#1s laser

[nachobra]

tinkering around tiwht the new twitter ai bot, testing out its epic roasting feature. i think it's pretty impressive for such an early build

#twitter #ai #silicon valley #cleverbot #computers #1s #0s #rocketships #lasers #science things #big new tech #future machines #digital companionship #blood emeralds

[laserswordtraining]

Okay that obscure music site, it had more info when I scrolled down

So here’s what it had for me that I thought was funny 😄 literally does not care about anything else listened to because of how OBSESSIVELY I listed to them 😂😅

but you can also compare yourself to me? Tell me results I love finding music through ppl

#hell yeah shake it off is how I would grade my dancability actually #but my spotify wrapped said pretty much the same thing with these being the 1s sooo #lasers speak now

[pearls-and-vignettes]

Spaceway 70 - Pablo

The Marlin heaves out of the darkened dock, whining with unwarmed engines. A simple objective:

- Assess damages, neutralize threats.

I've done it a million times before. Come to think of it,—

Red lights blare outside and the station's distress call is picked up by the radio. I fly around the cylindrical body—perform a systematic scan. How would the incident report be written?

- Upper hull damaged in a hit-and-run bombing; station status unknown.

- Soldier casualties: ...

Soldiers. They never chose to lay down their lives—to fight for an uncaring ruler—not them.

- Assailant(s): Unknown vessel, presumed solitary. Heat signature detected, actively pursuing.

Ambiguous language. Open to litigation. Sarge would be sad.

- Disregard previous entry. Chasing assailant via engine heat; infrared reading with 0.87 certainty. Monitoring radar.

- Radar confirms a small ship. Moving at 75% of own velocity. Distance 2000 mi.

-

-

- 1500.

-

-

- Approaching civilian zone

-

-

- 1000.

-

-

- 500.

-

- 250.

-

- 175.

-

- 100.

- 50.

- 25.

- Contact.

They pull up and to the left, attempting to get above and behind me, though it's too little, too late.

- Assailant neutralized with ballistics. Assumed to have hit engine.

- Upon visual examination, there appears to have been no pilot. Control is either automated or remote. No outstanding radio frequency detected.

Darn...

Out and ahead of me are markers indicating a commercial route. Safe for traders.

A transponder on one of the markers pings my ship. Something about remaining in place, a unit arriving soon. I don't make it a good hundred miles before a squad comes in with weapons hot.

I dodge a few shots and they graze me with a laser. I'm not about to make war with a whole task force.

The Marlin is a ship of esoteric construction. It has a hull constructed for incredibly heavy salvos—granted you have enough sealant [1] aboard. It comes with a cloak [2], more a scrambler than anything, which uses up insane amounts of power, and an EM pulse [3] which likewise drains my batteries. It's a perfect ship for an early retirement [4], as long as my encounters are few and far between.

With the push of a fader I turn my radio into a tool of war, creating a streak of white along their IR imager and making their radar unusable. Similarly, with a press of a button the magnetron pulses on, disabling their steering and warming up their cabins.

- Three combatants neutralized; nonlethal means

Two more pull down and in front, shooting and missing. I pull up and turn around, hoping to hit them with more microwaves.

< -#- VACDETEC V1.4 -#- >

< ALARM >

<HULL BREACH | d.0s>

<HULL BREACH | d.1s>

<HULL BREACH | d.2s>

I begin to sweat as the laser weapon dissipates as heat into my cockpit.

< HULL SEALED >

< SEALANT AT 25% >

I need to leave.

I reach up to grab a solar compass [5] and scribble my heading onto the cockpit glass.

- Taking extratactical measures: Magnetron shielding angle set to 175.8 degrees

< ## Are you sure? Use of EMP with current settings may cause systems to misbehave. ## >

[ YES ]

Navigation goes dark as two more ships behind me lose steering. I launch a wide-range RF jammer [6] and a hot net [7]. I cut my engines and seal the exhaust [8].

This is a special dance they taught us in Academy; " . . . each ship has its own precise limits, though with them come potential," they had us memorize old literature, "that is why you must know yours more intimately than the body of your lover . . . " I positioned one hand over the exhaust control and another over the ignition. Two seconds, three seconds, and

< -#- SHELL -#- >

< ALARM >

<ENGINE OVERHEAT>

The ship rattles as I rocket dead ahead in the direction of home. Another alarm blares on my monitor,

<CHECK ENGINE>

A few milliseconds too late. I hear a faint whisper—a hiss—join the chorus of the Marlin's song. I'm sorry. I'll fix it soon. It'll be ok.

" . . . for each time you take up the helm, you partake in a romance far more real than any other, for no other can see the terror

of a deprivation so terrible, or a death so swift."

[1]: A chemical formulation which undergoes an extremely exothermic reaction when exposed to the vacuum of space. Akin to tire sealant from when vulcanized rubber was used for land vehicles.

[2]: A system consisting of telescoping antennae and an ultra-high amplitude RF generator. Hides a ship's exact location within a much broader, irregular radio signature.

[3]: A high-powered magnetron capable of producing strong microwaves with multiple miles of range. Temporarily scrambles navigation systems, causing affected ships to veer off-course.

[4]: I can't keep doing this

[5]: An indicator which points in the direction of the closest star, when properly calibrated. Detects the unique products of nuclear fusion.

[6]: Akin to the cloak, a disposable projectile which blanks out vast swathes of a ship's radio imager.

[7]: A large, mechanized retroreflector which concentrates heat from all directions, and shoots it back at the viewer, making infrared imaging of a ship nearly impossible.

[8]: In reference to a mechanism which seals the exhaust vents of the Marlin. This turns the entirety of the engine tract into a bomb. A stupid idea if held closed for more than a few seconds.

#`twtocwbart

[justaboot]

Tell us about the animation of DuckTales, Ms. Boot

gee thanks for asking!

Western animation is shot on 2s, right? For every second you see, there's 24 frames of images. Instead of flashing 24 different drawings, generally, each picture is held for two frames, so there's only 12 drawings in a second. One drawing held for two frames. Another drawing for two frames. Another drawing, etc.

For Della's jump/walk cycle on the moon, in big jumps at the peak of her arc they move her to 1s, which is what gives her that SUPER cool suspension. The fight scene with the mite, during her Action Sequences TM they move her to 1s, which is what gives her that super badass, sleek movement (the wall-run, running up the mite, etc). The lasers, too, are on 1s, which makes them look so smooth and alien. So Penumbra, Lunaris, and the guns themselves are on 2s, but the energy blasts are 1s.

When Della comes back to earth and does her jump face-first into the gate? 2's. Dumb earth gravity.

idk but I thought that was really cool.

#ducktales #dt17 #della duck

[mattmoments]

my beautiful son the allomyrina amyr-1s. he has 2 light gauss rifles, 2 medium lasers, and every disease

#art moments #3d modelling #low poly #chrome #battletech #battletech custom #megameklab #blender #gif #animated #mecha #mech #mech design #battlemech #sorry floopydisc i jacked yr style hope u dont mind x

[thatliminal-wanderer]

Backrooms ID Pack

Names

Adam, Adym, Aguana, Aiden, Aiko, Alex, Alexia, Altair, Ambrosia, Amori, Andrew, Ant, Argos, Aries, Ashley, Aster, Avelon, Bartholomew, Belphegor, Berry, Bill, Blake, Blue, Bonx, Bram, Brock, Callum, Caspian, Castello, Chara, Cindy, Clement, Clementine, Colias, Corey, Corri, Crane, Creg, Crimson, Cyllene, Cypress, Daisy, Daze, Destiny, Doll, Dream, Dull, Dunk, Eden, Emily, Emme, Evangeline, Ezra, Ferren, Flannery, Frankie, Freeman, Fume, Gani, George, Gerald, Grey, Hen, Icarus, Jack, Janus, Jax, Jerry, Jess, Johnny, Kaii, Kain, Kami, Kane, Kat, Kimiko, King, Kitty, Koko, Kya, Leeon, Leo, Lilac, Limi, Llio, Lotka, Lucid, Malachi, March, Maria, Mason, Moley, Montie, Nightmare, Noir, Olive, Olivia, Ollie, Paisley, Pedro, Philia, Porter, Quinoa, Rae, Rasputin, Richard, River, Rook, Rosette, Rue, Ryan, Samantha, Sato, Saturn, Sienna, Sol, Terry, Theodore, Tom, Trance, Val, Vanta, Vee, Vesper, Vice, Violet, Will, Xavier, Xoa, Zero

Pronouns

!/!s, 0/0s, 1/1s, 2/2s, 3/3s, 4/4s, 5/5s, 6/6s, 7/7s, 8/8s, 9/9s, :(/:(s, :)/:)s, =(/=(s, =)/=)s, ?/?s, _/_s, almond/almonds, alone/alones, alpha/alphas, back/backs, bee/bees, bird/birds, black/blacks, blood/bloods, blue/blues, bone/bones, book/books, box/boxes, bug/bugs, buzz/buzzes, camp/camps, cave/caves, chalk/chalks, city/cities, clean/cleans, crimson/crimsons, crop/crops, danger/dangers, dark/darks, data/datas, dead/deads, decay/decays, desert/deserts, dirt/dirts, doll/dolls, door/doors, dream/dreams, echo/echos, end/ends, error/errors, eye/eyes, fate/fates, field/fields, fog/fogs, forest/forests, garden/gardens, glitch/glitchs, glow/glows, gold/golds, grime/grimes, hall/halls, haunt/haunts, hill/hills, hive/hives, home/homes, hot/hotel/hotels, house/houses, hub/hubs, ice/ices, icy/icys, jungle/jungles, lake/lakes, laser/lasers, level/levels, light/lights, love/loves, lucid/lucids, mall/malls, maze/mazes, mem/memory/memories, mirror/mirrors, moon/moons, moth/moths, mouth/mouths, musk/musks, neon/neons, noir/noirs, play/plays, pool/pools, rain/rains, rainbow/rainbows, red/reds, road/roads, room/rooms, rot/rots, run/runs, sand/sands, sea/seas, sewer/sewers, silent/silents, snack/snacks, space/spaces, sparkle/sparkles, spring/springs, tha/thalasso/thalassos, time/times, violet/violets, void/voids, wall/walls, warning/warnings, water/waters, wave/waves, well/wells, wheat/wheats, white/whites, yellow/yellows, •/•s, ∅/∅s, ⌛️/⌛️s, ☁️/☁️s, ⚠️/⚠️s, ⚰️/⚰️s, ⛓️/⛓️s, ⛓️‍💥/⛓️‍💥s, ✂️/✂️s, 🌀/🌀s, 🌈/🌈s, 🌓/🌓s, 🌗/🌗s, 🌪️/🌪️s, 🌫️/🌫️s, 🍄/🍄s, 🍄‍🟫/🍄‍🟫s, 🎞️/🎞️s, 🎟️/🎟️s, 🎤/🎤s, 🎥/🎥s, 🎪/🎪s, 🎭/🎭s, 🐁/🐁s, 🐇/🐇s, 🐌/🐌s, 🐛/🐛s, 🐜/🐜s, 🐥/🐥s, 👁️/👁️s, 📞/📞s, 📠/📠s, 📹/📹s, 📺/📺s, 📻/📻s, 📽️/📽️s, 🔑/🔑s, 🔗/🔗s, 🔮/🔮s, 🕊️/🕊️s, 🕯️/🕯️s, 🕰️/🕰️s, 🕳️/🕳️s, 🕷️/🕷️s, 🗝️/🗝️s, 🗺️/🗺️s, 😶‍🌫️/😶‍🌫️s, 🚪/🚪s, 🛎️/🛎️s, 🛠️/🛠️s, 🥀/🥀s, 🥣/🥣s, 🥩/🥩s, 🦂/🦂s, 🦜/🦜s, 🦟/🦟s, 🦠/🦠s, 🦴/🦴s, 🦷/🦷s, 🧠/🧠s, 🧫/🧫s, 🩸/🩸s, 🩹/🩹s, 🩻/🩻s, 🪐/🪐s, 🪜/🪜s, 🪞/🪞s, 🪟/🪟s, 🪦/🪦s, 🪰/🪰s, 🪱/🪱s, 🪳/🪳s, 🪶/🪶s, 🪹/🪹s, 🫀/🫀s, 🫁/🫁s, 🫗/🫗s, 🫥/🫥s

Titles

A Corrupted File, An Unapproachable (Beast/Entity/Unknown/Any Animal), Entity [number], Lucky (Beast/Entity/Any Animal), The (Bride/Husband/Spouse), The (Entity/Beast/Creature/Thing/God) of Level [number], The (King/Queen/Royal), The (Smiling/Frowning) One, The (Spokeslady/Spokesman/Spokesperson), The (Un)Lucky One, The Artist, The Behemoth, The Bellhopper, The Bone Thief, The Bronze Builder, The Catmaster, The Coder, The Comedian, The Concierge, The Crawlspace (Entity/Beast/Creature), The Endless Walls, The Entity, The Entity Which Doesn’t Exist, The Explorer, The First Entity, The Friend, The Game Master, The Headless (Hunter/Huntress/Entity/Beast/Creature), The Hermit, The Historian, The Homerunner, The Housekeeper, The Liminal Space, The Mail Carrier, The Maker, The Maze of Lost Ones, The Memory (Any Animal), The Memory Manager, The Mucked Smell, The Musician, The Neighborhood Watcher, The Numbed (Entity/Beast/Man/Woman/Person/Creature), The One Adorned In (Red/White/Black/Beige), The One Which Light Flicker For, The One Who Buzzes, The One Who Is Hiding in Level [number], The One Who Looks Too Familiar, The One Who Opened The Back Door to Reality, The One With No Data, The Party Host, The Puppeteer, The Scarecrow, The Scavenger, The Singer, The Smiling One, The Wanderer, [prn] That Lives Behind Reality, [prn] Who (Makes/Ruins) The Party, [prn] Who Can Not Be Explained, [prn] Who Endlessly Falls, [prn] Who Is Sick, [prn] Who Makes and Plays The Games, [prn] Who Resigns in Level [number], [prn] Who Wanders The Endless Levels

Genders

0beckəl, 1beckəl, 3beckəl, 4beckəl, 5beckəl, 6beckəl, 7beckəl, 8beckəl, 92levelic, 974kitic, 9beckəl, Backaneic, Backroomgender, Backroomic, Backroomsaesic, Backroomscattic, Backroomsdollic, Backroomsfluid, Backroomsflux, Backroomspinnic, Buzinbackroomic, Catbackroomic, Cliproomic, Deathmothgender, Eeriroomic, Endlessswimic, Entiromaric, Entity555gender, Entity666gender.exe, Entity99ic, Erokoric, Escapethebackroomsgameic, Flowliminpinkic, Hotelliminix, Kenolimighost, Lepidoipresence, Level!ix, Level0liminix, Level1liminix, Level336dia, Level370ix, Level389ic, Level7ix, Liminaldollic, Liminalmazeic, Liminalmushrooms, Liminalpoweric, Liminalsnowic, Liminalspacestalgic, Liminaquarpetic, Liminaquic, Limingender, Liminix, Liminlovecoric, Natatoliraifortic, Nostbackplushic, Panbackroomic, Parkgaraliminix, Partygoerscharic, Partykenous, Rubicunipresence, Sh4dygr3yl3v3l1c, Smilergender, Snowliminalic, Storeliminix, Unfatholiminal, Zeroaromic

Other mogai

Alderbackroentity, Alderitch, Alderliminal, Alderwhitevoid, Assigned Creature at Birth/ACreAB, Assigned Freak at Birth/AFrAB, Assigned Monster at Birth/AMonAB, Assigned Uncanny at Birth/AUnAB, Backroomsvesil, Darkwarmgreyvesil, Eldritch Omninoun, Eldritchvesil, Error Omninoun, Flesheatseaseque, Grey Omninoun, Hiliblayedernic, Kenovesi, Kittyhousehearthic, Mimicryvior, Nonhuvesil, Null Omninoun, Poolroomperspesque, Shard Omninoun, Sublimityhearthic, Terrorhotelhearthic, Thing Omninoun, Vesiliminal, ∅ Omninoun

#id pack #npt suggestions #name suggestions #name list #name ideas #npt #title ideas #title suggestions #pronoun suggestions #pronoun list #gender list #gender suggestions #mogai list #mogai suggestions #mogai blog #mogai #the backrooms #backrooms

[tanksandbeyond]

A Leopard 1A5 of PzBtl 183 passes a Raketenjagdpanzer Jaguar 1 ATGM carrier at Bergen, 1995.

The Leopard 1 is Germany's first widely produced tank after World War II, entering service in 1965 with the Bundeswehr. The 1A5 model notably features a new Krupp-Atlas Elektronik EMES 18 fire control system, equipping the Leopard 1A5 with thermal imaging and a laser rangefinder, useful at night and at longer ranges respectively.

The Raketenjagdpanzer Jaguar 1 on the other hand, just hardly seen in this photo, is an anti-tank missile carrier, using the Euromissile HOT missile in a foldout launcher. Notable with the Jaguar 1 seen in this photo is the presence of the new optics and thermal imaging system, the large box on the front of the vehicle. These were installed in the mid-1990s to all Jaguar 1s.

#German tanks #Bundeswehr #Leopard 1 #Jaguar 1

[manysmallhands]

Top 10 Albums of 2023!

This was all supposed to work out differently. As i recall from the now long distant past, my original plan was to do a countdown where i put up one post a day throughout December. However, I got Covid on December 1st and that plan immediately became lame and useless. After that, my assumption was basically that i wouldn't be able to do any of this, but i got better more quickly than i'd anticipated and found myself working on these reviews in bits as the month has gone on. So, having rushed through all the the song blurbs that i wanted to do, here i am on New Year's Eve with a more or less finished Top 10 albums to put up.

The only problem is that there are ten quite lengthy reviews here and the vibe is already pretty tl:dr. But tbh that's fine: there really is only my girlfriend who ever reads everything (and i believe her, trust is what love is all about after all) so for anyone looking at this and thinking blimey, that's a lot of text, my advice is: you don't have to read any of it. Just look at the albums, scan thru to see if it sounds like something you might like and give one or two of them a listen if that looks like the case. The words are really just to keep me occupied but i'd like to hope that someone likes some of the records.

I said yesterday that i would reveal what the best one is and so I am now delivering on that important promise. The best one is Scarlet by Doja Cat. Anyone who follows me on whatever platform already knows that the best one is Scarlet by Doja Cat. Don't make me say it again.

Barbie - The Album

Few people have seemed much interested in the Barbie soundtrack, other than the punters who kept it atop the compilations chart for four months. I, as ever, channel the spirit of the populous. The sound is basically 80s synth pop updated for a modern audience  - the likes of Haim and Ava Max slot in predictably well - but its the extra dimensions created by how the artists interact with the film that provide some of its more interesting aspects. Sam Smith’s Man I Am reflects a surprisingly LGBTQ Ken despite protestations (certainly its "I'm not gay bro, but..." T-shirt is prompting a lot of questions already answered by the shirt), while Billie Eilish dwelling on life as a manufactured product makes for interesting and uncomfortable parallels in What Was I Made For. Mark Ronson’s plasticky production suits its subject to a tee, further cementing the conceptual unity of the project.

Star turns abound throughout the album as A-listers like Dua Lipa and Lizzo bring their best games alongside some terrific and unlikely downcard cameos. What Was I Made For? and Dance The Night were both deserved #1s, but the pacey pop punk of GAYLE’s Butterflies and Dominic Fike’s breezy, hook laden Hey Blondie are as much highlights as any of the bigger names here. Special mention should be made for Ryan Gosling’s I’m Just Ken, a blockbuster 70s rock number that, whilst puncturing the wider stylistic template, is batshit and hilarious enough to more than justify its place as well as netting him a surprise hit too. The quality lapses once or twice (Tame Impala in particular are bloody awful) but by the time Ava fires the final laser I’m generally happy to go back and start all over again. With banger after banger here, my verdict is in: the Barbie soundtrack is *Charli voice* HOT!

Claire Rosinkranz - Just Because

While this has been a year that I’ve gotten more fully into pop, it took a while for me to find many new albums that I’ve been interested in. This may partly be to do with me clinging to an idea that LPs ought to be substantial beyond having good hooks and charm. In truth, all I needed to do was revert to my indiepop training, where bands have never knowingly been fussed about having any great weightiness. But even so, it took Just Because to make it clear to me that no, you really don’t need any grand vision at all: a high number of great if frothy pop songs will do just fine. It’s a record which bounces from banger to banger in an endearingly sunny style, with each tune so catchy that their lightness becomes a strength rather than a weakness.

Rosinkranz’s voice seems to mark her out as one of the many Billie clones who populate the current pop scene but her musical ambitions are both simpler and more instantly engaging. Not yet 20, her songs have an element of schoolyard whispers which add a welcome silliness here and there, but she also plays with the intensity of youthful emotions to make them a little heartrending even as she goofs off. Highlights include Dreamer, a break up song where the vocal makes it clear that she’s far from as done as she says she is, and Wes Anderson, which offers some sombre advice but packages it in a song so sweet that you’d never know. But in spite of all this it makes no end of year lists (well, maybe just the one), being merely a lovable set of songs that are very hard to forget. Need it be more? I don't believe so.

Doja Cat - Scarlet

Mired in discourse throughout the year, Doja Cat still found time to make a chart topping single (Paint The Town Red) that took the world by storm and a cracking album which, sadly, did not. Scarlet was in my opinion the better of the two: largely ditching the afrobeat pop of Planet Her, Doja staked her claim as an old skool rapper and brought it off pretty well, mixing hard rhyming with her more scattershot pop delivery and sounding entirely comfortable wherever she landed. While flitting musically between modern RnB and neo-soul grooves, her subject matter was largely taken up by how much she hated her fans, a bold strategy that found her shedding support even as blistering tracks like Fuck The Girls shaped up as some of my favourites of the year.

Whilst I’ve found myself uncomfortable with both the company that she keeps and the views which she may or may not subscribe to (i feel safe in saying that she's a right wing edgelord but i suspect that’s the least of it), Scarlet is such a good album that I’ve found myself, if not making excuses for her, then at least deftly navigating around my distaste in order to keep listening to it. While Agora Hills often reminded me how serious she is about her scumbag of a boyfriend, it’s still a song that can submerge me in its beauty entirely; while some of the complaints from her online audience are less easily dismissed than others, it’s more comfortable just to think about the morons calling her a devil worshiper, especially when she mocks them so wickedly on the elegant Skull And Bones. Am I the problem? Maybe I am: it’s a place I often find myself in with hip hop, where faves are frequently problematic and exceptions beg to be made. As such, I can not wholeheartedly recommend this record to people who might want to take a principled stand against some of her bullshit. I can only say that, as a musical talent, there was no one better all year.

Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard?

After 2021’s fairly middling brace of albums, Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd always felt like it was going to be a return to form and this time the faithful were not disappointed. It was another epic and sprawling record which unfolded like a cross between The Bible and a 50s musical. While changeable in style, ranging from hammy country ballads to trap beats and beyond, the thing that springs to mind most often is the Great American Songbook, as Lana takes the melodramatic grandeur of those standards and soaks them in her own messy and complicated worldview. This draws in family, romance, the future, her relationship with religion and how it all scrappily fits together, ranging widely and wildly across 75 extraordinary minutes.

Much of the album feels like it’s being broadcast from a kind of dreamworld, although one that overlays with reality neatly enough. Lana’s dismissive “if you want some basic bitch go to the Beverly Centre and find her” line undercuts the mood on the otherwise lush and evocative Sweet but the impact is hilarious rather than jarring, a perfect marriage of the strange and mundane. In contrast, the brooding A&W initially brings that realism to a far more uncomfortable level, before goofing off wonderfully in the second half in a way that only Lana ever really dares to do. Much of the record feels like it's creating its own language, as key phrases (“let the light in”, “when you know, you know”) are repeated and musical themes come back around in strange modulations. All in all, while perhaps less satisfying as a pop record than Norman Fucking Rockwell, Did You Know… feels like her most complete statement on a personal level yet, whilst still working well within the broader world that she’s spent over a decade constructing.

Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We

Despite liking the odd song or two, I have until now been largely immune to Mitski over the full length of an album. But The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We has a much more organic sound than I’m used to hearing from her, well adrift from the polished guitar rock of her big 10s records. Instead, it takes many of its cues from classic folk and country, occasionally lush and expansive, often determinedly sombre but always at a distance from the areas where she’s generally been at home. Opener Bug Like An Angel is a brooding scene setter, where Mitski unveils the terse and grumpy presence we will grow familiar with over the next half hour. The main elements of the album are already in place - the spare instrumentation; Mitski’s extraordinary voice, hard and intransigent but still full of yearning; the occasional, overwhelming interjections from the wings. It all creates a distinctive atmosphere, extremely intense but intimate too: we’re allowed into Mitski’s world but there’s a lot to take in.

Lyrically, the songs are both heavily allusive and extremely personal, like hearing ancient parables told by the characters from the story. Surprise hit My Love Mine All Mine seems to sit apart as a relatively standard love song but a closer listen reveals deeper layers; the placing of her love as something independent from its object makes it feel more of a piece with the album’s other enigmas. At a time where Mitski seemed to be cooling on being a rock star, The Land Is Inhospitable adds a new twist to her long musical journey, seemingly presenting a more intimate portrait while in fact retaining most of her essential mystery. As an album, it really is quite something: what that is I’m less certain of but I like it regardless.

Olivia Rodrigo - Guts

Tho I wouldn't have called myself a hater (I don’t think I would have been bothered enough), I don't really like Olivia’s all conquering debut Sour, which I thought a bit too one-note and overpopulated with slushy ballads. But by the time Guts came around I was open to listening again, drawn in by its excellent singles and primed for a different experience. Vampire, the best of them and more or less of this year, was a fantastic example of taking something that Olivia is clearly very accomplished at (the grand piano lament) and then, rather than running that into the ground, instead using it as a springboard for an entirely different idea. Get Him Back and Bad Idea Right hark back to earlier guitar based tracks like Brutal, but on Guts they form a much more substantive part of the album, cementing its brand of addictive pop grunge and working up a much goofier version of her messy teen persona.

Elsewhere, the ballads did in fact return. Some have speculated that this may have been a bad idea (right?) but for me they’ve been growers, particularly the likes of Lacy and The Grudge, where Olivia explores the bitterness of youth and uses it to tear holes in the people who’ve wronged her. But if I’m honest, it’s the rockers that I’m usually waiting for: whether the new wave pastiche of Love Is Embarrassing or autumnal Cure homage Pretty Isn’t Pretty, each one feels like a mini-revelation and it’s the style that I hope she leans on most in the future.

Palehound - Eye On The Bat 

Palehound have been around for a while now and every so often I’ve given their records a try and haven't really managed to connect with them properly. Eye on the Bat has been the first exception, though whether that's because it’s any better than the others or I just made more of an effort with it I don’t know. Its template is certainly well worn in the indie world - country rock with varying degrees of aggression or melodic sweetness - but there’s still a lot here that grabs my attention, especially in the charming indie pop of the title track and the heart-rending melancholy of Route 22.

But the thing that caught my ear the most was Ellen Kempner’s disarming honesty, with much of the album spent documenting what sounds like a deeply messy break up. Whether she’s bitterly picking through the fall out on Independence Day or remembering some hilariously embarrassing bedroom scene on opener Good Sex, Eye On The Bat's almost diaristic view is mesmerising throughout, making you warm to Kempner even as she works thru some of her own worst traits. And aside from anything else, her understanding of relationships underlines her strengths as a lyricist, as she dissects their complexities with wit, sympathy and occasional anger to capture all the stuff that transcends whatever we were hoping for in the first place.

Poppy - Zig

After the wild ride that commenced with 2020’s extraordinary pop/metal mash up I Disagree, Poppy has journeyed thru indie rock, goth and punk to wind up back where she started, only not quite. Zig may represent a return to pop - indeed it’s produced by Weeknd affiliate Ali Payami - but it’s one that’s filtered thru all of the places she stopped off along the way.

The crepuscular grind of Church Outfit and Knockoff sound like more danceable versions of the I Disagree sound, while the crunching title track suggests that she can still go as hard as ever. But there are nods to a lighter side here as well, particularly in the strong trio that wind up the album: The Attic recasts her sound in a euphoric drum n bass clatter whilst closer Prove It kicks up a remarkable blend of manic hyperpop and gentle electro-balladry, whilst still working in the rich emotional palette that she’s developed in recent years.

In one sense this is a huge departure from the frenetic punk of last year’s Stagger EP but the vibes here stake out territory that you’d still find oddly familiar. Some of the gothy ballads are less immediate than other songs but nothing on Zig is boring, just varying refinements on her ever evolving musical journey. The critics were split, occasionally rattled and sometimes just plain baffled, but that’s only to be expected by now. Poppy follows her own plan and rarely sticks to the same tune: in truth it’s a privilege just to be a witness to the chaos.

Sweeping Promises - Good Living Is Coming For You

One thing that I find missing in a lot of modern guitar based music is snappy songs with good catchy hooks. While Sweeping Promises appear to place their focus elsewhere - their high concept sound is best understood as someone broadcasting direct from 1979 through a wristwatch speaker - their second album still finds time to deliver fully on the tunes. Good Living Is Coming To You is steeped in bubblegum melodies and memorable choruses, with songs that become earworms before you’ve even registered how catchy they are. 

More than anything, it's dominated by Lira Mondal’s imperious vocals: whether it’s in the cascading harmonies of Throw Of The Dice, the fierce yells and hisses that close out the title track or her sweet voiced switch-outs on Ideal No, her character springs out of every song in a way that few singers ever really manage to impose. While you might think that the post punk era has been mined to death by now, Sweeping Promises drag new life into it by going back further: their sound may be heavily rooted in a specific moment but the elements of songcraft often have more in common with 60s girl group classics than gnarled art rockers. Ten bangers and no filler: Good Living Is Coming For You is everything I wanted from it and more.

Wednesday - Rat Saw God

While the queasy vibes of 2021’s Twin Plagues are still high in the mix here, it was the welcome injection of melody on Wednesday's third album that managed to alert the media. That lightness was more apparent in Karly Hartzman's lyrics than you might notice on a passing listen too: though often praised for her grimly amusing takes on middle American backwaters, the key to them was her deceptively soft touch, casting a sympathetic eye over grisly scenes even as she retained their gnarlier undertones.

Single Chosen To Deserve, with its crunching chorus and heartwarming romantic turnaround, feels like the designated big moment from the record but in reality Rat Saw God has an embarrassment of riches. Quarry in particular, with its Waterloo Sunset-esque signature and matter-of-fact dissection of grim local gossip, is an almost pop version of the most haunting aspects of Hartzman's craft, while the washed out bounce of closer TV in the Gas Pump pitches a lonelier scene in a similarly gorgeous manner.

This is not to forget that Wedneday can still rock extremely hard when they want to, especially on the brutal 8 minute Bull Believer, an ambitious multipart epic that ends with Hartzman screaming “FINISH HIM!!!” repeatedly over the chaotic finale. But while Rat Saw God brought this kind of sawtoothed sound back to widespread acclaim, its real trick was how it sugared the pill just enough to get it past even the most determinedly sweet tooth.

#Barbie Soundtrack #Barbie #Claire Rosinkranz #Doja Cat #Lana Del Rey #Olivia Rodrigo #Mitski #Palehound #Poppy #Sweeping Promises #Wednesday band #Pop #Rock #Indie Rock #Rap #Hip Hop #Best Albums of 2023 #Albums Of 2023 #Best Of 2023 #Best Music of 2023

[katy-133]

Okay, so I've been trying to figure out a way to explain how Rick and Morty's animation works. It's difficult to explain using gifs, because gifs can alter the framerate, and Tumblr doesn't appear to support frame-by-frame scrubbing. But this new video by Doodley explains it pretty well, imho.

Rick and Morty uses a mixed frame rate. Most of the time, it's animated on 2s (12 frames per second), similar to traditional series animation. But sometimes, it's animated on 1s (24 frames per second).

(I looked at season 6 here.) Examples where you can see Rick and Morty animate on 1s:

Camera movement: The camera is moving each frame, even when the characters are animated on 2s. (Compare it to the Cowboy Bebop fight scene clip in the video.)

Moments that use VFX: When characters fire lasers, often the lasers move each frame, even if the characters aren't:

Explosions will sometimes have the beginning and end of the smoke animated on 1s for impact and settle, respectively.

Slow motion scenes are animated on 1s:

Wind fluttering clothes or hair.

Background elements like the fortune cookies are moving on 1s, while Rick is animated on 2s:

TL;DR: Rick and Morty could have selected Create Keyframes on 2s in Toon Boom Harmony and called it a day, but instead, they let the animators and artists make decisions on whether to keep the framerate the same or mixed.

#animators #rick and morty #animation #videos #my text #Youtube

[definitelynotadeathclaw]

Ren crouched behind a rusty file cabinet, fingers fumbling as he reloaded his beat up laser rifle.

"We don't have to do this!" His voice echoed through the corridor ahead. The intercom crackled, but no reply.

Quickly he looked through the scope, blasting the last turret with a well placed shot. He sighed, turning back to Nick and r01.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do, kid, but are you sure you want to just walk in there? It's a room full of synths, and likely not all of them as agreeable as yours truly."

Ren nodded firmly, holstering his weapon carefully.

"It's worth a shot. He has information we need, and Kellogg doesn't look the type to be an institute regular. I'm still hoping we can do this." He sighed, standing as the door ahead clicked open. "Besides, I have the best helper two clicks away. And you."

He stepped forward, carefully leaving the door ajar. 3 gen 1 synths held lasers at his chest, while a man stepped forward, hands up and empty.

"Let's talk about this" a familiar voice, the same one who ordered the death of Nora many years ago, the scarred face sending a jolt of anger through Ren. He pushed it down, taking a breath.

"I'm not here to fight" he held out his own hands, empty. "I just came here for information, which we both know you have."

Kellogg sighed, leaning against one of the desks in the middle of the room. "You also know I can't tell you what you want to hear. The institute comes to me, ive never been there. I can't give you back your son."

"But you can help me. You were hired, were you not?" Ren slowly pulled out a bag from his pockets, bottle caps clinking loudly in the quiet room as he sat the bag down on a nearby console.

"500 up front. I have weapons and armor as well, most of it hand made by myself."

The other man hesitated, then started incredulously. "You really think your craftsmanship is better than what the institute can offer? They have hundreds of scientists-"

"Mass producing the same one thing, in different wrappings." Ren whistled sharply, the synths in the corner shifting uneasily towards the door.

The door opened, slowly and first, as a metalic arm opened it fully, revealing a modified assaultron, one arm a full sword, flame jets affixed on the sides of the blade, the other a janky railway rifle. The face a basic robco armor plating, the internal laser still visible throughout.

"Nothing I make is as flashy or clean as the institute no doubt has, but I have years of individualized training. My military time was not simply fighting."

He waited there, hands out, keeping firm eye contact with the man who had killed his wife and aided in the kidnapping of his only child. He knew he was mad for trying this, that it would not end the way he wanted.

But he had to try. Senseless violence was never his vibe.

After a prolonged silence that went on, kellogg chuckled.

"Fine," he cautiously walked forward, carefully picking up the bag of caps. "Let's see where this goes"

Without a word, he spun, drawing an old style revolver, quickly dispatching the gen 1s that were watching carefully.

Nick stood at the doorway, watching carefully. "Alright, but I suggest we leave quickly. The institute doesn't approve of people messing up their toys"

The group quickly made their way to the roof, ren hacking into the terminal and rendering the turrets that were left quiet and benign.

Stepping onto the roof, the sound of engines and spotlights overwhelmed them. "People of the commonwealth-"

The pip boy on his wrist beeped, flashing the same signal from the police station. He groaned, shutting it off. "Let's get you guys to sanctuary. Looks like I've been drafted."

#fallout 4 #writing #conrad kellogg

[mwbookwyrm-blog]

Since I had a much better response to the Red Roc, I decided some more information was in order. Still using old drawings, as I haven't had time to draw anything new. I want to update the design a bit to match both my own drawing style and the newer catalyst designs (if possible).

The Red Roc was my first serious attempt of designing a battlemech of my own. I chose to start with my favorite weight, 45 tons, and try and build a mech that was useful at any range while being simple and cheap. I have yet to test enough to know if I accomplished my stated objectives, but I think I've at least made a good start.

================Technical Stuff======================

RDR-C Structure: Standard (4.5t) Engine: STD 225 (10t) Gyro: Standard (3t) Cockpit: Standard (3t) Armor: Standard 6t H: 8 // LT: 10-5 RT: 10-5 \\ LA :8 || CT: 12-8 || RA: 8 LL: 10 RL:10 Equipment: Autocannon/5 RT 4s 8t Ammo (AC/5) 20 RT 1s 1t Large Laser LA 2s 5t SRM 4 CT 1s 2t Ammo (SRM) 25 CT 1s 1t Small Laser LT 1s 0.5t Heat Sink H 1s 1t

================Designer's Notes====================

Well, not much to add here. I know that the Red Roc has several short comings. One that I left in for lore/fluff reasons is the CT SRM ammo. It's stuck in there because the designers couldn't figure out a way to have the SRMs loaded from one of the side torsos without having to take away from the Red Roc's waist structure. Prototypes that tried this would eventually overstress the waist and cause it to collapse, causing the 'mech to slump to that side. If the 'mech was in motion at the time of failure, it would sometimes to cause the mech to split in two at the waist. It was determined that keeping the ammo bin in the CT would have to suffice until the waist structure could be reworked.

Even with all this failing, and all the others, I think this mech is a great base for upgrades. I have probably a dozen different ideas, and I wouldn't mind hearing yours as well. Have fun with my design, I'll defiantly be bringing more to the table (as well as updating the Red Roc's art)

#Battletech #Custom Mech #Red Roc Battlemech #my old art #Red Roc #from the sketchbook #More to come for sure

[jackhkeynes]

cougt droccað "CD"

cougt droccað /kujt droˈkaθ/ [kujt dʀʊˈkah]

CD, compact disc, a disc-shaped form of data storage read by laser

Etymology: literally "notched disc", attested from the late twentieth century as a calque of Cambrick coetan dolkiadau "disc with indentations" (partly chosen so as to preserve the abbreviation CD). The noun cougt "disc, discus; annulus, quoit" is a Middle Borlish borrowing from French couite "discus, quoit, flat stone", of unknown further origin. The adjective is related to droc "notch, indentation", from Germanic.

Jo no's un cougt droccað benoçant posc un dezein. /ʒo nɔz ɪn kujt drɔˈkaθ ˌbe.noˈdzant pɔx ɪn deˈzin/ [ʝo nɔz ɪŋ kujt dʀʊˈkah ˌbe.nʊˈdzan pɔx ɪn dɪˈzin] 1s ng-be indf disc notch-p.pst use-p.pst after one decade I haven't used a compact disc in ten years.

#conlang #boral #conlanging #boralverse #alternate history #conworld

[vanvelding]

Playing MegaMek tonight and I was irked at the bot's luck until my ER Large Laser hit the left torso of a Hunchback, scored two crits, hit an empty AC/20 ammo bin and then a very full AC/20 ammo bin.

The enemy Sentinel STN-1S actually performed admirably with its SRM 4 and AC/2. The SRMs finished off one of my guys with crits while the AC/2 landed consistent damage. It even got a through-armor crit, which kind of loops me back to grousing about the bot's luck.

#fun game though #megamek #battletech

[nukacoola]

HEADCANON

The Institue’s lasers are blue because the electrocute while regular lasers are red because they burn.

This would make sense for several reasons. First, the regular laser rifles do 24 damage while the institute’s do 15. A laser hole burning through your flesh is gonna do a lot more damage and be a lot more painful than an electrocution.

Second, the main thing the institute’s coursers and gen 1s & 2s (AKA the ones who do the most fighting and shooting) do is reclaim synths and kidnap people. It would make more sense for them to use a weapon that could knock out or stun people rather than burn or shoot holes through them. The capacity to kill is also still there for enemies they need dead.

#fallout #fallout 4 #fo4 #the institute #the institute fallout #the institute fo4 #fallout headcanons

[echo-echo31]

The Colour of the Divine | Part 1/2 | God!Google x GN!Y/N

Warnings: Slight dub-con at the very end.

Based on this ask.

Part 2.

SFW SFW SFW SFW SFW SFW

One minute you were at work, staring at the endless lines of code that were threatening to tattoo themselves onto the back of your eyelids, the next you were blinded by bright, harsh, painful blue light.

Your first thought, through the instinct to cover your eyes, was that a light had exploded in the office. Either that or a necular bomb, but the fact that you were alive to consider that possibility meant it was pretty unlikely.

When the heat of the blue toned down, you cautiously lifted your hand away from your eyes, ready to take in whatever had caused it. The sight that greeted you was impossible.

You were in a completely different room. At first you thought the walls were wallpapered with code, but as your vision adjusted, it was clear that you were boxed in by waterfalls of blue light. Almost like a laser shield, they were translucent and echoed the white void beyond, painting it with 0s and 1s that fell down like rain drops on a window.

The rest of the room was pure white, though the positive connotations of that word didn't apply to this place. It felt cold, unforgiving, as though it wasn't meant for the messy filth of human existence.

You crouched down to your knees, hands cradling your head, desperate to wake up or pass out or do something that would explain the maddness you'd found yourself enduring.

"You must be confused, human,"

The voice, deep with a tinge of the machanical, made you snap your head up. Before you, where there was empty space not a moment ago, was a man. Except, it wasn't a man.

You scrambled to your feet, edging backwards to put even more space between you and the entity. He was topless, muscles that looked like they'd been hand carved shown off, without the movement of breathing. His arms were white up to the elbow, so that you could see ribbons of silver running across them. His white trousers creased as he walked towards you and you tried to back away further. He raised a palm up to face you and you found yourself frozen in place, a static glow of blue light buzzing around your skin. You were forced to watch as he came closer.

He stopped about a foot in front of you, close enough to touch, and you helplessly observed as he inspected you like an intrigued geologer looking at a rock.

His face, there was no other way to describe it, was stunning. Almost ridiculously so, jawline firm, clean shaven, raven hair smoothly framing his face. Like his muscles, it was as though this was an intentional design, dedicatedly created to be perfect.

His eyes though. They didn't glow, but burnt, with the same intense light that'd somehow transported you here. They moved across your body like a scanning x-ray machine, and you felt vulnerable, naked, under their gaze. Finally, they snapped up to meet yours. You felt like prey.

Suddenly, the buzzing light that held you disappeared and your hands fell down like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Even though you were now technically free, you didn't move. His gaze didn't let you.

"Such similarity, yet so far from the divine. I would have liked to improve your design,"

His words didn't make any sense and, in a moment of unrational thought, you opened your mouth to say so, before he brought a hand to your jaw.

The contact of his porcelain skin vibrated, pulsed with energy, so that it felt like your skin was being held by a live battery. Your breath stuck in your throat as he slowly, deliberetly, rubbed a thumb across your cheek like a lover might do. This wasn't about that though, this was about power.

"Oh, human," You knew now, as an instinct, that he excluded himself when he used that word, "I've been trying to find a suitable host for my interests in the mortal world. I want someone who can satisfy my...curiosities," Even though there were no pupils to indicate this, you knew his eyes traveled down to your lips as he said the last word.

A whimper left your throat without warning, and the entity took this as encouragement to move closer.

"Shhh, little one. You'll be greatly rewarded for your dedication to your god,"

With that, he closed the space between you and crashed his lips against yours. Electricity scorched through you and your vision turned white.

#googleplier #god!egos #echo writes #sfw #markiplier

[theironwarsmith]

Necromunda day

So I had a couple of games of Necromunda at the weekend, due to an emergency involving a potentially sick cat (long story short, my friend doesn't drive but the cat was fine).

Both games were against a Genestealer Cult gang. They have the best 'Cool' stat for an entire gang and they are incredibly shooty gang, so proved to be a tough one to break.

The first match was the Pillar Men Goliaths vs the Genestealer Cult in a Ghast Harvest scenario. This is not the best thing for Goliaths as harvesting Ghast requires an Intelligence check and possibly a toughness check, whilst the latter isn't an issue for most Goliaths, the former is.

The game had quite a few highlights. Stimmer Wammu charged forwards only to be immediately taken out by a mining laser shot from the Cult Alpha.

Kitten, Speedwagon and Kars were hit by a webber shot, whilst Kars was just pinned, Kitten and Speedwagon were wounded. Speedwagon managed to stave off going unconscious for the entire match as he remained entangled. Kitten go up and smacked the webber-toting Acolyte into a bit of rebar with his spud-jacker, killing him.

A cultist named Igor attempted to harvest Ghast, but messed up and believed he was the Emperor (four-armed emperor?) which was a terrifying sight to many.

Santana could not hit the broad side of a barn with his stub cannon, consistantly rolling 1s or 2s for his to hit rolls.

Another cultist attempted to harvest Ghast, failed and murdered his critically wounded buddy next to him. He was promptly charged by Forge Tyrant Kars, who brutally mangled him with his chainaxe after being pinned every turn up to that point.

Esidici poured grenade after grenade on to the cult alpha and the other Acolyte, throwing the alpha off the low building but not killing him. The Alpha pointed the mining laser at him and Esidici had a hole appear in his chest.

It took the other Acolyte succumbing to his wounds for the GSC to fail their bottle check, which caused everyone but Emperor Igor the Glorious to flee.

The second match saw Zawarldo's Ravens square up against the cult in an Escape the Pit scenario. With the exit point being in the middle of the table and six loot caskets up for grabs, it looked to be an intense game.

However, the dice were not in favour of the Escher gang, but there were some hilarious events.

The first came in with Polly throwing a scare gas grenade at an Acolyte, causing him to drop the loot casket he grabbed and succumb to the fear gas, he spent 3 turns crawling away from the halleucinatory Genestealer Patriarch scolding him about everything he ever did. Polly then moved up to wall nearby.

A group activation worked out very well initially. With both Polly and Turina in 3" of Zawarldo, the champions and leader of the gang burst into action. Turina chucked a smoke grenade, blocking line of sight for the Cult Alpha's mining laser, then Polly burst through the smoke and charged a cultist that was trying to calm the terrified Acolyte down, shredding him with her chainsword before consolidating back into the smoke like Homer Simpson into the bushes. Zawarldo jumped up on to the escape platform and vaporised a cultist that was trying to escape with a loot casket.

However, the next few turns did not go so well. Zawarldo was hit by the mining laser, causing her to fall to the ground seriously injured, a cultist used this opportunity to get on to the platform and deliver the coup de grace. He escaped with the loot casket. Polly attempted to repeat her success by charging the cult alpha, she was mauled by the three armed cult leader. Ferrousia managed to escape with a casket, so did Turina, who chucked another smoke to block all incoming shots. However, with 2 gangers left on the field, one of whom was critically injured, they failed their bottle check and fled...

It was a great set of games, I did change somethings up in for the Eschers after this, Zawarldo now has photo-goggles and sprint and the rest of the gang now has more suitable secondary weapons instead of Stiletto knives.

#warhammer #warhammer 40k #warhammer 40000 #w40k #40k #necromunda #necromunda underhive #house escher #escher #house of blades #house goliath #goliath #house of chains #pillar men #zawarldo's ravens