#lego real life space vehicles

[abqbox]

My wife went a bit overboard, but I am very appreciative.

I believe the "Women of NASA" lego set is the only lego space shuttle I don't have in my collection now.

I got her the succulents set.

[chainofclovers]

Ted Lasso 3x1 Thoughts

I’m going to continue my largely disorderly disorganized deranged within-12-to-24-hours-of-watching-the-ep-the-first-time Ted thoughts, as always reserving the right to add on once I’ve seen more and processed more! But let’s face it, I save my coherency for fiction and this is gonna be scattered as ever. The episodes dropping at 9 p.m. my time may end up making me more insane; I’ll have time to think before I’m ready to go to sleep, and then my sleep patterns will be interrupted by thinking more, I’ll wake up too early because I need to think more, and this fandom experience will continue to be unparalleled and ridiculous.

(Side note: I’ve been avoiding screener spoilers but I have read some reviews that are vaguely spoiler-y for the first four episodes of the show and I’ve also consumed a decent amount of press tour stuff that includes actors and writers talking a bit about the overall arc. I’m going to try to focus each of these posts on the episode that’s just aired and anything that came before it. If some speculation slips in, it’ll be just that—speculation, mildly spoiler-informed but not majorly spoiler-informed.)

First shot - last shot will be TED! The star of Ted Lasso! Seeing his stubbly spaced-out face, eyes like wells of endless sadness, I was just like……..yes. Here we go. Ted is back.

Henry looks so much older! Even though I think he’s basically eight years old in canon assuming he was about Phoebe’s age back when Phoebe was six. I think the conversational timings between him and Ted feel more natural than they did in past seasons and that makes me happy because Henry is clearly gonna be a major part of this whole season.

LEGOS. The contrast between the touristy London Lego set they do in s1 to the custom Nelson Road creation they come up with together, showing that Henry has gotten to know the people in Ted’s community in London?!?! I love that vehicle for showing the familiarity Henry now has with his father’s life, with people he’s presumably gotten to spend real time with too. And I absolutely loved that in that initial clip with Rebecca, Higgins, and Ted, Ted kind of expresses surprise at how he said what he said about winning “the whole fucking thing” and downplays his memories, but then at the end of the episode we have Henry telling his father he’s there to “win the whole thing.” I continue to absolutely love everything this show does with audience knowledge vs. character knowledge. Dramatic irony at its finest!

Speaking of dramatic irony and the tragedy of audience knowledge surpassing character knowledge…Nate Shelley, I love you forever. Everything with the car was so heartbreaking (Rupert’s control over him! Sounds familiar!?!), as is everything about the coldness he exhibits to his colleagues, his meanness with the players, his nervous desperation with Rupert, his panic symptoms at the presser, and his continued obsession with social media as a reflection for how successful or unsuccessful he is at any given moment. I absolutely love that everyone at AFC Richmond has their own Nate feelings, but Rupert is the true villain here.

Ted has learned some things about football, thank the lord. (And he learned more in part by playing FIFA with his son, who believes in his ability to win the whole thing.) I love all the ways the nature of competition has gotten more progressively complicated each season. I love the way it’s personal for Rebecca in both valid ways that she needs Ted to understand and respond to (that scene where she keeps referring to singular “he” Rupert instead of the “they” that is West Ham combined with the scene where it gets more emotional and she has that same conversational slippage but it’s to convey to Ted that she needs him fighting for her and the team? GOD), and in ways that speak to her own non-linear progress but mostly forward progress. I love that Roy is nervous about needing to step up tactically, and I love that we can’t quite tell if the “tried and true and solid” approach will net the same kind of success they could expect with Nate in that role. I love the constant presence yet slight emotional distance of Beard and that we still don’t know how his personal life is going to intersect with his professional life this season (beyond the Ted of it all). I love that the players are learning to put Ted’s emotional lessons into practice on their own.

Taking your entire team down the London sewers because you want to feel closer to your son as he flies away from you and constructing an entire poop metaphor to make it worth everyone’s while and then getting in trouble with your boss over it but that actually revealing a new layer of emotional vulnerability and mutual understanding that’s been missing between the two of you for a while even though you’re still fundamentally questioning your presence in the life you’ve presumably chosen for yourself is actually something that can be so personal.

I’m obsessed with how not over Michelle he is, and how Henry not having his own phone means the messages are still transmitting through his parents and that just makes everything kind of messy and poignant.

For a while in the 40 years leading up to s3, I was really convinced Ted would stay in London after the conclusion of s3/their first season back in the PL because part of his journey would need to be about finding his own home on his own terms and figuring out how his self-worth slots into a community he’s helped build but that has also helped build him. Then I spent a long time convinced he’d need to return to Kansas for basically the exact same reasons…everyone’s changed including him, and it’s time for him to reprioritize and return to his son’s home. After seeing 3x1, I no longer have super strong feelings one way or another because the existential questions Ted is asking are so much more at the forefront of the text than I thought they would be. He’s so uncertain of his worth in 3x1 but also clearly focused on making progress (the phone call with Sharon was soooo good and funny!?!), and I didn’t expect to feel like part of Ted was almost ready to go on and leave London now, one plane behind Henry. But that’s the feeling I got. But his conversations with Rebecca, Henry, and to a lesser extent Beard have me feeling that there’s a good chance he’s going to recommit to his job for this season and that the decision of whether or not to leave after that will be a bit more woven into the episodes rather than something he contemplates privately. I no longer have strong opinions on what I want most to happen because I’m so excited to just see it unfold.

KEELEY. She schedules time to cry! She double-booked Rebecca! Rebecca calls crying an orgasm for the soul! I love everything about them, including how full and wordy and familiar and intimate their conversational patterns are. Like Rebecca throwing in that she’s started eating meat again; the pacing of their conversations is so well-done because it actually realistically covers multiple topics the way they’d be doing whenever they pick things up.

It’s such a good contrast to the similarly realistic conversations Beard and Ted have, which tend to be a bit less wordy despite their closeness. Also, Ted showing up for work after another goodbye with Henry and having another “pet names” moment?! But this time he just goes on ahead and calls Beard “sweetie pie”? I’m here for it.

The stiltedness of Roy and Keeley with Phoebe! My heart! I love that Keeley has to hold herself back from expressing awareness about how scared Roy is about work stuff. The decision for them to have broken up over the summer and be on different pages about what that means is perfect and delicious and I love it and I love them.

My favorite scene this episode—by far—was Ted’s press conference. Rebecca needs him to step it up and communicates that with an intensity that differs from their previous conversation about West Ham’s pronouns. It feels more angry, more personal. I love the choices he makes in the press conference for what they reveal about where he’s healed and where he’s unhealed. I love that his first press conference in 1x1 was a complete disaster that Rebecca rescued him from even if she put him in that terrible situation in the first place. I love that Ted’s self-roast has echoes of Nate’s very successful roast of the team in 1x7. In both situations, Ted and Nate are bringing a blend of preparedness and the spontaneity that comes from feeding off a crowd’s energy. In Nate’s presser for West Ham, it’s his turn to panic, and he might manage to pull off the pretty pathetic joke about Ted being “shitty” but it’s clear that it’s far from his finest work. I love that Rebecca is starting to soften during the presser with Ted, but it’s Keeley’s (professional) opinion that she’s doing the right thing by letting Ted be Ted that allows her to fully relax into the way he’s working the crowd. I love that we know how much he’s struggling with his value as a coach, father, and human being. I love that this adds a layer of tragedy to his jokes about mental health. I love the kinda iffy decision to say he’s had a bunch of psychotic episodes when that is completely incorrect because it leaves space for the Twin Peaks reference and shows that he’s willing to cross the boundaries of accuracy and the earnestness with which he approached the mental health conversation before to just…organically respond to the energy of the crowd and do whatever it takes to shift the focus. I love that Ted and Rebecca are both correct in their feelings.

I am disappointed in myself because I think I could say far more articulate things about the press conferences, but it’s just too many feelings at once!

Press for s3 has been a rollercoaster, and I’ve been feeling soooo many things about the many unknowns related to stuff I care about. I have my predictions and feelings about it all, but the overarching feeling I have right now is about how last night’s episode was a great reminder that watching TV show Ted Lasso is the best way to get information about TV show Ted Lasso. 3x1 was an incredibly strong opener that confidently reacquaints the threads that were braided together in s1, then unraveled in s2. If s1 was about joy and connection with the lurking of dark shadows from without and within, and s2 was mostly shadow with the light moments feeling very separate from the dark core (to the point of feeling intentionally tonally uncomfortable), then I think s3 is going to be about the way dark and light are always together, all the time, forever, and what we can do with that reality.

[fuzzypuppybuddie]

Hey! I love your AHR AU drawings, but I wonder what it's about?

THANK YOU!!;:★

Well, the AHR Au is based on a "sonic boom comfort au" I made when I was like Twelve(?)

I used to go into my mind and visualize little storys, planets and places when things were bad in the real world. I don't cope like that anymore but I still have the concept in my head plus I can draw now!;:★

I can talk about the designs all day so I'll just say they're made specifically on a way I can doodle them easy and constantly without getting bored of them or stressed out. They're kinda like dolls or legos; They can separate parts of their body at their liking.;:★

「Sonic particularly separate his torso to appear a little more tall- But click it back again with a little jump before running」

The world is heavily inspired on the special zone from Sonic the Comic and the void between shatter spaces in Sonic Prime;:★

It's an infinite space with random stuff everywhere where you can breathe & travel around if you want.;:★

There's tiny planets all across the space, some more illuminated than others- The difficulty of the access on foot depends completely if they want new people there or not. ;:★

Some planets count with little roads and pretty stairs while others... don't. People prefer to use vehicles to move around for that reason but most of them just stay in their little planets their whole life.

As you can Imagine the planets are so little they're divided by zones! And most of them don't have more than 3 zones anyway (hehehe) ;:★

「The planets are based on all the dreams I had to date 🌠」

★; There's not a lot of lore. I don't have big plans with the Au yet it's just my favs having a good time but the info-thingies I think I can count as ""lore"" are:

Amy was scared of the dark (and she have parents)

All eggs are cubical

Chaos emeralds exist and they make silly noises when squished

Planets can be extremely detailed, with civilizations and fauna! Or uncomfortably abstract, made of geometric shapes and colors.(They're not very defined so people avoid going in there because it's really confusing to navigate)

The more you decend at the bottom of all this place- There's less stuff floating around and more and more darkness. You can find more abstract (unnamed) planets too! Leyends say they produce their own weak little shine and that in the core of each one there's treasures! ^^

⬆️That's also where Sonic & Shadow comes from tho'

[andrusi]

rating lego space shuttles: zeroties

#4124 Advent Calendar (2001)

still space port but at least it used a slope for the tail this time. finally up to the level of something I did when I was like four. 🚀

#7315 Solar Explorer (2001)

so the one good thing about space port is it kind of evolved into a series of “near-future” town/city space exploration subthemes. the first one of these was life on mars, which as the name suggests was also the first of several “mission to mars” subthemes, and also as the name suggests involved martians being a thing. anyway this is consequently also the first of several “future shuttles” that are clearly based on the space shuttle orbiter but are doing their own thing, and it’s not a bad start. like the space port shuttle, it’s modular, but on a future shuttle that comes across more like it’s designed to adapt to different purposes in a situation where astronauts have to fend for themselves for years without any meaningful support from earth. I can dig it.

what I can’t dig, however, is the cargo bay roof just being a “canvas” print like a covered wagon from the wild west theme. despise it. 🚀🚀

#4098 High Flyers has a space shuttle among its gazillion builds but it’s clearly something cobbled together out of parts that are meant to be extremely multipurpose so it feels out of scope. also I can’t find a good picture of the shuttle.

#7467 International Space Station (2003)

in 2003 lego collaborated with the discovery channel to make a series of properly nasa-based space sets. this set, representing an adorable baby form of the international space station, includes a teeny-tiny space shuttle. it’s not very accurate at all but it’s recognizable. 🚀🚀

by the way, this is a surprise tool to help us later.

#7470 Space Shuttle Discovery-STS-31

now we’re talking.

not only does this set represent one specific real life space shuttle for the first time rather than a generic one, but it actually represents one specific space shuttle mission. consequently the payload is also no mere generic satellite, but the venerable hubble space telescope. and what representations they are! discovery has nice curved cargo bay doors, working elevons and rudder, and landing gear that can be extended and retracted, not to mention the use of various slopes and such to more accurately capture the vehicle’s shape. hubble fares just as well, a set of instantly recognizable shapes. this set was the gold standard for lego space shuttles for many years. 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀

I do have to complain about one thing, though, which is that almost every sticker on the shuttle spans several pieces, and that’s quite a few stickers. god help you if you ever want to take this thing apart. note: I’ve taken this thing apart.

#7690 MB-01 Eagle Command Base (2007)

the decade’s not out and we’re already going back to mars. this time the aliens aren’t friendly and the humans are ready to fight. as such, this time we get a ship that’s clearly still meant to be evocative of a space shuttle orbiter but is also definitely a starfighter. I feel like it basically works but I’m a little weirded out by how the oms pods are now used to store captured aliens. 🚀🚀🚀

#HOUSTON (2008)

this was apparently a promotional set given out at the grand opening of a lego store in houston. extremely simple. I rate it houston out of houston.

#6471 Mini Jet (2009)

brickset thinks the second model on this tiny 3-in-1 set is supposed to be a space shuttle. I guess I can see it but it really just looks like a weird jet to me. ✈✈

[actionjackson2998]

PRODUCT RATING: 5 out of 5 (Blank: Not Rated). Click on this link to see more information, images, reviews by real users and alternatives: Tatooine tales from Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett come to life for young builders with this LEGO brick model of The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter (75325). It has a minifigure cockpit, passenger space for Grogu, cargo compartment, a spring-loaded shooter and realistic details. A fun gift for kids aged 9 and up, this building toy features LEGO minifigures of The Mandalorian and Peli Motto, plus LEGO figures of Grogu (affectionately known by fans as ‘Baby Yoda’) and a BD Droid to inspire creative role play. Step-by-step, illustrated building instructions are included with this set. And check out the LEGO Building Instructions app, with intuitive zoom and rotate viewing tools to add another dimension the creative experience. The LEGO Group has been creating brick-built versions of iconic Star Wars starships, vehicles, locations and characters since 1999. LEGO Star Wars has become its most successful theme with sets to excite fans of all ages. Buildable model of an N-1 Starfighter from Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett The Mandalorian and Peli Motto LEGO minifigures, plus Grogu and a BD Droid Cockpits for The Mandalorian and Grogu, a spring-loaded shooter and more Fun gift idea for creative Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett fans aged 9 and up Display this brick-built Star Wars starfighter between playtimes Intuitive digital viewing tools enhance the building experience for children List Price: $59.99

[eternalroo76]

Sorry tumblr took away the shortcut and idk how the fuck to make read mores on mobile now, just skip if you don't want to read me bitching

Ughhhhhhh I don't feel good, summer is killing me physically again. I absolutely hate where we are living during the summer. It's noisy and hot and exposed ugh there's some fuckin vehicle or large machine doing this deep loud hum outside idk what the fuck

In general I cannot decide if Im happy with the way things have turned out, like I just feel irritated and uncomfortable a good amount of the time. I'm also no doubt the only person who can't help but be annoyed that the border is open again, because I'm sick of people wanting to come to my house or have me visit. I love to see the people I love once or MAYBE twice a year but jesus christ am I sick of the constant pressure to have the next visit planned and all these places to go and people to see or have over. I would love to go on a real vacation for once that doesn't double as visiting friends/family or a taekwondo retreat or fuckin Lego.

I just want a normal life, I've had it with this long distance shit. I don't like uprooting my life for a few days to a week at a time, multiple times a year! It makes me exhausted and irritable and afterwards I have to take all this time to recover. It was fun when I was younger but I'm tired now and I wanna do my own thing and be a fucking adult

Also i HATE visiting the US, it's stressful and the food makes me feel gross cuz I'm not used to it anymore and our dollar is so weak there. Like I spent my whole life planning to leave cuz I felt unsafe and no hope for the future living in the states. Why would I wanna go back, for leisure no less?? Jesus

Like my life is way better than it has been, and much better than it could be if I hadn't rabidly dug myself out of the pit I was in. But my god is there still shit that I don't care for all that i don't even want to accept or learn to live with. I've been through so much hell in my young life! Can I get some space to try to heal please

[pony-boy21]

I have been feeling really detached from myself [not a new experience, just not in denial I guess] and have been feeling inhuman is the easiest way to put it. Here are others people experience that is very relatable (I'll bold the ones that I experience quite frequently)

“It feels like your conscious brain has detached and you aren’t attached to your body. Everything goes dull like a filter has been turned on.” — Kate R.

“Feeling like I’m not me. Like I’m looking at someone else’s body and when looking at my hands I can’t grasp that they are in fact a part of me. I could stare at myself in the mirror all day and not feel like they are my eyes looking back.” — Lydia G.

“You feel out of your body, you just feel numb, you feel like an observer… like you’re just watching a movie or a TV show about your life that you don’t have any control over. You just feel like you’re on autopilot. You look in the mirror and see yourself and you just can’t believe it’s you staring back. Everything just feels blank.” — Tayla R.

“When it starts, I can feel the things that make me human start to slip away. I lose all sense of emotion, my mind goes blank, and I feel as though my body does not exist. I go through tasks and actions like a well-programmed robot, and when I speak, it’s without my own tongue. I sound lifeless. Sometimes I scream and panic in the back of my mind, but my body won’t listen.” — Amity L.

“It feels like you are witnessing your own life behind a glass wall, like nobody sees or hears you, but you can see and hear everything very clearly, even clearer than usual actually. You see your body move and you hear your voice talk but you have zero control over what you’re saying or doing, and then you just keep banging on the glass wall hoping someone would notice you’re not really there inside the body.” — Kira H.

“You feel like your body isn’t your own body, it’s something strange and distant as a vehicle you don’t drive.” — Natasha C.

“I once described it to a friend by painting a picture. Imagine you are swimming, it’s kind of dark. You can feel what you are doing and you feel like you. As you continue, you start to see yourself from the perspective of a passerby. You move your hands but it doesn’t feel like you’re moving them, only watching. You can stare at them all you want but the longer you do it the more foreign they become. You feel trapped in this space, like your outside of your body and can’t get back in.” — Venus M.

“Depersonalization for me feels like I’m just now realizing everything around me is life. It’s like I never noticed before. And then like that, I’m lost and I’m not even sure how I actually feel. I feel as if I’m not even here. I’m a shell amongst shells.” — Chanta R.

“It’s like I’m underwater. I move, but I don’t think I wanted to. My body carries me through it’s normal motions, while I try to figure out how to come back and take control.” — Jana W.

“Depersonalization is like another version of myself takes over and handles what I’m anxious about. I suddenly become a happier person. I laugh and joke and I’m confident. Once I’m back in a secure environment, my real self appears and pieces of what happened during that time is lost. I don’t remember what happened.” — Tamasvi G.

“It’s like no longer being connected to your own body. Your mind is so overwhelmed that it just detaches from reality completely. You question whether or not you’re real. Everything about you is unfamiliar. You look at your hands and wonder whose they are. It’s almost like watching a complete stranger go about their business.” — Vanessa L.

“In all honesty, it’s horrifying. It feels like I’m not in control of my body. I feel like I’m playing out events and there is nothing I can really do about it. There’s a slight feeling of numbness. Feeling fully aware of what’s going on, but I can’t do anything to stop it. It’s almost as though I’m playing out a cutscene and I’m just there for the ride. For me, they’re the worst kind of anxiety attack I can have.” — Toby O.

“Feeling like I’m locked in a glass box but the glass is dirty and fogged up so i can only partially see/understand whats going on. I feel really disconnected from everything outside of the box so much so that i start feeling disconnected from myself too because I’m shut in and things don’t make sense. I feel spacey tired and confused and i wonder if I’m actually real. Its like my brain feels disconnected from my body.” — Sarah C.

“You’re awake, but you’re trapped mostly in your head. You think you’re in reality, but a lot of time goes by, and when you feel that sudden sense of, ‘Omg, look what month we’re in already?’ You realize you haven’t really been aware. It’s a nonstop cycle.” — Cady S.

“For me, it feels as though I’m not really in charge of my movements or thoughts. I’m somewhere not quite beside myself, but not fully me. I start to wonder if what’s happening around me is real.” — Jes V.

“Several times in the last couple of years, I have looked in the mirror and legitimately didn’t know who the girl was looking back at me. I couldn’t feel my body. I felt like I was just a void. Scared the crap out of me when I would ‘snap back’ to reality.” — Jessica H.

“Like in one of these movies, being an alien creature just inhabiting a human body and controlling it. A strong Sensation of strangeness and every move feels over-controlled.” — Stefan K.

“[It’s like] floating in a bubble just above my own head, puppeteering my body, clumsily, on strings. My physical sensations are dulled, except sounds, which are weirdly amplified and out of sync. I can think clearly as the me inside the bubble, but not as the me in the body. The me in the body feels distant, far away, like another person. My voice comes out but is strange and far away sounding. Everything is going too fast and too slow at the same time, people and cars loom up suddenly out of nowhere and things like traffic are unpredictable. My perception is oddly skewed making spatial awareness and proprioception difficult. I feel like I am piloting my body by remote control.” — Katy P.

“It’s like I’m standing just behind and a little to the left of myself. I can see and hear only me at the time. Everything else is black and silent. And if I’m in a rage, I can say and do awful things. When I come back, I remember nothing and don’t feel anything about my actions even when told how horrible I was. It wasn’t me who said/did those things.” — Caralyn R.

“I feel like I’m standing off to the side watching myself. But I feel nothing. Empty. No emotions or feelings, nothing. I’m watching people talk to me but I hear nothing. No sound. Everything is muted.” — Sheree S.

“It’s like being an alien inside your own head, but your body is a machine stuck on autopilot so you’re not controlling much of anything. You see everything, but feel nothing. And when you walk past a mirror, you avoid looking because the person you see in the reflection somehow isn’t you. It’s a hollow unrecognizable shell of a thing you remember, but can’t connect with on any level. It’s isolating too, because even if someone else does notice when you’re going through this, there’s no way in hell they could ever truly understand or relate because they haven’t ever been through this themselves.” — Devin L.

“For me it was like I couldn’t focus on anything, like my whole life was a complete blur, like I needed glasses to make it clear again, as though I was there but I wasn’t. The worst thing was that I couldn’t control it. I would look in the mirror and barely recognize the girl looking back at me. You feel unconnected with reality, you just go on auto pilot. It’s really horrible.” — Kerry F.

“It feels like you’re playing a first-person video game. You can sort of control your actions and choose to interact with objects and people, but it’s not actually you doing or experiencing any of it. You’re just watching what happens from behind a screen, completely disconnected.” — Rowan S.

“It’s like the world around me is made of Lego people and the cars are Hot Wheels. It’s like I’m the child who’s in control of how fast the cars move and how the people and trees and houses are all arranged. It’s scary really. Especially because when I finally realize I’m not the one I’m in control. I feel so confused about what happened and what I felt.” — Emmy P.

[vicky-shitposts]

reflections

19th Feb 2021,

last night was crazy. me and zoe finally made up, and when i was telling her about my giant pyramid project in minecraft, she said she's going to move into it with me - girl really likes to keep me on my toes. she also wore a beanie and a flannel and the gay inside me exploded. had to remind myself that i am, in fact, not in love with her. finally got around to watching Name Of The Doctor too, but it was really hard to see it through my crying; totally worth it, and seeing Walter Simeon hold the Doctor's face uh, did something for me. Phoebe was also kind enough to check out all of Inner Mechanism for me and was a total darling about the whole thing. they also "green lit" the project for me, so now it's all systems go to add the final perfecting touches. first proper teaser went on my instagram: "this is my sacrifice, this is my exile". might do the second one later today, "watch this space..."

sipping coffee, painting my nails black and watching interviews. about two hours ago i was lost in tiktok, just scrolling mindlessly with not a single hope or care in the world. it was really nice and felt like a trance. a year ago today, the world was normal and calm and i was in wales. i went to see my best friend at the time, as well as her girlfriend, but the entire fiasco turned into a shambles; in short, i just felt like i wasn't wanted there after completely running myself down and investing my own time and money to get there. i stopped speaking to her a few weeks after as a result, but she came back out of nowhere last month and messaged me for some reason. i haven't got to the bottom of why or what happened, part of me is too scared to hear the truth. i haven't spoken to her in a while. i have an unread message from her, so i think i should drop a line and say "a year ago today i was with you, you were with your ex and the world was stable".

finally read some more of my fucking book at last!! did so while listening to Who Am I? - Pale Waves yet again. enjoyed it a lot more this time around. was speaking to Lyndon a few days back, saying how i often get bored with new albums around halfway through; Who Am I? is only 33 minutes long mind you, which doesn't constitute an album runtime in my "professional" opinion - i've made some money from my music which constitutes me as professional, right?? back to my point at hand. it flowed a lot better this time and it didn't leave me feeling bored by the second half. it flew by and again was a perfect reading soundtrack, thought i did prefer it the last time when it was executed within a moving vehicle. a friend of mine called James also checked out my Underworld single yesterday, said he really liked it and loved the beat, which really meant a lot.

lego set arrived and oh god, is it beautiful. it's so big!! and it comes with a couple other things beside the main rocket itself; it's so cute, so cool and so worth the money!! Iron Lady also came today, so once the night crawls in i'll be sitting down to watch it. who's gunna take bets on if im gunna cry or not?? but lyndon did say if i cry over a Margaret Thatcher film, it makes me a tory - rahhhh that's actually so peak fam :///

i can see why Meryl Streep was highly regarded in The Iron Lady. but while she does play the part extremely well, i couldn't help but feel so upset and distressed by the film. i'm a history student and hear about things in passing, like the cold war and the falklands war; none of which have never been taught to me at school, and therefore i have no clue of any detail concerning them. after seeing this film, i can only assume that thatcher had a huge role to play in the falklands war. to see so much terror, death and bloodshed under the reign of one woman?? this is the past history of the place that i was born and live in, and it disgraces me. this was supposed to be about the life of a woman but with so many explosions, acts of terror, stock footage of people fighting police officers, buildings on fire and people bleeding on the street... what have i come from?? this woman served under the same party as we have here and now, and it made me start to think. what if people retaliated against boris johnson in the same way?? what if his second in command was blown up, or a hotel he stayed at was bombed?? it's scary to think the power that people have, and when they upset the public, how hard they fight back. and if thatcher was the reason for all of those explosions and deaths, then i feel ashamed. i can understand why people despise her and her party. were discussing the idea of "what is history?" in one of our first history lessons last year, and we concluded that it is to record the errors of the past to ensure that we don't make the same mistakes in the present or the future. to learn from our past for a better future. i hope that above all, we have learnt from our past and never experience anything similar. i couldn't handle it in the film, so god only knows how i would take the real thing. but i can tell you here and now - hope is the only thing keeping me going.

i want to conclude today with some quotes that i have recently discovered and fell in love with: "the name you choose is like a promise" - Doctor Who; "i love being called a bastard. it somehow implies that the most heinous thing i have done is exist" - Lord Byron.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #454

Top Ten Launch Games 

Oooh, it’s finally here!  

By the time you read this, the Xbox Series X/S consoles will be out, and the PlayStation 5 will be imminent if not already with us. At the time of writing I’ve yet to sample either console, although hopefully that will soon change. However, it’s a bit of a weird console launch, especially for Xbox owners, as there’s not much in the way of actual launch titles. PlayStation has the excellent-looking technical showcase (in that it shows off their sexy new controller, if not necessarily the excesses of the console’s visual prowess) Astro’s Playroom. But on the Xbox side, the only genuine first-party exclusive (not including the port of rather smashing PC title Gears Tactics) was to be the troubled Halo Infinite, which has now been pushed to next year to deal with some of its apparent graphical deficiencies. For what it’s worth, as a Halo fan, I thought the actual gameplay presented looked as good as it always has, so I’m still very excited, but it’s a shame not to sample something genuinely new and shiny at launch. For me, then – as someone not getting a PlayStation this year – I’m going to have to contend myself with updated versions of older games, and hopefully something like the really exciting-looking The Falconeer or, eventually, Cyberpunk 2077.  

Of course, it’s not always been like this; in the past, a landmark game has often been the core reason to upgrade to a new console. Certain titles have defined their hardware platforms, offering a taste of the experiences to come, be it through revolutionary control systems, previously-unimaginable graphics, or simply by shattering preconceptions and expectations. As such, this weekend I’m celebrating my favourite launch titles. 

Now, a couple of my usual caveats. I’ve hardly owned any consoles in the grand scheme of things; I was a computer gamer until the launch of the first Xbox, and even then was PC-first until about midway through the 360’s life. As such I came to a lot of these late, or played them on friends’ systems. I’m sure a videogame historian would give you another list, one that was able to put each title into its historical perspective. For my part, I’m mostly basing it on how much I like the game, but I am also trying to weight it in terms of its “importance”. I mean, one of my favourite “launch titles” of all time would be Lego Marvel Super Heroes on the Xbox One/PS4, but that seems a bit of a ridiculous game to call a launch title, especially as it doesn’t really show off the hardware or define the generation in any particular way. I just think it rocks. So I’m trying to judge it also in terms of how effective a given game was at being a launch title, as well as my personal preference; as such, some games, which I think are more emblematic of their time or their hardware, might end up higher in the list than if I was otherwise just ranking my favourites.  

Christ, that was boring. Look, here are ten games that I like that came out when a console came out. Have at it. 

Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox, 2001): it’s not just that it made playing an FPS on a console as comfortable and enjoyable as on PC, but it revolutionised what an FPS could do. Expansive open landscapes, dynamic combat with intelligent enemies, an ingenious shield/health combo, two weapons, drivable vehicles, and frankly outstanding graphics. And for Xbox – a curious underdog, a big black sheep devoid of cool or class and feeling like Microsoft was trying to buy its way into the console space with a hefty dose of brute force – here was something unique, something incredible. I don’t think anyone quite expected Halo, and it’s arguable that it single-handedly changed not only Microsoft and Xbox’s fortunes but the entire game industry too.  

Wii Sports (Wii, 2005): the Wii was this strange outlier, a tiny white box that eschewed the grunt and girth of its rivals, and seemingly built around its unique motion controller. Would it work? Wii Sports proved that yes it would, a delightful bundle of games that perfectly showed what the console and controller could do. Immense fun in and of itself, but the Wii’s ability to lower the barrier of entry to non-gamers meant that your dad could thrash your brother at bowling. And that is a thing to cherish forever. 

Tetris (GameBoy, 1989): depending on where you look, Tetris may just be the best-selling game of all time. It’s on everything now, from the Xbox Series X to your watch. But there was a time when “Tetris” meant “GameBoy”; that four-colour greenscreen box of wonder that everybody had but me. It was beyond ubiquitous, and its short-form nature and simplistic styling made it ideal for the portable console, its chirpy and iconic music sounding perfect coming from those tiny speakers. And above all else, of course, Tetris is fantastic, one of the greatest games of all time. It was a perfect marriage of software and hardware. 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, 2017): so here’s the thing: I like Zelda, but I’ve never fallen in love with it. I didn’t grow up with it, so coming to Ocarina of Time, there were too many old-fashioned trappings in the way; it just didn’t feel as enthralling or as fun to play as, say, Half-Life or Deus Ex. BOTW changed that; the limitations were gone, the world was blown wide open. It no longer felt like an 80s game in three dimensions, it felt new. Better than new – it felt like tomorrow. Despite the Switch being graphically weaker than its contemporaries, BOTW was and is simply gorgeous to look at, but it’s how it plays, how it feels like a vast but real world, how it has its own rules and they make sense instantly. It’s the greatest open world game of all time, and emergent physics sandbox, and yet it’s still unquestionably Zelda, emphatically Nintendo. Okay, it technically came out on the Wii U at the same time, but who the hell played that? This was the game that made you want a Switch.  

Super Mario 64 (N64, 1997): this is often the game people cite as being one of the great revolutionary launch titles, but I must confess its charms were lost to me at first. Taking what was great about Mario and converting it expertly into 3D was a heck of a feat; graphically for the time it certainly impressed in the scale of its worlds, and whilst back then I felt it lacked the detail and granularity of some PC titles, in retrospect it was a perfectly-suited art style, offering smooth textures even when right up close. But it was its precise controls and the open, hub-based nature of its worlds that was revolutionary; many games aped its style, but it took a long time before anything really matched it.  

Hexic HD (Xbox 360, 2005): not every game here has to be some genre-busting graphical powerhouse; they can be simple but quietly revolutionary. Hexic HD is a terrific puzzle game with a simple hook, brilliantly executed, and enough intrigue and nuance to keep you coming back for one more go, to beat your high score, to get to the next tricksy level. But the time and manner of its release, and what that signified, marked it out as something more important. It was the first Xbox Live Arcade title; Microsoft’s curated gallery of smaller, more indie-flavoured games. More than that, it was free, coming pre-installed on all Xbox 360 Pros (the ones with the removable hard drive). It was a taste of what was to come, introducing audiences not only to the idea of playing these kinds of smaller, less intense games on a console, but also the idea of purchasing and downloading them digitally. It was great and ground-breaking in equal measure.  

WipEout (PlayStation, 1995): I kinda missed the PlayStation generation. I was still, more or less, in my PC-centric “consoles are toys” mindset (which I wouldn’t fully shake off till the release of the N64). But I came to appreciate its qualities as a cool, exciting, super-fast futuristic racer. I’m pretty sure it’s not the first 3D hover-car racing game, but it was presented in such a groovy package that it ticket all the boxes, and helped show off just what the PlayStation was capable of in terms of its 3D graphics and CD sound. And, of course, it helped define the console as being a bit more edgy and grown-up than the previous Nintendo and Sega stalwarts. 

Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1988): what can be said about one of the most iconic games of all time? Mario Bros defined not only a console, not only a generation, but arguably an entire artform. Creating what we now know as a platform game, it expanded and surpassed the basic template of Donkey Kong into a roaming adventure, part twitch-gaming reaction test, part puzzle game. I played a lot of copycat games on my Amiga, but even then, as a whiny computer brat, I knew that Mario was better. Even when my cousins got a MegaDrive and Sonic, I knew – deep in my heart – that Mario was better. It's a deep game, an endlessly replayable game, a supremely fair game despite its difficulty. I think it’s hard to overstate just how good, or how influential, Mario was. 

Project Gotham Racing (Xbox, 2001): I tried hard to pick a different platform for every game in this list, but I couldn’t exclude PGR. This may be tied up with my biography a little bit, but my other half and I played this game to death. I never think of myself as a big racer fan, but every once in a while a title comes out that I just really, really get into – Jaguar XJ220 on the Amiga, Midtown Madness on PC, the Forza Horizon series nowadays – and PGR did that in spades. A gorgeous arcade racer, it was a great launch title to show off the sheer grunt of the Xbox; then, as now, the most powerful console on the market. It also offered a terrific four-player split-screen. But its Kudos feature – borrowed from semi-prequel Metropolis Street Racer – offered ways to win outside of sheer racing graft, awarding cool driving. I still love the original, and I kinda wish they’d bring back or reimagine its city-based driving for a future release or Forza spin-off. 

Lumines: Puzzle Fusion (PSP, 2004): okay, so this is a bit of a cheat as I've barely played the original PSP version, but Lumines is just phenomenal; the best moving-blocks-around game since Tetris, and probably the most influential one since then too (for the record, I've played it extensively on multiple other platforms). An excellent spin on a Tetris-a-like, its use of music and colour made it a beautiful, brilliant sensory experience. With Sony entering the handheld market, the PSP needed a USP, something vibrant and cool that suited a portable experience, and Lumines provided it in spades; also its funky visuals and music was a good fit for Sony’s brand.  

Well, that was fun, and a lot harder than I expected. If you’re enjoying a new console this Christmas, then hopefully you’ll have fun with one of the new launch titles too – even if I doubt any (apart from maybe Astro) would trouble a list like this in the future (although I do think The Falconeer looks all kinds of cool). 

[nvgotd]

The Non-Violent Games of E3 2019

Following requests on Twitter, I’ve compiled a roundup of all the non-violent games announced and showcased at E3 2019. Hoping this can become an annual thing.

There are 41 games here across a variety of platforms, so without further ado...

Afterparty

Developer: Night School Studios Platforms: PC, Mac, Xbox One Release Date: 2019

Milo and Lola are best buds who recently died and find themselves in Hell. There is only one way to escape: outdrink Satan and he'll let them return to Earth. This point and click adventure sees you on the bender of your afterlife where you'll play beer pong, flirt with Satan and change the very structure of Hell.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Developer: Nintendo Platforms: Switch Release Date: March 20, 2020

The latest entry in Nintendo's charming life sim series starts on a deserted island. Players begin with nothing more than a tent, but must craft enough materials and cultivate the land until they can build an entire village -- all while repaying their debt to the insidious Tom Nook, of course.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Discovery Tour

Developer: Ubisoft Quebec Platforms: PC Release Date: Autumn 2019

Following on from the Assassin's Creed Origins version presents players with a combat-free version of Odyssy's Ancient Greece. They'll be able to explore it at will, or follow tours and suggested paths that will teach them about various aspects of life and culture at the time. This time around, there are also quizzes to see how much you have learned. It will be released for free, with a standalone version for people who don't own the game.

Catan

Developer: Asmodee Digital Platforms: Switch Release Date: June 2019

The digital adaptation of this classic board game is coming to Nintendo Switch. For those who haven't played, a landscape is randomly generated, its terrain and the produce gained from it is split between players, and your task is to build the biggest settlement. Trade with players to get the resources you need to build towns and roads, but be wary of whether the items you give them are helping their own progress.

Circuit Superstars

Developer: Original Fire Games Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: 2020

In the absence of a new Micro Machines, Square Enix Collective is publishing this toy-like top down racer. Players control stylised cars in a series of circuit races where they need to consider their pit stop strategy rather than just floor it and hope to reach the finish first. Vehicles will range from classic cars to rally and trucks.

eFootball PES 2020

Developer: PES Team Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One Release Date: September 10, 2019

The long-running Pro Evolution Soccer gets a slight esports-driven name change this year, but still aims to deliver the most realistic football available. The Master League mode is being revamped, and a new mode Matchday appears to tie in with real-world matches, calling on players to choose a side and hope that their team's victories help them in-game.

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Developer: Mediatonic Platforms: PC, PS4 Release Date: 2020

Published by Devolver Digital, this colourful outing is essentially a Battle Royale game... but without combat. Players control one of 100 little blob people and strive to survive a series of obstacle courses like climbing a hill with boulders falling towards them or crashing through bricks walls that may or may not be solid. If you've ever watched Takeshi's Castle, you get this idea.

Forza Horizon 4: Lego Speed Champions

Developer: Playground Games Platforms: Xbox One, PC Release Date: June 13, 2019

The Lego Speed Champions expansion adds a whole new region to the best-selling racer where everything is made of (you guessed it) Lego. Players will also be able to hop into Lego vehicles, race around Lego tracks and smash through Lego walls and trees. Because Lego means everything is awesome (And now that song's stuck in your head. Sorrynotsorry).

FIFA 20

Developer: Electronic Arts Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: September 27, 2019

This year's FIFA revamps key systems like shooting and AI defending but also adds a brand new FIFA Street-style mode, Volta. This veers away from the realistic, straightforward football we're used to and invites players to be more creative in matches where teams have between three and five players rather than the usual eleven.

Flight Simulator

Developer: Microsoft Platforms: PC Release Date: TBA

Microsoft's hyper-realistic aviation simulation returns after more than a decade, this time rendered in impressive 4K visuals. Sit in the cockpit of faithfully recreated vehicles and fly around the world.

Fujii

Developer: Funktronic Labs Platforms: Valve Index Release Date: June 27, 2019

This virtual reality title allows you to explore three of vibrant and serene landscapes. As they wander through them, each with their own distinct environments, they can help bring each one to life by watering plants, touching certain objects and interacting with creatures. They can also collect seeds on their adventure and use them to grow an exotic garden of their own.

Garden of the Sea

Developer: Neat Corporation Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive Release Date: June 10, 2019 (Early Access)

In a game described as a mix between Harvest Moon and Pokémon, players are given a cottage on a small island and are free to live out their life how they see fit. They can grow plants and crops in their garden, or explore the island and meet the native creatures. Unlike Pokémon, interacting with them doesn't require you to battle them in any way -- simply stroke them, feed them and generally befriend them.

Genesis Noir

Developer: Feral Cat Den Platforms: PC, Mac Release Date: TBA

Technically, this game depicts the Big Bang that started our universe as a gunshot from a cosmic being, one that kills the protagonist's love interest... but since the gameplay does not involve violence and the goal is to prevent her death, I'm going to give it a pass. This stylish adventure sees you exploring Earth from the eyes of someone who exists outside of the universe. The emphasis is on exploration, interacting with the world and generating art as you do so.

Harvest Moon: Mad Dash

Developer: Natsume Platforms: PS4, Switch Release Date: Autumn 2019

An even more casual spin-off of the already laid back Harvest Moon series, Mad Dash is a colour matching puzzle game at its heart. Players are presented with a field seeded with blocks of different coloured crops. Combining those blocks to form larger squares helps the crops grow larger for more points -- for example, combine four cabbages to make one big cabbage, then four big cabbages to make a giant one. Rack up as high a score as possible before the time runs out, and you can call in a friend with co-op mode to help you.

Heave Ho

Developer: LeCartel Studios Platforms: PC, Switch Release Date: Summer 2019

Published by Devolver Digital, this wacky physics-based platformer gives you control of a strange looking creature with two exceedingly long arms. Use the simulated physics to build momentum and swing or flip across the screen to grab hold of the terrain. Only by mastering the mechanics will you complete each course. You can also have up to three friends join in, but coordination will be key to reaching your goal.

Hyperdot

Developer: Tribe Games Platforms: PC, Xbox Release Date: 2019

This minimalist action arcade game is all about dodging. You control a single dot (a HyperDot, if you will) trapped in a circular arena with enemies, projectiles and other hazards. Simply guide your dot around the empty space to avoid any collisions and survive as long as you can. The campaign will have over 100 different levels, each with their own dangers, and a multiplayer mode will challenge you to outlast your friends.

Just Dance 2020

Developer: Ubisoft Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Wii (no, really) Release Date: November 5, 2019

If you haven't heard of Just Dance before, it's a Rayman Raving Rabbids minigame that's got out of hand (true story). In the minigame, players copied the choreography on an on-screen characters in time with the music. Ten years, 28 games and spin-offs, and countless music licensing deals later, you have Just Dance 2020.

Lost Words: Beyond The Page

Developer: Sketchbook Games Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: December 2019

A 2D platformer set entirely in a little girl’s diary. Players use the words on the page as both platforms and tools to solve the various puzzles that block her progress. The game also has a beautiful story written by Rhianna Pratchett.

Madden NFL 20

Developer: Electronic Arts Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One Release Date: August 2, 2019

New to this year's Madden is Face of the Franchise: QB1, a "personalised career campaign" that allows players to create their own college quarterback and lead him to NFL glory. There are ten licensed college teams, along with all the most popular teams in the league.

Mind Labyrinth VR Dreams

Developer: Frost Earth Studio Platforms: PSVR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift Release Date: Out Now

Another virtual reality exploration title set in a variety of imaginary landscapes. Mind Labyrinth VR Dreams is designed to be a meditative experience, where each world is inspired by a different mental state to help players "find their emotional balance". Environments range from a calm and lush forest to a perilous world of flames and tornados.

Mosaic

Developer: Krillbite Studio Platforms: PC Release Date: 2019

This dark and brooding adventure centres around a lonely man living a repetitive life in an overpopulated but ever-expanding city. Players experience his life, from the daily commute to working at a faceless megacorporation. All seems meaningless, until one day strange things begin to happen and the man's life changes dramatically.

Night Call

Developer: Black Muffin, MonkeyMoon Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4, Switch Release Date: 2019

A murder mystery noire game where you play a Paris taxi driver. Players must assist with the police investigation by getting their passengers, including potential suspects, to talk during their journey with you. But try not to scare them off, as you still need to earn enough money to pay your bills.

Per Aspera

Developer: Tlön Industries Platforms: PC Release Date: 2020

Another title about colonisation, but this one is set a little closer to home. Per Aspera tells the tale of a mission to colonise Mars, but in addition to the management side of things there is a strong narrative about the hardships of leaving your world to build a new one. Players must explore the Red Planet to find the resources they need to terraform the environment and survive, and make decisions carefully and strategically if they want the colony to prosper.

Planet Zoo

Developer: Frontier Developments Platforms: PC Release Date: November 5

From the makers of Planet Coaster and Jurassic World Evolution comes a management title that, perhaps quite obviously, puts you in charge of a zoo. Care for your animals, customers and staff as you try to run an efficient zoo, unlocking more and more exotic creatures as you progress.

Read Only Memories: Neurodiver

Developer: MidBoss Platforms: PC, Mac Release Date: 2020

Announced this week, this is the sequel to the acclaimed cyberpunk point-and-click adventure 2064: Read Only Memories. Players will search people's memories as a telepathic detective aided by the titular Neurodiver as the pair search Neo-San Francisco for a rogue psychic who is breaking people's minds.

Roller Champions

Developer: Ubisoft Platforms: PC Release Date: Early 2020

Set in 2029, this colourful game imagines a world where the most popular sport is the titular Roller Champions. Players compete in teams of three as they race around oval tracks trying to score as many goals as they can, while racking up as many laps as possible. There is the ability to tackle, but also the ability to dodge in stylish fashion.

Skatebird

Developer: Glass Bottom Games Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux Release Date: TBA

Since we're unlikely to ever be getting a new Skate, one indie is working on the next best thing: Skatebird. This skateboarding game features all the tricks, flips and kicks you expect, but the rider is a little bird and everything he's skating on has been made from household objects. The Kickstarter for this was announced earlier this week and already passed its goal of $15,000 (currently near $24,000).

Spiritfarer

Developer: Thunder Lotus Games Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: 2020

In this cartoonish but touching adventure, players take on the role as the ferryman carrying recently departed souls on to the next world. While the souls are of human beings, they appear as animals that represent their personalities. Players can befriend them, develop relationships, and expand and improve the houseboat carrying them to the other side in a story that drives a message of acceptance.

Spaceteam VR

Developer: Cooperative Innovations Platforms: TBC Release Date: TBC

A virtual reality adaptation of a mobile game previously covered on NVGOTD. The concept is much the same: a group of players are aboard a spaceship, each in charge of certain controls labelled in made up space jargon. Each player is given a set of instructions that relates to another players' controls, but they don't know who. The only way out to find out is to shout out "Soak the Ferrous Holospecturm" or "Set the Sigmaclapper to 0" (for example) and hope everyone else is paying attention. If the team fails to follow instructions, the ship crashes.

Starmancer

Developer: Ominux Games Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux Release Date: Q1 2020

Starmancer is a building and management game that sees you constructing and maintaining a space station, but rather than playing some invisible God-like being (i.e. yourself) like you do in The Sims, this time you have a role to play. The game casts you as the station's AI and tasks you with sustaining a crew of colonists as they attempt to reach a new world on which they can build their home. Once the colony is complete, players can send out their humans to mine asteroids, trade with other factions and even explore ancient alien ruins.

Steep

Developer: Ubisoft Annecy Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One Release Date: Out Now

Another previous NVGOTD recommendation, this extreme winter sports title from Ubisoft is still going strong. This week the publisher announced a free new map set in Japan, giving players a whole new course to master.

Supermarket Shriek

Developer: Billy Goat Entertainment Platforms: PC, Xbox One Release Date: July 9, 2019

Don't worry, that's not blood -- it's paint. I was confused too. Supermarket Shriek is a kart racer (of sorts) where you control a man and a goat in a shopping trolley. Designed to ideally be played by two people (one as the goat, one as the man), each person has a microphone and must scream into it to turn in their direction to steer around a variety of complicated courses, all set in unsuspecting and previously tidy shops. There is, of course, a two-button control scheme for players who want to try it themselves.

Telling Lies

Developer: Sam Barlow Platforms: PC, Mac Release Date: 2019

From the creator of the superb Her Story comes a fresh live-action narrative adventure with far grander ambitions. Players explore videos stored on a hard drive stolen from the National Security Agency as they try to understand why the four characters have been played under electronic surveillance. As with Her Story, they can search for keywords to access new videos but this time they need to piece together timelines and events to interpret what they have seen.

The Curious Tale of Stolen Pets

Developer: Fast Travel Games Platforms: PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality Release Date: 2019

This single player adventure game is a puzzle-centric affair set on tiny floating worlds that come from the imagination of a child and their grandfather. Players grab, push, drop and spin objects found in each world searching for clues that will reveal what happened to the missing pets.

The Elder Scolls Legends

Developer: Bethesda Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Android Release Date: Out Now

This digital card battler sees you pitting monsters and creatures from the world of Bethesda's hit RPG series against each other. The big E3 news for this game is a new expansion, Moons of Elsweyr, introducing new cards and a storyline themed around the home of the cat-like Khajiit people.

The Good Life

Developer: White Owls Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One Release Date: Autumn 2019

Positioned as a "debt management life RPG", The Good Life puts players in the role of New York journalist Naomi, who has to move to a small British town to pay off her debts. The only way to do so is ben taking pictures of what happens in the town and reporting on them, but the closer she watches the local inhabitants, the quicker she realises that all is not as it seems.

The Lord of the Rings: Living Card Games

Developer: Fantasy Flight Interactive, Asmodee Digital Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: August 8, 2019

Another digital card battler, but one based on the timeless works of JRRTolkien. Inspired by the real card game, this uses the animation and interactivity of video games to liven matches up. Players collect a deck of heroes from across Middle-Earth as they battle the forces of Sauron in card form.

The Sims 4: Island Living

Developer: The Sims Studio, Maxis Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One Release Date: June 21 (Desktop), July 16 (Consoles)

The newest expansion for The Sims 4 gives players the chance to build their dream island palace, as well as watch their Sims take part in more tropical activities. They'll be able to kit out their characters in local island clothing, instruct them to lounge on the beach, or encourage them to befriend the native dolphins. There are also water sports, like canoeing, swimming and surfing, plus occupations to train up for, like the beach-cleaning conservationist.

The Wardrobe - Even Better Edition

Developer: CINIC Games Platforms: PC Release Date: June 7, 2019

The Wardrobe is a point-and-click adventure inspired by the classic LucasArts titles like Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle. It tells the story of Skinny, a boy died from an allergy to plums (that he didn't know about) and became a skeleton that lives in his friend Ronald's wardrobe. Skinny secretly watches over Ronald and helps him in life, but events force him to reveal himself. Even Better Edition adds joypad support, more achievements, a new save system and other improvements.

Totem Teller

Developer: Grinning Pickle Platforms: Xbox One, PC Release Date: 2020

Described by the developer as an "antinarrative video game", Totem Teller puts you in the role of a muse seeking inspiration. They roam the land in search of lost folklore, investigating strange distortions and retelling stories to any listeners they gather around them -- or allowing the stories to be forgotten forever. The surreal painted visual style gives it a storybook feel.

Way to the Woods

Developer: Anthony Tan Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Release Date: 2020

This beautiful game sees players controlling one of two deer wandering through a post-apocalyptic landscape in search of safety. As they explore the ruins of civilisation, they'll encounter other friendly creatures such as racoons and cats, but a black goo that corrupts everything it touches continues to spread around them. Only by solving puzzles and finding new ways forward can they hope to escape.

Yoga Master

Developer: Oxygene Media Platforms: PS4 Release Date: Summer 2019

Developed in collaboration with professional yoga coaches, this game features more than 150 different poses for players to master and a variety of serene environments to practice in. There are over yoga programs to follow or you can create your own, and the game will be regularly updated with new content.

[aion-rsa]

Loki Pays Tribute to One of The Most Ridiculous Moments in Marvel History

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains Loki episode 5 spoilers.

Lots of major superheroes and supervillains have those moments that they just can’t live down. Those obscure situations that are always brought up for a laugh. There’s Batman’s inability to get rid of a bomb or his exclamation of, “WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?!” Spider-Man’s time on Broadway is a joke that will never stop being funny. Captain America once got sad because a reporter yelled at him for not having a MySpace page. Superman once shook hands with Jared from Subway. Deadpool was a mouthless Baraka that one time. Magneto was once tricked by a wooden gun and was so broken up about it that he forgot he had powers.

Yes, stupid stuff happens a lot with comic properties and Thanos is no different. The fifth episode of Loki, “Journey Into Mystery,” played into that by referencing one of his earliest and silliest comic moments. As Loki and his various counterparts wandered through the Void – a junkyard-like version of Earth at the end of time, littered with discarded pieces of pruned alternate realities – they passed by a helicopter with “THANOS” on the side of it.

The Thanos Copter is Real

That’s right. Of all the deep cuts, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has chosen to remind the world of the Thanos Copter.

So what is the Thanos Copter? Our legend begins in 1979. Spider-Man had his own comic for the very young crowd called Spidey Super Stories. Issue #39 featured a story involving then-recently-created villain Thanos trying to hunt down the Cat and reclaim the Cosmic Cube so he could rule the world. We’re so used to seeing Thanos as the be-all/end-all of supervillainy that it’s hilarious to read this early, all-ages piece and see him lose like a doofus and get led away in handcuffs by the local police.

What makes this story so memorable is that in three panels, Thanos flies around in a run-of-the-mill helicopter with his name on the side. It’s not even futuristic or alien in any way. It’s such a bizarre concept that it’s stayed with readers for decades. Thanos, scourge of the cosmos and once ruler of all time and space…just flying through New York City in a branded helicopter.

The Legacy of the Thanos Copter

Over the last several years, the Thanos Copter has made its presence known here and there in interesting ways. For instance, Deadpool #45 featured a backup story about Deadpool stealing the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos and using it to host his own superhero roast to make some big meta point about how painful and empty Wade’s life truly is. ANYWAY, Thanos’ appearance in the story included him flying around in the Thanos Copter because of course.

Then there’s Infinity Wars: Fallen Guardian. Thanks to the Infinity Gauntlet, Drax the Destroyer has been split into two forms: his green humanoid self and his pre-origin self Arthur Douglas. Arthur has his mind wiped and gets to live a normal life, but he still has weird dreams. Dreams of his family being attacked by a purple alien in a helicopter.

The video game LEGO Marvel’s Avengers allowed you to fly the stupid thing. Hell, Marvel even officially released it physically in different forms, from a Hot Wheels model, to a remote control toy, to a Heroclix figure.

Of course, it gets referenced by internet culture all the time. When Death Battle did an episode of Thanos vs. Darkseid, their rocking, animated throwdown included a cameo appearance by the Titan’s vehicle. Epic Rap Battles of History did an installment with Thanos battle rapping J. Robert Oppenheimer, which included the lyric, “Got my name on this win like it’s the Thanos Copter!”

This technically isn’t even the first time the Thanos Copter has been referenced in the MCU. In Avengers: Endgame, Thanos wields a giant two-sided blade that he occasionally spins around. Fans feel that its resemblance to a helicopter is just a sly wink and nod to that one silly issue of Spidey Super Stories that everyone refuses to forget, reimagining something goofy into something totally badass.

I wonder if Loki will take any more inspiration from Spidey Super Stories panels. Hm…

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Guys, I think I know where they’re going with the finale!

The post Loki Pays Tribute to One of The Most Ridiculous Moments in Marvel History appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2TDfFLL

[andrusi]

rating lego space shuttles: eighties/nineties

this was fun with the ambulances so I’m going again

fun fact: because of the way linear time works, there are no pre-minifig lego space shuttles.

#442 Space Shuttle/#891 Two Seat Space Scooter (1979)

we’re starting off... weird. it’s got the swept back wings but other than that there was clearly no effort whatsoever to make this set called “space shuttle” look like an actual space shuttle orbiter (which did exist and was publicly known in 1979 even though it hadn’t been launched yet). given that the EU version makes no such connection I’m assuming this was just given the name for the us market to capitalize on space shuttle excitement. it’s a nice little spaceship but I’m not happy with the dishonesty. 🚀

there are a couple of other early space sets with “shuttle” in their names but the intent with them seems to be more like the shuttles in star trek and star wars rather than referring to the real life vehicle so I’m not going to drag them through the mud here.

#8855 Prop Plane (1988)

the second lego space shuttle is one of several we’ll be seeing where the shuttle is actually a secondary build for an airplane set. an attempt is being made here, and you can kind of see what they’re going for, but it just doesn’t work for me. the lack of any attempt at, you know, engines is particularly shameful. that said, while I haven’t handled this build myself, it appears that the cargo bay opens up (albeit in entirely the wrong way) and there’s even a manipulator arm inside. overall: good try. 🚀🚀

#1682 Space Shuttle Launch (1990)

much better. building techniques will vary, attempts at scale will improve and regress, specialized parts of varying quality and niceness will be produced, but this here is basically establishing the precedent for what a typical lego space shuttle set is like. you’ve got a launch pad, a support structure with an elevator (sadly immobile in this case), a little vehicle to transport the crew to the pad, an astronaut and some ground crew, and of course the shuttle orbiter with a little canadarm and a satellite inside, with two solid rocket boosters and a fuel tank attached. unusually, the astronaut has a sticker on his torso, with an american flag and a nasa logo. similar stickers are all over the shuttle and even the car-thing. this kind of specific tie to the real space shuttle won’t return in minifig-scale sets for a long time. now there are some noticeable big avoidable inaccuracies, most notably that the fuel tank needs to be longer and not gray (orange lego wasn’t really a thing at the time but I feel like red or yellow would have been a reasonable substitute) and the fact that the shuttle has an opening trunk for some reason???, and also there are some awkward bits to the design, most memorably the cargo doors that fold out in three segments each. still, very good. 🚀🚀🚀🚀

6346 Shuttle Launching Crew (1992)

aaaaaaand we’ve regressed. the shuttle is shorter now, one of the main engines is missing, the wings are generic triangles, and you can’t see it here but the surprisingly realistic representation of the canadarm from #1682 has been replaced by a generic robot claw arm from the space theme (at least the origin is appropriate). the astronaut has regressed, too, now wearing the exact same generic flight suit as the ambulance driver from #1896 (which is also suspiciously similar to the motorcycle drivers here) which made that set hilarious but this one boring. there are a couple of small improvements though: the shuttle has landing gear now, and there are a couple of tiles on top of the cargo bay doors so they open as a single unit.  also, remember that red and blue striping with the =v= design, it’s a surprise tool to help us later. 🚀🚀🚀 incidentally, space shuttles have been transported by truck on occasion, and because of how big they are you really would want all these escort vehicles.

#6339 Shuttle Launch Pad/#6544 Shuttle Transcon 2 (1995)

welcome to LAUNCH COMMAND, the first dedicated town/city space exploration subtheme! the stripey =v= design returns, now accompanied by a neat little space shuttle logo. the new orbiter (identical between the two sets except for slightly different stickers) keeps the improvements from #6346, regains its third engine, and gets a new canadarm design that splits the difference between playability and looking right, plus new pieces designed specifically to accurately represent the wings and tail. unfortunately, these improvements come at the price of the oms pods, which are now just half-cylinders with no engines in evidence. the astronauts have a cool new visor piece that’s reflective gold and a specially printed torso, the ground crew similarly have special launch command uniforms, and all of them wear headsets. two near-identical versions of this shuttle (one numbered 2 and the other 3, #6346 presumably being 1) were available, one with this shiny new launch pad and redesigned fuel tank (still gray and too small) and boosters, and the other with a jet that doesn’t really look like the shuttle carrier aircraft but eh, it works. 🚀🚀🚀🚀

#8480 Space Shuttle (1996)

technic’s second attempt at a space shuttle is a dedicated set and consequently fares way better. it’s big, it’s properly colored, it’s got lots of details, and on top of that it’s full of fancy electronics. it lights up! it’s motorized! it also kind of looks like a skeleton, but that’s what you expect from a technic set from the mid-nineties. 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀

#3067 Test Shuttle X (1999)

what the hell is this, space port? why is the tail fin a flat panel facing the direction of travel? 0 spaceships. listen, this is a tiny little shuttle and I know it seems unfair of me to rag on it, but space port deserves everything I can throw at it. it’s just not good.

#6456 Mission Control (1999)

you see? look at this shit. look at the crap lego handed us and called a space shuttle. why does it separate? this isn’t blacktron! why are the wings so proportionally small? why does the cargo bay open in three directions? why does it just launch directly from the crawler? why is the satellite just a logo with solar panels? I’ll tell you why. it’s because the only thing lego was thinking about was how much kids were gonna love the giant oversized electronics chunk. if you were a kid who tried to build around the giant oversized electronics chunk, you may be entitled to financial compensation.

the female astronaut and the new helmet/backpack earn it a pity spaceship though. 🚀

[asfeedin]

LSAT prep, DJ sets and virtual golf

4:30 PM IST

Ohm Youngmisuk

Close

ESPN Staff Writer

Ohm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University. Follow him on Twitter »  Ohm’s chat archive »

Malika Andrews

Close

ESPN Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Joined ESPN in 2018

Appears regularly on ESPN Chicago 1000

ON APRIL 18, instead of concocting a game plan to possibly defend Giannis Antetokounmpo on the opening day of the NBA playoffs, Garrett Temple was locked in on antithesis passages in his online LSAT prep course.

With the 2019-20 NBA season on hold since March 11 due to the coronavirus, the Brooklyn Nets wing has been putting in the hours studying, listening to law podcasts and talking to professors as part of his weekly preparation for the Law School Admission Test.

While some players have tried to fill the basketball void with video games or training routines, others have taken on new challenges to stay sharp. From mastering a second language to becoming handy around the house to diving into a Lego world, players are finding ways to stay engaged.

And one might even be law school-bound, with sights on a perfect 180 LSAT score.

“I can’t let — what’s-her-name on ‘Legally Blonde’ got a 179 — Elle Woods [beat me],” Temple said. “I really want to do it and get a great score.”

MORE: When will the NBA return? Latest suspension updates

Garrett Temple has been spending his time away from basketball with LSAT prep. “It’s providing structure. I’m really enjoying it,” he said. Courtesy of Garrett Temple

BEFORE THE SUSPENSION, Temple had long been contemplating life after basketball. The 10-year journeyman graduated from LSU in 2009 with an undergraduate business degree and considered getting his MBA. His father, Collis Temple, told him that a law degree would be more beneficial.

Collis is an entrepreneur in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was the first black varsity basketball player at LSU after Temple’s grandfather, Collis Temple Sr., was not allowed to attend graduate school at LSU because of his skin color.

Temple’s interest in pursuing a law degree was further piqued after watching a TED talk by Adam Foss, a former assistant district attorney in Boston and advocate for criminal justice reform. The final push came when Temple met Bryan Stevenson, the nationally acclaimed public interest lawyer and social justice activist depicted in the 2019 film “Just Mercy.”

“I think you can create a lot of change in your own community,” Temple said. “Help change the prison industrial complex and school-to-prison pipeline in my community, the black community.”

Temple has immersed himself in science podcasts and magazines with help from his fiancée, Kára McCullough, a scientist with a concentration in radiochemistry.

She has also often forced Temple to take breaks from hours of studying. The veteran guard just can’t help himself.

“It’s providing structure. I’m really enjoying it,” Temple said.

“I mean, we ain’t got nothing else to do. So I’m studying, man. Just trying to better myself.”

CODY ZELLER KNEW next to nothing about carpentry before the season went on hiatus. But a month and a half in, the Charlotte Hornets center can now build a closet befitting a 7-footer. (It’s a skill that has been quicker to learn than playing the guitar, which others such as Antetokounmpo and Patty Mills have also picked up.)

Zeller’s brother Tyler, a free agent who most recently played with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019, purchased a home in Indiana, and Cody has been helping with do-it-yourself home improvement projects.

“I took responsibility for [Tyler’s] master closet,” Zeller said. “I had no woodworking ability before. I’ve learned how to use a miter saw, a table saw. We put it together.”

“Everybody and their mother is gonna have a podcast when we are done with this quarantine.”

Georges Niang

Lack of experience? That was nothing a few YouTube tutorials couldn’t solve — almost.

“I will say, full disclosure, I had to [build] it twice,” Zeller said, “because the first time I messed up.”

Zeller cut, sanded and painted all the wood and built a seven-tier shelf rack. But when he went to fasten the frame to the wall, he had forgotten one tiny yet crucial detail.

“I realized I hadn’t accounted for the space between the closet rod and the shelf above it, so there was no room for the hangers to hang on the closet,” Zeller said. “So it was back to the drawing board.

“That was like three days’ worth of work down the drain. Anyway, long story short, it looks great now.”

THIS EXTRA DOWNTIME has given John Collins the chance to master a second language and get more in touch with his family heritage. Collins, whose mother is part Puerto Rican, has been taking Spanish lessons via Rosetta Stone and the Duolingo app.

The Atlanta Hawks big man took Spanish classes in high school in West Palm Beach, Florida, before continuing courses during his two years at Wake Forest.

“I never had a chance to finish — obviously I left school early,” Collins said. “But it’s always been something that I’ve wanted to finish just ’cause I have been around it so much, and I want to learn.”

Monday through Friday, host Mina Kimes brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and insiders on the planet. Listen

Although he could grasp what his grandfather and other relatives were saying during conversations, Collins found writing in Spanish to be difficult. After the first few weeks of quarantine, Collins wasn’t sure how much his Spanish was improving.

“I’m better than where I was,” Collins said. “To get real growth, I got to go over to a Spanish-speaking country.

“Hopefully one day I will get the opportunity.”

USED TO MAINTAINING a strict in-season schedule, Utah Jazz forward Georges Niang found the extra free time jarring.

The team dropped off a stationary bike and weights so he could keep up with daily exercises, but video games have grown boring, Netflix has provided only so many hours of entertainment, and sleeping in has lost its appeal.

So he started the “Drive & Dish” podcast and video series with help from the Jazz.

“Everybody and their mother is gonna have a podcast when we are done with this quarantine,” he said.

After an unsuccessful foray into Instagram Live — “It was horrible content,” Niang said — “Drive & Dish” debuted on March 31 and has delved into quarantine life with Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell, the Olympics postponement with two-time soccer gold medalist Amy Rodriguez and the Michael Jordan Game 6 winner with former Jazz player Bryon Russell.

Niang even has his own theme song and logo.

#DriveAndDish Episode 𝟐 is LIVE!

@GeorgesNiang20 interviews @spidadmitchell about that night in OKC, what he wishes he’d known as a kid & his strangest superstitions

#NBATogether 𝘍𝘜𝘓𝘓 𝘝𝘐𝘋𝘌𝘖 » https://t.co/7uQk59B8Po pic.twitter.com/MCY4rAUsaj

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) April 3, 2020

The podcast’s name is inspired by his team nickname. In the Jazz locker room, Niang is known as “the minivan” because he likens his teammates to Ferraris while thinking of himself as a less luxurious vehicle.

“I need a couple laps around the block before I get warmed up,” Niang said. “Hop in the minivan and drive and dish.”

KENT BAZEMORE HAS been teeing it up at some of the best golf courses in the country. Virtually, that is.

The Sacramento Kings swingman has been regularly retreating to the basement of his Atlanta home, honing his skills on a golf simulator that would rival Tiger Woods’ personal setup. Video cameras and sensors track Bazemore’s every hook, slice, chip and putt.

“It is about as in-depth as I can get without being a professional golfer,” said Bazemore, who earlier this month took down former teammate Stephen Curry in a virtual match at Pebble Beach.

2 Related

Now the lefty has a chance to get serious about his golf game. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, Bazemore takes virtual golf lessons with his instructor, Jon Tattersall, the 2014 Georgia PGA Teacher of the Year.

And Bazemore still drives to a real golf course once a week — Georgia is one of a handful of states allowing courses to stay open.

“I am on a quest to become a scratch golfer,” Bazemore said. “My handicap right now is at 8 and I need it to be down to 0.”

To get over the next hump, Bazemore said he plans on working with a sports psychologist.

“There’s a lot of things that go into becoming [a scratch golfer],” Bazemore said. “I’m on the fringe. This is the closest I’ve ever been.”

THOUSANDS HAVE FLOCKED to social media over the past month to listen to DJs such as D-Nice spin sets on Instagram Live.

Now Andre Drummond has joined the wave.

On April 20, the Cleveland Cavaliers center kicked off “Drummond Quarantine Radio,” which features Drummond with DJ Drewski from the center’s Miami home.

Last week, Drummond hosted a “ladies night” set, when viewers could make song requests. And he put on “Talent Show Thursday,” which featured an appearance by actor and comedian Michael Rapaport, among other special guests.

Andre Drummond, also known as DRUMMXND, has been busy on Instagram Live during the NBA’s suspension. David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

Drummond’s no novice. He goes by the rap name “DRUMMXND” and is planning on releasing his second album, “FYI 2,” soon.

He won’t be the only NBA player releasing new music during quarantine. Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon dropped his Dwyane Wade- and dunk contest loss-inspired diss track “9 out of 10” on Monday.

On Tuesday, Gordon made a guest appearance on the seventh episode of “Drummond Quarantine Radio.” Drummond pointed out that for as long as they’ve known each other, he never knew of Gordon’s desire to put out rap songs.

“I mean, we got a lot of time on our hands right now, ya hear me?” said Gordon, who started making music before this season and is working with Grammy Award winner Austin Owens, also known as Ayo The Producer.

“I get to tap into my creative side,” Gordon added. “Get in touch with emotions and express myself.”

Gordon then gave DRUMMXND his next quarantine endeavor — to deliver some new rap hooks.

“We putting together a project, [with] athletes, with Ayo,” Gordon said. “We need you on the project.

“We need a couple of verses for the project. Please.”

LOCAL GYMS SHUT down after Dallas County issued a shelter-in-place order on March 23, but Myles Turner had to find a way to get in weight training while staying in the guest house of the Texas home he built for his parents.

So the Indiana Pacers center jumped online to find the nearest squat rack — more than 100 miles away in Waco.

“In Texas, that’s nothing,” said Turner, who embarked on the four-hour round trip along Interstate 35. “That’s just an easy drive, right down the street.”

Turner then built the multipurpose squat rack and bench press in under two hours with help from friends. It’s now the centerpiece of a once near-empty garage he’s converted into his personal gym, complete with medicine balls, adjustable dumbbells and a padded floor.

“I gotta improvise,” said Turner, who last week shared his passion for yoga via a live class on the NBA’s Instagram page. “I’ve always kind of been into just putting stuff together.”

And when he didn’t have a screwdriver or wrench in his hand, Turner was still busy building. He assembled one Lego set, and his latest creation — a 2,000-piece Star Wars jigsaw puzzle — was completed in about a week.

“I am about to go to Target right now,” he said, “and get a basketball hoop for outside.”

Source link

Tags: Andre Drummond, Cody Zeller, daily, DJ, Garrett Temple, Georges Niang, Golf, John Collins, Kent Bazemore, LSAT, Myles Turner, NBA, Prep, Sets, virtual

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2Si1K9F via IFTTT

[xeford2020]

Childhood Classics: The “Building Blocks” of Being a Kid

Recently, I stopped by the building block “wonderland” that is Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO® Bricks, a temporary exhibit in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

I watched children (and also adults) busily absorbed in designing their own Lego creation - choosing from 200,000 Lego bricks placed within the exhibit as a hands-on activity for visitors. Some kids were likely inspired by the impressive Lego models of famous skyscrapers and other buildings displayed there. Many kids immediately dove into the “bottomless pit” of Lego bricks, jazzed by the opportunity to build something wonderful from their own imaginations. And children DO love to build things--whether they create imaginary worlds or smaller versions of the real one. Construction toys are quite literally and figuratively “the building blocks of childhood.” Playing with them builds physical and intellectual skills--and encourages creativity. Toy bricks, logs and girders are the stuff of playtime joy! Over the last 150 years, entrepreneurs have introduced innovative construction toys that have delighted generations of children. Which is your favorite?

District School Building Block Set, 1876-1886. THF300131. (Gift of Mrs. Clemens August Haass) After the Civil War, the Charles M. Crandall Company’s building blocks were all the rage. Like Lego bricks, they could be easily and securely linked together in a “thousand and one” ways. By 1879, Crandall offered 28 sets of interlocking blocks and jointed figures. This “District School” set was a miniature version of a common childhood experience of the era: the one-room rural school. Crandall advertised that children would “laugh over this group of teachers and scholars” as they built the school and arranged the figures. The “District School” had playful appeal, combining entertainment with education--children could learn their alphabet while having fun.

Tinkertoys, 1914-1925. THF97403 Tombstone cutter Charles Pajeau noticed how much fun his children had sticking pencils into empty thread spools and assembling them into imaginative forms. So, he designed a shorter wooden spool with one hole drilled in the center and a series of holes along the edge. Kids could now build at angles and connect multiple dowels at once. Tinkertoys were born! In 1914, Pajeau started a company to produce and market the toy.

Erector Set, 1915. THF95319

As toy marketer A.C. Gilbert rode the train from New Haven to New York on business, he watched as workers erected an electrical system along the railroad line using steel girders that had been riveted together. This inspired Gilbert to design a construction set for older boys with metal girders, panels, wheels, gears, and pulleys. His marketing spoke directly to boys, encouraging them to build. Boys used their Erector sets to build small versions of steam engines, Ferris wheels, zeppelins, bridges, elevators, trucks, cranes, and other devices. The toy not only delighted boys--it also appealed to their parents, who appreciated the way Erector sets could introduce their kids to careers in engineering. The company even offered “degrees” from its “Engineering Institute.”

Lincoln Logs, about 1960. THF6627 (Gift of Steven K. Hamp) John Lloyd Wright, son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, invented Lincoln Logs. Introduced in 1916, these sturdy, miniature logs had interlocking notches. Lincoln Logs were named after Abraham Lincoln, who was born in a log cabin. After World War II, Lincoln Logs got another boost as they became an iconic Baby Boomer toy. In the 1950s, nostalgia for the American West and the frontier had kids crafting log buildings with their Lincoln Log sets. With their nostalgic connection to America’s past, Lincoln Logs were marketed as “America’s national toy.”

Lego Building Set, 1976-1983. THF59

Legos, developed in Denmark during the 1950s, first appeared in the United States in 1962. With their small interlocking studs and tubes, Lego plastic bricks held together well - yet could easily be pulled apart. Lego bricks offered “no limits on what you can build.” Two Lego blocks could be joined in 24 different ways. Six blocks--over 100 million ways.

Lego bricks can be assembled and connected to create buildings, vehicles, and even human figures. Though the design and purposes of individual pieces have evolved over the years, each Lego brick--whether made in the 1950s or the present--remains compatible in some way with existing pieces. Duplo bricks - larger sized versions made for preschoolers - debuted in 1969. They were easier for tiny hands to maneuver.

Over the years, Lego has created Lego sets with a variety of themes, including space, pirates, castles, robots, and the Wild West. They have licensed themes from popular cartoons, films, and video games--like Batman, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.

With their endless creative possibilities, Lego bricks have staying power--and fans worldwide. In 2000, Legos were named “Toy of the Century” by Fortune magazine and the British Association of Toy Retailers.

As a kid, I loved to design and build houses. Growing up, my siblings and I had Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, and an Erector set. I rather envied my friend--she had Block City, pre-Lego plastic bricks with architectural details like doors and windows (which Lincoln Logs lacked). My grandmother (who sewed a lot) kept a box full of empty spools and some wood scraps for us to build with--we created imaginary “towns” all over her living room floor. She never seemed to mind.

Jeanine Head Miller is Curator of Domestic Life at The Henry Ford.

#1 Ford Daily | Đại lý – Showroom ủy quyền Ford Việt Nam 2019 Ford Daily là showroom, đại lý Ford lớn nhất Việt Nam: Chuyên phân phối xe ô tô FORD như: EcoSport ✅ Everest ✅ Explorer ✅ Focus ✅ Ranger… info@forddaily.com 6A Đường Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 711240 0901333373 https://forddaily.com/ https://forddaily.com/xe/ https://forddaily.com/dai-ly/ https://forddaily.com/bang-gia/ https://forddaily.com/tra-gop/ #forddaily #dailyfordhcm #fordshowroomhcm https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ford+Daily/@10.7693359,106.696211,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x1f188a05d927f4ff!8m2!3d10.7693359!4d106.696211

[zerohourseraphim]

          An Open Letter to Politicians and any concerned that video games add drastically to the number of incidents of gun violence and mass shootings.

          I watched a video from The Daily Show. In it, Trevor Noah responded to a tweet from Neil DeGrasse Tyson. The tweet came in the wake of a pair of mass shootings, drawing the ire of the collective internet. In the video, Trevor Noah pointed out that in all the events in which there are statistically more deaths than mass shootings, we as a society have many mitigating factors in an effort to ensure the health and safety of the populace. From medical errors, illness, car accidents, suicide and homicide, he went down the list of how we as a society try to stave off a mounting death toll.

          After the video, my mind turned to the blame that violence in video games was recieving once more. Is there a some valid history here? I think so. I have heard of times in which shooters used games and their engines to make mock ups of the grounds they aimed to terrorize and essentially practice their runs. I am also willing to admit that “you are what you eat”, and as such have to be mindful about what you consume. But in the vein of Trevor Noah’s segment, I began giving focused thought on what the gaming industry could do to police itself, more than lip service or pandering. To do something with the aim of quelling violence. After solid consideration there is only one thing that could be done: Rate games more harshly, namely rating more games as Adult Only rather than Mature.

          Back before the 90s, video games were seen solely as a medium of entertainment for children. The game series Mortal Kombat, still in its infancy, gained a lot of attention for bucking that trend and playing to an older audience. The gratuitous death animations and the over-the-top blood sprays on every hit gained the attention of the American government, leading to creation of the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board). Since then, all video games, and many other form of computer software and electronic media, have been subject to a division akin to movies and books. These are…

Everyone (E) Everyone 10+ (E10) Teen (T)- Geared towards ages 13 and up Mature (M)- 17 and up Adults only (AO)- 18 and up

          I am of the opinion that the rating system is not all that useful as it is not accurately utilized. For starters, I have always found it quirky how closely spaced the ages in the latter ratings are. Next, brick and mortar salesman were savvy gatekeepers when such was the only way to purchase games. The staff were, and still can, recognize if a T title is appropriate for younger audiences. Beyond that, in cases where an obvious child strolls up with a Mature game or one for Teens more on the Mature side, a parent is normally not too far away. They are likely to see their child as being “mature enough to handle it” and support the purchase. In this vein it has always been an adult, not the rating system, that has barred my access to a game. If you pull aside an adult gamer and ask them to assemble a collection of their most adult games and you will likely see that they are all rated as Mature. This rating is “as bad as it gets”. Thus I doubt you’ll see any Adult Only games. Why?

Cue my Social Cynic for the answer: Money.

          The video game industry generates billions of dollars worth of annual revenue. Amongst that is Grand Theft Auto Online, an extension to GTA V, which is the most lucrative entertainment property of all time. Not most valuable video game. Highest earning entertainment outlet in history. More than Avengers: Endgame or Avatar. More than Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, or any other popular book series.

I repeat: Grand Theft Auto Online is THE highest grossing entertainment property of all time. And, as it is ongoing, its revenue will only continue to grow.

          So how is this possible? The first answer on the board is microtransactions, which are gaining a number of articles from me and the internet abroad as it stands. But in relation to this article, availability. The difference between a Mature and Adults Only rating is where they are sold. With the former it is virtually everywhere, and it is virtually nowhere with the latter. In the pre-internet age, making a game Adults Only would have killed any chance of it turning a profit. And, while removing a title from retailers shelves may seem major even now, the people that want the game will purchase it online and get a download key or the like. If they want a physical disc instead, they can order it from the company, and will likely be given a key while they wait. In fact, an Adults Only rating would only serve as free publicity.

          I have seen games earn the Adults Only rating. I have watched as they were banned from sale in Wal-Marts, Gamestops, and many digital marketplaces. The fact that they were officially deemed heinous by the ESRB was not taken lightly. But any other game earning a lesser rating that does not gain national news attention for one reason or another? ‘Eh… must not be so bad’ echo the thoughts of most people. This acceptance assures that any game can be easily accessed by anyone. Even though I have gamed most of my life and view video games as a burgeoning artistic medium, there is a part of my brain that is conditioned to think of them as “just toys for kids”. And the games’ industry benefits from this social perception, both from myself, other gamers, and the world at large.

          To illustrate, there were children that I cared for that I allowed to play Saints Row IV, a game series much like GTA. It holds a rating of Mature. Why, if the content was not suitable for them, did I allow them to play it? Because I knew which part of the game they would play. I got their file to a free roaming sandbox portion, showed them how to access a garage for vehicles, change their load outs, and where to shop for clothes and even five years out that’s what they think Saint’s Row is. A fun game to dress up, drive around, and use super powers in. They never got into the story, character development, dialogue, and the bulk of what makes the game mature. They had similar play habits in similar, yet more kid-friendly, titles such as the Lego video games.

          But let us say that one finds my actions with the children appalling. That my supervision was not enough. That my foreknowledge of the the game itself and the playing behaviors of the children was negligent. That I was not a dutiful parental figure. And so we make our Grand Theft Auto, Fortnite, Call of Duty, and other questionably violent game series Adult Only. If your aim is to limit access to the games, it does nothing. It just means that sales of these games migrate from physical to online.

          If re-rating games would do no good, why not take other measures? Perhaps ban games like GTA from being brought to completion in the first place? On the one hand, the Video Game Lobby would push to counter these efforts. As I pointed out, it generates too much money to be written off. On the other, remember the digital marketplaces I mentioned? Even now independent creators make games and post them without ESRB sanctioning. Some companies and platform holders (e.g. Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony)are more exacting when it comes to quality control. Without an ESRB rating, these companies will not allow games to be sold on, through, and for their platform(s). And while the PC market has checks and balances, they are comparatively lax. Some of the most heinous “games” (a term I am using very loosely here) I have ever seen exist in the gutters of Steam. And much like society at large, they thrive in numerous pockets. You take down one and, not only will more just like it take its place, but the original game is likely to be taken down and uploaded again as something else. It’s a whack-a-mole that cannot be won unless you want to take drastic action.

          Now… do I want to see this happen? Do I want more games to be bumped up from Mature to Adults Only? I personally do not care. I am old enough to buy whatever games I wish. But you know what? As ineffectual as I think it would be, and as much evidence as I have seen showing that video games and shootings are unrelated on the whole, I would be willing to abide by a more stringent rating system.

          That said, my abdication comes with one single ongoing condition:

Blame whatever you want, but if you identify a problem, fix the problem.

          I’ve informed you what can be done about video games. If this is where you want to place the fault today… okay. Let’s make games with realistic and gruesomely violent conent harder to access for people who do not have enough external real life experience to contextualize what they are playing. (Ignoring for now how video games aided me in being able to contextualize so much of real life. A discussion for another time.) If, in the wake of another/the next shooter, you are going to point the finger at mental health? Vote for robust healthcare so people get the help they need. Enable that medications are affordable to help keep brain chemistry in check. Improve the quality of life of people so they aren’t driven to violent and deadly outbursts, or perhaps so much medical care to begin with. An ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure and all. Want to blame them being an outlier, racial supremacist and other radical ideologue? Then figure out what lawful measures there are to eliminate them wholly, from the fruit back down to the root. Don’t just denounce them and then tolerate them as they continue to spread hatred and foment terror. Peter denied Jesus Christ three times, but we still regard him as a faithful apostle. Don’t continue to pay lip service by pointing to a problem. Something has to be done at this point, and sooner than later.

As I was finishing up, Facebook reloaded and this was front and center.

          In answer to the question “Do video games increase the potential of violence/mass shooting?” thirty years worth of science and study says no. Additionally, counties that have a larger population of gamers than the United States do not suffer from widespread gun violence. We may not be able to prove the mental soundness of each individual shooter. And things like manifestos and social media profiles can be spoofed if you want to give all sides their due.

          All of these incidents have one common element beyond the shadow of a doubt. All of these killings were perpetrated by people with guns fine tuned to kill a multitude. Even with the current safeguards and measures we have in place, gun violence is still all too common. As what we are doing is not enough, more must be done. Referring back to Trevor Noah, we have to try something. If today it’s my turn with games, that is fine. If, after cutting at every other factor, gun-driven violence is still a problem will it then be time make compromises regarding firearms?

I am willing to Try, Do, and abide to something different in my life and industry to make the America safer.

Are you?

Is there any action that can be taken on video games to mitigate gun violence?           An Open Letter to Politicians and any concerned that video games add drastically to the number of incidents of gun violence and mass shootings.

[lielectricians]

Charging Stations For Chevy Bolt Venice Ca

Contents

Battery charger marine starting battery

Hyundai kona electric

Newport centre mall

Offering high power

Trojan 31 gel 12 volt

Chevy Volt Battery Maintenance Agm Deep Cycle Rv Battery Chevy Volt Battery Maintenance What Is A Sealed Battery Duralast Marine battery charger marine starting battery At Walmart Delco 6 Volt Golf Cart Batteries Don’t just get in and drive.

The hyundai kona electric and Chevrolet Bolt EV are two … at a higher state of charge than in the Bolt EV. Also, at the 175 …

Chevy Bolt Charging Stations Pine Bush Ny Started January 1, 2017. The link to the previous forum is Forum 2016… mtfca home… classifieds… forum 2018 Posts should be related to the Model T. Post for the … Pincher Creek Echo – a place for remembering loved ones; a space for sharing memories, life stories, milestones, to express condolences, and celebrate life of Fast Charging Stations Sybertsville Pa All rights reserved. Privacy. Terms of Use … participate in the effort to expand the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Pennsylvania by offering electric car owners easy access to charging stations at convenient locations." Car … Almost all pubic charging locations are Level 2 at 240 volts or more and more a DC Fast …

READ THIS: 2017 Chevy Bolt EV electric car: new owner’s first impressions The newport centre mall just across the Hudson River in Jersey City, however, had an EVgo quick-charging station with … …

LEGO has built the ultimate supercar, the McLaren Senna, entirely out of bricks. Completely unlike the real Senna, the LEGO version is the heaviest car the company’s ever built:…

–(BUSINESS WIRE)–General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) has named AeroVironment, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AVAV) EVSE-RS as the official charging station accessory for its all-new, all-electric 2017 Chevrolet Bolt …

Cadillac Elr Charging Station Charging Stations Powered by OpenEVSE. Let our experts hand-build you an advanced charging in the USA based on proven OpenEVSE hardware. Our charging stations are much more than a power cable, offering high power and advanced features for an affordable price. “Upgrade to a 240-Volt charging station to experience faster and more consistent Cadillac ELR

brown_freq worrisome worry worry-worryin worrying worse worsened worsens worship worshiped worshipful worshiping worshipped worshippers worshipping worst worst-marked

Vehicle Charging Stations Lewisville Tx Used Car Batteries For Sale San Antonio Tx 9 Volt Rechargeable Batteries And Charger Used Car Batteries For Sale San Antonio Tx trojan 31 gel 12 volt battery amazon power wheels 6 Volt Battery Ebay 18 Volt Drill Battery From Harbor Freight 12 Volt 10 Amp Gel Batteries What I’m going tell you is really

Tesla’s most equipped Model 3 has a range of 315 miles, more than the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt … charging stations along the 5 Freeway from L.A. to San Francisco and in towns such as Baker and …

the lead organizer of the Saskatchewan Electric Vehicle Club and owner of a 2017 Chevy Bolt. An electric vehicle fast …

Pincher Creek Echo – a place for remembering loved ones; a space for sharing memories, life stories, milestones, to express condolences, and celebrate life of your loved ones.

Duracell Marine Batteries Agm 34m Prices Multi Battery Charger Refresh Cycle Car Battery How It Works 12v Battery Load Tester Reviews Car Battery Sales Ontario California.

from Ca For Chevy Venice Bolt Charging Stations https://ift.tt/2UpVhvL