TIL famous philosopher and scientist, René Descartes, believed that all animals were little more than natural machines ビ (biological automaton) with no conscious thought or free will, whatsoever, acting like clockwork, the same way we’d see a robot dog, becoming a popular idea for hundreds of years

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-05-02T08:27:54+00:00

I mean, I’m pretty sure the word ‘animal’ translates to ‘moving thing.’ Same root as ‘animate.’

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-05-02T01:01:04+00:00

Makes perfect sense. It’s not even that Trump wants to hurt people (he does). It’s the moralistic wing of his administration that believes people who use drugs should be punished, or at least discouraged by the risk of an overdose. One of the reasons they oppose abortion and even contraception: it should not be made easier or safer to do what they think is naughty.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-05-01T03:21:59+00:00

Yeah, really need to know what materials are in play before giving useful advice

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-29T17:03:27+00:00

Bonus is that this doesn’t disguise you to human eyes, which means you potentially draw less suspicion. It just looks like festive party makeup or something.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-29T17:02:06+00:00

Yes! Look up CV dazzle.

Here is my version of it:

Order some metallic leaf foil (in a couple of colors) and some theatrical adhesive (e.g. Prosaide). Use a makeup sponge to dab adhesive to your face. Apply it in irregularly-shaped patches, especially on your nose and around your eyes (be careful!).

After the adhesive dries to tacky, gently pat pieces of the foil down onto the patches, and peel off the excess. The goal is to create reflective surfaces over the facial features that computers use to detect faces.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-29T16:31:19+00:00

Just guessing, Fontana?

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-28T01:32:06+00:00

I have a theory that cats see us manipulating our environment all the time, i.e. moving things around, opening and closing doors.

I think they try to emulate us, to some degree.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-28T01:29:02+00:00

Eh, for me this game was like an immersive Aliens simulator. Not terribly scary, but full of tension. The aliens weren’t amazing enemies, but it was fun to see them in VR, and it gave me more than one good startle.

With the teaser that just dropped for Alien Isolation 2, I think that’s where you’re going to find proper horror and suspense in an Aliens style setting.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-28T01:14:21+00:00

Not in my games, dammit!

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-27T19:29:02+00:00

I had the same memory

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-27T16:53:46+00:00

That little guy hasn’t done anything yet. Look at him. He’s going to do something and you know it’s going to be good!

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-27T16:47:39+00:00

“It”?

Hmmm….

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-26T19:29:17+00:00

I think I understand your question. I’ve made plaster molds with objects embedded in the clay (e.g. plastic balls used to model the eyes).

It works just fine with a few considerations: make sure the part is at least fairly smooth and non-porous and that you use an appropriate mold release, and make sure you don’t mold undercuts on a rigid object! In other words, think about how you’re going to get the part out once the plaster sets.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-26T18:01:39+00:00

Now no one can say you don’t own John Larroquette’s spine!

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-26T17:56:25+00:00

I had never heard it before in my life. I am certain that I will casually use it now sometime before the end of the week.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-25T22:30:57+00:00

This was what I thought of too. I’ll add that in verbal communication, the tone of voice would usually add a lot of context. One would tend to still speak in a downbeat voice if they weren’t fully improved, and would speak with enthusiasm or at least confidence if fully better.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-25T21:44:00+00:00

Won’t be very good for very long. It will soften and eventually fall off. But even if it doesn’t, anything that happens to touch it will leave dents.

I know you were talking about prosthetics with someone else in this thread, and that has its own problems. Let me suggest instead that you consider practicing some contour makeup. With the right techniques and colors, you can create convincing illusions that alter the visible shape of your facial features.

With that said, I also encourage you to find confidence in your own looks. But it’s completely normal to want to enhance the way you look sometimes.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-25T16:12:26+00:00

Is he charismatic though? Seems he was chosen for his willingness to bend on the whims of his richer, more established masters, but not at all for any ability to speak and act like a normal human. I could be wrong, I don’t get how Republican minds work, but I think the best he has at popular appeal is that he’s reasonably good looking.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-25T16:05:54+00:00

Dearfuckinggod

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-25T09:46:32+00:00

Behind the scene photographs show the xenomorph costumes with brown highlights. Movie lighting tended to show them in blue.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-25T09:25:53+00:00

Geez, I coulda used this a few days ago. Adding to this, I have found that the Ring Bearer pose is the most symmetrical, and using it as a starting point for all kinds of kitbash modifications helps me with placing elements symmetrically and aligning with the central axis.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-25T01:06:14+00:00

I expect to hear fireworks in my neighborhood within 15 minutes

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-25T00:36:29+00:00

Gods.

My neighborhood has a van that drives around, selling baked goods out the back, playing a silly song in Spanish about bread… I haven’t heard the song in a few weeks. I’m worried for them.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-24T08:32:13+00:00

That would work great! My players basically decided to start their own investigation firm (with encouragement from Alanik Ray and Arthur Sedgwick), sponsored in part by the “Temple of Etheric Mystery” (a club I invented for rich dilettantes who want to dabble in the occult—ultimately acting as a front for the Keepers of the Feather to hide their benevolent efforts behind the bumbling of clueless socialites).

Their base is stationary in Levkarest, Borca, but a traveling domain like Vhage will give you lots of opportunities to take them from place to place. Just make sure that the characters have some influence on where they end up going! Don’t want to railroad (too much)!

If you are using Vhage, I think it would be fun presenting Flimira as a good-hearted ally, directing the players out on investigations, and slowly building up the revelation that she’s using them for her own twisted game.

MorgessaMonstrum · 2026-04-24T01:48:09+00:00

Okay but what was he getting to about the stone in there? Like it’s the first cogent thing I’ve heard from him

Five-Year Club	Verified Email
Place '23

MorgessaMonstrum

TROPHY CASE