On this day, November 26

In 2001: Frank Iero released "Heartbreak in Stereo", the first and only studio album released by the band "Pencey Prep" (🖤)

Stream "Heartbreak in Stereo" here!

My thoughts on how the Milgram mv machine works based on the evidence we have:

(I know there’s been discussion about where exactly the interrogations take place, but wherever they are,) the prisoners are made to sit in a specific chair near the wall that houses the machine.

It’s ordinarily hidden, but the wall panels shift aside to reveal it when the mechanical sounds play in the dramas. As well as the walls moving, the chair transforms to restrain the prisoner and attach whatever it takes to access their brain. The fact that none of the more frightened prisoners try to run or break it makes it seem like they physically cannot. This is why Fuuta sounds so panicked, and why Amane is suddenly helpless in front of Es in their T1 vds.

(My mind conjures very classic sci-fi mad scientist machines with wires, pipes, lights, nodes, needles, etc, but I’d love to hear how other people visualize it.)

In some vds (maybe all? I’d need to check,) you can hear Es take some steps right before their iconic line -- it would make sense that for safety reasons, the power mechanism is placed across the room. Once again it could be anything, but the sound effect makes me think of one of those giant wall-mounted levers you have to pull down.

The voice dramas don’t really provide the type of crime details that an actual interrogation would reveal, and it’s odd that they’re placed before the extraction rather than after Es gets to see the new details. This leads me to believe the machine functions with priming. All Es needs to do is get them talking about their murder, so it’s on their mind.

The video produced is much like a (non-lucid) dream. Even if the prisoners figure out that this is how it works, they can’t control it just by thinking really hard about something else. The murders produce the strongest emotional affect, and that’s what it picks up on. If someone else used the machine, it would default to whatever gave them the strongest emotional reaction in the ~15 minutes beforehand, hence why Es’ video focuses on their daunting task ahead. (The Undercover theory is still a bit loose, though, given the private shots that Es wouldn't have known about). It’s why the videos are usually closely linked to the vd topics/beats. I also like to think that the reason their prisoner colors appear so much is because they’re looking at those colors on their uniform 24/7.

The bell rings to inform Es that it’s the optimal time to use the machine -- the prisoner has been thinking about things for long enough that the video will be about their crime, and if the conversation lasts much longer they’ll start thinking of other things. It’s at a different time for each prisoner because it’s based on the specific conversation. I guess Jackalope is listening in to the interrogation, timing it perfectly. (The only one that kind of messes with this theory is Yonah, because they just keep talking afterwards lol, but it could just show that the interrogation is still in Es’ control.)

Their “Sing your sins” is the final priming nudge to get them to think of their actions as a sin, revealing their guilt.

Once activated, the prisoner enters a sort of trance/sleeping state. It’s very much like REM sleep, with the machine forcibly activating neurons and recording the output. The prisoners have asked Es what they saw, meaning they don’t remember the mvs. I like to think the prisoners do experience the mv in real time, acting as the major version of themself that appears, but can’t remember it afterwards. It’s when you experience a dream, but as soon as you wake up you’re just left with fleeting emotions and memories right on the tip of your tongue.

The video plays immediately upon extraction -- whether on a huge projection or little screen depends on which room it’s in. It simultaneously saves the memory so that Es can rewatch it later (on those old TVs in the jailbreak mix). The machine downloads the song and video together, but requires special parts to retrieve them. The technology is pretty new and fragile, so if one is broken, there might be a delay between when Es can hear the extracted song and see it with the video. (That’s my justification for Kotoko’s delays -- after 9 prisoners the parts wear out, or maybe Mikoto himself overheats it with his complex situation.)

Based on the lack of conversation we get afterwards, I picture Es leaving before the prisoner wakes from the trance. The machine adjusts their brain back to normal before they awaken, restraints freed and able to return to the rest of the prison.

It’s very much like a dream, so it’s not harmful despite the amnesia/head injuries the prisoners have. It does, however, exhaust them. Brain activity alone takes a lot of energy, so forced brain activity with added emotional strain would cause them to feel pretty drained the rest of the day.

"a dude in Texas legally changed his name to "Literally Anyone Else" and he's attempting to run for President against Biden & Trump" [source]

okay, but putting aside the comedic aspect of this, it is concerning the amount of people who are prompted to vote for candidates just because it's funny. I'm not the biggest fan of how his policy about the boarder sounds [Site], but I do implore anyone who is able to vote in the 2024 US election to please research other candidates.

The media is only going to continue pushing the idea it's inevitably going to be Trump vs Biden 2.0 and we have no other options, that we have to vote for Biden again because of Project 2025. Is that whole thing terrifying?

Yeah, fucking absolutely.

But voting for Biden will not solidify our safety from that. Biden is exactly like the rest of them. He always has been. You can't make the lesser of two evils argument when they're both just plain evil.

You cannot say that Biden is even mildly a better choice than Trump when he is currently directly involved in a genocide. That is not some little fucking thing. That in and of itself disqualifies him as a lesser evil. Biden is just as bad as him and he will not save us because he doesn't fucking care.

Cornel West [Site] is an Independent candidate running for President in the 2024 Election. [Policies]

Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia [Site] are running for President and Vice-President as the candidates of the Party for Socialism and Liberation in the 2024 Election. [Policies]

There are options.

There are people trying to change the corrupt foundation our system is built on, but we have to help amplify them because the mainstream media will not.

congratulations to Mme. Pascale Leclerc, who has surely just experienced both the funniest and most unhinged weekend a mother could ever have. Dear fucking christ, I hope your middlest son brought you a bottle of champagne for yourself, ma'am.

He calls them both babygirl

Behind the Scenes of New Earth - Part Fifteen

Excerpt from one of the TV-Guide-esque magazines:

David enjoyed the kissing scene, but doesn't think the doctor and Rose should become involved. "The tension is what makes it exciting," says David, who lives in London and is dating actress Sophia Myles, who starred in the big-screen version of Thunderbirds. "We still see the relationship develop though." When he's not saving the world, David fan mail keeps him busy. "Someone send me a lovely Tom Baker-style scarf," he grins. "It was knitted to perfection."

Link to [ part one ] of the New Earth Behind-the-scenes posts or click the #whoBtsEarth tag, or the full episode list [ here ]

I don't know if you're even still active, but nevermind:

I never liked Frodo in the Jackson movies, and, despite having read the books first, that impression of him overshadowed his whole character for me and I couldn't really connect with him.

Your art and interpretation of especially him is, as far as I'm concerned, super awesome though, and made me rediscover my love for the character.

♥️♥️♥️

Aww, thank you! He’s flattered!

I am still active on this blog, though perhaps not as attentive to it as I should be. Returning to my day job threw off my usual creative schedule, and then joining a roleplay group with some beloved OCs of mine consumed it even further. And then I was sick all of last week 🤣 But I’m beginning to recover, and I hope to get this blog looking a little more lively again soon!

As for Frodo: I don’t blame you for being put off by the Jackson movies’ interpretation. I still like Movie!Frodo, personally, but rereading the books has given me a much greater appreciation for the nuances in Frodo’s character that didn’t make it into the movies. He’s gutsy! And shrewd! And sassy! And VERY willing to stab things at first! And has a temper like a tired dad! And he is very conscious of his own growing limitations as he carries the Ring, and he’s endlessly gracious and grateful to the people who helped him in his time of need, like Sam. He is wounded, and he accepts it with open arms and seeks healing. He looks at the worst people and loves and pities them, because he can see the darkness in himself. Frodo is perseverance, altruism, and humility personified. He is a legend. He is goals. And he doesn’t think he is, which just makes him even MORE legend and goals.

Anyway, all of that to say: Frodo is my favorite hobbit nerd, and I love him dearly 💚 I’m glad I could pass on that love through my art!

Thanks for sending this message! Have a great day!

its so hard to talk about how traumatic it is to watch somebody be claimed by dementia without going "well i cant complain because at least i wasnt the one losing my mind (for now)" but that shit fucks you up so much. that ghost is going to haunt me for the rest of my life and all i can do is hope it Stays a ghost

The birthday image got a new update!!! Kazutora and Hakkai have been added!

Tokyo revengers birthday series

For the first time in a long while I live someplace where I feel comfortable having the window open in my room so I've been having my window open on non-rainy days while I work and it is super nice having fresh air while I work and I get to hear birds chirping and there's currently houses being built near by and sometimes the construction workers listen to the radio and it's nice hearing that sort of distant music among the thumping of hammers or whatever and sometimes dogs are barking and there's the distant hum of traffic and, I dunno, it's just really nice and I like it

MIKE BLOCKED ME ON TWITTER FOR ROASTING HIS DUMBASS RESPONSE TO THE GRAPHIC NOVEL STUFF!!

grown ass man scared of the 19-year-old queer being mean to him over his public meltdown more at 8.

ok is no longer funny WHY are my armpit lymph nodes always hurting

wait I can't believe I forgot to post this sketch from february here!!

Do you get more “rarer” potions or whatever the higher you get in alchemy levels? Because I stg it wasn’t this hard to get green or yellow when i was ten levels lower >:\

“You transmuted blue sludge” I don’t fucking need more blue sludge! I’m out of yellow!!! I keep transmuting one and two star items and the last one I did (2 stars) gave me red sludge!!! I like having purple, red, and blue, sure, but I need yellow!!!

Does anybody else feel like mental health awareness has done very little to help them in material reality