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jenroseyokel · 6 years ago

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Awesome of the Year 2018: The Books

Happy New Year! ‘Tis the season for year end lists left and right as we attempt to figure out the best of everything from 2018. And of course, as a fan of books, music, and movies, it’s only right to get in on the list-making. Over the next week or so, I’ll be sharing my 2018 favorite lists. First up: books! This year, I set my Goodreads reading challenge at 40 books, and actually passed it. I’ve been setting arbitrary book goals for years, but I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve succeeded since 2007. Probably because of all the graphic novels and comic trades I read this year WHICH TOTALLY COUNT BTW. Ahem. Anyway. This isn’t really a best of 2018 list so much as a Here’s a Bunch of Books I Really Liked in 2018 list, split up into categories. I hope you’ll find something interesting here, especially if you’re looking for ways to spend bookstore or Amazon gift cards you got for Christmas… ;)

Newish Books by Rad Christian Women:

Every Arbitrary Book Goal should have a small correlated goal attached. This year mine was to make sure I read at least 50% women authors… and there have been a lot of GREAT new books from women writers in the past few years. If the “Christian women” section of your local bookstore makes you cringe a little inside too, check out these three wonderful books, all released in the past couple years:

Courage, Dear Heart by Rebecca K. Reynolds (NavPress, 2018)

Anyone who has read Rebecca’s writing knows she needed to write a book. She has a sharp mind, a poet's soul, a scientist's eye, and the most beautiful, tender heart. Also, she's an incredible writer who loves her readers with a love that radiates off every page. Buy a copy for everyone you know.

Wearing God by Lauren F. Winner (HarperOne, 2017) Girl Meets God was a formative book in my early 20s, and I’ve always meant to read more from this author, but somehow haven't. I finally picked up this one and oh man, for a solid month afterward I couldn’t stop thinking about it. With the eye of a scholar and the heart of a poet, Winner draws on personal stories, deep Biblical study, and a love of language to explore lesser known metaphors for God. Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren (InterVarsity Press, 2016)

Several years ago, James K.A. Smith’s Desiring the Kingdom helped me see liturgy in a new way, as not just religious practice, but the embedded routines that shape us. In this book, Tish Warren brings that idea to life as she walks through an ordinary day explores the holiness in our most mundane moments of living. You may not look at brushing your teeth or losing your keys the same way again.

Good Stories

This year, fiction reading was… all over the place? I don’t know if I read much that was OMG amazing, but here are a few that were fun…

The Fairyland Series 2-5 by Catherynne M. Valente (Feiwel & Friends, 2012-2015)

I am notoriously awful at finishing book series. I read the first Fairyland book maybe… two years ago? Yikes. Just finished the last one and wow, so fun. Colorful characters, a whimsical narrator, crazy locations, and a whole lot of heart make this Victorian fairytale meets contemporary fantasy a delight to read.

Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis (Harcourt, 1956)

Lewis’ contemporary retelling of the Cupid and Pschye myth through the eyes of Psyche’s jealous sister Orual. Second read for me, and even better this time around. Pretty sure this is Lewis’ storytelling at his best.

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw (Orbit, 2017)

This was a year to embrace fun, nerdy reads. So there was the Star Trek spoof Redshirts (with a plot twist I totally saw coming... and I am not good at guessing plot twists) and my first trip into the Star Wars extended book universe (or whatever the heck they call it these days) and… this. A story about a doctor for the undead in London, trying to solve the mysteries surrounding a murderous cult and keep her monster friends safe. Not the greatest, but a fun Halloween read. I’ll get to the sequel eventually. (See also: bad at finishing book series.)

Poetry for Everyone

Another new reading practice this year: always keeping a poetry book on the bedside table. Poetry books are best for leisurely dipping in and out rather than reading cover to cover. If you think poetry is only for the ivory towers, give these writers a try and think again.

A Child's Year by Christopher Yokel (Independent, 2018)

Okay, I’m biased here, but hey! Chris quietly released a new poetry book into the world this fall, and I’m a big fan of Chris AND his poems. A Child’s Year is a season cycle, sort of like his last book A Year in Weetamoo Woods, but this time it’s anchored by a four part poem recalling the journey of seasons through childhood eyes. And according to our friend Kirsten’s 7-year-old son, he gets the experience right. ;)

The Jubilee by John Blase (Bright Coppers Press, 2017) For his 50th birthday, John Blase released his first poetry book, with a poem for every year of life. It’s rare for me to make it through an entire collection start to finish but these were just so good. There are poems about aging — the author’s and his parents’ — and poems that evoke wide spaces and natural wonder. There are psalms and parables, and meditations on dying and, yes, living. All of them finely tuned with wisdom, gentle grace, and a touch of humor in all the right places. How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson (Dial Books, 2014)

When I heard Marilyn Nelson read her poem “Thirteen-Year-Old American Negro Girl” on the On Being podcast, I was captivated. And when I found this lovely hardcover in a used bookstore back home in Florida, I knew I needed to read more. This is a memoir in poetry about growing up in a black military family during the American Civil Rights era, told with gentle lyricism, warmth, and humor. Plus, the book itself is lovely with whimsical illustrations and family photos.

Comics!

I’m always on a quest to get more comics in my life. Plus knocking out a whole series in a couple weeks is a solid way to pad out your Arbitrary Book Goal.

Amulet 1-7 by Kazu Kibuishi (Graphix, 2008-2016)

After their father’s tragic death, Emily and Navin move with their mom to a strange old house that belonged to their great-grandfather… and so the adventure begins. In this fantasy series, the two kids find themselves in an underground world of demons, robots, talking animals, and a dangerous and powerful Amulet. A captivating and beautifully illustrated fantasy tale. Ms. Marvel 1-5 by G. Willow Wilson (Marvel, 2014-2016)

Y’all, I super want to be a Marvel nerd. But alas, I can't keep up, so I get my sister to loan books to me. Ms. Marvel is my new fave. A Pakistani-American girl from Jersey City has the power to grow, shrink, and stretch her body at will. So she’s trying to fight crime, keep up at school, and well, stay out of trouble with her parents. So fun. (Dear Disney: I really want this kid to show up in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. before it gets canceled kthxbye.)

The Legend of Wonder Woman by Ranae De Liz and Ray Dillon (DC Comics, 2016)

Weren’t we all mildly obsessed with Wonder Woman after the 2017 film? Another one I borrowed from my sister. A solid take on Diana’s origin story that’s accessible for comic n00bs (ahem, like me) who can’t figure out where to begin with beautiful art and a lot of heart.

The Classic I Finally Read

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen I always try to tackle either a thick intimidating novel or an unread classic in the wintertime. This year, I worked on my Austen deficiency and discovered I relate a little too much to Elinor Dashwood.

What’s Next?

In the new year, I think my goal is less about numbers and more about reading widely. I liked the 50% women authors goal because it helped me actively choose to support women writers. This year, hoping to read more books by authors of color, explore some new ideas and genres, and hopefully do a better job reading deeply and taking notes. I’ve got my eye on Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge too, perhaps as a way to dig into new things I wouldn’t normally notice. And yeah... perhaps a monthly reading life update is a thing I can do here on the blog. :)

If you’re curious to see the full list of What I Read This Year and follow along with me in 2019, feel free to follow me on Goodreads!

What were some of your favorite reads in 2018? And what are your goals for the new year? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!

#art #books #reading #awesome of the year #readers of tumblr #reading list #favorite books #best of 2018 #readers are leaders yo

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cyberstabbing · 8 years ago

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Sci-fi/Dystopian future/Danger Days/idk

Heaven’s Not About Your Reputation - Desolation Row AU. The Tipper Laws have consumed the nation; more and more freedoms are being restricted every day. After getting thrown in jail for causing a riot with their illegal punk show, My Chem decides to do the logical thing: cause even more trouble. 28k

In Repair - "Shit,“ Frank mutters, and shoves both hands through his hair. He looks around the kitchen like he’s gonna find what he should do scratched into the old linoleum, then looks back at the bot. He gnaws on his lip. Fuck it. He already knows what he’s gonna do. He’s just gotta do it.

Getting down on his knees, he braces a hand on the edge of the crate and leans over the bot. It’s dressed in a plain white tee and matching drawstring pants like an escaped mental patient. Frank rolls his neck and cracks his knuckles, shaking the ache out of them before carefully laying his palm against its cheek. He’s pretty sure his voice is steady when he says, "Activate.”

Nothing happens. Fucking shitty packaging– the thing’s busted. But Frank keeps his hand where it is, jumping a little when he feels the surge of energy beneath it. The robot’s skin goes from room temperature to lukewarm, then warm. Frank watches it open its eyes, the light behind them adjusting until they’re a pale sort of brown. It looks at him and asks, “Am I dead?” 33k

sing it for the n00bs - Gerard would be killing twice as many dracs right now if his fucking spacebar would quit sticking. (Gamer AU, wherein the Danger Days universe is an MMORPG.) 17k

I was rereading this on a bus in France with my stepsister. She asked me what I was reading and I just squirmed around in my seat. So she shouted “FANFICTION??” And I was like … Well, I mean, yes–but hear me out!! And so I told her about Danger Days, the Killjoys and the whole gamer au concept.

She actually thought it sounded pretty cool. Or maybe she just wanted me to quit gushing about it and leave her alone.

The point is, if someone who just heard a second-rate description of this fic still thought it sounded interesting, that means it’s HELLA RAD. And it is. So. Read it.

The Way They Fly - Frank is a robot. He is in love with his genius creator, Gerard, who doesn’t realize that Frank is capable of real feelings. Frank starts breaking down, getting ill, and Gerard doesn’t know what to do to fix it - all his methods are completely useless, none of the programming explains why this is happening to his Frank - but it’s because Frank has a broken heart. 17k

Of Another Kind - Gerard is an alien on a mission–to find a human mate on Earth. He’s decided on Frank Iero, but his database doesn’t give him all the facts he needs to win over his future companion, and there are just some things he will have to learn on his own. 17k

Let The Darkness Lead You Home - Vampires are in charge and most of the humans on earth are prey, so Frank Iero’s parents have him train as a cyber tech to protect him. Leaving the family he’s born into may have saved his life, but his parents never could have expected the lengths he’d go to in order to find a new family to call home. 49k

The Chasing of Moons - The biggest dilemma in all of this is that Frank slept with his future husband. Now Frank’s just got to make sure that the future with him stays intact, but it’s not so easy when present day Gerard seems to hate his guts. 110k

Might I Have a Bit of Earth - Gerard took things. He didn’t used to take things; he used to ask before, say please and may I and other things his parents taught him, because that was what you did. You didn’t just take. 14k

Space pirates :D !!

Are You Broken? (from the Robot!Gerard series) - Frank gets sick and Gerard doesn’t understand. <1k (the series is 7k)

Lovely Way to Burn - Frank is no stranger to sickness. He’s been wheezing his way in and out of hospitals since he was a kid, but things are different now. He was already pulled from two assignments due to illness, and the third time is the charm. Three strikes and you’re out. 4k

video girl - This is a space AU that has more random worldbuilding than actual porn in it. In which Frank wanders into a virtual sex video booth. 1k

Reaching Through The Mirror - The one where Party Poison and Basement!Gerard have sex. 5k

(part one of Time Travel ‘verse)

James Cameron Got It Wrong - In which 2005!Frank and Fun Ghoul get it on. Then Frank accidentally winds up in 2019. 56k

(part two of Time Travel ‘verse)

yoooo i just found some really really REALLY good fanart. .. unbelievably good. and six years after the fic came out! that’s amazing!! anyway, here it is.

EDIT #2: found some more! Man, that fic just keeps giving.

EDIT #3: Damn it, the artist’s blog (second one) is marked as having “sensitive content”, so I couldn’t view it anymore on this account. So here is the post reblogged on a sfw blog for y’all youngins, and here is a screenshot juuust in case the sfw blog deactivates and that link stops working, too.

The Science of Sleep - It’s 2011 and Frank Iero’s life is pretty average until the night where he starts getting dreams about a strange, apocalyptic California where there’s rayguns, grey corporations and terrorists who use art and color as a weapon. Interesting and fun at first, but the more he dreams about this world, the more he starts to wonder if it really is a dream… and the deeper he gets into this futuristic world, the more it seems to affect his life in the present day.

And just how exactly does everything all seem to link in with that douchebag black-haired artist who sits in Starbucks every day?

(Set in the Danger Days world but not necessarily following the cannon established by the album and music video’s.) 93k

Killjoys Never Die - No description. 2k

i want to die i want to die i want to die

Up Against Your Will (HERE is the chapter index) - Stepping into a world so different from their own, Frank and Gerard struggle to survive. 18 chapters

this was amazing, but also hard to read in some parts, bc of the non con and gore :/ not my cup of tea, but I did love the word building and the fic overall.

Fogs, Sheets and Thunder - Not as grey as it seems. A post-apocalyptic postal service AU. 5k

And ze art!

The World Famous Extraterrestial Diner - Sure the menu had a picture of literally everything in it, causing the menu itself to be ten pages in total, but that was for the foreign visitors. And not just the ones from other countries, according to the owners.Gerard worked at a diner located directly on the famous ‘extraterrestrial highway’. The pictures were more for if any actual aliens ever came by Earth for a good meal and couldn’t speak English. They had the pictures to see exactly what was on offer. Even the beverages had their own separate pictures.Not that they had had any extraterrestial visitors since, like, ever. 8k

Born to Motorbabies - Here's the thing with having a crush on a mysterious DJ; it's kind of an inconvenient place to hang your affections. 12k

The person who’s rec list i snagged this from (can’t remember who, sorry!) added “affectionately referred to as the dishwasher fic” which is v cute so I’m putting it here too.

...the weapon - Tattoos are one of the ways they measure out the time between getting ghosted. Inspired by Art is... 0.2k

Code Red - In the fall out of a fire fight, Party Poison goes looking for medicine, and finds pretty much the exact opposite of that. 2k Ship: Party Poison/Korse

Workplace Appropriate Attire - Korse is a creepy boyfriend. 1k

Ship: Party Poison/Korse

This was fun to read, but some lines made me go OH SHIT, because ...... well if you read this you will know what I’m talking about.

We Got Machines - There are questions on the lips of everyone with eyes or money on the arena. Who is this kid? Where’d he come from? Who trained him? BLind’s got no records on him, meaning he’s a Zonebrat returning to the grasp of the city of his own volition. Another anomaly. That a 16 year old nobody could waltz in out of nowhere and turn the system on its head is... concerning to BLind. <1k

Part 1 of KJ/Griefers 'verse (3.5k in total)

Ship: Deadmau5/G3rard

xoxoxoxo - Party Poison wakes up somewhere he's never been - but there's plenty that's familiar here. 1k

Ship: Party Poison/Korse

Looking for Satellites - Galaxy-hopping alien trader Gerard has business on space station Perseus Four. Getting to know station administrator Grant is a nice bonus. 25k Ship: Gerard/Grant Gerard is a sexy, telepathic and open minded (heh) alien and it’s great.

the only hope for me - Korse has never been one to show his emotions. 1k Ship: Korse/Party Poison

your kicks don't hit, so we remain the same - a battery city ambush goes somewhat wrong. korsepoison. 0.8k Ship: Korse/Party Poison

Methane Skies - Run, run, bunny, run. 3k

Hot damn this is some creepy and suspenseful stuff. Ship: (implied) Korse/Party Poison

mutilate, maim and destroy (just a tad) - For clarification, this fic is about Gerard Way the actual person being tortured by Korse in the Killjoys universe. Like. Hnng, you'll see nevermind. Ship: Gerard/Korse

A Room Full Of Suicides - His jaw was clenched and his whole body quivering. He looked right at Korse with those huge, transparent eyes. “Do what you want to me. I don’t give a shit, Korse.” He drew in a breath that shook. “You wouldn’t understand. It’s about standing up for what you believe in.” God, the kid was adorable. Korse couldn’t wait to make him scream. 4k Ship: Korse/Party Poison, Fun Ghoul/Party Poison (implied)

Of All the Places in the Universe - Gerard, an alien with a severe case of anomie and wanderlust, crash-lands in Jersey while traveling the galaxy. A chance meeting with a creature his studies had told him didn't exist leads to a surprising turn of events. With time, Gerard comes to call Earth home, and finds love with the adorable punk who found him--Frank, an energetic puppy of a werewolf who's really more bark than bite. 30k

"You know The Smiths?"

Gerard grinned. "Oh, yes! They're one of my favorite Earth bands."

Thank You For The - Just an alien in New Jersey, looking for a mate. 0.5k Ship: Gabe Saporta/Mikey Way

"Have fun," Gerard said, even though he'd just told Mikey he couldn't have fun because he needed to be careful. Mikey wished his venom sacs were fully developed. He would spit on Gerard's shoes.

Double Exposure - “The worst part was the confession. Well, the explanation sucked too.” Written for prompt 38. Frank/Mikey - Frank and Mikey bodyswap during tour and have to play shows as each other. 2.5k

Frank isn’t part italian in this fic. He’s part alien! :D Ship: Frank/Mikey

#frerard #frerard fic #frank/gerard #rec list

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crushedcoffeecups · 3 months ago

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one thing that i love about n00b (2024) is that in the big fight between the five main characters, not a single one feel unreasonable in their arguments or their emotions.

i remember talking to my partner about it while watching it, and they agreed that these characters feel like actual, relatable teenagers. all of their problems make sense, their reactions make sense, their emotions and the way the respond and lash out at each other makes sense.

yes, they are being unfair, and harsh, and selfish. that’s what it’s like being an imperfect person. and it’s especially what it at least feels like when you’re a teenager.

i love it when media can embrace it when characters are not flawless and perfect, but that doesn’t make them monsters, it doesn’t make them horrible people. they’re just being normal people who lash out and fuck up under stress.

they’re just being teenagers, in a way that is so realistic to actual teenagers

#n00b #n00b tv show #n00b (2024)#n00b 2024 #n00b netflix #nikau bennett #james…?#lauren conrad #christian saunders #clara fekitoa #james n00b

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deancaspinefest · 8 years ago

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Posts on: February 13th

Summary: Dean Winchester is in love with his best friend, a man he has never met, who goes by the handle AngelofThursday. Problem is, Thursday values his privacy and refuses to meet. Dean buries himself in his work at his bakery Slice of Pi and in computer games, desperately trying to move on from a man he can never have.

James Novak has problems of his own. Trying to cling onto what sense of security he can, he drifts around the city from café to coffee-shop to bar, using their wi-fi to keep his online footprint anonymous. He falls in lust with The Beautiful Man at his favourite coffee-shop, Study/Break, and turns to his best friend The_Michaelsword for advice.

A two-person love triangle for the digital age.

Keep reading for a sneak preview!

It started a long time ago.

[4. LookingForGroup] [The_Michaelsword]: LF Healer for Kara 2nd boss ours dropped out

[AngelofThursday] whispers: Healadin here, I'm in if you still need one

[The_Michaelsword] whispers: got gear? dont care if your not fully specced but we already got a couple of n00bs

[AngelofThursday] whispers: I'm good, and I've run Kara as primary healer a lot before

[The_Michaelsword] whispers: awesome lemme get you an inv

Dean met his best friend in WoW. TBC, specifically. Dean stopped playing a while ago when he opened Slice of Pi, not enough time to dedicate to raiding and if you're not raiding, what's the point? But they still hook up online for gaming, and they talk nearly every day.

Nine years of friendship makes AngelofThursday Dean's oldest friend, because Sam totally doesn't count, and that's pretty awesome. He's put down roots here in Pennsylvania, for the first time since Mom died really, but none of his earlier friendships survived the repeated moves and occasional flits in the night that required leaving everything behind.

But he's doing pretty well for himself now, got a shop with a tiny apartment above it where Dean can sleep, and enough money coming in to pay for anything Sam's scholarships can't cover. The shop was mostly paid for with the life insurance money from Dad, and while Dean misses his father sometimes he prefers his business. He's only admitted that to Sam and Thurs though.

Right now he's waiting on Thurs coming online. His hours are unpredictable and strange, so waiting on him is always a gamble. The guy never uses mobiles to talk, either; he's got a real bug up his ass about security for some reason.

Thurs is worth it though; dry humour, knows stuff about everything, cares passionately about things, and Dean's completely in love with him. Which is why he's currently drunk. Meg has the early start tomorrow which means Dean can pine in peace.

Turns out it's really hard to be in love with a man you've never seen or even heard before.

#destiel #deancas #fic previews 2017 #DCPF 2017 #Online AU #Coffeeshop AU #Athaclena #Badwolfgoddess

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trendingnewsb · 7 years ago

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The Nintendo King and the Midlife Crisis

It was December in San Diego, the palm trees strung with tinsel in Ocean Beach. Pat Contri shuffled barefoot on the floor of his game room, black hair wet from the shower and curling above his eyes. He was in front of a wall of nearly 1,000 games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the greatest console ever released; the wall, floor to ceiling, was amazing to behold, Contri as small as Ahab in front of his whale. He read from the spines of gray plastic cartridges he’d spent two decades collecting: Spy Hunter, with its Peter Gunn theme, which he got for Christmas in 1987; Jaws, which he picked up at a flea market with his mother in Rahway, New Jersey, a year or two later; Zelda II, a game he had his parents order from the Sears catalog in 1988, a game he cried over because it took forever to arrive.

The wall was both a shrine to his life’s hobby and the backdrop for his work. For a decade, Contri has played a character called Pat the NES Punk for nearly 250,000 viewers on YouTube. Fans recognize him at the airport, at the gym, at the swap meets, and he has become not just an expert on Nintendo but a public face for anyone who grew up with the NES, anyone who’s worn a Donkey Kong T-shirt or who still has the Super Mario Bros. theme song thumping in their heart.

The Punk is goofier than the real-life Contri—a bit more manic, an exaggeration of his id. Games are the Punk’s life, and thoughts of the NES sing him to sleep and then wake him in sweat. Almost all of his videos, which run around 10 minutes, focus on the Punk’s experience with a single NES game. Each is a combination history lesson and review, delivered with a narrative voice that lets Contri (as writer, director, and star) show off his sense of humor, his knowledge of Nintendo, and occasionally even the depths of his introspection—about being boxed into an endless childhood by videogames, about the inherent sadness of trying to fill a hole in his life with them.

See more from the Life Issue. April 2018. Subscribe to WIRED.

Nik Mirus

One of Contri’s best videos, a 12-minute piece from 2013 dedicated to the rare and expensive NES game The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak!, begins with the Punk rustling awake from a fever dream, choking out “I need help.” And, looking at his games: “What am I doing? They’re just videogames. I’m holding like a thousand bucks’ worth right in my hands. That could be going to something useful, something memorable. Like a vacation! I could go anywhere I want. Scotland. Italy. Tahiti …” And there he pauses. “I wonder if there’s NES games in Tahiti.”

It was a bit, mostly, but as Nintendo celebrates the 33rd birthday of its historic console—and as Contri approaches 38—it was also a sign of the conflict within him. Like a lot of people who were born in the years just before and after the launch of the NES, he is no longer young and not nearly old, neither new nor vintage, and it seems like he has started to feel a bit lost in the in-between. “I don’t know if I want to be 65 years old talking about retro videogames,” he told me. “I don’t want that to be the only thing I talk about forever. I think sometimes, ‘Is this where my talent begins and ends?’ ” He says he doesn’t play NES videogames anymore—except when he’s in character—and that it’s different now: It’s work. He admits this in resignation, like it’s sacrilege, the man for whom Nintendo became a career.

“There’s something a little self-deprecating about the Punk character, and about my character too,” says James Rolfe, a 37-year-old godfather of YouTube gamers who plays a character named the Angry Video Game Nerd and is a collaborator of Contri’s. “All these YouTube characters have some kind of element of sadness to them. Thinking back to childhood, were we wasting our time with games? Were we really entertaining ourselves? Were we really happy?”

Contri’s home library consists of nearly 1,000 NES games.

SHAYAN ASGHARNIA

Contri is a 37-year-old man who has been playing videogames his entire life. His cousin’s Atari 2600, when he was 4. His family’s PC-IBM XT. Then he was 7 when his parents bought him an NES console, and preadolescent Pat started spending hours in his family’s rec room in front of a small Magnavox monitor. Later, in high school, he played Super Nintendo and then PC games, and rediscovered the NES while he was in college. After he graduated, in 2002, he eventually settled into a job in market research, working 50-plus hours a week in Princeton, New Jersey, and living in nearby North Brunswick. He hated it.

One day in 2006, he came across the Angry Video Game Nerd’s irascible game reviews, and the sight of a character drinking beer and railing about the game Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest rang out to him. “I saw the AVGN doing well, but I saw a lot of bad videos out there too,” Contri says. “I’d watch them and think, ‘Not only does this person not know how to play the game, he didn’t include any history of it.’ At the very least, I thought I could do better.”

Contri made his first video, six and a half minutes of him as the Punk playing a couple of NES baseball games before landing on the best, Baseball Stars. He chose the nickname because he thought it had a ring to it, had an attitude, and, well, women he’d dated told him he acted like a punk. It also captured the overpowering feeling he got when he played the games; the NES made him happy, and the character was a weird, happy extension of who Contri really was. He made his second video a month later, about The Three Stooges, and then another one after that. He started pumping out videos, each loaded with enough humor, personality, and insider knowledge to set it apart from everything else online. In 2012, a few years after leaving New Jersey for San Diego, he quit his market research job and started making videos full time.

Related Video

Gaming

The History of Nintendo: By the Numbers

With the announcement of the Nintendo Switch and the discontinuation of the Wii U, let's take a look at some of the numbers behind the legendary video game company.

Read more: https://www.wired.com/story/nes-punk-nintendo-gamer/

from Viral News HQ https://ift.tt/2HmnM3Q via Viral News HQ

#IFTTT #Viral News HQ

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ghostofbambifanfiction · 1 year ago

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#n00b #fanfiction #James Potter #Lily Evans #Jily

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billsfangearring · 3 years ago

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some other fic ask game questions i pulled out of nowhere LMAO, feel free to answer whichever/as many of these as you like!

- a fic you were 100% sold on from the summary

- a fic you were intrigued by from the summary

- favorite AO3 tag? (intentionally vague q!)

- most memorable fic ending?

- most memorable beginning?

- what would your ideal written-for-you fic look like? (feel free to answer this any way you want: summary, tropes, tags!)

Hahahaha I love you. These are excellent questions. You should make an ask game too!

I'm going to try to stick to fics I haven't mentioned on tumblr before, but it's possible I've done a quick rec of some of these and I've now forgotten. It's hard to keep Reddit and Tumblr recs straight.

Putting my answers below the cut because this post is v v long.

a fic you were 100% sold on from the summary

We are here by @elanev91 (Jily)

James Potter has just swept into the Premiership on a wave of Brexit outrage and, on his first night in office, a woman strolls out of his fire and tells him she’s the Minister for Magic. She tells him not to worry, he’ll never see her again unless something really serious happens.

It goes, perhaps, without saying, that something really serious happens.

As the anti-Muggle and anti-Muggleborn sentiments that have been brewing in the wizarding world once again ignite, Lily Evans finds herself in a position where she has to address the prejudice that has followed her her whole career. And she’s prepared to do that alone, but the Prime Minister isn’t nearly so willing to let her handle everything off-screen.

a fic you were intrigued by from the summary

Pot, Kettle, Black by TheDivineComedian (Wolfstar)

In 1978, Sirius Black almost becomes an Auror. Turns out even he can’t fake his way through the mental health assessment. So what. He has better things to do: Remus Lupin is one. The war is another. He spends weeks at a time undercover for the Order while Polyjuiced to the gills. It’s probably his new favourite thing. Little does Sirius know that running from himself will send him on a collision course with his ephemeral brother, but life is funny that way.

favorite AO3 tag?

According to my AO3 bookmarks, it's humor (both across all fandoms and for HP specifically)! I'd say humor, angst, and mutual pining seem right.

most memorable fic ending?

Blue Sunny Day by @firethesound (Drarry). I don't want to spoil it, but it's so heartbreaking and moving and ugh! Give this a try even if you don't normally go for creature fics or Drarry. It has a happy ending, I promise!

most memorable beginning?

Okay I know I've recced this before but n00b by @ghostofbambifanfiction (Jily). That email? Come on. Gold.

Two others would be Chained by @maquira713 (WIP, Harry/Sirius) and Soup-pocalypse and The Great Curry Cataclysm by SquadOfCats (Drarry).

what would your ideal written-for-you fic look like?

Are you volunteering to write it? 😏

jk jk. Hmm... honestly, a First War Wolfstar/Marauders fic (shocking) with a really nuanced and complicated portrayal of the breakdown in trust between Sirius and Remus and of Peter becoming a Death Eater. This probably would need to be told through multiple POVs, but bonus points if someone could convey that through just one. I find a lot of the explanations provided in fics to be too simplistic or only focused on one aspect of what I think is a broader story.

#thanks for the ask!#ask game #billie's festivities #bfe fic recs #fic recs

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stop-a · 7 years ago

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Hackthebox Solidstate Write-Up

This is my first write up. It’ll show, I’m sure. (Specifically, my note taking was lame, so there will be missing details.)

The system name: Solidstate

Phase 1: Enumeration

I like to start with the basics--nmap is your friend! I’m still nailing down my preferred switches, etc. Looking through the artifacts, I have three scans.

1. nmap -o 10.10.10.51 -A -p* -sV -Pn -T5 10.10.10.51

This reports the following open ports and services (edited)

22/tcp, ssh, OpenSSH 7.4p1 Debian 10+deb9u1 (protocol 2.0)

25/tcp, smtp, JAMES smtpd 2.3.2

80/tcp, http, Apache httpd 2.4.25 ((Debian))

110/tcp, pop3, JAMES pop3d 2.3.2

119/tcp, nntp, JAMES nntpd (posting ok)

4555/tcp, james-admin, JAMES Remote Admin 2.3

2. nmap -o 10.10.10.51_2 -p 22,25,80,110,119,4555 -sV -Pn -T5 10.10.10.51

3. nmap -oX 10.10.10.51_3 -p* -sV -Pn -T5 10.10.10.51

The second scan had cleaner output than the first one. The third was run to pull the results into metasploit as an exercise to get more familiar with its capabilities.

Looks like JAMES is going to be a thing. So, run that through searchsploit (you are running this on Kali, right?):

# searchsploit james

Exploit Title | Path | (/usr/share/exploitdb/)

Apache James 2.2 - SMTP Denial of Service | exploits/multiple/dos/27915.pl Apache James Server 2.3.2 - Remote Command Exe | exploits/linux/remote/35513.py WheresJames Webcam Publisher Beta 2.0.0014 - R | exploits/windows/remote/944.c

A DOS attack isn't useful and we're not messing around with a webcam, so 35513.py looks like it's a good place to start.

In the meantime, there's a web server to enumerate. At this stage of the game, I'm still a n00b when it comes to web sites and web apps. Basically, I'm working on figuring out what makes sense to me and what works with my preferences. I gave dirbuster and nikto a go. Apologies, though, I don't have what I used at the command line for nikto. I’m not going to include the results of those scans, because they didn’t end up mattering too much.

Phase 2: Exploit

While the scans were running, I visited 35513.py. Reading through it, we see the default creds for the remote administration site are root/root. Seriously? Yeah, that worked. The script submits a job to JAMES that will run once a user logs in, and it runs in the environment of that user. Interesting, but I didn’t find that useful. Instead, I used the creds to log into the remote administration tool. Unfortunately, this is where my note taking is lacking and I”m missing some details. I was able to enumerate the users of the email system and there was a menu setting to reset passwords. So, I reset the passwords, fired up an email client and slurped down all the email. There were three users, as well as I can recall, a manager, the email admin, and Mindy. There was an email from the manager to the email admin asking for creds to be set up for Mindy on the server. ...and an email from the email admin to Mindy with her userid and password, so she can ssh into the box.

SSH in as Mindy and I find myself in a restricted shell (/bin/rbash). Flag one was found and posted. My notes don’t indicate which commands were explicitly available. There was a subdirectory in Mindy’s home directory that had allowed commands in it. So, after doing some research on breaking out of rbash or other restricted shells, I gave scp’ing a copy of bash into the subdirectory a try. It worked! Logged back in as Mindy, called the version of bash in the subdirectory and I was off to the races.

Phase 3: Privilege Escalation

This one took some time because of my lack of experience. In the end, I used a linux enumeration script (linuxenum.sh--header indicates it’s from www.rebootuser.com), I will freely admit I found in /tmp left behind by someone else. It revealed a world-writable file, /opt/tmp.py, that was read and executed by some job every minute. I modified the file to grab the root flag, drop it into /var/tmp, and re-permissioned for me to grab the contents. (I wanted to go back in and find what was running the job, I couldn’t find it in cron. It was retired before I could do so.)

Lessons Learned

Enumerate, enumerate, enumerate.

Nikto isn’t quite as useful as dirbuster.

Take better notes. Write it all down. (Need to work on organizing.)

Metasploit is interesting, but didn’t help as much as I’d hoped for organizing notes and artifacts I’m interested in.

Sometimes, you gotta try it and see.

#hackthebox #solidstate #ctf

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epchapman89 · 8 years ago

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Build-Outs Of Summer: Cutbow Coffee Roastology In Albuquerque, New Mexico

Well friends, here we are. Today’s the first calendar day of summer for the year 2017, and with it, the dawn of another Build-Outs of Summer feature series here on Sprudge. It’s a tradition that dates back to 2012, and there’s nothing else quite like it in the world of food and beverage writing online. These are the sneak peeks, the first looks, the early entries into cafes so new, they aren’t yet open. The hopes and fears, the trials and tribulations of hundreds of small business owners have spilled out on these pages, and we’re just getting started. This year’s Build-Outs series is primed to be the biggest and best ever.

But where to start? Some cutting edge young upstart? A whippersnapper? A coffee n00b? No—we’re starting this year’s season with a seasoned industry professional, someone whose CV goes back to the late 1980s. His name is Paul Gallegos, and he’s getting ready to open an exciting new coffee bar in Duke City—better known as Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Settle in, readers, for the thrill of the build is upon us. It’s gonna be a long, hot summer. Behold the future of coffee as it happens, and welcome to Build-Outs of Summer 2017.

As told to Sprudge by Paul Gallegos.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

I began my career in coffee in 1989, working in the roasting plant at Peet’s Coffee and learning to roast soon thereafter. My schooling took place at the helm of antique Probats and in the cupping room alongside influential and prolific coffee luminaries such as Jim Reynolds, Jerry Baldwin, and Alfred H. Peet. Those were days before the proliferation of Starbucks and years before there was a craft roaster on every street corner in America. To gain knowledge I really had to pay attention, without reliance on videos or books. There was no Roaster’s Guild for quick study. Coffee roasting was a dark and mysterious art. Countless conversations in the Peet’s cupping room provided me invaluable lessons. After over 70 million pounds personally batch roasted and cupped, I moved back to my home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico to apply what I’ve learned to fulfill my dream in Cutbow Coffee Roastology.

There is a saying in the high desert: agua es vida (water is life). The geographic lifeblood of New Mexico is the mighty Rio Grande running the entire length of the state. The name Cutbow refers to a peculiar hybrid fish found in the waters here, a cross between the rainbow trout and the New Mexico state fish Rio Grande cutthroat. Accordingly, our coffee blends will take their names from these rivers and lakes. A portion of proceeds will be donated to the Hermit’s Peak Watershed Alliance, working to assure quality water for future generations of people and wildlife in northern NM. As we say at Cutbow, Agua es Vida, Café es Amor.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

Cutbow Coffee Roastology will be a roastery/tasting room/coffee bar housed in a traditional northern New Mexico territorial style building. An attached patio will provide outdoor seating.

What’s your approach to coffee?

Customer service is key. There are so many options out there, so I want to ensure my customers enjoy the entire Cutbow experience. Having in-store roasting and cupping will allow customer interaction and present an opportunity for dialogue and a communal atmosphere. I look forward to talking to others about coffee, as well as providing a warm and inviting space to enjoy it.

As a coffee roaster, my goal is always balance. It’s not easy to accentuate body or aftertaste while highlighting aroma or acidity. I don’t like to use terms like light or dark, to me it’s either perfectly developed or it’s not. Generally my roasts will be darker than most third wave roasters, but lighter than a traditional West Coast style. After sampling coffees I will determine not only which to purchase, but how to apply a unique and specific roast profile to each. One of the many lessons I learned from Alfred Peet and Jim Reynolds is that the coffee speaks. I just listen.

Any machines, coffees, or special equipment lined up?

Probat 2 barrel (gas) sample roaster Giesen W15A roaster Silver plated cupping spoons

La Marzocco GB5 3 group Fiorenzato F64 espresso grinders Mahlkönig Guatemala grinder Acme Cups USA serveware

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

August/September 2017

Are you working with any craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

Architect: James C Lewis, General Design, Inc. Website and logo design: Sandy Hill and Sean Chavez, Studio Hill Design Furnishings: Modulus Design Pep talks: Eric Hashimoto, Highwire Coffee Roasters

Thank you!

Cutbow Coffee Roastology is located at 1208 Rio Grande Blvd NW in Albuquerque, NM USA. Check out their official website and find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub. Got a Build-Out of your own? Get in touch.

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Cutbow Coffee Roastology In Albuquerque, New Mexico appeared first on Sprudge.

seen 1st on http://sprudge.com

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fcbchsmt · 8 years ago

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Trust the Process—A Work in Progress

During the Sixers game yesterday (that’s basketball, for all you n00bs), the crowd chanted “TRUST THE PROCESS!” while Joel Embiid shot free throws and ultimately won the game. Embiid, a rising star on the team, is nicknamed “The Process” after overcoming several foot surgeries in order to “set foot” in the NBA. Though frustrated at being unable to play his entire rookie season, Embiid patiently bided his time as he recovered and grew into the dominant player he’s been thus far.

“The Process” just also so happens to be the nickname of the Sixer’s miserable rebuilding attempts these past few years, seemingly wasting top draft picks year after year in a feeble attempt to become relevant in the NBA. Last year their record was a whopping 10-72; the year before that, 18-64. So to hear fans now shout, “Trust the Process!” in Philly highlights how hope and excitement has risen from what was an absolutely dismal situation.

youtube

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I’ve found myself getting angry a lot more often this past week. Have you ever had those days where it seemed like nothing went your way? For me, whether it was something as innocuous as seemingly hitting every single red light on my way to and from work, the trail of ants leading to absolutely nothing in my sink, or watching some of my (admittedly riskier) stocks plummet, I feel like I’ve lived much of this past week on the edge of absolutely losing it.

Believe me, I’ve got so much to work on.

There’s a saying in poker that says, “You only remember the hands you lose” —and man, for me it’s so true. I’m incredibly quick to jump on the little things that don’t go my way, and in many ways, by doing so I discount the faithfulness of God in my life. How could I claim with any assurance that He is faithful when I constantly live as though He were not?

Quick secret: In “First Base” training many, many years ago, Uncle Tolman once shared that when working with children, you should always tell them three positive things before sharing with them one criticism. Now I’ve never really followed that rule, cause let’s face it...you’re technically not children, and I’d never make it to three (jkjk...jk?).

But what if I applied that rule before grumbling? What if I said three ways God’s been faithful in my life before (pridefully) saying one thing I wish He did...differently?

God, you’ve helped my grandfather survive a fall, surgery, and recovery in the hospital. You keep my car running every day even though it’s incredibly old. You keep HSMT running even though my planning is pretty *meh* at times.

Would I really be willing to trade any of those things, just so my Netflix stops lagging on my Chromecast?

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James 1:20 - “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

Hebrews 10:23 - “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful”

James 1:2-4 - “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

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