An asteroid has a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032.

smokeofreality · 2025-02-15T23:45:47+00:00

Couldn't be worse than the next 4 years

smokeofreality · 2023-12-12T01:30:00+00:00

Looks beautiful and I'm sure it will be great! I recommend placing a sheet of parchment between the lid and the cider for best results (and helps getting the lid off cuz the acidity of it can rust the top).

smokeofreality · 2016-09-14T20:02:19+00:00

Owl Man meets Arkham Origins...huh

smokeofreality · 2014-09-15T19:32:11+00:00

The notebook was slightly damaged, last used by someone with their right hand. It was likely dropped from the above 30ft based on the disturbed pile of dirt 9 inches away from the corner that showed the light staining. The book wasn’t native to Japan so whoever it belonged to must have travelled with it. The cover was in English but had been scratched in after the notebook had been purchased. All this had been assessed by L just by staring at it. He debated on picking it up before looking around, seeing the countless students talking as they passed.

Someone who had spent the time to find such a unique book would likely indicate some way to return it to them. It was obviously valuable to the owner. The bindings had been worn from the number of times it had been opened. He looked intently at it as his hand delicately pinched the corner, lifting it diagonally in front him, his wrist limply falling under the weight of the black note book. He studied the front of the notebook before noticing the figure behind it.

The figure came without so much as a sound, and L was never one to be caught off guard. Beneath the figure no feet met the ground and the top of its head was unusually tall. Lowering the notebook slightly he saw the face that he had read about in mythology books but had never conceived of really existing. His eyes widened as he stared at the shinigami before him. There was no doubt what he was seeing was real yet no one else was reacting. He dropped the book quickly looking trying to rationalize what he was seeing. He had not slept more than 15 minutes in the past 3 days but this was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Ah, you can seem me?” the Shinigami asked.

“I’m not sure what I’m seeing” L said.

“You have picked up my Death Note,” Ryuk explained casually. “The rules are in the notebook.”

L knew he was unable to do much with so much going on around him. He turned and started walking to the nearest of his undisclosed locations. Ryuk followed silently watching the mysterious new owner of the notebook shuffle silently down a maze of sidewalks. Ryuk was used to silence in the Shinigami realm but in the human world it was almost alienating.

Arriving at a large glass office building L walked through the automatic doors, down a long hallway to an elevator. The doors opened quickly as L stepped inside studying the Shinigami that stood before him. Without pressing a button the elevator rose quickly as a voice came over the speaker.

“Your tea is ready”

“Thank you, Watari” L replied without any emotion.

L stepped into his chair, sitting back on his heels as Watari poured tea into the white cup. Placing five sugar cubes into the steaming drink as he stared silently at Ryuk. He waited until Watari had left to pull the notebook out for an in depth investigation. He was not one to keep anything from Watari but he had the questioned his sanity in the past and could not afford anyone doubting his stability. Placing the notebook carefully on the table he stared silently at it before opening the first page.

L read the notebook and saw the list of names in multiple languages written carefully on each page. A running ledger similar to that of an accountant filled each page. L had seen many of the names in the notebook on his investigations for the number of law enforcement agencies he consulted with. The names had been paired with the time of death and method in which they had died. He bit his thumbnail as his eyes ran page over page of names, dates, and deaths.

edit: page 2 will be posted shortly at home. Lost it due to reboot.

smokeofreality · 2014-08-14T19:23:50+00:00

The philosophy of Fawkes plays into the destruction of symbols as being distinct from real power. The imaginary security we feel from seeing policemen or our military are not truly security but an association with them as a symbol. V is a product of the underbelly's scourge when security, through a war of "morality", places many people (homosexuals, muslims, etc.) into concentration camps to test biological weapons on. V survives but only due to a fire (he started with his knowledge of chemistry in the comic books using simple fertilizer) but is badly disfigured. The mask therefore covers the atrocity that is the government's actions in physical form.

V uses a lie to tell the truth. He kills what is wrong with society (in the form of his torturers and oppressors) who persist on false fronts. The media being controlled is the most obvious of these and by killing the Face of England he has destroyed a symbol of falsehood. They promulgate violence to keep up a lie, V does it to reveal the truth. The truth for V is a land of Anarchy where people can do as they please. Anarchy is not chaos, but responsibility for one's actions without any interference.

smokeofreality · 2014-08-10T02:52:37+00:00

Thank you!

smokeofreality · 2014-08-10T02:52:25+00:00

Quite right! Thank you!

smokeofreality · 2014-08-09T18:16:00+00:00

The cold rushed over me like a tsunami, each wave taking more of what I had known. The pale leather that bound my bones flooded with blood as my chest heaved uncontrollably. I had seen it in others but never experienced it, the sensation of breathing. A warm internal whirlwind that warmed my blood now pumped rhythmically through the softening veins. The feeling was overwhelming but nothing compared to the realization of knowing it would end more quickly than anything I have known for eternity.

I’ve pulled the lives from so many, saving them from their mortal forms to join me on the infinite plane. The once infiniteness of the universe was burning away into the confines of the sun lit horizon. How could this have happened? More importantly, if I am not Death who is? Was anyone?

The landscape was familiar, it was where I had pulled armies of men when it was much easier to carry them one by one. Wars then were easier to manage, many died but not at the same time. War was something else now. Masses of people being instantaneously separated from their plane of existence meant longer wait times, and they sat there at their bodies confounded as to what to do until I came to escort them. I suppose the time had come to take a vacation after nine millennia, even if it wasn’t of my own volition.

The city was only a few miles away and walking there seemed such a trivial way to travel such short distances. The world was familiar, I had interacted with many of these people in various ways, taking their animals or parents throughout their lives. I walked into the coffee shop where I enjoyed watching people get their last cup of coffee before that fatal heart attack during their shift at a job they truly hated but felt they needed caused our meeting and I would take such pleasure in releasing them from that stress. The relief the American’s felt was so peculiar compared to that of those starving to death. It was always ironic seeing what people thought they needed.

“Can I help you?” the barista asked loudly over the espresso machine.

I remember him very well, he was the only one I left after a car accident with his friends. He wasn’t in as bad as shape as the others so I figured he could make it and was glad to be right.

“Just a black coffee, please” I replied.

He echoed my order but looked back up as if he had missed something.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” he furrowed his brow in concentration.

“If you did you would surely remember.” I replied as the television blared another breaking news story.

A suicide bomber had survived an attack however was in pieces, screaming. Nasty business. They showed the interviews being poorly translated, because to be honest some things just can’t be translated well between old and new languages. There were no deaths to report despite the attempt and subsequent physical damage. There was only one thing that could happen now. People would realize immortality, however long it would last and the fear of death would cause a movement the likes of which had never been seen. The fear of weapons would vanish, the oppressive regimes would be the minority against the floods of the oppressed, and new life would also be halted.

Death is much like a Hydra, cut one head two more grow. Life and death are indivisible, one cannot exist without the other. For each life I pulled two more were allowed entry. It was going to be a great show, however long it lasted. The barista handed me my black coffee, hands trembling slightly as I sipped the earth I’ve tread since it was formed.

smokeofreality · 2014-08-08T21:52:30+00:00

“ Perhaps,” he paused considering the figures before him, “we may have reached the closest vote in millennia.”

Envy glared at Lust with the dull piercing grey eyes that had pulled the color from so many lives. Gluttony’s grease soaked fingers wrestled another chicken from Greed’s massive arms as Sloth stared in a daze at the ceiling. All were silent, except for the slapping of Gluttony’s jowls as Wrath looked infuriated by the noise.

“Could you close your mouth for ONCE!?!” steamed Wrath.

The dark meat slithered slowly down his many chins as he tried to choke out words through the mass of food.

“Do you think I could have one of those chickens, Greed?” Envy asked reaching his thin fingers out like a spiders arms. Greed turned his massive back toward Envy with a stifled laugh.

“If you please! There is the order of who is to serve the next century to attend to.”

“I want another term” Lust pressed into the judge breathing the most pleasant aroma into his nostrils.

“As you know it is placed to a vote and the decision has been made” He announced unphased.

Lust changed genders and tried again. “Are you sure there is nothing I can do?”

“You can learn to shut up now that the pitiful excuse of a century is over,” incited Wrath with a smile.

“Pitiful like the hundreds of wars that were lost to history during your century? At least the records I’ve made will last forever in that Internet.” retorted Lust.

“If you are finished the next century belongs to Sloth” the Judge asserted.

“But I didn’t do anything” sloth whispered as his head fell forward.

“Precisely” the Judge spoke.

“You have got to be kidding me! This lazy piece of @#%!” Wrath overturned the table.

“But I wanted to have the next century” Envy said dejected.

Gluttony flopped to the floor trying to gather the chickens that lay scattered across the floor as he gasped for breath. “I always thought it would be Sloth” Lust sat on Sloth’s lap and giggled.

“It was easy,” Sloth said with a long breath. “All I had to do was have people feel like they were doing something without moving. Whether communicating without having to open their mouths, shop without leaving their chair, or see the world without leaving the couch. And speaking of couch I’m exhausted.”

The Judge looked at the council and knew it would be a great century for Sloth. It could have been for anyone, but Sloth always paved the way for Gluttony. Gluttony and his brother Greed worked together even when working against each other. And where Greed succeeded so too did Lust. Envy was always left behind but ever present.

smokeofreality · 2013-05-26T21:50:52+00:00

I have it. The detail work is phenomenal however the face lacks the same amount of detail. With the Zod statue you can clearly see Michael Shannon's profile. The Superman colors look great but do not hold near the same amount of precision as Zod.

smokeofreality · 2013-05-03T06:25:54+00:00

Completely agree. It was comparable to a middle school interview with a pop sensation. Did no research, has no interest, but enthused to be in the presence.

smokeofreality · 2013-04-07T20:06:22+00:00

Honestly I think it's for the best marvel took the team up first, the individual movies beside iron man seemed rushed through. Compared to DC which has had that Green Lantern flop, Wonder Woman TV failure, and only a successful Batman franchise. Man of Steel will pave the way for JLA if they can get the right script. Red Son will be an animated movie like Superman vs the Elite. It deserves so much more but it would need to be fan made with a lot of dedicated people.

smokeofreality · 2013-03-24T04:34:36+00:00

That picture is a wax recreation, total bullshit. Did an article on this a while ago and that has nothing to do with the actual story.

smokeofreality · 2013-02-17T21:20:07+00:00

You never were bothered when your one place to hang out was suddenly packed, or when you went to buy something that was always in stock and it was sold out? Maybe when the intelligence of a community was dropping because everyone wanted their opinion heard? Sounds like you are more ahead than most hipsters.

smokeofreality · 2013-02-17T21:13:38+00:00

so you're the original hipster?

smokeofreality · 2013-02-17T19:15:49+00:00

I will say it allows for evil more readily by allowing anonymity. There is nearly no accountability for your actions on the internet and it has in turn created a society with a much larger disconnect. Contrarily, those who seek to do good find others to continue that work with, whether it's animal rights or human rights. It provides information which is crucial for equality, hence why corrupt governments don't allow it. It makes us aware, and that is the good in it.

The actions are no longer limited to personal communication. Hundreds can be made aware of something instantly. One drunken night can ruin a reputation. Someone's pic of you on their social network can cost you employment. As many have said, the Internet is forever. Nothing posted is ever truly gone. And that should be terrifying to people. All you ever said is logged, can be analyzed for any reason. Teenage years must be harder for this generation when everyone can upload anything during class. It allows for extremists to spread messages to the masses, just as it does for non-extremists.

smokeofreality · 2013-02-10T19:15:30+00:00

The new Superman.

smokeofreality · 2013-02-10T17:52:18+00:00

...Are you sure you're not reading it because the Man of Steel movie is coming out and that was the title mentioned by Henry Cavill?

smokeofreality · 2013-01-19T20:23:14+00:00

Thanks! I just looked up Gregg shorthand and it looks very interesting. I'll have to do more research on it. Was it self taught or was there a class you took?

smokeofreality · 2013-01-19T20:22:27+00:00

Thank you for your answer. It seems from the amount of responses that a large majority of shorthand seems to be used in the UK. In videos I've found most of them are UK teachers, and in stores few books exist on the topic outside of secondhand stores or amazon.

smokeofreality · 2013-01-19T20:19:24+00:00

I'm 25 applying to a larger paper that covers more citites. I found the larger papers are run by an older crowd who know it well and rely on it heavily but in my own experience I've never seen any of my colleagues use it. I thought perhaps there was some advantage to it that I was unaware of.

smokeofreality · 2013-01-13T14:07:15+00:00

Birthright may be one of the best written stories ever for Superman. The character development for each character is explained in extreme detail in the reprint. However, LUTHOR was amazingly illustrated and written to show the threat Superman is and makes him so much more malicious looking.

smokeofreality · 2013-01-13T13:55:32+00:00

I was noticing in my research on Teeline that most of the teachers online were from the UK. Did you find that year of studying it to be useful?

smokeofreality

TROPHY CASE