#odd ballz

[kollector-of-stims]

So we went on a road trip and I went to a Learning Express for the first time! It was a DREAM COME TRUE!! The closest one was in a neighboring state, so for my bday we took a road trip there! It was a BLAST seeing stim toys in stock that I had never seen in person before, only online! I love everything I got! And the little electronic drawing board with the axolotl case is good for drawing stims and non-verbal communication!

[prof-ramses]

Theorizing about the new TADC character teaser!

For those not in the know, Gooseworx posted the first of the above images on her socials yesterday. Obviously teasing future TADC characters.

The second image is an upside down edit, to help get a better gander at the reflections.

As none of these characters match any of the abstracted performers, the most likely option is that these four a NPC created for adventures, or possible, one shared adventure.

For the sake of clarity, the characters will henceforth be referred to as Blue, Pink, Green and Grey.

I'll discuss them individually before giving a theory about episode 2

Blue:

A lot of people have compared this character to the cast of the fighting game Ballz 3D, and predicting they're made of balloons, but upon closer inspection, I have uncovered some details no one else has pointed out.

In addition to making out what appears to be a simplistic face texture, seemingly hovering in front of Blue's face, but the shapes and contours of their limbs make them resemble coils, like a thick rubber version of Gangle's torso.

Pink:

Pink here has understandably been compared to Queenie by many fans, as well as many assuming them to be the leader of this odd group. Other's have drawn comparisons to Baroness Von Bon Bon, which are also understandable. But what else could a detailed look over reveal?

It would appear Pink has a heart pattern on their chest, as well as large puffy hair and an adorable little crown.

Her dress has 2 to 3 layers, depending on if the highlighted segment towards the bottom left is actually anything meaningful.

I also took the liberty of estimating her hand proportions.

Green:

The most "normal" looking of the four, at least in this teaser, kind of like Ragatha in the main cast reflection teaser. The ghostly element is obvious and the extra blur added by their glow affect compounded by the reflection complicates analysis a bit, but I like a challenge.

The first thing that stuck out to me was what I can best describe as a line of many small buttons, like an old fashioned woman's shirt. The change in thickness of one arm also gave the impression of sleeves.

Lastly (and most likely to be parandolia), I think I found the rough outline of a darker patch on the head, likely the actual head.

Grey:

I've seen the most disagreement over what this weirdo is. My first thought was a penguin, but I no longer hold that opinion. Rather, I agree with many others who sight this a a revisit of Frogni (an unused frog design for Pomni). So, let's dissect this thing.

So, Frogni is definitely here in spirit, especially with Grey being the most main cast-like new comer. The orange/bronze arm is what really stuck with me, especially as I haven't seen anyone point it out.

Conclusion:

I think these NPCs will be rivals to the performers (Gangle, Kinger, Ragatha and Pomni) in a "rival showdown" adventure. Jax and Zooble will either opt out or defeat their rivals so quickly that they weren't included (similar to Bubble in the main cast teaser)

[forestshadow-wolf]

Ghost's vampirism had an odd effect where it gave him permanent temperature confusion. So now when it's hot he feels freezing, and when it's cold he's sweating ballz

[thatanthagirl]

!!!!!!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meth highjacks your brain. It’s a perilous path.

If you haven’t.. DON’T. If you’re doing it.. STOP. If you’ve beaten it.. DON’T go back!!

I know and God knows how impossible it seems to escape from the mental hell that is meth addiction.. I struggle day by day, sometimes moment to moment.. but I promise you, LIFE IS BETTER ON THIS SIDE OF THE DOOR!!! I know it’s scary (if you’re in it). I know it seems impossible. I know what it feels like to feel like you’re living someone else’s life.. to feel like you don’t know who you are without it anymore and it might seem easier to just stay in hell than to try to get out and fail..

but please.. KEEP TRYING!! I promise you, once you stop and start to feel like you again.. you will never want to go back.

Satan is telling you lies through that meth pipe, people. It’s a prison. It’s torture. It’s hell. It’s the end of everything good in your whole life. You WILL lose everything but the habit. Even the high will leave. You’ll be left with nothing but your broken soul in an empty shell that used to be your body and it will crumble around you until you feel like you wished you were dead.

We only have ONE life. Even if it seems hopeless.. I promise you, it isn’t. It’s hard, yes. It seems impossible, yes. You might fail a few times, most of us do. But WHEN you make it to this side, you will see clearly again, and life WILL be worth living again!!

no matter how far you've fallen, remember this: the best thing about rock bottom..? THERE'S NO WHERE LEFT TO GO BUT UP!!

[transpornpays]

▶️ Watch this reel

[kaptainsolo]

Mind Games 101

[originalanti]

So true..

[itspvg]

1, 31, 41, 43, 48 for the weird asks

Thank you again for the asks! You are the best!

1 who is/are your comfort character(s)? - Eric Draven from The Crow as well as Roland Deschain from the Dark Tower Series.

Eric Darven was always a character I loved because I find myself, if I am allowed to give myself this title. A hopeless romantic at heart. And there's something about the story of loving someone so much to the point where they are taken from you and treated with such malice and contempt. That you can't rest knowing that those who would hurt someone that you loved that much has suffered. While dark, I can't help but love the character and the story. It's dark but to me it speaks to my sense of feeling toward the concept of love in a very primal way.

With Roland Deschain, it's an odd choice. But I find comfort in his character. He's a character that is developed and you travel with across 7+ books. You see him at his formative years. Right through to what the read can only assume hundreds of years later. Stedfast on a trip through the horrors and wastes for revenge. Again a character looking to avenge those he has lost. These span close friends, family and a childhood love. A man that has been so battered and broken by the harsh realities and challenges. To the point when we first find him, he's a single minded husk. A wandering lone gunslinger/knight who has one goal in mind. But along the way, he's forced to look at himself. Accept that the world is a cold harsh place and the safe home in the comfort in others is why he fights for vengence. Given the opportunity to have friends again, to become an unexpected father. He begins to find his humanity again and understand his quest. So that people don't have to feel what he felt, hurt like he's hurt. That evolution in the character I find comfort in from the stand point that it reminds me that how you start doesn't define how you end. And that you can always strive for better.

31 what type of music keeps you grounded? - These days it's hard to say. I feel like the vibe of the music and the emotion I am experiencing can have wildy big effects on me. When I am feeling sad. I need something that connects to that emotion. If I am feeling lost, music themes around the idea of self discovery cna be helpful. Thankfully as time has went on. I listen to more than just Metal and Rock. I still love these genres but sometimes I need the lyrics to speak to me directly. I need to hear the concepts even just lightly touch upon the things I am feeling at the time. There are some good artists in Metal and Rock that can do that. But then these days where it's not the right vibe. I need something with a bit of vibrancy. When I think about it. I think back to what one of my heroes in music, Marty Friedman (form Megadeth Lead Guitarist) said something that really made sense to me. He talked about when deciding the leave the band. He needed to be able to make music that spoke to him. Megadeth was Gunmetal Gray. He wanted to paint with greens, blues, oranges, purples. And that struck a chord with me as I got older. It's not the say the Gumetal gray is bad. But I needed a wider palet. And so I guess with this long winded answer. I am trying to say, what grounds me will be very much what can connect with me depending on the driving force of that emotion.

41 how do you take your coffee? - A simple one to actually answer lol. I am sure you are happy about this... Typically I like a single serving of sugar or sweetner. And lightest splash of milk/cream.

43 what’s your take on spicy foods? - I like spicy foods a lot. They have been something I have been always quite fond of growing up. But I do tend to be of the opinion that spice for the sake of spice alone is stupid. I like flavour and if the spice can emobody an interesting flavour. I love it. But you see these fucking sauce "MEGA NUKE ASS BLASTER SATAN'S TEARS WHILE APPLYING A CHEESE GRATOR TO YOUR BALLZ sauce" can get in the bin. Fucking gimmicks that just ruin a good meal.

48 when did you first try an alcohol beverage? - Oh christ, that's a story lol. First time I think I can remmeber trying a alcoholic beverage was when I got my hands on this 35cl bottle of Jack Daniels. I must of been about 15 maybe? Maybe 14. It's hard to remember... But we all had this moment where one of friends had an empty house, no folks home. So a bunch of us got together and somehow scrapped together money for alcohol. Now of course at this point I am just getting into Rock and Metal and you see all your favourite artists drinking Jack Daniels. It's in their hands in pictures and they are wearing t shirts with the logo. So you are like "Well this is what they drink and I want to be cool like them". So I manage to get this small bottle of Jack. Not understanding the difficulty mode I just decided to start on in the drinking game. I try glugging this down and of course, my small child brain ain't fucking stomaching this shit. So I get some cranberry juice from my mate. Try and mix it and get it down easier. It works. But next thing I know I have slugged the whole fucking bottle. Needless to say I am fucking absolutely Greenhoused, not able to fucking think for myself or stand an hour later. I end up sloshed against a wall at the top of my street barely keeping myself right and eventually puking into my friend's lap. He's never let me live that down, nor should he. I was an idiot....

Again I apologise for the massive answers. I dunno, I guess I am just wordy tonight but I hope that is ok and you don't hate me too much for just giving you war and peace... Again really enjoyed doing these and would encourage anyone curious to send more in!

[filthyzaya-likes-to-draw]

The perks of being a character with an incorrect description of DID! ...there are plenty of them, surprisingly not just abusing yourself and people around you.

or

Oh that Ahomine boi, confused again.

[originalanti]

I'm a psychopath...BUT WE ALL ALREADY KNEW THAT....

[uclaradio]

Heartworms - The Shins // Album Review

Written By: Lillian Stanwick

Post Date: 4/4/17

There certainly is an audience for Heartworms, but it's not the same audience that enjoyed Oh, Inverted World or Chutes Too Narrow. There are various hints of The Shins’ past on Heartworms, such as the Shakespeare reference in “Name For You.” However, this new album - the first in five years - sounds distinctly separate from the band's previous works.

The title "Heartworms" refers to a creature which invades, a nuisance, a parasite. I cannot help but feel that fans of The Shins' earlier albums will interpret the increased synthesizer usage on Heartworms as acting in a similar way, overwhelming the songs' lyrics and pulling The Shins away from their past albums characterized by simpler rhythms and poignant prose. The lyrics of "Fantasy Island" ache of the emotional anxiety suffered by frontman James Mercer during his rather nomadic childhood, but you can barely make them out under the pulse of the synth-heavy song. What could have been a beautiful, introspective, stripped-down number instead sounds like STRFKR has invaded it.

"Mildenhall" returns to the simpler sound of the earlier Shins, but "Rubber Ballz" soon brings back the synth. It should also be noted that "Rubber Ballz" harks to the parasitic theme introduced by the title, as Mercer gripes about his unending lust for a troublesome lover.

The album makes a confusing change of pace with "Half A Million," which I'd describe as the ‘one thing’ that is not like the others. The song is a catchy, pandering anthem to partying and seems devoid of any past elements of The Shins' sound. "Dead Alive" then harks back to the sad nostalgia of "Fantasy Island," further separating "Half A Million" as an odd track on the album.

The album's title track, "Heartworms," feels like The Shins of Wincing The Night Away while building on the album's established theme. Mercer sings of the futility of trying to impress a cold woman and his frustrating inability to rid himself of the feelings he has been infested with. "Now I'm trying to figure out when it was you gave me these heartworms/I feel them wriggling in my blood, you gonna do me harm," one verse states in blatant metaphor.

"So Now What" is an annoying addition to the album, likely only included because the track appears in the film "Wish I Was Here." "Fear" is an appropriate closer. It is as emotionally wrought as "Fantasy Island," with subtle psychedelic notes lent by the synth and mellotron, yet it maintains the lyrical pathos that has come to define The Shins.

If you liked Port of Morrow, then it is likely that you will be pleased with Heartworms. However, for those who fancy The Shin's earlier work, Heartworms leaves something to be desired. Although well intentioned, the use of the synth left me yearning for something more stripped. The growing use of this type of sound with each of The Shin's subsequent albums feels almost as invasive and unwarranted as the creature for which this most recent release was named after. If The Shin's release of a "flipped" version of "Name For You" is any indication of their future work, it is unlikely that listeners similar to myself will be appeased with a return to the band's older releases.

[a1town2called3hypocrisy]

Ballz 30/11/19 00:43.

So I've been pretty shit so far at this so future me bare with me while I try and make this part of my nightly routine sorry.

Anyway, so where were we? Oh yeah so this week has been pretty awesome actually lots happend, first off it was my mums birthday on Friday last week she totally thought I forgot (As if I'd forget the most important person in my lifes birthday). So I went to hers after work and chatted gave her her gifts she showed me lots of old photos alot I had uploaded to her old computer when I was like 21/22 some embarrassing and interesting stuff there in first year uni lol. But also some good project work I'd thought id lost.

So after I went to mum I came home and went to dnd awesome sesson killed the big bad didn't die are team is unbeatable boooyeah.

So Saturday I did some overtime at the warehouse on double time which is worked out on my salary broken down to its hourly rate and doubled from 8 till 1 so 10 hours worth of paid work not a bad day, all I did was pick and chat to some other people from around the business made a few new friends gemma and phil are both pretty cool.

I then went to meet my mum for lunch went to the woodlark had a lovely 16oz steak (I know I know meat, but come on last week 4 out of the 7 days I didn't eat any meat at all and had little on the other 2 days so this was a treat) it was sooo good and had some lovely chats with my mum on the way there and while eatting and on the way back. I should really see her more if my nans death has taught me anything it's that my mum won't be around for ever I used make the most of it while I can.

Then we had the most insane party at mine and Bryn we went to the cobbett for Grace's birthday and literally 11 people were in the house until about 5am until the last people were leaving at 6:45am it was great music friends drink and Charlotte brought sparklers and only joe and connor managed to burn themselfs lots of fun was had, lovely chat with bryn and Julia on my bed as well as trying to inform connor about why I want to eat less meat very amusing "but steak paul, but steak!"

The work week has been ok we started a new timetables it different I do orders by myself on Thursdays and that's pretty busy this week and processed 50 odd payments so I can probably do a little better but I did fairly well tbf.

And tomorrow is both my managers baby shower/colleagues birthday/finances xmas gathering which should be pretty fun with some good food and some good chats with everyone.

Also at work ummm idk I've been really enjoying conversations on the phone with one of the sales girls I feel like there has been some flirting both sides and I will see how that goes at both games night and the big Christmas party.

It's been a good week hopefully keep up going to the gym tomorrow we will see.