#like if you look at all the disguise cards all the ones that are 2/3s or have first strike or whatever

[dravidious]

You're more important than unemployment

Wanted to make a mechanic called "Omen" and made this

[incorrect-vrains-quotes]

Ending Predictions from moi Master Post

Obvious Vrains spoilers but also spoilers for the endings of some of my favourite anime (Revolutionary Girl Utena & Yuri Kuma Arashi). If you haven’t seen them, go watch them. If you plan on seeing them, tread carefully. If you don’t care, well, then enjoy this post anyways please.

1. Happily Ever After

This is the ending I’ve been gunning for since 2017 and am gunning for no more because there are more interesting ways to resolve Vrains but in essence, it’s happily ever after. 

Yusaku quits being Playmaker and focuses on strengthening the bonds in his life. It more or less ends on him returning home after a big day at school and telling Robppy “I’m home” before going to a fade to white.

Ideally, this would be coupled with a shot of the Ignis safe and happy in the Cyberse World.

2. Happily Ever After... three years later

This is basically the same as above but and kind of hinges on the Ignis... not resurrecting. 

Yusaku still gets his happy ever after and he’s spending it working part-timing at Cafe Nagi. We get a fade to white as he sits down to slack for with his favourite customers (Ryoken and Spectre). This is probably preceded with shots of seeing where other characters are, either presently or perhaps three years later. Alt costuming ensues, maybe even vague hints to Yusaku, Aoi, and Naoki graduating high school.

3. Who’s Fujiki Yusaku... again? 

Who’s Fujiki Yusaku again...? Wasn’t he in our class? Oh wait, he’s the weirdo loner... I wonder what happened to him?

Inspired by some choice dialogue from 119′s preview/overview from Shoichi, I realised that this is on the cards.

Shoichi mentions Playmaker becoming a legend so this ending hinges on Playmaker winning and accepting Ai’s proposal.

If you’ve ever seen Revolutionary Girl Utena, you might get the angle I’m going for. We get shots of everyone but Yusaku in their mundane happily ever after. Who knows? We might get shots of people gossiping about Link VRAINS’ favourite creepypasta protagonist: Playmaker in front of Cafe Nagi but a Kusanagi mental pov gives us the real scoop.

4. Yuri Kuma Arashi but it’s BL and with androids & artificial intelligence

In another ending I’m pulling from Ikuhara directed anime, I think this is another possible contender and hinges on Playmaker winning and again accepting Ai’s proposal.

Instead of pulling at an almost creepypasta ending where we look at the aftermath of Yusaku’s decision to fuse with Ai, on everyone else and Yusaku’s disappearance from the world, we see him living with Ai but rather than becoming one, we see Yusaku give up his humanity and we get a nice little cyan notch on his neck and he permanently becomes Playmaker in a scene a la the climax of Yuri Kuma Arashi and Vrains returns to its true origins: a magical girl anime in disguise.

5. you get a SOLtiS body, you get a SOLtiS body, everybody gets a SOLtiS body

This is just the Ignis return and all get their canon gijinkas endings. I’m not going to go into much depth because I feel like a lot of it hinges on them going into hiding which is sad. I want them to move in with their Origins and have slumber parties but that’s unrealistic :(

so yeah,,, these are my thoughts on how vrains could end and I’m upset that I could only get like 5 possible endings off my chest since vrains does things in 3s and 6s generally but given that Windy’s Kid is still in oblivion,, I suppose it could be thematically worse

[beatricebidelaire]

sugar honey ice & tea

featuring: Kit Snicket, R, the Duchess of Winnipeg, Bertrand Baudelaire, Frank Denouement, Ernest Denouement

summary: Kit, R, Bertrand and Frank (or Ernest) play bridge in a room in the Hotel Denouement.

word count: ~2.6K

title from Bring Me The Horizon’s song

alt: ao3

[01]

Frank and Bertrand reached 5D, and Bertrand laid out his cards as R led the King of Hearts.

“Thanks,” Frank said curtly, frowning a little.

“Good luck. I considered trying for slam,” Bertrand admitted, and then studied Frank for a moment. “And your expression is making me thinking I should have.”

“I’m just planning on how to play this hand,” Frank replied evenly. “Low, please.”

“Yeah, that’s just his usual thinking expression,” Kit assured Bertrand. “It’s close, though I might’ve cuebid the spades.”

“I think you meant certainly,” R raised an eyebrow. “And the results might’ve paid out.”

“Only when I’m feeling bold,” Kit laughed. “Which I guess, when playing bridge, is fairly often.”

They continued with the hand, and 5D made eventually.

“6 Diamonds is cold, isn’t it?” R questioned, counting the tricks in her head.

“If I finesse the right side for the club queen, then I’ll be making 6,” Frank said. “There’s not enough clues though.”

“I always feel like you’re great at finding the queens at times that matter,” Kit sipped the ice tea and chewed on the ice cubes while R redealt the cards. “Like, not when it’s just overtricks, like now, but if it’s a matter of make or going down, then you guess the correct side more often than not.”

“Sometimes it’s also because when the contract’s on the line, you could only finesse for a certain side, though,” Bertrand said, thoughtfully. “By the way, stop stealing my tea, K.”

“Mine ran out of ice cubes,” Kit shrugged.

“I’m half-convinced that Frank’s just great at peeking,” R handed out the newly dealt cards to everyone.  Her face lit up slightly at her cards, and opened 2NT.

“Please,” Frank rolled his eyes, “if anyone ever saw me doing that, then it’s Ernest they saw.”

“You really need to stop using that line every time someone accuses you of something,” R said, unimpressed. “No one else does that.”

“Yeah, not even me, and I have a twin,” Kit shook her head. She responded to R’s 2NT with a 3C, and looked glad to see the 3H response.

“Because no one confuses you and Jacques,” Frank argued. “Besides, I’m pretty sure Ernest does that.”

“Technically, I don’t think he ever said ‘if anyone ever saw me doing that, then it’s Ernest they saw’,” Bertrand countered.

“Actually, he might’ve when he’s pretending to be Frank,” R said thoughtfully. “But I guess that still files this under Frank’s unique traits if people are only doing this when pretending to be him.”

R and Kit reached a small slam of hearts after a series of cuebids and asks, and Bertrand considered over which card to lead.  

“Though I suppose in a similar situation, I could say that ‘if anyone saw me doing that, that’s Beatrice disguised as me’,” Kit mused, laying down her cards for R. “Good luck, I think this one has great chance.  Don’t you love my nice club suit?”

“Ohhh, thanks, that definitely looks helpful,” R grinned as she studied Kit’s hand. “In all honesty, that does sound like something Beatrice would do.”

“I disagree, B wouldn’t want to do some action that K doesn’t want to be associated with as K --  not for K’s sake, but just because it’s probably something she would love to be attached with her name and won’t want someone else taking the credit.”

“Classic Beatrice,” Frank shook his head roughly.

“What latest thing in the hotel has she broken lately?” Kit asked, half-amused.

“Well, not lately, and let’s hope it stays this way,” Frank sighed, and Kit laughed.

“Well, I suppose Bertrand have a point,” R tilted her head, pausing a bit after throwing in Frank with the Ace of Spades, looking a little dreamy.  “She is rather bold and iconic that way.  It’s her charm.  Very delightful in her own style.”

The other three people stared her, and R flushed. “I’m just stating a fact!  Anyway, whatever Frank returns, you’re either giving me a ruff and discard or leading into the table’s Ace and Queen. Making six.”

“I suppose it makes it so much possible for things to happen the other way, like Kit doing something and later claiming it was Beatrice,” Frank said logically.

“Except I don’t do high profile dramatic stuff like she does and if something didn’t look dramatic enough, nobody’s going to believe it’s her, so it won’t work,” Kit said. “Beatrice and I would make great partners in crime though, balancing each other out this way.  All elements of personality traits there.”

Frank and R exchanged a look, the expressions on their faces indicating they’re thinking about the same thing.  Bertrand, on the other hand, teased directly, “Ah, your favorite brand of romance, isn’t it, K?”

“Shut up, B,” Kit glared at him.

“She’s not here now, you don’t need to tell her to shut up,” Bertrand said slyly, and R’s and Frank’s smiles turned into outright laughter.

“Shut up, all of you,” Kit huffed.  She turned her attention to the bidding sequence, ignoring them, and then studied the hand she had.  After some consideration, she doubled the 3NT.

“Wow,” Frank said, raising an eyebrow. “there’s no need for that.”

“Oh, this is absolutely just about the cards,” Kit smiled, a little sweet and a little menacing. “I compartmentalize well.  You’re going down, boys.” She drank the ice tea from Frank’s glass this time, crunching on the ice cubes.  All others passed, and Kit led the Diamond King.

Frank laid out the Dummy’s hand and Bertrand studied it in concentration, planning out his route. “Well,” he said slowly, deliberately, “game on, Snicket.”

[02]

R and Kit settled in 3S, and Bertrand led a small diamond.

“How are things in the hotel lately?” R asked. “King please.” She directed Kit.

“We finally got a new popcorn machine,” Frank said, covering the K with Ace.   He surveyed the Dummy, and decided to switch to a heart.

“This is a hotel, not a movie theater,” R pointed out, reasonably. “What do you need it for?”  She counted the number of hearts in both dummy and in hand, and frowned at the card Frank returned, then looked at Bertrand suspiciously.

Bertrand met her gaze and calmly ruffed the heart.

“Good thing I didn’t go game, though it seems like 3S is in danger as well,” Kit commented. “Also it’s for movie night. By the way, I think it’s my turn to pick what to watch again.”

Frank tried to remember who picked the movie for the past couple of times. “... I’m quite certain you just like, skipped Ernest.”  He paused a little, studied the cards, and then played the King as Bertrand led a club, looking relieved when it held, then returned a heart ready for Bertrand to ruff again.

“Oh yeah, that was intentional,” Kit informed Frank. “He has bad tastes in movies.”

3S went down one at the end, and Bertrand gathered the cards together and shuffled them.  The next hand was dealt, and R preempted a 3H at the first seat. Bertrand looked conflicted for a while, but eventually decided on 3NT.

“Well, this looks like it could be fun,” Kit said as everyone else passed.  She led a heart dutifully, and grinned at R, “as the lady requested.”

“Good luck,” Frank said, “don’t know if my hand’s going to be much of use.”

“Thanks, well, it -- ”

“Might be more useful if we’re in a different contract?” Frank guessed.

“Yeah,” Bertrand admitted, “doesn’t mean this doesn’t have a chance though.  Play the jack.”

After some struggles, 3NT eventually went down 2. “Perhaps double would’ve been better,” Bertrand mused. “We could get to 5C that way.”

“Well, for this hand, probably, though 3NT could easily be the better choice if my hand my club King and Queen were hearts, so it’s really hard to say,” Frank shrugged. “Better luck next time.”

[03]

“Did you guys change the ice tea recipe?” R asked, putting down her glass after drinking it. “It tastes differently today -- oh, it’s honey, isn’t it?”

“City’s latest fashion at the moment, so I’ve been told,” Kit said wryly. “It’s very in, apparently.”

“At Hotel Denouement, we cater to our guests’ ever-changing fashion choices.” Frank said smoothly.

“Well,” Kit said archly, “I prefer my tea bitter.”

“Unfortunately,” he countered easily. “You’re not a guest here.”

The two of them engaged in some silent fight of frowns and challenging stares while Bertrand and R focused on the cards in hand.  Bertrand opened 1C, and Kit took a break from the silent fight to cover with 1S.  Frank bid 2H almost immediately.

They reached 4H fairly easily, and it was a straightforward contract that eventually went over one. Kit dealt the next hand, then opened 1H.  Frank overcalled 1NT.  R bid 2H and ended up as the final contract.

R watched in interest as Kit played, feeling something was off.  Kit should be finessing Frank for all the high spots cards, considering his overcall, yet she wasn’t doing that. And Bertrand did turn out to have some of those spot cards too, which was … interesting. “That’s a really light overcall,” she said as they finished up the board, the clues clicking in.

“We’re nonvul,” “Frank” said, as if that explained the situation. It did sounded like a legit explanation, but also an evasive enough one.

“True,” Bertrand agreed easily, “pass the sugar, will you, E? Hope both honey and sugar are enough to stop K from drinking my tea after she finished all her ice cubes.”

“Frank” -- well, Ernest, really -- blinked for a moment and then shrugged. “Fine, I guess the light overcall really gave it away.  Frank doesn’t do that, does he?”

“Frank might lean on the aggressive side when trying for game, but he sticks to certain principles,” R said, “And Dewey bids more conservatively, so I’ve started suspecting it’s you halfway through this board.”

“Amateur,” Kit scoffed, “I noticed the moment he sat down, try to keep up.”

“Me too,” Bertrand chimed in. “Though admittedly it was only because K gave him a deathly glare. Why did you think I just passed 2H?”

“Good decision,” Ernest smirked. “We cooperate so nicely.  I should come play with you guys more often.”

The bidding for the next board got really competitive, everyone having something to bid.  The contracted ended up as R declaring 5H doubled, though she wondered if she should’ve doubled Ernest’s 4S instead, considering the difference between E and F’s style.

Ernest doubled R’s 5H immediately when it was his turn, giving R a sharp grin, and the fact that Kit didn’t redouble made R feel like the contract was definitely going down.

It did.

“Would 4S have make?” R asked, already suspecting the answer.

“Absolutely not, with the hand E has,” Bertrand said, amused. “Thanks for saving us from that.”

“Sorry,” R told Kit, and Kit waved it away.

“It’s fine,” she said, “hmm, I feel like you’re always quite hesitant to double though. You should try a little more, it adds to the fun.”

“Like playing with knives,” Ernest added, “figuratively.”

“Speaking of literally and figuratively, I heard about what happened last week to Gustav’s script, did Beatrice and Olaf really changed all the ‘literally’ and ‘figuratively’ in the script because they didn’t like their roles?” Kit asked.

“They did,” R said. “Crossing out everyone one of those in the script from typewriter by pen.  Like … read through the whole script in one night and finished changing all of them.”

“That requires some dedication,” Ernest commented. “Wish they do these kind of things more often instead of experimenting with, I don’t know, our new hotel popcorn machine. I don’t want it to explode.”

“Dedication? More like pettiness and too much time on hand,” Kit shook her head.  She saw R’s expression, and said drily, “and now R’s thinking that it’s dedication on Beatrice’s part and pettiness and too much free time on Olaf’s part.”

“Well, am I wrong?” R asked defiantly.

“Only 50%,” Ernest said smoothly. “The Beatrice part, in case you’re wondering.”

[04]

Frank and Bertrand reached 3NT, and Kit tried to get Bertrand to tell her why he and Beatrice got briefed with a secret mission last week.

“I don’t even need to know what the mission is, I’m just, out of professional, non-personal interest, want to know why they choose you and Beatrice to work on it. Well, and knowing what it is would be a bonus too, but not strictly necessary.”

“And people said I’m the one who couldn’t get over Beatrice,” R whispered to Frank.

“Not mutually exclusive,” Frank told her, in an equally low voice.

“No offense but that,” Bertrand said drily, “sounds like the exact opposite of professional and non-personal.”

Kit considered a bit, then said slowly, “You know how J still thinks you’re the model driver you let him think you are on your first date? Like, no clue at all about how you actually drive?  And I can rectify this situation any second?”

Bertrand narrowed his eyes slightly, “Don’t play your trump card too early, K, you never know what you’ll force out.”

“This is a notrump contract, there are no trump cards to play,” R interrupted them.

“Did Gustav convince you to join in the literally versus figuratively agenda?” Frank asked, hiding a laugh.

Kit and Bertrand ignored them, and R told Frank, “we should get some popcorn, this looks like it’ll take a while.”

“It’s right next door, I’ll go grab it really quick,” Frank said quickly, hurrying out of the room.  When he came back, someone else was with him.

“I heard there’s drama and popcorn and I don’t want to miss it,” Ernest said cheerfully, grabbing a chair.

“I’m just saying, I’ve got secrets on you too,” Bertrand said to Kit calmly.

“Can I interrupt? Because if this is in reference to Beatrice, then we all knew about it, not just you,” Ernest pointed out, then grabbed a bite of popcorn.

“To be fair, isn’t Jacques still the only who doesn’t know how he drives either?” R said.

“Ah, so everyone’s just keeping quiet for potential blackmail material, my favorite kind of scene,” Ernest nodded sagely. “Continue.”

“Frank, hand me some popcorn so I can throw it at your brother,” Kit said.

“Does Beatrice really not know?” Frank asked sceptically, ignoring Kit’s request.

“Beatrice is … surprisingly unobservant in certain aspects, all things considering,” R said neutrally.  Everyone turned to stare at her. She blinked. “I mean like, just in general, you know, not particularly referencing anything.”

“Makes one wonder if she would believe it coming from someone else, doesn’t it? She must’ve already heard all sorts of rumors about people having a crush on her.” Ernest mused. “Which might turn Bertrand’s leverage into nothing substantial.”

Kit slowly grinned. “Wow, I’m hiring you as my next scheming consultant.”

Ernest raised an eyebrow, and saluted her half-mockingly, “Ernest Denouement, at your service, Ma’am.”

Bertrand turned his gaze on Frank, “Why did you have to bring him in?”

“I’m wounded, and we partnered so well together last time,” Ernest said, shaking his head, putting one hand on his chest dramatically.

Kit looked at Bertrand, a smile playing on her lips. “So?”

“Okay,” Bertrand sighed. “You win, I’ll tell you about the mission later, alright? Just. Don’t tell Jacques ….. Please. And I don’t just mean the mission.”

“Deal,” Kit said immediately. She picked surveyed the table and the already played cards. “Well, let’s get back to the board, shall we?”

One of the Denouement triplets stood up, “I’ll leave you guys to it, then.  I should get back to work.”

“So,” R said brightly, “who wants more ice tea?”

[synuniverse-blog]

Seven Deadly S.Y.N.s

Welcome to our Inaugural post. Instead of giving you a run of the mill Top 10 list of sneakers we love or we think are the best of all time, we decided to bring you a little bit of a different list. It’s the Seven Deadly S.Y.Ns (Sh*t You Need). That’s right, the Pride, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy of sneakers, from us to you!  We hope you enjoy our thoughts. Leave comments either way, chime in with your own thoughts and stay tuned for more S.Y.N

Pride: (n) a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct.

*In your collection what sneaker do you look at, wear with, or talk about with supreme pride?

Eric Says: For me it is most of my collection but the pair that rises to the top of my list is my Jordan XI Concords (2011) release. They aren’t even my favorite kicks of  all-time but I worked hard to cop and they’re so clean, a true dress up and dress down shoe.

The Cop: On December 21, 2011 I definitely called in late to work in order to stand outside of NIKETOWN NYC on 57th Street. So here I am standing outside on a 65 degree December day waiting for a ticket, A TICKET, that would then allow me to get the sneakers I desired two days later at midnight (this process is dated at this point). After two hours of waiting, by myself, they gave me my ticket (#152) and wasn’t I just the happiest twenty-eight year old sneaker enthusiast going. I then  proceeded to skip my happy ass to work with only one worry in the world: losing that damn ticket in my wallet. Thirty-six hours later on December 22nd with a light drizzle and significantly colder temperature, I waited on a line shortly before midnight until they called #152. As the NIKETOWN employee mumbled my number and asked for my I.D blood rushed to my head and my eyes widened but not because it was my turn to get my box but because I had to secure my route to the train station. I wanted no parts of the dudes that did not wait on a single line but wanted a pair of Concords as bad as the rest of us. Needless to say when I got home and opened that box with its many layers of beauty and removed the sneaker it was everything (the smell, the look, my feelings) I thought it was going to be it was. I have only worn this shoe six times since that day and didn’t even put them on my feet until June of 2012. Each time proud as hell with every single step. That was a lot about one shoe but I think you get the point. 

Eian Says: I would have to say for me the “De La Soul” SB Dunk Highs are by far the cream of the crop.

The Cop: Ha! I can remember this day like it was right around the corner. It was Fall 2005; I was 19 with no job and my mother’s credit card. This was before the crazy hype of Nike SB’s and most people that wore them were skaters. I remember the first store I went to for this cop was Blades on 86th street which is no longer there. They were sold out within 30 minutes, but I knew someone that had the scoop, that DQM (Dave’s Quality Meat) on Great Jones Street had them as well. I called my mom and we made a deal, some may say it was the deal that I sold my soul for but it was worth it. I did all house chores for about three months, an agonizing time that I will never regret because to this day the De La Soul High is my holy grail.

Lust: a passionate or overmastering desire or craving (usually followed by for):

Eric Says: SWEET CHRISTMAS! (Luke Cage reference) Jordan 3s Black Cement are easily the pair of kicks that I lust for. I DO NOT own them, I wasn’t even a fan of 3s until one of my brothers copped the “True Blues” for me. On my feet the 3s are pure beauty which is not easy to say when you wear a size 13 shoe. I now own several pairs of 3s but the Black Cement 3s are not one of them. They are just perfection--they’re also known as “THE” shoe that started it all. Every time I see them on the street (which is rare at this point) I turn into an ogling, clumsy-tourist like New York City pedestrian #SorryNotSorry.

Eian Says: Clean as clean can get: Jordan XI Concord. From the bottom up you have the clear ice sole followed by the white midsole attached to the ever so famous signature black patent leather. Now I’m not old enough to ever own the OG’s but i was lucky enough to get these on Christmas of 2011 as a gift from my other half. I can say it’s been six plus years since I’ve owned them and i have not worn them outside yet. I’m not proud to say it but i have not found the right (perfect) time to wear them. Now I’ve tried them on tons of times with my outfit on, ready to leave the house. Once I take a look in the mirror my heart and soul won’t allow me to walk out the door. This is a sad reality of living in New York City and taking public transportation; you just don’t want to risk the beauty of this sneaker.  

Gluttony: Overcompensation to the point of waste but as we know, nothing thought out and loved that is added to your collection is waste.

Eric Says: Vans SK8-Hi Originals (White on White). Now I know you are probably asking, how the hell did a pair of skating sneakers make any parts of my list but even more, how did it make the category of gluttony? Three reasons: 1. Price Point - In a world of $200 sneakers you cannot beat a clean, classic, all-around stylish pair of sneakers for $65. That is how much it will cost you to add these kicks to your collection. At $65 why would I not own three or more pairs? Some folks build a whole collection on Vans alone.  2. Color - Now this is significant. When I was a kid my mom always said we needed two pairs of sneakers for the summer: a colorful pair and a white pair. I have never abandoned this school of thought and every summer I make sure I have a pair of white on white sneakers. The problem with white on white is that they are hard to keep fresh which leads me to my final reason. 3. Wearability and personal attitude - The White on White SK8-Hi can be worn with shorts, jeans, khakis, chinos, hell even with a suit if you want. Combine this with the fact that when I fall in love with a shoe I will wear that shoe until the soles come off (a pair of brown loafers in my closet can attest to this point). That is exactly why I will continue to buy the Vans SK8-Hi Original (White on White) over and over again.

Eian Says: This is very weird because I would also have to go with Vans SK8-Hi original (Black/White). My reasoning is a bit different, these are great sneakers for the everyday Harley rider as myself. Not only are they bad ass but you can also get them dirty and messy and they’ll still look cool. I have about 10 to 15 pairs of the SK8-Hi but the black/white are hands down the go to colorway. The best part about the Vans for me is that I’ve worn them with a suit and I’ve worn them with jeans or shorts. They can be labeled as one of the most diverse sneakers in my collection.  

Greed: excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions. 

*What sneaker do you or would you have multiple pairs of in your collection? Multiple colorways of the shoe are allowed. 

Eric Says: Jordan 1s High. My, my, my, what a dope sneaker! Just a clean and classic kick. I actually feel like the Jordan 1 High is a Chelsea boot or Chukka disguised as a basketball sneaker. With a very similar feel to the Nike Dunk High (they could be cousins) the Jordan 1 High provides a certain nostalgia that is addicting. Get a pair and feel the power. Or not and that’s cool too.

Eian Says: Classic!!! There is so much to say about the Nike Foamposite 1. Not only is Penny Hardaway one of my favorite NBA players but I think he has one of the best signature sneakers in the game other than Jordan. It’s something about the Foamposite 1’s that always does it for me. Not every colorway but the Royal blues can’t be beat. They are clean on your feet and comfortable at the same time. Now one of my favorite things about the sneaker is that they will never EVER crease, which means they will last forever.

Sloth: habitual disinclination to exertion; indolence; laziness. Basically the sneaker you couldn’t care less about.

Eric Says: Maison Margiela or any designer sneaker that costs well over $300. This will be short because really I don’t care. I want to be clear, I am in no way criticizing these sneakers, the companies that make them, or the folks that buy and wear them. I just have absolutely no interest in spending $595 (at least) on sneakers. I want no parts in being exclusive in that way. Enjoy if you must.

Eian Says: Nike Air force 1 (sorry S.Y.N.ners), I know these are like the mecca of sneakers but for me I guess living in NYC has destroyed my image of the Nike Air Force 1. Growing up in the city this was a must have sneaker and I’ve had my fair share of AF1’s. This is where the name icy whites comes from. When these sneakers are fresh they are fresh, but once they get a scuff or the famous crease they go from a ten to a five real quick.

Wrath: Uncontrolled rage or hatred

Eric Says: Adidas and/or Kanye West. Sorry, I could not pick a specific pair or style here. My issue is truly with the company/designer. The lack of accessibility for any pair of Yeezys in spite of ‘Ye citing that as being one of the reasons he left Nike. The sneaker silhouette is cool and I would definitely like a pair in my collection but I’m past standing in lines and I’m not paying the outrageous resale ticket price. So until Kanye/Adidas make these kicks more accessible I will continue to rage red every time a different pair of Yeezys is released.

Eian Says: Don’t hate me for this but the Adidas NMD and all other sneakers that contain the sock. I have wide feet so I can’t wear any of them. I remember the first time I went to cop a pair of KD6’s Aunt Pearl. Once i had them in my hand I knew something was wrong, the sneaker didn’t look right and seemed to be too small. I tried to squeeze the life out of my feet just to make them fit in that damn sock. I had to try on a whole size bigger just for my wide foot to slide in, and that’s not even the big foot (because you know everyone has that one foot that’s bigger than the other). This is the same issue I have with every single sneaker that has the sock.

Envy: a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success, possessions, etc.

Eric Says: Olympic 7s OG. This is the kick that started it all for me. In the summer of 1992 we were privileged to watch the greatest basketball team ever assembled tear the world basketball scene apart. It was also the summer my mom brought home the greatest pair of shoes that I have had the pleasure of wearing, the Jordan 7 Olympics. I was not a Jordan fan. I didn’t care too much about sneakers (I was nine) but opening that box, smelling the sweet aroma of new sneakers, and unwrapping each sneaker from the soft tissue paper used to protect the sneaker from all known dangers, I knew in that moment I was going to love sneakers forever. That was the beginning. I need to return these to my collection.

Eian Says: Air Total Max Uptempo: It was 1997 and I was twelve and I was with my uncle and cousin coming from the Gauchos gym (NY youth basketball at its finest) after basketball practice. We went to the mall to grab some lunch and stopped at Foot Locker on the way out. Once I laid my eyes on them I knew I had to have them, but of course, at twelve years old, I could never afford them. At that time I would never even ask my parents for them because the price was so high. I remember seeing kids older than me with them on and it killed me inside every time. I’m still on the lookout for them to this day. i know they retroed them circa 2009 but I missed out once again.

 * We are both very excited about this blog, not just as creators but also as lovers of the culture, and we look forward to interacting with folks and continuing to share our thoughts and ideas with you all. Please come along on this journey with us as we look to explore and grow.*

[aheliotech]

How to create, manage and store passwords securely

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How to create, manage and store passwords securely

Let’s face it: staying on top of your digital life can be a nightmare these days. The average person has more than 90 online accounts to manage, according to recent figures. By 2020, this number is expected to balloon to over 200.

Having robust login credentials is essential for protecting your identity and ensuring your data stays out of the hands of the bad guys. However, there’s simply no way to mentally keep track of all these passwords (particularly if you’re being a good digital citizen and using unique alphanumeric combinations for every single password).

What’s the solution?

In this article, we’ve put together everything you need to know as a business or home user to manage your passwords safely and securely.

Why is it so important to have a good password?

It’s important to have a good password for one very simple reason: it prevents unauthorized access to your physical devices and online accounts. If your password is easy to crack, a cybercriminal may be able to gain access to your bank, social media, email and other private accounts, which could have a devastating effect on your life.

The importance of having robust passwords is particularly pronounced for small businesses. Not only do business owners need to ensure their mission-critical data is safe in order to minimize company downtime, they also need to be doing everything they can to protect their clients’ personal information, which may be stored on the company’s system. Small businesses often find themselves in the hackers’ crosshairs, due to the fact they typically don’t have the resources to support a dedicated IT security team. Cybercriminals are well aware of this – in 2016, about half of all small- and medium-sized businesses in the US experienced a breach, according to figures collated by Keeper Security.

Of course, none of this should come as shocking news. In fact, you’re probably sick and tired of security experts telling you to improve your password hygiene. However, it seems that a pretty big chunk of the population has yet to get the memo, as far too many people are still relying on passwords that are about as secure as a wet paper bag (read: not at all). As SplashData reported, the two most popular (i.e. the worst) passwords of 2017 were, for the fourth year in a row, ‘123456’ and ‘password’. Other notable mentions included ‘qwerty’ (coming in at #4), ‘iloveyou’ (#10) and ‘starwars’ (#16).

How hackers steal your passwords

So, having a strong password makes it less likely for a cybercriminal to obtain your login credentials. But how exactly do hackers steal your passwords in the first place?

1. Password leaks

Every now and then a major company is hacked (Yahoo, Dropbox and Gmail to name but three), resulting in millions of passwords being leaked onto the web. Not only does this mean that a criminal can potentially gain access to your leaked account, they may also be able to use the leaked information to log in to your other accounts.

How?

Well, if you’re one of the 87 percent of people who reuse their passwords, a hacker can simply use your leaked password and attempt to login to your other private accounts. Credential recycling can be attempted with passwords collected via any means (not just password leaks), which highlights the fact that you should never reuse the same password.

2. Brute force attacks

A brute force attack is an attack in which cybercriminals methodically try logging in to your account using every possible combination of characters until they get the correct password. As you might imagine, this would be impossible to do manually, so hackers use purpose-made tools that are capable (if run on the right hardware) of processing millions of attempts per second. The shorter the password, the quicker a brute force attack will be able to steal it.

3. Keyloggers

A keylogger is a certain breed of malware that runs hidden in the background of your computer. If allowed to go undetected, a keylogger can track every key you press on your keyboard and transmit this information to a malicious party, enabling criminals to steal your login credentials. An effective anti-malware product is essential for keeping your passwords safe, protecting your computer against malware and ensuring your system is clean of keyloggers.

4. Phishing

Phishing is a form of social engineering that preys on human nature. Essentially, phishing is all about tricking users to willingly divulge sensitive information (such as login credentials, credit card details and so on) by disguising malicious websites and apps as legitimate services. When you enter your information into the bogus website, you’re inadvertently sending the data straight into the hands of the criminals who can then freely assume your identity and login to your private accounts. Phishing remains incredibly prevalent, presumably because it’s proven time and time again to be an effective attack vector. Some reports indicate that more than 3 in 4 businesses were affected by phishing in 2017.

5. Post-exploitation tools

Another way that criminals commonly steal passwords is through the use of post-exploitation tools. As the name implies, attackers use these tools on systems they have already successfully exploited in order to gain better control of the device or network. The widely used Mimikatz tool, for example, can be used – among other things – to quickly harvest information that may be of value, including all the existing passwords on the compromised system.

6. Rainbow table

Even if you, as a consumer, devise a great password, it could still be stolen if the service you’re using it for uses poor password encryption practices. Most vendors nowadays are aware of the dangers of storing passwords in plaintext (more on that later), and instead store their passwords as hashes. A cryptographic hash is a mathematical algorithm that can be used to produce a checksum (a value typically used to detect data errors). With a cryptographic hash, it’s possible for a vendor to verify that a password is correct by crosschecking its checksum with the checksum in the database. The entire process takes place without the vendor ever knowing what the password actually is.

While this might sound like a very secure way of storing passwords, hashes do have their flaws. The most commonly used hashes (MD5 and SHA-1) have a known number of total possible hashes, which means they can be (and have been) precalculated. These precalculated values are stored in a list known as a rainbow table that criminals frequently use via simple lookups to reverse hashed passwords. Once they’ve stolen the hash and cracked the password using the rainbow table, the hackers can uses the login credentials on other websites where they suspect the user has reused the password. In this scenario, the length of the password is totally irrelevant as the table only takes the hash into account.

To counter this problem, vendors are increasingly looking to salted hashes, which incorporate randomness into each stored password to further obfuscate the password. With a salted hash, each individual password requires its own rainbow table to crack, making it computationally impractical for criminals to attempt.

Are you concerned that your login credentials might have been stolen without your knowledge? Use haveibeenpwned to put your mind at ease. Simply enter your email address and the site will crosscheck it with hundreds of the biggest hacks in recent history and let you know if you’re at risk. You can also use the tool to send you an alert if it finds your email address in any future data leaks.

How to create a good, strong password

So, a good password is an important part of your defense system, but what does this mean in practical terms? Well, in regards to password best practices, things have changed quite a bit in recent years.

“Through 20 years of effort, we’ve successfully trained everyone to use passwords that are hard for humans to remember, but easy for computers to guess” – XKCD.

In the past, the general rule of thumb was that your password should be as complex as possible. As a diligent internet user, you ensured your password included numbers, symbols, and uppercase and lowercase letters, and the resulting password might have looked something like this:

3s+zq&KW

However, we’ve steadily moved away from this approach. The US government recently updated its password recommendations to reflect the modern take on passwords and even Bill Burr, author of NIST Special Publication 800-63 Appendix A (one of the first resources to encourage people to incorporate obscure characters into their passwords) recently admitted to The Wall Street Journal that there were some flaws in his original work. Simply put everyone’s finally realized something: computers are not humans.

While the above password would be undeniably difficult for a human to guess, to a computer it’s no more secure than any other eight-character combination such as ‘magazine’ or ‘princess’ or ‘umbrella’.

The good news is that creating a robust password doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are three basic ground rules when it comes to creating a secure password in 2018:

1. Length is the new king

The cornerstone of making a good password has shifted from complexity to length. Each additional character makes your password exponentially more resistant to brute force attacks. As such, a great password can be made by simply stringing a bunch of random words together into a long phrase, such as:

vagantgerontogenousnidifugousyorkkelpielongiloquence

The longer, the better. We recommend aiming for a minimum of 16 characters.

2. Keep it unique

As we touched on earlier, reusing the same password for multiple websites, apps or devices exposes you to all sorts of unnecessary risk. Yes, you might have dozens or even hundreds of accounts to keep track of, but that doesn’t justify recycling your credentials. Make every password unique and secure, even if it’s for a service that you’re only going to use once or twice. There’s always a chance, no matter how slim, that one day you’ll give these ‘lesser services’ your credit card details and you’re highly likely to forget to strengthen your password when that time comes.

3. Make it random

In addition to length, it’s important that your password is also random. If you opt to use a string of random words as described earlier, don’t rely on your brain to conjure up a few seemingly ‘random’ words because there’s a good chance these words will be easier to guess than you might think. Instead, use a trusted password generator to produce truly random character combinations. Similarly, avoid using common phrases, pop culture quotes and references, and personally meaningful passwords such as birthdays, anniversaries, pet’s names etc. The latter increases your risk of being manually hacked by a particularly studious criminal who may scour your online presence for password clues.

For further tips on creating secure passwords, be sure to check out our previous blog post on the topic.

The best password managers of 2018

Do not store your login credentials in a text file. Storing all your passwords in a plaintext file means that a hacker can simply steal the entire list of passwords in one fell swoop and truly wreak havoc on your digital life. If you’re a business owner, storing passwords in plaintext also increases the risk of an internal security issue as employees are freely able to access login credentials. Just don’t do it.

At the same time, remembering dozens of lengthy random, unique character combinations is more or less impossible. The most secure way to store passwords in 2018 is to use a dedicated password manager.

1. KeePass

What KeePass lacks in flashy user interfaces, it more than makes up for in smooth functionality. The free, open-source software features portable installation, which means you can run it straight from USB. It supports an impressive slew of security features, including a password generator, secure notes and a range of password entry options. There’s no official browser or Android implementation, though there are a number of unofficial options.

Login credentials are stored locally, meaning it’s less well-integrated than some cloud-based solutions (making it best suited to people who want a single device solution), but the upside is there’s also less risk of your passwords being leaked. As with all open-source software, you’re more than welcome to inspect the inner workings of KeePass, which gives technically minded users the opportunity to look for potential flaws in the code.

Price: Free

2. Dashlane

Dashlane is a cinch to use and comes packed with a bunch of features designed to keep your passwords safe. In addition to storing your login credentials and auto filling them whenever you may require them, Dashlane also boasts a robust password generator and a digital wallet that manages your credit card information securely, allowing you to make online purchases quickly.

If you use the sync feature, Dashlane will store your encrypted data in the cloud; should you disable sync, your data is permanently deleted from their servers, leaving it stored locally on your computer.

Price: Free for one device, $3.33/month for premium.

3. Sticky Password

Another user-friendly option, Sticky Password boasts some decent features wrapped up in a decidedly clean, if slightly outdated, design. As with many password managers, Sticky Passwords allows you to securely store and manage unlimited passwords on a single device or, if you upgrade to premium, sync your login credentials across multiple machines. In contrast to some password managers, Sticky Password can also handle application logins, which is great news if you regularly have to use password-protected software.

Being able to choose between syncing data on the Sticky Password servers or over your local Wi-Fi is a very nice touch for those who want an integrated solution without compromising security.

Price: Free for one device, $29.99/year for premium.

4. 1Password

1Password might just be the best looking Mac password manager on the market (but comes in Windows and browser flavors as well). It can do all the things you might expect of a good password manager, with some other goodies thrown into the mix such as organizing and syncing your software licenses and files. It’s worth noting that, unlike just about every other password manager, 1Password doesn’t use any form of 2FA and instead relies on end-to-end encryption and secret keys to ensure you are who you say you are.

Price: $2.99/month.

5. RoboForm

RoboForm doesn’t bother with fanciful features or a beautiful GUI, and instead focuses its efforts on stellar password management. In addition to secure encryption, RoboForm supports application logins, note storage and emergency access. The highly customizable password generator is one of the best around and the company recently added support for limitless logins in the free version, making it a great choice for budget-conscious users in need of a great password manager.

Price: Free, $19.95/year for premium.

6. bitwarden

bitwarden comes highly recommended from members of the lab team here at Emsisoft – and for very good reason. The open source software features 2FA, end-to-end encryption and, unlike most of the other entries on this list, the free version even includes unlimited syncing across devices! bitwarden also packs a competent password generator and is compatible with a bunch of different operating systems and browsers. The icing on the cake is that you can choose to host the bitwarden infrastructure on the platform of your choice, meaning you don’t have to rely on bitwarden’s cloud service if you don’t want to.

There’s no native desktop application just yet (you have to run bitwarden through your browser), but apparently it is in the works and should be arriving soon.

Price: Free, $10/year for premium.

7. LastPass

LastPass frequently tops the list in any roundup of best password managers. Compatible across a range of operating systems and featuring a robust password generator, security challenges and 2FA (even with the free version!), LastPass has been the gold standard of password managers for quite some time now. However, it’s also worth keeping in mind that LastPass has been hacked in the past, though its advanced hashing meant that the criminals likely weren’t able to crack the stolen passwords.

Price: Free, $2/moth for premium.

Securing passwords: No more excuses

It’s simply not possible to manually keep track of all the passwords that part and parcel of modern life. The best way to securely generate and store your passwords in 2018 is to use a trusted password manager. It only takes a few minutes to set up, and the time investment is absolutely worth the peace of mind knowing that your login credentials are safely stored away.

Be sure to use a proven security solution such as Emsisoft Anti-Malware in conjunction with your password manager to ensure your system is free of keyloggers and other malware that may compromise the safety of your login credentials.

Do you use an awesome password manager not mentioned on the list? Let us know in the comment section below!