#like the stockings Funky has in Art

[synthshenanigans]

soul wears both & you cannot convince me otherwise

[enkays-den]

Hermits as birds from where they live/were born!

note: my knowledge is centered around North American birds, so sorry if the european ones aren't super accurate

Bdubs: Northern Saw-Whet Owl. He's just a little guy with big eyes. Small and evil, love him

Cub: Common Starling. Skulk like-iridescence, incredibly friendly. Plus, with Cub running the horn store this season, he NEEDED to be the bird that can imitate pretty much any noise it hears

Doc: Bonelli's Eagle. Large raptor found in Germany. It's straight "brow" and hunched posture remind me of Doc

Etho: Common Loon. THE! CANADIAN! BIRD! Despite being "common", their pattern is simply EXQUISITE Plus, it has a red eye! Also listen to the noises these things make, it's literally stock nature sounds all in one bird. Also, I'd put Etho on my one dollar coin.

False: Barn Owl. Very elegant owl, I just feel it suits her, that's all. Very stately posture.

Gem (Season 10 specifically): Great Blue Heron. It's a fisher, it's blue, it's menacing, what more could you ask for?

Scar (Hotguy): Double-crested Cormorant: A waterfowl bc scar did competitive swimming, it's got a slightly funky shape which I feel suits scar's personality. It also has the Hotguy colors!

Grian: Eurasian Bullfinch. Parrot Grian will not reign supreme. Look at that little guy. He's mischievous, he's red, I do not trust him.

Hypno: Stellar's Jay. My provincial bird! I just think both have very chill and cool personalities

Jevin: Lazuli Bunting. Just a little blue guy!

Impulse: American Goldfinch. Black and yellow, need I say more?

Iskall: Booted Eagle. Something about a stout raptor just feels right. Look at that posture. Reminds me of when Iskall tries to copy the brits' accents.

Joe: Turkey Vulture. Although seen as odd or menacing, all vultures are integral to the local ecosystem and are in actuality, very elegant and gentle birds.

Keralis: Boreal Owl. Yes, I did make the two guys with big eyes owls, What of it? LOOK at him. Put a little hardhat on him, put a little hawiian shirt on him. Precious sweet face.

Mumbo: Avocet. It's basically a vibe check and a mustache joke.

Peal: Black Swan. Big 5AM Pearl vibes. Giant, beautiful, protective. Love that for her.

Ren: Giant Kingfisher. Obligatory King Ren joke, it's a South African bird, and it's kinda goofy looking. I think the speckled feathers look like a ruffled fur collar on a king's cape.

Skizz: Golden Eagle. Large, majestic, hella strong, and he's wearing pants :3

Joel: Tree Swallow. Very small, beautiful, agile bird. The swallow's wings remind me of Asian art styles.

Stress: Magpie. GOR-JUS and LOUD. Imagine her next to Iskall (they're very similar in size, bless them)

Tango: Swainson's Hawk. I fought every bone in my body to not make an Arizona Cardinals joke when I already made a Phoenix Coyotes one maybe half an hour before. The Swainson's hawk is on the smaller size, but still a deadly spitfire, which I think suits Tango

TFC: Brown Pelican. A solitary bird, definitely a rare sighting. TFC was always joking about how much he would eat, I thought a pelican was apt

Beef: Barred Owl. MY FAVORITE OWL. I literally call them 'round beefy boys' and they're just so sweet and I love them

Wels: American Kestrel. I LOVE these little guys. Simply the smallest, cutest and beautiful falcon there is. They're about the size of a pigeon. It's just got such a regal posture despite being a little cutie.

XB: Rock Pigeon. Despite being common and seen as a "dumb pest", they are pretty intelligent, there's a reason they were used to carry messages around. They're also a close relation to doves! The green collar also is like the jacket collar on his skin.

Xisuma: Semipalmated Plover. X and Mumbo were both chosen because of how those birds run on the beach. They're RIDICULOUS. This subspecies is exclusively because it look like he's wearing a little helmet.

Zedaph: Firecrest. Just the GOOFIEST little guy I found on the wiki of British birds. Look at that thing /aff. Also, Zed do be blowing up a lot

Cleo: Partridge. Beautiful bird, looks like they want to kill you in your sleep, just like Cleo.

[antoniosvivaldi]

Assorted Christmas playlists vol. 2 - Here is a set of four new Christmas playlists for different emotions and atmosphere of the festive season. Comes with a Christmas themed Tag Yourself meme, just like the previous instalment from 2019! (Tag yourself collab with @violets)

Companion uquiz | Assorted Christmas playlists vol. 1

Gingerbread House - Christmas crackers, practical jokes, enjoys watching anime, has an eclectic taste in music, loves to brainstorm, arts & crafts, messy handwritings, mismatched socks, comic strips, colourful flashing lights

A selection of funky songs to dance to for Christmas

{Listen on Spotify}

Silent Night - Counting blessings, candlelights, quill & ink, vintage posters, staying awake at the middle of the night, feels everything deeply, coffeeshop jazz, solving puzzle games, slow and steady to the finish line, mindfulness, ancient library

A selection of introspective songs for the winter nights

{Listen on Spotify}

Cozy Fireplace - Quality time, lovestruck, cardigans, the smell of winter berries, heartfelt letters from loved ones, romance novels, a bowl of hot soup, the smell of fresh oranges, rewatching classic films, stuffing Christmas stockings

A selection of heartwarming songs to enjoy together

{Listen on Spotify}

Christmas at the Beach - Carefree, goes with the flow, life of the party, listens to punk rock at full volume, shirts with tropical prints, street smart, dancing like nobody's watching, fruity punch, loves to be surprised, loves to surf

A selection of pop / punk songs for the summer lovers

{Listen on Spotify}

[soupofmushrooms]

Karasuno Hair Salon!AU headcanons

I went to get a haircut a while ago and my hairdresser had silver hair like Suga's and it inspired this whole mess. Also, I don't know much about the hair salon business so take this with a huge chunk of salt?? Mostly assessing based of the qualities of the characters. Do not look too closely because there will be gaps.

Characters: All of your Karasuno volleyball team favourites + Yachi, Kiyoko, Ukai, Takeda

Sawamura Daichi

He takes on a senior/ manager role, has plenty of experience under his belt.

Makes small talk with the customer

Knows the regulars by names

Assigns shifts

Trains the rest of the staffs and is fairly good at all the roles

Covers whoever who can't make it

Used to give his siblings haircuts while they were growing up

I feel like he'd be open to going around to elderly homes and giving them free haircuts

Man's a guy who serves the community!!

Sugawara Koushi

He is so loved by all grandmamas and children.

Man can butter up ANYONE

and he lays it on thick

He's respectful, cheerful, and a good yapper

Children thinks he's kind and friendly

Generally pleasant guy

Will bribe children with candy so they stay still

Azumane Asahi

He knows the way he looks may scare kiddos away, so he uses his long hair to his advantage and styles it with lil' butterfly clips, pigtails and other accessories.

Has won a couple of hairdressing awards

Mostly the go-to person for more experimental styles

Has contacts in the modelling and fashion department which brings in a ton of money for the salon

The less shy children would go up to him and demands he lifts them like a lil' plane

He will never say no

Man makes a mean matcha though

Shimizu Kiyoko

Handles the makeup and photography should anyone come in with needs for bridal makeup services and other events.

Works closely with Asahi

Sometimes, they'll be out in the city together for side quests

She's a woman of many talents so pre-booking required!!!

Has a popular Instagram account dedicated to the bridal looks, mostly spread through word-of-mouth

Ennoshita Chikara

The hair salon prides themselves on incredible service as how they were trained under Ukai Sr.. So expect a nice lil drink while getting your next hairdo. The person behind the delicious coffee? Ennoshita.

Personally handles the coffee stock and orders

Has a good working relationship with the roasteries in town

Ensures each cup of coffee will brighten up your day

Does some cute doodles sometimes on the cups

WILL NOT GIVE OUT PHONE NUMBERS!! MAN'S KEEPING IT PROFESSIONAL

Cakes and other drinks are served too

Kinoshita Hisashi

Don't tell me this guy isn't the biggest gossip in this place. He easily encourages his customers to talk more, and is good at giving advice and reacting in an affirming way.

Him and Suga is always on top with the neighbourhood tea

He isn't a snitch but will act dumb about the drama

Narita Kazuhito

He plays a regular hairstylist role but helps out with Kageyama at the hairwashing station on busier days.

Has an adaptable personality so Daichi pairs him with new customers to have a feel for their personality

Tanaka Ryuunosuke

What many don't know about him is that he is a rather creative and artistic guy.

Paints nails and does incredible nail art

Can get eerily focused unlike his usual loud self

Practices new skills on Kiyoko (HIS WIFE!!)

Kiyoko ofc gets compliments and directs them to her incredible husband

And he recommends his WIFE'S makeup and photography services

SUCH A COUPLE

BUSINESS IS BOOMING

BIG MONEY BIG MONEY

Will also rock some sick nail designs, man does not care

The team also enjoy getting their nails done by him

Hinata's down for whatever's brightly coloured and funky

Kageyama doesn't do colour but does a clear coat

The team usually play with colours and designs but no rhinestones for them since it can get in the way

Nishinoya Yuu

When you need a dye job, he's the man.

Gets very excited when someone needs his services

Will talk you through the process, how to care for your new hair, and recommends the right shade for your skin etc

Does a very thorough job in explaining it all

Has a little steppy stool

I feel like he will change that dyed part of his hair quite often. Different colours. Same part. It's kinda funny.

Is very patient throughout the process

Will send a complimentary cake your way as a thank you for the many hours it takes

Hinata Shouyou

Makes light conversation with the regulars when he gives them a haircut.

Daichi also sends new customers his way since Hinata has a certain knack of interpreting someone's requests

Loves it when customers give him free reign

Usually uses that opportunity to film those blind pick challenges

Nails it usually

Kageyama Tobio

King of scalp massages

Gives a killer scalp massage

And a neck massage

Is very attentive to his customers and will always ask if the pressure is too hard or too soft

Instantly relaxing

Plays an assistant role to Noya, incredible eye for colour mixing

Approaches every task with dedication.

Man's also turning to Asahi for advice on creating the next big look

Star employee!! Despite being a little socially stunted

Is working on that though!!

Yamaguchi Tadashi

Apprentice under Ennoshita and handles social media with Yachi

Appears in their TikToks

Likes making different latte art designs. His current go to is a bear since it appeals to everyone. The peacock is a challenge though.

Brainstorms a lot of the content ideas with Yachi, but he's usually the face of it

Has a strong online presence though despite being a little shy in real life

Occasionally, he goes to Suga to ask for tips and learns from him. Suga's more than willing to share his knowledge!

Tsukishima Kei

I see him as taking this only as a part-time job though just for the money.

I see him working together with Daichi to go around giving free haircut to the community centres

He's being paid for it and that's fine by him

It's not the ideal part-time job but it's near his college, pays decently and fits his schedule

His best friend works there and enjoys it, so that's a little bit of a bonus too

I can imagine his brother being the type to be quite fond of caring for the community, so it rubs off on him a bit too

Daichi is understanding of his frank personality. In the end, it really is just a job so no big deal.

Yachi Hitoka

Handles marketing and social media.

It started as a kind deed to help the small business grow but ended up liking the team and stayed on.

Is definitely why they're blowing up online

Usually films the TikToks but plans the content with Yamaguchi

Very on trend, very quick on trends

Also knows who what the people want to see

Ukai Kenshin

Runs his mother's store but spreads the word about the hair salon.

His grandfather started hair salon, and when his dad married, his dad didn't realise that tending to the farm would be incredibly demanding and it was impossible to hold on to both businesses.

The hair salon went to his uncle for a while until he fell ill.

Somehow it fell into the hands of the Takeda family.

Completely entrusts it to the new team to run it.

Is very fond of the new team.

Takeda Ittetsu

He grew up going to the hair salon.

His grandfather used to hang out there with Ukai Sr. all the time.

They'd sit outside and have a smoke, next to lil Takeda who would be doing his homework.

Has many good memories with his grandfather at that hair salon.

So when it was struggling, he struck a deal to run it instead.

Now he's out building opportunities for them, getting them signed on with new businesses and partnerships.

He has a meeting with Shiseido next week.

[batcavescolony]

Since in #7 Bernard Dowd is seen to want to be a Chef and I've had culinary arts schooling this is my list of oddly specific things pertaining to that. Use it as you want (just from my experience)

Having a callous on the base of your pointer fringer of your dominate hand from using a chef knife

Funky patterned chef pants

DISHES NEVER END

when you are moving with a hot pan or heavy items ect you tell everyone like HOT PAN! BEHIND. GOING AROUND THE CORNER. BEHIND!

small batches are cute but in a restaurant/bakery/etc you're doing big batches in industrial ovens and mixers. A batch of bread dough we made had 12lbs of flour and like a half gallon of water.

Culinary arts isn't just making food it's doing math, converting recipes, going over OSHA rules and restaurant regulations

After awhile you have enough knowledge to the point where you see a recipe on the internet and go "hey... I can make that. Like really easily" like you can just make curry or scallion pancakes or fancy food

You will notice the shitty knife cuts in like pre cut packages of fruit and veg at the store

You're not allowed to have nail polish or false nails (unless you want to wear gloves all the time)

You start to realise how easy it's is to do somethings for yourself. Like you can just buy a chicken and break it down yourself or make stock at home

Their will be at least one class day where you cut onions all day and leave in tears because everyone is literally cutting onions

Sometimes stuff gets pushed back in the fridge or it's after break and the food has grew a putrid smelling mold. Cleaning it is part of culinary, it's...Fun

Everyday you wear chef pants, a chef coat, a closed toe non slip shoe and a chef hat.

Your hands will get chapped af because you're washing them all the time, lotion is your friend

You do refer to your head chef as 'Chef' or 'Chef ____' (or at least we did)

You will fuck up except it and move past it. (I once put too many chips in the fryer, it over flowed and we had to clean it up)

Kitchens get hot and you're wearing pants and a coat that are designed to protect you from like boiling water being pored on them, so drink water.

You will get cut/burned/stabbed/squished fingers it's part of the job just don't get bodily fluids on the food

You're standing like the whole time no matter what

You know that gallon conversation thing you learned in elementary? You will see that in your sleep. Gallon to quart to pint to cup. Also 8oz to a cup. 3t to a T. 16oz to a Pound ect it's ingrained into my head now

With a bit of knowledge you now know things and you can use it. Like add Xanthan Gum to a blended drink to emulsify it and it's just like Starbucks.

On the down side people want you to make things

You start wanting things for your kitchen like a KitchenAid or a portion scoop or dehydrator and having that feeds back into "I can make anything"

Figuring out exact prices for things is crucial and a pain. Like you have to take the price of baking soda and figure out how much a 1/4t costs. It's not horrible ig but when you're doing it for a whole recipe or menu it gets repetitive.

Ok that's all I'm putting you get the idea

[yellowjacketsfashion]

Do Jackie next on the poster serie!

Close Match: “Colors Of Love, Funky 70s Decor, Colorful Hearts, Love Art, Vibrant Modern Print, Maximalist Home Décor, Teen Room Poster” on Etsy

I couldn’t find the original heart painting but I think it looks vintage (possibly from the 80s).

Both her heart poster and the Sand dollar snow globe are cleared prop items which makes them unavailable for purchase.

On the shelf with the Turks & Caicos snow globe there’s a blue snow globe that I can’t quite make the details of but I assume it’s on the website with all the other cleared items I’ve been finding from the show. (There’s a few that appear similar).

The ballerina photos change between the Pilot and Saints and I haven’t been able to find the first one. The one from the pilot looks like a ballerina picking up flowers but it’s not very clear. I kind of think it looks vintage though. The ballerina photo from Saints is a stock image from istock (therefore not available to purchase a poster of online).

I couldn’t find these posters either but I believe they’re depicting some 90s female celebrities. I couldn’t recognize the photos but I figure someone ought to so please reach out if you know anything! It also appears that the dark photo changes between the Pilot and Saints as well so I’m guessing the one in Saints is a stock photo.

Here’s the link to the site that has the cleared props if you guys want to check it out and look at stuff on there. (All the cleared items I’ve talked about with these posters I’ve found on there).

[jamiesfootball]

more Leverage au nonsense-

after messaging back and forth with @izzyspussy and noodling on it a bit, I've figured out how to slot Nate (Ted Lasso) into the Leverage AU.

He is this universe's Sterling. Sort of.

Nate, gifted fucking Nate, had a plan when he was younger. He wanted to do something with football. Not play - he was never any good - but he could... manage, maybe? There was something there, something in the intricacies of the play and the people and the rules of the game that called to him.

Football was always his chess; chess never had enough moving pieces to keep him interested.

Then life happened. He went to university, and under pressure and wanting his father's approval, he studied finance. Which was fine, since he figured he could always pivot into one of the football clubs from there, and he'd still be near the sport he loved, but then life happened again and again and again and before he knew it he was working for the IYS London Branch under the financial auditing department. It was nothing he ever wanted as a job, but it supported his love for his actual passion for football and puzzles and whatever niche interests he curated that month.

Not to mention, a lot of the club owners worked with IYS, so occasionally he'd get comped seats! He even got assigned to work on the accounts of Rupert Mannion - the Rupert Mannion.

And then Rupert Mannion got divorced and shortly thereafter his ex-wife disappeared.

After that things got a bit... odd.

See Nate wasn't just an audit specialist - he was the audit specialist. He's who you turned to when things got funky. He had a mind for patterns, and for understanding the people who made them.

Rupert Mannion got divorced, and then suddenly people he knew - people Nate had worked with regularly for years - started having...strange things happen to them. So Nate did what Nate does - Nate followed the money.

Nate found Ted.

No one was more surprised than Nate when he found Ted Lasso, the ex-IYS investigator who disappeared a while ago. The one Nate had worked with a handful of times when one of Ted's American clients had business 'across the pond.' The one who always sent him Christmas cards, the printed kind with a photo of himself, his wife, and his growing family. Nate didn't get a card last year. Nate heard rumors of what happened with his son, how Ted disappeared off the map after all of that, but those are just rumors, and Nate never put any stock in those.

Nate goes to Ted to hear it from the man himself.

Ted trusts Nate. He likes this bright kid who was always so nice when he had occasion to visit, who showed him around to all his favorite restaurants and indulged Ted when he wanted to catch a museum that 'had nothing to do with what anything that'd been stolen.' Nate was always a good egg.

Ted tells Nate everything. He tells him about how he's been helping people that don't have anywhere else to go, and how he's teamed up with some of the people they used to chase, and how they're aiming to put a little good in the world.

But that's not what Nate hears. Nate hears that Ted, a good man, has changed sides. He's the one directly responsible for Nate's clients' misery. He's responsible for why IYS has had such a bad quarter, that four of Nate's coworkers have been let go just in the past few weeks.

"Roy Kent," he tells Ted, hoping to wake some sense in him. "You're working with Roy Kent. Do you have any idea what that man has done? What he's capable of?"

Ted gives him a sad, knowing smile, "I know enough."

"He's a bad person, Ted."

"Well on that I'll have to disagree."

Nate doesn't understand it. He doesn't understand why Ted would throw everything away - and for these people. And he knows these people. Ted was not as clever as he thought he was when he covered his tracks. Rupert Mannion's ex-wife, who got an astronomical amount of money in the divorce and somehow still wants more? The thief Keeley, who's stolen millions of dollars in art and statues - pieces of history that civilization will likely never get back? Roy Kent, who even the mafia considers a liability to have walking around breathing? Jamie Tartt - this new kid with a reputation that isn't nearly as bad as Roy Kent's was back in the day, but it was getting there. Even though he bafflingly seems tied to cyber crime these days--

--Nate cuts himself off mid sentence.

Before he leaves he tells Ted, sincerely, that he's glad to see he's doing okay. Really he is. But he does not condone what Ted is doing.

The team is understandably livid to hear that Ted met with an IYS agent and told him everything. Ted's only defense was, "I didn't think it would go so bad. Nate's always been a straight-shooter. Not a blind-spot to be found in that guy. Still, I think it'll work out. He's a good person who's had a shock. Maybe just give him some time."

Nate has a mind for patterns, but also for names, and he'd seen one of those names before, or something like it, in a place it shouldn't have been.

James Tartt. Paid a tidy little sum by Rupert Mannion for security work. It's neither a common or uncommon name, and it takes very little work for Nate to run background on the guy. He's not the young hitter Nate was thinking of, but he's older and he's got a kid who'd be the right age.

The plan is in motion before Nate recognizes he's made one.

Because from Nate's perspective, these people aren't solving anything. These people are part of the problem. No one made them choose to be thieves, no one made them decide to hurt people and call it justice. No, there's a right way and a wrong way to do things, and if Ted's chosen the wrong way then Nate has to stop him.

It's not until he's watching on the TV as the Crown and Anchor goes up in a loud fiery explosion that his knees give out.

His supervisors applaud him for bringing down Ted Lasso.

Interpol hires him, offers him a better job. Field work. No more sitting at a desk and crunching numbers. It's bittersweet, how well it suits him to be in the thick of things, to be chasing down the people who are actually bad people. To be putting some good in the world.

Maybe if he puts enough good into the world, he can make up for the good he took out of it.

It's not all sunshine and roses. The longer he's at Interpol, the more he realizes how complicated things really are. How there are agents who work alongside him who don't really play by the rules - or any rules. How there are just as many shady backroom deals being done at the top as the bottom.

Everyone at Interpol knows Roy Kent, by reputation if not by experience, and they tell Nate stories that make his gut churn. The more he learns, the sorrier he feels for the man he never knew -- he never stood a chance.

Nate does his job, what's always been his job: he studies the patterns and the people.

Nate learns that in one of the web of lies is a pit of vipers, and that the leader of that web is Rupert Mannion. The man who put a hit on his ex-wife shortly after she divorced him. The man Nate tried to help when he took Ted down. The man Nate sold Ted's life for.

Nate has changed. Nate is not on the good side he thought he was. A good man died, and there was never, ever going to be a price for that that Nate could live with. Nate is irredeemable, now, in his own eyes.

He could really use some advice, but there was only ever one man who answered his calls.

Numb, he goes home to his apartment. On the wall is a framed print of Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night that he got with Ted on one of their museum jaunts. On his table is a takeout menu for A Taste of Athens, a place he hasn't been back to since after the funeral, when he realized baklava would forever taste like ashes in his mouth.

On his counter, neatly stacked with the rest of his mail, is a Christmas card he's never seen before.

It looks like the kind of thing you'd find at a gift shop in an airport. Bright pink graffiti letters spelling out 'Happy Christmas' over the image of a local pub. A familiar local pub. It's the pub around the corner from his flat.

Nate grabs his coat.

[chris-continues]

College AU Thoughts (cont.)

Writing more college au solely because ONE OF THE COOLEST PPL EVER @macncherries did Wolfwood art (here check it out), but have some more random college au thoughts

TAGS: @lune010 @h4venpha @vashfantasy

-Meryl probably has some really nice gel, ballpoint, colored pens that she literally abuses all the time. Sometimes her notes aren’t even totally neat she’s just sleep deprived and highlighting/underlining the important areas of her textbook as she listens to her lecture

-Vash definitely has to listen to audio playback of lectures- does he try to take notes in class? Yeah. But they look like chicken scratch, his handwriting pales in comparison to literally anyone else’s T<T listening while he does smth else really helps w/ how he learns (autistic vash) (cough)

-Meryl and Milly have matching pairs of rip-off Birkenstocks they found at like Marshall’s then saw a pair w a marijuana leaf and Milly went, “Reminds me of Wolfwood!” So they got it (to Meryl’s amusement and dismay). Wolfwood wears them often

-Ok, I’ve been debating on this hc that Vash sometimes gets invited to parties, considering he’s a bit of a campus celeb. Handsome, athletic (tennis player legend), but he can easily get overwhelmed. He’s having fun with the fame for like a good 30 minutes to an hour and then he just kinda tires out more as the night drags on.

-Meryl’s outfits consist of her wanting comfort yet maintaining her usual feminine flair. Yoga pants with a cami and a simple jacket, or on nicer days more of a fitted sweater. Perhaps a jumper and a baby tee/turtleneck underneath- I think when she’s feeling it she def likes Monica Helper’s looks from Friends. A casual, yet still sweet vibe.

-for accessories she probably has an Apple Watch and the staples- hoop earrings, her classic dangle/rectangular earrings, some silver hardware if she’s feelin extra funky and a classic black belt because I do believe she hates it when her jeans are too low it’s a big thing that annoys her to no end.

-On the other hand, Milly’s outfits are less fitted and I think she’s more laid back in her appearance, preferring some of the crew necks she’s collected from several events her siblings have been to or hand me downs from her country family. She wears vintage athletic wear though, it’s cute on her and it suits her well.

-she has a few simple scrunchies she remains loyal to, not wanting to cut her hair short and often tying it up. When she feels more femme she’s got some cute necklaces that pair well with any cute sweaters she has- she also has some maxi skirts she wears too! :) (can’t find an exact image of what I have in mind + I have a 10 image limit on mobile lol)

-Meryl avidly has to live off of coffee. Girl is always so organized but truthfully she’s half alive due to the fact she’s a frequent visitor at the campus cafe and is familiar w/ some of the baristas who often cut her slack if she ever needs a pick me up.

-Vash is like a crazy good teacher, to some people’s surprise. He can word concepts in a way that breaks them down easier, sometimes he even has some little memory hints he uses lol. For any other ND kid in class who’s a bit bashful they usually flock to him, he’s got such a charming aura and never fails to make anyone feel a bit more comfortable.

-Wolfwood teases Meryl for her aforementioned coffee addiction, but I’d imagine he takes a liking to something like a pink drink. Like- usually that stuff is too sugary for him, but smth about it has him coming back for more!!

-Meryl has an array of podcasts she listens to- I think she def dabbled in true crime maybe?

-Milly and Meryl’s shared dorm is actually really chill. There’s some clutter on each side but they’ve got a shared mini fridge (Meryl got it but doesn’t mind Milly using it because she likes her) it’s stocked with pudding cups

-Milly got Pinterest after Meryl wanted to share ideas for food ideas on weekends (they’re both on a meal plan but still need to eat on Saturdays and Sunday’s lol) so they usually end up going out for some cheap takeout w/ Vash and Wolfwood or make something in a rice cooker they found at a thrift store that works kinda ok… for the price they got it.

-Like they’re cutting up spam, eggs, tossing rice on there, some veggies they got and sometimes they splurge on cheap fruit like bananas and apples

-They both like to eat well and unlike Vash and Wolfwood they won’t live off of instant ramen and takeout (although Vash eats pretty well considering he lives with Nai, who makes sure he regulates his diet due to sports and Vash’s long list of medical concerns)

-Wolfwood eats like shit though I’ll be completely honest

-The guy knows how to shop. But he doesn’t want to. So he lives off of cup noodles and old pizza, takeout and shit, and thanks to crazy fast metabolism he works it off whenever he does some form of working out and whatnot.

-Will agree that he has the best of the best songs, his music taste is unparalleled. Like he’ll be busting it down to 6up 5oh Cop-Out (Pro/Con) by Will Wood from his middle school days then some new metal he’s gotten into (he peeked over Knives’ Spotify playlists) OO OR OR THIS IS LOVE BY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER (I’m def not projecting w/ what’s on my Spotify rn I’m shit at song names I just know vibes)

-Vash likes hyperpop and rave typa stuff it stimulates his brain in just the right way tbh

[charmixpower]

Wooooo!! Big project finished!!

Yay me 🥳🥳 I thought I take this time to ramble a bit about my thought process with my designs (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠) Mostly because I didn't wanna yell all over the other posts and make them less rebloggable 😆

Imma post my sketches as visual aid so I'm not just posting my art again (⁠人⁠ ⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)

Paper sketches:

This whole project was partly inspired by StellaSolaris each girl's worst trait post, that's been living in my head rent free forever now. Taking the girls worst traits and using them to make dark faries more dynamics instead of just evil™ was something I have been always wanted to do, mostly because using dark faries as a way to explore the girls personalities is something that speaks to me!! It's just such a fun concept so I had to run with it

I use the Believix aesthetics for Charmix, so all the dark faries are Believix adjacent an that was intentional because I felt like I could do more with the Believix aesthetic over magic winx

If you can't tell, I had a vision™ for Bloom, Stella, and Tecna, (especially Bloom, kid core, homecoming dress, I knew what I was going for) while Musa, Aisha, and Flora absolutely ate me alive in the design process. It was so hard to get any ideas for their outfits

I couldn't fit Musa's chain in T-T it looked too weird

Bloom:

Bloom was absolutely the easiest, her dress is cute, she's cuter

I went kidcore with her makeup, loved to add the burns, didn't like the belt, I just loved the baby doll aesthetic. Fit the vibe of unhinged naive magical girlie perfectly

Stella:

Stella's whole outfit was supposed to accentuate her attention seeking behavior but like...it's not really that provocative T-T Musa has her whole ass panties out in s1, this ain't shit, but please take pity on me I didn't want to push it any further

Note her hair is also supposed to be so excessively long and lose that it's a huge liability in combat but it's also just her Enchantix hair T-T she's making things so difficult

She's the one that looks the least crazy, she just looks like she's having a fashion day™ and wanted to be extra and not like...a manifestation of her worst vain and inattentive nature T-T

At least her outfit looks cool as fucking shit, like drop dead gorgeous if I do say so my self

The symbol found on the final version of her outfit is the symbol for platinum, if you were curious

Flora:

I wanted to go for rotting corpse being reclaimed by nature, moss eating her outfit, eyes sunken in, but I don't think it came across well. I added lilys bc they're funeral flowers :)

Trying to get an outfit to represent Flora's defensive personality without making the outfit too heavyweight and evening-gown like was hard but I like the aesthetic. Hopefully I get it next time

Tecna:

I decided to uncover Tecna's face because Tecna's traits are uncompromising and head strong, so leaving everything but her head uncovered was a fun little refrence to that being her leading trait

That is the mercury symbol on her head, which is the alchemchemic symbol for the mind. I think it was a cute reference but I decided not to keep

(It also represents passive femininity and Tecna as a non-binary transfem matches that as well which is funky and fresh)

Tecna's wings were a struggle but they turned out so sexi that I'm so so so happy with them. Tecna weird ass wings 4 life I love u bby girl

Musa:

The only thing I had in mind for this was "Musa has a mental break down" that's it. Designing a mental break down outfit for a transform without going full Harely Quinn was a fuckin difficulty. That pants and top combo was pried out of my references in blood, the stockings were easy tho. Nothing says mental break down like fighting in fucked up stockings, running make-up, and fucked up bangs

Ren's comment about Musa having a mental break down and chopping her hair into the Believix style inspired this look, it spoke to me. I needed to give Musa "showing up at your ex's door at 3am in the rain with a pair of scissors" chic XD

She looks so cool, but gosh those pants were hard to draw

Aisha:

I put Aisha in a power suit because stubborn reminds me of the time I refused to wear a dress to homecoming and my mom called me stubborn XD I think she looks good in it :)

I've always wanted to give Aisha amphibian traits over fish traits, so that the Sea Andros that's cold blooded and land Andros that is warm blooded both look water-y but in different ways and I think axolotls are cool so this was me just trying them out lol

The water damage was so damn hard to draw because how do you draw water damage?? It's like worn out clothes??? I tried my best (⁠*⁠´⁠ω⁠｀⁠*⁠) she looks super cool tho

[zeydaan-isabella]

Green Scare

Commission by Prurientpie with a story by hudsonspacecraft Anti-drug scare campaigns are often counterproductive, though this particular fearmongering pamphlet backfires to a whole new level after it drags in Zeydaan against their will and turns them into a major 'herb enthusiast', as well as the pamphlet itself becoming and advertisement for a local dispensary. One that has just seemingly gained a new customer for life...

Cannabis. Whether it be called marijuana, weed, kush, or dank, it has a profound effect on the minds of those who use them. Entire cultures have been formed on the substance. While plenty of us have been exposed to the substance in one form or another, it affects some much more than others, Our story begins with a woman named Jackie. Whatever life she previously had, whether it be as a cafe owner, an interdimensional traveler, or a prominent activist of species equality, was soon changed forever when she first got ahold of the strain. Weed ended up being so magnetic in its pull, that Jackie, whether she had ever been around other smokers before, was immediately hooked. One joint soon turned to two, then to four, until she simply ran out.  Yet, like millions of addicts before her, the munchies soon came. And much like she began to feast on brownies and cheese puffs, the substance itself soon began to munch on her life. Bite after bite, elements of it soon went down faster than she could stomach a pizza. Whatever job she had unceremoniously kicked her out, and her wiser friends began to shun her for her changing habits. Money that could have been spent on art commissions and fixtures for the house soon began to dry up, both from a lack of fulfilling income and her disregard for her own budget, spending it on frivolous surpluses of food items that would be devoured about as fast as she could hit her supply of joints. About the best job she could land was at cheap convenience stores and even cheaper fast food joints, to which she had no qualms about scarfing down company supplies on the job and taking some of it for her own.  All this, while the marijuana kept piling on. While the simple blunt she had been exposed to at first was enough for the time, as she dedicated more and more time to active smoking she discovered it in all its varieties. What started as basic blunts turned to more advanced forms: vaping, various extracts, edibles (she ate a lot of edibles), all mixed in with her growing, more eclectic diet. Above all else, she adored running after the highs of different strains, from the almost paralyzing, yet enlightening lows of the “Slowpoke and Steady” to the more exhilarating, quick highs of the “Envigoroth.” After a while, the old clothes became too stained from months’ worth of weed, and Jackie soon began to show her pride. Looser, more revealing clothing with plenty of green abound became her go-to wardrobe for the day, if only to make it crystal clear how into the stuff she was. Even her appearance seemed to change, features becoming feline and fur becoming as green as the weed she now permanently had on her person. With her appearance now screaming to everyone around Jackie was a true-blue stoner, she only found it fitting to sell off the old house, which had seen better days (especially before she discovered hotboxing) and invested in an RV where she could wheel around to different venues and spread the wings she never had before. This new lifestyle (and her rather funky smell) naturally attracted a certain clientele, and with how much extra stock she had, suffice to say she had a ton of new smoke buddies with her. In time, encouragement from these like-minded individuals led Jackie to produce her own strain, “Sprig Season…” …Which takes us to today. Having recently partnered up with us at the Magical Leaf Dispensary, Jackie now provides us with the substance for a hefty commission. We are open to any new and upcoming strains of all kinds to add to our varied repertoire of different flavors. Our munchies bar and spacious interior leave loads of room for you and friends to get into the stoner lifestyle. Who knows, maybe it’ll change you as much as it did for Jackie? Take it from her, “One hit…and you’ll be a customer for life…” [A/N: the author does not endorse irresponsible use of cannabis products ad depicted here; said actions are only portrayed positively for storytelling purposes]

[szmaciarz-pospolity]

Quick story of my Michael Afton design

His first ver (wich was a base for all the other ones) was PURLEY based on the fnaf 4 sprite beacuae,,, It's the only Mike design I like besides that pizza sim bear- LIKE SORRY ALIVE MIKE IN SISTER LOCATION IS UGLY AS FUCK and overall I had idea to make him based of Foxy in many regards (such as with thos darn ahoges to represent Foxy's hair spikes). Also here comes the worst part of Mike design that I can never get rid of beacuse I'm wayyyy to attached to it- fleshtooth. I know it's awful you know it's awful I love it

Then I started to doodle him again and then his iconic emo bangs apeared and let's just say,,, these were here for a stay

Then I drew first real art of him and that solidifed the basic purple mike design I would draw the most. It would change slightly later but these changes were mostly based on giving him cooler clothes

Important thing to note on these designs: rather reddish toned hair, those boots (also purple lace if you know lace code you get it) also those fish net stockings. There's no real drawings of teen Michael Afton in this era but I have this gacha model (I'm not doing gacha videos I just liked making characters for fun. I like dress up games ok-) wich tells us a lot we need to know

There's not much imporant things to note here beside black shirt and grey hoodie onstead of gray shirt. This decision was made beacuse I think black shirt suits his edgy teen vibe more and I added the optional grey hoodie to recompensate that. There was also sims 4 model but It was horroble and I don't feel like looking for it. Onky thing notable there were ever redder hair and fishnets making a comeback

Then my fnaf hiperfix ended for around half a year and I came back with this design (also here's still unshaded fullbody in new style)

Notable things with Zombie Mike: No more ahoge, I finally deleted it since drawing it was a pain and it did nothing do enhance the design. he looses a piece of cheek, overall I want to make Zombie Mike look more destroyed. Still tho I want to keeo the general "funky purple monster high oc" vibe since that suits style I draw in more and I enjoy drawing stuff like this more. I litearlly make animatronics into funky furries with bows leave me alone.

Things to note on teen Mike design: Ahoge is also gone, but fishnets make a comeback, same with purple lace comebat boots. He also gets long hair like REALLY long hair. At first I wanted to play around with somehow keeping these bangs but also giving him mullet. However I have no idea how but he ended up long haired but I liked it he looked cute so I kept it.

Final thoughts and bonus funfacts

I totally went with count the ways millie aproach didn't I- But um yeah my Mike doesn't look like this punkish 80's bully boy but like 2000's emo fem but that's okay since that's the aesthetic I prefer anyway 💖 My Mike wasn't meant to be realistic he was meant to be cute and fun to draw ok-

Now funfacts

-Those weird side bangs he has were meant to be a reference to side burns I saw people draw him. But his eyes were too big to make side burns visible so side bangs it is

-He had snake bite pirercing in the first design but I deleted it. Bonnie Bully got it instead to recompansate

-Also Freddy bully gets more of an 80's edgy bully archetype look to recompensate for Mike going the emo way

-His red hair apeared beacuse on his fnaf 4 model I always saw his hair as reddish so I decided to make it evenr redder. It's obviously dyed

-Where it comes to his face he actually looks mostly like his mom, and only has William's eyes. I know this is totally not canon but I just like the irony that feom all things he could have inherited from William, it was his fuckin eyes you know THE WINDOWS OF A SOUL.

-He also gets William's body feutures tho. The only major differecence is shoulders aren't as wide

-His mom was Filipina so he's mixed

-I want him to get a buzz cut and dyed blonde hair during his Mike Schmidt era. I'm yet to design that

-his Foxy mask has a tounge stuck out beacuse of that fnaf 4 foxy teaser

-That light blue tongue while he's purple thing is beacuse I was stupid and while making the first doodle of his design, I acidentaly covered his tounge color with his eye white color

-He propably would wear those fuckin combat boots at the beach. Before you claim me insane to sugest anyone would do that- I litearlly went to beach with someone who wore combat boots there.

-He ripped holes in his jeans himself

-He's so skinny you propabky could count his ribs </3 He's eating alright he's just build this way

-He's tall as fuck

[sciencestyled]

Fractals, Fabulosity, and Funky Mathematics: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Geometric Picasso

Ladies, gentlemen, and my beloved pixelated pancake pals, gather 'round as we embark on a journey of mathematical madness, fractal fantasies, and algorithmic absurdities! Today, we’re diving headfirst into the wildly wonderful world of mathematical art and fractal geometry—where numbers meet artistry and produce visuals that would make even Salvador Dali question his sanity.

First off, let’s talk fractals. Imagine your life as a series of TikTok challenges, each one more bizarre and addictive than the last. Now, picture those challenges repeating infinitely, like a never-ending loop of “Renegade” dances. That, my dear digital dumplings, is the essence of fractal geometry—patterns that replicate themselves on every conceivable scale, from the minuscule to the monstrous. And trust me, it’s not just mind-blowing; it’s like seeing your kale salad morph into a hyper-dimensional dragon while you’re still trying to figure out the latest Snapchat filter.

Now, grab your algebraic abacus and let’s conjure up some chaos. We’re diving into the mathematical cauldron to cook up visual masterpieces using nothing but equations and algorithms. Yes, my curious cacti, you heard right. Equations—the same dread-inducing beasts that haunted your high school nightmares—can transform into magical wands of artistic brilliance. It’s like Hermione Granger discovered an alternative career as an avant-garde artist, waving her wand to summon spirals and swirls out of thin air.

But hold your existential dread—this isn’t your grandmother’s math class. We’re talking about equations with the pizzazz of Tony Stark’s latest tech, the complexity of Loki’s schemes, and the aesthetic appeal of a perfectly filtered Instagram post. Take the Mandelbrot set, for example. Named after the legend himself, Benoît B. Mandelbrot, this set is like the Marvel Cinematic Universe of mathematics—an infinite saga of intrigue, drama, and endless detail. Zoom into one part of the Mandelbrot set, and you'll find an identical pattern, just like when you zoom in on celebrity drama and find more drama.

Speaking of celebrities, let’s pause for a hot second to imagine if Kim Kardashian were a fractal. Every time you zoomed in on her life, you’d find a new layer of glam, gossip, and grandeur—kind of like her Instagram feed, only with more mathematical rigor. The same goes for fractal art. Each zoom reveals more layers, more depth, and more opportunities to lose your mind in a labyrinth of logarithms.

Now, let’s get our hands dirty with some practical applications. You, yes you, can create your own fractal art with nothing more than a computer, some fancy software, and a sprinkle of creative insanity. Programs like Apophysis or Mandelbulb 3D allow you to play god (or at least a very eccentric deity) in your digital universe. Want to create a swirling vortex of colors that looks like it was pulled straight out of Doctor Strange’s spellbook? Go ahead! Feel like summoning a forest of fractal trees that’d make J.R.R. Tolkien weep with envy? The power is yours, my pixelated Picasso.

But wait, there’s more! The wonders of fractal geometry aren’t confined to your computer screen. No, siree! These psychedelic patterns can be found all around you, from the spiraling shells of snails to the branching networks of your neurons. It’s like the universe is one giant, infinitely complex canvas, painted by a mad artist with a penchant for repetition and a flair for the dramatic.

For those of you still skeptically sipping your overpriced lattes, consider this: fractal geometry isn’t just a nerdy hobby for math geeks and art freaks. It’s a tool with real-world applications that’ll blow your unassuming minds. From predicting stock market trends (yeah, Wall Street has a fractal fetish) to modeling the growth patterns of cities, fractals are everywhere. They’re the unsung heroes of science and art, bridging the gap between logic and creativity in a way that’s as beautiful as it is baffling.

Now, let’s talk pop culture, because what’s a deep dive into the mathematical abyss without a few nods to our favorite distractions? If you’ve ever watched “Rick and Morty,” you’ve seen fractals in action. Remember the time-traveling snake episode? The concept of time loops within loops is a playful nod to fractal geometry. Or take the mind-bending visuals in “Inception.” Those infinite staircases and recursive dream layers? Pure fractal genius. Even the dizzying special effects in the “Doctor Strange” movies owe a debt to our fractal friends.

But let’s bring it home with a personal touch. Imagine you, yes you, as the proud owner of a fractal masterpiece. You could hang it on your wall and impress your friends, who will think you’ve suddenly become some sort of artistic genius. Or better yet, create a fractal-based fashion line. Picture yourself strutting down the street in a jacket that looks like it was designed by Escher on acid. You’ll be the talk of the town, the toast of TikTok, the meme that keeps on giving.

So, my fractal-loving friends, the next time you’re bored and contemplating the mysteries of the universe—or just scrolling through your endless social media feeds—remember this: mathematical art and fractal geometry aren’t just brainy buzzwords. They’re your ticket to a world of endless creativity, mind-bending beauty, and a never-ending supply of nerdy street cred. Embrace the chaos, dive into the fractals, and unleash your inner geometric Picasso. Because in the grand, infinite loop of life, we’re all just patterns waiting to be discovered.

[stellarblade24x]

Stellar Blade: Defend Civilization Against Mutant Aliens

Stellar Blade, the fresh PS5 exclusive from SHIFT UP Corporation, feels like a blast from the past in a way. And hey, if you're feeling nostalgic for some classic gaming vibes, don't hesitate to check out and buy Xbox games to keep the good times rolling. Apart from Bayonetta 3 and Devil May Cry 5, we haven’t seen this kind of flashy spectacle fighter in ages. It might borrow a bit from Dark Souls, but it's definitely not a Soulslike. Actually, Stellar Blade leans more into the character action vibe, putting you in the shoes of a set character in a world split into different areas, some open, some not, with boss battles sprinkled in and side quests all over. It even has a campfire setup like Soulslikes, but it's way less brutal. They packed a ton in, too, with SHIFT UP not holding back on mechanics. Even after checking out the demo, I was blown away by how much Stellar Blade offers. The campaign's hefty, leading you through missions that often open up into big open areas. These spots are huge, packed with stuff to do, NPCs to chat with, secrets to find, and gear to snag. Playing as Eve, the last survivor of the 5th Airborne Squad, your job's to defend what's left of civilization from the Naytiba, these mutant aliens wrecking Earth. That means sifting through the ruins of the old world, gathering intel, grabbing goodies, and smashing any nasty critter in your path.

Stellar Blade: Customize Eve's Look and Boost City Life

Stellar Blade's story is that special kind of crazy but heartfelt nonsense you rarely see these days, kinda like Devil May Cry. And yo, if you're into that vibe, why not snag some PS5 games to keep the gaming party going strong? And the art style? Definitely got vibes from Hideo Kojima and Akihiko Yoshida. The crew's a mix of funky cyborgs and super pretty humans, decked out in that Japanese street samurai vibe – think baggy sleeves and belts for days. Along for the ride, you got Adam, the drone and ship pilot, shuttling Eve around in the Tetrapod craft, and Lily, the Airborne Squad mechanic. After losing her squad in a messed-up drop from an orbital fleet, Eve's on a solo mission to take down the dangerous Elder Naytiba terrorizing Earth and protect the peeps of Xion city. She's all about that moral code, helping anyone who needs it, which means taking on missions from just about everyone she meets. The side quests spin smaller tales of a world teetering on the brink of extinction, where folks risk everything for their loved ones or just to survive. Some of these stories hit hard, like the one with cyborg Su and his ward Enya, chilling in a bar in Xion. Between missions, you're kicking it in the city, grabbing info and quests from the board, maybe styling Eve's hair (once you unlock it) and splurging cash to boost merchants' stocks. The more you do, the livelier the city gets, with new shops popping up and more folks hitting the streets.

Stellar Blade: Customize Your Gear for Optimal Performance

The RPG side of Stellar Blade holds up pretty well, offering a bunch of mini-games and side stuff to dive into when you need a break from the main story. Sometimes, Eve's got legit reasons for chilling out, but other times, it's just downtime. You kick it at Supply Camps, two types in total. The small ones let you level up Eve's skills and restock supplies like explosives and healing items. Plus, you can switch up the background jams if you're feeling it. The big camps are where you craft new gear and outfits, and you can even fast-travel to other spots using payphones – a nod to The Matrix, maybe? Visually, some areas are breathtaking, but you'll spend a lot of time in deserts and underground spots. Still, exploring pays off big time with secrets, gear, drone upgrades, and outfits for Eve. And yeah, let's be real, a lot of these outfits are straight-up fan service. From tactical suits to denim minis to, uh, Playboy bunny vibes, SHIFT UP isn't shy about making Eve eye candy. Whether that's a plus or minus, you decide. But really, it's all about the upgrades and mods that tweak Eve's skills. The suits come with Exospines you can buff up for things like combo damage or defense, plus Gears that boost specific stats like attack speed. It's all about mixing and matching to fit your playstyle. I haven't gone deep into build-crafting, but it's cool to have those options.

Stellar Blade: Action-Packed Gameplay with Puzzles and Mini-Games

On normal difficulty, I haven’t had to stress much about what’s equipped. Eve's got a ton of abilities and combos, with different perfect parries and dodges that open up various moves. By midway, you're unlocking even more special attacks and a kind of "Rage of the Gods" mode, adding layers to the mix. It's almost overwhelming, but mastering it takes time. That's Stellar Blade all over – it's all about showing off what it can do, but it pulls it off with confidence. The combat stays fast-paced and exciting, enemy designs stay wild, even if they're mostly gruesome critters split open like a banana filled with teeth. Voice work ain't winning awards, but it gets the job done, adding flavor to the story and lore. It takes a lot from Nier: Automata, but that's cool by me. Sure, it might overload the senses sometimes, but it's mostly genuine. And given Eve's design, it could've gone south, but it works. It's a fun adventure, wearing its influences proudly and selling its world, characters, and crazy set pieces. Plus, it throws in some neat puzzles and mini-games, from hacking to crane operating. For action fans, there's plenty here. If you dug slicing up baddies with Bayonetta and Dante, you'll vibe with this. And there's so much to uncover that it'll keep you busy. It's a lot to take in, but Stellar Blade stays elegant and thrilling from start to finish.

[c-40]

A-T-3 095 Algorithm & Blues Pt.1

こんにちは this is part 7 of my look at reissues

The 'Plastic Love' story is reported as a two-fold phenomenon. First the YouTube algorithm is pushing 1970s-80s Japanese music to its users. Second tries to answer why there is an audience for 1970s-80s Japanese music in the USA

I noticed Plastic Love by Mariya Takeuchi being recommended on YouTube, but they were not the first Japanese artists I remember frequently appearing at the top of the list on the right, for me that would be Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media and their 1975 album Funky Stuff. Jiro Inagaki sticks in my mind because of it's striking cover there recommended next to every clip I watched on YouTube

When it comes to how the YouTube recommendations algorithm works reporters just don't know. Is it anything? I remember a story about the shuffle feature on Apple iPods, people thought iPods could read minds because somehow the iPod knew the perfect song to play next. The reality is 'shuffle' was random but we as humans like to make connections and look for patterns. Couple this with if you're listening to your personal iPod I would hope it's full on songs you enjoy. Could YouTube have been doing a behavioural test for research into influence? In 2012 Facebook did psychological experiments on 700,000 users https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/02/facebook-apologises-psychological-experiments-on-users. Like every social media platform the aim is to keep you as a user logged on and scrolling or swiping for as long as possible. Does Japanese music from the 1970s-80s send users down a deep rabbit hole? It does me

According to Pitchfork there's a thing called YouTube-core, basically it's long mixes of undemanding music you can stick on while working. I've always hated that stock slogan "The Soundtrack To My Life" in this case your life sounds like a shopping mall. This is where the other part of the story comes in. What is the appeal? Here we find reporters trying to explain the interest in 1970s-80s Japanese Music in the USA as a new phenomenon. Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig mentions the influence of 1980s Japanese music on them in an interview in Vulture. In a revealing response the composer Haruomi Hosono (A-T-2 058 A-T-2 106 A-T-2 254 A-T-2 347) who fronted Yen Records with fellow YMO member Yukihiro Takahashi said of the piece Koenig refers to “[I] made this music to be played in Muji stores in Japan in the ’80s, this music was composed to be kind of ambient tone-setting music for your shopping experience”

The articles I’ve read trying to make sense of why American consumers have taken to 1970s-80s Japanese music can get a bit carried away in theory. The package will include some reference to 'techno orientalism' (A-T-2 112 A-T-2 118,) this is important to the mythology that has grown out of articles in publications like Pitchfork. In these articles young Americans listening to 1970s-80s Japanese music daydream about it being played out of a stereo of a luxury car that's driving around a futuristic neon lit city in the 1980s. The reason, these articles say, young Americans are having this fantasy isn't because they experience life vicariously through consuming entertainment media like Frank Cross spend his childhood in Scrooged but, in the music they experience a nostalgia for a potential future that they never came to pass. The story goes Japan's economic boom of the 1970's and 80s is a place where young Americans can fantasise about a hyper-capitalist utopia where growth would go on for ever, the music is carefree and breezy and satisfies longing for a time when we were still expected to have more comfortable and easier lives than our parents. It's a pill to swallow, in the media they named it 'City Pop,' if I remember correctly from first year undergraduate art theory Roland Barthes would call this 'second order signification' (myth)

Why the myth? well like the iPod's shuffle story above a lot of people sleep easier when things have a reason. The myth my also pacify criticism of capitalisms failures. I'd say with some certainty these articles are written for middle-class American college students and graduate hipsters who are suckers for this shit

Why don't we try and extend the logic of the myth to other fashionable genres currently popular with collectors. What would a similar nostalgic draw to African music be for a white middle-class consumer, a heyday and a future they were denied? Gospel too, are collectors nostalgic for the sermons of the black church of the 1970s and 80s? 1980s style bass music that has become mainstream pop music and features on adverts from Adobe to Saga Holidays, are viewers nostalgic for mid-1980s Miami strip clubs? Possibly!

When I was younger I’d often have conversations like, wouldn’t it be great if we were born in the 1960s and saw Ron Hardy play at the Muzic Box or Frankie Knuckles at the Power Plant, or Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage, what if we went to Studio 54, what if we were at Woodstock (coincidentally two friends had this conversation over a Bill Bernstein photograph of Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage, 10 minutes after I wrote this). Of course these are fantasies especially for a straight white kid who was born in a different part of the world at a different time in history. Creating these myths is old fashioned marketing. Humans have fantasies, and nostalgia for a hyper-capitalist Neo-Tokyo may one but, tapping into fantasies or placing them in your head is old fashioned marketing. Placing a product in front of your face like YouTube recommendations does isn't a new way of creating an audience it's also just old fashioned marketing (was the advert that comes before the recommended videos always there?)

From a record company's perspective YouTube, TikTok, and Netflix are revenue streams. Articles about Plastic Love cash in on a phenomenon and package it so it fits on the shelf next to everything else. If Plastic Love was targeted advertising it was actually quite clumsy if thousands of people noticed they were all getting the same recommendation

Koneko To Watashi was included on the Light In The Attic compilation Somewhere Between: Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds Of Japan 1980-1988 from its 'Japan Archival Series.' LITA claim to be the first label to comp City Pop for the west but that's just hype 

Takami Hasegawa – Koneko To Watashi ahh the future that could have been

Takami Hasegawa - Sphinx not on comp but original album L'Ecume Des Jours that was reissued last year by Great Tracks/Sony - here's a great piece on the album https://www.fondsound.com/takami-hasegawa-lecume-des-jours-1983/

[greysdigi]

Mokey tail beard

#MOKEY TAIL BEARD FOR FREE#

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0o3lcH7bjzĭespite its weird look, some people are actually loving the Monkey Tail Beard.Ĭontroversial opinion: I enjoy the monkey tail beard trend, appreciate manbuns, and think men should, in general, be encouraged to be more playful and expressive, in whatever ways bring them joy. Download 10 Monkey Tail Beard Stock Illustrations, Vectors & Clipart for FREE or amazingly low rates New users enjoy 60 OFF. I need all of my non-baseball fan followers to look at mike fiers' monkey tail beard. But it sparked fascination and a whole lot of memes when MLB baseball player Mike Fiers of the Oakland Athletics donned the bizarre facial hairstyle in September 2019 to get a laugh out of his teammates. A post shared by Craig Lewandowski called as the Cat Tail, the Monkey Tail Beard isn’t entirely new, as photos of men with the said beard style surfaced on the Internet as early as 2012.

[darylelockhart]

AI can produce prize-winning art, but it still can’t compete with human creativity

AI artists. Ascannio / Alamy Stock Photo

by Joseph Early,University of Southampton.

People consider creativity to be inherently human. However, artificial intelligence (AI) has reached the stage where it can be creative as well.

A recent competition attracted anger from artists after it awarded a prize to an artwork created by an AI model known as Midjourney. And such software is now freely available thanks to the release of a similar model called Stable Diffusion, which is the most efficient of its kind to date.

Unions of creative practitioners such as Stop AI Stealing the Show have for some time been raising concerns about the use of AI in creative fields. But could AI actually replace human artists?

Various artworks of robots, drawn by AI. Image created by the author (using Stable Diffusion). Author provided

These new AI models can produce endless possibilities. Each image of the robots shown above are unique, yet are generated by Stable Diffusion from similar user requests.

There are two ways to use these AI artists: write a short text prompt, or provide an image alongside the prompt to give more guidance. From a 14-word prompt, I was able to generate several logo ideas for a made-up company that delivers fruit. In just under 20 minutes. On my mid-range laptop.

A design for a fresh fruit company that delivers quickly, Logo, High Contrast, Polyvinyl – the prompt that I used to get Stable Diffusion to make these images.

As you can see from the results above, Stable Diffusion struggles to create art involving words. And some of the fruit are a bit funky.

Yet there is no way I could have produced anything remotely like this without using AI or employing the help of a graphic designer. I couldn’t have created the robot pictures myself either.

The potential of this technology hasn’t gone unnoticed - the startup responsible for Stable Diffusion, Stability AI, is targeting a US$1 billion (£900 million) investment evaluation. But these AI models are beginning to have an impact in the real world, as seen with the prize-winning Midjourney picture. Indeed where AI really excels is producing pieces of fine art that combine different elements and styles.

Yet while AI may do most of the legwork for you, using these models still requires skill. Sometimes a prompt doesn’t generate quite the image that you wanted. Or the AI can be used alongside other tools, only making up a small part of a larger pipeline.

And generating fine art is different to producing digital designs. Stable Diffusion is better at drawing landscapes than logos.

Why Stable Diffusion is a game changer

AI models are typically trained to create art using a dataset containing a staggering 5.85 billion images. This vast amount of data is needed so the AI can learn about image content and artistic concepts. And it takes a very long time to process.

For Stable Diffusion, it took 150,000 hours (just over 17 years) of processor time. However, this can reduced to less than a month of real time by training in parallel on large compute clusters (collections of powerful computers that act a single device).

Stability AI also provides an online tool called DreamStudio that allows you to use its AI model at a cost of around US$0.01 per image. In comparison, to use competitor OpenAI’s art model, DALL·E 2, the cost is over ten times that.

Both methods use the same underlying approach, known as a diffusion model computer program, which learns to create new images by looking at lots of existing images. However, Stable Diffusion has a lower computational cost, meaning it requires less time to train, and uses less energy.

Plus, you can’t actually download and run OpenAI’s model yourself, only interact with it via a website. Stable Diffusion, meanwhile, is an open-source project that anyone can play around with. So it enjoys the benefit of rapid development by the online coding community, such as improvements to the models, user-guides, integration with other tools. This has already been happening in the weeks after Stable Diffusion’s release in August 2022.

The future of art?

While vast improvements have been made in the last five years, there are still things that AI art models struggle with. Words in their artworks are recognisable but often gibberish. Similarly, AI struggles to render human hands.

AI art models still struggle to draw hands correctly. Image created by the author using Stable Diffusion.

There’s also the obvious constraint that these models can only produce digital art. They can’t work with oils or pastels like people can. In the way that vinyl has made a comeback, technology may initially create a swing towards a new form, but over time people always seem to circle back to the original form with the highest quality.

Ultimately, as previous research has found, AI models in their current form are more likely to act as new tools for artists than as digital replacements for creative humans. For example, the AI could generate a range of images to serve as a starting point, which can then be selected from and improved by a human artist.

This combines the strengths of AI art models (rapid iteration and creation of images) with the strengths of human artists (a vision for the piece of art and overcoming the problems with AI models). This is especially true in the case of commissioned art when a specific output is needed. AI on its own is unlikely to produce what you need.

However, there is still a danger for creatives. Digital artists who choose not to use AI may be left behind, unable to keep up with the rapid iteration and lower costs of AI-enhanced artists.