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the Overton Window has defenestrated itself

@maryellencarter / maryellencarter.tumblr.com

Genderfluid, they/them mostly. Queer on every conceivable axis. Trans women belong in female spaces. Beta reader, sometimes writer.
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YouTube Downloads through VLC: Step by Step

[EDIT: I've been receiving reports for some time now that this method no longer works. I suspect something about the switch to YouTube Music as a separate app, and/or YouTube's ongoing attempts to force Chrome use, broke the compatibility with the Github version of youtube.luac -- I haven't managed to look into whether there's an updated working version out there yet. Sorry!]

So this guide to easily downloading off YouTube is super helpful, but there's enough important information hidden in the reblogs that (with the permission of OP @queriesntheories ) I'm doing a more step-by-step version.

Please note: these downloads will be in YouTube quality. My test video download is coming through at 360p, even though the video I'm starting from is set to 720p. They're legible, but they won't look great on a TV. For high visual quality, you'll want to seek out other methods.

This guide is written for Windows 10, since that's what I can test on. It's been tested on Firefox, Chrome, and Edge (which is a Chromium browser, so the method should work in other Chromium browsers too). So far, I haven't tracked down a way to use this download method on mobile.

BASIC KNOWLEDGE:

I'll try to make this pretty beginner-friendly, but I am going to assume that you know how to right-click, double-click, navigate right-click menus, click-and-drag, use keyboard shortcuts that are given to you (for example, how to use Ctrl+A), and get the URL for any YouTube video you want to download.

You'll also need to download and install one or more programs off the internet using .exe files, if you don't have these programs already. Please make sure you know how to use your firewall and antivirus to keep your computer safe, and google any names you don't recognize before allowing permission for each file. You can also hover your mouse over each link in this post to make sure it goes where I'm saying it will go.

YOU WILL NEED:

  • A computer where you have admin permissions. This is usually a computer you own or have the main login on. Sadly, a shared computer like the ones at universities and libraries will not work for this.
  • Enough space on your computer to install the programs listed below, if you don't have them already, and some space to save your downloaded files to. The files are pretty small because of the low video quality.
  • A simple text editing program. Notepad is the one that usually comes with Windows. If it lets you change fonts, it's too fancy. A notepad designed specifically to edit program code without messing it up is Notepad++, which you can download here.
  • A web browser. I use Firefox, which you can get here. Chrome or other Chrome-based browsers should also work. I haven't tested in Safari.
  • An Internet connection fast enough to load YouTube. A little buffering is fine. The downloads will happen much faster than streaming the entire video, unless your internet is very slow.
  • VLC Media Player, which you can get here. It's a free player for music and videos, available on Windows, Android, and iOS, and it can play almost any format of video or audio file that exists. We'll be using it for one of the central steps in this process.
  • If you want just the audio from a YouTube video, you'll need to download the video and then use a different program to copy the audio into its own file. At the end of this post, I'll have instructions for that, using a free sound editor called Audacity.

SETUP TO DOWNLOAD:

The first time you do this, you'll need to set VLC up so it can do what you want. This is where we need Notepad and admin permissions. You shouldn't need to repeat this process unless you're reinstalling VLC.

  • If VLC is open, close it.
  • In your computer's file system (File Explorer on Windows), go to C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\playlist
  • If you're not familiar with File Explorer, you'll start by clicking where the left side shows (C:). Then in the big main window, you'll double-click each folder that you see in the file path, in order - so in this case, when you're in C: you need to look for Program Files. (There will be two of them. You want the one without the x86 at the end.) Then inside Program Files you're looking for VideoLAN, and so forth through the whole path.
  • Once you're inside the "playlist" folder, you'll see a lot of files ending in .luac - they're in alphabetical order. The one you want to edit is youtube.luac which is probably at the bottom.
  • You can't edit youtube.luac while it's in this folder. Click and drag it out of the playlist folder to somewhere else you can find it - your desktop, for instance. Your computer will ask for admin permission to move the file. Click the "Continue" button with the blue and yellow shield.
  • Now that the file is moved, double-click on it. The Microsoft Store will want you to search for a program to open the .luac file type with. Don't go to the Microsoft Store, just click on the blue "More apps" below that option, and you'll get a list that should include your notepad program. Click on it and click OK.
  • The file that opens up will be absolutely full of gibberish-looking code. That's fine. Use Ctrl+A to select everything inside the file, then Backspace or Delete to delete it. Don't close the file yet.
  • In your web browser, go to https://github.com/videolan/vlc/blob/master/share/lua/playlist/youtube.lua
  • Click in the part of the Github page that has a bunch of mostly blue code in it. Use Ctrl+A to select all of that code, Ctrl+C to copy it, then come back into your empty youtube.luac file and use Ctrl+P to paste the whole chunk of code into the file.
  • Save the youtube.luac file (Ctrl+S or File > Save in the upper left corner of the notepad program), then close the notepad program.
  • Drag youtube.luac back into the folder it came from. The computer will ask for admin permission again. Give it permission.

Now you can close Github and Notepad. You're ready to start downloading!

HOW TO DOWNLOAD:

  • First, get your YouTube link. It should look something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123DEF45 If it's longer, you can delete any extra stuff after that first set of letters and numbers, but you don't have to.
  • Now open VLC. Go to Media > Open Network Stream and paste your YouTube link into the box that comes up. Click Play. Wait until the video starts to play, then you can pause it if you want so it's not distracting you during the next part.

(If nothing happens, you probably forgot to put youtube.luac back. coughs)

  • In VLC, go to Tools > Codec Information. At the bottom of the pop-up box you'll see a long string of gibberish in a box labeled Location. Click in the Location box. It won't look like it clicked properly, but when you press Ctrl+A, it should select all. Use Ctrl+C to copy it.
  • In your web browser, paste the entire string of gibberish and hit Enter. Your same YouTube video should come up, but without any of the YouTube interface around it. This is where the video actually lives on YouTube's servers. YouTube really, really doesn't like to show this address to humans, which is why we needed VLC to be like "hi I'm just a little video player" and get it for us.

Because, if you're looking at the place where the video actually lives, you can just right-click-download it, and YouTube can't stop you.

  • Right-click on your video. Choose "Save Video As". Choose where to save it to - I use my computer's built-in Music or Videos folders.
  • Give it a name other than "videoplayback" so you can tell it apart from your other downloads.
  • The "Save As Type" dropdown under the Name field will probably default to MP4. This is a good versatile video format that most video players can read. If you need a different format, you can convert the download later. (That's a whole other post topic.)
  • Click Save, and your video will start downloading! It may take a few minutes to fully download, depending on your video length and internet speed. Once the download finishes, congratulations! You have successfully downloaded a YouTube video!

If you'd like to convert your video into a (usually smaller) audio file, so you can put it on a music player, it's time to install and set up Audacity.

INSTALLING AUDACITY (first time setup for audio file conversion):

  • You can get Audacity here. If you're following along on Windows 10, choose the "64-bit installer (recommended)". Run the installer, but don't open Audacity at the end, or if it does open, close it again.
  • On that same Audacity download page, scroll down past the installers to the "Additional resources". You'll see a box with a "Link to FFmpeg library". This is where you'll get the add-on program that will let Audacity open your downloaded YouTube video, so you can tell it to make an audio-only file. The link will take you to this page on the Audacity support wiki, which will always have the most up-to-date information on how to install the file you need here.
  • From that wiki page, follow the link to the actual FFmpeg library. If you're not using an adblocker, be careful not to click on any of the ads showing you download buttons. The link you want is bold blue text under "FFmpeg Installer for Audacity 3.2 and later", and looks something like this: "FFmpeg_5.0.0_for_Audacity_on_Windows_x86.exe". Download and install it. Without this, Audacity won't be able to open MP4 files downloaded from YouTube.

CONVERTING TO AUDIO:

  • Make sure you know where to find your downloaded MP4 video file. This file won't go away when you "convert" it - you'll just be copying the audio into a different file.
  • Open up Audacity.
  • Go to File > Open and choose your video file.
  • You'll get one of those soundwave file displays you see in recording booths and so forth. Audacity is a good solid choice if you want to teach yourself to edit soundwave files, but that's not what we're here for right now.
  • Go to File > Export Audio. The File Name will populate to match the video's filename, but you can edit it if you want.
  • Click the Browse button next to the Folder box, and choose where to save your new audio file to. I use my computer's Music folder.
  • You can click on the Format dropdown and choose an audio file type. If you're not sure which one you want, MP3 is the most common and versatile.
  • If you'd like your music player to know the artist, album, and so forth for your audio track, you can edit that later in File Manager, or you can put the information in with the Edit Metadata button here. You can leave any of the slots blank, for instance if you don't have a track number because it's a YouTube video.
  • Once everything is set up, click Export, and your new audio file will be created. Go forth and listen!
#reference#vlc media player#youtube downloader#youtube#uh what other tags should i use idk#how to internet#long post
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why couldn't gastly stay magenta this is amazing

(the gastly would Not stay in the pokeball because this game has very minimal in-game reference material, being 2 megabytes in its entirety, so i did not realize that the move foresight on my hoothoot would allow me to tackle it and bring its health down. so now i am out of pokeballs and money and also do not have a gastly. my beloved)

#jt plays pokemon crystal
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Reblogged tigerkat24
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shout-out to the people who...

  • need clear directions when given a task
  • have to think for a long time after being asked a question
  • need to ask people to repeat what they just said, even multiple times
  • have poor spelling, grammar, handwriting, etc.
  • don't have the best memory and need to be reminded of things
  • find it difficult to understand things that might be simple to others
  • take a long time to make decisions or are often indecisive
  • need learning accommodations
  • need a calculator even for simple math
  • have trouble reading or need to reread things multiple times before understanding the text
  • feel they are "below" or "behind" their peers (you're not! you're just you and that's okay.)

i see you. you're not "broken."

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Reblogged tigerkat24
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invisible-arcs asked:

Can you talk more about Elle Woods being autistic in Legally Blonde? :)

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naliniasha answered:

Elle strictly follows the traditional rules of femininity as dictated by southern californian culture, with special interests in the color pink, fashion, and her parter. She is extremely trusting and takes people literally when they are kind to her which is OK when she “stays in her place” as gender norms dictate, but as she leaves her familiar habitus in which she has cultivated social, cultural, and symbolic capital through careful study and adherence to these social norms, she finds herself ostracized and abused. Even though she is hyperlexic and has a high IQ (as traditionally defined), she has difficulty reading social cues in new environments. She also copes with transitioning into new circumstances by falling back onto familiar routines of personal hygiene and filling her personal space with familiar items. She is also extremely ethical to her personal morals which gets her into difficulty when social norms dictate being flexible with one’s ethics. She also does not privilege human companionship over other species. 

damn…. I should write an article on this. This was fun. Mostly because I’m the Elle Woods flavor of Autistic in many ways. 

Elle Woods is the kind of Autistic that most neurotypicals can’t recognize because she is camouflaged in “socially acceptable” practices, but to someone who is also Autistic is clear that the way she approaches these practices is neuroatypical. Many Autistic women survive and ‘blend in’ by making traditional feminine norms their special interests, and their neuroatypicality can often become disabling only when they change habitus, which means the circle of people and environment and all the culture and practices that go with it. They spend a lifetime getting “good” at one habitus and fitting in, but suddenly stand out as “different” when their habitus changes. Autistic women are also often extremely trusting, and when they are “attractive” by traditional feminine norms they don’t question when people are kind to them. They assume people mean well unless they say otherwise, making them highly susceptible to abuse and bullying, often by fellow women. Many Autistic women have above average IQs (by traditional definitions) and apply these abilities to traditional feminine practices such as fashion, art, homemaking, pop culture, etc. So they don’t fit the stereotypes of the “absent minded professor” which is extremely gendered male and white. As many Autistic people often feel that other people, often partners, are their special interests, some Autistic women are camouflaged by their focus and dedication to a boyfriend or husband, because gender norms literally normalize this as an acceptable, desirable practice. Practicing their ethics with strict black and white rules, they can appear to be extremely “pious,” religious, and “dedicated” wives and mothers, which again is normed by gender practices and camouflaged. If they experience OCD qualities, these are often practiced in homemaking-related skills like cooking, cleaning, and personal hygiene, again… all camouflaged by gender norms as simple being a “good girl” and a “good wife and mother.” 

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100% here for hyper feminine autistic characters because we don’t get enough of those.

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Reblogged tinierpurplefishes
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HE BROKE THE RECORD

Senator Cory Booker just broke the all-time record for the longest Senate floor speech, speaking for over 24 hours without a pause (no food, no bathroom breaks, only water to drink) as a protest against Trump and Musk and what they're doing.

The previous record was set in 1957, when Strom Thurmond spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes protesting the Civil Rights Act.

Senator Booker has blown past that record, currently at 25 hours and still speaking as of 8 pm local time. Respect.

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HELL YES SOMEONE GOT THAT FUCKER STROM THURMOND OFF THE BOARD

(It's always bothered me that the record holder for longest filibuster was THAT.)

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a friend has helped me get set up with a gameboy emulator for android (smartphones being shaped much like gameboys so it is Authentic Handheld Experience or similar) and a copy of pokemon crystal to put into it

in the grand tradition of showing your pokeymans to people who did not ask, please behold my cyndaquil

he is level ten because i keep tripping over hoothoots and they give more experience than rattattas (that doesn't look right but i'm not sure which t to remove)

i expected him to have ember or something by now but i guess not

anyway i have given professor elm a mystery egg so now i guess i'm supposed to go find a gym to battle

#jt plays pokemon crystal
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Reblogged demonfox38
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A lot of fan-media treats sexuality as a sort of mix-and-match overlay that can freely be applied to any character without affecting any other facet of their charactersation, and I totally understand why it has to be this way – part of the point of fan-media is to leverage the audience's existing knowledge of the character to skip most of the exposition that would otherwise be required, after all – but that just makes me appreciate it all the more when an author does go out of their way to do a deep dive into that established characterisation and explain why, in light of the character's history, experiences, and current or past relationships, it's actually 100% logical for them to have an armpit kink.

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Reblogged mausers
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tsotea-deactivated20210727

happy april fools. please take this egg

hahahahahha………………..

youve been fooled………………by the april fools beeper……………..it was a fully grown bird the entire time…..no egg………………it tells u it hopes u hav a good april 1st

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Reblogged tabbiewolfreblogs
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on ao3 like some of these doves aren't even wounded

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Okay but “dead dove do not eat” means “what you read on the bag is what is inside the bag”. The punchline to the reference is opening the bag that says “dead dove” and finding a dead dove, á là surprised pikachu. A fic tagged “Fuffy fuzzy bunny cuddles, dead dove do not eat” SHOULD NOT INDICATE DARK CONTENT. ONLY THAT THE FIC HAS BEEN TAGGED ACCURATE TO THE CONTENT.

We used to say “don’t like, don’t read”. Dead Dove is just an extension of that.

The author gave you a list of ingredients. The ingredients was “dead dove”. You cannot act shocked that there was dead dove. It was in the ingredients that the author told you

dead dove BY ITSELF doesn’t mean Jack all and I will DIE ON THE HILL OF RIGHTEOUS FURY

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I wonder if people are focusing on the "do not eat" part, like thinking it means "this fic has content you Should Not Consume"

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Reblogged tinierpurplefishes
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you will live to witness manmade horrors that are completely within your comprehension if you've paid any attention to a single piece of human history but are nevertheless still huge bummers

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Reblogged tinierpurplefishes
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inthesensethat
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its important to me that all y'all know that mannertee has an arch nemesis

his name is Ikanzame and he's a shark with bad driving etiquette!!

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