#how to compare two excel files

[vindicated-truth]

Theories for the upcoming Beyond Evil (괴물) Japanese Remake, Kaibutsu (怪物)

Basing my thoughts on previous Japanese media that I've watched. I'm writing this down to see how much of it will be proven correct (or wrong) when I get back to this after Kaibutsu airs.

One thing the Japanese are very good at is the psychological aspect of their stories. They mess with you mentally, creeping under your skin until you can't shake off the disturbing feeling.

I don't think they'll change anything significant from the Korean original when it comes to the plot, because it's so solidly and meticulously written. However, because Kaibutsu will only have 10 episodes compared to Beyond Evil's 16 episodes, I do think that they will trim down the story into the essential plot.

For one thing, based on the trailer released so far, compared to Beyond Evil's Manyang police substation, Kaibutsu's Hatano station seems to be down one cop. The confirmed characters of Hatano police station so far are:

Moridaira Saburo (Nam Sangbae)

Togashi Hiroyuki (Lee Dongsik)

Yashiro Masato (Han Joowon)

*Endo Yu (Oh Jihoon)

*Kasuya (Cho Gilgu) *exact names yet to be confirmed

This means that it's likely that it's Hwang Gwangyoung's character who's axed in the Japanese version, because Cho Gilgu's character is more essential to the plot.

If Kaibutsu is indeed going to be a more condensed, more tightly written version of Beyond Evil's original story, the axing of Gwangyoung's character already tells me two things:

There will be less red herrings involved, as one of Gwangyoung's purpose as a character is to be a red herring suspect.

There will also be less comedic relief, as Gwangyoung is also written almost like a foil to the seriousness of the other characters.

Whether or not this will be to the benefit or detriment of the story remains to be seen, but it does mean that if not in the core plot, Kaibutsu might differ in the execution.

And here's my theory about how they might achieve that:

Condensing the story means they can't afford to waste too much time with red herrings. How they will still execute the mystery / thriller aspect of it might be through a red herring point of view: through Masato's POV.

Beyond Evil's execution gives the audience a little "cheat" when it comes to the POV: we are already given a glimpse since the very beginning of how good of a person Dongsik is, especially with most of the Manyang gang vouching for him. Because we as the audience are already conditioned to think of Dongsik this way, we are also conditioned to question Joowon, the outsider who knows nothing of Dongsik except what is recorded in his file: a serial killer, suspected of killing his own twin sister.

What I theorize Kaibutsu might do is to portray Hiroyuki through Masato's eyes, in which this time, the audience (especially those watching for the very first time) gets to see Hiroyuki the way Masato sees him, without the cheat of knowing from the start whether or not Hiroyuki is actually a good person.

Whereas in Beyond Evil, the audience is conditioned to think of Joowon as crazy to ever suspect Dongsik, perhaps in Kaibutsu, the red herring will be conditioning the audience to think that Masato is insane to not suspect someone like Hiroyuki.

The precise execution of that plot twist—if my theory will be proven correct—is of prime interest to me, because knowing Japanese shows they actually do excel at this kind of mind games.

And what I'm actually looking forward to as well is that perhaps this kind of execution finally allows the audience to see Joowon / Masato not as the "asshole" that the Manyang POV painted him as, but as the righteous and somewhat reckless cop who is actually insane enough to infiltrate a suspected serial killer's hometown.

That maybe, just maybe, this kind of execution will allow the audience to empathize more with Masato, understanding more why he (and Joowon) made those choices because he doesn't have the "audience cheat code" of knowing Hiroyuki (and Dongsik) is in truth a good person.

[batboopp]

Can you rec me some batgirl comics that are as good as the og Batgirl run by Scott/Puckett?☹️ I've been giving Cass new solo a shot but the writing is pretty disappointing compared to 2000s Cass imo. I feel like she still carries a lot of baggage from shitty misogynistic retcons and bad writing that happened around the 2010s. for example her very complicated relationship with David was one of my favorite parts of her story, and I hate how he's been demoted to one dimensional villain who doesn't even love Cass.

hello!! <3 amazing question but the most heartbreaking thing you’ll realize as a cass fan is that there really isn’t any better batgirl solo stories than Puckett’s Batgirl 2000. however some cass comics before 2010 i DO recommend are:

Batgirl Secret Files and Origins (2002) 💖

DC’s First: Batgirl/Joker (2002). THIS COMIC IS SO SHDJSJ. Barbara’s and Cass’s dynamic and relationship KILLS me, plus the artstyle is the classic ethereal grittiness that Cass so well captures!

Harley Quinn (2000) issue 10-11. not exactly cass centered but there are some cute moments that I think really contribute to her character-wise, such as her family relations and her idea of what batgirl should stand for!

Nightwing Volume 2 (2003) issue 81. Again, not exactly cass centered, but still a good story that builds on her relationship with Dick, which is always and ingesting point of discussion! However i do think if you want context for why Dick had his arm broken/shot you need to read the previous 3 or so issues. also Cass gets to beat the fuck out of Deathstroke again in Batgirl 2000 issue #63-64 :)

Robin Volume 4 (2005) issues 132 and 135 is also a good Cass story (placed right after Stephanie’s death) which i THINK was continued in Batgirl 2000 issue 57 or 58 under the story title Fresh Blood? idk but i think it’s really interesting reading Cass from others people’s perspectives!

Batman: Allies Secrets and Origin (2005) This took place post War Games after Stephanie’s death and i REALLY didn’t want to recommend anything War Games but i do think it’s interesting how Cass and Tim interact and mourn Stephanie.

—————————————————————- I also enjoy her arcs in No Man’s Land, like:

Batman issue #567 (Mark of Cain part 1)

Detective Comics issue #735 (Mark of Cain part 2)

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #120 (where Helena stops being Batgirl and the mantle is given to Cass.)

Batman issue #569 (CASS BATGIRL FIRST SOLO <33)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat issues #56-57 and #60-61!! (They are SUCH a good duo, definitely recommend!)

Batman: Gotham Knights (2000) issue 2 (just, beautiful all around in Batman and Batgirl’s budding relationship and understanding of each other.)

The Batman Chronicles issue #18 (which takes place maybe 5-6 months after Cass’s solo? idk I’ll have to check again. but anyways this issue is SO good oh my god Leslie and Bruce’s relationship PLUS Cass’s thoughts on the whole of Leslie’s non-violent nature were excellent focal points.)

—————————————————————-

and finally, some REALLY good Cass stories after 2012 are:

Shadow of the Batgirl (2020) part one and part two. It’s a graphic novel created with pastels and a soft artstyle (so not an average cass story) but it still manages to portray a young cass-and all the angst that comes with that- in an amazing and heartfelt manner! There are some inconsistencies writing-wise (especially because im pretty sure the novel is supposed to be taken as an elseworld), but it’s still a good and cozy read, and the writer obviously loved Cass with her whole soul <3

Batman Urban Legends (2021) issue #7 “Hunter…or Hunted?”. SOO PRETTY AND THE ART/FIGHT SEQUENCES ARE FANTASTIC! and some cute bruce and cass interactions <3

—————————————————————-

i should also say that obviously in reactions to your very correct statement that Cass is a constant victim of fandom typical misogyny, these are not perfect. Cass IS a girl, and is aware that she is or presents as one even if she didn’t feel in touch with her femininity for the first ~20 or so years of her life, which is usually held against her in many ways throughout some of these comic arcs. however, I do think the exploration of Cass’s idea of femininity and girl-hood (or person-hood in general really, when she starts accepting the idea that she still counts as an actual person even when she’s not wearing the cowl.) is a fantastic point of exploration, which was so beautifully done in Batgirl 2000 (another reason why you’re super correct, im pretty sure nothing will compare to Puckett’s Batgirl run!)

I also recommend checking out this Cass Cain Reading list for more misc appearances before and after the 2012 rebirth!! have fun and sorry this took me so long to answer <3

[kalims]

Oh my goddess, orders are open! Ahem, ANYWAYS— I wonder if I could have an Idia with a fem or gn s/o who is introverted and generally closed-faced, being a sweetheart and even shy with him, pretty please?

• Remember to drink water and take care of yourself correctly, kisses <3

– Mel 🌙🩵✨

dress,

premise.

idia forever thought his cause of death would be the permanent termination of his end game account—which in theory, is now proven wrong at the existence of a brand new thing that just might obliterate his heart.

note. thank you mel <3 you too. i, for one will gladly accept kisses from u and idia (he's downbad here LOL)

idia is having a strangely, familiar sensation.

for example—the fact that his heart is palpitating so fast is making him afraid that he'll get the same sense of doom he frequently gets whenever this happens. like when he's the one that the professor chooses to answer a question up front. just his luck cause it absolutely sucks in real life just as much as his chances of winning that rare character.

but no, there isn't an impending sense of doom that sends him to the edge. no cold sweat forming on the skin of his neck, nor does it protrude from his clammy hands. it's weird, he feels warm rather than the cold it usually accompanies.

he needs to visit a doctor.

he gulps thickly. sending a lightning fast glance at your direction then averting it even faster. oh my god, your hand just brushed against his.. was it intentional? no, no—it mustn't be. you wouldn't waste your time doing that.

but you might even look more tenser than he is.

despite the attempt at flushing down the tightness in his throat, his words still break off into a croaky stammer that just sends his face into a grimace because, did he sound like that? "I'm.. I'm really sorry, you didn't have to do this," he says, looking away with those eyes that just screams a mixture of 'I hate it all.' and 'I'm so scared.'

his eyes in comparison to yours, dull significantly in terms of greatness. cause as rare as it is for your eyes to meet, he'll always marvel at the lush hue your eyes are colored with—and god, your lashes. so pretty, so, so pretty.

he sulks. he doesn't deserve this.

"it's alright," you answer in response, voice quiet but it's the only thing he ever hears despite the myriad of people quite nearly squishing the both of you. the crowd is large, and noisy. so he isn't sure why he's suddenly the greatest listener when you speak. "I'm glad you thought of... inviting me along, I know you're quite passionate about it."

passionate is not a strong enough word, it could be an incorrect word to use even. he supposes it's just a nice feeling to excel—be good at something.

but with how hot his heart is probably burning, maybe passionate really is the right word.

for you that is.

most likely idia's ideal type of player two <3 someone he can keep up with, not too fast and certainly not too slow. but either way, he’s probably having a heart attack at whatever you do. literally just sleeping? his heart… playing with him? please match avatars at once or he will combust. (and yes, he is hinting even though you already match everywhere else. had a house in a game, got married in a game.)

don’t even pull out the fact he buys you the currency to match and you feel bad cause he thinks it’s too cute. you need to stop or else he will buy you more.

speaking of more in game terms, he surprisingly garners a lot of attention online maybe because he’s endgame in every single account he’s made and many people like money so… there are many attempts at ‘rizzing’ him up but in the end he’s provoking them to screenshot it and report them as online daters.

^ says THE online dater.

still reports people if they flirt with you, but compared to his. not only is it a file for online dating he somehow dug up the dirt, the monstrous things they did like… 3 years ago and now they’re gonna get suspended. It’s concerning since he was talking with you animatedly during it and he somehow also exposed them all in 10 minutes.

did the see you again trend in secrecy cause he would rather leap down a hole to hell than let people see it. In any case… if it isn’t obvious he’s the lala, you the okok.

deluded himself, is convinced that he’s actually the nonchalant, ‘cool’ one but all he is, is a literal puddle. is still solid when standing but will be putty in your hands in SECONDS.

idia is secretly really proud of himself whilst being like: how did i even pull them. cause when he looks at your face when you’re talking to other people. he’s actually kind of scared cause it’s a really wondrous thing you never once looked at him like that… (please save his mind too. he’s trying to convince himself that you must be like this, soft person he knows to other people too and not just him because that’s just crazy right haha.. hahahaha…)

the type to tell you to stand back during raids, challenges, boss fights, etc…  that all you need to do is be there, and that he’ll solo it for you and you can claim your rewards even though he gave you the rarest, strongest equipment in respective games which won’t be much use at this point cause he insists he do it for you, and sulks all day if you don’t let him.

stay at home couple >>>

will order every single thing you crave during those times he’s too shy to consider date nights, and you too so it’s like an unspoken thing. he honestly plays better when you’re inside his room, even if it’s just laying on his messy bed scrolling on your phone or munching on something.

it’s just complete, comfortable silence.

except for the time one of you accidentally makes an indirect flirty comment and now the room could be considered a sauna from the literal steam only two people emitted. 

really, really, really, REALLY, likes it when your head is on his shoulder.

“─ean.. no one really asked for it, the nerf was completely unnecessary and─” the words poured out of his mouth, something uncontrollable that he couldn’t stop. there is something about you that just kicks down the layer of anxiety on him. comfortable might be the right word, even if you don’t talk that much (which is surprising cause he ends up being the talkative one and you always assure him that you like to listen.) somehow the thought: am i too annoying? doesn’t really pop up like usual.

in fact, he’s excited to ramble all about it. excited to hear your thoughtful hums, excited to see your attentive eyes on him since the first word he’s said─but it isn’t. because he looks up and you’re blinking haphazardly, thrice in a second and before he panics to shut his mouth he feels the soft slump of your head against the curve of his shoulder.

oh my god, oh my god, oh my g─

if idia had half of his mind he would scream instinctively at the weight he isn’t really accustomed to feel. actually, even if he did have his entire brain connected, and his thoughts coherent he still would. but he bites the inside of his cheek cause despite the chaos that just erupted in his mind which is somehow simultaneously blank, and swirling.

and he remembers midst his confusion that you are,

asleep.

you’re asleep on his shoulder

you’re asleep.

asleep on his shoulder.

on. his. shoulder.

he resorts to the screech in his head.

his shoulder─is so terribly stiff right now to the point where he thinks that sleeping on a hard, wooden surface would be surely more comfortable rather than where your head lays. he makes an effort to relax his muscles, tell himself that it’s only you and that there’s nothing wrong but there is something wrong because it’s you! idia dares to sneak a peek at you and your closed lids only confirm your unconscious state.

and careful with each nudge his movement makes sends to your head. idia can’t resist the hands that creep up his face and bury it, to hope all the embarrassment and whatever he’s feeling right now absorbs it right out of his face because god. he knows he looks like he just ate 10 bowls of lilia’s cooking.

he would scream, he really would. a second thought but you’re on his shoulder!

you, who rarely touches him too much.

on him.

him, who gets too flustered to be touched by you.

so he feels pretty obligated to just suck it up cause he’s enjoying the moment even if you aren’t conscious right now and he sure as hell is going to, for as long as he can.

idia releases a deep sigh, long and wistful because he’s gonna die before you even wake up.

[whats-another-song-contest]

For many years there has been intense discussion on the role and legitimacy of the jury vs the televote in the Eurovision Grand Final. The problem is that many of the arguments I see made are based on nothing but people's gut feeling and snap judgements from watching the show. And humans are notoriously terrible at intuiting statistics.

That's why I wanted to provide some actual data to give context to the more eye-catching examples people tend to use, and hopefully encourage some critical thought. I spent the afternoon updating my eurovision excel file with data from the 2024 and 2025 Grand Finals, and can now present these graphs of jury results plotted against the televote. As far as eurovision statistics go, this is one of the simplest charts you could make, and should hopefully be as simple to understand.

Terms: I use the term televote to refer to the entire public vote - this includes all votes from calls, texts, websites etc.

The axes: These show percentages out of the total number of jury or televote points awarded overall in a given show. Using this measure instead of the actual point scores ensures that results from different years are comparable, despite the fact that the number of Grand Final entries and overall points to be distributed between them varies from year to year (depending on the number of voting countries) .

Reference line: This shows where an entry would land if the juries and televote respectively awarded it an equal percentage of their available points. Data points that land above this line means the jury awarded the entry a greater proportion of its available points as compared to the televote, and vice versa. I find it interesting to see which entries land near this line, and then compare them to entries that stray further from it, in either direction. I also like to see where my favourites ended up, and consider how that can be understood in the context of the previous comparison.

First chart: Here each data point represents an individual entry in the Eurovision Grand Finals from 2016 to 2025 (aka every year with the current split scoring system). Data source: eurovisionworld.com

Second chart: These data points represent the average percentage out of the total jury/televote points each country was awarded between 2016 and 2025 (for the years that they made it to the Grand Final, that is).

Beware: For countries that made it to the final more times there are more data points to average, while for others there are as few as two results to work from.

Also beware: Averages can obscure variance - a country with epic highs and lows might end up looking similar one with stable middle-of-the-road results, despite their actual experiences being very different. That is to say: there are lots of outliers included in these averages - Spiders Georg has set up his cave and now lives in this chart. With his entire spider farm. Look at it. It's on the web.

Also-also beware: This chart makes the assumption that nationality is the most relevant variable to investigate in relation to the final result. But that remains an unproven assumption; before drawing any conclusions about potential biases the public or juries might have for certain countries, these results should be compared to charts where other factors are accounted for, to rule them in or out as compounding factors. Such factors could be running order, when the voting opens, genre, vocal ability, dancing ability, stage precence, visual production, creative cohesion etc.

In short, this chart doesn't rule anything in or out on its own—but it makes a good starting point for further investigation.

Country letter codes, for reference:

Not sure how viewable these charts will be on smaller screens, but for the lower scores on the detailed breakdown to be visible at all I needed to make them huge. Might fuck around and make the scale logarithmic at some point, to show more detail in the lower range without cutting off the upper. I also have more data tables with more complex calculations going on in this excel file. I might make charts of those at a later date, if I can first work out whether they provide any useful insights at all or were just fun to make. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thanks for reading!

[a-bit-too-much-of-a-zelda-fan]

I feel like a kid on Christmas. I'm finally making some real use of my 3DS being homebrewed. I figured out how to install my 3DS cartridges onto the console so I don't need the carts to play. I also figured out NDS game forwarding, so I can have icons for those too. What you're looking at is every mainline Zelda game that the 3DS can run. Every one from Zelda 1 to Four Swords, and the handhelds from there onward. It's only the Wii U and Switch ones that I can't play here on my little ol' gold Zelda New 3DS XL. This is so epic. Mind you I've owned all of these since 2015. It's just having them all here without needing the carts that makes me so excited.

I've also packed Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora's Mask 3D full of mods for quality of life and to make them just a bit more faithful to the N64 releases. Read below for the mods I've installed! They all work on 3DS, not just Citra!

Nerrel on YouTube has an excellent review of MM3D that points out its severe shortcomings as a faithful remaster of the original. Thankfully, there are multiple mods that fix both gameplay and aesthetic problems.

Project Restoration by Leoetlino, which fixes every gameplay issue and adds even more quality of life features.

N64 OST to 3DS by DeathWrench. Gets rid of the reverb that Grezzo slathered on the soundtrack.

Classic Texture Packs by Solt 11, based on Citra-only mods by Loch Ness Hamster. They make Link's transformations look much more faithful. (I deleted the file for Hylian Link though because I like Grezzo's take on him)

Even if you don't care for the texture packs, Project Restoration easily makes MM3D the best way to experience Majora's Mask, whether on Citra or original hardware.

OoT3D is a much more faithful remaster, with virtually no changes to the gameplay while only enhancing visuals and adding optional QoL features like motion aiming. There are still some areas where it fell short, like how some of the game's horror elements were sanitized. So I threw on a bunch of mods for that too. Most of them are just aesthetic, but two are really game changing. First, the aesthetic.

Invisible Sheikah Stone by Takeshre. They're still there if you need them but don't visually distract anymore. There is a MM3D version, but Citra only.

Art-Faithful Fairies by Takeshre (3DS port by JoesephMother in comments). This one is just neat. Pointy wings!

N64 Dialogue Font by Takeshre. The original font has so much character compared to what Grezzo replaced it with, and now it's back!

Original Dead Hand by Loch Ness Hamster (3DS port by JoesephMother in comments). Finally some of the horror back.

Now the gamechangers.

Standalone Free Cam by Roberto-Nessy. Goodness this breathes some fresh life into the game. As far as Nintendo is concerned, OoT is still the only 3D Zelda to not have free cam. The original 3DS couldn't support one, but the New 3DS and Citra certainly can. Boom bam, free cam!

Unmirror Master Quest by HylianFreddy. Okay so maybe this is just huge and gamechanging to me, but listen. I'm left-handed. I identify so very strongly with Link's character, and it makes me very happy whenever he is left-handed. That said, I dislike that OoT3D and TPHD mirror the game world in their respective hard modes simply because they make Link right-handed. This mod completely fixes the issue for me in OoT3D at least. I actually want to play Master Mode now.

Note that these two are both implemented using a file called "code.ips", so they cannot be used together unless they are merged into one ips file. Which you can do easily with the tool in method 2 of this guide.

So yeah I'm a happy camper. If you use any of the guides or mods I shared and found them cool or helpful, you're welcome! I found them all either by searching for them specifically or combing through the games' pages on Gamebanana.com. Enjoy!

[aduains]

you do not know me but rest assured i know you, MISTER ERNEST BENNETT. you are the YOUNGER BROTHER OF LADY THORPE. you maybe be known for your GOOD NATURE but it is only a mask for the true nature of your RESTLESS ways. however, i am not here to spread slander on the queen’s jewels, though i suspect you are her BLUE KYANITE. the ton says your name reminds them of THE SOUND OF LAUGHTER FROM THE OTHER ROOM, WALKING HOME AFTER A LATE NIGHT WITH STARS IN YOUR EYES, MORNING LIGHT AND BIRDSONG FLOATING THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW. how scandalous! you have been warned, dear reader, that i will prove if this is true and share every last detail. (luke thompson, thirty-four, cismale, he/him)

the basics

Name: Mister Ernest Bennett Nicknames: Ernie (for close family and only the closest friends) Faceclaim: luke thompson Gender: cismale, he/him Sexual Orientation: bisexual, biromantic Age: 34 Birthday: June 6, 1779  Marital Status: widower  Children: n/a Occupation: running the family estate (landed gentry) Pets: a greyhound named clover, who he took in after he found her wandering his country estate.  Residence: a moderately-large but very well-tended house in the countryside, modest lodging in london (modest being relative for someone in the upper class)  Positive Traits: good-natured, jovial, principled, generous  Negative Traits: restless, stubborn, prone to over-indulging, judgy 

aesthetics

Inspiration: fox mulder (the x-files), courfeyrac (les miserables), george knightly (emma), tom wambsgams (succession), gale (baldurs gate 3)  Animal: a hound  Tarot Card: the chariot Zodiac: gemini Element: air Mineral: blue kyanite Song: chinese satellite (copycat killer version) - phoebe bridgers

Backstory

the servants often joked that ernest came out screaming, making his voice heard, and never stopped. he was a rambunctious child, often wrecking havoc around the grounds of the family estate, tearing through the world without much of a care. but it was undeniable- he was happy.  after eton, he attended oxford university, where he continued a life lived enthusiastically. he excelled in the study of politics, but his true passion lies with literature and theatre- and he often feels that, if he weren’t expected to run the family estate, he would attempt a career as a playwright. after finishing his education, ernest traveled around europe for a few months, and would go on to make further trips abroad in the rest of his twenties.  he’d resisted marriage for longer than he ought to, only truly looking for a wife in the season after his 31st birthday. by the end of the season, it was clear that he had taken a serious interest in someone particular- so it took many by surprise when he was rushed into an engagement and an equally rushed wedding with lady agnes cunningham. some would remark on the uncharacteristic look of tension on ernest’s face at the wedding- as if (for the first time in his life), he was holding his tongue. the two were married for a little over year, and ernest was never seen in london after the wedding. it was assumed that the two were deep in the thralls of their whirlwind romance, and they were truly relishing in the honeymoon stage of their marriage- until agnes’s unfortunate death.  a year has passed, and ernest is back in london for the social season- and he has stopped wearing black, but he still seems a bit resigned compared to his usual, happy-go-lucky self. blame it on the grief, i suppose. 

Wanted Connections 

old friends from school- i think it would be fun to have other people in the ton that he essentially grew up with! ernest attended both eton and oxford, so anyone who would’ve been in either school around the same time as him would work for this. i think it’d also be fun to have a specific little friend group, like the sex in the city girls regency-style  bestie!!- the person he’s closest to, the person he trusts with his life. likely an old friend from school, but not necessarily! i imagine ernest has traveled more than the average gentleman, so it could be fun if they either joined him in his travels or even met on his travels!  enemies/rivals- ernest is warm and amicable… until he’s not. he loves his principles, and can be of a bit harsh judge, especially if he feels someone is acting in a way he deems “unjust”. he also isn’t afraid to instigate arguments or debates, making him a bit abrasive to some. he’s not unreasonable, but its not unlikely that he has burned a few bridges with his stubbornness and reluctance to concede.  the ‘almost’- someone he was on the brink of proposing to before his whirlwind marriage to his late wife. i think this could best fit a femme fc, and someone newly married, but that doesn’t have to be the case! budding romance- something very new and tenuous, but undeniable. ernest still feels it is too soon after his wife’s death to be courting anyone, so this would have come out of the blue. ernest is probably in deep denial about any romantic feelings, but there’s something magnetic there. 

[thatfragilecapricorn30]

I like The X-Files, should I watch Fringe?

I decided to watch Fringe because it was frequently recommended as a show for fans of TXF. I was really curious how similar it would be and would I actually enjoy it? I'm only on S2 E5, so this post will be my impressions of the first season. I'll probably write another post after watching more of the show. I'll also try to make this as spoiler free as possible so anyone can read it!

What is Fringe about? The main character is FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham. We meet her when she's assigned to a case in which everyone on board a plane dies from a mysterious illness. The plane lands successfully at Boston Logan (due to some auto-landing feature - not sure if this is even real) and this is where we find out that Boston (aka Vancouver) is our setting for the show. Dunham traces the mysterious illness back to the research of a former Harvard professor (Dr. Walter Bishop), who is currently in a psychiatric institution, and she needs his son (Peter Bishop) to get him out. By the end of the episode, the three of them form the core of the Fringe division, a cohort of agents and consultants working on unexplained cases (sound familiar??).

How are Fringe and TXF similar?

Both shows center on a special division within the FBI that involve unexplained phenonomen.

Both are filmed in Vancouver.

Both feature monster of the week and mythology episodes.

Both have a strong female lead.

Both have the potential for romance between the two leads (Olivia and Peter).

How are the two shows different?

Fringe features an ensemble cast, whereas TXF was really only Mulder and Scully. I enjoy the relationships between the characters (like Peter and his father, and Walter and Astrid), but the show hasn't done a great job of fleshing out characters aside from the core three. Poor Astrid has pretty much no personality aside from performing lab work with Walter.

The show does not have the same atmosphere as TXF seasons 1-5, even though they're both filmed in the same locale. It might be because of film vs. digital, but the cinematography on Fringe is lacking compared to the beautiful forests we're used to seeing on TXF.

Fringe does a great job of tying a majority of their monster of the week episodes back to the main mythology. The problem with this is that it's hard to watch these episodes independently as they don't have a truly self-contained story.

The mythology storyline is well-developed and I heard that there's actually a plan for the plot (unlike TXF).

Fringe is sci-fi. There are no paranormal, supernatural, or horror elements.

Other impressions:

It took me about halfway through season 1 to start getting into the show, and it seems like that might be some others' experience (and why they may have stopped).

I find it hard to follow the cases sometimes, because they involve technology that is extremely advanced or currently doesn't exist at all, and it seems like the writers don't really understand it either.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing a romantic relationship between Olivia and Peter at some point and I think the show is doing a good job of slowly developing their bond. I've also heard that Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson did not get along on set (sound familiar??) but they have decent chemistry - not as good as David and Gillian but as we all know, there's not a fair comparison.

There's random things that rub me the wrong way, like Walter performing autopsies (someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think he's an MD, just has several PhDs), how every single case relates back to Walter's research (this man is like 10 Einsteins because he was conducting experiments in every field and all of it beyond the realm of known science), Walter touching dead bodies at crime scenes without gloves (I know this happens in TXF but it's so egregious in Fringe). Despite all this, I do like Walter's character and I think John Noble gives an excellent performance.

Olivia Dunham is a well-rounded character and Anna Torv is great. I really enjoy the relationship she has with her sister and niece.

So far, I enjoy the mythology episodes more than the monster of the week, which is the opposite of my opinion for TXF.

It's funny that there are 15 years between the premiere of TXF (1993) and Fringe (2008) and about another 15 years to present day (2024). But Fringe seems so modern compared to TXF. You can barely tell it's 15 years old, except for the lack of iPhones and I'm sure even that will change in the next few seasons.

Should I watch it??

If you really enjoy sci-fi, I would say definitely check it out. If you're on the fence, or don't like sci-fi at all, I would skip this one.

It probably sounds like I don't enjoy Fringe based on my above points. I think part of it is that I am comparing it to TXF, even while watching, and TXF is definitely better (imo). I also enjoy horror more than sci fi. But, Fringe is holding my interest for now and I've heard that it improves throughout the seasons, so I'm going to keep watching.

I'll definitely write an update post at some point - if I finish the show or stop watching it.

I'm so curious to hear the thoughts of others who have watched Fringe! Do you agree with my assessments so far? What are your opinions and how does it compare to The X-Files for you?

[pjstafford]

The X-Files: Perihelion (A Book Review)

The X-Files: Perihelion is a book scheduled for release in July 2024. It is written by Claudia Gray with Chris Carter's approval. It is published by Hyperion Avenue. I want to thank the author and publisher for an advanced digital copy of the book for review.

In writing this review, my assumption is that the readers will be fans of the X-Files who have watched through season 11. The book picks up fairly shortly after season 11 ends. THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW! I usually try to write spoiler-free reviews but felt that, in this case, I could not review the book fully without some spoilers. I think it is important to note upfront that the book does set itself up for future books - as a new series of books.

Will fans like this book? It depends on what the potential readers' engagement and perspective is on the series. In that case, it makes sense for me to disclose that information about myself. I engage with some X-Files content daily. I am a fan of the revival seasons. I hated the cliffhanger in season 10 but loved the majority of season 11 including the ending (although I understand why some fans did not).

The book opens with Scully pregnant, Skinner in a coma, and Mulder and Scully suspended from the FBI pending an investigation. The two agents are living together to co-parent, but their relationship status is undefined and there is some new distance emotionally due to the trauma they suffered at the end of season 11. Scully has returned to medicine and Mulder is considering his next career move. What I enjoyed about this feature of the book is that the closing of the X-Files did not seem to be a disaster for either agent. What I would change about the finale of season 11 is that too much time was spent with Kersch on shutting down the X-Files. To both agents' surprise, they are called back to duty on a temporary "let's see how it goes" basis to work on one case.

The case is that pregnant women are being murdered. The unexplained paranormal aspect is that strange electrical surges are happening at the scene of each murder. This was an excellent way to get the agents reinvested in The X-Files. It hits them in their feels and the reader is drawn in as well. This case is actually wrapped up long before the book's end. In the meantime, the agents have been assigned a second case and the first case is really a clue to the second case. I won't give away too many spoilers here except to say that the second case sets up future books. It takes existing mythology and twists it with a new substitute syndicate and new characters helping the agents. I found this portion of the book to be mostly very well written. I enjoyed it up until the point where I realized it was setting up for an ongoing series. This is the area where I think readers will have to decide where they are with their engagement with The X-Files. If you are a fan who really just wants the agents to continue to solve cases and protect the world from ongoing global conspiracies and you love the thought of seeing them solve cases together, you will enjoy the book and likely the series immensely. I was there at one point. In fact, at the end of season 10, I wrote my own longer fan fic which was based on what I envisioned a new series could look like. I simply am not there any longer. I would like to see this amazing story of these agents have the outstanding ending (whether happy or not) that they deserve as iconic characters. I would like to see an ending comparable to their journey instead of beginning another journey with a whole new mythology arc. This is not to criticize the writer or fans who want more stories, but, in the end, I was disappointed by this approach.

As to the answers to the burning questions left from season 11. What I really enjoyed is that Scully and Mulder find themselves coming together while processing their grief for William/ Jackson who they both believe is dead and was never Mulder's son. They did this very much in character. Scully is also looking for answers as to why she is pregnant at an advanced age and to the health of the child still in her womb. However, there are still no answers. Scully gets a hint William is alive. Mulder gets a possible scenario of how he could still be the father, but in the end, the fact of biological or not matters less than the parental love of a child which gives them the right to grief. There is no hint the current baby is anything but healthy and yet there is a plotline related to Scully's alien DNA that doesn't rule out the child might have powers. Yet the hope that the two agents could raise a child together, which is what I liked about the season 11 ending, continues. The timespan covered in the book is not long so Scully is still pregnant at the end of the book.

There are two additional minor criticisms I have about the book which I am including here at the end for feedback on future books in the series.

I liked the way the book ended. It is the way I think most fans would want it to end. However, it was only at the end, with so many of the plot mysteries left unresolved, that I realized the book was intended to be a fuller series. It felt sudden and abrupt. What I think was needed is more of a summary of what was resolved and more of a "launch" into the next book.

Because so much of the mythology of The X-Files revival was about a virus and the new mythology includes an alien DNA mythology, I was initially concerned because no mention of the COVID virus and lockdown was discussed. Then, of course, I realized that Scully was pregnant in 2018. However, there are pop culture references to more modern times. Of course, Mulder would be a fan of Strange New Worlds - which came out in 2022. If that seems a little picky on my part, it is just that the COVID lockdown was a pretty big deal and the plotline of the novel is about a global virus. I encourage the author to clearly set the year in which the novels take place going forward and, if the series will extend past 2020, then some careful thought will have to go into how to handle this. The X-Files has always been set in the real world. It will be a challenge for the author to think about how to address the lockdown from a non-alien virus while writing books about the global contagion of an alien virus.

Thank you again for the opportunity to review.

[7grandmel]

Todays rips: 02/04/2024

Our Sweet Parsley and .​.​.​of 2023 and Christmas Spirit [FILE-07] (Beta Mix)

Season 7 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume Sapphire

Ripped by cookiefonster

Season 7 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume Sapphire

Rip credited to "Kai Cenaze the Evil Gyat"

Season 7 Part of: Haltmann's Archives

Ripped by Mitchell

Did everyone enjoy yesterday's April Fools bit? I hope you did, it was a ton of fun - and if you missed it, you can use Raft Ride ~ The Story So Far to get yourself up to speed. But now its time to move past my own silly April Fools joke and back to the SiIvaGunner channel's bit - for the one event I've wanted to cover on this day for months now. In terms of these events, its hard to top just how excellently executed and well-rounded Mario's death event in Season 5 with Your Best Nightmario was - but for me, the event held last year just narrowly takes the crown for me. April Fools of 2023, the Season 7 event held 367 days ago (leap year!), is one of the most heartfelt, silly, and outright fun events the channel has ever had. And yes, I couldn't narrow it down - I HAD to feature three rips from it. Hopefully, you'll understand why.

To start, I think it needs to be established just how BIG this event was. There have been far larger in scope events on SiIva before - the King for Another Day tournament basically lasted from September to Thank You, Everybody! across several months and over a thousand videos - but April Fools 2023 is different. All 248 rips uploaded were done so not across months, not across weeks - but ALL DURING April 1st itself, within a 24 hour timespan. Now granted, 21 of those were Trailer Stringers for Garten of Banban (don't worry about it) - but it still speaks to the sheer bredth of the event itself. It was downright agonizing to think of just three, two, let alone one rip to feature on the blog to cover this event, because unlike with Your Best Nightmario or Grand Dad Metropolis - there's not truly one set of rips that best encapsulate everything about it.

Which, then, brings us to the event's theme, the main hook, one that compared to the above mentioned April Fools events from prior years, is quite subtle. You may have noticed that each of the three featured rips share a quirk in common in their title - a (Beta Mix), or in the case of .​.​.​of 2023, (Beta Mix) (Beta Mix). What's that all about? Well, Season 7 as a whole can be best described as a loveletter and celebration to the *entire* SiIvaGunner channel - this is a large part of what RIP² was about as I covered in SING A SONG ABOUT HOPES AND DREAMS and Return to Collision Clouds. It wasn't just cheering for KFAD, wasn't just remembering The Reboot, wasn't just being nostalgic for Season 1 - every inch of SiIvaGunner's history, obscure or popular, was brought up, remixed, paid tribute to, and so much more throughout the whole year, and the year's April Fools event was the greatest testament to it. We all slowly realized what that (Beta Mix) suffix meant - that each of the many, many rips uploaded that day, were *direct tributes* to the rips uploaded in the channel's past, elaborations upon or spoofs or alternate takes on these classic - or obscure! - rips.

And that side of the coin is what I think Our Sweet Parsley in particular captures brilliantly. Sonic Adventure's My Sweet Passion saw two absolutely classic rips be made of it during Season 1: The first, Our Sweet Passion, is made in the channel's earliest months and is one of the most concise examples of a truly good bait and switch, playing the track's instrumentals but having its lyrics be read aloud, dramatically yet with a confused inflection, by ripper How2BeEpic, emphasizing the bizarre word choices and writing to comedic effect. In the season's final months, Harmony Friends of Coconut Gun fame mentioned back in CG Man HD Remastered Edition, gave us My Sweet Parsley, a rip that sentence-mixes these same bizarre lyrics in YouTube Poop-esque fashion whilst still playing the original instrumental behind it all. Our Sweet Parsley, then, sees cookiefonster pay tribute to both at the same time in a rip I'm sure many of us thought possible, yet had likely forgotten about by the time Season 7 was upon us seven whole years later: a perfect fusion of the two. That's right - the lyrics of the YouTube Poop-ified My Sweet Parsley are read out with the same dramatic, quite-unfitting voice as Our Sweet Passion, and its arguably even funnier: Since there's no sentence mixing done, we get to hear first-hand cookiefonster's descent into madness reading off how Amy "had to shave it". And to really bring the point home of how much of a loveletter this entire event was, the aforementioned descent into madness is immediately followed by a bait-and-switch performance of the DK Rap with changed lyrics, directly paying tribute to Harmony Friends' Coconut Gun Rap. And then there's a sly reference to Thunder, Rain, and Lightning just after that - ANOTHER Harmony Friends rip from Season 1!!

You see what I mean, right? This was just one of the 240+ rips uploaded this day, but a ton of them had this same sort of love and care poured into them, no matter how shitpost-y they may seem from the outside. For me, the entire day was like being continuously rewarded for having kept up with SiIvaGunner so closely since its inception - yet more than the average use of the term "fanservice" implies, it all felt like it was done with the most genuine and wholesome, mutual respect between rippers behind-the-scenes. And, well, I say rippers - but part of the fun with the event was that it extended far past just rips! .​.​.​of 2023 is a (Beta Mix) version of a fucking *VLOG* of all things, the Vlog that channel founder Chaze the Chat recorded to announce the end of SiIvaGunner Season 2 and the beginning of SiIvaGunner Season 3. In other words, the equivalent of an update video, not anything actually core to the channel - yet still a video that die-hard fans like myself have long kept in mind since it was made.

I have no clue who "Kai Cenaze the Evil Gyat" is, but I want to thank them sincerely for creating the funniest rip I've ever seen out of one of SiIvaGunner's few completely-straightfaced videos, one that I mostly remembered for its very funny thumbnail. In some ways, it's the most classic of YouTube Poop, with sentence mixing and edits done purely for the silliness of "he's not saying what he's supposed to!!". But there's little nods to the fanbase's running jokes in the background - The Christmas Comeback Crisis development hell, the Rave.DJ sticker in the bottom right of the whole video, and so on - all the while, prominently, the entire video is coated in modern-day-YouTube content mill slop from top to bottom. A reaction video cam of Chaze the Chat, based on the Season 1 ending announcement The nutshack theme but the first nutshack is replaced with me ending the channel but edited to basically do nothing but say "uhm", constant reminders to like and subscribe, sensory-video sound effects - its genuinely absurd in a hysterical way to see such a tranquil, normal "olden days" YouTube video be slathered top to bottom in this kind of stuff - and it shows just how far this event went to fuck around with our past knowledge of the channel's history.

But, you know me - I'm a lorehead - and alongside all these videos, we also got the very special morsel of Christmas Spirit [FILE-07] (Beta Mix). I've long since accepted that a lot of things that happen on SiIvaGunner, especially nowadays, don't really have any direct ties to greater channel lore - that's completely fine, and its allowed the team to flex their creativity and individual skills in ways they couldn't whilst being ran under Chaze the Chat's administration in the first four seasons. Yet for this silly, downright pure-fun holiday event, Mitchell goes back to (Beta Mix) up one of the old Haltmann's Archives videos, the videos made during Season 2 and Season 3 specifically to condense and help convey old and new lore to the audience. It is, admittedly, not very serious, likely not even meant to be taken *seriously* - but it depicts a sort of glitch in the system, with the log changing from a researcher team's findings regarding "Christmas Spirit", to suddenly focus on a new, unknown substance called Fools' Spirit, a substance that appeared out of nowhere yet able to "warp and corrupt the space around itself". The testing is described as fruitless, yet as the log ends, we're shown a peek into the elusive testing grounds previously only described verbally - now covered in mist as pink as the Fools' Spirit, and evidently causing glitches to the actively-running SiIvaGunner experiments.

The rip is far simpler and straightforward than the abovementioned two - its less rip and more textbox - but I think its the initiative and attention to detail that really speaks to me here. The original Christmas Spirit [FILE-07] was well over five years old by the time this event rolled around, covering lore that hadn't been touched upon since the last main Christmas Comeback Crisis episode from just about as long ago - lore that, compared to stuff like Figments as covered in Bowser's Finale, is far less relevant to the channel's status quo. To find a way to bring back that old lore, repurpose it for the intents of this new event, and all the while having it tie together with the current state of the lore as well!!! You can see at the end, the laptop screen describes "Illucidity Active", describing the dream environment in which SiIvaGunner exists within during the entirety of Season 7 in particular. This Fools' Spirit then infests the laptop, and by extension SiIvaGunner's own dreams - giving us the entire April Fools events' gimmick to begin with! And hell, depending on how you read into things, it could even be viewed as - unintentional or not - foreshadowing for some of the great reveals made during the Season 7 finale, One Last Chance [Episode 11] of the Christmas Comeback Crisis.

Do you see why this event was like heaven on earth for me, the notorious overthinker of SiIvaGunner lore? This channel is my autism fuel, it is my Pokédex - and the entirety of April Fools 2023 was like being personally thanked for 24 hours straight for my commitment and love for the channel. No, you silly doofuses - thank YOU for running the channel to begin with, for keeping it so incredibly fresh for eight years and running!! I could do this sort of breakdown for far more than three rips from this event - if you gave me infinite time, I would GLADLY repeat Raft Ride ~ The Story So Far but for April Fools 2023 -, but I think its best I leave you all to explore the event on your own. It needs to be emphasized just how magical Season 7 was for me - it was the thing that made me start this damn blog to begin with!! - and it fills my heart with such joy to see that so much of the SiIvaGunner team loves this channel in its entirety. Be it the love for rips, like with Our Sweet Parsley, love for lore like with Christmas Spirit [FILE-07] (Beta Mix), or love for quite literally everything inbetween like with .​.​.​of 2023 - I'm forever assured that SiIvaGunner will stay in good hands in the years to come. Godspeed, you beautiful bastards. April Fools.

[sleeping-ocean]

The Model Minority Myth Today -- Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard

Asian-Americans being discriminated against in college admissions, specifically towards Harvard.

The rat race of college admissions tends to be an uphill battle for Asian-Americans, as the Model Minority Myth (which stems from the creation of H1-B and EB-3 visas prioritizing skilled workers, causing Americans' perceptions of Asian-Americans as ALL highly skilled, which is untrue) contributes to the sky-high expectations of achievement by Asian-American high schoolers.

"To illustrate just how strong the Asian-American pool is, in the baseline dataset Asian-American applicants have academic indexes that are over 0.2 standard deviations higher than whites, almost one standard deviation higher than Hispanics, and over 1.5 standard deviations higher than African Americans. Indeed, Asian-American rejects have academic indexes that are higher than African American admits."

While yes, academically Asian-Americans excel, it turns out that in other areas of college admission they slump.

"Using data over ten years, they found that Harvard’s admissions officers assigned substantially lower personal ratings to Asian-American applicants versus white applicants, especially when compared to the ratings assigned by teachers, counselors, and alumni interviewers."

"Asian-American applicants suffer a statistically significant penalty relative to white applicants in two of the ratings Harvard’s admissions officers assign to each file (the personal and overall rating)."

So not only are the personal and overall ratings one of the contributing factors, but it is likely due to racial biases within school counselor and admissions officers systems.

White people having the most legacy as usual.

Within each of the other three groups (3, 3+, all 2’s), African-American applicants have the highest admit rates followed by Hispanics, then whites, and finally Asian Americans.

In fact, the scoring for African-American applicants on Harvard’s overall rating exhibits the opposite phenomenon exhibited by Asian-American applicants, as African-American applicants are disproportionately concentrated at the high and low ends of the rating scale.

African-American applicants are either overperforming or underperforming, never averaging out, showing how also due to societal norms and racist ideologies, have to fit the mold of being extraordinary or what society tells them they are. Or entirely be seen as a diversity student to lower (or raise) the GPA to seem more welcoming or exclusive.

Asian-American applicants are less likely to be admitted if they are in the middle of the road. They have to be exceptional or above average, otherwise they get completely ignored.

Despite being more academically qualified than the other three major racial/ethnic groups (whites, African Americans, and Hispanics), Asian-American applicants have the lowest admissions rates. In fact, data produced by Harvard show that this has been true for every admissions cycle for the classes of 2000 to 2019. A closer examination of the six years for which Harvard produced applicant-level admissions data shows that even removing those who receive some other form of preferences (such as legacy, athletic, or early action) still results in Asian Americans having the lowest admit rates over this period.

Asian-Americans are disadvantaged in a space where everyone else thinks they are not.

[advertisement098]

How is offset printing different from digital printing for commercial use?

When it comes to commercial printing, choosing the right printing technology is essential for delivering quality, consistency, and cost-efficiency. Two leading technologies dominate the market: Offset Printing and Digital Printing. Each has its strengths and ideal use cases, but understanding the key differences between them can help businesses make the right decision for their printing needs.

At Prakash Machineries Pvt. Ltd , we specialize in high-performance offset printing machinery and cater to clients across India and abroad who need bulk, high-quality print jobs at competitive costs. In this blog, we’ll explore how offset printing compares to digital printing, particularly in a commercial setting—from print quality to scalability, cost, and beyond.

1. Printing Process: How They Work

Offset Printing: Offset printing involves transferring an inked image from a plate to a rubber blanket, and then onto the paper. It requires preparation of printing plates, making it ideal for large, consistent print runs.

Digital Printing: Digital printing doesn’t use plates. Instead, it uses toner or inkjet technology to print directly from a digital file onto paper or other substrates. It’s a more straightforward, plug-and-play solution for shorter print jobs.

✅ Verdict: Offset is ideal for high-volume runs; digital is best for quick, low-volume jobs.

2. Print Volume & Cost Efficiency

Offset Printing: The initial setup (plates, calibration, and ink) takes time and effort, but once set, the cost per unit significantly decreases as the volume increases. This makes it very cost-effective for bulk printing—like newspapers, brochures, packaging, or books.

Digital Printing: There’s no setup cost, which is perfect for small quantities. However, the cost per print remains consistent and doesn’t reduce with larger volumes, making it less economical for high-quantity jobs.

✅ Verdict: Offset is more cost-efficient for large volumes; digital is better for short runs.

3. Print Quality and Color Accuracy

Offset Printing: Known for superior image clarity, sharpness, and color consistency. With CMYK and Pantone matching, offset offers precise color reproduction and smooth gradients—crucial for branding and packaging work.

Digital Printing: While digital quality has improved, it can still lack the depth and richness of offset printing, especially in solid color areas. It also offers fewer options for special inks or custom finishes.

✅ Verdict: Offset offers higher and more consistent print quality, especially for color-critical jobs.

4. Customization and Personalization

Offset Printing: Not ideal for variable data printing. Changing text, images, or names requires re-plate and re-setup, making personalization expensive and time-consuming.

Digital Printing: A perfect fit for personalized content, like invitation cards, customized mailers, ID cards, or certificates. You can change data from sheet to sheet without stopping the press.

✅ Verdict: Digital is better for customization and one-off jobs.

5. Turnaround Time

Offset Printing: Requires setup time for plates, calibration, and initial proofs, which may delay the start of production. However, once running, it prints very fast in large volumes.

Digital Printing: Minimal setup time—just send the file and start printing. It’s excellent for urgent jobs or small quantities needed on short notice.

✅ Verdict: Digital printing is faster for urgent, small orders; offset wins for speed in large runs.

6. Material Versatility

Offset Printing: Can print on a wide range of substrates, including textured papers, thick boards, Kraft sheets, and specialty stocks. Also suitable for large-format sheets.

Digital Printing: Limited to standard sizes and types of media, depending on the printer. Some heavy stocks or coated papers may not be compatible with all digital machines.

✅ Verdict: Offset offers more flexibility with materials and finishes.

7. Environmental Impact

Offset Printing: Traditionally uses more water, chemicals, and setup materials. However, modern offset machines like those from Prakash Machineries Pvt. Ltd are becoming more eco-friendly with features like:

Low-ink wastage

Recyclable plates

Alcohol-free dampening systems

Digital Printing: Produces less waste per job due to on-demand printing, but toner cartridges and ink packaging contribute to waste and can be costly to recycle.

✅ Verdict: Both have environmental pros and cons, but modern offset presses are catching up in eco-friendliness.

When Should You Choose Offset Printing?

Offset printing is your best option if you need:

Large volume production (e.g., 1,000+ copies)

Superior image quality and color matching

Cost-effective bulk printing

Durable, long-lasting prints

Custom paper and finishing options

Ideal use cases: Newspapers, catalogs, packaging, brochures, books, corporate stationery, paper bags

When Should You Choose Digital Printing?

Digital printing is suitable for:

Low-quantity, quick-turnaround jobs

Personalized or one-off prints

Prototyping or samples

Frequent content changes

Ideal use cases: Business cards, photo books, small marketing runs, ID cards, direct mail campaigns

Both printing methods have their place in today’s commercial print world. Offset printing remains unmatched for high-volume, cost-effective, and professional-grade output, making it the backbone of commercial production in 2025. Meanwhile, digital printing is perfect for flexibility and speed in short runs.

At Prakash Machineries Pvt. Ltd , we help businesses across India and abroad unlock the power of offset printing with our advanced machinery—including web offset, mini offset, and packaging solutions. Whether you're scaling up your operations or starting a new print business, our machines give you the quality, reliability, and efficiency you need to succeed.

Need help deciding the right printing solution for your business? Contact Prakash Machineries Pvt. Ltd today for expert advice and customized printing machinery solutions.

[besiegedhunter]

Projekt Red, strength and role within Rhodes.

So another Red analysis because I'm just so excited for her appearance in Season 2 of the anime!

This time analyzing Red's strength because it is not only extremely relevant to her character and history but because I found her position within Rhodes, especially at the launch of the game, to be extremely interesting.

So this'll be a bit long so under the cut.

Now I debated how I wanted to start this but how about the simple feats that we have seen from her since those are what most people should know and it's simply two.

During 6-11 Red ambushed Crownslayer and her squad, making easy work of them and ambushing Crownslayer when she attempted to get away.

In Il Siracusano, IS-ST-4 to be exact, Red assassinates Crownslayer's Mentor and Red's fellow Fang. Then when Crownslayer goes to attack her Red casually dodges and escapes.

Besides these two moments we don't see Red doing anything notable and while effortlessly dealing with Crownslayer is no small feat (she is a Fang and we don't see a single good moment of her) sadly both times Crownslayer couldn't do much because of how terrified she is of Red.

A fear that we know could knock mafiosos out in the case of Zaaro.

But see, this isn't what I think we should base Red's strength on. So how about something that's very telling?

I made a post about this but essentially: I went through every Operator's profile looking at their Combat Skill rating in their physical examination. Specifically I was seeing what Operators have an "Outstanding" which is the highest besides a rating that's immeasurable and only Chongyue has for Combat Skill.

Kal'tsit for example has immeasurable in Tactical Acumen and Skadi has it in Strength.

Of all 272 Operators only 8 (again besides Chongyue) have an "Outstanding" Combat Skill. They are:

Nearl the Radiant Knight

Mlynar

Hellagur

Qiubai

Gladiia

Ch'en

Lappland

Projekt Red

So Red is not only one of 8/272 Operators with an Outstanding Combat Skill but is in that group with those characters. Think about the Operators who didn't make that list and that Red is counted among them.

It's shocking but one other thing about Red being on this list I want to point out is that she's the one with the deepest roots to Rhodes on this list, having no other responsibilities and of them likely being the longest member, being raised by Kal'tsit and predating S.W.E.E.P.

Further to that is the fact that when the game launched only Lappland and Red were playable Operators. Which, Red being one of the few Operators with an "Outstanding" Combat skill especially prior to the Victoria arc gives us an interesting lens to look at Red's position within Rhodes Island.

So beginning with Red's files, present since launch where only her and Lappland had such a high Combat Skill rating. Her archive 1:

It makes a note of her behavior in combat, comparing it to other Operators but also saying that any mission needing her would be the most dangerous missions and that she even got a nickname for it. Something I can't remember any other Operator having (probably wrong.)

And to state again: at this time we didn't really know about the Elite Operators and only Red and Lappland had Outstanding Combat Skills.

Then throughout the Reunion arc Red is consistently trusted to guard Amiya, the leader of Rhodes Island, as well as being the only one that Kal'tsit takes with her to decrease the number of Reunion members within Lungmen during chapter 6.

Mind you that at this time Red is the only one accompanying both Amiya and Kal'tsit. No other person is required and she is the one they believe to be best suited to the job.

And oddly that's fair. Like no Operator who strictly is a part of Rhodes Island has the same Combat Skill rating as her. Even Sharp who is the same rarity, an Elite Operator and fought Degenbrecher, who I'd say is more skilled than Nearl, on equal footing when she wasn't using her best weapons and he only has an Excellent rating.

And while the Victoria arc and all we learn about Amiya and Kal'tsit would make the fact Red was chosen to accompany them was made more impressive, I also can't say they it means much with that further information.

Nevertheless, being one of 9/272 Operators with Outstanding or higher Combat Skill, the one chosen to accompany Amiya and Kal'tsit and an Operator who earned a nickname for her strength and a signal for a extremely dangerous mission-

Is a much better example of her strength than her clashes with Crownslayer ever could. In fact, if Red is on the level of Nearl, Mlynar, Qiubai and the lot and chosen for the most difficult missions, I have to wonder whether or not she could become an Elite Operator.

And maybe the only reason she isn't is because of her awful situation. Which gets us to the next segment: why she is so strong. Because Red's strength came at the cost of everything.

See Red was dragged into a game between the immortal wolves of Siracusa called the Signore dei Lupi by one of them called Grandma. This game is one where each Signore dei Lupi would raise a Fang to kill the other Fangs till only one remains and the last Fang's Signore dei Lupi becomes the Packleader.

We see with other Fangs like Bernado, Lunacub and Crownslayer's mentor that they can function fine. Teach or lead others. And to an extent that the Signore dei Lupi treat them alright, with Agnese loving Lunacub and Zaaro working alongside Bernado.

Red's Signore dei Lupi is not like that.

Grandma put Red through hell to make her strong. Didn't teach her basic human skills that'd help her survive in society or without guidance.

And so she has educational and social problems and cuts anything that gets close on top of Kal'tsit needing to help her learn to think for herself.

Grandma destroyed her just to make her strong and judging by how Zaaro was able to turn the Bellone family into the strongest mafia family in Siracusa, the Signore dei Lupi are very knowledgeable in making something strong.

Grandma just chose to ignore everything else.

And actually there's a bit of phrasing that Red uses in Operational Intelligence's After-class Homework vignette to Ifritthat I find quite interesting:

Red is very simple, blunt and black and white in her thinking and a lot of her terminology is tied up in how the Signore dei Lupi's phrase things. Calling her weapons "Fangs" for example and the use of Hunt and Wolves.

And as the Signore dei Lupi's game is decided by the strongest, this phrasing by Red is really interesting. Like her identity is that she's a wolf hunter. Her life's goal is hunting every single one down. It makes sense that this would bleed into her vocabulary and beliefs.

And yeah. She's a tremendously strong character who was made that way at the cost of everything else and who is recognized by her strength and maybe judges others based on strength.

That's the analysis.

But another thing I want to briefly mention is how similar she is to Nearl oddly enough. Like, not just that they're two extremely skilled warriors or both engaged in a tournament where traditionally only one can win and will be the strongest.

But that that their ties within Rhodes are quite deep, with Nearl being an instructor and squad leader and Red being all the things I've mentioned up to this point. But also that they joined Rhodes, not being able to return to their home and that one day they would have to return to finish things.

These thoughts being what inspired this post and thinking of Red in a similar light to Nearl before her Alter is really quite interesting. But anyway, with Red in Siracusa right now I'm excited to see her character and strength on full display.

And I hope that this was in the very least an interesting read.

Edit: I forgot that I wanted to discuss Lappland's strength to sort of understand how strong "Outstanding" combat skill means cause a lot of the other's are really big.

Like Nearl being a two time champion of the Kazimierz major that accepts warriors from outside of Kazimierz. Who beat Mlynar in a sword fight (with him not using arts) and Mlynar beating a Silverlance Pegasus captain when only eight ordinary ones could withstand any assault the Armourless Union could throw at them.

And Hellagur having fought alongside Patriot and commenting on how if not for Patriot then he would've died against those very same Silverlance Pegasus forces in Operational Intelligence.

Or Ch'en and Qiubai standing their own against Ya, an Feranmut, and on two occasions standing against Ya on their own. And Hellagur having fought alongside Patriot

Comparatively what we see from Lappland is rather ordinary but at the same time holds a weight of it's own. Like Lappland's family the Saluzzo's is really the strongest family in Siracusa. Both in terms of producing the strongest people but also as a family.

When Il Siracusano starts the Bellones got boosted by Zaaro and the Rossati's got their position through inheriting the Texas family's wealth. The Saluzzo's got their through sheer power, a historied power going back to the She-Wolf's time as Signore Sicily states they are the oldest family.

And we know the first families come from the Tribes of the She-Wolf's children.

And Lappland, even for a Saluzzo is considered an invincible monster by even her Father who killed his chosen assassin like it was nothing and held off Wallach and Demetri at the same time. Except "fought" isn't the right word because he didn't consider them worth killing and did it enough to leave.

Wallach being strong but not Texas level in the least.

And who could forget that Lappland fought a Signore dei Lupi to a standstill and was offered by Signora Sicily to be one of her Bocca al Lupo's who would be Siracusa's elite guard and by that point had already been an Enforcer for her for quite some time.

One notable example being that Lappland casually dealt with Gambino and Capone by herself without breaking a sweat and while Il Siracusano says she is equals with Texas, at the same time Lappland did win and is ranked as having high combat skill.

Like it's an impressive record and odds are we've not seen her at her strongest either since a lot of who is fought in Il Siracusano aren't that strong especially compared to Texas and Lappland.

Never forget that Demetri backed down at the sheer sight of Lappland then I believe he later fought Wallach?

But also one extra thing about Lappland is this line:

Which is definitely more of that fear that Red induces in Lupos and we see is powerful enough to weaken Crownslayer and as stated before, even knock people out so I don't think that this is an accurate statement. Especially at launch.

But if it stays relevant to Il Siracusano that's odd cause Lappland is depicted as being incredibly smart and with a mighty death wish in the event. Easily deducing things and putting together traps and showing no restraint.

Like Il Siracusano Lappland I don't know if she'd say something like this without having assessed whether she would "definitely" die or not. But two different points in the game's lifespan.

The proper end!

[ogradyfilm]

Recently Viewed: River (2023)

[The following review contains MINOR SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]

In many ways, River is less artistically ambitious than Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes, its spiritual predecessor (with which it shares the same writer and director, as well as several actors).

For one thing, the mechanics governing the temporal paradox around which its plot revolves are much more conventional. Unlike the earlier movie’s bold, novel, innovative experimentation with “the Droste effect/mise en abyme,” River features a relatively traditional time loop; every few minutes, the characters are abruptly teleported back to the beginning of the cycle—a phenomenon akin to rewinding a VHS tape or reloading a save file in a video game. Consequently, its visual style is comparatively modest. Whereas the previous film is presented in a single, seamless, uninterrupted shot (or rather a reasonable facsimile thereof), for example, the anachronic structural framework here allows the editors to dispense with such elaborate illusions; whenever the action “resets,” the transition between each repetition is easily “hidden” in plain sight via a blatant match cut—an obvious yet elegant solution to an inherently challenging (and extremely popular) gimmick.

Despite these superficial differences, River manages to rival its companion piece where it really matters—in sheer unpredictability. As the narrative unfolds, the initially comedic conflict gradually evolves, veering into delightfully unexpected dramatic territory. Indeed, the story eventually develops into a genuinely compelling meditation on the self-destructive nature of anticipatory anxiety—how an irrational fear of the future can halt a person in their tracks, preventing them from moving forward, making progress, pursuing their dreams, living—with the eponymous body of water (constant, ceaseless, relentlessly flowing) serving as a brilliant central metaphor.

While River owes its greatest emotional resonance to its imaginative premise, deft tonal shifts, and rich thematic subtext, however, its true appeal lies in its simpler moment-to-moment pleasures—ultimately, it excels because it’s just cute, charming, and a whole lot of fun. What more could you ask for from a cinematic experience?

[franckyfox2468]

Francky's top 5 games released in 2023

So with 2023 ending soon I decided to make a little list and a top 5 of the games that I enjoyed and played that came out this year

Though i will be limiting myself to games/remakes released this year so while i greatly enjoyed Sonic Frontiers and AI the Somnium files this year, they wont make the lsit sorry.

I will start with the honorable mention of games that i still enjoyed but didn’t make it to the top 5.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Like a Dragon: Ishin

Ishin is the last Yakuza game I've played that was made by its longtime director, Toshihiro Nagoshi. And after playing Like a Dragon Gaiden, it helped me realize how much of a difference a new direction can make and how much I have taken the quality of the series for granted. Ishin wasn’t the worst nor the best Yakuza game I've played imo. Which makes sense given it was made right in between one of my least favorite games in the series (yakuza 5) and one of my most favorites (yakuza 0). Its story is perhaps not something you would be used to compared to the rest of the series but it is based on a tale that is as old as time itself that is still quite enjoyable for what it is and while it has some annoying bits (like substories always getting in your way during important event or gun fights), Ishin is still a quite enjoyable game with some fun stories, fun combat and fun minigames. And honestly the funniest version of Baka Mitai somehow.

BombRush Cyberfunk

I decided to check out bombrush cyberfunk after it was absolutely snubbed over in the same award show that decided to promote a JetSetRadio game and I figured I would finally get around checking what it was about before the year ended. I haven’t finished the game yet. I haven’t played JSR so I can't exactly make a full comparison but through some of its rather painful and counterproductive input mapping/options and some frustrating platforming here and there, BRCF is still a game with a very charming, silly and engaging presentation with its story, art and music.

Robocop: Rogue City

Rogue City is not a perfect game, and a quite short one at that. But it is a really good and enjoyable game for what it is. It's not something I would recommend to someone who hasn’t seen the two first movies as they would absolutely get lost in just what the hell is going on and potentially get spoilers from both movies. While the final battle was a bit underwhelming in contrast to what the plot was potentially leading up to with it and some fights could get absolutely tedious, the game to me is in line with the telltale back to the future game or the atari ghostbusters where it can easily serve as a new chapter for the mainline film franchise but through a really good game.

TOP 5:

#5: Baldur's Gate 3

Don’t get me wrong, Baldur’s gate is an excellent game and a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anyone who likes RPGs of any sorts with ease. But part of the reasons it is so low on my list are, 1, i did not finish it unlike every other game on that list, 2, all of the fun and your will to plan a future character and playthrough is absolutely drained out by the time you reach act 3. I played explorer mode as I am not exactly a tactical rpg person myself and wanted to put more focus on the story, which is absolutely great. Every party member is fantastically written and voiced characters, each with their own tastes, goals and views upon the world and situation around you that makes them very likable and fun to have. Honestly some of the more fun companions i've seen in an rpg. The game really does a great job at emulating the sense of playing through a real DnD campaign with a ton of hilarious optional dialogues and where your actions and picked skills will matter in the end, as well as how you synergize them with the rest of your party (without the dogshit power hungry dm or the potential constant in-fighting of other players), the way you are introduced to most of the main party members so early into the story really helps to that feeling of your DM making a scene to make sure all of the players are quickly gathered together and introducing each others’ characters.

For most of the game creativity with your spells, tools at hand and strategy are absolutely rewarded and if you bring in some friends for co-op it can get hella chaotic for better or worse. But by the time you reach the third arc, the story and paths you can take in combat are really narrowing down and not exactly for the better as each fight and situations you start being put through really ties your ends and forces you to be quite careful and specific with what you do even on the easier modes. It's gotten to a point where I kinda haven’t played the game in a long time because doing literally anything done by that part of the game feels like a goddamn chore. But BG3 is still a fantastic game that I do intend to get around to finishing someday as I still think quite positively of it for the most part.

#4: Hi-Fi Rush

Hi-fi rush is simply a fantastic game. A game that involves platforming and combat while mixing rhythm game mechanics could have easily been a blunder but this game manages to succeed at every aspect it does on top of its fantastic artistic presentation. The art, the animation, the music, the writing… It's all fantastic. The only thing that really left to be desired is the ending kinda falling flat on its message and just going back to the situation the world was in despite the systematic issues still being there but the good guys are on top of it now so that makes it okay i guess? But with that aside, I would say the game might not be for everyone as some of the rhythmic elements can be quite tight and unforgiving in some aspects and fights but overall it was one of the more enjoyable and absolutely hilarious games i’ve played in awhile.

#3: Trepang2

On the surface, Trepang looks like a dull military shooter game with some horror elements that are inspired by FEAR. But the problem is that going into detail about why it is so much more would spoil a fantastic experience that absolutely caught me off guard with how good it was. As someone who has never played FEAR, the combat, if anything, was a lot more reminiscent of Titanfall 2. Sure you don’t have cool giant robots but trust me it makes up for simply how absolutely bonkers and high octane it can get. It just feels absolutely amazing from start to end. This is one of the best single player fps games i have played in a long while and i am absolutely looking forward to the story dlc they have announced coming in 2024. 

#2: Street Fighter 6

I have a love hate relationship with this game. I hate it because this game has caused some severe damage to my hands and at times I had to take a month long break from it because of how much it was starting to hurt. On the other hand, this is one of the most fun, enjoyable and accessible fighting games that I have ever played and definitely my favorite to this day. And i don’t simply mean because of its different control scheme. SF6 does an excellent job at giving all of the information the players need to better understand the game from within the game as well as official reading material like frame data and such provided by the devs themselves. And even if you aren't into fighting games or multiplayer games, I would absolutely still recommend SF6 for its world tour alone. While it does not have the most phenomenal story imaginable, it is a really goofy and enjoyable experience that perfectly blends rpg and fighting game mechanics for all to enjoy. And the best part is that every dlc release comes with free content and the ability to learn techniques from dlc characters you do not even own. Which honestly despite some of its issues with the monetizations is a huge W on the part of the devs regarding this game. Honestly despite some of its issues SF6 is the real first fighting game i started to feel like i was able to take seriously with how much resources and content you get, and it helped me get even closer to some friends as well as meeting some quite friendly people. I love SF6. But what could possibly beat it then?

#1: Pizza Tower

S rank is for Street fighter, which is pretty good. P rank is for Pizza Tower, which is perfection to me. I’ll admit I nearly gave up on this game because of some initial frustrations but pizza tower is a game you can ALWAYS get better at, even if you managed to finish the whole game. The best way to describe it is… it's the best Nintendo game not made by nintendo. Not because it tries to do something fans always wanted or replicated an aesthetic. But it's through just how polished and tightly designed the game is but it does so in a way that doesn’t punish experimentation with all of its crazy movement mechanics and it doesn't try to streamline anything for you except perhaps how player damage is handled, which feels like quite the opposite of what Nintendo does with a lot of its game nowadays. Everything feels so samey, streamlined, slowed down but the dated tired shit like extra lives and such are here to stay and you have to deal with it, while the new fancy stuff rarely brings benefits and usually are more so gimmicky annoyances (at least this is my feeling towards a lot of more recent Kirby games). While the game definitely has some of its downside and it's a quite hard game, it is honestly one of the best 2d platformers I've played and I'd easily put it aside to a game I would deem legendary like DKC2 or Super Mario World. Every level is well defined, well designed, you always get something new and fun at each of them. And that is not even mentioning its absolutely wonderful and hysterical art, animation and this absolute banger of a soundtrack.

I am ultra excited for the upcoming character dlc as it will give me a reason to replay the whole game with some new mechanics to add some spice to it all. Pizza tower is excellent.

[yesloulou]

heya! i’ve noticed that the gifs you make are verryyyyy high quality. i’m new to gif making (literally just downloaded photoshop yesterday 💀). how do you manage to upload your gifs without tumblr compressing it? or i guess, how do you edit your gifs so that it’s a smaller file size?

first of all

😳💖

thank u for the kind words this means so much to me 😳😳😳 and congrats on your new bat mobiel photoshop hope u have the best fun w it!!!

(re: uploading) I don't really do anything special. i just click the lil blue new post button select image and choose the gifs to upload. i think whether or not or how much tumblr compresses our gifs**, as long as they're ok quality they'll be able to withstand it.

(re: file size) i don't think i do anything special either but here's my setting. i stick to 540 px width and don't cut them too long. the only other thing i would change is the number of colors. most of the time i will compromise color for size (i try not to go below 128 colors)

(re: making them good quality) i avoid over-sharpening (pixelation) at allllllll cost. i'll choose under-sharpening over over-sharpening any given day. here is a lil write up from a while back on everything i do to sharpen my gifs.

besides that. since gifs can have 256 colors tops, the more 'neutralized' your gifs are, the less pixelation you get (so that the 256 colors can now all concentrate on bringing out the most realistic skin colors, for example). @ariesrain's gifs (hope you don't mind me using ur gif ariesrain!!) are excellent examples on how eliminating certain colors can make other colors in your gifs butter smooth (you can see the greens in the plants and the blues in the zippers were both neutralized. you also feel like ur looking at daniel ricciardo in person)

on the other hand, @3-13-3's works (hope you don't mind me using ur gif 3-13-3!!) are excellent examples on how giving your gifs more different & saturated colors can bring the liveliness to a maximum

in the end i think it's a matter of finding the right balance and doing things the way you like!! the same goes for gif sizing. some of my gifs look like they're gigantic (vertical) and goes on forever (duration) and have a decent amount of colors (if i do say so myself). in reality they're probably barely 10 colors away from being pixel art. the more extreme you want some factors to be (duration, height, colors), the more time you'll likely need to spend on finding the right balance (to keep it under 10mb). and over time you start to get a sense of which gifs are worthy of trying and which gifs will most likely be lost causes (ie there's no way you can do under 10mb at 9:16 vertical)

**p.s. i just did a lil research re gif compression (downloaded some gifs & compared them to the originals) and i think tumblr actually stopped rehashing (compressing) gifs some time during the last two weeks. With the older ones you can see signs of compression but with the new ones they're literally the exact same gifs down to the pixels. which is honestly good news!!

anyways. i'd be happy to go into more details if you have more questions! again ty for the kind words and for this ask and happy creating!!! 💖

[majormiles]

RULES: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Tagged by @strangenewwords (hey strange!) My list is going to look dismal compared to yours. I only usually have 1 or 2 wips at a time but let's have a look 😅

mk24 week

LOTT

beyond

That's it! I technically have two wips for mckirk week over on @mckirkevents but they are both in the mk24 week and also unnamed, so they get lumped together.

LOTT isn't even fic, that's the first couple chapters of an original novel I'm working on 💛

I also have my USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) crew manifest in here. Which is, you guessed it, an excel document with about 400 characters on it, their ranks, position on the crew, ages, species etc. which I pull all my background crew from when writing fics lol

Tagging 3 people ig! @swordsmans @affixjoy and @existentialcrisistime