#every medium is also a TRANSPORT MEDIUM

[agent4justice]

Scammers sophistication technique have reached a new apex, making Banking Fraud just like a walk in the park to this crime syndicates with richer background helter-skelters depositors and has been keeping most retirees that reinvested most of their retirement plan sleepless after words of the threat that swept the streets does not seem to have not weakened at all.

Masses are appealing for a more stringent countermeasure to be in place as soon as possible, such are adding more authentication request. Although retina scanner can slow down the process with the amount or rather the size of the data, but it also gives us an opportunity of having time to lockout perpetrators. The size of the data makes it at least 70% better than an iris scan and many more folds multiplied compared to a fingerprint.

Several years ago, I foresaw that the mCommerce (mobile commerce) would be ruled out as the mainstay of electronic processing for the sole reason that it is the most affordable business appliance that can serve the majority, representing the poor to medium class and the trending plot of global economic structure just like a triangle.

Having mCommerce | Mobile Technology as our economic transport offers the possibility of catering and adding the biggest chunk of our global population to pitch in the global trade for us to achieve having reserves and surplus will be more conceivable.

To make it a little impenetrable and globally under tighter scrutiny, I proposed that we adopt the universal identification system. We will integrate every other form of identity attached to it using our mobile number as the key index that will permanently our lifetime phone number. In the event of loss, the telco will make a SIM based on a secret code given to the subscriber upon the receipt of your subscription and issuance, which will be honored and will be service by other Telcos if subscriber opt to change carrier. The number coding of telcos should also compliment tracking effort, narrowed down within the radius and range of a few kilometers apart where the last signal was received or transmitted. The succeeding successful connection recorded by cell sites would enable us to speculate the linear direction as it trends.

We will enable the mobile technology to be a conduit of payment gateways or as a payment gateway itself. Our objective is to open the global trade and cover a larger scope and as far-reaching it could service most specially the marginalized poor a chance to lift their social status getting connected and finally be able to join our bandwagon to the brighter future. The fact can't be denied that they have been left without an adequate means to tap the convenience and business opportunity through eCommerce. Through the mobile payment gateway, even in the absence of a banking system in their region, they can now fulfill the checkout process by loading or charging it from your telco which is even less intricate than having a debit card or as to many known financial credibility.

#mobilepaymentgateway

#mobiletechnology

#mCommerce

#onlinefraud

#RetinaScan

Scammers sophistication technique have reached a new apex, making Banking Fraud just like a walk in the park to this crime syndicates with richer background helter-skelters depositors and has been keeping most retirees that reinvested most of their retirement plan sleepless after words of the threat that swept the streets does not seem to have not weakened at all.

Masses are appealing for a more stringent countermeasure to be in place as soon as possible, such are adding more authentication request. Although retina scanner can slow down the process with the amount or rather the size of the data, but it also gives us an opportunity of having time to lockout perpetrators. The size of the data makes it at least 70% better than an iris scan and many more folds multiplied compared to a fingerprint.

Several years ago, I foresaw that the mCommerce (mobile commerce) would be ruled out as the mainstay of electronic processing for the sole reason that it is the most affordable business appliance that can serve the majority, representing the poor to medium class and the trending plot of global economic structure just like a triangle.

Having mCommerce | Mobile Technology as our economic transport offers the possibility of catering and adding the biggest chunk of our global population to pitch in the global trade for us to achieve having reserves and surplus will be more conceivable.

To make it a little impenetrable and globally under tighter scrutiny, I proposed that we adopt the universal identification system. We will integrate every other form of identity attached to it using our mobile number as the key index that will permanently our lifetime phone number. In the event of loss, the telco will make a SIM based on a secret code given to the subscriber upon the receipt of your subscription and issuance, which will be honored and will be service by other Telcos if subscriber opt to change carrier. The number coding of telcos should also compliment tracking effort, narrowed down within the radius and range of a few kilometers apart where the last signal was received or transmitted. The succeeding successful connection recorded by cell sites would enable us to speculate the linear direction as it trends.

We will enable the mobile technology to be a conduit of payment gateways or as a payment gateway itself. Our objective is to open the global trade and cover a larger scope and as far-reaching it could service most specially the marginalized poor a chance to lift their social status getting connected and finally be able to join our bandwagon to the brighter future. The fact can't be denied that they have been left without an adequate means to tap the convenience and business opportunity through eCommerce. Through the mobile payment gateway, even in the absence of a banking system in their region, they can now fulfill the checkout process by loading or charging it from your telco which is even less intricate than having a debit card or as to many known financial credibility.

#mobilepaymentgateway

#mobiletechnology

#mCommerce

#onlinefraud

#RetinaScan

#FraudAlert

#FraudAlert

#Scammers sophistication technique have reached a new apex #making Banking Fraud just like a walk in the park to this crime syndicates with richer background helter-skelters depositors and has been k #Masses are appealing for a more stringent countermeasure to be in place as soon as possible #such are adding more authentication request. Although retina scanner can slow down the process with the amount or rather the size of the da #but it also gives us an opportunity of having time to lockout perpetrators. The size of the data makes it at least 70% better than an iris #Several years ago #I foresaw that the mCommerce (mobile commerce) would be ruled out as the mainstay of electronic processing for the sole reason that it is #representing the poor to medium class and the trending plot of global economic structure just like a triangle. #Having mCommerce | Mobile Technology as our economic transport offers the possibility of catering and adding the biggest chunk of our globa #To make it a little impenetrable and globally under tighter scrutiny #I proposed that we adopt the universal identification system. We will integrate every other form of identity attached to it using our mobil #the telco will make a SIM based on a secret code given to the subscriber upon the receipt of your subscription and issuance #which will be honored and will be service by other Telcos if subscriber opt to change carrier. The number coding of telcos should also comp #narrowed down within the radius and range of a few kilometers apart where the last signal was received or transmitted. The succeeding succ #We will enable the mobile technology to be a conduit of payment gateways or as a payment gateway itself. Our objective is to open the globa #even in the absence of a banking system in their region #they can now fulfill the checkout process by loading or charging it from your telco which is even less intricate than having a debit card o #mobilepaymentgateway #mobiletechnology #mCommerce #onlinefraud #RetinaScan #FraudAlert

[socpens]

Do you like the youhitmetal17times_everyday analogue horror?

I dont watch any analog horror. I dont really like any "devised" analog horror, none of them feel authentic enough both from a tech standpoint but also from a content matter standpoint. They are trying to be scary and I feel like once youre going down that road your shit will never be scary. The only stuff Ive seen that manages to interest me in that genre is stuff that makes earnest and genuine attempts at mirroring feelings we've all had, through analog mediums, instead of conjuring up a scary face for 2 seconds or writing some scary text.

Ive had some of my work be called analog horror and Ive never set out to make it horror. I think people are just unsettled by genuine and authentic portrayals of analog mediums because of their inherent imperfections. And I also think that making things as accurate as possible - from graphic/motion design, sound, editing, every part of it - will either transport the viewer back to when they saw that kind of stuff on TV, or make a viewer who never had that experience feel like they did.

A lot of people shit on the use of nostalgia as lazy or low-effort, but I think it's more about what you do with it, it's a tool. Most analog horror makes no attempts at using nostalgia. Nothing about them is accurate or genuine, it's just a flavor slapped on the work. If you use nostalgia in a way that's real and genuine then you've come pretty close to being able to communicate one to one with the viewer. It's a way of disarming people so you can express what it is you want to express clearly. And thats really hard to do in art, but it's the goal (at least for me)

Feel free to recommend me any analog horror you think fits the bill. No local58 or mandela catalogue or whatever. Only real stuff.

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #11

March 22-29 2024

The Administration, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the lead responded to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Working with Governor Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott (both Democrats) The Department of Transportation promises to clear the harbor and rebuild the bride. DoT has already released $60 million in emergency funds as a "down payment" and President Biden is expected to seek $1 billion from Congress.

Vice President Harris announced a number of actions and investments designed to improve the quality of life of the peoples of northern central America. driven by poverty, lack of economic opportunities, and out of control crime people in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras are taking great risks and trusting criminal human traffickers to try to reach the US. The Administration is working to improve conditions in the Northern Triangle so that is no longer necessary. Vice President Harris announced $1 billion dollars in new investments as part of the Central America Forward public-private partnership, since 2021 it has invested $5.2 billion in the region. Harris also announced $175 million dollars of direct aid from the US to Guatemala at a meeting with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo.

The Department of Energy announced a $1.5 billion dollar loan to help restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant. This would mark the first time a nuclear power plant was brought back online after being decommissioned. The hope is keep the plant running till 2051, this 100% green power source is projected to prevent 111 million tons of CO2 emissions in its new life time, the same as taking 100,000 cars off the road. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer touted it as key for her state reaching its goal of 100% clean energy by 2040.

Vice President Harris launched a social media push to inform the public about the Biden-Harris Administration's SAVE Plan. The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan was launched last year as part of President Biden's efforts to bring student loan forgiveness to millions of borrowers. Currently 7.7 million people are enrolled in SAVE, under which anyone making $16 a hour or less has a monthly payment of $0 on their student loans. 4.5 million SAVE enrollees are making $0 a month payments and another 1 million pay less than $100 a month on their loan repayment, over 150,000 people so far have had their loans totally forgiven. Republicans are suing to try to shut down the SAVE Plan

President Biden took keep steps to ensure quality healthcare this week. Biden extended the window for low-income Americans to apply for Obamacare. The original deadline of July 31st has been pushed back to November 30th. Biden also rolled back Trump era rules that allowed subsidies for "Junk Health insurance" These plans offer very little coverage and often mislead consumers into believing they have insurance when they aren't covered. These short term plans also don't have meet Obamacare standards and can refuse coverage for preexisting conditions.

The EPA announced new regulations aimed at "turbocharging" the number of electric trucks on the road. The new rules aim to have 25% of new long-haul trucks, the heaviest often diesel trucks on the road, and 40% of medium-size trucks (box trucks and landscaping vehicles) be nonpolluting by 2032, currently just 2% are. The regulation would apply to more than 100 types of vehicles including tractor-trailers, ambulances, R.V.s, garbage trucks and moving vans. The new tailpipe limits are expected to prevent about a billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2055.

the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services  announced that thanks to President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, 41 different drugs will coast those on Medicare Part B less money than it did last year.  An estimated 763,700 people on Medicare use at least one of these drugs every year. Some enrollees will save as much as $3,575 per dose.

The Department of Energy announced $6 billion for an effort to decarbonize energy-intensive industries. The investment in 33 projects across 20 states will eliminate 14 million metric tons of CO2 emissions each year when finished. Each project is meant to be highly replicable and serve as a blueprint for future private sector ventures. 

President Biden signed an Executive Order to Strengthen the Recognition of Women’s History. The Order will launch a review of all historic sites run by the National Parks Service to determine ways to better highlight the role of women, from all backgrounds, in American History.

The Senate Confirmed President Biden's nominees, Ernesto Gonzalez, and Leon Schydlower to federal judgeships in Texas. This brings the total number of federal judges appointed by President Biden to 190.

#Thanks Biden #Joe Biden #Democrats #politics #US politics #student loans #climate change #health care #immigration #bridge collapse

[eretzyisrael]

BY JEHAD AL-SAFTAWI

The two-story construction site was surrounded by a wall and two gates. And every night we were all in the apartment at our family building, where the door closes and locks at 10 p.m. without fail. “No one comes or goes after 10,” my mother told Um Yazid.

The next day I went to the construction site with my mother and Hamza. After a quick look around, we saw nothing amiss. But when we examined the site more closely, we found several concrete slabs in the area under the interior staircase, each about 1.5-ft. long. We also found an area with newly moved soil to the right of our house and the wall surrounding it.

My brother Hamza and I dug a depth of 1.5 ft. in that soil as our mother looked on. We would soon hit a metal gate, sealed with a lock. We had no idea what it was or why it was there. Hamza and I quickly covered the area with soil again and went directly to our neighbor’s house.

Ahead of our visit, Um Yazid told us that every few nights she would look out the windows of her four-story building at the wall surrounding our house and see the arrival of a medium transport vehicle. People would exit the van and hang a large piece of plastic tarp to obscure what they were doing. They would hear sounds of loading and unloading and feel the vibrations of digging coming from the empty piece of land behind our houses. She suspected someone was digging a tunnel.

The day after we inspected the house, Um Yazid called to say that the men had returned in the night. My mother didn’t want me to go, but I put on my clothes and headed alone to the unfinished home. When I reached the iron door of the house, I began to hear the movement of people inside the house. I knocked on the door. A masked person opened the door and asked me to step back a bit. Then he closed the door behind him and asked who I was. I defiantly told him that I am the owner of the house. “Who are you?” I asked.

Meeting masked men is something we are used to in different aspects of Gazan life. We argued. I told him my uncle, who was a member of Hamas and prosecutor in its government, would stop them from building a tunnel. The masked man insisted they would continue as they pleased. He said I should not be afraid and that this would just be a small closed room to remain buried underground. No one can enter or exit. He said that only in the case of an Israeli ground invasion in this area and the displacement of residents would these rooms be used to supply weapons.

“We don’t want to live above a stockpile of weapons,” I told him, just before he forced me to leave.

Construction continued, and Um Yazid continued to report to us about late night activity. Hamza and I visited every few weeks, always finding the same gate, never sure what we could do, or what was really happening behind it. Our uncle assured us we had nothing to fear. 

#hamas #gaza #tunnels #weapon stockpiles

[blackautmedia]

Tears of the Kingdom and the Orientalism of the Mummy - Dehydrated Ganon

Plenty have talked about the portrayal of Ganon and the problems with both him and the Gerudo as a whole. I haven't seen as much talk about dehydrated Ganon specifically and wanted to share some of what I'm aware of.

TotK in many ways can be read with the number of plot points it lifts from classic mummy films, which in turn means it also picked up all the racial history and tropes that come with that.

Dehydrated Ganon and Phantom Ganon are mummies. He's explicitly referred to as such several times in the game and the game's opening relies on a number of classic mummy movie tropes in its presentation as introducing a corpse-like Ganon.

Here's an excerpt from the The Mummy On Screen: Orientalism and Monstrosity in Horror Cinema.

Male archaeologists, heroic adventurers and female heroines are all drawn to enigmatic corpses and/or racial ‘Others’, being variously hypnotized, transformed, romanced, coerced and/or transported away from their humdrum lives, sometimes through time to re-experience an ancient past in which they once lived, sometimes through space to Egypt where the monster stalks or seduces them.

Helen in The Mummy (1932) is a woman who succumbs not only to the influence of the Mummy but also to the lure of Egypt itself and its ancient ways that still hold sway.

 If one accepts Wood’s thesis, one can see the Mummy film as having a formidable formula, with the Orient serving as an effective site and its chief monster functioning as a potent medium for the release of the suppressed.

The game is built on Zelda being zipped to the past and her experiences in an ancient, mystical world and seeing the founding of Hyrule while Link is integrated into the resources left behind.

After Link and Zelda were drawn in by the Mummy's call to investigate beneath Hyrule following the rise in illnesses from the gloom.

Zelda is whisked away to ancient Hyrule where she spends time with her very heavily Native coded (which would need an entirely separate post on the tropes associated with that and the way the game uses Anti-Native tropes) Zonai pals.

She's in a rush to return home, but this new space also ends up being a big learning environment for her. She's exposed to this ancient and alluring culture that fascinates her and provides many of the wants and needs she expressed in BoTW.

She's given the supportive parents she's needed--a supportive father figure who explicitly supports her utilizing study to achieve her goals and a loving mother to teach her how to use her powers. She even gets a cool engineering/history auntie who shares a lot in common with her.

All of these things are stolen from Zelda because of the evil mummy.

The game makes great effort to play into the exoticized idea associated with the Zonai, right down to infusing Link and Zelda in their culture with Zelda given a new outfit, home, and lifestyle, and Link gifted with Rauru's power.

The Zonai in TotK are characterized less by their beliefs or the perspective of Mineru or Rauru and more framed in relation to the resources they provide others--the secret stones, the Zonai devices, the exotic, mysterious, ancient powers and knowledge, the zonaite you mine, Rauru's arm, etc.

That leads into another issue with how Tears reinforces the idea of Native extinction in how the Zonai are more characterized for the resources everyone is extracting from them rather than their actual peoples' thoughts and feelings and how that form of erasure harms real Native people outside of the fiction.

There's also the aspect of how the land and resources of these Native people are almost destined to fall into the hands of largely white, "civilized" Hyrule leaders with every other group serving under Hyrule's order geographically and narratively while the Zonai are people we only interact with in memories or as spirits.

The Orient until the second half of the nineteenth century had largely proven a fruitful terrain for colonial conquest and achievement for the British, but from the Indian Mutiny of 1857 towards the end of the century various military setbacks began to point worryingly to a decline in British power…In the aftermath of such events, rather than being perceived as ‘passive’, with ‘no capacity for violence’ (Mercer and Julien 1988: 108), the inhabitants of the Orient became more forbidding, a change in perspective reflected in the literature of the period that simultaneously portrayed anxiety concerning Britain’s own newfound sense of vulnerability.

Richard Marsh’s The Beetle...depicted Egypt as every bit as capable as Transylvania of bringing a primitive threat to the civilized West.

As Marsh’s novel exemplifies, the legacy of the ancient Egyptians had transformed over the course of the nineteenth century from one that bestowed valuable knowledge into one that offered secrets best left unearthed, being increasingly tainted as the years unfolded through its association ‘with the mysterious and supernatural, the questionable and disreputable’.

Mummy films rely very heavily on presenting the "other" as an exotic and almost tempting place for the civilized white protagonists to find and change themselves.

They also acted as a way to depict non-white people to bypass several censorship restrictions in earlier decades, so you often see them framed as romance films with an emphasis on a commentary about that dangerous, tempting allure of the mummy being used as a commentary on interracial relationships and intermingling of the civilized and uncivilized with a white gaze in mind.

Many mummy films also would utilize racial coding to characterize the mummy as hostile, dangerous, tempting or seductive in relation to the white, civilized character, something done with several other movie monsters like Dracula, King Kong, etc.

No matter the Zelda game, the structure ends up being largely the same with Ganon in that Hyrule or wherever is shown to be peaceful until the "evil man of the desert" invaded and defiled their space with his wickedness and disrupting the order of the gods and the status quo.

Dehydrated Ganon specifically is another extension in linking Ganon and his wickedness and evil to his heritage and status as a SWANA-coded character, in a lot of using tropes associated with Black people, etc.

He's not just evil because he's a selfish overlord, he's an evil "other" Middle Easterner invading the pure and peaceful environment the game made the effort to set up, and his constant presence looms in the game in how his corpse-like mummy servant is busy carrying out his will.

The Mummy and Nubian were a particularly suitable pairing considering contemporaneous racial stereotyping...Elizabeth Young years later highlighted others, identifying the black ‘brute’ as a stereotype that ‘carried particular force’ in 1930s cinema as ‘a monstrous beast.

Cultural attitudes towards African Americans manifestly became intertwined with contemporary ones concerning those of North African Egyptian Mummies in this version of the play.

In addition to Zelda being taken to the ancient past, we have the element of Ganon stalking and scheming to his rise to power in how he defiles the sanctity of ancient Hyrule continuing in the pattern of referring to him as the "man of the desert," another means of codifying Ganon as inherently evil by way of his heritage. There's almost constant reference to his home, the desert and anything else associated with othering him.

Ganon has previously used religious iconography in how the Gerudo crest used to very closely resemble the symbol of Islam.

He also uses racial coding associated with antisemitism in how he's a green-skinned, hook nosed magic-wielder.

There's Anti-Black imagery in his muscularity and chains and how he devolves into a mindless, savage brute.

There's all the decades of sentiments toward SWANA people wrapped up in him and the mummy is a continuation of that in how dehydrated Ganon is presented as a stalking, corrupting presence who defiles the sanctity and draws the civilized white protagonists in with his tempting allure. Phantom Ganon is a looming threat who can arise out of nowhere.

I know dehydrated Ganon is the same dude as regular Ganon, but I do think there's an extra element to discuss in how Tears uses decades of old mummy horror and the racial coding that comes with that to further the idea that Ganon is an evil SWANA man who needs to be feared and eradicated.

#tears of the kingdom #legend of zelda #totk critical #mummy film #orientalism #phantom ganon #islamophobia #dehydrated ganon #zelda #link #ganon #ganondorf #twilight princess #totk spoilers

[visit-new-york]

Are there any special events or celebrations held on the Brooklyn Bridge?

The Brooklyn Bridge stands as an iconic symbol of New York City, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn in a graceful architectural marvel. Beyond its role as a vital transportation link, the bridge has also become a cultural and historical landmark, attracting millions of visitors each year. While it is primarily known for its stunning views and daily pedestrian and vehicular traffic, the Brooklyn Bridge has been the backdrop for various special events and celebrations, adding to its allure.

Annual Celebrations:

Brooklyn Bridge Anniversary Celebration:

Every May 24th, New Yorkers commemorate the completion and opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. The anniversary celebration often includes events such as historical reenactments, guided tours, and community gatherings. It is a time when the city reflects on the bridge's significance in connecting two bustling boroughs.

Independence Day Fireworks:

The Brooklyn Bridge offers an unparalleled vantage point for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. Many locals and tourists alike flock to the bridge's pedestrian walkway to witness the breathtaking pyrotechnic show against the backdrop of the city skyline.

NYC Marathon:

The TCS New York City Marathon, one of the world's largest and most renowned marathons, includes a route that takes participants over the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge becomes a pivotal point in the race, showcasing not only the physical endurance of the runners but also the symbolic journey across boroughs.

Special Events:

Weddings and Proposals:

The Brooklyn Bridge is a popular spot for romantic events such as weddings and marriage proposals. Couples often choose the bridge for its picturesque setting and panoramic views of the city. It's not uncommon to see brides and grooms exchanging vows against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.

Art and Cultural Installations:

The bridge has been the canvas for various art installations and cultural events. From light displays to temporary sculptures, artists have used the structure as a medium to express creativity and engage with the public. These installations often transform the bridge into a dynamic and ever-changing work of art.

Charity Events and Walks:

The Brooklyn Bridge has hosted numerous charity events and walks, drawing attention to important causes. Participants often traverse the bridge to raise awareness and funds for various charitable organizations, turning the iconic structure into a symbol of community and support.

Conclusion:

The Brooklyn Bridge, with its rich history and breathtaking views, serves not only as a vital transportation link but also as a dynamic space for special events and celebrations. Whether it's the annual anniversary celebration, Independence Day fireworks, or personal milestones like weddings, the bridge continues to play a significant role in the fabric of New York City. As a testament to its enduring appeal, the Brooklyn Bridge stands as more than just a structure; it is a living monument that connects people and communities in unique and meaningful ways.

#Brooklyn Bridge #Bridge #new york city #newyork #new york #new-york #nyc #ny #urban #manhattan #city #usa #United States #buildings #travel #journey #outdoors #street #architecture #visit-new-york.tumblr.com

[flanaganfilm]

Hey there!

I’m a new writer-director finishing up film school and I keep getting into little spats with some of my instructors over my characters talking too much/for too long.

My stock response at this point has basically become “Well, it works just fine when Mike Flanagan does it.”

I don’t know if it’s because I come from a theatre background or what, but I really don’t like the seemingly common wisdom that characters talking—actors orating—is boring for audiences. That you have to have Something Happening all the time, and that characters “just” conversing or telling a story doesn’t count, as though “to speak” isn’t a verb.

Since you tend to have characters speak at length and it turns out riveting—I’m thinking specifically of the confetti speech from Hill House and Hassan’s speech about being a Muslim cop in NYC from Midnight Mass—I was hoping you could share some of your thoughts on balancing action with conversation, giving actors room to “just” talk, and keeping lengthy oration engaging.

Thanks!

I also come from a theater background. I wouldn't be too hard on your instructors - in fact, they sound like they're pretty in sync with a lot of executives in the industry.

I received similar feedback when I was a film student. My first few student features were very talky. We were studying the breakthrough work of Kevin Smith, Spike Lee, and Jim Jarmusch. The indie movies that were selling at Sundance and hitting theaters were The Brothers McMullen and Chuck and Buck. Tarantino had hit the scene and his characters were dropping pages and pages and pages of thick, unhurried dialogue. Reservoir Dogs posters were hanging on every dorm room wall on campus, and that movie was essentially just a long conversation. We watched My Dinner With Andre in class. So yeah, most of our student films were emulating that.

I have always loved a monologue. Going back to Robert Shaw's hypnotic story in Jaws, to Harry Dean Stanton's jaw-dropping monologue in Paris, Texas. It's an art form. Giving actors room to speak, to find music in dialogue, to transport a viewer just with mere words... that's an incredible feat, I think. It's some of the oldest magic left.

That said, I've always tried to balance that out. It's a visual medium, after all, and whenever I've found myself leaning too hard on the words, I've tried to counterbalance that was a very ambitions visual sequence, a long unbroken camera maneuver, or something else that honors the difference between filmed entertainment and theatre.

One of the reasons I made Hush was to challenge myself to eliminate words from my arsenal and focus on visual storytelling.

I take a fair amount of flack for my monologues and dialogue, first from studio executives and then from a small percentage of viewers whose attention spans are being challenged. The most common note I get on any project is to take out talking. It can be disheartening, but I'm always trying to be fair about it, and to be sympathetic to the fact that a lot of movies and television have actively tried to shorten viewers' attention spans for decades now. Audiences are being trained for things to happen faster, louder, shorter. What good is your amazing 6-minute monologue if people changed the channel two episodes ago?

There are times when it is more important to me than others. I dug in hard on Midnight Mass, where the words and ideas in those soliloquies are a big part of the point of the show... but on The Midnight Club, I didn't push for it. I kept scenes relatively short, and there isn't a monologue to be found.

But my overarching feeling is that an artfully written and well performed monologue is a gift, and a dying art. It celebrates great acting, it requires great trust of the performer and of the viewer, and it has the power to transport us with one of the oldest magics human beings ever discovered - the spoken word.

Storytelling began that way: monologues around a campfire. Over the millennia, we've harnessed that campfire light, we've even learned to paint with it, to pull our dreams out of our minds and put them onto giant screens, so the whole world can dream together... but the real magic still starts with the words.

Which is my long-winded way of trying to encourage you to make your films the way you want to make them. Make the films you want to see. And if you love words... that's a great thing. Try to find a balance, never lose sight of the visual medium, and if you're going to drop a big chunk of words in there, try to earn it with something visually challenging as well.

Or, just tell your instructors you'll make it shorter, and then cut out ten frames of air. ;)

#monologue

[zvaigzdelasas]

Spanish farmers plan protests in February - Reuters

Spanish farmers' associations said on Tuesday they were planning to take to the streets in February in protest against strict European regulations and lack of government support as unrest continues to spread across Europe.

The largest farmers' groups - Asaja, COAG and UPA - share the same grievances as their peers in other European countries, saying environmental regulations imposed by Brussels are undermining the profitability of crops and increasing food prices.

Drought in southern Spain has also hit farmers, with production of several crops such as rice and olives dropping over the past two years.[...]

In neighbouring Portugal, the National Confederation of Agriculture, which represents small and medium-sized farms, said it too would organise protests, slow marches and other events. The dates are yet to be decided. Meanwhile, as protests in France have intensified, some 20,000 Spanish trucks that cross the border every day have struggled to transport fruit, vegetables and other goods. Spanish transport association, Fenadismer, estimates the blockades cause daily losses of 10 million euros ($10.84 million) for Spanish companies.

30 Jan 24

[spooksforsammy]

Despite my age I still need help with many tasks that my four year old niece can independently do.

I have low-medium support needs closer to the medium side, which is why just say medium support needs. I need help with some Badls and just about all Iadls

Here’s an idea on what it means for me to be medium support needs. This is a extremely simplified version of explanations

Badls:

Basic activities of daily life are

Eating (moving food to and from mouth) dressing, personal hygiene(washing, doing hair, shaving ect) , toilet, and transferring(moving from one place to another)

I need help with personal hygiene, toilet and occasional dressing

Personal hygiene: I need intensive prompting to shower, change clothes and need help with shaving. When it comes to showering, have be told multiple times, over and over and over and some days that’s not even enough. Something have to have someone turn on shower and get towel and clothes and tell me to get in.

During the school week I brush my teeth on a schedule, so come weekend and breaks have to reminded often do so. Middle school had be reminded brush teeth no matter day or week so is improvement and hopefully one day can remember do no matter schedule or day.

Washing hair is problem not only because hate water in hair and face but because how many steps are. I’m still deeply afraid to wash hair for multiple reasons and often convince sister do for me. Even times where managed do self, did wrong to point where Sister still have go in and rewash. Have thick hair so have scrub correctly and in the shower freeze up. Hard even open eyes.

Tolieting: when say need help don’t really mean emptying but getting there so can empty. Can’t tell when need use bathroom until really bad so every few hours am told go try. If not told use bathroom will hold until no option but use, so do pee self at times.

Dressing: this isn’t a huge problem of mines, but if not told change clothes will keep wearing same ones. This also because memory problems, so don’t remember if already worn or not. The only thing really allowed rewear is jackets because safe jackets always wear when out.

IADLS:

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living are

using the telephone, shopping, preparing meals, housekeeping, using transportation, taking medication(s), and managing finances. I need help with all these.

Using the telephone:I don’t need help using the telephone in sense of getting on and off phone or tablet, but when come to phone calls or staying safe (not giving out too much information that personal). My boyfriend has access to all my accounts and monitors them to make sure no one does anything weird or that can ruin my safety. My boyfriend and sister makes my phone calls, helps with emails (saying what type, what not do ect) and not able schedule things by self.

Shopping: im not allowed to leave the house by myself unless it’s to go to my boyfriend’s house or to the bus stop (both times it’s a route where either can be watched or someone family know and trust can keep eye on me. So even if along am being monitored). Im not allowed in stores alone as they are huge and i wonder. I also have low awareness and am not aware when danger is around or happening. Am allowed go shopping with others but that’s just walking around.

Transportation: this is also appart of low awareness. Can’t ride bus alone, can’t drive. Can’t even ride bike. Not fully aware world around so wouldn’t know where go. Also get overwhelmed on buses around many people and shutdown; shutdown ruin sense of awareness more.

Medication: is memory problem and can’t tell when need take. For example pain killers, can’t tell when bad enough to take or when in pain and need take. Haven’t been on prescription in years but was on, nana had bring pill to me take otherwise wouldn’t remember.

Finances: don’t know how manage money. Don’t know how much money apps work and can’t count. Couldn’t understand how much need spend how much have. When come cash, lose often because forget where place. Also struggle with saving up, so when someone in charge, can’t spend just because have. Sister and boyfriend in charge of managing for me but try help.

Meal prepping: I don’t fully understand how to meal prep and am not fully trusted around the stove, oven and knives. When using them, have to have supervision otherwise will cut or burn or otherwise hurt self. Don’t understand shouldn’t do certain things (example: made caramel, boyfriend was in kitchen watching make and was stirring wrong but didn’t know was doing wrong and burned hand and thigh). And certain things shouldn’t go certain places. Also can’t stay focused long enough do and stims and sensory issues get in way.

Housekeeping: can clean up space but once again have be told. And even if clean, one boyfriend help withe everything clean up and someone else (sister or oldest brother) have go back in and actually clean up. Am working on it but is sense of don’t understand what need be clean what okay and remembering where everything go so put in spot think belong. Prompting isn’t enough to clean up room though, to many steps involved and remember what belongs where is something struggle with deeply. Also includes sensory like having touch multiple things, sounds and smells. Stims also get in way to point where not able do.

And something didn’t include in alot of these (even if should have) is fact that sort of ‘freeze up’ when having do them. Like with bathing, get stuck like unable move when need shower. Even if want move can’t, and in some of these times can’t even move mouth or get brain think. Just stand there.

Taking baths would help but feel held down when taking them. When sit in water unable move, feel like sinking and being held down at same time. Start chocking and gasping for air like breathing not possible.

In other cases, body and mind feels like just… broke and not able do anything anymore. Will sit there unresponsive until body ready continue on with task or thought of task disappeared.

For alot of Iadls not able actually do self so someone else doing or going in and redoing for me. I’m working on some ( shopping, telephone) but even if able get down, someone else will always need be around help.

#speech4amy #actually autistic #disabled poc #disability #autism #neurodivergent #medium support needs #neurodiversity #higher support needs #actually autism

[reasonsforhope]

"California just cracked down on pollution from transportation in two major moves, part of an effort to improve air quality and cut carbon emissions at the same time. 

On Friday, the California Air Resources Board unanimously approved a rule that would ban the sale of diesel big rigs in the state by 2036. The mandate, which will apply to about 1.8 million trucks — including those operated by Amazon, UPS, and the U.S. Postal Service —  is reportedly the first in the world to require trucks to ditch internal combustion engines. The news came one day after California became the first state to adopt standards to limit pollution from trains. 

Trucks and Diesel

The regulations are intended to improve air quality and trim carbon emissions from transportation, the source of about half the state’s greenhouse gases. Trucks and trains spew diesel exhaust, full of soot that contains more than 40 cancer-causing substances, responsible for an estimated 70 percent of Californian’s cancer risk from air pollution. 

The trucking rule requires school buses and garbage trucks to be emissions-free within four years. By 2042, all trucks will be required to be “zero-emission,” meaning there’s no pollution coming out of their tailpipes. The deadline comes sooner for drayage trucks, which transport cargo from ports and railyards to warehouses — typically short routes that require less battery range. New drayage trucks must be “zero-emission” beginning next year, with the rule applying to all drayage trucks on the road in 2035. 

Currently, medium and heavy-duty vehicles account for a fifth of greenhouse gas emissions statewide. In August, California clamped down on pollution from passenger vehicles with a plan to end the sale of new gas-powered cars in the state by 2035.

People breathing pollution from freeways and warehouse hubs have long called for stricter air standards. In the port cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles, some 6,000 trucks pass through every day, exposing residents to high levels of ozone and particulate matter, pollutants linked with a range of problems including respiratory conditions and cardiovascular disease. Long Beach residents who live the closest to ports and freeways have a life expectancy about 14 years shorter compared to people who live further away...

Trains and Locomotives

According to the new rules, the state is banning locomotive engines that are more than 23 years old by 2030. It also bans trains from idling for more than 30 minutes, provided that they are equipped with an engine that can shut off automatically.

The stage for the rule was set by a single line buried in the Biden administration’s proposed auto emissions rules, in which the Environmental Protection Agency said it was considering allowing states to regulate locomotives. Still, California’s new rules may spark a legal battle with the rail industry, which argues that the state doesn’t have the authority to make such sweeping changes.

Though railroads only account for about 2 percent of the country’s carbon emissions from transportation, switching to trains powered by batteries or hydrogen fuel cells would provide some benefits in the effort to tackle climate change. The public health gains would be even bigger: The California Air Resources Board estimates its new rules for trains, passed on Thursday, would lower cancer risk in neighborhoods near rail yards by more than 90 percent.

“This is an absolutely transformative rule to clean our air and mitigate climate change,” Liane Randolph, the chair of the air quality board, said ahead of the vote on the trucking rules on Friday. “We all know there’s a lot of challenges, but those challenges aren’t going to be tackled unless we move forward … if not now, when?”"

-via The Grist, 4/28/23

#united states #california #sustainability #greenhouse gasses #carbon emissions #transportation #diesel #trains #freight train #locomotive #gavin newsom #epa #environment #cw cancer #carcinogens #public health #environmental justice #environmental racism #good news #hope

[coffeeteaitsallfine]

Appointment in Samsara Part 2: Secret Twins, Through the Looking-Glass

A re-examination of the show within the context of fatalism, the Ghost Driver, and Secret Twins.

Preview:

In order to know what our Storyteller has gotten up to and what it means, we have to look back at all the many examples of the Car and Driver metaphor throughout the show. You likely already have an interpretation for a lot of these examples. However, in many if not all, there exist double readings — secret twins. Let us begin with an honorable mention: The Gay Pilot, the gift that keeps on giving.

John: You haven’t eaten today? For God’s sake, you need to eat. Sherlock: No, you need to eat. I need to think. The brain’s what counts. Everything else is transport. John: You might consider refueling. … John: So, you don’t…do…anything. Sherlock: Everything else is transport.

The body is transport. We also learn throughout the show that food is sex, refueling the body like you refuel your car to keep it running. Similar to Julian English in Appointment in Samarra, one’s sexuality is one’s vitality.

There are cars that pass like ghosts, unseen, unremembered. There are people we trust, always, when we’re alone, when we’re lost, when we’re drunk. We never see their faces, but every day we disappear into their cars and let the trap close around us. I give you the perfect murder weapon of the modern age: the invisible car.

Read the rest on Medium

Need to read Part 1? Find that here.

#tjlc #appointment in samsara #car meta #mine

[lemonhemlock]

hi! I wanted to know your opinion, I also love helaegon, but even in books it is written about aegon's infidelities. do you think he loved Heleina romantically if he was cheating? yet before B&C they slept together

i ship helaegon, so yeah, i do think there was romantic love woven into their sibling bond. which, in and of itself, is a curious and fucked-up starting point to expand upon. was he a perfect husband? lol no. sure, fire & blood doesn't stop to spell out every relationship and interaction between these people, bc the medium just doesn't allow for it.

but we do know some things about helaena. she is hinted to have been a very popular and charismatic person - she was an involved mother to three children, was beloved by both alicent AND viserys. even rhaenyra didn't have any particular beef with her. the common people loved her so much they rioted in her name, which means she had a very active public persona, perhaps related to charities and other good works and wasn't holed up in the palace all day.

she claimed dreamfyre, so that proves she was a brave and enterprising person, not afraid to take risks and take charge of the situation, if needed. milquetoast pushovers are not really successful dragon claimers - i feel like fandom glosses over this aspect a lot and the show doesn't help. can you imagine how it must feel like to fly in that time when the only method of air transportation is a dangerous fire-breathing creature? or to have a deep telepathic bond with one?

so, in this context, aegon isn't really given any particular reason to dislike her. she has a retort at hand whenever needed, is not afraid of her husband, is involved in political decisions before B&C and aegon even listens to her. is that a whole lot of build-up? ofc not. but it's really not the "helaegon h8 each other" gotcha zinger that's become popular in the fandom. although hotd does not help in this regard.

in the show she is kind of the opposite of what she was portrayed in FB - she's shy, withdrawn, keeps to the palace grounds, is mostly ignored and content that way. these traits are not "bad" or "good", but it does change the family dynamic and imo not much is done to compensate for it. i don't get the feeling they're telling a better story with this, just a more frustrating one by not providing some kind of counterbalance.

at the end of the day, this relationship has a lot of potential for interesting exploration, but any adaptation will boil down to what specific themes the writers want to develop. and, whenever readers interpret this ship, they're also going to be viewing it through whichever lends they find more compelling. it's always going to be like this with any underdeveloped aspect of any story.

so, if you make aegon hypersexual and helaena withdrawn, that's definitely a choice that's going to inform how these characters interact with each other, but that new dynamic is different from the text and we should acknowledge that, not pretend it was like this all along.

as for whether it's a good change to make or not, i'm not inclined to say so. transforming helaena into another long-suffering wife, when she is already going to lose her mind over the trauma she is subjected to, is boring. they already explored that with alicent and, at the end of the day, helaena is not your typical westerosi lady. her dragon is bigger than aegon's, but nobody bothers to take that into consideration. she should be whacking her brother over the head if he's being annoying, not cowering in fear of him.

#like. could we have some nuance in this house please #messy relationships can still be complex and interesting #it's not all just one party is shitty and the other is suffering in silence #fire & blood gives us some bones; it's up to us what kind of meat we use to dress them with #helaegon #helaena targaryen #aegon ii targaryen #ask #demonvgolove

[xeter-group]

What is it about people and transport where you talk about walkable cities and people come out with their

- How will I move my sofa

- How will I travel to Bumfuck, ZX which has a population of 2?

- What if I need to buy a vacuum cleaner?

- How will I transport my 250 kg of green waste?

For this, every single person must need to commute everywhere, own, and solely use a car!

The answers are always the same...paying people to move your sofas and green waste is almost always (societally!) cheaper than owning a car unless your job is moving sofas or moving green waste. Moving medium items like PCs on public transport is perfectly feasible if we plan for it. Owning a car is EXPENSIVE, individually and societally.

Transportation to nature sites is actually quite feasible for busses! Transportation to towns is also quite feasible! Goods delivery isn't that expensive compared to car ownership! And if your use case doesn't fall into this, then fine, you can own a car, just be prepared to pay for its full societal cost.

When I ask these people when the last time they actually went to Bumfuck, or had to move a sofa, its usually a few years ago, somehow. Most people like to think about doing these things than actually doing them.

Also, I just strapped my vacuum cleaner to the back of my bike and rode it 20km home and that was fine. It was a regular hybrid, not even a cargo. It wasn't at all hard to handle the bike - I barely noticed it.

And then GROCERIES. My god do americans just shop ungodly amounts? With a single freezer bag I can always shop for myself without a car. If I got a small trolley it would easily accommodate a families food, especially since I already eat a LOT of food. In fact, my friends and I did this once when we were on holidays. Shopping for groceries is fine, and when you don't shop once every alignment of the stars you dont have issues with food going off.

I don't think people realise how ungodly costly cars are.

Only transport nerds and disabled people ask how people who are unable to drive should get around.

Only transport nerds point out the impracticality and safety issues of an entire society working an 8 hour workday and driving home tired (which can be as bad as substance driving!).

Only transport nerds note how expensive traffic is on a societal scale. Just think about how much human potential is sucked away into the void by the working class being stuck in 1 hour traffic each morning and evening! Traffic is EXPENSIVE. This is honesly one of the strongest points for public transport.

Only transport nerds and the disenfranchised point out the great INEQUITY in gatekeeping societal (not social) mobility via car ownership. What about those who cannot afford a car? Or those whose car broke? Or those who are forbidden from driving?

You might as well argue everyone should own and have licenses to operate heavy machinery so they can move giant piles of dirt once every 5 years and move their belongings between rentals.

#transport gets me fired up

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Spiroskek

CR 6

Chaotic Neutral Medium Magical Beast

Module: Down the Blighted Path, pg. 59

These extremely unusual predators have a bizarre and novel anatomical aberration, their back limbs evolving into a strange shape with unusual, magical muscles that allows them to curl up into an organic wheel when the creatures are on the prowl. The chitinous plates make a skek-skek-skek-skek noise as they grind against the insect’s other limbs, which grants them their name and inconveniently alerts prey to their presence... but if you can hear them, it’s already too late, because hearing their namesake noise at all means they’re charging straight at you at nearly thirty miles an hour.

30 MPH doesn’t sound like much nowadays where 35 MPH is the standard speed cars can travel around, but you got to remember that the fastest land transport on Golarion--the good ol’ horse and buggy--has a maximum speed of approximately 20 miles an hour, and of course that’s assuming a wide open road. Spiroskek attack in the cramped tunnels and narrow passages of the Darklands, their home, where their speed makes them practically impossible to catch or predict. And, of course, 30 MPH doesn’t seem too fast until 170+ pounds of biting muscle is slamming into you at that speed.

A Spiroskek’s Freewheeling Charge allows it to triple its 40ft speed to 120ft when it makes a charge or run action, or simply moves twice in its turn, which means it can charge at any target up to 240 ft away (which is where the 30 MPH comes from, if you’re curious about the math). While in a Freewheeling Charge, the Spiroskek can charge or run even over difficult terrain--which would normally disqualify the action--and if it successfully charges into a creature, it can immediately make a free bull rush or overrun attempt with a +4 circumstance bonus as well.

Side note: a running Spiroskek is especially wild in the speed category, since that allows it to travel at 480ft/round, or 55 miles an hour, the top speed of a racehorse! It’s little wonder why the gigantic crickets are staggered for a round after using Freewheeling Charge.

Prey that resists being run into the ground and savaged by the bug’s Full-Attack (which includes a 1d6+4 bite and a 1d4+4 slash with its claws) is often still in for a terrible time, the bites of these insects teeming with a powerful anticoagulant; any creature that takes damage from their bite is afflicted with 1d6 bleed damage as well, and Spiroskek are FAR from mindless predators. They’re worryingly content with biting a victim and then speeding off, tracking and stalking from afar as the victim bleeds to death, only running in to apply the bleed before scampering off again.

Trying to fight back against the insects is harder than you’d think. Not only are they amazingly fast, but their species’ consistent diet of derro, duergar, drow, and subterranean fey over thousands of generations has given them access to low-level but potent illusory magic, specifically Glitterdust and Silent Image at 3/day. While being blinded by the dust while against a pack of roving, carnivorous crickets is bad enough (and it also means trying to sneak away with invisibility won’t work), but their ability to create Silent Images allows them to, among other things: create ambush points of every flavor and description (piles of treasure or bodies are a good go-to), create hiding spots for themselves, or plug up an entrance into the cave they’ve fled into. Despite their persistent attacks on the famously insane derro, the famously territorial duergar, and the famously territorial and insane drow, they’ve never been hunted anywhere close to extinction because of how damn tricky they can be with their speed and their illusions combined.

Probably the worst part, however, is finding out Spiroskek are pack hunters. Any team of adventurers traveling through the Darklands can go from completely alone to completely surrounded in less than three seconds, each member hit and run by the speedy cricket. The best one can do is to treat them as if they were a flying enemy, readying an action for when they get close, or hoping to throw a terrain hazard in their path that they’re too fast to stop and avoid.

You can read more about them here.

#Monster Spotlight #CR 6 to 10 #Pathfinder #Dungeons and Dragons

[iamthespineofmybook]

Inspired by some posts I saw on @anneapocalypse's blog (I hope you don't mind my tagging you):

Myriam Sangvitrail

B A S I C S

Name: Myriam Sanvitrail

Nicknames: Myr, Captain

Age: 22 (Doesn’t know the exact number, though, only knowing that she was found with amnesia in her late teens in the aftermath of the Calamity)

Nameday: Third day of the third Umbral Moon (day she was adopted).

Race: Au Ra, Xaela

Gender: Demigirl, she/they

Orientation: Lesbian

Profession: Aside from Adventurer, she honestly loves cooking and alchemy, and could easily see herself opening a shop or restaurant somewhere once her wanderlust settles down.

P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S

Hair: Auburn with slight red highlights at the end, kept in a ponytail.

Eyes: Bright yellow with black around the irises.

Skin: Extremely pale and covered in dark blue scales

Tattoos/scars: Her main scar is one that rests under her hair, and is surmised to be from the source of her amnesia.

F A M I L Y

Parents: Adopted by Osene and Draceone Sangvitrail, birth parents unknown

Siblings: none

Grandparents: never met

In-laws and Other: none

Pets: Used to care for a street cat until it didn’t come back.

S K I L L S

Abilities: After gaining skill with a lance and then becoming a Dragoon, Myriam found that she could mold the light in her self to form a weapon, which would let them throw as many lances as they wanted. After some losses that weighed heavily upon them, they also found a skill at molding the darkness as well, learning to hone it under the tutelage of the one calling themself Frey. Wielding light and dark in equal measure, Myriam is a skilled frontline fighter, and would best be described as a “dodge tank” if such a thing were actually a thing in FFXIV.

Hobbies: In addition to learning every form of gathering and crafting so that they can make and maintain all her own gear, Myriam honestly loves dancing and music, and will take any opportunity to do a quick step dance or one of the Manderville dances she learned from Hildibrand. She takes particular pride in making food and potions for people, thanks to their memories of hunger as the Calamity-induced winter caused problems for their adopted hometown’s farms.

T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Generally friendly with everyone, willing to learn all sorts of new things, generous with her time, and does not stand for injustice

Most Negative Trait: Angers easily, even if she tries to hide it. Also tends to get attached to pretty girls quickly, which always results in at least a little heartbreak. She’s also a ridiculous romantic, seeing romances in places they probably don’t exist, such as secretly hoping that General Raubhan and Nanamo are together.

L I K E S

Colors: Loves dark colours, especially deep reds.

Smells: A well cooked meal will always cheer her up, but her favourite scent is actually that of the Dravanian Lily.

Textures: Even though they acknowledge that their bed while she still lived with her adopted parents wasn’t the best, they have fond memories of the slightly scratchy covers, especially when their scales would itch and fingernails couldn’t do the job.

Drinks: They never liked the taste of alcohol, but found a drink made in honour of their friend (and crush) Ysayle, the “Drink of Shiva,” particularly amazing. (Actual drink from a FFXIV-themed restaurant in Akihabara, [Passion Fruit Collagen + Chardonnay Concentrate + Water + Blue Curacao (float)])

O T H E R D E T A I L S

Smokes: Never

Drinks: Non-alcohol only, if they can help it

Drugs: Only medicinal, and generally only what she’s made herself

Mount Issuance: As she greatly admires Midgardsormr, she likes to fly around on the back of his medium-sized simulacrum, but when flight isn’t an option, they default to their chocobo Chobi or the fascinating vehicle Cid made based on an extra-planar wanderer’s main mode of transport.

Been Arrested: Aside from the debacle of the Bloody Banquet, she did nearly get arrested back when she lived with her adopted family, thanks to their draconic features as an Au Ra causing some friction.

#final fantasy xiv #warrior of light #ffxiv #character bio #wol #images #au ra #au ra xaela

[thewertsearch]

Ooh, fan titles, eh? I like 'em.

Let's figure out what kind of abilities these Players could develop. I'm going to go big for these powers, since I'm imagining them at their full potential. If you're thinking of early-game equivalents to these powers, though, it wouldn't be hard to scale down.

Ace of Space: Well, an Ace sounds like a class belonging to an expert. Maybe this is someone who's particularly 'plugged in' to Space, such that every part of their life relates directly to their aspect. The obvious archetype is an astronaut - someone who's trained their entire life, and gained a wide variety of skills - all with the goal of being completely immersed in Space. Perhaps an Ace of Space would be able to 'scan' a Space-related phenomenon and add it to their repertoire. Show them a Transportalizer in action, and they'd be able to analyze how it works, and learn how to transportalize things themselves. It's a little overpowered, but you could easily fix that by only allowing them to hold one or two Space 'powers' at any one time.

Smith of Gears: The Smith is a class which builds, and Gears is the Aspect of machines. A Smith of Gears would be able to create the magical machines which come out of the Alchemiter - but without using any Sburb tech, or expending Grist. They'd have to do it the old-fashioned way, though, designing and crafting their gear out of materials they've extracted from the environment. To a Smith of Gears, Sburb is half-Minecraft, half-engineering class. I also think this is the kind of Title which could have designed Sburb's tech in the first place. This class is potentially very dangerous.

Voice of Stars: Voice reads as a communication class, which broadcasts information. Stars, though, is hard. Let's say it represents stardom. It's the aspect of celebrity, charisma and notoriety. The Voice of Stars would be an influencer - a Player who makes sure the whole Medium knows their name. No, not their Title - their name. I think you'd be able to 'project' their personality traits onto other people. Like, if you're a natural risk-taker, you'd be able to make the people around you less risk-averse. If you're an anxious person, you can project your fear into your enemies, sapping their morale. Expanding this idea further, maybe you'd be able to transform other people's Lands into parts of your own Land - so, if it was John, he'd be able to turn the part of LOHAC that he's standing on into the kind of oily, shady environment that you'd see in LOWAS. Any Consorts caught in the crossfire would start to report to John as their primary hero, rather than Dave.

Bane of Doom: The Bane of an Aspect would act against that Aspect, so this is someone who uses Doom to counter Doom. I've been picturing Doom as corruption and entropy - so this is a Player who can burn fire, and corrode rust. They can't reverse destruction, but they can make it eat itself, stopping it from doing any more damage. Someone told this Player that everything comes to an end - and they decided that they were going to end endings.

Knight of Earth: This one is very straightforward. I think Knights are a protector class, so a Knight of Earth would protect themselves and their allies with some classic earthbending.

Seer of Song: I'm pretty sure Seers investigate, and I'm going to define Song as the aspect of sound and rhythm. This Player would, of course, have an excellent sense of hearing, and I'm also picturing something like Toph Beifong's tremorsense - including her ability to discern lies. A powerful Seer of Song would be able to extend their awareness for miles around, and nothing in the physical world would be able to hide from them.

#asks #full liveblog #act 5.2 #GOD I miss avatar #'fan titles' it's going to be very funny if six players with these titles show up later on #but it wasn't spoiler-filtered so I don't think that's likely