#november vs achievements

[vespertine-legacy]

I would love. to finish a seasons objective today. that doesn’t depend on other people. But apparently I suck too much at the game to do that anymore.

Half of the objectives are pvp and I’m not touching those.

Doing a vet mode kotet chapter shouldn’t be too awful. Nope, can’t even get past the first mini-boss. Even with a level 50 companion, get my ass handed to me about 70 times. Best part is you can’t abandon a kotfe/kotet mission without going through an act of congress, so it just sits in your log and mocks you.

Ok, maybe I can do stupid space missions, even though I hate those. At least I don’t need other people for them. Nope. The asteroid fields make me sick, I can’t figure out what the objectives actually are, and the one time I actually complete the objective, I do it way too fast and can’t live long enough for the timer to run out.

Why do I play this game again?

[mewvore]

how could I forget my other big 2023 achievement this year: learning how to actually braid my own hair and extensions

first time in June vs. fifth time in November

probably the craziest part was the fact the first time took me a whole weekend but I eventually got the process down to 11 hours

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

NASCAR Pantera ‐ First To 300

A reporter sat in a late-night cafe, sipping coffee and attempting to calm his nerves after a high-speed ride with Gary and his Pantera. The deafening roar of the V-8 engine still echoed in his mind, and his hands shook as he held his cup. It was as if he had just escaped from the clutches of the devil himself. Tragically, a few minutes later the devil caught up with Garry Mitsunaga and his red Pantera!

For students of Japanese car culture, the Mitsunaga Pantera that graced the cover of Option Magazine is a significant page of Asian tuning lore, as it was the first street-legal vehicle to achieve a recorded speed of 300 km/h in Japan.

Actual speed was 307.69 km/h on the infamous Yatabe Test Circuit in November 1981, making it the most legendary Pantera in all of Japan. Figuring Yatabe was too dangerous for civilian drivers, and wanting to take the human element of unpredictability out of things, driving duties at this event were performed by professional racer Kunimitsu Takahashi, who is considered the father of drifting.

Yatabe was the preeminent destination for high-speed testing in Japan from the 1960s to the 1990s. However, it was closed two decades ago due to a tragic accident involving Masa Saito, the editor of the tuning magazine Option. After the accident manufacturers started shifting towards more contemporary testing facilities.

Prior to the Porsche-vs-Skyline dreams of the 1990s, the streets of Japan were ruled by the infamous Midnight Club running Pantera's, Firebirds and American V-8s. For those unaware of the Pantera, it is an Italian-American sportscar with a Ford 351 Cleveland engine and were sold in the early 70's through Lincoln Mercury dealerships.

Leading up to November 1981, top speeds were achieved by vehicles such as the S30 Fairlady, tuned by SS Kubo, which reached a maximum speed of 257.60km/h. The fastest imported car, surprisingly, was the Trust Firebird Trans-Am, which recorded a top speed of 264.71km/h. So when the Pantera eclipsing the 300km/h mark it was a huge leap forward and a landmark achievement, becoming the benchmark for all the street racers and tuners to beat.

Mitsunaga was not entirely content. Only a speed above 320 km/h (200 mph) would suffice. It is said that Takahashi advised him against driving the Pantera outside of a racetrack. Mitsunaga disregarded the warning.

Just before the accident, he was transporting a journalist down a 38 kilometer (24 mile) stretch of the Tomei Expressway. With a recorded time of 6 minutes and 20 seconds he averaged 250 KM/H ( ~160 MPH).

Not long after dropping off that rattled journalist, he supposedly totaled his Pantera while avoiding a taxi. They meet their end at approximately 1:40 a.m. on November 28, 1981. Tragically, Mitsunaga died in the accident, instantly.

At the moment of his death, Garry Allan Mitsunaga was already a legend in the Japanese dragstrip and top-speed racing scene. He was an American, born in Hawaii and employed by the Harman Kardon audio group. The company sent him to Tokyo in 1975 to work for one of its Japanese divisions, in sales.

Upon his passing, he was revered as a patron saint of street racing, inspiring countless individuals to pursue ever-greater velocities. Despite his non-Japanese origin, he was a hero to the local community, and his legacy lived on through the Mitsunaga Pantera, a symbol of both the thrill and the peril of this high-octane pursuit. Although the whereabouts of the Pantera are unknown, its engine showed up for sale in 1995.

NASCAR

Mitsunaga's Pantera, was tuned by Masaru Hosoki from ABR, one of Japans most famous tuners. It also featuring a 600hp engine built by Mario Rossi, an American NASCAR mechanic and crew chief for the likes of Bobby Allison and Glenn “Fireball” Roberts. Rossi was also the guy that built the only Dodge Daytona to compete during the 1971 season. It's only race was finishing 7th at the Daytona 500 with a de-stroked Plymouth 340 TA engine to meet the new 305ci engine displacement mandate for the five Ford & Chrysler aero cars during the 1971 NASCAR season.

Rossi has been embroiled in controversy since his involvement in the $300 million drug smuggling scandal that shook NASCAR in 1982. Four days after the 1982 Daytona 500 in Florida, authorities arrested 66 people, including several associated with NASCAR teams, on what has been labeled “Black Thursday.” Among those implicated in the scheme that authorities believe grossed $300 million were owner Billie Harvey and driver Gary Balough from the team on which Rossi was working as a mechanic. Rossi’s role (if any) in the drug operation is unclear – though his own daughter implicates him.

Rossi's whereabouts have been a mystery since his disappearance, with some believing him to be in the witness protection program in the United States. Despite claims of his death in a plane crash off the Bahamas in 1983, the insurance company asserts that the plane in question has been sold multiple times without any recorded accidents.

What’s legend and what’s fact we are unlikely to ever know for certain. What we do know, however, is that Garry Mitsunaga and his Pantera dared to dance with the devil in the witching hour.

[accio-victuuri]

Sugar Rush : November CPNs

What started out as a relatively quiet month after a chaotic October, turned into something else because of a few candies. Especially the whole 11/19 fiasco that surprised us all. LOL. As usual, this is for cpn-loving turtles only. Keep an open mind but still clown responsibly. I can’t believe we only have one month left for this year!

If you wanna recap other years I have archived : 2021 ( one | two ) 2022 ( one | two ) 2023 ( one, july, august, september, october ) 2020 candies and some other sweets before I was doing round up posts may be found on my masterlist.

Let’s review the past month…

• Some side by side / parallel photos of GG ( Tod’s Milan ) and WYB ( Chanel Shenzhen ). They are both photographed with the very beautiful Liu ShiShi. Also the way they are the center of attention. KINGS! 👑

• hoping they play tennis together 🎾 ; there is also a cpn out there about yibo being fully prepared for the game cause he had lacoste shoes and bag then a jacket that he used in wuzhen. people are speculating that XZ bought stuff for him to use cause he is the one who knows more and thought of this brand. this may seem like a stretch but you never know with this fandom when a seemingly insignificant observation becomes a big candy along the way.

• 2021 vs 2023 beach photos similarities + xiamen coincidence and it’s connection to ZZ’s ideal life painting

• LHK ( Liu Haikuan ) giving clues about BJYX? + Part 2 of comments

11/7, GG was announced as Boucheron’s global brand ambassador, then people remembered that one time WYB wore stuff from the brand. So now we have an unintentional couple jewelry incidence😂😂

• the sound of an eagle 🦅

• some similarities in forwarding 119 message, yeah i know celebrities like them are sort of required to bring attention to stuff like this. however, WYB is known to support this cause and even made a VCR specifically for it. if you look at the actual post, theirs is the top 2 in terms of likes and the rest of the celebrities are not the usual ones similar to the boys’ caliber. Another clue that this is WYB’s advocacy of sorts, most, if not all top comments are from his fans. so ZZ joining in on spreading the message seems ( to me and some cpfs ) like influenced by WYB.

Next is they both filmed VCRs for "People in My Heart" - "Classic Characters" series. We just love seeing them support the same projects ^^

• NARS live drawing

• Candies from WYB’s 11/12 douyin post. Mainly the parallel about the same walls and floor.

• XZ fell asleep on WYB during the golden core scene

• Interpreting YBO’s 11/16 weibo caption

• 11/19/23 double update candies

• similar necklace??? ( cough in vain )

• the full story ( so far ) behind 11/19 📝

• Talking about this a bit late considering when the whole CPN started about this GG mural for GG. There are side by side comparisons of the eyes on the mural and Yibo’s. The CPN being they used WYB’s eyes for that mural.

I usually let people have free reign on clowning but this one isn’t for me personally. just because it’s obviously a mural commissioned by GUCCI which a big brand that couldn’t care less about the CP. Maybe it’s a coincidence how similar it is? Because there is a reference photo that should be followed. Also, this is GG’s time to shine. This mural is his & him. I think this is an example for cpfs to learn to separate the boys as individuals, especially for things that are work related and most especially their achievements. While I do believe they influence each other greatly, it’s important to not make every single thing a romantic relation.

• the mystery driver is seen again 👀

• 11/22 Yibo scenery post 🍬

• One night in Beijing Song + 11/23 XZS post

• I don’t really wanna clown with Redmi but the black and white theme from XZS and then the next day it’s Redmi. I was surprised with this cause all the promos were supposed to be related to the scifi themed ad blockbuster!

A coincidence 👀👀👀👀

• small candies form IQIYI scream night 😱

• wyb acknowledging light signs and calls us wangba

• XZ’s 11/27 Airport and Selfie Clues

• there is some talk with BXGs regarding WYB’s redmi appearance, it looks like he was bitten by the mosquito again. lol. I usually just find cpn like this funny cause there is always deniability. also hello to the mosquito who loves to bite the center of his neck.

I’m separating these next entries cause it’s not new. I just found myself revisiting bts content and clowning about it. old candy still tastes good! 💯

WYB signs 520 to GG

WYB’s small steps to GG but robe gets caught

Something is funny and XZ has to tell WYB

Flirting and Fighting? “WYB’s love you”

XZ got hurt and WYB said he is gonna kiss it better?

-END.

[felassan]

Some more info on the Mass Effect board game, from co-designer Calvin:

"Hi all, Calvin here, co-designer of the game. I've gathered all the frequently asked questions on social media and bgg and gathered them into some answers for you. Feel free to ask more questions if yours is not answered, and if I can answer it I will. I will be updating this as more information about the game becomes available. Release info - The release date is (hopefully) November depending on the gods of shipping - Price is confirmed, the game will be $50/£40 - The team is currently working on translation deals for 9 or so languages. More details soon. - For info on pre-orders go to https://www.modiphius.net/pages/mass-effect-signup - There are currently no plans for a collector’s edition vs standard edition - It is not crowdfunded, the game is direct to retail - "If you'd like to support the game right now, there's nothing better than going into your local FLGS and asking them if they'll stock the game when it comes out. With the vast amount of great games coming out every week, retailers rely on fans asking about the game. This helps them gauge how much to buy, the more people ask, the more buzz they know there is, the more confident they are to buy enough and the more likely there's one waiting for you on the shelf when you go in :-) That feeds up the chain; the more retailers ask their sales reps at Asmodee, the more Asmodee goes, "Oh wait, let's order more, so we have enough for all the shops". Plot - The game is set on the planet Hagalaz, early during the events of Mass Effect 3 - The players are tasked with investigating a crashed Cerberus research cruiser which could have info that contributes to War Readiness and could help stop the Reapers - The game is designed so people who have never played Mass Effect can still enjoy it. Eric hasn't played the games as much as I did so he got to do what he calls “the meathead test” on all the theming and story. - We worked with Bioware on all the plot and theming. - Yes you can do calibrations in this game Basic game info - Co-operative squad tactics - 1-4 players - Included are six 32mm minis, masc Shep, fem Shep, Liara, Garrus, Tali, and Wrex - Not many other components to keep price and complexity low - 45 minute missions - 3-5 missions per campaign - Branching paragon/renegade choices + sidequests - Enough missions to replay the campaign several times without repeats - Solo play is really fun, in fact I like all the player counts equally, which is something I’m very proud that we were able to achieve in this game - Solo play is basically multi-handing, you control more than one character. - There is no legacy aspect, the game is fully resettable - There will be new original art"

[character limit text break]

"Gameplay info - Low rules complexity, but with lots of tactical depth. We aimed for an audience of Mass Effect fans who might not know anything about board games. Board gamers should still find something to enjoy if they’re into co-op tactics. - A group that just wants to turn their brain off and blast through the game should have an easy time - But a group who wants to get the best endings, complete all the sidequests, get all the level ups will have to min-max pretty heavily - The game has relatively low randomness. Planning, prediction, and preparation are very important to avoid bad outcomes - but there’s still enough randomness to avoid AP as players try to plan out perfect turns. - Important gameplay elements include positioning and combo-ing abilities with other players. - There is a tactical map. - Players will level up their characters by performing in game actions and learn new abilities. - We got all 6 Shepard classes in there. It is one of the things I am very proud of doing. - Re: alpha gamers, Eric and I do not believe it is the designer’s job to solve for jerks at your gaming table. Obviously we have designed the game so that every player has something to contribute and there’s plenty of info so that it’s hard to track. But we also recommend having adult conversations with your table partners. Interviews/Behind The Scenes Beyond Solitaire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-nLGDt97i4 Topics: how we designed the game and implemented the narrative UKGE promo copy https://twitter.com/Modiphius/status/1796844231018811782/" Post last updated August 8th

[source]

New original art 👀

[vashtijoy]

hi there! apologies for the incoming wall of text, but this should be pretty well within your wheelhouse, at least:

i've fallen into a rabbit hole of trying to triangulate the most specific point at which akechi switches from using "Kurusu-kun" to using "Akira" to address joker. the main thing is that the variables are confounding -- the way most people play (like me and literally everyone on youtube), rank 6 is on 9/3 (still "Kurusu-kun"), and the next time you're likely to see akechi in a context where he addresses joker by name is after he's been recruited *and* is ready for the next ranks of the confidant (at which point it's "Akira"). so, related to that, i was wondering if you had any insight/sources on a few points.

first, in your "When does Akechi start using Joker's given name?" post, you mention that on 9/21 (outside of penguin sniper) he still refers to joker as "Kurusu-kun." do you have a source on this, and am i right to assume the implication is that this is observed after completing rank 6?

more generally, i'm curious about various combinations of confidant-rank and plot-progression when it comes to his greetings outside of penguin sniper. e.g., if you haven't gotten rank 6 by november (and in fact, i think you're locked out of completing it at that point? someone mentioned a 10/22 deadline for it), or if you talk to him after rank 6 but before recruiting him (as in your aforementioned 9/21 observation).

one last thing: akechi's dialogue on the train platform in the morning on 11/2. he uses "Akira" as an address here, firstly, and it's basically the only time he does so pre-third-semester outside of the confidant / overworld greetings; secondly, it seems this interaction is new to royal. given that it's new, i wonder if it's conditional on having reached rank 6 (i.e., you won't get the platform scene unless you've maxed the confidant so far), since the discussion seems to lead directly into rank 7 that evening.

TL;DR: very curious about teasing apart what happens because of completing rank 6 vs. what happens because of plot progression, and it's pretty fascinating just how hard it is to separate the two factors.

if you come up with anything, even just a confirmation of the 9/21 thing, thanks!

[here's that original post to keep it all together]

Hi! Don't overlook that you can always visit Akechi in Kichijoji. If he's there, he'll have a brief exchange and tell you he's busy etc if you can't do a confidant event with him.

Yes, the reference to 9/21 means this is after conf 6. Akechi switches from e.g. Kurusu-kun to e.g. Akira after he joins the team. The first use of it is on 10/31, outside Penguin Sniper—the first opportunity you have to run into him after your first foray into Sae's Palace, on 10/29. It is date-dependent; it's not dependent on conf 6.

The first opportunity you have to meet him in Kichijoji before that is on 10/22, when you're still <family name>-kun:

As far as whether there's a 10/22 deadline for conf 6, I don't know. I'll add it to the heap. The screenshots above were taken with conf 6 achieved. Like I mentioned above, 10/22 is the last time Akechi is available for a confidant rank-up before 10/31—"Honey, I'm home", the Shujin culture festival and blackmail, his admission to the team and the first entry to Sae's palace all happen in that interval. Akechi does not call the protagonist by name on 10/24 ("Honey, I'm home"), or, as far as I can tell, at any point before that Kichijoji meetup on 10/31. I think it's unlikely there are more complex mashups, simply because the script doesn't look that way:

{F1 81} is the family name (usually Kurusu or Amamiya); {F1 82} is the given name (usually Akira or Ren). Akechi has four possible greetings here. The first ("Hey, Kurusu-kun") goes to 10/22; the second, ("Oh, Akira") goes to 11/17, which is your last chance to do his confidant. The third ("Oh, it's you") is used throughout the third semester. I haven't been able to trigger the fourth ("Hey, Akira"); it may be unused.

Why do I think these may not vary? Simply because there are other F-codes like this, used as placeholders when someone's name changes based on a condition. Here's Muhen on Retro Street in Kichijoji:

That mysterious {F1 E2} is Muhen. But he's referred to by an F-code, because his name changes: before you do Akechi's conf 4, he's "Jazz Club Manager", but after you meet him during that conf 4, he becomes "Muhen". He has a special code that tests that condition.

But Akechi's chats only reference the protagonist's name directly. So my inclination right now is possibly, but probably not. Of course, it's possible the chat that picks the greeting from that set of four is where the logic is, so I wouldn't rule it out.

The train station meeting on 11/2 does lead in to conf 7, but the "Akira" address isn't dependent on conf 6—it depends on the 10/31 switchover we've already discussed:

Again, the given name is hardcoded; it doesn't appear to test the confidant level, like Muhen's.

other notes

Akechi also uses Joker's given name in the engine room—"I wonder why we couldn't have met a few years earlier, {F1 82}..."—and again, the {F1 82} code is hardcoded.

The only point I'm aware of when he doesn't do that is 1/2, when he walks into Leblanc and tells Sojiro he wants to speak with "Kurusu-kun". He reverts back to Akira, though.

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (November 19-25)

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters remains must-see kaiju TV with its third episode. The flashbacks revisit the U.S. attempt to kill Godzilla with an H-bomb in 1954, making a few retcons to the 2014 film that I think are largely for the better. This might be the Monsterverse Godzilla work that best understands it's adapting a Japanese story. There's also a delightful new critter who shows up at the end of the main story and will surely continue to be a threat in the next installment. On the human side of things, we're starting to see how Monarch became more and more obsessive about secrecy over the decades, paralleled with the infidelity at the heart of the story.

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #2 delivers the Superman/Godzilla fight that's probably what people most wanted out of this crossover. I was surprised at how well Godzilla did, although it wasn't quite a clean victory. Camazotz's duel with the Bat-Family in Gotham City was more interesting, as bizarre as it is to see some of the most famous superheroes in the world taking on a Titan who's never even been in a movie before. Meanwhile, Scylla's in Central City and Behemoth's closing in on Themyscira. Odd choices considering Scylla's Greek name, but then I can't see her doing well against Wonder Woman.

As is New Generation Ultra Series tradition, Ultraman Blazar will be quickly followed by a movie (Tokyo Kaiju Showdown) released early next year (February 23). Most of these things are pretty forgettable, but director Kiyotaka Taguchi was also behind the Ultraman X movie, which I thought was one of the best ones. The plot:

A wave of kaiju emerges from an industrial zone, prompting Capitan Gento and the Special Kaiju Reaction Detachment (SKaRD) to engage in the relentless battle. Yet despite their efforts, the endless kaiju attack continues. Suspecting a link to Necromass Co., an advanced chemical company that researches kaiju corcasses and owns factories in the industrial zone, SKaRD rushes to the company’s CEO and renowned chemist, Dr. Mabuse. At Necromass Co.’s research facility, Dr. Mabuse explains the development of the damudoxin, a substance on the brink of achieving immortality. Meanwhile, Alien Damuno, who claims themselves as the “ruler of the universe” appears! Chaos ensues when damudoxin leaks from the destroyed tanks, consuming samples of kaiju carcasses and giving rise to the giant Gongilgan, the Demonic Carcass. Set in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, Ultraman Blazar and SKaRD clash in a showdown against the giant kaiju!

This year's Ultraman Decker movie was available to rent on Tsuburaya Imagination the same day it released in Japanese theaters, so I'd expect the same from the Blazar movie.

I'm typing this hours before I see Godzilla Minus One in IMAX. The date crept up on me, but I can feel every atom in my body vibrating right now, so yeah, almost time for the new Godzilla movie. High hopes with the reviews it's getting!

[askatriangleandastar]

What're your thoughts on the new Spooky Month episode?

(Doodle to match your icon, also because this one has me by the NECK) Thoughts in particular for as much as I can below

OOOOOOOOUGGHH DETER AND HIS MOM. FUCK, THE H U G S BIT HURTS MY HEART EVERY TIME IT IS VISCERALLY EFFECTIVE PELO YOU MONSTER ❤️

Moloch is so threatening I GASPED as we finally got to see him achieve Leg Rights and dud he ever put them to WORK running like that all over town!!

Gregor was incredible and competent and despite being opposing to the norm of how the kids go about things, a net positive for the town. His entrapment/death/conversion to what the cult put him through in the ending is an endangerment to the safety of everyone. That he really did care and want to protect the kids was sweet, and while harsh his reality check to Lila was something she's had coming.

I WAS RIGHT ABOUT SO MANY THINGS GOING INTO THIS I WAS SO EXCITED!!!!! Not beating the witch allegations in the slightest and still with so many questions and wonder.

I love how much we learn and yet how much there is to learn. Connections that are only half-given and have to be speculated and discovered with the ARG and background inferences. I still need to go over the frames and take in all the background characters. I don't know how far into November this is set but it's not long enough for Lila.

Getting the feeling that the Theives Duo were hired to go through the house yet settle on the attic, to nab THE DAD'S STUFF given its all strewn about the house after they get whooped, and then the New Grounds Ending confirms it had me shaking. Had me wondering if that's what BOB was sent to do initially in the very first epsiode, but when Lila ran into him he was gonna get a snack. That the cult members backed off at mentioning the spider and the Candy Dealer notes them as having been lucky + the picture revealled of it having been the Dad's (plus Pelo mentioning it has eaten people before) is making thoughts mimic a windows 98 trying to run the Sims.

The Gregor and Moloch ship those working on the show go for and snuck reference to in the show. The "and they've never been married but they are SO divorced" vibes of their interaction here, how Moloch called him by name and would have only ever lied in the past due to Gregor not having Moloch's in kind [the devil a deciever to any word said] hooooo I don't go there but it's next door and it looks fun!

The foreshadowing with the drawings done with Dexter and it's accuracy + Pelo drawing Moloch possessing a lot of characters + also doing so with Eyes + the Other Drawing = F E A R AND EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!

THE EYES IN THE BUCKET STILL LOOK LIKE DEXTER'S AND ARE ACTIVELY MOVING (especially in the Ending Spider Scene) HE IS STILL THERE AND TRAPPED AND AAAAAAAAAA!AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

The Ooga Booga Jumpscare was fascinating and done super duper well!!!! Wanna make a whole breakdown about why and how it worked better than any other so far. There are some layers and misdirection and it's built up really well! Plus what looks like a version of her on Jaune's TV foreshadowing what's gonna happen like it did before with Bob.

It makes me wonder if there's more parallels to Moloch based in the line "I can be ANYWHERE now!" After scaring the Audience. I have a theory that a part of his possession tactic is Fear. To enter someone's body who isn't willing they need to fear him and he can only get one such victim at a time (hence why only Roy and not the whole Hatzgang at once vs Skid and Pump at the same time with no difficulty as they let him in). It's why he Stalks and Stares (Patty, Ignacio) and consistently when we get to be around for when he goes for it, he *roars*. Not bite and claw but roars. He's put off and doesn't enter those that have no fear of him (Gregor, Rick, Ignacio) and I think it's because he CAN'T. It's why even when at his weakest he roared at Gregor. To break the chant, the concentration, to make the wounded and bleeding enemy falter and fear and let him in with that response of weakness. It fails, of course, but hoooo with anyone less devoted I don't think it would have.

BRICK TO THE HEAD. THE COWARDS. THEY GOTTA AMBUSH THIS OLD GUY EVEN WHEN HE'S ALREADY LIMPING TO STAND A CHANCE THATS HILARIOUS.

The way Pump was distracted from opening up and being vulnerable with his sister and kept happy by the toy and the lie, while Skid has no such escape as his own heart to heart is burdened further by the sobs of his mom in a home that is no longer in any illusion safe with a shattered door and evidence of earlier break-in everywhere. These 2 have been diverging in small ways in their outlook on things for awhile now, but this episode's ending and scenes about parents, about knowing more and less than each other (The way Skid didn't know about Moloch not running but Pump did and how Skid started to ask what he meant, how Skid still associates all Happy Fellas as Stabby while Pump could see it was Dexter-specific because he could **see** through to what Dexter WAS according to the notes... if Gregor hadn't interrupted there may have been Words. Going forward, it feels like they're going to again.)

IGNACIO AND THE ILLEGAL GUN OF COMEDIC CONTRAST

I cannot stress enough how much Kevin feels like he's being pushed further and further towards a total breakdown and that he NEEDS a coworker to help like Radford [AAAAAAAAAAA THEATRE MAN RETURNS I WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE HIM HE PLAYS OFF KEVIN SO SO WELL AAAAA] It's not an if so much as a When with the way his vision is Scribblifying so much (a treat for the eyes tho) and while he CAN cool off if nothing goes immediately wrong its just gonna keep going wrong.

Roy is having problems and given his parents and vibe of his family plus his contact to Skid and Pump, guessing it's likely tied to how it's status quo isn't sitting well and the need for escape with friends. Parents who are present yet Not in how it matters and how they're needed by the child. So glad he's willing to open up at all (the contrast from the second episode is staggering) but like Kevin it feels like he's building up to a bigger breakdown.

It is for Susie's safety and well being that she never met Moloch and yet she might well have been a huge fan given her enjoyment of demons! Have to wonder how she'd react to seeing the ashen form of Moloch in the attic if she ever went digging for what's been going on herself.

Ignacio may be any number of things and the picture with the dad is making me run in circles around the room I am seething with th3 need to shake him even though he'd shoot me point blank. Speaking of, the fact that he was carrying it on his person with taking out the trash and how he used it genuinely made me think that if Skid and Pump bothered him one more time he was going to pop 'em where they stood the same way he was so unbothered and at the ready I was wheezing XD

Why does the portrait have a diamond why does it have only ONE diamond why is it like that despite looking like it's the one for the old mansion we glimpsed in the second epsiode what the hell is with the mannequin and SHY DOES IT HAVE A FACE IN THE HELL CREDITS CARD

The oath Gregor uses portraying a Lord yet not a Father yet maintaining The Son, as well as a Sacred Sky, has me going no-clip on my chair. I am Not Normal about this and I cannot pretend to be I need the implications of this world's religions being impacted with Eyes having been ever-present STAT and the horror of the cult not being to a different God but the same as Gregor's, simply met by a bridge of heresy to meet mortals with the divine while still of flesh and bone and claim of Death....

I thought Evermore was bribing the hobos to blow up the church but now... now it feels more likely to be either Bob's place (seeing his corpse wheeled in the soundtrack video + that Patty was about to cut into him again when the kids interrupted+ Evermore asking for a specific body to be moved) OR the Mansion (not being invited into any cult and wanting John to shut up about it so he gets an unofficial, literal backalley deal going for some nobodies with no credibility to do the work for him). Evermore is the kind of vain who'd spill that he was in an exclusive group to brag and is also wonderfully insufferable with his blatant ego; the idea that he ISN'T part of the cult and his not knowing and terrible mayor strats only benifit the cult so they don't bother with the risk of somone in power knowing about them and his denial that somone as important as him would EVER be excluded if there WAS one which must mean there ISN'T just has such a good punchline and I hope it's true I really do.

THEY SHARE A VA, IS THE MASCOT GUY THE SAME CHARACTER AS THE BOB COSPLAYER CAUSE HIS BAD LUCK AND MISFORTUNE FEEL SIMILAR! Also the happy fella furthest left moves its eyes after the kids so uh. So uh they might've been on the money to destroy them cause looks like one is already possessed by Something and it also gives greater legitimacy to the internment of the one in The Candy Tube of Shame at Kevin's workplace gosh they're STILL BEING SOLD if they become A Problem beyond Dexter and that's when we get to meet Robert's little sister who has one....

The way Pelo has explained how Moloch got stuck and how the possession works means we KNOW Patty was tethered to her body and unable to do anything except watch as Moloch used her to kill (any by the mess and lack of remains) eat Michelle (mom's name in description cast list) to regain some power and begin to sate the prolonged hunger Moloch has been trapped in. It's how he was able to perfectly mimic her and Dexter. It's why her lower half is coated with so much blood it may as well be dyed the color. It's no wonder she's adamant to have a gun! Glad to see evidence of her still actively working with John and Jack on the mystery in the ARG images too.

That doctor, Mort, I don't know who he was talking with but while he's sus as hell I'm not so sure he was taking the call we see Ignacio make. There isn't a reason to be informing him about the priest, even if bother WERE in the cult- going straight to the mourge and opening with asking if the body had been moved feels like it was a micromanage from Evermore to be sure that what he asked for is happening in a timely way. Have to wonder if he's going to take Patty's place now with having a distinct full name and reoccurance in the episode as he does for 3 scenes.

Gosh I love the soundtrack I've been looping the playlist for it while writing all this, again, not well, so so many thoughts. This isn't even all of them but it's past 1 am I have been typing for over an hour gonna pause it at the realization that something DID curse the Candy Corner for the holy water to have worked as well as the fact that the red head kid, Lucky was super cursed for what we now know as LEGIT HOLY WATER to have had such an effect on him. It wasn't boiled it was in that pot to get as many of the kids crowding as possible, as we see the bottles only effectively splash a single person. A friend mentioned Gregor may not even directly see Lucky given the behavior towards the child is abnormal and as we see here he IS normal towards children, even with costumes he sees as mockery of the lord, so ignoring him crumpled on the ground and the siezing on the doorstep are strange outliers. ALSO LEARING ABoUT GREGOR'S FULL NAME AND THE MEANING AND THE RELEVANCE OF THE ANGEL WINGS IN THE CREDITS AAAAAAAAAAAA!! So much thought and care went into this, I love this series so much, thank you for asking my thoughts on it! ^^))

[imaginespazzi]

Alright bestie, second chance bracket now that we’re down to the sweet 16, who you got?

Cos rn i got (and i’m actually mostly using my singular brain cell this time):

Elite 8

SC vs ND (i think Oregon St could upset ND but i hope not)

Texas v Stanford (i could see nc state potentially upsetting stanford but i think stanford holds on)

Colorado vs UCLA (wvu came sooo close to that golden upset, and so in jaylyn i trust to actually get the job done. UCLA and LSU have both seemed a bit shaky to me so this is a toss-up but no way in hell am i gonna choose milky)

USC vs UConn (of course)

Final Four

SC vs Texas (idk, stanford hasn’t given me a lot of confidence lately but i could be wrong!)

UCLA vs UConn (going with ucla marginally since they swept colorado during the regular szn, and huskies restarting that final four streak plus paige reminding everyone that’s still doubting, why she’s the best. Like i love juju but it’s still paige>>>)

National Championship

SC vs UConn

Champion

I want to say UConn, babes, I do but i just cannot see anyone beating SC rn and us even getting to this point with our (lack of) depth would be a heck of an achievement but beating SC is one too many hail marys i think 😭

Ngl though, i kinda don’t wanna see us lose to SC again in the championship game and so a part of me would actually rather us lose in the final 4 if that was the case 😬 (unless we play iowa or lsu then fuck that i’ll take the loss to sc)

I'm scared to predict at this point cause my brackets was in shambles and lowkey you and I are on the same wavelength with most of these but here we go:

Elite 8:

SC vs ND: SC obviously (and I need them to destroy those zionists) and I think Oregon St. could make something happen but I think after the Naismith "snub" (quotes cause I'm 50-50 on this) Hannah is gonna be on one and Oregon St. doesn't have anyone who can stop her.

Texas vs Stanford: Texas because Gonzaga does nothing for me and Stanford v NC-State is gonna be really interesting, but ultimately I don't see how NC-State stops Cam and Kiki.

Iowa vs UCLA: Listen I think Colorado can beat Iowa. I just don't think they can beat the refs+Iowa+the narrative the networks want. The same honestly could be said for LSU-UCLA because the LSU-Iowa rematch is what the NCAA wanted but I think UCLA can overcome that (as opposed to Colorado) because they're a better team and because LSU has been unimpressive to me

UConn vs USC: Baylor does not impress me at all and well the UConn-Duke matchup *pray pray pray* I'mma shut up about it because I'm not in the mood to jinx things

Final 4:

SC vs Stanford: I think the ND vs SC game will be a lot better than the one in Paris but SC is just too much at the end of the day. And again with Stanford-Texas, I could see it go either way but I just don't see Texas stopping Cam-Kiki both

UCLA vs UConn: UCLA is a better team but again there's a narrative and refs and even despite that as we saw last year, it could still be Iowa, but I still think it's gonna be UCLA. USC vs UConn, Juju vs Paige might cancel out but I'd like to think the rest of the UConn team (if they show up) is better than the USC also just who's gonna guard Aaliyah?

National Championship

SC vs UConn: I do actually have Stanford in my bracket but as you said they're kinda not giving me the greatest vibes and well SC is SC. On the other side though, fuck it, in Paige Bueckers we believe. But also, I think this is a much better team than the one that faced UCLA in November. We were figuring things out and the team's morale was really low, I think we'll be much better. Also never underestimate Cori Close's ability to be outcoached especially if it's Geno of all people. A

Champion: I'm not gonna say it but y'all know what I'm thinking. Does it make sense to pick SC? Yes. If you're a betting person, do that. But me I'm here for vibe so once again, fuck it, in Paige Bueckers we believe!

[darkmaga-retard]

Senator J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate in the November presidential election, has past ties to tech, but also strong opinions about it.

(Article by Didi Rankovic republished from ReclaimTheNet.org)

Informed by the knowledge of the industry many politicians lack, Vance is anti-Big Tech monopolies, and positive on cryptocurrencies.

Appearing on the CBS News show Face the Nation, the potential future vice president reiterated his previously stated by-and-large approval of FTC Commissioner Lina Kahn’s work, and the two seem to be particularly in agreement on the need to break up Big Tech monopolies.

The case for spinning off companies like Google has been talked up over the last years from both political camps in the US, unsurprisingly, however, from different angles. Vance focuses on the danger of such large entities controlling speech.

“I don’t want Google or a billionaire that controls Google that’s in bed with China to be able to censor American information and that’s exactly what they’ve done,” Vance told CBS.

He also mentioned the anti-trust lawsuit against Google launched during Trump’s first term in office, noting that they both “look at this in the same way.”

Speaking of the difference between “Small Tech” and “Big Tech,” Vance singled out the monopolistic power the latter has to control some key elements, such as Google’s digital advertising power vs. for example X.

“I don’t think that Elon Musk has any monopoly – he’s not using his company to try to destroy competitors,” Vance remarked, explaining the importance of anti-trust initiatives around the technology sector.

In pushing for better anti-monopoly rules, Vance hopes the Trump presidency would achieve two goals: secure better-paid jobs at home, and freedom of expression.

This is not the first time that Vance has criticized Google, but also Facebook and others for their left-leaning bias, posting on X in February that it was “time to break Google up.”

[giigil]

RIP rooster teeth. you got me hooked with rage quit in 2011, which eventually led me down the rabbit hole of red vs. blue & achievement hunter with fails of the weak, achievement horse, let's play, etc.

and eventually rwby on november 5, 2012 -- i remember seeing the red trailer right at the end of rvb's season 10 finale. monty's animation and jeff's music got me fucking hyped INSTANTLY. to this day, whenever i'm in the mood, i like to rewatch all of the fight scenes (it got to the point where i remember every line spoken it's 😂😂), and occasionally, a whole rewatch of the series.

2015, i bought tickets for me and my friend to watch their movie lazer team. it wasn't the greatest movie, but i fucking LOVED just seeing michael and gavin doing their usual thing on the big screen. i don't remember much of the movie since it's been 9 years, but i had a great time seeing the people that i looked up to doing something huge like being in a movie

i stopped watching roosterteeth and achievement hunter (especially AH) on a daily around 2016 because things in my life changed after graduating high school and i wasn't as interested anymore--especially after ray left achievement hunter. that's not to say that i dropped roosterteeth entirely; i checked in on occasion. i always, always watched EVERY new volume of rwby. even when i hated the direction it was going, starting from volume 4.

looking back now, i think volumes 4 to early volume 6 are fine. end of volume 6 to 9--i will die on this hill--aren't as good.

i have a love-hate relationship with rwby and i can fucking sing its praises or shit on it for DAYS. i really hope rwby can continue, but if not... there's always fanfiction.

ANYWAYS--

thank you to each and every past and present roosterteeth employee (as well as those who've done contract work) for your hard work, dedication, and your beautifully amazing minds. i have so many quotes, moments, and songs that i hold near and dear and will cherish for years to come. i pray everyone's able to bounce back from the lay-offs. (fuck you wbd.)

thank you for getting me through the bad days, and for the wonderful memories.

--

TL;DR : rip roosterteeth, you were my childhood. i'll miss you. 21 years is a long time, and you were a part of pretty much half of my life. (12-13 years, i'm 25 now)

thank you for the memories

[thecreaturecodex]

Reptilicus

Image © William Stout

[It’s been a while since “movie monsters” and “Halloween” lined up on my schedule. This is going to be the next theme block for a while--I’m planning through the end of October and into November.

Would you believe there’s a Danish kaiju movie? Reptilicus was made in Denmark in English (sort of--the actors spoke their line phonetically) for an American market, and the finished product is... something. Reptilicus himself is a marionette, filmed on a camera so undercranked it resembles a slide show. The special effects for him eating someone involve his victim being replaced by a still image, superimposed into his mouth with animation. And the shots of him flying were so unconvincing even by these standards that they were cut from the American release. It’s a hoot and a half, well worth checking out for the dedicated lover of trash. It was the featured movie in the first episode of the MST3K reboot, an honor it deserves, although I still would recommend the uncut version over the one with Jonah and the Bots. For one thing, MST3K cuts out the lengthy interlude that seemingly exists only to advertise Copenhagen as a tourist attraction, complete with an original song!]

Reptilicus CR 21 CN Dragon This creature is a serpentine dragon, with large scales and a slimy cast to its hide. It has four short, clawed legs, and a pair of fan-like wings protruding above its forelimbs. Its face is twisted into a perpetual snarling visage.

A reptilicus is an animalistic aquatic dragon, most dangerous because of its incredible regenerative ability. A reptilicus can recover from wounds at remarkable speed, and fire and cold slow this regeneration down but do not necessarily stop it. A reptilicus switches between frenzied activity and deep torpor, feeding on huge quantities of meat until it is sated, and then returning to the depths of the ocean to sleep. A reptilicus is as comfortable on land as it is in the water, and so may come to the surface to feed on people and livestock if it tires of whales and fish.

Reptilicuses are barely sapient, but seem to enjoy destroying buildings, ships and other large manufactured items out of the sheet joy of breaking things. They use this in combat primarily in order to target flaming swords, magic wands and staves, and other items capable of dealing fire or cold damage. Enemies that keep their distance are sprayed with its sticky acidic breath, and any that come close are eaten. A reptilicus does have strong claws, but they have short reach compared to its jaws and tail. 

The reptilicus is an asexual creature; it reproduces not through traditional means, but from damage. If a significant chunk of its body is torn away, it will regrow into an entire new organism. As such, reptilicuses that are older and well fed may intentionally antagonize creatures that are capable of actually hurting them, such as true dragons, sea monsters, and powerful adventurers, in the hopes of calving off an offspring. For whatever reason, few reptilicuses mutilate themselves to achieve such effects.

Reptilicus            CR 21 XP 409,600 CN Colossal dragon (aquatic) Init +4; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., Perception +22, scent Aura frightful presence (180 ft., DC 25) Defense AC 36, touch 2, flat-footed 36 (-8 Dex, +34 natural) hp 410 (20d12+280); regeneration 20 (cold, fire) Fort +26, Ref +14, Will +18 DR 20/magic; Immune acid, charm, compulsion, fear; SR 32 Defensive Abilities ferocity, improved regeneration Offense Speed 50 ft., swim 100 ft., fly 100 ft. (poor) Melee bite +29 (4d8+17 plus 2d8 acid plus grab), 2 claws +29 (2d6+17), tail slap +24 (4d6+8) Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. (15 ft. with claws) Special Attacks breath weapon (140 foot line, Ref DC 34, 21d8 acid, 1d4 rounds), swallow whole (AC 27, 41 hp, 2d6+25 bludgeoning and 6d8 acid) Statistics Str 45, Dex 10, Con 38, Int 3, Wis 19, Cha 20 Base Atk +20; CMB +45 (+49 grapple, sunder); CMD 55 (57 vs. sunder, 59 vs. trip) Feats Combat Reflexes, Greater Sunder, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Vital Strike Skills Fly +6, Perception +22, Survival +22, Swim +43 Languages Draconic (cannot speak) SQ amphibious Ecology Environment temperate land and aquatic Organization solitary Treasure none Special Abilities Breath Weapon (Su) A creature that fails its save against a reptilicus’ breath weapon is entangled in slime for 1d4 rounds. Each round it is entangled, it takes 10d8 acid damage. Water does not wash away this slime, but a gallon of strong alcohol or universal solvent will remove it. The save DC is Constitution based. Flight (Su) A reptilicus’ fly speed is a supernatural ability. In areas of antimagic, it cannot fly, but takes no damage from a fall and lands on its feet. Improved Regeneration (Su) A reptilicus’ regeneration is reduced only by 5 any round in which it takes cold or fire damage. In order to disable its regeneration, it must take cold or fire damage from enough sources each round to drop the number of hit points regenerated to 0. Swallow Whole (Ex) If a creature cuts its way out of a reptilicus, the reptilicus can use swallow whole again the next round that its regeneration functions.

[samshinechester]

Calmwrimo

What a splendid idea! @winterandwords, thank you!

I'm gonna keep it short and sweet - not a single project, because the ADH of the D says nope and also ohhhh, shiny way too often. This girl is going to be realistic.

A fun and achievable writing goal?

Work on my WIPs for [most] days

An accessible and enjoyable self-care focus?

Drink more water

(I'm really glad I found this! I kept pissing and moaning about the 4589685968 October challenges vs November *crickets*, I guess I must have annoyed a deity enough to throw me a bone. Foolproof tactic.)

[thessalian]

Thess vs Finishing Shit Up

I finished up the Iron Rig DLC for Dregde yesterday. By which I mean, "completed all tasks and all storyline and got 100% completion even if it meant I had to turn off Passive Mode because I have been at 100% completion for that fucking game since before it even had passive mode and I was not ruining it now".

For those of you who haven't got that far yet, here's a couple of tips that I wish I'd known before all the messing about.

Don't throw away all of the black glop that ends up on your ship from time to time. Put some in your storage (even numbers). You will need it.

Do not feed all the fish you catch to the generator. Put some in your storage and let them rot all the way. You will need that too.

If you are lacking in black glop and have cleared every source of said black glop from the map, talk to the Foreman. Doing so will generate more black glop for you to clean up (and collect on your ship).

The reason you need all this stuff is to get the very last fish (number 230 in the encyclopaedia). A Thing will happen when you hand in all the new samples from all four base game zones. You will know it when you see it. When that Thing happens, you will be able to catch Fish 230 if you go under the rig and use the Aberrated Bait you can make with all that rot and black splotch. You will need a fair bit of it because it can take awhile.

Yes, I know the encyclopaedia entry and hover text description is blank for Fish 230. If you want to read it, generate some more glop and deliberately gather as much black splotch as you can, because it's the best way to get to red-level panic and that's when you can read the description. Don't worry - Fish 230 doesn't rot.

You also cannot sell it. If you want your inventory / storage space back, just throw it away.

(Oh, and if you want to do the black-splotch thing for red-level panic? Switch to passive mode. It's a good hack but it will generate a monster. But evading that monster is an achievement so maybe do that on normal mode at least once.)

Exotic bait is a must too, if you're going for full completion. You'll need five containers of it, minimum. Aberrated bait? Well, if you're struggling to catch aberrations, just make as much of it as humanly possible and have fun filling in those particularly irritating entries in the encyclopaedia.

There you go - everything I had to Google for. If you don't play Dredge ... well, maybe this will tempt you into it. And it should - the game's kind of awesome.

So that's one incomplete game down (and it barely counts because I did finish it but then there was DLC). Now all I've got are Horizon Forbidden West and BG3. No, I have not completed a full playthrough yet. Stuff kept getting in the way. Maybe if I'm lucky and I'll be finished the one that's currently somewhere mid act-2 before October rolls around. Because October? October is a month, lemme tell you. TLOVM S3 comes out in October, and that's going to eat chunks out of several weeks because of how Amazon releases episodes of that. The Silent Hill 2 remake comes out on the 8th, and then there's Veilguard on the 31st.

(I should at least try that one. For perfumery, if nothing else.)

Don't talk to me about November either. Arcane S2 comes out first week of November. I don't think I'll be so buried in Thedas that I miss that.

This honestly makes me glad that the Sandman S2 release date seems to have been put back to ... well, they're guessing 2025 sometime. Well, that and hearing Esme Creed-Miles be Cassandra de Rolo at approximately the same time as seeing her do Delirium of the Endless would probably be a bit of tonal whiplash for me.

You know, the people who give nerds shit for "not being mature enough" or some shit should take note. Like, one of the big things about adulthood is the ability to schedule, and to organise one's time. No one organises their time like a nerd looking down the barrel of several release dates for favoured things all coming in the same month.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

By Leanne Italie

November 27, 2023

NEW YORK (AP) — In an age of deepfakes and post-truth, as artificial intelligence rose and Elon Musk turned Twitter into X, the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is “authentic.”

Authentic cuisine. Authentic voice. Authentic self. Authenticity as artifice.

Lookups for the word are routinely heavy on the dictionary company’s site but were boosted to new heights throughout the year, editor at large Peter Sokolowski told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview.

“We see in 2023 a kind of crisis of authenticity,” he said ahead of Monday’s announcement of this year’s word.

“What we realize is that when we question authenticity, we value it even more.”

Sokolowski and his team don’t delve into the reasons people head for dictionaries and websites in search of specific words.

Rather, they chase the data on lookup spikes and world events that correlate.

This time around, there was no particularly huge boost at any given time but a constancy to the increased interest in “authentic.”

This was the year of artificial intelligence, for sure, but also a moment when ChatGPT-maker OpenAI suffered a leadership crisis.

Musk himself, at February’s World Government Summit in Dubai, urged the heads of companies, politicians, ministers and other leaders to “speak authentically” on social media by running their own accounts.

“Can we trust whether a student wrote this paper? Can we trust whether a politician made this statement? We don’t always trust what we see anymore,” Sokolowski said.

“We sometimes don’t believe our own eyes or our own ears. We are now recognizing that authenticity is a performance itself.”

Merriam-Webster’s entry for “authentic” is busy with meaning.

There’s “not false or imitation: real, actual,” as in an authentic cockney accent.

There’s “true to one’s own personality, spirit or character.”

There’s “worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact.”

There’s “made or done the same way as an original.”

And, perhaps the most telling, there’s “conforming to an original so as to reproduce essential features.”

“Authentic” follows 2022’s choice of “gaslighting.”

And 2023 marks Merriam-Webster’s 20th anniversary choosing a top word.

The company’s data crunchers filter out evergreen words like “love” and “affect” vs. “effect” that are always high in lookups among the 500,000 words it defines online.

This year, the wordsmiths also filtered out numerous five-letter words because Wordle and Quordle players clearly use the company’s site in search of them as they play the daily games, Sokolowski said.

Sokolowski, a lexicologist, and his colleagues have a bevy of runners-up for word of the year that also attracted unusual traffic.

They include “X” (lookups spiked in July after Musk’s rebranding of Twitter), “EGOT” (there was a boost in February when Viola Davis achieved that rare quadruple-award status with a Grammy) and “Elemental,” the title of a new Pixar film that had lookups jumping in June.

Rounding out the company’s top words of 2023, in no particular order:

RIZZ: It’s slang for “romantic appeal or charm” and seemingly short for charisma.

Merriam-Webster added the word to its online dictionary in September and it’s been among the top lookups since, Sokolowski said.

KIBBUTZ: There was a massive spike in lookups for “a communal farm or settlement in Israel” after Hamas militants attacked several near the Gaza Strip on October 7.

The first kibbutz was founded circa 1909 in what is today Israel.

IMPLODE: The June 18 implosion of the Titan submersible on a commercial expedition to explore the Titanic wreckage sent lookups soaring for this word, meaning “to burst inward.”

“It was a story that completely occupied the world,” Sokolowski said.

DEADNAME: Interest was high in what Merriam-Webster defines as “the name that a transgender person was given at birth and no longer uses upon transitioning.”

Lookups followed an onslaught of legislation aimed at curtailing LGBTQ+ rights around the country.

DOPPELGANGER: Sokolowski calls this “a word lover’s word.”

Merriam-Webster defines it as a “double,” an “alter ego” or a “ghostly counterpart.”

It derives from German folklore. Interest in the word surrounded Naomi Klein’s latest book, “Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World,” released this year.

She uses her own experience of often being confused with feminist author and conspiracy theorist Naomi Wolf as a springboard into a broader narrative on the crazy times we’re all living in.

CORONATION: King Charles III had one on May 6, sending lookups for the word soaring 15,681% over the year before, Sokolowski said.

Merriam-Webster defines it as “the act or occasion of crowning.”

DEEPFAKE: The dictionary company’s definition is “an image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said.”

Interest spiked after Musk’s lawyers in a Tesla lawsuit said he is often the subject of deepfake videos and again after the likeness of Ryan Reynolds appeared in a fake, AI-generated Tesla ad.

DYSTOPIAN: Climate chaos brought on interest in the word. So did books, movies and TV fare intended to entertain.

“It’s unusual to me to see a word that is used in both contexts,” Sokolowski said.

COVENANT: Lookups for the word meaning “a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement” swelled on March 27, after a deadly mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.

The shooter was a former student killed by police after killing three students and three adults.

Interest also spiked with this year’s release of Guy Ritchie’s "The Covenant” and Abraham Verghese’s long-awaited new novel, “The Covenant of Water,” which Oprah Winfrey chose as a book club pick.

More recently, soon after U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson ascended to House speaker, a 2022 interview with the Louisiana congressman recirculated.

He discussed how his teen son was then his “accountability partner” on Covenant Eyes, software that tracks browser history and sends reports to each partner when porn or other potentially objectionable sites are viewed.

INDICT: Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on felony charges in four criminal cases in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C., in addition to fighting a lawsuit that threatens his real estate empire.

[creative-writing-shit]

》▪︎ Then vs. Now ▪︎《

Welcome to Then vs. Now! In this category of postings, I will include two snippets of my writing from my own original stories. The first will be the original - aka the "then." The second will be the revised - aka the "now."

The general idea is to identify improvement in my current writing from the original writing - hence the "then vs. now!" I hope you find joy in reading it as much as I found joy in writing it.

Today's snippets come from my original story, The Life of a Scientist. I'll include the novel's overall description below:

"Everybody has a story. This story belongs to the one and only Nicholas Riviera. Travel with him on his journey of self-discovery as well as developing his his career as a scientist and raising four children!" - Written in 2020 (I could probably write a better one now if I tried. I did tweek the original a little.)

Original - 21 November 2020

From Chapter One - The Beginning

"Nicholas hopped up from the couch that he had been spending the last two hours sitting on, watching eagerly through the window for his parents to pull in with his new baby brother. He had been being babysat by his Aunt Larissa ever since his father had called to tell her that Clara was going into labor and needed to head to the hospital ASAP. Percy wanted to be right beside his wife the entire time the action was going down, and he didn't want Nicholas left alone, even if he was in a doctor's supervision. Nick was only three years old at the time, after all."

Revised - 28 March 2024

From Chapter One - The Beginning

"For the past two hours, Nicholas had been staring intensely out the large bay window in his living room - the one that overlooked his driveway, which was currently lacking anything worth his interest. His Aunt Larissa had been looking after him ever since his father had called two nights ago to deliver the news that Clara was going into labor. Nick wanted desperately to accompany his parents to the hospital so that he could meet his baby brother the moment he was fresh from the womb, but Percy and Clara both agreed weeks ago that it would be far too stressful to keep track of a three-year-old in the midst of the hospital chaos."

◇ The ultimate goal with this category is to not only help myself realize that I have grown as a writer but to help other young writers realize that with practice, there can be significant improvement!

◇ It isn't easy. You may never feel that your writing can be improved upon. However, if you actively work toward achievement, you can pursue anything.

◇ One of the greatest pieces of advice I received from a teacher of mine was:

"Practice doesn't make you perfect. Practice makes you better."

Post Dividers Credit: @saradika