In the realm of entertainment and live events, captivating audiences goes beyond just the performances themselves. It's about creating an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression. Pyrotechnics, the art of creating dazzling displays using controlled explosions, has long been a staple in the arsenal of event organizers, adding flair and spectacle to concerts, theatrical productions, and celebrations of all kinds.
In recent years, however, the world of pyrotechnics has undergone a significant evolution thanks to advancements in technology, particularly the introduction of sophisticated control consoles. These consoles serve as the nerve center of pyrotechnic displays, allowing for precise choreography and synchronization of effects that elevate the overall impact of an event.
Let's delve into the fascinating world of pyrotech and explore how control consoles are transforming the way we experience live entertainment.

The Rise of Pyrotechnic Control Consoles

Gone are the days of manually triggering fireworks or explosives with rudimentary mechanisms. Today, pyrotechnic displays are orchestrated with precision and finesse, thanks to advanced control consoles. These consoles are equipped with cutting-edge software that enables operators to design intricate sequences of effects, syncing them perfectly with music, lighting, and other elements of the performance.

Precision and Safety

One of the most significant advantages of control consoles in pyrotechnics is the level of precision they offer. Operators can program sequences down to the millisecond, ensuring that each explosion, burst of flames, or shower of sparks occurs at precisely the right moment for maximum impact.
Moreover, safety is paramount in the world of pyrotechnics, and control consoles play a crucial role in minimizing risks. With built-in safety features and fail-safes, operators can execute complex displays with confidence, knowing that every precaution has been taken to protect both performers and audiences.

Creativity Unleashed

Control consoles empower pyrotechnic designers and operators to unleash their creativity like never before. With intuitive interfaces and powerful software tools, they can experiment with a wide range of effects, colors, and patterns, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in live entertainment.
From synchronized fireworks choreography that dances across the night sky to dramatic pyrotechnic reveals that punctuate key moments in a performance, the possibilities are limited only by the imagination of the designers.

Enhancing the Audience Experience

Ultimately, the goal of any pyrotechnic display is to captivate and awe the audience, and control consoles play a pivotal role in achieving this objective. By seamlessly integrating pyrotechnics with other elements of the show, such as music, lighting, and stage effects, control consoles create a cohesive and immersive experience that leaves spectators spellbound.
Whether it's a stadium concert, a theatrical production, or a New Year's Eve celebration, pyrotechnic displays powered by control consoles have the power to elevate ordinary events into extraordinary experiences that linger in the memories of attendees for years to come.

Conclusion

In the world of live entertainment, pyrotechnics have long been synonymous with excitement and spectacle. However, it's the advent of Control Consoles that has truly revolutionized the art of pyrotech enabling operators to create dazzling displays with unprecedented precision, creativity, and safety.
As technology continues to advance, we can only imagine the breathtaking spectacles that lie ahead, as pyrotechnic designers harness the full potential of control consoles to push the boundaries of what's possible in live entertainment. So the next time you find yourself immersed in a stunning pyrotechnic display, take a moment to appreciate the intricate choreography happening behind the scenes, all made possible by the power of control consoles.

Male, 23, INFJ here, looking for 8 to 12 people, male and female, of any age, who would be interested in forming a friend group and club of sorts, then moving in together, so we can create new aesthetic, subculture, art movement and philosophy - this is the art project, a collective art project.
I'll list some of my interests, that will also be traits of this proposed group(and eventual subculture) and are interests any potential male and/or female friends should share so we have things in common, can get along, be ourselves and actually do things together
Colors: Black(for Fabric, Make Up and Hair), Grey(for Buildings), Silver(for Jewelry), Violet(for Gemstones and Lights)
Metals: Palladium, Platinum, Silver
Crystals: Amethyst, Kämmererite
Diets: Fruitarian, Vegan, Vegetarian
Sexual Orientations: Bisexuality, Heterosexuality, Omnisexuality, Pansexuality, Polysexuality, Sapiosexuality
Relationship Styles: Polygamy, Polygyny, Polyfidelity(Endogamy and Homogamy since you can consider both to be Polyfidelity on a macroscale)
Landscapes: Grasslands, Highlands, Plains, Tundras
Architectural Styles: Brutalist, Concrete Minimalist, Neo-Brutalist, Surreal Minimalist
Furniture Styles: Minimalist, Modern
Art Styles: Absurdist, Erotica, Fantastic, Hindu Art, Magical Realist, Neo-Surrealist, Orientalist, Surrealist
Artists: Boris Vallejo, Calm, Frank Frazetta, Mark R. Pugh, Michele Durazzi, Nasreddine Dinet, Peter Mohrbacher, Rob Gonsalves, etc.
Philosophies: Amoralism, Animism, Anti-capitalism, Anti-consumerism, Biocentrism, Buddhism, Clanism, Collectivism, Communalism, Communitarianism, Cosmocentricism, Cultural Relativism, Daoism, Dramaturgical Theory, Dreamism, Eroticism, Ethnocentrism, Ethnonationalism, Ethnopluralism, Familialism, Gymnosophy, Hedonism, Hyper-collectivism, Holism, Intellectualism, Moral Nihilism, Moral Relativism, Minimalism, Mutualism, Naturism, Neotribalism, Nudism, Optimistic Nihilism, Pacifism, Panpsychism, Panentheism, Pantheism, Patriarchalism, Platonism, Perspectivism, Primitive Communism, Pure Land Buddhism, Rationalism, Social Role Theory, Stoicism, Totemism, Tribalism, Unism
Subjects/Topics: Acoustic Levitation, Alchemy, Animal Breeding, Archetypal Psychology, Aromachology/Aromatherapy, Astrology, Astrophysics, Astrotheology, Behavioral Endocrinology, Behavioral Psychology, Bioelectrodynamics, Bioelectromagnetics, Bushcraft, Chaos Magick, Chiropractics, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Typology, Color Psychology/Chromotherapy, Constructed Language/Language Engineering, Cultural Ecology, Cultural Engineering, Cymatics, Dramaturgy, Electrochemistry, Ecology, Epigenetics, Evolutionary Biology, Fashion Designing, Game Theory, Gemology/Crystal Metaphysics, Genetic Engineering, Genetic Memory, Geomagnetics, Geopathology, Geopolitics, Hindu Eschatology, Hypnosis, Interior Decoration, Islamic Eschatology, Jungian Psychology, Jungian Typology, Macrosociology, Mass Psychology, Massage Therapy, Metallurgy, Microsociology, Mythopoeia, Neuroantomy, Neurobiology, Neurochemistry, Neuroendocrinology, Neurogenetics, Neurogenics, Neuromagnetics, Neurophysiology, Oneirology, Optogenetics, Pastoralism, Philosophy. Planetary Harmonics, Political Philosophy, Psychoelectrodynamics, Psychoenergetics, Psychogenetics. Psychogenics, Psychology, Psychopharmachology, Psychophysiology, Psychosomatics, Psychotronics, Qunatum Electrodynamics, Qunatum Physics, Qunatum Thermodynamics, Racial Engineering, Radiobiology, Radiogenics, Radionics, Radiophysics, Racial Engineering, Social Dynamics, Social Engineering, Social Psychology, Social Role Theory, Sociogenetics, Sociogenics, Sociology, Sociophysiology, Sonochemistry, Sonoelectrochemistry, Sonogenetics/Ultrasound Therapy, Spiritual Ecology, Stonemasonry, Ultrasound Physics, Vultology
Physical Activities and Fitness: Ballet, Calisthenics, Contortion, Gymnastics, Hand Balancing, Hill Sprints, Plyometrics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Weighted Calisthenics, Weighted Hill Sprints, Weighted Punches
Animals(Pets/Companions): Black Bears, Black Cane Corsos, Black Canis Panther, Black Pitbull Terriors, Nonvenomous Black Snakes
Objects: Amethyst Crystal Orbs, Falchion Swords, Kämmererite Crystal Orb, Ring Hilt Swiss Sabers Swords,
Books: The Magic Bag A Manuscript Dictated Clairaudiently to Mark Probert By Members of the Inner Circle, Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul, The Nature of Personal Reality, The "Unknown Reality", etc.
Some quirks, traits and charcteristics of that this proposed subculture would have are the following(how I imagine the community/subculture would look and operate once it's functionally and fully developed):
• The subculture/community would be open to anyone regardless of age, race, sexual orientation or skin color
• Everyone involved with this subculture/community would consider all members of the subculture to either be their cousins, siblings, lovers, potential playmates or clones of themselves.(perhaps the first generation would refer to each other as "cousin" and the second generation would refer to each other as "another piece of me" and the third generation would refer to each other as "me", "myself" and "I"). The goal is to remove any competition or sense of separation, jealousy, etc.. between all members in the community
• When online, members of this community/subculture would use the same username and a random combination of letters. The username would be the same as the name of community/subculture
• Ideally, members of the community would eventually share a single identity(i.e. the name of the community/subculture) and think of all other members as extensions of themselves, so would use terms like "I" or "my" to refer to everyone in the community or each member would always speak in terms of "we" and "us".(for reference, study the concept of "hive minds", "merged minds" or the relationship between "the twins" from the matrix film)
• All in the community/subculture would pitch in to afford houses and vehicles, which will be communally owned and open to use by all members of the community/subculture(think company vehicles)
• Ideally members of the community/subculture would live 6-12 people per house not counting children. (for reference think coliving, monasteries, college dorms, communal living or early bohemians)
• All members of the community/subculture would practice altruism, generousity, reciprocity and hospitality towards all members of the community and those outside it. For example, if a community member is homeless, other community members should let them move in and help them get a job, provide them with clothes that match the group's aesthetic, give them access to food, etc. If one community member buys or cooks you lunch, you buy or cook them breakfast, lunch and dinner. If one community member gives you an orgasm, you give them three, etc. All should try to contribute and/or repay anyway they can
• The subculture would not differentiate between history and mythology since, at the end of the day, unless you were there to witness or record the the events of the past yourself, its all just speculation, theory, assumptions and hearsay
• The community/subculture would be kink friendly, BDSM friendly, age gap friendly, indifferent to nudity(think naturism), sex positive and an embrace both male and female sexuality equally and completely. - Sex, nudes and romance would be viewed as a game, art project, creative outlet or pass time - There would be no sex shaming, ridicule, criminalization or demonization of nudity or any sexual desire, sexual fantasy or sexual activity, that doesn't result in death, result in a loss of body parts/organs, interfere with the function of bodyparts/organs or cause permanent damage to any body parts/organs - No member of the community/subculture would be called or thought of as a "creep", "fuckboy", "slut", "cheater", "disgusting", "incel", "femcel", "weirdo", "thirsty", "thot", "desperate", etc. and those concepts would not exist in the collective consciousness of this community/subculture. However, having standards that take into consideration the mental and physical characteristics of a person, will be very important to this subculture. The standards would reflect traits and characteristics that are essential to the community/subculture and memebers if the subculture/community would be expected to evaluate/judge any sexual and/or romantic partners, primarily based on whether or not they are a member of the community/subculture in the first place. - If potential romantic/sexual partners are not members of the community/subculture, they should be evaluated and judged based on how closely they match the subculture's/community's philosophy, aesthetic, lifestyle and idea of perfection(i.e. the traits and characteristics considered to be hallmarks of the community).
• Regarding gender roles in the community/subculture, romance and sex: - Males are always the dominant partner. - Females will always defer to male members of the community/subculture - In the case of homosexual relationships, the male with the higher IQ will always be the dominant partner. - In the case of homosexual relationships where both males are of equal intelligence, the male who is older will be the dominant partner and the one in charge - All male members of the community/subculture will be expected to engage in calisthenics, weighted calisthenics and wrestling - All female members of the community/subculture will be expected to engage in ballet, contortion and/or rhythmic gymnastics - All male and female members of the community/subculture would be expected to learn and engage in staff fighting, saber fighting, knife fighting, wrestling and jiu-jitsu - All jobs, hobbies and/or art forms that are valuable to the community/subculture and fits its theme/aesthetic, will be open to both male and female members of the community/subculture equally - Children would be privately raised or communally raised by all members of the community/subculture(this would help with the negative effects of single parenthood and with child neglect) - Both males and females can participate in collective decision making(direct democracy) within the subculture/community, but the final say goes to the oldest male members in the subculture/community with the highest IQs - Female members of the community/subculture would be encouraged to promote the community/subculture through modeling the community's aesthetic and lifestyle on social media
• Male and Female members of the community/subculture would be encouraged to avoid romantic or sexual relationships with those outside the subculture
• The community/subculture would have no concept of "good and evil", "legal and illegal", "sane and insane", "primitive and advanced", "moral and immoral", "right or wrong", "healthy and unhealthy", "light and dark", "normal and abnormal" or "toxic". Instead members of the community/subculture would view such things in terms of: - Collective or group likes/preferences and dislikes - Actions and behaviours that are in-line with a group's or culture's overall narrative and theme vs. actions that are out of line with a group's or culture's overall narrative and themes(for reference, imagine each culture is a play with a certain genre and narrative, if you "act out of character" you could ruin the play and ruin the experience for everyone participating in the play) - Enjoyable and unenjoyable or boring experiences - Beliefs and interpretations of an action or behaviour, that a person either engages in, is on the receiving end of or observes, is what makes it "good/healthy" or "bad/unhealthy"(ex. suppose person A grew up in a culture or community where it was taught that a jar of peanut butter will kill them, if person A were to go to a community or culture where peanut butter was viewed as a delicacy and gift of acceptance and affection, they would be traumatized by anyone who gave them peanut butter simply because they had been taught to view the object of peanut butter and any interactions with peanut butter, as something to be feared, disturbed or bothered by) - What's normal or healthy is whatever the majority in an area like, act like or do - Team players(those who conform to the overall theme and narrative of the community they claim to be a part of or seek to be a part of. If they don't agree, they leave and find or create, a community with a culture, theme and narrative they agree with an enjoy) vs. Killjoys and bad players(those who, not only refuse to conform to the overall theme and narrative of the community they claim to belong to or seek to be a part of but, also try to change, disrupt or otherwise interfere with the theme, narrative and rules of communities they disagree with and aren't a part of) - Overall, this subculture's views on "good" and "evil" can be summed up by the following axioms: "when in Rome, do as the Romans do", "Live and let live", "If an action or behaviour isn't physically harming you, physically harming the members of your community, changing your community's culture or local environment(which would change you, your community members and your community's culture) without unanimous or majority consent of all in your community it's non of your business." - Amoral, Neutral, Apolitical, Objective, Morally Relative, Culturally Relative, Isolationist, Non-interventionalist and Ethnopluralistic(champion the idea of "safe spaces" or culturally homogenous zones)
• Members of the community/subculture would wear or carry silver masks(for reference, think King Baldwin from the film Kingdom of Heaven)
• Members of the community/subculture would carry daggers or falchion swords
• Members of the community/subculture would own silver magum revolvers(I haven't decided between Smith and Wesson, Colt or Taurus)
• Members of the community/subculture would communicate with other members of the community/subculture in the language we invent
• Members of the community would use black charcoal soap, black fluoride-free charcoal toothpaste and charcoal tooth brushes
• Cold showers and ice baths would be the norm
• Members of the community/subculture would avoid the consumption of vegetable oil, seed oils, added sugar, added salt, fast food, soda, bread, bagel, pasta, waffles, pancakes, muffins, cake, cupcakes, candy, fluoride, etc.
• Members of the community/subculture would sport clean shaven faces and eyebrows
• Members of the community/subculture would keep hair black hair(of any texture) worn long with one or both sides shaved
• Black Scleras(either eyeball tattoos or contacts), Fang Implants, Third Eye Dermal Anchor Piercings, Black Facepaint, Black Dyed Fingers and Black Dyed Toes, Tattoos in blank ink of a style we create that is exclusive to this subculture, Nostril Piercings, Triple Ear Lobe Piercings, Helix Piercings, Industrial Piercings, Tongue Studs
• Fashion that consists of: Black Elecheks, Black Headwraps, Black Slimfit Turtlenecks, Black Cassocks, Black Kurtas, Black Sherwanis, Black Rib Knit Mock Neck Zip Sweaters, Black Half Zip Rib Knit Bodycon Dresses, Black Robes, Black Togas, Black Leather Waistbands, Black Long Half Skirts, Black Slimfit Pants, Black Leather Knee High Boots, Black Stand Collar Overcoats, Black Poncho Cloaks, Black Shawls, Silver Torque Necklaces, Silver Torque Bracelets, Silver Chokers, Silver Bracelets, Silver Armlets(potentially we can start another subculture where the color scheme is inverted - White Hair, White Skin, White Fabric, White/Red Make Up, etc.).
• Fitnesswear: - Males and Females could wear a Black Stand Collar Zip Up Vest with a Black Leather Waistband and Black Tight Fitting Pants - Males could wear Black Unitards or a or just Black Pants with no shirt - Females coulf Black Unitards, Black Leotards, Black Leotards with a Full Body Fishnet Bodysuit under - Black Gloves, Black Knee Pads and Black Elbowpads can also be worn
• An Interior Decoration style that consists of: Violet Lights, Black Futon Floor Mattresses, Black Canopy Bed Curtains, Black Bed Cushions, Black Body Pillows, Black Rugs, Black Blackout Curtains, Black Squared Floor Cushions, Black Floor Sofas, Black Hammocks, Black Modern Rectangular Coffee Tables, Cement Pedestals, Black Essential Oil Diffusers(or Black Inscense Burners, etc.), Modern Floor Standing Fountains, Black Ultrasonic Pest Repellers, Matter Black Modern Vases, etc.
• Holistic so members of this subculture would consider all types of groups of people, be they: cartels, covens, counter-cultures, cults, cultures, corporations, denominations, ethnic groups, ethnoreligious groups, gangs, mafias, secret societies, sects of religions, religions, nationalities, political movements, etc. to be "Tribes" or "Races" and would not compartmentalize aspects of groups(for example the fashion, architecture, economic system, philosophy, diet, sports, recreational activities, language, tools, technology, music, jobs, hobbies, local environment, animals, etc. of a group should have and share an overall theme and be consistent)
• Members of this subculture wouldn't consider degrees, literacy, a mastery of language or an ability to perfectly follow the customs and traditions of a nation, civilization or culture, to be an indicator of high intelligence or high IQ
• This subculture's beauty standards and idea of physical beauty would consist of: - Clean shaven faces - Removal of all body hair - Clean shaven eyebrows - Slim, skinny, toned, ripped, lean, shredded or athletic physiques(i.e. males in the community should seek to resemble greek statues and females in the community should seek to gain a ballet or rhythmic gymnast physique) - Long black hair(or Bald) - Fangs - Black scleras - Black nail polish - Black eyeliner - Black eyeshadow - Either extremely dark skin with extremely dark hair, extremely light skin with extremely dark hair or extremely light skin with extremely light hair - Piercings
• Standards and traits that would be valued, considered virtues and/or attractive in this subculture would include but aren't limited to: - Objectivity so, amoralism, neutralism and apoliticalism - The Ni, Ti and Fe brain functions from Cognitive Typology - Physical beauty and aesthetics. So how well one matches this subculture's fashion, slim physiques, toned physiques, skinny physiques, athletic physiques, athleticism, flexibility, dark hair, black scleras, fangs, piercings, etc. - Engaging in wrestling, martial arts, ballet, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, sword fighting, knife fighting, etc. - Altruism, generousity, hospitality and kindess(especially towards members of your subculture) - Manners - Tolerance for constructive criticism - Teamwork and collectivistic thinking - Fruitarian, Vegan or Vegetarian diets - Intelligence, specifically an interest in or mastery of, psychology(individual, group, macrocosmic and microcosmic), philosophy and occult sciences - Good hygiene - Loyalty and commitment to other members of your subculture - Polyamory - Endogamy and Homogamy(i.e. dating, marrying or being sexual only with those who look like you, think like you, live like you and have the same interests as you) - Collectivistic, hyper-collectivistic and in-group thinking. For example, always side with and support members of your subculture no matter what. Only concern yourself with the well-being and survival of members of your subculture, etc. Always value members of your subculture over members outside it - Hypersexuality - Not caring about technology - Not playing video games or watching TV
• Traits that would be considered shameful, embarrassing, disgusting and/or unattractive: - Individualistic and/or hyper-individualistic tendencies - Being obese, chubby or fat - Consuming junk food and/or meat - The use of drugs(i.e. acid, angel dust, cocaine, crack, marijuana, MDMA, meth, heroine, etc.) - Low intelligence - Delinquency and/or "thug/baddie" personas - The use of emojis - The use of terms like "lol", "lmao", etc. - Using curse words - Being overly emotional - Being easily offended - Desire for fame, fortune, attention, power, influence or wealth - Selfishness - Possessiveness and/or jealousy - Worshipping aliens, gods, goddesses or other people - Promiscuity(i.e. having no or low standards that don't consider a person's intelligence, fashion, looks, physique and physical capabilities altogether) - Sex shaming or prudishness - Prostitution(it's a product of capitalism and consumerism) - Valuing wealth or money - Valuing degrees and/or university - Name calling, slander, ad hominems, etc. - Blocking, banning or reporting others - Videogames, anime and manga - Littering - Matching the aesthetic of another group, community, culture or subculture - Using the language, terminology or slang of another group, community, culture or subculture - Watching televison or movies
• This subculture/community would not base any ideas of maturity or success on a person's ability to accumulate material possessions, money, get a job, have children or live alone. Instead, the community's/subculture's idea of maturity and success would be based on a person's ability to: - Think in amoral and apolitical terms, so they can be neutral, so they can be truly objective - View all cultures, civilizations, societies and groups(including the one they are a part of) as live action role playing games, psychodramas or plays - View all members of cultures, civilizations, societies and groups, as actors who have self hypnotized themselves through the act of constant method acting(i.e. conformity to the laws, systems, social norms, historical narratives, environment, etc. they grew up or exist around) - View all people, even those outside the group(play) you're a part of, as potential playmates or potential lovers - Realize all plants and animals have complex cultures, languages and traditions, but the language barrier and cultural barrier between humans and animals, gives the illusion that humans are more intelligent or civilized - Remain indifferent to male and/or female nudity - Remain apathetic to money, fame, fortune, titles or material possessions - Value relationships(i.e. family, friendships, romance, etc.) more than money, fame or material things - Avoid blocking, banning, censoring, abandoning or reporting others - Accept the existence of life on other planets - Let go of a belief in "God", angels, demons, gods or goddesses - Become pacifistic - Remain unbothered by the words or beliefs of others - To think in culturally relativistic terms and not equate literacy in a culture's language with intelligence - To think in culturally relativistic terms and not equate a person's ability to conform to the laws, customs, social norms and traditions of one culture with being "good" or "intelligent" - Be altruistic, collectivistic, empathetic, inclusive and hospitable to others - Remember all of their dreams - Lucid dream
About the language/slang:
• In the language/slang of this community/subculture, woman = female = girl = a person or animal that was born with a vagina and no penis
• In the language/slang of this community/subculture, man = male = guy = a person or animal that was born with a penis and not a vagina
• In the langauge(or slang) of this subculture Tribe and Culture would be synonymous with Race and Ethnicity and all four are used interchangeablely to refer to groups of people who share an aesthetic, lifestyle, belief system/consensus, likes and dislikes, etc.(so for example, we would consider goths, emos, hippies, hipsters, punks, christians, muslims, jews, amish, the lgbtq community, the fitness community, the hip hop community, mafias, political parties, etc. to be separate races regardless of the skin color or physical characteristics of the members that make up such groups)
• In the language(or slang) of this subculture, the concept of "poser", "sinner", "criminal", "kill joy" would be used interchangeably and wouod be used to refer to anyone who: - Breaks the rules or laws of the group or community they claim to belong to - Doesn't follow the social norms, customs, protocols, lifestyle and traditions of the group or organization they claim to belong to - Doesn't agree with the consensus or narrative of the group or organization they claim to belong to - Is not a "team player"
Group Reacreational Activities would consist of:
• Group workout sessions that will involve calisthenics, plyometrics and sprinting
• Group combat training sessions that will involve empty hands fighting, knife fighting, saber fighting, polearm fighting and wrestling/jiu-jitsu
• Group fitness competitions on Fridays or Saturdays
• Group festivals or large gatherings a few times a year
• Keeping a dream journal
• Discussing dreams with other members of the community and analyzing each other's dreams
• Lucid dreaming
• Shared lucid dreaming
• Experimentation with Sensory Deprivation Chambers
• Experimentation with Sensory Deprivation Float Tanks
• Experimentation with the effects of different frequencies of sound on plant life
• Experimentation with the effects of different frequencies of sound on crystals
• Experimentation with the effects of different metal nanoparticles on plant life
• Experimentation with the effects of different crystal nanoparticles on plant life
• Experimentation with sound levitation
• Owning or Breeding Black Cane Corsos, Black Canis Panthers, Black Caucasian Shepherds, Black Cats, Black Pitbull Terriors, Black Panthers, Black Nonvenomous Snakes
• Choreographing dance sequences to certain songs
• Choreographing fight sequences to certain songs(i.e. ritual combat)
• Throwing sex parties and orgies
• Producing absurdist, erotica, fantastic, magical realist, neo-surrealist, orientalist and/or surrealist works of art, in the form of drawing, painting, photography, filmmaking, animation and/or sculpting that incorporates the subculture's aesthetic
• Engaging in the following artforms/hobbies: Acrobatics, Alchemy, Animal Breeding, Ballet, Bushcraft, Contortion, Gardening/Farming(fruits and vegetables), Handbalance, Jewelrysmithing, Mask Making, Pastoralism, Piercing, Pottery, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Sewing, Stonemasonry, Tailoring, Tattooing, Weaving
Group Projects(in no particular order):

1. Decide on a group Name/Label or whether or not to have one given to our group by outsiders
   
2. Develop a new Slang and Spoken Language that will be exclusive to this group
   
3. Develop a new Sign Language that will be exclusive to this group
   
4. Develop a new Script and Written Language that will be exclusive to this group
   
5. Develop a new style of Martial Arts that will be exclusive to this group
   
6. Develop a new Tattoo Style that will be exclusive to this group
   
7. Develop a new 13 month, lunisolar calander-clock that records seconds cycles up to galactic cycles. It should take the form of rotating concentric rings
   
8. Create and maintain a group or community bank(think of corporate cash reserves, partnerships, tithes to a church or taxes to the stateb) so we will have funds to help out group members in need, finance the expansion and development of our subculture
   
9. Create an official forum for our group
   
10. Create an official website for the community which will have:
    
11. A forum
    
12. Dates and locations for any community festivals or events
    
13. News related to the subculture
    
14. Links to any YouTube channels, Instagram pages, etc. that are associated with the subculture/community
    
15. A link to a page for donations to the community bank
    
16. Decide on a location and type of dwelling that we can move into so it can function as our "base of operations", "house" and "inspiration house"(for reference, think of the beatniks, early bohemians, etc.)
    

Collective Community Goals(in no specific order):

1. Have the scene be mainly located in Iceland, Ireland, Montana, North Dakota, Scotland, South Dakota, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming
   
2. Use funds and resources gathered in the community bank to open up small clubhouses/nightclubs in cities across the United States. These clubhouses/nightclubs would function as "embassies" so that new community members(or outsiders interested) will have a place to meet other community members in their local area and learn more about the community/subculture. Funds would also be used to remodel the areas surrounding the nightclub so that it matches the subculture's/community's aesthetic. Each small nightclub would have the following characteristics:
   
3. A bathhouse or indoor pool
   
4. A lounge area
   
5. A gym
   
6. A bar
   
7. A library
   
8. A small stage for debates
   
9. Use funds and resources gathered in the community bank to open large clubhouses or nightclubs in Iceland, Ireland, North Dakota, Scotland, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, which will serve as a place to host large scale gatherings(think of a "mega church" or "concert hall" or "the Vatican" or "Mecca and Medina"), festivals and a place where community members can live indefinitely, especially if they join the community with no family, friends, home or money(think of a monastery or giant hotel). Once these major clubhouses are built, we would also use funds from the community bank to slowly remodel the areas around these major clubhouses, so that they match the community/subculture's aesthetic and have businesses that cater only to members of our community/subculture. These major clubhouses would have the following characteristics:
   
10. Brutalist, concrete minimalist, neo-brutalist or surreal minimalist architectural style
    
11. A main lobby which would have a giant sphere in the center surrounded by a large indoor fountain/pool
    
12. A concert hall
    
13. A bathhouse or public pool
    
14. A room full of sand that gives the illusion of being in a desert
    
15. A room full of white sand, a few dead white trees and a projection of a starless night sky on the ceiling and wallss
    
16. A room full of trees and thick fog that gives the illusion of being in a misty forest
    
17. A room with shallow water covering the floor and a projection of the sky on the walls and ceiling so that the water reflects the sky
    
18. A room kept empty with a large number of dummies, drapped in white sheets, hanging from the ceiling
    
19. Dorm rooms/suites for members of the community/subculture who would wish to live there or don't have a place stay
    
20. A library/museum room which would keep art, books, films, etc. produced by members of the community and also function as a study hall
    
21. Use funds and resources gathered in the community bank to remodel certain areas of certain cities and towns, to match our subculture's aesthetic, open shops(and food farms) that cater exclusively to members of our community/subculture and function as "subculturally homogenous" areas or "towns" specifically for members of our community/subculture.(for reference, consider that it to be our version of a "China Town" or "Gang Territory"). These will be local areas that new and existing community members can relocate/migrate/move to immediately, so they avoid feeling socially isolated
    
22. Create a separate gift based economy for the subculture that will be operational in areas where members of our community/subculture's make up the majority of the population
    
23. Expand community membership through a combination of high birthrates(between 4-6 children per coupling), adoption and only entering into serious romantic/sexual relationships with other members of the community/subculture
    
24. Expand community membership by befriending, helping and/or providing for:
    
25. Members of the homeless population
    
26. Victims of human trafficking
    
27. Victims of sex abuse
    
28. Outsiders, outcasts and loners
    
29. Obese members of the society(we would get them on our diet and fitness routine to help them lose weight and develop their physique according to our community's/subculture's beauty standards)
    
30. Struggling members of the migrant and illegal immigrant population
    
31. Start a political party that will represent and be exclusive to, members of our community/subculture and seek to occupy positions of local leadership(ex. Mayor, City Council, etc.) in areas where we become the majority
    
32. Use our community/subculture's political party to promote a paradigm, consensus and collective consciousness that is based on the following ideas: • All groups, communities, cult, cultures, civilizations, nations, religions, political ideologies, jobs, professions and societies are essentially collective role playing games or plays. For example:
    
33. Costume = clothing, aesthetic or uniform
    
34. Job, social role, label, trope or personality disorder is part you are acting in the play
    
35. Tools and objects are props
    
36. Community members, tribesman, coworkers, citizens, cultists are actors
    
37. Laws, traditions, social norms and consensus is script actors follow that keeps them in character
    
38. Environment and architecture is the set
    
39. The paradigm , history, mythology and consensus is the play's narrative
    
40. A group's aesthetic, economic system and culture is the play's genre
    
41. Priests, lawmakers, influences, etc. are directors, playwrights, etc.
    
42. Maintaining a certain lifestyle, routine, set of traditions or obeying laws is a form of constant self hypnosis(i.e. method acting)
    
43. All social interactions are a form of constant mutual hypnosis between those involved(the positive and negative feedback reinforces certain behaviours and ideas and invalidates or dissuades others, thus you and those you interact with, remain in character)
    
44. All languages are fictional and constructed, the words are made up and simply exist to verbalize emotions, thoughts, concepts and describe actions and objects that are universal
    
45. Culture and Religion is large scale racial engineering because it controls or directs the diet, thoughts, physical activities and breeding habits of a population and how they interact with and respond to other people, animals and the environment
    
46. Use our political party to promote an alternative, hands on educational system that is based on a system of mentorship, apprenticeship, internship and rotational volunteering
    
47. Expand community membership by using our political party to appeal to people who feel politically disenfranchised
    
48. Develop our own Mass Media
    
49. Create a community/subculture centric Radio Station
    
50. Create a community/subculture centric Website(the website can post news related to the community, post dates and locations of community gatherings or festivals or events, have an online fashion magazine, etc.)
    
51. Start a community/subculture centric podcast
    
52. Expand community membership by using our podcast and debates to appeal members of the population who feel philosophically, religiously and spiritually disenfranchised
    
53. Use funds and resources gathered in the community/subcultural bank to purchase livestock(ex. Black Yaks, Black Sheep, Black Goats, Black Horses) and eventually create an off grid, semi-nomadic, pastoralist version of our community/subculture that will occupy rural and wilderness areas of Iceland, Ireland, Montana, North Dakota, Scotland, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming
    
54. Ecologically engineer the local environment of areas where members of our community/subculture make up the majority by landscaping, planting a specfic combination of plants, trees and introducing a specific combination of animals into the local area
    
55. Develop Ultrasonic and directed energy weapons
    
56. Learn and then teach every member of the community/subculture how to gather and refine resources and ingredients that are used to produce/create any and all items, objects and products we buy, use or consider to be exclusive to the community/subculture.
    
57. Learn and then teach other members of the community/subculture how to perform all services, as well as produce/create and maintain all of the items, objects and products we buy, use or consider to be exclusive hallmarks of the community/subculture so the community/subculture can eventually evolve into become completely self sufficient and moneyless community/society(an autarky) with a gift economy. This includes the passing on of any knowledge, information or skill you might already possess
    
58. Use knowledge, information and skills to start produce our own products so we can sell/trade it to those who aren't members of the community/subculture to bring money and resources into the community/subculture to help further collective community goals and projects
    

There's a lot more but this is extremely long already. If this all sounds like too much, I'd be fine simplly making bisexual, pansexual or omnisexual guy or girl friends, so we can hangout regularly, move in together and do things normal like:
• Workout together
• Practice martial arts
• Be hedonistic
• Party, go to clubs, raves and festivals
• Talk philosophy
• Throw orgies and sex parties
• Visit naturist resorts
• Make art and potentially music
• Road trip
• Visit other countries
TL;DR looking for guy and girl friends, who are loners, so we can work on an art project together that involves the creation of a new, hyper-collectivistic, subculture and eventually either building or remodeling a city, town or area, to match our community's aesthetic. The aesthetic would be a blend of violet lights, brutalist architecture, black oriental/minimalist furniture, silver jewelry and black clothing. If we are successful, we will serve as an example of a properly functioning community(utopia), a tutorial for how others can make their own cultures/subcultures from scratch, and show people that, most of the things they take seriously or believe in either doesn't matter, isn't real or is based on some made up narrrative

• Transformative wall paint designs that infuse personality into your home.
• Tips and techniques for each style to help you achieve professional results.
• An array of creative ideas from bold color blocking to enchanting murals.

Looking to revamp your living space? Discover 10 creative and trendy wall paint ideas that will breathe new life into your home. From bold colors to intricate patterns and innovative techniques, this article will inspire homeowners to unleash their creativity and transform their walls into stunning works of art.
read more: https://vesma.in/10-creative-and-trendy-wall-paint-ideas-to-transform-your-space/

Transform a nook in your home into a conducive study area with our seven ingenious tips. Utilize space dividers, bathe the area in natural light, choose mood-enhancing colors, opt for ergonomic furniture, declutter regularly, personalize your space, and integrate efficient technology for an optimal learning environment.
source: https://vesma.in/7-tips-to-design-study-room-for-homes/

This blog post explores seven essential tips for transforming your master bedroom into a stunning and serene retreat. From creating a balanced symmetrical layout and embracing a minimalist style, to layering lighting for ambiance, choosing colors that evoke the right emotions, mixing textures for depth, highlighting your personality with statement pieces, and integrating smart storage solutions to maintain a clutter-free space—these design secrets promise to elevate your bedroom into a personal sanctuary that mirrors your unique style and promotes well-being.
source: https://vesma.in/7-tips-to-design-master-bedroom/

She breathlessly lunged across the chasm, catching the edge and skittering up and over the lip of the next building. She scrambled against the wall that created the lip, chest heaving. Trying to calm the fire erupting from her lungs without making noise.
Then she heard it. A roof access door flew open and a small tink sound. A few seconds later, a shock wave and bright light passed over her head. She then heard the boots. Military precision. The light still burning projected their silhouettes on the taller building behind her position. She counted eight. An army of feet sounded as they mechanically swept the roof for her presence.
The light fizzled out and her world went dark. As the darkness swept in, the team looking for her went silent. No more boots. No more light. She felt blind and deaf. All she could hear were her two hearts racing each other past her auditory membranes. Swiiiiish. Thub. Swoooohs. Thib. Swiiiish. Thub. Swoooohs.
Her anxiety rose up into her nasal cavity. Her eyes started watering. They knew. Run. Go. They wouldn't stay still this long. You're dead if you don't move.
She tried to stop herself but she couldn't. Slowly inching up to get her eyes over the ledge, holding her head sideways so her plume wouldnt give her away, her right eye broke the surface. She saw them. One was looking right at her. He brought his gun up and pointed it right at her, the light causing her eye to constrict to a tiny point.
This is it. Her death. This was just masonry. Their bullets would make short work of the wall, her, and probably the building behind her. Closing her eyes, she prayed. Mumbling out the prayer her parents taught her in her youth, "O Arine, teacher of roads, keeper of knowledge, please use my mind to perfect your realm." She swallowed. Hard.
And waited. And then kept waiting. She parted her clenched eyes.
Why wasn't she dead?
She opened her eyes fully and brought her head up sideways again. The one that had to have spotted her was looking over the edge of the building searching the street below for something. The guard heard another speak and turned towards what looked like a leader. They appeared to have a conversation, but she couldn't hear a thing. Or.....anything. No air noise. No street sounds. She tapped an ear. No, she'd heard that.
"Don't worry, they can't see past the barrier."
She screached in shock and dove at her attacker, talons outstretched. He dodged the incoming attack deftly, but did nothing else. She slammed into the ground and skittered to regain her footing and spun around, wings outstretched talons flared.
"I'm Marlon. I believe I was expecting you, K'lithay?"
She raised her head from her fighting stance at her name. Her lungs rasped as she pulled in air. "You....are my contact?"
"Yes."
She lumbered at breathing for another moment. "Who--What are you?" Her eyes took in this short bag of flesh as her arms slowly fell to her sides. A short, cropped mash of fine fur on it's head, two small eyes, some sort of potruberance just below them and a flappy structure that seemed to be its mouth. A pulpy stub of flesh came out and quickly circled the opening.
The creature huffed and then said, "I am human. I need to get you to the space port so that we can get you off this rock."
K'lithay chittered her beak. "And just how are we going to waltz onto a ship? I'm very conspicuous, you know."
"Oh, I'm well aware that an almost three meter tall, taloned, and brightly colored rainbow such as yourself is very obvious. But, if you are willing to act without pride and stay a slave a bit longer, I think I can just take you through the front door."
Marlon held up a slave shackle and imprint pad. K'lithay eyed them suspiciously. "You expect me to willingly give myself to you? After what I just did to escape?"
"Only until we can get to the shuttle. If you look over the data on the pad, you'll see its a paid servant contract that expired last year. Here, they'll never question why you are still shackled and owned, but once we aren't in Larin space, you can leave at any time."
"Except I'll be shackled," she raised her wing and pointed to a calloused spot on the forearm, "That's how you control me."
"Ahh, but you'll find human ingenuity at it's finest in this shackle!" Marlon snapped the shackle onto his wrist and tossed the control unit to her.
K'lithay sneered as she caught it. "Oh, so you'll let me shock you. Boo hoo, then I'll release you and I'll be stuck with the real deal."
Marlon huffed air again. "This is a trick hinge. You can take it off any time you want. Start pressing controls, you'll see im not harmed in the least."
K'lithay examined the control device. It was basically the same unit her master -- ex-master, she chided herself - had used. She tapped the shock button.
Marlon held it up. A small electric arc showed at the edge of the collar, but it looked like it had just tightened up on the inside, somehow. He didn't seem the least bit concerned that he should be falling to the ground in pain.
"It tightens to let me know when you've pressed the button, so that if anyone were to get the controller, I can still play along. For shock, it tightens and displays this little bolt to make the show. It'll release when you stop pressing the button. For the chime it'll tighten three times rapidly to let you know you've been called and it'll blink amber on the top. If you run out of time, it'll tighten in pulses to let you know you are getting progressively worse shocks for not coming."
"What even is the point of this? It's got to be impossibly expensive to even make a fake shackle."
"Expense?" A strange forced halting sound came out of the creature's mouth, "It's not nearly as .....expensive as your life."
"Hah. My life was purchased for two kilograms of keri beans. I'm not worth this. You are trying to scam me."
Marlon stared at her. She saw a strange hardness in the muscles on his face that weren't there a moment ago. The eyes. Just a moment ago, they seemed....soft. Now there was a rigid hardness that unsettled her, she felt like prey to a hungry predator. The white around an icy blue coloring only accentuated the blackness at the center of the creature's sight. Her heart started beating faster.
"I would have you know that each life - every one - is priceless. No amount of expense is spared saving people from your former life - not even my own life." Marlon said in a way that reverberated through her very bones as he took a step towards her.
K'lithay blinked and stepped back, unsure of what was coming as Marlon approached and brought up his arm. "Now, if you press here and here, the shackle pops off on the hinge side and the lock side stays locked. Here, you try it!" Marlon said with his former demeanor, holding up the shackle.
K'lithay haltingly took hold of it, her heart still beating a pace quicker than normal. She eyed the device, then eyed this strange creature before her.
"What are you?"
"A human."
"But...what are...what is a human?"
"Oh! We were conquered as slaves by the Xen'cready a couple centuries ago. We've lost our home world and so most of us just kind of wander and help where we are needed. "
"Why?"
"Because.... it's only when you've lost everything that you see the universe for what it is. "
"Uh huh." K'lithay undulated her plumage, "And the scam finally comes out. Let's hear it. What is the universe?"
"It's us. Our love, joy, hatred, passion. The evil and the good. This cycle - slavery, power, money - it can only be stopped if each of us stop it." Marlon swung the roof door open with a flourish. "Now. If you want out, we have a ride to catch."
K'lithay stared out the window of their cabin. It was cramped, but it was private for the two of them. It had been a long day. It was hard to act a slave. Marlon insisted that nothing seem out of the ordinary for a master to slave relationship.
The Kirellan guard had been the worst. Instead of dropping him limb from limb for being a piece of slaving trash, she'd had to a act the part of simpering slave and react to Marlon's fake shocks.
She looked over on the floor to Marlon's sleeping form. He'd insisted she take the bed. Had she not met him on that rooftop, he'd certainly look exactly like her m- ex-master. He'd made her bring him food, then groused with another slaver about her beating up his slave over bets.
She chittered softly to herself as she sank into an uneasy slumber.
K'lithay stood and watched from her vantage point as part of the wait staff at a restaurant on one of the docks. In the six months since Marlon had brought her here and set her free, she had worked and observed the humans.
They had an "Embassy" down in the Scourge - a place that wasn't misnamed - that none of the criminals would touch.
All of these humans seemed to have jobs on the ships, but she never saw any of them talk to the crew, just disappear when they were about to leave and reappear when the ships docked.
After all they had done, she didn't mistrust the humans, exactly, but something about them bothered her. They had no jobs, no way to earn money, but they were always there to help anyone out. And the way the ship crews talked about them - like some sort of lucky charm mixed with a pet mixed with a spirit - made her....uneasy.
Marlon snapped her from her inner thoughts. "Good morning, K'lithay, my dear. How are you, today?"
"Oh, Hi, Marlon. What can I get for you?"
"Some Askarian eggs, scrambled, and a pint of cathan smoked meat. A cup of Joe would be good, too." He said in a rigid, gravelly tone.
"Alright. That'll be twelve credits. "
Marlon laid a credit stick on the table as she poured the cup of hot green liquid. His eyes were unfocused, ringed in red. She knew all too well what that meant. He had lost a slave during a rescue.
"What happened out there?"
He looked at her and blinked a couple of times. "A piece of trash put a bomb into her sex slave. When he ran too far from his owners home, it ruptured a vial of acid inside his brain. He cried out and I caught him. I thought maybe he had caught his leg or something.... but then I saw it. His torso was bubbling.....He grabbed me and said 'Thank you'. I....I kind of went a little haywire."
K'lithay watched his jaw tremble and fluid run down his face, his eyes fixed on the swirling mug in front of him. "Hey! It'll be okay. Like you said last time, you can't win them all." She attempted to comfort him.
"No. I gave up my position.....I went too far." He looked up at her. " I went back to this owners home and I....cut right into her reproductive sack and then tied her up and left her for her hounds to find. I watched her scream as they tore her into scraps."
K'lithay cocked her head. "So? It's what she probably deserved."
"NO!" Marlon snapped at her heavily, "I cannot be judge, jury, and executioner! None of us can!" Other diners turned at the outburst and Marlon glanced around, lowering his voice. "How many slaves did I just kill by making their owners afraid for their own lives, K'lithay?"
K'lithay blinked. She rolled his words over in her mind. The Humans always had a unique view. Not just the immediate, but also, somehow, a medium and long term view all at the same time. He was right. Masters -- OWNERS - would try to protect themselves above all else.
"So, what are you going to do then?"
"I'll find a local place for a few months and see where else I can fit, I guess. The Embassy is always looking for help."
"Don't go there! I think they are raising an army."
Marlon stopped cold, his mug half raised, his face trying to decide between despair and shock. "Errrr.... what?"
"I've heard rumors that the humans who run that place are creating an army so they can start taking ships. That's why you heart about all these stowaways that only contribute for free."
"Uh....huh." Marlon was clearly processing what she'd said. "Man, people really have a knack for getting things half right." Marlon started his human laughing.
K'lithay ruffled her plumage, flustered. "How can you cry and then laugh??"
Marlon slowly stopped laughing over the next moment, and then took another drink. "I have a lot more crying coming, K'lithay," Marlon said, dipping into a sad tone, "But you gave me a little context, and helped brighten my day. Thank you." He got up to leave.
K'lithay looked down and grabbed his credit stick. "Your credit stick, Marlon!"
"Keep it."
K'lithay watched Marlon leave. Once he was out of sight, she reached into her smock and pulled out a notebook. Flipping through the pages, she found her previous note, "Human army?" and slid a line through it with her pen. She clucked, pondering. Why are humans so....human?
She brought her gaze to the credit stick in her hand. The digital funds read out said 1100 credits remaining. Her jaw dropped and she instinctively looked back for Marlon, but didn't see him anywhere.
Marlon walked, somewhat cheered in disposition. He pulled out his handtop and reread the resignation email he sent.
He couldn't find fault with his need to resign, even now, so he let it be. He looked up to see three Officers of a ship staring slack jawed at a young woman and her....grandfather? Or at least a much older gentleman.
He maneuvered closer to try to hear why a crew was actually talking to a human.

So I had a post a couple days ago asking for advice on this, and after reading through responses and ruminating a bit, I think I've come up with a pretty neat alternative hook for PCs, and wanted to share.
So on this alternate hook, every PC is a foundling or adopted (they might not know this), and we're all born in Barovia and smuggled out as babies by a small group of Vistani who oppose Strahd (this assumes the Vistani all have varied relationships with him, rather than all of them serving him directly). These babies were all reincarnations of people who were highly significant to Strahd, and the Vistani believed that if they could find them all and ensure they survived into adulthood, that together they could throw Strahd off his game enough to defeat him.
One of these babies is the reincarnation of Tatyana, and Strahd knows she was removed from Barovia as a child, but he doesn't know WHICH child. He's managed to track down all of the PCs, and he invites them all to Barovia hoping he will be able to pick out Tatyana's newest incarnation once they're there. He does not know who the others are reincarnations of, only that they were taken from Barovia as infants.
Once the party arrives, Strahd does not rush straight to them, but tries to pay then each a private visit, at night, with the intent of sampling their blood to find out which is Tatyana. Once he learns who each PC is, he begins to develop more specific feelings and motivations for them. Strahd appears to a PC for the first time whenever they take a long rest apart from the rest of the party (in their own room in an inn, for example). They will wake to find him just outside the window, or standing over them if they're sleeping outside. He will try to charm them (and ask for an invitation if he needs to), sample their blood, and then leave.
Following are four suggested reincarnation (with a little backstory, in two cases), how Strahd reacts if he tastes their blood, and how he behaves towards them afterwards. These are all characters who had some significant role during the night that Strahd became a vampire.
1) Tatyana. After a single sip, Strahd pause, almost freezing as a single tear rolls down his cheek. He softly whispers "I feared I had lost you forever" before slowly rising "This time, we will not rush things. This time, you shall be mine." He leaves via the window or simply retreats into a fog or copper of trees, taking one last long glance behind him before he fades from view. Strahd will order his minions not to harm this PC, and will not attack them himself, UNLESS they are trying to leave Barovia somehow - if he thinks they have a chance of succeeding, he will try to kill them, weeping as he does, because he fears her escaping again and then dying, removing her soul from the cycle of reincarnation. When the PCs reach the Blood on The Vine, their half-brother recognizes some sort of family birthmark, or even just a resemblance, and approaches them wide-eyed. "What are doing here? You can't be here! You need to get to Valaki right away!" From here a conversation can unfold with the PCs brother insisting its not safe for them in the village - he was just old enough to remember when the PC was spirited away. He wasn't told why exactly, only that she was in danger, but he will answer what question he can about the PC's family. He will want to get a funeral done for the sake of decorum and get them out of the village ASAP. Keywords for Strahd: Desire, possessiveness.
2) Sergei Von Zarovich. This should be a PC that will be proficient with the Sunsword. Strahd seems to choke as he tastes the blood and he recoil a few steps "Sergei?" He asks, puzzled. He pauses for what seem like an eternity before taking a step forward and caressing the PC's check with a long nail. "If there had been any other way... If I could rewrite the pasts..." His brow furrows and he scowls before digging in his fingernail just enough to draw blood. "No. I am the elder. The patriarch." He moves towards the window or takes several steps away before turning around " She is MINE, and you will come to know your better." He then leaves. Strahd becomes unpredictable and unstable around this PC. He is torn between jealousy and guilt, and at times will seek this PC's forgiveness, and at others will go out of his way to scare or impress them, asserting his superiority and what he sees as his right to Tatyana. Keywords for Strahd: Guilt, envy
3) Leo Dilisnya. I'm pulling him from the pages of "I, Strahd." He was the head of a rival family to the Von Zaroviches, and came to Sergei's wedding with assassins in tow. Has Strahd not already made his pact, Leo would have killed him (his crossbow pierced Strauds mortal heart and completed his transformation). Strahd later tracked him down, turned him, and sealed him in a tomb to go mad with hunger. We can add in that a group of adventurers dug him up and destroyed him on a false lead about Strahd, allowing his soul to reincarnate. When Strahd tastes this PC's blood, he spits it back in their face and hisses "Dilisnya!" He grabs them by the throat and hold them down as he leans in intimately close. "This time, I will bury you so deep that the worms won't be able to find you. But first, you shall suffer as only a mortal can." He then turns into a swarm of bats and flies away. Strahd will HATE this PC, and go out of his way to torment them, becoming reckless in a way PCs might be able to exploit. He wants the PC to suffer for a while, but ultimately wants to turn and bury them again. Keywords for Strahd: Hatred, aggression
4) St. Markovia. Taking some creative liberties with this one. In "I, Strahd," after he turned, there was an abbess who had known Strahd for a while and recognized what he'd become. She successfully appealed to Strahd's little remaining humanity, persuading him to use his vampiric abilities to save the few surviving wedding guests from the remaining assassins. We're going to make her St. Markovia. After the wedding disaster, she would go on to become the very first adventurer to make an honest go at putting Strahd down. When Strahd tastes this PC's blood, he slowly withdraws and pauses for a moment before swallowing. "I never thought to taste that vintage again..." He looks away and closes his eyes. "You saw the hero in me... but he is dead now." As he finishes, it seems like Strayd is saying the last words to himself, not the PC. He departs slowly, seeming to be half-lost in thought. As opposed to the guilt that Sergei inspires, Markovia inspires shame in Strahd. Even when she opposed him, he respected her, and being reminded of her also reminds him that he was once a hero to his people. This PC alone can get Strahd to second-guess himself. He is still evil to the core, but this PC can cause him to waver in his resolve at times. When this PC is present, Strahd may hold back a bit, and make an attempt to face then "honorably" rather than pressing every advantage he can. Keywords for Strahd: Shame, honor.
EDIT: Forgot to mention that in this variant hook, PCs each recieve a letter (from Strahd, but not signed) that I forms them a long lost relative has died in Barovia, and willed them a substantial sum. It invited them to a funeral, and a Vistani coachman will be waiting to transport them (This Vistani is straight up on Strahd's payroll). The party can meet each other during the ride, and if they suspect theyve all bern duped, they will find the coachman unwilling to stop, the doors locked from the outside, and the coach moving at supernaturally high speeds, making jumpimg out a clearly lethal proposition for 1st (or 3rd) level characters. Eventually, the coach stops and the the party will see the coachman staring into a gnarled mass of trees, where a blue flame can be seen in the distance. He takes out a shovel and tells the party to wait there, then hurries off the road into the trees. If the party follows him, they get lost in the woods and soon find their way to Death House (or the Village of Barovia). The same happens if they follow the road, or wander off in any direction. If they actually do wait, the mists seep in, growing so thick they can only see about a foot ahead of then, and then fade, leaving the party in front of Death House (or Barovia)

Hi all! Still super new to colour, and I'm just trying to mentally process my workflow for working with HDR footage but for outputting to SDR (Rec709)
I'm working with 8-bit, HLG3 BT2020 footage, intending to output in Rec709.
I'm seeing a ton of different opinions on the best way to approach this colour workflow and I'm really trying to not over think it. I'm wanting to get the most out of the footage I can, without degrading it if possible.
One camp seems to say, work in a Colour managed HDR workspace.
The other camp says to work in an SDR workspace to avoid 8-bit HLG limitations, as well as is a requirement of using any corrective luts such as the Leeming Lut Pro
My results have been varied and I've looked at it all so much, I'm still unsure what actually is helping or what I might be hurting footage with.
My current thought process is
1 - Work in Non colour managed with Timeline set to REC709 Gamma 2.4
I assume this means in need to do a CST on the first node to convert HLG to Rec709 (Input Color space: Rec 2020, Input Gamma: Rec2100 HLG -> Output Color Space & Gamma: Rec 709, Gamma 2.4)
With the next node as my corrective (Leeming Lut Pro For SONY HLG3), and begin my grading process from there.
or
2 - Work in a Colour Managed Workflow Set to SDR Automatic (Instead of having to do Color Space transforms)
Applying Leeming Lut Pro corrective Lut for Sony HLG3 to first node and grading from there.
or
3 - Work in Colour Managed Workflow set to Custom (As recommended by Daryyn Mosten, Cullen Kelly.
Input colour space as Rec 2020 HLG ARIB STD-B76
Timeline Colour space as Rec 709 Gamma 2.4
Output Colour Space as Rec709 Gamma 2.4
Applying Leeming Lut pro corrective lut for Sony HLG3 to my first node, and Grading from here.
In all cases the Leeming lut Pro is making the skin tones quite red saturated. The footage was shot before I purchased the Leeming lut and so camera settings are not done with ETTR but I wouldn't imagine this affecting the reds this much.
What does everyone think or could recommend?
Or am I just greatly over thinking this?

Hello, everybody! I am a casual observer and former admirer of Starbucks, as a long-time customer of roughly 15 years, and I wanted to share some thoughts about what I have been seeing from the customer perspective since 2023.
I work as an airline pilot and am pretty picky when it comes to coffee. Starbucks' number one advantage over competitors was consistency. In aviation, we might refer to this as "quality," defined as "conformity to a standard." In my experience, Starbucks stores across the country have nearly 100% uniformity across the board when it comes to the quality of a particular drink. The app's order-ahead feature was a game changer because it eliminated that unpredictable drive thru delay and made it even more convenient (for us customers).
The other advantage to Starbucks over competitors is the in-store atmosphere. I have written thousands of pages of reports, briefs, presentations, and so forth in Starbucks stores since the early 2010s. Anytime I need some time to work on something requiring a lot of brain power, I know I can get extremely good results by visiting a store.
Iced coffee has by far been my favorite product. I do not get fancy customizations. I drink it with almond milk, no sweetener, and preferably light ice. I also do not eat anything off the food menu, except for the occasional snack bar. I spent roughly $900 on Starbucks last year. At $5/ea or so, that's roughly 180 iced coffees in a year. I went back and looked at my spending in 2021 and 2022. It was $120 and $600 respectively. My coffee drinking preferences haven't changed, but you can see how much steeper my annual spending on it has become. Consumers like me would continue to spend this way regardless, *if* the product and experience continued to be superior. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case, and I think the stock pricing and missed earnings reports have now started to accurately portray that reality.
From my observations, two major problems have cropped up at Starbucks. For the record, I am excluding service issues that occurred during COVID-19 and the post-COVID reopening through 2022. Instead, I'd like to discuss 2023 and this year, 2024, because they marked a real change in my experience with, and thus my opinion, of the company.
First, for whatever reason, towards the end of 2023 and during this entire year leading up to the May 7th launch of the "new" iced coffee, the quality of the "original" iced coffee product had started going downhill. Starting in 2023, I started to notice a higher than usual variation in how this product turned out from store to store, or even based on the time ordered (early AM vs afternoon). I could pretty quickly tell based on the color of the drink, with the number one issue becoming a watered down iced coffee that lacked the acidity and flavor profile that it usually had. This started happening occasionally in 2023, and then continued with a disappointing regularity into 2024, to the point where I have had to branch out to competitors in search of a better tasting product and have heavily curtailed my Starbucks spending.
Next, the straw "policy," or whatever that is, being enforced at the majority of your stores is beyond weird and super frustrating. This is a great example of unnecessary friction being added to the ordering experience. I understand that there is a push to reduce plastic consumption, but rather than merely encouraging customers to use less plastic by not providing a straw by default, for those who still want a straw, you are hiding them behind the counter, typically out of our reach, and requiring us to get the attention of an employee to get us something that every other competitor provides without requiring me to do a song and dance over a straw.
Whether I'm driving my car or flying a plane, I don't want to be tilting a 16 ounce drink in front of my face while doing it. I don't want my vision blocked by a cup. I don't want the drink getting all over my face. I certainly don't want to take big gulps that the lids allow. I just want a straw because that's the most enjoyable way to drink the iced coffee. Given that you took millions of dollars to develop an app that reduces interactions with baristas and makes the ordering experience pretty seamless, why would you make me interrupt a barista to have them get me a straw from their secret stash? Is this supposed to discourage me from obtaining a straw? (It doesn't.) What is this accomplishing other than irritating your customers?
Other competitors like Dunkin are quickly catching up to Starbucks. I recently tried a Dunkin' large iced coffee, black, and was very impressed to the point where I ordered it again. Dunkin now has order-ahead on their app, too. Additionally, I can get their iced coffee for about 30% less than one at Starbucks. Their only major downside is that their stores are not typically as nice as Starbucks.
We've also got Tim Hortons in this neck of the woods. They recently added alternate creamers like almond milk and renovated a lot of their stores to the point where they are on par with Starbucks in my location.
My message to Starbucks corporate is that they need to focus on the quality of their core products, experience of their regular customers, and to stop messing around with straws. There are also a lot of complaints seen in this subreddit from your employees about customers who seem to be enabled by the app to make stupid demands of your baristas. If you can figure out how to tacitly dissuade that type of behavior, and get back to the Starbucks of, let's say, 2019, (with added features of order-ahead) maybe you'll have a chance to get this train back on track.

A little bit more detail. So the premise of the app/tool is I have ~10 different layouts with numbered spaces lets call the layouts A-J, each layout has 10 spaces. So spot 5 on layout B would be B5. I have a button system where the user can select the layout and then pick any spot within that layout. Once they pick the desired spots they have the option to pick a colored circle to place on that spot. for example they pick. C1, C4, C5, C7. then for spots C1, and C4 they want a green circle, and C5, and C7 get a blue circle. After they make all there selections I want them to be able to save the final image. I was wondering if anyone knows if there might be another language more suited to building this tool or if its seems reasonable to do with HTML/JS/CSS. This is a side project to help me with a repetitive task at work I am not a programmer by trade but enjoy programming on the side here and there. Thanks for any help!

IGS REP PG
Want:
Looking for the following titles:

• Trepang 2
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May 2024

• Yakuza Like a Dragon

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• Deadlink
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• A fisherman's tale
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• Realms of Ruin Ultimate Edition
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I have a family member(uncle) that works at Arrowhead. Just like everyone else I've been absolutely livid about balance lately. I've been telling him to please, please, please buff weapons or to at least let me know if any buffs are coming. After 3 months of pestering he finally gave in and sent me a work in progress draft of patch notes. While the patch notes aren't finalized, I have it on good authority that most, if not all, of these changes are coming in the near future:
General

• Armor no longer has weight categories. Armor rating can now be lowered for increased speed/stamina regen and vice versa.
• NPCs on Destroyers now respond to player emotes.
• There are now multiple Personal Orders per day, but players can only progress one at a time.
• Added setting in the options menu gameplay section to disable misaligned scopes.
• Added setting in the options menu gameplay section to disable self damage from ricochet.
• Added "Flag of Super Earth" as a mission stratagem for Helldivers who truly believe in Liberty and Democracy.
• Added a communal shower on Destroyers to wash off blood from your armor.
• Civilians are now equipped with Shield Generator Packs.

Primary, Secondary, & Support Weapons

• AR-23 Liberator
  • The Liberator is every Helldiver's starting weapon and we want to ensure that it is always an option and not immediately replaced.
  • Damage permanently increased by 1 every time a Major Order is completed.
• AR-23P Liberator Penetrator
  • Increased magazine capacity from 30 to 50.
  • Now has a bayonet affixed. Melee attacks with this weapon have increased damage and medium penetration.
• AR-23C Liberator Concussive
  • Now properly gives enemies a concussion.
  • Concussed enemies stop fighting and wander the map aimlessly.
  • If a concussed enemy goes to sleep there's a strong chance they end up in a coma.
• BR-14 Adjudicator
  • Increased damage from 80 to 100.
  • Increased magazine capacity from 25 to 30.
  • Semi auto is now the default fire mode.
  • Now placed amongst marksman rifles.
• AR-61 Tenderizer
  • Increased damage from 60 to 80.
  • Enemies killed with the Tenderizer can now be eaten. However, only bugs can restore health.
• R-63 Diligence
  • Now has a burst fire mode.
  • Increased magazine capacity from 20 to 25.
• R-63CS Diligence Counter Sniper
  • Increased damage from 140 to 175.
  • Increased stagger.
  • Deals 50% more damage to other Helldivers that are using marksman rifles or Anti-Material Rifles. Deals 100% more damage if they have both.
• SMG-37 Defender
  • Is now both a Primary and Secondary weapon.
• SMG-73 Pummeler
  • Now makes comical punching noises on impact.
• MP-98 Knight
  • Can now be purchased by non-Super Citizens for 500 super credits.
  • Non-Super Citizens are now aware of this weapon.
• SG-8 Punisher
  • Increased shots per minute from 80 to 100.
  • Nearby Helldivers can now buddy pump the Punisher for you for an even higher fire rate.
• SG-8S Slugger
  • Now has a scope that can be ranged at 25m, 50m, and 75m.
  • Increased stagger.
  • Also can be buddy pumped.
• SG-225 Breaker
  • Increased magazine capacity from 13 to 16
  • Reduced recoil from from 55 to 30.
• SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary
  • Reloading with rounds still in the magazine now has Helldivers throw the magazine, functioning as an incendiary grenade.
  • Now has a full auto mode.
• SG-225SP Breaker Spray & Pray
  • Increased magazine capacity from 26 to 60.
• CB-9 Exploding Crossbow
  • Slightly bigger explosion.
  • Added shrapnel.
  • Increased number of maximum magazines from 8 to 12.
  • Slight increase in ergonomics.
  • Muzzle velocity decreased.
  • Bolts now have interchangeable payloads(Explosive, Gas, Smoke, and Incendiary).
  • Explosive bolts can now destroy the things you'd expect it to be able to destroy.
• R-36 Eruptor
  • Increased explosive damage by 40. Again.
  • Added shrapnel.
  • Projectile now lodges itself into targets/surfaces(assuming it can penetrate) and explodes after 1 second.
• JAR-5 Dominator
  • Increased damage from 275 to 299.
  • Added shrapnel.
• LAS-5 Scythe
  • Can now be fired for 60 seconds before overheating.
  • Decreased recoil from 1 to 0.
  • Laser will now infinitely bounce on any and all surfaces.
• ARC-12 Blitzer
  • No longer requires recharging.
  • Power! Unlimited POWER!
• SG-8P Punisher Plasma
  • Now fires multiple arcs of plasma in a spread.
  • Now placed amongst both shotguns and energy weapons.
  • Added plasma shrapnel.
• LAS-16 Sickle
  • Is now One Handed. As sickles are known to be.
• PLAS-1 Scorcher
  • Changed color of plasma from blue to red for increased projectile speed.
  • Now sets targets on fire on direct hits.
  • Added plasma shrapnel.
• PLAS-101 Purifier
  • Increased damage from 250 to 300.
  • The longer the charge is held, the larger the explosion.
  • Added plasma shrapnel.
• P-2 Peacemaker
  • Can now be held at 90 degree angle.
  • This fire mode increases damage from 75 to 100.
  • Now has a burst fire mode.
• P-19 Redeemer
  • Slight decrease in recoil.
  • Now has a burst fire mode.
• P-4 Senator
  • Increased ammo capacity from 40 to 60.
  • Shots that ricochet will automatically aim for nearby enemies.
• LAS-7 Dagger
  • Replaced with an actual dagger.
  • Now capable of lethal damage.
• GP-31 Grenade Pistol
  • Increased magazine capacity to 2.
  • Now a double barreled grenade pistol.
  • Add shrapnel.
• P-113 Verdict
  • Now has medium penetration.
  • Increased stagger.
• M-105 Stalwart
  • Now has two more fire rate modes: 1400RPM and 2000RPM.
• MG-43 Machine Gun
  • Has a random chance to appear in Hellpods that have space for it.
  • Stratagem doesn't need to be equipped for this to occur.
• MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun
  • Increased magazine capacity from 75 to 500.
• APW-1 Anti-Material Rifle
  • Can now shoot through terrain.
  • Scope now has an Xray toggle to see enemies through terrain.
• RS-422 Railgun
  • Safe mode removed.
  • Unsafe mode is now default.
  • No longer explodes in hands if overcharged.
  • The longer the charge is held the more damage and penetration. Damage and penetration scales infinitely.
• EAT-17 Expendable Anti-Tank
  • Added shrapnel.
• GR-8 Recoilless Rifle
  • The spirits of fallen Helldivers who have died while manually reloading their Recoilless Rifle will now appear to buddy reload.
  • Added shrapnel.
• FAF-14 Spear
  • Not only is the lock on improved, but can now lock on to multiple targets.
  • No longer requires reload. Shots are taken immediately from backpack.
  • Added shrapnel.
• LAS-99 Quasar Cannon
  • Renamed to Laser Cannon.
  • Recharge time now randomly takes anywhere from 5-15 seconds.
  • Added laser shrapnel.
• RL-77 Airburst Rocket Launcher
  • Removed rocket launcher.
  • Rockets are now fired directly from backpack. Mandalorian style.
  • Added shrapnel to each cluster bomb.
• GL-21 Grenade Launcher
  • Launched grenades are the same type of grenade as the one you have equipped.
• FLAM-40 Flamethrower
  • Now benefits from Servo-Assist.
• ARC-3 Arc Thrower
  • Now benefits from Servo-Assist.
• LAS-98 Laser Cannon
  • Renamed to Annihilation Beam.
  • Damage increases the longer the laser is held.
  • Can now be fired for 60 seconds before overheating.
• Frag Grenade
  • More shrapnel.
• High Explosive Grenade
  • Added shrapnel.
• Impact Grenade
  • Added shrapnel.
• Smoke grenade
  • Added shrapnel.
• Incendiary Grenades
  • Added super heated shrapnel.
• Impact Incendiary Grenade
  • Added super heated shrapnel.
• Stun Grenade
  • Added shrapnel.
• Thermite Grenade
  • Added shrapnel.
  • Expels shrapnel every second before detonation.

Stratagems

• Eagle Stratagems
  • While Eagle-1 is rearming, Eagle-2 will take over. She's sounds hotter than Eagle-1.
  • Added shrapnel to all Eagle stratagems except for Eagle Strafing Run.
• Orbital Stratagems
  • All cooldowns are reduced by 25%
  • Orbital Laser now has increased charges from 3 to 5.
  • Added shrapnel to all Orbital Stratagems except Orbital Laser, Gatling Barrage, and Gas Strike.
• Guard Dog/Guard Dog Rover
  • You can now pet the dog.
• Supply Pack
  • Replenishes half as much as before.
  • Increased supply charges from 4 to 16(model as been updated to reflect this change).
• Ballistic Shield
  • Can now be used if backpack slot is already taken.
  • Shield will be dropped instead of being placed on back if no longer using a One Handed weapon.
• Jump Pack
  • Can now be used while diving.
• Shield Generator Pack
  • Shield size is now smaller while equipped.
  • If dropped, shield will still be active and larger in size.
• Patriot Exosuit
  • Now has it's own jump pack.
  • Can now be set to follow the Helldiver and fights on auto pilot.
• Tesla Tower
  • Now has legs to chase after friend or foe indiscriminately.
  • Will also attempt to jump over Chargers.
• Mortar Sentry
  • Is now invulnerable from damage for maximum uptime!
  • Added shrapnel.
• EMS Mortar Sentry
  • Now makes friendly sounding beeps and boops.
• Machine Gun Sentry
  • Can be picked up and relocated if Helldivers are unhappy with it's location.
• Gatling Sentry
  • Now fires counter-clockwise. Or properly clockwise? We forget. Trust us this is an important change.
• Anti-Personnel Minefield/Incendiary Mines
  • Each mine now has three charges, allowing them to be triggered multiple times.
• Shield Generator Relay
  • Has an uptime of 3 minutes.
  • Shield now slowly expands over time.
  • After 1 and 2 minutes, another shield starts to expand from the relay.
• HMG Emplacement
  • Increased total ammo from 300 to 1000.
  • Can now be equipped as a backpack.
  • While equipped as a backpack, fellow Helldivers can ride your shoulders and use the HMG while you ignore objectives and search for super samples.
• Autocannon Sentry
  • Is now significantly taller. Like really tall.
  • Added shrapnel.
  • Like whatever you're picturing, way taller.
  • It's. Huge.
• Rocket Sentry
  • Added shrapnel.

Enemies

• All enemies are now 110% louder. This ignores your current audio settings.
• Stunned Hulks now properly turn back into Bruce Banner.
• Stalkers now have a chance to drop blueprints for Dread, Despair, and Hate.
• Factory Striders now only spawn enemies every 9 months.
• Chargers now ask for permission to trample you.
• Hunters no long slow Helldivers with acid. Instead, they have been given bats and always aim for the knees.
• 1/50 Bile Titans spawn with wings and are capable of flight.
• Heavy Devastators no longer have guns. To compensate, they are now a melee enemy that dual wield shields. No the shield hasn't changed. Stop asking.
• Helldivers can now go inside Gunship spawners and undergo transformation to become a gunship. What you choose to do with this body is up to you.
• Enemies now wear name tags so you know what they're called. This helps with call outs.

Bug Fixes

• Bug fixes? Oh fuck bug fixes.

The skype call with my uncle suddenly ended there. I think we lost connection. But personally I'm not looking forward to these changes. The fact that there wasn't a single mention of transmog is infuriating. If Arrowhead keeps putting out shitty patches like this then Helldivers 2 is gonna be dead within a month.

Hey everyone!! The Libra Colour has become my v first Kobo e-reader (I literally couldn't resist highlighting in color and annotating directly on books)
I also got the Kobo Stylus 2, but I noticed that when I'm writing close to the edge or sometimes randomly if I change the position of the stylus in my hand it writes where I'm not trying to and marks up the page when I'm not even pressing the stylus on the page.
Is anyone else experiencing this or do we think there is something faulty with my device or my stylus?
Thanks in advance!l

2024-178 / Zedd MAP: 49.46 / MLZ MAP: 51.84 / Score Gap: 2.38
Wikipedia?wprov=sfti1#) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection
“Keep an open mind,” I implore of Mrs. Lady Zedd, “It’s a low rent 80’s film and I can’t stress this enough - I have zero history with the movie. Start at 50.”
MLZ is always on board to jump down cinematic rabbit holes with me and I just want to make this official: I am so appreciative to have such a groovy partner that wants to walk life with me. She’s always right there next to me (never in front or behind). Equal. It makes our shared passion - movies - that much better. She gets the “start at 50” philosophy - that’s the middle of the Movie Algorithm Project, you just let the MAP drift up or down from there…
From IMDb: When a top local businessman and his two bumbling nephews try to shut down the town's only video arcade, arcade employees and patrons fight back.
… in this case, it just kind of stayed right there.
When we watch a motion picture, there’s a very formal feel to everything. As the credits roll, I hand Mrs. Lady Zedd the MAP scorecard. We have a house taboo against discussing anything we’ve watched until both scores have been derived. I then transfer the MAPs to the Movie Collection Catalog, then I pronounce the announcement:
MLZ - you’ve taken the High MAP at 51.86. I’ve taken the Low MAP at 49.46. The Score Gap is on the low-side at 2.38, we have a House MAP of 50.65
We follow this formal process - every time, every movie. It’s become an important ritual that we both look forward to. It can come with surprises, like here - how did Mrs. Lady Zedd come out on top?!?
First and foremost, it’s technically true her MAP topped my own but they’re so close ((shakes head)) they’re essentially the same score. Our years of watching films of every stripe and color with the purpose of MAP’ping and preparing write ups - we figure a +/- 2 or 3 points margins of error is a safe bet. Our MAPs are within that margin, what we call “watching the same movie” in Zedd-speak. If you’re thinking, “Movie dude - I know all this!” Be patient - it bears repeating and new people come and go. Good to keep everyone in the know.
This particular flick was a perfect movie to go over some of 500 Movies basics because the story had such little meat on the bone. Your basic 80s sex comedy: simple storyline, boobs, more story, more boobs. What differentiated this from, say Porkys? Not much - its setting is contemporary with its filming instead of a nostalgia dump to a bygone age. Other than that, pretty similar.
Mrs. Lady Zedd said the movie was (more or else) what she expected. It was fine to have on in the background or while we ate dinner but this wouldn’t be a film she’d trot out for mixed company. She went on to say, “Oh, I know this was filmed 40 years ago now but I hope that blonde with the Inverted Nipples made it to the doctor for a proper exam - it could have been nothing major but that can be an indication of some fairly serious issues.”
That’s my gal - watching a sex comedy, providing helpful medical tips. I always avert my eyes during gratuitous nudity - without fail - by which I mean avert my eyes from anything that might distract from the screen. I mean, just for like ((shrug)) that medical stuff too. I mean, why would I lie? ((I’m lying))
Movie on. :]
Side note: with everything going on Movie Project-wise (Pull and Purge / New-Used Input / New-New Input / Digital Code Tag Pull / Filling in Movie Particulars), we said we didn’t care about hitting 500 Movies but (I’m calling bullshit) - yeah, we wanted to catch up. At 130 days, we’d need to be on 178 to be on task - ta-da, here we are! Now can we keep it up? Don’t know - we’re so busy, anything could happen.

I started the One Punch Man manga and I noticed that the 21st chapter has 4 parts/chapter. Why this way? Also, why were the pages colored? I know it contains color pages from manga. But I don't think they will publish an entire chapter in color. Especially the sections with so many pages. Can you enlighten me on this matter?

Came across this piece on the Met’s website today and thought I’d share. There are a dozen high quality pics of it to peruse on their page. That’s lucky for us, because this piece is not on display.
When you zoom in you can still see basting stitches on the pieces. It measures 89 3/4 in. (228 cm) wide by 8 ft. 8 3/4 in. (266.1 cm) long, and is made of cotton fabrics dating from the 1790s to the 1820s. The quilt itself dates from 1820–1850.
Fussy Cutting = “motifs were cut from several patterns and juxtaposed for a controlled kaleidoscopic effect”
Here’s the full description: British. Patchwork quilting is usually associated with America, but it also has a tradition in Europe, particularly in Germany and England. The number of differently patterned printed cottons used in this quilt top, ranging in date from the 1790s to the 1820s, suggests that the maker had access to sample books or samples. Although such a wealth of fabrics offered a design opportunity, the small size of each sample could have been limiting. The maker, however, turned this challenge into a strength. For some of the hexagons, motifs were cut from several patterns and juxtaposed for a controlled kaleidoscopic effect; others were composed of different color combinations of the same design. In the outer guard borders, the tentlike shapes are each made of a different fabric; that may perhaps indicate the prevalent sample size. The large floral motifs and the central bird are executed in a different technique, "broderie perse," in which the forms are removed from larger pieces of glazed printed cotton and applied to the quilt top with crewel embroidery, which is also used for the flower stems. On the back of the quilt top, bits of old bills and correspondence appear in the hexagonal paper templates used as cutting guides.

Hi everybody, welcome to my sale thread! I've lowered the prices on some anime, most manga sets and light novels. Prices have been lowered on most things over the past week or so. I've tried to answer most potential questions below, but feel free to ask me any questions that aren't addressed.
Please comment on the thread before sending me a PM or Chat message, and make sure your shipping address is updated on your PayPal account before sending payment.
No holds for longer than 1-2 days and throw out the first offer if you want to negotiate, though some prices are firm.
I will not split any sets, except for Tramps Like Us. How I'm willing to split them are outlined in the lists below.
Shipping:
Canada and the USA: Free shipping on all orders $100 CAD (around $75.50 USD) or over. Otherwise, shipping with tracking starts at $11.50 CAD (around $8.75 USD) and goes up based on weight + package dimensions unless stated otherwise.
Europe/International: Starts at $16 CAD for single books and goes up based on weight + package dimensions. Please ask for a shipping quote.
Prices are in Canadian dollars, with the listed USD price provided as a reference as FX rates fluctuate slightly every day. (PayPal will automatically convert your USD/local currency to CAD when you pay.) Local pickup and payment can be arranged if you live in the Greater Toronto Area.
Timestamp
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Anime:
Pics
Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor Limited Edition (BD+DVD) - $126 CAD / $95 USD
Ghost Hound Complete Collection (DVD) - $112.75 CAD / $85 USD
Occult Academy Premium Edition (BD) - $212 CAD / $160 USD
Ranma 1/2 Set 3 Special Edition (BD) - $463.75 CAD / $350 USD
Sekirei Pure Engagement Limited Edition (BD/DVD, Sealed) - $251.75 CAD / $190 USD
Shin Chan Complete First Season (DVD, Sealed) - $126 CAD / $95 USD
The Asterisk War Vol. 4 (Standard Edition, Sealed) - $73 CAD / $55 USD
The Story of Saiunkoku Season 1 Complete Collection (DVD) - $238.50 CAD / $180 USD
Zoku Owarimonogatari: Koyomi Reverse (BD) - $331.25 CAD / $250 USD
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Light Novels:
Pics
Durarara!! Vol. 1-13 (Complete First Series) - $596.25 CAD / $450 USD
Strike the Blood Vol. 3-4 - $131.25 CAD / $99 USD
The Asterisk War Vol. 5 - $39.75 CAD / $30 USD
The Asterisk War Vol. 8 - $39.75 CAD / $30 USD
Vampire Hunter D Vol. 12-13 (Vol. 12's spine has creasing) - $46.50 CAD / $35 USD including shipping to Canada/USA
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Manga - Single Volumes:
Pics
A New Season of Young Leaves (BL) - $39.75 CAD / $30 USD
Aoharu x Machinegun Vol. 1 - $20 CAD / $15 USD
Arpeggio of Blue Steel Vol. 10 - $100 CAD / $75.50 USD
Casino Lily (BL, Sealed) - $33.25 CAD / $25 USD
Does the Flower Blossom? Vol. 1 (BL) - $66.25 CAD / $50 USD
Gantz G Vol. 3 - $33.25 CAD / $25 USD
He's My Only Vampire Vol. 4 - $26.50 CAD / $20 USD
Hey Class President! Vol. 1 (BL, Sealed) - $39.75 CAD / $30 USD
Honey Colored Pancakes (BL) - $59.75 CAD / $45 USD
Innocent Bird Vol. 3 (BL) - $73 CAD / $55 USD
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Vol. 6 (Paperback) - $33.25 CAD / $25 USD
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Vol. 11 (Paperback, first printing with no Stardust Crusaders subtitle on the cover) - $33.25 CAD / $25 USD
Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 23 (a few pages have some tiny stains, please see photos - $26.50 CAD / $20 USD
Lupin III (Lupin the 3rd) Vol. 12 (G3, See pics for condition) - $39.75 CAD / $30 USD
MPD-Psycho Vol. 11 (Sealed) - $212 CAD / $160 USD
Natsume's Book of Friends Vol. 10 - $39.75 CAD / $30 USD
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project Vol. 18 - $100 CAD / $75.50 USD
Please Save My Earth Vol. 1 - $39.75 CAD / $30 USD
Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Homura's Revenge! Vol. 1 (minor stain on the top of the front cover) - $39.75 CAD / $30 USD
Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Rebellion Vol. 1 - $33.25 CAD / $25 USD
S.A. (Special A) Vol. 12 - $34.25 CAD / $26.25 USD
Samejima-kun and Sasahara-kun (BL) - $33.25 CAD / $25 USD
Servamp Vol. 3 - $33.25 CAD / $25 USD
The Kindaichi Case Files Vol. 14: The Gentleman Thief - $172.25 CAD / $130 USD
Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches Vol. 8 (tear present on the top right) - $33.25 CAD / $25 USD
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Manga - Sets:
Sets will not be split up unless stated otherwise!
Pics
Black Cat Vol. 1-18 & 20 - $278.25 CAD / $210 USD
Black God Vol. 1-19 (Complete Series) - $450.50 CAD / $340 USD
Blood Blockade Battlefront Vol. 5-7 - $391 CAD / $295 USD
Breath Vol. 1-5 (BL, Complete Series) - $318 CAD / $240 USD
Btooom! Vol. 1-12 & 14-26 Light and Dark (Vol. 2-7 and 9-12 have a barcode sticker on the inside of the back cover from the retailer, Vol. 14-19 are sealed) - $656 CAD / $495 USD
Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus Vol. 1-4 (Complete Series, Dark Horse release) - $258.50 CAD / $195 USD
Eyeshield 21 Vol. 1-3 - $66.25 CAD / $50 USD
Future Diary Vol. 1-4 & 6-7 (Vol. 6-7 have signs of wear, see photos) - $232 CAD / $175 USD
Hey Class President! Vol. 1-2 (BL) - $100 CAD / $75.50 USD
Highschool of the Dead Vol. 1-3 - $46.50 CAD / $35 USD
Kanokon Vol. 1-9 (Complete Series) - $159 CAD / $120 USD
Lord Marksman and Vanadis Vol. 1-2 (G3-4 condition, yellowed pages) - $33.25 CAD / $25 USD
Love Com (Lovely Complex) Vol. 1-6 (overall G3 condition) - $126 CAD / $95 USD
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan Vol. 4-5 - $66.25 CAD / $50 USD
Please Tell Me! Galko-chan Vol. 1-2 - $66.25 CAD / $50 USD
Rabbit Man, Tiger Man Vol. 1-2 (BL) - $117.75 CAD / $90 USD
Ranma 1/2 2-in-1 Vol. 1-38 (Complete Series) - $848 CAD / $640 USD
Samurai Executioner Omnibus Vol. 1-4 (Complete) - $251.75 CAD / $190 USD
So I Can't Play H Vol. 1-4 - $66.25 CAD / $50 USD
Tegami Bachi Vol. 2-7 - $79.50 CAD / $60 USD
Tonight's Take-Out Night + This Night's Everything (BL) - $53 CAD / $40 USD
Tramps Like Us Vol. 9-10 (G3 condition) - $33.25 CAD / $25 USD
Tramps Like Us Vol. 9-10 & 13-14 (G3 condition) - $165.75 CAD / $125 USD
Ubel Blatt Vol. 0-11 (Complete Series, all but Vol. 1 is Sealed) - $821.50 CAD / $620 USD