#2 inch 24 track

[forgingtheblade]

DID YOU KNOW THAT MINECRAFT HAS LOOMS???, aka, THE WEAVING WRITEUP

part two: get that bad boy ON THE LOOM

part 1 part 3

weaving is, at its core, a series of incredibly tedious yet incredibly meditative tasks.

i don’t think i can make this post be a fully comprehensive how-to of those tasks, especially considering it’s been almost a year since i wove on a floor loom, but i will try my best :’)

the first part is tying the yarns on. when taking the warp threads off of the warping board (which i talked about in the last post!) i tie them into bundles of a specific amount of threads, evenly distributed across the full amount. each of those gets tied on individually to the back of the loom, which i forget the name of. these are spread out basically across 2 inches of finished width per bundle, or in my case 24 strings per. ish. since I was working with 200 warp threads.

After tying those on, they get cranked on to the back of the loom and pulled across the back to the front though the harnesses under tension, where it’s now time to thread the loom!

This style of loom works by lifting different combinations of threads by lifting each harness with a pedal. Raising different combinations of threads will create different designs, changing where the horizontal thread or weft is going over and under.

My plan was to create two banners on the same warp, and in order to not have to entirely rethread the loom after the first one, I threaded it in such a way that different patterns were possible. This was, perhaps predictably, tedious. I don’t really know exactly how to explain weaving drafts, but this is the one I was using to thread the loom. The horizontal row at the top corresponds to which of the four harnesses each thread goes through, while the vertical column on the right shows which combinations of pedals need to be pressed at what time to actually create this pattern.

(Weaving draft via Liz on Handweaving.net in 2004)

due to the nature of this draft, it’s also possible to use this threading to create a plain weave—a simple one thread up, one thread down pattern that’s probably your first thought when it comes to weaving. I wanted to create one banner in plain weave and one in the pattern weave above.

Threading was very tedious, but ultimately as long as I was paying attention and keeping meticulous track of where in the 46 thread wide loop I had left off when I had to leave, it wasn’t that bad.

After threading, the threads are individually pulled though the slots or dents on a reed, which serves as both the beater to knock threads into place and as a means to keep them perfectly spaced out while actually weaving.

Then, the threads are tied to another bar at the front of the loom, and you’re ready to weave!

Here’s the two different weave patterns I used for this project!

Each of these I created the V shape at the bottom by just progressively leaving more and more threads out of the weave as I worked my way back and forth. After taking them off the loom, the top and bottom were turned and hemmed on a sewing machine. i tied some of the excess threads on each banner into tassels!

My next post will be sharing some about the embroidery process to create the emblem itself, and my future plans for the pattern woven banner that still doesn’t have any embroidery on it.

[facts-i-just-made-up]

Facts about Greek Myths?

There are a great many figures in Greek myth and they can be hard to keep track of, so here is a quick guide to which is which:

Ajax- Warrior who invented detergent.

Antigone- Funeral enthusiast who invented civil disobedience.

Atlas- First winner of the Olympic strong titan competition.

Bellerophon- Plot point in Mission Impossible 2.

Cerberus- 7 headed dog tragically born with only 3 heads.

Charon- Lead rower for Styx.

Cratus- God of strength, but not THAT god of strength.

Cyclops- Inventor of the monocle.

Daedalus- Inventor of the Labyrinth, and thus of David Bowie.

Dionysus- Drank 24/7 but very responsibly never drove.

Eris- Goddess of fighting with each other.

Eros- God of doing something else with each other.

Euronymous- God of Mayhem.

Fates- Least creatively named destiny gods ever.

Hera- Goddess of marriage yet only Zeus's third wife.

Hylia- Goddess of triangles and disjointed timelines.

Icarus- God of disappointing ones father.

Io- Space captain and epic 3D short film, still not on blu-ray.

Jocasta- Originator of Jo Mama jokes, mother of Oedipus.

Leda- Swan enthusiast and feathery-fandom originator.

Medea- Even worse mom than Jocasta.

Medusa- Inventor of reptile-safe shampoo.

Megaclite- LOL her name is "Megaclite." Pronounced like "Clitty."

Narcissus- Basically Trump.

Odysseus- Sailor who refused to ask for directions.

Orpheus- Inventor of impatiently checking the download bar.

Ouranos- Spelling that could've avoided a lot of planet butt jokes.

Pallas- Inventor of weird looking cats.

Persephone- Pomegranate fan, looked like Monica Bellucci.

Prometheus- Stupid fucking movie, especially for using some of H.R. Giger's original designs then putting them up next to a fucking plain white squid. Also let's make the space jockey a tall guy in a suit. How did Scott think that was a good idea? Fuck that shit and double fuck Covenant for somehow doing even fucking worse.

Rhode- Sea nymph yet not technically an island.

Siren- Inverse groupie.

Sisyphus- Limp Biscuit fan who never stopped rolling.

Tantalus- I'll tell you in a minute...

Thanatos- God of dying as easily as snapping your fingers.

Zeus- When the earth was still flat and the clouds made of fire, and mountains stretched up to the sky, sometimes higher- Folks roamed the earth like big rolling kegs. They had two sets of arms, they had two sets of legs. They had two faces peering out of one giant head so they could watch all around them as they talked and they read. And they never knew nothing of love. It was before the origin of love. There were three sexes then: One that looked like two men glued up back to back, called the children of the sun. Similar in shape and girth were the children of the earth. They looked like two girls rolled up in one. The children of the moon were like a fork shoved on a spoon, they were part sun, part earth- Part daughter, part son. Now the gods grew quite scared of our strength and defiance and Thor said, "I'm gonna kill them all with my hammer, like I killed the giants." And Zeus said, "No, you better let me use my lightening like scissors, like I cut the legs off the whales, and dinosaurs into lizards." Then he grabbed up some bolts and he let out a laugh, and said, "I'll split them right down the middle. Gonna cut them right up in half." And then storm clouds gathered above into great balls of fire, and fire shot down from the sky in bolts like shining blades of a knife and it ripped right through the flesh of the children of the sun and the moon and the earth. If you want the rest, see Hedwig and the Angry Inch cuz this is taking way longer to type than I expected.

[cheriladycl01]

How I love you - Multi Driver x Reader Part 1

Plot: The Heartstopper Charlie Monologue but for each driver!

Max Verstappen

"I've been going out with Max Verstappen since i was 18. He likes Sim-Racing and Formula 1. Animals, especially our Bengal Cats. The feeling of a race win. The sound of a V10 around his home track. Cars. Playing Paddel with friends. Spa-Francorchamps. And staying at home"

"He also likes me..."

"His hair is a sort of light brown and his eyes are blue and he's 5 inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he's pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion..."

Sergio Perez

"I've been going out with Sergio Perez since i was 24. He likes Golf and Formula 1. Football, especially his own team with friends. Collecting serious watches. The sound of his home crowd cheering him on. Our Dog. Singing in the shower. Tiramisu. And Sunday lunch after church"

"He also likes me..."

"His hair is black, but he's argue it's dark brown and his eyes are just as dark brown and he's 3 inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he's pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion..."

Charles Leclerc

"I've been going out with Charles Leclerc since i was 14. He likes Soccer and Formula 1. Dogs, especially Leo Leclerc. Going skiing. The sound of the paddock on a busy Sunday. Ferrari. His ice-cream brand LEC. Piano. And yachting in Monaco"

"He also likes me..."

"His hair is brown, the lighter kind and his eyes are green and he's 6 inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he's pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion..."

Carlos Sainz

"I've been going out with Carlos Sainz since i was 20. He likes Squash and Formula 1. Dogs, especially his family dog Pinon. Going on family holidays to Majorca. The sound of his old school MK6 Golf GTI. Surfing. Playing Golf in the off season with Lando. Cycling. And supporting his dad in rally races"

"He also likes me..."

"His hair is brown, almost black and his eyes are brown and he's 5 inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he's pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion..."

Lando Norris

"I've been going out with Lando Norris since i was 16. He likes Golfing and Formula 1. Animals, especially dogs. Energy Drinks. The sound of Taylor Swift in the open air. DJing. Streaming with Max Fewtrell on Twitch. Music. And creating content with Quadrant"

"He also likes me..."

"His hair is dark brown and his eyes are blue or green, depending on the light and he's 8 inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he's pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion..."

Oscar Piastri

"I've been going out with Oscar Piastri since i was 13. He likes Basketball and Formula 1. The Ocean, especially round Australia. Gaming. The sound of Taylor Swift coming from his team-mates room. AFL. Finding any small part of his ancestry to have as many 'home-races' as possible. Call of Duty. And getting into beef with Carlos Sainz"

"He also likes me..."

"His hair is brown and his eyes are light brown, and he's 2 inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he's pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion..."

Lewis Hamilton

"I've been going out with Lewis Hamilton since i was 21. He likes Skiing and Formula 1. Fashion, especially Dior and Valentino. Roscoe. The sound of the beach waves when he's surfing in Miami. Monster Energy. The feeling of being World Champion. Singing. And getting into beef with Carlos Sainz"

"He also likes me..."

"His hair is black hair, normally braided but I go crazy when it's natural and his eyes are dark brown, and he's 3 inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he's pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion..."

George Russell

"I've been going out with George Russell since i was 17. He likes Tennis and Formula 1. Mercedes, especially his team. Reading. The sound of his first race win in Brazil. Summer Break. Sleepovers with Toto Wolff. Alex Albon. And long drives through the British countryside"

"He also likes me..."

"His hair is dark blonde and his eyes are a sparkly blue, and he's 10 inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he's pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion..."

Fernando Alonso

"I've been going out with Fernando Alonso since i was 26. He likes Karting and Formula 1. Comedy, specifically during media duties. Basketball. The sound of a tennis ball going back and forth. Football. Riding bicycles. Kimoa. And helping out at his karting school in Spain"

"He also likes me..."

"His hair is dark brown and his eyes are an even darker brown, and he's 2 inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he's pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion..."

Lance Stroll

"I've been going out with Lance Stroll since i was 22. He likes Mounting Biking and Formula 1. His dad, specifically his finances. Golfing. The sound of saftey knowing he has a seat until his dad stops bank rolling a team. James Bond. Canadian Ice Hockey. Motorcycles. And drizzling maple syrup on waffles"

"He also likes me..."

"His hair is dark brown and his eyes are also dark brown, and he's 4 inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he's pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion..."

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall l @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @viennakarma @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount

[snake-queen7]

PRINTS FOR SALE

•I can print most of my works, write to me which ones you are interested in~☆

•Prints will be printed on Tecco Professional Matt 230g paper,

-24 x 30 cm (9.4 x 12 inches) cost $10

-32 x 40 cm (13 x 16 inches) cost $20

•Payment via Paypal

•The waiting time for ready prints is about 2-3 weeks (that's how long it takes to produce them), then I send them straight to you~☆

•Includes the shipment tracking number

•Prints will be packed in a cardboard tube and secured with paper inside. Shipping cost is not included (approx. $8-$9)

~Shipping time line~

•Please allow 1-5 days for me to go to the post office~

•Domestic: 1-10 days

•International: 2-4 weeks (EU) 1-2 month (rest of world)

•Please keep in mind that the colors may vary between your device's screen and the actual product

•Not accepting any refund and return, please note that ♡

[midnight-mourning]

Day & Night. (Sun & Moon Drabble)

Requested By: @luckyyyduckyyy

Word Count: 500

Summary: Being stuck together 24/7/365 had been bad enough, working together is somehow worse. In certain aspects, anyway.

Note: Not canon to CS but utilizes the same personalities! Bri's here too lol Also third person POV bc I don't want y'all to get too into the boys' heads just yet :)

______________________________________________________

"Sun."

No outward reaction from the bot as he continues to orchestrate his craft session.

"Sun."

The slightest twitch of acknowledgement, and perhaps definitely annoyance.

The naptime attendant doesn't bother attempting a third time, instead opting for a more direct, though dramatic, approach. 

When he disappears from his yellow counterpart's view, it's under the assumption that he won't be returning. And frankly, he couldn't be happier-

His sensors alert him of a rapidly descending presence from above before his optics do. Though he's unable to stop from flinching when Moon appears eye to eye with him, hanging upside down from the wire he's so proud to show his mastering of. 

The night-themed bot's words are as blunt as his stare, "It's naptime."

Sun, despite his urges to do otherwise, remains polite. Or at least, his tone does, "Naptime begins at exactly 2:00:00 PM. I still have 5 minutes, 32 seconds, and 6 milliseconds."

"Light's off at 1:55:00 PM," Moon tilts his head, "You know that."

"I do."

Moon's eyes narrow, "Then why did you start another activity at 1:53:45 PM? Knowing that the children need time to wind down and prepare."

"Oh, did I?" Sun raises a hand to his faceplate, "Goodness me, it seems that without you constantly reminding me I've lost my ability to effectively keep track of time! What a shame."

The naptime attendant doesn't move an inch, "They're going to become tired quickly if you don't allow them to rest. Is that really something you wish to deal with?"

It's now that Sun begins to falter, gaze also implying irritation, "A few extra minutes of playtime will hardly do them any harm. Now too long of a nap on the other hand-"

"So you admit you're purposely trying to take extra time-"

"-Certainly not purposefully but if that's the outcome so be it-"

Both animatronics voices grow quieter but more forced.

"The children need their nap, Sun."

"They also need time to play, Moon."

"Hey, am I supposed to be turning out the lights or what?"

Both bots turn to where the security guard sits at her desk, hand hovering over the light switch with a brow raised. 

Moon snickers quietly, too quietly for Bri to hear.

Sun responds for both of them, "Just give us a moment, Officer Perry!" Then lowering his voice to mutter a threat of "Shut it." to the other attendant. 

Before his opposite can say what he wants to, Moon rises back to the ceiling again, thus ruining any chance of satisfaction for the day-themed bot. Which was of course the intention of such an action.

Instead, he's forced to receive a message which would have been spoken in the cheekiest, most frustrating, most grating, of voices.

'You have three minutes before I instruct Officer Perry to turn out the lights.

You have two and a half minutes before I decide to just do it myself.'

What pleasant company these two make. One would truly envy who ends up with them.

______________________________________________________

Ngl this was a fun challenge for me! I know how they interact when together and how that dynamic works but have never considered separate before. Next request should be up on Thursday :) Thanks for reading!!

[hegoeshardasfuck]

dirty mind

wordcount: 0.7K

tags: sexting, unresolved sexual tension

synopsis: as much he's a good Weapon, he's also a bother sometimes

authors note: written for day 2 of kinktober! might be late to port some of them onto tumblr, but i hope ya'll enjoy!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59395495

Soul should know better than to reach for his phone as he waits for Death to declare his mission, but it's just so boring being a Death Scythe. He doesn't really ever get wielded by Death anyways, just lounges about. No wonder Spirit ended up spending so much time at Chupa Cabra's.

There's nothing to do except sit and wait.

And bother Maka.

He grins as he takes his leave with a dumb excuse of heading off for a walk. Death doesn't care enough to stop him, he never really used Soul anyways. He much preferred his twin pistols even now.

Soul meanders aimlessly until he finds a hidden little corner he's known of for years now. He drops down on the ground and opens up his phone before texting Maka "hey," with a slutty amount of y's.

yeah soul?

mmmmmmmnothing

bullshit

i just cant wait to get home

?

its sooo boring working for DTK these days, death scythe is not a good job

things were better when your hands were on me 24/7

im flattered

at least we still live together, no? god i cannot imagine living apart

itd be awful

yeah you got plans tonight? the usual

nothing?

nada zilch im free if youre free

someones eager

what do you have in mind? the usual actually wait are you teaching rn?

nope kids are all off on missions

okay great the usual being me fucking you hard

how hard?

stars

what happens if i fuck you? what then? you and i both know theres a strap under the bed, one that you looove to ride on

i doubt you could make me see stars

then gimme more to work with make this conversation something to read back on when youre on the job

alright alright well to start off our night i think i'd eat you out strip you down, piece by piece hold your thighs, one in each hand and work my way up i'd bite

how much?

bloody amounts

hot

now, i'd bite alllllll the way up your thighs not stopping for even a second, not even if you gripped my head by then i'd already be deep in your cunt fingers and tongue, one hand on your ass

so we're seated?

im on the ground

like the dog you are

you know i'd bark for you any day of the week

and you're on the edge of the bed my hands are in your hair pulling you closer

right right, im mashed up against you in the pussy having a great time leaving no scraps behind absolutely eating

soul.

getting off track sorry queen where was i......... right im in the pussy you cum once

im a little bit worn clawing into your scalp

i dont mind it at all when i can finally back away to breath i wipe down my lips then im back on you slowly pushing you down to the bed

slowly?

hastily i am hastily pushing you to the bed not slamming you, but im not going slow this definitely isnt our first time

definitely not

so youre down, laid out before me so pretty and i immediately start kissing on you lips, neck, chest, all of it nothing new but i should touch back on old territory

mhm

one hand on the mattress one hand on your leg usually you do the work ride me peg me fuck me itll be different tonight though

oh? you really think so?

i know it i'll take you so slow its agonizing missionary style too youll be begging before you know it if you thought i was a tease before im beyond unbearable now every single inch of your skin is gonna be mine only my hands will truly know it my lips as well i could go for a few rounds as many as you like no time for breaks in between creampied thoroughly by the end of it all i think thats where i'd call it a day lick you clean, make sure you're perfect we could sleep afterwards or watch a movie

you better hold true to this tonight

we'll see if DTK gets a mission for me might be too worn out if he does

youre a fucking tease

and you love it

i know

[dr-spectre]

I've had some time to go over my initial thoughts about the switch 2 and I wanna discuss them.

I do like the bigger joy cons but I'm not sure how to feel about an all black look with coloured highlights on the connectors and control sticks. It reminds me of those RGB lights that some pc gaming handhelds have and I always found them kinda tacky. Also why is the red now orange? I don't like it, make it a nice hot red instead. It's common knowledge that red on black is one of the most pretty colour combos of all time. I hope the other colours that eventually come out do change the entire controller and not just change the highlights.

I am worried about the sticks due to well, you know, and i am praying to the gods that the joy cons have actually good control sticks that don't break down easily. How the hell does my Wii Nunchuck from 2007 have no stick drift, yet controllers made 10 years later break down so easily?

I love the chunkier look of the Switch 2 because I always thought that the Switch was a bit too flat and it didn't have enough grip to it. An 8 inch display sounds lovely even if it's gonna be an LCD panel.

Although there are these annoying bezels UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY NINTENDO WHY!?!? YOU GOT A FAT ASS PANEL! USE ALL OF IT DUMMY!!!

Now about that backwards compatibility... I got a few questions.

1. Will the system transfer process be easy and will it transfer EVERYTHING?! I'm talking saves, miis, photos, games, etc. Everything. It better be easy and stress free as possible, i wanna be able to put my Switch 1 to rest and not have to pick it up ever again.

2. Will we be able to use Switch 1 joy cons with backwards compatible titles and have all of their features intact? There are some experiences like Ring Fit Adventure and Labo that will be unplayable on Switch 2 unless you can use Switch 1 joy cons. Nintendo, i swear to god, if you lock us out of those titles and not give us the option to play them i will be very VERY mad.

I am very relieved that backwards compatibility is a highlight of the console and that Nintendo is actually not gonna abandon their old hardware like they've done time and time again. They can be very stubborn and stuck in their ways, it's actually really frustrating that it took them until the Switch to realise that MAYBE HAVING A PROPER ACCOUNT SYSTEM THAT CARRIES OVER TO OTHER DEVICES INCLUDING PURCHASES IS A GOOD FUCKING IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NEXT! Let's talk about the elephant in the room, new Mario Kart.

Firstly, oh my god the models are so lovely omg I'm so happy they changed up their looks.

Bowser and DK looking extra silly, we love to see it.

The animation and details look really good too. They got that nice squash and stretch.

I will say, i don't know if it's because of youtube's shit compression or how the gameplay is shown, but the graphics don't seem to have had a noticeable leap in quality, the game looks like it could run on the Switch 1 with ease. It seems like they are going for a different art style and i respect that. Then again i cannot make any major judgements on the footage shown because it only lasted for 10 seconds.

What really interests me about this new Mario Kart is that there isn't going to be just 12 racers, but potentially 24!!!!!!

If you're gonna evolve Mario Kart then this is not a bad way to do it, it's gonna increase the chaos and expand the track design. And it looks like the tracks may be actually expansive and larger in scope but we'll have to wait and see.

24 racers means that the character roaster has to be pretty damn big in order to reduce repetitiveness. However, i don't wanna see another Mario Kart 8 situation where a lot of the roaster could have easily been alt costumes, so i wanna see some changes...

MAKE THESE GUYS SKINS FOR BOWSER JR! I DONT CARE IF THEY HAVE DIFFERENT WEIGHTS! THESE FREAKS SHOULD NOT TAKE UP NEARLY A FULL ROW!!!

Make them costumes that don't fill up character slots... please... Nintendo don't be fucking stupid for once in your existence.

Leave these babies behind in Baby Park.

Don't get rid of her... Please. She's my goat, my MVP, my smingus chungus, my bingus smungus, don't get rid of one of the best non Mario characters from the series.

Add these creatures as optional costumes too.

Speaking of these fellas... Since i talk about Splatoon a lot, i can't help but bring up the fact that now we have a new console on the horizon and due to Splatoon's massive popularity, i wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo shadow drops a Splatoon 4 announcement this year or the next. Splatoon 2 did get shown during the Switch's reveal and released in the launch year so maybe by the end of the year, we could have something on our hands...

Then again, certain elements of Splatoon 2 such as the hero mode THAT I DESPISE WITH ALL OF MY HEART AND SOUL!!!!!.... and content did suffer due to Splatoon 2 being rushed. So maybe don't announce Splatoon 4 this year, please? We can wait, we'll be patient.

In terms of a first party launch lineup i wanna make some predictions and copium picks.

New 3D Mario game

Metroid representation, either a cross gen release of Prime 4 and or a bundle of Prime 2 and 3.

F-Zero representation, a new game FINALLY after the positive feedback from 99, or a GX re-release.

A Wii Sports/ 1 2 Switch like casual game

A new IP

A new Kirby, either 2D or a follow up to Forgotten Land

Something Fire Emblem related

The last thing i wanna talk about is the third party support, I'm not gonna say much but i guarantee a lot of third party companies are gonna be HUNGRY to port their PS5 and Xbox series games to a much more powerful handheld, so I'm gonna list off some games that i would absolutely love to see on the Switch 2.

If Nintendo wants to repeat the magic of seeing Skyrim on a portable tablet then i think one game in particular would fulfill that same shock or even surpass it.

And that game is....

If they can do it, if they can somehow find a way to make it run on Switch 2 and show gameplay of this thing... oh my god, it'll make peoples jaws drop. It's launching on the damn Xbox Series S, I'm sure with some programming magic it COULD run on Switch 2.

[usafphantom2]

The Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird "Big Tail" has calibration stripes painted on its tail to help with tracking during early flight and taxi tests

Big Tail - One of a Kind Variant

Shortly after the first SR-71’s began flying operational missions over North Vietnam, the Air Force was looking into ways of expanding the capabilities of the aircraft. With the interchangeable noses, mission planners had to make a choice of flying either optical cameras or side-looking radar, depending upon the mission requirements and the weather over the target area. Unfortunately several missions were rendered useless when weather over the target area prevented the use of the optical camera systems installed. There was also the possibility that future ground defenses had the ability to reach the SR-71 from behind since it carried no aft facing countermeasures.

SR-71A 959 Big Tail on the ramp at Palmdale.(Lockheed Photo)

In 1974, the Air Force identified a requirement for aft facing ECM requirement on the SR-71. Several proposals examined by the Air Force included conformal packages, belly pods as well as an extended tail fairing. After researching all the possibilities, the extended tail appeared to be the most viable option based on lowest cost, added volume and least aerodynamic drag. The new “Big Tail” assembly is 13-feet, 9-inches long and weighs 1,273 lbs. with 49 cubic feet of space to carry 864 lbs. of payload. The primary payload consisted of aft facing ECM as well as the 24-inch Optical Bar Camera. The new assembly needed to articulate 8.5 degrees up and down to clear the runway during take-off and landing.

The tenth SR-71 built (61-7959) was selected to receive the new modification. This aircraft was already being used for flight test duties at Palmdale at the time so there would be no effect on the operational fleet. Between April and November 1975, ‘959 received the modification with the new tail fairing; necessary modifications included a 51-inch adapter unit for the new tail, air conditioning for cameras and other equipment as well as routing the fuel vent along the upper surface of the tail. In addition to the tail modification, chine bays were modified to accommodate the 24-inch Optical Bar Camera.

The modified tail assembly shows up well in this view as SR-71A 61-7959 ‘Big Tail’ takes on fuel from a KC-135Q tanker aircraft. The ex-tended tail required the fuel dump port to be routed across the top of the new tail assembly.

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES

With the stress and vibration testing completed, ‘Big Tail’ was taken out for the first high-speed taxi test on November 20, 1975 by Lockheed test crew Darrell Greenamyer (pilot) and Steven Belgeau (Reconnaissance Systems Officer-RSO). Two weeks later, on December 3, the same crew took Big Tail up on its first flight. Lasting just over one hour, the crew performed basic flight checks as well as tail deflections and fuel dump tests. With each test flight with the same Lockheed crew, Big Tail flew to higher speeds and altitudes achieving Mach 3 at 75,000 ft during the 6th flight on January 28,1976. Prior to turning the aircraft over to Air Force test crews, Greenamyer performed 4 solo flights to prove the system could be run by just a single crewmember. The RSO’s seat occupied by a ballast dummy affectionately known as “Sierra Sam”.

Once Lockheed crews proved the system worked, the Air Force took over all flight testing. Tom Pugh and Bob Riedenauer became the pilots and RSO duties went to William Frazier and John Carnochan with the first Air Force flight taking place on May 5, 1976. Over the next 6 months these Air Force crews made 23 flights in ‘Big Tail’, testing various camera systems in the tail and chine bays, as well as new ECM systems such as the DEF I, DEF J and DEF A-2.

Although ‘Big Tail’ proved to be a viable system, the Air Force chose not to pursue the concept any further.  After only 36 flights with the extended tail, ‘959 made its last flight on Oct. 29 1976

@Habubrats71 via X

[puppyexpressions]

30 Fun Dog Facts

1. The Labrador Retriever has been on the AKC’s top 10 most popular breeds list for longer than any other breed.

2. A dog’s nose print is unique, much like a person’s fingerprint.

3. Forty-five percent of U.S. dogs sleep in their owner’s beds.

4. Speaking of sleeping … all dogs dream, but puppies and senior dogs dream more frequently than adult dogs.

5. Seventy percent of people sign their dog’s name on their holiday cards.

6. A dog’s sense of smell is legendary, but did you know that their nose has as many as 300 million receptors? In comparison, a human nose has about 5 million.

7. Rin Tin Tin, the famous German Shepherd Dog, was nominated for an Academy Award.

8. Dogs’ noses can sense heat and thermal radiation, which explains why blind or deaf dogs can still hunt.

9. The French Bulldog was first named the most popular breed in 2022.

10. The name Collie means “black.” (Collies once tended black-faced sheep.)

11. Yawning is contagious — even for dogs. Research shows that the sound of a human yawn can trigger one from your dog. And it’s four times as likely to happen when it’s the yawn of a person your pet knows.

12. The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is the only breed named for a fictional person, a character in the novel “Guy Mannering” by Sir Walter Scott.

13. Dogs curl up in a ball when sleeping to protect their organs — a holdover from their days in the wild, when they were vulnerable to predator attacks.

14. The Basenji is not technically “barkless,” as many people think. They can yodel.

15. The Australian Shepherd is not actually from Australia. In fact, they are an American breed.

16. … And the Labrador Retriever is originally from Newfoundland.

17. Human blood pressure goes down when petting a dog. And so does the dog’s.

18. There are over 75 million pet dogs in the U.S. — more than in any other country.

19. A person who hunts with a Beagle is known as a “Beagler.”

20. Dogs are not color-blind. They can see blue and yellow.

21. All puppies are born deaf.

22. Dalmatians are born completely white. They develop their spots as they get older.

23. Dogs have about 1,700 taste buds. We humans have between 2,000 and 10,000.

24. When dogs kick backward after they go to the bathroom, it’s not to cover it up, but to mark their territory, using the scent glands in their feet.

25. A study shows that dogs are among a small group of animals who show voluntary unselfish kindness towards others without any reward.

26. The Norwegian Lundehund is the only dog breed created for the job of puffin hunting.

27. Greyhounds can beat cheetahs in a race. While cheetahs can run twice as fast as Greyhounds, they can only maintain that 70 mph speed for about thirty seconds. A Greyhound can maintain a 35 mph speed for about seven miles. The cheetah may start out first, but the Greyhound would soon overtake them.

28. The Bloodhound’s sense of smell is so accurate that the results of its tracking can be used as evidence in a court of law.

29. According to Guinness World Records, a Great Dane named Zeus is the world’s tallest male dog. Zeus is 3 feet, 5.18 inches tall.

30. What about the shortest dog? According to Guinness World Records, the shortest dog ever recorded was Pearl the Chihuahua. She measures 3.59 inches tall.

[mrvelocipede]

Notes on the multicolored doily

Ovale Decke: Ravelry link, Ramona French charts

Knitted using three colors of crochet cotton, on US size 2 (2.75mm) needles. Finished dimensions about 24x18 inches.

The hexagonal units are reasonably straightforward to knit, although I had some questions about the chart. There’s a triple YO that turns into 7 stitches, which is clearly visible in pictures of the finished doily, but which is charted in a way that looks like it would result in two groups of three and a single stitch. Historic Niebling patterns tell you to alternate knits and purls in the same stitch for those huge increases, but I usually alternate knits and YOs instead. It makes fewer twists in the yarn.

Then there’s a round of purl stitches, and I can’t figure out why. The pictures from the original magazine don’t seem to have them, and some of the Ravelry projects don’t have them either, but some do. At what stage of things was this variation introduced? It is a mystery. I swatched it both ways, and decided to leave them out.

Ultimately, I made my own version of the chart, and used that. Here it is, for the record. In the hexagon chart, I included every round, because there are a couple of things that happen on even-numbered rounds, and I didn’t want to lose track of them. The border charts use the more standard notation of only showing odd-numbered rounds.

The 1x1 cable crosses may have all gone the same direction in the original, but I decided to mirror them, and also to not do them as actual cables. Instead, I did a mock cable that I think of as a Fake Decrease, but which is maybe officially called a Twisted Stitch (or Traveling Stitch?) and which I got very tired of by the time I was at the end of the border. All the border leaves are outlined in these crossed stitches as well. There are a lot of them. Bah.

I made four hexagonal units and grafted them together. Then I put all the remaining stitches onto a 24 inch needle, and considered the border.

The hexagon sides each have 17 stitches. In between the groups of 17, you either add a YO or you don’t, depending on whether that corner is convex or concave. I made a little diagram for both the 4-unit and the 9-unit versions, to show the placement of the in-between YOs.

I used several different colors of stitch markers to keep track of which places had the YOs and which ones didn’t. The YOs eventually expand into the triple-leaf shapes, but at first they’re easy to lose sight of.

I re-charted the border as two parts, A and B, and made a few small tweaks. When you’re using chart A, instead of repeating the chart exactly, you work whichever bits apply: the leaf increases happen at the corners where you’ve added a YO, and the former hexagon sides are gradually decreased away.

So you work rounds 1-8 of chart A, knitting any ktbl stitches through the back loop on the plain rounds as well. Starting with round 9, the part of the chart inside the orange outline gets repeated three times. Those sections get much wider very quickly, and it didn’t take very long before I had to switch to a 32 inch needle. And eventually to wish I had a 40 inch one.

On round 19, there are some places in between the leaf sections where there’s one stitch, and some places where there are two. To start chart B, you need three stitches in between the leaves, so you either do one YO (in between), or two YOs (one on either side). On round 20, I decided to knit those single in-between YOs through the back loop, because they seemed a bit too open and gappy. I suppose that more or less turns them into a M1.

I used two different double decreases, as follows:

The angled double decrease is slip 1 stitch, knit 2 together, pass the slipped stitch over: the central stitch ends up on the bottom of the stack, and the diagonal decrease lines are emphasized.

The centered double decrease is slip 2 stitches together knitwise, knit 1, pass both slipped stitches over: the central stitch ends up on top, and the vertical line is emphasized.

The 5-into-1 decrease goes like this: first you slip 2 stitches knitwise, exactly like you would for a ssk. Knit the next 2 stitches together, and pass one of the slipped stitches over. Then move the stitch over to the left needle, and pass the next working stitch over it. Move it back to the right needle, pass the other slipped stitch over it, and you’re done.

Chart B is pretty much normal lace knitting (except for the interminable 1x1 crossed stitches). After round 31, the marked groups of stitches are gathered with crochet chains in between.

The ones on Ravelry all seem to be diamond-shaped, but I blocked mine into more of an ellipse, and it’s kind of interesting to see how it distorted the central hexagons. Dealing with all the loose ends was exactly as terrible as you think it was. Writing the notes took nearly as long as the actual knitting. Hooray!

[ausetkmt]

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 21: Rakim performs during the "Dj Cassidy's Pass the Mic Live" at Radio ... [+] City Music Hall on July 21, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Richard Bord/Getty Images)Getty Images

Set to release his fourth solo album in 15 years, hip-hop luminary Rakim Allah is making a return to the hip-hop cipher.

Although 15 years have elapsed since the God MC’s last solo project, his stance remains interwoven in the fabric of hip-hop culture, ensuring he has never truly left the scene.

Two weeks ago (May 16), Masta Killa of Wu-Tang Clan took to Instagram and posted an image with Kurupt and Rakim, announcing the upcoming release of a single featuring the three renowned lyricists. Though Masta Killa did not reveal the single's name, he shared it would come from the “#GODSNETWORK” and instructed followers to remain attentive.

Cover of Rakim Allah's single, "Rebirth (N.M.A.) featuring Kurupt and Masta KillaInstagram | @almightym80

On Friday (May 24), Matthew Markoff, a markerting A&R for the project, announced on Instagram the solidification of a contract with Rakim for the release of his fourth studio album, G.O.Ds Network (REB7RTH).

Set for a worldwide release on July 26, there will also be a special edition released as a six-inch A and B side vinyl, with “REB7RTH” on one side and “Love is the Message” on the other. This special edition, limited to 500 pieces, will feature an array of hip-hop heavyweights such as Masta Killa, Kurupt, Nipsey Hussle, Snoop Dogg, Planet Asia, as well as seasoned creatives including Sally Green, Louis King, Kobe Honeycutt, Summer Yuki, and more.

The debut single from the album, “Rebirth (N.M.A.),” also produced by the “I Ain’t No Joke” lyricist, featuring Masta Killa and Kurupt, is set to drop next month on June 21, coinciding with the web and pre-order launch. Kurupt shared the single’s official cover on Instagram Friday (May 24), confirming the coming of Rakim’s new album. “July 26th - ‘Rebirth’ Rakim new album…Produced by Tha God Mc himself,” the caption noted.

Cover for six-inch special edition side A and B side vinyl, “Love is the Message” side.

The album is thoroughly produced by Rakim Allah, with Markoff also serving as an executive producer.

G.O.Ds Network (REB7RTH) marks Rakim’s first solo effort since 2009. He transformed the landscape of rap in 1987 with Eric B. on Paid In Full, and the duo went on to shape the Golden Era of rap with three additional albums: Follow The Leader (1988), Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990), and Don’t Sweat The Technique (1992), all deemed classics of the Golden Era.

Rakim’s solo debut came in 1997 with The 18th Letter, featuring production from Pete Rock, DJ Premier, DJ Clark Kent, Father Shaheed of Poor Righteous Teachers, and more. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and went certified Gold. In 1999, he quickly followed up with his second solo album, The Master, which includes the DJ Premier-produced standout single, “When I B on tha Mic." Afterward, Rakim took a 10-year hiatus before releasing The Seventh Seal in 2009, the first project on his record label Ra Records.

Throughout the years, Rakim has made guest appearances on unapologetic rap songs including G-Dep’s 2001 track “I Am” with Kool G Rap, the 2003 Dr. Dre-produced Jay-Z track “The Watcher 2,” Lloyd Banks’ 2006 song “You Know the Deal,” and he even added a surprise verse on Linkin Park’s 2014 track “Guilty All the Same.”

With his latest performance alongside Slum Village and Talib Kweli at Panic in L.A., the hip-hop luminary has been making his presence felt in the culture. He narrated a Bronx history video for the New York Yankees' opening season, and last month, he joined DJ Jazzy Jeff and Ravi Coltrane for a showcase at the Kennedy Center. As hip-hop enters its 51st year and Rakim makes a comeback, it's safe to conclude that hip-hop was never a fad and is bound to continue dominating and persisting as not only a music genre but a culture.

[houseboatisland]

“All is Arbitrary,” a popular Wallundic idiom, can be applied handily to that country’s railway system and especially to the gauges of such.

A narrow majority of the Liberal Republic’s railways are indeed built to the worldwide standard gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches. The country’s first public railway was the Eastern Railway, opened in 1846. It was an instant success and is today the busiest and longest network of all. The next few railways inaugurated in its wake laid themselves to the same gauge for ease of access to the ER, and for a while it seemed all future development would follow suit.

It was a short while.

Claude Ortiz was an up and coming civil engineer with a penchant for, by his own account and stated with pride, “overbuilding.” He had recently achieved celebrity status for his design and erecting of what was then the country’s largest aqueduct, the Grand Staircase. Not wanting to stop there, and out to steal the ER’s newfound thunder, he leapt into the railway business. Inspired by Sir Brunel, he rapidly constructed the Grand Shoreside Railway to a gauge of 6 feet, 6 inches. It linked the growing seaside resorts of Port Nevitt and Locketown, and the first trains ran in 1851. Ortiz intended to “march into” the country’s capital of Silverburn with his broad gauge and from there become the New Standard.

The GSR never penetrated Silverburn, and while Ortiz and some of his apprentice disciples went on to open a handful more routes to his preferred gauge, they never overrode the 56.5” norm and mostly ran in isolation from one another. Ortiz was infuriated, for that had been the whole point of his contrarian determination in the first place! (That and a cartoonishly outsized ego.)

So it was by 1867 that the Liberal Republic had two competing rail gauges under its belt. (That was a lie, for a handful ranging from 4 feet and 5 feet had also started work within those sixteen years. Splendid.) In the country’s northeast, the thriving slate quarries at New Independence were having difficulty removing their products. The area’s booming population also needed transportation beyond horses and coaches, but “the land was craggy and spitefully unyielding after the men had so picked at it.” To save on costly earthworks, and with North Welsh inspiration, a gauge of 2 feet, 3 inches was chosen. The New Independence Railway was speedily opened by 1868. It fast became a narrow gauge juggernaut, becoming double-tracked and signaled, achieving mythical “main line in miniature” status. It further extended to serve nearby granite quarries and offered private sidings for any flour mill, dairy, farm, logging camp or other business that wanted one.

Developments carried on in this increasingly disorderly way, and to the outside world’s bafflement, they went seamlessly. Effective 1976, Wallund had 24 locomotive-hauled gauges it considered “standard,” (for what that’s worth.) This also gave way to the Stephenson gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches becoming officially known as “Standard Standard.”

Curiously, meter gauge is nowhere to be found in Wallund.

Why?

“Meters and kilometers are for kings, and we haven’t any use for those.”

All is Arbitrary, indeed.

[capitalisticveins]

Unempowered Boys Headcanons (Ft Vega, Wampus, Aggro, and Cutie)

Took a bit longer than I thought but I’m still happy with how it turned out

Also I have like 1 personal headcanon that might be based on gender? If you look at it that way? I didn’t want to include it but I did so, sorry if it makes you uncomfortable

PS: Erik refers to Ollie’s listener as “Babe” in March Redactedness, so I did that here too. They’re not to be confused with “Baaabe” (Asher’s listener)

- Guy puts milk before cereal solely to piss off Honey

- Ollie and Babe have matching cat pajamas

- Geordi was a short distance runner for his high school track team. He quit after 3 weeks

- Flyboi! Baby tried to reconnect with Ivan when he was still influenced by Vega, but couldn’t find anything about him online. His number was gone, and so was all of his social media..

- Aaron worked at Walmart for 1 year before quitting on the spot without a 2-week notice

- Geordi was invited to a party in his high school year by Ben. He thinks of it as “one of the most depressing parties I’ve ever been to” in his words

- Ollie would vent to Wampus about his crush on Babe for 2 years before confessing. Wampus was asleep whenever this happened

- Honey was an honor roll student and a part of the college varsity team.

- Guy worked at Max’s Rustic Pizza to afford his tuition, with added bonus money from his parents whenever his paychecks weren’t enough

- Geordi’s only gone to 4 parties, 2 of which were birthday parties in elementary school

- Smartass used to pretend something smelled bad whenever Aaron walked past their cubicle, nothing pissed him off more than when they did that

- Ivan plays Stardew Valley

- Either Geordi and Cutie are the same height, or Cutie is taller by 2+ inches

- Wampus leaves the house through the window whenever neither Babe nor Ollie are home, and gets into another couple’s house and loafs with their cat, or fight them, it’s never clear

- Flyboi! Baby only plays Minecraft on peaceful mode and on 24 hour daylight. It’s too intense to play any other way

- When Cutie first told Geordi they were a telepath, he would put an aluminum foil on his head for a week whenever he wanted 100% privacy. Cutie found it adorable for the wrong reason

- Smartass forgot some stuff on their desk when they quit (a plant, some pictures, post-its, etc), Aaron keeps them on his desk.

- Honey would tutor other students whenever they could.

- Geordi hates FNAF

- Ivan starts getting headaches whenever he sees something about Vesta Distribution online, but he doesn’t know what’s causing it

- Sadism’s Hold! Baby works in Smartass’ old position at Vesta now

- Guy realized Honey was a tutor, and suddenly started being terrible at his English classes. He was assigned to be tutored by Honey, and started silently upper cutting the air when he was told this

- Ollie played Uno once as a teenager. Never again.

- Smartass would demolish Aaron at Monopoly

- Cutie absolutely ADORES Pitbulls

- Babe has 3 pet hamsters that has continuously tried to kill themselves and each other

- Guy proposed the idea of being roommates a few months before Honey finished their final semester, he was scared that when they graduated, they’d drift apart

- When he still had Sadism’s Hold! Baby in captivity, Ivan would want to see if Flyboi! Baby responded to his voicemail, but Vega’s control on him was too much, and he’d forget

- Aaron was one of those kids that would hold 3 chairs to show off to the class in the 2nd grade

- (Personal headcanon) Cutie did cheerleading in high school

- Sadism’s Hold! Baby would rather die than own a pet, commitment isn’t their strong suit, at all.

- Geordi wears dorky glasses, Cutie sometimes steals them and wears it themselves, and then gets a headache

- Guy and Honey went through 5 roommates before just moving in with each other, they only liked 1, but that one moved out.

Taglist: @frenchiefitzhere

[snake-queen7]

ORDERS CLOSED!!

~PRINTS FOR SALE~

Orders can be placed to September 30, 11:00 p.m. GMT+2

•I can print most of my works, write to me which ones you are interested in~☆

•Prints will be printed on Tecco Professional Matt 230g paper,

-24 x 30 cm (9.4 x 12 inches) cost $10

-32 x 40 cm (13 x 16 inches) cost $20

•Payment via Paypal

•The waiting time for ready prints is about 2-3 weeks (that's how long it takes to produce them), then I send them straight to you~☆

•Includes the shipment tracking number

•Prints will be packed in a cardboard tube and secured with paper inside. Shipping cost is not included (approx. $7-$8)

~Shipping time line~

•Please allow 1-5 days for me to go to the post office~

•Domestic 1-10 days

•International 2-4 weeks (EU) 1-2 month (rest of world)

•Please keep in mind that the colors may vary between your device's screen and the actual product

•Not accepting any refund and return, please note that ♡

[dbriley]

Digital Burnout: Your Brain is Not a 24/7 Drive-Thru

INTRODUCTION:

Remember when "burnout" meant doing sick donuts in a parking lot? Now it's your brain doing donuts while you stare at your phone from 5PM to 11 PM. Welcome to the digital burnout, the modern equivalent of trying to run a marathon while juggling chainsaws and responding to Facebook messages.

Signs You're Digitally Burnt (Besides Your Smoking Keyboard)

Look, if your eye twitch has its own Instagram following, we need to talk. Here's what digital burnout actually looks like:

Your phone separation anxiety rivals a teenager's fear of missing a TikTok trend

Your thumb has developed abs from endless scrolling

You've memorized every pixel of your LinkedIn homepage

Your coffee maker gets more rest than you do

The Science breakdown (Don't Worry, We'll Keep It Spicier Than Your Ex's Instagram Stories)

Your brain on digital overload is like a hamster who had a Redbull. Chaotic, messy, and heading nowhere fast. Here's the deal:

Your anxiety is partying harder than college freshmen

Your attention span now matches a goldfish with ADHD

Your sleep cycle is more disturbed than a good horror movie 

7 Ways to Stop the Digital Dumpster Fire

Digital Boundaries That Don't Suck:

Treat work emails like that clingy ex – set strict visiting hours

Your phone isn't a conjoined twin – surgical separation is allowed

Create a notification system that doesn't feel like a hostage situation

The 90/20 Method (Because Your Brain Isn't Netflix – It Needs Breaks). Work like you're being chased by deadlines for 90 minutes. Take 20-minute breaks where screens are as forbidden as pineapple on pizza

Implementation Plan (Or: How to Actually Do This Stuff Without Having a Existential Crisis)

Week 1: Reality Check

Count your notification pings (if you reach 1000 before lunch, seek help)

Track your screen time like you track your ex's new relationship status

Document when your eye twitch turns into a flutter

Week 2-3: The Intervention

Delete apps like you're cleaning out your Ex’s belongings

Set boundaries firmer than your grandmother's opinions

Create device-free zones (yes, the bathroom counts)

When It All Goes Wrong (Because It Will)

Look, you'll fail. Like that time you promised to start meal prep or learn Spanish on Rosetta Stone. Here's what actually happens:

The Client Emergency

Everyone's definition of "emergency" is different. Your client's 11 PM "URGENT!" email about font choices isn't actually urgent

Solution: Auto-reply and simply let your snark cannon handle it (don’t do that, you still haven’t paid of school loans yet)

The FOMO Spiral

Your brain: "But what if someone posted something IMPORTANT?"

Reality: It's probably just another gym selfie or coffee art

Solution: Remind yourself that social media is just everyone's highlight reel on steroids (top heavy and disgruntled about everything)

Measuring Success (Without Spreadsheets Because We're Not Monsters)

You're winning if:

Your eye twitch downgrades from "possessed" to "mildly concerning"

You can watch an entire movie without checking your phone

Your plants are alive because you actually notice them now

Your pets remember what you look like

The Real Talk Section

Let's be honest – you're probably reading this on your phone while ignoring three other tasks. The irony isn't lost on us. But here's the truth bomb: digital burnout isn't just about screen time. It's about reclaiming your brain from the technological equivalent of a toddler hopped up on pixie sticks.

Your Action Plan (Because We Can't Leave You Hanging Like a Netflix Series)

Right Now:

Put your phone down (after reading this, obviously)

Take a deep breath (oxygen is still free, unlike app subscriptions)

Look at something further than 6 inches from your face

Today:

Pick ONE thing from this guide

Actually do it (revolutionary, we know)

Don't immediately post about doing it

This Week:

Set up auto-replies snarkier than this article (Again, not recommended if you want to keep your job)

Remember what your hobbies were BC (Before Connectivity)

Conclusion:

Your brain deserves better than being a 24/7 digital carnival. Start small, fail forward, and remember: every time you ignore a notification, an IT angel gets its wings.

Final Call to Action:

Download a Digital Detox Tracker. Or don't. We're not your mom.

[plagues-and-pansies]

Hello!

This is going to be an informational post concerning my fic a lighthouse in the distance. It'll be a collection general information to help keep track of characters, locations, events, and other odds and ends as needed. I'll update it after every new chapter!

If you guys have any questions or have any ideas about more information I can add, please let me know!

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

Characters (In Order of Appearance):

(Notes on Character Descriptions: listen. listen to me. i do not give two shits what these people’s canonical heights are. they’re all horseshit. they’re gonna be as tall/short as i want them to be and you can’t do anything about it. are you listening to me? i refuse to be four inches taller than the dictator of a militant mercenary company.)

Chapter 1: 

Arata Natsuko, 22 (OC) - 5’5”; short, light brown hair; light grey eyes; fair complexion - main character/love interest, civilian, employed at Uoshin for four years, has been raising her sister Hikaru since their parents died in the Kyuubi attack, works too many hours, embroiders as both a hobby and a way to make extra income, is friends with several regular customers, most of them ninja, closest with Mitarashi Anko

Akimichi Aijirou, 40s (OC) - 6’3”; tall and large like most Akimichi; owns and operates Uohsin; retired shinobi; kind but doesn’t put up from nonsense from staff or customers; dedicated to taking care of his staff, takes pride in offering above average pay and fair employment terms; very protective of his employees

Matsuoka Hisashi, late 20s/early 30s (OC) - 6’0”, one of the bartenders/cooks at Uoshin, kind of like a big beefy older brother, is protective of the waitresses, especially if Aijirou isn’t there, will fight someone if needed, but Aijirou rarely lets him

Mitarashi Anko, 20/21 (CC) - 5’9”

Masumura Mizuki, 20/21 (CC) - 5’11”

Umino Iruka, 20/21 (CC) - 6’0”

Yuhi Kurenai, 22/23 (CC) - 5’11”

Sarutobi Asuma, 23/24 (CC) - 6’3”

Shiranui Genma, 23/24 (CC) - 6’2”

Gekko Hayate, 22/23 (CC) - 6’1”

Namiashi Raidou, 22/23 (CC) - 5’10”

Hatake Kakashi, 22/23 (CC) - 6’2”

Chapter 2:

Kuwamaru-san, 40s (OC) - dark hair; dark eyes; owns the takoyaki stand in the east district markets

Maito Gai, 22/23 (CC) - 6’3”

Arata Hikaru, 8 (OC) - 3’9”; long, dark hair; light grey eyes - attends a temple school in the east district, full of energy, loves animals, especially goldfish, very taken with Anko’s snake summons, can and will make friends with just about anyone, very blunt, loves Natsuko fiercely, will throw hands if needed

Urameshi-san, 60s (OC) - 5’5”; long grey hair; dark eyes; scarred hands; has a slight, right sided limp - owns the converted inn where Natsuko and Hikaru live, helps take care of Hikaru when Natsuko works late, considers Natsuko and Hikaru family, likes to gossip

Shiori, 26/27 (OC) - 5’7”; dark hair; dark eyes - a waitress at Uoshin, doesn’t like washing dishes

Nana, 25/26 (OC) - 5’10”; long blonde hair; brown eyes; very pretty - a waitress at Uoshin, lives two blocks from Natsuko, hesitant about having social relationships with ninja

Sakayo, 30/31 (OC) - 5’5”; light green hair; dark eyes; a waitress at Uoshin, tends to treat the other waitresses like an eternally exasperated older sister

Eiji, 33/34 (OC) - 6’2”; short dark hair; blue eyes - a cook/bartender at Uoshin, quiet, a little standoffish but mostly shy, likes to do his job and go home, but not in an insulting way, keeps his work station in neat order even when the restaurant is busy

Chapter 3:

Yamanaka Mai - 5’8”; short blonde hair; light blue eyes - works for a civilian-focused Yamanaka flower shot, brought the delivery of flowers sent to Natsuko

Tsumiki - One of Anko’s summons, juvenile Xenopeltis (Sunbeam snake), about 2’ long, cannot speak in a human language yet, nonvenomous, will be most suited to infiltration and observation, Sunbeam snakes are adverse to handling and must be cared for with caution

Orochimaru, early/mid 40s (CC) - 6’2”

Yamanaka Ineko, 50s (OC) - 6’3”; mid-length dark blonde hair; dark grey eyes - owns a grocery in the central markets where Uoshin gets most of their food; mother to three children

Nishimura Keiko, mid 20s (OC) - her mother was friends with Natsuko’s mother, asked Natsuko to embroider her wedding kimono, marrying into the Nara clan

Unknown Stalker, late 40s (OC) - 6’0”; short salt and pepper hair; dark eyes - a previous regular customer at Koshikawa, Natsuko’s first place of employment, tried to follow her home, dresses well

Okamoto Miwa, early 20s (OC) - 5’3”; light blue hair; light brown eyes - kunoichi, poor attitude, rude to most people, generally an unpleasant person to work and socialize with

Chapter 4:

Daisuke - One of Anko’s summons, Burmese python, 20ft long, nonvenomous, can speak in human language, but prefers not to, loves to curl up in sunspots, will rid pantries of mice and rats if given the chance

Locations:

Uoshin - a small restaurant/izakaya, owned by Akimichi Aijirou. Can seat about 50 people between tables and the bar; there are also three private dining rooms to the back of the establishment, but are almost always used specifically for ninja instead of civilians, and only upon request. The building is traditional, with a combination of plaster and screened walls, and has several exit points that make it popular with non-civilian customers. 

Arata Apartment - Located in the East District, third floor apartment in a converted inn owned and run by Urameshi-san, small kitchen with wood panel flooring, small living/family room and small bedroom with tatami flooring, one medium sized closet for storage, sliding glass door leads to a balcony

Ineko’s Shop - located in the central markets, has fresh produce from the Yamanaka farms south of the village, imports other produce, fruits, spices, etc from all over the Elemental Nations

Koshikawa - restaurant in the East District, Natsuko’s first place of employment

Natsuko:

Arata Apartment:

Embroidery Examples: