#i can for sure see the benefits of using content like that to promote critical thought but it was also kind of weird in retrospect

[liquidstar]

Anyone else who went to highschool in the mid-late 2010s have to learn about a real life murder trial via a true crime podcast as an english assignment or was that just our school

[percahliaweek]

FAQ

What tag should I use?

#percahliaweek should work nicely - you can @ us @percahliaweek so we can reblog your contribution on the corresponding day.

Will you be doing anything on Twitter/other social media?

We considered it! However, as other social media sites have proven unreliable (especially lately), we'll be hosting the event only on Tumblr. However, you're welcome to post your work wherever you like!

Can I do _ for the event?

Yes. Yep. Seriously, so long as it focuses on Perc'ahlia (and is appropriately tagged to avoid spoiling people), you can do it. Cosplay, inspired recipes, beadwork, podfic, go wild! Well, with the caveat that no hateful content will be permitted - don't use a joyous event to rain on someone else's parade or promote hatespeech, alright?

Is NSFW content allowed?

Given the ship in question and just how canonically horny they are for eachother - yes! However, we request that you tag this content as #nsfw and use the appropriate content filter on it. If posting in the Discord server, keep it to the 18+ chat. Be mindful of potential minors in fandom space + people browsing content in public.

I want to participate but haven't watched Campaign 1!

We welcome fans of The Legend of Vox Machina with open arms. As a result, it's requested that campaign fans do their best to avoid spoiling show fans for anything beyond what Season 2 has shown (Umbrasyl's defeat). That means late Campaign 1, the oneshots and any mention of them in other campaigns should be tagged as #cr1 spoilers (using just this tag for simplicity). Show fans, if you want to remain unspoiled, I recommend you block this on Tumblr and mute spoilery channels in the server.

Is there an AO3 collection for the fanfics?

One can definitely be set up closer to the start date!

Does my submission have to fit one of the prompts?

That would be ideal, yes! Anything freeform should be posted on Day 7 for Free/Random prompts. But fitting the prompt can be very loose - maybe you just use the word as a motif, or you take it in an entirely unexpected direction. We want to encourage creativity and fun more than anything else.

I don't know what to do for the Free/Random day!

We have a few recommendations (we are unaffiliated with the websites linked): Random page of the Encyclopedia Exandria Random word generator OTP prompt generator AU generator 

Ghost’s Spell prompts [roll 2d20?]

Wild Magic Surge table

Life events table

If you've made prompt lists and would not mind them being featured here, reach out!

How did you choose the prompts?

Prompts were chosen over a day or two while talking with friends - they were intended to be open-ended enough to allow flexibility while also touching on key elements of the ship! Some obvious ones (ex: courage, heart, that sort of thing) were left out so that, hopefully, they could be included next year. If there's enough interest, future prompts could be chosen via fan poll.

Will this be an annual event?

We sure hope so! Hence optimistically keeping back some prompt ideas for the future. Let's see how this goes ;3

Why late September?

On September 29th, 2016, the Critical Role episode 'Passed Through Fire' aired, which features an iconic Perc'ahlia moment (no spoilers for show fans!). Following Burr's poll on which scene is most iconic for the pairing, we decided to have the week celebrate the anniversary of that episode.

So why did you announce this so early?

Because Maggie has been a gremlin about the idea since April. Also, most fans in this space are adults with jobs and responsibilities - allowing more time to create without a rush benefits everyone.

A Discord server?

We have set up a little server for this event on Discord, mostly to hang out with other Perc'ahlia fans and motivate eachother to work on our respective projects. The current link is HERE - let us know if it's not working!

Who is hosting this?

At the moment the users running this blog are @burr-ell and @blorbologist! If the event expands beyond our abilities, we will look into taking on other users to help out - you'll know if we need a hand <333

Any more questions? Feel free to send in an ask and we'll do our best to answer in a timely manner!

[beaconcoder]

Efficient and Reliable Bulk Email Marketing Services for Business Growth

Anyone with an email address is probably aware of the popularity of mass emails and newsletters. Yet, despite your congested inbox, email marketing is still a largely underused marketing strategy.

We know from experience at Speak that mass emails may have a significant impact on many organizations. That is why, on our content management system, Site Wrench, we offer our own bulk email service called Mass Mail that customers may use.

The Advantages of Mass Email

Reaching a large audience at the affordable rate 

One of the primary benefits of using bulk email is that you can send your message to a huge number of people quickly and for free (or very inexpensively). It is difficult to surpass in terms of value.

If you've ever sent printed direct mail, put an ad in a newspaper, or done any other type of traditional advertising, you understand how costly it can be. You will be hard pressed to find a method of contacting your consumers for less time, money, or effort than an e-blast.

E-Mail provides better insight 

Whether you send out printed direct mail or place a newspaper ad, it's tough to tell how many people viewed your promotional item. To assess the efficacy of that advertisement, you may need to create a campaign-specific phone number or ask individuals how they discovered you when they contact you.

Bulk email provides better insight into what is going on without the added work of going back to measure. You can automatically measure how many people received your email, how many opened it, what buttons or links they clicked on, how much time they spent reading the message, and much more!

The Issues with Bulk Email

Of course, bulk email campaigns are not without their drawbacks. With all of the good they may do, there are certain obstacles and stumbling blocks to be aware of.

Your mail may not be received 

We understand. That's a significant disadvantage. What's the use of sending an email if no one is going to read it before deleting it? It is certainly feasible to manage email campaigns wisely in order to reduce the number of individuals who delete your email before reading it. A good campaign requires both components (strategy and numbers).

A single mail is not likely to result in a massive increase in new business 

Your best hope is to adopt the mentality of "If we get one sale out of this, it will be worth the effort." Rather, it is critical to enter with reasonable expectations.

Consider your personal experience with advertising emails. How frequently do you open them and read them? How frequently do you automatically remove them? How frequently do you go to the bother of unsubscribing from a mailing list? Beacon Coders provide you with the best bulk email marketing services That increase your customer approach.

Email formatting is difficult 

So, now we're going to speak about the technical side of things. Assume you decide to give mass email a fair go. You create a trendy new template, write wonderful text, cross your t's and dot your i's, and eventually push send.

5,000 individuals have your email in their inboxes in a matter of seconds. 5,000 persons received a phone call that said "Hello there... You appear to have received an email. Why not stop what you're doing and come check me out?"

You arrive home, turn on your laptop, open Gmail, and anxiously check your inbox to see what your clients are looking at.

FAQs

What exactly is bulk email marketing?

Bulk email marketing is the practice of sending promotional emails to a large number of individuals at the same time, generally to promote a product, service, or event.

Is there a best way to use a mass email marketing service?

Sure, some best practices for using a bulk email marketing service include gathering email addresses from individuals who have expressed interest in your product or service and have given you permission to contact them. To address subscribers by name and adapt communications to their interests and preferences, use personalization tags.

What kinds of bulk email marketing services are there?

Some popular bulk email marketing services include: Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Campaign Monitor, AWeber and GetResponse.

[johnmasen]

Ad copy is a type of writing that is specifically designed to promote a product or service to potential customers. It is meant to engage and persuade the reader to take action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service. To write effective ad copy, it is important to understand your target audience and craft a message that speaks directly to their needs and desires.

Know Your Target Audience: To write ad copy that resonates with your target audience, you must first understand who they are. Consider their age, gender, income level, education, interests, and pain points. Once you have a clear picture of who your target audience is, you can tailor your ad copy to address their specific needs and desires.

I will write your ad or content to get results CLICK HERE

Highlight the Benefits: People buy products and services to solve problems or improve their lives. When writing ad copy, focus on the benefits of your product or service rather than just listing features. Explain how your product solves a specific problem or enhances the reader’s life. Use vivid language to paint a picture of the benefits and make them feel as though they are missing out by not using your product.

Use Strong and Attention-Grabbing Headlines: The headline of your ad copy is critical, as it is the first thing the reader sees. It should be a statement or question that immediately captures their attention and makes them want to read on. The headline should be short, concise and compelling. Consider using powerful words and attention-grabbing phrases to make your headline stand out.

Use Persuasive Language: The language you use in your ad copy can greatly impact its effectiveness. Use words and phrases that evoke emotions and encourage the reader to take action. For example, words like “limited time offer,” “act now,” and “limited stock” create a sense of urgency and drive the reader to take action.

I will write ad copy that converts like crazy CLICK HERE

Keep it Short and Simple: Ad copy should be brief and to the point. Avoid using complex language or industry jargon that may confuse the reader. Use simple, easy-to-understand language that clearly communicates the benefits of your product or service. Remember, the goal is to engage and persuade the reader, not to overwhelm them with information.

Include a Call to Action: A call to action is an explicit request for the reader to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service. Make sure your call to action is clear and specific, such as “Call now to place your order” or “Sign up today to receive our latest offers.”

Test and Refine: Finally, it’s important to test and refine your ad copy to ensure it is as effective as possible. Try different versions of your ad copy and track the results to see which one resonates best with your target audience. Then, make the necessary adjustments to your ad copy to optimize its effectiveness.

I will write killer ad copy for anything you need from b2b to b2c CLICK HERE

By following these tips, you can write ad copy that captures the reader’s attention, speaks directly to their needs, and encourages them to take action. Effective ad copy is a crucial component of any successful marketing campaign, so invest the time and effort to create ad copy that stands out and drives results.

[sunnyrinusstudies]

Going FOSS: An Intro to Open-Source software for studyblr (and also some privacy related bits)

Source for Header Image

Intro & attempt at TLDR

Hey everyone! Today I’d like to tell y’all something about Open Source Software, and also Why this should matter to you! This’ll probably be the first post of a series I intend to do, because I believe the Studyblr community, even the non-nerd folks, could really benefit from switching some things out in their digital environment. Since this is a long post, I attempted to summarise it below, please do read on if you have the spoons tho!

TLDR?

FOSS stands for “Free and Open Source Software” the “free” part doesn’t necessarily mean it’s free as in free pizza, but mostly means free as in freedom.

There’s a humongous amount of variants on this concept, but the core of FOSS specifically is the four freedoms:

1. To run the program however you want and for whatever you want

2. To study how the program works and to change it in whatever way you want

3. To be able to share it with whomever you feel like

4. To be able to share your modified version with whomever you want

There’s a whole host of software licenses built around these concepts, you can check those out at the Open Source Initiative website, or at Choose A License. Both have a good summary of what they all stand for.

Open Source software is used for a lot of products, nearly every single webserver is an Apache Linux server, Google chrome is built on top of their open source chromium (google is still the devil, but y’know, it’s an example), and even deep deep down, Apple computers run on top of a Linux Kernel. Many more can be listed, but I won’t do that otherwise this isn’t a TLDR anymore.

Now, Why is this important for you? The Open Source Initiative summed it up real nicely already, but heres a short paraphrase:

Control & Security. If software is open source then you can check if it really works the way it does, and to make sure it’s not spying on you. Even if you don’t have the skills for it, someone else who does will be able to check. Also if you don’t like how something works in a program, then you’ll be able to change it or find someone else’s changed version that you like more.

Training. People who want to learn programming can use the code to see what makes programs tick, as well as use it as a guide for their own projects.

Stability. Because everything’s out in the open, that means someone else can take up maintaining a project or make a successor of it, in case the original developers suddenly quit working on it. This is especially important when it’s software that’s absolutely critical for certain tasks.

Community. It’s not just one program. It’s a lot of people working together to make, test, use, and promote a project they really love. Lots of projects end up with a dedicated fanbase that helps support the developers in continuing to work on the software.

I’d like to add one more tho: Privacy, which ties in a lot with the security part. Nowadays with protests going on and everything being online due to the pandemic, folks have been and will be confronted much more with the impact of privacy, and lack thereof. Open Source software means that if any company or group tries to spy on you, then you and anyone who feels like checking, will be able to know and take action on it. Here’s the EFF page on privacy and why it should matter to you

If that got your attention then read on past the readmore button! Or, if nothing else maybe check out the Free and Open Source Software portal on Wikipedia? Or maybe the resources page of the Open Source Initiative?

Terminology: Let’s get that out of the way first

Open Source: The source code that a program is made up of is freely accessible, anyone can look at it and check whether it works well enough or to make sure it doesn’t spy on you.

FOSS: Free and Open Source Software. This doesn’t mean that you don’t need to pay for it, it’s free as in freedom and free speech, not free pizza.

There are four freedoms associated with FOSS:

The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose (freedom 0).

The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others (freedom 2).

The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3).

By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

FLOSS: Free and Libre Open Source Software. This time it is “free” as in free pizza. The “libre” is french for “free” as in freedom.

GRATIS: Sometimes people use this word to mean “free” as in free pizza. Usually alongside “FOSS”

Licenses : A license is something that tells others what they can or cannot do with your code. Licenses also apply to art and literature, those are copyright licenses. There are many different software licenses and I’m not going to be able to list them all.

The biggest players however are:

Apache License 2.0

The 3-Clause BSD License

GNU General Public License (also known as GPL)

MIT License

Mozilla Public License 2.0

There’s even more and you can find a list of them Here on the Open Source Initiative site There’s so many licenses that there’s even a Choose A License site, where you can pick a license depending on what you want it to achieve

Who and/or what even uses open source software?

You don’t need to be some nerd to benefit from Open Source software, in fact, you’re using open source software right now! The biggest example is the whole entire internet. Websites are stored on servers, and nearly every single webserver is a Linux server. The second biggest browser Firefox is open source, and even google chrome is built on top of “chromium” an open source base. If you dont use an iPhone, then you’re probably on an Android phone. Guess what? Android is part of the Android Open Source Project, which is then built upon a GNU/Linux base. All Open Source. Chromebooks? Built on top of a Linux kernel (like a non-patented engine you could put into any motor vehicle you’d like). Heck, even Apple computers are, at their core, built on top of a Linux kernel.

Neat apps you may wanna check out!

I’ve made a little list of apps that might be especially useful for studyblr folks, but depending on how well this post does I’ll probably make some more posts for specific apps.

TiddlyWiki, has a bajillion different ways to organise your thoughts, and also a lot of variant builds out there. Check out their table of contents if you feel lost! There’s versions available for most big browsers, as well as windows, linux, mac, android, and iOS.

AnyType, is an app that looks and almost exactly like notion, but is much more decentralised. They’re currently still in development but if you want to support them, sign up for early access and give them some feedback so they know what works and doesn’t! They’re still in closed alpha, but are intending to give beta access to about 100 folks at a time throughout 2021, so please sign up if this looks interesting to you!

Trilium Notes, is slightly more like a “notebook”, however you can arrange your notes in nearly infinitely deep folders. You can use things like Relation Maps & Link Maps to visualise your notes and how they go together. There’s even more they do and I just cant list it all, so go check out their stuff for a more comprehensive overview! Works on windows, linux, and (unsupported) mac

LibreOffice and ONLYOFFICE are two office suites that function just as well as micro$oft office, often Even Better in my experience. I’ve used LibreOffice for years now and honestly? never going back. OnlyOffice is technically free (as in pizza), but it’s a slight hassle to get everything set up, cause you need to set it up on a server. They have a paid and hosted version available with educational discounts, but honestly i’d go with LibreOffice.

OnePile, is an app I haven’t used myself since it only runs on Apple stuff. But I’ve heard a lot of good things about it so that’s why it’s in here. It looks like it works similar to most general “note taking notebook” apps. Looks really pretty too honestly.

EtherPad, is similar to ONLYOFFICE, however this one’s a lot more focused on specifically text documents. Works with real-time collaboration which is really neat.

Anything that FramaSoft has going on. They’re a non-profit organisation, dedicated to promoting digital freedom. A lot of open source cloud related things are not really useful to people who don’t have the time and/or money to set up a whole-ass server. That’s where FramaSoft comes in, they do it for you. Just about everything they offer (here’s a full overview) are free (as in free pizza). They also have a separate site to help you get started!

It’s not free to run it all on their side, so if you find yourself interested in using their services please try to support them any way you monetarily can! (they even have a “minetest” server (not minecraft, deeeefinitely not minecraft))

Joplin!! Which is also what I used to write this post so I wouldn’t have to use The Tumble’s post writing thing. It’s good for taking notes, has a bunch of neat plug-ins, and can also sync with a variety of cloud services!

Nextcloud For if you want to go just that little bit further on the open source and the privacy. Nextcloud has honestly way too many features for me to list, but the important parts are that it’s a nigh perfect replacement for office365, and probably even GSuite. The one caveat is that you either gotta host it yourself, or get someone else to host it for you. Framasoft (mentioned above), has a nextcloud instance. It works on just about every single platform, and can integrate with an absurd amount of services. Here’s a list of providers that work with nextcloud, and what different apps they have installed on their server.

I personally use Disroot, because they’re a local (as in, my country) non-profit that offer about 2gb of free storage, and then for about 15 cents per GB per month you can get more storage if you want. They also have an email service which is hella neat. Their one main rule is Do Not Use For Business Purposes, because they’re here to help the individual folks, not companies.

Neat Links you may also want to look at!

Here are some sources, and also resources that I used for this post. There’s also some stuff here that I think folks may be interested in in general.

General Wikipedia Article on Open Source Software

The Free and Open Source Software portal on Wikipedia

Resources page of the Open Source Initiative

Free Software Foundation definition of “free software”

itsfoss page on what FOSS means

itsfoss page on the history of FOSS

Open Source Software Foundation list of projects and apps they really like

Open Source Initiative on “the open source way”, and how it goes beyond software

Check out literally anything the Electronic Frontier Foundation has going on maybe?

TED talk on privacy and why it’s important

The Surveillance Self Defense project by the EFF

This EFF page on privacy for students

ExpressVPN article on privacy (not necessarily endorsing this company, just a good article)

What’s next?

I’ll probably make some more posts on specific kinds of software that I think folks may like. Or maybe a general overview on the more privacy forcused reasons and solutions for doing all of this.

Future post ideas, none of these are set in stone:

Open source Note taking apps

Replacements for just about Every Single google service I can think of

My personal setup

Open source / privacy conscious social media that studyblr folks may be into

Chatting, Calling, Videocalling: Discord and whatsapp alternatives etc

??? More studyblr apps that could do with a FOSS alternative??

How to support open source when you’re not a big fudgin nerd

How to be better at digital privacy and security, while still maintaining that studyblr aesthetic

Apps, software, other stuff, for specific areas of study maybe?

Feel free to suggest other ideas! Or leave feedback! This is my first big resource post so I wanna know if/how I can do better when I make another one!

[anonymoushouseplantfan]

Anons on How the War Is Going (March 10, 2021)...

One big reveal from this debacle for me was how truly powerful celebrities are. I always used to ignore the celeb news because I thought they were silly or irrelevant, but wow. This has truly opened my eyes.

I’m not surprised. He stands to loose a ton of jobs if he stands by what he says.

That’s one factor. The royals can’t defend themselves, but they can usually speak through images and events. They can’t do that right now. It’s just zoom calls.

The battle is still going on, imo, and it’s going to be long and drawn-out. I don’t think anyone has “won” yet.  The impact of racism claims may be diluted nowadays (I’m honestly not sure), but it’s still incendiary, particularly when the claim is that titles and security were withheld because of skin color.

Thanks! I doubt any of it will “sink her” but it does erode her claims.

Absolutely not. That’s the benefit of having followed this since the beginning and having made up my mind early on as to what kind of person she was. This whole experience has taught me the value of being a very critical and judicious consumer of news and information. It’s so easy to bend the truth and manipulate, by for example trading favors with celebrities so they will back up your lies when the time comes. Once you see how the sausage is made, you can’t unsee it.

And that’s what this all is. Meghan put the royal brand at the disposal of a lot of celebrities, confident that they would eventually return the favor and they did.

Hillary got to visit Frog Cott and see the baby while she was promoting a book, Beyonce/Disney got a royal visit at their premiere, Suits and NBC got to use the brf to promote their show (even before she got the ring!) and invites to the wedding, Serena got her fashion line perched, CBS got exclusive content, Oprah got a wedding invite and a chance to promote her Apple deal...

I’m not one bit surprised they are all now paying back the favors. I expected them to. We were all wondering where the #celeebritydefensesquad was. 

The one thing that did surprise and dismay me was the White House. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because Meghan did get-out-the-vote for them, but I still expected them to stay above the fray. Now I know better.

Yes, “transactional” is the right word. And it is very disappointing to see people who actually have achievements and substance to defending this pitiful simulacrum. However, that’s how the world works now. 

BTW, I wouldn’t be surprised if the “animated series” Meghan is working on is based on Hillary’s book. Like you say, it’s all transactional at this point.

[withteeths]

Maybe Steamrolling Games is Bad Actually

Videogames are unique in that they are inextricably tied to corporatism and have been since birth (this is an oversimplification but roll with it). This means that to an extent most companies even since the ’80s have never really cared about proper preservation or easy access to their titles. Nintendo carts were originally manufactured to have their battery die in 3 years so you would have to buy a new one (this failed, but it’s why you still see a lot of dead carts floating around). I think there's a nostalgia issue within the gaming fandom regarding "oh x was great back then" but a lot of the time, games manufacturers have been historically shitty and anti-consumer and it’s just that they now have the tools to execute it much more effectively. Regarding obtrusive DRM, that’s an issue PC games have had since their zenith, where if you lost your original copy of a manual or a small plastic key you could never play a game again because the codes were individualized for each copy and support would refuse to give you a new one. Even back in the arcades, there were particularly batshit examples like the CPS board, which I shit you not was built to explode a battery pack filled with corrosive acid if it detected you were attempting to repair or modify it. There’s a lot to say about the current state of games but what I would likely illustrate is that 2/3 major consoles are racing to decide who will be obsolete first. Games consoles are reaching a point where they are trying to emulate PCs with more restrictions and DRM. We're already seeing interest in steam spike again and it’s likely that eventually, we will see almost a crash for consoles where no one can justify the price for games they can play on a PC rig. The only solution I see there would be a merger between the two consoles which feels inevitable. 

That being said as interest in the PC space increases again so does attempts at entering the bubble. We have Epic, Origin, Microsoft, Indiegala, Itchio, and Steam all vying for attention, requiring accounts, and offering exclusives to justify the use of their storefront over others. Some people think this is a good thing because it's breaking up Steam's monopoly but it literally is not, if you ever really wanna hear me rant ask me about Leftist obsession with itch being some sort of ethical steam, which it is provably not. In the end, the real sort of saviour figures that work to preserve games are random ass people on the internet. I know people who automatically assume that at the end of the day, companies care about games preservation too, and they usually have a three-pronged argument that cites a) Steam’s ability to allow the redownloading of delisted games, b) retro companies periodically rereleasing titles for modern consoles in compilations, and c) companies doing limited reruns of a game that fans request. All three of these examples are basically an incredibly effective use of diversionary tactics, but most of the time when someone cites these I just assume it’s a misunderstanding and not outright malicious intent because a lot of the time companies will attempt to actively implant these ideas to build brand loyalty.

My main dissertation is usually that Steam is incredibly selective with what titles you can redownload, and most importantly, corporate benevolence is more-so a band-aid on a gaping wound! There’s no contingency for when Steam might migrate to a new service, go belly up, or become obsolete when a new OS is created. That means thousands, tens of thousands of dollars worth of games are just gone, permanently, along with fan mods, DLC, and content. It’s a terrifying thought that not many people bring up when discussing the problems with game storefronts that focus so much on providing a cloud and have DRM attached to every purchase. In a way, Steam preceded the trend of not allowing consumers to actually own the things they purchased, and they’ve avoided criticism by strategic use of silence and creating the illusion of a company being made by the consumers they’re attempting to serve. At the end of the day, Steam is a business, and if you ever lose access to your Steam account, or they decide to up and leave one day, you will not be able to play almost all of those games, even if you have them installed on a hard drive, because if you’re online, they connect with a server to ensure your steam account has the ability to play them. When it comes to other arguments like the limited rereleases or use of compilations to preserve arcade titles, I usually just beg people to look at community-driven options that have existed for years. The Scott Pilgrim game is a big source of contention, but I would point out that for years now, it was playable, for free, with all the DLC, on PCs. Preservationists didn’t wait for the gods of Universal and O’Malley to rerelease it for 30 bucks or save up to snatch the fucking ridiculous 200$ limited edition with shitty paper cut-outs, they straight up just did the work to make the game free and available. RCPS3 has (with a contemporary build) been able to run the game pretty flawlessly for years now, in fact, it was how I played through a majority of the game in high school on my shitty brick of a laptop. If you look further out than this one example then it gets even better, MAME and other emulation backends have been able to play obscure, unfinished, and homebrew titles with 100% accuracy, on almost any setup, for free, for decades! I found out about many of these options back in 2015 or so, certainly late to the curve, but I never really questioned as to why emulation, games preservation, and some key titles being available on PC remained some sort of arcane, unknown knowledge to most people interested in games. In the end, the answer was a highly effective propaganda campaign that combined with strategic use of DMCA takedowns has resulted in the concept of communal games-preservation and emulation becoming some sort of debate, where people will wholeheartedly side with corporations in some sort of quest for preserving things the “ethical and correct way,” which is code for preservation on the condition that it remains profitable for the IP owners.

 I think the best way to illustrate this would be with the community built around the preservation of an infamous PS4 title, PT. The story of its inevitable delisting from the storefront and the messy breakup between Kojima and Konami is well known, so I won’t regurgitate it, look it up at your own leisure. What is significant here is corporate reactions to attempts at preserving the game, which can basically be boiled down to Konami acting with borderline rabid fervour to prevent redownload, redistribution, or recreation of a seven-year-old demo, released for free download. Mentions of solutions to redownload the game have been taken down, fan-made recreations for PC, and archival servers that store a copy of the game for future preservation or emulation. Usually when this is brought up a debate occurs citing that technically speaking, Konami has a right to do this whenever they want, for whatever piece of media they believe infringes on their copyright. On one hand, yes this argument is factually correct considering the current state of copyright and ownership of media, but on the other hand, what compels someone to step into the ring for a multi-million dollar company with the primary argument being “well actually, people SHOULDN’T be able to play this specific video game until it benefits the shareholders”? In my opinion, it’s some sort of corporatized symbiosis where players believe that, if you cull the bad actors and play by the rules of the company, you may be able to eventually play the game a couple of years down the line. Sure, this has happened in the past with a few isolated cases, but it can’t be stressed enough that this is a genuinely dangerous and reductive position for people to take regarding games preservation.

 I have two colleagues, Mariken and Fotocopiadora, who released a short interactive title called Videopulp (playable here: https://fotocopiadora.itch.io/videopulp). It’s a dramatic reimagining of a real historical event, wherein a promotional event was held in 1994 at Lelystad to destroy bootleg carts by a figure in a Mario costume. This perhaps best encapsulates something I am pleading with younger generations to understand, as an archivist, art historian, and creator: corporations are not your friends, and they never will be. With the rise of online circles of leftism, this concept is starting to gain traction but is starting to be polluted with concepts of fandom and tribalism. This has lead to arguments that while *most* corporations are bad how could you say that about Nintendo? Or Valve? Mario is so innocent and characters like Wheatley are beloved by all! I feel some people don’t realize that they can enjoy a select title or character without enlisting in a corporate faction in the battle for “best company” or “best videogame”. It leads to a parasocial kinship with a nonexistent figure that was hand-crafted to ensure consumer loyalty to a certain brand. It’s depressing, terrifying, and should stand as a disquieting example of how the grip of capitalism on works of art has permanently distorted how we think and engage with media today. So, what’s the solution? As always I can never really provide something concrete that’ll act as a cure-all, only things that people in games need to work towards. Bring up conversations about games preservation, create archives for your own work, support archivists and boost their work whenever a new discovery is created, and try to promote optimism and solidarity in your hobbyist communities. I’ve noticed a lot of futility being intertwined with the future of AAA gaming, use of online storefronts, and the inability to own pieces of media anymore, and I feel this should be pushed back against, even in a minute way. Open-source programmes still exist that allow you to hold on to what you have purchased, offline and ad-free options exist for games launchers, e-readers, and media players. The future isn’t bright, but it is not a place without hope, and as long as people continue to enter communities with passion and ingenuity, I think we have a chance at stopping the events at Lelystad, 1994 from happening again. 

[glamfellens]

this post is about recent events in the dragon age fandom and i feel the need, as a white fan, to use my platform and speak up. i apologise for not doing this sooner. i havent been around for the last couple of days but i want to make my stance known. i'm probably not saying anything that hasn't been said at this point, and i urge you to read these posts before you read mine, because it's important that we start listening to bipoc in this fandom, and as white people and fans, to use our platforms to promote their voices.

the ongoing fandom racism and racism present in the dragon age source material isnt a conversation. it's a reality. it isn't something that bipoc can ignore or opt out of because they don't feel like participating. whether direct or indirect it's a part of their lives, in and out of fandom, online and offline and as white people who benefit and contribute to and from this system, knowingly or unknowingly, it's the least we can do to support bipoc to make sure they feel safe.

racism in this fandom isn't just limited to outward declarations of hatred for nonwhite people. it manifests through all sorts of biases that show in the content you create. whether it's whitewashing, having a character of colour act like a stereotype or appropriating elements from different cultures because you think it looks cool. these are of course only a few examples.

being open to criticism is a good thing but it isn't enough to limit the ways in which you can be contacted, making an already difficult situation even more difficult. it is also our job to educate ourselves. bipoc arent walking search engines, their indentities don't exist solely around racism. it is not their job to educate us. "i can't fix something i don't see" isn't helpful. it's passive aggressive and unnecessary. you've said you're open to criticism, that you will move forwards with more of a care and more thoughtfulness regarding these issues brought to you. that's all you need to say. listen and just do better. we all have to do better

[theliterarywolf]

The Devil All The Time

A.K.A. - ‘Damn, damn, damn, DAMN, Robert Pattinson! Why’d you have to go and insult that poor old lady’s chicken, huh?!’

A.K.A. - ‘This is Christianity on sheer Misanthrophy and Southern moonshine!’ 

A.K.A. - ‘Oh, that escalated qui -- OH! That escalated q -- OH! THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY!!’

A.K.A. - ‘I have never been happier to see someone get shot.’

Netflix is going through a bit of an identity crisis right now. I’m sure that no one would argue that. It seems on one hand they want to be everything wrong with Hollywood: wanting more to be able to say they’re diverse than promoting good content in some cases, enabling pedophilia in some awful, awful regards, and just making questionable decisions overall. On the other hand, they’re one of the few windows for animation to shine in the wake of Network television aiming more towards randomized, comedy-based cartoons. And on a foot, they’re one of the largest fugitives of the crime ‘Snatching Up Streaming Rights to Properties and Either Mismanaging Them or Locking Them Up in Jail for Several Months After They’ve Premiered Elsewhere’. 

However, even with all of that in mind, they do still try to make quality films.

... And then, after they torture people with shit like Tall Girl or The Kissing Booth, they release something like The Devil All The Time. 

I know that it’s based on a novel of the same name, the movie is even narrated by the novel’s author. However I have yet to read said novel so I can’t vouch for which is better. 

What I can say, however, is that this is probably not a film for the light of heart. Personally, I was fine. Yes, even with my ‘oh, that escalated quickly’ quoting, it wasn’t anything that sent me reaching for the remote but I know that my tolerance for the dark and visceral tends to be higher than most.

Let’s take a closer look, though, shall we?

The movie centers around several clusters of characters in 1960s rural Ohio. Well, actually, the film starts near the end of WWII but that’s of short consequence... Aside from, you know, giving us our first focus character. 

I don’t want to go too much into spoilers, even with the ‘Read More’ because I do feel as though the movie is best gone into raw. Though I will focus on several aspects I see discussed by critics and film junkies online. 

‘I can’t take the movie seriously because I see these actors and just see their superhero/Marvel roles~!’ 

Well, sucks to suck for you. Me, personally, I’m not a fan of superhero movies so even though I know that Tom Holland is the baby-face of Peter Parker or that Robert Pattinson is due to play Batman soon, it didn’t detract from me focusing on their roles in this movie. 

‘The accents are just... So bad.’ 

In the case of Tom Holland, there are sometimes where he slips up. But I didn’t notice them enough to pull me out of the film. The real case of off accents comes with Robert Pattinson’s performance. However, even that can be justified with the character he’s playing and the metanarrative of him being a charlatan using religion to dupe the vulnerable and naive pieces of the flock. 

‘I just couldn’t stand all that narration!’

I’m probably the odd one out on this because the narration didn’t bother me as much as it did others. Were there times where it felt like it was just there to hold people’s hands as to what character’s may be thinking? A few, but even then I felt that the narrator added to the overall piece rather than detracted. Especially during the end.

‘It’s gory for no reason~’ 

No it’s not. Sit down. 

Although, I will say that there were a good amount of teenagers who wanted to watch the movie because they see Tom Holland and Sebastian Stan and their brains switch into ‘Oh, accessible MCU superhero’ mode. Don’t... do that. That’s the type of stuff that makes it hard for actors to break away from being typecasted for the rest of their careers (hell, how many people are still clowning on Robert Pattinson for playing Edward despite him doing nothing but showing his range over the years?)

The film has really good cinematography as well. It’s not in the same vein as artistic films that I like but it goes miles in regards of conveying the sweltering, humid, grungy atmosphere of rural living. 

The performances and writing do a great job of making you determined to see the whole thing through, even when the gore effects make themselves known. 

And, as I said in the beginning, the people who do end up meeting their end via a bullet in this film? You feel elated at them doing so. 

Would I recommend this movie? Yes, but with some hesitations. Obviously not to people who are sensitive to blood or violence. Maybe not to people who get up in arms about any unsavory depiction of religion in media. And probably not to people who would spend every ten minutes going ‘this some of that crazy, dumb white people shit’. 

But to those who can appreciate character-driven set-pieces that use dark themes to their benefit?

All in all, I’d give The Devil All The Time an 8.5/10.

[thejustmaiden]

Why do you think Sunrise did that event in with Sesshomaru and Rin's VAs mirroring InuKag? They have already done that CD Drama, do you think they did that to give hope to the shippers? What if after so many hints, if they reveal in the anime that Sessrin isn't canon, aren't the shippers gonna be disapointed? This may be a dumb question and your answers are always smart and well-articulated, but i seriously don't understand their marketing strategy, do you care to explain for me?

Oh, hey there! I appreciate all the love you've been leaving on my blogs lately. I really hope I'm able to give you an answer you're satisfied with. Sorry it took some time to get back to you. I hope this makes up for it. 🙏

I'm not gonna lie, I'm up and down about how I feel about that livestream and what it means for the future of this ship. My brain has been on roller coaster mode since basically the moment the sequel was announced. We're in the home stretch now, and we better get the answers WE WANT the second that sequel comes out. Since it's evidently not going to happen anytime sooner- welp!

Before the livestream aired, I really thought us fans were on the verge of discovering the mom and that it was going to be Rin. We still had hope she wasn't, but at the same time most of us antis were "bracing for impact." lol

Then nothing happened.

We were pretty shocked but obviously relieved. The days before it came out, I was telling others (as well as myself lol) that just because Sesshomaru and Rin's VAs had a livestream together doesn't confirm anything. Besides, why does that have to automatically mean that both pairings need to be romantic? We all know how integral these characters are/were to each other's storylines, so these pairings make the most logical sense, wouldn't you say?

In the previous livestream with the voice actors who play Inuyasha and Kagome, they discuss the new character Moroha and introduce her as Inuyasha AND Kagome's daughter. Now let's compare that to the other livestream with Sesshomaru and Rin's VAs. When they described Towa and Setsuna, they did so as Sesshomaru's daughters NOT Sesshomaru and Rin's daughters. That to me is the most telling piece of evidence.

Like how could they not use that prime opportunity to tell us Rin's the mom when her voice actor was literally sitting right there??! We were all expecting it and they still insisted on giving us nothing! What this tells me is that it's possible this mom is a new character, and it even appears she is quite pivotal to the new series. I keep changing my opinion on that part though to be honest with you, because sometimes I think she won't be important at all in the grand scheme of things. (See what I mean about being up and down? lol) Idk about you, but it seems to me like we haven't even met her character. If it was Rin, why keep it a mystery? It's not like Sessrin's popularity is exactly a secret in this fandom. Why wait until the big reveal if it's "so obvious" in the first place? How does Sunrise benefit from hiding this information?

If it does end up being Rin, it would've been better to just come out and say it. If this ain't just pure fanbait like some of us still hope it is, why hold back? Give 'em what they want already and let us antis be at peace. If they hope to think that I'll change my mind and give this sequel a go just because I've waited this long so might as well, they're sorely mistaken. If anything, I'm going to be pissed they kept us in the dark this long when they could've just saved us all the trouble. I imagine that goes for a lot of us, shippers and antis alike. Whatever way you look at it, I won't be invested in this sequel if Sessrin goes canon- period. I cannot and will not be on board with a series that promotes such a harmful and insulting dynamic.

Which brings us to Sunrise's marketing strategy. Well, I definitely think they have been catering to the fans of this ship for quite some time now. Because, ya know, money. Whether that's because they plan to make this ship canon or not remains to be seen. "Show meee the moneeeeyyyy!" *yells in Jerry Maguire*

There was first the drama cd and more recently that calendar which included art of adult!Rin with Sesshomaru, but neither of those are canon first off. Also, does anyone know if it was actually confirmed to be pro-Sessrin fan art? I mean, I know it doesn't look very good when the artist who made it is a Sessrin shipper and certain fans are fawning over their OTP, but that doesn't necessarily mean the calender automatically is either last I checked. I wonder why it can't simply be Rin as an adult visiting with Sesshomaru. I believe in one picture she's seen giving him a flower, much like little Rin would've done, or just as any child does for a loved one. So if Rin is still bringing him flowers as an adult, I would assume that means their relationship dynamic hasn't changed at all. That's what's supposed to happen, too! If an adult's relationship was established with another person while they were just a child, then that adult will always view them as a child no matter what and vice versa. Even when those children become grown-ups, that won't change. That's just how things are, or how they're supposed to be rather. In other words, a normal healthy adult-child bond does not resemble one like Sessrin.

Both Sessrin fans and antis agree there haven't been any romantic implications between Sesshomaru and Rin in the original series. That's why I can't understand for the life of me why we're even having this discussion. Alas, here we are. This is what happens when society has conditioned us to believe that the only proper (aka "best") way an adult male and a young female's closeness can evolve is with romance. So maybe it's not obvious at first (because that would be illegal), but we should EXPECT their relationship to shift in that direction. Why, you ask? Well, simply because sexualizing young girls is the norm so why not, right? No clues or foreshadowing required! Because like I just said, that would be illegal. Fiction has loopholes for this kinda stuff, so problem solved?

Nope! Aging her up counts too, folks! When you look at a girl character and the first thing you think is, "I can't wait till she grows up so she can f*ck" then, yeah, you're a part of the problem. You may not realize it, but you are. That's not to say you're a bad person or that it's even your fault, just saying that there are times in all of our lives where we start to question some of our beliefs. If you not only support but desire the idea of a romance eventually forming between a grown man- yes, 19 is an adult- and a young girl, then you should probably ask yourself why that may be and re-evaluate. Please stop using cultural differences and history that dates back almost a thousand years to justify this so-called tradition.

"You all shouldn't think too deeply about this, it's just fiction! Ugh, you're ruining the fun! Antis should all just shut up! Only we can have problems, but when you do it's just complaining!"

Right....

And by the way, most of us are not even complaining. We're being critical of the content we're watching. Criticism isn't always pretty unfortunately.

If Sunrise and Rumiko do decide to go through with this, then I will disappointed, sure, but not surprised. Romanticizing these sexualized images of young or pre-pubescent girls has been happening for far too long, after all. We've become desensitized to it sadly enough, especially when the media continues to glorify it. I wish we'd realize how many young girls- or minors in general- we're putting in danger by sending messages such as this.

To you young teenage girls and even boys reading this, you may not fully understand right now, but it's never okay for anyone to tell you that your body being sexualized is a natural and beautiful thing. It's going through through a lot changes at your age, yes, but they should never use your curiosity to satisfy their sexual needs. Don't allow some of these stories to be an example of what is acceptable to occur in your own life if you were ever to encounter a similar situation, especially if fiction is all that you have to compare it to. It is not in any way, shape, or form okay for an adult to say or do sexual/romantic things to you. Even a conversation that may seem harmless at first could have dire consequences. No, not even if you trust them and they're one of your favorite people in this world are these things ever appropriate. What they're asking from you or showing you is dangerous, and even if it doesn't seem like it they are very likely taking advantage of you. If you're ever unsure about something, don't hesitate to come to me. Or maybe you have a loved one that you can go to, that works too. 😊

Idk if I even gave you a definite answer, but perhaps it's because I'm still figuring it out myself. If I ever do, ha! I hope by allowing you to get inside my head for a little bit you got a better idea. Or maybe not, and I just made it more confusing for you. Oops! lol Feel free to hit me up again, dear, and have a nice day/night!! 👋

[weekendwarriorblog]

SCOOB! Review: A Worthy Update That Pays Suitable Tribute to the Hanna-Barbera of Olde

You know what? I might as well write a full review, as it’s been almost two months since I wrote one outside of my column. Cool?

There’s a small part me that feels like I need to knock a few rating points off this review right off the bat even before starting to watch it. Warner Bros. didn’t give critics too many options to watch the movie on a suitably-sized screen. I don’t have a Roku or an Apple TV, so I had to watch it on my tiny Android screen. I tried hard to not allow that to affect my enjoyment or judgment of the movie. We’ll see how that goes.

Like anyone who has ever been a kid, I loved the Scooby-Doo cartoons but also generally liked what Hanna Barbera had been doing with most of their output. In the decades since then, Warner Bros. has spent most of its time promoting Scooby-Doo in various configurations, including recent DVD-only movies teaming the characters with WWE superstars.

I was almost ready to instantly hate SCOOB!, merely because it started in California and introduced Shaggy as a typical modern-day kid, but at the same time, we meet his future canine best friend, as he’s in the middle of a madhouse caper involving stealing a gyro. After becoming fast friends, we see Shaggy and Scooby go out Trick or Treating, and that’s when they first meet Fred, Daphne and Velma -- dressed as Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Pretty soon , they’re solving their first case with all the usual entrapments and a new version of the theme song that’s been made hipper for the kiddies.

Fortunately, we don’t spend too much time with Mystery, Inc. as kids before we get the more familiar versions, voiced by Will Forte (Shaggy), Zac Efron (Fred), Amanda Seyfried (Daphne) and Gina Rodriguez (Velma). (Long-time voice actor Frank Welker continues to voice Scooby as he has done so for the past few decades.)

We then watch Shaggy and Scooby being chased by bowling balls that turn into mechanical scorpion robot thingies. It’s also where things pick up with the entrance of Mark Wahlberg, voicing the superhero Blue Falcon and his partners Dyno-Mutt, the Dog Wonder (voiced by Ken Jeong) and Dee Dee Skyes (Kiersey Clemons). They work together with Shaggy and Scoob to face the sinister Dick Dastardly (voiced by Jason Isaacs), as they go looking for three skulls which Dastardly hopes to use in a nefarious bad guy plot that’s pretty easy to follow.

SCOOB’s 3D animation is quite good and the movie particularly succeeds at keeping things moving with almost non-stop action set pieces. There’s no denying Scooby-Doo as a concept works better as a fully-animated movie than it does as the live action-CG hybrid we’ve seen previously.  SCOOB! also benefits from the addition of a few nice surprises in terms of cameos. Director Tony Cervone and the half dozen or so writers that put this together clearly know their stuff when it comes to Hanna-Barbera.

Cervone also did a great job with all the voice casting with Will Forte’s impeccable impression of the original Shaggy voice actor, and Mark Wahlberg and Ken Jeong – who can be hit or miss at times – actually bring a lot to their respective heroes. Playing a baddie is nothing new to Isaacs, but he brings so much to Dick Dastardly even compared to the original voice actor.

Even though a lot of the jokes are clearly meant for older viewers i.e. parents, I’m not sure many of them are particularly inventive or even that funny, often going for the lowest hanging fruit.  To some, SCOOB may also seem a little cookie cutter at times, especially in terms of how it deals with the relationship between Shaggy and Scooby once the Blue Falcon enters the picture

It’s hard to discern whether seeing this with an audience of kids in a theater would have added much to the experience, although the animation is definitely worthy of seeing on the biggest screen you can find. Essentially, it’s a longer version of the cartoon with more modern-day references and music that could allow SCOOB! to sit along all sorts of other content that will be on the upcoming HBO Max for decades to come.

Basically, SCOOB is the Scooby-Doo most will already know and love but as an extended adventure set in present day to appeal to newer and younger viewers. You can’t really complain about that.

Rating: 7/10

[doomonfilm]

Memories : Top 15 Films of 2020

If 2020 taught movie fans anything, it was that we shouldn’t take things for granted.  On the dollars and cents side of things, movie theaters were already facing an uphill battle to stay sustainable, but the “shelter-in-place” practice of March and beyond decimated box office returns, with many theaters yet to reopen (if they will open at all).  In terms of famous names and faces, the list of those who passed away featured numerous icons : Kobe Bryant, Kirk Douglas, Max von Sydow, Honor Blackman, Carl Reiner, Ennio Morricone, John Saxon, Wilford Brimley, Chadwick Boseman, Sean Connery, Tiny Lister Jr., Adolfo ‘Shabba Doo’ Quinones and many more transitioned to the great beyond.  Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Shudder and a number of other streaming services saw themselves step into the forefront of the entertainment provider realm, with Warner Brothers and a handful of other studios making announcements that they will be following suit for at least 2021, if not for good.

With all of this uncertainty and chaos, however, the year 2020 was a surprisingly strong one, in my opinion, when it came to cinematic output... so much so, in fact, that aside from a number of Honorable Mentions, my list of top films was expanded to 15 in order to accommodate all of my choices.  For anyone who has checked out my lists from previous years, you will know that I did not see every film released this year, but I did make my best effort to cover as wide a range of films as possible.  Enjoy the list, and be sure to support film in whatever medium you are able to moving forward so that it can thrive.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The 40-Year-Old Version (dir. Radha Blank) A nice little personal film that spoke to my hip-hop sensibility, as well as that ever-present awareness of the inevitability of age, and how it can skew our perspective in regards to our achievements.

Ava (dir. Tate Taylor) This isn’t the action film that’s going to reinvent the wheel, but if you look at action films like wheels, this is a quality wheel.  Outside of Common, I couldn’t really find much to shoot down... this will definitely be one I consider the next time I have company and we’re looking for something fun to check out.

Bill & Ted Face The Music (dir. Dean Parisot) I honestly would have been satisfied with just two films in this franchise, but surprisingly, a third entry was created that didn’t ruin my overall enjoyment of the previous two films.  Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter jumped in without missing a beat, a healthy dose of familiar faces popped back up, and the new cast additions weren’t too jarring... it’s nice to know that a pair of my favorite childhood films are officially now part of a trilogy.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (dir. Jason Woliner) This was possibly the most surprising release of 2020... outside of a couple of news blips that Sacha Baron Cohen made during production, not a lot about this film was leaked prior to its release.  For such a dated character and a seemingly outdated style of humor, Borat once again exposed the simplest parts of society in an incredibly insightful (albeit cringey as all get-out) manner.

Guns Akimbo (dir. Jason Lei Howden) One of the most fun films of 2020.  Somewhere, the creative minds behind Nerve are wishing that they’d made this film instead. 

Henrietta and Her Dismal Display of Affection (dir. Jeffrey Garcia) Jeffrey Garcia is the homie, and I’ve had the pleasure of being in a number of his short films, so when he announced his intentions to write and shoot a feature film in 2020, I was completely on-board.  Miraculously, he was able to film the movie while the world was being ravaged by COVID-19, and though I cannot publicly announce details yet, this film has definitely already met (and likely succeeded) his expectations.

The Midnight Sky (dir. George Clooney) With each film that George Clooney directs, I realize more and more than he is an old soul trapped in a body idolized by the new school of film.  That being said, it’s nice to know that there are directors out there willing to embrace patient, silent and contemplative moments while simultaneously withholding from force-feeding viewers exposition.  

Tenet (dir. Christopher Nolan) This was possibly the most anticipated release of the year, considering it was the king of the IMAX release crowd in its pre-release promotion.  After a small delay due to COVID-19, it was one of the first films released in hopes of testing the movie-going waters during what was sure to be a diminished period of time, which probably hurt its numbers.  Too many, the film was confusing, and the nit-picking was fierce from the criticism contingency, but in all honesty, this was pretty impressive Nolan fare... certainly a good second movie in a Nolan double feature.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (dir. Aaron Sorkin) I cannot tell a lie... I was hugely impressed with how Sorkin managed to reel his personality and voice back in order to let this well-known, controversial moment in time present itself.  Sorkin has a tendency to be the star of his films, be it when he is in the writer or director role, but for this film, he managed to focus the best parts of his skillset into a highly respectful, educational and inspiring tale that fit the tumultuous summer we endured.

VHYes (dir. Jack Henry Robbins) I remember seeing this trailer as 2019 was coming to a close, and it was a film high on my list of desired viewing.  Then 2020 reared its ugly, stupid head and many releases disappeared into obscurity or found themselves delayed.  Luckily, this one slipped through the cracks and found a home in the streaming world, which in all honesty, suited its presentation very well.  One of the most delightfully weird films of the year, hands down. 

Vivarium (dir. Lorcan Finnegan) Of all the films cut from my Top 15 list, this was the toughest cut to make.  I went into the film totally blind (with Jesse Eisenberg and my respect for his acting chops being the sole selling point), but this film really hit a lot of my buttons... it’s trippy as can be, there is a character that is freakishly unique and wholly unnerving, and the production design leaves a lasting impression.  Don’t let the Honorable Mention designation fool you... this one is a winner.  

Wonder Woman 1984 (dir. Patty Jenkins) The Christmas gift that the masses collectively decided that they did not want.  Much like Ava, there is one glaring aspect of this film that I could have done without, but otherwise, I found this to be an enjoyable film.  Gal Gadot was made for this role, while Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal stepped up to the plate and impressed.  If you’re looking to be blown away, the Wonder Woman franchise isn’t the smartest place to go, but if you’re looking for entertainment, there’s plenty of it here.   

THE TOP 15 FILMS OF 2020

15. Mignonnes (dir. Maïmouna Doucouré) This one started off the year with plenty of controversy.  What was an award-winning tale about womanhood and the difficulties surrounding coming of age in an ever-changing and evolving world quickly devolved into a campaign to ban the film (and Netflix).  Many people overlooked the film as a cautionary tale about what access to the Internet and the sexually-charged nature in which women are portrayed can do to developing girls, instead choosing to accuse the film of being fodder for malicious types seeking to exploit the sexualizing of young women.  More than anything, in my opinion, Mignonnes served as an example of our outrage-fueled culture and the way it tends to skew our perspective and/or our ability to take art at face value.

14. His House (dir. Remi Weekes) As I’ve mentioned many times over the past week or so on this blog, horror films were one of the few genres that found a benefit from the film industry’s transition to streaming services for primary access to film.  While a number of traditional horror films received notice, His House took the opportunity to not only make a pure horror film, but one that spoke on racism and the conditions that asylum-seekers and refugees face.  The film is well-acted, the production value is high quality, and it’s paced beautifully... while not the highest film on this list, it is certainly one I will encourage others to see as time goes by.

13. All Day and a Night (dir. Joe Robert Cole) When human nature reared its ugly head during COVID-19 in the form of numerous race-related killings, multitudes of businesses quickly adopted the Black Lives Matter mantra, with film distributors and streaming services taking advantage of the moment to produce and release content relevant to cultural and social awareness.  Netflix was no different, and of the many films they released in the wake of the harrowing events, All Day and a Night is the one that feels the most sincere and honest in its approach and presentation.  The streets of Oakland are presented with a vast array of characters, each with complex backgrounds and states of mind, all of which helps the viewer understand the pressure many minorities live with and process on a daily basis.

12. She Dies Tomorrow (dir. Amy Seimetz) Execution is king, even when applied to the simplest of premises, and She Dies Tomorrow is a shining example of this.  In a very John Cassavetes move, director Amy Seimetz took her payment from her appearance in Pet Sematary and used it to fund a personal project that more than likely would have been ignored by studio heads.  The result is a hypnotic, entrancing and haunting film where stillness and anticipation play antagonist, while we as viewers feel the need to transpose ourselves into the protagonists we are presented due to their stilted but emotional performances.  Hopefully this one finds some notoriety in the cult classic realm as the years pass.

11. The Vast of Night (dir. Andrew Patterson) For a debut film, The Vast of Night handles itself with a surprising amount of confidence in its vision.  The immersion is nearly instant as we are first placed in the premise of a TV show, and then a 1950′s town, but once the actors and camera get going, it’s up to us as viewers to strap in for the ride.  The story is deeply intriguing, the performances are strong enough to carry a very dialogue heavy movie, and the final act is chilling in its reveals.  I will be surprised if this one finds its way to a Best Original Screenplay nomination due to it being a debut film from a relatively unknown writer/director, but if it manages to get the nomination it will certainly be a well-deserved one.

10. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (dir. Cathy Yan) The movie that broke the list.  If someone would have told me in 2019 that a film directly connected to Suicide Squad would be anywhere on a Top Films list I curated, I would have laughed dead in their face, and yet, here we are.  It’s like every good idea that was poorly executed in Suicide Squad found new life in Birds of Prey, which makes the film not only an entertaining watch, but a satisfying one.  Not only is Margot Robbie perfect in this film (as well as given a break on the exploitative costuming), but Mary Elizabeth Winstead arguably takes a stab at stealing the show with her performance.  Don’t let the DCEU association fool you... Birds of Prey is the real deal.    

9. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (dir. Eliza Hittman) Probably the most contemplative film on the entire list, and impressive in its nature for sure.  To my knowledge, the cast is made up of mostly unknowns (unless I’m sleeping on actors and actresses, which has been known to happen), and as a result, a tough slice of life to swallow is presented in an extremely grounded nature.  Sidney Flanigan gives a powerful performance, hopefully the first of many.

8. Possessor [Uncut] (dir. Brandon Cronenberg) Easily the most “what the f-ck” film on this list, and certainly one worthy of the Cronenberg name.  Andrea Riseborough has been on my radar since Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Mandy, and seeing her in a lead role confirms her talent.  I’m a sucker for science-fiction films that don’t rely on digital effects and elaborate set pieces, and Possessor rings both of those bells with a vengeance.  I watched the uncut version, which has a couple of extremely brutal sequences that will unnerve even the most hardened viewer, but these sequences only serve to drive home the lost nature of Tasya, our protagonist.  This one isn’t for everyone, but for those who can stomach a bit off graphicness and process a narrative that doesn’t spoon-feed you answers, this one is a must see.

7. Da 5 Bloods (dir. Spike Lee) Spike Lee has always been a huge influence on me as both an aspiring filmmaker and a fan of the medium, but I’d be lying if I told you that his last decade was a memorable one.  Outside of BlacKkKlansman, Lee has found himself falling short of his vision more often than not, but Da 5 Bloods is a tonal and stylistic bullseye.  Fans of Lee will dig it, fans of Vietnam films will dig it, and anyone who had an inkling of respect or admiration for Chadwick Boseman will be moved.  If Lee continues to make films as good as this one, he may find an entirely new generation of fans as a result.

6. Soul (dir. Pete Docter) As mentioned at the top of this list, people love to try and sink films due to their own personal agendas, and Soul found itself in the crosshairs prior to its late 2020 release.  Many people were upset that a minority character would not only spend most of the movie as a blue blob, but would also seemingly serve as a tool for another character’s “salvation”.  That being said, once Soul dropped, anybody with common sense dropped those stances and realized that Pixar had not only made a stunningly beautiful film, but one that likely spoke to adults more than children.  Plain and simple, Soul is a bonafide instant classic.

5. Kajillionaire (dir. Miranda July) If Evan Rachel Wood doesn’t win an Oscar for her performance in Kajillionaire (or at least garner a nomination), Hollywood needs to collectively have their head checked.  Every year worth its salt has a weird, quirky but loveable film, and Miranda July more than succeeded in making one for 2020.  The humor, both physical and dialogue-based, is on point, and the bittersweet nature of the story is gut-wrenching as the film progresses.  This one was probably the biggest surprise for 2020 in terms of prior awareness versus post-watch admiration.

4. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (dir. George C. Wolfe) The final film of Chadwick Boseman’s short but prolific career is one that allowed him to exist in the wake of his reality, making his performance powerful and (seemingly) cathartic.  He is surrounded by supreme talent on all sides, as there are no weak performances in this film, and despite it essentially being a play shot for film, it feels far from limited, contained or constrained.  Not only does it speak on larger issues of the commodification of Black pain and talent, but it may serve as a vehicle for a posthumous Oscar for Boseman.

3. The Devil All The Time (dir. Antonio Campos) This was the first Netflix original that made me really and truly respect them as a film distributor.  The list of talent for The Devil All The Time is truly impressive, and Tom Holland knocked his lead role out of the park.  Robert Pattinson is great as always, and the way that the story winds back into itself keeps you locked in and connected until the credits roll.  For something that came out so many months ago, it’s respectable that it was able to hold such a high position on a list that was as fluid as any I’ve ever put together.

2. Mank (dir. David Fincher) For a time, this was the hands down film of the year on my list.  Gary Oldman has basically become a “can do no wrong” actor, and his performance was amplified by David Fincher’s ability to emulate the look, sound and feel of a bygone Hollywood era.  On top of this, the built in intrigue that comes with handling anything remotely connected to Orson Welles is present, making Mank almost feel like a companion piece to the prolific film that is Citizen Kane.  If The Devil All The Time was a victory for Netflix, then Mank was the win that put them into a true spot as contenders in the future of film distribution. 

1. I'm Thinking of Ending Things (dir. Charlie Kaufman) Where does one even begin with Charlie Kaufman?  Time and again, he proves to be one of the most truly unique voices to gain fame.  For I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Kaufman seemingly returns to his foundation of odd, offbeat love stories, only to take us on a journey of truly mind-bending and psyche-warping proportions.  Of all the movies on this list, this is the one that almost demands repeat viewings, as one must have an idea of the entire journey before they can understand the individual aspects laid out.  If dialogue isn’t your thing, then this one may not hold you, but that would be a shame, as this beautiful mystery stands head and shoulders above the rest of 2020′s stellar output.

[taylorswiftstylequestions]

I can understand why anons feel like that because it sucks when you can't afford things you want (I can't afford your Patreon either haha) but you also shouldn't work for free. Please don't feel bad about it! I think so much on the internet is free (but that's mostly because other platforms are easier to monetize than Tumblr), we all got used to it. If I can make a suggestion, I would say advertise Patreon less on TSS asks, unless a person is asking for which tier to join? (1/2)

(2/3) I think you do a great job of reminding people of Patreon posts on your IG and blog, and when people ask what you offer or which tier to join, that's awesome. But when someone suggests or asks something, and you get back with Patreon links, it can feel disheartening? I know you want to let people know it's available but I could see how people would be a bit annoyed with it. And other thing, I think your Patreon is set up in a way that disregards the fact that it's a monthly payment?(3/3) I have used it before, with both large and small creators, and usually A LOT of exclusive content is available for 1-2 dollars. Obv your inspo posts/Lover analysis are worth a lot, but it's odd for Patreon. I'm sure there're people who would pay and then dip but most of the time, people will sub to the lowest tier and stay for a long time. Your lowest tier doesn't offer anything at all? I get that styling ones are more one of a kind thing but IMO exclusive stuff is too expensive.

---

1. Thank you

2. Seriously, thank you 

3. This was incredibly helpful, informative, and critically kind

In response:

a) Thank you for seeing the work TSS does and its value.

b) This is good feedback. I commit from here to promote/make note only when appropriate and to be more considerate of how an increased quantity of mentions for paid content can make people not financially able to access that content feel. 

c) I set up the Patreon with virtually no knowledge of the platform and what regular pricing looked/looks like. I took feedback when I first started it of what people thought was fair and went from there and am happy to make adjustments in the future based on what “market value” is and to reflect the capabilities of what suits the majority. I’d love to hear what you’d consider for the TSS MINIS and TSS EXCLUSIVES tier as well if there’s an appropriate-ness for a no benefits paid option which I have seen some creators have on their Patreons. For me I always considered it the equivalent of tipping for service but I’m open to being Learned on what’s realistic.  

[intomyarmsmp3]

Top List of Things Small Businesses Should Be Doing

Yes, this is Just Another list of things small businesses should (or should Not ) Do but they are (or are Not ) I know, I know, you can not wait to read still another list detailing what you should do or worse, what you are doing wrong. Please, place your cynicism aside for a minute and leave the sarcasm to me. 

I am not in the fear-mongering business. I am also not at the magic-button business. The fear-mongering business uses scare tactics to inform you about all the things you are doing but should not be doing because if you do them, you are likely killing adorable puppies and kittens.

I have read my fair share of these and some really scared me to the purpose of second guessing daily choice. I'm confident you've read a number of these also. Did they work? Did those fear-mongering posts allow you to take some action? Buy a service or product? It is OK if it worked. It will not make you gullible, or more gullible anyway. 

It is used a lot in marketing and promotion since it works. As psychologists, physicians and advertisers have known for quite a very long time, anxiety is a significant motivator to buy. Fear of the unknown or unpredictable (insurance), fear of being dull (style, automobile, beauty), fear of missing out (think of anything that uses scarcity as a strategy - Only 10 left!). 

Hell, even the fear of fear is promoted by large pharma. Then there is the magic-button business. This thing I'm going to sell for you will change your whole business, your whole life, even your wardrobe and just takes one click. Yeah, this type of marketing sucks and is a low blow, not only to our sensibilities but also to our own delicate marketing egos.

This marketing works because it generally uses fear-mongering and then sweeps in to save the day with the magic-button solution. Some of us are swayed by this not because of fear but because they do not need to set the blood, sweat, and tears into creating a brand or business the same way you have. They need a magic solution. 

By this point you may be asking yourself,"Do you truly have a list or was it just some cleverly worded headline to get readers?" The following list is truly about what the headline says so, the headline composed itself and is not that clever. I attempt to present these topics with no fear-mongering and minus the magic-button technique. I only need to present facts that may (or may not be) related to developing your business. 

1. Know the Benefits of On Page & Off Page Search Engine Optimization (Search Engine Optimization ) There is so much information regarding SEO that it seems like anyone that has read a few books or articles on Search Engine Land is giving you information about SEO. Like with most items that incorporate plenty of knowledge from many diverse sources, there is a great deal of out-of-date information, rumors and myths about proper SEO. I want you to have details: 

* Optimizing the pages of your site for keywords is a factor in ranking in search engine results pages (SERPS) however, it is not the only element. 

* Loading time of your site pages is a factor in rank in SERPS 

* Well written content of a specific length is a factor in position in SERPS 

* There are many factors and variables that make ranking each page unique however, overall there are common rules that can be implemented 

* Bounce Rate (how long people stay on your website ) is a factor in rank in SERPS 

* Optimizing content across the Net that is not on your Website is called Off Page SEO and will help you rank and create traffic 

* There is a lot to understand and test and you've got better things to do. This is the reason it's a fantastic idea to hire someone that does SEO for a living. 

2. Have a Responsive Website You might have seen this expression when constructing your site or when somebody like me approaches one to inform you your website isn't responsive. This simply means mobile friendly. To put it differently, your website will"respond" or adjust to being shown on a larger screen like a desktopcomputer, a smaller display like a tabletcomputer, or a even smaller screen like a smartphone without getting cut off or not loading pictures etc.. Here are a few more facts: 

* It is estimated that by 2020, only 4 years from now, the use of smartphones in America alone will increase by 6 million 

* Over 90 percent of individuals with smartphones use them to hunt and research online before making a purchase

* While many purchases are still made in shop, the tendency for online purchases continues to grow 

* Without using fear-mongering approaches I think you can clearly see that, with the increase in smartphone use and online shopping, it is critically important to make sure your website is responsive- (mobile friendly).

3. Social Media Management I've seen a great deal of small businesses with Facebook webpages, Twitter accounts, Pinterest boards, LinkedIn accounts, Instagram accounts and so forth. This is Wonderful! Except, most small businesses must believe that by simply having the accounts they have done their part. 

So a number of these accounts are such as the Sahara. Dry, nothing actually living there and nobody wants to visit. I did a spot check of several regional businesses and found that a tax business with hardly any social media property. Facebook page? 

CHECK! Last update? Uh... February? Twitter account? Apparently there's a Twitter account since it's on the site, but clicking on the link only takes you to Twitter, not their personal page. A few popular restaurants in the region suffer from precisely the identical issue. Posts are extremely spread out with 3-6 articles a month (at a fantastic month)! More details for you to digest:  

"But Jason, how does that affect me anyplace? There are not that many people in my city." I am glad you asked...

 * 75 percent of people using the internet in your city are using social media

* There are optimal times and days to post to Facebook to reach the most people 

* You will find optimal times and days to post to Twitter to reach the maximum people-and they are different than the times and days for Facebook 

* In fact, each social networking platform has certain times and days that see the most engagement 

* According to elaborate charts, you should be posting to Facebook a few times every DAY, and Tweeting 4-15 times per DAY! 

4. Manage Your Online Reputation There are a lot of stories about people taking to social media to share their love or hate for a provider. Unfortunately, the stories the majority of us recall are the ones that are bad.

The folks expressing their loathing with artistic flair are not necessarily a client or customer. Sometimes they happen to be a worker. Such as the poor sap working for an advertising agency that was hired by General Motors. He had been driving to a meeting at General Motors in Detroit when he chose to converse about the irony of the motor city with terrible traffic. 

Oh, he also used an F* Bomb. Obviously, General Motors watched the tweet, fired the agency and the poor sap was summarily fired also. But, I see a great deal of businesses that don't know whether they are being cited online unless it occurred in their Facebook page.