I don’t understand why High School Musical 4 is going to get an entire new cast when all they had to do was set it at Chad and Ryan’s wedding
Sharpay – mellowed out some with age, still struggling to make it big, chronically single – insists she’s happy for Ryan but quickly devolves into her obligatory show-stopper about how she’s sick of waiting to meet someone who’s right for her. (Mostly the song entails Sharpay singing her ridiculously long laundry list of requirements while trying on bedazzled wedding dresses.)
There’s a running gag that Troy is supersupersuper late for the wedding. We may or may not ever actually see him, since Zac Efron didn’t even come to the damn ten year reunion and is apparently a huge party pooper. What we do see is Gabriella on the phone with him every fifteen minutes or so, urging him to hurry up. Eventually she decides that he’s obviously stuck in traffic because he doesn’t care about their friends enough and wonders if she should break up with him. Cue the obligatory once-a-movie Gabriella Is Sad song.
Taylor and Chad are SUPER amicable exes and she’s organizing the entire wedding with an iron fist. Chad and Ryan didn’t have to do anything. Kelsey is on piano. Zeke is baking their cake, obvs.
Troy is SUPPOSED TO BE Chad’s best man, but again, he’s supersupersuper late. At one point while Gabriella’s on the phone with him, Chad runs up behind her and yells “DUDE. GETCHA HEAD IN THE GAME” into the phone.
Sharpay elbows someone in the face to catch the bouquet when it gets thrown. Like, violently. It’s played for laughs, of course, but we all know that Kelsey/Jason/whoever should probably be in the hospital.
Assuming they can lock down Zefron, the movie will inevitably end up being about them. Troy proposed during the damn reception. Gabriella cries. Taylor and Kelsey are screaming. Sharpay is immediately trying to become Gabriella’s best friend and call dibs on being her maid of honor. Ryan looks affronted at this hijacking but nobody notices.
tHE FUCKING WEDDING COLORS ARE WHITE AND RED JUST SO CHAD CAN SCREAM “WILDCATS” AS SOON AS HE’S DONE BEING PRONOUNCED RYAN’S LAWFULLY WEDDED HUSBAND
Sharpay and Zeke reconnect after that moment at the of HSM1 where they were a thing for like 10 seconds. Sharpay Learns a Valuable Lesson about how maybe you don’t need a guy who’s perfectly perfect in every way when you’ve got once who’s a total sweetheart and can bake like a mofo.
Ryan brings some girl he knows from Broadway who’s like his best dancer or something. She spends the entire wedding flirting with Kelsey and making her all flustered. Everyone is trying to get them together.
It ends with an elaborate musical number at the reception. Possibly there’s a self-aware joke about how Ryan emailed everyone the choreography for it months ago, so they all better know it by now. It probably turns into a reprise of We’re All In This Together and then I cry into my popcorn for 6 hours
~the end~
HOW DOES THIS HAVE SO MANY NOTES ARE Y’ALL SERIOUS
holy shit can this happen instead
Chad needs to smash faces with Ryan right after screaming WILDCATS and then they need to leave, come back, and their clothing is swapped!!!!!
I’m just surprised y’all can remember all of their names
bold of you to assume I’d forget any part of something as iconic as high school musical
As of July 4th 2018, the Internet as we know it might be dead for good.
The European Parliament is passing a new Copyright Directive. Article 13 #CensorshipMachine will impose widespread censorship of all the content we share online. Art, fanfiction, parodies, remixes, mashups, memes, etc.. Anything that you do not hold the rights over will be taken down.
Article 13 would force all online platforms to police and prevent the uploading of copyrighted content, or make people seek the correct licenses to post that content. Internet platforms hosting large amounts of user-uploaded content must monitor user behaviour and filter their contributions to identify and prevent copyright infringement.
Such filters will be mandatory for platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr, Reddit and Instagram, but also much smaller websites.
Last Tuesday (19th June 2018) a group of more than 70 people who have played important roles in building the internet and developing it (Tim Berners-Lee, Vincent Cerf,
Jimmy Wales, Mitchell Baker…) into what it is today addressed an open letter to the members of the European Parliament:
“As creators ourselves, we share the concern that there should be a fair distribution of revenues from the online use of copyright works, that benefits creators, publishers, and platforms alike.
But Article 13 is not the right way to achieve this. By requiring Internet platforms to perform automatic filtering all of the content that their users upload, Article 13 takes an unprecedented step towards the transformation of the Internet from an open platform for sharing and innovation, into a tool for the automated surveillance and control of its users. […] The damage that this may do to the free and open Internet as we know it is hard to predict, but in our opinions could be substantial.”
Europe is facing a huge problem, and unlike with Net Neutrality, the world doesn’t seem to care.
This can pose detrimental consequences to content creators all across the globe, read up of on the topic and help fellow content creators if you’re able!
I mean you’ve probably got that impression already but honestly, they are really, really bad. Especially if you like uploading fanfiction to websites like AO3.
At the moment, the way the law is phrased is likely to mean everything you upload in Europe, to any website that allows user-created content, will need to be automatically scanned for copyright violations.
You know YouTube’s automatic content filter? Imagine having that for the entire internet. We already know that copyright trolls exploit YouTube’s system in a bunch of ways, making money off user content they have no actual rights to, and shutting down legitimate user content.
But here’s where it gets worse: Websites that host user-generated content – including fanfiction – will be responsible for putting those filters in place and maintaining them themselves.
This law would in all likelihood require AO3 to implement a system which monitors every single work uploaded in Europe for copyright violations, before they can be shared on the Archive.
We’re talking full-on “robotic censorship regime”, as the Electronic Frontier Federation puts it.
Not only would that be that icky and invasive. Not only would it ignore the complexity of copyright exceptions like Fair Dealing. Not only would it be easy to exploit by copyright trolls. It would also be a massive, massive burden on an organisation staffed entirely by volunteers. The sheer volume of work AO3’s coders, wranglers, and policy and abuse staff take on – for free, in their own time – is already staggering.
And while AO3 is a pretty robust archive, and might miraculously be able to find the resources to comply with this ridiculous law, there are many, many smaller websites out there that would seriously struggle. Other non-profits, libraries, and archives, who would all have to either build automatic content filters from the ground up – or more likely, pay for off-the-shelf “solutions” that are overpriced and ineffective.
The European Parliament’s legal committee has just voted (in June 2018) to press forward with the law, but we’ve probably still got until at least early 2019 before the whole Parliament votes on it. The timing is about as good as it gets – the next European Parliament election is expected in May 2019, so our MEPs are going to be worrying about re-election right when we need to put pressure on them (that’s now!).
Europe has managed to reject bad legislation in the past. We can do it again this time. Please do what you can to spread the word or get involved!
If you click on the OTW link in the text, you will see the information screengrabbed above.
EU and UK readers, we can do something here and the OTW have basically given us a script if we want one.
The EU Copyright Reform Proposal including the controversial article 11 and 13 has been approved today. Here’s what we can do to prevent this law from actually being passed.
So first of all, now that it has been approved I’m seeing a lot of confusion about what the proposal actually does. You can read all of it here, but here’s a short summary of the proposal:
– The proposal was first published around two years ago. The two most problematic things about it are Article 11 and Article 13, Article 11 wanting to prevent people from using snippets of text from news articles, possibly also affecting links that contain the headline of the article; Article 13 is about using upload filters on websites with lots of user uploads to prevent copyrighted material from being posted online. This would not only affect screenshots and gifs, but also memes, music used in remixes and similar content. That’s right, if this law passes we won’t be able to post memes and similar content online anymore. (Note: Don’t worry about your fanart and fanfiction. Those won’t be taken down.) It’s not clear what kinds of websites will have to make use of those filters yet; while some sources state it will only affect big platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Flickr etc. others say it could also affect start-ups and forums who aren’t able to pay for those filters and might have to close down. (Please note that I’m no expert, so if you have anything to add/correct about my summary, feel free to do so.)
– Today, on June 20th, a parliamentary committee approved of the proposal. However, it’s not over yet. The Internet won’t suddenly “die” today. There are a few more steps to be made before this passes as an actual law. Presumably on 3rd-5th July, there’ll be a Parliament Negotiating Mandate Vote. Finally, there’ll be a final Parliamentary Vote in December. The proposal has to pass both of those votes before becoming an actual law.
Long story short: Keep contacting your MEPs. Just because the proposal has been approved, you shouldn’t stop fighting against this shit being passed. It’s not over yet. Here are some useful links:
Lastly: No, this is not alt-right propaganda. I know many of you were confused when this issue first blew up, as there were barely any reliable sources and most articles about it seemed to come from alt-right websites who used the issue to bash the EU. I fell for the rumor about the issue being faked too and was surprised to read in my local newspaper a few days ago that it is an actual issue, and now I just regret to not have done anything before the proposal passed. But as I said: It’s not over yet. We can still fight against this.
Please share this post, no matter if you’re from the EU or not. If you are from the EU, please contact your MEPs or sign the petition. Remind them on the upcoming elections May 2019 and let them know you and many, many more people care about the internet as it is right now.
When writing a character’s backstory, it’s important to include a certain number of “knives”. Knives are essentially anything that the DM can use to raise the stakes of a situation for your character. Anything that can make a conflict personal, like a threatened loved one or the appearance of a sudden enemy. They’re called “knives” because the players lovingly forge them and present them to the DM so that the DM can use them to stab the player over and over again.
The more knives a player has, the easier it is for the DM to involve them in the story. So it’s important to have them! When breaking down a backstory, it kind of goes like this:
Every named person your character cares about, living or dead (i.e. sibling, spouse, childhood friend) +1 knife [EDIT: a large family can be bundled into one big knife]
Every phobia or trauma your character experiences/has experienced +1 knife
Every mystery in your character’s life (i.e. unknown parents, unexplained powers) +1 knife
Every enemy your character has +1 knife
Every ongoing obligation or loyalty your character has +1 knife
Additionally, every obligation your character has failed +1 knife
Every serious crime your character has committed (i.e. murder, arson) +1 knife
Every crime your character is falsely accused of +1 knife
Alternatively if your character is a serial killer or the leader of a thieves guild, those crimes can be bundled under a +1 BIG knife
Any discrimination experienced (i.e. fantasy racism) +1 knife
Every favored item/heirloom +1 knife
Every secret your character is keeping +1 knife
You kind of get the point. Any part of your backstory that could be used against you is considered a knife. A skilled DM will use these knives to get at your character and get you invested in the story. A really good DM can break your knives into smaller, sharper knives with which to stab you. They can bundle different characters’ knives together into one GIANT knife. Because we’re all secretly masochists when it comes to D&D, the more knives you hand out often means the more rewarding the story will be.
On the other hand, you don’t want to be a sad edgelord with too many knives. A buttload of knives just means that everyone in your party will inadvertently get stabbed by your knives, and eventually that gets annoying. Anything over 15 knives seems excessive. The DM will no doubt get more as time goes on, but you don’t want to start out with too many. You also don’t want to be the plain, boring character with only two knives. It means the DM has to work harder to give you a personal stake in the story you’re telling together. Also, knives are cool!! Get more knives!!!
I always try to incorporate at least 7 knives into my character’s backstory, and so far the return has been a stab-ity good time. Going back into previous characters, I’ve noticed that fewer knives present in my backstory has correlated with fewer direct consequences for my character in game. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule, it’s just something that my friends and I have come up with to help with character creation. We like to challenge each other to make surprising and creative knives. If you think of any that should be included, let me know.
EDIT: I feel I should mention it’s important to vary up the type of knives you have. All 7 of your knives shouldn’t be family members, nor should they be crimes that you’ve done in the past. That’s a one-way ticket to repetitive gameplay. Part of the fun is making new and interesting knives that could lead to fun surprises in game.
Use this series of tables to come up with random potions! You can use this as a DM to describe an unidentified magic potion that you give your players. As a player, you can use this when you create potions as a spellcaster or someone proficient in Alchemist’s Tools. Use this with the Alchemy Profession Guide!
Every potion has to be held in something! Roll on the following tables to generate a container for your potion including its material, shape, and its seal or stopper.
Roll on the following tables to create a random liquid! If you want your potion to be identifiable, try adding a telling ingredient to float in the potion. For instance, a Giant’s Strength potion can have a giant’s toe inside, while a Potion of Fly might have an angel’s feather within. A healing potion might have some medicinal herbs floating inside.
Potion Color
Potion Smell
Potion Taste
How it’s Made
Randomly describe how to create the potion. Roll twice or more on the Ingredients table. Then roll once for each ingredient beyond the first on the Alchemical Processes table to determine how each ingredient is added to the first ingredient. It might be mixed in a special way or treated in a unique way before it’s added.
I should note this is for D&D fluff and narration and is not based in science. Dissolving Aqua Fortis and Mercury in alcohol will not make a healing potion so do not drink it!
Ingredients
Alchemical Process
Potion Effects
There are many existing potions, but I feel like a lot of existing spells could be made into potions. So, I added some. I based them loosely on spell scrolls but tried to move the better ones to higher rarities because potions are objectively better than scrolls (anyone can drink a potion, only casters can use scrolls).
If you roll for a potion randomly as part of a treasure hoard, be sure it’s of an appropriate rarity for the players.
Some light in the darkness that is Gaming news right now
gaming is SO IMPORTANT for so many disabled people (myself included). There’s not many hobbies that have the range of interactivity and engagement that gaming has, while still being something someone can do with little movement or motor control.
I’ve met a few people who were very disapproving of my gaming hobby (was literally told to “go read a book” in a snooty way by one of them) and it frustrates heck out of me that they can’t see how important and fun gaming can be. Gaming isn’t passive like a lot of other hobbies recommended for disabled folks. Gaming is something to get pumped about and something that you can get better at! You can improve your gaming skills and feel accomplished!
if it weren’t for video games I would be a much, much more unhappy and unfulfilled person.
This is why its SO important to make gaming accessible to disabled people.
This new ‘trend’ of strobing when hit [Destiny/Assassins’ Creed to name a few] is very detrimental to anyone with a seizure disorder that is effected by strobing. A lot of people with motor disorders often have visual disorders too.
Developers really need to make flashy visual effects optional or toggled on/off in menus; not left as a fixed point.
Gaming is SO important to help with my motor skills and comprehension skills and making it inaccessible to some audiences is really detrimental.
^^^Really important commentary
video games are sometimes the only thing that will help keep me sane.
I’m crying : ’ ). Videogames are important for all ages and degrees of abled people. My grandma definitely has kept a somewhat sharp mind since she plays golden sun and pokemon feverishly, though apparently she was stuck at the Sky Pillar in Ruby for two months (arthritis problems).
i just wish we could get more games that relied less on violence and fighting but Diablo fuckin rules and i’m so glad this person found a way to make it work for them.
we need to make sure all the disabled have the tools and support they need to live the lives they want to.
There is a charity called Able Gamers that helps people with varying disabilities and gives them the chance to play video games. They work both with caregivers, gamers themselves and video game developers (both indie and mainstream)to help make video games more accessible on a software level as well as through assistive technology like Ken here is using. I urge everyone to check them out and donate if possible or spread the word about their foundation!
I love gaming, and it’s the reason i went to art school. I just wish controls for consoles were more customizable and relied (read: didn’t rely) on motion control
SlythKris (tumblr backup babey) 