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talktomanojpachaury · 4 years ago

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Surface Mining

Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which the overlying rock is left in place, and the mineral is removed through shafts or tunnels.

The Main Difference between Surface mining & Underground mining is that : Surface mining is suitable for large, low-grade ore deposits which occur below a thin layer of rock or sand. Underground mining is used for small, high-grade deposits covered with a thick soil or rock above the ore.

Surface mining began in the mid-16th century and is practiced throughout the world, although the majority of surface coal mining occurs in North America. It gained popularity throughout the 20th century, and surface mines now produce most of the coal mined in the United States.

In most forms of surface mining, heavy equipment, such as earthmovers, first remove the overburden. Next, large machines, such as dragline excavators or bucket wheel excavators, extract the mineral.

Image above shows the methods of surface mining.

There are five main methods of surface mining, detailed below.

1. Strip mining

2. Open-pit mining

3. Mountaintop removal

4. Dredging

5. Highwall mining

1. Strip mining

"Strip mining" is the practice of mining a seam of mineral, by first removing a long strip of overlying soil and rock (the overburden); this activity is also referred to as "overburden removal". It is most commonly used to mine coal and lignite (brown coal). Strip mining is only practical when the ore body to be excavated is relatively near the surface. This type of mining uses some of the largest machines on earth, including bucket-wheel excavators which can move as much as 12,000 cubic metres of earth per hour.

There are two forms of strip mining. The more common method is "area stripping", which is used on fairly flat terrain, to extract deposits over a large area. As each long strip is excavated, the overburden is placed in the excavation produced by the previous strip.

"Contour mining" involves removing the overburden above the mineral seam near the outcrop in hilly terrain, where the mineral outcrop usually follows the contour of the land. Contour stripping is often followed by auger mining into the hillside, to remove more of the mineral. This method commonly leaves behind terraces in mountainsides.

2. Open-pit mining

"Open-pit mining" refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth through their removal from an open pit or borrow. Although open-pit mining is sometimes mistakenly referred to as "strip mining", the two methods are different.

The El Chino mine located near Silver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine.

3. Mountaintop removal

"Mountaintop removal mining" (MTR) is a form of coal mining that mines coal seams beneath mountaintops by first removing the mountaintop overlying the coal seam. Explosives are used to break up the rock layers above the seam, which are then removed. Excess mining waste or "overburden" is dumped by large trucks into fills in nearby hollow or valley fills. MTR involves the mass restructuring of earth in order to reach the coal seam as deep as 400 feet (120 m) below the surface. Mountaintop removal replaces the original steep landscape with a much flatter topography. Economic development attempts on reclaimed mine sites include prisons such the Big Sandy Federal Penitentiary in Martin County, Kentucky, small town airports, golf courses such as Twisted Gun in Mingo County, West Virginia and Stonecrest Golf Course in Floyd County, Kentucky, as well as industrial scrubber sludge disposal sites, solid waste landfills, trailer parks, explosive manufacturers, and storage rental lockers.

The technique has been used increasingly in recent years in the Appalachian coal fields of West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee in the United States. The profound changes in topography and disturbance of pre-existing ecosystems have made mountaintop removal highly controversial.

4. Dredging

"Dredging" is a method for mining below the water table. It is mostly associated with gold mining. Small dredges often use suction to bring the mined material up from the bottom of a water body. Historically, large-scale dredging often used a floating dredge, a barge-like vessel which scooped material up on a conveyor belt in front, removed the desirable component on board, and returned the unwanted material via another conveyor belt in back. In gravel-filled river valleys with shallow water tables, a floating dredge could work its way through the loose sediment in a pond of its own making.

5. Highwall mining

Highwall mining is another form of mining sometimes conducted to recover additional coal adjacent to a surface mined area. The method evolved from auger mining but does not meet the definition of surface mining since it does not involve the removal of overburden to expose the coal seam.

CERB final report No. 2014-004 "Highwall Mining: Design Methodology, Safety, and Suitability" by Yi Luo characterizes it as a "relatively new semi-surface and semi-underground coal mining method that evolved from auger mining".

In Highwall mining, the coal seam is penetrated by a continuous miner propelled by a hydraulic Pushbeam Transfer Mechanism (PTM). A typical cycle includes sumping (launch-pushing forward) and shearing (raising and lowering the cutterhead boom to cut the entire height of the coal seam). As the coal recovery cycle continues, the cutterhead is progressively launched into the coal seam for 19.72 feet (6.01 m).

Then, the Pushbeam Transfer Mechanism (PTM) automatically inserts a 19.72-foot (6.01 m) long rectangular Pushbeam (Screw-Conveyor Segment) into the center section of the machine between the Powerhead and the cutterhead. The Pushbeam system can penetrate nearly 1,200 feet (366 m) into the coal seam.

One patented Highwall mining systems use augers enclosed inside the Pushbeam that prevent the mined coal from being contaminated by rock debris during the conveyance process. Using a video imaging and/or a gamma ray sensor and/or other Geo-Radar systems like a coal-rock interface detection sensor (CID), the operator can see ahead projection of the seam-rock interface and guide the continuous miner's progress.

Highwall mining can produce thousands of tons of coal in contour-strip operations with narrow benches, previously mined areas, trench mine applications and steep-dip seams with controlled water-inflow pump system and/or a gas (inert) venting system.

Recovery with tunneling shape of Drives are much better than round Augering Holes, but the mapping of areas that have been developed by a Highwall miner are not mapped as rigorously as deep mined areas.

Very little soil is displaced in contrast with mountain top removal; however a large amount of capital is required to operate and own a Highwall miner. But then this Highwall mining system is the innovative roadmap future potential and stay or being better competitive in the area of environmental friendly non mountain-top (overburden) removal operated by only 4 crew members.

Mapping of the outcrop as well as core hole data and samples taken during the bench making process are taken into account to best project the panels that the Highwall miner will cut.

Obstacles that could be potentially damaged by subsidence and the natural contour of the Highwall are taken into account, and a surveyor points the Highwall miner in a line (Theoretical Survey Plot-Line) mostly perpendicular to the Highwall.

Parallel lines represent the drive cut into the mountain (up to 1,200 feet (366 m) deep - 2015 records), without heading or corrective steering actuation on a navigation Azimuth during mining results in missing a portion of the coal seam and is a potential danger of cutting in pillars from previous mined drives due to horizontal drift (Roll) of the Pushbeam-Cuttermodule string.

Recently Highwall miners have penetrated more than 1200 feet (366 m) [2015 ongoing records] into the coal seam, and today's models are capable of going farther, with the support of gyro navigation and not limited anymore by the amount of cable stored on the machine.

The maximum depth would be determined by the stress of further penetration and associated specific-power draw, ("Torsion and Tension" in Screw-Transporters String) but today's optimized Screw-Transporters Conveying Embodiments (called: Pushbeams) with Visual Product Development and Flow Simulation Behavior software "Discrete Element Modeling" (DEM) shows smart-drive extended penetrations are possible, even so under steep inclined angles from horizontal to more than 30 degree downhole.

In case of significant steep mining the new mining method phrase should be "Directional Mining" [Commonly Used Technologies as valuable synergy Directional Drilling and Directional Mining are categorized in "Surface to In-Seam" (SIS) Techniques], dry or wet, Dewatering is developed or Cutting & Dredging through Screw-Transporters are proactive in developing roadmap of the leading global Highwall mining engineering company.

#miningmonk #talktomanojpachaury #manojkumarpachaury #[email protected]#surfacemining #Highwall mining #Dredging #Mountaintop removal #Open-pit mining #Strip mining #understanding-surface-mining-and-its-types

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 4 years ago

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See! I promise I am doing the thing!

Caught in the sliding snow, the group found themselves falling, greedy over the ending so close, as they fell from the snowy cliff, they all landed in a thick field of green grass. Keith could only assume the game feared killed Lance too prematurely and had helped them reach the end ahead of schedule. Brushing themselves off, Pike was the only one who didn’t bother forcing himself up, instead laying with a hand on his belly as everyone else gaped at each other, before words started falling over each other, all in a rush to celebrate no more game outfits

“We’ve got our armour back!”

“My bow’s gone!”

“I miss staff!”

“I don’t miss you in robes. Holy quiznak, Dark, you look so weird in your amour!”

“You’re not a dwarf anymore”

“Are you sure? She’s still pretty short”

“Hey, all our weapons are gone”

They were. Keith felt for his twin blades, finding nothing on his back. Pike was the only one who still looked like a game character. His boyfriend hadn’t moved from where he laid, he didn’t see what the rest of the team saw, their chattering voices dying as they looked ahead. Moving over to his boyfriend, Keith held his hand out. Pike’s eyes widened as he recognised their armour

“Come on, we have to keep moving”

As Pike took his hand, his boyfriend accepted his help to stand. The fellinwere’s free hand still protectively splayed across his belly

“What the fuck is that?”

Keith had no answers. Massive walls of greenery stood between them and their way to whatever was on the other side. Pidge hummed, before declaring

“I think it’s a labyrinth. And I think on the other side is the castle”

“Like... a labyrinth, labyrinth?”

Pidge nodded at Hunk

“I think this might be the final boss before the castle. That has to be why we ended up here... but how do we get past the gates?”

The two golden gates that stood before them stretched high, nearly as tall as the walls which had to be at least 5 metres by Keith’s reckoning

“Maybe we should try knocking?”

Keith raised an eyebrow at Pike, who shrugged in return

“I mean, if everyone else is okay with it?”

“I think Pike might be onto something. I can’t see a latch on the gates”

It’d been so long since Shiro himself had worn his black armour, that Keith found himself staring. It’d been so long that any of them had, really. It was as strange to him as the clothes of a Barbarian had been initially. He felt out of place, almost uncomfortable. Had his armour always felt this tight?

“Pike, do you feel anything?”

“Nothing more than usual... fat, slow, like this is a bad idea but we have no other choice... you know, the usual... maybe a little left out”

“You’re not tired?”

“A bit... the pearl’s pulsing. It’s like it knows we’re reaching the end”

“Finally. I’ve had it with this game. Are we doing this, or are we standing here staring?”

The thick hedged walls couldn’t bode well for the imminent future. Keith’s instincts told him that it wasn’t just some grassy maze. With the size of the labyrinth, any number of beasts could we wandering it’s twisting paths... and now they were weaponless before it

“Babe?”

Pike’s stupidly blue eyes were focused on him. His boyfriend's eyes seemed to see right to heart of his worry

“I...”

Keith didn’t know what to say. These... this... this could be his last few hours with Lance. Selfishly he wanted to blow off entering the maze and run away from the obstacles before them

“We’re a team. We’ll get through this together, won’t we?”

“You... This could be the end”

Pike shrugged

“I love you. I have faith in you. I’ve always had faith in you. You just need to have faith in you”

“I don’t want things to end like this...”

“We don’t know if it’s the end... I’ve got your back, all the way. I always have. Let’s kick some maze arse”

“And then...”

“And then we figure out what comes next. I think... I think I’m not as angry as I was... I think I’m okay with whatever happens”

“Well I’m not!”

“Whatever happens” could mean the end of Lance and of Pike.

“Pike’s right. We were falling apart as a team. We’re still finding ourselves, even now, but we’re all in this together. Let’s do this together, as a team”

Hunk wiped at his eyes, Keith unable to find fault with Shiro’s words. They had come together as a team in a way that’d never been before. The others were now openly supporting Pike, accepting that they were wrong and finally seeing that Lance was the glue that kept the team together. Keith was the one dragging his heels, scared of what came next... maybe because he had the most to lose, but maybe because he was terrified of what came next. What came when they all woke up. What came as he and Lance tried to figure out their relationship while fighting and intergalactic war

“I’ll be with you, until the very end. I love you”

Keith pulled Pike up against him, nuzzling into his neck with a heavy heart

“Don’t go anywhere I can’t reach you”

“I wouldn’t dream of it”

“You two are being gross. Let’s kick this mazes arse. Then we can plot our revenge on this stupid quiznakking game!”

Pidge’s attempt to ramp up their spirits was sidelined by Hunk

“Group hug!”

Pidge glared, Shiro snorting in laughter as their group gremlin was hugged by Hunk, who then extended his arm towards Allura. Allura was happy to oblige, the group shuffling over to pull Shiro

“Come on guys, group hug”

Pike laughed, Keith finding himself between his boyfriend and his brother. His pack felt like a pack again, that they were meant to be together

“When I say “Vol-...”

“We say -tron!”

Pike dropped against him, Keith kicking himself for being swept up in the moment... but he hadn’t been the other one, Pidge remembering when Lance had tried to make it a group thing and finishing “Voltron”

“Whoa... okay. That’s enough team bonding for now. Is he okay?”

Keith nodded, Shiro the first of their friends to notice the game’s punishment, Pike groaned in response, Keith rubbing his back supportively. It was kind of unfair how cute Pike looked as he clutched at Keith

“Let’s wait a little longer before we break out the team spirit”

“Good plan. Pike, are you ready?”

“Yeah... gimme a tick and I’ll be good to go”

Standing the gates as group, Pike looked to his teammates. Keith holding his hand as he nodded to his boyfriend

“Go ahead”

Raising his hand to knock, the gates slid down into the earth. Pidge letting out a nervous laugh that they all felt. This felt different. All of them together and focused. They’d come together to fight the troll, but Keith had come in part way through the fight so the goal wasn’t a united front from the get go. Quietly, Hunk asked

“I guess we head in?”

Allura stepped forward, she seemed to have regained some of her brilliance now she was dressed in her pink armour

“I’ll take point. Gyro, then Dark and Pike, Meklavar and Block you take the rear. We don’t know what we’re facing inside the labyrinth. Try not to touch anything, we don’t know if these walls are stable”

Pidge shot Allura a mock salute

“Yes, ma’am. Okay team, we’ve got this”

They’d barely entered the maze before the walls seemed to close in on them. The entrance disappearing once they’d crossed the threshold

“Whoa!”

Pidge was right. It was pretty “whoa”. And Keith felt even more strongly that this was not about to be a fun time

“Don’t touch the walls”

Rolling her eyes at him, Pidge didn’t appreciate being told again

“Yes, dad. I heard Vala”

“I’m just reminding you. You do tend to be curious”

By curious Keith meant that she was constantly curious by things best left alone

“You mean she can’t keep her hands to herself”

Pidge flipped Lance off

“It’s you two who can’t keep your hands to yourselves... but I kind of want to touch it”

“Block, make sure Meklavar doesn’t touch anything”

Pidge crossed her arms

“I’m not going to touch it. If anything I bet that Block touches it before I do”

Keith shook his head

“I’m not taking that bet. We all know Hunk has a healthy fear of everything”

Hunk tried to defend himself

“Only everything that wants to kill us, which is basically everything...”

Shiro gave a “dad” sigh, before sounding so “dad” like that none of them wanted to disappoint him

“Alright. That’s enough. Meklavar promises she won’t touch any of the walls. None of us will touch the walls. Vala, if you’d be so kind to take lead, we need to get through this maze as soon as possible”

Within the maze time ran on its own agenda. They could have been walking for minutes or hours as they negotiated the twists and turns that took them to their first challenge. A tad too excited, Pidge bumped into Pike, who in turn bumped into Keith, Keith throwing out a hand without thinking, his palm landing against the leaves of the wall. A flash came, an image of their past. “Leave the maths to Pidge”. The memory came with a deep sense of hurt, Keith reeling backwards with a gasp, drawing the attention of the team. He’d torn Lance to shreds internally with his misworded attempt to comfort him

“Babe?”

Gritting out his words, Keith found tears in his eyes

“Don’t... touch the walls”

“What happened?”

“I saw... something. Fuck, Pike... I’m so sorry”

Pike wrapped his arms around him, Keith kind of feeling like he didn’t deserve such a sweet gesture. Pike mustn’t have seen what he did, despite holding his hand

“Babe?”

“It’s fine... just no one touch the walls”

“You look seriously spooked, what did you see?”

Keith shook his head at Pidge. She’d call him more than idiot for the way he’d dismissed Lance like that. How many times had he put Lance down while Lance carried on with a smile for all their sakes?

“Something I wish I could take back”

“It can’t be that bad. We’ve all made mistakes”

Pidge reached out, brushing her fingertips over the wall. She jerked back almost immediately, eyes wide with guilt

“Fuck... Pike...”

Wrapping her arms around herself, she seemed to shrink. Hunk wrapped her arm around her shoulder

“What did you see?”

“Us... we were joking and we made fun of his feelings... it was like the worst feeling ever. Pike, I never should have... I meant it as a joke, but I didn’t know how much it hurt you...”

Pike shifted uncomfortably. Keith wondered if he was wondering how many memories were in these walls... What if this whole maze was made of Lance’s insecurities and these walls were the physical manifestations on the walls he’d thrown up trying to protect himself? Keith felt even shittier

“Oh... um... thanks, but I think for now we should work on this puzzle in front of us”

Walking up to the podium in the middle of the path, the other border was the same green as Pidge’s armour. Allura stares down at the symbols in confusion

“I don’t know what this means. Is this a human thing? Block, Meklavar, do you know what this is?”

Pidge slipped between Shiro and Allura to look at the podium, the green Paladin letting out a groan

“It’s the code I was working on”

“I don’t recognise this”

“That’s because it was a side project. Do you remember when went after that trans-reality comet? With the super bad... people of the same race as Vala. There was that box on the back of their necks...”

“Meklavar!”

Pidge jumped, Hunk sounded outraged

“It wasn’t like that. I was thinking maybe we could counter engineer something in case we ever came across something like that again...”

“Oh, that makes more sense”

“And... I was thinking that maybe if we had team issues with our other sides... we could find a way to keep them all settled so that side didn’t get in the way”

“Meklavar!”

“I couldn’t help it... I wanted to understand how it worked!

“Alright. Let’s save that arguing for later, everyone. Meklavar, do you know what to do with this?”

The code was on tiles that looked made to slide, with one square missing

“There’s some pretty clear errors here. Maybe I’m supposed to correct them?”

Hunk pressed his fingertips together

“Um... Guys... Making a mind control device doesn’t sound like a good thing to do”

“I never finished the code... Prince Pin-dick showed up and I got distracted. It’s not like I was making it to control anyone’s behaviour”

“I think this puzzle if for Meklavar. The frame is green on the outside, like her armour. I think she’s the only one supposed to touch it”

Pidge turned to Pike

“That’s a pretty good guess... Block, try touching it”

“What? Why me?”

“Because you’re the closest, dah!”

Hunk reached a hand out, a barrier forming between him and the tiles. Shiro shot Pike a smile

“Good call. Right, show them how it’s done”

The rest of them could do nothing as Pidge moved the pieces around, they all quietly took a step back knowing how snappy she could get when she was in the zone. Keith was quietly proud that Pike had voiced his ideas, even prouder that they seemed to be on the same wavelength with the colour thing. Having only faced the first obstacle, they couldn’t say for sure until they saw the next one. When Pidge had the tiles in place, a small keypad popped out the bottom of the podium

“Now what?”

“You correct the code...?”

Pidge shrugged, before rolling her head and cracking her fingers

“I’ve got this”

She did. After a few very very long minutes of typing, there was a small ding and the keyboard slid back into the podium, before the lot slid seamlessly into the ground. Turning to Hunk, he high-fived her with practiced ease. Allura all smiles as if Pidge’s victory was her own

“Good job, Meklavar. Let’s keep going”

After the first obstacle the terrain turned harder, the ground uneven and their were places where they had to duck their heads to avoid the hedge walls. Not wanting to walk in silence, the conversation gradually turned to what did they think was coming next

“That was like super easy, why do you think they had a challenge like that in the game?”

“Fucked if I know”

Keith’s answer earned him a smack to the back of the head by Shiro

“Language”

Keith shot his brother a glare

“Really?”

“Yep. Someone has to keep you in line. If we assume the game wants us to solve problems based on our strengths, then we can expect that Block’s should be something to do with baking?”

“Or engineering? He’s kind of a bad arse engineer”

Pike didn’t get hit for his use of language, Keith quietly internally pouting as where Shiro hit him throbbed. Hunk looked the happiest he had since they entered the maze

“Thanks, man!”

“I’ve got your back, bro”

“Why was mine coding?”

Pike rolled his eyes at Pidge

“Because you’re the most bad arse coder even known?”

“Then what about Keith? What do you think his would be?”

Pike, Allura, and Hunk all looked at each other, synchronised as they said

“Stabbing stuff”

Keith huffed. It wasn’t his fault he was a natural with a sword, deflecting, he asked

“And Shiro?”

Pidge stood a little straighter, pulling her hair into the closest thing she could manage to Shiro’s

“Patience yields focus”

All of them laughed, except for Shiro who pinched the bridge of his nose

“Thanks for that”

Allura hummed

“What would my skill be?”

“Basically everything?”

Pidge clicked her fingers

“Diplomacy? Maybe you have to negotiate with mice over cheese”

Allura nudged Pidge, Pidge nearly tripping as she exaggerated the effect

“Hey, watch the walls. You don’t want to touch them”

“I negotiate bigger things than mice and cheese”

“I know. I mean that you’re really good at it”

“She’s good at other things too...”

“Aw, thanks, Pike. I don’t know if you should say that in front of Dark, he looked ready to stab me”

“I can do more than stab things...”

Pike kissed his cheek, smiling at Keith’s pout. He was pack leader, he could out pilot all of them, not to mention he’d gotten pretty at good at strategising

“Of course you can, babe”

“Thank you”

“You two are completely gross. I want this noted”

Pike snorted at Pidge

“I‘d like how you class this as gross. Dark’s really very sweet”

Pike wasn’t helping Keith feel less self conscious. He cheeks felt too warm. Being in his armour made the game feel less like a game and more like a step towards the real world. A step towards it being him and Lance, not him and Pike

“That’s what makes it gross. You both pretty much have hearts in your eyes every time you look at each other”

“Don’t forget Pike made them matching grass crowns”

“And he tucked that flower behind Dark’s ear”

“And he was crying because he really wanted to gift something to Dark”

“And Dark gave him that new headband, and a sword. That’s pretty much the courting out of the way. All that’s left is marriage and annoying the rest of us by being all lovey-dovey”

Now the whole team was teasing them, Pike nuzzled into Keith’s cheek

“I don’t come that easily. I want to be courted properly”

“I wouldn’t dream of calling you easy”

Pike leaned a little more forward to “whisper” in his ear

“I didn’t say I was easy I said I don’t come that easily. But if you say that again, I’m happy to cut you off entirely”

Keith surrendered, amending his words. It wasn’t exactly hard to fall in love with Lance once he’d stopped running from his feelings, but mentioning how easy it was to fall for him would only lead to more teasing

“Not easy. Not easy at all. I promise to court you properly”

“Good. Now, I love you, and I really need to sit down before I fall down... So no more getting flustered because we all love you”

“I’m not flustered”

“Babe, you’re ready to sink into the ground and you know it”

“Shut up”

“And there’s my cranky boyfriend. I hope you’re not so cranky you fail your task”

“As if. Just watch me”

“Oh, so manly. Makes me fall for you all over”

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sohannabarberaesque · 4 years ago

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Some thoughts on watching SCOOB! (and online, know)

No doubt one of the perks of Amazon Prime membership would have to be the ability to watch the choicest of recent film releases, especially so through these means considering circumstances ... and the freshly-released SCOOB!, in homage to the classic Hanna-Barbera parthenon (notwithstanding that scene towards the end which was at the site of the Parthenon in Athens), went off rather well considering a few early glitches with the streaming on a cable-modem interconnexion such as I have.

At any rate, I just hope the spirits of William Denby Hanna and Joseph Roland Barbera will approve of the computer-assisted 3D animation as went into the effort, even allowing for the story being essentially transposed to more recent days and our finally having a sort of “origin story” with Norville “Shaggy” Rogers encountering a stray Great Dane as sneaked off with a cone of gyro meat from a shop on the Venice Boardwalk, with the inevitable hilarious twists.

And to use Hallowe’en as the “origin,” in a way, of the greater Mysteries, Inc. crew (even to the extent of revealing a “haunted house” to be a front for selling purloined consumer electronics on eBay at inflated prices) was rather amusing.

Your Humble Narrator couldn’t help but chuckle throughout at Scooby-Doo crossing over into Dynomutt, with considerable foci on his human handler, The Blue Falcon ... not to mention working in Dick Dastardly to ensure there was a villain throughout (and we finally know--don’t we?--what happened to Muttley: He crossed over into an Interdimensional Time Portal and the Gates of Hell). Add Captain Caveman in a more hipster, surfah-dude treatment, and things couldn’t get more bemusing in the quest between Mysteries, Inc., and Dick Dastardly at the heart of the film.

(It may be interesting to note that the bowling alley, Takamoto Bowl, pays homage to Iwao Takamoto, who helped establish and define the Scooby-Doo character as we knew him for over 50 years ... and Messick Mountain, playing a crucial role in the plot, likewise to Scooby’s longtime voice, that of Don Messick. In case you were wondering on both counts.)

At any rate, only time will tell if, indeed, a Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe on a par with Disney’s Marvel such lays its foundation on SCOOB! Still, the film (even allowing for Some Suggestive Humour as explains, in part, the PG rating given in the United States) is worth distracting some attention from the Interesting Times we face as a People and Nation.

@warnerarchive @hanna-barbera-land @warnerbrosentertainment @hanna-barbera-blog @hanna-barberians

#hanna barbera #scoob movie #review #critique #observations #online streaming #scooby doo #hannabarberaforever

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zeldauniverse · 5 years ago

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Fitness games have had an interesting journey through the annals of video game history. From the Power Pad on the NES to Dance Dance Revolution’s dance mat, they have seen a lot of ups and downs. It wasn’t until the launch of the Wii and Wii Fit when fitness games became a huge deal. Why just play video games or just go to the gym when you can do both at the same time?! That proved successful as Wii Fit (and its enhanced version Wii Fit Plus) sold a combined 43.8 million units, making it one of the best-selling games of all time, even beating out games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Since then, everyone has tried their version of a fitness game, but nowadays fitness games are becoming less common. Once people started getting tired of that type of game, most companies and developers changed course and began work on other things. Not only that, most fitness games present themselves as exactly what they are. “Oh you’re called ‘Fitness Boxing’? So you box to the beat and do fitness? Cool.” They stay in their lane and don’t try to be anything else.

This is where Ring Fit Adventure, the latest game from Nintendo EPD, tries to break the wheel. From the initial teaser in early September to the announcement trailer, we saw people having fun with a ring and a strap, and then we found out it was an RPG. It feels like someone went, “Final Fantasy, but Wii Fit?!”

It’s not exactly a combination you’d think were synonymous with each other. However, Ring Fit Adventure manages to blend them well enough to harbor an enjoyable experience while also making you sweat.

Full Disclosure Nintendo of America graciously provided us with a review copy of Ring Fit Adventure for the Switch. This review is based on version 1.1.1. As such, the new additions will be accounted for.

Meet the newest Switch accessory

What’s interesting about Ring Fit Adventure is that it markets itself as an adventure game. You fight monsters, explore fictional lands, and collect items on your quest. It just so happens to be an adventure game that you control with your body.

Ring Fit Adventure’s centerpiece is the unique pair of controllers you use: the Ring-Con and the Leg Strap. The Ring-Con is a heavily modified Pilates ring. The main difference is that Pilates rings normally have two hard plastic handles with concave sides with padding so it can be comfortable when doing thigh workouts. The Ring-Con replaces those handles with some small padding for your hands. As someone used to a normal Pilates ring, it feels a little strange, but it’s something you get used to. Then there’s the Ring-Con attachment itself, where you put the right Joy-Con. The Joy-Con’s accelerometer and gyroscope detect the Ring-Con’s position, whether you’re pushing in on the sides or pulling them away from each other. The IR sensor also tracks your heart rate by placing your right thumb over the sensor. It seemed to be fairly accurate, as it was within a 1 or 2 bpm difference when compared to my Apple Watch.

The Leg Strap is far less high tech — it’s literally a thing that you strap to the center of your left thigh and put the left Joy-Con in. That’s it. The Joy-Con itself does the work of making sure your leg is in the right position for the exercises thanks to its gyro and accelerometer.

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Admittedly, the story doesn’t try too hard to immerse you, but it still tries.

At the end of the day, however, the technology is nonetheless impressive.

One thing I do appreciate about the game is that Nintendo tries to make this game a circular experience. When you load into your file, the game asks if you want to warm up with some dynamic stretches before you jump in so you can get your body ready and avoid straining or injuring yourself. During the game itself, it’ll ask you after a while if you want to keep going or cool down. When you decide you’re done for the day, the game asks if you want to do some static stretching as a means to cool down. This structure gives a nice arc that, as someone with a movement background, I appreciate.

I’m going on an Adventure!

The story is fairly standard. You control an athlete who meets a sentient ring, and together you explore the world and fight a bodybuilding dragon named Dragaux (yes, you read that correctly). You explore many worlds, help people along the way, and gain new abilities by constantly butting heads with Dragaux.

The plot is cookie cutter, but it also doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t. The basic story line works here. It’s moderately self-aware in parts, and it’s mostly enjoyable. It’s a tad basic at times, and Ring (the only character who is fully voiced) tends to repeat lines a bit, but it’s not enough to ruin the experience.

Expecting too much from the story would be a mistake, but it will help you pretend it’s not just exercise.

The game itself is very straight forward. Levels consist of two different modes — exploration and combat. The exploration is on rails, which makes sense because you move in one of two ways, either jogging or running in place or by doing small bends (what Nintendo calls “silent mode”). Silent mode is supposed to be a way to play the game without disturbing people by running in place. It was also the mode I used more because I dislike running.

As you traverse the levels, you can pull and push the Ring-Con to release gusts of air to hit boxes and suck up coins. Additionally, you can use the Ring-Con in other positions for specific actions, like pointing it down in order to jump, twisting it from side to side to row across a river, or pushing inward with your abs to destroy rocks blocking your way. You’ll gain experience as you continue, making you more formiddable in combat.

Speaking of combat, it plays out like a traditional turn-based RPG. You attack by doing various exercises from one of four different groups: Arms (upper body), Stomach (core), Legs (lower body), and Yoga (dynamic poses). The game telegraphs how long you hold the pose and then the release of it triggers the attack. Some of the exercises make you hold position for a while (the squats are rough), while others have you move to the beat. Certain enemies are affected more by specific moves; for example, red enemies are susceptible to exercises focusing on upper body. You get to decide what exercise to use, or you can shuffle the exercises, so there is a variety. The game also aids you in combat with lots of outfits and smoothies, Ring Fit’s equivalent to potions. Outfits have a set attack and defense stat like any armor in a typical RPG. There are also smoothies to consume, which have various effects ranging from from healing damage to boosting attacks of a specific type.

You face Dragaux multiple times through your adventure, and he does have some variety in his attacks. He’ll occasionally throw boxes at you that you have to shoot with the Ring-Con, in addition to just flat out attacking you. The game also doesn’t penalize you should you die in boss battles either — it will let you just skip right to the boss fight if you want to. That choice is nice.

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Ring Fit Adventure sticks fairly well to many traditional RPG elements.

That includes the nemesis that monologues and swears this meeting will be the last.

It’s not as complex as franchises like Final Fantasy or Pokémon, but it does enough to be enjoyable. And with 20 worlds to explore, there is enough content here to last you at least 20-30 hours of just adventuring alone. Additionally, during your quest, you’ll come across certain minigames. These minigames, like trying to get points by tilting your body side to side, add an extra bit of variety to the overall gameplay.

Ironically, where Ring Fit Adventure drops the ball a bit is in its overall design and music. When I think of an adventure game or an RPG, I expect a vast array of beautiful trees, vistas and dungeons. Ring Fit sets its levels in one of three locations — a trail through nature, where you explore vistas and go through caves; a wooden obstacle course built in a dojo-looking area complete with treadmills, hoops, and more; and a ruins area for the boss fights. It got to a point where I noticed how often the areas cycle between each level. After a while, it does start to feel stale.

Ring Fit Adventure’s music is pulsing, upbeat, and modern to pump you up, but most of it is also forgettable.

Music is vital to how RPGs and adventure games create the mood you should experience in combat and cutscenes. Ring Fit’s music is pulsing, upbeat, and modern to pump you up for the exercises you perform. This is great for a fitness-centric game; however, most of the music is a bit forgettable. The music often gets drowned out by the sound effects and Ring’s lines, and, when you do hear it, it doesn’t really feel like I’m a hero exploring the world and fighting monsters. I feel like I’m in a fitness studio. For a game that’s marketed to be an adventure game first, it feels like they came too short.

Additional fun to be had

Of course, the adventure is only one part of Ring Fit Adventure. The game also provides some additional modes if you don’t have time to spend on the main campaign. The Quick Play mode has a fairly robust set of minigames and exercises you can do, separated into three categories: simple challenges (where the goal is to get the highest reps possible); minigames (more specific exercise with concrete goals, like making pottery while squatting to raise and lower the hands); and sets (consisting of pre-selected exercises from upper arms to glutes or from aerobics to flexibility). You can adjust the strength setting to make things easier or more challenging depending on your ability, and these modes are a very good way to quickly target a small set of muscles.

Your scores for these are also put online to see how well you stack up against other players. At this point, the rankings are all that online is really utilized for. It’s sort of disappointing that Nintendo didn’t add a way to play the adventure mode with online co-op, but maybe that’s just me.

There’s also Custom Mode, where you can make your own workouts using all sorts of different exercises. They have some preset options, or you can pick and choose from the standard Upper Body, Core, Lower body, and Yoga menus.

At least the devs acknowledge you’ll be binging Netflix at some point. “Multitasking,” indeed.

Lastly, there’s Multitask Mode, where you can work out using only the Ring-Con while you’re not playing the game. Basically it records the number of presses and pulls you do with the Ring-Con while the Switch is in sleep mode or turned off. Once it’s enabled with the right stick, you can continue doing other activities, like watching The Mandalorian on Disney+ (at least that’s what I’m doing) and exercise while you do it. The next time you boot up the game, you’ll get a bonus in the Adventure Mode according to how many presses you did. It does limit you to 500 reps, which seems low to me, but considering that most people are going to just sit and watch a movie or a TV show for more than two hours while exercising, I understand.

A nice way to gamify exercise

Despite the story falling a bit short, Ring Fit Adventure is still a very enjoyable experience with a lot of replay value. It has several different modes to play, a terrific variety of exercises, and is great if you want to get some workouts in when you don’t feel like leaving the house because of bad weather. If you’re a fan of the hardcore mechanics of RPGs like The Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy or Pokémon, Ring Fit may be basic, but that’s not what it places its emphasis on. The mechanics are accessible so that anyone can pick it up and enjoy it, and maybe It’ll get people into traditional RPGs. The only thing holding it back is not doubling down on the adventure/RPG genre in terms of scenarios and music.

Score 7.5/10

Review: Ring Fit Adventure may be basic, but it nevertheless makes exercise fun Fitness games have had an interesting journey through the annals of video game history. From the Power Pad on the NES to…

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r6sedust · 5 years ago

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Review on "The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee!"

Ok, so I just watched the new episode and might I say, I really liked it. It was really interesting and fun to watch.

Now, here are some points that I'd like to point out, some good, and some I think need improvement on.

1. Gandra Dee and her character for now.

Now Gandra, she turned out different and the same from what I thought. If you've seen my post before the episode appeared, I described her as a scientist who will do anything to get what she wants. In the episode, she wanted the passcode from Fenton, and what did she do to get it? She went on a date with him. She wasn't romantically manipulative or a distraction to Fentons priorities though and I'm happy about that. The plot twist of her working for Beaks was not a shocker though since so many people predicted it. Wait, she didn't work for Beaks, she was using him for resources. That also reminds me of Haruko who yes, said she worked for the Nandaba family, but really was only there to use Naota. Gandra, for now, has been portrayed to be independent, smart, charming, a hypocrite (kind of), dangerous, and powerful (literally). Like, I always imagined her with electrical powers before she came in the show, and the fact that she technically does is amazing.

2. Fentonio

Once again, I loved his role in this episode. I like how they pointed out how he was tired about saving Duckburg all the time and how he needed a break (funny how the DW episode was right after this one). I, honestly can't think of anything that needs improvement from his role.

3. Webby and Huey

Okay, okay. I love these two, alright? They're little balls of sunshine and they're amazing, but they were kind of just some tag alongs that were just, there. I know if they weren't there Fenton probably would've never found about Gandra double crossing him. But still, they served little purpose in that episode.

4. Mark.....

*sigh*

Shit

He was so stupid in this episode. Like, when he was just on screen before Mega Beaks, he just failed as a comic relief. I did chuckle a little at one of his parts, but that was because I couldn't believe that he was drinking the serum like an alcoholic. Don't get me started on when he, you know what-ed. I want to forget that moment so bad. His motives, made sense for him. He wanted more popularity then Gizmoduck so he became a huge ass monster, beat the crap out of Gizmoduck, captured the kids, and climbed all the way on the Waddle building for attention......It's so dumb and I hate how it makes sense for Beaks.

5. Fenton's father

Okay so, my mans dad was mentioned after this long time and I have a prediction. So, he was a scientist that worked with close friends in a private lab. He unfortunately died when Fenton was young from unknown causes. I also like to assume that his name is Eugene Crackshell, I don't know why. Anyway, him and Ms.Cabrera might've had a good relationship due to her mentioning him with no trace of annoyance or hate in her voice. When he died, he left Fenton that chain he had on in The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee (the one when the Gold Magnet was brought out). Fenton probably wears it all the time as it reminds him of his father.

Extra

1. Did Lauchpad really have a relationship with his damn clone?

2. Dr. Doofenshmirtz is looking good

3. Gyro is now warming up to Fenton and I'm happy. I'd really like to see them become friends.

Come on, we all know its not gonna be cannon.

And that's all for now friends. I'll see you soon with some headcanons maybe.

#ducktales #ducktales 2017 #fenton crackshell cabrera #mark beaks #gandra dee #launchpad mcquack #gyro gearloose

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gearlooses · 6 years ago

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Fenton: Oh my God, it's a raccoon!

Gyro: [from the other room] A raccoon! Which one? Describe it

Launchpad: Is it Little King Trash Mouth and his husband, Gary?

Fenton: Oh right, I forgot you guys are crazy raccoon people

Gyro: What, just because we watch the raccoons in the alley? It's fun. It's like a soap opera

Launchpad: More like an HBO mini-series. Lots of plot-twists, some nudity. You'd like it. You just need to catch up

Gyro: Is it the King?

Fenton: No, it's definitely not a him because it has babies

Gyro: Oh, a gay raccoon can't have babies?

Fenton: Oh, I dont know. I guess he could adopt or have a surrogate

Gyro: Of course he could. What does it look like?

Fenton: It looks like a raccoon

Gyro: Fenton, coloring, marking, hairdo, anything distinctive

Fenton: Okay. Uh, well it has three rings on its tail and its ear kind of has a notch in it

Dewey: A gauge? Has that reached the raccoon community?

Gyro: *gasps* It's Big Baby Pudding Snatcher. I was wondering where she went

Launchpad: Big Baby Pudding Snatcher, of course

Fenton: Why do you call her Big Baby Pudding Snatcher?

Gyro: Why do you think? Pudding cups, she snatches them

Fenton: From who?

Gyro: Me, in the alley

Fenton: Why are you eating pudding in the alley?

Gyro: Where else am I going to eat it, Fenton? The bathroom? That's gross

#ducktales #ducktales 2017 #gyro gearloose #fenton crackshell cabrera #launchpad mcquack #mine #advfgjng my finest contributions to the dt fandom #'gyro names raccoons with launchpad and eats pudding in random alleys'

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heartshredded · 5 years ago

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🥝 🥝 🥝 🥝 🥝

for every 🥝 i get, i’ll recommend a blog i love // @duskgathers

@madamhatter:

wow!! soar.. i didn’t even know we met years back, i guess coincidences do exists? from what i remember back then, you were one of the first people i ever interacted with in the group and god damn did i have a lot of fun with you and sophie! i can tell your writing has improved and your sophie is as great as ever, a lot of thought put into her character as well as still sticking to the canon of the book or ghibil movie. as for your writing style, there is a lot of little detail that paints out the picture of the scene so vividly in my head, its like magic whenever i read your stuff.

i’m really happy that we just had a chance to meet again? i never thought i would ever write eto again, like honestly, she’s such an iffy character that many would definitely stray away from. yet somehow we managed to make like.. one of the most interesting pairings i’ve ever seen, literal predator and prey. both are smart and use their wits wisely, and its such a slow burn twisted kind of love. also god i love to read your stuff, whether its a headcanon or our thread or with someone else, like literally. i love talking to you so much, i hope real life treats you well.

@loreliei:

yen! you’re one of the first people i ever followed on this blog if memory serves, and gosh dammit you’re a sweetheart. as far as i know, you’re nice to basically everyone and you deserve all the love you can get. you’re a really gracious and considerate person, i love the wit you put into seo, i always stop by to read or see what you post whenever you’re on the dash.

your writing style is very engaging and full of personality, each character has a quirk and even if you didn’t include icons, tags nor mentioned their name, i could roughly guess who you’re talking about. its unique and distinct basically! plus i remember that meme you reblogged and you went the extra mile to add in plots ideas for seo and the other person’s muse, a lot of people don’t often do that and i think that it really helps to establish potential friendships easier.

also.. kenma and seo? love them. they’re good friends, its wholesome and adorable.

@rollingsnowsmasher:

ok honestly you’ve always been the one loving me so let me give it a try this time, for reals. i think i first saw you from seeing guixi reblog your promo and i can’t remember if you followed me first or the other way but i’m really glad i did follow you. you’re a sunshine to a lot of people, i know many love you and there’s many good reasons for that. you’re a very supportive person, i often see you reblogging other people’s promo or posts with positivity in it and it really does shine. i do love seeing you on dash, i know i’m guilty of not reblogging your stuff everytime but really, really, you deserve so much and i know many would agree with me.

as for your writing, i just need to say its colorful and i will not lie, i still reread the gyro drabble you wrote like months back. your words come together to draw out a picture of whatever is going on and you describe it really well, like i finish reading a paragraph and everything comes to life in my imagination. i think as a writer that is a really amazing thing to be able to do, and i can’t stop smiling like an idiot honestly.

as for itsuki, often i have trouble differentiating muses that are like children since they often are just bland with the same formula, but i can remember itsuki well. i still remember that riceball sharing with johnny, and she’s a sunshine like you are. another thing i like about how you write her is that.. she has different sides, its not always sunshine and rainbows, itsuki has issues of her own and it shows. though i don’t know sengoku basara at all, if i’m right she’s a minor character who didn’t have much screentime or story in canon, so you make her really fleshed out and three dimensional.

basically, yes, love your writing, you’re a sweetheart and whatever blog you’re on, i love you. thank you for always being such a nice person to everyone, that’s a really rare thing nowadays and i hope life treats you well. whenever you’re down, i hope you feel better, you deserve a lot.

@uncharnel / @20sep1847

no lie, i was a really big fan of your writing like even before i followed you, but originally you came off as really intimidating to me so i just quietly followed you and read it from my dash. i don’t know what writing juice you drink to write so much, every little detail shows a trait of the character you write and even their thoughts. the way you write really makes me feel like they could be real people, its believable and they have their own problems / issues.

i also really appreciate the fact that you picked up so many side characters from part 7, like as far as i know i’ve mostly only seen blogs for the ‘main’ cast (johnny, gyro, diego, hot pants, lucy, valentines) at best and not any of the rest. you give them love, flesh them out and wow.. characters i never paid much attention to in the manga, i have a bigger appreciation for them whenever i reread the manga thanks to you.

as for mun, you’re a nerd and i realised i shouldn’t have been scared of you back then. april fools on your valentine blog was very fun to just see and read, like i don’t even know how that hair works but it got a good chuckle out of me that day. i also didn’t know what jeopardy was till you talked about it in the tags so thank you for introducing me to the best elevator music ever. love writing with you, reading your stuff and i hope life treats you well joh!!

@haecceiity / @biizzarroo (i keep forgetting its a double ii so i spent a minute wondering why i couldn’t tag you)

hello, nerd, i bet you thought you’ve seen the last of me insert that drama queen gif, thanks for dealing with me. anyway i think i first saw writing with val or something, i didn’t have any VA muses back then but i was a potato who still liked reading your stuff anyway. took me about a day before i actually dared to follow you back, but gosh damn i don’t ever regret that decision. you put a shit ton of effort and thought into all your muses, from holy to trish to form to all the muses on your multi, and it really shows in your writing.

your writing style is like blessed, you don’t drag on a point too long in your paragraphs but you add in certain words or phrases where the character’s personality quirks shine. its never tiring to read honestly, the little details here and there are what makes them so unique from just what was from canon. i think you do a great job on all of them, like literally every single one of them, and i don’t take no for an answer so you gotta take this kiwi of love from me.

as for personally, you’re fun to plot with or just talk to in general, and i can appreciate someone who just has a lot of memes from over the years. this is getting kind of long winded so basically, i’m glad i met you and whether we get to write together in the future or not, really hope you continue just doing your thing. also hopefully life treats you better.

#duskgathers #long post #im rip #madamhatter #loreliei #biizzarroo #20sep1847 #uncharnel #rollingsnowsmasher #haecceiity #mfw this is longer than my actual thread replies #ooc/

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mdenkoct · 5 years ago

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Short Film Sundays: Is King Candy a good replacement for a gangster flick?

The Short Answer: No (but it’s watchable).

Imagine if you didn’t have the money to buy a classic film like Goodfellas or a rollicking like Wolf of Wall Street, would you settle for something much cheaper that can give the same value?

This is Short Film Sundays with your host, Markley Denkoct! And tonight, we’re looking into a movie with a scam, and not one with money but one with candy -- King Candy. Directed by Ralph Sepe comes a tale about a man, Glenn Leighty who uses a school fundraiser to his own advantage and it turns this mean comedy into a not-so satisfying thriller.

The best way to describe King Candy is that its out of left field. In approximately 45 minutes, you see the shift from comedy to thriller happen really quickly -- so quickly to the point where the switch seems a bit sudden. At first, the movie is really fast paced with its editing and it helps give the humor a kick. But it changes pace to represent a darker change in the protagonist. This, on paper, seems like a good twist but there’s one problem: the story relies on its fast pace.

King Candy is at its best when it’s a comedy. Almost all of the jokes hit, and when there’s a miss, the quick cuts make the misses easy to forget. And Glenn’s carefree attitude can really make the audience easily invested in him as a character, but when that first act ends, things begin to change for the worse. The first impression turns sour, Glenn’s character gets edgy, and the movie loses its style.

Since the story likes to use Glenn’s carefree nature as the driving force of the narrative, the film has to be fast. It has to show Glenn’s hustle and pure arrogance as he tries to make a quick buck. Though, the issue comes when the story becomes more serious. First, the change happens abruptly, so there is no time to understand the rest of the characters to care about the change in conflict. Second, the audience is so carried away by Glenn’s comedic side and his escapades that they can care less about how dark things get in the story, and they care more about how his shady funny fundraiser will turn out. Bottom line, Glenn’s plot is more fun than the characters. And that’s what the film needed more of: fun.

For a film inspired by Martin Scorsese’s gangster flicks, King Candy misses the charm of those films. What made those films memorable was not how the protagonists did bad things and the audience loathed them for it, but how those horrible things were quite irresistible, by how much the characters gained from the experience.

That being said, if King Candy took a more lighthearted approach, the film would have been more likable. Though, there are some good things to be said about the second half. In the middle of the film, there’s this epic movie reference, I think the audience is going to freak out over, so I won’t spoil a thing.

Understanding the context of the film, it’s obvious that its low budget, so it’s best to just ignore the technical details, but a few things may come to screw up movie-watching experience. First off, there’s the acting. The performances are wooden like a massive oak tree. Some are more wooden than others, but the line delivery was what really screwed over the acting especially in the second half. If this film stuck to its laughs the acting would have been much better. Second flaw, there’s the audio. It’s tolerable for most of the film, but one scene in particular made the actors sound as if they were in two different places, so the audio may be hard to ignore at some places. But from a technical perspective, if the flaws can be ignored, then the movie can be enjoyable.

But here’s the real kicker: can the audience watch this in place of Goodfellas or Wolf of Wall Street and still get a satisfying experience? I say no. While the film has a fantastic first act, the other two acts fail because the story takes itself way too seriously, so it isn’t the most watchable film. But like all short films, it’s first step. And hopefully, the day will come when the audience can watch pseudo-Goodfellas online for free and the crowd will cheer, but that will have to wait for another time. But for now, this is a good is time-spender. And that’s all I need for now.

So next time on Short Film Sundays, we will take a look at an action film from one of the most overlooked production studios in YouTube history. We’ll look Deception (2016) Prod. Gyro Studios. Until then, I’ll catch you on the flick side.

If you guys want to check out the director go to this link to check out his YouTube channel and the film’s trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/user/ralphthemoviemaker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbKEVwSgE04

#ShortFilmSundays

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shewhowantsmouseears · 8 years ago

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Love Like Lava, 12

Notes: As always, big thanks to my editors Drucilla and BlueShifted! They take time from their already busy schedules to edit my silly hobby, so thank them. THANK THEM. GIVE THEM ALL YOUR THANKS.

Behold, Gyro! Growing up, I was surprised to learn that he existed in the comics before the Ducktales toon. But in either one he's the same lovable genius, and I hope you'll like him here too.

Not much else to say here, just more building blocks to the plot, with a few DUN DUN DUUUUUNs.

Summary: An unusual inventor comes to Goofy's village, needing help only he can provide. Meanwhile, the Beagles unknowingly work alongside the god of war to cause further chaos.

Gyro De Gearloose's arrival into Goofy's village was actually two days later than promised. It made Goofy's worry and anxiety worse, and when he tried to chisel in order to distract himself, Minnie's peach somehow turned into a bunch of bananas. But when Gyro finally arrived, not only did Goofy know about it instantly, so did everyone else in the village.

The noise from Gyro's cart was coming from the tallest hill, and as he got closer and closer to the normally sleepy town, he made more and more noise. It wasn't the creaky wheels that did it, nor the hooves of the brighthly colored horse, nor Gyro's pleased humming. All the clanking and crashing was coming from the cart itself, which was stocked and stacked with bizarre machinery and gadgetry. Gears, tools, pipes, books, vials of foul smelling liquid, it all clattered together like the world's worst symphony. Gyro smiled at those he passed, offering a friendly wave before looking back at the letter that lay on his lap. His cousin had given exact, detailed directions to Goofy's home, but it never hurt to reread things in duplicate, triplicate, and so on.

Goofy and Agalma came outside to see what the fuss was all about, and Goofy's stomach twisted as he guessed that this odd visitor was for him. He hated to disappoint such a cheerful young man, but there was no way Goofy could compete in a chariot race, much less win one. There were days he tripped over his own sandals! As he lamented his woes, Agalma began to jump up and down and wave her arms so she could grab Gyro's attention. “Hellooo!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. “Hellooo, over here!” It was a miracle she could be heard over all of Gyro's junk, but the horse and rider headed in her direction.

“Whoa, Little Helper!” Gyro commanded as he gently pulled the reins, urging his horse to come to a stop. “Very good! Your descent came in much quicker this time, you've knocked a whole 1.3 seconds off your usual record.” The horse snorted in pride, and after Gyro stroked its yellow mane, he hopped off his seat, rolling up the letter in his hands. “I hope I'm not wrong, but I take it you are Pygmalion?”

Goofy nodded once before he extended a hand. “You can just call me Goofy, most folks do.”

“Well then, Goofy, you can call me Gyro, because that is my name!” Gyro was about as tall as Goofy, perhaps an inch or two shorter, which was hard to tell since he had a short crop of fuzzy orange hair sticking straight up. He was thin as a stick, with small glasses sitting atop his beak that seemed to slide down with every other word he spoke. His sleek robes were perhaps once magenta, but were now bleached so much they looked bright pink, his sleeves rolled up to his shoulders but slipping back down as he shook Goofy's hand. “I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help with the race! I know together, we can take first prize!”

At that, Goofy began to pull his hand away, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Uh, yeah. About that...Gee, I ain't sure how to put this-”

“Goofy doesn't think he can do it,” Agalma finished, and when Goofy turned to her, she shrugged. “What? You said you weren't sure how to put it.”

“Really?” Gyro asked, cupping his beak. “My cousin kept going on and on about how you were up and raring to go...but then, he does tend to exaggerate.” He didn't sound offended or even disappointed – merely curious. “Have you ever been in a chariot race before?”

“No, sir. Ain't even seen one before.”

“Me neither,” said Agalma as she headed for the cart, wanting to find out what he'd brought and why.

“So it's first time jitters!” Gyro slammed a fist onto his palm, as if the matter wasn't that big at all. “That's perfectly reasonable! Everyone's nervous when they're trying something the first time. I've got just the thing for it! You see, I prepared for such circumstances, and many more. Never go anywhere unprepared, I always say.” His horse brayed, as if to say Gyro had never said any such thing. Gyro ignored the criticism and climbed onto his cart, beginning to push and dig through his pile. “Now then, where did I put it?”

“What is all this?”Agalma asked, picking up a large wheel from the cart – it was wooden on the outside, and metal inside.

“My experiments!” Gyro answered proudly, chucking a few screws over his shoulder. “I'm an inventor, as was my father, as was his father, as was his mother, all's equal in the inventing game...my whole family has been creating things to better humanity! And I bet my descendants a hundred years from now will be doing the same thing, with people lining up to try their inventions! But while thinking up ways to help people is free, actually doing that costs money, which is why I need your help to win the – A-ha! Found it!” Gyro yanked up what appeared to be a massive pair of glasses wrapped in paper and wiring. “I call it Sees All, Feels All! When you put these on, all your worries will melt away!”

As fascinating and confusing as this all was, Goofy still felt they skipped over something major. “Uh, Mister Gyro?”

“Just Gyro, please!” He rolled the paper back and slid off the cart, giving it a quick look over to make sure it was ready.

“Well, uh, Gyro, I do thank ya kindly for all this here effort, but I don't think I'm the kind of guy who can win races! I'm real clumsy, I ain't got a muscle to my name, and I'm not that bright. Just because I punched a guy in the nose don't make me a better fella than anyone else.” His eyes landed on Agalma, thinking that Millicent would somewhat agree, kindly ask Gyro to leave, and assure Goofy that he wouldn't have go through any trouble.

“Yes it does,” Agalma said, again shattering Goofy's conceptions and memories. She was moving the wheel around in her hand, imagining what it would look like if it was attached to anything. “Nobody else punched Bouncer before. No one even tried to stop them.”

“See, now that is what I call conviction!” Gyro laughed. “Listen, maybe you won't race after all, but you've got to at least give it a try! And speaking of tries, you can help me see if my Sees All, Feels All works!”

“You mean you ain't ever-” 'used it?', Goofy was going to ask, but Gyro had slammed the glasses onto his head and flipped a switch. The paper all around the glasses began to move rapidly, picking up speed with every second.

“What does it do?” Agalma asked.

“An excellent question...” Gyro paused. “Are you the young lady that my cousin says Goofy puts his hands all over?”

“Not anymore,” she replied. “I'm Agalma.”

“All right, Agalma! It was still an excellent question! You see, the paper here is lined with drawings and pictures meant to relax the mind, like a setting sun and a babbling brook! And I've found a way to make those images move by drawing them over and over, with small differences each time, creating an illusion when you move the paper! It's as if you actually see the sun setting before your very eyes.”

Agalma glanced at Goofy, then back to the inventor. “Is it supposed to make you nauseous?”

Gyro blinked rapidly. “What? Of course not.”

“Then I don't think it's working like you wanted it to.” Agalma pointed at Goofy, who was dizzily bent over, hands on his belly, moaning quietly. “Maybe you accidentally made a Sees All In Your Stomach.”

“Oh!” Gyro quickly snatched the device off of Goofy's head, wincing as he looked at Goofy's swimming eyes. “I'm terribly sorry! I guess that one's a bust...but at least you're not worried anymore, right? Hard to be worried when you're ill.” He tried to crack a smile, but all Goofy could get out was a gurgled “Ugh.”

Agalma tossed the wheel back on the heap and took Goofy by the elbow. “Why don't you go lay down a while?” Goofy nodded numbly, following her back into the house, but Gyro, after throwing his device back into the wagon, decided to join them.

“I truly am sorry, I – My goodness!” Gyro interrupted himself as he saw the multitude of near perfect statues. He took off his spectacles, rubbed them, put them back on, and they were still amazing. “I've never seen anything like these! This is absolutely marvelous!”

“You've been getting a lot of people complimenting them lately,” Agalma pointed out to Goofy, continuing to lead him to the bedroom. Goofy avoided eye contact.

“I can see why! The details, the expressions – what on earth do you need me for?” Gyro asked as he stepped into the bedroom, scratching his head. “You could make a fortune with any of them! I'm even tempted to take one or two myself, might spruce up the old home, and I'd pay you whatever you asked.”

Once Goofy laid down on his pitiful excuse for a bed, he finally began to talk, one arm over his eyes. “Aw, nobody wants somethin' made by a clumsy, dumb fella like me. Once folks forget all about me clobberin' Bouncer, it'll all go back to normal.”

Gyro frowned, crossing his arms. “And...people calling you clumsy and dumb is normal? No, forget I asked such a thing. Goofy, are you dumb?”

Goofy lifted his arm, wondering if Gyro had heard him at all. “I just said, everyone calls me-”

“I didn't ask if everyone called you dumb. I asked if you were dumb. There's a world of difference.”

The sculptor didn't answer, trying to see if this was a trick question. Agalma stood in the middle of the room – the same place where she was as a statue – and raised a hand. “Being dumb means you don't know anything, right?”

“That is what most people assume the definition is, but it is in fact an oxymoron!”

Goofy narrowed his eyes. “How's me bein' a moron different from me bein' dumb?”

“No, no, Goofy, oxymoron! It's not an insult.” He cleared his throat, as if he was a professor dictating to a class. “An oxymoron is a rhetorical device that uses an ostensible self-contradiction to illustrate a rhetorical point or to reveal a paradox.” Blank looks from both canines. “Er...let me put it this way. A civil war is hardly ever civil! Acting natural means you're not natural! And a person who doesn't know anything doesn't exist.”

Agalma took this into consideration, shifting from one foot to the other. “But I'm constantly learning things that everyone else already knows. Doesn't that make me dumb?”

“Not at all!” Gyro declared, pointing a finger up. “We all learn things from someone else, and everyone learns at their own rate. But even babies know things – they know to trust their mothers, what tastes good and what doesn't, and how to tell people they're in distress...by crying! So being called dumb is a ridiculous insult, for there is not a single, solitary person or creature on this planet that knows nothing! You, Goofy, know many things, don't you?”

Goofy stared up at the ceiling, having never thought of it that way before. “Gee...I guess I do. I know how to count, and how to eat, and how to make statues...”

“And I bet there's a dozen other things you know, you just don't know it!” Gyro paused, realizing that also sounded like an oxymoron. “The point is, you shouldn't sell yourself so short. You're a great man, and if the people of this village can't see that, then it's high time you found people who can.”

Goofy slowly managed to sit up, hands on his lap, looking straight at Gyro. “You've just met me, and you already think I'm great?”

“I'm rarely wrong!” After the dogs gave him an indignant look, he speedily corrected himself. “About people. Let's give each other a chance, Goofy! I'm going to stay with my cousin, and come over every day to help you practice for the race! I much prefer making chariots over riding them. I'm going to invent the best chariot the world's ever seen!”

“Going to?” Agalma asked, an eyebrow raised. “You mean you haven't made it already? Even though you came here to get a racer?”

Gyro's confidence wilted like a dying flower in the intense sun. “Not...exactly...Ah. Well. I'm having a bit of a mental roadblock. Nothing I come up with is good enough, I can't even get past the blue print stage!”

“Have you tried red print?” Agalma asked.

Gyro went on. “It's like my creative well has dried up, and that's part of the reason why I'm here.” He sighed sadly, rubbing his arms. “I was hoping that by coming here and working with you, I could get those mental juices flowing again. Nothing else has worked – you're my last hope, Goofy. If I can't think of a new invention, it's the end for me! How can I call myself an inventor if I'm not helping those around me? It makes me wish there was...some kind of inventing god I could pray to!”

Goofy inhaled and exhaled deeply as he listened to Gyro's lamenting. As much as he wanted to tell the bird “no” and move on with his life, the good heart in him couldn't ignore Gyro's pleas. He still didn't believe his efforts would amount to anything – but he couldn't kick Gyro out and tell him to hit the road. “I ain't makin' no promises,” he said after lifting his head. “But... if'fn you really wanna give this a try, then I'll do whatever I can to help you out.”

“Perfect!” Gyro seized Goofy's hand and began shaking it vigorously all over again, which didn't exactly help with Goofy's stomach. “You won't be disappointed, friend!”

Goofy would have genuinely asked if Gyro really meant they were friends – except now he was so sick that he flopped back on his back, nearly passed out.

Before seeing himself out, Gyro pondered out loud, “Maybe I should make an anti-nausea device?”

“Please don't,” said Agalma.

~*~

Goofy wasn't the only one feeling sick that day. Ma Beagle and her sons had once lived in a large farmhouse after bullying and threatening the original owners, but since Goofy's act of defiance, they got soundly booted out. They made do by staying in Aphrodite's temple, but they knew they couldn't stay there forever. Ma didn't believe in the power of the gods, but even the most cynical part of her heart got the creeps by staying in such a sacred place. It was making her sick, along with everything else that had happened recently.

“Look at us,” she huffed, gesturing to the wide space around them. “Look at what we've become!” Burger was looking at the altar with burnt offerings, highly tempted to lick the ashes. Bouncer was in the middle of a nap but was woken up by the sound of his mother ranting. “We used to own this town! People would run at the mere sight of our shadows! And now we can't even get a bunch of old farm hands to cower! It's all because of that big goof!”

Bouncer rubbed his bandaged nose, which still hurt like the dickens. “I would've ducked if I knew it was coming.”

Ma began to pace, hands clutched together behind her back, her brows furrowed. “What if this spreads out to all of Greece? No Beagle will ever be able to steal again! What are we going to do?”

Burger rubbed some ashes between his fingers and gave them a whiff. “Get jobs, work hard, and becoming honest, functioning members of society?”

“This is no time for jokes!” Ma snapped, before resuming her frantic walk. “We need to find a way to demean what Goofy did to us. We need to get revenge! And once the town sees that their big hero isn't so big, they'll bend over backwards to make sure they never offend us again. But it's going to take more than a punch to the nose.”

Bouncer yawned, still a little drowsy from his nap. “Uh...ain't he some kinda sculptor, Ma? Maybe we can break all of his statues. I really like breaking things!”

“Yeah, why don't we do that?” Burger chimed in, after discovering that ash tastes horrible no matter what it used to be. “We can do it when he's off in that chariot race, so by the time he comes back, we'll be done and-”

“Chariot race?” Ma interrupted, stopping where she was and glancing behind her to watch her grown-up children. “What's this about a race?”

Bouncer scratched his head as he tried to remember the details. “Well, uh, word is, he and this big bird guy are gunna enter a big fancy race in the next town over...Think it's named Ippos?”

“Ippos?!” Ma exclaimed, running over to Bouncer and grabbing him by the tunic, shaking him over and over. “Are you sure it's Ippos? Boys, we've hit the motherload!”

“Aw, Ma, don't say that about yourself, you're not that big!” Bouncer replied.

After smacking her elder son on the head, Ma let him go. Burger just blinked slowly, confused. “Gee, Ma, what's the big deal? It's just some race in some town.”

“That's where you're wrong, Burger!” Ma proudly put her hands on her hips. “It's the race in the town! Ippos is famous for horse races, and the winner rakes in more money than you'll ever see in a lifetime! Every business there exists for the chariot races! And we've got a cousin there, Bombshell Beagle! He's the filthiest, dirtiest, most low-brow cheater that ever crawled the earth!” She sniffed, wiping away a single tear. “The pride and joy of the family.”

“What's that got to do with us, Ma?” Bouncer asked, readying himself in case he was due for another smack.

“If Goofy's entering that race, then so will we!” Ma clapped her hands together, rubbing them greedily. “We won't just make him lose...we'll make him a laughingstock! With my brains, Bombshell's cheats, Bouncer's brawn, and Burger's...” She needed a minute. “...Ability to be a meat shield-”

“Always glad to help, Ma!”

“-We'll not only grab first place, but we'll make Goofy wish he'd never been born! I want you boys to pack your things and head straight to Ippos.”

“We don't have a pack,” Bouncer said, getting to his feet. “Or things.”

“What about you, Ma?” Burger asked, already growing nervous about this plan. “Ain't you comin' with us?”

“In due time boys.” Ma approached them both and patted them both on the head, though Bouncer had to stoop over to make this possible. “I need to stay here for a while and keep an eye on the goof! Cheating isn't all about breaking their wheels or poisoning their horses. It's also about brains! Seems like when I gave birth to you, I kept yours.” She tapped a finger on her head, and the boys weren't insulted since they didn't understand it was an insult. “I'm going to psych Goofy out! Play some head games! Get him so rattled up that he'll have nightmares about this race! And maybe give that pretty girlfriend of his some trouble too...” Her face soured and she pulled away as she remembered what Bouncer had told her. “She might be the real cause of all this.”

“How you figure, Ma?” Burger asked, his stomach beginning to growl.

“Think about it, boys! Before she came along, that dog mouthed off to us, but he couldn't do any real damage.” Ma cracked her knuckles, recalling the day Goofy had struggled to stop their thievery in this very same temple, but had only succeeded in tripping all over himself. “Then she comes out of nowhere, and suddenly he's got the courage to sock you in the nose! If I can get rid of her somehow, it'll make Goofy a pathetic weakling again! You just leave her to me.” She didn't have an exact plan yet, but it wouldn't take long. Coming up with nefarious schemes was one of her favorite pastimes. All she needed was a spark of inspiration.

“I sure hope this works out like you say it will,” Bouncer said, starting to head for the exit with his little brother in tow. “At this rate, we'd be better off as slaves.”

“Think they serve horse meat in Ippos?” Burger questioned as he trailed along.

Ma froze in her tracks, and then ran after her children, grabbing them by the arms and spinning them around. “Don't take another step! What did you just say?”

“...Think they serve horse meat in Ippos?”

“Not that, you moron, the other thing!”

“...We'd be better off as slaves?”

“Yes!” There came the spark, and Ma's grin looked like the glistening fangs of a snake ready to strike its next victim. “That's it! It's perfect! It's brilliant!”

Bouncer paled, and he clasped his hands together to beg. “Aw, Ma, please don't sell us as slaves! We'll do better this time!”

Burger gave it some thought. “Slaves are supposed to be fed regularly, right?”

Ma grabbed them both by the ears and knocked their heads together, the sounds of their skulls bonking sounding much like two hollow coconuts colliding. “The girl, you fools! It's about the girl! I'm going to make her into a slave! That will bite Goofy's pride something fierce, and that woman will never dare to stand up to anyone again, much less us!”

Slavery wasn't found everywhere in Greece, and the more reputable lands banned it altogether. But there were still plenty of places that enforced it, and of course there were several Beagles who were more than happy to take part in such a despicable trade. Because of this, Ma knew a thing or two about how slavery worked, including a few tricks in order make the system work for you. Slavery wasn't used in this sleepy town, but it wasn't illegal there, nor was it so in Ippos. It still came with its own set of rules and regulations, and Ma knew just how to bend them to her will. It wouldn't be easy, and it could take some time, but for the desired results it would be worth the wait.

“Oh, I can just see it now,” Ma cackled, fire and brimstone burning in her eyes. “That woman crying and begging as she's taken away and branded, and the goof can't do anything but watch! It'll eat him up forever! Or even better, he'll just stop eating, and die off!”

As Ma cackled with horrific glee, Bouncer and Burger exchanged a silent, worried look. Being bad was a hereditary trait at this point, but Ma's ecstatic joy at dooming a young woman to slavery and wishing death upon a clumsy bystander was starting to cross a line that made them as nauseous as Goofy currently was. They wouldn't dare tell her how much she was scaring them, or defy her in any way. Ultimately it was no skin off their nose, but they'd be looking forward to when it was all over. If Ma was this upset over one man giving them trouble, what would happen to the entire village if she desired vengeance? Had she always been this blood-thirsty and only just now showing it?

The real answer was a mix of yes and no. While Ma didn't believe in the gods, the gods believed in her. Specifically, Pete believed that any mortal was capable of destruction and suffering, and in his unending quest to make a war, he'd left Mount Olympus yet again in order to push people over the edge. All it took was simple poke to the back to the head to ignite their anger, and the Beagles were often the easiest sources to create a ruckus. In his boredom, he was poking anyone in sight, trying to create something, anything, to make his life more entertaining. Igniting Ma's rage was merely him passing by. He'd barely been listening to anything that had been said.

Pete had gotten the gist of what happened with Aphrodite, and it confused him to no end. He still would have been angry if she'd chosen any of the other gods that lived on Mount Olympus, but at least he would have understood it. But marrying Hephaestus? A reject god? Where was the logic in that? His wars were dying off, and the woman that was perfect for him had turned out to be imperfect. Had the entire world gone topsy-turvy? He was a god, his life was supposed to go exactly the way he wanted. If it didn't, that made him no better than a mortal – which to him meant being no better than cattle.

The only sensible conclusion he'd been able to reach was that because Minnie was the goddess of love, she loved everyone, which included scrawny ugly losers that lived on the mortal plane with the rest of the trash. She must have chosen him because if she'd chosen anyone on the Mountain, there'd be even more fighting over than usual. That had to be the reason, nothing else made sense. It didn't mean he had to like it. It also didn't mean he'd completely given up on her either.

All Pete had to do was prove his superiority to her, above all other gods. She hadn't yet officially married Hephaestus, so there was time to fix things. But as it stood now, he had no accomplishments to his name, nothing that made him stand out. He was – dare say it – ordinary! Common! Just like everyone else! What a horrible thing to be, when you knew you were better than everyone else. He needed to find some way to impress her, some way to include her, something that would prove he deserved to have her. But Pete wasn't creative, and he knew nothing about women, save for how well they could fight.

He stopped for a moment when he realized he was by Goofy's house. He still remembered the vow he made, mostly to himself, that the future chariot race would be full of blood and broken bones. But he also knew that all races ended eventually, and so his entertainment wouldn't last long. Pete scowled at the house and at those who lived in it – and he also remembered that extremely strange girl with no memories to grasp. He'd easily forgotten about her until just then. She was a mystery, and mysteries were difficult to solve when you typically solved everything with violence.

Pete rubbed his stubbly chin. Maybe if he solved the question of the mystery mortal, Minnie might come to respect him, love him, and marry him, all in one fell swoop. Oh, but that'd mean he'd have to think, and work, and ugh, all that effort! He'd have to clear his schedule of sitting on his big butt and watching the world in hopes of finding a war. She'd better appreciate the sacrifice!

He didn't know where to start, but maybe he could get some help from the other gods – no, correction, he would make them help. Who was going to stop him? Zeus? That was a laugh! No, soon Pete and Minnie would be the real power couple of Mount Olympus.

Pete began to plot, as Ma began to plot, and Gyro began to plot in that small town, and elsewhere Minnie was plotting and Mickey was plotting, and no doubt across the world many people were coming up with many ideas. As usual, no one had any idea of any potential danger at their door.

#disney #fanfic #love like lava #goofy #gyro gearloose

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sorayahigashikata · 6 years ago

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Chapter 22: "Do you hear the people explode?"

#Paula reads SBR #Chapter 22 #HOORAY VIOLENCE #Part 7 spoilers #Steel Ball Run spoilers

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shadowycreationearthquake-blog · 7 years ago

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Nova 3 Freedom Edition Hack 2017 Credit, Coin Generator

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rossl32123 · 8 years ago

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Clear Sky, 26°C

Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club

Going to get the jobs done The next step in the ongoing saga that is boat ownership was upon me, I had to get the damage done in the electrical storm of Feb 17 fixed, (did I write about that?), and also the urgent repairs that were indicated in the initial inspection completed. I needed a haul-out and I discovered, after an extensive investigation and enquiry, that my best option was going to be Midcoast Marine in Newcastle. The first plan was to go up on the 12th Mar, and Brian and Bronte were going to be my crew, but the weather was supposed to turn cappy, so Bronte and Hunter helped me take her over to her new mooring in the temporary site at Claireville instead. The weather turned out to be beautiful for sailing, and we could have stayed out all day, it was just blissful, but Keri had an afternoon appointment, and since she was kind enough to drive all the way to Claireville to pick us up, we had to get on with it. We still had to get the boat sorted, find the mooring, and somewhere to leave the dinghy, and as always time gets away with you on the water. So the 26th Mar was the next possible date. As it turned out Brian was busy, so just myself and Bronte were the crew. I wanted to wake up on the water! Just a simple wish, but it meant that I was going to have to get from work, finishing at 7:30pm, shop for the trip, get home, persuade Bronte to buy into the plan, pack what I needed, then get over to Claireville. We eventually got there just before midnight, which wasn't brilliant, but hey, waking up on the boat at dawn was going to be so worth it. Next problem was to get all the gear down to the dinghy, find it, launch it, load it including the outboard, and get out to the boat in the dark. Most of this was all straight forward, thank God for phone flashes. What I hadnt planned on was finding the boat in the dark! I had a rough idea where it was, after all I had parked it there 2 weeks previously, but there are so many boats out there and they all look the same until you get close! It was a warm and still night, and we unloaded our dinghy and got it up on deck. No problem with the dark here, the floodlights and spreader lights do a premium job, but at one stage Bronte said to me in a whisper "not so loud dad, there's someone on that boat next door". We really felt that we were breaking the peace. The same can't be said for some land lubbers in the bay who were partying hard, and the noise carried across the water. The following day I was up before dawn to commune with the sunrise. Silly me, I had forgotten that we wouldn't see it where we were parked. Didn't matter, I had a nice cup of coffee while it got light, and started preparing for the sail. I hoisted a flag of Kyles and as soon as Bronte was up and coffee'd we got going. 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Then the problems started, the pole twisted and jammed the slider in the track, the slider couldn't come down to parallel because the main sail cover goes too high, there is no block or cleat for the forward guy etc etc. So I put it all away and promised myself I would do some more research on that set of problems. Meanwhile Bronte was getting bored also, her method of defusing the boredom was to go for a mid voyage swim. She was a little worried about the possibility of sharks, and didn't stay in long, but she was more game than I was. By about 3pm we were still motoring although the wind had started to come in from the east. We got all the sails up finally. It did mean we were going to have to tack all the way to Newcastle, and that was going to blow our ETA out by 2 or 3 hours, so we were committing to an after dark arrival. Another first. Oh well, can't get the experience any other way! We revised our ETA with Marine Rescue and sailed on. At one point I realised that we were going to have to tack again to get around Redhead, so I started the motor again. Giving the boat a bit extra push meant that we would lose some angle up into the wind, but it had the advantage of reducing our leeway in the tack. We got around Redhead without needing another tack and shut the motor off again as we were getting some reasonable speed. It got dark! Not so much of a problem at sea, but we were coming into a busy port I had never been to before, under sail! At some stage we were going to have to get the sail in. As we were approaching the last way point but one, before the turn into the channel, I realised that the next leg would give us a nice little reach in winds that were now getting up to 15kt. Suddenly we were powering along on a leg that was much shorter than I had imagined. So we headed up into wind to get the sail in, somewhere out off the last port marker for the channel. It did cross my mind that this could be a problem for other boaties using the entrance, and I did make a special effort to get sail in quickly and as efficiently as I could. I was to realise a little later just how stupid that plan was. As we headed up the channel, guided by Navionics on my phone, faithfully following the track plotted plum up the middle, I had Bronte stand out on the deck spotting for me. It was very difficult to see the channel marks, other boats, ferries etc etc with the tender on the deck, but I figured we would be alright provided we just took our time. At one stage Bronte said to me "why is that big wharehouse with those two little boats beside it moving? "Oh shit it's a ship!" And it was coming down river! Next time I'll plot my tracks a little more up the starboard side. I knew we had a dock waiting for us, and I had a fair idea where it was, what I didn't appreciate was how tight it was to get into! We had a couple of fenders ready to go, but we had no idea how high the dock was, or what kind of edge it had, so we didn't set them. I had warps ready, but once again I wasn't sure what we would find when we got to the dock. As it happened there was another boat on the port side of the pontoon, so we had to go to starboard side. At the last minute I got Bronte set up with a warp in midships, as I thought it would be important to be able to stop the boat with an aft spring, and drive the stern against the cross wind with the rudder. It didnt turn out like that! The boat drifted away from the dock before Bronte could jump onto the pontoon. The bow swung into wind, closer to the dock so Bronte scrambled forward to grab the head line. I didn't quite get all the way off her and the anchor housing contacted the handrail on the gangway, putting another bend in it. With a head warp holding I could get the stern to come back against the wind, so we did finally get tied up, but all the time the depth sounder was doing its nut. That left a severe doubt about the usefulness of the whole arrangement, given that we were 4hrs before LWS and already showing our keel to be on the bottom! After a little thought I satisfied myself that it was possible that because of the position of the transducer, and the sloping of the river bank, there was probably more water under the keel than was being indicated. Phew! Time for dinner. Exhausted, but elated. That's how I hit the sack later that night. Fortunately, while I squared away topsides, Bronte cooked us some chicken to have in our wraps, and we both crashed into bed about 10ish. GOOD JOB TEAM!

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