess, and it reminded Richie just why he avoided the place. It was pure chaos, loud and overwhelming, a million things to get distracted by. Freshman with their stupid rolling backpacks kept whizzing by, making Richie trip or get his feet ran over. The tables were already filled, the honor roll kids, the partiers, Gretta and her gang. Fucking cliches.

He got in line, picking up a tray and proceeding to fiddle with the buttons at the cuff of his black and white flannel; trying to tune out the buzz of conversation. It was weird, at parties he thrived on the noise and disorder, but here all it was doing was fucking with his ADHD.

Richie drummed a beat onto his tray as the line moved forward and picked the most edible looking slop from the menu. The lunch lady glowered at him as he reached for his money only to realize he had put it in the other pocket, fumbling to put the bills and coins on the counter.  

As she put the money in the register, Richie looked around the room, checking to see where Eddie was sitting. He was sat near one of the exits, carefully taking out his lunch and swinging his legs. And he was alone. Perfect.

“Kid, do you want a receipt or not?” the lunch lady snapped from across from him.

Richie blinked back into focus, “Uh, sure, sorry.”

She sighed and printed out the receipt, slamming it down on the tray, “Next!”

Grabbing his tray, Richie plucked up some plastic cutlery and made his way through the sea of students to Eddie Kaspbrak. He had to twist and lift his tray a bit, but eventually the crowds started to part a bit. A chorus of whispers started to erupt. Stupid small town.

“Is that Richie Tozier?”

“I think, but doesn’t he always get high with his stoner friends?”

“What is he doing here?”

“God, he’s so hot.”

Richie smirked, sending a wink at the girl’s praise before sitting across from Eddie. He watched for a moment as the boy continued to focus on on unpacking his utensils and napkins before clearing his throat.

Eddie’s eyes snapped up from his lunchbox, widening when he saw Richie.

“What the fuck?” It was meant to be a whisper to himself, but Eddie’s voice was louder than expected.

Richie grinned at the blushing boy, “Well, hello to you to Eds.”

“Don’t call me that,” Eddie snapped, returning to his food.

Richie waited for him to say something else, at least fucking look at him, but the little fuck kept his eyes glued to his grapes, nails aggressively ripping the fruit from their stems.

“Okay,” he started, taking a sip of his apple juice, “So, you may be wondering why I’m sitting with you—“

Eddie interrupted, annoyance apparent in every fiber of his being, “Is this gonna be quick or not?”

“I’m hoping it’s not quick, although given how hot I am it’s difficult for people to control themselves.”

A long, deep sigh came from Eddie’s (cute, soft) lips. Eddie grabbed at Richie’s hands, flipping them over so that the palms faced upwards.

“Wow, a bit forward, but I’m liking your style Kaspbrak,” Richie winked.

Eddie rolled his eyes and proceed to take out hand sanitizer from his fanny pack, squirting the floral scented product into Richie’s hands.

Honestly, what the fuck?

He must’ve sent the same message to Eddie with his face, because Eddie said, “You obviously aren’t gonna leave me the fuck alone, and if you’re gonna be in my space, you need to be clean.”

Richie raised a brow at this but rubbed the hand sanitizer into his hands anyways.

Jesus Christ, what a weird, defensive little bitch.

Eddie watched with focused eyes, and only spoke when Richie was finished.

“Continue.”

It took a moment for Richie to gain his bearings once more. This mission seemed dead on arrival, but he had to keep trying anyways.

“So, Eddie…” Richie trailed off, twirling the pasta on his plate before his eyes lit up, “Eddie Spaghetti, Eduardo, what’s up?”

Eddie scowled, “That’s not my fucking name!” he squeaked, “And ‘what’s up?’ I mean, we’ve barely even talked before. You think I’m just gonna put up with this because you’re Richie Tozier? I swear to god, if this is some fucking bullying thing...”

Around them, people began to stare and eavesdrop at the sound of Eddie yelling. Fucking perfect.

Richie blinked back at the boy across from him, now red in the face for a different reason, “Calm down, I’m just trying to get to know you.”

“Fat fucking chance.”

Okay, wow. Richie had more work cut out for him than expected. He thought of what to say next as he watched Eddie finish his grapes.

“This isn’t, like, a joke,” (it wasn’t real either), “I just wanna hang out.”

“Hang out?” Eddie’s chocolate brown eyes met Richie’s, his tone mocking.

Richie nodded, “Yeah, ya know, kick it with the homies. Make out a little if you’re down. Friend stuff.”

Eddie’s jaw clenched, “You’re unbelievable. Just fucking unbe— you know, how can you even say any of that shit? How can we be ‘homies’ if we’ve never ‘hung out’ before? And don’t want to-- I’m not-- you don’t know me!”

There was something underlying in Eddie’s voice as he snapped, wavering at the end. Richie, like most things in life, was completely and utterly fucking up.

“Well then, how about we fix that?” Richie leaned forward, “I was wondering if maybe you’d wanna—“

Abruptly, Eddie stood up, grabbing his food and walked off, making his way towards the cafeteria line where Bill and Stan were paying for their lunch.

Richie looked around at all the watching faces, some snickering and others as shocked as he was.

“...Embarrass me horribly in front of all these people.”

He took a deep breath, and shoved some spaghetti in his mouth, his frown growing larger at the disgusting taste. Richie was often considered a wild card, but this was when routine was a good thing. He should’ve just avoided this and sparked up with Bev and Mike.

Actually, he was going to do just that. There was still some left in lunch, and no reason for him to stay in the cafeteria if Eddie was giving him the cold shoulder. More like a giant fucking iceberg but still, pointless. Besides, he really needed to get high now. Eddie ruined his whole mood and pissed him the fuck off.

Richie got up and tossed out the inedible garbage before going to the usual spot, finger itching for a joint.

He used his foot to push open the door, which would’ve been cool, except with his clumsiness and horrible luck he tripped forward, narrowly avoiding falling down the steps and face planting by grabbing the railing.

As Richie caught his breath and stabilized himself, he could hear his friends laughing.

“Back so soon?” Bev smirked knowingly, taking a drag.

Richie huffed, “Ha ha. Let’s yuck it up for my misfortune,” he grabbed her joint and took a long hit, “This fucking kid, Bev. I don’t think I can do this!”

“As in, you’re morally incapable of leading him on?” Mike asked hopefully.

“Please, let’s be realistic here Mikey. No, that kid is like, the fuckin devil incarnate. Shithead is fucking crazy!” Richie paced, smoking from the joint.

Bev laughed, “What makes you say that?”

“Why don’t ya ask the whole fucking school?” Richie snapped, though the anger wasn’t directed at her, “They were watching it all go down. If that wheezy asshole ruins my reputation—“

“What reputation?” Mike interjected.

Richie rolled his eyes and flipped him off.

Another voice spoke up, “I dunno, Richie’s pretty well known. I like him well enough.”

Richie whirled around, just noticing a new face among the usual group, Ben Hanscom.

The eternal new kid, since no one ever moved to ass backwards Derry, was not someone he’d expect to be behind the art building. Maybe reciting poetry or some shit, but not blazing. Ben was sweet and genuine, albeit a little shy. He was no longer the chubby kid he once was, more stocky and muscular now. They weren’t too close, as the tawny haired boy spent more time with Mike and Bev, and if not them, the other dorks (like Eddie and his friends). But either way, dude was pretty chill. Richie just didn’t really want him there mid-meltdown.

“Haystack?! You smoke?!” he whistled, “Ho-ly shit, who woulda thought!”

Ben shook his head, “Uh, no I don’t. Mike and I just had to study for history next block.”

His deep brown eyes flitted to Beverly, who had now stolen back her joint and was playing with the key that hung from her neck. Yeah, studying was the only reason. Not Ben’s excruciatingly obvious crush on the red head.

“We would’ve just gone to the library, but Bev and I made a bet about if you’d be successful or not today,” Mike said.

Richie gasped, “Betting on my failure? Fuck you guys, Benny Boy is my new best friend.”

“I didn’t sign up for that.”

“Hey, I bet on you succeeding,” Mike put his hands up in surrender, “She’s the one who thought you’d screw it up.”

“And I was right. Pay up,” Bev smiled, holding out her palm.

Mike dropped a candy bar in it with a deep sigh. She tore open the wrapping, taking a savage bite of the chocolatey sweet.

“I think you have a gambling problem,” Mike quipped.

Bev shrugged, “Not a problem if I keep winning.”

She grinned, her teeth covered in chocolate and spit. Gross. Ben still looked enraptured. Double gross.

“Anyways, can we focus on the important bet, and the fact that this fuck is impossible! Seriously, Bev, babygirl, pick anyone else!” Richie whined, plopping his bony ass on the cement.

“First off, don’t call me ‘babygirl’,” she flicked the ash off the end of the joint at him, “Second, the deal was anyone. You either woo him or you don’t.”

Richie opened his mouth to complain again but Ben beat him to it.

“I’m sorry, but what are we talking about?”

The other three looked at each other in panic. Ben was friends with Eddie, there was no way he could find out what was going on. The whole thing would be ruined before it started.

“Nothin!” Richie squeaked, “Just uh… bet that I couldn’t ace a group project. I usually just bullshit a lot of that stuff and leave it up to the others if I can. Partner’s just a little… high strung.”

Bev groaned and Mike sighed. A horrible fucking lie. Richie was already trying to formulate a better one in his head.

Ben smiled, “That’s nice, a wholesome, supportive bet. But you really should just communicate with your partner. They might be nervous because of your history is all.”

Richie let out a sound of relief before realizing Ben’s advice could actually be helpful.

“Sure, but I already tried to talk to him and it didn’t go well,” he explained.

Bev and Mike raised their brows, catching on.

“Well, how did you talk to him?” Ben asked, “Was it an ambush or a friendly conversation?

Bev snorted, “Ambush, knowing Richie. He doesn’t do friendly conversations.”

“Maybe with you, because you’re on my ass all the time,” Richie shot back, “But uh, she’s right. Shouldn’t matter though, everyone knows that’s how Tough Guy Tozier does his business.”

Mike groaned, “Please don’t call yourself that ever again.”

“You’re just coming on too strong. You have to consider what he likes, what he wants. A good partnership comes with compromise and communication,” Ben nodded sagely.

Richie ruffled his hair, putting on his trusty British voice, “Thank you Advisor Hanscom. Your wisdom is greatly appreciated.”

Ben smiled awkwardly, his eyes going to Bev once again, “Course.”

He took the joint from Bev, inhaling the musty smoke and blowing it out his nostrils, the burning sensation familiar and welcome.

“And maybe, you should talk to him sober next time,” Mike suggested.

Richie laughed, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

By the time the final bell rang, he was still feeling defeated and unsure of his next move. Sure, he’d have to dial back his trashmouth charm, try to seem actually invested in Eddie but… that wasn’t going to happen if the brat never talked to him again. Richie had to find a way to break the tension between them, start fresh.

He sulked to his locker, pulling out his shit from the looming mess. Loose binder paper and pencils fell onto the ground, and Richie just wanted to bang his head against the wall of metal. Also, go home and smoke while playing video games but, mostly, hit his head repeatedly. Maybe he’d lose enough brain cells to forget the entire day.

After a few moments of excessive cursing, Richie grabbed what he needed and got everything that fell back into the locker. He noticed a new post it on the door just before he closed it.

Don’t give up :) <3 - mike

Richie smiled, and slammed the locker shut with a resounding clang. With a little stretch and a fix of his glasses, he strolled through the halls, making his way to the parking lot to wait for Mike.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bill and Stan loitering around the halls as well, engaged in (an undoubtedly boring) conversation.

He remembered Bill and Eddie’s facebook status’ about exciting plans for tomorrow night and decided he should investigate.

“Billiam! Staniel!” Richie called as he approached them, “What’s up?”

The two stopped talking and looked up, Bill smiling while Stan rolled his eyes.

“H-hey, Richie,” Bill waved.  Richie noted that his stutter had gotten a lot better just over the past year. The two of them had shared a few classes when they were juniors and were pretty friendly with one another. At least compared to his relationship with Eddie and Stan, who also seemed to hate him for no reason.

Speaking of, the prim and proper boy was glaring at him, “Didn’t get enough of being a nuisance at lunch?”

Richie raised a brow, “Whatever do you mean?”

Stan scoffed, and opened his mouth to respond, but Bill put a hand on his shoulder, “N-nothing. Stan’s just… on edge. What’s up w-with you?”

“Not much, just trying to figure out what my plans are for tomorrow,” Richie shrugged, “Got any suggestions?”

“The only thing on your mind is where to party? Not surprised,” Stan quipped.

Richie shoved his hands in his pockets, biting his tongue. Snapping at Eddie was what caused his whole operation to go south, and he couldn’t mess up this second chance.

Bill ignored the tension between them, “Well, usually w-we don’t do t-t-too m-much, but it’s s-senior year. Probably going to Peter Gordon's party.”

“That kid’s an ass.”

“Coming from you, that’s rich,” Stan commented, his arms crossed.

His grinned, “Well, yeah, I am Rich.”

Stan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah, he is, but he’s also s-super wealthy,” Bill avoided another ‘rich’ pun, “Meaning he’ll h-h-ave q-q-quality shit.”

Richie beamed, “Ah, I get it. You’re Robin Hood-ing that fuck. I like your style Billy Boy.”

He clapped Bill on the shoulder, and the other boy blushed slightly, “W-well, it wasn’t j-just my idea. Eddie and Stan helped.”

“Eddie? He’s coming with you guys?”

Bill shook his head, “N-no. He was supposed to, b-b-but that art thing came up so he h-had to cancel.”

“Art thing?” Richie asked, suddenly intrigued. This was the information he wanted.

“Yeah,” Bill nodded, “It’s this show that happens every month. At Jester Theatre. He always goes.”

Stan not so subtly elbowed Bill in the ribs, hissing at him to shut up.

“W-what?!”

“Yeah, what’s got your steamed panties in a twist Uris?” Richie smirked.

Stan sent him a scowl, “You know very well Tozier. Eddie told us all about what you did at lunch. Back the fuck off.”

“S-stan, I don’t think he meant--”

“No, Bill, he did,” Stan interrupted, “I don’t know what your game is, but if you hurt him…”

Richie put his hands up in surrender, “Hey, I’m not going to hurt him. He seems pretty strong anyways. I mean no harm.”

Stan didn’t look convinced at all. Fair enough.

The air between the two was tense, but Bill broke it by clearing his throat, “So, uh, will w-we see you at the p-p-party?”

Richie shook his head ‘no’, “Probably not. I have some more sophisticated plans lined up.”

a/n: hope you liked it! next chapter is p much all richie and eddie so get excited. if you enjoyed i would love hearing your feedback

oh and this is eddie’s gay hat if you were curious

[briangroth27]

Ready Player One Review

I went into Ready Player One with polarized preconceptions. Several friends loved the book so I was initially excited, but in the run-up to the film's release hate exploded online and I saw all manner of spoilers and scans of troubling chunks of the novel, which made me much more wary. I still liked the story’s idea so the trailers’ focus on nostalgia didn’t bother me, but I didn’t know what to expect going in. I was pleasantly surprised: it’s a fun roller coaster! There are several strong ideas at play, even if they aren't fleshed out as much as they could've been. It definitely seems like most of the book’s problematic stuff has been excised, making for a fast-moving, enjoyable film with a strong, important message.

Full Spoilers…

Tye Sheridan was solid as Wade Watts/Parzival, a generally good guy obsessed with OASIS’ virtual playground and the quest to win control of it. Sheridan was awkward and geeky enough to sell a classic nerd persona without being so overbearing or unlikable that it's unbelievable Art3mis (Olivia Cooke) would fall for him (or that we would root for him). An altercation in the real world with Wade’s aunt’s (Susan Lynch) boyfriend (Ralph Ineson) was a nice moment for Sheridan to show Watts’ vulnerability and fear, giving a glimpse of how differently he reacted to challenges outside the OASIS. I would’ve liked to see more opportunities for that in the script, particularly after Art3mis meets him for real. While I was glad Wade was toned way down from what I’ve heard he is in the novel, I think he’s written a bit too safely. He’s likable, but he’s so much an everyman that he lacks conflict. I don’t think genuinely good characters are boring, but challenging their beliefs is a way to make goodness interesting and this film doesn’t do a lot of that. That could’ve been easily remedied by playing up a few aspects of the movie version to give him a stronger arc. For example, Wade’s poor and wants to win the contest so he can live a life of luxury (winning comes with a huge payday). Why not use that selfish—if understandable, in a world consumed by severe economic decline no one cares about because they all escape to the OASIS—instinct to spark more conflict with Art3mis, who wants to better the world with her winnings? Why not have Wade argue that it’s easier to play in the OASIS than to endlessly fight and maybe really die for people who don’t care about the real world? Maybe even let the promise of relaxation, safety, and an end to financial worries tempt her a bit so her values are challenged as well. When she beats that temptation to carry on with her crusade, Wade could also realize there are more important things than his own comfort.

Also, Wade declares his love for Art3mis way faster than anyone could reasonably love someone, somewhat undercutting the “take chances with your heart” lesson he learns later, so I wish the script had given him time to find out what real love is. He could still be intimidated by the enormity of real love, necessitating that lesson when actual feelings are on the line. While I don’t think their love story is any shallower than in the average film, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been deepened. Lean into Wade’s instant “movie love” and have it mess up Art3mis’ quest by making his help a hindrance for a while. His eagerness to connect with her does destroy his real life, but the movie only comments on how foolish he is to reveal his real name, not that his infatuation is the cause. I also wish there was much more reaction to Wade’s family being murdered; it radicalizes him to Art3mis’ cause (making his aunt into yet another woman in a refrigerator, unfortunately) and Sheridan is good at conveying the loss for the few moments the film lets him live in it, but beyond that it felt like the loss got forgotten somewhere. Even when Wade and his friends intercept villain Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) as he’s exiting the OASIS and trap him in a simulation, Wade’s rage at his aunt’s death seems to be mostly an act, because he has a totally cool head as soon as he leaves Sorrento’s presence. Had the movie presented this as an example of how disconnected players had become from people in their real lives (even if they do make friends with people online), it would’ve been a strong, compelling rebuke of the OASIS. If that’s the intention, it needed a vocalized realization and a moment for Sheridan to explore it.

Olivia Cooke was awesome and driven as Samantha Cook/Art3mis, who—like others have pointed out—had a stronger plot and motivation than Wade did. Since her father died a debtor worked to death by the evil corporation IOI, she was out to prevent them from winning the contest and (in the book, so I’ve been told) wants to use her financial winnings to better the real world. I wish that end goal had been clearly articulated in the movie, because while I like the idea that the world is so bad that the only thing worth fighting for is an escape from it, the huge sum of money the players were competing for could make a real difference. Also, it might have been interesting for Art3mis to be out to shut down the game altogether. There's a literal "delete the OASIS" button—which I kinda wish was designed to look like the Ghostbusters’ Containment Unit—introduced at the end that's never referenced elsewhere, so why not tease it earlier as part of Art3mis' mission? Shutting down the game (and reimbursing everyone for their virtual loot) so that people would be forced to focus on bettering and living in the real world would’ve been a logical goal for her. That's where you could play up Wade's reverence for James Halliday (Mark Rylance) and his OASIS by making him argue for the importance of a game, leading to them compromising with the "close the OASIS on Tuesdays and Thursdays" idea at they implement in end.

Samantha immediately shutting down Wade shortening her real name to Sam after they met in the real world was a nice beat; it was a small moment, but it’s cool that she got to assert her chosen identity in the real world as well as online. I loved that she was weirded out by Wade saying he loved her so quickly and that she called him out on not really knowing her, instead only seeing the parts she wanted him to see. Those both felt like realistic reactions and smart commentary on internet (and real-life) interactions as informed by movies where all romance is a speedy fairy tale. I do wish they'd continued to subvert and expand on those ideas, however. They could've played up her insecurities about her real self beyond being embarrassed by a birthmark, which would've been a nice contrast to Wade's confidence in the OASIS vs. his considerably more fearful real-world persona. It also would've been nice if more than her birthmark had thrown Wade off. Props to him for not caring about her physical appearance, but that's a really low bar; why not include some personality traits he doesn't like? Different tastes in pop culture? Are there things about Wade or his interests she doesn’t like? At the very least, her rebellion could've fueled conflict between them and created much more drama than her apprehension about her birthmark did. Her drive could've been too much for him at first, since he just wanted a cozy life and she's putting her real self in danger. Now that I think about it, playing that up could’ve been a reference itself to Han and Leia in the original Star Wars. While conflict and challenges would’ve generated more sparks and, eventually, a stronger bond, both Sheridan and Cooke sold what they got and I liked them together. While I appreciated that they were drawn as more or less equally capable in the contest (and Samantha was definitely more capable in the real world), I didn’t need her to tell Wade she knew he'd win: it seemed less supportive and more like it undercut her own skills to nod at him being some kind of savior. She does get a lot to do in securing Wade’s access to the final challenge from behind enemy lines, though, which was cool and made winning a bit more of a team effort.

I liked Wade’s best friend Aech (Lena Waithe) a lot and the reveal that the male avatar was controlled by a woman was cool. It was also a nice touch that her mechanic skills weren’t received with shock once her friends knew who she was (and that she didn’t need to explain how she was such a good mechanic!). Waithe was good with what she got, but I wish they'd used her to explore the idea that the OASIS lets you be anyone and anything you want a bit more. Wade gets confidence, Samantha gets beauty and the power to strike back, and Sho (Philip Zao) gets respect beyond his years, but letting Helen articulate exactly what she gets out of the OASIS could’ve been a powerful moment and an argument for its positive aspects. I’m glad the movie at least nodded at her being a lesbian (by having her avatar enjoy making out with the Shining ghost (Gem Refoufi)) instead of ignoring that altogether, though that’s the perfect example of something that could’ve been expanded upon by giving her a moment to say the OASIS allowed her to acceptably live her truth. I wish we’d gotten to know Wade’s pals Sho and Daito (Win Morisaki) better as well. They could've at least had varied goals; rather than seeking control and fortune, maybe one of them could’ve just been down to complete the challenges like a trophy hunter in today’s video games. In general, I would've liked to see more of Wade's competitors before he brings everyone together at the climax. TJ Miller’s I-R0k is a great counterpart to Wade, given he comes off as a much more problematic nerd than Watts does, but he’s still essentially an IOI stooge rather than a player with his own agenda. Are there rebel Gunters Art3mis works with that do extreme things she doesn't approve of? There's only so much screen time, of course, but after the first leg of the Egg Hunt it felt like only the High Five and IOI were invested in the quest.

Mendelsohn was good as the evil businessman in charge of keeping IOI's profits up. That he wanted to monetize the OASIS by putting ads all over it and wanted to charge for its use made him a good avatar for both Hollywood leaning on nostalgia instead of creating new things and for the forces opposed to net neutrality, since this tech should be for everyone. The fact that he was greedier than outright mustache-twirling evil (until he started killing people) was a smart choice that kept him human. At the same time, that greed quickly led him down a "who cares" path: he has no concern about zeroing out everyone scrambling for the Easter Egg, which would bankrupt everyone against him (I hope Wade restored those players' coin counts!), and that was good character progression. I also liked his fake geek scene: being fed trivia to convince Wade they were the same (and his general exasperation with geek culture) was a good way to make him markedly different from every other character in the movie, particularly the younger generation. I also liked the change in his response to confronting Wade as an “inferior” geek and Wade as a competent rebel threat. I've seen it jokingly pointed out that a rich white guy like Sorrento just admitting he's a criminal and giving up at the end is the most unrealistic thing in the movie, but I think that's foreshadowed by Wade confronting him with the "gun." Nolan respects the gamers when they show the capability to end his life; as soon as they're willing to play by his rules, he takes them seriously and backs down almost immediately. Like Wade’s online courage and offline weakness, Nolan has an “avatar” of strength in the real world around people he believes are less than him. 

Contrasting with Sorrento, I really liked that the IOI researchers (Turlough Convery, Joe Hurst, Eric Sigmundsson, James Dryden, Danielle Phillips, Rona Morrison, Khalil Madovi, Morris Minelli) were truly invested in the outcome of the game and (eventually) watching Wade win it. Their glee at the success of the hunt and the purity of the final challenge added a lot of texture to them. They may have sold out to IOI (or simply been forced into working with them because of debt or promises of riches), but they weren't just heartless drones. While I appreciated that depth, I was a little confused about the power IOI wields in general in this world. One of their divisions seemed to be a (virtual) privatized debtor’s prison and I would've liked to see what that was like when not engaged in the egg hunt (assuming it existed before Halliday's challenge). That seems ripe for the potential to program nightmares into prisoner’s minds when the only crime was falling behind on their debts. I've been told that in the book, IOI's Sixers are more like indentured servants and I could see that spin in the film (particularly through Samantha's dad), but some clarity on what their actual power level and place in society was would've been appreciated, because it certainly looked like Samantha had been arrested by them. It was also a little odd that IOI could blow up part of the Cleveland Stacks and no authorities cared or even showed up until the end, unless that's a comment on the classism of this society. Despite that lack of clarity, "the common people vs. a corporation with too much power" is a solid theme and the movie plays it well. I also appreciated that Sorrento’s real-world muscle was headed up by a woman, F’nale Zandor (Hannah John-Kamen). She could’ve easily been a guy and most movies would’ve gone that way, but making her a strong, dangerous woman who didn’t like Sorrento that much was a cool choice. It would’ve been nice for Samantha, Sho, and Daito to be able to defeat her instead of Wade (who was focused on the OASIS during their fight), though.

I liked Halliday and his quiet sadness in the wake of the important lesson about connections he'd learned too late. He seems much more likable and understandable than what I've heard about his book counterpart. I'm pretty quiet in real life, so I could definitely relate to his difficulty opening up to people. The fact that his quest to know his favorite pop culture is really a quest to appreciate the game and the world outside by connecting with real people (first Halliday, then people in your real life) was an awesome twist. Whether Halliday is really dead or not doesn't matter to me; either way, he is free of his creation and has found a successor who can do what he couldn’t. Halliday’s programmed self leaving with his childhood self was a perfect exit from the story for him. Simon Pegg gave a solid, unexpectedly subdued performance as Halliday's former friend Ogden Morrow that I liked a lot. He had a good bit of tragedy to him over falling out with Halliday and I liked how he figured into the OASIS world. Serving as the docent of the Halliday museum felt like a cool way to honor his friend and preserve his memory while potentially trying to figure out exactly what drove them apart. I’m glad that the fact that Halliday was in love with Og’s wife wasn’t played to make anyone look bad—rather, it was treated as just something that happened—and the real tragedy was that they fell apart over something Og probably would’ve forgiven Halliday for had they just talked about it instead of Halliday bottling it all up inside (another lost connection).

I liked the references in Halliday's virtual world—I love 80s/90s pop culture—but almost none of the cameos stunned me. They were more like set dressing selling the idea of a nostalgia playground and that’s all they needed to be. If they were the real characters instead of players using avatars, we'd lose focus on Wade, Samantha, etc. and their struggle. While we do get glimpses of interests beyond the 80s/90s—the Adam West Batmobile, King Kong, mentions of steampunk, and disco music (bizarrely referred to as "old school"...all of this is old nowadays, not to mention to teens in the 2040s)—as others have noted it would've been nice to see more diverse fandoms represented by the Gunters, even while they were engaged in cracking Halliday's 80s/90s-focused challenge. It would've brought more variety to the characters. As for the contest itself, I loved the race and The Shining test a lot. The race for the first key, through a twisting and turning New York, was a great adaptation of racing games that made me think of Split/Second. It also featured two of my favorite cameos in the movie, Rexy from Jurassic Park and King Kong, because those “were” those characters. The Shining challenge for the second key featured an excellent recreation of Stanley Kubrick's movie before morphing into pretty much exactly what I'd imagine a bombastic video game version of that film would be, which was cool. That adaptation being hated by Stephen King was also a nice tie to Halliday becoming disillusioned by what people were giving up to use his game. Jack Torrence’s fall and attempt to destroy his family also feels like a pretty perfect (if extreme) parallel to Halliday feeling he’d betrayed his best friend by secretly loving his wife and cutting him out of the company. The chaotic melee leading up to the final key was fine, but full of players I didn't know or care about so it fell flatter than it probably should have (one of the "real" characters thrown into that battle gets a great moment, though). On the other hand, the final challenge was a nice, quiet moment that fit the film's theme and Halliday's lesson. It felt right to bring it all down to one player connecting with the designer of one game. The actual final challenge was perfectly personal too, but they totally missed a chance to homage The Last Crusade by having Halliday’s wizard avatar say “You have chosen…wisely.”  

I liked the ideas behind this world quite a bit. It’s definitely prescient to showcase a world in love with distractions and games to the point where they stop interacting with real people or doing something worthwhile with their lives (who among us hasn’t gotten distracted by Twitter or Facebook and put off doing something we should be doing?). They did a great job of showing how much people were wrapped up in their virtual lives, spending real money (even their mortgage money!) on virtual trinkets and upgrades. That real-world financial connection made the stakes high enough to carry the film for me. It's true Wade and the High Five are only fighting for a recreational toy (even if it has other applications like education) without having goals for their lives outside the OASIS, but in the dystopia they live in (and in our real world), people need a release and escape: our lives can't just be work/school, food, bathroom breaks, and sleep. That's why we go to movies and play games in the first place. It's why people shouldn't police what people on food stamps use them for; existence should be more than just existing. At the same time, remembering the OASIS is just a game, not the pinnacle of your existence, is a great message and the movie walks the line between these seemingly at-odds lessons very well. To that end, I wish they'd said the High Five were going to use their enormous winnings to make the real world somewhere people would want to explore too.

I'm interested to see if the novel expands on what you can do in the OASIS beyond playing. I did miss the first minute or two—I came in as Wade was introducing his treadmill/haptic suit—so perhaps some of these elements were referenced and I just missed it. I've heard kids go to school inside it and that's an interesting opportunity for students to be exposed to any facet of history/science/whatever in a tactile way through VR. I'd be interested to see how much work is done online in conjunction with OASIS applications, if any. Do people buy their food with OASIS coins? The more real-world things are wrapped up in the program, the more crucial it becomes to save it from a corporation that wants to eventually price people out of vital services. On a more personal level, seeing more people experimenting with how they present themselves to the world would've been great. If they can literally be anything or anyone, a lot of personal freedom is also at stake. Aech and Shao touch on this freedom, as does Art3mis with her idealized appearance, but I would've loved to see more, particularly with today's political battles over transgender rights. In terms of how people in this future interact with each other, I found it disheartening that even 30 years from now, in a world where everyone is constantly online playing in the OASIS, Wade still has trouble believing a girl—even the famous Art3mis!—could be an expert at trivia. This very modern problem doesn't come up much in the movie, but the Slappers Only line stood out to me. Wade and Samantha test each other on Goldeneye 64 knowledge, which is fine, but it's obvious by what she says that she'd know what Slappers Only is without Wade mansplaining it.

From the look of trailers, I never would've guessed Steven Spielberg directed this. However, he brought his trademark heart and humanity to the CGI elements and video game structure; even in unfamiliar trappings, it felt and acted like a Spielberg movie. Despite areas where the characters could've been fleshed out to create more conflict or explore the personal freedom of the OASIS, Spielberg's touch and the strength of his performers kept them likable and engaging. He also maintained a quick pace: this didn’t feel like a two and a half hour movie at all. I thought the CGI looked good, given this was supposed to be a video game with game graphics. Since it intentionally looked "off" from reality, it wasn't jarring to have anime-inspired avatars or constantly shifting geography. I liked that the score had touches of film scores from the 80s in it; those bits of nostalgia did get me. From the excerpts I've read online, most of the novel’s problematic elements were removed for the adaptation. Wade doesn't show any transphobia—Aech brings up the idea that Art3mis could be a guy and Wade denies it, but seems to accept that possibility anyway. They're worried Art3mis is a guy who’ll steal Wade’s coins, not that he’s a guy who wants to date him. There's no "masturbation manifesto,” no super-long lists of everything Wade has studied (partially because they can just show us all the references and partially because the movie has a more personal egg hunt). Wade's attempts to make Art3mis like him are also toned down or cut altogether, though I wouldn't have minded including one or two and subverting them to teach him that real love isn't like in a movie where grand gestures and "persistence"/stalking will get you everywhere. Unfortunately, it did seem like there was still a noticeable lack of content by female and minority artists, though. Thriller gets a shoutout, but only as a costume Wade considers wearing. As I’ve seen pointed out elsewhere, there was also a lack of 80s content that was geared toward girls. Why not have Jem and the Holograms playing the club Wade and Samantha go to or something? This section of the OASIS is curated to Halliday’s tastes, sure, but if we’re going all-in on the 80s and 90s, largely ignoring minority and female artists is a pretty huge oversight.

I don’t think my critiques here are about movie-ruining problems, just areas where a good, solid film could’ve been exceptional. Even if its characters could’ve been expanded to make more of an impact and statement, Ready Player One is definitely worth seeing! It's an exciting adventure with heart and a great, relevant message. I had a lot of fun and I recommend it!

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

[bestseattleseo-blog]

Effects of Social Media on SEO

With as many as 4.8 billion people now using the internet and 3.5 billion on social media, using the digital ecosystem for marketing has to be a primary business focus. Beyond, that much of the time people spend online is done via mobile devices as shown in the graphic below from Hootsuite.

50% of the time (almost 2 hours per day) that people are using social media via mobile shouldn’t be underestimated by marketers. As well as following brands, celebrities, and news on their favorite platforms, consumers are adding rich content across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms. Every conversation or post creates something new.

The good news for digital marketing teams is that whilst follows, likes and shares do not correlate directly with search engine optimization (SEO), good quality content does. For example, pushing out content on social media that people want to engage in and explore improves the chances that they make it to your website. Overall, this leads to assisting off-page SEO, better domain authority, backlinks, and generating followers. Suddenly, you have attributes that will improve your ranking.

In this article, we will look deeper into how social media correlates with SEO and what brands can do to effectively succeed.

Social Media, Traffic and SEO

Social media helps to improve your brand visibility, supporting the SEO efforts that drive traffic to your website. With digital marketing, the more channels you are visible on, the greater the potential to get traffic and revenue. At face value, if you have a conversion rate of 10% and 200 people are visiting your site, you get 20 sales. If you have 500 visits, you are going to get 50 sales. It may not be that straightforward but the point here is that traffic equates to revenue.

Social media can play a big part in generating traffic. As a starting point, the screenshot below shows the results if we search for entrepreneur Elon Musk via Google.

It is clear that Google is crawling social media for results as Elon Musk’s Twitter feed and Instagram profile are both returned with the latest stories against them.

The same logic applies to brands with a search for boohoo returning their Twitter feed on the very first page of Google search results.

Other brands such as Simply Cook have their YouTube videos, LinkedIn profile, and Facebook page all showing on page one of Google rankings.

We could probably go on all day with examples, but the fact is that Google scans social media content and ranks it. Therefore, you should treat the content on your pages in exactly the same way as your website or blog, as a method of SEO to accumulate traffic.

Social Signals and SEO

A social signal is a human interaction metric gained via platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Reddit (as well as countless other social media sites available today). This includes likes, dislikes, comments, shares, and follows which tend to represent affiliation to a brand whether it be positive or negative.

As more consumers have joined the multitude of social media channels, social signals have become an important part of organic search engine rankings. Whilst Google has said that social signals are not a direct part of their ranking algorithm, those websites showing on page one tend to be those with the highest share volume. The research from Cognitive SEO below shows the link between social interactions and rank.

If there is no direct link between then it is fair to assume the following:

Brands and people with a high volume of social signals are generating more traffic to their pages due to higher visibility

With a lot of social interactions, more content is generated and likely to build backlinks which are very effective for SEO.

On that basis, it is vital to keep social media content relevant and up to date. Readers and interested in quality content and if that’s what they see, they will interact with it.

Social signals create traffic to your site, consumers see something they like and create links. Even if social signals themselves are not part of a tiny weighting in Google algorithms, the long-term impacts of backlinks and domain authority are vital for SEO.

Some ways that you can ensure you stay at the top of social media feeds include:

Posting daily or even multiple times per day to keep relevant. The volume should relate to what you feel is applicable to your brand. Some celebrities might post constantly but consumers wouldn’t expect that from a construction or engineering company perhaps.

Using video and images which are engaging for social media users

Creating original content and not simply sharing articles that already exist which would ultimately just improve the visibility of somebody else.

Varying content between social media platforms. Users expect to see different voices and tones depending on the platform they are viewing.

The search algorithms of Google, Bing, and other engines are black boxes in that nobody is 100% certain as to what helps with ranking. However, with the amount of content generated by social media today and the interaction people have with it, evidence suggests that the platforms create valuable SEO content. Whilst that may come indirectly via backlinks, social signals are an important part of digital marketing strategy.

Social Content Reach and SEO

Social media helps your content reach as many people as possible. This includes those who may not have ever realized you exist before appearing on their social media news feed. Strong content will translate into high-quality traffic.

Research conducted by Matthew Woodward showed the value of social media when trying to rank for specific keywords, in this case, “Unhealthiest Foods.” In short, the post was shared on social media and got the backing of celebrity George Takei, generating 16,000+ likes and 8,000+ shares. Shortly after, the post got a featured snippet for the keyword in search engine rankings (see the screenshot below).

This follows on from what we believe of the impact social signals have. The high volume of shares and likes create a following and advocacy for content. With that, organic rankings receive a boost thanks to the quality content.

It is also important to bear in mind that whilst the current Google algorithm states it does not take into account social signals, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will stay the same. After partnering with Twitter back in 2015, signals were used for a period. Always keep an eye out on the news to see what the search engine powerhouses consider the most important ranking factors.

To maximize the effectiveness of social media content, just like traditional SEO, keyword research is vital to attract the right audience. Neil Patel has suggested that social media is “the new SEO” in his article. What he means is that consumers are going straight to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn to find what they need and skipping the search engine completely. Therefore, it is just as important that brands and people optimize their social profile with content and keywords as it is for business websites.

There isn’t necessarily the best social media platform to use for SEO as they all have their advantages. The key is in doing thorough research and working out where your target audience goes to consume social media.

Facebook

The stats tend to vary depending on where you read them, but Facebook has something close to 2 billion monthly users. All of these people will be sharing content with each other. With Facebook, you can target user interests at a very granular level. You can think of this in the same way as you would keywords. For example, what type of person based on their demographics is likely to be interested in your product and service. If you can tailor your marketing efforts to those groups, the content will be read, liked, and shared more readily.

Youtube

YouTube isn’t far off Facebook where it comes to monthly users as video creates highly engaging content. Videos posted on YouTube certainly have some bearing on ranking as the most popular ones tend to appear at the very top of search engine rankings.

To optimize your SEO via YouTube, it is important to have clear descriptions and tags against all content that you add. A key component comes in harnessing the power of your video text with transcripts, closed captions, and subtitles.

It is important to remember that Google owns YouTube, making it far more likely to crawl the platform within their algorithms. Creating popular content ensures the videos and therefore the text is shared, generating links and optimizing SEO.

Twitter

Twitter hashtags are used in all kinds of marketing to generate awareness of brands, people, and content. We have already seen earlier in this article that Tweets appear in Google searches, leading to the assumption that it does still crawl the platform and it counts towards SEO. A quick search for the US President brings up the most recent Tweets at the top of search results.

To make the most of this, having a presence on Twitter is key to start. Following that, just like any other form of SEO, it’s all about the keywords. You will most likely have done keyword research for your website or blog and Twitter content needs to follow the same process. It is vital you don’t just haphazardly Tweet links that are not relevant. Ensure they relate to quality content and draw engagement from the audience.

Twitter has various analytics tools to help you with keywords and understanding your audience.

Summary

This article is designed to provide ideas as to how social media can be used to influence search engine optimization. There are many social platforms in the digital ecosystem and the key is in finding where your audience is and focusing your efforts there. Whilst creating content marketing on every platform is ideal, you sometimes need to step back and be realistic.

The key to optimizing SEO via social media is quality content. There is evidence that Google uses some social signals in their algorithms, but the best results will come from those who engage with your posts. Billions of people can find you on social media, become advocates of your brand or business, and get your content seen. It’s a bit like a modern-day version of a pyramid scheme.

Social media positively affects SEO and is a crucial part of your digital marketing strategy.

> First appeared on Effects of Social Media on SEO

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

It turns out purposely messing with your targeted ads isn't a good idea

Facebook is convinced that I am a young mother with a love of kraken-themed decor. 

Unless you count my cat, who is 11-years-old and the animal equivalent of the grumpy old man from Up, I absolutely do not have a child. But for the last six months, my feed has been inundated with ads for baby products, from nasal suction devices to teething toys that look like plush versions of a bad acid trip. 

Over the summer, my cat underwent a veterinary procedure that, to spare the nasty details for the faint of heart, required me to dab antibiotic ointment on his butt twice a day. Because he had a knack for getting out of his cone of shame and getting ointment everywhere, I put him in diapers for the day after the surgery. But diapers made specifically for pets are absurdly expensive, so I bought a pack of (human) infant diapers online and went on my cat owner way. I started seeing ads for baby products that night. 

I know big tech companies have too much on me already. I've been on social media since I was 10-years-old, entering my email and date of birth on Neopets and Club Penguin, so my data has likely been tracked for more than half of my life. I'm online for a majority of my day, and I've accepted the fact that my digital footprint runs too deep for me to ever truly go off the grid. 

Which is exactly why I've started fucking with my ads. 

It's not just weird baby products. I've been curating my ads to show me extremely specific cephalopod-shaped home decor. After months of carefully engaging with ads, I've finally cultivated what I want to see on my Facebook feed. 

Image: screenshot/morgan sung

Image: screenshot/morgan sung

SEE ALSO: All the social media opt-outs you need to activate right now

I'm not the only one. Caroline, a Twitter user who tweets under the handle @defundpoppunk, also curates their ads. After clicking on specific Facebook ads, they managed to prune their feed like an artisanal algorithm — a concept first floated by Twitter user @JanelleCShane — into a masterpiece: Unreasonably baggy pants.

It's like a cursed personal data-laden bonsai tree. 

I click every ad I see on Facebook for weird pants in an effort to train Facebook to show me the weirdest pants. I think it's finally starting to pay off: pic.twitter.com/nS1oMl1Mv7

— olivia colman's oscar (@defundpoppunk) March 12, 2019

Caroline says they searched for jogger-style pants before, and has been getting ads for them ever since. For weeks, they've been clicking on any ad featuring "vaguely interesting-looking" pants. 

Like me, Caroline is fed up with the unending lack of privacy we have, and started engaging with their ads just to mess with them. 

"So at first it was a little bit of private trolling just because I know e-comm [e-commerce] people take their click through rates really seriously," they told Mashable through Twitter DM. "But then once I started my targeted ads actually changing, I got a little more deliberate about it out of curiosity." 

Aside from being an "amusing reminder that everyone is being tracked online constantly," as Caroline said, playing with targeted ads is like playing a game. 

There's something deeply satisfying about knowing that even though I as an individual can't really stop power hungry tech giants, I'm giving them a digital middle finger by engaging with the "wrong" ads. It's the online version of the Florida man who runs into hurricanes with heavy metal and American flags. Realistically, messing with my ads won't shroud me from the inevitable tracking that comes from being online, but it feels like I'm making it slightly more inconvenient for large corporations to know everything about the real me. 

Shoshana Wodinsky, a tech reporter at Adweek, gets why deliberately polluting your targeted ads is entertaining. 

"These kinds of big tech platforms are really powerful," she said during a Skype call. "They're like multibillion dollar companies and the fact that they screw up sometimes is kind of funny. Part of it's definitely punching up, but part of it's like, even these behemoths are somewhat fucked up."

Wodinsky has also experimented with purposely muddling her digital presence; she once changed her Bitmoji to be pregnant to see if it would affect her targeted ads. (She told Mashable that she is very much not pregnant, and during her interview, she said that the only children she has are her two cats.) Although she said it started "as a joke," she wondered how far she could take it.

"Realistically, I know that me pretending to be pregnant isn't going to do anything, but it's kind of like looking outside of the fishbowl," she said. "It's fucking over the big businesses, and who doesn't like to do that." 

i gave myself a pregnant bitmoji to see if it would screw with the way ads are targeted toward me and..... im here to tell you that nothings changed pic.twitter.com/SmfWkpRGys

— שוש (@swodinsky) February 13, 2019

fb thinks im preggers,,,,,, success

— שוש (@swodinsky) February 13, 2019

Less than half an hour after creating the Bitmoji, her ad interests included "motherhood" and "breastfeeding."

It's unclear what prompted Facebook to include those options in her interests — it could have been her Bitmoji, or it could have been the fact that she tweeted about it. 

Realistically, just clicking on and engaging with specific ads won't do much to your digital footprint; if you really wanted to go deep, you'd have to change your entire online behavior. Your ads aren't just targeted based on what you interact with on specific social media platforms, but what you search and interact with across the entire internet. Thanks to the cookies Facebook uses to track users, regardless of whether or not you're logged in, you can leave fingerprints all over the web. Truly tricking the algorithm would mean a complete overhaul of your search habits, your social media, and whatever personal information is publicly available. 

Meddling with your ad preferences by intentionally engaging with them sounds like a harmless prank, but it might have a dark side. Dr. Russell Newman, a professor at Emerson College who specializes in internet privacy, surveillance, and political communication, worries that any engagement with ads can have long term consequences. 

"You might feel like you're exercising some bit of control, but in fact, you have none," he said during a phone interview. "There are unknown ways that the game you are playing right now will affect your future existence, and you won't really be able to know."

Newman stresses that we really have no idea what information can be pulled from our online interactions, and how it can be used in the future. Because internet users are "seen in a particular way, quantified in a particular way, and identified in a particular way," he says, engaging with certain ads and showing a preference for certain ads can preclude certain options. He worries that engagement like this can affect life-altering factors like credit score. It sounds far fetched, but Newman said convincing advertisers that my cat is actually my baby, for example, could possibly affect my future health insurance premiums without me even knowing. 

"All the decisions that are going to be made about you going forward," Newman said. "Or the rest of your existence, are going to be based on the truth provided digitally."

Washington Post editor Gillian Brockell experienced the insidious side of online advertising last year. Shortly after she delivered her son, who was stillborn, the credit company Experian sent her an email prompting her to "finish registering" her child to track his credit for life. She noted in a viral Twitter thread that she had never even started registering her baby, and it was particularly cruel that companies wanted his information after his death.

I find this hard to believe. I'd been using Experian to check my credit regularly, & I'd never received any spam like this from them before, just a monthly email saying my report was updated. + the ad didn't say “family protection solution.” it said “register your child.” 3/ pic.twitter.com/dUPRxyWRKH

— Gillian Brockell (@gbrockell) March 12, 2019

"These tech companies triggered that on their own, based on information we shared, Brockell wrote in a piece reflecting on how she never asked to be targeted with parenting ads. "So what I’m asking is that there be similar triggers to turn this stuff off on its own, based on information we’ve shared."

Newman emphasizes that while Google, Facebook, and Amazon market themselves as a search engine, social media network, and online marketplace, respectively, the companies have a greater goal: advertising. 

"It's notable that you're saying, 'My privacy is gone, so I'm just going to roll with it,'" Newman said during a phone interview. "The problem isn't that your privacy is gone, the problem is that we don't actually have a nationwide regime set in place in regards to privacy."

Luckily, there are a number of ways to scale back on ad tracking, from opting out of social media data collection to using private browsers. 

Here's the bottom line: It turns out messing with my targeted ads probably wasn't a good idea. As satisfying as it is to make it slightly more inconvenient for advertisers, purposely engaging with ads for kraken-specific products is less damaging than limiting the data that advertisers can hold over me. Since my conversation with Newman, I've stopped haphazardly clicking on strange ads and opted out of sharing across my social media presence. 

But old habits are hard to break, and I admit that when I'm scrolling through Facebook before bed, I'll still linger on ads that include octopi. 

WATCH: BTS' 'Boy With Luv' shatters viewing records on YouTube

[sayantandodo]

HelloStar Shout Out Process & Difference between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.

Augmented and virtual reality have one big thing in common. They both have the remarkable ability to alter our perception of the world. Where they differ, is the perception of our presence. Virtual reality is able to transpose the user. In other words, bring us someplace else. Through closed visors or goggles, VR blocks out the room and puts our presence elsewhere. Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard, these are names you may have heard about by now. But if you haven’t tried virtual reality since that one arcade in the ’80s, be ready to be blown away by how far it’s come. Virtual reality (VR) immerses people in experiences, often with a lot of expensive technology such as headsets.

Augmented reality, on the other hand, usually starts with a real-life view of something (such as the camera of a mobile phone), and projects or inserts images onto the screen or viewer. Most people’s idea of virtual reality (VR) is heavily coloured by The Matrix, a tremendously popular 1999 movie about a deceptively realistic, virtual-reality future that was so indistinguishable from everyday life that the main characters originally believe that the simulation they’re in is real. Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of an alternate world or reality and is primarily used in 3D movies and in video games. Virtual reality creates simulations—meant to shut out the real world and envelope or “immerse” the viewer—using computers and sensory equipment such as headsets and gloves. Apart from games and entertainment, virtual reality has also long been used in training, education, and science. AR combines the physical world with computer-generated virtual elements. These elements are then projected over physical surfaces in reality within people’s field of vision, with the intent of combining the two to enhance one another.

Augmented reality inserts—or lays over—content into the real world using a device such as a smartphone screen or a headset. Whereas virtual reality replaces what people see and experience, augmented reality actually adds to it. Using devices such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Google Cardboard, VR covers and replaces users’ field of vision entirely, while AR projects images in front of them in a fixed area. Putting a VR headset over your eyes will leave you blind to the current world, but will expand your senses with experiences within. You might even find yourself on top of Mount Kilimanjaro. The immersion is quite dramatic, with some users reporting feelings of movement as they ascend a staircase or ride a rollercoaster within the virtual environment.

Mixed Reality (MR) is the use of both Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies to create an environment where physical and virtual objects can exist and interact in real-time. Mixed reality is a blend of physical and virtual worlds that includes both real and computer-generated objects. Mixed reality (MR) combines aspects of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). It sometimes called "enhanced" AR since it is similar to AR technology, but provides more physical interaction. Examples of augmented reality experiences include Snapchat lenses and the game Pokemon Go. There is also HelloStar Media who provides Augmented reality personalized video shout out services. When people require personalized video shout out messages HelloStar helps them. The requester can ask for a personalized message and the celebrity send a shout out message within few days.

Virtual reality (VR) implies a complete immersion experience that shuts out the physical world. In a Mixed Reality (MR) experience, which combines elements of both AR and VR, real-world and digital objects interact. At present, Mixed Reality (MR) systems are still being developed and fine-tuned. This technology is still not as widely available as separate VR and AR devices or software, although there are some real-world examples of mixed reality technologies in use today. Mixed reality devices like the Microsoft HoloLens 2 aren’t found everywhere just yet, although, with a steadily increasing number of applications and growing use in certain industrial and commercial fields, they certainly could be in the not-too-distant future. As we’ll see, most of the current use cases of mixed reality technologies are bespoke to a specific task or objective and have different applications within different fields or sectors.

Mixed reality is closer to augmented reality than virtual reality. Like MR, AR uses a real environment. It "augments" reality by overlaying virtual objects on top of it, such as a Snapchat filter. However, the user cannot interact directly with virtual objects. For example, AR has the capability to display a virtual 3D box on a physical table. With MR, the user might be able to pick up and open the box. VR entertainment has been around for decades and because of this, it’s the most acclimatized and most widely available of the three technologies. Augmented reality games and apps are coming out thick and fast since the success of Pokémon Go and there’s little reason to suspect they’ll disappear out anytime soon. But the mixed reality in entertainment is not only reserved for gaming.

AR and VR technology is improving so much that the film and big screen industry are after the vision of incorporating them into their movies. The idea of interactive storytelling which is a mix between a game and movie will open up lots of new doors for mixed reality. An example is the new Netflix series, You vs. Wild with adventure survivalist Bear Grylls, which lets you make decisions and change endings. Mixed reality entertainment is already here with companies like Magic Leap, Lucasfilm, and Industrial Light And Magic all looking to delve into mixed reality entertainment. For example, Magic Leap’s is embracing mixed reality in cinema by using what they call a Dynamic Digitised Lightfield Signal. Magic Leap’s tech projects images directly into the eye, without the need for it to bounce off an object and then head towards the eyes. This tricks the brain into thinking the object is there when in reality, it is a projection.

HelloStar shout out is another example of augmented reality and mixed reality. People who need personalized video messages from celebrities and influencers can send a request soon. The organization HelloStar is a medium between common people and their dream influencer. Whereas virtual reality replaces what people see and experience, augmented reality actually adds to it. Augmented reality uses existing reality and physical objects to trigger computer-generated enhancements over the top of reality, in real-time. As a person see their favourite celebrity on the screen of Television or internet device it is virtual reality. When the celebrity sends a personalized message or tags the fan somewhere it becomes an augmented reality.

The HelloStar team believes that there is a bigger untapped opportunity in India for the shout-out process, considering the craze around celebrities and influencer in India. The main objective behind starting up HelloStar is to shelter influencers in our business. Consuming the time, we want to spawn multiple revenue streams for them. Each influencer or celebrity who is listed on the HelloStar platform will get a satisfying rate. The user can click on their favourite celebrity and make a payment. he or she receives a shoutout within the next seven days. Any Bollywood celebrity who is used to be very close to his or her fans and care for their fans can join us. HelloStar Invites all. The influencers who stands on the platform made by their fans can easily make another source of money income. There are many content creators in local parts of India. Many of them got the golden play button from Youtube also. They feed on millions of Indian subscribers. The most interesting part is that the teenage and youngster public doesn’t miss any of their videos.

The educated young population loves virtual reality. Most of them wait for their beloved show to come in a different way with different content. Augmented Reality lets the user experience the real world, which has been digitally augmented or enhanced in HelloStar Application. Virtual Reality, on the other hand, removes the user from that real-world experience, replacing it with a completely simulated one. VR devices shut out the physical world completely. In other words, HelloStar AR allows influencers to enhance the current environment or situation by enriching the audience's perception through digitally enhanced stimulus. This is a huge distinction from VR which, although it immerses the viewer in a simulated environment, does not give the perception of the real world shifting. Influencers can reach audiences through HelloStar by sending personalized video messages and getting closer to them.

[seotipsandtricks-me]

2019 SEO Tips From The Internet Marketing Podcast

With every year, nay every day, things are changing in the field of SEO. From Google’s behavioural shifts, ensuring your website is mobile first and the importance of conducting log file analysis to creating a Google My Business Strategy we had a ton of expert marketing guests on our Internet Marketing Podcast in 2018 sharing their knowledge and experience concerning all of the above and more. Read on to discover their top SEO tips, advice and predictions for 2019 ahead. We’ve also added each podcast episode so that you can listen to the full shows and get even more great SEO tips. The Latest in Mobile, International & Technical SEO: Interview with Aleyda Solis Aleyda Solis is an International SEO consultant & founder at Orainti. In November, Aleyda joined us on the show to speak about mobile SEO, International SEO and Technical SEO. Here are her top tips for each: 1) The technical SEO fundamentals are ensuring that your website is accessible and indexable. It can be validated by most of the SEO crawlers out there including Screaming Frog and Deep Crawl, which support JavaScript crawling. You can compare the plain HTML (non-JavaScript) versus the JavaScript one and identify any differences. If there is a change in meaningful content, then go to your developer and talk to them about this. 2) Increasingly, many businesses are concerned that the international versions of their websites are seeing minimal profit or ROI and take a lot of effort to maintain. As such, proper planning and a strategic approach to International SEO is needed to inform which markets are profitable/viable for you to invest in. Consider what goals you are trying to achieve with each international version. Is there actually an interest in each market? Strategize your approach to international SEO otherwise you risk unnecessarily throwing your money away. 3) From a user perspective, always be considerate of mobile first. Don’t just replicate the desktop version of your website simply because it worked well for desktop. Research if your mobile audience behaves or interacts with your content differently versus desktop. Responsive web design is not necessarily a bullet proof approach. If you have the opportunity, take time to personalise the user experience. Generate different types of content and produce more of it. Alternatively, repurpose your existing content and organise it in a different way to better fulfil the mobile experience. The Future of SEO is on the SERP: Rand Fishkin’s Keynote Talk from BrightonSEO Rand Fishkin is the co-founder of Moz, Founder of SparkToro and author of Lost and Founder. In his September BrightonSEO talk, Rand focused on Google’s behavioural shift over the last few years and offered SEO tips for how marketers can adapt to these changes: At present, there are two conflicting truths for marketers: 1) It has never been more difficult to earn organic traffic from the web’s major players than it is today. 2) Rather than being someone else’s property, make your website (and email list) the centre of your web campaigns. In the future, these big players are going to operate similarly to how Facebook did with organic reach and, as a result, we have to own our property as best we possibly can. What we can do about this: 1) Leverage every scrap of traffic that Google and other search engines/social networks still send. There has never been a better, or more important, time to make organic traffic acquisition a centre of your strategy and to take a bunch of your paid budget and put it towards that. In the future, when acquiring organic traffic becomes even more difficult and challenging, you will be ahead of your competitors who failed to do so. You will be in a stronger position as more traffic goes paid only (or Google only). 2) Use CTR estimates in your keyword research. 3) Shift content marketing to keywords Google is less likely to cannibalize. “That means long tail and chunky middle and hard to answer in the SERP’s type things”. 4) If Google biases to Google owned properties (YouTube, Google News, Google maps etc) then we have to create content for them. 5) It would be unwise not to use featured snippets. You should entice the click. The 5 R’s of SEO: Interview with Bryan Eisenberg Bryan Eisenberg is a Keynote speaker, best-selling author of Be Like Amazon and Co-Founder of BuyerLegends. Bryan spoke about the importance of relevance, reputation, being remarkable, producing readable content and understanding your reach and used Amazon as a barometer. He explained: Amazon are not the biggest innovators even though they spend lots of money on research, development and innovation. They don’t release things until they feel there’s a certain level of comfort in the market place. I believe in the next few years they’ll start building sophisticated retail bots personalised for our good. It will be ubiquitous, the same way that when it first launched on mobile it was tied to their desktop. They’ll do the same thing, whether this agent is in your car, in your glasses, on your wrist, in your suit or implanted as a chip, it doesn’t matter, but if that agent will be able to recognise the world around you, it will be able to plan things for you, to gather information and they will have a wide world index for the market place. Everything You Need to Know about Google Penalties: Interview with Fili Wiese Fili Wiese, is an ex-Google engineer & SEO Expert at SearchBrothers. He appeared on the Internet Marketing Podcast in April to discuss all things Google Penalties, HTTPS and Link Building. Here are his top SEO tips. SEO is constantly evolving and changing. If you’re serious about SEO, depending on the size of your website, ideally you need to audit your website at least once a year, Make sure you don’t have toxic links to your website. These are things that can hold you back. Consider inhouse and external marketing teams. An external team has the benefit of offering a different viewpoint. They aren’t tainted by previous experiences of the website and can look at it afresh, as Googlebot would look at it. At the same time, it is important for an inhouse team to check your website regularly too. Modern SEO: Tips for Success in 2018: Interview with iPullRank’s Michael King Michael King is Managing Director at iPullRank and appeared on the Internet Marketing Podcast to discuss technical SEO tools and tactics. He told us: Log file analysis is so important. It went out of style a few years ago as we got caught up in content marketing. With so much JavaScript framework being built into the web at this point, realistically, we really need to understand what Google’s crawling, what it’s seeing and how that compares with what we’re seeing from these running crawls that we’re doing. SEMrush Ranking Factors 2.0: Interview with Fernando Angulo Fernando Agulo is Head of International Partnerships & Corporate Speaker at SEMrush. Speaking in January 2018, Fernando Angulo joined us on the show to discuss the SEMrush ranking factors studies research and offered the following takeaway tip: Every marketer working in the search world should be prepared for the mobile first algorithm. We’re living in a mobile era right now. Even personal assistants like Alexa or Google Home are mobile devices and we’re making search queries through them. Everything’s going to change – the way we are making our search (using voice search and personal assistants), and the different types of search results we’re going to receive with our mobile devices. Local SEO 7 Things You Probably Didn’t Realise You Could Do in Google My Business with Marcos Alvarez Martin Marcos Alvarez Martin, SiteVisibility’s SEO analyst and trainer in SEO Fundamentals at Brighton SEO, featured on the podcast in February and discussed lesser known features of Google My Business. His takeaway tip is as follows.    If you have a business with local presence then you definitely need to create a Google My Business strategy. It’s not only there for updating information relating to your business. You can also use Google My Business to create ads, to reply to reviews and to provide a better experience for the user planning to visit your website. It’s important to consider how Google My Business will fit in to your overall digital marketing strategy.  For further reading on Google My Business and local search, read Marcos’ blog post on How to Create a Google Maps Marketing Strategy to Dominate the Local Results. Local SEO Tips for 2018: Interview with Gregg Gifford Gregg Gifford is Vice President of Search at DealerOn and frequent BrightonSEO speaker . He joined Andy on the Internet Marketing Podcast to discuss the biggest pitfalls with Local SEO and tips for succeeding at it:  When mobile users are clicking the website link on your Google My Business listing, a lot of the time, this is getting misattributed as direct traffic. So, if you just have a standard, naked link there, you’re not getting correct attribution in Google Analytics. Clicks which are coming from organic search are showing up as direct, so you need to make sure you put UTM tracking on those links. It is essential to do this. You will usually see a massive jump in your organic traffic. Make sure you put a link or CTA in Google posts. Again, if it’s’ a naked link it can get misattributed so make sure you add UTM tracking. What did you think of the above podcasts? Were there any tips offered by our guests that you found particularly helpful or plan to implement into your SEO campaigns in 2019? Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Similarly, if you’re curious to find out more about any of the topics discussed in the podcasts above and how you can implement them, or want to speak to a member of our team about your 2019 SEO campaigns, please feel free to give us a call on 01273 733433 or fill out the form below: Contact Us Name* First Last Email* Message*CommentsThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage){if(formId == 13) {} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [13, 1]) } );

[eve-graphic]

‘Mutations workshop’

Aims and Objectives:

To contrast and juxtapose source imagery to create mutated bio-mechanical drawings.

To explore the evolving relationship between human beings and cybernetic enhancements (man & machines)

To blend analogue and digital skills to create illustrations of our own cybernetic mutations

To begin to think about styles and aesthetics within science fiction concepts.

To develop visual ideas & experiments based on these concepts & principles

What is a cybernetic organism?

Cybernetic organisms can be any living tissue that integrates artificial technologies within it, but it is most often associated with humans. This is because cybernetic organisms are already in the mainstream in the form of pacemakers, implanted defibrillators, and even cochlear implants. The relationship between humans and technology continues to grow, with medicine and science giving humans the ability to restore lost hearing or sight, gain control over their cardiovascular system, sleep through the night without the risks of apnea, and more. Cybernetic organisms continue to be the focus for medical research that directly impacts humans and healthcare. 

The relationship between man and machine has been ever growing throughout history. Machines used to just be there to help us with simple things such as making clothes or food. But as time went on machines started to be used for things that weren't just purely function and became used for entertainment. Machines began to cross the boundaries into things that we were emotionally invested in. Nowadays machines are so deeply embedded in everyday life that it would be extremely hard to imagine life without them. We have become emotionally attached to things such as our phone due to the invention of the internet and social media. But is this relationship between man and machine really healthy?

Are we too obsessed with what these machines can give us? Our online persona is so important to us and effects relationships, jobs and mental health. We find it difficult to engage in human interaction without using dating apps to find our perfect match, and Facebook to see what their interest are and who our mutual friends may be. Have machines become too linked to human emotion?

Machines have advanced so much over such a short period of time. They are being used to complete more and more tasks and becoming used in more and more aspects of everyday life. How long will it be until there is nothing left for humans to do? If machines can be used for all jobs such as mass production, driving buses, teaching classes, what will there be left for humans to do? Will we have to become part machine in order to keep up?

This overwhelming idea that machines are somewhat consuming our lives is an interesting emotion that I would like to explore in my work. The idea that we may have to enhance ourselves mechanically and make that relationship between man and machine even closer is expressed through this workshop. 

In this workshop, we began to look at other artists who also portray the themes on man and machine. 

Guiseppe Arcimboldo’s work was the oldest out of the three artists. This is evident in the work; there isn't any colour, only tonal value, and the ‘robot’ seems to be made up of household objects. This makes it recognizable for its time.  Guiseppe couldn't make the robot extremely streamline or modernistic as his audience would understand it. Not only this but his outlook on what the future may look like would be very different to ours as their machinery wasn't very advanced at the time. This links to the fundamental idea that was discussed in the brief as well as the first workshop, that you need a thread of reality in your work.  Guiseppe’s work was relevant to his time and based off of human form so that his audience could understand the message his was trying to portray in his work.

Masumune Shirow’s work is much more modernistic then Guiseppe’s. The head of the robot is broken into parts and reminds me of a car bonnet. Unlike  Guiseppe ‘s work, there are cables liking the robot to an unknown object. This is relevant to the time was they had computer and TVs that need wires to work. The wires are also interesting as you can't see where they lead too, it could be to a system that is controlling the robot. 

Josan Gonzalez’s work is the most realistic in my opinion. The characters are all set in a realistic setting which makes the sci-fi element to the work more believable. There are also wires connecting the robot to something much like in  Shirow’s work. The cigaret in the second piece of work also helps to give the work that thread of reality and makes that character more human-like. Even though it is a robot potentially with no human emotion, it still has an addiction to cigarettes, making it more human-like and also making it seem more rebellious. The use of colour is also interesting as they are all unnatural colours that strengthen that otherworldly effect. 

Overall the main theme that links all the artists work together is that thread of reality. All the characters and based off of human form and a made of objects that can be recognisable for the time. I would like to incorporate the colour scheme of  Gonzalez’s work into my own, as I think that it works very effectively to give the work a futuristic look. 

‘Ghost in the shell’ clip 

‘But no one really understands the risk to individuality, to identity, messing with the human soul’

This quote from this clip shows a very clear insight as to how the people that created this film perceive the future.  The emotion of uncertainty is provoked within this quote and the theme of disorientation and uncertainty is apparent through all the workshop that I have looked at so far. Even in this futuristic worlds with all these technological developments, there is still an uncertainty of what the future will look like and how technology may be affecting us. Throughout history people have always been wary of new development as its human nature to be scared of the unknown, no matter how technologically advanced a society is, there is always going to be a fear of the future. 

This idea of individuality and identity is something that I discussed the ‘Identity’ workshop and in this workshop. With advancements in robotic technology, there is always the worry that our identity may and individuality may be lost. In the first workshop, I look t the idea of whether we will all look the same in the future and how will this affect us? Is individuality and personal identity an important part of what makes us human? In this workshop, we discuss the theme of mutation and man and machine through our collaging. Adding robotic parts to humans is altering the natural human form, what happens if we take robotic enhancements too far and begin to interfere with the brain, soul and our conscience. These are one of the only factors that differentiate and better humans from robots. If we could give robots a conscience would there be a need for humans anymore? 

This clip discusses what could go wrong with messing with man and machine. The second frame shows the expression on the mans face when the robot acts against its program. That betrayal and surprise is evident in his face. Has the robot made its own decision and doesn't want to be told what to do anymore, so instead attacks the man? The robot had been hacked to retrieve information from the man and kill him, but for a split second, it seems as though the robot has a mind of its own. And this draws attention to how horrific it could be if robots could suddenly make there own decisions as they are much more powerful and advanced then humans, and if used for evil, could use a lot of harm. 

Overall this clip provides a lot of context to my own work and really defines the possible negative octopus of merging man with machine. Is man controlling the machine or is the machine controlling man?

‘Akira’ clip 

In this clip, we see how machine and scientific experiments could alter humans. We see the character struggling to control the expanding ‘machine’ aspect of his body. He isn't in control of this thing that is taking over his body and harming his friends. 

At the end of the clip, there is a giant explosion as the characters had to sacrifice themselves to stop this machine. This shows how drastic it may become, to stop it you have to drastically destroy everything in order to save it.

Could this happen in the future? The merging of man and machine could become so out of control that we would have to destroy it all to return to normal. I think that this clip shows quite a dramatised vision of this idea, but I think that this theme of machines becoming out of our control and causing destruction and a very likely reality for our future.

These two clips link together as they both discuss the theme of machines becoming out of control. They provide context for this workshop as they show the potential negative effects of combining man and machine may have. 

This workshop could be seen in a positive way too. Machines help humans on a daily basis and mechanical enhancement already has a big presence in today's society. We are enchanted by machine through prosthetics, hearing aids, pace-makers ect. So not all combinations of man and machines have a negative effect. But in the future will this begin to spiral out of control? For example, we have started to use prosthetics to enhance man by designing them to be more ergonomic to help people run and compete in other sports. Whereas in the past prosthetics use to just be for a cosmetic reason. They needed to be as realistic as possible so they looked more ‘normal’, but we are looking past that now and considering how they can be used to enchase us not just make us fit in. However, these designs still keep that thread of reality. 

Overall this workshop was useful when considering how machines can control and enhance us and what they may be used for in the future. I find the idea of machines being used to control us the most interesting, and it think its very relevant in the sense that even now machines do heavily affect our lives. Especially phones and social media, which have a huge effect on today's generation. Could machines be used to control society into making important commitments such as political decisions; will this affect our individuality and ability to make out own decisions?

Eduardo Paolozzi’s work is very relevant to this project, not only our his processes very similar but his work is also futuristic. He includes pop culture references, making his work relevant to the time as well as keeping that thread of reality. I think that the line work use in the example images above is very effective. The tonal value created quite a grim dystopian effect, and the piles of objects also adds to the chaos. 

In order to develop the college work further, I re-drew the college using a fine liner. I tried to replicate Paolozzi’s techniques of using lines to create tonal value. This helped to make the blend between man and machine more seamless as I could draw in parts to make it more realistic. Whilst still keeping that stark juxtaposition between the robotic machine and the biological man.

gif of process 

original collage

line drawings 

Digital development

I decided next to adapt this work digitally so that I could add colour and textures. This process helped me to develop my digital swing skills as well as develop these outcomes further so they were more effective.

I first created a line drawing on a separate layer copying the original scan of the collage. To make the blend of man and mechanic more seamless I added more tonal value as well as more wires around the face.

I then created a texture for the background using a brush tool on pro-create. I think that this replicated a galaxy therefore, it was fitting to the futuristic theme as space travel was one idea which I thought linked to the brief in the initial discussion of the brief.

I think that the women the picture was very ‘perfect’ and therefore, almost looked robotic or alien and there wasn't any flaw; the original photo was from a magazine cover and so had most likely been photoshopped. So this was one of the reasons for choosing this background as I think the drawing and the themes of the brief both link to a space travel theme.

I wanted to keep the image mostly black and white but the line work didn't stand out as much with the dark background behind it. So I made an alternative with blue line work, I think that this was effective as the blue give a cold and gloomy feel to the illustration; as the illustration is part machine this is fitting as machines don't portray emotion, so in the future AI robots may come across as cold an emotionless. 

Development 

To develop this workshop I applied this technique but using other images. I decided to use a picture of Donald Trump as I wanted my project to include political figures as they play a big role in the control of the world. 

To further develop this I could animate my work and colour it as animation is one of the specialist areas that I want to explore.

Links

This workshop links to the artist Raoul Hausmann and the other workshops through the methods and themes that the work explores. 

The method of collage is very similar to that of Raoul Hausmann, who also combined images of people and combined them with machines. Another similarity is that he uses images of pop culture, often cut from magazines. Therefore both my work and his keeps a thread of reality through the use of realistic photography. Our work depicts relevant subjects, in mine, I have used Donald Trump as he is a widely discussed and controversial figure. By using the fun, a simple and playful method of collaging, the work manages to discuss important subjects but in a more easy and universal way, which an audience will respond better too. 

The theme of juxtaposition and the use of hand rendered collaging techniques links this workshop to the ‘glitches’ workshop. The physical process of collaging by taking one part of something and attaching it to another reminds me of the surgical process that we would have to go through to become robotically enhanced. 

Conclusion 

To conclude I think that combining man and machine together so that they look as though they belong together was very difficult. However, when I developed this digitally I could edit it so that it looked more seamless. So there were some limitations to hand-rendered processes, however having to develop them digitally has helped to improve my digital skills and keep a thread of reality in my work. 

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6 brilliant uses of 3D in brand campaigns

If you’re looking for new arenas to put your 3D skills to productive use, have you considered the world of branding?

Right now, creative and design agencies are at the forefront of developing innovative 3D apps and experiences for brands, not least in the rapidly expanding VR and AR space.

Here we bring you 6 cool branding campaigns that make full use of the latest 3D technologies, and chat to the people behind them to discover how they were put together.

01. Vodafone

Vodafone wanted to say ‘thank you’ to its channel partners at Christmas, so OneBite created an immersive environment where they could all get into the Christmas spirit and win a night out for their team.

“Cross-browser functionality was key, so we needed to use software that would work across multiple devices and all screen sizes as a VR experience, and give a good experience in the major browsers if accessed on desktops,” explains developer George Anderson.

“We decided to use krpano,” continues developer Marcela Bohorquez. “It’s a very flexible VR web development platform that supports high quality rendering and great performance in the web. The panorama viewer allows you to see the experience in HTML5 as well as a VR experience on mobile. 

“It also allowed exporting the final experience for desktop as a standalone application, so it can be distributed and viewed without an internet connection as well.”

They also provided the BD sales team and Vodafone partners with mobile VR headsets that were compatible with their smartphones to view the full VR experience.

Browser testing

Throughout the development of the projects, the design team constantly tested the experience in the browser and in VR headsets to make sure that all was functioning correctly.

“Then once we had fully built each environment, we user-tested on fellow OneBiters and family members of all ages, to make sure they were simple enough to use and worked as expected in both browser and VR experiences,” says Anderson.

“As the Vodafone experience was a find and point-style game, we simply asked users to play the game and to let us know if they experienced any bugs or difficulty.”

Technical challenges

The biggest technical challenge the OneBite team faced was making realistic-looking 3D environments work with interactive 3D elements within krpano. “We ended up building each of the environments as 3D models that we could then take a 360 degree photo of from points within each of the rooms to create each of the ‘scenes’ in our virtual experience.

“For BD we had the idea of having 3D screens to display the content on, and this could be interacted with to display each bit of content when the user was ready to read it,” says Anderson.

“We couldn’t create a realistic-looking 3D screen with HTML to layer onto our 3D room, so we ended up building the screens as a 3D element within the scene itself and then layered the HTML/JavaScript content on top of this. This could be interacted with to display the content.

“It was a great solution that once we saw working in the environment, as we planned, was a great celebratory moment,” Anderson recalls.

Lessons learned 

And the biggest lessons learned? “Looking back now,” says Bohorquez, “we think that one of the challenges with VR is that it is all very new (although more literature is coming up now), it is still a world to be discovered and at every step of the project there will be lots of uncertain elements and findings, making it very exciting to work with but also difficult to predict the results.

“Modern day web users expect extremely fast load times, so this needs to be taken into consideration when developing rich immersive experiences like this for the web.”

02. Bayer: A Journey around the Human Body

Polish creative agency Immersion creates 360 degree VR and AR experiences for the likes of Samsung and HBO, as well as working with museums and heritage sites to create immersive experiences for its visitors. In a recent project, pharmaceutics giant Bayer asked them to create an informative and immersive presentation of the human body and the processes that happen inside it.

“We created realistic 3D models of the human eye, heart, brain and stomach, and created interactive experiences that explain various conditions that are linked to each body part,” explains Piotr Baczyński, CEO of Immersion. “This enabled Bayer to have discussions around its products in a more engaging way.”

Immersion’s graphic designers and programmers worked closely with a group of doctors from different specialisations to build the 3D representations. “This close relationship ensured that the look, scale and movement of each body part was as accurate as possible,” says Baczyński. 

“3D was extremely important for this campaign as the primary goal was to enable users to get a lifelike visualisation of the human body – this was only possible in 3D.”

Interface and storyline

And that was just the beginning. “After developing the models, textures, animations, special effects and sounds, the biggest challenge lay within the interface and storyline,” he continues. “It was important that the interface was not only visually pleasing but also intuitive and easy to use.

“This is a particular challenge when working with VR as it could be people’s first experience of VR. For example, doctors sometimes struggled to understand how to operate the controls, or couldn’t grasp the fact that they could move freely and look around to discover the whole area.

The app guides the user, using movement of the environment, voiceovers and highlighting certain areas. “For this, the user must understand that objects can be picked up, buttons pressed and so on. Quite often a first-time VR user expects to see the action only in front of them, so they’re not actively exploring the space.”

Despite the teething problems, Baczyński believes the benefits of VR for branding are significant: “particularly in an industry that requires technical or sometimes difficult discussions. When placed inside of a VR representation of the human body, the user gets a strong sense of presence and understanding, that allows for better explanation of key processes that happen inside.”

03. Ballantine’s

This new campaign is centred around beautiful models sculpted by Si Scott using Google Tilt Brush

Here’s a sneak peek at a campaign that hasn’t even launched yet, but looks like being very cool from where we’re standing… This promotion for a new whisky series makes innovative use of a series of 3D VR sculptures.

The campaign aims to promote the three single malts from Ballantine’s and reinforce their relation to the original blend. So Cubo worked with award-winning illustrator Si Scott to created a range of 3D VR sculptures, each representing the energy and heart of Ballantine’s original blend ‘escaping’ into the new range.

Polish and magic

“We loved the idea of mixing a traditional artist with the latest tech – this is how the idea originated,” explains Jonathan Sant, creative director at Cubo. “As a traditional illustrator, normally using just pen and ink, Si Scott was the perfect person to match with Google Tilt Brush – technology that lets you paint in a virtual space – for this campaign.”

Cubo hired a studio in London for a couple of weeks and set up the Tilt technology for Scott to work his magic and design a sculpture. 

“We imported the virtual shape into Cinema 4D, and spent a lot of time crafting textures, transparencies and luminosities,” says Sant. “For the stills, we worked into Photoshop and added extra polish and magic. We wanted the sculpture to look like is was emitting light into its surroundings: this was all done in Cinema 4D.”

Technical challenges

As you’d expect in such an innovative space, it wasn’t all plain sailing. “As we were working with the first version of Tilt, we encountered a few technical issues along the way,” says Sant. “Some of the functions are quite restrictive.

“Transferring the artwork from Tilt to Cinema 4D, for example, isn’t as easy as you think. The line work also transfers only as a single line of data, so line weight, colour, thickness and stroke angles all had to be recreated.

“Additionally, as you can only see the sculpture through the headset, providing feedback to Si – who wasn’t wearing a headset and therefore viewed things differently – was also slightly challenging. The sculpture looks so different depending on how and where you are viewing it from. 

“You can look very silly flapping about and providing comments and feedback to someone who can’t see the same things as you.

“The bird was very beautiful in the virtual space and it’s a shame that more people couldn’t have seen it. It was an intense project, but a very rewarding one and everyone is delighted with the results.”

So how will the VR sculptures be shared with the target audience? “We’ve created a toolkit to be activated globally by local markets,” says Sant. “There’s an 80-second launch film made to be shown in airports and also at point of sale to feature wherever Ballantine’s Single Malt Whiskies are sold. It will also be available to view online on the Ballantine’s website.”

04. Ford Performance

Burrows, a creative design and production agency based in Essex, was asked by Ford Performance to produce some enticing content made up of 360-degree footage, 3D graphics and also a variety of historical footage, all stitched together into a 360-degree/VR experience.

You can see the full 360 footage here, but not everyone has a VR viewer yet, so Ford also asked VR experience company Igloo Vision to build a 360-degree dome and took it to Le Mans and Shanghai to let fans experience the footage in a shared environment.

The key to utilising 3D content in brand campaigns is not just about the content itself but more about how it’s delivered to the viewer. VR headsets by their nature make the experience isolated, so we’d expect physical solutions like this to become an increasingly important part of the branding mix in the months and years to come.

05. Audi’s virtual showroom

ZeroLight helped Audi provide virtual test drives in its showrooms

It was only a matter of time before car manufacturers started grasping the VR nettle. And so this September, Audi was the first to announce it is rolling out a VR experience to its showrooms across the UK and Europe.

These days there are so many different options when it comes to your car, including exterior paint finish, interior surfaces, seat leather, stitching, alloy wheel styles, and more. But most drivers don’t feel comfortable looking through material swatches and colour charts; they just want to see for themselves what the car will look like.

Working with digital retail specialist ZeroLight, Audi has developed a system that it says will allow you to view “an extremely realistic experience of your individually configured car, down to the last detail”. 

And that’s not all. You’ll also be able to take your virtual car out for a spin, and see how it handles in virtual locations, such as the pit stop at the Les Mans race track.

To allow the complex data models to be processed for virtual reality, Audi worked with its strategic visualisation partner ZeroLight to develop an especially high-performance graphics engine. 

More than 400 “Customer Private Lounges” – its term for a digital consulting suite – are already in use, and more are coming soon.

06. FGM campaign

A new campaign against female genital mutilation uses shocking imagery created using a mixture of in-camera film and motion tracking

Each year Within Design takes on at least one pro-bono project. Past campaigns have included: UN: No Man Is An Island. And Alzheimer’s Society: A Cure for Derek.

This year it has teamed up with Leyla Hussein, a campaigner and survivor of FGM (female genital mutilation) to demonstrate the shortcomings of the 1985 UK FGAM Act, which has not secured a single conviction in over 30 years.

Within Design created a dramatic video, entitled First Cut (which is still in its early stage and has not yet been released) that aims to highlight the impact that FGM really has on a woman and how it affects seven different parts of her body.

“First we filmed the mannequin, shooting it with a paintball gun to create our ‘holes’,” Within Design explains. “We then filmed our model in 4K looking directly down the camera lens for a few minutes to get our foundation shot for the film.

“As we were unable to directly shoot our model (without being sued) we took the footage from the mannequin shoot and overlaid it over the footage of the model. 

“We then motion tracked our model to attach the paint to her movements, before enhancing the colour of the paint to create a bright green that we then ‘keyed out’ of our image, thus creating a hole in our model.

“To create the illusion of depth in the footage, we took the footage, multiplied many layers of it on top of each other and then spread them out in 3D space. With this applied, when an internal virtual camera is used the hole suddenly has depth. And after randomising the position of each layer behind the hole, this creates a rather interesting look and feel.”

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10 tips to keep kids safe on the internet

Fortunately, the Central Intelligence Agency has compiled a list of hints to maintain your youngsters safe while they’re online.

1.Instruct kids to by no means deliver out private statistics which includes their name, domestic deal with, school name or cellphone quantity in a chat room, on on-line bulletin forums or to online pen pals who you have by no means met in character

2.Explain what anonymity is on your kids and let them know that the internet affords anonymity, which may be utilized by humans to misrepresent themselves.

3.Tell your youngsters by no means to set up an assembly with someone without your permission

4.Encourage children to inform you proper away if anybody has made them feel uncomfortable or fearful online

5.Forbid them from sending a personal photo to anyone without you enhance permission

6.Teach your kids a way to create hard-to-bet passwords with as a minimum 8 characters and the use of both letters and numbers

7.Parents — make sure your anti-virus software is up to date regularly and set up firewall safety, in particular for high-velocity use.

8.Instruct your children to in no way open attachments from senders who you, the determine, do now not understand

9.Take the time to surf the internet together with your kids and talk to them approximately the websites they visit

10.Review the privateness regulations of the websites and video games your youngsters often use and talk with them the non-public statistics that the sites collect.

5 Of the Best Tips for Kids Modeling

Kid fashions are the maximum lovely bunch however they’re without problems the toughest models for photographers and agencies to handle. Modeling sincerely takes a toll on the kids themselves as nicely. To ease that procedure, we’ve got compiled the pinnacle five pointers on children modeling that we accept as true with have to be strongly adhered to.

1. Choose the proper organization

Choosing the right enterprise takes the primary priority on the journey to becoming a child version. The right corporation isn’t always one that is just registered but is legitimate and credible. Parents/ guardians ought to be clean on how their toddler will be handled and what the destiny boom in their kid will seem like. Any credible modeling business enterprise might set up a very good internet site and be very lively both on online and offline systems to marketplace their models. As such, you will be able to see the image shoots and past projects completed by means of youngsters and make a properly-knowledgeable decision on whether or not to join the organization.

Most importantly, never fall prey to scams. Setting your youngster up with the wrong organization can pose many dangers and additionally ruin your children’s true passion for modeling. Some critical symptoms as a way to point it out are being located in suspicious areas, calling you for an appointment on abnormal hours, poor on-line presence, requesting for sexually explicit poses and asking youngsters to come by myself to the organization without their parents. Of course, use your wisest judgment in all instances, however, mother and father should constantly follow their kid to a modeling organization and for all jobs.

2. Wear as it should be to the audition.

Not best have to a child were genuine, she or he must put on age as it should be. Suits or fancy dresses are really useless. Solid-colored garments are sufficient. Preferably stick with the vivid color that resembles the vibrancy and energy of a child and it is higher to wear plain than chance rejection.

3. Set realistic schedules

If your child appears right and is appearing nicely as a version, there could be many possibilities coming to their manner. Never forego the maximum important priorities including faculty and family time. You also in no way want to overstrain your youngster at a young age else the end result might also lower back the heart and they’ll get bored in kids modeling due to fatigue or pressure caused by a hectic timetable. Modeling needs to be an amusing and specific experience for children; else it’s now not a smart pursuit.

4. Don’t spend too much on images or garments

It is probably that parents wishing the high-quality for his or her children come to be spending a bomb on clothes and high-priced images in their children to put up to the employer. On the opposite, it isn’t vital to shipping studio-quality or expert pictures to a studio.

  Is Vinegar Safe for Septic Tanks?

For every house owner, retaining a septic gadget that consists of the septic tank is a very important assignment so one can ensure the system stays jogging effectively for decades. A domestic’s septic tank is depending on herbal bacteria and enzymes to interrupt down and digest waste and maintain the whole lot flowing via the gadget. Without the microorganism components and enzymes, waste would increase inside the tank and in the end create a blockage. The end result can be septic system returned up in the plumbing device which could spill inside the basement and even the drain area. This might bring about a completely high-priced repair invoice. In order to preserve the bacteria from being killed, it’s far essential now not to position chemicals in the plumbing gadget which can kill the microorganism. One item that human beings use and pour into the plumbing machine is vinegar.

Vinegar is made from the fermentation of ethanol by the acetic acid microorganism

People use vinegar for a diffusion of tasks such as a cleaner, anti-mold agent, moderate disinfectant, and as bleach. Vinegar has been proven to be an eco-friendly purifier. As nicely, vinegar does now not kill the bacteria inside the septic tank so it’s far a safe product that can be poured within the drain strains. It is a safe, non-poisonous way to preserve your septic gadget. For instance, pouring a ¼ cup of vinegar combined with 2 tbsp of baking will assist save you sluggish flowing drains.

Because it’s miles acidic, vinegar is a superb cleaning agent and can be used to smooth sinks, lavatories, and showers. It is effective and casting off hard water stains. It will also get rid of any foul odors within the drains. As nicely, it’s far beneficial for getting rid of mineral deposits. The thicker the build up of minerals and lime scale deposits, the longer you will have to let the vinegar take a seat. For tough to easy spots, you can permit the vinegar to take a seat overnight. After letting the vinegar take a seat in drains, it’s miles important to run the hot water via the drain system to clear out the closing vinegar and sediment. Vinegar may even be used to clean washing machines and their drain hoses. People will easy their washing machines by using setting a couple of cups of vinegar in a regular water cycle without any garments in the gadget. As nicely, human beings will clean their shower curtains with vinegar to dispose of mold and mildew.

Adverse Effects of Prolonged Internet Usage on Children

The Internet is one of the virtually notable creations of our instances, it has modified and will preserve to alternate the way we interact with every other, the manner we do enterprise and has elevated our limits, however all this modification, as new as it’s far, comes with side outcomes that we as a society may not be paying sufficient interest to.

At this second it’s miles expected that out of every three eight 12 months antique children get right of entry to the internet on a day by day basis, and 9 out of ten teens not most effective use social media day by day, however, claim to be online nearly continuously, making the aspect consequences of steady internet publicity worth of public fitness problem.

As complex as it can be, some side consequences of steady internet publicity have started to emerge.

Physical Health

According to medical psychologist Kaleyvani Genesee NY Swamy, creator of “The Impact of Internet Use on Children/Adolescents”the regular use of the net on younger kids creates sedentary conduct, which in flip is the high-risk issue for weight problems.

Also, prolonged laptop use has been proven to purpose repetitive motion accidents like carpal tunnel and also eye stress.

Cognitive Development

This is a common difficulty amongst educators, as it appears to be a trend for students who face a hard homework or essays to plagiarize work from the net, furthermore it is turning into more commonplace for youngsters to have problems targeting an unmarried task, that is theorized to be resulting from the consistent multitasking that kids get used to while the use of the internet, inflicting their interest span to shorten.

Isolation and Depression

According to Clinical Psychologist Genesee NY Swamy, the instant nature of the net stimulation adjustments the way young children see the world, that may motive them to sense boredom about everyday existence.

Social Maladaptation

The Health Department of the city of Manchester, warns that desensitization to violence is a consequence of immoderate internet exposure on young children, both violent and pornographic publicity can adjust an infant´s angle of the arena.

Positive Effects

However it isn’t always all awful, many studies have proven that on-line games can decorate an individual’s spatial perception, teamwork competencies, powerful communique, and creativity.