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johannesviii · 5 months

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Top 10 Personal Favorite Hit Songs from 2023

What a weird year for pop music, full of strange trends, confusing garbage and unexpected hits. Once again, even if the charts don’t always reflect it, music as a whole is currently very interesting to follow closely.

Disclaimers / Rules:

I’m using both the year-end top 100 lists from the US and from France while making these lists. There’s songs that charted in my country way higher than they did in the US, or even earlier or later, so that might get surprising at times.

No song that I already put on a previous list is elligible.

No old hit song that is re-charting due to a holiday or a trend is elligible either.

Of course there will probably be stuff in French somewhere on this post. We suck. I know. It’s my list. Deal with it.

My musical tastes have always been terrible.

I have sound-to-color synesthesia which justifies nothing but might explain why I have trouble describing some songs in other terms than visual ones.

A lot of bad stuff happened to me this year (several accidents in a row, and also my cat died) but some good stuff too, thank goodness. I only went to two concerts this year (Bloodywood and BMTH), but they were both absolutely amazing. Pretty sure the Bring Me The Horizon one was the best concert I ever went to, actually, and there's a lot of competition considering all the great ones I went to in 2022. I'm just sad 100 gecs had to cancel theirs, I was really looking forward to it. Oh well.

Let’s start with the good or interesting albums that came out in 2023, and oh my, that's a long list already.

Albums

Starting as usual with stuff that disappointed me: Depeche Mode's Memento Mori was... actually it was all right, but I miss the days when I could get excited about a new Depeche Mode album, I really do.

Pink Tape by Lil Uzi Vert was a giant fucking mess. There's some absolute bangers on it, and then you get to the next track and it's the worst thing you've ever heard. Which makes for an interesting listening experience, for sure, but one I'm in no hurry to repeat. At least it's never boring.

After the Magic by Parannoul isn't exactly my cup of tea, but you should definitely listen to it once, I think. It's something special. It might grow on me, though, because I only listened to it for the first time last month.

On the other hand, I listened to Scaring the hoes by Jpegmafia and Danny Brown a while ago, and while this one is definitely not my cup of tea, it's also a ton of fun and I don't feel like a single second of my time was wasted on it. You should listen to it for the samples alone, and just out of sheer curiosity if nothing else.

A kiss for the whole world by Enter Shikari is a weird beast, because the singles are absolutely incredible, but then the rest is a big pile of nothing (at least in my opinion). But the singles, man. I really don't know how to judge it as a whole, the quality is on a rollercoaster.

Kind of the same thing happened with Electric Sun by VNV Nation, one of my favorite bands of all times if not my favorite, if you recall. Some tracks completely floored me, the rest was meh. Oh well. Noire was so incredibly good that I can live with an average VNV album dropping after it.

Fanfare by Dorian Electra was full of absolute bangers but... I don't know, there's some of the madness of the previous record missing. And yes, I'm saying the album containing the minion line (you know the one) is more serious than My Agenda. Go figure. But it's still very good!

Two different friends told me to listen to 4D by Blank Banshee, so I did, obviously. Great electro album. Send tweet

I'm not entirely sure what to think of Atta by Sigur Rós. I cried several times while listening to it for the first time and it's a genuinely impressive series of tracks, but it's also so devastating I've only relistened to it twice since then.

I only discovered Svalbard a couple of years ago, and this year they dropped The weight of the mask, which might be even better than their previous album. It's mostly about depression and trying to fake normality while being depressed. Not a very pleasant topic, and yet this is full of energy and... hope? Everything sounds unbearably bright and between the screams, you feel like everything will be better eventually. Great stuff.

Speaking of depression, there's also No joy by Spanish Love Songs. If you recall their previous album was my album of the year a few lists ago. Their sound changed slightly, and at times it almost sounds like The Killers, but not in a bad way. There's a couple of tracks I don't like very much, but the writing is still on point, and some tracks are among my faves I put in the "unelligible songs" part.

Census Designated by Jane Remover, on the other hand, came out of nowhere just to kick me in the face. I don't even know what to say about that one. Go listen to it.

I found Gunship almost by accident a few months ago, and they immediately dropped a new album, called Unicorn. It's just a huge pile of great synthpop through and through - if you don't mind a couple of really stupid lines (godddd that third track is full of them). The other downside is that it's way too long (more than an hour), and if it was up to me, I'd remove at least four tracks from it. Unlike...

...10000 gecs by, who else, 100 gecs. It's less than half an hour long and it's so fun and so varied in its sounds and so stupid while still being incredibly well produced. For the longest time I couldn't decide which one of the last five albums on this list was my favorite, and then I relistened to all of them in a row and felt compelled to play this one a second time after I was done. Definitely worth the wait.

Unelligible Songs

This is kind of a non-hits rec list of sorts, but you know the drill. I also have to mention that two songs from previous lists (The Magic Key by One-T and Dernière Danse by Kyo 2003 represents) recharted this year for some unfathomable reason.

Gonna start with my fave tracks on some of the albums I already mentioned. Because why not.

The only song I consider great on the Depeche Mode album was People are good which sounds like character development considering People are people also exists

Speaking of Depeche Mode, one band arguably out-depeche-moded them this year so let me introduce you to ††† (Crosses) with Ghost ride, Invisible hand and Holier

Lil Uzi Vert is next with Suicide doors and its deranged intro immediately followed by FUCK YOU, AND FUCK YOUR BITCH then Uzi following that by stating they're the Crow. Yes, really. Also there's Werewolf, literally a Bring Me The Horizon song with Lil Uzi Vert on it, and if I had a nickel every time that happened this year I'd have two nickels, which isn't much but-

Wait let me interrupt this list with another song called Werewolf which I've listened to WAY too much this year. It's the kind of song you listen to ironically at first but after the tenth time that happens you realise it's no longer ironic and you love it for real. Seeing Motionless In White live kinda helped, not gonna lie, but still

For Enter Shikari, we have A kiss for the whole world, Bloodshot, and especially [pls] set me on fire, which might be one of my most listened to tracks of 2023, actually

VNV Nation had Wait, Invictus, and Artifice, which are all absolute bangers in my opinion. Ronan is angry and we love to hear it

By the way this year Pink released an extremely VNV-like song called Trustfall and it's very good but also uncanny

Kylie Minogue is also doing something vaguely similar with Hold on to now but in a more mainstream normal way btw

And then for something completely different, we have Dorian Electra singing about obsessive fans on Symphony, fame on Wanna be a star, and most importantly writing anon hate and immediately deleting it on anon

Run is the first track of the Blank Banshee album I rec'd and it's only one minute long so listen to it maybe

Technically I can recommend Gold if you want some taste of the Sigur Rós album but you need to listen to the entire album to get the full crushing effect

Svalbard isn't going to lighten up the mood with How to Swim Down and Faking it

Neither is Spanish Long Songs with Clean-up crew, Marvel, Here you are and Lifers, the last one being notable for having what's possibly my fave bridge of the entire year, and all of them for being endlessly quotable. Stay alive out of spite everyone

Also not lightening up the mood is Jane Remover with Census Designated on the album also called Census Designated

But what's this? It's Gunship with a steel chair trying to punch some joy into this list with Holographic heart, Nuclear Date Night, Taste like venom and Monster in paradise!!

And the gecs with a second steel ch- wait no it's a plastic chair shaped like a frog. Anyway here's Dumbest girl alive and Hollywood baby, and both of them go wayyy harder than they have any rights to

ok that was a lot of songs already. Here's Everything goes on by Porter Robinson as a palate cleanser

Also the first reggaeton song to ever end on one of my playlists, Sci-fi by Tainy and Rauw Alejandro

Also I'm gonna put a gif here otherwise Tumblr won't let me post something with such a long uninterrupted list in it

Ok back to the list of recs

Let's get the humiliation out of the way and say that this year I listened to Raining blood but it's super emo more than I ever listened to Raining blood in all my years combined

Oh yeah and Linkin Park released some old (finished and unfinished) tracks from the Meteora era and I'm kinda pissed off cause Lost missed the year end list. Fighting myself is excellent too, and if you want a really heartwrenching unfinished track, Resolution has a giant Chester-shaped hole where its chorus should be and the lyrics make it even worse. You're welcome

Possibly the most mainstream song on this entire rec list but I'm also pissed off Bad Idea right? by Olivia Rodrigo didn't chart enough to count for my top ten hit songs

I can offer you Eat the acid by Kesha if you want an awesome but mildly disturbing listening experience

For some electro/future pop here's Head over heels by Solitary Experiments

Wait there's also Bring the noise by Neuroticfish

Over is there if you need some Chvrches doing some Chvrching

Justice for Gladiator by Jann

Pointing at Even Jesus got the blues by Gabe Lee and saying I would listen to more country if it sounded half as good as that song, not like anyone cares

Holding on to nothing by Sierra. Send tweet

Northwind + Sky-colored dream by Strawberry Hospital and Parasite Heart is just seven minutes of cool pastel screams

And for an absolute goth banger everyone collectively decided to ignore here's Train to Harlem by Korine

I can't get enough of Nosebleeder by Lil Lotus and that's probably mildly embarrassing at my age but I've decided to stay mildly embarrassing forever

kisses by Slowdive if you want vibes and vibes only

Blood and sugar by Boys Like Girls if, like me, you want something that sounds exactly like The 1975

Choose your fighter by Ava Max if you want something that sounds exactly like Barbie Girl

I really wish I could explain what my feelings are every time I listen to The King by Anjimile but the only thing I'm sure about is that I'm feeling something a LOT and that it's terrifying

On a lighter note here's Mall rat by Durry, a very upbeat pop punk song about mall goth teenagers having fun and it's extremely good, listen to it immediately if you're having a bad day

And as some of you might have expected because of that previous gif, we're gonna finish with some Bring Me The Horizon, who have joined my list of favorite bands alarmingly quickly (that new album can't drop soon enough), and let's just say LosT and especially AmEN! were some of my absolute fave non-hit songs this year. Seriously. What the fuck was that.

And now, some elligible hits that didn't make the list.

Honorable Mentions

Tiki Taka (Vacra) - Afrobeats is the best thing that happened to the charts in recent years.

Shining Light (Aime Simone) - I wish I liked that artist more.

Unholy (Sam Smith & Kim Petras) - At first I didn't like this one, and then I headcanoned Kim Petras as a girl in a confessional and Sam Smith as the priest on the other side looking concerned but also weirdly into it, and suddenly it was a really funny song.

Dance the night away (Dua Lipa) - I'm pretty sure that's the song Chained to the Rhythm by Katy Perry is talking about

Casanova (Soolking) - This is a borderline guilty pleasure, and also it sounds like Magic System. Which is a bonus, by the way.

Calm Down (Rema) - Afrobeats is the best thing that happened to the charts in recent years 2: the sequel

Rush (Ayra Starr) - Afrobeats is the best thing that happened to the charts in recent years 3: the sequel to the sequel

Strangers (Kenya Grace) - Very good low-key track to play when you're driving at night

Bloody Mary (Lady Gaga) - What can I say. It's Lady Gaga. It's good.

I remember everything (Zach Bryan) - And for "songs that would be on the list if I had good taste-"

Going going gone (Luke Combs) - The last cut from the list. Great earworm, good writing.

THE ACTUAL TOP TEN LIST

This is a very solid list, actually. All of these things are still on some of my playlists to this day.

10 - Bad Habit (Steve Lacy)

US: #39 / FR: Not on the list

This was the last cut from my 2022 top 10 and it was a painful one, so imagine my joy when I saw it was elligible for this year's list too! Welcome back, Steve Lacy, your little song is still an earworm and a half even after all this time.

9 - Cruel Summer (Taylor Swift)

US: #18 / FR: Not on the list

I have no idea how a song that rhymes "oh woah oh" with "summer" can sound so good. Well played, madam. Well played.

8 - Star Walkin' (Lil Nas X)

US: Not on the list / FR: #67

Not the best Lil Nas X song by a mile, and still quite good! It plays a lot at the gym for some reason. The hype is real, even after hearing it pretty much every hour on the hour. And despite that weird, weird line about his dad.

Very surprised it's not on the US year-end list, by the way.

7 - Vois sur ton chemin (Bennett)

US: Not on the list / FR: #69

If you're creeped out by the AI-generated kids in the music video, I think that's kind of the point, which is why I can tolerate it for once.

Anyway, this is a remix of a choir song about lost kids, originally from a retro movie called Les Choristes which came out back when I was a teenager. And now it's been turned into a somewhat creepy techno remix of itself, and you know what's bad about that? Not a single thing actually. Play it again.

6 - Fast Car (covered by Luke Combs)

US: #8 / FR: Not on the list

If you remember correctly, Fast Car was the number one song of the very first list I made in this series (1988). And since this cover is so similar to the original song, I considered making it non-elligible for this list. I counted it in the end but put it kinda low compared to the original. It's only fair.

5 - Anti-hero (Taylor Swift)

US: #4 / FR: Not on the list

I was pretty indifferent to this one at the beginning of the year, but it slowly but surely grew on me. Everything has already been said about this song. So yeah, it's very good. I like it. It's on the list.

Moving on!

4 - Substitution (Purple Disco Machine x Kungs)

US: Not on the list / FR: #56

Some songs just make you want to move every single time you hear them, without fail. The thing is, this one plays a LOT on the radio in public settings, so catch me dancing in the aisles of the local supermarket every time it's on. It's like some memetic SCP bullshit.

At this point, it should be possible to make a great playlist with all the best retro-sounding hits we got in the past five years or so - and yeah, put this one on it too, for sure.

3 - Miracle (Ellie Goulding, Calvin Harris)

US: Not on the list / FR: #51

At some point this was my number one, and can you really blame me? An Ellie Goulding song with a drop that sounds exactly like a Robert Miles track? Really?

Then I realised I loved Robert Miles' tracks because of that dreamy piano/synth melody they all have, and that this song only had a drop/musical chorus that sounded like that, so something was missing. Oh well. Still a fantastic dance track, though.

2 - Escapism (Raye)

US: #48 / FR: Not on the list

Welcome to the other side of most of The Weeknd songs, I guess, but that's also what makes this track so compelling. The intro sounds like anxiety, and even when the song gets more pleasant to listen to it just never goes completely away - just like in the lyrics, in fact. Well written, well produced, everything is on point and if I had better taste it would probably be number one on this list.

Alas, I am what I am.

1 - Just wanna rock (Lil Uzi Vert)

US: #28 / FR: Not on the list

At some point, this was the third song on the list. Why shouldn't it be? It's so brainless compared to Escapism, and laughably short compared to Miracle. It's just a fragment of a song. It sounds like the intro of a track that will never start.

It's also by far my most replayed hit song on this entire top ten list and I can't justify that in any way. So yeah, putting anything else here felt like lying to myself. The fact it never really starts also means the hype never really ends. Going "daaaaaaaaaaaamn" along with Uzi's distorted vocals is so satisfying.

I just wanna rock, man. What a vibe. See you next year!

#Johannes’ bad not good pretty terrible music lists #music #flashing lights tw #eye contact tw #god that one took ages

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kp777 · 11 months

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By Georgina Rannard, Erwan Rivault, Jana Tauschinski

BBC climate reporter & data team

BBC

July 22, 2023

A series of climate records on temperature, ocean heat, and Antarctic sea ice have alarmed some scientists who say their speed and timing is unprecedented.

Dangerous heatwaves in Europe could break further records, the UN says.

It is hard to immediately link these events to climate change because weather - and oceans - are so complex.

Studies are under way, but scientists already fear some worst-case scenarios are unfolding.

"I'm not aware of a similar period when all parts of the climate system were in record-breaking or abnormal territory," Thomas Smith, an environmental geographer at London School of Economics, says.

"The Earth is in uncharted territory" now due to global warming from burning fossil fuels, as well as heat from the first El Niño - a warming natural weather system - since 2018, says Imperial College London climate science lecturer Dr Paulo Ceppi.

Here are four climate records broken so far this summer - the hottest day on record, the hottest June on record globally, extreme marine heatwaves, record-low Antarctic sea-ice - and what they tell us.

The world experienced its hottest day ever recorded in July, breaking the global average temperature record set in 2016.

Average global temperature topped 17C for the first time, reaching 17.08C on 6 July, according to EU climate monitoring service Copernicus.

Ongoing emissions from burning fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas are behind the planet's warming trend.

This is exactly what was forecast to happen in a world warmed by more greenhouse gases, says climate scientist Dr Friederike Otto, from Imperial College London.

"Humans are 100% behind the upward trend," she says.

"If I'm surprised by anything, it's that we're seeing the records broken in June, so earlier in the year. El Niño normally doesn't really have a global impact until five or six months into the phase," Dr Smith says.

El Niño is the world's most powerful naturally occurring climate fluctuation. It brings warmer water to the surface in the tropical Pacific, pushing warmer air into the atmosphere. It normally increases global air temperatures.

The average global temperature in June this year was 1.47C above the typical June in the pre-industrial period. Humans started pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when the Industrial Revolution started around 1800.

Asked if summer 2023 is what he would have forecasted a decade ago, Dr Smith says that climate models are good at predicting long-term trends but less good at forecasting the next 10 years.

Four ways climate change is affecting the weather

"Models from the 1990s pretty much put us where we are today. But to have an idea about what the next 10 years would look like exactly would be very difficult," he says.

"Things aren't going to cool down," he adds.

Extreme marine heatwaves

The average global ocean temperature has smashed records for May, June and July. It is approaching the highest sea surface temperature ever recorded, which was in 2016.

But it is extreme heat in the North Atlantic ocean that is particularly alarming scientists.

"We've never ever had a marine heatwave in this part of Atlantic. I had not expected this," says Daniela Schmidt, Prof of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol.

Marine heatwave in the North Atlantic

Daily sea surface temperature April - July 2023, compared with 1985-1993 average

Press play to see the map animated. (Go to original article)

In June temperatures off the west coast of Ireland were between 4C and 5C above average, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration classified as a category 5 heatwave, or "beyond extreme".

Sudden heat increase in seas around UK and Ireland

Directly attributing this heatwave to climate change is complex, but that work is ongoing, Prof Schmidt says.

What is clear is that the world has warmed and the oceans have absorbed most of that heat from the atmosphere, she explains.

"Our models have natural variability in them, and there are still things appearing that we had not envisaged, or at least not yet," she adds.

She emphasises the impact of this heat on marine ecosystems, which produce 50% of the world's oxygen.

"People tend to think about trees and grasses dying when we talk about heatwaves. The Atlantic is 5C warmer than it should be - that means organisms need 50% more food just to function as normal," she says.

Record low Antarctic sea-ice

The area covered by sea-ice in the Antarctic is at record lows for July. There is an area around 10 times the size of the UK missing, compared with the 1981-2010 average.

Alarm bells are ringing for scientists as they try to unpick the exact link to climate change.

A warming world could reduce levels of Antarctic sea-ice, but the current dramatic reduction could also be due to local weather conditions or ocean currents, explains Dr Caroline Holmes at the British Antarctic Survey.

She emphasises it is not just a record being broken - it is being smashed by a long way.

"This is nothing like anything we've seen before in July. It's 10% lower than the previous low, which is huge."

She calls it "another sign that we don't really understand the pace of change".

Scientists believed that global warming would affect Antarctic sea-ice at some point, but until 2015 it bucked the global trend for other oceans, Dr Holmes says.

"You can say that we've fallen off a cliff, but we don't know what's at the bottom of the cliff here," she says.

"I think this has taken us by surprise in terms of the speed of which has happened. It's definitely not the best case scenario that we were looking at - it's closer to the worst case," she says.

We can certainly expect more and more of these records to break as the year goes on and we enter 2024, scientists say.

But it would be wrong to call what is happening a "climate collapse" or "runaway warming", cautions Dr Otto.

We are in a new era, but "we still have time to secure a liveable future for many", she explains.

#climate crisis #climate change #extreme heat #extreme weather #antarctic sea ice

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melonthesprigatito · 9 months

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Melon Ranks Sprigatito Plushies (But Only The Ones I Own Sorry)

BOOTLEG SPRIGATITO

Face Leaf Pattern Thing: Embroidered Edges

Eyes: Fully Embroidered

Neck Leafs: Two Strips of Fabric

Cheek Fluff: Strips of Fabric

:D or :3 Face: :D

Ears: Flat and floppy

Huggability Rating: 2/10 (This thing is stuffed like a rock, man.)

Overall rating: 3/10

Overview: Probably the worst plush you could get. The colour is too... radioactive, the tail is sewn on upside down in a way???? (that little tuft is supposed to be pointing upwards), the legs are weird., it's head is very flat. This plush is very obviously based on the official art and was made long before we ever saw Sprigatito in 3D (I got mine in May 2022) so it's flat out missing things that aren't visible in the official art like the paw pads and the leaf on the back of Sprigatito's neck. But this one is the OG Melon and my profile pic and I took it on vacation with me so I can't fault it too hard. :)

JAZZWARES/ WICKED COOL TOYS SPRIGATITO

Face Leaf Pattern Thing: Embroidered Edges

Eyes: Fully Embroidered

Neck Leafs: Strip of fabric on top of stuffed thing

Cheek Fluff: Strips of Fabric

:D or :3 Face: :3

Ears: Flat but stuffed with plastic card

Huggability Rating: 3/10 (Stuffed like a brick and the ears are firm and pokey. I'm sad :c )

Overall rating: 5/10

Overview: The dime a dozen Sprigatito plush found in pretty much every single toy store and supermarket that sells toys. No need to order online which is a plus. Got a nice subtle snoot to boop. Because the front neck leaf is stuffed, it sticks out. They don't let you see the back of it in the toy store website reference images, which I thought was weird until I bought it. The back is where it all falls apart. The back neck leaf isn't a single piece, it's too halves sewn together for some reason???? Which causes the seam allowance to make it crinkle up. The tail is the worst I've ever seen on a Sprigatito, at least the bootleg made AN ATTEMPT to look like the official art. The tail is a very narrow carrot shape with a tiny, barely noticeable single fabric triangle for the tuft. Yikes. Though it is made by a third party plush company so I guess the quality not being perfect is to be expected. Jazzwares does other Pokémon that look a whole lot better.

OFFICAL POKÉMON CENTER KEYRING SPRIGATITO

Face Leaf Pattern Thing: Printed on

Eyes: Fully Embroidered

Neck Leafs: Strip of fabric on top of very loosely stuffed thing

Cheek Fluff: Strips of Fabric

:D or :3 Face: :3

Ears: Firmly stuffed with embroidered inside detail

Huggability Rating: No/10 (Good luck hugging something that can fits snugly into the palm of your hand. Maybe hold it like an ice cream)

Overall rating: 7/10

Overview: So smol. 🥺 Perfect for slipping it into your pocket and carrying it everywhere. You're better off not using it as an actual keyring though. Just keep it as a cheaper, minature version of the standard Pokémon Center Sprigatito. The plastic loop is awful, it opens too easily so your Sprig could get lost in the wilderness without you knowing if it actually was put on your backpack. I just cut the keyring off and by that I mean I spent 20 minutes persistently sawing through plastic with fabric scissors so I could attach a normal metal key ring to the loop. Also the back neck leaf is LITERALLY handing on by a thread. It's held on by a single stitch. I get its a small plush, but come on, really????

OFFICIAL POKÉMON CENTER POKÉDOLL SPRIGATITO

Face Leaf Pattern Thing: Printed on

Eyes: Fully Embroidered

Neck Leafs: Strip of fabric on top of very loosely stuffed thing

Cheek Fluff: Not felt! Sewn piece

:D or :3 Face: :3

Ears: Firmly stuffed

Huggability Rating: 7/10 (SQUISHYYYYYYYYY)

Overview: Gonna come right out of the gate and say I really hate this trend of the Pokémon Center just printing on details (i.e the face leaf) instead of embroidery or different coloured fabric stitched on. It reminds me of that £2 Judy Hopps plush my mom bought for me years ago that had the clothes printed on instead of fabric pieces. And that plush was a bargain bin thing that was SUPPOSED to be lower quality. Not a fan of spending £10-15 plus £5 shipping on a plushie with printed details. I just think it looks cheap and I wish they put a little more effort into some of their plushies. It looks like it could be washed away if you put it in a washing machine.

Other than that, BABYYYY!!!!!!!! KITTY!!!!!!!! A BEAN!!!!!!!!!!!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟIT'S SO FUCKING CUTE LOOK AT THAT FACE OH MY FUCKING GOD. Doesn't have paw pads though. :c BUT IT'S A TOO PURE FOR THIS SINFUL EARTH I WANNA GENTLY HOLD IT FOREVER 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

BUILD A BEAR SPRIGATITO

Face Leaf Pattern Thing: Embroidered Edges

Eyes: Fabric with embroidered edges.

Neck Leafs: ALL LIGHTLY STUFFED

Cheek Fluff: STUFFED

:D or :3 Face: :D

Ears: Stuffed but not too blocky. Very close to ingame model

Huggability Rating: 1000/10 (HELP I'VE BEEN STUCK HERE HUGGING THIS PLUSHIE, I HAVEN'T SEEN MY FAMILY IN TEN YEARS)

Overall rating; 9/10

Overview: Some may hate Build a Bear Pokémon for their chubby proportions but I think this is fucking PERFECTION. No more strips of fabric, every single part is stuffed, the nose is some sort of plastic thing with a fuzzy texture, maybe the muzzle it's on is sticking out a little too much but for once the head ISN'T crammed full of too much stuffing! I think it's close to life size too? Probably. I haven't compared it with Sprigatito's official height yet. AND ITS GOT PAJAMAS. AND A CAPE. THAT FITS ONTO MY EEVEE AND GLACEON BUILD A BEARS TOO. Truly it must be Arceus' gift to the world. If you're willing to give your wallet a sucker punch to the stomach,

BUY IT, GOD DAMN IT, BUY IT

If you want to

#pokémon #sprigatito #pokemon plush #melon's ramblings #but seriously I love my entire Sprig squad #i love themb

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calamariknight · 8 months

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Every Succession episode ever, ranked from worst to best

Need to procastrinate so I'll do the thing when I rank the episodes from television show nobody watches and nobody will ever see that posts so just let's go

also every episode here is good mind you 39. s03e06 "What It Takes" -- honestly cannot remember this episode at all

38. s01e03 "Lifeboats" -- this episode challenged my will to watch Succession a little, but Logan put on a sock so

37. s04e04 "Honeymoon States" -- ok, at this point it's clear i'm just going by how much I remember what happened + considering which episode came just before it, it being more calm episode hurts a lot harder

36. s03e04 "Lion in the Meadow" -- two 4th episodes in a row, hope it does not become a trend (I have nothing to say about this episode)

35. s01e04 "Sad Sack Wasp Trap" -- sure hope 4th episode of 2nd season is better than the others (it is)

34. s02e02 "Vaulter" -- noooo Lawrence Yee

33. s03e02 "Mass in Time of War" -- honestly season 3 isn't all that great now I think about it

32. s03e01 "Secession" -- yup, I was right

31. s02e01 "The Summer Palace" -- at least better season opener than Secession + Napoleon dick

30. s03e03 "The Disruption" -- this is the last meh season 3 episode, I promise

29. s02e05 "Tern Haven" -- so long story short, I was inspired to make this list after seeing some magazine claiming it to be the greatest Succesion episode and like, no. Still good tho

28. s01e02 ""Shit Show at the Fuck Factory"" -- Roman/Shiv fight scene is the top 10 anime fights

27. s01e07 "Prague" -- oh, but it does introduce Tabitha

26. s04e06 "Living+" -- I need to start dropping season 4 eventually, and aside from Honeymoon States, this one is the least entertaining (tho Karl is great once again)

25. s01e09 "Pre-Nuptial" -- this is mostly setup for the finale, but it does introduce Lady Caroline, so yeah, number 25 it gets

24.s01e01 "Celebration" -- yeah, this show really is too consistently great to make a ranking list, like, great pilot didn't even made it to the top half of the list, what a world we live in.

23. s02e07 "Return" -- ok, I have like, 7 episodes of season 2 left, but I want to put most of them in the top 10. This season is just too good

22. s03e08 "Chiantishire" -- hello again season 3. This episode has same problems as another pre-wedding episode from season 1, but it has that one Logan/Kendall scene

21. s01e05 "I Went to Market" -- Evan makes his grand debut. Oh yeah, rest of the cast is also in this episode

20. s04e01 "The Munsters" -- Best season opener solely due to Logan's talk about death

19. s01e07 "Austerlitz" -- we're getting into "great episodes" territory, starting with first major fight between Logan and his kids

18. s02e06 "Argestes" -- this ending scene made a lot of mfs wet (I am mfs)

17. s04e02 "Rehearsal" -- the fact that this is the last time Shiv, Kendall and Logan talk...

16. s04e10 "With Open Eyes" -- imma be real, I didn't enjoy Succesion finale as much as I've probably should. It's still great and rather satisfying considering how messy the plot was by the end of the series

15. s04e07 "Tailgate Party" -- oh this Tom/Shiv scene is everything we could've wanted as a climax to their relationship

14. s01e06 "Which Side Are You On?" -- vote of no confidence scene is so fucking chills man

13. s02e03 "Hunting" -- HUNT! HUNT! HUNT!

12. s03e05 "Retired Janitors of Idaho" -- Roman told president to blow him, absolute legend

11. s01e10 "Nobody Is Ever Missing" -- great finale to a decent season, especially noteworthy is the final scene and how it pararells with the season 2 finale.

10. s03e07 "Too Much Birthday" -- we still don't know whether or not Roman kept his mom's gigantic vagina

9. s02e08 "Dundee" -- *inhales* L TO THE OG

8. s04e08 "America Decides" -- there is definitely some political commentary in this but I'm not American so it kind of flies over my head huh

7. s04e06 "Kill List" -- If Kieran Culkin won't get that fucking Emmy...

6. s04e09 "Church and State" -- Now this is how you make a funeral

5. s02e09 "DC" -- you can't make a tomlette (s02e10) without breaking some Greggs (this episode). Also Laird, Karl, and Roman is such a great team-up that it makes me wish we would get an entire season of their shenanigans

4. s03e09 "This Is Not for Tears" -- see? I told you season 3 has some heat after all (I've never told you that, but I tell you now).

3. s02e04 "Safe Room" -- easily best episode from comedic standpoint. Between Roman training, Attack Child, Mo's eulogy and so much more this is absolutely amazing hour of television. But don't let that distract you from the fact that Roman Roy was interested in politics at a very young age.

2. s02e10 "This Is Not for Tears" -- best season finale by a long margin. With great wrapping up of characters arc this season, memorable moments like Tom eating the chicken, and culminating with shocking twist and one of the best shots in TV history that sends me chills down the spine every time. Absolute gem of television.

1. s04e03 "Connor's Wedding" -- yeah this is the best one

#succession #ranking #logan roy #roman roy #shiv roy #kendall roy #rip my sanity

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yestolerancepro · 9 months

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My dear girl, there are some things that just aren't done, such as drinking Dom Perignon '53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That's just as bad as listening to The Beatles without earmuffs!” A blog inspired by the music world of James Bond Part 3B View to a Kill a sad Goodbye to Roger Moore and More

Introduction

Hello there and welcome to another episode of my blog that looks at the musical tastes of James Bond over the last 60 years the last episode looked at the Bond films that I don’t like for various reasons this chapter continues that trend.

I really have mixed feelings about A View to a Kill if you asked the 8 year old me about it in 1985 what I felt about It I would have said I was really excited after all Roger Moore was my favourite Bond and their was a lot of Buzz around the film it seemed to be everywhere I remember one offer on Smith crisps offering a Free Poster I eat all the crisps and got myself one it looked really exciting the Tagline for View to a Kill was Has James Bond Finally Met his Match judging by the Posters and the film trailers I really thought they would kill James Bond off they wouldn’t do that would they ?

Jumping ahead 38 years and taking off my rose tinted glasses I wore as an 8 year as the Doctor says in a 1984 episode called Warriors of the Deep “there should have been another way” and in the case of View to a kill I agree with him.

The film starts really well a great title song by Duran Duran you can watch the video for the song by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp4CR2HcHLQ&list=PL17vqAEJv6CUxmeZBk3JGDLBbcPEd4CDp&index=39 It also has one of the best pre-title sequences ever featured in a Bond film. But that’s about as good as the film gets.

The Villians in the film namely Max Zorin and his Hench woman May Day played by Grace Jones are both just way over the top even for A Bond film.

I even find Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton off putting as well as she seems to channelling Faye Ray from King Kong in her performance.

When Roger Moore himself dislikes the film you know there is something wrong. I love Roger Moore as Bond but his era shouldn’t have ended like this he should have left the series with his head held high at the end of For Your Eyes only or Octopussy.

I don’t know what made them do this but the What Culture website decided to give Christropher Walken’s performance as Max Zorin the best bond moment of the film,

A View to a Kill is quite possibly the worst James Bond film ever made. It's been widely criticized for still having Roger Moore as Bond even though he's visibly almost 60 years old, and the sight of this far-too-old action hero awkwardly stumbling his way through the action scenes and bedding women young enough to be his daughters is a great analogy for the movie itself.

View is every bit as energy-free and cringe-worthy as its lead performance, thanks to its disastrous mixture of terrible action, risible comedy and total lack of zest, but as has been said before, greatness lies within every Bond movie. In this case, Christopher Walken is legitimately brilliant as main villain Max Zorrin.

Both fiendishly entertaining and chillingly evil, the great actor is absolutely magnetic every moment he's on screen and he's so good it feels like you're watching a different, far better movie every time he appears.

Comparisons to Alan Rickman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - a terrible movie that only becomes watchable when Rickman's incredible villain is on screen - would be completely justified here.

His Super intelligence also makes Max Zorin a great bond baddie according to the Screen Rant article the top 10 Bond Villians with Super Powers where Max Zorin landed at number 5 in their list Screen Rant had this to say about his brain power

By the time A View to a Kill was released in 1985, Roger Moore was arguably too old to play Bond and it wasn't believable for him to fight henchmen with superhuman abilities. The 57-year-old no longer looked like he could take on men with robotic arms. The filmmaker's solution to this was Max Zorin, a byproduct of Nazi experimentation that lead to hyper-intelligence. While not as visually spectacular as other Bond villains, Christopher Walken lends Zorin an eerie presence that gives the very goofy film some stakes.

Likewise Mayday came in at number 3 on Moviewebs list of the Deadliest women in the Bond Franchise Yes she is but she is still bloody awful here is what Movieweb said about Mayday

Portrayed by model, singer, and actress Grace Jones, May Day is the fierce and incredibly strong lover and bodyguard of the German KGB operative-turned-billionaire industrialist Max Zorin. She is also responsible for selecting and training all his female guards, and assassinating anyone he deems a threat, whether via strangulation, a poisoned stage prop, drowning, or defenestration.

After being betrayed by Zorin, she joins forces with Bond (Moore), but is killed by an explosion. Her dying wish from Bond is, “Get Zarin for me!”.

Jones’ portrayal is so on-point that, according to her autobiography, even Moore himself was afraid of her on set.

The film is also way too violent there is way too much killing in it particularity in the last 20 mins why the film only got a PG rating is beyond me

To watch a retrospective review of A View to a kill from Oliver Harper’s You Tube channel click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsuG2nOmbrs Sorry about the unintended pun

To watch a trailer for View to a kill click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buOK9kJIJA4

To watch a tribute to Roger Moore from the You Tube channel Jo Blo orignals click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX8JsR1D9Vc&list=PL17vqAEJv6CV1syq4_fFKgBwSqGdJzH9z&index=286

To watch a short video which shows Roger Moore best bits of James Bond Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee4ghr-Y1tI&list=PL17vqAEJv6CV1syq4_fFKgBwSqGdJzH9z&index=287&t=45s

To read an article on how the Roger Moore James Bond films are ranked by James Bond fans click here https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2555559/roger-moores-james-bond-movies-ranked

To watch a tribuite video for a View to a kill click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46x4H9heJoM

Further reading

According to this article A view to a kill is the best bond film of the franchise click here to read it https://movieweb.com/james-bond-a-view-to-kill-best-movie-in-franchise/

Licence to Kill

The last James Bond of the 80’s and the last James Bond film to star Timothy Dalton which to me was a shame as he was excellent in the Living Daylights but for me this is not the way Timothy’s Bond should have gone.

But once again let start with the positives first and finish with the negatives later the film has an excellant title track by Gladyis Knight.

The Music

Here is a little background on the song with thanks to Wikipedia.

Initially Vic Flick, who had played lead guitar on Monty Norman's original 007 theme, and Eric Clapton were asked to write and perform the theme song to Licence to Kill and they produced a theme to match Dalton's gritty performance, but the producers turned it down[30] and instead Gladys Knight's song and performance was chosen. The song was based on the "horn line" from "Goldfinger", seen as an homage to the film of the same name,[30] which required royalty payments to the original writers.[31] The song gave Knight her first British top-ten hit since 1977.[32] The end credits feature the Top 10 R&B hit "If You Asked Me To", sung by Patti LaBelle.[33]

The song was composed by Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen and Walter Afanasieff, based on the "horn line" from Goldfinger, which required royalty payments to the original writers.[3] At 5 minutes 13 seconds it is the longest Bond theme, though 45 single releases featured a shorter edit, running 4 minutes 11 seconds. The version used in the movie itself was edited to 2 minutes 53 seconds

To watch a video for the song click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1iRaS3gqws&list=PL17vqAEJv6CUxmeZBk3JGDLBbcPEd4CDp&index=41

On the production front Carey Lowell is excellant as Pam Bouvier she made number 15 in Collider films list of the 16 best Bond girls this what they had to say about her:

Timothy Dalton’s tenure as Bond, albeit being just two movies, is the most underrated era in the franchise’s long and illustrious history. Nestled within it are some of the most raw and engaging characters the Bond films have to offer, which is brought to the fore in Licence to Kill as it combines the Bond movie formula with a gritty revenge narrative.

As Bond strives to avenge his friend and colleague Felix Leiter, he finds a valuable ally in Leiter’s CIA collaborator Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell). A former fighter pilot for the U.S., Bouvier is more than capable of looking after herself and even rescues Bond as they seek justice for their comrade.

The films Villian is very good if slightly underated Robert Davi plays Franz Sanchez in Licence to Kill The Collider Website rated his performance as number 1 in their top 10 list of James Bonds underated Villains so what makes him so good.

The films spawned from Timothy Dalton’s brief tenure as 007 boasted a toughness their predecessors lacked but still had a healthy appetite for flamboyance when the opportunity arose. While this resulted in an underwhelming villain in The Living Daylights, the franchise struck gold in Licence to Kill with Robert Davi’s Franz Sanchez.

A violent and ruthless drug dealer, Sanchez attracts the ire of Bond when he had Felix Leiter maimed and his wife brutally murdered on their wedding day. Sanchez is one of the most violent villains Bond has ever encountered, and yet the intimidating criminal was made all the more compelling thanks to his moral code and the value he placed on loyalty.

The Death of Franz Sanchez in Licence to Kill was highlighted in the Screenrant.com article as one of the 6 moments that defined 007 in the article they comment

Timothy Dalton only played Bond in two movies, but he’s been lauded for being the most faithful to Ian Fleming’s source material. Dalton’s Bond is a cold, calculated killing machine. His second and final outing, Licence to Kill, is a violent revenge thriller that sees 007 abandoning his official MI6 assignment to pursue a personal vendetta against drug lord Franz Sanchez for killing Felix Leiter’s bride. In the explosive climax of the movie, 007 lights Sanchez on fire with the lighter that Felix gave him as a gift. This moment is an appropriately brutal ending to the darkest Bond film, and the use of Felix’s wedding gift offers poetic justice.

Franz Sanchez was also includedin the screenrant article Every James Bonds Iconic Villian Ranked in that article they say

Timothy Dalton only ever appeared in two Bond films, but out of his two villains, Licence to Kill’s Franz Sanchez is much more memorable than The Living Daylights’ Brad Whitaker. Whitaker is a typically smarmy arms dealer who adheres to all the Bond villain clichés, but Sanchez is wholly unique within the 007 canon. Licence to Kill is basically Bond versus Scarface as 007 pursues a personal vendetta against a ruthless drug lord. Sanchez is one of the most brutal Bond villains. He kills and maims people for fun. He’s so evil that he gets the audience emotionally invested in Bond’s fight against him.

Q Branch

The film makes good use of Q as well which is always an added bonus when 007 makes Q an agent to help in his revenge scheme which gives Desmond Lewleyns Q probably his longest appearance in a Bond film he also brings with him a whole load of gadgets to help Bond on his quest these include:

Exploding alarm clock

"Guaranteed never to wake up anybody who uses it."[84]

Signature camera gun

A camera that can be taken apart and assembled into a sniper rifle. The grip is programmed to recognize only Bond's hand.[85]

Laser Polaroid camera

When the flash is used on this camera, it shoots a laser. It can also take x-ray pictures.[11][3][9]

Broom radio

used by Q to communicate with Bond's companion while disguised as a grounds man. Q throws this item away after using it.[7]

By far the Best gadget in Qs overnight bag is the Dentonite Toothpaste which also made number 8 in Den of the Geeks Top Ten of the Best Gadgets used in the Bond films.

A Bond movie wouldn’t be complete without explosives. All manner of situations require a little dynamite to help an agent on their way, and Q usually had an ingenious method to hide these lethal gadgets in plain sight. For License To Kill, the movie took an unexpected approach, relying on a household item. However, unlike other equipment from the series, this was not based on a real-world brand.

His Majesty’s Secret Service had transformed a tube of toothpaste into an explosive device. Comedically titled Detonite, the false branding alluded to the contents within. It’s terrifying that someone could have mistakenly used this product as was intended, but James Bond took advantage of the gadget when he made an assassination attempt on Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi). While his goal was unsuccessful, the toothpaste itself destructed without issue. A cleverly disguised cigarette packet became the detonator in another spectacular design choice.

So what's my issue with Licence to Kill?

I get that the film is a revenge story but the film is ruined by too much killing Timothy Dalton who was excellant in Living Daylights is turned into a John McClane clone.

James Bond is not Bruce Willis The tag in ths film should be James Bond meets Die Hard and for me its not a good look.

To watch a retrospective review of Licence to Kill from the Oliver Harper You Tube page click herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL10kuq39gw&t=8s

To watch a video of Timothy Daltons best moments as James Bond click here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XJu4vWLUSs

If you have read and liked this blog please consider giving the Tolerance project a donation by clicking on the above link https://www.gofundme.com/gnk3ww

Pictures

1) Smiths Crisps View to a kill Poster Promotion

2) Poster for a view to a kill

3) Max Zorin

4)Tanya Roberts as Stacy Sutton

5) Grace Jones as May Day

6 a foriegn poster for Licence to Kill

7) Cary Lowell as Pam Bovier with Timothy Dolton as James Bond

8) Robert Davi as Franz Sanchez

Notes Thanks to Oliver Harper for the respective on Licence to Kill also thanks to Stormchaser Z for the video on Timothy Daltons best moments as Bond thanks also to the following websites Den of the Geek for their article the top ten best gadgets used on the Bond films What Culture website for their best moments and the Culder website for the 16 best Bond girls article also Wikipedia for some of the background material.

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purplesurveys · 5 months

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1794

What was the year/make/model of the last car you drove? I've still got my trusty Mitsubishi Mirage with me. Had it since college and I plan on using it for as long as it can.

Have you ever been in weather below 0 Fahrenheit (-17 Celcius)? Nopes, the lowest I've experienced was something like 9ºC in Fukuoka, which made me really cranky really fast lol.

What was the last thing you used your phone for, besides calling/texting? I picked a video to play in the background as I take this.

Do you have more male or female coworkers? Overwhelmingly female. We only have a handful of guys.

Did you enjoy high school? Enough that I would generally look back on high school with fondness – the sooner I stopped giving a fuck about the rules (considering I went to Catholic school) and the sooner I stopped trying to get teachers to like me, the quicker I was able to enjoy my time tbh.

What's an unusual food combination you like? I used to make sandwiches out of the Milo milk powder, but I never do that anymore because it only reminds me of days we barely had food in the pantry.

What's the longest stretch of time you've spent completely alone? Apart from showing up downstairs for the (very) occasional dinner, this without a doubt goes to that stretch from September to December four years ago when I was going through the big B word. The only reason that streak got broken is Angela and Hans dropped by for a surprise visit a few days after Christmas to check up on me.

Have you ever lived in a studio apartment? I have not.

Did your parents allow you to drink soda when you were a kid? I assume they did, I just never liked it to begin with so they never had to worry about their kid getting addicted to soda.

Do you always check the prices of things when you buy groceries? Sure.

Do you like gyoza? I don't. It has a certain note to it (chives??) that I find unpleasant and I can never finish even just one piece.

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed a lawyer? I try not to put myself in situations like that precisely so that I'd never have to require a lawyer.

Do you use Instagram? If so, what's your current profile pic? I do; and it's me sitting next to the RM standee at the BTS pop-up store when I was in Bangkok.

Did you ever go through an emo or goth phase? Nah. I was a fan of Paramore from very early on but that was all there was to it but the whole emo phase didn't necessarily resonate with me.

What are your thoughts on kids being given iPads to keep them entertained? I see why it works and I also see why it can be a sign of bad parenting but it's hard to give an opinion on this without sounding like an asshole because I've never been a parent and I don't know how to handle kids.

Do you get regular check-ups with your doctor? No. The only kind of doctor I visit kind of regularly is my dentist and that's because I need to get my braces readjusted monthly.

What was the last thing you felt apprehensive about? I was outfit-shopping for the Seventeen concert earlier and there were a few items I was on the fence about, when I was still in the middle of narrowing down my top choices.

How many nights per week do you cook dinner at home vs. going out to eat? So I don't cook, but my parents prep dinner nightly. If I'm already outside all day due to work, that's really the only time I let myself decide if I want to eat out or just have whatever's at home.

What's a trend you've seen recently that you thought was really dumb? AI edits. I feel like that has brought out the worst in some people, lol. I've unfortunately seen AI Tiktoks of a pregnant Jungkook and it's like?????? WHy?????? That makes some people happy??????

Do you know anyone who has been evicted? Nope.

When did you last wash your sheets and pillowcases? A couple of weeks ago.

Have you kissed more than 10 people in the past 10 years? No.

Have you ever been caught outdoors away from shelter during a thunderstorm? Yeah, there was one time during my college internship when this happened. The rain wasn't fucking around that evening, and I didn't have an umbrella, and it didn't help that there were zero routes to my destination that had some sort of and any kind of, shelter. Needless to say I was soaked and I wasn't very happy about that.

Did you leave the house before 10 AM yesterday? I did. I had a shoot in Batangas so I had to wake up very early.

What's your favorite macaron flavor? Chocolate works super well in macarons. I generally like all kinds of macarons; the only time I'd avoid it is if it had a fruit filling.

How often do you have friends over to your house? Only once every few months, and really only whenever there's like a BTS thing that we want to watch together. My house is super out of the way in all my friend groups so when we want to meet up we usually do so at a mall/bar; or, if at someone's house, wherever is the most middle point for all of us.

Have you ever had a boss who acted unprofessionally? Not a boss in my team, but I've heard of an instance. It was so grave that it got the entire team fired.

How many times have you stayed at a hotel in the past year, and where? Once - the Hyatt in Malaysia. My family's been increasingly pivoting to Airbnbs now.

What kind of technological advancements do you expect there to be 100 years from now? AI to be more helpful and useful than it already is right now.

Have you ever done a flip on a trampoline? I haven't. Too scary to think about haha.

What about a flip off of a diving board? Nopes. I don't even know how to dive; the idea of hitting the water headfirst gives me the creeps lol.

What was the last hot beverage you had? Hot chocolate.

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zebrafiz · 2 years

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What are your top 10 favorite sims you’ve created? 💖

omg i love this question i got so excited jfhgjkfd

so in no particular order theres

priya paswana (obv) my current generations founder <3 i originally created her to play around with a custom model career but then i got attached and sent her to college and the rest is history.. i wanna start posting gameplay w her family really soon

ophelia, priya's daughter. shes my bitch seriously i love her so bad 😭this pic is from the day she aged up so shes in her edgy teen phase

allison! i'm trying to play out strangervilles story with him. mysterious gay cowboy who was dropped into strangerville with no recollection of his life beforehand and has the worst taste in men you will ever see

brooklyn!!! her entire family is from a generations save i had in ts3 and remade in ts4. she's the eldest (only) daughter and kinda stepped up to take care of her siblings and twin brother after her mom died and her dad fucked off. she's also a teen mom and now that shes like 20 shes living with her boyfriend and daughter and trying to pursue a degree in education! this pic is very ooc for her but its cute so whatever

dragonfly !!!!!!!!!!!!!! she loves pink and experimenting with human fashion trends

fatima! i made her to submit to a challenge thing but never actually ended up doing it lmao i just think shes gorgeous

rosa.......<\3

aiko and her father yutaro jhgkjgh yutaro is ex-yakuza who quit so he could settle down with his wife akane and their two kids but neither of his kids are aware of this because he hid it from them LOL aiko is currently living alone with her twin daughters yayoi and miko... i hope to post them some day too

yusun :-) he's very cool i dont have much of a backstory for him yet but im in love w his face.. sorry 4 the shit quality lolz

lastlyyyyyy these three (ignore that this makes it more than 10 idc).. isabel, irene, kiko hehe.. kiko and irene are dating

thank youuu for this ask i had a lot of fun!!!! and yes that is kiko from my lesbian sim dump crying

#anonymous #i loved this sm actually but im sad bc ive deleted soo many sims over the ages mann

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madhogthymaster · 1 year

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Madhog’s Top 10 Games of 2022

Do you remember that popular coping mechanism that took root on the Internet in 2016? That time we were all shocked and appalled a Fascist demagogue was elected ruler of the so-called Free World? When some people on the more privileged end of the living spectrum came to the sudden realization that the Neoliberal sociopolitical establishment wasn't as "cool" as they thought it was, that the excesses of Capitalism begot the rise of Fascism, that Life wasn't "fair" under the rule of parasitic billionaires with the intellectual quotient of a 4chan forum? That last part is more of a recent collective realization but the point still stands. 2016 was a turning point for a lot of people, a fundamental shift in the manner by which they beheld the world around, above and below them. It was certainly traumatic to see the facade of Democracy crumble in front of our very eyes as History repeated itself. As such, new ways to deal with this experience had to be created on the spot.

This brings me back to my initial question: do you remember the trend of blaming individual years for how bad things were? This understandable yet profoundly flawed take that all of our deeply rooted societal maladies, the result of decades (if not centuries) of systemic injustices designed to keep the powerful in power, could be magically blamed to just one nasty solar cycle and not, say, literal human greed and widely platformed bigotry? I certainly remember it. I recall when "2016 was the worst year ever" and I remember when "2017 was actually the worst year" and I certainly have not forgotten how 2020 became the "ultimate worstest year" because of that pesky pandemic we all know and loathe.

Afterwards, the trend just stopped. Its existence became moot as the world never truly left 2020: there was still a pandemic, there were still the same sociopolitical issues, the spectre of all out Authoritarianism still hung above us, more vile and dangerous than ever before, with a new war on the horizon and human rights getting stripped away little by little, piece by piece. It became clear that "X is the Worst Year" wasn't working anymore as a coping mechanism, that the dark times would not suddenly go away at the break of dawn and that every single day felt a little more bleak, a little less hopeful...

So, anyway, 2022 sure was a bad year, uh? It was quite terrible on almost every possible front to the point that the pandemic felt like the least of our troubles - and that is, indeed, saying a lot. However, I will tell you it was actually a great time for videogame releases. I mean, the game industry as a whole is still wretched and dehumanizing as all facets of our corporate-led existence but, purely in terms of interactive videoludic titles we could actually play and enjoy, 2022 was one of the better times. As such, I have endevoured to write my own completely arbitrary, subjective end-of-the-year list of games I have liked the most, according to my own personal sensibilities which do not, in anyway, reflect anyone else's taste and opinions. This ranking shall be only comprised of games I played, not games some of you might have played, and it will not be based on any "objective metrics" taken from "professional review compiling websites" that some people on the Internet take as the Word of God. Essentially, this is my list and I do what I want with it. Is that clear? Splendid!

As an addendum, most entries in this article will come provided with a link to my original set of posts, impressions and sporadic thoughts I compiled on the various subjects in review over at the "Free Speech" website.

I am going to start this venture with the obligatory special mentions, titles that were almost good but didn't quite make the cut for different reasons. The "Close But No Cigar" category, if you will.

Digimon Survive (Hyde/Bandai Namco)

The disappointment is strong with this one: it stings my skin, envenomates my bloodstream and slowly kills the inner child living inside me, his corpse rotting within the deepest recesses of my blackened soul. Poetic license aside, the latest interactive entry in the classic "Monsters of the Digital Persuasion" franchise is the evident produce of a much troubled history as it very much feels like its narrative is the confounding result of two distinguished directions clashing with one another in a bid to deny each other's existence.

At its (gameplay) core, Digimon Survive is a perfectly fine, sufficiently engaging Tactical RPG, one that's uncharacteristically easy and accessible for a series usually lacking ease of access for newcomers. The tragic irony is that the meandering, messy, incoherent story of this game is decisively aimed exclusively at veteran Digimon fans: it builds itself off the original anime from 1999 and one's own nostalgia for it as a means to subvert expectations. It establishes all the familiar elements only to pull the rug from under the intended audience, to separate itself from the source material as much as possible, to take the franchise in a more perceived "mature" direction. That, in itself, was not the plot-destroying issue that plagued this game; what actually killed it was its bewildering decision to perform a 180° turn on its rug-pulling antics, place the carpet right back beneath our feet and pretend all of its tonal, thematic and narrative stakes made up to a point didn't matter. The attempted deconstruction of its own legacy effectively defaults to just a dull reconstruction of said legacy, thoughtlessly aping the happenings from the original show sans the necessary context to make any of it work. Whatever vision Digimon Survive might have had was systematically quashed by its unwillingness to commit to the bit. It's the kind of cope-out, faithless writing that I cannot condone. As the intended audience for this game, my heart weeps at the loss of potential.

Unhappy Raccoon (XD Inc.)

In many ways, the bizarrely named Unhappy Raccoon is very close to be my favoured Roguelike Action game experience. It is stylish, colourful, fast and approachable in terms of its difficulty. Unfortunately, it's a mobile title what comes with a certain amount of predatory in-game purchases and, as such, I cannot in good faith recommend it to anyone. That is a crying shame for I would have pleasurably shilled money to buy it had it been a release bereft of such unconscionable features. It also would have not hurt being able to play it with an actual controller, I'll tell you that much for free.

Sonic Frontiers (Sonic Team/SEGA)

(Link: read from bottom to top)

If I were a sodding believer of quantifying the value of Art through an arbitrary numerical score, then Sonic Team's latest "cute" effort would have been the embodiment of a 6/10 - and I am being generous here. It sports a solid core gameplay that lures you into its world with the promise of free roaming fun but it's ultimately burdened by too many terrible ideas, gimmicks and time-wasting nonsense to properly live up to its promise. My positive first impressions dissipate into unadulterated frustration as I am forced to stop playing a "Sonic" game I enjoy in order to herd a bunch of exploding critters, solve tedious puzzles or beat the world's worst pinball machine in order to earn "The Privilege" of fighting the area boss, all of which being close to unwieldy experiences at the best of times. The so-called plot isn't up to snuff, either. It's a title that feels simultaneously unfinished and overly designed, wrapped in a well-meaning yet misguided attempt to bring "depth" to its characters in a manner I would define as wholly unsatisfying. Its potential was limitless. Its execution, mediocre.

Fasten your seatbelts and hold on to your unsolicited opinions, oh dear readers. The real list begins now.

10) Lil Gator Game (MegaWobble/Playtonic Games)

(Link: read from bottom to top)

The most precious, adorable little gem with a deceptively clever shine to it. Lil Gator Game is built around a child's imagination as they play-pretend their way into a Zelda-esque adventure, with friends and strangers alike, in an elaborate scheme to convince their busy older sister to join. They waddle around wholesomely in a well-designed sandbox, wholesomely smashing cardboard monsters, talking to wholesome NPCs who are in on the "Lil Game" and generally exuding pure vibes of wholesomeness - with but a tinge of subtextual melancholy as the dreaded "grown up time" looms on the horizon. The strength of the conceit informs the execution of its themes, both mechanically and narratively.

The core design philosophy aims to break down the formula of its obvious inspirations (classic Nintendo releases from both the past and the present) to their fundamentals, resulting in a title that both plays as a child's idea of a heroic adventure and it's actually about the making of a child-friendly heroic adventure, literally. In other words, it's a videogame about making videogames which is presented through the allegoric lens of the titular gator building their titular game with their many pals, learning how hard yet fun it is to create, and reconnecting with their sibling who inspired them with her own game-making skills. Moreover, it is a celebration of childhood, its fun memories associated with playing (or gaming, if you will) and how they all inspire us to make our dreams a reality as we grow older. It's an utterly delightful experience and I might have wept openly by the end.

9) Beacon Pines (Hiding Spot/Fellow Traveller)

(Link: read from bottom to top)

We open on a dimly lit room, a dark and thunderous night, the perfect atmosphere to immerse yourself in suspenseful literature. As Luck would have it, there is a book on the table... The world in the said "book" comes to life, exuding an aesthetic of childlike innocence teetering at the edge of Change (the scary unknown, the adult realm) but still literally confined within the pages of Fate. Also, the animal characters are cute.

Beacon Pines is a branching path narrative game: it is presented as an old fashioned storybook with its setting sprouting into existence in the style of a Winnie the Pooh animation, lending credence to its Choose Your Own Adventure framing. This is, after all, a story about Change - as the narrator helpfully explains. Grounded in its thematic exploration yet increasingly more absurd as the stakes ramp up to eleven, the story does not have a single dull moment. You have yourself a solid Coming of Age tale juxtaposed to a Mid-Western town mystery. A classic recipe for gripping drama and comedy, in other words, enriched by its light choice-based gameplay to drive the point home. Did I mention the cast being cute?

8) Evil West (Flying Wild Hog/Focus Entertainment)

(Link: read from bottom to top)

Do you find yourself in the mood for a cheesy yet gratuitously violent action game from fifteen years ago, which was in itself trying to emulate the energy of a Hollywood Summer blockbuster from up to twenty-five years ago? Do you think you would have enjoyed the strategic mayhem of DOOM Eternal more if it had a bigger emphasis on melee combat and it was in third person? Well then, the mad lads responsible for this next title have made a game specifically for you and it's about repelling blood-thirsty vampiric abominations in the old Wild West.

The plot is irrelevant, the writing is lackluster and the characters are flat but none of that is actually important. All that matters is the enticing gameplay, the crunchy action, the surprisingly luscious environments, being able to uppercut a guy into a wall of dynamite and the gallons upon gallons of gore. It's a viscerally good time.

7) SIGNALIS (Rose Engine Games/Playism/Humble Games)

(Link: read from bottom to top)

An unrelenting descent into a realm of madness filled with horrors beyond imagination - and a savvy injection of android anime babes, for good measure. SIGNALIS is a queer diegesis of "polygonally scarce" stylized 3D graphics with a coating of pixelated artistry, shaded just right, dragging you down to a figurative (and somewhat literal) Hellscape of the Mind. A morose narrative conveyed through Mood, Atmosphere. The design sensibilities display a subtle understanding of Horror as a genre: instilling a sense of claustrophobia and paranoia onto the player by limiting visibility, conjuring intrigue by revealing very little of its narrative and by fiddling with the sound design. The imagination is stimulated by the need to fill in the blanks, to find a sense of familiarity within the Unfamiliar, which in turn keeps you in suspense. It's the good old philosophy of "Less is More" competently applied to Survival Horror in ways I've not seen in a long time. I would best describe it as Ghost in the Shell meets Lovecraft in a John Carpenter's nightmare as told by David Lynch, all of which whilst still somehow being a Resident Evil game.

Now, I wouldn't go as far as to claim this title revolutionized the recipe for both its genre or the concept of metaphorical storytelling but it does add its own flavour to it, one that definitely leaves an aftertaste. You will be plunged into a world of sensorial deprivation that makes you fear the Unknown... and, perhaps, even the Known. SIGNALIS is quite good, indeed, both as a tribute to PS1-era spooky polygons and as a standalone horror diegesis that elevates its source material. Well, except for the obligatory puzzles for they are quite obnoxious, as per tradition. Other than that, it's a gripping tale of terror and the best version of itself. If this prospect appeals to you in any way then I simply cannot recommend it enough.

6) Inscryption: Kaycee Mod (Daniel Mullins Games/Revolver Digital)

(Link: read from bottom to top)

Developed by Daniel Mullins (of Pony Island infamy), this title was released last year to much "indie darling" acclaim and it is easy to see why. Mullins has a penchant for messing with the artifice of his medium of choice, deconstructing its foundations with layers upon layers of meta-text, games within games within games, which typically results in something memorable. If you already know what to expect from his creative vision then, in many ways, Inscryption is just more of the same soup: an explicit level of self-awareness, a conceit revolving on a specific gameplay loop that slowly expands and falls apart at the seams the more you explore it, to the point in which the world as we know it is obliterated. Right from the start, as in from the moment the game is booted up, one can tell something nefarious is at play as it coyly gestures towards a larger meta-narrative. You do not start a New Game, you "continue into a pre-existing save file", and that's merely the beginning. Like I alluded, I expected this loosely defined game to play out in a specific manner and, in a sense, I was not proven wrong about it. What's actually remarkable and unquestionably brilliant about it was the aforementioned core design loop, namely the deck building Roguelike experience that represents both the fictional and meta-fictional centrepiece of the entire onion-layered diegesis.

I'm going to go out on a limb and state with the utmost confidence bestowed upon me by my status as a white man on the Internet that Inscryption's card-based gameplay is more fun and addicting than Slay the Spire's, on the principle that I can actually beat it! Even more impressively, Mullins didn't simply design the best electronic card game imaginable, he went and remade it several more times in the course of the same playthrough. His opus presents some prescient questions about the player's engagement with the interactive medium of videogames, our emotional connection to the text, the escapist and possibly addicting nature of it, how it all reflects back on our psyche. As such, what better way to drive the point home than to create the most engaging, addicting, all-around rewarding core gameplay loop imaginable?

As if to be proven absolutely right, the author released a free DLC titled Kaycee Mod, which is essentially more of the same excellent deck building action but with added features, challenges and unlockable items. The "story" from the main game might have concluded in decisive fashion but that shan't stop us fans from wanting to play it until our eyes bleed and our fingers drop, firmly proving our unhealthy addiction to it. I've got to say, that new mod coming out this year makes for the perfect excuse to include Daniel Mullins' little masterpiece in an article about the best videogames of 2022. I have no shame and I'm technically right. Hurray!

5) Cult of the Lamb (Massive Monster/Devolver Digital)

(Link)

A functional, if somewhat uneven mishmash of Roguelike Hack/Slash gameplay with some direct, specific references to The Binding of Isaac and the Survival meets Tycoon Management Sim elements from a generation's worth of indie titles, yet its charm cannot be denied. In this game, you are a small critter tasked by a sinister god with a dubious agenda to take down all the other sinister gods with a dubious agenda, which is something you will only be able to accomplish by founding your own sinister cult with a dubious agenda - as it was the style at the time.

Its direction as well as its narrative, defined by the juxtaposition of "kid-friendly" aesthetics and cosmic horror, is evocative of a religious propaganda cartoon aimed at children, framing The Lamb as a heroic figure who fights the "Heretics." It helps contextualize the satire of organized religion, indoctrination, the sociopolitical use of Faith or a given set of beliefs as a means to gain and maintain Power - which can be easily applied to how Society operates at the highest, wealthiest levels. The way the player can "edit" and "upgrade" their respective cult may lead to the formation of a Fascist state controlled by Fear, a Capitalist dystopia, a Charlie Manson's murder hippie family or even a one-to-one recreation of the Catholic Church. Personally, I created a society where everyone is emotionally co-dependent to their beloved leader and are all too happy to work hard, pray and die in my name. When you step back and look at the big picture, the message of this game becomes distressingly poignant.

None of the little animals recruited in the cult are characters, merely a means to an end, a form of sustenance (literally, in some cases) to be feasted upon in order to endlessly accrue power until the day they perish, or even beyond. Simply put, cult-like mentalities and tactics don't exist merely within factual cults... Anyway, it's a fun game! The Lamb is legitimately adorable. The combat system is solid and the simulation aspects are involved, as described. You should definitely play it.

4) The Cruel King and The Great Hero (Nippon Ichi Software)

(Link)

As a more than worthy successor to The Liar Princess and The Blind Prince, this game holds a tight grip on my heart, squeezing it for every ounce of blood and feeling. Unlike the previous game in the "series", which was a snazzy puzzle platformer, The Cruel King and The Great Hero is a classic turn-based RPG with a cute gimmick to it: you take control of Yuu (get it?), a small, enthusiastic child who dreams to become a legendary hero - a real one, mind you, unlike the make-believe flight of fancy in Lil Gator Game. Yuu's parent is a big dragon who secretly checks on her to make sure she's safe and sound whilst adventuring. He even provides special skills to help her in battle once she "unlocks them." This all serves a narrative purpose as well since he's trying to teach her what it means to be a kind warrior but still worries about her wellbeing, understandably. It's the sort of diegetic synergy between gameplay and plot that enhances one's experience with an interactive text, you see... So, anyway, this game is the cutest thing in the universe.

The deceptive simplicity of the artistic direction communes a deeper study behind the characters' presentation and their environment: a homage to illustrations from Western children's storybooks with its own twist. There is an understated insidiousness to the manner in which these adorable designs, drawn by hand, command such instantaneous affection on my behalf that cannot be expressed with words. Unlike said predecessor, the game has a much more ambitious scope and production but its narrative philosophy remains intact and focused. Cruel King plays around subversively with well-known fairytale tropes in order to craft an enjoyable, wholesome story for children and adults alike; it makes for a sort of "reverse-engineered" take on the Dragon Quest formula, I would say. The superb character drawings, the gorgeous background and overall aesthetics, the engaging plot as well as the gripping soundtrack, all converge together to form an emotionally enriching experience. In short, the game is neat. That's my review.

3) Kirby and The Forgotten Land (HAL Laboratory/Nintendo)

(Link)

The experience of playing this game washes over me like a relaxing wave on the beach during a lazy summer day, unexpectedly stirring me up inside with childhood memories that are not mine. That is to say, Kirby and The Forgotten Land is so good it makes me cry tears of joy. I feel particularly drawn to the pink ball's universe due to its deceptive, duplicitous nature as both childlike and horrifying. There is a wondrous, nostalgic feeling juxtaposed to a much darker subtext. Parallel to a personal favourite of mine, Klonoa, it too lures the unsuspecting player with its bubbly cuteness, only to pull the rug from under them when it matters the most. Except, this title doesn't even bother to hide the existential dread beneath the narrative: the setting is literally a "colourful" post-apocalyptic, post-humanity world. The game only goes harder on it as it progresses. By the time you get to the final boss, and then the post-game final boss, and then the super-duper-ultra final FINAL Mega-Boss, the stakes couldn't possibly get more cosmic and the implications more dire.

I shall now state in the strongest possible terms that Forgotten Land is a close-to-flawless, and long overdue, transliteration of the classic 2D "Kirby" formula into a 3D landscape, oozing with charm, personality and the most fun gameplay I have experienced all year - these were merely my first impressions after beating the first world, mind you! To call this the best, most enriching, most enjoyable 3D platformer I have ever touched would decisively sound like a loaded statement, one burdened by several asterisks. You could theoretically argue this game feels more like a very happy medium between Character Action titles such as Bayonetta and a core Nintendo IP of the precision jumping variety rather than a Platform experience in the "purest" sense but I am not here to indulge into that kind of hair-splitting logic. So, I will just proclaim once more that this is my favourite entry in the genre: the manner of onto-a-league-of-its-own videogame bonanza that leaves me reeling after almost breaking my controller during the last fight.

It features the tight, polish gameplay and level design one would expect from a (non-Pokemon related) Nintendo release jointed with the darkly charming, unabashedly bizarre creativity HAL Laboratory brings to the table with its adorably gluttonous mascot and its many game-altering power ups. I love this title, sincerely and desperately. It's everything I have ever wanted out of this series but never knew I craved.

2) Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Monolith Soft/Nintendo)

(Link 1; Link 2)

There is so much to say about Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and yet so very little time, so little light of day. I am going to take a page out of Monolith Soft and categorically refuse to bury the lead: this game is a condemnation of the Military-Industrial Complex, the endless machine of war sustained by the lives of those "who die for a cause." It's exemplified by the premise of genetically-engineered child soldiers made for the purpose of fighting in a senseless conflict which is perennially sustained by the literal life energy of the many people who die in it. War economy in a nutshell. This is not a spoiler as the game slaps you across the face with this commentary pretty much immediately. The second title in the series had the "courtesy" to lure you in with sassy cat girls and anime high jinks before revealing it was actually about Cultural Genocide. You simply do not get the luxury of ignorance with this entry.

It also unmistakably points its righteous anger towards the sociopolitical establishment, the wealthy conservative elite, that's directly profiting from the Status Quo, keeping the world stuck in an aptly-named “Endless Now.” On that note, the villains of the piece are a gloriously detestable, pretentious and opulent bunch, the kind you just cannot wait to smack around in an epically orchestrated boss battle - which the game is keen to provide with a certain amount of glee.

Thematic relevancy aside, allow me to emphasize how spectacular the “Xeno eXperience” can be! I am referring to the painstakingly animated, meticulously choreographed, expensively mo-capped action cutscenes that occasionally graced my astounded visage. There is nothing else that looks as slick and bombastic in all the land. The predecessor might have already set the benchmark for quality in that regard but the newest game takes said benchmark, shatters it with one finger and uses the sharp remains to stab God himself!

As far the gameplay is concerned, it is the most refined and polished the series has seen thus far even if it still requires an inordinate amount of tutorial tips in order to grasp its basics. A savvy combination of turn-based and real time elements make for both a strategic and high octane romp, one that requires your full concentration.

In essence, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the rare diegesis that manages to excel at everything it sets out to be: it's a foundationally strong JRPG with a vast, gorgeous world to explore, an emotionally resonating plot, viscerally effective theming, well-written characters and all the big anime fight scenes your heart may desire. It shoots for the Moon and it doesn't just stick the landing, it incinerates several celestial bodies in the process. Under normal circumstance, this would have easily been my GOTY. Alas, circumstances happened to differ a tiny bit in 2022.

1) Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series (MONKEYCRAFT/Bandai Namco)

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It was the year of 2009 and I happened to own a Nintendo Wii. I caught wind of the then freshly released-into-obscurity remake of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, a title for PS1. I, much like a lot of people, had never heard of such an odd curio but I found myself enticed by its design choices, its 2.5D aesthetics, its peculiar style of side-scrolling platform mixed with original puzzle mechanics and, most importantly, its adorable protagonist. Armed with but a few spare coins and a healthy dose of curiosity, I purchased it on its release day. It changed my life.

Later on, I hunted down the rare copy of the PS2 sequel Lunatea's Veil, a game that blew me out of every possible body of water on this planet. Several moons down the line, I bought the original first game as a digital download for PS3. Nowadays, I play it on my PSP whenever I'm overcome by a sudden wave of depression and every single time, I cry. Every variation of these games provided its own unique, emotional experience. They have indelibly coloured my perception of videogames as an art form, what they can bring to the table in terms of narrative and theming. I am incapable of conveying through words how much these games mean to me and how much they have broken and rebuilt me from the ground up with each new playthrough.

Klonoa is a multi-layered allegory disguised as a cute, Mascot Platformer from the late '90s. It uses genre expectations and its available language to pull the rug from the under the player, conveying a subtler thematic journey. It likens the idea of "gaming" to the idyllic memory of childhood and to the ethereal nature of dreams, which are all linked by their brevity and finality. The first game is about Nostalgia, the reminiscence to a time of childlike innocence inevitably broken by the specter of Change, part of growing up. Depending on one's read, it might also be about Trauma. The sequel takes everything that was established in the first one and builds itself upon it, bringing the journey to a satisfying conclusion. On the surface, it's a new story with new characters but that's, once again, part of the deception. If Door to Phantomile covered Childhood and the bittersweet, possibly traumatic memory of it, Lunatea's Veil is about what comes next: Adolescence, growing up, figuring yourself out and healing. These themes are brilliantly reflected both by the story and the settings themselves. Both games would work well as individual experiences (as they are both fun and engaging) but they truly achieve greatness when viewed as a unified piece, a masterfully made, emotional ride into the Dream of Childhood and onto the Wake of Adulthood.

And now, you can finally experience them both in the newly released HD collection, Phantasy Reverie Series. This is my game of the year. This was always going to be my game of the year. It was preordained, predetermined, predestined in the moment, the second, its existence was made public in that one legendary Nintendo Direct. It didn't matter whether this was going to be a consistently good or terrible period for game releases, the mere fact that Klonoa was going to be included in the 2022 calendar makes this the best year for gaming by default. That is how much these titles, these stories, mean to me. The world is a slightly less awful place for having the fluffy boy in it. That is my final word on the matter.

At long last, here we are: the end of the list, the end of the solar cycle. In spite of everything that's wrong within society, struggling under the thumb of Capitalism, having to endure the abusive aura of hypocritical “Holyday Cheer”, dealing with many blows Life throws at your general direction, you have still made it. You have survived. You are still you. There is still good to be found beneath the apparent hopelessness of it all. Just remember to hold on to what's most dear to you and please, for the Love of God, do not buy the Nazi Potter game. I will find you.

Happy New Year!

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scentedstarlightpolice · 7 months

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10 Things We All Hate About replica bags designer

I am certain Many people have heard about fake bags, and even acquired them just before. Bogus bags are a large trouble in the present trend entire world. They can be made to glance precisely like designer baggage so It really is not easy to convey to which happens to be which. It can be this type of bummer that folks would even stoop so lower and produce these phony luggage, which don't just certainly are a rip off to designer models but additionally, are lower excellent.

Once i noticed my Good friend with a designer-searching bag, I was so envious and planned to get 1 myself. Until eventually I found out that it absolutely was a faux, And that i Nearly fainted! I was so mad, understanding that she had probably been jipped of her cash. To generate issues worse, the bag was not even effectively-made nor did it appear as good as the real detail. A number of days later the strap broke and that is when she understood it had been a bogus!

The worst aspect was the bag had Charge her a lot of money. It was not low-priced, but the standard was terrrible. It absolutely was agonizing to watch an acquaintance practical experience this kind of decline. I imply, who definitely Gains from these phony baggage? Absolutely no person. And it's not just the large names that phony baggage hurt, and also smaller enterprises who craft first luggage and also have to contend with fake baggage.

I've come across a whole lot of individuals that obtain these fake baggage because they Feel they are able to just 'get away with it'. They may get away with it for quite a while, but it is a issue of your time ahead of they comprehend the real expense of a faux bag. It's a squander of money and time. In addition to, the morality issue. It is common expertise that buying fake bags is unlawful, and still men and women retain shopping for them, Irrespective.

Nonetheless, when you find yourself in the necessity for a designer-searching bag, there are actually solutions like 'classic outlets' or even branded outlet shops. These outlets have astounding bags that should glance good and past extended than a daily faux bag. Of course, it can Value greater than a fake, but top quality under no circumstances comes low-cost.

In addition to, the bogus baggage do not commonly Exhibit the common characteristics that authentic baggage do. Facts like hardware, lining materials, stitching, stamp of authenticity plus much more, are missing in phony bags. On the flip side, the first designer luggage have an additional volume of sophistication which the fake baggage, Regrettably, will not have.

Yet another challenge with these bogus bags is that they are usually made with counterfeit resources like leather, which aren't only unhealthy but additionally degrade easily. They do not very last lengthy and break aside, which, subsequently, affects the quality of the bag.

What's more, pretend baggage ordinarily absence authorized warranties that come with authentic brands. Which means, even if they damage accidentally, you could hardly ever get it fixed with the assistance with the designer's label. This is why It truly is superior to pay just a little additional than Have a very bag that can certainly stop working.

Lastly, the odor of pretend bags is nearly always adequate to spot them from the actual deal. Pretend bags have an unpleasant oder to them due to fakes materials they are produced with. That is why it is important to check the scent of the bag when building a purchase, to ensure you're not staying tricked.

I remember buying and selling in my laptop computer for The cash necessary to purchase my 1st duplicate bag. I couldn’t think that this desire of getting a designer handbag was last but not least within sight. And when it arrived, I felt like I was in heaven! It experienced every thing - beautiful leather-based, a delicate strap plus a vivid lining that matched the colour of my gown. I felt like a star.

It absolutely was the best sizing for my on-the-go Way of life. Anytime I had been out and about, I could very easily slip it about my arm, carry all my essentials, and however glimpse elegant. I could also slot in all my knick-knacks plus more which manufactured it an ideal companion for weekend outings and acquiring around town.

The better part of owning a replica bag was that it had been far more very affordable than a designer manufacturer. Don’t get me Erroneous…I nonetheless like designer brand names, but the worth tag just doesn’t generally fit in my funds. With duplicate bags, I was in the position to conserve a ton of cash and nevertheless get an awesome hunting bag.

Even with the many great capabilities of the replica bag, there was a person down aspect - the durability. I anticipated the bag to last me for awhile, but immediately after about six months of employing it, the fabric began to break down. The bag just didn’t delay in specific weather conditions. This wasn’t a huge deal for me as I just changed the bag with a more recent a single, but this may be really worth taking into consideration for the people hunting for a much more lengthy-lasting accent.

The bottom line is, in case you’re hunting for a trendy and inexpensive bag that’ll allow you to appear set-collectively, a duplicate bag is a terrific way to go. From my practical experience, I'm able to mention that it’s definitely definitely worth the money you’ll be paying.

I have also applied a variety of other replicas - like a Kate Spade encouraged duplicate. I believed this was a particularly good purchase since it gave me the texture of a designer bag without the need of breaking the financial institution. I obtained a great deal of compliments for it, and it felt like it had been just the proper size. Furthermore, it experienced more than enough depth to really make it search incredibly exclusive.

I've also experimented with a Gucci motivated reproduction which was produced from high-good quality resources and a more intricate style and design. It was Unquestionably breathtaking, having said that, the element was a little far too much and I felt like it was as well fancy for everyday don. I might usually put it aside for Particular instances or nights out.

Another excellent reproduction I attempted out was a Michael Kors influenced bag. This was some thing I arrived at for Each time I required to glimpse tasteful although not extremely dressy. It was ideal for special occasions, nevertheless continue to everyday with its minimalistic design and style. I did locate the straps a little small for me, but absolutely nothing as well bothersome.

My expertise with reproduction baggage has actually been constructive Over-all. I uncover them to become a great way to get designer seems without having sacrificing a ton of money. I love which i get to express my personalized design and style by means of the selection of duplicate luggage I have. From time to time I like to exchange them for a little something different, as they typically last me about six months just before breaking down.

However, I do recognize that not Absolutely everyone feels precisely the same way about reproduction bags. Some individuals feel that they’re not worth the money, and that designer baggage are top-quality in terms of good quality and elegance. I'm able to certainly regard that belief. What I do know is the fact, for me, reproduction baggage are actually an unbelievable strategy to investigate several different kinds with no breaking the bank.

The ethical from the Tale is the fact that It truly is only not worthwhile obtaining pretend baggage. You will discover too many dangers involved and the quality will likely be not worth it. The first quality designer baggage have colonial insurance coverage, warranties, great construction and likewise far better content. Spending a little additional will assurance you the louis vuitton outlet quality and fulfillment of possessing a real bag. Aside from, It is illegal, and from the moral code. Don't be fooled into purchasing a bogus!

#replica bags designer

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pixels--galore · 1 year

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Fashion for Black Women in the '80s

The 80s are easy to recognize. This is where you will find your favorite trend! This decade was great. It was a decade of fast music, sporty cars, and televisions in every home. There were also new materials that improved the world. The 80s were anything but dull in everything they did. Everything, from music on the radio to people's hairstyles, was a little loud. The 80s saw many incredible things. It is impossible to list all the fantastic things that happened in the 80s. The 80s were a period of iconic fashion for both men and women. These are the top ten fashion trends from 1980. We can't name them all.

1. BIG HAIR

Perms, and more perms. Some people could have sailed Santa Maria and Pinta with their flows. Big bangs or curls were delicate no matter what hairstyle you desired. 80s hair. It wasn't small.

2. SPANDEX

Lycra was an innovative invention that revolutionized the world. Lycra was a popular fashion in the 1980s. Everyone wore spandex. Men, women, boys, girls, it didn't matter. Spandex was the new trend, and everyone knew it.

3. RIPPED KNEES

Jeans were the norm in a time when it was not fashionable to wear skin-tight leggings. All jeans were worn out. Regardless of whether you bought them from a store or made them yourself, all jeans were ripped to their knees. It was a horrible act of cruelty, Grandma.

4. LACEY SHIRTS

What should every shirt have? MORE SHIRTS. This was how they used to say it in the 80s. Frills were a part of every shirt. A button-up shirt is an excellent option. You can add some accessories to it. T-shirt? Let's find out if there are any other amenities. Are you looking for a bedtime dress? Frills are what you need for your bedtime gown. Prince has all the details.

5. LEG WARMERS

Have you ever heard someone say, "You know what?" while they were traveling? Even though the rest of my body is fine and my calves don't freeze, that didn't stop people from making leg warmers. These were pants to protect your calves.

6. HIGH-WAISTED JEAN

People didn't like wearing belts or couldn't reach their stomach buttons, so high-waisted jeans became popular. These mom jeans are now fashionable. They made a fashion statement. We don't know the type, but we know they made it.

7. NEON COLORS

Why go bold and large if you can stick to muted colors? It's absurd. It's why neon colors were so fashionable in the 1980s. The neons stood out on the skating rink in the black light skate.

8. MULLETS

Mullets: Baby, business at the front, party at the back Mullets were popularized only in the 1980s. Cool. Mullets were only sometimes trendy, but they were fashionable in the 1980s.

9. SIDE PONYTAILS

In the 1980s, symmetry was popular because ponytails were moved to one side of the heads. This trend is almost as famous as the mullet and causes a lot of head-scratching. They vanished forever.

10. SWEATSHIRTS - GET a 5% Discount

To show their stomachs, people often cut the bottoms off sweatshirts. Why is this combination? We don't know. Although this trend is widespread in all genders, I was most impressed by Kelly Lebrock's.

Do you have any of these items hidden in your closet? Old films and tapes could also be available. You may also have photos of your family wearing one of these styles. The legacy box is ready to receive them. It's the perfect time to preserve those memories and relive your best (or worst) moments. Fashion moments.

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thethirdromana · 1 year

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I finished watching The Witcher: Blood Origin last night, which was a delight, but it also got me thinking about some of the consequences of the no-new-stories world of TV and especially film that we're currently experiencing.

What I mean by no-new-stories is the way that our media is becoming ever-more dominated by pre-existing IP - sequels, prequels, adaptations etc. In the 1980s, of the top 10 highest grossing films worldwide, 5 were original stories. In the 2010s, none were. You have to go down the list as far as the 14th top grossing film, Frozen, to find anything that's not a prequel, sequel or adaptation from some earlier IP; the fact that half of the top 10 are Marvel movies obviously doesn't help. I think the trend is at its worst among films, but it exists across most media.

Blood Origin reminded me of a show I watched in 2021, Foundation, very loosely based on the Isaac Asimov series. I enjoyed it, but it felt like two different stories shoved together: the story that Asimov tells, and a Warhammer-esque science fantasy story about the challenges and decline of a millennia-old monarchy. I liked them both, but I'd have preferred to watch them separately, and it often felt like the show was more interested in telling the original story, rather than the story of Foundation. @inkskinned wrote this great post about how Glass Onion, unlike a lot of modern media, loves its audience back. I didn't get the impression that Foundation actively disliked fans of Isaac Asimov's original series, just that it wasn't much interested in them or what they wanted.

Some of the criticisms of Blood Origin suggests that a similar thing has happened there. It's supposed to be a Witcher prequel, but it isn't much interested in telling a story that's consistent with previous Witcher IP. Instead it was a fun fantasy romp in Witcher branding. (I've read one Witcher book and played about 2 hours of The Witcher 3, so I can't say for sure how true this is, but equally I haven't seen anyone disputing it).

Possibly the same is also true of Rings of Power? I'm less confident here because I enjoyed Foundation and Blood Origin, and I hated Rings of Power, which affects my ability to analyse it, but I think it does follow the same pattern of existing IP + new story that feels a bit like it was shoehorned in where it doesn't quite fit.

(Sidenote: among the changes across all three series are a considerable increase in diversity. In the novel Foundation, I don't think a woman so much as speaks until about two-thirds of the way through. Obviously, changing that is a very good thing. It also makes a lot of the criticism of these shows difficult to parse; sometimes fans say "this isn't consistent with the source material" and mean "I am upset that the elves are brown now". I hope it's clear that this kind of change isn't what I mean here, but I do think these phenomena are related: the showrunner who's happy to insert new storylines wholesale into an existing IP is also going to be the one who'll be happy to upset the racist and misogynistic parts of its fandom; the showrunner who is very keen to stay true to an existing IP will also be inclined to stay true to its more problematic aspects.)

I think in the world of no-new-stories, we'll keep seeing more and more of new ideas being inserted into existing IP, whether they fit or not. It's easy to see why: I watched Foundation because of its Foundation branding, even though I enjoyed the new elements more than the Asimov parts. I'm not sure if I would have watched it if it had had the Foundation trappings removed and been billed as an entirely new Warhammer-esque science fantasy show. And I'm quite certain that Apple wouldn't have spent $45m on a brand new untested story. But it would be nice to experience stories in the way that makes most sense for the story, not for commercial needs, all the same.

#foundation #the witcher blood origin #rop negativity #long ramble

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tilbageidanmark · 2 years

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Movies I watched this Week #100 (!)

Yi Yi, my first acclaimed film by Edward Yang. An epic and universal 3-hour story about a middle class family in Teipei. Full of sensitive and profound details, quiet beauty and emotional intensity. (Photo Above).

10/10.

🍿

2 films about father-daughter relationships by new Scottish director Charlotte Wells:

🍿 Being a sucker for heartbreaking stories about divorced fathers and their young daughters, Aftersun was right up my alley. Not much is happening in this tender, little film where a woman remembers a Turkish resort vacation that her young father had taken her 20 years earlier. 11-year-old Frankie Cori was tremendous and reminded me of someone... 7/10.

🍿 I liked Charlotte Wells‘s 2015 Tuesday even more. In this 11-minute short she tells a similar story about a 16-year-old who spend every Tuesday at her divorced father apartment. It’s a nothing story: she goes to his place after school, he’s not there, and she sits around, rummages through his things and goes back to her mom. Sad and delicate. 9/10.

🍿

April Story, my first romantic story by Shunji Iwai. A slight and lovely film about a young woman from Hokkaidō who enrolls in Tokyo University. 4/10.

🍿

Why is Anna Kendrick’s twisted suspense comedy A simple favor such an enjoyable watching for me, so much so that I’ve seen it half a dozen times in the last couple of years? It’s one of those movies that every time I remember it, I give it another swing?

The script follows an unpredictable route and every 15 minutes changes genre and direction. Also noted this time: The score (by Theodore Shapiro, who also did ‘Severance’) is subtle and sublime. 10/10.

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Martin Scorsese Presents: Now that Scorsese‘s 1973 lost film ‘Goncharov’ had become tumblr’s top trending new meme, I finally watched Gomorrah, My first mafia saga by Matteo Garrone. It had been on my film list since I covered half a dozen of Toni Servillo’s films last year. Both films are brutal descriptions of lives caught in the crossfire when two crime families in Napoli starts a deadly feud. Unapologetic violent, nihilistically gory. 6/10.

🍿

More Than I Want to Remember is a simple animated short about Mugeni Ornella, a 14-year-old Congolese girl whose village was burnt down by rebels one night making her a sudden refugee. Told supposedly by the girl herself, it is a poetic, straight-forward and tragic tale. 8/10.

🍿

Another Agatha Christie adaptation, Sidney Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express, with an all-star cast, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Vanessa Redgrave, Jacqueline Bisset, Anthony Perkins, Richard Widmark and more. Albert Finney is the detective with his ridiculous mustache and the atrocious accent.

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21 old Lumiere films from 1895 to 1902 colorized and up-scaled in 60 fps, with sound. They run 22 minutes, with the first 4m33s describing the enhancing process by the Russian editor. Not historically accurate.

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My first podcast (ever?): Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra. I loved listening to her during W clusterfuck years as she exposed his administration’s grift, graft and malfeasance. But her MO stayed the same, and the times had become darker and worst. In this series, she details the well-documented but somehow-neglected "Mass Sedition Trial" of 1944. The attempts by right-wing American Nazis to overthrow the government, during Hitler’s rise to power: The story of William Dudley Pelley, Earnest Lundeen, Father Charles E. Coughlin and their fellow Republican traitors and Insurrectionists.

However, her specific form of conspiratorial storytelling is grating. After a few minutes of the first episode, I quickly switched to just reading the transcripts. Also it could use a heartless editor: Instead of the nearly 8 hours listen, you’d better read 5 page Wikipedia summery.

🍿

(My complete movie list is here)

#movies

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pillareternal · 2 years

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clickbait magical realism

(Originally from my old blog, which i'm not gonna use any time soon. Edited to fit my more recent sensibilities. Told you I'll be blogging for real)

I. Clickbait

The 10's were weird.

Looking back, there's definitely a cultural divide between the current decade--however short it is--and the past. It truly feels like a different world, even though I lived through it. I'm a zoomer, for fuck's sake. I shouldn't feel that old.

Anyway, one of the main things that stuck out to me during that time was our relationship with "clickbait" and obviously fake information. Sometimes it's a joke. Sometimes it's just cynical ploy for traffic. Sometimes people actually believed their own chicanery. Compared to the societal dangers that it poses today, it's more of a curiosity at best. At worst, it's just annoying. Most of these observations are andecdotal.

Enter the scrolling app. Ever-infinite streams of microblogged content offer images and stories that are, at first glance, plausible enough to be true. Life-hacks, weird facts about anything, interesting takes, cool destinations that you'll never see, things that you might never see again as a passive observer until maybe your friend reshares it to you. The ephemeral, slapdash nature of these "informative" posts and memes become folklore, in the oldest and totalizing sense.

The transition period towards the current behavioral trends under Web2 demonstrated how much of our imaginations ran wild. Online platforms hungry for ad revenue just shell out hundreds and thousands of posts on technological optimism (if it wasn't Elon pre-Grimes, it's Yanko Designers back when they were huffing Dahir İnşaat's paint), pictures of places all over the world, and digital folk stories. Perhaps, like a Tlön-esque tulpa, these posts eventually created a bleeding effect; where bullshit just became accepted as "real, i guess". Media literacy lacking, a good chunk of these sensationalist drivel came off as semi-plausible.

Tumblr wasn't safe from sensationalism. Alongside the fan content, original works and cringe (now weaponized against "twitter refugee crisis") sit quirky trivia; some of it true, but filled to the brim with sensational bait ranging from common misconceptions such as "grass screams when they die" to straight up myths like Alexandria's Genesis. Add to it the reblog-addled culture jam of collaborative improvization (somehing that would only be replicated truly by TikTok's duet feature), the userbase of the platform at the time, and the fact that posts are also shared in other sites like facebook, it wasn't long until the site began adding to the internet's growing aggregate folklore.

Outside of Tumblr, scrolling apps and messageboards have a different crowd and different ethos. There were a lot of posts, images and videos (some of them altered for clickbait fodder) that catered to sensational shock and awe. Sharebait trivia and touching narratives are not the playground of the users, mostly passive observers and by design unable to garner a wide audience, but by the scores of mods behind these faceless pages with a match to burn. You wouldn’t believe what’s inside this microhome! The underground rainforest found within a Mexican Sinkhole! I made my own touchscreen mirror! Not to mention the endless top 10 lists that border on paranormal/conspiracy that caters to boomers and third world country users.

They offered a more mainstream kind of fantasy to the real world it purports to report on. In places like 9gag and Facebook where these posts are sandwiched in between #relatable comics and memes, they are made more to invoke the fantastic, like a Ripley’s Believe it or Not or a Guinness Book of Records kind of deal. In a general sense, these fascinating showcases of weird but believable sights in our world (like Son Doong cave and Inca bridges), got lumped in with the straight up historical revisionism (“and that kid was Albert Einstein.”), extremely cheesy sentimental love stories, and also like, really gobsmack pop science futurology, like the misleading “true shape of the planet”.

Looking back at these phenomena, most of these things felt like a surrealist alternate history. But perhaps, for the boomer user and also most internet users in the global south, its a source of wonder.

To those majority of enamored users, these posts, however misleading and overhyped as they are, doesn’t simply form an escape from reality; it expands on it, in a very absurd but plausible (to them) way. As the internet was our gate to the world, these folk-loric streams of content became our almanac, our view of the outside. In this blend of clickbait and reality, it paints a picture of a world where, while diverse and sometimes unpredictable as our real world, it feels like it exists in the minds of mainstream comic book writers.

Every narrative, slightly photoshopped image, and other fascinating things popping in our feeds tends toward a hollywood-esque mishmash of our everyday existence. It’s a 90’s blockbuster universe, where cryptids are real, historical figures become superheroic, flying cars are becoming closer to reality, the illuminati survives in secret, theophanies and paranormal events are an everyday thing, and crystals can heal.

II. Magical Realism

Magical Realism is a literary genre that delves within that broad spectrum of weird to absurd while being somewhat working around the gravity of the real world. Your Forrest Gumps and Big Fishes. Your Midnight’s Children and Life of Pi. Heck, maybe some Foucault’s Pendulum while you’re at it. They all point towards the fantastical in the face of the mundane, being short of becoming full on fantasy by making it interact/align with the laws of reality which dulls in comparison to it. This is how you get things like coming across an carnivorous mangrove island populated by meerkats after fleeing Emergency-era India or a mentally-impaired man managing to be the center of attention in Cold War-era America. In cases of more fantasy oriented elements such as those in Pan’s Labyrinth, it treats it with hitting you with the cold hard reality of the setting; ie. Falangist Spain.

The Magical Realism of early 2010s clickbait internet is grounded on reality by way of how conflicting and contradictory it is to itself. Politics and conspiracy perhaps played a part. I could see the Illuminati/New World Order shit on youtube, the Zeitgeist Project, the Venus Project, early meme culture (hell yeah buoye fuckin inject those photoshopped image macros to my veins) to be precursors of this phenomena, today becoming dime a dozen watered down and compartmentalized to cater to specific audiences. You’ll rarely see posts about the “eco-friendly solar powered technoparadise” of Rwanda from your sustainable living adventure Facebook friend being in the same league as a video made for Brazilian evangelists talking about Jesus’ face appearing on a bowl of soup nowadays.

In most respects, the early clickbait-fueled viral internet of the first half of the 2010s might perhaps be the most immersive piece of Magical Realism yet. Unintentional, organic, user/profit driven. Unlike its contemporaries, however, by its nature it doesn’t have an overarching theme. It doesn’t need to. At the end of the day, it’s just social media shitting out half-real information to our eyeballs to be sacrificed to the attention economy. Perhaps that’s what it is.

III. It's still going

In hindsight, the personalized nature of the internet fostered in the same forges as the Magical Realist phenomena is now seen as a detriment against liberal institutions. On the radicalization of modern politics, the “conspiracy singularity” and the rise of cultish populist authoritarianism, where deliberate disinfo on the lower classes with limited (but not total lack of) internet exposure has become the culprit. Talking about its implications would be a discussion that everyone and their dog has already pointed out (and validly unnerved about). Hell, most of this shit has moved to TikTok, where it's now getting mixed in with actual new age and ancient aliens woo.

Either way, the older sensationalist internet emains fascinating to me. It’s the place where we mindlessly believed random bullshit on the internet and found a world confirming the wild weirdness and adventure that we’ve seen in our pre-online media. If things haven’t become as social media-driven as we are today, how much of this aestheticized sensationalised world remain?

#raja posts shit #thoughts #internet #im probably off the mark here but this is a bit connected to something i've been working on

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