#the game runs so smooth on my dad's pc when i go over there. such pretty graphics. augh

[kaeyapilled]

a graphics card could solve many of my problems

[astars-things]

“It’s okay to be afraid sometimes.”  with Dad!Thomas bordeleau

Thomas Bordeleau x Daughter!Reader

As I was playing with boys online I could hear y/n faint cries coming from her room  "Hey boys I'm going to go check on y/n" I said into my mic I could hear faint sounds of Briss asking if she was okay and Matty saying to go help her, 

I got up from my chair and started walking to her room, as I walked further down the hall I could see the nightlight was still on, casting a faint pink glow across the room, but it was not enough to stop her imagination from running wild. She’s curled up in her little bed, clutching her favorite stuffed bunny, her tiny body trembling beneath the covers.

“Y/N?” I whisper softly, trying not to startle her. She peeks out from beneath the blankets, her big, tear-filled eyes locking onto mine.

“Daddy…” Her voice quivers as she holds out her arms, and I don’t hesitate to scoop her up. She clings to me tightly, her head resting against my chest.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” I asked, smoothing down her messy hair. “Bad dream?”

She shakes her head, her grip tightening. “It’s too dark,” she mumbles, her words muffled against my shirt.

“It’s okay to be afraid sometimes,” I say, carrying her over to the rocking chair by the window. I sit down with her in my lap and start to rock us gently. “Even Daddy gets scared sometimes.”

She pulls back just enough to look up at me, her tear-streaked face a mix of confusion and curiosity. “You do?”

“Of course,” I say, nodding. “When I was little, I was scared of the dark too. I used to think there were monsters hiding under my bed.”

Her eyes widened, and I quickly added, “But there weren’t any. Just like there aren’t any in your room.”

She glances over at the shadows in the corners of her room, then back at me. “How do you know?”

I smile, leaning in closer like I’m about to share a big secret. “Because I used to be a monster hunter. The best one around. And I checked your room really well when we moved in. No monsters allowed, remember?” y/n nodded her head in agreement, she looked at me and then back at her then back at me, asking with her eyes if she had to go sleep in her bed 

"Just this once you can sleep in my bed okay," I said to her, her eyes lighting up she grabbed her stuffy and got back into my arms, I placed her on my hip  and took her into my gaming room so I could say bye to the boys and so y/n could say his to her uncles once I turned off my PC I walked into my room still with y/n on my hip, I laid down with her playing with her hair until sleep overtook both of us 

[fishmongeringstudies]

twenty one: i keep waking up in rooms i don't recognize and then realizing that i am still dreaming. my therapist says this is a symptom of a dislocated knee. i have not gone running since march. everyone that i know is lying to me

when i was a kid my parents used to take us to the same restaurant for brunch every sunday. it was on the first floor of a shopping mall which had big panes of glass stitched together for a ceiling and consequently let in far more natural light than your average building, but the restaurant itself was dark. moody. the walls were black and so was all the upholstery. the coffee mugs the waitresses served you coffee in were so dark you couldn't tell how full they were unless you looked extra hard at them, which i rarely did. in most memories of this place i'm seven or eight and i only drink two things: lemon tea and milk. so i'm sitting there with my frosted plastic cup of lemon tea, methodically stirring in my syrup with a skinny metal spoon because they make their lemon tea from scratch here which means no sugar and lots of tea, and my parents are drinking from their big adult mugs, and my sister's picking apart the roasted tomato on my dad's plate, and life, well. life is simple. good.

i can't remember when we stopped going there but i know that by the time i was nine and traipsing around in the hallways of the chinese primary school my parents had transferred me to, it had closed down and been replaced with some other restaurant whose name and shape i can't recall. well before i turned sixteen that entire wing of the first floor was demolished and replaced with the monstrosity that is singapore's flagship muji store. the muji's still there today. it's got a retail area and a few showrooms showcasing lifestyle choices for the upper-middle class citizen and a cafe with a dining area marked out by eclectic hanging decor that looks like a hundred little wastepaper baskets made from twine tied together to form a spotty mural of sorts. i'm fond of the cafe. their desserts are on the expensive side but they're thoughtfully made and look pretty in pictures, prettier in person.

your childhood years are one of those things that gets shinier the further away you stand from it, like how a bad experience becomes bittersweet by necessity if you give it long enough or you'll be stuck carrying that baggage with you forever. looking back, for example, on spring, i am inclined to see the educational takeaways instead of the moments in which my brain shut off and was replaced with a vat of screaming kittens. in this way we propel ourselves forward with the wisdom of the past, scrounged together from moments of pain and deep embarrassment. in this way we find ways to stay alive.

this summer i have wound up in upperclassmen housing by some unfortunate trick of fate. my apartment suite has five bedrooms but only four of them are occupied; i live in the room at the end of the hallway. my flatmates live in the next three. it has been five days since i moved in and i am convinced all of them think that they are living with a cryptid constructed in the scp containment breach format and unsure how to let them know that they are correct without making it personal. last night i woke up after a brief period of dreaming to use the bathroom; while washing my hands in the sink one of my flatmates walked past in the hallway behind me. 'hey, it's you,' she said. 'i feel like i haven't seen you forever. i mean. i've seen you, but i haven't seen seen you, you feel me?' asleep on my feet and ready to crash facefirst into bed, i nodded. 'yes.' she stood there for a few seconds as if expecting me to say more, but i had a vending machine for a brain at the moment and couldn't find it in me to press any more buttons. i certainly could've tried. but i was tired.

when i got on campus in february i resolved to sign up for therapy sessions with the school's mental health services since i was paying an ungodly amount for 'health insurance' (not a thing in singapore, really; not necessary in most places except america, really) anyway and i might as well make use of some small part of the astronomical sum that had been deposited in the pockets of some old white people i would likely never meet in my life. i got as far as filling out the form embedded in the school website and opening the automated email i received a few days later asking me to list my free times each week. i forgot about the rest. we are therefore entering the summer of my twentieth year without a goddamn clue what the inside of my head looks like apart from the fact that it must be pretty cool in there. it has to be cool. if it isn't cool what's the point of holding onto any of it anyway? we live for the spice of life. like garlic powder. cumin. oyster sauce.

this morning i went to target to look for sugar. the dining hall here doesn't do any of its vegetables justice but their desserts are to die for, and i've found myself suffering from a mild withdrawal since i started scrambling eggs and boiling about five hundred grams of cauliflower a day for the sheer therapeutic effect of it and because i don't really know any better. the target near campus is located in a shopping mall and surrounded by miles of parking space on both ends. while walking back across that stretch of empty parking space, i came across a smear of orange on the pavement. it was an orange. or it had been. the rind had been ground into the gravely surface of the road by a repetitive smoothing action so that it looked less like a bit of roadkill and more like it had been there all along. i can't stop thinking about that orange. who the fuck drops an orange in the middle of a road? why didn't they pick it up?

i have been cursed with an idea. it came to me last night before i fell asleep and it has been sitting on my shoulder since then like the devil in the popular angel-and-devil writing device which all nine year olds are taught by their teachers in chinese class, whispering to me about how great things will be if i can teach myself the fundamentals of sound design in three days. unfortunately it is when one decides to start a war that they are forced to confront their contacts list and the vast, untraceable geography of its contents. i cannot tell you if anything will result from this. but i hope that it will.

back when i still talked to her i mentioned the idea of doing puzzles to soothe the mind once and she took to it with so much genuine enthusiasm (she was always enthusiastic. too enthusiastic. enthusiasm was the problem, and the lack of willingness to curtail it the thing that eventually nailed the coffin shut) that i went to target the next weekend and bought a set of four puzzles depicting various scenes from old disney films. over the last two weeks i have done each puzzle three times, save for the last one, in which mickey and minnie mouse waltz down a red carpet and the people on the sidelines cheer for them with champagne moustaches and glittering beads for eyes. i cannot decide if this is meaningful. i cannot see the point of summer. but i am trying.

i don't remember the name of that sunday brunch restaurant. i don't remember the names of a lot of places our parents brought us when we were children, but my sister has been on a nostalgia trip since april and sends me screenshots of old pc games we used to play together from time to time. ernie's adventures in space. timmy's sea adventures. barbie island princess. i open each image and feel something inside of me physically ache in response. it appears that despite my best efforts, i will never be seven years old again.

i'm not a huge fan of lemon tea anymore. i prefer water. how it cleanses the palate like a vacuum cleaner sucking up all the dust and grime in a musty room. it's hard to distinguish between the inside and the outside of a thing when both are the color of a blood-red sunset but we try our best, you know? we draw lines on the sidewalk with chalk and we say 'here is my side of the universe and here is yours'. we act diplomatic when inside we are drunk and slurring our words all over the bartender's white vest. and then, because there is nothing else to do on this planet, we keep on living.

06.10.21

[kasdeyathebitterwoman]

Running Mate Part 3

Welp. There’s going to be a part 4 and probably several other parts to continue this story…the response to part 1 has been insane and y’all definitely seem to be enjoying part 2 as well, so thank you! 

Description: While running in the English countryside, Henry meets a fun documentarian and sparks fly. 

Word Count: 2,255

CW: none, fluff

Every day after your coffee date, you and Henry had talked via text message. He was charming and sweet in a way that most others were not. When you weren’t running with him, you were talking about a variety of topics from PC gaming to Ancient Egypt. You found a common love of history which was rare for you. Not everyone enjoyed listening to you go on about some ancient Roman or Grecian fact that you’d learned.

And now a week later, you were standing in the reception area of a private theater chatting with a friend and film critic from the area. As a tradition, your team held a sort of cocktail party before a viewing to give your guests a chance to mingle and learn more about the film from the producers. You were dressed in a sleek black halter dress with black pumps and minimal gold jewelry while your hair tumbled down your shoulders in a half-up, half-down hairdo. You found this dress that very day and fell in love. It hugged your curves just right and made you feel sexy, without being obvious.

Nervously, you glanced around the room looking for evidence of him. It was still early in the evening, so he wasn’t there yet. You ended up in a conversation with one of the directors on your staff. They were talking about a recent experience with a project and you couldn’t help from laughing. You closed your eyes, tipped your head back, and laughed. When you opened your eyes, your gaze slid toward the front door where you saw Henry stride in. He was wearing black slacks, a gray button-down shirt with the top to buttons undone, and a plain black jacket. His normally curly locks were smoothed out into loose waves and smoothed back so he looked even more like Superman than he already did. Your breath caught in your lungs and for a moment. Henry peered around the room before his eyes landed on you and you swear you saw the same thing happen to him. Then a beaming smile grew across his face and then walked confidently to you.

“Hello there,” Henry said as he got closer to you. You accepted an embrace and a kiss on the cheek from him and you could easily smell this cologne. It was earthy and musky with a hint of floral that you couldn’t place, but you didn’t mind.

“Hey,” you said smiling as Henry leaned back up after kissing your cheek. “Thank you for coming,” you said, genuinely thankful he showed up.  

“Of course,” he replied. “I’m happy to be here,” he smiled down at you and your heart skipped several beats, but someone clearing their throat brought you back to reality. It was David, the director friend you’d been talking with.

“Uh, Henry this is one of our in-house directors, David,” you say, gesturing toward David who gently waves. “David, this is my friend Henry,” you continue, gesturing to Henry. The men shake hands and chuckle.

“Oh yeah, I know who he is,” David says and Henry raises an eyebrow. “How’s your support for England treating you, mate?” David asks and Henry laughs suddenly. The two begin discussing, you slowly figure out, rugby. “Y/n, what do you think?” David asks at one point, turning to you. Your eyes grow wide and you look between the two men.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you reply and the men exchange a glance.

“Rugby,” David says slowly and you bob your head.

“Yeah, no clue,” you say and Henry chuckles as David shakes his head.

“Damn, Yank,” he says and you openly scoff.

“Hey now, to be fair, I don’t even understand American football that well,” you start. “I played soccer in high school,” you say and Henry bellows at that. You smile at the sound, feeling your heart flutter again. David shakes his head and says that he’s going to get another drink from the bar. Henry agrees to go with him to get his own drink and you continue to mingle around the room. This was your least favorite part of the film making process, but you knew it had to happen. Henry found you again and offered you a glass of champagne which you graciously accepted.

“I have to admit,” he started, after taking a gulp of his Guinness. “If movie premieres were like this, I think I’d enjoy them much more,” he smiles at you with an eyebrow raise and you laugh sardonically.

“Really? I’ve never actually been to a bonafide movie premiere,” you say and Henry bobs his head.

“They’re honestly just horse and pony shows, but I have to do them,” he says, a tinge of irritation in his voice. You smirk.

“Oh that’s what this is as well,” you say and Henry raises that eyebrow at you. “That group over there,” you say, tilting your head to your left a little and watch as Henry subtly checks them out. “Is a group of our backers. They gave us money to make this documentary, so we have to show them finished product so they can tear it to shreds before the festival season,” you say this sardonically and Henry chuckles. A sound causes you both to turn around. It’s an usher announcing that it’s time to enter the theater for the viewing. “Oh by the way,” you start suddenly. You open the little clutch you brought with you pulling out a ticket. “This is your seat. Sorry, I forgot to give it to you earlier,” you hand Henry the piece of card-stock and his finger brushes your skin. You feel your knees turn to jelly instantly. He smiles as he takes it, then gestures for you to go ahead of him like a true gentleman.

As Henry finds his seat, you move the front of the room where James is standing with a film critic and friend. He sees you and smiles gently. You walk up to him, giving him a half hug.

“And who’s your friend?” James asks, his eyes darting quickly in Henry’s direction. You squint at him, your nose twitching as you try not to smile.

“Just that - a friend,” you reply, though James clearly doesn’t believe you.

“Mhmm,” he muses and you roll your eyes at him. He accepts a microphone from an usher and begins the opening comments. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming to another Bulldog Westley Production screening. I’m James and this is y/n, and we are the team behind this company. We are absolutely grateful to have each and every one of you here, but I’m going to let y/n take over because ultimately, this film was her project,” he says, turning to hand you the mic. You take it and smile at everyone.

“Hey y’all,” you say in your usual twang and several people chuckle. “As James said, we are very grateful to have all you here. For many of us, this ain’t our first rodeo,” you say, waving to all the backers in the audience and laughing with them. “For those that are new here, hi, I’m y/n. I’m from Texas and I love documentaries. I get to work with one of my best friends,” you say, glancing at James who is smiling gently. “And I’m honored that he lets me spend real time and effort on things that I’m truly passionate about,” you smile around the room at everyone. Your eyes land on Henry for just a moment and you feel your heart flutter. “Alright, ooey-gooey stuff aside, there is just a little housekeeping I have to go over,” you say, pausing to make sure everyone is paying attention. “Number one, please, please, please, make sure your cellphones are turned off. This is an advanced screening and we are really hoping this does well in the festival circuit. It can’t do that if someone leaks even one second of footage. And number two, under every seat there is a feedback card. I’d love to know your thoughts about this when we are done. It is anonymous, so if you do say something ugly, I’ll never know it was you, but remember this,” you pause, staring everyone down. “I will think about it every single day for the rest of my life,” you joke and the audience bursts out in laughter. “Okay, that’s it for the intro. Ladies and gentlemen, we are Bulldog Westley Productions and this is our latest documentary, Take Me Home Country Roads,” everyone claps as you and James walk off stage to your seats. You gave Henry the seat next to you and he was smiling wide when you walked up.

“You were incredible,” he murmurs as you take your seat. You smile wide, grateful that the lights are dimming so he can’t see you blushing like crazy. Your nerves are amplified as the doc begins and the opening bars of “Take Me Home (Country Roads)” by John Denver begin. Without realizing it, your hand reaches out to Henry’s hand for comfort. He accepts your hand willingly, squeezing your hand gently. You can see him smile at you out of the corner of your eye and you feel yourself smile in response.

What you hadn’t been able to explain to Henry before this night was that the documentary he was viewing was incredibly personal. It was more a personal diary about a trip you took with your dad and your grandmother back to her home town of Grant Town, West Virginia. The documentary was based around the fact that your grandmother was going home to bury the last of her six sisters. It had been years since she had seen anyone or her home town. You had never been and you wanted to learn more about your dad’s family, so you asked if you could come along and film the experience. James thought it would make a great documentary and thus, the project was born.  

An hour and fifty-two minutes later, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when the lights came back on. Henry, who was still holding on to your hand by the end of the film, let go to dab at his eyes as you made your way to the front of the room again. You and James received a standing ovation from the audience, then watched as everyone began to head back out to the reception area. Henry lingered to the side as you thanked a few of the backers that came to congratulate you on a job well done. When the last backer had gone, Henry came up to you.

“That was incredible,” he said, a faraway look in his eye. You accepted a hug from him and smiled at the compliment.

“Thank you,” you reply into his chest, taking in his smell again which as lingered. He pulled back to compliment you, but he just kept opening and closing his mouth and shaking his head.

“I mean, just,” he started and stopped. “Wow, that is going to do amazing in the festival circuit, y/n,” he says and you blush.

“I certainly hope so,” you respond, smiling. You stare at Henry, who’s staring right back, with amusement and happiness. You can hear someone walking up to you and glance over your shoulder to see James walking over.

“Hey y/n,” he says quickly, smiling and waving at Henry. “Hi, I’m James,” he says. Henry introduces himself and they shake hands. “Y/n, we need to get back out there and talk to a few backers before they leave,” he says before turning and walking away. You nod and turn back to Henry. It’s just the two of you now in the theater.

“Sorry, duty calls,” you say and he smiles at you.

“I understand,” he replies. “I actually need to get going myself, but I was wondering. Do you think I could see you again tomorrow?” he asks and you smile wide.

“I’d like that,” you reply. Henry nods and leans down to kiss you on the cheek. “You missed,” you say. Henry looks at you puzzled. “You missed,” you repeat, but Henry’s brow is no less furrowed. Ever so slightly rolling your eyes, you grab the collar of Henry’s jacket, stand up on your tip-toes, and pull him in for a kiss. It’s a surprise at first and Henry isn’t ready. It’s all a shock for both of you and you take a step back. “I’m sorry, that was forward and impolite. I’m so sorry,” you say, but Henry is shaking his head no.

“No, no, that was,” he starts, a little breathless. “That was really good,” he finishes. Then he steps forward closing the gap between you and kisses you. It’s raw and passionate and delicious. You wrap your arms around his broad shoulders while his hands snake around your waist. After a moment, you release yourself from him and take a step back. Breathing heavy, you look at him and he’s smiling like a schoolboy after his first snog.

“I have to go,” you say, still breathing heavily. You move to hurry off, but you stop and look at Henry over your shoulder. “And don’t look at my butt as I walk away,” you say dramatically, before turning and running for the door. The sound of Henry’s laughter follows you and you can’t remove the smile that is now permanently attached to your face.

[lovecraftian-druid]

Pactborn - Part II

NOTE #1: This is a chapter-long post of a character’s backstory, so hit your Keurig for a warm cuppa and curl up under a blanket, cuz this isn’t a quick scroll sort of post.

NOTE #2: I’m changing this submission up from the second person tense of the previous post (the one I used when talking to my PC during her zero level session) to the first person tense, just to shake things up and try on different styles. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed experiencing it!

I wake up to the warmth of the morning sun on my face and the smell of bread baking downstairs: normally, this would feel like any other morning here in Khaadeehava, but this morning feels different. Maybe it’s because today the annual celebration of Al’adwa, the festival of Solune where everyone eats street food, plays games, and watches the solar eclipse; or maybe it’s because of the amazing dream I had again of the nice man with the shield who takes me flying over the city and the ocean (sometimes, I like to pretend that the big ships I see in my dreams are Papa’s); or maybe it was the weird feeling in my stomach when I woke up: I thought – no, felt – like someone was watching me…

Regardless, I throw my legs over the side of the bed, glancing over at my outfit for later, as Mama calls up to me, “Kal’ya, darling, a letter is just in – I think you know who sent it!” With my gangly form, I sprint like a whirlwind down the stairs to see Mama fixing breakfast in the kitchen and a letter waiting for me on the supper table – on it is the seal I’ve come to recognize and love: the insignia of the Felgran Fleet, the royal navy of the next region over from Ghaan. Papa joined the navy when I was five years old, and his work has kept him away at sea for sometimes months at a time for the last three years. It’s so exciting to read his notes when he can write though! He tells me stories of all sorts of different people, different types of weather, and strange sea creatures he’s had to encounter. I carefully tear along the side of the envelope to pull out his message to me – it reads:

                                              ~ Wayfarer’s Tavern ~

Savita 22nd, 410

My little cinnamon stick,

I hope this letter finds you well - my journey has taken me around the coast again into the frigid waters of the Gheaţă Ocean to a region known as Chladny (have you read about this place in your studies?). It never ceases to amaze me how we are only a mere 30 days apart and yet, where hot sand lies beneath your feet at home, frozen snow lies beneath mine as I stand here on the Zamuerzat Wharf. How I wish I could bring you with me! Perhaps when you are 10, then we will sail around the entire continent of Baenomir. Until then, I hope you will enjoy this trinket (called a “compass”) I picked up in one of the shops in the port - it is Dwarven made and is said to be able to tell you which direction you travel. May it direct your paths until mine direct me home to you. I know I have been gone longer than usual, but I may be home within the next month.

Give your mother my love and save the best of it for yourself,

Papa

I miss Papa so much! And I want to go sailing so badly! Sometimes, when Mama sends me on errands, I’ll go to the docks down in the Lahira Marina just to watch the ships go in and out of the port. I’d give anything to sail a great big ship like one of those.

Before my mind can wander far, I remember the part in the letter where Papa mentioned a trinket – my eyes scan the table for a package and quickly find it and unwrap it: it’s a…metal box? I study it more closely. Dad has told me before about dwarves – that they’re a little shorter than most humans but are very, very smart and can make the most incredible things out of metal! As I turn the “compass” over in my hands, I see that the bronze casing holds some notches and a couple dials behind a thick piece of glass. I spin around the room and watch the needles whirl around, and it makes me giggle. Rubbing my thumbs over the front of the compass, I feel the cold, shaped metal shaped into the four points on the device – they are of four faces, and all have tiny little red gems fitted into their eyes, ears, and foreheads. A couple of the faces look a little creepy, but one looks like a tiger and another looks like a grumpy version of Sultan Hunab! The top face, nearest the “N,” has a large hat like the sultan wears, and it’s around this hat that the cord of the compass is wrapped and tied.

Excited to show Mama, I run into the kitchen with my letter and trinket. “Look, Mama! Look what Papa sent!” I slap both down onto the table, eager for her to read the letter and to marvel at my new treasure. “Papa says he got this for me and that it shows me where I’m going! Look!” I shove the compass closer towards her face, obscuring her vision for a moment as her head jerks backwards in surprise.

“Hold on, Ka’lya, hold on, let me read your letter first!” she says as she chuckles warmly with shared enthusiasm. She finishes reading the letter then extends her hand to examine my gift before laying eyes on the grimacing faces, letting out a short gasp, and nearly throwing the compass as she recoils from it. I scramble clumsily to catch it before it hits the ground, barely getting a grip on it before it clambers to the floor. I know the look I give her is one of confusion and frustration, and she quickly tries to regain control of herself. “I’m sorry, I—I don’t know what came over me…” she says as she wipes her hands on her apron and goes back to scrubbing out a bread pan.

Mama is usually a pretty tough lady: she does everything for Jida, Jido, and me. She might not be an adventurer like some of the people in the stories Papa tells me, but she still is kind of like a hero – she cooks and cleans and makes things for Jida and Jido’s stall down in the bazaar sometimes. Mama told me once that she even saw a dragon, but she doesn’t like to talk about it; she said it makes her sad when she thinks about it. Maybe this reminded her of something that made her sad once…

I don’t bring up the compass again as I quickly gulp down the delicious breakfast Mama made and, after putting my plate in the sink, I run upstairs to get ready for the day. Mama saved up some extra silver to buy me a new outfit for the Al’adwa celebration tonight – a new pair of pants with a nice tangerine and turquoise shirt. When Papa comes home, he brings home lots of coin to help support us while he’s gone; but the longer he’s gone, the more we have to do what Mama calls “cut corners.” She says that sometimes you have to do difficult things to get by. But for tonight, she must have put that aside, because as I look in the mirror, holding the sleeveless, silky-soft shirt up to my torso, I feel like it is much too nice for me to ever wear out of the house.

Carefully pulling the shirt over my head as though it could tear at any moment, I smooth it down over my long waist then begin to brush my long, tangled black hair. I look up for a moment to comb out a knot, and I meet my own glance in the reflection – I’m not much for prettying myself up, so looking in the mirror is a rare occurrence and seeing my two different color eyes always catches me off guard. My right eye is a dark brown just like Mama and Papa’s; but my left eye is a pale blue. Jida says that that is where an angel must have kissed me before I was born. Mama tells me that it’s unique and something to be proud of, but the other kids in town usually just make fun of me over it.

I must have been upstairs for a while now, because I’m surprised when Mama yells up to me that it’s time to head into the market district for the festivities. Before leaving my room, I brush a long section of hair down over my left eye. Joining Mama on the veranda, we walk hand in hand to the bazaar. “Your cousins Ravi and Baru will probably be here, you know – you’ll have to try to find them so that you can play together,” Mama encourages me, “just be sure to meet me back and Jida and Jido’s stall before the eclipse makes it get too dark, alright?”

“Don’t worry,” I assure her. Even though the nice man that visits me in my dreams tells me that my blue eye is a gift, I still don’t know if I like it. I wish sometimes that I were just a normal kid, nothing special. Then maybe I would fit in better.

We meander slowly down the dusty downward slopes of the residential district to the Central Bazaar, and Mama coaxes me to run off while she visits with her friends. I wander aimlessly through the sandy streets for a while, picking up a few dropped pieces of copper and finding myself a food vendor where I buy a kabob – I eat it cautiously, almost leaning forward with each bite, careful not to drip any of the spicy sauce on my new outfit.

As I continue my half-hearted search for my cousins, a foot shoots out from behind a street booth, tripping me and causing the rest of my kabob to go rolling down the path, getting coated in dirt and dust. I look up, surprised, to find two other children pointing and laughing at me – Sai and Danikka. Sai, a scarlet-skinned fire genasi, is a notorious bully, and Danikka, a blue dragonborn, simply runs with him because she’s the tallest girl in our small little school and all the other kids are afraid of her.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going, weird eyes?” Sai goads me.

“AAAAWWWWWW, you gonna cry?” Danikka whines as she chimes in, making me feel that much smaller as she towers over my body, now covered in dirt and kabob sauce. A fire begins to burn deep within me, and my ears and neck start to flush with anger as I pick myself up off the ground. “If you can’t watch your step with those eyes, then maybe you only need one of them!” Danikka threatens, and I barely get my fists up in front of my face in time to deflect her right fist as it comes sailing towards my left eye. Relief floods my system for a moment, and I let my guard down too soon as her opposite hand shoots out with a parry, hitting me square in the eye socket. I stumble backwards in pain, holding my left eye and trying not to cry; disoriented by the thumping of blood as my face begins to swell, I trip again – this time on myself – and fall backwards into a vacant market booth.

I scramble, nearly bear-crawling part of the way until I can properly erect myself, as I watch Sai closing in on me, a cruel grin on his face. He grabs for my ankle as I right myself, only catching the fabric on my loose, baggy new pant leg instead, causing the seam to split as I wriggle out of his grip. I dart off into the streets, my left eye wet with eye-watering pain, and I can hear the two of them giving chase as I dart like a gazelle in and out of alcoves and alleyways, trying to lose them.

After toppling a basket-weaver’s display stand to slow them down, I zigzag my way to a side street and duck beneath another empty booth where I crawl inside the booth’s sliding compartment door beneath the countertop. I wait here for what feels like forever, hearing them find my route, search briefly for me, then move on, still calling my name in unnatural sing-songy voices. I emerge from my hiding place, looking about feverishly for any signs of them, before an altogether different voice takes me by surprise.

“Why do you run, child?” asks a deep, velvety voice from behind me. I jump and turn with my fists raised in reactive terror. Rather than Sai or Danikka though, I see a tall tabaxi man, striped black and orange with a white neck. He stands from his stool behind the merchant booth next to mine, and I can tell there is no way he works at the bazaar: his clothing is much too fancy-looking to be a merchant. He steps forward to share my booth with me, his striped tail flitting back and forth gently from beneath his jade and gold colored brocade robe.

I keep my fists raised, mostly out of mind-numbing fear, as he walks softly on padded feline feet. “Don't allow those hooligans to cause you any despair - I can tell that you are strong and will go on to great things,” he reassures me with a wink, slowly and cautiously bringing one hand up to dust off my shoulders while the other hand lifts a pipe to his mouth. Squinting with my one good eye, I do a double-take before realizing that there is something off about this man’s hands since they look like they are on the wrong wrists. I catch myself staring and quickly – and likely obviously – try to avert my eyes. He doesn’t seem to either notice or care as he continues, “Oh, where are my manners, I suppose I should tell you my name so that I'm not a stranger: you may call me Gilgapaka. And what is yours?"

I swallow a hard, dry lump in my throat before looking up into his large, golden, vertical-slitted eyes – “My name is Ka’l,” is all I can get out. My whole head is now throbbing with pain, and I feel too dizzy to run even though my mind is telling me I should; even so, he seems kind enough to feel bad for me. My eyes, his hands…maybe we’re not all that different after all? Maybe he knows how I feel? Wishing Papa was here, I break down in tears and briefly sob into the tiger-striped man’s side before quickly pulling myself back and rubbing my eyes dry.

“My, what a lovely name that is,” the tabaxi gentleman says as he gently brushes my hair from my face, tucking some of it behind my left ear, “could you write it down for me?" He pulls from his pocket a large piece of parchment covered in lots of beautifully-written words, a lot of them pretty long. I feel bad writing on the paper as it looks important, so when he offers me his piece of charcoal, I try to squeeze my name down in the bottom section that doesn’t have any words on it. He holds it up to the waning sunlit sky as the moons begin their encroachment upon the sun, slowly closing in on both sides of it with each passing moment leading up to the midday eclipse that is to take place in a mere matter of hours. I look up at the parchment, too – I feel a small amount of shame at the sight of my penmanship, shaky with leftover adrenaline coursing through my body like a frightened mouse. He seems pleased with it though since I see him smile at it before saying, “Thank you – I hope we meet again soon, young Ka'l. If I see those nasty children again, I’ll be sure to teach them a lesson for you…and remember: you’re very special. Don’t go forgetting it."

I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. He takes one more long puff from his pipe before leaving me alone in the abandoned booth and striding off into the street. I rub my eyes again, but when I look back up, he is gone altogether from the path. Suddenly curious, I rush out into the street, looking this way and that way for any sign of him among the other people milling about in the bazaar, but there is no sign of him anywhere. I don’t even hear the voice of Mama calling out to me as I look down at my clothes…there is not a stitch out of place nor stain to be found.

Quick credit to my amazing cousin (and - coincidentally - the person behind this PC) for helping me with the amazing photos up top.

If you’re interested in keeping up to date with posts on our story’s characters and their origins, let me know (and thank you to all who already have interest)!

Ye Olde Taglist: @serenewrites​, @mayvinwrites​

[reformedkingsmanagent]

Okay, stupid question BUT. What are 4 games you would recommend someone to play in a heartbeat?

Let me preface this with: I am Sony all the way, at least up to now. If they keep on keepin’ on with the next generation, I’ll stay that way. For me, I primarily play story-focused games. So for me, Sony and Playstation have managed to secure the exclusives that appeal to me. 

Okay. So, I’m (MOSTLY) going to stick with the current generation as it’s most accessible and available. Which honestly is pretty easy given the advances in storytelling we’ve witnessed this generation alone.

And here we go!

1. The Last of Us

This is a given with me. If you’ve listened to me talk about games at all, this one almost always comes up. Yes, it was first released on PS3. So whether you have a PS3 or PS4, this title should be pretty inexpensive at this point. 

This isn’t on this list because of the gameplay. It’s fine, it’s functional, it takes some getting used to, lots of waiting because: stealth. It’s here because this is, in my opinion, one of the best told stories in video games. It’s a good story in general, but the use of environmental storytelling, the quality of the banter and moments that are easily missed, the slow growth of the relationship over time through your time with the game... It’s done masterfully well. Neil Druckmann is a genius. Whatever formula he has for writing, it’s working, with this and with Uncharted 4, Uncharted The Lost Legacy, and soon with The Last of Us Part II. I still haven’t seen anything like it.

Okay, as for the next, I’m going to go with...

2. God of War (2018)

I’ve played all the prior God of War titles. Ascension, the psp games, all of them. God of War 3 felt like the best we could possibly get with the character that was Kratos.

I’m so relieved Cory Barlog proved me wrong. 

As a female gamer, I treasure those moments where I feel powerful. It’s not too often, at least in terms of games that appeal to me (shout out to Aloy and Lara Croft!). I didn’t expect to bond with Atreus and Kratos and even Mimir as much as I did. I never felt excluded or never thought that the story was unrelatable. In fact, as with the Last of Us, my lack of a father figure growing up only made this more meaningful for me. 

This game is stunning. The combat is SO SATISFYING! It’s a grand tale of an adventure with the background of a stunted relationship between father and son. The constant over the shoulder camera, not broken at all throughout the game, gives you the sense that you are there with them. It’s such a refreshing thing, seeing game directors choose to go out of the box with certain things. This is a must play as an all-around good game. The Leviathan Axe is amazing on its own.

3. Divinity: Original Sin 2

This is not a console-exclusive game. In fact, for the longest time it was inaccessible to me as I don’t have a gaming PC, until they released the Definitive Editions for consoles. Still, it was a good while (a year about) before it was released on consoles. It’s now also available on Nintendo Switch!

CRPGs are definitely not for everyone. They weren’t for me when I first tried it. Too complicated, multiple systems running in the background, and at that point with no knowledge on the rules of D&D and how it would apply to a game like this, stats, usefulness of certain things over others, the freedom of the game, etc, it was honestly far too complex for me.

Thanks to watching some of Critical Role as well as going back and watching CohhCarnage’s playthrough of the game (some, not all, his playthrough on youtube is easily over 100+ hours) I felt like it was doable.

So I jumped back in. With a better understanding of how things worked, I spent over 120 hours on my own playthrough. The story and characters are wonderful, the grand scale of the game felt insane to me! The absolute freedom to create your character in terms of what their expertise would be, how you want them to talk to other characters, etc, it was just giving me everything I wanted from a game like Dragon Age (I will say, companion interactions and romances are obviously top notch over there, but the gameplay leaves something to be desired). It clicked so much for me primarily because I don’t have real friends to play D&D with, so this was the next best thing. It’s an amazing game. Can’t wait to see what Larian does with Baldur’s Gate III.

Finally...and narrowing this one down was difficult, let me tell you...

4. Final Fantasy X

An oldie but a goodie. This game is available on basically all consoles at this point. It’ll be on Xbox GamePass soon with all the other Square Enix titles like Kingdom Hearts, etc, so if you have an Xbox, prepare yourself.

This was one of the first games I played fully on my own.It came out in 2001. I would’ve been about 9 years old. I don’t know exactly when I played it, but I didn’t finish it the first time around. It wasn’t until high school that I went back and actually completed it all the way through. Before that I’d relied upon my step-dad’s gamesaves to experience the ending of both X and X-2. But doing it for myself still felt fresh and new. And heartbreaking.

This is the sort of gaming convention (turn-based combat) that I wish would make a real comeback. Everything about it in this title is smooth and smart. We’ll see how Yakuza 7 does! Who knows, maybe the FFVII remake in Classic mode will scratch that itch (though the new battle system looks insanely good too). 

This entry in the extensive Final Fantasy franchise stands out to me personally (next to Final Fantasy IX) as one of the best stories offered. I still cry even though I know what happens and exactly when. And I still haven’t explored the game’s depths (screw you celestial weapons!). The fact that it’s still in the back of my mind to return to this tells me it’s quality. Try it if you haven’t. Enjoy it.

Honorable mentions: Tomb Raider reboot franchise, Mass Effect 2, Batman Arkham franchise, Uncharted franchise (specifically 4 and TLL), Detroit: Become Human, Dishonored franchise, Prey, Resident Evil 7 (PLAY IT IN VR IF POSSIBLE!), Bioshock franchise.

Thanks for listening, and asking!

Go enjoy video games!

[faisalkhanlove]

Is there any free whiteboard animation software?

You wish to pick the very best computer animation firm for your company video clip, yet there are loads of choices. You can surely locate off-shore options for a few thousand bucks, and also you can surely discover premium carriers for numerous hundreds of bucks. Between there are some terrific (and also some simply great) alternatives at differing cost factors. Just how do you choose which one to deal with?

Spending plan is a great area to begin. That is why we have separated our suggestions by rate groups listed below. Company designs differ from group to group and we have defined the subtleties there too, so you recognize what to get out of each computer animation firm.

Why Do Intend to Aid You Locate the Ideal Computer animation Firm?

In the past we dive into a  worth and also profile contrast, we need to attend to the elephant in the room—isn't it odd that we are offering shouts bent on our competitors?

Many individuals could assume so. Yet we desire you to be certain that you are production the correct choice when you pick IdeaRocket. Our objective is to develop top quality computer animation that releases your message into orbit. We're respectable at it, if we do state so ourselves, however we're not the appropriate suitable for every service. When that is the situation, we desire you to discover the most effective computer animation firm for your spending plan and task. Why? Since we rely on the power of computer animation as well as we believe there is space at the table for everybody to prosper.

Nevertheless, we have not drawn punches. This listing consists of just the worthiest firms in each rate vary as well as we have been sincere regarding their toughness as well as weak points. Oh, and also we're leaving the home enjoyment firms off our listing entirely. Certainly the majority of organisations cannot manage to collaborate with Pixar.

Exclusive Agency-Client Workshops - $$$$

These firms commonly obtain their function from marketing and also advertising and marketing companies. Although they may periodically function straight with a firm, generally they do not market themselves straight to organisations. Their charges normally vary from the top 5 numbers to well into the six-figure range; the variety of individuals on their manufacturing groups can be as high as twenty or more.

Dollar Create: With workplaces in Brand-new York City, Los Angeles, and Sydney, Dollar Create was an computer animation giant for many years. They do not simply do computer animation, either, yet product packaging, tee shirts, publish, whatever. Here is a peek at the collection of brief movies they provided for Mailchimp Offers

Psyop: Established in Brand-new York City in 2000, Psyop currently has workplaces in Los Angeles also. Their specialized is premium, extremely outlined CGI work. They're the workshop behind Chick-Fil-A's well-known Xmas industrial "The Trigger" and also Coca-Cola's 2019 Extremely Dish Industrial highlighted listed below. They've ventured into web content and also video pc gaming systems as well.

Scholar: Started by Will certainly Johnson as well as William Campbell, Scholar began in Los Angeles previously increasing to Brand-new York. They operate in a range of strategies from online activity to CGI to standard computer animation. A number of those designs get on show in their advertisement for the 2020 Porsche 922.

These workshops do modern, stunning work that can possibly often go viral simply on the toughness of its awesomeness. Nonetheless, they run out allocate several brand names. These exclusive workshops usually function from ideas offered them by firms instead of functioning straight with organisations. Frequently, they'll do specification operate to win a large or respected job - and obviously, the set you back of their fell short specification pitches is amortized into task expenses.

Bottom-line: Exclusive workshops bill an exclusive cost and seldom work straight with brand names.  

Costs Direct-to-Business - $$$ This is our group. These business like IdeaRocket may occasionally deal with firms - in our situation, it is regarding a quarter of our organisation - yet are more made use of to functioning straight with organisations. That suggests we are concept-to-delivery homes, offering calculated recommendations as well as copywriting along with computer animation manufacturing.

The common job charge for these firms remains in the reduce 5 numbers. Normally, their manufacturing groups are tiny - normally 2 to 6 individuals.

IdeaRocket: That is us! We have innovative workplaces in NYC and London sustained by first-rate manufacturing solutions in Buenos Aires. While lots of international firms are making use of the unbelievable computer animation ability in Argentina by outsourcing, IdeaRocket is the just US-based computer animation workshop with its very own long-term manufacturing center in Buenos Aires. Our management and our society is both multilingual as well as multicultural, enabling a one-of-a-kind international fluency and also mixing of ability from all over the world. We're additionally an employee-owned business, so you can felt confident that every participant of our group has actually a rate of interest in your success.

Trial Duck: Trial Duck is a Chicago-based company that frequently obtains superb outcomes by outsourcing to exclusive musicians all over the world as well as providing excellent imaginative instructions. Established in 2011, they began off developing trial video clips as well as screencasts. Today, they provide both computer animation as well as real-time activity for a range of sectors.

Epipheo: Cincinnati-based Epipheo Workshops was among the initially business in the Explainer video clip market in 2009. They expanded a customer base thank you partly to a top quality articles program. A lot of their design was imitated to fatality by others yet Epipheo has continuouslied restore itself and also produce engaging function. They additionally very own Video clip Brewery, a lower-cost manufacturing system coordinating up manufacturing groups with consumers.

All-time low line: Costs companies assistance your video clip development procedure from idea to distribution. We function straight with brand names to provide costs video clip web content.

Mid-Tier Direct-to-Business - $$

These business usually (however not constantly) work with tiered cost frameworks: various rate degrees for various high quality degrees. If you can not manage a costs top quality item, these are the following ideal best alternative.

Demoflick: Started by Albert Berry in 2011, Boston-based Demoflick was just one of the leaders of the explainer video clip area. Their streamlined computer animation design is the appropriate selection for some brand names and also messages. They provide custom-designed computer animations along with application/software application demonstrations, educating, and business interaction video clips.

White boards Computer animation: Focusing on white boards computer animation, Whiteboardanimation.com is centered in Brooklyn, NY as well as Union City, NJ. They occasionally integrate white boards with various other methods such as 3d, to develop crossbreed techniques. Rates is based upon the intricacy of the video clip. You will pay a costs for shade and also smooth scene shifts. Their moms and dad workshop, ideaMACHINE supplies various other computer animation designs.

Yum Yum Computer animation: Buenos Aires has ended up being a hotbed of computer animation, with a lot of workshops (consisting of ours) touching the amazing skill there. Regarding I understand, Yum Yum is the just Buenos Aires-based workshop trying to market itself straight to US firms, although they likewise do some white-labeling for various other workshops.

Economic situation Direct-to-Business - $

Firms in this rate complete greatly on cost. The set you back here's 3 to 4 numbers each min. Although several of these service companies make believe not to, the majority of contract out their computer animation to India or Pakistan. The operate you access this rate vary is commonly common, as well as the develop has the tendency to be thin.

Broadcast2World: Broadcast2World is centered in India with a sales and advertising workplace in New Jacket. They use infographic computer animation along with typical 2D computer animation. You may see their item in mid-priced studio's portfolios since they white-label a great deal of their operate. They supply great worth, yet you may wish to care for the creating on your own.

Kukuzoo: Kukuzoo was started by Wear Radhay in Toronto, Canada. They began by aiding tale authors to develop personality layouts and also computer animations. In 2014, they transitioned to explainer video clips. Unlike many workshops, they are clear regarding their rates. Their create is threadbare, however their creating benefits the rate vary.

Freelancer Systems - $?

Can possibly you go more affordable yet? Certain, if you utilize a consultant system such as Upwork or Fiverr. Occasionally, business will search for organisation on these websites, yet regularly it's solo professionals. It's truly hard to discover a person that incorporates the abilities to compose a manuscript, create, and also animate a video clip, so you may should contribute some creating or at the same time, cobble with each other a group on your own. Yet indeed, it's feasible to produce a video clip this manner in which will set you back hundreds as opposed to hundreds of bucks.

As you can possibly see, picking the greatest computer animation firm for your company depends mainly on your spending plan. In my eBook, Being successful With Computer animated Video clip, I discuss how you can establish an allocate your computer animated video clip based upon anticipated expenses as well as predicted returns. Sign up with our e-newsletter to obtain your free duplicate!

Find out ways to handle an computer animated video clip task for your company:

How you can choose just what does it cost? to invest Getting buy-in from your company Selecting a service provider and design for your video clip Collaborating with your stakeholders Dealing with the innovative group How you can determine ROI on your video clip task Ways to advertise your video clip Maintaining metrics so you can possibly find out

Leading Messages

3 Means to Utilize Gifographics: Change Information Into Interesting GifsExperience Annecy 2021: A World Best Computer animation EventSpecialists Share Just how the Pandemic Modified the Form of AdvertisingOur Computer animated Video clip Manufacturing Procedure: From Suggestion to Orbit

[joycemerces]

Excerpt ~ Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Bestselling authors Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy return with their first Male / Male romance in 3 years.

LobsterShorts, 21

Jock. Secretly a science geek. Hot AF.

  LobsterShorts: So. Here goes. For her birthday, my girlfriend wants…a threesome.

 SinnerThree: Then you’ve come to the right hookup app.

 LobsterShorts: Have you done this sort of thing before? With another guy?

 SinnerThree: All the time. I’m an equal opportunity player. You?

 LobsterShorts: [crickets!] 

  SinnerThree, 21

Finance major. Secretly a male dancer. Hot AF. 

SinnerThree: Well, I’m down if you are. My life is kind of a mess right now. School, work, family stress. Oh, and I live next door to the most annoying dude in the world. I need the distraction. Are you sure you want this?

LobsterShorts: I might want it a little more than I’m willing to admit.

SinnerThree: Hey, nothing wrong with pushing your boundaries…

LobsterShorts: Tell that to my control-freak father. Anyway. What if this threesome is awkward?

SinnerThree: Then it’s awkward. It’s not like we’ll ever have to see each other again. Right? Just promise you won’t fall in love with me.

LobsterShorts: Now wouldn’t that be life-changing…

Q&A about Top Secret:

Q: Have we met these characters before in another book?

A: No! These guys are brand new, and we can’t wait for you to meet them.

Q: Is this story MM? Or is it a MMF / MFM / menage?

A: This book is MM.

Q: Is this a love triangle story?

A: Not really. You’ll see.

  Goodreads: https://geni.us/TopSecretGoodreads 

Apple: https://geni.us/TopSecretApple 

Kobo: https://geni.us/TopSecretKobo 

Nook: https://geni.us/TopSecretNook 

TOP SECRET by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Chapter One

Keaton

“Look,” Annika whispers in my ear. Under the table, her small hand squeezes my thigh, while her cheek gently nudges my chin toward the doorway. “He’s cute.”

“Subtle,” I tease before giving the object of her attention a cursory glance. He’s just a tall guy with brown hair, nothing special as far as I can tell. “How about we save this conversation for later?”

She rolls her eyes. “We both know there won’t be a conversation, Keaton. You like playing along, but you won’t actually go through with it.” This time she forgets to lower her voice.

“Go through with what?” one of my frat brothers asks from across the table. Tanner, Judd, and I had popped into the campus Starbucks for a caffeine fix after practice. Annika’s next class is directly across the street, so she’d come to say hi before class.

“Nothing,” I tell Tanner.

If you can call your girlfriend wanting a threesome with another dude “nothing.”

Yup, my girlfriend wants a threesome. And here I’d thought that, after six years together, Annika couldn’t surprise me anymore.

She and I have been inseparable since junior year of high school. I know every last detail about her, from her food preferences to her pet peeves. I know she gets anxiety in long lines, that she sneezes any time she gets a whiff of cinnamon, that she loves the beach but hates skiing.

What I didn’t know was that my girlfriend fantasizes about threesomes. The first time she brought it up, I thought she was kidding around. Annika Schiffer, heiress to a home-furnishings fortune, wants to bang two guys at the same time? Yeah right.

My girl is the president of her sorority, wears a pearl necklace (and not the fun kind) on a daily basis, and made me wait until we were eighteen to lose our virginities to each other. Don’t get me wrong—she’s not some uptight rich bitch with a stick up her butt. She’s fun and warm and fierce when someone tries to mess with her or her loved ones.

But she’s also… I’ll just say it: vanilla.

I didn’t think she was serious about the threesome thing until last week, when I’d asked her what she wanted for her birthday and she brought up the idea again.

I move my lips to her ear so Tanner and Judd can’t overhear. “Don’t you worry, babe, there’ll be more than just a conversation,” I rasp.

She shivers, and then flashes me a dazzling smile. Her face is flawless. Classic features, pouty lips, and smooth skin that’s just the right amount of dewy. She works hard and spends a lot of money for that skin. I’ve been in her bathroom at the sorority house, so I’ve seen all the products she puts on her face to keep it looking so perfect. Not to mention the monthly facials, which require her to fly to New York every month because this little college town we live in doesn’t have a “competent aesthetician”—her words, not mine.

It helps that her father owns a helicopter that can accommodate her monthly treks. I’m not one to judge, though. My dad has his own jet.

“I can’t wait,” she says before hopping off my lap. “Come over tonight after practice, okay, baby? I have to go to class now.”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, boys.” Annika’s hand flutters in a wave on her way to the door.

“Later!” Tanner calls after her. And if I’m not mistaken, he takes a longing look at her ass.

“Dude,” I say. “If you’re going to eye-fuck my girlfriend, you could at least be subtle about it.”

“Why?” Tanner argues. “She’d be flattered. And you should know how good you’ve got it. Besides, I’m harmless.” He flashes me a big smile. “What are we doing this weekend, anyway?” Tanner asks. “The Presidential Dance-off, right?”

I shake my head. “That’s, like, in two weeks, man.”

“Really? Why did I think it was sooner?”

“Because you’re stupid,” Judd offers helpfully.

Tanner gives him the finger, before turning back to me. “Do you know what you’re doing for yours yet?”

I have no clue. And no, dancing isn’t an actual requirement for our fraternity’s presidential race. But it used to be. A few decades ago, the candidates running for frat president decided a dance-off was the only way to decide who was more fit to lead. Hence, the Presidential Dance-off was born. On our living room walls, there are old photos of well-dressed men with slicked-back hair and girls in poodle skirts on their arms.

My fraternity has long-held traditions that began well before the invention of the red Solo cup. But these days, Alpha Delta has evolved. Or devolved, depending who you ask. Instead of perfecting his twist and his mashed potato, the presidential candidate is expected to dazzle the other members by planning a kickass event. I’m talking epic. Monumental. The kind of party that will be remembered for years to come.

Although, like dance moves, I’m not entirely sure that party planning is a solid indicator of what makes a good president. Sure, frats throw a lot of parties, but there’s a social committee for that.

The role of president is actually pretty lame, according to Reedsy, our current prez. He pulled me aside after I threw my name in the race and admitted that it’s a boring gig and that I should reconsider. “So much fucking responsibility on your shoulders, dude,” he’d bemoaned.

For a moment, I’d almost bailed. To be honest, I’m only running because my dad was president of Alpha Delt in his heyday, and my granddad before him. But that’s also the reason I couldn’t bail. My father would lose his shit if the Hayworth legacy ended with me.

So I have ten days to plan a legendary party.

“Maybe I can just hire an event planner?” I suggest.

“No way.” Judd’s response is immediate. “If that fuckhead Bailey finds out, he’ll have you impeached.”

“You can’t impeach someone until he’s elected,” Tanner points out.

Still, I don’t want to be accused of cheating. What a pain in the ass this whole thing is. “We can brainstorm about this on Sunday night. We have a game to win on Saturday.”

“Oh, we’re going to win,” Tanner promises.

But I’m not so sure. Not only am I worried about the Northern Mass offense, I think my father is driving up for the game. So winning isn’t even enough. If the Northern Mass players aren’t crying into their helmets after the fourth quarter, my father will still give me hell at brunch the next day.

And here I thought weekends were meant to be relaxing.

“Fine,” Judd says. “We’ll talk about your campaign after the other meeting on Sunday night.”

“What other meeting?” I search my brain and come up empty.

“Pledge Committee,” he says, gulping the last of his coffee.

Oh, phew. “I don’t have to go to that one. I’m not on PC this year.”

“But I sent you that email?” Judd whines. “I told you I need you there. Initiation night is coming up and my committee is lame.”

“Who’s on it, anyway? What do you have planned?” Note to self: be conveniently unavailable on Sunday night. There is no way I’m sitting on the Pledge Committee again. Dealing with last year’s pledge class was a total pain in the ass.

“There’s Ahmad, who’s smart but boring. Paul, who’s just boring. Owen, who’s fun but not exactly creative. And Paxton, who’s just a tool.” He sighs. “Whatever. At least Bailey isn’t on it this time. Remember what a buzz kill he was last year? I fucking hate that guy.”

No big secret there. Judd’s had it in for Luke Bailey ever since the guy rushed Alpha Delt sophomore year. And say what you will about Judd, but he’s not an asshole unless he feels you’ve given him a reason. He’s a bro to the core—he believes in male bonding, high fives, and, in his mind, a friendship isn’t official unless you’ve bled together, partied together, and nursed your twin hangovers the morning after.

Luke Bailey doesn’t subscribe to this philosophy. The moment he scoffed at Judd’s attempt at a fist bump, he earned himself an enemy in Judd Keller.

Since then, their tumultuous acquaintanceship has only gotten worse. Luke is a cocky ass when he wants to be, and Judd hates feeling like he’s being mocked or judged.

Oh, and then Bailey banged Judd’s ex. So there’s that.

“You exert too much mental energy on that guy,” Tanner informs Judd. Tanner’s a psych major, so he’s constantly dishing out (pretty good) advice that everyone mostly ignores. “Holding onto anger isn’t conducive to robust mental health.”

“First of all, say the word robust one more time and I’ll clock you. You know how I feel about that, bro.” Indignation flashes in Judd eyes. “And second of all, Luke Bailey screwed my girlfriend! I’m never not gonna be angry at that prick.”

“Ex-girlfriend,” I hedge, but it earns me a deep scowl from Judd. The two of us are teammates, and I do feel loyalty to him, but I’m also not afraid to call it like it is. “You and Therese were broken up for months.”

“Me and Therese are never broken up. Sure, we take short breaks, a hiatus or two. But she’s my girl,” Judd says tightly. “Everybody knows that.”

“Bailey says he didn’t,” Tanner says.

“That’s bullshit. He’s a liar. And now he’s trying to screw K over!” Judd growls. “He joined the presidential race to get back at me. I just know it.”

“You think?” Tanner looks skeptical. “Because that would be sociopathic lengths to go to just to spite you.”

“Yeah,” I agree with a chuckle. “Bailey’s a prick, but I can’t see him taking on the huge responsibility of running a fraternity just to flip you the metaphorical bird.” Although if I’m being honest, I don’t know why Luke Bailey is running for prez. The guy hasn’t shown much interest in frat activities since he joined us.

“He totally would,” Judd argues.

“Hey, we got class now,” Tanner reminds our sulking buddy. “We should book it over there.”

“Fine.” Judd scrapes his chair back and gets to his feet. His cloudy gaze meets mine again. “I’m serious, man. Bailey is bad news, and we need to kick his ass in this campaign. There’s no way I’m letting him be our president.”

“Don’t worry. He won’t be.”

Once my friends are gone, I let out a tired sigh. I don’t particularly care about Judd’s beef with Bailey at the moment. I have a football game to win, a campaign to plan, and a father to impress.

And a girlfriend to please.

I go up to the counter to get a refill, then settle in my cozy corner of the coffeehouse and open the app I downloaded last night. I hadn’t lied to Annika earlier—her birthday request is in the forefront of my mind. I just need to do some investigating first.

Welcome to Kink!

Add a profile pic.

Add bio.

I’d wanted to fill all this out last night, but my frat brothers suckered me into an epic session of Red Dead Redemption that lasted till three a.m. Now I quickly scroll through the camera roll on my phone until I find a suitable one. It’s of Annika and me, taken in Easthampton last summer. She looks smokin’ hot in a teeny string bikini, and my abs are looking tight, if I do say so myself. I crop out our faces and load the photo.

I skip the bio for now, because I’m feeling impatient. I want to see what this app has to offer more than I want to break my brain thinking of one hundred and forty-five characters to describe how my girlfriend wants to bang two men at the same time.

Actually, that’s pretty much the gist of it.

Still, I’m curious to check out the goods. Kink is more hookup app than dating app, and I’m pleased to discover it lets you search for users who’ve expressed interest in certain arrangements.

I click on the threesome box in the search section. There are an eye-opening number of options, combinations that hadn’t even occurred to me. Annika wants another guy, though, so I ponder the easiest combos.

m/f/m

m/m/f

My finger hovers over the m/f/m button. The other option means the men are allowed to touch, I think. It’s the moment of truth. Some guys would hate this idea. I don’t, though. I’m a scientist. Experimenting is what I do.

I even dreamt about sex with men once. Or twice. I never mentioned that to Annika. But why would I? I’ve also dreamt of meeting a dragon who smoked clove cigarettes. The things my brain invents while I’m sleeping aren’t newsworthy.

But I’d be lying if I said that Annika’s shocking birthday request turns me off. I’ll try anything once. And the app lets you click as many boxes as you want. So after looking over my shoulder once more just to make sure nobody I know is watching, I tap both options and usher in the possibility of taking a walk on the wild side.

The threesome has to be with a stranger, though. I’m certain that any one of my frat brothers would be down to help me give my girl a night to remember. Well, except Dan, who’s only down for dudes. And, well, Bailey, who thinks I’m an ass. I think he’s an ass, too, so I guess we’re even.

But I can’t do this with someone I know. What if the whole night is awkward as fuck? If it’s a brother, I’ll still have to live with him. If it’s a teammate, I’ll still have to see him in the locker room.

And then there’s the opposite scenario. What if it’s not awkward as fuck? What if I like it a whole lot?

Yeah, I don’t want my buddies judging me. A stranger for the win, then.

I lean back in my chair and start swiping.

from WordPress https://joycemerces.wordpress.com/2019/04/30/excerpt-top-secret-by-sarina-bowen-and-elle-kennedy/

[richmeganews]

Recruiting Women to Online Dating Was a Challenge

“Abstinence ... Animal rights ... Very conservative ... Marijuana OK ... Children should be given guidelines ... Religion guides my life ... Make charitable contributions ... Would initiate hugs if I wasn’t so shy ... Enjoy a good argument ... Have to-do lists that seldom get done ... Sweet food, baked goods ... Artificial or missing limbs ... Over 300 pounds ... Drag ... Exploring my orientation ... Women should pay.”

By the fall of 1994, Gary Kremen was working toward launching the first dating site online, Match.com. There was another four-letter word for love, he knew, and it was data, the stuff he would use to match people. No one had done this, so he had to start from scratch, drawing on instinct and his own dating experience.

Generating data—based on the interests of a person in categories such as the ones he was typing out on his PC (“Mice/gerbils or similar ... Smooth torso/not-hairy body”)—would be the key to the success of Match; it was what would distinguish electronic dating from all other forms. He could gather data about each client—attributes, interests, desires for mates—and then compare them with other clients to make matches. With a computer and the internet, he could eliminate the inefficiencies of thousands of years of analog dating: the shyness, the missed cues, the posturing. He would provide customers with a questionnaire, generate a series of answers, then pair up daters based on how well their preferences aligned.

This post is adapted from Kushner’s new book.

Kremen started from his own experience—putting down the attributes that mattered to him: education, style of humor, occupation, and so on. With the help of others, the headings on the list grew—religious identity/observance, behavior/thinking—along with subcategories, including 14 alone under the heading of “Active role in political/social movements” (“Free international trade ... gender equality”). Before long, there were more than 75 categories of questions, including one devoted to sex—down to the most specific of interests (including a subcategory of “muscle” fetishes).

But the more he thought about it, the closer he came to an important realization: He wasn’t the customer. In fact, no guys were the customers. While men would be writing the checks for the service, they wouldn’t be doing anything if women weren’t there. Women, then, were his true targets, because, as he put it, “every woman would bring a hundred geeky guys.” Therefore, his goal was clear, but incredibly daunting: He had to make a dating service that was friendly to women, who represented just about 10 percent of those online at the time. According to the latest stats, the typical computer user was unmarried and at a computer for hours upon hours a week, so the opportunity seemed ripe.

To enrich his research into what women would want in such an innovation, Kremen sought out women’s input himself, asking everyone he knew—friends, family, even women he stopped on the street—what qualities they were looking for in a match. It was an essential moment, letting go of his own ego, understanding that the best way to build his market was to enlist people who knew more than him: women.

In his mind, if he could just put himself in their shoes, he could figure out their problems, and give them what they needed. He’d hand over his questionnaire, eager to get their input—only to see them scrunch up their faces and say “Ewwww.” The explicit sexual questions went down with a thud, and the notion that they would use their real names—and photos—seemed clueless. Many didn’t want some random guys to see their pictures online along with their real names, let alone suffer the embarrassment of family and friends finding them. “I don’t want anyone to know my real name,” they’d say. “What if my dad saw it?”

[Read: The lure of online dating is not, in fact, irresistible ]

Kremen went to Peng Ong and Kevin Kunzelman, the men who were developing programming for Match, and had them implement privacy features that would mask a customer’s real email address behind an anonymous one on the service. But there was a bigger problem: He needed a female perspective on his team. He reached out to Fran Maier, a former classmate from Stanford’s business school. Maier, a brash mother of two, had always been compelled, albeit warily, by Kremen—“his fanaticism, his energy, his intensity, his competition,” as she put it. When he ran into her at a Stanford event and told her about his new venture, he was just as revved. “We’re bringing classifieds onto the internet,” he told her, and explained that he wanted her to do “gender-based marketing” for Match.

Maier, who’d been working at Clorox and AAA, jumped at the chance to get in on the new world online as the director of marketing. To her, Kremen’s passion and pioneering spirit felt infectious. And the fact that he was turning over the reins to her felt refreshingly empowering, given the boys’ club she had been used to in business. Maier showed up to the basement office with pizza and Chinese food and got to work.

One day, an engineer at Match asked her, “What weight categories do you want in the questionnaire?” She arched her brow. “Oh no,” she said. “We’re not asking that.” Women never want to put down their weight, she explained to the dubious guys. Instead, she had them include a category for body type—athletic, slim, tall, and so on. She also cut down Kremen’s intimidating laundry list of questions. Fewer questions enticed more people to register, which meant a larger database and a greater selection of potential matches.

But they had a catch-22. Women weren’t going to join unless there were other women online. Maier, along with other women brought on to help spread the word, started by recruiting friends. They created a logo—a radiant red heart inside a purple circle—and printed up promotional brochures. To entice people to try out the service, they held promotional events at happy hours in Palo Alto, where the turnout was generally, as the Match marketing executive Alexandra Bailliere put it, “30 guys with pocket protectors and no women in sight.”

Trish McDermott, a marketing executive who’d worked for a matchmaking firm and founded a dating-business trade association, and the others would slip on fake wedding bands to ward off the guys. “Are you interested in meeting new people?” she’d say. “This is a new dating site, like personals in the newspaper but it’s on the internet.” Then she’d get a blank stare as the person would ask, “What’s the internet?”

They weren’t just targeting heterosexual women; they were going for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Match’s marketing consultant, Simon Glinsky, pointed out to Kremen how the gay community had already been early adopters online, using bulletin boards and nascent communities such as America Online, CompuServe, and Prodigy for dating. Glinsky related from his own experience, having grown up in Georgia, where meeting other gays was a struggle.

Glinsky went to a gay computer club, where members gathered to talk about AOL and the latest deals at Radio Shack, to explain Match to the crowd. Match held a promotion during a gay skate night at a roller rink in Burlingame, just north of Palo Alto. Bailliere and Glinsky urged skaters to come over and learn more about Match, offering to take their photos with giant digital cameras—which seemed exotic at the time. One by one, the skaters marveled at seeing their faces appear on the computers, and word began to spread.

The San Francisco Examiner ran an early piece on Match, speculating that it could transform the “grand old dating game,” as it put it. “What happens when singles have an alternative to bars,” the article went on, “and don’t just meet based on first impression/physical attractiveness alone?”

[Read: The 5 years that changed dating]

On April 21, 1995, Kremen launched Match.com. Match was a free service, supported by ads, with the idea to charge for subscriptions when it grew. And there was only one way for it to reach that point. “We need more women!” Kremen shouted, storming through their basement office. “Everyone wants to go to a party where there’s women!” he said. “Every woman means 10 guys join!”

Since they didn’t have any women besides their own employees and their handful of friends, they had to create some themselves. Maier dispatched interns to Usenet groups, where they posted laudatory reviews of Match. When Rolling Stone wanted to run a piece on Match, along with a sample profile of a female member, the women at the office scrambled to invent one. Bailliere drew the short straw, slipped a black jacket over a white T-shirt, and smiled for the camera. Her fake profile, “Sally,” said she was seeking a 25-to-35-year-old guy for an Activities Partner, Short Term Romance, or Long Term Romance to “go hiking and have LOTS of fun.” (Match.com did not respond to a request for comment.)

Having her profile, albeit fake, in a high-profile magazine sent a stream of messages to the email Bailliere had set up. A German in Brazil told her he wanted to use her to re-create Nazi youth camps, and became so obsessive that she grew nervous. “Gary,” she told Kremen, “I don’t know who this person is or if he’s really even in Brazil.” Concerned, the team worked with consultants to develop safety guidelines, such as meeting prospective men from the internet in public places. Maier had them market Match as “safe, anonymous, and fun.” They also invented self-policing tools for people on Match—such as giving them the ability to block and report others for bad behavior.

The site’s PR executive, McDermott, began hosting a weekly chat session called “Tuesdays With Trish” to dole out dating advice. She billed Match as the dating solution for the emerging online generation. “We’re delaying marriage,” she’d tell reporters. “Many of us moved away from home, and many were just moving from suburbs and starting careers and we lost all that fabric of informal matchmaking when we stay home … You can put a profile up this morning and that night have a response waiting for you.”

This post is adapted from David Kushner’s new book, The Player’s Ball: A Genius, a Con Man, and the Secret History of the Internet’s Rise.

The post Recruiting Women to Online Dating Was a Challenge appeared first on .

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from WordPress http://www.richmeganews.com/recruiting-women-to-online-dating-was-a-challenge/

[thisisbud]

All the numbers coward

Oh goody, I was beginning to think no one was going to ask me to do any :)

1. First game you played obsessively?I think the first game I played obsessively was Pokemon Ruby. This was before I actually new anything about strategy (like 3rd/4th grade) or even how to swap out pokemon, but I remember running through the whole game with just my trusty Swampert, up until the Elite Four beat my unbalanced ass ; u ;

2. A game that has influenced you creatively? Writing, drawing, etc.I don’t draw or write much now, but I do remember really liking the boxart of LoZ: Link to the Past enough to try doodling it and a few items.

3. What did you play as a kid?As a child I was like exclusively nintendo. Pokemon Ruby and Emerald, Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, like every single Pokemon Mystery Dungeons Game, and LoZ: A link to the past

4. Who do you play with now?Mostly League of Legends and indie games on the PC. Shooty Bois on the XBox one and a few games on the Switch

5. Ever use cheat codes?Yes because my child self is a degenerate. 6. Ever buy strategy guides?nope. Any money I had went to games, if I needed strats, I begged to use a computer.7. Any games you have multiple copies of?I have Skyrim on my ps3 and computer, and boarderlands 2 on my computer and xbox. not because I really like boarderlands, but because it was on sale for steam, and then my friends wanted to play on the xbox instead :)8. Rarest/Most expensive game in your collection?I still have my original Pokemon Emerald cartridge, and a link to the past gba cartridge9. Most regrettable purchase?oof. Probably Splatoon 2. Great game, wonderful aesthetic, but I realized I spent $60 for a game that held my interest for like a week because of my friends.10. Ever go to a midnight game release or stand in line for hours?Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire release. It was just a really good time with friends and then a bunch of nerds playing pokemon together after.11. Have you ever made new friends from playing video games?Video games is like the reason I have any friends today.12. Ever get picked on for liking games?just the usual snide comment from some family members, but not like stereotypical school bullying.13. A game you’ve never played that everyone else has?Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Sports games 2Kyear14. Favorite game music?Persona 3 and 5 soundtrack15. If it was a requirement to get a game related tattoo, what would you pick?probably some kind of arcana card from persona. yeah, that sounds neat.16. Favorite game to play with your friends IRL?Smash is #1, but The Jackbox games are a close second.17. Ever lose a friend over a game?ummm I think golf with your friends got close, but no.18. Would you date someone that hates gaming?I’d date @kamichamachu-iloveyou19. Favorite handheld console?nostalgia: GBA, Currently: 3DS. switch doesnt count20. Game that you know like the back of your hand?Modern Warfare 3 but like exclusively multiplayer21. Game that you didn’t like or understand as a kid but love now?League of legends technically.22. Do you wear game related clothing/accessories?I have pokemon pajama pants and a really nice D.VA backpack that one of my bestest friends got me @the-giant-made-of-stone but that’s it.23. The game that you’ve logged the most hours into?either COD Modern Warfare 3, or Black ops 2. Hit master prestige in both of them.24. First Pokemon game?either red or blue, but I was too young to play them or even remember.25. Were you ever an arcade game player?I went hard in peterpiper, but these days I’m a tiny bit smarter with my money26. Ever form any gaming rivalries?well more like salt driven blind rage from smash, but that only lasts like an hour or two27. Game that makes you rage?League of Legends.28. Ever play in a tournament?I played in like one smash tournament and got bm’d so I stopped going.29. What is your gaming set up?I have a dual monitor pc setup, but one of the monitors is bigger than the other, so it also doubles as the screen I use for my xbox, switch, and ps430. How many consoles do you own? 5 if you include the 2ds31. Does the 3DS and/or Virtual Boy hurt your eyes or give you headaches?never played the Virtual boy, and I’ve never used the 3D setting long enough for it to do anything weird.32. Did you ever play a game based on your favorite show/cartoon/movie/comic?when I was a smol babby, I had Power Rangers Light Speed Rescue for the nintendo 64.33. Did you ever have any bootleg games or plug-n-play games?when I was in middle school, a family friend hooked us up with a fancy ds cartridge that had a slot for a microSD card that we could put roms onto. it was lit. I also had a lot of plug and plays as a bby34. Do either of your parents play video games?my dad has a playstation something, but idk what he plays35. Ever work in a game store? Or do you have a favorite game shop?I want to work at gamestop, but they hate me or something. Gamestop is also my favorite game shop because it’s the only one that still exists.36. Have you ever shed actual blood, sweat or tears over a game?sweat and tears sure, I think I picked at a scab while playing a game, so technically blood too I guess.37. Have you played E.T. for the Atari 2600? Do you think that’s the worst game ever, or do you have another nomination?I’ve seen those articles, never played it.38. A game you’re ashamed to admit that you like?like the entirety of my H-Game collection.39. A sequel that you would die for them to make?eh don’t really have any, if they remaster modern warfare 2 and 3, that would be pretty neat.40. What to you think of virtual reality headsets or motion controls?sounds like fun, but I don’t think I’d ever buy any until I have my own place and a lot more room.41. A genre that you just can’t get into?sports games that involve real sports teams (not including tennis)42. Maybe it wasn’t your first game, but what was the game that started you on your path to nerdiness?Pokemon Mystery dungeons series was like the first games that actually made me feel anything emotionally.43. Ever play games when you really should have been concentrating on something else?When I was still in school that’s pretty much all I did.44. Arcade machine that has consumed the most of your quarters?that one that’s like a half a bubble and the inner rim is a ring of light bulbs, and you have to hit the button on jackpot otherwise you get however many tickets is on the number you stop at. You feel?45. How are you at Mario Kart?I’m decent. definitely not the best.46. Do you like relaxing games like Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon?I need to be in the mood for it. I played like 30 hours of stardew valley but now that game makes me sleepy.47. Do you like competitive games?love em, unfortunately.48. How long does it take your to customize your player character?not crazy long. I just try to make the cutest girl possible, but really I just want to start playing.49. In games where you can pick your class, do you always tend to go for the same type of character?I lean pretty heavily towards the stealthy classes. with the stereotypical paladin/fighter as a secondary50. If you were a game designer, what masterpiece would you create?bitch if I had enough creativity to think of a gaming masterpiece on the spot, I’d be writing or something.51. Have you ever played a game for so long that you forgot to eat or sleep?League of Legends.52. A game that you begged your parents for as a kid?Pokemon Platinum. It was really good.53. What’s your opinion on DLC these days?I don’t care for it. If it’s a game I like, I might drop a bit (every month) on microtransactions, but as for solo games, they need to be really really good for me to spend another $20 on it.54. Do you give in to Steam sales?oh god yeah unfortunately. Speaking of which… the stream summer sale is up right now…55. Did you ever make someone you hated in the Sims and did mean stuff to them?never played the sims, and I’m glad to say I’m not that petty.56. Did you ever play Roller Coaster Tycoon and kill off your guests?never played Roller Coaster Tycoon57. Did you ever play a game to 100% or get all of the achievements?only once, and it was Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds.58. If you can only play 3 games for the rest of your life, which ones do you pick?League of Legends. and that’s like it. I can’t think of any other game that will hold it’s value for the rest of my life.59. Do you play any cell phone games?I played a lot, and honestly had a problem, but now it’s kind of like a rotating roster for me. Used to be those Gacha pay to win RPG’s now I have basic games to play on my breaks at work because I get no signal in the break room.60. Do you know the Konami Code?up up down down left right left right b a start cha cha real smooth two hops two hops - - two hops two hops - - hands on your knees hands on your knees61. Do you trade in your games or keep them forever?my games are constantly rotating. When I stop feeling it for a game, and it still has value over $15 it goes towards a new game.62. Ever buy a console specifically to play one game?Technically I got the switch just for breath of the wild, but I am enjoying the other titles coming out for it.63. Ever go to a gaming convention or tournament? I went to a tournament and got bm’d so I never went back.64. Ever make a TV or monitor purchase based on what would be best for gaming?no but I kind of want to one day.65. Ever have a Game Genie, Game Shark or Action Replay? Did it ever mess up your game’s save file?I had an action replay because I wanted to cheat in pokemon pearl, and it let me for a bit, but I kept accidentally erasing all the data on the action replay itself, so yeah.66. Did you ever have have an old Nokia with Snake on it?I actually did. When one of my old flip phones broke, I needed a cheap replacement.67. Do you have a happy gaming-related childhood memory you want to share?for this question, we’re gonna pretend “childhood” encompasses freshman year of college. I remember telling my best friends about a smash tournament that was going on while I was away, and that I would be back for the last half of it. They were telling me about how well they were doing on the way back and I got more and more hyped. Then when I got there for the grand finals, I asked the guy that everyone considered to be the best player there to play some casuals with me. and I absolutely obliterated him. I could go more into detail but yeah, that’s like my most memorable gaming moment.68. Ever save up a ton of tickets in an arcade to get something cool?god no, I really wish I learned to be that frugal, but anytime I went to a place with tickets, those tickets would be gone literally the same night, no matter how cheap the prises were.69. In your opinion, best game ever made? I think my personal favorite is Pokemon mystery dungeons: Explorers of Sky. story line, gameplay, music, everything about it made me so happy.70. Very first game you ever beat?I think it was pokemon ruby, but honestly, I’m not super sure.

[punkwhodrinkstea-blog]

It Is Your...

Uhhhhhhg. I swear I’m one step closer to being a corpse. For those of you who follow gaming at all, you will know that the most anticipated and award winning Destiny 2 was released for PC this past Tuesday. The game was released 2 months ago on console but the first game was never released for PC. Since the game seemed to suit the PC community and mouse and keyboard controls perfectly, there was much added excitement. Once the game launched I put in nearly 24 hours straight and even the next day I put in another 12 hours and then lastly another 6 hours after that. I stopped only a few hours ago and honestly I have a maxed character and 2 other characters who are underway. I have been living in my gaming chair sipping tea and eating apples, muffins and chips (I don’t usually eat chips but I was desperate). I haven’t seen daylight in a few days and that is until last night I got to see my girlfriend. Thank goodness. I’m pretty worn out from Destiny 2 and not only do I need a break from it but I’m feeling super depressed due to not taking care of myself and a lack of sleep, food, water and general hygiene.

Destiny 2 though is a pretty great game. It’s hard to not like it. Heck, it’s hard to not love. The overall graphics are on par with today’s standards but the lighting effects are a bit better which makes it look really good. The gameplay is silky smooth for some reason and plays beautifully. The movement mechanics and flow of each fight has been well designed to keep the player moving instead of spending too much time simply pouring bullets into a single stubborn enemy. The campaign comes with the base game (and will likely be added to upon DLC) is good but simple and most of the characters are good but some aren’t very enjoyable in my opinion. Also the story is very expendable because since the game is an FPS MMO RPG, most players simply don’t care and the Campaign takes less than 10 hours to finish. The Campaign really just acts as an easy warm up for those of us more hardcore players, meanwhile will act as a decent challenge for your casual stay at home dad or lesser experienced players. But just like any MMO RPG, the game doesn’t truly start until you put the ‘final’ boss 6 feet under. The campaign actually seems to hold back the player from gaining “Light” which is the measurement for how powerful your character is. After killing the boss from the Campaign, the grind begins with the player doing side missions. There are two types of side missions, “Adventures” and “Quests”. Adventures are available from the start of the game and run on an endless loop providing a decent mini mission for players of all skill levels and character levels (they’re really easy). The “Quests” on the other hand don’t seem to be endless. They are a chain of mini missions which usually are about the same difficulty as a Campaign mission but not as long and once you complete all of them, you get a nice prize. Lastly there are “Public events” this is fairly unique to Destiny. This is when an objective appears in the open world part of the game and any and all players nearby can simply walk in and fight side by side to complete an objective, which of course requires you to kill lots and lots of bad guys. The game also allows you to buy treasure maps which will tell you where loot chests are which may or may not give you a good reward. There are two other game modes as well, one is “Strikes” and the other is the “Crucible”. Strikes are simply missions that three players can play together and complete and usually offer better loot. The Crucible is Destiny's Player vs Player mode which has been made better since the first Destiny however it’s not on par with games like Halo, Call of Duty and many other PvP shooters but it’s not bad either. Anyway you get the point, the game is amazing…. However….

Destiny 2 is no doubt a great game but frankly… it’s too easy. Back in the 1st Destiny enemies varied more in their threats. For example there is an enemy called a ‘Wizard’ it’s basically an alien monster about 12 feet tall and flies above the battlefield and hurrells lightning or plasma or something at you and it used to deal lot’s of damage. They were scary! And worst of all they would scream extremely loud and fill your ears with this high pitch screech which would terrify you, these things were freak’n terrifying but in Destiny 2 you can kill them with a single clip and they don’t scare the player with high damage attacks or loud screams. I think every bigger enemy in the game has been nerfed. (“nerfed”: Gamer lingo for, made weaker). It simply makes them less scary and makes the game easier. Now enemies can come as “elites” which do deal more damage and have more health making them a bit scarier but still, the last game had that too and the elite versions of enemies were a player’s bane. The kind of thing that would make a player walk into a room and say “OH HELL NOOO!”. Now the advantage the game has to making these enemies weaker is now players kill more enemies and switch from one enemy to another which helps keep the excitement for the modern person who generally has a shorter attention span. I think this hinders the actual game and kinda dumbs it down but… there’s more. The whole game seems to be dumbed down for the casual audience. Not only by making the enemies easier but even the bosses, ya know those really big things which are suppose to be really hard and make your hands sweat or make you have to try again and again to over come… yeah those are also easy. My online friends and I had no struggle against those and were very underwhelmed at how easy it all is.

Now I’ve done some digging around on the internet and found that not many console players have found the game to be much easier but they think it’s different due to bigger enemies being nerfed. Which is true. But it would seem that PC players, like myself are having a cake walk (which I am too). The reasons are fairly obvious. On PC we play at 60fps or higher meanwhile console players are at 30fps which I find makes making precise movements and shots more difficult. Console players are also forced to play the game with a field of view of 55 degrees…. That’s like looking through a tube. Meanwhile on PC the game allows you to play at 105 degrees which is just shy of distorting image like a fish eye. I personally perfer 110 degrees but I’m not too picky. However anything below 90 degrees is simply stupid in my opinion. The primary reason rarely play games on console these days is because of the field of view. I simply can’t go back to looking through a tube. Now if the frame rate and the field of view wasn’t enough to give PC players a huge advantage, we also have mouse and keyboard controls. When using a controller you can only rotate your character so fast and can only be so precise. For example jumping into the air and shooting enemies on console is hard and you will likely one have time to shoot one enemy but on PC I find myself jumping into the air and killing one enemy and then turning 180 degrees to shoot an enemy behind me, this is simply a dream for a console player. Also it is but easier for PC players to hit weak spots on enemies and control weapon recoil. So not only are enemies in Destiny 2 generally weaker than the first game but now PC players can consistently hit the weak spots of enemies. Giving PC players another advantage when it comes to gun play. Anyway these are the reasons that PC players are having such an easy time with this game. But how would Bungie fix this? I mean I don’t mind too much. Having a casual FPS MMO RPG as amazing as Destiny 2 is super nice and I’m not complaining. But if Bungie wanted to make the game harder, how would they? They could crank up the enemy difficulty but then it would be unproportionate from the console version. I have no issue with that but it would be the first time in gaming history that PC gets a gamer but modified to be harder than the console version. Meh I dunno, it doesn’t really matter I guess.

Oh man I just realized how much time I just spent writing about destiny 2… I should do something else today other than think about that game. Also today I’m trying to recover from my lack of sleep, food, water, hygiene, etc. Peace out folks and happy hunting.

[thecloudlight-blog]

New Post has been published on Cloudlight

New Post has been published on https://cloudlight.biz/wordpress-com-begins-testing-first-tv-ads-in-6-markets/

WordPress.com begins testing first TV ads in 6 markets

WordPress.Com unveiled its first TV ads these days and said they had been presently being shown in confined runs in six textual content markets, although it did no longer unveil which markets.

The five ads in this series are constructed around the subject matter “Free to be” and every profile a neighborhood or small commercial enterprise user in Detroit.

On his private blog, Matt Mullenweg, CEO of WordPress.Com determine agency Automattic, noted that he had shared the corporation’s purpose of making investments greater in advertising in 2017 for the duration of his most current State of the Word speech.

“There is lots to learn and plenty to follow, but we have our first TV advertisements up in six markets to check,” he wrote. ” “Each shares a tale of a business in Detroit, and I simply got the threat to visit one of the groups earlier nowadays.”

Senior Security In The Home

We all love our dad and mom. And as we age, they do as properly. In the natural pressure to retain independence, senior residents residing on their personal could without problems turn out to be prey to unsavory characters. Home invaders, thieves and scam artists look to the aged as smooth marks for their crook intentions. To guard and care for those who’ve looked after us our entire lives, there are numerous approaches to comfortable senior safety in the domestic.

Locks and Measures

Good locks are constantly the primary defense whilst securing a home.

Entry doorways have to be fabricated from strong timber or steel, with bolstered frames to prevent breakdowns. Each access door needs to also have a deadbolt in addition to the doorknob. (Be cautious while choosing a deadbolt. One with a turn latch at the inside is safer in an emergency, while a key can without difficulty be dropped or misplaced.) Four-inch screws need to be used to put in the strike to the door body, accordingly securing against a person kicking in the door. Be conscious that tumbler panels subsequent to a door are easy for a could be intruder to interrupt after which reach in to turn a lock.

Sliding glass doors, in addition to a latch lock, ought to be secured greater solidly with a protection bar or a foot latch.

These brought security features may be established through each person who is available with a screwdriver and a drill. Even a garments bar or thick broom handle can be cut to length in a pinch.

Garage doors with electric powered openers are the most relaxed as there is no outside latch to unlock. Remember to give the keypad code to handiest own family and trusted buddies or buddies. If there may be no electric powered opener, make sure to use the manual lock mechanism located in the center of the door.

Perhaps the most inclined entryway into any home is a window. Here a lock is often times no longer enough to preserve out a chronic burglar. Glass can be damaged and locks opened from the outside. Double pane glass is much tougher to penetrate and has the brought advantage of power savings with more insulation. In excessive instances, bars can be established on floor and basement windows to similarly deny a criminal clean get right of entry to. Remember to continually keep home windows locked whilst not in use. Even those high off the floor can be accessed by means of a roof or gutter.

Step It Up

While locks are key in securing a domestic, different actions can be taken to discourage crook pastime. The idea is to make a domestic much less of a target to folks who want to do you incorrectly. Lighting is, in reality, the only and least costly manner to gain the arrival of vigilance.

TV Addiction – As Serious As Drug Addiction

Over-attachment to anything is a serious trouble. People are hooked on different things – tablets, cigarette, alcohol, cartoons, and PC video games are only a few matters that humans fall hooked on.

No one really thought significantly about TV addiction until recently, while a studies observed the characteristic conduct of individuals hooked on drugs and to TV is identical. That is, people hooked on TV indicates the same behavioral patterns like someone who’s hooked on pills.

Definition of addiction: incapability to triumph over the dependence on anything

In spite of great efforts from one’s part is an addiction. Serious withdrawal symptoms are some other characteristic of dependency.

For example – a person who’s addicted to capsules recognize he/she have to damage far away from drugs, tries in that course, but is unable to unfasten oneself from the have an impact on of drugs.

Different studies performed by means of universities from exclusive components of the sector propose the study parallels between TV dependency and drug addiction.

Researchers studied the brain waves of people, who had been extreme approximately retreating from TV.

The men and women experience maximum delight at the same time as preparing for looking TV – he/she feels happy even as taking the remote manage and at the same time as switching to the TV. Once the TV software is over, he or she returns to the previous state of tension and mental strain. He/she wants to reach before TV to all over again sense peaceful.

This enjoy has strong parallels to that of drug addiction, in which drug addicts experience disturbed when the drug stops operating of their body and that they inject more capsules into their blood.

This is not proper for all TV viewers. People who watch TV for more than 4 hours a day show off these behavior patterns and one 10th of general TV visitors are haplessly addicted to TV.

The Serious Problems Associated with TV Addiction

o Anxiety

o Lethargy

o Prefers solitude

o Turns far from social situations

o Difficulty getting alongside others

o Risk of obesity

TV Addiction in Children

Children below 12 years of age are mainly vulnerable to the dangers of TV dependency. They can overlook the whole lot approximately their studies and spend so much time earlier than TV.

When mother and father attempt to decrease time spent earlier than time, the children protest and in an unhealthy way. Self-damage and destruction are not unusual.

Studies have also located that kids enslaved to TV mature early and sense helpless before problems.

Some Things You Can Do to Prevent TV Addiction

@ – Spend time accomplishing bodily activities, sports, hiking, mountaineering, mountain climbing, swimming, tree climbing, and so forth in step with one’s physical capability.

@ – Read books including novels, brief memories, poetry, technology fiction memories, technology magazines, and so forth.

@ – Engage in indoor video games like chess, caroms, scrabble, board video games, and so forth.

@ – Be active at a social service membership (up to now the first-rate antidote for all stress associated problems).

All the above sports are helpful in overcoming addiction to TV. While you experience strength sapped, torpid and tensed after prolonged TV viewing, those activities make you feel refreshed.

Some Popular Markets in Lagos, Nigeria

In Lagos, Nigeria, there are a number of markets that attract a large number of people for various reasons. Some people go to these markets to purchase objects because of their pretty low costs at the same time as others opt for them for a pleasant shopping experience. Take as an instance a small scale store primarily based in one of the suburbs, he or she can also go to these markets to purchase bulk objects from wholesalers as a way to resell at lower fees at a greater convenient time and place. If you as a store deal in GSM merchandise along with six packs, cellular telephones, GSM recharge cards and accessories you will evidently visit a market that has a large number wholesalers dealing in such products. In Lagos Nigeria, such locations consist of Computer Village in Ikeja, elements of the Lagos island Market (Idumota) and one stop of Saka Tinubu in Victoria Island. This of direction is just an example as there are a limitless variety of products and services one could deal in.

Here is my list of famous markets in Lagos Nigeria and the Kind of products such markets deal in;

1. Yaba was additionally known as Tejuosho Market currently undergoing protection it’s miles one of the most modern-day markets in West Africa with well-known facilities and infrastructure. Tejuosho market is a densely populated market, with thousands of purchasing gadgets and tens of thousands of customers who patronize the groups which might be resident within the complicated on a day by day basis. Until 2007 while elements of the marketplace had been gutted by using heart, Tejuosho marketplace became perhaps the busiest marketplace in Lagos Nigeria after Idumota, Balogun, Oshodi, Alaba Market and semi markets.

2. Alaba International marketplace. The so referred to as largest electronics marketplace in Africa, Alaba global Market is home to the largest sellers of electronic products in Nigeria. Many of the dealers are massive time importers and vendors of electrical and digital devices consisting of flat screen televisions, turbines, domestic home equipment especially fridges, enthusiasts, air conditioners, even DVD sets, digital satellite dishes and decoders and lots of greater. The marketplace is a beehive of activities on all days of the week except on Sundays when a maximum of the traders goes to church.

3. Computer village.

Computer village as the call implies is a marketplace that deals by and large in the shopping for and selling of computer systems consisting of software and hardware, mobile phones and their add-ons. It is domestic to some of Nigeria’s exceptional phone and computer restore men with a lot of them demonstrating exquisite ability in coping with, keeping and repairing phones, laptop components, and other associated gadgets. However there is a pull away, this marketplace is likewise infamous for housing a few human beings of the questionable person consisting of tours, pirates, choose wallet and fraudsters. However, the market offers many advantages inclusive of cheap charges and first-rate products but most effective wherein such products are bought from legitimate and authorized sellers.

[yeahbrothergaming-blog]

OOPS It's Almost February but Here's My GOTY Lists!

Game of the Year: 10. Forza Horizon 3 I typically don't play racing games any more. For me, the genre peaked at Burnout 3: Takedown, and unless we are talking about Mario Kart 64, most racing games don't occupy a big piece of my gaming heart. Then, E3 2015 happened, and I was immediately mesmerized by Forza Horizon 3. I had only played Forza Motorsport 6, and neither of the other Horizon games, but the presentation given for FH3 immediately jumped out at me. I was intrigued by the diverse racing areas in Australia, and then I was hooked when I saw the race against the helicopter. What I saw was some of the insanity I loved about Burnout 3, along with the graphical prowess of more modern racers. Thankfully, FH3 is everything I loved about its E3 presentation: incredible graphics and the diverse landscape of Australian beaches, cities, jungles, and desert lands, driving that is the perfect balance of arcadey-fun and sim-realism, a great sense of speed, and an attitude that doesn't take itself too seriously. It is the first racing game in a long time that I would say is one of my favorite games of the year, and I also believe it is one of the ten best games of the year. Also -- the soundtrack is one of the best soundtracks in any game in a long time, which was another fun surprise about this wonderful game. 9. Doom The original Doom was the first video game I have any memory of in my life. I was hanging out with my dad at the local college activities center, and I remember catching someone play it on a demo-computer that was set up in one of the breezeway areas in the building. I was not yet at the age where I could play video games, but the memory of watching this dude with crazy guns kill crazy monsters has stuck with me. Through the years since, I have kept up with Doom as a series, even though Doom 3 is the only Doom game I have put any significant time into before Doom 2016. From what I can understand, Doom 2016 recaptures the feeling of playing OG Doom back in the day -- over-the-top insane action at a pace that never lets up from the get-go. From the very first seconds of Doom 2016, you are charged with killing everything that gets in your way, often as fast as you can. This is clearly not a new gaming concept, but D16 makes it as much fun as it can be. There are a lot of great shooters out this year, but (of those I played), none come close to matching the intensity and balls-to-the-wall feel of D16. This is your favorite shooter's favorite shooter, and is some of the best Video Game™ fun to be had in 2016 and beyond. 8. Inside Inside is quite a thing. The follow up to Playdead's Limbo (2010), it takes a lot of what made Limbo unique and fun and improves on it. Mechanically, Inside takes the time-tested gameplay of Running To The Right and makes it dangerous and exciting in a way few games do well. You are not quite sure what you are running to (or from?) for most of the game, but the world-building - usually in the background - keeps you interested from start to finish. The puzzles are mostly challenging, but I never got stuck, which helped the game keep a steady momentum throughout. It is a very dark game, both graphically and in subject matter, but Inside uses color in bursts to help punctuate certain moments. I am not super sure what really "happened" in Inside, but the story is ambiguous enough to allow for multiple interpretations, which I like, as well as a hidden ending if you are into that kind of thing. The last section of the game is not one I want to spoil, but is without quarter one of the most insane sections of a game I played all year, and is one of the best watercooler gaming moments in 2016. 7. Overcooked Overcooked is a game I watched a lot of in 2016, and then finally got my hands on in the waning days of the year. I've never had so much fun messing up in a game maybe ever as I do in Overcooked, but I feel equally as satisfied when everything goes off without a hitch. The basic premise of Overcooked is hilarious: the apocalypse happens, and The Beast arrives to destroy everything. The only way to stop the apocalypse from happening is to cook well enough to appease The Beast. Naturally, you fail, and you are sent back in time to work on your skills of "cooking and co-operation" in order to be better when The Beast comes back. The premise alone is worthy of any top-10 list, but the gameplay cements it. There are always two to three too many jobs per player - you'll need to grab ingredients, chop ingredients, use a fryer, cook in a pot or an oven, clean dirty dishes, place clean plates, and turn in completed orders in time, all while avoiding obstacles, moving portions of stages, certain death by lava, or by setting the arena on fire due to literal over-cooking. I say "arena" instead of kitchen, because even though you start in kitchens, the stages progress to pirate ships, moving vehicles, icy platforms, haunted houses, and space stations. You rarely do the same thing twice in Overcooked, and the stages are short enough that each play session is guaranteed to be varied, fast, and furious. The only downside I found is that it does not have online play -- Overcooked is the kind of game where it is certainly best with local play, but I wish I still had the option. That being said, Overcooked is a riot, and some of the best multiplayer of the year. 6. Batman: The Telltale Series Batman: The Animated Series is the first superhero-related property I remember in my life. I would watch this show every day, and I have memories of this classic cartoon before I have memories of most other things in my life. I've been a Batman fan ever since - so any new Batman game is going to certainly have my attention. Telltale's interpretations on The Walking Dead and Fables (via The Wolf Among Us) were interesting and compelling enough that I found myself eagerly awaiting each chapter, and Telltale's Batman is no exception. Traditional elements of the Batman narrative are flipped on their head, making this version of Batman a unique and risky vision of the Batman universe. Character origins are modified, and some characters end up being completely different from other, more standard portrayals, but Telltale pulls off each of these tweaks in a way that I found satisfying. I do wish that Telltale would revamp their engine, as I experienced some pretty wonky graphical glitches, and the frame rate never seems to be too interested in staying smooth, but this was a fun ride through a bold new telling of the Batman story - one that I will be excited to continue in future installments. 5. Stardew Valley Stardew Valley is a game that came out of nowhere earlier this year. Developed by one person, it took the PC gamingsphere by storm. Since I don't play on PC, I had to wait until December to finally play it on PS4 - and I'm glad I did. The game is a farming and relationship sim, mixed with light dungeon crawling and resource gathering. At the start of the game, your character receives a letter from your grandfather with the deed to the family farm. After toiling away at a boring desk job at a big corporation, the character decides to finally move into the family farm and start a new life. The game is split into days, months, and seasons, with a myriad of gameplay options each day. Some days you might spend clearing space in your farm, others you might spend tending to your crops, and others you might spend in the local town, getting to know each townperson. The relationship-development in the game is fairly shallow, but each character has a distinct personality, and it is fun getting to know them. You can go fishing, learn recipes for cooking, or try to reach a new level in the mine. The only combat options in the game are within the mine, but it is never super challenging. This is part of the appeal of Stardew Valley for me -- it is never traditionally "challenging," and is instead quite laid back. I didn't know I needed a game that is built for the player to take it at their own pace. I found myself continually drawn to play through "just one more day," while also feeling super relaxed. Aesthetically, Stardew Valley evokes old 16-bit era games, but with the best lighting I've ever seen in a 2D game. Stardew Valley is the positive game I needed in 2016, and I can't wait to continue my new life as a farmer-fisher-Casanova-dungeon master in the days to come. 4. Dark Souls III Back in 2009, I picked up a little game called Demon's Souls, and it changed my gaming life. I had never been challenged in an action-RPG in quite that fashion, and it had some of the best combat I had ever played in any game. Two Dark Souls games (and a Bloodborne) later, Dark Souls III finally dropped, and it is the Souls game of my dreams. The basic idea of the game is the same - traverse through an extremely dangerous world battling the toughest enemies and the meanest bosses, all the while upgrading your gear and skills to become the strongest warrior in the world. Bloodborne (the Lovecraftian cousin of the Souls series) sped up the game in a major way, and DS3 has injected a bit of that speed into its traditionally slower-paced combat. The co-op mechanic has also simplified from previous games (another lift from Bloodborne), and is how I experienced most of the game. Some of the most satisfying moments in gaming this year for me were battling bosses alongside my friend and having some serious skin-of-our-teeth victories. I am not as on top of the Souls lore as I would like to be, but I did recognize a lot of neat throwbacks to previous games in the series. According to Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of Dark Souls & DS3, this will be the last game in the series. If this is indeed true, then the series has gone out on a high note with one of the best action-RPGs ever made. 3. Uncharted 4 Some of my favorite movies growing up were the Indiana Jones movies. I always wanted a good video game version of those movies (emphasis on good), and the Uncharted series has been that for me for the last few years. I loved the first Uncharted, and then was blown away by Uncharted 2. Uncharted 3 was still awesome, but it didn't quite live up to the charms of UC2. While I thought the end of 3 was certainly good, I didn't feel like it was as conclusive of an ending as it could have been. I was not surprised when they announced 4, as I felt like they left a little bit of room for more after 3. After announcing that this would indeed be the final Uncharted game, I didn't know how to feel - while there have been hundreds of action-adventure games, this series in particular really hit the beats that the Indiana Jones movies gave me, and I am sad that this series is going away. I'm sure that Naughty Dog felt the pressure to deliver a game worthy of being the final in this spectacular series, and they absolutely nailed it. The Uncharted series has always been on the bleeding edge of graphics technology and art direction, and UC4 is the crown jewel. This is undoubtedly the best looking video game I've ever played, and it's not really all that close. Sprawling island vistas, colorful and crowded towns, and incredibly realistic animations (even for this series) left me consistently in awe of what I was seeing. How good this game looks even this early in the console cycle adds to the impressive visual fidelity, and it deserves any and all awards for graphics this year. Beyond the graphics, the gunplay is the most finely tuned in the series, and the set pieces are the biggest and boldest since Uncharted 2's train sequence. There is a particular sequence involving a jeep, a grappling hook (another mechanic added to this game to great effect), and a motorcycle chase that is equal parts classic Uncharted and modern excellence in game design. The story does a great job of validating the existence of another Uncharted game, as well as including nods to older games in neat ways. The epilogue in particular will stay with me for some time as a long-time fan of the franchise. Nate, Sully, and Elena are all back, and it remains fun to see them in action (or not, as represented by a chapter early in the game). The inclusion of Sam as Nate's brother is something I was initially concerned about, wondering how the game would make me care about a brand new character this late in the overall story, but they did a great job of making him another worthy character in a series filled with fun characters. There is not much I can say negatively about this game -- any other year, UC4 is a shoe-in for my number 1 game of the year. Sitting at number 3 on this list does not mean that this game isn't good - it is truly great, especially for those who have kept up with the series so far. 2. Hitman When I was a kid, my usual answer to "What do you want to be when you grow up" was always "James Bond." As I've grown older I have come to appreciate more and more that I am not James Bond, but I still love it when movies or games make me feel like a super cool secret agent. This year's installment in the Hitman franchise is exactly that - the world's best secret agent simulator! Well...maybe not exactly that but I've not had more fun playing a stealth-action game in years than I have with Hitman. The episodic nature of this game's release meant that each level required some serious heft, and IO Interactive pulled through in a major way in each of the game's sprawling levels. Whether you are in a mansion in Paris during a fashion show, walking around a gorgeous Mediterranean coastal town that hides a cavernous science lab, or a volatile marketplace in Marrakesh, each level is alive with detail, and expertly designed for creative solutions for each mission. Depending on how you want to play, the game can show you exactly where and how to perform some of the sillier ways to accomplish your mission, or you can go through blind, figuring out exactly how you would want to successfully find and take out the targets. Part of the success of Hitman 2016 is that it doesn't take itself too seriously - the AI is good enough to make things difficult if you are sloppy, but not hawkish enough to avoid being exploited. NPC dialogue can be funny as well, and while you certainly can play the game straight and use traditional weapons to carry out the hits, the game offers so many different bonkers ways to take out your targets, it's hard not to play through each mission without cracking a smile at least once. Hitman is also gorgeous - the Sapienza map in particular is stunning, but each map has a distinct aesthetic, each with superb lighting and colors to suit the setting. The music also takes cues from spy movies, giving the situation a curious vibe as you are sneaking around, and escalating if needed to go along with the action on the screen. I wish the load times were faster (playing on an Xbox One), and there are occasional janky glitches (like throwing a battle axe at a target through a wall), but neither of those take away from the immense amount of fun to be had in the gameplay (also, one could argue throwing a battle axe through a wall is actually hilarious and awesome). Where some stealth-action games take themselves too seriously and become save-scumming nightmares, Hitman hits the spot, nailing a goofy sense of fun to a well-worn concept. Bonus points - this game is also so entertaining to watch - I was sold on this game by watching Giant Bomb's video coverage of the game through the year. 1. Overwatch This list was pretty difficult to make this year, and ordering was even more difficult. That being said - there was always a clear number one, and that game is Overwatch. I have joked that this might be my Game of the Every Year, and depending on when you ask me, I may not actually be joking. I was beyond skeptical of this game when it was coming out - I had fallen away from the competitive multiplayer shooter scene somewhere around Halo 3 and Modern Warfare 2. I scoffed at the game not even trying to offer anything for single-player players like me. I knew that I enjoyed the objective-based gameplay of Team Fortress 2 back in the day, but it was never the type of game I was especially drawn towards. But, every game podcast I listened to, every review I read, and just about everyone in games journalism I follow on Twitter could not stop talking about how much fun this game was. So, on a whim, I got the game at GameStop, thinking that I could just trade it in if I didn't like it. I texted one of my friends to let him know I got it, and it turns out he also got it. We played for a couple of hours that first night and right then I knew - I had stumbled backwards into something special. I immediately fell in love with the bright, positive aesthetic, the heroic-sounding music in the main menu, and the enticing possibilities of how different the game could feel depending on which character you use. I was hooked by the pace of each match - not too short and not too long, leaving you perfectly ready for "just one more match." Each character feels great, and I found out quickly that the game was balanced extraordinarily well already out of the gate. That first session lead into more the next day, and the next day, and every day for a week, two weeks, a month...and so on. What started as just my one friend and I playing turned into a steady group of six or seven of us ready to play most days of the week! Part of this is due to the evangelism of my friend and I, bugging our friends to buy the game at an almost daily pace, but an even bigger reason is that Overwatch is accessible while remaining a deep gameplay experience. Multiple characters are perfect for just starting in, whether you have played other multiplayer-FPS games, or whether you are still figuring out how to move with the left stick and turn the camera with the right - there is a character for everybody. The diversity of the cast of characters is also a highlight, as many different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and personalities are not something that is typical for video games. Overwatch also does a great job at making the player feel positive reinforcement - there is no K/D list constantly in the face of the player, and post-match screens are always a celebration of what players did well in a match rather than highlighting who did the best and who did the worst. As Blizzard is known to do with their other games, they showed that they are fully capable of supporting Overwatch via regular content updates and gameplay balance patches, which paves the way for the game to continue to be great in the years to come. The promise of free DLC forever is another great way they are sticking it to their competitors, and continued proof that Blizzard cares about the people who play their games. Sure - do I wish that duplicate items in loot boxes gave out more in-game currency? Of course - but that is also literally the only negative thing I can think of to say about this game. I have logged in more hours into this game than any other game I've ever played (except for maybe Mario Kart 64, which I started playing almost twenty years ago), and I continue to add hours every week. This game has made me new friends, and kept me close with old friends, and has been a valuable portion of my week nearly every week since its release. There was never any other option for my number one game of the year this year, and it deserves any and all praise and awards possible from now until the end of time. PS - please please please get on the point. Thanks! Barely Missed the List: -Firewatch - this is a gorgeous game with an understated, sad, and ultimately genuine and human narrative that hooked me from beginning to end. I'm not sure I'll ever revisit it, but it was a compelling look into the consequences of failing to communicate effectively, as well as speaking to how we tend to go to great lengths to avoid tough situations at times. -Gears of War 4 - This is a solid re-entry into the Gears universe, one which I was a huge fan of in Gears 1-3. Gears 4 is definitely more Gears, although it didn't quite have the same magic for me as the first 3. That being said, I'll be ready for Gears 5 - and this one would have made the list in a lot of other years that weren't as jam packed as this year. -Final Fantasy XV - This was tough to omit from the list. I was really enjoying my time with this game until they announced that they were going to add in story scenes to the game at some unspecified time down the road. As someone who wants to experience a game the best way possible the first time through, I have yet to continue the game since they made this announcement. Despite all of that, I'm thrilled that Final Fantasy is back, and I think that the overall presentation and battle system make for a fun game to play. I'll be excited to get back into this game...once they finish it. Haven't Played but Wish I Had: -Hyperlight Drifter -The Last Guardian -Superhot Games I Want to Play More: -Darkest Dungeon - I love the aesthetic of this game, and I can always fall deep into a good rogue-like -FFXV - reasons above -The Witness - this game makes me feel so smart, but can also be so frustrating. -SFV/Guilty Gear - I want to be better at fighting games, and I love how both of these games look. SFV definitely has more players, but GG feels like the better game. Most Disappointing Game -Tom Clancy's The Division - I wanted to love this game. I was so ready for it after the initial E3 presentation. The promise of another game like Destiny where I could group up with friends, take down enemies, and find better loot is something that I can always get behind. But then, I played The Division. The empty open world was boring, the netcode was a struggle, and the constant cheaters in the Dark Zone bounced me off of this game in a way I wasn't ready for. The loot and customization failed to impress me, and the bullet spongy enemies got old real fast. I haven't felt this disappointed in a game in a long time. Runners Up: -Rez: Infinite - this is not a bad game, and I enjoyed my time with it in VR, but based off of what I heard about this game, it should have brought me closer to God. Needless to say I don't believe it was as transcendent as the conversation around the game would lead me to believe, and that's the only reason it is on the Disappointing Games list for me this year. -No Man's Sky - Or, Game that Makes Me Sad of 2016. The promise of this game based off of the (potentially maliciously) misleading marketing of this game is such a huge disservice to what this game actually is. Thankfully, I did hear enough impressions from some who played it at preview events so that I realized a little more that NMS would be closer to a survival game than the end-all-be-all Sci-Fi epic that was advertised, but even that couldn't help me from eventually falling off of this game. I still really love the aesthetic of the game, and it has some great music. The addition of the Foundation update gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, NMS will one day resemble its initial, ambitious vision, but until that day comes, NMS will ultimately remain disappointing. VR Lineup: VR is finally here! So far I have only experienced VR through the PSVR, and I feel hopeful for the potential VR can bring to gaming. Here are my top 5 PSVR experiences of the year: Job Simulator Batman: Arkham VR Here They Lie RIGS Until Dawn: Rush of Blood Best Game for On The Go: Batman: The Telltale Series (iPad) World of Final Fantasy (Vita) Super Mario Run (iPhone) Game of the (Not This) Year -The Witcher 3 - I've continued to progress forward in The Witcher 3, and I still haven't beaten the main game or touched either DLC pack. This game is so full of great content, it is almost overwhelming. Every time I play TW3, I am more and more convinced that this is one of the best games of the generation, and absolutely one of the best open-world games of all time. Runners Up: -Persona 4: Dancing All Night - I haven't been this into a rhythm game since Rock Band 3! It has been fun coming back to the Persona 4 universe, and jamming along to some of the best video game music in years. This is also a great way to continue the excitement for Persona 5, coming out later this year. -Life is Strange - This is a charming adventure game that I picked up on sale for $5, and I haven't regretted the decision. I haven't yet beaten the story, but I appreciate the indie-movie nature of the game's story, cinematography, and music. The time-rewinding mechanic has been used in many other different games, but the usage of this mechanic in Life is Strange takes pressure off of making decisions, allowing me to see more of the story as I go along. Best Looking Game Uncharted 4 Overwatch Ratchet and Clank Best Music Overwatch (shoutout to Numbani theme!) Uncharted 4 Stardew Valley Overcooked Hitman Best Story Batman: The Telltale Series Uncharted 4 Firewatch

[chinad]

2017 here now spectacle.

Jan 27, 2017

last night woke up earlier then dwelling in dreams. first dreamt in zoo with dearest son, woz. 2 cheap girls recklessly open cage of tiger and let it at large. we rushed to evade and scattered. when I returned near zoo and found tiger caught woz and indecisively tore his clothes. in terror I scream for zoo manager's help. when he in sight and running closer, I approached the tiger and woke up. I timely noted it on my mobile. then dreamt an OCR software's advertisement on media. I was more or less familiar with pirate warez once, so I'm sure I will get a copy of the tool. I felt glad with it I can turn some Chinese textbook and its tests digitally for woz's exercise. then all dreams about flying, with a delegation of school teachers likely in vacation tour. I can fly without any voyage, and use it to challenge barrage around me. this is a pale morning and eve of lunar new year. my returning train ticket still pending while brokerage already handed over. woz gained about ￥2100 pocket money from his hometown relatives. I didn't send out any gift money, including my newly married nephew. but I told him my startup and hard economy and promised will help him in future when my situation better. yesterday is the turning day of our vacation here, half elapsed. we made nice demonstration to country guys about steam online games to larger LED, chromecast mirror screen, English online videos. our poor dell notebook almost broke down after heavily load of video gaming, in frequent freeze now. I sincerely best wishes to my relatives here, hoping someday I can improve their lives. they already saw satisfactions in the decade when most nephews built their families. God dad, bring me sooner my Royal China to my larger family, for my future offspring. bring me Asoh Yukiko for glory of regal affair. grant us financial freedom to support my online startup.

Jan 25, 2017

first dreamt inspecting a girl secretary of Communist Youth league. she later in charge of a business owned by CCYL, then the business turns in property of girl her own. then dreamt being an India school boy. he studied diligently and guessed or cheated to know exam's topic so scores highest. the topic likely about self-restrain, in Chinese in dream exactly "纲功伐满". his mom and sister celebrate his performance. his school dean who usually stern but now also welcomes him warmly. the boy gladly goes shopping with award, a check. this morning I woke up by the dream and made memo on my mobile. then I fell asleep again till my son got up. my elder sister asked us stay for celebrating lunar new year especially. my nephew came from my hometown village to invite our visit but I defied it for I felt vengeful against my brothers, esp my kid brother who made us harder when he had to aid me meanly. so I decisively evade him and his family, including the village, Zhudajiu where my 2 elder brothers didn't extend helping hand during my credit debt crisis last year. among the relatives and rich meal I abrupt left to my younger elder sister's house to blog. here my 2 nephews also hurry to downtown market. my dearest son, woz, aside me with his pc games. lunar new year holiday can be boring, for lunar harvest season doesn't exist nowadays. I just too far from any celebration in my family affair, nor regal affair. with additional ￥300 in this salary from QRRS, I equipped my family amazon prime another year, but nowhere to find fund to renew another 12 zhone domains esp. under woz's title. God, dad, pl allow me finishing last todo annually in this month. let 2017 anxious free and firm business as seeds soiled. bring me sooner my Royal China to house my beloved, my children. bring Asoh Yukiko when we still breed. grant us financial independence and ability to see through adversity. thx dad.

Jan 21, 2017

dreamt siblings competition in economy. mafia tried to control state owned properties and bidding for merger. I was threatened not to bid but managed to, among my relatives influence. the flight toward hometown esp. smooth, all my unease evaporated after a night and a day's on way. its my first time brought a luggage and I had to ask stewardess where to fetch it back. my son grows more confident in the journey with flight. our neighbor seat was likely a graduate girl, we made nice chats. we only had ￥500 budget for on road cost, and it did cover, including taxi to my sister's house in a town, our destiny. these days a nephew's wedding in preparing, for the bride's house too far, in neighbor province, so she will move to hotel in the county's capital in advance. tomorrow will be the wedding ceremony holds locally. our returning voyage still pending, for the train ticket too scarce to buy. we paid Ctrip.com to hunt for us, and it monitored more than 500000 times and still going. the town's business mostly cement, whose pollution quite severe. but today is second sunny day since our settlement and sunniest one so far. the 2 sons of my sister each has a car. their house newly furnished. I even already looking forward to return while my son still find funs here. all equipment we brought with us works well here, allowing woz to demonstrate online games with gamepads, mobile games chromecast to large LCD. hope he find friends here. God dad, we still have 12 domains to renew, pl grant us space to execute it. bring me sooner my Royal China to host our friends and relatives in glories. bring my Crowned Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, for my family and children. thx, dad.

Jan 12, 2017

dreamt of my once campus alumnus, in surname Shi. he was one of 2 schoolmates helped me when I first settled in Qiqihar thousand miles from my hometown after graduation. in dream his house near mountain and open. at first I thought its scenery. then I anxious about safety. Shi first denied problem then gradually admitted it. his only elder sister then joined conversation, reviewed gunned robberies, as well as wild mountain predators, together their brutality hurt their family and young memories in feeble. then I review our old house also just under and inward 2 mountains' junction and kept so well by my grand dad, warm, vivid and self-relies. in reality when I first settled in Qiqihar and visited Shi's house, his house is a small slum among shabby northern China normal residential area. toilet was near mile away and backyard least spacey. but after nearly 2 decades, many slums turned into skyscrapers here and I don't know where is Shi and his old family now. these weeks preparing hometown tour 3rd with woz, dearest son. I previously severe concerned if my credit debt deprives me of airline, but narrowly I got our flight ticket in a mid Monday night. my kid brother tried his best to sell poverty, claiming my sister can't afford our flights but under my emphasis promised ￥5000 from my sister arrived in 2 times remission my failing kid brother loathed to complete. we got a flight toward hometown while return voyage is train whose ticket paid but still in hunting by ctrip.com, a Chinese mainstream travel agency, due to PRC cheap policy said to protect the poor while in fact lots of brokers profit from the scarce of train ticket out from saturated market. my alipay also once strangely locked me out of payment, till called its support crew to fix it. recently I mostly unease if my payment method totally freezed but so far attests I at large with my assets. nevertheless, with remaining Chinese Yuan, I equipped myself another domain, billingzhu.com for my future new family member perceives in holy message. soon after I gained it from godaddy.com it strangely deleted from my account. after spent near half day desperately resuming it, I had to call godaddy support but found unknown deletion likely beyond my intentionality. and PRC tightens law against personal domain ownership esp of overseas, restricting ISP within its sovereign from support. God, reckless dictator in sinking PRC desperate clinging to my portal online. where is the barked tree tall enough for voice of holy bliss, voice of hope in destructive nation like China under CCP seizure? bring me sooner my Royal China to extinguish sickened tyrant in PRC falling day by day in fear and hatred. bring me sooner my Crowned Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, and our happy journey to central China, our hometown, in gathering our relatives in lunar new year 2017. grant us free web and steady investment on our cyberspace startup. thx, dad God.

Dec 29, 2016

first dreamt Pony Ma, founder of tencent.com, lives our neighbor. when I leaving my house topless, he and his parents just returning home and caught astonished. I explained I was in active art performance after found myself fully naked. then dreamt among kids. I esp cared a little girl likely a Tibetan. then with my kid traveling in delegation of my once colleagues of QRRS cable TV station. my kid creative and rushes to package and seats for the bus when we leaving a mountain village, just like myself unsettled for tour coming. this week barely looking forward to new year end bonus from my once and long time employer, QRRS. last salary brought me ￥3100, merely covered credit debt clearance monthly, 2000rmb. now I had several small bill to write off, inc tea subscription, treating neighbor kid for his lent us internet during our switching to fiber optic from PPPOE dialing, monthly cinema with woz, Taiwanese restaurant Formosa membership recharge, keep alive several debit accounts after annual fee charges, groupon showers, etc. I already had 2 local debtee with debt 1100rmb, and my web assets didn't fully renew, esp small cost but largely rewards, like amazon prime, localphone rental. I almost can't live without them. zhone's 12 domains under woz, my dearest son's title, also needs renewal which nearly costs $250. coming new year holiday also renders additional expense for dorm canteen then will out of service. I have to feed myself and treat my son in gatherings in the period. devil in dorm still pesters me, even more shamelessly and desperate. they frequently cut me offline when I enjoy passive listening or watching, ie. no my input on computer, trying to entangle me in cheap under espionage. they also deprive me off due caliber of web traffic capacity, results in badly lagging video and webpage loading loop at rate near 0 bps. they setup spare no effort to profane my solo and ruin my pleasure among cyberspace community but only reveal their ugly bloody mouth barking upon wrong tree. my dorm's window wall leaked, loose with many ashes broken down. I invited dorm director, a young tall and beautiful woman, to inspect if it turns dangerous. but she brought 2 technicians and they claimed well around. I still don't believe in. I want change to another dorm room well in shape and to evade the dark and poisonous souls sieged my current dorm, esp the spitting and cough pretending cow in facing neighbor. my current residential situation likely predefined before my move in, doomed to frustrate me and intimidate me into sad silence among criminal and sicken. they hated my brilliant website long enough. God, dad, bring me sooner my Royal China to vitalize my mission so far so joyful to discipline Chinese in new millennium for future gracious survival, for greater transformation of its people and culture sound and independent. bring my son and myself via airline to our hometown in 3rd journey out of anxiety. grant me independent finance to maintain our web investment and growth of presence online.

via Blogger http://ift.tt/2jvfsp3

[be21zh]

Jan 27, 2017

last night woke up earlier then dwelling in dreams. first dreamt in zoo with dearest son, woz. 2 cheap girls recklessly open cage of tiger and let it at large. we rushed to evade and scattered. when I returned near zoo and found tiger caught woz and indecisively tore his clothes. in terror I scream for zoo manager's help. when he in sight and running closer, I approached the tiger and woke up. I timely noted it on my mobile. then dreamt an OCR software's advertisement on media. I was more or less familiar with pirate warez once, so I'm sure I will get a copy of the tool. I felt glad with it I can turn some Chinese textbook and its tests digitally for woz's exercise. then all dreams about flying, with a delegation of school teachers likely in vacation tour. I can fly without any voyage, and use it to challenge barrage around me. this is a pale morning and eve of lunar new year. my returning train ticket still pending while brokerage already handed over. woz gained about ���2100 pocket money from his hometown relatives. I didn't send out any gift money, including my newly married nephew. but I told him my startup and hard economy and promised will help him in future when my situation better. yesterday is the turning day of our vacation here, half elapsed. we made nice demonstration to country guys about steam online games to larger LED, chromecast mirror screen, English online videos. our poor dell notebook almost broke down after heavily load of video gaming, in frequent freeze now. I sincerely best wishes to my relatives here, hoping someday I can improve their lives. they already saw satisfactions in the decade when most nephews built their families. God dad, bring me sooner my Royal China to my larger family, for my future offspring. bring me Asoh Yukiko for glory of regal affair. grant us financial freedom to support my online startup.

Jan 25, 2017

first dreamt inspecting a girl secretary of Communist Youth league. she later in charge of a business owned by CCYL, then the business turns in property of girl her own. then dreamt being an India school boy. he studied diligently and guessed or cheated to know exam's topic so scores highest. the topic likely about self-restrain, in Chinese in dream exactly "������������". his mom and sister celebrate his performance. his school dean who usually stern but now also welcomes him warmly. the boy gladly goes shopping with award, a check. this morning I woke up by the dream and made memo on my mobile. then I fell asleep again till my son got up. my elder sister asked us stay for celebrating lunar new year especially. my nephew came from my hometown village to invite our visit but I defied it for I felt vengeful against my brothers, esp my kid brother who made us harder when he had to aid me meanly. so I decisively evade him and his family, including the village, Zhudajiu where my 2 elder brothers didn't extend helping hand during my credit debt crisis last year. among the relatives and rich meal I abrupt left to my younger elder sister's house to blog. here my 2 nephews also hurry to downtown market. my dearest son, woz, aside me with his pc games. lunar new year holiday can be boring, for lunar harvest season doesn't exist nowadays. I just too far from any celebration in my family affair, nor regal affair. with additional ���300 in this salary from QRRS, I equipped my family amazon prime another year, but nowhere to find fund to renew another 12 zhone domains esp. under woz's title. God, dad, pl allow me finishing last todo annually in this month. let 2017 anxious free and firm business as seeds soiled. bring me sooner my Royal China to house my beloved, my children. bring Asoh Yukiko when we still breed. grant us financial independence and ability to see through adversity. thx dad.

Jan 21, 2017

dreamt siblings competition in economy. mafia tried to control state owned properties and bidding for merger. I was threatened not to bid but managed to, among my relatives influence. the flight toward hometown esp. smooth, all my unease evaporated after a night and a day's on way. its my first time brought a luggage and I had to ask stewardess where to fetch it back. my son grows more confident in the journey with flight. our neighbor seat was likely a graduate girl, we made nice chats. we only had ���500 budget for on road cost, and it did cover, including taxi to my sister's house in a town, our destiny. these days a nephew's wedding in preparing, for the bride's house too far, in neighbor province, so she will move to hotel in the county's capital in advance. tomorrow will be the wedding ceremony holds locally. our returning voyage still pending, for the train ticket too scarce to buy. we paid Ctrip.com to hunt for us, and it monitored more than 500000 times and still going. the town's business mostly cement, whose pollution quite severe. but today is second sunny day since our settlement and sunniest one so far. the 2 sons of my sister each has a car. their house newly furnished. I even already looking forward to return while my son still find funs here. all equipment we brought with us works well here, allowing woz to demonstrate online games with gamepads, mobile games chromecast to large LCD. hope he find friends here. God dad, we still have 12 domains to renew, pl grant us space to execute it. bring me sooner my Royal China to host our friends and relatives in glories. bring my Crowned Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, for my family and children. thx, dad.

Jan 12, 2017

dreamt of my once campus alumnus, in surname Shi. he was one of 2 schoolmates helped me when I first settled in Qiqihar thousand miles from my hometown after graduation. in dream his house near mountain and open. at first I thought its scenery. then I anxious about safety. Shi first denied problem then gradually admitted it. his only elder sister then joined conversation, reviewed gunned robberies, as well as wild mountain predators, together their brutality hurt their family and young memories in feeble. then I review our old house also just under and inward 2 mountains' junction and kept so well by my grand dad, warm, vivid and self-relies. in reality when I first settled in Qiqihar and visited Shi's house, his house is a small slum among shabby northern China normal residential area. toilet was near mile away and backyard least spacey. but after nearly 2 decades, many slums turned into skyscrapers here and I don't know where is Shi and his old family now. these weeks preparing hometown tour 3rd with woz, dearest son. I previously severe concerned if my credit debt deprives me of airline, but narrowly I got our flight ticket in a mid Monday night. my kid brother tried his best to sell poverty, claiming my sister can't afford our flights but under my emphasis promised ���5000 from my sister arrived in 2 times remission my failing kid brother loathed to complete. we got a flight toward hometown while return voyage is train whose ticket paid but still in hunting by ctrip.com, a Chinese mainstream travel agency, due to PRC cheap policy said to protect the poor while in fact lots of brokers profit from the scarce of train ticket out from saturated market. my alipay also once strangely locked me out of payment, till called its support crew to fix it. recently I mostly unease if my payment method totally freezed but so far attests I at large with my assets. nevertheless, with remaining Chinese Yuan, I equipped myself another domain, billingzhu.com for my future new family member perceives in holy message. soon after I gained it from godaddy.com it strangely deleted from my account. after spent near half day desperately resuming it, I had to call godaddy support but found unknown deletion likely beyond my intentionality. and PRC tightens law against personal domain ownership esp of overseas, restricting ISP within its sovereign from support. God, reckless dictator in sinking PRC desperate clinging to my portal online. where is the barked tree tall enough for voice of holy bliss, voice of hope in destructive nation like China under CCP seizure? bring me sooner my Royal China to extinguish sickened tyrant in PRC falling day by day in fear and hatred. bring me sooner my Crowned Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, and our happy journey to central China, our hometown, in gathering our relatives in lunar new year 2017. grant us free web and steady investment on our cyberspace startup. thx, dad God.

Dec 29, 2016

first dreamt Pony Ma, founder of tencent.com, lives our neighbor. when I leaving my house topless, he and his parents just returning home and caught astonished. I explained I was in active art performance after found myself fully naked. then dreamt among kids. I esp cared a little girl likely a Tibetan. then with my kid traveling in delegation of my once colleagues of QRRS cable TV station. my kid creative and rushes to package and seats for the bus when we leaving a mountain village, just like myself unsettled for tour coming. this week barely looking forward to new year end bonus from my once and long time employer, QRRS. last salary brought me ���3100, merely covered credit debt clearance monthly, 2000rmb. now I had several small bill to write off, inc tea subscription, treating neighbor kid for his lent us internet during our switching to fiber optic from PPPOE dialing, monthly cinema with woz, Taiwanese restaurant Formosa membership recharge, keep alive several debit accounts after annual fee charges, groupon showers, etc. I already had 2 local debtee with debt 1100rmb, and my web assets didn't fully renew, esp small cost but largely rewards, like amazon prime, localphone rental. I almost can't live without them. zhone's 12 domains under woz, my dearest son's title, also needs renewal which nearly costs $250. coming new year holiday also renders additional expense for dorm canteen then will out of service. I have to feed myself and treat my son in gatherings in the period. devil in dorm still pesters me, even more shamelessly and desperate. they frequently cut me offline when I enjoy passive listening or watching, ie. no my input on computer, trying to entangle me in cheap under espionage. they also deprive me off due caliber of web traffic capacity, results in badly lagging video and webpage loading loop at rate near 0 bps. they setup spare no effort to profane my solo and ruin my pleasure among cyberspace community but only reveal their ugly bloody mouth barking upon wrong tree. my dorm's window wall leaked, loose with many ashes broken down. I invited dorm director, a young tall and beautiful woman, to inspect if it turns dangerous. but she brought 2 technicians and they claimed well around. I still don't believe in. I want change to another dorm room well in shape and to evade the dark and poisonous souls sieged my current dorm, esp the spitting and cough pretending cow in facing neighbor. my current residential situation likely predefined before my move in, doomed to frustrate me and intimidate me into sad silence among criminal and sicken. they hated my brilliant website long enough. God, dad, bring me sooner my Royal China to vitalize my mission so far so joyful to discipline Chinese in new millennium for future gracious survival, for greater transformation of its people and culture sound and independent. bring my son and myself via airline to our hometown in 3rd journey out of anxiety. grant me independent finance to maintain our web investment and growth of presence online.