#probably I've been listening to the adventure zone too much? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

riddlerosehearts · 6 months

Note

Okay now EYE must ask you - how are you liking BG3??? How far are you?? Tell me about your Tav!!!! (Please and thank you <3)

hi!! 💖 i only started the game a few days ago and it was an impulse decision i made after having previously told a friend of mine that i definitely wanted to play it but that it'd probably take me a while to get around to it (and, because i thought i wouldn't play anytime soon i hadn't really been trying to avoid spoilers). but, i have the PC version and while it generally runs just fine, my computer is kind of slow and the game is so big that it took hours to download and install. so i kind of went ahead and started to come up with a whole character idea during that time LOL. sorry if my explanations of things get a bit too rambly/disorganized. i'm actually not very far in the game at all yet, i've been spending a ton of time doing stuff in the druids grove and i'm supposed to go find halsin but i haven't even gotten karlach in my party yet! i've recruited all the main companions except for her but i am excited to meet her. gonna put the rest of this under a cut for length.

my only background with DND is that i listened to the first campaign of the adventure zone and i've watched the legends of vox machina show. i also have a friend who's super into her own DND campaign and another friend who's told me a lot about dimension 20, specifically fantasy high--and i've considered trying it out for her but haven't gotten around to it yet! i think she actually told me the same thing about the episode lengths making it easier to get into than critical role, because i had tried critical role and it was just so long that i couldn't stick with it. but, yeah, i've also looked at the forgotten realms wiki a bit but i've never actually played DND. i have played skyrim and final fantasy 14 and some other similar RPGs with customizable blank-slate protagonists, and in those types of games i always have to make OCs to roleplay as--usually i'll think up a basic idea to start with and then flesh the character out as i get into the game. they're never really self-inserts but i do often project onto them a little.

so, in games like these my first character is usually an elf that specializes in elemental/destructive magic. idk why, that's just what i've always liked. in ff14 i started out as a black mage without knowing it was the hardest class to play LMAO. soooo i went into this planning to create a high elf sorcerer, but as i started writing out ideas and thinking about what to do, i ended up creating a half-high elf bard. they're transmasc/nonbinary and in my head they use he/they pronouns, but i picked the nb option in the character creator and that causes npcs to actually use they/them in dialogue which i think is so cool. i love that the character creator is so inclusive in regards to gender.

anyway, i named them elenion, which is something i took from the lord of the rings universe because i'm a huge nerd. in LOTR it's an elvish word that basically means "of the stars". here's a couple screenshots i took when i first started. let's just ignore the fact that this hairstyle clips into elf ears (and also that the face preset is from a mod i downloaded).

i didn't really give him a tragic backstory or even the most interesting story haha--i'm wanting to do something bigger and angstier with another character on a second playthrough when i'm more familiar with the lore and world of the game. and i'll probably also end up changing or expanding on some things about this character later, but for now i just kind of made a normal guy with normal problems. i had this idea that his father, a human who attracted the attention of a beautiful elf woman, was also a bard and was a very successful musician in his youth. so elenion has always shared his father's passion and dreamed of being like him, being able to effortlessly tell incredible tales and inspire crowds of people through song, but no matter how much he studies and practices he never feels good enough. if he seems confident it's usually just because he's gotten really good at faking it. he's also pretty reserved and often avoids having to talk about himself by asking a lot of questions. see, i kind of wanted to specifically find a way to not roleplay the usual sort of loud, flirty, goofy bard, lol. not that i dislike those kinds of characters or anything though!

however, bards are meant to be super charismatic, witty, and persuasive and of course the game strongly encourages that with the dialogue options and skill bonuses you get. so my way of explaining this is to have elenion be a bit like raine from the owl house, in that they may be shy, but they're very firm in their ideals and are no pushover when it comes to protecting themself or their allies. they're clever and have a snarky side to them, and they're genuinely friendly and caring in a way that gives them a sense of quiet charisma. which reminds me that one of the spells i gave them at the start was sleep, and it's made me imagine that when they were a kid they tried calming a crying baby by playing a lullaby on their lute and accidentally ended up casting their first spell.

oh, and, i also wasn't really sure at first where in the world i wanted elenion to come from but i decided on something pretty quickly after getting multiple of those dialogue options suggesting that the protagonist is baldurian! i pictured them growing up in a somewhat small town with their family but moving to baldur's gate as an adult, hoping that if they left the comfort of their home and started to journey out into the world a little they'd eventually find their spark and become the bard they wanted to be. unfortunately they've had little luck so far because even after all this time they can't see that maybe their whole fixation on trying to be just like their father and achieve the exact same kind of success that he had is holding them back. the fact that their father died the year after they moved away hasn't helped either. and now, in the middle of traveling to a historical site that they'd wanted to see in person and use as inspiration for a song, they've been abducted by mindflayers and are struggling with the massive upheaval that this has brought into their relatively mundane life.

so. yeah. my tav for this first playthrough may not be the most unique or exciting character but i like him! i like figuring out what kind of choices he'll make and thinking up new ideas for what he likes and how he sees the world. also, i find it funny how in your reply to my ask you said you thought you'd be into gale but then you fell for astarion--because i thought that i'd be all over the edgy, brooding, snarky vampire man, but it turns out gale is so charming and funny that i'm probably going to romance him first. i'm also pretty intrigued by shadowheart and wyll but i'm so early in the game that i can't even say who i think my overall favorite companion will be because they all seem so interesting!! even karlach despite the fact that i haven't actually met her yet, i've seen a bunch of cool gifsets of her and my brother told me he's been romancing her on his playthrough. i really need to go find her soon.

i'm sure you can tell from everything i wrote here that i am definitely enjoying the game LOL. i can already tell that there's just so many different things to do and see, that i will both need and want to do a lot of different playthroughs and that it's going to be something that sticks with me. nothing wrong with using guides and walkthroughs btw! i do it too because i'm worried about missing too many things and have the world's worst sense of direction even with a minimap. honestly i probably need to look up some guides for certain mechanics that i don't feel like i've really figured out yet. there's a sarcophagus trap in the ruins early in the game that got me SO stuck and got my whole party wiped and then i looked up a video and found out you could turn off the whole trap system by pushing a switch... i felt so stupid askjdfgf.

anyway, i think this got to be way too long of a reply so i will stop here! but if you ever wanna tell me more about your tav or anything definitely feel free to and i hope you're having an awesome day!

#asks #nerdalmighty #i hope all of this actually makes some kind of sense lol #i'm really not a great writer but i just think coming up with OCs with fleshed out personalities #and trying to get into their heads makes games like this more fun #and also ty for the ask!! 💖#baldur's gate 3

6 notes · View notes

calamity-unlocked · 10 months

Text

Sigh. I accidentally posted my half-finished answer to a really kind ask and then in a panic deleted all of it.

So! Rewriting it all. (Hope you'll see this, anon <3) I unfortunately don't have a copy of the ask, but what anon basically asked for were my reasons why I stopped listening to dndads.

There are a couple, mostly boiling down to that I felt increasingly frustrated with Anthony and the waste of potential in season 2. I'll elaborate on this - really happy someone asked me about this actually, I've been looking for an excuse to write out my thoughts on the matter.

Dndads negativity under the cut (aka hater hours)

First of all prefacing this with saying that the most important factor was probably my personal mental health. But we're not here to talk about that, we're here to rant!! So, here is my little wordspew which I've been wanting to write for literal months:

Rejecting the Storytelling Medium You Use and Ignoring the Consequences

Let's start on a positive note; I love the comedy of this show and the cast's chemistry. Every time I listened to an episode, I laughed so hard my jaw hurt. They are incredibly funny people.

However, every time as the credits rolled after "On My Way," a sense of nervous disappointment lingered. The problem sat in season 2's story. Every episode is funny, but the narrative steps that were taken were just frustrating, going in a direction that lead either to meaningless conflict or another fetch quest with minimal results.

Dungeons and Daddies should not be a Dungeons and Dragons podcast.

People struggling with the rules and deciding to do their own thing with it can have its charm - it never annoyed me in the first season of the Adventure Zone. But with dndads it actively hinders the show and the storytelling.

It's just... Anthony isn't that good of a DM.

He knows the rules of d&d 5e. He just doesn't want to use them. He gets frustrated when his players take creative actions that undermine the story he planned out. An example is the confrontation between the teens and Willy. Lots of really creative actions and high-level spells were used, but Anthony consistently shut those down and in the end it all went according to how he wanted it to go.

They frequently rerecord scenes when they feel it didn't work out. That's not exactly letting the dice decide, which is what the whole genre is based on!

My sister and I used to speculate on where the story could go, and we often jokes 'this is good stuff, Anthony Buch take notes', and those jokes turned from (affectionate) to (derogatory) once it became clear to us that the direction Anthony was taking really didn't sit right with us.

Season 2 truly had so much potential. We have a set of really interesting PCs who have a strong relationship with a set of equally (if not more) interesting NPCs. The setup of the Doodler as a bbeg was great - and so was the reveal of the Doodler's true feelings.

But the story dragged out, didn't grow, the jokes detracted and distracted from the narrative, emotional beats were unearned, etc. I was bored with the characterization of the kiddads and their actions. The return of the og dads was messy and took away from the story. The three month time skips during a period in which there were supposed to be stakes made me want to rip my hair out.

There's a whole other essay I can make about how d&dads undermines it own stakes, but this is already getting too long so that's for another time.

Also, and I'm so sorry to use Anthony as a punching bag this much, but the man verbally undermines himself so much. He constantly says he doesn't like the second season, negatively compares both PCs and storybeats with the first season, and disses his own capabilities. I understand anxiety well, believe me I do, but continuously saying that you don't think this thing you've created is any good to your fans on your own podcast gets frustrating. This seems to me something you share your personal circle or your therapist, not to your thousands of fans who probably listen to the podcast because it brings them joy!

I have so much more to say, talking about this truly sparks joy in me. But all that matters I suppose is that I've happily divorced. Sadly writing about Lark Oak genuinely helps me cope with all the stuff that's going on, so I'll be tied to this podcast for a while longer.

#if anyone wants to shittalk dndads i'm your gal #favorite activity #also anons timing was so good #i logged in to tumblr to post #'so be real. do you guys seriously think the story of dndads s2 is good'#when i saw the message in my inbox #answers and such #sweet anons

11 notes · View notes

thefringespod · 1 year

Text

Okay I know I already reblogged @the-sassy-composer 's post about story inspiration but I would like to expand upon things because I went back to some of my earlier notes and I left off a major player in the original inspiration of this show

Starting with the more average inspirations, we've got The Adventure Zone and Dimension 20. I'm looping them together because a lot of my inspirations for this show are d&d based and my love of d&d comes from these shows. This show was originally set in a planar system like in d&d (specifically the one that features heavily in TAZ Balance). It also was originally going to have ttrpg elements to the creation and execution of the show (side note: if you wanna see a show that's actually *doing* that, check out @souloperatorpod) There's something about the way that TAZ and D20 weave magic and sci-fi (see TAZ: Balance and D20: A Starstruck Odyssey for the best examples, though most of my D20 inspo was actually The Unsleeping City) that has always really spoken to me and greatly influenced the magic systems I used on the Fringes

Like every depressed 15 year old on Tumblr, I watched a LOT of Doctor Who. It's a huge part of my sci-fi-ish inspirations (the multiple realities and ways to travel between them mostly. Yes in DW they travel through time but the feeling I'm trying to evoke is similar). Sci-fi that deals with traveling between worlds or time or realities has always been something I've loved and a lot of that fascination stems back to Doctor Who (and also Marvel comics but they're less of an actual inspiration and more of a fix for my multiverse needs)

And then there's Between the Lions

If you were not a USAmerican child watching PBS between 2000-2010, Between the Lions was a children's educational puppet show (more like Muppets than hand puppets but not official Muppets) that followed a family of lions who worked/lived in a library. It was like an anthology series for kids, each episode featuring a different children's story being read

The original drafts of the Fringes very heavily followed the idea "what if Between the Lions had a psychological horror element"

Before it was on the Fringes, this story took place in the Library. The Library (she/her) was a sentient and infinite library where our Storyteller (any) lived. The Storyteller would read stories from the lives of those living in the realities outside of the Library to the Wanderer. If you've listened to the Fringes, you can probably see that the Library became Minerva, the Storyteller became the Keeper, and the Wanderer has always been wandering. And if you've listened to the Fringes you can probably figure out what the Library had done in my original drafts. In addition to kidnapping, however, the Library also fully consumed anyone who came into the library by absorbing all of their stories and leaving them nothing but bones. Between the Lions! With kidnapping and horror implications!

I left the Library because I kept getting stuck there, eventually finding the room to breathe and create on the Fringes. That said, my first introduction to anthology was Between the Lions and it did still influence a lot my creative process and what ended up becoming the Fringes

I'm going to close this out by returning to The Adventure Zone and one of my favorite quotes of all time "See, there’s magic in a bard’s song. They call it inspiration, and it tells the listener what they need to hear right when they need to hear it. And right now, you hear it too." Inspiration is a form of magic. In d&d it helps you add to your roll. In real life, it helps you create things that you never thought possible until it *happened*. Seeing a bunch of other creators talking about their inspirations for their shows has been so much fun, especially when you know the stuff well enough to see it reflected in their work

#pines notes #long post

14 notes · View notes

pierregazly · 5 months

Note

may I also request a ⚓️? i'm french-spanish (so I speak both fluently), and an aeronautical engineering student in college. i'm energetic, humorous, and always ready to go on an adventure and try new things! big dog person, extroverted, huge fan of anything adrenaline (rollercoasters, horror movies... I used to dream of being a pilot!) but I also have a much softer side - i've been playing the piano and writing for roughly fifteen years and they're my sweet escape. i look tough and bubbly and unshakeably optimistic but im actually a big anxious softie at heart and i love people unconditionally<3 i play rugby, do cheer, and surf! the ocean is The most therapeutical place in the world for me also :) oh and i'm a libra! thank you very much <3

⚓️ give me a small description of yourself/your hobbies/your zodiac signs/life and i’ll ship you with a driver

omg heck yes you can!! i'm in the midst of working on the moodboard as well 🫶🏻

okay so, i've been contemplating this for a few minutes and i can't actually place it down to just one specific driver. so i'm going to ship you with two! im so sorry im so indecisive sometimes lol

first, i do think you would mesh very well with carlos sainz. although, your zodiac signs aren't the most compatible, i do think he would really adore your extroverted, adventurous personality; and he would admire your passion and intelligence - always encouraging you to push harder and achieve what you've set out to. i also really think he would be beneficial for times when you're anxious or feeling soft and just need a lil extra loving, he'd be more than happy to sit around and listen to you play piano or learn how to surf for you (also carlos + a dog lover is a thing).

second, i actually think oscar piastri would be a very great option too. he would absolutely love how intelligent you are, likely be completely in awe whenever you talk about your courses and what you're currently learning. while oscar isn't the most extroverted person, he is incredibly adventurous and would probably even take you out of your comfort zone a bit and encourage you to push past any anxiety that may be bubbling up. he would for sure be at any event of yours as well, whether it's rugby, cheer, or paddling along beside you on a surfboard (aries being oscar's zodiac sign means you guys would for sure balance each other out really well, also!)

thanks for celebrating with me!! 🤭

#ugh i really do love shipping #it was my big thing back in my 1d tumblr days lmao #anyways thank you for celebrating w/ me 🫶🏻#hope you love your ships!!!#musicallisto #pierregazly's 1.5k celebration #f1 ships #ships

5 notes · View notes

holdmecloser-gandydancer · 10 months

Text

20 Questions for fic writers

Tagged by @room-on-broom (thank you!!)

tagging @barry-j-blupjeans @ceilingfan5 @noodyl-blasstal @anistarrose and anyone else who'd like to!!

1. How many works do you have on A03?

23!!

2. What's your total A03 word count?

192,336 which feels insane to me!!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Basically just the adventure zone and then I have also been writing some stuff for various ttrpg characters of my own!

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Say it with Flours, The Only One On Your A.M. Radio, Some of my best friends are liches, Take it like a Man, and is it too late to say it's not what it looks like?

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to!! I just like interacting with people who like the stuff I make, especially when they're kind enough to comment!!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

So all of my bigger fics tend not to have mega angsty endings, but there's that one ficlet I wrote about the twins and hair dye that is just angst city

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending Probably say it with flours!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

One guy once got big mad about starblaster lanes because he thought the setting was stupid and that John hunger (who was a throwaway, nonnamed character in the fic) was ooc and that the twins were too mean. like, buddy I don't think we listened to the same podcast, they can be little shits

9. Do you write smut?

As of RHAPAW, I do! it's not like, my most favorite thing to write (not because I don't like it, I just don't think I'm super good at it)

10. Do you write crossovers?

no, but when I was in junior high I had a grand plan for this like. mega cross over fic that involved characters from Hannibal, welcome to night vale, doctor who, supernatural, h*rry p*tter, and also sherlock. the plot was nonexistent but I remember that Hannibal was going to be like. the new professor at the private school everyone attended together

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

nope!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes and no? so I have like. a fic in progress with larissa that I don't think either of us have touched in months, and then Hali and I have put Something Bigger Than The Sky on indefinite hiatus. but also so much of my process just involves talking back and forth for hours so they usually feel pretty collaborative by the end

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

like. It’s blupjeans it Has to be blupjeans. I was really into Amy and rory pond when I was younger and that just primed me for blupjeans

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

so I dont necessarily like assuming I won't finish a fic ever but the ones that are lowest on my priority are the warlock taakitz thing and then my resurrection roadtrip (simply because I Know that one will be big and it feels daunting)

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm good at getting into a character's head and writing a truthful internal monologue and good dialogue.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

actually moving the damn plot along and pacing

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I've never done it because I know one (1) language but I think it's neat when other people do it!!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

the hunger games! I was intent on writing Annie Cresta's games BY HAND during study hall in seventh grade

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

It has to be RHAPAW, right? like it was SUCH a big effort but it's my baby :3

#rip (reeses in pieces)#ask game #long post #fic talk

6 notes · View notes

proserpine-in-phases · 8 years

Text

Tagged by @acequeenking for a meme!

Rule: Tag nine people you want to get to know better!

Relationship status: entirely lacking in the ability to be emotionally vulnerable and open enough to form romantic connections, and entirely too aware of that fact so like. single as fuck, and fine with it.

Favorite color: gimme all them fine ass blue colors in the cerulean to aqua to navy, just all of them, I love the color blue

Lipstick or chapstick: Chapstick, especially in the winter when if I don’t use it my lips will bleed.

Last song I listened to: whatever song it is that plays for the intro to the adventure zone, I guess.

Last movie I watched: In Theaters? shit, I don’t even remember. was it deadpool? I think it was deadpool. on tv, I think pacific rim? but I’m not 100% sure about either of these, because it’s been a really fuckin long time since I’ve watched any movie at all.

Top 3 TV shows: The three shows I’ll watch whenever they’re on and I’m watching TV are Forensic Files, Face Off (I should specify that I mean the monster make up competition show and not the john travolta/nic cage 90s action flick) and Project Runway. Three shows that ARENT reality tv shows that I really love are, shocking no one, Danny Phantom, Cowboy Bebop and Trigun.

Top 3 characters: just randomly because I have a hard time ranking this type of thing:

- I mean obviously Dave Strider from homestuck, he’s been my icon for like over a year now so he seems like a shoe in

- Leia Rolando from Tales of Xillia, just a ray of fuckin sunshine and positivity and self doubt, and an anchor of normalcy in a cast made up of geniuses, traitors, and a literal goddess. I love her.

- Dib from Invader Zim. I’ve always loved the Cassandra type characters, who know what’s up but are never believed. plus he has a lot of great lines.

Top 3 ships:

- Female Shepard/ Garrus Vakarian/ Tali’Zorah – I knew I wanted to jump that bird man’s bones the minute I saw him in the council chambers, and I fell in love with tali the second she threw that grenade. he’s a fuckin nerd, so earnest but sarcastic, and with a paragon shep tamping down his worse traits, and tali taking the piss out of him as needed. tali is so sweet and so obviously just a little in love with both of them by the time the end of me3 rolls around depending on who’s romanced and all that. and shep, with the two squad mates who’ve been with her through it all, being able to rely on them for support in all areas of her life, both in and out of combat. just damn. I love it. anyway, yeah. ot3.

- grey ghost aka danny/valerie. love me some of that adversarial secret identity complicated conflicted romantic bullshit, hell yeah. they have such a great dynamic both when val’s trying to murder his ghost ass and when they’re two “normal” teenagers trying to figure out this whole dating thing, plus I love me some of that irony what with the danny knowing what’s up but val not and shit. good shit.

- dave/jade/karkat- two for three on the ship list with ot3s what can I say? I just love how these three interact, especially what we see in the snapchats where apparently they all live together haha

Books I’m currently reading:

well I mean I’ve picked up a few books to read, including Hawk by Steven Brust, the latest (?) in the Vlad Taltos series which I have loved since high school, and a collection of short stories by Margaret Atwood, and the mass effect official books, but I can’t really say I’ve been reading them because instead I’ve been listening to the Adventure Zone, and when I haven’t been doing that I’ve been reading fanfic more than anything else.

ps the ao3 tags for both taz and for like, all of the tales games I care about are really small, someone should get on that and write more, I’ve reached the end for like, all of them haha.

Tagging: Whoever, you can say I tagged you. I just don’t like putting people on the spot, you dig? but like, if you read this and wished I had tagged you, then consider yourself tagged my man, fill out the survey and submit to win a prize (the prize is the joy of living your truth)

#meme #getting to know you #getting to know what you're like #probably I've been listening to the adventure zone too much?#I mean I'm almost done with a second complete listen and am contemplating a third just becuase why the hell not

2 notes · View notes

newcatwords · 3 years

Text

where is hawai'i? can you point to it on a map?

if someone asks you to point to hawai'i on a map, where would you point?

before colonization, there was (and continues to be) an island called "hawai'i". the entire chain of islands is called "hawaii" and there is a state called "hawaii" made up of a large number of those islands.

now, because there are too many things named "hawaii," the island of hawai'i is often called "the big island", because o'ahu, the island where the city of honolulu is located, is what many people think of when they think of "hawaii". it's a mess.

on top of that, we have the "main hawaiian islands" (aka "southeastern islands" aka "windward islands") vs the "outer islands" (aka "northwestern islands" aka "leeward islands").

most maps of "hawaii" show only the "main" islands. the map above (created by USGS) shows more of the hawaiian islands, but omits the names of two of the islands in the "main" chain: lana'i & kaho'olawe. these are not insignificant omissions. lana'i is 98% owned by larry ellison, founder & chairman of oracle corporation. kaho'olawe has been relentlessly used & abused by the west. it has been used for ranchland, military training, and most notably, as a munitions testing site, resulting in the continued contamination of the island. after many years of protests & lawsuits by native hawaiians, the island is now only accessible by native hawaiians for cultural, spiritual, & subsistence reasons.

meanwhile, this tourist mug with a creepy colonial-style map of hawaii includes both kaho'olawe & lana'i. good job, tourist mug!

there are actually over a hundred islands in the hawaiian archipelago. the state of hawaii includes 137 of them (source). midway atoll (made up of 3 islands) is part of the archipelago, but not part of the state. it is one of america's territories: an unorganized unincorporated territory.

additionally, some of the islands "are too small to appear on maps, and others, such as Maro Reef, only appear above the water's surface during times of low tide. Others, such as Shark and Skate islands, have completely eroded away." [source: wikipedia page "list of islands of hawaii"].

in the course of writing this post, i failed to find a map that shows & names all the hawaiian islands and failed to even find a list of all of them (plus if an island only appears sometimes or has disappeared entirely, what do you even do with that?). if you find either or both of those, let me know in comments.

so where and what "hawaii" is remains a mystery.

but this has not prevented commercial & official interests from using maps of "hawaii" in all kinds of places! here on the islands, hawaii map imagery is all around.

maps are very common on tourist items:

the hawaiian telcom logo uses dots roughly arranged in the pattern of the islands on a map:

but i guess only five islands are worth including (i understand. branding needs come above all else!).

this souvenir cloth item is interesting because it includes all the main islands (including ni'ihau, lana'i, and kaho'olawe - which are often excluded), but smooshes them into the available space without much consideration for where they are in relation to each other:

the postcard above has the main islands in their rough places, but squishes them all together so that they fit in the space. also the islands are made more similar in size to each other so that you can better see the little illustrations.

here's a more "official" map to show where the islands "should be" in relation to each other, and their sizes relative to each other (although both of those can change depending on what projection the map uses):

in my mind, though, the ultimate hawaii map fantasy lives on the ubiquitous reusable walmart cloth bag (available for 50 cents at checkout to all who have forgotten to bring the right number of bags. there's a plastic shopping bag ban in hawaii.):

in the walmart commercial universe (wcu), the only islands that exist are islands that have a walmart. the general outlines of the islands & their general orientation is preserved (along with a rough topology too!), attempting to convey a sense of adhering to a recognizable reality, but islands without a walmart have been not only omitted, but the space where they would be has been eliminated as well - as if they were never there to begin with. in the walmart version of reality, what makes something "hawaii" is whether or not it has a walmart on it.

i've had a lot of time to think about this remarkable image because i have a whole bunch of these bags. this is the bag of the people - everyone uses it for everything. the one in the above photo is in a typical state - pretty rough - because it probably came from the side of the road. you can almost always find one on the side of the road. so wherever you are, you are probably within sight of the walmart version of the islands.

so why does it matter whether or not you can point to "hawaii" on a map? well, maps are political documents, meaning that they reflect the vision of whoever has the power to put the map in front of your eyes. so if you're the one with the power to make some of the most commonly-seen maps of hawaii and you decide to remove a few islands, well that can really shape what people think "hawaii" is! we're a sea of islands - many people here have only ever been to one or two of the islands. if it wasn't on the map, you might not know that it existed at all.

hawaii is incredibly important to the united states, not just for tourism, but in terms of global strategy. it's the largest outpost of american power in the middle of the pacific. it puts america & its troops half an ocean closer to some of america's biggest competitors, most notably, china. it's a springboard to all the other island territories of the pacific (which you maybe haven't heard of because they almost never appear on maps):

once you see a map of all of america's territories in the pacific, along with the exclusive economic zones (eez) that extend out for 200 miles around each island, you start to get a better feel for the extent of america's power in the pacific.

when a place is left off the map, it can be easy to make it (including its people!) invisible. so if you're america, with bases across the islands of the pacific, with a nightmarish history of atomic weapons testing in the pacific (rendering islands uninhabitable and leaving both land and waters too contaminated for people to use), perhaps you might not want some of these places to appear on the map.

in Foreign Policy in Focus, Khury Petersen-Smith writes:

"Many of us living in North America who are concerned about climate change, for example, have a sense that Pacific Islands are facing particularly severe impacts from rising sea levels. But that knowledge tends to be vague and limited, as actual residents of these islands are rarely invited to the table to speak for themselves.

This is not accidental. Commenting during the Nixon administration on U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, which share the same region of the Pacific as Guam, Henry Kissinger said “there are only 90,000 people out there. Who gives a damn?”

The U.S. has long had an interest in Marshallese and other Pacific Islanders remaining “out there” in the American mind. This marginalization helps allow the U.S. to carry out military operations in the region, along with policies that further climate change and other harms, while keeping most Americans unaware of these practices’ impacts in the Pacific." [FPIF]

often hawai'i (and alaska - which is in many ways similar to hawai'i in its relation to the contiguous US) doesn't even appear on national maps of the USA.

here's a screenshot from the new york times homepage on march 21, 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic was beginning to spread:

there is no alaska and no hawai'i on those maps. so if you were looking for information on the most important issue that was happening at the time, and you live in or are concerned about hawai'i and/or alaska, there would just be nothing. and what does it say about the people who run the top newspaper in america that they decided it was fine to omit these two states? are they not states? do they not matter? do the readers in those states not matter? and this is not an unusual thing at all. it happens all the time.

i'd like to finish by sharing with you a poem by CHamoru poet Craig Santos Perez. CHamoru are the indigenous people of the mariana islands (which include guam, saipan, tinian, rota, and others).

in this poem, Craig Santos Perez writes about not appearing on the map...

“Off-Island CHamorus”

My family migrated to California when I was 15 years old. During the first day at my new high school, the homeroom teacher asked: “Where are you from?” “The Mariana Islands,” I answered. He replied: “I’ve never heard of that place. Prove it exists.” And when I stepped in front of the world map on the wall, it transformed into a mirror: the Pacific Ocean, like my body, was split in two and flayed to the margins. I found Australia, then the Philippines, then Japan. I pointed to an empty space between them and said: “I’m from this invisible archipelago.” Everyone laughed. And even though I descend from oceanic navigators, I felt so lost, shipwrecked

on the coast of a strange continent. “Are you a citizen?” he probed. “Yes. My island, Guam, is a U.S. territory.” We attend American schools, eat American food, listen to American music, watch American movies and television, play American sports, learn American history, dream American dreams, and die in American wars. “You speak English well,” he proclaimed, “with almost no accent.” And isn’t that what it means to be a diasporic CHamoru: to feel foreign in a domestic sense.

Over the last 50 years, CHamorus have migrated to escape the violent memories of war; to seek jobs, schools hospitals, adventure, and love; but most of all, we’ve migrated for military service, deployed and stationed to bases around the world. According to the 2010 census, 44,000 CHamorus live in California, 15,000 in Washington, 10,000 in Texas, 7,000 in Hawaii, and 70,000 more in every other state and even in Puerto Rico. We are the most “geographically dispersed” Pacific Islander population within the United States, and off-island CHamorus now outnumber our on-island kin, with generations having been born away from our ancestral homelands, including my daughters.

Some of us will be able to return home for holidays, weddings, and funerals; others won’t be able to afford the expensive plane ticket to the Western Pacific. Years and even decades might pass between trips, and each visit will feel too short. We’ll lose contact with family and friends, and the island will continue to change until it becomes unfamiliar to us. And isn’t that, too, what it means to be a diasporic CHamoru: to feel foreign in your own homeland.

Even after 25 years, there are still times I feel adrift, without itinerary or destination. When I wonder: What if we stayed? What if we return? When the undertow of these questions begins pulling you out to sea, remember: migration flows through our blood like the aerial roots of the banyan tree. Remember: our ancestors taught us how to carry our culture in the canoes of our bodies. Remember: our people, scattered like stars, form new constellations when we gather. Remember: home is not simply a house, village, or island; home is an archipelago of belonging.

–Craig Santos Perez

----------

thank you for reading this post! please let me know if you see any errors.

if you'd like to learn more about some important issues in the pacific, here are just a few:

july 2, 2020: "US says leaking nuclear waste dome is safe; Marshall Islands leaders don't believe it" - Los Angeles Times

may 30, 2021: "Pacific Plunder: this is who profits from the mass extraction of the region's natural resources." - The Guardian

april 5, 2021: "75 years after nuclear testing in the Pacific began, the fallout continues to wreak havoc" - The Conversation

june 4, 2021: "Guam won’t give up more land to the U.S. military without a fight" - The World (radio program)

aug. 24, 2021: "The US is building a military base in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Micronesian residents have questions." - The World (radio program)

and if you'd like to learn more about how maps are political, here are a couple articles:

june 5, 2014: "The politics of making maps" by Amanda Ruggeri, for BBC

july 11, 2018: "Politics and Cartography: The Power of Deception through Distortion" by John Erskine, for the Carnegie Ethics Online Monthly Column

#pacific #hawaii #hawai'i #islands #maps #geography

24 notes · View notes

justrandomselfships · 3 years

Text

Little steps- my self insert Fic (S/I POV) with a bunch of silly illustrations! Oh did I mention that this involves Kaeya? Well he's the main focus here even though Lisa is mentioned shit ton of times! Might write something for her focus too someday.

I finished it ages ago but I was afraid to post it- I'm not anymore and also✨ it's my birthday ✨

Ever since I joined the knights I decided to write in a diary, it helped me keep track of time. Lisa told me that it can help me in various ways, like for example remembering names of the other knights, or checking my personal progress. Now that I think about it, it was long since I checked my old entries. Nothing interesting happened today anyway so I might as well read some. I don't really remember anything that was going on when I started so I suppose I could refresh my memory.

Today Lisa wanted to introduce me to someone- she probably wanted to help me by looking for training partner for me, however I had to refuse. You probably remember why was that, I got scared of meeting someone new again. I couldn't get that mess on her shoulders when she has so much to do as it is! And there was no way I'd meet them alone it'd be too akward for both of us!

I remember the exact moment I tried to come up with an excuse for future me... It kinda made me giggle how stupid I am sometimes, but let's look at something else...

I've never felt as lonely as I do now, I don’t even know why. I don’t miss anyone nor I ever craved any interactions... But to make that feeling go away I thought about talking to Amber but when I left the house she was talking to Noelle and I got scared to approach them... Instead I decided to sketch something and stay inside for the rest of the day.

I immediately looked at my sketchbook, I don't even have to look inside, I was drawing what's outside my window like always. Maybe I'll find some better memory if I keep looking?

During my patrol I got a bit lost... It was scary... But I wasn't alone, an Adventurer found me... However he got lost too. It was a bit unlucky day since I picked the wrong maps, we also got attacked a few times by monsters. I kinda feel bad for him since he tried his best to cheer me up but I stayed silent. It should've been other way around a knight shouldn't le

Bennett! How could I forget his name when I was writing this? He was such a sweetheart I obviously had to mess it up and make him feel uncomfortable... But I did make up for it! Maybe I'll finally read something positive? I somehow can't remember how exactly that went... Or if I was daydreaming about apologizing?

I decided to bake something for Bennett as thank you and apology for acting so cold towards him. But I had no idea on how to find him... Or what to say... So after thinking for few minutes I decided to talk to Katherine and ask her to give it to him. After "talking" to her I locked myself in my room out of embarrassment, I messed up again. I just said "Bennett" placed my pastries and left. Now I probably won't be able to face her for at LEAST two months.

I cringe at the memory... Gosh now this will keep me up at night for sure... I finally forgot about it and now it'll haunt me.

Wait a second... Did I really not made any progress at all!? I was trying so hard to socialize with others and get out more but I seem to still not be able to do it right. No, it's impossible. I'm good friends with Lisa! So I definitely made any progress... Or is she just so easy to talk to? Time to take a final look at something recent for a change...

Capitan Kaeya Alberich wanted to talk to me outside work... It might not sound like a big deal but somehow I just froze... I wasn't able to respond properly and he probably guessed what I was going to say, not that he ever can't do that... I might be too predictable. Either way I feel bad, my behavior was really disrespectful and I knew better than that to just ignore someone like him. I still have much to learn and I'll need to properly apologize for staying silent.

I only ever failed... There is no mistaking it. Great way to note down progress huh? Too bad there is none.

Think, what do I need to do to finally do better? I am the problem for sure but what do I really need to change? Maybe I should just start observing how others act... After all I never bothered to do that. It might help in one way or another...

Obviously there's only one place where there is a lot of people and I won't look like a total creep if I'll just listen in the conversations and look at random people... It's no other than the tavern. I'm scared to go there alone... But I don't have to!

Lisa would be willing to go right?... Then again I rely on her a bit too much and going out like this could be an opportunity to break the ice with someone else...

Jean is always busy, Amber will be way too distracting and we might end up somewhere else, Eula is too scary, Venti... I don't even know why I'm considering him.

Maybe that offer from capitan Kaeya still stands? It's from bearly 2 weeks ago so maybe if I get lucky and he happens to still be interested, I can actually go...

What am I even thinking!? I didn't even apologize for the last time... But being around so many drunk people is terrifying... However I can't bet on the fact that he won't drink too much... On the other hand he seems to handle people and I'll definitely learn something.

Screw it. It might be scary but I need to do it. Tomorrow I'll ask him! That's for sure! He's the most respectable and trustworthy person who isn't always busy and will not distract me.

~⏳

I'm scared to do it but I have to! I need to... Did I really say that I'm gonna do it today? Or should I just pretend that I never thought of it. He's probably busy today. Yup definitely that no need to feel stressed.

I haven't seen him back at the headquarters nor did I see him around town when I was coming back from my patrol- that's a good sign. It's still pretty early but I don't think that I'll see him today... What a relief!

Before I left the headquarters after finishing some paperwork I hear a voice that belongs to a beautiful librarian I am lucky to be able to call a friend.

"Hey there cutie, are you okay?"

"Just a little bit nervous that's all, nothing new haha"

"Do you need me to pass a message again?"

"No need! It's something I need to say myself..."

"I see..."

"But if you happen to see capitan Kaeya it would be nice if you could tell him that I was looking for him" out of habit I grab my hair and begin to play with it. Lisa's warm soothing voice blessed my ears as she said "No worries darling, I'll let him know" before she left and giggled to herself...

Wait... Oh no.

Why did I say anything!? Is she that magical that I can't say anything but what's on my mind.

If she happens to meet him my request will be unavoidable! Even if I tried thinking of something else Kaeya will know that I'm lying. I can't avoid him either... Can't waste his precious time...

How do I even ask him!? Do I need to change from my work clothes before I go? What should I do...

I didn't realize that I started walking in circles before someone approached me.

"Heather?"

I turn around and see the man I was thinking about all day. Dammit... I have to say it. I can't think of an excuse and staying silent is now unacceptable.

"Oh-uhm... Greetings Capitan Kaeya"

"Lisa informed me that you were looking for me"

"Oh right!... That... Haha..."

"I don't want to rush you, however I do have some business to attend to"

"I'm so sorry! I mean- since you're busy then my silly request is irrelevant"

"Come now, I believe that I should be the judge of that" his smug look made it ever so slightly more challenging to say anything.

"I just... Ugh..." I took a deep breath "Look as you know I was trying to loosen up recently and well I realized that I wasn't making any progress at all. So I remembered that one time you asked me to go to the tavern with you and I refused... I mean ignored you, which I am VERY sorry about but now I think that it was a mistake and today I wanted to ask you to accompany me but since you're busy let's just forget about everything" I felt relieved getting that off my chest.

"I don't think that will do, in fact I was heading towards the tavern so if you really want to I suppose you can join me" Oh right... I forgot about him gathering some information there from time to time. So it might work after all! He won't pay too much attention to me and I could investigate without tons of distractions.

"Let's get going then capitan" I say before he smiles softly in response "Wait do you want to get going now or-"

"Yes" he cut me off, which was fair and I'm glad he did it before I said something dumb.

We're almost there. Before we get closer I suddenly stop.

"That reminds me!" I realized I spoke out loud, as he looked at my direction my confidence dropped dead "I've never actually tried any alcohol so would you be so kind to recommend something for me? I figured that since I'm already getting out of my comfort zone might as well try something new" I said under my breath but he definitely understood what I meant judging by his facial expression and well... response.

"Absolutely" my heart skipped a beat. I desperately tried to start a conversation topic... But choosing alcohol might be something I'll regret...

Kaeya started listing few drinks I could enjoy his words were poetic as he described the beverages, however the names of the drinks went over my head. It wasn't that bad but I just felt stupid over how clueless I was. He definitely knew what he was talking about and I'm more than interested in hearing more. The more he talks the less likely I am to say something I'll regret.

"Obviously since I don't know how much you can handle I won't be forcing you to try too much too soon" he paused "Your father probably wouldn't be happy either if you returned drunk" he said teasingly. It invited me to respond less seriously.

"Oh no! This means that we'll have to do it again, how awful"

"We didn't enter yet so you can feel free to leave now before you regret spending time with me of all people" his voice was now suddenly much more hostile... Did I mess it up!?

He laughed softly "I'm sorry did I go too far? While I don't want to force you to do anything, I won't lie... I'm a bit curious to learn something new about you tonight"

We were still outside standing right in front of the entrance to the tavern if not for chatting we could hear from the inside there would be total silence.

"I'm sorry for being quiet again! It's just that you caught me off guard haha" I look away "There isn't much to know about me so I feel like I'll only disappoint you"

"I'm not so sure about that part"

"Wait... Did my father tell you anything about me!?"

"Look let's just get inside, We'll discuss it later"

Nervously I followed him yet again. The atmosphere was warm and I could see different kinds of people all over the place. We sit down.

"So did he tell you anything?" I ask immediately.

"Relax, he didn't" he seemed amused by my desperation to know. It's understandable... And I'm probably overreacting anyway. I collect my thoughts "I'm sorry"

"What are you sorry for?"

"I'm just making this into some big deal for no reason. Maybe the reason is the huge amount of respect I have for you that makes me freak out"

"I see, well I don't see the reason to be so formal now. We aren't working after all" his soft smile was enough for me to calm down.

"Thank you" Maybe it was all I needed to hear, after that everything went smoothly.

I start feeling proud of myself... Maybe I can change after all? Either way it only shows that I have to write it down! And once I was back home I did just that.

Today I had enough courage to take a step in right direction! I went to a tavern with capitan Kaeya. It was fun and for the first time in years I wasn't that scared. It wasn't totally perfect but it was definitely worth it.

#❄️ frozen in tide 🌊#selfship #self insert #oc x cannon #self ship #my self insert #self shipping #my f/o #kinda self ship related #my self ship #kaeya x oc

4 notes · View notes

kougyokuseyeshavemeweak · 3 years

Note

Alright since matchups are open here's me ig: I'm a non-binary person and bisexual! My zodiac sign is Pisces (I saw someone else put that but I don't know if it's actually important ^^')

I think my personality is a bit hard to break down into a few sentences because I suffer from several anxiety disorders, depression and a few other mental things but those aren't my personality they're just illnesses. Aside from that, I think I'm a nice person overall but I have strong opinions that I stand behind. If I don't like something I'm gonna say it outright. I've been forced to do things against my will too often so sometimes I get defensive too quickly, which I'm trying to work on but it takes time.

I know a lot about history and theatre! Music, language and history have always been a passion of mine. I wouldn't say I'm an expert in either of those things but I do know my fair share about many cultures, aspects of history and a LOT about mythology and I am proud of that. I also like to write and I like animals(no matter how 'gross'. or scary some of them are.) I usually actively seek help when I have problems that I need help to solve, but I understand it fully if people prefer to handle things on their own. However, if those who are close to me need me then I will be there regardless of what the matter is about, what time of day it is or how we parted previously (meaning if we had an argument and then you need help I'll still be there, we can solve the other stuff later)

I'm also quite loyal but not dishonest. No matter how much someone means to me I'll offer them my honest opinion on everything, always.

I'm more of an introverted person and people who are extremely energetic and extroverted wear me out because I can't match that energy. I prefer people with who you can have hour-long in-depth nerd conversations with rather than people that would drag you through crowded places for 10 hours and still not have had enough.

My biggest fear is abandonment.

My love language is gift-giving and physical touch. I love to do crafty things like knitting, embroidery, wood carving (though I'm not very good at that yet ^^') and other small things that I can give people so they have something that reminds them of me. I am also terrible at receiving gifts because I don't think I deserve them. Except for food. Please give me food.

And I think that's pretty much it. I don't think that I really have a type, I know that too assertive, extroverted or energetic people aren't really for me but aside from that, I can pretty much get along with anyone.

Oh and I'm also a healthcare worker in training if that helps anything!

Thank you! I’m also really into mythology so it’s really nice to come across another person who’s interested in it.

Yunan!

Now Yunan is a very observant person so if your anxiety or depression is getting bad then he’ll notice immediately and be there to help you in any way shape or form. He’s a very calming person too so it’ll be easier to talk about the things that trouble you. Yunan also is very understanding so no matter what you talk about, whether it’s your pronouns, mental struggles or your fears he’ll be there to care for and love you. Yunan is also a great listener so he doesn’t mind you talking about mythology or history and in fact, finds it very interesting. He’ll be happy to talk about his adventures and teach you about the world he’s experienced too.

He can be a bit needy when it comes to going out but he will (very gently of course) get you out of your comfort zone. Prepare yourself as this one also likes physical touch. He will often assure you that he’s not leaving you ever and that he’ll always try to be there for you. He loves your ability to craft things and will probably ask you to make something for him. Yunan will be there for you as much as he can but he can get busy with traveling which may make things difficult but he’ll never leave and will always tell you when he’s going out to travel and even send you letters. In the end, he’ll always love you and support you.

Other matches: Morgiana and Muu

#yunan magi #morgiana magi #muu alexius #magi matchups #magi: the labyrinth of magic #magi: the kingdom of magic #magi

6 notes · View notes

chocolatte-and-despair · 4 years

Note

May I ask for a matchup? I'm female, and I'm a bit chubby and short. I'm pretty easy to make blush, just compliment me and you've done it.

I like to draw, make video games, and write, but I'm willing to try out anything (like sewing and knitting) if I have nothing else to do. I get nervous in public and usually stick really close to the people I like and trust when I'm in public. I get scared easily and I can be pretty sensitive when it comes to what people say about me. I don't respond well to any form of physical touch by surprise, but I usually adore hugs and cuddles as long as I'm not caught off guard.

I have a bunch of scars all over me because I don't really heal, so I'd like it if they don't really judge me for it. Once I'm used to someone I tend to act more silly around them. I love having stress balls (but I accidentally break them too often-), plushies, or any type of weird pillow I can find.

I like anything soft, this isn't too important, and I'm not really sure why I've mentioned it. Sometimes I get tired of people every so often and I need to be alone, so I'm hoping whoever I get will be fine with that. Of course, once I'm done I'll probably go back to clinging to them unless they don't want me to.

I have a bit of a dark sense of humor, even though I'm pretty big on Justice and people getting what they deserve. Talking to me is just me being awkward, then ranting about science and theories I think are cool, then me being silly, and then, finally, me shitposting. I don't respond well to yelling, and it can scare me a lot.

One more thing before I end up accidentally telling you my life story, since you basically already know everything about me now. I love buying and making the people I care about gifts or little text adventure games. I'll do this randomly, so there's usually no reason for it. Sorry, I said way too much.

After thinking for a little bit, I decided to give you ... Lady (Undertale Snowdin Shopkeeper)! Here are a few reasons why. First of all, if you are looking for someone who is very understanding of your need to be alone, or to cuddle, she is the perfect person for that. Lady will always make sure that you are comfortable, and will never push you out of your comfort zone. Chances are that she will most likely just try her best to make sure that others don’t make you uncomfortable either.

Lady is very cuddly, meaning that you can get as much physical affection out of her as you want. There is no limit at all. And, to add to it all, Lady is very soft, because of her fur.

Lady is very motherly and caring, so she would help you around with chores, and would always prepare you some delicious meal. She’s also the first one to reassure you about your scars, saying that she doesn’t mind them one little bit and that whoever says they aren’t pretty, they are lying.

Lady is the perfect person to listen to your scientific talks. As she is a mother, she is used to listening to stories and acting interested. Of course, sometimes she is interested, but most of the time, she just doesn’t understand what you are talking about.

* Their age: human age: 1781 years old, monster age: 37 years old

* Their height: 6'2 feet

* Their yandere type: Manipulative yandere

* Their dere type: Deredere

* Their Sexuality: Cisgender female Bicurious Panromantic

A . How would they show their love and affection? How intense would it get? - Lady is the type that shows her affection through physical things or making stuff. Lady would either hug you, cuddle you, kiss you, and other things like that, or she would make your delicious breakfast and would help you out as much as possible.

B. What type of future are they planning with their lover? - Lady dreams of getting married to you one day, maybe even having one or two more children. She already has three children, but she wouldn’t mind having a few more with you too. She wants to feel like you all are a family. She wants to be happy with you.

C. What is the scariest moment with them? - The moment that Lady made sure to poison someone that has been harassing you, through laced cigarettes from her shop. Honestly, it’s a surprise that no one ever found out, but one thing was for sure. She wasn’t someone to play with.

D. How do they usually act with their lover? - Lady is very motherly and sweet. There is not one moment when she isn’t out there, trying her best to make her lover feel better. She will always clean the house for you, and try to spend time with you if you want. She might even start conversations about your favorite topics.

E. How would they court their lover before? - Lady would make sure to become someone who you can depend on. The moment that Lady is sure that you feel comfortable around her, she would slowly start romancing you, trying to act like she is the perfect person for you, before asking you out.

F. What's their favorite memory/thing in the relationship? - The moment that you first met her children. The moment was so sweet, and to this moment, she can’t forget when her four favorite people finally met and were getting so well along, like a true family.

#yandere undertale imagines #yandere imagines #undertale imagines #yandere match up #match up #yandere #undertale #snowdin shopkeeper #yandere undertale #undertale snowdin shopkeeper #yandere snowdin shopkeeper #yandere undertale snowdin shopkeeper

7 notes · View notes

thusjuniperus · 3 years

Text

why always this: a narrative

so I've lifted this pretty golden moth from some grass and am cupping it in my hands, walking up--ugh, my hometown still doesn't have streetview. this road, by the middle school playground:

I'm trying to make it up to the main road but it's summer and it's scorching and the sunlight off the road surface and the pale cement stairs and landings that accompany the outbuildings of my old middle school is too bright and the moth is concerned for my health and tells me I should move into the shade of one of the smaller buildings, which I do. I'm thirsty and I've probably already got sunburn. I should just keep walking north until there's snow, I tell the moth, oh except that that's not a good environment for moths, is it. We'll have to compromise on slightly balmier climes.

"Why do I keep having and having dreams about this town?" I ask the moth, after a while; because this is a dream, I know. I'm fresh off the latest loop of this weird recurring bit I keep having that only stops short of being a nightmare because it's like my fifth time around, I know what to do, and I can direct everyone on the weird almost-ritualistic actions they have to take to survive the odd, creepy adventure. I'm well aware that I'm asleep.

"Too much unresolved psychological baggage, probably," the moth says. "You never really confronted all of it before you left. It's all just kind of hanging over the place."

"Yeah, but I've been back," I say. "Like, I've driven around and saw where I grew up and what it looks like now and remembered whatever there was to remember. Why do my dreams keep trying to drive me back?"

"Maybe you haven't visited it enough?" the moth asks. Which is possible, because I had a dream a little while ago where I was trying to get out of town and found this sort of magical zone at the end of the city's little line of main stores (grocery, video rental, etc) where a road led back somewhere, even though in real life it's just a simple, uh

...I just checked google maps and apparently it's a simple field at the end of which is now a road leading somewhere and into the woods, which is making this tangent more complicated than it means to be; but the point is I woke up feeling like I needed to go there, to escape... from there, which is a not-uncommon theme in these hometown dreams. The moth and I contemplate this in the shade of a maze of buildings I have by now visited more often in sleep than awake. Then I wander off somewhere else and go over a waterfall into the goddamn looping dream again.

When I wake up I'm thinking about writing this looping dream down, but then I remember it's not an original thing. It's a creepypasta called "The Portuguese Twisting", best known by being featured on a podcast called Self-Made Skeletons. Then I remember this is untrue and my subconscious just happens to be throwing really weirdly specific shit at me, even though I'm half-awake and staring at my bedroom. The nonexistent podcast I pulled up to listen to is actually still going. I pull a notebook and pencil out of my nightstand, close my eyes, and drop back into sleep while transcribing the podcast as fast as I can, trying to walk the thin line between asleep enough to hear and awake enough to move my hand. I'm aware that the writing part is more than likely also part of the dream and not happening in real life, since I usually have sleep paralysis while dreaming--usually if I make a movement it turns out shortly thereafter that I didn't, in fact, which is frustrating when I'm trying repeatedly to just fucking get out of bed and whoops nope still in it--but hell if I'm going to remember all this bizarrely clear and detailed dialogue when I wake up, so I've got to try.

I commit the opener of the podcast to imaginary paper and make a point of committing the title of the podcast and its episode to real memory, due to knowing the paper is probably fake, before running out the nonexistent backdoor of my old apartment before my mother can realize I'm there and to my own private swimming pool with its own little waterfall. Briefly I think about whether it's financially plausible that I could have something like this in the real world, if I decided it was a priority to blow fat stacks on. Probably not, and probably the reality falls far short of the dream, but in the dream it's really incredibly nice to get home in the heat and pull off my heavier clothes and just fling myself straight back onto a floaty thing and feel the sun-warm water flow in around me. And to go with some exhilaration backwards headfirst over the waterfall and down some fast rapids to the other waterfall and back into the looping dream.

Maybe I should mention the reason I haven't described the looping dream. I can't fucking remember it. I went through it half a dozen times, each time with a new shell around the old core, and it's the outermost shells I have the best grasp of, while awake. Vividly, the swimming pool to the waterfall; vaguely, the bus going down a river to a different waterfall, where per our guidebook people are jumping out the windows in alphabetical order and I fear I've missed my stop but actually I'm part of the core group of us that has to stay behind to go over the waterfall, which leads to the original dream: a long, often fraught and scary journey with occasional sweet and happy moments; hiking along roadsides and down rocky bluffs and through various dangers, or swinging joyfully on long vines over great distances between newly-found tree structures.

I'm sure this was at least something of a story, and not just disconnected imagery with emotional coloring. But it came at the beginning of the dream, and each successive time kind of speedran it. By the end, it was buried under layers and layers and layers of the semi-random details produced by REM static being consciously forced into a narrative. Moths, podcasts, keeping my face above water on a slightly underinflated floatie. Wondering if my pencil is sharp enough for the unseen words I'm writing to be legible. Passing around cameras on the bus to share our pictures of the weird bits of the cyclic adventure with those who weren't there or don't remember them, and who has my camera, ah, there it is in the hands of a girl at the front of the bus, and oh, turns out the olive green one I'm holding is hers, strange coincidence. Throwing up on the floor of the junior high school bathroom where I'm lying facedown because I'm asleep and thus have sleep paralysis, hoping it means I haven't thrown up on my pillow in real life. Trying to work out, as always, where the fuck my car would be parked.

I'm walking out of the high school alongside a friend who in real life I've rarely spoken to since graduation and still like most of the people I considered friends in high school have some bitter baggage about and also he's now a cop, but in the dream we're just friends exiting a school building together on a crisp fall afternoon. A dog barks a few times in the distance. The air's got a particular feel to it, like this chill in the air that could be spring weather but something about the way the ground smells is definitely fall. I marvel, as we walk past the pond down to the main road, at how vivid it is. Literally just spasms of my brain that I am in that moment inhabiting, which happen to have golden roadside grass and faraway barks as mise-en-scene.

"Do you think this is what it's like when you die?" I ask my friend. "Just random neurons firing, launching random shit to the surface? I hope it's less prone to nightmares, if so. Maybe you're usually not as lucid in death throes, and not struggling for control would make it go smoother?"

My friend is quiet, taking a moment to think it over before he replies. We're still walking. The shadows from me and the fence beside me move like there's someone following me, but when I turn around no one's there. My friend is no longer there either, but I don't realize this until I make it to the main road, most of which is under a big metal bridge. I walk through the thick girders, warily attentive to the long shrill maybe-metal maybe-organic note echoing around, and exit the other side into half a foot of roadside snow. I pull out a bag of quarters and begin eating them like chips; this is an odd thing, I reflect, a stereotypically surreal dream thing, but maybe it's worth continuing if it's cheaper than fast food, probably should calculate that, so I try to recall what I last paid for a drive-through meal as I crunch idly on a quarter while now in my car driving through the snow to my mother's partner's house, maybe because it's generally in the direction of "home" or maybe because had petsitting duty and slept there last night and the terror kitten clawed a hole through the air mattress and then woke me up at six am which is probably what caused me to go down for a nap this evening.

I do not usually take naps. The fact that they apparently make my conscious mind race futilely in place like a hamster on a wheel in the cage of my subconscious, causing me to wake up jampacked with two or three hours of semi-recalled mental detritus, is one of several reasons why. Anyway I'm disgorging it here because of an impulse I had to do so while in the dream which has carried over to my groggily awake state

#not a reblog

1 note · View note

peccolias · 5 years

Note

Do you have any podcasts youd recommend? I've been listening to TMA and am caught up, otherwise the only other ones i listen to are mcelroy podcasts. Do you happen to have any podcasts you like and would just rec. In general?

(Updated 8/25/20)

HECK YEAH I do! For you and anyone else who’s looking for something new, keeping in mind I lean towards the horror genre, but here’s a mixed bag:

Podcasts I have finished/caught up on/can fully rec:

Welcome to Night Vale (first podcast I ever listened to, and the only one I listened to for a long time. Mixed radio show/narrative fiction style with a real cozy comforting sort of spooky atmosphere and there are so many E M O T I O N S. Probably THE most well-known, if you haven’t listened yet, definitely give it a try)

The Magnus Archives (you already said this one, but it’s very good horror and everyone should give it a chance. It’s pretty much the flipside of WTNV, with plenty of mystery, intrigue and creeping dread. Don’t let the first 20 or so eps fool you; it isn’t an anthology and the plot spirals deeper and deeper and it gets pretty depressing sometimes actually)

Unwell, a Midwestern Gothic Mystery (You want an explicitly mixed black female wlw lead who gets a Latina gf?? Explicit they/them NB rep?? Spooky queerness?? A haunted small town boarding house with ghosts and weird doors?? And a celery festival?? This one's for you. Oh there's also a cult. So far it's a great balance of uneasy creepiness and good slice of life with a full cast of colorful characters, and the town's name slaps. Mt. Absalom?? Hello?? Has serious moments that will hurt you, too)

Limetown (COMPLETE. short thriller/mystery type, interesting story about an entire small community that goes missing, has a TV series now I think?)

Wolf 359 (COMPLETE. AMAZING radio drama one of my good friends who always recs good things rec’d to me and now I rec to YOU. you won’t regret listening if you like great stories and upbeat sci fi comedies that go horribly, horribly wrong. IN SPACE.)

I Am In Eskew (COMPLETE. Really good casual yet seriously fucked up foray into Lovecraftian psychological horror centering around a living city called Eskew and its horrible and equally despondent occupants and occurrences. Follows two voiced characters whose paths eventually converge. It's sort of depressing and hurt my heart sometimes for the sheer hopelessness, but it's worth the journey.)

Podcasts I like but have not caught up on:

Old Gods of Appalachia (old country american horror anthology)

King Falls AM (cozy little small town late night radio show with a colorful cast of characters and plenty of spooks)

Wrong Station (vintage radio show style horror anthology based on old TV and radio shows of the same flavor. but modern.)

The Lost Cat Podcast (Lighthearted horror (yeah it exists) and existentialism revolving around the narrator and his lost cat and many glasses of wine. There are many cats. I mean a lot. If you don't want depressing scary horror but still want to step into a world of kooky spooky Eldritch supernatural stuff and relevant musical interludes per episode, this is the way to go. I'm not very far along but it's a fun time.)

The Bridge (interesting setting and story premise. It’s a whole system of bridges across the Atlantic. come on. oh, but make sure you find the right one. it isn’t the talk show about politics and news)

Rusty Quill Gaming (had a hankering for familiar voices during the TMA hiatus and since this has some TMA voice actors in it I gave it a try. First rpg podcast I’ve listened to, but I fell in love with their campaign and characters)

Podcasts I have NOT listened to but they look good/I’ve heard things/they’re by the same creators of series I enjoy:

Dreamboy (Night Vale Presents)

Alice Isn’t Dead (Night Vale Presents)

Within the Wires (Night Vale Presents)

Stellar Firma (Rusty Quill)

Zero Hours (Wolf 359 creator/cast)

ars Paradoxica (friend who rec’d Wolf 359 to me mentioned this one so I trust it)

Death By Dying

The White Vault

The Bright Sessions

The Black Tapes

Blackwood

Archive 81

Sayer

Wooden Overcoats

The Penumbra Podcast (I hear EXCELLENT things about this one)

The Adventure Zone and other McElroy podcasts (more of a note to self. I really need to start listening to them boys)

–

That’s about it, that’s my current lineup for listening and as many as I know. Y’all feel free to reblog with more recs or more info on the ones I haven’t listened to.

Hope you find something you enjoy, anon!

#p says stuff #p listens to podcasts #podcast recommendations #podcasts #Anonymous

34 notes · View notes

mysticorset · 6 years

Text

So, this weekend I found myself working on a bunch of little projects that required my visual attention but not my auditory attention. Usually I listen to conversational podcasts or just music in this case, but I really wanted to listen to a story. Adventure Zone is in my rotation but I'm caught up. I have found other Real Play podcasts to just bore me because they focus too much on the game and not enough on the story. So I went looking for some serialized fiction.

What I found was Splintered Caravan.

Splintered Caravan is a cyberpunk audio drama with a diverse cast on multiple axes and a really neat concept: there is a subclass of people that augment themselves into specializations, like being able to jack into the internet, or see long distances, or super strength or whatever. These people also often run "freelance" work (which is more often than not illegal and/or violent). Teams of these specialists are called Caravans and there is fierce competition and kinship between them.

Enter: ex-caravan assassin, his pacifist unaligned associate, and her AI android "sister" which she created herself when she was 6. They (re)join the Caravan world out of desperation and end up in over their heads.

Other fine characters:

Shapeshifting transwoman

Zoe & Wash AU

Cranky Uncle Boss

If Horse Girl from your grade school liked bugs and robotics instead of horses

Anyway, if you like your sci-fi with transhuman themes but not the heavy-handed angst of "but does this sweet-ass robot arm make me less human???", and don't mind a purely auditory medium, check it out. I've been listening on Spotify but it's probably other places too.

#Splintered Caravan #Audio drama #Podcast review #One of the protagonists sounds like he should be doing voice work on movie trailers #But it works #Also the AI is my fave hands down

27 notes · View notes

obspogon · 7 years

Link

Tldr; I listen to way too many podcasts. Skip to the very bottom of this long-ass post to see my top recommendations. Titles are links (this subreddit's css, doesn't make that obvious)I have loved podcasts for about 10 years, but for the last 3, due to my job, I have become a 40+ hour a week, power-listener. In that time my lists and recommendations have been very well-received on this sub, and since I'm leaving that job next month, I decided it was time to come up with a master list of my top recommendations across all categories.First of all: These are just my opinions. If your favorite show didn't make this list, don't get mad at me, just go ahead and shout it out in the comments. I put a lot of thought into the ranking, but if you ask me next week I'll probably have changed my mind on a lot of it.I have no qualifications to review podcasts except for the fact that I listen to way too many of them. Actually, the real reason I wanted to make this list was because I think the lists I've seen written by qualified reviewers are usually really bad, imo. I always feel like the reviewer has listened to like 60 podcasts, and is listing their top 50. I have no idea how many podcasts I've listened to but it's got to be in the thousands, and there are soooo many great shows out there, so I thought it's my duty to share.100 shows is actually only a subset of the shows I like. At first this list grew to over 200 and I was still thinking of more. So I decided to cut it at my favorite 100 and I added three criteria to help cull it down:It must be active: Some day I'll make a list of my favorite dead podcasts, but none are on this list.It must have at least 10 episodes: I think 10 episodes in is a decent trial period. If I've listened to less than that I don't feel comfortable recommending it. Also there's a trend right now of shows putting out one 8-10 episode season, and then just never renewing to a second season. So, if it has more than 10 episodes, I feel like it has staying power.It must be interesting for general audiences: Podcasts tend to be topical. That makes it a little tough to recommend them if I don't know you, because you might not be into the topic of the show. So I have only included shows that I think you don't need too much specific knowledge to enjoy (either because the topic is general, or because it's fun even for the non-initiated.)I'm sure at some point I screwed up on those rules, but they were the guidelines I was working from.Honorable Mentions: First here are some smaller podcasts that didn't quite make it into my top 100 but I still think you should check out:This is why you're single, Doughboys, Do By Friday, Hopefully We Don't Break-Up, Roundtable of Gentlemen, Mental Illness Happy Hour, Sleepycast, James O'Brien's Mystery Hour, Nocturne Podcast, Quirks and Quarks, Put Your Hands Together, Book Shambles, Sex & Other Human Activities, Singing Bones, A Taste of the Past, We Fact Up, The Bridge, Step By Stapp, Return Home, Movie Sign with the Mads, Save it for the Show, The F Plus, Next Picture Show, Be Here For a While, Code Breaker, GoosebudsOk, with no further ado . . .The List: In reverse order100. I Tell My Husband the News, A news-reporter reads current headlines to her husband, who is a comedian. Not exactly cutting edge satire, but I love this show for the hosts' chemistry. They are super in love and incredibly cute together. They just make me happy. And their banter is usually legitimately funny.99. You Must Remember This, True stories from old hollywood narrated over lush, old-fashioned movie music. The stories are great and give you a window into the crazy world of movies in the black and white era.98. 8-Bit Book Club, Three funny nerds read through old novelizations of video games. The books are ridiculous and the hosts make fun of them mercilessly. Great host chemistry. Tons of fun.97. Lore, Solo podcast exploring the stories and legends all around us. A tightly written and moodily produced show focused on the tall tales woven into our history.96. Longform, Long conversations with writers of non-fiction. Good host and really interesting conversations. A bit slow compared to most of my other podcasts, but satisfying.95. Superego, Very strange, slightly off-putting, free-association improv comedy. When it's bad it's just weird, when it's good it's magical.94. Our Fake History, Single host show exploring misconceptions and pseudo-history. Like a Hardcore History for things that didn't actually happen. Host is great and topics are usually very interesting.93. I Was There Too, Interviews with non-famous people who in some way worked on iconic scenes in famous movies. Fascinating if, like me, you have a love for pop-culture arcana.92. Shut Up and Sit Down, Four British comedians talk about and occasionally play board games. Lot of fun, and a lot of goofballery. I don't play a lot of boardgames, but I've bought several because these guys made them sound fun.91. I Saw That Years Ago, Two witty guys talk about movies they don't quite remember. The concept doesn't actually do much, this show is all about the chemistry between the hosts which is fantastic.90. Duncan Trussel Family Hour, Comedian Duncan Trussel invites guests on for long rambling conversations. Stands out for Duncan's odd choice of guests and the unique, weird nature of the conversations he engages them in.89. The Adventure Zone, Goofy brothers play Dungeons & Dragons. Took me several tries to get into this show (beginning's a little rough and I don't play D&D.) But I kept giving it chances because of some strong recommendations, and it does blossom into some really unique storytelling.88. Planet Money, Very NPR show about money and our world and the interplay between economics and our daily life. Fun and listenable in spite of the dreary subject matter. Has some really great education about dollars and cents that we really should all be listening to.87. Giant Bombcast, The crew of a gaming magazine get together and shoot the shit about games, life and everything in a long and rambling discussion.86. Burnt Toast, Conversations and researched features on food, food culture, and it's relationship to daily life. Lovingly produced and charmingly performed. An absoulte delight.85. Fireside Mystery Theatre, Storytelling and variety show done in front of a live audience. The stories are usually a lot of fun, and the theatre atmosphere adds a fun unique quality to it.84. Opening Arguments, A lawyer and a comedian chat about the law. Sort of like Star Talk, but for legal questions. The hosts perfectly hit the balance of informative and engaging. Law affects all our daily lives and it's something that most people know bupkis about, and I love that this show does a great job of making it accessible.83. Comedy Bang! Bang!, One of the old staples of podcasting. Loose format comedy show usually involving interviews followed by some light improv. Still a great show after all these years.82. The Black Tapes, Ghost stories, but in the form of a "non-fiction" journalistic podcast. Really well-told with a dark and brooding tone. A weaker second season has dropped it in my esteem but still great.81. Never Not Funny, Comedian plus celbrity guest ramble on about nothing in particular. Jimmy Pardo is a great host and has a wonderfully cutting sense of humor. One of the longest running big podcasts. Very rarely not funny.80. Leicester Square Theatre Podcast, Comedian Richard Herring does one-on-one interviews with comedians in which he asks them stupid and ridiculous questions. Throws out the formal interview format and just has fun. Having a big live audience elevates it.79. Rocket, A few tech journalists run a show about general geek topics, with an emphasis on tech. Perfect balance of smart informational chat and good host chemistry.78. We're Alive, Audiodrama about a Zombie infestation. Very good writing and acting and probably the best-produced serial scripted story podcast. Great use of tension throughout.77. Greg Proops Film Club, I've always loved Greg Proops' wacky smart-guy comedy, but his main podcast doesn't work for me as well as this one, where the theme of chatting about movies and geekery keeps him more on task. And through all the joking, he has a lot more interesting stuff to say than most of the serious movie podcasts.76. Harmontown, Comedy writer Dan Harmon plus friends talk nonsense and generally have fun. Mostly funny with occasional seriousness. Harmon is a great lovable asshole and the podcast format is perfect for him. Does fun and interesting things with the basic talk-show format.75. Smash Cut, Storytelling via dialogue collage. Wonderfully unique show that ranges from gripping to tragic to avant-guard. May be too weird for some, but hits a sweetspot for me.74. Desert Island Discs, Celebrities are interviewed with the same question: If you were stuck on a desert island, what five albums would you want to have with you. Mostly a conversation about music, but it expands into a bigger conversation about the guest's life and influences.73. No Such Thing As a Fish, The writers of a British trivia show go into depth on the obscure knowledge they've been researching and ramble on about arcane knowledge. Smart people chatting casually about smart things. Usually very interesting to listen to.72. Blank Check, Movie discussion pod that perfectly hits the balance between smart discussion and levity. The premise is talking about director's who get license to do whatever they want (the titular blank check), but it's really a pretty freewheeling conversation. Phenomenal chemistry between the hosts.71. The Future of Everything, Wall Street Journal's interesting impecabbly researched radio-style features on technologies and ideas that are pushing our world into an uncertain future.70. The Memory Palace, Bite sized stories from 18th - 20th century history, told with interest and pathos. Focusing on the human story behind the story of our recent past.69. The Orbiting Human Circus of the Air, Silly absurdist storytelling about a radio show that records in the Eiffel Tower. This show is not for everyone, but if it hooks you it is delightful and charming and always a joy to listen to.68. Imaginary Worlds, Serious discussions exploring the quirky little details of the worlds of popular fantasy and sci-fi franchises. Done as a host monologue, interspersed with interviews of experts and fans. I love the way he parses out interesting aspects of those worlds and tries to envision how they would really work.67. Hello From the Magic Tavern, Improv comedy set in a fantasy world with a diverse cast of funny improvisers playing far-out fantastical characters. Solidly funny and always fun to disappear into their goofy mythical world.66. The Joe Rogan Experience, Interview show with all types of guests. One of the most succesful podcasts in the world. It's a bit love-it-or-hate-it, and while I mostly love it, it can get on my nerves at times. Very hard for me to rank this one for that reason. But I must say Joe Rogan is a great interviewer and everyone should give it a try for themselves and find out which side they fall on.65. In Our Time, Big, heavy intellectual discussions of very serious topics in history, art and culture. This one might be a bit too smart for me, tbh, but I try and when I can hook into a topic it's immensely satisfying.64. Hello Internet, Two internet smart guys chat casually about smart and obscure subjects. There's actually not that much to this show, but the hosts are great and they have a very unique chemistry.63. The Infinite Monkey Cage, British-style panel show where a couple comedians and a couple scientists get together an tackle a difficult science topic and try to find answer. Unlike a lot of science shows, they don't shy away from talking actual science, but the chemistry of the hosts keeps the show always entertaining.62. Wolf 359, Narrative sci-fi podcast. Intriguing space travel story with a quirky sense of humor and good sound design to create a solid sense of atmosphere. Starts simple and blossoms into an awesome story.61. The Thrilling Adventure Hour, Comedians do a parody of an old-fashioned radio play in front of a live audience. So much fun. Best moments are when it breaks down. Was dead for a long time but there have been recent occasional releases so I'm considering it alive and putting it on this list.60. Doug Loves Movies, Comedian Doug Benson has several celebrity guests on each episode to talk movies and play games. The quintessential podcast for me. Slightly too lose and quirky to ever have worked as a radio show. Usually funny and always fun.59. a16z, Science and Tech podcast with interviews of actual scientists doing cutting edge work. Can be a bit dry, but I love how in depth it is, and that it doesn't dumb it down to a grade school level like a lot of similar shows.58. The Football Ramble, Four dudes with amazing chemistry talking bullshit and football (soccer) and just generally mocking each other and having a blast while doing it. I listen to a lot of sports podcasts but few are so good (and general-audience friendly enough) that I would recommend them to all podcast listeners. But this one is just tons of fun.57. Theory of Everything, Loose think-pieceish conversations about life and technology and the connections between things. Really interesting and well thought-out.56. The Truth, Short non-serial audio dramas. Stories range from serious to silly, often strange and off-kilter. Very well produced and performed, but the best part is the writing, which is awesomely creative and interesting.55. Reply All, One of many thinkpiece shows on this list. This one sets itself apart by focusing on internet-related stories. There's a whimsical nature to the hosts which gives the show a unique sort of charm.54. Spontaneanation, Paul F Tompkins has an interview with a famous person and then leads a long-form improv scene. Usually very funny simply because Tompkins is so funny.53. Candidate Confessionals, Interviews with losing candidates (or people who worked on losing campaigns) done as sort-of autobiographies telling the story of how a campaign fails. Fascinating deconstruction of politics from a new angle. Refreshingly honest at times.52. Mouth Time!, Absurdist show that parodies the vapid beauty mag culture but taken to the extreme. Part way between absurdism, improv comedy, and an actual pop cultuer podcast.51. The Black List Table Read, Audio performances of industry movie scripts that haven't gotten made. The concept is fabulous and the actors do a great job. Unique storytelling podcast with wonderful production. Some of the scripts are really great. Held back a bit by the fact that movie scripts aren't always written to be read out loud.50. 2 Dope Queens, Two sassy ladies host a comedy podcast with guests that chat with them or do their stand-up acts. Love the energy of the hosts. Generally great when the guests are good.49. Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, Two divinity professors use their techniques of scholarly bibilcal analysis on the Harry Potter books. Silly concept but they take it completely seriously. The result is part deep textual dive into the Potter-verse, and part reflection/conversation on life in general. Wonderfully introspective. Somehow both heavy and light at the same time.48. Monday Morning Podcast, Weekly show of the ramblings of comedian Bill Burr. Zero production or planning, just unfiltered Bill, who delivers the entire show in his trademark angry monologue. Usually funny, but that's not the reason it made this list: What makes this show stand out for me is its personal and honest nature. If you can get past Burr's abrassiveness, definitely worth a listen.47. The Adam Buxton Podcast, Comedian interviews celebrities. It's hard to stand out in this crowded genre, but this show does due to the host's magnetism and energy, and the quirkiness of the show's production, with little songs throughout (including the ads), and lots of silly digressions. And at it's heart, Adam is an excelent interviewer who gets a lot out of his guest.46. Anxious Machine, Introspective think-pieces about the human mind and how it works in human society. Usually done through interview intersperced with host commentary. The stories sit in a sweetspot between the personal and the general in a unique way.45. The Flop House, Three guys watch a bad movie and talk about it. The real joy, though, is in the constant flights of fancy when they say something dumb or misspeak that cascade into jokes that they follow to their logical conclusion. At its best it’s a top 10 podcast, but I feel like its lost some of its fastball lately, so its fallen on my list.44. Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, I think Gottfried is one of the funniest guys in show business. This is his interview show, where he talks mostly to comedians, mostly about comedy. If you can handle his voice, it's a really wonderful show.43. Laser Time, Friends shooting the shit is probably the most common podcast genre, and one that I listen to a lot of, but not a lot of those made this list because while they may be listenable, they are rarely notable. Laser Time is a major exception in that the chemisty of the hosts and the odd specificity of the pop culture arcana they talk about makes the show consistently fun and fascinating.42. How did this get Made?, Three comedians and a guest review bad films. This show might be lost among the sea of decent/good comedy podcasts if not for the work of Jason Mantzoukas, who is imo the funniest man in podcasting.41. This Feels Terrible, Comedienne interviews other comedians about dating and love and relationships. Host has a lovely easy style that is good for getting people talking about really personal stuff. Has great chemistry with most guests.40. Beef and Dairy Network Podcast, Comedy podcast pretending (with a completely straight face) to be an actual beef and dairy specialty pod. The result is very high-quality absurdist comedy.39. Here's The Thing, Alec Baldwin interviews celebrities. The tone is very NPR but Baldwin keeps it a bit tighter than your average radio show. TBH, most of the time when a famous person decides they want a podcast the show ends up sucking hard, but Baldwin is a charming and natural host and consitently gets great guests. I know some people hate this show but I find it consistently great.38. My Favorite Murder, Two entertaining women talk through and dissect the details of a real-life grisly murder and generally try and figure out whodunit. Keep it pretty light considering how serious the subject matter is but it works because of how fun and interesting the hosts are. (Though it is guilty of my biggest podcast pet-peeve: Taking forever to start the show.)37. The Bugle, News and Politics satire with an absurdist twist. Three years ago this was a top-5 podcast for me and then they went on a long hiatus and lost John Oliver. Still great and slowly working its way back up the ranks.36. Guys We Fucked, Filthy comedy show that's secretly a positive look at serious issues relating to sexuality. The hosts have a good time and keep it light. Their chemistry makes the show great.35. Common Sense, Very heady current events discussion from an outside-the-box perspective. The host is a provocateur who tries to challenge your preconceptions about government and society. I don't always agree with him but he always opens my eyes at the gaps in my own thinking.34. Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell's odd little examinations of historical events from a new perspective are fantastic. The first season was very well-thought out, although still finding it's voice. I was very glad that it returned in time to have enough episodes to make itself elligible for this list.33. Love + Radio, Interesting people tell their stories in extended, tightly edited interviews. The people are usually non-famous people who have done remarkable things in their lives. Good production and good stories.32. 99% Invisible, Little think pieces about design and it's role in our everyday life. Impecably researched and always interesting, with a wonderfully charming delivery from its host.31. The Hilarious World of Depression, Comedian interviews comedians about depression and how it shapes their lives. Genius concept that perfectly hits the sweetspot of using humor to enlighten dark subjects. Fairly new and still finding its feet, but already one of my favorite shows.30. Radiolab, Reporters explore fascinating and mysterious stories usually in the realm of science and nature and wind their way to answers in a series of tightly cut together interviews. Really tightly produced (sometimes too much so) and very well researched, this show is one of the most iconic podcasts in the medium.29. Death, Sex & Money, Very personal stories about the big decisions in everyday people's lives, done in interviews in a journalistic style. Very heavy sometimes, but really great. Really digs into the real stuff in people's lives.28. You Made it Weird, Very long in-depth celebrity interviews with comedian Pete Holmes as host. A mirror-universe version of WTF, with a young-happy host rather than an angry older one. This doesn't have the same bite as WTF, but it replaces it with a wonderful sense of joy. Both hosts have mastered the art of the long interview.27. Reveal, Serious journalism, but with a slightly more of a conversational tone and more production to make it a more entertaining version of a news show. Nevertheless, the subject matter is heavy, and often deadly serious.26. Overdue, A couple funny dudes talk through great classic novels while riffing and making jokes. Spot-on chemistry and a perfect combination of high-brow art and low-brow comedy.25. Relic Radio, I love that podcasts are bringing back the audiodrama, an artform basically dead for forty years. But few of the new ones can match the originals, back when there was a big industry of daily and weekly shows and hundreds of professional actors and writers churning them out. Relic Radio lovingly curates from over 30 years of successful but forgotten shows to present them to a modern audience. The stories, while old-fashioned, are amazing, well-performed and fully produced with original music.24. Savage Lovecast, Call-in advice show about love, sex and life. Whet sets it apart is the kind and charismatic host, who has a gift for cutting to the heart of complex questions. Advice shows are a bit overdone, but he manages to elevate the format with his frankness and his ability to connect the problems we have in our loves, to larger questions we have about our selves.23. Crimetown, In depth audio documentary on organized crime in a big city (season 1 was on Providence.) Really well told story that feels tight and informative, while staying entertaining, mostly because the stories themselves are so engaging.22. Modern Love, Essays and stories about love in the modern world, read by famous actors. The pieces themselves are incredible, both joyful and heart-wrending. They often interview the author after, which sometimes makes me wish they would just have the author read it (due to the personal nature of the stories.)21. Wooden Overcoats, Scripted comedic audiodrama about competing funeral homes on a small British island. Very witty. Wonderfully funny and charming. Has probably the best character voice acting in scripted podcasts.20. Invisibilia, This podcast describes itself somewhat grandly as exploring the invisible things that shape everyday life. What it is, is a damn good radio-style interview think-piece show, with an emphasis on the patterns of human behavior. I love the light touch that the hosts give to the show. With a penchant for giving more questions than answers (in a good way).19. The Best Show with Tom Scharpling, Cult show that started in radio over a decade ago and slowly got weirder as it went. It's an ironic impersonation of a radio call-in show. This is definitely not for everyone; many of you will hate this show. But if you like it you will likely end up loving it. The host is a mad genius of twisting the radio format without ever totally breaking it. Best known for insulting and abusing his call-in listeners.18. WTF, An angry old comedian interviews famous people in great depth. Marc Maron's gift is in getting people speaking from the heart, and in breaching personal subjects that don't usually get talked about in interviews. WTF is often funny, usually fascinating and occasionally heartbreaking.17. Alice Isn't Dead, Weird, creepy, wonderfully produced and performed fictional story about a woman on a journey to find someone she lost. Uniquely moody and moving. Poetic to the point that it might be considered self-indulgent, so it might not be for everyone. But if you dive in, it's an incredible journey.16. The Moth, Personal stories told by a wide set of writers in front of a live audience. Usually funny and often touching in a smart-NewYorker-piece sort of way. Curated from a larger set of stories, and it shows: The stories are more consistently good than most of these types of shows.15. The Church of What's Happening Now, Comedian Joey Coco Diaz plus guest (usually comedians) trade life-stories. Diaz is really funny, as are most of his guests, but what stands out is Diaz's unique comedic voice and how he can talk about the really heavy stuff in his life in a funny way. And he is just overflowing with stories. He has had a crazy life.14. Strangers, Tough, beautiful personal stories examined in interviews with leather-voiced Lea Thau (I mean that in a good way: love her voice, it's like a smoked Nina Simone). It's like little audio documentaries about everyday people who have been through extraordinary personal turmoil. Beautiful stories, beautifully told.13. The Mortified Podcast, Grown-ups read their childhood journals to a live audience along with embarassing stories and memories about being kids. On one level it's really funny to hear their skewed childhood perceptions but also there's something amazingly cathartic about sharing in the embarassment. At least for me, being able to laugh at it makes me feel better about my own messed up childhood, and realize that all the stuff I was trying to hide, is the exact same stuff that everyone else was feeling as well.12. Snap Judgment, Great true-stories told by the people who lived through them, over some sick beats and tight riffs, all pulled together by my favorite host in podcasting.11. Here Be Monsters, Wonderful stories about suffering and hate and love and all the crazy things that are going on in the human soul. Told mostly through solo interviews with lightly intersperced music and production. The show is very heavy, but very listenable and very real.10. The Film Reroll, Rotating crew of actors and comedians pick a famous movie and improvise a new version of it with license that anything can happen. Hilarity ensues. The new movies are sublime and ridiculous and often better than the original. They use a dice system to run their stories like a game so they can't decide in advance what will happen. Brilliant concept, perfectly executed. Probably the most pure fun in podcasting.9. This American Life, Pastiche of stories about the American experience, told in a jounalistic style through interviews. Sometimes sad, sometimes joyful, always interesting. Many smarter things have been said about this show than I can say. Many of the podcasts on this list are in response to or immitation of This American Life, but the original continues to be one of the best examples of the format.8. Risk!, Similar to the Moth, people come on to tell their personal stories. I go back and forth between the two of them as to which I like more. Where the Moth has stories that are more cleverly written, this show feels more real and visceral. The storytellers are less likely to be writers, so we get less polished stories. But this show ultimately gets the nod for me with going to dark places of profound personal drama. Varies greatly in tone from episode to episode, but has been consistently great for a long time now.7. My Dad Wrote a Porno, A host and his two friends go chapter-by-chapter through his dad's erotic novel, constantly disecting and laughing about the bizarre and terrible writing. This might honestly be the funniest show in podcasting right now. And while it's mostly light-hearted humor, there's something very compelling about the bizarre view into a man's relationship with his father that comes out from the show's premise.6. Beautiful/Anonymous, Long phone conversations with anonymous callers who tell personal stories about their lives. The host is a comedian, but he doesn't try to be funny most of the time, keeping a balance between respecting the story and injecting levity when needed. Brilliantly simple yet unique concept and executed perfectly.5. Welcome to Nightvale, Bizarre, absurdist poeetry, delivered hypnotically in the form of a local radio bulletin, mixed with wonderful music for ambience and as breaks in the main show. Welcome to Nightvale is honestly pretty hard to describe. It's funny and dark and compelling and weird all at once. It's completely unique, and it's definitely not for everyone, but if it's for you, it's can be transformative.4. Song Exploder, Musicians break down the making of their songs, pulling out and explaining individual tracks and showing you how the song works piece by piece and ultimately how they work. Lovely and unique podcast for music lovers and noobies alike.3. PRI's the World, You could argue this is the best show in podcasting and it's basically a news show, but not your typical cable news fare. Reporters go around the globe and go in depth with local topics and how they affect the world and what they mean to all of us. These are all human stories, with all the pathos and weight of great fiction, but done in interview with real people. Heavy show but very listenable in spite of the seriousness.2. Criminal, Stories at the extremes of the human experience, told through interviews in a semi-journalistic style. Perfect blend of story-telling and introspection. Captures these wonderfully twisted stories with a matter-of-fact style that succeeds in putting you in the shoes of the people in the stories, and make you reconsider your preconceptions about the topic. Love the pacing and music on this show as well. Perfectly produced.1. Hardcore History, Powerful stories from the past, told passionately and intelligently. Dan Carlin has a gift for the dramatic, keeping the narrative human and personal while still showing you the great sweep of history. At its heart it's just great epic storytelling, you could easily forget that it's technically learning. But then he'll make some point that makes you realize these were real people with real feelings, and these stories created the world as we live in it. This show awakened in me a totally new understanding of our world. In spite of how many podcasts I listen to, it was pretty easy to choose which one I feel is the best. Warning: very long episodes.EDIT: Formatting via /r/podcasts

#IFTTT #reddit

0 notes