I USED YT MOST OF THIS YEAR BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE PREMIUM ASDJLKHAS

Hey, would you be willing to elaborate on that "disappearance of the Anasazi is bs" thing? I've heard something like that before but don't know much about it and would be interested to learn more. Or just like point me to a paper or yt video or something if you don't want to explain right now? Thanks!

I’m traveling to an archaeology conference right now, so this sounds like a great way to spend my airport time! @aurpiment you were wondering too—

“Anasazi” is an archaeological name given to the ancestral Puebloan cultural group in the US Southwest. It’s a Diné (Navajo) term and Modern Pueblos don’t like it and find it othering, so current archaeological best practices is to call this cultural group Ancestral Puebloans. (This is politically complicated because the Diné and Apache nations and groups still prefer “Anasazi” because through cultural interaction, mixing, and migration they also have ancestry among those people and they object to their ancestry being linguistically excluded… demonyms! Politically fraught always!)

However. The difficulties of explaining how descendant communities want to call this group kind of immediately shows: there are descendant communities. The “Anasazi” are Ancestral Purbloans. They are the ancestors of the modern Pueblos.

The Ancestral Puebloans as a distinct cultural group defined by similar material culture aspects arose 1200-500 BCE, depending on what you consider core cultural traits, and we generally stop talking about “Ancestral Puebloan” around 1450 CE. These were a group of people who lived in northern Arizona and New Mexico, and southern Colorado and Utah—the “Four Corners” region. There were of course different Ancestral Pueblo groups, political organizations, and cultures over the centuries—Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Kayenta, Tusayan, Ancestral Hopi—but they generally share some traits like religious sodality worship in subterranean circular kivas, residence in square adobe roomblocks around central plazas, maize farming practices, and styles of coil-and-scrape constructed black-on-white and black-on-red pottery.

The most famous Ancestral Pueblo/“Anasazi” sites are the Cliff Palace and associated cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado:

When Europeans/Euro-Americans first found these majestic places, people had not been living in them for centuries. It was a big mystery to them—where did the people who built these cliff cities go? SURELY they were too complex and dramatic to have been built by the Native people who currently lived along the Rio Grande and cited these places as the homes of their ancestors!

So. Like so much else in American history: this mystery is like, 75% racism.

But WHY did the people of Mesa Verde all suddenly leave en masse in the late 1200s, depopulating the whole Mesa Verde region and moving south? That was a mystery. But now—between tree-ring climatological studies, extensive archaeology in this region, and actually listening to Pueblo people’s historical narratives—a lot of it is pretty well-understood. Anything archaeological is inherently, somewhat mysterious, because we have to make our best interpretations of often-scant remaining data, but it’s not some Big Mystery. There was a drought, and people moved south to settle along rivers.

There’s more to it than that—the 21-year drought from 1275-1296 went on unusually long, but it also came at a time when the attempted re-establishment of Chaco cultural organization at the confusingly-and-also-racist-assuption-ly-named Aztec Ruin in northern New Mexico was on the decline anyway, and the political situation of Mesa Verde caused instability and conflict with the extra drought pressures, and archaeologists still strenuously debate whether Athabaskans (ancestors of the Navajo and Apache) moved into the Four Corners region in this time or later, and whether that caused any push-out pressures…

But when I tell people I study Southwest archaeology, I still often hear, “Oh, isn’t it still a big mystery, what happened to the Anasazi? Didn’t they disappear?”

And the answer is. They didn’t disappear. Their descendants simply now live at Hopi, Zuni, Taos, Picuris, Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambé, Ohkay Owingeh, Pojoaque, Sandia, San Felipe, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Tamaya/Santa Ana, Kewa/Santo Domingo, Tesuque, Zia, and Ysleta del Sur. And/or married into Navajo and Apache groups. The Anasazi/Ancestral Puebloans didn’t disappear any more than you can say the Ancient Romans disappeared because the Coliseum is a ruin that’s not used anymore. And honestly, for the majority of archaeological mysteries about “disappearance,” this is the answer—the socio-political organization changed to something less obvious in the archaeological record, but the people didn’t disappear, they’re still there.

Man at work.

 Apparently working more than we thought he was...

Kookie bought a pack of 500 straws so he could exercise his vocal chords because he saw Sam Smith do it. But alas, he didn’t think it was working for him. Nevertheless! they won’t go to waste! because he can slurp down his highball much faster using a straw...

This cute goofball is the global spokesperson for Calvin Klein jeans... he mentioned that the Calvin Klein video was up and he acted bashful about it. He did say when doing these types of endorsements as a group is one thing, but doing them personally on his own, the product must be something he personally endorses. And he also said he will be embarrassed when people speak to him about his ad images. Perception vs reality. 

He tells us he’s cleaned out his closet recently and only kept all his black clothes, but now he says he will wear Calvins now. One thing to look forward to... Calvin Klein clothing silhouettes are typically cut close to the body. Meaning they are not the oversized baggy things that we normally see on JK. Just sayin’! Bring on the airport fashion! 

He asks to please show Calvin Klein a lot of support. Check! Marked off the list! I believe that company is scrambling to actually have any merchandise in stock this week, right? They weren’t prepared. Mission accomplished, JK. 

For a few moments he thought he spoiled Jimin’s episode of Suchwita because he couldn’t find it on Youtube. Sus, Youtube. 

Aside from the adorable heart eyes he had and the knowing grins and outright laughter while he watched, Jungkook nodded when Jimin said if he could go to any point in time, past or future, he would choose 2025 when they would all be together again. Kookie nodded vigorously again and let out a deep, wistful sigh while watching that brief segment. Was he getting a little lump in his throat too, just like I was?

Yoongi then says “we all have an idea of what things will be like when we come back” and Jimin agrees and when Yoongi asks Jimin what he thinks it will be like, Jimin says “we’d all be back together after we’re done.” I am assuming he means military service, and that he is curious to know how it will be and that’s why he wants to go to that point in time. 

Jimin, we all want to fast forward to that time. None of us want you all to have to take this mandatory break and we all want it to be over with as soon as possible. 

When it was over, Kookie fixed himself a fresh drink, took a potty break and then sat wordlessly on the couch for at least 15 minutes listening to music and pondering the universe (it seemed). Songs he queued up: “12:45″ by Etham; “thoughtboutu” by Karencici; “Another Day” by Gervs; “Adrenaline” by Lauv; “Where Does the Love Go” by by María Isabel and Yeek and “Honeymoon” by Johnny Stimson.

He sweetly sang along to “Honeymoon.” That song has a similar vibe to “10,000 Hours” and I wish to god Kookie would create a song with that ambience because it would become one of those all time greatest hits.

JK read a few comments (FINALLY?) he randomly says he was wanting to look up Jimin’s lyrics...? Jungkook and his never-ending fight with his Apple TV commands ensues. And he finally finds what he’s looking for... the BigHit intro.

He proceeded to fanboi during Set Me Free Pt 2 even being a tad slack-jawed and droolly when the 2nd verse started and Jimin’s cheat sheet tattoos were on full display, JUST LIKE US! 

Done satisfying his need to know the lyric was “maze” and watching the entire video anyway, he quickly found a Jimin compilation video. Are you shitting me? 

Now, we all know how insidious the Youtube algorithm is. If you watch ONE video of any genre/topic... what happens? YT serves up several more from the same creator or same topic or genre. Watch a reaction video? Then a dozen videos by various Youtube reactors will be summoned. Watch a Korean street food video? Then you will see a dozen videos about Korean street food. FACTS!

Every time you go to Youtube after that it’s like trying to get rid of cockroaches. You spend some time hitting the “not interested/don’t show me this shit ever again” option or else that will be all you ever see forever and ever amen. 

So my point is, that Jimin compilation video was not random. Youtube isn’t a random platform, it is very articulated to deliver cocaine in video form straight to your brain in order to get you addicted so you keep coming back. 

Anyway. Kookie again was like a kid watching cartoons and Army comments were totally forgotten while he watched this fan made video. 

The evening full of Jimin, laughing at a fan made compilation video and a song that was playing called, “up at night”, by Kehlani featuring Justin Bieber, stirred something inside him and the lightning bolt of inspiration hit him and that was it. Game over for the live broadcast.

I’m glad he’s working. I’m glad he’s doing well. He’s still our Kookie and he still loves his Jiminie and the rest of his hyungs. 

PART 3 HC ASKS

WHAT KIND OF COMPUTER DOES EVERYONE USE ipads/tablets are allowed im extending this to like phones and stuff i've just decided

errrm HEHEHE !! gonna do my favs for this :3

Sheogorath

not a big computer guy. probably has a fuckass nokia phone and has hit computers with golf clubs before.

haskill gives him a tablet to watch shitty youtube videos on

i know he fucks with really bad yt shorts

probably invented them tbh

Atsushi

has a phone and that's about it

uses agency computers for work and kinda hates operating them (they also kinda suck so yk)

Sotha Sil

INSANELY FAST RUNNING SETUP

like 500 monitors and LEDs and a see-through tower and a fucking gaming chair

blender king

probably built it all himself

he's insane

the electric bill is through the roof.

Fyodor (i actually despise him but it's funny)

so he canonically has the worst most diabolical evil fucked up setup known to MAN please get him to touch some grass i'm begging you

freaky ass medieval peasant that introduced HIMSELF to goreshit

discord is running somewhere there. trust me

Relmyna Verenim (did you guys know i like her)

also has multiple monitors, not as many as sil but yk

probably runs like super slow and she has to resist the urge to snap her monitors in half every time she tries to open up any program

minecraft girlie (i also hc her as trans she's very loser scientist transfem coded)

she spends most of her time in the field but she likes her computers to write down her stuff

Yosano

has a tablet and a phone

uses them sparingly, but talks to ranpo a lot over texts

Vivec

has the newest phone models. always buys them instantly.

they're a prick

probably has a fucking typewriter rather than a computer because he's pretentious

Ranpo

has a tablet and a phone, uses them much more often than yosano

he seems like he prefers to read on screens than books imo

it also makes more sense, he doesn't like carrying a bunch of stuff around so having a tablet would be convenient

will text people while sitting directly across from them

Dagoth Ur/Voryn Dagoth

has a flip phone and that's it

Jouno

bc he's blind, he's not a fan of technology all that much, but uses screen readers and speaks to type.

more of a phone guy!!

has cut a laptop in half before

Nerevar

doesn't believe in computers

Kenji

also doesn't believe in computers

Lucien Lachance

owns a laptop but never uses it

written mail type of guy

Q/Yumeno

would go apeshit on a tablet.

probably a really big art fan, so really uses them for drawing and games and stuff

someone introduce this kid to a pc with a drawing pad

also loves music, would be the only normal technology user on this list istg

Haskill

owns something for every situation

nothing too fancy tbh

has a home pc, a laptop, a phone, and a tablet

uses them all for his job and has them all labelled and everything

has games on his phone for sheogorath

Ivan Goncharov

it's cause you're always on that damn rock

hates typing with every fiber of his being

smashes shit. has absolutely crushed pushkin's phone before and pushkin almost shot him

uses laptops and pcs out of necessity, uses walkie-talkies for communications because he just likes them

Ocheeva

biggest spreadsheet fan of all time

has a laptop that flips into a tablet

she loves organizing things and presenting them to the rest of the dark brotherhood

they don't listen to the immense power of a girl with a spreadsheet. like fools.

Bram

mp3 player or a phone just for music purposes

pays for every music subscription known to man

last.fm ass bitch

I don't get why peeps just can't ignore content they dislike rather than making the time to voice to someone why they dislike it😭 I enjoy your blog v much🫶🏼

If you don't mind me asking, what voice generator do you use because wow those audios sound SO accurate! Keep doing you and creating to your heart's content!!

Thank you so much for your kind words!🙏💖💖 I can understand people's concerns about AI, a lot of creators hate AI and it's understandable. 😔 But I always use it carefully and make sure not to hurt anyone with it.

About the generator… I wanted to tag my posts more properly, but I got messy like always, and didn't tag all the tools like I intended to, sorry.

Ok, so here we go:

A Voice Model

First, you need to choose a voice you would like to use. You can find a voice model on weights.gg or on the Discord channel

You can train your own voice model, if you didn't find the one you need or if the existing one is not good for you. The only working Notebook on Google Colab to train your model is RVC v2 Disconnected Here is the guide for it.

(I still have no idea of how to restart the training if something went wrong and the process stopped/disconnected, sorry. Also, remember that Google will ask you if you are still there and will give you a captcha to solve in a few hours, and if you'll not react to it quickly, the process will be stopped, so don't go too far from your PC and check on the process from time to time).

a tip to remember: if your dataset audio is under 10 min = 100-200 epochs. Over 10 min = 200-300 epochs. I do 500-600 if my audio is 15+ minutes, but it can overtrain the model.

Ok, you have your model, now you need to decide what you want to do with it.

If you want to create a MESSAGE:

You need Mangio-RVC-Fork installed on your PC.

2. Crate your text. Write a text with a pronounced accent of your character like:

You can ask ChatGPT to became your redactor, correct all the mistakes and add a thick accent. (For example, a thick Southern drawl for Graves, a thick Scottish accent for Soap, a thick Manchester accent for Ghost etc.)

3. Then you go to 11Labs and generate the body of your message with their models. I use Clyde for both Graves and Soap (yes, he is American, but we already have a text with accent so it's ok). 11Labs has a lot of different models, so you can listen to them and choose the one you think would be the best. Then you just generate the message. Don't put all the text at the same time if it's big. You may have to regenerate same text over and over again so it would give you the best pronunciation. Please note that you only have 10k tokens a month. Use it wisely. Or consider to subscribe. Or use multiple Google accounts.🙈

4. When you are happy with the message, you go to RVC and make the character of your choice to say it with your voice model.

5. Then you just put all the parts of the message together with something like Audacity or other audio/video redactor of your choice.

And that's pretty much all. You can find a lot of guides for all the tools I mentioned on YT. Just search for the resent ones, because everything changes very quickly.

Hope it was at least a bit helpful?? If you have any questions please ask away. If you can't find a good guide, let me know, I'll find the best one for ya.

P.S. If you want to create AI COVERS, you also need Ultimate Vocal Remover (please find a guide on YT or ask me, I'll find one for ya).

Or you can use just this only tool Replay (But you won't be able to fix or edit the cover. I use it just for test usually.)

Papi, I didn't know about PVRIS and Lynn before you started talking about them yesterday and now I'm obsessed. Maybe I'm behind on queer artists. Can you give us a few more to check out?

SAY LESSSSSSSSSS you know i live for this shit and queer music during pride month? lets goooo. ill give you five wlw artists that i think are criminally underrated. id be hard pressed to pick a fave out of all of these because i genuinely think they all make EXCELLENT music but...

...probably THE ACES have it by a HAIR. i just love them. queer women, LATINA LEAD SINGER! (and her sister is in the band too), alt-indie/pop-rock dreamy vibes. andddd you're in luck because they just released a new album literally in the last week. between them and pvris we're gonna have a gay soundtrack this summer. i think if you made me pick like the 500 fave songs of my life the aces would have a few in there all over the rankings but "daydream" would be VERY high up. there's something about it that feels like a serotonin shot to the chest. i never not blast this song while driving:

ELIJAH WOODS x JAMIE FINE...Jamie is the queer woman/vocalist. they were a canadian duo but they broke up a few years ago and Jamie is releasing some music independently which is still amazing because her voice is sublime but the work they did together is on CONSTANT rotation for me. some astounding alt-pop goodness.

i mentioned LAUREN SANDERSON and her "songs ill eat you out to" ep last night when talking about pvris but she deserves her standalone shoutout. she's close with one of my best friends in the world so we've gotten to hang out a few times and not only is she making some incredible and unapologetic queer music but she's also a super dope human. can't say enough good things about her. she's fully independent so support her music if you can. it's truly good. unbiased opinion. "frustrated" has been on my top 100 songs on every "wrapped" since it was released. i love this song. "queen bee" is just like PEAKKKKKK makeout song. trust me. find a girl. have that as your soundtrack while you're kissing. 10/10 recommend.

CASSIDY KING is probably the most underrated here. her yt videos get like 1-3k views and it makes me sad because i loveeeeee her stuff. the tone of her voice tickles my ears.

this is not one of my top two recs but i GOTTA shout it out because not only is it her most famous song (100k yt views lol) but...listen...if you've ever dated the straight girl who dates you in secret while publicly flirting with dudes or the closeted girl who refuses to break up with her boyfriend DO WE HAVE A SONG FOR YOU lol

on the opposite end of cassidy is CHELSEA CUTLER. she's probably the most well known here but i still dont think EVERY gay knows about her so im including her because jamming or having horny songs is incredible but we also need songs to be miserable too and she's A MASTER at that lol this live performance of "sometimes" has made me cry more than once if the mood is even slightly off haha

saw that you saw Hamilton for the first time and couldn't help but wonder what your favorite song/s were? or maybe some songs that you would like to learn all the lyrics to?

:DDDD They toured here, and I got to see them live last, last Friday!! It was wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course all the songs are great. Right now (subject to daily changes), my faves in order, and I'll link to yt in case you want to listen, too, right now haha:

"Dear Theodosia" - The way they are singing to their babies!!! AHHHHHHHHH. I could die. It's SO soft. and SO heartwarming. omg. I just. love love love this. the line: "You will come of age with our young nation." and "If we lay a strong enough foundation, we'll pass it on to you. We'll give the world to you, and you'll blow us all away." Seriously, is there anything more important than this 😭😭 And finding out that the original actor for Aaron Burr was praying for his yet unborn daughter when it wasn't his part to sing, and that by the end of the run, he had prayed around 500 times for her ugh 💓

"The Story of Tonight (Reprise)" - idk, no real explanation, it's just a funny, touching song. The line: "Raise a glass to freedom, something you will never see again." and John Lauren's "What are you trying to hide, Burr?" is so funny. Also, Alexander Hamilton's "Oh, shit" when he finds out that Aaron Burr is having an affair with a married woman. Just a feel-good song. Out of context, I now see that those lines don't sound funny or feel good.

"Guns and Ships" - My favorite character is the Marquis de Lafayette. I was so enthralled by the actor's charisma, I read the entire Wikipedia article on Lafayette and have been info-dumping this guy's whole life story on anyone who is a captive audience for me. Which has happened 4 times already. Did you know he was only 18-19 years old when he snuck away to America against King Louis XVI's orders because he was so sympathetic to the American cause and hungry for war glory? Did you know he was a war hero by the time he was 24? Did you know this? And Hamilton was like about the same age as him. Also did you know Lafayette picked up English fluently within a year of his travel to America? Shall I keep going? I can tell you more!

"It's Quiet Uptown" - This song gives me really emotions, I cry.

"Satisfied" - "From your sister who's always by your side." Anyone else has a loving eldest sister who's the wittiest, funniest, smartest, most charismatic in the family? 🙋🏻‍♀️ Honestly, Angelica Schuyler does NO wrong, and I am convinced based on the info in this musical that she did nothing wrong her entire life haha. Facts. Did you know she and her husband organized to help Lafayette escape from Austrian prison? (Which succeeded, except Lafayette got lost and recaptured).

"Helpless" - This song was my top fave after watching the musical. The actress sings so well. I love how absolutely gone she is in love with him, and that's basically how I aspire to write my NaruHina fics haha. This line: "I'm trying not to cry cuz there's nothing that your mind can't do." Just, the absolute faith she has in him!!! The admiration she has for his intelligence and the belief she has in his worth and capability!!! I love it.

"A Winter's Ball" - This song is very short. It also does the best job at showing that these guys were like. 19-20 years old. College age bros forreal.

"What'd I Miss" - Undeniably Thomas Jefferson has the most charisma of any character in the musical. I love the jazziness of this song, too.

"Non-Stop" - whoever said that this song is the entire musical crammed in 6 minutes is so right.

"Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" - Since this idea is basically the theme/lesson of the musical, it left an impact on me at the live show. Also, yeah, I'm a sucker for recording generational history and making sure that the sacrifices of the past aren't forgotten.

"Cabinet Battle #1" - This rap song convinces me I would've learned better in AP Gov if this musical had been around 13 years ago.

"The Election of 1800" - Hamilton's drag of Aaron Burr is such a burn. Ouch.

"Cabinet Battle #2" - These lines: "We signed a treaty with a king whose head is now in a basket. Would you like to take it out and ask it? 'Should we honor our treaty, King Louis’ head?' 'Uh… do whatever you want, I’m super dead.'" lol, point made.

Oops, I spent like over an hour writing this post and listening to the songs. Please anon, come back and tell me your favorite songs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone be proud of me I finally started to download music again (used mostly yt-dlp which omg ily)

All it took was me randomly fixating for days on my pc aesthetic (made personal use firefox skins too for hours) and wanting to use the skins sjsksk. Smth I never cared enough abt. The skins are so pretty I wish kid me knew abt them,,, reg how I thought I was the only one that cared abt phantom thief jeanne (as a kid prob way more than sailor moon but both good) was I suprised by the amount of skins.

This one is also really nice I maybe should rewatch slayers

Anyways back to mp3 metatag hell (I still have my whole spotify stuff to download which is. So much more. I fear). It is like 0:50 I will prob pass out soon but until then.

I primarily thought abt it too bc I loved to put music on in the bg on discord calls w my ex bff but I used spotify which hates this so I went hm when downloaded it doesn't need the internet and it won't suddenly stop too. I wanna push my music in calls w friends again (on that note listen to groundbreaking, sockittome, and bahjat 🫵). The ones I bought on bandcamp did I luckily not forget to check first will prob throw what I can once possible at the ones that I want to support.

Will only upgrade my phone this year bc this small storage sucks I only thought oh fine I got a big sd card but capitalism said ha no fuck slots. By the amount of music and what I use it for do I gen think min ~500 max 1tb (find it a bit wild that's a thing for phones but I'm not complaining) and then only again once it's unsalvageable. I think that will make me happy for a lifetime bc it's always just the storage for me. Music + pics (which I use for edits) and the main storage eater and I yknow want to download games too or in the future mangas/eps to get edit material there. Oh and pdfs to read n books n such esp ones to quickly show in convos which can become a huge pile too. I will delete eps but I obv first need enough to download them. First and foremost I want to start taking my as of rn ~20gb music library (incoming like ~1400 songs from spotify excluded) everywhere w me w no worries however and ik this will become much bigger in the years since I constantly search for new ones (spotify likes in the 10000 for example. need to clean my playlists for storage like yearly). Reg my pc I will invest in those external storage things I got a 1tb one from my dad ages ago and ik they're cheap. Anyways people weren't kidding downloading stuff is kinda addicting like even if taken down I still have that damn. Like obv ik since forever but omg why the fuck did I stop w that. Will prob only download video stuff I watch w friends but still. I need to start ripping the dvds I got. Oh it feels good to be back.

Tldr I want big ass phone storage so gotta upgrade but I got my reasons (plus reg if cheaper w plan refurbished depends on monthly price). My current got 128gb ftr which is horrendous and makes me want to explode since I got it multiple times. Also feels good to be back to download not just stream stuff.

bert kaempfert is the greatest instrumentalist pass it on

So you’re done with The Untamed and want more, what now?

Reposting this since I’ve updated it with new info/links. Again, I entered the fandom via The Untamed so I’m by no means a MDZS expert, just tried my best gathering all the resources I can which I hope will help some new Untamed/MDZS fan out there. If you spot any errors, don’t yell at me, just let me know and I’ll correct it as best I can, especially for any future reposts.

READ THE NOVEL

Read the original web novel the show was based on: The Untamed (aka “CQL” or “Chen Qing Ling”) was adapted from the BL web novel, Mo Dao Zu Shi (aka ”MDZS” or Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) by author Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (”MXTX”). Yes the novel came first, CQL is only an adaptation. In the novel, you get the uncensored romance of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, where they are canonically married and living happily ever after. The novel goes full into R18 territory so please tread carefully.

All four volumes of the novel can be purchased from the original publishing site, JJWXC. The site’s in chinese but here’s a tutorial on how to navigate it and purchase the books:  JJWXC Tutorial Link.

There’s also the option of purchasing the physical copies from Yesasia which might be easier but it’s also more expensive since they’re the middle man: Yesasia MDZS Link

It would be wonderful if you can support MXTX-laoshi by actually buying the books, especially since the cover art is so beautiful and the extra chapter volumes come with a lot of awesome extra goodies, but of course there’s also the option of reading the fan translations graciously provided by the Exiled Rebels Scanlations team at their site:  

They translated all the novels including the bonus chapters in their own free time and are providing the fanslations for free so please give them some love for all their hard work.  

WATCH THE ANIME (aka “Donghua” in Chinese)

Watch the anime based on the novel: The donghua was released before The Untamed. Two seasons are already available (23 eps total) with a third season in production and a special chibi version of the donghua in production as well. The Eng-subbed donghua can be seen using the WeTV app or on Youtube:  YT MDZS Donghua Playlist

Grant it, the donghua is even more censored than The Untamed, but the donghua team still managed to sneak in some easter eggs (f.e. WangXian naked bathing scene in the cold springs from the novel...in The Untamed they were fully clothed) and more importantly, the animation is just gorgeous so it’s absolutely worth a watch despite the censorship. 

READ THE MANGA (aka “Manhua” in Chinese)

Read the manhua which is ongoing and is being officially translated by WeComics, available on their app for free. Search under the name “Mo Dao Zu Shi”.

Unfortunately, the official translations are more than 20 chaps behind the raws and there have been complaints about the quality of the translations in the past, but I believe they’re starting to improve so since they’re official, it’s always better to support the official source.

The raw untranslated manhua can be found on the Kuaikanmanhua app. Other than being in Chinese, some of the chapters (f.e. the most recent ones) are behind a paywall, but here’s a tutorial on how to purchase the chapters, provided by @chiharuzushi on Twitter:  Kuaikanmanhua Tutorial

The chapters are quite cheap...I purchase 1000 KK coins for 10 rmb ($0.14) and each chapter is only 68 KK coins so even if we end up with 500 chapters it’ll still be...er...quite cheap overall (don’t make me do the actual math). The most painful part is figuring out how to set up the Kuaikanmanhua account, but otherwise, if you can read Chinese or know enough of the story by now that you don’t really need to read the words, the manhua is definitely worth reading because it’s less censored than The Untamed and the donghua. 

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO DRAMA

Listen to the audio drama, which is at this point the most faithful and LEAST censored adaptation of the novel we will probably ever get! Wei Ying’s voice actor in The Untamed is the voice actor for his audio drama counterpart. (Yes, almost everyone in The Untamed is dubbed by a voice actor, EXCEPT for Nie Huaisang. Ji Li, the actor for NHS, was the only one who used his own voice. Lan Zhan in The Untamed shares the same voice actor as his character in the donghua). 

Each episode art of the audio drama is AMAZING. Google Translate works well on the site, you’d want to see the listeners’ comments cuz they’re just adorable and hilarious.

Official links on Maoer FM:

Season 1: Maoer FM S1 Link

Season 2: Maoer FM S2 Link

Season 3: Maoer FM S3 Link

The audio drama was supervised by MXTX-laoshi, the author of the novel, so a lot of love and care went into the production, and it shows. The audio drama is behind a paywall but I remember it’s relatively inexpensive. Here’s the tutorial on how to purchase the audio drama from the Maoer FM site:  Maoer FM Tutorial Link

Ngl, it was tough at first navigating all that, Google translate helped, but once I figured it out, it was all so worth it because in addition to the MDZS, the site houses a lot of other wonderful audio dramas. There are also MDZS fan songs on the site that are near professional quality and oh so good.

Suibian Subs have kindly translated the episodes and their translations are available here:  Suibian Subs MDZS Audio Drama

Show them some love too for translating the episodes, but please if you can, purchase the episodes so you can support the audio drama team which have done an amazing job.

There’s even a Japanese audio drama which the Chinese AD team helped spearhead, available on the MIMI FM app. Here’s a tutorial on how to purchase the eps (half of the first season is out): MIMI FM Tutorial

It’s in Japanese but just follow the pictures. I’m hoping that the Japanese audio drama will end up being the MOST uncensored version of MDZS since Japanese BL dramas are not afraid (and allowed) to go all the way to R18. XD

MORE THE UNTAMED CONTENT

Lastly, if you’re just thirsting for more Untamed content, there are two spin-off movies you can watch. The first one, The Living Dead, is kind of centered on Wen Ning and Sizhui post-CQL. 

The second one, Fatal Journey, is focused on the Nie brothers, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang, with a cameo by Jin Guangyao. It takes place prior to Wei Ying’s return from the dead.

Of the two movies, I definitely recommend Fatal Journey more. Both movies are available on the iQiyi app, which offers a one month free trial for first members. Each month afterwards for VIP is $6.99.

You can also go on the WeTV app for even more Untamed extras: WeTV put out a special edition cut of the show which tightened up the story AND features the original ending that was intended before censorship forced the production team to come up with the more ambiguous one we saw in its original run. It was a simple matter of rearranging certain scenes and getting rid of the separation part, but imho it really made all the difference to the ending.

There’s a ton of behind-the-scene cuteness that you can watch and also concerts with the cast in Thailand and Nanjing. VIP subscription to the WeTV app is $5.99/month and the Nanjing concert is for rent for 3 months at about the same price.  

The show also put out two official soundtracks, one for the vocals and one for the score. Both are available on Amazon and iTunes. For Amazon though, you can search under “The Untamed” but they did this weird thing where the vocals one is listed as “The Untamed (Chinoiserie Music Album)” (wtf) while the score is just listed as “The Untamed (Original Soundtrack)”.

Finally, most of the male members of the cast took part in a fan meet and greet at the start of the show, before it became hugely popular. The entire meet and greet is available on youtube subbed: The Untamed Fan Meeting

That’s it for The Untamed and MDZS. If you end up liking the novel enough to want to read more by the same author, MXTX-laoshi has also written two other BL novels, The Scum Villain Self-Saving System (aka “SVSSS” or “Scum Villain”) and Heaven’s Official Blessing (aka “TGCF” after its Chinese title). Both have been fully translated by fans (but always try to buy the original if you have the means, as a way to support the author!): 

SVSSS Translation: BC Novels Link

TGCF Translation chaps 1 - 24:  Sakhyulations Link

TGCF Translation chaps 25 - End: Suika & Rynn Link

As with reading any BL novel (aka “danmei novel” for Chinese BL books), please heed the warnings and if it’s not your cup of tea, just exit out of the page and move on with your life. No big deal, right? 

Anyway, hope all this info dump helps someone! If you’re brand spanking new to this fandom, welcome, and I’m so jealous of you! Would love to relive stepping into the world of MDZS/MXTX/danmei novels all over again since I feel like I’m already running out of stuff to read and I’m beginning to panic a little. 

Happy watching/reading/listening!  

17 Questions

Rules: answer 17 questions and tag 17 people you’d like to know better!

Indirectly tagged by @redwing907. Thank you!

Nickname: Chaos or Chay (pronounced Kay- just decided I like that one now!). IRL, the only possible shortening of my name

Zodiac: Aries

Height: 5' something, AKA short

House: Ravenclaw

Last thing I Googled: various questions about Christa McAuliffe, the teacher on board the Challenger (a documentary got recommended to me on YT and I went down a rabbit hole)

Song in my head: 500 Miles...

Followers and following: Following 59, followers 9 (thank you all!)

Amount of sleep: 4-7 hours, though the actual timing changes every day. Much more and I can't drag myself out of bed, any less and I've condemned myself to Migraineland

Lucky number: 3, 7 and 11 (unlucky are 4, 6 and 13)

Dream job: Anything that I can survive on, work from home at least sometimes for, and not have to primarily phone or email people

Wearing: Science joke T-shirt, pyjama pants and socks

Fave songs: I'm one of those people that will listen to any music, from medieval Spanish folk songs to the top of the charts (with an exception for certain types of metal, club techno or 'screamo' stuff), and have constantly shifting faves, so I'll stick with my most recent discoveries and Fallout-themed faves

Coffee - beabadoobee Home - Phillip Phillips Blinding Lights - The Weeknd Blue Moon - Frank Sinatra Big Iron - Marty Robbins They're Hanging Me Tonight - Marty Robbins Happy Times - Bob Crosby and the Bobcats Country Roads - John Denver Anything Goes - Cole Porter Buttons and Bows - Dinah Shore Lone Star - Tony Marcus Jingle Jangle Jingle - Kay Kyser Heartaches by the Numbers - Guy Mitchell In the Shadow of the Valley - Lost Weekend Western Swing Band Sing, Sing, Sing - Benny Goodman In The Mood - Glenn Miller Also, the Lonesome Drifter's songs and anything involving The Ink Spots

Instruments: I will listen to any, and I can somewhat play piano and anything with strings thanks to music lessons in school. Ooh, but I do really like how clear oboes sound!

Random fact: I have an irrational hatred of physical objects with fixed smiley faces (clothes, toys, stickers etc). Like, what are they so happy about?

Favorite Authors: I don't think I've ever chosen to read anything based on who wrote it

Fave animal sounds: Gentle birdsong, and the various 'rrew' noises that cats make when sleepy. At the moment, seagulls cawing too, but only because it reminds me of my university town

Aesthetic: Baggy clothes, combination of greys with random bright colours, nothing colour-coordinated, deliberately unmatched socks, function over form

Tagging: Anyone who wants to do this!

Survey #216

“cocaine in a crucifix, say your prayers, take your licks.”

How much money is in your wallet right now? Not a lot. Maybe like $10. What’s the last thing you purchased from the store? Me myself? No idea. Have you ever seen the movie Mean Girls? If so, did you think it was funny? Yeah, it's a nice movie. What do you usually get on your sub at Subway? Ham, American cheese, bacon, banana peppers, pickles, and Chipotle sauce. I think that's it. Is your bed made right now? Do you usually make your bed, or does someone make it for you? I'm in my bed. I always am. Have you ever had a crush of one of your friends’ brothers/sisters? No. Do you take naps often? I take one most days. Are you an only child? If not, do you get annoyed by your siblings a lot? No, and they don't annoy me, but then again, I live with none of them. What’s your favorite Disney movie? The Lion King. Does it take you a while to fall asleep? Ugh. Too long. Do you watch TV before you go to sleep? No. Do you listen to music every day? It's very rare I don't. If you could have ANYTHING in the world right now, what would it be? To be satisfied with where I am in life. Do you still watch Spongebob Squarepants? No. I don't not enjoy it, you know I just don't watch television. What kind of bottled water do you drink? Mom buys big jugs of some Great Value-esque or whatever brand. Do you collect stuff someone else would consider junk? If so, then what? No. What's the most your electricity bill has ever reached? Idk, I don't pay it. How much was your tax refund this year or did you pay? N/A How are the kids doing? I don't have any. Do you see a bright light at the end of your tunnel? Just being realistic, not deliberately depressing or anything, I don't know. I could have a very dull and unsuccessful life or a thriving and happy one. What's the most you’ve ever lost gambling? Don't gamble. Have you ever waited in line overnight for something? No. How many concerts have you attended? One. Do you think having an expensive phone is a good investment? To a certain high price, no. So long you can call and text easily and reliably, I don't find it necessary to buy a $500 or whatever phone. Any tattoos? How many do you need or want to cover up? I have six. I'm getting my "ohana" one covered at some point, and I'm going to have "perfectly flawed" tatted over as well; I just want to move it elsewhere, considering I want something else where it already is. How many funerals have you attended? One or two. Have you lost anyone your age to death? No one that I was especially close to, thankfully. Have you ever witnessed a birth in person? Not a human one, thank Christ. I've seen cats give birth many times, and maybe other animals, but I'm not sure. What gender do you identify with? Female. What’s your opinion on astrology? It's total, ridiculous bullshit. Are you more of a science or math person? I'm clueless in math, while science makes sense to me and is far more interesting. What religion/spirituality do you identify with, if any? Theism. I think something made the universe, but I don't pretend to know jackshit about him/her/them/it. What is your opinion on peanut butter & banana sandwiches? I like them every now and again. What is your favorite book that was turned into a movie? The Outsiders, probably. Do you like the movie or the book better? This was so long ago that I honestly don't remember either well... so I really dunno. If you identify as a girl, would you ever consider getting a pixie cut? Yeah. If you identify as a boy, would you ever consider growing your hair out? N/A Are you a metalhead? I guess I mostly fit the definition, but I don't like labeling myself as such considering honestly, the metalhead community tends to have such a "that's not heavy enough" attitude and ridicule anything less than their interests and treat those that like softer metal as outcasts and/or posers. Not even trying to stereotype; befriend or observe people in this category and you'll see what I mean. Do you even listen to metal? Hell yes. Do you watch porn? No. If you don’t, do you have a moral reasoning behind that decision? I just find it... very strange. I don't see the appeal of watching. That's just something I want between me and my partner, you know? Like if you watch it, good for you, so long your s/o (if applicable) is aware and fine with it, but it ain't for me. Do you know anybody who is a Wiccan or Pagan? Yesssss, she's cool as fuck. I need to reconnect with her more. Do/did you ever attend church regularly? I did as a kid. Do you have a godmother/godfather/both? I have no clue. Do you listen to Supertramp? I have no clue who that is. Do you watch Supernatural? Not anymore. I think I stopped at the end of Season 6. What’s your favorite character in your favorite TV show? That '70s Show, probably Hyde. I love and relate to Eric, though. Honestly I love every single character; they're very unique to each other and recognizable with strong personalities. Both Fullmetal Alchemist iterations, most likely Edward. Or possibly one of the Sins, but I don't remember them all well... Oh. I know I loved Envy, for one. Are you wearing any rings right now? Yeah, my Supernatural friendship ring w/ Sara. Calling each other "bitch"/"jerk" between Sam and Dean is a thing in the show, so I have one that says "bitch" on the interior, and Sara has "jerk." Bracelets? Yes, also the one Sara gave me. Necklaces? No. Anklets? No. Chokers/collars? No. Do you go to a firework show every 4th of July? No. Are you diabetic? No. I'm forever proud of that considering it runs heavily in my family, yet even at my worst weight, I didn't develop it. But more importantly, a recent blood test I had for my thyroid or something showed I don't have any indicators of even coming close/being at any risk at this point in time. Are you allergic to gluten? No. Are you lactose intolerant? No. What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries, yum. Your favorite vegetable? Broccoli. Do you live with your parents? I live with my mom. Have you written a formal essay lately? Not in years. How much experience do you have written down on your resume, approximately? I don't have a resume currently, but if I did, it'd only have two months as a sales associate as my other two jobs were so short-lived it'd be stupid to add, especially when you consider the obvious fact that would make me look awful. How long have you had the shirt you’re wearing? A year. What happened last time you got drunk? N/A When’s the last time you straightened your hair? I have zero clue. Do you bite your toe nails? Wtf no. Last time you laughed your head off? Idr. Do you find piercings attractive? Yeah. Did you accept or reject your last friend request? I rejected it. Had no clue who it was, even though we had quite a handful of mutuals. How many cigarettes have you smoked today? N/A Do you have a hard time admitting you’re wrong? It depends on what the subject of the matter is. Do you like potato chips? Is there a human that doesn't???? Do you give out second chances way too easily? Yes. Ever stayed up all night on the phone? Not all night, no. There was one night Jason and I were up a long time talking, but it wasn't all night. What are you excited for? SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you ever shoplifted? No. If you have shoplifted, are you afraid of getting in trouble? And are you afraid to go back in that store? N/A Have you ever gotten caught shoplifting? If yes, what happened? N/A Have you ever plotted revenge against someone? No. Are you mad at someone right now? Nah. Have you ever egged someone’s house? Fuck no, because I'm not a dick. If not, have you ever WANTED to egg someone’s house? No. Have you ever wanted to kill someone? I was fucking psychotic when I found out Jason was in a new relationship after we broke up. For a long time I wanted her dead. Are you glad you don’t own a gun, because of what you might do with it? Quite honestly, yes. I'm impulsive on bad days, and I don't entirely cross out the possibility of me shooting myself on an awful day. Do you avoid people when they’ve hurt you? Yes. Do you make the most of every opportunity? No. Are you honestly succeeding at life, or failing? Failing miserably at most things. What does your newest journal look like? I don't remember the last time I got a journal. Is there anything you currently want but can’t have? A lot of things. Do you have no one you can trust? No, thankfully. Do you like meatball subs? No, they're so messy. Are you severely sleep deprived? No. What music are you listening to? "LA Devotee" by P!ATD just came on. If you go to school (HS or college), does your school have a rival? N/A What’s your school’s mascot? N/A If you have a sib, do you call him/her “brother” or “sister” sometimes? No. Do you own a Wii? If not, do you want one? Yes. Are there any songs you could just listen to over and over and over? No. I get tired of a song after around 100 repeats. No, I'm not kidding. Before you could loop YT vids (or anyway, before I was aware), I used a website that repeated the video for you and kept track of the repeats. Do you have a favorite basketball team (NBA or college?) No. Have you been baptized in any religious tradition? Yes. If your best male friend got a mohawk, would he look good or ridiculous? Save Him. What did you have for breakfast? A PopTart. What kind of booze did you last take shots of? I've never taken a shot. Have you slept over at a member of the opposite sex’s house in their bed? Yeah, but we were dating. Who last slept in your bed besides you? Sara. If the last person you had sex with asked you to date them, would you? No. What color is your car? (Or the one you drive most often) White. How long have you been single? (Or dating your current interest) Sara and I have been together a year and ten months. Has someone of the opposite sex ever told you that you were sexy? Yeah. Do you own any books written by musicians? Yeah, Ozzy's autobiography. What is your most interesting invention? Probably some RP characters. Have you ever seen someone sleepwalk? Once. Have you ever thought about getting your tongue pierced? It is pierced. When you’re bored in class, what do you usually do? N/A yet. Do you like your phone? NO. Honestly, are things going the way you planned? Bitch hell no. Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts? The woman who adopted Kaiju. I miss him, damn. Have you ever snuggled with someone you weren’t dating? No. Do you know a James? I knew one years ago. If you had to choose to have a different accent than the one you have now, what accent would you choose and why? British. It sounds sophisticated and just generally attractive to me. Have you ever or do you currently live in a Gated Community? I don't and never have. Do you know how to use a DSLR camera? Yeah. Have you ever owned an Axolotl? No, but they cute. What has been the longest amount of time you’ve spent on a plane? I actually don't know. Probably just around two hours. How often do you use Snapchat? I don't have one/never had. Have you ever adopted an animal from an animal shelter? Yes. Where do you usually find surveys from? Tumblr, and if I'm desperate, LiveJournal. Have you ever missed a flight? Yep. The airport biz took WAY longer than any of us expected. What is your favorite film from your childhood? The Lion King. I think it's always been my fave, honestly, I just never really thought about JUST HOW MUCH I love the film and its story since I was a kid. Do you know anyone who is named after a state? Uhhh I know at least one Caroline, and that's close enough? Jason's mom's name is a state, too. What was the reason for your previous doctor’s visit? I was getting a full blood panel done to check my thyroid. Have you ever been to an outdoor cinema? No. Well, my elementary school and church used to do these "movies on the lawn" type things where they used a huge projector to play a movie outside around late evening, but I don't know if that counts. Have you ever had a “bad trip”? If yes, what happened? N/A How often do you use Instagram? I usually check it once a day or two to follow certain celebs' stories 'n shit. Have you ever smoked a cigarette? If so, do you still smoke? No. Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey? Jim. Do you enjoy learning about conspiracy theories? If so, what is your favorite? Y'all know I love me some conspiracies. My favorite - as in most interesting, not that I seriously believe in it - is the one that our current reality is just a simulation from a "future" civilization for study or just play purposes. It's interesting to think about with alarming evidence. Elon Musk 100% believing in it puts more "hey this might actually be worth considering" into it, but I think I lean more towards it being false. It's not something I think about much though as I have THE most Detroit: Become Human mindset about it ever, lmao. It just doesn't matter to me. Wow, what a ramble. Do you find hand tattoos attractive on your preferred sex? I find tattoos (usually) attractive in general, so like- What is your favorite Netflix original series? I have no clue what's Netflix-exclusive. I don't watch it. Have you ever owned a Tamagotchi? Yep, or at least something similar to it. My sister especially loved those little things. Do you have a favorite “survey blog” on Tumblr? If so, who? Dunno if tagging random people in surveys is annoying, so I'll break the link, but @/thedarkeststarsurveys seems super cool and nice. Would you rather be able to control fire or water? Probably fire for self-defense purposes, and I just like fire. Water seems... overall pretty useless to control, unless you can like, manifest it. Then you could solve a world of problems. Have you ever used your phone in class or at work without anyone knowing? Actually no. Have you ever been to Canada? No. What is your favorite condiment to put on fries? Ketchup. Do any famous people follow you on Twitter or Instagram? Definitely not to my knowledge, but I highly doubt it. Do you usually take the stairs or the elevator? Elevator. Even though I'm scared of them. Stairs and my horrible knees don't mix. What salads do you usually get on your Subway order? None. Have you ever made your own cocktails at home? Not myself. My old friend did. Have you seen all the Star Wars films? I watched the first three disinterestedly with Girt once, and neither of us liked them. I didn't get the appeal at all. Do you own any shirts with funny words or pictures on them? Yeah. Are your eyes the same color they were when you were a baby? They were more blue. Do you take the pickle off your burgers? No. Who do you share your bathroom with? Anyone else in the house. What color is your bed frame? Brown. Have you ever kissed someone you met that day? No. Do you share a bed with anyone? No. Well, excluding Roman and sometimes Teddy. Name all the people you know that you’ve seen today. My mom. When a car cuts you off, is the driver a jerk or is there an explanation? "Most of the time the driver is a jerk." <<< Yep. What are your thoughts on cosmetic surgery? You do you, boo. Has a man/woman ever broke your heart? If so, have you recovered? Yes, and yes as well as a PTSD victim can; your brain is literally changed after trauma, and considering I still have dreams/nightmares about him very regularly and he suddenly crosses my mind literally every single day despite never wanting to think about him, I don't think you could consider me totally recovered. Name a few things that make you really happy. Really happy? Being with Sara, Mark doing so much as blinking, long car rides with my music blaring way too loud, finding a new song and binging it for hours, a mount dropping in WoW goddamn y'all I have over 300, being complimented on my photography (or like... anything), my niece and/or nephew saying they love me or anything along those lines without being prompted (ex. when leaving, that kinda stuff), going to Olive Garden 'cuz breadsticks and spicy shrimp fritas lol, finishing a drawing and actually liking the result, getting Venus out and she acts like a cuddlebug the whole time, uh... other stuff that isn't coming to me. What’s your favorite type of sushi? Never tried it, don't want to. Have you ever read a book about a character in a psych ward? I don't think so. Have you ever been in a mental hospital as a patient? Too many times fuck but those days done fam. Do you take birth control pills? Currently for taming the pain and symptoms of my cycle, but it's hopefully changing to a longer, better solution soon to just totally eliminate it to remove its effects on my mood entirely for mental health tracking purposes. When’s the last time you got a new outfit? I don't buy full outfits. Do you have an imaginary best friend? (i.e., someone you wish was your best friend but currently isn’t) No. Do you like soy sauce? NO. Do you have a good doctor? I haven't had her long, but she's nice and seems knowledgeable. What’s your favorite store to browse around? Whew, Hot Topic my friends. Do you ever meditate on Scripture? No. Do you like poetry? Yeah. What’s the name of the most recent baby a friend had? Dawson. Do you have expensive tastes? Definitely not. What is your dream job? Meerkat biologist or paleontologist. What is your favorite music style currently? I've been digging power metal a lot lately. I like, live off of Powerwolf. I've been wanting to find more symphonic metal I enjoy, too... Are you wearing comfortable clothes right now? Yeah. Is there a bad habit you’re trying to break right now? Yeah, rather just keep it quiet. Is it easy to find a job in your preferred field in your home town? Fuck. No. When is the last time you went to a fun fair? ~August 2015. I remember it because it happened pretty shortly before the breakup. How about an amusement park? I have zero clue. Probably not since I went to Disney World as a child. Ladies: Would you ever consider proposing? If not, why not? If I'm with a woman, yes. I don't really have a proper reason why I wouldn't if I was with a man... I have NO problem with women proposing to men, I just think I'd personally feel weird. Oh, that makes sense; the fact of how I am with men - scared and doubtful - probably says a good deal. I'd want to see "oh wow he actually wants to be with me so much he's asking himself." Gentlemen: How would you feel, if you were proposed to? N/A Have you ever played the original Mass Effect trilogy? No. If so, which Shepard and who do you like romancing the best? N/A Let’s say there’s a person in need. They need money which they can’t make. Would you be more likely to help them out, if a celebrity asked you to? "Tbh right now I’m not really in a position to help anyone out financially. But hypothetically if I had the money to do so, some celebrity’s opinion wouldn’t matter." <<< This. When you go to a restaurant, do you have a go-to dish? Pretty much always. I don't tend to try new foods. Or do you always try out something new? ^ No. Would you rather live next to a kindergarten or an old folks’ home? Holy fuck, the latter. Living next to a school, esp. elementary, might even be a deal-breaker as far as buying a house goes. I'm not dealing with the noise and traffic. What was the last game that you played? I'm "playing" World of Warcraft currently, waiting for a stupid dinosaur to spawn to be denied a mount again. :^) What do you know about Finland? Nothing. Where was the postcard from that traveled the longest way to you? I don't think I've ever gotten a postcard. Have you ever made jewelry? Besides like those bead, "friendship," and plastic bracelets that were popular in the early 2000s, no. Which app do you use the most on your phone? Uhhhh I think Facebook? I don't use apps much. Did you learn to play an instrument as a kid? If so, which one? Recorders in elementary school and then flute in middle school-junior year in high school. What is the best part of your most ordinary day? Mark uploading cries. What’s your dad’s hair color? It's almost entirely gray now, but it's naturally black. Who was the last person you heard sing? Myself, I think. Surprisingly. Do you bite your lips a lot? My bottom one, occasionally. Have you ever dated someone with tattoos? For less than a day. Did you donate to Haiti? No. I've never had a source of stable income. Are your parents rich? BITCH- What’s your mom’s job? She's a pharmacy tech. Have you ever thrown up in public? Yes. In the middle of my 1st grade class lmaaaoooo. Have you ever failed gym in school? No. Are you scared of dogs? Nope. What reality show would you like to be in? None. What TV show makes you laugh? Most consistently, That '70s Show. Doesn't matter that I've seen I think every episode multiple times, I still laugh so easily at it. Family Feud gets me good too, if it's Steve Harvey hosting it. Have you ever heard of Joe Purdy? If so, do you like his music? Never heard of 'im. What is the saddest movie you’ve ever seen? Probably Johnny Got His Gun. Would you ever wear real fur? Fuck no. Who do you envy and why? Successful people. Because I'm the polar opposite. What color is the house you live in? Khaki. Which one of your friends is most likely to be famous one day? Why? Probablyyyy... Shannen. She is phenomenal at photography and already employed in NY with a fashion company for it. I am unbelievably envious of her, too, but also very happy. She deserves it. Do you have a favorite cousin? No. I rarely ever see my cousins, and if I do, it's usually just two. What is the worst present you have ever gotten? I've never gotten a "bad" gift. I appreciate the thought behind anything. Like I've gotten things entirely unrelated to me, but I still appreciate them. Who was it from? N/A Who is your favorite author? Don't have one. Do you shave your arms? No.

cccxxi.

Here’s some weird and personal questions, you down?: >> No weirder or more personal than the rest of my blog, I’m willing to bet. ~ Can you call your ex without it being awkward?: >> I can’t call anyone without it being awkward. I’ve literally never been able to use the phone without wanting to run away from it screaming, lmao. Do you still talk to the person you last kissed on the lips?: >> Yes. Will you be in a relationship one month from now?: >> At least two, I’m sure. What about 2?: >> Same answer.

Could you go a day not talking to the last person you kissed? >> I could, but since we live together, it’d be kind of weird unless I was just nonverbal that day. Is your room ever clean?: >> Eh, it could stand some tidying but it’s fine enough. Do you drink bottled water?: >> I usually drink tap water, but I’ll buy a bottle of water if I’m out on a hot day and didn’t bring any from home. Honestly, are things going the way you planned?: >> I didn’t plan for anything in the first place. Do you hate the last person who called you?: >> I hate that the bank called me, especially since I’m likely going to have to call them back. I hope I get a robot. What are you listening to at the moment?: >> Cannibal’s Hymn, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Think back five months ago, what was your relationship status?: >> More or less the same as it is now. Name something you dislike about the day you’re having?: >> I have no complaints about today. If you are being extremely quiet, what does that mean?: >> There’s no point in assigning meaning to it. It is what it is. Think back to the last person you held hands with, would you kiss them?: >> Sure. Is the last person of the opposite sex you texted single?: >> --- Do you remember the person you first kissed?: >> Yes. Not my favourite memory, but by this point it’s not so.... immediately distressing. When was the last time you cried?: >> A couple of days ago. Why was that?: >> I don’t know. I was overwrought, I guess. Sometimes it just be’s like that. I did come really close to tears this morning, but I think I stifled it before it had its way. Maybe. IDK. (That was definitely about... uh. Shit, I need code names. *shifty eyes*) What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night?: >> I think I was reading more of Dune. How would you feel about traveling abroad alone?: >> That’d be fine. I think my enjoyment would be multiplied if I had a travelling partner, though. Do you currently have feelings for anybody?: >> Sure. Did you mean it when you said “I love you” last?: >> Sure. Do you think a lot of people think bad things about you?: >> I don’t know. It’s possible. I’m not going to make it my problem, though. List three things near you: >> A PS Vita, a bag of Zapp’s Voodoo chips (almost empty, natch), a mason jar with water in it. What was the last thing you watched on TV?: >> The last thing I watched on the actual television was a YT video Sparrow showed me. I think.  Is your birthday soon?: >> As a matter of fact, it is. Do you like the color green?: >> Absolutely. Do you like winter?: >> You know... I can’t rightly say. Lord Winter and I had a right intense love affair for years, and I truly believed we were evenly matched for a while. And maybe we were, and he’s definitely left his mark on me, a frostbite scar that I don’t mind in the slightest. But... there is enough coldness and austerity in me without the weather adding to it. I require warmth. What are you scared of most?: >> Death, I suppose.  Have you ever given out your number and then regretted it?: >> No. Do you curse a lot?: >> Sure do. Who do you wish was with you at the moment?: >> Listen, don’t put me on the spot... How many pillows do you sleep with?: >> One. Are you drunk?: >> No. What was the last song you listened to that made you cry? >> I’m not sure. Maybe I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday by David Bowie. That one always does the trick, god dammit. Your ex REALLY needs you at 3am and you have a way to their house would you go?: >> I would if I could. What’s that song about walking 500 miles or something, lmao Could you survive without electricity?: >> Maybe, but I guarantee you I would not thrive. Without saying any names what is one thing that you would like to say to someone?: >> You know, Protect Me From What I Want by Placebo is playing, and that title really does cover it.

Could you go a month without talking to your best friend?: >> I couldn’t go a fucking hour without talking to Can Calah. One time we were separated for a week (all of Xibalba shut down, actually; it was The Worst) and I swear I wanted to literally die the entire time. Are girls too dramatic?: >> You say that like there’s a such thing as being too dramatic. *flips hair* Does the thought of marriage scare you?: >> No. I mean, as a polyam person, it will probably weird me out for the rest of my life, but I wouldn’t call that fear. What were the last words you spoke out loud?: >> I don’t remember. Would your parents get mad if you got drunk while they were present?: >> I mean, considering my age, I doubt my father could really get all that mad, but he certainly wouldn’t be fuckin happy. Where is the person who has your heart at the moment?: >> I just imagined Fenris from DA2 thrusting his hand into my chest and yanking my heart out, so thanks for that terrifying and also arousing image. Would you date someone who lived in another state?: >> Duh. Are you friends with your ex?: >> The one that matters. Where is the person you last texted? >> In her room. Who is someone that you would do anything for?: >> Hm. When’s the last time you said you were fine, but really weren’t?: >> I mean, I don’t really do this. When was the last time you wanted to punch someone in their face?: >> I don’t remember. It’s not a common impulse, but there’s been some notable times when that seemed like the only fucking way to get someone to care about the effect of their actions. Who did you spend your summer with last year?: >> Uh, no one in particular? What did you wake up to today? >> Like, what woke me up? Nothing special. Do you believe true love can conquer anything?: >> I think depending on love to conquer things is a silly idea most of the time. It’s not a conqueror. That’s not its purpose. Did you wear what you are wearing today for a specific reason?: >> Nah, it’s just comfortable. Did you eat a cookie today?: >> No, but I tried to eat this fucking lemon square and I felt like my mouth was turning inside out. I don’t even think a literal lemon is as lemony as that thing was. And I eat lemons straight for fun, so like, it was wild. What’s bothering you right now?: >> Hmm. Have you lost friends in the past year?: >> No. Have you ever laid on a bed and stayed there for no reason at all?: >> Sure. Well, no, not for no reason at all. The reason is BED. Have you and the last person you kissed ever talked about going out?: >> Well, I mean... lmao??? What does the last text message in your inbox say?: >> “Number!!!!!!” because I was making fun of Sparrow’s typo (which was “numbet”). If the person you’re dating said they were falling in love with you, what would you do?: >> I mean, like... that’s mad late. LOL. Tell me about the shirt you’re wearing?: >> It’s just a black A-frame. 

Music from Steve McQueen's Lovers Rock

We watched the Lovers Rock movie, part of the Steve McQueen’s Small Axe BBC film series. It’s all about music.

The Independent has a write up, and embeds a Spotify playlist in the article.

This means I can do another playlist deep dive, and find where to look for the artists and tracks separately.

Robin Hood, Cry Tuff & The Originals

On YouTube:

Didn’t find this track on Bandcamp, but did find this one by Cry Tuff:

Dub to Africa by Prince Far I & the Arabs

The entire Pressure Sounds catalog is amazing. In fact, the album covers are all the original 45 records, which you see them playing in the film:

You can buy the entire discography for only like £500!! Tempted…

Kinta Kinta Dub by The Revolutionaries

Kunta Kinte by The Revolutionaries

I originally found the none dub version, which lead me to asking, what does dub / dubplate mean Wikipedia?

A dubplate is an acetate disc usually of 10 inches diameter, traditionally used by studios to test recordings prior to mastering for the subsequent pressing of a vinyl record, but pioneered by reggae sound systems as a way to play exclusive music. They would later become an important facet of the jungle/drum and bass, UK garage, grime and dubstep music scenes.

The first use of dubplates is commonly attributed to sound engineer King Tubby and reggae sound systems such as Lloyd Coxsone and Killamanjaro.[1] Special and one-off versions would be cut to acetate for competing in a sound clash, utilising vocals specially recorded to namecheck the sound system. As such, these would become known as “dubplate specials” often remarking on the prowess of the sound system playing it, in a bid to win the clash.

Oh, interesting, so a reggae sound system is…?

The popularity of a sound system was mainly contingent on one thing: having new music. In order to circumvent the release cycle of the American record labels, the two sound system superstars turned to record production. Initially, they produced only singles for their own sound systems, known as “Exclusives” or Dubplates—a limited run of one copy per song.[4] What began as an attempt to replicate the American R&B sound using local musicians evolved into a uniquely Jamaican musical genre: ska. This shift was due partly to the fact that as American-style R&B was embraced by a largely white, teenage audience and evolved into rock and roll, sound system owners created—and played—a steady stream of the singles the people preferred: fast-shuffle boogies and ballads. In response to this shift in supply, Jamaican producers introduced to their work some of the original elements of the Jamaican sound: rhythm guitars strumming the offbeat and snare-drum emphasis on the third beat, for example.[3] As this new musical form became more popular, both Dodd and Reid began to move more seriously into music production. Coxsone Dodd’s production studio became the famous Studio One, while Duke Reid founded Treasure Isle.

Yeah, this is awesome, and depicted in the film, or at least the version that immigrated into the UK.

He’s the Greatest Dancer by Sister Sledge

Remix version by Lucas D:

He's The Greatest Dancer (The Lucas D Remix) by Sister Sledge

Probably a little too clean compared to the version on the film.

How Long Will it Take by Pat Kelly

Darling Ooh by Errol Dunkley

And found it still available on vinyl as a re-issue. Here’s the description:

Errol Dunkley was an early reggae star and one of the youngest, recording his first side (“My Queen”) at the age of 12 for Prince Buster in 1964 and scoring his first hit (“You’re Gonna Need Me”) in 1967. Later, he became a key performer in the ‘70s Brit-Reggae scene, just missing the Top Ten in 1978 with his remake of John Holt’s “OK Fred.” Helmed by groundbreaking female producer Sylvia Pottenger, Darling Ooh! is actually his 1972 debut album, but like a lot of records that came out on small Jamaican mprints that later got swallowed into the mammoth Trojan label, its history is complicated; this record came out on the Gay Feet label under the title Presenting Errol Dunkley and also on the Trojan imprint Attack the same year as Darling Ooh! with different art and an expanded track listing (and, just to make things more confusing, a 1979 Trojan reissue had the Gay Feet track listing and the Attack artwork).

Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglass

Classic.

“Kung Fu Fighting” is a disco song by Jamaican vocalist Carl Douglas, written by Douglas and produced by British-Indian musician Biddu. It was released as a single in 1974 on the cusp of a chopsocky film craze and rose to the top of the British, Australian, Canadian, and American charts, in addition to reaching the top of the Soul Singles chart. It received a Gold certification from the RIAA in 1974 and popularized disco music. It eventually went on to sell eleven million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. The song uses the quintessential Oriental riff, a short musical phrase that is used to signify Chinese culture.

Wikipedia <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung…>

Things in Life by Dennis Brown

After Tonight by Junior English

Lonely Girl by Barry Biggs

Different track, also from Pressure Sounds label:

Next Cut by Barry Biggs

Here it is on YT:

Baby My Love by The In Crowd, Jah Stitch

Whole Flabba Holt / Roots Radics / Jah Stitch discography looking great, here’s a one track:

Danger Zone Chapter 3 - (12" 45RPM. DJ & dub) by JAH STITCH

Actual track on YT:

Silly Games by Janet Kay

Yes! On Bandcamp:

Silly Games by Janet Kay

This was one of the key songs from the film. Looks like it was released on BC for the film:

Janet Kay also is known as the Queen of Lovers Rock earned the title when she made history by becoming the ‘First British born Black Female Reggae Artist to have a No. 1 in the British Pop Charts’ - Music Guinness Book of Records. With this classic song ‘Silly Games’ it was a hit not only in the UK but also in Europe.

Keep it Like it is by Louisa Mark

Another Trojan Records, on YT:

Minstrel Pablo by Augustus Pablo

I’m mainly seeing some sweet melodica action (a keyboard you blow into). Found this in Rockers International Discography.

King Tubbys meets the Rockers Uptown by Augustus Pablo

Actual track on YT:

Dreadlocks in Moonlight by Lee “Scratch” Perry

Absolute legend:

Lee “Scratch” Perry OD (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936)[1] is a Jamaican record producer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development of dub music with his early adoption of remixing and studio effects to create new instrumental or vocal versions of existing reggae tracks.[2] He has worked with and produced for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, the Congos, Max Romeo, Adrian Sherwood, the Beastie Boys, Ari Up, the Clash, the Orb, and many others.

Wikipedia <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_…>

Well, now I want to go listen to The Orb. Their latest comes out this year:

Abolition Of The Royal Familia - Guillotine Mixes by The Orb

I have Live 93 in my collection already (one of their earliest), so I now have the pleasure of working my way forwards.

Looks like The Orbserver in the Star House features Lee “Scratch” Perry. Yeah, this is a rabbit hole I can fall down.

Have a Little Faith by Nicky Thomas

Another Trojan Records.

Yes, Trojan Records exists:

Trojan Records was founded in 1968 when Lee Gopthal, who operated the Musicland record retail chain and owned Beat & Commercial Records, pooled his Jamaican music interests with those of Chris Blackwell’s Island Records. Until 1975, they were based at a warehouse in Neasden Lane, Willesden, London.

Trojan was instrumental in introducing reggae to a global audience and by 1970 had secured a series of major UK chart hits. Successful Trojan artists from this period including Tony Tribe, Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Upsetters, Bob and Marcia, Desmond Dekker, Jimmy Cliff, Harry J All Stars, The Maytals, The Melodians, Nicky Thomas and Dave and Ansel Collins.

The bulk of the company’s successes came via licences for Jamaican music supplied by producers such as Duke Reid, Harry Johnson and Leslie Kong. While the company’s focus was firmly on the sale of 7” singles, it also launched a series of popular, budget-priced compilations such as Tighten Up, Club Reggae and Reggae Chartbusters.

Wikipedia <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troj…>

Also credited with getting us to rude boy:

Rude boy, rudeboy, rudie, rudi, and rudy are slang terms that originated in 1960s Jamaican street culture, and that are still used today. In the late 1970s, there was a revival in England of the terms rude boy and rude girl, among other variations, being used to describe fans of two-tone ska. The use of these terms moved into the more contemporary ska punk movement as well. In the UK, the terms rude boy and rude girl are used in a way similar to gangsta, yardie or badman.

Wikipedia <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rude…>

Which could take us to two-tone ska and ska punk, but I think we’ll leave it there :) Watch the film! It’s pretty intense, and some of the energy around how women are treated is horrible, but it’s an amazing look into west London Jamaican music parties.

What’s Carnaval and why does it mean loud music at 3 am? (Sorry I’m an idiot who’s never been anywhere.)

Oh my sweet summer child okay buckle up this has to go under a cut bc HOOO BOIII

*inhales*

The Carnaval in Brazil is a major part of our culture. [*annoyed goth voice* and I’m so fed up with it] The first true Carnaval festivity officially recognized by Brazilian historians, took place in Rio de Janeiro [my city lmao], with the préstitos [now called “blocos”], very similar to a musical processions in 1641, when we were still a colony and John IV of Portugal was crowned King and parties were celebrated in public streets. These parades are still a thing. Info none of y’all asked for: the street carnival of Rio de Janeiro is the largest carnival in the world, with approximately two million people each day.Like, literally, a guiness record. [*sarcastic goth voice* oh my god i’m so proooud]

Basically, this is the fun part. There’s like, a huge brass band playing (usually) samba music and you just. March along with it, wearing a costume if you want to and having a fun time yay. Like, there are thematic blocos too. I went to one last year called the Marching Nerds and they played star wars music, anime music, videogame music, it was the bomb. even people’s dogs were in costume. Really fun. So, y’know. If samba ain’t your jam...

“Ah, luiza so there IS a costume-ish festivity! Why do you complain so much that you don’t have halloween??” because, my beloved child, this takes place in motherfucking february, when the weather may go up to mythical 45ºC (113ºF) so GOOD FUCKIN’ LUCK wearing any elaborate makeup or costume that goes closed up to your neck. Every year a power ranger faints in the middle of the street and they never learn their lesson... so yeah, if I put on a cloak to play jedi, I’m gonna je-DIE.

okay, i mentioned the rabble’s [me] party. Let’s get to the people loaded with cash. Samba schools are large, social entities with thousands of members and a theme for their song and parade each year. In Rio, samba schools parade in the Sambódromo. Local tourists pay a whopping $500–950, depending on the costume, to buy a samba costume and dance in the parade. Blocos are small informal groups with a definite theme in their samba, usually satirizing the political situation [we are a meme land of meme people who will laugh at themselves to death as the politicians drain all the money from education and health, those greedy fuckers. I mean. Yeah]. More than 440 blocos operate in Rio. The Carnival industry chain amassed in 2012 almost US$1 billion in revenues. Oddly enough we have very little investment in cultural affairs and preservation of our collective memory. But! I don’t mean to shit on it! It IS beautiful and it has a lot to do with our african influences and it’s pretty damn awesome and has a lot of hard work involved! Check for pics online, YT has entire parades. The cars are amazing. It’s just that...we have so many problems to attend to, I really don’t think a huge-ass party should have this much priority.

Also, Carnaval has a huge deal with prostitution, human trafficking and all that jazz that involves massive tourism in the early months of the year. It’s something that has been going on for a while and fortunately has been fought by the authorities but, y’know. Yikes.

“Luiza, you have been talking for 30 minutes and I still don’t understand why the loud music at 3AM in november.” Well. Well, my friendo. They start praticing for the goddamn fucking parade three fucking months away. This shit almost slams dunks christmas into nothingness. Santa has to fight for the spotlight with the barely-covered woman dancing on tv. It’s wild, my dude, but on january everything becomes carnaval until it’s over. Oh and you want it to be over. Please. Now.

“wait, the barely covered what?” bruh, listen, I will not talk about how we have this ridiculous ad every fucking year featuring a woman dancing with most of her tiddies out and a teensy weensy flimsy fabric covering her lower places and how, oddly enough, there are a LOT of people who thinks that this is a-okay but if “the gays” kiss on prime time we are tearing the social fabric and destroying the good moral. Nope. No. Not gonna get into this matter. I’m leaving now. G’night. *salutes*

The challenges of Bless

Playing Bless Online was difficult by the time I began; player counts on Steam were already under 500 by the time I installed to have a look. As the doomsday counter ticked ever closer to September 9, finding anyone anywhere in the world was virtually impossible. As such, I was never able to experience more than a couple dungeons and almost no endgame content. Besides that, obviously, I had more limitations on my experience that I’ll go through:

1. My PC is underpowered even by standards from five years ago. A 1060 3gb is by far the most advanced hardware in there, and that’s not saying terribly much. My monitor is also only 1600x900, which is an actual nightmare when working with YouTube. Worse, thanks to Bless Online’s infamous optimization there are plenty of instances where I would get single-digit FPS while standing still.

2. YouTube treats no-name users like filth. Anyone who doesn’t get tens or hundreds of thousands of views per video is relegated to the garbage AVC codec, rather than the lossless VP9 that the “stars” are given. When I rendered the video in my native 1600x900 and gave it over to YT, it was so blurry I couldn’t believe my eyes. Despite still being shafted by AVC, I re-rendered in 1080 and, while it looks far worse on my own computer, it is significantly less blurry once YT butchers it.

3. There were many zones in Bless I couldn’t access, like dungeons but also sub-areas that were controlled by the opposite faction I was playing at the time.

4. There was also an unfinished winter-themed area in the far northwest of the map, but the only way to glitch to it was by using a flying mount. I tested the entire border of the invisible wall while swimming and/or jumping but there was no way through.

5. Bless Online’s--and Unreal 3 in general--anti-aliasing is bad. I forced better AA through Nvidia’s panel but it made basically no appreciable difference. In any case it’s one of my goals to leave the games I show here as vanilla as possible so I decided against attempting to improve it.

6. I spent 113 hours trying to explore and see as much as I could, but it's an MMO designed to be played for thousands of hours. I was never going to be able to catalog absolutely everything before the game shut down.

7. There is a loli race. I don't fucking like lolis so I'm not showing any of those NPCs.

8. Loads of the minor villages/settlements are reskins, but I included video and screenshots because either 1) the arrangement of assets was different, or 2) it was in some way visually appealing to me enough to warrant inclusion.

9. I couldn't control the night-day cycle, so color and shading differs by scene.

10. Bless only had ~45 minutes of music on its OST, of which 30ish were worth listening to. The video I made is considerably longer, so I had to include non-Bless tracks. (Complete credits are in the video itself.)

11. I recorded over 700gb of video (at 1600x900 no less!) and saved around five thousand screenshots. Filtering it down to a manageable and interesting amount still meant that areas I would have liked to show were tossed out. I definitely can’t hold on to the video forever, but I’ll try to save the screenshots somewhere safe. If anyone absolutely needs to see something, I can check if I have anything of it.

————————–

(Master post)