Espera - Wembley 16. dec. 23

Source: @/scarlet_ultraviolet

Reading your reply about art and motivation: WHAT. It’s so interesting to hear cause I hear that from my art buddies all the time and my mind gets blown. How do you guys have so. much. talent. and still feel that way? 💀 When I first saw your works reblogged by others, my initial thought was “oh yea, this looks like concept art” and I was so stoked to see you are in the industry!

Anyways here to drop all the love. I’ve probably said this in a sneaky anon post: I really love your renders. Your intricate line art in combination with your color choices never ceases to blow my mind! I can’t get over the values you use and how effective they are. There’s just something so aesthetically pleasing about the level of detail you use in combination with your line work that looks so effortless. Seriously: those three color palettes, how do you do eeeet. Show us your ways. ✨

Aww. Glad to hear it and thank you so much as I always love to hear what people like about my art!

And yeah regarding motivation and things around it... I don't think feeling like this goes ever away. Maybe it rly does at some point if you work on your mental health, but I've not met such person yet. It's not about talent, skill lvl or following you see. You can have thousands of followers, an incredible skillset, big portfolio and career and still feel low, barely motivated because of the impostor syndrome, stress and what not. Talked once with a friend who worked for hollywood films which for me is mind-blowing and he was so withdrawn and anxious about posting personal things online. Especially since ppl can be sometimes very... unpleasant and use the adv of being anonymous online. So I cherish every positive interaction, dm, and comment I get, because sometimes I do have problems with motivation or I feel anxious. And it may sound funny but a personal message/comment can sometimes give me 1000x more boost than thousands likes.

So thank you again!!!

I've Been Playing Postal 2 and I Have Some Thoughts

Since I am both trapped in COVID isolation and also incredibly timely and relevant to all things, I've been playing Postal 2 (2003) because it's something I've owned for a long time and only played once and also because my tiny notebook can't play much else.

I have some thoughts and reflections on it, don't expect anything groundbreaking or insightful here!

(cw: racism, homophobia, violence, abuse)

Recently I saw a post (that I am now failing to locate) that talked about how the punchline of South Park's comedy was largely pointed at one group of people: people who believe in something. It doesn't matter who they are or what they believe in, but if you believe in something strongly enough to have opinions or beliefs about them then you're worthy of derision.

I feel like Postal 2 - like many pieces of post-9/11 media - occupies exactly the same space as South Park does in this regard where the butt of the joke are really any people with strong beliefs, and also some racial minorities thrown in there for good measure.

(Side-bar: as someone who grew up in rural Canada in the post-9/11 era I can't help but notice that a lot of people who enjoyed this type of humor at the time the most tended to be of two categories:

Kids and teenagers who didn't have enough experience to know what they believed yet, but being rebellious teens anything edgy or shock-humory is inherently funny.

Centrists and Right moderates who enjoyed laughing at things like racial minorities and queer people. After all, when you're a member of the dominant social class who have the most power (i.e. white men) everything is much easier to shrug off as 'just a joke' when you have nothing actively threatened by this type of humor.

Inevitably kids who started in group 1 either grew out of this type of humor or turned into group 2 and made this humor their whole personality)

The game opens with some casual spousal abuse which I guess is supposed to be funny. The first enemies the game introduces to you are violent video game protestors, then book protestors, then 'al-Quaeda terrorists' (who all look exactly like Osama bin Laden)...you get the idea. There's an Asian man named "Cock Asian", an Indian man (I think he's supposed to be Arabic, but the assets they use surrounding him are definitely Indian as is his store's name) who runs a grocery store as a front for a terrorist organization, queer people, etc. Gary Coleman is in there for a bit. You can kill cats and dogs. It's all basically exactly what you'd expect from 'edgy 2003 game made by a group of white men'. It goes without saying that these people didn't even associate with any of these minorities when they made this game, because it's certainly not the kind of thing you make if you have any friends who are minorities - but that's just 2003 for you.

One thing that interests me is how apparently the developers and fans made a big deal about how "you don't need to do bad things in this game" and "any bad acts made in the game are by player choice".

Why this is interesting is because by the basic design of the game this is obviously misleading: you're constantly presented with guns, bladed weapons, explosives, ammo, hallways full of enemies... While sure okay **technically** all the objectives are gated by arriving at a certain location, the paths there are littered with violence and people trying to kill you; there's really zero player incentive to act non-violently, so it sounds like an argument a child tries to make to get out of trouble. The player is given about 1000x more incentive to murder minorities in this game than they are to leave them alone, much less learn to love them. It's like saying you don't HAVE to drive if you're playing a racing game, except for the fact you're given a car and nothing else to do. It's sort of the primordial equivalent of Spec. Ops.: The Line's "How could you kill all these innocent people (that we forced you to kill)" angle. When all you're given is a hammer every problem looks like a nail.

The gameplay itself is.......fine I guess? Like it's honestly whatever. Sort of a really simplistic old-school GTA if all there was to do is fetch quests and kill people. The combat is by most accounts pretty substandard, and it doesn't do anything particularly well. I think there was maybe one joke that made me laugh only because it was so extreme and sterotypical that it came more from a place of "holy shit you actually thought this back then" as opposed to a place of comedy. I really wouldn't recommend it from a gameplay point of view even, there's really not much there and what is there is pretty thin.

In 2023 I don't know what I really gained from playing this. The reminder that the post-9/11 era was supremely fucked up and I'm glad that we're no longer making minorities the butt of every joke just because they exist, I guess? Yeah let's go with that.

The whole game just feels to me like something desperately fighting to prove its relevancy, and think if you made this game nowadays it would just be incredibly mediocre even by its own standards. Like it just wouldn't work by any stretch of the imagination.

Wait a minute...

Cool!

*  ◟  ―  🍓cl - clang !! hello , it’s so nice to meet you all - my name is jada , but you can just call me 𝐎𝐇 𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐈𝐋’s mun !! i’m super excited to be here , and hopefully you guys take to me and phoenix’s leader , haeil ! he has a semi - sad vibe , but don’t be fooled, he’s a pretty cool guy ! below you’ll find trivia as well as general connections while i work on te real plots page ! and as always, please like if you’d like to plot alongside me and my boy !! lets go !

     𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄 .  //  𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃.  //  𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓. //

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃.

i’m going to lightly touch on his backstory here but his bio is already loaded w stuff haha so !! i won’t bore you with too many details !!

came from a family w / high expectations of him, to always be the responsible big brother ... and he did ! always was good at school stuff, took care of stuff at home when needed, etc !

but deep down he was ( and is ) not happy w how he felt his own happiness was always sacrificed for others, despite not wanting to admit it & sounding selfish ? but anyways, it got him acting up, and he had a whooole little rebellious streak that was completely out his character !

though he realllyyy enjoyed the rush, his little adventure ended quick when his parents noticed him skipping class & all that ! so his first year of hs they made him join a school club to find better friends, and that’s where he found dance !

there he learned dance and well ... the rest is history !! loved every minute of it, but got a really bad injury that had him out of dances for a while, and it crushed him, but he came back with a newfound true appreciation for it !

time skip, his friends encouraged him to audition when word came around about yuseong auditions and ... voila ! here we are !!

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘.

ok so you’ll have to excuse me as haeil is one of those this . . . and also that characters HAHA, so he’s got opposing personality traits even within himself ! he even is confused by it hee heeeee

also sidenote his younger sister is @wsharin​ !! they’re definitely giving opposites yet crazy type, have quite different personalities, but grwing up in similar environments w each other has kept them very close ! kinda thinks he’s fake youngest out of them, yet fiercely protective of her !

but ! his natural instinct is actually to be pretty wild, outgoing, have fun. he’s the happiest when he can do that, and those closest to him probably know him to be quite the joker when he lets loose.

buuut for years now he’s been conditioned into the responsible leader-type he is now, though it def is his more manufactured side. but nowadays it’s what he reverts to, because he sort of just thinks there’s not enough room in everyone’s life for him to be so chaotic ??

haeil tries his hardest to blend in the background, as he feels it’s what a good leader does and he wants to give the rest of his team the shine. because he hasn’t been dancing as long as most others around him, and had a relatively short training time, he’s still v doubtful of his own worthiness of being in the position he is, therefore he sort of feels like ... he doesn’t deserve attention ?? ( and while this is true to an extent, haeil also needs to work through this constant pessimism within himself and learn to take pride in his achievements !! )

so a lot of times what you’ll see is a man trying to be a leader, with the inner child ( ! ) in him poking through. though he encourages participation from his other members rather than himself, his fans are known for pointing out all the moments he gets jumpy / excited / hyper, and he’s kinda developed this “tsundere” vibe because of it ? it’s not exactly correct but he’ll take it heehee

as a leader, esp on variety, you’ll see him doing little things to make the quieter / less talked to members heard this whole compilation ?? literally him.

if you’re close to him though, you’ll really see he’s not nearly as serious as he seems. he’s extreeemely caring, almost to a fault, w those close to him ? and will take care of literally anything they need. got rent due tomm ? send him your payment info and he’ll send over all he has in his account. but on top of that, he just loves to have fun, and if in an environment that allows, v spontaneous !

def mom friend vibes. doesn't like coffee but loves his morning tea, sweaters, tries to establish a bed time for phoenix, always managing to have remembered that one thing someone else forgot, packing snacks, all the good stuff !

but !! the entertainer in haeil is compleetely different, and largely why he got famous ! a charismatic dancer for sure, enjoys a lot of hip hop as it’s what he’s had most practice in, and whenever he dances he truly has fun !! 

he was so  deep in his own insecurities, and it showed in his dancing, untilll cherry bomb. phew cherry bomb haeil was ... a whole era, and what a lot of people attribute to being his vibe switch that made him 1000x more confident !

despite what many think he loooves aggresive rap. rock & r&b are right up there too. loves music that reminds him he can feel things !!

poor thing ... cannot handle his alcohol. legit tries to avoid drinking altogether bc like one drink and he’s already trying to crawl onto tables. actually loves going out for drinks but avoids it like the plague bc he thinks it ruins his pride lolll

while he claims he's too busy for love - and he genuinely is kinda - he is a hopeless romantic deep down. his mind always drifts to him & his future partner living all suburban w kids who match clothes and having a family dog, all the fixings ... he just wants a cute dad vibe and gets depressed when he thinks of how being an idol is kinda preventing that from coming anytime soon 

this is getting SO LONG WHAT lets move on !!

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

someone who didn’t actually make it / hasn’t yet debuted in the industry, but who haeil reallly looks up to as a mentor ? whether a rapper / singer or just someone he admires, haeil gets depressed every time he remembers the person who got him where he is hasn't even got their shot of fame yet, and who he feels he owes quite everything to. though he’s got the whole leader thing going on, this person makes him act like a whole little sibling.

english tutor !! he genuinely wants to be so much better than he is, and doubts his skills as a good leader bc of it and would loove someone to help him !! also def down to learn from someone who speaks japanese, since he’s learning that as well ! he just wants to connect w more fans D:

someone who lets him lets loossee !! need i say more ?? haeil needs to have some fun and be himself before he pops a brain vessel, and that seems like it’s becoming more and more of a possibility oijdoidjodjod. alcohol may or may not be included iin the equation but if so prepare for chaos personified !

an ex perhaps ?? he’s bisexual so this could go either way, but someone he was w in high school and for whatever reason, it didn’t work out ?? we could give them awkward or tension w angst where they never got closure, or two people who just worked better as friends and maintained a great connection !

someone who he’s truly just ... whipped over ? something about their energy has him wanting to see them more and more and quite honestly, p out of character. openly a simp and just wilding whenever this person’s in the room hours .. let’s go !!

best friends. but i mean like .... beeest friends. they don't have to necessarily go back, not all best friends do, but what matters is them now ! friends who have an incredibly special connection, the type to just .. basically be talking in their own language of inside jokes and such.

for those who might not be from korea / have the closest relationship w their own family, haeil’s got you ! if your muse has always wanted someone who cooks for them, gives advice, or just listens and provides a shoulder to cry on, mr.haeil is the man for you !!

First Date HCs for three random pillars!

Maybe I’ll do the rest sometime... ____ Giyuu: -the classic “this was. A date? I thought it was just really nice of you to ask me to hang out” scenario -only when it comes to this poor dude;;; -he’s just as likely to be the one delivering the line as he is to be the one receiving it -as much as it would be lovely to pretend otherwise, let’s face it -the date is going to be Painful -he’ll ask to meet you someplace simple and casual that also doesn’t require him to Socialize a bunch -ex: a walk at the park. He can stroll along and listen to you talk and doesn’t have to stare at you from across a table the whole time, like he’d have to do at a café/restaurant -does not emote -because he’s too busy dying on the inside -Shinobu’s mockery is ringing in his ears the whole time -(“lmao show some Affection you coward”) -wants to hold hands while you walk but is that too forward -on the other hand, don’t people like it when you do something very charming and romantic and socially aware while on a date? -does this mean he should kiss you? But you might not want to be kissed. -ok, should he ask if he can kiss you? -to you, he just looks like he’s staring at you very intensely and his eyes look slightly dead -(if you know and like Giyuu well enough to be on a date with him, you accept this as normal Him behavior) -(even if you feel a little…hm. Is he actually listening to you? Does he actually want to be here? But he’s the one who asked you, right?) -on his side, he’s suffering from what feels like a mini heart attack, his palms are sweaty (like the Eminem song!) and he’s thinking about how nice you look and how much he likes that one curl of hair at your temple and how clever and kind and understanding you always are and hhhhh -he *really* wants to say something nice in return -finds a four-leaf clover while on the walk and immediately gives it to you -probably has that moment where he turns around and sees you standing under a flowering tree at that one spot where the sunlight hits your face just right -it looks like a painting. He just. melts. -if you ask him to take a picture of you, he’ll smile gently behind the phone as he looks at you through the lens -(it’s beautiful; you’re beautiful.) -it starts to rain near the end of the walk. He offers his jacket as an umbrella and dashes for the shelter of the nearest tree -is so disappointed about the rain -it actually prompts him to make a desperate attempt to communicate -that he actually enjoyed himself, this was really nice, he likes this, and by ‘this’ he means just…hanging out with you, he’d like to hang out with you more, in a not-strictly-platonic fashion, is that ok with you, is it ok if he holds your hand sometime, even if he wasn’t very affectionate on this date and it rained and he knows it wasn’t very good -if you say yes he finally. Lets out that breath he didn’t know he was holding the entire time lol -resolves that since he’s miraculously scored a second date, he’ll definitely do his research for next time -(poor boi goes to Tengen for advice this time in a wild attempt to escape Shinobu) -(Tengen is nicer about it, but only marginally) Mitsuri: -aHHHHHHHHH -cannot believe you accepted!!! -she had to pluck up a lot of courage to actually ask you!! But she did it, and you said yes, and she’s really proud and happy and just -lots of feelings, bro -likes dates to be full of fun and the first one is no different -probably spontaneously asks you to accompany her to a festival/fair or something -technically does suffer from horrible nervousness before she tells you her idea but once you tell her yes, that sounds great! -one (1) flaw in the grand scheme is that she was supposed to go to said fair with her friends -(who encouraged her to ask you out) -and once she gets there, they’re going to stalk her. -poor babie is ready to die from embarrassment -you, on the other hand, are mildly terrified -there’s this very short and very passive aggressive woman who smiles at you sweetly and informs you that if you break Mitsuri’s heart, she’ll break your legs -Mitsuri turns as red as a tomato and quickly drags you away -she wants to eat lots of stuff with you. Sharing food is how she shows affection :3 -buy her sweets and watch her love for you increase by 1000x on the spot -will be constantly pulling you this way and that in an endeavor to ditch her friends lol -plays all the games -wins all the stuffed animals -names the dollies on the spot and it’s honestly kind of really cute -you go to the restroom for 0.1 second and when you come back, she’s running up to you with a teddy bear as big as your torso -it’s for you! Please accept it and say you like it ;p; -is apparently unable to feel sick or dizzy. 1000% chill with all the scariest rides. If you’re not good with them, though, she immediately backs up and starts apologizing -can’t deal with the haunted house. Wants to be hugged the whole time -screams at a jumpscare and accidentally(?) punches the poor actor, sobbing about how “she’ll protect you, s/o, don’t worry!” -(apologizes profusely to the actor, who fortunately is not severely hurt) -the day ends with a quiet nighttime stroll with ice cream cones for both of you -the atmosphere is sweet and tender and Mitsuri can’t help but start talking -about how…she’s sorry, this was meant to be more romantic -she’s sorry she had to bring all her friends along; she’s sorry about punching the poor guy at the haunted house, and for crying, and for clinging to you so much -truth is, she...really does like you! If you had any doubts about this being a non-platonic outing, well, she’s here to dispel those doubts. -she knows she’s not…well…the ideal s/o, but could you give her a chance? She thinks you’re amazing and beautiful and she just really wants- -(please give her a hug. Or hold her hand. Or tell her it’s ok; you feel the same way. She’ll start tearing up in relief, smile as wide as anything and tell you she’s so, so glad!) Sanemi: -gdi what *is* a date and how do you do it -doesn’t want to take you out for dinner because that’s too explicitly romantic and he can’t deal + bruh, you think he’s gonna pull up in a tux with twelve red roses? No thanks -(lowkey though it’s mostly that he’s insecure about his lack of…charm) -doesn’t want to go to the fair or an arcade because that’s not explicitly romantic *enough* and there would be too many people -he wants to be emotionally vulnerable @ you but not at the rest of the world!!! -doesn’t want to go to a café because ha how cliché is that -he is Picky -ends up asking you to hang out at his place and play video games -so…basically what you always do, only the rest of the friend group (read: pillars) are absent this time -he’s incredibly dissatisfied with this resolution -but what can you do? -loses at the games way more than he usually would -half…sort of on purpose. Because he likes seeing you laugh when you win. -half because he was too busy staring at you while you stared at the screen -(thinking about how you’re actually way too good for him) -cusses at you less and seems less grouchy than usual -outwardly, he appears…thoughtful -like he’s mulling over something important in his head the whole time -you catch him looking at you with this look on his face that suggests he’s not entirely There -“Earth to, Sanemi?” -he snaps out of it, curses at you halfheartedly, then proceeds to thoroughly beat you in your current match -but he’s just kinda weird throughout the whole ‘’’date’’’ -lets you look at his collection of stag beetles. Gets defensive when you point out that he’s named them all after characters from musical theatre -offers to cook lunch -you had no idea he could cook -won’t let you help because he’s the ~host~ (though he phrases it more like “I’m the only one allowed in my kitchen so sit your ass down and take a break or whatever”) -the food is good, and you sit there and eat and talk about mundane stuff -mostly talking trash about the other pillars tbh -and then talking trash about the world in general -complaining about everyday things -which is…what you usually do when you get together -Sanemi wonders what it is about you that makes him enjoy these mundane routines -it doesn’t *seem* mundane when it’s with you -(he immediately gags in disgust at himself. Wtf. That was unreasonably sappy. He is *not* going soft.) -but he’s unreasonably happy when you comment that the food is good -goes to wash up, and this time, grudgingly lets you help with the dishes -while drying a fork, casually and unintentionally lets it slip that he could -kind of get used to this -to you. -and you have this sudden epiphany as you stare at him -“Sanemi. Is this…a date?” -he shrugs and turns his back to you as he puts the fork back in its place. -“If you want it to be.” -but if you look closely, you’ll be able to see that he’s almost-smiling!

Y’know what? As long as I’m being opinionated AF, I want to address something that comes up all the time in discussions about labor and fair compensation, frequently by implication even if it isn’t explicitly stated: higher ranking corporate officers or ‘skilled’ white-collar jobs don’t merit the kind of pay disparity that we see in comparison to blue-collar labor.

As I’ve mentioned in other places, I’m in IT. I’m functionally the head of IT for my employer and I’m one of three people (along with the COO and our head of accounting) who form the steering committee that makes technical policy, such as password standards, what software we use, what servers are getting upgraded, etc. I work closely with both of them, and also with all the other senior management in the organization. I see all the dirty laundry, I have to, it’s part of my job to do data analysis and figure out what is going wrong and where/how.

I’m mentioning this, not to brag or to make a point of how impressive my job is or isn’t, but to make the point that I’m closely familiar with what these people are doing professionally. To some degree I’m am one of those people. I’ve served in similar lower-level roles in several companies from the small and local to massive corporations, and my younger brother @jeremycoatney and I have talked shop enough that we’ve both got additional insight on other companies because we’ve had similar jobs in very different places.

You know what I’ve found? The ground-level worker’s impression that the CEO hasn’t got a fucking clue how the company works or what is actually going on is pretty accurate, most of the time. Similarly, as any tech and I’m sure nearly any other field will tell you, my boss hasn’t got a prayer of doing my job if they ever needed to.

That isn’t to say that what they do isn’t important. Without some high level analysis and decision making any group of appreciable size or complexity will bog down and fall apart without an organized structure and part of that structure needs to be some kind of leadership/management. I’ve personally knocked at least a month worth of man-hours per year off of routine operations in our plant (this is literal empirical data from before and after the changes, not unsupported hyperbole) because there wasn’t anyone doing my job prior to my assuming the role.

It’s valuable work, and it takes training and skill to do it well (whether most management meets those criteria is a whole different conversation for another time) and it is potentially a lot of responsibility but you know what it isn’t, nearly 90% of the time? 

Hard work.

It can be stressful at times, esp if you care about the people your work is potentially affecting (I do, but many don’t), but it’s fundamentally a lot of discussing spreadsheets and policy and making strategic decisions. (Also a monumental amount effort by people trying to find ways to distort the data to make themselves look good instead of actually addressing any issues.) I spend about 60-70% of my work week poking at low priority projects and doing my best to ensure that the other 30-40% where I actually have to knuckle down and work my ass off to fix a critical failure is as small a percentage of my time as possible. I screw around online a lot, killing time between compiles and rendering and sometimes just killing time because I’m bored and have nothing better to do at the moment.

I make over twice the minimum wage locally, and I’m incredibly low paid for the usual rate someone in my position makes. One of the consultants who the company still uses occasionally when I need more manpower or we’re working on something I’m less familiar with makes damned close to $100/hour. I’ve carefully avoided knowing what our COO makes, but I know a good half of his time is a mix of screwing around on his tablet and having exasperated arguments with senior management about how far whose head is up which ass. I’ve seen the logs, I’ve been in the meetings, there’s no fucking hiding it from me.

I also know that any time something goes wrong enough that costs need to be cut or heads have to roll, those cuts always come out of the people who have the least to lose, not from the boss whose fault the cuts probably were in the first place. So much for ‘responsibility’. Maybe your boss would lose sleep over it if they had to cut your job, but most wouldn’t, and I wouldn’t bank on yours either. 

Compare that to someone who spends all day running a laser cutter. They’re in a loud, inherently hazardous, and frequently not temperature controlled environment, doing a lot of manual labor (moving mattress sized sheets of metal, changing cutting heads, etc) as well as pulling up the CAD files and such our engineers provide...  I’m in an air-conditioned office with sound damping and on most days really only move because I feel like it.

Compare them to someone who does landscaping work: similarly noisy, almost certainly even more dangerous, inherently unshielded from whatever the weather is, grueling work esp by comparison and mostly making roughly minimum wage or a little over. Food service is the same deal but instead of being at the mercy of the weather it’s just always hot as hell because crowded kitchens are like a Japanese honey-bee rave, and you’re more likely to be seriously burned than you are to be fucked up by chemical exposure or mauled by damaged or faulty equipment.

Next time you hear someone (maybe even yourself) start talking about how minimum wage isn’t meant to be enough to live off, or that those people should get a real job (you know, where you work hard and society depends on your labor to continue functioning) or about how difficult it is to be in management... stop and think about that. Really ask yourself if you think your boss should be making 10x or 1000x or more than what you are just because it’s their job to tell you what needs to be done and when.

@duskthicketbonepicker​

Here you go! I’m hiding this under a cut because, well

Soot:

               Mercenary queen with way too much attitude and a triple coal? I love her already tbh. Plus, what lesbian doesn’t love antiquing? She kinda just seems like every protagonist I’d love way too much.

 Kizmetto:

                 A+ dragonsona, definitely has this adorable look of “scattered but ridiculously friendly” to her. She kind of reminds me of an old friend of mine in all the best ways. I’d let her decorate my house for sure, although I’d have to tell her to stick with jasmine since I’m not a fan of sandalwood. Some amazing art in her bio too!

 Lotus:

               So, my impression from just looking at her was geek, and then I read her bio and realized that she’s more of a socialite with her life 1000x more together than mine will be for years! I love her colour scheme, and all the little touches in her bio that make her really come to life. She just seems like she’s one of those people who it would be calming to even just be near. I love her.

 Tolarian:

                 Tolarian just looked like a friend right from the start and oh boy was I right. I just want to sit with her somewhere in the resort and relax and chat about whatever she felt like that day. I think she’d have the same sort of vibe as my best friend. I’ve gotta ask, was she intended to be kind of autistic coded? The friend I mentioned has Asperger’s, and so many of her quirks seems similar to him.

 Itzel:

                 Itzel seems like she’d be the sort of person who would be coming through my work ordering eight shots of espresso three times a day along with her boss’ coffee. Always weighed down with at least one massive bag and a list of things to get done before she could stop to think. I love the feeling of ambition and energy I get from her though? I’m guessing her relationship with Xoco is mostly strained because of her sister’s… religious choices?

 Caius:

                 Caius just seems like he should be giving me a quest already. I’ve got such a clear image of him from just his bio though, I love it! Plus he’s got such gorgeous colours and an amazing outfit to go with it… I’d definitely spend a day chatting up that mysterious old guy on the beach. I think I’d learn a lot.

 Rhonda:

               Okay so I’m in love with this adorable lifeguard already? Her and Ketut seem like such a great couple, especially since you go into how much they’ve grown as a pair. I’m not generally into reading romance stories but oh my god I want to read about those two. Plus, she just seems like such a kind person in her own way? It just makes me happy that she’s happy.

 Ketut:

                 The other half of the happy couple! And he’s a fellow bisexual who’s a little useless with his feelings, I love him already! He’s also another one who just falls into a personality type that I love the second I read about them. Totally unrelated to most of my thoughts on him, I have a feeling at some point he’s tried to make a drink to match Rhonda’s scales, but given up since he can’t make it half as beautiful as her.

 Aria:

               I remember seeing Aria when you first hatched her, of my gosh she’s so pretty gened up with  that accent! I’m weak for skydancer girls even on the worst of days, but she just looks so delicately beautiful I want to protect her with my life? I can see her just lounging in the shade on the beach, watching some hatchlings splash and play in the surf and just loving life.

 Jaya:

                 Right off the bat I just got the vibe of “Queen” from Jaya, but I couldn’t be more happy that I was a little bit off. The area where I live is a semi-desert, so the feeling of a warm summer wind is one that I’ve known all my life. All the dangling trinkets in her outfit are such a cute touch, I’m guessing it’s kind of a sensory thing with all the sounds of them moving in the wind when she flies?

 Noir:

                 OH my gosh his backstory makes me want to cry. He definitely didn’t deserve to lose his charge, and yet he hasn’t let it make him bitter. I just want him to find a nice, loving home and settle down. He deserves it.

Aegis:

                 I have a vague memory of seeing him in posts of yours before since the second I read his name I thought “Oh you little shit.” I hadn’t read his backstory before though, and that would certainly explain some of why he might be a bit of a hooligan! I think he and my random progen Karmanor would probably get along really well, but get into way too much trouble.

 Angelo:

                 My first thought with him was “What a soft boy” and then I read the first line of his bio and burst out laughing. I just want to sit with him in his garden by the lavender and relax? Also I hope that mysterious tundra gal is his sister, but if she hurts him I might die.

 Rinoa:

                 Oh sweet, she IS his sister. And a ranger too! She seems pretty mellow, although that might just be the feeling I get from anyone who likes the smell of pine. It reminds me of hiking in the summers with my family, there’s not a more relaxing smell in the world.

 Xoco:

                 Back to the little sister! I love her aesthetic, it’s an unexpected mix but it works so well. It adds so much depth to her character that she isn’t just your stereo typical vicious “A sacrifice for my gods” type. I like her more than I expected to when I heard about her rocky relationship with her sister?

 Quill:

               I had such a clear feeling of who he was from the first three paragraphs of his bio, oh my god! I’d love to be able to write like that. Plus, I’ve always got a soft spot for calligraphers since I dabble in it a bit myself. Do you think Lotus plays at his exhibitions?

 Trellis:

                 The last sister! I love how each of them has such a clearly different personality from their apparel without sacrificing the colour scheme that makes it so clear that they’re related. It’s cute that she’s so shy with Dahlia, do they end up together eventually? Also, does she ever braid some of her flowers into Xoco’s mane? I’d kind of like to think that’s where she gets the roses from.

 Karazh:

                 Oooh, progen time! He seems so nice and relaxed! I’m not much of a tea person myself, but I’d definitely give his a shot. I like that he has almost the same feeling to him as Caius, but almost… gentler?

 Almasi:

                 And progen #2! I love how her personality is a bit of a foil to Karazh’s. It’d definitely take a lot of mutual respect for that relationship to be work well. Her bio seems to hint that she did something in the past that it felt like she needed to be punished for, was that how you switched from your old lore clan to the new one?

 Apollo:

                 Oh my gosh, I love Apollo’s aesthetic, but that boy is just so damn bitter. Like, bought an entire hot topic and writes terrible poems bitter. I hope he gets a happy ending, but he’d better change that damn attitude to deserve it.

 Zanthe:

                 I love the concept behind her backstory! I’m not generally a huge fan of pearlcatchers, but the kelpie mane looks great on her and really adds to that half-imp look. For her singing, is there a person you have in mind that she might sound like?

 Ylva:

               Ylva is tough as nails, and I’m not talking physically! I’m guessing she was a bit of a therapeutic character for you, and I’m so glad you let her have a happy ending! She kind of reminds me of my girl Nemesis when it comes to looks, although Nemesis is shade-touched.

 Dock:

               To be honest, all I can think to say about Dock is that he’s so completely dumb and I love him. Also he looks great with that skin! Seems like a nice buoy overall

 Raine:

                 She almost gives off a kind of burlesque/jazz vibe? I love the mystique and charm in the way you write her, it makes me want to go hear her sing. I can see her singing Don’t Know Why (maybe not the original version by Nora Jones though)

 Pjeper:

                 Pjeper just seems like such a chaotic little imp and I love him. So much energy and nothing to do with it, poor guy. Hopefully he gets a job soon.

 Dahlia:

                 She’s such a stubborn, gentle mess and I love her? I’m always 1000000% here for ace nerds, and she just seems so sweet with her tea and her cats. I think she’d get along well with my progen Khione, although Khione’s research mostly focuses on magic.

 Apex:

                 I love the fact that in spite of being an antisocial person Apex still does an incredibly important job at the resort! It kind of surprises me that she’d ever leave, even for important research. Is the resort her charge or does she not have one yet?

  Toxicity:

                 Ooh, the radioactive version of my boy Visha! He’s definitely quite the character. I can’t decide if I love him or hate him, and I think that’s exactly the perfect place for him to be as a character. I wonder how a lab coat would look layered under his jacket, but I doubt he’d ever bother to wear one.

 Nylon:

                 She gives off the creepiest vibe and I love it. Toxicity may be love/hate, but she’s definitely more love-to-hate. I feel super bad for their kid tbh.

 Baleful:

                 Oh my gosh I want to rescue this potentially sweet child. I’m sure one of the dragons in my clan could make her some special sunglasses and noise cancelling headphones so she could go out and enjoy the world. Visha’s used to leaking toxins, I’m sure he could help with the spines.

 Jargon:

                 I love this clumsy formerly little nerd? I mean, he might not have much in the way of social skills but by golly he knows what he likes. I feel kinda bad for Raine, Zanthe, and Khayyat though. Hopefully he gets the hang of dealing with things like that.

 Glyph:

                 It hurts me a little that Glyph isn’t an Arcane dragon but I love her anyways? I bet she can do a lot just by humming with a bogsneak throat. Her art is so cute too, I love how innocent and sweet she looks in it!

 Arjun:

                 At least he’s honest about being a jerk? Honestly though, all I can think about is which of the girls in my clan could kick his ass in the most humiliating way possible because pretty much all of them would hate him.

 Fafnir:

                 Oh my gosh she’s so beautiful! Too bad she’s stuck with Arjun. I think my girl Nerio would literally love her to pieces. Her accent is amazing too, I might have to see if I can hunt down a copy.

 Kataki:

                 Honestly from the feeling I get of her, that chibi in the top of her bio sums up Kataki perfectly. I feel like she’s always diving headfirst into literally everything in her life, and it’s such a beautiful mess. I doubt Fafnir always appreciates it though xD

 Rosyth:

                 He seems like such a friendly, quirky guy? If he ever stopped by my clan he’d get along great with Nyx! I love that in spite of being an astronomer he’s still so social and charismatic, it’s a neat little detail to him.

 Rug:

                 Ooh, another little twerp!! I can see some of his personality really suiting a ridgeback, but he’s so perfect as a mirror. Another boy Karmanor shouldn’t be allowed within a few hundred kilometers of or they’d somehow cause even more trouble than they normally would.

 Fatalis:

                 Her art looks so cute oh my gosh! I love the concept behind her revival, and the detail with the wings. Hopefully she settles into modern Sornieth soon, she deserves it.

 Xiack:

                 I just knew he was going to be a bit of a dick just looking at him. Awesome fandragon though, and I love all the little details about his radio station! (I’d probably listen to it)

 Prompto

                 I love all his pets oh my gosh! I bet his room is stuffed full of photos of them all. I have a feeling he’s a fandragon for something I don’t know, but even without knowing he’s a really neat dragon. Based on his looks and the theoretical photos of his pets it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s made a ton of “memes”  (or whatever Sornieth’s equivalent might be) based on them

 Melon:

                 Oh my gosh that drink sounds delicious. And I’m so glad melon is as sweet as her drink! I bet she and Ketut get along great!

 Pina:

                 Tiny dragon with a mouthful of a name there! She seems like such a sweet kid, I’m glad she’s found a great older sister! And that art is so sweet,  it’s a whole story in one photo.

 Levia:

                 Oh my gosh she’s beautiful! I have a feeling there’s some great big myth about what might’ve happened when someone ticked her off that she just laughs at. Her accent is incredible though, I might need a copy for Artemis.

 Thayne:

                 Baby sis sea monster! She’s just so sweet and ethereal. I love that choice of gif for her bio too, bioluminescent algae is neat stuff.

 Voltaic:

                 Oh my gosh poor boy! He did so much for Mercury… I don’t see him in your lair so I’m guessing nothing there ended well at all. I hope he gets over it…

 Dune:

                 Oh my gosh that boy is so impossibly lucky! I bet his honey gets used in a ton of wines around the resort. And with all of Trellis’s flowers around they’d taste amazing!

 Max:

                 Her bio really makes me want to finally play life is strange. I love the layout on it too, it was incredibly easy to keep reading through. Overall she’s a really great fandragon!

 Chloe:

                 She’s so beautifully blue oh my gosh! Her outfit matches the character so well too.  A great match for your Max.

 Rachel:

                 Her outfit is simple but I like it? The fire is a nice touch from what I’ve read in her bio too, plus is brings out her tert so well! Maybe the teardrop jade earrings would match the ones she wears in the gifs?

 Ixalan:

                 I love how humble Ixalan is about his skills! He seems like an incredible person to work with/under, I’d love to have a mentor like that someday myself. That’s some awesome pixel art in his bio too, it’s a great touch.

 Swampthing:

                 Oh my gosh she’s the most catlike griffin I’ve heard about in a long time. Hopefully the hatchlings stop treating her so badly eventually, she’s just trying her best. Also, I feel the pain of that scatter history, that’s why I stopped keeping them.

 Aquila:

                 I just looked at him and gasped tbh. That accent looks so gorgeous with his colours! He may not have much lore, but damn that boy is a warrior.

 Aerie:

                 Oh my gosh she’s so striking! If she’s a little arrogant at times she’s earned it in my opinion. Who’s her main contact at the resort? I can see so many funny communication errors happening with her and a few of the dragons xD

 Escha:

                 Almost as striking as Aerie, but so much gloomier, geez. He’s like the worst traits of a vulture and a magpie all rolled up into one. I’d say he’s quite the character telling stories around the fire, but he probably avoids them like the plague.

 Odary:

                 She may not have lore yet but oh my gosh she’s so elegant! I could totally see her being some type of priestess or dancer. Either way she’s amazing.

 Horus:

                 Well this boy is just a recipe for disaster. Amazing outfit and accent though, I love how the light plays against the dark.

 Gil:

               Oh jeez Gil don’t let Tox and Nylon make the next Frankenstein. I love his colours though, that greyscale with the hints of blue and red is incredible. I never realized powerpack added those extra horns until I saw it on him. I think my brain is broken now.

 Matoya:

                 Such a gorgeous geode oh my gosh! Now if only all her grandkids weren’t so darn ungrateful… At least she has Jaya and Angelo around. I didn’t realize her name was from final fantasy until I clicked on the theme song link, but I forgot how much I love the soundtrack for those games! (Never played them, just love orchestral/classical music)

 Eirin:

                 Jeez, what a nerd xD He’s such a sweet boy though, and I love that idea of the comet being used as a lens/projector! Maybe since he’s from wind he could even have enough magic to stir up a fog and do some 3d?

 Able:

                 Such a cute messy boy! I love that autumn aesthetic, and the flower nymph is a perfect match!

Super Over The Top Farewell

Hey. So I’m about to go overboard with this farewell post, please bear with me. 

First of all, I just want to say that this program was SO much more than what I expected (and I expected a lot). Not only have I learned so much from the wonderful TA’s, guests, and of course Marat and Nicole, but I’ve also learned from the wonderful people who attended this program with me. 

Thank you so much to Ethan, Federico, Devon, and Muriel for all that you guys did to guide me through the MAJOR confusion which is Logic, and helping thecollective. produce an incredible song. Though there were some bumps in the road, you guys helped us learn new ways to fix things, and you also prevented about 1,000,000 of my Logic-induced panic attacks. Much love to all of you! You guys are the best and most inspiring people I’ve ever met. I want to be like all of you one day (except for you, Federico).*

*Just kidding, we all know you’re the best TA.

KJ, when I first met you, I was SUPER intimidated by you because I had listened to your music and it was so good that it had me shook. Then, when I got to know you a bit better, I realized how genuine and kind you are, and your producing skills make me really jealous. I know you’re going to be super successful because you’re so unique and you can do MAGIC with samples. Also, I don’t know if I ever told you this, but I really love Kraftwerk and I think it’s really cool how you show how they influence you in your own music. 

First things first, Jae, you’re an incredible producer. The way you were able to make that beat for your group’s song on your PHONE just baffles me. You’re also such a wonderful and kind person, and getting to know you was so much fun. It sucks that you had to go back home, but I really hope we’ll be able to see each other again because you’re so funny and I’m also definitely gonna need some production tips in the future. 

Ash, you’re such a talented singer and writer. It’s insane that a person with so much talent as you is also so nice, but somehow you’re able to balance both of those things. You’re such a wonderful person to be around and I also admire your drive. I know you’re going to go on to do incredible things, and I’m so exited to see what you’ll put out into the world. 

Val, I love how passionate you are about the business side of music. You are SO smart and I know you’ll be extremely successful down whatever path you choose to take. Also, seeing a girl who wants to be part of that side of the industry is so inspiring, and I’m sure you’ll continue to inspire other girls to follow you. 

Danny, I have to admit that I insta stalked you before FMM started and I don’t think I ever told you this but YOUR VOICE! IS INCREDIBLE! I mean damn, I wish my voice sounded like actual gold but it’s fine, whatever. Also, your writing skills are so amazing. You’re an extremely talented person and I can’t wait to hear more of the stuff you put out. Also, I hope you continue to post more videos of you singing on instagram. I have those post notifications ON. 

Camille, first of all I stan you, you’re so talented and also gorgeous. Your voice is literally so beautiful, and overall you’re such a lovely person. I genuinely enjoyed every conversation we had, no matter how small it was. I’m so excited to see where you go in the future!

Dylan, first of all you’re hilarious, and even though it was really crowded I loved whenever you’d come into the edit suites because it was always a great time. Other than that, you’re a really talented bassist and all around great person. I really enjoyed the time I spent with you! Can’t wait to see you again (at Gianna’s beach house party?)

Brandon, to be honest, when I first saw your instagram I kind of thought you were gonna be like, stuck up or something. But you’re actually such a kind and funny person, and you’re also so good at literally everything you do it’s astonishing. I always show my friends your soundcloud and brag about how I know you, because your music is incredible. I’m so excited to see what else you put out, and I also hope you get around to putting stuff on soundcloud too so I can put you on my playlists!

Jess, my fellow Westchester girl. Where do I even start? You’re such a sweet person and I’m so lucky that this program brought us together. I love how we bonded instantly over our shared tallness, love of iced coffee (and ICED only) and how we both live in Westchester. You’re so funny, kind, and also extremely talented. Your voice blows me away, and I know you’re gonna accomplish amazing things. (Also, we need to hang out at some place that isn’t GILDAS, lol).

Ava, I honestly can’t thank you enough for all of your help on my group’s song. I can say without doubt that it would NOT have been even close to finished if you hadn’t stepped in and helped us with it. Your producing skills are incredible, and you’re also so cool. I know you’re only a year older than me, but I want to be just like you when I grow up :) 

Tayahna, when I first met you I was so intimidated by you because not only are you *literally* a model, but you’re also so talented and the music that I heard from you had me shook to the core. I admire your confidence and how despite how talented you are, you’re such a nice person. Getting to know you was honestly one of my favorite experiences at FMM. 

Keisha, nbd but I love you! You’re one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, and I feel so lucky that I got to become such good friends with you during FMM. Other than that, you are 1) actually gorgeous and 2) an amazing singer. I honestly can’t wait to hear more of the stuff you put out, because every song I’ve heard you cover is low-key way better than the original. I can’t wait to see you again!

Alex, just stop. Actually just stop because I love you so much that I can’t even put it into words. You’re such an amazing singer and songwriter, and I’m so lucky that I got put in a group with you. You’re part of my family now so sorry, there’s no escaping my undying love for you. 

Che (AKA FRESHMAN), first of all big thank you for babysitting my headphones for me and not eating them. Also, getting to know you at FMM was such a great time. You’re such a genuinely kind and funny person and I really hope I can spend more time with you in the future because you brightened up my Saturdays. You’re an amazing rapper, writer, and producer, and your stand-up comedy skills don’t go unnoticed. Please don’t actually physically blow up this summer, I’ll miss you! 

Sawyer, wow. I’m still blown away by your talent. It basically radiates off of you. I’m so glad that I got to meet you through FMM because you make amazing music and are also so good at actually EVERYTHING, is there anything you can’t do? Other than that, you’re so nice and funny and I really look forward to sending you literally everything I write so you can tell me how to make it better, so sorry in advance for how much I’m gonna annoy you. I feel really proud to say that I even know you. You’re already doing amazing things, and I can’t wait to see what else you accomplish. 

KB, don’t tell anyone else but you’re actually my favorite FMM’er EVER. Seeing you every Saturday made my life 1000x better and the talent which you possess amazes me. You’re such a funny, sweet person and I can’t wait to see where you take your copious amounts of talent. 

Gianna, I love you so much. I honestly think I could write a book about how much joy you bring into my life. You’re an incredibly talented, funny, sweet person and I feel truly blessed that you were in my group. Also, thank you for literally reviving CLOSURE, you’re the GOAT. 

Nicole, thank you so much for everything you taught me about production. It’s so inspiring to see a woman with your level of expertise in production, and you really assured me that I can do it too! 

Marat, where do I even start. Being able to learn from you every Saturday was so incredible. I will never forget the amazing experience which you have given me and the other FMM’ers. Thank you so much for making the music industry not as scary as I thought it was. This program was one of the best experiences ever and I cannot even describe in words the impact it has made on my life. Being able to meet these wonderful people and learn so much was such a gift. 

Thank you so much, FMM. This might be farewell for now, but I know it’s only the beginning for all of us. 

I SAW FROZEN THE MUSICAL AND.... (SPOLIERS)

- wow the COSTUMES - so much hard work with the details so amazing - tiny Anna and Elsa are literally 1000x more talented than I’ll ever be at anything - SVEN HOLY JESUS - props to that actor because walking on four legs for 2.5 hrs looks not fun - Anna and Elsa are incredible singers - first time in forever is BEAUTIFUL - I may have cried - I cried for a lot of the whole thing lmao - Love is an Open Door with Anna and Hans is adorably awkward - THE SFX WHen Elsa freaked out at the ball are incredible - Kristoff is a beautiful man oh my - and he can sing like an angel - also paddie (who I always thought was pappy in the movie idk?) is RIPPED AF - the trolls are now kinda avatar looking guys - !Lesbian couple dancing! - What do you know about love song by Anna and kristoff is AMAZING and so so cute - LET IT GO - WAS AN EXPERIENCE - 12/10 - I can’t even describe how incredible it was holy moly - Hygge was hilarious and sweet - the Yoo-hoo big summer blowout guy is great - also Olaf is seriously amazing - he sounds exactly like josh gad and plays him with so much heart - the scene where Anna is trying to find Elsa in the blizzard on the fjord is incredible - the cast members form this icy wind and stop her from reaching Elsa sooner - Elsa unfreezing is so wonderful - Anna and Elsa singing love is an open door together at the end 💓 - everything was incredible, absolutely would recommend - the new songs ahhhhhhhhh

Stranger: m

You: You first

You: to say hey

Stranger: hey lol

You: ahhaha jk

You: Hey, how u doing?

You: im f btw

Stranger: cool im good just bored you?

You: Well, everyone's bored on omegle so..what's new right?

You: Im good as well

Stranger: haha true

You: May i ask ur name?

Stranger: Adam you?

You: Hey Adam, how's life?

You: ahahaha

You: Im Sarah

Stranger: nice to meet you :) its okay not great not awful

You: Oh it's a balance then

You: nice meeting u :)

Stranger: hahaha covid sucks but again what else is new right?

You: ahahahhaha yeeea right

You: Life sucks rn

You: But i hope it gets a lil bit better.

You: one day.

Stranger: same :( It has to haha

You: Hopefully :)

You: Wyd now?

Stranger: just school wbu?

Stranger: well not rn

Stranger: its 5 50 am here

Stranger: and thanksgiving lol

You: Oh online classes right? I hate it

You: Oooh 5:50am?

You: Wow, too early

Stranger: yeah im in california. couldn't sleep

You: yeaaa happy thanksgiving :) r u gonna do today?

You: Oh california, gotcha

Stranger: nm maybe play football and just eat hahaha you?

You: Eat is the best one right

You: Im not gonna do anything at all

Stranger: nice sometimes its good to just chill

Stranger: where you from?

You: Yea, i'm always doing this ahaha

You: i'm brazilian

Stranger: oh very cool :)

You: Yea :))

You: Hey, lemme show u a song

Stranger: ok

You: hold up

Stranger: ok haha

You: should i send the link or name?

Stranger: either one!

You: oke

You: name then

You: idk you yet by alexander 23

Stranger: listening now

You: it's a really good song and I just wanted to show this incredible masterpiece to the all world ahaha but it's not possible, sadly

You: i don't even know if u'll like it, but i hope so

Stranger: I love it actually

Stranger: my kinda music for sure

You: oh my gawd, i'm so happy.

You: ahahhaha

Stranger: thank you that made my day better

You: no, thank YOU

You: :))

Stranger: hahaha music is the best honestly

You: u mean, music is the best thing in the whole world? yea ikr. it's just perfect.

You: or u mean, that one..?

Stranger: I mean music in general

Stranger: but that song is excellent

You: oooh yeaa!!!

Stranger: already added to my spotify

You: it's my favorite thing in the whole world. music.

You: Aw :))

You: well, your turn.

Stranger: hahaha okay hold on

You: take your time

Stranger: as much as I ever could - city and color

You: oh, it's an old one

You: I mean, that's cool

You: listening now

Stranger: its one of my faves

You: oh shoot. this intro is just awesome.

Stranger: right?

You: ooohh that's so beautiful. idk, just hitts different u know. I genuinely love it.

Stranger: good im glad I could send a good one back :)

You: Aw, yea, it's freaking good :)

You: hey, wyd on omegle? u shouldn't be here ahaha nah im kidding

Stranger: hahaha I just go with the flow you know? california hippy :)

You: yea?😂

You: ahahhaha i get that. california hippy.

Stranger: thats me for sure

Stranger: what are you doing here hahaha

You: Guess what

You: I'm bored 😂

Stranger: lollll shocker hahahaha

You: And i just wanted to talk to someone. idk.

You: ahahahhahaha

You: no kidding!

You: lmao

Stranger: anything in particular you want to talk about ? :)

You: well, i mean , i guess anything in particular. Just talk about randomly things. u know.

You: killing time.

Stranger: yeah no I feel you for sure :)

You: Oh good to know that i'm not alone, im not the only one 😂

Stranger: it gets lonely with all online shit

You: Yea for real...everything's so complicated now.

Stranger: I know :(

You: I wish I had someone to blame sometimes ahah

Stranger: I know what you mean but at least its fucked up for everyone

You: Yea but if i could i would take all this shit just for me u know

Stranger: for sureeee I know what you mean but you can't bear that big of a burden alone

You: Yea ik ur right. but at least that would be 1000x easier.

You: I guess so. but anyways, there's nothing that i can do or anyone else.

Stranger: yeah :( no just be in it together and try to spread good vibes

You: yeah that's the point :))

Stranger: :)

You: hey, what about The Girl?

You: I mean, by city and colour

Stranger: love that one too

Stranger: they have some incredible songs

Stranger: the lead singers name is Dallas green thats where the band name comes from but he's a genius

You: Oooh wow, wise man huh ahah

You: It was really genius.

You: Nice pun I would say lmao

Stranger: I know his music just hits different

You: Yea. it feels like ur in 1999 traveling the world with someone.

Stranger: yeah its so calming :)

You: Pretty smooth aha :)

Stranger: makes me feel like the worlds gonna be okay ahaha

You: do u know more than one? please tell me, i need to escape there.

You: ahahha just kidding

Stranger: hahahaha

You: but yea, that's the power of music, it's like the whole world doesn't exist. just u & melody. and everything's gonna be okay. whatever it takes.

Stranger: its honestly pretty intimate sharing your favorite stuff with someone

You: Yaaaaas! it's really special, i would say. people usally don't wanna talk about stuff like that.

Stranger: honestly it gets deep for sure

You: Is that bad? should i stop to say these things or something?

Stranger: no no not at all :)

You: sorry, i'm a typist one. as u can see.

You: ahahha ooooh okay

Stranger: what do you look like?

You: u mean, physically?

Stranger: yeah

You: i'm brunette. brown eyes. 5''3. like that? ahahaha

Stranger: yeah you sound beautiful :)

You: oh thank u ahaha i guess.

You: what about u?

Stranger: 6 2 brown hair blue green eyes

You: Oh you're tall huh. and u sound cute. btw

Stranger: thanks :)

You: no problem :))

You: what time is it now?

Stranger: 6 42

You: almost an hour since the last time right

Stranger: yeah hahaha

You: time flies lmao

Stranger: it does for sure should I let you go?

You: good question.

You: nah, im kidding.

You: u shoudn't.

You: ahaha

You: just if u want to.

Stranger: not that I want to haha I just might go sleep soon

You: oh!!! sure sure. it's up to u.

Stranger: sorry haha I just have to get ready for bed and stuff and got kinda h

You: Oh

You: I get that

You: typing something?

Stranger: oh I was waiting it seemed like you were haha

Stranger: are you at all?

You: if i was typing? nah i wasn't. actually, i was waiting ahahah

Stranger: waiting for?

Stranger: oh for my typing?

You: oh my gawd ahahah yea exactly

You: but nvm

Stranger: no tell me hahaha

You: tell what? i was just waiting for ur typing. that's so confusing aahaha

Stranger: never mind hahaha were not on the same page hahahaha

You: def we're not ahahah

You: anyways. that's it, i guess so.

You: u have to go, right.

Stranger: alright it was nice talking to you :) yeah im sorry hahaha I got h

You: aight, nice meeting u as well

Dear Tyler

Hello you all. So I wrote this fic and it's kind of different from anything else I've done. I hope you enjoy and feel free to request anything! WARNINGS: mentions of depression and suicide Dear Tyler, Hey. You surely know me. I'm your best friend of course. I just wanted to write this. There are some things you need to know. Some things I want to tell you. I think it's about time I tell you. Especially considering the circumstances. I still remember the first day we met. Don't you? It was the fourth day of seventh grade and I had just moved to Columbus that summer, so I had no friends. I was walking around outside when a basketball slammed into my head. I was ready to punch whoever had thrown the ball when a small, brown haired kid ran over, his jaw dropped. He had emphatically apologized which caused me to automatically forgive the boy. He then told me his name was Tyler and I told him my name. And that's how we became friends. I also remember my thirteenth birthday party. My parents were in their room, again, with the door shut. But even that door couldn't block out the screaming and hatred illuminating from that room. This home had been void of love and happiness for years now. I sat in the corner of my room, hands ball up in fists as I cried my heart out. My parents had been too busy to even remember my birthday but now they had done this too. I then heard a small knock at my window and looked over at you. I opened my window and you jumped in, instantly suffocating me in a huge hug. You told me to come with you and we both hopped out the window. You led me to your house and when you opened the door, decorations were up and four presents along with cake sat on your kitchen table with your family cheering and smiling. That was the day your family accepted me in. I also remember the first time we went to a party. We were 15 and it was some random girls party, the name I couldn't even remember. I had been dragged into a game of spin the bottle and you sat across from me, wearing a sweater with dark jeans. Once it was my turn, I timidly reached for the bottle and spun it. After what seemed like years, it landed on you. You leaned over, whispered that we were best friends and it was okay, and softly kissed me on the lips. My stomach instantly filled with butterflies and my cheeks became red. That was my first kiss. It was junior year and I was with my friend, Emma, as we sat at one of your basketball games. I kept my eyes on you, watching as you made your way to the court. Emma sighed and nudged me slightly. "When are you ever going to tell him?" is all she said but I knew exactly what she was talking about. I kept my eyes on you and felt those same butterflies from the first time we kissed, but 1000x bigger. It was senior year when it happened. I had anxiety attacks before. I was bullied. But as one of the meanest boys at school had me huddled in a corner, talking about how "no boy would ever look in my direction" and that I was a "freak show with disastrous parents", I felt tears run down my cheeks as my fists were balled up, just like my 13th birthday. Kids stood around watching, pointing, and laughing as hot tears ran down my cheeks and my breathing became shaky. Next thing I knew, a brunette boy punched the boy, muttering a simple "Fuck you." as he walked towards me. I was in full blown anxiety mode as you leaned down, kissed my head, picked me up, and carried me right out of the school and to your house. You were suspended for three days but you said you didn't care. I remember the second time we kissed. I had gone to some college party at your campus because some friend had invited you. I sat there, my anxiety high as sweaty, intoxicated bodies filled the room. You pulled me into some random room, locked the door, and let me sit on the bed as you stood in front of me, watching me breath frantically. "It's okay." You said over and over again as you stroked my face. You looked deep in my eyes and slowly reached out and kissed me, your soft lips meeting mine. You pulled away quickly, mumbling a sorry, and then we left the party and head to your house. My life has been anything but a fairytale. I know that. It's been a burden that I've been carrying around for years now. But I don't want to carry it anymore. I'm tired, Tyler. And I can't stand to see you watch me cry again. You've done it so many times already that I've lost count. I'm a burden. I don't want to be a burden. Especially to you. Because, God dammit Tyler Joseph, I love you. So fucking much. But it hurts. Life hurts and I need to numb the pain. Please don't cry or be sad. Move on, start that band you've talked about, and live life. I love you, Ty. Treat yourself well. ---- He dropped the letter, eyes full of tears as he read the last sentence. He felt dizzy. He couldn't breathe. He felt as if he was being held back. He sat up from the chair and clutched the letter in his hand as his other one grabbed his phone. He dialed the three numbers. "911, what's your emergency?" "My friend may have committed suicide." ---- He stood in the rain, the drops of water pounding on his black tux as he stood at her burial site. He held a small bouquet of white tulips in his hand. Her favorite. He remembered when he bought her some when he asked her to prom. He watched as people left. Her parents had been the first ones gone. Tears had flowed out of her mothers eyes as she realized she was part of the reason. Apparently she had written them a letter too. His parents stood behind him silently but he still felt so alone. She was a light in his life that had been extinguished. He was lost and in the dark. "Tyler, sweetie, we should probably get going." His mother whispered but he continued to stare at the photo of her near her site. She looked so happy, a big smile on her face. He had taken the photo they used for her service. He remembered as they were in his room, smiling and laughing and he caught the moment with that photo. She looked happy. "Please. We could never imagine what you're going through but we are here for you." They kept saying that. Everybody was saying that. We're here for you. He only needed one person to be there for him. And she was gone. ---- He could breath. His hands shook violently as his body crumbled before him, bringing him to his knees. He dropped the box of dusty photos, all full of the same smiling face. She was gone, gone, gone. And it was his fault. He knew she had troubles. But he didn't know how bad it was. Tears ran down his cheeks as he gripped one photo in his hand, holding it tightly against his chest. It had been a photo from their graduation. They both seemed so ready and prepared for the world. If only she knew that she was his world and now she was gone. ---- He sat in the plain, modern office with the same woman staring at his again, waiting for him to speak. But he never did. "Tyler, I know you are in pain but you need to talk to something. You can't let this eat at you forever. It isn't your fault." He scoffed, one of the first sounds he has made with this therapist his parents set him up with. Of course it was his fault. She left and he didn't stop her. Couldn't stop her. ---- "I'm glad you are finally talking." The therapist said with a smile that made him want to die. "Only because my parents." "That's okay. As long as you are talking. That's enough for me." There was a long string of silence. "Tyler, this may be a sensitive topic-" "Because my friend committing suicide isn't sensitive enough." Another pause. "Did you possibly love her? As in more than a deep friendship?" He clenched his eyes shut as tears threatened to spill. "She was my everything. She was my world. And the fact that I'm saying was instead of is right now kills me." He looks up at the therapist who shows the first ounce of real emotion he's ever seen from her. "I loved that girl more than anyone can love anything. I was going to tell her that." "When, Tyler?" "I was walking out the door to walk to her place to tell her when I saw the letter." ---- Tyler sat on the grass, his eyes trained the gravestone before him. He placed the white tulips down in front of him before taking a deep breath. "I never officially told you. And I'm not sure if you can hear or if there is a heaven. I'm not sure I can believe anything right now. But, if you can hear, I want you to know that I was madly, truly, deeply in love with you. More than one would ever understand. I still am. And I hate to say it, but I'm afraid that I always will be." ---- He stood at he same site, with the same white tulips, staring at the same gravestone. But everything seemed different now. "Hey there. I'm sorry I don't come a lot now. I'm on tour. Yeah...I know. It's been crazy. Josh, I've mentioned him before, is amazing and the band is incredible. Twenty One Pilots...you always told me that sounds like the name of a famous band. Guess you were right. "I met this girl. I mentioned her earlier, Jenna. You know about her. I'm going to propose." Silence filled the area as he paused. "I still love you and always will but she is incredible. She reminds me of you a little. I really love her and she makes me happy. So I'm going to propose." Another pause as a his eyes grow wet. "I wrote a song for you. It's called Guns for Hands. I told everybody it was about fans I met, which is partially true. But I just can't bare to talk about you with reporters and interviewers. I told Jenna about you a couple months back. And she was cool with it. Maybe I'll bring her with me one time. Unless that's weird. I'm not really sure. But I'll definitely bring Josh. "Well, I love you. And I still miss you. Thank you." He placed the white tulips against her headstone, wiped a few stray tears, stuck his hands in his pockets, and walked away.

Detailed Statistical Tracking At Its Finest

How it works

Voting with Reactions

 Voting with Hashtag

 Voting with Bars

 Countdown

 Here’s a full list of

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Best headphones of 2018: Headphones for any budget in India

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=5317 Best headphones of 2018: Headphones for any budget in India - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=5317 Best Headphones Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar's round-up of the best headphones you can buy on any budget in 2018. Everyone is unique, which is why everyone has their own, personal taste in music making it all the more important to be quipped with the perfect pair of headphones.Upgrading your headphones is a personal choice, but it's an essential step if you want to move away from the cheap earbuds that your phone probably came bundled with.  But, since there are so many categories of music, there are just as many options when it comes to headphones. Some people like the convenience of a wireless set while others prefer the reliability and audio quality of wired headphones. Then there are those who want in-ear headphones, while the rest prefer over-ears. A better pair of headphones will add a new dimension to your music, whether it's more detail, added functionality or just more bass. It sounds like a lot. But that's why we have a guide for the best ones. The headphones that you'll find here have tons of features to help you get the most out of your music. These features range from wireless connectivity to noise-cancellation and come in the three major form-factors: in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphones.  We've selected the best headphones for each form-factor, and we've even picked out a budget option for each so that you should be able to find an excellent pair, no matter where your price point lies. Here's a quick look at the best headphones this year: Best in-ear headphones: 1More Triple Driver In-Ear HeadphoneBest budget in-ear headphones: Sennheiser CX213Best on-ear headphones:  Grado SR60eBest budget on-ear headphones: Urbanears Plattan II Best over-ear headphones:  Oppo PM-3Best budget over-ear headphones:  AKG K92 Best noise-cancelling headphones:  Sony WH-1000XM2Best budget noise-cancelling headphones: Philips Fidelio NC1Best wireless headphones: Sennheiser Momentum WirelessBest wireless earbuds: Optoma NuForce BE6iBest true wireless earbuds: Jabra Elite 65t If you already know which kind of headphones you're looking for, then you can browse through our other, more specific, recommendations:  The best in-ear headphonesThe best over-ear headphonesThe best on-ear headphones What headphones does TechRadar recommend? We think the two most important things to consider when buying a pair of headphones are form-factor and price, and that's exactly how we've organised our guide.Below you'll find our top picks for the best in-ear headphones, the best on-ear headphones, the best over-ear headphones, the best noise-cancelling headphones and finally the best wireless headphones.As well as a top pick for each form-factor we've also included a budget pick which manages to offer great sound at a much more competitive price point. 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone After spending a few weeks with the 1MORE Triple Driver in-ear headphones we were blown away at just how much value they give in this price range. It’s hard to think of a better sounding pair of headphones that are as durable. There’s very little with which we can find fault with but it's worth mentioning that the rubber cable is an unnecessary struggle and the remote control feels cheap because it's made of plastic without a metallic finish. But this is honestly just nitpicking. Instead, it's better to highlight the 1More Triple Driver's warm tonal balance. Even the bass sounds good with extension and impact. It gives you the right amount of boost without completely taking over.Read the full review: 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone Sennheiser CX 213 The Sennheiser CX 213's build upon the legendary budget in-ears, the CX 180, which have been around quite some time. Although it's a minimal upgrade when it comes to the CX 213's, the sound quality is balanced with a slight bass bump. Bass is slightly emphasized and features good impact while maintaining good control. It also has better passive noise cancellation to the table over the CX180. Grado SR60e For your money, you can't do any better than Grado's SR60e. The third-generation of the Prestige Series is its best and most refined yet. The SR60e is a particularly smart choice if you're looking for an entry-level set of headphones that sound like they should cost you way more than they do. Its open-back ear cup design gives you a more breathable experience than what most on-ear headphones can deliver. In our candid opinion, it's the gold-standard when it comes to on-ears. Oppo PM-3 The Oppo PM-3 truly deserve to be called the best over-ear headphones. The build of these headphones is comparable to other big brand names like Sony and Philips, who are experts at putting together their own contraptions. The synthetic ear pads may be a little off putting to a few users but fear not, they're soft, comfortable and don't overheat your ears.Their compact design makes them easy to travel with and hold their own against heavy wear and tear. They deliver incredible sound across the entire soundscape with clear and natural highs paired with balanced bass. The Oppo PM-3 never fails to provide crisp sound quality to the users.Read the full review: Oppo PM-3 Want more options? Check out our guide to the best over-ear headphones. Even though they have a plastic body, the AKG K92 stands as a very good competitor when it comes to audio quality. In most cases, you get what you pay for but these headphones push above and beyond their price range. They're dynamic, expressive and let you clearly listen to individual instruments without being reduced to a mess of sound.Most users prefer them for in-house use due to their size but being lightweight, portability is feasible. Their size is an asset rather than a drawback because their fit wouldn't be comfortable otherwise.All in all, their performance is amazing and they definitely give other brands a run for their money.Read the full review: AKG K92 When you buy a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, you're often trading sound quality for the ability to block noise. It's a trade that we've been willing to make for years because, honestly, we just hadn't been able to find a pair of headphones that could do both noise-cancellation and Hi-Res audio.Until now. The Sony WH-1000XM2 is the follow-up to the surprisingly great MDR-1000X. They might have a slightly shorter battery life than Bose’s flagship over-ear headphones, the QuietComfort 35, but Sony’s WH-1000XM2 outclass the QC35 in terms of both performance for the price and overall feature-set.   Read the full review: Sony WH-1000XM2 The Philips Fidelio NC1 replaces the Sony WH-H900N in our list. They come with two 1.5" Neodymium drivers and have a 3.9 ft cable. If you're looking for good travel headphones, they fit the bill with a hard case while folding in comfortably keeping them from being ruined when you throw them into your bag.��The aluminium finishing gives them a premium look and subtle design, despite 'High Definition Audio Philips NC1' etchings on both sides.The headphones offer quality audio to the users while delivering 30 hours of battery life. Even if you choose not to use noise cancelling, the audio quality is amazing providing a balanced sound without forcibly favoring the bass. If you're on-the-go and don't want want to lug around massive headphones, this is the choice for you. Read the full review: Philips Fidelio NC1  Sennheiser Momentum Wireless If you're a frequent traveler you're probably all too familiar with headphones that can't hold a charge and can't block out sound, let alone sound very good. Let us introduce you to the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2, one of the few headphones on the market that can do all of the above and cost less than half as much as one of the bigger names like Beats, Bose and Sony. They also include a neat little feature that allows them to automatically turn off when you're not wearing them, meaning you're able to easily maximise their battery life without much effort. If we had to boil it down to its core, the BackBeat Pro 2 offers an excellent travel headphone with incredible battery life, supreme comfort, the ability to pair two device as once and, most importantly, good sound quality for the cost.Read the full review: Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 Optoma NuForce BE6i Optoma NuForce BE6i are an updated version of the original NuForce BE6. However, the changes are minimal in the new pair of headphones. They come with 10mm dynamic drivers and eight hours of battery life, which is a bump up from the 6 hours that their predecessor offered. They have an aluminium enclosure for the drivers but it's paired with a sub-par plastic remote on their tangle resistant flat wire. They deliver good quality sound with controlled bass and decent clarity up top.The Optoma NuForce NE6i are a pair of no-huss, no-fuss headphones that can survive heavy use.Read the full review: Optoma NuForce BE6i  Jabra Elite Sport All things considered, the Jabra Elite 65t are one of the best truly wireless headphones you can buy today. They cost slightly more than the Apple AirPods but they also offer better sound quality, noise isolation and adjustable ambient noise when you want it. And if you don’t like the design of the odd, alien-looking AirPods, the mature, understated look of the 65t may be to your liking. While the Jabra Elite 65t are easily one of the highest scoring true wireless headphones we've reviewed, there are a few others on the market worth considering: If you want a pair of exercise earbuds, there’s the Jabra Elite Sport which has a higher water resistance and handy sports-oriented features. For audiophiles who don’t mind stretching the budget, the active noise cancelling Sony WF-1000X are an excellent choice. Bassheads will want to try the SOL Republic Amps Air.  If you only have the budget for one of these, though, go for the Elite 65t.Read the full review: Jabra Elite 65t Want more options? Check out our guide to the best wireless headphones. Press on to page two to see how to pick out a good pair of headphones along more of our recommendations. A pair of headphones is more than just wires, or lack thereof, and ear plugs or foam cushioning. There's more to them that what immediately meets the eye, which is why is we've provided a breakdown of what you should know for each of the form factors. Knowledge is power, so knowing which features are important to you in a pair of headphones will go a long way in helping you choose the perfect pair of headphones.Not only will learning more about headphones help you make a more informed purchasing decision, but you'll also be able to ascertain when you're really getting your money's worth. In-ear headphones These type of headphones are usually the cheapest and easiest way to get audio from point A to point B. If you've purchased an MP3 player, or more recently, a smartphone, it's likely that a pair came out-of-the-box.Earphones rest in or just outside the ear canal, creating a tight seal to keep air out and sound in. Compared to other types of headphones, these are the most discreet ones you'll find. Their small form-factor also makes them the king/queen of portability and the prime choice for athletes.You're not likely to find strong performers at the low-end of the price spectrum. Their sound delivery is generally muddled, lacking bass and overcompensating for that with harsh mids and highs.Not to mention that the build quality falters. That being said, it won't cost you much money at all to find a value-packed option complete with inline controls and a microphone. Check out some of our other favorite models out here On-ear headphones While similar to over-ear headphones in appearance, they fit to your head a little differently. Instead of enveloping your ears with a soft cushion, on-ear headphones create a light, breathable around the edges of your ears. Thus, the noise isolation is much less effective than in-ear or over-ear options. This might be a deal breaker for some, but there are some benefits to keep in mind.On-ear headphones are usually more portable than their over-ear brethren, and as such they appeal to travelers and the fitness geeks. Taking a walk or a jog around town is also safer, as you can hear traffic go by and be aware of potential hazards.The cushioned pads of these headphones is one of the more important features to check before making a purchase since they rest right on the edges of yours ears. You want to make sure that the fit is right, not too tight, and that the pair gets more comfortable as time passes, not the other way around. Over-ear headphones This ear-muff style of these headphones generally provide greater richness and depth of sound, which allows listeners to pick apart the instruments and decibels easily. Additionally, over-ear, or circum-aural headphones, go around the ear and offer a generous amount of padding.The price range for a set of on-ear headphones begins around Rs. 5k and from there, the sky's the limit. For example, the Oppo PM-1, while excellent, are priced exorbitantly at Rs. 56k. It's definitely not necessary to spend that much. That said, you tend to get what you pay for.If your headphone budget is in the Rs. 500-15,000, you'll start getting into options that have excellent build quality, premium materials and amazing sound and features like ANC (active noise cancellation.) Here are a few more of our top picks Wireless headphones This category of headphones doesn't limit you to a specific form factor like the others. In fact, you can find in-ear, on-ear and over-ear headphone styles sans wire.Opting to go wireless will cost over and above the price traditional of wired cans. So, keep in mind that bustling to go futuristic isn't going to be cheap. One important thing to keep in mind is that your music player must support the Bluetooth wireless protocol because that's a prerequisite use these type of headphones. Bluetooth technology has become exponentially more reliable over time, but it's always susceptible to disturbances in the force. In short, any little thing, from the understandable (conflicting Wi-Fi signals, microwaves, cordless telephones), to the absurd (sticking a hand in the space between the device and the headphones) can sometimes interrupt the wireless listening experience. Looking for more wireless options? Noise-cancelling headphones This category, like wireless headphones, isn't limited to a form factor. You can find this clever mix of technologies integrated into the ear pieces of in-ear and over-ear headphones alike.Many companies falsely claim to offer true noise cancellation with just the padding included around the ear cups. Don't believe it. This is PNC (passive noise cancellation), and it doesn't amount to much. You can even replicate this effect by cupping your hands around your ears, so why shell out the big bucks for it?On the other hand, ANC (active noise cancellation) is the real deal. This technique employs a set of external microphones, which detect the decibel level outside. Once it has an idea of the incoming noise level, the headphone speakers inside transmit a noise generated to dampen the racket. The end result is an effect that hushes the outside noise, allowing you to focus. Shove out the unnecessarily interruptions to your listening experience and know what your options are in this category.  Source link

TechRadar Middle East Awards – honoring the best from 2017

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TechRadar Middle East Awards – honoring the best from 2017

We announced the nominees for the TechRadar 2017 awards a month back and the list was made up of editorial and people’s choice awards. While we worked on picking our favourites, so did you, our readers, who poured in with your votes on your favourite smartphone, online retailer and company of 2017.

It’s time to reveal which companies and products were the best from 2017 – here are the winners of TechRadar Middle East’s 2017 Awards!

Best Phone (Editor’s Choice): Samsung Galaxy Note 8

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is an incredibly impressive phone that’s perfect for anyone who wants a productive, powerful device.

It’s got one of the best displays, one of the top cameras, and an excellent mix of speed and performance under the finger, while the S Pen is a real differentiator in a sea of similar phones.

Best Phone (People’s Choice): Huawei Mate 10 Pro

Huawei has been making some killer handsets lately and the Mate 10 Pro was voted the best phone by our readers. It has a beautiful design, a great camera and fantastic battery life. 

The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is for someone who wants something a little different, and needs a handset that can easily do everything with class.

Best Mid Ranged Phone (Under AED 2,000): Nokia 8

The Nokia 8 is an impressive handset with specs and performance to match any high-end smartphone. But then you look at its price and you do a double-take to see if you’ve read it wrong, as it offers flagship specs at a price you’d expect from a mid-ranged device. With fantastic support with updates and a clean Android interface, the Nokia 8 is the best phone in it’s price range.

Best Budget Phone (Under AED 1,000): Honor 7X

Honor has always brought features found in high-end phones at prices that make it affordable for most first-time smartphone buyers. The Honor 7X was no different, bringing a 18:9 screen and a super tough build that was previously reserved for flagship products. 

Best Tablet: Microsoft Surface Pro

Microsoft Surface Pro is a hybrid tablet/PC that is very popular with business users because of its power and portability. This year’s model is the biggest improvement Microsoft has ever made on a Surface. It has a fantastic battery life a great keyboard and a refined design. Even though the Surface Pen has now become an optional accessory, the Surface Pro is still our favourite tablet from 2017.

Innovation in Mobile: Moto Mods

Lenovo did it right with a modular design for smartphones and has kept on it’s promise by releasing additional mods for its Z range that allow you to expand what your phone is capable of. This year we saw the addition of a 360-degree camera, a gamepad and a photo printer, which make the Moto Z2 phone more flexible than any other smartphone.

Innovation in Mobile: Sony Xperia Touch

Sony is great at designing products that give us a peek into the future, and the Xperia Touch is exactly that. It’s Android-based and can project a screen that you can interact with, like you would on a phone or a tablet. Someday, all projectors will have similar functionality and we’ll be thanking Sony for making it happen.

Best Smartwatch: Fitbit Ionic

The best use of a smartwatch is fitness and Fitbit have been in this space longer than any smartwatch company. Add a killer 5-day battery life and independence from your phone, and the Fitbit Ionic feels like a smartwatch that’s building the foundation for all future smartwatches. 

Best Headphones: Sony WH-1000MX2

When you buy a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, you’re often trading sound quality for the ability to block out outside noise. For years, we just hadn’t been able to find headphones that could do both noise-cancellation and Hi-Res audio.

Until now. 

The Sony WH-1000XM2 is the follow-up to the surprisingly great MDR-1000X and wins our hearts for the best headphones of 2017.

Best Laptop: Dell XPS 13

The Dell XPS 13 is no stranger to winning awards and for a good reason. It has powerful Intel processors, ranging from i5 to i7, along with a nigh-bezel-less ‘Infinity Edge’ display, which fits a 13.3-inch screen into an 11-inch frame. The Dell XPS 13 really stands out from its competition. 

Best Online Retailer (People’s Choice): SOUQ.COM

We’ve seen tremendous growth in ecommerce over the last year and there is no denying that souq.com is leading the pack. Under Amazon’s acquisition, the brand has gone from strength to strength and offered an astonishing half a million deals for White Friday last year.

Best Tech Company (People’s Choice): Huawei

Not only was the Huawei Mate 10 Pro voted as the best phone by our readers but Huawei was also selected as the favourite tech company from 2017. We can’t wait to see what Huawei has planned for 2018 as it looks like it’s just getting started.

Day 31 to 35

Location: Torotoro & Torotoro National Park

(Apologies in advance for how late this post is. I legitimately have no good excuse so I'm just not going to give you one. SORRY)

Torotoro was one of the highlights of our trip! We did a ton of cool stuff, saw a bunch of cool places and met a lot of cool people! And isn't that what all travellers want to experience - everything cool?

The logistics of getting there are boring to read so if you want to read about that you can google it. There are tons of other blogs that cover that info.

We left from Cochabamba and took a hot, stuffy trufi (aka. collectivo, aka. a shared van) to Torotoro. 3 hours later, we're in Torotoro having dinner and getting settled into a lovely hostel with the company of kittens and a chipper hostess.

We've learnt that most destinations in Bolivia that are even slightly touristic involve the obligation of having to purchase a ticket and a tour.

Tours almost always include a guide, transportation, and some other inclusions like snacks or other. We don't love this sort of arrangement though since we're the type to want to do things on our own, but sometimes, like in Torotoro, it's the only option available if you want to see the area.

Luckily, a tour in Torotoro turned out to be really great!

To get a good price on your tour ticket you gotta make friends, because the more people you are, the cheaper it is (which everyone loves obviously). When anyone arrives in Torotoro, they learn about this "group offer" and at that point on, all tourists have their tourist-radar set high so they can find other tourists to be friends with! (Everyone is afraid of getting stuck with a small group because no one wants to pay a higher price.)

BUT you gotta snag'em quick or another tourist might swoop in and claim them for their own group, so it's like, "BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!(radar sound) There's one over there! Go go go!". We got lucky and met our tour-mates in the town center while having our daily 0.10$ popsicle. Our awesome group included a French student, Cecile (whose Spanish far surpassed ours), a Spanish couple, Maite and Erlantz (whose patience with our bad verb conjugations was very appreciated), and a 50+ solo Bolivian tourist, Emma (whose photo poses were 1000X better than any instagram model). With this excellent group of inviduals, we did 2 full day tours of Torotoro national park.

TOUR 1:

We combatted the wild, strong winds in la Ciudad de Itas, and walked through crazy prehistoric rock formations and caves, and saw cave paintings from prehistoric man

WE SAW DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS GUYS. REAL DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS FOSSILIZED IN THE GROUND FROM THE CRETACEOUS PERIOD (period before jurassic for those who want to know).

We went 400m deep into a cave (caverna Umajalanta). Which I know doesn't sound like a lot but in reality it really was. We had to crawl through tunnels, and wear helmets with frontal lights, and squeeze ourselves through tiny cracks and spaces. All while praying to the gods that our lights stayed on, we weren't attacked by some strange creature, or that we weren't impaled to death by giant spears hanging from the ceilings!

TOUR 2:

We went down something like 560 steps to the bottom of Torotoro canyon

We hiked along the bottom of the canyon to an incredible waterfall (called el Vergel) where we swam swim in it but it was SO COLD OMG. We also had a little picnic there (and this is where we discovered the canned tune we bought looked exactly like cat food)

We climbed (literally rock climbing sometimes) back up from the bottom of the canyon

We walked across this incredibly vast, flat area called Tanka Pampa, which looked like a different planet (we also saw way MORE DINOSAUR PRINTS HERE)

And to finish things off, here are the...

Things we've learnt so far:

It's near impossible to be a vegetarian in Bolivia

Every adult turns into a big kid when dinosaurs are involved

No matter your age, if your small your probably an excellent cave explorer

If there's dust on the top of the can, you probably shouldn't eat what's inside

Can Expensive Tech ‘Toys’ Really Be Disability Aids?

It’s quite simple really. Feeling guilty about spending £1,000+ on ‘toys’ and writing this to make myself feel better!

I suffer from some weird issues, some things people might think are stupid or outrageous even, yet they can be highly frustrating; have you ever dislocated a finger when pressing a light-switch? I know I have, and it’s true, it’s legitimately stupid.

What’s the solution to this? Use something else to switch them, or simply don’t use the switches. I’ve opted to not use the switches. Voice control is getting good now (I use Apple’s array of stuff, so I’m talking about Siri), like spooky levels of good, I use the voice button on my Apple TV remote (probably the only one) dictate messages, etc, it’s great. Therefore, why not let this control something that causes me legitimate issues, such as the aforementioned switches?

Spending £300 to kit out a single bedroom flat with wifi light bulbs (six of them, yes, £50 each) might sound insane, but “Siri, turn on the lights” or “Siri, dim the lights” etc, makes things a million times easier. I can set them to switch off automatically, switch on automatically, even have them change colour to ease my migraines (I currently have yellow/warm white LED bulbs, they help, seriously). I can even control all this manually from my phone or iPad.

Only two people so far know I’ve bought these, Myriam and mum, I want to surprise everyone else with how plain -awesome- this will be.

Toy two is more of a personal preference thing. I suffer from anxiety, social anxiety thanks to a breakdown at work; being around groups of people either terrify me, or if I know them, exhaust me. To fix the issue of being terrified of being around the endless, irrational, faces of terror, I zone out with music. My current Sony headphones aren’t a cheap pair at all (£150) and are fantastic, but I can never truly be alone in a crowd, plus wires getting caught on everything when I need to use my phone (to pay for things, Tesco club card scanning, replying to messages, etc)

What’s the solution? Wireless noise-cancelling headphones. So why not go crazy? I like Sony headphones, and I like weird tech (Touch/proximity activated stuff is like magic), so why not get a set of cans that fit with that? Sony MDR-1000X, even the name is cool. Newest Bluetooth audio spec for wirelessness, auto mode switching depending on environment, touch controls on the ear cup, proximity sensor to enable the mic to hear people talking to you (yes, literally putting your hand up to your ear) full noise cancelling and even a built-in audio processor. How much? £360.

Excessive? Most certainly, but considering some cans cost ten times that or more, plus those (for me at least) lifesaving features, not to mention they look incredible, they’re a bargain. I wonder if they can block out my neighbour’s loud music, well we’ll soon find out, won’t we!

This last one is also an indulgence, a ‘do you really need this?’, raised eyebrow, accusation. Simple answer is ‘yes’, here’s the long answer.

I currently have a Pebble Time Steel smartwatch, and while it works, there’s things I wish it could do, at times it feels like a watch that will also tell me about emails/messages/etc, as well as being a remote for music on my phone. Honestly, it’s invaluable. Fumbling with a phone while using crutches, just to see a newsletter email, is frustrating. With a smart watch, look at my wrist, sigh/roll my eyes, carry on. I’m greedy though, and I want more.

I have tachycardic arrhythmia, and that’s causes dizziness, panic attacks (and is responsible for a phobia/extreme dislike of heartbeats/hearts), instead of having to stop and count my heartbeat (ugh), why not look at my wrist?

Maybe I want to reply to a message with a stupid smile 🙃 (or usually 😑), or do stuff without my phone, like see where I am if I’m panicking and feeling lost, or even read the news to calm me down (well, not so much these days…)

My Pebble can’t do that, and at the end of the year, Fitbit will cease support for it entirely (Pebble went under, Fitbit bought the carcass/assets), plus it disconnects from my phone all. the. fucking. time. (admittedly that’s due to me using my phone and pushing the app out of ram rotation, but it’s still endlessly frustrating)

My solution to this, is an Apple Watch. This also comes with the added benefits of Siri, the ability to control the afore mentioned light bulbs (oh am I gonna have fun with that) as well as having the support backing of Apple, meaning it won’t suck when paired with my phone (a now ancient iPhone 6+). It also has the ability to work out and about without my phone. Not to mention Apple Pay and store cards, which by itself is amazing (I use Apple Pay a lot). I believe it can also control my Apple TV too (for which I often forget where I put the remote), and I haven’t even mentioned Neko Atsume! (Gotta check on the cats, right?)

One thing I only have a weak justification for, is buying the £199 ‘Milanese loop’ strap… My hands like to break out in hives when the weather is hot, these go up to my wrists, and watch straps are a nightmare (one notch down makes it too loose, etc), this strap has a magnetic ‘clasp’, so infinitely adjustable, meaning I can make it comfortable (plus it looks pretty, and I mean very pretty). Also bought the (product)Red strap and the charging base/stand thing. 

That’s £730 total, on a watch.

To be fair, In the grand scheme of watches, £730 isn’t that much (check the prices of mechanical watches, tourbillons are my favourite), hell, Garmin sell a smartwatch that’s £900! Plus the improvements and convenience it’ll bring to my life is worth the cost, in my opinion, especially with how much the Pebble has helped me.

Yes, the watch I bought is gold coloured (Milanese, which I always want to write as ‘mayonnaise’ for some reason, is black, (product)Red strap is…red, and the ‘standard’ strap is ‘midnight’ blue), might do a comparison with the Pebble’s ‘gold’ (more of a musty yellow) to the Apple Watch, I’ll see.

There, I’m feeling a bit less ‘guilty’ now. One other thing I bought is a Father’s Day/Birthday/Thank You combination gift of a PS4 Pro (comes with some free trash game which I already own/have nearly finished, called Horizon Zero Dawn) for dad, which cost just a little more than the light bulbs… I still balk/am left agape at £300 for six light bulbs…

Thanks for those ‘disability aids’, DWP, also fuck you for the 10 months of unimaginable stress and problems you’ve caused me, my family and my friends. From the bottom of my heart, fuck you. I really can’t say it enough.

New toys, gheeee! ☺️

TTFN