#@brotherjake

[mrbigbrother]

HBO's Velma is exactly what Twitter asked for, but regretted getting.

If you told me to write an adult animated series centered on Velma, the first thing that has to be established is the character's flaws. Velma has historically struggled with being sociable. She has rarely been seen in a relationship. She is awkward and has her own insecurities. I would establish this in her before anything else, but the truth is that it has already been established for over 50 years since her creation. Then, I would show her strengths. She is incredibly gifted as a detective. She is very booksmart and is able to read people. She is sweet and kind to her friends. It is an enormously cute aspect to her personality that she struggles with social awkwardness. This makes her relatable. The Velma that we all know is a far more likeable and relatable person than HBO's mean cynical, bitter narcissist that they expect us to accept as the same character. which they are not. Velma is a fan favorite for a reason. She is the most down to earth and human of all the Scooby doo gang. HBO has taken those qualities away from her because the audience they wish to pander to does not possess the same qualities.

I am also not behind any theory that suggests that a children's cartoon character should be gay. She has never been gay in any prior context beyond the assumption by smart asses on the internet suggesting it. These are the same smart asses who also say that Shaggy and Scooby are pot heads. And besides, we all know that the only character in scooby doo that can be gay is Fred. The ascot is more than enough evidence to support this theory. Now, I have seen many of gay characters who are amazing and great characters. So why is Velma suddenly being declared gay now a problem? I'll tell you: it's because she was never gay before, and the only reason to make her gay now, is to pander to a generation that only wants to see themselves depicted, and their lifestyle choices validated, because they haven't a family member that will validate them. It is pure vanity as to why we see homosexuality depicted like this in modern entertainment. And it is always furthest from fact that these depictions are presented to us. The truth behind Velma as a character, is that she is supposed to be the every-woman type. And believe it or not, that means she represents most women as in the 99%. Which means she is not part of 1% of shallow entitled little monsters who hate men, hate other women, use gayness and political stupidity to circumvent any personal growth, and spend their days bitching on twitter about something as stupid as representation. Velma in her original intended form, is a compliment. Her every-woman characterization, believes that the 99% are sweet kind individuals who are deeply gifted with intelligence, intuition, discernment, tenderness and warmth.

These are the very same things that HBO have effectively lobotomized out of Velma, so that she may appeal to a very small portion of mean spirited groups, that cannot even discern their own gender.

There will be brighter days ahead of us. There will be brighter days for Velma and the gang. And we will do like we always did before and speak with our wallets. These corporate micromanaged attempts to appeal to youth culture will fall into obscurity as it is heir to…

As I wrote that bit, I just realized that this cynical and mean spirited show's existence is based on the data collected on the audience it was geared towards. that this show and Velma's depiction is based on what HBO thinks its audience would like. Velma herself is supposed to be the audience she's geared towards. We were all supposed, and even expected to like her and relate to her. However, this show is being rejected in all directions. Why? because it hits too close to home! In a way, HBO's Velma gives the representation it promised to the people who have bombarded studios for years for it.

The problem now, is that they just didn't like what they saw in someone else's mirror.

[timfus]

@brotherjakes food truck is st @hylandheightsbaptistchurch today! The Stromboli is crazy good! They are here until about 1:30. Come get ya some! #pizza #hotdogs #stromboli #goodeats #brotherjakes https://www.instagram.com/p/BxKtVWRAtHP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wavezrmc4fup

[spin-gnome]

(Spinviper)

[mrbigbrother]

You are editing too much. Do this instead,

No amount of editing can make a first draft work. So do this instead.

Simply editing the text of a first draft isn't good enough. The first draft is not the story being told. It is ideas and inspiration hitting the ground. Trying to edit the text of a first draft is like shoveling snow as it falls. It is a complete waste of time. And that means that I have wasted much of my time. But it is better to learn that lesson now than later. You can start working more properly. The first draft cannot be taken as the literal story. You can not write it with the intention of it being read by a paying customer. That is what bad writers do. You can always tell the story better. Just like the first time you tell a joke, it will get the least laughs. But over time, you tell the same joke and you start to get better at the telling and execution. This is a breakthrough, because you don't have to waste your time trying to make first draft text work!

The text of a first draft is sloppy, but filled with inspiration. It's just too raw and unformed like clay. You are writing a first draft, so you can know how to tell the real story in the second draft. So again, it is pointless to edit the first draft text. You write a first draft of a chapter, and then go to sleep. Wake up the next day, and re read the whole chapter again, and now re-tell the chapter from scratch. You already know what's going to happen, so you won't have to worry about making up crap off the top of your head today!

Now you can just focus on the aesthetic of the prose, the pacing and emotions of the scene, and really tell the story, and not just write down a list of things that happened. You keep your first draft simple direct, and to the point. It basically is the outline of the last draft. (there are no second drafts. Just the first draft and the last draft.)

How many times have you ever stopped and read something of yours, and thought, I wish I could reword that or do it over. And you can! There is no law that says that you cannot rewrite what you have already written! You just have to not be lazy, and educate yourself on the process. The first draft is strictly for getting down the ideas, and getting the story that you want to tell prepared to be told in the last draft. And then you tell the story the way it deserves to be told.

[mrbigbrother]

A word of encouragement to Lindsay Ellis

good evening Lindsey Ellis, I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am the opposite of everything you likely ever believed in. I lean right from the center, i don't like anything or anybody, I'm not a published author, my youtube channel is small and it sucks.

I am unfunny, not good looking,have a cringe sense of humor, not exceptionally good at a certain skill, not relatable, and take myself way too seriously.

But here i am writing you this public letter. And it's something that I would like to do more of because there are a few youtubers that i have some condolences to give over the death of what was, and a word of encouragement to what can still be, and still is. so let's get into it.

Lindsey Ellis, even if the likelihood of you actually taking time to read this in its entirety is slim, it will still be here. it has been one hell of a ride huh? I remember your time on that website that we do not talk about anymore and should not be named but it rhymes with Flannel Possum. Those were the days huh! at least before the dark times. of course for some, those were the dark times. But this isn't about rehashing the past. No, it's about moving forward. I just wanted to make clear that I have followed your content from the very beginning. I was an angsty teenager who could recite whole George Carlin stand ups from memory in those days, and it was kind of nice hearing others echoing the same sort of "i wasn't born with enough middle fingers" kind of attitude that got me through those times. I feel very much the same still. Yet more humble. the post-cvid world feels like it's 100 years away from the year 2019, when i had stumbled upon Lindsey's channel and recognized her as "hey it's the Nostalg…"

sorry.

It was a good feeling after the whole #changethechannel. I was gearing up to try and start pursuing writing, and I found the publishing videos you made to be among my favorites that i often still refer to when navigating that labyrinth.

Addressing the bullshit: I mean, i liked the Hobbit movies. I don't think Jk Rowling is a bad person. (she just wrote bad books that I don't understand why adults read them.) So there are plenty of times that I would disagree with you, even strongly on various matters. But you don't have to agree with every opinion someone might have. King Diamond once said that even Christians and Satanists can be just as good of friends if they wanted. And that's what i live by. I'll always hear you out and try to see it from your perspective. And at the very least show respect for it. that is the complete opposite of the current age of discourse.

You were bullied off of the internet for no discernibly good reason. There isn't a good enough reason to do that. Not over an opinion. At this point, Twitter is the fucking Antichrist. It did just like an antichrist would: it connected us all. Now we're receiving the mark of the beast, and the world nears catastrophic doom as we march toward the canyon looking down at our digital tombs, plunging us deeper into the comforts of a new dark age…people need to get off of the internet and just live fucking life.

And Lindsey, I will always, always, respect your decision to do just that. Because this shit is really ruining lives dude. Goddamn, the best thing we ever created is now killing us. Who'da thought right?

The bullshit that you were put through happened and there is no undoing it. There is no need to undo it. You just need to embrace the haters that come from all directions. from the angry incels that stalk your channel, to all of the other angry left wing incels that turned on you the minute they smelled blood in the water, because that's all these self righteous people are: They are the kind that don't get laid and have lots of anger and resentment that ultimately leads to them eating each other, and even eating at themselves. (insert clip of orson welles shark monologue from Lady From Shanghai.)

And i am sorry Lindsey. I mourn with you. It wasn't your fault. Twitter is a lot like The Lottery by Shirley Jackson: It was just your turn fam. Everyone who watches your channel (your real audience), all know what your convictions are and how much they mean to you. But the wounded animal that you tried to help, can and will only bite and maw you to shreds if it can. Its brutal. It's not fair. and it's the truth.

so, where does that leave us, as in you and the audience that I speak for…it leaves us in the same place we are always going to be found at: at our desks and work benches, typing our lives away and shaking our heads at the melodrama in the same damn spirit of George Carlin, Harlan Ellison (and for me) my grandmother who too held her middle fingers up to this world before she died. Only if we are up to it.

the world doesn't get better. you get better.

And Lindsey, from one Tennessee borne to another: I might not be saying this with the right words so forgive me, I'm just a stranger who gets a kick out of your work on my beloved YouTube, that i have had to watch fall into the same spammy soulless content it always does. But your career is an interesting one. Youtube is a lot more interesting, with you in it.

But hey, What do i know. I'm just another late twenties asshole that will linger around who ever will have me until i'm told to fuck off. And the people who dogpiled on you with their unearned moral superiority, just like they have so many others…well you sure told them to fuck off, and that takes a big pair of proverbial balls. That's what I respect. And my word of encouragement to you, is that I genuinely miss your channel and i am not the only one; There's a lot more people who miss you too.

I'm not asking you to come back. But if and when I see you at it again, it will put a smile on my face. (thanos vibe)

From a Fan, and a friend, I wish you well Lindsey Ellis.

coughnostalgiachickcough

Ta Ta - Jake

[mrbigbrother]

Why Doom 3 is a great Horror game.

Few titles that tackle Hell and Demonic creatures really capture the kind of possessed and sinister aesthetics that create the uncanny atmosphere that Doom 3 has. And as far as Hell, I believe that there isn't a more convincing or more scary depiction of Demonic forces at work in modern gaming. I think every gamer has at least one horror game that frightens them more than any other. And Doom 3 is mine. The empty labs and shadow infested level design feels genuinely haunted. If you remove the enemies from the game, the atmosphere alone is so threatening, that it is a relief just to finally shoot an enemy. That is what frightens me most about the game. When we see the threat, and we have a gun to shoot it with, that makes us feel safer. Zombies and Imps, I can kill, thus those don't scare me. What scares me is when i walk into a lab, and there is no sign of life. Just a darkly lit space, where you find some dead scientist's PDA with a recording discussing a horrible event that took place in this very room. And as you walk further into the lab, a faint and eerie sound begins and slowly grows until it is all you can hear against the vacuum of the space.

You are not supposed to be here.

There are lots of little moments like this, where something just feels very wrong, but you don't know what it is. Doom 3 uses its shadowy environment and perfect sound design to create the feeling of danger where there is no visible danger. It reminds me very much of the film The Exorcist. It too had an uncanny atmosphere. And it is this that Id Software must have tapped into. They wanted to create a world that felt possessed by pure evil. An evil that only wants to torment you.

Another famous moment from the game is when you enter a bathroom and find nothing of an immediate threat. But again, something isn't right. There are no bodies. No zombies or imps. And instead of feeling safe and letting your guard down, you end up feeling more scared. You find the mirrors that all public bathrooms have, and when you look too closely into one…It doesn't hurt you, but instead trying to attack you psychologically. The game is messing with you all the time. Keeping you on your toes so you never trust your environment enough to feel safe. And despite it being an FPS game about literal demons from hell invading a space station on mars, it has very good sequences of psychological horror. The marine you play as doesn't speak. I think it keeps with the same spirit as the original Doom. The game doesn't try to scare or horrify us with any sad exposition or any character development about the marine (which he has none), but instead the game by passes the marine, and tries to get under the player's skin. That's what is effective about Doom 3: You don't get to hide behind a big tough marine who rips and tears through hordes of demons. The game comes after you in your very living room.

There's definitely a divide between the Doom community about this game. Most of the fan base just prefers a fun hellish FPS gameplay with heavy metal music and secrets in the levels to hunt down. And the truth is that that same game design is Doom 3 in a nutshell. But this time it is more of a horror game. Which Doom always was a horror game. Only here, it leans more into survival horror. Which isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it surely doesn't earn this game a bad reputation. You're an absolute tool if you think Doom 3 is a bad game for any reason you could possibly give. It was a cutting edge piece of software in its own right, and the game has aged very well. I just wish the fanbase would give the game a chance and play the game on its terms and not their own.

When i was a young teen, bringing a copy of Doom 3 home, was like bringing home a Ouija board or something that you knew you weren't supposed to have. It was like you brought something evil into your home. And let me tell ya, if or when you ever sit down to play Doom 3, here is a challenge: if you want to get the full experience, you must play a version of the game with the original flashlight mechanic, and you must play it alone. And if you're really brave, play it with the lights off. It is an experience unlike any other i have ever had as a fan of video games and horror. And recently Id Software released a VR version of the game, and the idea of playing this game in VR makes me piss my pants. At least Id is still supporting Doom 3.

Like Humor, Fear is subjective. People aren't scared of the same things. Maybe you had a similar experience with Doom 3 or another horror game. Doom 3 is one of only 3 games that scared me so bad, that I had to quit playing, just to eventually try again later. This game has haunted me since I was a kid. Now as an adult, I still get creeped out playing it. And that is why I love it.

[mrbigbrother]

Resident Evil 4 was just remade, and I couldn't care less.

Remakes are getting out of control. We are now remaking games that simply do not need to be remade. It makes no sense to me anymore to do so. It isn't about creativity or even fan service at this point. Remakes have become a niche in the nostalgia hungry market, and the entertainment industry is going to beat this dead horse until it stops spitting out money, and then probably a few more times for good measure.

It's infesting everything from Movies Tv Shows, pretty much everything you ever liked as a kid will be brought back in some form to recapture that part of our happy go lucky money spending lives. And they almost always suck. I am exhausted from these poor efforts from talentless people piggy backing off the works of REAL efforts by the most talented people we ever had.

With all that said, I don't think that all remakes are bad and suck in terms of quality. Gaming especially has had an influx of remakes and remasters that started off as pleasant little surprises before turning into a full blown genre of its own.

So, about Resident Evil 4 (2023)…

Regardless if it's a good game or not, I am just not interested in playing it. I've already seen this chapter of Leon's story and I've been ready for the next one for the last 15 GODDAMN YEARS CAPCOM!

I want to see the next chapter of Leon's story that never truly came. It boggles my mind that Capcom didn't make more games with Leon seeing how huge the real Resident Evil 4 was back then. (RE5) was okay, but it was a disappointment for the fans of the Survival Horror roots of the series. It was a fun game to play with a friend, but a lackluster follow up to what every fan considers the best in the series. (RE6) was a failure in nearly every sense of the word with too many storylines being told at once, too many cringey cutscenes and over the top action that looks silly by this point, and it was just a fucking mess that was so far removed from its survival horror roots, that it was unrecognizable as a Resident Evil game at all.

And we won't even go into the spin off titles that ranged from okay games like Revelations, to the series hitting rock bottom with Operation Racoon City and Umbrella Corp which was of such poor quality, that me and fans like simply said "this is unacceptable."

The series caught a second breath with (RE7) which was a fresh new take on the series that effectively returned it to Survival Horror, and evolved it. (RE7) is a good game that captures everything people love about the series.

And then we finally get a Resident Evil 2 Remake which was a highly requested game among the fanbase. It was a good game too that showed promising things for the franchise, sort of how the remake of the original Resident Evil did with its remake that laid the foundation for what was to be Resident Evil 4 in 2005.

It made me wonder what Capcom had in store. Was this only the beginning of the next masterpiece of the franchise?

None of that would come to be.

Like always, if capcom scores a home run with one game, they will proceed to bat every subsequent pitch the same way every time until striking out, each swing perpetually worse and worse until finally they are just missing every ball. That's what happened from (RE4) through (RE6) And now history seems to be quite literally repeating itself with (RE2remake) through (RE4remake) which means that Capcom have learned nothing, and neither have we…

I will say this…

These games are genuinely high quality products, as always with the main series. But that doesn't mean that they aren't still swings and misses.

Back then, it took one really good hit title to embolden Capcom enough to take the series in a greedy and bad direction that finally led it to Capcom's downfall. (RE2remake was a good game that was followed the very next year with (RE3remake) an okay but very rushed cash grab that failed to fully deliver as a remake and a good game in its own right. (RE8) was a good game if not derivative of (RE7) but at least making enough improvements and serving as a very well done and worthwhile sequel to (RE7).

And now we are here today staring down the pike what is no doubt what is Capcom's gravy train getting ready to pull out on March 24th. (RE4remake) seems to be an attempt to get the best of both worlds. A game that captures both the benefits of being a nostalgia bait remake and an exciting new game that really isn't all that new or exciting…and I have had enough.

I don't care anymore. Feel free to play and enjoy the game if it pleases you. Don't let me spoil it for you.

As for me, I will no doubt be asked by friends and family why I am not participating in the fun, and the reason I will give is the following quote, because I've seen this all happen before and I am not interested in seeing it again:

"Fool me once? shame on you. Fool me twice?? shame on me."

[mrbigbrother]

The Outline is the First Draft is the Outline.

[mrbigbrother]

Is Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral secretly Dante's Inferno?

This is me just interpreting NIN's The Downward Spiral as a staggeringly parallel version of Dante's Inferno. And it will be a very raw and unabridged train of thought that i was having about this. It was honestly very fun to think about and write, but if there's any truth to it, it only deepens my love of both pieces. Let's begin.

Mr self destruct is the character finding himself in a dark wood. the character then tells of his life's journey and how he came to this place. this is the beginning of his Downward Spiral. I believe this to be exactly the same introduction as Dante's inferno.

Piggy is the first circle, Limbo. struck with grief at the lack of God's existence. Or in the character's case, having zero guiding force in his life. no beliefs. and is completely alone. like the unbaptized and virtuous pagans.

Heresy is literally a circle of hell in dante's inferno. heretics and false teachers locked in burning stone coffins. The character is declaring that he has no beliefs any more if ever, and more importantly is attempting to embrace his nihilism because that is all he has left.

March of the pigs might be Wraith, which in inferno is punished by remaining in constant combat on the river of styx. the wrathful as well as the sullen and lazy. It's definitely the most loud and furious of all the tracks. His desire to destroy those he believes had harmed him. "because doesn't it make you feel better?" being ironic in its delivery, possibly meant as he knows he will never satisfy his need for justice with revenge.

Closer has to be none other than Lust. Contorted and blown about by violent winds. The lyrics tell of both male and female. One who submits, and one who dominates. And the character seeks to fulfill his desires, but it seems to come from a very negative and hateful place. "I want to fuck you like an animal", is one of the greatest lyrics i've ever heard. It is as vulgar a phrase that has ever been sung in such a popular song. The character doesn't seem to want to display any kind of loving emotions in sex anymore. he is saying, i want to do this with you but make no mistake, i do not love you. it is a very selfish and ugly malice filled attitude about sex and intimacy. and the animosity comes from the character feeling disgusted at the willingness of whatever person he is addressing, to submit to his disturbing requests and that he sees them as nothing more than an animal. I will concede that this one is the most subjective track on the album, and I don't believe i am anywhere near unraveling its mystery. But one thing is for sure, is that the character is struggling with this part of himself, like all the other parts.

Ruiner is Greed. the greedy are forced to push boulders, and if two souls ever face each other, they must enter a fierce battle. the song seems to refer to an outside force that is Coveting whatever he once or still possessed.

The Becoming is Fraud. this is one i am less sure about. But i think it could be Fraud. if i am able to make a connection, i will update this text.

I do not want this to be gluttony. the last passage in the lyrics: I want to know everything I want to be everywhere I want to fuck everyone in the world I want to do something that matters I want to know everything I want to be everywhere I want to fuck everyone in the world I want to do something that matters. That is definitely gluttony. Hoarders and spenders are all bombarded by black rain and hail. i think this song speaks the most of how meaning itself can be something that you can indulge too greatly in. Sentimentality is at the very soul of hoarding in and of itself.

big man with a big gun is most likely Violence. it is the last song before Reptile, and violence is the last circle before treachery.

A warm place is a separation from hell. Some kind of grace in the middle of it all. A realization. The character has reached the bottom. but before he enters Treachery, which is the chamber containing the Beast, which he refers to as Reptile here, he has a moment to reflect on himself and his life and actions. And the treachery isn't something he did, but what was done to him. the thing that sent him on his downward spiral. Treachery is the worst and most punished of all sins for a reason. and I think this is almost like a beautiful attempt to understand that even tho he has fallen this far, he had not yet reached the lowest depths. Treachery in Dante's inferno, is a large ice cave, so A Warm Place is an interesting title.

Eraser is the entrance. A very disturbing track indeed. This section of the album is more terrifying than the rest. very little lyrics except for a monologue. And speaks from the perspective of an entity not unlike satan in the 9th circle. It is at the bottom, in the center of the spiral. it is cold, and the character is very much in the presence of at least his Beast. There are three songs that take place in this Beast's cage. possibly representing the three sinners who performed the greatest acts of treachery. Eraser is the first track, The Downward Spiral is the last, and in the center is,

Reptile. The character reveals what treachery has led him to this point. the title "Reptile" could be referring to Satan himself from inferno. "She has the blood of Reptiles underneath her skin" refers to a woman. Possibly a lover who had cheated on him. "seeds from a thousand others drip down from within." "angels bleed from the tainted touch of my caress." could also mean that these infidelities resulted in this person contracting an std and thus passed it on to our main character And this is how he would discover her treachery.

Zikes, that is some fucked up shit bro. It is the most vulgar and menacing track on the album. In Dante's Inferno, the beast has scales like all Reptiles do and Satan is at the very center, and is the epitome of Dante's hell. So my guess, is that this Reptile is the very epitome of Trent Reznor's Downward Spiral. The scariest lyric of the entire album being: "i now know the depths i reach are limitless."

Which leads me to The Downward Spiral. makes me think of Judas, which he committed suicide after betraying Jesus. Which is what the character is now considering because he has been betrayed, which has led him to betray himself. He is the Judas of his life, and now sees no way forward. Suicide being his solution. it is the moment the character finds himself head first in the mouth of his Reptile.

Btw, the thing that inspired me to write this, is the very title The Downward Spiral. Because Dante's Inferno is led down in a spiral of circles. Every song is a reference to a circle of hell. and if you look down into the spiral from above, you see the bottom is at the very center of it.

Hurt is him genuinely repenting for all of the harm he has done to himself and others. Yet he is unable to reconcile his past with a future. The most heartbreaking lyric is "beneath the stains of time, the feelings disappear, you are someone else, and i am still right here." Now that he has hit rock bottom of the downward spiral, he makes a desperate attempt to escape it, by suicide…rather or not he has succeeded, is left unclear. but i also wonder if the follow up "The Fragile" could have also been a play on the second book in Dante's Divine Comedy: Purgatorio. which could mean that, he did not die, and is now at the very least made it out of his own hell, and into an endless desert that is Purgatory which is all that would be left when you've lost everything. Which is a good thing. You must wander the desert to search for new meaning. the act itself means there is hope. And Hurt conveys that there is still a part of him that hopes for something better.

In closing: there is a possibility that not only did trent write about the Inferno in his downward spiral, but that The Fragile could be Purgatorio. and the follow up to that "With Teeth" could be Paradiso, which was written during Trent's stay at rehab, while he was trying to get his life together. I have always considered them to be a trilogy of albums with a narrative flowing between the three. I will write further about those albums and the possible connections they have with Dante's Divine Comedy in the future.

[timfus]

Tough to see all the “goodness” happening in this picture, but @hylandheightsbaptistchurch Community Night was awesome! The weather was perfect! Lots of people enjoyed the bounce houses, corn hole, and other games. I was pretty jealous of the massage tent for the teachers, but glad we were able to show them, if just a little, that they are loved and appreciated. Thanks to Hardmans, @chillcitypops @brotherjakes @elcabritos and @dembunzva for bringing their food trucks. So much good food in one place 😁 It was a fun night to be a part of. Might just have to do it again some time 😁 #communitynight #foodtrucks #bouncehouses #cornhole #community #church (at Hyland Heights Baptist Church) https://www.instagram.com/p/B09T98eANya/?igshid=l4g688rmzwdc