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silent-dragon · 7 months

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TWST OC Group Profile - "Rococo Tails"

Sharptooth,Spencer Ryan,Lady Palm

Rococo Tails

A beauty product & rare magical item selling service owned by Sharptooth and managed by his close friends,Lady Palm & Spencer Ryan.

_________

Name - Sharptooth

Physical Age - 23

Birthday - 10/5

Zodiac - Virgo

Gender - Male

Species - Half Fae

Height - 253cm/8'3"

Eye Color - Sandy Yellow

Hair Color - Deep Mossy Green

Orientation - Bisexual

Homeland - Port O'Bliss(?)

Family - Has Ties to the Zigvolt family

Twist of Crocodile from One Piece

School - Death's Academy of Combat

Dorm - Nakaumi

Year - 4th

Best Subject - Alchemy

Occupation - Business Owner

Favorite Food - Crocodile,Tomatoes

Likes - Cigars,Rings,Crocodiles,Leather,His Business,Lady Palm's History Speeches,Spencer Ryan's Eyes,Money,Spoiling Others,Biting Chewy Surfaces,Dressing Fancy,Yachts,Making People Earn Things,Dogs(Pugs mainly)

Dislikes - Sudden Rain Showers,Sweet Condiments,Losing Money

Unique Magic - "Sandy Suna" - Can turn his entire body into sand he can control and use to shield himself from impact. Can also dry up the moisture of anything that has it with his right hand…if he wants to.

Personality - Comes off as a laid-back chill dude. Doesn't speak much unless spoken too or sees a reason to as his voice can scare you if not ready. He is a businessman and a good one so has all the traits of being sneaky,greedy,and cruel to get what he wants if deal business with him. Has a habit of answering others requests for help with a "Earn It" condition. You've got to earn his assistance/gratitude/love,it's not free.

Bio - A wealthy large biting scarred man that in quite a few port towns is known as "Sharptooth" owner of Rococo Tails,a luxury beauty product and magical items selling service. Loves to see happy customers continue to use his services and invites new ones to try it out whatever they need. He is a good guy…trust him…but never cross him or may get bit.

_________

Name - Spencer Ryan

Age - 20

Birthday - 8/15

Zodiac - Leo

Gender - Androgynous but presents as male usually

Species - Human

Height - 238cm/7'10"

Eye Color - Ocean Blue

Hair Color - Bubblegum Pink

Orientation - Gay

Homeland - Queendom of Roses

Twist of Bentham from One Piece

School - Death's Academy of Combat

Dorm - Nakaumi

Year - 3rd

Best Subject - Physical Education

Occupation - Makeup Brand Manager,Ballet Dancer,Martial Artist

Favorite Food - Parfaits & Green Tea

Likes - Swans,Dance,Singing,Fashion,Pink,Training,Makeup,Gracefulness,Sharptooth's Grin,Theater Plays,Romance Movies,Making Friends,Outgoing People,Classical/Dance Music,Feminine Aesthetics

Dislikes - Serious & Single Minded People,Unfriendliness

Unique Magic - "Mimic Love" - Can shapeshift himself into perfect lookalikes of other humanoid beings so long as he touches them with his right hand. Has stored a lot of faces and his current face is a combination of others he put together. Doesn't ever talk about this UM as he can't remember his own face any more.

Personality - He has a flamboyant outlook. Always doing the most whatever he wants he is a free spirit. Highly social and loves friends,doing anything with them. He would defend a friend he met 5 min ago from anything. Respects those that show him big kindness like Sharptooth who seems like someone who wouldn't. Is a big flirt as well but waits for others to approach him first before he does anything.

Bio - The secret master of disguise and kicking martial arts. He has a happy do what I want attitude and wants others to be happy too so his friends get all the attention to ensure their well being. He dreams to become a professional makeup artist,theater actor,and drag queen later in life. He always says he is graceful like a swan but also as deadly.

_________

Name - Lady Palm

Age - 21

Birthday - 2/6

Zodiac - Aquarius

Gender - Female

Species - Human

Height - 188cm/6'2"

Orientation - Bisexual

Homeland - Sunset Savanna

Twist of Nico Robin from One Piece

School - Death's Academy of Combat

Dorm - Nakaumi

Year - 3rd

Best Subject - History

Occupation - Service Manager,Hand Model,Archaeologist

Favorite Food - Sandwich & Soba

Likes - Ancient Artifacts,Archaeology,Reading,Sunbathing,Cooking,Dancing,Organizing Stuff,Listening to Audiobooks,Open Tops,Knee Boots,Sharptooth's Scars,Cute Small Animals,Memorization,Monsters

Dislikes - Her Past,Spencer Ryan(Halfly),Not Understanding Jokes

Unique Magic - "Endless Bodywork" - She can multiply any of her body parts for what seems like endlessly but most seen is like 10 arms and such. Her extra parts can appear on her body,other's bodies,and surfaces so long as she can see them. Usually can see her using extra arms to do tasks/work faster. Can double her hearing if multiply her ears.

Personality - She is very calm to the point it's eerie to some. Lacks showing fear even when she should her face stays stone faced. So focused on history she doesn't get most modern things like jokes or slang go over her head and frustrate her sometimes til she figures it out. Has a habit of saying/thinking of the worst possible outcome of a situation without knowing how disturbed others are from what she said. Can talk for hours about history as it's her passion but that may annoy you if only trying to rizz her up which she has no clue about much as only history lovers tend to stay near her.

Bio - The voluptuous calm history lady as some call her. Has a knack for knowing how the world works from all her research on its history. She almost always knows the history of any object,animal,or person by memory and if not will get to work learning it. Loves her job as it helps her learn new things she wouldn't study otherwise. Not shy to speak what's on her mind and uses her UM in front of others without warning so seeing her with extra limbs is a normal thing to those that pay attention.

#twst oc #twisted wonderland oc #twisted wonderland #twst fanschool #twst fandorm #oc profile #group profile #long post #dac #death's academy of combat #nakaumi #sharptooth #spencer ryan #lady palm #one piece crocodile #one piece bon clay #one piece nico robin #one piece

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sakuramidnight15 · 2 years

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-HSA OC Information-

Character Bio

Name: Toshihiro Finley

(Japanese: フィンリー敏弘)

Romaji: Finrī Toshihiro

Quote: "I ain't sugarcoating it bitch. Better swallow it like an ass in death!"

V/A: Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese)

Gender: Male

Age: 17-Physical (???-Actually)

Birthday: December 25

Star Sign: Capricorn

Eye Color: Titanium Yellow

??? (Unknown Eye Color)

Hair Color: Lace Pink

Height: 198 cm

Race: Bat Four-winged Demon

Species: Caster Type

Homeland: Dungeon Inkhell

Family: Yasuro Anderson (Father)

Ria Finley (Mother)

Takumi Anderson (Younger Twin Brother)

Erika Anderson (Grandmother)

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School Status and Fun Facts

Dorm: Höllejigoku

School Year: Second

Class: 2-A

Student no. 3

Occupation: Student

Part-time Host and Baker

Dorm's Chef and Bartender

Assassin

Club: Basketball Club

Best Subject: Cooking, Target Class, and Alchemy

Favorite Food: Desserts (Not too sweet, just right on a daily basis), Spicy Food (Mostly), Kimchi, Noodles and Rice Soup, Bittersweet Candies, Human Ribs and Flesh (Alive and Dead),

Least Favorite Food: Anything Rotten (Mostly), Too much sugar, Sweet Candies, Plain Food, Combined Food,

Likes: His Twin Brother (Won't admit it), Cooking (Mostly), Latest Trend (On Food and Fashion), Reading Horror Novels, Making something new, Poetry, Geoffrey's Performances, Violence (Mostly), Punk Clothing,

Dislikes: Cuteness (Mostly), Chaos in the kitchen (Mostly), Anything distasteful (Mostly), Anyone stealing his treats, Trouble-making, Dorothea's usual antics,

Hobbies: Baking/Cooking, Reading Horror Novels, Making anything new, Making cocktails for the dorms, Getting Info, Guessing the mood, Poetry,

Talents: Caster Mode, Demon Abilities, Detaching and Retaching his Body Parts (His Head Mostly, that's not a joke), Assassin Skills, Turning his sweets into his monsters minions, Flying Abilities, Voice Signals,

Nicknames: Toshi or Tohi (From his friends and family)

Toshihiro-senpai or Finley-senpai (From the freshmen students)

Big-bro (From his twin brother)

Too-kun (From Hiromi, finds it embarrassing)

Candy Man (From Dorothea, is completely annoyed with it)

Other Nicknames:

N/A

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Appearance and Personality

Appearance: Toshihiro has a tall and muscular male body build, he has a medium shoulder-length messy lace pink hair which he ties it into a ponytail. He has titanium yellow colored eyes which they can change into a unknown color when using his demon abilities. Toshihiro has a harsh attitude and is a bit sarcastic.

Personality: Born as the older twin and first son in the family, Toshihiro and his family are currently running their grandmother's bakeshop. Apparently it was his grandmother and parents who made him and his twin brother get into cooking. There are possible chances for Tomomi or his brother to run the business in the future.

Toshihiro has a rash and harsh behavior towards others in his area close to him and can be quite feisty, making him a somewhat of a bad bully alongside with Dorothea. He does hold an intimidating expression and aura whenever he's around the room.

He is often seen with Hiromi around from time to time, making them a duo that cannot be messed with or cannot approach easily.

But he's often calm and silent though, but once on a daily basis. But his expression will be less-likely a poker face though.

Toshihiro is somewhat secretive to himself, and hides it pretty good. Even some facts about him are exposed in secret, he will admit it but his stern expression will never break.

Unknown to anyone but his dorm mates alone, he's pretty much a gentle man but quite a tsundere though when expressing his emotions if they slip, might be embarrassing to him a little bit completely and shoves it off blushing slightly.

Though as mentioned from earlier, do not mess with him. Toshihiro might go from harsh mode to cruel mode if you do, he can do it sinisterly without any shame. Sometimes he does have an ill-temper on a daily basis.

But he's capable of doing something though if provoked, which no one will know about it if they see it.

A sweet guy, wouldn't it be crazy if he can literally remove his head easily? That wouldn't be a joke right now.

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Trivia

-The name 'Toshihiro' means primarily a male name of Japanese origin that means Wise, Clever. While his surname 'Finley' is from the Gaelic personal name Fionnlagh (Old Irish Findlaech), composed of the elements fionn 'white', 'fair' (see Finn) + laoch 'warrior', 'hero', which seems to have been reinforced by an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements finn 'Finn' + leikr 'fight', 'battle', 'hero'.

-He's based on 'Baroness Von Bon Bon' (From Cuphead) and Stella (From Helluva Boss)

-He and Hiromi were middle school friends till now, does keep her in place and often treats her with blood drinks.

-He seems to treat April like a sibling-like companion, often makes her apple-related treats in the dorm. Like April, he too is one of the trump cards in the dorm.

-He and Dorothea often make prank bets, though he won a few times which made Dorothea pout enviously at him.

-Toshihiro is capable of taking his own head and his other body parts off easily, but he can retatch them after a few seconds. Though it did scare anyone, which he didn't care.

-Super hates kitchen chaos and anyone stealing his treats. Do steal them, and you're getting his own head served at your dinner plate, yelling at you loudly.

-He smiles... maliciously when pissed off.

-Like the others, he too respects the Dominguez Twins, which both of them definitely likes his cooking.

-He and Geoffrey are good friends and relate to chaos their members are making.

-Secretly has a soft spot for hamsters, will not admit this as well.

-Is definitely friends with Lynette, Amelia and Hibiki.

_____________________________________

Finally done. *Collapsed*

(@hourglassstationacademy)

#mc #oc #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #gacha club #gacha games #hourglass station academy #hsa #character information #bio #toshihiro finley #toshi #oc-sorted fandorm

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akimmito · 4 years

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Road to Home #10

First | Previous | AO3

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Marie Todd-Wang.

Why does her new name look horribly similar to what her brother adopted when Batman took him in? Simply its luck and she will hit anyone in the face who decides to use it full.

She has been living with Master Fu for a full year, as she decided to call him because it was rare to call him father (in any case, she could call him grandfather, but it's rare). In that time she learned many interesting things, but especially the fact that the old man in front of her intends that she save the world by wearing magic jewelry as an anime character.

Seriously, what about her life?

The only good thing is that she's being trained properly, she's enrolled in quite a few martial arts classes: Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira, Krav Maga (she doesn't know where he knows the guy from, but whenever Fu and he meet they seem ready to draw knives and attack each other), Kendo (by the Dragon prodigy, his words, not her), Kung-fu, Tai chi (taught by Fu as he learns to connect with Plagg). Added to that, she's also enrolled in gymnastics and every time she flies she can't help but think of the first Robin (and sometimes she gets mad).

And that is only training, physical, in spiritual subjects she has memorized several books of angelology and demonology, history and different books of magic... that she can't use, only know. Really sir?

Anyway, she has had a very busy year and is still learning. She only masters Kendo (it was actually natural about it, what a surprise) and is switching to fencing as well, a good way to combine styles and sweep with her enemies. Oh, with all that training she could search for the Joker and Batman would have nothing to say, especially with the magic, yes, yes.

She has also been learning French, Chinese and German (also Latin and a language she doesn't know where he got it from, but it doesn't sound like anything she knows).

Marie has barely had time to think about Jason or Tim, but she spends a moment before bed, hoping that her brother will rest in peace and that Tim won't get into trouble (she really has the feeling that the opposite is happening, but okay).

And now Fu wants to send her to school, to her, a dangerous girl with a group of defenseless kids. Very well, she knows that Master Fu is not perfect, it shows that he learned everything self-taught and falling into very deep mud pits, so she doesn't judge him, but she would like him to wait for his developing magical abilities to stabilize. (She says it specifically for the occasion when she accessed Kaalki's powers and ended up on top of the Empire State, oh, the police were very excited to know how she got there.)

This is how she got to this moment.

Françoise Dupont, great school.

She has a bad feeling.

And surprise, surprise. It's fulfilled when she first arrives in the classroom and a conceited blonde throws a grape juice on her pastel pink shirt. Marie resists the urge to move her to the top of the Burj Khalifa and smiles as kindly as she can, if she's going to be a heroine she must create a civilian personality that separates her personality with the mask and her real personality (just see Bruce Wayne, she's sure that the man is not half of what the media say about him).

"Oh, look, a poor insect. I'd apologize, but it's just the welcome you deserved. "

"Yeah, whatever, I have better things to waste my time on." She ignores the blonde, she won't mess with her. The guys who were already sitting look at her with their mouths open, good that there are no flies. Probably because she said it with a sweet smile.

She sits in the back, where she has a complete view of all the students so she can analyze them all.

From that day on, her routine changes a little. After school she has gymnastics, then she has fencing and she ends her day ending with learning necromancy (now, why?). Fu seems in a hurry to make her a magician and, above all, a powerful one if her alchemy teacher is right. Still, Marie knows that her best teachers are the Kwami, who seem excited to see her advance her learning.

Tikki and Plagg teach her about universal balance, divinity, and their intimate concepts, although she still doesn't fully understand them. The Kwami encourage her by saying that when the time comes, she will understand.

"Marie, come with me."

She follows Fu to the room where she keeps the box and opens it.

"You told me you would need more than one ally, in case the situation requires it. Today, you can choose the wonders who, when needed, should be in circulation. "

"And the users?"

"Your first test is to choose your companions."

Marie nods, this is just the beginning of her journey.

-----

So what do you thing?

#timari #maribat #marinette x tim #timinette #ml x dc

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elfpen · 5 years

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The Elric Kids

I said I’d outline my take on the Elric kids eventually. Here’s my take on Ed and Winry’s collection of little monsters:

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Yuriy: Born 1921

Tall, lanky. Gold hair, gold eyes, tan skin. Yuriy is the oldest. He looks just like his father. but his heart has always been a bit more like his mom’s. He falls in love with automail and becomes his mom’s assistant from a young age. One thing he does share in common with his father is his sense of style. He loves edgy styles and crazy color combinations, gets several ear piercings, and is constantly changing his hairstyle. Eventually he settles on a mid-length cut with undercut sides, a style he claims is perfect because it looks cool both up and down, and also doesn’t get in his way when he’s working. His parents are skeptical but supportive. In his work he likes making cosmetic embellishments to automail limbs, which Winry bemoans when he’s still young, but eventually, Yuriy turns this into a service to help people, especially young kids, feel comfortable with their new limbs after painful losses and surgery. Yuriy is very outgoing and loves a challenge. His biggest insecurity is that he can’t be the older brother his dad expects him to be; he sometimes resents his parents for having so many kids, especially when he’s a teenager. But at the end of the day, he loves his weird family and takes care of them all as best he can. He harbors special affection for Heimel, his only brother, who he’s constantly trying to drag out of his shell, as well as Sarah, his baby sister who can do no wrong in his eyes. When he turns 18, Yuriy legally changes his surname to Rockbell, so he can carry on the name of the family business. When he does this, he has his uncle Al draw “Elric” in Xingese and has it tattooed on his wrist because he wants to show that he’s still immensely proud to be an Elric, even if he is officially a Rockbell.

————

Henrietta: born 1922

Tall for a girl and fairly thin, flat-chested, blue eyes, gold hair that puffs up in odd ways. Henrietta, or Henry as most call her, is the second eldest child of Ed and Winry. She’s only one year younger than Yuriy, and the small gap in age difference as well as Henry’s serious, mature personality means that she is the only one of the Elric kids who can go toe to toe with Yuriy and win on a consistent basis. Unlike her brother, Henry is fairly reserved but no less confident in her skills. She is a bookworm, and grew up spending most nights with her father in his study while her mother and brother tinkered in the shop. She found alchemy came to her rather easily, and became adept enough at the science that by a young age she could correct most of her father’s college students with ease. She’s not super great at expressing her feelings (though she has many), preferring books and ideas to people, because people are confusing, especially boys. To her utter dismay, she develops a crush on Roy Mustang’s oldest son, but has no idea how to deal with it. As an adult, Henry becomes an academic for a while before branching out into writing, both fiction and nonfiction. Eventually, she writes the combined memoirs of her father and her uncle.

————

Trisha: born 1924

Ed was hesitant to name any of his children after his mother, but when his second daughter was born she appeared with dark brown hair that could have only come from his mother, so they called her Trisha. She has dark brown hair and her mother’s blue eyes, and all her life was fairly conventionally pretty, taking after her mother in personality. She is two years younger than Henry, but in many ways acts as the older sister in their relationship, helping Henry navigate fashion and crushes and schoolyard politics, while Henry stands by ready to pommel anyone who hurts her sister. Trisha is nearly magic in how much she can get away with by looking the right way and saying the right things, a fact which made her a subject of intense sibling rivalry growing up. She is particularly fond of her uncle Alphonse, and Al’s wife Mei is her ultimate hero. She is susceptible to ideas of romance, and wants to see the world. Of all his kids, Edward has perhaps the biggest soft spot towards Trisha. Later in life, Henry realizes that this is probably because the older she gets, the more Trisha looks like Ed’s own mother, and he still feels like he failed to keep her safe.

————

Heimel: born 1926

In a family of strong personalities, confidence, and stubbornness, Heimel is the exception. He has yellow hair like his mother but his dad’s Xerxian gold eyes. He’s extremely shy, to the point that as a child his parents were afraid he might need developmental help because he took so long to talk. He is a sensitive soul and observes far more often than he engages with anything. He likes to explore, but on his own. He likes to read and also draw, though he’s not very good. He enjoys learning about alchemy but also likes other sciences, social sciences, anything that helps understand other people. Ed is often baffled by him, and they often have a hard time connecting. As Heimel grows older, Ed realizes more and more than Heimel inherited much of his personality from Hohenheim - which is fitting, considering they based his name off of that of his grandfather. Heimel remains a sensitive man throughout his life but eventually becomes more confident and, when needed, assertive. He is always quiet, but if he does ever get angry, it is terrifying. As an older teen, Heimel spends several summers in Xing learning Alkahestry with his uncle, which inspires him to pursue medical school. After earning his degrees he works as a pediatrician.

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Sarah: born 1929

Yellow hair, blue eyes, petite in stature. Sarah is the baby of the family, and she knows it. She is more like her father in personality than her mother, but she grows up virtually inseparable from her mother’s side. She is extremely competitive and is willing to fight just about everyone even though she’s a pipsqueak. That being said, she’s far more cheerful than her father was as a child. She likes both her sisters, but finds Henry often too dour and Trisha not daring enough. She could eat Heimel for breakfast. Her sibling bestie is Yuriy, and when the two are together they raise absolute hell. Sarah often thinks it’s a shame she and Yuriy are eight whole years apart, or else they would’ve been able to really grow up together. Ed and Winry are both very grateful they did not. Sarah is interested in everything, but has no real sense of purpose. She works for Yuriy for a little while, and then helps her father at work, and drifts from job to job. Failing all else she eventually enlists in the military, a decision that nearly makes Ed pass out of anger and fear, not least of all because she didn’t warn them. In the military, however, she finds that she is excellent at thinking on her feet and shouting above loud crowds. Eventually, she rises to the rank of Colonel, and commands a battalion of men three times her size who all adore her and would obey and protect her at all costs.

#i’m posting this on mobile #im so sorry if the format is screwy #fma #edward x winry #edward elric #winry rockbell #edwin kiddos #edwin #elric kids #edwin kids #fullmetal alchemist

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dvrksiider · 6 years

Note

multiples of 3 for the OC questions

Super detailed questions about your OCs || Not Accepting (thx nida :p)

@errantson

3. Did they have a good childhood? What are fond memories they have of it? What’s a bad memory?

Main Verse: Nyla had an average childhood. Not necessarily good or bad (I don’t know if neutral is the best word here). The few fond memories were her warrior training before her Force sensitivity kicked in at full throttle.

Light Side Au: Corryn feels she had a good childhood. Of course it was difficult for her because of her sensory overload and the intense training she began as a little kid. She fondly remembers spending time with her mother and father and how proud they were of her.

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

Main Verse: She kept to herself and was distant. During her short time at the praxeum, she made very little friends. She was a bright kid with a lot of potential but the sensory disorder combined with her Force connection made her learning environment toxic and agonizing. Nyla finished her training with Snoke; out of her 17 years of training, 14 years were dedicated to darkness. During this time Nyla learned the ins and outs of pain, what made people tick and how a person could be broken. She also discovered she had a knack for Sith Alchemy.

Light Side Au: Corryn was shy and distant at first before finally feeling comfortable enough around the other students. She grew to love the academy as well as Luke and most of her peers. Before her 18th birthday, she went to Coruscant to start her sentinel training where they were busy restoring the Jedi Archives. Corryn stopped her training for a year once she discovered the praxeum had been destroyed. After that, she went back to Coruscant for another two years to study under her second master. She studied the old Jedi texts in great detail and learned how to strengthen and maintain control of her connection to the Force.

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals?

Main Verse: Nyla is mean so therefore animals are like “uh no way.” She doesn’t particularly care for them either. There’s probably an unspoken agreement between her and creatures of the galaxy which involves both parties staying out of the other’s way.

Light Side Au: Corryn loves animals. Most animals seem to like her as well. She helped Mara Eclipse take care of a smuggled Porg and the little guy has now won just about everyone’s heart around base. (eron wants to eat him??!! but he’s a good boi!!)

12. What is their favourite food?

Main Verse: Traditional Mandalorian dishes. Whatever will give her the strength and nutrients needed to ensure her survival. Alcohol is nice too.

Light Side Au: Corry loves meat ( a la Sokka), but really give this girl anything. She has a crazy metabolism and is a bottomless pit.

15. Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

Main Verse: Nyla could survive on her own if need be, but because she’s aligned with the Order, she usually does not make her own meals unless away from her regiment or on some solo mission. In short she is adequate.

Light Side Au: Corryn can cook decently. She’s actually better at baking and likes to surprise her friends and fellow Resistance members with something sweet every now and then. Most people would say she can make a good enough meal.

18. What’s their favourite genre of: books, music, tv shows, films, video games and anything else

Main Verse: (gonna sound edgy but...) everything dark and macabre honestly. In a modern setting, Nyla would be all into horror and the supernatural.

Light Side Au: Corry enjoys action, adventure, mystery and comedy. She would be a fan of classic NES games and other pop culture phenomenon.

21. Do they have a temper? Are they patient? What are they like when they do lose their temper?

Main Verse: Yes and no. Nyla’s secret is that she’s always seething. Unlike another dark sider, she’s gotten very good at masking it and keeping it under control. Nyla understands that there is a time and place for such anger- too much freedom will turn her into a loose canon. So in her right mind she is very selective about when and how she displays her anger. When she is angered enough, nothing is off limits; no words, no actions. The juxtaposition between her level persona and her rage induced state is incredible. It makes her all the more terrifying.

Light Side Au: Corry can get a bit of a temper now and again. It’s nothing like that of her dark side self, but it can still be destructive in its own right. She’s been known to dig deep and say things that she knows will shut others up; ie something that might negatively resonate with someone. As she’s continuing to grow and learn, she’s always trying to develop more patience and finding healthier ways to express her anger.

24. What is their sleeping pattern like? Do they snore? What do they like to sleep on? A soft or hard mattress?

Main Verse: Nyla only sleeps when it is required. (kinda like Leo Di Vinci) She has her own unique circadian rhythm. Some periods of time she gets adequate sleep. Other times she’s awake for days. Nyla’s silent breathing can be heard if listened closely, she prefers some level of comfort so a mattress in between soft and hard.

Light Side Au: Depending on what’s going on in the Resistance determines Corry’s sleeping habits. She could be well rested some nights and then running on two-four hours other nights; nothing a good cup or twelve of caf can’t fix. She totally snores (nothing loud just noticeable. Mara can attest to it) and because of her sensory thing she likes soft things

27. What makes them sad? Do they cry regularly? Do they cry openly or hide it? What are they like they are sad?

Main Verse: The last time Nyla cried was when she was 10. So...I mean. As an adult, she doesn’t feel or experience sorrow the same way as she did in her youth. Things are just repressed before they can even be processed in real time.

Light Side Au: The thought of never reuniting with her parents makes her sad. The thought of losing the war against the First Order makes her sad. The possibility of her friends and comrades dying makes her sad. Corry just feels a lot, okay? And while she’s not overly emotional, she will cry if she’s worked up enough and at that point she doesn’t care if people are around. She gets quiet and distant when she’s sad.

30. Do they exercise? Regularly? Or only when forced? What do they act like pre-work out and post-work out?

Main Verse: Nyla exercises pretty regularly (when she’s not in the middle of a mission that is). She’s very focused pre-work out and likes to tune out most things. She focuses only on herself and improvement. After work out, she’s calmer than usual and almost in a bit of a daze.

Light Side Au: Corryn tries to exercise regularly, but sometimes other things come up that are more important. She tries to be happy and positive before working out so she doesn’t give up halfway due to effort. Post work out, she’s tired and needs a shower and a nap tbh.

33. What underwear do they wear? Boxers or briefs? Lacey? Comfy granny panties?

Main Verse: Nyla wears bikini style and sometimes hipsters.

Light Side Au: Corry wears hipsters and boyshorts most of the time. O my god corry you so gay

36. What are they good at? What hobbies do they like? Can they sing?

Main Verse: Well Nyla is good at murder. Not sure if that’s a hobby exactly...she is an exceptional duelist (her warrior training on Mandalore helped prepare her for this). She is also a very gifted psychometrist and performer of other dark Force powers; force storm, drain knowledge, memory walk, etc. I would pay to see Nyla sing.

Light Side Au: Corryn is good at absorbing a lot of information in a small period of time. She is skilled with her lightsaber as well as Light side Force powers; battle meditation, Force concealment, Force protection, etc. Corryn isn’t a bad singer, of course when she’s drunk it is truly a spectacle. When sober she can carry a tune.

39. Do they like letters? Or prefer emails/messaging?

Main Verse: Nyla prefers holo messages. Gets the point across much faster and usually more effective (her methods are beyond brutal).

Light Side Au: Corryn prefers letters because they are more personal. Growing up, she did her best to preserve her writing so she would never forget her mother tongue.

42. What are their goals? What would they sacrifice anything for? What is their secret ambition?

Main Verse: Nyla wants power and control and she’s willing sacrifice her humanity for it. Her secret ambition is to kill her dark side master and take his place. But beyond that, Nyla desires to extend her reach beyond the First Order and to become the most powerful and formidable entity in the galaxy.

Light Side Au: Corryn wants to become a self actualized Jedi Knight (grey jedi later). She would sacrifice herself for the Resistance and for her friends. It’s not a secret ambition, but Leia is currently helping her rise the military ranks so that she can become a well respected leader and teacher.

45. How do other people see them? Is it similar to how they see themselves?

Main Verse: People see Nyla as cruel, evil and diabolical. She can’t exactly dispute any of it and quite frankly she doesn’t care. She knows what she is and she revels in the darkness.

Light Side Au: Most people think Corryn is a sweet girl determined to do the right thing. Sometimes she has self doubt but then she is reminded of who she is by result of her actions and feedback from those she fights alongside.

48. Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise the party or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want to go but were dragged along by a friend?

Main Verse: Nyla would rather not. She only attends gatherings because it is expected from someone of her position. It’s all political and even she must save face and play along with the hierarchy of the Order.

Light Side Au: Corryn enjoys smaller parties because too much going on overloads her senses. If it’s with people she likes and trusts then she’s bound to let loose and have a great time. If the party is huge then the poor kid becomes a wallflower.

#erranston #oc questions #omg so man quenchons #nida we are even now lolololo #oh man i'm putting these under a read more because it's a lot and i get wordy af #sorry guys #XD #errantson

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birdlord · 7 years

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All the Podcasts I Subscribe to

I’ve been listening to podcasts fairly regularly for about ten years now, and my list of subscriptions has slowly increased over the years to its current epic proportions. The more recent parts (towards the bottom) of this list are in order of subscription (from about The Gist onward) but the older parts aren’t in any particular order.

I’ve been meaning for some time to add podcasts to my yearly Media Diet posts, but I’ve got to start somewhere if I’m going to mention what I’ve added and what I’ve taken away in a given year, so here we are! I’ve given them star ratings roughly reflecting my current opinion (which is obviously subject to change, as I’m forever editing the list).

BTW I listen at 1.5 speed, which is the only way I have any hope of getting through all of these!

** BBC: Great Lives - a half-hour profile of a (sometimes dead) luminary, suggested by another (living) luminary. The host is helped along by an expert in the field, so a three-way conversation ensues.

*** Slate: Lexicon Valley - Great podcast about language. Tends to be more topical than The World in Words, the other language podcast I listen to regularly. And it’s now hosted by a linguist, so has taken on more of the air of an expert explaining things rather than journalists uncovering stuff.

*** All Back No Front - a music critic presents a wide-ranging hour or so of new music. It’s a great way to encounter new stuff if you’re too lazy to dig it up yourself (that’s me).

*** BBC: More or Less - A short podcast about the dismal science by Tim Harford, The Undercover Economist. The team investigates uses of statistics in the news, and (usually) debunks them heartily. I’m very happy that the short version and long version now don’t overlap! Well done folks.

** Monocle: The Urbanist - A show about cities that actually goes some distance to include cities in the global south. The posh pose of the hosts can sometimes be grating, though correspondents do come from more varied backgrounds. They have recently started a short podcast released earlier in the week that covers a single item in a world city, which is quite diverting.

** Radiotopia: The Memory Palace - An extraordinarily gauzy and story-telling-inflected history podcast. This is NOT Just The Facts, Ma’am. Your mileage may vary w/r/t the host’s pause-heavy style of speaking, sometimes I find it grating and other times it suits my mood just fine.

***** Max Fun: Stop Podcasting Yourself - I held off on subscribing to this for a long time, since their old ad way back in the Sound of Young America days was SO off-putting. But now? This is the podcast I save to listen to when I have to do something distasteful (treadmill? cleaning the bathroom?) since it’s so consistently good it’ll make any bad task more tolerable. And Jesse Thorn is now otherwise completely absent from my podcast rolls, so we see who won THIS one!

*** Radiotopia: Love + Radio - With many reportorial podcasts, you can grasp a thread, see a connection between their topics from week to week. Not so with L+R, it’s always new, always interesting, always weird.

*** How Sound - this is some deep shit - a podcast about MAKING PODCASTS :O. On occasion, producers from podcasts I actually listen to show up, which is always interesting to get a peek behind the curtain.

***** Radiotopia: 99% Invisible - This is not like, a list of well-kept secrets, so if you’re a person who has any interest in how design functions in the world you’re probably already listening to this. This will change the way you look at any number of everyday objects, and, if you’re the envious type, cause you to think “why didn’t I think of that?!” at least once per episode.

** CBC: Under The Influence - An adman dishes Secrets of the Advertising Industry! The first incarnation of the show had a historical bent, but now stories come from the 21st and 20th centuries alike. I came up with CBC Radio, so I have some affection for its sometimes-repetitive production elements, but seriously: that music bed is HECK OF TIRED and needs to be replaced!

** The Smartest Man in the World - Comedian Greg Proops takes to stages around the world and combines tales of teenage drug adventures in the 70s, celebrity encounters, and (especially recently!) die-hard liberal (def not radical) Democratic politics. This can get weary after a while, but I like to get his take on the issues of the day.

*** CBC: Ideas - This long-running nightly show podcasts not every episode, but just the highlights. For those who’ve never listened, this is a serious-minded (with some exceptions) documentary series which includes some one-offs, some several-episode series, and some regular features (Ideas from the Trenches talks to PhD students, Wachtel on the Arts, Munk Debates). Wachtel tends to be a couple of steps too “public radio” for me, but the rest is generally listenable with occasional moments of brilliance.

*** NPR: Pop Culture Happy Hour - a weekly chat amongst a slightly rotating cast of NPR folks located in DC. Mostly concentrates on middlebrow TV and movies, with occasional forays into music and books/comics. Sometimes showcases shorter conversations during the week that respond to particular events (awards shows, sport things, interviews with pop culture figures) but the main shows usually cover two topics plus a “What’s Making Us Happy” recommendation section. Gives the impression of being more “loose” than the usual NPR fare but keep in mind that’s a low bar to clear.

** BBC: Food Programme - hosts travel around Britain interviewing food producers and cooks of various kinds, generally investigating one topic per show. Tends to be showcase a non-controversial, posi take on food, focusing on things like new food scenes developing in smaller towns, the revival of old techniques, and immigrant contributions to food diversity. Can sometimes tend towards the dull.

***** Too Beautiful To Live - TBTL used to be a radio show, so it’s the rare podcast that actually gets it together to put out an episode every single weekday. Success depends on perfect alchemy between the hosts, and their ability to riff amusingly on the topics of the day and their own lives. Don’t be put off by the inside jokes; let them marinate for a couple of weeks and you’ll find yourself drawn in.

**** Answer Me This! - It is a great and powerful tragedy that this hilarious Q&A podcast has, in its eleventh year, gone down to a monthly schedule. Understandable given the hosts new gigs, but still, these are people I like to spend time with! I miss ‘em!

**** Radiotopia: The Bugle - Oddly enough, The Bugle is hosted by the brother of one of the Answer Me This! trio, and was also formerly cohosted by John Oliver, who is clearly now too busy holding American feet to the fire on HBO to muddle about in the podcasting pool. The conceit of the show is that it’s an “audio newspaper” and so most of the content is a comedic take on the news of the day. The non-Zaltzman co-hosts join from a variety of parts of the world, which is helping move the focus away from strictly the US and Britain.

**** WBEZ: This American Life - The old faithful of podcasts, helped not a little by unnaturally passionate-yet-calm host Ira Glass.

*** BBC: Thinking Allowed - A wry sociologist brings in guests to discuss their papers and/or books on various topics of sociological interest. Feels like a brief & interesting class each week, sans homework! The host’s wry personality mainly comes through in his interstitial responses to emails and letters.

*** NPR: Fresh Air - Your classic NPR interview show, plus short review segments telling you about the latest in jazz records, oscar-bait films or Complicated Novels. The interviews I find the most enlightening are the political ones, I distinctly remember listening and re-listening to the episodes about the initial rise of the Tea Party. Over the past few years, the number of ads during the show has been ratcheting up, slowly but surely; I sincerely hope by this point that Terry Gross has a solid-gold toaster.

*** BBC: In Our Time - a stimulating academic panel show with host Melvyn Bragg discuss the “history of ideas” which in practice usually means an overview of a particular person’s intellectual output, a scientific discovery, or a historical event. Not overly combative in tone, though genteel disagreements do happen. I’m always a bit surprised, given that this is a BBC product that also goes out on the radio, at how uneven the production is - lots of sticky-voiced talkers too close to the mic, and a veritable epidemic of shuffling papers.

**** WNYC: Radiolab - Radiolab has drifted from science somewhat in recent years, but is still producing solid stories full of new insights.

*** Tiny Spark - A relatively rare totally independent podcast, intended to hold charities and non-profits to account. Really helpful to anyone who is wondering how best to spend money in a way that might help people in a meaningful way.

**** WNYC: On the Media - All week long, I know that if I’m reading something about American politics and I’m not quite getting the nuances, I can count on On The Media to help me out. Don’t think you have to be in the media industry to find this enlightening - it’s really for all news CONSUMERS.

**** Greg Proops Film Club - Every once in a long while, Greg Proops shows an old movie in a theatre with an audience, and this podcast consists of his comedic introductions (which are sometimes heavily connected to the films, and other times largely weird anecdotes about his life). Used to include a bit after the film wherein they discuss its particulars and take audience Qs, but that seems to have fallen by the wayside.

***** Previously.tv: Extra Hot Great - The greatest asset of this long-running TV podcast is its tight group of hosts, who have been working together since the dark-ass past of internet-based pop-culture criticism. This long experience gives them an unmatched rapport, even though the hosts now live in vastly divergent time zones across the US. I miss Joe Reid’s contributions, but that doesn’t stop this from being one of my favourite listens each week.

**** Slate: The Gist - I found Mike Pesca’s former NPR show, The Bryant Park Project (which Luke from TBTL was also involved with) shortly before it ended forever in around 2007. So I was delighted to find him with a daily show that covers politics, science and culture in a snappy 20 or so minutes.

**** Feral Audio: The X Files Files - Sadly defunct at the moment, but hey, this podcast seems to have had something to do with the fact that the X Files returned for a few eps (and certainly for the host Kumail Nanjiani’s appearance in a new episode!) so that’s quite a legacy.

**** Men in Blazers - Yes, I came to be interested in football originally because my partner is a die-hard watcher of the English Premier League. But it was these guys who gave me my own entry into this particular world of sports fandom. They made a great, funny series of videos about each national team for the men’s World Cup in 2014, and then I was totally hooked. I’m a big fan of the fact that Rog and Davo are supporters of women’s football as well, which I’m sure has a great deal to do with them being located in the US, the powerhouse of ladies-kicking-soccer-balls-with-great-aplomb.

*** BBC: Short Cuts - Josie Long hosts a charming show that seems inspired by the explosion of US-based storytelling podcasts. Sadly the show’s season is short, and a few months’ silence usually passes between each one.

**** WBEZ: Serial - The podcast that broke podcasts as a genre to the wider world! So far two seasons, each covering one story, have come to pass. It was unusual, when this podcast began, to cover a single story, ahem, serially, but the experiment worked; not only did Serial become wildly popular, other podcasts covering single stories (true, or no) have since abounded.

*** PRI: The World in Words - an offshoot of the PRI show The World, concentrating specifically on languages. It has a broader scope than the english-linguistics-focused Lexicon Valley, but tries hard to not fall back on the public radio trope of sadly looking on, shaking one’s head slowly while lamenting endangered languages.

*** No Such Thing as a Fish - a podcast offshoot of the Brit game show QI. The conceit is that the four hosts, all researchers for the show, each present the most interesting fact they came across at work over the course of the week. And each fact is discussed and riffed-upon by their colleagues.

*** David Cayley podcast - Cayley was a long-time radio producer for CBC’s Ideas, and this irregular-delivered podcast presents his various series as originally-presented on the radio. Each series is delivered all at once, allowing for serious bingeing. He does provide some context from the perspective of the present day, but only in text form on the podcast description, not in audio on the podcasts themselves. I greatly enjoy the nostalgia value of former Ideas host Lister Sinclair’s mellifluous tones. My favourite series of his is Origins of the Modern Public, available in the show’s archive.

**** Radiotopia: The Allusionist - Helen Zaltzman of Answer Me This has her own short podcast about english words and their origins. It’s on Radiotopia and has a great deal in common (plus has had some crossover eps) with that network’s 99% Invisible. Where Roman Mars investigates buildings and other objects, Zaltzman investigates words.

**** Gimlet: Reply All - I loved this little show about internet culture back when it was called TLDR and I love it still. This podcast has really broken the mould lately, with an episode covering 48 hours of the hosts answering a phone line of listeners’ questions, and one in which they secretly micro dosed with LSD to see how it affected their creativity.

**** NPR: Invisibilia - I used to listen to quite a bit more ‘hard science’ podcasts, and for one reason or another, most of those have fallen off my feed. This is one that has stepped into the breach, combining science reporting with more of the storytelling focus that we’re used to in other podcasts.

** Home of the Brave - You may recognize Scott Carrier’s distinctive voice and style of presentation from his appearances on This American Life, and now he’s off on his own, reporting on things that interest him. He goes into each topic with a remarkably open mind, and seems quite adept at getting people to speak with him who might otherwise be suspicious of a public radio-type interviewer.

*** Earwolf: I Was There Too - One of a galaxy of podcasts that depends on moderately famous LA people knowing other moderately famous LA people, and interviewing each other on their podcasts. The conceit here is more interesting than most, though: Gourley interviews (usually minor but not always) actors from very well-known films, to get their perspective on the both the production and the movies’ reputations. Quality varies a lot depending on interviewee.

*** WNYC: The Sporkful - a light and breezy food podcast, usually consisting of quick and concise interviews. They do occasionally handle larger topics (eating disorders, cultural appropriation) in several-episode arcs, but usually each show stands alone.

*** Max Fun: Baby Geniuses - Lisa Hanawalt and Emily Heller gab together for the first 20 minutes or so, about their lives & careers, and Martha Stewart’s pony Ban Chunch, then invite on a guest with whom they get into a wikipedia article suggested by a listener. Then we get into what, on a normal celebrity guest podcast, would be an interview about their latest project. But not here! Here they get to talk about some esoteric interest of theirs, unrelated to what they do for a living. Weird hobbies and so on! I find the last segment, an improv interview with a fake expert in something, to be totally unlistenable, thus the middling rating.

** ARRVLS - Documentary storytelling, but with a focus on stories about change and transformation. This is a broad theme, of course! And really encompasses most types of stories - why tell a story if it hasn’t changed you? I do admit that this blends in with the other doc storytelling podcasts I listen to, it doesn’t stand out a ton.

**** WNYC: Death, Sex & Money - Anna Sayle talks to guests about topics that are usually left out of polite society. Style is a former producer on TAL, so this is all part of the TAL-galaxy of podcasts, so it has a similar slick-yet-heartfelt quality about it. Style went on (terrifyingly short! poor Americans) maternity leave a few months ago and had former guests host the show in her absence - cute idea!

*** Call Your Girlfriend - two pals who live in different states get together over the internet and talk about whatever has interested them in the past week. Like many things, this ‘cast has taken a hard turn towards activism lately, which is great and I love it! They take a light hand with editing, but do use music breaks and sometimes ads to smooth over changes in topic.

*** Buzzfeed: Another Round - Of all of the “two people gabbing” podcasts that I listen to, this is the only one that features two black women. Given that radio (and podcasts too, maybe even more since you choose to listen at specific times?) is such an intimate medium, it’s important to hear voices that have a different background and perspective than your own. These ladies are a big deal! They met the president (not the terrible one).

*** The Weekly Planet - My friend Ryan recommended this podcast about comic book movies (mostly) by some dudes in Australia. Comic book movies are not my Main Jam, but these guys are really entertaining and I enjoy listening to ‘em gab while I’m washing dishes or walking somewhere. I HATE the theme song?!

** KCRW: Here be Monsters - documentary that sometimes edges over into the disturbing.

** America’s Test Kitchen Radio - this is the most practical food podcast I listen to, since it includes equipment testing, and recipe suggestions. The main attraction is the call-ins, wherein the hosts answer listener’s food questions - really useful! Hasn’t updated in a few months though, so not sure what’s up with that?

*** NPR: Planet Money - I listened to a few episodes of this back when it started, when the financial crisis first went down (for real: the Giant Pile of Money episode of TAL was listened and re-listened, by me) but for some reason I didn’t ever subscribe. I finally got around to it recently, and have no regrets (except for all the time I missed i guess??).

*** WNYC: The New Yorker Radio Hour - a weekly hour based on what’s appearing in the magazine on any given week. The only thing I find really unlistenable are the dramatized versions of comedy sketches, which never work for me.

*** After These Messages - I’m not a person who is exposed to much in the way of advertising, given my lack of television, but I do still like this podcast about TV ads. The hosts rant about commercials they hate, and even occasionally tip the hat to those they enjoy.

** Fashion Hags - three friends from fashion school get together and chat about the fashion world in general and their own forays into clothes-making as a career or avocation.

**** The Next Picture Show - rather than reviewing a new release on its own, the four movie critics look at a new movie each week by comparing it to a similar (or related) classic film.

*** NPR: Hidden Brain - Though the focus here is brain science rather than money/economics, the formula here feels pretty similar to Planet Money: draw listeners in with an interesting proposition, back that up with a couple of interviews and/or host talk, tidy conclusion.

*** Worst Idea of All Time - two comedians in New Zealand have a terrible idea: they commit to watch Grown Ups 2 every week for a year, and podcast about it! Since then, they’ve gone through two more terrible years, and have gained a loyal worldwide following (but lost…SO MANY HOURS OF THEIR PRECIOUS YOUNG LIVES).

** Making the Sausage - from the Previously.TV folks, this is an occasional, behind the scenes of TV podcast. As opposed to the other LA entertainment-scene podcasts, this one is strictly talking to people like PAs, writers, and directors instead of the front-of-camera folks. Has some persistent audio issues, but it’s an interesting perspective.

**** Radiotopia: The West Wing Weekly - Apparently everyone loves to podcast about long-finished television shows?! This one is terribly charming, hosted by podcast guy Hrishikesh Airway and former West Wing cast member Josh Malina. Since they have such a solid connection to the show, they’re able to get bigwigs like other cast members, directors and musicians to come on & chat about specific episodes.

*** You Must Remember This - episodic but connected seasons of stories about 20th Century Hollywood. The stories themselves are universally fascinating, but the delivery can be patchy - the host sometimes acts out quotes from her subjects, which is almost always some combination of embarrassing and irritating; and the production itself can be heavy-handed.

**** Our Debut Album - the Stop Podcasting Yourself boys are making an album, at the rate of one song a month. We get to listen to the song-writing process, as well as hear about how the producer actually puts the song together, element by element. A good idea and a fun one!

*** Guardian: Token - A black woman and a trans man talk about issues of race and gender. My favourite episodes so far involve Leah and Freddy being confronted with elements of the other’s world, and giving one another permission to ask potentially-awkward questions.

*** Mark and Sarah Talk About Songs - A sort-of offshoot of Extra Hot Great, involving one of the regular hosts and one of their frequent guests, talking about songs (usually one per ep but not always). If you want a great episode to start with, go for the one wherein they rank all of the songs in Madonna’s Immaculate Collection.

**** WNYC: More Perfect - A Radiolab offshoot, about the machinations of the US Supreme Court. It’s been forever since they released and episode, so hopefully it’s not dead & gone for good since I find it so fascinating.

*** Filmspotting - A long-standing film podcast that I’ve only come to recently, so it feels like jumping into a fast-moving stream. It’s mostly concerned with the higher-brow of filmmaking, with occasional exceptions. Keeping track of things like this makes me feel like at least I will be less likely to miss those movies that film critics are watching, or at least I’ll have some idea of which ones I can definitely afford to skip.

***** Election Profit Makers - Dearly departed! This was a pre-election betting podcast by David Rees and his childhood friend, produced by podcast impresario Starlee Kine, and oh GOSH it was good! It was exactly what everyone needed in the nervy pre-election days, and their single post-election episode was cathartic and emotional and very very real. Going back and listening again would be like time-travel, you should try it.

*** Radiotopia: Criminal - preternaturally soft-voiced Phoebe Judge tells complicated short tales of criminals of many kinds.

** WNYC: Sooo Many White Guys - This is a weird one for me. I really enjoy the interview part, which is the bulk of the show, but I can’t stand the host joshing around with her producer - putting a weird “sound-booth” effect on the producer’s voice is a strange and affected choice, but aside from the sound reasons I’m just not into the conversations they’re having; perhaps I’m just not interested in seeing behind this particular curtain? Interviews are still worth it, though!

*** Gimlet: Heavyweight - I have had a checkered past with Jonathan Goldstein - I enjoy his contributions to other people’s audio properties, but I’ve never been able to get into his CBC show. I was uncertain about this show (in which he tags along with someone to solve a problem from their past) but I’m finding it just Goldstein-y enough?

*** Revisionist History - Malcolm Gladwell takes his typical style of making complicated ideas seem simple. As with his books, there’s some great stuff and some eye-rolly stuff.

*** Radiotopia: Theory of Everything - Benjamen Walker’s been internetting around for a long-ass time, and this is the latest incarnation of his work. His most recent series has been on surveillance and the panopticon, which is obviously super in my wheelhouse. He will go at things in a different way than you expect, which is hugely admirable (and entertaining!).

*** Gimlet: Undone - Gimlet has done a great job of coming up with interesting concepts for their podcasts, such that the finished work can feel familiar to podcast listeners (soothing voices, great production values, good music, solid interviews) but they have a hook to catch new listeners. This one’s about old news stories that has had long repercussions, don’t you want to listen? Well you should. It’s been cancelled though, so this will move to my UNSUBSCRIBED list shortly.

*** NYT: Still Processing - I missed the sound of Wesley Morris’ voice since the demise of Grantland, and thankfully Tim https://twitter.com/doingitwrong tipped me off that he has a new podcast! I particularly enjoyed the episode in which Morris and co-host Jenna Wortham go to the new Smithsonian Museum of African-American History & Culture (or more succinctly, the Blacksonian).

*** Hello Internet - My friend Jenn https://twitter.com/jennipoos is a fan of CGP Grey’s Youtube videos, and a while back she posted one, and I fell into such a CGP Grey hole that I wasn’t satisfied watching every single video, I had to ferret out his podcast, which he does with another Youtuber, Brady Haran. Both are expats living in Britain, and (particularly Grey!) don’t pay much attention to the news, so it’s rare that they discuss any of the tire-fire things that are happening in the world today. A nerdy break from the news.

*** Guardian: Football Weekly - When I was looking for the Guardian Brexit podcast, I discovered that their #1 podcast is this one, which updates twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays. It’s a bit more serious and analytical than Men in Blazers, and also covers european leagues, so it’s not too much overlap. This is the podcast that will make a lengthy Shakespeare reference about Leicester City’s sacking of Claudio Ranieri, so that will probably tell you if you will find it to your taste.

** Guardian: Brexit Means… - This is an occasional podcast about Brexit and related issues. Sometimes you need serious information!

** Book Shambles - Another Josie Long joint, this time featuring a co-host (Robin Ince) and regular guests. The chat is nominally centered around books, but in fact is quite wide-ranging and usually takes as its beginning point whatever the expertise of the guest happens to be.

*** Gimlet: Twice Removed - Every once in a while, marketing really hits on something that works. With all of these new (& older) podcast networks, most have one or two high-profile podcasts and some smaller ones. In this case, Gimlet ran almost an entire Twice Removed episode on Reply All, and I was intrigued enough to subscribe. It wooooorked!

** BBC: The Compass - I found this one due to its series (now archived) about creating a hypothetical ideal country made up of things other places are doing well (gun control in Japan, maths education in Shanghai). Not 100% sure I’ll keep it!

** The Royal Canadian Movie Podcast - found this one thanks to its review of New Waterford Girl, and yeah I’m inclined to at least consider the Canadian film industry, if not consume that much of it. This one is also potentially on the bubble, since I find one of the hosts a little on the JAZZ HANDS side of things.

NPR: Code Switch - covering NPR’s racism beat, this is a newish podcast that I’ve just managed to remember to subscribe to, since one of the regular contributors used to do a podcast I liked called PostBourgie. No star rating yet as I haven’t been listening long enough!

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cryptnus-blog · 5 years

Text

Interview: The Future is Now

New Post has been published on https://cryptnus.com/2018/12/interview-the-future-is-now/

Interview: The Future is Now

The Future is Now filming on locationThe Future is Now

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret J. Wheatley, Writer and expert on organizational behaviour

As we approach the year’s end, we have witnessed a plethora of developments in the world of blockchain – new regulations, blockchain hubs in development and above all else, a vision of the future. Although the prices of cryptocurrencies have recently dropped, the dreams and visions haven’t and neither have the hardworking teams behind them. Actually, more blockchain work and activity than ever before is currently underway. Crypto markets have even been resilient to the growing worldwide concern of Trade Wars. Yet, there is one thing that always has to happen in order for mass-adoption to take place, and that is visuals.

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forward.” – Soren Kierkegaard, philosopher, theologian, poet and social critic

Film and cinema are the conveying factors that humanity is used to, and just like we enjoy Hollywood, it is only a matter of time before cinema makes its way into Blockchain, and really it of already has, at least to some extent. The Future is Now Documentary Film Series is one of those documentaries that you would expect to see on Discovery Channel or Vice News– a high production value documentary about the future of blockchain technology, bringing you right into the action of a crypto conference in a very cinematic and exciting way. The latest episode features Larry King going crypto, Ryan Taylor of Dash talking about the fall of Ethereum, Charles Hoskinson one of Ethereum’s original eight founders guiding the audience through the current state of crypto, and even Max Keiser with his raving expose of the big banks and centralized financial powers. The man behind the film series is Miguel Francis-Santiago, a 32-year-old American documentarist, TV Host and Blockchain evangelist. We spoke to this intriguing individual who has crafted a new way for himself and artistic appreciation in the blockchain world.

“The essence of cinema is editing. It’s the combination of what can be extraordinary images of people during emotional moments, or images in a general sense, put together in a kind of alchemy.” – Francis Ford Coppola

Miguel Francis in TorontoThe Future is Now

How did you get into filmmaking and why Blockchain?

“I’ve been a filmmaker since my university days in Los Angeles, always shooting and editing things in the warm orange light of California. My major filming gig came with RT with its documentary channel. I’ve always found documentary films to be the best mediums for telling a story, and as I gotten into blockchain in the middle of 2017 with buying a few altcoins, and seeing them grow quite astronomically towards the end of the year, it kinda felt like freedom you know? So I began exploring making visuals that would help an average person get into this space. Eventually I was able to launch my own online show on RT called Cryptolium. I went around the world to the most exciting gatherings and saw amazing content wrapped around these visionaries of the future, the innovators of tomorrow trying to make a difference. It was amazing to become a part of this decentralized community and I saw it as an opportunity to grow in the space as a filmmaker and finally get away from politics”.

Now it seems you are doing your own thing, The Future is Now, and as I understand its your own creation?

Well, both documentaries have been written, produced and directed by me, but yes ‘The Future is Now’ is a sort of a spin-off from ‘Cryptolium’ but quite a bit different, more cinematic and of course more free in what I can cover, film, edit etc. After-all decentralized media has no limits, and just like all industries, the media industry will be revamped and will see a change for the better with the coming of Blockchain. I’m talking about incentives to the audience for watching the content, tokenizing media platforms etc, there is so much to come from this it’s pretty amazing.

The crypto world has been prone to vlogs, and long interviews, how has documentary filmmaking been perceived by the fellow blockchainers?

“I really don’t do this to please anyone, I do this because I am a firm believer in this space and I value cinema and creating trust, building a connection with the viewer through emotions and feelings, this is the power of cinema, and that’s quite different than blogs or one subject interviews. I also feel that cinema is what the viewer is used to rather than a low production value vlog in the space. I mean not to offend any vloggers, they can deliver information and content much faster than I can in a film, but unlike a vlog, a film will stick in your heart and mind, if done right”.

Miguel Francis with Larry KingThe Future is Now

In the latest episode of ‘The Future is Now’ film series, you feature Larry King as part of guest speakers. What can you tell us about him going crypto?

“He is really a visionary. At 84 years old there so much to reflect on in the process of technology and futurism, if anyone’s really a futurist, its Larry. The way he looks at you is with the eyes of a curious child, and a mind and soul of a man who literally has seen it all. He spoke about the importance of being hungry for technology and looking towards better things in human nature. I won’t spoil the episode, but he gives a shivering comparison of good technology and bad technology in what he calls a “turning point of a time” we live in. Now to answer your question he came on-board a project called GEAR, a green-energy crypto mining company, to really explore the possibilities of this technology. In all our episodes we tend to speak to top philanthropists and thought leaders of the space like Tim Draper, and sometimes outside of the space as well like Guy Kawasaki. It’s great to see Larry King come on the inside of the blockchain world”.

The third episode titled “Crypto Larry King” explores the present state of crypto regulation from a variety of perspectives. He also speaks about the realization of how steps in the right direction may take some time to finalize given the complexity and far-reaching applications of blockchain technology.

The episode also focuses on Malta and Bermuda, both as emerging and prospective blockchain hubs in the making. The island nations are young, tech-driven, and have decades of experience in nurturing IT businesses, existing IT hubs and also boost crypto friendly regulations. Francis speaks to Genesis Blockchain Technologies who will soon open their platform to trade for other independent blockchain coins, commodities, and precious metals. This will allow for the first time ever to trade commodities like crude oil and crypto like Ethereum on a single unified platform.

“Lastly, we realize the steps towards the true potential of blockchain in bringing easy banking services to the unbanked people of the world, which makes up over two-thirds of the adult population in the world. The film is quite long, just a bit over half an hour, yet it really flows and inspires warm and hopeful emotions about the space. After all, the crypto enthusiasts out there have built this space with a vision of hope for a better tomorrow, at least that’s the feeling you get when you watch features like this”, Francis concludes.

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