#its definitely not an optimal way to watch but it is funny

[arielluva]

youve seen utena on the switch.... and now the 3ds..

[sensei-venus]

Demetri/Chubby!Reader (Cat from Victorious personality type Reader)

(Unedited) ( @gemini-sensei )

🐿🍬Reader met Tory at one of the most weirdest places ever, a candy shop. The place was brand new with a “grand opening” which brought a good discount on everything inside. Tory's little brother begged her to take him and she couldn't say no at that point. The place wasn't exactly huge but when she turned her back for one minute her brother was gone. She looked around for what seemed like forever until she finds him in the back of the store. Talking to a girl around her age.

“Hehe watch this-” the girls says as she hits the side of a older candy machine before rapidly turning the knob. Suddenly I rush of fresh hard candy falls out of the opening and her brother grinned as he caught it. She couldn't help but smile just a little as she watched her brother smile and the girl giggle.

After that they official introduced one another. Her brother from that day on loved the girl.

🐿🍬Its not long after that Tory essentially becomes Reader’s protector when they are hanging out with each other. She doesn't count the girl is some what smart but she's so scattered brained and nice that she over looks everything. It's a constant that the girl is to nice for her own good and she is constantly wondering about doing weird things. Luckily the girl is cute enough and tends to get out of bad situations, without even realizing she was in them in the first place. She literally has Tory sweating sometimes because of the things that she ends up getting herself into.

🐿🍬 Everyone is really surprised when they find out their friends. Reader is extremely gullible some times and a lot of people think that Tory is taking advantage of the poor girls friendship. But it’s definitely not the case when they see the way Reeder basically pulls her around everywhere. Tory complains about it, but it goes on deaf ears as Reader is usually in her own little world half of the time. Her complaining doesn’t last long as she ends up enjoying spending time with the girl.

🐿️🍬Tory is in shock when Hawk ends up spilling the tea. She finds out from the mowhawk boy that Demetri out of all people is the one who has a crush on the girl. Hawk is just as surprised, Reader is nothing like any of the girls Demetri has showed interest in before. He usually goes after mean girls, or just girls he can’t pull at all. Reader is sweet and bubbly. She’s the exact opposite of what he seems to be into. Hawk even has the nerve ti say he can’t believe Demetri isn’t complaining about her optimism like he does with everyone else.

🐿️🍬After finding this out Tory is on full alert. It’s not that she hates Demetri or anything but she’s not a huge fan of him. The guy is a downer in every way possible and his sarcasm is horrible. There is no way she’s going to let that type of guy go near Reader. He might literally suck the joy right out of her. He probably feeds off good vibes which poor Reader gives off constantly.

🐿️🍬Too bad for Tory because Reader is very much her own person. She does everything she wants and more. She can’t be under Tory’s watch all the time she there are always gaps when she goes without a watchful eye on her. One of those times is when she goes to the arcade by herself. The girl loves playing the arcade games just so she can get the tickets and get the cutest, funny and tiny prizes from the prize booth. She spends hours just walking around the place. Watching all the bright lights of the big and small arcade games.

🐿️🍬Insert Demetri spending his free time playing games at the arcade as well. It’s one of his favorite things to do with his free time besides school work, comics, and doing karate. He loves playing the classic games that are offered at the arcade. The prizes mean nothing to him, he hoards the tickets and hardly ever uses them. Only pulling them out when a decent prize is put out at the prize counter. He spends hours on his favorite games, blasting through them within minutes. He’s so focused that he hardly notices the chubby little on looker behind him. It takes her basically shoving herself under his arm for him to take notice of her. His face goes bright red and he instantly loses the game he was playing. Reader pouts at this.

🐿️🍬It turns out that Reader loves watching him play. It’s one of the only things that seems to keep her attention. Watching him get so focused on a game just seems to capture her full attention. She’s in complete awe while watching him go through multiple levels of different games like it’s so easy. She doesn’t even know how embarrassed it makes him when she goes on and on about how good he is. The way he plays the different arcade games is just amazing in her eyes.

🐿️🍬They spend the next few hours playing more games together. Demetri shows her his favorite games along with some of the biggest ticket ones. He’s taken aback when she pulls him around the room to different two player games. The whole time she just giggled and went on and on about what games they should play together. She wants to play all the two player games in the arcade. Hoping that he could teach her some tricks on how to win them, but also keep his company. Reader doesn’t even realize she’s basically keeping the boy hostage. Demetri feels like he’s been tricked into some kind of date.

🐿️🍬He won’t admit it out loud but he finds it kinda fun to hang out with the sweet air headed girl. He only ever use to go to the arcade with Eli and that was a long time ago, months maybe even a year or so now. Reader never seemed to get tired of the games, begging to go back and play the same one over and over again. She was stuck to him like glue, pulling him by the elbow. The whole time his face is flushed a bright pink as she leads him around. He actually finds it fun being able to play games with her. She’s a good sport too and doesn’t whine or cry when he wins, and he doesn’t complain when she does.

🐿️🍬For the first time that night at the arcade Demetri forks over his stack of tickets. He sees the girl eyeing a big stuffed plush on one of the racks over the prize counter. He knows she doesn’t have enough for it. Her eyes are all big and round as she looks up at it. With little thought he dumps all his tickets on the counter and redeems them all. He picks the plush and once he grabs it, he watches the huge smile that brims on the girls face. He softly shoved it into her arms. She squeals and almost jumps for joy as she hugs it tight to her chest. Two seconds later she is pulling the boy by his shirt and giving him a big fat kiss to the cheek. She laughs before rushing off into the night. Only leaving behind a very flustered Demetri who is stuck with a fat sticky pink lipgloss-covered cheek.

[mountkennedie]

I wanted to request if you can make the version of reader where she's wearing a suit in you're fic of alice cullen "prom"

A near copy of this fic except with some tweaking

Alice Cullen x GN! reader

"Hello Mr. Y/l/n! Is y/n home? Were getting ready for prom." Alice was always a great persuader. You wouldn't say she had the world wrapped around her finger but definitely some influence.

"Y/n's up in their room, you both have fun!"

"Will do! Thanks!" She flew to your room many things in hand. "Y/n!"

"Alice!"

"I already have a suit, and hair ready to go!"

"Okay..?"

"Now all you have to do is let me dress you up and look pretty! So what you always do," she said with a wink.

"Where to start, where to start...," she was deep in thought when she snapped back into reality. "Actually Y/n were going to have a little fashion show before we start anything else." She unzipped the 1st suit from its bag, it was a deep onyx black, 3 pieces, and came with a tie.

And after slipping it on you walked out of the bathroom for Alice to see.

"What do you think?" She asked, you could tell she liked the suit a lot on you.

"I like it, but I'm curious about what's in those other bags." I gestured to the 2 other bags laid across my bed.

"Looking into every opportunity! What I love to hear," her optimism remaining thick as she reached for the second bag. This suit was a deep navy blue. The material was something you couldn't determine. All that mattered was that it was smooth and looked airy.

"Is your dress navy?"

"Yes it is," she smiled, "now go change!"

Walking out to Alice, it was like she understood the pleasure of this suit. "Is this the one?"

"Maybe but it's definitely high on the list."

"There is one more, if you want to try it."

"What's the trouble in trying?"

"Exactly!" And she unzipped the last suit. This last one was muted silver with a black shirt.

"Am I hosting a new years eve special?" I joked.

"Very funny. Now go put it on," she smirked and placed a short kiss to your cheek. "And if you were hosting a new years eve special, I'd watch every second!"

I came out in my gleaming armor. I didn't hate it honestly. When in keep in mind the navy dress that was going to be paired with the suit, it looked good.

"Alice?"

"Yes?" Alice was beginning to fold the bags up and put them in the corner

"Since you can see the future, did you see me liking this suit?"

"I saw you liking all three, so I decided to let you make the final choice. Speaking of, which one did you choose?"

"I really love the second one. I think the colors go well with my skin."

"Me too! Okay so now I'm going to go change."

After you both returned, you got to see what Alice chose for herself. It was a deep red, off the shoulder, thick short sleeved, floor length, velvet dress. It was beyond beautiful especially on her.

"Wow," that's all you really could say, she looked Wow.

"Thank you. Now, hair then were good to go." Alice was every gentle when it came to handling you so when she asked how you felt about a certain style, you were surprised anything happened. But when you looked you were quite pleased. Alice had managed to crown your head in ways that made you look exquisite.

"Alice this is amazing! Thank you!" Since she was standing behind you with her hands on your shoulders, she just bet down to place a quick kiss to your forehead.

Still stunned for words you're glad your delighted face sent the right message. "My turn." She flew through her final touches but there's only so much to do when your naturally a sight for sore eyes.

Once she finished she stood and looked at you with pure fondness in her eyes. Her cold hand cupped your cheek and brought you in for a short but sweet kiss. When she pulled away, to early for your liking, she said," what? We can't mess up our look y/n. At least not before prom," the final line sent with a smirk.

"Now let's go shall we?"

"But.." you trailed off in embarrassment.

"But?" Concern streaked her features.

Very quietly you muttered," I can't dance."

"Oh! Don't worry about that, you have me," though you didn't know what that could entail, her voice was confident enough you didn't investigate.

And with that you both had a very lovely evening.

[danglovely]

Ranking Taskmaster Series

15. Series One

Even the worst series of Taskmaster is really good. The show hadn't figured out how to maximize the in-studio dynamic yet, so it comes off a little awkward. Tim Key constantly trying to cheat and Romesh Ranganathan obliterating a watermelon is still good television.

Best Task: Eat as much watermelon as possible.

14. Series Three

Alex and Greg are always consistent, so series quality becomes highly dependent on how memorable the tasks are and how how good the cast is. This series was a bit forgettable on both counts, but I'll never forget Rob Beckett's surprise for Alex.

Best Task: Communicate to your teammates the names of these films, books or TV programs.

13. Series Six

Iffy cast chemistry and tepid task designs. The standout moment comes because Lisa Tarbuck thinks showing love means making someone sit in a cake. Long live Team Funk (Alice never agreed to that name).

Best Task: Get the highest score in darts.

12. Series Four

This is definitely an unpopular opinion. This series has so much going for it with Hugh Dennis trying to find a loophole in every task and Mel Giedroyc naturally being the victim of three solo tasks due to relentless optimism. While the moments are good, I'm not sure the whole amounted to more than the sum of its parts.

Best Task: Put as many different things in the bathtub/Seal the top of this bathtub with cling film/Fill the bathtub with water.

11. Series Two

A shorter series and one where the show was still finding its footing. It probably would be lower if not for Joe Wilkinson. The first contestant to realize very early on that he wasn't going to win brought us Potatogate, a lovely scramble platter, and the knowledge that there's strength in arches.

Best Task: Place these three exercise balls on the yoga mat on the top of that hill.

10. Series Seven

Another unpopular opinion, it really speaks to the quality of the show that I have potentially its most popular season so low. James Acaster refusing to acknowledge Alex, Jessica Knappett falling off the stage, Phil Wang's pendulum. What brings this series down for me is twofold: (1) Kerry Godliman's constant indignant anger at perceived unfairness and (2) Rhod Gilbert's abuse of Alex and Greg -- funny at first, wore a little thin after awhile. Rhod still managed to steal the series with the finest workaround on the show.

Best Task: Tie yourself up as securely as possible.

9. Series Fifteen

Fifteen seasons in, it feels like show doesn't benefit from the contestants having watched so much Taskmaster. Mae Martin knew every trick coming in, and they built a lead that was as expert as it was uninteresting to watch.

Best Task: First to complete a line or four corners wins.

8. Series Nine

A lot of intriguing stuff going on here. This is a cast that just genuinely likes each other, but it also brings some of the most contrasting energies to the table. Ed and Jo are polar opposites in scale of competitive energy while David can always be counted on to find the worst way to approach a situation. The only reason this series isn't higher is the lack of standout task design.

Best Task: Put the most gold rings on this drumstick.

7. Series Thirteen

This is the first series I ever saw and it's a gem. Every contestant almost feels understated in how brilliant and hilarious they are. Judi Love is the best last-place of all time; Bridget Christie is the wild card we never knew we needed in our lives.

Best Task: Get the most ducks in Alex's basket.

6. Series Fourteen

I always seem to prefer the contestants that come in last over those that come in first. John and Fern were so fun and Dara was so weirdly intense. This would normally make for a mixed series if they hadn't completely exploited that dynamic by putting them all on a team with each other.

Best Task: With your hands on those hips at all times, put the most sand in the shopping trolley.

5. Series Ten

Johnny Vegas and Daisy Mae Cooper are top tier Taskmaster contestants, but I really love this series for the location tasks. Printworks is just a dark and amazing setting. Plus, Mawaan tried to fill an egg with helium in hopes that it would float.

Best Task: Complete the most tasks. There is one task behind each door.

4. Series Twelve

Couldn't this series let everybody win? We have an Alan Davies Wow Monster, Desiree pulling off the worst task performance of all time while always looking collected. Victoria learned how to ride a bike on national television and Morgana showed why being chaotic is a strength. I welcome any number of new revelations from Guz in the lab.

Best Task: Pop the balloon.

3. Series Eleven

Mike Wozniak elevates the series by himself. Lee was a big get for the show, Jamali's antagonistic relationship with Greg is fun, Sarah and Charlotte are delights. However, Mike is a unique pleasure and any series with him in it is bound to be one of the best.

Best Task: Say the word "metronome" between every tick of this metronome.

2. Series Five

This is what many believe to be the best series of the lot and they're not wrong in doing so. Bob Mortimer and Sally Phillips are legends for obvious reasons. Mark and Nish pleasantly bond over the underdog roles (despite Mark almost winning). Aisling brings her own level of unhinged energy. The tasks are on point and this cast just jives. It's a tragedy it didn't get ten episodes.

Best Task: Eat one item, throw one item, balance one item. 1. Series Eight

My favorite series is one of the least popular for one reason: Iain Stirling's competitive rage. This doesn't bring me down though -- The show has a hypercompetitive contestant almost every season (you could argue Lou Sanders was even more so) and everyone there seemed to genuinely like Iain (He and Lou are friends and Paul said he received an unfavorable edit on the podcast).

But mostly it just can't overcome all the good. It is a unique delight to watch Joe Thomas constantly be baffled by his own existence; the trainyard is the best location task setting the show has ever done; Paul Sinha in a phone booth. Throw in some unique Japanese theming and some peak task design -- at least for me, Series Eight reigns above.

Best Task: Get as close as you can to Alex without him noticing you.

[spaceorphan18]

If you want to talk about the office - maybe you could say why one should go watch it? :)

It's kinda on my to watch but I haven't gotten around to watching it, so I thought you could talk about the cool things about it and maybe that'll give me a push lol

Ooh, this is an interesting and maybe somewhat hard question to answer.

Michael Scott is not an easy character to watch -- and I didn't appreciate Steve Carell, really, until about half way through the show when he became much more likable.

Likewise, I absolutely love the absurdity of Rainn Wilson's Dwight. But that doesn't happen until third-ish season. But Dwight is just kind of an insane character - and I love that about him.

What initially drew me in was the love story between Jim and Pam in the first three seasons. It's beautifully, wonderfully told. The pacing and the execution of it is brilliant and it's one of my favorite romance stories of all time. It's subtle and real and grounded in good characterization. They're complex characters who live in a very realistic world (at least in the first three seasons).

I also really love Pam's development throughout the show. People have a tendency to either love or hate her, but I really think she's underrated at times, and there's an averageness about her that I think really resonates. I love her story overall.

The thing I really appreciate, beyond the romance story, of the first three seasons is just how tight and sharp the writing is. Even when Michael is absolutely terrible, the show is done incredibly well. It feels like a real office. And all of the emotions feel true to real life.

After that -- the show gets a little more goofy. I think all of the periphery characters get fleshed out in fun ways, but it does lose its touch with reality. I don't mind - I enjoy the goofy, but I know that takes away from the realism of the first few seasons. I don't think the show is laugh out loud funny, but I think it does get funnier (for me) in Seasons 4 and 5 -- which are both really solid.

Of course, like all long running shows, there are issues in the later seasons. Season 6 is kind of bland. Season 7 is underrated, and more emotional than you might expect. Season 8 is truly terrible because they really didn't know how to handle Carell's exit. And I think Season 9 is underrated, too, though definitely not as sharp as it once was.

I think if you like good character work, it's definitely something I would recommend. Know that some of it's going to be cringy. But also know that there is a lot of heart and warmth and optimism in it, too. :)

It remains one of my favorite stories of all time.

[jamboreeofsurprises]

Hello! Could you please recommend some retro anime(s)? What are your favorite ones?

Hi!! Sorry for my late response. Everyone has a different definition of "retro" but I'll just take it to mean pre-21st century.

urusei yatsura (1981): never was there an anime so uncategorizable yet so accessible. it's a blend of slapstick comedy, sci-fi, japanese mythology and romance involving the unlucky life of a teenage boy, his classmates, and the aliens that come to their town (who are mostly beautiful women). for all its silliness, a more sophisticated comedy than one might expect.

the rose of versailles (1979): regardless of your interest levels in historical fiction, the rose of versailles is compelling and subversive. it follows the fictitious bodyguard of marie antoinette, lady oscar (a woman raised as a man so she could join the royal guard), her childhood best friend andré grandier, and the queen's lover hans axel von fersen and the way destiny binds them together and tears them apart. it's also about class struggle and revolution. both a great read and a great watch to this day.

akage no anne (1979): this is an anime series adaptation of anne of green gables done by isao takahata (later of studio ghibli fame). even if you've never read the book, which it adapts with remarkable accuracy and grace, it's one of the best-directed anime i've ever seen. you will really feel like a part of avonlea with how much thoughtful time we spend getting to know its locals and scenic places. i miss watching it every morning with my breakfast.

candy candy (1976): this is a bit harder to find especially because due to a copyright conundrum there are no official dvd releases of this show, even in japan (also i admittedly have only finished the manga and watched ~40 episodes of the anime). definitely informed by early 20th century western literary works like anne of green gables^, little women, etc, we follow a tomboyish orphan and the gutsy optimism that carries her though life in the face of grand tragedies. you'll be gripping your handkerchief, trust me it's worth it to find a crappy taped-from-tv copy.

chibi maruko-chan (1990): this anime is ongoing in a separate iteration, but i've only really watched the 1990 series, and it's terrific. it's very episodic and slice of life in nature so you can watch however much you want. loosely based on author sakura momoko's childhood in the 70's, maruko is one of the most comically realistic children i've ever seen in fiction, and the show is thoroughly entertaining, sometimes laugh out loud funny and sincerely heartwarming for anyone of any age.

[deltaengineering]

Summer Anime 2023: GoHands saves anime

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale S2

I wasn't really all that impressed with S1 of Sugar Apple, but it was fun enough. There was a chance it would do away with its naive ruminations on chauvinism and slavery, after all. And yeah, it did that. But maybe I should have stated more clearly that that bland nonsense also needs to be replaced with something better, and that part certainly did not happen. The show fills the vacant space with two things: The kind of completely uninteresting worldbuilding and politics that were all over S1, weren't good there either, but were so insubstantial they weren't worth of note. Well, now they are. The other is that we get a ridiculously evil over the top villain that's amusing for one episode, but gets old really fast. Not to mention that everyone (outside of the designated villain, which is why you know he's bad) seems to love Anne now, especially Challe. So the spicy romance interplay is gone and Challe is now an edgy white knight that tips his fedora to m'lady. And the big finale is that Anne inspires a dozen pretty boys to invent Christmas, somehow. This one just is very poorly written and as of S2 has optimized out all things that distract from that. 4/10

Noble Farmer

The appeal of Noble Farmer isn't what the show does, but what it is: Notable action shounen mangaka Hiromu Arakawa telling a few anecdotes about her growing up as a farmer on Hokkaido. Of course we've known that since Silver Spoon, but it's still enough of a novelty to just barely carry this short series. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's not. As usual, a short doesn't actually need to be all that good to be an easy watch, but I've seen better ones. 5/10

Instead Of Zom 100 You Get NieR:Automata Ver1.1a

Why hello, we have a vacant 5/10 spot for mysterious reasons. Let's talk about a production disaster from the season before that just managed to end in this one. To be honest, I've already forgotten about Near A Tomato Service Pack 1 (Backer Beta) so I'll have to patch it up with my knowledge of the game, which is probably for the better anyway. Or is it? I am one of the few people that don't think that Nier Automata is the pinnacle of storytelling¹, so one reason to even give this a chance is to see if the story clicks better if it's told in a more straightforward way. But then it just seems that the opposite is true: Yes, it is indeed the main plot of Nier Automata, but the lack of nonlinearity and other assorted participatory/environmental storytelling just points out that there isn't all that much to that, especially towards the end when it's just about beating up the big monster, but in a sad way. The few things that it does change or add either don't amount to anything we didn't already know or have their payoff pushed onto the sequel. At least the music is still fantastic but it's just literally the game music, so that's nothing new either. This anime is probably for the fans, but even the fans will quickly realize that it's inferior to the real thing - though for them, inferior to the BEST. STORY. EVER!!!! is likely still plenty good enough. 5/10

¹ Before a million salty Yoko Taro fans jump down my throat, it's pretty good, okay? Just not as exceptional as you think. Thank you.

Yohane the Parhelion -SUNSHINE in the MIRROR-

So why does this exist. I can only imagine that Numazu has a bit of surplus marketing budget now, so here we go, Aqours is back... In the form of an appealing, but pretty bog standard children's show. Sunshine already wasn't the most profound Love Live show, nor did it have the most multidimensional characters, but naturally this is a shallower version of that - with the curious exception of Mari, who somehow is a more well-rounded character here than she originally was (though what that means is left as an exercise to the reader). Yoshiko herself of course has a bit more going on, but she better have, given that this show is very definitely about her and her problems - and it's still not really enough. All of this of course is expected from a children's afternoon show where the big bad is a vague "calamity" that doesn't even get defined as much as being made out of people's negative emotions or something like that. No it's just uh, bad (and by bad I mean purple), and then gets defeated by friendship and good vibes and an Aquors single. This show should have really done more random nonsense like Chika and her sisters randomly having a Sentai team and Dia being Kamen Rider for tedious IRL reasons, but that quirkiness is so minor it feels more out of place than anything. I don't want to be too harsh on this because it's still fundamentally a good time, but there really just isn't much to it. But I guess that's just how it goes with entrenched franchises, right? 6/10

GoHands presents the GoHands Power Hour featuring The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses and The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today

Before I get to the details of these shows, there's quite a bit they have in common, and that is, obviously, being made by GoHands. I have a pretty complicated history with GoHands. Yes, I did watch the whole Handhakersverse mostly because it was unbelievably ugly, but on the other hand, there is something to be said about an unique, consistent aesthetic: GoHands is dreamcore. I don't think it's pretty, but I do think it's fascinating, which is why I wasn't amused when every Anime Opinion Haver immediately wrote these two off as being unwatchable and took cheap shots on Ecks Dot Com. So I'll watch them. I thought. That'll show em.

The punchline was obvious: Neither of these shows are crassly ugly in a meaningful way. They're a bit overdone, but honestly they're more reminiscent of some SHAFT productions. Really, outside a few meme gif shots in the first episodes, there's nothing special about the looks apart from an overreliance on postproduction gimmicks like particle and lighting effects and stifling color correction, and everyone loves those when KyoAni does them. So there goes the reason to watch them... Except then, in a truly GoHandsian further twist, they're actually good. I'm as puzzled as you are.

Well, "good" is maybe a bit much. Glasses Girl is definitely watchable though, mostly just because Mie is remarkably cute. Of course, this being an entry in the "my classmate is wacky and I can't deal with it" genre, the same cannot be said of Komura, whose React-Man antics are most charitably described as "occasionally not annoying". The show gets a lot of credit for actually finding new ways to make the one joke that is in its title reasonably fresh, and it even manages to elicit some d'aww feelings towards the clumsy kid romance it develops into. I can't tell a lie, it's fine. 6/10

This one honestly is pretty good though, even though the absurd wish fulfilment setup of "I'm a lonely dysfunctional office lady but my cat is actually a perfect homemaker" seems thoroughly sketchy. To be honest, Yukichi actually does act like a cat, so I can only assume this is indeed written by a lonely dysfunctional office lady. As far as surreal daily life comedies go, this one's a winner though. It's cute, it's funny, and all that. A rather simple comedy about a very obvious joke setup, but there's enough going on in the periphery to make it not boring - and then there's hooks like half the female cast having a crush on Saku, which if acted upon would instantly make this one of the dankest yuri shows of all time. One can only dream. 7/10

BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!!

It's always the same with these gacha franchise shows. Even when they're good, they're always bloated by too many characters, too many established plots, too much desire to make everyone equally likeable, and a strict adherence to the status quo. Over the years, many a time I have written "but what can you do". What can you do, indeed?

So here comes MyGO, where the plan apparently was "how about THIS time we just don't do any of that". Now, this part is interesting only for people like me who watched this show as part of the franchise. Nobody else would (or, honestly, should) care that this franchise show breaks the mould uncommonly hard — only whether it's good. Thankfully, MyGO is also just one of the best teen drama shows around, franchise or not. I guess it really helps if you make a show that a writer would actually want to write and not just a bunch of corporate mandates, but Ayana Yuniko takes it no the next level and does things that even "regular" shows in a similar lane don't attempt; for example, Tomori completely fixes the problems I had with Bocchi (of The Rock fame) by being treated appropriately seriously. Now, I don't want to oversell this show, you won't get the next Kids on the Slope here - it's still a small-scale anime about a bunch of drama kids that produces not one, but two marketable bands in the end. But within this framework, it really is about as good as it gets. Every character is complicated and has major personality flaws, which seems very risky but extremely worth when it pays off like here. In short, it's textbook character drama. It's a bit silly at times, but I'll accept that as yeah, teen girls in bands can be pretty goddamn silly. It also doesn't have an ending, but I'd question whether a low-key drama like this even can have a proper ending. They manage to make their disastrous teen band work for a bit, what more can you expect?

I guess I should mention the looks also, which are nothing particularly special when you know the fairly high level of CG animation Sanzigen have consistently been doing. Of course this serious show doesn't have much of the cartooniness, but makes up for it with select instances of really good direction — MyGO has a particular knack for uncomfortable wide angles.

In the end, MyGO is an uncommonly legitimate character drama with low stakes. It can dip into melodrama but not any worse than these shows always do. Ironically the most questionable aspect is that there will be a sequel based on the other band, Ave Mujica, which work extreme well as a joke about how they are everything MyGO is not. But that makes them an awful band full of awful people, and I'm not sure if I want to actually watch that. It's certainly a tall order, but then again, I didn't expect much from this show to begin with. For now it's an 8/10

[tf2workbench]

Pow!

One of TF2′s most consistently hilarious mechanics is its tauntkills. Though they’re slow and cumbersome, they’re usually instant death to their victims, and they’re very funny. Now we’re going to actually build weapons that revolve around them, starting with the Heavy’s beloved finger-gun taunt.

Finger Gun Iteration 1 Heavy melee (+) Taunt to enter a showdown stance, moving at 50% speed with your finger gun holstered. Click to draw and fire, dealing 150 damage to a target close to you. (-) 1.5-second cooldown to “reload” finger gun (-) -30% melee swing speed

The Heavy is a good quick-drawin’ cowboy, so you can fire pretty much instantly while in the stance. It’s just that you have to prepare ahead of time by entering the stance, and there’ll be a cooldown afterward where you either reload the gun or put it away.

This lengthy timing, necessary to justify the power of the shot, is a big bummer for this weapon. Coupled with your slow move speed while in the taunt, it’s difficult to use this offensively, and you may find it’s most effective to sit back and wait. While this may work well to get kills, waiting is rarely as fun as going out and doing something.

And on the other side of the barrel, catching players off-guard with this could definitely cause some frustration. Most people like to see their death coming, so an out-of-the-blue instant-kill as they round a corner isn’t the best way to go out. Regular tauntkills are very rare, so even though they’re shocking in the moment, they’re also not a common problem, and they’re so amusing that it’s hard to get upset about getting tauntkilled. This is more common - hence why I lowered the damage. But if I lower it too far, it won’t be worth the commitment of entering your stance. Maybe you could use a “clip” where each shot deals 50 damage, but has to reload after three or four shots...

And one last thing: it may be hard to aim if you’re in third-person. Most tauntkills use the same direction your crosshair was in when you started the taunt, but with this one, you’ll have to position your crosshair on the target while already in third person - ergo, you’ll be looking at your own back. My only real solution for this is that it shouldn’t be quite like a tauntkill: you should remain in first person, but your viewmodels will reflect that the Heavy is playing gunslinger. In addition to being amusing, this also gives you a clear shot.

Having discussed a lot of problems here, we should take a step back and look at what about the weapon is really good: its flavor. Irrespective of mechanics, this weapon has a lot of character, saying a lot about the Heavy without any words. And it’s funny. Imagine looking at the world through the Heavy’s left hand, held up as a targeting reticule, as you watch him wiggle his fingers with anticipation before you take the shot and he blows the “smoke” off the “barrel.” That’s character, and not all weapons have it.

I know that it’s not a particularly powerful weapon, but sometimes that doesn’t matter. The Holiday Punch is not especially powerful, but you still see Heavies running around using that. Same with the Holy Mackerel. Would you bother telling a Sticky Jumper + Caber Demoman that they’re not using the optimal strategy? What we’ve designed here is a weapon that has enough character to be worth using, because those high moments are so fun and exhilarating. I don’t want it to be prohibitively weak, nor frustrating to the enemy, but I think we should recognize that this weapon, whatever its mechanical strengths and weaknesses, has a wonderful appeal to it that’s part of what makes TF2 what it is.

[violetlearnschinese]

today is 6/30/2024 i just wanna write up a log of the things that i've tried so far i guess

i feel like my chinese learning journey is kinda interesting bc . i'm more addicted to trying to innovate/revolutionize/optimize how to learn chinese more than actually learning chinese . and sure some of that could be attributed to instant gratification or wtvr, but also i am also rly addicted to trying to solve physics-esque/mathy problems and that's just what my brain is inclined towards doing, like if it recognizes smth as mathy and nonoptimal then it'll compulsively search for a solution lol . usually this activity doesnt actually turn out to be super productive (and a lot of the time it can seem like im just Wildly Overcomplicating things, and there's definitely an argument for that, yes) but i believe it's at least Somewhattt useful + at least i enjoy the rush (sometimes) + maybe one day ill finally get some Good idea and then ill make millions !!! or maybe that is just what i tell myself to cope . Lmao . anyway.

chinese course at brown

hellochinese

made the whole diagram thing (i was so anal abt this (and esp its application to music) and eventually changed opinion to yeah sure it was correct but not a good way to approach learning bc kids arent just magical sponges but instead the reason that they learn quickly is bc 24/7 private tutor (their mother) + fast iteration)

anki spoonfed chinese too hard

may 23 night - may 24 day

call w regan, she inspired me to just go thru my chinese textbook bc she made me think damn maybe i should just try being normal for once

went thru half of chinese textbook

felt like i wasnt rly learning well past lesson 5 (and lessons 1-5 were mostly review anyway)

may 24-25 ish

found lazychinese.com comprehensible input

found other CI people existed

searched through a Lot, couldnt find much at my level, either way too easy for total beginner or too hard nothing to grasp onto or just no variety of sentence structures

may 25 night

salena sent me the gay guy i could sorta understand him, like i could latch on to smth

coded the thing

went over the video w transcript for a day or two

may 26 day

saw the baby in pool

may 26 night

watched n followed funny easy chinese ig/tiktok accts

may 26/27

tried peppa pig / cartoons / stories on yt / etc, still too hard

may27

up until now, really mostly input little output

peppa pig longest sentence

turned on chinese keyboard

chatgpt convo

texting w friends

wow im not bad

hearing is impt, then pure imitating, then say it while pinyin, then understand

u will not see gains intra-day 1 bc gains r slow obv u need multiple days etc wtvr 2 bc gains happen during Sleep (ie After the learning session, Not During)(analogy to gym, u dont get stronger inside of one session, ur muscle builds up After the session is done)(i notice improvement after one or two days)

do many short sessions, but also include some long sessions

imitating a sentence/paragraph whole-part-whole . listen to the whole thing, then split into parts, then put the parts together . like learning a piano piece . (also this is fractal - if too big, split up)

around this time i tried brute forcing comprehensible input via lazychinese.com, but found it too slow/unoptimal/wtvr

flirting w krashen's hypothesis and i see so many success stories abt krashen (e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/wetbjo/i_learned_english_through_magic_and_input_krashen/)

this was interesting too, i forgot what i got out of it but it was interesting (https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/r9g1s3/i_immersed_in_spanish_for_900_hours_without_any/)

eventually i disagree w krashen and think he's stupid bc my brother cant speak tagalog

opinion abt tutors

also found out that it lines up with more modern language acquisition theories and critiques of krashen: swain's comprehensible output + dekeyser’s skill building

hypothesis abt memorizing stories might be better than flashcards

like a memory palace but it's stories not palaces

du chinese analysis failed (unique word density starts at 12% then goes to 6%)

i think about here i stopped being so anal about the whole ... diagram that was rooted in kids being sponges

i dont hate language classes as much

trying to brute force grammar

current hypothesis/method:

trying to brute force grammar

same hypothesis abt memorizing stories to learn vocab, but now using AI generated stories (unique word density starts at 32% then goes to 20%. much better!)

build a huge foundation (learn lots of textbook grammar and vocab) (get lots of clay), then iron it out (practice listening/speaking/reading/writing/wtvr to acquire more natural idiomatic expressions and also just increase your speed/skill etc etc) (roll the clay)

[socrat1cjunkiewannabe]

Antichrist — Matty Healy ;;

angst // based from the song on the deluxe edition self titled ;;

There was a seeming, coldness. A man, in his late thirties trekking throughout dull and dismal London, hoping for some turnaround in his life. Altough you’d never know that unless you were to delve into his brain, pick apart his cerebellum to decode the cryptic manifold of thoughts, all of which he had in abundance. Matthew Healy wasn’t really a name you’d associate immediately with things such as optimism or higher self worth, nor was he the type of man to open up to people directly, which in turn here seemed like some downfall as of now.

Rushing in a small town before, turned to a slumped trudging in a great coat, smoking on a cigarette to curb his thoughts away. Matty watched as the dim scene of London would almost come to a standstill the more he’d walk, almost as if the world knew that he was somewhat the sore thumb of society, or just some natural pariah to cause havoc wherever he may stand in that point in time.. it definitely felt like something fell, off with him being in his hometown. It felt like London had something against him, or was poking at him in that minute, jabbing at his sides as a teaser, before finally piercing through his heart with a howling wind being brisk and sharp.

Settling down, he was now atop a hill, looking over at the aforementioned dismal and dead spirit London, as the wind became somewhat aerodynamic around his figure and almost trench coat that he donned to block out the frosty feeling, though that never seemed to leave Matty alone like it was stalking him — a feeling in which he wasn’t pleased with and didn’t take light to — and it just, made him ponder everything.

“And I swear.. there’s a ghost on this island..” Matty begins to hum dully to his song ‘Antichrist’ as it seems to blindly fit the mood of how cold, how alienated, and how lone one city felt to one of its many inhabitants, Matty himself.

He’d look down at his hands which ran pale at the palm, but rushed eager with blood in his fingertips, trembling with what seems like adrenaline, “And his hands are.. covered in blood.” His voice cracked when he’d lightly sing, almost like the stage rendition of said song. It felt like he was the ghost, and although he hasn’t got bloodied hands, swore in the dark his hands were smothered with bloodshed.

The wind would whisper and whistle freely, causing the already shaken Matty to bundle up further and hide away cowardly into his trench coat which was keeping him warm, and he’d seem to begin sobbing from looking at his glossy eyes and lightly stained cheeks which too had that same blood rush in which his appendages showed through.

He’d just isolated away, it felt the only way to go about something so personal, and something so intimate to him. Religion always felt like taboo, it always felt wrong for him to admit he was an atheist with how the world understood certain aspects, again with not understanding his own. It almost felt like even the “Being Funny In Foreign Language” era had found its way back around to him, and that might I add was a happy moment for him and the boys.

Biting his tongue, he’d fight the urge to not withdraw another cigarette to curb off his thought, yet again. Instead of a bitter unpleasant nicotine in his mouth as aftertaste, he’d developed a metallic, thicker taste for his own blood, as it swashed over his tongue like a sudden wave on a beach, making the man keel over and spit the blood out onto the hilltop and watch the blades splatter with red, as he used his knuckle to remove the rest of remnants, which caused a sight of mention, bloodied hands like the ghost he was. Was he a ghost? Was that metaphor about him? Or was it just his mind conveying what God perceived as being other people such as atheists?

“Blood is on your tongue as well as your hands”

“Am I the liar?” Matty’s words barely make it out as a whisper, looking at his hands which still show his blood, and watching the other source of blood rolling off his tongue like his words had become even fatal to even splutter.. God’s punishment for an atheist? Or was it just Matty being dramatic, being somewhat insane despite not being high for once?

Looking back out again like he did prior to perhaps put his thoughts up to Bedfordshire, he reminisced perhaps more of the past eras, trying to look past his self titled, and thought more of the “Being Funny” one, as if that one just hit some sweet point. But nothing could ever remove that thought of him not being fully true, well at least coming to terms on life.

Maybe it was all some rush, maybe coming to terms with past could help Matty succumb to somewhat closure. That’s what he desires, now standing and looking out over the fogginess which now began to cloud over and blanket what he’d once known, feeling like maybe this wasn’t the time. Now’s the hour, to say goodbye.

After a good time just collecting his thoughts while lightly gazing over what seems to be like the Great Fire of London or perhaps an allude to the Great Depression if we talk Matty.. He’d just begin to lower himself down on said hill, and then return back to his past positioning, letting his hair be the only active thing in this breeze, and just letting blood coat his hands shamelessly, and still lightly trickle his chapped lips from London’s chill, as the tainted blades swayed along with his blood dominated knuckles.. looking out all over again with silence again becoming the thing which would don the atmosphere, taking Matty away from his thoughts and escape his life.. once again.

[nothing-narrative]

"Do you know why they don't employ cacodemons in the military?

"Well, first of all, it can be fiendishly (hah) difficult to distinguish between furies, hellians, and massacers and you definitely don't want the wrong one doing the wrong thing.

"But even so, imagine: a genuine demon of belligerence. Anything else you're starting out with human stock and grafting weapons onto it, and then you gotta have handlers and psychological conditioning and what not.

"Cacodemons are metaphysical manifestations of violence. They might have been humans once, some of them, but they sure as hell aren't now. All you need to do is bind them to a contract, and their obeisance is assured.

"You know how handlers sometimes get soft in the head? Get too enamored with their weapons and stop doing what's optimal, start thinking of their charge as something other than an anti-materiel weapons-platform with a neocortex?

"And then something goes wrong and the weapon has to be reconditioned and the handler replaced and it is money-money-money down the drain.

"That is the cost of human fallibility. Nobody is a perfect domme.

"But if you hold a contract? That's a two-way street. That's a pipe you can't ever put a good enough backflow valve in. You might call it demonic corruption, but I'll tell you what it really is: a natural memetic weapon.

"An eagle has talons, a snake has venom, and demons? If you even think about them too hard, a little tiny bit of demon will get inside your brain. If you look at them for too long. If you talk to them. If you touch them. God forbid you fuck them.

"If you hold a contract, that's like putting on a very slow IV drip of very dilute snake venom."

The demoness inspects the tray of scalpels, selects one, and tuns on the unit in your charge.

It is hanging from its wrists, whereas you are only bound to a chair. Its eyes are on you, but there's no pleading expression which almost makes it worse to watch.

You were stupid, you got caught. Your weapon tried to save you and ran into a trap. It is waiting for a command, but your vocal cords are paralyzed.

Slowly the demon slices open the chest along the sternum, blade carving through the dermal armor which shouldn't be possible, an pulls the flesh aside with hooks.

"The funny thing is, when you people take broken little things and scrape out all the personhood; even if you fill it up with weapons, there's still a lot of room inside."

Now she picks up a bone saw and cuts the sternum itself. Then she attaches a rib-spreader and cranks the handle. You block the sound with your own implants. The scene is grisly enough as it is without it triggering your instinctual aversion to the sound of a human body breaking.

There's a lot of blood. Behind the plied-apart bone, plainly visible, is the augmented heart of it.

"Let's see what happens when demonic corruption propagates through the sacred bond between a weapon and its handler. That'll be a worthwhile experiment, don't you think?"

[mellow-island7]

Twitter Drafts

was writing down my twitter drafts in a word document cause i'm gonna deactivate my twitter again cause i'm getting overwhelmed again by everything and thought i'd share some of these on tumblr lol

These drafts start from now (8/23/23) and go all the way back to i think like a year ago or something like that, some of the drafts are unfinished but yea anyways heres some of them

(pt 1)

(ps my bad i probably sound like an asshole in some of these, i was really sad and have been stuck in a perpetual shit cycle for the past 3 years)(but also i have to learn to stop apologizing for things that i don't need to be sorry for)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stuck in a body that isn’t mine,

Everything is a waste of time

Dumb yuppie mfkrs talking about being “broke” with a car, a house, gear that works and a house that has food everyday :|

Lol :|

We need a show in south florida for the Daniel Johnston fans all 5 to 6 of us

Mfkrs will literally kick you down and be like dude get up already, stop being lazy

Its funny hearing people talking about getting older and gaining weight and running out of breath and I’m like “dude literally all you do is smoke weed and watch shit on Netflix, what the fuck would you expect”

Lol you really not grown till you get sued for the first time

Mad respect and appreciation for anyone that takes the time to try and and understand themselves emotionally

In my head thinking about how it totally not cute to be this sad at my age

In my head counting all the people that hate me

I’m grateful for the people that I’ve been friends with since middle school

The online therapists are exploiting mental illness, places like b*tter help want you to think you are weak and they want you to think you can’t do it yourself so that you can pay them a good amount of money to talk you into fixing your own problems

Yea I’m probably gonna hold off on doing shit seriously till I have money again

I know where I am, I know where I’m going and I know how I’m gonna get there

You should be scared you fucking limp dick weasel, I hope you get everything that you have coming for you

Wtf you could bs nose slide? :o

I just wanna skate and make music with my friends, its not that complicated

This mini ramp is slowly but surely making my brain so much stronger

Don’t understand plus don’t care plus don’t wanna understand plus I gotta st

Do things for genuine reasons

I need to stop apologizing for things I don’t need to be sorry about

(added this in rn, wasn’t originally in our twitter drafts ^^^)

Nick is like the mike Sinclair to my billy marks

One day when I’m older and more stable with money and more in a place of comfort, I look forward to being able to smoke weed while playing playstation 2 games

Lifes moving in such a weird direction and I’m really happy and excited but also a lil sad also goddamn some of the things happening  are so bizarre

Educate the yuppie jits, they don’t know any better

You are exactly like all the people you complain about and if you weren’t busy having your head so far up your own ass maybe you could see that

I love being an internet music nerd, all I wanna do is be on my computer and listen to music and make shit

I’m trying very hard to stay optimistic and keep working hard towards things that I think actually matter and if you are in any way trying to impede on that optimism (no matter how false you think it may be) then FUCK YOUUUUU just SHUT THE FUCK UP

Growing up means literally faking being happy every day

I can’t wait to turn 30

I need a job so fucking bad and I desperately need to leave this house

Steel reserve suicide? 👀

Fuck it lol I think imma finish as much as I can of the ruffans stuff and put it out as a demos album LOL (at this point that makes more sense than having this be an actual album)

Definitely gotta keep our friends humble cause :| some mfkrs are getting so prideful and arrogant :|

I think we need to start roasting our friends a bit more, so many specific people are getting way too prideful and arrogant, like there’s nothing in with feeling a sense of pride in your self but definitely gotta humble people when they’re getting out of pocket

Being in a car with people that drive like shit :| is so fucking annoying :| and then they wanna act like you’re annoying as fuck for being scared :| fried ass mfkrs :|

Too many people down bad rn, get it together

:| talking about these things with the people you love is :| so :| fucking :| hard :| life is moving and changing in so many directions in so many ways :| and

You will only come to realize this when it is way too late and you’ve done an insane amount of irreparable damage and then you will regret so much as we all come to do

Life at 17: I need to kill myself Σ('◉⌓◉’)

Life at 24: yea fuck this dude I’m out :|

Lol its funny to me that theres people that only like me because I’m so sad and that feels soo fucked up for some reason

I don’t care if it’s good enough because it is genuinely the best can do

(rn)

Phone password is **** and my computer password is ******, theres a lot of live video and audio recordings of peoples bands and maybe some photos and logos and art and other random bullshit, if anyone cares to go and try and find that, go for it

I tried, sorry, thanks

(anecdote: lol fucking dumb edgy imbecile thinking anyone would give a fuck to try and find any of that garbage

Thanks

Its fireeee :,| <3

Goddammit ramon just do it already, watching you get up and keep trying is humiliating it feels like watching a one legged dog keep tripping over himself tryna cross the street, its so fucking sadd

No I’m not doing okay why the fuck would you askme some stupid dumbass question like that, tryna be on some hold your head up king bullshit, like I’m glad that you’ve managed to convince yourself that you’re happy, that’s awesome for you I love that for you genuinely but what the fuck I am obviously not happy why the fuck would you ask me that like what the fuck am I actually supposed to say to that

I am not too fond of punk music or shoegaze music or metal music(as genres), theres specific bands and individuals that I like but in general sense most of those genres are so fucking boring

I feel like I haven’t had a real conversation with another human being in so long, I feel so detached from reality like as if I’m not real and I’m watching myself continue on autopilot from outside my body

I’m the kind of stupid where I’ll have no money, get $5 and decide to share it with someone so we could eat together

:3

Sitting thinking about how many days will have to pass before have to sell my fuzzwar and amp and other belongings that mean a lot to me?

(something is wrong/broken)

One brain cell dimwit human being who is not doing anything to fix it or help in any way: “why are you not fixing this? What is wrong with you you useless irresponsible asshole?”

:|

I wish I had what you had

(plural)

I’m getting real close to selling my fuzzwar, at this point in life I have no one I’m close enough that would know what that would mean to me or even care but maya gave me that for my 19th brirthday, it was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me ever

Jesus christ the way that asia argento looks at rip torn in marie Antoinette and just thinking about times in life when someone looked at you like that while touching your face

[tvsmovies]

Release Date : 01/15/2016 (US)Category : War, Action, History, Thriller, DramaProduction : Country : USRate : Cast : John Krasinski,James Badge Dale,Dominic Fumusa,Max Martini,Pablo Schreiber,Matt Letscher,Alexia Barlier,David Costabile,David Denman,An American Ambassador is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound in Libya as a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.An American Ambassador is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound in Libya as a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.33Call me paranoid. Call me a cynic. But something about ‘Michael Bay does Benghazi’ never sounded right. While the subject interested me and the trailer looked pretty exciting, that small tinge of doubt has lingered in the back of my mind. After all we are talking about the purveyor of the relentlessly dopey Transformers films. I wasn’t sure Bay could offer the right sensibility and perspective on such a real-life controversial tragedy still fresh in America’s conscience.But a couple of things allowed me a little room for optimism. First were some casting choices that I really liked. James Badge Dale is an underappreciated actor who I’ve always enjoyed and

a look when it opens here in a week’s time. I am the same way as you. I was definitely leery considering his past. But he really does a good job here. Just keep in mind that it is actually an action picture but a very respectful one. I liked it. Nice Review Keith! Glad to hear Bay did something different but Im still a little skeptical so Im gonna believe it when I see it. As I have told others, I can see where you’re coming from because Bay has earned the skepticism. But honestly he does a good job here. He dials it back and the movie is better for it. Not perfect but surprisingly good. I keep reading how this is his best in ages, but still not too good. I might check it out at some stage. You should. I liked it quite a bit. People over here are conveniently injecting their politics into it and using it to their advantage. People from both parties are. It would be funny if it wasn’t so pitiful. Meanwhile the movie stands on its own and it’s an entertaining action ride. Pleasantly surprised! Just watched today (don’t feel like putting thoughts out about it, but a B/B- maybe?), and I thought Bay did a good job of not infusing a particular viewpoint, but I do wish that we could have seen more of what the story was like in the US. It can be a little over the top in its action moments, but they are good, and even with some suspect lines, I cared for all of the characters. Good acting work, hopefully this gets Krasinski out of his 3 year post Office slumber. He can do work. Glad you liked it too. Sad that so many tossed it aside without giving it a fair shake. Really good action and I agree about Krasinski. I would love for this to give him a boost. Watch free movies and tvshows on VidooTv

Watch Free Full 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Watch Free Full 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

John Krasinski is an intriguing bit of casting despite his mediocre filmography. Second was that the film is based on Mitchell Zuckoff’s book which interestingly looked at the Benghazi attack from the defender’s point of view. If handled correctly it offers a perspective that could go in a number of thought-provoking directions.I get a kick out of watching critics project their politics onto movies like this. Regardless of which side of the aisle they stand, some simply can’t judge the movie without being influenced by their ideology. In this case some of the silliest examples are “[13 Hours] wraps heroic stories in a thick layer of Fox News-endorsed bullcrap”, or “[13 Hours] is simply and completely an indictment [of Hillary Clinton].”But here’s the thing, neither of those viewpoints are completely accurate. Michael Bay actually goes to great lengths to steer clear of the political mire and keeps his focus on the soldiers. A major componen

ttle bit more. The important thing is that he be respectful. Very respectful here. And you’re exactly right, the juvenile humor is gone. Still some will dismiss it and to each his own. I found it to be good entertainment. It’s one of Bay’s best efforts in a long while. Is it a good film though? No, not really. I almost fell asleep during that 90-minute long action sequence. Good grief the guy is self-indulgent. But the theater I was in was nearly sold out, so he obviously remains a golden egg for Hollywood. What a shame. We definitely disagree. I think its a good film and I found the action to be pretty exhilarating. As I mention I do thing the phases of action we get does go on and on. But ultimately I think he actually shows restraint and focus which I could get used to from him. It certainly was more restrained. I’ll concede that. We shall agree to disagree then, which is actually somewhat refreshing! Hahah! LOL! It hasn’t happened often lately, right? I think I had the same reaction to “Michael Bay does Benghazi” that you had. I might catch this on DVD. I planned on ignoring it all together because I assumed there would be a lot of politics in it and I just didn’t feel like hearing it for the 10000000th time, but I’m glad you said that isn’t the case. And hearing Krasanski talk about this film on Bill Maher the other day made me want to give it a bit of a chance. He spoke so positively and sincerely about it. And he looks super hot. I’m shallow. The hotness factor didn’t play for me but other positives did. 😉 This honestly isn’t about the politics of it even though some people on both sides can’t help but respond to it as if it was. It’s very much an action movie but without Bay’s normal mind-numbing touches. Not in any rush to see this because of Bay being in the director’s seat. That said, his better movies are the ones in which he’s forced to set things up and actually tell a story. When he’s doing something that requires none of that, like a Transformers sequel, he just mashes the gas pedal right from the start and never lets up with all the Bayisms. By Bayisms I mean, the cheesy dialogue peppered with middle school humor, tedious, pervasive, and goofy “action” with lots unnecessary explosions and even more unnecessary slow motion shots. This sounds about like I expected. I’ll see it, but it could be a while. Oh yes, I’m familiar with Bayisms. That’s the reason I was apprehensive but also the reason why it was pleasantly surprised. We just get small strokes of only portions of that stuff. He even dials back his ultra-stylized action. It looks great but is much more grounded. Ah Michael Bay… all his films should just be called Explosions! Loud noises! LOL. Bay has absolutely earned that reputation. That’s why I’m not a big Bay fan. But this was surprising good. Not flawless for sure but well done. Glad you saw this Keith! I’d have given this the same rating too, I was surprised how much I was engrossed in this. I guess having met the three real soldiers featured in the film made me more excited about the film than I otherwise would, but still pleasantly surprised that this wasn’t another Bayhem. James Badge Dale was excellent, I think he’s the star of the film, you’re right he’s so underrated! Awesome Ruth! I think some people are automatically dismissing it just because Bay’s name is attached. He certainly has fueled that response with some of his past films. But its unfortunate because this is Bay doing a subject right. Really glad I saw it. Yeah and it’s understandable. I think some people are avoiding this because they thought it’d be a political movie but it wasn’t. Since I’ve read the book it’s based on, I think it’s faithful to the book. You’re so right. It’s not political and I think you have a really unique perspective on it. Meeting them had to have been great. I’m not a Michael Bay fan but it doesn’t sound like I should dismiss this one outright. Nice to hear he’s able to dial it back a bit. Still have my reservations but I might give it

t of the story involves the US State Department’s failure to provide increased security as well as the government’s slow response time once the attacks were underway. These are facts which only hardcore partisans would deny. But that is as far as Bay and writer Chuck Hogan go in addressing the controversies. There is no firm stand or clear voice except when proclaiming the heroism of these soldiers.Bay spends his first 40 minutes setting up the danger and instability of Benghazi, Libya. The embassy has closed but the United States maintains a presence through an American diplomatic compound. One mile away is a covert CIA Annex which is protected by a small group of security contractors made up of special forces veterans. Krasinski arrives for his 12th stint of security duty. There he meets Badge Dale, an old friend who leads the soldiers but who answers to a naïve and petulant CIA chief (David Cost

a good action sequence. He also has the ability to wring out every drop of intensity from a scene. Even when you know what’s coming, Bay has a knack for building up and building up until the tension is at a boil. That works both for and against the movie. The same could be said for the action. It’s fierce and visceral but also fairly relentless once it starts. At the same time its thrilling, adrenaline-fueled entertainment that manages to be sincere and respectful even among the impressive spectacle. Despite the bullets, big explosions, and occasional corny dialogue (especially at the end), the film is more focused than many of Bay’s previous slogs. It maintains a surprising emotional honesty and it doesn’t trivialize what is still a sensitive subject. At its core “13 Hours” is a Michael Bay action flick and it may disappoint those looking for a deeper exploration of the Benghazi attacks. But despite its flaws I still found myself glued to the story of six heroic men putting their all into protecting 36 others. In the end that is the story Michael Bay is telling and he does a pretty good job telling it. Nice! I was planning on checking this out but Michael Bay always worries me a little especially since he’s touching on actual events and something much more serious than his usual subject matter. But then, what better place to watch big explosions than on the big screen, right? 😉 I’m glad you enjoyed it. Definitely going to try and catch this! Great review, Keith! 🙂 Thanks Kim! In many ways it is very Michael Bayish. But as someone who just can’t handle his brain-numbing Transformers flicks, I found this one surprisingly entertaining. I thought he was very respectful and responsible while also making this a big screen action picture. That being said, I can see where some wouldn’t respond as well to it. It definitely worked for me more often than not. That’s exactly it! I don’t quite mind Michael Bay. I didn’t like that Dwayne Johnson movie that I can’t remember anymore what its called with Mark Wahlberg. And Transformers is really just a brainless entertainment dumb action flick now that I don’t mind as background noise. This one looks like a legit way for him to be taken more seriously. I haven’t looked at any reviews for 13 Hours other than yours but I’m guessing its going to be quite mixed. “Respectable and Responsible” is what I want to hear for this one so I’m pretty intrigued in checking it out! 🙂 Pain and Gain is the one you’re thinking about. I didn’t like that one either. I think you have the right approach to Michael Bay and I think you will appreciate what he does in this one. I’m still not going to see it. It’s Michael Bay. He has this false idea of patriotism which we all know he’ll exaggerate or glamorize a story that is real. Plus, the fact that it’s endorsed by Donald Trump is another reason for me not to go see it. Yet, I’m not surprised since I consider those two as scums of the Earth. As I said in the review, both sides of the aisle can’t help but project their politics on the film which is a shame since it does stay clear of politics. For me I don’t generally pay any attention to endorsements especially from opportunistic politicians. I honestly didn’t say any false ideas of patriotism in this one. Its a fun but surprisingly reverent action flick. You still can’t get me to see this. I hate his editing style. It’s like a child playing with an editing machine and not knowing when not to cut. No worries. To each his own. Bay’s track record definitely leaves scars. You’re 100% right about his normal directing style. That’s something else he dials back here. Still, there are Bay traits that you probably would want to steer clear of. I do plan to check this out. Bay doesn’t bother me at all. I always enjoyed the way he shoots action scenes. I also didn’t think he would have any of his juvenile humors which I feel is his Achilles. I think when you hear mixed reviews as opposed to the usual venom his movies get, it perks my ears up a li

abile).Between scenes of setting up the danger, highlighting the lax security, and emphasizing their vulnerability, we get several moments of bro-bonding. A lot of it feels pretty familiar – the banter, beards, and biceps. And we get those emotional calls home which are always movie precursors to something bad. But surprisingly these scenes mostly work mainly on the backs of Krasinski and Badge Dale. Both are likable, believable, and make even the cheesiest dialogue work.Things ratchet up once the attacks begin and Michael Bay slips into his true comfort zone. There isn’t an ounce of subtlety or nuance to Bay’s filmmaking but there is a lot of style. In his Transformers movies Bay offers no hint of restraint. Like a kid on a sugar rush his scenes would often be hyperactive and frantically incoherent. Here he slightly dials it back allowing us to understand what we are seeing on screen. It is an appreciated reminder that Bay does know how to film

[iivyhearts]

jimmy and gary (separate) with an airheaded gf

(im doing a fem! reader for this one but u can read it as gn!)

warning: gary's is kinda toxic just a heads up

✥﹤┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈﹥✥

jimmy

very protective

very very protective

doesn't let gary near you at all bc he knows that he will string you into stuff

lets you doodle on his hand just so you concentrate

he looks like a damn colouring book

helps you with homework but he doesn't want to do it for you

however if you're stressed beyond tears he'll do it for u bc he loves you

is literally that meme where theres the guard dog bf and his sweet gf

will threaten to beat up anyone who tries to be mean to you then turns to you all lovey-dovey eyed and pamper you with love

hugging you from behind is a must for him he loves it

with anyone else he wouldn't let them be so mushy with him like cupping his face, kissing everywhere, holding onto his arm.. but-

since its you he allows it; and he has no idea why he's so soft for you

lets you stay over in the boys dorm bc the girls can be mean to u, and he will definitely keep u safe against any gross boys so its 80% safe

the only risk is a prefect finding you out and busting the two of you lol

if you two aren't in his dorm room, you're in the lighthouse together

cuddles in private are a must; jimmy's been through a lot of neglect so he craves all the affection but he likes keeping direct love private so he isn't seen as 'soft'

all in all he adores you <3

gary

he adores you,,, but in a very different way

at first, he loves you bc you're so easy to manipulate and bc he's off his meds,,, he does it a lot

gets you to spread 'he said she said' rumours for him bc you believe it all

also convinces you into being his right hand bc you go along with everything he says

gary loves how his insults go over your head unless they're direct (i.e "you're stupid", "i can't believe you're this dumb")

his sarcasm also sometimes go over your head and he thinks its funny

after a while, he grows kind of protective of you, he doesn't want anyone else to treat you how he treats you, you're like his little pet

if you find out he's not taking his meds, and you probably will through jimmy or pete, you start bugging him to take it

he hates it at first but amidst all his overthinking he realises that you care about him, you want him to perform optimally; so he starts to take them again

now.. on meds gary is more mellow, as we know, so he definitely becomes more soft for you, but not too much

before he took his meds your relationship was in the air, it wasn't concrete and people just assumed the two of you were dating

but now he's taking meds he asks you out directly, and he'll never admit he's over the moon when you say yes

he'll help you with classwork and homework, not always completely but he normally just does it for you bc he gets a little frustrated when you don't get it right

he does make you watch so you learn something whilst he does it for you

practically becomes your private tutor or something

he only cuddles in private, he has a reputation to uphold as a crazy, detached sociopath; he can't be all mushy with you in public

he kinda hates it, but he's dug himself into a hole

he wants to show you off, and sometimes he does in a petty way when people flirt with you

literally just walks over and kisses you until they leave out of awkwardness

unfortunately bc of his reputation, no one believes you when you say he's loving and kind to you (and you alone) in private

gary might eventually redeem himself, but until then he adores you in private

[vyl3tpwny]

volume sliders

my need for a tumblr volume slider feels like an edge case, because of the two facts of a.) i make music and usually require my monitoring to be at a certain level, and b.) i am forgetful and if that monitoring level gets changed i will often forget to change it back and then have a biased perspective of whatever im working on; — I never change any of the volume knobs on my system's end. i always rely on volume sliders for media like on youtube and twitter, especially because i tend to share my screen+audio frequently in calls & streams, so my monitoring levels wont even be parallel to what everyone else hears. i do have soundsource as a monitoring aggregate (this allows me to calibrate my headphones passively), but i dont really touch those either. occasionally i'll use it to double or triple my browser's volume so i dont have to change anything else, but i usually end up not remembering to change that a lot of the time. at the least, my browser's audio does not have to be super accurate for me to be doing my work.

at the same time though, playback controls for media seem to be really really poorly done a lot of the time. i obsess over these things and the smallest inconvenience usually pisses me off so much. recently ive been falling exhausted and upset by the issues that twitter has with its media playback. the timeline playhead is obviously very janky and rounds off to weird points. watching content longer than 20 seconds becomes a pain to scroll through if you want to. but the most damning thing is the volume slider.

i've shown this video several times on my own twitter, but this shit is unacceptably bad. this will happen to me so frequently and it will piss me off so much. lack of controls and optimization in any case just upset me, and i mean that genuinely. it's not slight annoyance, it's not light frustration; it pisses me off. my eyesight is relatively okay. my hearing is relatively okay. but if this stuff can hurt my brain this much, i can only imagine what kind of disappointment this yields in people with other accessibility needs. i shouldnt have to install some sort of app or plugin to make something work the way it's supposed to.

that said with tumblr. it really is awful theres not even the option for a volume slider. it would not be even remotely difficult to implement. but i suppose the issues are dispersed and decentralized.

now, i have a lot of problems with soundcloud's ui/ux, maybe i'll break that down sometime. but what i can appreciate is their volume slider. it really only shows up when you definitely actually want it there. it hides when you probably aren't actually tweaking it anymore. and you dont have to be super precise in order to change volume for stuff. you can see that you can kind of click anywhere nearby or slide anywhere nearby and it'll just understand what you're wanting to actually do. the fact that its so compact but also does not require precision is what makes it actually intuitive to use. another thing is the fact that it allows you to move your mouse horizontally, with great distance, means that it feels less cramped too. when dynamic controls like this force you into a narrow operating range, it feels kind of upsetting to use and a lot of people just end up opting to not use it.

ui/ux that makes you feel cramped is the worst shit ever. whats funny about this is that soundcloud's design actually feels cramped otherwise,,, but the idea is that their volume slider is at least intuitive and goes against the grain of the rest of that stuff.

anyway. i cannot adjust the volume controls from my system. it's too important for me to keep things the way they are at all times for my type of work, especially when im so forgetful. but i feel like there are lots of other people with particular use cases where a volume slider with general media is important to them too. and i feel like im not the only person that feels like they shouldnt be installing proprietary software in order to make something work the way it probably should. you know?

thanks

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Guys. Guys. You’re not going to believe this. And I am honestly, so sorry. Anyone who found it strange and annoying that I filled up this website with a sudden focus on some shit that happened to a very specific group of comedians in the early 2000s and something about a cow, but then I found the answer to my question about what the name “Chocolate Milk Gang” meant so they were hoping I’d move on, and then just last night I finished going through the last of all the Daniel Kitson material I could possibly find online, so after that surely I would have to stop. I thought this had run its course and I could get back to other things. But you’re going to believe this. There’s another video.

Actually there are several other videos. A YouTube channel that is clearly just run by someone who went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and filmed bits of the Late ‘n Live show and put them up online, and hasn’t posted a video in the last ten years, and don’t worry about how I found this. I was pretty deep in the rabbit hole, where I’d been for long enough so I thought I’d already found it all, but then I came across these YouTube videos.

Okay, so. To start with, here’s one from 2005. Early on it gave me cause to Google when Stephen K. Amos officially came out, which was apparently 2006, so the year after this. But... I guess was a bit of a glass closet situation for some time before that? Or just a coincidence. It was 2005, and everyone did spend that entire year calling each other gay at every single opportunity. They were bound to be right at some point.

The title made me think this would be a rap battle like Daniel Kitson did with David O’Doherty in that other video, and like I have reason to believe may have happened multiple times. But it turned out to be not that, and the “v” for “versus” in the title means something more literal. So... click on this one if you want to see Daniel Kitson summarize The Karate Kid and then literally beat up Stephen K. Amos, predicting the events of 21 Jump Street eight years before that movie came out. That was not the direction I thought that was going. It’s really funny to watch this fewer than 24 hours after watching his 2005 theatre show for the first time, which is in fact about a boy who is lonely and how there’s optimism in that loneliness. He’s completely correct about that. Correct about the subtext of The Karate Kid, too.

Also, the disembodied voice of Russell Howard comes in unexpectedly at 7:24, and it’s so close to the camera that for a split second I thought Russell must be the one recording it. Obviously he wasn’t, I guess he was just in the crowd and happened to be standing near the person with the camera? I’m not really clear on where he was. His laugh just comes through like a ghost in the walls. Tim Minchin, meanwhile, is visible the entire time as he provides music, off in the corner of the stage in the way that it feels like he always is in YouTube videos, even when he’s the main star of the video.

This isn’t at all important and it’s definitely not a sentence I thought I’d ever type, but that was genuinely good technique at the end there when Stephen K. Amos picked up Daniel Kitson and threw him on the ground. He knew how to do it properly. Good job dude.

I’m going to be honest, I haven’t even watched the other videos yet. Aside from the video before this, which is a guy I think I’ve sort of heard of singing a song in which he makes fun of Oasis while using a term that I would not use for Inuit people but 2005, right? I watched this far and then had to stop and write this post. There are a few more so this will probably get updated. Anyone who was looking forward to me calming down about what some chocolate milk people may have been doing in the 00s will have to wait slightly longer to have that stop being all over this website.

Edit: I just thought of something, ran it back, and confirmed that that was Mark Olver running out at 1:16. I would like to apologize for not noticing that right away; I’m normally quite good at the game “spot Mark Olver”, as I play it every time I watch The Last Leg.