July Scrum Rnd2 - Madrak2 Vs. Baldur1

Last night I got my round two of the July Scrum league in vs. Jordan and he was kind enough to allow me to pause the clock between rounds to take a picture to write a detailed report.  I am extremely excited to be writing this match up because it was one of the best kinds of game: it swung wildly back and forth, with the game ending on Turn 7 with me at 40 seconds and Jordan at 30 seconds.  I'm very grateful to Jordan for the match and look forward to other matches in the future.

Jordan's Lists

Baldur1 Bones of Orboros
-Megalith
-Wold Guardian
-Woldwarden
-Woldwatcher
-Woldwyrd
-Woldwyrd

Stoneshaper
Stoneshaper
Stoneshaper
Blackclad Wayfarer
Sentry Stone & Mannikin
Shifting Stones
Celestial Fulcrum

Kaya2 - No Theme
-Laris
-Feral
-Gnarlhorn
-Warpwolf Stalker
-Argus
-Druid Wilder
Feralgeist
Lord fo the Feast
Reeves of Orboros (min)
Shifting Stones + Stone Keeper
Tharn Ravagers (min) + Chieftain

Matchup Analysis

So it's a Bones list and Kaya2 out of theme, my initial thoughts are "look at the stones on this guy!".  Trolls have always been a bit of a bad matchup for Circle in the game and it seems immediately obvious my drop is going to be Madrak2 and Jordan will be forced into Baldur1.  Simply put both of my lists can run over Kaya's list without breaking a sweat, particularly Grim2.  Conversely out of the two I'm probably better off with Madrak into Baldur.  This is exactly what happened, Jordan didn't even bring his Kaya list with him when he arrived to play our game.

For reference my Madrak2 list is:

Trollblood - Madrak2 Toughallo

Theme: Band of Heroes
3 / 3 Free Cards     74 / 75 Army

Madrak Ironhide, World Ender - WB: +28
-    Trollkin Runebearer - PC: 0
-    Dire Troll Mauler - PC: 15 (Battlegroup Points Used: 15)
-    Dire Troll Bomber - PC: 19 (Battlegroup Points Used: 13)

Fell Caller Hero - PC: 0
Fell Caller Hero - PC: 0
Eilish Garrity, the Occultist - PC: 5

Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes - Leader & 5 Grunts: 9
-    Stone Scribe Elder - PC: 3
Trollkin Long Riders - Leader & 4 Grunts: 20
Trollkin Long Riders - Leader & 4 Grunts: 20
Kriel Warriors - Leader & 9 Grunts: 11

Our Scenario was The Pit 2.

Deployment

I wont the roll off to go first and Jordan picked his table side. Since we both had an extra 2" of deployment we were starting off really close to each other.

My Turn 1

I respected the output of the Woldwyrds to murder Longriders with Blood Fury on them, so I simply dump all my Fury onto the stone and run forward, keeping everything except one Long Rider under the aura and sing for no continuous effects.

Jordan Turn 1

Since I had zero chill, Jordan was forced to feat turn 1.  This sees him kill a Longrider from my left flank with a Woldwyrd, Fulcrum, and Woldwatcher finally finishing it off and creating a forest out of its corpse. On the right flank Jordan takes some Geomancy shots at my Longriders doing minimal damage, but he makes a mistake by running the Manikins to jam before taking his shots with the Woldwyrd.  He misses my Longrider and kills his Manikin furthest to my right.

Of note - I forgot to deploy Eilish and Jordan was kind enough to allow me to put him at the back of my lines, so I had him hide in a trench.

My Turn 2

After some careful measurements, I am able to get one Longrider over the wall and into the Woldwyrd on my right flank and one Longrider can engage it over the wall - all without entering Baldur's control area.  Madrak puts Bloodfury on the right most Longriders and then fills the stone, sitting on 1 after a Harmonious Exaltation. I was careful to stay more than 2" from the forest, respecting Baldur's assassination.

The Fellcaller gets puppet master from Eilish and then activates (after the stone!) and sprays off one of the Manikins to clear my charge lane, and then sings Pathfinder on the Longriders (they were out of Baldurs feat). Luckily I do no damage to my Longrider.

I'm able to kill the right Woldwyrd with the Long Riders and while I am able to get a single rider to the Sentry stone, it leaves it on one box.

On the left flank I call pathfinder to allow the Longriders to shift left and I'm able to just toe my Bomber into Baldur's forest to see through to the other side to kill a Shifting stone. Jordan shield guards the first shot, but the second shot is able to kill a stone and take teleportation off the table.

Jordan's Turn 2

Jordan decided that murdering Trolls was his fucking job and it was time to go to work. The left Woldwyrd shifts right and shoots two Longriders off the table thanks to them having an upkeep on them. The Blackclad gets hunters mark on the unit and then Megalith and a Woldwarden decide to kill the other riders, with more than enough fury to Earth Spikes and knock down the right Fell Caller, then kill my Runbearer, with his crit knocking down Madrak, my left Fell Caller, and a Kriel Warrior.

Jordan uses his still alive Sentry Stone to make a Manikin who then sprays down part of my Krielstone. He then runs and Jams up my stuff with shifting stones and the Woldguardian has the +2STR/ARM spell on it (which I forget about).

To top it off he's also able to kill two more Longriders from my left flank with his Fulcrum and the Watcher, scoring 1 point.

Overall, I'm astonished I'm still able to sit comfortably as I write this after the ass beating Jordan laid down here. Suffice it to say I didn't at all expect to lose nearly that much. On the plus side, Jordan was not able to kill my objective and score more than 1 VP.

My Turn 3

My initial plan was to have the Longriders and Fell Caller kill the Woldwarden, the Mauler kills Megalith, and then the Bomber kills the Woldguardian. Simple, right? Turns out this was less simple and more of a "I'll try to do too much and as a result accomplish nothing for $500, Alex."

Since my Runebearer was dead, I should have noticed my plan was utterly doomed to failure since I couldn't upkeep Blood Fury and so would need to cast it and then two Rage's to properly achieve my goals. I similarly couldn't actually charge the Woldguardian and so would need Madrak's feat to et into him, burning 1 attack off the Bomber. I also forgot the Guardian had the +2 ARM spell.

Madrak stupidly goes first, sacrificed movement to stand, feats, then throws his axe to kill the Manikin in the Longriders way.  I put Bloodfury on the riders, and then Rage on the Bomber.

My left Fell Caller sacrificed action to stand and then walks 5" and calls to stand up the other Fell Caller.  Eilish gives that Fell Caller puppet master (another mistake, it should have gone on the Mauler). The Stone activates for +1 STR, and then the right Fell Caller charges into the Warden, doing decent damage and not even needing the Puppet Master.

The Longriders charge and impact attack and I kill it between two impact attacks and one charge attack, they Reposition out of the Maulers way.

The Mauler is dice off 2 from Megalith since he didn't have Rage and I decide the extra attacks are better.  I charge in, missing my second initial and losing the chain attack. I proceed to roll a bunch of 5's for damage and leave all of Megaliths systems up.  The Bomber similarly fails to do too much to the Woldguardian, though he kills two Stones for my trouble due to Feat.

On the bright side my Kriel Warriors with near zero buffs on them decide to charge in and utterly annihilate the Woldwatcher.

If I wasn't hell bent on making mistakes I would have Jammed up the Woldguardian with 2-3 Kriel Warriors and used the Bomber to possibly kill the objective and if I had enough Kriel Warriors left maybe I score a point by killing the Woldwatcher anyway.  Rage and Puppet Master goes on the Mauler who would then murder Megalith and then I'm way ahead on the piece trade and at least tying scenario.

Jordan Turn 3

If you remember Turn 2, you'll know that Fucking Murdering Trolls is Jordan's job description.  Megalith gets +2 STR from a Stonekeeper and walks to be able to kill the Mauler and hopefully kill the Objective.  Luckily for me he has to focus everything on killing the Mauler and isn't able to kill the Objective.  I pulled the 5 Fury off the Mauler when it dies.

The Sentry Stone spawns a new Manikin who then kills my right Fell Caller. The Woldguardian gets an additional +2 STR from another Stonekeeper and trivially murders my Bomber.

The Woldwyrd starts gunning down Longriders, but isn't able to kill them all. In fact he's only able to force a Tough on one rider, who gets charged and killed by a Blackclad who then Battle Wizards to kill some more of my Kriel Stone.

The only area where Jordan didn't completely meet his Troll Murder Quota was with the Fulcrum who only killed a few Kriel Warriors.  The other bit of good news is that no one scores anything on Scenario this turn, so I'm only down 0-1.

My Turn 4

This turn I finally decided that Sticks and Stones have broken enough of my bones and the best way to make them never hurt me again is to annihilate them.

Madrak upkeeps Bloodfury on the single Longrider.  The Fell Caller activates and puts +2 MAT on the Krielstone unit.  The Stone spends a fury for +1 STR and then declares a Charge/Run to kill the goddamn Blackclad who sprayed them down.

The Longrider has similarly had enough of the shit out of the Woldwyrd and Sentry Stone. I charge the Woldwyrd and am able to get impact attacks on both the Woldwyrd and the Sentry Stone. The Sentry Stone dies and I miss the Woldwyrd with my impact.  I roll like goddamn FIRE on the charge attack and leave it on like two boxes. Madrak activates, casts Blood Fury on the Kriel Warriors.

The Kriel Warriors decide to continue to be bosses, two charge the Stonkeeper and CMA to get a hit and kill him.  The others charge into the Woldguardian, and then rip it to shreds. I'm able to redirect a charge attack into the Woldwyrd, I hit, and then take the last points off.  As such I score the center zone.  Score is now tied, 1-1.

Jordan's Turn 4

Here is where things start going bad for Jordan.  He's only able to kill a few of the Kriel Warriors, notably failing to clear the left zone and score due to dice keeping one contesting Warrior alive.

He is able to kill my objective and clear the right zone, scoring two VP's here. He also sacrifices a Stonekeeper to prevent me from scoring the center.  Score is now 3-1 for Jordan.

My Turn 5

Madrak gets his two free Fury from the dead beasts and upkeeps Blood Fury on the Kriel Warriors.  The Stone activates and sings for +1 STR and I move the one model to contest the left zone. He misses the Stone Shaper.

Eilish gives Madrak Puppet Master.  Madrak activates, aims, and boosts to hit the Shaper, killing him and clearing the center zone.  The Kriel Warriors charge into the Fulcrum and carve off damage. The Fell Caller charges in, and fails to kill. The Long Rider has to charge in and is finally able to kill the Fulcrum.  I made a mistake in forgetting to reposition the Long Rider and turn him to face Jordan's models coming into the center zone.

Clock is getting low. Score is now 3-2, sill in favor of Jordan.

Jordan Turn 5

I forgot to take a picture here, though what occurred should be apparent in the next picture.

Megalith moves up and kills the contesting Stone model in melee, then Geomancies and kills my Stone Scribe Elder and the last grunt in the Stone unit, leaving only the Bearer itself. Jordan puts a forest up to block LOS to Megalith who is now contesting the center zone.  Jordan scores my left zone and the score is now 4-2 in favor of Jordan.

My Turn 6

Madrak gets his two fury and upkeeps Blood Fury on the Kriel Warriors.  The Warriors and Fell Caller charge the objective and kill it, with the two Kriel Warriors who couldn't get in taking position to contest the center zone. Madrak and the Stone run to the right zone and I make a critical error, I leave Madrak within 2" of the forest, forgetting about Baldur's threat.

I position the Fell Caller just outside of Megalith's 9" threat.

Eilish decides to sacrifice himself for the cause and contests the left zone. 

I score two points, tying the game 4-4.

Jordan's Turn 6

Jordan decides to go for the assassination I dutifully gave him.  Megalith moves up and then misses Madrak with his Geomancy.  Baldur doesn't upkeep the forest, casts it on himself, then teleports to within 2" of Madrak.  He's got 4 Fury.

He boosts to hit Madrak (3 Fury left) and hits, but I sacrifice it to the Stone, who suffers the Weight of Stone effect, and then decides to pass his Tough check. Baldur buy's the attack on the stone and kills it (2 Fury left).  He buys on Madrak again (1 Fury left), misses, and then he decides to camp his last Fury.

I score on Jordan's turn, bringing the game 5-4 in favor of me.

My Turn 7

Given that I'm under two minutes on clock, I decided to avoid the assassination and just play it safe. Fell Caller gives +2 MAT to the Kriel Warriors who charge into Baldur, one hits doing 8 damage. More importantly they get within 3" of Madrak who runs away from Baldur, taking the free strike and then killing the Kriel Warrior because Grim Salvation lets you sacrifice even free strikes.  I run to the other corner of the zone thinking there's no way Baldur can get to me and that's game.

What I should have realized was that he could teleport to me again and that to cement the game I could just surround Madrak with Kriel Warriors to really make sure I can't die, but I just try to put them in the way.

Still, I score yet another VP for the left zone and bring the score to 6-4, thinking I've won the game. I clock back to Jordan with only 40 seconds left on my clock. I didn't even activate the Longrider.

Jordan's Turn 7

Jordan decides to pull yet another Surprise Motherfucker! He teleports Baldur to Madrak and I think I've lost the game. Baldur is down to 4 Fury for this assassination run.

He boosts to hit Madrak and hits (3 Fury left). He rolls a 5 for damage, Madrak takes 2.  Jordan proceeds to buy his next three attacks and after everything is said and done his damage rolls are so poor that Madrak is left with 10 health when Baldur is out of fury and only 30 seconds left on his clock.  Jordan does run to contest, leaving the score 6-4 and I win by scenario at the end of turn 7.

Conclusions

This game was insane! I managed to survive two assassination runs, and while that's normally not very surprising with Madrak2, in these situations it is very surprising.  Dice saved my ass when I made two mistakes that gave Jordan two assassination runs I didn't have to give him.  I also was able to recover from a critical set of mistakes on Turn 3 on my part and the late game idea of weapon master Kriel Warriors really came through.


Clock was extremely tight and was definitely forcing us to move very quickly so that's definitely a factor towards the end of the game where possibly better decisions could have been made. Still, I won this game through a series of critical dice rolls: Jordan failing to kill a contesting Kriel Warrior on Turn 4 was massive, and then my passing the tough check on my Stonebearer on  his Turn 6 assassination run ate through enough of his fury to keep me alive.

Overall it was an incredible game, the kind that really makes you appreciate Warmachine.  I look forward to playing Jordan again.

My conclusions going forward is to take notice of exactly how fucking good higher model count lists are in scenario. I remember that from the last Scrum in 2017 and it seems just as true today.  Looking forward and knowing that I want to play Convergence, primarily in Destruction Initiative, I'm going to start having the kinds of large attrition swings in my games if I can't mitigate my opponents.  The model count and unit buff on the late game Kriel Warriors really saved me here.  I'm going to need to keep that in mind as I move forward.

The Celebrity And The Sybil

SPOILER ALERT

Plot details follow for Perfect Blue!

Image used for criticism under Fair Use. All rights to Manga Entertainment.

"The persona is a complicated system of relations between individual consciousness and society, fittingly enough a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and, on the other, to conceal the true nature of the individual."

- Carl Jung, "The Relations between the Ego and the Unconscious."


"Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at."

- John Berger, Ways Of Seeing


"Who are you?"

Too many people view celebrities as public property. Once you achieve a certain amount of fame, you enter into the public domain, an object to be fetishized, judged, and worshiped. This sickening obsession has not abated an inch since the 20th century, and with the onset of social media, has only exacerbated.

Although Perfect Blue is set in Japan, so many of its observations can carry over to the United States, and I imagine, much of the world. Before watching this film, I had viewed most celebrities, particularly those in pop music, with condescension. I often saw them as entitled, talentless, narcissistic, and just plain ignorant. However, in spite of my personal reservations, Perfect Blue helped me realize these celebrities are, well, people. They may not the same problems that you and I have, but they still have problems. These are problems of a different sort, that are in some cases, worse than ours. There's a constant, publicized pressure on celebrities not to gain weight, say all the right things on every position, and spill the juicy details of their sex lives. Everywhere you may go, cameras, cameras, cameras, all capturing wardrobe malfunctions, your face without makeup, and a personal date on the beach. Is it really any wonder that hackers leak celebrity nude photos in this toxic environment? The media practically encourages it. With fame comes the loss of privacy. This privacy may be returned, somewhat, should the public have an attention span too short for your antics. You find yourself reduced to the occasional butt of the joke for a late night talk show host.

Persona and Simulacra

Perfect Blue's leading star Mima Kirigue, is a pop singer for the group CHAM, which is on the wane. While Japanese pop idol groups may seem insufferable today, with their irritable high-pitched squeals, during the 1990s (when this film was released), they seemed ready to vanish altogether. The preceding decade was seen as the golden age for pop idols, who flourished on prime-time television shows. As entertainment reporter, Masaru Nashimoto, told The Japan Times, "TV is about the only medium idols were born in, and talent agencies sought to maximize their appearances as much as possible," (Matsutani). By the 90s, however, the act was getting tired and with the rise of the Internet, anyone could be an idol and bypass the traditional gatekeeper of a talent agency. What defines an idol has diffused into something more ambiguous, with so many out there, and some, like Hatsune Miku, made purely out of pixel. The idols made a comeback, however, in the mid-2000s, with the mega-group, AKB48, rising to prominence in 2007. The appeal of idols isn't just in their superficial music, but also in presenting a fantasy of adolescent love. It's a fantasy that cannot be violated without severe personal cost, as dating for these idols is banned. AKB48's Minami Minegishi, who was unfortunate enough to be caught breaking this taboo, felt so overwhelmed with shame that she shaved her head and publicly apologized. Idols exist to project a fantasy, and Mima wishes to exchange this fantasy for another, as an actress.

Mima, like many pop idols in the 90s, tries to transition to more serious work, but the trouble is that pop idols aren't taken very seriously. Try as she might to be Mima "the actress", she'll always be seen as Mima "the idol." This is particularly made evident when she's dressed up in an outfit similar to her "idol" one for the erotic rape scene. Can Mima ever completely change her identity from pop star to actress, or does she have an independent identity separate from either occupation? It all brings back to mind Tyler Durden's adage in the film, Fight Club, "You are not your job." What belies this statement is the sentiment that your occupation doesn't define who you are, and that your "true" identity exists separately from your public persona. This is a statement that is both true and false. It is true insofar that there is more to a person than what they do to pay the bills, but it is false insofar that it denies a person's occupation as a part of their identity. When I say "Michael Jackson", you think, "musician." When I say "Leonardo Da Vinci", you think, "painter." When I say "Marlon Brando", you think, "actor." This isn't to say that a person can't be versatile in multiple fields, as was evident from Da Vinci, but as far as the public is concerned, his persona is first and foremost as that of an artist who painted "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper." Changing your identity to suit yourself does not so easily shift your persona in the eyes of the public. Joe Scarborough's new ventures into rock music won't change his long-held persona as the host of Morning Joe. Of course, there are counter examples. Marky Mark went from an obnoxious rapper to Oscar-worthy acting talent Mark Wahlberg. It is a transformation so successful that many who know him mostly for acting are ignorant of his past life. Even so, this does little to affirm Durden's statement, "You're not your job." Wahlberg's jobs may have changed, but he is still very much, as far as the public is concerned, an actor, and little else. So the relevant question is this, does changing jobs change you as a person? Did becoming Mark Wahlberg change Marky Mark into a different person, or is he still the same person behind a different veneer?

That question is the central thesis of the film. Should Mima define herself on the basis of what she does or on the basis of how the public receives her? The popular public perception of Mima, the one which her most ardent fans wish to preserve, is manifested online through the website "Mima's Room." Her most obsessed fan, Me-Mania, believes that the digital Mima, the Mima as he loves her, is more "real" than the one who left pop to be an actress. Mima herself even starts to hallucinate seeing this version. She looks happier, freer. When a person makes a radical shift in what they do, they often start back from square one, and have to build a new reputation from scratch. They are born again. Mima is so blinded, as we all are, by the success of her past self, that she forgets the mountain of failures it took to get her there. In any case, the prospect of creating a digital celebrity persona that behaves in a manner indistinguishable from the real thing, or rather, our popular perception of it, is not too far off. Computers brought Tupac back to rap with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre at Coachella, Audrey Hepburn back to sell Galaxy Chocolate, Bruce Lee back to sell Johnnie Walker, and Peter Cushing back to reprise his role as Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One. As disturbed as we may be by this technological necromancy, I can only see its abuse continue for the near future. It will go beyond, say, having Jimi Hendrix back in concert to play "Purple Haze" or George Carlin back on stage to repeat his "Seven Words" routine. We'll have whole genres of films and television featuring dead celebrities. Horror films with Bela Lugosi. Sitcoms with Lucille Ball. Comedies with the Marx Brothers. Westerns with John Wayne. Musicals with Rogers and Astaire. Pornos with Marilyn Monroe. Don't fool yourself into thinking that music and literature will be exempt from this necrophilia. Artificial intelligence has already proven to be able to compose music and write books, so who's to say we won't have A.I. that can mimic the styles of dead artists to pen a new Shakespeare play or finish Schubert's Eighth? We've already had a computer write a new Game Of Thrones novel for fans too impatient with George R.R. Martin. The celebrity is not a human being, they never were. They are but another commodity to be bought, sold, and repurposed however one wishes. Technology will only elevate this trend.

Mima is an object, and by everyone she is objectified. The most blatant objectifier is Me-Mania, who is an "otaku" in the truest sense of the word. While "otaku" has come to refer to anime fans, in the original Japanese, it was a derogatory term for obsessed enthusiasts. Someone obsessed with trains, for instance, was a "train otaku." Me-Mania is a "Mima otaku." That obsession leads to a feeling of ownership, particularly a sexual one. Society pressures celebrity women to open up sexually, because many feel entitled to their sexuality, from their relationships, to their nudity, to their orgasm. Me-Mania is, in this sense, a bit of a scapegoat, because he is only but the end result of a culture of objectification complicit in us all. The filmmakers objectify Mima as much as Me-Mania does, in fact, theirs is is far more pernicious, because it hides behind the veneer of artistic expression. The screenwriter, not impressed with Mima's acting, decides to throw her into an eroticized rape scene, and though we know it not to be real, it feels real. The lustful faces of actors as they see her strip on display, perhaps an unmasking of how the filmmakers truly see Mima. They value her flesh more than her talent. Me-Mania attempts to rape Mima in the very spot where the scene was filmed, revealing the connective tissue between desire in fiction and desire in real life. A softer violation occurs when Mima is pressured into posing nude for a magazine. The photos are tasteful and artistic, with Mima smiling all the way through, but again, this too, is a fantasy. Not long after, there's a poignant moment where we see Mima huddled in the bath, perhaps trying to reclaim her stolen nakedness. I enjoy sexual imagery as much as the next person, but Perfect Blue asks of you to scrutinize these images, how much of this was really done out of the women's consent, and how much is more a woman being contorted to fit into another's demand? I am reminded of Bernardo Bertolucci's surprise rape scene of Maria Schneider in The Last Tango In Paris, Hugh Hefner using Marilyn Monroe's nudes without permission to launch Playboy, Paul Verhoeven filming Sharon Stone's vagina without her knowledge in Basic Instinct, and Harvey Weinstein pressuring Salma Hayek into a sex scene in Frida. It isn't a coincidence, either, that when the screenwriter and the photographer are murdered, they are both stabbed in the eyes, the photographer also in the crotch. While they both went about objectifying her differently, but they objectified her all the same.

Before concluding, I may as well mention that Perfect Blue was the probable inspiration for Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. It similarly stars a woman driven to succeed in the arts, but suffers from a psychological state that confuses fantasy and reality. Black Swan also brings to mind Dario Argento's Suspiria, which had an aspiring ballerina go to a ballet school, that is unbeknownst to her a witches' coven. Black Swan, however, is more about sexual awakening and artistic passion, than it is about celebrity personas and institutional sexism. While the sex in Black Swan is erotic, it certainly didn't seem to go anywhere, with awkward moments like Nina getting assaulted by her teacher, who seems to develop something of a relationship with her. Further, Black Swan never quite reaches the level that Perfect Blue does of leaving the viewer completely confused over what's real and what isn't. Yet for all it's flaws, Black Swan, at least, had a resolution, and a beautiful one at that, with Nina possibly dying for her art, which is more than can be said for the mess that is the ending of Perfect Blue.

Perfect Blue makes a similar mistake that Fatal Attraction did in its climax, resolving its conflicts through a violent slasher ending. The resolution starts off with a very interesting twist, that it was Mima's manager, Rumi, who was behind the murders. Like Me-Mania, she feels just as entitled to own the image of Mima, the "pop idol." She, too, was an objectifier. There's an exciting chase through the streets, but it all awkwardly ends with Rumi in a mental ward, and Mima laughing to herself that she knows who she is. It feels more like a Hollywood mandated ending than a true resolution, and to be frank, comes off as rather insulting, given the psychological trauma that Mima had just suffered prior. Just as Fatal Attraction brought up interesting questions of obsession and marital infidelity, it turns Glenn Close into a Psycho knock-off, and we're left to assume that Michael Douglas and Anne Archer go back to being a happy family. Similarly, the problems and contradictions raised by Perfect Blue are far more interesting than how they are resolved. We never know why she suffered those hallucinations, if she was able to successfully the transition from pop star to actress, if she even wants to inhabit either of these roles, and how she intends to deal with the sexism still evident in the entertainment industry. Instead, Mima is freed from this burden of difficult self-examination by laying all the blame on someone else. She may know who she is, but we certainly don't. Mima, who are you?

Mima's personal troubles aside, the broader questions that the film makes about society are left hanging in the air. Is your identity what you do, how society sees you, how you see yourself, or a combination of the three? Can a person hold separate identities without one bleeding into the other? What is the boundary between reality and fiction, in a world where fiction increasingly mimics reality? How much does what we see in the media inform the way we see the world? Is fiction always presented as fiction? Should it be? Is reality always presented as reality? Should it be? These questions are not answered in the film, but perhaps, if we're honest, they never will be.

The Art Of Anime


"When Did Mimi Get So Cute?"
http://sansuthecat.blogspot.com/2016/05/when-did-mimi-get-so-cute.html

"Evangelion, Or Something Like It."
http://sansuthecat.blogspot.com/2015/10/evangelion-or-something-like-it.html

"Yuri Vincit Omnia."
http://sansuthecat.blogspot.com/2015/03/puella-magi-madoka-magica-yuri-vincit.html

"FLCL: Insanity Defined."
http://sansuthecat.blogspot.com/2014/10/flcl-insanity-defined.html
"Barefoot In The Park."
https://sansuthecat.blogspot.com/2017/01/barefoot-in-park.html

"Sakura No Aware."
https://sansuthecat.blogspot.com/2017/06/sakura-no-aware.html




Bibliography

Kon, Satoshi, dir. Perfect Blue. Manga Entertainment, 2000. Film. DVD.

Matsutani, Minoru. "Pop 'idol' phenomenon fades into dispersion." The Japan Times, August 25, 2009. Web. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2009/08/25/news/pop-idol-phenomenon-fades-into-dispersion/#.Wka1HXlG3IU

Let's Go To The Ring!

Just a quick note here to alert anyone to a new project I've been working on: "Let's Go to the Ring!"

"Let's Go to the Ring!" is a podcast about World Championship Wrestling (and its predecessor, Jim Crockett Promotions). Together, John, Alec, and I are going through WCW's big shows, series by series, starting with all the Starrcades, to explore what makes each series unique and what themes come out across the shows, along with the high and low points of each series. It's been an interesting journey so far and I'd like to invite you to come along with us as we discover what made WCW such a fascinating company and why its legacy endures so many years later.

If you're interested, new episodes can be found on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, or Spotify, or at http://lets-go-2-the-ring.cast.rocks/

A blog, which will also provide episode links, is available at: https://lg2tr.blogspot.com/

You can follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LetsGo2theRing or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LetsGo2theRing/

We hope you enjoy the show.

TWO NEW RELEASES & A CRAZY GOOD MEMORIAL DAY SALE!

I am pleased to announce two new releases.

The limited edition 54mm (1:28 scale) Valkir Assault Trooper display model.

 

If you are a painter or a collector, this limited edition display model is for you.

Standing nearly 3" tall on the base, it will provide a wonderful canvas for you to showcase your skills.

 

This model is 1:28 (56mm) Scale

This kit includes a single Valkir Assault Trooper; a round 60mm base and two weapon choices. You can equip the trooper with an assault pistol or grenade launcher.

 

 

 MSRP $25.00

 

 

 

and the

 

 

15mm (1:100) scale Leviathan Capacitor Cooler.

 

 

This kit is NOT hot swap, you must choose to use this accessory at the time that you build the main kit.

15mm (1/100) scale Leviathan accessory, the Capacitor Cooler replaces the oil stacks on the back of the Leviathan Mortis and Crusader, allowing the machines a steadier flow of power but sacrificing the ability to overcharge the reactor.

 

MSRP $9.00

 

 

 

 

 

We also had a major restock on the 15mm scale Leviathan weapon arms....

 

 

 

 

Now on to the sale- Now until May 31st, select kits are up to 50% off!

 

I know... cray-cray right!?

 

When we took over distribution in October we took over the existing inventory for WGF, we were low on stock on some items and overstock on others. I have decided to equalize my stock levels and turn some of that into liquidity. Best way to do that is to move the overstock and pass a great deal to my customers.

 

I hope you enjoy the new releases and have a wonderful holiday!

 

Monthly Progress Report For My Twitch Channel FuzzyJCats, August 25 To September 24

FuzzyJCats Twitch Channel

I reevaluated why I'm streaming as I was wrestling with getting Partnership, and why I feel the need to over-achieve in the field of Twitch streaming. After evaluation, I've let go of the goals of Partnership, but to rather focus on improving myself as a streamer, not worrying about the results.

I've noticed there were quite a few times during the two months I've been streaming where I'd achieve the same high I'd get when I did very intensive exercise for 45 minutes straight when I was healthy. Interacting with my community in chat gave me rush of endorphins.

My community is so supportive, positive and fun towards myself and each other, going out of their way to help by solving problems, making us laugh and feel better.

They pushed me to stretch my gaming skills and broaden my gaming horizons. I'm even playing an FPS for the first time ever (and the first time ever being this successful).

They made me improve myself in achieving goals, not just in gaming but health goals. They've also supported and helped each other achieve Affiliation and other milestones.

Because of streaming and the necessities of networking, I'm so grateful, overwhelmingly so, for meeting so many wonderful people who come from all walks of life, all of whom I wouldn't have met otherwise when I was a gamer and Twitch viewer.

I will continue my preparation for my stream. This is a must if I want to continue to improve my content because my community deserves it.

Indeed, for the next month, it's vital to keep in mind how much my community means to me, to enjoy streaming and to not worry about Partnership and plummeting views. This attitude will be my focus.

Progress made:

• Coming to terms that I don't need Partnership, and working through my ego issues to be at peace with the decision (this hasn't been wholly resolved yet though but getting better)
• Rather, I'm here to enjoy being with my awesome community and improving, which makes me happy
• Smotpoker887 became my mod
• Thanks to SpaceDandyTTV, I installed Live Now Bot to my Discord server which automates announcements to #stream_share channel whenever a member streams
• Installing StreamElements leadership board extension to my channel description
• Installing StreamLabs schedule countdown extension to my channel description
• Learned how to timeout (had 1 homophobic user but didn't know how to delete comments at that time)

Improvements to be made (aside from focusing on chat primary, and gameplay at same time):

• Continue to support members to gain Affiliation and Partner, but in healthy, sane ways 
• Continue to be at peace with not feeling like I'm "inadequate" if I don't get Partnership but rather enjoy the process of Streaming.
• Being able to timeout/ban LIVE in a TIMELY manner!
• Not moving around as much as sometimes I was actually off camera
• Listen to and summarize Stream Key Podcasts to improve content
• Improve game skills by practicing the game off-stream
• Continue to be consistent with prepping for stream (exercising, preparing topics)
• Continue to be enthusiastic
• Work on considering the pros and cons of a tip jar
• Maintaining work/stream/life balance

The How of Happiness Review

Gods And Monsters

In some ways I feel like the publishers of Mythic Battles: Pantheon took advantage of me. The game's Kickstarter campaign launched soon after they had delivered their phenomenal Conan board game, so I was flush with excitement over how great Conan was, and regret that I had only backed the core game and a few small expansions. That, combined with some compelling playthrough videos on Beasts of War and the infectious enthusiasm of their PR man Leo, made diving into this game a no-brainer.

It's a great example of an emerging category of hybrid games combining elements of adventure board games and tactical skirmishers. At its core, MB:P is a battle between two or more players' assembled forces of gods, heroes and monsters from Greek mythology, using movement around a battlefield to gain advantage and dice to score hits on opposing miniatures. However, it borrows two important board game elements to keep things interesting.

One is the use of a printed board to enable area-based movement, eliminating the need for fiddly tape measures. The game comes with several beautifully illustrated boards depicting different environments, with movement spaces clearly marked. Each space includes a symbol identifying what type of terrain it is and how many miniatures can occupy the space. The symbol also doubles as a simple line-of-sight indicator, making it easy to tell whether opposing miniatures can shoot at each other.

The other board game element MB:P uses is "activation cards" to determine when miniatures can move and attack, and this is where I think this game really shines. At the start of the game players assemble a deck of cards based on the characters they have included in their army, plus some "Art of War" cards that enable different special effects. In order to move a particular miniature, the player must first play that miniature's card from their hand. This forces players to think on their feet, formulating their tactics based on the cards they have available, rather than using the same strategy over and over again.

The default game involves collecting tokens called Omphalos from the board, which add a strategy card to the player's deck once collected. This makes even a basic game more interesting than your standard "rush to the middle and fight" skirmish, since collecting a majority of Omphalos is one of the main ways to win the game. Additionally, the rule book details a wide array of scenario-based games that give different objectives and victory conditions, as well as several multi-game campaigns where the result of one game affects the next.

It's a great rules system, and it's coupled with some gorgeous visual elements. The artwork on the cards and boards is stunning, and the miniatures are just amazing. They're plastic, but they hold an incredible amount of detail, and they are an absolute joy to paint. The manufacturing even involved a method using different types of plastic, with spears and swords made out of a harder material so that they stay straight. Any miniature painter who's had to straighten out a curvy spear on a plastic model will know what I'm talking about.

The only thing I can think of to complain about is that the sheer amount of content can be overwhelming, with close to 200 miniatures and over 80 scenarios to play with. All in all, that's probably not a bad problem to have.

Rating: 5 (out of 5) This game has the surprisingly rare combination of great miniatures coupled with a simple but compelling rules system.

• Mythic Battles: Pantheon official website
• Mythic Battles: Pantheon on BoardGameGeek

The Ultimate List of The 14 Best URL Shortener Services 2019

1. Cut-win

   Cut-win is a new URL shortener website.It is paying at the time and you can trust it.You just have to sign up for an account and then you can shorten your URL and put that URL anywhere.You can paste it into your site, blog or even social media networking sites.It pays high CPM rate.
   You can earn $10 for 1000 views.You can earn 22% commission through the referral system.The most important thing is that you can withdraw your amount when it reaches $1.
   
   • The payout for 1000 views-$10
   • Minimum payout-$1
   • Referral commission-22%
   • Payment methods-PayPal, Payza, Bitcoin, Skrill, Western Union and Moneygram etc.
   • Payment time-daily
   
   

2. Ouo.io

   Ouo.io is one of the fastest growing URL Shortener Service. Its pretty domain name is helpful in generating more clicks than other URL Shortener Services, and so you get a good opportunity for earning more money out of your shortened link. Ouo.io comes with several advanced features as well as customization options.
   With Ouo.io you can earn up to $8 per 1000 views. It also counts multiple views from same IP or person. With Ouo.io is becomes easy to earn money using its URL Shortener Service. The minimum payout is $5. Your earnings are automatically credited to your PayPal or Payoneer account on 1st or 15th of the month.
   
   • Payout for every 1000 views-$5
   • Minimum payout-$5
   • Referral commission-20%
   • Payout time-1st and 15th date of the month
   • Payout options-PayPal and Payza
   
   

3. Oke.io

   Oke.io provides you an opportunity to earn money online by shortening URLs. Oke.io is a very friendly URL Shortener Service as it enables you to earn money by shortening and sharing URLs easily.
   Oke.io can pay you anywhere from $5 to $10 for your US, UK, and Canada visitors, whereas for the rest of the world the CPM will not be less than $2. You can sign up by using your email. The minimum payout is $5, and the payment is made via PayPal.
   
   • The payout for 1000 views-$7
   • Minimum payout-$5
   • Referral commission-20%
   • Payout options-PayPal, Payza, Bitcoin and Skrill
   • Payment time-daily
   
   

4. Clk.sh

   Clk.sh is a newly launched trusted link shortener network, it is a sister site of shrinkearn.com. I like ClkSh because it accepts multiple views from same visitors. If any one searching for Top and best url shortener service then i recommend this url shortener to our users. Clk.sh accepts advertisers and publishers from all over the world. It offers an opportunity to all its publishers to earn money and advertisers will get their targeted audience for cheapest rate. While writing ClkSh was offering up to $8 per 1000 visits and its minimum cpm rate is $1.4. Like Shrinkearn, Shorte.st url shorteners Clk.sh also offers some best features to all its users, including Good customer support, multiple views counting, decent cpm rates, good referral rate, multiple tools, quick payments etc. ClkSh offers 30% referral commission to its publishers. It uses 6 payment methods to all its users.
   • Payout for 1000 Views: Upto $8
   • Minimum Withdrawal: $5
   • Referral Commission: 30%
   • Payment Methods: PayPal, Payza, Skrill etc.
   • Payment Time: Daily
   
   

5. Short.pe

   Short.pe is one of the most trusted sites from our top 30 highest paying URL shorteners.It pays on time.intrusting thing is that same visitor can click on your shorten link multiple times.You can earn by sign up and shorten your long URL.You just have to paste that URL to somewhere.
   You can paste it into your website, blog, or social media networking sites.They offer $5 for every 1000 views.You can also earn 20% referral commission from this site.Their minimum payout amount is only $1.You can withdraw from Paypal, Payza, and Payoneer.
   
   • The payout for 1000 views-$5
   • Minimum payout-$1
   • Referral commission-20% for lifetime
   • Payment methods-Paypal, Payza, and Payoneer
   • Payment time-on daily basis
   
   

6. BIT-URL

   It is a new URL shortener website.Its CPM rate is good.You can sign up for free and shorten your URL and that shortener URL can be paste on your websites, blogs or social media networking sites.bit-url.com pays $8.10 for 1000 views.
   You can withdraw your amount when it reaches $3.bit-url.com offers 20% commission for your referral link.Payment methods are PayPal, Payza, Payeer, and Flexy etc.
   
   • The payout for 1000 views-$8.10
   • Minimum payout-$3
   • Referral commission-20%
   • Payment methods- Paypal, Payza, and Payeer
   • Payment time-daily
   
   

7. Short.am

   Short.am provides a big opportunity for earning money by shortening links. It is a rapidly growing URL Shortening Service. You simply need to sign up and start shrinking links. You can share the shortened links across the web, on your webpage, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Short.am provides detailed statistics and easy-to-use API.
   It even provides add-ons and plugins so that you can monetize your WordPress site. The minimum payout is $5 before you will be paid. It pays users via PayPal or Payoneer. It has the best market payout rates, offering unparalleled revenue. Short.am also run a referral program wherein you can earn 20% extra commission for life.
   

8. Wi.cr

   Wi.cr is also one of the 30 highest paying URL sites.You can earn through shortening links.When someone will click on your link.You will be paid.They offer $7 for 1000 views.Minimum payout is $5.
   You can earn through its referral program.When someone will open the account through your link you will get 10% commission.Payment option is PayPal.
   
   • Payout for 1000 views-$7
   • Minimum payout-$5
   • Referral commission-10%
   • Payout method-Paypal
   • Payout time-daily
   
   

9. Linkrex.net

   Linkrex.net is one of the new URL shortener sites.You can trust it.It is paying and is a legit site.It offers high CPM rate.You can earn money by sing up to linkrex and shorten your URL link and paste it anywhere.You can paste it in your website or blog.You can paste it into social media networking sites like facebook, twitter or google plus etc.
   You will be paid whenever anyone will click on that shorten a link.You can earn more than $15 for 1000 views.You can withdraw your amount when it reaches $5.Another way of earning from this site is to refer other people.You can earn 25% as a referral commission.
   
   • The payout for 1000 views-$14
   • Minimum payout-$5
   • Referral commission-25%
   • Payment Options-Paypal,Bitcoin,Skrill and Paytm,etc
   • Payment time-daily
   
   

10. CPMlink

    CPMlink is one of the most legit URL shortener sites.You can sign up for free.It works like other shortener sites.You just have to shorten your link and paste that link into the internet.When someone will click on your link.
    You will get some amount of that click.It pays around $5 for every 1000 views.They offer 10% commission as the referral program.You can withdraw your amount when it reaches $5.The payment is then sent to your PayPal, Payza or Skrill account daily after requesting it.
    
    • The payout for 1000 views-$5
    • Minimum payout-$5
    • Referral commission-10%
    • Payment methods-Paypal, Payza, and Skrill
    • Payment time-daily
    
    

11. Linkbucks

    Linkbucks is another best and one of the most popular sites for shortening URLs and earning money. It boasts of high Google Page Rank as well as very high Alexa rankings. Linkbucks is paying $0.5 to $7 per 1000 views, and it depends on country to country.
    The minimum payout is $10, and payment method is PayPal. It also provides the opportunity of referral earnings wherein you can earn 20% commission for a lifetime. Linkbucks runs advertising programs as well.
    
    • The payout for 1000 views-$3-9
    • Minimum payout-$10
    • Referral commission-20%
    • Payment options-PayPal,Payza,and Payoneer
    • Payment-on the daily basis
    
    

12. Adf.ly

    Adf.ly is the oldest and one of the most trusted URL Shortener Service for making money by shrinking your links. Adf.ly provides you an opportunity to earn up to $5 per 1000 views. However, the earnings depend upon the demographics of users who go on to click the shortened link by Adf.ly.
    It offers a very comprehensive reporting system for tracking the performance of your each shortened URL. The minimum payout is kept low, and it is $5. It pays on 10th of every month. You can receive your earnings via PayPal, Payza, or AlertPay. Adf.ly also runs a referral program wherein you can earn a flat 20% commission for each referral for a lifetime.
    

13. Shrinkearn.com

    Shrinkearn.com is one of the best and most trusted sites from our 30 highest paying URL shortener list.It is also one of the old URL shortener sites.You just have to sign up in the shrinkearn.com website. Then you can shorten your URL and can put that URL to your website, blog or any other social networking sites.
    Whenever any visitor will click your shortener URL link you will get some amount for that click.The payout rates from Shrinkearn.com is very high.You can earn $20 for 1000 views.Visitor has to stay only for 5 seconds on the publisher site and then can click on skip button to go to the requesting site.
    
    • The payout for 1000 views- up to $20
    • Minimum payout-$1
    • Referral commission-25%
    • Payment methods-PayPal
    • Payment date-10th day of every month
    
    

14. LINK.TL

    LINK.TL is one of the best and highest URL shortener website.It pays up to $16 for every 1000 views.You just have to sign up for free.You can earn by shortening your long URL into short and you can paste that URL into your website, blogs or social media networking sites, like facebook, twitter, and google plus etc.
    One of the best thing about this site is its referral system.They offer 10% referral commission.You can withdraw your amount when it reaches $5.
    
    • Payout for 1000 views-$16
    • Minimum payout-$5
    • Referral commission-10%
    • Payout methods-Paypal, Payza, and Skrill
    • Payment time-daily basis
    
    

The Argument Hour, With Seth And TC

I listen to a lot of game industry podcasts. 

Many of them are just people talking about games they like, or games they're looking forward to. There's never been a lot of design focused podcasts... a few have cropped up over the years, some better than others. I listen to the following pretty regularly that actually talk about the design of games:

Ludology
Board Game Design Lab
Building the Game
Game Designers of North Carolina

There are a few others as well, but I still always thought there was room for designers talking about the nitty-gritty of game design. I've always wanted to participate in something like that, but I didn't want to figure out how to do hosting and editing myself, and I would have wanted another voice to talk to (rather than just monologueing).

I mentioned something about this on social media a couple of months ago, and I got some interest from game designer, podcaster, and boardgame twitter personality, T.C. Petty III. Then Isaac Shalev of On Board Games contacted us, offering to edit and host such a podcast on On Board Games, should T.C. and I decide to record one.

And so was born The Argument Hour, with Seth and TC! 

The Argument Hour is a segment I've started doing with TC Petty III on the On Board Games podcast, where T.C. and I pick a topic related to board game design, and we basically argue about it for while. Then we do our twist on a game review. I don't like the idea of unilaterally saying whether a game is good or bad, so our reviews are more of a mechanical look at the game in question, and then our opinion on what kind of player that game would be good for.

We've done two episodes so far, and then went on a hiatus while I spent 6 weeks in the hospital while my new baby boy was in the ICU, but I hope we can get together again soon to record another one.

Episode 1 dealt with the "Alpha Player Problem" (whether it even exists), and included a brief review of Kingdomino.

Episode 2 was all about honing/returning to the well/designers revisiting ideas. The review that time was The Voyages of Marco Polo.

So if you read this blog, maybe you'd be interested in this. Give them a listen and enjoy!Leave a note here with comments and suggestions...

Hello From Italy To Australia

Your browser doesn't seem to support applets.

Real GTA 4 APK+OBB Download

    SO THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER
       (But if you dont want to waste your internet or time then please read full post)

Many devices are not supported for this gta 4 android apk if you want to know why so read this post click here to read so if you dont want to waste your data dont download the obb file just download the apk and check if your device is supported or not if the apk says "not supported device" then dont download obb file it will not work on your device IM SORRY and if it does not say "not supported device" then download the obb file and enjoy gta 4 in your android device ???? (it has only three cities not full map)

About GTA 4 -
Grand Theft Auto IV is an action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games.
It is the eleventh title in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the first main entry since 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Set within the fictional Liberty City (based on New York City), the single-player story follows a war veteran, Niko Bellic, and his attempts to escape his past while under pressure from loan sharks and mob bosses. The open world design lets players freely roam Liberty City, consisting of three main islands.

The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on-foot or by vehicle. Throughout the single-player mode, players play as Niko Bellic. An online multiplayer mode is included with the game, allowing up to 32 players to engage in both co-operative and competitive gameplay in a recreation of the single-player setting.[b] Two expansion packs were later released for the game, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, which both feature new plots that are interconnected with the main Grand Theft Auto IV storyline, and follow new protagonists.

Development began soon after the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and was shared between many of Rockstar's studios worldwide. The game introduced a shift to a more realistic and detailed style and tone for the series. Unlike previous entries, Grand Theft Auto IV lacked a strong cinematic influence, as the team attempted an original approach to the story. As part of their research for the open world, the developers conducted field research around New York throughout development and captured footage for the design team.

Now lets come to download links and other things
So finally in this post i gave you the dpwnload link of gta 4 android if want to see gameplays then watch this video (gameplay)

I did a hard work on this game and finally all of my work is done
But the problem is many devices are not supported and i cannot fix that if u want to know more about not supported devices i again recommend you read this


                       INSTRUCTIONS ????

1.First of all check if your device is supported or not
2.If it is supported downloaded the obb files and ejoy

HOW TO DOWNLOAD⬇⬇

1.Click On "download now"and then fill in the correct CAPTCHA At Cut Urls
2.Then Click "click here to continue"Then Wait 5 Seconds Then Scroll Down And Click On Get Link
3.If New Tabs Open Close Them And Return To Cut Urls Tab And You'll Be Redirected To Download link
4.Download Apk First And Check ypur device is supported or not
5.if supported download obb zip file extract it by ZArchiver To Internal/Android/Obb

DOWNLOAD SECTION ⬇⬇⬇

DOWNLOAD APK ⬇⬇

DOWNLOAD OBB⬇⬇

So guys that's it if this work on your device then GREAT if it doesnt then sorry i tried my best :(