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shimmerloid-ai · 2 months

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Introduction - Vocal Synth Terminology - Part 2

This is a continuation of my previous post. I highly recommend checking that one out first before reading this post.

Append: This term was originally used to describe an additional voice library, originating with Hatsune Miku Append (shown below) and Kagamine Rin and Len Append. Appends provide vocal synths with different tones, such as Miku’s Soft append giving her a more gentle, breathy voice, and her Dark append, which provides her with a more mature, motherly tone. Now, the word “append” can be used for any vocal synth of a character that differs from their usual voice, such as Gumi’s “Adult” voicebank, though the correct word to address these voicebanks is just… voicebank. Proper appends are commonly seen among UTAU voicebanks, like Kasane Teto’s Weak Append, and Yamine Renri’s EDGE Append!

Fanloid: Also known as "derivatives", these are fanmade vocal synth characters. Fanloids do not have their own voicebanks, instead, their voices are made by editing the parameters of a pre-existing vocal synth. For example, Akita Neru (shown below) is a high-pitched Miku or a low-pitched Rin, Yowane Haku is a low-pitched Miku, Hatsune Mikuo is literally a gender-bend of Miku with the voicebank’s gender factor increased, and Honne Dell made with Kagamine Len with his gender and brightness factors lowered.

Realistic Voice Cloning: Also known as RVC, this phenomenon is loathed by every vocal synth user. If you have been on the internet since 2023ish, you have probably seen things like “Mr. Beast AI sings IDOL by YOASOBI” (shown below), or “Dio Brando sings Colleen Ballinger’s Apology”. These AI modules basically involve taking voice samples of a celebrity, fictional character, or literally ANYTHING, and creating a voice module that can sing any audio track provided to it. It should not be a big surprise that AI has made its way to the music industry as well, but as cool as they sound, most RVC modules are illegal and essentially harmful to the vocal synth community, and the music industry in general. People make these modules without the knowledge of the “voice providers” and gain a ton of views for doing LITERALLY NOTHING aside from mixing the vocal track with the instrumental, and often make money off of someone else’s voice. They could also make the module say something obscure, offensive, or lewd, and put the blame on the voice provider. I do not think we need to go into details about what is wrong with these consequences, but long story short, they fucking suck. The icing on the cake is that people would make AI modules of VOCAL SYNTHS as well, which is why most people think Miku is like Squidward AI or whatever. Not only does it harm the voice providers who put their time and effort into creating amazing voicebanks, but it also gives the public a nasty impression of the producer and cover artist community.

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Jinriki UTAUs: Similar to the RVC phenomena, these are UTAU voicebanks that are made without the knowledge of the voice providers. Again, Jinrikis can be anything, from Mario to Baldi from Baldi’s Basics in Education and Learning, to a YouTuber or a LoveLive! character. Yeah… they can be quite cursed. Like RVC, these voicebanks can be considered illegal, however, it's not much of a problem if you keep these voicebanks to yourself, don’t run around advertising them, distribute them, or use them for commercial use. Jinriki voicebanks should not be confused with porting voicebanks (second video below) from other software, like putting MEIKO into Open UTAU. This is completely okay, so as long as you do not distribute them and port the voicebank yourself.

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AI Voicebanks: These are actual paid voicebanks that use AI technology to enhance the quality of the vocals to make the tuning sound realistic and to make the overall tuning process much easier for producers. The AI technology would analyze the pitch deviation and other factors of a file and smooth out and clean up anything that sounds too flat or janky. In fact, even when a file is untuned are flat, AI voicebanks will try to create a smooth transition and can provide users with a nice start. As useful as they sound, sometimes these voicebanks can be unpredictable and not provide you with the desired output, but with a bit of practice you can create beautiful melodies with them. The popularity of AI voicebanks started with CeVIO and SynthesizerV, but now we have AI voicebanks in VOCALOID as well! However, the V6 voicebanks are… not exactly the best, but I will get into them in another post. The most popular AI voicebanks as of now are Chris-A (CeVIO + VOISONA), Eleanor Forte (SynthesizerV), KAFU (CeVIO + SynthesizerV), ONE (Synthesizer V), Megpoid Gumi AI (VOCALOID + SynthesizerV Studio), and recently, Kasane teto AI (SynthesizerV; shown below)!

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Diffusion Singing Voice Conversion Model: Commonly known as Diff-SVC, this a program used to make AI voicebanks that works similarly to UTAU; you make a voicebank with your own singing, and use AI to make it into a voicebank that sounds human. These voicebanks are slowly “trained” to sound more realistic, and can produce beautiful vocals! These should not be mixed up with RVC modules as these voicebanks are either made by the voice providers or with their consent, and they have to be tuned like in any other synthesizer software.

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Talkloid: These are commonly seen in memeish side of the vocal synth community. Basically, instead of making voicebanks sing, you tune them to make them talk. Talkoids are typically shitposts of vocal synths in bizarre scenarios (with a ton of swearing and Generation Z/Alpha jokes… some talkloids are really unhinged and/or cursed), but there are a few hidden gems such as cute conversations or stories tying to a producer’s lore about their favourite vocal synths.

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PV: This acronym stands for Promotional Video. PVs accompany vocal synth songs and covers to enhance the listening experience . PVs can range from still artwork with lyrics underneath, to animatics and full-on animations.

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Project Diva: A rhythm game series starring the Cryptonloids alongside Kasane Teto, Yowane Haku, and Akita Neru created by SEGA. Not only are they are known for their nightmarish beatmaps (looking at you, The Intense Singing of Hatsune Miku), but their stunning 3D PVs as well. Producers would often record PVs of the vocal synth of their choice in whatever costume they desire, and if the singer is a character who is not in the game, there are tons of mods on GameBanana (example with Otomachi Una shown below; the Teto AI Ghost Rule cover I posted above is another instance of this)!

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Project Sekai! Colorful Stage!: Hell. Absolute hell. Just kidding, I have a strong feeling that you already know what this is, but in case you do not, Project Sekai! is a mobile rhythm game created by Sega and Piapro starring the Cryptonloids and five music groups of original characters, all with their own stories and songs. Like any other mobile rhythm game, you can pull for characters you want with gacha currency and participate in events that may or may not relate to the main story for prizes. A lot of new VOCALOID fans come from the Project Sekai! fandom, and although much of the fandom is a mess of entitled, bratty teenagers on Twitter, some people genuinely want a better understanding of how vocal synths work, softwares aside from VOCALOID, and songs aside from those in the game. This is one of the reasons why I made this blog, to properly explain how vocal synths work, and I hope this will give you a better understanding of this precious community. Also… I may add my EN ID to my about page. Maybe.

MikuMikuDance: Commonly known as “MMD”, this is a community-driven animation software. In MMD, you can create your own motions, cameras, stages, accessories and models, to create stunning PVs. You can also use other software like Blender to enhance your animations As the name implies, MMD was initially designed for VOCALOID and UTAU fans to create music videos of their favourite characters, but now it has evolved beyond great lengths. You are sure to find models and stages from your favourite video game or TV/anime series, and there are tons of motions and cameras out there. If you were in the vocal synth fandom in the late 2000s’, you may remember the MMD CUP series. These animations are an example of common memes people will make with this software, alongside PVs for Talkloids or a short motion of your favourite character doing whatever dance is currently popular on TikTok.

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Digital Audio Workstation: Know by the shorthand “DAW”, these are softwares used for making music! DAWs are extremely versatile, allowing you to create a huge variety of projects in them. You can mix an exported wav. file of a tuned VSQx with an off-vocal track, edit audio in general, or use the virtual instruments to create your own arrangements and arrangements! In the vocal synth community, people do all of these things! The most popular DAWs include FL Studio (shown below), Studio One, Logic Pro, Cubase, Ableton Live, Reaper, Cakewalk, and Waveform! Unsurprisingly, DAWs are quite expensive, usually costing more than the actual vocal synthesizer as well. Not to mention, plug-ins can add additional expenses. When picking a DAW, it’s honestly better to pick quality over cost, all while seeing what fits your budget and needs. Oh, I’m going to regret exposing myself here, but in case anyone asks, I have no idea how to mix and probably will not make a tutorial on it. I have never used a proper DAW aside from Audacity and Soundtrap by Spotify, and those mixes turned out HORRENDOUS. Not to mention, I’m practically broke so I can’t invest in a good DAW. I’m trying to figure out how to use FL Studio 20 (the free, limited version of this software), but my smooth brain can not wrap my head around the process, even with two helpful tutorials I found. Plus, I do not have the time to learn. However, I may share some resources in the future relating to using a DAW from people with a brain cell, so keep your eye out for those. But I promise, the day I get decent experience in mixing is when I will make a guide on it.

That is all of the definitions I can think of for now! I know I did not go over all of the parameters like "growl" and "cross synthesis", and that is because I will explain how all of the parameters work in a planned post. I also took some notes from Minnemi's video on basic VOCALOID terminology and the Vocaloid wiki. If I am able to think of any other important jargon later on, I will update this post. Thank you for reading this! I hope your knowledge on vocal synths has expanded, and I apologize for the huge post!

#vocaloid tutorial #vocaloid #vocal synth #vocaloidproducer #ai that are not paid voicebanks must die #mmdmikumikudance #mikumikudance #project diva #fanloid #synthesizer v #utau #long post #vocaloid resource

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mk-wizard · 2 years

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Scorn: A review on a studio’s first experiment

Hi, people. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a huge fan of survival horror and H.R. Giger’s work hence why I am also a HUGE fan of the Alien series. With that said, I had to check out the long awaited, long longed for video game Scorn that was meant to not be like others of its genre. Well, here is my opinion on it...

I warn in advance that this is going to be a negative review.

The scenery and atmosphere were absolutely disturbing, disgusting and horrific which amazing. It’s like the whole world was a character within itself. I also like how the protagonist (who I’ll call “Scorn Guy” since it has become their popular nickname) is an alien themself making them part of the creep factor. The metaphors behind everything were also genius. I also appreciated that the plot and story were told by showing rather than telling. There are no words or dialogue whatsoever. Sadly, these are the only positive things I can say about the game.

Scorn’s biggest downfall is that it relied on its obvious features way too much to the point where the gore no longer creeped you out. In fact, within half an hour, it started to become repetitive. Moreover, the game felt more depressed than scary. And I understand that it was meant to be sad and depressing, but I mean the gameplay felt depressed and tired even when encountering enemies which is a big minus in a survival horror game. In the end, everything became predictable including the ending and while admit that it suited the game, knowing how the story is going to end when you’re only halfway through the game makes it all the more demotivating to play. While Scorn’s style of storytelling suits a comic or even a film with no dialogue, in the form of a game, it just feels like it’s dragging its feet. As much as I feel bad saying this, at one point, I even wondered if I was looking at a rough draft.

However, I do still see the potential in the studio that developed it. The graphics, art and music are solid, and I would love to see another game produced by them though next time, they really have to work on pacing, delivery of the plot and keeping the player excited and surprised. I do believe in them. I just think that their first piece, like for most artists, Scorn was flawed. And that is ok.

Overall, Scorn was clearly an experimental piece which was not what I hoped for, but it does get me excited to see what the makers can do next, and I have faith that anyone who can make games this stunning to look at can definitely make ones that are fun to play. They just have make sure every part of the game is great not just visuals..

Overall, I give Scorn a 3/10. I loved the art and music, but playing it was not fun and I did not love that.

EDIT: PS: I get that they meant for everything to left to the imagination and for everything about Scorn to be one big mystery. I also get that some questions will never be answered, but when not even a single one is answered and we’re left to guess everything, that’s not fun. It’s confusing.

#blog #review #negative review #scorn #scorn guy #horror #hr giger #survival horror #science fiction #disappointed #not scary #video game

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eyeodyssey · 2 years

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Is there a transcript of Tokyo Grand Guignol’s Litchi Hikari Club? And if there is, would you ever consider translating it?

There isn’t any I know of, unfortunately. While some scattered recollections are spread about online, they’re too vague to really give much of a beat-by-beat synopsis. It’s a shame since there are some pretty significant differences between the original play and the manga from what was described. There was a bit of conflict several years back between Zera’s original actor and Usamaru Furuya regarding the changes made in the story. Granted, Zera’s actor does come across as pretty divisive when it comes to how he discusses Litchi, especially when considering the play’s original director and actor of Jaibo, Norimizu Ameya, either approved the manga’s changes for it to be published or was indifferent to the changes. An audio recording is known to exist of the play’s rerun in the December of 1985, but it’s in possession of one of the actors and they’re very selective on who gets to hear it. It’s understandable since close curation and secrecy is pretty inherent to underground art (there are thousands of experimental films from across the world that are kept in the possession of groups like the Film-Makers' Cooperative where they’re available only for specially curated screenings). It plays a role in keeping underground work shown in its intended context where it can’t be deliberately misrepresented (like what’s happened with Harada’s animations in the last several years), but it also makes things tough when it comes to any sort of preservation. The same actor also allegedly has full VHS recordings of Mercury and the TGG’s final play, Walpurgis, but again he insists on keeping the videos in secrecy. If anything else does come up online I’ll definitely do what I can to archive it and make it readily available. I’m hoping the actor does eventually change their mind, as the plays are starting to regain a bit of popularity in Japan from DilettanteGenet’s recent videos on them. Will have to wait and see if anything comes of that though. Ameya has pretty much moved onto other ventures too, he’s now predominantly doing performance art and gallery exhibitions. Really weird ones at that, he’s kept the eccentricity on brand after all these years. Edit: I might do a post about some of the primary differences the play had from the manga and the music selection in it though. Music and sound design were a major factor of the TGG’s productions from Ameya’s roots of being a sound designer for other theater troupes. While it won’t be a synopsis, it’s something I’ve really wanted to tackle on here since I learned about it.

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something-very-special · 3 years

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Impressions

I know I’m way behind on progression through Replicant (insofar as anybody can be ‘way behind’ in the sense of playing a video game for personal entertainment), buuuut I figured I’d share a few thoughts.

Presently I’m doing sidequest mop-up post-Barren Temple, for reference:

So just to get this overall out of the way, I am legitimately fascinated by the differences between NIER and Replicant. This is something I picked up on when I played RepliCant to grab footage for my LP, but given my extremely limited understanding of Japanese all I could get was the tone between characters and to my unpracticed ear they sounded pretty different. I always assumed that Weiss was somehow even more condescending to Brother and hah hah, wow. Even kind of expecting the dialogue and delivery differences I was not prepared for some of the dialogue and delivery differences. Weiss just straight-up insulting BroNier on the regular, not even doing sarcastic eye-rolls like he does with Papa. I don’t remember the exact line that set me off but somewhere in the Barren Temple I was just laughing my ass off at how much of a dick Weiss is.

Thought the ‘miracles’ conversation in the Junk Heap was interesting, too. I remember Papa Nier telling Weiss to stuff it because ‘those kids need a miracle’ and Weiss kind of backs down-- obviously doesn’t believe it, but he knows better than to push. And Brother tries but Weiss is just not having this optimism bullshit. Little things, but the tenor of the relationship is definitely different.

One of the more interesting aspects early on is the way the Lunar Tear is treated. Obviously I don’t know if this was part of the original game or a script adjustment, but Brother talking about the Tear as a source of money as opposed to Father saying it can grant wishes was interesting. Maybe it was to justify that Kaine just has a whole necklace of the damn things and therefore it’s rare but not literally magic, but it always sounded like it was just meant to be taken as a myth to me anyway. Then again, it’s established in the Grimoire that Brother has a fixation specifically on making money so he can support himself and Yonah (versus Papa Nier, who has obviously already established himself as an adult rather than a kid still figuring things out and hoping that enough money will solve all their problems).

Where the dialogue doesn’t diverge is interesting, too. Mostly I’m talking about the scene after defeating Hook. I always found Papa Nier exclaiming “You’re going to live, Kaine!” and “Yes, we’re friends now!” to be obvious holdovers from a younger protagonist just goddamn hilarious when Papa Nier is saying them. They’re still really funny with Brother Nier but just remembering Papa Nier doing the exact same delivery in his deep, manly voice just re-elevated the whole scene into comedy gold.

All of that is really why I was interested in getting the game so already my money is well spent. But there’s some other stuff:

They butchered the OST! ...or so people keep telling me on Youtube. I admit I do think the re-orchestrations is largely inferior to the original (although there are some that are at least as good in a different way, and whatever they did to The Lost Forest -- which was one of my least favorite tracks in the original -- I really enjoy) but I wouldn’t call it a butchering and I highly suspect that if I didn’t have the eleven years of the original OST and its association within the game itself I wouldn’t bat an eye, it still all sounds great.

Also, a weird observation, but I found that the soundtrack sounds much better coming out of the TV speakers than through headphones. I’m not sure if somehow it was optimized for play through external speakers, or maybe just not hearing the added orchestration right up against my eardrums, but when I went to the Lost Shrine with headphones on I was admittedly disappointed, but going to it again and listening through the TV it worked significantly better.

(I’m not sure if this is necessarily a factor, but the booklet in the White Snow edition mentions that the new soundtrack was all studio mixed rather than having the individual tracks layered. While I don’t think that would have an impact on music quality it almost definitely makes a difference in the way it’s produced.)

I miss chest-thrusting to double jump Movement overall feels much more refined and polished. It’s not as slick as Automata, but it definitely feels like a natural evolution of the original game, and as an apologist for NIER’s combat I can appreciate that. A little more responsive, I appreciate being able to move while casting magic, and it still has a bit of a crunch behind weapon impact (although I wish it felt a bit heavier).

But goodness I miss the stupid animation for double-jumping. I mean sure, an aerial somersault is a classic indication of a double jump, but I just loved that Nier would chest-thrust so hard he would break the laws of physics and ascend higher.

It also feels a bit like the aerial dodge was nerfed for movement purposes? I really don’t feel as much horizontal thrust to get a running start after diving off the Library balcony.

Fully voiced? Fully voiced?! I knew this was happening but I totally forgot until the NPC villagers started talking to me! Some of the incidental deliveries are a bit awkward, but as somebody whose glasses prescription is a decade out of date I appreciate this immensely.

The item guy in Seafront just being from the goddamn Bronx is a thing of beauty.

BroNier does fit into the Village better. One of the little details I love in the game is that each bit of civilization has its own style. The maps aren’t large enough to really convey how long travel takes, but the different styles between the Village and Seafront just kind of helped to ‘place’ the characters in a really neat, subtle way (Emil’s sash identifies him as ‘belonging to’ Seafront, which is actually pertinent when you get that sidequest where you find the letter from his science-mom in town! I assume she always wore a kicky sash when she went to work in the underground child torture bunker.)

Facade obviously also has their own style, but it’s... hard not to appreciate.

Papa Nier’s dress doesn’t really ‘place’ him anywhere, which doesn’t feel weird for the main character, and I feel like it’s implied that he isn’t really from the Village in a meaningful way anyway and kind of drifted in at some point after Yonah had been born. But younger Brother Nier is actually wearing the local fashion and it’s a neat little detail that I didn’t appreciate back when I played PS3 RepliCant. (Probably because I didn’t bother talking to any NPCs what with not being able to read the dialogue, so I never really had him standing next to anybody for long enough to process.) Older Brother Nier takes on a very different outfit that winds up displacing him from the rest of the Village (and any other towns), which is a pretty nice visual metaphor, too.

I have a confession to make. I still enjoy fishing in this game.

Yeah I said it. I’ll say it again too-- I like the fishing minigame. I happily blitzed through the Fisherman’s available Gambits, and then just caught five sharks while I was hanging out, and then also caught the sandfish ahead of time, and also wound up with a half-ton giant catfish (??!?) trying to remember where the black bass are located.

Cart me away.

Related but I laughed far too hard when the fisherman says “the WESTERN beach”. I wonder why they changed that line. I just can’t imagine.

And those seals. Always a delight to go to early Seafront and just plant yourself between a couple of seals. Watch the ocean. Listen to the music and the waves. Watch the seals lazily roll around and make cute seal barks.

The most depressing thing about the timeskip is losing those seals.

My garden--! The gardening timeskip exploit was fixed due to a difference in PS4 architecture. :/ I know there’s still an exploit involving time zones but I didn’t go in knowing that and I was horrified when I adjusted the system clock only to find my crops weren’t growing. Is Legendary Gardener still a trophy? Fffffuuuuu

My BARREN TEMPLE. The Barren Temple is, to me, a legitimately funny dungeon, between Sechs getting himself abducted, Kaine getting herself abducted and Nier and Weiss just sighing in resignation, and the whole concept of the rules-based challenges. And the adjustment they made to the Prince’s dialogue before you meet him is so good-- the original felt a little disjointed and felt like it ended with the Prince being confused. It was still funny, but here Weiss just gives zero fucks about insulting the Prince (and presumably knows that’s exactly who he’s talking to) and it’s just great.

And I say all of that because I just died laughing when I got to the infamous Racing Wolf room and saw they outlawed evasion.

Evasion works differently in this game anyway so you wouldn’t have really been able to do the same trick before (dodge roll; in the original release you would dodge roll forward by tapping the button, but a default evasion has you backstep. Of course you could arrange BroNier to face away from the trap and then evade, but it would be significantly dicier, and I feel like the pattern on the shots was awkward enough that you wouldn’t have an opening in the second row (and probably would’ve have dodged your ass right into the bullets anyway). But just that they acknowledged the trick and then flipped you off with it was amazing. Aggravating? My amusement far outweighed my frustration since the Defend trick was still solid.

It also felt like more rooms outlawed jumping? That I can’t corroborate (I was really focusing on whether they did something to Racing Wolf, which is of course the most traumatic of the rooms) but I feel like it wasn’t as easy to cheese some of those rooms as it had been previously.

Dark Blast is amazing. Cheesed the shit out of the actual ‘Evasive Mouse’ room, though. I remember having some difficulties when the miniboss shows up since you can’t dodge out of the way of his lava pillar attack, but I just circle-strafed with Dark Blast and he died comically quickly.

This is actually more relevant to the magic as a whole, but in the time since I first played NIER (so... probably the time I fifth played NIER) I learned more about the little intracacies of the magic system. Like, really little intricacies, like how you can use magic with just a button tap and it actually has different effects... like Dark Blast dealing significantly more damage. It’s not as easy as just holding down the button and getting the multi-shot off the charge, but for a single enemy like that just rapid-fire tapping the button chews through the lifebar.

This tap strategy is really appreciated for Dark Hand (forward thrust punch) and Dark Lance (which is even better thanks to the game’s lock-assist-- a much appreciated quality-of-life adjustment), and I look forward to getting Dark Execution because of its fast activation feature (spreading the lances in a forward cone in front of you, extremely useful for crowd control when you can’t afford to wait for Execution to charge up).

Fragile Delivery still sucks. I don’t know why I had such a terrible time with the first Fragile Delivery but I broke that... Ming vase or whatever you’re delivering half a dozen times. Send that guy a steel rug instead, Guard #3, he is not worth whatever piece of art you had me destroy six times.

And the game still holds up. This is probably a ‘needless to say’ thing but yeah, this is still a great game. I always have a little bit of apprehension going back to something I loved just in case there’s a rose-colored effect going on. Not that I really expected that to happen with this game (I’ve played NIER recently enough that I didn’t think nostalgia would blind me) but, you know, always a possibility.

(That and that the remaster would be... perhaps of dubious quality. It happens.)

Nope! Still engaging. Still charming. I’m always impressed to go back to this game with all the knowledge of its inevitable misery and remember that it’s also just plain funny. NIER is one of those games that’s just like I remember it but better every time I go back to it.

I’m so glad that Automata did well enough to spur greater interest in this game. It really didn’t get the chance it deserved back in 2010 and now it’s topping some of the sales charts. That’s fantastic.

Just... fantastic.

#NIER #NieR Replicant #Musings #Now I just need Threads of Fate remastered and my life is complete #SE don't do that I know you'll ruin it

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btsandvmin · 3 years

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hi i really love reading your posts!! thank you for taking your precious time to write about my favourite pair <3

ok my first ever question: (sorry if you’ve been asked this already). what do you think about jimin and jungkook having the most screen time in the memories of 2019 dvd? we’ve seen how close vmin were in 2019 but there was only a very very few vmin moments edited in the whole 10 hour dvd.. the longest vmin interaction being when jimin pointed out a mistake tae made on stage and tae basically said: i admit but don’t exaggerate it. from the lack of seeing vmin together on the dvd, i was thinking if a new army were to watch it, they’d think vmin aren’t as close and cute as jimin and jungkook. whereas they showed us jimin and jungkook rehearsing, goofing around, eating, arriving and leaving together in their car in every part. i understand jimin and jungkook like to spend time together but they could’ve shown us the other members a little more including vmin.. what are your thoughts?

First of all I do think we did get Vmin moments and that often perspective on these things can vary a lot just on how you experience something. Here is another person who thought we got a lot of Vmin in memories 2019 just as an example.

It’s a bit the same as with people calling Vmin dead despite everything we might get. And I think comparing is sadly a big factor in this. But once again, one ship having more or less moments shouldn’t be an indicator of their status or closeness as long as they clearly show signs of still being close. Which Vmin always have done. We should also remember that shippers spread moments and the amount you see things might make it feel like it’s even more than it is. I am not saying Ji/kook don’t have a lot of moments, but they might feel like even more than they are. If we compare maybe they have similar amounts of moments with less popular ships, like Jin/kook, but we don’t hear about it as much. (In memories I also think most of those 10 hours won’t be ship moments in general.)

I think for the most time when we see something it’s because that’s what the members are doing. We should also remember their individual personalities, and that some members might show up more simply becuse they spend more time doing fun things in front of the camera. I think Jimin, Jin and JK tend to get a lot more Bangtan Bomb time because they do “more interesting things” for example. Meanwhile Tae might be seen sitting on his phone in a corner or Namjoon might be resting etc.

I think using screen time to try an prove a ship won’t work on it’s own, but that screen time is a clear indicator of the bonds we see being genuine and that Ji/kook spend a lot together and are very close. But I don’t think lack of screen time definitely means the opposite. There can be many reasons we see more of various pairs. For example we also see a lot of Jin/kook, but their shippers aren’t as loud so we might not take note of it as much. We also get a lot of Vmin in other things like Bon Voyage, but that doesn’t mean that suddenly Ji/kook is dead. I really don’t think comparing is going to do anything good. I also think many ships get promoted in various ways, like being together for photoshoots or commercials etc. But for all we know they might partly get to choose themselves. Or it simply brings in good money to put some pairs together more etc. But even if there is a PR strategy or reason behind what we see, I doubt it has to do with a ship being real or not.

I think we see Ji/kook spend the most time together because they are together the most when they are surrounded by cameras. I think what we see is mostly what is happening. Because suggesting Big Hit editors are paying extra attention to any certain ship like showing them more or cutting away specific things based on only what members it involves would suggest an agenda. I recently talked about it in my post Can shipping turn into conspiracy theories? but once we start to question things being bent to deliberatly fool us it may allow us to take much bigger logical leaps. That’s how the narrative of Tae/kook being sepparated leads to them being more likely to also call other things fake or played up to hide tae/kook. If we add intention behind a moment we create a narrative, and in the end the more we assume and add beliefs into facts the further away we might end up from the actual truth.

My theory has always been that if a ship is real they would likely be careful and they might have their own reasons to act certain ways. Like Vmin seemingly being a bit nervous about being alone together. It’s still a theory of course, but I am always going to be much more careful with things that come from Big Hit and point it out as an agenda to create a certain image. For example saying Big Hit are forcing Vmin to stay apart or not do Vlives or put Ji/kook together more to “hide a ship with a ship”. Or even that moments in music videos are put there on purpose to either try to show a real ship or hide another etc.

For example if we assume the editors are cutting away Vmin on purpose I personally think we end up with a lot more problems. Like for how many people would know about Vmin? If editors and camera men and directors that might shift quite a lot all know to be careful about a certain ship, that is basically like outing them.

If there is video of them doing things “not fit for camera” that certainly means they aren’t very careful and would rely more on editing than just plainly being careful themselves. Which I personally see more signs of. If editors get instructions to treat one ship differently I personally think we would have much more rumors flying around. The more people know the harder a secret is to keep. So if there is a real couple in BTS I don’t expect general staff to know.

That’s also why I see it as more unlikely a real couple would openly live alone together, only share a car with each other or openly speak about being engaged etc. Of course this is all just me guessing as I am sure whatever strategy they might use could be very different depending on a lot of things. But at least looking at Vmin vs other ships there seems to be a carefulness in certain moments, and I think that has more to do with themselves rather than what Big Hit would force from them. Any relationship is basically a threat to BTS and their careers, of course they too would be aware of this. And I personally think they would put being careful above wanting people to know about them being a couple. At least watching Vmin and their personalities that’s what I think they would choose. Aka, not sending a lot of hidden signals for fans to pick up on. I think Tae might do it to some extent, only because he tends to get more frustrated and tend to sometimes express things even though he maybe shouldn’t. But even then it seems carefully done. Like the Christmas song to me was such a moment when he wanted to share his frustration. But the second time he mentioned it he didn’t mention Jimin at all. Or the way it took years for us to hear from Taehyung’s own mouth about 4 o’clock being partly about Jimin. I think they thread carefully not only with how they come across to fans, but also staff. That being said of course I do think that they can get away with a lot and that they probably are more comfortable when they know they aren’t being filmed or if there is an option to edit. I just don’t think most staff at Big Hit would know about a ship being real and work to present it in a certain way on purpose by order from Big Hit.

I think we see ji/kook together a lot because it’s easy and fun and comfortable. I am not saying they can’t be real, but I do ask why Vmin at the same time does seem to act careful and possibly even avoid certain things.

I don’t like to speculate about the moments we don’t get, because the reasons for why could be too many. For me I doubt the editors (and even less the captions) in BTS material are put there with an agenda. I think the editors view the material and pick what they might think is fun, though they likely also have their own bias and might be affected by what they see. For example I think Vmin being labeled as friends in captions has more to do with them and BTS calling them friends all the time which then editors pick up on and use.

Saying Vmin or any other ship is cut out to me opens a can of worms that lead down very dangerous paths. Paths we have seen other shippers walk. I also know that all ships have these “why are they the only ones edited out” or “why is this moment cut” agendas. Ji/kookers too say that we got to see Vmin and Tae/kook in bed in ITS but not Ji/kook because it would be “too much/obvious”.

I think we should go by what we see, but that we also shouldn’t make a big deal out of what we don’t see. So basically, seeing less Vmin won’t really change Vmin’s bond. That’s why I say looking at even small moments are a great indicator. We shouldn’t focus so much on amount, for any ship. But most importantly we shouldn’t assume amount is an indicator of Big Hit having an agenda.

Let’s say Vmin get cut out and the effect is people wondering if Vmin is fake. Why would they create this problem to begin with just to have Vmin release Friends which in turn make more people ship Vmin? To me it’s always too flippy floppy. Like why would Big HIt hide Tae/kook but then have them do the dance in DNA together or leave in other moments “just to keep interest up”.

Again, I try to not add reasons behind things we can’t know much about, but for me I think editing and cutting away moments from a ship as a strategy would be weird looking at the full picture of BTS and what we actually do get to see. I could be wrong, but I also know the slippery road I could end up on if I start to suspect Big Hit trying to fool us on purpuse on such a big scale. In the end that would basically mean anything could be real or fake, which is the point I sadly see some tae/kookers believe. They think tae/kook has been edited out and kept apart for years, and still won’t trust they simply might spend less time together even after ITS.

So, again, I think Vmin might act careful on their own to some degree, and I think Ji/kook and Jin/kook etc. like spending time togehter and also do things that are likely more interesting to show, like joke around or tease each other. Which then leads to more moments between them.

Thanks for the ask, and I hope you see what I am trying to say. I would have loved to see more Vmin, but we still got a lot of good moments if you ask me. Also, I am sorry for the messy state of this answer, but I will definitely talk about similar topics more in proper future posts. Thank you so much for liking my blog, and I hope you still do. 💜 (Also sorry for the late answer. )

#jimin #taehyung #vmin #vmin analysis #bts analysis #vmin editing #big hit agenda #my post #btsandvmin #btsandvmin ask #btsandvmin answer #bts memories of 2019

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balwinderthandi · 3 years

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An Introduction to Video Editing for Beginners

More people than ever are interested in learning how to make videos, for a variety of reasons ranging from capturing family memories to launching entire businesses online. And now is unquestionably the best time to do it. The majority of people already have a camera in their pocket. Taking video is, of course, only one part of the process. It’s also crucial to learn how to edit video. With ever more options, learning how to edit video can become a never-ending rabbit hole.

Things to Consider Before You Begin

Video editing can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. However, no matter how complicated you want the final product to be, you will find the process far more enjoyable if you take a few minutes to plan ahead of time, preferably before you begin recording any footage.

What types of videos do you edit?

The requirements for different types of videos vary. Perhaps you’re just trying to put together a highlight reel from your family vacation and all you need to do is splice together long recorded segments into your favorite moments. Maybe you’d like to make a YouTube vlog that combines talking head footage with explanatory B-roll clips. Perhaps you’re putting together a full-length documentary, with hours of footage to go through, computer-generated graphics to make, and special effects to incorporate.

What and how you shoot, the video editing software you pick, and how you handle the whole process will all be influenced by your desired end result.

Can I edit videos on my computer?

Because you’ll be doing all of your video editing on a computer, you’ll want to make sure your computer can handle the work you’ve set out to do. As you might expect, the more complex features you want to include in your video (for example, computer-generated special effects), the more powerful computer hardware you’ll require.

It’s worth noting that the best operating system for video editing has long been a point of contention. With the exception of a small number of programmes that are only available on one OS (such as Apple Final Cut Pro X), there is currently no discernible difference in video editing between Windows and Mac.

Computer Requirements for Video Editing

Looking at what the software you’ll be using recommends is the best way to figure out what computer specs you’ll need. Software that is less powerful necessitates less powerful hardware. However, as a general rule of thumb, the following should serve as a good starting point:

1 Processor

A recent Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor should suffice. Newer AMD Ryzen 5 processors provide good performance at a low price for budget builds

2 RAM

While some software recommends at least 4GB of RAM, you should have at least 8GB, though more is preferable. You’ll be happier with 16GB or more if you’re doing particularly complex or high-resolution video editing (4K+).you’ll be happier with 16GB or more.

3 Graphics Card

Whether or not you require a graphics card is determined by your software and the task at hand. Some software does not necessitate the use of a graphics card. You’ll need at least an RX570 or GTX 1650 if you’re going to do a lot of rendering or if you’re using DaVinci Resolve (which is designed to use a GPU).

4 Storage

Video, particularly 4K video, necessitates a large amount of storage. Hard disc drives (HDDs) will function, but solid state drives (SSDs) will be faster and more pleasant to use. If you’re going to be doing a lot of video, get the most storage space you can afford.

Other factors to consider if you’re using a computer — There are a few other things to think about in addition to these. Because video files are so large, you’ll need quick ways to get it on and off your computer. For transferring data to and from digital storage devices, USB-3.1, USB-C, and Thunderbolt provide relatively fast ports. If you want to upload videos to the internet, you’ll need a fast internet connection.

Picking a Video Editing Software

There is a plethora of video editing software available. Some of them will genuinely be better (if you have specific goals), but there are few, if any, right or wrong answers when it comes to choosing video editing software.

The truth is that the best software is the one that you feel most at ease with. You’ll be able to pick up some software quickly, but it may be limited in features.

There are a few popular video editors to choose from-

Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Adobe After Effects CC

HitFilm Express

CyberLink PowerDirector

Corel VideoStudio Ultimate

Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve

Shotcut

Tips For a More Successful Editing Experience

Making a video is a multi-phase process with its own set of challenges. The editing process can be frustrating if you aren’t prepared, but there are some things you can do to make it easier and more enjoyable.

Shooting a Planned Shot- This may or may not be possible depending on what you’re shooting. If you’re collecting home movies of events, for example, you’re going to be limited. However, if you have the time, consider sketching out a rough outline of what you want to shoot. What other footage will you require? Try to avoid having to reshoot a section later because you forgot to do it the first time

Data Management- You’ll most likely have a variety of files to work with in your final composition, including video clips, graphics and edited effects (such as title screens, overlays, and so on), audio files, and possibly more. Keep everything organized so that you can find it quickly and easily when the time comes to use it.

Take it easy with the effects- When it comes to effects, it’s similar to seasoning food: a little goes a long way, and too much overpowers the dish. More effects necessitate more computing power, which can cause everything to slow down.

Music- Music can help your video stand out, but don’t let it overpower it. Think about the copyright implications of your music if you’re sharing your videos publicly (on YouTube, for example). The most secure option is royalty-free.

#video tutorial #video editing #video #videos #video editor #videolove #editing #video edits #video shorts #video post #video intro #editor #video editing for beginners #video editing tips #video editing tip #basic video editing #video editing tool #balwinder thandi

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ronnytherandom · 3 years

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I started Writing My Thoughts On Things Again, I'm Sorry

15/8/2021:

Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Whole trilogy w/ all dlcs, Adept Class, Hardcore difficulty, 68 Hours):

Still brilliant! I adore this series. The first Mass Effect was one of the first games I ever played back in 2010 and Mass Effect 2 is one of the games I’ve played the most accruing several hundred hours over multiple playthrough from 2010 onwards, while Mass Effect 3 is a game I greatly appreciated but have more mixed feelings towards. Retrospectively as much as I liked the first Mass Effect, I did not nearly appreciate it enough back in the day. For a first entry in a new IP it is incredibly fleshed out with interesting Lore, an intriguing story and a cool galaxy to explore. I appreciate its combat far more now than I did back then but would still argue it is relatively weak in comparison to more modern titles and its own successors. Though the VA is rough in some places it is excellent where it matters, especially in the case of Sovereign whose iconic dialogue on Virmire is etched into my brain. A key element of the first mass effect I felt was sorely missing from the later entries was its exploration. While the galaxy grew routinely larger no game after the first had a drivable Mako, a vehicle I adore, and further lacked the opportunity to land on and explore the terrain of alien worlds for resources and side missions which I feel lends a lot to the atmosphere of the setting and could be made even more compelling using updated technology and a larger selection of assets and interiors which might have emerged from the higher budget successors. As it is I appreciate its inclusion in the first game. Mass Effect was also my first encounter with impactful choices in a video game and this is certainly something I appreciate but leads me to a major criticism specifically targeting the dialogue wheel layout as it is strange to me how you can puzzle out all of these possible dialogue outcomes but put exactly all of the positive outcomes behind the Upper Left dialogue option. While this is less pronounced in the First entry as the Renegade dialogue fills roughly the same purpose while sounding more badass, it becomes truer throughout the series as renegade options routinely just become nasty and exclusionary.

Mass Effect 2 innovates in some key ways which I have grown to appreciate more in the past 20 hours of play than I did when it launched. Primarily, its focus on characters and your relationships to them. Barring a couple of notable exceptions I found myself greatly invested in every single member of the Normandy crew and I think it’s a remarkable feat that each crewmate could be written to be so sympathetic, relatable and interesting in a world so full of appreciable elements. I would go into specific examples but id end up listing every character except Miranda and Jacob. This of course plays well into the Suicide Mission narrative which is perhaps my favourite overarching plot within the trilogy as it incorporates not just all of these incredible characters and plays upon your investment in them but also relies on the threat of both the Reapers and Collectors which are two excellently designed enemies which I find significantly more compelling than Saren and the Geth or Cerberus and the Reaper Husk Armies. Mass Effect 2 has a powerful horror element composed of the Collectors phobic horror and the reapers cosmic horror and it does wonders for the game’s atmosphere. I remember at this moment the Collector soundtrack which, like the rest of the soundtrack is absolutely excellent. Inasmuch as I would criticise it from a purely musical perspective for being simple at times and perhaps overly repetitive it perfectly fits the camp space opera that is mass effect. Galaxy Map and Suicide Mission are absolute bangers. I would hesitate to call the combat great. Playing the game as a weapon heavy class is superior, I’d argue as even with an armour build dedicated to decreasing ability cooldown it is too long to adequately utilise the powers of ability heavy classes like the adept. Additionally, ability play feels far more limited than in the game’s predecessor due to the limitation of this games skill tree elements which are frankly a step too far in simplifying the interface. It doesn’t massively affect enjoyment of the game but I couldn’t help but note every time I visited the abilities menu how much I missed Mass Effects abilities menu. So while I would say Mass Effect maintains a very well balanced game with regards to combat, roleplay and story, Mass Effect 2 eschews combat and mechanical roleplay in favour of an excellent story. Additionally while lacking an exploration aspect the more structured side-missions found by scanning planets throughout the galaxy create a lot of fun moments and interesting gameplay, emblematic of the fact that mission design vastly improves between this game and its predecessor.

Mass Effect 3 goes some way to resolve its predecessor’s imbalance as the majority of the game possesses enhanced combat, a much better abilities mechanic and an excellent story. First the addition of more mobility, loadout and engagement options benefits the combat greatly, while the addition of more complex enemy types than previous games pushes you to fully utilise these new options. A massive reduction in ability cooldown combined with liberal cooldown reduction bonuses in the skill tree means that abilities are very useful and versatile and you generally feel very powerful. Sometimes too powerful if you’re thinking from a balancing standpoint but given it’s a single player game this criticism is much diminished and being powerful is fun regardless. The skill tree system in this game forms a synthesis between its predecessors’ systems and comes out the better for combining a regular sense of empowerment with interesting choices within your own character build. All of this contributes to a much-improved combat experience, especially over Mass Effect 2. This also lends itself to the old multiplayer system which I honestly enjoyed when it launched (who cannot love a playable biotic Volus?) and feel is sorely lacking from this legendary edition. I would argue the only real problem with the multiplayer was requiring a player to engage with it in order to achieve the best story outcome; the actual multiplayer gameplay was thoroughly enjoyable and it gave players the opportunity to experience combat as an STG agent or a Krogan Warlord which were both fulfilling experiences from my memory. The aforementioned story is truly excellent and successfully builds off events in previous games but primarily succeeds due to Biowares exceptional character writing which persists from Mass Effect 2. Even in the case of its worst side mission content but especially in its primary missions the stakes and outcome of events are thoroughly compelling and the involvement of beloved Normandy crewmates is bound to incite intense emotions. This is possibly the only game that makes me cry multiple times throughout a normal playthrough. Unfortunately my goodwill often runs out when it comes to consider the ultimate ending of this series which I do not approve of. I admit there are mitigating factors: you should not play the mass effect series for the culmination of its plot. This series lives and dies with its characters and all of the major character arcs reach satisfactory endings before the final moments of Mass Effect 3, so the final moments have no real meaning as the thematic purpose of the series is achieved by galvanising the galaxy and uniting all these disparate races into a single force to fight the Reapers. Thematically the game is a success but the extent to which it utilises the choices the player has made, upon which the series builds its reputation, is limited in scope. This can likely be laid at the feet of the leaks of the original story ahead of the games launch which pushed the developers to create a new ending to avoid spoilers, but the quality of that ending is poor as it boils all the choices made throughout the series down to selecting the colour of a space laser. To make an odd comparison, this is why I think Game of Thrones’ and Mass Effect’s endings are different kinds of bad. Mass Effect reaches a fully satisfying conclusion in the moments immediately after launching the final mission, whereas Game of Thrones built its whole series asking the question “Who Will Sit The Iron Throne” With the final answer being “Actually, no one” after slogging through multiple series which did not live up to the quality of the first. Mass Effect answers its dramatic question of “Can Shepard Unite The Galaxy Against The Reapers” satisfactorily following sixty hours of excellent content and the colour of the space laser doesn’t actually matter. It just hurts to think that the finale could’ve been so much grander and more interesting. I would recommend the games, the disappointment of the finale doesn’t even come close to outweighing the grandeur that is the rest of the experience of Mass Effect 3, let alone the whole series.

There are only a few pieces of content I had not encountered prior to this Legendary edition playthrough. The Mass Effect DLC Bring Down The Sky is fun in that it adds an interesting combat experience with incredible stakes and immerses you in a stellar scale event, but the experience is very short. As part of the legendary edition I recommend it but having to pay extra for it at its time of launch I would have found it disappointing. Mass Effect 2s Overlord DLC is very good, introducing fun combat encounters, an opportunity to operate the fairly fun Hammerhead vehicle (even if it doesn’t live up to the Glory of the Mako) and explore a nice open environment with a truly haunting ending which is a kind of non-choice but it is gratifying to make that choice anyway. Additionally the visuals in the final station when interacting with the VI elements are very nice. The Arrival DLC is also quite fun, with a pseudo stealth section to open it, something which I believe occurs nowhere else in the series. The general element of operating solo is quite novel for mass effect as I believe outside of this moment, the opening of the Citadel DLC and the final moments of Mass Effect 3 there is no point where you fight alone. The indoctrinated nature of the project team does not come as a shock but regardless the dlc is enjoyable as a combat experience and the scale of destruction shown necessary to even slightly inconvenience the reapers lends a lot to the scale of their threat. I do not believe I played any DLCs in Mass Effect 3 before, insofar as I did not consider From Ashes DLC content as it was already on the disk and all buying the day one dlc did was activate it. Leviathan is very interesting from a lore perspective and does interesting things with its investigative process but I find it to be a relatively passive and uninteresting experience for the most part. Omega was more my style with a lot of good combat and interesting new enemies and a bit of bombast besides but still left me largely unmoved. Citadel was excellent but mostly for its “endgame” content rather than its story content. Despite featuring many hilarious moments throughout the actual plot it failed to interest me but I was definitely there for all of the fun character moments and the party is absolutely hilarious.

Ultimately a hearty recommendation but with tempered expectations for the finale.

Deaths Door (True Ending, 13.7 hours):

A Delight. Deaths Door is a charming little game about a bird that stabs things and I love it. It is incredibly impressive that this was made by a team composed of two people. The gameplay is fun in all regards. Navigation is a good time especially when all of the environments are lovely and full of personality. Obstacles come mainly in the form of puzzles and these are at a sweet spot between ease and frustration without being at all complex. Combat could’ve used a bit more work, primarily to create more meaningful distinctions between weapons or add a little depth, but it is still engaging and good fun. While the main bosses are challenging and satisfying to defeat, I worry over the side bosses; perhaps something could’ve been done to make them more distinct from one another? But a small gripe. I like the world, the aforementioned environments are well realised, the general aesthetic is artful and distinct and the story is good if slightly sparse. One notable element is the dialogue which is very good with a quick wit. The finale of the main game has the right amount of spectacle and weight while the endgame is cool and fantastical, with an ample supply of secrets and collectibles to find. Over all the music is incredible, soundtrack full of absolute bangers. I really enjoyed completing this game and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s into action adventure and souls-like games.

The Bad Batch (season 1):

This was Allright. To open I cannot overstate how good the animation and art of this series is. It is routinely beautiful and well-choreographed. Visually there are no complaints. The problems begin with the opening episode which I feel overpromised on a relatively dark take on the Star Wars universe by immediately dropping us into an Order 66 plot full of death, danger, brainwashing and the threat of an emergent empire. Now granted this series never explicitly promises that all of this would continue but I enjoyed these elements of the first episode and I was dissatisfied by their limited usage throughout the rest of the show. This is not to say I disliked the show, I did enjoy the characters who are all good fun, and most of the plots were good. This series I felt had a lot of filler episodes, which I’d simply describe as episodes I enjoyed less due to underwhelming plot or conflict, but they were still enjoyable despite what id perceive as a lesser quality. The show also “suffers” from what I’d called Star Wars Syndrome of Filonitis which is how Everything Must Be Interconnected, with regular cameos from extended universe characters which I feel is beginning to get a bit much. These features feel to me more often like nostalgia grabs rather than organically featuring a character in service of the plot and development. For example, I appreciate the Captain Rex feature as that served to highlight the inhibitor chip problem and drive the characters to seek a solution, however I appreciated Rafa and Trace’s feature less both because I’m less attached to those characters (especially Rafa) but also because the episode didn’t serve any particular purpose or create any particular set piece which couldn’t have been achieved without those characters. This is a similar issue I have with The Mandalorian, I adored season one as it was relatively self-contained and only featured vague or subtler references to the wider canon: to contrast season two is full of cameos from the wider universe sometimes for no reason other than to have a cameo when those roles could easily have been filled with new and creative content which doesn’t rely upon nostalgia to make something interesting. Ultimately Bad Batch is worth watching for the characters and the good episodes, it is fun and entertaining, it just has its issues.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1: The Phantom Blood:

Its uh, its not good. Now that’s a very broad statement, as to assess this show critically at all is to take it far more seriously than you should, but to be more even handed the show certainly has a bunch of fun elements. Only from a story perspective, there isn’t really that much there; and from a pacing perspective it needs to be seen to be believed. I’m certain that if you condensed the show down to a reasonable size for the amount of content it has, you’d probably have a movie with a two-hour runtime at most which would be quite enjoyable but on a whole this first part wastes about 80% of its time on overlong drawn-out internal monologues and the dilated timeframes of the show’s fights. It also has an annoying habit of overemphasizing the weight of a moment or the genius of a characters unexpected action usually with no less than three people commenting on any slight manoeuvre which ruins the pacing beyond belief. Now I understand this is a staple of the Jojo series, only part 1 handles it very poorly in comparison to later parts. The fighting is especially hindered by this as most actual combat usually involves only four or five punches but they tend to take twenty minutes getting to each one. Additionally, Johnathan Joestar is pretty boring as a character with no notable qualities aside from being good both morally and at fighting. The intrigue of the stone mask is cool but this part deals in that very little. Like I say though, Part 1 is still fun to watch if you can disengage your brain and admire the potent meme quality of the series. It is not “good” from a critical perspective but it is incredibly amusing and the campness gives it a degree of charm. If you just want to watch a bunch of beefy men shout at each other and perform magic punches this is a good time. Speedwagon, despite being the worst offender of the “Explain Everything Twice and Ruin the Pacing” category, is still entertaining for the awful accent and endearing character. He’s also definitely in love with Johnathan and I will not be taking questions on that. Baron Zeppeli has a cool hat. Theres a lot of fun to be had as the show embraces the weirdness of everything that’s going on. So, check it out, it might just be a So-Bad-Its-Good Masterpiece.

300 (film):

This film was not so great in my eyes. I think there was one particular shot of the landscapes around Sparta which I felt was visually cool but everything else about the film lacked quality for me, barring practical effects which have aged significantly better than the graphical effects. The visuals are largely uninspiring, the washed-out colour pallet doesn’t help. Perhaps the dialogue was amusing at release but for me it’s all been memed to death. I can’t say any of the performances are particularly compelling, nice to see Magneto and Faramir though. The action could’ve been good and there are certainly moments where it has impact, but the constant application of slow motion I feel reduces the sense of power that should be there, like watching people fight on the moon. Ultimately, I can’t stomach it for two primary reasons: Historical inaccuracy and Racism, which feed into each other. The values of the Spartans do not accurately reflect ideas that historical Spartans held to and I must ask why? Historical accuracy is the default state, so to usurp those ideas in favour of others means the author of the graphic novel Frank Miller and director Zach Snyder replaced those ideas with purpose, in order to make the film more appealing to a mass audience or to express their own ideas perhaps? And the values they chose for the Spartans were freedom, justice and democracy which were things the slaving and monarchical Spartans did not believe in at least in the modern sense. This reeks of an imposition of the propagandised values of western nations on a historical society. This in itself would not be so much of an issue without the demonisation and perversion of the Achaemenid empire and the peoples therein. To establish the primary conflict as one of Civilised white westerners against barbarous non-white easterners, when historically the conflict was between two nations of a broadly similar heritage both possessing facets of good and evil, in the early 2000s? It feels as though some reactionary interpretations of the War on Terror have simply been recreated here with classical history as window dressing. Add to that reactionary attachment to the battle of Thermopylae as a representation of the western world’s struggle against the eastern world, in addition to other more problematic interpretations, and this film plays straight into extreme right-wing ideas of race. Cannot recommend, there’s a lot more better things you could be watching.

18/08/2021: Darth Vader (2015) comic (incl. Vader Down event):

This was really cool. The first comic I’ve ever actually read so I don’t have much frame of reference but I certainly enjoyed this. It was compelling, I’ve blitzed through this whole run in a single day. I think it serves a valuable purpose of demonstrating Vader’s potential and development between Episodes IV and V, as well as the nature of internal conflicts within the Empire. A side note, it is amusing that Palpatine identifies infighting as a factor in the fall of the Sith Empire and yet encourages it for his own political purposes anyway. I felt that the art and style was very good and fit well with the Star Wars aesthetic, though I couldn’t say if it is truly excellent or just standard: it certainly wasn’t bad, though I think a few designs such as Dr Aphra’s ship were hard to read as it were. Speaking of, I think characters new and old were well portrayed. The titular Vader is unmistakably the same character as appears in the classic trilogy, similarly for Han, Luke and Leia etc. And it was a pleasure to see Chewbacca absolutely destroy someone. The aforementioned Aphra I thought was fine but she lacks distinction to my mind, the real star was Triple Zero and by extension Beetee who I thought were excellent comic relief in addition to being a genuine threat, something I can’t necessarily say I felt with regard to the antagonists. This latter part doesn’t matter overmuch, I think the purpose of these antagonists was more to present Vader with pressure to fulfil his personal goals rather than actually oppose him and they work well in that regard, but are unmemorable beyond their basic attributes. What I think this comic does particularly well is create a kind of puzzle narrative and its almost thrilling at moments when Vader’s plots might be discovered. As a result of this I am looking forward to reading more comics in future.

The Suicide Squad (2021): Highly enjoyable! A big step up for the suicide squad as a franchise and a lot more fun, playing into a brighter and more humorous genre than its predecessor to good effect; This time with good editing, soundtrack, direction… well good everything in comparison. I enjoyed all of the characters and their acting particularly the rivalry between Peacemaker and Bloodsport and Margot Robbie is still fantastic as Harley. They all pale before King however, who is endearing beyond belief and a lot of fun to boot. The “villain” if that term is applicable is very interesting and actually threatening, no mere beam of light into the sky! And the willingness to engage in more mature elements such as gore and character morality is of immense benefit, serving to distinguish it from generally more childish superhero media and reach towards more interesting themes around colonisation, foreign intervention, America and such. Only a reach towards however as I don’t think it ultimately says anything beyond “This thing, kinda bad and dumb”. As I saw noted, it observes the theme but doesn’t comment on it which is a shame as that would bring it all together quite neatly. I feel it can drag a little at times and sometimes the dialogue and specifically its humour don’t hit right but the rest is of such quality that it hardly matters. It looks good, sounds good and offers a chance to engage in a little mindless and bloody violence. I hope Harley keeps the javelin.

27/08/2021: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Battle Tendency: TW: Mention of Nazism, Discussion of Sexism

This is MUCH better. Part 2 covers most of the problems I had with Part 1. The Monologues are less egregious so the pacing is much improved; the lore is fully integrated into the story and creates a genuinely good narrative and Joseph is a much more compelling and interesting protagonist with a quirky and entertaining personality. The Pillar Men are excellent villains and the fights are fully engaging. Even when you know that Joseph will pull out a “And next you’ll say” twist at the end of a losing fight it’s still surprising simply by dint of the strange and wacky solutions he creates. And these adventures are even more bizarre, playing into the weird camp of the series which works so well. All in all, the quality is excellent here HOWEVER there are some highly problematic elements. The show being set in the 1930s is a neat part of the travelling through time factor of the series but when you’re globetrotting around Europe you need some solution to the problem of Nazis popping up everywhere and this show does not provide one, and fails so drastically to offer even a slightly critical perspective on the fascist characters. The noble sacrifice of Von Stroheim and his later resurrection and heroism serve to idolise a Patriotic German Nazi Officer, which is not good, and this unchallenged perspective on an Actual Nazi is troubling especially when the character himself is an unrepentant mass murderer. Additionally, the show has a horrible attitude towards women, who exist almost exclusively for sex appeal and romantic interest in this show. Lisa Lisa does demonstrate ability and character but when presented with genuine combat is relegated first as a bit of eye candy during the fight with Esidesi (notably eye candy for Her Own Son) and later as a Damsel in Distress during her fight with Kars. Women are frequently used as objects in this part; Caesar Zeppeli uses women as props by controlling them with his Hamon powers and Suzi Q exists only to be rescued from Esidesi and then to be romanced by Jojo. It’s pretty ridiculous to be honest. I am informed that this improves over the course of the series but as for this part in particular it is a lot of fun just so long as you can ignore some incredibly troubling portrayals.

13/09/2021: Rick and Morty Season 4:

There is ultimately not much to say as Season 4 is simply more Rick and Morty and operates as such. It is good, even very good. It’s still very funny. Its voice acting is still the pinnacle of such work. It is still smart and has a lot of interesting ideas, only not to the extent of the copypasta fan boys. Its sci-fi universe is cool and its design and aesthetic are still excellent. I feel the show has passed a threshold however as there’s only so much time you can spend on the “dysfunctional family is dysfunctional theme”. I hope season 5 proves me wrong once I get to it, but season 4 is fun and I’d recommend it all the same, it’s just more Rick and Morty and I think that’s enough.

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings: Spectacular! Very easily amongst the best if not The Best Superhero Movie (aside from Into the Spiderverse). To begin with complaints as they are limited, the colour grading was a bit dark in a couple of the fight scenes and in some moments of the climactic fight the CG effects are a little Too Much and distract from the central action of Shang-Chi, Xialing and a Dragon owning the shit out of a multiversal super spectre, which incidentally is fucking epic. Additionally, the standard MCU comic relief dialogue is a little meh at times but what’s new there? They still need to get a handle on that, especially because this film was really strong when it was serious. As much as I love Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery, he was just a tad much here. Aside from a few moments of weak dialogue however the rest of the film is excellent. Acting is good, effects are good, the film is quite beautiful primarily once Ta Lo is reached and the score is bangin. I appreciate most of all the fight sequences which to me look well-choreographed with interesting arenas which were always appropriate to demonstrate the characters abilities; the sequences serve to develop character and plot at key moments also. The way the camera is handled during the fights is also a big step up, with wide perspective and long shots rather than the snappy close shots of old which serve to really show off that choreography and don’t muddy your understanding of the flow of combat. There is a good thematic line throughout the film of reconciling the bad and the good of your familial and personal history, to understand yourself better and channel that into developing and achieving your ambitions and I adore how that ties in with Shang-Chi and Wenwu’s final confrontation due to the nature and treatment of the Ten Rings themselves. They are a very interesting fantastical element especially once Shang-Chi acquires them and the way that he utilises them create a very cool combat style I can’t wait to see more of, even considering that their full potential is yet to be unlocked. I additionally approve of how they have been differentiated from their comic counterparts which to my understanding are just slightly weaker infinity stones; thus, a one-to-one reproduction would’ve been a boring mistake to make. It’s a fantastic film, go see it.

26/09/2021: Sable (20 hours, 99% complete) Sable has the makings of an absolutely fantastic game, it just has a few hiccups and hurdles to deal with. Thankfully most can probably be dealt with by patch as there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the game; but a game should never be released in a state where it needs a patch to function normally. This game is incredibly buggy. Probably one of the buggiest games I’ve ever played at launch, and I preordered Skyrim. Most of my complaints are with the menus, which simply do not work properly sometimes, but there are other documented issues with collision detection and weird bike movement among others including one annoying persistent issue with the soundtrack being replaced by random ‘bong’ noises. For these reasons I cannot recommend the game Right Now until it is patched or if it is on a significant sale. However, once the bugs are fixed this game will be a stunning achievement. The story is good and leads to powerful emotional moments, aided along by an excellent atmospheric soundtrack and beautiful visuals. The style and colour give this game an exceptional look, though diminished by a fairly rapid day/night cycle. I understand that this creates a visual contrast to make the daytime feel more vibrant and impressive, but I would also hold the sun still in the sky if that were an option. The world is well built, with interesting lore and cool design work. Varied environments show off a range of colourful landscape all with their own distinct atmospheres and landmarks which are good both for navigation and exploration, this being the bulk of the game. Exploring these environments is satisfying for curiosities sake but also offers collectible Chums that I adore and an intriguing backstory and world history to consider. Riding a hoverbike is cool and fun, and the customisability is nice though I would take issue with the “balancing” of bike parts as the best bike can be acquired only a few hours in and must be bought, where bike parts earned through long quest chains pale in comparison. This annoys me as I believe players should be rewarded more for great deeds than for acquiring currency, besides which the quest bikes look cooler. This is of little importance however as the game is a very casual and chill experience, keeping an excellent balance where it is not strictly challenging but does maintain your focus and attention. This world is full of strangeness and a little sci-fi magic; though I would argue it could use more of this I think that would threaten to overwhelm the player when even this world’s most mundane elements are still stunningly cool. I think a thick coat of bugs covers what is ultimately a magnificent game with many cool things to explore and even marred by its worst features I still had a great time playing it.

27/09/2021: The Matrix

Brilliant. A very cerebral action movie which definitely earns its place as an iconic work of cinema and its clear to see why its influence is so widespread. Fantastic action with a clear and open perspective which utilises the interesting and dynamic cinematography that runs throughout the movie. I particularly enjoy how over the top the fights are in terms of environmental destruction and gestures as a whole, with a great deal of emphasis added by practical effects which I enjoy. Cool characters, good dialogue and excellent performances across the cast. And, an interesting world well-built and designed. The robots particularly are quite intimidating and I like their arthropodal form. All of the design works well to create the feeling of a greasy industrial post apocalypse which contrasts sharply with the boring homogenous simulation, the latter having its own value as a setting due to its familiarity which would’ve been especially prevalent when this film first released. I love the soundtrack, especially the final feature of Rage, but most of all I love how deeply you can read into this film and its meaning. Having watched many videos about it I was primed on the trans allegory going in and it is very clearly a present part of the narrative before even considering the context around the Wachowski sisters and their own experience. It is a very interesting part of the story and plays well into other themes built around deconstructing the illusions pressed on us by our society, drawing strong parallels between the struggles of living as a trans person and fighting against an imperialist capitalist society. It is worth watching for any of its constituent parts but together they form a magnificent work of art.

28/09/2021: Star Wars: Visions

The series is a bit of a mixed bag. It definitely overpromises with its first episode which is of a remarkably distinct style, is incredibly cool and has great wacky moments in addition to tasteful call-backs to the wider Star Wars canon. I love the umbrella sabre, it’s a fantastic idea and there needs to be more of them. From there a few episodes are fantastic, The Elder and the final episode, and id rank the Ninth jedi just below them, but the rest of the series is definitely not to my taste. The wide variety of styles on show are all fantastic and the animation is universally very good, just some of the plots are more childish than I would appreciate and the rest are simply not engaging for me to the point that despite a great deal of spectacle occurring I would often be distracted. It’s worth a look if you’re into animation and unique takes on star wars but I find generally lacking.

Django Unchained (2nd Watch) TW: Discussion of Racism and Slavery

Red Flag: Tarantino Movie is good. Very good. Stellar performances from Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Leo Di Caprio, Christoph Waltz and everyone else in the movie to be frank; a special note for the trivia about Leo Di Caprio’s cut up hand during the dining room scene, a lot of respect for a man who can keep working through that kind of injury. We can go through a Tarantino Checklist say the film is well shot with beautiful environments; has excellent and witty dialogue with good attention to detail and mannerism; and finally has great and gory action which does not flinch from terrible injury and really appeals to a perverse bloodlust that seems to crop up from time to time in normal people. Strangely enough however, I could not recall if Tarantino indulges in his predilection for feet here. This film does indulge in Tarantino’s other predilection however and that’s the N-word, but here I respect it. Unlike his non-period works, the use of the N-word is a facet of slavery just as chains, whips and plantations are and slavery is the subject of this film which seeks to be historically authentic. If anything, the absence of the N-word would be very wrong in this case despite being the project of a white man as without it the film would lack the context of a key form of oppression that still exists today. I think Django does an excellent job documenting and commenting on the institution as it existed in the pre-war period. Django experiences every level of status a black person would encounter in this setting: first a slave, then a freedman, a black slaver and finally a Liberator and the final message of the film is that slavery deserved to be destroyed and any argument made for its return is horseshit which is kind of a “Duh” statement but with the state of modern politics and the state of education in the US it’s something that needs reiterating. You can interpret this beyond the bounds of slavery itself in addition, by arguing that there are existing powers in this world which seek to discriminate based on skin colour amongst other factors and create oppressed minorities for the benefit of a wealthy few with power and should the systems that create this environment be completely destroyed it would be cause for celebration. Beyond this I particularly enjoyed the historical authenticity of the environments, of the very varied biomes of the wilder parts of the US at the time, and the contemporary outfits especially King Schultz’ coat which I desire more than any item of clothing I’ve ever seen. The film is good at building suspense both in the moment to moment and through longer story arcs, particularly the second act, but I do feel like the 2nd act lulls a little, perhaps spends slightly too long reaching its climax. This is a great spectacle of a film which looks and sounds fantastic, puts excellent performances on show, tells a great story and has quite a bit of meaning bundled into it.

29/09/2021: The Road to El Dorado (Unfinished)

Despite not finishing it I think this film is actually really good. It certainly has a few elements which don’t fully gel with me but I enjoyed my time with it; I only felt like I should really be doing something else and that I wasn’t fully engaged with it, potentially as I’m not keen on cons and high stakes acting as it feels like a form of vicarious embarrassment for me which makes me immensely uncomfortable. Personal hindrances aside most everything about this film is excellent, I loved the animation and the very colourful world. The characters were fun, the voice acting good, the constant horniness was a great bonus also. I take issue with the music, much as it’s not my right to criticise Elton John, I feel it would’ve been better fully incorporated into the film. I enjoy animated musicals more when said music is diegetic and I think them beginning to employ non-diegetic music is part of what led to their downfall, outside of market saturation. Additionally, I was not a fan of The Trail we Blaze, just not a song that worked for me. I also appreciate the integration of 3d and 2d animation here as I felt the styles were reconciled better here than in most movies, especially for the time. I might take issue with what seems to be a plot about two Spanish men of the colonial age coming to central America and “enlightening” its people through humanitarian acts and music as that would reflect some troubling attitudes but I hold out hope that by the end of the film they decide to come clean about the lie, return the gold and help defend El Dorado from Cortez and his troops. Its enjoyable, I don’t feel drawn to finishing it though.

30/09/2021: Hunters Moon, Ghost

Here’s a new one, music reviews. This single is pretty good I enjoy it a lot. Opens slow and gentle and rapidly builds into some strong rock with a very 80s feel which scans with Ghosts whole historical rock and metal style they’ve always employed but have gone in extra hard on since Prequelle. The lead riff the track opens on is really nice and I would love to have seen it explored further, but the heavier style that ramps up progressively as the song continues is still great climaxing on the 9/4 post chorus riff which goes hard as fuck and I love that bit especially. It feels like it would be spectacular to witness it live. The bridge is a moment I’m not so keen on, the initial bass work is a little bare bone and overly repetitive but it definitely picks up once the guitar and vocals come in, even if just for the final moments. The final chorus leads into a good finale though I think it’ll serve better on an album version with a transition into another track, as I usually prefer to be fair. Technically I enjoy all of the different sounds and effects employed on all the instruments, especially in that leading riff, all of which are played well with good time. The vocals are great as usual. It’s a great track, I feel it was maybe a little short and could’ve explored some of its musical ideas or given them a bit more time to breathe; perhaps less time could have been given to overrepresented elements like the bridge and given over to work more into the very atmospheric leading riff but this is still a hard and heavy rock track and I enjoy it greatly.

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

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Survey #367

“i should warn you that you may fuck me, but chances are i’m gonna fuck you over”

Where was the last place you went for vacation? The beach. When was the last time you wore makeup? Halloween. Do you watch soaps or drama series? If so, which ones? Not currently. What’s your favourite tomato variety? I hate tomatoes. What was your very first pet like? Dad had a dog named Trigger when I was born, but I have no memory of her, so I'm excluding her. I consider our first family pet to be Chance, a cat my mom took in after finding her literally in the trash. She was... god, incredible. She was a loyal friend, and I can imagine no greater mother than she was (she legit fought off a rottweiler head-on to protect her kittens). She was so smart, so gentle, and just simply amazing. I'll always miss her. What was the best school project you remember doing? Looking back, despite the fact it TERRIFIED me before, that would be my senior project presentation. It was about snake misconceptions and fallacies, so I made a slideshow to present to the special ed class. I made drawings for them to color, word searches, all that kind of stuff. They were just the sweetest and seemed really into it. What’s your favourite type of fish to eat? None. What kind of an old person do you think you’ll become? I really... don't like thinking about this. Like I'm weak enough now at 25, I can't imagine how my, say, 60s would be. I hope and just about pray that my physical health will improve, but I'm just going to exclude that part entirely from this answer. Personality-wise and such, I have a feeling I'll be the quiet and sweet kind, the one that loves her (hopeful) spouse like crazy, and comes most alive on Halloween if I live in a place where children come trick-or-treating. I imagine I would LOVE that. I'd love to be the type that goes on morning jogs to help stay spry. Which well-known person’s death shocked you the most, if any? Steve Irwin and Chester Bennington might be tied. Both were so, so sudden. Steve was like, invincible to my childhood eyes, and when I heard about Chester's death, I thought it was just a sick rumor. Two amazing people that died way too soon. What’s the craziest colour you’d dye your hair? That would depend on personal opinions. I want to dye my hair LOTS of colors though, if that tells you anything. What’s the coolest hobby one of your friends has? Uhhhh. Idk. Name a video game you can play over and over again: Shadow of the Colossus. It's a pretty short game if you know what you're doing, and it's super relaxing to me and just so goddamn pretty to look at. Every time I've played it has just been a pleasant experience. Do you like meatloaf? Yeah, it's fine. How about Meatloaf? I know who he is, but I've never really listened to his music. Do you take time to do charitable work? If so, what do you do? No. ;_; Especially with all the free time I have, I really should... What is something that will make you laugh instantly? Okay, don't ask, but if I for a SECOND see that commercial of Mr. Clean dancing while he's cleaning, I will die because of memories. What is something you hope you will never inherit from a specific relative? Diabetes. It runs heavily in my family. Name a movie you wouldn’t watch solely based on its name: The Human Centipede. No. Thank you. Have you ever played in a stack of hay bales? No. What’s your dearest souvenir? The stuffed moose I got at Cabela's during a visit to Ohio. I named him Brownie, and he was my "childhood plushie" we all have. Is there a lot of graffiti around your neighbourhood? Not in the actual area I live in, but there are DEFINITELY places where it's a pigsty of distasteful shit. Have you ever made your own soda? (Soda Stream doesn’t count!) No. Do you have a hobby that forces you out of the house? If so, what is it? Nature photography. Have you ever been part of a theater group? No, that stuff doesn't interest me. What’s the most ecological thing you do? We recycle, and I also use metal straws. Would you stop eating meat, if you had to raise and slaughter it yourself? Absolutely. There is no fucking way I could do it. What’s your favourite board game? Why do you like it best? I like Clue just because of the mystery-solving factor, and I think it's kinda cool how you can think ahead and use other's findings to your own advantage to win the game pretty early. Besides English, what other languages can you speak? Some German. It's gotten pretty weak with neglect, though. Besides English, what other languages can you read? I can read German well. What thing/person/happening has made you the happiest you’ve been? This is a complicated answer that I just don't feel like elaborating on. What’s the most freeing thing you’ve ever done? Letting Jason go. Have you ever had a restaurant dish that was made with bugs? If not, would you even want to try one? No, and I'm not interested. Have you ever tasted birch sap? No. How about the young buds/shoots of spruce trees? No. Which edible flowers have you tasted? Honeysuckles. What has been your worst restaurant experience? Well, it's a fast food restaurant, but lemme tell you about my vegetarian encounter with Burger King. I ordered their veggie burger. Which they have. It's not a secret. These idiots gave me a bun with tomato and lettuce, and I think mayo on it, after sounding confused when Mom was ordering for me. Mom went back in there of course to tell them, and oh god was the manager pissed, lol. I got my veggie burger in the end. What’s the most immature, adolescent thing that still makes you laugh? Some sexually inappropriate jokes can still get me sadly, lol. Have you ever had a life-threatening condition? If so, what was it? Not literally, but boy do I think depression counts. Do you ever compare your life to somebody else’s? If so, why? Y E P. I can't tell you why, I just... do it. I look at other's successes and am just like, "Why aren't I there yet?", and beat myself up about being a failure. What is a food item or a dish you absolutely cannot stand? Brussel sprouts, asparagus, runny eggs, many other things because I'm just mega picky. Have you ever had a custom print done on a shirt? If so, what was it? Just the spray paint kind that vendors like to do at the beach and stuff. I don't remember any I got, though. What does your favourite mug look like? It's black with a Markiplier quote on it, given to me by Sara. :') Do you ever read other people’s survey answers? Yeah! Friends', anyway. I love learning all the obscure things about them. Do you like daytime or night time better? Why? Daytime, specifically early morning, because it's better for my depression. Are you more comfortable as a leader or a follower? A follower that isn't afraid to speak up when I'm really against something. What is your favourite song right now at this very moment? I've been really into "7empest" by Tool lately, and the synthwave edit of "Voices" by Motionless In White. If you watched The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, who was your favourite character? I don't remember it well, but I think I liked the butler. Was there even a butler? Who was your first online friend? Emma. :') Do you have any plants in your home? No. If you wear makeup, what’s the most outrageous colour you use? I only ever use black. What was the last photograph you took? My cat being adorable while sleeping. <3 Have you ever submitted a video to Funniest Home Videos? No. What was the first sport you learned how to play? I want to say soccer? I absolutely hated it. Do you have a headache at the moment? Yes, actually. I've really been attacked by the Covid shot side effects. Are your parents still together? No, thank god. What was the last hot food you ate? I made a chicken and I think pesto (some Italian noodles, idk) Healthy Choice bowl for dinner last night. Have you ever seen a meteor shower? No. :( Do you ever feel afraid people will question your sanity? I'm sure people have before, and back then? Rightfully so. Which X Factor audition(s) was/were your favorite? Never watched it. Were you a straight A student in spelling and grammar? Always. It's so weird how it's gotten worse with time since leaving school, even though I write... Were you a straight A student in math? Yeah, no. I usually got Bs or Cs. What is your favorite shade of yellow? Pastel. I don't really like yellow. What is something you want to accomplish before you turn 30? Have a stable job. Are you afraid of getting yelled at? YES. Do you feel a connection to the moon? It's not something I think about, so not really, but I do believe all things in the universe are connected in some way. We are simply a part of nature, as all else is. What does your heart long for? Contentment in who I am and where I am in life. I know I also miss being in love. Do you know what your purpose in life is? We have no innate purpose; we make our own, and I want mine to be to show others that there is always hope for yourself in yourself, and also to spread the message of love of all animals. Did you decorate a pumpkin this year? Last year I didn't. I really should change that this go around. Have you ever seen a fox? Yes! They're a kind of rare sight here sadly, so when I had the opportunity to photograph a fox tragically as roadkill, it was a photographic experience I won't forget. God, I wanted to pet it (I obviously didn't), but I did talk to it about how beautiful (s)he was as I got some shots. I never had a harder time leaving one of those angels I've taken pictures of. Do you find Halloween fun or scary? FUN!!!!!! Is there anything about Halloween you find offensive? Not at all. What do the trees look like where you live? I mean, there's a variety, but the staple that you see literally everywhere are pine trees. What is your dream vacation? Somewhere with mountains, clear lakes, cool weather, beautiful and various wildlife... What was the best vacation you’ve been on so far? Disney World as a kid. What is the best class trip you’ve been on? The zoo in the 5th grade. It was the one occasion I got to see meerkats. Did you like field trips when you were a kid? I lived for them. Do you find museums boring or interesting? I find science museums to be very, very fascinating. Art ones are great, too. What are three issues you are passionate about? LGBT rights, the pro-choice movement, and wildlife conservation, to name a few. Would you ever wear a shirt with your country’s flag on it? No. I'm not patriotic enough at all. What size is your bed? Queen. What’s a medicine that makes you sleepy? When we were experimenting with my Klonopin dosage, I learned that 3mg was enough to knock me on my ASS. Do you like bath bombs? I mean they're pretty, but I wouldn't waste money on 'em. Who are your favorite small YouTubers? Yikes, a looooooot. But this also depends on what you think qualifies as "small." Most of my favorite "small" YTers are tarantula keepers or sub-1M let's players. Who are your favorite big YouTubers? Markiplier obviously, Snake Discovery, Good Mythical Morning (even if I don't watch them anymore, they are veeery dear to my heart and I will always support them), Sam & Colby... Again, there's a lot. When you don't watch TV and YT instead, you really get attached to a lot of them. What was your favorite girl group when you were growing up? Would you believe me if I said Pussycat Dolls? haha Do you like Disney movies? Um, DUH. Were you ever in the popular crowd? No. Have you ever used an outhouse? UGH, at like childhood sports games, yes. I could NEVER nowadays, oh my god. Could you possibly write a successful novel? I think I have the creativity to, but not the dedication. Are there any foods that make you gag? Beans, for one. I just canNOT with them. It's a completely involuntary reaction. Have you ever had blonde highlights in your hair? I think I did? Who was the last person you video-chatted with? The lady who was seeing if I qualified for TMS therapy. Do you think sleeve tattoos look trashy? Definitely not, I love those. If you had to get a portrait tattoo, who would it be of? I don't actually want one, but if I did, I'd go to a serious professional to get THE Darkiplier smile. :') If u know u know. Do you have any stickers on any of your electronic devices? No. Do you think half blonde/half dark brown hair is attractive? It looks great on some people, but it's not my favorite combo.

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''leave a scar'' by marilyn manson

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izzy-b-hands · 4 years

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Kloktober, Oct. 16th: Dethstaff or Klokateers

Klokateers/Dethstaff for this one, really. Since it doesn’t matter what you call them, if they’re in Dethklok’s employ, they risk death daily.

Synopsis: It’s Annual Klokateer Remembrance Day, and Charles is Feeling It a.k.a. having emotions and it is A Lot for him. But then, it’s a lot for the Klokateers too.

TW for death and mourning.

My love to all who read/like/reblog!

“This is always a hard day,” Charles said, and sighed deeply.

He meant it. He wasn’t an overtly emotional person, but he had to interview, hire, learn about and interact with every Klokateer. Whether he wanted to or not, he knew many of them incredibly well, which made it all the more difficult to bury them.

This day, Annual Klokateer Remembrance Day, was the hardest day though, even beyond the individual funerals.

“Thank you all for being here,” Charles continued. “We do offer this day off, for all who wish to commemorate it privately. But you all are here today, and that shows great strength and bravery. I appreciate your care for each other, that is evident here.”

The crowd of unmasked, in street clothes Klokateers was something else to face. It was odd, to be able to see all their features, to make out one from the other more easily than when they were in uniform.

A reminder that while they were dedicated to the literal death employees, they were still people. Still human.

“We have candles available for all who would like them, and the period of non-denominational prayer and remembrance will begin in five minutes,” Charles said, watching as they filtered up front in a careful queue to take candles from the boxes near the stage. “After, the boys have prepared video speeches that will play. We know that it can be a bit...raw, seeing them in person on this day, so they have been sent on vacation for the next few days. After that, the open mic period will commence. As always, you may come up and eulogize any fallen coworkers, in whatever manner you like. If you have prepared music, please hand it to Dick, who is handling our mixing for the event.”

Dick Knubbler, who had been keeping to the wings of the stage, leaned out and waved gently, wincing at Charles as he leaned back.

He couldn’t blame him. There were a lot of tears and open sobbing this year, and it was all perfectly valid. It had been a rough year for their staff, somehow even more of a bloodbath than usual. And that took a toll.

It choked him up, five minutes later, watching them all in their various forms of prayer, or deep thought. Heads bowed, shoulders shaking through quieted tears.

They gave everything for this job. He would do the same. But how could he ever explain it to anyone outside of the Dethklok empire, should anyone have ever asked?

He didn’t think he could. You either were ready to die for the boys, for the job, or you weren’t.

That had factored in when he had helped the boys tape their speeches as well. They’d been less tone-deaf than last year, but even so, his editing had been required.

Nathan’s was first.

“Hey guys,” Nathan looked uncomfortable. He had insisted upon sitting on his bed for the video, for reasons Charles hadn’t felt he wanted to know. “So...a lot of you died. And that sucks, and we’re really sorry about it. You do a lot for us. Uhhhh....like the time I was really drunk, and I threw up in my own hair. One of you washed my hair for me, and braided it after, and that was really cool. I got told that guy died in an accident with the jet...so, I wanna say I hope he’s doin’ good. Wherever dead people go. Braiding hair in heaven, ya know? Um...yeah.”

Pickles was next.

“So, people dyin’ sucks,” Pickles had, somehow, been sober for the video. It shocked Charles, but Pickles had insisted on staying put together for it. It was a nice but surprisingly mature thing for Pickles to do. “And I know that saying that doesn’t make it easier to deal with. You gotta...feel it, ya know? Feel the pain. Cry a bunch. Scream. Maybe kick something, or break a lamp. We got lots of extra lamps, if you need to do that, just ask Charles about it. But yeah...do all of that today, okay? For me. Maybe get drunk or stoned if ya gotta, but be safe. We don’t want any of ya dying during this thing, after all. Anyway. We love ya, and everything you do.”

Murderface had been the hardest one to film, mostly because Murderface didn’t want to film it at all. “This isch kind of schtupid, if I’m honest. I mean, my parentsch are dead, and I don’t do anything like this about it. Whatever, Charlesch is doing the ‘shut the fuck up’ hand gesture. Look, we’re schorry a bunch of you die all the time. You do good work, and dying isch rough. But hey, other people in the world are gettin’ fired from jobsch and dying in the street. At least that ain’t you, right?”

Skwisgaar had filmed his outside, with one of the yard wolves sleeping in his lap. Charles felt like the wolf helped, oddly enough. Like watching a puppy sleep, or something. Cute and soothing. “Yous guys ams the backbone of this place, but you does dies an awful lots. And that ams somethings regretables. But we don’ts wants you to dies, if that helps any. The jobs ams simply a dangerous one, but yous all knows that. Keeps up the good work, and wes will tries to gets less of you killed.”

Toki’s was...a mess. But a well-meaning and sweet mess, at least. “We loves you guys,” Toki sobbed. “Ams so sorrys you always dyings so much. You don’ts deserves that. You makes me Hot Pockets all the times, and gets Pickle weed, and braids Nathan’s hair, and I thinks a few of you fucks Skwisgaar which ams nice-” He brushed tears from his eyes. “Since he ams arguably the ugliest of all of us. But enoughs about how yous hold backs your vomits over him. You little guys ams the best. I loves you.”

Charles watched as Dick switched everything over to the open mic, and sighed. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to stay for the whole thing, or to slip out and leave them to it. He didn’t have to worry about them, he knew that. This was a holy day for everyone, and they always behaved well. Dick could handle the emcee duties, if needed.

But that wouldn’t be right, to leave. The part that was perhaps hardest to admit, was that his own hand played in these deaths, in various ways, even if unintentional.

He owed it to the lost Klokateers to stay, so he would.

#text post #LeeH writes #metalocalypse #metalocalypse fic #kloktober

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bitnotgood28 · 4 years

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Thank you @hometothecanyonmoon for tagging me!!

1) When did you become a Louie?

Embarrassingly late. I’d say around mid-April 2020, since that’s around the time I learned about Larry and joined the 1D fandom. I focused mostly on Louis and Harry and whatever they got up to, so during that I just noticed little quirks and started to pick up on their personalities. Harry is sweet and dorky and I adore him, but I love Louis’ wit and his sarcasm and his compassion, basically his character in general. Afterwards, I learned that Louis has recently released LT1, so I downloaded the entire album to give it a listen and have not stopped listening since. His whole album is a blessing, all of his music is so meaningful and touching; you’ve heard his songs and lyrics, yeah?

2) Why did you become a Louie?

Multiple reasons, the two main ones being his music and his personality. I’m not greatly interested in the type of music that’s mostly being released at present (no offense meant), and Louis’ voice is just incredibly unique, something I really like in artists. Everything that he’s written has been sincere and expressive, like a touch of rawness in them, especially when he sings. There’s just so much emotion behind every word and note, and his voice!! It has the sweetest rasp to it and his voice has gotten stronger and more powerful over the years, yet it can still be soft and light like during the bridge in Defenceless. He is also such a sweetheart, treating everyone kindly and with understanding unless he thinks they’re undeserving of it. The way he socialize with children and animals makes my heart melt, he looks so happy and excited during those interactions with his crinkling eyes and his smile-goodness, he is truly God’s gift.

3) One thing that drew you in specifically?

Easily his charisma and satire. His humor and jokes always stood out to me during interviews, his quips are just hilarious, that sweet boy. He draws attention to himself and leaves an imprint on you, and you get attached to him and his personality and his cheekbones-essentially his entire being. I was also kind of irritated with the amount of lines he and Niall were given compared to the other boys, so I paid more mind to the two of them (along with Harry) at the beginning. I think it’s also because I tend to notice those who aren’t as noticed or not quite under the spotlight-is that they proper description? Anyway, between Louis and Niall I wound up taking more of a liking to Louis with his sass and his cheek and his eyelashes. Man, is he even real? He’s so sweet and genuine, he’s endured so much and has continued to stand strong after each blow; it’s as heartbreaking as it’s inspiring. I just want to wrap him in a blanket and take him far away from all the cruelty present in the world, maybe feed him some tacos and stroke his hair until he falls asleep. He can still joke around and enjoy life while also doing his job and doing it brilliantly, might I add. I feel like he’d be a wonderful best friend to have, empathetic and supportive, someone you’d be able to stir up chaos with but also who’d keep your moral compass pointing in the right direction. Honestly, I’m quite certain that God created him with the thought of sunshine and sunflowers in His head.

4) Favorite song on Walls?

Oo, that’s difficult. I love Always You, its tempo and it’s tune are just really lively and upbeat. I’ve also got a special place in my heart for the lyrics of Fearless (God, that second verse and chorus and first verse - the whole song), Defenceless (“I come running to you like a moth into a flame,”? “I’m too tired to be tough, just wanna be loved by you,”???), Only For the Brave (“It’s a church of burnt romances and I’m too far gone to pray,” “All the lonely shadow dances from the cradle to the grave,” this song is so lyrically poetic and I love every second of it), and Two of Us (the bridge.. God it’s so melancholy yet somewhat hopeful[?]). Kill My Mind also has this great indie rock sound to it, I’d gladly listen to it for hours. I.. am realizing that this absolutely does not answer the question, but I hope you now understand how good Louis’ songs are and how much I love them <333

5) Who would you want Louis to collab with?

Okay, I took a bit of time on this and I think one would be Alessia Cara. I’d really like to hear how they would sound together, considering how unique and distinctive both of their voices are individually, and how the music they produced would mesh with each other. Another would probably be Ed Sheeran, lyrically I think they’d be quite powerful like Louis and Alessia, but I’m not sure how they’d sound as a unit. It’d be interesting to hear though, I’m sure. Last is Harry, and if you’ve heard edits and that duet in the chorus of Truly, Madly, Deeply, you know what I’m talking about and you know how good they sound together.

6) Favorite Hairstyle?

Peaky blinders is one, he looked like a sweet little hedgehog during that time. Cinnamon swirl is also high on the list. He looked like actual royalty (I mean when doesn’t he, but this is god tier princely) and everything was right in the world. He was just- the living embodiment of delicate. His messy quiff and messy fringe back in 2013-2014 were just.. so attractive? Those hairstyles also make me miss seeing his full face :((

7) Back to You, Just Hold On, or Miss You?

(where is the Just Like You option)

I love the lyrics and meaning behind Just Hold On, it’s all really hopeful and motivating. The whole song was really well done, Louis and Steve Aoki did such a good job. Miss You also has a great sound to it, and you can really hear his accent throughout the whole song (fook, luv, anova, need I go on). I also love the bit of violin (I think it’s a violin) they added in the second pre-chorus and final chorus? It adds kind of like a lighter factor to the heavy guitar and drums already present in the song, and some sort of assurance that everything will be okay (I’m bad at describing things I’m sorry akdjsjdj). Back to You, God the notes they hit during that song.. beautiful (“We don’t know how to make it stop,” and “I love it, I hate it and I can’t take it,”). Can I also just say that Louis and Bebe both looked really, really attractive during that music video? Like damn please hold back on the extra chili, it’s already hot in here.

8) Louis in suits or sweaters?

Louis in suits is just.. all his assets (ha) are accentuated and he looks so sharp and beautiful, his shoulders just a bit broader, and his curves more defined. Then when he wears blue suits, his eyes are just that much more blue. Louis in sweaters, on the other hand: sunflowers incarnate, sunshine and kittens, a soft heated blanket with socked feet and a fireplace while snow falls softly outside the window. He looks so, so warm and huggable and sweet with his sweater paws- imagine being his friend and being able to cuddle him? Just snuggle and chat about what he’s got prepared for LT2, maybe watch a horror movie. God truly has His favorites. In conclusion: Louis in sweaters.

9) Favorite tattoo?

I think the compass was really well made, like the shading and the contours make it look almost lifelike. Then it points to HOME, which I think is so sweet and personal, like he already knows what ‘home’ is to him and he’s sure that that’s where he’d want to go back to, every time without a doubt. I also like the “It Is What It Is” tattoo, it’s written elegantly, kind of like a Ballantines font and it’s definitely an eye-catcher, displayed on his chest. The stag one also isn’t bad, its right eye is just a bit more bugged out than the other. It makes it a lil more special though, it’s easily identifiable as Louis’ tattoo because of that and the antlers are sort of majestic.

10) Favorite Louis photo (currently)?

I am going to pretend I read that as ‘photos’ because I am an indecisive little shit :))

(HELLOOOO HE LOOK LIKE THE SWEETEST HEDGEHOG // He is just- in his element, he is living up there)

(He makes the tousled hair look so good what the hell // Does this need elaboration, I mean, his smile literally powers everything on earth, and the crinkles by his eyes, and his sweater, and his lil canines, and-)

(Please God he is. Ethereal. Stunning. Perfect. In both photos, his eyes are just. Bright. And the cinnamon swirl, I- I’ve ascended to a higher plane of existence. He’s just so beautiful. Gorgeous really.)

11) Random extra?

When one is given the opportunity to express their love for Louis Tomlinson’s accent, one must accept.

His accent is like. Familiar, a bit like home (no, I’m not English), and I love that he’s been able to keep it even after years of living abroad. He has one of those accents where you can tell it’s present even when he sings, and when he uses endearments, God, it’s just so charming and sweet. It’s also really strong and distinctive, you can tell who he is by the first syllable or word he says. It’s a part of who he is and I love it so much and I love him so much, Jesus Christ akjskjd

I had fun being able to talk about Louis in this, there’s so much to him and every bit of it is another ray of sunshine <333

I tag @adorelou-28, @makethebestofwhatyouget, @28-oops-hi, and anyone else who wants to do this, no compulsions :))

#thank you Rae!!#i swear its been weeks since ive been tagged to do this and i am so sorry aldjakdjjd #tag games

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whitleyschn33 · 4 years

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RWBY7 Soundtrack

Should I be reviewing/giving my thoughts on the OST when I have plenty of asks in my inbox to answer and have no musical authority at all? No, probably not. Am I doing it anyway? Yes.

This is just going to be in what (I assume) is the track order. Let me know if I miss any; I’m going off a YouTube playlist.

1. Trust Love

Initial thoughts: Eh.

It’s okay. It’s not my favorite opening, that honor goes to When It Falls, but it’s competent. Very optimistic, which is a trend for this volume’s soundtrack despite how dire the tone of the latter half is, so I don’t think it fully fits the volume it opens for, but it’s by no means a bad song. It’s easy to sing along and bop to, just doesn’t seem as impressive as the other opening songs. It feels like a different sort of sound than what RWBY songs have been in the past, which is also a running theme for the OST this volume - new artists singing, a lot of experimentation in the style. That’s not a bad thing; the tracks I like the most on this album are the different sounding ones, but it’s very.... noticeable, and didn’t go in the direction you would think for Atlas.

2. Touch the Sky

Initial Thoughts: Why is the best part of this song the ending?

No, but seriously, that outro is a very different sound to the proceeding song and it’s so good. Other than that, I’ve got questions. Like, whose song is this? I’m leaning towards Team RWBY as a whole, but I’ve seen people suggest it’s Weiss’s, it’s Blake’s, I could see an argument for Yang - it’s very unclear. Also, why is the POV character(s) so happy? Their situation isn’t all that much better in terms of Salem and the Relic and all that; they should still be weighed down with that knowledge, shouldn’t they? They don’t trust Ironwood to help make things all better, they still have to carry the Relic (for plot reasons), the only thing that’s changed is that they’re going out on missions. Well, fresh clothes and a distraction are always nice, and it is a chance to put all that stuff on the back burner. I’ll give them that, then.

3. Brand New Day

Initial Thoughts: From the writers that make every Blake song a duet, here’s her volume 7 song; a duet with.... Qrow?

Have Blake and Qrow ever even spoken to each other? And, is there actually no solo Blake song, or am I beating on a dead meme? Actually, to be completely serious, these two actually work well in a song together. Their character directions compliment each other in this volume - both trying to reinvent themselves some and become better (Blake with her new hair and outfits, Qrow with a new outfit and a resolve to recover from alcoholism), it’s just a shame that, you know, this kind of talk or relationship never happens in the show. At all.

Someone in the YouTube comment section said this song sounds like a 90′s sitcom opening, and I have to agree. It really does, mixed with a bit of 50′s doo-wap. It’s not bad, I actually like the doo-wap, but it also has bits of the usual RWBY style rock, and they don’t mix as coherently as I would like in some places. The guitar bridge after Qrow’s verse is pretty nice, though.

Overall, it’s another good song to bop along to, but like the songs before it, I’m not sure it’s one I’ll be listening to over and over.

4. Let’s Get Real

Initial Thoughts: So, even the song thinks they should talk - why didn’t they?

Here’s something you may not know about me. I don’t romantically ship Renora. I’ve always preferred them as a brother/sister pair - probably in part because I’m a sucker for found family. I’ve never really had anything against romantic Renora, though... but this volume definitely made me go from neutral to dislike. Ren’s confused, he’s worried, he’s having doubts about their relationship that he’s not sure how to vocalize. He admits as much. And instead of, I don’t know, respecting that and letting it be for the moment, or pulling him aside to try and help him talk it through, she... kisses him. Instead of stopping to let them work through where their relationship is at the present (which would be nice, to clue the audience in on what exactly their status is), she pushes their relationship to the next level, presumably. It leaves a very bad taste in my mouth, that Ren’s emotions about his relationship with Nora are just shoved aside and aren’t brought up again. Hopefully it does in the next volume (Nora and Ren are notably split for, like, the first time ever in the Volume 8 preview), but still - I thought Tumblr had decided that “guy shuts a girl up by kissing her” trope was sexist or something - shouldn’t this be similarly scrutinized?

Putting that aside, I actually really really like this. It’s very reminiscent of Shine, but a Renora version; it’s got a great beat, the lyrics do a great job in character insight (something I love from RWBY songs, which are probably why Touch the Sky doesn’t do a lot for me), and it’s just a very fun, peppy song. It also feels very at home in Atlas with it’s more techno-leanings. The ending chorus chant of “Is it love?” is also a nice touch.

5. Celebrate

Initial Thoughts: The better Brand New Day (musically speaking).

And by that I mean, it leans all the way into this different style than the half/half approach Brand New Day did, and it’s all the better for it. Once again, another good dancing song, easy to listen and bop to, but it feels... oddly generic. For one thing, there’s no character tied to it, no character insight - I guess you could make an argument for Robin or the Happy Huntresses, but... not really? For another, while as a song I really enjoy the genre of music, it also makes it feel very much not like a RWBY song (something not helped by name-dropping Vegas). It’s fun, but it doesn’t feel like it adds much to the show.

6. War

Initial Thoughts: Wow, I didn’t think you could make me hate the AceOps fight more, but look at that.

Probably the first RWBY song I just flat out hate, and that’s a crying shame considering the excellent music and vocal performances. Those lyrics, though. Just - I hate them. I hate them so damn much. I refuse to give this song more than that.

7. Hero

Initial thoughts: Hell yeah hell yeah hell yeah HELL YEAH -

Best song on the album probably. It has all the usual RWBY flare, gives us a great insight into Ironwood’s thoughts and motivations, and is a fantastic performance by Caleb Hyles. The operatic section at the beginning is wonderfully chilling, and the rock section is very epic. 10/10 song even though I’m not rating these.

8. Until the End

Initial thoughts: Time to play “Who does this gorgeous song belong to?”

Actually, I really, really enjoy this song. It’s creepy in its melancholy, but I love it for that. The piano and subtle strings are beautiful, and the way Casey’s voice echoes gives the illusion of solitude in an empty place, perfect for the tone this song conveys.

Now, the matter of whose song it is. The consensus seems to be Ruby and/or Summer, and that’s pretty likely (and letting Ruby actually have a song would be nice). However, I heard a rumor before the album dropped that this was an Ozpin song, and going through it with that lens makes a whole lot of sense - the repeated “I’ll be here until the end”, the constant use of “we”, “our” and other plurals, the lines “ In waves of shame, we’re desperate to make amends / But through a simple soul, we lie complacent” could refer to him lying dormant in Oscar or other souls in the past instead of actively working to defeat Salem, and in the lines “ As light fills my eyes / I’ll picture me beside her / And pray that I’ll inspire”, it could be him thinking of Salem when he dies, and then praying that he’ll be able to inspire others to fight for humanity, for the light.

I could see it either way, honestly, but no matter which it is, I love this song.

9. Fear

Initial thoughts: Fire whoever was in charge of sound mixing, otherwise, not as preachy as I was fearing.

This is actually the first time I’ve listened to this. I was pretty pissed at the ending of the finale so I didn’t stick around for the credits, and hearing that it was called “Fear”, I was not in the mood for more Ironwood bashing or “You’re just as bad as she is if you act in fear” or whatever BS Oscar said. So, yeah, wasn’t looking forward to this track.

Thankfully, though, it was not another War. I actually enjoyed the lyrics, and the music was top-notch. Don’t really have much more to say about it other than it was difficult to hear the lyrics over the music in some places, but that could be a factor of the video I was listening to. All in all, pleasantly surprised.

10. I May Fall (Acoustic)

Initial Thoughts: Can someone tell the Williams that “acoustic” doesn’t always mean “depressing?”

Like, acoustic doesn’t have to be a super slow, piano/strings, somber rendition, right? It’s just the instruments and the singer without any added computer editing/layering/whatever, if I’m not mistaken. That style of acoustic works alright with songs like Time to Say Goodbye, but not so well with more upbeat songs. This version isn’t bad, per se, but I’d like to see an acoustic version more in line with the original.

That aside - the original I May Fall is my favorite RWBY song, bar none. This rendition was always going to be something I liked, and I do appreciate a lot about it. The strings are absolutely beautiful, particularly the cello(? I think, again, I’m not much of a music person, just have a sister that plays violin), and I love the way the violin/viola picks up for the second verse and gives the song a second wind, implying more strength and resolve. I love the music cutting out completely to let Casey sing, with the instruments slowly coming in to join as she gets louder and stronger, as if standing with her - beautiful, it’s all insanely beautiful, and this is one I will probably buy.

Closing Thoughts

This album was... average, to me. Only a couple songs really jumped out at me, while most were good, but not something I was dying to listen to again, or were dragged down by the context.

What’re your thoughts on this volume’s songs? I’d love to hear them! Until then, have a good evening, and stay safe!

#rwby7 #rwby #rwby7 soundtrack #rwby soundtrack

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lingthusiasm · 4 years

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Transcript Episode 39: How to rebalance a lopsided conversation

This is a transcript for Lingthusiasm Episode 39: How to rebalance a lopsided conversation. It’s been lightly edited for readability. Listen to the episode here or wherever you get your podcasts. Links to studies mentioned and further reading can be found on the Episode 39 show notes page.

[Music]

Gretchen: Welcome to Lingthusiasm, a podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics! I’m Gretchen McCulloch.

Lauren: I’m Lauren Gawne. Today, we’re getting enthusiastic about analysing conversation. But first, thank you for spending another year with us travelling around the sun.

Gretchen: It’s been so much fun doing this again for a third year. Thank you for sending in all of your examples and quotes and fun facts for our anniversary. We’ve also been enjoying, so much, seeing your photos of the socks, and the glottal bottles, and the liquids for your liquids, and the other Lingthusiasm merch in your lives.

Lauren: We’re looking forward to bringing you another year of Lingthusiasm, both our main episodes and our bonus episodes, in 2020. Our current bonus episode is about onomatopoeia.

Gretchen: You can get access to the onomatopoeia bonus and 33 other bonus episodes at patreon.com/lingthusiasm or follow the links from our website.

[Music]

Gretchen: When we talk about kids learning language, we often get really excited about a baby’s first word. But before kids can even get to that first word, let alone first sentence stage, they’re already doing something that’s really cool linguistically. That’s having conversations.

Lauren: I’m already having great conversations with a kid who doesn’t have any words yet and that’s because she can participate in that back and forth, and taking turns, and I make a noise and then she responds. And then I – as a good, supportive parent structuring her through her language acquisition – will respond as though she’s given some kind of opinion, “Ah, oh, really?” I love it when grownups are like, “Ah, that’s interesting,” at kids because they’re kind of motivating them through learning this skill of having conversations.

Gretchen: I love it. I mean, suddenly, all my friends are having babies now. So, I’m beginning to practice this kind of pseudo-conversational skill with a lot of different small kids. You also see fun videos of this on the internet. There’s these two twins in a kitchen. They seem to be having this nonsense conversation back and forth with each other. There’s one with a dad who’s having this conversation with his kid and he’s responding to the kid as if it’s a real conversation. The kids are learning something from that.

Lauren: Those videos get me every time. I love it so much. One thing they’re doing is using intonation, which is that way of changing the tone and the melody of your voice. Nicole Holliday talked about that in our Episode 13 on intonation. We do other things to show people that we want to speak or that it’s their turn to speak – and how we build conversations like this. There’s a whole field dedicated to studying this from the perspective of linguistics.

Gretchen: Yeah. Conversation analysis is such an interesting subfield of linguistics because a lot of us think about the sounds or the words or the sentences, but there’s also this broader conversational level where there are also interesting patterns going on. A thing that I found most satisfying about encountering conversation analysis was how understanding how there are different cultural conversational norms, which helped me navigate different kinds of conversations that I was having in different kinds of norms that other people were having, even if you’re all speakers, ostensibly, of English. Even if you’re speaking the same language, you can have slightly different conversational norms depending on your personality type, or what region you’re from, or various other factors. Understanding those more explicitly can help make those conversations more rewarding.

Lauren: Conversation analysis has definitely helped me through holiday season, family conversations, interacting with small kids, job interviews, all of these places where back and forth conversations happen. Understanding them from what’s happening on the linguistic level is a really useful way to think about conversation.

Gretchen: Yeah. Travel, when you’re interacting with people from different backgrounds and stuff like that, also really helps with that. There’s this great metaphor that gets used with conversation, which is already present in English in general, that conversation analysts have really seized on, which is the idea that conversations have a floor. When you have the floor, you’re the one who’s talking. So, I have the floor right now –

Lauren: I could interject, and I could take the floor. The metaphor is from places like parliaments where there is a literal speaking area on the floor where a person comes to and does the speaking. In formal contexts there are formal ways to officially take the floor, so to speak. If you’ve been in high school debating, you’ll know that the person has to walk to the middle of the room or stand up. If you have been to Parliament, you’ll see where they physically walk to on the floor to speak.

Gretchen: Even in less formal contexts, like when you start going to school and you get taught you need to raise your hand before you talk, that’s a way of saying, “We’ve got 30 people in here and the only way to manage the floor is to do some sort of more formalised things.” Because, by default, the teacher has the floor. Or in some contexts you have something like a talking stick that you can pass around and that also helps signal who has the floor.

Lauren: Those formal ways of showing who has the floor are great in formal situations or in large groups of people where lots of people might be competing to be the one to speak or negotiating who’s going to be the one to speak. Where there’s smaller groups of people, we can also signal our interest in taking the floor. We can do that with our voice by kind of going, “Uh, yeah” or kind of saying, “That’s a great point,” and then waiting for them to speak and then stepping in. We can use the way we look at someone. We can lean forward or use a gesture that we kind of hold in space to show that we are ready to take the floor if someone will give it over to us.

Gretchen: I’ve been talking at a lot of conferences on panels recently. The interesting thing about being on a panel of four or five people is that you’re figuring out how to navigate who has the floor because you’re trying to present a good experience for the audience and let each of the panellists talk about their area of expertise. You wanna negotiate that “Who has something to say next?” sort of thing. I’ve become very attuned to what I call the “I have something to say about that” body language/gesture combination, which is like you have one hand that’s kind of raised a little bit, just below the level of your face with maybe your index figure extended and the other fingers kind of curled. And then your eyebrow’s a little bit lifted and your mouth kind of half open. You might say something like, “Uh...” Of course, I’m doing it, but you can’t see it. But you can just picture that, “Hello, I would like to interject politely, please” gesture set, and facial expressions. That’s one way of signalling “I’d like to talk” in a semi-formal context.

Lauren: In those contexts, a really good panel moderator or a really good chair of a meeting will read that and go, “Okay, we’ll hear from this person and then that person,” as a way of managing that. In more informal situations, it really is a matter of everyone in the conversation trying to be as receptive as possible to the needs of each of the speakers.

Gretchen: Sometimes, deliberately not doing that and saying, “I know you have a thing to say, but let me finish this.” You can not let people have the floor as well.

Lauren: I think the really interesting thing about conversation analysis is it shows just how much negotiating we do. We might be talking about a topic over here, but so much of our energy about talking around that topic happens around the edge of who has the right to speak, who’s gonna finish their turn, who’s gonna talk next. There are lots of ways to not give the floor over to someone. We talked a bit about the “I’m willing to speak now” body language and things you can say. But there are also strategies to stop people from taking their turn: continuing to speak. You can use intonation to stop people talking over the conversation by making your voice go up a little bit at the end so that it makes it clear that you still have something more to say. Then, people will be less likely to interject.

Gretchen: See, look! I didn’t interject at any point there because I was like, “Lauren clearly has something to say because she’s going up at the end and she doesn’t want me to interrupt her.”

Lauren: Thank you very much for taking the floor-maintaining cue that I was using.

Gretchen: Even things like a filled pause – when you say something like “um” or “uh” or “well, uh, I think, maybe,” that can be a way of saying, “I’m still searching for the words that I wanna try to get out, but I have words to get out.” It’s not just a silent pause where the other person might take it as their turn to talk.

Lauren: Also holding your gesture up in the gesture space – if you go up and make a gesture and you don’t put it down, even if you don’t say anything. I like to use this when I teach language and gesture. I kind of see how long the students can cope with me having my hands up without saying something before they start looking a bit uncomfortable. You can stretch it out really far. If you have a conversational situation where you don’t wanna give someone else the chance to speak for a particular reason, there are lots of strategies that you can use to maintain being the person who’s doing the talking.

Gretchen: One that I found really interesting is the use of eye gaze in this because if you think about the simple notion of eye gaze, you might assume like, “Oh, people are talking to each other. They must be looking at each other.” But in actual fact, what often happens is that the person who’s listening is more likely to gaze at the person who’s talking, but the person who’s talking is more likely to gaze away. Then, the talker can use that return of the eye gaze to the listener or to the groups of listeners to signal that they’re finished with their turn.

Lauren: Listeners can also do things to support the person who is talking. You can nod your head. You can go, “Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah.” You can kind of give them some vocal feedback. But that gaze is also really important. It’s why people find it really stressful if they’re the one talking if people are looking at their phones because it indicates that they’re not respecting that this person’s talking at this point.

Gretchen: Right. We should say that there are different sorts of gaze norms. Not everybody is comfortable maintaining eye contact and that can sometimes result in conflict if people have different sets of – whether they’re expecting somebody to be holding their gaze as if they’re listening or whether you can say, “Actually, I’m doodling and that makes it easier for me to listen,” but it’s not necessarily part of the same set of norms.

Lauren: I’m also a very vocal supporter of people who have the floor. I will do lots of smiling and nodding and hm-ing. That’s not the case for everyone. It’s also a matter of different audiences, whether that be because of cultural differences or just personal preference differences, respond differently.

Gretchen: I try to be that person when I’m a larger audience of that person who’s just gonna nod at the speaker, especially if they seem, maybe, they’re a little bit nervous or I know it’s the first time giving a talk or something. I’m just going, “I’m just gonna sit here nodding,” because it’s always really reassuring to look out at the audience and see someone there nodding every time you make a point.

Lauren: Because that’s how we’ve learnt to structure a conversation. Then, suddenly you have a different genre, which is a formal talk, and you’re not getting those cues that you’re used to from conversation. It can be really confronting. It’s really confronting when you have someone who sits there and doesn’t really smile or nod. Then, at the end, they’re like, “That talk was...” – they were clearly engaged. And you’re like “Oi, I have a very conflicting set of cues from you right now.”

Gretchen: I was giving a talk a number of years ago. I had a person sitting in the back row at some point just put their head on their palm, like face down, like kind of facepalm, during the talk. I was like, “Oh, no! What have I just said?” It turned out it was fine. But it definitely freaked me out.

Lauren: Just a long day of talks from this poor person.

Gretchen: Yeah. One of the things that I think is really interesting when it comes to conversation is how people structure the amount of silence and the amount of overlap that happens in between conversational turns – how you structure that passing back and forth of the floor to one another.

Lauren: We’ve talked about different strategies people can use to keep the floor, to hand it to someone, to be the supportive listener who’s letting them keep the floor or to take it, but they happen at different paces and in different ways in different conversations.

Gretchen: Have you ever been in a conversation where you felt like you either had a hard time getting the floor because the other person was just talking so much you couldn’t get a word in edgewise, or you’re stuck with the floor because the other person just wouldn’t talk at all and you’re carrying both ends of the conversation?

Lauren: I’ve definitely been involved in conversations with you where I’m pretty sure other people would have a hard time getting a word in if they weren’t particularly assertive about it. We’re both very good at talking. As soon as you give over the floor, I’m happy to take it. We often overlap. We owe a great debt of gratitude to our producer, Claire, who makes this sound like a conversation people can listen to sometimes. I definitely know that I have a habit of being very in a conversation, and as soon as someone hands me the floor, I’ll take it. And I’ll hand it back just as quickly. If they’re not in there, I’ll probably have something else to say.

Gretchen: For me, if I’m excited about what someone’s saying, I wanna be anticipating what they’re going to say and – not finishing their sentences in a, like, trying to cut them off sort of way, but in a like, “I’m showing that I’m following you so closely that I can anticipate what you wanna say because of how much I’m paying attention right now.”

Lauren: There’s a part of me that always wants to be the wise, wait for someone to talk, and take a moment’s breath, and come back with an incredibly pithy reply that is very efficient. But actually, no, I actually find the cut and thrust of a face-paced, enthusiastic conversation much more satisfying.

Gretchen: I think of the Owl character from Winnie-the-Pooh of like, “Ah, yes. That’s very interesting. Let me retreat to my cave and ponder it for a week. And then I’ll come back to you with a reply.” I’ve been in the situation where, even though normally I’m really keen on the cut and thrust of the conversation – I’m definitely more on that side – sometimes I have been in conversations, especially if I’m a little bit tired, where someone else will just be talking and I’ll be like, “Yeah, I guess I could say something, but I’m just silent right now. You’re just doing all the talking, and I’m sorry about that, but that’s what you’re doing.”

Lauren: When I’m in Nepal, that is definitely more the pace of conversation. I think it’s partly just that it takes having a conversation in a second language to slow me down a little bit. I think also conversation styles in general with the people I talk to tend to be a bit more, “I’ll say my thing. Then, you’ll say your thing. And then I’ll say my thing.” It’s a different pace of conversation.

Gretchen: I will say that I grew up in eastern Canada, in Nova Scotia, and I have been very used to having these high-overlap conversations. Then, I moved to Ontario for undergrad and this was the first time that I ever heard people saying the phrase, “No, you go ahead,” in conversation. I was like, “What? Why would anyone ever say this?” because, clearly, the thing that people do is just you both just keep trying and then eventually either you give up because you didn’t actually think your thing was that important or you eventually get it out. Nobody takes any offence about this because that’s just how conversations happen. Why would you ever tell someone, “No, you go ahead?” You could just be talking at that point. Why would you be spending this time on conversation management phrases? But now I go back to Nova Scotia and I’m like, “Wow! People talk really fast.”

Lauren: In different contexts you have people who are very involved in the conversation and get right in there. Then, as a spectrum of individual preferences or larger cultural preferences at the other end, you have people that are very considerate of the other person’s right to be the person who has the floor and is taking their turn.

Gretchen: Yeah. This was why it was really satisfying for me to read Deborah Tannen because she has several books which have been very popular pop linguistics books about conversation. One of the distinctions that Deborah Tannen makes is between high-involvement conversational styles and high-considerateness conversational styles. When I read this it was like, “Oh! Here’s this thing that I’ve been doing, that I’ve noticed in different types of conversation where you have some kinds of conversation where you have this cut and thrust, and this back and forth, and this high level of overlap.” I think it’s probably not a coincidence, Lauren, that we became friends because we both have this type of conversational style, so we don’t feel like we’re interrupting each other. I’ve noticed that I tend to be friends with more people that have high-involvement. I’m sorry, high-considerateness people, I’m sure you’re all lovely, but it just doesn’t always click as much.

Lauren: I think there’s something about someone who you click with is in some way a factor of how you interact.

Gretchen: I noticed that I tend to be friends with other people who also talk quickly or other people who also have this high level of involvement in conversation. The thing that I like about the distinction that Tannen makes here is that “involvement” and “considerateness” both sound really positive. They both sound like really nice things to be. It’s not like the “fast talkers” and the “slow talkers,” which sounds sound of pejorative for both groups to be honest. Both traits that are really positive as long as you understand that’s what’s going on.

Lauren: I think it’s worth remembering not only are these traits a scale and that, as an individual, you can move up and down them depending on who you’re talking to and the context that you’re in, but also – and we talked about this a little bit in our Episode 23 about nothing and how silence can be meaningful in conversation – the differences that we’re talking about here are millisecond differences. But we’re so sensitively attuned to when we can take the floor, or when someone else wants to interject, that these differences are really small and there’s not a lot of difference between individuals. But overall, we’re very sensitive to it.

Gretchen: They’re so tiny. The example that Deborah Tannen has is she recorded some of her friends at a Thanksgiving dinner. Some of them were New Yorkers and some of them were Californians. She found that the New Yorkers were move high-involvement. The Californians were more high-considerateness. That’s within even the same country. You have two different coasts with two different sets of norms. You can build out that continuum even more. I said I’ve noticed it in Canada. If you think of it in terms of particular countries or particular nationalities, something like maybe Italians or Spanish speakers are gonna be more high-involvement. Whereas, something like, I think, Finns was Deborah Tannen’s example. In Finland, they’re very high-considerateness. They have a lot of silences between statements. But even that, it’s still milliseconds.

Lauren: We learn these things really early. I am raising what is probably gonna be a relatively high-involvement child because I’m teaching her the type of turn taking that I find acceptable.

Gretchen: The thing that I also found really interesting about Tannen’s research is that she also gives you a set of tips for what to do if you find yourself in a conversation with someone who is at a different point than you from the scale.

Lauren: This is a delightful applied use of conversation analysis.

Gretchen: It’s so useful! I tell this to people at parties because a) I’m that kind of person and b) it is really one of the most “Here’s how linguistics can make your life better” examples that I have ever encountered. I think this is why people like her books so much.

Lauren: So, as a high-involvement person, if I’m gonna have a conversation with someone who has a really high-considerateness threshold, what should I do?

Gretchen: Right. As a high-involvement person, something we may encounter more often is that you’re in a conversation with somebody and the other person is just not talking. And you’re like, “Oh, my god. I did not sign up to give a monologue, here. Why is this person not keeping up their end of the conversation? Are they bored? Are they unengaged with me? I have to do all the work myself.” The temptation when that happens is to kind of go into monologue mode of, like, “I guess I’m just doing all this work myself. I didn’t sign up for this, but I guess I’m just giving a monologue now because this person just won’t talk.” Tannen points out the temptation is to dig in deeper into the thing you’re already doing. What’s actually probably happening is that this person is waiting for a pause that’s long enough that they can interject, and they don’t feel like they’ve gotten one yet.

Lauren: This is why I find, sometimes, having coffee as an actual activity is quite useful because even the most high-involvement person has to stop for a few milliseconds to have a drink.

Gretchen: Sometimes, I do this very explicitly if I’m having lunch or something with someone. I notice that I’ve been doing a lot of talking and so their food is almost all eaten and my food is not eaten, and I’ll be like, “I’m gonna eat my food now. You should talk to me.”

Lauren: That should be a quantitative analysis – counting how much food is left for each person at different points in the conversation.

Gretchen: It’s like, “I still have three quarters of a sandwich here and you have barely any sandwich left, so it’s your turn to do the talking, and I’m gonna eat my sandwich now.” It’s great because a) I get a sandwich and b) I also don’t have to do the whole side of the conversation, and the other person doesn’t feel like I’m monopolizing the conversation as much.

Lauren: So, what if I’m a high-considerateness person, or I’m in a conversation where I feel like that’s my interactional style, and I’m being bombarded by a high-involvement person?

Gretchen: Yeah. Even though I would consider myself fairly high-involvement, sometimes I’ve been in the flip side of that where you have somebody who’s doing all the talking and not letting you get a word in edgewise. The temptation, if you’re more on the considerateness end in a given conversation, is to say, “Okay, well, I guess I’m just not gonna get a word in edgewise. I’m gonna just sit back here because this person seems totally content to just do all the talking. I’m just gonna give up.” Like how just doing all the talking yourself, if you’re on that end, is also a kind of digging yourself in deeper rather than trying a different strategy, the person who seems to be giving a monologue actually really wants to be interrupted – or what, for you, will feel like interrupting. I had a friend that I knew a number of years ago who was part of a larger friend group. This person was kind of known in our friend group for being a person that was prone to monologue or would get into conversational monologue. Because I’m pretty high-involvement, I was often able to interrupt this person and then other people could get in after me. We had this meta conversation among our friends that was like, “Do you guys mind that I keep trying to interrupt this person’s monologue?” And the other people were like, “No, no, no! This is great. Because once you’ve interrupted her, then I can get in.”

Lauren: Not because she didn’t want to be interrupted, just that you were the person who could do that.

Gretchen: No, I just had enough tolerance for overlap that I was willing to do something that, to the rest of this group – and this was early on when I had moved to Ontario. So, this was when I was in undergrad and I was still used to this really high-involvement style. Most of the people around me also had this high-considerateness style, except for someone else who also wasn’t from the same area who also had this really high-involvement style. So, I was able to get in this person’s very high-involvement style, and then all of these considerateness people were like, “Oh, yeah. Okay. Now, I can talk because there’s been a long enough gap that I feel like I can get a word in edgewise.” It’s really tempting to keep doing the strategy that you’re most comfortable with, but, in fact, it can be useful to do the thing that seems rude to you – whether that's it seems really rude to leave silences or it seems really rude to interrupt. That can sometimes help break a conversation out of its fail state where one person is doing all the talking and the other person isn’t talking at all.

Lauren: Thinking about cues to give over the floor or to take the floor and then using those to do the thing that probably feels like the thing you don’t want to be doing can make it a bit easier.

Gretchen: Yeah. Reading this on paper – and this is why I tell people, “Hey, there’s research about this because it feels really rude to do the thing that doesn’t come naturally." It feels rude to me to leave too many silences because then it’s like I’m not interested. But if I know that the other person is waiting for silences or if I know the other person is waiting for interruptions, even though an interruption might feel rude, it can be cooperative in the right set of circumstances. It gives you permission to help make the conversation better.

Lauren: Of course, remember you have other linguistic tools in your conversational toolkit for doing this. So, taking a moment to ask someone questions if you feel like you need to give them a chance to take the floor can be one way of very actively handing the floor over to someone. A question is a big “Here is the floor and I am handing it to you” strategy.

Gretchen: This was something that I also found really interesting about Tannen’s research because she talks about how some conversation styles – and I’m not sure if it completely correlates with the high-involvement versus high-considerateness thing – but she talks about how some conversational styles use questions and other conversational styles use one person’s anecdote as a springboard for me to give my version of that anecdote. And the other person uses that as a springboard for their anecdote. Then, I use it as a springboard for my anecdote. And you go back and forth with “You’ve shared something, so that’s my cue to share something,” even without questions. Whereas, for me in a conversational style, I actually find questions fairly rude.

Lauren: Because it’s assuming that I have the right to ask you about a part of your life that you may not feel like you wanna share with me.

Gretchen: Yeah, exactly. Like, not the “How are you” question. That’s fine. But if someone’s like, “What do you think about this?” or –

Lauren: I may or may not be willing to disclose that information.

Gretchen: That’s confidential. My name? You’re not allowed to have it.

Lauren: I guess I’m the same. I won’t ask people directly if they have kids, but I might say a story about my little kid and then that’s an invitation to them to talk about if they have kids or not if they want.

Gretchen: Yeah, exactly. I’m not gonna ask someone point blank, “Do you have kids?” Or if they mention a dog, I might be like, “Oh, your dog! How old is your dog?” or something like that. But I’m not gonna say, “Do you have any pets?” That just feels weird to me. But, in the inverse, it can also feel weird if you’re used to a conversational style that doesn’t have direct questions, if someone’s just doing what Tannen calls this “mutual paired disclosure” – so you tell a story, I tell a related story, you tell a story, I tell a related story. If someone’s just doing that style and you’re waiting to be asked a direct question, you could be like, “Wow, this person’s only talking about their life. Don’t they care about mine?” I’ve had to get used to saying, “Well, if someone asks me a direct question, at least I can assume that they won’t consider it rude for me to ask them the same question back,” which is about where I’m at. I’m still not really starting with questions, but at least I’ll reciprocate questions and hopefully people don’t find that rude.

Lauren: You’re doing some in-conversation real-time conversation analysis to figure out how best to proceed with the conversation.

Gretchen: Absolutely. That is exactly what I’m doing. Because linguists gotta ling. You can’t take the linguist out of the conversation. Have you done any official conversation analysis, Lauren, speaking of direct questions?

Lauren: I’ve done a lot of recording conversations and looking at how people use language in them. But it’s worth saying that conversation analysis is a really specific approach. The detail in the transcription is meticulous compared to, say, the transcripts that we create for the show. When we create a transcript for the show, we’ve already had Claire do wonderful audio editing and we’ve already really structured the conversation to be as clear as possible. She takes out all of the ums and uhs and a lot of those pauses and a lot of those overlaps that make it hard for people to listen. And then when Sarah does our transcripts, she cleans it up even more. We do this because we’re not trying to do conversation analysis on the transcripts. We just want something that people can have a pleasant experience reading. That’s very different to a conversation analysis transcript where you’re recording every single pause. You’re really making clear where those overlaps are. All of the false starts, all of the laughter, this all indicates how people are building the flow of conversation.

Gretchen: It can be really weird to look at a transcript of a conversation because you’re used to hearing a conversation or directly experiencing a conversation in its natural environment. Then, seeing that written down, especially with all of the annotations, it doesn’t look like a play script. It doesn’t look like a conversation in a novel. Because we don’t actually talk the way people talk in novels or in plays. We do have these overlaps. And we do have these sort of starting to say one thing and then ending up somewhere else, and misspeaking a little bit and then repairing it, and we don’t even notice it when we’re having it in real time. Then, you see it on the page and you’re like, “What is this mess?”

Lauren: In some ways, we can only really do this level of conversation analysis – and it’s not surprising it only really started in the '70s, '80s, '90s as it’s built up with affordable audio recording and now video recording.

Gretchen: That’s true.

Lauren: Because conversation analysis requires this revisiting, and transcribing, and more detail, and more detail. Conversation is so fleeting. It’s so hard to bring people back to it and even accurately recall conversation. We do a lot of editing in our head. I don’t think it’s surprising that conversation analysis is really closely tied with the evolution of technology.

Gretchen: Which also makes it interesting to think about conversation in the computer context. Because, of course, you also have chat as a format. One of the things that I found really interesting when I was researching my book, which perhaps you’ve heard of – we’ve been talking about it a lot on other episodes of this podcast – one of the things that I was interested in looking at when I was researching Because Internet was how the chat format had evolved. Because some of the very earliest formats of chat actually transmitted people’s messages character by character – letter by letter, space by space, punctuation mark by punctuation mark. You could see it in excruciating detail as someone was typing. Then, it seems like it would be a technological regression to say, “Actually, we’re just gonna send it one message at a time rather than every single letter.” It turns out this seems to be better for controlling the floor and taking turns in between stages of the conversation because it’s not quite as real time but it is more like a dialogue that a conversation actually happens in.

Lauren: I hadn’t ever really thought of that before. It would be very distracting to me to compose a message if I saw your message being composed at the same time.

Gretchen: Do you remember those old school PowerPoint animations where they’d drop in one letter a time in the title? It would just be really painful to watch.

Lauren: Yeah.

Gretchen: I think that’s what real-time chat would be like if it was character by character. This technology has existed since the '70s. There are conversations in the '70s that are character by character. Now, we don’t do it anymore. You also get platforms – so, like Google Docs – where if you’re collaborating on the document itself, you see other people’s messages character by character. But if you wanna chat about what’s in the document, you go back to a turn-based thing where you either use the comments, or you use the chat side bar, or sometimes people will each go on a new line and they’ll talk that way. You have to do stuff to make the turns more evident which, again, seems like it should be a regression until you think about conversation as a thing that’s not just composed of individual sounds or individual signs, but actually of turns.

Lauren: Whether it’s a conversation with someone who still doesn’t even have words, or a conversation across a great distance using computer chat, I really love that, in many ways, conversation really is a central feature of language, an essential feature of something we should be analysing when it comes to language. Because we talk about language being a really human thing, but I think in many ways, conversation is what makes language a fun and delightful human thing.

[Music]

Lauren: For more Lingthusiasm and links to all the things mentioned in this episode, go to lingthusiasm.com. You can listen to us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, or wherever else you get your podcasts. You can follow @Lingthusiasm on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr. You can get IPA and syntax tree scarves, ties, and socks, and other Lingthusiasm merch at lingthusiasm.com/merch. I tweet and blog as Superlinguo.

Gretchen: I can be found as @GretchenAMcC on Twitter, my blog is AllThingsLinguistic.com, and my book about internet language is called Because Internet. To listen to bonus episodes and help keep the show ad-free, go to patreon.com/lingthusiasm or follow the links from our website. Recent bonus topics include onomatopoeia, reading fiction as a linguist, and a behind- the-scenes look at the writing of Because Internet. Can’t afford to pledge? That’s okay, too. We also really appreciate it if you can recommend Lingthusiasm to anyone who needs a little more linguistics in their life.

Lauren: Lingthusiasm is created and produced by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. Our audio producer is Claire Gawne, our editorial producer is Sarah Dopierala, and our editorial manager is Emily Gref, our music is “Ancient Cities” by The Triangles.

Gretchen: Stay lingthusiastic!

[Music]

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#linguistics #lingthusiasm #language #conversation #conversation analysis #episode 39 #deborah tannen #high involvement #high considerateness #transcripts

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thesunnyshow · 4 years

Text

Name: Luna

Nationality: Spanish

Languages: Spanish, English, Catalan

Writing Blog URL(s): @moonlightjeno

What fandom(s) do you write for? NCT Dream (ot7) and I want to start writing for Ateez. Though you may find a couple of BTS and NCT 127/WayV pieces but those tend to be spontaneous as I don’t feel as comfortable writing for them.

Star Sign: Leo

MBTI: INFP - T

Favorite color: Sunset

Favorite food: Pizza

Favorite movie: Avatar! Yes, the one with blue people.

Favorite ice cream flavor: Cookies n cream.

Favorite animal: Wolf and red tailed hawks.

Coffee or tea? What are you ordering? Neither.

Dream job: Vet for wildlife and endangered species at an animal sanctuary.

Go-to karaoke song: Have never been to a karaoke so not really sure.

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose? Shapeshifting so I could fly but also be able to breath underwater.

If you could visit a historical era, which would you choose? Definitely the Cretaceous, I just love dinosaurs.

If you could restart your life, knowing what you do now, would you? Most definitely not, I believe that everything one does is meant and we just gotta adjust. So anything I might regret I learn from and everything I’ve experienced has shaped me in some way or form.

Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken? As someone who works with chickens (they’re devils) I think a 100 chicken-sized horses because I love horses and they’re a lot more chill if given care. Chickens are crazy dude.

If you were a trope in a teen high school movie, what would you have been? I guess either the nerd or jock? I’m a mix of both.

Do you believe in aliens/supernatural creatures? Most definitely! If we exist why can’t there be others?

You just won a ticket for a free vacation! Where are you going and why? Africa! In specific Kenya and Zimbabwe as they have some of the largest animal sanctuaries and I would love to both learn more about the culture and see all the animals to help as much as possible.

Fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know? When I’m writing a new fic I tend to have a playlist in the background and the mood of the fic tends to go in the direction of the music. And a couple of spontaneous dance sessions occur.

When did you post your first piece? Damn. I think the first official piece that made me want to start writing again was a Yuta timestamp? I wrote for a friend originally and then posted on May 12.

Who is your favorite person to write about? Lee Jeno. I’m definitely biased (as my masterlist can prove) but he’s just easy to write. I love writing other members but Jeno is always a sort of enigma that I can change but still apply the qualities that I just love about. Though I love writing about Cael (an oc from my novel).

Do you write fluff/angst/crack/general/smut, combo, etc? Why? I tend to write a mix of fluff and angst (sometimes crack but im horrible at humour *sigh*). I’m someone who reads for character development, so i always feel like angst is a way to develop a character especially in longer fics and helps it just make it more poetic. One of my favorite things to write is the description of emotions so angst is always a great way to convey that but then fluff to show the change in the characters.

Do you write OCs, X Readers, Ships...etc? I write member x reader, and try to make it as gender neutral as possible but at times it is easier to make it female x member as that’s just what I know best.

Why did you start writing on Tumblr? I’m not exactly sure. I’ve always loved writing and creating stories, I had been on a slump from my novel and wanted to do something more lighthearted (which my novel is not) so when my friend liked the little timestamp I wrote for her about yuta it gave me confidence to post it online. And now here we are.

What inspires you to write? Music! Honestly I could hear a song and think of a plot on the spot, music is one of the most beautiful and inspiring sources I think one can have. But also daily life experiences and dreams!!

What genres/AUs do you enjoy writing the most? Idol verse is something I always love and adore! But also creating my own world is something that I’ve always found interesting as it allows me more creative direction!

What tropes do you love, and what tropes can’t you stand? Honestly I’m a sucker for the classics, any best friends to lovers or E2L trope I will love. I wouldn’t say I can’t stand any tropes but either werewolf tropes (bc they tend to just focus on the smut or possessiveness without any character development) or like ceo/boss tropes I just don’t really care for.

What do you do when you hit a rough spot creatively? Music music music! There might be a pattern there. But if it’s a specific piece that I was already working on (like the current mark envy fic) I give it a couple of days and see if I can think of a way around whatever is blocking me. I also like to talk it out with my moots (bless them I love y’all) and read different fanfics/books because sometimes it’s just I’m not sure how to express the feeling correctly.

What is your favorite work and why? Your most successful? My favorite work has got to be the Jeno 10 things + then some. I’d had the idea of writing something based off one of my favorite rom-coms 10 things I hate about you for a while and it was supposed to originally be a video edit. But I wasn’t sure how to go with that, and when I looked at the poem (after watching the movie again) it seemed as if my brain just clicked. I knew Jeno would have to be Patrick. It was just clear in my mind, and he was my ult so it was easiest to write. Thankfully everyone seemed to like it and it became my most successful fic too! After almost a month of writing and editing I was very happy with the result and the feedback blew me away.

What do you think makes a good story? When you feel something move. When you finish the story no matter who’s in it (whether bias or not in terms of fanfic) or an original character and you are now attached to the character. I think as long as the story is able to make you feel something, then it’s good. It’s done its purpose. Though seeing how characters change and develop are always a plus it isn’t always possible such as in short drabbles or timestamps.

What is your writing process like? Very very chaotic. Honestly my ideas tend to spring out of nowhere and be really clear or just be very hazy. I tend to have a bunch of ideas in my mind which I’ll write down (the general plot of) but I tend to only work on one draft at a time so I don’t mix the characters.

Do you think there’s a difference between writing fanfiction vs. completely original prose? I think there is some sort of difference, as fanfiction is the expanding of a persons personality. We grab what we think we know and what the celebrity or character has displayed and expand upon it in either our own universe or the world we already know. While original prose is more of a start from scratch on the characters flaws and qualities.

Would you ever repurpose a fic into a completely original story? Most definitely especially the series I am currently working on based of the seven deadly sins. Because I’m creating a completely new world I feel like I would be able to make into an own story but I would have to think about that in the future. I’m happy where i am right now

How much would you say audience feedback/engagement means to you? Everything! I can’t stress this enough but getting reviews/feedback/constructive criticism is always so great and encouraging. It means that the reader felt something when reading the piece.

What has been one of the biggest factors of your success (of any size)? I honestly couldn’t quite say. I guess the first that pops into my mind are my moots. They tend to always be there to reblog or hype up a new fic which I couldn’t be more thankful for, so a lot of it I owe to them as they had a larger fanbase than I did when I started.

Do you ever feel like people have misunderstood you or your writing at times? I can’t say I can, yet I am pretty new. If this is the case I would do my best to clear up the misunderstanding, especially because I feel writing (like many art forms) is interpreted differently by different people.

Do your offline friends/loved ones know you write for Tumblr? Most definitely not. A lot of them know I write and that I enjoy writing but none of them know about the account.

What is one thing you wish you could tell your followers? Thank you all sincerely from the bottom of my heart for supporting me, whether it’s a simple ask, or you screaming in the tags or us talking to each other. Any interaction and just support makes my day, and I hope I can continue to be able to make you happy with my work. As always, never doubt yourself, you are beautiful and more than enough.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be too scared to put themselves out there? I'm sure this has been said before but honestly just do it. *cue nike ad* jokes aside if you like what you write, if you are proud or just want to express how you feel and share your craft then by all means I am 100% sure that someone else will enjoy it too. So don’t be afraid.

Are there any times when you regret joining Tumblr? Hmmm, not really. So far the community has been supportive at times it’s a little bit stressful but it’s good.

What do you hope your readers take away from your work? I don’t think my stories have a message message behind them, so that they get the feeling of the story. If I intended the story to move the reader someway or the other I hope that it can reach them in that way. But most importantly I write so that people can read and if it’s just for a minute that they can get away from the world and just live through the story.

Do you have any mutuals who have been particularly formative/supportive in your Tumblr journey? Most definitely. I love every single one of my moots, and the more people I talk to on here and become friends with, the more I am grateful but there are two people in particular who have been there from the start. Mylin (@starlit-jeno) she was my first moot on here and honestly the best introduction to the community I could have had. I absolutely adore her to bits and she’s always ready to help me with any idea I may be stuck on, and one of the just the chillest people. There’s not a day that goes by that I am not thankful for her friendship and everything she has done (esp the mutual freaking out about jeno and contemplating weird life questions such as 119 deserved a grammy at random times of the day). The second moot, honestly I’m surprised she hasn’t kicked me out because I love her so much is @mango-texts (my soulmate bro). She was the first to ever give me feedback on a piece and then answered a random post about me freaking about Jeno (it’s a daily occurrence). Like Mylin there isn’t a day where I am not grateful and just in awe for her friendship. She’s always there, no matter what it is she’ll be there and will never fail to make me smile. Her excitement at times is the reason why I am motivated to finish fics, and she gives great advice and ideas (her mind y’all). A lot of fics on my masterlist I feel like wouldn’t have been published if it weren’t for the two amazing individuals so I am forever thankful and just love em. Also @smolchenle who is always there too proofread and give feedback you are the sweetest thank you for dealing with my horrible grammar and chaotic ideas.

Do you think art can be a medium for change? In every way possible. As someone who isn’t the best with words (slightly ironic but oh well) when it comes advocating for anything art is such a powerful medium because it doesn't just reach one base. It can expand across all not only countries but also cultures. Art can be interpreted in so many different forms, but still when you listen to a song no matter if you speak the language or not you’ll get the *vibe* or message in ways the language of the world. It connects us and expands messages, I find that very powerful.

Ending thoughts: “It is in our youth that our heart’s are touched by fire, but it when we stop loving that the flame flickers out.”

BONUS: K-POP CONFIDENTIAL

Interested in your very own episode of The Sunny Show? Find out how to apply here.

#@moonlightjeno #thesunnyshow #featuredauthor #episode 3 #nct #wayv #bts

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thoughtfulsaladruins · 3 years

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Converter For Wma To Mp3 Mac

Wma Converter For Mac

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How To Convert Wma To Mp3 On Mac. Por How To Method em. How To Convert WMA Files To MP3 In MacOS. How To Convert WMA To MP3. Por Apowersoft em. How To Convert WMA Files To MP3 On A Mac.

Mac users find it difficult to play a file that has WMA (Windows Media Extension) extension or in WMA format since this kind of format normally Mac does not support.

That is why we will help you on how to convert WMA to MP3 on Mac so you can use it on your Mac in this post.

Article GuidePart 1: Why Files Have Different Formats and Need to Be Converted?Part 2: How to Convert WMA to MP3 with A Powerful ToolPart 3: Other Ways to Convert WMA File to MP3 on MacPart 4: Conclusion

Part 1: Why Files Have Different Formats and Need to Be Converted?

Convert WMA to MP3 Mac via iOS File Transfer – MacX MediaTrans. To be frank, the leading factor.

You might also be wondering why files have different formats and why not just make it to one format so you can use it on different devices without having it converted right? These are simply because of codecs.

Codec is a program that encodes and decodes a stream of digital data or even a signal, it actually converts audio and compresses it to transmit and then decompress for a replay. In a nutshell, it is the codec that makes your music play.

There are a lot of codecs or what we use in layman’s term as an extension of the file or the file format such as MP4, AAC, WMA, JPEG, GIF and many more for audio, images and video files.

Part 2: How to Convert WMA to MP3 with A Powerful Tool

iMyMac Video Converter is like an all in one tool that you can use in converting your files, it can convert video and audio files in all formats also it has a lot of added features that you can take advantage in enhancing your videos and audio files.

iMyMac Video Converter works as fast as a lightning bolt, it can convert any types of formats in just a few seconds

It has added features if you would like to do some video editing like video enhancement, it allows you to adjust the lighting, crop, combine two videos, adjust the hue and contrast and even split the video

It also supports a lot of devices mainly apple, Samsung Galaxy, Kindle Fire, and Nokia Lumia.

It has a free trial version that you can try its function for free

Steps on How to Use iMyMac Video Converter to Convert WMA to MP3

Converting files using iMyMac Video converter is very easy, just follow the simple steps below and you can start your convert all you want to journey on your Mac.

Visit the website imymac.com at the Menu Bar at the Top of screen > Click Video Converter

Choose either Free Download or you can opt to Buy Now to enjoy its full features

Open the Application on your Mac > Select on AddFilesbutton at the top left corner of the window

Browse through your library then Select the File that you would like to convert

On the Convert Option at the right side of the window > Select MP3

Click on the Convert All icon at the bottom of the Screen or Beside the File

Part 3: Other Ways to Convert WMA File to MP3 on Mac

There are multiple options on how you could convert WMA to MP3 to make it work on your Mac, and here is the guide to do it.

Convert WMA to MP3 Using iTunes

You can make a WMA file work by using iTunes, and the good thing about its iTunes is already installed on your Mac so you will not need to go anywhere, it's just the process is quite lengthy and sometimes tend to be confusing

Launch your iTunes by using Spotlight or Locating on your Applications Folder

Locate your WMA files on your Playlist or you may include them on your Music Library if you are having a hard time looking for them

Select the file that is in WMA format > Select Edit at the Menu Bar > Click on Preferences on the list

Select the General Icon > On the When you insert a CD click on Import Settings

A new window will show > Select MP3 Encoder on the first option which is Import Using

Convert WMA to MP3 Online

There are a lot of converters available online, sometimes you can just type in on your search engine convert WMA to MP3 and a lot of websites that offer the service will show on your results page.

Though be very keen on selecting a website that you will use since it will ask you to upload the file and for you to use the converted file you will then need to download it.

Some online converters have their secrets since most of them you can use for free you might be bombarded with ads and pop-ups that are directing you to purchase some of their stuff so do not fall for it.

You can use Convertio website, you can type on your search engine Convertio then click the first result or you can Type on your address bar co/wma-mp3

Select Choose Files then Locate the WMA file on your Folders > Wait for the Upload to Finish

Click on Convert File > Once the conversion is finished you can Select Download then you will see that the WMA file is already converted to MP3 format

Though they only allow a maximum of 100MB file to be converted

But having it done online the speed of the conversion of your file will depend on your network, put your fingers crossed that your network is at stable connection while converting or you can end up having a broken file.

Convert WMA to MP3 Using Cloud-based Conversion Tool

Aside from using your web browser or search engine, you can also use a cloud-based conversion tool which is CloudConvert.com, it can also convert different kinds of files like documents, images, eBooks and many more.

You can convert files here up to 1GB size.

Type into your address bar com

Click on Select File > Locate the file that you would like to convert on your folders > Select MP3 on the dropdown list as the output

Click Convert icon at the right side of the screen > Once Finished you can Select Download

Part 4: Conclusion

Converting files like WMA to MP3 can be pretty easy though you will have to be mindful of the pros and cons before you select the best option for you.

Always remember that by using a web-based tool in converting your files it will always depend on your network or you might end up having a broken download on your Mac.

The reason behind it is always better to have an application readily installed on your Mac so you can convert files all you want without worrying about it being broken like iMyMac Video Converter, it is fast, easy and extremely safe to use.

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Wma Converter For Mac

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