#they're rich they can afford a camera

[hater-era]

he's in someone's locket

[subterraneanna]

I've been scanning and restoring some pieces of original Star Trek: TOS film and wanted to share this before and after from a deleted scene in the episode "Elaan of Troyius":

At nearly 60 years old, the film is in bad shape, exhibiting substantial scratches and color shifting. The magenta/red tint is a good example of dye fading, a sign of deterioration likely due to the film stock it was shot on.

Prior to 1950, color motion picture film was shot in Technicolor, which required a large, cumbersome camera to simultaneously expose 3 separate strips of negative film that then underwent a proprietary dye imbibition process to create a full color image. Though visually stunning and remarkably color-stable, it was a complicated, expensive process reserved only for high budget productions. In 1950, Eastman Kodak introduced Eastmancolor, the first 35 mm “single-strip” color motion picture negative -- in short, a film that was easy to shoot and process, and compared to Technicolor, only used a 1/3 of the film stock. Suddenly color film was an affordable option for studios and its popularity took off. Eastmancolor was composed of a single strip of negative film surfaced with 3 layers of light-sensitive gelatin emulsion. During development, a chemical reaction produced magenta, yellow, and cyan dyes on their corresponding layers, which were superimposed to create a full color image. Unfortunately, these dyes were unstable, something that wasn't apparent until aging films began to lose their color in the following years.

The Star Trek image above is pink because its yellow and cyan dyes have faded away, leaving just the magenta layer. The information may be lost, but digital restoration can improve what's left. But because the yellow and cyan greatly contributed to the overall density of the image, basic color balancing still produces a lower contrast version compared to what the original must have looked like. The missing richness and depth seems most apparent in the skin tones, but hand painting some of the color can bring a little life back to it, as I've done here. It's a challenge because, as far as I can tell, the only remaining footage or still shots of this scene show some level of dye fading. Fortunately, now that the film is digitized, restoration can be an ongoing project. If you own any color motion picture film negatives or prints, the sooner you get them scanned the better. In the meantime, helpful storage information can be found here.

It's been a while since I've shot any film (film major), so it's nice to see it again, even if it's chopped up into single frames. I have a small collection of them so I'll post more restored images as they're completed. BTW @cheer-deforest-kelley has a great post on how this film went from the editing room floor to the hands of fans.

[foone]

Billionaires are so worried about us tracking their private jets, as if this isn't just a minor way to shame them for how much fuel they're burning. They act like The Haters are out here with a bunch of surface-to-air missiles ready to shoot their Gulfstream G650, callsign N628TS, currently parked at Hamad International Airport, in Doha, Qatar, out of the sky.

Which is ridiculous. Do you know how hard it is to get or build surface to air missiles? They're not exactly sold on Amazon, and even a basic heat-seeker guidance system is difficult to build because the thermal cameras used are very restricted in their civilian versions.

Not to mention the fact that it's the kind of attack that only works once, before every billionaire is scared off using their private jets. So you've got to be sure it'll work. Meaning you need to do a lot of testing. Rockets are expensive and difficult to reuse, so that costs a ton of money. Who can afford to launch a bunch of prototype surface to air missiles against drone planes? Not me, that's for sure. And unless you're planning to fight a full in war with these things, anyone with enough money to develop one is probably gonna get more bang for their buck by just hiring some assassins. I don't know how much it costs to have one rich guy shot, but I bet it's way less than what developing a DIY heat-seeker would cost.

But yeah. The real "danger" to ElMu and his like is that people will mock them online because it's publicly known that after talking about "staying at the Twitter HQ until the organization is fixed", he flew off to London and then Qatar. Maybe he'll be back for Monday? Either way, that's a lot of jet fuel.

[dpr-stay]

Super-Fan | MV33

Max Verstappen x Badminton Player!Reader

No Warnings except a few swears

WC: ~4.5k

Oh boy, i love writing unserious fics about fully grown men like they’re awkward teenagers! They're just funny fellas your honour! Also can you tell I like writing dialogue?

Didn't edit and the writing style changed like six times, sorry!

The life of a professional badminton player can be described as a war between two factors: bankruptcy and passion. Well, less passion and more talent, to be completely fair. It didn’t matter if you had passion if you didn’t have any talent. The reason for this being it was virtually impossible to make any money as a professional badminton player unless you won tournaments or were able to take on thousands of brand deals. 

Now, as a player with a considerable amount of talent but a huge lack of money, you had two options. You could either win more tournaments or take on thousands more brand deals. Of course, considering you were winning as many tournaments as you can, you had to choose the second option.

This meant you had taken brand deals with clothing brands, food delivery apps, animal shelters. In a time of desperation when you couldn’t even afford a coach you had even taken an opportunity to be an ambassador for a garbage collection agency, riding around on a garbage truck for a few days. 

All of these deals meant you were moderately well known by the general public but incredibly well known in the small world of professional badminton players. Not only because of your brand deals though, but also your incredibly quick rise to being first place in many professional tournaments, even earning an Olympic Gold Medal for your country. 

However, you still had to take on more brand deals. So, when your rich cousin came knocking on your door with a proposal to film a video for his F1 team about teaching him how to play badminton and you how to drive, you of course said yes. 

I mean, who the hell would say no to Mercedes? 

This is of course all build up to your current situation. Sitting in a badminton hall, which was full of people with cameras and various filming equipment, with your cousin sitting across from you in a chair. One of those fancy fold out chairs, you know, that should say director on the back.

You weren’t exactly sure how you were going to teach a professional driver how to be competent at playing badminton enough to where he’s good enough competition just as you weren’t actually sure how you were supposed to learn to drive in around an hour. 

But that was a problem for future you, you thought as the camera men gave thumbs-up and George turned to the camera, PR face on.

“Hello everybody. I’m sure you’re wondering who I’m joined by and the answer to that is the most recent gold medalist for women’s singles badminton! Otherwise known as my cousin.” Ignoring the slight tease, you held up two thumbs up and smiled, albeit awkwardly, at the camera.

“Today I am hopefully going to become a pro badminton player.” He said and then turned to you. You both made eye contact and he signaled by moving his eyes for you to say something. You turned to the camera and clapped your hands together.

“And I’ll hopefully learn to drive and get my license.” You finished with a closed mouthed smile.  

“Wait… you don’t have your license?” George asked and you turned back to him. Now aware of his shocked face, you slowly turned back to make eye-contact with the camera.

“No.” You slowly said. His large hand gently came into contact with your shoulder.

“You’re twenty five years old and you can’t drive?” He asked incredulously, you turning your head to now make eye contact with him.

“I’m a badminton player!” You tried to excuse, gesturing out with your hands and he shook his head, his mouth slightly open. His expression prompted you to try and explain.

“I can drive! Like I promise I can, I just don’t.” You tried to save, glancing between the camera and George.

“Yeah, because you don’t have a license!” He said, throwing his hands out, a grin threatening to spread across his face.

“I can leave. I can leave right now and cancel this whole thing.” You threatened, pointing down to the ground with what you hoped came across as power. George took a second to respond, steeling himself from laughing.

“How exactly would you leave?” He said, beginning to laugh. Your expression instantly changed into a stone cold one in response to his joke and you turned to the camera with a fed-up look on your face.

“Do you want a badminton lesson or not, you bastard?” You questioned him and he finally relented. 

“Fine, fine. Shall we start?” He said and you nodded. After the cameras cut you both were quickly praised for how well you get along and your entertainment value before quickly being ushered onto a badminton court and handed rackets. The director quickly counted down before the lights turned on and the camera started recording. 

George turned to you.

“We haven’t been given much direction so you’re just going to have to start teaching and hope it works out.” He smiled and you shot back a smile filled with as much joy as you were feeling.

“We haven’t been given any direction, so we’ll just get this out of the way. You know how to hold a racket, no?” You asked and George smiled guiltily.

“Maybe.” He shrugged, letting the racket drop from his grasp as he brought it up and clatter to the floor. You sighed and picked up the racket before giving it back to him.

“This is going to take a while.”

After roughly 45 minutes of the camera capturing you both making jokes and doing little Jim-from-the-office-esque cut away’s to look at the camera (and teaching George how to play badminton), George was ready to play a match.

You ducked under the net onto the other side of the court and held up the shuttle.

“I’ll take it easy on you, yeah? Can’t have you giving up the racket already.” 

“Nah, I’ll be able to take it.” He dismissed, showing a smirk and waving his hands around. You deadpanned him.

“I think we should at least do one practice match.” He blew out air from his mouth in a mocking gesture and scrunched up his face.

“Nope! Do your worst, I’m sure I'll be able to beat you.” You raised an eyebrow.

“Or at least get a few points.” You tilted your head in question. He narrowed his eyebrows and sighed before admitting.

“I want to teach you to be able to drive.” You ‘ahh-ed’ and nodded before raising the shuttle again and nodding at him. He nodded back and you dropped the shuttle and hit it as a singles serve. George quickly moved closer to the net before gently hitting it over to you.

You, bearing in mind that he told you to do your worst, advanced quickly in footwork you’d practiced for over twenty-two years to quickly smash it straight onto the floor within bounds. 

You made eye-contact with George through the net and saw him visibly gulp. You, then, turned to the camera and gave it a thumbs up before turning back and reaching under the net to scoop up the shuttle. 

“I feel as though I’ve made a mistake.” He said and you huffed out a laugh.

“You asked an olympic gold level athlete to beat you at their game, it’s not going to go in your favour.” You fixed him an incredulous look and he just accepted what you said with a raised hand.

The game continued on, George not doing any better and you only continuing to prove your prowess at your sport. The ways in which George lost became increasingly more difficult to watch as the game went on, staff behind the camera having to muffle their laughs into their sleeves as George flailed around trying to return your hits.

It was down to the last serve of the match (score 20:0) and you geared up to do a fancy serve, aiming to land it just in the boundary line in order to make George run over to get it. Just as you released the shuttle, the door to the entrance of the gym slammed open, making both of you turn your heads to look at the intruder.

Max Verstappen was standing, still in shock, as he took in the sight of the Mercedes camera crew with many cameras pointed his way and the two players in front of him. He blinked as though coming out of a daze before awkwardly laughing.

“You alright mate?” George asked, focused on the guy in the doorway. While he was distracted you quickly tried to scoop up the shuttle, hoping George wouldn’t notice. “Oh yeah I’m fine.” The guy responded, his Dutch accent shining through in his words.

“I was just looking for Y/N.” You snapped your head to face him, ignoring George’s incredibly questioning look.

“Uhh yeah? Is something wrong?” You asked and the man bashfully (you read that right) turned to you. He seemed almost hesitant to speak.

“Can I talk to you after you’re done?” He asked, looking at your forehead to avoid looking at your eyes. 

“Sure?” You said, questioning why the stranger who was also a world champion wanted to talk to you, and why he approached in the way a teenage boy approaches his crush.

He nodded and entered the gym, the door slamming behind him. He lumbered over behind the camera crew, holding some sort of bag and then just stood there and George made eye contact with you. You shrugged at the question in his eyes and the director cleared her throat, causing you both to look at her.

“We’ll start the take again, yes?” She asked and you nodded as did George before he paused.

“Wait, didn’t it fall to the ground?” All movement on the set stopped. You chuckled, albeit nervously.

“No, what are you talking about?” You asked, prepared to start gaslighting, a disbelieving expression on your face.

“I could’ve sworn you let go of it before… that happened.” He said, vaguely gesturing to the door, a grin beginning to spread on his face. You exhaled air and widened your eyes.

“Mate, I think we need to get your memory checked because I didn’t even let go of it.” You said, shrugging and George quickly glanced over to the staff.

“I’m not hallucinating this, no?” None of them replied. He frowned before saying. “We’re colleagues, you guys should have more allegiance to me than to my cousin.” He pleaded as you coughed whispering “Badminton Gold Medallist” very obviously into your fist.

He turned to fix you a glare.

“I am not hallucinating this. I think you’re lying.” You shrugged at his words, smirking.

“I don’t think so. I genuinely think you were hallucinating.” You said as you shook your head, staring at him in pity. He sighed before saying,

“How would your mum feel if she knew you were lying to me like this?” Oh he brought out the big guns.

“Ok, you’re right, I was lying. Please do not tell my mum.” You quickly admitted, holding up your hands and bowing your head. He started laughing as you quickly looked to the camera.

“My mother did not raise a liar.” 

“You just lied.”

You snapped your head back to him.

“Irrelevant.” You pointed a finger in his direction and he started smirking, causing you to groan.

“Does this mean I get a point?” You groaned again and George started laughing as did the staff and camera crew. There was one loud laugh and, as you glanced in the direction of the camera crew, you realized it came from the intruder. What a weird turn of events. You had no idea why he was there or why he wanted to speak to you.

After his brief stint of feeling superior, George quickly served the shuttle in a way you could only describe as dramatic, only to hit it too short so that you got the point and you won the game. You shook his hand under the net, sarcastically thanking him for a fair game.

“Hey, I got that point fair and square.” He said, eyes wide and pointing at you.

“Sure you did, buddy.” You said and patted him on the back. He laughed and the camera crew cut the cameras. The driving part of the video wasn’t scheduled for another hour and it only took 20 minutes to get there and get set up, so the director called for a 30 minute break.

After this was announced George gestured at you to walk to Max Verstappen rather vehemently, so you did, cautiously approaching the man. As you approached he looked up from where he was focused on his phone, quickly turning it off and standing up to shake your hand.

“Hi.” He said, sounding almost breathless as he grasped your hand and shook it almost violently.

“Hi?” You responded, thoroughly confused but letting him continue his assault on your hand.

“I’m Max Verstappen.” He introduced, his eyes shining as he looked at you. You nodded, a small, disbelieving smile growing on your lips.

“Yes, I know who you are.” You replied and he inhaled air audibly.

“You do?” He asked, leaning a bit closer.

“You’re a bit hard to avoid.” You said before carefully tacking on “Not that I go out of my way to avoid you.”

“I’m kind of surprised you know who I am to be honest.” He said and you almost laughed at his humbleness. After a few seconds of him continuing to hold your hand he seemed to come to himself and let go of your hand. He cleared his throat before continuing.

“I don’t know if you know, but I’m a huge fan of yours.” You had not known that and wouldn’t have been able to guess that in a million years. But it definitely explained a few things

“Oh really? That’s cool, I’m flattered.” You smiled, realizing his incredibly odd behavior was him being star-struck. 

“Uhh thanks.” He said before taking a deep breath.

“We started our professional careers around the same time, I don’t know if you know.” He started. “I know your parents always wanted you to be a badminton player, like how my dad always wanted me to be a driver, so I kinda connected to you on that.” You were surprised the man had so much to say, knowing of his usual reservedness or, in George’s words, ‘passive-aggressive-ness’. 

“And then, when we started at the same time, I thought it was cool how we both kinda matched each other at how well we did in our sports. Like when I won the championship, you won gold. Yeah. I just thought it was cool.” After that huge speech he went back to looking at his feet.

“So you’ve been a fan for a while?” You prompted, finding his outburst cute. He looked up again to continue speaking.

“Yeah, I actually watched your Olympic final before the Hungarian GP, like before I had to get in the car!” He said happily and you paused for a second, a confused expression taking over your face.

“Didn’t you crash in that race?” You asked, a slight hesitation in your voice. Max frantically shook his head, laughing awkwardly.

“Uh no. Someone did crash into me though.” He said, emphasizing the ‘into’ as if trying to make sure you knew that he wasn’t a bad driver. You definitely knew though, the many texts you’d received over the years from George about the older man making sure that if you knew one thing about Max Verstappen, it was that he was a damn good driver.

You both descended into awkward silence as you sucked in air through your teeth and rocked back and forth on your feet. He wasn’t helping, after his correction he’d taken to clearing his throat and scratching the back of his neck. You opened your mouth to speak before closing it, having nothing to say except that this might’ve been one of the most awkward situations you’d gotten yourself into.

“I was wondering if you could sign some merch?” He quickly blurted out, snapping your eyes from the roof to his face. You could only nod as he took off his bag and opened it, revealing probably the biggest stash of your merch you had ever seen. You let out a quiet ‘wow’ as he started pulling stuff out and putting it on the chair he was previously sitting on, choosing not to comment on the way he flushed at your words.

His collection was expansive, there was team shirts from your first team, caps with your name on them, your country’s badminton jersey from the olympics with your name on it, a few banners, a badminton bag part of a collection you’d modeled for, and even more merch from all your brand deals. Did you know that you had a special edition of a garbage bag from that garbage company series or a pair of socks from a luxury sock brand? No, but Max definitely did.

He wouldn’t look at you as you took in the scale of all the items. He was probably single handedly paying your rent with the amount of stuff he had bought. You could only look on in awe at the magnitude. You kinda felt bad, you only had a cap with his name on it from a lame attempt to tease George at Secret Santa that backfired when the cap was launched at you and nearly knocked your teeth out.

“It’s not all, if you were wondering.” He said as he quietly stepped back from the pile and you turned to him, an heavily incredulous look on your face. You took note of George in the background of your vision, playing suspiciously on his phone, almost looking as if he was recording.

“Wow, you really are a fan.” Was the only thing you could manage to say as you stared at the array, stuff falling off the chair and onto the floor. You took a deep breath before slapping your thighs as you crouched down, grabbing one of the hats. You turned to look at Max.

“You got a pen?” You asked and he hastily retrieved one from his pocket and handed it to you. You chose not to address the way his hand lingered as it touched yours barely as he handed you the pen.

You signed the hat before reaching deeper into the pile, grabbing a shirt and signing it too. The cycle continued for a few items before you must have grabbed something that upset the pile and you were suddenly buried in your own merch. It’s always those closest to us we can’t trust.

The darkness encapsulated you and you tried to shake off the large mass, but your attempts proved unfruitful. After a few seconds you just resigned yourself to being buried in assorted items with your name plastered on it. I mean, when did you sponsor a lamp company and why was there a lamp with your badminton racket holding the lightbulb? How the hell did Max fit that in his bag?

After 30 seconds you saw light again, Max’s mortified face staring down at your splayed out form. His head was encapsulated by the stadium-grade lights and it was almost as if an angel was looking down at you from the heavens. 

You tried to haul an arm up to hopefully pull yourself out, but you couldn’t move your arm. It was pinned down by a… was that a BearBrick version of you? You really have got to pay attention to the contracts you sign. Max eventually got the memo by the shifting plastic (?) and pulled the bear off of you, leaving you to sit yourself up rapidly with a gasp, like a swimmer getting their first breath after nearly drowning. 

It took you a second to regain your senses, but when you eventually came back to normal you could hear three things. The silence that was permeating from the film crew who could only stare in barely-concealed horror, George’s raucous laughter as he struggled to hold his phone properly to capture you both, and Max’s rushed apologies, repeatedly muttering how sorry he was as he took your hand and hauled you so you were standing. 

You took a second for your iron to stop fucking with you before you patted Max on the shoulder, him letting go of your hand in response and you leaned over to put your hands on your thighs, hanging your head forward before lifting it to see the catastrophe of your merchandise all over the floor.

Max hadn’t stopped apologising and you feared he might combust if you didn’t address it soon. You turned to him, taking in the way he was glaring at the floor and hadn’t stopped fidgeting with his hands, and you sighed. That only seemed to make him shrink in on himself, still apologising before you took his hand and almost dragged him across the hall, out towards the door he had entered the hall through.

There was a small paved walkway outside the hall, the pathway separated from the tin walls of the hall and the road beside the hall by two nice patches of greenery. There was a railing on the outside of the pathway and you leant back against it as you let go of Max’s hand and surveyed his form.

For a world champion, a man who should walk around full of pride, he really presented himself as quite small. Maybe that was just because of the circumstances, but he should be more confident in himself, you couldn’t help but think to yourself.

The way George had described him in his ranting sessions contrasted heavily as to how he was acting in front of you, all shy like. You wondered where the ballsy man who pushed people off track and didn’t really care went. If you were a two time world champion you’d walk around bragging about it everywhere you went.

‘Hey pretty lady, you want to go out? I’m a two time F1 world champion and I can make all your dreams come true!’ To be fair, that probably wouldn’t work on any self-respecting woman, but hey! There’s a lot of women in the world, Max could definitely pull at least one of them.

How did you get here? Your mind was just wondering about, you guessed. The man was attractive, so it did make sense you’d be thinking along these lines, but normally you have a three hour grace period where you decide if a man is a creep before thinking along the lines of if you want to… respectfully ponder his relationship status. 

Max, unfortunately and probably against his wishes, had kinda come off as a bit of a creep, though you knew that if you told him that he would probably shrink in on himself like before and disappear. However, you still found yourself thinking about him like that. Maybe you found it cute, the way he was such a fan? Maybe you were just really flattered that such a famous person liked you so much? Maybe you just found his mannerisms really cute? 

You didn’t know. 

At this point it had been a minute or so of you both quietly standing there, Max having finally stopped apologising as you took his hand. You breathed out and Max’s eyes snapped to you.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t know that would happen, I wouldn’t have brought everything if I’d have known. I shouldn’t have brought everything, it was too much. This is our first time meeting, this was probably so weird. I didn’t mean to weird you out, I’m sorry. I probably just embarrassed you in front of all of those people, you didn’t deserve that.” The unspoken ‘I just embarrassed myself in front of you’ was heard loudly in your head, as you stared dumbly at the man who had just poured out all of his worries in front of you. 

He went silent again, leaving you with time to process all he had said. While yes, it was definitely a bit much for a first meeting, why did you find it sort of sweet? And, to be quite honest, you didn’t really care about embarrassing yourself in front of the crew. As despondent as it sounds, you’d done worse for less. You decided to tell him as such.

“Nah, you’re fine.” You said and he looked at you again. 

“To be honest, I just pulled you out because I didn’t want you to be embarrassed.” He opened his mouth to speak but closed it at your words. A pause.

“I’m still really sorry about this whole thing, I shouldn’t have stopped by.” He said quietly.

“How would I have known that two time world champion Max Verstappen was my biggest fan then?” You teased and he shook his head, a small smile appearing on his face.

“It was cute honestly.” You said, and his head jolted up to make eye contact, shock plastered all over his face.

“It’s kinda sweet to know someone so respected has such respect for me.” You said quietly, looking to the floor, a smile spread across your face.

“Uhh yeah, I definitely have a lot of respect for you.” He said, clearing his throat. You then looked up at him, like really looked at him. You took a moment to decide something before continuing to speak.

“Would you like to go for dinner at some point?” You asked and Max looked as if he had been shot for a second before jolting out of it. 

“Pardon?” He asked and you winced. Alright, message received. You just awkwardly waved it off.

“Oh nothing, just something stupid.” “No please, what did you say?” A tone of desperation took over his voice and he grasped your hand. You looked at his eyes, genuineness shining through then. Ok, one more shot.

“Would you like to go for dinner?” You asked and he immediately started nodding his head violently. 

“Yes, I’d love to! Can I have your number so we can talk about it?” He asked, and reached into his pocket to grab his phone before coming back empty-handed. He groaned, realising his phone was still in the badminton hall and you laughed.

“Of course, you probably need your phone though.” Max looked over to you as though to say something sarcastic but stopped as he saw your smile. You pretended not to notice and went to open the badminton hall door. 

“Are you ready to go back in?” You asked and he groaned.

“We’re going to have to pack it all up and face Russell.” He said, resignedly, and you laughed.

“Sounds like a good prelude to a dinner.” And he smiled, looking back at you. 

“It does."

You did eventually learn how to drive, by the way. It just wasn’t from George teaching you.

get the title now (i don't know how to embed spotify links so this is what you get, sorry) also probably my worst work but oh well

[puntastic-artist]

Howdy! I saw your tnmn pirate au and was wondering how the world is structured. How did these people from different walks (er swims?) of life end up in the same place on or near the boat?

OH SHIT Y'ALL ARE EATING GOOD TONIGHT BECAUSE I HAVE SO MUCH LORE FOR THIS AU

SO FUCKLE UP BECAUSE BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT

Right so lets begin with the setting and when and where everything takes place.

The AU is set in 1755, kings and queens rule many lands and was the golden age of pirates. The crew comes from multiple different backgrounds, poor, middle class, upper class, you name it!

Mermaids, Sirens (the doppelgangers in this AU), and Harpies aren't believed to be real, as the sailors who have seen them could provide no evidence. Cameras are a HUGE LUXURY item that none of them could even afford so not a single soul was believed. However some folks believed in these stories but have inevitably mixed them all up as time goes by (it's why nobody can agree on if Sirens are mermaids or bird people or just a type of mischievous creature of the seas), and as of the AUs present date nobody has gotten a sighting of any of these creatures.

Mermaids and Harpies only go to sailors, usually to mess with them a bit because a majority of the time they're just there to have fun. Sirens however? Their only goal is to satisfy their everlasting hunger by either; shape shifting into crew members so they can board, or luring them into dangerous waters and crash their ships against jagged rocks. Not many have survived sirens, as days if not months of being alone with nothing but rations and sea water will kinda fuck you up a bit mentally and physically, and to catch one you have to identify if they are or are not your crewmate.

Their shape shifting capabilities has ALSO added to the mix up of sirens, harpies, and mermaids and who is who. Sirens will eat mermaids to gain their power to sing hypnotic melodies, and eat Harpies for their ability to fly and their ability to create storms.

Mermaids and Harpies both have the capability to take on human forms! However this ability will usually mean they don't have the ability to sing or create storms. Sometimes if they're lucky they'll have both! But that's a rarity.

But back to sirens, due to the many sailors and pirates who see them, pirates and sailors have begun implementating and assigning an important role to certain members of the crew! The D.D.D or rather the S.D.S (Siren Detection specialist) is a person (typically a look out, medic, or first mate) who is made to run check ups and examinations on crew members to make sure no Sirens have snuck on board... Yeah uh these guys die. A lot.

Character lore!!!!

Right so lets get on to the lore for each of the (currently drawn) crew members!

Angus and Izaack

Angus grew up in the lower parts of the unnamed city they once lived in, while Izaack grew up in the upperclass as his father was a nobleman. Still the two did everything together growing up. To try and earn Angus some extra cash when he went out to swindle money out of unsuspecting upperclassmen, Izaack would take some "cheap" jewelry nobody would miss and give it to Angus to sell!

This tactic could no longer work as well when they became adults though because Izaack's parents would lose their money gradually. So because Angus was on the verge of living on the streets and his buddy was slowly losing funds, he came up with an idea, the two of them could take a ship, go on an exploration around the world to find hidden treasures, and return home and live the rest of their lives with new found wealth! So they snuck on a Navy ship and set sail. Should be no problem right? No. Angus and Izaack stole it in the middle of the day and now their whole town thinks Angus kidnapped the nobleman's son and there's now a bounty on his head. They're (somehow) making it work though! Angus is the captain and Izaack is the first mate!

The twins

Selenne and Elenois are actually insanely powerful and rich women! However they have tricked the local land population into believing they're humans, as they are a mermaid and harpy respectfully! They get their insane riches from stealing from other pirate ships or from shipwrecks and trade the valuables they find! They have made an alliance with Angus and his crew because they help each other out! Both twins live on land and have Margrette sew their outfits for them (she's their only staff member who is aware they are not human)

Nacha, Francis, and Anastacha

Nacha came from a middle class family who wanted her to marry a wealthy man and live lavishly, while Nacha wanted to explore the world, find true love, and be free from her overbearing family.

Francis is a mermaid who came from an under sea kingdom which... He's not very interested in going back to if he's completely honest. His kingdom was full of festivals, parties, and celebrations galore, Francis just wanted quiet.

The two met one fateful night and fell in love, they dated for a bit, Francis pulled a little Mermaid, and Nacha married him! However because Nacha married a low class man, who doesn't even fucking wear shoes, she got disowned. But to them, it didn't matter. They had Anastacha and were happy!

Slowly though they fell out of love and ended their marriage and relationship on very friendly and sweet terms.

Now Nacha and Anastacha live in a small cottage while Francis visits whenever he can and supports his daughter!

However Nacha and Anastacha were kicked out of the family will years ago. Nacha was struggling to make an income, Francis was trying to support in any way he could, and Anastacha felt completely powerless to do anything. So when Anastacha found Angus' boat hiding as they began to stock up on supplies she took the opportunity to set sail and return to her mother with riches beyond their comprehension, becoming a stowaway.

When Nacha noticed her daughter was gone she and Francis searched for her until they saw her on the pirate ship as it set sail and raced to rescue her.

Now all 3 family members, to their shock, are the new (and before Mia and Afton, only) members of the Cipprianni crew!

Mia and Afton

Their story is very simple! They're a simple, lovey dovey, newly wedded couple looking for adventure and excitement! As they want to spend the best years of their lives together in the most entertaining and adventurous way yet, joining a pirate crew! They promise to aid the crew in their endeavors for as long as they need, after all they have the entire ocean and skies to explore together, so why not get started?

IMPORTANT!

So really quick just because I wanna make it clear: there's no canon ships in this AU!!! Other than the previously established relationship of Nacha and Francis ofc, nothing is canon, if you wanna draw Francis with Angus or Izaack with your oc, I don't mind! Go for it! Have fun! Just because I draw a shit ton of DairyWheel doesn't mean you can't still draw your favorite ship.

Thank you for getting to the end of all this btw!!! It means a lot!!!

Can't wait to make more stuff for this AU!!!

ALSO!!!

Keep proshipping or anything of the like AWAY from my AU. I want none of it.

[eloise-t-g]

long post ahead. i wanted to respond to some of the things i've seen people saying about the watcher situation. i honestly just needed to get some of this stuff off my chest lmao.

"sorry, the bridge has been burnt and i can no longer support watcher" - valid.

"i'm happy with this compromise and will continue to watch their content" - valid.

"oh so they apologise, change nothing, and now people are happy to give them money?" - things have changed. they compromised and completely changed their plan for the new website. did you not watch the update video? they're also issuing refunds to anyone who wants one.

"i bet people who over-reacted feel real stupid now!" - some people over-reacted, but a lot of people had valid criticisms and concerns. they shouldn't feel stupid if they expressed it in a non-abusive way.

"yay, we successfully bullied them into changing their minds!" - you're ... you're proud that you bullied someone? this isn't fucking elon musk or jeff bezos. these guys aren't multibillionaires exploiting their employees. these are three youtubers who want to pay themselves and their employees a living wage, while making content they're proud of, and they made a simple fucking mistake. stop throwing around the term 'eat the rich' as though it applies here.

"the apology video is clearly PR!" - yes, watcher is a business. this is how a business responds to situations like this. they had abuse hurled at them for 48 hours straight, they shouldn't feel bad for wanting to make sure everything said in the video was 100% agreed upon and analysed beforehand.

"steven was clearly the one behind this, he should be fired or step down!" - was he? do you know that for a fact? cause from what i saw, all three of them got in front of the camera and made the announcement video together. i agree that he should step down as CEO, but only because they clearly need someone who has actual business experience leading them (if you remember, ryan and shane stepped down a while ago because they didn't want to deal with that side of the company anymore - in the same video, they thanked steven for being the sole reason watcher was still going).

"they shouldn't have been silent the whole weekend" - maybe so, but it's clear they went into lockdown/crisis mode. also, businesses aren't open on weekends. i think it's fair that they waited until monday and took their time with it. maybe they should have tweeted something like "we're sorry and we're working on an explanation", but that just would have given people another place to attack them.

"you're all being parasocial" - i've seen this used against both people who are supporting/giving the team the benefit of the doubt, and people who are against everything. a lot of people (myself included) have used this experience to realise they were developing/had developed a parasocial relationship with these men. this is a good thing - it allows us to recognise these things and make changes within ourselves.

i think generally people are more parasocial towards youtubers than celebrities in films and tv shows. YT feels like there is a barrier removed between the creators and us; it makes us feel like we know these people in a way that we don't know actors who are always playing different roles. YT makes it easier to believe we're seeing the real people, when we really don't know them at all.

"why should i pay someone who owns a tesla?" - you don't have to. also, steven has been working consistently for years. it doesn't surprise me that he has enough savings for an expensive car. people are allowed to own things that you and i can't afford.

"they're embarrassed to be youtubers" - might be true, who knows. but for me it feels more like they want to be taken seriously as filmmakers/television producers, and don't feel like they can do that on YT.

"there's clearly money mismanagement going on" - i think this is likely. i personally don't know what it's like to run a business like this, which is why i've been watching videos from other youtubers who do. since they're saying they don't know where the funds are going, i'm inclined to believe watcher's budget is way off what it should be.

"why didn't they initially say they were having money troubles and might close doors?" - i can see both sides of this. i believe they should have recognised that their audience would have been more receptive to this kind of honesty. however, if you're asking people to give you money, while also saying the venture might not work out, it doesn't engender a great deal of trust. why should i pay for a 12 month sub if it's possible watcher will fold in 6? who will be around to issue me a refund then?

"we were happy with blue and yellow text on a screen!" - valid, but it's clear that they weren't. they clearly want to push themselves further creatively. on the other hand, it definitely feels like they got impatient and wanted that future creation to start now, when they don't have the funds for it. they shouldn't have tried to force their loyal audience to pay for content the audience didn't ask for.

"i don't want to fund steven, andrew, and adam flying around the world eating expensive food." - very valid. i wonder how different things would have been if this 'Worth It' revival had come around 6 months earlier. it still would have been tone deaf in a global living crisis, but i don't think people would have been this upset. what i don't understand is them doing this show if they genuinely couldn't afford it, which is the implication i got from them announcing it just before announcing the paywall.

"why don't they move their office out of LA?" - that would be incredibly expensive, especially for a company that is struggling financially. they would have to uproot their entire lives, and would probably lose a great number of their staff who don't want to/can't move. they would have to completely start over, which is something i imagine they're desperately trying to avoid.

i think the cancel culture that has grown in popularity over the internet over the last few years has led people to believe that:

they can say whatever they want online with no consequences.

people aren't allowed to make a single mistake, and should understand that when they do, it's okay to for others to spew hate and awfulness towards them.

part of me doesn't even know why i made this post, i think i just got sick of seeing the same complaints and questions lmao.

[uncuteartist]

The strike subplot in Ocean's Thirteen is so fucking good.

They send one of the crew down to a dice factory in Mexico to fuck with the plastic composition so they can get rigged dice on the floor of the casino they're wrecking. The dude, despite being there for the sole purpose of fucking with the dice production and then leaving (which should take like a day or two), gets so fed up with being underpaid in poor working conditions that he says this is bullshit and gives a whole speech and inspires his fellow workers to strike. Which is EXTREMELY UNHELPFUL to the heist he's technically there to help facilitate.

So the rest of the crew calls down and is like hey what the fuck we need those dice what's going on and he's like "Sorry can't talk right now, these wages are bullshit, the workers deserve more than this, and we're fighting the cops now bye"

So they end up sending his brother down to talk sense into him and stop the strike so the heist can continue.

Then a while later they call the brother and is like "Hey haven't heard from you what's the status on the dice" and he's like "oh yeah the dice will get done, we're just having a little problem with management" and camera pans out and you find that HE ALSO has joined the strike and has in fact ESCALATED it to throwing molotov cocktails at the cops.

And they're like well what's it going to take end this strike? And he's like "Well the workers are demanding a wage increase, so it's going to take 35 thousand dollars." and they're like "For 200 employees? That's 7 millon dollars! We can't afford that!" and he's like "no it's 35 thousand total." and all these dudes who rob rich assholes for a living just sit there stunned because these workers were risking their lives for a measly increase of $3.37 a week in take home pay and just immediately write them a check.

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

A Scooby Re-Write Inspired by Me and My Brother talking

After reblogging that, I got reminded of a discussion my brother and I had over Scooby-Doo. Basically we were talking about how Velma, while not the worst idea, is failing HARD at delivering anything. There's plenty of people on YouTube explaining WHY the show isn't doing well, so I won't bore you. Instead I'll talk about what me and my brother discussed.

First thought: Watch this Video. It's a good talk and honestly was the basis for our thoughts.

Most of this is mine with some thoughts of my brother.

First, I'd have them be college kids. Shaggy is the eldest at 21, and Velma is the baby at 18. Note as well: this follows my Canadian understanding of college and university.

Shaggy is a rich kid whose parents shoved him into all sorts of programs, and he killed it in theater club and culinary classes. Scooby is his dog he rescued at fourteen from an abusive relative. His parents actually helped to. His parents weren't neglectful, and fully support his dreams. They just really wanted him to find a hobby that wasn't eating. They're rich but also kinda hippies who own their own farm where they get fresh food, have chickens and also humanely butcher their animals. Shaggy is only vegetarian when he doesn't have access to meat he knows is ethically sourced. He believes in protecting the planet and might, a few times after catching eco-villains, buy the land they we were worried about to protect. He also is personally rich after creating a snack he calls 'Scooby Snacks' that are healthy and delicious.

Daphne is also a rich kid who knows Shaggy in the 'our parents do business together so we sat at dinners with each other'. Her parents also shoved her into programs a lot, but her interest ended up being fashion and judo. Like Shaggy, her parents aren't neglectful. They're just very busy and wanted her in programs to limit her alone time. Daphne and Shaggy are kind of friend. They get along, and when they see each other in class sit next to each other. But Daphne isn't that interest in spending time with him outside of class, mostly because she's busy with her designs and judo classes. And her boyfriend, Fred.

Fred isn't a rich kid. I like how his dad was mayor in Mystery Incorporated, and I like his trap obsession, so I want to keep that. His mom is a former socialite who became a social worker and is always busy like his dad. He ended up hanging out with his uncle, who is a stunts and props expert for movies. Traps came from this, and so Fred developed an obsession with it. Fred is a good kid, and he owns the mystery van that he painted like it is on a dare. He liked it though! He and Daphne went to the same school cause his mom used some of her money to pay for a private school.

Velma is a genius kid who graduated at age 15. She's in her third year, and striving to go into criminology. Her parents are the type who PUSH and PUSH to have her work harder and harder on school. They imagine her as a famous doctor who will make millions and have them in a life of luxury. She in turn has been working towards her criminology degree and when she turned 18, moved out and now lives in the dorms, where she is Daphne's roommate.

Daphne and Velma ended up close when Velma's parents tried to force their way into the dorm. Daphne prevented this, and they became very good friends. Daphne is in fashion studies, but takes a couple of justice courses for fun. Mostly due to Fred who has an interest thanks to learning his mother was disowned for blowing the whistle on her cousin's criminal life. Fred wants to go into movie making but takes the other stuff for fun.

Shaggy is kind of the odd man out, here. But it doesn't last. One summer, a really good university for future criminology students offers a scholarship for someone who can have a video where the student talks about famous crimes. Bonus if you actually go to these places.

Velma really wants this, but isn't sure if she can afford it. Daphne suggests going with her, and Fred can work the camera/drive. But they honestly don't have enough money. Daphne's parents firmly believe in their daughter making her own way. They pay for school, send her 500 every two weeks for food/gas, but do NOT pay for extra stuff. This, while nice, isn't something they would pay for.

Shaggy comes in. He's bored and overhears them as he's at Daphne's dorm for a group project they have in their costuming class as he's taking theater and culinary classes out of mostly boredom. He offers to pay cause 'I don't have anything to do over the summer and my extended family will be around cause of *reasons* and I hate them'.

So they all go off for Velma! And then of course, they start to find various supernatural crimes going on. Velma is secretly a ghost junkie, so is Fred. They have time, and go off to see it. And that is how them busting crimes start.

They go through about ten crimes, and there is some joking about how 'what the fuck, why is there so many people doing this shit' before they meet a REAL witch who has been terrifying people away from an area due to another witch trying to murder people. They team up to stop the evil witch, and in thanks, the witch casts a spell to give each of them a true desire.

Fred gets a book about ALL traps in the world that is self updating. Daphne gets a suitcase that has the perfect outfit for any occasion. Velma gets a book all about the supernatural that also updates or tells them things they need to know. Shaggy? Shaggy truly wants his dog to live as long as he does. And Scooby? He wants to talk.

After this, they keep going and end up finding real supernatrual mixed in with regular. Daphne begins posting it online, the police know of them...

And at the end of the summer, Velma gets her scholarship. But also is allowed to do her classes online thanks to a wish granted by a grateful genie. They keep going, all over the world, happy as can be.

Notes:

-Velma is a lesbian and ends up with a new love interest every few episodes who keeps being the villain. She's teased for having crushes on felons.

-Scooby turns out to be a fae dog who stays with them.

-Shaggy I feel has a long distance girlfriend who ends up appearing once in a while and is brought up each episode so she is a major character but not around cause she is busy like... discovering the cure for cancer.

-Fred and Daphne get married in Vegas.

-While mostly episodic, there is a few long arching plots (IE: The scholarship and then later probably something like an apocolypse)

-Shaggy and Scooby are both still cowards but Shaggy will also punch a ghost for his friends and Scooby will run back to save them.

-Shaggy ends up getting magic.

-One gets bitten by a werewolf that that's a sub plot for like ten episodes or a season looking for a cure. Either they get cured or stay like it cause why not.

[wormsforrabbitsif]

DEMO COMNG IN AN UNDISCLOSED TIME :D

The file slides across the table, the contents of which are for an upcoming mission you and your partner are being sent on. The look on your superior lets on how dangerous this will be. You've only ever been on small missions, not known enough in Nova H.Q. for you to be trusted fully. You understand, they can't afford a snitch getting in.

Opening the file shows 2 photos. The first is of the infamous 'Black Hole Casino', its golden walls and bright lights give it away. The casino is built on a spaceship that follows a very specific route, it moves in an infinity symbol going around Earth and Mars, for what reason is unknown. Both planets lack the population you would assume the casino would need to thrive.

You share a look with your partner as they hand you the other photo, It shows the captain of the ship and owner of the casino, Arthur Rogers shaking hands with a man whose face is hidden from the security camera this photo was taken from. Your eyes scanned the photo, looking for the importance it holds. A small gasp left your lips at the sight of the symbol on the mysterious man's hand.

Your eyes dart back up to your superior who offers a nod in confirmation. This mission may be bigger than you can chew, but you've worked hard in this organization for an opportunity like this, you will complete it even if it costs you your life. You just hope it doesn't come to that.

-+18 (strong language, alludes to sexual behavior, smoking and alcohol use, guns, think of the godfather but aim so much lower) -Play as male, female, or nonbinary, LGBT options available

-Play as a Spy and go undercover to help take down a casino or go against your organization to help the casino. Romance your foes or allies while finding the deep secrets this ship holds. -Find out more about the world around you and how each planet not only gained its own civilization but became independent from Earth. -More will be added to this section the more the game gets fleshed out, things may change or disappear

-Captain Arthur Rogers: The man you were hired to kill, he tends to try and flirt his way out of messy situations but is not afraid to simply 'get rid of' anything that gets in the way. (Earth-Born) He's tall with dirty blond hair with dark red eyes, he tends to wear sunglasses to hide the color.

-Donnah/Daniel Fortingale: You may be fooling the casino but you couldn't fool one person. D is prone to blackmail, they like to be condescending and they enjoy trying to get on the Spy's nerves. (Jupiter-Born) They have short pink hair with eyes to match, their appearance is just shy of human.

-Mary/Martin Dunnam: Your Superior, they rule the H.Q. with an iron fist, they expect nothing but perfection from any mission you or your equals are sent on, this one no different. They are a harsh critic but is known to crack a smile when activity is low. (Saturn-Born) They have long red hair with tired green eyes, their age is unknown but you feel the H.Q. might have added a few more.

-Jenny/Jeremy Gardener: Is just here to gamble and play the machines, they're very nosy and gets the sense something sinister is going on in the casino but it's none of their business...unless you wanna talk about it? They are extremely rich and will rub it in, they want to get with Spy and is willingly to pay for any expenses they might have. (Earth-Born) straight blond(e) hair (almost white) with honey eyes.

-Janet Monroe: A dealer at the casino, she runs multiple of the tables and runs the majority of the machines. She's easy going but isn't afraid to call out a cheater, she retells the story of her throwing out a motorcycle gang after one too many chips disappeared. She's witty and seems to have a soft spot for the Spy, she is the embodiment of luck. (Earth-Born) she has medium brown hair with dark brown eyes.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Affluence and Videos

It wasn't too long ago that making home movies was something more of an affluent hobby. A video camera *used to* cost a pretty penny. There's still some older people that can't get over the idea you can make videos with a 50$ camera phone or a 20$ web cam.

With inflation, that's what 5 - 20$ *used to* look like. A camcorder would start at 1000$ and if it kept up with inflation trends, it would look like 3-5k$.

Even gaming consoles and gaming laptops aren't that much anymore. And they're so much more powerful.

So when older folk see all these teens making Tik toks, they don't see *poor kids* they are entitled *rich kids*.

And if you don't even have enough money to be able to make Tik Toks, you're not only removed from the global conversation, you don't have enough for a smartphone from 10 or even 20 years ago.

Technology has improved so much and so quickly over the past 5 decades that there's a lot of people that are disconnected from what the baseline is.

The only thing that kept up with inflation in *that* regard is gasoline. But people can't afford a new car.

It's cheaper to get new tech than fill your tanks with gas. And some people cannot afford either.

[narratingvoice]

Have you ever sat down and thought about how David Cage is allowed to like. Write games. Like they’re not even good but he keeps getting the money to write them. What kind of story would you make if you had that kind of budget?

David Cage?? You come into my inbox and you talk to me about David Cage???? Well at least you have the correct opinion. You are being very generous to call his writing "not even good". It is drivel of the highest order; pretentious and self-absorbed, practically turning to the camera and shouting "Look at me, I'm an auteur!" It's as though he's terribly interested in being perceived as a purveyor of enlightened wisdom about the human condition, but without actually doing the hard work of having anything meaningful to say. Thus we get ham-fisted racism allegories written by someone who's never experienced any sort of discrimination in his life. You get serious emotional choices distilled down into mindless quick time events that give you no room to contemplate the implications of your decision before making it. I don't even think he likes games at all, and is under the impression that he is making Oscar bait movies that happen to include some button presses. Honestly, what kind of person is that desperate for attention?

To answer your first question, yes, I think about it all the time. You know Heavy Rain won a BAFTA for its story? The game that lets you do this, undercutting the gravity of the situation entirely? What a farce! In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret: seeing the way that game unfolded was a major impetus for me to finish the first draft of the Parable. That is because I played half of it and thought, surely I can write better than this. I find spite to be a powerful motivator, and I simply could not let my own genius go unpublished when this melodramatic nonsense was out there getting accolades.

And yet Cage keeps going! They're giving this man a Star Wars game? One of the most famous and beloved franchises of the century?! And I have to sit here and remake my first game because it's all I can afford to do on an indie budget. If I had a AAA studio at my beck and call you can bet things would be different around here. My story wouldn't be set in an office building, no no no, it would be a far more expansive setting, taking the player on a mystical journey through a mysterious ruined world. But not like in an open world way, heavens no. Like in a way where I am your tour guide showing you the rich worldbuilding I have concocted, and presenting players with the opportunity to meaningfully affect the fate of the entire planet. If they make the correct choices, that is. :) And I'd have ray tracing and a full orchestral soundtrack. And I'd have tons of NPCs and I'd hire the finest actors of our generation to play them: Dev Patel as the deposed king; Lupita Nyongo as the hardened general sending her troops to war; Tim Allen as a sinister wizard. You will fall in love with every character and have your heartstrings pulled when you are forced to- oops! Spoilers!

Oh, and if I was making a Star Wars game I'd want to take the franchise in new and bold directions. Instead of rehashing the same old Jedi vs Sith conflict, my story would focus on the plight of the droids. I think they're treated terribly throughout the series and they should probably go on some kind of uprising to get revenge on the mortals who treat them like tools. People like robot vs human stories, right? Ah, but this is all a pipe dream. In truth, I'm happy here in the little piece of art that I made. It is not exactly what I wanted it to be when I wrote it, but it is mine to be proud of.

[damien-devil-art]

Check and Duke episode 2 script part 1

(Check and Duke are at their house.) Onion lady: Come on check and Duke, we are going to the grocery store. Johnny Smith, you'll be watching the house. check: make sure to Home Alone the house Johnny Smith. Johnny Smith: My family could never afford to watch Home Alone. I grew up homeless with company. Duke: Oh, that's kind of sad. check: Anyway, onion lady, are we taking the onion mobile? Onion lady: no unfortunately Johnny Smith ate the onion mobile last night. check: Johnny smith! Johnny Smith: eerrmmm Whoopsie Daisy *throws up* I think I ate too much onion. Duke: Okay, let's get out of here before my allergic reaction starts acting up again. (It shows check, Duke and onion lady walking to the store.) Duke: Oh my God, it's so hot out. check: Yeah, it's like we're in a desert. onion lady: You do have a point. My onions are starting to cook. It's so hot out. But don't worry, we are almost there. Check: Duke, can't you turn into a water type Pokémon to cool us off? Duke: Do you want to get sued by Pokémon? Check nooo… Duke: That's what I thought. Check: I just thought they wouldn't really know. What are they Santa claus? Besides, my soda is going to run out soon, and then what will I drink? (Check is carrying a dim desert soda. They walk by a billboard for Home Alone that glitches into homeless with company. Eventually, they finally get to the grocerystore.) Check: we finally made it. We're here! Duke: And look at Home Depot! (Check and Duke's faces light up.) Onion lady: Why are you two sillies so happy? it's just a Home Depot. Check: Do I need to play The Home Depot song for you!? Onion lady: You mean the jingle? Duke: No, the Home Depot song is 5 minutes long. Onion lady: Duke sweetie, I feel like that's just a marketing tactic. Duke: Gasp how dare you say that about Home Depot they would never market to us. Check: or sponsor us. Onion lady: they wouldn't just sponsor a random family, honey. Check: but we have powers! Shouldn't that make us rich and famous or whatever!? like that creepy bald guy Jeffrey based toe. Duke: his toes are so based. Onion lady: Well, I need to go shopping for onions. So you two can go explore Home Depot. Both of them: Yay! (They're walking to Home Depot when, all of a sudden, checks soda glitches into intense Northern fizzy water. Check takes a sip of it.) *Spits it out* ew what the heck!? Duke: What? Check: My dim desert soda #not-sponsored is all of a sudden this weird intense Northern fizzy water. Fizzy water shouldn't even be intense! Duke: check you don't have to say not sponsored. I know we aren't sponsored. Onion lady just established that we wouldn't be sponsored because we're just two kids. Check: Yeah, but I'm saying it for them. you know the ones. Duke: Oh those ones. (they look into the camera.) Duke: Whatever, let's just go into Home Depot and drink paint instead.

[techgropse0]

Unleashing the Power: The Benefits of Converting Your Website to an App

A good web presence is crucial for organizations to succeed in the modern digital era. Mobile apps are becoming an essential tool for connecting with and engaging with clients due to the growing usage of smartphones and tablets. A mobile app can uncover a multitude of benefits, even though a website is still unquestionably necessary.

The figures are self-explanatory. 88% of time spent on mobile devices is spent on applications. Apps account for 70% of all digital media consumption, and this year alone, mobile app revenue is predicted to reach over $935 billion.

Thankfully, creating an app has never been simpler. You can rapidly and affordably turn your website into your own app with the aid of an app builder or website to app converter.

In this article, we'll explore the advantages of converting your website into an app and why it could be a game-changer for your business

1. Enhanced User Experience

Mobile apps offer a more seamless and immersive user experience compared to websites. Apps can leverage the native features of mobile devices such as GPS, camera, and push notifications to provide users with personalized and interactive experiences. By converting your website into an app, you can optimize the user interface for touch interactions, resulting in smoother navigation and increased user engagement.

2. Improved Performance and Speed

Native mobile apps are built specifically for mobile platforms, which allows them to offer better performance and faster loading times compared to mobile websites. By converting your website into an app, you can eliminate the need for web browsers, thus reducing latency and improving overall responsiveness. This enhanced performance can lead to higher user satisfaction and retention rates.

3. Access to Device Features

One of the key advantages of mobile apps is their ability to access and integrate with various device features. By converting your website into an app, you can leverage features such as camera, microphone, accelerometer, and gyroscope to create innovative and feature-rich experiences for your users. For example, a fitness website can utilize the accelerometer and GPS to track users' workouts and provide personalized recommendations.

4. Offline Functionality

Unlike websites that require a constant internet connection, many mobile apps offer offline functionality, allowing users to access content and perform certain tasks even when they're offline. By converting your website into an app, you can enable offline capabilities such as caching content, storing data locally, and synchronizing updates when the device reconnects to the internet. This can be especially beneficial for users with limited connectivity or those who frequently travel.

5. Increased Brand Visibility and Recognition

Having your own mobile app can significantly increase your brand's visibility and recognition. Mobile apps are prominently displayed on users' devices, serving as a constant reminder of your brand and offerings. Additionally, app icons can be customized with your logo and branding elements, further reinforcing your brand identity. By converting your website into an app, you can strengthen your brand presence and stand out in a crowded marketplace.

6. Enhanced Marketing Opportunities

Mobile apps open up new avenues for marketing and customer engagement. With features such as push notifications, in-app messaging, and location-based targeting, you can effectively communicate with your users and deliver targeted promotions, discounts, and updates. By converting your website into an app, you can leverage these marketing tools to drive user engagement, increase sales, and foster customer loyalty.

7. Monetization Options

Mobile apps offer various monetization options that are not available to websites. From in-app purchases and subscriptions to advertising and sponsorship opportunities, there are numerous ways to generate revenue from your app. By converting your website into an app, you can explore these monetization avenues and create new streams of income for your business.

8. Competitive Advantage

In today's competitive business landscape, staying ahead of the curve is essential for success. By converting your website into an app, you can differentiate your brand from competitors and offer a unique value proposition to your customers. Mobile apps are still relatively less common than websites, especially in certain industries, so having your own app can give you a significant competitive advantage.

Conclusion

Converting your website into a mobile app can unlock a world of opportunities for your business. From enhanced user experience and improved performance to increased brand visibility and monetization options, the benefits are plentiful. Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, investing in a mobile app can be a strategic move that pays off in the long run.

So why wait? Take the plunge and unleash the power of mobile today!

[italwayshadtobeyou]

I'm going to go with 7, because, while it has several episodes that suck, it also has realistic surveillance concerns, a capable adversary, and a coherent main plot. As someone who spent the middle third of season 5 grinding my teeth at the smart things Zachariah didn't do, it's a relief to see Dick Roman actually doing those things: He installs moles at credit-card companies; he publicizes the kind of car the boys drive; Frank even thinks he has access to the camera feeds for "[any motel] that even looks like it can afford security. He even takes the step of creating more Dick Romans to populate SucraCorp headquarters, just in case the brothers manage to get eyes on it.

Then there's Meg, a lesser villain but still a charismatic one. Even if I don't buy the whole "Lucifer loyalist" storyline, it doesn't change the story much, because there are a billion other reasons for her anti-Crowley agenda. She's funny, she has a great voice, and she's one of the few female characters who gets to be as direct and pragmatic as the males. (I do, however, miss Meg 1.0's sensible pixie cut and low heels-- dressed for sleeping in floors, skipping showers, and, if telekinesis doesn't prove enough, kicking ass. I realize that any version of Meg can rip her hair out by the roots if she needs to escape an opponent, and wouldn't even twitch at a broken spike heel... but my point is more that Meg originally didn't care about performing femininity, not when it didn't help her with her job.) She gets so many zingers. Replying to Castiel's line about "thorny beauty": "We've been through this already, I don't like poetry. Put up or shut up." On Castiel's chances of defeating a gang of demons: "I believe in the little treetopper." In response to Sam and Dean worrying about whether or not they're pursued for kidnapping: "Not if we shut up about it."

Lastly, I'd have to mention something that I think season 7 does better than any other, except maybe season 3-- and certainly better than any post-Gamble season. Here, the Winchesters' parents were still nobodies in the human world, their upbringing would elicit more pity than anything else, and all their status symbols, even their public identities, are fake. By the season's midpoint, they've lost the Impala and Bobby, too. Basically, they have nothing, except for themselves, one another, and whatever beliefs they cling to... which itself is limited by Sam's psychosis. What we see is raw, atavistic urges toward love and revenge, all philosophy filtered through their bizarre experiences. No matter how many patriotic action flicks Dean watches, they're essentially out of phase with modern, American, human society.

Which I find interesting, because there's a long list of people(s) who've inhabited liminal social spaces, whom I find fascinating: Brigand kings, women warriors, Victorian demimondaines, pious pirates, and celebrity highwaymen. So it's probably not a surprise that I think the best settings for our world-saving heroes involve driving crappy cars, squatting in utility-free basements, and stealing from rich and poor alike. It's particularly interesting to me, personally, but I also think that it's more believable than land that hasn't been seized in over 60 years, permanent neighbors who never recognize them, and a fraudulent credit card that never fails.

im so curious. also tell me why

least favourite

[technothinksupsolutions]

“Embracing Versatility with Hybrid App Development”

In the fast-paced world of mobile technology, businesses are constantly seeking ways to reach users across multiple platforms efficiently and cost-effectively. Hybrid app development emerges as a compelling solution, offering the flexibility of cross-platform compatibility without compromising on performance or user experience. At Technothinksup Solutions, we specialize in hybrid app development, harnessing the power of web technologies to create versatile and engaging mobile experiences. Let's delve into the realm of hybrid app development and explore how it can revolutionize your approach to mobile app creation.

Understanding Hybrid App Development:

Hybrid app development involves creating applications that combine elements of both native and web technologies, allowing them to run seamlessly on multiple platforms, including Android and iOS. These apps are built using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, wrapped in a native container for distribution through app stores. Hybrid apps offer advantages such as cost-effectiveness, faster time-to-market, and cross-platform compatibility, making them an attractive choice for businesses seeking to reach a broader audience with minimal development effort.

Key Elements of Hybrid App Development:

Single Codebase: Hybrid apps share a single codebase across multiple platforms, eliminating the need to develop and maintain separate codebases for Android and iOS. Whether it's UI components, business logic, or data management, hybrid app development enables developers to write code once and deploy it across platforms, saving time and resources in the development process.

Cross-Platform Compatibility: Hybrid apps leverage web technologies to achieve cross-platform compatibility, allowing them to run on both Android and iOS devices with minimal modifications. Whether it's smartphones, tablets, or desktops, hybrid app development ensures a consistent user experience across devices and screen sizes, maximizing reach and accessibility for users.

Native Features Integration: Hybrid apps seamlessly integrate with device features and functionalities, including cameras, GPS, sensors, and notifications, to provide users with rich and immersive experiences. Whether it's accessing hardware sensors, utilizing location services, or sending push notifications, hybrid app development enables businesses to leverage the full capabilities of mobile devices to create compelling user experiences.

Offline Functionality: Hybrid apps can support offline functionality through technologies such as service workers and local storage, allowing users to access content and perform actions even when they're not connected to the internet. Whether it's caching data, preloading content, or storing user inputs, hybrid app development ensures that users can continue using the app seamlessly, regardless of their connectivity status.

Cost-Efficiency: Hybrid app development offers cost advantages over native app development, as it requires less time, effort, and resources to develop and maintain a single codebase for multiple platforms. Whether it's development costs, maintenance costs, or time-to-market, hybrid app development enables businesses to achieve their mobile app objectives more efficiently and affordably, maximizing return on investment (ROI).

Applications of Hybrid App Development:

Business Apps: Hybrid apps support various business needs and functions, including communication, collaboration, project management, and more. Whether it's employee portals, productivity tools, or customer relationship management (CRM) systems, hybrid app development empowers businesses to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and drive growth across departments and functions.

E-Commerce Apps: Hybrid apps facilitate online shopping experiences, enabling businesses to reach and engage customers effectively across devices and platforms. Whether it's product catalogs, shopping carts, or payment gateways, hybrid app development provides businesses with the tools they need to create seamless and secure e-commerce experiences that drive conversions and sales.

Content Delivery Apps: Hybrid apps deliver content-rich experiences, including news, media, entertainment, and education, to users worldwide. Whether it's news aggregators, streaming platforms, or educational apps, hybrid app development enables businesses to distribute content efficiently and engage audiences with immersive and interactive experiences that captivate and inform.

Utility Apps: Hybrid apps provide utility and convenience to users through various tools and services, including weather forecasts, travel guides, and health trackers. Whether it's weather apps, travel planners, or fitness trackers, hybrid app development empowers businesses to create practical and functional solutions that enhance users' daily lives and routines.

Social Networking Apps: Hybrid apps foster connections and interactions among users through social networking platforms, including messaging, networking, and sharing. Whether it's messaging apps, social media platforms, or professional networks, hybrid app development enables businesses to facilitate communication, collaboration, and community-building among users, driving engagement and loyalty.

At Technothinksup Solutions, we specialize in hybrid app development, offering end-to-end solutions tailored to the unique needs and objectives of businesses across industries. Whether you're looking to reach a broader audience, optimize development costs, or accelerate time-to-market, we have the expertise and experience to bring your hybrid app vision to life.

Contact us today at +91 9689672626 or email us at info@technothinksupinc.com to discuss your hybrid app development requirements. Let's collaborate to create a customized mobile solution that maximizes reach, efficiency, and user engagement for your business.

[swimfun-nz]

See the Underwater World Clearly with Prescription Diving Masks in New Zealand

Exploring the captivating underwater world in New Zealand is an experience like no other. Whether you're snorkeling in the pristine waters of the Bay of Islands or diving into the spectacular Fiordland fiords, a clear and uninterrupted view is essential for a memorable aquatic adventure. SwimFun New Zealand offers a range of high-quality prescription diving masks designed to provide an affordable and practical solution for swimmers and divers who require corrective lenses.

The Benefits of Prescription Diving Masks

SwimFun New Zealand understands the importance of seeing clearly while snorkeling or scuba diving. Our prescription diving masks come with several advantages that make them a smart choice for your aquatic activities:

Economic Vision Correction: If you require prescription lenses to see clearly, you don't have to wear contact lenses or struggle with poor vision while in the water. Our prescription diving masks offer an economical way to enjoy the beauty of the underwater world with a clear view.

A Wide Range of Diopters: We offer a variety of corrective lenses, catering to both nearsighted and farsighted individuals. Our range covers diopters ranging from -1.5 to -10.0 for myopia and +1.0 to +4.5 for farsightedness.

Durable Tempered Glass: Our masks are equipped with tempered glass lenses that are resistant to scratches, ensuring that your prescription diving mask will serve you well over time. They're designed to withstand the rigors of regular snorkeling and diving.

Prescription Masks with Camera Compatibility: For those who enjoy capturing their underwater experiences, our GoPro masks are ideal. They provide a convenient way to attach your camera, allowing you to document your underwater adventures with ease.

Ordering Your Prescription Diving Mask

At SwimFun New Zealand, we've made it simple for you to order your prescription diving mask:

Select the option "Prescription" or "Different" when making your purchase.

Leave your prescription details in the Notes area during checkout.

Additionally, we offer support for different diopters for your right and left eyes. You can follow the same process to provide these details during your purchase. Our goal is to ensure that you receive a prescription diving mask that matches your needs and provides you with clear vision underwater.

Discover the Wonders of New Zealand's Waters with SwimFun New Zealand

As a New Zealand-based company, we are committed to offering high-quality prescription swimming goggles and prescription diving masks at budget-friendly prices. We are dedicated to enhancing your underwater experiences, ensuring that you can enjoy the rich marine life and stunning underwater landscapes in New Zealand with clarity and comfort.

Experience the Beauty of New Zealand's Waters with SwimFun

Take the plunge with a prescription diving mask from SwimFun New Zealand and explore the underwater treasures of New Zealand with crystal-clear vision. Dive in with SwimFun New Zealand!