#mountains of pi

[teh-kittykat]

Tron: The Animated Series (1986-1989)

What do you mean you haven't seen Tron: The Animated Series? It was my favorite cartoon when I was a kid!

So this all started as an exercise in how to explain why Sam inexplicably had merch for a 2010 movie in his 1989 house. In-universe there would have probably been toys using the 1982 aesthetic since that was what the video game used (and Sam DOES have an 82 Tron figure in his house!) but why the Grid stuff?

Enter THE CARTOON.

It was the 1980s everybody who was everybody made cartoons to sell toys. Encom made home gaming consoles by this point, and they would have had peripherals like Nintendo did. They had licensed characters like Nintendo did. You see where I am going.

Encom wants to sell Encom Gaming Power Gauntlets. Kevin wants to introduce kids to the ideas about the Digital Frontier since he's a futurist and knows kids will be mentally flexible enough to digest the new zeitgeist if it's fun and animated!

Production of the cartoon ran from Kevin's official retirement as CEO until his disappearance. Three official seasons with a fourth in production. Season three's airing was cut short due to the furor surrounding Kevin's going missing, but the "lost" final episodes of S3 were restored when the DVDs were eventually released for an anniversary collection.

The cartoon was also successful in syndication through the 1990s and early 2000s since it successfully anticipated the Educational/Informative movement-- Tron: The Animated Series actually does teach kids some of the basics of computer science around the silly adventure stuff. Think Captain Planet meets Captain N the Game Master for the overall tone of the series. It's not realistic, but you get the general concepts and issues.

The cartoon's popularity among millennials keeps Tron alive in pop culture to the present day. The IP remains a perennial revenue stream for Encom, and every so often they'll throw the fanbase something to keep the money going. (This is an ordeal to the program himself, since he has to deal with hackers sent by groups named after him on the reg.)

What's it about?

Young video game enthusiast Jethro "Jet" Keene lands himself the after school internship of a lifetime getting to work at Encom in a special new program for teenagers with attitude run by Kevin Flynn (voiced by himself).

However, it's not all fun and video game testing with the sweet new Encom Power Gauntlet. Thanks to some cartoon physics hijinks, Jet finds himself transported into the Grid, the Boss's new experimental computer system!

Jet gets to work with Clu (they hired a voice-alike for him) and Tron (ditto) to find a way back home to the real world, solving problems and learning how to code along the way... and that was the pilot episode.

Because this is a cartoon for children, Jet is naturally the regular User of the Grid instead of Flynn, though Flynn makes occasional appearances to dispense Yoda-like wisdom and is revered by all the programs inside the system as the Creator.

There are also no lasers or anything like that-- Jet does a silly toku-like thing with the power gauntlet to commute into the system.

Clu is more likable than in real life. He's mostly benevolent, trying to make a more perfect system but the show's writers actually picked up on the idea that making a perfect system is kind of an impossible lift and made it central to his character development. He's a little obsessed with copying the User world, and there's an arc in S3 where a lot of the conflict revolves around why can't programs be programs about it.

Tron's not a mayhem goblin, which is a crime. He's portrayed as a little bit Optimus Prime, since Jet's the primary mayhem source, and Fighting for the Users is otherwise his defining personality trait. He gets a surprisingly deep fate/free will arc in S2, since naturally several episodes revolve around attempts to reprogram him since he's the Champion and all. Afterward, he's a bit more chill.

Jet's storyline parallel's Kevin's real-life one a little bit-- a lot of the episodes focused on him as a character revolve around him trying to balance his double life.The cartoon also does not mention the time dilation jetlag. Jet, unlike Kevin, does learn how to ask for help, especially as S3 decides to diversify a little more and adds a girl intern, Paige.

S3 in general has a lot of emphasis on diversity and tolerance of others and their differences. The ISO-Basic tensions were running high in the real Grid. It was on Kevin's mind a lot. He was also starting to make thinks on introducing the ISOs to the rest of the world at the time.

Like Reboot in the 1990s, Tron has a lot of episodes devoted to video games and playing games on the Game Grid is a frequent trope. (Hardcore Tron partisans accuse Reboot of stealing this.) Unlike in Reboot, there's no derezzing the losers if the User wins. Games are sometimes the entire plot and sometimes an obstacle or diversion from solving an episode's actual problem.

Since the Grid is open in Tron, there is a recurring cast of villains in the form of viruses and hackers from other systems in addition to technical problems that have to be solved through coding and computer science know-how.

The fourth season didn't get much past a few animatics for the S4 pilot, but what was there got a release for the fancy anniversary collections as special features. Design docs indicate that some new characters were about to be introduced-- Jalen and Radia. Kevin Flynn disappeared while voice actors were being cast for these roles.

NGL I am extremely mad this wasn't a real cartoon.

[pi-slices]

Infinite Mountains. (2021) - Pi-Slices x Giraffage

[missusruin]

My peach hubris has gone too far what the fuck am i supposed to do with all these.

update made 2 peach pies, a cake, and 2 jars of jam. Rest got frozen. (ง •_•)ง

[beyondthedustjacket]

BOOK AESTHETICS — BOOKS I’VE READ

Avalon High by Meg Cabot Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron Dune by Frank Herbert Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin The Selection by Kiera Cass Seraphina by Rachel Hartman To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

[auutumn]

autumn court inspired by germanic folklore & fairytales, my beloved

[robertdowneyjjr]

this was my new year’s celebration

how was yours

[nellectronic]

someone needs to bully me into working on my thesis

[teh-kittykat]

Somehow, we made it! Chapter 2: Real-World Solutions

Does anybody get stabbed? Were my twenty minutes of research on corporate governance worth it? Who knows?!

[kronika-ilustrowana]

[generalenemybluebird]

I've never been as disappointed in myself as I am right now, because I heard about a good classical song with a great beat drop (into the hall of the mountain king - edward gregg) and when I looked it up my brain immediately filled in the lyrics for the pi song because my dumbass 12-year-old self just had to memorize it

[kimberly40]

A pie safe is a piece of furniture designed to store pies and other food items. This was a normal household item before iceboxes came into regular use, and it was an important part of the American household starting in the 1700s and continuing through the 1800s.

The pie safe was used to store not only pies, but bread, meat, and other perishables as well, to protect them from insects and vermin.

Origins- The origin of the pie safe can be traced back to the early 1700s in America. It was likely introduced by German immigrants to the country, who typically settled in the Pennsylvania area. These people later become known as the ‘Pennsylvania Dutch.’ The pie safe was introduced to protect perishables and other ingredients from vermin and pests. Their popularity meant that most American homes during this period possessed a pie safe, or similar regional variation.

[tuttle-did-it]

‘Incident in Lot 7’ Murder, She Wrote guest stars

Henry Gibson (Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, The Blues Brothers, Innerspace, Rocket Power, Becker, Charmed, Stargate SG1, Early Edition, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Mad About You, Coach, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Escape to Witch Mountain, MacGyver, Newhart, The Twilight Zone (1985), Quincy ME, Magnum PI, Trapper John MD, Wonder Woman, Love American Style, Bewitched)

Ron Glass (Firefly, Serenity, Barney Miller, CSI, Agents of SHIELD, Death at a Funeral, Star Trek Voyager, Teen Angel, Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone (19685), The Bob Newhart Show, Maude, All in the Family)

The Psycho House - Jessica investigates a murder on the set of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). In the opening credits there is a burst of the theme tune from Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) and a man that looks like Hitchcock crosses the street. This is a nod to the cameos that Hitchcock made in most of his films.

Films that have used the Psycho House on Universal set for their locations

S8, E13 19 Jan 1992

[michaelgabrill]

[dansnaturepictures]

My Great British Wild Year: Part 1 of 5-Birds and mammals

With the much-anticipated Scotland trip for my Mum’s 60th birthday and an Anglesey holiday in June it was fantastic to watch wildlife in England, Scotland and Wales this year, the first time being in all three in a year for me which excited me immensely. And what an extraordinary, packed and sensational year of wildlife watching it has been. We were mesmerised by watching giant White-tailed Eagles prominently glide through the air on magical Mull and the Scottish mainland at Loch Eil as well as in Poole Harbour, it was an epic year of Hen Harriers as I saw male and ringtail in all three countries; late winter birding bliss as we saw majestic overwintering birds in all their glory in Hampshire. The sharp call of Chough and the breathtaking sight as these ebullient crows dashed through the sea air and picked at grass brought us much joy in North Wales. I was elated to watch and photograph iconic and prepossessing Red Squirrels in England, Scotland and Wales, a key piece of my year. Sabine’s Gull and Shore lark two of my Hampshire greats of my birding year, the latter enjoyed in Norfolk too where my first ever Long-eared Owl and Twite and later in the year the Bee-eaters were key birds of my 2023. A precious sight of a fine New Forest Spotted Flycatcher at Pig Bush nudged my bird year list, finishing in the 200s for the second consecutive year, ahead of last year to confirm it as my highest ever in June. Our mammalian dreams were realized north of the border when finally seeing Otters in the wild on Mull in April, we were euphoric to witness these smooth, shiny and wholesome animals and seeing Bottlenose Dolphins on the Moray Coast was amazing too. In these five posts I will briefly explore some of the highlights with butterflies and moths, dragon and damselflies and other wildlife, flowers and fungi and taking in landscapes the other themes.  

Red Squirrel on Brownsea Island, Dorset in September

It was a rapturous year of bird of prey watching for me, with majestic Golden Eagles seen in Scotland too and I was fortunate to get many phenomenal views of Ospreys a bird I adore including mating and fishing in Scotland, at Rutland Water and a few times in Hampshire and Dorset in late summer/autumn. A falcon trio of pleasurable Peregrine especially the Winchester Cathedral family, magical Merlin and handsome Hobby dashing through the air; Little, Barn and Short-eared Owl enjoyed a lot, many Marsh Harrier, Goshawk and many a Sparrowhawk including at home were some of many highlights. I had a Corn Bunting sensation seeing them extremely well in Scotland and at Martin Down in 2023, with my first ever Cirl Bunting at Portland. I had an extremely strong Cuckoo spring across Hampshire, with Hawfinch and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker colossal winter experiences. Garden Warbler, precious Tree Sparrow and Tree Pipit, Water Pipit, Dipper, Yellow Wagtail, Lesser Redpoll, Pied Flycatcher, Black Redstart, brilliant views of radiant Bearded Tits and wondrous Wheatears were other highlights. I could not forget Redstart and Yellowhammer; Crossbill, my first Firecrest for years and Woodlark vintage birds especially in the New Forest, as well as Redwing, Mistle Thrush, charming Hooded Crow, Red and Black Grouse including lecking in Scotland and glorious Grey Partridges and Red-legged in Norfolk and Hampshire.

Another Peregrine I enjoyed seeing this year at Durlston in June

Marsh Harrier at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen in Norfolk in July

Buzzard at Lakeside Country Park, a beautiful sight as ever

A Corn Bunting at Banff in Aberdeenshire in April

Heartfelt views of Kittiwakes right from the start of the year across the UK were crucial to my year, with Anglesey’s angelic Arctic Terns and many Sandwich Terns in all three countries other standouts it was a privilege to see tern colonies at Brownsea Island and Cemlyn. Garganey, Goosander, Gannet, courting and nesting Great Crested Grebes; summer plumaged Slavonian Grebes for my first time in Scotland another key species of my year first seen in it on January 1st, wonderful Whimbrel, pristine Purple, Green, Common and Curlew Sandpipers and Pink-footed Geese. Puffin, Black and Common Guillemot, Razorbill, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, four divers: White-billed, Great Northern, Red-throated and Black-throated and another newbie for me Black-crowned Night Heron. Common Crane, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret, Long-billed Dowitchers, Ruffs, Little Stints, Long-tailed Duck, Whooper Swan and Surf and Common Scoter were other top birds of my year. Also of note were Ring-necked Duck, Scaup, Bean Geese, Water Rail and Common Gull. Our September week off where we got brilliant Bittern views at Minsmere was flanked by a Hampshire phalarope sighting on each Saturday, Red-necked and Grey.

An Arctic Tern at Cemlyn, Anglesey

The courtship routine of Great Crested Grebes at Lakeside in February

Reds, Sikas, Fallows, Roes and many Muntjac seen made it a dreamy deer year and I got exquisite and exciting views of every species. Home Hedgehog, Harbour Porpoise, Common and Grey Seal, my first ever Stoat at Stockbridge Down, an eerie winter daytime bat sighting, Fox and loveable Brown and Mountain Hare were other mammal highlights. Pigs seen multiple times out for pannage in the New Forest a quintessential autumnal sight. Other breathtaking moments were watching Water Voles swim across a channel in the reeds at Rutland Water and in a pool at RSPB Minsmere.

The Minsmere Water Vole

I mentioned other of my standout birds of the year in this post in November: https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/734418555548925952/some-key-birds-of-my-2023

[2t2r]

Tripod rock - un étrange rocher sur 3 pieds

Nouvel article publié sur https://www.2tout2rien.fr/tripod-rock-un-etrange-rocher-sur-3-pieds/

Tripod rock - un étrange rocher sur 3 pieds