#it could've all been so different if 2019 had gone differently... but that's 5 years ago now

[timeskip]

I have no hope for the future and I've shot myself in the foot a million times

[pico-digital-studios]

My thoughts about JD 2018

Yes, I'm aware that I'm running a risk of being hounded by fans who think JD 2018 is borderline irredeemable as a game, but... I honestly can't help but feel bad for the reception it ultimately got. Sure, the game wasn't at all the best, but there's still some good points I can see out of it from the gameplay footage I've seen, alongside me playing some of that game's songs on Just Dance+.

For starters, I wouldn't call every choreography the worst in that game. I genuinely had fun dancing along to songs like "In the Hall of the Pixel King", "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Sugar Dance", and some of the other choreographies on the game look like they'd be fun for me to perform. However, I wouldn't call all of them very good, either. Simply put, you're not gonna be catching me dancing to "Make It Jingle", no way. "Beep Beep I'm A Sheep", maybe, but I'll at least keep my hands off my bedroom floor for that one.

Now, as for the song selection itself. I was pretty numb to some of the big pop ones on there for a bit, but watching gameplay footage and trying the routines on Just Dance+ helped me have some renewed appreciation for what we had back then. Though I'm not as big a fan of some of the songs on that song list, there are still a good majority on there I've enjoyed getting to listen to, especially with the choreography visuals.

Onto the menu presentation. Yes, it was pretty simplistic, but it definitely had substance to it, especially with how the colours in the Just Dance mode's menu changed depending on what song you had selected. And boy, those holiday themes looked like a joy to experience on the menu! The basic good stuff of Easter, Halloween and Christmas without disrupting the core essence of that menu. Makes me wish the other games after then had such a feature to use.

As for the extra modes themselves. I can pretty much agree with a lot of the criticism directed towards Kids Mode, and if I was manning that, I'd take an approach that Just Dance Kids 2014 did, incorporating nice songs for the little ones alongside some good pop songs for the older kids. Even though Dance Lab isn't as good as Just Dance Machine, what with its routines bundled into preset groups of 5, I'll be alright getting started with that before taking on its Shake Lab mode.

But the idea that truly stood out to me, and why I'm aiming to get the game for my Switch as an extra side-thing in case I can't access the Just Dance service? The Double Rumble songs, which allow use of both Joy-Cons in a set of five different original songs. Ubisoft could've gone well with the Switch versions by incorporating that into some of their actual song lists, but sadly, it got dropped the following year and hasn't been seen again since.

Honestly, as much as I like the newer menu layouts introduced in 2019 onwards, what with you being able to preview songs before dancing to them, I miss remembering the feeling of trying to dive right in and see if the choreographics picked my fancy or not, like I did with the Wii versions of 2014 to 2016. And I'm not too big a fan of the bland white background seen in 2019 to 2022. Feels devoid of any substance compared to what 2018 had going for it.

If I decided to help develop a Just Dance offline game in the future, I'd definitely take cues from 2018 for the interface design choices, and I'd include the option of having either thumbnails or song previews available for when a song is selected, and this can be toggled whenever. Sets of songs (like those from past games) would have the category system that 2016 to 2018 had utilised so that it's easy to flip through them, alongside having the Search function available at all times if you're trying to find a specific song from the selection.

Though 2018 was more limited in other modes compared to the previous year, at least its Switch port can be considered playable (and at least 2018 Switch didn't ditch two popular songs like 2017 did for its port, or sent said versions to Unlimited for no reason). I'm honestly sour about 2019 outright ditching all the alternate modes aside from the Kids Mode, much to people's distaste to it barely changing its acts (and including some kid-unfriendly songs through Unlimited (especially looking at you, "Who Let The Dogs Out?" and "Copacabana")).

So, as my final verdict, I can see 2018 as a fun game for me to play on occasion, though I do admit that it needs some improvements (like a fixed song list and such) to better stand out. The visuals are pretty up to snuff, and should Ubisoft revisit that old menu style again, it'd definitely be a plus with the odd tweak. That, and not locking most of the songs behind playing a couple again.

[aci32]

POSSESSED/KREATOR/TESTAMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone here's my 12th review of 2024, Possessed/Kreator/Testament!!!!!! This was the first time in a long time I've gone to a show where all 3 bands have been fantastic from start to finish. I was definitely glad I went to this show as it helped me blow off some steam after being under a lot of stress for the past while. This was also the first time I've gone to History in all 4 seasons: winter back in February and now autumn in October. I first went during the summertime on August 22nd, 2022 to see BLS and Anthrax and then a 2nd time on May 23rd, 2023 to see HammerFall and Helloween and that was during the spring. I've now been to History a total of 5 times and I like it better than Rebel.

Let's begin the festivities!

First band up was POSSESSED!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 3rd time seeing them as I've seen them both times at Wacken Open Air 2017 and 2023, they always put on a great show. My grievance was whenever Jeff Becerra would speak I would hear too much reverb coming from his microphone to where I could hardly understand what he was saying, so the sound engineer could've toned down the amount of reverb that was projecting through Jeff's mic whenever he talked in between songs. Other than that, the band was solid from start to finish and Jeff Becerra has strong Lemmy Kilmister influence in his vocals. Plus it was the first time Possessed had played in Toronto in almost 40 years. Here's their setlist:

1. Pentagram

2. Ritual

3. Tribulation

4. Graven

5. The Exorcist

6. Demon

7. Death Metal

8. Swing of the Axe.

After Possessed it was time for KREATOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 12th time seeing them and they've now tied Warbringer for metal band/band I've seen the most times, so if either one or both play on the same tour, it'll be 13 times. Kreator are always solid live and Mille Petrozza nows how to fire up the crowd, he was even humorous when he told the people from the balcony to jump in the pit. It was also cool seeing them at a larger venue than Danforth Music Hall since they had more space to set up their stage especially with the two inflatable demons on both sides of the stage. Here's their setlist:

1. Hate Über Alles

2. Phobia

3. Coma of Souls (intro only)

4. Enemy of God

5. 666-World Divided

6. Hordes of Chaos (A Neceologue for the Elite)

7. Hail to the Hordes

8. Betrayer

9. Satan is Real

10. Phantom Antichrist

11. Strongest of the Strong (Dedicated to all the bands playing and the fans)

12. Terrible Certainty

13. Violent Revolution

14. Pleasure to Kill

After Kreator it was time for TESTAMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 11th time seeing Testament as I last saw them 8 years ago at Wacken Open Air when they played from 1:50 AM until 3 in the morning, so wee hours of the morning, which was definitely lots of fun. I would then miss them as they played with Sepultura and the same night Sabaton played but I had to miss Sabaton as I got food poisoning, then the following year, they came with Slayer, Behemoth, Lamb of God, and Anthrax, but I skipped that show as I was at HammerFall and Flotsam and Jetsam that same night, plus I lost all interest in Slayer after Dave Lombardo left a 3rd time and after Jeff Hanneman died, I missed them at Wacken Open Air 2019 as Krokus were playing at the same time, skipped their show with Exodus and Death Angel on October 1st, 2022 as I knew Exodus would blow them off the stage like they did in 2015. The setlist they played reminded me of their old school set back in 2015, except difference is Testament mainly focused on their first two records. Plus when I saw them play at Wacken Open Air 2016, Alex Skolnick was doing twirls around the stage while he was soloing which I thought was impressive. I'll add this was the first time I saw Testament after Gene Hoglan left as the last 6 times I saw them, Gene Hoglan was behind the kit and got to see their new drummer Chris Dovas. During Over the Wall, Chuck Billy stood on the barricade very close to me and it caught me by surprise as I was looking at the stage and then his tall imposing figure comes right in my face. Chuck Billy had also made mention of the Canadian government finally paying the First Nations people the money they deserved and said the US' day will come one day. Plus before Into the Pit Chuck said "The guy in the leafs shirt, he's the target" Then bassist Steve DiGorgio came up and asked "What jersey number is it, Tavares or Matthews? Tavares or Matthews? Wendell Clark, that's old school!" Here's their setlist:

1. Eerie Inhabitants

2. The New Order

3. Apocalyptic City

4. Raging Waters

5. The Preacher

6. The Haunting

7. Trial by Fire

8. Drum Solo

9. First Strike Is Deadly

10. A Day of Reckoning

11. Alone in the Dark

12. Do or Die

13. Disciples of the Watch

14. Over the Wall

15. Into the Pit

Overall an awesome show and a great way to spend a Thursday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[whoslaurapalmer]

fic ask meme: 4, 5, 29

4) how many wips do you have right now?

hmmmmm. tough call bc i have so many wips endlessly vibing somewhere that i would like to get to!! but right now i am really trying to work on planning out college au but i feel weird saying just one wip???? especially because it is still just a plot wall!!! so

-college au. the thing about college au is that it takes a lot of laser focus and i can't work on much else at the same time bc i am trying to rewrite entire plotlines to work in a college setting and i have to try and keep everything together in my head without other work interference. -i have some little thoughts about lemonberry ice family times with the kids that i would like to make into just a fun little fic sometime soon -in terms of 'ones i'd sure like to get around sometime THIS YEAR,' sunny fic is also usually still very close to the surface of Fic Thoughts.

5) what's a fic idea you've had that you'll never write?

this is hard!!! because i want to write all of them!!!!!! i always want to!!!!!!! and even the ones i've said 'oh i won't do that' i've wound up writing lines for here and there, just to have a few things down, like the hamlet thing, my 1957 les girls fic, i've even got some lines for who fic around somewhere but i likely won't ever do more but even that exists, oh BUT

so i'm not writing naruto fic in this the year of our lord 2023 and i wasn't in then the year of our lord 2019 when i was struck by an idea but i will in fact not ever write this. i don't have the energy to naruto anymore. sometimes i wish i did bc i know almost exactly how i'd do this. but i do not. but i am occasionally soooooooooo irritated that no one has written like a...........good, post-og pre-shippuden fic about the genin and their lives after sasuke leaves and naruto goes to train with jiraiya, like just.......some good introspective character shit, not a lot of plot, one of those vibes fics with a nice song lyric title (which, would've been a lyric from one of the best naruto openings, what was it, opening......five? six?? oh it's six!!!! no boy no cry!!!!!!!!!!) with about like, ino being the only member of her team who didn't go after sasuke and having to watch shikamaru and choji come back and CHOJI ALMOST DIED, similarly tenten being the only member of her team who hasn't gone through a life and career threatening injury, i imagine shikamaru has to have nightmares given his emotional state after HIS FIRST MISSION AS A TEAM LEADER WHICH IS, I THINK, INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND VERY OVERLOOKED, and like, things about sakura being the only member of her team left in the village now (although i think there's some decent sakura-centric fics out there, but i want, more of all the genin, and them interacting with EACH OTHER) (i've watched a bit of boruto, like the more chill episodes, and the one where sakura says something like, "i just know, the people i was friends with when i was thirteen, they're still my friends now.'" and i think there's a lot overlooked too in the konoha nine/twelve/whatever friendships), just a lot of leaf village life stuff about the trauma these kids have gone through and like.......the ghosts they have to deal with, not just of sasuke but also naruto? even if they've left for different reasons? tsunade probably plays a big part in parts of the fic bc i think tsunade was sorely underused in canon as a character who could've LEGITIMATELY overturned the ninja system. i think the fics that focus on character and trauma and especially life in the leaf village are the most satisfying sort of naruto fic to read, for me. anyway.

29) Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

mayo, for you i must share my who fic lines, which, i don't think i've posted before?? as it turns out i have three little fic ideas?? the first one was My Very Intense Obsession With Letting Companions PILOT THE GODDAMN TARDIS, particularly rose

teach me how to do it, she does not ask, because he's definitely not going to tell her. the tardis is his, it's his thing, even if it should be their thing, but, so he won't, is what it is, not even if she asked. but she's not going to get stuck like that again, either, sent off with no way to get back to him. 

but rose isn't -- he tells her she's so clever, but it's not in the way it counts, is it? she watched the doctor pilot the tardis for, for however long it was before they were back on station 5, and when it mattered, when she needed to do it, she couldn't. and she should have, should have known which button to press, which lever to pull, which thing did what to get her back to him. she'd watched him do it and she couldn't, because she's not clever, not smart, she can't even pay attention right. fat lot of help she is. 

this is...............i think this is about ten, trying to i guess justify ten falling in love at the drop of a hat and specifically inviting them on the tardis which was occasionally in my humble onion not necessarily great but i could get behind it from this standpoint. it's a little repetitive i think bc i was feeling out the vibes

[but he falls just a little bit in love with everyone, doesn't he. how could he not? bright, beautiful people, stupid impossible terrible people, living their stupid impossible lives, impossible boring beautiful little lives, things mean so much to them, so many souls burning with this insistence to live, to help, to be. so important, each and every one of them, just by being lucky enough to be here, now, where they were. how could he not fall in love with a piece of each one? how could he -- how could he not want to hold them all so close to him where he could always see it, where he could always have them?]

i think i've said this before. we all know i want a peaks-style ten+tentoo doppelgangery identity confrontation. in, apparently, second person??

[you are no stranger to seeing yourself -- you've seen plenty of the previous yous, and, on some level, this is really no different, isn't it? if you want, you can think about that you as another one of them, a lesser version of this you, younger, not quite as -- well, good is not at all the word. but this one is just more you than looking at your past, because you are looking at you, this you, the current you, separate and alive and still you.]

[bowieisworried]

weird sleep schedule gang wassuppp lmao

In retrospect with how messy my list of groups i like is now, it's very funny how Peaceful my first two years as a kpop stan were. It was basically just me, bts and stray kids chilling. No wonder i can't keep up with anything today i know too many groups hhffh

There's no way tbz knew they were gonna be on a second season, otherwise they probably wouldn't have gone ALL OUT the way they did. I hope... ^^'

Exo and their lineup changes... me as an outsider i have no idea what's going on tbh. But exo was one of the first kpop groups i was really ionterested in back in 2013/14 and i looked up their wikipedia article - as you do - and then there was this whole thing about the different exo subgroups and stuff and i exited the tab and never tried getting into kpop again until a friend made me dghsdghgh. I'm actually laughing right now remembering that it's to stupid i could've been into kpop for so long but all it took were the phrases Exo-K Exo-C and Exo-L to make me give up xDDDD

I have this thing with a few groups now where i love all their music and have all the reasons to learn more about them but i just listen to them, watch some content and only know two or three members. And that's fine i don't have the energy for more rn but also some groups i rlly Wanna get more into like Victon and Ace but rn is not the time i guess

If you have any recs for videos i could show my friend, i'll gladly take them. She said she just wants to start with their music and performances so maybe some of your favourite stages? idk

I like your second hand policy hah but i can't scroll past a whole album for 3€ just bc there's no pcs. BUT SAME the whole "pcs are more valuable than the rest of the album so i'll sell each for 10€ and the album itself for 5€" makes me... so angry

The BM theatre version has me so confused bc normally i'm a sucker for special versions/editions but this one has like.. Less stuff than the other versions overall and i think less photobook pages too? so i probably won't get that one either.

The only group i've ever collected all album versions of is stray kids and they always had 2-3 versions but i stopped after 2019 i think so i have a lot to catch up on now that i've decided i want to collect them again hhh

I exchanged my cd player with my dad's dvd player that i cracked so i can watch korean concert dvds lmao but i guess that doesn't make a difference.

I used to collect books i never got around to reading so i guess kpop albums just make more sense for me. No words just pictures and sounds :D

It's so hard getting old shinee albums right??? Oh i see you also have the bad love space ray ver. Please tell me have you opened it? mine is still unopened on my shelf bc the collector in me screams when i think about cutting it out of there ahhhh

(but i just remembered i ordered the box set ver too so at least i'll be able to listen to the cd soon)

I would love to see your pulls and other albums!

Aren't yOU SUPPOSED TO BE MY SECRET SANTA; NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND?? hsdfjhsdjfh but if you want an excuse i'd love some leedo & seoho interactions bc i'm basic

oh or seoho in the heartbeat cover stage! i just rewatched that and he looks so fluffy uwu

have a nice day 💖

~ santa (or honorary advent calendar)

Answer under the cut cos it's a long one xD

Jesus two years with just BTS and Stray Kids? I applaud your self control, I’ve been here for less than a year and I’ve already got a bias list as long as my arm and far too many groups lol! I’m curious though, who’s your Skz bias? (or biases hehe)

Honestly I have no idea with Exo either. The most I’ve gathered is that all but one of the Chinese members left (or were pushed out by SM, who knows), although Lay isn’t really there either right now. Probably locked in a cupboard somewhere in one of SM’s basements xD There are so many units though, it’s mad so I don’t blame you!

Yeah, that’s the thing, it’s music first and foremost so really who cares if you don’t get super into the other content and knowing about the members and everything. Victon and Ace though... I adore both of them, so if you ever want to know more just hit me up. All I have with them is pain right now though because both my Victon and Ace biases recently enlisted.

Ooh, you could maybe recommend their MAMA stage where they performed Lit after a wee medley of other stuff (including Sherlock :D) or just any of their Stage Break series with 1theK, they’re all phenomenal!

Ok yeah, if I came across an album for 3 euro then I’d definitely pick it up, photocards or not lol. I might have to break my rule on not buying albums without them soon though... I’m dangerously close to having all of Taemin’s stuff but one that I still need to get is Ace. Which, without a pc is still about 40 quid or something ridiculous. So unless I get really lucky with finding it cheap somewhere, I might have to just bite the bullet lol.

The Theatre version is odd. The theatre stuff was really cool, and it’d be neat to have a photobook with the different stylings they had for the videos but like you said, it’s a smaller photobook and the whole thing just seems a bit... light on content?

Oh jeeze, you’d have an awful lot to catch up on I imagine, especially with all the stuff they released recently. I don’t think they’d stopped for even a minute xD

That sounds like a good swap to be fair, gotta have those concert DVD’s haha

Ugh I know that feeling. You always see a new book somewhere and buy it with the best of intentions but then it just ends up being a shelf decoration.

Yeah, old Shinee albums are a pain in the backside. I do, it’s so neat! I opened it the day I got it, using a very sharp knife. VERY SHARP. Thankfully it went well and I’ve kept the plastic covering and the backing so it basically looks unopened when it’s on the shelf. Ooh, do you mean the one that looks like a cereal box? I got that one as well, you’ll absolutely love it. Genuinely the best marketing/production/whatever I’ve seen for albums so far, Key’s an absolute gem.

Hehe, cool, I’ll maybe put a wee post together with all my pulls. Would be good to have them all in one place anyway so I can check them quickly if I have to.

Ok, yes, but still! I’m going to be without internet (mostly) for about 3 days until I get it installed at my new place so it’ll definitely give me something to do. Good picks by the way, I shall see what I can do :D

Hopefully your day was an easy one and tomorrow’s the same!

[tellurfriends]

figuring out benji's license because i don't know much about law and it's been bothering me (:

we have all the info here ... sort of

[license shown in episode 7]

mm/dd/yyyy

issued 11/16/2018

dob 11/16/2002

issued in altanta, georgia, so the accident didn't happen in another state or area then they moved to atlanta, he's always lived in atlanta (at least for all of high school he has)

the suspension is what i want to focus on though

it could've happened in the summer of 2019 or the winter of 2018

he'd been with derek for a year as of february 2020 (assuming @kateis-cakeis timeline is correct)

benji said he was drinking because he knew he was gay but didn't want to be so why would he have a boyfriend? he didn't. it couldn't've happened in the summer it wouldn't make sense. so it happened winter 2018

november? december? why not (first) winter 2019?

he said no one at school really knows about it (i was in an accident in a september so i'm basing this off that) if it would've been november, january, or february people would've known they would've talked about it and speculated with who was out of school and i know he said he wasn't really hurt but he totaled the car so i find that hard to believe. but in december (late december) people would've been gone and/or distracted with family and holiday so less people would be around to talk about it. they would've been out of school already so theres no one to notice benji missing. and the news can't put a name (or image) in reports unless parent/gaurdian or person of intrest allows them to. the only way (through the law) that students could've figured it out was the arrest, and it would still be based in speculation, but his mug shot would be in a magazine that comes out weekly with all the mug shots of people arrested the prior week (at least there is where i live) & they'd be able to find it online if not. also the fact that it was a wendy's, a fair amount of people would've been there in the summer while in winter it'd be at most a couple families (based off the wendy's around me at least)

for this i'm gonna say this is his first DUI possibly second if his parents payed off the first but i'm gonna say this is the first. also to be assistant manager (based off standard starbucks promotion) he'd have to be there for like 2 years. also to be left the shop alone after hours for a date he has to be trusted. based on this he's been working at brasstown since at least 15 (legal with a workers permit). in georgia he could've been working there since 14 with a workers permit which would make 2020 his 3rd, going on 4th, year at brasstown. since hes been working since he needed a permit i'm gonna say its his first DUI or reckless driving incident & they couldn't've payed him out of one.

as for jail time on the websites i looked at it didn't say anything about under 21 but otherwise:

[image description: graph showing first second third offense with respective jail time, fines, and community service. first offense jail time is ten days to 12 months. second offense jail time is 90 days to 12 months. third offense jail time is 120 days to 12 months. first offense fines are $300 to $1,000. second offense fines are $600 to $1,000. third offense fines are $1,000 to $5,000. first offense community service requires 20 hours minimum, 40 hours minimum with a BAC of .08% or more. both second offense and third offense community service requires minimum 30 days. end image description]

for the first offense jail time can be waved with required meatings (such as AA) and probation

i'm gonna say, if he was jailed, it was within the month or within two and he'd lie and say he was on vacation like they got snowed in wherever they were or something. as for the fine i'm gonna say its somewhere within the first ($300-$1000). community service maybe 40+ hours but not 30 days

also i wouldn't be suprised if his parents are making him pay to fix the car (that's what my parents would've done even if they fixed or replaced it themselves i'd have to pay them back)

on to license suspension

[image description: graph of license suspension times to different offenses. first DUI conviction is 12 month suspension. second DUI is 3 year suspension. third DUI is permanent revocation. first offense with test refusal is 1 year suspension. second offense with test refusal is 3 year suspension. third offense with test refusal is 5 year suspension. first under 21 DUI and under .08% BAC is 6 month suspension. second under 21 DUI and under .08% BAC is 18 month suspension. third under 21 DUI and under .08% BAC is permanent revocation. end image description]

< this is the only chart i could find but from other stuff i read i don't think it's entirely acurate >

regardless benji either got 1 year suspension (meaning he got his lisence back before the show started) or he got 18 months which means he'll likely get it back in june or july (he could've also gotten 6 month suspension but that'd make him way more of a liar)

he's likely also on probation and has mandatory AA or other meatings

on top of that, he drove into a wendy's and i don't know how it is for businesses, only homes as thats all i can find for property damage. so provided that its similar to houses/personal property damage he likely has to pay restitution (what he damaged or part of it, in personal i know insurance will cover to an extent)

there's also court fees

he also has hospital fees as he said in episode 7 he woke up in the hospital

this has wildly gotten away from the point of the post and i now have knowledge of DUI laws for a state i'll never live in

point is benji likely lied about not being able to drive but with property damage it may be possible he got an 18 month suspension, he also definitely had more than .08% BAC (based on the line "i got super wasted")

i don't know how these things are decided or much of how they work, i'm not a lawyer or a law student nor have i gotten a DUI as i don't drive nor do i nor have i ever lived in georgia. all of this information is from a day of research so info may be wrong but its what my research supplied me with

also i'm aware its a fictional world and they don't have to go by the rules of the real world. comparing it to real world just helps me understand it better also the simon-verse is meant to at least be similar to our world

good day, sorry for the long post (: