#no more doom boxes 2022

[disguisedcheezed]

what made you like dirkjohn so much? like how did the ship pop into your head?

"how did the ship pop into your head?"

Okay. So, I just did some digging through my old abandoned accounts, and it turns out dirkjohn was my main reason why I read Homestuck in the first place. XD

They got me with their dumb looking faces and I thought I should just ship them because they're my favorites. And the fact that they were a blue orange color combo, which is the color combination I am very obsessed over, is just a mere coincidence that just made me like them more.

I don't even remember other shit from 2020-2022 because I was busy fighting for my life. 😭 I did knew that they had one interaction, so I just read the comic without expecting much of them as a ship but I loved them as their individual characters.

"what made you like dirkjohn so much?"

I don't just like dirkjohn. I LOVE dirkjohn. It's not even an exaggeration. I couldn't talk about dirkjohn(or just themindividually) without making poetry.

Anyway. The depressed weed boyfriends dirkjohn 2016-2019 shippers were right this. It was made sometime after the release of the snapchats where John is alone in his room for quite a while. And then there's other people who say like "of course they're being paired because they're the left overs of the kids ships", but what if it's like they were meant to be that way? What if they finally get to talk to each other and call out on each other's destructive behaviors? What is more romantic than being understood? Everyone else has figured out what to do with their lives.

Dirk helps John be grounded back into reality and tell him that there are friends that care for him. John tells Dirk to get out of his head, stop over thinking about the future and take care of himself. They inevitably take care of themselves by taking care of the other. They should take care of themselves for the other. And over time they get to share interest in watching animes, shitty movies and pranks.

The above is only showing "the good part" of dirkjohn.

"The worst part" ? Dirk and John were created in love of Everything, but they were doomed to be Nothing.

Similarities : They heavily mirror each other through almost all aspects of their lives.

Ex. (only a few. this isn't even the half of it.)

John: Rise up / Prince: Rise up

Liv Tyler / Lil Seb (puttin the bunny in the box)

Dirk sending gifts to his friends through a sendificator(red box) that helps/interacts with his friends physically(robots). John sends gifts to his friends through mail(blue box) that would give them their unique identity forever.

These conversations have the same vibe where they wanted to know what the other is really like apart from them knowing their adult counter parts:

In what aspect are they The Same? :

They hate themselves. Dirk dwells in it. John pushes it in the back of his head and doesn't want to think about any of it.

Dirkjohn Conclusion/Bare essentials: They effortlessly make the appeal themselves.

This is also why looking at HS^2 through a dirkjohn perspective just makes it a huge dirkjohn fanfiction. X

They ascend the need for a label in their relationship/any form of romance because of how intertwined they are to each other that they are a concept as a whole. (looks at the camera)

Dirk and John are the very threads of what makes Homestuck, Homestuck... Which means nothing.

End of ask mood moard;

My body is a vessel that collected every piece of Dirk and John's showed it back into the audience piece by piece and I will never stop doing it.

[rpgsandbox]

The 10 Most Anticipated TTRPGs For 2024!

EN World's annual vote on the most anticipated titles of the coming year, and yes, some games have appeared on this list in previous years.

10 Tales of the Valiant (Kobold Press)

1st appearance Kobold Press joins the 'alternate 5E' club with this rewritten, non-OGL version of the game! A million dollar Kickstarter last year, and a new one for the GM's book going on right now, Kobold Press announced this as 'Project Black Flag' during the OGL crisis of 2023, but being unable to trademark that name opted for Tales of the Valiant instead. The system, however, is still called the Black Flag Roleplaying System.

9. Mothership 1E (Tuesday Night Games)

3rd appearance On this list three years running, the boxed Mothership 1E game should be coming out this year! This is sci-fi horror at its best -- you can play scientists, teamsters, androids, and marines using the d100 'Panic Engine'. Yep, it's Alien(s), pretty much.

8. Monty Python's Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Program (Exalted Funeral)

2nd Appearance Exalted Funeral made quite a splash when they announced this game last year, which went on to make neary $2M on Kickstarter. And how could they not? It's Monty Python fergoodnessake! A rules-lite gaming system, spam, a minigame with catapults, spam, coconut dice rollers, spam, and an irrepressible Python-eque sense of humour. Did I mention the spam? It was at #10 on this list last year, but it's claimed to #8 this year.

7. Daggerheart (Darrington Press)

1st appearance From the Critical Role folks, Daggerheart is a new fantasy TTRPG with its own original system coming out this year with "A fresh take on fantasy RPGs, designed for long-term campaign play and rich character progression."

6. Cohors Cthulhu (Modiphius)

1st appearance It's Ancient Rome. It's Cthulhu. It uses Modiphius' in-house 2d20 System. You can be a gladiator, a centurion, or a Germanic hero. Did I mention Cthulhu?

5. Dolmenwood (Necrotic Gnome)

1st appearance The British Isles, a ton of folklore, and a giant Kickstarter--Dolmenwood is a dark, whimsical fantasy TTRPG drawing from fairy tales and lets you "journey through tangled woods and mossy bowers, forage for magical mushrooms and herbs, discover rune-carved standing stones and hidden fairy roads, venture into fungal grottoes and forsaken ruins, battle oozing monstrosities, haggle with goblin merchants, and drink tea with fairies."

4. Pendragon 6E (Chaosium)

4th appearance Last year's winner was on this list waaaaay back in 425 AD, and it's still here! Well, maybe not that far back, but it's shown up in 2021 at #4, 2022 at #3, 2023 at #1, and now 2024 at #4! What can we say? People are clearly anticipating it... still.

3. 13th Age 2nd Edition (Pelgrane Press)

2nd appearance 13th Age is over a decade old now, and was our most anticipated game way back in 2013. Now the new edition is coming! It's compatible with the original, but revised and with a ton more... stuff! 13th Age 2E was #3 in last year's list!

2. The Electric State Roleplaying Game (Free League)

1st appearance Free League is always on these lists, and for good reason. This gorgeous looking game is described as "A road trip on the verge of reality in visual artist and author Simon Stålenhag's vision of an apocalyptic alternate 1990s".

1. Shadow of the Weird Wizard (Schwalb Entertainment)

3rd appearance First announced by Rob Schwalb a couple of years ago, this is a more family-friendly version of his acclaimed RPG, Shadow of the Demon Lord. SHADOW OF THE WEIRD WIZARD is a fantasy roleplaying game in which you and your friends assume the roles of characters who explore the borderlands and make them safe for the refugees escaping the doom that has befallen the old country. Unsafe are these lands: the Weird Wizard released monsters to roam the countryside, cruel faeries haunt the shadows, undead drag themselves free from their tombs, and old, ancient evils stir once more. If the displaced people would rebuild their lives, they need heroes to protect them. Finally at the top of the list after being #7 in 2022, and #6 in 2023!

[doom-nerdo-666]

My personal Doom "manifesto" (yes, calling it that)

This is a list of things i would do if i had control over the series (which will never happen)

This post was in my drafts for a while, so some info is already outdated by the time this comes out.

On one hand, stuff everyone could agree is good, on another, some very specific and weird stuff.

That and a lot of this stuff relates to my OCD and awkward preferences but in a logic of "nothing is lost, something is gained".

Also a logic of "canonicity" as in "how canon/official is something".

By the way, SOME of this stuff here can be found in the tag "important" but even other tags like "opinions" and "idea" include stuff in here.

In fact, there's probably stuff i could've added in this post that i forgot as of writing this.

Not only that but as i keep making posts in this blog, maybe i could even have new ideas and concepts that could/should/would've been on this post but may never be added, who knows.

(there's also the fact that Tumblr has a character and link limit)

Anyway:

Concept art

Something i think would be neat is "preserving" concept art in a game, like ingame galleries.

Specially for stuff like unused designs, early iterations, unused sprites, ideas, promo material, cover art etc.

Could even be for stuff that may never be used, so the inclusion of the art could still count as "saving an idea".

Because even the art books (So far, there's of D3, 2016 and DE) and stuff like the id vault in D+D2 don't cover anything.

And with the older games or even mobile spin-offs, i'd probably have galleries for sprites that are used (Sometimes, because they're not "fully shown", like how in D2RPG, the Holy Water Pistol pickup sort of noclips with a ceiling).

(or even the D1 intermission screens and how the buildings are covered by text and the blood spots... again depends on how OCD one can get)

But yeah, there's always concept art and sketches you'd have to look for in social media of artists even.

Also art for promo material like box art, since D64 has that unused cover art.

Similar to this is model showcases

Specially for a re-release of Doom 3 (that is actually good)

Like showing off models of Doomguy/marine, demons, weapons and maybe some other stuff.

Manuals and booklets

Similar to above, since there's always texts that could relate to "lore" or at least sound interesting and with personality.

Maybe even the use of fonts and the style too.

Like how D2's manual states where cybernetic demons come from, maybe even Final Doom mentioning Doomguy's pickup truck or the non-canon 2022 date in SNES' manual.

Maybe one issue is console ports because of how the original booklets mention computer buttons or those of specific consoles but still.

Speaking of texts worth preserving: Master Levels for D2 came with texts that people read through DOOM-IT at the time.

I aslo recall there being a "lore book" of DE.

Speaking of lore, they might as well include even "outside lore" like when Hugo Martin said stuff in interviews or streams.

"Museum"?

Depending on how much stuff i think should be preserved and is about Doom history, this idea could be cool.

Like something out of Ratchet and Clank.

Also, even the music and sounds like a jukebox or playlist.

(even for unused sounds like cut character voice lines in DE or Reznor's D3 sounds)

Now speaking of showing off cut content: Levels and maps, which is more complicated.

It’d probably use The Cutting Room Floor and some community members like MarphyBlack as helpful reference.

Ports

There's some stuff that hasn't been ported, like the PS1 version of Doom and Final Doom.

Some probably don't have reverse engineering projects too.

With the RPG games, i'd think of the following:

Both versions of each game, since they had more than one version.

Preserving D2RPG's comic

Art galleries with all sprites

Even the "touch" controls/UI/sprites for D2RPG, at least if there's a Switch port (or in general, if it returns to mobile and doesn't go away)

Also, you know the computer in the Fortress of Doom with the Doom ports?

Imagine an upgrade to that including all classic Doom's and even the mobile spin-offs and both Sigil's...

(i could say even Romero's E1M4/8 deserve to be "canon/official" but at that point, i'd hire him again and fund whatever he'd want to do with the Doom name)

And even the classic Heretic/Hexen/Quake games (expansions included) just because Doom already took enough from its brothers lol.

On the subject of porting episodes/mapsets/wads: Make sure Master Levels are seperate (Like a menu selection for each map/This is also because of how Bloodsea Keep had a missing linedef/script thing that worked because of the map 7 slot) and come with their original texts (So people know the lore of the Cyberdemon who became a Doomguy).

Speaking of preserving content: Something about showing the original TITLEPICs and credits screens (because i recall BFG edition being guilty of changing it)

(Maybe if we give people options to change stuff, like the 2 menu themes in DE)

If DE gets a special edition release a decade later, i'd like to include stuff that was planned but cut like specific podiums, skins, icons, master levels, even the "gold bosses" etc.

When it comes to the Bob Ross skin: Change the afro to a painter beret and then put the afro on a disco skin.

So you can save both the clothing and afro just by seperating them.

"Backporting" Doom related stuff from other games

Like when Fallout 4 had that Creation Club thing about Doom or Doomguy's cosmetics and Doom related stuff in Quake Champions or other games.

I guess even using the Harbinger of Doom from Wolf RPG counts.

What about cut or obscure content like PS2's Quake 3 port and the unused Doom lines?

Preserving even the merch and other media

Like an ingame gallery option for THE Doom comic or digital stans of real life Doom merch that existed (Which is like the opposite of how DE had collectibles ingame turned into real merch).

Because there's obscure examples like the Symbiote Doomguy/Phobos with a BFG dolls or the "Son of Phobos" snowboard with unique artwork.

We gotta make sure those scans/recreations of the real merch are accurate.

As for the novels or the movies? maybe sure...

What about websites like the lost UAC website based on the RPG games and D3 or Martian Buddy's site?

But what about stuff like interviews or promo art? I guess there's a point when wikis could do that stuff, specially if for example: Interviews with a certain website means the website itself has its own brand, therefore copyright.

And there's specific videos like those of Gregor Punchatz showing off the Manc and SMM models during D2's development.

Game preservation in general

This applies to even game updates or "events", which is notorious in Doom Eternal even for minor things like that Doog easter egg

And let's not forget skins/banners/etc and HOW to get them.

Specially with stuff like Slayers Club, Twitch Prime or the now gone BethNet or whatever you call it.

Or 2016's SnapMap, multiplayer and online stuff like leaderboards.

Even D3's MP didn't have proper off-line with bots, right?

I think any game with online stuff should have off-line options so the content is safe.

Specially with bots.

And specially if bots can be programmed to react/interact with speficic things.

Think of how 2016 MP has the Blursphere, Hologram, Threat Sensor/Pulse and smoke grenades: I don't think the current MP bot AI reacts to that.

Same probably for BattleMode.

The older games are simple in that regard i think.

The mobile games are mostly lost except for the reverse engineering ports by some fans but Resurrection is totaly lost (maybe).

Mighty Doom should have a "finished/off-line" version that has all its available content and can be access without monetization or online.

In fact, when it does get that "finished" version: I like to think it could've been a minigame inside a bigger Doom game.

VFR? I dunno, did it have a "not VR" option?

Another thing: Game updates that rebalance the game, which affects strategies and stuff, which honestly is kinda weird in singleplayer games and feels like a "George Lucas" thing except Lucas' edited movies didn't replace the older ones.

Also related to game updates: When DE replaced Mick Gordon's theme with the new one from TAG and then id added an option to switch between one and the other.

Restoring cut content?

There's always unused/cut ideas i like to think should be in a game and not just as gallery images or museum showcases: Actually used.

Like a D64 episode that uses its unused enemies, weapon (destined to be a flamethrower) and level themes

Or a D3 expansion with Trent Reznor's sounds, the Arachnotron, Birdman etc

Honestly, this stuff could at least be spin-off/expansion material because "MAIN" games will obviously prioritize new ideas.

But i like to think so much stuff in the cutting room floor or some underworld of ideas deserves a second change.

Who knows, maybe there could be a classic Doom spin-off that's like a canon/official Doom Delta where DrPySpy helps make the Doom that Tom Hall wanted to make.

Also, if the cancelled Doom 4 is restored: I'd prefer restoring all the other cut stuff first just to be sure.

Expansions?

I like to think D3 could have something by the people behind that Phobos mod (and at the same time, its sequels so it could be on par with 2016 having Eternal and TDA).

But even with DE, i always felt it'd be cool if it had expansions with either ARC/Sentinel soldiers or even Crash and Phobos.

I already said D64 having the cut content in extra levels.

Speaking of Crash/Phobos

I'd be interesting integrating them in Doom, not just playable in DE expansions but even have their own classic Doom episodes, skins like their classic armors and collectible toys.

Remastering designs

Instead of "remaking" the old games, i prefer when a brand new Doom just picks up old designs and modernizes them.

And there's always old little things that may not return like the UAC with blue carpets.

I like to think old designs can be "remastered" in different ways like how FIREBLU is either fire, crystal, frozen magma or something else.

Like a question that could have multiple answers.

The idea of remastering things in different ways could require different artists.

Doom 3 better edition

Again, someone can find my D3 re-release idea post where i wrote what i think it should be, as opposed to what we got in the BFG Edition and later releases.

Third person camera options?

Because i'm obsessed with the idea of designs being "shown" that leads to the gallery stuff, so even this one sort of counts

Something similar is camera modes.

Maybe noclip counts as "exploring how a game looks" because even some classic Doom console ports remove that cheat

Skins/themes of pickups

Basically, exploring the themes of Doom's worlds through gameplay items, which is something that was always fun in Doom

Also as a response to modern Doom making its pickups "videogamey" because of the idea that these ideas are supposed to "exist in their worlds".

(And to have a better look at the quality of some models and appreciate them more)

But it's fun to imagine weapons, ammo, power ups etc in variations based on UAC, Hell, Sentinel or Urdak.

"World expansion in gameplay"

In general, i'd expand Doom's worlds/themes through gameplay: Pickups/weapons/etc under specific themes, interactive stuff like vehicles and weapons or enemies and even locations based on these worlds. And this sort of "theme/world expansion" doesn't have to be exclusive to a specific version of the Doom universe because in some ways, certain ideas, as usual, may not work in some versions of lore/style/gameplay/etc.

Quality of life additions

You know how classic Doom sprites have certain issues like missing pixels, missing rotations or even the wrong blood in Cacos and Hell nobles?

I wonder if some port even considered adding them, even as an option just because.

In general, think of anything by fans considered a "fix" like how people fixed the missing yellow key in TNT's map 31.

Or even stuff like brightmaps?

Modding

Important, even if there's legal stuff behind ever releasing source codes.

Gotta make sure people can do the most with these games.

Also, save SnapMap.

"From influencee to influenced"

You know how Doom 3 even copied the Gravity Gun or modern Doom may have taken its platforming from Turok?

I'd unironically push that further.

Consider that as the "daddy of FPS" honoring its off-springs, specially dead franchises.

But also as a way to make Doom look like a spoiled child that gets all the toys.

It'd make Doom feel expanded with how many gameplay features exist.

Both Doomguy and the demons with expanded movesets for crossovers even.

"Canonizing fanfiction, even if basic ideas everyone had"

Or ideas basic enough that feel like id themselves could've thought out.

Because when people want to see the series grow, they probably think of what they want to see and what's already put in various mods or is treated as canon.

A lot in Doom modding and fandom already feels like stuff that id could/would/should've done, like an alt timeline of the series.

If we can have Doomguy say "rip and tear", i don't see why he also can't do the Skulltag taunt sound.

That and how people forget that concepts like the mere term "Doomguy" is fanmade.

Spin-off galore

I feel a lot of my ideas (and others') would work better in spin-offs, because it's almost like a "less serious" area.

Like one thing is a mainline game where you have to think of the whole picture and how fresh it has to be.

But with spin-offs, you can either do things a bit more casual, for the sake of fun, throwing stuff and see what it sticks, or even do out there stuff like how the RPG phone games are turned based.

A specific thing i'd explore in Doom spin-offs is anything "sand box" related: Like side modes where you explor gameplay mechanics or toy with stuff for fun, like pitching demons against each other.

Emphasising on different interpretations, lore included

As usual, i keep saying stuff about how Doom's setting is fun to make different versions of and even lore applies to it.

Plenty of ideas i've had in this blog and will continue to have (or even some that i stole)

I talked so much about Doom's potential for versatility that, if i had control over the series, i'd unironically milk it and make it huge.

But at least one could admit it'd be the most "content packed" FPS series.

All these enemies, weapons, gameplay features and ideas.

Like by checking my "idea" tag, you can find a lot of stuff that i'm sure people could agree are cool.

Or even ideas from others.

Maybe it's a good thing i don't control the series whatsoever, because this feels like it'd be putting so many people on crunch mode, since it includes stuff most wouldn't consider that important.

What about Quake or other series?

Yeah, maybe i should consider the same.

Just think of what i said about Doom and then look at Quake, then make something similar in case i don't do it myself.

Same for others.

Some stuff to link

Ideally, i'd add way more links but there's always a limit, so i'd recommend you to explore my blog if possible.

D3 needs a proper re-release

Stuff existing thanks to fans

How "eternal" IS Doom?

Videos for Doomwiki

Ideal tips for game preservation

Cut lore in DE?

About the "id vault" in Quake 2

Something about remastering old Doom

2 essential tags: idea and opinions, feel free to explore them

At some point, i could edit this.

But after releasing this, i wanna do that "meytr" game redo, which will be a series of Tumblr posts this time.

[miliamin1]

Stubborn, single minded and obsessive (15176 words) by miliamin Chapters: 5/? Fandom: Wednesday (TV 2022) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wednesday Addams/Enid Sinclair Characters: Wednesday Addams, Enid Sinclair Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - High School, nevermore is not a boarding school alright, Autistic Wednesday Addams, Enid Sinclair Has ADHD, Panic Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Underage Drinking, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Fluff, Angst, Fluff and Angst Summary: After a full school year Enid can’t really call it a hyperfixation. Or a simple crush really. But falling for an anti-social girl means that the two months of summer break will be enough of a strength test on these feelings to either get rid of them or solidify it as ‘love’, dooming Enid for an unrequited high school cliche. If only Wednesday didn’t develop a sudden habit for window break-ins demanding favors.

First chapter excerpt:

The first time Enid fell in love was during AP Calculus class. Starting at a math quiz even. One of many that year. This teacher loved to give five minute quizzes out of nowhere with so little time being justified by the fact that it was multiple answer papers. Real chance of passing by just guessing. 

There was no chance of passing if just looking at the questions made you freeze and lose all semblance of thought. So little time. So many of those failed already. Enid was screwed. Mom found one with a big red F on them and yelled at her for hours. How she needs to pass all of her AP classes with better grades. How she’s always a disappointment. How she needs to stop being a failure. How she needs to get better. 

There was no getting better when her brain started to swim instead of thinking. Words and numbers jumbling together and not making sense, ticking of the clock speeding up impossibly. 

TICKTICKTICKTICKTICK. 

She could never do anything properly. 

Never.

Never.  

Never. 

Air was heavy and moving sluggishly out of her, requiring all energy spent on getting it in and out. Not enough oxygen. Even her lungs were failing to do their job. Her mouth completely dried up. Her heart beat so fast it hurt.  She felt as if she could fall down any moment. But she couldn’t move. Only clutch at her pen and be stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

The test paper slid away from her. Of course the time was up and she failed already. Of course-

The paper moved only slightly to the left and a tan hand deftly picked up the pen from her hand. Quickly filling out boxes and then moving the quiz back in front of her. Cold fingers moving up from her wrist, pressing on the muscles to relax so a pen can be put back into the nearest hand of the owner.

Enid instead tried to hold onto them. With all her strength. They squeezed back, tightly and repositioned them under the desk.

Wednesday didn’t try to free herself the whole rest of class. Even after Enid's breath evened out. Or to be able to write with her usual right hand. Enid felt guilty because it wasn’t like her dominant being free meant she wrote anything. She was so exhausted all she could do was examine the blue veins, tiny scars and manicured black nails on the tether that kept her still in this world. The coldness of the skin made reality easier to latch onto. 

She was too exhausted to remember that Wednesday never needed to write down that many notes. Not until the ripping sound of paper got accompanied by being given instructions of extremely dumb downed new formulas and how to use them in a question. 

She only noticed she’s crying when she noticed wet marks discoloring the black ink. But  they were so far from being caused by pain. Blissful feeling in her chest, making breathing easy, fed on gradually disappearing coldness of skin. Like it needed it more than oxygen. Her neck tensed as she tried really hard to not look at the girl beside her and risk her crying to become noticeable beyond the stray tear or two. The feel of her firm touch was so sweetly overwhelming enough as it was. Eye contact would make her fall apart in the opposite direction.

By the end of the period their hands achieved thermal equilibrium and Enid’s heart learned a new beat.

[doomedandstoned]

10,000 YEARS Drop Massive 2nd Single en route to ‘All Quiet on the Final Frontier’

~Doomed & Stoned~

By Billy Goate

Artwork by Shane Horror

10,0000 YEARS are back with another big record. The sound is urgent, the rhythms unrelenting, the weight heroic. This is 'All Quiet on the Final Frontier' (2024) and it's the hard hitting third album from these sludgy high octane Swedish metallers. Today, Doomed & Stoned brings you a new cut from the record, ominously titled, "The Experiment."

Says 10,000 Years:

"The Experiment" was one the very first songs we worked on, and finished, after Alvin (Risberg, drums) joined our fearless crew. I think the song is very us, and very telling regarding where we’re at as a band and where we’re going in the future. It’s got the heavy stuff as well as some weird riffing and it just goes all out, all the time. Lyrically, the title came first and I thought "What’s the coolest, most legendary experiment?" and ended up at Dr. Frankenstein's lair for inspiration.

It's the latest single to emerge from the band's forthcoming opus, with a title that provokes thought. It has indeed become an age of experimentation where Pandora's box has been opened and man has a chance to play Creator, or as it were, mad scientist. The mischief making and miracle working of high technology is fast surpassing our ability to comprehend. If only Dr. Frankenstien had CRISPR when he went to work on his monster. Will our technology ultimately surpass and replace us as a species?

Now I know What it feels like To be God

Alex Risberg's vocals are formidable as usual, filling the skies with vivacious rage. His bass pummels, joined by furious drumming from new guy Alvin Risberg. Erik Palm's guitars are searing and unmerciful as usual.

Alluding to the famous novel All Quiet On The Western Front, perhaps even in these turbulent times this is but the calm before the real storm begins in our collective culture, civilization, health, and spirit. Wherever we go, heavy music will continue to provide a powerful undercurrent of resistance, reminding us of what it means to be human. Using electicity to rage against the great Metropolis powered by it.

Look for 10,000 Years' All Quiet on the Final Frontier, out November 22nd (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with High on Fire, Cathedral, Saint Karloff, DÖ, and Sons of Arrakis.

SOME BUZZ

Formed in The Year Of The Plague, 2020, 10,000 Years has since churned out their signature brand of skull crushing stoner metal at a relentless pace. Releasing records in 2020, 2021 and 2022, of which 'II' gave them a much deserved Manifest-nomination (swedish independent Grammys) for Best Metal, the world may not be ready for the insane massiveness that 10,000 Years have in store for it in 2024 and beyond.

As 10,000 Years now ready their return with their heavily awaited new album, they leave the complex concepts of the Albatross Trilogy behind to explore new frontiers both musically and thematically, focusing on standalone songs and compiling them into the absolute beast that is 'All Quiet On The Final Frontier.'

While still very much in the business of stoner metal, and The Riff still reigning supreme, 'All Quiet On The Final Frontier' boasts a more melodic approach. It is a natural evolution while staying true to the essence of the band and the sharply focused songwriting makes for 10,000 Years' strongest effort yet. Having joined the Ripple Family, sure to be a grand new step in their journey, this album sees 10,000 Years take a massive leap forward into new, hugely exciting territory.

All Quiet On The Final Frontier by 10,000 Years

'All Quiet On The Final Frontier' also introduces new drummer Alvin Risberg on wax, his powerhouse drumming providing a shot of adrenaline to the heart of the band and melding perfectly with the guitar wizardry of Erik Palm and Alex Risberg's thundering bass and howling vocals.

Recording, as usual, took place at the legendary Studio Sunlight with the equally legendary Tomas Skogsberg manning the controls. Mastering was handled by Magnus "Devo" Andersson at Endarker Studios.

Follow The Band

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[bearmgyu]

the devil said ha ha gimme, gimme more gimme, gimme more

Basic Information

Full Name: Choi Beom Gyu

Stage Name: Beomgyu (범규)

Nickname(s): Bamgyu, Cookie & Beomttomeok

Age: Twenty Three

Date of Birth: March 13th, 2001

Hometown: Daegu, South Korea

Current Location: Seoul, South Korea

Ethnicity: Korean

Nationality: Korean

Gender: Cis Male

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Orientation: Heteroromantic & Heterosexual (or is he idk maybe he's bi )

Occupation: Singer

Living Arrangements: Shares a dorm with Soobin

Language(s) Spoken: Korean, English, Japanese

Physical Appearance

Hair Colour: black

Eye Colour: dark brown

Height: 5'11

Weight: ~130

Tattoos: no

Piercings: no

Favorites'

Season: spring

Colour: pink & white

Movies: August Rush

Sport: -

Beverage: tea

Family, Relationships & More

Family: mother, father, two older brothers

Relationship Status: Single

Love Interest: tbd

Past Relationships:  tbd

Extra

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor

Discography

The Dream Chapter: STAR Mini Album March 4, 2019

Cat & Dog (English Ver.) English Digital Single May 3rd, 2019

Our Summer (Acoustic Mix) Digital Single May 21st, 2019

The Dream Chapter: MAGIC Full Album October 21, 2019

Magic Hour Japanese Single Album January 15, 2020

The Dream Chapter: ETERNITY Mini Album May 18, 2020

Drama Japanese Single Album August 19, 2020

Minisode 1: Blue Hour Mini Album October 26, 2020

Live On OST Part.1 OST Single November 24th, 2020

Still Dreaming Japanese Full Album January 20th, 2021

Doom At Your Service OST Part.2 OST Single May 24th, 2021

The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE Full Album May 31st, 2021

0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) ft. pH1, Woodie Goodchild, Seori Digital Single July 4th, 2021

The Chaos Chapter: FIGHT OR ESCAPE Repackage Album August 17th, 2021

0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) ft. MOD SUN Digital Single September 10th, 2021

Chaotic Wonderland Japanese Mini Album November 10, 2021

Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child Mini Album May 9, 2022

Valley of Lies English Digital Single July 22, 2022

君じゃない誰かの愛し方 (Ring) Japanese Digital Single August 24, 2022

Good boy Gone Bad Japanese Single August 31, 2022

Free Falling The Star Seekers OST September 19, 2022

The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION Mini Album January 27, 2023

Goodbye Now (Love Revolution x TXT) OST February 22, 2023

Sugar Rush Ride (Japanese Ver.) Pre-Release Single June 28, 2023

紫陽花のような恋 (Hydrangea Love) Pre-Release Single June 30, 2023

SWEET Japanese Album July 5, 2023

Do It Like That with Jonas Brothers English Collaboration Digital Single July 7, 2023

Back for More with Anita English Collaboration Digital Single September 15, 2023

Back for More (More Edition) English Collaboration Digital Single September 18, 2023

The Name Chapter: FREEFALL 3rd Full Album October 13, 2023

minisode 3: TOMORROW Mini Album April 1, 2024

minisode 3: TOMORROW Remixes April 5, 2024

誓い (CHIKAI) Japanese Single July 3, 2024

Open Always Win Collaboration Single (Samsung) July 17, 2024

Fun Facts

was the school president, class president, class vice president, hall monitor and school vice president when he was in school (in elementary and high school)

hates the texture of octopuses and gets grossed out and showed this when they played the guess what’s in the box game

calls himself a Tiger because ‘Beom’ means ‘Tiger’

is shy and quiet to people at first but when he warms up, he can’t stop talking

he has a parrot named Toto

he learned guitar from YouTube

he is an early bird

[most-tragic-character-tournament]

It’s my time to shine, I have had my ib special interest since 2012 and had my entire life changed just for this

I will be talking about both the original ib and the 2022 remake. I will include the new game + area as well!

So to start off, We find him literally about to fucking die and it was fucking set up for him to die. Through context clues we can find that in the room where he got his rose, a lady in a painting was waiting and stole his rose, him being able to flee two rooms before falling onto the ground. For context, your rose is your life bar, if you lose all petals you genuinely die, a very painful death, when you (mind you, a 9 year old girl who relies on him to read things) retrieve his rose from the lady, there’s only one petal left.

As mentioned, he has a designated doom counter, but what isn’t mentioned is that MULTIPLE OF THE WAYS TO RAISE THE COUNTER APPEAR WHEN HE ISN’T ANYWHERE NEAR YOU, HE LITERALLY HAS NO CONTROL OVER HIS PAINFUL DEATH.

It’s heavily implied, especially in the original, that he at the very least used to be quite poor, as well as the fact that gotten from his lighter and the lemon candy he gives you that he’s likely a recovering smoker.

The canon and best ending where he survives can only happen when you talk to him enough, i’m not joking- not to mention it’s only one of the TWO endings where he survives and both are bittersweet as hell.

After meeting mary, you find yourself in a room full of what look like cute bunnies-

NOPE, CREEPY DOLLS. WHICH ONLY GARRY CAN SEE.

Then after leaving you two get split off from garry, who doesn’t know if you’re safe and so is very worried about you and mary.

The section has him be stalked by one of those dolls and from both perspectives you have to help each other, another area where he lives with only 1 petal happens. Then it’s time for the doll room…

He has to rip out the key from one of the many dolls to escape. If not, his mind breaks (unless you have enough points and can snap him out of it) which leads to the two worst endings in the game, with nobody leaving and the worst even having nobody survive, both have him getting killed!

He finds out mary is a painting and after breaking out of the doll room he doesn’t even have enough time to process the trauma before having to save ib from being murdered by mary.

I’m skipping a lot obviously please play the games, including for example the fucking eyes and that fucking room with sudden writing everywhere which has him literally say “this is not good for my mental health” but-

Mary pushes you into a toy box area and you need to relocate both garry and ib’s rose, which is where that doom counter comes into play.

If it hits 3 (btw letting the doll catch you increases it by two no matter what), your rose is nowhere to be seen and he trades his for yours to Mary, who then plays “loves me, loves me not” with it and he dies a horrible death.

Anyway, if he did not die, you are pursued by Mary (who kills you if you’re caught) in her room until you come to her painting and burn it, where most of the bittersweet comes from because he and Ib WATCH A CHILD GET SET ON FIRE AND BURN TO ASHES IN A TRAUMATIZING WAY-

to get the best ending you have to give Garry your handkerchief so you don’t lose your memory.

In new game plus, you get a new area which scars Garry even more! Also your false mom tries manipulating you into staying by her when you try leaving and Garry needs to convince this kid to escape with him

If that doesn’t show why he should advance idk what would

Anyway i can ramble on so much more about IB like Ib’s mom being abusive most likely but vote for Garry he changed my life

[Propaganda]

[tomorrowusa]

The heart of Trumpism involves being anti-majoritarian. Republicans are intent on keeping power in the hands of a shrinking reactionary minority for as long as they can get away with it.

Through gerrymandering, voter suppression, and court packing the GOP has attempted to gain a monopoly on power at the state and federal level for the past dozen years. Eventually they will all die off, but they have the ability to derail American democracy and make our lives miserable for the next decade or two.

But becoming more active in the democratic process and concentrating on long term goals can weaken and shorten the MAGA threat to America.

Greg Sargent at the Washington Post (archived) describes how MAGA overreach and increased moderate to liberal activism have been damaging GOP extremists.

Even as voters are mobilizing to protect democracy at the ballot box, Republicans are redoubling their commitment to the former president’s anti-majoritarian mode of politics. And this, in turn, is motivating voters even more. Call it the “MAGA doom loop.” It’s playing out in state after state. Let’s start with Michigan, where Trump’s decisive loss in 2020 led MAGA loyalists to reshape the state Republican Party around devotion to the “big lie.” Then Democrats resoundingly captured full control of the state’s government in the 2022 midterms, in which election-deniers across the country lost races up and down the ticket. Now, the Michigan GOP is in shambles. Just this month, the chairman again called for scrutiny of supposed 2020 fraud, prompting infighting over debunked conspiracy theories. And as the New York Times reports, the party’s descent into MAGA mania is alienating donors, draining volunteer enthusiasm and driving away swing voters. All of that will further dim Trump’s 2024 chances in this crucial battleground state.

The battle over Michigan isn't over yet, but the state is looking increasingly bad for Republicans.

Or take Wisconsin. The GOP-controlled state legislature is threatening to impeach state Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz, who won her seat earlier this year by 11 points, handing liberals a majority. Democrats ran ads about protecting democracy to boost Protasiewicz, arguing that her ascent would thwart attempts to overrule the state’s 2024 outcome.

It's true that the pro-totalitarian GOP majority in the Wisconsin legislature may try to impeach Justice Protasiewicz on the most flimsy grounds. But that could spark a constitutional crisis which could damage Republicans even more.

All of this syncs up with what political science tells us: Issues become salient for voters when elites talk about them a lot. That has certainly been the case with democracy and that will surely continue next year. Big events — such as Trump’s prosecution for Jan. 6, 2021-related offenses and the GOP’s continued devotion despite those criminal charges — will only reinforce what’s at stake. “As long as the MAGA-Trump faction remains a threat to free and fair elections, a consequential slice of the electorate will continue to vote on this issue,” political scientist Lee Drutman told me. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the MAGA doom loop might keep on working its magic — all the way through 2024.

Keep talking about the need to protect democracy. Let wavering centrists know that this is an issue which affects them.

And of course, PAY MUCH MORE ATTENTION TO STATE GOVERNMENT. Letting the MAGA crowd run your state is no more palatable than letting them run the federal government.

By devoting less attention to Florida state government, Democrats there have allowed Ron DeSantis and his rubber stamp legislature to construct a 21st century dystopia in what was once a swing state.

Look up who represents you in your legislature. If they are Republicans then get to work now on electing pro-democracy replacements.

Find Your Legislators Look your legislators up by address or use your current location.

[heavenboy09]

Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 To You

1 Of The Most Humorous & Loveable Canadian - American 🇨🇦🇺🇸 Action Packed 🎬 Stars Of The Early 90's & 2000's Before Going Into a Long Hiatus

Then Made A Major Comeback In Acting & Now Is A Oscar 🏆 Winning Actor In The Academy

Fraser was born on December 3, 1968, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Canadian parents Carol Mary (née Généreux) and Peter Fraser. He is the youngest of their four sons.

He is a Canadian-American🇨🇦🇺🇸 actor. Fraser had his breakthrough in 1992 with the comedy Encino Man and the drama School Ties. He gained further prominence for his starring roles in the comedies With Honors (1994) and George of the Jungle (1997) and emerged as a star playing Rick O'Connell in The Mummy trilogy (1999–2008). He took on dramatic roles in Gods and Monsters (1998), The Quiet American (2002), and Crash (2004), and further fantasy roles in Bedazzled (2000) and Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008).

Fraser's film work slowed from the late 2000s to mid-2010s due to the poor box office performances of many of his films, and various health and personal problems, including the fallout from a sexual assault committed against him in 2003 by Philip Berk, the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Fraser branched into television with roles in the Showtime drama The Affair (2016–2017), the FX series Trust (2018), and the Max series Doom Patrol (2019–2023). His film career was revitalized by roles in Steven Soderbergh's No Sudden Move (2021) and Darren Aronofsky's The Whale (2022). Fraser's starring role as a morbidly obese gay man in the latter earned him critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, becoming the first Canadian to win this category.

Please Wish This Iconic & Loveable Canadian-American 🇨🇦🇺🇸 Actor That We All Know & Love & Care For.

He Has Been In Our Lifes On The Big Screen Since 1992

The 1 & Only

MR. BRENDAN JAMES FRASER🇨🇦🇺🇸 AKA ENCINO MAN 👨,  GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE 🌴, & RICK O' CONNELL OF THE MUMMY TRILOGY 🇪🇬👹

HAPPY 55TH BIRTHDAY 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 TO YOU MR. FRASER & HERE'S TO MANY MORE YEARS TO COME

#BrendanFraser #EncinoMan #GeorgeOfTheJungle #TheMummy #RickOConnell

[mehoymalloy]

Fic author self-rec!

When you get this, share your favorite five fics that you've written, then tag at least five other writers. spread the self-love ❤

Thanks for the tag, @foibles-fables! (Also sorry to everyone who tagged me in fun stuff over the last few days, I saw too many at once and therefore decided to do none of them xD; but if you were curious about a particular question, please feel free to shoot me an ask anytime!)

Here's a list of five of my most favorite fics:

1. Prometheus Bound (Horizon; Aloy/Tilda)

My first long fic that kind of just kept growing. It was originally supposed to be three chapters, but then I fell in love with writing Tilda’s interactions with the GAIA Gang, which lead to Alva, Erend, Kotallo, and Zo all getting their own chapters. Then, to top it off, the final chapter had to be split in two!

2. Let Me Lay Waste to Thee (Critical Role; Imogen/Otohan)

My first (well really thee first) Imogen/Otohan fic. After thinking ‘is no one else seeing the hint of enemies to lovers potential here?’ for a couple months, I had my first "fine I’ll do it myself" moment. And boy am I glad I did, because now I would die for these two. I had to get creative with the Reilora as a concept and create a inexplicable psychic connection to facilitate the development of the ship over like 20k words, but imho, it fucking works, so, I’m really proud of this one!

3. The Stark Reminder (Critical Role; Imogen/Otohan)

This is the second smut piece I’ve written for the ship, but I think it’s my favorite so far. I got to dig into the softer bits of themselves they carefully keep hidden, and that was very fun to explore for two characters who hold a lot of animosity towards each other while simultaneously being drawn to each other through funky telepathic fuckery.

4. Aches and Pains of Various Sorts (Critical Role; Liliana/Otohan, and Imogen)

If you’ll allow me to pull a complete 180 now, MOON MOMS (ahem, i’m fine, i’m cool). This is the first of a huge series I’ve got planned, and from the first fic, I’ve fallen hard for this entire idea. Otohan and Liliana connecting over this mysterious power they share, and eventually reuniting and deciding to enter a dedicated partnership where they raise Imogen together is just, ugh my heart. First of all, it’s an outlet for all my Otohan headcanons pre-Apex War, which I’m very excited to dive into in the future. And on a more mushy note, I’m giving Imogen the loving parents and happy childhood she deserved.

5. When the Darkness Comes (Horizon; Silga & Untalla)

My 2022 Horizon Big Bang fic! Silga and Untalla are two NPCs in Forbidden West that never meet, but taking them and weaving a little (’little’ being a lie, it’s 35k) roadtrip adventure of them hunting down all the black box collectibles in game was super fun. As a bonus, writing the black box shorts---those final moments and small conversations of doomed soldiers---was a fun challenge that I’m really proud of!

Now for no-pressure tags! @wvearp, @bluntblade, @the-everqueen, @souls-that-have-senses, and @xxcookiecrumbsxx :)

[workscounselingcenter]

Panic: Everybody stay calm!

That’s the worst, right? You are in a complete state of panic, and those around you are either oblivious because you’ve gotten very good at masking your anxiety, or you’re told, “Just stay calm!” You try your best to remain calm; however, your body feels like it entered a boxing match after running a marathon without a known threat insight. Sounds like you might have just experienced a panic attack. I’m so sorry; that must have been scary and uncomfortable.

A panic attack is a sudden onset of anxiety or overwhelming fear that can occur without known danger or threat, often characterized as sense of losing control and accompanied by physical symptoms that mirror a heart attack (National Institute of Mental Health, 2022).

Symptoms and Signs of a Panic Attack:

Sense of impending doom or danger

Fear of loss of control

Rapid, pounding heart rate

Sweating

Trembling or shaking

Shortness of breath or tightness in your throat

Chills

Nausea or Stomach Pain

Abdominal cramping

Chest pain

Headache

Dizziness, lightheadedness or faintness

Numbness or tingling sensation

Feeling of unreality or detachment (Mayo Clinic, 2018)

This means that you could relax on the couch and suddenly start feeling scared and anxious. Your heart rate may increase, and you may have difficulty breathing, tingling in your hands, or sweating. Now that you have experienced this once or twice, you’re scared it will happen again!

First things first (Disclaimer):

If you are experiencing the symptoms above, seek medical assistance immediately. If you aren’t sure what’s causing your symptoms, it is essential to get evaluated by a medical care provider. If you do know you have panic attacks or know someone who does, then the following might be helpful:

Three strategies to manage symptoms while panic is happening:

Once your panic attack has started, it cannot be immediately stopped; however, your symptoms can be reduced, helping you feel less anxious and more in control. Yay!

Distraction: One quickest way to do this is to eat sour candies, which distracts the brain from anxious and fearful emotions. The candy’s tartness forces your brain to focus on the sour sensation, redirecting your attention from your anxious trigger. My favorite go-to is Warheads.

Grounding: Submerge your face in ice water or hold an ice cube in your hand or mouth. Try to lean into what you can taste, smell, see, hear, and feel.

Mantra: Create a mantra or coping phrase for self-talk during a panic attack. The key here is to make it something you’ll use and believe. Here are some examples: -This will pass. -I am feeling anxious, not dying. -I am safe.

If you are struggling with panic attacks, I hope the strategies above help. If you would like to get additional help with your panic attacks, like noticing triggers and management, please reach out to a mental health provider. Seeing a mental health provider is an excellent way to gain personal insight and treatment for your panic attack needs. We are here for you and would love to be a part of your healing journey!

Please see our servicespage for support.

[ao3feed-badbuddy]

Pandora's Box (Prophecy Part 2)

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/vY6geF4 by Poetryinmotion1982 The day of doom, will certainly loom; Sins will rise, casting a pall; The chosen one will be born, saviour of all; A battle will be fought, a lesson taught; A guardian will protect however; Until the sins leave forever.   The Queen has risen! Rain Kirigun is back from the limbo. Despite all his training and knowledge, he still has to learn to navigate through the minefield that is his relationship with his mate, at the same time lead his people into battle against the seven sins. Pandora's box is also open; and the sins have more familiar faces than there should have been, and Rain's energies cannot afford to be diverted. But he has an ace in the hole; Phayu Theerpanayakul, his mate, who becomes something more than anyone expected him to become. And together, the King and Queen will go to war to change the very course of history. Words: 1805, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 38 of LOVE IN THE AIR with PR/BN, Part 20 of LITAxKP Crossovers, Part 15 of LITA Crossovers Fandoms: บรรยากาศรัก เดอะซีรีส์ | Love in the Air (TV 2022), เกลียดนักมาเป็นที่รักกันซะดีๆ | TharnType: The Series (TV), KinnPorsche: The Series (TV), แค่เพื่อนครับเพื่อน | Bad Buddy: the Series (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Phayu (Love in the Air TV 2022), Rain (Love in the Air TV 2022), Prapai (Love in the Air TV 2022), Sky (Love in the Air TV 2022), Saifah (Love in the Air TV 2022), Chai (Love in the Air TV 2022), Pat Napat Jindapat, Pran Parakul Siridechawat, Tharn Thara Kirigun, Type Thiwat Phawattakun, Kinn Anakinn Theerapanyakun, Porsche Pachara Kittisawat, Vegas Kornwit Theerapanyakun, Pete Phongsakorn Saengtham, Macau Theerapanyakun, Arm (KinnPorsche: The Series) Relationships: Phayu/Rain (Love in the Air TV 2022), Prapai/Sky (Love in the Air TV 2022), Chai/Saifah (Love in the Air TV 2022), Porsche Pachara Kittisawat/Kinn Anakinn Theerapanyakun, Pete Phongsakorn Saengtham/Vegas Kornwit Theerapanyakun, Arm/Macau Theerapanyakun, Porchay Pichaya Kittisawat/Kim Khimhant Theerapanyakun, Pat Napat Jindapat/Pran Parakul Siridechawat, Tharn Thara Kirigun/Type Thiwat Phawattakun Additional Tags: SuperNaturals, Fantasy, Phayu started off as an ass, I finally redeemed him, Rain is a badass, Sky is a wonderful friend, Some original characters pop in, Phayu is So Whipped (Love in the Air TV 2022), Rain is a Brat (Love in the Air TV 2022), mates y'all, Author is tearing up, Author Is Sleep Deprived, I am a sucker for my own stories, Damn this saga was long, and continues to be, hope you will not give up, The fun begins now! read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/vY6geF4

[vidstudiosworld]

Is Warner Bros. Studio Doomed?

Leslie Grace's Batgirl film was axed, and it was the ultimate gut-punch for DC fans. However, that wasn't the only major disaster that hit the studio this year. When AT&T purchased WBD Many believed that Kevin Tsujihara would be the man to lead it into the streaming age. However, he's been through one of the worst years at the studio. Doom Movie Loses Its Home A film based off the Doom video game franchise has been in development, and it looks like that a sequel is on the way. The initial film was so bad that it cost the studio the prestigious Doom Tour, one of the most popular of their attractions. The Doom film is a paint-by-numbers action flick that features some of the bloodiest violence you'll ever see on the screen. The film tries to replicate the blood and violence of the games, however it does not have the depth that was what made these elements so memorable. Karl Urban starred in the Doom film as John Grimm. He was the leader of an elite special forces unit sent to Prague to look into a mysterious structure. It featured Lorenzo di Bonaventura and John Wells producing, with music video director Enda McCallion as the director. The film was scheduled to be shot in the winter of 2004 and 2005, before it was released on August 5, 2005. The film was subsequently panned by critics, and it failed at the box office. James Gunn and Dana Safran take over as DC's new Head Hosts There's a lot Gunn and Safran have to accomplish, from rearranging several DC projects into coherent films to developing a comprehensive plan to ensure that the studio is able to be able to compete consistently with Marvel. Gunn and Safran will need to do their best to create a separation between the DC universes that frequently clash. They'll also need ensure that they deliver top films to their audiences. Gunn has been the director of a number of DC films, including the recent Suicide Squad reboot and HBO Max's Peacemaker, while Safran has produced those in addition to the Joker movie. The Safran Company also shares an initial look deal with Safran, which is the reason they were considered serious contenders for Zaslav's replacement for Hamada. The two will be working on a plan that's more similar to Pixar, with filmmakers also serving as directors. This isn't an entirely new idea in the TV world, but it's never used before in the live action film industry. Rooster Teeth Disputes After two decades of success and controversy Rooster Teeth appears to be going under. The Austin, Texas based gaming and animation studio renowned for its games, such as Achievement Hunter, as well as animated series like Red vs Blue and RWBY Recently, it was accused of creating a hostile workplace environment that is exploitation of employees. Former employee Kdin Jenzen, who used the pronouns they/they wrote in a blog that they had been subjected to homophobia and sexism as as other forms of abuse when working for the company. Jenzen's treatment was said to have been worse when she was outed in 2016 as trans. Jenzen says they were subjected to a culture that was based on underpaying and lack of respect since their pay was significantly lower than the industry norm. Rooster Teeth has since released an apology for the "disgusting unacceptable, inhumane, and inhumane treatment" Jenzen claims to have received. The company also pledged to resolve its problems by forming business resource groups to target marginalized communities and enhancing management training. The Messiest Year is 2022.

A new YouGov survey has found that a lot of Americans think 2022 has been an awful or horrible year. And that's probably because of all the blunders at Warner Bros. DC the division of the company, known as the DC division, seems to be in constant turmoil. Studio was once a leader in the genre of superheroes, but it is now a string of misfires. The company's decision to rescind Leslie Grace’s Batgirl film was the most recent setback. The film was said to be ready for production and had even had test screenings. But the film was canceled without explanation for the fans who had been waiting forever. Another major mess involved Rocksteady the gaming studio behind the Batman: Arkham series. According to reports, the studio compelled engineers to create multiplayer games in order to meet a deadline. This led to morale issues within the company. According to reports that the team is planning to switch to single-player games. This might aid in their recovery. This won't be an easy journey. Video embeds anchors:

[the-stephen-mcclanahan]

Toriyama and The Super Villain share One Beer upon the Lathe of Heaven

"Fuck bitches, get money." – Bulma, probably

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm really fucked up about Toriyama-san passing. This is a series of unmeasured mournings I've never had the chance to process. Death is around every corner; beware, here there be Dragon(s) {Ball}.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gadzooks, Punk's Dead

Stella was 19 and waifish; picture a whispy, mud-grey shorthair cat on spindly legs with one glassy eye, her haggard mew calling through night and day like an omen. She would leap from high places her joints had no right to hold up against. I loved that beleaguered creature with all my heart. When my ex introduced me to her the first time I visited her apartment, I felt my soul tether to this witchy feline.

In January 2022, while my then-partner was away with her mother on a beach trip, I watched as the reliably lively kitty crone lay lonely through the day, her cold demeanor echoing the silence I knew in my gut meant something was wrong. She wouldn't join me on the bed that night, and when I awoke I found her prone in the dirty litter box tucked away in the closet. Her breathing was shallow and her cries quiet, and through hot flashes of tears, I swaddled her while I made phone calls to the coast and the vet and anyone who would listen. I didn't know when I handed her over to the VCA that I was loving her for the last time, that she had fought to live long enough that I could escort her to the Gates. I told her I loved her, but in my fear, I never thought to thank her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Take Me to Your Leader

Why is it always fucking Instagram? New Year's Eve 2020 – months of anguished self-interrogation at the thought of stepping outside the house crudely shoved into its ill-fitting psychic compartment like so much crinkled Christmas wrapping paper – and the cosmic saxophone playing us off the stage dampens to a wet fart when XXL reports on my timeline that DOOM departed Primary Reality on Halloween. The soundtrack of my young adulthood scratched, DJ falling face-first onto the Wheels of Steel, no beat in his heart; we've been ratted out, boys, so cheese it, before the Heat comes on.

Daniel Dumile was a different breed; he didn't want the cult or the recognition. He wanted to make dope shit. Go listen to the Red Bull interview again. The Mask wasn't a gimmick, it was him; he polished the cracks and snags of his optics until there was no tactile humanity to cling on to, a mirror shine of accountability on his metal for every pimple-faced geek like me who looked up to him. It was never about Dumile. He was there in the rhymes, in the beats. We obsessed over alter egos and collaborations and SAMPLES – would I have cared about Sade Adu without the Villain? – and he croaked having only ever wanted to make dope shit.

DOOM comes for us all.

I never got to thank him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wall Around the Place

In 2018, on an errant trip to my folks', I stumbled across a repost of Ursula K. Le Guin's National Book Awards speech with the caption "R.I.P.". My mother graced me with several rare (for us) minutes of silence when I told her I didn't know how to be. When I left my childhood home a half-an-hour later, the air was astringent and the wet-land pasture outside my window buzzed with insect chatter.

The Earthsea books are everything I aspire to in my creative work. Le Guin covered more of the human soul in sentences a fraction of the length these fucking dorks propped up by the ~ C A N O N ~ could've dreamed to pen. She liberally seasoned her work with radical ideologies and served it all wrapped in fairy-tale fantasy and, whelp, I've pretty much chased that feeling since middle school. I still haven't found it.

She was a long-time resident of Portland and spoke regularly at events in the city. At that point in my life, I'd lived an hour away from her. I never got to thank her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Journey to the (Pacific North)West

Silverton High School's library in 2009 was brand new off a bond measure issued 20 years before, and each ripple from those taxpayer dollars over the years brought Dragon Ball Vol. 1 nearer to the front desk display counter where I initially found it. The bright red cover featuring a child Goku recalled hours of my youth yearning for the Z-Fighters in action I was forbidden from by my reactionary parents. I picked up the book with a curiosity steeped in taboo.

God*DAMN, that book annihilated my 14-year-old brain; martial arts battles and panty jokes and nazi-coded bad guys and magic orbs that summoned a dragon to grant your wish and how THA FUK was this in Bum-fuck-Nowhere, Oregon? On a high school library bookshelf?

[ No, seriously, how in THE ACTUAL FUCK was this in my public school library?!?!]

When I exhausted the 3 volumes in the school, I stalked through the town library, scraped together rare side-job dollars for bookstores, and clawed at low-res scans on shady websites. Dragon Ball was the first manga I read cover-to-cover, not to mention my gateway into almost every other thing I would obsess over for the next decade-and-a-half. There is a direct line of influence from my years of martial arts training to finding Dragon Ball to picking up Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, ruining me forever. Without Goku's adventures, I wouldn't have fallen in love with Hip–Hop; I never would have gotten fit; no Neon Genesis for me, and everything that comes with it. Hell, DOOM's sonic universe of comic-book shenanigans probably owes some debt to Akira Toriyama for my avid fixation. So many lives have touched mine for ripples from the rock dropped by Dragon Ball into the river of my soul.

Toriyama's passing this month is cold and familiar, an estranged uncle you never felt the pressing urge to know until it was too late. I've played in his sandbox countless times, running the gamut of emotion through every fantasy he painstakingly crafted within those pages. Dragon Ball is not just my childhood but the majority of my life, intimate in the way only boon companions can be. I've never known much about Toriyama Akira outside of his oeuvre, and his death is a wound deeper than any blade or bullet can bring because I am not here without Stelly or Metal Face or Le Guin or Toriyama-sensei.

I never got a chance to thank him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boldly Go

I was 8 when we scattered Robert's ashes.

We set out for the Oregon coast, our party of faintly realized familial connections from around the States, and found an unremarkable cove for our bitter deed. I was too young to know what ~absence~ – as in a lifetime – could mean; to me, Uncle Bob was returning Home, the waves a sublime chariot into the Beyond. I had known he was sick, but not quite in the way I knew Stella was sick; visits to his Portland apartment – wall-to-wall, top-to-bottom with the gleam of bagged and boarded single-issue comic books – were filled with tense silence as the subject of his terminal condition was daintily avoided by my mother, beside herself with stoic grief.

Robert was the first person I can remember who loved me unconditionally; who doted on me just for existing; who staged elaborate magic tricks that flourished with X-Men comics and Star Trek episodes to misdirect me from his predictable disappearance. HIV is a bitch of a Final Boss and my uncle became yet another barely-closeted gay man with fringe interests to stain the legacy of his conservative bloodline by succumbing to its cruel assault. I loved him and didn't know how to mourn him because I had never mourned a death before, and my models for that ritual didn't either, fearing him as much as they loved him, too.

The countable hours I shared with my uncle before his passing were the first cracks in the foundation of my stasis, the punctuation hanging at the end of every doubt. Without my Uncle, I never join GSA in high school, and never find all of the Queer people I keep close to my heart; without my mother's love beyond fear for her brother, I never learn to love art as I love life; without Robert, I never find Dragon Ball.

As we sent his ashes drifting into the Pacific Ocean, I whispered to the wind that I loved him.

I never thought to thank him until now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've shed too many tears over this stupid exercise in ~ R E L E A S E ~ to mention the countless others, so let's wrap this up:

Epilogue

My oathsworn brother – the one who's Instagram message broke the news of Toriyama-san's passing – called me an hour or so later after I told him I was crying. I confided in him my great shame of never sharing with Sensei how grateful I was for his effort in the struggle against human loneliness.

"He knows," I heard through the phone, without hesitation. "He's up on some lotus flower contemplating it all. He knows."

The Dead don't need our thanks: their peace is transcendent. We give our thanks to them for ourselves, to assuage the monotonous pain of knowing that many of us perish without Justice and only some pass Beyond having taken on more than their share of the burden to any lasting effect. The Congo is burning, Gaza is rubble, and I can't stop thinking about what went through Toriyama's mind when he drew Vegeta hugging his son for the first time before the redeemed villain’s predictable disappearance.

Don't just tell your people you love them. Thank them.

[worldofwardcraft]

Dispatches from the combat zone.

March 4, 2024

The Arizona Theater of Operations in the Republican war on free and fair elections has seen the worst fighting mostly confined to courtrooms, with right-wing attackers lobbing lawsuit after lawsuit against democracy's defenses.

There was, for example, the suit filed by the Mohave County GOP before the November 2022 election, which asked a judge to throw out the state's 31-year-old system of mail-in voting. About which KPNX 12News explains:

Up to 90% of all Arizona voters vote with early ballots. Most mail in their ballot, others drop off the ballot at a polling place. Arizonans have been casting early ballots via mail since 1991 when the Legislature allowed absentee voting that didn't require an excuse. The practice took off in the mid-2000s, with the creation of the permanent early voter list, which automatically sent an election ballot to voters who were on the list.

The county's Superior Court fortunately sided with the state:

There is nothing in the Arizona Constitution which expressly prohibits the legislature from authoring new voting laws, including "no-excuse" mail-in ballots.

Undaunted, Republicans have now launched a frontal assault on Arizona's recently approved Elections Procedures Manual, which lays out the rules for the state's elections, such as voter registration, voting methods and certification of results. Within hours of each other, two lawsuits were filed by Republican organizations challenging an array of policies in the EPM, including those relating to proof of citizenship verification, public access to voter signatures, Arizona's early voting list (which they really hate), and more.

One of the lawsuits specifically singles out a provision of the EPM that protects voters from intimidation. This is especially relevant since masked MAGA vigilantes carrying guns launched an aggressively menacing drop box “monitoring” campaign during the 2022 midterms.

Plus, as Democracy Docket reports, Republican legislators filed yet another lawsuit against the EPM at the end of January. And last week, Stephen Miller’s America First Legal Foundation filed a complaint challenging a slew of election policies in Yavapai County.

All these legal onslaughts are in addition to the barrage launched by Arizona's sorehead election losers Kari Lake (for governor), Mark Finchem (for secretary of state) and Abe Hamadeh (for attorney general). So far, none of these lawsuits has come within a country kilometer of being successful. Lake's doomed complaint failed all the way up to the state Supreme Court, and one judge ordered sanctions against Finchem.

But even though Arizona GOPers have lost every single battle, they continue to believe they will ultimately win the war and defeat their enemy — American democracy.

[doomedandstoned]

Ruff Majik Reveal “Cement Brain” from Upcoming Smasher ‘Electrik Ram’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

If you're craving a deep-seated, authentically felt vibe, look no further than RUFF MAJIK. Not only are they gritty and soulful, the band's sound seems rooted in the earth itself. Their bluesy, sludgy musical contortions flow from album-to-album with great inventiveness, and 'Electrik Ram' (2023) is no exception. Here the band is continually surprising us with a clever turn of phrase here, an experimental choice of instrumentation there, a heart-stirring chorus elsewhere.

The latest single to emerge is a cosmic blues stomper, "Cement Brain." Says the band:

As with previous single "Elektrik Ram" (and album title track), "Cement Brain" was once again inspired by and written in a mental health facility. Vocalist Johni Holiday had gone in for treatment of severe agoraphobia and a crippling panic disorder, which he self-medicated with alcohol and many other substances. In the window of time that he became well and had a clear head, he penned this number as a plea to his friends and family to never let him slip back into his old ways again.

"On the surface, it's about escaping an abusive relationship," explains Johni on the message behind the track. "But deep down, the relationship in question is my relationship with substances such as alcohol The song pleads with the listener to not let me go back."

You can get the single on multiple platforms, with the full album release of Electrik Ram coming on April 28th to Mongrel Records (pre-order here).

Give ear...

LISTEN: Ruff Majik - "Cement Brain"

SOME BUZZ

Elektrik Ram was written and recorded between 2020 and 2022 after Johni Holiday found himself in and out of mental health and recovery facilities, struggling with severe agoraphobia and substance dependence brought on by PTSD.

In the lyrics and structures of the songs, Johni painted character sketches of the many faces he saw inside the white walls of the hospital - and this became the framework for the entire album. The recordings happened as the band found time to go into the studio and contribute, and the process aided Johni in his recovery and rejoining of society.

It sees the return of Ruff Majik's experimental nature, moving between fuzz filled wonderlands and somber acoustic territories.

Elektrik Ram by Ruff Majik

The horned infant known as Ruff Majik emerged from the primordial ooze when the band moved from the historical town of Lydenburg in 2012 to the capital city of Pretoria, where they honed their craft for a few years before finally entering the studio to record for the first time. Now, with a number of EP’s and two lauded albums under their belt, not to mention a megaton of local and international touring, they return with what might be their defining work in the shape of ‘Elektrik Ram’.

All the requisite ‘Majik trope boxes are ticked in thick, bold permanent marker - sludgy, distorted riffs, vast landscapes of sonic abandon, dark imagery that perfectly complements the delicious cacophony, and tasty sound bites that add infinite swathes of colour. This is what is expected from the band, their signature sound and one that never fails. But there’s a lot more going on here that shows an evolution of a band maturing and embracing their future with an eye firmly planted on the past.

The B-grade drive-in double-feature aesthetic is still where they are most comfortable, with a Cramps-like wallow in songs like the single, ‘She’s Still A Goth’. The song may start out with a White Zombie kick up the ass, but it lands up in a darker Ennio Morricone-meets-Type O Negative epic that comes straight out of left field. It’s both refreshing and brave, retro, and modern, badass and kickass.

Elsewhere, there are true nods to goth royalty in the likes of ‘Mourning Wood’, blues-worthy jams such as ‘Queen Of The Gorgons’, quirky dirges, and low-slung boogie with ‘Cement Brain’, and the hauntingly acoustic ‘Chemically Humanized’ that swings from Nick Drake to all-out rock ‘n roll stadium rock in scant minutes, and that’s all just the tip of the proverbial distorted iceberg. ‘Elektrik Ram’ is a thought-out, meticulously crafted piece of work that, like the legendary classics from the golden era, works as a collected grouping of songs. Each brings a different shade and hue to the portrait, a necessary lift and drop that takes the listener on a goosebump journey through a psychedelic wonderland, and it just flat-out GROOVES.

Ruff Majik is Johni Holiday (vocals & guitar), Cowboy Bez (guitar & vocals), Jimmy Glass (bass), and Steven Bosman (drums), four horsemen of the feedback apocalypse who know what they want to say and do it without apology.

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